Tag Archives: spiritual reality

June 27, 2012 · 2:38 pm

In Light of New Evidence

As we continue our discussion concerning demonstrative evidence I want to use one of my favorite metaphors which is light. There are many references to light in scripture so I feel that I am on solid ground using this as a metaphor. Demonstrative evidence can be simulations, and models that are useful for assisting a finder of fact in establishing context among the facts.

From a material point of view quantum science has revealed the dual nature of a photon and how it relates to our material world as ether a particle or a wave.  Scripture reveals to us that men and women also have a dual nature and can relate physically to this material world as a child of Adam and can relate spiritually to the Kingdom of God as child of God.

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

 Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 Light gives us 3 important material benefits. It provides illumination, warmth, and energy, but as a spiritual metaphor we are trying to understand the characteristics of revelation, relationship and spiritual power. As children of a Kingdom that is invisible to the material world, we carry within us the key that presents evidence of our Father’s Kingdom to people who cannot yet see it.

 Because light is active it falls into the category of demonstrative evidence. The reason the light is active is because it is the Person or Spirit of God. Our material bodies are vessels that contain this Presence of God. Our transformative journey is all about learning to allow the will of this Presence to live through our body instead of the personal sovereign will of our soul. At our awakening we invite God to live within us and on our transformation journey we are learning to let Him live through us.

 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

This blog is all about encouraging each other to show forth and present the spiritual substance which proves the Kingdom’s existence. But in order to do that we must be aware of the Presence within. If we can be continuously aware then as we are around other people they can begin to draw on that which is within us.  Making a presentation to people who are not ready to receive can cause frustration to us and to our intended recipients (jury of our peers).

 Our goal is to simply live and walk in the reality of the spiritual realm by remaining more mindful of that realm than of this material realm. As we set our affection on the Presence of our Father, our minds are transformed and we prove the existence of the Kingdom. Scripture exhorts us set our minds on the things in the spiritual realm above so that the glory of that realm may appear down here on earth.

 Light is a perfect metaphor because it flows and permeates over the material substance of earth removing darkness. Likewise revelation and spiritual understanding have a similar effect on our minds and all who come in contact with the presence within us. As the light from earth’s sun brings warmth to the objects and inhabitants of earth as we revolve around it, so too is fear, doubt and insecurity removed as our relationship moves from servant, to child and then friend of God. The energy necessary to sustain life on this planet is produced by nothing less than the sun. Plants, volcanos, rain, oxygen an even the ice at polar caps are all products of the sun’s light.

 As we become more transformed we gain greater awareness of Kingdom Presence and we come into greater unity with the plan, will and purposes of our heavenly Father. Children of Light are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and through them the energy and power of God’s Presence becomes evident to those ready to see and experience it truth. Again I encourage us to embrace the light and love of God’s spirit which cannot be separated from you and me because it is within us.

 Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

 Psalm 139:8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

 Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

2 Comments

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

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 30, 2012 · 4:14 am

Evidence that Surpasses Understanding

At the evidence locker we are encouraging each other to gather and present spiritual evidence of the Kingdom of God. Evidence can be anything that helps establish the fact of the Kingdom. The key is that the spiritual kingdom is within us and therefore our evidence will most likely come from within us.

I am often reminded of a testimony by author C.S. Lewis who tells of a story about his brother who took a cigar can and built a little garden in it. He said when he looked at it was like a magical little world, totally different from the one he lived in. He would sneak and open the lid and peer into this world of wonder. Mr. Lewis recalls how the memory of the garden in the can inspired him and as an author and he tries to describe the feelings of people who have a life changed by spiritual experience but have no material evidence.  In the Chronicles of Narnia the main characters enter the kingdom of Narnia but when they return to the material world they are forever changed because of that experience.

Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard you hearts and mind through Christ Jesus.

We also, who have seen into the Kingdom of God (KoG) have this quiet assurance and confidence of life in this spiritual world. Once you have experienced the kingdom and the presence of God within your being, you begin to live in a peace that does not have its source in this material world. It is this experience that marks the difference between the spiritual realm and the material realm. The feelings that accompany these experiences can be evidence and we must learn to present this evidence of the reality of Gods spiritual Kingdom.

 A lot of believers in Christ read scripture and it is nothing more than a recorded testimony of someone else’s experience. This is quite alright for new believers but this should not be the status of mature. Until the spiritual kingdom becomes real and personal to us the words of Christ remain as hearsay testimony which is inadmissible as evidence. In order for evidence to become real it must be experience by one’s spirit, soul and physical body.

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

 John 16:33 This things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

  Like the garden in the tin can in order for that reality to remain we must continually peer in to the spiritual realm to keep the experience fresh and forefront in our minds and heart. If we forget allowing the memories of spiritual experience to fade, we drift back into the material world losing sight of spiritual truth. Even though our understanding may fail to grasp spiritual truth, nevertheless that truth will yet remain.

 Living spiritually is a choice we must consciously make every minute of our life. The material things of this world in and of themselves do not speak of the spiritual realm. If fact, spiritual things are considered foolish by the material world and this is the reason for a spiritual transformation.

 Once you have become spiritually awaken everything in the material realm can reveal truths of processes that are unseen by the natural eye. This awakening comes with a peace that is grounded in the Christ who first awakened us to these truths. After our awakening Christ’s mission then becomes our mission, and the awakening of others to the spiritual truth we now experience become top priority in our lives.

 1 Corinthians 1:25-26 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

 Many believers in Christ proclaim spiritual reality, yet they never truly experience it. Their proclamations are simply statements of their faith. Their faith is reasonable and scripturally based.  They hold beliefs that they are new spiritual creatures and one day they will enter into a place of spiritual eternity in the presence of God. And that is all good.

 But if they could truly experience today the reality of God’s Kingdom they too could embrace the spiritual Kingdom of God. As ambassadors we enter and exit the spiritual realm proclaiming freedom to captives of the material realm. We proclaim that this is now the acceptable year of the Lord and we help reconcile people of the material realm with their spiritual Father the living God. So we are one with God, sent to aid in the same mission as Christ.

 Luke 4:18-19 “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; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 

Leave a comment

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

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

May 21, 2012 · 10:11 pm

Seeing Christ in the Mirror Pt. 3

 This is the 4th step in what I have termed the Theology of the Mirror.  In this step we allow ourselves to be changed by the image of the mirror. Now that you have developed the technique to see more spiritually, by seeing Christ in the mirror you can now see the two images that are trying to become one. This is the point where you must commit to becoming changed into the image of Christ and let go of the old material sensing person.

 Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

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

 We must become individual manifestations of Christ that Father has sent. We are not to become mass-produced into the image put forth by the religious of the material world. Each person has a special call and all things work together for good.

 There are many techniques to help us find out what our spiritual call is. The study of God’s word is the foundation for getting the general vision of what is spiritually available. Contemplative prayer is a technique of focusing and chewing on portions of that spiritual vision. By turning over and over theses portions of scriptures in our heart and mind we can discover by God’s Spirit many nuggets of revelation that will help us become more like Christ.

 There is also the technique of being still or “taking no thought” that places us in total receiving mode. The moment we say to our heavenly Father within “I am here, your child is listening” we have moved into a conscious awareness of God’s presence. We are all called to be still and know that—the image in the mirror of the great—I am is God. This behavior of being still is a learned technique that is counter to the ways of the material world. It is true that this skill called meditation has been co-opted my many religions and groups in the material world, but that does not make this spiritual technique any less true.

 For us to change from a purely material conscience to a spiritual one we must get into a place where we can communicate with our Father’s spiritual voice. So I encourage you to take at a minimum 2 periods each day to be still. I suggest taking one of those periods right after you awake in the morning and take the other period right before you go to bed at night.

 Begin each period by reading a portion of biblical scripture or some part of a spiritual teaching. Then take 5 minutes to contemplate on what you have just read. After that still your mind, taking hold of no thought that comes by but listen for His still small voice on the inside of you. At first you may only be able to still your mind for less than a minute but with practice the time of stillness will increase. God’s words are Spirit and His Spirit within us will make contact in a way that we will gain a spiritual understanding.

If there is one place in general where the religions of this world can miss the mark it is making spiritual contact. Religion in my opinion becomes too easily invested in maintaining a material hierarchy of organizational relationships. For example as we learn to see and communicate spiritually with our Father you become a conscious carrier of God’s presence within. As Disciples of Christ (ones who are being transformed) we begin to help others achieve what we have learned. The common religious error is not humbling ourselves to the point where we can be changed by the Christ that has become awakened in these newly formed disciples. The religious organization is so invested in the organizational hierarchy that it ignores and even rejects the Spirit of God by not being able to receive form the image of Christ in the new mirrors.

 This lack of equality causes many to stumble and become prideful and perverted in their relationship with God’s Kingdom. In the Old Testament each household had a member that wore a prayer garment with tassels on each corner where the tassels had a single blue thread in each tassel. The dye of this thread was the same that colored the high priest garments when he entered the presence of God in the Holy of Holies each year. Our heavenly Father always wanted all of His children be in His presence. Today instead of a material thread for each household Father has placed His spiritual kingdom within us and He is continually making us aware of His spiritual presence within.

John 20:21-23  So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

In the beginning God breathed His Spirit into man and he became a living soul but his consciousness became separated from God. The entire ministry of Christ, the last Adam, was to awaken the spiritual nature of who we are as children of God and members of the Kingdom. Jesus presented plenty of spiritual evidence and He left a written record of that evidence He presented. Today we are able to read this testimony and inspect the chain of custody of this spiritual evidence. But all the evidence has a purpose. This evidence awakens our spiritual conscious and when we become awake we awaken others and the reality of our spiritual unity with our Father becomes the true reality. In our Master’s final prayers to our Father He sums up this ministry of transformation and reconciliation clearly.

John 17:22-23  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

———————

3 Comments

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

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,