Blog

My heart asks, “Which way is love?”

2 Thess. 3:5, “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

How does He direct our hearts? HE IS PEACE, Eph. 2:14. I believe this peace umpires¹ our hearts. What do we have peace from? We have peace form the guilt and penalty of the law or self-imposed law. The unveiled truth of His love is shed abroad in our hearts. His love drives out, removes and thrusts away fear. Fear cannot dwell with His perfect love. Darkness cannot comprehend His light in us. We have peace because He has purged our conscience from dead works and self-imposed law.

I am reminded of 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The word “anxiety” means to be drawn in different directions.” Self-imposed law can draw us into different directions, become a hindrance, and misdirect us from justification by His faith in us.

The Spirit of Truth and unction guides us John 16:13, 1 John 2:20. Christ reveals Himself inside of us.

The word direct is κατευθύνω kateuthynō. It means: “To make straight, guide, direct. Of the removal of the hindrances to coming to one.” I believe hindrances are the things of the old nature that we grow out of or are brought to light by sanctifying work of the Spirit of the Lord, Titus 3:5. The “directing” by the Lord in the Greek is intrinsic in our new nature in Him.

1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

So, it seems as we grow in the grace and knowledge if Him, 2 Pet. 3:18, we grow in His love which directs our hearts. This love is a choice compelled, motivated and empowered by His grace and willingness. Paul said, “Christ’s love compels us”, (NIV) 2 Cor. 5:14.

His is our willingness.

His love is shed abroad in our hearts².

Patience is ὑπομονή hypomonē. It literally means, “abiding under”. We are under grace, Rom. 6:14, and not law or the self-imposed law in our hearts.

Paraphrase, “The Lord by His grace, through revelation of Him in you, clear and absolve all hindrances and direct you into His love shedding abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit and into His patience abiding in thoughts without fear².”

Today, 06/25/10, 4:00 PM CST, the boys and I were driving home. I noticed the lawn was dry and commented. Immediately, Aaron said, “Lord, I pray for rain so the yard does not stay dry. It needs water.” I said, “Just like Elijah.”

It is 93 degrees right now. No clouds. Forecast said partly cloudy. I see nothing but sun. Well, I’d say one minute or so after my eight year old prayed this we hear a clap of thunder. I wasn’t sure if I heard what I thought I heard and then Aaron said, “Daddy, I heard thunder.” Ben said, “Yep, you got the answer. Let’s play a video game.” Amazing. Thank you Lord for Your beautiful faith in these boys. Bless them Lord.

A good friend of mine has been going through some rough times lately. They told me they felt rejected. I was thinking about this situation today and this thought came to mind,

“Is rejection real?”

The truth is in Jesus, Eph. 4:21. If this is true and it is then the answer is “No, rejection is not true or real.” I think the natural apt reply is, “What did you smoke today?” In the natural, apart from Christ, I believe to the unbeliever rejection is very real. Perception is a real as we perceive it. John said Jesus is full of grace and truth, John 1:14. Truth is the same regardless of how one may perceive it. Truth aligns everything with itself. Truth is real. Truth is more real than even rejection.

So, I would like to reiterate that in Christ rejection is not real or true. If it was then Christ did not have to lay down His life for us. He laid down His life because He is full of truth. He is Truth, John 1:14. He is Light and Love. The three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. These are real. Rejection keeps a record of wrongs. True godly-love does not. It is not in His nature.

Eph. 1:4-6, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.“

So, I would like to reiterate that in Christ rejection is not real.

Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

We are drowned and immersed into Christ and His death. Who we were is dead. The ego of the old man is dead to the power of rejection. The power of sin is the law. Christ abolished in His sinless flesh the law and its commandments that were against us and contrary to us making a new man by Him. He is peace. The spiritual mind is life and peace and not rejection.

Luke 21:1-3, “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: “

How is this possible?

I believe what she put into the treasury was the motive of her heart. Jesus saves us not good works. He IS the Motive and Willingness in us to do the good works based on grace, Eph. 2;10. He is the Last Adam or pattern for us.

Heb. 10:8, “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law;”

Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection..”

“Go on”

The phrase “go on” is present tense, passive voice, subjunctive mood. Present tense meaning continuing action or lifestyle. Passive voice meaning Christ enables us to go on by grace and not of ourselves. Subjunctive mood is the mood of probability (possibility, potentiality) = expresses an action which may or should happen but which is not necessarily true at present. Suggests that the action is dependent upon some condition being met.

“Perfection”

• end
  • termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be (always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time)
  • lit., “unto (the) end,” signifies “continual,”

Paraphrase: “Therefore leaving the principles or primer of the word or Logos of the risen Christ, let the revelation of Him in us continue to grow in us unto His fullness by grace from glory to glory..”

The Hebrew word eternity reminds me of ‘perfection’ used in the Heb. 6:1 context.

The word olam is also used for time for the distant past or the distant future as a time that is difficult to know or perceive. This word is frequently translated as eternity or forever but in the English language it is misunderstood to mean a continual span of time that never ends. In the Hebrew mind it is simply what is at or beyond the horizon, a very distant time.¹

In a nutshell, I believe the writer of Hebrews is saying there is more. There has to be. How big is God?

Hebrews 6:3, “And this will we do, if God permit.”

Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.“

Paul says Christ reveals Himself inside, Gal. 1:16. Through Christ in us and us in Him, we grow in revelation and edification of this transcendent, unearthly Love, 1 John 4:7-8.

Love builds up more and more and more and more…1 Cor. 8:1.

We are the vessels of His love 2 Cor. 4:7. These spiritual vessels grow, 2 Peter 3:18, Col. 2:19. I can have fullness by revelation of Him and metaphorically my vessel could be a small cup. I can have fullness by revelation and my vessel could a five gallon bucket, swimming pool, Lake Michigan, Atlantic Ocean, Solar System, Milky Way, etc.

Our vessels grow in Him. In Him ALL FULLNESS dwells, resides and lives bodily, Col. 2:9. We are growing into Him and like Him.

The word “filled” is passive voice in Eph. 3:19. It means’ filled until full by something or rather someone else.’

Paul says, “Be filled with ALL the FULLNESS of God.” What is that? I am chewing on that as well. I will attempt this time, but know this will definitely expand. The word “all” means ‘radically all’. We partake in the riches of His grace, Eph. 1:7, 1:18, 2:7, 3:8, 3:16, Phil. 4:19, Col. 1:27, 2:2. His riches are unsearchable. There are no bounds to His riches. There is no end to them. According to the riches of His grace, we are filled with all fullness and are growing into that as He causes the increase.

Quote from Fission of the Word in us,

“The newness¹ of the word is in present pluperfect tense. It is always NOW in us.”

After writing and getting refreshed from recalling a blog¹ from over a year ago, my sons and I were going to get some groceries. I was still chewing on the above quote. It was still quickened in me. I perceived the “newness” of the word in the car. It was fresh, different, real, almost tangible, powerful and alive.

I was going through memory lane and read His power working in us… I was led to read up again on nuclear fission.

Greek paraphrase Phm 1:6: That the fellowship (indescribable intimate union and bond) of your (His) faith may become godly life-energy by the revelatory knowledge of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

source: https://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power1.htm

­The splitting of an atom releases an incredible amount of heat and gamma radiation, or radiation made of high-energy photons. The two atoms that result from the fission later release beta radiation (super fast electrons) and gamma radiation of their own as well. The energy released by a single fission comes from the fact that the fission products and the neutrons, together, weigh less than the original U-235 atom. The difference in weight is converted directly to energy at a rate governed by the equation E = mc².

When I read the above link and looked at the animation I saw new revelatory word being birth in us by the Spirit of God continually on a daily basis. Word bonds with other word that causes a chain reaction unleashing energy then bonds with another and so on. All the Word is Him. This word co-mingles in our person, Rom. 12:2, and then becomes quickened unto godly-life energy, righteousness and power, Rom. 8:10. Our soul and flesh partake in this “fission of the Word” in us. The word expounds, expands, grows and is new all the time in us. The newness¹ of the word is in present pluperfect tense. It is always NOW in us. This word comes from a place where a day is like a thousand years and a thousands years is like a day. To me, the word reproduces itself similar to the fission process. Who created the fission process? This Word is not of this world and comes from its source, Col. 1:5. This Word dwells in us richly now through faith and grace, Col. 3:16.

06/20/10

I have noticed at times in my life there is a tendency to suppress my emotions or minimize them. I sometimes dismiss an emotion like sadness possibly as weakness. It is a good thing for me to be aware of my emotions and to know why I feel the way I do. If I don’t know or acknowledge why I feel the way I do then this could give room for vain imaginations, speculation and doubt. Just because I ignore or dismiss the feelings does not necessarily mean they will going away. We also are not led by our emotions, but by the Spirit of Truth as children of God. We have not received a spirit of fear or confusion. Truth is more real than emotions. We also are not called to be Vulcans¹ that are without emotion and base everything on logic. We are new creations in Christ and are growing more into wholeness by the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God.

Ephesians 4:21, “The truth is in Jesus..”

John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

If I am acknowledging or even confessing that I feel a certain way then I am agreeing with Truth. In this established agreement through acknowledgment I can receive grace from the throne of grace.

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The word “confess” above in 1 John 1:9 is ὁμολογέω homologeō¹. It means literally “to speak the same thing” or even “the same word as.” It is a combination of two words “homou” + “logos”.

Jesus is the Word (logos) made flesh, John 1:14. So, homologeō¹ could mean “the same fleshly word of Christ as”.

So, in the acknowledgment, understanding and agreement, I am agreeing with Truth, Word or really Him in me. In doing so, I am agreeing or acknowledging with who I really am by grace because our identity is hid in Christ Who is the Truth. How can I love myself if I do not allow myself to feel what I feel and then recognize what I am feeling? That sounds like emotional self-neglect. Not good or healthy. Perhaps that is being machismo². Machismo is definitely not godliness, but rather pride and self-strength. Ethics³ and culture cannot save me.

The Lord said in John 4:24, “God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.”

So, in the situation mentioned earlier, once I acknowledged I was sad and how I felt I was then agreeing with, partaking of or even becoming truth. I believe it is the effect of the acknowledgment and not necessarily the emotion. The effect is of grace. Truth sets us free from what is not real. The thing that was not real was that my emotions are not as important as I think they are. That is definitely not true. Recognizing that they are shows worth and His love for me. I love me because He is love, has/is showing me love and has shed abroad His love in my heart by His Spirit. He is truth and dwells in me and He is my elder brother. In Him, I am righteousness and truth by grace through His faith in me.

06/21/10

There is another word I discovered this morning via the radio from the following verse,

James 5:16, “Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

This word is ἐξομολογέω exomologeō. It means “to profess, confess, acknowledge openly and joyfully.” In our acknowledging, we have boldness, assurance and plainness of speech before the Father because of Christ our High Priest Who is the Way to the Holy of Holies in our hearts where He dwells by grace and faith. Thank you so much Lord. When I exomologeō, I am openly speaking forth and out by faith, Rom. 10:8. This speaking out of faith has an effect. His word does not return void. I am speaking rhema⁴ into this creation. Rhema word raises the dead, John 11:43.

In us, at the altar of our hearts, He diffuses His grace, essence and virtue. We are established and being established in Him by His indescribable gift of grace to those who believe. He enables me to exomologeō or “profess, confess, acknowledge openly and joyfully” by His grace. No flesh shall glory in His presence. He is the Author and Finisher our the faith in us. He is the Life in us that we live, move and have our being.

Homologeō¹ could be internal and exomologeō could be external.

Today, 06/20/10, was Father’s day. A day to observe in the U.S. I am reminded of a few verses.

Mark 7:9, “”You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”

Rom. 2:25, “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.”

Gal. 3:5, “Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?”

Gal. 4:10, “You observe days, and months, and times, and years.”

“Observe¹” means:

• to stand beside and watch, to watch assiduously, observe carefully
  • to watch, attend to with the eyes
    • of auguries, to see what he is going to do
    • in a bad sense, to watch insidiously
    • to watch one’s self
• to observe, keep scrupulously
  • to neglect nothing requisite to the religious observance of

I’ve noticed that the expectation of the event comes with the day or event being observed. If the expectation is not met then there could be a potential for disappointment. Christ is always the ever-present, ever-joyful expectation of hope in us and we are not disappointed or ashamed, Rom. 5:5.

I believe the old nature could attach or entangle, Gal. 5:1, itself to these observances and expectations if one is not careful. In turn, the ego turns on itself betraying itself.m In Christ, we are dead to the guilt and penalty of the law. Even the law in our hearts because of the sprinkling of His blood upon our hearts, Heb. 10:22. Who we were is not who we are in Christ, Gal. 2:20.