One of the many stunning claims Jesus made was: “Those who have seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus claimed He was the visible expression of God. He further said: “If you had known Me you had known my Father.” Moreover; “I come from Him and He has sent me here.”
Those are bold statements! I assume you are well aware of that they are valid for you too? Born of the Spirit you come from God sent here as a witness about Him. Those who have seen you have seen the Father. As was the case for Jesus, the likelihood that the world recognizes you as a visible expression of God is rather small.
The religious will say about you as they did about the crowd who followed Jesus: “They, who know nothing about the law, is damned anyway.” The legalists will further mock you and say: “Look where you will – you won’t find any prophet coming from Galilee.” Galilee is your hometown, my friend.
You are God’s visible glory! We are stunned by how God empties Himself again and again in order to be found in humans like you and me. However, that was the original plan when God created Adam in His likeness, a shadow of Himself, if you like. You are restored to your original design and thus an outshining of His glory.
Those who know you know the Father. This is simply too much for our mind to grasp. It transcends understanding. The Spirit, however, convicts us about the truth and our faith irrevocably becomes substance. Appearances easily deflect our appropriating of this all encompassing identification with our Father. However, faith supersedes any appearance so that faith becomes our reality as the Spirit does His work in us.
Please acknowledge that you are His glory and an image of Him regardless of circumstances. If He was willing to be found in a manger when Jesus was born, He is willing to be found in your life’s circumstances no matter how grim. You are His beloved daughter or son. Don’t let condemnation which is a product of appearances rob you from your confidence before Him and heritage in Him.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Identification
It’s fascinating how the Spirit as soon as we cross the threshold to the Promised Land begins what I would call an identification process; an opening up of the mind which empowers us to identify with Jesus Christ on a level that is blasphemy to the religious minded and which would be impossible for us to handle when we were under the law. Jesus was the first and foremost of many sons. He was the last Adam, the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the earth. Only He could atone for the sins of the world through His death, and provide life and hope through His resurrection and ascension. That was His exclusive ministry. Hence He is the first and foremost.
As a Son of God Jesus could utter unprecedented things such as: “I do only what my Father does”, a statement that outraged the Jews since it implied an oneness with God that was unheard of at that time. It is imperative that we understand that Jesus didn’t merely come to share in our humanity in order to save us. He also came as an example of us, so that we after He had accomplished His mission could share the same boldness as He displayed regarding our union with God.
So when the Spirit nudges you and challenges you to say as Jesus: “I do only what my Father does” you are in the midst of your own personal identification process. Of course, that leap of faith isn’t an easy one, but it is an essential one if we are to enter this peace of God, which transcends all understanding, and which will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Our greatest fear is perhaps that when we get such an idea in our lap we are in danger of being led astray.
If Jesus harbored any such fears we don’t know. What we know, however, is that He was tempted in the same manner as we are. It is quite clear that if He had such doubts He conquered them by the Spirit and became fixed in this truth. It is also evident that He could make such statements because He was born of the Spirit! The Spirit of truth! The Spirit of error had nothing in Jesus, thus He could completely trust those inner promptings swelling up in Him knowing who the source was. Born by the Spirit we are also sons of God, governed by the same Spirit of truth who leads us perfectly towards maturity.
When we have taken our leap of faith and dare to make the same confession as Jesus did, there comes a day when this truth becomes an inner reality. Oneness with God is no longer theory, it becomes experimental, an integral part of our lives. As our consciousnesses expand to contain this tremendous reality we unfold our wings of liberty and like the eagle unstrained surge upwards on the warm winds of love trusting this sensation as the ultimate reality; a return to our original design as illuminated persons who know the difference between captivity and liberty.
As a Son of God Jesus could utter unprecedented things such as: “I do only what my Father does”, a statement that outraged the Jews since it implied an oneness with God that was unheard of at that time. It is imperative that we understand that Jesus didn’t merely come to share in our humanity in order to save us. He also came as an example of us, so that we after He had accomplished His mission could share the same boldness as He displayed regarding our union with God.
So when the Spirit nudges you and challenges you to say as Jesus: “I do only what my Father does” you are in the midst of your own personal identification process. Of course, that leap of faith isn’t an easy one, but it is an essential one if we are to enter this peace of God, which transcends all understanding, and which will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Our greatest fear is perhaps that when we get such an idea in our lap we are in danger of being led astray.
If Jesus harbored any such fears we don’t know. What we know, however, is that He was tempted in the same manner as we are. It is quite clear that if He had such doubts He conquered them by the Spirit and became fixed in this truth. It is also evident that He could make such statements because He was born of the Spirit! The Spirit of truth! The Spirit of error had nothing in Jesus, thus He could completely trust those inner promptings swelling up in Him knowing who the source was. Born by the Spirit we are also sons of God, governed by the same Spirit of truth who leads us perfectly towards maturity.
When we have taken our leap of faith and dare to make the same confession as Jesus did, there comes a day when this truth becomes an inner reality. Oneness with God is no longer theory, it becomes experimental, an integral part of our lives. As our consciousnesses expand to contain this tremendous reality we unfold our wings of liberty and like the eagle unstrained surge upwards on the warm winds of love trusting this sensation as the ultimate reality; a return to our original design as illuminated persons who know the difference between captivity and liberty.
Friday, July 23, 2010
The God of the Hills and the Valleys
Ahab the king of Israel faced Ben-hadad the king of Syria in what would become a battle concerning whether God was the God of the hills or not. Silver, gold, wives and children are the types of the good things the God of the hills provides (1 Kings 20). The question was thus and still is: Is there a God who provides the good things in this world or are they a result of hard work or are they perhaps a consequence of random selection? God gave the Syrians into Ahab’s hands and demonstrated once and for all that He is the God of the hills. That’s our starting point when we come to Christ. Our inner lamb is lit and through what seems as a battle in our consciousnesses we come out with an understanding that there exists a God who loves us and gives us good things in accordance with His riches.
As me move on we inevitable will come to a new junction where another and more profound question arises. Is God also the God of the valleys? Ben-haded again musters a great multitude and goes against Ahab. This is perhaps the most difficult battle we face. Is God all in all? Will we find Him in the valleys of our lives too? The outcome of this battle is essential for our understanding of God and how He works in our lives. True liberty and the peace of mind which supersedes any outer circumstances hinge on the outcome of this battle. Ben-haded, a type of our soul enemy, thus goes against us with everything he has. The outcome is however settled: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” (1 Kings 20:28)
Even though God gives Ahab a striking victory over the enemy, Ahab doesn’t kill Ben-hadad. As a consequence He is prevented from being a see-througher, a man who sees God only. When we uphold the idea that the enemy still plays a part in our lives, that he is somewhat responsible for our valley experiences we maintain this double vision which causes us unnecessary strain and unrest. God is God of both the hills and the valleys. When we with a single-eye see God only our souls find rest from this world’s travails. God’s objective is to lead us to a place of understanding where we never give the devil any undeserved attention and as a consequence of that attention a spot from where he can influence our lives. In our consciousnesses he is hence rendered as a toothless lion whose roars by and by becomes a distant memory. There is only one God in whom we live, move and have our being. Our Abba is in full control and that goes for every nook and cranny in our lives.
As me move on we inevitable will come to a new junction where another and more profound question arises. Is God also the God of the valleys? Ben-haded again musters a great multitude and goes against Ahab. This is perhaps the most difficult battle we face. Is God all in all? Will we find Him in the valleys of our lives too? The outcome of this battle is essential for our understanding of God and how He works in our lives. True liberty and the peace of mind which supersedes any outer circumstances hinge on the outcome of this battle. Ben-haded, a type of our soul enemy, thus goes against us with everything he has. The outcome is however settled: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” (1 Kings 20:28)
Even though God gives Ahab a striking victory over the enemy, Ahab doesn’t kill Ben-hadad. As a consequence He is prevented from being a see-througher, a man who sees God only. When we uphold the idea that the enemy still plays a part in our lives, that he is somewhat responsible for our valley experiences we maintain this double vision which causes us unnecessary strain and unrest. God is God of both the hills and the valleys. When we with a single-eye see God only our souls find rest from this world’s travails. God’s objective is to lead us to a place of understanding where we never give the devil any undeserved attention and as a consequence of that attention a spot from where he can influence our lives. In our consciousnesses he is hence rendered as a toothless lion whose roars by and by becomes a distant memory. There is only one God in whom we live, move and have our being. Our Abba is in full control and that goes for every nook and cranny in our lives.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Right Self
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, God said. Image means a representative figure, and we find that likeness carries the implication similitude which means closely resembling another, a counterpart. It was from these astounding facts that we were to derive our identity, our right self. God’s self perception is impeccable. There are no shadows of self degrading notions which threaten to disturb His inner peace. Evidently, as an image of Him our self was to be based in Him and have the same quality as His.
However, when Adam ate from the wrong tree this foundation for the self was shattered. After the fall Adam’s children were after his likeness. They derived their self from a spiritual dead person. As a consequence this false self molded by the god of this earth became our prominent self perception. For many years I perceived myself as grey, boring, dull, mediocre, worthless, nice and well behaved with not a dangerous or wild fiber whatsoever in my being. This was a powerful lie that colored my entire existence. This false self severely inhibited my life.
The false self that we had to toil under was a part of the curse. When we come to Christ we are under heavy influence from it. We drag this heritage with us into His kingdom erroneously believing that He is just as a hard master as our former master. We believe that condemnation, self flagellation and self deprecating thoughts are the path to pleasing our new King. Even worse, many believe that those emotions have the potential to change behavior, or provide us with what we need in order to be good.
However, God wants to give us a new name, a new self, that is, our original self when we return to His fold. God has created a diversity of sons, each reflecting Him in their uniqueness. The unsearchable riches in Christ amongst other things pertain to this multitude of expressions found in Him. God’s overwhelming desire has been ever from before the foundation of the earth to restore our right self. His is willing to do whatever necessary to accomplish this goal. He love guarantees that the false self will see destruction and that the right self will slowly but surely surface so that His truth will triumph.
Before we were born we were given our right self. Hidden under the false self, which we thought were us, we have sometimes seen it shine through the veil, and we have yearned for its materialization. My friend, every thought or notion that belittles you is a remnant from this false self. It is utterly false! It is an illusion – an illusion is just cotton! Yes, your right self is almost too good to be true, but welcome it as your true image. You are everything you formerly believed you weren’t! God has laid the axe to the root! As a result a multitude of true and liberated sons are revealed to His glory and great pleasure.
However, when Adam ate from the wrong tree this foundation for the self was shattered. After the fall Adam’s children were after his likeness. They derived their self from a spiritual dead person. As a consequence this false self molded by the god of this earth became our prominent self perception. For many years I perceived myself as grey, boring, dull, mediocre, worthless, nice and well behaved with not a dangerous or wild fiber whatsoever in my being. This was a powerful lie that colored my entire existence. This false self severely inhibited my life.
The false self that we had to toil under was a part of the curse. When we come to Christ we are under heavy influence from it. We drag this heritage with us into His kingdom erroneously believing that He is just as a hard master as our former master. We believe that condemnation, self flagellation and self deprecating thoughts are the path to pleasing our new King. Even worse, many believe that those emotions have the potential to change behavior, or provide us with what we need in order to be good.
However, God wants to give us a new name, a new self, that is, our original self when we return to His fold. God has created a diversity of sons, each reflecting Him in their uniqueness. The unsearchable riches in Christ amongst other things pertain to this multitude of expressions found in Him. God’s overwhelming desire has been ever from before the foundation of the earth to restore our right self. His is willing to do whatever necessary to accomplish this goal. He love guarantees that the false self will see destruction and that the right self will slowly but surely surface so that His truth will triumph.
Before we were born we were given our right self. Hidden under the false self, which we thought were us, we have sometimes seen it shine through the veil, and we have yearned for its materialization. My friend, every thought or notion that belittles you is a remnant from this false self. It is utterly false! It is an illusion – an illusion is just cotton! Yes, your right self is almost too good to be true, but welcome it as your true image. You are everything you formerly believed you weren’t! God has laid the axe to the root! As a result a multitude of true and liberated sons are revealed to His glory and great pleasure.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Some Further Musings on "You Can Do Nothing Without Me"
Christ in me is the mystery revealed. Christ is my promised land. Through faith infused in me by my inner teacher I finally, after all those years in the wilderness, reached the same conclusion as Caleb: “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Num 13:30). In my understanding this “we” pertains to the union with God.
Together we have conquered the people who dwell in the land. In a joint operation we have devastated the fortified cities. By enduring fierce battles my consciousness by and by has come to terms with the overwhelming truth; He lives His abundant life in me as me. After all these years I now see clearly how I have been Christ in my form ever since I was regenerated.
Sustained by the tree of life I am a safe self. What a relief to discover that I can trust myself. God is my keeper. I am His responsibility. When I now have abandoned the illusion that I am an independent self I have consciously thrown my entire being into His arms. I trust my reactions, my feelings, my emotions and my doings as an expression of His self-for-others-love. I am not sure how this works, but I am liberated from judging by appearances and thus trust that He is the one who works in me both to will and to work, for his good pleasure in whatever form that might be expressed through me.
Together we have conquered the people who dwell in the land. In a joint operation we have devastated the fortified cities. By enduring fierce battles my consciousness by and by has come to terms with the overwhelming truth; He lives His abundant life in me as me. After all these years I now see clearly how I have been Christ in my form ever since I was regenerated.
Sustained by the tree of life I am a safe self. What a relief to discover that I can trust myself. God is my keeper. I am His responsibility. When I now have abandoned the illusion that I am an independent self I have consciously thrown my entire being into His arms. I trust my reactions, my feelings, my emotions and my doings as an expression of His self-for-others-love. I am not sure how this works, but I am liberated from judging by appearances and thus trust that He is the one who works in me both to will and to work, for his good pleasure in whatever form that might be expressed through me.
Friday, July 16, 2010
You Can Do Nothing Without Me
I am afraid I again have to return to a specific thing Jesus said and which has been reverberating through my mind with increasingly insistency the last couple of days. He said as recorded in John 15:5: “…..for without me you can do nothing.”
I have always read this verse as: “without me you can do nothing good.” The context of this verse is obviously that when we abide in Him we bring forth much fruit. However, the verse doesn’t state what I have read into it. The word nothing is finite, absolute. Nothing contains everything. I come to the conclusion that what Jesus said only can be wholly appreciated if our point of reference is the tree of life. I obviously have read this verse from an understanding derived from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. My human definitions of good and evil fall lifeless to the ground when my life is absorbed into the tree of life. Life far supersedes any definitions I have made in order to create some sort of order in my sometimes confusing universe. It is only through faith that the tree of life becomes my secure ground from where I can receive all the promises inherent in Christ.
Without Jesus I can do nothing. It can only imply that everything in my life is Him. I have had no problems associating what I have defined as good and what I have defined as light with Him. However, my seasons of darkness, I have attributed to myself. But, now I cannot escape that definiteness of “nothing”. Everything is Him. That is the total truth. I am not an independent self. I am a container of Christ. God says a most peculiar thing in Isaiah 45:7: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” I believe God in this verse uses words which we can understand from our limited human perspective. However, from His perspective, everything He creates is love and light which bursts forth on account of His redemptive purposes, and His ways are thus often far outside my scope of understanding. “Nothing” hence means that in His infinite wisdom I am light and darkness as well. Since God is love and light this what I perceive as darkness evidently must be hidden light. Another one of those mysteries that is too great for me to grasp. I further on cannot fathom that what I perceive as failures is Him expressing Himself as me. But, nothing is nothing, even in this context. It strikes me how humble God is. How He is willing to risk His reputation in being associated with fragile beings as me. That humbles me.
Despite all the aforementioned I know I am a person. I somehow know that I am more than an automat. I am a unique individual with everything that entails. It is now that my mind comes to the end of itself. This is an almost insoluble paradox. We are two, yet one. I find only one solution to this. There is only one conclusion that enables me to reconcile these seemingly conflicting facts and that is: I am Christ in my form. I am slowly beginning to grasp what Paul said: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me,…(Gal 1:15). His Son has been in me from the day I was born again. During the time I with great determination did my wilderness walk He was there. When I failed most miserably He was there. When I writhed in guilt and condemnation He was there. It was when I came to the end of myself and the illusion that I am an independent self was forever shattered that my lovingly Father could reveal His Son in me.
I suddenly now become to come to terms with all the exhortations and admonitions which both Paul, Peter and the other New Testament authors found necessary to include in their writings. Since I am Christ in my form, and the virgin birth is repeated in me I have gone through all the seasons Jesus went through from infancy to maturity. It should be quite clear that when I was a spiritual child I had to be under a different regime than what is called for when I am an adult. Children needs firm boundaries and a rather strict upbringing to become responsible and mature adults, but when as they grow their parents grant them more and more liberty even though that often is a rather painful process both for the maturing person and the parents. This is the mystery: Christ is repeatedly brought to maturity in persons like you and me. I am rendered in utter awe as I am allowed to see more and more of God’s plan being unfolded in my life. In retrospect I see clearly that it has all been necessary. As a loving Father He has led me through pain, tribulations, misery, great achievements and moments of intimacy and love that is beyond this world. When I have been teetering on the verge of giving up, when the issues I have faced have rendered me in a state where I have wanted to die He has been there encouraging me to take another step. He has been the perfect Father in all His dealings with me. I can only imagine how it must have hurt Him to let me go through those periods when everything was dark, but without them I would still have been in infancy. As Christ has been formed in me I have gone from glory to glory. That is His perspective and that is the truth.
I have always read this verse as: “without me you can do nothing good.” The context of this verse is obviously that when we abide in Him we bring forth much fruit. However, the verse doesn’t state what I have read into it. The word nothing is finite, absolute. Nothing contains everything. I come to the conclusion that what Jesus said only can be wholly appreciated if our point of reference is the tree of life. I obviously have read this verse from an understanding derived from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. My human definitions of good and evil fall lifeless to the ground when my life is absorbed into the tree of life. Life far supersedes any definitions I have made in order to create some sort of order in my sometimes confusing universe. It is only through faith that the tree of life becomes my secure ground from where I can receive all the promises inherent in Christ.
Without Jesus I can do nothing. It can only imply that everything in my life is Him. I have had no problems associating what I have defined as good and what I have defined as light with Him. However, my seasons of darkness, I have attributed to myself. But, now I cannot escape that definiteness of “nothing”. Everything is Him. That is the total truth. I am not an independent self. I am a container of Christ. God says a most peculiar thing in Isaiah 45:7: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” I believe God in this verse uses words which we can understand from our limited human perspective. However, from His perspective, everything He creates is love and light which bursts forth on account of His redemptive purposes, and His ways are thus often far outside my scope of understanding. “Nothing” hence means that in His infinite wisdom I am light and darkness as well. Since God is love and light this what I perceive as darkness evidently must be hidden light. Another one of those mysteries that is too great for me to grasp. I further on cannot fathom that what I perceive as failures is Him expressing Himself as me. But, nothing is nothing, even in this context. It strikes me how humble God is. How He is willing to risk His reputation in being associated with fragile beings as me. That humbles me.
Despite all the aforementioned I know I am a person. I somehow know that I am more than an automat. I am a unique individual with everything that entails. It is now that my mind comes to the end of itself. This is an almost insoluble paradox. We are two, yet one. I find only one solution to this. There is only one conclusion that enables me to reconcile these seemingly conflicting facts and that is: I am Christ in my form. I am slowly beginning to grasp what Paul said: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me,…(Gal 1:15). His Son has been in me from the day I was born again. During the time I with great determination did my wilderness walk He was there. When I failed most miserably He was there. When I writhed in guilt and condemnation He was there. It was when I came to the end of myself and the illusion that I am an independent self was forever shattered that my lovingly Father could reveal His Son in me.
I suddenly now become to come to terms with all the exhortations and admonitions which both Paul, Peter and the other New Testament authors found necessary to include in their writings. Since I am Christ in my form, and the virgin birth is repeated in me I have gone through all the seasons Jesus went through from infancy to maturity. It should be quite clear that when I was a spiritual child I had to be under a different regime than what is called for when I am an adult. Children needs firm boundaries and a rather strict upbringing to become responsible and mature adults, but when as they grow their parents grant them more and more liberty even though that often is a rather painful process both for the maturing person and the parents. This is the mystery: Christ is repeatedly brought to maturity in persons like you and me. I am rendered in utter awe as I am allowed to see more and more of God’s plan being unfolded in my life. In retrospect I see clearly that it has all been necessary. As a loving Father He has led me through pain, tribulations, misery, great achievements and moments of intimacy and love that is beyond this world. When I have been teetering on the verge of giving up, when the issues I have faced have rendered me in a state where I have wanted to die He has been there encouraging me to take another step. He has been the perfect Father in all His dealings with me. I can only imagine how it must have hurt Him to let me go through those periods when everything was dark, but without them I would still have been in infancy. As Christ has been formed in me I have gone from glory to glory. That is His perspective and that is the truth.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Sabbath Rest
The following is an attempt to verbalize some revelations I believe were given to me by the Spirit a week ago. It is challenging to put into words subtle concepts which I do not yet clearly see the extent of.
The author of the Hebrews repeatedly expounds on a rest which the regenerated man is encouraged to enter. The one who enters God’s rest has ceased from His own works, as God did from His. This is in other words a rest which is the consequence of realizing that we can do nothing without Christ. The book of Revelation contains many images which when they are spiritually understood draws a picture of the battle that takes place in our consciousnesses when the Spirit does His gracious work in illuminating our minds so that we are put in a position where we disclose this lie or illusion that we are an independent self. What we discover as the Spirit’s work proceeds in us is that God has taken wholly possession of us and that we live our lives in Christ and thus are His visible expressions in this realm. During this process when we discover the liberating truth of our true being we are in increasing measure revealed as the sons of God.
However, what the Spirit revealed to me is that there is an even higher level of rest which He calls the Sabbath Rest. In a glimpse I saw how everything in this world is used by God for His redemptive purposes. Absolutely everything that occurs in this universe He can turn and use for His good purposes. Nothing of what happens comes as a surprise to Him, He who is the great all in all. Then the Spirit showed me that this also applies to my life. There is nothing in my life which He cannot use for His redemptive purposes regarding my existence, and He can further on advance His redemptive purposes for others through me despite what I perceive as failures and weaknesses which I believe have the opposite effect. Everything works together for good for those who love Him, Paul says. The full effect of this insight is that my soul can find a rest which is not of this world, because He is so much greater than what I do or not do. I do not mentally understand this, that is, how He works forth His will and good purposes through both my positives and negatives. It is too great for me to grasp. However, it is on this backdrop that I can embrace my humanity as a right humanity in Him.
A couple of days later as I questioned these things the Spirit drew my attention to what happened at the cross. An event wrapped up in utter darkness. But, out of it a great light was borne. Then I saw my soul and my mind and the utter darkness they sometimes are filled with. Then He asked me: “If I could turn Jesus’ death into life and joy for many how much more then can I not create light and life out of your seasons of darkness?”
The author of the Hebrews repeatedly expounds on a rest which the regenerated man is encouraged to enter. The one who enters God’s rest has ceased from His own works, as God did from His. This is in other words a rest which is the consequence of realizing that we can do nothing without Christ. The book of Revelation contains many images which when they are spiritually understood draws a picture of the battle that takes place in our consciousnesses when the Spirit does His gracious work in illuminating our minds so that we are put in a position where we disclose this lie or illusion that we are an independent self. What we discover as the Spirit’s work proceeds in us is that God has taken wholly possession of us and that we live our lives in Christ and thus are His visible expressions in this realm. During this process when we discover the liberating truth of our true being we are in increasing measure revealed as the sons of God.
However, what the Spirit revealed to me is that there is an even higher level of rest which He calls the Sabbath Rest. In a glimpse I saw how everything in this world is used by God for His redemptive purposes. Absolutely everything that occurs in this universe He can turn and use for His good purposes. Nothing of what happens comes as a surprise to Him, He who is the great all in all. Then the Spirit showed me that this also applies to my life. There is nothing in my life which He cannot use for His redemptive purposes regarding my existence, and He can further on advance His redemptive purposes for others through me despite what I perceive as failures and weaknesses which I believe have the opposite effect. Everything works together for good for those who love Him, Paul says. The full effect of this insight is that my soul can find a rest which is not of this world, because He is so much greater than what I do or not do. I do not mentally understand this, that is, how He works forth His will and good purposes through both my positives and negatives. It is too great for me to grasp. However, it is on this backdrop that I can embrace my humanity as a right humanity in Him.
A couple of days later as I questioned these things the Spirit drew my attention to what happened at the cross. An event wrapped up in utter darkness. But, out of it a great light was borne. Then I saw my soul and my mind and the utter darkness they sometimes are filled with. Then He asked me: “If I could turn Jesus’ death into life and joy for many how much more then can I not create light and life out of your seasons of darkness?”
Sunday, July 11, 2010
They Are Whom the World is Not Worthy
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The Greek word κόσμος, which is translated world, has these connotations; order, lawful order, government, mode, fashion and ruler. In this world-system we will have tribulations, because it is a world fashioned by the god of this world. His principles and machinations govern the worldly system we are a part of. In Christ we are, however, no longer of this world. We have in Him thus become sojourners in an alien environment.
Jesus says that in Him we will have peace. He represents our true habitat, the environment we originally were designed to occupy. This further means that if we have peace in Him and tribulations in this world His cosmos is everything contrary to this world. Its principles and foundations are wholly dissimilar from those we encounter in our current setting and which we have grown accustomed to because it so far has been the only thing we have known.
God says that He will clear away these nations before us little by little (Deut 7:22). The transition from a consciousness which has its security in the principles of this age to a consciousness that finds its sustenance in Christ is a process which the Bible calls the renewal of the mind. This enlightenment of the mind empowers us to in increasingly measure to appreciate what Jesus did, and who we are in Him so that we are transformed from glory to glory.
Daniel Yordy has put it like this: “He said that we must leave all of the ways of seeing and experiencing and connecting, all the structures of, the methods of operating in, the knowledge and wisdom of the life of this present age and step out into the “darkness,” the unknown, following what until now has been only a taste, and follow Him, our Shepherd, into all the experience, power, connections, and knowledge of the life of the age to come.”
It is thus no wonder that those of us who push farther and farther into this mystery, this original pure undistorted cosmos, and thus see things from a completely new perspective compared to those who still attempt to make Christianity work in the matrix of this world are considered mystics, heretics and what worse is. God, however, says about us: “They are whom the world is not worthy.”
The Greek word κόσμος, which is translated world, has these connotations; order, lawful order, government, mode, fashion and ruler. In this world-system we will have tribulations, because it is a world fashioned by the god of this world. His principles and machinations govern the worldly system we are a part of. In Christ we are, however, no longer of this world. We have in Him thus become sojourners in an alien environment.
Jesus says that in Him we will have peace. He represents our true habitat, the environment we originally were designed to occupy. This further means that if we have peace in Him and tribulations in this world His cosmos is everything contrary to this world. Its principles and foundations are wholly dissimilar from those we encounter in our current setting and which we have grown accustomed to because it so far has been the only thing we have known.
God says that He will clear away these nations before us little by little (Deut 7:22). The transition from a consciousness which has its security in the principles of this age to a consciousness that finds its sustenance in Christ is a process which the Bible calls the renewal of the mind. This enlightenment of the mind empowers us to in increasingly measure to appreciate what Jesus did, and who we are in Him so that we are transformed from glory to glory.
Daniel Yordy has put it like this: “He said that we must leave all of the ways of seeing and experiencing and connecting, all the structures of, the methods of operating in, the knowledge and wisdom of the life of this present age and step out into the “darkness,” the unknown, following what until now has been only a taste, and follow Him, our Shepherd, into all the experience, power, connections, and knowledge of the life of the age to come.”
It is thus no wonder that those of us who push farther and farther into this mystery, this original pure undistorted cosmos, and thus see things from a completely new perspective compared to those who still attempt to make Christianity work in the matrix of this world are considered mystics, heretics and what worse is. God, however, says about us: “They are whom the world is not worthy.”
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Faith is Being
The word fact can refer to verified information about past or present circumstances or events which are presented as objective reality. In science, it means a provable concept. (Wikipedia)
The author of the Hebrews plainly states that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, in other words; faith is facts. To establish something as a fact demands evidences. When we are to advance a case we have to present evidences that are convincing and which withstand scrutinizing. A fact thus becomes a provable concept. We won’t always find that others share our conviction, but, nevertheless, to us what we know is a reality.
In our personal processes towards faith God convincingly builds His case so that we can stand firm whatever circumstances we encounter. Facts are not feelings. If we are to base our faith on feelings we are that proverbial wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
We are not either to assert that we have faith when the thing we have is partial faith. One of the few men in the Bible that admitted he had a partial faith was the father of the son who was possessed by an evil spirit. He cried out in despair: “I believe, help my unbelief.” Jesus honored his honesty and imparted to him what he lacked, and cast out the spirit from his son.
There are seasons in our lives when we feel that we are light-years from God. We are completely unable to sense His presence. As a consequence we begin to doubt our conversion, and we are inclined to think that our union with God is a hollow concept from a gullible era in our lives. However, it is during those periods that God proves that our union with Him is not grounded on feelings, but that it is an undisputable fact, so that we can know who we are in Him in despite of what comes against us.
For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. (Psalm 18:28) God is the One who imparts to us that illumination which transforms partial faith into unwavering faith. Faith is not a result of self effort. What we do, however, is continuing confessing the truth despite our circumstances with an expectant trust that God will light the lamp when we are ready to enter new level of insights.
Then we experience what John so cleverly put into words: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” A witness bears testimony about the truth, the realities that are our secure foundation. This witness is in us. It fixes us in the truth. The inner witness isn’t a feeling, it is an inner knowing. We just know that we know.
There are many things in our lives that are facts. I for instance know without a shadow of a doubt that I am a man. I do not have to confess on a daily basis that I am a man. I effortlessly and unconsciously look like a man, behave like a man and think like a man. For long periods of time I do not give this fact much thought. I do my things and live my life almost unaware of this reality. We can almost call this the law of facts. Every area of our lives that are founded on facts renders us in a state of being, that is, we are.
When we are so secure in our union that we just are, not giving the basis of our faith much thought so that we live our lives, do our things almost unconsciously of the reality that we are in a wonderful, life-giving union with God we have entered what I believe Jesus meant when He said that true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
The author of the Hebrews plainly states that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, in other words; faith is facts. To establish something as a fact demands evidences. When we are to advance a case we have to present evidences that are convincing and which withstand scrutinizing. A fact thus becomes a provable concept. We won’t always find that others share our conviction, but, nevertheless, to us what we know is a reality.
In our personal processes towards faith God convincingly builds His case so that we can stand firm whatever circumstances we encounter. Facts are not feelings. If we are to base our faith on feelings we are that proverbial wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
We are not either to assert that we have faith when the thing we have is partial faith. One of the few men in the Bible that admitted he had a partial faith was the father of the son who was possessed by an evil spirit. He cried out in despair: “I believe, help my unbelief.” Jesus honored his honesty and imparted to him what he lacked, and cast out the spirit from his son.
There are seasons in our lives when we feel that we are light-years from God. We are completely unable to sense His presence. As a consequence we begin to doubt our conversion, and we are inclined to think that our union with God is a hollow concept from a gullible era in our lives. However, it is during those periods that God proves that our union with Him is not grounded on feelings, but that it is an undisputable fact, so that we can know who we are in Him in despite of what comes against us.
For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. (Psalm 18:28) God is the One who imparts to us that illumination which transforms partial faith into unwavering faith. Faith is not a result of self effort. What we do, however, is continuing confessing the truth despite our circumstances with an expectant trust that God will light the lamp when we are ready to enter new level of insights.
Then we experience what John so cleverly put into words: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” A witness bears testimony about the truth, the realities that are our secure foundation. This witness is in us. It fixes us in the truth. The inner witness isn’t a feeling, it is an inner knowing. We just know that we know.
There are many things in our lives that are facts. I for instance know without a shadow of a doubt that I am a man. I do not have to confess on a daily basis that I am a man. I effortlessly and unconsciously look like a man, behave like a man and think like a man. For long periods of time I do not give this fact much thought. I do my things and live my life almost unaware of this reality. We can almost call this the law of facts. Every area of our lives that are founded on facts renders us in a state of being, that is, we are.
When we are so secure in our union that we just are, not giving the basis of our faith much thought so that we live our lives, do our things almost unconsciously of the reality that we are in a wonderful, life-giving union with God we have entered what I believe Jesus meant when He said that true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Virgin Birth
Elizabeth exclaimed in a loud voice to Mary: “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” Jesus, the son of man, was conceived through a juxtaposition of faith and the miraculous work of the Spirit. Every day new sons are conceived through faith and the power of the Spirit. Man believes and the Spirit creates. The virgin birth is repeated every time the seed of a new son is conceived by the overshadowing of the Spirit in accordance with that person’s faith. Every new birth is preceded by God exclaiming over the person: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)