next definition

Tomorrow, I am preparing to post an entry attempting to understand the incarnation of God. How God became Man and became God again. It is my view of what I assumed or was inadvertently taught in church about the central story of the birth and resurrection of Jesus. 

It was the word incarnate that brought me to a sharper understanding. It is an example of how we put the emphasis on the flesh rather than the spirit in pulpits, at least it was in my experience. In this entry I am setting up for tomorrow I shift my emphasis. It was by forcing myself to concretely express my view that I personally came to a clearer, more precise, understanding.

When I came to a turn in the road, I took it

 

Today's entry has been misplaced...

Cannot find it

I have no set publishing routines. I enter them as they come. Then I edit them at will, indefinitely, including revising them more extensively.  

Revenge is mine says the Lord

Faith is first 
Faith is final 

The first reason I am urged to forgive anyone who hurts me, is because it does further damage to me to hold resentment, which is damaging to my mind and body.

The second reason is that if revenge belongs to God, it belongs there for a reason. The reason is very likely because if I hold resentment I am acting in the place of God. So, if that is true then I am acting as if I myself am God, and not the Holy Spirit of Existence, the great I am.

The third reason is the word itself. Resentment, as the word itself suggests, means to send back to myself the very hurt sent me by the one I should forgive. Looks to me one more indication God is simple while we are complex. Sometimes I think the truth cannot be told by those who know. 

Maybe that is the fourth reason. I should forgive whether I understand it or not. Now my thoughts have taken me right into the very core of faith.

Tendency to think one knows it all

There is a tendency to think one knows it all when one only knows everything...everything that is known so far. 

Just knowing everything so far is quite a feat. But what is known so far is so far from the full facts story it would make anyone's head spin no matter how loosely it could be screwed on.     

Just recently heard a man claim he is not a believer in God because he, himself, is a physical scientist and only believes in the facts. Apparently he thinks all the facts are already in, and are known already. He is assuming he is the only one who knows them. Probably just me jumping to conclusions again. 

It amuses me when someone tells me I am smart because they never tell me what I am smart in. I often respond, You are so right! I am so smart I've outsmarted myself, just yesterday alone, millions of times.

Working out your own salvation

My grandmother used to say, I am told, that one had to work out their own salvation.  I am working out here my own salvation. Everyone works out their own salivation, one way or the other, according to their own diligence in the matter.

All readers here are working out their own salvation. I am working out my own salvation, no one else's. No one can be persuaded by anyone else, even if they are just go alongers. 

We all persuade ourselves, just as I am doing here for myself. If anyone says anything that is to me in any way persuasive, I still am the only decision maker in the equation. No matter who it is, I am the lone decider and I take all the credit or any discredit. 

I am the only one responsible for whatever happens to me, even if it may have been my decision to go along with, for instance, a doctor. One can say the doctor was to blame if they want, and that my be true enough, but his life does not respond to the consequences. 

Only mine does.  I am the responder and I am the only one responsible who will really suffer or rejoice in the consequences. I am convinced we will all work out our own salvation, whether we wanted to or not. 

 

New addition to Expanding Horizons

Credo Magazine,  another newly discovered link I have not yet investigated, but which may be of interest to those who are attracted to God's own definition of Himself about Himself, as in this, my personal blog, Sunset Stroller. 

definition of transcendant

 My definition of transcendent is the spiritually unseen world as opposed to the physically seen world subject to time. 

It is virtually impossible to conceive of being outside our world we are in and in the world we are going too that is at the same time not subject to time. That is one over riding reason why physical science cannot agree in defining time. The unseen forces were not in their equations but now is inching into their awareness as black holes. This concept I understand was introduced first in science fiction literature. I myself recall was promptly laughed in by traditional physical science. The idea of seeing is believing is itself quietly being slipped under the rug and the black holes are incorporated as more mere physical photography. Just my view, so far at least.

in the left column

Featured Link

From Expanding Horizons: Self Existing God  is a great link focusing on the same subject of this blog, the definition of God.  It is a good idea starter in any event to go in your own direction whether one agrees with every dot and tittle one runs into or not. BTW I think aseity, means in the Latin "and self, to dwell within", or immanence. A fine distinction similar to transcendent. 

"If God is self-existent, eternal, and pure, then He is, by definition, transcendent. He’s a higher order of being. It is for that reason that God calls Himself “I AM.” When we consider the transcendence and aseity of our God, we will respond in worship and awe — just as Moses did at the burning bush."  Quoted from Moses and the Burning Bush by R.C. Sproul

edited entries

The longer a posted entry remains in evidence, the more likely that it will be edited for clarity of ideas or correction of inadvertent typing errors. For more complete explanation please notice the paragraph directly below the introduction, the painting Days End, and immediately above the list of other active sites in the Sunset Stroller.

definition of belief

 Belief is not going along with the Pastor. It is not agreeing with someone. Belief does not admit ignorance. 

Belief is accepted before it can be projected. When it is projected belief becomes known.