Awaken Essence
In a judgmental world where societal norms often dictate our paths, we may find ourselves self-conscious, hindering the pursuit of our true selves and dreams. This pressure leads us to wear masks, striving to meet external expectations when we are inherently complete. Although deviating from societal expectations doesn't guarantee perfection, it offers invaluable lessons through our mistakes. Yet, by embracing self-discovery, we unearth our genuine essence. Amidst the journey's joys and struggles, we gain insights and tap into our innate vitality, much like breathing.
- Jeremiah 29:11 underscores this journey: 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.'
We realize that the most powerful guidance we can access is the Lord's wishes for us. In our moments of inquiry and confusion, we are enlightened and provided for. Through injustices, He guards us and in our mistakes, He guides our learning. In the Lord is where wisdom begins and access to profound knowledge is found, helping us navigate the complex tapestry of life with a sense of purpose and assurance.
Global Teaching From the same Source
The concept of 'The One,' often referred to in various traditions as the Most High or the Universe, resonates across many spiritual teachings. In Christianity, this One is embodied in the figures of Jesus and the Holy Trinity unifying symbols of love, compassion, and enlightenment.
It’s fundamental to Christian belief that we are creations, formed by a Creator characterized by righteousness, compassion, grace, and love. He not only supports the cause of the righteous and empowers them but also guides those who have not yet found righteousness, encouraging their steps towards it. He exists beyond the confines of our physical world encompassing both heaven and earth. He came to earth in the person of Jesus to teach us the path to spiritual freedom and redemption. Now, from His place in heaven, He continues to nurture His children, encouraging them to spread
His teachings of eternal life.
His teachings on love and compassion are profound, designed to touch our hearts, minds, and souls. By embracing His lessons, we find a freedom that resonates deeply within, connecting us to the essence of our being and to others in a limitless embrace. Through the purification brought by His teachings, we experience a profound connection.
- Matthew 5:8 affirms this: 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.'
This verse encapsulates the promise that purity of heart, cultivated through adherence to divine teachings, leads to a direct encounter with the Divine.
The Art of Surrender
Trusting in a higher force is often viewed as delusional nowadays. Over the years, we have let the world shape us and our beliefs. We've embraced convenience, losing our capacity to act independently and conforming to societal norms. Unfortunately, this has also diminished our ability to stand apart from what society dictates. We've surrendered our right to choose freely and to voice our opinions. Blinded by the ease of simply getting by, we've relinquished the power that should rightfully reside within us to material distractions and neglected personal and spiritual growth.
To empower ourselves again, we must rediscover the promises made to us and adopt a new way of living. This involves walking in the opposite direction of many, seeking understanding, and questioning societal demands. It requires immense courage and substantial inner work. It's about embracing our cross, dying to worldly desires that harm the body and the mind, and reawakening to The One who entered this world and sacrificed Himself for us, so that we might have the strength to overcome our shortcomings.
- Galatians 2:20 offers a profound reflection: 'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.'
This verse underscores the transformation available through faith, where Christ’s strength becomes our own, enabling us to rise above our challenges.
The Interconnectedness Theories
When we explore universal morality as a guide to connect with The One, we come to understand that The One is the creator of all. From the beginning, He was present, commanding creation into existence by His will. He rejoiced in His creation and breathed the breath of life into it. From dust, He crafted our bodies as vessels, filling them with the Holy Spirit, the pure manifestation of His light.
He is the Father who created us, the Son who chose us and provided salvation, and the Holy Spirit who has been breathed into us. Through Jesus, we come to understand that we are made holy and righteous, not by our deeds, but through His grace. He sacrificed everything for us, offering us the opportunity to become one with The One through Him.
- Romans 5:1-5 reinforces this message: 'Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.'"
This verse emphasizes that hardships can strengthen perseverance and character, leading to hope not disappoint, because it is filled with God’s love, poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Connecting with The One
The divine presence shared universal teachings through Jesus, emphasizing love, compassion, forgiveness, humility, service, behaviors that lead to blessings, faith and trust in the Lord, repentance, and righteousness. These teachings give us access to the Kingdom of God, making us deserving and righteous of our promised heritage. By increasing our value and inviting us to enter the Lord's Kingdom, we are called to live according to these principles.
- Matthew 6:6-7 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
The Bible assures us that the righteous will have the right to eternal life and that the presence of the Lord will be with us and never forsake us. Jesus promises us peace, guidance, and strength from the Lord. We are assured that we will be provided for, healed, and restored. We will receive wisdom, overcome temptations, and find joy and fulfillment. We are promised protection, refuge in the Lord, and salvation.
Furthermore, by declaring that Jesus is Lord and believing it in our hearts, we are promised that if we keep all His commands, we may ask Him anything in His name, and He will do it.
From Emptiness to Enlightenment: Grown in Trust
When there is a sense of emptiness, nothingness, or an absence of the usual mental and emotional state, it may indicate a need to understand your own feelings, opening space for self-evaluation. Sometimes these feelings emerge after letting go of a part of oneself that was pleasing to oneself but usually harbored bitterness and a lack of understanding towards others.
Nowadays, we are going through a critically challenging time. Unfortunately, in our current culture, it is really easy for one to jump to the conclusion that they are right above others, instigating thoughtless accusations with one click, or through daily actions that sometimes happen from an unconscious state because we are too busy, too distracted, or too full of ourselves. But what happens when we ask Jesus for guidance in prayer? His love is unconditional, but he won't lie to you; he is the truth and the life. If you believe in him and ask, he won’t lie. There will be many episodes of pride and ego death, but as we let go of our pride and genuinely wish for a renewal of our spirit, he will lead us to the path of righteousness and help us with his loving and kind presence to become free from our sins.
Do you want to know how to obtain eternal life? It is simple: he and his teachings are the spring of life, and from personal experience, I can say he renews those who place in their hearts the desire to change and commit to practicing his teachings.
- Hebrews 11:1 "Now, faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Once Born in Light
To be born in light is to become able to understand the love Jesus has for us.
That understanding resonates deeply in the spirit and makes us want to act better because his love is the most touching feeling one can experience. We are all able to experience his love through his grace that unfailingly protects, restores, and gives life.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, yet perfect love casts out fear.
It is like becoming part of a family. The fear is not the fear of ending up on the wrong path but trusting that through his grace, even if we make mistakes along the way, he will cover us with his grace. Because there is no longer the fear of ending up on the wrong path, the type of fear we feel changes to the fear of hurting the one we love. It makes us want to become righteous, to follow his teachings, and to pick up our cross and die to worldly things. Consequently, we are born again but in light.
That is when we are given true understanding and freedom. It is when we let go of what was imposed on us and allow God to move freely in our lives, trusting that no matter what is to come, his grace will find us. Don't misunderstand me; there will be many challenges to keeping yourself in this state. Once you understand that there is no fear in love, you will have to make choices. But if you are worried about the choices you will make, ask in prayer and seek understanding. The information is already available; Jesus shared it with us through his teachings. As long as our hearts are not closed, there will be open space for insight.
"Because we judge in our hearts without taking the time to understand the truth, we often don't see or hear it. Our hearts have already decided what they believe to be right.
As result, we frequently end up judging or attacking others without giving them a chance to tell us the truth."
- Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
Present
What if you are exactly where you are meant to be? The present can be challenging, but as we are reminded in 𖧹 Philippians 4:13 that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
This verse assures us that with Jesus, no challenge is impossible. Through His grace, we receive salvation, allowing us to rest assured that we, as righteous individuals, can rely on His act of love. We are assured that there is a time for everything under heaven. After facing challenges, we are renewed, opening our hearts to participate in and understand His sufferings. This transformation enables us to become more like Jesus, embodying qualities such as empathy, gentleness, and purity. Gratitude fills our hearts, opening our eyes to the goodness we often overlook when we place our hope solely in a better future.
Therefore, thinking on potential futures can lead us to be ungrateful for the present.
It's like chasing something uncertain, preventing us from fully experiencing the current moment. This diminishes our trust that, independently of what lies ahead, our dreams will materialize. This doesn't mean we should not pursue our aspirations; we must, but in a manner that allows us to live fully in the present, without becoming overly fixated on the outcome. By doing so, we can cultivate faith in what is to come, knowing that by being righteous and trusting in Jesus, our desires will be fulfilled by a benevolent higher power. This shift in perspective transforms the future into a better present, making us holy in the present moment.
- As Matthew 7:7 reminds us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you"
Importance of Union
The role of the church may be centered on community for some, providing services to others, or simply meeting on Sunday nights. However, I want to open up the very essence of the church itself, emphasizing the need to exemplify thoughtful acts of kindness and an understanding that extends beyond the walls of the church.
This involves reading and seeking wisdom in solitude, understanding the words of scripture, and recognizing that the way Jesus acted was to show us an example. His compassion for those who sin, without judgment, taught us that through such actions, we pick up our cross. We forgive those who have hurt us and even understand the reasons behind their actions, allowing us to feel compassion and share their pain. When we become able to feel others' pain, it is then that we see the truth of His word, realizing that the pain suffered was not ours alone. We decide to move forward in a new direction where others' points of view matter, becoming able to connect ideas that we couldn’t before, gaining insights and understanding. This allows us to validate another person's story and, by giving it importance, we bring forth understandings not from our own life experiences but from the life experiences of people we once judged.
This action will not only provide you and others with an understanding of why people behave the way they do, but it might also prevent some from making the same mistakes due to ignorance. Since we are all equal in God's eyes, we each have a purpose in this world. Being united in Christ teaches us that even those we might see as unimportant hold a key to ending suffering in this world.
- Proverbs 22:2 "Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all"
Absence of Knowledge Opens Space for Manipulation
When we carefully consider what Jesus represents and truly open our hearts, we are able to see His teachings with spiritual eyes, and we no longer want to remain who we once were. Jesus' teachings saved me from selfishness and victimhood. As someone who was blinded by the world, I placed the fault for my pain on others without considering their pain. As I grew closer to Jesus sooner than I thought, He started to guide me. In fact, His grace met me when I was in darkness. This helped me see how much love He had for me, someone who was broken and breaking people, now renewed by His love and saved from the violence and lies of the enemy who wanted to take away my kindness and destroy my heart. This opened my eyes to question the Lord about many things, and through my questioning, I received His answers. Then I realized how spiritual laziness can degrade us, and one of the most important questions was, "Are we so busy that we can't learn the teachings of the One who died for us?"
The accuser creates schemes and lies that place us in a position of victimhood. It glorifies itself with our hatred for each other, destroying our connections to our family and friends, and planting competition, fear, and other negative feelings. It masquerades as a false light, promising us growth over those who have harmed us and tempting us with revenge. But it also preys on us, turning the cycle of manipulation from person to person. For this reason, it is important to learn to recognize who is the light and who is the deceiver through the Bible. If the deceiver understands the word of the Bible better than we do, then we are easily susceptible to manipulation.
Living Water
- John 4:14: "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
The water that brings us eternal life. So many seek it, but where can it be found? In today's culture, the thirstiest among us search for it, yet the fountain they seek offers no water. They persist in their thirst, drinking of idolatry. They make idols of fame, religiosity, deities, and even philosophers, yet they fail to find the source from which the water flows abundantly.
In Genesis, we read of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Considering that man already knew good, it can be assumed that the knowledge gained was only of evil. Then Adam and Eve ate from the tree because they desired to be like God, and though desire sin was conceived for the first time. If you want to trace generational curses to their origin, it began with the desire to possess more than one could comprehend.
For this reason, Jesus came into the world. His teachings and manner of interacting with others guide us to let go of desires that blind our eyes to sin. His word is like a river that cleanses what brings us death.
Understanding what sin truly is, is more important than it seems. Sin is what brings death to the body. For this reason, I believe that when Adam and Eve ate the apple, God said, "Now you will surely die." They consumed the food of iniquity and drank of idolatry from the table of the king of evil. Yet, by grace, God still chose to give us the right to become His sons and daughters by renouncing worldly things and learning from His only beloved Son, who loved us to the point of becoming a sacrifice.
Acccess
True knowledge comes through faith, based on the certainty that what God promises will happen. When one understands God's promises and believes in Him, they witness God's active presence in their life, making changes, purifying, and renewing the mind and heart. Faith stems from the willingness to trust that God's ways are much better than our own, and from surrendering to His will instead of ours. There is a distinct level of wisdom gained from doing so, accompanied by understanding given by the Holy Spirit.
If you pay attention not only to Jesus' teachings but also to His actions, there is much to learn. For instance, Jesus often used His voice for prayer, supplication and commanding, demonstrating that speaking out has power, as it is said, 'the word has power.'
- John 4:7-12 says, 'Ask the Father in heaven in the name of Jesus, and it will be given.'
This implies that asking for 'living water' is possible if you recognize Jesus as Lord through faith. Of course, you need to follow His teachings because the 'living water' is His teaching and conduct itself. But it also opens space for one to ask questions about what they need to learn in order to become more like Jesus. It is not about thinking of oneself as Jesus, for Jesus is God and had never sinned, but about learning from Him how to free ourselves from sin so we can access the promises of God.
- Revelation 2:17 states, 'Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.'
- Revelation 3:12 adds, 'The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.'
Faith is about being able to declare and believe that through Jesus we are victorious, and that through His grace, we receive the promises of God because we recognize that
Jesus is Lord.