Thoughts from a former Christian

Originally posted by NewAgeMan
reply to post by Healthlaws

 

What if he were to knock the hats of the top 1000s and drive them to their knees in repentance instead, would that work for ya?

There are different ways of interpreting Revelation you know. I've found it's best to start at the last page and work your way backwards, then you find all the snares and all the traps springing them as you go.

Some things might have been meant to "goad" us.. to test our mettle and see what we're really made of, and on that score most "Christians" fail according to their "biblioatry" and so you have millions praying for the end of the world, and, for their own deliverance from the "tribulation" when all the while it's our own tribulation that precedes our deliverance from it, and thus our entry into the new creation where/when "the spirit and the bride say come, and let all who hear say come, and freely drink the living water" (flow of eternal life). The end.

edit on 27-12-2012 by NewAgeMan because: (no reason given)

New Age,

Hi, you might read Revelation 6:15-17. This is the prophesied "illumination of conscience", the "awakening", the
"Great Warning." All the world will see their souls as God sees them. It will be an NDE like experience.
God desires all souls to be saved but it is our free will again. You will still have to choose for God. And it
will be a warning about the anti-Christ and you must never take his "chip." Everyone on the earth will know the
Truth, non-Christian and Christian.

Read those verses at the end of Chapter 6, we will wish to hide, for the rocks to fall on us when we see our lives in review, especially in these times of so little faith. Prepare now by making a from the heart and with true contrition, confess the mortal (serious) sins of your life to God. Catholics go to Confession. You will not feel the spiritual pain of seeing CONFESSED sins in your life review. Go through the 10 Commandments in examining your conscience. All the sexual sins fall under the 6th Commandment. There are examine your conscience sites if it has been a long time since your last confession.

God bless you,


colbe

I do not put much stock in "organized religion". I prefer to use the term "organic religion", meaning the living spirituality each of us has inside of ourselves. We are each a thriving, growing, living "flower", in a living field. The higher consciousness of our being is where I prefer to place my attention. The mention of love is correct for me. I find this to be the highest attribute in the search for ones own spiritual identity.

Originally posted by NewAgeMan
What I've learned from Christianity is this:

Absolute love and forgiveness = absolute freedom/liberation.

Through him and his work, we are set free for the sake of freedom, to freely love as we are loved, and nothing and no one and no power or principality can stop it, and only be put to shame trying to do so.

It's an inconquerable love, without for a moment divorcing itself from reason and logic (the logos).

Whoever can access it's domain can access it's infinitely intelligent practical necessity, and God help those who call it ignorance (oh that's so funny lol).

"Through Him and His work"....? There's more required. Jesus didn't do it all on the Cross, impute His perfect
sacrifice and righteousness to you New Age. This is more heresy from Protestantism called the "imputation"
heresy or "double imputation."

"Absolute love and forgiveness" sounds wonderful, how do you do that without the help of God Himself? We
have a fallen nature. Look, the world is a mess.

Our Lord said the "gate" is narrow. Why would He say this if whatever you personally believe justifies you?


colbe

Do not believe the easy nonsense of New Age or that you do not need Christ. He is the way, the only way.
It's been revealed for 2000 years, hasn't changed, the absolute need of regular true repentance and confession of your sins to God and daily prayer for the life of your soul!! God cannot be where sin is, after water baptism, if
you commit a mortal sin, God is gone from your soul until you confess your sin to Him. God's grace, His presence in your soul is needed to get to Heaven. God's presence in your soul is known as being in the "state of grace." Ask God's help, pray for the grace of "final perseverance." Remember, Scripture says persevering
till the end. Jesus' keeps asking for prayers of those who believe, prayer can change a hardened heart on their
death bed.

Here's an excerpt from a message given Maria of Ireland about sin and death. Believe it. ask God to help you
believe.

~ ~ ~

message to Maria of Divine Mercy

September 26, 2012

Sin can be forgiven when you are alive. Not after death.


....If only people knew the Truth of life after death. After the soul leaves the body, whether it is in a state of Grace or not, Satan torments through the power of seduction. He tries, even then, to draw souls to him. Prayer for such souls is very important.

I draw souls towards My Light. But only those who are in a State of Grace can withstand the Power of My Light of Mercy. If they are not pure of soul then they must be cleansed in Purgatory.

There are, My daughter, many layers in Purgatory and, depending on the sins committed by the soul, they will be filled with the cleansing Fire of the Holy Spirit.

Purgatory is painful for the soul and those who have to spend time there feel it like a physical pain as though they were still alive.

Let no man underestimate the sacrifices needed to keep their souls in a state worthy of My Father’s Kingdom.

My Father loves all His children but souls must earn the right to be fit to enter My Father’s Kingdom. To be worthy they must redeem themselves in My Eyes while they are still alive. They must atone for their sins with a sincere heart.
Even at the point of death, a sinner can avail of My Great Mercy by asking Me to forgive him his sins. I will snatch him and take him into My Arms. I will then pour out My Mercy over him and then take him by the hand to the Gates of Paradise.

Sin can be forgiven when you are alive. Not after death.

Your Jesus



www.thewarningsecondcoming.com...

Oh dear!

Seriously, I know him, and I know about his love, and that his love is all that matters.

All the treasure is in Jesus Christ and the treasure is his love. Amen.

The Book of Revelations must be read within its own History. It was included as political compromise to attract millions upon millions in Rome that followed the sibylline books also known as Sibylline oracles.

The Sibylline books evolved over hundreds of years early in Roman History, beginning approximately 400 BCE through the end of the Western Roman Empire. These were the most popular books in Rome for hundreds of years and followed by majority of upper and learned classes long before Jesus was born. The book of revelations is based upon the Sibylline oracles, which preceded Revelations by several hundred years. A comparison of the two books will reveal many similarities.

When Constantine wanted to consolidate what we call the Bible circa 350 AD, the inclusion of revelations was fought by many fundamental factions that saw no value in the book, it was not part of accepted teachings and frankly known to be derived and compete with Sybil writings. Political compromise won over pragmatism, and revelations made its way into the Bible over the next hundred years as various factions fought for and against its inclusion.

Many early theologians refused comment on the book, knowing its inclusion was political compromise. The fact it is included in the Bible is a reflection of man's folly, not God's

Originally posted by ddaniel
...last night I attended a Christmas Eve service at my former Church, my parents asked me what I thought of the message...

I was rereading the OP and it reminded me of a quote and a video I recently came across:

"The church has been gathering together for decades around a sermon. Israel camped around the Presence and we have known that there are some dramatic shifts that are going to take place in how we are going to do life; how we do church. The presence of God is the greatest gift we have..." ~ Bill Johnson

(I recommend watching this full screen, it is HQ 720p)


Religion is man's attempt at trying to manufacture the presence of God...

"When Solomon dedicated the temple, the house was filled with the smoke... That is called Shekinah meaning the place where God dwells and rests. Literally meaning rest. God is not looking for a place to just visit; He wants a room to dwell in. He wants a place for you to seek His presence on a daily basis." LINK

"There is a verse in Maccabees that says Jeremiah hid the Ark in a cave on Mount Moriah and sealed the entrance. It then goes on to say that before the end of the world the Ark will be found again."

`The place shall remain unknown', he said, `until God finally gathers His people together and shows mercy to them. Then the Lord will bring these things to light again, and the glory of the Lord will appear with the cloud, as it was seen both in the time of Moses..."

The ARK will have its uses in THE TIME OF THE END

reply to post by poundpuppy


Nice post but is this the way foir the average Churchian? Most need churchians seem to need pre-digested pap. Not disrespect to them but those who believe that the bible is the word of GOd miss a lot. I cringe when people quote revelation as that and leviticus are probably the most missunderstood books in the Bible. Revelation relates to the time of constantine and NOT to the modern era.

Tiger5

Originally posted by Tiger5
Not disrespect to them but those who believe that the bible is the word of GOd miss a lot.

You are going to face the uncreated One.

When that happens, THIS life will NOT matter.

When it comes to eternal matters, the TRUTH is all that matters.


The biggest loss for humans is to die without finding out who they really were and WHY they were really born.

reply to post by ddaniel


I didn't notice what you felt was the conspiracy in this.

Interesting post!

I was raised a Catholic. And in the past few years, i have to admit i have become a lot less connected with my church. But this does not mean i have become less connected with my faith in God. I pray every night and i still believe with all my heart. I just haven't been regularly going to church for the past few years. Does that make me a bad person? I hope not. Because i really do try to be a good person and, as i said, i still believe and pray. Is this not enough?

So is conforming to organised religion important? Perhaps, at an early age. Because it gave me my basic understanding of morals and that we should worship and trust the Lord. And although i think organised religion has caused a lot of pain and done quite a bit wrong in it's time i still think it has a place in society for that purpose alone. As long as people don't follow the Bible 100% literally word for word and rather, as the OP mentioned, find the faith inside yourself.

Now im not discrediting the Bible in any way. I think its a deeply interesting and thought provoking book. And i am not going to make any sort of accusation that the stories, especially of the Old Testament, are indeed true or just stories to teach a virtually illiterate people right from wrong. I haven't researched the Biblical stories and their origin enough to make such a claim either way.

People have to remember, religion is created and controlled by man. And whatever any religion does, i hope it does not dishearten your beliefs in what many call God or just a "higher power" if you will. I have seen how people have been ridiculed and had nothing but bad experiences with Religion and i've heard time and time again how religion's mistakes shape peoples understanding of God. I wish this wasn't the case. Sure, religion can be a great thing. And i 100% believe that it CAN. But when religion says/does something that makes you lose faith, remember that religion is mans creation, not God's. Make the most of the best of your religion and focus on the faith you have. Because i truly believe that faith is so much stronger than the church built around it.

Originally posted by Tiger5
reply to post by poundpuppy

 

Nice post but is this the way foir the average Churchian? Most need churchians seem to need pre-digested pap. Not disrespect to them but those who believe that the bible is the word of GOd miss a lot. I cringe when people quote revelation as that and leviticus are probably the most missunderstood books in the Bible. Revelation relates to the time of constantine and NOT to the modern era.

Tiger5

Christ returned and judged the nations during the time of Constantine? That's remarkable, also what temple was standing in Jerusalem during Constantine's reign?

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
reply to post by chasingbrahman

 

I recently attended a funeral in which the person presiding over the ceremony couldn't decide whether the experience of being a living human being was a gift or a curse. One minute it was God's greatest gift. The next minute, we were all born into a cruel world. Then God wants us home. Then God wants us to experience the greatest gift of life. It was more confusing than my stint as a born-again Christian.

There are 3 truths. We are all born, and we all will die and there isn't a man, woman or child who didn't want to die, that didnt end up dying anyways.

This is the cruelst and most ultimate cosmic joke.

But, what if Jesus and God are for real? Then we can at least have some kind of hope. Personally i need hope, i lived life without any hope at all, growing up in a "christian" home, i turned towards agnosticism and atheism, but i can tell you one thing. If you turn to atheism then you might as well blow your brains out and get your dying over with because your life never mattered anyway, it was just a big waste.

So give me a life full of hope and if i die and there is no God or Jesus, then i doubt i will be giving a damn, when you have no hope you have nothing to lose and everything to gain in believing.

Life just isn't worth living if you have no hope.

If Jesus and God are for real, then they must think it's hilarious to demand faith without providing a modicum of proof. Therefore, and this is just my little opinion, they're kind of psychopathic if they exist. Again, just my opinion. But in your world, I'm just as well-off blowing my brains out and getting my dying over with. This sentiment is an excellent example of why my stint as a born-again left me feeling nauseous - it was all that looking down upon the non-Christians that was so, so, un-Christ-like. Just in case you ever wondered how someone might fall away from the church.

No go get busy turning someone else off from your faith which advocates for the suicide of atheists.

reply to post by ddaniel


Great post. It's as if I wrote this because we come from the exact same background and have been on the same journey to find truth. What you express here is exactly how I have felt for several years now, having been raised Southern Baptist.

I'll tell ya what though, this whole "Christ Consciousness" thing that is supposed to be happening (has happened to me on and off since 12/12/12), it feels fricking GREAT.

Last night I stilled my mind (didn't even meditate, just chilled out while in bed lying down) and just let myself be myself.

The waves came in, and HARD. It felt completely amazing and I just surrendered to it, and it intensified. Still feeling little pulses right now, just sitting at work.

Pure bliss, pure joy, no drugs/alcohol, you can't ask for much more than that in a human body IMO.

Originally posted by OptimusSubprime
reply to post by ddaniel

 

Great post. It's as if I wrote this because we come from the exact same background and have been on the same journey to find truth. What you express here is exactly how I have felt for several years now, having been raised Southern Baptist.

Me too, as you probably read from here.

Did you ever go to the church camps?

Originally posted by fourthmeal

Originally posted by OptimusSubprime
reply to post by ddaniel

 

Great post. It's as if I wrote this because we come from the exact same background and have been on the same journey to find truth. What you express here is exactly how I have felt for several years now, having been raised Southern Baptist.

Me too, as you probably read from here.

Did you ever go to the church camps?

I have. I was made to go when I was younger (penecostal though). I use to wonder how to recieve the gift of "tongues". My sister and my cousin started doing it one time at church camp... I was wondering why I couldn't... Then I believed it was all a fraud. All fake. I still think the it is a hoax. That the gift of "tongues" was a tool used by God back in the day for some prophets to be able to preach the word to others that didn't speak hebrew... So that they could immediatly speak in "tongues" or in the native language of wherever they were... To preach the gospel.

I think some churches have gone wayyy to far with many things...
I don't believe you need a church or a denomination to have a relationship with God.

✡

Originally posted by resoe26
I don't believe you need a church or a denomination to have a relationship with God.

No, you don't "need" a specific building or doctrine. But NEVER underestimate the Power of the Biblical definition of a "church" which is "two or more gathering in My name". Also, there is something to the Power of the spoken word, over the reading of ones that are written...
I believe the Bible references this, as well...?

Yep. For me it was every summer, from the young age of I believe 10 or 11 or so, may have been earlier. Falls Creek I think they called it. I like to think of it now as False Creek. It was a week long, just pure bible class, a little planned fun, and three tabernacle 1+hour long sessions each and every day. Pretty "washy" if you ask me. And then there was the big one, for teens, can't remember the name (lol, maybe blocked it out of my mind?) and it was 2 weeks long, and was actually worse. You PICKED the classes you had to attend, and again 3 sessions each and every day of tabernacle services.

Come to Jesus sessions each and every service, and AGAIN at night after the last service, at your cabin, for hours.

Imagine summer camp but bible-thumping the whole way through.

Originally posted by GoOfYFoOt

Originally posted by resoe26
I don't believe you need a church or a denomination to have a relationship with God.

No, you don't "need" a specific building or doctrine. But NEVER underestimate the Power of the Biblical definition of a "church" which is "two or more gathering in My name". Also, there is something to the Power of the spoken word, over the reading of ones that are written...
I believe the Bible references this, as well...?

You're right.
But I do you think it is possibly OK to gather in his name elsewhere?
I mean don't get me wrong, I had plenty of fun times at church. But now in days, I feel singled out. Last time I went to church, the preacher stared at me while he preached. He preached on drugs and alcohol.
-Guess the tattoos and all black clothing speaks alot to bible thumpers.

It just seems to me that alot of the people at churches are fake. Frauds. (not all)

Question though...
What does it mean to be right with God in your eyes?
Just loving your fellow man? Trusting in God? Treating others as you wish to be treated?