tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55589802502426719172024-02-07T07:14:07.082-05:00Unfolding MysteryRichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.comBlogger325125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-4450512034191633062012-03-13T07:10:00.000-04:002012-03-13T07:10:59.701-04:00Pleasing God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 class="subtitle" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">following article is by my friend Dave Price.</span></span><br /><br />Its All About You</h2>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Here
is one of the most fascinating verses in the Bible to me, Hebrews 11:5,
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience
death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For
before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” (NIV) It
isn’t amazing to me that Enoch was taken straight to heaven – God is a
big God, He can certainly pull off something simple like that. What is
amazing to me is the part I think most people miss – that before he was
taken he was commended as one who pleased <a href="http://robjundt.hubpages.com/hub/Inspiration-Quotes-for-Everyday-Living">God</a>.
We would probably say that the proof that Enoch was pleasing to God is
the fact that he was taken, but I think it’s something more. Enoch
received proof that he was pleasing to God from God Himself before the
“proof” was given. You see, the more glorious thing is not that he went
straight to heaven; but that before he went to heaven God gave him proof
that he was pleasing to Him. The only reason given that Enoch was
pleasing to God is that he believed.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />I know at first blush this
sound too simplistic. It sounds too simple because we are used to
religion being complicated, and that’s the problem. Faith is not
religion, faith is not a denomination, faith is not an order of service
or a ritual – faith is a relationship. I believe my wife loves me
because, and only because, we have a relationship – there is no other
proof. Sure, you could say that she proves she loves me by the things
she does for me, but that is an invalid argument – lots of people do
things for me who don’t love me. My wife makes me coffee, but so does
the coffeeshop guy down the street, and he only loves my money. My wife
does my laundry (and thankfully so, for I have proved myself an idiot
more than once), but the laundry down the street will do it for me too.
The examples are endless – anything my wife does for me can be done by
someone else, therefore the things that she does for me can’t be the
proof that she loves me. They can be a testimony to the fact that she
loves me, but they can’t be the proof. The proof that she loves me is
the relationship we have – no one on earth knows my heart, nor wants to
know my heart, more than she wants to know my heart. No one on earth
wants to be with me as much as she wants to be with me. That is
relationship, and that is the proof that Enoch had that he was pleasing
to God, that they had a relationship. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />Every definition of
faith found in the Bible is based on relationship. A life like that of
Enoch’s has God as its highest pursuit – and this is life, that God
created man because He desired to have a relationship with him, that God
is interested in the heart of man, that God desires to be pursued by
man, and God rewards any who pursue Him with the greatest gift of life,
the proof that we are pleasing to Him. Now here’s the definition of
pursuit: My greatest joy in life is when my child suddenly jumps up and
wrap his arms around me to tell me that he loves me, not because I told
him to, not because I scheduled 3 times during the day for him to do it,
not because I prescribed the exact way that I wanted it done, but
simply and purely because at that moment it was the desire of his heart.
(Ladies, I know I keep using the masculine here, and I have 2
daughters, so forgive me, it’s just the way I write).</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /><br />God is a great and gracious Father – that was the entire message of Jesus. Over and over Jesus preached <a href="http://susieq42.hubpages.com/hub/Quiet-Times">God the Father</a>,
not God the religion. Mankind has devised every conceivable way he can
think of to please God entirely based on the idea that we please God by
what we do; at least I think he has, but I’m sure someone will come up
with another way. But God is far less concerned with what we do than
with who we are. If who we are is a person who believes that God exists,
who believes that He loves us and desires us, then we are pleasing to
God – and that’s faith. Here’s the real mind blower – if we have faith,
everything that we are is pleasing to Him. The hopes and dreams and
desires of my heart for my children I understand – what I struggle with
is the understanding that the full depth of those same feelings is
exactly what God feels for me. The reward of faith is to see what we
believe. The reward of faith is the undeniable, unshakable knowledge
that we are <a href="http://bibleverseman.hubpages.com/hub/Encouraging-Bible-Verses-For-Daily-Living">pleasing to God</a>
just the way we are – that doesn’t mean that we abandon the pursuit of
becoming better people, just that the pursuit of being better is only a
product of my desire to know Him and to be known more fully.</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />So
here’s the conclusion – and I write this because it is the one thing I
am pursuing more than life itself. The definition of pleasing, as I have
adapted the definition from the dictionary, is this: I want to know
that I give enjoyment to God, pleasure to God, satisfaction to God. I
want to know that I make God glad and contented. I want to know that I
am the will and the desire of God. I want to know that I give God great
pleasure, that I delight Him, that I enchant Him, that I gladden Him,
that I gratify Him, that I overjoy Him, that I tickle Him. I want to
know that He enjoys me enthusiastically, and often excessively. And the
only requirement to knowing is that I believe. Go figure – all I have to
do to know life in all its glorious fullness is to believe God. He’s
going to have to help along with this, because I struggle with it daily –
but I think I’m beginning to get the picture, and what a wonderful
picture it is!</span><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Rich</span></b>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-29621935325540010432012-03-07T07:22:00.000-05:002012-03-07T07:23:04.121-05:00Put The Past Where It Belongs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSqfOokQHChd7tP_73vqUiz7l3sFTZDdqHv7y3e2p_PS3F7UNU9nY1FsU8LUDvu7sPh5EzyuMmNBF1oI33KL8qR5wtcPsWxiVoMLrQbpLcc3KfrER_BJ_dhB5UF6jd1dAf9ezYXEY-MU/s1600/tumblr_lzgrgwYrO01qa8xm1o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSqfOokQHChd7tP_73vqUiz7l3sFTZDdqHv7y3e2p_PS3F7UNU9nY1FsU8LUDvu7sPh5EzyuMmNBF1oI33KL8qR5wtcPsWxiVoMLrQbpLcc3KfrER_BJ_dhB5UF6jd1dAf9ezYXEY-MU/s320/tumblr_lzgrgwYrO01qa8xm1o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I so enjoyed this article by my friend Dave Price.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="module moduleText color0" id="mod_13325789" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div class="txtd" id="txtd_13325789">
The
greatest tragedy of life is to be chained to the past. Oscar Wilde
said, "Every sinner has a future, every saint has a past." The lie, the
deception, is that the past defines who you are. That is a bald faced
lie. The past certainly has shaped you, but it does not define you. What
is the past, anyway? It is an imagination - a memory, influenced by
emotion, tainted by opinion and perception. Every moment you allow that
imagination, that twisted lie to influence the present moment, you deny
yourself the opportunity to create the pure and perfect gift that this
very moment has to offer.<br />
<br />
What is the present? It is the opportunity to fulfill God's purpose
for life. That purpose is creation! God created us in His image, with
the power and the purpose to create. This present moment provides the
only opportunity to fulfill that purpose. This present moment provides
the only opportunity to fully create what this moment will be for
eternity. To the degree that you believe God, trust God, seek God in the
present moment, leaving behind the past just as He has, is the degree
to which you fulfill the entire purpose of life, to create the perfect
moment with all the power of creativity He has designed and empowered in
you.<br />
<br />
If you say you lack the ability to change the circumstances you find
yourself in, you deny the power of God in you. If you say you lack the
ability to change what the past has created in you, you deny the power
of Christ's rebirth. If you deny the ability to change this very moment,
you deny the power of the Holy Spirit in you, and you deny the very
purpose of life.<br />
You cannot change the past. You cannot deny the influence the past
has had on who you are. However, you must not believe that this is a
negative thing. Yes, the past has added to who you are. The key is that
it has added. Each moment adds to who you are. It can never detract from
who you are. The past has added to who you are and you are better for
it. You have a responsibility to this present moment to use all you have
gained to create everything you have the power to create, to make this a
perfect moment.<br />
<br />
Life is an open book and you are the author of its pages. You can
wallow in the self pity of yesterday's poorly written words, or you can
relish the opportunity to create the masterpiece you were created to
create. What is the future? It is the unfinished masterpiece of your
present moments. You are the Rembrandt, the Edison, the Einstein, the
Shakespeare of your present moment - what will you write next?<br />
<br />
<b>Rich</b></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0TnvcoQtc2hUo595WwNnSjvwMJ0uiPV9bvPj5R1WoxmMCcBsamH23a32_eIuTbmjifOF2jFsltTciHe2QZMTOV4BOuF5hczS13rXx3PkITHmIbPohJdV1wgLb5J4dwL5kOzA-gIUEiI/s1600/tumblr_koyq4xmCO31qzwhumo1_r4_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-14956722687438905282012-03-04T13:41:00.000-05:002012-03-04T13:43:20.304-05:00I Forgot Love Existed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD414HEiodYwDs4iRi0d3D6iX-XCsrH8jFrRMrTmhRNoU68vhZlUAG4Yo4r5izKkXh4GilQz_rChjPThoPGvE_26Xt296jbeDKpEoWoZDPECjWoZ-f745ZSDwLz_Va6gh64fx5huBvmhg/s1600/loved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD414HEiodYwDs4iRi0d3D6iX-XCsrH8jFrRMrTmhRNoU68vhZlUAG4Yo4r5izKkXh4GilQz_rChjPThoPGvE_26Xt296jbeDKpEoWoZDPECjWoZ-f745ZSDwLz_Va6gh64fx5huBvmhg/s320/loved.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><br />I loved this </span><b style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://youtu.be/LyM5Wnxgka8">clip</a></b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Its truly amazing how when your heart can be so abused that love seems to be so far removed from where we are.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Rich</span></b>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-62978273073911979512012-03-02T07:47:00.000-05:002012-03-02T07:47:38.067-05:00Turning Life Into a Formula<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEXwOx9uMHIHNxHZrX764N8bPdVUgDRxTxL6KiKnBKRKfchpXmo-92Yuyz2NFIT6y5tFwUisoDT7ZTXdOO5dYVFXND0x5cL2fxvCssvc6aBqB9Ib3A1BFmdTSpDL0x7KQVDWNMtRyybE/s1600/bones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEXwOx9uMHIHNxHZrX764N8bPdVUgDRxTxL6KiKnBKRKfchpXmo-92Yuyz2NFIT6y5tFwUisoDT7ZTXdOO5dYVFXND0x5cL2fxvCssvc6aBqB9Ib3A1BFmdTSpDL0x7KQVDWNMtRyybE/s320/bones.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I’m reading a very interesting book a friend loaned to me in
a recent visit with him. As with much of what we see and hear, there is a
growing awareness of enjoying the meat along with spitting out the bones.<br />
This is very much in my thoughts in continuing to read this book, that rather
than simply being encouraged by the Father, so often the writer or speaker
inevitably turns it into a formula or a principal for whatever point they have
made from the scriptures, to be followed out in our lives.<br />
<br />
Is it remotely possible that various events that naturally took place within
the scriptures, within the lives of real people were in fact things uniquely prompted
in them by the Father of their spirit, and had nothing to do with some smart
ass coming along and turning it into some principle/precept thang?</span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<b>Rich</b></span>
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</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-12966970843499304892012-02-19T18:54:00.000-05:002012-02-19T18:54:40.739-05:00Beloved, Now Are We Loved<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoaw0pfmINZrFGkG_Vgt6YX_Kt26jKR5RMeo7HCxyD03A-Aqhm5bwnOH57B6U6RzDFaz6RuxkyYksL1mTdRVyMPbg0i9tG6swKTGeNzMiux1JHWjBjE9rv21isVIVYkiBTQ8CgXMgi3c/s1600/184519_a10390459263e378a775ccb362038d71_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoaw0pfmINZrFGkG_Vgt6YX_Kt26jKR5RMeo7HCxyD03A-Aqhm5bwnOH57B6U6RzDFaz6RuxkyYksL1mTdRVyMPbg0i9tG6swKTGeNzMiux1JHWjBjE9rv21isVIVYkiBTQ8CgXMgi3c/s320/184519_a10390459263e378a775ccb362038d71_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Each day we can further learn to soak our senses in the wonder and love of a Father who's burning desire is to see us, made, fully alive.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I trust this </span><b style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thekindlings.com/podcasts/dr-jerry-root-broken-beauty-and-the-awakening-of-desirepodcast-live-at-kindlingsfest-2009/">pod cast</a> </b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">will be something that will reinforce the undeniable assurance of; Beloved, now are we loved of the Father!</span><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Rich</span></span><br /><br />Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-87712721476010374442012-02-06T07:18:00.006-05:002012-02-06T07:40:47.143-05:00Living Loved<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIy0N-ShUV-CoOAsCKb3iFsYQ2f9QUeNKtjRDTc5_WGpEuKmtVrmw4JKQWDQy1n2i7DAuu0EEH3i-XJVgjHQwVCkAZV13RbtbylNLwLlxS1fuYPtjRCVeVkiu7pKh7PxfOkfwp3toFzI/s1600/P1000566.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIy0N-ShUV-CoOAsCKb3iFsYQ2f9QUeNKtjRDTc5_WGpEuKmtVrmw4JKQWDQy1n2i7DAuu0EEH3i-XJVgjHQwVCkAZV13RbtbylNLwLlxS1fuYPtjRCVeVkiu7pKh7PxfOkfwp3toFzI/s320/P1000566.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705999265958664754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I mentioned to a friend I bumped into the other day as I was out for my morning walk around the river, its truly amazing as we continue to be awakened to the incredible reality that God emphatically does love us and really likes and enjoys our company.<br /> <br />The infusion of His love awakens our senses to things of such intense wonder and beauty that were there all of the time but sadly missed.<br />I am finding that I no longer need for God to do something supernatural to make others aware that He does exist. I continue to revel in the sobering and yet intoxicating infusion of his unconditional love</span></span>, <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">which frees me to be as he was in this world, one more time all over again God touching caring for this world of people living and breathing and loving through me.<br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rich</span></span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC09LumAZk8guC_1FqhwZI2P3TGipoJ4blepYqrUy-oZJKeHR9CDHXRa8GbFXOtNrowN8-t5gT5WzyeLQ4PCjqCv9L_EWPRAMuhdBF88YFFY4NkGtIzbDGk1yJlCAbljbvWosH3i0N7bM/s1600/P1000552.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC09LumAZk8guC_1FqhwZI2P3TGipoJ4blepYqrUy-oZJKeHR9CDHXRa8GbFXOtNrowN8-t5gT5WzyeLQ4PCjqCv9L_EWPRAMuhdBF88YFFY4NkGtIzbDGk1yJlCAbljbvWosH3i0N7bM/s320/P1000552.JPG" alt="" 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/><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-76559549058245678652012-01-29T08:21:00.004-05:002012-01-29T08:36:33.333-05:00There is Still a Lot We Miss<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Eq8s87OGFo9eeTKyZaRSOQkbo3DLrvNJmFSg9kLnpOJHMywAXOPxgDplpIGWEo9sKTY0Ww91Ds7irnGmK10mPvUJlF8G5Sh0ggiwQDTqy3BcTT845fB9-ZK_pCyxdnaQ-7H-sDCMDd8/s1600/what-are-we-missing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Eq8s87OGFo9eeTKyZaRSOQkbo3DLrvNJmFSg9kLnpOJHMywAXOPxgDplpIGWEo9sKTY0Ww91Ds7irnGmK10mPvUJlF8G5Sh0ggiwQDTqy3BcTT845fB9-ZK_pCyxdnaQ-7H-sDCMDd8/s320/what-are-we-missing.jpg" 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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="Calibri","sans-serif"font-size:85%;" >I love how the natural things point to a much greater reality, and nature to me is a wonderful mirror that draws us to that realm.<br />I read an article about mice that sing, and in reading it saw how that we as humans in so many ways are not in touch with our limited senses able to see and hear so much more that is happening all around us.<br />Is this pointing to the spiritual realm as well, are we not seeing or hearing so much more that waits for our senses to behold?<br /><br />A mouse makes much more than squeaks when it comes to mating time. It appears that they sing like birds to attract their mates. The problem for us humans is that the songs are sung in the ultrasound – frequencies outside the hearing of our ears.</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="Calibri","sans-serif"font-size:85%;" >As amazing as the natural world may seem to us there is still a lot we miss out on because human senses are not sensitive enough to see or hear everything that’s going on. Flowers when viewed with special cameras reveal a wealth of colour to attract insects and bats communicate and navigate around using sound outside our range of hearing.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">“</span><em style="font-style: italic;"><span style="Calibri","sans-serif"">It seems as though house mice might provide a new model organism for the study of song in animals,</span></em><span style="font-style: italic;">” says Dustin Penn. “</span><em style="font-style: italic;"><span style="Calibri","sans-serif"">Who would have thought that?</span></em><span style="font-style: italic;">”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rich</span></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-71992881181826137432012-01-25T07:18:00.003-05:002012-01-25T07:26:00.695-05:00In A Plain Box<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-Va2x20XX1_3L3NWu8gwrfW7ccR05__NBmmiJK-N6tDTzUaY38fXJ_yRZhopWD2nFfrhoWrQ3-kKng_fs0xhA1uKxZHcqdCm7PLVTq84Px0xMw4tgOpxj0veFAKrL1SG-5BPtbp45Fg/s1600/cullinan-i-diamond.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-Va2x20XX1_3L3NWu8gwrfW7ccR05__NBmmiJK-N6tDTzUaY38fXJ_yRZhopWD2nFfrhoWrQ3-kKng_fs0xhA1uKxZHcqdCm7PLVTq84Px0xMw4tgOpxj0veFAKrL1SG-5BPtbp45Fg/s320/cullinan-i-diamond.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701544304901350530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >I loved reading this story, I've only included part of it.<br /><br /></span><p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">On January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and christened the "Cullinan," it was the largest diamond ever found.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth's surface when he spotted a flash of starlight embedded in the wall just above him. His discovery was presented that same afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. Cullinan then sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which presented the stone to Britain's King Edward VII as a birthday gift. Worried that the diamond might be stolen in transit from Africa to London, Edward arranged to send a phony diamond aboard a steamer ship loaded with detectives as a diversionary tactic. While the decoy slowly made its way from Africa on the ship, the Cullinan was sent to England in a plain box.<br /><br />Isn't this a graphic picture of how God has come to us, as it were hidden within the plainness of a human box, contained within our fleshly humanity. So many looking for something, someone who walked and lived amongst us for 33 years and missed seeing him.<br />Is it any different today, God the Father now clothed in us as us is like then, now also not seen by so many.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rich</span><br /></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-1109741858064244472011-11-22T07:53:00.001-05:002011-11-22T07:55:33.175-05:00Was Jesus a Dumb Ass<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am linking up to a friend's blog by Stephanie, the link is <a href="http://jacmacsgirl-wasjesusadumbass.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">here</span></a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rich</span></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-38933606510142505112011-11-20T10:53:00.005-05:002011-11-20T11:04:55.166-05:00Covert Complicity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhH79KXdHk1uOJXFJPXSk59biFrQU0VrIYa1D4rYZWxiGsuSidwchJ-PzdRUl-JK4fRhGezikdZwMBXk36JVPDjXShdb7a6CVtJMw-hXWbAoxoj4KoWrFN1JsGjZjxdafGvOXR46eiQ8/s1600/coutneymilne.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhH79KXdHk1uOJXFJPXSk59biFrQU0VrIYa1D4rYZWxiGsuSidwchJ-PzdRUl-JK4fRhGezikdZwMBXk36JVPDjXShdb7a6CVtJMw-hXWbAoxoj4KoWrFN1JsGjZjxdafGvOXR46eiQ8/s320/coutneymilne.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677109284350253922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I love it when you hear something that resonates within you bearing witness to the truth you are seeing and growing in. Such was that in listening to a recent pod cast over at the Family Media site.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">You can listen to it </span><a style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);" href="http://familyroommedia.com/Podcast/Podcast_110911.mp3">here</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">; Feeling Exploited http://frmpodcast.wordpress.com/</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It’s not the whole pod cast that spoke to me but if you start roughly at 24 minutes into it you’ll get the gist of what leaped out at me. I especially loved where Loren attests to how much religion is in us. I shared this with my wife and we both agreed in how wonderful it will be if and when Loren decides to see just how deep this rabbit hole of religion really goes, meaning, yes religion is very much within us all, but; what is the impetus of what we call religion?</span> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />Rich </span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-53283853177159094512011-08-31T15:54:00.002-04:002011-08-31T15:57:45.762-04:00Mythical Reality<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T0jVCDHE6pI" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="420"></iframe>
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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Life as we know it has a way of infecting and affecting us much like the din of the white noise that surrounds us everywhere we go. This inner erosion is washing away the ability to not loose heart, and no matter what we do to try to prevent this inevitable heart stopping malady more often than not, we end up looking much like fish out of water lying, thrashing on the beach, waiting to soon expire.
<br />But what if there was a way of escape, not from the din of everyday living or any of the subliminal erosions, but right there where you and I live?
<br />
<br />Is it possible to lot loose heart, yes, but how? I believe that is the cry so many are faintly beginning to hear, its connected to a prayer lifted up the Father so very long ago;” I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!”</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />
<br />Why is it that Jesus who only lived for 33 years and only actually had 3 of them to publicly share with us, resort to “myth and metaphor’ (story-parable) telling?</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />Is it possible that he knew that any and all of their religious and intellectual ability was insufficient in freeing our hearts? The wisest and most brilliant man in the world resorting to story telling, oh my God, couldn’t you have done a bit better than this?
<br />
<br />So much of what is called the good news and received is mostly acknowledged as proposition, for the most part, mere facts that have lodged somewhere in our brains while leaving our heats untouched; the foolishness of Jesus using stories, offending our intellectual prowess in order to free our imprisoned hearts. </span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
<br />Myth and metaphor do not work well with us rationalists; we crave the “factual” and measurable ways of seeing and dealing with life.
<br />
<br />The use of the word “myth” is not an attempt of trying to warm up to Greek mythology, but is in fact more of a means via a story that brings us a glimpse of the eternal or what awakens our heart to the deep truths of life.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />The language of myth and metaphor has been my daily bread now for many years, my heart yearns and longs to be fully awakened, even so Lord plant your deep and passionate kisses upon my sleeping lips.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Rich </span></span> </p> Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-80548389613806177612011-08-30T15:21:00.003-04:002011-08-30T15:28:05.266-04:00Living in a Dream World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2s0MzleX08rrYAwDHr0FAWbvrFgz80fn8dmh9saj4NPiC5HkCQ1vfv88uLERHC7hhKTUMXfGPXOFLNt-x6xmQWqcVD3jXvxYyveVBW5lIenRnQOU9Slszq4sOYpSFepcEtK6hpOa3bE4/s1600/Picture-414.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2s0MzleX08rrYAwDHr0FAWbvrFgz80fn8dmh9saj4NPiC5HkCQ1vfv88uLERHC7hhKTUMXfGPXOFLNt-x6xmQWqcVD3jXvxYyveVBW5lIenRnQOU9Slszq4sOYpSFepcEtK6hpOa3bE4/s320/Picture-414.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646731717396647538" border="0" /></a>
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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">The following are more of my thoughts that have become very real to me while away for the past two weeks on vacation, it was there afresh I found myself being awakened and finding myself strangely disoriented and wondering why I was once again right smack dab in the middle of a raging war.
<br />
<br />"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.”
<br />
<br />You can read some earlier thoughts <a href="http://rantz72.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/born-into-a-world-at-war/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">here</span></a>.
<br />
<br />From the movie The Matrix, Morpheus asks Neo; “Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />
<br />The reason I sooner or later come back to quoting so often from this movie in particular, is because of how I so identify with Neo and all those still wide awake living within in their designer fashioned dream world, but at the same time, totally oblivious to what is really happening in the real world; a person who has lost all levels of consciousness, right down to their identity, is said to be “alert and oriented times zero.”</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />
<br />In Neo’s case the truth is something he says he wants more than anything but does he really? “What is the Matrix? Control. The Matrix is a computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this; [</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><i>holds up a Duracell battery</i>]. Neo staggers back saying, No, I don't believe it. It's not possible.” Morpheus replies, “I didn't say it would be easy, Neo. I just said it would be the truth.”
<br />
<br />When a person becomes a follower of Christ aka, a Christian, it can be much like being awakened from a dream world as well, and the truth as it begins to shine within our hearts comes into direct contact with the lies we have grown up believing as was with Neo; “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.”</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />Neo asks; “what truth?” Morpheus who is in my opinion much like the spirit of truth clearly begins to pull back the veil and says; “That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch, a prison for your (heart) mind.”
<br />
<br />The choice is always ours as it was for Neo; “I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.”</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />Our continued detoxing is as much about knowing whatthe lie is, as it is in knowing the Truth; “The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see, Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters? The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it.”
<br />
<br />I need to stress that our enemy is not with flesh and blood; “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual </span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><i>forces</i> of wickedness in the heavenly <i>places (working through flesh and blood</i>.”
<br />
<br />A lot of life and living can be very unclear, in your life, what are you perfectly clear on? So much of what was promised to us in responding to the Gospel message has in fact only left us mostly dazed and confused.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Rich</span></span> </p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span>
<br />Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-39890194183015961592011-08-13T15:18:00.001-04:002011-08-13T15:22:25.804-04:00What Is Spiritual Warfare?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQfn_X-aoYuXuCp2cy5F59S9HfkwNaZAdPjHfDz5WGFs0PWRKwcfZFriyLDxzY_8FGg7FgHeieVLttTkNXYZOOAME8dqaE-zLkA_kMmIOv5aF7VeRLPFoP7DDd3CyK3gW5QZdmP_PpBU/s1600/aanm-thank-you-jesus-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQfn_X-aoYuXuCp2cy5F59S9HfkwNaZAdPjHfDz5WGFs0PWRKwcfZFriyLDxzY_8FGg7FgHeieVLttTkNXYZOOAME8dqaE-zLkA_kMmIOv5aF7VeRLPFoP7DDd3CyK3gW5QZdmP_PpBU/s320/aanm-thank-you-jesus-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640422412435712114" border="0" /></a>
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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">If ever there was a sacred cow subject about to become tipsy it’s this one. For any who have ever been involved with any of the Charismatic venues or of its teaching’s, will at least inwardly acknowledge the disconcerting milieu it has become.
<br />In my continued reading of my good friend Bill Landon’s book, Up From The Ashes, he has a chapter dealing with spiritual warfare, and some of his thoughts were so freeing to drink in.
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<br />What Jesus came to proclaim was a truth that was radical and important. Christ is the summation of the Father’s plan for His creation-both for the Jews and for the followers of Christ. Due to the importance of Christ’s work it was necessary for Him to be validated. The Father did this through the empowering of Christ to work miracles. We should never misunderstand the healings and exorcisms of Jesus as a special example of spiritual warfare for us to emulate. The Father gives each of us a testimony that comes out through our living. This message of our living may be powerful and dynamic or quiet and subtle. The outward manifestation of this testimony is not important. What is important is that we are true to the testimony both in its content and in the method of its delivery. The people who are truly seeking the Father will understand the living testimony regardless of the particular nature of its manifestation. The people are living in opposition to God will not understand the living testimony in our lives no matter how powerful or miraculous it is.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Remember, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time saw His miracles and concluded that He was demon possessed: “But when the Pharisees heard <i>this</i>, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”(Matthew 12:24)
<br />So if spiritual warfare is not binding and loosing and demon expulsion then what is it? I mentioned earlier that Jesus engaged in spiritual warfare. That being said it is now important to ask: What was it in Jesus’ life that represented the essence of spiritual warfare?
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<br />To be continued….</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">Rich</span></span> </p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span>
<br />Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-87044103800284841212011-08-08T19:01:00.005-04:002011-08-08T19:10:20.004-04:00Heaven and Earth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntRAj7dOluz5BMblM9p6aaRNkifuwXrmiPQQLoYtQ-kyV72At47ZDdacb_CM1ft6lXNT-AlJTxiXVxFDfyc1hamlA506nt7cxm_gNXTtgYjClm-QI6yN1jICn1-X_pOan6wTBWtW6bU4/s1600/Heaven_and_Earth.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntRAj7dOluz5BMblM9p6aaRNkifuwXrmiPQQLoYtQ-kyV72At47ZDdacb_CM1ft6lXNT-AlJTxiXVxFDfyc1hamlA506nt7cxm_gNXTtgYjClm-QI6yN1jICn1-X_pOan6wTBWtW6bU4/s320/Heaven_and_Earth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638624542786443410" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The following is from my good friend Art Licursi, the article is entitled, </span><span class="cgSelectable" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: verdana;" title="View all emails with this subject">Part 2 of 13 - The Dynashperes.
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<br /></span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoFooter"><span style="font-size:85%;">In this series we are exploring what the Bible has to say concerning God’s eternal intent, plan, and purpose involving saved mankind. Ultimately, the<i style=""> “most high God”</i> has been and is the <i style="">“possessor of heaven and earth” (Gen 14:19).</i> God’s plan includes the participation of the <b style=""><i style="">all</i> <i style="">believers</i></b> of <b style=""><i style="">all</i> <i style="">ages</i></b><i style=""> </i>to ultimately act as co-regents with Him in <i style="">“the ages to come,”</i> either <i style="">“in heaven”</i> or <i style="">“on earth</i>.” </span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><ul style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"><li> <div style="MARGIN:0in 0.25in 6pt 0in;" class="MsoFooter"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">In Heaven</b>: The ultimate position, glory, and work<i style=""> </i>of the members of <i style="">“<b style="">the body of Christ”</b></i> are that they will eternally occupy, enjoy, and express Christ’s life and authority as they reign in <b style="">“<i style="">the heavens” </i></b><i style="">(2Cor 5:1) </i>with Christ. The believers will be raptured to eternally dwell in the heavens where they will <i style="">“ever be with the Lord” (1 Thes 4:17)</i>. They will have their work or duties in the heavens, which includes, reigning as co-regents with and by Christ life within (2Tim 2:20a), to live through them and guide them.</span></div></li><li> <div style="MARGIN:0in 0in 6pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">On Earth</b>: All the believing remnant of <i style=""><strong>“ Israel ”</strong></i> of the past dispensation of <i style="">“the Law”</i> will ultimately occupy, enjoy, and reign in the eternal realm of <b style="">“<i style="">kingdom of heaven…</i></b><i style=""> <b style=""><u>on earth</u></b>” (Rev 20:6).</i> This also includes all the dead Messianic believers from the cross through the early Acts period. All these, plus the Tribulation martyrs of Israel , will be resurrected at <i style="">“the first resurrection”</i> <i style="">(Rev 20:5),</i> which occurs at the close of the Tribulation. All the resurrected Messianic believers of Israel will at that time return to the Millennial<i style=""> “kingdom”</i> on earth<i style="">.</i> Then, following the <i style="">“Great White Throne Judgment”</i> at the close of the Millennium, these same believers of Israel will reign eternally as co-regents with Christ<span style=""> on <b><i style="">“the new earth.</i></b></span><b style=""><i style="">”</i></b></span> </div></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jesus of Nazareth came to minister only to <i style="">“the lost sheep of the house of Israel ” (Matt 15:24), </i>not to the Gentiles. Recall that the so-called Lord’s Prayer Jesus gave His Jewish disciples; <i style="">“<b style="">THY KINGDOM COME</b> thy will be done<b style=""> <u>ON EARTH</u>.”</b> </i>The prayer includes; <i style="">“And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but <b style=""><u>deliver us from the evil one</u></b>… (<b>Matthew 6:13 (AMP).</b> </i>The believers of Israel in the Tribulation shall seek to be delivered and preserved from <i style="">“the Evil One”</i> – the Anti-Christ. All<i style=""> </i>the true heart-circumcised believers of Israel will ultimately inherit <i style="">“the kingdom of heaven”</i> <b style=""><u>on earth</u></b>. This prayer is <b style=""><u>not</u></b> a prayer for the predominantly Gentile <i style="">“ body of Christ”</i> to whom Paul was sent to minister his <i style="">“mystery”</i> gospel (Eph 3:1, Rom 11:13). By contrast, Paul writes that <i style="">“the body of Christ”</i> is destined for <i style="">heaven</i>; “<i style="">For <b style="">OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN,</b> from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ</i>” <b style=""><i style="">(<span style="">Philippians 3:20 (NASB), </span></i></b>at the rapture<b><i style="">.</i></b></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoFooter"><span style="font-size:85%;">Thus, we need to note understand these distinctions the Bible makes between <b style=""><i style="">“the heavens and… the earth” </i></b>with regard to His eternal plan for the Nation <i style="">“ Israel ”</i> and that for <i style="">“the body of Christ.”</i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoFooter"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Lord’s creation consists of two spheres or realms -<i style="">“the heavens”</i> and <i style="">“the earth”.</i> Genesis 1:1 refers to the beginning of the creation; “<i style="">In the beginning God <b style=""><u>created</u></b> <b style="">the heaven</b> and <b style="">the earth</b> <b style="">(Genesis 1:1).</b></i> Genesis does <b style=""><i style=""><u>not</u></i></b> refer to the very beginning; John 1:1-3 refers to the very beginning. <b><i style="">John 1:1-3 </i></b><b style=""><i style="">In the beginning was the Word</i></b><i style="">, and <b style="">the Word was with God</b>, and <b style="">the Word was God. </b><sup>2 </sup>The same was in the beginning with God. <b style=""><sup>3 </sup><u>All things</u> were <u>made</u> by him</b>; and <b style=""><u>without him was not any thing made that was made</u>. </b></i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoFooter"><span style="font-size:85%;">The John 1:1 account references a <i style="">“beginning”</i> that was before Genesis 1:1. It is the beginning without a beginning, because it refers to the <i style="">timeless eternal past</i>. Christ as <i style="">“the Word”</i> was in the beginning <u>before</u> creation as the creator of <i style="">“… the world”</i> and <i style="">“all things”</i> in <i style="">“heaven and earth</i>.”</span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">John 1:10 </i></b><b style=""><i style="">He (Jesus) was in the world, and THE WORLD</i></b><i style=""> (kosmos) <b style="">WAS MADE BY HIM</b></i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.25in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">Colossians 1:16 </i></b><i style="">For <b style="">BY HIM </b>(Christ, see v13)<b style=""> WERE <u>ALL THINGS</u> CREATED, THAT ARE <u>IN HEAVEN</u>, </b>AND THAT ARE <b style=""><u>IN EARTH</u></b>, <b style=""><u>visible and invisible</u>, whether <span style="">they be</span> <u>THRONES, </u>OR <u>DOMINIONS</u>, OR <u>PRINCIPALITIES</u>, OR <u>POWERS</u>: all things were created by him, and for him. </b></i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">This series addresses both the realms of <i style="">“heaven and earth” </i>and the <i style="">“<b style="">all things</b> created” (v 10) </i>in those realms. The <b style=""><i style="">“all things”</i></b> here are not the trees or fish, etc.; they are the creatures God created and placed in the spiritual realm of the heavens. These have rank and governmental authority, including things; <b style=""><i style="">“visible and invisible… thrones… dominions… principalities… powers.”</i></b> As we will see, these are terms that are often repeated in Paul’s latter epistles and we will better define these later.</span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">The word “<i style="">heaven”</i> in Genesis 1:1 of the KJV Bible - “<i style="">God <b style=""><u>created</u></b> <b style="">the heaven</b> and <b style="">the earth,”</b></i> should be <i style="">“heaven<b style=""><u>s</u></b>.”</i> The Hebrew word for <i style="">“heaven”</i> here is<i style=""> “shāmayim.”</i> This word is the <u>dual</u> of the Hebrew singular “<i style="">shameh.”</i> It may properly be translated as<i style=""> “the heaven<b style=""><u>s</u></b>”</i> as seen in most other translations of the Bible. Thus there are multiple <i style="">heavens </i>within<i style=""> “the heaven”</i> of Genesis 1:1.</span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Biblically, there are three (3) heavens within the realm of<i style=""> “heaven.”</i> I will summarize these three heavens in their reverse order, as follows.</span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal;"> </span></span>The <i style="">“third heaven”</i> is the place of <i style="">“the Holy Mountain of God ,”</i> the place of God’s throne and also Paradise . Paul gives us his brief account of <i style="">“the third heaven.”</i> You may recall that Paul was stoned at <span style="">Iconium and thought by most to have died (Acts 14:19)</span>.</span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style="">“I knew a man in Christ more than fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows.) Such a <b style="">one caught UP to</b> <b style="">the <u>THIRD HEAVEN</u></b>. <sup>3 </sup>And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;)<sup> 4</sup> How that <b style="">he was <u>caught UP into PARADISE</u></b> , and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)</i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">By comparing Paul’s words in 1Cor 12:4 with Rev 2:7 we can identify the <i style="">“third heaven”</i> as the place of<i style=""> “the paradise of God;”</i> where all <i style="">“the just”</i> people of all ages who have died currently dwell. Upon His death, Jesus raised Paradise and the spirits of these pre-cross justified believers with him. Paradise had been located <i style="">“under the earth.”</i> There bodies still abide in the earth or sea awaiting there resurrection and new spirit-bodies. Now, since the cross all believers are brought immediately into the presence of the Lord. </span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">2 Cor. 5:8</i></b><i style=""> We are <b><u>confident</u></b><b style="">,</b> <span style="">I say,</span> and willing rather <b><u>to be absent from the body, and to be PRESENT WITH THE LORD. </u></b><u><span style=""></span></u></i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">Ecclesiastes 12:7 (AMP)</i></b><i style=""><span style=""> </span>Then shall the dust [out of which God made man’s body] return to the earth as it was, and <b style=""><u>THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN</u> TO GOD WHO GAVE IT</b>. </i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">Philippians 1:23 </i></b><i style="">I (Paul) … having a desire to depart, and <b style=""><u>TO BE WITH CHRIST</u></b>…</i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><i style="">1 Cor. 15:52</i></b><i style=""> In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and <strong><u>THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE</u></strong>, AND <b style=""><u>WE SHALL BE CHANGED</u></b> (allasso, made different). </i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><i style="">1 Thes. 4:13-17 </i></strong><i style="">But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye <strong><u>SORROW NOT</u>, <u>even as others which have no hope</u></strong>. </i><i style=""><span style="FONT-SIZE:8pt;">14</span>For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so <b style=""><u>THEM ALSO WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM</u></b>.<span style=""> </span></i><i><span style="FONT-SIZE:8pt;">15</span>For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.</i><i style=""> </i><i style=""><span style="FONT-SIZE:8pt;">16</span>For <b style="">the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,</b> with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and <strong><u>THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST</u></strong>: </i><i><span style="FONT-SIZE:8pt;">17</span>Then <strong><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and </span>SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD</u></strong>. </i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Believers in the Paradise of heaven await their new spirit-bodies and their assignments in either of God’s two governmental spheres at the culmination of the ages. The members of <i style="">“the body of Christ”</i> will reign <i style="">“in the new heaven”</i> and those of believing Israel will reign on <i style="">“the new earth” </i>in <i style="">“the kingdom.”</i> We will discuss this later.</span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Ultimately, at the culmination of the ages, Paradise will be restored to the everlasting <i style="">“new (renewed) earth.”</i> <i style="">“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I (God) give to eat of <b style="">the tree of life</b>, which is in the midst of <b style="">the paradise of God.</b>” (<span style="">Revelation 2:7)</span><b style=""> </b></i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" start="2" type="1"><li style="MARGIN:0in 0in 6pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">There also is what may be called the “2<sup>nd</sup> heaven.” It’s the expanse of the <i style="">“kosmos”;</i> the universe with its sun, planets and stars as we know it (Gen 1:14-19). It is filled with created spirit-beings. </span></li></ol><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="st">Lucifer was a Cherub of highest rank (Eze 28:14). God cast </span><em><span style="FONT-STYLE:normal;">him</span></em><span class="st"><i style=""> </i>from his position of “Chief Covering angel</span>” who had access to <i style="">“the holy Mountain of God”</i> in the 3<sup>rd</sup> heaven (Eze 28:16). The 2<sup>nd</sup> heaven is now Lucifer’s sphere with his fallen angelic host that had bought into his plan for a coup d'état against <i style="">“the most high God.” </i>Lucifer’s plan was to ascend above (Isa 14:13) to the “<i style="">the holy mountain of God ”</i> in the 3<sup>rd</sup> heaven.<b><i style=""> </i></b>Lucifer now rules the earth from the 2<sup>nd</sup> heaven, since he was <i style="">“cast”<b> </b></i><span style="">out of the 3<sup>rd</sup> heaven.</span></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Formerly, the heavenly government would convene on <i style="">“mount of the congregation.”</i> The Lord met with the heavenly angelic host in <i style="">“the mount of the congregation”</i> located somewhere in the northern part of the universe (Isa 14:13), within the 2<sup>nd</sup> heaven that we call the universe. 1 Kings 22:19-23 was one of those meetings. </span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" start="3" type="1"><li style="MARGIN:0in 0in 6pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Then, there is what may be called the “1<sup>st</sup> heaven” or the atmosphere that envelopes the planet earth where there are clouds, winds, and the air we breathe. Paul also calls Satan <b style=""><i style="">“the prince of the power of the <u>air</u>” </i></b><i style="">(Eph 2:2).</i> Lucifer, also called the Dragon, Old Serpent, Satan and the Devil, is the over-ruler, the evil mastermind and <b style=""><i style="">“the god of <u>this world</u>.”</i></b> He is the present ruler this world. We will discuss this in greater detail in subsequent installments.</span></li></ol><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">2 Corinthians 4:4 </i></b><i style=""><sup><span style=""> </span></sup>In whom<b style=""> <u>THE GOD OF THIS WORLD (SATAN</u>) </b>hath blinded the minds of them which believe not….</i></span></p><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i style="">Ephesians 2:2 </i></b><i style="">Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to <b style=""><u>THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR</u></b>, <b style=""><u>THE SPIRIT</u> THAT NOW WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE: </b></i></span></p>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 204);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rich</span></span>
<br />Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-38345591222846743422011-04-02T12:40:00.003-04:002011-04-02T12:44:23.283-04:00The Way of Our Release<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFw9myTK-YvRsdOqfBc1rnlNhnJX1OrUnt0QM6R4aDye0kFAQcTocgqtL33dWGzP_feHs7GvX98wzVuKTP9an_qHyBpNudslo1ontBi_3546ngA-KoFUPYfsc4P_vXViiPz7eVufwXpU/s1600/being_released__by_salondro-d39ncfb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFw9myTK-YvRsdOqfBc1rnlNhnJX1OrUnt0QM6R4aDye0kFAQcTocgqtL33dWGzP_feHs7GvX98wzVuKTP9an_qHyBpNudslo1ontBi_3546ngA-KoFUPYfsc4P_vXViiPz7eVufwXpU/s320/being_released__by_salondro-d39ncfb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591027164173547138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" ><p><i>Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. (Hebrews 12:2)</i></p> <p>The passion of the Cross is the way of our release, and if you consider your own spiritual experience, those of you who have any experience of a walk with God, you know quite well that it has been through times of deep and acute suffering that you have found fresh releases; fresh releases in your spiritual life. Is it not true? Yes, we pass into a time of excruciating spiritual and soul suffering. We do not know what the Lord is doing, what He means by this, what He is after, but we know the features of our experience and know what it is that we are suffering, and it goes on. We, of course, ask the Lord to stop it, to bring it to a quick end, to deliver us from it. He takes no notice of us, and it is only those people who get out the other end who say, ‘Thank God, He did not take any notice.’ In the meantime, we think He is anything but kind and good and doing the right thing, but as we get on under His hand, we begin to see and to sense that He is dealing with something. Maybe He is dealing with our pride, our independence, or our irresponsibility, for example. That is the issue that comes up, and we are faced all the time with something about ourselves that is almost devastating. We would not have believed that that was so strong in us. </p> <p>Oh, of course we were always ready to believe that that is in mankind and in us as a part of mankind in a general way. Yes, we would never have resented being told that there was pride or something like that about us, but we would never have believed how deeply rooted and terribly strong that thing is until it was put to a fiery test and everything was held up, and we saw that everything in our life and work for God was held up on that point.... And we know quite well that what the Lord was after was not the pulverising of us, as we thought, the winding up of us, but to bring about enlargement, to bring about release, and release always lies along the line of the Cross, the passion. Enlargement always lies in that direction. </p></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-5312297306455333342011-03-28T00:10:00.001-04:002011-03-28T00:10:00.068-04:00Sifting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Lpj1HkcNDJ7BZvKh2QARoH_s90hN9pByQM7pAz29ldcTW5hLc4K56-QwwZc_QVghaUorQmlewDCL5ruwJVvhOTTh24Oai2GyhyF8RhkMuhxWxKzRhuZMMD52D5prk5D-zBgY-YRQ5M/s1600/Sifting_Through_II_by_Audball14.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Lpj1HkcNDJ7BZvKh2QARoH_s90hN9pByQM7pAz29ldcTW5hLc4K56-QwwZc_QVghaUorQmlewDCL5ruwJVvhOTTh24Oai2GyhyF8RhkMuhxWxKzRhuZMMD52D5prk5D-zBgY-YRQ5M/s320/Sifting_Through_II_by_Audball14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588878849169769218" border="0" 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="Verdana","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >We have seen who Jesus is by revelation of the Holy Spirit. He is the very Bread of God come down from Heaven and is as necessary to our inward man as natural food is to our outward man. That is so often proved by our choices. If, on the one hand, there is an opportunity for some spiritual food, and on the other hand there is an opportunity or invitation for some natural enjoyment, the true disciple always says: 'I am for the spiritual food! That is more important to me than all natural pleasures.' This is the kind of disciple that Jesus must have: those to whom He is the only life. That is gathered into this word which He used: 'Except'... <i>'Except </i>ye eat the flesh of the Son of man... <i>Except </i>ye drink His blood ye have not life.' There are no alternatives to this. There is nothing that you can put into the place of this. It is this, or nothing - or, it is this or spiritual death. </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="Verdana","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Yes, He wants disciples to whom He is the only life, not just life and something else. There are whole multitudes of disciples who want Christ and something else, to whom Christ is not all-sufficient, the only life, and the Lord is going to sift out those in his body who carry the name of 'disciples'. He has always done it. He did it in New Testament times. The mighty persecutions which came upon the early Church were His means of sifting out, and through the ages He has done this thing by many means. He is doing it in the world today. Oh, what a tremendous sifting is going on amongst Christians! It is already beginning in the east and is going to develop in the west - the western world is not going to escape this. The great multitudes who may call themselves by the name of Christ's disciples are going to be found out. Let us be quite clear and certain on this point. If Christ is not our only life we are going out, for sooner or later we shall not be able to stand up to the test.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">Rich</span></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-10473689371597636222011-03-27T15:58:00.003-04:002011-03-27T16:14:44.142-04:00There Were Five Porches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6k8rkn5H_VZYO4OqnzjmJMW_bwRF92l-33okXVGFvCjsBoJ1YY24zHQopJPi-NQBmC3X73u5cUqQNH5lb-Lea7MK8rgy32iAkKeW9SuC__r22ra7S3N-4nazfa_AjJhu8As5vhNa4Z0/s1600/AmeliasArtSupplement049.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6k8rkn5H_VZYO4OqnzjmJMW_bwRF92l-33okXVGFvCjsBoJ1YY24zHQopJPi-NQBmC3X73u5cUqQNH5lb-Lea7MK8rgy32iAkKeW9SuC__r22ra7S3N-4nazfa_AjJhu8As5vhNa4Z0/s400/AmeliasArtSupplement049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588852323812176882" border="0" /></a><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">John 5:1-18.</span> </span></span><br /><br /> <p style="margin: 0in; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I do not know whether this was in John's mind, but I do see that he had a great deal in his mind which we do not always notice. What I mean is this: Why was it that when John spoke about the Pool of Bethesda he said that there <span style="font-style: italic;">were <span style="font-weight: bold;">five</span></span><span style="font-style:italic"></span> porches there? Was it the artist giving a little touch to the picture? Well, John was an artist in words, but the Holy Spirit was writing this thing through John, and five is the number of grace. Wherever you look in the Bible <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">five</span> is the number of <span style="font-style: italic;">grace</span>. You and I carry that very number on both hands and both feet, if we are normal people; and more than that, we have five physical senses. Why, we are made up of fives! God meant us to be people of grace. This poor man was in bondage to the law, but <span style="font-style:italic">"the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" </span>(John 1:17). And right there, in the presence of the bondage of the law, was this testimony to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. </p><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"> </span><p style="margin: 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><br /></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">What is this sign, then? It is a wonderful sign! This man is a true picture and representation of what it means to be under the law. Jesus stood and cried: </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:10.0pt">"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden" </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">(Matthew 11:28). What did He mean? The burden of the law was upon the people, indeed, it was a heavy burden for them. The Pharisees gave more than two thousand interpretations to the law of Moses, and said: 'The law of Moses does not mean that you have only to keep ten commandments; it means that you have to keep two thousand.' There was not a point in all their human life where this law was not applied and made their lives difficult. And all this was gathered up into the Sabbath: 'You must not make your bed on the Sabbath! You must not carry your bed on the Sabbath! You must not poke your fire on the Sabbath! You must do nothing on the Sabbath - you may not even walk more than three miles.' Two thousand regulations for their lives! The one thing that they were meeting every day, and especially on the Sabbath, was 'You may not'. </span></p><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"> </span><p style="margin: 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt;">"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly</span>." <span style="font-size:10.0pt">(Matthew 11:28). What has happened? Jesus has appropriated the Sabbath to Himself. It is no longer a day of the week - it is a divine person. (If the Seventh Day Adventists saw that, the whole of their system would go in five minutes!) No, Jesus is God's Sabbath. He is the end of God's works, and in Him God has entered into His rest. This is the 'rest which remaineth for the children of God' - not a day of the week or on the calendar, but a divine person, the Son of God. In Him we come to rest, and that which was our bondage is now our servant. In Him that against which we were always struggling is now our victory. Oh yes, Jesus is the Sabbath, and if we live in Him we shall not spoil the Sabbath. Every day should be a day of rest to our souls. Oh, this is a mighty thing that the Lord Jesus has done! </span></p><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"> </span><p style="margin: 0in; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><br /></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Now note: the Lord Jesus looked upon that which He did for this man as a very great and serious thing. When He found him in the temple He said to him: </span><span style="font-style:italic;font-size: 10.0pt">"Thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee" </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">(John 5:14). Now back to the Letter to the Galatians: </span><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:10.0pt">"Ye were running well," </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">said the Apostle, </span><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:10.0pt">"who did hinder you?"</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> (Galatians 5:7). 'You are returning, or are in danger of returning, to the old bondage. You are listening to those Judaizers who want to bring you back under the bondage of the law, and if you go back there the last state will be worse than the first. It is a worse thing to fall away from grace than never to have been in grace.' That is what the Word says - 'a worse thing'. Oh, dear friends, we have been liberated from this whole law through faith in Jesus Christ. Let us walk, and continue to walk in our liberty. </span><span style="font-style:italic; font-size:10.0pt">"Ye were running well"</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> - that is better than walking. Let us not stop running the race! </span></p> <p style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri;font-size:11.0pt"> </p> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rich</span></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-57517531263597120112011-03-20T14:42:00.003-04:002011-03-20T14:49:54.647-04:00Hope Hangs Upon Seeing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYegPoz4ub3G0xgpVRiEDB0fyvKDVj3bkZ9r9Zz7iauFed5B98Vul1_sav0eUX2JzUVTkHl44Fb2Gd_1apuPYKRz_RCwO7qHp-0R6Rb9rhSffg_L-q3UMNvxDFN2GRFEI7jE3lTPF3HQ/s1600/hope.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYegPoz4ub3G0xgpVRiEDB0fyvKDVj3bkZ9r9Zz7iauFed5B98Vul1_sav0eUX2JzUVTkHl44Fb2Gd_1apuPYKRz_RCwO7qHp-0R6Rb9rhSffg_L-q3UMNvxDFN2GRFEI7jE3lTPF3HQ/s320/hope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586235764994941922" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Need Of The Hour</b> </span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><p style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">That brings us, then, to the need of the hour, the need which, of course, is the need of every hour, of every day, of every age. But we are made more and more aware in our time of this need, and in a sense, we can say there never was a time when there was a greater need for people who could say and can say, I see! That is the need just now. Great and terrible is that need, and not until that need is met will there be any hope. Hope hangs upon this, that there would arise people in this world, this dark world of confusion and chaos and tragedy and contradiction, people who are able to say, I see! If there should arise a man to-day who had position, to exercise influence and be taken account of, and such a man who saw, what new hope would arise with him, what a new prospect! That is the need. Whether that need will be met in a public, national, international way or not, I do not know, but that need must be met in a spiritual way by people on this earth who are in that position, who really can say, I see! </span></p> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">You see, Christianity has so largely become a tradition. The truth has been resolved into truths and put into a Blue-Book, the Blue-Book of Evangelical Doctrine, a set and fenced up thing. These are the evangelical doctrines, they set the bounds of evangelical Christianity in preaching and in teaching. Yes, they are presented in many and various forms. They are served up with interesting and attractive anecdotes and illustrations, and with studied originality and uniqueness, so that the old truths will not be too obvious, but will stand some chance of getting over because of the clothes in which they are dressed up; and a very great deal depends upon the ability and the personality of the preacher or the teacher. People say, I like his style, I like his manner, I like his way of saying things! - and much depends upon that: but when all those trappings have been stripped off, the stories, the anecdotes, the illustrations, and the personality and the ability of the preacher or teacher: when that has all gone, you have simply got again the same old things, and some of us come along and outdo the last man in the way of presenting them in order to gain for them some acceptance, some impression. I do not think that is unkind criticism, for that is what it amounts to; and no one will think that I am asking for a change or dismissal of the old truths. </span></p> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">But what I am trying to get at is this: it is not new truths, it is not the changing of the truth, but it is that there shall be those who, in presenting the truth, can be recognised by those who listen as men who have seen: and that makes all the difference. Not men who have read and studied and prepared, but men who have seen, about whom there is that which we find in this man in John 9 - the element of wonder. "Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see". And you know whether a person has seen or not, you know where it has come from and how it has come: and that is the need: that something, that indefinable something, which works out in wonder, and you have to say, That man has seen something, that woman has seen something! It is that seeing factor which makes all the difference. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">Rich</span><br /></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-60888304991675108712011-01-11T07:43:00.003-05:002011-01-11T07:48:51.947-05:00Hopeless Situations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAah_eOBZZLx_-CKLqTYwN67gqs0cGK5DDylh3KcK6G5pNb4Xl92yNNG1D84T0R4qCQ6idulWVLtYXAGfeIyXUMQn0NyR9Jf2tjmGmaRaS8zVgWcnQxxrLA4m7MfHYb3MfOU16uenLdlg/s1600/Hopeless_by_n3onStarsxx.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" 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mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:10pt;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >In having no to very little revelation in our lives, we simply do what we have learned to do from birth, draw from our bankrupt resources, going real fast nowhere.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > Here’s the kicker in my opinion, Jesus said, “Except you are born anew, you cannot see, or enter the Kingdom of God!”</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > Why is there such pandemic blindness in our lives especially if the source of Life is resident in us as us? "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > Chapter 4 of John is but another way of setting forth the same truth. The woman after all is found to be bankrupt, at zero. Jesus gradually draws her out and the final expression from her side is, in effect, Well, I don't know anything about that, I have not anything of that; I have been coming here every day, day after day, but I know nothing about what you are talking of! She is down to zero: and then He says, That is where we begin. The water that I shall give is not the drawing upon your own resources at all, not bringing something out of your well, it is not something that you can produce and I improve upon and make better. No, it is something which comes solely and only from Myself; it is a new act altogether apart from you; it is the water that I shall give. We begin all over again in this matter.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > The glory of God is not found in improving, the glory of God is found in resurrection. That is what is coming out here. The glory of God is not found in our being able to produce something or put something into God's hands, something of ours, that He can take up and make use of. The glory of God is something solely out from God Himself, and we can contribute nothing. The glory of God comes out of zero.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > he glory of God is in resurrection, and therefore love demands that everything shall come to the place where only resurrection will meet the situation; no curing of things, no remedying of the old man.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > Oh, let me start right back at the beginning if it is necessary. There are still a lot of people in this world who think that there is something in man that can contribute to the glory of God and that Christianity is only the bringing up out of man of something that is for the glory of God. That is a long-, long-standing fallacy and lie. It is not true. Call it what you like; it goes by various names, such as 'the inner light' or 'the vital spark'. The Word of God all the way through is coming down tremendously on this thing. I start at zero, and zero for me means that I can contribute nothing. Everything has to come from God. The very fact that the gift of God is eternal life means that you have not got it until it is given to you. You are blind until God gives you the faculty of sight. You are dead until God gives you life. You are a hopeless cripple until God does something for you and in you which you can never do. Unless God does this thing, unless this act takes place, well, there you lie. Spiritually, that is how you are. You can contribute nothing. Nicodemus, you have nothing to give, you must be born again; I cannot take you at the point at which you come to Me! Woman of Samaria, you have nothing, and you know it and confess it: that is where I begin! Man of Bethesda, you can do nothing, and you know it: then it all rests with Me! If ever there is to be anything, it rests with Me! Lazarus, what can you do now, and what can anybody make of you? If I do not come right in as out from heaven and do this thing, then there is nothing but corruption! </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > Glory—that the Lord shall be glorified in us. What greater thing could happen than that the Lord should be glorified in us? The glory of God is bound up with the resurrection, and resurrection is God's unique and sole prerogative. So that if God is to be glorified in us, you and I have to live on Him as the resurrection and the life from day to day, and know Him as that as we go through life.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-family: verdana;">Rich</b><br /></span><br /></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-77314941212053938732011-01-10T00:05:00.000-05:002011-01-10T00:05:00.266-05:00Blind To Beauty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM0Luhr-zBd0Ixl6v1RFqvyUvxlC26E1WEoMunxYH2GTR-3FYSiye3A7G8Z1Eb5PiFdjXQHQU11-lAVZv4Qha354miMbw_ez25X8P4CKX_bMaDfRAgpbLDVRryGmU7W5ko9zksj-cGMM/s1600/Blind_to_Beauty_by_phatpuppy.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 320px;" 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">How does it come about? Just like that, and that crisis is a crisis for us all. If you have not had that crisis, you ask the Lord about it. Mark you, if you are going to have that transaction with the Lord, you are asking for something, you are asking for trouble; for, as I said before, this natural man dies hard; he clings tenaciously, he does not like being put aside. Look at that grain of wheat. When it has fallen into the ground, look at what happens to it. Do you think it is pleasant? What is happening? It is losing its own identity. You cannot recognize it. Take it out and have a look at it. Is this that lovely little grain of wheat I put into the ground? What an ugly thing it has become! It has lost all its own identity, lost its own cohesiveness; it is all falling to pieces. How ugly! Yes, that is what death does. This death of Christ as it is wrought in us breaks up our own natural life. It scatters it, pulls it to pieces, takes all its beauty away. We begin to discover that, after all, there is nothing in us but corruption. That is the truth. Falling apart, we are losing all that beauty that was there from the natural point of view, perhaps, as men saw it. It is no pleasant thing to fall into the ground and die. That is what happens. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">"But if it die . . ." "If we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him" (Rom 6:8). We shall share His life, take another life, and then a new form is given, a new life; not ours, but His. It is a crisis. I do urge upon you to have real dealings with the Lord about this matter. But if you do, expect what I have said, expect that you are going to fall to pieces, expect that the beauty you thought was there will be altogether marred; expect to discover that you are far more corrupt than ever you thought you were; expect that the Lord will bring you to a place where you cry, Woe is me for I am undone! But then the blessing that will come will just be this—O Lord, the best thing that can happen for me is that I shall die! And the Lord will say, That is exactly what I have been working at, I cannot glorify that corruption. "This corruptible must put on incorruption" (1 Cor 15:53), and that incorruption is the germ of that Divine life in the seed which yields its own life up, that is transmitted from Him. God is not going to glorify this humanity. He is going to make us like Christ's glorious body. That is far too deep, and too much ahead, but our point is that there has to be this crisis if we are coming to the glory, God's end. </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rich</span></b></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-26097038004521869612011-01-09T11:55:00.002-05:002011-01-09T12:01:25.591-05:00Why Do My Eyes Hurt<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gJBSClhn2Tw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gJBSClhn2Tw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">NO PLACE FOR THE NATURAL MAN<br /><br /></span></strong><span style="color:#cccccc;">That means that the natural man cannot come into the light, nor can he come into God's great purpose and be found in that House full of His glory, that vessel through which He is going to manifest that glory to His universe. The natural man cannot come in there: and when we speak about the natural man, we are not just referring to the unsaved man, that is, the man who has never come to the Lord Jesus. We are speaking about the man whom God has reckoned as being put aside altogether.<br /><br />The Apostle Paul had to speak to Corinthian believers along these lines. They were converted people, saved people, but they were enamoured of this world's wisdom and this world's power; that is, of natural wisdom, knowledge, and the strength that comes by it, and their disposition or inclination was to try to seek to take hold of Divine things and analyze them and investigate them, and probe into them along the lines of natural wisdom and understanding, philosophy, the philosophy and wisdom of this world. So they were bringing the natural man to bear upon Divine things, and the Apostle wrote to them, and in their own language he said, 'Now the man of soul' (not the unregenerate man, not the man who has never had a transaction with the Lord Jesus on the basis of His atoning work for salvation; no, not that man) 'the man of soul receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them' (I Cor 2:14). The man of the psuche, that is the natural man. The newest of our sciences is psychology, the science of the soul: and what is psychology? It has to do with the mind of man; it is the science of man's mind; and here is the word now—I am paraphrasing this because this is exactly what it means—Now the science of the mind can never receive the things of the Spirit of God, neither can it know them. This man is very clever, very intellectual, very highly trained, with all his natural senses brought to a high state of development and acuteness, yet this man is outside when it comes to knowing the things of God: he cannot, he is outside. For the first glimmer of the knowledge of God a miracle has to be wrought, by which blind eyes which never have seen are given sight, and by which light comes as by a flash of revelation, so that it can be said, "Blessed art thou . . . for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."<br /><br />This is stating a tremendous fact. Every bit of real light which is in the direction of that ultimate effulgence, the revealing of the glory of God in us and through us, every bit of it is in Christ Jesus, and can only be had in Him on the basis of the natural man having been altogether put outside, put away, and a new man having been brought into being with a new set of spiritual faculties: so that Nicodemus, the best product of the religious school of his day and of his world, is told, "Except one be born anew (or from above), he cannot see . . ." He cannot see. Well, it resolves itself into this, that to know even the first letters of the Divine alphabet we must be in Christ, and every bit that follows is a matter of learning Christ, knowing what it means to be in Christ.<br /><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#ccccff;">Rich<br /></span></strong></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-56194102064942742992011-01-08T22:59:00.005-05:002011-01-08T23:13:39.042-05:00Crusts of Hearsay and Crumbs of Rumors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QRkuyIjN4pq5LcBEy4HuLRoBhyphenhyphenibHGyGRRlrhxaSY6RPG1Agr17aUWRxsPkwyRRVY5W8y-OO7BAY_dp91qRUfEHoqSeHQjsHA4DgiS_PFWco4lVOdxooMWCyxwSoeJ1gP7yBZfOhLOI/s1600/Is_God_Dead.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 320px;" 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mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;" align="center"><span style=";font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">After the life altering seismic shifts, the disproportionate calamities that swallowed Job up alive, he is suddenly ushered into a living face to face, encounter with the living God who has appeared to have been conspicuously absent and hidden from this one whose soul had almost expired. He utters out these words; </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">“<span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears. I'm sorry—forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);"> Is it possible that down through centuries what has tried to pass as Christianity is much like Job trying to live off of crusts of hearsay, and crumbs of rumors?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);"> I love the following thoughts here by T.A. Sparks;</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Christ is presented, and then everything is measured and judged in the light of that heavenly Man with the measuring reed in His hand. That is enough really, if we only saw that, and grasped it. Everything for God and for us is bound up with a heart-revelation of the Lord Jesus. Oh, it will not be, as I have said, in trying to recover the New Testament technique. It will not be in a restoration of New Testament order. It will not even be in the re-affirmation of New Testament truth and doctrine. These are things, and they can be used to form a framework, but they can never guarantee the life, the power, the glory. There are plenty here in this earth who have the New Testament doctrine and technique and order, but it is a cold, dead framework. The life, the glory, is not there; the rapture is not there. No, God's way of the glory is in His Son: God's way of the life is in His Son: God's way of the power is in His Son: God's way of the heavenly nature is in His Son. And that is John's Gospel in a few words, what God is there saying. It is all in the Son, and the need, the only need, is to see the Son, and if you see the Son by God's act of opening the eyes, then the rest will follow. That is John's Gospel again. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> "How opened he thine eyes?" Who did this? How did He do it? The man's response or reaction to the interrogation was this, in effect, You are asking me for the technique of things; I am not able to give you the technique, I am not able to explain this thing, but I have the reality, and that is the thing that matters. "One thing I know that, whereas I was blind, now I see." It is the light by the life. "In him was life and the life was the light . . ." </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> We do not want to be able just to give the technique of truth, and expound and define it all. That is not the first thing. The first thing is, the life produces the light and that is in the revelation of the Son: and if I must bring everything to a condensation it is this—firstly, God has shut up everything of Himself within His Son, and it is not possible now to know or have anything of God outside of the Lord Jesus, His Son. God has made this a settled thing; it is final, it is conclusive.</span><br /><br /><strong style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="">CHRIST KNOWN ONLY BY REVELATION </span></strong></span><span style=";font-size:85%;" ></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style=";font-size:85%;" >Secondly, it is not possible to have or know anything of all the fullness which God has shut up in His Son without the Holy Spirit's revelation of that in an inward way. It has to be a miracle wrought by the Holy Spirit within every man and woman if they are to know anything of what God has shut up in Christ. That again summarizes John's Gospel, for there at the centre is a man born blind. He never has seen. It is not a case of restoration with him, it is a giving of sight. It is the first thing. It is going to be an absolutely new world for that man. Whatever he may have surmised or guessed or imagined, or had described to him, actual seeing is going to be something with a new beginning. It is going to be an absolute miracle, producing an absolutely new world, and all his guesses of what that world contained and was like will prove to have been very inadequate when he actually sees. Nothing is going to be seen save by the miracle wrought within.<br /><br />(1) God has shut up everything of Himself in His Son.<br /><br />(2) No one can know anything of that save as it is revealed. "<em><span style="">No one knoweth the Son, save the Father, neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him</span></em>" (Matt 11:27). Revelation can only come by choice of the Son. </span><span style=";font-size:85%;" ></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What new world awaits those like our brother Job when the veil, the religious cataracts are removed and with great clarity this side of heaven, we become eye-witnesses of this one who said, “And I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Rich</span></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-52711288039930524862011-01-06T00:05:00.000-05:002011-01-06T00:05:00.798-05:00Waking Up 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> 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mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><div><object width="576" height="324"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/nl/movies/site/player.swf"></param><param name="flashVars" value="vid=20664572&"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed width="576" height="324" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://d.yimg.com/nl/movies/site/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="vid=20664572&"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">There are so many thoughts being stirred up in me with regard to what I have shared in the previous post along with other reading and writings I am doing.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Funny, these words just popped into my consciousness...</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> My eager craft through footless halls of air.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> Where never lark, or even eagle flew -</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> The high untresspassed sanctity of space,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> Put out my hand and touched the face of God.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Who the Son sets free, is free indeed!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-style: italic;">Rich</span><br /></span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> 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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">The spiritual life is something which goes altogether beyond the range of man's mind. It is a very blessed thing to have that settled - provided there has really taken place that new birth, and there has been no positive, deliberate, conscious violation of the law of the new life, by which that life has been paralyzed, and shut up, and rendered for the time being inoperative because of disobedience; providing that we are going on in the light as we have it, and in obedience to the Lord. There will be times when the </span><i style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">SENSE </i><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">of the Lord will have disappeared from the realm of our souls, and when everything in the realm of our minds seems to be confusion and contradiction. Nevertheless the fact abides, the union is there. He is more faithful than our feelings. </span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It is a great comfort to know that, when our feelings vary, and our sensations change, when perhaps by reason of physical and mental weariness those stronger spiritual sensations, as we would call them, disappear, and for a time we seem to drop down out of the realm of the higher ecstasies of the spiritual life, and things get flat. But after a little while it passes, and we find the Lord is still there and we go on again. We come to understand that it was not the Lord who changed, but we were just having a bad time, and our bad time brought no basic change. We can cripple God by disobedience; we can paralyze Divine life by sinning against light; but even then "...if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father..." John puts that in his letter in connection with fellowship, and it is a comfort. It simply says this: "...our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son..." We are to "...walk in the light, as He is in the light." As we do so "...the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth [Greek: keeps on cleansing] us from all sin."</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The union is right deep down there in our spirit, deeper than the soul life in its variations, deeper than thought, deeper than feeling, yes, deeper than consciousness. In this matter our consciousness may not reach to the depths of God's work. You ask: "What do you mean by that?" We mean exactly what the Book of Leviticus means, when we find there a distinct provision for someone who sins unconsciously. Is there such a thing as sinning unconsciously? That means that you have no consciousness about it, and yet it is sin. Consciousness is not the final rule. The final rule is God's standard, not our consciousness. Our consciousness, after all, is limited. God's standard is unlimited. God has provided in relation to His own standard, and not to the measure of our consciousness. That ought to help us. God has made provision right to the end of His demands, and not just to the measure of how much we are awake to those demands. God's work is deeper than anything that belongs to us. </span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-79568323867375861302011-01-05T12:36:00.004-05:002011-01-05T12:43:10.064-05:00Waking Up<object id="rcplay1294248825568" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,18,0" height="300" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://cache.reelzchannel.com/assets/flash/syndicatedPlayer.swf"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="flashvars" value="extembed=1&clipid=49454"><embed src="http://cache.reelzchannel.com/assets/flash/syndicatedPlayer.swf" name="rcplay1294248825568" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" 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mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style=";font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">In many similar ways the movie Inception has touched upon things within me as the movie The Matrix did and continues to do.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> For a summary of the move Inception, you can read it </span><a style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);" href="http://www.suite101.com/content/inception-movie-review-a262405"><b style="">here</b></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> A premise I have been working on after watching Inception a couple of times is in my opinion something that was done to humanity beginning in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. These </span><a style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3:6-8&version=NASB">scriptures</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> in particular stand out me pointing out as it were a spiritual abortion taking place while hypnotizing this first couple.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> Many years after this Paul alluded to (imo) this reality of ‘true-lies’ this couple ingested; speaking to a group of believers, “Who has bewitched (charmed) you, caused you to move away from the truth of Christ being your only true source of life?”</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> In the move Inception, the extraction and inception that took place was done within the soul more specifically within their mind by inducing them into a dream state of unconsciousness.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> What I see happening in our re-birthing was something similar but vastly different in this respect, what the Lord did in joining us to Himself thereby making us one with him freed us from the dream (Matrix) world that we were all plunged into through man, Adam and Eve choosing for us. As in Inception, “What is the most resilient parasite? A bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient, highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood. That sticks, right in there somewhere (pointing to his head). The seed planted in the mind will bring forth an idea that will ultimately totally define the person.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> We are encouraged by the spirit of God to be transformed by the renewing of our mind; to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, which is a life time journey and unfolding process.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> If there really isn’t a greater reality founded and rooted into the eternal love of God the Father for us and in us by our union, than its merely pissing in the wind for any of us.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> This ongoing transformation is going to set into motion seismic shits of unparalleled proportions, and not understanding the source of our assaults which try to keep us from knowing the truth of our secret source of power and freedom in Christ will only perpetuate the illusionary dream world we live in.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> I’m including the following thoughts from T.A. Sparks that flow seamlessly with what I am seeing in the heightened awareness of discerning between what is true and what isn’t. I am only including part of it with the rest to follow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">Rich</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">The place of union is "the inner man of the heart," to use the New Testament phrase. Paul was fond of using that phrase: "...our inward man is renewed day by day," "...that He would grant you... that ye may be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inward man" (Eph. 3:16; A.S.V.). What is the inward man? It is our spirit, the innermost place of our being. That is the seat of union. Union is not first of all physical in character. That needs no saying. Union between us and God is not in its genesis of a mental kind, neither is it of an emotional kind. Union between us and the Lord is not in the realm of our soul at all in the first instance. It is in our spirit. It is a thing which is deeper than our soul; that is, deeper than our reason, deeper than the powers of our natural mind either to analyze or understand. It is deeper than our emotions, deeper than our feelings. The fact of union with the Lord, when it is established, abides when all our feelings contradict it, and when all our power of reasoning is completely confounded. When in the realm of the reason and in the realm of the feelings there seems to be greatest evidence that the union does not exist, it remains. </span></span></p> <p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-family: verdana;"><span style=";font-size:85%;" >It is an important thing for the Lord's people to get that well settled, that union between us and the Lord has nothing whatever to do with our feelings nor our reasoning. If we sit down at times and allow our reasonings to carry us on, we shall conclude that the union does not exist, because there is so much which argues strongly and positively against any such union. If we allow our feelings, or our lack of feelings, to be the criterion, we shall give it all up and declare the whole thing to be a myth. From time to time feelings are altogether against the fact of union with the Lord. It makes no difference; the union is there if it has been brought about. People who take the position that they must feel it or else they will not believe, are going to have a bad time. The same applies to people who demand that they shall be able to follow this thing through with the completest mental argument.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:10pt;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span><br /></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558980250242671917.post-67141621346797299632011-01-04T00:05:00.001-05:002011-01-04T00:05:00.289-05:00The Naturalness of Living Supernaturally<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzr1V-ojHKJo-YukcCGt3ly1hiyYoLRDnF75kIe-hTXysqooKQdh223lQqDDs2wNlFO6vweKyBozREHz_tCs2xE_LF_M534yXZhWAFxuLNiP3gXxN9h-LR2gsDSwwQ1XMeHFSpOBeJ7E/s1600/Mans-Knowledge-2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" 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mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">These scriptures precede the following thoughts, they are here in 2 Kings 2:3, 5, 7, 14, 15-16; 4:38-41; 6:1-7, and Romans 8:20-25, 1-2, 6.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">Its interesting how many of us can see so clearly one moment (day) and the next, seemingly forget any and all that we were so certain of before.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"> So many of my (our) perceptions are founded upon our natural perception of reality, perhaps a “reality” based solely upon the natural senses, and as God says, the natural man detests rejects that which is spiritual, or, he cannot receive that which would open up before him a whole new reality of endless possibilities. </span><br /> <br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"> I so appreciate the following thoughts here from T.A. Sparks, I trust you will like wise be richly encouraged.</span><br /><br /><b style="">Rich</b><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">We pass from Romans to Corinthians: "Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged." That is death: and when we try to handle, analyze, pierce through heavenly and spiritual things with these minds of ours, this natural reasoning, we come to a deadlock, we come to an impasse, and we move in a realm of spiritual death. </span></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">These very men had seen what happened. They saw Jordan cleft; they had knowledge of the risen and ascended Lord, but they were not taking their own position in an experimental way upon it. They wanted to have a certain confirmation in the realm of sense. Oh! how the natural man longs to get confirmation through his senses. He longs to see something, feel something, to have evidences. Beloved, one of the marks of resurrection is that so often the whole thing goes on without any evidences in the realm of our senses. Do you think that the people who live in the power of His resurrection are always conscious of being simply overflowing with Divine life? Very often, like Paul, they feel as dead as anything can be in themselves, and yet the miracle is that there is that which is not of themselves enabling them unto the work, carrying them on. They are conscious of weakness, emptiness, dependence, and yet there is something of God which carries them on. If they were to stand still and say: "I am not going on any longer until I know in every part of my being, and in every factor of my life, the overflowing of His resurrection," they would not go on. The Lord does not meet us on that ground at all. These men showed immaturity by wanting evidences in the realm of the senses. Elisha shows how utterly he represents the principle of resurrection life by standing against all that is merely sentient. The flesh must have its proofs, and its evidences along its own line, but the spirit sees through and acts in another realm: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). </span></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">So these sons of the prophets sought to take hold of resurrection life and draw it down to the limitations of man's doubts. If you and I do that, we shall fall out of the realm of that ministry and testimony to which the Lord calls us. It is a very great temptation all the way along to want evidences of the spiritual in the realm of our feelings and of our natural knowledge, instead of going on and knowing quite well that the going on is not by our own power; that it is impossible so far as we are concerned, and yet we are going on by reason of Him Who is our life. </span></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Looked at naturally, all those who have known and lived on the principle of the risen life of the Lord Jesus would appear a very poor lot indeed. If you could gather all the men and the women of this New Testament dispensation who have lived wholly upon that principle of life triumphant over death, and you looked at them as men look at people, you would say: "That is a poor crowd." Take Paul! Some people would get a big surprise if they could see Paul as he was. We have all the romance of nearly two thousand years of the effect of Paul's ministry. We have all this volume of literature on Paul, his life, and letters, and work. If Paul were able to meet us as he was then, and we had no spiritual perception, but simply saw him as a man, we should say: "Is this the man who created all this literature, and caused all this talk, who has stirred the world to its very depths for nearly two thousand years? I do not see anything in him!" But there is a deeper side. So you ask him: "Paul, did you know all the way through your life, when you were in this great work, such resurrection power that you never had an ache or a pain, and never felt tired, and never knew what it was to be depressed, to feel fears, to be anxious?" He would answer: "I knew them all as few men have known them, fightings without and fears within. I knew what depression was; I knew what it was to be tempted to doubt; I knew what it was to go through dark patches where ultimate questions arose; I knew what it was to despair of life." We may take it that there were many, many occasions when Paul was not conscious pre-eminently of the power of His resurrection, and yet he was living on it, and that accounted for everything. </span></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">That which is real and that of which we are conscious may be two different things. All that we know at times is that we go on in spite of ourselves. What is it that carries us on? It is that other "something" that is deeper than thought, deeper than understanding, deeper than feeling; it is the Lord going on in us. </span></span></p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630150578438657112noreply@blogger.com0