Unpolished Musings

Some of my very favorite stimulating conversations have centered around this question, “Was Jesus, in His earthly, human-God state, all-knowing?”  Without exception, everyone so far has responded definitively, “Yes!”  Because “He knew what was in their hearts”, etc.  I press a bit further, “Was that inherent knowledge, or revealed to Him in the moment?” and a lively discussion ensues. Several years ago, I sat in a Bible class under a teacher who both had extensive knowledge and who had an obvious experiential relationship with God.  One day, as I sat in wrapt attention, he made a statement that stirred some real questions within.  He was talking about Jesus in his time on earth and he said, “Imagine an expert at the highest level in whatever field you’re in [I was in healthcare, imagining a brain surgeon]...Jesus had that knowledge.”  I doubted it.   I raised my hand.  “What if, instead, Jesus “all-knowing” powers were more about his connecti...

I’ve recently heard both chatter and stimulating conversations about the Holy Spirit.  There has been excitement and exploration on one side and concerns and cautions on the other.  Arguments for and against abound all around. In varying points and degrees throughout life, there are some who are affronted by the sense that there must be “something more” to the Christian life.  There is a perceived void in what they’ve known (and observed, in some cases) of a spiritual reality, so these honest, truth-seeking souls naturally search beyond their current understanding to find it.  (I see this as a God-given desire and a result of His constant efforts to draw all of humankind to Himself.) I am simultaneously incredibly inspired by and concerned for these genuine seekers.  They are right: there is more. Yet what is it that they’re going after?  Is it the gifts or the Giver?  Is it the Holy Spirit for a manifestation, or is it the Triune God Himself for a rel...