Spiritual Paradigm Shifts

[JimB]

I think you really touch on something that I identify with...in my little short vapor of existence so far I have found God to be alot bigger than I give Him credit for.

It is beginning to set with me that doctrine is man's way of defining the undefinable. God is in the UPC church just as much as He is in the Roman Catholic church, just as much as He is in the baptist church and so on and so forth.

God is a big God.

I am learning this, too. God does not fit into any of our boxes/paradigms.

If I ever had a vision it was of what truth is. I saw a huge diamond set before me, huge and beautiful with the light being refracted through it in rainbows of colors. People were gathered around the gemstone in awe. I asked a man next to me to describe what he saw and he did so. His description was similar to what I was witnessing, but different. We argued for a time about the arrangement of the colors; then he asked me to step over to where he was. And my view changed somewhat. The colors were as he described them. Then I moved over a bit, and again the patterns shifted. And again, and again.

What I came to understand is that this beautiful diamond was Truth, the Truth that is Christ. It never changes. But the light that shined through it is always changing, if we are moving, growing. It was always the same diamond, yet we all had different views, depending on where we stood at any given moment, our paradigms. None who stood around the stone saw the same thing in the same way; yet we all saw the same truth. Our duty was to forever travel around the stone, seeing all of its beauty, or at least as much as we can in one lifetime. To remain fixed in one spot, to never change our perspective, would not mean that we did not see Truth but that we would rob ourselves of all the beauty that truth can give to us as we move in Him.

What do you think?

~Anne Teak

War never decides who is right, only who is left.​

 

[imperfectchristian]

I have realized here recentlyy that there are some deep seated heart issues that I have not dealt with that have been buried inside for years. Some hurts I have not dealt with.

I have been praying about them, but it really suprised me when I discovered (opened my eyes to the fact) that they were still there waiting for me to acknowledge them and be honest that hey are there.

I had convinced myself that if I buried things just left them alone that they would eventually go away. What is ironic is that I think it is obvious to others who are close to me, but I have been oblivious.

 

[nephilimiyr]

All of this took a long period of time though. None of what I said, baring my first born again experience, happend in one day. Actually my born again experience grew on me too. In the RCC at age 14 I was studying to be confirmed and was reading the Bible every night. And wha-la, the Holy Spirit grabed me, but I didn't make a decision on it until after a few days, or weeks, can't rightly remember.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember that night quite well. When after feeling very convicted and wanting God so much to forgive me and to come into my life, I prayed. While praying I felt this warmth come over me and something like pure love. I felt this feeling of being totally pure and without sin, totally washed clean of every sin that was in me. It was a feeling I could almost put my hands on and squeeze. I knew it was God and started to believe God had descended down upon me and put himself in me. It was like a drug that put a smile on me from ear to ear that lasted for a long time.

So the idea I had was that God was in me. This was such a profound experience that I could not understand why I was not taught this in my church. Why was I not seeing anyone else with this smile from ear to ear? I saw plenty of people striving to get to know God, striving to obey his commandments, but no one who actually looked like the way I felt.

Well, I thought I found out why, because just days after this experience I found that sin was still in my life and I had to combat it. So that is where my real religious life began. This constant striving and never winning. I failed miseribly. Grew to hate myself because I thought I was being too weak, too lazy, not loving God enough for the gift He gave me. Slowly but surely I turned to blaming him for this as well and just 2 short years later dumped the whole thing.

Just to add, I did not having any spiritual mentor in my life and I think that would've made the difference.

 

[imperfectchristian]

I am learning this, too. God does not fit into any of our boxes/paradigms.

If I ever had a vision it was of what truth is. I saw a huge diamond set before me, huge and beautiful with the light being refracted through it on rainbows of colors. People were gathered around the gemstone in awe. I asked a man next to me to describe what he saw and he did so. His description was similar to what I was witnessing, but different. We argued for a time about the arrangement of the colors then he asked me to step over to where he was. And my view changed somewhat. The colors were as he described them. Then I moved over a bit, and again the patterns shifted. And again, and again.

What I came to understand is that this beautiful diamond was Truth, the Truth that is Christ. It never changed. But the light that shined through it was always changing if we are moving, growing. It was always the same diamond, yet we all had different views, depending on where I stood at any given moment, my paradigm. None who stood around the stone saw the same thing in the same way; yet we all saw the same truth. Our duty was to forever travel around the stone, seeing all of its beauty, or at least as much as we can in one lifetime. To remain fixed in one spot, to never change our perspective, would not mean that we did not see Truth but that we would rob ourselves of all the beauty that truth can give to us.

What do you think?

~Anne Teak

War never decides who is right, only who is left.​

That is a truly profound explanation. I will have to meditate on that for a while. I totally agree, but I have never heard it expressed and communicated in such a way before.

What I have found ever since I was young and was first baptized in the Holy Spirit is God telling me to listen to Him and not follow "man's wisdom" if you will. My answer has consistently been.."It's too scary"

I hope my answer is beginning to change. I know studying Scripture and being open and listening to what He is trying to tell me is a major part of it.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Thank you for sharing...I grew up in a inter-denominational Pentecostal holiness church so you can imagine...I was taught works based salvation in pristine fashion. Grace was just God's wilingness not to give you a chance at righteousness.

Anything with a drum beat in it was rock music which was in turn satanic.

All Bibles that were not KJV were an attempt to take the deity of Christ away.

etc...

Hmmm, the RCC is not that legalistic at all in my opinion so I don't think I can relate too well. My experience in the RCC was that grace is definatly taught, but it's the constant striving to live a holy life that causes many to not participate. You know, the outward appearance's of holyness?

 

[nephilimiyr]

Yeh I noticed that when you told your story in that other thread!

Turning from God...giving up...yep! Been there

And it feels like a total paradigm shift when you realize that God isn't mad or angry with you, that He isn't up in heaven devising ways on how to get back at you for committing sin. And most important, that He hasn't left you but you left him. That He is always there with a loving heart willing to take you back any and every time you have wandered away from him.

 

[nephilimiyr]

I have realized here recentlyy that there are some deep seated heart issues that I have not dealt with that have been buried inside for years. Some hurts I have not dealt with.

I have been praying about them, but it really suprised me when I discovered (opened my eyes to the fact) that they were still there waiting for me to acknowledge them and be honest that hey are there.

I had convinced myself that if I buried things just left them alone that they would eventually go away. What is ironic is that I think it is obvious to others who are close to me, but I have been oblivious.

I pray that God will instill in you that wisdom, knowledge, and strength that you need to bring to light and confront those things that are deep seated in your heart.

Don't let your praying for them make you ignor them. If they are still causeing you trouble or unrest you need to confront them and take them down!

 

[Cassidy]

And that he still loves you while you're gone! He's not the big bad cop in the sky shaking his finger at you when you stuff up. And that was one major stuff up on my life...but the reasoning behind it all was that of hopelessness and misunderstanding, and knew that! He knew who I was the whole time! And he'd look at me with compassion and understanding and mercy, even when I was deliliberatly sinning away my life (or so I thought).

Sometimes I think back to when I came back to God and his reaction wasn't just of love and acceptance anyway but also one of familiarity...like...I often get this image of God where he's there and he's just shaking his head and saying "You silly billy!" or ..."You dufus!!" Like we do to our kids when they make mistakes....we don't get mad...we just laugh and say..."Oopsie" ...well at least I do with my kids LOL

 

[nephilimiyr]

And that he still loves you while you're gone! He's not the big bad cop in the sky shaking his finger at you when you stuff up. And that was one major stuff up on my life...but the reasoning behind it all was that of hopelessness and misunderstanding, and knew that! He knew who I was the whole time! And he'd look at me with compassion and understanding and mercy, even when I was deliliberatly sinning away my life (or so I thought).

Sometimes I think back to when I came back to God and his reaction wasn't just of love and acceptance anyway but also one of familiarity...like...I often get this image of God where he's there and he's just shaking his head and saying "You silly billy!" or ..."You dufus!!" Like we do to our kids when they make mistakes....we don't get mad...we just laugh and say..."Oopsie" ...well at least I do with my kids LOL

That's what I'm talking about!

Yes, major paradigm shift! Some of us see the father as God in the OT, war, genocide, sending out armies of angles to kill millions. But what did the angles say to the shepherds when announcing our Lord birth?

Luke 2:14, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests!

If that doesn't make you want to shout along with them I don't know what will.

Peace, and this is the season to dwell upon it and pass it along, wonderful peace!

Good stuff there Cassidy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHZ50UvLtMA&feature=related

 

[pinetree]

Good idea for a thread twiggy,I presume GooGoo-baby would approve..

My shift came years ago,when God showed me how to trust my heart where he writes,and that we all,not just my fellow frail human pastor,can trust the unction from the holy one.

I started to recognize the difference between a ministry of dead letter death,and life imparting teachings,that strengthen the inner man!

I realized that if I was not "commited " to a church,that was fine,I would not become a reprobate..

It is actually quite refreshing to have no distractions.

I started to trust the annointing to lead me,and to rely on Him,an anchor for the soul.

Christ took me out into the wilderness,where the only thing was weakness,and Him.

I began to walk in a magnetic pull..

If a church,or a group of saints were ministering life,there I would be,if not,then I trusted the fact that I wanted to follow the life..

John 6:63
The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

 

[Seeking Him]

For me, a paradigm shift comes when God shows me a new image of Himself, a new name. I once had a bad image of God, as harsh and not so merciful. Then he showed me His name as Father, the caring, friendly, faithful, Father!

Recently, He is showing me his name as" Lord of Hosts". The God of the armies of heaven and earth. Whether they be angels, people, or nature itself.

No matter what obstacles there are, He is trying to show me He can muster the armies at his command to guard, strengthen and deliver me.

 

[gratefulgrace]

Every new spiritual insight for me is a paradigm shift. I got saved baptized and joined the Baptist Church at 13 more in the legalistic sense but it was still very meaningful. At 23 I got SAVED and filled with the HOLY SPIRIT a huge shift and a great one. Eventually my journey took me to a Pentecostal Church. Over the next few years I more or less stayed the course until my past as a victim of abuse came to the foreground. God knew I was now ready to bring that out of the closet where it lay hidden even from closest Christian friends so that He could heal me. And so it goes I agree with the poster who called it Christian growth. GG

 

[zaksmummy]

Being saved was not a paradigm shift for me at all - I was six. When people talk about their first love for Christ when they first got saved, I'm afraid I cant relate to that at all, I believed and that was enough for a child.

Even being filled with the Holy Spirit wasnt really that much of an experience either, I was prayed for, spoke in tongues and that was it.

I think the change can for me after my miscarriage, I was emotionally all over the place, my mum quoted that verse "seek first the kingdom of God" to me - and I did.

Things have taken on a whole new meaning for me since then.

 

[zaksmummy]

What amazes me reading all these different testimonies is that he is showing us all different things - so like him.

No two journeys are the same.

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Being saved was not a paradigm shift for me at all - I was six. When people talk about their first love for Christ when they first got saved, I'm afraid I cant relate to that at all, I believed and that was enough for a child.

Even being filled with the Holy Spirit wasnt really that much of an experience either, I was prayed for, spoke in tongues and that was it.

I think the change can for me after my miscarriage, I was emotionally all over the place, my mum quoted that verse "seek first the kingdom of God" to me - and I did.

Things have taken on a whole new meaning for me since then.

My salvation and being filled with the Holy Spirit experiences were very much like yours. I was around 2 or so when I accepted Jesus and speaking in tongues, well, I just kinda eased into it some point...I don't remember either event.

I've had God do some pretty awesome things in guiding me through life. I grew up in an abusive home and not once did I blame God for my parents behavior. I trusted HIM completely. In my view, and it's still my view, I have no other choice but to trust HIM. Bailing out is not an option.

I remember one specific word that came to me when I was about 18 years old. The person who gave the word had just met me so I knew it was God talking through her. In this word God chided me a bit for being overly concerned about whether I was in His will or not. He said, "keep your eyes on me and your feet will go where I lead them". I have held that word close to my memory and have found it to be true. While HE has led me from one place to another, I cannot look back at any of them and say they were mistakes. God is faithful!

 

[Cassidy]

Did you say 2???

2?

Like - 2 years old...a baby??

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Did you say 2???

2?

Like - 2 years old...a baby??

Yup. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house. My grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher and he and my grandmother use to sing together in church. I spent a lot of time with them and they would take me to church with them. I don't really remember the day or time, I just know I was young. But God is faithful, no matter what the age. I don't remember not knowing God. One thing I do remember is lying in bed in the early morning singing all the songs to my grandmother that I had learned in Sunday School. I would also spend a lot of time alone just singing to God. Two years old is not too young to be introduced to Jesus.

​

 

[Cassidy]

Oh no I don't deny that...I'm wondering about the speaking in tongues part at 2...I'm a bit confused by that since kids really can't all speak very well at two and most speak babble anyway.

 

[ARBITER01]

I would like to discuss this and hear your thoughts.


Editied and re-worded: What I guess I really meant to ask was if anyone had ever had a paradigm shift (other than salvation)...that is an earth shaking, life altering spiritual change.

Salvation would be a good benchmark I think for measuring what I mean when I say "paradigm shift."

Something that changed you and the way you see things on a fundamental level.

My salvation was an almost literal Damascus experience for me, as well as several other times, including those experiences from the enemy camp also.

All these major experiences gave me truth into many things that normally most folks just want to sit and argue against all the time. That spiritual connection to Jesus has remained strong throughout all the wilderness I experienced, and helped to fashion my views and goals past my personal pentecost and those teachings from men that try to create a bondage for Christians.

 

[msbojingles]

Yes, I've had a significant, life-altering paradigm shift other than salvation just this year.

A year ago I thought Jimbeaux was one huge brigade of firey darts aimed at Christians everywhere. Recently I'm starting to wonder if he's a real, live, bonafide (that's boh-nu-fee-day) prophet of God.

And if anyone of you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it.