Posts
.jpg)
The meek man will attain a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.
- A.W. Tozer
I'm learnING this, am in the thick of learning it ... am letting it transform me.
It seems to me that if a thing is true ... it will be (or will become) self-evident.
No need for declarations, defenses, proofs, attacks, or mind-numbing doctrinal recitations. If it's true, it just IS (& truth is strong enough to withstand all manner of scrutinizing, all manner of questioning, all manner of exploration).
Just share the thing, as you currently see it ... (everyone bearing in mind that this is a journey into all truth, that only the Spirit can lead, and that all of us are doing the best we can, at any given time ... God certainly knows how He has made us, and isn't shocked).
If the thing is true, the Spirit is IN it, is OF it, and the Spirit, who alone can, will plant the seed in the hearts which are receptive, and cause it to grow.
The Spirit alone can dismantle whatever is in the way of each of us seeing, knowing, embracing, and living that truth. The Spirit, who alone can, will lead (& is leading!) each of us into all truth -- meeting each of us where we are, leading us, shining Light into our dark and blind spots, as we can bear it.
Our marching orders, while en route...?
Love.
Oh - and the Spirit alone can show us how that love manifests ... in each and every situation, with each and every soul.
Unless, of course, we don't trust the Spirit to do what Jesus told us He will, and we instead insist on leading the egoic charge into an egoic battle ... attacking specks while ignoring our own logs ...
"What is that to you? You follow Me." (Jesus)
Shalom, Dena
P.S. I notice that Jesus said, "The Spirit will lead you into all truth." He didn't say, "a book will be compiled by councils of man, which will contain and spell out, and limit, all truth." When we substitute the living-leading Spirit with even the most inspired of written words, we do so to our peril. Jesus said, "It is written, but *I* say..." & He's still saying. The Dabhar of God (the living word) is that which the Spirit is saying, within ... separating soul (ego) and Spirit (truth). Are we listening..? Or, do we think we already *know*...?
8 comments:
I've just been watching Bishop Spong on the Terrible Texts of the Bible (on youtube). The man is a prophet.
His heartfelt words are, I believe, one Truth that needs to flood this world. We need to grow up, to evolve. We need to do away with fear as a motive for anything.
I don't now spend any time trying to convince anyone that what I'm saying is true. I watch for signs in the affairs of humanity that the Spirit is working in hearts, drawing us upwards, onwards, inwards, to see our Oneness. And I rejoice when I see it, as I surely do!:D
Oh yes... I'm also learning what Love is. And that is transforming me in astonishing ways.
What if a truth has never "entered into the heart of man what great things are in store for him"? What if in even our wildest imagination we cannot conceive of such a truth? How can the spirit lead us where we have not ventured in thought? If it happened to one person, it could happen to others. (Is this a dare?:)
Untypical of a 12-14 year old boy, he was very stressed out and confused about religion. He wanted to know which church was true so that he might know which one he should join. He lived in the new America, and religious freedom was bringing much excitement into the country. Preachers would stop in each community, teach their doctrines, then move on. There were no church buildings, so preaching was done on street corners. A Methodist Preacher taught him to believe what God says in James 1:5-6. Without any anticipation of how his prayer might be answered, he went to a quiet spot in the woods and prayed vocally, something he had never before attempted. He was astonished by the answer he received. He told the Methodist Preacher of his experience, expecting him to believe. It had never entered the young boy's mind that none of the churches were true. It was inconceivable to a 14 year old boy that he might be the catalyst to begin the restoration that is still going on today.
I know what you are saying and why.
No need for declarations, defenses, proofs, attacks, or mind-numbing doctrinal recitations. If it's true, it just IS (& truth is strong enough to withstand all manner of scrutinizing, all manner of questioning, all manner of exploration).
I'll always come back with the other side, and you know my prime example, and the point I'll always make. It bears scrutiny and examination and questioning. Some will believe, and others will not. I believe.
It seems to me that if a thing is true ... it will be (or will become) self-evident.
Nothing is self evident without first examining, questioning, and exploring. There is always a background to whatever emerges; a yearning for answers, an obsession that is strong enough to drive us forward (or backward). Then, out "pops" a little spec of truth. It can be so fleeting that we reach out in that moment to try and grab onto it, clasp it to our heart, hang onto it, and not let it go, for that tiny little spec of truth will lead us to another, and another, and so goes the journey. I know the path Dena. So do you.
I know you place a lot of faith in books, because you are always reading and quoting from them. In your search for another fresh start, or new idea, you anxiously share wherever it is you are . I appreciate your journey, what you are learning, and what you share. There is always something to be learned.
Are you sure your heart is open to ALL truth? Or do you have walls around what truth you allow?
revelation
One concluding thought: The Bible. God has always commanded "true" prophets to keep a record of His dealings with people. We have accounts of similar "commandments" to several. I keep a journal. Have you ever felt impressed to record your inspired thoughts? Would you consider that as important as the Bible to your posterity? I'm not saying I do, I was just asking?
How can you tell a true prophet? A true prophet will first and foremost, testify of Jesus Christ, and will refer you back to scripture, and point out which one is being fulfilled by which act, etc. (The Bible) is the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.
cwtpmom - To me it seems that you're profoundly misreading what is happening here.
As I stated, I'm not interested in arguing my case. I trust my heart, where God lives, giving me Life, and I find myself deeply changed by doing so.
What you believe obviously comes from your heart and motivates your life, and I wish you well in your journey to Truth.
Harry
Harry, you and I were writing at the same time, only it took me a little longer. Funny we should both be talking about prophets.
After I (we) posted I looked up Bishop Spong on youtube, but didn't find the one about the Bible you mentioned. He seems like an interesting fellow. Leads me to ask how do you define "Prophet"?
Dena, I deleted my post on this subject from SC, and pasted it on my own blog. I assumed you had read it because everything you wrote here seemed like a response from that. Or could we have been writing about the same things at the same time too???
Harry,
Dena and I have been having this discussion for 6 years. It is not meant to offend anyone. Dena tells me of her journey through truth, and I tell her mine. God is leading the two of us on different paths, and yet we are both certain we are being led by God. Will the two paths converge at some point in time? Only time will tell. It has me baffled, but I still love to follow her journey. Dena is fascinating.
peace bro
Peace back, Sis:)
I'm not in the least offended by anything you said, but I'm simply not into endless debating of details. That's just the way I am. I read what others write, listen to what they say and test it by my 'heart response'. I then trust God, who is All In All and dwells in my very centre, to show me what's Real. I find this works very well, and allways brings me to the next Good Place in my evolving, maturing, into Who I Really Am.
To me a prophet is anyone who speaks Truth. And for me a good basic test of this is whether it initially makes me feel uneasy and jars with what I've long accepted to be true. But it can also strike a most harmonious chord in my spirit, causing me to shout Yes!, probably disturbing the neighbours,;) and sometimes it can even do both at the same time, which is... an interesting experience...
I'd not heard John Spong speak before, but I found his words definitely hit that sweet chord in this spirit.
Joy in your journey,
Harry
Cwtpmom (I hesitate to use your real name here, since you don't, but it almost always wants to come out, LOL!).
I've been SO utterly swamped here with painting, that I've not had time to read other blogs ... so I hadn't read yours, and am not sure what post from SC you're referring to ... (though you can send me a link). Soo... whatever I typed that seemed to be in synch with your thoughts, is a happy God-incidence, and not intentional. Now, of course, you have me curious!
Post a Comment