The Tree is Known by Its' Fruit
I am quite certain this quote came to me from the Bible, but I heard it first on the radio's Lone Ranger when one evening when I heard Jay Silverheels ask Clayton Moore how he knew who the guilty party was, when all the Lone Ranger asked who the guilty party was.
Great Faith vs Little Faith?
It seems to me that many of us, myself included, want to go to heaven, but not right now. It sounds together like a good enough definition of forever to me if I ever heard it.
As for Matt 21:21 - So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have (enough in some translations) faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done."
Now according to my own personal way there is no evidence this statement from Jesus now that there is any evidence Jesus was speaking figuratively, as there would be if it were set in a parable. There is no para, alongside comparison as there is in a parable.
It is a flat out stand a lone statement. In a parable the story is not true but is made up to illustrate the spiritual which is true. In Matt 21:21 there is nothing similar to a parable. '
The setting does seem inspired by Psalm 46 however. My view is strongly in favor of the power of faith here, notice from Jesus Himself. There are many, maybe many more if they thought about it, who do not agree with me but rather favor a figurative view.
This, I tend to think, weakens the strength of Jesus statement from my personal orbit. When do I stop? Is the Cross figurative as well?
Original Sin True or Conundrum?
It is a instinctual effort that we all seem to be attracted to the effort to, to try and figure everything out. The desire for knowledge leads me back to that tree in the Garden of Eden.
The desire for knowledge in disobeying God's warning not to eat of that particular tree is wanting, at the root of it, is to be like God. Same as the devil himself.
I have nothing to contribute to the Melchizedeck thing and Revelation is the opposite, to my mind, full of symbols. So I have decided to step aside of both issues. Instead I am going to work on my ideal of "greater faith". Is it just figurative or only a parable? I myself think not.
Stifling the Spirit
When I was racking up perfect attendance pins in Sunday School I did not believe anything Jesus said about if someone asks me for my shirt to give him my coat also.
Neither did I give any truth to the story the Rabbi's sternly told Jesus He should not heal on Sunday.
I dismissed it altogether, never thought a thing about it until I discovered much, too much, later that that Jesus' commandment was telling me the flesh could not help me. It was the spirit that was my vital road to eternity.
Even during the rallies of Billy Graham, never a mention about being born again in any churches I heard about made any a stir. Probably because it was never taught in the seminaries.
Maybe some educate themselves out of faith and into fellowship dinners?
Daily Renewing My Inner Man
I, as Paul said it best, pray any affliction I experience now is producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison to my decaying flesh. This is my hope.
It Was a Cold and Dreary Night
If success is getting what you want. Then happiness is wanting what you get. If I ask someone a question and they cannot explain it in twenty-five words or less I figure they do not know a thing about it.
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| Reading the tea leaves |
If they are still talking after fifty words I reason they know quite bit about it but cannot make head nor tail of any of it. If they in the process have learned how to teach, they likely spent their time learning to teach and forgotten how to learn.
If anyone is educated then they know the Gospels do not agree with each other, and so they have proof it is all due to collusion?
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| He is not here |
Some, hopefully many, are emotionally charged reading the Bible, thanking and praising God. I focus on Jesus, and continually thank the Holy Father. Earlier, sometime ago it was, I received answers from the Holy Spirit often.
Not always but No emotion equals no power is my sense of it. Praying seemed then primarily leaning toward matter of fact. I would have to say aggressively so but with very dramatic consequences for me personally.
I concentrate solely on faith now with a strong increasing edge on my no matter what attitude. There is a greater sense of emergency in the air that only increasing age brings into the mix.
My Devotional Readding Now
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| When God impresses me most |
I do not stop in my morning devotional, I read until I am satisfied. I, who bought and received devotionals all my life, but never read them, stopped reading in November last night.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:23-24
I often stop when I read a verse too good not to dwell on it further at the time.. I sometimes wonder if I have picked up my cross yet, I have put it back down so many times. I want to be in glory but the body says not right now. However I am further on than before, On the go again....
Not Easy Shaking Loose the Flesh
If I did not believe after my body gives up the spirit that things will continue to exist, then I am afraid I might not exist, but continue to know it. Not existing is a state of the spirit which once existing knows itself.
Being Cautious of Change
All things that are seen are subject to change and are temporal like the flesh. All things unseen are where the temporal are conceived, in a state where there is no change and so is eternal. This is where the transcendent spiritual resides in an unchanging present tense state.
Individuals are all first born in the flesh tabla rosa and must be born (again) in the spirit to continue into the hope of eternity of what they believed.
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| Time appears to be stopped |
Everyone is either drawn by God or not. I was drawn and accepted Him because all His commandments benefit me.
