Holy Spirit: Wisdom & Giving

John 14:25-27

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“All this I have spoken while still with you. 

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But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

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When a parent teaches a child to say, 'thank you', when it is given something, this is considered human knowledge. The human wisdom behind it is, if you are thankless, you close doors to further giving. Because this is how the world gives; with expectations.

As the child ages, becoming then capable of caring for itself, when it gives something, it has expectations to be thanked. Not only to be grateful though, they consider their giving to be honored in a way that suits them. Again, this is how the world gives, with expectations.

The Lord gives freely, without expectations. And what the Lord gives is pure and complete. And because our intention is selfless, we receive more than what has been asked for. When we are thankful for grace and forgiveness, or thankful for any of the states of righteousness that come through us, or thankful for the council and guidance we can only get from perfection; it honors the authority the Father placed on His Son. And our faith in that authority is a showing of love which the Son shows the Father through his service to His will. Holiness is complete, we are a part of holiness, instead of just receiving it.

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Isaiah 11:2

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The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD--

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The fear we have is that we cannot accomplish what is considered righteous without faith. Yes, through knowledge of sin, we know what not to do, but, that does not make for righteousness living. We must continually seek by faith to have righteousness be set upon us, so we can act on it. So in many ways, fear of the Lord is our hope. We hope that our faith in Christ's authority can bring forth the loving states of purity, which will serve the will of the Father's will.

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1 Corinthians 2:13

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This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

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It is enough to act on what we are shown in faith. The outcome, no matter what it is, we can have confidence the will of God has been done. When we used to act in worldly ways, our actions were done with a specific outcome. For example, you give to a hungry man food, he is thankful, he eats and is full. In righteous acts, we look to the Lord for guidance, it is given, we act on it, no matter the result or consequence, we are thankful to have been a part of holiness.

This is why, in all we do, we should first establish that what we desire is to serve the Father's will through the authority Christ has. In this, whatever we do, we do in confidence, and our hope is that it honors the Father through the Son.

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Proverbs 2:6

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For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

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As we mature in reliance of this holy giving, our capacity for righteousness increases our faith. We become bold, seeking out more and more ways to bring the power of the Kingdom into the present moment. This is what the earliest Christians gathered to do. Each offering testimony of what holiness came through their acts, and encouraging one another by witnessing the states of holiness that they discerned.

We are in a generation where believers have been misguided to believe that the wisdom and knowledge of holiness results in giving in ways that the world recognizes. And although mercy and compassion for the helpless includes caring for their worldly requirements, it is not only what serves the will of the Father through His Son. Our seeking by faith, the attributes of holiness, by listening for what guidance and council the Holy Spirit rests on us, is the foundation of our acts of service in Christ.

Renew your bond with the Holy Spirit. Be hungry to serve through faith in Christ's authority. Be thirsty to take in the wisdom and knowledge that is not worldly, but eternal. And give what is set upon you, not to see an outcome, but confident your act on faith serves the Father's will through Christ. This is our path, and power is in its wake.

Amen

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…'faith, and do not doubt'

Matthew 21:21

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Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

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Blindly, I sat down on the ground. I looked at a stone in front of me, and I tried to move it with my mind, believing I could do it. I prayed to have it move, I even closed my eyes and visualized it moving. I was not able to do it, and I know why.

GOSPEL

Faith is holy. Any holy state of being serves God's purpose. The Holy Spirit guides us in this service to the Father's will. Anything, that we act on by the guidance of the Holy Spirit is done within the Authority of Christ. And in that, we do no doubt.

The fig tree represented the lack of faith in Jerusalem. He cursed it, because he found no fruit, and it withered in his presence. The mountain moving itself into the sea on faith alone, represents the holy foundation established in him by the Father. It is capable of working beyond our reasoning, as it was founded on the holy trait of faith.

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Matthew 21:43

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“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

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FAITH

We are not here to use faith to moves stones. We are here to serve the Father by believing in the authority of His Son. The Son commanded us to love. Love the Father with all we are, and to love others in all we do. Our faith is completed in action. So we have faith our love will produce good things. Love without doubt, and you honor the Father through His Son.

PRAYER

When you pray for one another, or your enemy, or a stranger, you are doing this because you love them, but also because the source of your love is God. When you have faith that what you are about to do, is being done for loving purpose, no matter the outcome, your action honors God. Faith is not the mechanism of our will, but the Father's will.

DOUBT

Doubt is the state of rational thought in us that relies on our emotional or logical human state of being. Doubt leads us to requirements such as evidence, reason, and intentions. Doubt is a natural way for us to overcome blindness in what has been placed in front of us in the moment. There is no love in doubt, therefore, there is no way to serve the will of God by doubting.

ACTIONS

That is the foundation of why we love freely, and why we turn the other cheek. Faith is founded on love. Does the enemy test this? Of course! Do people take advantage of this? Of course! But we are not to judge, because we know that anyone who abuses the Spirit of Holiness will answer for it in the end.

(If anything, when our acts of love are being taken advantage of, we should question those who do so for their sake.) This type of circumstance can be avoided by remaining open to the helpless; the homeless, widows and orphans. This is why Paul also suggests we keep to ourselves, spending as little time as possible with non believers.

HOPE

Our hope is that our acts of faith are received. This is not doubt, it is the time spent in our acts. Hope is of the humbled heart, the intention that seeks to do something pure in love. Did Jesus ever hope? We can consider a man riding into Jerusalem on a colt as their King, knowing that his temple and leadership were bent on his destruction, as hope that his actions served the Father's will. We can consider that a man who knew his purpose giving himself over to those who were charged to collect him, as hope that his actions in faith served the Father's will. Our hope is what pushes away doubt, while we act on faith.

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Matthew 21:21

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Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

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Who is our mountain? The Christ in us. He will never fail the faithful.

Amen

Our Potential

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John 14:12

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Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

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Horizons. Vast, open horizons of potential. That is what I see when I witness you acting on your faith. I see you humbled and yet at peace with what you choose to carry forward. I sense the holiness that comes through you, and I am witness to it because that same holiness is the well I draw from.

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Romans 8:18

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I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

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For you to understand your potential I realize you have to set aside yourself as I do. It is a sufferance we both gladly accept, because we understand that this is the cost of bringing holiness into the present moment. We are together in service of the Father's will. When we seek to love in this manor, we are free, and our potential is beyond this very creation.

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John 14:21

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Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

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We share moments together. We become alike, both of us learning what our purpose is in God's will. We face troubles, and overcome obstacles together, because this is how we gather wisdom. Wisdom that encourages others when they are witness to it. We will be this family for eternity, not only knowledgeable, but also of the authority of Life. That same authority that guides us through the Holy Spirit.

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2 Corinthians 13:14

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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Our potential is like the rays of new light over a sleeping landscape. By our acts of faith, we define all things by the authority that comes through us. The world in its bondage is set on fire with justice, as the authority it was founded on is raised up and testified to. The time of blindness is coming to an end. The Father will be glorified through this life we share and are together a part of.

Confidence, my family, in your hopes to serve rightly. Set out each day to provide the love we are a part of. Set the world on fire, faith is ours forever, 

Amen.

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Revelation 3:14

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"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.

The Dangers of Reacting

A man burns his hand putting wood onto a fire. He pulls his hand back out of reflex, and his brain keeps the knowledge of this event. So the next log he places on the fire, he does so with awareness and caution.

A man feels jealousy, because his brother has honored the family name. His jealousy turns to bitterness and then contempt, and blooms hatred that leads him to murder his brother. And now his brain keeps the knowledge of this event, and his reaction to his own jealousy from then on, is to kill any who inflames this feeling.

A minister, in his lust, is given over to depravity, and finds sexual desire for other men. Because he does what enables his desire, he is empowered in the flesh. This empowered state of mind, leads him to believe his desires are blessed. He testifies to others that God accepts those who accept themselves. And that those who do not accept this, are judgemental and condemned.

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Our soul is bound in a vessel that reacts to what is set before it. This vessel is based on our instinctive behavior to adapt and survive. 

Before we were called by Christ, we were fully enslaved by this poverty, and were the promotion of this poverty. To this very day, the promotion of this poverty is called liberty, and freedom. And all liberties and freedoms are an expression of enabling and empowerment of this vessel. It is natural and instinctual to survive by what knowledge we are given by what is set before us. This, my friends, is the path of our existence that leads to death.

After the ascension, the Holy Spirit was made available to all who would repent their natural and instinctual ways. This repent was then the foundation of our faith, believing we could exist in denial of ourselves. This was considered a rebirth, having died of this poverty, and reborn into developing in holiness. Holiness that was available in this Spirit. It is humbling to commit ourselves to faith and deny ourselves what we have been raised in. But this is the Way.

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Although we stumble, we are not considered perfect. Instead, we grow in our faith, and begin to rely on that holy perfection to come through us in our humble acts. This is our way of glorifying the Creator, through the authority of our Redeemer. It is unnatural, and it is in denial of our instinctive survival traits, to act selflessly, and consider others before ourselves. But we strive to resemble the image of God within us, as it is the eternal life we hope to remain with forever.

There are some who try to find a balance between what they desire and what they know is holy. These individuals or groups are the ones who do not repent, but instead embody sin, and demand acceptance of it. They influence many, because they speak to their desires and instinct. From justifying murder to embracing worldliness, to empowering sexual depravity; they claim it as the will of God. They hold high the authority of Jesus, claiming grace from his spilt blood as a weapon to defend themselves, shamefully.

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Jude 1:17-23

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But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.

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They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”

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These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

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But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

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keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

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Be merciful to those who doubt;

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save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

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We are called to persevere in faithfulness. When we are conflicted by corrupted individuals or groups, our only consideration is to be our love for our Father in Heaven. If we love the Father, we believe in His Truth. Our belief is followed through with love of one another.

And loving acts are important, such as being gentle in correction, and having mercy on those who are corrupted and misled. We know that those who rely on their instincts and still claim Jesus are false and not of the Holy Spirit. But that does not give us over to judgement and condemnation. We are to be examples of holiness, and leave judgement and condemnation for the authority we serve through.

It is not that we do not have instinct, we just deny it, purely out of love, and at our cost. We are not serving through holiness, if we base our actions on our reactions in this poverty. And the danger of reacting to what is set before us is clear, we fall away from faithfulness.

So what can we do? Like Jude said, 'build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.'

Set yourselves apart, in order to love through holiness.

Alert and Courageous

I have this tendancy to get so focussed on what is in front of me, that I end up losing direction. The following is an understanding that has been shown to me, that is meant for all of us.

Book of Jasher 23:34-40

..(Satan) hid himself from them, and he went and passed before them in the road; and he transformed himself to a large brook of water in the road, and Abraham and Isaac and his two young men reached that place, and they saw a brook large and powerful as the mighty waters.

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And they entered the brook and passed through it, and the waters at first reached their legs.

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And they went deeper in the brook and the waters reached up to their necks, and they were all terrified on account of the water; and whilst they were going over the brook Abraham recognized that place, and he knew that there was no water there before.

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And Abraham said to his son Isaac, I know this place in which there was no brook nor water, now therefore it is this Satan who does all this to us, to draw us aside this day from the commands of God. And Abraham rebuked him and said unto him, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, begone from us for we go by the commands of God.

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And Satan was terrified at the voice of Abraham, and he went away from them, and the place again became dry land as it was at first.

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And Abraham went with Isaac toward the place that God had told him.

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I was inspired by this. Satan sees our destination, and our obedience to 'go the distance' to serve in the Lord the Father's will.

Satan understands that we can be deceived, and also, that we can be so head-strong that we do not consider what is in front of us when we are focussed on our goal in the Lord.

The enemy can separate us by our fear or frustration from completing our tasks in the Lord. If we do not stay aware of what is placed in front of us, we can lose sight of what we hope to accomplish.

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1 Thessalonians 5:6

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So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

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It is not just to remain alert. We also have to show courage during moments when fear, or worse, doubt, begins to separate us from our faithfulness. This courage doesn't mean we run into the fire, it means we have the courage to not fear the fire we are already surrounded by.

Abraham in this story, became alert, and showed courage enough to rebuke Satan, as he and Isaac were acting on faith that they were obeying God's will. The courage to call out the enemy, is not done without first being alerted to his presence.

So what shall we say? The enemy does not appear without purpose. The enemy shows up when we are acting in the Spirit this world does not recognize. So when you are serving in the Lord by the life in you, be alert to what is placed before you. A distraction, a deception, any form of lie you have not repented..all these things are likely to be placed before you, with the intention of seeing you separated from your faithfulness. And expect this. If and when you do become aware or these trials, show courage and call out the enemy before God.

'I rebuke this impure spirit by the authority of Christ within me! Remove yourself from my presence!'

Carry On!

Duty and Honor

Luke 17:10

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So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”

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The wages of eternal life, will be paid to those who remain faithful to the authority the Father placed with His Son. Our acts of faith distinguish us from the world, we are set apart, yes.

But is there more? Is it enough to work for our wage?

A worldly example. A man goes to work, to earn his pay. He works alongside co-workers. He does not deny his foreman any task asked of him. But he does only what is expected of him. Another man goes to work, to earn his pay. He works alongside his co-workers, and if he sees them struggling, he, without being requested or asking consent, gives his effort to assist them. He does not deny his foreman any task asked of him, and makes suggestions when it is appropriate, as he is committed to seeing the job done as best as possible. He does what is expected of him, but he also looks for any other opportunities to advance the efforts of the entire group, even if after hours.

Of these two men, which will the foreman report to the owner as worthy? Which of these two men, has become valuable and praise worthy? Which of these to men will be given increase in duty and therefore increase in wage?

Under the authority of Christ, we have the opportunity to not only act on the faith we have, but to earn an increase. There is no change in our position, we all serve through Christ Jesus. But, the more serious we take our duty, the more we look to advance our fellow believers, the more we act beyond simply self management, the more we push the boundaries boundaries of our understanding through Holy guidance- we will see increase in our faith, and our capacity to serve.

Living in Christ, and in faith, carrying the light of God forward, is in no way limited. But when we are taught to focus on knowledge of sin and self development, we are limiting ourselves as workers. Christ died for our sin, we are under grace. We know that we cannot perfect ourselves, instead we can have perfection come through us. So what should we be focussed on? Finding, and acting on every opportunity to have that perfection manifest.

If a man fails when attempting to serve himself, he will try something different next time. When a believer acts on faith, he is serving the will of God through the authority of Christ Jesus, no matter the worldly outcome! Do you see?

It is not for us to simply exist on our terms, we have been given full authority to labor and tend to all things with love. And in doing so, we are more than our duty in faith, we are actively honoring God with sincere, fearless joy.

Carry On!

The Lost Way

During the time of the Great Commission, the idea that Jesus was returning soon, led many to embrace the idea of equality within the community of believers. This stemmed from what Jesus had told his disciples to do; be free of personal possessions and walk with me.

Was this a necessity? Are we missing something today that previous believers held as gospel? Let us explore this.

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Acts 4:32-35

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All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

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With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all

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that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales

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and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

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Without question, acts of faith that tied these believers together. Consider giving everything you have and earn for those you love, because of your love for the Father and belief in the authority He placed in His Son. Powerful. And for Jews of the time, the idea that not only had the Messiah come, but that he would return soon, the increase in faith must have been intoxicating to be a part of.

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2 Theasalonians 3:7-10

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For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,

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nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

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We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.

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For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

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When Paul began his ministry in Thessalonica, he first went to the Jewish synagogue. He did this because it is always Jews first then Gentiles. Then he began to focus on the pagans who had turned to Judaism to convert them to Christianity. He showed all these new believers the Way, which he and the other disciples conveyed in their own actions. He did this everywhere he went. Showing that leaders in Christianity are equal with the followers in the aspects of needs.

Peter and the other disciples did similar work. They were more focussed on the Judaic believers, but their approach of equality in needs was the same as Paul. Paul did not take a wage or a wife like Peter did, but this was clearly his choice.

So what we need to see out of this is, Jesus set an example, Paul and Peter set the same example, all so that we could mimic this example. The reason for this is Human. Humans who seek to have the life that is Chriat work through them, must put themselves aside to do so. The separation from personal possessions and wealth, allows us to focus on the unseen qualities of God.

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Matthew 19:24

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Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.

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The aspects of the Kingdom,(Love, kindness, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, and self control), all stem from being able to set ourselves aside. When we are empty from our worldliness, we are able to be filled and overflow with holiness. So as a group of believers who accomplish this by giving all they have and earn to a group, they have a clear conscience, and are then able to focus on what is holy. And to do so because of their belief in the authority of Jesus, glorifies the Father through His Son.

So it is not that we are less worthy of grace if we are not part of a community who shares everything, no. But it is very relevant that we are still accountable to separate ourselves from our comforts and worldly gains. And we know that to do so on our own proves to be not only difficult, but also an open door for believers to begin to make excuses for themselves.

The root of self righteous behavior stems from doing what we consider as good, instead of what we know is. And to consider a gathering of inequality as reasonable is to deny the example Jesus and the disciples set forth. The ten percent tithe of the Synagogue was shown by Jesus as the root of blindness for many.

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Luke 21:1-4

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As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.

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He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.

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“Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

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All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

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The idea of giving what we can afford, versus, giving purely out of our devotion to God. To maintain a futile existence versus attempting to rid ourselves of temptation to focus on the light. These are quite possibly the very aspects we should examine within ourselves. Houses of believers that seek to serve through Christ Jesus, yet, claim their place in the world by their efforts, are attempting to serve two masters.

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Luke 16:13

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"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

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So what can we say? I know that I personally am a hypocrite. I work to sustain myself, I pay my bills, I give when I can to the needy. I have prayed for money before, even recently. I have given thanks for what possessions I have. I have sat in the comfort of being debt free. I have turned away from the hungry to only then feed myself. How have I measured up to the example of Paul and Jesus? I am a failure.

So what now? I can say we are under grace for a reason. I can say many are called, but few are chosen. I can say, truly sin has increased and with it blindness among all believers.

Going forward from this moment, see giving as an opportunity to make right your conscience, not because your act of compassion buys you a place in the Kingdom, no. But because we have failed to mimic the actions of our forefathers. Only by grace are we saved from the great cost of our sin. And in our judgement, will our actions in compassion and mercy be reviewed. Be humble because it is our humanity that we celebrate in our self righteousness. Today as I finish writing you this, I fear God more.

Blessings. Be desperate to give.

The Way of Life

The following is direction and understanding based on the Way of Life.

Romans 1:20,21

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For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

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For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

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Clearly made known.

In essence, our physical existence is an expression of the Spiritual form of life. Made to glorify God, who is the Love we are a part of, by the authority life has over all creation.

Please see, the capacity to love is in all creation because of life. For mankind, pure and perfect love takes on a different form when acted on by our own will. Meaning perfect love is altered, becoming a shadow of our own instinct or desire, a product of self. This love is stained with ego, pride, covetous, fear, lust, and our primitive emotions which are also influenced by our environment such as culture and the society we are a part of. This claim of love is not love, but a shadow, an impure version. And all the holy traits of perfect love which we call the fruits of the Kingdom, are also stained by our will, producing bad fruit that is impure, and self proclaimed.

So God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, is the basis of our corrupted, so called love. Because mankind does not deny itself, in recognition of the holy quality of life, it does not acknowledge God in them, and is therefore unable to seek what is truly holy.

For example, You want to show love for another. You must choose how to do so. You then choose and hope the love you showed was the right choice. When, what is righteous is to show love by setting aside choice and seeking through faith perfect love, and then acting on it with confidence your actions honor His will.

Mankind denies perfection because it has faith in itself, instead of denying itself in order to have faith in perfection.

Gospel of Thomas saying 11:1-4

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Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away.

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The dead are not alive, and the living will not die.

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During the days when you ate what is dead, you made it come alive. When you are in the light, what will you do? 

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0n the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"

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Clearly made known

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The division of eternal life which currently exists will end and the Love that is God will be distributed to its heirs who are of the Body of its Authority.

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Those who do not recognize God, do not recognize the life in them. Those who do recognize God, do so by the life they are a part of.

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Mankind rewards its flesh by doing what it desires. It takes in what is dead, and honors it as life giving. But when we are dead to the flesh, our life only takes in light, and in this we are thankful. It is this bond with life that mankind was meant for.

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To glorify the Father through the Authority of life. And our soul will carry this bond with the Holy Spirit forever.

When God is present with us, the life in all things will know God. Just like angels ate from the two trees of knowledge and life, all of creation will be aware of its place in God. The imagery of the wolf and the lambs lying together. This is what will be. And the Earth yearns for it, as it waits for the Children of God to be revealed.

I wrote this because I love those who deny God. I love them because I can see the wrath they are in, as I was claimed from it. I love them because they do not love. I witness an entire world that proclaims love but does not see how they deny its foundation. Or worse, they defy its foundation.

To my spiritual family, do not love in human ways. Honor God, seek in faith what the life in you has authority to give. This is how the Father is glorified through the Son. The work of the Father is belief in His Son. The Son does the Father's will. He is the way, he is the truth, he is the life.

Pray about it. Give thanks for the grace that opened a path for our faith to honor Him eternally.

Seeking to Love: The Spirit-filled Life

Romans 8:1-4

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

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because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

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For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

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in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

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I quote Paul tonight from his letter to the Romans. But, I was led to this scripture, by the Holy Spirit. Why?

Earlier today I defended Spirit led understanding that served the Father's will. When I shared this, a few people were placed in front of me to show me the blindness that the Lord sees. Blindness that comes from ministry that is defined by studying scripture and generating lessons that serve the will of the leadership. The followers of such leadership are not seeking to be loving, they instead are demanding to be recognized as correct. This I endured with the holy patience, and responded to them each twice, and then left them with a blessing.

And it hurt. And I began to question my faithfulness because of it. That doubt ended, when the Holy Spirit guided me to read from chapter eight in the book of Romans.

We are not grounded in scripture, we are the living gospel.

If we are indeed in Christ, we are by faith, able to seek out the understanding and strength of God's Authority. And this power and wisdom is perfect, and overflowing. Once we have learned of the Kingdom, once we have died of our old ways, we can embrace the Spirit of life and rely upon it as we go forward.

Otherwise we are simply relating our desires to the Law of Sin and Death. Scripture is good for instruction, but we are called to be the living gospel, the faithful.

This is why I serve you well by saying 'do not hate', because even the act of hating what you consider evil, you are acting on your own will and based on your own knowledge. If not guided by the Holy Spirit, you are not honoring His Authority, and what you then consider to be the light of wisdom is actually a greater form of evil. Consider this as how the enemy works. So we embrace faith, and seek holiness which is fearless and rooted in love.

In our Today, we are the vessels filled by love. We are separate from the ways of the flesh and the worldly influences that were leading us to death and condemnation. Instead of seeking what we were raised to do, we seek to act on what holiness is set upon us in the moment. We believe that all the holiness that is in heaven, is available to us, so we may serve the will of the Father here. This is the Kingdom and when we seek its holiness, it is given freely, so we may serve in living ways. 

We have no reason to continue to identify sin. 

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1 Corinthians 15:56,57

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The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Before Christ, identifying sin led to more sin. 

After Christ, we are called only to deny ourselves, and seek in the present moment, to serve the will of God by the states of love available through the Kingdom. Jesus sat with drunkards and tax collectors, not to identify sin, but to be an example of love for them to be witness to. We mimic this, being the vessels of holiness, and pouring out love in the presence of those set before us.

And in the circumstances where others trespass against us, we are to be forgiving, showing mercy and compassion. We give more than is asked, we turn the other cheek so that those who harm us, can witness our willingness to give them the justification they seek. Because we are in sufferance, we are in denial of our human aspects of survival and instinct. We are set in heart and mind to loving the Father and others, as we are the body of His Authority. Fearless and constant in our faithfulness. Treating others how we would have ourselves be treated.

What the Law was powerless to do was to to knowledge of sin and turn it into righteous acts. Mankind through Adam had been given over to knowledge but did not have the Authority of Life in us. 

Now, our faith places us within that Life as its body, and that life we rely upon in Spirit. We do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. This is not just denial of self but an expression of faithfulness. Being the hands and feet of the Gospel, means we are the living expression of God's love here. I ask that you consider constantly seeking to listen to what is set upon you by the Holy Spirit. Learn to rely upon it, being hungry for it, thirsting for the eternal wisdom to work through you in the present moment.