There Are None So Blind

Through a series of things, mostly movies, I have been so richly encouraged this week. My wife rented three movies, Doubt, August Rush, and Changeling. I also watched the TV movie, Defiance. All spoke to me to the depths of my being.

We have all adapted and adopted a false singularity because of being born sinners establishing an alternate identity, one rooted in lies, or as Morpheus said to Neo, "The Matrix (aka religion) is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." (What truth)? " That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind."

Apart from direct revelation from God the Father there is at best an insidious entity disguised and operating as me and you - the person we think we actually are. Because of sin and shame that have almost totally assimilated us we exist or go through the motions of living people, much like dead men walking.

I love the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. He could have done the whole thing from the get-go but for some reason he invited humans into this miraculous event. First he told the people to remove the stone covering Lazarus' grave. After commanding Lazarus to come forth, he then instructed the people to loose him from his grave clothes.

Those of us who have similarly been raised from the dead are, in my opinion, much like Lazarus, walking around with the clothing that had formerly been our identity. Grave clothes are suited for the realm of the dead, not for the living. There have been so many tags and labels we have given ourselves, along with other people in our life, that have defined who we believe we truly are. It is my contention that the Father, working in the lives of my siblings throughout the earth, is using the very circumstances and situations we are finding ourselves in to remove our invisible grave clothes - which keeps us alienated from the truth of Whose we are!

Here is a quote from a book my wife just finished (which I hope likewise to read) The Elegance of the Hedgehog which spoke life to me: "They didn't recognize me," I say. I come to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk, completely flabbergasted. "They didn't recognize me," I repeat. He stops in turn, my hand still on his arm. "It is because they have never seen you," he says. "I would recognize you anywhere."

Who we are is undefinable apart from a revelation of Whose we are, period. One follows the other; the order is not reversible. He recognizes the real me, the real you anywhere. When we catch a glimpse of Whose we are, the grave clothes of sin and shame are loosed and we are free to become, essentially, ourselves. All of creation is standing on tiptoe with baited breath longing to see the manifest sons of God being called forth.

Rich

Impoverished but Enriched

The increased knowledge of the grace and love of the Father at least for me is spelling an intensified awareness of a noticeable limp. You know much like Jacob of old encountered in his wrestling match with an angle.
In the process of this struggle Jacob is adamant; I will not let you go until you bless me.
The blessing was all about a change of identity, removing his past, formerly known as Jacob, and bringing him into the present, now to be known as Israel!

Here’s the kicker, this transformational wrestling match of identity marked him for the rest of his days in his body, he walked with a limp!

For sure you say that you are craving to see Him in an even greater clarity, why not, go ahead, heck just think of the wonder of it all.
Remember Paul and those out of the body heavenly God encounters, things he saw and heard that he wasn’t permitted to share with anyone, oh, and don’t forget about this, as a result of those close encounters of the most holy kind, his receiving of a most wonderful gift~a messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he become a pontificating peacock.
Interesting how a deepened insight into His love and grace not only frees us, but enslaves us as well.

A question for you, what the heck good is it in being permitted to have these glorious spectacular encounters with the Father, and you can’t say a word (brag about it) about it to anyone?

Rich

It's a Darn Shame

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

It’s pithy how such little words as ‘in’ can have such a powerful momentum/impetus. Kind of like my classic illustration of, ‘Even a blind man can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of orchards in a single seed.’

Because there are NO vacuums, if we are not deriving our true identity based completely upon the love of God the Father, then we are going to establish it another way, interesting when you consider that He is the only Way…hmmm?

From the fall of man there has been an indelible stain that his sin has permeated him with, and that is shame. Sin and its fruit sins, are specifics things we have done, but shame, well this is a twisted monster for sure. It has manifested itself in blatant overt ways, and in just as hideous covert ways. Shame is that which has defined all of man kind, and the only hope for man is pointing to that illuminating word ‘IN’ Christ!

None of us know what real love is until it is experienced in a face to face encounter with the God that IS Love, and even then it can take a very long time as the soul is being transformed, weaned from its strangle hold on us, hidden yet within us the under current of sin still trying to dictate-define who we still are, no matter what we say we believe God has said/done.

I am experiencing along with so many others, the slow day in day out transformational workings of the grace and love of this Father who has promised to finish in my life what He alone started.There is NO healthiness or well being outside of His love and its power freeing us from the vicious lies that keep multitudes endlessly trapped in the unnecessary cycle of either seeing themselves as unfit, unworthy, or, ‘hey, look at me I’m mister wonderful.’
If we have (in the natural) come from ‘poor stock-pedigree’ we are always trying to cover up our shame, but those who see themselves coming from ‘good stock-pedigree’ do not as easily recognize their hidden shame. Funny thing is all stock according to the flesh, good and bad has had a collision course encounter at the cross in the person of Gods son Jesus Christ.

The wonder of His love is invading so many hearts and lives and with it bringing in a living message of hope and freedom. In experiencing His love, we are learning to NO longer define our worth, value or significance based on our color of skin, our education, our sex, our financial status, the neighborhood, the car we drive or don’t drive, having friends or no friends, go to church or outside the church, etc!

Rich

Baskin Robbin's Flavor Of The Month

In the land of the blind, a one eyed man is a king.

Warning, this mystery gospel will be the end of you!

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known, I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

Last night as I was reading from Wayne Jacobsen's blog, LifeStream~Notes From The Journey, something caught my eye. http://lifestream.org/blog/ "Getting Beyond The First Hurdle"!
In the opening of Wayne's thoughts to a person asking for help regarding a major hurdle he is facing, are as follows: "Thanks for writing. I certainly hear your heart and am grateful for the journey you’re on, even if it may get painful in days ahead. It sounds like you’re moving from the disillusionment of religion, into the reality of real relationship with him. I’d like to tell you that’s all glorious, and it will be in the end, but the process can be a bit disorienting and painful. That’s why many talk of it as ‘de-toxing’, because there is a bit of withdrawal involved from our dependence on religion. And, there’s the reaction of others that won’t understand what he’s doing in you and will make harsh judgments about you."

My contention is this, if we have all been born in sin and shaped in iniquity, or derived an identity apart from what we were created for, e.g. to BE loved, (to BE His) for God is love, then how can this transformation within His total unconditional love, be experienced apart from throwing our equalibrium right out the window? When at best, ingrained within us is an identity that knows no acceptance apart from striving-performing.
I'm not sure I see it as being 'just a little bit of a withdrawal'.

Here in my opinion is a classic example of what I'm trying to say. When the children of Isreal were being lead out of the house of bondage (having been ruled by Pharoah) by Moses, they thought as we all might think, now that we're no longer there, we're 'Free'! The sad discovery was that although out (of the box) of Egypt, Egypt was still very much alive in them, defining who they thought they truly were. It only takes a little more reading to see that as they journed towards the 'Promised Land', that what, or how they reasoned within their heart, was how they still saw themselves.
This proved to be most painful, and many sparks began to ignite very explosive attitudes, which ultimately led to their demise, all but two (Joshua and Caleb) out of almost 2,000,000 people.

I am seeing that this whole idea of discovering 'freedom-liberty' by simply coming out of a box, is ludicrous, meaning, Father didn't say in Roman's, "Don't let the BOX squeeze you into its mold, but rather, don't let the World squeeze you into it's mold". The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
The only Way of escape is Him, as it goes on to say, 'but be transformed by the renewing of your mind'. I see 'religion' no matter what Baskin Robbins flavor it might be, it's simply a piece of something that is so much larger.

If we are not experiencing His love for us, simply moving away from whatever kind of box we believe we have been shaped in and by, will sooner or later be replaced by a better looking mouse trap-box! Its inevitable, just look at 'chruch history', it seems to be undeniablely reality.
Maybe the real Jesus is still wanting to be seen in you (as you) and me?

Rich

Catching Glimpses

I really like what Father is revealing to my brother Kent Burgess over at Faithfully Dangerous, http://nthegarden.blogspot.com/
Especially this recent post of his, (Vertigo) although if you were to read more of how Father is gracing Kent, there are other entries where he his speaking either directly or indirectly into this whole matter of disorientation, or vertigo, or seeming to loose ones sense of equilibrium.

After the dessert storm (shit kicking) I just went through, I can so relate to such a total loss of my equilibrium, or vertigo! I want to try and flesh out some of this in what I am seeing.

I want to throw this out for myself and whomever else reads here before I continue with what Father is drawing me into.
I am beginning to see in such vibrant strokes of His brush, His grace, gracing those he has called unto Himself, the colors are almost blinding, totally breath taking, and so full of His loving heart for all of humanity.
His life is being expressed in myriads of ways, through ordinary nobodies, leaving a wondrous and indelible stain upon this world and those in it. Little is Much, when He is in it.

I'm catching but glimpses of what is already mine, ours, (here me) glimpses I said. It is so important to see that it is only in part, that the best of us see anything, but seeing and knowing we are, and we're being brought into it's wealth.
Without the illumination that is present because of the Light Himself, the revelator, it would be very easy to run with what we see, like in trying to hoard todays 'manna', (grace), until tomorrow. Oh how we need Him!

For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darknessFor with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Every word you give me is a miracle word— how could I help but obey? Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning.

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

In the gospel of John, there is a point where Jesus strips himself of his attire, and clothes himself in the garb of a servant, he takes water, a towel and begins to wash the disciples feet, until he comes to Peter.
Peter is not going to allow Jesus to was his feet. Jesus says, Unless you allow me to wash your feet, you will have NO part with me.
Bear with me here, as I try to walk this out in my thoughts. Because of the fall, (all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God) what has settled over us is a complete and total blindness.
Maybe what Jesus was saying to Peter was, Unless I can lay my life down for you, unless I can become nothing in your sight, you will not become all that I have for you?

Everything we do is driven by our identity, and if we do not know who we are, and because there are no vacuums, someone will quickly give us one.
We can only be who God says we are, but if we do not know who we are, then who, are we going to be?
I see this washing being of utmost importance for then, as well as now in this hour. Is it possible that this washing is required to wash away the lies that we have all believed regarding who we think we are?

It talks in different places within the scriptures of us having been raised up and seated in/with Christ in the heavenly places. Talk about dizzying heights, well it only gets better.
Without the Father opening the eyes of our heart (washing away the crud that keeps us so earth-bound-seeing) we are at best operating separated from not only Whose we are, but who we are in Him.

There is a battle going on, in case you are not aware of that, (and Father continues to remind me of it all the time) and that battle is spelled out in its viciousness within our soul.
Here's a kicker for you to chew on, it says, (and all of this imo ties in with the vertigo) 'We are to set our minds on things above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

What I think I am seeing, is that all who have been rebirthed, are either seeing things from His perspective, what is already ours, or from a soulish-natural perspective trying to bring to pass through human effort His church and all that, that encompasses.
Is it any wonder there is such whacked distortions of not only who He is, but what and who His church is?
I want to stop here, but I ain't going away, my Father has started this process of opening my eyes, and I am soaking in all I can...more to come.

Rich

He is the Life-Way-Reality

It's not our ideas that define the truth-reality, it is Him in us wanting to bring us into the Truth, defining that which is real.
This realness (reality) will be the only thing that can transform us-set us free..free from what, evil, bad stuff? No, more often than not what I see Him setting me free from is anything that has tried to take the place of knowing Him as my all.

Is it possible to have a 'faith' passed down to us by others, as it was in the case of Job..the basis of his faith hinged upon the repeated oral teachings from father to son.
It was only after all hell was loosed upon Job that he was brought into contact with the One who allowed this hellish nightmare to be unleashed in his life.
His faith-relationship was now dependent upon the truth of seeing God for himself.

Job answered God: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans.You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?'I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head.You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.'I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!I'm sorry—forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."

Who do you say that I AM?

Rich