Sticking to an Inclination

Seeing the Other Truth

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Now, let's get a little deeper and wade through farther where the waters can drown. Unhealthy mind (yung me saltik sa utak, which is madami ngayon) and unhealthy social life (bida-bida ka) clearly makes you blind to reality. You barely see yourself, other people and situations as they really are. You form your own "reality" and "truth" based on how you want to see things, defective perceptions blurred by a sick understanding of things. 

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I've watched people who otherwise behaved normally (or I thought they did) headstrongly insist on minor, trifling things as if the planet's survival entirely depended on them. Like having a worship program before any worship can happen, or opening in prayer before starting anything in church. Okay, I was also numbed before by senseless traditions, but after seeing Jesus start things in the bible without opening prayers, I quickly snapped out of it.

Continuing in opening or closing prayers or making a big deal of worship programs after seeing Jesus had none of these things would simply mean "meron kang saltik," and for some reason you can't get out of it. You're doomed and still believe you're doing right.

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An unhealthy mind and social life will never develop interest or even pay attention to truth, particularly God's truth. They'd stick to made-up truth. And often, a claim to being Christian, born again or spiritual has no apparent remedial effect to rectify this. Even so many Christians and pastors are narcissistic. They're just interested in what they think and do something else when someone else is talking. 

Most "believers" adapt comfortably to a mindset unfit for Jesus' social life and way of thinking. Paul once wrote, "Consider others better than yourself." Narcissists would insist that verse on you--to consider them better than you are, always.

How do you know you're afflicted? Simply watch out for the symptoms: 

1. You love to get the credit so you always try to prove yourself. 
2. You cannot simply keep quiet when what you did resulted to something outstanding. You have to let everyone know it was you.
3. You direct all conversations to your dearly beloved self and achievements.
4. You seldom listen to others but demand attention when you speak. This is among worse mental illnesses, I think. It's a subtle type of saltik.
5. You have poor attention span, especially when others speak. You often cut them short to have your say. It's related to number 4.
6. You'd do anything, even enslave yourself, to get the approval of people you esteem and adore. 
7. You idolize the great or wealthy (most pastors bow down to pastors with mega churches) and want to be like them.
8. You hate to be the least (this is stage 4 self conceit, which is sometimes asymptomatic).
9. You regard people with respect based on their earthly accomplishments, titles and degrees, possessions and incomes. Their spiritual standing (or character) means little to you, if any.
10. You condescend with people who you think fail your intellectual or scholastic standards. 

People with these symptoms cannot see truth, or see things as they really are. And some are symptomless to the carrier. They test positive but exhibit signs to the contrary. They seem kind, meek, compassionate, selfless and pro-others. This is why people believe and follow them when they speak their own versions of truth. They are looked on as "leaders." Add to that their outstanding credentials. Yup, they're often smart.

Western Jesus

Which brings to mind people who de-spiritualize Jesus and his ministry, trying to turn him into a western philosopher or theologian instead of a supernatural Kingdom Person. They belittle any talk about the supernatural ministry of Jesus and the spiritual things of the Holy Scriptures. They dwell on its logical aspects instead---or rather, rid the bible of anything supernatural altogether and make us believe it's all logic, intellectual acuity and philosophy. Many bite the bait.

When I watch most preachers on Youtube, Facebook or in churches, they sound more like western theologians or Greek philosophers than Jesus or the apostles. For instance, while Jesus claimed that he couldn't say anything except what he heard the Father say in real time (the Holy Spirit likewise didn't speak on his own but spoke only what he heard), preachers prepare their homiletical sermon outlines, practicing what they'd say beforehand, and rely on their hermeneutics for meaning. They decide before hand what happens and become predictable. 

Jesus or the apostles never talked about any system of hermeneutics. He said just one thing: 

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. [John 14.26]

You see his mindset? A healthy mind in Christ will get all his or her knowledge solely from the Holy Spirit---because Jesus said HE will teach us all things, not "some things." When Jesus says "all things" it means nothing is left for man's theology or hermeneutics or bible schools to teach us. Anyway, Jesus introduced his discipleship system to prepare disciples to apostleship, not bible school or seminary or their professors. The apostles never learned from professors or had to pass exams to graduate. And Titus and Timothy learned from their spiritual father, Paul, (again) not from professors. 

Even if you point these things to "believers" today--especially those tainted by church tradition and denominational doctrines--they'd just shrug their shoulders and keep on with their thing.

[Continued]