Christian Mysticism-- Loving God!!!
Note: I have had the booklet “Theology and Science” (Volume 11 Number 1 February 2013) for a while, but never started reading it until I was waiting to see the doctor for a follow-up about blood test results and 2 ultra sound exams. After reading the first article “God’s Creation Through Evolution and the Language of Scripture”, I started to read the first part of an essay by Normand M. Laurendeau. It is almost too intellectual for me, but it explains why many think that dedicated Biblical Christian are crazy or mentally sick. God’s timing is perfect. I have been recently charged or declared the latter. Have you too? Jesus Christ said that people of the World or those who mostly just think secularly or humanistically will hate His disciples. It comes with the territory of being an adopted child of God.
Christians Mysticism
Mysticism, mystical experience, and mystical theology are phrases that capture the human desire to participate in the secret wisdom of God and to express readiness for more loving prayer with God. In the first comprehensive study of Christian mysticism in the twentieth century, Evelyn Underhill investigated those who directly experienced God because of their extraordinary intensity, self-discipline, and quest for truth. In her opinion, transfiguring of the will and subsequent union with God is available to all ordinary people-- in other words, we all have what she called a “capacity for God”. According to Drew Christiansen, for the paleontologist and mystic Teilhard de Chandin, the dedication needed to do science well is the same dedication required for spiritual growth. When the scientist pushes the research envelope, it is an ascetic path, and asceticism that begs for a steady movement toward the unknown. Indeed, “Teihard teaches us not only that the findings of science can add to our religious wonderment, but also that the scientific way of knowing can strengthen the mind’s ascent to God.”……
While mystical experiences can be spontaneous, they are mostly the result of following a mystical path steeped in prayer. This mystical journey can be outlined by considering five overlapping stages. The first three stages are pre- mystical, as they are based on human rather than divine work. The first stage is invocation, encompassing vocal prayer-- whether that prayer is memorized or spontaneous, said aloud or silently. The second stage is meditation, in which the practitioner recalls past sins and favors from God, considers moral reform and repentance, or envisions Biblical events. The latter is quite popular, typically involving the imagination of a scene or dramatic even from the life of Christ. The third state is recollection, in which the practitioner directs attention and receptiveness to God by eliminating as much as possible cognitive and affective interferences, thus transcending the limitations of the senses. Distractions, for example, can be avoided by establishing a quiet place for habitual prayer. Wandering thoughts can be controlled by such techniques as rhythmic breathing or the use of a sacred word so to militate against mental chatter. The idea is to spend quality time with God by quieting the mind.
The fourth and fifth states constitute mysticism per se, as they are based on divine rather than human work. The fourth state is contemplation, in which all meditation is blocked and recollection has sufficiently advanced to permit a passive rather than active receptivity to God. The shift from recollection to contemplation implies that sufficient mental space is now available to invite God into consciousness. As indicated previously, recollection is considered human work while contemplation is God’s work. Because of the important distinction, recollection is often called acquired contemplation, whereas contemplation itself is labeled infused contemplation. The fifth and final stage is unification, wherein contemplation leads to a strong feeling of imageless union with God. This union within consciousness is the height of the mystical path, and is only granted to the greatest mystics, those having exceptional relationships with God. The most significant aspect of mystical union is a congruence of wills between the mystic and God, which can progressively lead to longer and/or stronger experiences of transforming union.
Having described the five stages of the mystical journey, we may now define mystical experience as a contextually determined, trans-sensory metamorphosis of consciousness that usually supervenes only after an individual has achieved recollection. The experience is contextually determined, meaning it is nearly always related to the religious and cultural tradition of the mystic. A trans-sensory metamorphosis of consciousness occurs, meaning that the state of consciousness is transformed from sensory to beyond sensory. The key aspect of this definition is a clear connection between transformation of consciousness and recollection, so that acquired contemplation becomes a radical empowerment of thought and will in preparation for both infused contemplation and mystical union.
“I beseech you therefore, brothers [and sisters], by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man [and woman] that is among you, not to think of himself [or herself] more highly than he [or she] ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man [and woman] the measure of faith.” [Romans 12:1-3]
Consecration of Jonathan Edwards
(Good Daily Challenge)
“I claim no right to myself-- no right to this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me. Neither do I have any right to this body or its members-- no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears, or eyes. I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own. I have been to God this morning and told Him that I have given myself wholly to Him. I have given every power, so that for the future I claim no right to myself in any respect. I have expressively promised Him, for by His grace I will not fail.
“I take Him as my whole portion and felicity [great happiness], the joys of Heaven, prosperity; looking upon nothing else as any part of my happiness. His Law is the constant rule of my obedience. I will fight with all my might against the world, the flesh, and the devil to the end of my life. I will adhere [stick] to the faith of the Gospel, however hazardous [or dangerous] and difficult the profession and practice of it may be. I receive the blessed Holy Spirit as my Teacher, Sanctifier, and the only Comforter, and cherish all monitions [cautions or warnings] to enlighten, purify, confirm, comfort, and assist me. This I have done.
“I pray God, for the sake of others, to look upon me as a self dedication and receive me as His own. Henceforth I am not to act in any respect as my own. I shall act as my own if I ever make use of any of my powers to do anything that is not to the glory of God, or to fail to make the glorifying of Him my whole and entire business. If I murmur in the least at afflictions, if I am in any way uncharitable, if I revenge my own case, if I do anything purely to please myself or omit anything because it is a great denial, if I trust to myself if I take any praise for any good which Christ does by me, or if I am in any way proud, I shall act as my own and not God's. Therefore, I purpose to be absolutely His.” [Emphases and definitions purposely added.]
Appropriate Scriptures: Psalm 103, l Corinthians 15:22-31, and 2 Corinthians 4
John 17
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said,
“Father, the hour has come;
glorify Your Son, that The Son may glorify You,
2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh,
that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
3 This is eternal life, that they may know
You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.
4 I glorified You on the Earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself,
with the glory which I had with You before the World was.
6 I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the World;
they were Yours and You gave them to Me,
and they have kept Your Word.
7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them;
and they received {them} and truly understood that I came forth from You,
and they believed that You sent Me.
9 I ask on their behalf;
I do not ask on behalf of the World,
but of those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours;
10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine;
and I have been glorified in them.
11 I am no longer in the World; and {yet} they themselves are in the World,
and I come to You. Holy Father,
keep them in Your name, {the name} which You have given Me,
that they may be one even as We {are.}
12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me;
and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the Son of Perdition,
so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 But now I come to You;
and these things I speak in the World
so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
14 I have given them Your Word;
and the World has hated them because they are not of the World,
even as I am not of the World.
15 I do not ask You to take them out of the World, but to keep them from the evil {one.}
16 They are not of the World, even as I am not of the World.
17 Sanctify them in the Truth; Your word is truth.
18 As You sent Me into the World, I also have sent them into the World.
19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 I do not ask on behalf of these alone,
but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
21 that they may all be one;
even as You, Father, {are} in Me and I in You,
that they also may be in Us, so that the World may believe that You sent Me.
22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them,
that they may be one, just as We are one;
23 I in them and You in Me,
that they may be perfected in unity, so that
the World may know that You sent Me,
and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, Whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am,
so that they may see My glory which You have given Me,
for You loved Me before the foundation of the World.
25 O righteous Father, although the World has not known You, yet I have known You;
and these have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have made Your Name known to them,
and will make it known, so that
the love (agapè) with which You loved Me may be in them
and I in them.”
Question: Are you a true Biblical Christian mystic unified with God
or are you mostly a humanist with a little spiritual?
The majority are the latter.
There are 2 kinds of Christians:
John 10
7 So Jesus said again,
“I assure you, I am The Gate for the sheep.
8 All those who came before me were thieves and robbers.
The sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am The Gate.
Whoever enters through Me will be saved.
They will be able to come in and go out.
They will find everything they need.
10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
But I came to give life-- life that is full and good.
11 I am The Good Shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
12 The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd.
The paid worker does not own the sheep.
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So when he sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone.
Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.
13 The man runs away because he is only a paid worker.
He does not really care for the sheep.
14 I am The Shepherd Who cares for the sheep.
I know My sheep just as The Father knows Me.
And My sheep know Me just as I know The Father.
I give My life for these sheep.
15 Even as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father.
And I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep too.
They are not in this flock here.
I must lead them also.
They will listen to My voice.
In the future there will be one flock and one Shepherd.
1 Corinthians 3
10 According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me,
like a skillful architect {and} master builder I laid [the] foundation,
and now another [man or woman] is building upon it.
But let each [one] be careful how one builds upon it,
11 for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid,
which is Jesus Christ (The Messiah, The Anointed One).
12 But if anyone builds upon The Foundation, whether it be with
gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw,
13 the work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known;
for the day [of Christ] will disclose {and} declare it,
because it will be revealed with fire,
and the fire will test {and} critically appraise
the character {and} worth of the work each person has done.
14 If the work which any person has built on this Foundation
[any product of his (or her) efforts whatever] survives [this test],
he (or she) will get his (or her) reward.
15 But if any person's work is burned up [under the test],
he (or she) will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his (or her) reward],
though he (or she) will be saved,
but only as [one who has passed] through fire.
***Read the following passage. What are the important facts?
In what ways do you want to do your part for the Great Commission?
Matthew 28
16 Now the eleven Disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had directed {and} made appointment with them.
17 And when they saw Him, they fell down and worshiped Him;
but some doubted.
18 Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them,
“All authority (all power of rule) in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me.
19 Go then and make Disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them into the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you,
and behold, I am with you all the days,
to the [very] close {and} consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).”
Spiritual Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-18 (from the Lockman Foundation’s Amplified Bible and logically formatted)
10 In conclusion,
be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him];
draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
11 Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies],
that you may be able successfully to stand up
against [all] the strategies {and} the deceits of the devil.
12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood
[contending only with physical opponents],
but against the despotisms,
against the powers,
against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness,
against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
13 Therefore put on God's complete armor,
that you may be able to
resist {and}
stand your ground on the evil day [of danger],
and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
14 Stand therefore [hold your ground],
having tightened the belt of truth around your loins
and having put on the breastplate
of integrity {and}
of moral rectitude {and}
right standing with God,
15 And having shod your feet in preparation of the Gospel of peace.
[To face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness,
and the readiness produced by the good news.]
16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith,
upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
17 And take
the helmet of salvation
and the sword that the Holy Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in The Spirit,
with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose {and} perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).
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Bible lover Bill
Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:4-8, and Jude 20-25
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