Be like minded with Christ

I am really enjoying studying the Bible again this year. At the present time I am finding joy in the teachings of Paul. The Lord has said I would that ye were either hot or cold, but because you are lukewarm I will spew you out of my mouth. Paul was definitely not lukewarm. He went from – kill the Christians to on fire for Christ. Yesterday I read his letter to the Philippians and skipped to the end where our thirteenth Article of Faith is taken from. Today I have returned to the beginning of Philippians and will study the second chapter.  Paul speaks of Christ and advises us who believe to be Like minded. To think like Christ, to be one with him as he is with the Father, as we are suppose to be with our spouse and with our fellow believers. I’m trying but I am still far away from being like minded with Christ. Having the same love – Christ like love- for all. That does not mean that we go along with whatever. Christ is not a wuse. He threw the money changer out of the Temple. He cursed the fig tree. He called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, whitened sepulchers. And as my friend Helge pointed out God murdered the people of Jericho. Christ said we are to forgive all but God will forgive who he will forgive. Simply because (I think) he alone knows the hearts of men. There is one individual in particular that I pray for that the more I pray the further away he goes and yet, the Spirit keeps prompting me to pray for him. That is the secrete, to follow the Spirit in all things.

I think again of that little book I have about someone who’s near death experience took them into darkness and not into the light. She is in deep darkness that was pure negative. She says, “It sucked at me, pulling me to react and then swallowing my reaction into fear and dread.” Another interesting thing she said was that the darkness came from within. In that state of torment a voice came to her and far away she saw a light. The voice said, “Is this what you wanted?” She said that from the light she felt love directed toward her as an individual and felt that she was not deserving of love. Isn’t that interesting? We truly judge ourselves. We feel so bad inside. That is why we cut and harm ourselves.

If I could have the  kind of love that Christ has I could love the unlovable. She still had to repent but Christ came not to judge us he says. He loved her despite all that she had done. The darkness came from within.

I think the only way I can have that kind of love for my fellow citizens is by drawing near to Christ and learning all I can about him. That is what it takes to be like minded with Christ.  More tomorrow.