Christians read?

I wasn't sure what to put as the title there really so sorry if it's misleading, basically I'm a Catholic and all through my life I've always felt really close to God but I've never really felt close to Jesus.. I just want to know if you'd have any idea why this is? Is it normal? I'm a really spiritual guy and meditate a lot and stuff.

Please don't hate on me or tell me I'm going to hell or something.. Just looking for opinions/help

Thanks

Hey brother,
I really don't have an answer for you, but I suppose I'll answer a question with a question. Have you ever given Jesus a chance? I mean REALLY let Him in to your heart. I'm not trying to judge you, at all. Jesus will show you what is keeping you from Him, you just gotta ask my friend. "Ask, and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find, Knock and the door shall be opened unto you."

reply to post by Tingle


Well if you are close to the Father then you are close to the Son for, as Christ said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

I think the question that needs posed is why do you not feel close to Yehoshuah? Is there some reason behind this? Is there something holding you back?

Jesus taught of the way to find God within. It worked! Yeah you!!!!!

reply to post by TheNamesZeppelin


How do I do this? What should I ask?

shaluach, I don't know what could be holding me back? I guess it's just because I've always prayed to God so to so speak and not to Jesus I suppose..

Windword, what do you mean

reply to post by Tingle


I don't understand how you can be close to God and not Yeshua when Yeshua is YHWH. That's making me .

Read this:

Isaiah 43:10-13

10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no foreign god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”

Even Jeremiah proclaims him.

Jeremiah 23:5-6

5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

-------------------

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS Translates as YHWH Tsidkenu in hebrew. Messiah's name is YHWH (Yeshua/Jesus).

John 5:37-47

37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

The NT hadn't been writen when Yeshua spoke this, only the Torah and Tenach (OT/Hebrew Bible), so the scriptures that spoke of him was the OT, and Moses wrote of Him with Adam, Abraham and Moses. What are they teaching you in that church? How can you not be close to Yeshua/YHWH when he is the one who saved you?

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


I don't know this is just always been the way I've been. How can I become closer to Jesus

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


That's just your religious name for god. You can't "find" GOD in the scripture. It's not there! Absent! To find GOD, one must look within.


reply to post by Tingle

Jesus isn't GOD. God isn't neatly compartmentalized into dogma and doctrine. Jesus was a teacher, not a god. Your Catholic upbringing may have you confused, but god isn't limited by religion.

Christ is an archetype.

In philosophy, archetypes have, since Plato, referred to ideal forms of the perceived or sensible objects or types.

In the analysis of personality, the term archetype is often broadly used to refer to:

A stereotype— a personality type observed multiple times, especially an oversimplification of such a type.
An epitome— a personality type exemplified, especially the "greatest" such example.
A literary term to express details.

Jesus "Christ" represents a spiritual perfection that YOU can achieve. Through his and other people's teaching, you can learn the path to your inner God. This is the personal relationship that so many seek. It's with GOD, not Jesus.

Jesus is not GOD!

reply to post by windword


So are you saying it's perfectly ok for God to be my 'God' if you get me?

reply to post by Tingle


Would you abandon the GOD that you know and love to seek someone else's interpretation of who or what god is? If Jesus hasn't manifested himself to you, but you have found GOD, then you have walked in Jesus' footsteps. He's just ahead of you, leading the way, not behind and doesn't need to turn around to get you. You're already on the right path.

Originally posted by Tingle
reply to post by lonewolf19792000

 

I don't know this is just always been the way I've been. How can I become closer to Jesus

Well i became a christian about a year and a half ago. I gave myself over to his will and asked him to teach me, how to pray and how to forgive and to show me who he is. Then i started getting this burning desire to know him more and i began delving into the old testament to find him and i did find him for he gave me revelation, because both OT and NT are two witnesses bearing witness to his truth and his identity. He said "Seek and you shall find". Seek him out, call his name Yahovah (hebrew Yod Hey Vav Hey) or call him by Yeshua his human aramaic name (his real name). Cry out to him for revelation and begin seeking him. Know the One who allowed himself to be nailed to a cross for you, the only Wise King, the Good Shepherd.

You will be closer to him than ever before when you finally realize who he is and what he really did for you. That revelation cannot be given to you by me. Sure i can tell you but you will not believe it until he gives it to you, so ask him.

Originally posted by Tingle
reply to post by windword

 

So are you saying it's perfectly ok for God to be my 'God' if you get me?

Do not listen to that gnostic. His name is not "God" that is just a title. His name is YHWH and Yeshua was his physical incarnation in this world. He hates being called by his titles and he says so in the OT.

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000

Originally posted by Tingle
reply to post by windword

 

So are you saying it's perfectly ok for God to be my 'God' if you get me?

Do not listen to that gnostic. His name is not "God" that is just a title. His name is YHWH and Yeshua was his physical incarnation in this world. He hates being called by his titles and he says so in the OT.

Anything that has a "name," given or taken, and has hatred for anything is NOT god! Anything that demands worship and requires sacrificial death, whether human or animal, is NOT god!

Maybe satan has put confusion into the areas of your worship.
Here is just one example that i found in a church i used to attend.
They would give us crackers and wine and say to eat and drink from the blood and body of christ or something like that.For me everything past that point in the service had no meaning because i was turned off by the thought of cannibalism.Some would say it was a lack of knowledge on my part but i like to keep things simple and in a rational mind that's what it symbolizes.So i prayed for truth and discernment and started to realize that jesus was all about love and sacrifice.I searched my own heart through my day to day interactions and realized that even if i don't agree with most folks i still love them and when i peel back whatever stereotypes were built up in my own mind i ultimately wanted to help people.
When i pulled away from what was being preached to me and read the new testament for myself i come to realize the amount of influence that satan as on most religions.Ask jesus to fill your heart with the holy spirit and give you the strength and knowledge to for fill gods plan for your life.I think it will help you. He will lead you if you figure out how to listen.I'm not saying i know how to listen but i strive to hear.

I would say "don't get anxious about it".
The New Testament instruction is "have faith in", not "feel close to".
Remember that faith is "the conviction of things not seen". It is what we have because we don't have certain knowledge.

reply to post by Tingle


i would suggest reading his words to understand him...

Start at matthew... and stop at the end of John...

Thats everything you'll need...

Reading Thomas is also a good suggestion

Skip the OT completely...

Originally posted by windword
reply to post by Tingle

 

Would you abandon the GOD that you know and love to seek someone else's interpretation of who or what god is? If Jesus hasn't manifested himself to you, but you have found GOD, then you have walked in Jesus' footsteps. He's just ahead of you, leading the way, not behind and doesn't need to turn around to get you. You're already on the right path.

edit on 30-6-2012 by windword because: spelling & grammer

Thank you for that, it was inspirational moved me And to the guy talking about satan, I don't believe in him/it and the only evil I see is in the world like greed and selfishness and things like that.

And to the guy talking about satan, I don't believe in him/it and the only evil I see is in the world like greed and selfishness and things like that.

reply to post by Tingle


satans greatest trick was convincing the world he doesn't exist.
The answer to your op is in your statement.
The evil you speak of is only satans breath and soon we will get the whole image of him.
I know that your are not alone in thinking he is not real.
All i ask is that everyone take a look at the strings being pulled now.

reply to post by deadeyedick


Look I'm just saying I don't think the guy with the flames and the trident (is it a trident?) is real. I believe in evil yes, evil is definitely there I see and feel it, I think your idea of satan is my idea of evil in general, except I don't think of it as a person/devil type character.

Most people I know believe in satan I think actually