Lent IV John 3:14-21. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness"

Rational Thinking tries to make the scripture fit into its theology.

Spiritual Understanding theology comes out of the Scripture.

What do we do with the words of Jesus about Moses? Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. So must the Son of Man be lifted up so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

Some see this as Jesus being lifted up on the cross.  The serpent represents sin.  Jesus took on our sin on the cross to save us. The problem here, is trying to fit one's theology into the scripture rather than have the scripture define our theology.

Numbers 21:9: The Israelites had criticized God and Moses. God took vengeance on them by sending venomous snakes into their camp.  Many were killed by their bites. They repented. God told Moses to make a bronze snake. He put it on a stick. Everyone whom the snake bit was given immunization from the venom of the snakes.

Obviously, spiritual understanding sees Moses' snake has to do with being in the Presence. In the spiritual world, there are venomous snakes. We get bitten by feelings of anger, hurt, unforgiveness, guilt and the list goes on.

Rational Thinking would want to treat the snake bites by dealing with the negative emotions in order to get into God's Presence.

Spiritual Understanding knows this is about being in the Peace Presence of Jesus in order to deal with the snake venom. It does not try to get to the root of the thought that creates the negative feeling and behavior. It treats the emotions by transcending them with the Peace Presence within.

In Rational Thinking, out of the Presence, our thoughts will create our negative feelings which bite us like snakes.

Spiritual Understanding knows, the feeling of being in the Peace Presence will create our thoughts in the event, not about it.  Being in the Presence is our immunity against the snake bite emotions created by our thoughts.

Rational Thinking therapies can take a long time before a change is evident.

Spiritual Understanding does not require going over traumatic experiences again and again. It is rooted in the belief every human being has, within themselves, the power of the Presence to heal the pain of the past and fears of those to come. The Presence creates immunity from trying to feel good about the unchangeable, enabling feeling at Peace in the situation.

I know it works because I have seen it in my counseling. I counseled with a couple whose marriage was in trouble.  The wife was my doctor's daughter. We talked together for one session and never met again. I learned through my doctor they had become reconciled after the session and their relationship was solid.

Spiritual Understanding empowers us to

• focus on the here and now,
• access our inner wisdom,
• engage our own power of choice when assessing the options being in or out of the Presence offers in life situations.

Not everyone gets this, but no one gets it without spiritual understanding.

You do not learn how to do it, to get it.

You need to get it, to learn how to do it.