One thing I love about my phone is that it syncs with my PC so if I lose it, or it ends up going through the wash cycle, I don't lose all my contact info. Put PC and phone together with a cable and in no time they "think" the same thing.
How awesome would it be if we had a cable like that to plug into God? Plug in, hit the "sync" button and in no time I am on His schedule, thinking His thoughts and operating in perfect harmony (100% sync) with Him.
Of course that is what a daily personal devotion time is all about - slowing down long enough to get my life and thoughts in line with Him.
But that is such a slow process - being conformed to His image bit by bit, poco a poco. How much cooler to just jam a USB (Update Spiritual Brain) cable into one ear and in 30 seconds I am ready to go.
What do you think? Thumbs up idea or Lame?
Let me know your thoughts.
3/26/09
In Sync
Posted by
Rick Malm
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19 comments:
How about the HOLY SPIRIT it works wonders.
Not quite sure what you mean. Is that a question or just a comment? Could be an interesting dialogue though.
How awesome would it be if we had a cable like that to plug into God? Plug in, hit the "sync" button and in no time I am on His schedule, thinking His thoughts and operating in perfect harmony (100% sync) with Him.
Blogger Richard said...
Not quite sure what you mean. Is that a question or just a comment? Could be an interesting dialogue though.
HOW AWESOME IT WOULD BE IF YOU HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD
IN YOU OPERATING IN PERFECT HARMONY 100% SYNC with GOD.
The holy spirit is what connects you with God and gives you understanding of Gods word. 100%.
Any one connected with God KNOWS it's threw Jesus Christ and it was the holy spirit that gave the knowledge and understanding 100%.
How nice it is IT"S THREW the HOLY SPIRIT NOT some usb cable.
How nice it is for those of us WHO ARE IN CHRIST WE HAVE THAT CONNECTION that you wished you had
and IT DID NOT COME THREW A USB CABLE. NOR do we wish we had a connection threw a usb cable.
WE ARE CONNECTED 100% with God
and that connection my friend came from the HOLY SPIRIT.
You might want to check it out it comes from Jesus Christ, it's called the Holy Spirit and it works wonders!!
I understand when you say, " Not quite sure what you mean".
How could you understand, wishing you could be in touch with God threw a USB cable.
If you were in touch with God, you would not be wishing you could be in touch with God threw a USB cable.
You would be in touch THREW Jesus Christ AND YOU WOULD KNOW IT 100%. and you would say it.
It would be the work of the holy spirit100%. You wouldn't be wishing for it threw a USB cable.
Hope God shows you what is said here things of God can't be understood by the HUMAN mind. or threw usb cables.
The fastest way and the ONLY way to get connected with God is threw Jesus Christ
and it's the Holy Spirit that gives the understanding and then it's only because of Gods grace that it is given. IT"S THE ONLY WAY.
SO what you say is WRONG, you say wouldn't it be nice to be connected with God threw a USB cable.
Christ died so we COULD BE CONNECTED THREW JESUS CHRIST
the holy spirit is what connects us.
Christ did NOT die so we could WISH there was a way that we could be connected with a USB cable, Christ died
and rose again SO WE COULD BE CONNECTED with God and it's the Holy Spirit that gives ALL knowledge and connection.100%.
Richard said...
How much cooler to just jam a USB (Update Spiritual Brain) cable into one ear and in 30 seconds I am ready to go.
Sounds like your ready all you need is the computer CHIP and THEY will keep you updated. you got the brain the false gospel.Now you need the chip to make it faster.
Those of us that are in Christ received our Spiritual Brain from Jesus Christ.
We were Born Again threw Jesus Christ our dead spirit brain was updated by the holy spirit of God threw Jesus Christ.
and the spirit of God keeps OUR spiritual brain updated with the spiritual true word of God. 100%
To answer your question, YES that is one of the LAMEST UN SPIRITUAL questions I've heard in a long time.
Can you see yourself face to face with Jesus Christ telling Christ .
How much cooler to just jam a USB (Update Spiritual Brain) cable into one ear and in 30 seconds I am ready to go
instead of having Jesus Christ doing the work.
NO thanks Jesus it would be MUCH COOLER for ME just to JAM A USB
(chip) cable in one ear and HEY I'll be ready to go in 30 seconds.
Dear Anon:
Thanks for writing back. I really appreciate your courage to take a stand. So many folks spout their criticism and then never stick around to hear the other side. I commend you. As I guessed, this could be an interesting conversation. Perhaps we can both learn something.
I'll try to address some of your thoughts.
1. Your first short reply was: "How about the HOLY SPIRIT it works wonders." Not to be nit-picky on theology but the Holy Spirit is considered the third PERSON of the trinity. You might stop referring to him as IT. Jesus referred to him as "he". (eg. Jn 14:17, 15:26, 16:13 and other places)
2. You said: "The holy spirit is what connects you with God and gives you understanding of Gods word. 100%."
It sounds like you are saying the HS gives you 100% understanding of God's Word but certainly you do not mean that,do you? If that IS what you mean, please let me know because brother, I have a zillion questions for you. :)
3. It is fairly obvious from the tenor and attitude of your comments that you are a new believer. I would like to encourage your zeal but let me suggest you approach this walk of faith as more of one with questions than one with all the answers. Twice in the NT and once in the OT the Lord says He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. I'll bet you, like me, need as much grace as you can get.
3. My phone syncs with my computer 100% (at least it is supposed to). In this analogy I was saying it would be nice if I could be in sync with God 100%. Certainly you aren't claiming that you are 100% in sync with God - that you know the mind of the Lord, understand his ways and his judgments. If that is what you are saying, check out Romans 11:33, 34. You may find it helpful.
4. One final thing, and, again I don't want to appear nit picky but I assume you respond to a lot of blogs and I'd like to help you appear more credible and, thereby, better represent the Lord in future posts. You use the word "threw" a lot. You mean "through". Threw is the action of throwing.
But not to end on a sour note, you also say: "
The ... ONLY way to get connected with God is threw Jesus Christ ... "
You are absolutely 100% right.
I hope to hear from you soon.
wrong.
I was just reading and ran across what
You have the blog site, and I guess all your replies are from new believers as you call them. and when you get a hit then you respond with your SELF KNOWLEDGE which is false, and they think you know what your talking about and believe you. I guess you need that to feel important.
.
3) No Truth can contain self-contradictory information; it is inherently impossible
"Knowing this first, that no prophesy of scripture is of any private interpretation." (2 Peter 1:20, KJV)
Rightly Dividing the Truth
Sounds like you have been indoctrinated with teachings you have heard and believed throughout the years, including wrong conclusions and private interpretations of teachers. But if we want the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, we cannot allow fallible teachers, no matter how "scholarly" they seem or how widely-accepted their doctrine is, to relieve us of the responsibility of diligently studying the Bible for ourselves.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15-16, KJV)
Your thought processes are profoundly influenced by our indoctrinated beliefs. Consequently, as you read the scriptures, you subconsciously read them through the "colored glasses" or filter of pre-learned doctrines, and interpret them to fit these doctrines.
There fore you make the scriptures fit the doctrine, rather than forming doctrine from the scriptures. To avoid this, you must be careful to take the scriptures at face value, and make no assumptions; to "think outside the box" of man's understanding and read them through the "clear glasses" of devotion to Truth.
So if we can't trust the teachings of any fallible man to be the infallible Truth, what must we do? We must ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truth as we carefully read His Word.
"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie..." (1 John 2:27, KJV)
All of us born-again believers in Jesus have received the same anointing - the Holy Spirit's indwelling. Don't you suppose that if you are diligently studying the scriptures to find the Truth in them, and you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth of the scriptures to you and to keep you from deception, He will gladly do so?
Conclusion
I believe there are some things we should remember in studying the Word of God:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to lead you into the Truth in His Word.
2. Be willing to forsake what you've always believed in favor of the Truth you read.
3. "Wipe the slate clean" of the conclusions and private interpretations of others.
4. Believe only what the scriptures clearly and explicitly state; make no assumptions.
5. Search out and carefully examine all scriptures on a topic to get the full picture.
6. Don't try to "nail down" the spiritual things of God, or put Him "in a box".
Otherwise, you might be believing a DOCTRINE OF DEVILS!
ALSO your on your comment to me
you said
1. Your first short reply was: "How about the HOLY SPIRIT it works wonders." Not to be nit-picky on theology but the Holy Spirit is considered the third PERSON of the trinity. You might stop referring to him as IT. Jesus referred to him as "he". (eg. Jn 14:17, 15:26, 16:13 and other places)
you didn't see anything but "IT" you missed the point.
You might want to do some research on the NIV, NKJV, RSV etc,etc, and see how
the word of God has been changed, left out, and they (man) has added to the word of God.
Dear Anon:
Cool down a little friend. Your response is so vitriolic that I am beginning to question your sincerity - and your faith. Sounds like you may be a non-believer just "messing with me" and trying to get a rise so you can demonstrate how judgmental and unkind Christian are. It especially concerns me that you obviously did not look up the passages I suggested because you simply suggest I research the errors of versions other than the KJV. Problem is, I was referring to the KJV.
You make so many baseless assumptions that your response hardly deserves a comment. But, on the outside chance that you are serious, I would invite you to substantiate some of your charges.
For example, you say:
"as you read the scriptures, you subconsciously read them through the "colored glasses" or filter of pre-learned doctrines, and interpret them to fit these doctrines." How can you possibly know how, or even if, I read the Scriptures? You have no idea what my doctrinal beliefs are, "pre-learned" or otherwise.
Here's a scary thought. I might believe the same way you do on topics such as salvation, the KJ Version, the divinity of Christ, election, predestination, the filling of the Holy Spirit and other topics. Since you have determined my beliefs on these issues are "pre-learned", please tell me, did I pre-learn as a Calvinist or Arminian? Do I only believe and read the KJV? Do I believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit passed away with the apostles or am I a tongue talking, crazed Charismatic? How about the second coming of Christ? Do I believe it has already happened, could happen any day, will happen after a period of tribulation, before a period of tribulation or is not going to ever happen? ... "declare if thou knowest it all."
Job 38:18
Answer me correctly on these issues (not what the correct belief is but what I believe about these since you claim to know my beliefs). Then I, and all reading this blog, will know you really do hear from the HS 100%. If you avoid answering these questions then it will be obvious you are just "blowing smoke" and have no idea what I believe or through what lenses I filter my beliefs but we will have a good idea of which lenses you filter through.
Answer me correctly on these issues (not what the correct belief is but what I believe about these since you claim to know my beliefs). Then I, and all reading this blog, will know you really do hear from the HS 100%. If you avoid answering these questions then it will be obvious you are just "blowing smoke" and have no idea what I believe or through what lenses I filter my beliefs but we will have a good idea of which lenses you filter through.
I said what I believe, what do you believe.
This all started from your post
"quote"
"But that is such a slow process - being conformed to His image bit by bit, poco a poco. How much cooler to just jam a USB (Update Spiritual Brain) cable into one ear and in 30 seconds I am ready to go."
What do you think? Thumbs up idea or Lame?
Let me know your thoughts.
and it went from there.
First of all I don't mind telling anyone who I am in Christ and how I received the spirit of the Father(God) according to scripture.
(1) I was born dead in sin, dead in spirit
from the fall. I could not go to God on my own, it's imposable!
(2)God called me to Jesus Christ through his word, I heard him and believed and I repented and went to Jesus Christ.
(3)from then on day by day giving myself to Christ and asking Christ to guide me day by day remaining true to God was I shown from the spirit of God what was of God and what was of the flesh. Little by little day by day as time goes on while I'm in this flesh body, it's the spirit of God that keeps me from the flesh and that same spirit of God shows me who has the same spirit in them and who does not. It was NOTHING that I did to receive Gods spirit. It was God who called me to Christ by hearing him through his word..
God says Test ALL spirits and see if they have the same spirit in them.
Who are you. You have never said you have received the spirit of God. I HAVE said it and told every one how that happened it was according to scripture, and I sure don't mind telling ANYONE.
How about you. If you have the spirit of God in you tell us how you received Gods spirit.
In the name of God who are you what spirit do you have in you. I told you what spirit is in me,Christ in me and me in Christ, and how I received the spirit of God. (above)
I need to know who I am talking to here
there is only one way to the father(God)
according to the word of God.
Are you of the same spirit, or are you just blowing smoke.
Come on take the guess work out of it,
I can't read your mind, tell us in your own words how you are in Christ if you are, and how did that take place, if it did.
If you have the spirit of God then tell us how you got Gods spirit, there is only one way according to the word of God
Let us know who you are.if you can,let the spirit of God speak if he is in you,
let that spirit if the spirit is there tell us how you received him, if the spirit is there.
Or are you just blowing smoke.
Thanks for sharing your story. It is good to hear you asking questions instead of making assumptions and accusations.
You asked if I have "received the spirit of God". I have. You asked how it happened but then you say, "there is only one way according to the word of God". I agree and that is how it happened.
As to the original quote, the point is that being conformed to the image of Christ is a slow process. Do you agree it does not happen overnight? Wouldn't you like to conformed to His image more quickly? Hopefully you are living more like Jesus today than you did yesterday but still you are not perfectly reflecting His glory to the world around you. You still make mistakes.
Wouldn't it be great if you could be perfectly conformed to His image - live, think, act, have the attitudes of Christ - immediately?
If you have that desire then we are in agreement. If you do not then, perhaps, you do not have as much of the spirit of Christ in you as you think because that is certainly His desire for you.
Wouldn't it be great if you could be perfectly conformed to His image - live, think, act, have the attitudes of Christ - immediately?
NO!!! I don't rush God, that happens in Gods time NOT yours or mine.I'm content with what God shows me and when he shows me. The more you study Gods word in spirit the more the spirit gives spiritual understanding of his word
In Gods time. The more you seek then more is shown.
You asked if I have "received the spirit of God". I have. You asked how it happened but then you say, "there is only one way according to the word of God". I agree and that is how it happened.
HOW WHAT HAPPENED
HOW did IT happen. EXPLAIN in your own words, I didn't ask you to agree with me.
Agreeing with me doesn't give you the spirit of God
How did you receive if you did the spirit of God if you have that spirit.
I told you how I received the spirit of God.
Once again agreeing with me does not give you the spirit of God!
In your own words How did YOU recieve
the spirit of God if you did.
If you can not say in your own words how that happened then you are just blowing smoke.
Whats so difficult for you to say in your own words how YOU received the spirit of God.
Is that spirit of God in you to speak out
to let us know how he got there.
Until you show the spirit of God thats in me that you have the same spirit of God in you, we are done talking.
Richard said...
Wouldn't it be great if you could be perfectly conformed to His image - live, think, act, have the attitudes of Christ - immediately?
If you have that desire then we are in agreement. If you do not then, perhaps, you do not have as much of the spirit of Christ in you as you think because that is certainly His desire for you.
WHAT!! your saying (above) that Gods desire is for us to be like Christ immediately!
Thats not in the word of God my friend, thats another gospel.
You show me where God says IMMEDIATELY!
Then you say if I don't have that desire
and agree with you then I don't have the spirit of God in me.
You have no idea what your talking about
and you sure don't have the spirit of God in you, God never said his desire was for us to be like Christ IMMEDIATELY!!
I would NEVER agree with such a false statement, THATS the power of the spirit of God, knowledge knowing true from false.
Keep it up your showing who you really are.
Dear Anon:
You talk a lot about having the spirit of God in you yet, you are failing all the tests.
1. Q. How did Jesus say the world would know we are his disciples? A. If we love one another. So, if I am a follower of His, then you certainly are not demonstrating love toward me. Check out 1 Cor 13. I sense no patience, kindness, etc from you.
If I am not one of His then you are still obligated to love me for "God so loved the world .." Shouldn't you love me if He does and you are His representative here on earth?
2. If we have the spirit of Christ in us the Bible tells us certain fruit will be manifested. Galatians 5 I have seen none of the fruit of the spirit (of God) in any of your remarks. Have you responded lovingly, patiently, kindly, with gentleness and goodness and meekness? Not hardly. You have responded with harsh judgments, rude accusations and proud, arrogant statements.
If you are a Christian, the best thing you can do for the kingdom of God is to keep it to yourself for your Phariseeism is the exact sort of thing that causes the world to reject Christ and Christianity.
Somewhere you have gotten the idea that you have great spiritual understanding yet, the truth is you have not even begun to reflect the character of Christ - who humbled Himself, spoke kindly to prostitutes and "sinners". The only folks He spoke harshly to were those like you - who had all the answers, who were proud, arrogant, intolerant of sinners.
I have tried to treat you with respect and demonstrate the kindness of Christ to you but it is abundantly clear that Pharisees are still alive today.
I suggest you get on your face before God and try this repentance thing again because your arrogance is a stench in heaven and on earth.
Richard said...
Wouldn't it be great if you could be perfectly conformed to His image - live, think, act, have the attitudes of Christ - immediately?
If you have that desire then we are in agreement. If you do not then, perhaps, you do not have as much of the spirit of Christ in you as you think because that is certainly His desire for you.
GOD does NOT desire NOR does God say for us to be like Christ immediately!! ALSO Christ wasn't NICE
to some people.
‘God’s way to make us like Christ is to fill us with his Spirit’
So, if that is true, I am proposing the following: first, to lay down the biblical basis for the call to Christlikeness; second, to give some New Testament examples of this; third, to draw some practical conclusions. And it all relates to becoming like Christ.
SO, FIRST, is the biblical basis for the call to Christlikeness. The basis for this is not a single text: the basis is more substantial than can be encapsulated in a single text. The basis consists rather of three texts which we would do well to hold together in our Christian thinking and living: Romans 8.29, 2 Corinthians 3.18, and 1 John 3.2.
Romans 8.29 reads that God has predestined his people to be conformed to the image of his Son, that is, to become like Jesus. We all know that when Adam fell, he lost much — though not all — of the divine image in which he had been created. But God has restored it in Christ. Conformity to the image of God means to become like Jesus: Christlikeness is the eternal predestinating purpose of God.
My second text is 2 Corinthians 3.18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness, from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
So it is by the indwelling Spirit himself that we are being changed from glory to glory — it is a magnificent vision. In this second stage of becoming like Christ, you will notice that the perspective has changed from the past to the present, from God’s eternal predestination to his present transformation of us by the Holy Spirit. It has changed from God’s eternal purpose to make us like Christ, to his historical work by his Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus.
That brings me to my third text: 1 John 3.2. “Beloved, we are God’s children now and it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he appears, we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
We do not know in any detail what we shall be in the last day, but we do know that we will be like Christ. There is really no need for us to know any more than this. We are content with the glorious truth that we will be with Christ, like Christ, for ever.
Here are three perspectives — past, present, and future. All of them are pointing in the same direction: there is God’s eternal purpose, we have been predestined; there is God’s historical purpose, we are being changed, transformed by the Holy Spirit; and there is God’s final or eschatological purpose, we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All three — the eternal, the historical, and the eschatological — combine towards the same end of Christlikeness.
This, I suggest, is the purpose of God for the people of God. That is the biblical basis for becoming like Christ: it is the purpose of God for the people of God.
AND IT IS NOT immediately like you say!
Richard said...
1. Q. How did Jesus say the world would know we are his disciples? A. If we love one another. So, if I am a follower of His, then you certainly are not demonstrating love toward me. Check out 1 Cor 13. I sense no patience, kindness, etc from you.
Jesus said we will know them by there fruit
Richard said...
If I am not one of His then you are still obligated to love me for "God so loved the world .." Shouldn't you love me if He does and you are His representative here on earth?
I don't hate you.
Richard said...
If we have the spirit of Christ in us the Bible tells us certain fruit will be manifested. Galatians 5 I have seen none of the fruit of the spirit (of God) in any of your remarks. Have you responded lovingly, patiently, kindly, with gentleness and goodness and meekness? Not hardly. You have responded with harsh judgments, rude accusations and proud, arrogant statements.
There is nothing you have said that is of the spirit of God to agree with
Richard said...
If you are a Christian, the best thing you can do for the kingdom of God is to keep it to yourself for your Phariseeism is the exact sort of thing that causes the world to reject Christ and Christianity.
You don't even know if I'm a Christian, only God knows what is best for me.
Richard said...
Somewhere you have gotten the idea that you have great spiritual understanding yet, the truth is you have not even begun to reflect the character of Christ - who humbled Himself, spoke kindly to prostitutes and "sinners". The only folks He spoke harshly to were those like you - who had all the answers, who were proud, arrogant, intolerant of sinners.
That somewhere was from the spirit of God. You don't know what the truth is.
Richard said...
I have tried to treat you with respect and demonstrate the kindness of Christ to you but it is abundantly clear that Pharisees are still alive today.
You have treated me with no respect just because I did not agree with you.
Richard said...
I suggest you get on your face before God and try this repentance thing again because your arrogance is a stench in heaven and on earth.
Who made you God to suggest anything to anyone.
You said if I didn't agree with YOU then I
didn't have the spirit of God!
Blogger Richard said...
Wouldn't it be great if you could be perfectly conformed to His image - live, think, act, have the attitudes of Christ - immediately?
If you have that desire then we are in agreement. If you do not then, perhaps, you do not have as much of the spirit of Christ in you as you think because that is certainly His desire for you.
AGREE WITH YOU OR I"M NOT IN CHRIST Who gave you that power.
That remark alone calls for repentance
Anon:
Hypocrisy is clearly alive. You rant and rail about how no one can know your heart yet you claim to perfectly understand my heart, motives and relationship with God.
My favorite part of your latest diatribe:
I commented: "Somewhere you have gotten the idea that you have great spiritual understanding..."
You responded:
"That somewhere was from the spirit of God."
So, from the spirit of God you have gotten the idea that you have great spiritual understanding. Wow. You sound like one of Job's friends.
You also state:
"You don't even know if I'm a Christian, only God knows what is best for me." Right on part A - wrong on part B.
Right: I don't know if you are a Christian because your tone, attitude and anger does not reflect Christ.
Wrong: God is not the only one who knows what is best for you. He has revealed it in Scripture so I know what is best for you too. It is best for you to:
Live for God. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Put away all anger, malice, wrath and evil speaking. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but only things that will build up others. I could go on but I hope you get the point.
What I do not know is the source of the anger within you. It certainly is not the spirit of God.
I liked this part too.
Well you are to wise for me with all your knowledge. You sure are a voice of wisdom, I learned a lot from talking to you, however I'll never be that wise, or have the knowledge that you do
God hasn't gave me the knowledge and wisdom that you have. Thanks for letting me who I am, and give yourself a pat on the back for who you are.
If I ever dough who I am, I will sure come back and talk to you again.
I wasn't being rude or hate full to you, it's was that I just don't have the same wisdom and understanding that you have.
My brain couldn't handle the wisdom and knowledge that you have, so I will leave you with your knowledge and wisdom your just to wise for me.
Sounds like you are signing off - a wise choice for both of us.
He who began a good work in you is able to bring it to completion.
See you in eternity.
I don't have a response I don't have the wisdom or knowledge thats above yours to respond with.
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