Tag Archives: spirituality

November 4, 2013 · 5:13 pm

Evidence Of Things Not Seen

What humanity knows to be hidden and understands as spiritual truth has normally been explored by the various religious communities across the globe. Modern science has also awakened the human understanding to the sub-atomic world of quantum particles. Likewise the field of psychology continues to expand and probe the bounds of human consciousness which is located in the soul of every human individual. So as the 21^st century dawns these unseen worlds, are being greatly explored by various sectors of humanity.

The reason for the exploration is obvious. The visible material world on earth has many growing needs such as food, disease and energy. People of both science and faith explore with the hope of providing solutions to humanity’s problems by increasing our understanding of the reality that is not obviously visible to the naked eye. The scientific world markets its solutions so that we humans will use its newly developed technology. But what is the strategy being used by the faith community to get more humans to use the fruit of its revelations and deeper spiritual truths?

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:3 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.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

If science is seeking its solutions in the material realm then we who are awakened to the Spirit realm obtain our solutions from that realm. In an open and free market of ideas the persons or groups that can bring the solutions to the table reap rewards for solutions that benefit humanity. If the religious people want God to get the glory then the marketing strategies need to make clear that by faith spiritual solutions are received from God for the benefit of all humanity.

A key to strong faith is our connection to God and His Spiritual Kingdom. Some religious organizations seem to focus their marketing strategies on icons, books, videos, memberships and other material objects that can be exchanged for money instead of spiritual solutions and practices. God is spirit and that which he gives is spirit because spirit is the substance of all material things, and spirit itself has no material substance. So what applications and technology do we of the spiritual community use to turn spiritual substance into material items such as food, health and energy for all in humanity? …Prayer!

Prayer is the link between the realms of spirit and material. Humans are the unique part of creation that has access to both material and spiritual substance. Now that should make all humans feel special and equal. However unless we maintain an active consciousness of this link to the spiritual realm we limit our solutions to the material realm only.

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

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’³²For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

John 2:10 (The description after Jesus turned water to wine) And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Jesus provided us with an excellent human example for obtaining benefits and solutions to the problems that humanity is now facing. He demonstrated a way that can transform humanity by helping each person to reach into the fullest potential that is coded within our designed. There is a consciousness of the relationship between Spirit and material that is beginning to emerge in the minds humankind.

Today we find that some people of the Christian religion are exploring eastern styles of religion such as Buddhism in search for a religion more focused on personal transformation and non-traditional expressions for their spirituality. These people are finding common ground with people of eastern religious culture who are also in their search for truth and many are experiencing the benefits meditative and contemplative prayer. However because their first love was the Jesus of western culture religion they are wondering why Christianity does not offer like religious practices of meditative prayer that helps to transform the conscious mind as they search for deeper spiritual understanding.

But that is actually what is being rediscovered and explored by an emergent movement in Christianity today. In the main-stream of Christian communities these spiritual technologies were relegated to the monastic sub-culture of Catholicism and mostly ignored by the Protestant culture after the reformation. But now the value contemplative prayer and meditation are quickly becoming rediscovered as new technology and is once again being incorporated as essential spiritual practices in new emerging Christian communities.

As many people return from eastern religions and join those that are emerging within old Christian religious traditions are newly rediscovering meditative styles of prayer such as Lectio Divina and Centering prayer which are becoming the new traditions of spiritual expression. This blending is removing the cultural hostility and barriers between people of eastern and western religious traditions and establishing bonds of love and cooperation that is rippling throughout humanity.

Not only does this technology provide material resources it actually strengthens the link between the spiritual and material realms. It is during times of silence and stillness that removes the dualistic thinking that separates the sub-cultures of humanity and integrates the realms of material and spirit into God’s Kingdom on earth. So be encouraged, humanity is on the brink of an evolutionary period that will benefit all humans in ways that cannot be seen as of yet. By using this style of prayer and meditation every person is without excuse and can bring forth evidence of things unseen.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:26-28 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸There 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.

Daniel 7:14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Are You An Embassy Without Walls?

Crime Scene Investigators primarily use their powers of observation to provide context for the evidence they collect. First responders are trained to preserve the state of the crime scene evidence by setting up a perimeter until investigators can collect the evidence. In some cases for prolonged investigations crime scene tape and police seals stand guard to protect the evidence for longer periods of time.

Likewise walls and fences around an embassy stand guard to protect the valuable evidence of the sovereign territory contained within the walls. To the persons on the outside the evidence may hold a value of life or death, granting them due process under a different set of laws, which may give them safety from harm. All that stands between them is the wall, fence and guards.

The US Embassies around the world use specially trained Marines and a corps of diplomats who understand these articles of evidence. These articles include passports, flag orders, diplomatic documents, vehicle license plates, classified documents and the like. Anyone on the outside of the wall in possession of one of the articles may use it to gain access to the full measure of sovereignty represented by that country inside embassy wall.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

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

Daughters and Sons of God are embassies of God’s Kingdom. They are representatives of mankind who are consciously aware of what we carry on the inside and they have removed the walls so that any human they encounter may freely access the sovereignty of the Kingdom they carry on the inside. Unlike man-made kingdoms any person can run up to an embassy of God’s kingdom and claim asylum and a true citizen will grant immunity, safety, justice in the form of reconciliation, adoption and forgiveness.

Matthew 7:5-7 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ⁶“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. ⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

In my opinion one of the big mistakes some religious systems make when they try to get people to recognize the value of what they carry by placing a wall around it. Provoking people through jealously is a tactic that God used but He never made it harder to acquire the His Kingdom and His sovereignty.

I believe the orthodox interpretation of the scripture that says do not “cast your pearls before swine” has been wrongly applied and taken out of its context, not that I have the full understanding. But when you look at the two scriptures that surround verse 6 of Matthew 7 the goal of a Kingdom diplomat remains to give away what is Holy to those outside of the Kingdom freely making them members of our Father’s Kingdom of which we all were once strangers and in some ways still remain estranged.

Like police tape, the bible has preserved the scene of Jesus ministry and reveals the context in which He dispensed reconciliation, adoption and forgiveness from our Father in heaven. As disciples of Jesus we are commanded to likewise make disciples of all that we meet. Because all that we have to give is what is on the inside and if we put walls and fences around that then how effective will we be. We are called to freely give away what we have freely received.

But wrongly many believe they paid a price for their relationship with God’s Presence and so they feel the need to exact a price instead of giving away what they consider valuable. However this leads to bad valuations of what God paid as a price. From a human perspective that value could vary with as many people who received the gift of His Presence. But we must remember that Jesus died because no human on earth at the time of His death could truly understand the value of our Father’s Gift to humanity. Even today some would limit the value of God’s Presence for themselves and their friends. So the question still remains, did Jesus truly die for every human?

One of the reasons we fence in the US Embassy is to keep citizens of a foreign country from just running up and requesting asylum. If this were not the case our country would grow, we would have to extend benefits to these new citizens and the host country could become destabilized. What human would not want be a citizen of the most powerful nation on the planet. However if we wall in the sovereignty, freedom, power and blessing of God’s Kingdom then we miss the point of our citizenship. Jesus was not only just sent to make the kingdom known, He was also sent to make the Kingdom available.

The truth of spiritual reality is that there is death outside the walls of God’s Kingdom. And unfortunately there are people and organizations that would have you and the rest of the human population to remain outside of God’s Kingdom. But God’s plan continues to send out Sons and Daughters who are conscious of who they are so they can offer His Kingdom and increase the number of Daughters and Sons who in turn are also willing to go out. So I encourage us all too freely give away that which we have been freely given.

Matthew 21:33-40 “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.³⁴Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.³⁵And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.³⁶Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.³⁷Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’³⁸But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’³⁹So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and 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.

Gal 3:28-29 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. ²⁹And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Seeing Christ in the Mirror Pt. 2

So let’s continue our discussion of gathering evidence of God’s Kingdom. In my last posting “Seeing Christ in the Mirror” I introduced you to the mirror as a tool for not only gathering evidence but for detecting the spiritual aspects of the Kingdom of God (KoG). Since we know that the KoG is within each person, then one of the images in the mirror must be looking inward for evidence of Christ.

Theology of the Mirror – 4 step process.

How does a mirror work?
What do you see in the mirror?
Are you willing to be a mirror?
Are you willing to be changed by the image you see in the mirror?

As we continue with step 2 of this process which I have titled the Theology of the Mirror, let us take a closer look at how we are able to see spiritually. To see spiritually simply means we are awake to the existence of the spiritual realm to the point that we can interact with it. Anyone can simply believe in something they cannot see. However, it is only when we change our behavior in relation to the things of the spirit realm that we show true evidence for the existence of the things that are invisible to the material realm.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Our ability to see spiritually depends on our ability to see Christ. Jesus is the way between the material world and the spiritual world. To unlock any door or mystery you need a key and Jesus is that key as well as the door. Jesus is the icon of Christian faith but sometimes He is limited only to the role of figure-head for the religious and material kingdoms of this world.

As we learn to live a more spiritual life we must use the tools found in the spiritual Kingdom of God. As we use them we provide additional evidence establishing the existence of the KoG to the jury of our peers. The more we make contact with Christ that lives on the inside of us the more we remain conscious and connected to God and His Kingdom.

Philippians 2:4-6 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

Matthew 14:35-36 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

The mirror is a metaphor for the Word of God who is also the person of Jesus. As Christians we understand that God, His Spirit and Jesus the Son are one. Therefore since God has place His Spirit in us we are being made one with God as we give up our hold on living out our desires more than the desires of our Father in heaven. The Word of God shows us an image and an example of how our Brother Jesus, who was the first human after the fall of Adam, first live for God will more than His personal interest.

When we look into the mirror of God’s word we see the image of Christ and an image of ourselves that falls short of Christ Image. With an understanding of God’s love we begin to get a vision of our self as Christ. We take that image and go into the world and try walk in a way we envision Christ would walk today. A good example of this is when Michael Jordan was at the top of his game all the basketball players would try to imitate him. The circumstances in life give us plenty of chances to do what we would imagine Christ to do. By faith we attempt to walk in the truth of the Word of God and we study the image of Christ so we can so we can take our life to the level of Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

At the moment of our new birth “It is no longer the little “I am” that lives, but it is the great “I am of Christ” that has become available to our conscious” At that moment the transformation process begins. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 says we start out as children beholding dimly the images of Christ, our self and others. But as we move to maturity our understanding increases and by faith we begin to see spiritually until we stand face to face with Christ which is our destiny.

God loves has been revealed as “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” As we walk in forgiveness, repentance and the other strategies of love we become transform and are able to move closer towards the image of Christ and able to partake in the resource of the Kingdom of God.

Finally as members of the Kingdom our goal is to bring forth spiritual truth as evidence into manifestation in this material realm. We are known for our love because we can see the spiritual Christ in ourselves and in others. We are not looking for material icons like buildings, jewelry or Sunday morning people who are all in their places with bright shiny faces. We behold the Christ that this world knows not of.

Luke 17:21Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; ²¹nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’^[a] For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Theology of the Mirror — YouTube Video link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lux0hHEHais

Tag Archives: spirituality

Evidence Of Things Not Seen

Are You An Embassy Without Walls?

Seeing Christ in the Mirror Pt. 2

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