The Emerging World Religion

[Yoshua]

Yeah, the choice of words speaks volumes. God is a warlord and the good soldiers who obey God will get to run campaigns against the sinners of the world when General Jesus comes and sets up his base of operations on the Mount of Olives. This is a very, very different sort of Christianity than I would recognize as valid to the core teachings of the faith. Warriors for the Conquering Lord, General Jesus.

I thought you had a degree of theology. How come you explained it that way? Is that an interpretation? Kindly check my answer to Sojourner about this “conquering.” You’ve been missing the substance and the true meaning of what Jesus said about “conquer.”

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

"Heart" is steadiness of purpose -- where we stand and how we move. "Love" knows no bounds -- including the boundaries of rules. "Freedom" means that we are present where we find ourselves. "Peace" is that state wherein we are well-grounded. "Joy" is being open to the possibilities of life. "Spirit" is the thread that interconnects all things. As you describe them on behalf of typical, fundamentalist thinking, these things are not understood in the light of truth and cause a twisting and a stagnation.

Wow. That is a man-made version of his fruit of the Spirit. This is a crystal clear explanation that shows contradiction with Jesus’ statement and other Scriptures.

Love: How can love become no bounds/boundaries of rules if those love cannot produce by man? Man is not born to love. This is only “Self.”

Freedom: Yes, we are present. Then, who give you presence? who give you freedom of choice to find yourself? It is still coming from God.

Peace: Well-grounded in peace from the Lord/God of peace.

Joy: Intimacy and transparency with God so the joy may be complete.

Spirit: The Spirit of God will connect to those who believed and received the Spirit of truth. The Spirit of truth cannot interconnect to all things but only to those who has the Spirit in Christ.

Rom. 8:9-10
9. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

Why? Why that God is universal means we will have a one world religion? That doesn't follow. There is only one moon in our night sky. Does that mean there will be a one world religion? No. You need to look on the ground why there are religions. There are many cultures and societies. Therefore there will always be many religions.

But I am disturbed that you say God is not a universal God. But I'm also not surprised. Your version of Christianity is very tribal, so it does follow your deity would be not be universal, but a regional tribal god as well. You've just admitted this. It is the god of "your people", you believe in. The ethnocentric, tribal deity.

What I mean from here is the universality treatment to a universal God. That is a universal God who saves all people in different faiths—as they are acceptable and pleasing to Him—whatever beliefs that they choose from, they are saved.

Yes, there are culture and societies, we respect and appreciate that. For spirituality is totally a different one.

So, you're saying Jesus really meant, "Follow my religion I'm starting"? Yes, that is what you are saying.

Let’s not use first the word “religion.” Jesus founded His ministry starting with His chosen disciples. What do you think of that? a re-enactment?

Enlightenment is enlightenment. I had an enlightenment experience when I was 18 and not part of any religion. It is accessible to everyone. God is not owned by any religion. Period. God is above and beyond religion, as well as before them. Religions are started by humans seeking God. All religions are partial.

Who said that God owned by a religion? God seeks a relationship with us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to come to Him.

And that's a problem how? You fail to understand that all human truths are partial truths. Religions are partial, not absolute. Again, you mistake the Christ for Christianity itself. You say Christianity is Truth. I say it is one finger on the hand pointing to the moon. You say it is the moon itself.

Yes, how come Christianity is not originated from Christ? From the word itself of "Christ," it is obviously Christianity, unless you twist Christianity is Buddhism. I believed by faith that Christ is the truth for He said He is. That’s it! If there is someone who claimed He is the truth & Saviour other than Christ, let me know.

You actually don't know anything about contemplative spirituality based on the countless pages of misinformation you believe is true about it. No person who practices meditation take is as their "faith in God" as you misrepresent. It is an exercise, a practice, a discipline. It's not a "faith" anymore than exercising your mind reading a book is.

Yes, I know what you are saying. Reading the Scriptures is not exercising our mind but meditating with His words. This is our food for our soul because if there are no words that can be meditated, we will not know what Christ taught us and what is the will of God in our lives. The Holy Spirit guides us in all truth. This is why we believed it is inspired and by faith we experienced it with intimacy by having a personal relationship with Christ--as the center of our life. That is how we differ.

You misunderstand what it means to "follow Jesus". To you that means you have to become a Christian in name, and believe whatever doctrines and tenets of faith your particular flavor of the day brand of Christianity you've adopted holds to be true. To me a follower of Jesus is anyone who does the will of the Father, which is the path of love. Anyone who does this, is in fact following Jesus. They are doing what he did. Even if they have never heard of him, if they love as Jesus loved, they are following Jesus.

Windwalker, you don’t know exactly what is in the name of Jesus. I experienced it by using the power of His name, and I will never stop to prove to others that His name is truly above every name, and every knee shall bow.

Your concept of following Jesus is not the exact commitment with what Jesus had said. It is truly very hard for you to obey, to keep and remain in his words because you already choose the scriptures that will fit with the mystics for contemplative practices. You simply reasoned it with the path of love, as for John 3:16 scripture it says “For God so loved the world” period. The next statement of John 3:16 will be a trash for you, and became unheard from your two ears. The reason what God did for the cause of His love is neglected; the commitment to come to Him is also neglected.

You may love all people in the whole world to prove that God is love and he is a path of love. Then, what is essence of that, if the reason of that love is hidden with our own two eyes. The love of God is already unfold since the creation of man, for there is one who prevented us to look at the lens of truth about his purpose of love. That is the prince of this world, the liar—the devil.

Again, you mistake Christianity as the Christ. I do not make that mistake. Christianity does not own God. God is not a Christian. Jesus is not a Christian. The Christ is not a Christian.

Oh My! God is not a Christian. Therefore, you don’t believe that God sent Jesus Christ, and came in the flesh? Please answer this.
Then, what is Jesus to you? What He is proclaiming? Where does Christianity came from? Please answer this.

Who in the world would contest if the Christ is not a Christian? Wow.

Christ is the Messiah. His followers are called Christ-ians. Kindly further read this link for what is a Christian.
http://bible-truth.org/msg86.html

You mistake beliefs for the Christ, as well.

What is my mistake then? Is it believing in the words of Christ which you are in doubt if it is (truly) the statement of Christ?

I do deny myself all the time. It's the only way to follow Spirit. "Not my will, but thine be done". You want to believe I am not because what I say contradicts your beliefs. But the fact is, not following my own ideas and desires is the only way I am able to know God. That is what the practice of meditation allows you to do, to see where you are self-contracted, holding parts of yourself back. In fact, that defines the whole process for me. Where am I not surrendered? So, bottom line, you're full of it and speaking lies about others because you don't want to believe what we say is true.

Yes, you may say that you follow the Spirit and His will be done. How sure that you’re following is the Spirit of truth that is from Jesus if I may ask?

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

OMG. Why would he need to? Did he assume everyone on earth is an idiot and doesn't understand that everyone has a different understanding of things and have to teach them basic things like recognizing people have differences in eye color?

Again, you betray yourself clearly here. You believe Jesus' requirement for the path to God is uniform beliefs, that you all think and act in complete lockstep. I am absolutely correct in saying this. I on the other hand believe Jesus taught that what mattered was what was in the heart.

How could you say that you are absolutely correct about Jesus requirement? It seems you are creating your own Jesus because you have no basis at all, and you don’t believe about Christianity of Jesus. By the way, I remember Jesus said, “Come to Me” and not “You may choose who you would like to be your Jesus.”

The understanding the Jesus taught is what the heart tells you, not what your mind thinks is true. Jesus did not teach doctrines to believe in. He taught listening to the heart, finding God within, and following that. He taught things for the mind to look within. "Seek first the kingdom of God" "The kingdom of God is within you". "Search my heart, o' Lord".

You are gravely mistaken about how one understands God.

Seeking His kingdom is to know Him, and understand God Please don’t say Jesus do not have teachings, you’re surely in error. “Seeking first His kingdom” is not a teaching?

If you say “Search my heart, O’ Lord,” you are allowing God to speak to your heart. How can God will speak a person’s heart if he does not want to surrender and commit his life to God (without submission to Him)?

Ps. 139:23-24
23. Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24. And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Ps.37:4-5
4. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Do you want the religion to be the only religion on earth and all other religions destroyed because they are false? Yes, or no?

I don’t have the authority to answer that question. It is not me who will answer that because the Spirit of God is the one who only knows what is false. For me, as I’m referring to the statement of Christ, I have faith in Christ. As a follower of Christ, we believed that Jesus Christ overcome the world, there is truth—Jesus Christ is the truth.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

Yes, according to you "in Christ", means in one and one only religious faith called Christianity. Note how you contrast being "in Christ" to other beliefs and faiths? To you Christ is a belief or a faith. Christ to you, is the religion itself.

Absolutely there is a contrast, a distinction and a belief. That is true and reality. Christianity is more of a relationship than a religion.

It's incomprehensible to you, because you are trying to understand things with your mind. This is a mystical union which is not dependant on how you think and believe cognitively. If someone has received the Love of God in their hearts, they are a child of God, regardless of what they know or understand with the mind. That means they could be in any religion anywhere in the world! They don't need to be a Christian to know the Love of God in their hearts and follow that. You are badly mistaken believing otherwise. You want God to obey your logic. Thank God for us all he doesn't!

Correction please! If people received or accept Jesus Christ, they must follow Christ. Now, if your version of “God” that allows any religion you want is not from God which I’m absolutely believed. So they can have that created love even if they are not a Christian. You cannot reconcile how every religion or beliefs can come to God worshiping him. This is where your logic that is irreconcilable.

I actually don't recognize that you are, considering how you view others and sit in judgment of them as you do.

Oh. What is the judgment here? Is it logical in what I’m saying? You’re trying to mix all religion into one?

Did you see a Satanist worship Christ? This is more than a logic.

See? To you following Jesus is joining the Christian religion. The Christian religion has a lots and lots of differing beliefs. How can that be the path of salvation then if beliefs must be the same? Obviously converting to Christianity must not be the Way.

Sorry for that. It is because Jesus say that He is the way, the truth and the Life. Not me.

Converted to a religion???? Is that what you think this teaches?

Did Jesus say it is a religion? It is not. It is being “born-again,” a new moral birth, a cleansing from sin and a renewing of knowledge and holiness.

2 Cor. 5:15-17
15. and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Converting to a religion is the same thing as turning to God? No it's not.

Then, how about repentance?

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

Then why are you arguing with me?

It is because your concept of believing and receiving lack commitment to God and it is not intimacy.

I do follow his word. Why don't you?

Yes, of course. His word is recorded in the Bible. How come you follow His word by not completely believing all what Christ is saying like “Follow Me”?

No, you place yourself as the judge over others, and lie to yourself that it is not your own opinions. You claim it is the word of Christ, when it is not. It is your very, very flawed and narrow interpretations of Jesus's words, which I reject.

Of course, that is truth. It will turn out logically that I’m judging others because you don’t believe the written word of God in the Bible. This is what will be the outcome, but the truth is behind it that you cannot see vividly.

I have no doubts at all. I know the Bible is a work of man, not a magical book dictated out of the mouth of God without error or contradiction. I have no doubts about that at all in my mind.

But then again, what I call the Word of God, is not what you call it. You call it a book. I call it the living Truth that radiates into the world in all that exists. Your definition of "the word of God" are verbal words from men, eventually written down in unreliable formats. So, no, I don't doubt God's Word. I reject your magical beliefs that the Bible is what we should consider "God's word".

As I know, the error in the Bible is typo error, and not the whole message that is in error. It is not like John 3:16 will change its statement as Christ not offered eternal life. The core of the message is not corrupted. Logically, I firmly believed that God did not cease to send His inspired word for us. By faith, I believed the Bible is handed to us so people may have the hope of salvation and not to condemn them.

I certainly accept God as "authority", inasmuch as it is the Ground of all Being. But I reject your idolatry of the Bible and your abuse of it to whack people over the head with claiming it's God's words, and not your own ideas of what those mean. You really need to wake up one of these days.

Oh! Idolatry. You are mistaken. No one like to read the Bible; No one is born to read the word of God. Open your mind. There is no idolatry. Still, it seems that you are not consistent, and (actually) contradicted yourself by saying you don’t doubt God’s word, and now you accused me of Bible idolatry, and point to me as claiming it God’s word? Confused!

Calling God "a deity" truly falls short for me in most imaginable ways. But do I "submit" to God? Sure. I prefer however to understand "obey" as align myself with God. That's truer to the meaning, than to think in terms of some outside being lording over me with a club I must submit to or suffer death. The latter is your "deity" idea.

I did not say that submitting to God is to suffer death. Why? Do you think God did not like to be worship and obey? Therefore, He is not God anymore if that is your concept of a deity.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

Jesus said abide in him. Compare this with John 15

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you
You see above where he says if you abide in me and my words abide in you? To "abide in him" means his words abide in you. Memorizing the Bible is worthless if you don't abide in Love. To say "abide in my word", means to be a Bible-banging biblical literalist is not what Jesus meant.

I’m already there. I believe in what the Scripture says. You quoted and stopped at verse 7. How about John 8:31, and the succeeding verses of John 15?

John 15:8-11
8. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
9. "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
10. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.
11. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

You just said that if we abide in Him, his words abide in us. Jesus said not only to abide in Him, but to keep His commandments, to prove that you really abide in His love. The word “abide” is “meno” means to “stay or remain.”

This is what I’m trying to emphasize about biblical understanding of the Scriptures. If we trash John 8:31 and John 15:10, that would be a biased of understanding of Scriptures. It becomes non-consistent and lead to error. If you will test the Scripture in a story book, you also did not want to stop in the middle of the book because you don’t want to know what happened to your favorite character, and decided not to read it in the final chapter of the book. Same as with the Scriptures, it cannot be tolerated in such manner of understanding the word of God.

How does someone "KEEP HIS WORD", as you just shouted? By treating them as a list of dos and don'ts that you "must obey!"? No, you keep his words by living in the Spirit. "Love is the fulfillment of the law". "Love works no ill". You can keep all the commandments your little legalistic heart desires, but if it doesn't have love, it's not fulfilling the law. "Make clean the inside of the cup," says Jesus. "Abide in me". That's through Spirit.

John 15:10
10. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

John 14:23
23. Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

How come that it does not have love, the first thing that Jesus said is to keep His word. It says we must first keep His commandments before we may abide in His love. The word “keeping” is to guard, observe and watch over. So, if you’re asking me what is keeping His word, you may look on how Jesus kept His Father’s word. Jesus said, “just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” That is to follow what Jesus did as following the word of the Father by keeping the word.

How about John 14:23? this is a more direct and clearer. It says keeping His word is to prove that we love Jesus. I think this is more of a commitment rather than just believing.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

I think if a religion claims a monopoly on Truth, despite simultaneously saying all humans are untrustworthy sinners, it is simply a vain imagination designed by religious leaders to destroy the Light in our hearts.

Hi kelly,

Yes, that is religion, and not for Christianity of Christ.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

How could finite beings write a bible that supposedly tells us everything about God, except it really doesn't, because God is barely a character in His own "book". If people are untrustworthy sinners, what makes the bible an exception? Liars have no ethical dilemmas with claiming to be spouting God's Word, after all...

I mean, since you take the bible seriously, then what about Jesus saying that we should not hide our light, but let it shine? I don't recall him saying "guys, go rent a lamp from God and shine His light". He specifically demands we shine OURS.

Kelly,

If God would like to gave His word for us to know, He would do it by any means for He is God.

Heb. 1:1-2
1. God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
2. in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

John 8:12
12. Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

So, turning everyone to Christianity is the goal of Satan?

Did Satan love God and worship Him? I think you need to answer this first.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

So, it's good to devote ourselves to a Creator we depend upon, (O)ne who has NO qualms about setting (H)is attack snake on us? This type of God attracts you?

Then, who do you think created man?

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

They ran when the Romans came. They mistreated others. Peter denied Christ three whole times in just a few hours. Jesus even called Peter "Satan". Where is our evidence they were protected?

Kelly,

First, if they did no ran and fear of what is happening, we will understand that spirituality is not an instant super- spirituality. However, Peter has the courage to struck the high priest slave for Jesus.

John 18:10-11
10. Simon Peter therefore having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.
11. Jesus therefore said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

Second, Peter denied Jesus Christ is a proof that He is weak. Spirituality is not a one-day process but a long- term process for spiritual maturity. You cannot grow if you don’t have failures. But look at Peter now with Cornelius.

Acts 10:44-48
44. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
45. And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also.
46. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
47. "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
48. And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Jesus rebuke Peter acted the way how Satan acted as he was tempting Jesus in the same way Satan did in the wilderness (Mark 1:12-13; Matt. 4:1-11). Also, Peter did’nt realize that the suffering and death of Jesus was the plan of God (Mark 10:45; Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:28; 13:29; 2 Cor. 5:21)

Mark 8:32-33
32. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

I did not say that we are protected already by our own. The follower of Christ are protected with His word, salvation, peace of God, righteousness and by His blood we are delivered.

John 10:27-29
27. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28. and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
29. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

Why can demons come back if they did it right the first time?

Surely demons can come back, and wait to attack who is not on-guard. They’re seeking someone who they may devour.

Luke 11:24-26
24. "When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, `I will return to my house from which I came.'
25. "And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.
26. "Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first."

This why the follower of Christ must (always) wear the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17).

Is the person the goal or the Way?

The person submit to who he believed as his deity or God.

Um ... since when is eating bacon, wearing cotton/polyester blends, etc permissible then? Or do you still live like an ancient Middle Eastern Jew?

No. not a Jew. God forbid not only for the Jew but also for the Gentiles.

Thanks

 

[Yoshua]

Never did Jesus say bury your head in the sand.... or do this with your bible:

Do you think you'll be praise and commended for what you did by posting again that picture (man with the book in his face) of your misunderstanding about the adherence with the word of God? It is not. It is just a reflection of who and what you are in your spirituality that you keep telling us.

It is absolutely compatible with it, because to deny oneself and follow him does not mean commit intellectual suicide, or scoop your brains out with a spoon and dump them on the ground. God gave us minds that are curious and we are meant to learn from each other. It's too bad you choose not to follow God this way and choose instead willful ignorance. I consider that a sin against God.

That is your will, of course and not for Jesus as he said “Follow Me.”

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life incarnate. He doesn't say Christianity is the way. If you follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life, you are a child of God. That is accessible through all religions. Amen.

Jesus did not also say “choosing your own belief and teachings rather than me.” You already contradicted your statement. You said Jesus is the way, the truth and the Life. What do you mean by Jesus is the truth for you??

Why would we have an access to other religion if Jesus is not teaching a Hindu, Muslim or a Buddhist?? Answer pls.

Thanks

 

[sojourner]

Hi Sojourner,

What “resurrection” you are talking about? Do you mean Jesus resurrection is forbidden by God? Who and who’s authority is saying that “monotheism” had to change?

Thanks

No, I mean that, in the culture of Jesus and the gospel writers, only a god could be raised. But since there's only one God, resurrection could not be accepted.

 

[sojourner]

Sojourner,

The salvation that God has offered to us is an act of God. There is no possibility that man can save his soul by himself to eternal life with God.

How come that our faith and following will not save us? It can’t save if a person does not follow what God want for him. There are a lot of people who like to follow his own way rather than God’s way/will.

Thanks

You just contradicted yourself ... again. Learn something about theology. Then come back with a decent theological argument that doesn't contradict itself.

 

[sojourner]

When Jesus told Nicodemus about being born-again to see the kingdom of God, is it not personal? How about
with the disciples? How about the promised Holy Spirit who will be with us forever?

Thanks

Nope. All systemic. We do not have a "personal relationship" with God, without also having an interrelationship with all creation. What God does with us, God does with all.

 

[sojourner]

John 16:33
33. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

The word “overcome” is “nikao” for victorius and conquer. The world is not for the follower of Christ. The world is not love, if it is love, then why we are told not to conform and love the world?

1 John 2:15
15. Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Rom. 12:2
2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

John 12:46
46. "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

The world is darkness and not light. Jesus said He is the light of the world.

Thanks

"God so loved the world..." John 3 comes before John 12 and John 16. It is antecedent to those statements and, therefore, defines those statements.

We are admonished by Jesus to "love our enemies."

You're confused, theologically, about what is meant by "the world." You're being confused by incorrectly applying Platonic, dualistic thinking to a concept that is not based in such thinking.

I rest my case.

 

[sojourner]

Wow. That is a man-made version of his fruit of the Spirit. This is a crystal clear explanation that shows contradiction with Jesus’ statement and other Scriptures.

Love: How can love become no bounds/boundaries of rules if those love cannot produce by man? Man is not born to love. This is only “Self.”

Freedom: Yes, we are present. Then, who give you presence? who give you freedom of choice to find yourself? It is still coming from God.

Peace: Well-grounded in peace from the Lord/God of peace.

Joy: Intimacy and transparency with God so the joy may be complete.

Spirit: The Spirit of God will connect to those who believed and received the Spirit of truth. The Spirit of truth cannot interconnect to all things but only to those who has the Spirit in Christ.

Rom. 8:9-10
9. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Thanks

1) "Loving one's enemies" is a freedom from the boundary we set of "who's in/who's out." Paul says, "Love never ends" (no boundaries). We are born to love. "It is not good for the man to be alone..." Read your precious bible for once, please.

2) No, not everyone is present. Many people are bound up by either living in the past, or living in the future. God is Presence. The Spiritual life helps us to be fully present to God -- to Presence, itself.

3) No, peace comes when one is grounded. Peace doesn't create itself. You're confused. Again.

4) You've said the words correctly, but I don't think, judging from the rest of your posts, that you really understand what you've written.

5) "The Spirit (capitalized) of truth cannot..." Do you hear yourself??? Neither truth nor Christ are exclusive. They are inclusive. Paul can't be broken down into soundbites, as you've done here. Paul is complex and must be taken as a whole.

As I've said before, learn some theology, then pose a real argument. Your arguments here are peurile and very ill-formulated theologically. I'm not even sure that you really know what you believe, outside of having a tiresome supply of worn-out and shallow sound bites that you've been taught by rote and can parrot back when you think they're apropos.

They're rarely apropos.

You've failed to prove your case of the "Evil, Godless, World Religion." Please -- Give it up already. You're boring and annoying us.

 

[Windwalker]

Yes. I sense it even before. The Scriptures in the Bible (for you) is treated “as needed” only, and not the word of God nor the word of Jesus.

I have explicitly spelled out many times how I view the Bible, as well as how I view what is the Word of God. Why does this seem to you like you're uncovering some secret here?

Let me spell it out yet one more time in case you missed it the first 90 times I've spelled it out already. Attempt 91: I do not consider the Bible to be authoritative in the way you do. I do not consider it infallible, or inerrant, not only in its present form, but it is also fallible and errant in its original forms. Furthermore, I do not consider the word of God to be ink on a page. The word of God is expressed in all forms, in all things, living and inanimate. The word of God is not a static collection of facts and truths, but rather it is living and dynamic and is heard and understood with the heart, not by our pathetic reasoning minds. Is that clear now?

So what role does the Bible play? Like anything men have created that expresses the living Spirit of God in all things, it has value as a manifestation of that Spirit, through the words, thoughts, and ideas of other human beings. There is Truth contained in what is expressed, which is heard and interpreted through the living Spirit that is inside the hearer of the words, or the eyes of the seer which sees with the soul. It should not be considered authoritative, and infallible, but dynamic and widely opened to interpretation, intentionally open to interpretation.

So any of this that you argue that I'm not following God's word, is solely a case of not following how YOU understand God's word to be. I don't, because I think you are in fact not actually realizing what it is, and misinterpret it as ink and paper only. Yes, I don't believe in God the ways you imagine. But mine is not a rejection of God, but a rejection of you.

I'm not following a cult. Try to check first with the term "cult" before you quoted it for me.

Double-checking word cult........

a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.
"a network of Satan-worshiping cults"
synonyms: sect, denomination, group, movement, church, persuasion, body, faction
"a religious cult"
​

Ok, done. Yep, cult is the right word.

It is not sound like right words but that is the statement of Christ is saying.

Of course they're the words of Jesus. You use them, but the way in which you understand them guts them of their meaning and bastardizes them into something entirely different than what the words promise and mean. "Here's your hamburger", you say as you hand the customer a plastic pickle.

Let me add something about what you’ve said before.

Absolutely, that's the point. Letting go of trying to "please God", or to "build our egos", and simply resting in the Infinite. Then, we find what we have always already had, which is God within us. When you find that, with the heart, not with the mind believing the bible or some such external thing, but with the heart, then you are free. Then you know peace. Then you know joy. Then you are strengthened by Spirit itself. This is what the mystical experience is all about. And you are absolutely wrong to say it is of our own efforts. It is not. You're trying to "obey God", by following the Bible as if it were a book of laws, like Leviticus was, will never realize what these verses teach by Windwalker.

You say something about pleasing God. Let us see what the Scripture has to say :
Heb. 11:6
6. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Well, let's be clear the context I said this in and what I meant by not spending our time trying to "please God". First of all, you should provide a link when you quote me or anyone. I don't recall which post I said this in to check the preceding paragraphs that led to the statement. But, notwithstanding, I do know what I would have meant saying that. What that means is that trying to please God to satisfy our egoic seeking minds. In fact it's right there in what I said to clarify it, "or build our egos".

To legitimately "please God", we cease trying to come to God to please ourselves! That's the meaning. People come seeking to please God all the time, but in reality they are only seeking to please themselves. The whole thing is an self-facing, seeking my salvation, my happiness, my mansion in the sky, my increase of blessings, my, my, my, me, me, me.... etc. This is the cult of narcissistic Christianity.

But when you empty yourself of your own will before God, where you quit seeking for God for self-gain, to please him so he'll make you happy with the focus on your narcissistic self, the God is pleased. God is pleased "in you", just like when Jesus was baptized and John heard, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased". In order to "please God" we seek to let God be all there is in us. That sort of seeking to please God, is not to make God happy, as if that were a requirement of some kind, but it is the pleasure of Spirit living in you.

You don't understand this latter understanding, so it's no wonder you would misconstrue the meaning of what I said. To you, that former type of seeking to please God is all you know, and so when I say don't do that, it leaves you without God, in your understanding.

So, to please God is to be a bond-servant of Christ. Believe in Him and have faith in God. You said “Then, we find what we have always already had, which is God within us.”

How can we find it if we are not a bond-servant of Christ? Why we should seek for mystical experience?

Because that is what the mystical experience does. It makes you this bond-servant. Your will becomes the will of Christ.

It is God who gave us mystical or supernatural experience, and not by our own efforts.

That's right. It's only you who imagines we are saying it is through our own efforts. We have flatly denied this at least 800 times in discussion with you, yet you keep stating it as true. Why? This say to me you have no understanding at all of what the mystical experience is or how it is only realized by not making an effort.

I'll try yet one more time, when we seek God through our own efforts, we do not find God, we only find ourselves. When we seek to let go of our self-seeking and simply allow God, then we realize what has been in us the whole time, which is God! You are hereby no longer allowed to say this lie you continue to repeat. The whole of the contemplative path is to allow love to live you by getting yourself out of the way, not to seek it through your own efforts. The effort you make is to make no effort at all, and to simply let God live in you through Grace, rather than trying so hard through your own efforts to "please him", as you do in all you "obey and submit" to the law efforts you are making. Mysticism is the exact opposite of your own efforts, as you are doing.

Instead, Jesus once said to seek His kingdom first, and not for mystical. A follower of Christ may experience it through God.

The kingdom of God is mystical. So, yes, seeking it is to find it within the heart. That requires looking within. It is a mystical realization, not a physical place you drive your car to!

 

[Windwalker]

Do you think you'll be praise and commended for what you did by posting again that picture (man with the book in his face) of your misunderstanding about the adherence with the word of God? It is not. It is just a reflection of who and what you are in your spirituality that you keep telling us.

I'm sorry, it's just the reality of how fundamentalists close themselves off to anything that might challenge them to think outside their current beliefs. A picture speaks a thousand words.

That is your will, of course and not for Jesus as he said “Follow Me.”

No it's not. I've explained why 10,000 times, but it's hard to hear and see anything when you refuse to look or listen.

Jesus did not also say “choosing your own belief and teachings rather than me.” You already contradicted your statement. You said Jesus is the way, the truth and the Life. What do you mean by Jesus is the truth for you??

Nope. I've told you, and you cannot hear. I wonder why?

Why would we have an access to other religion if Jesus is not teaching a Hindu, Muslim or a Buddhist?? Answer pls.

Jesus is the Light of the World. Anyone in any religion can see the Light. They don't have to be Christian to know God.