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28 Tuesday Feb 2017

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From a journal i found today from many years ago, when i lived on the road between places, on a day when I was evidently living well:
I lived in potential, vision and possibility of life today, and loved it! That space, where faith and hope hang out; that place which vision requires, where we can be ourselves again. I lived the poem of my day! I was myself, and content with that. And I loved you more than I thought possible. I foresaw your best bloomings, and chose to water them into place with an overflow of love.

St Peter’s spiritual continuum…

09 Thursday Feb 2017

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Meditation on Peter’s thoughts on salvation today..and what it implies: St Peter’s spiritual continuum!
  Playing with my helmet of salvation today. The idea of salvation as the beginning of the process not the end. Came across something St Peter said about salvation, which felt true again. I liked his idea of salvation as a process of spiritual growth, not just a single instant. We get saved, then we work it out, and grow it up, sort of thing. He was really into the spiritual continuum of life into the next, and living accordingly- “for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:9)
  So, having already begun to receive the salvation of your souls, live accordingly; this was for him a motivation for godliness…. He put it like this later in the letter: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
   He also taught us to have sincere love for one another in the light of this.  “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” Not bad advice.
 Nice meditation today. Most people don’t like to think of salvation much, but I still find it interesting, as the start of a long process.
 People get saved, then what. That’s just the first step. We get out of Egypt, then the wilderness training, downloading the law (His rules from His Ways) into our hearts, the crossing over the Jordan (the necessary deaths to self) into our lands; then, the occupation, possession and cultivation, the making whole—it’s a journey, spiritual growth!
 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
  Love is what we do in the meantime, while growing in His Nature! It’s our default setting until…
  Peter’s basic point throughout his letters is-in light of your salvation, live well.
 Live in the spiritual continuum, you have already entered through Christ. Increase in His Ways, as you go, now that you have tasted (the beginning of the salvation process). Good stuff. A call to ongoing sanctification, or growing up into Christ, growing up into our salvation.

Soil sight and skin again, and other teachings in a nutshell…

09 Thursday Feb 2017

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  I’m doing an “in a nutshell” series this year. Little teachings, written small, so others can run with them.
  Get ready, here we go! There are three large areas where Christ’s Lordship has not been fully applied or incarnated: soil, sight, skin. That is, a theology of the earth; a theology of the arts; and a theology of our stewardship over our physical bodies. All three areas have been claimed by other belief systems. The first, some sort of earth worship or vedic stream; the second, entertainment and celebrity-ism; the third, with yogic or new age thinking. I think Jesus is meant to dwell in all three areas, and has outlined how we are to partner with Him in each.
  In the area of the earth, we are finally hearing lots more on a Christian ecology; in the area of the arts, a few are starting to think about His Lordship over the imagination, which extends into culture making, and collective symbols; in the area of the human body, there is little literature on how we are to govern our bodies in a healthy way. Of course how we steward the earth, and our physical bodies, are related in terms of principles. The arts, is more about how we meet God in our creativity, which is part of our relationship with Him. God is symbolic and creative, and so are we, in His Image—this should be an area of our relationship and ongoing sanctification in Christ.
Spiritual development maps:
  The next nutshell for you is a model for spiritual development taken from the cities which were occupied in the book of Joshua. First Jericho, which was guarded by the ways of witchcraft, which is among other things rebellion against true authority. We begin our spiritual journey, by surrender, and realizing we need help from The True Authority. So we must topple the ways of witchcraft it ourselves. Those areas where we hold up our own authority above God’s. The second city is Ai, which is the area of community and friendship. We must allow others to minister God’s life to us. The third….the overall principle, is that we must go in with God, and occupy, possess and cultivate or make fruitful each area of our lives.
Going back briefly to His desire to enter into the arts….
 In the area of the arts we are talking about restoring a true image of both ourselves and God. As we get a clearer image of both, we are able to align with what is Real. So the imagination is part of getting a clear picture of God and His Creation. This allows us to live well. We need to see well, in order to live well. So the imagination is crucial to an accurate interpretation of what is Real.
  Under His Lordship over our bodies, is how to eat well, exercise etc. Our general governing with Him over our physical domains, starting with our own bodies. Of course, there is the interruption of the sin nature, but we are also moving partly in the new creation, and can learn to steward our bodies with Him. I’ll keep developing these three neglected areas of Christ’s Lordship: soil, sight, and skin.

The Law and the prophets

09 Thursday Feb 2017

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 When the students of Jesus saw Him revealed on the mount, they saw the law and the prophets both nearby Him. Both revealing Him in unique ways. He was speaking with Moses and Elijah. So, both teaching and prophesy are intimate with Christ.
  Moses and Elijah are always close by Christ. Teaching and the prophetic are both nearby Him, and both reveal who He is. They are two unique modes of expressing Christ. They are unique modalities, but both lead into His Life. For the law and the prophets both speak of The Christ. Teaching orders, prophecy cuts-but both reveal aspects of His Nature.
   Both our teaching and our prophesying should lead us into His Life, for both are meant to be in close proximity with Christ! All true teaching should be leading us deeper into Him; and all real prophecy, should be in the spirit of the story about Him. For, Moses and Elijah are still talking with and about Christ. Moses is teaching law, and Elijah is prophesying; you can listen from either side, and you can join in either stream. Bringing these two streams into the present is helpful. It’s not just that the law and the prophets pointed towards or spoke of Him back then; they still are!!!
 Practice switching back and forth from Moses’ way and Elijah’s. They both lead into Christ, but in unique ways. One is teaching, the other prophesying. Both are revealing who Jesus Christ is! I like teaching and prophesying, both are useful in different situations. Teaching is more about ordering. Prophecy imparts the word. We need both streams to know Him more fully.

Why Praise?

09 Thursday Feb 2017

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Praise from the rooftops
 Why praise? The Jews ask: does God really need our praise? I would say, we need it. Praise is our orientation for transformation. Praise is not a denial of lament, it is a declaration from suffering of our trust in the One who has befriended us. It is therefore an action of faith. Praise puts us in a position of thanks which allows deeper contact with Our Source.
 The reason worship is the beginning of Wisdom, is that it admits we need, and have fallen short..so it begins the healing process of making us and the world more whole.
The Psalms start and end in this action of praise. It is our proactive response to God. We need praise more than God does. In heaven, praise may be redundant, or obvious. Here, it is a choice to say Yes to God in the midst of the partialities of life. The interruptions of being, down here, are overcome by praise.
 This is why David teaches that praise overthrows depression! “A garment of praise for the spirit of depression.” As he put it. So we put on that garment in response to the many depressions of life down here. It is not a denial of suffering, but an active response to it. Praise puts us in a position to receive the blessings.
So, praise is neither naive or gullible, it is rather alignment with what is Real. Praise positions us for Grace.

Love!

07 Tuesday Feb 2017

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The Central theme of Life is Love.
  I love studying the sacred books. Looking for a single theme in the “good” book, the Bible today….fun trying to find the core message….the crystalized essence of the message. The one that is always true and applicable, practical-the transformative word.
  Looking at the whole story of the Bible as the gospel story, or good news for humanity and the earth today…about God’s relational Love for us, and constant sacrificial intervention that we might know intimate relationship with Him and one another, ourselves and nature. First section of St John’s gospel reveals that God was relational even before creation (The Word was with God…etc)
 Through all the covenants, agreements and interventions into history, He is always trying to make His Love available. Looking at the same relational loving God through all the generations of His purposes (not just age, but purposes) of revealing His Love and making it accessible to His creation. The whole book is good news.
  Good news you can dive into from any part of the grand narrative, and meet God in His Love. The central theme is relational sacrificial love. Sometimes it’s good to re-visit the main point.
 Think of the whole story as the gospel, about God’s love and desire for intimate relationship with His Creation-to catch us up, and draw us into His Love, which is our home, where we belong.
 The book tells one long narrative, with one theme, but multiple types of interventions to express it—Adam, Noah, Abram, Moses, David, Jesus (and all the women, children and seekers, disciples and thinkers, poets and dreamers and those not willing to close off to the possibility of Love in each era!)…and throughout-one story summed up in Jesus’ prayer for Oneness in John 17.
 That we would be one as He and His Father are—that we would be caught up in that Love within the relational God. That’s the theme of the whole story. Nice to think of the big story sometimes, and look for the main theme. And to contextualize your own times in that loving.
  Also, to quote from my dream last night, something fresh was being offered now: “A quickened depth of communion in and with His Love is being offered now for practical reasons; a deeper love for one another would be the overflow of that higher union. Go further vertically to bless more deeply laterally!”
 I liked the idea of a “quickening love”. The word for quickening means to “be brought into living communion suddenly.” Nice hopeful word from my dreams last night. Looked up the word for quickening, it means fast deep union with….maybe necessary in our times! Anyway, todays deep thoughts by me. Sometimes, the central theme is still the main thing—receiving and overflowing Love, and being willing to sacrifice to bring that fragrance of Life to one another. Or, as Van Gogh said: “To know God, is to love things deeply.”

The Way, the truth and The Life

07 Tuesday Feb 2017

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Jesus as the way, the truth and the life…
 Christianity is centered in who Jesus is (that’s what makes it a unique religion): The Way, The Truth, and The Life-as He called Himself. He claimed to contain all three. The way of life, the truth about life and the life force to live well—i.e. according to His Ways or Nature.
 I think each people group or culture tends to emphasize one of these three areas of God—the way, the truth, or the life. They tend to meet God as the principles of being or way (the Tao—more eastern); the truths about what is Real (the greek and roman mindset we inherited in the West); or the Energy of life force of living (perhaps body oriented cultures, even aboriginal and first nations peoples)—how to really live out your ethics or best ideals.
 So Jesus was claiming to be: the path of how to live, the truth about what life is, and the energy to live it correctly, empowering our ethics through the gift of His Own Holy Spirit, which are based on the law of Love—love God and love others.
 We, as followers in union with Him, claim that through union with His Nature and death to ourselves, we find true Life, even our true selves, and get better at loving Him and one another. Our ethics get empowered through His Spirit and formation of His Life in us. We start to grow in the way, the truth and the Life aspects of who He is.
We lose ourselves into Him to find the way, the truth and the life in Him. That’s Christianity in a nutshell—that Christ is the way, the truth and the life to live it!
 As we enter into Him, ever more deeply, we grow in all three! And can start to love into cultures which emphasize one of these aspects of His Identity! He is the way to live, the truths about what is, and the energy and life to align with what is real life! That’s what we believe. And that is the journey we are on, as true believers.

Teach and prophecy, but know the difference!

07 Tuesday Feb 2017

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Teach and prophecy, but know the difference when you are doing each. God is a God of order. Some can both teach and prophecy, but know when you are doing each, so you plant His Seeds well. And distinguish them for others, so there is clarity of reception.

Know when you switch into prophetic mode. It’s a different energy in His Spirit. It has a unique potency and urgency, and force—it cuts through things. When teaching, there is expanded time, and walking things out, to show how, to bring order to the minds of His People. They are each unique. Know which is which, even when discerning the opinions of others. Notice what is real teaching, and what is real prophetic. Distinguish the modes of communication as a way of getting to know God and His Ways.

Of course, the two modes of Divine discourse overlap, yet they are distinct in Him. Learn the difference, so you can see how and why He is using that method or mode of communication into the situation. MLK for instance, was sometimes teaching, and other times, clearly prophesying! You can sense the difference in his speeches! Jesus also often did both, in one conversation, yet you can clearly sense when He switches from one to the other. This is a helpful and needed part of discernment in our times!

His Sheep know His Voice, and that not all aspects of His Voice are the same. His sheep also know how to discern His Voice from the world’s voices. That much is basic to spiritual survival! God often communicates in times of great change, as He is now; so let us discern His Voice, and His modes of communication today. This will more succinctly lead us to live in His Ways!

Learning to discern

07 Tuesday Feb 2017

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Simple tests…His Thoughts, versus ours. How to tell the difference.
  One way to discern our best thoughts from His is their tone. The words of God always lead into the Ways of God! Does this idea lead into His Ways? This is one key. Another is, His thoughts are higher than ours, so often surprise even our most enlightened thoughts. There is an inner shock of sorts, when we hear God’s words. They surprise even our highest intelligence. And they lead into His Tone of Being, the architecture of Him. They have His patterns in them.
 We often are not aware or unable to divide or discern between our soul’s thoughts and His Spirit’s thoughts. It’s a helpful practice to notice the difference. His thoughts are higher than ours, so look for where we are surprised by an idea, and if it leads us into Him and His Ways. There are very enlightened soul thoughts, which are still not His Thoughts. In Jeremiah’s time, many struggled to hear the voice of the Lord, because what He was saying was contradictory to what they felt was best to do. God told them to surrender to the babylonians, for instance, and many felt that was wrong, or even sacrilegious. Still, God told them His thoughts, and that they would be spared, if they did.
 Being able to differentiate our best thoughts, from His, is a crucial skill these days. For God always communicates clearly in times of great change. So, we must be able to tell the difference between our thoughts and what He is communicating. He likes our thoughts, but they are not His. Seek His, they will inform and enlighten ours.
 Also, there are teacherly voices and there are prophetic voices. Being able to tell the difference allows you to plant the seeds they each carry in a wiser way. When someone is teaching, they are instructing and bringing clarity around and issue. When someone is prophesying, they are imparting and expressing an idea of God; usually one He is speaking now, or into the future.
  These are unique modalities in the Spirit, and it is helpful to discern which is which. Especially in our times, when information is sped up. We need to discern the mode of communication, so we know how to receive it, interpret it, and act on it.
 There are, what I could call, prophets of the soul. They are proclaiming their own best ideas. But true prophets, are concerned with the thoughts of God, and downloading those. You can sense the difference. God enjoys our soul’s thoughts, but they are not as high as His.
Teacherly voices versus prophetic voices are an important distinction for our times. His sheep hear His Voice, and can tell whether He is teaching or prophesying because they know the Good Shepherd who never leaves His sheep.
  As an example, I hear Him saying three things in our times: don’t be afraid, draw near to God, and pray for those who are being prepared in Him. These three all lead into His Ways of caring for His People, preparing for His Future, and our humility required in and by the act of prayer etc. Now, if I were to teach you how to not be afraid, draw near, and pray; i would need to break each down. To not fear, is to practice faith, and claim the truths into each area; to draw near requires spiritual disciplines or prayer, study, fellowship etc; to pray for others, requires us being with the part of Jesus which ever lives to make intercession, we get to be little co-priest, and in this case pray specifically for those leaders He is preparing Himself in, for the next chapters…
  So, there is a difference between teaching and prophecy. It’s good to know which is which in Him. This is especially true in times of great interpretive confusion. God is not the author of confusion! So we can hear Him clearly and let His Spirit both teach, or lead us into all truth; and prophecy, to instruct, comfort and warn us directly. Let us grow in this discernment for His Name’s sake, in our day. God’s thoughts and ways are always a little shocking to us. But they are knowable to the degree we are getting to know Him.
  Know again the difference between prophecy and teaching. Know when you are doing each. Teaching tends to clarify and put things in order; prophecy cuts and imparts. They are unique ministries of God. Both are needed; but we also need to know when we are doing each.