{"id":121,"date":"2026-03-23T08:13:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T13:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/?p=121"},"modified":"2026-03-23T08:13:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T13:13:06","slug":"march-23-2026-729-am","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/?p=121","title":{"rendered":"March 23, 2026, 7:29 AM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

God<\/em>: I didn\u2019t come to earth and die so that you could still carry any amount of shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cross is not meant to be a reminder of your own shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> I felt like I was taught \u201cyou\u2019re bad. But Christ died for you, so that God can live in denial, pretending that you\u2019re good<\/em>. But you\u2019re still bad. And the best you do is still bad<\/em>. But if God does something for you, it\u2019s good<\/em>, but pray you have no part in it<\/em>, or you\u2019ll screw it up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> \u201cI am the way, the truth<\/em>, and the life\u201d. Such a claim seems contradictory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth and life are often treated as contradictory<\/em>. \u201cIf you know how bad you are, you\u2019ll hate yourself for the rest of your life\u201d\u2014that\u2019s how my people are treated<\/em>. Let us get to a better root.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could argue \u201cyou\u2019re saved\u201d, \u201cyou\u2019re redeemed\u201d, \u201cyou have no reason to feel shame anymore\u201d<\/em>. The problem is, that\u2019s not where your lie sits<\/em>. I\u2019d be arguing the wrong thing. \u201cI am the way\u201d. If I were only the truth, but not the way<\/em>, I would risk being misapplied truth<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are <\/em>saved. You are<\/em> redeemed. And you have absolutely no reason to feel shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s like giving you a blood transfusion, while your heart\u2019s not beating<\/em>. We need to get your heart beating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blood transfusion may be needed. Let\u2019s get your heart beating first<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Okay. So how do we do this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I see God lean over and blow into my face. I feel a bit unsure why. I suddenly remember what it felt like playing as a kid)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Joshua, question: is joy the irresponsible fruit of the spirit?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Well\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Okay, let me ask you another way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did I make kids to have joy, or to learn how to work?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Well, the point of human beings\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God: <\/em>Okay, stop right there. (shaking his head) Why are you talking like this is a scientific explanation? We\u2019re already off-track. You are acting as if I am missing the point<\/em>. I did not ask about \u201chuman beings\u201d\u2014the entire human populace<\/em>. Answer my question. Drop the dissertation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Okay. You\u2026 didn\u2019t make them for either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (leans in, smiling) Which is closer to truth, in your heart?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> It doesn\u2019t matter. If I\u2019m wrong, I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (sighs) Be honest. If you aren\u2019t willing to be honest, we\u2019ll never get anywhere<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> I don\u2019t wanna be wrong. (long pause while I stare at God and try to clam up my emotions) Fine, whatever! Um\u2026 people were made to work<\/em>. So kids were made to learn how to work<\/em>. The goal for any kid, is to become a valuable member of society<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (throws up his hands a bit) Which one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Which society?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (nods)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Well\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Stop right there. (leans in) Do you understand? You are part of the kingdom of heaven<\/em>. When someone becomes my kid, did I make them to have joy, or to learn how to work?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> To learn how to work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> No. If that were the goal, legalism would be enough<\/em>. Grinding people into powder would be good ethics<\/em> instead of abuse<\/em>. The fruit of the spirit, if you\u2019ll notice, is oddly lacking in results<\/strong><\/em>. The kind of results you care about<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fruit of the spirit doesn\u2019t include: building a profitable business. Winning souls. Bar graphs. A growing list of accomplishments. It\u2019s all heart issues<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the heart issues aren\u2019t resolved, then the gospel is pointless<\/em>. You are not, in actuality, better off<\/em>. The heart issues being resolved are what I died for<\/em>. I didn\u2019t die so people could be ground into powder with me to blame<\/em>, I died so people could live<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I certainly want you to have success<\/em>. But it starts with the heart<\/em>. My greatest win isn\u2019t what you do with your hands<\/em>, but what I do with your heart<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning souls for a gospel that hasn\u2019t changed you yet is folly<\/em>. If it isn\u2019t \u201cthe power of God\u201d, then whose power is it?<\/em> And if it isn\u2019t my power, you are not inviting people into my power<\/em>. To be a sincere preacher of the gospel, you must sincerely experience it<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWinning souls\u201d, as you define it, \u201cnumber go up\u201d. I would rather you be a sincere beacon of my truth<\/em>, than to divert people into an inferior, fake gospel<\/strong> that Paul himself spoke strongly in opposition of<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until you sincerely experience my good gospel<\/em>. You are doomed to lead people into a false one<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let me go back to the lie<\/em>. You believe the fruit of the spirit is wholly unproductive<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which means we are not on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be serious: would you rather a new believer come to you, saying, \u201cI\u2019ve never been this happy in my entire life\u201d, or \u201cI brought a new person to Christ\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you want the results that I died for<\/em>, or an inferior gospel to be preached?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> Well\u2026 in my mind<\/em>, if more people get into heaven, but don\u2019t experience your goodness<\/strong><\/em>\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I see God holding up his hand to signal \u201cstop\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Blasphemy. You want people to hold off on my goodness until their death?<\/strong><\/em> You would rather people live miserable lives<\/em>, devoid of all the good things that I promised<\/em>, so they can get to heaven? Did I not die for relationship? Would you deprive me of the relationship I died for until people come to heaven?<\/strong><\/em> Then you are depriving me of what I died for<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I died to have relationship<\/strong><\/em>. If you say \u201cthey\u2019ll get relationship when they die\u201d, you are acting in opposition to me<\/em>. You are not saying \u201cJesus died for relationship\u201d, because I loved the world, but rather that I died so that they could keep waiting to experience my goodness<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People already want the goodness I hold<\/em>. If you would rather a new believer make new converts but lose me<\/em>, do you truly hold any grasp on the gospel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua, I say all this, not to shame you<\/em>, but to help you see: what I want for the new believer, I want for you too<\/strong><\/em>. You\u2019ve been told \u201cenjoy God\u2019s goodness, then get to work<\/em>\u201d. Excuse me? \u201cSurely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life\u201d<\/em>. It is not meant to end \u201cwhen you understand heaven well enough\u201d. That is stating my goodness has an expiration date<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You view the gospel like your country. At first, the youngest children are left to play, and to have fun. Then, the focus shifts rapidly: you must learn to be a productive citizen of society<\/em>. Yes, you\u2019ll have fun during breaks<\/em>, but we all know the breaks are just a waste of time<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we could eliminate recess, we would<\/em>\u201d. Yet what I died for can be displayed more prominently on a playground then on a syllabus. Teaching is excellent<\/em>. But, in your own mind, anything other than class time is wasted time<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to understand what I died for<\/em>. You just keep finding twists and interpretations that let you push the same ideals you hold outside of my teaching<\/strong><\/em>. Which means, you are twisting my word to meet your end<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fruit of the spirit isn\u2019t wasted time. Did I waste time growing it?<\/em> It is the fruit of my spirit<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your mind, all that I desire is wasted time<\/em>. The truth is, the economy I have in place breaks your ideal<\/em>. I did not pay \u201creasonable cost\u201d by dying for you. It was absolutely worth it to me, and it wasn\u2019t even something I had to weigh<\/em>. If you think I died to fill an assembly line<\/em>, then you are operating in your cultural mindset instead of the mindset of heaven<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not trying to launch a pyramid scheme. \u201cConvert two people, who will convert two more, who will convert two more! <\/em>Then I will tell you in heaven \u2018well done, good and faithful servant!\u2019<\/em>\u201d This kind of thinking is more akin to what I said to the Pharisees: traveling and travailing to win one follower, then doubling your corruption within them!<\/em> That is the true doubling happening in \u201cPyramid Scheme Evangelism\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book of Acts, thousands were added in a day<\/em>. Because I spoke through people<\/em>. I displayed my power<\/em>. Quit trying to make a formula out of the power of the creator of the universe<\/strong><\/em>. Do you really think that my intention is for you to put my power<\/em> through a lab, dilute it, and apply it oh-so-carefully to your own training material? I am the greatest trainer<\/em>. I teach you what to say. Diluting my gospel, is not my gospel<\/em>. That\u2019s what Paul wrote the letter of Galatians about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> God, this is harsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (leans in, smiling) Is it? Or are you uncomfortable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> \u2026I\u2019m uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Tell me how you feel<\/em>, but be honest<\/em>. Confessing sin includes false mindsets. But sometimes, we need a straightforward conversation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> \u2026Can I just sense your presence and ignore your correction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Why? (laughing)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> \u2026I feel shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> That is because you don\u2019t believe you have the same blessing as the new believer<\/em>. We are returning to that now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New believers have grace<\/em>. But you were taught that at some point, the new believer\u2019s grace ends, and they must get to work<\/strong><\/em>. The only way you can believe that is if you follow the path that Paul spoke loudly against in the book of Galatians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I start to tear up)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> \u2026It sounds too good to be true. I was taught<\/em>. I actually remember hearing about how things are so easy for the new believer, but then the rubber hits the road<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (shakes his head) While it is true that I protect people<\/em>, and that I may pause trouble from coming for them to process<\/em>, it is not true that I lessen my protection as you grow in your maturity<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that were true, Jesus should have had no protection as he walked the earth<\/em>. Yet he continually stated \u201cmy time has not yet come\u201d, and avoided crowds that wanted to kill him<\/em>. Only when it was the right time<\/em> did he permit the crowd to come and kill him. The only way he was crucified was by his own permission<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the power that dwells in you<\/em>. That does not mean you will not have trouble\u2014but take heart<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have overcome the world\u201d is not only for the new believer. It applied to me, being without sin, and it applies to those following me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you try \u201cto win converts\u201d, but you haven\u2019t been transformed<\/em>, you are not preaching the gospel. Wisdom is justified by her children. Let it be justified in you<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> \u2026God, I like all this. How do I accept it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> \u201cI am the way, the truth, and the life<\/em>\u201d. Do not accept the way as men taught it. Do not accept the truth as men dilute it. Do not accept the life as men lived it. The way is narrow<\/strong><\/em>. Let us pick at this lie with ease:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The root of all this goes back to a very simple experience. When did you first learn that grace was lifted?<\/em> That was a lie<\/em>, but lies are learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> \u2026I feel like I kinda remember something, but I\u2019m not sure. Like \u201cyou\u2019re an older kid, you should know better\u201d. There was always this understanding that little kids could play, big kids had to work\u2026 that was just the way that society operated<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> (nods) And yet\u2026 if you consider what I offer<\/em>, I flip it. \u201cYou must become like little children\u201d to enter the kingdom of God. I never said \u201cyou must become like big kids\u201d. To your point: maturity does not mean you quit enjoying me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua:<\/em> God, was there a single thing? A single experience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God:<\/em> Joshua, remember how curriculum changed as you moved from preschool to kindergarten? And in general, you disliked the curriculum as you got older<\/em>. You dreaded dissection when you entered high school<\/em>. Certain courses scared you. You had no interest. But they were put on you<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They weren\u2019t bad. Learning about things you are uncomfortable with is part of living<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you still learned: as you get older, the lessons get worse<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, church experience often mirrored this. Worship in children\u2019s church didn\u2019t mirror worship in adult\u2019s church\u2014kids would have fun, adults would follow along<\/em>. Fun in adult church, in your interpretation<\/em>, was \u201cdisallowed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your educational system doesn\u2019t mirror mine<\/strong><\/em>. The fruit grows. Life becomes more fun<\/em>. More peaceful. Not because the problems are easier<\/em>, but because my fruit grows<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You remember some very good high school classes. You almost wondered if it was permitted<\/em>. But those were, in reality<\/em>, extremely healthy examples of high school classes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not my process<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Keep things easy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Introduce more complicated curriculum<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Make it more complex, reduce the downtime<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Move you into a brand new environment, with the purpose of graduating with a ministry<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. You die<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Quit putting your educational system on mine<\/em>. I am your teacher<\/em>. I lead you into all truth<\/em>. In your culture, you spend over a decade preparing to enter the workforce<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In my kingdom? When my power comes upon you, you can astonish much more learned people<\/em>. My kingdom makes things \u201cnot fair\u201d. Simon the Sorcerer was awed by people who had not studied sorcery<\/em>, but had walked with me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My power usurps human training. And often, in the course of training<\/em>, I must untrain<\/em>. The path your culture takes to enter the workforce<\/em> isn\u2019t my way<\/strong>. What is the way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I am<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    God: I didn\u2019t come to earth and die so that you could still carry any amount of shame. The cross is not meant to be a reminder of your own shame. Joshua: I felt like I was taught \u201cyou\u2019re bad. But Christ died for you, so that God can live in denial, pretending that you\u2019re […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122,"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions\/122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/todaygodtaughtme.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}