It's me, mike hillebrecht

There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God’s Message to you that I became your father. (1Co 4:15 MSG)
Not neglecting—as some habitually do—to meet together, but encouraging one another, and doing this all the more since you can see the day of Christ approaching. (Heb 10:25 WNT)

Across the spectrum of church culture there is an exodus of elders leaving their church environ due to the perceived lack of relevance toward the spiritual development senior aspire to. Many pastors, according to recent surveys, feel a lack of qualifications to address the needs which a senior congregation presents. Whether it is retirement, loss of a spouse, growing health issues, or the imminent transfer of a life cycle, seniors find themselves looking elsewhere to navigate the spiritual nature of these impending issues.

This poses a dilemma for many who have “grown up” in a church since their pattern for growth has been dictated by the very institution they left. Churches today, by and large, are young family focused. Their programs and pageants cater to youth, young adults, and families with children. Churches have developed the teacher role admirably but have forsaken the fathering roles which seniors excel at that these younger groups requires and hunger for.

Personally, I haven’t been to a church service in a number of years. I was in the ministry as one of these teachers and I was confounded on the lack of attention congregates held for the higher spiritual matters. Most were concerned about what their week had done to their perceived falling away from the Father, and to how can they have the peace to make it until the Wednesday night service.

Today, at my age, I find myself in the category of a senior. Therefore, I speak from experience on this matter. Church has forsaken the Spirit for the thing of the world. I don’t fault them for this simply because, despite what believers are taught, the leadership in churches today is spiritually bankrupt. Many don’t have a clue how to develop a spiritual life outside of the doctrine they were instructed in.

I have been seeking the Kingdom of God for decades now and no church has offered me a clear path towards it. They have prodded me with baptisms, communion, prayer, daily devotions, yearly bible readings, worship services, home groups, community service, and many other annual programs which look like a viable remedy to achieving entrance into the kingdom of God. However, all of these are work programs. If you didn’t get it the first time, work on it harder.

The void this has created within me has been on one aspect frustrating, but also on another a drive to discover the truth from sources outside of the usual channels offered by the church. I offer to you what I have been doing all these years as a method to move from being a Christian to a Son of God.

1. Find like minded people who are on the same spiritual journey. This might sound easy but it’s not. Churches are full of people. If your church has 100 people in it, chances are you will have 5 people who are on or considering their independent path of spirituality. Realize how this path is not for everyone at this time in their life to take – but they will one day. Recognized how there will be some who feel that your “new” direction is something they can adopt for themselves. They soon discover that this is not to their liking and fall away even to the point of speaking badly about your efforts. There are a few hardy souls on your journey who will become your true “church.” Have patience, they will appear with vigor.

   2. Learn to mediate. This above all else is vital to your connection with I AM. It takes practice to learn how to quiet the voices inside your head so that you can hear the voice of the One. Start with doing it for a minute every hour. You can lengthen it as you feel better adept at it. Just do it consistently every day. Understand how this is not prayer. You do this long enough and you’ll soon discover that prayer is not what you’ve ever been taught.

   3. If you’re going to study, don’t read to accomplish a task – read to fully understand. My small group meets once a week and we have read a variety of spiritual books for almost a decade now. At first, we did it as something you might do in a book club. However, a number of years ago a shift happened. As an example, the last two books we read, both around 120 pages, each took us almost a year to read. We took time to unlock what they author had distilled into his work and use it as a magnifying glass into our journey. I can say that these past two years have been the richest times in my spiritual journey.

   4. While I’m on the subject of reading, the greatest obstacle to spiritual growth is pride in what you read. You must first understand that you are not the first person who has every taken this journey. There are a multitude who have discover the truths of the Spirit. However, there are only a few who have brought those truths back to be shared with those who are likewise committed to the journey. Truth is universal – not denominational or religion biased! Seeking for the treasure of the kingdom requires sifting through the pantheon of human culture and philosophy in all its forms. Eat the meat and spit out the bones.

   5. If you’re going to head out on this path understand that those closest to you will question the validity of all you’re doing and what you uncover. If you’re used to living in the accolades of your peers, this will come as shock to your self-image. As a rule of thumb, keep everything you discover on this journey close to the vest and only divulge a minimum even to the small group around you…

   6. Your ego is not your amigo. A spiritual journey is a walk of innumerable small deaths. Humbly accept the death of your self at every junction along the journey. You can kick and scream, yell into the night or your pillow, or stomp around like a spoiled child, it’s okay because it’s part of the grieving process to death. Once you’re satisfied with the ego-filling tantrum, pick yourself up, dust off the last vestige of a burn-out ego complex and carry on. This will happen frequently – so don’t think it only happens once and awhile. You die daily.

   7. If you’re going to be a spiritual devotee understand and recognize how everything is spiritual. From your morning coffee to your favorite movie. The life of the Spirit permeates everything! Your daily commute or taking out the garbage has the potential to be the most holy event you have ever experienced.

There are many more examples I could offer but this is a starting point which shows what the path you will travel upon. You will also see in this list a void lacking in the church to address these matters. In the hourglass on our lives, when there is more sand in the bottom than the top, the tendency of the soul is to know what we are really here for. The prevailing thought in church is that we are here to…

Spiritual people seek the communion with the divine, the oneness with the Father which Jesus spoke of. Senior congregants who see themselves closer to the veil than most, question their ability to enter into the kingdom – a kingdom which is inside them – since they have never been shown how to access it. Being too old for church simply means I’m more interested in being about my Father’s business of oneness with Him. If I need to cast the church aside to achieve this goal, so be it. Only my recognition in the kingdom as a Son of God matters more to me than to the One who already knows.

In 2012 I published my first book entitled Grace for Shame. I have often looked upon this book as a manifestation of a move of the Spirit during that time simply because a week before the book went to the printers, I was introduced to the works of Brene Brown and her study which was entitled Men, Women & Worthiness, The Experience of Shame and the Power of Being Enough. Her work was based on 12 years of clinical investigative work into the area of shame and the results she had uncovered in her many interviews with people who had been living with shame their entire life.

My writings were revelations I felt the Spirit had led me through showing the disconnect people have from the kingdom of God because of the shame they have endured or encountered. I’m not going to demean or promote either of our works simply because as I’ve stated I believe we were both being affected by a move of the Spirit in an area which was then, and still is today, a vitally important matter to the children of God.

The Shame-filled Evolution

My purpose today is to add to the message by way of the evolution of insight which I have grown into since I originally wrote the book. I mentioned in my last posting that it has been some time since I have actually attended an official “western” religious service. To the rank-and-file members of this type of community such an admission is “shameful.” Even to mention the readings and teachings which I have completed during this time could be classified as heretical and is a “shame” upon my Christian heritage.

I’m not fazed by such manipulations against me. I know the root cause of shame and thankfully, It has no root in me. What you might ask is the root of shame. Simply, it is the lack of knowing your oneness with the Father. I can assure you that what I am about to unveil is not heard much these days for reasons which will become very clear by the end of this message. But hang on because there is a reward if you can follow my details no matter how farfetched they seem from your orthodoxy.

The Model to Follow

The kingdom of God is. There is nothing else. God is omnipresent. Everywhere, always, forever, eternal, infinite. God is omnipotent. All power resides in and with God. There is no other power, lesser or greater. God is omniscient. All knowledge comes from God now, today, and eternally. Nothing is hidden which God does not already know and revealed to Itself now.

I do not follow the writing of the bible as literal historic writings. Allegories, parables, wisdom writings, and a spattering of history all designed to convey to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see the mystical meaning of the spiritual realm of the kingdom of God. Do I believe Jesus existed? Yes. That is as far as I am willing to go simply because to extend beyond that will take many into the tares of orthodoxy and dogma. Was Jesus the son of God. Yes. So is everyone else. Denying this makes God a liar.

The apostle Paul declared that Jesus was the second Adam. This means that Paul recognized the first Adam as a role model affecting all those who followed in his footsteps until they met the second Adam and then followed in his footsteps. Notice that this is a classification of duality. Duality has no basis in the kingdom of God.

Jesus declared that he and the Father are one, and that he can’t do anything on his own, but he only does those things he sees the Father doing. This truth also applied to the first Adam. As a matter of fact, everything which Jesus declared about his relationship with the Father also applied to Adam and all his descendants. Imagine the fear which runs through the hearts of believers when they picture Adam saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Oneness is the main factor which the church neglects to promote to their congregants. It is the prime item those who leave the confines of organized religion first encounter and greedily covet as the lost coin or lost sheep of a prodigal relationship restored. No minister tied to any denomination is willing to suggest, let alone support, the notion that the story of the prodigal son is really about the redemption of Adam. This is how deep the undercurrents of shame run – not even the first man should be able to be restored much to the disgust of the older brother.

Omni-talk About Life

“Let us make man in our image and likeness…” Gen 1:26

The Ground of All Being determines to make, form, shape, craft, create a being who appears to be just as the Creator is. Into the man God breaths the breath of Life and then later into the woman. Life animates the oneness of creation by and through the spoken word welling up from the Ground of all Being established in the eternal omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience of IS. God is. Man is. Female is. One. Not two. Not three. One and only one. All IS one. All creation is one with its Creator.

At this moment, all of creation is perfect, unadulterated, complete, harmonious, balanced in the unlimited now. This state has never changed! You may respond differently to this claim, however, the Father does not see it the way you do. It is His kingdom after all, not yours.

If it was yours, it would be two or even more realities. It would exhibit the tree of knowledge founded upon senses and beliefs. It would have a standard of conduct which constrains movement, action, words, beliefs, or attire through shaming tactics of reprisal based on arbitrary values of what is righteous for the moment. It would render contrary first-time events as final judgements rather than explore opportunities to learn truthful patterns of kingdom Life. Regrettably, this is the model most religious folks use to control any power of the kingdom in their life.

The Basis of Shame

I stated previously how the lack of oneness with the Father is what causes shame. I am going to expand on this here. The “naked” truth of the matter is that Adam experienced a conscious change in his identity from his creation to what people call his “fall.”

We are told at the end of Genesis 2 how the man and the woman were naked. It doesn’t matter how the person who wrote this passage is not the same person who wrote the creation story of Genesis 1. “Naked” in this description means not clothed with other thoughts, virgin in manifestation and action, newborn.

The next time the word “naked” appears within the text of Genesis is in chapter 3 when Adam confessed to God that he hid from God and made clothing from fig trees to hide their “nakedness.” The difference here with this description is rather telling. “Naked” now means to be viewed as a prostitute in the act of infidelity, unfaithful, compromised and self-indulgent.

Most of you will stop or rest on your laurels here. Adam is a blackguard, a scoundrel. Your spoon-fed doctrines have choked you with disgust for the action which you see has condemned humanity to torment and turmoil by the single action of a neophyte. This is the trouble caused by literal interpretation of scripture according to Hollywood’s standards. Duality – a good guy and bad guy fighting it out for…

“Who said you were naked?” has got to be the single greatest line of scripture ever written. Omniscience speaks. It confronts our innermost thoughts with truth. This is important to understand. Our thoughts typically are not based on truth but on our perceptions derived from the opinions and models projected upon us from our conditions, institutions, and people about us.

These factors will always deem us to be “naked” in their milieu simply because we do not conform to their standard. Once we assume the mental judgment of being “naked” we will desperately attempt to rectify the indiscretion at any cost – but to no avail. Once seen as shameful, the title sticks. Understand this: Shame, and the humility it creates, is purely a personal acceptance to a socially agreed deviation in what is presently considered to be the “norm.”

To put this in kingdom terms, shame is the attempt to create a code of conduct from an “other” which has separated itself from the kingdom of God for the purpose of being promoted into a reigning position which seeks to defy an omnipotent God. Read that again very carefully and meditate upon its ramification.

In the kingdom of an omnipresent God there is no other. All is one in the omnipresence. Anything contrary to this truth is merely a belief. A belief is the recognition that “oneness” is not truth. Duality, multiplicity is acceptable because everyone has the right to their own opinions and “beliefs.” Before you agree to this claim, consider how such a conviction places you outside the realm of God’s kingdom where all is considered as being one with the Creator.

In the next installment I’ll look at the grace factor and its affect on beliefs.

AK-47 or Cross Pendant?

Every Christmas time we are confronted with those particular individuals who take great joy in reminding us, “Christ is the reason for the season.” Regrettably, those same folks are silent when it comes Easter time simply because they don’t know how to address the torturous reality of a rabbit passing out decorated eggs. It might be quite possible that their silence is also an indictment of the church pursuing a hypocritical social justice narrative for all these years. If that shakes you, good. It should. Yet it does require an explanation.

For most of the life of the western church the meaning of Easter has been lost to a variety of man-made religious traditions imported from the vast clans of humanity which celebrated the spring solstice. The desert fathers of the church attempting to stay true the origins of Jesus commemorated the Jewish event of Passover and associated Jesus in the role of the lamb slain before the foundations of the world.

The desert fathers were unfortunately declared heretics for their teaching and the truth was relegated to the backwaters of distant monastic traditions swept clean through the sands of time. A narrative was adopted by the mainline church which offered a better control mechanism over the masses: The Cross.

The cross became the vehicle where all sinners died in the trial of Jesus. The cross became the mantra for the burdens of the world. The cross became the symbol for conquest over the enemy, spiritual as well as human. The cross became the accessory which adorned the rich, the poor, the believers, and the unbelievers alike. In the rush to make an idol out of two sticks no one wanted to remember the truth of it purpose: Torture by death.

Simply put, the cross was the supreme tool of torture employed by Rome to guarantee order and control of THEIR realm. It wasn’t a one-off device which western religion has sanitized to being used on a day in history when everything changed, even the calendar (BC/AD). Historians of the era record massive crucifixions before, during, and after the life of Jesus. The only thing unique about the cross was that everyone knew what its purpose was and what led to being placed upon it.

However, the church figured that the cross needed to be re-branded. Well, not all of the crosses, just the one which Jesus hung on. Even the two thieves which were crucified nest to Jesus weren’t afforded the same luxury of the corporate trademark having their platform diminished in stature and appearance whenever displayed as the propaganda required.

Let me ask you a question: How would you feel if say a hundred generations from today people hung a pendant around their neck or a sticker on their vehicle which resembled an AK-47 and quipped, “Jesus saves?” I assure you, there is absolutely no difference in the meaning of the emblem! Even harder to swallow is the truth that Jesus does not save you from torture! According to the propaganda of the cross, Jesus only saves you in mortal death, not from it.

Spiritual Truth Missed

The church will tell you that Jesus died for the “sins” of the world. Interpreted correctly, Jesus died because the world “fell short and missed the mark of the target they were aiming for.” This is the failure of the church – they missed the spiritual to pursue the power of the world. No one likes to hear this, but truth doesn’t pander to feelings. So, what is truth, Pilate asks Jesus.

I have briefly written on this here and here, but it needs to brought out in better fashion in order to soothe the ruffled feathers you’re displaying. The doctrine of the church has focused its crosshairs on the wrong symbol. It is not death – it is life! The following are what Jesus had to say on the subject:

Joh 3:14-16
(14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
(15) That whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 11:25-26
(25) Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
(26) And whoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?

Joh 10:10
(10) The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Joh 2:19
(19) Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Life is the mission of Jesus toward humanity, not death. If you doubt this, then allow me to explain the reason for the crucifixion occurring on Passover and not on Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement.

The church would have you believe that Jesus is the lamb slain for the sins of the world. This goes completely against the Jewish customs. First a lamb was never to be used for a sin offering – it was always a goat. The wild randy character of the goat is a depiction of the nature of a fallen human. The offering of a goat for sins was specifically mandated to occur in a fall ceremony known as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The Passover celebration is a spring festivity commemorating the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. In the first occurrence of this, Moses instructed the children of Israel to slay a young lamb and place the blood from the lamb upon the doorposts and lintel of their homes. This was a sign to the angel of death which was to pass through the land enacting the tenth curse by slaying the first born of Egypt. When the angel came to a place where the blood was applied, it would “pass over” the house and all who resided inside would live.

Sin has nothing to do with Passover. Passover has everything to do with a life free from the shackles of bondage and living that life more abundantly. Jesus upped the ante by stating that believing in him will give everlasting eternal life. This is not for some time frame after your mortal coil passes from this world, but a truth this very moment. This truth does not hinge on any confession and repentance of sins. It merely requires your belief that he meant what he said. The guarantee of his word is clearly represented not in the cross but in the empty tomb. He said in three days after they destroyed his temple, he would raise it up and he did that very thing! Since Jesus did it, we all can do it too.

Now I recognize how there are some out there who revere what they call “the work of the cross” and encourage people follow after Jesus in his ordeal. But ask yourself, would Father God torture his child to demonstrate His love for him? Jesus asked a similar question about us giving a stone or snake to our child as proof of our love. Since we know what an act of love is like, surely torture, particularly the kind which intends to kill, cannot be seen as an act of love from the God who is love.

This season there are going to be a multitude of pageants presented across the church spectrum idolizing the passion and crucifixion of Jesus. Very little mention will be made of a vow endorsed by a vacant rented tomb which is ultimately the symbol of a fully lived life. Easter is supposed to be about an abundant life, not torture leading to death. There is no good found anywhere in the cross. There is only love found in a stone that rolled to reveal the mystery of life.

If there is one thing which anyone knows about me, it is how I love to read. This is rather funny considering that when I was in Mrs. Johnson’s third grade class, I fought tooth and nail with her and my parents not to read. I dabbled a lit bit when I was teenager, but the reading bug never hit me until I graduated from tech school. Today my library holds over 1,000 books on a variety of subjects from business and economics to American history, construction and woodworking to psychology and personal development.

The largest section in my library encompasses the area of religion/spirituality. I have over the course of the past 7 years actually purged this section quite a lot, probably down 200 books from its height. I am a firm proponent in that if it doesn’t align with your current view after 6 months, it needs to go.

However, spirituality is an evolving reality in most of us and to toss something out on a contrived date really isn’t a proven system yet. Yes, there have been instances when I purged a few books then I went and purchased them again sometime later because their message resonated with the place where I was currently at.

Being an avid reader, my friends have tried to stay abreast with me in what I am currently reading. I must admit that it is not easy for them since I often am in the middle of several books at one time covering multiple areas of interest. Often when they ask, I try to determine what they are seeking in a book and whether they are prepared to entertain what I am currently reading or whether an older book better fits their interests.

I have had a number of people recently ask what my favorite book is, or which one has had the greatest impact on my world view. Answering this question is difficult because each one that I have read has left a mark on my development. So, to provide you with my favorite isn’t going to further this discussion any further either.

However, I am going to offer an alternative. Since I don’t know what your perspective is in this arena we call life, I am going to provide you with somewhat of a review of books from various authors which touch on a number of matters within a range of abilities. To some of you these books may seem humdrum or way over your head. I leave the decision up to you on how you wish to proceed with the information I will provide.

As a teacher, my entire purpose is to explore different interpretations of insight expecting the Spirit to highlight the flesh of truth and discard the bones. I know that this has been the case with me in selecting the books I read. Spirit knows what I need at each particular moment of my life and has brought the right book into my path time and again. So, while you may pass over a certain book or author on what follows, it may come back to you at a later date.

There is a path here that I must divulge to. Actually, you stand at a fork and must determine which course you are going to take. One path before you is clearly trodden by the masses of historic theological rhetoric. Denominations of all kinds have taken this route and so trampled the spiritual landscape that it is difficult to see how there could even be a spiritual presence on the trail. It’s safe – but the end of the destination is mired by a languished robotic plodding throughout a lifetime of dullness of the senses.

The second path is dark and wild looking from the get-go. It too is a safe trail but the appearance of a sign of heresy has been planted by those who decided to take the first path. The spiritual terrain is always fresh and rejuvenated daily, possibly by the few numbers who throughout history have traversed the land. Whereas the first path has signposts almost every few feet describing the achievements from past generations, along this path the markers are more like an oasis that nurtures the soul on an extended journey.

On the first path there are billboards promoting the destination of a faith hoped for. The same destination on the second path seems like a mirage fading in and out of focus with no reminder except through a rested assurance. Herein is where many falter through uncertainty on the second path feeling that they made a mistake and scurry about looking for any route to certainty which will return them to the first path.

There are a rare few, who having traveled a distance along the first path, halted their journey and elected to reverse course to enter onto the second path. These unique individuals express this move as a “calling from the deep.” Their revised journey awakens their true identity and magnetizes their resolve to allow them to be pulled onward and upward.

I offer this description to you as a warning because, whether you recognize it or not, you’re already on one of these paths. Yes, each path has authors who have assembled their collective diaries and journals to present a snapshot of what they perceive to be reality. As you might expect the published works from the first path are numerous as a whole, not to mention even within the denominational terrain. The published works from the second path, while fewer in number, are indicative of the nature of the oasis they linger at: inviting, refreshing and inspiring.

Grace has been my focus since 2012. I’ve written extensively on the subject both here and in the many books I have authored. To embark on this assignment with me, I am extending grace to you since I recognize how some of these books will challenge your faith tremendously which will change how you interact within your faith community. Some will dismiss these books due to their own tightly held doctrinal beliefs (first path sojourners) while there is silence from others (second path sojourners).

As a sidebar to this endeavor, I must let you know that I receive no monies from the endorsement or promotion of these books either from the author, publisher, or affiliated retailers and their links. Any bias I have is simply mine and is not swayed by any monetary gain.

Any project you undertake must start somewhere. Some will recognize that progress is built on the shoulders of those who have been before us. The Apostle Paul stated that everything must be founded on the rock of Christ. I could start by offering books that I began reading on my journey, however, most of those have been purged over the years. Therefore, I am going to start with where I’m at now since “now” is really all that matters.

In case you haven’t realized it yet, I’m a second path traveler. Hence, I could offer to you a series of books from the likes of Meister Eckert, Brother Lawrence, George MacDonald, Jacob Boehme, St. Teresa of Avila, and many more but those are voices from the distant past and is a foreign as Shakespeare is to rap music because we don’t have ears attuned to it. So, I am going to offer voices which are more current, who speak the language of the recent generations and yet recognize the valuable truths of a foundation built on Christ. To this end, let me begin.

Joel S. Goldsmith (1892-1964) is the founder of the Infinite Way, a spiritual teaching with principles which anyone can follow and practice without any religious affiliation. The office for the Infinite Way was established in 1951 and still offers materials, internet classes, books and teaching from the vast archive of lectures which Joel recorded during his ministry. His monthly letters to his ministry supporters have been collected into books which are a treasure trove of insight into the practice of the Infinite Way.

Of the 56 books published by Goldsmith, I have read and reread 43 of them. For me to make a recommendation as to where to start is difficult, but If you’re new to Joel’s writings the best place would probably be the book The Infinite Way where Joel lays out the basis for the teachings he uncovered.
In this writing you will be introduced to Christ consciousness; meditation and prayer; the source of all supply; metaphysical healing; and the immortality of being. There is a chapter devoted to the wisdoms of the Infinite Way also. The following are a few gems from this chapter:

“To an advanced student: You have reached the place where you know every truth that can be known, understood, or received humanly. Now you must reach higher for the Truth what reveals Itself through spiritual means – without human means of communication.”

“There is no such thing as ‘my harmony,’ ‘my health,’ or ‘my supply.’ His peace passeth all understanding. His grace is sufficient.”

“Consciousness lives Itself – you do not live It.”

“Any response on a lower plane than pure consciousness is from one’s self rather than one’s Self.”

While this has been a glimpse into the beginning of Joel’s first writings on the Infinite Way, it is foundational to all the writings which follow it in the evolution of the Infinite Way message. This is one book you will reread time and again with fresh eyes.

When I first encountered the writings of Joel Goldsmith, I was profoundly struck by the simple spiritual truths conveyed through his insights. Time after time, page after page I would stop, scratch my head and exclaim, “Where has this been all my life?” or “Why hasn’t anyone ever brought this out until now?” I quickly realized that highlighting a passage or making notes in the margins wasn’t going to hack it in the wealth I was discovering. The least intrusive method became dog-earing the bottom of the page for a great passage and the top of the page for the entire page or section.

The one book with the most dog-eared pages is entitled, Consciousness is what I Am. It is a collection of Joel’s messages given in multiple venues during the last few years of his life in this realm. Having read this more times than I can count, only 20 of its 143 pages aren’t dog-eared – yet! This book, more than any other book I have suggested to friends, has wrecked the spiritual house of cards people have built up around themselves.

If there is one item I can directly connect to these writings of Joel, it must be a deep and profound appreciation and understanding of what I have described as the Omni-God. Our western religious institutions are simply bankrupt from any teaching of this fundamental nature of God. Meditating on this nature of God is an endeavor I wholly recommend if you are serious about advancing your spiritual journey. If you doubt the veracity of this advice, then you’re probably not ready for the next series of books.

Paul Gorman, author of The Miracle Self and 22 other books, credits the very existence of his writings to the Infinite Way writings of Joel Goldsmith. Gorman has taken the principles of Goldsmith and updated their use in a way which applies to the various issues which confront humanity today. Rather than relying on a preponderance of biblical citations to drive home his point, Gorman has the faith to allow his reader to adapt the meaning of a single biblical reference into their daily lives by demonstrating the many facets such a reference might reflect.

My go-to book by Gorman is entitled, One. This book will plunge you deep in a dive into an expansive understanding of the Omni-God and the claim made by Jesus, “My Father and I are one.” I can assure you that while this is written in simple language, it does not read swiftly since insights, which must be pondered upon, jump off each turning of the page. In the end, you are One with what you have read. Here is a sample of what I am referring to:

“It is a strange thing that as we seek God for corporeal good, we cannot find it, but as we seek God for God alone, we find God everywhere as corporeal good.

The reason is that God is one. If we bring even one additional idea or name to one, if we add even one belief, then we have two, which is not one. One cannot be two; one can only be one, and is only evident in a conscious state of oneness.”

From these two authors I could spend quite some time reviewing the 79 total books they offer. However, this is not about what I’ve read more than what you intend to do to begin the second path journey you face. I have present to you just two authors who are more than eager to assist you in this venture. There are more authors and I will unveil them over the next few writings. For now, you need to find a book or a teaching that can challenge your perceptions of reality and meditate on it. There is a reason the path you’re on is less traveled – discovery awaits only those of a strong heart.

I must confess to you that I haven’t been to any “western” church since 2019. The last church I was a part of disbanded due to a change in beliefs with the orthodoxy required by the denominational group overseeing the people. The entire ordeal (perfectly orchestrated by the Father) left a few of us who had eyes to see and ears to hear with a passion for truth which the remainder felt too hard to follow.

Since the day of our dissolution, we few have continued to meet weekly in the same building we occupied all the previous years (a story in itself) determined to walk out our spiritual journey together. To try to describe all the insights and changes which have followed each of us on this journey would take far too long to tell you. You can probably fathom many of those changes in myself simply by reading my posts from that year up to now.

Some organizations might recognize us merely as a home group, while others would claim that our actions are simply a book club. Frankly, it matters not what others think or feel. We know that we are the same church which Jesus spoke of to Simon Peter.

Mat 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I recognize how there will be push back on this posting from those who believe that their church is the true definition of what a church is. I, however, would ask them to tell me how “their” church is exactly like the church which Jesus said he would build.

The Looming Question

Before I explain my position on what a church should look like, allow me to describe the model of the western church which is prevalent today. I have had a lot of time to reflect on this because the looming thought I have been wrestling with is, “If I had a church, what would it look like?” This question had to address who would be attending; what they would be a part of; what would be its purpose in their lives and its impact within their community; what would be the structure of the gathering, and many other functions which define a church setting.

Consider this as the demographic issue of today’s church consumer. There is a wide population base of churched people who have left the confines of the church. Young families, who often remain, do so until their last child reaches the final year of high school. They then begin the transition of moving away from the formal environment of the church seeking a less stringent atmosphere to practice their faith.

Then there are the more mature adherents found within the church who will begin transitioning away from the church simply due to their age. Many who have spent decades in the pews are finding the message and the priorities more tailored for the young families than those who have been the die-hards of the organization.

Notice this demographic doesn’t address the rest of the community who never has entered a church or whose regular church attendance is only at Easter and/or Christmas. Church leaders recognize that there are not enough resources (people and finances) to entertain this great group of the “unbelieving.” Rarely do these leaders even consider how their model of the church message doesn’t draw people into their establishment and actually is what repels most.

The Western Model

I recognize that many, if not most, who are reading this are “churched” people. So, you have a particular bias as to what the church is like. But for a moment, try to suspend your perceptions and look at this from the perspective of the who are the unchurched, those who Jesus refers to as those from the highways and byways. What follows are their perceptions of the nature of how church appears to be.

The prevalent depiction across all denominations is that mankind is a wretch wallowing in sin seeking to hide from a divine being who is intent on eternally punishing them. There is the slightest chance of favor allowed to mankind only if they accept how the son of this divine being came to earth and endured all the trials and tribulations of being human while attempting to preach a message of peace and forgiveness to a people who beat him and subsequently crucified him.

The favor hinges on the mechanism of the spilt blood of the son being the ransom payment to the wrathful divine being for all the sins of humanity across all time and the acknowledgment that this son is now the Lord of the life of only those who confess their sins have been redeemed by the son’s actions. Only this sincere confession, and living a moral and just lifestyle, changes a wrathful God into a loving God who will still judge humanity, living and the dead, at the end of times and select those who will spend eternity in heaven or hell.

It is possible that I might have missed certain elements in this description which being a “churched” person you may have noticed or even taken an exception to. However, this is their perception of what you belong to, and since you belong, it also means you believe – maybe not all of it – but enough to stay committed to the whole of it. As shocking as it might seem, the unchurched don’t believe this is a healthy way to have a relationship with God. Do you?

The Church of Jesus

Jesus said he would build his church. But just what is he building it on that the western church seems to have missed? Let me provide the context behind the verse from Matthew using the Message translation.

Mat 16:13-20 MSG
(13) When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?”
(14) They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
(15) He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”
(16) Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
(17) Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.
(18) And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
(19) “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”
(20) He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.

So let me explain to you just how I would explain this passage to an unchurched person. Understand, this is rather novel for churched people to see how Jesus doesn’t have anything near the requirements which the religious people of the western church think need to be accomplished for a church to exist.

Jesus and his gang of twelve are traveling through the countryside. Jesus has performed many amazing fetes and people are talking about him wherever he goes. Jesus asks his disciples who do these people say they think he is. Because of the works he has performed the people think that Jesus must be one of the prophets of old, or even his outspoken cousin.

Jesus directs his attention to who the disciples think he is by asking Simon the same question. What Simon blurts out has up until this point in the entirety of Jesus’ ministry never been spoken. The people haven’t even gone as far as what Peter will announce. “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

The response which Jesus then gives is the secret to the church which Jesus will build. “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.”

Jesus didn’t say how Simon had to say a prayer of repentance or attend a series of beginner’s classes to belong to a church. He did not mention anything about acknowledging Jesus as Lord and savior of mankind or about his blood being the ransom price for the deliverance of all humanity from their sins. No, what Jesus declares breaks away from every tradition known to mankind then, and still these days. God, the Father, revealed something to a human without an intermediary there to interpret it!

This fact that God can reveal himself to every person regardless of the time of day or day of the week was as shocking then as it seems to be today. Yet this is what Jesus claims to be the only entry point to his church; and it is so important that it is foundational to recognizing why his church is so powerful.

I have already written about the explanation to the phrase “gates of hell” here, so I’m not going to go down that road today. It is the final claim which Jesus offers which is indicative of a powerful church: Unhindered access to the kingdom of God where heaven and earth are one and the same. With this as the yardstick to what a church should look like, the question which begs to be asked is, “Does this sound like your church?” I’m fairly certain that you lack a response favorable to the model of Jesus.

My Church

I recall some time ago when my wife kept asking our son to come to church with us, he would refuse saying that his church was better. When she asked him where his church was, he said that his church was in the great outdoors. How were we to deny, “Creation declares the glory of the Lord,” from a son who grew up in the church?

I offer that insight as a means to advance what my church would be like. The primary thing which must be stressed is how everyone can hear from the Father on their own no matter when or where they are. This is the one thing which the western church seems to intentionally ignore simply because to proclaim it and welcome it into a congregation means the control the leadership possess must be forfeited to any claim made by anyone that, “God said to me…” is valid. This attitude, however founded, misses the greater understanding of the grace of an omni-God which I have written about extensively.

When I state, as Jesus did, that the Father and I are one, I am declaring truth just as you are when you do the same thing. If we stand beside each other and testify of the same truth, we are required to deny the illusion of separation between each other as well as between us and the Father. This is difficult! You and I clearly are not one. We are…

Therein lies the strength of the western model church: Difference. The simple fact of the multitude of denominations across the globe is testimony to this situation. If two denominations can’t declare they are one with each other as they are to the Father, then how can either expect to see the promise Jesus offered to the church? If any denomination cannot see and defend the oneness of all creation with themselves as with the Father, how can heaven and earth be the same?

Lastly, and this is a big one, this church model I am offering needs to stress that there will be no believers allowed to express their projections of how people should believe. Beliefs, rather than truth, have been the greatest downfall to the western church. Beliefs are man-made. Truth is eternal. Beliefs by their very existence create division. Truth is always one. Beliefs create an “other” out of thin air. There is no “other” but God.

I recognize how this might appear as some lofty pipe dream to many of you. Yet, what if it is doable and aligns with the church Jesus says he will build? I’m not going to ask if you believe it can be done simply because of what I just said about beliefs. I am asking you to consider the possibility. Jesus declared that with God all things are possible. IF you want to see something different, you can’t go through the same motions of the past expecting to get a different result. That is the mentality of a gambler. Albert Einstein said, “God does not play dice with the universe.” Why should you?

I would like you to consider the following scenarios as I delve into this matter.

Scene 1
A sizeable group of college age people are waving signs and shouting loudly outside of a government building demanding the withdrawal of all military forces from the Middle East.
Scene 2
You are traveling down the road behind a dilapidated RV with out of state plates. The vehicle is swerving to-and-fro causing the items strapped down on the back to jostle violently.
Scene 3
You are standing in the checkout line of your grocery store listening to the wailing of two small waiting in front of you as the woman with the children is talking on her cell phone.
Scene 4
You are stopped at a light waiting to make a right turn. A unkept man is attempting to cross the street and stops in front of your vehicle and begins yelling profanities and flailing his arms violently while looking at you.

These scenes are just a taste of the circumstances many encounter daily. One, or possibly two, of these very scenes have happened to you during the previous week. So, while the memory of this is still fresh let me ask you to do a little experiment. What was your first belief as you read each of these scenes? What other beliefs came up after reading them? If you have experienced one of these scenes recently, what was your first belief when you encountered it? Has that belief changed since the event? If so, how has it changed?

Chained to Traditions

I wrote about the difference between belief and truth recently. In that message I relayed how there are universal beliefs which every society holds. Many of these beliefs have become called “traditions” by those who adhere to them. Any attempt to change them is often met with contempt, scorn, and hatred.

Jesus said our traditions make the word of God to have no effect. This is because as long as your traditional beliefs are being place before you when you face a person or situation, you have eliminated any means for the Kingdom of God to operate through you.

The spiritual truth of every matter is that God does not work by your belief. He does not work by your faith if it is based on your belief. He does not work on matter – God is Spirit – He only works by the Spirit in the spiritual realm of His Kingdom.

Jesus is approached by a man who is seeking healing for his son. Jesus asks him if he believes he can heal the boy. The man responds, “Yes, but help my unbelief.” Unbelief is still a belief.

In my last post I introduced the term “a pair of opposites.” I stated how all beliefs are based on a pair of opposites such as good/bad or light/dark or right/wrong. In each of the scenes I offered above there are a pair of opposites underlying each of them which only you have defined by your belief about them. Can you identify the pair of opposites from what you believe?

Jesus said it is the truth you know which sets you free. However, when circumstances arise in our lives, we default to our past limiting beliefs to navigate through the mess. The freedom of truth flies out the window because the “belief” of unbelief is more addictive than Truth.

Just the Truth

With each scene presented there is one truth for all of them. This truth applies to every person and/or situation you encounter every minute of every day. You need to meditate on this truth every day until it becomes an integral part of your life. Yes, you will have to work at this. Reading it once will not do you any good trying to fix things. What is this truth?

God is. The omnipresent God is One and there is no other. God is eternal and knows all things, is ALL in ALL. There is only one power, and that power is God, there is no other. God sees All as very good (without opposite). God is Spirit and His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom which is within you, me, and everyone in His creation. God cannot give you anything because He can’t give more than what He is. His kingdom is whole, abundant, eternal, overflowing. Each of us is the vessel of God which He pours out His spiritual influence into the material realm. God does not believe in you because you and Him are one, not two. God is love (without opposite).

Part 1 found here.

The root of a pair opposites is a continuum between extremes. Light and dark; good and bad; truth and falsehood; life and death, and so many others. The first pair of opposites in the bible is associated with knowledge, specifically the knowledge of mankind.

God is omniscient, all knowing. All knowledge is God. Yet, mankind, like God, has the ability to think, to obtain and act upon knowledge. When mankind is one with God, all knowledge flows in the spiritual realm from God to His creation. However, when mankind’s knowledge is founded upon a sense-based pair of opposites, it becomes the product of God “and” thinking which results in death.

We often fail to notice many things in the Genesis 2:17 account of the birth of a pair of opposites. Foremost, the incorporeal God, Spirit, Love, Consciousness is speaking to man who is both corporeal (made from the dust of the ground) and incorporeal (in the image and likeness of God). The fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil introduces the concept and perception of death to immortal beings. This is in contradiction to the other prominent tree in the Garden, the tree of Life, whose fruit is stated to impart healing to all the nations.

The Consequence of a Pair of Opposites

I have written in previous posts (here, here, and here just to name a few) about the subject of desire. While I might potentially repeat myself in what follows, I hope to provide a rounder perspective of this topic while emphasizing the role of a pair of opposites.

The actions depicted in the third chapter of Genesis are well known by every believer. For the moment, I am going to ask you to suspend whatever you were taught in Miss Jones Sunday morning bible class about the characters in the narrative. Consider how today we live over 3,000 years from when the original manuscript was crafted. Our understanding and vocabulary far exceeds any of the people in the book at the time of its writing. Concepts not wholly understood then, now have people who are specialist who write or teach in this field of endeavor and professionally administer clinical treatment to many.

In order to proceed I am with this I am going to need you to recognize how the “talking snake” in Genesis 3 is more than like a concept which the original writer could not explain. Allow me to offer an option which will better fit our discussion: The Ego.

Your Ego is Not your Amigo

I don’t intend to get all Freudian here and take this down a long dark psychiatric path. I am merely inputting a term and its associated concepts into the narrative to give it a clearer representation of the events.

We have been instructed in a number of ways that the ego is the basis of our pride, which leads to our downfall when it is not constrained properly. We have been indoctrinated how the ego influences the mind which becomes enmity with God.

The ego is a survival mechanism. It keeps us alive in a number of situations where competing forces try to extract a part of our life from us. The ego uses the application of desires to promote our well-being within a mind-filled competition of a pair of opposites.

Consider how the “talking snake” speaks to the woman using words which craft desires for the fruit. This “self-talk” of the ego is the inner battle of the survival skill to eat. The weighing of varying aspects to determine the viability of a substance, product, endeavor, relationship, or any of a number of other occurrences is what the ego is designed to do.

This activity is continually going on throughout our daily lives. What must be recognized is that the outcome from this activity is not always beneficial to our survival.

Ego – Judge, Jury, and Executioner

At all times, remain aware that the real you is not the ego. Refuse to identify with it.
David R. Hawkins. M.D., Ph. D., The Ego is not the Real You

As a survival mechanism the ego develops into a proponent of duality. Each of us must make decisions which insure our survival on a minute-by-minute basis. These decisions are always founded on perceptions of what is best (good) or worst (bad) case scenarios which we play out in our mind. Because our perceptions are continually evolving the scenarios we play out are constantly changing too. This is emotionally and psychologically draining.

To circumvent this interplay, we often establish a benchmark or ideal which every situation must measure up to. If it can’t, it is immediately discounted and relegated to a “lost” thought. When a situation meets or exceeds the standard, it fortifies our ego as being righteous, able to secure our survival. When this is taken to an extreme, the belief structure it establishes has generally been characterized as being “self-righteous.”

Belief structures are essentially a duality based on a pair of opposites. As I’ve said previously, many of the beliefs which each of us presently operate from are ones which we never developed but adopted from previous generations. Somewhere in time someone made a judgement call which supported the survival of an individual or community and a jury of peers deemed the action to be vital to their continued well-being. Anyone who disagreed with the choice was subject to ridicule, banishment, imprisonment, or even possible death. Because beliefs hold such power over a person, community, state, or nation it is very difficult to revise, amend, or even remove an outdated belief.

Here are the scriptures I referenced in Part 1 which will be addressed in this section:

Mat 7:1-5  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  (2)  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  (3)  And why beholds thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considers not the beam that is in thine own eye?  (4)  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  (5)  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Joh 8:15  Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

Joh 12:47  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Righteous Judgment

Everyone thinks that they are capable of judging a matter righteously. Claiming a dependence on all moral upbringing, we rely on the spectrum defined by a pair of opposites to decree a matter to be justifiable. Unfortunately, we then come into awareness of the passage from Matthew 7:1-5 where the Master, Jesus, teaches that we are not to judge anything or anyone lest we be judged also. He clearly demonstrates that our own judgements are impeded by the “beam in our eye” indicating that our perception about a matter is clearly diminished.

The passages from the book of John establish how Jesus viewed judgment as a sense-based matter founded upon the survival mechanism of the ego. In John 12 he clearly was not concerned whether people believed him since he never came to judge people but to save the world. Herein lies the novel message of his ministry: Salvation does not involve beliefs on a pair of opposites; it is recognizing the oneness of All with the Father.

You may need to read that last sentence again. Religion has indoctrinated all of us about how we are a “fallen” being needing a “savior” to “redeem” us from an entity who is responsible for the eternal damnation of our soul. This entire narrative is loaded with a pair of opposites competing with true harmony in this life. There is not an ounce of truth to it when it is faced with the kingdom of God’s righteousness which has already decreed that ALL is very good – without opposite.

Religion cannot fathom how it is possible that anything can be good, without opposite, when there is so much in the world which is evidently the opposite in a multitude of situations. This has led many societies to craft beliefs which explain the existence of the opposite while defending the communal perception of “good.” These belief structures became the responsibility of a class of people who were committed to seeing that any belief which was contrary to the socially acceptable belief was suppressed and even eradicated. Such are the social norms of judgement – good for me, not for thee.

One for ALL as ALL in ALL

The vast majority of people I speak to about this issue of Jesus teaching how we are not supposed to judge is met with the same set of questions. “How is this even practical? I’m not Jesus, so how could he even suggest it is possible for me? Am I not supposed to judge anything or anyone even if I have never seen or heard of them?” The response to these questions is never what people think simply because they operate from a platform where they are thinking dualistically. In other words, they believe in an “other.”

Jesus declared in the book of John that he and the Father are one. This claim sent shockwave throughout the religious community of his day. They had placed major restrictions and punishments for anyone who identified themselves to be equal with GOD. Jesus never made this claim. There is a great deal of difference between claiming to be equal with God and stating that you are one with God.

Being one with God means there is no “other.” One is one, right? Equal is a product of two or more who never lose their distinction. Now I recognize how some of you might claim that I am playing a game of semantics, however, consider these two claims from Isaiah, “…I am God, and there is none else…” If God says there is none else, there clearly cannot be an “other.”

Now obviously this poses a dilemma if you have always considered God “and” you to be separate and distinct. (It also explains the primary reason why your prayer life sucks. But that comes later.) Whenever you throw an “and” into a discussion you are creating a judgeable situation around a pair of opposites. You, me, those around you, even those you have no knowledge of are ALL one with the Father. God is. The omnipresent God is in ALL. There is none else. In ALL as ALL.

Being one with and as ALL clearly means that there is no “other.” If there is no other, there can be no platform for judgement. I’ll say it again: There is no platform for judgement when there is no “other.”
This is difficult to accept when your entire life has been founded upon the belief in an “other.” Even to look about you and see situations which are not harmonious, loving, or abundant creates an internal tension to speak against it. But it is ALL one with God. Yes, appearances can tell you the opposite of this, but God is – not God was, or God will be – God is. Appearances are not what they seem to be.

What about you? Yes, “what about you?” is a good (without opposite) question. How do you think God would answer this? It might be time to go find out for “yourself.”

This writing is going to start with the time-honored tradition of cherry-picking scriptures to support my point. (Actually, I don’t have a point needing support. The topic speaks for itself.)

Gen 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.
Gen 3:9-11 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (11) And he said, Who told thee that thou was naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Mat 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholds thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considers not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Joh 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
Joh 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

The Foundation

Man was, and is, created in the image and likeness of his Creator, God, Awareness, Consciousness, Love. This confounds many simply because no one has seen God. The Master, Jesus, clarified this for us when he stated how the Father is Spirit and if you have seen him (Jesus), then you have seen the Father. Within these two claims we come to understand Genesis’ terms of image and likeness.

Image is what the form appears as. Think of what a mirror offers to all who look at it. They see an image. This image is exactly a portrayal of the object which is before it. The image is based on the physical ability to see a material substance, object, or form. The image is therefore sense based. For those individuals who don’t have the sense of sight, the image can be assessed through any of the other four senses.

Likeness is the nature and characteristics of the form, substance, or object. Likeness is not based on material sense. Likeness is just as God is. Likeness is the innate interior property of form, substance, or object. We perceive likeness as it is demonstrated. We often claim how a child is like their parent within the context of a particular action. This, however, is only a singular aspect of likeness since it is only viable through the senses. Since God is spirit, mankind too is spirit. This is the likeness beyond the senses.

The Birth of a Pair of Opposites

In the beginning of all creation there were no opposites. God is one. God is All in All. God is omnipresent. God is. We like to say that God is love, or God is good, or a whole treasure trove of adjectives based upon our thoughts. Truth declares God is. Every characteristic springs from there.

All of creation is determined and declared to be very good on the sixth day. That proclamation is the decisive act of grace upon ALL. Good is the likeness of grace.

Opposites are two or more. This puts a real chink in the thought realm of mankind. It creates God “and” thinking. Since God is one there can be no God “and.” However, there is still the belief of it being so. Every belief is based solely upon a pair of opposites, but I’ll address this later.

We have been instructed how the creation of the man and the woman made the first pair of opposites. This is not so. It is clearly stated that the man and woman shall be one. This might lead some to say then mankind and God are opposites. The Master, Jesus, clearly dismissed this when he proclaimed that he and his Father are one.

Consider this: God is good (without opposite); all creation is very good (without opposite). To make the distinction of “without opposite” is rather jarring to your sensibilities. It forces you to take out of the narrative the opposite you naturally assume is lurking in the shadows.

Judging: A Pair of Opposites Part 2

In my early religious upbringing, there was a great emphasis placed on understanding the Kingdom of God. The teachers I followed all expounded on the works offered by the late Dr. Myles Munroe who set the standard for breaking down the various components of the kingdom. I have a number of Dr. Munroe’s books and sermon sets sitting on my library shelves still. And yet there is even something missing for me in these materials – something which doesn’t quite fulfill the whole message.

Often the opening of a revelation is given in a simple thought or word. My recent revelation on the kingdom came through the word “incorporeal.” You wouldn’t think much of it since by its very nature it defines something which isn’t tangible, something not seen, touched, heard, smelt, or tasted. But this concept is vital to truly understanding all scripture. Allow me to demonstrate with the foundational teaching presented by the Master, Jesus.

Mat 6:24-33
(24) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
(25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
(26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
(27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
(28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
(29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
(30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
(31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
(33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Joh 4:24
(24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

According to my past kingdom teachings the most important item to remember is wherever the King is, His kingdom is also. A king can never be separated from His kingdom. When we historically look about our world this truth is evident in the many kingdoms there have been. Remnants of some of these kingdoms, and the royalty which defines them, still abide throughout parts of the world.

This brings us to the second item to remember: The character of the King defines the atmosphere of His kingdom. We have seen kingdoms of this world rise and fall based upon this simple truth. There are several examples of this principle even recorded in the biblical narrative.

Now none of this is earth-shaking new. And the reason is simple: All of us have physical evidence we can reference. This evidence is “corporeal.” It is sense-based. We can touch, see, smell, hear, or taste it. The entirety of our experiences in this world is sense-based. This poses a problem when Jesus tells us to, “…seek ye first the kingdom of God.”

How? What does seeking imply? Using our senses to discover. Is the kingdom of God corporeal? Can you touch, see, smell, hear, or taste it? No. Why? Because God is Spirit, incorporeal. To think otherwise is not Truth and a failure to recognize His righteousness.

Take note how Jesus conveys to the people what their deepest needs are. Money, food, drink, and clothing are our everyday concerns. We spend the vast majority of our waking hours trying to secure these things in some fashion. We are so focused on the corporeal that we miss the whole purpose of what Jesus said was the most important thing: Seek the incorporeal.

God knows you need the corporeal, sense-based items you are expending all your energies upon. How could an omniscient being not know? Yet we don’t think He does. Jesus says that we are doing it all wrong. Search out the incorporeal kingdom of the Spirit and the truth of this incorporeal kingdom and all the corporeal “things” we desire will be added to us. “You have not because you ask amiss.”

This is not the only time Jesus attempted to focus the people on the incorporeal kingdom of God. Consider this passage:

Luk 17:20-21
(20) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
(21) Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Notice again how Jesus is clearly saying that the sense-based methods of this world are not going to help you locate the kingdom of God. This kingdom is within you. This King is within you. The throne of grace this kingdom functions from is within you. You are incorporeal first and foremost then corporeal only as a manifestation of this kingdom within you. How is this possible? Do you not know you have the Spirit of God within you?

Trying to make sense of it all

I recognize how this is a difficult matter to adjust to. Our entire life has been at the mercy of a sense-based world with a language conformed to this system. Our religious institutions and dogmas are confined to the sense-based arena. They find it impossible to usher in the incorporeal and must utilize crude corporeal representations to depict incorporeal divine truth.

When you begin to try to discuss this truth with people, words often fail to accurately convey the truth we have been so ignorant of. Even when those (Jesus, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, Abraham) who understood the truth tried to express it to others, it was often couched in the phrase, “He who has ears to hear…” This confounds sense-based people because they can obviously see that everyone has ears to hear with. This, however, is not a call to be sense-based. It is an appeal to a deeper life found within. A life only discovered through meditation and contemplation.

Therein lies the wrinkle in an otherwise original theological discourse. Seeking the incorporeal requires a sustained effort to still the mind of all the senses which invade the thought life. Notice I didn’t say you had to eradicate random thoughts. That feat is impossible! The effort in meditation is to learn to still the mind.

Almost everyone who starts a meditation cycle is bombarded by thoughts, which if followed, leads down a rabbit trail until at the end of the session, nothing appears to have been accomplished. The key is learning to allow thoughts to come and pass over you without engaging them. Doing this for thirty seconds an hour several times during the day will develop your meditative skill quickly.

Once you have mastered stilling your mind for extended periods of time you can then begin the art of contemplation. This will offer you the opportunity to reflect on the incorporeal realm within and all about you. As you develop your flair for contemplation you will begin to witness how things begin to be super-naturally added to you just as Jesus said they would be.

I hope that I do not need to tell you how this is a lifestyle and not just a one-time event. Most people are looking for something to immediately improve a condition in in their health, relationships, finances, business, or community. They simply want a miracle. By their very nature miracles are rare. And as big as a shock as this might seem, God is not Santa – He doesn’t give things because you want it. You are seriously going to need to ask yourself if you want things or you want God.

Jesus said you can’t serve two masters. You are either going to continue relying on the sense-based world of things which are constantly just beyond your reach; or you’re going to step into the incorporeal realm, and how it is accessed, to see the world super-naturally open up to you. As always, the choice is solely yours. Choose wisely.

I’ve stated previously how language is the lowest form of communication. Fr. Richard Rohr gives an example of this in his book The Naked Now. He describes how the term “non -violence” never appeared in our language until the 1950’s. The reason is because we didn’t have the language to express it until then! How is this even possible, you might be asking. Fr. Rohr states how all language is based on experience. In other words, the entire corpus of human language up until that time only had a language which could describe violence, but never had any verifiable experience with non-violence. That is a pretty crazy thought to ponder.

The apostle Paul writes in the twelfth chapter of 2 Corinthians of an incident of an individual caught up into the third heaven how hears unspeakable words which are not lawful to utter. Paul over the next five verses will speak about how his desire for glory needed to be suppressed or else being thought of as a fool because he sought the Lord three times about his infirmity and not wanting to be exalted above measure. Then he hears the Lord say to him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

The Connection

This passage from Paul is a foundational example of what Fr Rohr is describing about language. Paul has an encounter with the Divine which rocks his concept of reality. He has no words to describe it and feels that his weaknesses don’t even allow him to be in the Presence to begin with. Even though he admits having a great deal of revelation, somehow the intensity of this encounter has humbled him down to his weaknesses. And yet, grace…

Encounters with the Divine do this to you. I’ve experienced it several times. Every time though, there are no words available to me to describe what I had encountered. Speaking becomes like a game of darts with the Encounter in the middle and darts of words of varying degrees spread out all around it trying to point to the spot in the middle that I hit on accident.

Let’s call these Unspeakable Truths: Divine encounters where past experiences have not formed the words to express them. Marshall Davis in his book The Tao of Christ, a Christian version of the Tao Te Ching, provides the following example,

“The God who can be described
is not the true God.

The name that can be spoken
is not the name of God.

God is unnamable.
Naming God is the beginning
of religion.

Let go and you find God.
Hold on, and you get theology.

Knowing God and not knowing God are
ultimately the same.
Their source is Unknowing.”

The Strength to Encounter

This is going to sound flippant to many of you who are seeking an encounter with the Divine, but you do not have the strength to endure it. You never leave the same way you entered. The bible warns repeatedly that to see God is to die. You will. Every. Single. Time. That death forces a recalibration of what is know of as Life and how you are going to live it.

You will know grace on a level never encountered in these moments. What you thought was grace prior to the Encounter is fly ash afterwards. Yet, grace remains your strength in the weakness of being human before the Creator. This becomes one of your unspeakable truths.

With all the encounters that I have had, the one constant with them all is my inability to accurately describe what they were like and how they transformed me. I have been around others who confess the same result. We each sit in the peaceful tension that such an encounter has created within us. Satiated in the moment yet ravenous for more.

There are others who can intimately articulate their encounters with the Divine as though it were a trophy in their big game room. I always wonder if they are playing Paul’s fool in their recollection.

I offer this to you in your journey. If you can’t express the terrain in words, you’ve entered; keep going. If you can express it in words, even one word, keep going. Unknowing is the source.