(05/09/2017) Divinity Must Be Proclaimed?

Today, focus is on proclamation and discernment as critical aspects of revealing divinity.  The name (we say, accomplishments, deeds, reputation, works) of GOD must be proclaimed by GOD, for thereby the living are instructed how to conceive and speak of immortal, invisible divinity.  When believers share personal accounts regarding their own experiences of growth in faith, and events surrounding their coming to a decision for commitment to Christ, only those still in error and spiritual confusion will condemn their testimony as “self-promotion.”  Those having discernment will acknowledge that otherwise unknown and unseen  operations of Spirit are being revealed; and the believer speaks in the integrity of an “eye-witness” who is under oath and sharing valid evidence in judgment through a verbal account.  A fighter at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Anonymous” (Level 1 with 99 points, a member since December 27, 2016) posted the following:


Can I tell that you have Christ in you by your actions and not by you bragging about it?


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  (1st Thessalonians 4:  15-17, King James Version, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Genuine Spiritual Discernment? (03/27/2017); Blame, Sin and Salvation? (02/13/2017); What To Say To A Friend? (03/29/2015); Recounting Past Sins? (03/04/2015); Not A Matter Of Opinion? (04/24/2014); What Faith Makes Possible (04/25/2014); Recognizing True Prophets (05/02/2013); Jesus, A Party Animal? (05/03/2013)


“Anonymous”, GOD is a spirit who makes himself knowable, known, and “visible” to created beings and living creatures on the earth by using such tools as authority, awareness, person, and eternal purpose.  In addition to sacred operations whereby divinity is perceived or realized in ones consciousness as an active presence (we say, revelation), there must be divine instruction and sacred proclamation that, so to speak, “explain” what it is the living are hearing and seeing.  Through the announcement and declaration of the divine name, GOD himself introduces and supplies the necessary coherence, completeness, context, focus, fullness and readiness to receive sacred knowledge.

Correctly recognizing and responding to divinity requires “discernment” (ability to use ones own spirit content as a standard to identify deposits of spirit substance from the makeup of divinity that reside within events, oneself, other persons, promises, prophecies, holy writings, etc.).  Sinners become “born again” Christian believers through baptism by experiencing death, burial, and resurrection of their inborn spirit.  Inseparable aspects of divinity are imparted to indwell the sinner and serve as divine DNA, so to speak.  Included are faith, hope, joy, longsuffering, lovingkindness, meekness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.   Thereby,  the sinner becomes a new creation, a child or offspring of GOD, and a joint-heir of GOD with Jesus Christ. 

Those who are “born again” must “grow up again” and mature as vessels of divine spirit by meeting life challenges upon the earth.  Of course, believers are imperfect at first, and must develop by repeatedly proclaiming the word of GOD through specific sacred practices (e.g., baptism, fellowship, regular study, sharing personal testimony), and within their lifestyle and daily routines.  What appears as bragging, a personal account, or “showing-off” to those lacking discernment, in fact, is the proclamation of GOD, and the divine works in a believer’s own life.  Consider the following that appears in the Bible:

(1.)  Exodus 33:  17-23, King James Version (KJV):  17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken:   for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.  18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.  19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.  20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face:  for there shall no man see me, and live.  21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:  22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:  23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts:  but my face shall not be seen.

(2.)  Exodus 34:  5-8, KJV:  5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.  6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,  7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

(3.)  2nd Corinthians 4:  1-7, KJV:  1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;  2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.  3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (4.)  Romans 8:  5-9, KJV:  5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(03/04/2015) Recounting Past Sins?

Today, points are shared on why preachers sometimes speak publicly about the errors and faults they committed before and since they came to Christ.  Where their utterance is by the Holy Spirit, they make no boast of their own merit.  They acknowledge, extol, and praise GOD for what divinity has done, is continuing to do, and will do in times that are yet to come.  Many believers mistakenly think that salvation means one is to “forgive and forget.”  They rejoice speaking of their own sins as having been buried in the “sea of forgetfulness.”  In fact, however, believers are to have an ongoing awareness of the damage they received by sin as an aspect of correctly knowing and valuing their deliverance.  Believers in Jesus are never to forget; they are to change, grow, learn, and serve having new purpose and strength from Christ.  All clergy are challenged to demonstrate a correct knowledge of human nature as well as of mankind’s spiritual potential.  Confession, humility, intercession and personal testimony often appear when the “good news” is proclaimed because they provide background, context, and a bridge for recognizing the sameness among certain secular and spiritual truths.  Becoming committed to Christ (we say, becoming saved) is not achieved on the basis of abstract arguments and analytical debates.  There must be contact, exchange, and interaction that are alive, intimate and personal.  All are to receive a revelation that is in harmony with the material and natural world, yet, is an expression of divine essence and power.  The fighter at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Rigal T” (Level 5 with 7,575 points, a member since September 04, 2008) attacked using the following:


Why do Christians brag about their past 'sins'?

Evangelists and apologists often go into great detail about their 'wicked lives' before they found Jesus. Televangelists seem especially proud of their past 'sinful' accomplishments.
Update: Some go on about so much that I think they take a perverse pride, agree?


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:  lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.  I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation:  I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.  Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD:  let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.  (Psalm 40:  9-11, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Inseparables? (07/15/2014); On Christians Being Inclusive? (07/16/2014); Not A Matter Of Opinion? (04/24/2014); What Faith Makes Possible (04/25/2014); Life Choices (12/14/2013); That Mortal Children Die? (12/15/2013); Law A Schoolmaster (10/03/2013); Was Jesus Literate? (10/04/2013); How Do I Repent? (05/16/2013); The “Jesus Way”? (05/17/2013)


“Rigal T”, here are some important points to consider when viewing the work of divinity through flesh and blood:

(1.)  Discernment (the ability to use ones own spirit content to recognize the spirit substance within such features as events, oneself, other persons, purposes) is a gift through the Holy Spirit that must be developed by acquiring sacred knowledge, continuing in fellowship with more experienced believers, observing sacred practices (we say, sacraments), and meaningful study of the holy writings.

(2.)  Believers must receive a fresh endowment of the same spirit matter deposited within the first male and female (Adam) that came directly from the makeup of Deity.  Water baptism depicts the many unseen divine operations carried out to terminate ones inborn spirit and regenerate their nature in rebirth.  More than simply the washing away of sins, baptism establishes the believer as an incarnation (we say, vessel) containing aspects of divinity such as faith, holiness, joy, longsuffering, wisdom, and wrath against sin.

(3)  Generally, where men define sin, no more than attitudes, behavior, and conduct are described.  However, sin that was unleashed upon the earth through Adam is no “thing” that exists, and is not material, mental, or tangible.  Sin has not been created by or put forth from divinity; yet, sin has direction, effect, and presence, and may dominate awareness and self-will in created beings and living creatures.  Sin is only recognizable because it opposes the continued existence of divine law, the Law Giver, and the universe that functions through divine order rooted in law. 

(4.)  Sin can not be eliminated using such finite human tools as intellect, logic, persuasion, philosophy, and science.   Those who choose to stand before GOD through Jesus Christ as their mediator are permanently altered to recognize and resist sin through sacred operations that convey divine power such as admonition, forbearance, forgiveness, love, promise, prophecy, and resurrection.  The many things of our salvation can not all be comprehended in an instant.  

There is far more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (5.)  Repentance is not a one-time event; and must be achieved as an ongoing process in the life of a believer.  Personal testimony also is shared among believers as sacred truth.  It is an artifact in divine judgment, and has the same power and weight as ballistic evidence, fabrics, fingerprints, and psychiatric evaluations (we say, expert witness).  False witness and lying would be accounted as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith and spiritual maturity.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC