Spiritual Weaving

By Peter F Serra

Have you ever wondered what motivates and produces the courage necessary for someone to place into print his inner thoughts and understanding of life? Have we ever found ourselves seeking answers within the complexity of life and then find all has been given? Such is the reality of everyone who has been touched by the hand of God. Spiritual Weaving is the result of what has been given by God and learned through lifes lessons. All who have been touched by Gods mercy become communicators of the love received. Spiritual Weaving is a common mans thoughts exposed by the love that has been given to him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Sep 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781490784045

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© Copyright 2017 Peter F. Serra.

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ISBN: 978-1-4907-8405-2 (sc)

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Contents

Changes

Purpose

Sin And Doubt

Consciousness

Carry The Cross

The Permanence Of Hell Or Nonexistence

Gambler

The Armor Of God

He’s Not Here

There’s No Escaping Light

Searchers

Instructed Corruption

The Trouble With Cain

Loyalty

Hidden Kingdom

Rocks

Excommunication

Calloused Hardened Hearts

Magic Man

Citizen

Humility

Judgment On The Installment Plan

Live Dog Dead Lion

Giving

Enter The Lion

Sign Of The Prophet

In The Spirit

One On The Right-The Other On The Left

Drug Addiction A Bricks Without Straw Affliction

Choice

Book 2

Emergency 911

Justice

Healing

Heat

Freedom

Crossroads

Nightmare

Bedtime

Opened Books

Shining Ray

Hurricane

Wind

Fat Cats

Thirst

Reputation

Priority

Charcoal Dreams

Government Gods

Caveman

Concrete Soldiers

Fool’s Gold

Inside Calling

Depression

O God

Material Thing

Unending

Blackened Core

Lions Of Stone

Life

Faith Anchors

God-The Tree-Mother And Me

Lord Please Send A Taxi

Desire

Confirming Truth

The Great Fishing Expedition

Lord We Are Going To Need More Than A Shovel

Solo Flight

Beginning

In the beginning

God made man

Breathed into his

Nostrils and life began

Secular interests

Worldly affairs

Misguide the lost

Confuse and delay

All who are searching

Seeking the way

Truth of beginning

Christ Jesus King

Sent into the world

Life’s message to bring

A rainfall in summer

A searchlight in dark

A gentle reminder of God’s

Unfailing love

Amen.

Legacy

Who knows when the beat of life will cease?

What then should we say to those we, have, to leave?

"My children listen to your father as I pass along to you

The reality of life that was given in my youth

At the age of thirty-three God did come to me

And speaking words convincing my soul was then set free.

Belief became the anchor denying drift in waves

And calm within life’s storms has followed all my days.

Truth was all around me cutting through life’s fog

As a beacon shining with warning and with love

I focused on its light and danced within my heart

And ever since that day I knew where I belonged.

Pay attention to the truth that others will deny

God is always with us every moment of our life.

Unless a man seeks wisdom, his days find emptiness

Filled with uncertainty and laced with happenstance.

Absent a foundation that keeps an even keel

Sometimes he can capture the object of his prize

But mostly there’s an emptiness caused by stubborn pride.

And when the final beat and darkness fills the eyes

The failure to embrace God’s love comes as great surprise

Follow the example of knowledge right and wrong

It lives within your heart and sings a gentle song

Absent condemnation the peace of God is found.

When life finds-falter unsteady is our walk

The impact that then follows sings a nagging song

Harrowing in content leaving scars and tracks of wrong.

They never are forgotten but lay anchored in the deep

Returning without warning to break our restful sleep

As apparitions moaning lamentation for what’s lost

They cry loudly accusation of a life lived in the dark.

Alas they are but echoes ringing in the mind

But still they carry impact of a former time

Opportunity came knocking and no one could it find.

Heed the voice of wisdom and sleep will then be sound

Without tossing frightful nightmares that echo days long gone

Denied the peace of God by the pull of wrong.

Limit the anguish bucket let it not be filled

And life will find true meaning even when uphill!"

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end, you will be wise.

PREFACE

I’m always amazed by the intricately connected content of the bible; when I stumble upon a truth that is proclaimed in the Old Testament and finding it come into fruition in the New Testament there is a continued appreciation for God’s word. We are led into the greatest treasure presented to mankind, simply because the content of the scriptures constantly-reveal and offer to us, not only our own personal truths, but the entire spectrum of creation is continually being made to be understood; no matter, if living in the long gone past, present or future, God’s truth is everlasting. One would think that this ability to make creation understood, along with the enormity of the feat of prophesy, outlining in detail God’s interactions with both humanity and the enemies of God, from the very first sin to the end of the current age is unfathomable, and, in truth it really is. And in truth we have no understanding of how God accomplishes and knows all. However, throughout creation and prophesy the uniting aspect of truth shines brightly and is the instrument that forms a perfect weave! It is this truth of God that inspires and guides us all.

I have never written a book with the intended content clearly defined, and the subject wrapped neatly, in need only to be unwrapped and typed into the book’s content. However, the bible is such an intricate weave of interconnecting thought that brings inspiration throughout its content, making the writing of thoughts so much more motivating and inspirational, so much so that it’s like having the road ahead arrayed with arrows pointing to the next connecting thought. What I’m really saying is, as long, as we are seeking guidance from above we will never be led astray.

The understanding of God’s word is from a common man’s perspective. For the most part, the content is slowly revealed by the inspiration given within the Holy Scriptures. Life experience is also presented as a shared personal experience, and in general terms the content addresses the commonality of human beings. This commonality speaks to us of our shared needs, failures, emotions and desires; everyone has experienced hard times, are possessors of a sin nature, and all of us have enjoyed happiness or found sorrow entering when we least expect it. In all unannounced situations, there is the constant awareness of God being with us. At least there is such awareness when we have been the recipient of the gift of faith. Without the awareness of God as reality there is no telling to what depth of turmoil we will be taken, absent the anchor of truth.

In many avenues of life’s experience, it is God who enters our lives at the lowest point wherein we believe there is no hope for the reversal of the condition of our lives; this also is a shared experience, with perhaps, many of the children of God. Perhaps, a man needs to be convinced to the point of no longer being able to deceive himself, into thinking there is a way out of the darkness, that probably emerged from the actions of self-imposed affliction? Additionally, most of us who have been saved through divine intervention didn’t have a clue as to the depth of captivity, until we heard the truth of our lives.

The overall intent of the writing is to bring into focus the inner workings of this poor man to the awareness of those I love. I recognize that at some point I will no longer have ability to convey to my children and grandchildren the love I have, not only for them but for all who call Jesus, Lord. A candle is not hidden under a bowl and the truth is not meant to be proprietary, rather, it is meant to be heralded and applauded by all who have been given the ability to see through the eyes of love. A light is shone into the darkness to lead those who are seeking a way out.

Even if there are some who are not seeking the freedom of light’s illumination, once truth (light) is brought into the dark the natural reaction is to move toward that which was heretofore unknown. It is this light that has been given to all of us who have found salvation and eternal life; having been the recipient of such a gift, it is my understanding that’s its meant to be shared with all who will accept such reality. God has called his children to be communicators, in all aspects of interaction with others; mostly, it is through the manner in-which we conduct our lives. Honesty in our lives will attract others to the truth; hypocrisy, is present when the speech we present conflicts with the manner in-which we conduct our lives. Hypocrisy, will not attract, it will cause others to recognize the deception in the presentation, and fail to permit truth its moment to advance.

Additionally, if just one word written in this book encourages someone to seek to know the God of all creation, or answers a question that builds up their faith, then, the effort put forth has been more than worth it! Everything written within is for the glory of God, and in testimony to his wonderful gift to mankind.

The actual surrendering of one’s life to a cruel evil dictatorial people is a colossal feat of courage and love! All who have been the recipient of such sacrifice made by our Lord, Jesus, have rejoiced in the freedom gained and have mourned at the foot of the cross as well. We have also rejoiced at the resurrection’s dawning, announcing to the world, He is risen!

All scriptural quotes are taken from the New International Version of the bible, except where otherwise noted. All quotes are made in bold italics.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far out-weighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

1

CHANGES

The apostle Paul tells us we are to fix our eyes on what is not seen. This does not mean we are to negate the reality we live in. We must recognize his words to us are an explosion of reality! We had Jesus with us on this earth, and at that time he was very visible. His time with us on earth was temporary, but he has moved on from the temporary to the eternal. Even though Jesus has gone back home to the Father his presence upon the earth is and has continually increased, through those of us who embrace truth. Jesus is Truth.

At times, the world is faced with an increase in evil, at these times there appears the most noticeable changes, simply because, as in the case of wars, everyone not only sees the change but feels the impact. Such increases of evil are changes that resemble a tug-of-war between opposing forces. It becomes self-evident even to those who will not admit to the reality of wrong. It is at these times of increased evil that the power of God is made increasingly more pronounced upon the world stage. The power of God is not shy and is found at times in apocalyptic (radical breakthrough) events. Such events are found in revivals within groups, or singularly, the purpose of which is to strengthen the church in times of trouble. Radical breakthroughs from the unseen into the natural world are perhaps more frequent than we may think. Those most prominent include the Annunciation to Mary, the Birth of Jesus, the warning to flee from Herod into Egypt, along with numerous others mentioned in scripture, but the myriad of heraldry concerning God making his presence known takes place within the spirit of man; within the unseen. We look at the external revelations with emotional awe that shocks and shakes our consciousness because we have been conditioned to deny truth. This was not always the case, as man was made to walk closely with God. The reality of the now unseen was a normal occurrence and did not startle our senses. With sin came a tremendous change in our understanding of the truth concerning God. Our awareness of God began to fade into the unseen, as each succeeding generation from Adam, increasingly lost such truth and was replaced by unknowing. When that which is, unknown, is made known there are several reactions that can and do take place within the person experiencing such revelation. Being renewed in spirit brings us back to the reality we lost. The world is still in denial of the unseen. In the last century, the advance of materialism has gripped the consciousness of the unbeliever. Even within the churches we find a lack of focus upon the unseen, regarding the promise of eternal life. It is rarely mentioned.

When we are changed into a soul set-free there is a period wherein the Holy Spirit places an impenetrable barrier around us, as would a newborn-wrapped in a receiving blanket, with parents constantly attentive to the newborn’s needs. After which, when the child has grown into adulthood (he has ability to defend against the slings and arrows of the Evil One) the once very pronounced attentiveness of God no longer appears as before. God our Father is still with us, but we have learned to pray and be renewed daily, in the same way a soldier will keep his weaponry in readiness against the enemies of country. The war that we are faced with is twofold: internal and external. Both internal and external attacks by the enemy (sin and its originator) brings to us temptation and condemnation inherent in failure. When we focus upon our failure and become fixed upon the inner voice of condemnation, we can lose track of the power given to us through our faith in the one who loves us. Losing contact with reality brings about a withdrawing change that will eventually force us into a corner of darkness. Like a child given a timeout in a corner we are forced to withdraw from holiness by an authority of condemnation, absent the love and hope of commutation of sentence, until love tells us to come out from there. God makes his presence in our lives even more prominent when threatened by the advance of evil. It may appear that evil is unstoppable, but in the final analysis all sin will be judged and destroyed. This withdrawing change is an offshoot of the Sin and Doubt syndrome, originally written in a previous work, and will be discussed in a later chapter.

Focus on what is unseen

We may want to ask ourselves, How can we focus our eyes on what is unseen? Just because we have not seen a thing firsthand does not mean we cannot envision what has been related to us through scriptural declarations. We were not there at the baptism of Jesus, but the account in scripture paints a compelling picture. The baptism of Jesus is a unique radical breakthrough into the natural world. We see and hear through the heart and mind the occurrence depicting the presence of God the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus, that permits us to envision an explosion of truth, regarding the Holy Trinity, accepted and embraced by those of us with the gift of faith. The baptism of Jesus is a greatly different depiction from the day of Pentecost. The narrative of the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven in the form of a dove, does not speak to us of power and might being given to our Lord, rather, it is speaking to us of love. Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending, like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Within the depiction of the baptism we can envision and feel the love of God for his Son.

When the Holy Spirit is given to the apostles on the day of Pentecost there is a strong blowing wind and what appeared as tongues of fire that came to rest on everyone in the house. They were given a pronounced and visible ability to speak in foreign languages, along with every other possibility that accompanies faith. This speaks of power to wage war against the evil in the world that had kept people ignorant to the unseen reality of God. Heretofore people expressed their belief in God, but perhaps only a select few knew such reality anchored deep within them. The majority were conditioned by the mechanics of the law and this aspect of religious life may have clouded their ability to focus upon what is unseen. When we are so concerned with appearing compliant with law, a legalistic mentality is the natural outgrowth, and in such an environment the need to find approval from the lawyers who determine compliance, becomes the defining aspect of a person’s life. Lost is the desire to find approval from God. Lost is the focus of truth and in its place the seed of doubt blossoms. We were not with the prophet Isaiah when he was present in the throne room of God, but we can imagine the sounds of Seraphim singing of God’s holiness. We can envision the transformation of Isaiah as he is touched with a burning coal from the altar of God, and we can imagine his joy (the same joy we felt when the reality of truth awakened us from darkness), as he’s told his sins are forgiven and his guilt is removed! Focusing our hearts and minds on what is not seen does not mean we are blind to the reality present in the supernatural, or, the infinity of creation within the handiwork of God. We can look to the heavens and even though we cannot envision its content, our mind will never find a place that declares: ROAD CLOSED.

The same is true when we look deep into our self. We can see the lights of the heavens or else we may, at first, find darkness because we had not attempted to explore the depths of eternity within our own existence. No matter which direction we decide to travel, up into the heavens or down into the depths of our very soul, we can find the reality of eternity. Finding eternity to be not-only a concept but is in-fact reality, given to us by truth, we then have a basis for proving our convictions; God is eternal. Truth is the reality that everyone recognizes and accepts in the same way everyone can conclude that the lie is a proven-truth regarding its existence. There is a difference between the two: truth is eternal and has no need for change, it stands alone unaffected by the ever-changing environment within the whole of creation; deception is reliant upon change for it to persist. Persist: To continue steadily or obstinately despite problems, difficulty or obstacles. To continue being widely believed or accepted despite evidence or proof to the contrary. Deception cannot stand-alone! It is continually attempting to present itself as truth for it to be able to continue within existence. It must continually change, adding additional lies to the initial presentation hoping to build a foundation, that may appear to some, at best probable, and at least, possible. TRUTH IS ETERNAL. GOD IS ETERNAL. WE ARE DESTINED FOR ETERNITY. JESUS IS TRUTH. JESUS IS ETERNAL. TRUTH STANDS-ALONE. THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVINCES US OF TRUTH AND HE OPENES OUR EYES. HE CONVICTS US OF NOT ONLY THE LIES IN OUR OWN LIVES BUT CONVINCES US OF THE REALITY WE COULD NOT SEE OTHERWISE. IN SO DOING WE ARE ENABLED TO ENVISION THE REALITY OF THE UNSEEN.

Nature

Everything in life is marked for renewal by the consistency of nature. Everything is temporary within this world that we inhabit. No matter where we look there is death and renewal. Everything has but a short period (of time) to exist in this present life that we have been given. All that we see within our view of time-allotted vanishes from our sight. It vanishes with regularity within the seasons of the year. This may sound depressing but in truth it is the excellent design of God that is continually changing us into an improved status. Improved above the status of the first of creation, simply because we have now experienced hardship and sacrifice, which did not exist for us in the beginning. Adding such knowledge of sacrifice improves our condition. Knowledge added will-always improve the existence of the one who gains understanding. As such we are an ongoing work of art, continually being perfected through the understanding of what cannot be seen with the eyes of man.

The world denies the unseen

Is there any doubt why the old saying urging people to enjoy life, within the illusion of hopelessness, afforded in the belief in the finality of man’s existence, has gained acceptance down through the centuries? Isaiah 22:12-13 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! Let us eat and drink, you say, for tomorrow we die. For the most part the changes in nature are repetitive. I shave my face today and tomorrow the growth is back. The sun breaks through the horizon and sends its message for the night to depart. The seasons of the year are set into motion and continually find themselves on time, so much so that we have dated their arrival.

Mindset

Again, there’s this mindset within humanity, beginning, or at least the beginning of official exposure, during the time of Isaiah the prophet (approximately 750 BC) and persisting to this present day, within those who believe life to be a linear line that begins with birth and concludes with death, urging people to say, Why not party and have a good time without any intrusion of conscience or question of morality? Death is the finality that mocks all of our efforts. Having a good time is fine so long as the activity is focused upon good. As such, the mindset of limitless unbridled existence, while we still breathe persists, and keeps hidden the truth given to us in Christ. The two things that persist within the understanding of all in nature are these: truth and deception. Truth remains unchanging and deception is always present in its many contrived appearances. Jesus said: Matthew 6:19-21 Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Clearly, we are hearing of the promise of life after death of the body, for the dead have no use for treasures. This promise of life is a constant truth that speaks against an unbridled existence.

Here are some of the enemies of truth: Mark 7:20-23 He went on to say: What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean. This entire list of wrongs clouds truth and encourages belief in the totality of death, being the total end of life. Of course, those apart from Christ will find total death when the body dies. This perhaps, adds to the confusion surrounding afterlife reality. Whenever the aforementioned-things that make a person unclean are called into the light the lie will always rise-up to its defense. Let’s recognize that while we are all grouped into the unrighteous (sinful) general descriptive, there is a particular-significance associated with the specifics mentioned. Such specifics are pronounced as unclean. The usage of the word unclean simply means sinful. Generally, speaking, an unclean act is one that involves a serious fault.

Herein we can understand, human desires are ruling the individual in both thought and deed. It is from within a man that all manner of abomination is formulated. When the focus is upon sinful, the thoughts of man cannot see the unseen truth and the consequence attached to the infraction against God’s laws. Where the unseen is denied therein all restriction is removed from the conscience of man and he then becomes, unclean. A mindset of impure behavioral focus, absent limitation, existing in extremes, will always be labeled as unclean, simply because of the distance one has created between truth and the failure to identify wrong.

What’s seen is temporary

Certainly, within the reality of what is seen there is truth. There is no doubt presented to us in the changes that surround us daily. However, the apostle Paul is speaking to us regarding death’s perception of finality, being prevalent within the mindset of the world. Such incorrect assumption is countered by the twenty-third psalm. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Within this one verse the psalmist alerts us to the reality of afterlife; post bodily existence. He is pointing us to the reality of eternal life. He is also showing to us the trust in God that all of us must have. The psalmist uses the term, shadow of death and (in order) to fully understand the intent of the wording we must recognize the word shadow is closely associated within the translation to the word, illusion. As such, when we recognize the full implication of the usage of the word, shadow this somewhat imperceptible cognition (the usage of shadow does not immediately speak to us as deception), is brought clearly into focus when we substitute shadow for its close relative, illusion. We then find truth jumping off the page saying: Life! Life is continuous when we are in Christ! When we come to this understanding what we find is the desire to no longer live as men and women captured within such illusion that only offers to us hopelessness.

The mindset of such hopelessness, (within the unseen reality of eternal life), has managed to perpetuate down through the centuries, because man has failed to embrace the truth of God’s eternal reality, and because his very own desires have cast a shadow over his reasoning, to the point of enslavement. They reason, What does it matter how we conduct our lives, there is no one to say this is wrong or right. Why waste the time we have trying to adhere to the perceptions of right and wrong when in the end, it matters not? Who is going to say, ‘you are wrong’ when it is obvious we see no visible guidepost to which we must focus upon?

It is interesting to recognize the conscience to be unseen and a part of us that is undeniable. It is this rejection of eternal life, so prevalent in the world’s makeup that gives artificial support to those whose desires lead them into the illusion of death’s finality, wherein, they are never given the light necessary to see clearly, the truth that is obvious to all who will but recognize the renewal of all things in life. All things, mankind above all others, for it is mankind who is renewed to eternal life. The physical aspect of life is renewed in the time of its season, (healing of wounds or disease, and ultimately renewal in the resurrection to life), and the spiritual also finds daily renewal from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Continual renewal

Continual renewal is this proof within nature that shouts-out to the inhabitants of the earth: It is my desire for man to live forever, in peace, joy and love of family. All that is required for us to see this truth is to permit its light entry into our lives. It is time for all to recognize the time for forgiveness is now and the clock is running down not only for the individual, but also for the entire world. Failure to recognize God is also a sin needing to be forgiven! I find it somewhat intriguing that people will not move toward what is right. We will not naturally desire to do what is right when all things in nature having purpose are required (by the brilliant design incorporated by God) to move in the direction of said purpose. Of course, not all things in life have free will. While spiritually dead (enslaved by our sinful nature), the will of mankind is torn by nature’s attraction to move in the direction of wrong, leaving us compelled to step on the landmine of compulsive deception placed continually in our path. There is no one righteous; as such, both criminals and law-abiding citizens, who disbelieve in God are captured by, Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Without God that is a very true statement!

Spiritual guidepost

Have we forgotten the words of the psalmist? I will fear no evil for you are with me. We have lost our way because we have not held-fast to the guidepost that is the Lord. He has been relegated to the status of non-existence in the hearts and minds of many, who have chosen to be self-directing vehicles traveling through the valley of the illusion of death. Can we imagine the look upon the faces of those who have chosen so badly, when at last the Day of Judgment arrives and they stand before God knowing that they have been tricked, by the illusion of self-gratification, and the darkness that was always present in those whose vision had been continually fixed upon their self? Self-gratification, or the never-ending quest to find peace through the offerings of the world is an illusion simply because it cannot be done.

We cannot satisfy a spiritual need for God with a physical substitute. We can satisfy for the moment, hunger and thirst, but when the spirit cries-out to be united with God there is no substitute. God is Spirit and in the creation of man he gave to us himself. It is this separation caused by sin that denies to us the truth of our need. We then are led away as prisoners seeking peace that only accompanies freedom. The prisoner is denied not only the ability to find freedom, but he has been made forgetful of the loved-one left behind. He is kept in the darkness of ignorance, but he understands there is something missing besides freedom. He knows that once freedom is found then and only then can he seek to reacquaint himself with the reality he had been denied. He also knows that somewhere there is someone who will recognize him no matter how long he has been kept in the prison of darkness. This someone will then fill in the missing pieces of his life. This someone is God, the loved-one he had rejected, denied, and declared to be fantasy. Once the prisoner is freed to see truth, he then finds the foundation that was denied to him within the former existence of living in darkness. He finds not only a foundation of hope and joy but in this new revelation he finds the spiritual guidepost that is the Lord. A major change!

Illusion

Illusion is, A false idea, conception, or belief concerning something. Although mostly by conditioning, we think of illusion as the mirage (we are told) that occurs within a desert setting prompted by the mind confronted by desperation to quench a real pronounced thirst. It is this desperation that is akin to the hopelessness of those who have given reality to the finality of our existence as soon as the body dies. It is interesting that within interpretative understanding, concerning death of the human being, one defining aspect of such death is determined by the conclusive results pronouncing, brain death as an indicator that closes the book on a person’s life. And so, not only the bodily sign (non-breathing) being a telling aspect for concluding the arrival of death, but the accompanying absence of brain activity also presents to us the reality of a transference of life from one existence to another; the absence of life as we now know it within the corporeal dimension is conclusive as far as the body is concerned but the spirit has never been dependent upon the body. Corporeal life, is the physical aspect of creation, but the absence of our spiritual/thinking faculty from the body need not be a determination for life’s conclusion; our inability to detect brain function does not mean life and/or the spirit has ceased to exist. More to the point, such absence of brain activity points to a transference from the body to a purely spiritual existence. When the body dies, the brain also dies. The thinking faculty, which is our spirit, had utilized the physical brain to make functional the body! In death, the body no longer has need for functionality and in this the spirit returns to God who gave it. Major change!

Out of the body home with the Lord

2 Corinthians 5:6-9 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him whether we are at home in the body or away from it. Going back to what Paul said to the Corinthian church in the beginning of this chapter regarding, What is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal therein we find conclusive reinforcement of truth that breaks down the illusion of this life being temporary, as no one can see our thoughts! That is (to say), we are confronted with the reality of bodily death and in this there is no doubt upon viewing the dead. Our spirit/thinking faculty has always been unseen, no one could see it in life and should we be surprised that it is also hidden from view when the body dies? The apostle Paul is alerting us to the truth given to him by the words of Jesus, even if he dies; yet shall he live.

Paul points-out the fact that we are being renewed daily. This is the internal renewal of our spirit. We received a new spirit at the time of being born again; this new spirit is the down payment that assures us of eternal life, continually being renewed through our association and connection to the very source of life. We have in-effect been permitted once again access to the Tree of life. We have been permitted to once again drink of the, Streams of living water. John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. The tree of life and streams of living water represent to us the very ingredients necessary for us to sustain life. They speak to us in a language we can understand, (inasmuch) as we can relate very easily to the bodily needs within our present condition, namely, hunger and thirst. Jesus also speaks to us in a language that is plain and understandable once we know the truth concerning him.

John 4:10 Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The Samaritan woman at the well confirms to us the spiritual principle of asking, seeking and knocking, and in doing so we receive, find, and gain entrance through an open door.

Again, John 6:48-51 I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live. What we are hearing, is the declaration from Jesus, that has the same meaning, as when he said that, Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." And so, there is the physical and the spiritual that needs to be nourished in-order to continue living after the body has died. While the physical is limited within the inevitable aspect of death, the spiritual is nourished by the truth brought to mankind by the Word of God-Jesus. Those of us who have received the bread of life, offered to us through the sacrifice of Christ are assured of eternity; even when we pass away physically. Those of us who are alive (bodily) when Christ returns will never die!

We have been attached to the Vine of Life (Jesus). He is the vine and we are the branches. It is the vine that provides for the branches so long as they are attached to the source of life. As such, we are renewed daily from the source of life himself. John 15:5-6 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me he can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. Let’s see what Jesus is (actually) saying. A branch not connected to the vine is representative of a person who has fallen away from the source of life, it withers and dies, is picked up and thrown into the fire and is burned. This is of course a reference to the fires of hell. All of those not destined for eternal life will find the judgment of God. This is the final negative change.

Belief is eternity awarded

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Well there we have it folks, plain and simple. No illusions or deceptions just the plain truth spoken by our Lord. What can we make of this duality of life, that is, the combining of both corporeal and spiritual existence to comprise a complete person? This is God’s design, if we were total spiritual beings, what need would we have for a garden of fruit trees? We don’t know what we shall become, but we understand that we will be like the Lord; a very good change!

This faith that awards life is a gift that enables us to see (recognize to the point of belief and ultimately knowing) that which cannot be seen with our eyes. If we believe in the promises of Jesus, (in this belief we accept his sacrifice) while we still live in these bodies, we will never die! We will never lose our ability to think, and in this retention of thought we retain not only who we are but also attain eternal life. Our days upon this earth are numbered, but our days are never exhausted.

There is a point in a man’s life in which his spirit dies (his way of thinking and his beliefs) and he is born again/made alive by the truth that unveils the illusion that he had accepted as reality. Such illusions, veils and deceptions once removed, brings to us great joy in the knowledge that rushes into our lives with unending revelation. Being born again is receipt of truth that permits the spirit/mind of man to experience the reality of truthful thought (life) and in this experience the gravity of our past beliefs are erased and tossed into the trash-heap of lies; and out from the land of darkness we emerge into the light! Joyful change.

In this new-life there is no death except for the bodily aspect to look forward too, for the one who is born again he has satisfied the biblical pronouncement that declares, It is appointed unto man to die once. (Bodily death.) As such, the spiritual aspect of our life has been awarded the promised eternity and we await the bodily death that must follow, absent the fear we would normally assign it, because it is in truth the, valley of the illusion of death. Where our Lord is, there can only be life, for he is, The way and the truth and the life. A change of spirit is a change in our existence. If we are born again the first stage of change takes place while we are still alive in our body.

When the time comes for us to leave the body we are again changed into a new existence. This should not come to us as a surprise or seem to be outside the realm of understanding. In the same-way, a seed is planted into the ground and from it a plant is born, so it is for us; we begin life at conception. Conception occurs through the transfer of life, and is not our final aspect of change.

The soul/life is God given. And the Lord God formed man out of the clay of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. This very intimate scene depicting God bringing man to life (conception’s origin) is exactly the relationship he wants to have with his children. United in love.

This parental love shown to us at the beginning and shown to us again in the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross, is also a new beginning for mankind to once again be embraced by our heavenly Father. And we also recognize through scripture’s pronouncement that, What is of the earth returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God who gave it. The new spirit received at rebirth returns to God who gave it when the body dies. This aphorism (forceful biblical truth) is repeated many times within the words of Jesus and should bring to us tremendous joy! The exception to the requirement of needing to be born again to continue onto eternal life is found only in little children, for they are possessors of the kingdom of God. Once we have total trust in God, as would little children for their parents, we are then admitted into the kingdom of God. This admittance is taking place in the here and now, for God has made us into his temple and he is living within us.

The resurrection to eternal life is the final change for those who have been saved. Jesus will never lose any of us who have been given to him by the Father. This should alert us to the fact that we are always within the sight of the, Good Shepherd. Forgetting this fact can turn churches into social clubs and worship into noise.

Veils

We can intellectualize between illusion that deceives and veils that deny our sight to the truth God wants us to see, but in the final analysis we are denied reality. While we are lost in this world we are like men in need of strong eyeglasses for us to see clearly. Almost every presentation of truth is countered by a veil or illusion attempting to deny to us the reality of life. We are told in scripture that the evil god of this world keeps blindfolded many people, denying to them the good news of Christ. Distractions form the veils that deny to us the truth. Illusions are presented when we attempt to form logical conclusions to the things we perceive, absent the truth of God. There are many distractions presented to us externally, and others come to us from our desires that have not been made to recognize they are no longer in control.

When desires are given the opportunity (desires that do not please God should not be in control) to act upon their urging therein we find the illusion of peace, but the muffled cries of the spirit, bound and gagged in the deep recesses of the heart remains. The result of being distracted or blinded to truth is captivity! We can never be free until the chains of slavery are removed from the spirit that seeks to be reunited with God. Once the spirit is set free the desires of flesh are sent to the place that held the spirit captive. The desires are held captive by truth and there will not be a prison break! Truth can never be defeated!

Full Circle

O green fields

Great ears rising

Ever pleasing and seeking

In silence crowned.

Gathered processed stored and shipped

Consumed by hunger found.

Returned, from whence it came.

Earth.

Dust.

Ground.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 And the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Renewal

The seed

Nighttime into day

An ocean’s change

Just a drop away

The leaf from tree to ground

Is lifted-up again

Through the roots of life

The same God does for man

Mountains crumble

A rock is moved

Water wears upon stone

A man is resurrected called to life and home

No longer to be changed

No longer to be formed!

Job 14:14 If a man dies will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.

Intuition detectives

2 Corinthians 4:2-4 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. When someone is blind the images constructed by the mind were made by attempting to bring order into a world of darkness. As such, a presentation of deception had no competition simply because truth had not been made available; this is especially true when there is a preconceived denial of said truth as it pertains to the reality of God. Truth is received through the conscience that is always in the sight of God. Conscience can be understood as the very presence of God; although we were dispossessed from paradise God did not leave us alone; he went with us through the knowledge of right and wrong. I say to myself, I believe in God and my conscience does not reply, Are you kidding me? Rather, my conscience confirms this truth. Conscience simply means: with-knowledge. Con, meaning with and science meaning, knowledge.

We do what’s right and we live in peace, we do what’s wrong and we find condemnation. Some do not have a conscience they have a depraved mind and have been given over to their desires. Romans 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. We are as detectives with a built-in-filter that has ability to recognize right from wrong as well as what is or may be safe or harmful.

Example: We can view a robin in a tree and find pleasure in its call, and in the same viewing a hawk enters the scene; we know the atmosphere has changed from peace to threatening. This perception of impending potential danger that can threaten peace is also incorporated into conscience; our ability to know and understand what is right and wrong also allows us to perceive the potential consequence for peace or the lack thereof. Apart from the actual knowledge associated with the nature of the hawk and the actual sighting of such potential, we are blessed with intuition. Such intuition is given to us because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God has made us his temple (he has taken up residency in us) and because of this nothing can catch him off guard. What is presented as peace, having no threatening hidden agenda, based upon what is known of the nature of the robin is clearly understood. Everything is defined within a presentation of truth, absent distortions. However, we do not know what, let’s say, may be the intentions of someone we do not know, but we can get a feeling of trust or one of warning absent knowledge of a person’s background; of such a person, this is the Holy Spirit speaking to us through an intuitive presentation. As Paul says, On the contrary, by setting forth truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. Again, 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man, except man’s spirit within him. In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

The Spirit searches all things, must be understood to mean even the thoughts of man. As Paul says, every man’s conscience (his thoughts) are in the sight of God. As such, nothing is hidden from God, and in this we have become the recipients of God’s evaluation of those things hidden from our sight. We are detectives in this respect: we judge and make decisions that define what is right or wrong, and like real law enforcement detectives we also get tips from God, alerting us to the wrong intent of others.

We don’t say that the nature of the hawk is wrong, but we do recognize the potential of the hawk’s nature. As such, we are alerted to the advent of what may be troubling to our senses. Again, we do not say the hawk is wrong, should he make a meal out of the robin, but we understand at some point in time such preying upon one another will cease. Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. Such peace will once again reign throughout all of creation, for all creatures will be sustained by the very source of life. We recognize that with the advent of sin into the creation of God all things and creatures found change! Just as man was told that he had to toil (in order) to bring forth sustenance from the earth, so it was true for all creatures to provide through toil and struggles (in order) to sustain their selves.

Desire for change

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. As previously stated, all things in nature find renewal. I look out from my window and it is clear to me the changing of the seasons. The trees declare the designed input of God. The earth itself faithfully presents to us the plentiful and generous giving of God. The oceans decrease in volume through the process of evaporation and release once again, clean water from the heavens in the form of rain. In this instance, as in all providing-brilliance incorporated into nature, we understand the intent of God for his creation to be always good. All too often we are looking outward to observe the continuous renewal in nature, but the most important renewal must take place within the heart and mind of man. This renewal takes place when man accepts his need. It is as the Psalmist (David) laments his sins and understands his need for renewal that his outreach for forgiveness is answered. Renewal’s need is the same for all of us; we must recognize our need for renewal and understand it comes from God alone. Just as the seawater is cleaned from an unacceptable state for man to consume, so, it is the cleansing of man from his sins must take place for us to become acceptable to God. As the earth receives a seed and growth comes forth, so too a man receives grace through faith and is permitted to grow in truth. Within renewal of a person there is the forgiveness that lifts the heavy burden of guilt away. Such removal permits the shadows of impending gloom and depression to drift off into the distant horizon never to be burdensome again. The psalmist desires a renewed heart of purity brought about by the cleansing of forgiveness. He asks for a steadfast spirit, one that is unwavering in purpose. His desire has become fixed upon renewal not only of himself but renewal of his relationship with God. This desire is prompted by the shadow of foreboding anticipation hanging over his existence. Such unknowing and foreboding anticipation engulfs, as would a dark cloud threatening to envelope and deny life.

The unseen and the obvious

Some things in life are obvious (fall and spring) and others are hidden and unseen. It is the unseen that is made known to us by the obvious change that has occurred. For instance, we have medicine that will relieve pain and its presence within us is made known through its impact on both the pain and the mind. There are other medicines that apart from the obvious actively work within the intent of its prescription. Such medicines can reduce cholesterol levels, prevent plaque buildup within the arteries and a myriad of others that we do not recognize through their impact upon the mind; their positive results remain hidden from conscious awareness, but like the pain medicines have a positive impact upon our condition needing help. There is also a need for help when the pain of guilt and its cumulative buildup causes our spirit to cry out for renewal to find peace with God and peace within our very own heart. It is this unseen renewal that is lasting and filled with the hope of eternity.

The Psalmist continues: Psalm 51:12-13 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. I must ask: What is this perception of right and wrong? What is this teaching that the psalmist is asking for that could be apart from the conscience of man? What can challenge our understanding of good and bad? Is this what he is asking when he desires to know the ways of God? Perhaps he’s saying that he can understand right and wrong, and what is acceptable, but also is asking for confirmation from God, because he realizes he is a poor judge of himself and seeks to become totally reliant upon God and his ways? He desires the removal of any doubt.

obvious

I walk through the woods and see the obvious signs that a campsite was established, made use of, and with respect for the land it was left clean. I don’t need to see the person that utilized the land to know that people were