The Spirit of God (Light of God) is like the streams of rivers flowing impartially to everyone. Like water, the spirit continues to nurture without expectations or making demands. There is nothing that doesn’t depend on it for life, and yet it never seek reward or speaks of its power. Nothing happens without its presence, an yet it never mentions of its work. It models, shapes, and becomes anything you ask of it. The Spirit has no borders, goes in all direction, it is not one-sided, and present to all. Where ever we turn, the Spirit is there for us to use. You can not categorize it weak nor strong, yin nor yang, because the spirit has no limits, responding to all things and in all direction. It gives birth to all things through the mystery of doing nothing. It causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Every good and perfect gift we see below is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. Everyone is dependent on the spirit (Light of God) to live and anything is possible with it.
The Spirit leads us to the miracle of salvation that came from the sacrifice of Jesus through faith. John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. It was not until the sacrifice of Jesus we received the Spirit of God who is intimately living in us as One body. John 7:37-39, 37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. It is only through Jesus Christ we see the gateway of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Though, the unseen spirit may seem distant, it is very much alive and working inside our hearts. 1 Corinthians 6:19, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; We cannot take anything away from its greatness nor add anything to it. The spirit has a basic humility that we observe and emulate in order to act accordingly with God. It keeps us rooted in our foundation and endures all the body experiences to regenerate, indwell, restraint, and provide service. Only believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit are said to be “Spiritually Alive” and unbelievers are “Spiritually Dead”.
Jesus (God, Son, or Spirit: Trinity) fulfills the promise of his Father without taking credit or glory for his work. John 8:54, 54Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though he is Master of all and Sovereign, He came down from heaven and lived in the flesh among us; feeding the poor and healing the sick without mastering over them. Jesus acknowledges his future and surrendered himself to the authorities only to be beaten and killed. Ever desiring nothing of this world, not even his own life, Jesus does what the Father tells him. Jesus knows all things that are created by the Father will return to him, and yet He doesn’t control them; like streams returning to the sea, and yet it doesn’t control them (Ecclesiastes 1:7). John 14:10, Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. All things are created by him and all things will return to the Father and Son.
His sovereignty does not demand control of our freedom or display dominance. Many find Jesus imperceptible or small because He seek and possesses nothing of this world. When He seems small to us, He never stop being Great. And when Jesus is Great, He never stop being small. Matthew 19:21, Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Jesus is the perfecter of our faith and the heir of all things. He is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of his being, and the transcendental force of nature. Jesus draws no attention to his sovereignty over nations and angels who worship him. He achieves his miraculous and unnoticed greatness and does not regard himself as Great. This is how he receives his Greatness. Let us fix our eyes on the Spirit living in us, hidden in our hearts, and is the author of our past, present, and future.
Consciousness of “self” is wisdom. Wisdom is the consciousness that enters the heart; and can only be given to us by God. It unfolds the deep and hidden things of the heavens and earth. The “self” in this context is referencing the spirit that lives in us. The spirit keeps us rooted in our foundation and endures all the body experiences to regenerate, indwell, restraint, and provide service. Only believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit are said to be “Spiritually Alive” and unbelievers are “Spiritually Dead”. Those who are spiritually alive will be able to withstand the trials, but those who are spiritually dead will collapse under pressure. You are your own worst enemy and can take advantage of your vulnerabilities. By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established.
Consciousness of “others” is knowledge. In other words, perception of others is external knowledge. How we interpret the world starts from our inner consciousness of self. If we have true wisdom of the spirit, our knowledge of others is in the eyes of God. Proverbs 2:6, 6For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Unfortunately, most of us may not have true wisdom, but misleading wisdom of the flesh to sin. Proverbs 14, 67 Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Without knowledge of the spirit, the flesh finds fault in people and use deception to obtain it’s selfish goals. Instead of building God’s church filled with eternal and rare treasures, they fill up the hall with worthless possessions that don’t last. These are the small cracks in the church walls that leak with all kinds of evil and deception concerning Christian members of the faith to tarnish the church image. Ephesians 6:10-13, 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Thus, it is the evil powers of darkness and evil spirits contaminating our flesh to do evil. It creates a false image of the world to desire the abundance of this world instead of God’s Kingdom. Eventually, we no longer accept ourselves as God’s loving creation without having to compare and be above others. In fact, many of us cannot be very objective when it comes to self-assessment because the fear of realization; however we can see others quite clearly.
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The essence of “power” is of the Spirit. The power or energy of the universe that cannot be destroyed or created “IS” the presence of God everywhere. If we breakdown our body to the smallest known substance, we observe energy. Scientists do not understand the components of energy; however we do know everything is connected by energy each producing different levels of frequencies. Ephesians 4:4-6, 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Someone you find very fun to be around and excited about life will have a higher energy frequency in comparison to someone who is always down. A Buddhist monk that can withstand freezing temperatures for weeks meditating on mountain peaks are capable of harnessing energy to very high levels. The same type of energy that fuels desire, jealousy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, truthfulness, generosity, and kindness. Similarly, the same type of energy that fuel evil spirits can on the other side fuel good spirits. God is the source of this energy and is in complete control. It is our decision how we choose to use our energy in the light (Light of God) or dark (power of darkness).
The essence of “force” is of the flesh. Force or strength is centered on external control, unlike the inner power of the spirit. An alcoholic or smoker who overcomes his addiction possesses inner power of the spirit, even if he isn’t a body builder. If we want to maintain a healthy body, it is our inner will power that keeps us consistent to achieve results in a healthy way. When we are healthy, our physical body can apply a higher level of force or strength to sustain an active life. The spirit is the fuel that drives the flesh to go on, but the flesh still has it’s limits. Psalm 73:26, My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Our body in mortal and our spirit lives on forever.
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What is financial freedom? Is it debt free, an automatic money generator system to never work again, or can it be a billion dollars in our bank account? In truth, financial freedom is the ability to be completely detached from the need of money. To be content with what you have and not desire anything worthless in the eyes of God. You cannot be completely free if you have some kind of attachment to money or materialistic things. Matthew 19:21, Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” How can we be so sure if we sell our possession, the world will be in a better place? Don’t we have responsibilities to make money? Now, take an average loving family and consider how they support each other. No money is required to do work for each other because the currency is “Love”. Imagine what the world would be like if “love” was the currency for our service. This is the unfathomable love God had for us when he sacrificed his only Son on the cross to pay for our sins with his blood. John 3:16, 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. It is time for us to return the love God has given us by following the Word of God. Stop worrying about the outcome of your future and have faith. Free yourself from the desires of this world and use your blessings to serve others who are in greater need. For God will protect and bless those who love and serve him. He has given all of us a special gift to change the world with our special and unique talent. Philippians 4:10-13, 10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Those who persevere and can endure vigorously through uncertainties have the spirit of faith at work in them. Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Salvation is given to us as a gift from God, so we can be saved through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9, 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. You cannot purchase it, sell it, or give it away. The bible calls us to have faith so we can begin discovering a world of mystery, inner essence, living in the light and goodness of God forever. Our faith is not a question of scientific theory and we should not reduce the bible down to a book of historical facts. John 20:29, 29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
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To uphold our faith, we must be deeply rooted in our foundation by sowing the Word of God in our hearts. Matthew 13:7-43, 37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. When we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ lives in our hearts and can intercede for us. As it is with the Son of Man, it is also with us that we know the Spirit of God is always at work in us (John 5:19). 1 John 4:13, 13And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. We are not our own body, but a vessel for the spirit to deliver us to the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Some may say to “die”, but not perish means the memory of the deceased lives on in the hearts of people who were admired for their good works. This was a noble goal for Tao cultivators to live a rich life with meaning and happiness. However, the bible reference death according to our sinful nature. Instead of taking glory for good works, the bible proclaims that there is no Good but God. Thus, it is the work of the spirit in us that others remember eternally in their hearts; we truly have nothing to boast about. Mark 10:18, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. Romans 8:12-14, 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Therefore, those who live according to the sinful nature of man have their minds set on selfish desires against their own spirit. The mind of a sinful man must be put to death, then the Spirit of God can freely live in us. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God, thus must be born again.
God is infinite, exists outside of time and space, and has no limitations. No beginning and no end, but “IS” the unchanging God of the past, present, and the future. We call him “simple” because he can not be cut or polished. Thus, to follow the son of God is the way of simplicity because he gives rest to the weary and burdened; for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. His simplicity, although imperceptible, is hidden from the wise. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Simplicity is the state of God’s Nature. When it expands, it is everywhere. If people embrace the “simple” and work without effort and without burdening their true nature with material goods and selfish desires, all things will come together on their own. They will discover God by their own inner goodness and worship him. However, when powerful rulers act, their first course of action is to institute names. Now that the way of Jesus is gone, names and reality have become more confusing. What is simple has no name, but when we make something of it, names give rise to more names. Where does it end? When do we stop chasing names? In the beginning of creation, names were not important to God and did not exist until the creation of man. Early names were simple, but man’s sinful nature used names to differentiate people to signify their power, wealth, and education. Judges 13:17-18, 17 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” 18He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.
Today, we have taken the simplicity of names and made it more complex. Names are no longer enough, but require a “title” before the name. A title (CEO, Dr. PhD, President) is simply another way of naming a person to better identify his/her status. It is sometimes used as an effective and silent method to position ourselves above others. Names with prestigious titles give us a sense of establishment, driven by the opinions of others, and help form quick opinions without a voice. If names are used for empowerment, it may lead to the danger of distinction or segregation. Luke 6:26, Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. This approach of self identity focuses on the outer appearance and overlooks the spiritual inner being that animates our true being. 1 Corinthians 6:19, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; We are made from the inside out and covering up our insecurities with a blanket full of ego cannot carry the true joy from God. Identifying the self-ego that separates us from the less fortunate is wasted time and energy. It only shows the lack of substance which is fueled by the opinions of others who have power over you. Educated or uneducated, white collar or blue collar, employed or unemployed, we are equal in the eyes of God. 1 Peter 3:18, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, Matthew 23:12, For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. There is no righteous and no one who understands the true nature of God. Our righteousness comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. We are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by his Son, Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. Nelson Mandela is a prime example of a man who brought his country together in peace. An anti-apartheid activist who was not defeated by his 27 years imprisonment. After his release on February 11, 1990, he became the first elected president in a fully representative democratic election and achieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. “If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” (Ronald Reagon)
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In addition, with increasing numbers of names comes along with more desirable things that are valueless to God. No amount of money or single object (oil, land, homes) is greater than one’s life. As it is with many different classes of humans (white, black, rich, poor), it is also with many different classes of material things (homes, private airplanes, cars, money). When we start classifying our life based on our worth in dollars or assets, it is a danger to humanity. With great wealth comes great responsibility (Bill Gates).
Matthew 23:1-7, 1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
Matthew 25:41-45, 41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Names and titles will be long forgotten after humans are gone, thus it is more important to understand what God has in store of us that is eternal. A homeless person doesn’t care if you are the president, Doctor, CEO, but only cares what you can do for him. If high power men can hold onto the working spirit living in them to live a simple life, they will serve the people righteously. The people will worship God, the heavens and earth will be harmonious, and good fortune will rain from above to all who have written the Word of God in their hearts. He who follows his Spirit, God will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Luke 12:32-34
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
2 Peter 1:3-10
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When we do not know what we ought to pray for, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We must search our hearts to know the mind of the Spirit and know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. When we realize the spirit is living in us, everything seems to fall into place. Plans for the future progress smoothly and people come together to serve one another. The existence of God in our hearts is as important as streams to great rivers and oceans. God pours water (the Spirit) on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. And whoever believes in God, streams of living water (the Spirit) will flow from within him and they will be blessed and glorified (Isaiah 44:3, John 7:38-39). The Spirit of God resonates powerfully within us and we gravitate toward him naturally when we are walking in spiritual paths. Chronicles 7:14, 14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
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Darwin’s theory was introduced over 100 years ago in 1859 and scientific theories have evolved way beyond Darwin’s time. The basic premise of Darwinism is that changes in evolution occur by accident and then selected by the environment. It allows some organisms that have particular accidental changes to live and reproduce while other accidental changes of organisms may not be as viable and die. However, living organisms’ DNA does not change by accident and if it does change, it repairs itself. Therefore, DNA is able to sense changes in the environment that demand changes in DNA. Scientists have discovered that lactose intolerance bacteria survived after placing it in a Petri dish containing lactose as the only food source. According to Darwinism theory, the bacteria should have died due to the lactose food poison. Instead, scientists discovered bacteria’s DNA can rearrange its own DNA to fit environmental conditions. They did this specifically, consciously, and quickly, making it possible to survive in a lactose environment. However, the prediction of Darwin’s theory states the outcome of DNA rearrangement should have been “random” and “taken place in several generations”. As you can see in this experiment, it does not support Darwin’s predictions.
Many scientist believe that consciousness is a later product of evolution from a non-living universe and non-living planet, in which life evolve from accidental changes. It is much more plausible to argue that consciousness comes first as a source for material creation or material evolution. It does not make sense that non-consciousness can develop itself into consciousness. Evolution does not proceed by accident. Life does not evolve from simple, step by step, to complex systems. Irreducible complexity does not support the idea that organism can evolve from a step by step process. Irreducible complexity is based on a number of different parts that all have to fit together to work. For example, if any parts of a mouse trap are missing, it won’t work. Natural selection needs to work on something that has a function, but the use of a complex system only works when put together. Scientist found the bacteria flagellum is like a propeller connected to a rotating motor that allows the bacteria to move. This tiny machine requires about 40 different protein parts and any of these parts missing will stop the system. How such a thing can be put together in a gradual, step by step process is beyond understanding and has been unsolved. In other words, every single species in an ecosystem has its part. If we take out one species, the entire system deteriorates similar to the way our organ system function.
Are we basically the material in our body, which is the world view that Darwin suggest? If so, then we are nothing but interconnecting chemical reactions. What if somebody told you that your IQ was less intelligent than a fly some time ago? What about a frog turning into a prince millions of years later? How do you test and explain the origin of intelligence? An alternative belief is the spiritual component to human life, a purpose for existence. It’s hard not to see an intelligent design at work in nature among the intricate relationships of all the creatures and living systems. Faith in God is the reasonable belief behind creation that explains how everything can be skillfully and wisely put together.
