During a cycle of growth from September 25, 2014, the Spirit brought to mind how the challenge I was facing was an inclination to long for something past. We see that it is common for man to cast a favorable light upon something being memorialized. The statues of a hero are often made to enhance perceived qualities. There is a tendency to idealize that which is being memorialized.
I thought of how the thing that I was longing for only had value within a
moment of time in my past experience. It did not bear out as I had expected
over time. But in a given moment of time, it seemed ideal. I thought of how
this was like an encapsulated bubble in time in which it seemed as if I was
experiencing my desired outcome. The fact that I found myself longing for this
testifies against that idealized memorial. It lacked power to be sustained. It
sprang up and quickly faded away like the glory of grass.
The Spirit helped me identify the pattern of deception seen in the way Satan
suggests we can go back and reconstruct these bubbles (moments in time) to
relive them or to attempt to live in them. For Adam, his first bubble was his
recollection of walking with God in the Garden and having fellowship with Him
and His angels as the heavens were open to him at that time. But after the
fall, this experience had been sealed off from him.
Reflecting upon this, I drew out the diagram shown here. I first drew the
horizontal timeline. I saw how these bubbles were our common experience before
coming into covenant with God. The things we cherished never lasted and we knew
no consistency in this dimension of darkness.
I then noticed how God provides new experiences for us beginning with the SEAL
of the Spirit and the laying of the foundation of Truth in our hearts by
instruction from His holy apostles. These new experiences are not bubbles but
are daily sustained by Him as we keep covenant with Him.
I drew these above the timeline because I used the timeline to show experiences
in His kingdom of Light above the timeline and our experience in the kingdom of
darkness below. I marked this out with the vertical line which also marks out
the distinction between our life before covenant (BC) and our life of faith
after our adoption (AA).
As the drawing notes, this transition begins with the SEAL and our being
instructed in the apostles doctrine. We see this in 1 Peter 1:2, Acts 2:42, and
Eph 1:13.
As we continue in covenant with God in Christ, we see that our expectations
shift to Christ and that we receive daily substance of our hope in Him. These
are very different experiences from that which we found in darkness. I drew
these new experiences as continuations in time which lead to the Door of His
Throne (Christ) which marks our being received back into Him (B=B). That which
was initiated by Him within His own Bosom is sustained by Him through Christ
and is brought to completion by Him to be received back into His own Bosom with
the increase of Christ seen in those tokens provided for our faith to live in
this dark dimension.
This also marks the end of darkness, time, and death (the final curse to be
removed.)
As I drew that out, I was reflecting on something being shared by Chief Apostle Eric in last week's assembly. The river of life flows forth from the roots of the tree of life which is for the healing of the nations.
I noticed how my drawing of the new experiences we gain in Christ looked like
roots of a tree (sideways). I then drew the trunk and branches to the right
which is what the Spirit brought to mind in connection with what had been
stewarded in assembly. We see the roots of truth being formed within our hearts
now in this time of testing and how it is from these experiences (roots) that
we bring forth charity for the strengthening of His Body. This will also being
carried forward perpetually within us as we go about our Father's business
(first in us and then through us without end). Praise God!
I then noticed also how we had settled into a comfort zone while in darkness
and how this carries over with our inclinations after coming into covenant. We
see this is part of the transition that the the Spirit assists us through as
our comfort zones fade with each successful cycle of growth while our
confidence in Christ increases. I drew this near the center of the
timeline.
Chief Teacher Maria had a few notes I wanted to add:
What the Spirit lifted out to me was that when experience met outcome (bubbles
A,B, & C), these are often described as defining moments in time. The
reason we yearn to return to them is that they mimic the “permanence” we were
designed for, had once experienced in the bosom of the Father prior to our
experience here, and desire to return to.
The desire for permanence explains in
part why there is a such a tremendous draw to Satan’s suggestion that we go
back to reconstruct those bubbles (why we are drawn by to what appear to be
defining moments).
Interestingly, these defining moments,
when desire met expectation are often also described as when it seemed that
“time stood still”. And then an agony is experienced when that moment seems
“gone forever”. The reconstruction of bubbles offer (false promise) permanence,
but only God can give us these tokens now from the roots of Christ as each
token is connected to Him and is carried on in Him forever. Thank you again for
providing this opportunity for labor.
The bubbles created by Satan also serve as false anchors in that we’re drawn
back to what they offer to take another look at their potential. These false
anchors rival the true anchor we have in the bosom of the Father. The tokens of
Christ are designed for us to go back to them to resource the knowledge of
Christ for confidence.
(This brought to my mind how there is a suggestion to project forward with
those things which were past... projecting a false hope
to alleviate present concern.)
She continued on: The hope there is that the things we are facing
today were already tested in the past and we can trust that experience now to
tell the truth, to be as an unwavering guard for us now in this present time
when there might be uncertainty.
Concerning the comfort zone vs confidence section of the diagram, she
shared: Contact with the roots of Christ brings confidence as hope is
given substance. Satan seeks to reestablish contact with those former bubbles
to confuse the mind with former associations. The word "nostalgia” comes to
mind again to describe a familiarity/sentimentality with events and people the
mind is drawn back to.
The Lord has drawn me back to this diagram in multiple cycles of growth to
further my understanding and make additional connections. I wanted to write
this up and share these notes and this diagram for your edification as well.
