Key Verse: Now is the "Acceptable Time", and this very day is the "Day of Salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Introduction:
The purpose of
Christ-centered witnessing paschal faith communities in all traditions,
religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups is to bring mankind and all
creation into the new covenant relationship with the Godhead and one another in Christ, in the mind of the spirit (Romans 8:12-17, 2 Corinthians 6:2). Within witnessing paschal faith
communities, believers learn to follow Jesus Christ in living this Paschal
Mystery, God's new covenant relationship, in the mind of the spirit (Hebrews 8:7-13, Mark 8:31-9:1). Some believers readily embrace and others unfortunately
reject laying down living their lives in the mind of the flesh, and taking up
living them again in the mind of the spirit. Believers' conscious choices to
embrace or reject the principles and processes of repentance, faith, humility, and obedience when following Jesus Christ in
living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit,
create the hard and yet glorious life of normal spiritual warfare, which exists within witnessing paschal faith communities, throughout our planet earth (Genesis 2:15-17, Jeremiah
31:31-34, John 10:14-21, Romans 8:1-11, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2).
Like the Apostle Paul,
Christ-centered, spiritually resurrected and spiritually awake believers have mysteriously met Jesus Christ in his resurrected and alive, invisible, spiritual person, while in their present physical bodies (Acts 9:1-9, Colossians 1:26-27). By faith, these believers have been joined with Jesus Christ in water and spiritual
baptisms. They are personal witnesses of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as the invisible Son of God and LORD, by the mind of the flesh, within their own souls, hearts, minds,
relationships and lives. They are witnesses of the resurrection, ascension and
second coming of Jesus Christ as the invisible Son of God and LORD, in the mind of the spirit, while in their present
physical bodies. These spiritually awake believers, who have chosen to live
their lives in the mind of the spirit, now discern and are partakers in the eternal and
abundant life of the hidden, invisible, spiritual kingdom of heaven, which Jesus declared is in our midst,
among us and within us (Luke 17:20-21, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2).
Marks of effective and
faithful witnessing paschal faith communities
Within effective and faithful witnessing paschal
faith communities, believers are constantly reminded and encouraged to follow the Apostle Paul
in steadfastly proclaiming the kerygma. Believers, who live in the mind of the
spirit, do proclaim the kerygma, as an historical event in Jesus Christ's life, two
thousand years ago. Like the Apostle Paul however, spiritually awake believers especially proclaim their personal experiences of the kerygma as the Christ-centered, Holy Spirit based Paschal
Mystery, within their own souls, hearts, minds, relationships and lives. This
personal experience of the kerygma is realized, when believe repent and by faith, steadfastly follow Jesus Christ
in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the Spirit (Mark 8:31-9:1, 2 Corinthians 6:1-7).
Cooperation within
faith communities
Spiritually awake
believers are always called by the Godhead to proclaim their personal
experience of the kerygma, in the courage, conviction and power of the Holy
Spirit. Because many baptized believers have not learned to or not consciously chosen to
lay down living their lives in the mind of the flesh, sharing one's personal
experience of the kerygma, is often offensive and rejected to many of these leaders and
adherents within one's own witnessing paschal faith community, who live their lives in the mind of the flesh (John 10:17-18, Romans 8:5-11). Therefore in cooperation with the
Godhead, leadership and structure of one's own witnessing paschal faith community, one's personal experiences of the kerygma must be shared with others in agape love, humility, selflessness,
compassion, long suffering, patience, forgiveness and loving kindness (2 Corinthians
6:1-3).
Testing within faith
communities
When Jesus Christ and the
Apostle Paul proclaimed their personal experiences of the Paschal Mystery, they often encountered great resistance and rejection from the mind of the flesh. This resistance and rejection first occurs within oneself, and then within one's own witnessing paschal faith community. This personal and collective spiritual warfare between the mind of the spirit and the mind of the flesh produced afflictions, hardships and
distress. Rejecting and laying down living our lives in the mind of the flesh is hard work. The believers' hunger and thirst to live their lives in the mind of the
spirit brings many sleepless and prayerful nights (2 Corinthians 6:4-5).
Characteristics of Christ
centered witnesses
Through dialogue, study and practical application of God's
word, prayer, worship, service and active participation in the sacramental life
of one's own witnessing paschal faith community, believers who choose to live their
lives in the mind of the spirit, gradually develop the humility, purity,
understanding, patience and loving kindness to proclaim and practice kingdom living
here on earth, in the mind of the spirit. In the power of the Holy Spirit and agape love, these believers learn
to use the word of truth as the power of God and their chief weapons in spiritual warfare. In the mind of the spirit, they produce right thinking, righteous behavior, agape love relationships and civility in their personal lives and in all aspects of their lives within their religious and secular communities (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).
Paradoxes within
witnessing paschal faith communities
Many paradoxes co-exist within Christ-centered witnesses and within witnessing paschal faith
communities. They include glory and dishonor, good report and bad report. Like
Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul, one's personal witness of the kerygma, may
be considered by many who live in the mind of the flesh, that of an impostor. Though intellectually known and proclaimed, the Gospel of Christ
may appear to be unknown, to believers who live in the mind of the flesh. In the process of dying to life in the mind of the
flesh, believers do have glimpses, visions, and actual experiences of eternal life, when dwelling in the mind of the spirit.
In the midst of sorrow, they experience rejoicing. Though often poor in earthly wealth, believers are now rich in discerning and embracing their everlasting, divine heritage and heavenly
treasure, by living their lives in the mind of the spirit (2 Corinthians
6:8-10).
Bases of affection within faith communities
Christ-centered purity and
agape love are the bases of affection, dialogue and relationships within witnessing
paschal faith communities. In steadfast faith and agape love believers seek to
avoid and minimize alliances and relationships, which are based in the selfishness, error, deception, hatred, separation and incivility of the mind of the flesh. In
repentance, humility, faith and obedience to God's will and way, believers seek the proper mental alignment,
which will facilitate the incarnation and manifestation of Christ as the indwelling and invisible LORD in
their lives. In the unity and power of the Holy Spirit, witnesses in paschal faith
communities learn to love, encourage and support one another, as they lay down
living our lives in the mind of the flesh, and take up living again, in the freedom, agape love and glory of the mind of the spirit (John 14:1-6, 2 Corinthians 6:11-13, Thessalonians 4:13-17, 1 John 3:1-3).
Conclusion
What are your experiences as you speak the truth about your personal knowledge of the kerygma in agape love, within
your witnessing paschal faith community? What are your experiences, as in the
power and presence of the Holy Spirit, you follow Jesus Christ in rejecting,
destroying and putting to death your life in the mind of the flesh in your life and relationships? What are your
experiences, as in humility, repentance, forgiveness, patience, kindness
and agape love, you share your personal experiences of deliverance, salvation and eternal life as the Paschal
Mystery, at this "Acceptable Time and Day of Salvation", in the mind of the spirit, within your witnessing paschal faith communities (2 Corinthians
6:2)?
Related articles:
Season of Pentecost, Proper 7
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