It has been a while since I updated this blog.
Perhaps I will write a little bit to express how there has been a merging of 2 streams of Christian spirituality in my journey of practicing the presence of God.
When I first started to play the game with minutes (over 3 years ago), I was encouraged by imaginary companions (authors, who are mostly dead by now), who encouraged more of a "spiritual formation" approach to the presence of God. This approach to the presence of God included emphasis on being aware of disciplining one's thoughts to habitually meditate on godly thoughts as well as God himself, memorizing and meditating on Bible verses, being conscious in performing everyday acts (such as washing dishes, waiting in lines in public, and even the physical act of walking) by willing them to be done for the glory of God while I did them. This stream emphasized "putting on the new self" of Christlike character through discipline in one's mind and will primarily. It emphasized virtuous habits through intelligent and informed spiritual training. In a way, it focused on the "fruit of the Spirit" which has more to do with one's character. The fruits (pun intended) of this approach to being in tune with God's presence include having more of the inner peace of God, being more still, calm in his presence, and growing in one's character/virtues.
This first approach towards Christian spirituality characterized approximately the first 2 years of me playing the game with minutes.
The second approach to God's presence, however, has a different emphasis. It is not contradictory or opposed to the first. It's just, different. It has to do with the charismatic power, enabling, signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. This involves experiences in one's "inner world" that get confirmed externally in the outside world. Physical body parts getting healed from experiencing the presence (and specific guidance/leading) of the Holy Spirit. Laying hands on someone and praying for them and the recipient feeling significantly hot physical heat (a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit's presence) in the area where a hand is layed upon. Getting "mysterious vibes" about what's going on in people's hearts, and... being correct about it by confirming the vibes with them afterwards. This aspect of God's presence, to sum it up, involves the emphasis of the (blatantly supernatural) charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is sensing, using, and seeing the effects of the "divine electrical current" of the powerful presence of God through his Holy Spirit in you. It is the type of stuff that one reads about in the book of Acts. Except, it happens right in front of your eyes. Maybe not every single day. But more than once every month. Those are the "big things". As for the "mini-things" of this nature, it seems to be happening on a weekly basis.
The second approach has really influenced my experience of God's presence in a good way. For God is so big, and having the full gamut of biblically informed experiences of God cannot be put into a box. There is so much more to communing with God in his presence than what our own little denominations can teach us individually. I am sure that Christians on each continent of the earth can teach us new sides to engaging in biblically informed experiences of the God of the Bible. And I am open to learning from them, whether they are from Russia, China, Korea, Africa, South America, and even in the States just south of the border.
I am extremely grateful to God for both of these streams of Christian spirituality, both of which come out of a rich heritage of experiencing God.
Blending these 2 streams, in a way, is integrating the character of Christ with the power of Christ. Both are crucial in becoming more Christlike. It is basically the integration of the fruit of the Spirit with the gifts of the Spirit in being aware of God's presence. This God is the God who provides both the fruit as well as the gifts of the Spirit through his Holy Spirit.
One specific way these 2 are being interlocked in my present experience is through hearing the voice of God speak specifically about persons, situations, as well as myself. This is not mere self-reminders of central core Christian doctrines. This is about hearing freshly live words spoken by God. This, metaphorically speaking, is not a person simply giving themselves self-reminders of how much their significant other loves them in times of insecurity. This is like the significant other hearing freshly spoken and live words from their significant other that they love them.
Live words spoken by a living, breathing person are powerful. This is the case for humans, but is much more so the case for a living, breathing God speaking to humans in live broadcast.
The effect has been somewhat like a Jedi-Knight learning how to wield a lightsaber.
In order for a Jedi-Knight to effectively wield a lightsaber against his enemies, he must engage in consistent and long-term training and discipline with his physical body in being flexible, agile, and strong. Just holding the lightsaber still, as powerful as it is in and of itself, will not kill one's enemies in battle. He must train his body's reflexes, reaction time, and automatic coordinated responses in physical combat. However, if all he has is this physically trained conditioning but wields a lightsaber that can't turn on, or just uses a stick in its place, he will not be that powerful. Better yet, he will not be able to defend himself against an enemy using another lightsaber attacking him. It takes a lightsaber to make one's defense solid (pun intended) against another lightsaber (as well as reflect lasers shot out of laser guns). Fire verses fire. Anything else used to block an enemy's lightsaber (one's arm, a wooden stick, even a steel bar) will just simply be sliced through. The same goes with the spiritual realm. If demons attack us spiritually, only having virtuous habits trained, disciplined, and internalized in oneself may not be sufficient in all spiritual battles. It takes spiritual power to fight spiritual power. And the intensity of one's lightsaber, for the Charismatic Christian, intensifies over time as one grows in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In short, both are needed. The physical skills to adeptly wield a lightsaber (spiritual formation/spiritual disciplines such as memorization and meditation on scripture, fasting, solitude, silence, unceasing prayer) need to be combined with... well.. a lightsaber.
I truly believe that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) because... it is like a lightsaber. One can metaphorically feel it buzzing when the Holy Spirit energizes certain timely needed verses with divine electricity to combat the negative spiritual electricity that the enemy attacks one with. And God's power is always more powerful than Satan's.
Frequently, God helps me out with this "lightsaber" in 2 major ways. 2 consistent struggles I have (which I have learned would never be overcome without God's practical help) are:
1)caring about the opinions of other people
2)worrying about the future
Now, when I am attacked with feeling insecure about what others think of me, I can recite verses about my identity in Christ to try to combat them, and try to discipline my thoughts, which helps to some degree. However, sometimes, honestly speaking, it feels like I'm using these things somewhat like a Jedi-Knight wielding a wooden stick in battle. However, as I am learning how to engage in spiritual lightsaber dueling, I am sensing the power of God's freshly spoken words, much like the buzzing of a lightsaber, and using those prophetically spoken words in spiritual battle to cut the lies of the enemy, much like a lightsaber cuts through a metal sword. Practically speaking, some samples of freshly spoken words from God include things such as my spirit sensing God saying to me (through live spiritual broadcast) "Chris, don't worry about what others think." "Chris, only my opinion matters." "Chris, I love you so much beyond what you imagine." These words, if I just remind myself of them in my own mind, have limited effect. If God speaks them live however, that's lightsaber baby.
The same goes with spiritual attacks of doubt that tempt me to worry about my future.
Thank you God.
Life is hard, but God is good through enabling us to experience his presence through the life, death, and resurrection of his son Jesus, accessed through the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for blending the character and power of Christ in me more and more God. Thank you for guiding me in seeking the fruit of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit in tandem without only pursuing one.
Gosh, this life is really bearable with this stuff!
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