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The Human Being, Being in Christ.

Paul speaking to the Men of Athens said: for in Him we live and move and have our being (exist), as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Acts 17:28

  1. This citation is from Aratus, a third-century b.c. Gk poet. Aratus (Greek: Ἄρατος ὁ Σολεύς) (ca. 315 BC/310 BC – 240 BC)   and Epimenides of Knossos (Crete) (Greek: Ἐπιμενίδης) was a semi-mythical 6th century BC poet.

Let us begin with Zeus, whom we mortals never leave unspoken. For every street, every market-place is full of Zeus. Even the sea and the harbour are full of this deity. Everywhere everyone is indebted to Zeus. For we are indeed his offspring... (Phaenomena 1-5).

Epimenides’ poem Cretica is quoted twice in the New Testament. In the poem, Minos addresses Zeus thus:

They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one—

The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!

But thou art not dead: thou livest and abidest forever,

For in thee we live and move and have our being.


In referring to God Paul was quoting men who spoke of God as Zeus.

As humans we are about ‘being’ or in simple terms ‘we exist’ and the fact is, that we exist in God, and ‘outside of God’ does not exist. All of creation speaks to this reality that we are God’s children as Luke quotes the greek poets in this verse in Acts.

We are not alone. Men have know of God by many names and many stories. All men from every tongue and nation have been being drawn into knowing God since the beginning of time. Traditions have caused man’s pursuit of God to be an issue of disagreement, contention and separation. We don’t have to.

As people on this earth we are not separate or divided. To see or believe in separation and division is to be in darkness and believe a lie. The work of the cross did not divide us, this was an act of unification and displayed our oneness with God.

John said: If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. 1John 4:20

Why is it impossible to love God and hate your brother?  Because they are one and the same – no separation. Can the hand say to the eye “I have no need of thee?”  There is only “one life” “one love” “one spirit” (1Cor.12:12-25) To love God is not an action it simply “is,” because God is love. All we can do is have eyes that see, ears that hear and be aware of what is, and what is? – God is.

This is what Jesus was talking about when he said:

Matt.6:22-23 “The lamp of the body is your eye. If, then, your eye should be single, your whole body will be luminous. Yet if your eye should be wicked, your whole body will be dark. If, then, the light that is in you is darkness, how dense is the darkness!

To have a single eye is to see the oneness of the Lord displayed in His creation.

To understand music, you must listen to it. But so long as you are thinking, “I am listening to this music,” you are not listening. Alan Watts

To know God you must not attempt to know Him. All you must do is look for Him, see Him, and the experience itself is the knowing of God. To have eternal life and be in the kingdom of God is not a future experience but a present reality for all who see.

John 17: 11“I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.

“It does not require many words to speak the truth.” –Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE

Chief Joseph

When we open our spiritual ears we are able to hear the Truth through people who think, believe and look different than us. The reality that the Lord will know all who want to be known is a Truth that the religions tend to ignore. Many religions says believe our way and then you will know the truth. Truth is, and God is know by all! But to few will allow themselves to be open, known and loved by Truth. To be open to love is to be vulnerable to being hurt – To love is to hurt, to feel pain for another. To be in a love relationship is not the absence of pain it is pain with love. To love is be “one” – it is to feel the joy, pain, peace, anger and suffering of another as tough it were you. In love, two become one – what is felt – is felt by both. To love a book or a movie is a lot easier – you love a dead thing and a dead thing can not cause you any real pain. A book or even words appeal to the mind but a person touches your soul, heart and feelings – that which lets you know that you are divine.

I believe much trouble would be saved if we opened our hearts more.
Chief Joseph

Good words will not give me back my children.
Chief Joseph

I cannot tell how much my heart suffered for my people while at Leavenworth.
Chief Joseph

I am tired of talk that comes to nothing.
Chief Joseph

I want the white people to understand my people.
Chief Joseph

I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people.
Chief Joseph

To the Great Spirit Chief,

Thank you for the gift of Chief Joseph, a man who loved people with your love.  May his prayer be heard by us Christian people who caused him so much pain.



Intimacy with God is Knowing your True Self in Spirit and Being free by Overcoming the False Self known as Ego

When Adam and Eve were in the Garden they were told they could eat from all the trees but one. When they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil this became the center of man’s being – a center that ends in death. When the last Adam came to earth he spoke of the true center that is within man. It is the Tree of Life that is the center of Jesus and it is here that the last Adam lived from. As His disciple it is this center that we can live from.

The following is an article written by Osho in his work entitled “From beyond the Frontier of the Mind” I am not saying that I agree with all his teaching but I do appreciate his explanation of the Ego. I have added some scripture and my own words which are in italics.

Ego – The False Center

The first thing to be understood is what ego is. A child is born. A child is born without any knowledge, any consciousness of his own self. And when a child is born the first thing he becomes aware of is not himself; the first thing he becomes aware of is the other. It is natural, because the eyes open outwards, the hands touch others, the ears listen to others, the tongue tastes food and the nose smells the outside. All these senses open outwards.

Mark 8:17b-18 Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened? Do you have eyes, and not see, and do you have ears, and not hear?

That is what birth means. Birth means coming into this world, the world of the outside. So when a child is born, he is born into this world. He opens his eyes, sees others. ‘Other’ means the thou. He becomes aware of the mother first. Then, by and by, he becomes aware of his own body. That too is the other, that too belongs to the world. He is hungry and he feels the body; his need is satisfied, he forgets the body.

This is how a child grows. First he becomes aware of you, thou, other, and then by and by, in contrast to you, thou, he becomes aware of himself.

This awareness is a reflected awareness. He is not aware of who he is. He is simply aware of the mother and what she thinks about him. If she smiles, if she appreciates the child, if she says, “You are beautiful,” if she hugs and kisses him, Through appreciation, love, care, he feels he is good, he feels he is valuable, he feels he has some significance.

A center is born.

But this center is a reflected center. It is not his real being. He does not know who he is; he simply knows what others think about him. And this is the ego: the reflection, what others think.

2Cor.3:16-18 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil (ego view) is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (from ego). We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord (our true nature) and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

If nobody thinks that he is of any use, nobody appreciates him, nobody smiles, then too an ego is born: an ill ego; sad, rejected, like a wound; feeling inferior, worthless. This too is the ego. This too is a reflection.

First the mother – and mother means the world in the beginning. Then others will join the mother, and the world goes on growing. And the more the world grows, the more complex the ego becomes, because many others’ opinions are reflected.

The ego is an accumulated phenomenon, a by-product of living with others. If a child lives totally alone, he will never come to grow an ego. But that is not going to help. He will remain like an animal. That doesn’t mean that he will come to know the real self, no.

The real can be known only through the false, so the ego is a must. One has to pass through it. It is a discipline. The real can be known only through the illusion. You cannot know the truth directly. First you have to know that which is not true. First you have to encounter the untrue. Through that encounter you become capable of knowing the truth. If you know the false as the false, truth will dawn upon you.

Gen.2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Ego is a need; it is a social need, it is a social by-product. The society means all that is around you – not you, but all that is around you. All, minus you, is the society. And everybody reflects. You will go to school and the teacher will reflect who you are. You will be in friendship with other children and they will reflect who you are. By and by, everybody is adding to your ego, and everybody is trying to modify it in such a way that you don’t become a problem to the society.

They are not concerned with you.

They are concerned with the society.

Society is concerned with itself, and that’s how it should be.

Gen.3:11-13 Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I had commanded you not to eat from?” Then the man replied, “The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me [some fruit] from the tree, and I ate.”

So the LORD God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate.”

They are not concerned that you should become a self-knower. They are concerned that you should become an efficient part in the mechanism of the society. You should fit into the pattern. So they are trying to give you an ego that fits with the society. ….

The society creates an ego because the ego can be controlled and manipulated. The self can never be controlled or manipulated. Nobody has ever heard of the society controlling a self – not possible.

Gal.5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

And the child needs a center; the child is completely unaware of his own center. The society gives him a center and the child is by and by convinced that this is his center, the ego that society gives.

A child comes back to his home – if he has come first in his class, the whole family is happy. You hug and kiss him, and you take the child on your shoulders and dance and you say, “What a beautiful child! You are a pride to us.” You are giving him an ego, a subtle ego. And if the child comes home dejected, unsuccessful, a failure – he couldn’t pass, or he has just been on the back bench – then nobody appreciates him and the child feels rejected. He will try harder next time, because the center feels shaken.

Ego is always shaken, always in search of food, that somebody should appreciate it. That’s why you continuously ask for attention.

You get the idea of who you are from others.

It is not a direct experience.

It is from others that you get the idea of who you are. They shape your center. This center is false, because you carry your real center. That is nobody’s business. Nobody shapes it.

You come with it.

You are born with it.

So you have two centers. One center you come with, which is given by existence itself. That is the self. And the other center, which is created by the society, is the ego. It is a false thing – and it is a very great trick.

…… The others have given you the idea.

That idea is the ego.

Try to understand it as deeply as possible, because this has to be thrown. And unless you throw it you will never be able to attain to the self. Because you are addicted to the center, you cannot move, and you cannot look at the self.

And remember, there is going to be an interim period, an interval, when the ego will be shattered, when you will not know who you are, when you will not know where you are going, when all boundaries will melt.

You will simply be confused, a chaos.

Because of this chaos, you are afraid to lose the ego. But it has to be so. One has to pass through the chaos before one attains to the real center.

This experience is know as the Dark Night of the Soul

And if you are daring, the period will be small.

If you are afraid, and you again fall back to the ego, and you again start arranging it, then it can be very, very long; many lives can be wasted.

Heb.6:4-6 For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit, tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away, because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt.

I have heard: One small child was visiting his grandparents. He was just four years old. In the night when the grandmother was putting him to sleep, he suddenly started crying and weeping and said, “I want to go home. I am afraid of darkness.” But the grandmother said, “I know well that at home also you sleep in the dark; I have never seen a light on. So why are you afraid here?” The boy said, “Yes, that’s right – but that is MY darkness.” This darkness is completely unknown.

Even with darkness you feel, “This is MINE.”

Outside – an unknown darkness.

With the ego you feel, “This is MY darkness.”

It may be troublesome, maybe it creates many miseries, but still mine. Something to hold to, something to cling to, something underneath the feet; you are not in a vacuum, not in an emptiness. You may be miserable, but at least you ARE. Even being miserable gives you a feeling of ‘I am’. Moving from it, fear takes over; you start feeling afraid of the unknown darkness and chaos – because society has managed to clear a small part of your being.

It is just like going to a forest. You make a little clearing, you clear a little ground; you make fencing, you make a small hut; you make a small garden, a lawn, and you are okay. Beyond your fence – the forest, the wild. Here everything is okay; you have planned everything. This is how it has happened.

Society has made a little clearing in your consciousness. It has cleaned just a little part completely, fenced it. Everything is okay there. That’s what all your universities are doing. The whole culture and conditioning is just to clear a part so that you can feel at home there.

And then you become afraid.

Beyond the fence there is danger.

Beyond the fence you are, as within the fence you are – and your conscious mind is just one part, one-tenth of your whole being. Nine-tenths is waiting in the darkness. And in that nine-tenths, somewhere your real center is hidden.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.

One has to be daring, courageous.

…..But if you are courageous and you don’t go backwards, if you don’t fall back to the ego and you go on and on, there is a hidden center within you that you have been carrying for many lives.

That is your spirit/soul, the self.

Once you come near it, everything changes, everything settles again. But now this settling is not done by the society. Now everything becomes a cosmos, not a chaos; a new order arises.

But this is no longer the order of the society – it is the very order of existence itself. It is God’s Kingdom come – God’s culture on earth.

It is what Buddha calls Dhamma, Lao Tzu calls Tao, Heraclitus calls Logos. It is not man-made. It is the VERY order of existence itself. Then everything is suddenly beautiful again, and for the first time really beautiful, because man-made things cannot be beautiful. At the most you can hide the ugliness of them, that’s all. You can decorate them, but they can never be beautiful.

The difference is just like the difference between a real flower and a plastic or paper flower. The ego is a plastic flower – dead. It just looks like a flower, it is not a flower. You cannot really call it a flower. Even linguistically to call it a flower is wrong, because a flower is something which flowers. And this plastic thing is just a thing, not a flowering. It is dead. There is no life in it.

Gen 2:17b – for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

You have a flowering center within. That’s why Hindus call it a lotus – it is a flowering. They call it the one-thousand-petaled-lotus. One thousand means infinite petals. And it goes on flowering, it never stops, it never dies.

Luke 17:20-21 “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

But you are satisfied with a plastic ego.

There are some reasons why you are satisfied. With a dead thing, there are many conveniences. One is that a dead thing never dies. It cannot – it was never alive. So you can have plastic flowers, they are good in a way. They are permanent; they are not eternal, but they are permanent.

The real flower outside in the garden is eternal, but not permanent. And the eternal has its own way of being eternal. The way of the eternal is to be born again and again and to die. Through death it refreshes itself, rejuvenates itself.

To us it appears that the flower has died – it never dies.

It simply changes bodies, so it is ever fresh.

It leaves the old body, it enters a new body. It flowers somewhere else; it goes on flowering.

But we cannot see the continuity because the continuity is invisible. We see only one flower, another flower; we never see the continuity.

It is the same flower which flowered yesterday.

It is the same sun, but in a different garb.

The ego has a certain quality – it is dead. It is a plastic thing. And it is very easy to get it, because others give it. You need not seek it, there is no search involved. That’s why unless you become a seeker after the unknown, you have not yet become an individual. You are just a part of the crowd. You are just a mob.

Matt. 6:33 But seek first the kingdom (culture) of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

When you don’t have a real center, how can you be an individual?

The ego is not individual. Ego is a social phenomenon – it is society, its not you. But it gives you a function in the society, a hierarchy in the society. And if you remain satisfied with it, you will miss the whole opportunity of finding the self.

Gen.11:5-6 Then the LORD came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, “If, as one people all having the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.


And that’s why you are so miserable.

With a plastic life, how can you be happy?

With a false life, how can you be ecstatic and blissful? And then this ego creates many miseries, millions of them.

You cannot see, because it is your own darkness. You are attuned to it.

Have you ever noticed that all types of miseries enter through the ego? It cannot make you blissful; it can only make you miserable.

Ego is hell.

Ps.23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil

Whenever you suffer, just try to watch and analyze, and you will find, somewhere the ego is the cause of it. And the ego goes on finding causes to suffer.

You are an egoist, as everyone is. Some are very gross, just on the surface, and they are not so difficult. Some are very subtle, deep down, and they are the real problems.

This ego comes continuously in conflict with others because every ego is so unconfident about itself. Is has to be – it is a false thing. When you don’t have anything in your hand and you just think that something is there, then there will be a problem.

If somebody says, “There is nothing,” immediately the fight will start, because you also feel that there is nothing. The other makes you aware of the fact.

Ego is false, it is nothing.

That you also know.

How can you miss knowing it? It is impossible! A conscious being – how can he miss knowing that this ego is just false? And then others say that there is nothing – and whenever the others say that there is nothing they hit a wound, they say a truth – and nothing hits like the truth.

Jn.8:31-32 ……. you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

You have to defend, because if you don’t defend, if you don’t become defensive, then where will you be?

You will be lost.

The identity will be broken.

So you have to defend and fight – that is the clash.

A man who attains to the true self is never in any clash. Others may come and clash with him, but he is never in clash with anybody.

Luke 23:34-37 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided His clothes and cast lots. The people stood watching, and even the leaders kept scoffing: “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked Him. They came offering Him sour wine and said, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”   

It happened that one Zen master was passing through a street. A man came running and hit him hard. The master fell down. Then he got up and started to walk in the same direction in which he was going before, not even looking back.

A disciple was with the master. He was simply shocked. He said, “Who is this man? What is this? If one lives in such a way, then anybody can come and kill you. And you have not even looked at that person, who he is, and why he did it.”

The master said, “That is his problem, not mine.”

You can clash with an enlightened man, but that is your problem, not his. And if you are hurt in that clash, that too is your own problem. He cannot hurt you. And it is like knocking against a wall – you will be hurt, but the wall has not hurt you.

The ego is always looking for some trouble. Why? Because if nobody pays attention to you, the ego feels hungry.

Gen. 4:6-7 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why are you downcast? If you do right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

It lives on attention.

So even if somebody is fighting and angry with you, that too is good because at least the attention is paid. If somebody loves, it is okay. If somebody is not loving you, then even anger will be good. At least the attention will come to you. But if nobody is paying any attention to you, nobody thinks that you are somebody important, significant, then how will you feed your ego?

Other’s attention is needed.

In millions of ways you attract the attention of others; you dress in a certain way, you try to look beautiful, you behave, you become very polite, you change. When you feel what type of situation is there, you immediately change so that people pay attention to you.

This is a deep begging.

A real beggar is one who asks for and demands attention. And a real emperor is one who lives in himself; he has a center of his own, he doesn’t depend on anybody else. …….

But you, if the wife escapes, divorces you, goes to somebody else, you are completely shattered – because she had been paying attention to you, caring, loving, moving around you, helping you to feel that you were somebody. Your whole empire is lost, you are simply shattered. You start thinking about suicide. Why? Why, if a wife leaves you, should you commit suicide? Why, if a husband leaves you, should you commit suicide? Because you don’t have any center of your own. The wife was giving you the center; the husband was giving you the center.

This is how people exist. This is how people become dependent on others. It is a deep slavery. Ego HAS to be a slave. It depends on others. And only a person who has no ego is for the first time a master; he is no longer a slave. Try to understand this.

And start looking for the ego – not in others, that is not your business, but in yourself. Whenever you feel miserable, immediately close you eyes and try to find out from where the misery is coming and you will always find it is the false center which has clashed with someone.

Rom.6:6-9 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s (ego’s) dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin (ego), since a person who has died is freed from sin’s (ego’s) claims. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies. Death (Ego) no longer rules over Him.

You expected something, and it didn’t happen.

You expected something, and just the contrary happened – your ego is shaken, you are in misery. Just look, whenever you are miserable, try to find out why.

Causes are not outside you. The basic cause is within you – but you always look outside, you always ask:

Who is making me miserable?
Who is the cause of my anger?
Who is the cause of my anguish?
And if you look outside you will miss.
Just close the eyes and always look within.
The source of all misery, anger, anguish, is hidden in you, your ego.


And if you find the source, it will be easy to move beyond it. If you can see that it is your own ego that gives you trouble, you will prefer to drop it – because nobody can carry the source of misery if he understands it.

And remember, there is no need to drop the ego.

You cannot drop it.

If you try to drop it, you will attain to a certain subtle ego again which says, “I have become humble.”

Don’t try to be humble. That’s again ego in hiding – but it’s not dead.

Don’t try to be humble.

Nobody can try humility, and nobody can create humility through any effort of his own – no. When the ego is no more, a humbleness comes to you. It is not a creation. It is a shadow of the real center.

And a really humble man is neither humble nor egoistic.

He is simply simple.

He’s not even aware that he is humble.

If you are aware that you are humble, the ego is there.

Look at humble persons…. There are millions who think that they are very humble. They bow down very low, but watch them – they are the subtlest egoists. Now humility is their source of food. They say, “I am humble,” and then they look at you and they wait for you to appreciate them.

“You are really humble,” they would like you to say. “In fact, you are the most humble man in the world; nobody is as humble as you are.” Then see the smile that comes on their faces.

What is ego? Ego is a hierarchy that says, “No one is like me.” It can feed on humbleness – “Nobody is like me, I am the most humble man.”

It happened once:

A fakir, a beggar, was praying in a mosque, just early in the morning when it was still dark. It was a certain religious day for Mohammedians, and he was praying, and he was saying, “I am nobody. I am the poorest of the poor, the greatest sinner of sinners.”

Suddenly there was one more person who was praying. He was the emperor of that country, and he was not aware that there was somebody else there who was praying – it was dark, and the emperor was also saying:

“I am nobody. I am nothing. I am just empty, a beggar at our door.” When he heard that somebody else was saying the same thing, he said, “Stop! Who is trying to overtake me? Who are you? How dare you say before the emperor that you are nobody when he is saying that he is nobody?”

This is how the ego goes. It is so subtle. Its ways are so subtle and cunning; you have to be very, very alert, only then will you see it. Don’t try to be humble. Just try to see that all misery, all anguish comes through it.

Just watch! No need to drop it.

You cannot drop it. Who will drop it? Then the DROPPER will become the ego. It always comes back.

Whatsoever you do, stand out of it, and look and watch.

Whatsoever you do – humbleness, humility, simplicity – nothing will help. Only one thing is possible, and that is just to watch and see that it is the source of all misery. Don’t say it. Don’t repeat it – WATCH. Because if I say it is the source of all misery and you repeat it, then it is useless. YOU have to come to that understanding. Whenever you are miserable, just close the eyes and don’t try to find some cause outside. Try to see from where this misery is coming.

It is your own ego.

Rom.7:16-19 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.

If you continuously feel and understand, and the understanding that the ego is the cause becomes so deep-rooted, one day you will suddenly see that it has disappeared. Nobody drops it – nobody can drop it. You simply see; it has simply disappeared, because the very understanding that ego causes all misery becomes the dropping. THE VERY UNDERSTANDING IS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE EGO.

And you are so clever in seeing the ego in others. Anybody can see someone else’s ego. When it comes to your own, then the problem arises – because you don’t know the territory, you have never traveled on it.

Matt.7:3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

The whole path towards the divine, the ultimate, has to pass through this territory of the ego.

Ps.23:4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear [no] danger,

The false has to be understood as false. The source of misery has to be understood as the source of misery – then it simply drops.

When you know it is poison, it drops. When you know it is fire, it drops. When you know this is the hell, it drops.

And then you never say, “I have dropped the ego.” Then you simply laugh at the whole thing, the joke that you were the creator of all misery.

I was just looking at a few cartoons of Charlie Brown. In one cartoon he is playing with blocks, making a house out of children’s blocks. He is sitting in the middle of the blocks building the walls. Then a moment comes when he is enclosed; all around he has made a wall. Then he cries, “Help, help!”

He has done the whole thing! Now he is enclosed, imprisoned. This is childish, but this is all that you have done also. You have made a house all around yourself, and now you are crying, “Help, help!” And the misery becomes a millionfold – because there are helpers who are also in the same boat.

Luke 15:14-18 – The Prodigal Son After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father,

It happened that one very beautiful woman went to see her psychiatrist for the first time. The psychiatrist said, “Come closer please.” When she came closer, he simply jumped and hugged and kissed the woman. She was shocked. Then he said, “Now sit down. This takes care of my problem, now what is your problem?”

The problem becomes multifold, because there are helpers who are in the same boat. And they would like to help, because when you help somebody the ego feels very good, very, very good – because you are a great helper, a great guru, a master; you are helping so many people. The greater the crowd of your followers, the better you feel.

But you are in the same boat – you cannot help.

Rather, you will harm.

People who still have their own problems cannot be of much help. Only someone who has no problems of his own can help you. Only then is there the clarity to see, to see through you. A mind that has no problems of its own can see you, you become transparent.

1 Cor.2:14-16 But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually. The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. For: who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

A mind that has no problems of its own can see through itself; that’s why it becomes capable of seeing through others.

In the West, there are many schools of psychoanalysis, many schools, and no help is reaching people, but rather, harm. Because the people who are helping others, or trying to help, or posing as helpers, are in the same boat.

…It is difficult to see one’s own ego.

It is very easy to see other’s egos. But that is not the point, you cannot help them.

Try to see your own ego.

Just watch it.

Don’t be in a hurry to drop it, just watch it. The more you watch, the more capable you will become. Suddenly one day, you simply see that it has dropped. And when it drops by itself, only then does it drop. There is no other way. Prematurely you cannot drop it.

It drops just like a dead leaf.

The tree is not doing anything – just a breeze, a situation, and the dead leaf simply drops. The tree is not even aware that the dead leaf has dropped. It makes no noise, it makes no claim – nothing.

The dead leaf simply drops and shatters on the ground, just like that.

When you are mature through understanding, awareness, and you have felt totally that ego is the cause of all your misery, simply one day you see the dead leaf dropping.

It settles into the ground, dies of its own accord. You have not done anything so you cannot claim that you have dropped it. You see that it has simply disappeared, and then the real center arises.

1 Cor.13:9-12 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when the perfect comes (center arises), the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.

And that real center is the spirit/soul, the true self, Oneness with God, the truth, or whatsoever you want to call it. It is nameless, so all names are good.

You can give it any name of your own liking. He is called “I AM”

Rev.3:12-13 The victor: I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My new name. “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

I have to laugh when the thought passes my mind that says “what about me” I laugh because I know Your response is “Me, we don’t know a me, we only know the We”. I know that is the Hope and Joy of us all and yet the old thoughts of “Me” still swirl around in the pool of images that play in my mind. To know you Lord and to be immersed into the “We” is my only hope of rest from my struggle against “Me”. Your Gift of Oneness is my freedom and it is this that I give myself to. To gain the consciences of We is to loose the false consciences of Me, then You are All in All.

Holistic Christianity

Working out your Salvation

Rom.14:23b ………….and everything that is not from faith is sin.

Col.2:19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.

Rom.14:1 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables.

What we are looking at here is the confused relationship between the Law and Faith in Jesus Christ.

The Law = The rules and reality of “cause and effect”

Faith in Jesus = Hearing the voice of the Lord internally, believing and doing.

One is ‘directive’ (Faith) and one is ‘descriptive’ (Law)

The law is not to be used to tell us what to do or how to live.  It is not our guide.

Gal.3:21 Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law.

Rom.14:3-4 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat; and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him. Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And stand he will! For the Lord is able to make him stand.

This is the Lord who dwells within the household slave – It is the work of the Lord who will make His voice known to the household slave and cause him to stand in Faith.

Rom.1:5-8 One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it to the Lord. Whoever eats, eats to the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is to the Lord that he does not eat, yet he thanks God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

This is descriptive of the process of discovering oneself. You are not your own – You have been made one with God through Jesus Christ. You  cannot divide your “Being” from Him.   You can choose the Path you walk on but you cannot choose who your spiritual Father is.

Rom.1:9-12 Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. 10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

The Lord is the only TEACHER or GUIDE anybody will ever need.

Heb.8:11 And each person will not teach his fellow citizen, and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.

John 14:23-26 Jesus answered, …… “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit ;the Father will send Him in My name;will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Matt.23:9-10″Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10″Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

Rom.1:13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another, but instead decide not to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.

One who points out to a brother that something they believe should be this brothers belief as well. It is making the “law” directive instead of simply being descriptive.

Rom.1:14-23 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. By what you eat, do not destroy that one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves the Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

The Kingdom of God – This is entered into by those who practice Union/Companionship with with God. The Kingdom of God is not about following rules of right and wrong, good and evil: it is about living a life together in relationship with God – Doing everything together with Him. If I do everything together with Him – I do all things in faith.

Rom.1:19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. 21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. 22 Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.

Do you have faith?

What is your answer to: “why you are doing what you are doing?”

If this is not your answer: “After talking it over with the Father we decided “

Then what you are doing is in sin and is not being done in faith. This is what a life of sin is. It is not simply a life of evil but it is a life of good and evil lived independent of Jesus Christ. Its when a man says in his heart “I will”.

Heb.4:12-13 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.

The “WORD of GOD” that the writer of Hebrews is talking about is not the Bible. The WORD of GOD that the writer of Hebrews is referring to is Jesus Christ – The WORD made flesh that dwells within you. It is this WORD that we need to have “ears to hear” – It is through this WORD that we are led, guided and discover our Father and ourselves. It is to this WORD that we point each other. We are led out of the dark places of our thoughts and understanding and led into the saving light of Truth. It is through this “WORD” that we come to know the TRUTH and this TRUTH sets us free!

Col.2: 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God’s mystery Christ. 3 In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

The knowledge of God’s mystery is not a teaching, a doctrine or something to be found in the Bible – the KNOWLEDGE of God’s Mystery is only found in a real and active relationship with the indwelling CHRIST HIMSELF.

Col.2:4-8 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.

One can be deceived by persuasive arguments, philosophy based on human tradition. Both of these elements created the basis for much of our Christian practice today. Persuasive arguments become our doctrines “about Christ” Philosophy based on Human Tradition become church practices, the liturgy.

Wikipedia – A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions.

Col.2:9-10 For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

The entire fullness of God’s nature dwells inside of YOU because God has become ONE with you! It is this nature that dwells within you that you can live by. You now have a choice – you can live by the old natural nature or by the new Godly nature.

Col.2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah. 12 Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him. 16 Therefore don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a sabbath day.

IN HIM, WITH HIM, BY HIM – This speaks of the relationship of ONENESS – We are not to look at, assess, judge or do anything outside of Him. As He goes so do we! He has forever joined Himself to us – ARE WE GOING TO JOIN OURSELF TO HIM????

Col.2:17-23 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his fleshly mind. 19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God. 20 If you died with Christ to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these [regulations] refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value against fleshly indulgence.

You can hold to the Head and Live By Him, In Him and With Him or like Adam and Eve choose to live apart from Him by yourself. You can live by a knowledge of the Law (understanding universal cause and effect) or by the Being of Christ which is being led by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit, if we interact with him, will renew our minds.

Jesus Christ is not a religion, following Jesus does not need to be through a religion.

Wikipedia – A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner’s experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth.

How we approach Jesus and interact with Him does not need to be through religion. It seems many Christians have segregated their relationship with Jesus to a religious experience that does not touch the secular life.

Wikipedia Secular – This word derives from a Latin word meaning “of the age“. The Christian doctrine that God exists outside time led medieval Western culture to use secular to indicate separation from religious affairs and involvement in worldly (or time-related) ones. This meaning has been extended to apply to separation from any religion, regardless of whether it has a similar doctrine. Secularity (adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from religion. For instance, eating and bathing may be regarded as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them.

God wants to be our companion, guide and wonderful counselor in every aspect of our being. God can lead us into the Truth in every area of our life. From mowing the lawn, to raising your children, marriage and business, Jesus can help you and guide you if you let Him. Every area of darkness and confusion that exists within our understanding He wants to bring light to and save us from.

Phil.2:12 -15 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed,…..work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, [enabling you] both to will and to act for His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling …, …pure, children of God ….in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.

Our Understanding will be challenged and even offended by the Lord.

John 6:41 Therefore the Jews started complaining about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

The MaskWe all wear masks. Paul says : 1Cor.9:19-22 –

For although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law —to win those under the law…….To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.

A mask is what is seen, it has been place over the real in order to be able to relate to and communicate with those who still find their identity in the mask they wear.

Gal.3:28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Neither Jew,Greek, American, African, Male, Female, Slave, Freeman, Black, White ALL ARE ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. No temporal mask identity’s us. If this does not offend people I don’t know what will. I have heard many brothers in the Lord not agree with this at all “There is no way God sees a woman the way he sees a man”. We all have a choice to either establish our identity through our temporal flesh or through Christ who is Spirit.

43 Jesus answered them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me ….

Jesus said: They will be taught by God Everyone who has listen to and learned from the Father comes to me.

Jesus refers to the words of Isaiah

Isa.54:13 Then all your children will be taught by the LORD, their prosperity will be great,

He did not say they would be taught by Moses but directly from the Father. To be taught by Moses is to be taught through the scriptures. To be taught by the Father is to hear His voice in and through everything He communicates and speaks to us through. If we limit hearing the voice of our Father to one thing – lets say the Bible or our Pastor – if this is our practice what we are doing is limiting God. What we are saying is “Father I will hear you in this way and in this way only” – This is what the people who were following Jesus did. There reliance upon their understanding of the Father limited there ability to hear Him through Jesus the Christ.

  1. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” At that, the Jews argued among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, ” I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

Bread of Life –

I am this living bread, and every one who ’s eyes are open to the realization of this united nature of God and man shall live forever. And this bread of life which I give to all who will receive is my own living and combined nature. The Father in the Son and the Son one with the Father – that is my life-giving revelation to the world and my saving gift to all nations.”

Or maybe Jesus said something that sounded a little more like this: My life in the flesh is a bestowal of the bread of heaven. The fact of the Word of God bestowed in the flesh and the phenomenon of the Son of Man subject to the will of God, constitute a reality of experience which is equivalent to the divine food. You cannot eat my flesh nor can you drink my blood, but you can become one in spirit with me even as I am one in spirit with the Father. You can be nourished by the eternal word of God, which is indeed the bread of life, and which has been bestowed in the likeness of mortal flesh; and you can be watered in soul by the divine spirit, which is truly the water of life. The Father has sent me into the world to show how he desires to indwell and direct all men; and I have so lived this life in the flesh as to inspire all men likewise ever to seek to know and do the will of the indwelling heavenly Father.” (U)

In other words: In order to receive and live by the Life of the Father you have to be able to receive Him in whatever form and whatever way He chooses to give Himself to you. Not as your mind conceives but as the Spirit leads. Can a “Christian” receive the Life of the Father through a “Muslim “. Or does the Christian say “I know your beliefs, I know where you come from” How can I hear the words of our Father through this person?

Do I Offend You. –

Jn.6:61 Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them,”Does this offend you?

Matt.11:6 And if anyone is offended because of Me, he is blessed.”

Eating Flesh Drinking Blood – What the Law was – This comes from the Noahic Covenant.

Gen.9:3-5 Every living creature will be food for you; as [I gave] the green plants, I have given you everything. However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it. I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life.

Jesus said: Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. – Man does not live to simply supply the needs or wants of the physical body – Man can only truly ‘LIVE’ in relationship with the Father.

Mark 7 – After the feeding the 5000 he tells the story of events after Jesus speaks of himself as the bread.

Then one of the Jerusalem spies who had been observing Jesus and his apostles, said: “We notice that neither you nor your apostles wash your hands properly before you eat bread. Why is it that you show such disrespect for the traditions of the fathers and the laws of our elders?” And when Jesus heard him speak, he answered: “Why is it that you transgress the commandments of God by the laws of your tradition? The commandment says, `Honor your father and your mother,’ and directs that you share with them your substance if necessary; but you enact a law of tradition which permits undutiful children to say that the money wherewith the parents might have been assisted has been `given to God.’ Why is it that you in this way make void the commandment by your own tradition?

Jesus then quotes Isaiah prophesy to hypocrites, saying: `This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

Today the line in the sand is between the internal living voice of Jesus over and against the doctrines, traditions and teachings “about” Jesus.

Dependence on Christ is dependent on our hearing, recognizing and obeying HIS voice.

Gal.4:8-9 But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

Now that you have met God, have gotten to know God and know the sound of His voice. You have also spent the time and allowed God to get to know you, you have heard and followed His counsel in your Life. How can you now turn to your old traditions and Bible teaching about God for guidance in your life?

Jesus and the Law

Luke 6:1-5 On a Sabbath, He passed through the grainfields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry— how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.” Then He told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The law which was to help man had been used to imprison man. The nature of the Sabbath was to tell us our bodies needed to rest. But that law does not overrule the Man Jesus Christ.

Following the Spirit as opposed to following the teaching of demons.

1Tim.4:1-6 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.

If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

Practical Application

Prov.3:6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

If you take the time to still your mind and listen for the voice of your Father, if you seek Him out in this way He will speak to you. His words can come as the Wonderful Counselor if you seek His counsel. If you seek His comfort He will comfort you. If you just want to fellowship – He wants to get to know you. The only way He can get to know you is if you let Him. He never forces His way in and He never goes where He is not invited. Talk with Him! Walk with Him! Spend time with Him and get to know Him as a friend. He will win your trust – from personal experience I can say that His love never fails and He will blow you away with His wonderful counsel.

End Part 2

A Declaration of Dependence on Christ

Standing at the Parting of Ways

Walking with the Lord Together

Joshua 24:15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Why is it so difficult to experience a functioning church. In order for a church of Jesus Christ to truly function as a church of Jesus Christ it takes the vast majority to be completely dependent on the indwelling life of Jesus Christ. Not other gods or idols. Without the complete dependence on Jesus Christ His church, His body cannot express who it really is.

The opposite of dependence on Jesus Christ is dependence on something else aka `a god’. If I am not depending on the indwelling life of Jesus Christ expressed to me through the Holy Spirit then I am dependent on the thoughts and reasoning’s of independent temporal flesh.

Paul speaks about dependence on Christ in this way:

Phil 3:7-11 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value, of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ —the righteousness from God based on faith. [My goal] is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

The church is a gathering of parts of Christ’s body that, if functioning orderly, are being directed by the head i.e. Jesus Christ. A body that is “out of order” consists of parts that are living by law and not the present indwelling voice of Jesus Christ.

If we look at Most traditional Church settings we recognize the fact that these are established on traditions and doctrines

The First Baptist Church; Pentecostal Church of God; Assemblies of God; Four Square Church – its all of them.

What guides the people when they gather? Is it the practice for each one to come with ear to hear the living voice of the indwelling Spirit or do they come to take part in a preordained order and tradition without ever engaging the Life within them? Only can each one answer for himself.

I know for myself when I went to Church I came to do my part . I taught Sunday School and had other duties but I can’t say I was never taught or encouraged to listen and respond to the Spirits voice and minister to my fellow brothers and sisters at that moment. I am not saying that it never happened because it did a few times. But over 20 years of being in an institutional setting it didn’t happen more than 20 times. Over all it was rare that we would ever really engage in actual Life.

When John wrote to the 7 churches in His Revelation of Jesus Christ – To each church he said: “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches”

As people who have the voice of the Spirit within them, I ask the question “do we listen to and allow ourselves to be instructed by the voice of the Spirit/ the Christ within us? Do we live our life dependent on the leading and guidance of that voice? Or do we just live a careless life of dependence on our temporal thoughts and feelings. Do we try and better ourselves by overcoming bad or harmful habits, addictions and other listed sins. Do we try to live righteous lives like the Pharisees did or like Peter do we declare – You Jesus, have the words of eternal life.

John 6:60-68 Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept it?” .. “Does this offend you? ….. The Spirit is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some among you who don’t believe.” …..From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him. Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life.

The church got really small this day. Jesus lost most of the 70 disciples that had been following Him. You see theses disciples believed He was the Messiah – the problem was, what they believed about Him more than they believed in Him. When His words did not match what they thought (in their fleshly mind) He should say or do – they no longer followed Him. The reality was they never really followed Him anyways – they were living out their doctrine and traditions of the Jewish Messiah. As long as He fit within their concepts they accepted Him but when He went outside of their understanding they were offended and left him behind. Jesus was not the Jewish Messiah they thought He was. Peter had no greater understanding than the disciples who left but Peter was unwilling to live in the old way. He was able to hear and see that Jesus had the WORDS of eternal life and although Peter did not understand Jesus he did not see anywhere else to go.

What could not be heard?  Jn.6:28-59

Then some disciples asked – “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.    

Many today ask this question – why don’t we do like Jesus did – the miracles and such? Jesus answered them this way -

Jesus replied, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the One He has sent.”

Belief comes by hearing Him, accepting and having faith in Him and then doing. The work of God is not to believe in the teaching and examples of Jesus Christ. The `work’ we are to do is listen to the ever present indwelling voice of the Father, believe it and do it.

“What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?” they asked. “What are You going to perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. ” Jesus said to them, ” I assure you: Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!”

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again. But as I told you, you’ve seen Me, and yet you do not believe.

Here He is asking them to “do the work of God” They want to perform miracles like Jesus had just done with the bread and fishes. How many of us today want to do the miracles that Jesus did? How often is the scripture Mark 16:17-18 (“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”) This verse is often put forth as an example of doing the work of God.

Jesus goes on to say: For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

In other words – I am not asking you to do anything that I myself am not doing. I want you to believe and follow me the same way I believe and follow my Father – Don’t try and imitate the things I do – don’t try and be like me in the miracles I perform. Have a relationship with our Father! We are to listen to the Wonderful Counselor and walk with Him the same way Jesus walked with Him. He will help you do the things that you are to do – not the things that the Father had Jesus do.

Here is a verse in Proverbs we all should consider.

Prov.3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

End Part 1

Death

Death so ominous so overwhelming. Death is often viewed as the opposite of Life and yet what if death was not the opposite of life but simply a part of the process through which life finds greater and greater expression.

Is Darkness the absences of Light or simply the absence of the expression of Light. I guess it all depends on how we might view Light. When we view it through our natural eyes it is something that emanates from the sun or a light bulb. If we see Light as Jesus Christ, the Light of the world – Light

then is understood to be an internal reality and not simply an external expression.

These two words and concepts make up a part of one of the most famous Psalms. That being Psalms 23.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

In life, we have Mountain top experiences, Mountain climbing experiences, wilderness experiences and even green pasture experiences. A Valley is low places on this earth and it is in the valley sometimes that we must walk.  I don’t want to talk about just any valley – I want to share about a particular valley – one that is referred to as the valley of the shadow of death.

shadow definition

shadow (s̸hadō)

noun

  1. a definite area of shade cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the light rays

  2. the dark image made by such a body

  3. the growing darkness after sunset

  4. a mirrored image; reflection

    1. something without reality or substance; imaginary vision

In order for a shadow to exist it needs two things – One is light rays; the other something that can be in the way or obstruct the light rays.

This valley of the shadow is a low place on this earth where light is obstructed and it is here that we find one walking. In this particular valley of shadow,  the obstruction of light is not unknown. The obstruction or object that keeps the light rays from illuminating this valley is called death. It is Death that lies between the one in the valley and the rays of light. It is in this shadow of death that one in this particular valley finds himself walking in. So, what then is this death that stands between the one walking and the light?

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (KJV)

Death was first stated as the result of eating from Disobeying God and eating from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.

To take in the knowledge of good and evil is to take into oneself death. It is in the knowing of good and evil that the “thing” or object is produced that stands in between the one on the path and the light.

The thing that stands in the way of knowing the Lord is the knowledge of good and evil. How can knowing good and evil be the thing that stands in the way of knowing the Lord?

In having the knowledge of good and evil, man became “like God” (Gen.3:22). In other words they have taken the place or responsibility of God and become a judge unto themselves. It is man who now assess what is good and what is evil. Man is no longer dependent on the Lord as judge.

Lets look at Jesus words to the rich young ruler –

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Mk.10:17-18

Is Jesus saying that he is not good or that he is not the same as the Father? Or is Jesus making a comment about the Rich Ruler’s role as Judge of the “GOOD” Jesus. Who is to determine what is Good and what is Evil – Is this man’s part or is this the Father’s place?

In knowing Good and Evil I am then able to determine for myself what is right and what is wrong. I do not have to depend on a relationship with the Lord and his judgments. I have the ability to judge for myself. It is this very mindset that has become a hindrance to knowing the Lord.

Prov.3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

How much does our knowledge of good and evil cause us to lean on our own understanding instead of trusting the Lord with all our heart? Dependence on our knowledge of Good and Evil is independence from God. Jesus spoke a lot about his complete and utter dependence on the Father for everything.

John 12:44-50 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.

I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him;the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

I Will Fear No Evil

What does it mean to fear no evil? What is the opposite to fear? Love, what power does Love have over fear and evil? There is no fear in Love – There is no fear in God. If we have come to a place of accepting and believing in Jesus Christ as our All we will have no fear of punishment because we no longer live by the knowledge of Good and Evil also known as Death. We live by the Life; the knowing of the Father. This we call the life of Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus Christ is a life knowing the Father.

1 John 4:16-18 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

The Fear of Punishment

There are times when the one passing through the valley of the shadow of death thinks that what is happening is a punishment from God. He has come to believe that God is punishing him for his evil actions or thoughts. This though in and of itself is “A fear of evil” We fear evil because we fear God’s response or punishment of the evil. When one plays with fire he can expect to be burned. But when one plays with fire he should not be expecting God to burn him because he is playing with fire. What I am saying is disease, misfortune, accidents are a part of this world and they happen because of man not because of a wrathful God who is out for payback. This type of thinking comes from one thing “Not knowing the Father.” One may have studied a lot about God and even be versed in God’s laws, but these are not the same as spending time with the Father.

The Ministry of Death

Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth makes reference to the “Ministry of Death.” The written law about good and evil was the ministry of death.

2 Cor.3:7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,

Now the glory on Moses face did not come from beholding the law – it came from spending time with and beholding the Lord.

2Cor.3:14-16 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Reading the old covenant is a dead activity – To read and learn of good and evil is part of the death process. It does have its way of bringing us to the valley of the shadow of death – The veil is what obstructs the light the veil is called death it is from this that we turn away from a mindset on right and wrong/good and evil. Turning to the Lord is what frees us and brings us up from death into New Life. It is only in turning to the Lord that we can experience Life, Liberty and Transformation.

Death on the Cross

It is Jesus who defeated death or should I say death’s power over us. It is the fear of punishment after death that was defeated that day. You see at the death of Jesus the veil was taken away – man now has direct access to the Father who has been made known to Him in his heart. It was not at his resurrection that the veil was split – it was at his death. The old way was over at Jesus death on the cross!

Mark 15:37-38 And Jesus cried out a loud cry and expired. And the veil of the temple was split in two from top to bottom.

The final judgment of sin was dealt – The new covenant was established (Heb.10:15-17) I will impart my law upon their hearts and minds – What is the law of Jesus Christ? Love And who is Love? God the Father. Jesus gave us everything that was given to Him – That everything is Our Father!

    The remnants of death’s way that remain in our mind and thoughts are just that – remnants. They have no real power over us. We have been set free and have clear and direct access to our Father. We go to him without any fear of punishment. There are times when those remnants of death’s way reveal themselves (in false beliefs) and veil our access to the Father. They veil us by judging good and evil in our actions and deeming us unworthy to stand before a Holy God. It is in these times that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. As we walk toward the veiled light we by faith declare what we have seen and heard. We declare the truth of who Jesus says we are until we pass through the powerless veil called death. (I am not speaking of a death that ends the life of our physical body) It is here, beyond the veil and shadows that our faith is made real in the actual presences of the Father. It is here that we come face to face with our Father and we are transformed into His very image. It is here with our Father that a table has been prepared and we sit and look at our great enemy the powerless veil of our old false belief’s. Now that’s a feast with a lot of laughing!

Brokenness

The Way in which we Learn to Trust in our Walk Together

Before a horse can be of use to a man he must first be “broken”. Before a man can be of use to God he must be broken.

Horse breaking, sometimes called starting or gentling, refers to the process used by humans to get horses to let themselves be ridden or harnessed. Before such a
learning process is accomplished, a horse will normally reject attempts to ride it. Once a horse has accepted basic handling by humans, additional forms of horse training can be used to teach the horse any number of specialized skills.
Wikipedia

As we read the stories in the Bible we read of the servants of God and the “breaking” process they went through to become useful to God.

The list is many – Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jonah, Sampson, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul and the list goes on and on.

Jesus said – “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. Jn.5:30

Jesus was not a man who sought his own will or his own way. Its not that he abandoned his will: He simply did not exercise an independent will apart from the Father like both Adam and Eve had done. Another way of saying it was – he sought a life with His Father not apart from His Father like the prodigal son did. He sought a life together with His Father recognizing the fact - His Father had given Him everything and did not separate His Life from His Son. The Father’s will is not independent nor is it over and against the will of His Son. Jeffery Rolo describes the nature of horse breaking in this way:

Rather than list the common errors committed during horse breaking I’ll cut straight to the chase since such errors pale in comparison to the overall fatal flaw inherent in breaking a horse: the act itself! Contrary to the belief of some, when preparing a horse for saddle our goal is not to break a horse’s spirit, but rather to create a willing and accepting partner. Ruling a horse via fear and abusive treatment is not only reprehensible by its very nature, it is also highly unnecessary as horses can easily become willing partners if shown kindness, patience and compassion.

Some people possess the belief that horses are willful beasts not capable of exhibiting loyalty or reasonable behavior. As such, they believe horses should be dealt with using extreme force until the human breaks and conquers the horse’s spirit. Frederico Grisone, a handler that lived in the mid-1500’s and has also been credited with laying the foundations of modern dressage, was one such individual. Although I do believe the horse world has become more enlightened in modern times, unfortunately there are those who still to this day adopt violent training techniques.”

I would use the same words as Jeffery has here in speaking about how God brings us to a place of partnership with Him. The process is called “Brokenness” and it is a painful one especially for the Bucking Bronco types. If we desire to be a useful partner to our Father, in other words a Son, we need our independent way of living life broken by a loving Father who desire to share His life together with us and not over us.

One thing said about Jesus: Though a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. Heb.5:8

Jesus had to learn obedience? This should be a comforting thought for us – Jesus, the Son of God HAD TO LEARN OBEDIENCE the same way we do. Jesus had to be broken.

The fight

Why do we fight our Father? Ultimately Fear – But specifically it is a fear of Enslavement.horse

The result of sin – Independence from the Father – Like sheep without a Shepard we become fearful of oppressive leaders.

Sons of Israel to Joseph
Gen. 37:8 Then his brothers said to him, “
Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Israelites to Moses
Ex. 2:14 But he said, “
Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Pilate to the Jews
John 19:15 ….
Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”  ”We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered.

Because we are creatures created in the image and likeness of God we are also Creators and like our Father we do not want to be under any law. God needs no law – God is. In the same way because we are created in God’s image – we need no law. So why did God give us the law? He gave us the law to show us what we had chosen to be apart from Him. The law demonstrated to us that apart from God we could do nothing.

Jesus says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. Jn.15:5

Apart from God we are incomplete- the law was unable to be our partner and do what only a relationship with the Father could do. The law could only be our Master and never a partner. The image of God in creation is Adam and Eve – The Man and His Partner, his Counterpart – Not the man and his slave. The the image of God – God and His Counterpart taken from His side, Man!

Heb 7:19 (for the law perfected nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Heb.10:1 Since the law has [only] a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.

The Law could not display what only a man could demonstrate – A relationship with the Father!

Heb 12:2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

It is the living out on earth the relationship that Jesus has with our Father that has given us hope. He showed us all that a man can know God, can fellowship with God and be accepted by Him. Jesus demonstrated that man does not need to fight for a good life. Man has nothing to fear – not even death can separate a man from the Love of His Father.

THE TRAINING

Heb 12:11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

It is the place of the Father/Servant to train His Sons in Life. And it is this Father/Servant who will train all of His Sons until they are all made perfect.

Heb 5:8-9 Though a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

What is Perfection?

It is talked about in the story of the Rich Young Ruler i.e. The Bucking Bronco!

Matt. 19:16-29 ….”Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”

“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” He said to him. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” he asked Him.

Jesus answered, Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.

“I have kept all these,” the young man told Him. “What do I still lack?”

Keeping the Law does not make us perfect. Even if a man keeps every law he still finds that his life is lacking, unfulfilled and in need of something more. Perfection is what we seek when we seek the Jesus Christ and His kingdom on earth.

“If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.

When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

IF YOU WANT PERFECTION COME FOLLOW ME!

…..Then Peter responded to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?”

You got to love Peter he just speaks what he is thinking.

Jesus said to them, “I assure you: In the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.

It was not to the one who keeps the law but to the one who hears the voice of the Lord and follows Him this is the man who will be blessed beyond measure.

Why was the rich young ruler unable to do as the Lord asked Him – Remember he kept all the commandments – Why was he unable upon hearing Jesus speak to follow what he said?

He had many possessions – In other words – It was harder for him to be aware of his aloneness, destitution and independence. It was not until the prodigal had spent everything and was in the pig pen that he became aware of what independence from His Father meant. Following the law has nothing to do with a relationship – following God’s words to you has everything to do with trust in a relationship.

He was not yet broken. Now these are broken men –

Num. 14:24 But since My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me completely,I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.

Lk 5:27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!”

1
Cor. 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Paul

To follow someone you must keep your eyes and ears trained on Him and Him alone. Seeing Him, hearing Him and following Him wherever He leads you. Like two that become one – so we live our life
together with Christ. This is what fellowship in Christ is all about. Sharing with your brothers and sisters what you have seen with spiritual eyes and heard with spiritual ears of your daily life in Christ.

1 John 1:3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

To be broken is not to be broken in spirit or will it is to have your independent, individualistic selfish, self-centered way of thinking exposed for the harm that it has brought to you. It is to wake up and
realize that your way of thinking has brought you to the place of living and even eating with the pigs. You finally have a moment where you can see what is and realize that because of your way of thinking you are alone and alone you can do nothing but together with your Father, all things are possible!girl-horse

The Prayer of the Broken

Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

 

Spiritual Warfare

The Practice of Overcoming with Truth

Rev.21:7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

 

 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For although we are walking in the flesh, we do not wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Spiritual Warfare is not a fleshly external activity it is a spiritual unseen war fought inside of each man between the thoughts of man and the spirit within man.

Dallas Willard makes this statement and asks this question in a article called- Spiritual Formation in Christ: A Perspective on What it is and How it Might be Done

Indeed, the ’spirit’ or heart may even be eager (Matt. 26:41), but unless the flesh or embodied personality as a whole is trained to go with it and support it, the follow-through in action will not occur, or will not reliably happen, or may even be in direct conflict with the spirit or will: “What I hate I do!” (Rom. 7:17). While the spirit or heart is the ultimate source of life (Prov. 4:23), we do not live there. We live in our body and its world. Christian spiritual formation works from the spirit or will and from its new life “from above.” But its work is not done until we have put off the old person and put on the new (Eph. 4; Col. 3).

This is an active, not passive, process, one that requires our clear-headed and relentless participation. It will not be done for us; however, we cannot obey Christ, or even trust him, by direct effort. What, then, are the indirect means that allow us to cooperate in reshaping the personality—the feelings, ideas, mental processes and images, and the deep readinesses of soul and body—so that our whole being is poised to go with the movements of the regenerate heart that is in us by the impact of the Gospel Word under the direction and energizing of the Holy Spirit?

The Renewed Mind is not an overnight event – It is the process of victory through the many battles of a the great war that is waged within our belief system and bodies.

We see this story told in the images of Joshua and the children of Israel taking Jericho and the Promised land.

Each Battle that is waged in the promised land represents a stronghold in a persons beliefs. These strongholds of the enemy are simply your belief in a LIE. It is only in believing the TRUTH that our belief’s can change and we can be set free.

Jericho means – City of the Moon. The Moon respresents the seat of our feelings and emotions. One of the first battles a person who is bringing their mind into Christ is the battle to bring our emotions in line with what is really TRUE and not simply what we perceive as truth. Fear is the emotion that must be overcome in all its forms. It is Fear that keeps us from a relationship with the Lord – and it is only in a relationship with the Lord that we will be able to do battle. That is why the First battle is fought by simple faith in Him.

Here is the report that the spies return with after spying out the land God had promised them.

Num.13:25-33 – 25 After exploring the land for forty days….. indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! …..

 

The spies report that the land is just as the Lord has said “BUT” – BUT let me tell what God didn’t tell us – BUT let me tell you my reasoning and opinion on what I saw – BUT let me tell you why WE CAN’T DO THIS.

 

 30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

Caleb believes the Lord – plain and simple – He trusted the Lord above what his own understanding might of reasoned.

 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

 

BUT – Let me tell you about what I perceive with my eyes…….my reasoning….my understanding. Do we have the perspective that the Lord has? Can we see from His vantage point?

The Enemy is a Liar (Jn.8:44) and therefore what we fight are Lies that are often based on what we think we see and not based on what God has said. We trust our natural eyes and the understanding that is perceived from what we see above God’s word.

We can’t go up against them! Lie – Can’t or Won’t

They are stronger than we are! Lie – Stronger how?                                                                       joshua_jericho

All the people we saw were huge! Lie – Everyone was huge?

We felt like grasshoppers and that’s what they thought too! Lie – Mind readers now

The Truth said –

Num.13:1 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel

The same way God brought the people out of Egypt He was now going to give the people this land. Because God has given you new life in the Spirit – This spirit is to be used to renew your mind and give you the freedom and rest from struggle, pain and sin.

When the people were led out of Egypt they declared these things and sang this song to the Lord. What they had just experienced and seen they expressed but over the next few months they would have time to RETHINK and see things in a different way – a more practical way. They had time to “not believe” what the Lord said “I am giving” The enemies lies are subtle and powerful to cause us to not stand with the Lord.

Ex.15:1-20 ……The LORD is my strength ….

He has become my salvation;

The LORD is a man of war;
….O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You;

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, …..

The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.

Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone,
…..

You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

When they came out they believed the Lord would bring them into the Land – they believed it by faith until they saw it with their own eyes and took what they saw and began to perceive and reason with their thoughts and minds. Through this process the people came to believe something different than what the Lord had said.

The Response of People who are captured by the enemy (in their minds) and believe the lies they are told is to excuse and blame. They excuse and blame because they have allowed their thinking to cause them to FEAR. –

Num.14:1-4 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 3 “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

The Blame game is another way of saying “My thinking and reasoning is fine it is “fill in the blank” who caused me to do the wrong thing. Look at Adam – Gen.3:12 “It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.” Its the same as saying to God “I know what you said BUT!!!” But let me explain – But let me tell you why – But I trust in my way of thinking above your words. How do we combat our thinking that leads us to blame and BUT’S!

Our Weaponry and what we fight with is God as our armor. We put on Christ!

Eph.6: 10-17…….Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

……. putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(NEVER ALONE – WE CAN HAVE A REAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS – SPEAKING TO HIM AND HEARING FROM HIM) Putting on the armor of God is putting on a close relationship with Christ. What is a close relationship with Jesus Christ? Well lets just say that you spend a lot of time together and you talk a lot together.

Gal.3:26-28 ……faith in Christ Jesus. And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. Faith in Christ Jesus…….

Stand your Ground – Together with Christ

Putting on the Belt of Truth – The Truth of Christ is what holds things close to you.

Body Armor of Righteousness – Faith without works The external expression of inward holiness

Shoes of Peace (from the Good News) – Being trained in the WAY of your going.

Shield of Faith – Believe without Seeing or Understanding (You need this for the Dark Nights)

Helmet of Salvation – The Mind of Christ

Sword of the Spirit the Word of God. – Speaking Truth in Love

Speaking the Truth in Love

Our form of fighting is something that many Christians have simply lost. Learning doctrine has taken over the “putting on of Christ”.

Eph.4:13-15 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son,[growing] into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching,by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. (HCSB)

Unity in Faith (Hearing and believing without seeing) and knowledge (understanding without experience)

Mature Man – One who walks in Wisdom (The experience of living out your knowledge)

We all come from a place of being Enslaved to Elemental Forces – The Arrangement of the World.

Col.2:8-10 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head…….

Col.2:18-23 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his fleshly mind. He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.

If you died with Christ to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? All these [regulations] refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value against fleshly indulgence.

 

Gal 4:8-10 But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

 

Egypt – Elemental Forces- Enslavement to law – Enslavement to right and wrong

Wilderness – We learn to hear and recognize His voice – the Word of God – and He tells us who we are. He whispers in our ears you are holy because I AM holy.

Promised Land – We believe who we are and begin to live who we are “Sons of God”.

 

Jesus engaged in Spiritual Warfare

 

Matt.4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry. Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

But He answered,”It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

He will give His angels orders concerning you and, they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. “

Jesus told him,”It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.

Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus told him,”Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him. ” Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.

 

#1 Challenge – Question God’s Word as He has spoken to Identity – (To Doubt) The Father had just said at Baptism “This is my beloved Son.

Response of Jesus – I live on the words that come from God’s mouth

 

#2 Challenge –Question Identity in relation to God promises and care for you.. (To Doubt)

Response of Jesus – I won’t test my Father to prove what I already know to be true.

 

#3 Challenge – A short cut in the mission. Makes things easier.

Response of Jesus – I serve and worship my Father only – Go away Satan!

 

Spiritual Battle Over – Victory Jesus

 

What might a spiritual battle look like? (this is very generic – a response can only be generated from that which each individual knows to be true from within themselves)

 

Challenge – You are a Sinner! I see you Sin all the time.

Response – I am a child of God who my Father calls Beloved and Holy one.

 

Challenge – If you are Holy why don’t you act like it? The Bible says 1 Jn.3:6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Are you claiming that you don’t sin?

Response – I am a new creature born from above. I know my Father through my spirit. My body is still in the process of being purified – my spirit is sinless and it is within my spirit that I abide with my Father.

 

Challenge – If that’s the case and you are free why don’t you let your body do whatever it feels like doing?

Response – I am free and my body and mind are being set free – You will find no home in me – Go away from me you liar. I will not entertain your lies anymore!

 

Gal 4:8-10 But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

 

Get to your Lord – Spend time with Him – Present your thoughts to Him – Let Him get to know you. Your Father wants to know you. The warrior that is prepared for spiritual battle is the one who has allowed Himself to be known by His Lord. The Lord does not get to know you while you just study or read about Him – The Lord gets to know you as you spend time with Him meditating and talking with Him. In is in these times that your mind is renewed. Not allowing the Lord to get to know you is called a lawless life.

 

Matt.7:22-23 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’” And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’