Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

Bottom Line Spirituality: Worldly and Godly Thinking

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Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Spirituality is our innate ability to feel the difference worldly or godly thinking makes to the way scripture translates to our daily life and relationships.

Remember: The DISCIPLE-SHIFT

(see Pentecost Sunday Meditation by Clicking Here)

The Virtual Small Group

Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.

Jesus took common words and gave them the spiritual meaning of being in the Presence of the Spirit.

The Gospel of grace is: rather than us trying to build a life of faith for God, we become a life of faith by God when consciously feeling the Faith He has in us.

The War on Legalism

God declared War on Legalism when He sent His Word into the World. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us … full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Legalism fought back against the grace believing the Bible, not Jesus, is the word of God. Grace is based on the Two Great Love Commandments. All the Law and the Prophets have now been changed into “do the loving thing.” Matthew 22:37-40 The New Command is to be in His Presence in order to Love one another. John 13:34 “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Luke 9:51-62  “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

God declared War on Legalism when He sent His Word into the World. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us … full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Legalism fought back against the grace believing the Bible, not Jesus, is the word of God. Grace is based on the Two Great Love Commandments. All the Law and the Prophets have now been changed into “do the loving thing.” Matthew 22:37-40 The New Command is to be in His Presence in order to Love one another. John 13:34 “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The Gospel of grace is: rather than trying to follow Jesus to become a follower, we become followers of Him by shifting to consciously feeling His Presence in us. “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.” Galatians 2:19 The squeaky wheel legalism doesn't always get the grease, sometimes it gets replaced.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? The Bible tells us literally what we must do to be loved by Him. As the Word tells us, “to follow Him” is to experience His Presence in order to do His loving will: “apart from me you can do nothing.”

Go figure! Three persons want to do something to follow Him in order to get His approval. How was that working for them? A person came to Jesus and said, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus’ response to him was, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” Luke 9:57-58 He is saying to him and to us, do you think because you are willing follow me everywhere, you are ready to follow me? If you think you can do it, you will fail. The only way anyone can follow Jesus is to first experience His Presence.

To another He said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said. "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-60 He was not against burying the dead. He was saying the first thing to do is to get into My Presence and then make your decision. We proclaim the Kingdom of God is here with us now by being in His Presence and sharing that priority with others.

Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."  Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:61-62 Again it was, here is something I must do first. The first and only thing we have to do is to know the difference being in and out of His Presence makes. For then, the Wisdom comes upon us and we know what to do.

One of the greatest gift God gives us is our pain, anger, fear or guilt. They are our spiritual fire alarms. They remind us that we need to shift from being out of, to feeling in His Presence. It will transform our old life into our new life.

THE DISCIPLE-SHIFT: The Virtual Small Group:  Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.