The case with the church in man is that it successively undergoes new states; for as man is strengthened in the truth of faith and the good of charity, so he is introduced into other states, the former state then serving as a plane for the following state, and so on continually. Thus the man who is a church, or who is being regenerated, is continually led toward more interior things, thus more interiorly into heaven. That it is so done is because the Lord from love, which is infinite because Divine, wills to draw man even to Himself, and so to bless him with all glory and happiness, as also is very evident from the Lord's words in John:
I pray that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us. The glory which Thou hast given Me I have given them, that they may be one even as We are one; I in them and Thou in Me. Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given Me be also with Me where I am; that they may see My glory which Thou hast given Me; for I have made known unto them Thy name, and I will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:21-24, 26).
Bear Lake Vista Post
Bear Lake Vista Post
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
I am reminded of the synoptic Gospel accounts of Jesus return to His own country (hometown) and the unbelief He encountered concerning Him. (Matthew 13:54-58, Mark 6:1-6 and Luke 4:16-30) In John’s Gospel a more pointed statement not just directed at Jesus’ hometown but, John’s indictment of the world and those who received the first laws given by Moses. John 1:10-11 He was in the world and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. NAS
I have not posted for sometime now except for short unresponded to blurbs and comments to other posts. It was because in part, after reading most of the posts for the past several months, I became discouraged. The other part was concerning my immediate family and some personal issues that needed to be addressed. I fully accept the responsibility of any and all choices made by me for the way I have felt. Like many times in this walk through life’s lessons I have learned more new things about myself; it would be a failure on my part to not heed those lessons learned. Hence, I write this post.
As in nature we have a large body of water covering much of the earth, full of many things that man still has not found out about or discovered yet. In the “ocean of understanding”, I feel that we have perhaps only a hand carried bucket of that knowledge, with much more to be found out and discovered, “the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”
Man debates from that knowledge about where that knowledge comes from, nature or a Supreme Being; it is all in the interpretation of that knowledge and its application. Much like making steel into a sword or a plow, both require a sharp edge yet are designed for a different purpose. Shall we kill or shall we bear fruit? Some of those that support nature only would like to kill any idea in others of a Supreme Being, claiming that the sword from the bucket of knowledge is “of” their interpretation only. Those of religiosity from their idea of a Supreme Being do also likewise, wielding their sword against those who oppose their interpretation of that bucket of knowledge. I understand that I am using large, general and broad brush strokes with this post; we all have our small buckets out of the mankind’s “bucket of knowledge”. I have personally picked up and used both swords to kill what I perceived as false knowledge, but, did I kill that knowledge or did I help to further “root” that knowledge in the individual.
How can we “plow” and cultivate with each other, to bear fruit that all may see and enjoy its use? The operative word here is “can”. I can learn from others and they can learn from me. When I first came to this board I came with swords, my doctrines and my ideas about them. I was met by some who had their own swords of doctrines and ideas, we clashed and the only winner was in our own mind. The tools of the warfare were carnal, fleshly and base in nature; these tools did not promote love, care and concern for the other. When ever I perform a marriage ceremony, I am deeply touched in my spirit when I get to the description of love that is found in 1 Cor. 13. I get all choked up as I look into the faces of those whom are being joined as I quote the scriptures. I “can” touch the Bride and Groom with our hearts and minds describing a love that is more than us all individually. I “can” allow this love to continue to progress into my mind, especially my heart and give others the fruit of its use.
1 Co 13
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. NASU
Many times we become a world blinded by our petty differences that can escalate to the destruction of each other. I find that a rather arrogant and pointlessly self-serving way to live one’s life, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” Contained in 1 Cor 13 is a prescription for all mankind, atheists, agnostics and religiosities that “can” be lived individually and collectively.
Continuing in His service,
rdlb
“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is a very simple and effective one: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.”------Elbert Hubbard
I have not posted for sometime now except for short unresponded to blurbs and comments to other posts. It was because in part, after reading most of the posts for the past several months, I became discouraged. The other part was concerning my immediate family and some personal issues that needed to be addressed. I fully accept the responsibility of any and all choices made by me for the way I have felt. Like many times in this walk through life’s lessons I have learned more new things about myself; it would be a failure on my part to not heed those lessons learned. Hence, I write this post.
As in nature we have a large body of water covering much of the earth, full of many things that man still has not found out about or discovered yet. In the “ocean of understanding”, I feel that we have perhaps only a hand carried bucket of that knowledge, with much more to be found out and discovered, “the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”
Man debates from that knowledge about where that knowledge comes from, nature or a Supreme Being; it is all in the interpretation of that knowledge and its application. Much like making steel into a sword or a plow, both require a sharp edge yet are designed for a different purpose. Shall we kill or shall we bear fruit? Some of those that support nature only would like to kill any idea in others of a Supreme Being, claiming that the sword from the bucket of knowledge is “of” their interpretation only. Those of religiosity from their idea of a Supreme Being do also likewise, wielding their sword against those who oppose their interpretation of that bucket of knowledge. I understand that I am using large, general and broad brush strokes with this post; we all have our small buckets out of the mankind’s “bucket of knowledge”. I have personally picked up and used both swords to kill what I perceived as false knowledge, but, did I kill that knowledge or did I help to further “root” that knowledge in the individual.
How can we “plow” and cultivate with each other, to bear fruit that all may see and enjoy its use? The operative word here is “can”. I can learn from others and they can learn from me. When I first came to this board I came with swords, my doctrines and my ideas about them. I was met by some who had their own swords of doctrines and ideas, we clashed and the only winner was in our own mind. The tools of the warfare were carnal, fleshly and base in nature; these tools did not promote love, care and concern for the other. When ever I perform a marriage ceremony, I am deeply touched in my spirit when I get to the description of love that is found in 1 Cor. 13. I get all choked up as I look into the faces of those whom are being joined as I quote the scriptures. I “can” touch the Bride and Groom with our hearts and minds describing a love that is more than us all individually. I “can” allow this love to continue to progress into my mind, especially my heart and give others the fruit of its use.
1 Co 13
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. NASU
Many times we become a world blinded by our petty differences that can escalate to the destruction of each other. I find that a rather arrogant and pointlessly self-serving way to live one’s life, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” Contained in 1 Cor 13 is a prescription for all mankind, atheists, agnostics and religiosities that “can” be lived individually and collectively.
Continuing in His service,
rdlb
“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is a very simple and effective one: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.”------Elbert Hubbard
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Robert Jastrow (self-proclaimed agnostic): "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."
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