The great misconception of Christianity is that it is about "me”. However, the great truth of Christianity is that “me" is done - dead.
David can be found at
https://www.facebook.com/david.heisler.7
The Meaning of Union IX
12 June 2013 at 19:58
The Young Man still sees God as external – separate from himself. He thinks he must wake God up to the problems of the world. God is somewhere else; perhaps sleeping, and must be entreated to “do such and such a thing”. “Strength” is seen as a thing to be acquired – that God will give you if you ask Him properly. The Young Man will, eventually fall flat on his face and say “it’s not working”. He will be frustrated with his inability to move forward, as he thinks he should, into Christian maturity. He is now ripe for the next step – Fatherhood.
When I was young all I wanted to do was play football. So I did all the things I thought I needed to do to be a better football player. I saw it as a progression from “not a good football player” to someday, maybe, if I worked hard enough, to a “great football player”. I approached Christianity the same way. I wanted to go from being a beginner to being a great Christian. So I did everything I thought I should do – and – there were many well-intentioned people, willing to pile on all the requirements. I got a bible. I got another bible. I got a better bible. I got a concordance. I joined a church. I joined another church. I joined a better church. I started reading the bible. I listened to sermons. I took notes. I went to bible studies. I taught bible studies. I memorized scripture. I witnessed – I actually won people to Christ.
The Meaning of Union X
13 June 2013 at 19:49
The great misconception of Christianity is that it is about "me”. However, the great truth of Christianity is that “me" is done - dead. But, “me" is alive. Actually, “it is Christ that lives in me”. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” [Gal. 2.20] “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” [Col. 3.3]
So the truth is - what part of “dead” is available for self-improvement? How is it possible to go from a “not so good Christian” to a “great Christian”? What part of “dead” is going to become a better, more devoted Christian? What part of “dead” can live an ethics – morals – values based life? No part, whatsoever!
The understanding – revelation – epiphany of Fatherhood – and of true Christianity for that matter, begins when a person understands that their life is over and that it is Christ that lives His life as you. Now, I will discuss this later, but this does not mean you live a “dead” life. By no means! Your life will be full and vibrant with true Life.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…” [John 14.6] So, “Life” is not a thing to be possessed. Life is a Person – a Person that lives His life as me. It is quite humbling to grasp that He actually chooses to live His life as me.
The Meaning of Union XI
14 June 2013 at 23:10
When you fail at Christianity – or rather when Christianity fails you - you commence the process of “Christ … [being] formed in you”. [Gal. 4.19] Our life as Christ in and as us is not a religion. Jesus did not found a religion. But if Christianity – faith in the living Christ, Who lives in and as us – is processed as a religion, then failure is inevitable.
Having started Christianity at a relatively advanced age [18] the whole deal came flying at me very quickly. At age 19, about 13 months after my salvation, I heard my first message of “union” - Fatherhood. I had the privilege [coincidence?] of accepting an invitation from a friend to hear an old missionary speak at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, Texas. At that point, in my short Christian existence, I really had heard every different take on “real” Christianity. I really don’t recall exactly what that old missionary said that day, but I knew he was on to something [understatement]. The speaker encouraged me to see myself differently. For the next seven and one-half years I said, to myself, over and over that I, David Heisler, am the David Heisler form [expression] of Jesus Christ. I believed that to be true. But, for those seven and one-half years I really didn’t “get it”. It was initially only a concept to me – a concept I whole-heartedly accepted and wanted to know – but only, none-the-less, a concept.
Plainly stated – “dying out to self” is a lie. It cannot happen. Even if it could, it does not need to happen.
The Meaning of Union XII
16 June 2013 at 01:12
In my mid-twenties I played minor league football in Racine, Wisconsin. One day, during the summer of my 26th year, I was running wind sprints along the side of Lake Michigan. I was thinking of an idea that I had heard many times – that “you must die out to self”. That statement is a staple in many Christian circles. Plainly stated – “dying out to self” is a lie. It cannot happen. Even if it could, it does not need to happen. Why? Because of the very next thought I had as I was sprinting.
“I am dead”
I stopped “on a dime”. The thought, “I am dead”, hit me like a ton of bricks. I made that statement a thousand times since I first heard the message of Union [Fatherhood]. But this time was different. It stuck. I got it. The very truth that He now lived His life as me was no longer theory or a concept to me. It was no longer a statement I made. It was true. He was true. He lives His life in His David Heisler form. The chair I sat in proved it could hold me. He proved He could hold me.
Is this the end of the story? Of course not.
The Meaning of Union XIII
17 June 2013 at 19:41
The Child sees his “Christian” life as how it benefits him; “My sins are forgiven”, “I’m going to Heaven”. The Young Man also sees his “Christian” life as how it benefits him; “I am strong” – “I know the bible” – “I can whip the devil”. Or worse – the Young Man can get into doing this or that to obtain “blessings” or “wealth” or “health” or whatever. The Young Man can be very self-centered.
The Father is different. He knows the difference between the improved life and the replaced life. His life is not about him or for him. The Father knows he lives his life for others. He is Christ in his world. And, probably most importantly, the Father knows that there is nothing he can do to achieve or improve the eternal fact of union and fatherhood and the fact that he is Christ in his world. So, he doesn’t try or do anything different. He just lives. But he lives with, as the old missionary would say, “with a wink”. That “wink” is the same wink Jesus gave when He said to Philip, “… he that hath seen me hath seen the Father …” [John 14.9}
“I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.”
[I John 2.13] Let’s not forget one thing – you already have Union – His Spirit joined eternally and unchangeably to your spirit. What does that mean? It means you are already a Father.
The Meaning of Union XIV
18 June 2013 at 18:19
The question arises, "Why should I know my union?" The answer is simple, “Christ must be formed in you” – and He already is – but the “forming” is the “knowing” – intuitively, permanently, unquestionably.
Why is that so important? Why must I know this? In the Old Testament He tells us His name - “I am”. Jesus also said “I am”. But that sort of begs the question – “I am who – I am what?”. Well, He answers that question also – “God is love”. So, one thing we know is that love is not an emotion; although love can be felt. It is not a thing to be obtained. More properly Love is a Person -The Person. You will not get more love as if it were a thing to be obtained – but you will be an expression of The Person Who is Love.
Why is this important? Because - Love exists for others. Love has no other purpose. If God made a choice – and that is hard to imagine because “choice” is really a temporal word – a word for time and space. But, let’s say, He sat down one day and made a choice. Well, His choices are obvious. He could be alone – or - He could have created all that exists to serve Him – or - and the choice He obviously made, was that He could serve and, in fact, die for His creation. Well, if that’s not the best definition of love – I don’t know how to define love.
The Meaning of Union XV
19 June 2013 at 23:29
So – we are now the expression of Him who is Love. And, we are in fact, Love ourselves. We know that we are Fathers. We know that it is important to know this – but why? Well, what is His purpose in all this? Are we created to be a race of immature Children and Young Men? Is there some eternal purpose in all being self-centered – “getting the blessings” like kids in a candy store? No. Of course not.
The truth is that we are mature. We do know who we are. We are safe. We are His expression. He is the Lover. We are lovers. He is the Creator. We are creators. He gave His Life. We shall give our lives. This is truly Christianity. This is who we are. The process of going from the consciousness of Children to Young Men to Fathers is what Paul described as the “renewing of your mind”. “… be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind …” [Romans 12.2] “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind …” [Ephesians 4.23] Understanding that, as a Father, you exist for others is very different than your original thoughts about Christianity.
The Father’s mind is renewed. He does not see Christianity as a religion to improve his self. His self will never be improved, only replaced by Christ Himself. Fathers do not look to “get something” out of Christianity – rather – he sees himself as one who gives all because he loves and is love himself.
The Meaning of Union XVI
20 June 2013 at 18:09
Look again at how John describes Fathers: “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.” [I John 2.13] There is such clarity in that vantage point – knowing Him – the One from the beginning. All the nonsense of religious Christianity drops away at that point. Get it? It’s not religion – it’s knowing Him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent “[John 17.3]. That statement is beyond human grasp – except by intuition.
So how do you get it? How do you “know” your union? Well, for one, it exists whether you know it or not. You are a father whether you appear to be or not. Your feelings are irrelevant as to eternal truth. Appearances can be irrelevant as to eternal truth. Feelings and appearances are not relevant unless they align with eternal truth.
There is one thing you must know. He always gives confirmation of what is real – eventually. That old missionary always talked about expressing faith like committing yourself to sitting in a chair. Have you ever seen someone sit in a chair and the chair broke. It’s very funny if it’s not you. It does happen. Sometimes chairs break. However, He does not break.
The Meaning of Union XVII
21 June 2013 at 17:57
You must fall backwards into Him like you would fall backwards into a chair. The only difference is that He will never, ever fail you and, most important, is that at some point you will realize that it is not you that hold Him, but He that holds you. You will realize that you do not hold Christianity together by anything you do – praying, reading, singing, fellowshipping, tithing – or any of the other “so-called” Christian activities. All is dependent upon Him, period.At some point it will simply occur to you that – what you have said a thousand or ten thousand times “He lives His life as me” – is true. It may hit you like a ton of eternal bricks. There will be confirmation. You will know your Union as a Father.
But, as sure as the sun will rise in the east – the reality and truth is that you were crucified with Christ – and – now the life you live, is Him living, as you.
The good thing is that it is not your job to give the confirmation – it is His. So, basically just forget about it – let Him be Himself.
And, so, in the words of Forrest Gump, “that’s all I have to say about that [for now]”
The question arises, "Why should I know my union?" The answer is simple, “Christ must be formed in you” – and He already is – but the “forming” is the “knowing” – intuitively, permanently, unquestionably.
For more on Christian Growth read these two articles of Daniel Yordy
The Second Place of Knowing God
The Third Place of Knowing God
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