Something I read today....

[mizpeh]

This was written by Michael Patton on Parchment and Pen. Patton is a Trinitarian but what he wrote is basically what I believe about Christ and his selfawareness when he took on the form of man.

However, when it comes to some of the more troublesome passages, we often find our theology insufficient to cover the details. When Christ was in the Garden and asked that the “cup” of suffering pass from him (Lk 22:42), we are confused. When he asks the Father, “Why have you forsaken me” from the cross (Mk 15:34), we don’t know how to take it. And when he says that he does not know the day or the hour of his coming (Matt 24:36), we are baffled. In fact, so confused was some early scribe concerning Christ’s confession of ignorance, he omitted the phrase “nor the son” from the manuscript. The question is: How could Christ, who is God, not be omniscient (know everything, including the future)? Why didn’t Christ know the time of his coming?

There are a few options:

1. Christ really did know; we just don’t know why he said this.

2. Christ did not know for some unknown reason reason, but he knew everything else.

3. Christ did not know because, being a man, he was no longer omniscient.

4. Christ did not know since he did not access his omniscience due to the rules of the incarnation.

My contention is that number four is correct.

Let me be brief and clear with my thesis:

Although Christ was fully God, he never independently accessed any of his divine powers or knowledge. All of his miraculous actions and understanding were the result of his submission to God and came by way of the power of the Holy Spirit. Further, if Christ had at any time accessed his own power or omniscience independently, he would not be qualified as the second Adam and could not represent us in redemption.

This means that there were many things that Christ did not know. It was not simply that Christ chose on a one-by-one basis what not to know, but that he, like every human, had limitations of knowledge. He had to grow and learn just like all people. When he knew things that are beyond the abilities of normal humanity, like when he knew the background of the woman at the well (Jn 4:17-18), he knew them by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, just like the prophets. When he did things that are beyond the abilities of normal humanity, like walking on water, he did so by the power of the Spirit.

In summary, I believe that while Christ exercised divine prerogatives (forgiving sins, claiming to be God, receiving worship, etc.), he did not ever exercise his own divine attributes independently of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. His knowledge and miracles do not alone substantiate his deity, as parallels to all Christ’s miracles and knowledge can be found in the prophets. But his miracles substantiate his deity because they substantiate his testimony.

Concerning this, there is no one “orthodox” belief that all Christians of all time have held to. There seems to be spectrum of belief here. While orthodox Christianity does not entertain the idea that Christ was no longer God in the incarnation (kenotic theory), it does not necessarily speak as to whether or not he used his own divine powers independently or submitted completely to the Holy Spirit.

http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blo...ing/#more-4703

[mizpeh]

I'm really enjoying Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life. The last two chapters have been on the body of Christ, the church.

" If you are a member of a small group or class, I urge you to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), encourage each other(mutuality), support each other (sympathy), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).

When you look at the list of characteristics, it is obvious why genuine fellowship is so rare. It means giving up our self-centeredness and independence in order to become interdependent. But the benefits of sharing life together far outweigh the costs, and it prepares us for heaven." page 151

I've been going through a difficult trial lately. I've actually had thoughts of moving away. But I have a feeling I'm going to do more growing and changing through this trial than by any other before it by facing it head on by the grace of God and learning to deal with my shortcomings and the attitudes of others with love and humility.

[mizpeh]

I was doing some gardening and yard work yesterday and thought about how our minds are like gardens. Thoughts are like seeds which we can grow and cultivate. We have to fertilize, water, and prune plants. Weeds get in the garden that have to be pulled up, roots and all, CONTINUALLY. Our gardens need constant tending or they can overgrow with weeds. This is much like our minds. Our minds need to be constantly renewed to be kept pure. We don't want to cultivate thoughts of worry, hatred, jealousy, and envy (list here all the works of the flesh). As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Paul gives us a guideline on what we should think on in Phil 4:8. We are admonished to keep our hearts with all diligence. To be slothful with tending a garden or with keeping our hearts leads to disarray.

So today I thought I'd google to see what I could find on the garden of our minds. Here's what I found.

This is from a psychotherapist so look at the principles of what he/she is saying and no so much the philosophy.

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
The habit hardens into character.
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings. -The Buddha

"Training the mind is like gardening. We select what to cultivate and set about creating the ideal causes and conditions for it to flourish. What we may not realize is that what grows is not only what we place in the ground of our minds, but the attitude with which we tend it. Gardening means attending to the daily changes that occur in our plot of land; in this case, what happens to our minds each day. If the weeds get high, there is no need for judgment, there is need for weeding.

When we notice old negative habits creeping in – the weeds of the mind, as it were – it does not serve to attack them. They were planted there early on, for good reason, so we can simply acknowledge their presence, accept that they will invariably arise as remnants of a former crop, and remove them with respect. Any time we till the soil of our minds to plant something new, we expose the seeds of old thoughts and behaviors to fresh light and nourishment. If we do not want to encourage the rampant growth of old habits, we have to pay attention (oh, how they spring up in a moment!).

But to reject them is pointless, and to approach them aggressively merely scatters the seeds of aggression and negativity throughout our plot. We can plant the seeds of patience, kind-hearted attention, intention, compassion and wellbeing even as we remove the unwanted habits from the ground of our minds. We can appreciate that these “weeds” had their place in our lives, that they kept us alive until we became able to choose something more useful, for a new stage in life.

Anything we are trying to change, can only be changed with kindness and awareness; self-hatred and rejection only recreate the conditions of fear that gave rise to the old habit in the first place." http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/springtime-therapy/



The Garden of Your Mind

Your mind is like a garden.
Whatever you plant will grow.
Your thoughts are seeds your planting,
They produce, each after its kind.

And you, just like a gardener,
Can choose which seeds you plant.
And by the choice of seeds you sow,
You choose the harvest you will reap.

So don't plant seeds of lack or fear,
Disease, discord, or doubt,
Plant, instead, the seeds you want;
Then things you want will sprout.

This gift of choice is given to all,
And not to just a few,
The harvest, friend, is in your hands:
The crop depends on you.

So take this power you've been given,
And use it everyday,
To gain from life the good you want,
For you have found the way.

Charles David Heineke 1975 http://www.slideshare.net/homebizwor...your-mind-poem

[mizpeh]

The Garden of Your Mind
by Rhoberta Shaler, PhD


If you think of your mind as a garden, what have you planted? You know what's planted there by what's growing!

If seeds of doubt are planted, life may seem uncertain. The harvest may include questions such as 'Do I deserve to get what I want in life?', or 'Can I succeed?' or 'Will I ever be good enough?' These seeds can be planted very early in life without our consent however, once you find them they must be made into compost! If you find these weeds popping up, dig down to extricate the roots completely. Even after doing this, you may find tiny shoots still. They are hardy plants. Weed often. As you remove each weed, remind yourself that you deserve a beautiful, productive, well-balanced garden.

If you find that your 'garden' is overcrowded and little grows well, you may need to transplant some items to your nursery bed and save them for another season. Simply look at the size of your garden plot right now. What are the most important 'crops' right now? Perhaps you have small children who need attention. You may have to save the 'I should write a book' seeds for another time. When you look at the garden and see that it is unbalanced, be ruthless. Look at the needs of the seeds you want to grow and make room for only those. Save the others for another season. What do you need to transplant?

If a plant has completely overshadowed the entire garden, it may need pruning. This sometimes happens when that one plant is receiving all the nutrients, time and attention. Others cannot flourish unless they were planted because they prefer shade. Are there some seeds in your garden that cannot grow because they need more light? You may have to prune that one big tree! Yes, you likely can make a great case for keeping it. Of course you can because that's where you have been putting so much fertilizer for so long and you just know you were doing the right thing. What's shriveling from the lack of the sunlight of your attention? Prune!

Do you regularly visit other gardens to stimulate your imagination, or to verify your choices? It's wise to do this. Spending all your time in your own garden is limiting. You learn very little and your garden seems so very big. Expand your thinking. See what others are planting and the effects. A new plant may be just what your garden needs for beauty, balance or new growth.

Check your garden for slugs. They are attracted to conditions of dampness and coolness. They feed on decaying plant matter. Do you have any slugs in the garden of your mind? If you are focused on what is wrong with things, on what is not happening, on negative judgments about yourself and others, these could well be 'slugs' for you. As with real slugs, the first step is to eliminate places where they can hide. Dark places where sunlight cannot reach. They need to be handpicked off. Draw them out in the dark, put them in soapy water and throw them on the compost. Slugs have no redeeming features. They take away valuable much time and draw much negative attention. Remove all slugs and set up barriers to keep them out so you never have to deal with them again.

Your life, just like your garden, is never balanced but always balancing.

Be a master gardener!


http://www.learningfountain.com/gardenmn.htm

[mizpeh]

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Unbelief is a weed that needs to be exterminated from our hearts. Continually remember all of the good things God has done for you. All of the times He has revealed himself to you, answered prayer, healed your body, and blessed you. Fight the evil thoughts with the word of God. It's the sword of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 10: 4-6 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Strongholds are like weeds. We can cast them down by the grace of God and with the help of the Spirit of God in us.

The Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyers provides great insight into our warfare with the devil and our minds as the battlefield.

[mizpeh]

Weed Your Mind's Garden

I'm out the door early this morning to weed my newly planted garden. It's a very humid day, with low-hanging foggy clouds after a night of rain and lighting. This day is soggy and gloomy, reminiscent of the fog of depression.

I tell myself that this kind of day actually may seem dreary, but it has its advantages. It's not hot or sunny, and there is little chance of getting too much sun! I will not need much sunblock on my skin today, and it won't be stifling hot.

The vivid green of the grass and trees owes itself to lots of rain this season, and that's very beautiful. There are many flowers, too, because of rainy days like these.

As I head out to the garden, I realize that the weeds will be easily plucked from the soil. The night showers have freed their hold; their roots wet, perfectly loose and ripe for easy removal. Weeds choke the plants I've planted; they rob them of nutrients and secrete chemicals that kill everything around them.

Weeds are kind of like the torrent of stray thoughts that sometimes invade my mind, preventing my main purpose and action. Filling my mind up with useless ideas and fears. Choking good intentions with stray thoughts of what I "should" be or do, or what went wrong, or feelings of inferiority, or negativity without any connection to reality - all stray thoughts due to weedy expectations, unrealistic goals and past emotional misfortunes.

So as I weed my garden and clean out the life-sucking burdock, Johnson grass, dandylions, and I don't know what it's called strangler - freeing up the main purpose, the lettuces, carrots and broccoli - I will also free my mind of its mental and emotional weeds: the "I Can't," the "I'm flawed," and the "Oh my God fear of what's to come."

As Emerson once said, "there's no wound a garden trowel won't heal."

http://blog.beliefnet.com/drnorrisch...ds-garden.html

[mizpeh]

How to Turn Your Mind into a Beautiful Garden

Some time ago, Sofan and I were visiting some friends in the country. We were staying a a beautiful little guest cabin, surrounded by fruit trees, flowers and even a few goats. Painted above the doorway in brightly coloured, flowing letters were the words :-

Your mind is a garden,
Your thoughts are the seeds,
You can grow flowers or
You can grow weeds.

Little did we know it at the time, but this little poem was to have a profound affect both on our thought patterns as well as our Artworks.

It started almost as a kind of game. We decided to make a real effort to watch our thoughts and see exactly what it was that we were planting in our own "Mind Gardens". It was difficult at first, but gradually, we began to pay more and more attention to what thoughts were repeatedly flashing across our minds.

How disturbing it was to discover that many of these "seeds" were extremely negative thoughts destined to grow patches of thorny thistles and stinging nettles in our daily lives !

We gradually came to see how so many of the problems and difficulties we were encountering in our lives had their beginnings in the seeds of doubt, fear and anxiety that we were continually planting in our minds.

It does take effort, but like anything else it gets easier with practice, and the amazing thing is, as we became more and more aware of these negative thoughts we are able to say:-

"No! I will NOT plant this weed in the Garden of my Mind "

I will consciously choose to plant something better. The results are truly spectacular.

When you start to consciously cultivate your own mind garden, you will truly be amazed at the changes which begin to happen in your life. Obstacles disappear, barriers fall away, and things that you once thought were either impossible or very far away will suddenly come into view.

In the christian bible it is written "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." This principle has been understood by wise sages and prophets for many thousands of years. Whatever thought we continually plant into our minds will grow into what we will later experience in our lives.

Any garden is and ongoing process. It's not enough to just plant a single seed of happiness and then forget about it. Your frail little seedling would soon be choked by weeds. It is necessary to continuously pull out and throw away those weeds of fear, doubt and anxiety as soon as they appear.

Love, happiness and tranquility are all contagious.

People who are continuously planting these seeds in their own minds are also planting them in other people's.

http://theartofhappiness.net/happine...s_a_garden.htm

[mizpeh]

Thinking About a Whole Lotta Nothing

.....While we have concluded that it is only meaningful to seek a cause for physical reality rather than all reality (since there cannot be a cause outside all reality), what about seeking the purpose for physical reality? As stated previously, to discover the purpose for why the universe exists presupposes the existence of a personal agent who created the universe. Unless we have access to that agent’s mind, it would be difficult to ascertain the purpose it had for creating. The only sure way to know the agent’s purpose for the universe is if that agent reveals his purpose to us in some fashion. As a Christian, I would argue that the agent has done so in Scripture. God created everything for His good pleasure, to display His power, and so that we might enjoy Him forever. Such purposes, however, are not discoverable by pure reason or through empirical investigation. So while I think question three can be answered, it cannot be answered philosophically or scientifically.

In summary, the reason there is something rather than nothing is because existence is metaphysically necessary. Something must exist. Nothingness is logically/metaphysically impossible. At least one existent within the whole of reality is a necessary being who has always existed, who carries in himself the sufficient reason for his own existence, and is the source of being for every other existing thing.....

http://theosophical.wordpress.com/20...rt-2/#comments

[mizpeh]

"Every temptation is an opportunity to do good.

On the path to spiritual maturity, even temptaton becomes a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing as it is to do the wrong thing. Temptation simply provices the choice. While temptation is Satan's primary weapon to destroy you, God wants to use it to develop you. Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ."

Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life, page 201.

[Timmy]

That's cool! The more temptation the better! Bring it on!!