Category Archives: Evidence Locker

Relevance of Our Evidence

One of the tests for the admissibility of evidence in a court of law is that it must be relevant to a point of fact in the case. For evidence to be relevant, it must tend to prove or disprove some fact that is at issue in the proceeding. As a believer in God what is at center of everything is the relationship we have with God. Our very identity is at the heart of all our spiritual evidence. Therefore any spiritual evidence will tend to prove our relationship with God and confirm this possibility for all humans.

Mark 3:24  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Mark 3:28-29 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”

There are many facts concerning the authority and operations of God’s Kingdom. In order to be a member or even see this Kingdom in operation one must be born of the Spirit. This second birth or awakening opens us up to possibilities and understanding that is not seen by those who have only experienced the natural birth, which is common to all humans.

When we are slapped on the bottom and we are naturally awakened at birth and we breathed and experienced separation from our mothers. Our conscious was activated and the little “I am” began to exist. Prior to that birth we were one with our mother; a growth of her physical body. We evolved for nine months prior to that separation and then we continued to develop as a physical and separate entity. Everything we do after that natural birth is therefore evidence of our physical existence.

Now that we have experienced the quickening of the spiritual birth our lives likewise begin to show forth evidence of this understanding. Instead of a life of separation, Jesus (the second Adam) established a process within us that makes us one with God. Our development is no longer in the direction of separation but now it is in the direction of unity in God as with the rest of all of His creation. We now have become an agent of reconciliation towards God in the earth realm.

To deny that operation and its evidence is blasphemy. In the very way that our finger prints, social security number and credit card activity provides evidence of our physical existence our awaken conscience provides evidence of our spiritual relationship with God. However that is just the state of infancy. As we develop spiritually we come to understand that we can host or carry the very Presence of God within ourselves even to the point of perfect unity, as demonstrated by Jesus the master example.

The point at which our evidence becomes the work of God’s Holy Spirit is the point at which denial of our spiritual evidence becomes blasphemous. When we consciously understand that the little “I am” no longer lives in this house, but the big “I am” now resides here is the moment our lives shift from material living to spiritual living. When laying down our lives daily, dying to self, taking up the cross, becoming a living sacrifice and not my will but your will be done, becomes more than Christian clichés is when we become active citizens of God’s spiritual Kingdom.

The simplicity of breathing and smiling is very relevant evidence because it is God that is living through our lives. Healing the sick, cleansing the untouchables and making alive those that are dead are big and sensational presentations to the jury of our peers. Never the less is the ordinary light we so shine before men that remains as the preserving and reconciling agency in the material world.

Everything is relevant to a conscious that is awake to the realities of God’s Kingdom operating within. We have been made daughters and sons of the living God with the sovereignty to allow His will be done through our lives. As we develop and learn to host His Holy Presence we make relevant spiritual evidence of a unique relationship that is available to every person on earth.

Matthew 5:12-16 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

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Evidence of a New Creature

There are several facts that the ministry of Jesus has established and therefore our lives present evidence to the world of His truth. One of those facts has to do with the identity of those who have been born of the Spirit. The born again experience is the beginning of a spiritual journey on the path to understanding our new identity. While we are on our way to a full understanding we are still able to present evidence that may also help others to start or continue on their path.

 Since Jesus is the Master copy of our identity it is a form of idol worship or pride to focus on any other person other that Jesus as a role model of our identity. Scripture does give us permission to imitate followers of Christ but in that we are still looking at how Christlikeness is being reflected in our brothers and sisters.  A lot of people are on the journey to becoming like their earthly spiritual leaders and lot of leaders begin to enjoy the flattery and enter into pride.

 Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

 Our earthly body, after the spiritual awakening of the new birth, begins to experience the effects of life in this material world and becomes sensitive to the Presence of God’s Holy Spirit living within. Our response and cooperation with this new life inside our body is evidence that we present to others. The strengthening of our health and the immunity from sickness and the ability to demonstrate divine healing in the lives of those we come into contact with are some of the first pieces of evidence we present along our spiritual journey. Current religious interpretation of biblical scripture would move our focus on a future time when we will receive this divine health in our new body and overlook the potential of this earthly body to experience what happens once the Holy Spirit takes up residence.

 Jesus presented some fantastic evidence of what our flesh and blood bodies can do when the Spirit of God tabernacles with us and our bodies become the house of God. We must not pass over the opportunities to present evidence of the Kingdom of God within by looking forward to a future and better day. Right now we Sons and Daughters of God must learn to use spiritual disciplines to deny the lust of our flesh so we can completely (spirit, soul, body) operate as we were designed by our creator.

 Romans 8:18-19 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

 Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

 The world is a jury of our peers and they desperately need evidence to understand that they also can know Jesus the Master and live a life that worships God so they can love their neighbors. God calls and sends us into the world to demonstrate what we see our Friend and Master do. However a lot of today’s Christian religious interpretation tends to encourage us to use the tactics of the Old Testament and build walls of protection.  From behind these walls we can pull others out of the world to safety so they can hide in fear of those without until Jesus returns so we are not left behind.

 Another interpretation of spiritual reality is that we have been adopted by God and we can walk in the authority of Jesus presenting evidence and causing many people to also become disciples of Jesus. Becoming born again and then hiding out in fear of the evil in the world makes a waste of our Master’s ministry. Not only does Holy Spirit bear witness (Romans 8:16) of this interpretation but creation itself is waiting for us to understand our identity so we can exercise that authority and also free it from the bondage of sin. This will only happen when we begin to live in this earthly body like the heirs of God’s offspring that we truly are.

 My friends I encourage you to consciously focus your attention on Jesus our Master and Lord that we may partake in His understanding of our relationship with our Father in heaven. If we do this we can imitate Jesus and effectively fulfill the calling and demonstrate what it means to be Christian. A lot of us will need to enter a process  to humble ourselves, repent and let go of our personal will so the great I AM can have reign in this body thus bringing about God’s will on earth.  

 Once we are free from the use of earthly strategies we can begin to live a more spiritual life. This new life with God’s Spirit, which also quickened the dead body of Jesus, does not only restore our body but He grants us powers that can only be described as super-natural so we can help other see truth. This is the evidence that this world needs in order to cause it to look or relook at what God our Father is offering.

 The only fear we should have is in a belief that says “God has left our temple, which is our body”. Biblical scripture clearly states that He will never leave or forsake us.

 So we present this evidence, even while on our spiritual journey of becoming transformed. The Spirit of God is willing to tabernacle (take up residence inside) with all men and women thus making each a true body of Christ. We are new creatures, God in man, man in God. This is the way Adam was created and lived before he experienced separation, and this is the way Jesus (the second Adam) has come and restored to us.

 We must receive and take up the call and allow God to present evidence through us to everyone we meet. Freely His Spirit was given to us and freely we must give His Spirit to others making them disciples to all nations. This demonstration of our love for our Father is our reasonable service of worship, and it is evidence that we have become new creatures and disciples of Jesus.

 Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 

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Kingdom Sovereignty is Evidence of Light

Heaven and Hell are locations within creation as well as the status of a spiritual condition. Heaven is a condition that is full of God’s presence which is evident by light and Hell is the condition where God presence is at minimum and darkness is that evidence. One of the purposes of this blog is to bring understanding surrounding God’s Kingdom and encourage its readers to engage in the presentation of Kingdom evidence.

This week an American Ambassador was killed in the line of duty. But as I read comments, especially from Christians about this event, there seems to be very little understanding of the role of a true ambassador. Jesus is King but when He appeared the first time He was fulfilling the role of an ambassador. Likewise Ambassador Jesus was killed by the very people he was sent to.

The Kingdom is about one thing and that is the Presence of God. Biblical scripture records “where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty”. Heaven represents a place where that is true and Hell is it opposite. Jesus teaches His disciples to pray and one of the tenants of that prayer is the notion of bringing heaven to earth or bringing God’s Presence to earth.

An ambassador is sent by sovereign kingdom to another foreign and sovereign kingdom with the mission to influence that foreign Kingdom with its values through diplomatic techniques. The ambassador embodies that mission and the embassy building and staff can only fill that mission for diplamatic relations as long as the ambassador is not recalled. Killing of an ambassador does not end relations on the part of the one who sent the ambassador He can simply appoint another ambassador.

Revelation 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

John 1:4-5 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Biblical scripture ask the question “why do the nations rage?” If we being ambassadors understand that we carry the light of His Presence then raging by darkness at the evidence of light is an expected response. Sometimes however, the response is a reaction to the use of judgment and condemnation as diplomatic techniques.  These are never of strategies of God’s Kingdom but these are the devices of worldly and religious kingdoms.

It is not my call to interpret the response of the killing of an American ambassador. But what remains clear is that when Ambassador Jesus was killed darkness saw the light in Jesus as a threat and wanted it removed. We the humans, children of Adam, loved darkness more that the light and through our act of violence God our Father turned what was meant for evil to good and we received our salvation. The killings of God’s Ambassador just embolden His resolved, promoted and authorized His disciples to continue on with the mission.

Love and light in the face of darkness is always a battle for existence for these opposites. If science has proven one thing it is that light will always prevail. Disciples of Christ are encouraged to be salt and light to a world not only to preserve the world but to advance the kingdom. The tree of life was removed so we humans would not remain in a state of eternal separation from God. Likewise we love the enemies of God with His love, in hopes to win them over to God’s Kingdom.

As we remain on mission we provide the world with evidence by using love as a diplomatic tool to spread the Kingdom value of God’s Presence. It is obvious that we are foreigners to this world. Our one desire is to return home where all of our love ones will be waiting. But we understand the importance of our mission and we choose to remain on that mission willing to lay our lives down for our Father’s Kingdom.

We may enjoy the occasional dinner party but we give up the comforts of home, and eat foods of a different culture in hopes of winning converts to our kingdom. We are authorized and are willing to grant asylum to any who ask for it, knowing the Kingdom we serve is able to grant and support full citizenship to any and all. Our evidence is clear because we carry light into darkness and the world is better for it. So let us go in the Spirit of the One who sent us and let us be mindful of the tradition of the true ambassadors who have gone before us.

John 1:6-9 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

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