Category Archives: Mystic

being one with God

August 25, 2014 · 9:10 am

Our Spiritual Maturity is Evidenced by the Liberty We Extend to Others

One of the trends in Emergent Christianity and in the other novel expressions that are a part of this run-up to the establishment of Christianity 3.0 is the exploration for greater expressions of love and liberty. As we members of mainline Christianity begin our expedition for something more in our relationship with Christ and our fellow humans we will soon encounter two very different sensations as a response to our search for the hope we have for the next generation of Christianity. We are not people who are giving up on Christianity but we are a people who are desperate to find and be a part of spiritual communities that will love all humans equally.

Romans 8:20-22 (NLT) Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²²For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

As people emerge from their traditions they begin to seek Christian thought which is presented in a way that remains truthful to their beliefs but provides fresh expressions and novel ways to communicate the main point delivered by Jesus, our leader of this two thousand-year old movement. That main point being is love of God and love for all other humans equal to the love we have for self.

This sensation that people will encounter is either one of more bondage or one of freedom. As we grow spiritually we are no longer fooled by words. We begin to rely on a deep relationship we have with God who lives and speaks to each person equally on the inside. This voice continually speaks into every little detail in our lives, guiding us on how to bring liberty in every relationship we take part in. From the cashier checking us out at Target, to all of our co-workers including our bosses, to our neighbors and friends we interact with when taking our kids to ball games and to every member of our many spiritual communities old and new, we hear God’s voice saying love deeply.

As we all move from childhood toward spiritual maturity we no longer need the rigid outward rules to guide us. We can live, dress, eat, and pierce or tattoo any part of ourselves and still remain pure in our ability to sense the difference between spiritual liberty or spiritual bondage. Can you imagine the students on a college campus holding on to a rope being led by a teacher to get from one class to another? No we can’t because with maturity of any type there is an implied expectation of responsibility and devotion to purpose.

Jesus made one point very clear. Love is liberty. So if we have a loving relationship with God, one of mind, heart and strength then we will achieve max freedom with God. Jesus also places almost equal importance on this love/liberty that we experience, be at the root of every relationship with any human. And the point He makes is that this experience of love/liberty be shared equally with everyone.

Jesus the master teacher, even while bound by his Jewish tradition, was able to communicate this love/liberty relationship and start a new movement in the fabric of humanity which we have all inherited. Under the tradition of rabbinic Judaism after a disciple has completed his training he can become a rabbi. Like the kings and presidents of old these rabbis were itinerate but they would use their understanding of the Old Testament theology and Jewish law to help settle disputes in their region. Each rabbi had what was called a rabbinical yoke. It was his personal prioritization of the laws according to his understanding and relationship with God. Each rabbi used their understanding to help resolve conflicts of either spiritual or material nature when rendering his judgments concerning these disputes. Also each rabbi would also train a set of disciples that he chose to carry on and advance his yoke. Jesus willingly died that we all might be His disciples.

My encouragement for every Christian, is to more lean on the yoke of Jesus, because he has chosen us to carry on His interpretation of love and liberty. Rabbi Jesus summed the 613 laws down to 2 laws and when asked which of the 613 laws was most important to He responded “love God with all that you are and love everyone else with the same love you have for yourself.” As each year passes we become more spiritually mature and we come to understand God better and the result is that we will come to love and live in more liberty and understand ourselves and God better. Therefore our love/liberty relationship with all other humans should be maturing equal to the love and liberty we each experience with God.

So today in your mind take an inventory of everyone you personally know and then think of every group of people known to you including groups formed because social status, racial, religious, cultural and national characteristics. Then begin over the next few months as the situations rise in your conscience, to evaluate your thoughts, actions and words you express about these people you know and the people who make up these groups. What is it that you say and do with any of these persons. Everyday multiple times a day spiritually mature people work on their relationship with God. So I know we are all always changing in our relationship with God. And this personal change is the main cause of the Christian emergence.

In case you missed the memo we live in a global community. In my opinion the main reason for the move of those that are emerging is that our traditions require us to relate to other humans in ways that we sense remind us of bondage. Jesus however wants us to learn to love until we can see every human we meet as our brother or sister. Jesus does not want us to fall back and become like the enemy but He encourages us to express love and liberty in new ways that will create new lovers of God and lovers of humanity.

So my friends keep emerging by dropping the yoke of bondage and become more deeply yoked with Jesus. We Christians are disciples of Jesus, first and foremost. He alone is our Shepherd, Master, Teacher, Everything, in other words He is our All in All. Our evidence to the fact that we are disciples of Jesus is that we freely give the liberty that we were freely given and personally experience.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

2 Peter 2:19-20 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. ²⁰For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Acts 15:8-11 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, ⁹and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

Matthew 23:1-5 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, ²saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ⁴For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. ⁵But all their works they do to be seen by men.

Removal of Shame is the Evidence of Intimacy

As ambassadors of God’s Kingdom our number one job is to make known and make available our Father’s Kingdom to all of humanity. It is my belief that God will not hold us responsible for another person response to His invitation through us. But He will hold us responsible if we pre-judge and only offer that invitation to those we think deserve intimacy with God.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹nor 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

God’s love is unconditional and there is a big difference between the religious persons who feel that God’s love should fall on a privilege few and those spiritual persons who understand that God’s love is universal and that he loves equally all His human children. This is God’s point of view and it is the true spiritual point of view.

Today however, there is a prevailing point of view in many of the Christian religious circles and it has a materialistic perspective which falls short of God’s spiritual point of view. Likewise there was also time when people on earth held in common a point of view that the sun revolved around the earth. This perspective remained the status quo until human understanding was able to accept the illumination of an alternative perspective. Today this perspective of God’s love for some remains as the status quo in many parts of the Christian religious experience, but that is changing fast.

Even though the words of scripture reveal what is true, the religious (or materialistic) interpretation misses the point concerning which persons have received God’s love. The desire to feel special and wanted is as natural as breathing and is the unfortunate motivation behind this interpretation of scripture. To paraphrase, Jesus rightly said love God and love other humans equally as you love yourself.

What Christianity knows more than any other religion is that Jesus removed the sin of the world. Therefore every human can have a wonderful and beautiful relationship with our spiritual Father. But how does that make one feel special if God loves all equally? And so even though the sin has been removed religion allows people to hold on to their guilt and shame. It even unconsciously (I hope it is by unconscious motivation) constantly reminds people of their sin, shame and guilt.

A shepherd needs sheep to have a purpose. As long as local congregations are full with sheep the status quo can be maintained. But discipleship means the training and maturing of God’s children. Jesus was the first human child to possess and demonstrate this understanding of God’s love since Adam lost that perspective after his sin. Yet again from God’s perspective His purpose for sending Jesus was to mature His children so they would understand His point of view. God has nothing but love for His children and He only desires an intimate relationship with each of us.

John 7:28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.

Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Only children of God can be ambassadors of God’s Kingdom. That means that any human that has matured in their spiritual understanding of our Father and His love for all could operate as an ambassador to His spiritual Kingdom. Kingdom ambassadors are mature children of God who help people to understand that their sin has been forgiven and that they no longer need to carry the shame of something that God has already forgiven. That my friend is true freedom.

To be able to live in the Presence of God or should I say to enjoy the Presence of God living inside of us is the ultimate definition of spiritual freedom. Adam enjoyed walking in the Garden with God all the while having a tangible experience of an intimate, two-way relationship with the creator of our universe. Jesus who is called the last Adam demonstrated that we all can have this type of relationship with our Spiritual Father. His work as the Christ made that available to every human.

I read in a blog post recently where this person had asked many people over time the same question. Why did God make humans and give them free will? He said the best response to that question was simply that God does not like to dine alone. God loves us and He loves us all. Part of the paradigm shift that is occurring now in Christianity is this simple truth about God’s love.

Those that have made that shift have no problem loving equally people of a different gender, race, culture, religions, lifestyle, economic background or national affiliation. Jesus came to remove the separation between God and humans. As this spiritual shift in our perspective spreads throughout humanity we will begin to notice a new global consciousness as it relates to God’s love.

God desires intimacy and He is capable of creating personal and private experiences individually with all seven plus billion of us humans. He is also able to create experiences that can be shared by small or large numbers in and without the many sub-groups and divisions that make up the human community on planet earth. But we humans must continue to grow in how we interpret these spiritual experiences so that we do not conclude that God’s love prefers or favors us as chosen above all others.

So I encourage us all as ambassadors to help those we come in contact with to remove the shame that blocks true spiritual intimacy with God. There are enough people and thoughts in the world to remind us of the false-truth that someone is love more by God that we are. In the immortal words of the songstress Dionne Warwick “What the world need now is love sweet love. No not just for some but for everyone.”

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Chime in and let us know of your thoughsts about these questions below:

Are you constantly reminded by others about stuff you repented of?

Does the spiritual community you are a part of cause feeling of guilt to come up?

Do you look at others through the lens of their past sin?

Does the sin of others offend you?

Encounters That Reveal Our Evidence

Let us imagine that we are walking down the street of a big American city and we encounter the following people; a male of obvious means, a middle class woman with a baby, an indentured servant going about his task, and a carefree youth walking with her girlfriend. Now imagine we experience these encounters as a time traveler not once but in the year 1810, again in 1910 and again 2010 and finally in the year 2110.

On the surface the culture in each time period would dictate what protocol we should use if we want our encounter to blend in and not standout. But what if we want to present some evidence of our revelation and understanding of God to each of these people we encounter? Social protocol reveals the status quo and reinforces the social order between each person involved in the encounter. And that is what we can tweak a little because the evidence we carry goes to the heart of human social order.

If we only fulfill expectations of the current protocol our encounters will become lost in their memory and we will nearly always become background noise for the reality of each of these persons we meet. Likewise going to the opposite extreme will in many cases cause people to be turned off and reject the evidence we are trying to transfer. Today we live in a very pluralistic society and those that can adapt and match the social protocols will become effective ambassadors of God’s Kingdom.

John 18:36 (NLT) Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish (Religious) leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

For every human we encounter we carry evidence for a trial that is going on in that person’s heart at every moment of their day. The charge is always the same. “This person thinks that they are a child of God.” The secular world says we wash our hands of this stuff and the religious world say those thoughts are blasphemous and they want to you put to death so that others will not begin entertain thoughts of also being children equal in the sight God.

Matthew 16:13 and 15 (NLT)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

The evidence we carry proves the reality of another world and it upsets and threatens the social order and the standing people have attained in this material world. More important it confirms our relationship and their relationship with God. If Jesus is God’s Son then all of humanity is capable to understand we are His brother. If we are His brother then we are children of God. This is radical thinking and these thoughts have already changed the world.

When I first became a Christian I use to hand out tracts of information but what I was failing to give was evidence of their already existing love relationship with God our Father. I carried a protocol that expected them to do something or say something to prove they were worthy, ready for me to accept them into my family of God. For example when we greet a brother or sister of our flesh we communicate on a level that only acknowledges a reality of what is already true (they are mine and I am theirs). There is a recollection of memories concerning our shared experiences of birth, relationship to parents, food we have eaten, clothes we worn. Why is this not true of our spiritual relationships within God’s Family?

Let us return to the original four people in our opening encounter. If we learn to be more mindful of the love protocol of God’s Kingdom then the time of the encounter will not matter. But if our encounters are based only on the protocols of the social order of that time period, then the encounter becomes a missed opportunity to transfer the evidence of our Father’s love. But the truth remains that God’s love relationship for each human transcends our materialistic interpretation of human history.

My encouragement is that we remain conscious of our love relationship with God our Father and Jesus our Brother as we have daily encounters with people who are also our brothers and sisters. People can tell if we believe that they are of our family or not. Strengthening our family ties is the very love evidence that Jesus bought to this earth realm. Love ensures that our encounters will be remembered. However if our encounters are without love they will have no power to communicate the evidence from the heart of God our Father.

John 14:10 (NLT) Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.

Mathew 23:37 (NLT) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, (people of religion institutions) the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

Category Archives: Mystic

Our Spiritual Maturity is Evidenced by the Liberty We Extend to Others

Removal of Shame is the Evidence of Intimacy

Encounters That Reveal Our Evidence

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