Jesus?
“Yes, my son?”
I understand how carnal sinners are slave to the flesh, and religious Pharisees are slave to the law. But I keep running into spirit-filled believers who love Jesus, but appear blind (if not actively hostile) to the cross. What is up with that?
“Why do you want to know?”
Well, frankly, they trigger me. I’m rarely triggered by sinners, and I am working things through with my inner Pharisee so I think I am becoming less triggered by law. But it seems like there’s something different here. And until I know what it is, I can’t identify the beam I need to remove to deal with their speck.
“Yes. You have guessed correctly. It is the spirit of the anti-Christ.”
So how in hell do I identify with that?
“Aren’t you just triggered by me now?”
Oh.
“This is the final challenge. It is easy to cure sin with law. It is fun to cure law with spirit. But it is hard to cure spirit with the cross.”
That doesn’t make sense.
“Did I not tell the disciples I must leave in order for them to receive the spirit?”
Well, yeah. That never made much sense to me.
“Before this is done, it will.”
Oh no, not another epic Quest!
“Ha. Don’t worry. This can be quick, if you listen hard enough.”
Gulp.
“Why do you follow me?”
Um, past or present?
“Right now. Best answer.”
Because I love you, and want to know you better so I can fall in love with you more. Whatever it takes.
“What gets in the way of that?”
Unforgiveness. The shattered, unreconciled pieces of my psyche.
“Anything else?”
I’m not sure. Aren’t Pride and Fear just manifestations of personas that don’t want to die? Because they don’t know you well enough to trust you can raise the dead?
“Quite possibly. So…”
So, the anti-Christ spirit denies that incarnating into other people’s pain is necessary in order for them — or me –to see Jesus. Gnosticism?*
“Close, but labels are dangerous. In fact , labeling is the opposite of incarnating.”
Ouch. Ah. So the real problem is with dis-incarnate spirits.
“Right. Now do you understand?”
Wait. So, if the Spirit had been sent while you were incarnate — and stayed after you left — would that have denied the necessity of incarnation?
“You’re getting there. The Spirit was sent so you could BE my incarnation, SO THAT you could incarnate into every noon and cranny of this world. Especially those who offend you. Manifesting the gifts of the spirit is (intended as) a way to break the shell of this world SO THAT incarnation can flow in.”
Beyond sitting in an upper room and worshipping.
“Or sitting safely in your Left Brain judging others.”
Sigh. I think I understand.
“I think you do. Listen hard, my son, and you will see the cross you are unwilling to bear…”
…is the truth that will set me free. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
“I will, as you do.”
So be it.
Finit
- Infants love the pleasures of this world because they crave nurture
- Children love the law of the Father, because they crave security.
- Adolescents love the power of the Spirit, because they crave freedom
- The Mature love the cross of Christ because they crave falling deeper in love with Jesus — and everyone else
- And all of them are me.
“Dear friends, don’t believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, and you can know which ones come from God.
1 John 4:1-3 CEV
His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. But when someone doesn’t say this about Jesus, you know this person has a spirit that doesn’t come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here.”
*Gnosticism (From Wikipedia)
Gnostics considered material existence flawed or evil, and held the principal element of salvation to be direct knowledge of the hidden divinity, attained via mystical or esoteric insight. Many Gnostic texts deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment.[2]
Radically Happy 
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