23rd Sunday after Pentecost /Proper 26 (year C)

Today's Epistle, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, reminds us that the mystery of the first coming of the Christ, was revealed as the full incarnation, manifestation and glory of the Christ of Faith, in the historical Jesus, 2000 years ago. Spiritually awake believers now recognize that the myths, parables and writings about the second coming of Christ, primarily refer to the mystery of the present transforming presence and work of Abba Father, the Christ of Faith and the Holy Spirit, bringing the glorious incarnation and reign of the Christ of Faith in the hearts, souls, minds and lives, of those who follow the historical Jesus, in living the Paschal Mystery [Luke 11:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 2:8].

Since the beginning of creation, the Christ of Faith, as the image of God, has always resided in the spiritual body of all persons, but the Christ is not discerned in the consciousness of humankind [Genesis 1:26-27]. Because of sin, disobedience, error thinking, spiritual blindness, and spiritual sleep, God’s unique, mysterious and glorious spiritual presence, grace and truth, as the Christ of Faith, has been hidden from mankind's discernment and experience [Colossians 1:26-27]. Unbelief, spiritual blindness and rejection of God’s law and divine plan have blocked humankind from seeking the alignment, incarnation, appropriation and reign of the indwelling presence and image of God [Logos] in their lives [Genesis 2:15-17, John 3:14-21].

After his baptism by John in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit led the historical Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. During his 40 days of fasting in the desert place, Satan tried to destroy Jesus' faith and trust in the Christ of Faith's incarnation and reign in his own heart, mind and life. Through the spoken Word, in power of the Holy Spirit and ministering angels, the historical Jesus was victorious over the multitude of erroneous, sinful, undisciplined and uncultivated thoughts and beliefs, which Satan attempted to enthrone in the soul, heart and mind of the historical Jesus [Luke 4:1-13].

At the end of that wilderness experience, Jesus was able to declare, "Away with you Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve". The devil left Jesus for a season and Jesus then began his ministry of kingdom living, here on earth. Jesus completed the revelation of God's plan for the liberation, salvation and redemption for all mankind through the glorified reign of the Christ of Faith and following the historical Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery [John 14:6].

Today, spiritually awake believers in all the world religions now recognize Satan as the lawless one, the mind of flesh, which the apostle Paul describes in all human beings [Romans 8:1-11]. The lawless one [Satan] is still the primary inner source of humankind’s sinfulness and rebellion against God's law. The mind of the flesh creates the wilderness experiences of suffering, alienation, confusion and separation from God and each other, in saints and sinners. Satan as the antichrist, within each person causes unbelief, ignorance, disobedience and spiritual death. In the human experience, the mind of the flesh is at enmity with the indwelling presence and will of God [Trinity], and cannot please God [Romans 8:5-8].

In the second coming of Christ, the undisciplined and uncultured thoughts, ideas and attitudes of the mind of the flesh, must first be subdued and destroyed by Jesus' spiritual baptism of fire. In Jesus Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the lawless one is replaced with the presence and the divine thoughts and ideas of the mind of the Christ of Faith [John 3:3-8]. Jesus' demand "Get thee behind me Satan", becomes obvious when our present lives are seen in the light of God’s promised covenant relationships and reign within humankind, through the presence and new life in the Christ of Faith [Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 17:20-26, Romans 8:9-11, Hebrews 8:1-13].

By discerning, understanding and daily practical application of the literal, allegorical, metaphysical and mystical interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, Christ-centered, spiritually awake believers by faith, follow the historical Jesus, and now know the second coming of the Christ of Faith, through their spiritual bodies. They can by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, find the same tools, skills and empowerment to defeat Satan and seek, discern and welcome the birth, incarnation and reign of the Christ of Faith, within themselves, just as the historical Jesus embraced the glory and reign of the Christ of Faith in his life 2000 years ago.

With God’s help, the lawless one, the old worldly, mortal and carnal self, with its sinful and evil desires is now being cast out, in believer's lives. Like Jesus, spiritually awake believers now proclaim the incarnation and reign of the Christ of Faith, through their spiritual bodies [John 17:20-26]. Living this Paschal Mystery involves taking up one's own cross daily and following the historical Jesus, in the second coming of the Christ of Faith, as Lord and King in one's own life [Luke 9:23-27].

Living the Paschal Mystery is nothing less than God’s universal instrument for overcoming, dethroning and destruction of Satan, in the hearts, minds and lives of the baptized and Holy Spirit-filled disciples of the historical Jesus. This transformation ushers in the second coming of Christ of Faith, in human feelings, experiences, actions and thoughts as indwelling Lord and King. With prayer, repentance, steadfast faith and God's help, Christ-centered, spiritually awake believers in all the world religions can follow the historical Jesus, in further establishing kingdom living in our midst and within us.

By repentance and faith, we can all welcome, seek and procalim the proper mental alignment, incarnation, glorification and reign of the universal Christ of Faith, the image of God, in the hearts, minds and lives of all humankind. We can all persevere in seeking the love, truth, grace and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, as we engage in genuine dialog about our personal wilderness experiences, inner spiritual journeys and maintains as our highest priority the practice of Christ-centered kingdom living, on earth as it is in heaven [Matthew 6:5-15].

Angel of the Week: ‘Self-discipline’

Prayer of the week: ‘Spirit is already within you’