Reviving Biblical Christianity (The Way) Part 2

[Episkopos]

Dear Azim, sorry to hear you are into a depression, I don't know what say. Depression is so complex. And terrible. This despite the fact depression runs in my family for 4 generations and I had my fair share in 3 periods lasting ~2 years in waves of 7 years. I am free now for 33 years. Fact is my first depression period lasting ~2 years led me to the Lord, at the depth of my despair the Lord picked me up when I was crying out to Him for help, a life changing experience.

Depression is so complex, can have so many reasons, in my case the problem was 2 folded. Problem one, I have a chemical imbalance in my brain, some gland over there is lazy and did not produce the necessary serotonin, doctor gave me a subscription for a new medicine (1993) and within 6 weeks I was my usual self again, a miracle, never been depressed.

And there was a second problem bigger than the physical one, spiritual in nature. As a young Christian I became fascinated in the teachings of Watchman Nee, in fact I have read every book of him that was translated into Dutch. And I opened myself for leading a life in the Holy Spirit (Rom 8), overcoming sin (8:13) and receiving God's guidance, for instance this (and other verses) :

Isa 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

And in retrospect here things went wrong. I had this desire to work for the Lord full time and at some point I had faith (was convinced) the Lord wanted this too. And so I gave up my good job and we started to live like that, we had some money so we could afford it, waiting and trusting the Lord He would care for the financial part. And it did not happen, after 9 months the money was up and I had to find a job to feed the mouths of my wife and 3 children. And I was devastated, what went wrong, I did not know and I fell into another depression, nothing to do with a chemical imbalance in my brain. This was serious. My faith was shaken, something was very wrong, but what?

And I realized I had to change, never make this mistake again, but how? I did nevertheless. Answers came eventually by revelation from the Lord. My walk in the Spirit back then was for real but mixed with self interest and pride, thus not pure, unacceptable for the Lord. An eye opener in tears and yet such a big lesson, but the lesson was 2 folded.

While the first part was learned (I am such a sinner, in my flesh is no good) the next part of the lesson was not learned, namely, while knowing I was forgiven, the disappointment in myself was still there. But why? Aha, that is pride as well. I still had not seen what I am, a sinner, it's what sinners do, so why the the disappointment in myself?, still hoping to do better next time? Give the flesh another big spanking and try again? And that's what I did for decades. Better not.

Alright, this has been way too long, likely it won't reflect your depression but maybe you can elaborate a bit about your depression and maybe I can say something that makes sense.

Jesus loves you.

A failure is meant to humble a person...not become pessimistic and not allow others to succeed where you have failed. It's still pride if you don't allow others to surpass you...eagerly. We are to esteem others as higher than ourselves.

So I understand why you try to impose your failed experience on me. I was called of God...kind of unwilling at first. I was not TRYING to be called or chosen. I have no religious interest or curiosities.

What is more important than being elevated in the inner man is to be broken in the enslaving outer man (sin nature). The part of you that produces all that unbridled pride. You still need to approach following Christ with the same zeal you had before. Jesus said...because of lawlessness the love of many will wax cold. So your faith and simple approach shouldn't be downgraded...but be balanced. Not utopian but based in reality.

The way up is DOWN. The way to heed what you read in the bible ..to DO God's will... is to surrender your ways of thinking that make everything a comparison to yourself. The truth exists outside of us. It's outside of you. There is no "self" in truth. Jesus is the truth. And we are to GO to Him in brokenness and humility in letting our life go...so that we can be accepted by God into His kingdom.

Once more with feeling...

Your earlier motivation was good but the flesh...the outer man ...got uplifted along with the inner man...which God wants to edify. And that outer man is STILL very active in you...so this is not ancient history..this is ongoing.

Can you be instantly freed from the flesh? Yes, The cross of Christ is the power that takes the outer man out of the way and BREAKS him. A story I once heard....Watchman Nee was once asked what the breaking of the Lord did to him. He responded by taking a cookie and breaking it in half...and then pushing the two halves back together. After that he said...that cookie will never be the same.

The deeper work of the cross breaks a man from any dependence or trust in human nature...first of all in himself.


I speak here with no intact ego...being broken by God, but still holding together, having no confidence in the flesh...in any potential for that in me...or in others. I am absolutely amazed at the lack of understanding of people here....who have NOT obeyed the Lord to seek first the kingdom. People go off half-baked and assume everyone is just like them. For the most part this is true. But not all. The Pharisees condemned many false messiahs before Jesus came along. But they got it wrong when it really counted. (Jesus' example is for more than just Him...all religious people will attack all who are godly in Christ)

Lean not on your own understanding. Seems easy but in practice almost no one can imagine something greater than his/her own judgment.

Peace

 

[ProDeo]

A failure is meant to humble a person...not become pessimistic and not allow others to succeed where you have failed. It's still pride if you don't allow others to surpass you...eagerly. We are to esteem others as higher than ourselves.

So I understand why you try to impose your failed experience on me.

What ?!

That's nuts.

I was called of God...kind of unwilling at first. I was not TRYING to be called or chosen. I have no religious interest or curiosities.

What is more important than being elevated in the inner man is to be broken in the enslaving outer man (sin nature). The part of you that produces all that unbridled pride. You still need to approach following Christ with the same zeal you had before. Jesus said...because of lawlessness the love of many will wax cold. So your faith and simple approach shouldn't be downgraded...but be balanced. Not utopian but based in reality.

The way up is DOWN. The way to heed what you read in the bible ..to DO God's will... is to surrender your ways of thinking that make everything a comparison to yourself. The truth exists outside of us. It's outside of you. There is no "self" in truth. Jesus is the truth. And we are to GO to Him in brokenness and humility in letting our life go...so that we can be accepted by God into His kingdom.

Once more with feeling...

Your earlier motivation was good but the flesh...the outer man ...got uplifted along with the inner man...which God wants to edify. And that outer man is STILL very active in you...so this is not ancient history..this is ongoing.

Can you be instantly freed from the flesh? Yes, The cross of Christ is the power that takes the outer man out of the way and BREAKS him. A story I once heard....Watchman Nee was once asked what the breaking of the Lord did to him. He responded by taking a cookie and breaking it in half...and then pushing the two halves back together. After that he said...that cookie will never be the same.

The deeper work of the cross breaks a man from any dependence or trust in human nature...first of all in himself.


I speak here with no intact ego...being broken by God, but still holding together, having no confidence in the flesh...in any potential for that in me...or in others. I am absolutely amazed at the lack of understanding of people here....who have NOT obeyed the Lord to seek first the kingdom. People go off half-baked and assume everyone is just like them. For the most part this is true. But not all. The Pharisees condemned many false messiahs before Jesus came along. But they got it wrong when it really counted.

Lean not on your own understanding. Seems easy but in practice almost no one can imagine something greater than his/her own judgment.

Peace

 

[Episkopos]

I write this to help with all the ego enslaved people here that can't hear the truth. If you can't be crucified with Christ (not just in imagination), then AT LEAST be weaned from the flesh and the ego.

How? All one can say about being crucified with Christ is that God doesn't allow the ego to enter into His kingdom....so one needs to be crucified first then raised to new life in Christ to be empowered in the inner man (only)....to walk as Jesus walked.

Otherwise one needs to be weaned of the flesh IF one wants to remain innocent of evil.

An example of this in practice is... when you drive down the road and someone cuts you off...an ego-driven person will get angry...very quickly..in a fit of passion. The solution is not to see your SELF life as yours. The self life is shared with all of fallen humanity. So don't see the one cutting you off as being outside of yourself....see it just as self. That's something you can identify with. Not your individual self...that gets angry....no the common self that understands the self in others. So then when someone cuts you off, identify with that driver, not yourself. You could easily have also cut someone off in the past just like another person did it to you. So then think...I just cut myself off. I as in EGO.

A person is deceiving themself if they identify with Christ when not being tested...and then fly off the handled when tested by the ego. Being hearers of the word and not doers.

It's better to identify with Christ IN the test...letting yourself be used and abused by others. Understanding that they are trapped in their egos.

As such I fully understand where all the unbelief comes from on my threads. But you would think that clear bible teaching would not be so hated by those who profess faith in Christ. That's what astounds me (not the carnal outbursts)

 

[Episkopos]

What ?!

That's nuts.

The first step of an alcoholic is to recognize he is one. The first step of being weaned of the flesh is to recognize that the ego is lurking behind EVERYTHING that an unbroken and uncrucified person says and does ...when they claim to know something.

 

[Episkopos]

There it is again. No Scripture. No rebuttal. No answer. Just another cheap shot about AI.

And just so you are clear, I do not "ask AI what the Bible means." I search the Bible. Scripture is what I am using to prove or disprove doctrine. AI is a program that I may use for research or wording. IT IS NOT my authority and IT DOES NOT tell me what the Bible means.

So your snarky little comment is completely off point. The issue is still staring you in the face. You have been provided Scripture that disproves what you teach. Instead of addressing those verses you want to talk about AI, that is a dodge. Maybe you should try searching the scriptures instead of making it up as you go.

So stop with the AI nonsense and ANSWER THE BIBLE.

If your doctrine is biblical, prove it. Quote Scripture. If the only thing you have left is snarky comments about AI because you cannot refute the verses that are put in front of you...than you are proving my point.

You are not the bible...and AI has no soul. Your reliance on artificiality betrays your own lack of soul...it is a soulless diatribe of an ego protesting against the truth....while using a bible, no less. Of course the devil also uses the bible...and for a similar purpose, to destroy the truth.

AI is not the Holy Spirit...and neither are your opinions. You speak from your own mind...a mind that is twisted by a deviant religious indoctrination...so that you can't receive a sound and balanced teaching from the bible.

Repent from this foolishness and actually start to make a proper hierarchy of things to obey God about.

1. Lean not on your own understanding

2. Fear the Lord and depart from evil

3. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

When you get to the third level...then please rejoin the conversation. Otherwise rinse and repeat.

 

[ProDeo]

The first step of an alcoholic is to recognize he is one. The first step of being weaned of the flesh is to recognize that the ego is lurking behind EVERYTHING that an unbroken and uncrucified person says and does ...when they claim to know something.

If my post hit a nerve by you, so be it.

 

[mailmandan]

What ?!

That's nuts.

 

[Lizbeth]

The impression I got is that I was allowed to experience something that all of those who belong to Jesus will experience. . He will rejoice at the Father's gift of each one to him and sing songs of deliverance over them, pouring His Spirit on them and completely transforming them:

Ps 32:7 You are my hiding place; you shalt preserve me from trouble; you shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

Reminds me of this verse too:

2Pe 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

 

[Lizbeth]

If my post hit a nerve by you, so be it.

You know, one of my parents had what psychologists call narcissistic personality disorder. I knew the way he dealt with his kids wasn't right, but the idea of actual "abuse" or emotional abuse didn't occur to me until my mid forties. And around the same time I had been spending time with a friend from church who was the same......eventually had to end contact with her because of her toxic and abusive ways. And then I happened to read something about the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder......it exactly described my parent as well as that friend. Such individuals have often suffered abuse in their growing up years and their lodestone in life in order to survive emotionally, had become all about being hyper-vigilant in keeping their ego and self-esteem boosted and protected. They are knee-jerk sensitive to any perceived slight or criticism. Part of protecting and boosting themselves involves a need to keep beating down on other people and undermining and negating the thoughts, experiences and feelings of others. Encouraging or allowing for anything good or laudable in another person is only done if/when it suits their own self-interest. They put themselves on a pedestal with a kind of assumed superiority over everyone else, and can't afford to ever admit any wrong or mistake, and even go so far as to alter memories of things they have said or done in the past in order to protect themselves from having to do that. I truly don't how God can help such people, when they can't afford to even admit to themselves when they do wrong or make a mistakes and have an inability to repent. It's like they have painted themselves into a corner that way. Although I never really give up hope with people who are like that either, only because nothing is impossible with God.