The Sanctuary Downtown

David danced before the Ark, giving gifts to God and Israel. Queen Michal despised the dance and bore no fruit. Queen Michal despised the Seed of David, the Life of Christ. The process for getting pregnant is vastly different from the manner in which we go about obeying laws. Faith is Fruit. Faith is the life of Christ in me. To take credit for faith, is to crucify Christ and make oneself an Anti-Christ - a FrankenChristian.

The Law was hidden under the Mercy Seat. Wrath is actually contained in Mercy. Judgment is contained in Grace. The Old Covenant is contained in the New Covenant - the Eternal Covenant. The Presence, Judgment and Power are not in the law, but what covers the law - Mercy. "God with us," is Mercy.

This is Satan's challenge: "God, there are no men made in your image; there are no men that love you for no reason." God replies: "Have you considered my servant Job; my servant Jesus; my servant....Have you considered My Champion?" Justice is not People getting what they deserve. Justice is God getting what He deserves. He deserves a universe of champions.

Christmas from the perspective of "The Innkeeper." Founder of the Hyatt Bethlehem.

The Sacred doesn't need to be protected from the profane. The manger doesn’t profane the baby; the Baby sanctifies the manger. The "Principalities and Powers" want you to think that the Sacred may fail, for then, you’ll make laws, build walls and go to war; you’ll try to save Christmas… and never come to realize, that it’s Christmas that saves you.

Who's behind the curtain? Is he a Stalker? No. He's a Romancer. THE POWER OF ROMANCE: "It's like I had created a good free choice; faith hope and love...for me...in my Bride. If she took credit for it, it wouldn't be it - free Love. You might say 'she chose' because she was chosen."

STEP 1: God subjects all creation to futility (Romans 8:20)
and "consigns all to disobedience" (Romans 11:32a) 
STEP 2: We crucify Him and "He has mercy on all." (Romans 11:32b) 
STEP 3: He rises from the dead and says "Touch my wounds and believe.” How do we touch the wounds on the Body of Christ? 
Well, where is the wounded Body of Christ, that you might touch it?

When God is dead (or feels dead to you)... 
but you desperately wish he were alive;
 When you barely believe...
 but desperately want to believe...
 You anoint Him with the most precious oil.

What is Masculinity?
"Behold The Man." (John 19:5) 
Rules won't change you. The Law can't change you.
 But beholding The Man will "transform you 
from one degree of glory to another." (2Cor.3:18)

Drink the cup the Lord has for you. It's not "the cup Judas has for you," or "the cup your enemies have for you."
It's the cup your Heavenly Father has for you. It's your best life NOW.

The Glory of God is hidden in your wounds. "In my deepest wound I see your glory and it dazzles me." St. Augustine

Are you dreaming your life away? Dreaming your wife away? 
Church away? Jesus away? Judas did.
Your dream bride will kill your real bride. God's dreams are better that your dreams. Nobody bleeds in Stepford.

Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and even greater works than these will he do." What works could be greater? Perhaps the greatest work of all is that we would actually want to love. But you see, the greater work is still His work for we become His body, and His spirit indwells us. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It seems pretty clear: Love wins.

Jesus said to Peter, "Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times. Let not your heart be troubled. [You] believe in God, [You] believe also in me." When we worry, we seize control and make plans. But God has a plan that we would surrender control and never worry. So Peter, "let not your heart be troubled. Your plans are your trouble. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe, and that's the plan."

You're saved by grace, it's free, free, free, and yet on Resurrection Sunday, one guy was missing: Judas. There must be some catch.

Maybe Jesus blinds Pharisees so they can see the Light. And maybe we're all Pharisees born into the same lie. And if God healed us then, if He preserved us in that state, we'd be stuck in hell: bitter, resentful, incapable of love. So God sets us up for unrighteousness so that we can see His righteousness.