As a youngster, Jesus my "advocate" was basically explained as follows:
I was in a courtroom and God my Judge was angry with me over my sin. He was ready to condemn me in his righteous anger, but Jesus my "lawyer" stood up to defend me. "No God, please don't strike him down! Remember...I died for his sins!"
I now know that this is a complete misunderstanding of Jesus as my Advocate. Satan is my accuser, not God! Jesus doesn't sit at God's right hand reminding the Father that I'm forgiven. He sits at the Father's side in harmony with Him and the Spirit, speaking together with ONE voice to the reality that The Godhead (Father, Son and Spirit) remember my sin no more!
That Jesus is my Advocate means He stands as a testament to my righteousness against Satan's accusations and lies. He is my Advocate WITH the Father, not AGAINST the Father as though God were doing the accusing! The entire Trinity is FOR me! And God is FOR you too!
Rejoice in that today!!!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
THE BOOK IS FINALLY HERE!
IT'S FINALLY HERE! You can pre-order "The Gospel Uncut" directly from Westbow Press at the following link. E-books that are readable in Kindle and other e-readers will be available soon from Westbow, Amazon and Barnes and Noble dot com! I hope you enjoy it. For those of you who are local to Vacaville, I will have some available that you can get directly from me as well if you'd like!
http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000482559/The-Gospel-Uncut.aspx
http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000482559/The-Gospel-Uncut.aspx
Friday, September 28, 2012
Endorsements for the Gospel Uncut!!!
I am SO grateful for the following endorsements of my soon-to-be-released book THE GOSPEL UNCUT... Thank you Drew and Ralph...
"What if everything you've ever dreamed of in your relationship with God is already yours to enjoy? What if you just don't realize how good you've got it? That's the radical message in The Gospel Uncut by Jeremy White, a pastor who is not afraid to proclaim the gospel of grace, plainly and without compromise. Read this book to see you are clean and close to your God. Read this book to relax and enjoy your Jesus. He loves you so!"
Andrew Farley
Bestselling author of "The Naked Gospel" and host of "Andrew Farley LIVE" on Sirius XM
Everyone looks for that just-right book, the one that will quickly illuminate and invigorate, and which will resolve odd questions that have plagued for years. This is that book. I’m not kidding. “The Gospel Uncut” is truly a treasure that is both breathtaking and timely! Jeremy White skillfully leads the reader out of tangled wonderings about God, and into the clear and easy rest and love that Jesus offers to all. If you’re looking for treasure, get this book!
Ralph Harris
Author of "God's Astounding Opinion of You" and President of LifeCourse Ministries.
And thanks to everyone for your patience as the book is in its final stages of production... :)
Grace and Peace,
Jeremy
"What if everything you've ever dreamed of in your relationship with God is already yours to enjoy? What if you just don't realize how good you've got it? That's the radical message in The Gospel Uncut by Jeremy White, a pastor who is not afraid to proclaim the gospel of grace, plainly and without compromise. Read this book to see you are clean and close to your God. Read this book to relax and enjoy your Jesus. He loves you so!"
Andrew Farley
Bestselling author of "The Naked Gospel" and host of "Andrew Farley LIVE" on Sirius XM
Everyone looks for that just-right book, the one that will quickly illuminate and invigorate, and which will resolve odd questions that have plagued for years. This is that book. I’m not kidding. “The Gospel Uncut” is truly a treasure that is both breathtaking and timely! Jeremy White skillfully leads the reader out of tangled wonderings about God, and into the clear and easy rest and love that Jesus offers to all. If you’re looking for treasure, get this book!
Ralph Harris
Author of "God's Astounding Opinion of You" and President of LifeCourse Ministries.
And thanks to everyone for your patience as the book is in its final stages of production... :)
Grace and Peace,
Jeremy
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Is Your God Too BIG???
I know, I know. That title sounds halfway blasphemous and wholly ridiculous. In fact if you are a believer in Christ you have probably heard the exact opposite question posed: “Is your God too small?” This inquiry seems to surface quite often in sermons, books and conversations (the implication being that your faith in God is probably much weaker than is deserved by an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being).
Of course in a literal sense it makes no sense to wonder whether God is too big. If God is indeed the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present Deity described in the pages of Holy Writ – then He is far “bigger” than our wildest imaginations can conceive of. But therein lies the dilemma.
Often our acceptance of the fact that God is all of those “big” things brings with it an unconscious assumption that He is “too big” to really bother with the average things we struggle with. God, we assume, undoubtedly cares about things like keeping the planets in alignment and solving the world’s biggest problems – but He’s probably not nearly as interested in the comparatively mundane challenges we face. That disappointment you were hit with yesterday, those frustrations happening in that relationship, or the unfulfilled dreams you are tempted to abandon are burdens you carry alone, assuming they aren't significant enough to bring God into the midst of.
The arrival of Jesus in the manger…and 33 years later on the cross, affirms beyond words that God indeed cares about our perceptions of Him. The very idea of God becoming man reveals to us something HUGE about the heart of God – that He is willing to make Himself “little” enough for us to intimately connect with.
Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, we see God passionately involved in the "mundane" affairs of everyday life – from solving the problem of poor planning at a wedding feast to speaking out on behalf of a sinful woman accused of adultery to inviting little children to approach Him freely (an act uncommon for a distinguished rabbi of His day). At every juncture, Jesus reveals to us the reality that God is not only casually interested in the “little things” of our lives – but intensely interested.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:26-30:
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
In this passage Jesus is encouraging His followers to trust in God’s provision – but He is also pointing out the fact that the Creator cares about the little things, and deeply so!
What kinds of problems are you facing today? Are they financial? Relational? Emotional? Spiritual? Do you sometimes unconsciously feel as though inviting Jesus into the center of these things must be some kind of nuisance to Him – as though He’s got bigger fish to fry?
Whatever the burdens you carry, Jesus invites you to find in Him the rest your soul is longing for. Ask Him to help you begin to more consciously practice His presence. Be aware that He is not only there WITH you, but also there FOR you – to bring every care and concern of your heart. You are never a nuisance to this God who loves you so much He would rather die than live without you. Rejoice in that reality and REST in Him today.
Of course in a literal sense it makes no sense to wonder whether God is too big. If God is indeed the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present Deity described in the pages of Holy Writ – then He is far “bigger” than our wildest imaginations can conceive of. But therein lies the dilemma.
Often our acceptance of the fact that God is all of those “big” things brings with it an unconscious assumption that He is “too big” to really bother with the average things we struggle with. God, we assume, undoubtedly cares about things like keeping the planets in alignment and solving the world’s biggest problems – but He’s probably not nearly as interested in the comparatively mundane challenges we face. That disappointment you were hit with yesterday, those frustrations happening in that relationship, or the unfulfilled dreams you are tempted to abandon are burdens you carry alone, assuming they aren't significant enough to bring God into the midst of.
The arrival of Jesus in the manger…and 33 years later on the cross, affirms beyond words that God indeed cares about our perceptions of Him. The very idea of God becoming man reveals to us something HUGE about the heart of God – that He is willing to make Himself “little” enough for us to intimately connect with.
Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, we see God passionately involved in the "mundane" affairs of everyday life – from solving the problem of poor planning at a wedding feast to speaking out on behalf of a sinful woman accused of adultery to inviting little children to approach Him freely (an act uncommon for a distinguished rabbi of His day). At every juncture, Jesus reveals to us the reality that God is not only casually interested in the “little things” of our lives – but intensely interested.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:26-30:
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
In this passage Jesus is encouraging His followers to trust in God’s provision – but He is also pointing out the fact that the Creator cares about the little things, and deeply so!
What kinds of problems are you facing today? Are they financial? Relational? Emotional? Spiritual? Do you sometimes unconsciously feel as though inviting Jesus into the center of these things must be some kind of nuisance to Him – as though He’s got bigger fish to fry?
Whatever the burdens you carry, Jesus invites you to find in Him the rest your soul is longing for. Ask Him to help you begin to more consciously practice His presence. Be aware that He is not only there WITH you, but also there FOR you – to bring every care and concern of your heart. You are never a nuisance to this God who loves you so much He would rather die than live without you. Rejoice in that reality and REST in Him today.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Off of the Auction Block
How do we objectively determine the value of something? Only by whatever the highest bidder is willing to pay for it. For example, if I want to sell an item on Ebay for $100, but the most I can get someone to offer is $30 - then what does this tell me about the value of my item? It tells me its worth $30. No matter how sincerely I might believe it to be worth $100, the actual value is equivalent the highest bid. In other words, whatever the market will bear.
Let's apply this concept to who we are as human beings. The Bible says that God "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). This act of "giving" by God is elsewhere described in the Bible of an act of "redemption." The Biblical verb "to redeem" basically means "to purchase out of the slave market of sin." The picture God is painting is that at one time, each of us were on an "auction block" of sorts - pimped out by our former slave-driver, Satan and his cohorts - the world-system and the flesh.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). When Christ gave His life to redeem us from that slave-market, He was making some very bold statements - one of which was regarding our VALUE to God. I've heard preachers say that telling someone they are valuable to God is just a bunch of "pop-psychology". They say that people need to feel and know how wretched and disgusting they are in order to relate properly to God.
Make no mistake that the Bible is very straightforward about the fact that before we place our trust in Christ, we are identified as "sinners". This means that "sin" was the core of our identity and because of this sinful nature, our behavior often flowed out of that sinfulness. While that's not a pretty picture, its an honest one. But its against this very dark backdrop that we begin to really understand the love of God for what it is!
God does not love us in some theoretical or theological sense in which He merely tolerates our disgustingness. Rather, while we were STILL sinners - right in the mix of all our grime and guilt - God loved us completely. In fact, He loved us to the point that He would rather come and die than live without us for eternity! Now THAT'S love!
What is more, the very moment we place our trust in Christ He irreversibly washes away that "sin nature" and all the guilty deeds produced by it - re-creating us so that we become as righteous as Jesus Himself is! "God made Him who had not sin to BE sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (1 Cor. 5:21).
So let me get this straight: God loved me while I was still a sinner. He loved me so much that He shed His own blood for me on a cross. He crucified my old, sinful nature with Himself and created within me a brand new righteous nature at the core of who I am. He not only has forgiven my sin, but made me alive together with Christ.
If you don't think these realities say something about my value to God, I'm not sure we're reading the same Bible! The grace of God is NOT pop-psychology or empty self-esteem. It is the reality that God - out of sheer, undeserved kindness toward me - paid the highest price imaginable to redeem me as His own. Does this affect my self-esteem? Of course! But it's not a self-help program. It's a mission of redemption where the highest Bidder paid the highest price to purchase me from the auction block of sin. And it reminds me of something that religion could never teach me: Jesus didn't come to make naughty people nicer - He came to make dead people ALIVE!
Jesus is the highest Bidder! He won the war for my heart. And I have this life and all eternity to love Him for it! How about you? Where do you get your sense of value? From the fleeting opinions of men or the rock-solid redemptive price Jesus paid for you?
Rest in that today and every day!
Let's apply this concept to who we are as human beings. The Bible says that God "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). This act of "giving" by God is elsewhere described in the Bible of an act of "redemption." The Biblical verb "to redeem" basically means "to purchase out of the slave market of sin." The picture God is painting is that at one time, each of us were on an "auction block" of sorts - pimped out by our former slave-driver, Satan and his cohorts - the world-system and the flesh.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). When Christ gave His life to redeem us from that slave-market, He was making some very bold statements - one of which was regarding our VALUE to God. I've heard preachers say that telling someone they are valuable to God is just a bunch of "pop-psychology". They say that people need to feel and know how wretched and disgusting they are in order to relate properly to God.
Make no mistake that the Bible is very straightforward about the fact that before we place our trust in Christ, we are identified as "sinners". This means that "sin" was the core of our identity and because of this sinful nature, our behavior often flowed out of that sinfulness. While that's not a pretty picture, its an honest one. But its against this very dark backdrop that we begin to really understand the love of God for what it is!
God does not love us in some theoretical or theological sense in which He merely tolerates our disgustingness. Rather, while we were STILL sinners - right in the mix of all our grime and guilt - God loved us completely. In fact, He loved us to the point that He would rather come and die than live without us for eternity! Now THAT'S love!
What is more, the very moment we place our trust in Christ He irreversibly washes away that "sin nature" and all the guilty deeds produced by it - re-creating us so that we become as righteous as Jesus Himself is! "God made Him who had not sin to BE sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (1 Cor. 5:21).
So let me get this straight: God loved me while I was still a sinner. He loved me so much that He shed His own blood for me on a cross. He crucified my old, sinful nature with Himself and created within me a brand new righteous nature at the core of who I am. He not only has forgiven my sin, but made me alive together with Christ.
If you don't think these realities say something about my value to God, I'm not sure we're reading the same Bible! The grace of God is NOT pop-psychology or empty self-esteem. It is the reality that God - out of sheer, undeserved kindness toward me - paid the highest price imaginable to redeem me as His own. Does this affect my self-esteem? Of course! But it's not a self-help program. It's a mission of redemption where the highest Bidder paid the highest price to purchase me from the auction block of sin. And it reminds me of something that religion could never teach me: Jesus didn't come to make naughty people nicer - He came to make dead people ALIVE!
Jesus is the highest Bidder! He won the war for my heart. And I have this life and all eternity to love Him for it! How about you? Where do you get your sense of value? From the fleeting opinions of men or the rock-solid redemptive price Jesus paid for you?
Rest in that today and every day!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
DO versus DONE
My friend Ralph Harris recently wrote...
“It is finished” didn’t mean ‘until you sin some more, and then you’ve got to re-start the heavy burden, accountability and repentant lifestyle all over again to make sure everything is cool between you and me.’ Right? It meant that after THIS, you’re going to live out of what I’ve done and given to you, because there’s nothing MORE. Okay? You’ve got it all, and it’s all really good!
I couldn't have said it any better myself (which is probably why I quoted Ralph...duh!). The longer I am a Christian - and the longer I serve as a pastor - the more obvious it becomes to me that there are essentially two competing gospels in the world. They are the gospel of "DO" and the gospel of "DONE".
The gospel of "DO" says..."Suck it up, earn your way, prove yourself, atone for your sins, you should be ashamed of yourself, can't you do anything right?, hope that God will accept you, keep striving, behave properly, try harder, keep the rules, don't rock the boat, don't ask questions, promise to do better".....well, you get the point!
The gospel of "DONE" says "It is finished - there is no barrier between yourself and a joyous, love relationship with Me. It's all a gift. The only thing you 'do' to receive it is believe it."
You ask, "Believe what?"
Jesus responds...
"Believe that when I died on the cross I intercepted the death penalty that your sin brought upon you. (Romans 5:8)
"Not only has the debt been paid, but canceled altogether. I'm not mad at you." (Romans 5:9)
"When you choose sin, I hurt for you, because I love you and have so much more to offer you than empty promises. But mad? Nope! Justice has already been served." (Romans 8:4)
"You no longer have to live with that shame hanging around your neck." (Isaiah 54:4)
"We are forever okay, you and me." (Romans 5:1)
"And that resurrection you've heard about? I did that for you too." (Romans 5:10; 6:4)
"Your need didn't stop at forgiveness. You needed LIFE as well. When you trust in me, you are agreeing that your old, sinful nature died with me and that you have now been raised to new life with a new spiritual nature!" (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20)
"You are 'in me' and I am 'in you.'" (Ephesians 1:13)
"This is permanent. This never changes. Not based on how you feel. Not based on how you perform. Never. The pressure's off. You are a brand new person inside, based upon my objective work - not your subjective feelings." (Ephesians 1:14)
"Deep down, you want exactly the things I want." (Galatians 5:17)
"Sure, you face temptations, and sometimes you take the bait." (James 3:2)
"This is why you feel so terrible when you choose sin...precisely because you are new at the core. If you weren't new, you wouldn't care as much about sin, except for how the consequences might negatively affect you. You don't always perform perfectly, but you are obedient from the heart. You struggle in your thought-life, but the attitude of your heart is now righteous, and I know the difference!" (Romans 6:17; Hebrews 4:12)
"Abide in me. That means 'rest'. And you will bear much fruit. I produce it. You bear it. Deal?" (John 15:5)
This, my friends is the gospel of DONE... Grace and peace to you!
P.S. ...and one thing Jesus might add... "This new life is best experienced in the context of transparent, Christian community. Some people call this 'church'. Even if you've been wounded by 'organized religion' or don't believe that safe communities like this exist...they do! I can lead you into one. Seek and you will find. I love you."
“It is finished” didn’t mean ‘until you sin some more, and then you’ve got to re-start the heavy burden, accountability and repentant lifestyle all over again to make sure everything is cool between you and me.’ Right? It meant that after THIS, you’re going to live out of what I’ve done and given to you, because there’s nothing MORE. Okay? You’ve got it all, and it’s all really good!
I couldn't have said it any better myself (which is probably why I quoted Ralph...duh!). The longer I am a Christian - and the longer I serve as a pastor - the more obvious it becomes to me that there are essentially two competing gospels in the world. They are the gospel of "DO" and the gospel of "DONE".
The gospel of "DO" says..."Suck it up, earn your way, prove yourself, atone for your sins, you should be ashamed of yourself, can't you do anything right?, hope that God will accept you, keep striving, behave properly, try harder, keep the rules, don't rock the boat, don't ask questions, promise to do better".....well, you get the point!
The gospel of "DONE" says "It is finished - there is no barrier between yourself and a joyous, love relationship with Me. It's all a gift. The only thing you 'do' to receive it is believe it."
You ask, "Believe what?"
Jesus responds...
"Believe that when I died on the cross I intercepted the death penalty that your sin brought upon you. (Romans 5:8)
"Not only has the debt been paid, but canceled altogether. I'm not mad at you." (Romans 5:9)
"When you choose sin, I hurt for you, because I love you and have so much more to offer you than empty promises. But mad? Nope! Justice has already been served." (Romans 8:4)
"You no longer have to live with that shame hanging around your neck." (Isaiah 54:4)
"We are forever okay, you and me." (Romans 5:1)
"And that resurrection you've heard about? I did that for you too." (Romans 5:10; 6:4)
"Your need didn't stop at forgiveness. You needed LIFE as well. When you trust in me, you are agreeing that your old, sinful nature died with me and that you have now been raised to new life with a new spiritual nature!" (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20)
"You are 'in me' and I am 'in you.'" (Ephesians 1:13)
"This is permanent. This never changes. Not based on how you feel. Not based on how you perform. Never. The pressure's off. You are a brand new person inside, based upon my objective work - not your subjective feelings." (Ephesians 1:14)
"Deep down, you want exactly the things I want." (Galatians 5:17)
"Sure, you face temptations, and sometimes you take the bait." (James 3:2)
"This is why you feel so terrible when you choose sin...precisely because you are new at the core. If you weren't new, you wouldn't care as much about sin, except for how the consequences might negatively affect you. You don't always perform perfectly, but you are obedient from the heart. You struggle in your thought-life, but the attitude of your heart is now righteous, and I know the difference!" (Romans 6:17; Hebrews 4:12)
"Abide in me. That means 'rest'. And you will bear much fruit. I produce it. You bear it. Deal?" (John 15:5)
This, my friends is the gospel of DONE... Grace and peace to you!
P.S. ...and one thing Jesus might add... "This new life is best experienced in the context of transparent, Christian community. Some people call this 'church'. Even if you've been wounded by 'organized religion' or don't believe that safe communities like this exist...they do! I can lead you into one. Seek and you will find. I love you."
Friday, August 24, 2012
WELCOME ABOARD!
Welcome to The Gospel Uncut - the official blog site of the upcoming new book by the same title!
As a child of God who serves as a pastor, I realize how easy it is to find yourself in a place where the so-called "free offer" of salvation begins to feel more like a bait-and-switch scam. You may recall someone in your past assuring you that a relationship with God is a wonderful free gift to be received by simple faith. It sounded too good to be true, but you eagerly accepted the offer. Now, here you are living a life filled with guilt, regret and the high-pressure scrutiny of an in-grown religious culture.
What's worse, you may even feel like you have nobody to talk to about where you're at. Over time, you've grown accustomed to faking it. You know all the "right" answers, and you've learned to wear the proper masks for the appropriate situations. But deep down, you feel empty - as though the Jesus you currently experience is vastly different than the one you originally fell in love with (or at least thought you did).
Well...there is good news for you! What if the gospel of Jesus Christ is far better than you ever imagined? What if it TRULY IS good news? If you've ever secretly looked around at your experience of the Christian life and wondered, "Is this REALLY as good as it gets?" then you're in for an amazing journey.
In the book, we will strip away the religious debris that we've picked up along the way, casting aside the joy-robbing huffing and puffing of religious manipulation that so many have erroneously attached to Jesus. We will take a fresh look at what it means to rest in the assurance of God's favor toward as, and discover how to find the peace and satisfaction that various false-versions of the gospel have stolen from us.
If you feel beat up, burnt-out or broken down by a gospel that promised a free gift on the front end of the deal but left you with all kinds of disappointing fine print on the back side of the contract, get ready to experience the freedom God intends!
The book is complete and in the design-phase right now, and I'll keep you updated as the release date draws near! In the meantime, never forget that you are loved by Love Himself!
Blessings,
Jeremy
As a child of God who serves as a pastor, I realize how easy it is to find yourself in a place where the so-called "free offer" of salvation begins to feel more like a bait-and-switch scam. You may recall someone in your past assuring you that a relationship with God is a wonderful free gift to be received by simple faith. It sounded too good to be true, but you eagerly accepted the offer. Now, here you are living a life filled with guilt, regret and the high-pressure scrutiny of an in-grown religious culture.
What's worse, you may even feel like you have nobody to talk to about where you're at. Over time, you've grown accustomed to faking it. You know all the "right" answers, and you've learned to wear the proper masks for the appropriate situations. But deep down, you feel empty - as though the Jesus you currently experience is vastly different than the one you originally fell in love with (or at least thought you did).
Well...there is good news for you! What if the gospel of Jesus Christ is far better than you ever imagined? What if it TRULY IS good news? If you've ever secretly looked around at your experience of the Christian life and wondered, "Is this REALLY as good as it gets?" then you're in for an amazing journey.
In the book, we will strip away the religious debris that we've picked up along the way, casting aside the joy-robbing huffing and puffing of religious manipulation that so many have erroneously attached to Jesus. We will take a fresh look at what it means to rest in the assurance of God's favor toward as, and discover how to find the peace and satisfaction that various false-versions of the gospel have stolen from us.
If you feel beat up, burnt-out or broken down by a gospel that promised a free gift on the front end of the deal but left you with all kinds of disappointing fine print on the back side of the contract, get ready to experience the freedom God intends!
The book is complete and in the design-phase right now, and I'll keep you updated as the release date draws near! In the meantime, never forget that you are loved by Love Himself!
Blessings,
Jeremy
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