Embrace Spiritual Fulfillment

Based on Chapter 16 of Dawn of Devotion

To cultivate a deep, spiritually fulfilling life, it is essential to move beyond self-imposed religious structures to embrace the Bible’s core philosophy. This is not just about following religious policies but about seeking a genuine connection with the Bible, as it says in Galatians 2:19, "Live unto God." This transformative path challenges us to align our understanding with the will at the core of the scriptures, allowing its righteousness to permeate our devotional life.

The Bible continually reminds us that true devotion begins with living "according to God in the spirit" (1 Peter 4:6). This means shifting the focus from mere external religious acts to an internal transformation. Our conversation must be centered on the meaning of the Bible’s righteousness, upholding its counsel as our guide. Psalm 119:116 states, "Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live." By immersing our conversation’s conscience in Scripture, we allow the Bible’s intention to dwell within us, transforming our spirit or mind and leading us to a more fulfilling personal and devotional life.

Understanding the Bible’s philosophy requires us to engage deeply with its “Word.” Our faith’s mind, guided by this Spirit, serves as the instrument for discerning its wisdom. Romans 7:25 affirms, "With the mind I myself serve the law of God." Our mental and spiritual efforts must be aligned with the law of the Bible’s Spirit, where true understanding is manifested. This is the Bible's deeper call: to engage our mind, allowing it to serve and understand its philosophy from a place of love and purpose.

True spiritual wisdom comes from transcending the religious world’s dogmas and misconceptions. The Bible highlights that our belief must leave behind self-centered religious notions to grasp the broader vision of its intended creation. As Romans 7:18 explains, without this wisdom, our devotional experience is bound to an empty practice, disconnected from the true essence of mindful living. The Bible’s call is to experiment with faith, to investigate the Bible’s wisdom, and apply them to our lives through conscious effort.

The Bible’s philosophy centers on the Bible’s righteousness. This righteousness, however, is not limited to ritual or tradition; it must be realized through personal experience and experimentation. The scriptures guide us to pursue the Bible’s commandment with diligence, as only through active faith can we understand and live out the intended experience.

The Bible offers a profound educational journey for our belief’s mind, where wisdom and knowledge of the Bible’s intention lead to its liberation, even like as Proverbs 11:9 asserts, "Through knowledge shall the just be delivered." The pursuit of this wisdom requires us to consistently review and reflect on the Bible’s words, freeing us from false teachings and leading us to fact. This journey involves death to the conversation’s natural constitution, as Romans 6:10 says, so that our understanding may live unto the living God.

The process of sanctification—our belief and its intellect purified—occurs as we engage in the living God’s educational system. This journey leads to the transformation of the mind, allowing us to partake in right wisdom and leaving behind the superficial elements of the religious world. As Colossians 1:13 suggests, our deliverance from earthly concerns happens as we move toward our faith’s higher purposes.

Our faith’s ultimate calling is for us to align it with the Bible’s philosophical intention. The Bible’s philosophy, rooted in a benevolent wisdom, invites us to move beyond mere religious tradition and into a deeper, more meaningful engagement with our understanding. This path is not easy, but it is essential for spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Through this understanding, we move beyond the confines of religious conventions and embrace a higher learning, one that is based upon purpose and guided by wisdom. The Bible’s word’s are a living guide, calling us to live "according to God in the spirit" (1 Peter 4:6), to honor that experience in truth, and to experience the transformative power of those words.

The Myth of the Virgin Birth and Its Allegory Explained

Scene from the Temple of Luxor at ancient Thebes in Egypt, built by Amenhotep III

In the age-old tale of a virgin conceiving a child, lies a captivating allegory transcending popular theology. The Bible (originally Genesis to Malachi) doesn’t talk about or support a miraculous virgin birth. It talks about a profound journey of mental conception through acquiring wisdom. I’ve actually detailed this subject in a presentation.

The origin for the virgin birth is clearly stated, in four separate scenes, within the temple of Luxor built by Amenhotep III, a Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty. I will quote a passage from Gerald Massey’s book to give you an idea of what this scene depicts:

“The first scene on the left hand shows the god Talit, the lunar Mercury, the divine Word or Logos. in the act of hailing the virgin queen, announcing to her that she is to give birth to the coming son.

“In the next scene the god Kneph (in conjunction with Hathor) gives life to her. This is the Holy Ghost or Spirit that causes conception; Kneph being the spirit. Impregnation and conception are made apparent in the virgin's fuller form.

“Next the mother is seated on the midwife's stool, and the child is supported in the hands of one of the nurses.

“The fourth scene is that of the adoration. Here the child is enthroned, receiving homage from the gods and gifts from men. Behind the deity Kneph, on the right three men are kneeling and offering gifts with the right hand and life with the left. The child thus announced, incarnated, born, and worshipped was the Pharaonic representative of the Aten sun, the Adon of Syria, and Hebrew Adonai, the child-Christ of the Aten cult, the miraculous conception of the ever-virgin mother personated by Mut-em-Ua.” Massey, G. (1886). The historical Jesus and the mythical Christ, or, Natural genesis and typology of equinoctial Christolatry. (32/33)

In Egypt, before a Pharaoh would impregnate his wife, he would leave the bedroom and go into a secret room. He would wash in “holy water” and anoint his entire body with “holy oil.” After doing so, he would exit this secret chamber, return to his wife, and have intercourse with her.

Pharaoh does this routine because, by washing and anointing himself in the “holy ordinance,” his body becomes a “vessel for God.” “God” now inhabits his body. The seed shooting out of him and into his wife becomes the “seed of God,” hence the wife of Pharaoh is impregnated by “God” and “their child” immaculately conceived. This is the scene depicted at Luxor. The tradition of this mythology was inevitably passed down and adopted by the writers of the gospels.

The Bible doesn’t discuss such a concept of birth, but rather highlights a birth as found in the saying, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (Jn.3:6). This is a concept transcending realms of superstition and religion, representing a deep union of the mind with the scriptures and with its self. The Dawn of Devotion tackles the Bible’s concept of birth, further answering the question: “What exactly does it mean for a ‘virgin’ to ‘conceive’?”

The issue of birth and of conception are issues having to do with the growth and the development of the mind. Only by introducing acquired wisdom and understanding into the mind can one know the intended “birth.” The child of the “Holy Ghost” isn't a mythological product. These terms need to be understood in their philosophical context to grasp the learning experience our belief should have.

Terms mean much to the narrative within the Bible, and concerning this particular subject, The Dawn of Devotion, calling the Bible into action, makes sense of them. Through its narrative, we're invited, as we look at not the experience of the fiction character called “Jesus,” but at the real man, to ponder the nature of mental conception. What is learned is that true understanding emanates from the heart of the mind. The folklore written within Matthew and Luke is supposed to assist their readers in understanding the allegory therein.

Jesus: The Son of Joseph or The Son of David?

With my book, The Dawn of Devotion, hitting shelves this week, I am still wanting to touch on certain subjects that it brings out. The Bible is full of wisdom, where every verse holds layers of meaning waiting to be uncovered. One such puzzle lies in the relationship between Jesus and Joseph, as highlighted in the book of Luke. It is here that we will look into this intriguing narrative, shedding light on how the Bible, above mere biological ties, emphasizes deeper philosophical and spiritual bonds between individuals.

Deciphering “Son” and “Father” in Biblical Context

The Bible often employs symbolic language, inviting readers to look beyond surface meanings to find the reality. In Luke, Jesus is described as being the “supposed” son of Joseph, and yet David is later referred to as his “father.” This weird situation sparks a journey of understanding, where “son” and “father” transcend their literal definitions.

Philosophical Bonds Over Biological Ties

Within the Bible, “son” and “father” often symbolize spiritual relationships rather than biological ones. The scriptures speak of individuals as a "son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2), emphasizing a mentorship or stewardship dynamic rather than a blood connection. Again, the wife of Isaac, Rebekah, was also told that the two sons within her shouldn’t honestly be thought of as literal boys, but as denominations. This sheds light on the nuanced nature of familial terminology within the Bible .

Adam as a Precedent

The genealogy presented in Luke traces Jesus' lineage back to Adam, the first man. Adam, created from the dust of the earth and infused with a certain breath, serves as a precedent for biblical “sons” who represent spiritual successors rather than direct descendants. This spiritual lineage underscores the profound connection between what is human and what is devotional.

The Breath of God and Spiritual Activation

Adam, as the first son of God, received a certain breath that animated his being. However, his failure highlighted the need for a deeper spiritual connection beyond mere existence. The Bible teaches that true strength comes from being strengthened within the inner man, emphasizing the importance of spiritual enlightenment for true vitality. It is in Ephesians where the counsel to be strengthened with Spirit, with even the same Spirit that animated that Adam, within the inner man is given. If it is the inner man that is to awaken, this again allows us to know that Adam’s sonship wasn’t literal, but philosophical, making him not the first “man,” but rather the first “mind.”

Jesus, the Chief Apostle

In contrast to Adam, Jesus is heralded as the living God's chief apostle, imbued with that same transcendent and omnipotent breath. His words emphasize the transformative power of spiritual enlightenment, offering a path to wellbeing beyond natural or routine religious confines. Jesus' designation as the Holy Ghost’s “child” does not highlight his origin as being otherworldly, but highlights his mind as being aligned with what is inwardly well.

Creation of a Clean Heart

The cleansing and renewal of the devotional conversation’s heart is the Bible’s central theme. The psalm, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10), underscores the transformative power of the Bible’s words, leading to spiritual renewal and enlightenment.

David's Lineage and Spiritual Legacy

Jesus' connection to David extends beyond biological lineage to embody a spiritual inheritance of understanding. The saying, that Jesus should be of the "house of David," symbolizes a philosophical lineage passed down through generations, ultimately culminating in continual spiritual culture.

A Wise Continuation

From Adam to the prophets, the blessing and commandment of the scriptures have been passed down through faithful individuals, culminating in Jesus as the highlighted messenger of what has been passed down. His ministry embodied the wisdom and teachings of his spiritual predecessors.

Building the Inner Temple

The wisdom that was passed down to the real Jesus focused on building the inner devotional temple, where the Bible’s wisdom should reside. Hearers are advised to honor the Creator from out of the spirit of their mind, undergoing spiritual renewal and transformation through diligently studying and applying what is retained.

Conclusion: Embracing the Divine Name

The topic of the meaning of the terms “son” and “father,” in relation to the nature of Jesus, is a complex and intricate subject that Dawn of Devotion covers. Sonship and lineage ultimately transcend biological ties to refer to a relationship similar to one mentally or spiritually being the product of another. Joseph wasn’t the literal father of Jesus, but was his religious father. David wasn’t the literal father of Jesus, but because Jesus adopted the philosophical mindset of David, David became his father in thought, in act, and in feeling. By understanding how the Bible speaks, we can easily follow the Bible’s narrative, being able to better align our learning experience with its intention.

I have a powerpoint presentation on understanding the nature of Jesus’ life and birth.