We don't fit-in the world system - this is a blessing, though it sometimes feels like a curse

thanks for the cartoon www.nakedpastor.com

I got inspired by Nadia Bolz-Weber's 5 minute share = Uncategorizable

here is my riff on it:

The historical Jesus as God And man, doesn’t fit in the categories 

- he doesn’t FIT, like a round peg in square hole.

Jesus is fish AND fowl, 

and I can relate! 

Maybe you can too.

Many of us feel like we don’t fit.

And many of us feel alone in that.

I am blessed to be in a position to have deeply shared with hundreds of people in the last dozen years

- hearing their pain, struggle, and challenges

- and let me tell you...

if you feel like you don't fit-in, 

and you feel alone in that, 

you are actually in very good company! 

; )

For good reason:

Our society pushes us to want to fit in a box… 

of belief, of fitting-in, of looking-good, of being cool, of success…

according to some ideal.

But, just like the historical Jesus, 

we don’t fit into some model of how we should be.

We are not a cog.

For many of us, it can feel so hard, scary, painful, shameful, lonely - to not fit in…

in our family, in our neighborhood, in our work, in our church, even in our clubs and micro-identities...

Whether it seems like we are trying and failing, or trying and succeeding, in this world's game;

most of us find this game to be uncomfortable, at best.

.

But, this is not the end of the story.

Meanwhile…

We are the temple of the holy spirit, 

We are God's breath of life enlivening the dust of the ground.

We are the light, salt, glory, power, truth, love of God… in these earthen vessels.

And, each of us is completely unique in all the world.

There is no one else who is, was, or ever will be You 

and no one with the same calling as Yours.

We are beyond categorization.

And because of our precious uniqueness, 

we can make a difference in this world, 

that no one else can.

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Jesus did as he spiritually saw Abba do, 

and said as he spiritually heard Abba say, 

in his own unique way,

And we also can learn to step-by-step dance with the Living God, in our own unique way.

Inch-by-inch bringing the reign/kingdom of God to earth, as in Heaven.

Not by striving, rather by resting in God as who we ARE.

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So, when we look to the world for the way;

We meet the cookie cutter expectations of our culture 

- and whether we comply or resist - 

we are playing the world's game.

When we play the world's game, instead of our own, 

at Best, we we not comfortable

 - something is missing, something doesn't fit, something is wrong…

I believe this is a pervasive experience, 

Until we allow ourselves to rest in God, 

resting in who we really (already) are spiritually.

And from there playing our own game:

Learning to BE who we are, 

and then to DO who we are (organically, with ease and grace), 

in concert with God's orchestra.

So this is the good news 

- God, the reign/kingdom of heaven, spiritual reality, is right here spiritually, now coexistent with his physical reality

- and every moment, we have the chance, the choice to play our part in God's amazing orchestra (or not ;)

We can make a soul choice 

to play with God,

 to rest in God, 

to turn-around;

to look at God, not the world, for our leading, for our feeding, for our blessings, for our fitting-in, for our life…

Hooray!! Hooray!! 

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… and if we really want this - not just dabbling - stopping there doesn't serve.

One soul choice - no matter how large that choice may be, doesn't shift our conscious experience.

We have too much momentum going the other way.

We are called to walk-out in the world, what we already spiritually own.

One soul choice is wonderful, and makes a spiritual difference. 

But, if we don't let God transform all of us, that choice will not change our life, or our world.

I believe, and experience that 

it serves to practice being who we already spiritually are 

out into the world.

In our conscious experience, body, soul, life 

- this takes TIME and SPACE, 

- this takes INTENTION and ATTENTION

to make Real.

This is a Process of Maturity, Teleios 

This isn’t a matter of intellectual belief (that is a society lie).

This isn’t just taking a pill, it isn’t a silver bullet (that is a society lie).

These lies lead to sitting-around waiting for the heaven-train, 

instead of doing our calling: 

bringing to earth what is in heaven - in our experience of life and in the world around us.

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We are called to walk-out in the world, what we already spiritually own.

This is not an intellectual process.

This is not about rules, or a set-pathway.

This is not about pleasing somebody - even if its our mother, or our pastor.

Going from eyes on society, on the world, trying to please the world (including our family, our neighbors, our religion...)

to 

Eyes on the Living God - who is active and dances with us in present time, 

allowing God to help us mature into who we really are, and what we can do in this world…

This isn’t trivial.

This is a process in itself.

This is a body, soul, mind, spirit, life transition.

Yes, we are already in God, spiritually.

We are already seated with Christ Jesus in Heavenly places.

But, we are called to make this REAL in our body, soul, life… 

continually diving deeper in God, consciously in this reality 

- bringing on Earth, what is in Heaven.

Although there are great and amazing blessings inside ourselves and in our world, every step of the way;

This is not an easy or pain-free process.

Paul called it dying daily.

But at the same time, the fruit of this process is SO, SO good.

Life, Abundantly.

As we deepen in this process,

we start to experience that we are whole and complete,

we are love, and we are One,

we are precious, and we are gifted,

and we completely fit-in… in God

We start to experience, And others start to experience, 

that we are light, salt, glory, power, truth, love of God… in these earthen vessels.

and life is SO, SO good.

This is a huge blessing to us, and our world 

- if we let it be….

The Living, present-time Jesus can show us the way.

Like Jesus, 

we can hold being fish and fowl,

we can transcend the world's categories,

we can BE ourselves, and DO our thing:

to our own Joy, 

to the Blessing of those around us, 

to the transformation of our world, and

to the Glory of God.

The Living, present-time Jesus can show us the way.

I have some additions and addendum here, if interested:  Let's stop pretending we are focused on God, when we just want to fit-into our little corner of the WORLD

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We can't pin-down the Way, any more than we can pin-down Love, Truth, Life...

Ethics, Ideals are not the Way.
No good thing is the Way.
Not friendship, honor, sacrifice…

Sometimes we are called to let-down, fall-short, betray;
and other times we are called to die for our friend.

Jesus let his friends down 

at the very moment he was laying down his life for them - penultimately.

Our unique leading in God is our ultimate Way
- not physically-driven, theory-laden, feeling-good: doing-right, loving, etc

But in this process, we must be willing to let-go of our attachment to or resistance to 'good' or 'bad', 

to doing ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in our own or in other’s cultural estimation.

This seems backward, crazy, and scary,
and it IS the Way.

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A whole lot started with Abraham, so let’s start with him.
Abraham is the Father of 3 great religions, the dominating religious paradigms of the West.
Abram was called out from his family, his home, his tradition, his life…

Did his family, his tradition appreciate this?
Did Abram appreciate this?
probably not…
And we see he followed his call slowly, jerkily 

- most of us do the same, if we follow at all.

Following God is about following the Living God, in Real-time.

It is not about following rules.
It is not about complying with physically-perceived 'good'.
Rather it is about following God. Period.

A more extreme example:
Abraham was called to sacrifice his son,
not just a person,
not just his child,
not just his long-awaited heir... 

Abraham was called to sacrifice all this
AND the representation-of, the container-for All Abraham’s (and Sarah's) dreams
and the perceived channel for ALL God’s promises to Abraham.

Abraham was called to sacrifice Everything,
Abraham was called to sacrifice far, far more than it would have been to sacrifice himself.
And he did it - well, he was willing and acting - it totally counts, from my perspective.

Abraham was Hard Core. 
Who among us would do such a thing? 
To follow God’s leading right against the tide of all that seems Good, 

and all God’s Blessings to us…
Letting Go of Everything.

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The bible stories tell us this same story over and over and over.
Then there is the obvious - Jesus.

Jesus tells his disciples, I am going to Jerusalem to suffer and die,
and Peter says - oh no you are not;
and Jesus says - get behind me Satan.

We can all relate to Peter here, even Jesus can relate to Peter. 
I believe this is why Jesus replies so strongly against this temptation dangled by Peter. 

Peter is not (in this moment) just physically-focused and therefore missing the mark, sinning;
he is trying to block God’s will in the world,
tempting Jesus from his unique calling.

But, Jesus is not swayed,
Jesus will follow his Father right into the jaws of ignominy, of torture, of death, of hell.

Jesus was Hard Core.
Who among us would do such a thing? 
To follow God’s leading right against the tide of all that seems Good, all God’s Blessings…
Letting Go of Everything.

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I was tempted to say Jesus was the end of the story, but no, he is just the end of an age, and the beginning of our age.
In our age we have so much permission to inhabit the Kingdom of Heaven, the Reign of God, Christ Consciousness, spiritual reality…
We have:

• So much modeling about what it is to follow God, to build our lives on the Rock of Divine Revelation, spiritual senses…
• So much freedom to choose spiritual-focus or physical-focus, Grace or Law, Spirit or Flesh. 
• So much support and modeling in the bible and in so many ‘witnesses’, we have tradition and ritual, we have the leading of the Holy Spirit.

But, we also have a Lot of Resistance,
a lot of Push-back,
a lot of Powers and Principalities of this world adding friction to our path...

We have a lot of justifications and alternate accommodations to hide-behind,
excuses to not follow God’s leading of us
through the Light and the Darkness, through birth and death.

Because that is where we will inevitably go:
Jesus says: If you will be my disciple, pick up your cross and follow.

Being a disciple of Jesus is no walk in the park.
We are called to be Hard Core
- this is not just for the Giants of Faith, the Matriarchs and Patriarchs... every one of us is called to be Hard Core... becoming Spiritual Heroes in our own right, in our own life, right where we are, Today.

Who among us would do such a thing? 
To follow God’s leading right against the tide of all that seems Good, all God’s Blessings…
Letting Go of Everything.

.
But, that is not the whole story, it is still not done.
The point of this post is - we cannot do any of these things willy nilly or by theory.

We can't pin-down the Way, any more than we can pin-down Love, Light, Truth. Life.
The best and highest good in our thoughts and actions - in our minds, in our culture, in our religion - are not enough...
Not. Nearly. Enough!

We cannot just die whenever we feel like it, just let go and Give Up;
because sometimes we are called to live, to fight for life - for our own and others:

• Sometimes we are called to lead; and other times to follow.
• Sometimes we are called to be empowered, to shine our Light and shift our world; and other times to have humility, to accept, submit and quietly wait in our prayer closet until…
• Sometimes we are called to be playful and open, receptive, trusting as children, gentle as doves; and other times wise as serpents, acting strategically.

Ecclesiastes pointed out there is a time for all things,

• but in Following God it is not a structured thing - like accommodating ourselves to the earthly seasons.  
• It is a spiritual thing - accommodating ourselves step by step to our Unique Divine Dance.

This is the narrow way - the narrowest of ways!
Far Far beyond any moralizing, ethics, ideals - beyond any external obedience, even of the strictest order.

We are not just called to die,
or to live what we think love is,
or to follow any rule we may devise.

Laws, rules, systems are Not the Way.
We Dance with a Living God - up and down, all the way, and all around.

There is no structured, outside-us, formalized, idealized way to do it.
As much as we wish this were so, act like this is so, are told by ministers and moralizers that it is so 

- but, this is just not so.

Therefore, we cannot just Give Up, die, submit, obey... outside authorities.
We cannot coast in any trajectory, inertia ruling us. (As much as I would wish this were so!!)

We cannot do something just because something is a Good Idea,
or it looks like service or like love,
or we think the bible says it,
or it suits our personal ethics,
or even because God led us that way yesterday…

Because each day anew;
TODAY, if you hear God's voice, harden not your hearts.

Rules are for children, and we are called to be adults
- and to Say and DO WITH the Progenitor, as Jesus did, every moment.

In this Way we will go where we never imagined.

We will experience highs and lows,
we will expand and contract,
we will let go and we will fight,
we will die and we will rise.

To paraphrase Paul:
we learn to be in Joy with both little and much,
with seeming success and seeming failure,
with social derision and general acclaim…

We die to All our own and other people’s ethics, trajectories, hopes, dreams, visions, beliefs, expectations, ideals.
And we do it daily.

Who among us would do such a thing? 
To follow God’s leading right against the tide of all that seems Good, all God’s Blessings…
Letting Go of Everything.

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We will.
We will rise to Life, Abundant.
We will choose to live in Alignment with our Source - our God, our Truth, our Light, our Love, our Life, our Way.

We will engage our Unique Process of Soul Maturity, Teleios 

REALizing who we are in God, into our body, life, world...

So, let’s do it Now.

Blessings in your Unique Journey,
Wendy

Neutrality: spiritually focused, in this physical world

What do I mean by Neutrality?


Neutrality is
a Practice,
a way of BEing,
a Blessing of God.

Neutrality is
being in the world,
but not of the world.

Neutrality is
not being carried-away-by our own (or others) survival instincts, emotions, sexual impulses, controlling tendencies, thoughts, expectations, judgments, ego… 

Neutrality is
Not being run-by the body/flesh and it’s agenda.
Rather, it is being spiritually focused, in this physical world.

Neutrality is
a way of being that makes it easier to Be:

• here, now, 
• in present-time, 
• experiencing God and spiritual reality;
• staying-with the challenges, the intensity of bodies and life.

Neutrality is
a choice, to let go of attachment and resistance,
as well as the “buttons” in our system that have us re-act instead of act.

I believe one of the essential distinctions
that can help us understand ourselves, each other, the world, the bible, the message of Jesus, and the leading of God for each of us…
is the difference between Body/Physical and Spirit.

Although Paul spoke of this a lot, as did Jesus,
generally, it is not an essential part of our Christian mindset or our spiritual practice.

For most folks that I know, the practice of Neutrality
is the beginning of experiencing / distinguishing:
- beyond the cacophony of the physical/body - senses, thoughts, expectations, actions...
- into the experience of spiritual reality - soul senses, mystical experiences, divine leading, spiritual shift.

.
Before Neutrality,
we are tugged all over by all the stuff I listed above, and much more!

Neutrality is a safe place for active soul-opening,
a whole new WORLD of spiritual Amazing-ness:

• the Fruit of the spirit that Paul lists is just the beginning of our blessings.
• the Adventure of communing with God and being led by God, makes the excitement of this world pale in comparison.
• the enjoyment of Life, Abundantly! that Jesus promised us is here for the taking.

Neutrality is Completely not Apathy - far from it.
It is the beginning of getting our free-will back,
and from this place our ability to choose to follow God begins. 

because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth

So, is Neutrality being lukewarm?
I hope you can see that they are SO not the same, in my language.

When I read the Message to Laodicea, in Revelation 3,
what I hear is a church that is lost in physical-focus, pretending to be spiritual, but not:

‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked

IMO, this is a physical vs spiritual sentence.

From physical focus/identification, we can get ground-down:

• “life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone”
• “life sucks and then you die”

But, in spiritual focus/identification, we are in Life, Abundantly!:

• Walking with Jesus, in alignment with God…
• Operating in the Kingdom of Heaven /  the Reign of God

This is ANYTHING but boring… one gets nowhere near lukewarm - tepid.
(And to get here, I believe Neutrality is KEY.)

Each week I watch dozens of folks play the spiritual game;
Over time, I have watched hundreds of folks do it.
It is an EXCITING way to live!
(if anything, a bit Too exciting at times ;)

I hope this helps understanding about what I mean by Neutrality.

And that there is spiritual passion which is different from physical passion
BOTH ARE GREAT - But, which do we chose to follow?

From my perspective,
we can savor life IN the body/world,
but not OF the body/world,
with Neutrality as our practice.

All we gotta do is CHOOSE:
then Ask and Receive...

Blessings on your path!
; ) Wendy

Want some protection from Religious Fascists, especially the ones that live inside your own head?

A question from K:

Though it's Jesus words themselves that terrify me the most.
His parable of the sheep and the goats is a case in point
because there will be always someone we miss or don't want to help or can't help...
I'd love your take on that, as a Pastor...

My answer:

Hi K, I appreciate your sharing.

I would tend to say that Jesus helped/helps us experience that God is real, and accessible to us.

I think it is important to note WHO Jesus is speaking to, when reading scripture:

• is he speaking to regular folks, seeking God - then he is often encouraging,
  think Woman caught in Adultery ->  Go forth now, and stay on track ; )
• or is he speaking to Religious Fascists - any folks who block those seeking God or turn our attention to anything else besides God and who/how God is calling us (which is idolatry)
  think of Jesus is kicking *ss, like the Money Changers ->how dare you treat my Father's house like a den of robbers!

Very different energy between these two.

.
So when i read the Parable of the sheep/goats, the end of Matthew 25.
I am getting the distinct impression that Jesus is speaking toward the Religious Fascists, those who think they are SET:

• follow the Law, and you win.
• believe the right things, and you win.

He is saying, NO
- BE love with your neighbor, that is the important thing
- treat everyone you meet as if they are ME.

This is a Very Different way of being a follower of Jesus in the world,
and it is a completely relevant today, as it was then, IMO.

.
And IMO/E it isn't about doing it PERFECTLY,
it is about attitude of heart.

Jesus argued for many laws that were IMPOSSIBLE to keep.
(These are the first conversations he had,
in the first book of the New Testament
- oh, you want to keep the law, well, then, here we go... See second 1/2 of Matthew 5 )
 
The LAW is Not the WAY.

The Way, rather, is Righteousness
- listening to, believing, and following God
- BEING in Right relationship with God
- in alignment with and filled with, and following our Source.

The LAW is not the way,
and it never was.
As Paul said, laws are for children.
The Law is for the flesh, it is physical.
There is a spiritual way, the narrow way:

We are called to mature spiritually,
following the Living God in every step.
This is the way, walk ye in it.

.
Do we fall down? Of course!
We just have to keep getting up, and going on.
Children learn to walk by falling down - A LOT!
SO DO WE.

Jesus said
we MUST become like Children
if we are to expereince what he said was most important:
spiritual reality: the Reign/Kingdom of God.

WE MUST FALL DOWN, a lot!
Jesus is for, not against that...

Those are some thoughts.
I hope something here is helpful.

.
Jesus did not come to bring fear,
but rather freedom IN God.
I hope you are enjoying your freedom more and more each day.

.
.
BTW - I am not a Pastor (thank God!!!! thank God!!!! thank God!!!!)
I have a ministry, supporting people to mature spiritually;
continually opening ears to hear and eyes to see the reality of spirit,
and follow God's unique spiritual leading for each of us, in our world.

.
.
Lastly,
Jesus is now reminding me to talk about this scripture,
because in it Jesus is talking TO a sweet person who wants God,
about the bratty people who block the way to God

(this is the best kick the religious facist's *ss chapter ; )
There is so much to learn here
about what following Jesus Absolutely does not look-like
- note the first paragraph of Matthew 23.

This is my perspective, YMMV,
Best to you, Wendy

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The Lie of Success (physical) vs. the Truth of a Life Fulfilled (spiritual)

From a physical perspective:
We can never be rich enough, powerful enough, beautiful enough
to make us feel happy and safe, to believe we are good enough...

The way we are programmed around success in this culture is a Lie.

If we 'buy' all the information around what success IS
and how we should go about it,
we are unlikely to end up happy, fulfilled.

If we actually get anywhere near the goals this world set for us,
we find out we have squandered our lives for fool's gold. 

The way to be happy,
to be truly successful,
to make a real difference in our world...

Is not to try to:

• follow the herd, 
• play small 
• ACT big.

Certainly not to try to operate under all the lies we are told about:

• who we are, 
• what we should do and have, 
• and how we should look, act and be.

The world doesn't need anymore widgets,
any more cookie-cutter people.
The world needs YOU.

This is why you are here!
If you don't do what you are here to do,
NO ONE CAN.

The secret to living fulfilled lives is to actually:

• BE unique ourselves.
• DO our unique calling/path/expression of us.
• Shine our unique Light.

.
Sure fine, But HOW?

One of many ways to answer this:
Jesus outlined a relatively straightforward process...
If we want to be successful adults: well-fed, well-dresses, well-taken-care-of... then we:

seek ye first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.
- Matthew 6:33

Seek first the Kingdom (Reign) of Heaven =

• Seek spiritual reality and operate from soul information.
• Not from physical focus, pulls of the body/flesh and worldly rules, programming, expectations, limits...

and God's Righteousness =

• Listening-to and Believing the Voice, the Leading of Spirit in our lives (Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness).
• BEING in right relationship with our God, our Source, in alignment with Spirit, Light, Love, Truth, our spiritual information and our Way/Path...

And all the necessities of life come to us =

• we are fulfilled, 
• our needs are met, 
• we are free from striving and worry, 
• to go love and to serve the world!

This means:

• BEING who we Really Are = a child in the royal family, a spark of the Divine in this world.
• Reestablishing our free-will so we can Align with God and our Path.
• DOING what we are actually called to DO by the Living God, who did not get laryngitis 2,000 years ago!

This means:

• Going to our Source. Finding out who we are
• Filling UP with Glory. Being healed and led on our Path.
• And then going out to DO what ONLY WE CAN Uniquely DO in the world.

This is success beyond imagining, it is wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.
It is a Fulfilled Life, truly available to each and every one of us... Now.
Let's GO!

From this place, we can engage our Unique Process of Soul Maturity, Teleios 

Realizing who we are in God, into our body, life, world...

Blessings on Your Unique Journey, Wendy

Choosing to Grow-Up... Spiritually

I am really jazzed about opening to our spiritual senses, and allowing God to give us the spiritual faith and power to follow where God leads us with these senses.

This makes a world of difference for us - we can actually walk with God experientially in this world.

And, when we can directly hear/see/know God's will,
and are free to act in the world as we are led,
it shifts the world in profound ways, we (God with us) make a world of difference for others.

As Angels are God's messengers, the spiritual hands and feet of God;
so we also can be, on the physical, in small (and increasing) measure, God's messengers, the spiritual hands and feet of God in this world.

We help realize - make real - God's will on earth, as it is in heaven (spiritually, in the reign/kingdom of God).

None of this is done through listening to church leaders, or to each other.
It is not done by reading the bible or devotionals.  
It is not done by singing songs or going to meetings.
It is certainly not done by being 'good'.

All of these things above are lovely, when God leads us in them,
but the best these things can do is lead us to God.

God heals us and fills us with glory.
God transforms us here on earth, even as we are seated in heavenly places, spiritually.
God walks with us and leads us.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which goes out through God's mouth

For the word of God [is] living and operative, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and penetrating to [the] division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of [the] heart.

Meanwhile, we are here to heal, change, grow, learn, transform, mature-into the full-grown daughters and sons of God, operating in this world as the divine heirs that we are. 
We are Not here to sit-around in kindergarten waiting for the heaven-train, as many Christians seem to be.

It is not just us, or even the body of Christ, that profits from us growing-up - but all of creation is waiting impatiently for us to come into our freedom and glory as children of the King, grown to full-stature.

It is our job to grow-up, to do this, we must:

• choose to open to our spiritual senses;
• choose to own our free-will back: from others, from our religious & social programming, from our own and others emotions, thoughts, habits, limits, lies... so we can be free to follow God;
• choose to align with our Source: our God, our Light, our Way, our Truth, our Life.

From this place, we can engage our Unique Process of Soul Maturity, Teleios 

Realizing who we are in God, into our body, life, world...

.
I don't think we can do any of this on our own - we do it with God,
but we have to be willing - we have to choose.

Like the man who said to Jesus:
"I believe; help thou my unbelief"

May we say/be:
I am opening, help thou my opening!
I am owning, help thou my owning!
I am aligning, help thou my aligning!
I am growing up, help thou my growing-up!

If we are having trouble, are stuck, need help with any of this;
It is our job to Ask and we shall Receive; Seek, and we shall Find; Knock, and the door shall be Opened. 
It is our job to expectantly watch for the response spiritually and physically.
God sometimes acts directly spiritually, and/or sometimes God sends a canoe!

Then, we do not just sit, we act - we lead or follow (or get out of the way ; ) - as God leads us to do:

• We read books and/or write books.
• We heal from others ministrations and/or we act as healers.
• We learn from mentoring/teaching and/or we mentor/teach.
• We watch and learn new tricks spiritually by monkey-see-monkey-do, and/or we are watched others and make a huge difference for them just by who we BE in the world, and how we DO what we see God doing and are led to do.

Anything else is missing the mark, in our own unique journey in God.

Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.

‘Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;’ - John 3

One thing i like about these verses,
Jesus really disambiguates body/flesh/earth from spirit/above/heaven - which IMO is key to understanding most of the New Testament, and certainly Jesus' primary message.

It is spiritual reality: the reign/kingdom of God/heaven that matters to Jesus.
It is the gospel - good news - that expereince of God and spiritual reality is within us, amoung us, near us, received as a child, experienced by those in alignment with God, a treasure worth more than all the physical wealth of this world...

We can not see it or enter it by Any physical means - not by thinking or feeling, not by physical senses or action, not by following the law...

Rather we must see it and enter it spiritually - this makes no sense to the flesh, but is rather an experience one must be opened to, born to spiritually - and then one is God-consciousness - one can spiritually experience/see the reign of God/Heaven.

This must be experienced spiritually!  Words do the conversation about spirit no justice, this is why Jesus used metaphors and similes, there is no direct correlation.  Words are a finger pointing to the moon.

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I AM - the way, and the truth, and the life

(this post below, is building on this past post)


Jesus fully lived the Way and Life - he was/is the Way and Life.
He fully embodied the Truth and Light - he was/is the Truth and Light.

I AM... 
when we grok Way, Truth, Life, Light, we experience I AM as our own reality.
And he showed us how to do/be the same (in our own unique way of being, and doing, of course ; )


I am tempted to repeat the 'chorus' above 3 times, since it is SO meaning-full and power-full.
I won't, but I ask you to read it at least one more time!

For me, this conversation brings more understanding to a verse that many folks I know trip over:

'I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;

Remember:  never start reading or stop reading at just one verse.
this line above is not even the whole sentence!
here is the whole sentence:

Jesus saith to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;
if ye had known me, my Father also ye would have known, and from this time ye have known Him, and have seen Him.’

He goes on to say:

Believest thou not that I [am] in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words which I speak to you I do not speak from myself; but the Father who abides in me, he does the works. Believe *me* that I [am] in the Father and the Father in me; but if not, believe me for the works' sake themselves. Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes on me, the works which I do shall he do also, and he shall do greater than these, because I go to the Father.

For you convenience, here is the whole literal chapter
if you want, the chapter in more plain english ; )

Jesus was/is the Way, Truth, Life, Light
and his practice of I AM
showed us how to do/be the same.

His experiencing of spiritual reality, living in the Reign/Kingdom of God/Heaven, being in alignment with Source as he did and showed us to do
*IS* the only way to the Father/God.
REGARDLESS of what we think, feel, do, believe or don't believe!

It doesn't matter if we profess Jesus as Lord or not.
What matters is that we are in alignment with our Source - our God, our Light, our Life, our Truth, our Way.
This sounds crazy in modern Christianity - but this is what Jesus said, not me:

By their fruits then surely ye shall know them.

Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens,
but he that does the will of my Father who is in the heavens.

Jesus fully lived the Way and Life - he was/is the Way and Life.
He fully embodied the Truth and Light - he was/is the Truth and Light.

I AM... 
when we spiritually grok Way, Truth, Life, Light, we experience I AM as our own reality.
And he showed us how to do/be the same (in our own unique way of being, and doing, of course ; )


I am saying the same thing over and over, in the hopes that we can all start to hear and live Jesus core message:
The centrality and focus on the Reign/Kingdom of God/Heaven...
the spiritual reality which is within us, amoung us, near us, not physical, received as a child, experienced by those in alignment with God, a treasure worth more than all the physical wealth of this world...
Spiritual alignment with the LIGHT.
Being, filled, healed and transformed by our Source - our God, our Life, our Truth, our Way, our Light.

Want to read more?  Here is a related blog
; ) W

Gendering God?

From my perspective:
God is Spirit, we can only know God as spirit, through our spiritual senses.
God, and the Reign (Kingdom) of God (Heaven) that Jesus incessantly spoke-of is all *spiritual* reality.

God - and all spiritual realty - is One.
All is One, containing all things created and not-created. 
All is Love, All is Joy, All is Peace - etc, all the fruit of the spirit, and Way more.

God is whole & complete and we as spirit live in this reality with God.
We spiritually live now and through all eternity in heavenly places, time & space are creations of this reality.

Meanwhile, we have the blessing as humans to play in bodies on this earth, our consciously shared reality. And we play the earth game, the game of opposites - primarily spirit & flesh;  from there comes black & while, good & bad, rich & poor... the 10,000 dichotomies, including the exciting game: male & female.
In this physical reality, from our flesh-perspective, ALL is not ONE, but 2 or many.

In bodies, we dance in and out of our spiritual consciousness of God, the Reign/Kingdom of God, and alignment with God and our Way in God - in and out.
We remember and forget who we are, children of Light, flesh containing the breath of God.
We open and do not open to our spiritual senses, where we communicate with God, and God communicates with us.
Many of us have almost pure physical perspective, shutting down or drowning out much of our soul experience.

SO, I don't believe God IS gendered.
God IS Spirit.
Gender, and all dichotomies in this earth game, our in-fleshed expereince are of the body.

God as spirit comes to live IN flesh, dwells among us, but God is not gendered.

We are living in a world of opposites and ensconced in gendered thought and experience.
We call God by both genders, and without gender in our language, as well as our metaphors/parables, to help make sense to our flesh/brains our spiritual expereince.

But metaphors are fingers pointing to the moon, they are not the moon.
Gendering God literally, makes no sense in the spiritual reality in which God IS.

to Life!
Wendy

Keys to the Kingdom: BEing & DOing AS Christ in the world

This post rests on the previous post: On this Rock: Direct Revelation from God
and these two major assertions:

1. from my perspective, what is important to Jesus and his disciples, is living in spiritual reality, in God-consciousness, in the reign (kingdom) of God, while we live our lives here on earth.  NOT just Heaven when we die -> Here, Now.  This is Most of what Jesus talks about in his ministry, his Good News: the Reign (Kingdom of Heaven) God.
2. from my perspective, The ROCK on which Jesus is building his assembly/congregation is Direct Revelation from God. - Jesus says Peter is Blessed BECAUSE Peter tells Jesus what his "Father who is in the heavens" revealed directly to Peter, spiritually, in his soul. So, Jesus tells Peter, on this rock (Direct Revelation from God) Jesus will build his assembly/congregation

Ok, regarding the Keys to the Kingdom, as spoken of in Matthew 16:13-23:
from my perspective, we can look to other scriptures to help understand what Jesus is saying about the KEYS.

2 chapters after the famous Peter and Keys to the Kingdom scripture, Matthew addresses Jesus talking to his disciples - so the keys are Clearly not All about Peter

Matthew 18:18-22

“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will bee loosed in heaven.
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

This really needs to be read in context, the whole chapter is here
Here are the verses with the most recent context, before and after (Mat 18:15-22):

'And if thy brother may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain thy brother; and if he may not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand. And if he may not hear them, say it to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.  'Verily I say to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.

'Again, I say to you, that, if two of you may agree on the earth concerning anything, whatever they may ask -- it shall be done to them from my Father who is in the heavens, for where there are two or three gathered together -- to my name, there am I in the midst of them.'

Then Peter having come near to him, said, 'Sir, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him -- till seven times?'  Jesus saith to him, 'I do not say to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven

Then let's look earlier in this gospel - Matthew: 9:

2And they brought him a paralytic as he lay in the pallet, and Yeshua saw their faith, and he said to the paralytic, "Take heart my son, your sins are forgiven you." 3But some of the Scribes said among themselves, "This man blasphemes." 4But Yeshua knew their thinking, and he said to them, "Why do you think evil things in your heart?" 5"For which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you", or to say, "Arise and walk?" 6But that you may know that The Son of Man has authority in the earth to forgive sins, I say to this paralytic, "Stand up, take your pallet and go to your house." 7And he stood up and he went to his house. 8But when those crowds saw, they were awestruck, and they glorified God who gave authority like this to the children of men.

Jesus Healed and Loosed people from sin (being out of alignment with God)
- for Jesus, healing and being let-loose from sin was the Same Thing.

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When one sees the context of these Matthew quotes, it makes much more sense how John's Resurrection info is related:
John 20:23:

Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith to them, ‘Peace to you;’ and this having said, he shewed them his hands and side; the disciples, therefore, rejoiced, having seen the Lord.  Jesus, therefore, said to them again, ‘Peace to you; according as the Father hath sent me, I also send you;’ and this having said, he breathed on [them], and saith to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit; if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.’

Jesus is revealing himself to his disciples for the first time after his resurrection: 

immediately he calls his disciples to the same work he has done, 

he gives his disciples the Holy Spirit, along with the authority.  

He sends us to do this reparative work, as his Father sent him.

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So let's put it all together:

• Those who are IN spiritual focus, God Consciousness, the Reign of Heaven - standing on the Rock = Direct Revelation from God.
• Those who are on the Rock, are given, therefore, the KEYS to do God's will in this world - to move/open heaven and earth (spiritual and physical reality) according to the Direct Revelation received from God

Jesus gives his disciples spiritual Power and Authority 

to act in this world, as Christ's hands and feet, 

carrying on Jesus' ministry to the lost, to the broken, 

to those who need God's hope, mercy, grace… in this world.

Jesus sent his disciples to act in the power of the Holy Spirit:

• to say, to choose, to heal, to assist folks back to alignment with God, to lose or to bind, to open or to close
• to SPIRITUALLY ACT,
• to REPAIR/RECONNECT to God and Wholeness,
• to BE and DO, AS Christ in the world, and to continue to do the work he was called to do.

With these KEYS
Jesus Equips us to do as we are called by God;
and there is much to be done.

Let us continue,
wendy