{"id":2848,"date":"2023-12-17T07:30:31","date_gmt":"2023-12-17T15:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/?p=2848"},"modified":"2023-12-16T17:34:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T01:34:08","slug":"bound-by-circumstances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/17\/bound-by-circumstances\/","title":{"rendered":"Bound by Circumstances"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hand<\/p>\n

I would like you to consider the following scenarios as I delve into this matter.<\/p>\n

Scene 1<\/strong><\/em>
\nA 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.
\nScene 2<\/strong><\/em>
\nYou 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.
\nScene 3<\/strong><\/em>
\nYou 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.
\nScene 4<\/strong><\/em>
\nYou 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.<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

Chained to Traditions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I wrote about the difference between belief and truth<\/a> recently. In that message I relayed how there are universal beliefs which every society holds. Many of these beliefs have become called \u201ctraditions\u201d by those who adhere to them. Any attempt to change them is often met with contempt, scorn, and hatred.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 God is Spirit \u2013 He only works by the Spirit in the spiritual realm of His Kingdom.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cYes, but help my unbelief.\u201d Unbelief is still a belief.<\/p>\n

In my last post<\/a> I introduced the term \u201ca pair of opposites.\u201d 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?<\/p>\n

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 \u201cbelief\u201d of unbelief is more addictive than Truth.<\/p>\n

Just the Truth<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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?<\/p>\n

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\u2019t 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).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would like you to consider the following scenarios as I delve into this matter. 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Maybe that\u2019s not the right question. Have you ever considered the very real possibility that we\u2019re not in the right era? Let me try to explain what I\u2019m driving at. Over the past several\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":2015,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2018\/08\/27\/elephants\/","url_meta":{"origin":2848,"position":1},"title":"Elephants","author":"mike","date":"August 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Across the western landscape of religiosity, within its structural bastions most commonly known as church, adherents are disappearing. 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Now I recognize many of you probably don\u2019t understand how, in this day and age, where we have satellite imaging, space stations and moon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2018 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2018 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2018-postings\/"},"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":150,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2014\/07\/07\/the-grace-of-episode-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":2848,"position":3},"title":"The grace of\u2026 Episode 2","author":"mike","date":"July 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIn the beginning\u2026\u201d How many beginnings do you know that exist in the bible? Okay, Genesis 1:1 is a gimme. What else? Good, John 1:1 is another. Now comes the harder ones. Did you think of the one in Ephesian 1:4 or 1 Peter 1:20. 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