It appears that its not just my opinion but many others who have enjoyed Garry Larson’s type of humour depicted down through the years, especially loved the cartoon I have used here.
Birth marks can be very inconspicuous or very obtrusive in nature; mostly they are not something most ever desired. I remember when my twin sisters were born, one had a mole (not really a birth mark but similar) on the side of her head, it was the distinguishing mark that was needed in telling them apart for the longest of time.
In the fall of man there was an insidious birth mark added to his makeup, from what I have learned it was a metaphysical component called, “the flesh” something that was not part of his original design.
It was within this component the very covert and intrusive impetus of the father of lies and religion was masquerading as our human nature, another misnomer believed by most everyone.
Man was not created with a nature, nature is something derived through a spiritual source, man in the beginning was living in a state of innocence; as it were his soul was amoral. This was in my opinion set up for Adam to choose what nature was going to be displayed in and through him and all of man kind (as Bob Dylan has aptly put it, you’ve got to serve somebody)!
It truly amazes me in how many seem to come so close (but no cigar) in describing the warfare that continues within the believers life, not to mention the sinning issue without being able to pin the tail on the culprit, the one Jesus identified as Satan, the sinner from the beginning.
It is my understanding that the reason when Jesus came into our lives, Satan was not evicted, (he was never in the spirit of man~NEVER) although his power over us was broken he yet remained within us still operating within the flesh, why, because if there was no other option presented to our soul (remember the soul is amoral) to have a moral governor, we would be but automaton’s.
Rich
OMG…finally found someone who see’s this Have you ever read any of William Landon’s books…especially The Devil You Don’t Know? It’s been a very lonely road but would rather go it alone than be one of the crowd. If we are to ever come to a place of harmony with ourselves and each other, we must understand this basic nature. Look forward to reading more of your thoughts.
lani,
Wow, another person that has heard of my good friend Bill-William Landon, now that is cool!
My wife who hardly or rarely ever reads and “christian books” has read Bill’s book, The Devil You Don’t know several times, as well as myself, every time I read it again Father high-lights something fresh to my understanding.
I hear you on the very lonely road trip, but this too is all part of coming to know Him in ways that continue to deepen the ongoing amazing work of grace. There is NO turning back for me, ever.
I would love to hear more about you if you would care to share, about your journey or anything else you might care to make known.
By the way, how did you come to read Bill’s books?
Rich
Oh my… so much to say about my journey. I received God’s life way back in 1975 and have trusted that life in me all these years so when I came across Landon’s book on a table of books for sale at a Warren Litzman meeting, many years ago, I took it home and really didn’t read it for a couple of years. Been through all the experiences of going deeper; in and out of organized religion, church splits,even starting a Messianic home group in my home for a few years, leaving groups starting groups…then coming down to just a few friends that understood the Christ-Life. Norman Grubb’s books were very instrumental in my seeing-through and also Warren Litzman. Met them both at meetings and gained much understanding of knowing this life in me, as me but…….never has it all come together for me as when I started reading Landon’s books and my Spirit just said YES!! So excited to share this truth with my friends and whoa…..not well received at all. Learned that I guess Bill’s revelation was not well received in Warren’s group as well and neither was I. My very good friend that is still a Warren groupie and who I love dearly, has just left it as “we agree to disagree”. Her response is “Don’t tell me anything that has me fighting the devil”. They have a hard time feeling that God would co-exist with the devil in His humanity and I can’t for the life of me make her understand the freedom of knowing the division(where God allowed him to operate) and the freedom to know he can’t touch me!! There is no fighting the devil as long as I live in surrender to the Spirit, but he sure tries to jerk you around. I now know where that comes from and knowing that made all the difference. My purification path has become a quiet, sometimes lonely walk with God, as He makes me become so dependent on Him plus NOTHING!! I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am like you, in that I can NEVER go back. I have often thought that I would love to be able to just thank Bill Landon for his expression of Truth. It has so changed my life. There are very few people I can say I would love to meet and he is one of them. I also read and re-read all of his books and find new revelation and sparks of truth every time I pick one up. If I’m feeling down, a few words of his( that always include the scripture to confirm) and I’m doing my happy dance. Would love to communicate via email with you and your wife every now and then….my email is lani_w@hotmail.com. I live in a beautiful little town in the western part of N.C. called Blowing Rock. My husband and I have five grown children and have been married 40 yrs. We have been in the restaurant business most of our life but are now semi-retired. I am a real estate broker and my husband plays around with selling import cars in the town of Boone. So that’s the short version. So excited to have found you. I love to read and write…it’s one of my passions. Will follow your blog. I started one several years ago, (blowingrocknc.blogspot.com) mainly for family but haven’t done much with it lately. I’m going through another transition, into what,only God knows, Trying to not get in His way which is hard for me.
Blessings to you Rich,
Lani
The new birthmark is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” that we received when we died and were raised up in Him. With it came the right to know Him and to share in His sufferings.
But before we see that last statement as a “pity party”, think of how precious we are deemed by our Redeemer to be counted worthy of sharing in His sufferings. The birthmark is a cross which we carry around daily in our new lives. And the old governor knows that he lost us and we are now under new ownership…so there is “now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus who live not according to the flesh but by the Spirit”
Rich, you caught my attention by your comments on Ole’s blog regarding suffering. While others are running away from the Refiner’s Fire in fear of getting burned, seems like you are running towards it, shouting, “Lord, take away the created things of no value in my life”.
Indeed, it’s a given that “In this life we will have many troubles, but be of good cheer, for Christ (in us) has overcome the world”
Tim
Tim,
I so appreciated your thoughts, thank you.
His heart is a consuming fire, and that fire is simply wanting to destroy that which is trying to destroy us in the form of the lies we believe to be true. So many of these everyday lies we imbibe in are what I like to call self-talk, you know, those often repeated thoughts in our head that sounds just me (us).
I am one of many sons learning that my bush is ablaze and yet, I am not being consumed, although the lies are!
[...] The truth is that from before the foundations of the earth, there’s been a search and rescue team (Father, Son and Spirit) set upon finding and rescuing those who are lost, lost to the knowledge that God the Father loves us! Because there are no natural vacuums, not knowing or experiencing the growing unfolding reality of how loved we are, the lies become to us the natural language we become stepped in, and when the liar (Satan) speaks we readily agree with him. I’ve spoken of this before with these thoughts, Bummer of a Birthmark. [...]