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being born again, Dorothy L. Sayers, enlightened, entering his rest, experience, eyes of the heart, freedom, God, Jesus Christ, new creation, the Kingdom of God, the new self
[Jesus] answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Lk 17:20-21 KJV)
What, precisely, is the Kingdom of Heaven? You cannot point to existing specimens, saying ‘Lo, here!’ or ‘Lo, there!’ You can only experience it. But what is it like, so that we may recognize it? Well, it is a change, like being born again and re-learning everything from the start. It is a secret, living power – like yeast. It is something that grows, like seed. It is precious like buried treasure, like rich pearl, and you have to pay for it. It is a sharp cleavage through the rich jumble of things which life presents: like fish and rubbish in a draw–net, like wheat and tares; like wisdom and folly; and it carries with it a kind of menacing finality; it is new, yet in a sense it was always there – like turning out a cupboard and finding there your own childhood as well as your present self; it makes demands, it is like an invitation to a royal banquet – gratifying, but not to be disregarded, and you have to live up to it; where it is equal, it seems unjust, where it is just it is clearly not equal – as with the single pound, the diverse talents, the laborers in the vineyard, you have what you bargained for; it knows no compromises between an uncalculating mercy and terrible justice – like the unmerciful servant, you get what you give; it is helpless in your hands like the King’s Son, but if you slay it, it will judge you; it was from the foundations of the world; it is to come; it is here and now; it is within you. It is recorded that the multitudes sometimes failed to understand.”
Dorothy L. Sayers, “Poetry, Language and Ambiguity“
Michael said:
It is an enigma wrapped in a thousand parables. Only the Spirit can give us revelation and in that revelation there is Life.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Amen. Well said, Michael. ⭐
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Michael said:
Susanne, speaking of Dorothy Sayers, I found another insightful quote that is about “half” (or maybe more) of the Kingdom of Heaven, women, as Jesus treated them…
“Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man – there never has been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, never flattered or coaxed or patronised; who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as “The women, God help us!” or “The ladies, God bless them!”; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them for being female; who had no axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend; who took them as he found them and was completely unself-conscious. There is no act, no sermon, no parable in the whole Gospel that borrows its pungency from female perversity; nobody could possibly guess from the words and deeds of Jesus that there was anything “funny” about woman’s nature.”
― Dorothy L. Sayers, Are Women Human? Astute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Yes, Michael, as far as I know, Dorothy Sayers wrote some more about women in society in comparison with how she had experienced God dealing with her. It seemed to me she had to struggle at times between men who thought that only they were fit to speak up for God.
When we meet the Eternal God as He really is, these struggles will finally lie behind us, too. We will know who we are IN Christ and let people think what they want. His approval will be the only thing that matters then.
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Michael said:
Oh, Susanne. Very well said. “We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He really is!” “In His Light we shall see Light” and the darkness of our naysayers will have no effect on us there for we can only rejoice in His Light.
Amen, Lord Jesus, let it be so in us.
Love you, dear sister! ❤
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you, Michael. When all our dark spots are gone, we will be the light of the world also and can rejoice in Him incessantly as Paul wrote to the Philippians.
Love you in Christ, too, Michael. ❤
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Ken Dawson said:
How joyous to see you use Dorothy Sayers–and such a marvelous quote–I have always had a high liking of her writings—thanks for the uplift–I now have a smile on my face
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
I am glad that this quote put a smile on your face, Ken. You’re welcome as to the uplift.
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totellthetruth1962 said:
I miss you my friends. I am choosing to be silent at the moment through my trials and asking for prayers and guidance through this enormous attack on my spirit. But checking in to let you know that I am still around. And still reading your blogs.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Dear Stacey,
As I told you on Michael’s blog before, you are in my prayers and on my heart. ❤ I know how terrible it feels when trials do not seem to have an end. 😦
I am glad you are still around, my sister. But if reading is too much for you right now, please, do not force yourself to read anything that might cause you even more affliction. Sometimes we need to bow out and care for ourselves by licking our wounds and let world revolve around itself until the Lord eventually saves us. But oh, the waiting is so difficult while Satan tries to discourage and weaken us in any way possible!
May the Lord keep you and protect you in His strong grip, dear Stacey!
Love,
Susanne
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totellthetruth1962 said:
I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart or top? For praying for me. I need much prayers now these days. I have enjoyed reading some of your blogs and the one thing that you emphasized more than anything is LOVE. I LOVE LOVE. God bless you.
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totellthetruth1962 said:
Thank you dear Susanne!
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You’re very welcome, dear Stacey.
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Anna Waldherr said:
Today’s is a difficult lesson. We can more readily grasp the idea of a new Jerusalem decked out in jewels (Rev. 21: 19), than the kingdom of God within us. This is, I think, for the same reason we tend toward legalism. Formulas are easier than faith.
To Michael’s comment about women: the idea of Christ “married” to Mary Magdalene and a Jesus bloodline (“Da Vinci Code” and others) has been very popular. This is analogous. That Christ did not view women in the limited ways to which Michael refers must have come as a shock in His day. It still does in ours. Easier to redefine Christ’s views in terms of the familiar (square peg in a round hole).
Keep challenging us to think (and believe), Susanne!
With love,
A. ❤
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Yes, it is a difficult lesson, dear Anna. ❤
Thank you so much for your encouraging words!
As for (thinking and) believing, I have seen myself that those dark places of unbelief in my heart need to be challenged and exposed through His Light until all doubts, which belong to the old nature, are eventually gone. This is a very painful process, but necessary so that we can receive the faith OF Jesus Christ that replaces insecurity and fears with trust.
These ideas about Jesus having been a mere carnal man who lusted after women like all natural men devoid of Christ’s Spirit do have come from people who do not know spiritual life. From hence I cannot blame them for thinking that way. But I know God is Spirit and Jesus’ love can only be experienced through His Spirit. This is another mystery, like the idea of eating His flesh…and drinking His blood. Unless He reveals the reality of these things to us, we cannot grasp it. Also, Scripture tells us about the difference between the spiritual and the carnal man. We read for example,
“If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 Jn 2:16-17 ESV)
The spiritual man and woman is not attracted by flesh/bodies and appearance any longer. Only by Spirit beings and by those who are suffering.
Love,
Susanne
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totellthetruth1962 said:
Beautifully written! Yes I agree so much. For oh so many years I could not identify with the word lusts after the human flesh. I had a hard time looking at people that way. I only desired to love in a Christ like form. Yes it is true.. I am capable of loving people in this manner. I remember one time going to church and a traveling minister from Africa was praying for individuals. When he got to me I was expecting something so totally different. He just said that the love that was in me was not mine. It was HIS!!! And if I cannot have that LOVE, Unconditional LOVE, I am nothing but a very sad and depressed person. Or worldly. Or whatever. I have said this for years, long before computers in my life that Love was the most important thing to me in the world. The Love that comes from God alone. So when I had dreamt of the Wedding Feast so many years ago, being dressed in a beautiful gold dress and sitting with the nobodies of the world I was so happy! I looked in the direction of my groom but could not see HIM for HE was Spirit. So in part…. That one dream is part of what is keeping me alive. But now I feel so unworthy of that beautiful gown. Never mind all the other dreams of being dressed in my Long White Robes. No hearing aids, or glasses needed. LOL I am feel my spirit reviving again. Thank YOU ALL within the BODY for your support and prayers!!!! I am feeling the LOVE! I LOVE LOVE. Also I LOVE truth and righteousness and justice!!!!!
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Michael said:
Anna, I am afraid that I find movies and talk that makes Jesus to be a carnal man very repulsive, even satanic. Yes, He was in the form of man, tempted in every way just like us, but He never caved into temptation, but walked as an example to us as to what is possible for the sons and daughters of God. It is much easier to pull the righteous down with our words to our sin laden level than to seek lives that deny our old natures and rise up in their examples with all the suffering and stripping that is needed to get us there, wouldn’t you say? I often wonder if the way men criticize women, if they are not really jealous and are doing the same thing in many cases as they do with Christ.
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lifewithporpoise said:
It is very timely this post.
I have come to believe the Kingdom of God is the reality of our walk with Him.
It is the relationship experience we know that is sweet and genuine.
Today I was reading about the Feasts in Leviticus and how they pointed to Christ.
I started to weep when I could see it so clearly.
This is it.
The reality of a walk with Him.
It is real and it is good.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thanks for taking the time to comment and for your encouraging words.
The reality of our walk with Him helps us to look at Him continually instead of staying focused on our circumstances. This new reality must come from Him, from above, and then it enters our ‘normal’ reality with a spiritual power unknown by us beforehand. We may not know why it happens and how it happens, but we certainly know when it has happened. Everything we might look at will display the unseen face of God then… and we can stop fighting for our own rights and righteousness when we are IN Christ, in His kingdom where only God reigns.
God is good, indeed!
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