Tag Archives: forgive

July 6, 2012 · 12:19 pm

Pictures of Truth

For us that have committed to our spiritual journey of understanding, we are learning to share what we have come to know as spiritual truth. If truth sets the innocent free then we have become advocates and disciples of that truth, and therefore in some ways we can be also called freedom fighters. This post is again encouraging us to use the tool of demonstrative evidence so we can present simulations and models that are useful in helping people apprehend the spiritual truth in operation in the Kingdom of God.

 Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

 Jesus was a master during the time he walked in the flesh, at the use of a word picture. It is impossible to physically hand someone a piece of spiritual evidence. This is true because spiritual evidence has no physical substance. However since we know that this physical world is formed by spiritual things, then any object in the material world is a symbol or a piece of evidence for spiritual things.

 As ambassadors and priests of God’s Kingdom we have been given authority to reveal the present reality of His Kingdom to those unable at this moment to spiritually comprehend it. That is why we are called children of light. Like Christ we must become skilled at giving our friends in the material world who are presently asleep a word picture or demonstrative evidence. Any object that is comfortable and frequently used by the individual or the group we are talking too can be used in this manner.

 John 15:7  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

 Revelation 22:2 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.

 For example the scriptures above are using word pictures to reveal the operation of spiritual truth in our Father’s Kingdom.  We also, for example, can use a piece of fruit and its connection to the vine just like the Master Himself did to convey spiritual truth. Jesus in John 15:7 reveals spiritual operations as we should understand them for today. However a clearer revelation which is also in operation is revealed in the final book of the bible in Revelation 22:2. Unfortunately most Christian religions interpret and teach that this truth will only be available sometime in the future.

Spiritual truth is eternal, but its effects can be subject to time by our finite thinking. Therefore the operations of spiritual truth is not subject to the moment it first dawns in our conscious. Yet its application to our personal lives may be limited in its effectives by our thinking. However the reign of God’s Kingdom is and always will be forever in operation.

For example, the spiritual truth behind the operation of forgiveness did not become available the moment I accepted it or gave it to someone. For God so loves the world, and that is why He is sending us into it today. The Master says as much “as the Father sent me, I also send you.” So when did this thought enter into the Heart of God our Father? Was it the moment Adam sinned, or was it when He decided to create Adam, or was it when our Father created the heavens and earth?

 Back to our example, one piece of fruit while sitting with friends at lunch, in a stocking at Christmas, in a fundraiser box you bought from a member of the local high school band can open the door to heaven. That same piece of fruit you encounter with your child while walking through the grocery store can set your child on the path. How about the fruit you and your spouse share with friends in the form of wine when you are out on the town.

 Fruit is just one object in this material world we are all comfortable with and have common experiences with. There are many objects in this material world that are not limited by social, cultural, gender, political, racial, religious or economic boundaries that can be used a word pictures.

 We have available to us many objects and symbols at our disposal with which to reveal the spiritual Kingdom of God. We all have different personalities and experiences and yet we all share common experiences with objects in this material world. Through Christ, God has placed us in a world where we are surrounded by relative darkness. As we understand our Father’s heart and become skilled with truth, people around us become transformed and begin their  personal journey.

 Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

 Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

 As sent ones we must learn to go with the heart of the one who is sending us. The heart of our Father is that all of mankind be saved into His spiritual Kingdom out from the darkness of the material world. We live in this world but once our spiritual senses are awakened we begin our personal transformation by learning the operations and benefits of our citizenship in the Kingdom of God. We also begin to view the objects and events of this material world with a different point of view. As our relationship to heaven changes so also is our relationship to the people of earth.

 My friends be encouraged and strengthen by the image of Christ. Like Jesus must keep as a motto “Not my will but His will be done” and rely on the Spirit of God inside of us. By doing this we will not resist our transformation into the image of our Father’s Master image.  Jesus Christ is described in scripture (Hebrews chapter 1) as being the brightness of our Father’s glory and the express image of His person.

 So let us remain on our spiritual journey to becoming more conscious that we are truly sons and daughters of our Father in heaven and that we can become like our Brother Jesus, who carried the fullness of our Father’s Spirit within Him. We like Him are the Kingdom at hand.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

 Matthew 10:7-8 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

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April 30, 2012 · 8:56 pm

We Are Also Presenters of Real Evidence

 In my last posting I showed an example of how Jesus presented real (physical) evidence of spiritual truth. As we understand that we are like Christ in many ways including spiritually I want to show that we also can provide real (physical) evidence of a spiritual reality, mainly the Kingdom of God (KoG). If spiritual truth is to become a common reality, we who are awake to that truth must take the responsibility to present evidence of our understanding concerning spiritual truth.

Remember that the definition of real (physical) evidence is a type of evidence that is a material object presented to prove a fact. As citizens and family members of the Kingdom, we have been empowered with the authority to reveal spiritual truth for the purpose of winning over those that are blind or are against the reality of the KoG. The Kingdom and it King are spiritual and to be able to provide physical evidence of spirit is a really cool thing. It requires and understanding of both physical spiritual laws.

Matthew 5:46-48  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

 The absolute easiest evidence we can show is love. Not the love that this world gives but the love that comes from the heavenly Kingdom. Returning love that someone gives you is easy because they gave it to you first. God first loved us so we can have a capacity to love Him. Those that are blind to God have a difficulty expressing true love. When mankind became consciously separated from our Father we only had the capacity to express love for self.  We did not have the understanding that one could choose to love others before themselves until Jesus presented evidence of that possibility.

 Matthew 5:43-45  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;  for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

 True love as depicted in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 can only come from the Kingdom of God. Love is that quality to not only think about others over self but it also includes the empowerment to act for others above self. But as we see from scripture there is little or no reward for loving someone who loves you. This is the common love we see all around us. It is also this lack of common love that creates the difficult situations in the earth realm. However, even this level of love shows forth some of the presence and understanding of God existence, though its expression is often perverted.

 But what we need is real (physical) evidence that is able to reveal the spiritual truth of Gods Kingdom in order to change the judgment of a jury of our peers. We need overwhelming real (physical) evidence in order to have an impact on the people we meet in our daily lives. This is why the head of our Kingdom commands us to love our enemies. On this one point the KoG separates itself fundamentally from the world’s kingdoms. Loving our enemies is so uncommon that many religious organizations including some Christian organizations miss this important aspect of the Kingdom.

 Essentially Jesus is acknowledging that there will always people including ourselves at times when we think and act contrary (or anti) to the will of Christ. But from God’s point of view He is willing to extend grace equally to all. We must understand that God is, to all. Like the light of the sun or rain it impacts all equally within the same environment.

 So as children of God we need to act like the one who sent us by extending grace and love to all and that includes enemies of our Father. If we judge by the sight of our eyes and hearing of our ears we are not acting spiritually. When we choose to love those who are acting anti-Christ we are presenting spiritual evidence that can be physically observed.

 When Jesus offered His physical body for our spiritual redemption and consumption it resulted in real (physical) evidence that produced healing in our bodies, freedom from sin and the capacity to love others as ourselves. Now we can, in the image of Christ, present real (physical) evidence of spiritual truth by using our freedom of choice to love. As people observe this evidence of truth they can make a choice about the KoG.

 We who live in the KoG have been made aware of a set of spiritual laws which seem foreign to the earthly kingdom. As children of God we have been given authority to exercise these spiritual laws for the purpose of winning others to God’s point of view. We are turning the enemies of God into our brothers and sisters through love. Each convert must choose of their own free will to receive the grace and forgiveness to become reconciled to our heavenly Father. This can only be done by a right understanding of the works of Christ. By grace through Christ we enter the Kingdom of God. From here we present spiritual truth through an uncommon type love.

Matthew 5:39-42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

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April 14, 2012 · 9:00 pm

Evidence Not Of This World

As we explore the ins and outs of evidence and the laws that influence its presentation, we must understand that we simply use evidence as a way to prove something. That something needs evidence in order to reach a favorable judgment by a jury of our peers. And the evidence of our concern has to do with the spiritual Kingdom of God (KoG).

 John 9:39
And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

 If spiritual evidence alone can prove the existance of the KoG then was it was necessary for God send someone outside of this world to reveal that reality to the citizens of this world? Or is God trying to prove something different? The religious organizations of this world work very hard to establish their organizational authority and most of their evidence is based on interpretations of what they think this Kingdom looks like.

 However Jesus brings us first hand authentic testimony which kept intact a provable chain of custody all the way back to the KoG of which He claimed to be King. In order for a person to declare Jesus their King they must see His Kingdom and join that Kingdom by becoming subject to its laws and His Kingship. So a true religion on earth should be an embassy of Christ and His Kingdom.

 In my last posting A Perfect Witness to Truth I discussed how the main religious organization at the time of Christ, use the fact that Jesus presented testimonial evidence that He was King, as a means to get the secular authority to squash a perceived rival for their spiritual authority. The some religious authorites of this world often perceive their spiritual authority as an extension of God’s Kingdom. Like many religious organizations today the Jewish group in Jerusalem at the time of Christ did not have the authority to put a man to death so they declared secular authority to be superior and declared their unity with that earthly kingdom. Likewise today many religious organizations experience the same lack of a spiritual authority so they declare unity with an earthly kingdoms to increase their power and influence.

 John 8:23
And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

 We must learn to look past the worldly traditions and interpretations of scripture and quietly let God’s Spirit through prayer, contemplation and meditation bring us revelation concerning the testimony of our heavenly Father and of Jesus our Brother. It is possible to find relevant understanding and to achieve a Christ-like spiritual lifestyle on earth today. This is not a knock on those past interpretations but mankind is called to go past our present point of understanding. We must take on the responsibility to lay our lives down for the next generation and mine new understanding and to do that we must let go of some of our traditions in order to take a fresh look at the spiritual landscape ahead of us and to hear the still voice of God.

John 4:32
But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

 John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 When we analyze the testimony of Jesus we should be able to detect that His evidence was not of this world and if we are to help others see His world we need to interpret scripture differently from the traditional view presented by some religions. Some religious groups have become devoid to any connection with the spiritual realm. Their understanding, goals and authority are completely focused on earthly things.

Jesus clearly states for the record that the evidence He is presenting is not of this world. This means that anyone not having eyes to see will misinterpret the evidence. Their reaction may be well-meaning like wanting to protect the orthodoxy of their beliefs. Most anti-Kingdom responses are from a place of ignorance and not willful defiance to God. In fact the very testimony of Christ on the cross was Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

As children of God and citizens of the Kingdom we also need to make very clearly that the love, peace, mercy, grace and any other piece of evidence we present did not originate from this world. An apostolic anointing is the ability to bring evidence from heaven to earth. This is what should be meant when we pray on earth as it is in heaven. However in a lot of cases when we analyze religious organizations and the mindsets of its followers we see a twisted interpretation of an earthly kingdom being presented as God’s Kingdom.

True ambassadors have one mission and that is for the judgment of our peers to agree to willingly be reconciled to our Father in the KoG. The purpose of Jesus’ testimonial evidence is to establish and enlighten awareness concerning a realm not easily seen from earth and all Disciples of Christ should be doing the same. We establish that which already exist by changing the minds of those that are blind to the truth of God’s Kingdom. This is simple but not easy and is the reason we also must have the words forgive them for they know not what they do, in our hearts.

 John 15:19
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 Love is the only way to win the others into the KoG. Love is the only way to get a person to willingly change their point of view from this world to the KoG. As children of the Kingdom we are known for our love and we are known for loving our enemies until they recognize that we are all family. The moment God becomes our Father every other human becomes our brother or sister. When this revelation reaches critical mass and begins to cause awareness in enough people on earth the Kingdom of God will begin to emerge. Scriptural prophecy speaks of a day when the evidence of God’s Kingdom will be accepted as common knowledge by many humans on earth.

 Isaiah 11:8-10  8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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