Tag Archives: spiritual reality

March 15, 2015 · 8:38 pm

Transforming Power Of Adoption

2015-03-15_1367731_98877003Adoption is a legal term that implies a change in status. Things separated, become things unified. This term has applicability in secular, scientific, theological and cultural contexts. For this post we will look at the scenario of a child adoption from the point of view of the child recognizing its new relationship (hint: not the best point of view). Adoption is mostly about a change in perspective. After the moment of adoption, the child’s point of view is free to conceptualize a different life because he or she now has access to a different set of resources.

Romans 8:15 (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.

Romans 8:22-23 (NLT) For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

This change in perception not only affects the perception of the child, it also changes the perception of everyone already in the family and those remaining outside of the family. In my opinion, it is a myopic point of view, of only perceiving adoption from the child’s point of view, and this is where Christianity can find greater meaning in the interpretation of scripture.  (Try rereading the above scriptures from our Father’s point of view)  Once a child is adopted, his or her point of view must change to that of the Father’s point of view. This was the point of view that Jesus held when He said “not my will be done”.

To perceive the kingdom of God from the non-adopted child’s point of view creates the aberrant social structures in the local spiritual communities. For example the tendency to treat the kingdom like an exclusive club. Other examples would be the hierarchy between brother and sisters , and the excessive fear of God, Satan,  and the potential of losing one’s status as a child of God. From the Father’s point of view these examples become moot.  Even a lost child is still His child.

Psalm 82: 2 (NLT) “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Interlude

Psalm 82:6-7 (NLT)  I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. 7 But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’”

Gal 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. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

Love is the primacy of spiritual reality and it is the nature of God and His children. To perceive God’s love and to communicate His love to others, one needs to be of God. An adopted child not sure of the love behind their adoption is like a blind person viewing the world. Every incident is a potential threat and any unfamiliar area can cause fear to rise up within.

However once and understanding is realized that no-thing can separate us from our Father’s love a new confidence begins to emerge. The judgmentalism that characterized much of my early Christian walk, begins to give way to a new confidence in loves ability to overcome all things. Often our religious training dismisses the non-orthodox feelings as a hyper-grace, which is defined as the act of overlooking and accepting blatant sin. But in reality of God’s love there is a deep confidence in the power and authority of that love to overcome the sins of the world.

1 John 3:1-2 (NLT)  See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Mark 10:13-15 (NLT) One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. 14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

My encouragement is for us to perceive life from God’s point of view as His child. A life that is freely given to us and one that we are willing to help others freely enter into. Consciously or unconsciously keeping others out of God’s family by making there sin to be more than the one we repented of is an example of not understanding the grace made available us.

There is a place of revelation (God’s point of view) that once God becomes our Father every human on earth is our brother or sister.  Grace is living life as child, before the realization that every other human is also God’s child. For a lot of religious folk,  the only proof that God’s loves them is when they perceive He is not loving someone else. One day humanity will consciously rise above that childish interpretation of spiritual reality.

Until then it is up to you and I to reveal the greater truth, the hidden truth that has not dawned in the hearts and minds of everyone. We have been given the honor and a privilege to go into the entire world and reveal the truth. This truth has the power to transform all human life. God unconditionally loves us all. God reveals to us in our perception that we are separated from Him, that we have been adopted and that we are now His children.  The realization of the truth that God loves us all and that He considers us all His children is truly a transforming power.

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January 19, 2015 · 12:37 pm

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. 3 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. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 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, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 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.

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June 9, 2014 · 10:58 am

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, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 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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