I am enjoying my time of questioning as of late, the best part of it is knowing that no matter what I understand or question I am his and he is not relating to me according to my mind, but according to his. anonymous

Wow! He relates to you and me according to HIS mind!! This stuff can be quoted, but I have no doubt by what you wrote that you know WHO you learned this from. The life you have expressed here goes way beyond the words on the page to the author of our faith: Jesus Christ!

Sometimes I wondered if I should cut my hand off first, but would it eventually make it harder for me to pluck my eyes out later, if you catch my drift! anonymous

You are a real funny guy! I love it. :)

I was hungering for the Christ that my heart was crying out for, the lover of my soul as revealed in the romance of those books anonymous

Yes!! I see him in just about anything anymore. Movies, stories, life and experiences, coincidences ... especially anything HUMAN. Jesus is the REAL human, the true expression of God in the physical realm. Every suggestion of love in our world falls short of the expectation in our inner beings and it reveals itself as false ... but it has demanded that there IS such a love! Every implied quality of the human soul when examined is shown to be a facade, a hypocrisy! But Christ is the substance of the shadow-realm. AND HE IS THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL OF IT IN US. He has become life and righteousness and love to us ... for Christ - the lover of our souls - IS our life.

Having read that book straight through, caused me to come to an understanding of the words anonymous

And have you found yourself wondering how it is possible that not only you, but many, many others have not seen this thing that is so obvious? Like I said before, I was AMAZED that others wouldn't just jump up right in the middle of the Bible study with the answer. Now, in saying this, let me add that I have witnessed MANY such eye-opening experiences where believers have done exactly that. But it was not a conclusion they saw from an intellectual understanding, but instead it has been a witnessing of our spirit with his spirit when the dirt of the fleshly mind-set was exposed. The reactions of believers who have had such revelations is pretty much the same across the board: they always thought there was something wrong with the interpretations they had been taught, but just couldn't put their finger on it. What freedom I have been blessed in witnessing in those who are having the blinders of religion removed from their eyes. You know what I'm talking about, because you have seen it, too, haven't you? :)

My relationship was speaking to me and I was still continuing to live between my ears. Guess I am the one that planted the trees that are blocking my view of the forest, I had the help of some less than expert gardeners, but hey, I blame noone, cuz that is just a waste of time and averts my attention to the bigger issue of Christ. anonymous

You know what I think? Theology - I was working on becoming a Theologian and was doing a pretty good job at it for a while - but theology fails because it turns life into a system of truth. Real gut-level understanding and communication with others is cut off when you forget HOW and/or WHY you didn't see it before. CHRIST is the life behind our words, but when I imply to you that you can get a handle on the truth then you are encouraged to view truth (and therefore life) as intellectual.

I can't speak for other people, I have an inkling that alot of people do the same thing, but either don't choose to express it, don't feel confident in doing so, or just shrug the questions off. anonymous

Your inkling is well-founded, bro!! :) The lack of confidence keeps many from expressing what they fear may not be received by the authorities. How often have you found yourself thinking that if a thing was true then your leader would also teach it ... or that it sounded just too good to be true? Never forget what you went through, and always be ready to dispel that mystical concept that others will try to read into your abilities as a theologian or an expert at interpretation. When others know that THEIR experience is no different than YOUR experience then they are left with no option than the simple fact that the Spirit of Christ is the true teacher ... and that they have the same teacher working within them that you do.

I am constantly amazed how on the surface the truth of the Bible is. I will misread the Bible for the EXACT same reasons I misread yours and anybody else's letters or writings. I discover the meaning of these writings by asking questions ... either to the writer (if possible) or to myself. When I ask myself the questions stimulated by the writing I can then look to see if the letter even has suggested my questions. If it does, then the writing will give the answer. If not, then I can narrow my search until I find the right questions that ARE being suggested.

Well, you are an inspiration, hey can I say that? anonymous

In my former theology I would have admonished you not to say such things because it would have been a blasphemy against the inspired written word of God. Sure, there is a natural wisdom that seeks to establish itself on equal par with the wisdom of God, but in knowing of the grace of God there is no such suggestion on your part, is there? Of course, I haven't read in my Bible that there is any such thing as blasphemy against the written word of God. :)

Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies 1 Peter 4:11

Peter wasn't talking about quoting the Bible. Speak, KNOWING that God speaks through you; serve KNOWING that the power is God's. Peter knew what had come out of himself ... and he knew what it was to be empowered by the Spirit. He didn't have to go through some process to figure it out, instead, it was the most obvious difference to him.

And to us. But we have been made afraid that we might be stepping on God's toes. But how can we step on HIS toes when we KNOW that the life is HIS? We do God no disservice when we claim that we have the Spirit ... and that OUR life is CHRIST. We actually blaspheme when we STILL suggest that God is God, man is man, and that never the twain shall meet (as in the finger of God and the finger of man in the Sistine Chapel suggests). What does this really say? That JESUS is NOT the union of God and man. That's blasphemy. To say that we have been inspired is NOT blasphemy in any way for we merely are acknowledging that we speak from the life of Christ within.

I know you believe that, but I know that, like me, you still wonder if you might be giving some kind of glory to man. I can say with confidence that as I have listened for the truth of God in you to show itself ... I HAVE HEARD HIM IN YOU!! :) I know for a fact that I am not giving your flesh any glory in saying this, because I KNOW what CANNOT be found in your flesh. So, in full realization that your former life had no life in it, I am blown away by the life that I witness in you ... AND I KNOW WHO IT IS WHO IS YOUR LIFE!! Wow!!

Sure, you could QUOTE and you could say things JUST RIGHT and you could PERSUADE ME and you could SOUND so Christian ... and I could do the same to you ... but then WHY do our words only lead to the conclusion that the power is NOT in us, but in HIM? I don't mean just because we might SAY they power is in Him and not in us, but that the whole thing is flavored - or driven by - that reality. When you say, without reservation, that your life IS Christ, then you have made the most profound statement of agreement with the Spirit that Christ did EXACTLY what God promised and then testified about him that he indeed DID fulfill it! That YOUR life is the life of GOD being lived out in this world is also the claim that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the miraculous joining of the life of God and the life of man. If your life was NOT Christ, then God had failed in everything He promised in Christ!

For crying out loud ... I wasn't planning on writing a book!!! :) Oh well ... here's the unedited version!! hahahaha!!

Jim