Well, here we go...our first attempt to blog our way through a canceled session! Hey, look out, 21st century--St Mark's Women's Bible Study has arrived!! tee hee...oh wait, i think i'm supposed to write: LOL. (there, I'm officially 'hip'!)
ok, so in our desperate attempt to get past the stark self-examination of Chapter 4 and onto the empowering teachings of Chapter 5, let's quickly run through the major points of lessons 4 and 5, and then review the bottomlines of the entire chapter. Post your comments and questions/thoughts as the Holy Spirit leads you. And PLEASE don't leave me alone out here, ladies!! Safe haven, Red Tent status still stands!! Ready? Onward:
Last week you all talked about the 3 "Moral Wounds" caused by the disruption of that beautiful and amazing state of perfect "Triple Harmony" between God and man, man's soul and his body, man's body and his exterior world. I loved the revelation that in that "intended perfect state of unity of man with and in God", man is "perfectly surrendered" to God...man's spirit is completely FILLED with God's spirit...is in essence God's Spirit. God's Spirit thus directs all of man: in this perfect union, GOD's SPIRIT directs a man's spirit (ie. that innermost part in direct connection with and in God; that part that connects directly with the spiritual world), which directs his soul (ie. man's "essence"--his heart, 'mind', desires, emotions, motives, thoughts, character, personality, etc...you get the picture), which directs his body (ie the physical part through which man connects with the physical world). And so it is easy to see that in this state of utter surrender to the most important aspect of "self" (ie where my All-knowing, All-loving, All-powerful God resides), all of the rest of "me" can live in perfect and easy harmony. No brainer for living and loving completely...no "fight for survival" on any level because the life line extends perfectly from the Source of all life--God--through me, to creation. How totally cool is that.
IF, however, I have broken that most basic and foundational union of my spirit from God's spirit (or, have willingly placed something other than God's Spirit as my driving source within my spirit...yikes), then this Triple Harmony of 'perfection in unity' on becomes disrupted on ALL levels. My "world" is now driven by that which I sense the most easily. Since my spirit is essentially "blinded" by the overwhelming presence of the physical world around me, I tend to be directed by those things I can "experience" fully: ie my senses, my intelligence (book learning, head knowledge), my exterior world. And so, instead of "Me" being directed/influenced/taught from the spiritual senses, "I" am directed/influenced/taught by the PHYSICAL senses. Kinda backwards from the initially intended pathway of knowledge and light from God to man to world.
Any comments?
Good Morning! I think the one thing from last week that has given me great peace is when we talked about TRUST. You can know God, read all about Him, act with love to others, but when things don't go exactly as You thought it would -it is your TRUST in God and how He will direct you that can move you forward in an awesome direction. Now none of us like to walk around with a blindfold on trying to trust a person that is guiding us while we are taking little studdering steps and flailing our arms around. TRUST in God allows us to have our eyes wide open and use our hearts and minds and body to intelligently walk with God. We just need to let Him know that we are willing.
ReplyDeleteOk the shoveling is done...so...Yes, TRUST ...WILLING..I think that is the key word...Amazing thing about this human existence is that BECAUSE of it I have to remind myself constantly that my goal for today goes beyond the pile of laundry I just leaped over, or the 10 phone calls I'm supposed to make, or whatever it is for this specific day that is there to "distract" me from my desire to be in union with HIm...Ok, but then I'm reminded they need not be distractions...but channels that I may use to GET to him...Aha!!!
ReplyDeleteDid Jesus go through that? I'm thinking yes...
and then His OBEDIENCE is what I try to model...He used His circumstances to deepen HIs relationship with His Father..just as I can...I wont' be raising anyone from the dead today (at least that one's not on my "to-do" list..phew:) ) but in every circumstance I meet I pray that I may be more aware to HIs presence. HIs love, and HIs will...
ONe more thing...are there any LOST fans out there? That season premiere was AWESOME last night...I am amazed and super happy that a popular show like that has as many spiritual elements as that one does...Our group could talk for hours about the spiritual elements...the TRUST the characters have or don't have ...how they have or have not obeyed God's will...But whether or not you're a LOST fan the episode last night brought up an interesting issue having to do with obedience...it's something I think we've talked about in our group before...Could there be one "ultimate" end goal God has for each of us and yet different paths we could take to get there? Perhaps that is how God's divine "plan" and our "free will" can mesh together?! But it does make me wonder...if I choose to "obey" more often will my path be "easier" or more smooth...hmmmmm???!! Even "trials" become opportunities then to get closer to HIm...which is "smoother" than when I
ReplyDelete"fight"them...
wow, Angel...a couple of things come to mind with your wonderful words.
ReplyDeleteThe "taking the broken road to Him" concept is such a fascinating one because it does link "free will" with "obedience" and "God's plan". And, of course, it all comes down to TRUST in God and in what we know of Him (which, of course, means that we have to somehow get to KNOW Him!!).
Like Lorraine said in her comment, it is difficult to willingly follow someone blindly...most of us will flail around and seek desperately to find our own best path to ensure our survival even as our "savior" is telling us to "just relax and let Me lead" (think trying to rescue a panicked drowning person). However, if I absolutely KNEW that my "savior" was the MOST powerful, ALL-knowing, ALL-loving-of-ME Being(so that my benefit is ALWAYS first and foremost in mind when He chooses a path for me), then, it wouldn't be so hard to take the seemingly "harder path" to wherever. Even the "broken road" wouldn't seem so bad if I KNEW the end was going to be, well, not just "alright", but, like, really GREAT.
If I could know with certainty that His purpose for me is good--the "best"--then, heck...the destination is worth the trip, right?
But the hard part is getting to "know".
selah
mags
Oh, and Angel...you just might be "raising someone from the dead" today. Perhaps not in the way you were thinking, but certainly with every Word you speak that puts a spark of His Light into a darkened and hopeless section of someone's life, you have "raised someone from the dead".
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that you might have already done so more times than you know!
You go, sweet Handmaiden of the Lord!! Keep reaching out to the hurt and confused around you, and you will see how many 'walking dead' will be raised up to Him!!
Angel have you heard the song "TRUST and OBEY"?your message reminded me with the song that I love the most when I was little girl my mom used to sing this song for us "" TRUST and OBEY there is no other way, To be happy in JESUS is to TRUST and OBEY" and soon..the whole verse is just like the way Angels message (fellowship with God)..isn't that wonderful how God communicates with us? ..and we just not knowing that REALLY is HIM talking to us..
ReplyDeleteTRUST ( FAITH )and OBEDIENCE are the 2 important keys of Loving God.
The last verse of the song says..NEVER FEAR ,only TRUST and Obey.
1John4:18-19" There is no fear in love,but PERFECT LOVE CAST OUT FEAR,because fear involves torment,But he who fears not been made perfect in love. WE LOVE HIM because HE FIRST LOVE US."
To be happy in Jesus is to Trust and obey..
Thank you Angel for the message from your heart!
Jesus loves you so do I !
Mizpah-till next time