Category Archives: Christian Life

LIFE IN THE TRINITY – 6 LOVE ETIQUETTES, PART 2, BY KIANG P LEE

Greetings once more friends the world over!

Let’s see how we ended in Part 1 of this series: Communication is prayer; boundary is the Bible; sacrifice is obedience and fasting; goal is our calling and meditation, leadership is vision; and encouragement is praise. Let me elaborate on these six Love “etiquettes” we bring into our relationship with the Triune God.

Dove – Symbol of Divine Love (Wiki Commons)

Prayer/Communication

It is clear from the Bible that God wants to be addressed in a loving Fatherly way where we call Him “Abba, Father.” It’s an endearing term like “Dad,” “Papa,” or whatever manner we address fathers in our various customs and cultures. “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Rom.8:15) When we communicate with our biological fathers, there is no legalistic rules which says you can speak to him only three times a day, like its commonly taught in Christianity to pray. Paul tells us to be constant in prayer or communication. (Col.4:2) He said be faithful in communicating (praying) to God. (Rom12:12) It means we can approach God at any time of day or night and He is always attentive to what we have to say. He doesn’t get tired of hearing from us. Of course, we ought always to be reverent in our attitude.

How to Pray

Not being disingenuous in any way, humans don’t know how to pray (communicate) with God because He is holy and humans exist in a fallen state of existence that’s in total conflict with Him. He exists in a glorified state of His consummate Love that humans don’t have it in them to approach such a holy God. To be blunt, the radiance of His righteous glory would annihilate us because of our depraved state of being. But He made us in His image, and has made a way in His Son who glorified our humanity through and in Himself, by His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, so we can communicate freely through Him. And God had this planned from the beginning that this was the only way sinful humans could communicate with Him directly – through a Mediator who is a permanent Savior for humanity.

Hence, the Bible tells us Christ prays for us. “Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Rom.8:34) So does the Holy Spirit. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Rom.8:6) These two verses from the same chapter in Romans tells how God receives our prayer. Paul says, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Eph.6:18) The Spirit has been given to be the believer’s sponsor before God “forever” – “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” (John 14:16) The Spirit constantly takes our communication (prayers) to Jesus who presents our utterances perfect before the Father. That is the only way God can open the channel of communication with Him in His Son and through the Spirit who lives in us. Prayer is not a chore, it is an act of Love.

And remember this, this mediation principle by Jesus in the Spirit’s power applies to the remaining Love “etiquettes” below.

The Bible/Family Rules and Customs

Just as the family rules and customs are not unknown to each member of the human family, so it ought to be in the family of God. Peter says, “We study to show ourselves approve unto God.” (2 Tim.2:15, KJV) We read and study our Bibles when necessary to know what the proper form of behavior in God’s family. Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Tim.3:16) If we don’t, how do we know how to behave in an acceptable way before the members of the family who are knowledgeable about the rules and customs. If we are left out of the loop, our actions would cause acrimony and division. Even in the arena of sports, the objective of a game is governed by the rules on how to attain the game’s objective. Without rules, there is no game. Rules exist to ensure the objectives are achieved within the bounds set for it, so fair play governs the game. Without rules there would be chaos and disorder. It is because we understand this underlying reason that we get to know about the rules.This is no different with God and His relationship with His family.

Jesus is the Personified Word of God. It is Herald the Spirit who makes Christ relevant in the way we think and act within the bounds of the “Triune Life.” (John 16:13-15)

Obedience/Sacrifice

They say rules are made to be broken. Consequently, sacrifice is something we give so co-equality is the condition that can be sensed by all in the family environment. As in all human societies, there are people who flaunt rules rather than make sacrifices to obey them. There are times when rules don’t concur with our plans. It happens. This is when we are called upon to let go of our personal desires for the greater good of all in the family. In God’s family, our Father has given us the promised Spirit to help us make the sacrifices and be obedient to the rule of Love which makes us co-equal. Obedience is not something legalistic, but we do out of self-giving, self-sacrificing, Love because we are contributing to the family’s greater good. God our Father has not asked us to sacrifice for His family without stepping on the plate and be the first to do so by sacrificing His Son for us. (John 3:16-17)

Jesus is the only human who obeyed God perfectly, and it is through His life that we live vicariously and appear before the Father. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin.” (Heb.4:15)

Goal/Mission

The purpose of rules and obedience is so discipline can be inculcated in members of the family. This discipline extends to how a person conducts himself and becomes part of a responsible citizenry. But in a personal sense, this exercise of one’s self-will in a responsible manner extends to each person’s development, especially in the area of education. The purpose of education is to help one make right and responsible decisions in life. Education is the vehicle by which members of the family discover their gifts and vocations to live purposely lives. This is the same in the family of God. God has gifted us all differently so we can have purpose and meaning in life.

Jesus is giver of all gifts because He is the repository of all Godly wisdom from which destinies originate: “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col.2:3; Eph.4:8)

Rublev’s famous icon of Holy Trinity

Leadership/Vision

Without loving leadership in the family, all of the above will amount to nothing. Leadership in the family falls squarely upon the shoulders of the parents, chiefly the father. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Pro.29:18) Leadership starts the communication, it sets the rules for the family, and ensures all members of the family obey them, and make sacrifices where and when necessary and by whom. Most of all, leadership provides a common vision where all members of the family can feel part of, and are co-equal beneficiaries through their individual calling and purpose. Leadership provides a way for all who are gifted differently to express their talents and arrive at the common objective. The family of God works the same way: our heavenly Father provides the loving leadership in an environment with co-equal vision and objectives.

Jesus is the head and leader of the family called the church: “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. ” (Eph.1:22-23; 4:7-8)

Encouragement/Praise

In life, as in any endeavor, setbacks are a fact of life. There will be discouraging episodes when giving up seems like the only option. That is when leadership steps in to encourage members of the family to hang in there. Good leadership praise and reward people for their industry and loyalty. The Bible tells us, “All things work together for good,” even the bad episodes. Joseph told his brothers who had sold him at the age of seventeen to the slave market, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done.” (Gen.50:20) Too many times we interpret the present negative circumstance in isolation from the bigger picture. Every experience, be it a good or bad, is like a piece of the jig-saw puzzle forming the picture we see on the box (vision/gift). Obviously, any single piece of the puzzle of itself cannot tell us how the whole picture will turn out. That’s why it’s called a puzzle. And life can be puzzling at times. Proper leadership and vision encourages the family to stay the course till the desired goal is reached.

God has the power to create circumstances to make all things work in your favor. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8) Also, “For He has said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” So that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my Helper,” and I will not fear what man shall do to me.” (Heb.13:5-6)

These are the six “etiquettes” we bring into the “Triune Life” in our relationship with the family of God. I hope it has been helpful.

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic creative Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

*The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. Man is the “riverbed” and the Spirit is the “living waters” that cover him and flows to all in his valley (destiny). (John 7:37-39)

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

NOTE: All information from this website is copyrighted. Any use of its content should be acknowledged by citing the website, address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship.

LIFE IN THE TRINITY – 6 LOVE ETIQUETTES! PART 1, BY KIANG P LEE

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Greeting once more friends!

People have come to know about God’s Triune nature through this Bulamanriver blog posts. Others have come to the knowledge of God by other means – through the Bible, through people, through books, through a local church, other media forms, and so forth. But how many know how to relate with the God of the Bible? He seeks to relate with man, but how do we relate with Him? We relate with people in different ways, depending upon our affiliation and the kind of bond we have with them. We do not relate with people the same way. There is a way we relate within those in the circle of one’s family. Then, within the family there’s even sub-relational bond like spousal, children, the extended family, and so forth. Outside the home, we have professional relationship at work. Then there’s another we develop in society that’s social in nature. We have friends that’s different and special to our relationships. There’s a relationship we develop with our immediate neighbors, and the community at large. Then it extends to the very nation of which we are all citizens, whatever the country may be. In other words, you form relationship ‘protocols’ for different associations with people. There is one underlying motivation which ought to govern all our relationships however different they may be. And there is a way to relate with God. That’s what I will share in this post.

Rublev’s famous icon of Holy Trinity (Wiki Commons)

God Is Trinitarian

Readers of this blog will know by now how I have attempted to explain the nature of God in my blog posts. This is important because a right relationship with God can’t be formed until we have a true and proper understanding of His nature. I will not explain the nature of God at much length except to refer you to my past blogs where I have dealt with this topic at some length. (“Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root,” Parts 1-3, May 2013) In short, God is Trinitarian, not “solitary.” God is therefore Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is Three yet hypostatically One. God is Love by hypostasis making three separate Persons relationally and indivisibly One. (1 John 4:8) What I share in this blog is the relational ‘etiquette’ we bring into our relationship in His Triune Being.

Friendship!

Relating with God is like relating with a very close intimate friend. When we treasure a person’s friendship we do everything to keep and grow the bond of that friendship. You would go to extra length to find out all you can about him or her. You find out your friend’s likes and dislikes, so you’ll not do anything to hurt, but cultivate and make the relationship flourish. You find out about the person’s family and friends and get to know them better. In a way, you form a ‘friendship etiquette’ or protocol that’s reserved only for that friend, which you do not extend to others. The Bible says, “There’s a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Pro. 18:24b) So, sometimes friendship can be closer than family. Friends are important relationships to a person. But more than friends, God goes a step further and regard us as family as well. He Loves us dearly and would not spare any pains to form a lasting family relationship with us.

First Things First

When it comes to our relationship with God, the first observation is that relationship begins with Him – He existed in relationship as the Father, Son, and Spirit, and extends the hand of relationship to humans – not the other way round! The Bible tells us that He first Loved us which makes it possible to Love Him in return. (1 John 4:19) That’s the first ‘protocol’ to observe. That’s obvious because He is Creator, and He made man in His image so He can develop a relationship with humans. This relationship He desires with man is the same kind of relationship God has from eternity in His Triune existence as Father, Son, and Spirit. Every human being derives his personality from the Triune Being of God in the Persona of the Tri-Personal God. They exist as Three free Persons who choose to be One in the bond of Love, and desires to have the same kind of existence with humans. (Gen.1:26-27)

Man Just Doesn’t Have It!

Here is man’s predicament in this relationship with God. God’s holiness in His unfeigned Love is what man in his sinfulness is incapable of responding because he does not have the same divine Love. Man just does not have the equivalent Love to relate with God. So there is this unbridgeable chasm which exists between man and God which prevents a relationship from being forged. It’s not as if God did not offer it to man, it was offered to him in Eden, but man rejected it for a life of fear instead of His Love by rebelling. And fear has been the dominant factor in man’s life he inherited since Adam’s eviction from Eden because of his sin.

“I am the Way…”

God’s answer to restoring the relationship, and the only way, is through the second Adam, Jesus Christ, His Son. All humans find themselves in this spiritual bondage which he cannot extricate himself. Jesus, who is Himself God as the Father and the Spirit, and who possesses the same divine Love, is the Person God gives man to restore the relationship. Thus, He is qualified to mediate and represent man in making man’s union and relationship possible. Jesus, by taking upon Himself His human body and our humanity, effectually joined mankind to the divine Godhead in substance and reality. Jesus took our humanity through His human body into a glorified state by His perfect life, sacrificial death, His glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and becomes our Mediator in His High Priestly role. Man can now Lovingly relate with God on equal terms in and through Jesus. That’s how God extends His hand of relationship with all humans, and by which man responds with the same Love protocol back to God. This is the only way, and this is the plan of God for man to enter into a relationship with Him. In this regard, Paul speaks of “putting on Jesus” as if being ‘cloaked’ in His very glorified humanity thus enabling man to enter and live this Triune existence of Love with the Trinitarian God (Gal. 3:27).

Intimacy In The Triune Life

The nearest human institution that can compare to living the Trinitarian life is the family and the home. In reality, the family was originally given at creation to forever remind humanity of the Life of the Tri-Personal existence of God, after whom the marriage institution received its legitimacy. Recall that the institution of marriage was given to man before Adam’s fall. It’s the only relationship given to man to reflect Himself in His Triune Being, when man was at One with God before Adam’s eviction from Eden. So, marriage and home is the byproduct of the Trinity. Paul said, “I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name.” (Eph.3:14-15) Of course, the modern family is far removed from the model God has set for it from the beginning, nevertheless, it is through life in the Trinity that we will begin to taste God’s plan for the family He ordained and made for humanity. The home is a place where Love and intimacy is the glue which holds together all the persons who make up the home. It is not an institution like that of a business where the people relate through functions and as associates. In the home, the human ‘personhood’ is of paramount importance for it reflects the Tri-Personal Being of God. This should be the case with every other non-familial institutions, for what occurs in the home ought to be replicated in all of life’s expression.

Dove – Symbol of Divine Love (Wiki Commons)

Love is Key

In the Trinity, as it should in the human home, the relationship of the personalities in the family works optimally only when Love is given and received. Love is the ingredient which engenders a healthy and generous relationship within the home. Love is what makes the marriage more than an institution – it makes marriage a home. The home is a world where privacy, security, and Love is dispensed, and where one is protected from the machination of a malevolent world. When a believer lives the “Triune Life” he or she is at home because of God’s Love – for “God is Love.” (1 John 4:8)

Christ and The Church (You)!

Paul tells us that marriage is like the relationship between Christ and the church. (Eph.5:25) Just as Love and intimacy is the bond of marriage, so it is with our relationship with the Triune God through Christ. Just as the marriage commitment (covenant) protects the private intimacy between two people, so it is with a person’s relationship with God. The marriage of the church to Christ is protected by the New Covenant agreement. (Heb.8:7-13) The church is not a building, but comprises of people – you and me! In it, God makes certain promises, and, they involve God’s “heart.” He says He will give us a heart to Love Him faithfully. (Heb.8:10) When the heart is involved intimacy comes with it. We don’t give our hearts to someone without intimacy being central to its expression. Entering the “Triune Life” means we have given our hearts for intimate relationship with God. Intimacy is the expression of the inner sanctum of a person’s heart – the most private and ‘secret’ shared with another only in a marriage. Intimacy is not ordinary relationship, but it is protected through restricted access, hence, the Love-bond through the marriage covenant.

Ulterior and self-centered motives harm the relationship, and ultimately destroys the marriage and home if not remedied. Idolatry, considered “playing the harlot” in the Bible, destroys intimacy with God because intimacy is shared with other gods. It is spiritual adultery. (Exo.34:15-16; Deut.31:16-17) Peter said, “You have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1Pet.2:3) The Psalmist declares, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psa.34:8) God has been intimate with us in His unconditional Love for us. When we have tasted His Love, it is only natural to reciprocate in equal intimate response. We have the ability to be intimate, because He has been intimate with us first, and intimacy is the prototypical model found only in the Trinity. (1 John 4:19) The Spirit gives us the heart to be filled with gratitude for what He has done. His first act of Love from which the Father will display His creative powers in human life thereafter, is to not withold His Son, but freely sacrifice Him for man so the relationship can be restored. Love is self-sacrifice, and it is in this intimate environment of Love that we joyfully enter and live the “Triune Life” through Christ.

The 6 ‘Etiquettes’

How does a family remains strong, stable, and secure, where all members of the family can find meaning, purpose, strength, and happiness within the home and outside of the home? A family exist to fulfill the needs of all members of the family in self-giving Love. How each family member is nurtured most effectively depends upon its structure. There are six Love-motivations that form a healthy family structure. Let’s call them Love ‘etiquettes.’ They are 1) communication, 2) boundaries or rules, 3) self-sacrifice, 4) goals, 5) leadership, and 6) encouragement. Everyone who makes up the family has to have a clear understanding how each play a role, and gives himself or herself to that role, in these 6 areas which form the family home structure.

There is transparency governed by open communication with each member of the family. Each is knowledgeable of the boundaries for family practices and customs. There are times when family members are called upon to make sacrifices for the family. Each member has to have a worthwhile goal to achieve a life that’s suited to the person’s gift and purpose. Of course, all these cannot happen unless there is leadership and encouragement provided in the family by the parents, in particular, the father.

In the exact fashion, the Triune God is a family of three members, and extends a hand to man to join in and participate in their Life. Our relationship with the members of the Triune Family is no different. It is too bad that we have turned the family motivations and ‘etiquettes’ mentioned above into practices that have become overly religious and legalistic, that it has lost all its meaning and impact. We need to refer to them as terms of endearment, because these are Love ‘etiquettes’ we display in the “Triune Life.” What are these?…Note their counterparts: Communication is prayer; boundary is the Bible; sacrifice is obedience and fasting; goal is our calling and meditation, leadership is vision; and encouragement is praise. These everyday common sense functions have been cloaked in religious terms for the legalist’s own ends. When we put them side by side like that, we can unwrap the religious and legalistic undertones they convey. Some have even call them “disciplines.” When we regard them as “disciplines” they are viewed as something forced upon us. No, these are Love “etiquettes” accepted by all as something we joyfully participate because Love is central in the relationship. We Love being part of the home because we see what Love does to all concerned. When all is said and done, there is no place like home, and we would gladly give our life to this relationship.

In my next installment I will get into the details of the 6 Love ‘etiquettes’ of life in the Trinity.

Blessings:

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

NOTE: All information from this website is copyrighted. Any use of its content should be acknowledged by citing the website, address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship.

“THY WILL BE DONE”… BY KIANG P LEE

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Greetings friends the world over! Is God overbearing and arrogant when He desires we pray that His will be done in our lives? It may surprise you that God’s will is more about your overall well being and welfare, than it is about His own self-glorification. In this post, I want to show you that’s indeed the case when Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Will be Done.” (Matt.6:10; Vs. 5-13)

Two Perspective to Life – “Solitary” and “Triune”

There are two ways to look at this prayer: we can look at it from a “solitary” perspective and conclude God is a solitary Being who is self-obsessed, insensitive, self-loving, and concerned only about Himself in His egocentric world. On the other hand, we can view it through the prism of His Trinitarian nature of Love, through the “Triune” perspective and ask, why is it that He desires His will to be influential in all we do? Two different perspectives, with two different conclusions – obviously! “God is Love,” (1John 4:8) so it’s impossible for God to be self-serving and self-loving, because Love is outgoing, self-giving, and wants the best for others. He is Love because He is “Triune” and not “solitary” in His existence as God. From eternity the Father, Son, and Spirit have treasured their relationship in self-giving, self-sacrificing Love for each other that they are considered One in substance of Love, not three. Stephen Seamonds says this in his book, Ministry in the Image of God, “The Trinity find their unique identities by focusing not on themselves, but on one another.” That, in a nutshell, is a peek into God’s will for each of us.

God Reveals His Love for Mankind by Sacrificing the Son He Loved from Eternity – Bom Jesus do Monte, Portugal, (Wiki Commons)

“Thy will be done” is quoted from the prayer Jesus taught His disciples known as the “Lord’s Prayer.” If there’s anything impossible for humans, it would be adopting and living by these four powerful words. Why, because of the energy of the human will. Since his fall from Adam, man has been a “solitary” being, and his energy is always self-centered. God is a “Triune” Being, and His energy is motivated by self-giving Love. So naturally, man’s will and God’s will will always be at odds with each other. Man was not made to exist in “solitary” existence, but God exist as a “Triune” Being. (Gen.1:26-27) Adam had sold man to this way of life that has brought all the heartaches, suffering and deprivation.

With God All Things Are Possible

Nevertheless, Jesus utters these encouraging words, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt.19:26) The context in which these words were spoken refers to Jesus’ encounter with a rich man and the supposed impossibility of the rich entering God’s Kingdom. However, the principle applies in every facet of living and life itself, including God’s will, not just idolized materialism. Those who find the secret of living by these words, “Thy Will be done,” will find rest, peace, joy, purpose, and success in this life and the life of eternity to come. For by having the Father’s divine will accomplished is really the lavishing of His Love upon us. His will will always be His Love. Paul revealed the secret: “And I have been crucified with The Messiah, and from then on I myself have not been living, but The Messiah is living in me, and this that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of The Son of God, he who has loved us and has given himself for us.” (Gal. 2:20, Aramaic Bible) What has been crucified is our “solitary life” and given up for dead for a life of faith. The human body is now the “temple” for the Spirit in which to exercise the Love and faith of Jesus in the “Triune Life.” (1Cor.3:16; 6:19) There is nothing wrong with the ‘human body’ of itself, it is the engine which runs it, be it the “solitary life” or the “Triune Life,” which determines how the body lives and functions. Jesus glorified our humanity, or human body, making it immortal, in His resurrection. (1 Cor.15:42-44) And if it is Jesus who lives in us, then the life we live is most assuredly the “Triune Life” of God, for Jesus is no less Triune God as the Father and the Spirit. Jesus, the second Adam, is the One who makes all things possible for and in man.

The secret of Paul tells us how God’s “Triune” collaborative Loving way works: He gives us His Son who came as the prophesied Immanuel, lived, died as our Savior, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, so that we can live vicariously in His now perfect glorious life (both God and deified human) for our salvation in this life, and the one to come in His spiritual realm. God accepts this substitutionary reality in His Son which makes it possible for man to do His will. There is no other way! This is the “Triune Life!”

License to Sin?

Does this mean we can do no wrong? Does this give us the license to live in careless abandon? No, our human body still exists in its fallen state from Adam and will trespass, but we don’t have a rebellious but a compliant heart. (Rom. 7:18-25). In Christ we exist in the “saved condition” in the Spirit’s power, not the “sin condition.” Now we are living the “Triune Life” in Christ, not the “solitary life” in ourselves, for the old self is crucified and “dead” remember. Man’s propensity to sin is no excuse to live licentiously, but to enlighten man of his need for a permanent Mediator in Christ. Jesus cleanses our hearts in the washing of the water of His Word that flows in us. (John 7:38-39) That’s why in the same Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray for forgiveness daily – “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matt.6:12, NASB) It is a process that will take a lifetime.

God’s Will is that We Should Return To Eden. St Josaphat Catholic Church (Detrit, MI), Adam & Eve Expelled from Eden. (Wiki Commons)

“For I Know The Plans I Have For You…”

Our “solitary” perspective of Him is unfounded. When He commands us to do His will for our lives, He has more than our best interest in mind. To prove it, He did not spare His Son to make His Loving will for us possible. And our best life comes because His Love motivates all our thoughts and deeds. The prophet Jeremiah quotes God’s attitude toward us in this fashion, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer.29:11) Again, I realize these words were spoken in the context of Israel’s captivity, but that’s how God’s Love always is to anyone who desires to do His will, not just for Israel!

Life of Needs

When we think about what “His plans are to prosper us,” we often don’t regard this as “His will” being done in our lives. We think in a “solitary” mode that He is trying to withhold something from us, perhaps our freedom of expression. If we fail to see life through the prism of the “Triune” nature of God’s Tri-Personal Love, we will be imprisoned in our “solitary” ways that’s driven by “fear” and “need” – not Love and abundance. Our choices in life will always depend upon how we define freedom for ourselves, isn’t it? All our life-choices is about being free from the problems and trials of life, that’s why we “need” this and that stuff. And we don’t want God’s will impinging upon us. So we are always thinking about what we “need,” or our perceived “need,” that will give us freedom and peace of mind. But the very act of resisting God’s will which will produce the true freedom we seek, we have defied at our own expense. Our “needs” can be material things, money, or whatever it may be. Money is a big dynamic in attaining economic and social freedoms. However, material stuff and money will not free us completely because they don’t give us true authentic freedom. Only God’s Love expressed in the “Triune” life can deliver true freedom. Man’s fear expressed in his “solitary” ways enslaves him.

Destiny and Gifts

With the “Triune Life” comes gifts and blessings. God has endowed each and every one of us with a calling to live out our destiny in His Love. To achieve that, He has given us gifts to realize and reach our destinies. But we must be careful not to convert our God-given “life gift” into a “life of needs” for our own selfish objectives. Never turn your gift into an ATM machine for your own “needs,” but rather to the service of God. When it comes to gifts, many people forget God is the sovereign Giver of gifts. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” (Rom.12:6a; see also Luk.11:13; Jam.1:17) We have taken life and our inborn abilities for granted, our faith is entirely humanistic and earth-bound. The believer must resign himself to this fact about the origin of our talents and abilities. When we surrender our gifts to Jesus, as Abraham did with Isaac, He will hand our gifts back to us consecrated, so we will prosper fittingly in His Love – as “Triune” persons, not “solitary” individuals.

Our gifts, like God’s Love, is for the purpose of enriching others, not ourselves through our “needs.” Have you ever seen a tree feeding on its own fruits, cannibalizing itself? No, fruits are for others to come and enjoy and glorify the Gardener who planted it. So it is with our providential gifts and destinies. The Bible says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov.11.25, ESV) Jesus said, “I am the Vine (tree) and you are the branches, and My Father is the Gardener.” (John 15:5,1) The Spirit is the sap which flows through the tree to the branches which produce “good” fruits. This story of the vine and the branches Jesus told his disciples before His crucifixion is the depiction of the “Triune” life we have in Him.

Jesus further said this about human “needs,” “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?… So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (the “Triune” life)), and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt.6:25-34, emphasis added) Jesus is differentiating the “Triune Life” from the “solitary life.”

The “life-gift” we have comes through the flow of the Holy Spirit who has been given as the primary gift to be with us “forever.” (John 14:15-18). He is the deposit of God’s Love in the believer. (Rom. 5:5) He is the “creative life” (gift and calling) of Jesus in us empowering us to live the “Triune” life. Man’s only connection to Jesus is through his God-given “life-gift” (creative life) which is based on love, not on needs which are fear-based.

Life of “Needs” or Life of “Gifts”

The “life-gift” we have in and through the flow of the Spirit will always be the “creative life” (miraculous life) in Jesus from the Father. One (“Triune” life) is empowering while the other (“solitary” life) is disempowering. One is superabundance while the other is lack and deprivation. No matter how “good” our intentions, how noble our acts, it is our will which determines its foregone conclusion – whether it’s abundance or want. Many times it’s just a vicious cycle formed out of repetition which becomes habit. Each time you face a need and let fear instead of Love dominate the situation, fear becomes the dominant force in your life. Fear finds strength in the self-will of the “solitary” life. God’s will always summon Love into the life of the believer to look to Him for answers. (Psa.37:5) And the answers will always be out of His abundance, not your need. Love is another word for abundance. Fear is another word for need and deprivation.

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We All Have Been Given Gifts to Live Meaningful Lives, Shaping Pottery (Wiki Commons)

Our “Thought-Life”

Just as we compensate for gravity to live on this earth, so must we compensate for God’s Love in our thought-life, to live in His Love-based will, and not our fear-based human will. (read my post “It’s The Thought That Counts” posted 03/18/2014) It has been scientifically proven that our thinking transmit thought waves which radiates energy, both good and bad, depending upon one’s thoughts. Before science discovered this, Paul made reference to it calling the devil the “prince of the power in the air.” (Eph.2:2) He uses the ‘airwaves’ to broadcast his attitudes (thoughts) to unsuspecting humans. But the Spirit lives in us to control our thoughts and the impulses from the world around us.

There are only two forms of energy we can radiate out from us: Love and fear. When it is Love, we attract God in our petitions. When it is Fear, we repel Him and the enemy steps into our lives. CS Lewis said, “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

Fear will respond to a need and say: “I must have it.” “I can’t live without it.” “I’m addicted to it.”

On the other hand, Love will respond to Love and say, “I can live without it.” “I never feel, ‘I must have it.’” “I’m not addicted to it.”

Love has no needs! Love is abundance!

Love (God) responds to Love, not need. Abundance responds to Love, not fear. Fear is lack and is founded upon man’s self-will. Love is another word for superabundance. Fear is another word for utter deprivation. Of course, we are talking of a holistic abundance which embraces both the physical and spiritual realms. So, do you see now why Jesus wants the Father’s His will to be done in our lives?

God tells us this through wise King Solomon, “Commit to the Lord (Love) whatever you do (your will for His), and He will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end- even the wicked (fearful) for a day of disaster.” (Prov.16:3-4, emphasis added)

Blessing

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

** The Bulu man-river is metaphor for a non-believer. Bulu is Fijian word which means “burial” or “death.” This river produces want and death in the person. Bulu man-river is the union of man with his fallen, unsaved self who lives under the deception and sway of the devil.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

THE ONE-MAN PRINCIPLE OF IMPLIED CONSEQUENCE – BY KIANG P LEE

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Greetings, Friends everywhere!

I hope you found my last post on the three mandates God gave man from the beginning useful and constructive. My hope is it has added to your faith and given you confidence to foster healthy interaction and communion with others. As we participate in the Lord’s Life in us, we are helping sow the seed for a better world where His Triune Love unites us together and is the guiding principle in all we do. I hope this post will do likewise and add to your wholeness and joy as a ‘Triune’ person.

Many find it hard to believe that the life and death of one man can be attributed to absolve all of mankind’s sins and wrongs and be given the gift of everlasting life, in place of eternal death. Because of this doubt and suspicion, many in the secular world, have found it hard to fathom how Jesus Christ’s life alone has that implied, substitutionary, outcome upon all mankind. (John 3:16-17) They think it’s the kind of thing that’s born out of religious zeal bordering on superstition and religious fanaticism, and does not measure up to scientific criteria and norms. It’s too far-fetched to be believed. At the same time, there are many things in science, creation, the universe, which, even the best of our educated minds have no answer. Science, for example, has not been able to fully explain how the human mind works. So, if no one can claim to have all the answers, we can at least agree that we all play this game of life on the same level playing field of unfamiliarity, inexperience, and to a greater degree, ignorance. So, keeping an open mind would be the most sensible of options to take. Keeping a closed mind only serves our ignorance and keeps us in the shadows, rather than seeking enlightenment in the evolution of our understanding of ourselves and others. So, let’s answer this question on a more down to earth manner, and make sense of this question.

“One-Man” Attributive Principle in History

This may be an important thought to consider, the one-man substitutionary role of Jesus aside, the Bible is clear about one thing, it is through the one-man act of Adam, that all of mankind is in a state of alienation from God. The effect of Adam’s one-man attributive decision to disobey God, is clearly witnessed in the condition of man’s fallen state of being in the world today – of depravity, decay, man’s inhumanity to man, and death. Many see the dilemma of evil in the world, and have no clue as to the origin of them. God summarily attributed man’s depraved condition to Adam’s disobedience. Paul stated to the Romans, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Rom.5:12, NLT). Man was banished from His presence (Eden) and closed the path to finding enlightenment and the grace for authentic living. Adam chose the way of darkness and ignorance, and the greatest depth of ignorance is to deny the existence of the Creator. So this one-man attribution for all of mankind’s future is not something new or novel. It has happened in history – from the very beginning of man’s existence on earth. This is not something ‘religious’ or fanatical, it is a cause and effect matter that has scientific relevance. When the second Adam (Jesus) came, He taught us the way of Love, service, and self-sacrifice. That is not ‘religious,’ it speaks of a way that produces the opposite effect of the first Adam’s way of rebellion, self-centeredness, confusion, and heartache. Sadly, we continue to live in the reality and consequence of Adam’s rebellious way of life today.

Every one of us has a great responsibility to protect the environment – and climate change is a global issue that is going to require a global solution. Everyone’s action has flow-on, attributive consequences, as the Bible teaches. (Pic:Wiki Commons)

If our state of fallen, depraved, and corrupt condition, is really the result of one-man’s choice to disobey and alienate himself from his Creator, why is it so hard to believe that another Man, the second Adam, whom God foretold and appointed would come to right Adam’s wrong – yes, this one-man implied principle at work – would bring man back to right standing with God and receive His grace for authentic living? (Gen.3:14-15; 1 Cor.15:45-49) Paul taught, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor.15:22). Because Adam took mankind down the path of disobedience, with the deceitful prompting of the devil, God prearranged the coming of the second Adam to save man from the consequence of the first Adam’s sin, and defeating the enemy responsible for Adam’s fall, once for all. Jesus Christ, the second Adam, came and taught man a new way to live. The way of outgoing Love and self-sacrifice, to replace Adam’s way of inner-directed fear and self-destruction. He commanded His disciples, “A new commandment I give you, Love one another. As I have Loved you, Love one another” (John 13:34). Jesus was the personification of the prophesied Immanuel (God/man incarnation), the only perfect human, that could undo what Adam had doomed man into a life of servitude, fear and corruption. (Isa.7:14)

Principle of Attributive Consequence Continues Today

Here’s what we fail to realize, this principle of attribution and implied consequence, continues to undergird man’s relationship with other humans today. Though we may not realize the effect of this principle upon us, for good or bad, it is as real as long as God is Triune and exists in this attributive/imputive/connective spiritually ‘organic’ way fundamentally. We see this played out in history for good in the life of the patriarch Abraham. God stretched His hand to save Israel numerous times because He remembered His word of blessing to Abraham. (Exo.2:24) In our more recent history, we see this principle played out in our world wars with disastrous consequences. The life of Adolf Hitler stands out. Human history is littered with people of like violent disposition.

Man was not made to exist privately and in isolation in himself. He was made after God’s Triune likeness so he can live in Loving communion with his fellow humans, as God does in His Triunity. Yet, sadly, man continues to fail to take responsibility for all his actions which carries this imputive consequence. I’ll come back to our personal responsibility in this one-man attribution principle. But first, the obvious question that comes to mind is why does God permit this one-man attribution/implied principle to be such an overriding determinant in man’s relationship with one another? The short answer is because it reflects His Trinitarian Life as God who lives in Loving communion. He expects man, whom He created in His own Triune image, to live and behave that way, because He IS that way.

Imputive Consequence Is The Essence of The Triniatrian Life

Readers of my blog will know by now, that whenever I have tried to find an explanation for something, I have tried not to deviate from investigating the answer through the prism of the Trinitarian nature of God. It clears the mind off all the cobwebs of the “solitary” self we inherited from Adam. As long as God is Triune, there’s always a Trinitarian undercurrent which carries His authoritative, attributive, and implied, outcome in everything He does and we seek answers for. I said in one of my previous post that life begins where our concept of God takes root. Who is God? What makes Him do what He does? God declares Himself as ONE, yet, exists in Three Persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The act of any Three is the act of ONE God. Not Three Persons with separate outcomes. So, that’s imputive, interdependent, co-dependent living. So God, because He is Love, being Three, automatically act as ONE. Because He is Love, they are indivisible and eternally ONE. In other words, their actions are interconnected and therefore attributive to one another. When God created Adam, He wanted Adam to choose to live this Triune Life with Him. He created Eve to make the Trinitarian life comprehensible at the human level. Eve was not created separately but from Adam himself to depict this Triune inter-relativity by co-dependence. By alienating himself, Adam effectively cut himself off from God’s Triune way of Life. He is now effectively living the “solitary” way of life in himself without the Triune God.

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The Triune God – The Act of One is the Act of All Three, and the Act of Three is the Act of One. This is the Basis of Imputive Principle Man Lives Under. (Wiki Commons)

So this one-man attributive, inter-connective principle, if I may call it that, is founded upon the God who is Triune (three), yet ONE, attributive, and interconnected in all His Loving manifestation. That’s to say, Each of the Persons in the Triune Godhead always acts in ONE-ness, not three-ness. That’s another way of saying, everything God does is interconnected, interrelated, and unified with everything else, and nothing stands alone. The whole universe and the physical law that holds it together, including our earth, are all interconnected for it reflects the Creator who made it all – separate, individual, heavenly bodies, yet ONE, unified universe. So we see this principle of interconnection throughout creation. It begins with God who is three, and yet, interconnected and ONE. Though, through the naked eye, and our “solitary” mindset, we may observe the physical world as existing autonomously, everything is interconnected and finds a single expression. Like the Three Persons of the Trinity, they are ONE unified Being, natured in their single expression of Love. God is Love, so all He does bears his Triune/imputive Love expression.

Man may not realize this, but everything he does brings him in touch with this interactive physical laws of the universe, which like gravity, comes into play and compensates for if what he does is to work at all. See the modern-day exploits in air travel, space exploration, technology, advancement in science and engineering, sea and land travel, etc. All we do has to take into account God’s ‘law of relativity’ which Albert Einstein discovered, because that’s how the world exists – nothing is what it is until you relate it to something. The relational nature of God (Trinitarian) underlies our existence, despite living the “solitary” life which Adam has imputed upon us. Everything in creation has this attributive, implied, and relational resonance which is the signature of the Trinitarian God who sustains His creation in Love. Everything created resonates this Triune, interconnective principle, and man can choose to live by it, or deny it at his own demise.

Jesus Lived the “Trinitarian” Life, and Adam The “Solitary” Life

Listen to the words of Jesus as indicative of the interconnected creation in which we live, He said this about His words and actions, “These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (John 12:49-50; 8:28b, 29, 26b; 14:9-10, 24; 17:8; 6:63, 68). He said further, “By Myself I can do nothing” (John 5:30). This is an activity of the Triune Love which binds them together as ONE. Jesus’ actions are not for His private exploits but activities of Love with the Father and the Spirit. He said, “Not my will, but your (the Father) will be done” – even at the point of His death. (John 5:17, 19-20, Luke 22:42 emphasis added). Notice what Jesus said about the role of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God, “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own, He will speak only what He hears” (John 16:13-15). Jesus was declaring His life of Loving union in His Triunity with God the Father and God the Spirit. He said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt.28:19). Jesus authorized the disciples to bring people into the Loving interconnected Life of the Triune God, and thereby live the one-man attributive, implied, and Trinitarian life in Christ. (Gal.2:20, KJV)

Whatever way we choose to live, whether it’s Adams “solitary” self-centered way, or Jesus’ “Triune” Loving way, it does not preclude nor nullify the one-man attributive consequence of our actions. If it is Adam’s “solitary” way we live by, it will produce fear, depravity, decay and ultimately death. If it is Jesus’ “Triune” way we cling to, it will produce Love, excellence, joy and grace for authentic Trinitarian living.

The ‘One-Man’ Trinitarian/Attributive Principle Affects Us All Regardless

Paul affirms this one-man Triune/attributive principle upon all, saying, “For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife (believing), and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy” (1Cor.7:14, emphasis added). This imputive principle starts in your family, where your Triune Life in Christ is implied to those around you, so they also are in good standing with God because of you. Though they may not be in direct union with God, you are that connection which brings grace to them. This is the same principle God applied to save mankind through and in His Son. (John 3:16-19) What happens if a man lives the “solitary” life apart from the Triune God, and his actions are self-willed and evil? Are those around him doomed? Yes, and no! Though a person’s actions bear evil implied consequences, it will not harm those implicated, if, as individuals, they choose to follow God’s Love, and change their ways and follow good in place of evil.

The Death of Jesus – an Substitutive Act (Eugene Delacroix, Wiki Commons)

The whole eighteenth chapter of Ezekiel makes this plain. (Ezek.18) Notice, the Israelite acknowledged this attributive principle, so much in a negative light, it has become a proverb, a buzzword. (V.1). But the Lord tells them, the opposite is also true. Even though this implied principle is true, if the person shall turn from his wicked ways, “he will not die for his father’s sins, he will surely live. But his father will die for his own sin” (V.14-18). Note also the warning given to the self-willed Israelites, notwithstanding the promises of blessings God gave Abraham, “But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham and I will remember the land” (Lev.40:40-42).

So, though they were implied recipients of Abraham’s faithfulness, there was an obvious implicit sense of duty to follow the patriarchal example, or their own self-willed attributive actions will nullify the covenant. God is perfectly ONE and indivisible in His Triune Love, we are not. God gave us minds so we can change, even if we have implied consequences which are evil which our fathers attributed and became part of us. God wants us to choose to be joined to His one-man Triune/attributive Loving way of life, and pass on and attribute His Love upon others through our inspired actions in the Spirit. (Rom.5:5)

Watch Over Each Other in Love

God makes this Triune implied consequence principle clearer in relation to our gifts and what we are expected to do with them. Speaking to Ezekiel God says, “If I speak and give them warning from Me… and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways… I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person… and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved” (Ezek.33:7-9). God is elaborating to man, who was made after His image, what is expected when living this Triune Life in Christ. We serve one another with our gifts and talents because God does the same in His Triunity. We are all “watchman,” watching out for each other’s welfare. In Loving Triune union in Christ, we are all made keepers of each other. (Gal.6:1-6; Phi.2:4; 1Cor.10:24) We must take loving responsibility for the gifts we have been endowed with, and let its energy invigorate us to embrace one another in the Spirit’s Love. This is the very essence of the life of the Bula man-river.* (To read more about the Bula man-river,* go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my book)

God’s Sovereignty

In all this, we must not miss the point of God’s sovereignty in everything. It is God who determines what is right and wrong through His character of Love. Therefore, it is God alone who has the power to forgive sins. It is He alone who determines how transgressions are pardoned and forgiven. It is God alone who has the power to grant man the gift of immortality in His Triune existence. (John 3:16) The Bible tells us, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim.2:13) Compassion and mercy is part of who He is in His sovereign Love.

So yes, God attributes the acts of man upon each other, whether for good or evil, and this is what He has done to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, for our deliverance. By giving us His Son, He attributes His one-man attributive perfect life upon all mankind for our redemption, just as Adam’s sin brought us into the shackles of slavery of evil and sin. In Christ Himself, with His implied deliverance, He brings us the Father’s gift of immortality through the Spirit. Hence, we read this implied statement, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you (all) to God” (1 Pet.3:18, emphasis added). In that, we see the inseparable, eternal Love of God in these immortal words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Let’s be truly thankful for Jesus’ one-man implied righteousness upon all mankind, and go out and live life as He did, knowing that all our actions have their inherent attributive consequences.

Blessing:

May the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic attributive Triune living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book. Thank you for your support.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root – “Creative” Trinitarian Life, Pt. 3 – By Kiang P Lee

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Greetings Again Friends Around the World,

In parts 1 and 2, I presented not only scriptural proof of God’s true nature as Triune in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but also we saw why man’s very salvation is eternally tied to a life lived in the heart of the Trinitarian existence of God. Hence, I have named this series as it relates to our relationship with God in His Trinitarian reality, and how it affects our view of the world and our participation in it. The command to not worship other gods apart from the true God, is directly connected to our conception of Him – that He is “Trinitarian” and not a “solitary,” one-person God. By being Triune in nature, He essentially is relational and lives as ONE in Love, for He is Love (1 John 4:8) His Triune reality in man creates a world of difference more than we can ever realize. This is the stuff of the miraculous.

In the final installment of this 3-part series, we’ll see how God relates with man in His Trinitarian reality and extend the same to all mankind through believers who have put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. My sincere hope is you will see God’s unmistakable appeal to man in the Gospel to participate and experience His Trinitarian reality through Jesus in the power of the Spirit. And then to live life that’s truly life with all humans, through a relationship that is realized in the Spirit that is true to His nature of Love in His Triunity. (John 4:24)

Life presents us with only two broad ways of life – man’s self-centered “solitary” way, or God’s loving, unified “Triune” way. In the book, “Bula man-river – The Miracle of Triune Living” I presented two metaphors to represent these two ways of life: the “Bulu man-river” with deathly waters of carnal man influenced by the devil, and the “Bula man-river” with the “living waters” of the Holy Spirit where life is lived in the heart of the Triune life of God. One is 1-dimensional, while the other is 3-dimensional. One is the way of independence, while the other is the way of interdependence. It is a life of living in the Spirit who unifies man to the Father through the Son, and not in his fleshly self. Paul was inspired to write this,

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness…. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rom.8:9-13). Here, we see how both Jesus and the Spirit interpenetrates the “living waters” flowing in the life of the Bula man-river (believer).

Purpose of Triune Life in Christ

The purpose of the “Triune life” is essentially to protect the believer from the inconsistencies and ravages of the “solitary life” – a life lived under the influence of the devil who is the instigator of all human pain and suffering in the world. God loves us so much He wants us to live a life filled with joy, not suffering. He is the Fountain of joy, a joy that will culminate in an eternity with Him. (Isa.12:2-3) When you are thinking Trinitarianly in Christ, you are aware that your walk is always in the midst of the Father, Jesus, and Herald* (Spirit). Your emotional reaction is always tampered by Their Loving relationship with each other, that you now inhere in Christ. So we’re not in the emotional juggernaut of the “solitary life” that comes with dire consequences. Every act you take in the presence of the Triune God, makes you consider their Loving Triune reality in your life, and every other human, those of the faith and they who are not in the faith. And always, it is an action taken in love, for love is the very nature of the God who is Triune.

Living the “Solitary” Life Still

If the “Triune Life” frees us from the curse and malevolence of the “solitary life,” then it’s logical to conclude that the “Triune Life” essentially embodies the ‘Creative Life’ of the Triune God, for the very Life of God is synonymous with all things good, breathtakingly wonderful, and magnificent in its splendor. (Gen.1:31; Ps.8; 40:5; Acts 10:38) The “solitary life” is synonymous with everything uncreative, corrupt and deathly in fallen man. Here is the irony that’s seen in most of Christianity: many who call themselves followers of Christ are living the “solitary life” still – they think as long as they acknowledge Christ, then they are in good-standing with God. To live the Christian life in “solitary” mode is to live apart from Christ, for He is Triune in His Godly nature.

Though a person may claim to believe in the Trinity, if he still lives the “solitary” life in himself, he still lives apart from Christ. This tells us that many “Christians” fail, or simply don’t know how to live the Triune Life in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Taking the name of Jesus automatically comes with the Triune Life of God. (Matt.28:19) In reality, taking the name of Christ demands we give up the “solitary” life in the self, in exchange for the Triune Life in Christ. Its a change that I call “flush-out” in my book. The Christian Life is lived in Christ, who lives in the “Triune Life” of God. The sign of Christianity was made clear by Paul above – it requires the presence of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Spirit is the start of the activity of the Trinitarian God in a believer made possible by Jesus. (John 16:7)

What Religion Does

Sadly, what religion has done is turn man back on himself in his “solitary life” by saying that his salvation is “his” responsibility. They say, Christ has done His part, now man has his part to do to earn it. This is the devil’s deception at its very core. Salvation is all grace and freely given to man. God has not abdicated your salvation by placing it into your own hands, nor the hands of another. Salvation is all God’s doing in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. If Christ is a partial savior, then the Gospel is not true. Jesus is not a 50/50 savior. If salvation is a free gift which comes from the free grace of God, it is impossible for man to earn it, let alone 50%. For the Gospel tells us He is the complete Savior of mankind. Paul says, “We are complete in Him” (Col.2:10; Acts 4:11-12). I explained in the book that “our part” is simply to “hide in Christ” as the “living waters” cover the riverbed (man), and let the Spirit live His life fully (overflowing) in man. (In my book I explain this insidious lie of the devil, and talk about what is “obedience.”)

What The Spirit Does

The work of the Spirit is made evident by Jesus, “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own, He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me for it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you.” (John 16:13-15) It is clear the work of the Spirit is to reveal what belongs to the Father and the Son. This passage is entirely Trinitarian in its rendition and meaning. The Spirit’s role is to take man into the Triune Life to understand the will of God in his life.

Doing The Will of The Father

Jesus makes plain that it is possible to say one is Christian, but is none of His: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt.7:20-21). The verse following this says even those who perform miracles in His name He will shun: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (V.22-23). Many have wondered about this passage, and inquired of its meaning as it relates to the believer. The answer can only be explained in what a person believes and the way he lives – if he lives the “Triune Life” in Christ (Bula man-river), or if he is still living the “solitary life” in himself (Bulu man-river).

Notice what Jesus said, “…only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” The will of the Father is also the will of the Son, as we saw. So, from eternity, the will of God has always been “Triune.” The act of One is always the act of all Three – God is indivisibly ONE. This translates into a life where man lives a collaborative, interdependent, unified, and Trinitarian life in Christ. We can do “good works” based upon our human “solitary” mindset, and God calls it for what it truly is – “filthy rags.” (Isa.64:6) It is what the Spirit produces in man, flowing as “living waters” in the riverbed of man (Bula man-river), that results in “good” that’s of Godly substance.

This final 3-part series is by no means comprehensive, and you may be left with questions, which I hope you will find in my book. Or, alternately you may leave a question on this blog. Let us look into the “Creative Life” we are brought into by the presence of the Spirit in man, who constantly takes him into the presence of the Triune God so man can live the “Triune Life” of the Bula man-river. What follows are excerpts from the book, “Bula” man-river – The Miracle of Triune Living”:

What is “Creative Life” – Fire of the Spirit

“The beauty of the Trinitarian life in all its awe and wonder is to experience and participate in the “creative works” of God as He flows in us into the valleys He has charted for each of us. (John 17:20-23) What He has done in the universe, pales into insignificance compared to what He is creating in man. God is really recreating Himself – children, like Jesus to inherit His nature and all things. The material creation around us is subject to deterioration and decay. But God’s cosmic plan is to use it as “clay,” so to speak, and create His very own children (Rom. 8:20-24; 29-30). Whereas the universe and life upon this earth was made to exist uniformly, man was not. That is to say, God has to convince man of His love, for man was made to bear His image, and where there is love there is of necessity freedom. Where there is freedom, there is choice. God cannot apply the uniformity He placed in creation to be similarly applied to man. He has only one means with which to convince man to accept his offer of becoming His children – His love.”

“The miraculous life we live is essentially the expression of His love for us. The principle upon which God’s “creative work” is done in mankind, is the “creative love” of the Spirit. He gives us the power to summon our thoughts to Christ’s service through the captivating love of the Spirit (2 Cor. 10:5). All thoughts of fear that lead to deprivation and want are overpowered by the overwhelming love of Jesus just as the “living waters” cover the riverbed (1 John 4:8). Paul speaks of thoughts that are true and honest, thoughts that are just and pure, thoughts that are gracious and endearing, thoughts of virtue and excellence – in short our thoughts are to be about the love of God (Phil. 4:8). In Triune living, man is the extension of the Triune nature, so we are an extension of God’s love.”

“A river is an attractant for people because it is a place where they can flourish and be sustained indefinitely. As a Bula man-river, you are an attractant for people. You are the living, walking, Gospel of Christ. People naturally come to the living gospel, we don’t take it to them – we don’t force it on them. You can only flow into the valleys you have been assigned (John 3:27).”

The Creative Life Find Its Source in the Creator

“Jesus is leading the way, and we are following His “flow.” Whatever Jesus does, we do. This defines the mechanics of Trinitarian living. Jesus “lives creatively” in the power of the Spirit through us as Bula man-rivers from which we derive our inspired abilities (Matt. 16:24; John 8:12, 12:26; 1 Pet. 2:21). We don’t take the “creative fruits” of love in the Spirit and bottle them up inside us – that is “reverse flow”; it’s stagnation and lifelessness. You cannot plow a field by turning it over in your mind, but by taking the important second step of putting your hands to the plow.”

Fruits – Love’s Tools for Creative Living

“If the Spirit’s “living water” is always flowing, then He is reliably accessible and ever dependable. He never leaves a void in us but fills every crevice and cranny in our lives. If indeed His love “never fails us,” then what is love’s real and practical manifestation that reflects this unfailing quality? It can only be the Spirit’s fruits, and Paul documents this in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 13; Also Gal. 5:22-23; Rom. 12:9-21). God’s love is the peaceful flow of the Spirit’s life in the Bula man-river: it is *the fruit of patience, *the fruit of kindness, *the fruit of contentedness, *the fruit of being modest and unboastful, *the fruit of humility, *the fruit of honor, *the fruit of unselfishness, *the fruit of calmness and dignity, *the fruit of forgiveness and compassion, *the fruit of delighting in good and shunning evil, *the fruit of tolerance, *the fruit of responsibility, *the fruit of enduring hope, *the fruit of steadfast perseverance, *the fruit of joy, *the fruit of peace, *the fruit of goodness, *the fruit of faith, *the fruit of gentleness, *the fruit of self-control, *the fruit of zeal and spiritual fervor, *the fruit of friendship, *the fruit of sharing and generosity, *the fruit of prayerfulness, *the fruit of hospitality, etc. All these and other traits of the Spirit spells one thing: they spell the actions and emotions of the Spirit in the life of man. By and through them we decipher and peek into the different tones of God’s love. They present to us the way of life of the Triune God.

“It’s not possible to speak of the Spirit’s work in the Bula man-river without the fruits that identify who He is – it’s one and the same, it’s unavoidable. Most times when people think of the fruits of the Spirit, they often view them academically through the legalistic lens of religious proponents who uses them to make “better people” of us. We live powerless lives when we do. We are not zombies, but free-will humans made in the image of God. So we say, “I have no choice in the matter, so I may as well go along with the program” – as it were self-improvement exercises. On the contrary, we fail to realize that from eternity these fruits undergirded the loving relationship of the three persons within the Triune God. Love’s energy is brought to life in the application of these fruits. In our constant presence before God, the Bula man-river share this energy and the creative relationships we have within the Triune existence of God. Now you are in their midst living the same life they live from eternity and tasting that life in the Spirit.”

Living The Power of The Triune Life

“Many believe in the Trinity but have not experienced the Trinitarian life, let alone know of its power in their lives. Paul was addressing this very issue of denying the power of the Triune life of God when he drew the attention of young evangelist Timothy, to a list of actions (fruits) that were disempowering people. He mentioned being unloving, unthankful, without self- control, brutal, unforgiving, self-lovers, despisers of good, disobedient, and so on. These and other such actions are fear-based behaviors. Paul said, “They have the form of godliness, but deny its power” (2 Tim. 3:1-5, KJV). All these behaviors stand up against the list of the Spirit’s fruits we saw earlier, which are love-based behaviors. These were professed Christians, who somehow deceptively cloak their selfish intentions and place a label of godliness on them. But they lacked authenticity for they denied the only power that defines them as one – the Spirit’s fruits, or love. The Bible is clear if one does not have the Spirit living in him, he is not an authentic Christian (Rom. 8:9, 14).”

“The Christian life is experienced through the Triune life of God – the “living waters” of the Bula man-river is the Spirit’s energy animated by these fruits. We can view these fruits in a purely academic frame of mind, but they are first and foremost the energy and spark of the Spirit in the life of the Bula man-river. We can exercise them as some self-righteous human behavior or we can give ourselves to the Spirit to let His energy inspire our actions in them. The practice of the fruit of the Spirit is not for some hollow “self-improvement” exercise for human personal gain. The fruit is the Spirit’s creative energy for developing loving relationships with our God and our fellowman. When relationships are motivated by fear they become twisted, for relationships are made for love based on the Triune existence of God Himself. The fruits of the Spirit articulates God’s love and undergirds all human relationships of the Bula man-river within the Triune existence of God. The miraculous life we are called to live springs from this loving relationship. This energy is not inert but is alive for the fruits touch on the positive emotional response of people in the relationships we engender in our respective valleys. As I said, the Spirit lies passive and inactive in every human giving man’s intellectual prowess. He becomes active as a gift of “fire” from heaven when man receives Jesus as his Savior.” (Pg.109-113)

You can read the book for a full explanation of this aspect of the Triune Life we are blessed to have in Christ. Remember this, the “solitary” life is a powerful influence in man which began with Adam, and its grip is made all the more insidious with the devil’s deception. Ambitious people have driven themselves to do great things as they are motivated by the “dominion spirit” given to man at creation (Gen. 1:26, 28; Ps. 8:6-8). However, by riding the “Bulu man-river” river of fear and deprivation (the “solitary” life), they have ignored and despised as trivial the fruits of the Spirit. Blinded by their conceit and arrogance, they have unwittingly ridden the torrential waters of ruin and despair. They regard such “creative fruits” of the Spirit as trivialities and beneath their notice. They associate these acts with weakness which, in their blindness, actually puts them at a precarious disadvantage. Without recognizing the creative energy of the Spirit’s fruits, they have inadvertently failed to utilize the very power that will bring them the abundance they seek, without all the pains and perils of the “solitary” self-centered life.

They think the only way is to compete and control and allow greed and avarice dominate their “solitary” existence. They fail to realize that the “dominion mandate” given to man precludes our domination over another person. As far as man’s relation with man, Paul said there is just only one thing we owe one another, “the debt of love” (Rom. 13:8; Gal. 6:2). There is only one Ruler over man – God, who personally directs him, not another man. (Heb. 8:10-11; Isa. 30:20-21). Becoming a truly great man or woman takes unselfish attention, first to small tasks, sacrificing selfish ambition and pride in place of those necessary things which evoke no applause and reward. In applying the fruits of the Spirit, he ascends to the level of prominence that only a Bula man-river can attain, for he lives in and by the biomeic** “creative power” of Jesus in the Spirit’s “living waters.”

Recall Jesus final words to His disciples: “Go and make tell the world about this wonderful Gospel, and baptize and bring them into the Triune Life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt.28:19, emphasis mine). May the Triune Love of God fill your riverbed as a “Bula man-river”*** to water the valleys of your calling and eventually bring you to your foreordained destiny.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

*Herald – This is the name I have personally come to affectionately call the Holy Spirit who is my closest Friend and Confidante, who always walks by my side, and flows in me like “living waters.”

**Biomeic – A Biome is a collection of different types of ecosystems that interact with one another and give birth to ONE act we call “life.” The life of Jesus, as epitomized in His personification as God’s spokesman, or the Word, with the Spirit’s inspiration, is the spiritual “biome” ecosystem in the Bula man-river. It is the ingredient of life which the Bula man-river gives to the people of his valley communities, so forming the spiritual “biome” of man (Acts 17:28).

*** The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book. Thank you for your support.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root – The God Who Is Trinitarian Pt.2 – By Kiang P Lee

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Greetings Again Friends,

I hope you found Part 1 of this series about God’s Trinitarian nature both uplifting and encouraging. Whenever the name of God is mentioned, it always means “Triune.” The name of God never means “solitary.”

Rublev’s Famous Icon of Holy Trinity (Wiki Commons)

The Malachi Prophecy

There is a powerful and compelling prophecy in Malachi which speaks of an Elijah to come whose work will be to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers.” Then God warns why Elijah’s work is so gripping for mankind,“Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Mal.4:6). That surely is a dire warning we must all pay attention as to what Elijah’s work truly means.

Whenever a relationship is mentioned, like father and son, or father and children, that is basically a Trinitarian statement. Jesus speaks of His relationship as the Son with God as His Father, saying, “I and My Father are ONE” (John 10:30). That’s a Trinitarian statement. Recall Jesus parting words to His disciples: “Go and tell the world about this wonderful Gospel, and unify (baptize) them into the name of the Triune God of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt.28:19, emphasis mine).

Jesus’ final prayer with His disciples to the Father before He was crucified, was framed in God’s Trinitarian reality. He inhabits eternity in His Triune Being, and is the Source of the Love which envelopes all of creation, and is expressed to man in His 3-dimensional reality. Man exists in his 1-dimensional reality.

“I do not pray for these (disciples) alone, but also those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be ONE in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be ONE just as We are ONE: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in ONE” (John 17: 20-23, emphasis added). Jesus told His disciples, “On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you” (John 14:20). Every word is uttered in its Trinitarian context in who God is in His Triune nature of Love.

Obviously, His prayer was intended to enlighten both the disciples and His followers about His mission, and to bring to reality the will of the Father in Jesus’ purpose in the Gospel. That is, to do the work of the prophesied Immanuel – “God with us”: to join man to the Triune God. (Isa.7:14; Matt.1:23) Also notice, God’s manifested glory become man’s when he is unified to God’s Triune Life in Christ. Primarily, His glory is manifested in the miraculous life we are privileged to live in the power of the Spirit, who is given to be with us “forever.” (John 14:16) This is what brings power to the Christian life, but for most, the Christian life is without the miraculous life or glory that comes from the Triune life of God. Are Christians living “solitary” lives? Is this why they live powerless lives?

“Solitary” One-ness or “Triune” One-ness

It is entirely feasible for man to take this “unity prayer” of Jesus and apply it to his “solitary” human perspective of life. He can use this “unified stance” with a “solitary” foundation to broad-brush everything he does with his family, his community, his nation, and still miss the point of Jesus’ meaning and purpose in His Trinitarian prayer. A father and son relationship can either be lived on a fleshly “solitary” mode, or a divine “Trinitarian” mode. Think of a statement like “unity in diversity” – if it is not lived in the Triune Being of God, it is still a philosophy birthed out of man’s “solitary” thoughts in his fallen, depraved state of being, which inevitably ends in failure and death. The “solitary” life which exists outside without God’s divine goodness is of itself a curse. Jesus, in the very depth of His Triune Being with His Father, could not have prayed any other way but in who He IS in His Trinitarian Oneness with His Father.

Though He took our humanity upon Himself, it was not a prayer He prayed through the human 1-dimensional “solitary” worldview, but the 3-dimensional Trinitarian unified worldview with and in His Father and the Spirit as ONE indivisible Triune God. That is the reality Jesus wanted the disciples and His followers to have with the Father, through and in Him. You see, once Jesus has taken man beyond and into the veil and man is made to sit with Him in His “Triune” Being-ness with the Father and the Spirit, everything we see and understand about the world around us changes from a “solitary” view to a Trinitarian divine view. That’s why Jesus had to come. That’s why the Father sent Him. That’s why Paul tells us, “You are complete in Him (Jesus)” (Col.2:10, emphasis added).

So the father and children relationships in Malachi are pictures framed primarily in the Triune relationship of God, before it extends to mankind when we accept this reality in Jesus by the power of the Spirit. The work of the coming Elijah, among others, primarily refers to the unifying of man to God through Christ so man can become a “unified being” (as opposed to a “solitary being”), from a 1-dimensional being, to a 3-dimensional being, in the very heart of the Trinitarian life of God. From this Trinitarian vantage point, man can now extend a hand of relationship to his fellowman, in his relationship with his children, his neighbors, his village, his city, in the Triune way of life in Christ.

Dove, Motif for The Holy Spirit (Wiki Commons)

In my book I speak of man becoming a “Bula man-river as a metaphor of this reality – man becoming and living the “unified miracle life” in the Triune Being of God.

I’ll continue from where I left off from the book, “Bula” man-river – The Miracle of Triune Living”:

Holy Spirit

“As long as man’s life is fueled by fear, God’s love cannot take a foothold, nor could a meaningful relationship based on love flourish. What people may regard as the expression of human good is done under the cloak of fear. Don’t get me wrong, every noble act has to come directly or indirectly from God, even the ones we do under the influence of fear. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden existed in God’s presence with our original parents. Therefore, all good and evil are in God’s control and serve His sovereign purpose (Gen. 2:17; Isa. 45:7). Man’s fear-based interaction with his fellowman has brought untold sorrow and continues to this day. Love and fear cannot coexist in the heart, just as light cannot coexist with darkness. God puts right this disparity between the depraved human heart and His love by giving man the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. He is Himself God, and love, like the Father and Son. He is given as a gift to abide in man’s life and supply man the love with which to respond fittingly to God’s love (John 16:7-15; Rom. 5:5). God offered the Holy Spirit to man from the beginning, symbolized by the tree of life in Eden, but man succumbed to fear’s deception, mistrusted God’s word, and betrayed His love. Man has since lived under the influence of fear, and it governs all his responses to life. Sadly, this fear-response carries over into his relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is given to change the status quo of fear.”

The Love DNA

“Before the Holy Spirit can be given to man, he must be unrobed from his cloak of fear. Fear comes in all sizes and shapes, in all tints and colors. Basically, fear is the harbinger of all the evil in man. The devil, who fuels this fear in man, does not rule man, but he can use fear to hold him captive. God alone rules man because man was made after His image. God gave man dominion over the earth but nowhere extends it over another human. The Genesis account is quite clear on this. Man’s only ruler is God (Gen. 1:26). Since man has God’s DNA in him, fear is essentially anathema and foreign to man. This is the underlying reason for so much suffering in the world. Man’s response to life is dictated by fear, not the love that’s in his DNA.”

“The fact that man fundamentally hates evil in all its manifestations is proof of God’s DNA in man and his aversion to fear. This hatred of evil is built into the human conscience. Man may carry out some heinous act, but such an act, having seared the conscience, will subsequently distort the personality and deteriorate man’s judgment and sanity (1 Tim. 4:2). Along these lines, God’s sovereignty undergirds all of life so that we will never lose the Creator’s reflection in man. Nevertheless, the devil holds man captive by and through fear and rebellion. Jesus comes to rescue man through the power of the divine love of God and to give man the Holy Spirit to meet God on His terms.”

From Fear to Love

“God’s promise to man is to give him a new heart to end his suffering from living a solitary life through a newborn “unified life” in His Son (Ezek. 11:19; Heb. 8:10, 10:22). He will remove the heart of fear and give him the heart of love. In becoming a mortal human, Jesus vicariously assumed man’s sinful life in His perfect being. In doing so, He destroyed fear and replaced it with God’s love. Finally, man can reciprocate with the same love with which God loves man. Only One from the Godhead is capable of loving another God alike. Man doesn’t have that love. All of man’s responses, including what he thinks is “love,” are filtered through his fears. Only One from within the triune Godhead can become the Mediator for all of humanity’s inadequate responses and transform them from fear to love in Himself (John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:15). That is why He is called man’s High Priest and Mediator in heaven, who forever intercedes for man.”

“Now man’s fear-based response is removed by the miracle I call the “flush-out”* (Miracle 1). Man takes on a new nature with love at its center, from which he responds to life. Jesus took upon Himself our humanity in His mortal body, glorified it through His death, resurrection, and ascension, and took our humanity into the very life of the triune God in heaven in our place. There is no other way to completely respond to the love of God but through and in Jesus. Only Jesus is capable of loving the Father perfectly, and man loves alike by living vicariously in Jesus. This is the Good News. That is why Paul tells us, “We are complete in Christ,” because He stands in for us and takes our place (Col. 2:10 emphasis added). God accepts this representation of His Son on our behalf as the true, finished, and final answer to all man’s sufferings and his place in the spiritual Eden which brings the miraculous life.” (Pg.27-28)

New Life in Christ

“Living this Triune life with and in God is as natural as He is love – it is not a forced obedience. God accepts His Son in our place, as our vicarious defense against the law which defines sin and demands our life. So when Christ died as our perfect human atonement, we died in Him (Rom. 7:4-6). When He was resurrected, we were lifted with Him. When He ascended to heaven, we relocated in Him (Eph. 2:4-6). The covenant promise God makes with man in His Son removes the heart-of-stone and replaces it with the heart-of-flesh. This is our new life in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (Heb. 8:6-11). The heart of fear dies and reincarnates into a heart of love (God). This is the miraculous life we have been called to live, for nothing but a miracle can make it happen.” (Pg.30)

We will have the final installment of this 3-Part series in the next update. May God help you see the light of the Gospel in Christ who has eternally unified us to the Triune God in Love.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

* “Flush-out” – In my book, “Bula man-river, The Miracle of Triune Living,” I explained the “flush-out” as follows: “The miracle of the “flush-out” occurs when a person’s faith transmits the cleansing agency of Jesus’ blood. Faith is the conductor of miracles as electricity is in water. The atoning blood of Jesus flushes out the deathly waters of Bulu and replaces it with the Bula “living waters” of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39, 4:10). The “flush-out” inaugurates in man the life of God in place of death. Man is now the Bula man-river of God. At this moment in time, the life of Jesus and the Spirit, the blood and “living waters,” flow in the Bula man-river – you!” (Pg.40)

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root – God Who Is Trinitarian, PT. 1 – By Kiang P Lee

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Greeting Friends Around the World,

I pray that this post will bring the joy of freedom in your heart as it did mine when I wrote it.

God’s nature, and the motivations for all His actions in His creative works, has always been Trinitarian in every way, shape and form. Although man may not have understood God in His infallible Triune expression, and even if man conceptualize God in forms other than Trinitarian, He nevertheless cannot deviate from who He truly is in His spontaneous loving Triune Being. He inhabits eternity in His triunity without beginning of days nor end, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:18-20)

Rublev’s famous icon of Holy Trinity (Wiki Commons)

In my book, “Bula man-river – The Miracle of Triune Living,” I used the metaphor of the “Bula man-river”* to explain how the Triune God comes and fully unify Himself with man and transforms him to experience the very Triune life He inhabits from eternity, in Christ. Here are excerpts from my book –

“One of the most important and overlooked aspects of Jesus’ mission was that He came to reveal to us the true nature of God. Throughout His mission, Jesus made reference to God as His Father (John 17, 1:1-5, 14-8). John attests to this Father/Son relationship, saying, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18). Jesus also mentions another personage in the unified Godhead – the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus came to reveal the true nature of God by revealing the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and to show that God is Triune in His nature and not solitary. God is ONE trinity. That is, He is the union of three persons in one Triune Godhead. He is not alone; He is not individualistic; He is not isolated or reclusive.”

“Something significant happened to Abraham when he expressed heartfelt faith in God’s word to him – he changed from a “solitary” father to a father of “many” nations. God changed Abraham’s name to reflect His own triune nature. The same will happen to us when we express the living faith of Abraham. Too many times man presents a picture of God sitting remotely alone on His throne, passing judgment and exercising control over our lives. Jesus corrected that image and showed God to be relational in His Trinitarian nature. This is vital to living the miraculous life. We can only mirror our relationship with a God who is by nature triune and bound in love. In other words, we will commune with a relational God, not a private God. God is not solitary as many think. By declaring the Father’s nature, Jesus made us understand His nature is love.”

“Love is relational, hence God is triune. Humans have this “solitary” perception of God because man, who lives this “solitary” life since his fall in Eden, have painted this “solitary” image on God. Throughout history man has always tried to put God in a box to suit. God tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). How vital that we let the Spirit inspire and energize us in His Trinitarian nature to nullify our natural “solitary” attitude. We can do good things in a “solitary” mode and it will take us only thus far (Jer. 17:9). By connecting to the triune God through His Spirit, His love will lead us in life. He instructs us to choose His triune life, not our solitary life (Deut. 30:19).”

“Why did God reveal Himself as the God who is love by nature? He is not made of love; He is love. Love is God and God is love – there is no distinction between the two. God and love are one and the same substance. Now consider this revelation of God in relation to man’s concept of a solitary God. Is it possible for love (God) to exist in isolation, in solitude – unaccompanied, secluded, alone in self-absorbed existence? If God were one solitary person, with no one to love and share His divine Being, then His affirmation that “God is love” would be meaningless. Love cannot exist in solitary confinement. Only the opposite, fear, will thrive in such a condition. No, love exists and thrives exclusively in relationships. Love and relationship are inseparable. Therefore, love is not compatible with the image of a solitary God, but it’s completely viable with a God who is Trinitarian. “Perfect love (God who is triune) cast out fear” (1 John 4:18a).”

“There is no place for solitary existence (fear) in a life that is committed to relationships (love). The Bible speaks of a proper “fear” that can exist with the love of God. It does not make us afraid of God, but instills a deep reverence of everything He stands for. Then there is the fear that is the antithesis of love, “because fear hath torment, and he that fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18b). Torment is contrary to love and joy. The Gospels make clear to us that Jesus’ multifaceted earthly mission was to declare openly to the world that God is Father to all mankind. By declaring the Fatherhood of God, He discredits all arguments that God is solitary. A Father begets and nurtures children. Jesus declares Himself as the Son of God. So are we all. He did not declare the Fatherhood of God to please the people or His followers, or to be controversial. He declared it because this is what love does – love tells the truth, love cannot lie. By proclaiming God is His Father, He affirmed God is triune.”

“Jesus’ crucifixion to atone for mankind’s sin is the ultimate story of love from a God who knows no other way to live but in loving relationship (John 3:16-17). His sacrifice was the ultimate act of love for He was both God and man. This is the key to the miraculous life the Bula man-river* is destined to live. It begins with our belief in our concept of God, for life will be to us as Jesus said – “according to your faith, your life will be lived” (Matt. 9:29-30 emphasis added). What is our concept of God? Miracles are birthed in love, and love cannot survive in solitary existence, but in relationship. God’s loving relationship with man is what brought miracles to man by the hands of Jesus. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus transports man into the triune existence of God. God has existed in His triune relationship from eternity. Because the triune God is of one substance (Greek, homoousios – “of one substance”) the act of one is the act of all three, making it singular and unified. Man has not experienced this kind of integrated life with the triune God since Adam. But God desires to bring man into the loving fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. This is the way they lived from eternity. This is where the miracle life is birthed and takes its stand, and where the Bula man-river* makes his stand.”

“God is Love” (1 John 4:8) (Wiki Commons)

Love Is Key

“The relationship God seeks with man is the same closeness He lives with the three Persons of the Trinity in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now here is man’s predicament: man is incapable of responding with the same love God has for man because he just doesn’t have the equivalent love to relate with God. It was offered to him in Eden, but he rejected it for a life of fear instead. Man has never known this divine relationship of love the triune God has inhabited from eternity. Love is the key to making it work. Even so, how does a man respond in kind when he doesn’t have the goods to begin with? In simple terms, man has to take on a complete new life, a nature consistent with God’s love. Man, in his present fallen state, is incapable of loving God the way God loves him. His “solitary” depraved nature, which is influenced and motivated by fear, stands as an insurmountable wall. Obviously, God knows this, but it is man who must see what for God is obvious.”

“God provides the way in His Son, who Himself is God and possesses the same divine love. Thus, He is qualified to mediate and represent man in making the union possible. Jesus, by taking upon Him His human body, effectually joined mankind to the divine Godhead in substance and reality. Man can now lovingly relate with God on equal terms in and through Jesus. Jesus took His human body into a glorified state to the presence of God and became the perfect response for man before God. This is the only way, and this is the plan of God for man to enter a relationship with Him. In this regard, Paul speaks of “putting on Jesus” as if being cloaked in His Being thus enabling man to enter and live this triune existence of love with the Trinitarian God (Gal. 3:27).” “That’s the message the Bula man-river* brings to us.

Solitary Living

I said earlier that fear thrives in solitary climate, while love thrives in relationships. In man’s fallen state, fear dominates his heart. Man’s every response is inspired by the fear of his depraved and corrupt heart. This fearful life continues because of his solitary existence. How did man come to find himself living this fearful, solitary life? It began in Eden when man separated himself from God his Father, who alone possesses the love man longs for. God’s presence is the missing relationship in man’s life. The reason for his isolation is his separation from God. Man was made to exist with God in order to be whole, as Adam and Eve were before they ejected themselves out of Eden.”

“There is an important element of man’s connectedness with God that never leaves man. God created man to live in communion with each other to reflect His Trinitarian existence. Without meaningful participation with others as an interactive society, we would deteriorate and cease to effectively exist as human beings. Though fear may dominate man’s existence, God’s sovereign image of communion living undergirds and keeps him connected to his Maker. So this communion life, which bears the stamp of God’s triune image, can be motivated by fear or by love. Only when it is motivated by love will a harmonious relationship exist. When relationships are motivated by fear they become twisted, for relationships are made for love based on the triune existence of God Himself .”

I hope you find this post enlightening and liberating. But that’s not all. In Part 2, I’ll go into and discuss the awesome gift of the Holy Spirit the Father gives to indwell man as man’s everlasting gift.

May God bless you as He moves in your life in the only way He knows how, the Triune Living way, to manifest your destiny in Christ.

Kiang

* The “Bula man-river” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book. Remember, when you purchase my book all the proceeds go towards Jesus Christ’s work of dispensing the Gospel. Thank you for your support.

Remember, when you purchase my book you have hand in Jesus’s Work, for all the proceeds go towards dispensing the Gospel worldwide. Thank you for your support.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

“BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE

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Greetings Friends Around the World Over,

I hope you will find this post helpful in discerning a misleading belief system that’s extensive in the world today among Christians. It is called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, or MTD in abbreviated form. May you have the understanding, and exercise the courage to depart from any worldview which distorts and does not faithfully represent the Gospel of Christ. May you remain true to the reality we have in Him, who alone can give us a lively hope with energizing joy.

The title of my post today is, “Bula” man-river as the answer to Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD).* Consider the following statements I have excerpted from my book, “Bula man-river – The Miracle of Triune Living,” from which you can read the points of difference that separate the two belief statements – the worldview of MTD, and the beliefs and practices of the “Bula” man-river. **

MTD-1 “A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.”

“A god exists who created and ordered the world…” – Excerpt from my Book: “One of the most important and overlooked aspects of Jesus’ mission was that He came to reveal to us the true nature of God. Throughout His mission, Jesus made reference to God as His Father (John 17, 1:1-5, 14-8). John attests to this Father/Son relationship, saying, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18). Jesus also mentions another personage in the unified Godhead – the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus came to reveal the true nature of God by revealing the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and to show that God is triune in His nature and not solitary. God is ONE trinity. That is, He is the union of three persons in one Triune Godhead. He is not alone; He is not individualistic; He is not isolated or reclusive. The triune love between the Father, Son, and Spirit was something that was never seen articulated in humanity until the Son came and took upon Him His creaturely human body. (Pg.21-22, 182)”

“…and watches over human life on earth” – Excerpt from my Book: “From the beginning Adam and Eve experienced this miraculous life firsthand – they were given a home that God supernaturally materialized before their eyes, the Garden of Eden. God did not point out a jungle and instructed them to plant a garden themselves. No, God lovingly and meticulously planted the garden himself. God’s love is impartial – he has unreservedly set aside his love for every man, woman, and child for all time, and nothing can make him change his mind. He sacrificed his only Son to prove his love for all mankind. However, this intimate relationship can be made to happen in human reality. God waits upon man to choose to freely love him as He has chosen to freely love man. life of God. This life of miracles is one He intended for all humans to experience for all time… Miracles always remind us of a life we cannot inherit as humans, but we experience it as a foretaste of our future in God’s glorious realm. That’s our birthright.” (Pg.11-13, 18)

MTD-2 “God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.”

Excerpt from my Book – “From the essence of God’s love springs all gifts and all goodness… The apostle Peter defined God’s ministry in humanity this way: He is among us for nothing but good (Acts 10:38) This is clearly seen in the message of the Gospels. Wherever Jesus touched the lives of people, miracles happened. Regardless of who they were, it’s clear the only proviso was faith. We’re all special to Him. We are all born for this miracle-filled life as a direct act of goodness from the Creator Himself.”

“It’s not possible to speak of the Spirit’s work in the Bula man-river without the fruits that identify who He is – it’s one and the same, it’s unavoidable. (1Cor.13) Most times when people think of the fruits of the Spirit, they often view them academically through the legalistic lens of religious proponents who uses them to make “better people” of us. We live powerless lives when we do. We are not zombies, but free-will humans made in the image of God. We can view these fruits in a purely academic frame of mind, but they are first and foremost the energy and spark of the Spirit in the life of the Bula man-river. We can exercise them as some self-righteous human behavior or we can give ourselves to the Spirit to let His energy inspire our actions in them. The practice of the fruits of the Spirit is not for some hollow “self-improvement” exercise for human personal gain. The fruit is the Spirit’s creative energy for developing loving relationships with our God and our fellowman.”

“On the contrary, we fail to realize that from eternity these fruits undergirded the loving relationship of the three persons within the Triune God. Love’s energy is brought to life in the application of these fruits. In our constant presence before God, the Bula man-river share this energy and the creative relationships we have within the Triune existence of God. Now you are in their midst living the same life they live from eternity and tasting that life in the Spirit. This is the birthplace of gifts, dreams, talents, and calling… This defines the mechanics of Trinitarian living. The fruits of the Spirit articulate God’s love and undergirds all human relationships of the Bula man-river within the Triune existence of God. Jesus “lives creatively” in the power of the Spirit through us as Bula man-rivers from which we derive our inspired abilities (Matt. 16:24; John 8:12, 12:26; 1 Pet. 2:21). We don’t take the “creative fruits” of love in the Spirit and bottle them up inside us – that is “reverse flow”; it’s stagnation and lifelessness.”

“When relationships are motivated by fear they become twisted, for relationships are made for love based on the Triune existence of God Himself. His promise to each of us rings clear through time, because you’re a Bula man-river, you’ve come back home to Eden, from here on, “My love and goodness will chase after you every day of your life” (Ps. 23:6, The Message emphasis added)” (Pg. 156, 112-113, 25, 213)

MTD-3 “The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.”

Excerpt from my Book: “I echo the insightful comment made by Trevor Hart in an interview he gave to “You’re Included,” that “God made man to enjoy being in His presence.” That, in its simplest form, is the Gospel (Ps. 16:9, 11; Neh. 8:10; John 16:24). The purpose of miracles is to make that possible because God is Spirit and we are human and physical. To bring us into His presence, as a human, can only mean to live in a ceaseless joyful miraculous existence. That is why God declares He made every day to be enjoyed and rejoiced over (Ps. 118:24). He is declaring the state of His own existence, which, as a “unified being” in Jesus, we can enjoy by miraculous intervention. It is a presence lived both in this human life and in the life to come. When we have children, they come in our likeness because they have our DNA in them, and so it is with God. Man has God’s DNA in him, thus making the miraculous life possible.”

“To live your “dream-life” is your miracle, and it is the place to attract more miracles because that is His place and purpose for joy. We can simply tell a story that’s articulated in the interaction we have with God in our individual purpose and “life-gift.” That’s the basis upon which the subject of our calling and purpose. Life and gifts comes fused together and are inseparable. Therefore, a person’s “life-gift” or dream is always magnetizing to him or her. That’s to say, the “life-gift” is the magnet to a person’s life. We either flow with our gift or swim against it. Whoever a person is and becomes is only as good as the gift that defines him or her. Talent, purpose, dream, call it what you will, is what gives man purpose; without it, life is meaningless. There’s only one genuine and legitimate life God gives us, and through which He communicates Himself to us – our “life-gift” or purpose in life. Our purpose is founded upon Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith,” who is the storehouse of all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom (Heb. 12:2; Col. 2:3).” (Pg.17-18, 159)

MTD-4 “God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.”

Excerpt from my Book: “God has dreams to give each human as He gave to Joseph – if we will walk together. As I said, God’s hand is always outstretched. The question is, are our hands equally stretched out to His to live this life? To live your “dream-life” is your miracle, and it is the place to attract more miracles because that is His place and purpose for joy. Angels exist for this very purpose. That is essentially what this book is about – miracles! Miracles specific to you as a person made in the image of God, with a gift, your dream-life. Miracles are the product of God’s love. By being connected to His love you will find your miracle dream-life.”

“The primary attractant of miracles is the person’s purpose and dream-life. God wants to enter your world and give you the birthright that’s yours as a human made in His image. Your name bears your destiny, and your destiny bears your name. God’s love for man is beyond our comprehension. In other words, His love is like a river that never stops flowing, day or night. His hand is always outstretched to us. He has never left us, but we have left Him. This departure began in Eden when paradise was lost. God’s constant participation in our lives will make miracles more common; that’s obvious because of the interaction of the spiritual and the natural. This miracle-life is a participatory life. It’s like a dance—with your Maker. A dance is a “hands-on” activity done one-on-one, and done intimately when love is the magnet.” (Pg. 12, 17-18)

MTD-5 “Good people go to heaven when they die.”

Excerpt from my Book – “None of us signed a contract to die someday, return to the ashes of the earth, and be forever forgotten. The words the Creator uttered reveal man’s ultimate goal to be freed from the power of death. So we see the beautiful thoughts of God in creating man to share His image of immortality. Paul said, “It is appointed for man to die once and then the resurrection to judgment and to immortality” (Heb. 9:27; 1 Cor. 15:50-58; Phil. 3:9-11; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-13). That’s the ultimate purpose of becoming man-rivers of God. In God’s spiritual kingdom, there are as many offices and purposes as there are people’s destinies (John 14:1-3; Matt. 25:34). Every man, woman, and child is born to fill an office in His transcendent monarchy for which He has bestowed gifts to all. The first and greatest gift God gives man is His Spirit, who is the deposit of immortality. The purpose of life is to enter that place of promise, with immortality to live that life of destiny we have all been given. So the Bula man-river carries with him the seed of immortality.”

“This is our new life in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (Heb. 8:6-11). The heart of fear dies and reincarnates into a heart of love (God). This is the miraculous life we have been called to live, for nothing but a miracle can make it happen. He gave us His Son, so He too had to adopt His own humanity, thereby using the medium of humans as a blessing to humans through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. That is what we inherit with Jesus and the Spirit in His Triune existence – something outside of our material existence – God’s Triune nature of love. When man is stripped off his fallen humanity and his material world in the resurrection, all he is left with is the love of God that never dies. Like Christ, we will have glorified human bodies natured in the love of God. For God is love (1 John 4:8).” (Pg. 12, 30, 34, 151)

From the presentation above, the Lord’s hand is extended in love to each and every one of you. He invites you to experience the miraculous life we have in Christ when we give ourselves to become Bula man-rivers in His hands, and live life that is truly life. (1 Tim.6:19) I invite you to read my book and see the breadth of God’s Triune love for you. May God’s blessing be with you all.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

* The term Moralistic Therapeutic Deism or MTD, was first introduced in the book “Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (2005),” by sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton. Their book was the result of a research project, the “National Study of Youth and Religion,” private funded by Lilly Endowment. The authors find that many young people believe in several moral beliefs that they label Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, and are given below:

A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
Good people go to heaven when they die. (www.wikipedia.org)

** The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book. Thank you for your support.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Triune Life – Miracle of Triune Living

"Live the Triune Life… Change the World"

Category Archives: Christian Life

LIFE IN THE TRINITY – 6 LOVE ETIQUETTES, PART 2, BY KIANG P LEE

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LIFE IN THE TRINITY – 6 LOVE ETIQUETTES! PART 1, BY KIANG P LEE

“THY WILL BE DONE”… BY KIANG P LEE

“For I Know The Plans I Have For You…”

THE ONE-MAN PRINCIPLE OF IMPLIED CONSEQUENCE – BY KIANG P LEE

Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root – “Creative” Trinitarian Life, Pt. 3 – By Kiang P Lee

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Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root – The God Who Is Trinitarian Pt.2 – By Kiang P Lee

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Life Begins Where Our Concept of God Takes Root – God Who Is Trinitarian, PT. 1 – By Kiang P Lee

“BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE

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