"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who live in Christ Jesus."
So here are some questions. I ask them of myself and share them also with you, in the hope that we can become more aware of where we are and what we are putting our faith in. I choose this verse intentionally as my questions may seem condemning, but that is not their intent.
Who/what do you live in? What does that mean? If you do claim to live in Christ Jesus, does the natural fruit of your life look like you grew it? Or does it look like God grew it? If you are honest enough to say that you don't live much "In Jesus Christ", Then what do you live In? And what is it's fruit? What do I mean by fruit? Could fruit be the results of our life? Could it be the impact we have on others? Is Does it point people to Christ? How is condemnation different from conviction? Does the very words of this verse convict a person who feels condemnation? Is that healthy? What decision could conviction encourage?
Even as I am writing these questions, I am realizing that my mind is not where it needs to be. So I pray, and remember the rest of the verse: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who live in Christ Jesus...for those who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit."
What does that mean - to walk in the spirit? What does it mean to walk in the flesh? Can we tell by how we feel when we talk about it in this context? Does un-admitted anxiety reveal our true state? Does an unexamined arrogance do the same thing?
Well, My mind is sufficiently toast.
10/28/2006
10/25/2006
Purity?
Purity. I don't expect it to make much sense... but we will see
Get a Pen and write your answers - if you want..
Do you seek your own pleasure?
What is pleasure? What makes you happy? or pleased? Who pleases you? From whom do you expect pleasure? Could pleasure be replaced with Joy? What Gives you Joy? Or could it be replaced with validation and respect? From whom or what do you derive these things? Do we get joy from Companionship and comradery - or would we give it another name? What do shared experiences do for you? Is Sexual pleasure and offshoot of that? Does everything you do reflect back to that type of fulfillment? What or Whom encourages you? What gives you security? Do you feel it with touch? Or when someone acknowledges you? Or are you getting a gift, or a hug, or praise, or love? Have you ever found true love? I mean the love that looks for nothing in return? Did you find it in you? Or did someone give it to you? Did you know it when you saw it? Did you hurt when it was no longer there? Why did it hurt? Did you expect it to last forever? Did you consider that it might not when you were receiving it? Did that knowledge limit your enjoyment of it? Or were you oblivious. Is your answer true for any of the other things you look for in others? Are people and things reliable sources of these things? Do they provide it continuously? Have you found one that could? Have you found one that would? Will they do if consistently? Will you get board of it? Will they outlive you? Will it out last your need for it? Have you ever looked at what you expect from people? Is hope another word for expectation? Is expectation different from responsibility? How so? How are they connected? Do you expect people to continue to provide what they did before? Do you expect them to follow through on their promises? How do you feel when they let down your expectations? How do you feel when they betray your trust? Did you expect them not to? Was it reasonable? What reason would they give for what they did? Would they see their actions as reasonable? Did you ever betray them? Are you worthy of high expectations? If all were known, would you be seen as you are seen today? If your deepest darkest secrets were revealed, whom would be hurt? Is the appearance of trustworthiness worthy of the expectation placed upon it? Can any of us be an unquenchable source? If not, then why do we look in amazement and hurt when someone or something lets us down?
Is there an unquenchable or Pure source?
Get a Pen and write your answers - if you want..
Do you seek your own pleasure?
What is pleasure? What makes you happy? or pleased? Who pleases you? From whom do you expect pleasure? Could pleasure be replaced with Joy? What Gives you Joy? Or could it be replaced with validation and respect? From whom or what do you derive these things? Do we get joy from Companionship and comradery - or would we give it another name? What do shared experiences do for you? Is Sexual pleasure and offshoot of that? Does everything you do reflect back to that type of fulfillment? What or Whom encourages you? What gives you security? Do you feel it with touch? Or when someone acknowledges you? Or are you getting a gift, or a hug, or praise, or love? Have you ever found true love? I mean the love that looks for nothing in return? Did you find it in you? Or did someone give it to you? Did you know it when you saw it? Did you hurt when it was no longer there? Why did it hurt? Did you expect it to last forever? Did you consider that it might not when you were receiving it? Did that knowledge limit your enjoyment of it? Or were you oblivious. Is your answer true for any of the other things you look for in others? Are people and things reliable sources of these things? Do they provide it continuously? Have you found one that could? Have you found one that would? Will they do if consistently? Will you get board of it? Will they outlive you? Will it out last your need for it? Have you ever looked at what you expect from people? Is hope another word for expectation? Is expectation different from responsibility? How so? How are they connected? Do you expect people to continue to provide what they did before? Do you expect them to follow through on their promises? How do you feel when they let down your expectations? How do you feel when they betray your trust? Did you expect them not to? Was it reasonable? What reason would they give for what they did? Would they see their actions as reasonable? Did you ever betray them? Are you worthy of high expectations? If all were known, would you be seen as you are seen today? If your deepest darkest secrets were revealed, whom would be hurt? Is the appearance of trustworthiness worthy of the expectation placed upon it? Can any of us be an unquenchable source? If not, then why do we look in amazement and hurt when someone or something lets us down?
Is there an unquenchable or Pure source?
10/23/2006
In God's Image
No wonder we are not okay when we sin...
We were created in God's image. God cannot be anything other than Holy and Righteous and Just and faithful and Merciful. He gives us this better way to live because it is how our lives can be the most actualized. Wickedness, unforgiveness, bitterness, envy, strife, laziness, uncharitableness and untruthfullness are all outside of how we were built to perform our best. But as we can all attest, it is nearly impossible to break any of our patterns of dysfunction on our own.
But we can have that new identity... through faith in Jesus and his sacrifice, we can reconnect with what is Good and in God's image within us.
It is free, and it is freeing. It enables us to take a new path. One that is safer for us, one that allows us to become fully actualized - instead of the one that is full of things we regret (whether we see our part in it or not).
Being created in his image.. the word translated image is very much like - a reflection. And in our purest state, we will be able to reflect God to those around us. When I pray, I often ask that God put his Glory on display in my life. What I mean is, God, let other's see you in me. Let them not see me, but you through me.
You see, because the price was paid for my dysfunction and Sin and wickedness, I can pour out the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faithfulness, and self-discipline that shows up in my life as a result of that relationship with God.
Let us become Christ-Actualized (copywrite pending :). Let his Glory be put on display in our lives - It is so much more beautiful than any of our own self-centered creations.
We were created in God's image. God cannot be anything other than Holy and Righteous and Just and faithful and Merciful. He gives us this better way to live because it is how our lives can be the most actualized. Wickedness, unforgiveness, bitterness, envy, strife, laziness, uncharitableness and untruthfullness are all outside of how we were built to perform our best. But as we can all attest, it is nearly impossible to break any of our patterns of dysfunction on our own.
But we can have that new identity... through faith in Jesus and his sacrifice, we can reconnect with what is Good and in God's image within us.
It is free, and it is freeing. It enables us to take a new path. One that is safer for us, one that allows us to become fully actualized - instead of the one that is full of things we regret (whether we see our part in it or not).
Being created in his image.. the word translated image is very much like - a reflection. And in our purest state, we will be able to reflect God to those around us. When I pray, I often ask that God put his Glory on display in my life. What I mean is, God, let other's see you in me. Let them not see me, but you through me.
You see, because the price was paid for my dysfunction and Sin and wickedness, I can pour out the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faithfulness, and self-discipline that shows up in my life as a result of that relationship with God.
Let us become Christ-Actualized (copywrite pending :). Let his Glory be put on display in our lives - It is so much more beautiful than any of our own self-centered creations.
10/20/2006
New Wig on an old Mannequin
Pastor Dan Curtis, The first spiritual mentor of my 20's, asked me a question 8 or so years ago. I was in his office with that season's "Love of my life." I had just outlined, to both of them, how K's and my lives could be so wonderfully knit together. His question at the end of my imaginative monologue was, "Where is God's in your plan?" Oh, I had an answer, but it wasn't true. The truth was, I was trying to direct my life without God's Guidance. Just because I has SAID that I was looking to God, didn't mean it was true. I had done what we humans so easily do when we see something we really want - I had deceived myself. I had found a formula. I was seeking to grow my own fruit.
I spoke to some people recently about a christian group called "Be In Health." I described them as the most recent incarnation of a theology I had learned in my youth. They essentially put a "New wig on an old mannequin." When I used those words, I didn't quite understand the depth of what I was saying. It it is becoming evident that the mannequin I was referring to is the error of seeking to control God without utterly depending on Christ's sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit's direction and sanctifying work in our lives.
Mind you, It is true that God did give us dominion over the world. And We did abdicate our role with Adam's sin. Satan did, therefore become the ruler(prince) of this world. And it took God becoming Man (as man was the only one who could do it), Living perfectly, dieing sacrificially, and rising on the third day, to make available to us again that original managerial/representative relationship with God which would allow our prayers to release God's power to Do His work in this world. BUT, It is still HIS power, HIS plan, and HIS timing - It is HIS will being Done.
The moment we begin to Diagnose emotions as Sin with the expectation that we can Exercise them from our lives, for the purpose of better health, by the application of a preconceived list of principals (Love on the person, Identify their emotional sin, guide them in a verbal repentance of that sin, exercise preconceived demonic source of the sin, fill that void left by the demon by directing God to fill that void), that is the moment that we have attempted to side step the easy directions of turning our lives over to Jesus and letting him, through the Holy spirit, deal with, direct & heal our lives.
Recently a friend said that people often escape dealing with obvious sin in their lives by saying that God will deal with it in his time. But I think their error is not the statement of trust in God's timing and wisdom and direction, but that they are not actively seeking to know (and thereby fear) God. When He works in the life of one who has submitted themselves to Him, No Misquoting-scripture, formula-following, self-healing-focused, Demon-chasing, Scientology-esk emotion-clearing, heresy - expousing, healing Director will out-perform the sanctification-releasing work that Christ did for us on the Cross and does in us through his Holy Spirit.
No, my own life has not become outwardly successful and healthy according to any man's preconceived timetable. But I am beginning to understand what he has been doing IN my life. And as I put more and more of my hope and trust and faith in HIM, He is able to deal with more and more of the stumble-inducing sin in my life. I will also not dwell on exercising sin and theoretical Demonic sources based on an anecdotal experience and badly misquoted scripture. I did enough of that as a kid. Yes, the results are spectacular and exciting, but they are not deep enough to last a lifetime.
Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom, the source of hope, the strength of faith, and the perspective that I will pursue.
Note for thought: Health was not listed as a fruit-of-the spirit....
I spoke to some people recently about a christian group called "Be In Health." I described them as the most recent incarnation of a theology I had learned in my youth. They essentially put a "New wig on an old mannequin." When I used those words, I didn't quite understand the depth of what I was saying. It it is becoming evident that the mannequin I was referring to is the error of seeking to control God without utterly depending on Christ's sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit's direction and sanctifying work in our lives.
Mind you, It is true that God did give us dominion over the world. And We did abdicate our role with Adam's sin. Satan did, therefore become the ruler(prince) of this world. And it took God becoming Man (as man was the only one who could do it), Living perfectly, dieing sacrificially, and rising on the third day, to make available to us again that original managerial/representative relationship with God which would allow our prayers to release God's power to Do His work in this world. BUT, It is still HIS power, HIS plan, and HIS timing - It is HIS will being Done.
The moment we begin to Diagnose emotions as Sin with the expectation that we can Exercise them from our lives, for the purpose of better health, by the application of a preconceived list of principals (Love on the person, Identify their emotional sin, guide them in a verbal repentance of that sin, exercise preconceived demonic source of the sin, fill that void left by the demon by directing God to fill that void), that is the moment that we have attempted to side step the easy directions of turning our lives over to Jesus and letting him, through the Holy spirit, deal with, direct & heal our lives.
Recently a friend said that people often escape dealing with obvious sin in their lives by saying that God will deal with it in his time. But I think their error is not the statement of trust in God's timing and wisdom and direction, but that they are not actively seeking to know (and thereby fear) God. When He works in the life of one who has submitted themselves to Him, No Misquoting-scripture, formula-following, self-healing-focused, Demon-chasing, Scientology-esk emotion-clearing, heresy - expousing, healing Director will out-perform the sanctification-releasing work that Christ did for us on the Cross and does in us through his Holy Spirit.
No, my own life has not become outwardly successful and healthy according to any man's preconceived timetable. But I am beginning to understand what he has been doing IN my life. And as I put more and more of my hope and trust and faith in HIM, He is able to deal with more and more of the stumble-inducing sin in my life. I will also not dwell on exercising sin and theoretical Demonic sources based on an anecdotal experience and badly misquoted scripture. I did enough of that as a kid. Yes, the results are spectacular and exciting, but they are not deep enough to last a lifetime.
Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom, the source of hope, the strength of faith, and the perspective that I will pursue.
Note for thought: Health was not listed as a fruit-of-the spirit....
Business of life
I am in the middle of a nothing place. There isn't much that is pleasing me. At least not in any exceptional way. No worries though. Life doesn't need to be thrilling. But when it has been (thrilling), and the dullness returns, the dullness is exceptionally dull.
I don't want to answer questions. I don't want to discuss me. I don't want to look at the mess I am in. (hey look, I am doing what I don't want to do!)
Escapes are useless. They don't provide anything lasting. When they have expired, they leave me here.
Mindmaps are at least storing & organizing the ideas I am understanding. I hope they will become a basis for a book. But only the discovery of new-to-me understandings are thrilling. Their application is less than thrilling. The adrenaline rush has passed and the business of life remains.
How do I make this life profitable again, without getting lost in the profit building.....
I don't want to answer questions. I don't want to discuss me. I don't want to look at the mess I am in. (hey look, I am doing what I don't want to do!)
Escapes are useless. They don't provide anything lasting. When they have expired, they leave me here.
Mindmaps are at least storing & organizing the ideas I am understanding. I hope they will become a basis for a book. But only the discovery of new-to-me understandings are thrilling. Their application is less than thrilling. The adrenaline rush has passed and the business of life remains.
How do I make this life profitable again, without getting lost in the profit building.....
10/11/2006
Etching a new understanding (2)
The next step I took toward my new understanding was attaching to each of those engendered emotions (previous post) an evaluation as to whether that other person’s behavior was Functional or Dysfunctional. I wrote a bit about this in the past when I wrote about God’s love.
When you read that blog entry, you see I have few ideas about how to deal with people effectively when they make me unhappy.. or even how to deal with people who make me happy, though they are dysfunctional when they are doing it....
It was this quandary that began to spark this soon-to-be-revealed understanding. (I either sound like a salesman, or a cult recruiter – Thankfully, I am only the first.) There is nothing new about what I discovered. It has been around since the first books of the Bible were written. However is seems to have escaped most everyone’s attention.
It seems we are ignoring the road signs that are all around us.....
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