Magical Shepherd

[Mickiel]

In John 10:11 again Jesus;" I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the Sheep." Jesus in this chapter goes into an interesting comparrison of himself as a Shepherd and says some profound things that are revealing. In vs.7 he said he is the Door of the Sheep, all who came before him are robbers and thieves, but the Sheep didnot hear them. There then exist a dialog between Jesus and his Sheep, a connection that both leads and keeps the Sheep from following the wrong lead. Almost Magical, this unseen tie that binds. It really is Magical because it produces effects by seemingly supernatural means. Not Sorcery but more of a Spiritual enhancement, control by influence, an influence that proves to be irresistable and extraordinary.

Its strange how Jesus attracted many who were interested in his Powers alone, the three wise men, or " Magi" came to pay homage to him in Matt.2:1.  Some of these Magi were Zoroastrian Priest in ancient Media and Persia, traditionally reputed to have practiced supernatural arts. From these Magi came the evolution of Magicians and Astrologers. Both then and now many of them were and are attracted to Jesus Powers, the sheer influence that this man had then, and still has in his name. We may well see a growing influence in any Magician who understands the Magical Powers that Jesus name bears, and he then finds a way to combine his Magic, with the influence of Jesus name, and look to increase his own influence.

One of the pitfalls in Atheist, is that they tend , through different discuss, to view Jesus as more Magical than genuine supernatural. They view his influence as Karl Marxx did, the " Opiate of the people", a way that people with " Needs" fulfill themselves with something Magical that soothes their longing for fulfillment. Yet there is something Magical about Jesus, theres just no denying it. Walking on water and then turning water into wine. Long dead on the earth but yet his words still live in so many. Able to heal the sich and raise the dead. I can understand certain people believing that Jesus himself was simply a Magician, a way to explian to themselves the power of this, this Magical Shepherd.

And I want to go into this most Magical man who has eclipsed the boundrys of humanity, and gone into the very stars of heaven and given the world a hope for all of eternity.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

One of the doors to conscious human civilization was the events of the garden of Eden and the further we have grown as a civilization from that event, the further humans just naturally drift away from belief in  God.  Or even belief in our own creation. Even the events in Eden seem to be looked on as Magical or Myth because the people are so far removed from it. Many people just naturally want to make things better, more concerned with our destiny, or the reality of now instead of the Magical Myths of the past. This is mainly the core of the Brain of Atheist thought, of non belief thought, of the common realist. These people are not " Satanist", they are common everyday people who just don't believe in " The Magic." They would just as soon believe in the " Magic of Men", than the Magic of a Magical God.

Any common sense magician would tend to believe in their own magic. Many young people would rather believe in the magic of the media, the mystery of Stephen King, the Magic of a Rock band performance or the mystical lure of human mysticism. Japanese peoples have made gods of their own fascinations with the mythical accomplishments of men they can see. People grabbing out in dire need of something real, the message of the Magical Shepherd is just either too Magical or just not within their reach for reality and meaningful substance.

One Thing I have noticed about the real message of the Gospel of the Comming Kingdom of God being opened to everyone and prepared for everyone and given to everyone, is that people look at it as a magical moment in their minds. They think about such glory for a second, and in that second it seems so wonderful, but then reality sets in and they back off from it, thinking it either too good to be true, or too blasphemus to consider. And Jesus message is just that Magical. So how can that message be given in a manner that crosses over from fantasy to reality? And I want to go into that.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

Jesus is indeed a Magical Shephard and his message is just that Magical. Even the way Jesus uses the Holy Spirit is Magical and giving that witness for him can be just as Magical. It can be unusual and unorthodox. I have shared many times here and other places that I do not have the Holy Spirit of God, that it does vist me from time to time. I can't pin it down, I would love for it to stay, but it comes and goes as it pleases. Sometimes I know its there, other times I don't. It came the other day at a time that I had thought that it would never come. I was in the bathroom getting rid of some waste, something we all must do. And it showed me something.

I share this because there is a lesson involved that some of you may use in the future. I am an advocate of Overcomming, and have made that known. In an unorthodox way, the Spirit showed me that as we get rid of waste, it will teach. We dispose of things that our hearts and body does not need, and it fills us with things that we do. This may seem funny to some, but I wish that was an even trade, that way we could gain something everyday from it.

I was talking with a Christian on another website who is determined to prove to me that there is no such thing as the Salvation of all. Hes listing all these " Destruction verses", like the one in Phil.3:19, " Whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite". He goes on and on about the everlasting destruction and how I can believe in the Salvation of all and square it with these verses. I had shown him some other things that I thought should be sufficent, but I could tell that those things just bounced off of his mind. So I asked God to give me somemore scriptures that I could use, both for myself and others. Later that day while I was in the bathroom, the Spirit showed me this in Matt. 24:6-8. You know the verses that speak of there being people misled, Wars and rumors of War, Nation going against Nation, Kingdom against Kingdom, Famines and Earthquakes, and all of these things end in Destruction.

But notice Christ in verse 8 calls all this Destruction " The Beginning of Birth Pangs." The bible may describe people as " Ending in Destruction" or suffering everlasting Destruction, but Jesus is the Magical Shephard, he calls that destruction the Beginning of Birth pains. So much can be gleaned from this, learned from this. I showed the fellow this verse and explained it, but something I can bring out here, that I wouldnot there, is the " Eternal implications of everlasting Birth pains", as related to the verses concerning everlasting destruction.

So often in speaking with people, I just wish I had the gift or Spiritual talent to just Magically pop understanding into their minds. Just wisk them through the bible and spread truth on them like peanut butter. I wish I could do that to myself even. Anyhow, I want to go into something Magical about these eternal hell verses. Peace.

[Mickiel]

In Matthews 13:31-52, Jesus gives 8 parables , in 3 of them he literally tells of either a fire or a furnace of fire that will burn people. When Jesus does this, I think it is perhaps the greatest stumbling block toward understanding and accepting Universal Salvation that I am aware of. It is my greatest problem with it. I have accepted Universal Salvation, but when Jesus does this it is a stumbling block to me. It jars my understanding and I am tempted to " Explian it Away" and gloss over it, which is the exact same response the unbelievers of Universal Salvation have toward verses that clearly show the Salvation of All. I have asked God for clarification of those times that this kind of thing is spoken in scripture, because I need to understand that. Most of the time I have noticed that it is not only me who stumbles over these kinds of things, but the Christians of the World have also. Its mostly why they do not believe in Universal Salvation. Its as if it is a " Giant Wall" put there to cause misunderstanding and stumbling.

In Isaiah 8:14;" Then he shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over." That expression perfectly describes the experience with the bible and its Truth. At times it seems the truth is a weapon, a sword that cuts two ways, correcting you and slicing at deception you encounter. But then at times it trips you up, you just can't seem to understand something.

That misunderstanding of these " Fire verses", these obvious references to humans being thrown in and burnt, are rocks planted to cause stumbling. And you know, we can't move them, we just cannot, they are meant to be there. And there is a Magical reason behind that.

Peace.

[Mickiel]

In my mind and Spirit, I have often struggled with the Lake of Fire, really just trying to put it out. Searching for understanding of this Lake and trying to come to grips with it. Theres something Magical about the Lake of Fire, but its more frightening than mystical. If you look at Fire in its simplest form,what is the most common thing that puts it out? Well Water. Is there a body of Water that the Bible speaks of that can compare in any manner to this great Lake of Fire? Well yes there is, but it is literally ignored. There is a River called the " Water of Life", and its orgin, or the place that it begins and springs forth and flows, is the very Thrones of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Its a battle then of understandings, Fire verses Water, a classic battle indeed. In my mind, my belief, I could put this Fire out with this Water, and use scripture to do it, but its just something Magical about them both worth considering.

In Rev.22, the Kingdom of God is now with men, the Holy City has set itself down onto the Earth. And God is pumping this " Healing Water into the Earth and its inhabitants." It is a continual flow of healing and great trees of Life are alinged along its path on both sides. They are said to be for the " Healing of the Nations." Magical in my view, interesting also that the leaves and fruits of these trees produce every month. Also of intrest is the obvious implication that Salvation will be occuring ( or Healing if you will) on a daily basis for the " Nations." This is something Masgical, its implications far reaching with Salvationus overtones.

Obviously these will be great times of sickness, or one could say sin. The Healing will be flowing from Gods Throne himself, in " Overflowing repitition". Ezekiel kind of describes something simular that God can do in 47:9, literally indicating that there is Literal Life in this Water. Now if I had been thrown into a lake of Fire, and somehow was allowed to come out of it, a River of Life  that is lined with healing trees on both its shores would look very good to me. All I can imagine is a run, a skip or even an outright jump into it. But I want to take a closer look into this Magical senerio. Peace.

[Mickiel]

Salvation of all is not out of the picture being painted in the bible, not if you consider the talents of the Authors of Salvation. Jesus is the Magical Shephard, David implied that he leads him beside the Waters that restores his very Soul. These same scriptures that claim the Soul that sins will die, offers a different solution towards death and destruction than some care to believe.

Sometimes Meditation seems Magical. If you choose to imagine things recorded in the bible, and travel in that meditation, there is no limit as to where your Meditations can go. You Imagine the Eternal Salvation of every created human being, Hope for it within that Imagination, is that really Vain Imagination? Why is it even considered blasphemus by some to consider something of such pure bueaty? To allow the Meditating mind to go off in a splurge of Salvation that engulfs the entire human Sphere, to include everyone in this dream, this vision of ultimate Grace and Forgiveness. And then why should these verses on eternal fire and punishment dim that surge of Magnificance? Why is it out of the question that even God himself does not have these dreams of the Salvation of All, these Hopes for all his creation to come to the Knowledge of the Truth, that even he himself will indulge in such Meditations?

We can see in 1 Tim.2:2-3 a Meditation of God that is Good and Acceptable to him in his sight, he Desires that all men be saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth. That desire of God is his Meditation, his Wish, how he thinks about this Salvation of all. He is not against us thinking and hoping for the same thing. We are thinking like him in this vital area, it is not blasphemus to think like God. God is Inclinded towards the Salvation of all,  its his pleasure, his will, indeed his purpose. For God to desire something means he has a voluntary decision he has made up in his mind, which means intent and determination. God is determined to save everyone and has the self controlled power to do it.

God is not willing that anyone would perish, which means his meditations are on the Salvation of all. Listen, this means God has taken a definite stance on Salvation, he is NOT neutral on it. He is not indecisive or indifferent, as if it makes no difference to him. God has a " Preference" and he has, through Scripture, voiced that Preference. Really he has allowed us into his own Meditations on the subject of the Salvation of all, we are just inclinded to believe IN his meditations as being all powerful. But now Meditations, or wishes, or the desire is actually " Motive", remember that. Motive, or reason is the impulse of purpose. But with a being like God, his Motives are " Proactive" and can reveal Ulterior Motive to us, and we need to bear this in mind when confronted with these hell verses.  And I want to touch on that some.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

Did you know that many believers read the hell verses and Meditate on Terror? Look at Isaiah 33:17-18, instead of seeing the King in his Beauty, their Hearts Meditate on Terror. And this is understandable when considering these hell verses. The rein of Fire, the actual burning of humans, the pain and suffering it must then entail. Does God Meditate on that? I mean if hes going to do it, then he must Meditate on it. And when humans consider this, it is damageing and crippling in their belief, which is why the number of Atheist is growing. Look at verse 14 of Isaiah 33;" Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. Who amoung us can live with the Consuming Fire? Who amoung us can live with Continual Burning?"

Indeed a very good question, who amung us can live in this eternal lake of fire. So when faced with the question of eternal fire burning you, many opt for the wisdom of living in a manner that can avoid it, rather than consider if God is going to do it to humans, which is really sound wisdom, not so much foolishness. Is there a hell, well some don't know, so they opt to live as if there might be, so that they can escape it if it is. Sinners are terrified at it, which is NOT foolishness, but a very real Panic. This is Salvation from a Panic view, a desperation that totally engulfs Meditation, and can indeed mask the Motive of God.

Is this kind of Meditation Acceptable to God? In Psalms 19:14 David mentions in one of his prayers to God to let the Meditations of his Heart to be acceptable to God, and calls him his Rock and Redeemer. Its noteworthy to ask again, if God is meditating on the Salvation of All, then that IS acceptable to him for us to Meditate on it as well. And that holds a Magical tendency to it, which I want to touch on.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

One of the most Magical things that Christ will do, is to lead you or influence you in a manner that you couldnot have done yourself. Luke 21:12-15;" But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the Prisons and synagogues, bringing you before Kings and Governors for my names sake. It will lead to " An opportunity for you to Witness", so don't make up your minds before hand to defend yourselves, for I will give you Wisdom and utterance which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute."

A Magical Shephard doing Magical things. This same mentality can be applied to all the verses in the bible that are " Crossroad Verses", seemingly bring you to points that you do not understand or can explain. If only you could respond, then maybe the opponent would grasp and understand. But it will be given according to the Opportunity of Christ to give it. Christ needs the go ahead from God when to open certain seals of understanding. I often think that God just does not want to do some things, or release to his people certain things, because it would be too soon. Some of his people are already jumping the gun in some areas, I think he knows this would be done in others as well.

Actually it may be that we do not have certain understanding, because of what WE would do with it, or what it would do to ourselves.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

In all the Bible, only Galations 5:22-23 and 1 Corinth. 13 actually go into detail in describing the actual natures of God and Christ. These are actual descriptions of them, their characther and ways and means. These are somethingelse Magical about Jesus, the Magical Shephard. He is Love as God is Love. He is Patient and Kind. Notice the Universal Salvation in 1Corinth. 13:5; He does not act unbecommingly and does not seek his own. Does not take into account a wrong " Suffered." This means that Jesus does not go after just the Sheep who know about him and stay home and obey him. The person may be improper and Spiritually unsuitable, but he will still Love and care for them without their Knowledge of it. It means that he will seek not just his Own, meaning the Converted Sheep, but all the other sheep who graze the earth. He does not rejoice in their unrighteousness, but rejoices in the Truth of his Father, who is his Shephard.

Notice verse 7; He bears ALL things, Hopes ALL things, Endures ALL things, these charactheristics destroy, no utterly destroy any hell verse in the bible, no verse on eternal fire can stand up to this. Oh but verse 8 is the knockout punch of any misunderstanding of any hell verse. God is Love, thus these descriptions of Love is God and Christ. " Love never Fails; but IF there are gifts of Prophecy, they will be done AWAY; if there are tounges they will cease; if there is knowledge , it will be DONE AWAY with!

All the prophecys on eternal fire being used on humans that infer things that seem to suggest continual punishment, no matter whos tounge spoke them, all the Knowledge that we have about the Fire of fear and uncertainty, will be done away with! We just understand these eternal fire verses in part, but when the perfect comes, that will be done away with. A far superior water of Life will estinguish these flames of misunderstanding, the Magical Shephard will appear in Glory, not needing a flame to do his work, he is a flame himself.

The mentality of Christ is expressed in the parable of the lost sheep. He leaves the 99 and goes and gets that which is lost. In a great harvest of the world, this Magical Shephard will move beyond anything that seeks to limit his Salvationus reach, and GET his sheep.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

There is defintely something Magical about the belief that God not only desires for all to be saved, which even fundalmentalist admit that he does, but that he will, or has actually willed that everyone will be saved from the foundation of sin. And sin is a foundation that was formed. Although sin is not a person, place or things, it has materialized into a solid foundation, it has been laid. Laid on earth and its influence remains evident. Even sin itself has a Magical componant to it. It has a pulse, it leaves tracks and can be traced, its both real and ethereal.

For God to save all of humanity, then he must have already laid the foundation of Universal Salvation, or we believe, and those of us who Labor, then we do so in vain. I believe he has laid that foundation because it has a pulse, it can be tracked and it too is simply Magical within itself, how God established it.

I recall viewing a program on the planning and building of the World Trade Center. Much preplanning had to be accomplished before even building the gigantic structures. They had to focus on the Foundation of it, and build it right in order for it to support the buildings. They had to dig " Down" first, and build and unseen foundation of support, before they could build what was seen on the surface.

What God did in establishing the Salvation of all is very simular, he " Digged Down " first, and created a most unusual foundation not seen or understood by the World, in order to support this most dynamic building of the Salvation of All.

And I want to go into that.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

God has " Dug Downward" into the reality of humanitys existance to establish a more sure foundation. In Col.2:7;" Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude." Sin and Evil and confusion, as well as goodness and belief are a part of the Foundation of man. Its often hard to imagine that one would need something like " Dirt" in order to help establish and spring forth new life. Yet every new plant needs it, as well as the old plants. Most humans view dirt as just something to walk on. Yet dirt is the foundation of most of the life on earth, and is also the foundation of every city and state that exist on earth. Strange how something so significant, can be viewed so insignificantly.

Conversely God has used certain things in building the foundation of humanity that are viewed just as insignificantly. But they are a Magical part of our existence, and I want to touch on that.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

Look at Genesis 2: 7-9, it explains how God caused everything to grow out from the dirt, including the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, and he even made humans from the dirt. There is simply something Magical about this and about Dirt. And Later I will examine it.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

In Gen.3:19, a very interesting, yet Magical, statement from God;" By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; for you are dust,  and to the dust you shall return." Why in the world of reason would God create man from the dust of the ground? And by the way, dust is just simply earth, or dirt, dry particles so small and light as to be easily raised and carried by the wind. God created the earth, then turned around and scooped up a portion of it to create man out of. So there exist a Magical connection between humanity and the Earth. Its not only our home, its " Our Mother" in a sense. So those who use the expression " Mother Earth", are not far from the Truth.

Now, there is something Magical about Good and Evil, and both were " Planted in the Earth." But there is something that is greater than anything planted on the Earth, that being humanity itself, which was created, from the created, and shall be greater than the created. And I am about to discuss something very Magical about humanity, because we will be far greater than both the Good and Evil on this Earth. BUT, we will also be forever CONNECTED to the Earth, this giant pile of dust that we call home. Its going to be more of a home than we really know.  A Magical alliance that will pulsate  throughout eternity. Peace.

[Mickiel]

The Earth is the Lords and the Fullness thereof. Humanity was created from the earth, so humanity belongs to God. When God predicted that humanity " Will return to the dust from which we came", in that are the seeds of an eternal relationship. Some think God meant that we will die and our remains will be absorbed by the earth , and that we will simply literally " Become a part of the Earth", as we decompose back into it. A very reasonable assumption, since that is exactly what has happened to all of our ancestors, but yet there is something Magical looming in Gods prediction which holds eternal implications of an everlasting relationship for humanity with the planet earth.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

Peace of mind is comming within Gods Magical Plan, our hearts will burn like fire. Colors will fill this Universe, fully defined Colors like we have never beheld. The sky itself will be one we have never beheld, full of a light more pristine than we could imagine. Breathing will be totally new, air will be perfectly fresh and our Minds will be sin free. Our eyes will see glory and our lives will be totally new. The Earth will be transformed and our relationship with it will change. And I want to go into that magical relationship, we, like sheep, will graze on a different Earth that will actually sprout our Healing.  Peace.

[whyiloveitaly.com]

Hi Mickiel!

Talking about fire in the Bible, many times we can't understand it's meaning, maybe because fire has become almost foreign to us in everyday life.
However, we still do use certain terms alluding to fire when we speak:
"turning up the heat" or "things are getting hot" or "too hot to handle." -And there's even the use of "baptism of fire!"

These all give me the idea of a very intense experience with the purpose of bringing out the best (or worst?) in us.

Any thoughts?
Brian

[Mickiel]

Hi Mickiel!

Talking about fire in the Bible, many times we can't understand it's meaning, maybe because fire has become almost foreign to us in everyday life.
However, we still do use certain terms alluding to fire when we speak:
"turning up the heat" or "things are getting hot" or "too hot to handle." -And there's even the use of "baptism of fire!"

These all give me the idea of a very intense experience with the purpose of bringing out the best (or worst?) in us.

Any thoughts?
Brian

Well I think fire is certainly magical, and it is a type or reflection of its existence in the Spiritual world. There is Spiritual Fire. God designed the earth with fire in its core, because I think he may have patterned it after himself. As we have physical blood running all throughout our system inside of us, God may well have Spiritual Fire running constantly within him. And I think this makes sense because fire is energy, but with God it is life. Energy can either consume or empower, be safe or dangerous. And this certainly is part of what God is doing with humanity. Physical bodies which carry around a mind of its own, this type of being can be safe or dangerous, and we have seen both within the human experience.

If God introduces more energy to the human experience , they will react both good and evil. If he introduces the energy of his Spirit, charged toward the good, then the human will grow toward good, because he can charge it toward the negative if he wants.

God does not have " Blood" inside of him. I don't know what God is, but if I had to give an analogy of speculation, I would say that " Spirit" is to God, what " Blood" is to us. Life generating and constantly flowing within. Now if you set his Spirit afire, or if you somehow " Energise Gods Spirit, or set it aflame", then you have a very intense, powerful force of ignited Spirit essence just flowing through him. Such a thing would give Gods eyes, or Jesus eyes, a " Flame like glow", or eyes that look like fire. And I think this is the fire that everyone will be salted with, inside, and it looks like outside as well.

I have been studying the earth and our relation with it. That relationship will continue forever, it is our destiny. The earth now has fire inside of it, I think when God recreates it, that fire will be replaced with " Spiritual Fire", and thus even the earth will be like God. I think this magical Fire of God, is to his Kingdom, what Air is to us. Just a very essential ingredient of life everlasting.  Peace.