Spiritual cultivation equals God

[billie]

All religions don't speak truth. This is what Jesus meant when He said no one comes to the Father except by me. Religion is man's attempt to get to God. Christianity's a relationship with God, who's already come down to us. Quite different, actually. What Axe and I are trying to communicate to you with these Scriptures is that before we ask Jesus into our hearts, we're all spiritually dead. Growth of something dead isn't possible.

[Floatingaxe]

Manji--even the devil believes in God. What say you about the Son, Jesus? Jesus is the means by which we are reconciled to God, and is the only way we can know God.

[Manji]

I think the quote you used doesn't mean what you say it does. THat is not what Jesus meant. Christianity is a part of a whole entire body and other religions are the other parts. There is only one truth and we all try to touch it and when we do we describe it as best as we can in the way we can. In the end it is the same thing. When we experience the presense of God and have no knowledge of christianity we might not be able to explain it with Christian words but it is the same thing. So, in the end many religions speak the same truth. That's why the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran, are folded into each other. That's why the same truth in christianity can be found some place away from christianity. Some one could say, we should treat others as we want to be treated, and you could say, that's in the Bible. And the guy knew that without ever knowing about the Bible.

Just because the Chinese made the first sword doesn't mean Europeans had to see the Chinese do it to learn how to do it. They have all that is inside of them to do the same thing as the Chinese as does any human being has inside itself to see God.

[Manji]

Manji--even the devil believes in God. What say you about the Son, Jesus? Jesus is the means by which we are reconciled to God, and is the only way we can know God.

Lucifer believes in God or Lucifer always knew God's presense. Cause lucifer is supposed to be one of God's first creations right? Jesus bared the weight of man's sin. In order to experience God it requires spiritual cultivation. You see Jesus has forgiven us so that we can go to God when we die. In life however, we can still experience God's presense before or after Christ.

[Floatingaxe]

Manji--even the devil believes in God. What say you about the Son, Jesus? Jesus is the means by which we are reconciled to God, and is the only way we can know God.

Lucifer believes in God or Lucifer always knew God's presense. Cause lucifer is supposed to be one of God's first creations right? Jesus bared the weight of man's sin. In order to experience God it requires spiritual cultivation. You see Jesus has forgiven us so that we can go to God when we die. In life however, we can still experience God's presense before or after Christ.

Ok, I see you understand the message that Jesus bore our sin, but to say spiritual cultivation is necessary to experience God is just mumbo-jumbo. We meet God at the Cross. The presence of God is not experienced apart from Christ, except in that wooing of the Holy Spirit.

You cannot separate the manifestation of God in your life from the manifestation of Christ. God can only look upon you through His Son.

[billie]

I think the quote you used doesn't mean what you say it does. THat is not what Jesus meant. Christianity is a part of a whole entire body and other religions are the other parts. There is only one truth and we all try to touch it and when we do we describe it as best as we can in the way we can. In the end it is the same thing. When we experience the presense of God and have no knowledge of christianity we might not be able to explain it with Christian words but it is the same thing. So, in the end many religions speak the same truth. That's why the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran, are folded into each other. That's why the same truth in christianity can be found some place away from christianity. Some one could say, we should treat others as we want to be treated, and you could say, that's in the Bible. And the guy knew that without ever knowing about the Bible.

Just because the Chinese made the first sword doesn't mean Europeans had to see the Chinese do it to learn how to do it. They have all that is inside of them to do the same thing as the Chinese as does any human being has inside itself to see God.

It means what it says. I'm not putting any spin on it. No one comes to the Father except through me. Brfore you try to explain what you think the Bible means, you need to read it. No offense, but don't you think it's a little silly to think a person who's never read the Bible could know more about what it means than some who've read through it multiple times? Don't mean to step on your toes, but in the Bible we're commanded to speak the Truth in Love. It wouldn't be a very loving thing if I let you believe something false about Christianity. Like Axe said, in order to know what Christianity's all about, you need to do some investigation. We know what Jesus meant because not only is Bible study something a Christian should do on a contiuous basis. It's also because we have Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, who interprets Scripture supernaturally to our Spirits. This indwelling of Holy Spirit when we ask Jesus into our hearts. Jesus made no bones about what He thought about other religions. "He who is not for me is against me." It's either in or out. Jesus isn't an item on a buffet you can either take or leave along with Mohammed and Buddha. It doesn't work like that, dear. The Torah is the first five books of the Bible. That's true. The difference between Judaism and Christianity is those who practice Judaism are still waiting for Messiah. Christians know He's already come. As for the Qu'ran being folded into the Bible and the Torah, someone's given you some misinformation. The Qu'ran teaches many things contrary to these other texts, including Jesus wasn't God's son, wasn't deity, and all those who refuse to convert to Islam are "infidels" and should be beheaded.

[Floatingaxe]

I think the quote you used doesn't mean what you say it does. THat is not what Jesus meant. Christianity is a part of a whole entire body and other religions are the other parts. There is only one truth and we all try to touch it and when we do we describe it as best as we can in the way we can. In the end it is the same thing. When we experience the presense of God and have no knowledge of christianity we might not be able to explain it with Christian words but it is the same thing. So, in the end many religions speak the same truth. That's why the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran, are folded into each other. That's why the same truth in christianity can be found some place away from christianity. Some one could say, we should treat others as we want to be treated, and you could say, that's in the Bible. And the guy knew that without ever knowing about the Bible.

Just because the Chinese made the first sword doesn't mean Europeans had to see the Chinese do it to learn how to do it. They have all that is inside of them to do the same thing as the Chinese as does any human being has inside itself to see God.

It means what it says. I'm not putting any spin on it. No one comes to the Father except through me. Brfore you try to explain what you think the Bible means, you need to read it. No offense, but don't you think it's a little silly to think a person who's never read the Bible could know more about what it means than some who've read through it multiple times? Don't mean to step on your toes, but in the Bible we're commanded to speak the Truth in Love. It wouldn't be a very loving thing if I let you believe something false about Christianity. Like Axe said, in order to know what Christianity's all about, you need to do some investigation. We know what Jesus meant because not only is Bible study something a Christian should do on a contiuous basis. It's also because we have Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, who interprets Scripture supernaturally to our Spirits. This indwelling of Holy Spirit when we ask Jesus into our hearts. Jesus made no bones about what He thought about other religions. "He who is not for me is against me." It's either in or out. Jesus isn't an item on a buffet you can either take or leave along with Mohammed and Buddha. It doesn't work like that, dear. The Torah is the first five books of the Bible. That's true. The difference between Judaism and Christianity is those who practice Judaism are still waiting for Messiah. Christians know He's already come. As for the Qu'ran being folded into the Bible and the Torah, someone's given you some misinformation. The Qu'ran teaches many things contrary to these other texts, including Jesus wasn't God's son, wasn't deity, and all those who refuse to convert to Islam are "infidels" and should be beheaded.

Woweeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

[cjrose]

Well, here's my stab in the dark for today. Have you ever felt that the more you begin to understand things about life, the nature of all things, and your purpose, place, or meaning in it, that you start to actually feel that there really is just something out there that is bigger than yourself? Like God?

I dunno, for a short moment, I felt that as my frame-work I was using to describe or explain all things began to widen and expand, I started to have this postive feeling inside my heart- and I just sensed that there truely is something bigger out there than myself. It's like God is so big. God is so omnipresent beyond comprehension and we are all so small. The more we begin to understand things because we spirtually grow and mature the closer and more real God becomes. You actually start to feel, sense, become aquainted with, or know God in some way that is constant. Its like you could say I know God everyday. I feel "it" at every moment, constantly. It's sorta like the "Force" described in Star Wars. Its all around you. You just have to wake up to it. I guess this is what is meant by relationship with God. It is about your spiritual cultivation. The more you grow the closer God gets. And God is so loving you would never want to reject it. You only walk in the darkness because your mind is clouded and confused by something that doesn't let you see the glory. But the more mindful-being mindful allows you to not be clouded by such hinderances. The hinderance just comes and goes. You can see the forces inside yourself and not allow them to entangle and confuse you. You can still see things as they are and not as they appear because you are mindful of these hinderances. You see it.

The feeling or knowing this is not believing, but it is actually eminating from inside yourself cause you feel it. Just like you can feel sadness. You don't believe sadness exists, you know it does, because you can feel it. Anyway, this feeling of God I am talking about is very loving, fullfilling, and complete.

You can say the same words over and over again but with someone who doesn't have the tools to decode those words, the glory will not be communicated. And the words... Really do get in the way.

Amen, I'd say God is working in your life. I know we all have a purpose. I just keep waiting for God to reveal what mine is. And as long as I can remember I've always known there is a higher being and then I found Jesus Praise the Lord!!

[Manji]

Manji--even the devil believes in God. What say you about the Son, Jesus? Jesus is the means by which we are reconciled to God, and is the only way we can know God.

Lucifer believes in God or Lucifer always knew God's presense. Cause lucifer is supposed to be one of God's first creations right? Jesus bared the weight of man's sin. In order to experience God it requires spiritual cultivation. You see Jesus has forgiven us so that we can go to God when we die. In life however, we can still experience God's presense before or after Christ.

Ok, I see you understand the message that Jesus bore our sin, but to say spiritual cultivation is necessary to experience God is just mumbo-jumbo. We meet God at the Cross. The presence of God is not experienced apart from Christ, except in that wooing of the Holy Spirit.

You cannot separate the manifestation of God in your life from the manifestation of Christ. God can only look upon you through His Son.

How do you experience God with Christ then? Please explain...

[Manji]

I think the quote you used doesn't mean what you say it does. THat is not what Jesus meant. Christianity is a part of a whole entire body and other religions are the other parts. There is only one truth and we all try to touch it and when we do we describe it as best as we can in the way we can. In the end it is the same thing. When we experience the presense of God and have no knowledge of christianity we might not be able to explain it with Christian words but it is the same thing. So, in the end many religions speak the same truth. That's why the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran, are folded into each other. That's why the same truth in christianity can be found some place away from christianity. Some one could say, we should treat others as we want to be treated, and you could say, that's in the Bible. And the guy knew that without ever knowing about the Bible.

Just because the Chinese made the first sword doesn't mean Europeans had to see the Chinese do it to learn how to do it. They have all that is inside of them to do the same thing as the Chinese as does any human being has inside itself to see God.

It means what it says. I'm not putting any spin on it. No one comes to the Father except through me. Brfore you try to explain what you think the Bible means, you need to read it. No offense, but don't you think it's a little silly to think a person who's never read the Bible could know more about what it means than some who've read through it multiple times? Don't mean to step on your toes, but in the Bible we're commanded to speak the Truth in Love. It wouldn't be a very loving thing if I let you believe something false about Christianity. Like Axe said, in order to know what Christianity's all about, you need to do some investigation. We know what Jesus meant because not only is Bible study something a Christian should do on a contiuous basis. It's also because we have Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, who interprets Scripture supernaturally to our Spirits. This indwelling of Holy Spirit when we ask Jesus into our hearts. Jesus made no bones about what He thought about other religions. "He who is not for me is against me." It's either in or out. Jesus isn't an item on a buffet you can either take or leave along with Mohammed and Buddha. It doesn't work like that, dear. The Torah is the first five books of the Bible. That's true. The difference between Judaism and Christianity is those who practice Judaism are still waiting for Messiah. Christians know He's already come. As for the Qu'ran being folded into the Bible and the Torah, someone's given you some misinformation. The Qu'ran teaches many things contrary to these other texts, including Jesus wasn't God's son, wasn't deity, and all those who refuse to convert to Islam are "infidels" and should be beheaded.

I appreciate your apply very much. I agree that it is dangerous to for me make an opinion or speak of Christianity because I am not very knowledgable of it. But that is really beside the point. All I am saying is that, when I started to put things into perspective I began to feel God's presense. All can have this. It is not neccessarily experienced through scripture and can be experienced through applying concepts to everyday life. realization. What do you think of that? Agree? Disagree?