Tag Archives: evidence

Eyewitness To Creation

2015-01-20_376721_6842A popular idea of our times is the concept of living in the now. What we observe, perceive, through our five senses is our reality. Our worldview is a function of our memory of past events and concepts and beliefs we have of future possibilities. Our current grasp of reality is constantly changing and yet we are able to create a reality that gives our life meaning and stability.

A new and emerging global society is appearing as our reality and many are beginning to question what the source of this reality is. Those who believe that thoughts influence reality are idealist and participate with universities, think tanks, political parties, and other intellectual institutions. Those that hold beliefs that material objects shape reality are realist and participate in the science endeavors, multinational corporations, and military institutions.

Rev 22:2-3 (NKJV) In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse,…

Matthew 21:18-20 (NLT) In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up. 20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

John 3:12-14 (NKJV) If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Is there another way to shape the reality in which we live? In the world where poverty and disease influence the lives of us all, is it possible for heaven to come to the earth and remain? Is there a possibility to achieve a reality where all 7.3 billion of us humans could experience unlimited resources? Is there an experience where we are all walking in the reality that we are daughters and sons of our Father in heaven?

As a Disciple of Jesus, it is obvious that Jesus experiences life in another reality even while He walked this earth as a human. In order to bring heaven to the earth we must first experience heaven. The number one goal of our experience as His disciples is to taste heaven.  This is the reason that people known to be blind since birth received sight when they encountered a Son of God. When a party runs out of wine, when children are possessed and not in their right mind, when people with all kinds of disease and even people that appeared to be dead, they all need the experienced of Heaven’s reality.

Gen 1:2-4 (NKJV) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good;…

John 5:19-20 (NKJV)  Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

It is my understanding that we are most like our Father in heaven when we can look into the chaos of lives dressed in earthly flesh and see the light of spiritual reality unfolding as it becomes the new material reality. The process of creation is an ongoing part of the eternal now and is designed to allow sons and daughters of God to imagine its new configuration.

My hope and encouragement is that we develop the awareness of, our human potential, our relationship with God and our responsibility to His Kingdom. An heir, that never takes his or her throne will miss some of the greatest experiences during their life on earth. To hold beliefs that that our spiritual destiny is relegated to a life after we die and leave the earth is the traditional interpretation of scripture. However, God our Father has made it clear through the demonstrations of Jesus our brother, that we all have the potential for a greater relationship with God.

Overcoming the world has more to do with, our understanding and perception of reality. Traditional interpretation of scripture is always based on the light of understanding that was present at the moment the tradition was created. Likewise, we must read and interpret Scripture with the understanding that is present to us today. We must live today in our current daylight. Each generation has an opportunity to stand on the shoulders of the previous generation, to help humanity move closer to the reality of heaven as Jesus beheld it. Also, each generation must be given the next the freedom to use its spiritual tools to explore a deeper understanding of Jesus’s reality of heaven on earth.

The spiritual evolution of humanity is an ever-present process of eternal expansion. To give in to the pressures of perceiving reality only through the filter of the original apostles, or 16th century church, or even the view of our recent brothers and sister of the last one-hundred years is a missed opportunity, from my humble point of view. We were born for a day such as this. Our great grandchildren will be born for their day. We can learn from those of the past, but we should not be bound to their perception of reality, except for Jesus, who’s view of heaven is pure.

So while it is day, let us witness and participate with our Father in heaven, in the creation of heaven on earth. As disciples, we must learn to see and work with God in the same manner that Jesus did. We follow His pattern alone and not that of Moses or Paul. There is only one name under heaven that we have committed our lives too.

John 1:6-18 (NLT)  God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Equality of Presence

2015-01-10_1288835_84823660An organizational hierarchy can be a valuable asset. An increase in efficiency of the labor output as well as being a vehicle for quick and thorough communication, are just two of the benefits of hierarchy. However, as a member of institutions, we have all experience what happens when the overhead functions of any organizational structure begin to consume more of the energy and resources that were originally identified for the individual members of the organization.

Psalm 24:9-10 (NKJV) Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory

John 15:1, 9-15 (NLT) “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. … 9I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

God, as Trinity and God as Kingdom, values above all else, the maximization of each person in His human family. At the beginning of scripture, we see in the creation story the Trinity of God, each part, being one with the whole, in unity and manifesting the fullness of all existence. It is my belief that every human is invited to participate as a joint heir in the ongoing operation of creation by becoming a member partner with each member of the Trinity in this dance of unity with the Holy. Scripture acknowledges humans as ancient gates and everlasting doors through which the spirit and life of God are communicated to all of creation.

As a Christian, I interpret love to mean, to prefer others before myself. As a fan of Star Trek we find Spock’s quote that “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” a good piece of philosophy. However, I know that only the Kingdom of God is set up to maximize the potential of every individual person. Therefore, only in that type of hierarchical relationship is the sacrifice of the individual a benefit for the whole. When the reverse is true of hierarchy, individual sacrifice is merely a pawn for the good of the collective hierarchy, not for all of ones friends.

In my opinion, no other organization has the maximization of every individual human as its goal. It is also my experience that the sub-institutions of religion; like marriage, family, and spiritual community, are very often corrupted by one member of the relationship for their personal gain above the greater gain of every individual in the relationship. Non-religious organizations operating on a local, state and federal level, as well as the capitalistic and socialistic business models, very rarely state the maximization of every individual as their primary goal.

Therefore, the function of organizational hierarchy is mostly about the maintenance of the organization and the pursuit of its stated goals. In John chapter 15 where scripture talks about the interconnectivity of a branch and vine, it is referring to means by which life, love, and truth are transferred to each individual. In other words, the presence of God’s Spirit is experienced within the Trinity and Kingdom of God. More to the point is that this experience is instantaneously realized in the life of every human that is consciously connected as members of God’s Family and Kingdom.

The Spirit of Christ arises to remove the veil of ignorance that says the Presence of God’s Spirit is separate from the individual. Under Old Testament law and tradition, God’s Presence was organizationally revealed to only be embodied in the office holders of the Prophet, Priest and King of Israel. Many of today’s religious traditions reaffirm that only positions of hierarchy indicate God’s invisible Presence in someone’s life. Heaven on earth is simply that place where we understand and recognize God’s life, love, authority and truth as it freely manifests and operates.

 Galatians 3:27-28 (NLT) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:15-19 (NLT) So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

Galatians 4:1-3 (NLT) Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles[a] of this world.

Today there is dawning within the consciousness of humanity that is recognizing the equality of God Presence in all humans. Traditionally, we humans made judgments based on the use of our eyes, ears and other material senses as detectors for the spiritual Presence of God. However, through a more enlightened interpretation of scripture our faith is beginning to understand what science is confirming. That we are more interconnected and the world is less hard-wired by materialistic objects that we traditionally understood.

Quantum Science and Faith practices have a lot in common. They both understand that any attempt to observe the truth and make sense of the expressions in this material world is directly affected by the consciousness of the observer. Also true, is that judgments, concerning things that can’t be observed with the human senses is not something that can be done by using tools and techniques constructed with our material senses.

However, the revealing of God’s possibilities as depicted and interpreted through scripture can enlighten consciousness of the human observer to these invisible relationships. Also, bringing to light, material evidence of the invisible relationships that affect this material world can be consciously understood by everyone in humanity.

Luke 20:1-8 (NKJV)  Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” So they answered that they did not know where it was from. And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:3 (NLT) By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

My encouragement is that each human finds the freedom and confidence to see and hear the spiritual realities that govern all things in this material realm. Especially, if we consider ourself a Disciple of Jesus, I encourage us to focus on how Jesus is able to demonstrate the reality of God’s realm or God’s Kingdom. My hope is that people will rely less on tradition and become open to perceive the very nature of God’s invisible Presence. It is available to all humans, despite what we currently consider as common sense or believe to be traditional religious or scientific truths.

To start, I suggest we learn to recognize life and the beauty of it in every piece of creation. Assume that everything, that exist, is alive and has a purpose. Embrace life in all its multiplicity of forms and prefer relationships of love over relationships of fear. Finally seek a deeper understanding of our personal relationship with all that exist. With that, let’s begin to see if we can recognize an equality of God Presence in the existence of everything.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers  Luke 20:9-15 (NLT)  Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years. 10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away. 13 “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’14 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 15 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.

3 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Where Our Loyalty is, There We Will Find Our Evidence

2014-11-11_582334_42448627

Where is your loyalty? I am sure we have all been in situations where this question required us to give an answer or made us wonder it about others. The answer to this question is more a geographic issue than we might think. Also arriving at this answer has plenty to do with our navigation skills. Loyalty is spiritual evidence, and it is about the substance that lies at the core of our being.

We humans have devised many forms of organized relationships such as marriage, friendships, business relationships, team sports, work, and small and large communities. On a global scale, we are members of nations or states, sovereign kingdoms, and multi-national corporations.  In addition, and just over the horizon more of us will enter relationships through user collectives of global telecommunications apps and other virtual products like Second Life and Bitcoin.

Every human enters this world via a family relationship. Some families are biological and others are social in nature. From there, the layers of relatedness such as gender, race and a host of genetic characteristics make us part of various social groups. Christians baptize themselves, some at birth others later in life as a sign to others of their membership as part of a spiritual community. Likewise, other people perform ceremonial acts to celebrate and signify their relationship to others and of their membership in one of the various spiritual communities of the world.

Developing a hierarchy of loyalties (ex. God, family, work and country) is a way to help navigate our many relationships. However, loyalties can still become confused. For example, we can be loyal to our relationship with our religious community and at the same time we can betray our relationship with God. We can also be loyal to a political or military objective of one group and betray our loyalty to other groups like our race, gender, family or humanity.

We each have also inherited the awareness of the many cultures connected to us. At every moment of every day, we knowingly make decisions that help one of our entangled relationships often at the betrayal of another interwoven relationship. However, as ambassadors of God our loyalty is really a manifestation of God’s loyalty. Therefore, when we experience breaches in trust they should not be personal to us because in every relationship we are representatives of God.

Luke 7:47 (NLT) “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

Luke 17:3-4 (NLT) So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Forgiveness, grace and mercy are the tools God uses to restore relationships. The sole mission of Jesus was to help all humans understand that their relationship with God is whole and therefore, living in unity with God is available and possible. It is a bad religious point of view to see humanity today as separated from God. The purpose of the gospel or good news is that any person can live a life in unity with God. Therefore, as we re-present God, when betrayal happens, we have the opportunity to die to self and forgive like the One we represent.

It is my encouragement that we understand the source of our loyalty. Only God, is good, and if we are open and sensitive to His Presence within, He can live through us. It is God’s desire for the entirety of humanity to understand that His forgiveness, grace and mercy have already made every human relationship with Him whole. In all relationships that we are the party to, we should likewise have this same goal when we perceive betrayal of trust. And that goal is to love and make every relationship whole.

If we can let go of the false belief that we never betray others and that others only betray us, we have a chance at peace on earth. Our false beliefs result in unreal expectations, which put others under undue pressure to live up to our unreal expectations. Our loyalty is a manifestation of God’s love and loyalty every time we forgive and extend grace and mercy.

Jeremiah 3131-33 (NLT) “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Therefore, our initial question remains standing. Where is your loyalty? Is our loyalty rooted in false beliefs? No! The true substance of our loyalty is embedded in love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. God gives these inherited traits to every human child. At the core of every relationship we are involved in, if we are actively aware, is the very Presence of God. It is there, where we shall find a treasure of evidence proving the existence of God.

Mark 10:2-9 (NLT) Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?” Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?” “Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.” But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

Luke 12:33-34 (NIV) Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

2 Comments

Filed under Christian, Christianity, Church, Emergent, Emergent Church, Evidence, Evidence Locker, Faith, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Mystic, non-duality, Religion, Spiritual, Spirituality, Uncategorized