GETTING CLOSER TO GOD

[eaglesway]

For me, forgiveness is access door to love. It is also the only way to keep the door open. I feel like as long as I am on this earth, I only survive by being in a state of having been, and continually being, forgiven- because lets face it- we all stumble in many ways  :banana:

I was sitting at the beach to watch the sun come up a few days ago with a friend of mine. We were jus chillin when he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "Its alllllllll about forgiveness". We talked about forgiveness for a long time and the presence of the Lord was awesome and sweet and thick as honey.

[Dandelion]

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, "If you judge people, you don't have time to love them."

Unforgiveness puts a barrier up between us....unfinished business that will fester, unless it is addressed.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
(Romans 12:14-21)

21Then Peter having come near to him, said, 'Sir, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him — till seven times?' 22Jesus saith to him, 'I do not say to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven.

23'Because of this was the reign of the heavens likened to a man, a king, who did will to take reckoning with his servants, 24and he having begun to take account, there was brought near to him one debtor of a myriad of talents, 25and he having nothing to pay, his lord did command him to be sold, and his wife, and the children, and all, whatever he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying, Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all; 27and the lord of that servant having been moved with compassion did release him, and the debt he forgave him. 28'And, that servant having come forth, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him an hundred denaries, and having laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which thou owest. 29His fellow-servant then, having fallen down at his feet, was calling on him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all; 30and he would not, but having gone away, he cast him into prison, till he might pay that which was owing. 31'And his fellow-servants having seen the things that were done, were grieved exceedingly, and having come, shewed fully to their lord all the things that were done; 32then having called him, his lord saith to him, Evil servant! all that debt I did forgive thee, seeing thou didst call upon me, 33did it not behove also thee to have dealt kindly with thy fellow-servant, as I also dealt kindly with thee? 34'And having been wroth, his lord delivered him to the inquisitors, till he might pay all that was owing to him; 35so also my heavenly Father will do to you, if ye may not forgive each one his brother from your hearts their trespasses.' Matthew 18

And, also....

...23"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."   Matthew 5

Last one......

...2"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?... Matthew 7

[lastpost]

The river of truth is dammed up when the mind of the body concludes finality, which causes truth to separate from itself; the truth which is of God is not from the outer man but it unfolds gradually from within...

"...I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it" [Jeremiah 31:33]


Pure thought is transferred instantly; space is of the outer man, distance is not known by the pure thoughts of the interior being...

" 'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you' " [John 1:48]


...God's omnipresence allows heart and mind to rest unruffled; thought which is positive and pure cannot be interfered with; there is no distance as space is a falsity of the senses...

"When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, 'Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him' " [John 4:52]


One dwells in God, outside of Whom nothing exists; it is possible even in a body of flesh to overcome distance and space...

" 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring. ' " [Acts 17:28]


The mind of the senses casts shadowy illusions to hide the omnipresence of God, when in reality the inner being abides in the Supreme Being Who has placed His life in man... 

"He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" [Psalms 91:1]


...The tabernacle of God is indeed with men...

"I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, God's dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God' " [Revelation 21:3]


...The unfathomable Love of God has always suffered when His children have suffered, He has always sought to redeem and carry His children...

"In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old" [Isaiah 63:9]


The earth is refreshed by cleansed water which itself gains power as it purifies, similarly the spiritual - that which is unseen - can be brought into the exterior life to purify it...

"Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, 'This is what the Lord says: "I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive." ' And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken" [2 Kings 2:21,22]


...For the Spiritual to become manifest, what the Lord has commanded first and foremost - must be practised without reserve...

"...And thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of all thy heart, and out of thy soul, and out of all thine understanding, and out of all thy strength; this is the first commandment;

And the second is like it, this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; greater than these there is no other commandment.' " [Mark 12:29-31]

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" [John 13:34,35]


All have precious opportunity now; everywhere are brothers and sisters waiting to receive the out-flowing of love from the lives of those who have heard the Master, Who yearns for the increase of the great ocean of Love to wash away all disunity... 

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" [Luke 6:46]


PEACE ✞

[rosered]

Spiritual flow is  a  beautiful  Truth :HeartThrob:

[lastpost]

One following Christ's teaching and example stores heavenly treasure and spiritual wealth for eternal life even now, whereas one serving self is unwittingly inviting misery...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal" [Matthew 6:19]


The emancipated soul, in surrendering all to Christ, realises, in little part, something concerning the heavenly blessings of the potential of its own short life on this material earth...

"However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" [Luke 10:20]


Wherever there is existence, God, who fills all spheres of life, is there...

"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord" [Jeremiah 23:24]


God is ever-present - eternally-in-the-present - He does not live in the physical past or the physical future; living outside of God is living erratically and in blindness... 

"He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life" [Revelation 21:6]


A soul finds fulfilment so great in the eternal-present that the desire to look behind or forward is absent, knowing all is well as God is in the Present, and time is of the Physical alone...

"God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you" [Exodus 3:14]


LOVE alone gifts a blessed consciousness of living ever-presence - now - where each breath drawn is God-given, blowing away rotting past sins by calling all good life into the Present...   

"And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth" [John 11:43]


Awakened from the falsity of time, to life in the God who is always in the never-changing Present - means the soul is eternally vibrant, everlastingly alive, each breath revealing a deeper, enriched springtime of Divine life...

"For I am the Lord, and I change not: and you the sons of Jacob are not consumed" [Malachi 3:6]


Life in the unchanging Present reveals the Living Christ within - birth, growth, consecration, temptation, physical death, rising from death, ascent to the Spirit Realms - all happening in the Now of the Christ within - as it always has done - outside of time, no past days, no future nights...

"To whom God did will to make known what is the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations - which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory" [Colossians 1:27]


All comes from the Christ who must be within, no outward teacher of the senses can bring the deep riches of Jesus the Christ for whom gratitude is constantly given... 

"Thanks also to God for His unspeakable gift!" [2 Corinthians 9:15]


The whole race of the earth is raised up by the birth, life, death and rising of just one Soul...

"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one" [John 17:11]


False reality portrays good and evil as being equal in potency; good alone is in the eternally-present - the Realm of Divine Love - yet the gift of God in man can spiritualise the earth by manifesting good... 

"Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue" [Daniel 4:27]

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" [Romans 12:21]


May the Peace of the Present Be With You For All Eternally ✞

[rosered]

Thank the Lord Jesus Christ

Col 1   Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,


4  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints/holy ones ;...

  raised to Life and gathered in Christ   Holy Spirit in God    "the great gathering "   

Hebrews 12 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and

, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God....

Romans 13:12
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:26
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

Galatians 2:2
I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.

Ephesians 4:22
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Philippians 1:30
since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Hebrews 10:36
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.




1 Peter 5:1
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:


May God continue to bless with His grace upon  us  all     ,,,

[lastpost]

The last word was spoken at the same time as the present word, time has not really passed, for time is of man not of God. The only day to exist is now when Christ was born – only now; yesterday and tomorrow is of man, who is created anew by the Living Christ power; Christ is eternally young and does not age...

"Herein has love been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of judgement, that even as he is, we also are in this world" 1 John 4:17

We are as Christ is – but the mortal thinking of the physical mind of the senses does not yet perceive this...

"Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" 1 John 3:2

The Spiritual is the only permanent and real World where spiritual beings live, the physical plane of the senses is the unreal; spiritual laws should be made manifest in the physical world as Jesus demonstrated: water cannot drown Spirit when it controls material atoms...

"Having rowed then about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they see Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the ship..."  John 6:19.

Sickness, war and catastrophe exist due to man's deterioration, he acts on the material plane; yet if man lived in Spirit, and cooperated with Spirit, then this would not be...

"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent" Psalm 91:10

The Fall exists presently, not in the past; man is happy with the shadow world, he is content with the false good; he continues to taste of the tree of good and evil, for his consciousness is not wholly filled with Christ...

3 ...but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat of it, and ye shall not touch it, lest ye die... 6 and she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and he ate... 8 and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden" Genesis 3

As the symbolism of the Old Testament becomes clearer to man, so he perceives the interior meanings of God. Within man, laws have been hidden, thus he affects even his water...

23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter... 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction... 26 He said, 'If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes... I will not bring on you any of the diseases... for I am the Lord, who heals you.' Exodus 15

Dominion for the children of God was His intention, but man's misuse of the forces hidden in him affect the land and the climate, even the animals have been dragged down because of man's abuse...

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth". Genesis 1:26

Man's being and life are inextricably linked to his domain, the veil must be lifted and he must return to Eden; meanwhile man continues in material time to wait for a new Heaven and Earth which only comes if he is has full Christ consciousness...

"They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" Isaiah 11:9

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord" Isaiah 65:25

As did the murmurs and grumbles at Marah create bitterness, so thoughts that come from the senses create ashes and bitterness. Yet gratitude and praise shall bring the oil of joy...

"...To provide for those who mourn in Zion;
To give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
Oil of joy instead of mourning,
And splendid clothes instead of despair.
And they will be called righteous trees,
The planting of the LORD, to glorify Him" Isaiah 61:3

Even while journeying through the desert there shall be sweet waters, and milk and honey shall be repast...

"I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey" Exodus 3:8

There shall be enough manna for each day...

"When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered a large amount had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered according to his need" Exodus 16:18

The Divine manna that comes from Heaven is Christ made Man so that man may feed on Him in his heart by faith...

"I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread he will live forever. And the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My body" John 6:51

Rich and abundant are the gifts implanted within man by the Lord God Supreme, accede and comply with the Divine which is innermost and the fruit of the Spirit shall come forth, and heaven and earth shall provide abundance...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control..." Galatians 5:22-23

"The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing" Psalm 34:10

On the material plane of the senses, the way is hidden sometimes, and God seems to be silent...

"Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel,
'My way is hidden from the Lord,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God'?"  Isaiah 40:27

It is only the senses which have constructed a veil of falsehood, suspicion, doubt and dread; yet the doors of revelation can be opened by holding a Hope that is certain and by consistently giving Thankfulness, under-utilised gifts that should not be secret...   

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" Philippians 4:6

One breath of God consumes the worldly senses, the Christ of God is ever present and the feet cannot slip. God's purpose is worked out within, and all shall be harmonised. The old body having played its part, shall be replaced by the new Spirit, and the veil shall be rent in twain, and then man shall be one with His God.

Peace.

[GodIsLove]

Thanks Lastpost  :HeartThrob:

[lastpost]

Thanks Lastpost  :HeartThrob:

Truly, thanks is the last thing I deserve, what is written above is not from me but it is wholly the words of a lovely Spirit messenger, that is 99% from the Spirit messenger and 1% from me to wrap it up so that it is presentable to the collective consciousness.

Yes, I am aware of the shape that some people's lips take at such a thought, I have seen it often. How can people be alive after they are dead when they cease to exist until God somehow makes them exist again but this time fit for the purest heaven because of a belief of the mind? Surely it must be the devil or a deceiving spirit dressed as shining angel!

Personally, I find it sad that mourning people - who suffer because of the absence of their loved ones - are not shown more clearly the continuity of life that the Master Christ demonstrated for all to see, and the definite happiness they have found, and that they are never separated, and that now the drug-like body is dropped they are now more sensitive, and that they are sad when they call to their mourning loved one looking at the permanently vacated chair but cannot hear or believe, and that they know nothing of life after death except vague conflicting statements which mean little to them. But, gladly, the time will come, I believe, when consciousness that the Gentle Jesus comes to meet His humble and meek servant to cross the river man calls death, when consciousness that those who love Christ will never see death shall be the prevailing faith, but that just not yet. I have spent most of my adult life studying and investigating this subject but I don't think I should spend my short time on earth typing about it.

I have said before that most of what I know of God and the undying love I have for the Saviour Christ has come to me from Spirit and the discerning of spirits, rather than from the Bible and the minds of men. If it was not for the early intervention of the Spirit then I think I would have passed away many years ago.

And I do believe that the aforementioned Spirit messenger would divert any gratitude to God, as personality becomes individually universal, if I may use such an apparent paradox.

Peace and Harmony – Harmony and Peace – they are as one when in Christ.

[eaglesway]

Lastpost, we hav spoken before about the whole spirit mssenger thing and teaching it. As before, you are welcome to fellowship here but you are not welcome to drop lead-ins to teaching what to me is no more than attributing the insights of ones own spirit and intellect to messages from saints who have passed. I have researched the sites connected to links you have shared in the past and my conclusions are that many of the so-called "spirit messages" are not spiritual. Though we may disagree on this, as a moderator for the site with the responsibility of maintaining the parameters of our discussion and keeping them centered on Jesus Christ as Lord, The Salvation of All, under the Authority of the Scriptures in the pure milk of the Word. This is my last warning to you. Next will be a permanent ban unless the other moderators veto me in this action.

[lastpost]

Thank u Lastpost for your contributions to this thred- they have been wonderful.

eaglesway, the contributions made here that you appear to find spiritual are not from my own spirit and intellect. I could show you directly where they have come from to demonstrate that it is not me "attributing the insights of ones own spirit and intellect to messages from saints who have passed" - but I feel that that would be a step too far for you in view of what you have said, and the last thing I wish to do is cause distress - that is absolutely the last thing I wish to do. Thank you for the offer of fellowship, albeit digital, it is truly welcomed and I will try to stay within the confines demanded by the site, indeed I thought I was doing so, but I will try to learn from this of course. Thank you.

[eaglesway]

Lastpost, I have found many of your posts to be very edifying. My causes for concern came from links you posted, which I followed out and found some things that are, imo, unnecessary and in error. These things are not things that would serve Tentmaker in the discussing, from my point of view or yours. On this site we have the Holy Spirit, the scriptures, and the fellowship of brothers and sisters as our parameters pertaining to our mission- proclaiming and teaching the salvation of all.

[lastpost]

When the God within man is ruler, then the visible world is full of beautiful potential, man can become one with his surroundings. But when the lesser self is ruler, there is chaotic lawlessness which requires order; untamed forces are harnessed by a thorny ruler...

"One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'
"But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'
"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.'
"But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'
"Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.'
"But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?'
"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'
"The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!' Judges 9:8-15

There exists an admixture in this shadow world, of both the God within man ruling and also the lesser self ruling, but man is evolving and the God within man shall rule the elements as demonstrated by Christ Jesus...

"And awaking up he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Silence; be mute. And the wind fell, and there was a great calm" Mark 4:39

Christ controlled His physical self fully, and as man He had the right of dominion over the elements...

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion..." Genesis 1:26

The Divine Will is One, and can manifest only through the instruments that are selfless and at one with Him, for God is not many but One God...

"The Lord is our God, the Lord is one" Deuteronomy 6:4

The physical thinking man cannot observe the hidden treasures of God due to his spiritual blindness, symbolised by Cain's blindness of God's presence...

"...I will be hidden from your presence"  Genesis 4:14

Within man is God's presence, Divine power; control does not come from the physical body but from the Christ within; there should be manifesting of love and completeness through the body; the healing work of Christ is working from within first, and then from without...

"Heal those who are ill, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" Matthew 10:8

There should always be spiritual control, having no anxieties as to how to act when in stressful situations...

"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say"  Matthew 10:19

...But at all times have the mind of the Spirit; disallow the shadow world to impress dread, deficiency or uncertainty; dismiss the false thoughts of the earthly sense world as powerless demons...

"But turning round, he said to Peter, Get away behind me, Satan; thou art an offence to me, for thy mind is not on the things that are of God, but on the things that are of men"  Matthew 16:23

God cannot fail, He waits patiently as He adores to pour Himself out, a wonderful and exquisite endeavour awaits all who allow the spirit within to control...

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it" Malachi 3:10

When the instrument is pure, the Divine blessing can be given; once the Christ has worked within, the blessing grows as the Christ works without; the more the giving of blessing, the greater the receiving of blessing...

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.'"  Luke 6:38

Peace in Him

[JBrenner]

Acts 17:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'[a] As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Footnotes:
Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus

I believe in this! There is no separation!

Separation is a ilusion! We are united with God because God has Omnipresence!

Nobody can escape Him or stay away Him! There is no one place where God has no presence!

◄ 1 Corinthians 6:19 ►

New International Version
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

We live in God and God live in us! Inside us! Our spirit is a piece of the Great Spirit!

[marie glen]

When the God within man is ruler

Just today in morning reading, study, and prayer time, I noticed how it's recorded in Mark, that Jesus told his disciples to beware the leaven of Herod. Now I never thought much about it before.. but today I thought, just what is the leaven of Herod? Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, is not hard to figure, they were strict law observers with added mens' traditions which some even contradicted God's commands.. So avoid a self righteous attitude, a judging of others attitude, etc.

But the leaven of Herod? Politics? Likely, I suppose, since Herod said he was Jewish yet his alliance was with Rome and his aims were political, so beware that leaven.

But it's coincidental to me that I ended up reading how emperors, by Romans, were esteemed as 'gods' or the son of a god - likely started as faint memories of the promise in Eden handed down). I read an interesting story of how Heirs to emperors were chosen, and his nephew, Octavious (who became Caesar Augustus, who decreed - in the days of Mary and Joseph - all go to their towns of birth to be registered) was Julius Caesar's heir..

When Julius Caesar was killed, Octavious/later Caesar Augustus, with his new money put on a big show of games "to honor Caesar", during which a comet appeared and was in the sky for the length of days the games were carried out, and the legend became that the comet was Caesar ascending to becoming a 'god'.. Which greatly helped his heir's career. This "ascending to the gods, or the ascending to become a god" I remembered is prominent in non-Christian/pagan belief. And it's called apotheosis.

My point is, in my opinion, apotheosis has no place in Christianity, where "humility" is a fruit of the Spirit. It's a change of character we need, pride being a big part of the carnal character we are to "overcome". A little leaven (untrue doctrine) is dangerous - will leaven the whole lump..

I think it may be a particular strong temptation in this day and age of intense criticism of God of the Bible, especially considering some things in the Old Testament. Strong temptation to trust man's word rather than God's Word. Yhvh, we can be sure, has done "all" things perfectly. But doubting this, listening to man's word, can cause us to mix into Christianity/our faith, pagan, nonbiblical ideas. I'm just saying.. it won't work. Or that is, if we will yield, yield, yield our self to Him, His spirit will guide us into all truth.

I used to mix nonbiblical things with the faith.. yes, pagan beliefs - And it's a paradox, that most indigenous faiths were built, likely, upon a profound truth someone found. And of course there are true threads in the pagan belief tapestries. Otherwise the tapestry would fall apart(? This is what I think, but who knows.. idk, but the idea persists :smile: )

So, it is rather hard to separate true threads from untrue. But we have the key. The truth is like a great treasure chest.. of treasures old and new.. I now think of those pagan ideas as husks the prodigal son found himself coveting when he was estranged from his loving father..

Just like the world is.. And how a lot of despairing people (despair seems to be on the rise? due to educating folks for some time now with man's word and theories?) - a lot of despairing folks might benefit if God's people could present the simple good news that He died for the whole world's sins, that His kingdom will never end, and the meek shall inherit the earth.

To somehow come to the understanign that He, Himself, loves enough to suffer all things..
Which being life, I figure he does. And it's Him I want to worship not anything in myself.

Just my  :2c: I don't mean to sound judgmental.. I totally understand.. I'm just so much happier and contented once I let go of extra biblical things and finally realized how to read God's word.. Idk, or can't remember.. but maybe it was finding UR on the web which gave me the stabiity of being able to love God more fully and to trust God's Word ..As the source of "expressed truth and reason", Logos. "The logos that gives light.." ..the wine, and, the bread... My outspoken attitude doesn't get me a lot of friends, lol.. :mblush: :flowerred:

[MusicLover123]

When the God within man is ruler

Just today in morning reading, study, and prayer time, I noticed how it's recorded in Mark, that Jesus told his disciples to beware the leaven of Herod. Now I never thought much about it before.. but today I thought, just what is the leaven of Herod? Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, is not hard to figure, they were strict law observers with added mens' traditions which some even contradicted God's commands.. So avoid a self righteous attitude, a judging of others attitude, etc.

But the leaven of Herod? Politics? Likely, I suppose, since Herod said he was Jewish yet his alliance was with Rome and his aims were political, so beware that leaven.

But it's coincidental to me that I ended up reading how emperors, by Romans, were esteemed as 'gods' or the son of a god - likely started as faint memories of the promise in Eden handed down). I read an interesting story of how Heirs to emperors were chosen, and his nephew, Octavious (who became Caesar Augustus, who decreed - in the days of Mary and Joseph - all go to their towns of birth to be registered) was Julius Caesar's heir..

When Julius Caesar was killed, Octavious/later Caesar Augustus, with his new money put on a big show of games "to honor Caesar", during which a comet appeared and was in the sky for the length of days the games were carried out, and the legend became that the comet was Caesar ascending to becoming a 'god'.. Which greatly helped his heir's career. This "ascending to the gods, or the ascending to become a god" I remembered is prominent in non-Christian/pagan belief. And it's called apotheosis.

My point is, in my opinion, apotheosis has no place in Christianity, where "humility" is a fruit of the Spirit. It's a change of character we need, pride being a big part of the carnal character we are to "overcome". A little leaven (untrue doctrine) is dangerous - will leaven the whole lump..

I think it may be a particular strong temptation in this day and age of intense criticism of God of the Bible, especially considering some things in the Old Testament. Strong temptation to trust man's word rather than God's Word. Yhvh, we can be sure, has done "all" things perfectly. But doubting this, listening to man's word, can cause us to mix into Christianity/our faith, pagan, nonbiblical ideas. I'm just saying.. it won't work. Or that is, if we will yield, yield, yield our self to Him, His spirit will guide us into all truth.

I used to mix nonbiblical things with the faith.. yes, pagan beliefs - And it's a paradox, that most indigenous faiths were built, likely, upon a profound truth someone found. And of course there are true threads in the pagan belief tapestries. Otherwise the tapestry would fall apart(? This is what I think, but who knows.. idk, but the idea persists :smile: )

So, it is rather hard to separate true threads from untrue. But we have the key. The truth is like a great treasure chest.. of treasures old and new.. I now think of those pagan ideas as husks the prodigal son found himself coveting when he was estranged from his loving father..

Just like the world is.. And how a lot of despairing people (despair seems to be on the rise? due to educating folks for some time now with man's word and theories?) - a lot of despairing folks might benefit if God's people could present the simple good news that He died for the whole world's sins, that His kingdom will never end, and the meek shall inherit the earth.

To somehow come to the understanign that He, Himself, loves enough to suffer all things..
Which being life, I figure he does. And it's Him I want to worship not anything in myself.

Just my  :2c: I don't mean to sound judgmental.. I totally understand.. I'm just so much happier and contented once I let go of extra biblical things and finally realized how to read God's word.. Idk, or can't remember.. but maybe it was finding UR on the web which gave me the stabiity of being able to love God more fully and to trust God's Word ..As the source of "expressed truth and reason", Logos. "The logos that gives light.." ..the wine, and, the bread... My outspoken attitude doesn't get me a lot of friends, lol.. :mblush: :flowerred:

It's alright, MG! You don't sound judgemental, only trying to give His wisdom here, so I appreciate that. We are built up in Christ, and build each other up, and that is what I see here.

To be fair, when God is all in all, everyone will be "God." It is more of a title though. We will never be the Father, but everyone will be true brothers and sisters of Jesus, so just think about how amazing that will be!

Genesis 3
5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
22And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Psalm 82
6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

John 10
34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

And, through this life, and the next, who are becoming like? When we are (being) perfected in the Spirit, and all of its fruits, and knowledge and wisdom. But, to remember that it is nothing of ourselves, and without Him we are nothing. Literally  :laughing7:

When talking about Truth and related, have you ever noticed how it is singular? One eye, one faith, one Lord, one baptism, one body...

Isaiah 28
15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it

Psalm 46
10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 4
4Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

[marie glen]

Amen ML! Isn't it glorious!
Great verses! ..and thanks..
"God is good.."! :gsmile:

[MusicLover123]

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, "If you judge people, you don't have time to love them." 

Philippians 1
9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment

Guess she didnt read this verse, huh?

When God judges, it is for correction, not "just to get back." It teaches us, similarly to how His Grace teaches us. Maybe a better name would be correction, just to make it clearer when we speak to one another of these things.

It should be discernment in judgment, full of Love, unto Salvation.

Jesus Christ is going to judge the world, the living and the dead. Does that make Him empty of Love? Of course not! He is given everything under Heaven and earth, and He is perfectly full of these things, the perfect expel for us for how to live. How would the Father live? Look unto Him, for that is how He chooses to reveal and declare Himself to us at this time.

John 14
8Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

John 1
18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 5
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

[CST]

I don't feel I'm getting closer to God. I feel I'm getting further away. That God is rejecting me and hates me. I can't blame Him, I can't see any reason why He wouldn't.

[marie glen]

When the God within man is ruler

Not trying to pick on Lastpost.. sorry Lastpost, love many of your posts, but your lastpost, lol  :laughing7: couldn't resist!

The thing I came back to say is I think the line between true and not quite true is sometimes an extremely thin line.. after all the adversary is an angel "of light".. And the good news is SO good, it doesn't benefit from anything else.. apotheosis is a long time dangerous idea.. It was part of the barbaric king priest systems which had no mercy of those they ruled.. And God as supreme ruler of all seems logical.. with all things in, and created through Jesus who is the head of all, under Yhvh, our Father, as 1 Cor 15:27,28 day about all things submitted to Jesus, except of course the One who put all things under Jesus.. We considered one body and Jesus as the head of that body, which I believe will endure age unto age unto age into infinity. That to me, seems utterly (only) wise.

Think how glorious! All stamped with God’s character, of love, gentleness, etc, especially love which includes the rest, and His Law (love) written upon every heart.
:Peace2: :HeartThrob:

[marie glen]

I don't feel I'm getting closer to God. I feel I'm getting further away. That God is rejecting me and hates me. I can't blame Him, I can't see any reason why He wouldn't.

Hi, CST, I think we all feel like that sometimes. When it happens to me, I try to remember the things which have helped me greatly in the past.. since I've been following after the Lord since 1979, i've Had quite a few of those times, but with the keys the Lord has given me, and then reminds me of. It doesn't seem to happen often like it used to. For which I am veRy thankful.

I learned at such a time, any difficult time is "the" best time to be yield, yield, yielding to Him. How? By simply telling Him so. As a matter of fact one time I told him I yield, yield, yield myself to youLord, all my life and all my being.. my inner being. And you know what came right back at me? The thought - from Him I imagine and suppose it to be - that once I were to get down to the very floor of my being.. that is when I need to start tearing up floorboards. It was an image, not literal instructions of any sort, except spiritual. Which seems to me to mean my yielding will never, ever end. And that's a good thing, as he has the blueprint.. my blueprint.. yours.. all. As to the best, happiest, most fulfilled and satisfied blueprint/design of each one of us.

And yes I believe he loves us all. Loves you dearly. :HeartThrob:

I learned it's never Him - it's more of him, that's needed, yes, but it's not that the Son isn't shining, it's my clouds hovering over me that are blocking the Son light.  I have learned during my many years that worship, love poured out, praise will dissipate those clouds. The adversary - whether we believe is part of our own mind or self, or we believe he us a being adversarial to God - either way, the negatives (thoughts, impressions) come to us in our own voice. The adversary may wander/pace? to and fro "seeking whom to devour".. but rather than a roar or gravelly voice, the suggestions come in our own voice and thoughts. "Resist the enemy and he will flee from you.. I usually remember to spot any negative thought.

These days I'm battling an attitude! Hubby is retired/a little disabled, so we are together a lot and he is very.. run the show.. all things are done his way..  :laughing7: I hate to be told how to do something, yep, he's bossy.. And only a 'botderline' believer.. (so he's not always right? Lol). But it's my attitude I don't like, which rises up in me a bit all too often.

If I immediately repent toward the Lord and, or the Father and praise him, be thankful.. It's all good. But if I focus on the struggle, I have to remind myself that the faith life - "shall live by faith" - it's not how I feel that determines the reality of that walk, life and God's love, it's what's written that's true. And that is the reality. Otherwise, I simply deceive myself., or the adversary deceives me.

I used to get crabby from time to time.. :laughing7: I never do now, no never, lol. Well I usually don't. But somewhere a long time ago, in a novel somewhere, sometime, I read the phrase "in the grip of a foul spirit". Now ppl used to write in this manner and how far they meant it, I have no idea.. I read it at the time as in the grip of a foul mood.

But this was my halfway joke to myself, that if I was too crabby, I was in the grip of a foul spirit. Not funny is it? And it was my own foul mood. But who knows? May have been something more, according to the scriptures, not surprising. Now I don't mean I was possessed or anything! But one thing I do feel I know, is those fallen spirits do harass, and harass very well. In so very many different ways.

So of course it's not true that God doesn't love you. It's just a feeling. (Maybe even a threat! But not from God!) And feelings are not truth.

In my darkest days the Lord told me to "keep Sabbath" daily. I've been building on that ever since. On my past website, and now blog(s) I have a daily bible reading schedule that keeps me cemented into that truth, His Word. https://inner-monastery.blogspot.com. Right now it's all New Testament, except for the Psalms. I do this because I strongly feel Jesus gave us strong keys on the eve of his crucifixion when he said "come and eat" and he said take the bread and the wine, which to me is metaphor for God's Holy Spirit (the new wine) and the bread of life, the "logos that gives light". And how often do we need to eat and drink? To keep up our strength and we'll being..

The adversary end-less-ly puts forth ideas why not to trust God's Word, his written and revealed will. (Logos-written or expressed reasoning)

Thanks for this review! I've been just listing some of the things I've learned which have helped me in those very same battles. But I know we are all different and I haven't a clue what's up with anyone else.. Except I do know, beyond a doubt that God and our Lord love you very, very much! You are a treasure, a jewel. How do I know? He has said so.. "In that day" when He gathers his jewels.. I have the wording wrong.. hmmm, scratching head. I know it's there tho!

God bless! Sorry to babble on so.. and for any typos I've made on this tiny phone screen, lol.

Also.. if you are 'switching' from somewhat ET to UR.. it would be normal, I think, to feel some 'instability' as some things are falling away, and new foundations built (?)
:Peace2: :HeartThrob:
     ....P.S. - I forgot to say you are in my prayers today :Pray:

[lastpost]

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, "If you judge people, you don't have time to love them." 

Philippians 1
9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:9,10

Greek: kai touto proseuchomai, hina e agape humon eti mallon kai mallon perisseue en epignosei kai pase aisthesei* 
Philippians 1:9
*aisthesei  = αἰσθήσει
1.   perception, not only by the senses but by the intellect
2.   cognition, discernment
a.   of moral discernment in ethical matters

"I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding" (NLT - Tyndale House)

"And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ" Weymouth

Personally, I take this to mean a personal inspection on all motives, thoughts and actions passing through the consciousness of an individual – to check themselves, to ensure that all sentiments, reasons, motives, deeds are spiritual in the Christ sense...indeed with the aim of being "pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ".

To me this has absolutely nothing to do with judging others in the slightest but rather the opposite. Personally I always choose Christ as my Guide and take the sense and meaning as Truth:

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:1-3

Peace in Him

[lastpost]

I understand that this website is regularly frequented by those using ways of thinking and interpreting the "All-in-All" of the ultimate Universal Salvation of humankind in the more literal manner.


One should never attempt to dislodge God's children from their faith. Personally I have a perspective that is, in my opinion, very beautiful and, according to my understanding of God, very God-like. And as I believe that God has opened my understanding to this, then it would be very difficult for me not to have such a perspective.


For instance, for me it all about Spirit – God is Spirit, His children are Spirit and Christ is Spirit. Simple and beautiful.


I believe that when Christ walked the earth as the perfected human being Jesus, He was completely conscious to the fullest extent possible of the Divinity in Him – the Divine Spirit in Him - the God in Him. He was also fully aware that He was in God. And as the perfect example of a human being, He knew what was also possible for the children of God. He knew that all Spirit is One, and He experienced this as a fact in His life as a human being – One with the Father and yet Himself – a state of Being. I believe it was to this wonderful situation that He was referring at such an important point in His earthly sojourn when He prayed...


"...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one" John 17:20-22


Personally I take this to mean that God shall be all (things) in all (beings) – and for this little earth, this is achieved by the Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection of the man Christ Jesus, the "visible representation of the invisible God" Colossians 1:15


Leaving the term 'Spirit' aside, perhaps it might be easier to think of 'Christ' as being in a human being (a jar of clay) rather than the term 'God', knowing what this represents to some who see Him as an external separate Being.


"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5


"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness" Romans 8:10


"But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me" Galatians 1:15-16


"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" Galatians 2:20


"My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you"  Galatians 4:19


"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27-28


So to me, I envision a wondrous future in Him, and it is not least because He is in us. And He must be allowed to rule - it is Him that is Ruler, not the lesser self.


Peace in Him

[marie glen]

Amen, "in Him we live and move and have our being" and "Christ in us, our hope of glory"..

"the flesh" =  https://biblehub.com/greek/4561.htm
4561. sarx ►
Strong's Concordance
sarx: flesh
Original Word: σάρξ, σαρκός, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: sarx
Phonetic Spelling: (sarx)
Short Definition: flesh, body
Definition: flesh, body, human nature, materiality; kindred.

4561 (sarks) is generally negative, referring to making decisions (actions) according to self – i.e. done apart from faith (independent from God's inworking). Thus what is "of the flesh (carnal)" is by definition displeasing to the Lord – even things that seem "respectable!" In short, flesh generally relates to unaided human effort, i.e. decisions (actions) that originate from self or are empowered by self. This is carnal ("of the flesh") and proceeds out of the untouched (unchanged) part of us – i.e. what is not transformed by God.

Love as the fulfilling of the law, seems to me to point out that we are all, indeed, overcoming the self, the carnal character ..a matter of character, not as some in the very early church believed salvation/transformation was an issue of wisdom, insight, intelligence or knowledge, but is an issue of the heart :HeartThrob: .
"God is good!" :Peace2:

[eaglesway]

Salvation is being born of the Spirit. I like Paul's statements on fulness in Ephesians(especially eph 3:19)

1: 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

To be filled up to all the fulness of God is like being water in water(to me). The clay jar is only the cell wall of that which makes up the greater, single body. To be permeated with the Spirit, the divine nature, is what the first-fruits experience and what the whole universe will be brought into through the epiphany of Jesus the Lord of all spirits.

"Brethren, we know not yet what we will be, but when He appears we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is."

There is something there about "seeing Him as He is" that is the active factor in the transformation.

"And we all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the Lord Jesus are being transformed, from glory to glory, into the same image by the Spirit, who is the Lord."

Permeated with the divine nature, in the union of love with joy unspeakable and full of glory- and I believe this is what they experienced at Pentecost, having been filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, which made them all of one heart and one soul- great grace being upon them all and the Word of the Lord multiplying among them, awash in the river, their voices like "the rushing of many waters".

For all we know and celebrate and learn together, since my early days in Christ I have longed and yearned for this revelation of the body of Christ to manifest, to "come down out of heaven"-" whenever two or three gather together in my name I am in the midst of them, and whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, it shall be done for you". I think this requires that love and that love requires that grace, so we pray, in accordance with the expressed will of our Lord.

"This I ask the Father, that you may be one, even as I and the Father are one, that your joy may be full"

The first fruits being the ark of testimony in the earth, the lamp on the lampstand shining light into all the house.

"Arise O to Thy dwelling place, Thou and the ark of Thy strength.
Let Your priests be clothed wth righteousness and Thy godly ones sing for joy."