And when the man found the treasure in the field, he sold all that he had and bought that field.
What is the least that gives me the most in true quality of life?
I feel I am like that man who sold all to have that one field, and you can be too. After sixty years of searching, I found the key to the man-made maze. I used that key to fight my way out of the deception and programming of modern churches, and into such a freedom that Jesus always intended, a life in Spirit. I found the treasure and sold all to own the field, because the “treasure” is so much greater than all other “things”.
Most people are enslaved by their hungers. The desires of the flesh enslave us, but the soul sets free. Our spirit man and our flesh man both have hungers, but one leads to enslavement, and the other fulfillment. Our soul is caught in-between, and belongs to the stronger of the two.
The flesh and spirit are contrary to each other. They each have one end of our inner rope. They pull like a spiritual tug of war. The one that grows strongest wins, and our soul goes to the winner.
But the rich and the poor alike can be ate up with hunger if they do not develop spirit. Both are enslaved and neither free. Both can be miserable and unhappy people whether they have lots of money or not. But both can be happy and content also, whether they have plenty of money or not. What is the secret?
Oddly enough, I have found there is more happiness among those having less, than those having more! That has been my personal experience. Those having more are generally driven by the hunger to such an extent they are stressed out, burned-out, bored of the repetition, sick of the rat-race, trapped on the merry-go-round and don’t know how to get off, because they still want more!
They want another fancy vacation, or bigger house; so they run even more and never find peace! They spend no time simply sitting under the willow tree and hearing the wisdom it has to offer. This site is an invitation to come and sit under the weeping willow tree and learn the wisdom of the Upside Down Kingdom.
The rich are good at spending money, and the poor become good at adjusting to other ways, which have unexpected rewards the rich turn up the nose at. The rich do not follow the “simple Jesus” we see in scripture. They hate his message of blessed are the poor in spirit.
The wealthy have another version of Jesus they worship as they build their mansions; but it is a warped version not true to Biblical history and teaching. It produces warped disciples. Will this modern Jesus be enough to prepare them for what is coming? Or save a post-Christian America? A country lost on our watch while following a modern Jesus?
The real Jesus produces: contentment, joy, peace, fulfillment, wisdom, love, presence of God, supernatural help, all of these things will begin to grow and harvest immediately in the truly converted person. The change can be extraordinary, even to the point of being drawn to the simple beauty of a weeping willow, sitting by a peaceful pond of blue green water, and listening to the wind as your heart communes with God.
The real Jesus produces a desire for fellowship with God’s family, as family, not as a congregation. It’s not about “me” anymore, it’s about “us”, it’s about the family, and the whole world! They will know us by our love. But only a heart truly changed and a mind truly renewed in God’s Word will obey these things. Only those who believe, obey. And only those who obey, believe.
But the flesh has no wisdom. The flesh is an incompetent child who thinks the world should revolve around them. Feed me, feed me, feed me! Never mind anyone else. Who cares there are millions starving in the world while I live in my mansion and build my 401K. Well… the simple Jesus I read in scripture, CARES. (Check out Matthew 25.) When I was hungry, you did not feed me.
What is the least amount of “stuff” (i.e. material things) that I “need” externally that makes me the most happy internally?
Believe it or not, having more stuff can actually make us less happy because we become its slaves. What is the answer? There is a way.
Material things usually require more money, and spirit/soul does not. Spirit must become strong enough to win the inner tug of war. There is no freedom without “contentment”! Having less, without contentment is only torment!
Boredom is not contentment either! Only the spiritual truths and disciplines of the real Jesus Christ can set us truly free, when the soul is developed and wins that tug of war. The real Jesus is the great treasure! And finding the real thing today can be a challenge. After sixty years of modern church, this became my journey.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain!” (I Timothy 6:6) This is the wealth, the great gain found sitting under the willow tree. This is the upside down Kingdom we speak of. Not a wealth of paper money ready to burn, but an inner wisdom setting us free. You can’t put a money value on fulfillment, or eternal life with Christ.
There is a Law of Diminishing Return. Our flesh is subject to that law. The more we have of something, the less it satisfies. This is the way of the flesh. Those who pursue the flesh for answers are short-sighted, self-centered fools. They are houses built on sand. Great gain is to be found in spirit/soul.
I hear that “fitting in” is highly overrated. I’ve had to learn that. I went for a long walk the other day to find a new journal, because I didn’t fit the old one anymore and I wanted to show the difference. I have changed so much! I wanted to start writing new pages! I wanted to reflect the new hunger in my soul! In the process of that walk, God led me to a place symbolic of the hunger leading me that day, that being the above weeping willow tree.
Amazingly enough, I found this “treasure”, this Eden, hidden in the midst of shopping centers, stress, hard paved roads, and congestion. It is a secret place! I found it at the same place I found the new journal. It was way out behind the stores and hidden away. My walk that day was a spiritual journey and God confirmed every step. He led me there, to the journal and the Eden. This site is always empty, because no one knows it is even there!
The walk cost me little. I delighted in simplicity. I took a PB&J sandwich, some water, in a small backpack. I walked eleven miles that day. It was a benefit to my health and soul. I spent ten dollars on the journal. I bought one chicken breast at Kroger’s. The whole day was simple, special, “rich”, and now a memory I so enjoy, including the place I found, which I return to often with my new journal.
I would like to document these changes at this site. My previous site: pathwithoutend.com , was the beginning of the path leading here. I will speak of those things also, but these two sites are like two phases of one journey.
Here is the old journal and the new, the two phases:
The first journal contains my finding the treasure and buying the field. The second one shows the change new knowledge can bring, leading to an upward climb I now enjoy, as I am filled with simplicity, serenity, and Spirit. Let this blog be the story of a different way of living. A way upside down to worldly thinking, and the modern church. It is the Upside Down Kingdom of God. Upside down to the thinking of man, but not to God.
Godly wisdom and worldly knowledge are two very different things. They too, are contrary to each other, pulling in opposite directions. The way up is actually down. Humility> Love> Surrender> Sacrifice.
I believe there is a blood moon judgement coming, as pictured on my new journal, and when it does it will be very hard on those chasing this warped version of Jesus. Most of them will fall away in order to continue pursuing their worldly ways, Laodicea. They are highly educated in the world, and that is what they know. The hunger will take them.
So this is my Home Page, and I look forward to blogging about this simple path I now enjoy. You will likely laugh at much of what I am now pursuing, and the ways I hope to do it, but it’s going to be a really good story with much wisdom of the Spirit in every episode, as we sit under the willow tree and hear the voice of simplicity. Let us be filled with the simplicity of Christ, even as little children.
Sitting under the Willow Tree 