{"id":2714,"date":"2023-07-13T11:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T18:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/?p=2714"},"modified":"2023-07-13T11:00:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T18:00:13","slug":"three-is-a-crowd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/13\/three-is-a-crowd\/","title":{"rendered":"Three is a Crowd"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hand<\/p>\n

You ever tried to have an intimate moment with someone and suddenly another person steps in and crashes the mood? Of course, you have, particularly if you have kids. Well imagine how the Father feels in His relationship with you. The trouble is that He is not concerned with another person so much as he is concerned about the company you keep bringing into every situation. You know, your three amigos: Me, Myself, and I.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is a definition of a term which at first glance could describe the playground of most believers in western religion:<\/p>\n

\u201cA personality disorder characterized by extreme self-centeredness and self-absorption, fantasies involving unrealistic goals, an excessive need for attention and admiration, and disturbed interpersonal relationships.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Take a moment to assess how many prayers you have made which featured one of the three amigos. How many of these prayers ever came through? If you\u2019re like most people you\u2019ve taken the admission on the heavenly slot machine, \u201cwell, next time\u2026\u201d when things never materialized as you intended.<\/p>\n

The reason for almost every disappointment in prayer is simply because your ego doesn\u2019t believe it is living in the kingdom of God. Consider these quotes from the Master to see if your life conforms to the kingdom model.<\/p>\n

Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.<\/p>\n

Joh 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.<\/p>\n

Joh 12:44-45 Jesus cried and said, He that believes on me, believes not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that sees me sees him that sent me.<\/p>\n

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.<\/p>\n

Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, art in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the most noticeable things in the published works about Jesus is his disregard for his ego. His ability to clearly demonstrate his relationship with the Father and submit his will to the will of the Father is the cornerstone for what it means to live life like Jesus. Time and again Jesus, as the verses above show, placed the Father desires above his own.<\/p>\n

There might be some who will claim that Jesus spoke about himself frequently through what has been called the \u201cI am\u201d statements found in the fourth gospel. This perception might seem valid when those reading, for example, the passage which claims, \u201cI am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father accept through me.\u201d<\/em> This seems rather egotistic no matter how you read it. Even the claim, \u201cI am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,\u201d<\/em> appears to throw the focus on Jesus rather than the Father. But if the Father and Jesus are one, who is speaking these truths? That is the question that layman and theologians have wrestled with for centuries. I\u2019m not going to claim that I have the definitive answer. However, oneness blends the lines of separation despite what the eyes claim to see.<\/p>\n

The greater question is whether you have the same claim to oneness<\/a> shared by Jesus and his Father. If you aren\u2019t sure how to answer this question maybe you need to reflect on how crowded your relationship is and take some steps to corral the amigos who think they have a greater importance to your divine destiny. Hopefully, you can you hear the knocking at the door which is waiting for You to answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You ever tried to have an intimate moment with someone and suddenly another person steps in and crashes the mood? Of course, you have, particularly if you have kids. Well imagine how the Father feels in His relationship with you. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"1","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"3","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"3","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"default","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[4,6,5],"class_list":["post-2714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-19","tag-grace","tag-mike-hillebrecht","tag-teaching"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2ITDy-HM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4535,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/04\/no-separate-person-to-atone\/","url_meta":{"origin":2714,"position":0},"title":"No Separate Person to Atone","author":"mike","date":"March 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"M3:Week 1: Maya in Atonement Constructs (Yom Kippur\/Sukkot Focus) Day 4: No Separate Person to Atone Today's Veil to Pierce Following the redefinition of sin as misperceived separation, we now contemplate the ultimate piercing: there is no separate person to atone\u2014the deceptive veil's most fundamental illusion, where the false self\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2026 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2026 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2026-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/piercing-the-veil-201x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":528,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/03\/15\/self-worth\/","url_meta":{"origin":2714,"position":1},"title":"Self-worth","author":"mike","date":"March 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Low self-esteem is a direct result of a loss of identity, who you are, who you\u2019ve always been. This claim sounds in many instances trite when viewed on a surface level. Regrettably, most of humanity functions on this level. There is however a higher plane, a deeper level which a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2017 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2017 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2017\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":482,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/06\/13\/neighbors-to-hate\/","url_meta":{"origin":2714,"position":2},"title":"Neighbors to hate","author":"mike","date":"June 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cLove your neighbor as yourself\u2026\u201d \u201cLove your enemy\u2026\u201d Have you ever considered the implications of these two commands from Jesus? Probably not like I\u2019m about to address. I read some time ago that the single most important discovery to all humanity was that we were capable of repressing thoughts or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2017 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2017 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2017\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2605,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/22\/spiritual-tools-part-seven\/","url_meta":{"origin":2714,"position":3},"title":"Spiritual Tools \u2013 Part Seven","author":"mike","date":"December 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The spiritual daily life will be one of the least pleasant undertakings if you think you are going to accomplish it with the same thinking that you use to carry out other tasks during your day. In the book \u201cTranscending the Levels of Consciousness\u201d by David R. Hawkins M.D., Ph.D.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2022 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2022 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2022\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2781,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/24\/lost-in-the-land-of-and\/","url_meta":{"origin":2714,"position":4},"title":"Lost in the land of \u201cAnd\u201d","author":"mike","date":"September 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Duality is the blight of mortals. It affects all that we see, do, touch, taste, smell, and hear. It permeates every institution developed for the advancement of humanity. It has so stained our lives that any attempt to call attention to its trickery is often met with ridicule. I am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2023 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2023 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2023\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2348,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2020\/07\/13\/as-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":2714,"position":5},"title":"As You","author":"mike","date":"July 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The quest for the meaning of life is fraught with the myopic preponderance of self. \u201cWhat am I here for?\u201d Understandably, it is difficult to remove our self from the matter of living when purpose seems to be the result of our actions. However, what if life is not, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2020 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2020 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2020\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2715,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions\/2715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}