“What is the Spirit saying to the church today…and to you personally?”

I’m simply joining together with a stream of others in this God-fueled restoration of a more relational view of the Trinity and its impact on every aspect of our lives. This began in the last twenty years of the 20^th century as a trickle among a few scattered theologians. Now it has become a deluge in the 21^st century, moving from the theoretical into the practical life of everyday Christianity.

 

And God is on the march today to recover this relational Trinitarian, incarnational Reality, which may have been for us in the past more on the circumference of our practical life-responses. He is transforming Christianity and His people from the inside out, at our most fundamental level…changing how we view this relational God revealed in Scripture as He intimately connects with us as partners in His eternal plan.

 

God is not a single, solitary figure removed from the world. He has always existed in relationship as relationship (Father, Son, and Spirit). This relational God is here, present, speaking, taking the initiative to love us as we are with the same love with which the Father loved His Son, oh wonder. He includes us into His Family in order to free us from the need to prove that we are wanted and valued. This Community-God is good and “for” us. He is wild with excitement to restore His people at our most fundamental level, from center to circumference, one image-bearer after another. God is delirious with joy over His people. The Community-God is on the march to restore this high, intimate view of God and His people. Drink fully of His great passion for us. He sees His people lovely, as a groom does his bride.

 

I desire is to make a difference. Let me know how I can help. If you are looking for more, perhaps you would like to visit by website at JimFredericks.com

 

 

About Me

What do you need to know about me to enjoy my blog and Christian material? I am "Poppo" to my fourteen grandchildren, "Freder" to my wife of 40+ years and family of 4 children and their 4 spouses (I consider them all our children!), and Jim Fredericks by birth. I want to make a difference in people's lives.

I am blogging with two aims. Primarily, my heart's desire is to come alongside to train, equip and release the "80%" in the Christian church who may be under-utilized in their Christian life. I believe a fresh view of our relational Trinity and the incarnation of Jesus makes a huge difference in our engagement. God is stirring you to more ("magus") with our God on His epic adventure. Secondarily, what I blog and the material I provide free of charge will also give leaders nuggets they can add to their own and further develop.

I run into many authentic believers in Jesus Christ who have disqualified themselves. The Father, Son and Spirit say we are competent to partner with Him in His epic adventure to win the lost and disciple all people groups. Our playing "small" helps no one. I want to be a catalyst for LifeChange and for us to be Jesus' hands and feet and heart out in the world where the Father is actively working. The desire for change must come from within you, although others, like me can come alongside as flesh-&-blood catalysts for the transformation our Team-of-Three long to bring about.

I'm equally comfortable in the work world, Christian world and academic world. My 40+ year career has weaved in and out between the secular and sacred (although I make no distinction!) as a manager and accountant in the business world, and as a pastor, missionary and adjunct prof as a Christian professional. My heart is particularly stirred for those in the work world. Recently I heard pastor Jay Pathok say: "You have heard the saying, '20% of the people do 80% of the work in the church,' usually just before a passionate request for workers. I got to thinking. It's right that 20% of the people do 80% of the work within the church because the other 80% should be sent to their natural relationships in the work-place, bringing the light and presence of  Jesus." Much of what I have written is with this end in mind, be a catalyst for the 80% to realize the joy and satisfaction in their call "to be sent into the world without being the same as the world."

What is your God-given assignment?  I invite you to explore this website and download any of the free resources you find helpful. I desire is to make a difference. Let me know how I can help. If you are looking for more, perhaps you would like to visit by website at JimFredericks.com

Jim Fredericks

The Marvelous Trinity, Father, Son & Spirit

The Trinity describes God as one in essence or nature, although existing as three separate, yet completely equal persons. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each unique persons. All partake of the same infinite, eternal, uncreated God-nature. They are therefore co-equal in every way.

The Trinity discloses the fullness of life in eternal relationships and never-ending community. Three, inseparable, indivisible, essential concepts from Scripture form our understanding of God as Trinity, equality, unity and diversity. All three are non-negotiable:

1. Equality – all three Persons are equally and eternally divine in essence, glory, power and attributes, yet not excluding a difference in order or roles.

2. Diversity - God exists eternally as three distinct Persons in intimate, cooperative relationship with each other within this unity.
 3. Unity - there is one and only one true and unique God, complete in every way. He is Community in His united essence. His “Us-ness” is Diversity-within-Unity-&-Equality.

Counterfeits rear their ugly heads by jettisoning one or two of the three essential aspects. After all, the Trinity does scandalize our rational minds while ravishing our worshiping hearts. The trick is to hold these three truths simultaneously, like pushing on the peddles of a bicycle, although this vehicle has three pedals.

Of course, we don’t have equality with God…and never will. It’s silly to think that the created and the Creator could possibly be equal.

However, we do have equality with one another within the human race because the Father, Son and Spirit have equality with one another. And we have compatibility with God because we are made in His image and bear His image, the basis for the solidarity of humanity.

Although we never become little gods, something in God is so compatible with humanity that Jesus Christ in His incarnation could become fully man without ceasing to be fully God. So, as we practice practice a Both/And/And approach and strive to bring all three non-negotiables of equality, unity, and diversity into our everyday relationships on our human level, we will experience deeper, more long lasting and satisfying relationships.

This Both/And/And approach flows from the Trinity. The Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit are pictured most prominently in Scripture with three pictures…all true simultaneously. Marriage (Jesus is Groom and we are His Bride). Family (God is Father and we are His children). Kingdom (God is King and we are His servant/warriors).

The marriage emphasizes personal intimacy with God, His availability and connectedness. The family underscores our deepening maturity as we are nurtured in community to grow and to be trained together for the Family business. The kingdom thrusts us out into the world on our quest with our Team-of-Three to battle for the hearts of the lost world of people.

When we collapse the unique emphasis of either into one or two pictures, however, we lose some of the mystery of the Trinity and His power to transform us. Oh, we may teach all aspects through our one, favorite picture. However, we still diminish what God wants to release through the dynamic intersection of all three.

Embracing all three simultaneously keeps the proper tension of our three-fold life in focus, upward (marriage reflecting intimacy), inward (family raising and releasing children) and outward (kingdom redeeming and restoring the lost to life).

I have a website at JimFredericks.com where I’m blogging and providing resources to walk out the relational Trinitarian, incarnational worldview flowing from God’s Genesis 1 and 2 design.

God’s Intent for Humanity

If you wanted to understand God’s original plan and heart for you, where would you go? What would be your source? I only know of two reliable sources: first, Genesis 1 and 2 before the Fall of humanity in Genesis 3, and second, Jesus, especially as revealed in the four Gospels. This is why Genesis 1 & 2 and the incarnation of Jesus (God becoming man without ceasing to be God, oh mystery) are so crucial to how I now understand what God is like and how He sees me/us.

So let’s begin with God (rather than our partial beliefs) to see how He really views us. And such a true view is contagious. Let’s not begin with our own experience or any lack we internally feel. Return to God’s original (and unchanged) design and His call to journey on this epic adventure with Him. Soak in this first and foremost. Any other view of God impoverishes our lives.

God is intrinsically relational at His core, three Persons-in-Community. And He fashioned us in the Garden to bear His image. This one God in three Persons (Trinity) beckons us to enjoy this divine dance, with Him as Lead-Partner supplying direction and strength, beauty and grace. This brings about LifeChange, transformation at the core of our being, from the inside out. He shapes and forms us to be intimate allies with Himself “on the way” on this epic, lifelong adventure with Him. Don’t ever get over His passion to love and connect with us. Or the wonder.

I’m a committed follower of Jesus Christ. This is my first post of many. I want to explore what I believe is the 1^st century worldview, beginning with the Father and Son as God, and with a high view of His redeemed people.

As I’ve read blogs and their threaded discussions in the past, some just seem to divert to argumentation over small points.  I’m more interested in implementation for LifeChange. So, I’m not encouraging posting on this blog, even if this strikes a responsive chord. Instead, find one person in your circle and pass-it-along in a face-to-face way. Jesus met with His followers personally. We may be able to pass on information through social media and the internet, but LifeChange happens best as we engage personally with other flesh-&-blood people. Pass it along so we can know the full extent of what God offers us (check out the book of Philemon in the New Testament, verse 6).

Spiritual Packrat

I have known and believed the Trinity for forty years. I would have fought and died for it if necessary. In the last few years, however, I’ve begun to experience this relational Trinity in a fresh way as the centrality of my life. Lord, You’ve opened my eyes anew and captivated my heart afresh with this revelation of You! My zigzag journey fuels my desire to play a part to dialog and help others get a better jump on this divine essential.

Driven by a longing to grow in relationship with this God who loves me so deeply, I more recently reread various classic Christian books that have impacted me and now I see nuggets scattered throughout. As I gathered these sparkling treasures like a spiritual pack rat, I stumbled across a pattern as I stood on the shoulders of great saints from the past. I was stunned how clearly a relational worldview emerged and how dramatically this has impacted my life. I now see this archetype all over Scripture. In this blog, I want to share a bit of my journey into a deepening koinonia with this relational Family-of-Three, Father, Son and Spirit, who love us more than we can imagine.