Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The GREATEST thing I have learned in my ENTIRE LIFE.

The GREATEST thing I have ever learned both in seeking God and in normal everyday life comes in three short words: I need God.

Now don't let such a simple statement go without some consideration, after all, it truely is the greatest thing I have ever learned (seriously). I like to pat myself on the back for accomplishing certain things, getting to a certain level at my job, at doing my best to be a good person, my best to be a good Husband, my best to be a good Father, my best to be a good follower of God. However... .. I am still a screw up, and I have no actual control over my life. Surely I can type this statement, I CAN control that, but there is more that is OUTSIDE of my control. Whether it be sickness, job loss, a cheating spouce, or whatever. The point is that I have found that I am unable to do life on my own, on my own power, with only my own resources. Now being a man, this statement is seemingly weak, but in it, I have found strength. I need God for forgiveness, I need God for a good future, and I need God for a meaningful present. God sending Jesus Christ is the answer to all my dilemmas. Could it be that God waits for you and I to simply acknowledge that we need to experience life WITH him? I don't need God to make my life comfortable, but I sure need him for everything else. It seems to me that such an acknowledgment of need is the foundation of life in faith. My future, in all aspects, is in the hands of God, and I need him to make it. Just thought I would share. Can you do life on your own? Do you need him?

12 comments:

Unknown said...

I may not relate to what you are saying with your words, but what I can relate to is the passion of the person behind the words.

By 'connecting to the source' of life, we are then full, of that life.

As Jesus says, "The Kingdom of God is Within." Seems like you 'found' what was within you. .. LIFE and PASSION.

Now that's what I call God. ;)

DaveKerwin said...

Thanks.

Well, when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees where the Kingdom of God was, he told them it was "entos", which is a greek word meaning either "within / inside" or "in the midst of you."

Entos' root word means "in" or "by". Essentially the message that Jesus displayed to the Pharisees is that HE was the Kingdom Of God, right there in front of their faces. He was in some ways, rubbing it in, since they were so blind and could not see God looking them in the face.

Look everywhere else in gospels, see this in Matthew :25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

In John, it is said why the pharisees were blind: 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

Just wanted to clarify on that.

Unknown said...

LOL, well who am I to translate the deep nature of Jesus' words. :)

However through some interesting talks with a pastor that is in my masters class, I've had the opportunity to have some really interesting convo's on the psychology of Jesus.

So far, this is where I am at from his and my conversations and my own investigations:
I see 'born again' (John 3)in the sense that Jesus spoke of 'seeing the world like a child.' (Matthew 18:2-4). To have 'eyes that see' beyond surface things, and ears that hear past surface sound, and a heart that is wide open, (Matt. 15:8) as if for the first time.

Living in the present moment.. (without notions of YOU vs ME, but instead ideas of WE) to see beyond the scope of our animalistic ego.. would be as if one were 'born again' (with fresh non-judging eyes like a child).

..or perhaps my schooling of psychology and studying the nature of the mind has me seeing Jesus as a wise philosopher and profound psychologist, helping people to understand their deeper nature as spiritual be-ings.

The more I read the deeper teachings of Jesus, the more I come into an awareness that he was saying over and over again that .. no no no, we are not human DO-ings, we are human BE-ings. So lets talk about what we ARE, not what we do. Let's look deeper.

Further on the topic of 'heaven being within': There are a lot of people looking for heaven, 'out there.' We spend so much time with monetary materialism, and even spiritual materialism that it divides us more than it ever unites us. Seems that 'Every kingdom of god is divided against itself' these days.

The way I see it.. the way of harmony with others is to see our similarities, before we ever see our differences. I just cannot see how the idea of "I" will ever create harmony. :)

DaveKerwin said...

Well, the concept of being born again is different from being like the children. Being born again coming to life spiritually. You were born once in the flesh (when you were physically born), and Jesus said we must be born again, for the second time, but this time it would need to be a spiritual birth. This new birth begins with the aknowledgement of Jesus Christ as Lord.

I agree that Jesus was big on the BE-ing. The ten commandments show us that we are not good human do-ings. His coming to Earth was specifically for our BE-ing saved. Our becoming sons of God, his adopting us into his family, through faith.

Well, there is no need for unity when there are polar opposites. Something cannot be true and un-true at the same time. Jesus clearly said he is the only way to God the Father, and if we want heaven, we gotta go through Christ. That cannot be brushed under the rug.

Materialism does suck. I will never create harmony. Perhaps God people are divided against themselves, Lord knows Christians are sinners, believe me, he knows.

But the only way the Kindom of God is within would be by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the life of faith by the power of God living through that person, not their own strength, or their own power.

Unknown said...

"Well, there is no need for unity when there are polar opposites. Something cannot be true and un-true at the same time. Jesus clearly said he is the only way to God the Father, and if we want heaven, we gotta go through Christ. That cannot be brushed under the rug."

Be careful my brother, many humans before you have thought in this way (in absolutes) and it has only led to hatred, greed, delusion, and eventually war. (Hopefully I don't sound like a bumper sticker here)

I am still older than you, so I am allowed to give you elderly advice :)
Here it is:

"Watch your thoughts they become your words. Watch your words they become your actions. Watch your actions they become your character. Watch your character it becomes your destiny" -Hazelden

Said another way in pop culture:

Anakin Skywalker: Either you are with me, or you are against me.
Obey Wan Kenobi: Only a Sith thinks in absolutes.

You are a man of God. I am a human being. Please don't forget before you were a man of God, you were a human being too. That much, we all have in common. That much we can all agree on.

No one wakes up in the morning saying 'May I please suffer the whole day long.'We all live the same human dream: To be happy, healthy, and safe.
"All beings tremble before violence. All fear death and all love life. See yourself in others, then whom would you hurt?"

Seems that all I see on the news these days are theistic religions fighting for the lion's share of the same thing.. their ticket into heaven. Their God's dominance over other gods.

Right now you are here. Right now your mission is not to see differences, but to work with all people towards our one common goal. Freedom, Joy, and Happiness.

Just a reminder from your older bro. ;)

DaveKerwin said...

Absolutes exist, and to think in subjective reality is fantasy. No thanks.

Before pop culture stole it, Jesus said "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters"

Bro, of all people, I am the first to admit my flaws, that I am a sinner (human). Where are you getting the impression otherwise?

Sure, hapiness, healthiness, and saftely are nice, but none of those three are promised for those who follow Christ (common misconception).

My concern is not my ticket to heaven's elevator, it is everyone else's.

I am not out to find differences, but I am surely not out to ignore them either. Ignoring the differences is useless fantasy, intellectual dishonesty, and unspiritual.

Unknown said...

I wish for you a mind and heart that is as infinitely compassionate and wise as the ever expanding universe.

Be mindful of the motivations behind your thoughts and feelings and the conclusions you make with them.

Mistaking the word of Christ for the true essence of Christ is just as much an error as mistaking the menu in a restaurant for the food.

I am glad we have this open dialogue. Though, seeing that it's emotionally charged, we should probably just let it settle.

What did I expect? For us to see everything in the universe eye to eye? No. ;) It's ok that we disagree, it makes for great conversation.

DaveKerwin said...

Emotionally charged, no. Straight up, yes. I have not dismissed your kind comment, but I also was unable to allow a mistruth to go untouched.

The only reason I follow Christ IS because I know the essence of Christ. I know why he came, I know why he was humble, I know why he was born in a barn, I know why he preached as a child, built his church on ordinary men, did numerous miracles, predicted everything to come, voluntarily let himself be slaughtered, raise himself from the dead, and leave the great commission. Jesus was not just a thinker, he was a man who did more, he was a man that made BIG claims, and he was a man who completed his work like no actual man could. In reality, if he was not who he claimed, then who was he? If he WAS who he claimed, then who are you and because of that? But he is definitely God, or definitley not God.

I don't speak in generalities because it leads to a cloudy worldview, where everything floats and there is no firm foundation. I can't place my life present, and especially not the life to come, on something I can create inside of my head. To me that is as silly as the Israelites crafting a golden cow and then bowing down and worshiping what they know they made with their own hands. I gotta have something solid, something that holds up to fact and logic. Something that has been proven with action. The Kingdom of God is something I am still learning about, but if it is in me, then it is not because of me. If the Kingdom is within, then it was within Jesus when he said it to the mislead pharisees. The Kingdom is an unstoppable force that moves with the heartbeat of God. It is comprised with the King on his Throne, and his people in his courts, who live according to his purposes.

Unknown said...

"The Kingdom (of God) is an unstoppable force that moves with the heartbeat of God."

I have no more comments, but only one contemplative question left to define all other questions.

And it is this:

IF the true essence, the spirit, the sage, the infinite Yahweh, moves or CAN be found/understood by man in the heartbeat of God.. THEN another question arises.

Can we know the the true essence of God's heartbeat, the waves of God's essence by listening to the beat inside of our own heart?

If we are created of HIS essence, can we look inside our own essence, for direct contact, a direct channel, to the true essence of the infinite?

ie - do we possibly limit our conceptualization of YHWH, with the words of man that we depend on to understand the mind of such infiniteness?

Please circle one ;)
(YES) (NO)

DaveKerwin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DaveKerwin said...

dang it, you have me cornered!

if the internet allowed me to circle one, I would circle yes :)

Unknown said...

silly internets :)