The Culprit ..The Truth

I may write a bunch of things in the course of my life hear on earth but, If I could convey one thing to the Christian world and those seeking I would say something exactly like my friend Jim said here: 

 "Unfortunately, we've had so many centuries where the whole focus of the connection between "sin and law" has been changed into "sin and grace" that we totally misread any comments Paul makes about "sin"!!  If we followed the "gospel" as preached by Paul instead of the modern day "gospel" then we would immediately associate any "sin" comments with law.  Read through any of his letters (the whole thing) and you can't get away from his demand that LAW STIMULATES SIN and never that grace does!!"

Love

I recently got a hold of  some great music! I had a favorite song from the early 90's called 'Forever Love' by Eric Champion, I just loved[love] that song! It just reminds me of the wonder of God's love for us. I always get the sense through that song that God loves me more than I can ever understand through trying to seek fleshly knowledge!

Forsaken

You know, I am no longer surprised by being forsaken. It is just a reality in this life. Oh we can pretend it's not, and we almost have to just to survive but, ultimately we will be forsaken. The flesh forsakes. All that is in the world forsakes... eventually. I say that of course with a sense of emptiness referring to all of that. Gosh I can remember way back when-when I first heard His calling in my heart. [not that I know which event took place first or what order]I just remember the utter reality of the empty promise of the flesh. There it was, holding it's hands out to me even after I had seen clearly that it would chew me up and spit me out. But, hey if I was dumb enough to come for another ride..it was driving ya know? It takes a miracle to see that there is another reality all together that exists outside of the realm that is in the world. The world does an excellent job in tricking all who are in it. Gosh I remember just how much that end of the road hit me. It hit me SO HARD in those early days. God the depression of it all. I can remember trying to express this to others even and they seemingly not knowing what the heck I was talking about? [they said they were Christians] Hey I am not saying that the intensity has to be there that I experienced but, don't we know that the flesh is making moves constantly to pull the blinders over our eyes? I thank God that He seemingly used this to release me into a Life and awareness of Life I could not even contain nor produce. For the joy just flowed out of me. The peace oh so still. Oh and the love...oh the love. Man, the things we do not see have all the real meaning while the things we can see..well you know the testimony.

The Giving of Grace vs. the Flesh

The' giving of grace' is a truly a miraculous thing between us humans. Allowing another to be oneself is not human in origin. It is a miracle from God. Now I realize in saying that -that there are evidences of 'tolerating' another but, that is not what I am referring to. Real life exists in the giving of grace to another not in just tolerance. Not that true love isn't tolerant, it just doesn't stop with that. I have had person after person time after time try to convince me that there is some sort of goodness in man. It's not that I don't see the appearances of it, it is just that I know what is really going on. You see when we make a big stink out of the appearance we are stuck in the justifying of ourselves. The world is always going to tell you that it is essentially 'good'. It may not be telling this to you RIGHT NOW but, if you spend any length of time listening you will hear it. Know that it is simply a waste of time to try to convince the world of this...for it will only attempt to isolate a certain 'bad' that it thinks it can make amends for and or already has.[by it's 'goodness']


The hate of the world is always lurking beneath the surface. You wont ever have to go looking for it, for it will find you eventually.[hence the Apostles encouragement not to be surprised I think] The same hatred that rared up against Jesus. Hmm, I used to think I kinda knew what this would look like. You know it is 'supposed' to look like it did when we saw it spelled out with the Pharisees right? I wonder though if we miss the fact that Jesus came to a certain culture at a certain time amongst a certain people. So we simply see it from that perspective. What if He were to visit US in the flesh? LOL How many of us wonder maybe if things would  be just fine and that we would all just accept Him openly! Nope! No way! I just don't believe it. I know it SEEMS like it is reality but, it's just not. The world hates Him and that statement of reality is coming from Him not me. Now if I have been joined to Him then guess what? I am hated on account of Him IN ME. It may take a while until someone is able to get down to the bottom of it all but, inevitably this thing that is true will come to be manifest in our experience. Yeah and that is why many of us have been tempted to conform to the world. I mean we sense that hatred. A good friend of mine has been so faithful in Christ to tell me and many others of the bottom line reality of what Paul meant in saying not to judge according to appearances or according to the flesh. For that IS what  is going on when the hate gun is firing.
Oh I know we can all have annoying traits and short sights and brokenness but, when it comes right down to it this is not the REAL issue with why others hate us. It isn't even the real reason the world hates and judges itself.[each other] The real reason is all wrapped up in the fleshly impulse to judge according to appearance. Which is yes,... true evil. It was in fact put to death in Christ. Punished. Taken away.


Something else I have found out about the flesh again and again. The flesh DEMANDS to be pleasing. Oh it acts like it could care less if you like, accept or embrace it but, bottom line it will kill to get this lust satisfied. You know what I have been led to? I have been led to the reality that only exists in Christ. See we have acceptance of each other in Christ DESPITE what does or does not happen in the flesh. We could have everything at war according to the flesh but, still have total peace between one another in Christ. Which peace do you see as the living solution to your wars in the flesh? More similarities? More likeness? More fleshly agreement? Nah, for these things can only cause you to do what flesh does and that tis compare. This only leads to the fruit of death.[pride,lust, dissensions etc..] I have been slapped in the face with this reality again and again.[through intense pain and heart brokenness I might add] I find it ironic that the one thing the flesh demands and never seems to get enough of, is the very thing it can never get anyway. There is no FINAL acceptance according to the flesh! It just isn't there! The world offers only an appearance of this acceptance..
I used to think the appearance was 'pretty much the same thing'-but, it's NOT. Total opposite in fact. It's a farse..false..empty..only worthy of removal.
When oh when will those of us in Christ wake up to this??! Are we not still thinking that the world and it's understanding is still good with God? It's not!

Cancelling Out the Good

You ever been listening or reading a teacher and hear some pretty good references to our reality in Him and then in the next moment have that same person cancel out everything he just stated ? This happens WAY more often than you suspect..I suspect.

Victorious

I was just thinking about the way things seemingly appear to us who are in Christ. To the mind of our former life, things seem unsurmountable and full of hopelessness. Yes, according to the flesh.....they are. That is, according to the flesh. But, the Christ has come to live in US! Through Him, we are more than conquerors.Why? Because HE is. The power of the resurrection of the dead lives in US. We do not drift away, nor we do we walk as deceived. Can our minds be led astray? Yes. Obviously. But Christ who lives in us, is the Life and we are One with Him. Though things appear torn down on the outward, inside Christ is flowing and will over come...I don't care what that is..He is able.

Advocate

OK this post has significant meaning to me I will admit. For lack of a better term , I would describe it as true 'insight' . Hope you will benefit from it in some living way.




Are you seeking an advocate for your life? How about in a spouse, a parent, a friend, a co worker? I tell you it is the very nature of the flesh to seek this advocacy out. For the fleshly mind will not only look for it but, will go to great lengths to conform to anything that shows promise in it's potential to be an advocate for it. This advocacy is only in the realm of MAN. It is a seeking after justification in THIS world. A fleshly advocate is something or someone that can make a person feel justified and 'OK'. Whether at work with a work mate or a spouse or a child, man seeks anything and everything to be his advocate. You think I am full of bologna? Really? You sure?  How many times have you watched a mother seeking comfort for her 'ways' of doing things by 'inadvertently' teaching there child the same things THEY are comfortable with about themselves? Or a young boy to become friends with another based on the idea that they BOTH hate there elementary teacher? Or a sister finding solace in a sibling who can' back them up' on just how 'unfair' dad is? It is that voice inside that screams out "now I am defend-able"! "WE said so!". Yeah it is no longer just 'me' or 'you' saying it/living it. It's 'US'. See, WE are right and WE are justified. We are 'special'. Guess what? THAT my friend will all end in...DESTRUCTION.. Yes, just as Jesus said. For an earthly advocate does not satisfy and is not our place in Christ. Why? Because WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE ALREADY! You can not have both. If you are in Christ, you have an advocate in Jesus Christ the Righteous. Let us not play along with the world in seeking out anything or anyone else. For our God is a consuming fire. We are not called to self justification but, to Christ. We are not called to use others for the purpose of the flesh[to help justify us] but,  to love one another in the freedom brought in Jesus Christ. You can not do both.


Adam

Spider Webs

I have been thinking lately about the time I had in 'church'.[for some years] I was reflecting not so much on the experiences themselves but, more on what it all represented. For I have found that to be truly alive in Christ and present in 'church' to be almost polar opposites. I have seen great pressure coming from within the institution [and ALL the world] to allow the impartation of fleshly wisdom to come into our lives through the thing we call 'church'. I am not saying that God can not use this ultimately for our advantage but, just maybe not in the way WE are expecting it to.[for we have even learned to turn that verse into fleshly reason too] For there is a certain PRESSURE[I have been loving that word lately] that comes with being around that worldly philosophy so prevalent in church. Interestingly that same pressure does seem or appear to be coming from God. Yeah I said APPEAR. It is not from God. I repeat,...NOT. That pressure comes from the evil one and you will see it in the religious of both Jesus' day  AND our day. In fact you will see it in the world period. From the "good" or the "bad". Just give it time. You may be sitting RIGHT NEXT to that pressure right now. That pressure could be speaking to you through many who should be the very ones to support you and lift you up.[well at least according to the original design] That pressure might be pushing at you and creeping into your thoughts, attempting to cast down the new mind of Christ in you. Let us not be afraid to stand against that pressure as the freedom in Christ is released to us in the midst of it.

The Body and Bits and Pieces

Most of us do not notice the agreement between the letters written by the various Apostles in the Bible. That is often because the writing style is so different. Yet the reality behind the writing styles is cohesive and one.[joined] In Christ we have His body and in that body exists varying  'styles ' of communication. Some communication can take months, years and even decades to understand but, all true communication is communicated regardless. For the Spirit that resides in us is continually at work within you and I. He breaks down walls of what is passing away even in the midst of miscommunication and misunderstanding. We just do not look to or for that. But, hey He has got that too. We all have different vessels, styles and even 'gifts'[whatever that truly is?] probably but, one thing is for sure. Christ remains the focal point of all things. For He and He alone is the substance of true Life! Nothing  in the realm of  all creation whether in Heaven, down below, or on earth can replace Him, nothing can successfully destroy Him, His work, or His own. For they always conquer through and in Him!!

Acceptance

A thought today:

'Acceptance' of the flesh is earthly.. and though seemingly admirable, it actually stirs up sin, hidden or else revealed. The living and true acceptance the Father caused us to live in produces good fruit! For he who has ears to hear let him hear!

Prove it!

Ever noticed that those closest to us can be so enthralled with our outer shell that they set themselves up for dissapointment? It is funny, the demands of others for us to be 'moral', 'good', loving or perfect are honestly just the flesh's way of drawing us into a place that died! Just because we have stopped trying to produce love does not mean that YOU are producing it in the flesh my friend! For the very Truth we stand in -demands that we were made new in Him. That means the old life had to die. What life I have is Christs, "I" no longer live. I will not delude my self otherwise. For I know were the life and goodness comes from. You might want to consider why you are demanding it from me though? In fact law only produces more sin.

Love

Do we not know that we serve the Father in Love? That is not natural! It is a miracle! Our true 'daily bread' isn't food and wine, no, for He knows that we need that to live but rather, it is to KNOW and rely on the Love that God has for us and to share that same love with one another. Love is our source, our power, for we were birthed in it through Christ! We will understand nothing as we ought to without it. We will be swirled around in confusion and certainly not experience the free flowing of what it is to "serve in the newness of life". Do not listen to the lies of the world that encourage you to reject Love, do not attempt to deny it. Do not let those fleshly perceptions dictate to you what it means to live in Christ.   Walk as you ARE, born in love unto God, for good works in Him who IS Love!


"1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
      4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things..

Endless Reasons

I amazed at just how many dead 'reasons' come at us who are in Him. They come and they come. Be wise, for they are an attempt of the enemy to get your foot to stumble from your good standing. For the reasoning of the flesh goes on and on in it's deadness entrapping anyone in it's path. For it only desires to disrupt and keep the attention and focus on itself. Be warned! Be alert! Jesus once said something that we have S-U-C-H a hard time understanding. For we approach it as if it is to be understood naturally:


Luke 9:57-60

[57] As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

[58] Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

[59] He said to another man, "Follow me."

But the man replied, "LORD, FIRST LET ME GO AND BURY MY FATHER."

[60] Jesus said to him, "Let the DEAD bury their OWN DEAD, but YOU go and proclaim the KINGDOM of God."

Do we not see? Do we not hear? Let the DEAD bury it's own elemental understandings. YOU walk according to Life! Let go and turn away from that which is dead and live as one raised from the dead!

Love,

Adam

High Calling?

Man oh man! Do we actually think that God teaches us that we are to seek an identity outside of Christ? That is insanity dear one! It can not be done! Not in any true sense. For there is no true identity in anyone else nor anything else. Do not listen to the demands of the world and to the demands of the flesh that call at you to seek 'specialness' and importance in the flesh. Your life is not found there![in the flesh] It is found in another realm having nothing to do with the old crud of this world! For those things only result in shame and in death brother/sister.They are NOT your life. No loved one, you are taught by the love of God, what 'higher' calling do you need? What are you looking for? Hey you, I am speaking to YOU! You the one who is acting insane! I want to reach you and stimulate that new life that resides with and in you.

God is able to shake us from those perceptions and is entirely faithful to do it, just not like we might think it ought to be done or appear like. For God can not act like anything other than what He is...for He is Love. The wrath of  man does not bring the justice of God nor does it change anything God never fails..

Lean On Me

to rely on the flesh is to rely on weakness.

Thankful?

Thankfulness. We know what the world thinks of this. We are learning it all the time. Seeing it everywhere. The world does not know what true thankfulness is, do not be deceived. For it is not revealed to them to know. We who are His are given to know the riches of Christ and see and know and experience true thankfulness. We KNOW it is not an attempt. It is not a 'positive attitude' it is not a means of financial gain but, it is true life pouring out through our hearts unto God and to each other. For God sees it the same. Every time you notice your heart speaking love to another, it is as if to Him. He receives it that way. Yeah, I know, amazingly sweet huh? Love does that. This manifestation of true life can form words of thankfulness or it can just be a thankful heart that dwells richly in us. Do not be deceived, the new heart IS thankful despite any clouding of the fleshly mind! We are not any longer of the flesh, we are of the Spirit. Be ye thankful..enjoy your new heart!

Invisible

We have all seen or heard stories about the invisible man. It is a  created ,worldly fable about a guy that no one can see but is able to do incredible things because well, you can not see him! I see this as probably a creative attempt of the empty existence lurking in the dark for some hidden power to do it's own bidding without being 'seen'.[bad or 'good'] But, I also see a testimony to Christ and God in it. For the world is always bound to play with the shadows of our God's reality. For there is an invisible God. He lives in me. He lives in you who can hear it.[and you DO hear if you are His!] He can not be seen by evil, He can not be seen by the flesh. He is too great, too wonderful! Ah! But He made us to see Him. Enjoy that sight, enjoy your Father knowing you, loving you protecting you. He is true laughter, He is true gladness, He is true love.

Love One Another?

Hello again!

To love one another.

Yes, mmmmm..yes. My heart just rumbles with desire when I hear that phrase. For this is the response of my new heart. It is that simple. Oh I have been given to know that this four word statement also represents death to the world that passes away. For it is total emptiness to the the vain mind that has not God. It represents a life of work and toil and burden and futility.
But what does this all mean to us who are alive? I mean what does it present to US? Let him who has an ear- hear! While we once were swindled into seeing this according to the flesh we now know what it means to actually love another. Oh we can still be distracted of course  and my heart cries for some of the saints who have been kept in the binds of this trickery for so long but, we do KNOW what it is to love another. For it is part of the new life that lives within. So what it is it? Ask yourself! Is it not the absolute joy and privilege of serving from a new heart in the full assurance of faith!? We were given to know what it was to suck the life and love out of everyone and everything in our path before being given the reality of God. For that is life and 'love' according to the flesh! We are not in the flesh though! No, no not any longer! Despite it's cloudy attempts at erasing this joy in  us, it can not ever be done! We have the eternal life of Christ! We do not need to lower our heads and make agreement with the flesh to live as if we have no treasure in Christ!

Love one another..hear the call of the REALITY of this and go feast on the royal privilege of loving another.

Could This Be Love?

Well good morning,                                                                                                                        8/30/10


It escapes us doesn't it? That memory of once being without Love. Do we even remember what that existence was like? We spent our whole entire lives trying to' fill it up' or even find it.[we have the scars to prove it!!] Do we realize that the love and acceptance of 'the world' is antagonistic toward God? If you can even call it 'love'? I mean I have come to know it is complete utter emptiness. A mirage. Do we not see it? The world is bound to seek love and acceptance from 'things' and each other and the flesh!. Can we expect those without Life to do anything else? Why are we so surprised all the time? Can we 'teach' them to do right? No, no. We can not do that. It is futile to attempt to do so. Do we condemn them for it? No, no that is not what God teaches us.
Is it not all amazing that we KNOW the Love God has for us? We know and UNDERSTAND the Father's Love. At one time in my life , through the empty deception of the  flesh , I was able to be 'convinced'  I was separated from God's love by MY performance. Do we know how we walk in THIS life? We walk as totally forgiven, totally clean and totally directed people! The old empty thoughts will tell you anything BUT this, for it can not submit itself to to the understanding put within us which is from God. Yet we have this understanding within because He lives within us![outcasts we are to the world!] It is AMAZING that He totally rescued me from sin and death! But it is just as amazing that He rescued me from the fleshly religion that has seemed to cover the face of 'Christianity' as if from Him. Somehow Love did not fail in this. Though appearances seem otherwise.
Do we not recognize our life source? Brother, sister, do you not SEE? You have been given the perfect Love of God! Wow! We were saved from all that emptiness and void. The fleshly mind and thoughts will always attempt to devise objections to all of this but, we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit! We have no obligation to the flesh![ nor to it's voice] We are totally purchased and belong to Another!!! We do not BELONG to the flesh as it would suggest. [and boy does it constantly suggest it!] Do we not know the sanity that is Christ? Do we not know were it is found? John said we[no one] can not know God except through Love!! No, no not fleshly love, for we have already made it clear that the world is SEEKING love but, can only love as the world loves. It does not have the Love of God. You have been given EYES TO SEE!! Go ahead, use them brother/ sister!!! God is calling you, encouraging you, exhorting you "go ahead, use them!"


We wake up each day to a world that opposes us, that is presenting hell essentially as 'life'. It seeks to convince us that we are to take on all those empty perceptions that were indeed once part of our inheritance in THIS world. But God teaches us from within something totally different! This anointing of God is ALWAYS working in us 24 hours a day despite what things appear like sometimes to our former perceptions. God IS love. Let him who has an ear to hear, let him hear!!!




Adam

Fear

My hunch for today:


For those in Christ[all] fear isn't about changing our circumstances or even changing our attitudes, rather it is simply in recognizing we were freed from the law in Christ.


"..perfect Love casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment"




Adam

Reality?

So just what is it the natural mind tells us about this new reality we are standing in? Maybe that "it"[the new life] or He[Jesus] really has no REAL connection to our "real lives" here in on earth? A dear brother wrote this today and I believe it be strait from Him. Here you go:

Justification
Posted Sun, 08/15/2010 - 09:23

How often have you limited your understanding of justification based upon how it relates to Biblical or religious doctrine? If so, I understand, because most doctrinal statements include it. But if you really want an accurate picture of justification, simply remember any of the zillion times you explained your actions away in order to avoid the consequences. If you were to listen with unbiased ears, you would hear people justifying and/or validating themselves, just like you have, in most every conversation or argument at any given time of the day. Wouldn't you love to silence that constant urge to justify or validate yourself? This is the meaning behind the justification provided by Jesus Christ on the cross.-Jim Minker

James

Good morning,

I woke up and stumbled over to my computer and ended up reading a wonderful little quote from a dear friend of mine and here is that quote:

"So, let your words fit with what's really going on. If you are suffering, let your words be directed to the One who is working the very best in your life. If you are encouraged, let your words come out in songs of praise and rejoicing. If you are in a weakened condition, let your words call for those who stand strong in Christ so that their words are directed to God on your behalf as they present you as one in whom the Spirit lives. And the prayer of faith will deliver you and the Lord will pull you out of this. And as far as any sins that have been produced, they will not be held against you."-Jim Minker

Sound familiar? It should, it is an exact description of the thing said in the book of James. Read it, and enjoy!


Adam

Tender Mercies

Well yes! Did you know that  in Luke 1:78 there is a reference to" God's tender mercy?" And that's not even what came to mind for me just now no, it was the fact that Paul later on spoke to his converts about being tender hearted and forgiving towards ONE ANOTHER! Now why would he say THAT?


Are we not looking on all sides for that mercy? That kindness? That tenderheartedness? Any little glimpse of it and we go running for it. Do we not know that Christ is the Author of this kind of Love? We don't have to go around demanding it from others but, rather trust Christ to open up the reality of it IN you. For HE is in you.

Adam

God's Confusion?

 I woke up today considering the idea that maybe God IS the very sanity of mind that works in the midst of and through our confusion..[it's ALL Him] We think of confusion as a testimony to Him NOT working in us and yet I submit it is the very evidence of His working in us. God is Love, why wouldn't He produce sanity?[or rather encourage us and cause us to live unto our new reality, which IS sanity]-Adam

Morning Time!

Wowza!

It has been a looong time since I have posted anything! Geez! I have been real busy that is for sure. This morning I was thinking about getting into the habit of writing down a few words that occur as the inspiration strikes and thought "hey why don't I blog?"! So here I am , back again. So I was woken up at like 4 am this morning by my 3 year old wondering were everybody was? I am sooo tired[I was up till 12 last night]!! So I got to thinking and here are a few thoughts that occurred to me in the wee hours of the morn:

"Is it possible that we have been duped into viewing Jesus totally after the flesh? I mean what led us to the idea that He does not care about us anymore? Was it not all the stuff within our earthly life that made us question what it is He thought of us? Yeah and didn't the wisdom of religion and man give us an answer? It sure did. That answer put a heavy load on our backs! Can't we see it? That load..is a "load" of you know what! That stuff isn't true of and in Him. Thats the stuff of man that we were told and that we told ourselves. What ever happened to that sense of hopefulness? What about that sense of love and care you once had? It came from God but, in our turning our minds over to the voice of the flesh we have derived a sense of burden and guilt and confusion and fear and you know the rest. To boot, we also began returning to the old state of things. You know like taking up OUR OWN cause, defending OURSELVES and promoting and caring for ourselves in an OBSESSIVE way. Now why would we do this? Maybe it is because after listening to fleshly wisdom it only made sense to return to what was familiar in the OLD you. Hey it may not be a bad thing if you do not realize the game being played with you by your adversary. Hey but, we were not called to live walking in that old dead existence! We are called to freedom. What freedom? Well for starters freedom Fromm thinking that life is all about our FORMER darkness! That old life of shame and emptiness. That loveless life, that empty life. Now we are were called to Life! Life fulfills all the dark places that was once us and that IS good news!"-Adam