If you are one who believes in Christ, then you have been made alive in Him AND YOU ARE DEPENDENT UPON HIM FOR YOUR VERY LIFE. source
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If you are one who believes in Christ, then you have been made alive in Him AND YOU ARE DEPENDENT UPON HIM FOR YOUR VERY LIFE. source
The downtrodden, the poor, and the outcasts to whom this was spoken rejoiced in these words because it suggested that there was so much more than what seemed to be their place in life. Even now it tells us that despite everything our eyes would demand God's blessing is not restricted by our circumstances.
Jim
Jim,
I found this scripture to post up:
Luke12:
"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."
As I read this, I thought to myself: This sure sounds like the Lord was simply comforting them with something they simply could not understand at that time. In a very real way, I hear Him quite possibly proclaiming the new NEW mind to them here.[the God of all comfort] I don't think it was possible for them at this point NOT to worry. For they did not have this mind in themselves as of yet. Nonetheless I see Him STILL speaking Life and Love to them in this passage. Again did they understand the WORDS? Yeah probably but, they did not have it in themselves nor could they come to "see it" until the Living One came to be in and with them forever. I think they and WE come to see this in a real and living way as we struggle here in our mortal bodies in this world..Did they or we know how this always pans out so to speak? No, not in any true sense but, we just know what He said and what He continues to show to be true for us.
In speculating through the flesh we can come up with all sorts of "reasonable" arguments for or against this passage but, it all adds up to fear and down right junk.[wood, hay..] No this speaks to us...in a very real and living way of God's Love for those He created as I see it at this moment.Do you as well?
Hello, my dear friend, Dave!! Wow, it is good to hear from you. Just recently, Christy told me I needed to contact you...and here you are.
I am so glad this article brought some sunlight to you. :)
Love, Jim
Once again (as always), a lovely little sunrise in my brain. The truth belongs to The Lord, I understand... but I thank you for lining things up so that His Sunlight hit all the nooks and crannies of my big, thick head. ;oD
Thanks for your encouraging response, Jim! :)
Jim
Thanks for giving your excellent commentary! :)
Jim thanks!
..I was thinking about this more during breakfast and interacting with my family. I was thinking about the assumptions of the flesh and it's viewing things of the Spirit. Oddly enough, I have always seen that though the flesh can not SEE, it still has an opinion about the Spirit. So does the Spirit recognize the flesh as dead.[accept for it's judgment is TRUE] I was thinking about the millions of times in my life when I would be doing something from the Spirit, that I instantly recognized as genuine[as in the real article] but also recognized that others weren't SEEING it while viewing only from the appearance of my rough exterior[earthly judgments]. Christians often do see these manifestations of Life in us but, not always either. In fact it was you Jim that helped me so much with the encouragement that even within the voices in our OWN minds, that the flesh is always balking at the activity of The Spirit. The flesh may look VERY good on the outside before men...on the other hand the genuine Life of Jesus may not appear as real and true in some who might have a rough exterior. I have seen life come out of me when I was dead tired and unable to even be "polite" as the world calls it[and been judged for it by the flesh of course]...and on the other hand I have seen time and time again the flesh flaunting it's "good" works in front of me to prove it's own sense of supposed morality and justification. The thing about the flesh is when it is becoming known that it is Evil, it will hide and in fact often times go do "good works" to shut down any attack on it's proud self justification.It is going to show YOU, that it is JUST as "holy" and righteous and clean and perfect as the undeniable wisdom that radiates from within YOU!.[from the righteous One]It DOES NOT submit to the only cleansing available for sin...Jesus Christ. It thinks that by it's continual work to justify, that it can claim purity and "cleansing." But like you once said[but in another context]Jim, it is hard to wipe clean the oil on us with an oily rag! It is kind of a "cute" way to say that it does not work, though there is nothing really cute about it, in fact it is a very serious thing. We keep thinking that we will here a "denial of Christ" as obvious as the words themselves make it so...however MORE times than not, it comes in a much, much more casual and sneaky way..so as to stay hidden, under the radar..in the dark. Funny enough these same people will swear up and down that they have "faith" in God and that they "pray" and do good etc...Aha but, the denial continues. For the One who denies the Son[the cleansing from Sin and the bridge to God] can not know the Father, and therefore the Father does not hear him/them. Much like the book of both 1John and James explain thoroughly.
Thanks for adding to this, Adam. It's great! :)
Jim,
Hasn't sin consciousness driven allot of the misunderstanding here as well? I mean one the biggest confusions we face in the midst of personal struggle is in the attempt to find out if it is "our fault". Why? So we CAN remain in God's favor, acceptance and forgiveness and Love. We also feel that because of what we see with our eyes, that maybe these things that go wrong are a "correction"[or rebuke] from God,somehow moving us away from and out of His divine Love. We constantly live as though God is ready to conk us on the head to get some important and changing message through to us stupid, no good mess ups. To be led internally is a whole new thing to us, for it is foreign to all that we formerly knew. Oh we knew impulses and lusts and even attempts to control but, we knew nothing of having eternal life inside. I think we have been led to assume that every problem is our own darn fault, and the world is loving every minute of seeing us agreeing right along with them in there self condemnation. For they love it when your [real] sincere heart is weighed down with legalistic bondage like they are. The world lives as if they must "get" something to be justified...God in the ones who are His, are justified..though it is not seen by the flesh.
In other words, we often mistake the working of love because all we can see are the trials, distress, persecution, etc. At those times, we might be asking God why he has forsaken us because we have been taught to assume such things must mean that something is wrong within us. Does that help?
Jim
Thanks Jim
Good uplifting thoughts, but I didn't understand this sentence?
"Just because the appearance of that love working within you might sometimes cause you to ask,"
Sprint
As seen throughout the world, the acts of reading the Bible and/or praying, by themselves, may be nothing more than slavish adherences to religious bondage. God's working in us at every given moment may be manifesting itself despite our particular action. In saying this, I do not discourage you to read your Bible or speak out to your Father, just not to assume that either is some kind of safe bet of his manifestation. :)
Jim
Isn't reading the Bible and praying a "manifestation" of God working in our lives? Is it not the actual moment and experience of God alive and working in us being rendered or appearing in us at any given moment in real time?
Jim M., your writings are a continuing joy. Even when I am occasionally hesitant they are at least great for consideration. Keep them coming!
Jim Adams
I really appreciate what y'all have added here! :)
Jim
All those years when we were totally lost and dominated by the flesh the Spirit of Christ was ever-so 'working-behind-the-scenes' drawing us to Him. Then, through His grace, we were miraculously Born-Again, and we joyfully received Him as our Savior and our life ("I was once blind but now I see".)Ya know ... THE ROLES HAVE NOW REVERSED!! That is, in the flesh we were the-god-of-our-own-lives, blind and just could not help from being servants of sin(Romans 6:14-19). BUT NOW we are slaves to righteousness and WE CANNOT HELP BUT TO OBEY. The flesh will allure but only as a pawn in the Father's hand. We will obey for it is Christ who as at work in you. We are Children of God in every sense of the word. Receive the circumstances, joys ,and even the heartaches of your life as a necessary event from a loving Father (Romans 8: 28-29). DO NOT EVER let condemnation be a part of your life. All of life's events are orchestrated by the Father. Enter ... and rest in the Father's work. I'll stop now ...
It is great to consider this great Love for us, you and me. Knowing that we are indeed truly loved, from the heart by God[and with True, perfect Love], is something that can not compare to anything else we might be tempted to engage in.
Thanks Jim for this,
Adam
Thank you for this encouraging, clarifying word of truth. How often there is the temptation to equate what our Father is doing, by His Spirit, by how we feel; yet where is the scripture that tells us to "walk by sight, by our feelings"? No where, of course; rather it is made clear that we are to walk by faith, His faith in us.
I do appreciate what you pass along - so good to hear/read what HE says, and not what man says He says.
Joanne Anstine
"There is true life in Christ ... and then there is everything else. You cannot get yourself from Adam into Christ for that is the very reality of Christ because HE passed from death into life"-
gives me a thrill in my soul.
Adam
Yes indeed, I had never quite looked at that section of James without reading my own denominations interpretations into it.
That was quite nice, thanks a bunch! I'll have to read up on some of the other posts too....
Yes, it is a heavy weight to live under. Perhaps you will be the one to break free of that burden and shed some light in the midst of that darkness. For I can guarantee you that despite any claims to the contrary, those who remind you of something that has been done away in Christ are struggling right along with you. Please feel free to contact me if you have something you'd like to ask. :)
Jim
There is just so much pain living in this world. When all your so called Christian friends are constantly reminding you of your sinful nature. i feel so alone.
a tasty little treat that makes you want MORE, for sure! it is the perfect sweetness when realizing that the work of god in christ jesus, and thus in all who are found in him, has totally and completely removed the need to be ensnared in that desperate and futile trap of spinning and spinning and spinning in a cruel wheel of what you expressed so well: the "... never-ending cycle of examination, repentance and confession..." and how that dizzying spin "...slowly imparts an entirely different message to those caught in its grip: fear, guilt, shame, insecurity, self-hatred, and so on...".
i thank god for the relief in knowing the wheel has absolutely been removed in christ! :)
i very much enjoyed this spoonful, and thank you for the link to more on the subject/topic/issue of 'confession'. :)
hugs! :)
THANKS BROTHER FOR YOUR LOVE FOR CHRIST