Hello Phil3:10
Thank you for your interest, prayers and kind words.
I am at a place where I am caused through circumstances beyond my control (aren’t they all!) to evaluate and compare the worth of my flesh and blood sibling associations to and with my spiritual brethren.
I am finding out that there is a VAST difference!
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother MORE THAN ME is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of Me.We cannot make ourselves worthy. Only God can do that or cause our worthiness to be instilled within us through His Spirit.
I am caused to ask myself, do I love my siblings in my flesh and blood family more than my Spiritual brethren who follow Christ? Hah! And there it is! There is the dividing line that I do not step over lightly because of the huge pressure to be seen to be a socially well fitting, functional and culturally acceptable family with close connections and bonds ofmy flesh and blood family ties, traditions and other such things I have been taught to do and observe that voids the Word of God.
I assure you that I do not speak from a bitter heart. I did not cut ties with my family and I do not intend to no matter how much they reject or abandon me, it is that now I can see that the soul ties I have, are not worthy to evaluate above Christ. Neither do they represent ties or belief or even like mindedness to Christ. This is the hard cold reality. That draws comfort and superficial warmth only from carefully manicured hypocrisy.
This is not the same like mindedness that I have between yourself or other members here who I consider my brethren. Like mindedness throws off the history like the internet thows of the physical body aspect from our communications here in the Forum. So it is not from a familiaral stand point of emotional shared histories but from spiritual unity of mind in shared knowledge of our God wherein we connect in Spirit and in Truth.
Of course it hurts when God breaks the tie to human family bonds but this break does not import into the division any bad feelings or resentments or unforgiveness for me . Not at all. It actually is a blessing to realize that my flesh and blood family is not my brethren. Who is my Mother and My Father, Jesus asked the crowd. Only His Spirit can bring anyone of us along side of Him to see from His Spirit. It is wonderful to find that I have family in likeminded unity to His Spirit and His Love that does not fail.
Who does not have a brother or sister or Mother or Father who is not in the unity of the Mind and Spirit of Christ. We all have them! Who does not have a son or a daughter who no matter what you do, simply will not conform to the virtues we value.
Perhaps God makes me the focul point to remove the lid off this impeccably kept secret of family disfunctions, to show that He approves of giving permission to the demons of vanity, hypocrisy, double standards, pretense, duplicity, and unfaithful deceptions to enter into the swine that Jesus permitted to run off the cliff.
The farmer wasn’t too happy!
I think what is happening to me Phil3:10 is certainly in the Plan of God. He knows I can’t shut up so maybe my sharing the blows of living in His path might help others face their demons and help them permit those who disagree, disapprove, condemn and hate us, to go and be where they want want to go and be.
There is so much comfort for me in the following verse: It sounds easy and we know it is not. We can understand it but to APPLY it is a whole other ball game!
Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.Arc