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Evidence Not Understood

CAM00814The material process of evolution implies that things move from a state of simplicity toward more complex state. As attorneys compile evidence to present to a judge and jury the chain of custody must be preserved on all pieces of evidence as they build a case which may be very complex. The bible in the Old and New Testaments implies that all humans are children of God.

However for the humans alive today believing such a complex truth will require an understanding of a lot of simple truths that have been in evidence for over six thousand years of recorded biblical history. For me one simple text of scripture implies the potential condition of all humans.

Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

In contrast the Spiritual process of enlightenment moves in the opposite direction of material evolution. Spiritual revelation should strip away confusion and make things more simple and clear. And thus we humans always have two paths that lead to truth. God encodes truth in material reality and reveals the same truth through spiritual enlightenment.

Today some humans participate in the Christian faith for various reasons. I do as well and for me it is all about the maximizing of both human material and spiritual potential. Most Christians believe that the work God sent Jesus to do is intended for all humans. But in practice many Christians interpret and bestow favorable treatment to those people that have chosen to be identified as Christian and bestow a somewhat unfavorable treatment to those who have yet to identify with Jesus. Furthermore within the Christian religious sect favorable honor is rendered based on people’s position in the organizational hierarchy.

In the heart and mind of every human judgments are being made every day based on their beliefs and understanding of which human is truly a child of God. Today people react viscerally to the charge that one person is a child of God and another person is not. Common to western culture and know by other cultures is this belief that some people are counted among God’s chosen people and others are not.

It is these beliefs that shape political platforms and social fabric of people all around the world. There are many battle lines that are that are being fought today and many of them have to do with the interpretation of this single truth. If we are all truly children of God then would we ever find justification to harm one’s own sister or brother?

Is there evidence that the average person could present in their daily response to the many situations that make up the social fabric of our communities? In a normal familial relationship people do not carry around birth certificates to prove their relationships. Husbands and wives do however wear rings. But not everyone has the same skin color or eye color or residential address, or economic status, or cultural language or accent. So can we judge without using the site of our eyes or the hearing of our ears?

 

Galatians 4:1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,

 

One easy way to tell whose child someone is by the stuff they have inherited and their use of that stuff. Every culture has inherited something unless it is a new emerging culture and even then it emerges from a previous source of life. This is the testimonial status of Jesus who is the inheritance for all humans. The biblical testimony is that He was the first spiritually born child to introduced humankind to its inheritance. And after two thousand years we humans are still discovering what we have inherited.

The purpose of my words in this post is to encourage a change in our beliefs. Jesus inherited the love of our Father in heaven and that alone should be our identity because it is the totality of what we inherit with Jesus. It is the truth upon which all of Christianity is truly founded. The current social order we find in the world today provides evidence of fact, that humans hold a belief that is contrary the truth of God love for all His human children.

If we who call ourselves disciples and citizens of God’s kingdom we need to understand this single message we have been given to present as evidence. Love alone should be the message and yet people of the world are confused because we the messengers are unable to communicate it with clarity.

It is my hope that the truth of God’s love for all humans as His children, no longer remain as evidence that is not understood by everyone. If God is truly our Father then every human is either our sister or brother and we should treat each other with the equality and respect that our relationship has inherited. Jesus is the “first fruit” and that implies that there is an expectation on God’s part that there is more fruit to be realized. This means that more of the human population needs to understand and relate to one another in this truth.

May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened and may we present truthful evidence that is simple and understood.

 

Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 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.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Galatians 3:26-29 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 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. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

Galatians 4:4-7 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

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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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Case: Vineyard Owner vs. Vineyard Keepers

In this post I want to return to a type of evidence I have covered before. Demonstrative Evidence is also known as Illustrative Evidence. This type of evidence is used to assist the jury in understanding what has happened in a case. So if we present spiritual evidence that is illustrative it should show what is happening in the King’s dominion an also provide prophetic insight as to what will happen in the future.

 John 5:19-20 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.

 Matthew 21:33-39 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

 In my last post Fruit of a Spiritual Tree I used a parable of Jesus about an owner of a vineyard, his expectations and his encounters with those taking care of his vineyard. One way to look at this parable is like a landmark court case (Vineyard Owner v. Vinedressers). By using this approach it could give us some insight as to how a judge might rule today and in the future. Better yet is should give us some insight and strategy as to the way we might present and expect God to present evidence of His Kingdom through us to a jury of our peers.

 The basic outline of the case is presented in Mathew 21:33-35 where the vineyard owner created a vineyard and placed in it everything needed to make it successful. The vineyard was within the hedge and the tools make wine and a tower from which to communicate and protect the vineyard was also provided with the vineyard. Verse 34 states that the fruit was for “they”. Is the “they” the servants on behalf of the owner or the vinedressers?

 As we read and listen to this parable we not only see what the owner provided to make the vineyard successful we can see a story being told as an example of illustrative evidence. If Jesus tried to explain spiritual truth of how the spiritual Kingdom of God (KoG) operates to those who have not been spiritually awaken they would miss the point. But by using this parable as illustrative evidence Jesus can assist any member in the jury of our peers to understand why God’s spiritual work will be successful as it is activated within the hedge or material flesh of mankind.

 This vineyard or garden living on the inside of us is totally spiritual but it has characteristics like those illustrated in the picture of this vineyard. If we understand the purpose of a hedge, a tower and a winepress we can begin to understand how this internal and spiritual Kingdom operates. We see that carnal or material mindset of the vinedressers sees value in the flesh of the fruit (grapes) but because they miss the spiritual and universal understanding of their relationship to the owner they kill and steal hoping to keep a harvest that they perceive they do not own. This too is illustrative of a spiritual truth. See the final judgment of this case below (Mat 21:43) and notice who really owned the fruit

Matthew 21:43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Matthew 11:12-15 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

A consistent point that Jesus makes during His ministry is that the material or carnal mind-set operates from a place of separation from God. This is a result of sin that subjected mankind to a mind-set that has at its foundation a knowledge of good and evil. The whole of Jesus ministry is to reconcile man back to God. The carnal mind-set fails to receive the free work of forgiveness of sin and receive by grace the right standing as child of God. The key to all spiritual evidence presented through us goes to the point, that we have been reconciled and are now one with God.

Christ mission and now our mission of bringing heaven to earth serves this purpose. It destroys the disbelief that we have to remain separated or fearful that our destiny is eternal separation from God our Father. If the opposite of heaven is hell then we could hold a working definition that regardless of our location if one is separated from God they are in hell. Likewise we can consider regardless of location that any place in the presence of God is heaven. And so the very moment we enter into the Presence of God here on earth that prayer has been answered by our Father.  

Galatians 4:1-5 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Romans 8:19-21 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

The ministry of Jesus, who was also known as the last Adam, was and is all about bringing the reality of our heavenly Father’s dominion to earth and to ensure that we have an eternal place in our Father’s Kingdom. In order for a person to willingly agree to be reconciled, their understanding of our Father’s willingness to forgive, love and heal them must become a part of their mind-set. The purpose of the illustrative evidence that we present is simply to change understanding.

God loves us and empowers us to share that understanding to all who will listen. Jesus is the Master example of how to present evidence of the truth concerning our Father and His Kingdom. Jesus has been authorized and He has given that authority to us so we can, like Him, share with those who have not been awakened to the truth of all matter. Spiritual transformation and understanding is a process that may take a lifetime but when it is complete our Father will be clearly seen in us and our ability to present spiritual evidence will at least be equal to that of Jesus our Teacher.

Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 

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