The Gospel Reformation

The phrase “second coming” is nowhere to be found in the bible. This new kingdom people have been waiting for every single day for more than one thousand nine hundred years will not come. His “second coming” was never mentioned, his coming was.

When we begin to understand the massive mistakes by the apostle Paul and others about the “second coming”, we can then go back into the gospels and look at the words of Jesus with new eyes.

John 18:36, Jesus said (to the Roman Governor), “My kingdom is not of this world.  …”

Luke 17: 20-21, Once having been asked…when the kingdom would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, and people will not say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

When there is no sudden “second coming”, these phrases of Jesus do not have to be explained away. They can stand as the simple statements that they are.

The fact is that the kingdom is something to grow into as Christians. It is why Jesus described the Christian journey as a narrow road, and he said, “Learn from me.” It is not something instant. It is something to mature into.

Then when you don’t expect it, the kingdom will come upon you like a flash of lightning. Jesus will be coming in answered prayers, as a presence, a visions, or with his angles. Spirit will enter and rip creation and duality apart to deliver the kingdom to you. Jesus have come this way many times over the centuries.

He could come in every way we are able to perceive him. Theresa of Avila, who had many visions of Jesus, said finally, “The formless Jesus, when he comes to me, is more real than the Jesus in visions.

There is no “second coming” three years from now, thirty years from now, or three hundred thousand years from now. But his coming has never stopped since the crucifixion. He has always been coming to us, according to our willingness and ability to perceive the spiritual. 

If this became the majority view instead of belonging to a Christian minority, what would Christianity become? What changes would take place in Christians and the world? What would the relationship with Jesus Christ be with his followers in a thousand years?

This is an earth shaking view to many Christians — though not all. And, this writer is glad he lives in a country with religious freedom. But we must remember that the “second coming” is a Pauline Christianity. It is not from the words of Jesus - if they are allowed to stand independently and supreme. We know that Paul believed and based his theology on the immediate return of Jesus. We also know he was wrong. It never happened.

If you take the inference of one bible verse, and place it upon the inference of another bible verse, and then keep doing that until you feel that you have proven the Trinity, it is possible. Great lovers of Christ have done this. But that makes for a weak argument when Jesus speaks against his own Godhead …and when the basic principle of the Trinity is not logical.

With all bible quotations stripped away, here is what is being asked of us to accept:  One is three. One is not three. Three is one. Three is not one.

It is a doctrine that cannot be understood. It is a doctrine that cannot be explained. The only way to accept it is not to think about it - and give up all logic.

…and not read these words of Jesus, John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

When you live your belief and faith, there is not a whole lot of excitement in writing gospel-backed statements that make other people nervous. It is not where I prefer to be.

I like to dive deeper into the words that feed me. Like Matthew 11: 28-30: “Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Place my harness upon you and learn from me. for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my harness is easy and my burden is light.”

It is in words like those above where I prefer to live. It is what feeds me. The simple phrase, “…and learn from me,” is an invitation to study the gospels. Seek there how to find rest from daily troubles. And, when it is done correctly, with the right attitude, placing Christianity upon oneself is easy because his teaching is light and freeing.

That path is joy. But I understand the importance of the rest as well. It is why I am here, on this blog, speaking on difficult subjects, casting light on thoughts that were much diminished through the ages. But still…    Brother Morten

Jesus and his disciples walked into a grain-field and gathered some grain on the sabbath, thereby breaking the fourth commandment - one of the “big ten” of the Old Testament. He was promptly attacked for this.

This is when he made one of the most important responses to the laws of the Old Testament in Mark 2:27, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.”

The above statement is so big that it might not be readily discernible. But upon deep reflection he clearly says, “From now on, the old laws of the Old Testament are not to be followed. We have left them behind. From now on it is about grace and truth, honesty and love, and the oneness with God.”

You might ask yourself, “Where does Jesus say: grace and truth, honesty and love; and the oneness with God.” The answer is: That is what the gospels are all about.

A Christian life lived this way will always fulfill and supersede the spirit of Old Testament law. It is why Christianity is a religion of freedom and right action, not one of bondage to legal interpretations.

Paul, as part of the Jerusalem temple guard, had been a hunter and jailer of Christians. From these acts of the past he had become ridden with guilt. From this deep-seated sense of having sinned against Jesus and God - in the worst way of all, he made Christianity into a cult of sin.

 For the rest of his life he tried everything to convert people to Christianity. He even used deception. Misrepresentations were nothing to Paul, if he could just make up for his earlier life.

In Corinthians 9:20-21 he states, To the Jews I became like the Jews, to win them over. To those under the (Jewish) law I became like one under the law, so as to win over those under the law. (But) to those not having the law (gentiles), I became like one not having the law.

This deception of faking obedience to the Jewish law was perfectly fine in the eyes of the apostle Paul. But he went a lot further than that.

In Galatians 5:3 Paul taught this: “Again, I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law (of the Jews).”

Then he did this to Timothy in Acts 16: He (Paul) came …to Lystra, where a disciple Timothy lived …Paul wanted to take him on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area.

This level of planned deception is not a Christianity Jesus would recognize. This is why The Gospel Reformation™ states that the words and the actions of Jesus Christ is the scripture of Christians. All else is peripheral reading. It may have some value, it may not.

As this now moves forward, I cannot help to wonder about the future and how it will look. I even went to the dictionary and looked up the words, “Faith”, ”Providence”, and “Destiny”. Yes, I have known the meaning of these words for a long time, but I really wanted a crisp and clean definition presented to my mind.

After thinking about a growing community, I am left with this saying, “Faith requires action. It is what makes it more than just opinion.”

Yesterday I spoke to a group of Christians about our work. A third of the attendees were very excited, a third were confused, and a third were in dumbfounded shock.

I was the one who learned the most. To educated on this will take more than just words and facts. It will require compassion, love, and a lot of “handholding”. This is not an easy jump for many. We need more printed resources, something people can take home with them and revisit over and over again.    — Br. Morten

At The Gospel Reformation the message is very simple: Christianity came out of the Jewish Holy Scripture, which later some Christians chopped up, rearranged, and made into what they called the Old Testament.

Jesus broke with this Old Testament. Occasionally, he purposely broke it’s laws to uphold  a higher and personal standard for mankind.

Here is a typical example. From the Old Testament: Leviticus 24:19-20, “If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: Fracture for fracture, an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth.”

But Jesus opposed this Old Testament law. The words of Jesus, Matthew 5:38, ” You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.” (Turn the other cheek - forgive.)

In the rebuke of the Old Testament rule, he “shreds” this law in Leviticus. He clearly says that Christians have a new and different path.

It is like he understands that spiritual growth cannot come out of the laws of a desert people trudging through hills of sand and rock. These old laws worked when a people could not stop to build jails, and hand out alternative sentencing. For a people on the move, there are only two alternatives. Either the offender payed reparation — or he was killed.

Jesus separated Christianity from the Old Testament law on the day that he spoke those words. He brought something new - and the old was no more.

People come and ask me about training and a spiritual path to God. But then, some behave like this young professional woman:

She first called and we had a phone interview. She then made an appointment for our first meeting, but didn’t show up, or call.  A month went by, and she made another appointment, which she canceled because she was waiting for a delivery. Then came the third appointment which she never showed up for - or called. I haven’t heard from her since.

I am bemused but not angry. In my line of service, you become a lot more familiar with people’s failure and weakness, than their successes.

But the bemusement is real. She wanted skills and practices that would make her grow spiritually. But the concept that before true spiritual growth could take place, the simple acts of proper behavior need to take place. That was not even considered. But it is of course the very foundation that spiritual growth stands on.

I do not want to ridicule this young woman, but I do shake my head and laugh.

To behave with dignity and respect is almost old fashioned now. It is not productive. It delays the road to sought after goals.

Yes, I know I am rambling a bit.  But it is a puzzlement. What would I change in myself for the greatest treasure in the world?  The answer: Everything.    – Br. Morten

At The Gospel Reformation™ we hold that the words and the actions of Jesus (in the gospels) are scripture. Anything the apostle Paul wrote is not scripture. But why would we say such a thing? There are many, many reasons, but here is a really big one: Paul gets it wrong all the time.

He starts off by claiming complete authority in his preaching (or his gospel), Galatians 1:11-12, “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it from Jesus Christ.”

He claims he did not get his message from the twelve apostles, he was not taught any of this. It was a direct revelation by Jesus. It was a direct transmission that no-one could argue against because he was the only receiver.

As Christians, who believe in miracles, we are obliged to be believe in the possibility. There could have been a direct transmission. But we are also required to judge the tree by its fruit. Paul discredits himself because he got the biggest thing in Christendom wrong.

Paul’s sermons, during his constant travels, say that Jesus’ Second Coming would take place before Paul’s death. He was certain he would see the return of Jesus before he died. He makes numerous references to Jesus’ immediate return, like the one here, 1 Thessalonians 4:15,  “According to the Lord’s own words, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have passed away.”

One thing we all can be certain of is that the apostle Paul is dead. He died before his faulty interpretation of the Second Coming had taken place. If he got that wrong, then anything he belived in, as his personal revelation, must be called into question. You cannot get the biggest thing in Christianity wrong and have credibility.

The Gospel Reformation™ holds a different position which makes for a vibrant and exciting Christianity: The return of Jesus Christ began immediatley with Mary Magdalene. Jesus has never stopped returning: in answered prayers, the feelings of deep peace, in visions, and in his own body, and with his angels - according to openness of a believer’s heart.