House Church Talk - Phil & his Visualizing

[David Anderson]

>We must learn to get past "key" words and try to understand what a brother 
>or sister is saying.  Raise the question, if you need to.  But don't just 
keep 
>piling it on.
>
>This group (or at least those who engaged in dumping on Phil in the name of 
>"helping" him) owes Phil an apology.  That would be appropriate Christian 
>action at this time.
>
>Jim

    Hi Jim, hi all,

Thanks for attempting to be a reconciler, my brother. I've seen you do 
this on a number of occasions. Why? Because you are obviously a man of 
good will. That's not to say that others are not.

What gets me is how so many religions have borrowed from our 
Judeo-Christian tradition (tradition in a good sense, that is.) Sadly, we 
have borrowed a few things from theirs, too. I've seen plenty of new age 
stuff being imported into the church.

I might say to my children: you need to INTERNALIZE the life-giving 
principles of Jesus. A former new-ager might be offended by my use of 
that word due to all the connotations in his mind.

Take MEDITATION, for another example. The Old and New Testaments are full 
of it. David, laying on his bed at night, musing of God and his mighty 
works. David, delighting in the law of God - his mediation day and night.

Visualizing Jesus seems to be related to these texts:

Hebr. 2:9 But WE SEE JESUS, who was made a little lower than the angels 
for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the 
grace of God should taste death for every man.

2 Cor. 10:5 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; 

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and WITH ALL THY MIND, and with all thy strength: this 
is the first commandment. 

Years ago, Grecian Jews came looking for Jesus. May we do so each day.

John 12:21 The same came therefore to (another) Philip, which was of 
Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would SEE JESUS. 

Lord, please save us from the misuse of "key words."

    David Anderson