Heart of the Matter: Exploring Spirituality and Belief

Live from the Mecca of Mormonism: SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
This is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology., where we are learning together about walking in the faith in the age of fulfillment, and I’m your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion..

Show 22B Follow-up To Spirits in a Material World – LIVE SHOW
May 19th, 2020

Let's have a prayer!

So, we spread out the seating, blocked off the food areas, and opened the doors of the studio/church on Sunday, and tonight we have done the same. Welcome back – sort of.

Speaking to the Sons and Daughters of God

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: Heart of the Matter is a show where we speak – address our comments – to the Sons and Daughters of God. It does not take into account denominational demands or creeds or to atheists or to people who choose to cling to religious traditions – we have zero fear looking under the robes of religiosity and explaining in detail what we see.

But I want to affirm that all people are welcome here; we love and respect each and every one of you, and that our hearts are NOT to mock, alienate, or rebel – contrary to how it might sometimes seem. Also, we do not seek or try to see things differently on purpose – hand to God – we merely see what we see, based on what we read and understand, and present it – come what may.

Our “heart of hearts” is for God – His person, His ways, His truths, and nothing more or less.

Understanding the Spirit and God’s Nature

Last night, we presented some comments on the Spirits in the world. We will get to your comments on that show in a minute, but I want to reiterate something about the presentation. I believe that there is a spirit of the world or age which is open to all human beings to utilize for good or evil designs. We might call it the spirit of Man.

I believe that there is the Holy Spirit which is calling to all people to do good, to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, and to pursue God. I think this Holy Spirit has always been present among human beings and it is what draws people of all religions to do well, to follow the golden rule, to love neighbors – Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist, Jew, Baptist – even Atheist. It works on the person, not in them.

And I finally believe that there is the Spirit of Christ, which too is the Holy Spirit, but is somehow infused with Christ Jesus, who called it the comforter, and said that he would have to depart before he could send it to his disciples. This comforter is the Spirit that dwells in believers, in Sons and Daughters of God, and it is literally the Spirit of His Son. Only Christians have this Spirit in them – whomever they might be. And the Spirit of Christ is what takes people and allows and assists them in becoming like Him. Those who possess it, again whoever they might be, are known by their agape loveSelfless love marked by patience, mercy, and humility—central to living in spiritual liberty. for God and others.

Clarification on The Make-up of God

I thought that summary was important to make in terms of clarification. On last week's live show, I also explained where I have come to roost on the make-up of God. I called my view a “dialectical view of God” or the “Phano view of God,” which means that I see Him expressing himself, based on the age, in different forms.

The fact that I see God this way:
a. Does not make it right
b. Does not refuse those who see him differently, which
c. Does not mean I reject Trinitarians and their view.

And while I have been harsh on Trinitarians before, calling their view trash, I am sorry. The meaning of the rude comment was that I thought the man-made element of it was trash, but even so, I was wrong in saying that. Love and respect are essential in my life, and when I fail in these ways, it sticks with me until I see my errors and change my mind – which I have done. Please forgive me as my new understanding of God has allowed me to mature and therefore exercise more grace and love to others, not less.

A Reflection on Sin and Salvation

Paul says something interesting in Colossians Chapter 2. He says, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."

Meaning, when we as Gentiles gave unrestrained indulgence to the desires of our flesh, God through Christ has made us alive.

The Power of Resurrection

(quickened us) together with him – (with Him being Christ Jesus in his resurrected state).

Get that clear in your mind if not in your flesh itself – your Christianity is alive in well in the power of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. You have that power imparted to you as a believer and you and I walk in His resurrection, like Neo at the end of the Matrix, letting all the attacks of our flesh just drop off like water – because we are walking in His resurrection, made alive by the Spirit. Then Paul adds:

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Handwriting of Ordinances

The word rendered handwriting means something written by the hand and most people believe that Paul was speaking of the Law of Moses here. Certainly there is reference to this, but remember, Paul first went to the Jews, then to the Gentiles – and Colosse was in Asia minor and the believers were primarily Gentile believers, who were never under the law.

So I suggest that while Paul may be referencing the Law of Moses in this, which was probably foisted upon these Christians by some convert Jews no doubt, I think Paul is referring to any written instruction, demand or law that religion itself put on people in that day. Because that is what all religions do – they write laws with their hands.

When I was about ten my buddies in the neighborhood got together and built a secret clubhouse on the side of one of the kids' house. What was the first thing we did? We took a marker and we wrote the rules of our club on one of the plywood walls. Little did we realize that once they were agreed upon and written, they worked against us and our freewill. That is what the handwriting of ordinances accomplishes – they serve to work against us – sometimes our happiness, often our comfort and always our peace of mind – and they also work against the Good News. I mean the minute Jeff Gallapo brought his cousin into the sacred confines of our clubhouse, our peace and unity was ruined and our anger turned on Jeff, who broke the first rule that was against him.

MEMBERS ONLY!

Overcoming Written Rules

Paul adds after stating that believers are quickened to life in Him, that he:

14 Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Now think about this: IF or since we are raised to new life in the power of his actual resurrection, what written rule could or would ever have any power over us? Not one of them means anything! To a resurrected being rules are non-existent – they have absolutely no power or pull over our lives. I mean, what does the rule, you cannot drink alcohol have on a resurrected being who has overcome all things including the grave? What does the religious rule that you must obey a Sabbath day, or pay ten percent of your income mean to a being that has actually overcome sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. and deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God.? It’s a joke. It’s like giving someone written instructions on how to change the oil on a totally invisible and spiritual Ferrarri. Zero application.

So Christ took care of all the rules of every religion – not Just Judaism – but all rules.

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”

The Hindrance of the Law

We can also think of these various rules, but especially those of Judaism in the context of this passage, as not only unnecessary but AS forever getting in the way of bringing or offering the Good News to others! Really think about this:

Jesus came and did everything for the world, reconciling the entire world to the Father by and through his shed blood on the cross. This was the victory, this was the finished work and this was the Good News for the world. And as we just read, part of what he did on that cross was nail the ordinances written with hands with Him in his death. See, while the Law of Moses was good in bringing the Nation of Israel around to writing the Old Testament and producing our Messiah, it – because of its rules and laws – was actually a hindrance.

The Essence of the Good News

To the Good News – and it had to go away – entirely. I mean the written message of Judaism was “can’t eat, can’t drink, must wear, must obey, have to cut this, have to avoid that . . .” all of it amounting to a HINDRANCE to the Good News which is simply: Jesus came and did it all for the world – believe on Him. The Laws written in stone had to go for the good news to prosper and spread among all people on earth who lived very different lives culturally than the Jews.

And yet this continues to be a problem with most institutionalized religions today and why they stand in opposition to the Good News – they bring in more, and that “more” serves to wrongly alienate people and cause them to reject the Good News all together. So the good news is: God sent Jesus to do everything necessary to reconcile us to himself. Believe it and live.

Opposition from Organized Religions

But the Catholics add Mass and Confession, and the Mormons add temples and tithes, and the Protestants add supporting and going to church every week, and the Pentecostals add speaking in tongues, and on and on and on – all things that get in the way, that hinder, that stop short, the good news. Why would any religion refuse the right to drink beer to people like the Germans who love drinking beer. The drinking or not drinking of beer has NOTHING to do with the Good News! Same with political affiliation, dress code, music tastes, or ANY external demand!

These are my resistances to all forms of organized religion that enforces any written rule, demand, culture or policy upon people who simply should benefit from the Good News.

Having said that this let me reiterate something – I do not believe we will ever ever overcome the current state of religious ugliness in Christianity today, which includes:

• Hate and hoping for hell
• Condemnation of others
• Pious superiority
• Denominational infighting and demands, and
• Attitudes antithetical to agape love

Unless we begin to accept the fact that:

Living in the Age of Fulfillment

• Jesus has had the total victory over all things in heaven and earth.
• God has become all in all
• Satan, hell, death and sin have been overcome
• And everyone on earth now lives in a state where God has forgiven them, and all are free to decide if they want to have God in their lives or not.

This view takes the Bible and makes it less of a book of demands, and more of a map or guide for individuals. It takes institutional church playing and removes all of its authority and places it in a sublimated role of having minimal touch, at best, on the lives of people and removes it from a position of doctrinal and practical dominance. We the people can bring these changes about, and it can happen by refusing to allow men and women, in the name of God, to dictate to us what we must think, believe and do with our lives as Christians. If you want to have and experience liberty in your life, step into God and away from all things of Man. All things . . . directed by Man. That includes trusting me. Trust him – only.

In harmony with all of this and before we read our emails, I thought it would be fun to read a few quotes from people who have had a hard time with Christianity – and to sort of address their comments here on the air.

Reflections on Christianity

It should be fun, and starting with someone fun, how about Mark Twain who said:

If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be – a Christian.
Mark Twain

That’s pretty funny and pretty sad. But I can’t help but agree. And we have to ask ourselves why this would be? I think the heart of it speaks to the fact that what Christianity is today – generally speaking and looking at American Evangelicalism – is that it really does not reflect the Jesus who hated religious hypocrisy, did not serve mammon in the least, was kind to sinful people, and declared things like its not what goes into the mouth but what comes out that matters.

Leo Tolstoy wrote:

"We have become so accustomed to the religious lie that surrounds us that we do not notice the atrocity, stupidity and cruelty with which the teaching of the Christian church is permeated."

Can we really disagree with him? And this man loved God and Christ!

Criticism of Institutional Christianity

I don’t think we can – because we have become so accustomed to the religious lie! The lie that tells us our faith is tied to money, that it is expressed through t-shirts and concerts, or that is can only be had through institutions and their appointed leaders. Sons and daughters – Christianity is in the heart and mind of individuals who humbly seek God in spirit and truth – turn from the lies that come over the pulpits or from the mouths of acculturated Christians. From the atrocity, stupidity and cruelty acted out in Jesus' name.

L_O_V_E all people all the time!

Opposition to Moral Progress

Here’s a rough one from a man rough on Christianity (Bertrand Russell) – but catch his caveats as he says:

"You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of slavery, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has been consistently opposed by the organized churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world."

Think about it, folks! It was the religious institutions – not the real sons and daughters of God, but the institutions – who have burned people at the stake over doctrine, who have kept women “barefoot, pregnant and silent in the churches, who have resisted the emancipation of slaves, who have preached hate for homosexuals and who in some extreme cases tortured, murdered and wiped out entire groups that did not agree with them – all in the name of God!

Christians pick on the Mormons and their ban on blacks and their false priesthood but in the mid-1800's 80,000 slaves were owned by Presbyterians, 225,000 slaves by Baptists and 250,000 slaves by Methodists. Thank you Protestantism. Roman Catholics have always owned slaves up until maybe 75 years ago.

Consequences of Doctrine

There is a reason for these things, my friends – when you take a book, you interpret it for people then demand that it is followed exactly as you have or your leader has interpreted it, and you support doctrine that says that the God of love is sending people to eternal punishment because he wants to, you will create in people a horrible, hateful mindset. It can’t be helped. And it should have never been the case! God did not set it up this way.

Back to Twain who said: "Man is the religious animal. He is the only religious animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat, if his theology isn’t straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother’s path to happiness and heaven." – Mark Twain

What pains me in these sad but true quotes is these men never heard the Good News presented in a contextual setting of the Ages. They heard counterfeits. They were taught the traditions of Man instead of the truth of God through Christ and the story that plainly says: God so loved this world he saved it by the selfless sinless life, death and resurrection of His only Human Son; that all people everywhere are received by Him, and He anxiously invites all to freely receive Him in return – if they want.

We’ve seen the meanness, the arrogance, the maniacal demands of the institutionally religious out there, haven’t we? People claiming that others are not loved or known by God and in fact have been condemned to hell by him before they took their first breath. We see them assassinate the character of others who differ with them, and how they mock – using Jesus as their justification.

I mean the critical nature of these sorts blows my mind. When we were on television we had a man who fancied himself a Christian leader, and he invited me to his house one day to talk about something. First thing out of his mouth? “Did you lose your razor?” Unreal. Unbelievable the heart of these people. We are coming out with a children’s book soon. I wrote it years ago and had it illustrated and I think that at the heart of it there are some really important principles presented – especially for children.

The Problem with Religious Convictions

Who are stubborn and really willful. I had a religious fellow read the book years ago and his reaction was that he would never endorse such a book because the characters in it (I had it illustrated) “looked like hippies” and “the story was not biblical.”

My God. I mean, the rigidity.

Blaise Pascal said, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." And this is the heart of the problem, the root of the matter! According to the full text of the Bible, our religious convictions should be Jesus Christ has done it all and we are free to love. Instead, we have convinced ourselves that His victory is incomplete – and God is proud of us when we attempt to complete it for him like Christian soldiers, marching off to war.

So sad, so unbiblical, so futile and so not what our King asks by His Spirit. See, if or since Christ has had the victory over sin, death, hell and Satan, and God is reconciled to the world, allowing and calling all who seek him and leaving the rest of the world to live the lives that he has given them, Christians are in a place to actually Love as He loves. Actually, literally and in every way. Christians say, “But God is also Just.”

Yes, he is. And that is why He sent His Son. And that is why he will reward everyone with the fruit of their earthly labors. We don’t do that here on his behalf. He does it. And the thing God rewards most from earthly labors is the love those expressed in their lives like His Son.

The Impact of Literal Interpretation

Christian religionists MUST believe that the victory is not complete, and therefore sin still exists, because Satan still exists, and therefore hell still exists, and therefore hatred, division and alienation is still required. And we have societies rife with fundamentalism rampant with hatred, violence, and in the least, flat out meanness.

But if you look at those countries with little institutional religion, England, Scandinavia, Canada, and Japan, the people are far more inclined to live peaceably with each other. Bertrand Russell makes another good observation when he said:

"When two men of science disagree, they do not invoke the secular arm; they wait for further evidence to decide the issue, because, as men of science, they know that neither is infallible. But when two theologians differ, since there are no criteria to which either can appeal, there is nothing for it but mutual hatred and an open or covert appeal to force." Bertrand Russell

Unfortunately, he’s right. Because the Spirit of certitude about God drive human beings to unmentionable horrors in His name. Horrors that are absolutely incompatible with the way, truth and life of Jesus Christ.

According to Joseph Daleiden: "J. M. Robertson has estimated that from the first crusade launched by Pope Urban II in 1095 to the fall of Acre . . . in 1291, nine million lives were lost. This may be an overestimation, but the number is certainly in the millions and represents only the beginning of the carnage which places the Catholic Church in the same league with the Third Reich and the purges of Stalin or Mao."

Before the crusades against the 'heathens' were concluded, the popes began an internal crusade against heretics within Christendom. The resulting Inquisition lasted officially almost 600 years and resulted in the loss of additional millions of lives.

Sola Scriptura and Its Consequences

The notorious mind of Robert Ingersoll said of Protestantism, "The Catholics have a pope. Protestants laugh at them, and yet the pope is capable of intellectual advancement. In addition to this, the pope is mortal, and the church cannot be afflicted with the same idiot forever. The Protestants have a book for a pope. The book cannot advance. Year after year, and century after century, the book remains as ignorant as ever."

It's true. Look at what has been done, look at the results of sola scriptura! Division! Debates! Deaths! Name calling!

The only way to change this is to see what the book actually says about itself! That . . . God writes on the hearts of those who are His, and His commands are to love and to bear the fruits of this love. That His word is good and powerful in the lives of those guided in it by the Spirit, but if the Spiritual fruits are absent, so is the truth.

Agape Love and Doctrinal Errors

don’t care what you believe – if you do not love with agape love, or are not trying to love with such, your doctrines are errant.

Let’s start . . and stop on that point.

Feedback from Last Week's Show

FROM LAST WEEK'S LIVE SHOW ON JESUS BEING THE WAY IN EVERY WAY

FireInTheSky
I am grateful that 'Heart of the Matter' has all but dropped into complete irrelevance, views have dwindled to near nothing, and I cannot stress enough that this is a positive development and one I hope continues. McCraney is a sad case. He never "got over" Mormonism, it seems, and because of his own pride has made of himself a Joseph Smith 2.0, letting that pride take him way out onto that broad road of destruction in his desperation and need to be 'special,' instead of a humbled sheep of Christ. When you spend so many years thinking you're going to be a God, that humanist narcissism can be near impossible to let go of. Heresy after heresy. Blasphemy after blasphemy. He says that the desire for certainty stems from our "carnal nature," after making fun of Christians believing in the Trinity for a purported deflection to mystery. A grotesque and convenient shapeshifting of attitude. The mystery of the Trinity is inexhaustible, but its revelation undeniable. Now he's importing Hegel-the-panentheist to assert a disgustingly unbiblical "flux" God of progressivist dialectic. Wow. Remind anyone of Mormonism's 'eternal progression?' Perhaps most vile of all, Shawn now denies the necessity of allegiance to Christ unto salvation. Shawn, if you're reading, please repent of your pride and cease these infernal heresies.

design core
I watched the board part twice, is quite a hand, well done.

Jack Dawson
Thanks for your response to my question on tonight’s show Shawn. I had a feeling that would be how you would view The Documentary Jesus Camp. I feel the exact same way about it. It made my flesh want to throw something at the TV. Glad I didn’t do that, but you get the point. Thanks again.

Stephanie Smith
Thank you Shawn for addressing my question! I have no prejudices and have a very open mind. You are my brother in Christ.

HOWARD KING
Shawn, you are definitely OCD! Can’t stand loose ends.

Patrick Leyerle
I pray to one God, none before or after. He alone created the Heavens and the earth. God is very difficult to describe.

Gene Robbins
I think I’m one who writes too much. So I’ll make sure to make this short. When some theologians are confronted with the question of “where is the trinity mentioned in the OT?”, they explain it away by saying “it was revealed between the OT and NT in the incarnation of Jesus and outpouring of the spirit.” Do you think this is a viable defense or is it a poor cop out?

Kevin Bean
"Putting theological differences aside quoted around 56 minute mark…I watched many of original HOTM episodes when you refuted Mormonism. Do you now accept Mormonism as a valid form of Christianity or no? I got that impression from an early episode of HOTM 2.0 (can't recall exactly one off top of my head). I am a Christian and have only recently viewed some episodes of the current HOTM. Thanks for clarifying. I will try to catch up on the recent episodes. I like the initiative of going through verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty. for context and meaning that you've explained. Great comment at 1 hour 40 seconds in response to that person's love comment.

Kevin Bean
Shawn, I would love to hear a reply to my post. Thanks.

Clare Fitzgerald
14.32 "Running amuck". ? I think this is called gabble – a bit like everything you find in the bible. It's 'amok' btw.

Insights from Recent Discussions

THEN FROM LAST NIGHT'S SHOW:

Fresh Off The Boat
Loved this!!!!

Stephanie Smith
Interesting. Never thought about this before.

AF Bradley
You’re on it, very close, Shawn!. It’s an evolutive thing, a ‘refinement’ of Spirit so to speak, that has to do with the Spirit of God undergoing what it was like to experience this world as a man “born of a woman, under the Law” whereas Adam was directly created. So the Comforter is the Holy Spirit as having experienced the humanhood of a man, born of a woman. Jesus was the Second Adam. Both were without sin. Jesus could sin, just as Adam could. But unlike Adam, Jesus did not sin. So, the Second Adam and the First Adam were both Adams (humans) but had different origins.

The Godhead and Its Purity

and lived different lives – one failed, the other succeeded in being obedient.

Jesus Christ's Role in the Godhead

WingedInfinity12 hours ago (edited)
Sorry, but this is not biblical whatsoever. Jesus Christ is part of the Godhead, and as such is PURE and Holy. He is God incarnate. He is able to have complete compassion for us by experiencing all our pain, but he was sinless because he was in fact God on earth. The Holy Spirit is also pure and sinless. When fully in the Kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future. we will be able to manifest as complete Spirit or Human/Spirit as well. Right now we remain human in the flesh with a Soul and a Spirit. Our Spirit is holy and pure as God, but our Soul also exists and is connected to the flesh and therefore is corruptible.

More importantly, JESUS was, is, and always will be a part of the Godhead and is not comparable to Adam. As for these theories in the video, there is not a "mixture" of spirits. All of God's children have the spirit of God. What I implore you to do research on are the EVIL spirits whom exist and we DO allow into our souls if we are aligning with Satan instead of God, which is actually quite common because we live in such a fallen world that uses much deceit and manipulation. Our souls are damaged on many levels by aligning with the enemy and unclean spirits use these soul wounds as portals.

Paths to Spiritual Reconciliation

When we reconcile with God and start to truly walk with him, those soul wounds get healed and we are much less vulnerable. We tend to move WITH God's spirit / aka The Holy Spirit …. binding with our Creator instead of binding with Satan. This is when we become a new creature / born again and can now receive the Keys to the Kingdom /Heavenly realm (on earth as it is in Heaven). If you diligently read the bible and ask God for the truth He WILL LEAD YOU RIGHT INTO IT.

RECOMMENDATION : If your theory or anyone elses does not TOTALLY line up with scripture, dump it…..it is useless and can be dangerous. God Bless you and keep learning !!! JESUS ALWAYS WINS !!! HALLELUJAH TO THE LAMB OF GOD COMING BACK AS A LION !!! ??? ? ??

Common Sense Christianity3 hours ago
A atheist asked me a question and I'm not sure the best way to respond. "Bone cancer in children is not about free will. – If god can harden the heart of a pharaoh, he can interfere with free will." So how can we have free will if God can just interfere with it? Did Pharaoh have a choice in whether or not he accepted God's plan?

Sarah Leann Young1 hour ago
Some people are going to be truly shocked that I disagree with you so strongly on something and am willing to express it openly like this, but…I really hate that you got rid of that awesome intro song. Now every time I watch HOTM my kids think I'm watching something "scary." 😛