Void and Glory

Jesus performed many miracles, He however said there would be some who would perform greater miracles than He had. Notably, Paul would heal people just by having his shadow pass on them, others were healed by his handkerchief without him being physically present. The identity of Jesus as Christ, wasn't tied to what He was capable of doing, it was rather tied to His character. Jesus said that His disciples would be seen as such based on their spiritual fruit, and even in the last days, the antichrist will be leading many astray by performing signs and wonders. However, the giveaway would be his fruit, and true believers will not be deceived or follow him. God is sufficient in Himself, lacking nothing, and He cannot "help" (Himself) but give, without taking as He doesn't have a place to put. God doesn't have an empty place or void in His Heart, which needs you or I to fill. His Heart is filled with His Own Glory. God's Heart is abundant in love, patience, kindness, mercy, grace, joy etc they don't depend on whether a receiver exists, and they cannot be depleted. Jesus displayed God's quality in eyes of mankind, in that He always chose to do things in His Father's way, and this drew people towards Him. They were not only drawn by the miracles, as Peter put it "Where will we go? You alone have the Word of Life" (paraphrased). Most people aren't aware, but after the sermon in the mount, most people left in droves, and they had been willing to accept what Jesus did for them, but not how He wanted them to live. And they all left, besides the 12, and even those He asked "Aren't you going to leave as well?" And that's the answer to which Peter responded. When you live in the presence of God, you live in abundance, your cup is filled and it overflows, with spiritual fruit. You cannot help but share what you have with others, knowing it cannot be depleted. We tend to share what have in abundance. And when you're in His presence, you are satisfied with Him, not lacking anything. This means that you are willing to give, without losing, and without gaining, knowing well that all those "loses" are from the overflow, and all the voids are filled. *Spiritual fruit, are the presence, and carnal fruit are the absence (privations)* When you are in abundance of fruit, you bear good fruit, and you're not concerned about whether you'll run out. You give knowing you have an unlimited supply. But, when you move further from God, the cup didn't overflow, it might be just full or half full, and perhaps need a few drops or more fluid to overflow. And you begin to monitor the fruit, and start keeping score, and forget that you have a Supplier. The more you move away from the glory, the closer you get to the void _This is apologetics_ Reality as it could have existed, could have only been so without order but chaos. The default would be thick darkness, timeless, disorder, which is hostile to any living thing, and it's reality could only be overcome by an All-Mighty God, not just with power but character to overcome it. This resonates with the book of Genesis, the earth was without form, and darkness covered the face of the deep abyss. While this wasn't the ultimate beginning of reality, it gives us an idea of how the reality could have been and continued been without God. This reality, still exists as priviations, lack of the reality which is incompetitible with any physical or spiritual life forms. Since the earth was without form, the same material God used to formulate it and creating a habitable place for humanity, used its material to make His Own image. The spirit longs for unity with God, and to be in His presence, however the flesh wants to go the factory setting, of a reality without God, the void and chaotic disorder. _Closing Apologetics_ This reality can do nothing but take, instead of having an overflowing cup, it has a bottomless one. It doesn't matter how much it is filled with it will never reach the brim, it never gets satisfied It's the reality of the human being, and when Jesus came outside of the water, the same way the Holy Spirit hovered above the waters did so above Him. The same way the dove from the ark hovered above the waters of the new earth, and the same way (hopefully) you were received by the Holy Spirit when you came out of the water of baptism. The bottomless cup of the void, knows no limits, and it's only because of *common grace* that God doesn't allow our imaginations and actions to be carried beyond a certain point. And if it wasn't for the common grace of God, not one person would be saved. When you are still in this state, it is the Holy Spirit (Parakletos) Who holds your hand and commands you to turn around. This is interesting in that some languages, repentance literally means turning around and facing the other way. And the Holy Spririt takes your hand, tells you to turn around and that there is more life than just taking. He will keep convicting you, whether you move towards the Glory or the void, acting as your coach, and encourager. Not just dealing with the negatives ie thou shall not but also the positives ie thou shall. He encourages you to stand and to keep walking, slows you down when you are going the opposite way, and pushes you forward when you go the correct way. He keeps reminding you that there is One who you can go to, and take as often and as much as you want and you will not lose your relationship. So that you cannot live a world you werent created for. Because the void we're attempting to fill cannot be addressed by anything or anyone, and even if we were to live longer, and even if we're to get all that we want in this world, it will never suffice because we're going to the world with a bottomless cup And even those who are our close friends and families, themselves have bottomless cups, and all we do it want and want (and getting only makes us want more). But when God is your Shephard, you move from wanting to finally resting in His presence, because you know you don't need to go anywhere else. As you turn, and then proceed to move towards God's glory, the "holes" in your soul are filled, they become smaller and smaller, until you're whole again and you know as you are known. And the things you wanted and needed become less, and instead of just being a taker you have things you are offering. God is now putting a sieve on the bottom of your cup, so that you can actually begin keeping certain things which could have just passed through. Perhaps you were ungrateful because the things your could have been thankful for are taken away before you even realize you had them. Perhaps you couldn't exhort those who are hurt because you were having bleeding wounds yourself. But when God begins to suture those wounds and close them up. When you begin healing, you excitingly run towards those who are hurting to tell them the good news. When you move away from the void, the cup begins to keep in the abundance of God, and you begin seeing opportunities you never thought were there. You begin helping in situations you never thought you could. You bear spiritual fruit, and like Jesus, those who are in need are more drawn to you, but unlike when you were also in need, there is no selfishness, strife, harshness, impatience, anger, hatred, becuase they all stem from lack. As you journey towards the Glory of God, you take the conformation of Order, Peace, Fullness and Joy, and the overflow ensures you are not concerned about being depleted (just as He is not). Because you know that it will keep getting better and you have more than enough in God. Moving away from the void, is also moving away from the world, the systems created by Satan, the disorder and dysfunction which are suitable for the demonic world but hostile to God's chosen, His Peace, Laws etc If you were to choose to remain in such a world, it would reach a point where, it begins consume you, and your identity becomes tied up to it. It eats away what was left of God's Glory in you, and takes everything which makes you a child of God. It consumes like a worm, not getting filled itself (it's a vacuum), and leaves nothing for your to say you were created by God, but shadow of you were in Christ. You reach a point of no return, and the void, becomes your bottomless pit of suffering. No amount of convincing or conviction would make you repent, and all which represnt God are things you will resent. And though the doors to this prison (hell) are open from outside, the lock it inside, and believe it or not, there's a point a human being can reach where he or she will keep that room locked so that the Holy Spirit doesn't enter and they die in their sin. Whether in Glory or void, we essentially begin to live either in heaven or in hell, and noone will die and go to an "unfamiliar" place (those who have lived). Death doesn't become a journey but a transition, and a continuation of how we have lived either with God or without God, forever. So as you move closer and closer to the void, you become more and more sinful, your conscience for sin dies, as you continue starving, and all that is good is crucified on the alter of sin and any fickle of light is not tolerated, but put off with disdain. You keep falling out of grace, and this fall is eventually is replaced by the bottomless pit of hell. Even the fires of hell cannot make you change your mind about God, instead of reconsidering your ways, you spend your time in hell justifying yourself and condemning the same God you locked out. Even if God were to give you paradise in this world, you would rather God to hell On the other extreme, the cup which overflows, continues overflowing, first it's goes to the table, and then the floor, now the whole house is flooded, next the whole city. Because of the overflow, you begin to have more and more peace, your sins (though) are being exposed but are forgiven, and your awareness of sins becomes more and more evident. Your repentance gets more and more real, your understanding of sin deeper and deeper, and you rise getting closer and closer to God. Until you leave your body behind, entering into paradise. And here, your joy isn't that there are no illnesses or no more death. Your joy is to be finally in a relationship with God, without any hindrances. *This means you would have wanted to be with God, even if God was in hell. And you would have hated heaven if God wasn't there* Getting to the Glory of God, is accompanied by ups and downs, and noone has it all figured out. There's times you will fall, there's times you'll even wonder why God Stull loves you, other times you'll just sit in awe. That there's God, Who knows you personally, Who can do all things, Who needs nothing, but not only wants to have a relationship with you but chases you down because He knows you better than you, and He knows you'll enjoy the friendship. That this God died so that all the sins, those you are aware of, unaware of, willingly, unwillngly, by commission, omission or obstruction are forgiven, now, before and forever. And at no point would God decline an offer to spend time with you, now and forever ⚓