Deep joy and deep pain in the density of life

"The possibility of deep joy requires a commitment to the density of life. This however means an openness to the possibility of deep pain"

~ Peter Rollins

Yes, the density of life is deep and wide, and contains the possibilities of both deep joy and deep pain. One cannot truly exist without the other, and so it is by embracing deep pain that we experience deep joy. It is one of the paradoxes of life, just like it is by embracing fear that we experience peace.

This quote reminds me of a devotional by Henri Nouwen I read recently about mourning and dancing - like deep pain and deep joy, both have their place and belong to each other.

"[There is] a time for mourning, a time for dancing" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). But mourning and dancing are never fully separated. Their "times" do not necessarily follow each other. In fact, their "times" may become one "time." Mourning may turn into dancing and dancing into mourning without showing a clear point where one ends and the other starts.

Often our grief allows us to choreograph our dance while our dance creates the space for our grief. ... Let's trust that the beauty of our lives becomes visible where mourning and dancing touch each other."

~ Henri Nouwen

It appears that we need the seasons of life for a complete growth and an experience of diversity and variety in life. The summers produce harvest and fruitfulness while the winters produce strength and steadfastness. It enables us to maintain a balanced perspective of life, such that in our moments of deep joy, we maintain our human empathy to relate to the sufferings of deep pain, and in our moments of deep pain, we retain our human capacity to relate to the experiences of deep joy.

Prayer by Paulo Coelho

Lord, protect our doubts, because Doubt is a way of praying. It is Doubt that makes us grow because it forces us to look fearlessly at the many answers that exist to one question.And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our decisions, because Decisions is a way of praying. Give us the courage, after our doubts, to be able to choose between one road and another. May our YES always be a YES, and our NO always be a NO. Once we have chosen our road, may we never look back nor allow our soul to be eaten away by remorse. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our actions, because Action is a way of praying. May our daily bread be the result of the very best that we carry within us. May we, through work and Action, share a little of the love we receive. And in order for this to be possible.

Lord, protect our dreams, because to Dream is a way of praying. Make sure that, regardless of our age or our circumstances, we are capable of keeping alight in our heart the sacred flame of hope and perserverance. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our enthusiasm, because Enthusiasm is a way of praying. It is what binds us to the Heaven and to Earth, to grown-ups, and to children; it is what tells us that our desires are important and deserve our best efforts. It is Enthusiasm that reaffirms to us that everything is possible, as long as we are totally committed to what we are doing.And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our us, because Life is the only way we have of making manifest Your miracle. May the earth continue to transform seeds into wheat, may we continue to transmute wheat into bread. And this is only possible if we have Love; therefore, do not leave us in solitude. Always give us Your company, and the company of men and women who have doubts, who act and dream and feel enthusiasm, and who live each day as if it were totally dedicated to Your glory.

Amen

Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is a novelist who wrote the novel "The Alchemist". I have come to see that doubts and dreams are two things that organised religion and society tend to frown upon, yet these two are vital for honest and deep living, and it's good of him to include these ingredients as part of prayer. And yes I believe the Divine is always with us and one with us at all times.

Love is why we are here

 Source: Practicing the Presence through Mind and Meditation

 

I like the short and succinct message. The words "love" and "here" stand out. It is like the message is conveying a sense of being present, in the here and now. Love is. Here is love. Right now in the present moment, love is here with us, and in us, and is us. As a saying goes, "we reach there by realising we are there".

Yes, in the same way, we find (or experience) love by realising we are love. Love is the journey as well as the destination. Love is also the source or the starting point, for as the message says, love is why we are here. So we came from love, our original source. We came to love and be loved, our divine/human purpose. Without love, there is no meaning in life. Love is the highest vibration of the universe that makes life worthwhile. I am on a journey of remembering who I am and why I am here, over and over again, every day.

Dec 2010 Grace Nuggets (Think About His Love)

Grace is always supplying because love is always giving.

The best way to experience God’s blessings is to enjoy the Lord every moment. Never feel rushed, stressed or pressurised. Rest in God’s grace who is always supplying to us.

It doesn't matter how much theology we know. It's how much we are willing to believe and receive God's oversupplying love and grace and enjoy our blessedness in Christ.

You are our hiding place. You shall preserve us from trouble; You shall surround us with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)

God has made us masterpieces, created in His glorious image.

"I love my Master, my wife and my children. I will not go out free", for true freedom is found in a loving family relationship.

 It is His (and our) joy, pleasure and glory to overlook a transgression. (Proverbs 19:11)

We are a new creation in Christ, made in His glorious image, a masterpiece beloved and whole, blessed to be a blessing.

Remove condemnation and the outward symptoms will disappear.

Expect good because God's favour is on us in Christ.

It is the goodness and kindness of God that leads us to repentance (change our mind to believe the good news of grace). Keep expecting to experience His goodness!

Surely goodness and love shall chase us down all the days of our life and we will dwell in Christ (or Christ consciousness) forever!

Create a beautiful world and glorious future with positive words of faith.

God (our highest Self) sees us all holy, righteous, blameless and above reproach. We are beloved and valuable in Christ.

Experiencing the perfect love of God casts out every fear, and faith becomes operative.

"Think about His love, think about His goodness, think about His grace that brought us through."

"For as high as the heavens above, so great is the measure of our Father's love. Great is the measure of our Father's love."

The revelation of the gospel is the revelation of the fullness of Christ in every one of us.

 Love life and see good days, and speak positive words of faith and blessings.

The Spirit love of God perseveres and sustains soul love, as in the marriage between Christ and the church.

"In the light of the king's face is life, and his favour is like the latter rain."

It's all about Jesus (our true identity) and His finished work because He and us are One. He loves us so much.

See one another as finished and perfect workmanship in Christ. We are blooming wherever we are planted.

Expect the favour of God (cosmic consciousness) wherever we go. It is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom (righteousness/innocence, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit within us) where all our needs are met.

Jesus is love in action. He came to serve and give His life for us. He (our true Self) continues to live in and through us.

We are believers in Christ who live by His indwelling life.

Every day is Today for us to enter into rest. Jesus is our today, our rest.

Jesus always sees us His bride without spot, wrinkle or any such thing because as He is, so are we in this world.

Life begins when we realise who we are in Christ.

Delicacies of encouragement (November 2010 archives)

A merry heart does good like medicine.

Jesus has come to give us life, and life more abundantly to enjoy to the fullest!

When we discover Jesus' identity, we discover our true identity.

Seek to minister life and healing. That's our greatest reward. :)

Surely goodness and mercy and love shall chase us down all the days of our life and we will dwell in Christ forever. :)

At the cross, God made Jesus who knew no sin (spiritual amnesia) to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness (our true original identity of innocence and perfection) of God in Him.

The righteousness of faith makes us the heir of the world.

Right believing produces right living and right results.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous.

The seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

Righteousness delivers from death.

In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

The blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and He adds no sorrow or painful toil to it.

It is vain to stay up late and rise up early, for so He gives His beloved sleep.

Jesus is one with His bride always. :)

We are forever in the Grace Zone, where no evil can touch us.

Abba wants to outdo Himself and Amaze us with His goodness.

Love covers all sins (ignorance, forgetfulness, etc), and God is love, and so love never fails.

Love is spelt time and attention.

God has blessed (barak) us and no one can reverse it.

What's life like as a minority, outcast, reject viewed by others with suspicion, disdain and self-righteous attitude? Beholding Jesus who is altogether lovely and be a friend like He is. Therefore, it is not about being right; it is about being kind and understanding. As He is, so are we in this world.

See ourselves the way God sees us: holy, blameless, righteous.

We are all beloved children of God. There are no more sinners or saints.

The Lord is pleased and delighted and thrilled to bless us. :)

We are blessed. Every moment, we are blessed.

Listen with grace. Jesus wants us to feel right as He can be touched with our feelings.

Jesus has not yet performed one miracle, and God affirmed Him as His beloved son (a picture of all of us).

God favours us because He loves us.

The mundane becomes meaningful and beautiful when we involve Jesus in our lives.

We are blessed because Jesus became a curse (representing the old Adamic identity) for us at the cross.

Life has swallowed up death

 I was reading and chewing on this article "Is Death An Illusion? Evidence Suggests Death Isn’t the End" by Robert Lanza.

It is interesting to know that death does not exist in a timeless, spaceless world. It reminds me of Revelation that says both death and hades (ignorance of our true identity) have been cast into the lake of fire (metaphorically - defeated by Jesus' finished work at the cross through death and resurrection). I think it is true that in a sense, physical death is an illusion, just as its counterpart - physical life - is an illusion. As the article noted, "reality is a process that involves your consciousness". I think that is one reason Jesus came to earth - not only to restore to us a sense of our true identity as God's beloved sons and daughters, but also to deliver us from the fear of death - that is, by removing the illusion of death from our consciousness.

"O death, where is your sting? O hades (ignorance), where is your victory? The sting of death is sin (illusion about our identity), and the strength of sin (illusion) is the law (doing in order to become). But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

As we learnt earlier from the post about our true identity, "sin" can be seen as having an illusion about ourselves, or having a false external identity attached to the physical realm. Our physical body is part of the physical realm, so our true identity isn't attached to our physical body. So when our physical body dies, our true identity does not die. Our true identity continues to live.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."

I believe Jesus' words are meant to be metaphorical, or else He was contradicting himself by saying a person "may die" and "shall never die". How can a person "die" and "never die" at the same time? To me, to live means to live in the consciousness of our true identity. When we are conscious of our true identity and origin in Him, we will never experience a sense of condemnation (a form of death).

"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood (symbolic of the physical realm of time and space and materiality), He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

I think this shows that once upon a time, the devil (or false ego) had the power of death, which came from the illusion that death was the finality of life. But that was just a lie. Death is only an illusion, therefore the psalmist called death a "shadow", not the real thing.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow (illusion) of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me"

So the bottomline to me is: There is life that has swallowed up death, as it is written "Death is swallowed up in victory". It is important for the knowledge of the truth of the gospel be made known, so that people will not despair over "death". Thanks to quantum science and biocentrism, science is now supporting the gospel of grace and peace as well.

Paul wrote: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

I understand it as saying to live is to live in the consciousness of our true identity, and to die is to depart from this earthly realm with the knowledge that our true identity never dies. Our consciousness or spirit continues to live on - as Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, our spirit goes back to God who gave it.

I also noticed that in the Old Testament, people would mourn for those who died because back then, they did not have the revelation of their true identity, for Jesus has not yet come to show them who they are. They probably thought their loved ones would stay dead and would only rise again one day in future. That was what Martha and Mary thought too, when their brother Lazarus died of sickness. But Jesus said to Martha that He is the resurrection and the life. I believe the present moment is where we experience the resurrection and the life - the "I am" - our true identity who never dies.

Paul wrote in the New Testament: "And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not sorrow, as also the rest who have not hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God those asleep through Jesus he will bring with him,"

I believe this was written in the context of the spiritual awakening that would take place en masse in AD70. Our hope in awakening to our true identity is in Christ.

Today, people mourn over the passing away of their loved ones during funerals and I think there is a place for mourning over the physical loss of a person. After all, Paul also exhorted us to "rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep". Life and death - even though they are illusions - is a process we all go through on earth in time and space. We express love and kindness through relating with one another in happy times and sad times. Jesus Himself - even though He knows perfectly the reality behind the illusion of death - still chooses to relate to us in our daily struggles and challenges, for "we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tested/tempted as we are, yet without sin (without illusion of His own true identity)."

We learnt that Jesus kept Himself in the consciousness that He is the beloved of the Father, in whom He was well pleased, which gave Him strength to carry on, and having experienced sufferings Himself, He uses His knowledge to relate to our sufferings, and His strength to help us deal with our personal challenges. I think that speaks of His self-sacrificial love.

"For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted/tested, He is able to aid those who are tempted/tested"

So in a sense, we are all Christs living on earth today. Having been awakened to the truth of our true identity, we are able to help others who have yet to receive the revelation of their true identity, and sometimes when we forget who we really are, others help us in our weaknesses too. I think it is a beautiful picture of our oneness and interrelatedness where we all experience love through helping and supporting one another in times of need.

John 14 What did Jesus mean when He said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life?

What did Jesus mean when He said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him? (John 14:6) For too long, the evangelical church has been using the verse to say that Jesus is the only way to go to heaven. It is about time we question this interpretation. I believe everyone will be with God after they die because our spirit will return to Him who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) The good news is actually about knowing that God is our loving Father.

I remember Peter Youngren taught that “Jesus is God, and comes from God, to show us what God is like.” I tend to agree with that, but at the same time, I also recognise that every society and culture at different eras of history may have their own understanding of God/gods, and I do think these beliefs have their place too.

Someone wrote: “I believe that there is one God, and He and His messages are just interpreted in different ways.”

So, my take on this subject is that when Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, He was speaking to His disciples – the Jews back then had a different idea of what God is like because they only saw a glimpse of His true nature in the old testament/Jewish scriptures. So Jesus told them He is the revelation of God as the Father who loves them. (Not just Elohim/Creator or Yahweh/Covenant-keeping Lord or El Shaddai/All-Providing One) Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father”, and He affirmed to His disciples that they had indeed seen the Father because they had seen Him.

Jesus said to His disciples, “From now on, you know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7). Amazing – the disciples were still alive when they saw the Father (through seeing Jesus). They had not died yet. So definitely John 14 isn’t talking about Jesus is the only way to go to heaven after people die, unlike what most evangelical preachers would have us believe.

To me, Father (or Abba) is the intimate expression of family love that is also self-sacrificial, unconditional and universal.

When Jesus told His disciples to go into the world to preach the gospel, I believe the great commission was already accomplished. According to some preterist views, all things have been fulfilled by AD70. The apostle Paul wrote “my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… has been made known to all nations”, which took place before AD70. Since AD70, I believe Christ is in everyone, for the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all flesh in the last days (of the old covenant age). Maybe the good news to share with people today is simply about the mystery that has been made known to the Gentiles: Christ in you, the hope of glory. Yes, the good news is not about going to heaven or being saved from a place called hell.

As for gospel campaigns, I would say maybe it is not really wise or advisable to go to another country where christianity is opposed (and risk offending the people and risk being harmed by the extremists). It is ok if people in a region are open to the gospel, otherwise I think it is best to leave them alone and continue in their own belief system, and go elsewhere to preach. Sometimes, people fare better in terms of living in peace and harmony when they are comfortable with their native religions (whether native american spirituality or buddhism or new age or hinduism).

To me, any belief that promotes peace, love, compassion, harmony and freedom, and doesn’t create any sense of fear, guilt and condemnation, or a sense of separation from God or from one another, is one that is in line with God’s nature and desire for all humankind. Perhaps God himself is so diverse that He cannot be contained in any one religion or belief system, and it is up to each individual to choose which is best for them or most comfortable for them. “All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial” is probably a good guiding principle for me when comes to choosing a particular belief system – I would say that love and freedom (with responsibility) would serve as a good foundation for my choice of an ideal belief system (which happens to align with the teachings of Jesus or the gospel, but I’m open to learning from other religions too). After all, the whole law is summed up in this: “Love your neighbour as yourself”, for love does no harm to a neighbour. Others may have their own reasons for choosing a particular faith, or not to subscribe to any at all, but remain open-minded to people’s belief systems or philosophies, and that is fine with me (and I believe with God too).

(Adapted from Yahoo Answers)

P.S. A friend of mine, Leigh, recently shared with me that he was feeling kind of silly that he used to think he was bought by the church, rather than realising that Jesus had already bought him and ALL the people of the world. I can relate to that because we were all blinded in the past. Thank Abba for opening our eyes to see that Jesus is the Saviour of the world – indeed, He is the Saviour of ALL men. (1 Timothy 4:10)

Related links:
Christians and others, What is your opinion about cultural relativism and Jesus being one among other Gods? (Yahoo Answers)
“Are We Really Hiding Behind Our Religions?” By E. Raymond Rock

Life is about Experiencing God’s Love and Knowing Our True Identity in Christ

The following is an article written by Francois du Toit. Hope you enjoy reading it.

The Bible was never meant to be a manual; its message is all about Emmanuel! God with us! Every definition of distance is cancelled in Christ. Isa 40:4,5

When Scripture is interpreted as a mere instruction manual for moral behavior, its message is veiled! 2 Cor.3:15, “Whenever Moses is read the veil remains.” John 1:17, “Moses represents the law; Jesus reveals grace and truth. It is only in the mirror where the miracle transformation takes place, and the blueprint image of our Maker is again realized in us!” 2 Cor.3:18. Jesus did not come as an example for us, but of us. Beholding Jesus in any other way, sentimentally or religiously will bring no lasting change. Now in Christ we may know ourselves, even as we have always been known; 1 Corinthians 13:12. This is the truth that frees us to live the life of our design. John 8:32. John writes that this is not a new message, it is the word that was from the beginning, and yet it is new, he says,”for that which is true in him, is equally true in us!” 1 John 2:7, 8. “We know that the son of God has come, and he has given us understanding to know him who is true; and this is the understanding, that we are in him who is true!” 1 John 5:20

Paul brands his gospel with the words, grace and peace in order to distinguish the message of the revelation of the finished work of Christ from the law of Moses. It is a matter of, grace vs. reward and peace vs. striving, guilt and condemnation. Grace and peace express the sum total of every beneficial purpose of God towards us realized in Christ.

To discover yourself in the mirror is the key that unlocks the door to divine encounter. Tangible beyond touch the genesis of our being is unveiled. Our most intimate and urgent quest are satisfied here. “And we all, with new understanding, see ourselves in him as in a mirror; thus we are changed from an inferior mindset to the revealed opinion of our true Origin.” 2 Cor. 3:18.

As much as the world of science depends upon the senses to perceive, measure and calculate the facts and then to form reliable conclusion, faith perceives the reality of God and extends the evidence to reason. Faith is to the spirit what your senses are to your body. Faith is not airy-fairy; Jesus Christ is the substance of faith. He is both the author and conclusion of our faith. He is the accurate measure of the blueprint of our design. Eph 4:7 The gift of Christ gives dimension to grace and defines our individual value. (Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ) Mirror Bible

This is the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations; it is Christ in you! Col.1:27

He is not hiding in history or in outer space, nor in future! He is I am in you!

Anticipate the revelation of Christ within you. There is no greater reason for studying scripture!

Jesus did not point to the sky when he gave the address of the kingdom of God; he said, “The kingdom of God is within you! Luke 17:21. In Mat 13:44 he says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in an agricultural field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” There is infinitely more to the field than what meets the eye! Jesus has come to unveil the real value of the field! Human life can never again be underestimated! The treasure exceeds any agricultural value that any harvest could possibly yield! The treasure defines the field! Paul says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels!” 2 Cor 4:7, but while in our unbelief we do not agree with God about us, our minds are veiled and we do not realise the image of God unveiled in Christ as in a mirror. 2 Cor 3:18, 4:4. We are not designed to live by bread alone. Bread represents the harvest of our own labour. He challenges us no longer to look for the wrong harvest but to lift up our eyes and see the harvest that is already ripe! The seed in the fruit matches the seed that was sown! The single grain of wheat did not abide alone! John 12: 24, John 4:35, John 2:19-21, Hos 6:2, Eph 2:5.

“From now on, we no longer know any man after the flesh! 2 Cor 5:14,16, Titus 3:2-5″

- Francois du Toit

I like especially this part: “Grace and peace express the sum total of every beneficial purpose of God towards us realized in Christ.” Yes, we can live life as a celebration because life is about experiencing God’s unconditional divine love and knowing our true identity in Christ. We are His most treasured possession for the kingdom of God is within us.