I Am Simon Alexandra, The Water Bearer

reply to post by 3NL1GHT3N3D1

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:23-24

Spirit and Truth. True worshipers. God is spirit. Yup, fits right into my understanding.

We all have spirits. Some cultivate them correctly and some others don't.

True worshiper I am.

AAC

reply to post by pthena

. . . Paul did not abandon post-exile Judaic Zionism.

Paul did not abandon Jewish Christians who were already by default post-exile zionists, in favor of all the gentiles who had meanwhile come on board, bringing along with them their dislike for anyone who was circumcised.

If the poor in Jerusalem had not received charity in that city, they would have left the city.

To any place in particular?

So Paul helped keep the poor in the city, whether he intended that or not.

I'm not sure yet who those people were exactly. I'm slowly in the process of trying to find out.

Originally posted by AnAbsoluteCreation
reply to post by Deetermined

 

Can you please show me where I said that?

Not posting a link to it is mighty curious.

AAC

Check your thread on your pyramid shaped bruise.

So, are you going to try and deny it now?

reply to post by wildtimes

Calling All You Angels
Do you happen to remember this character?

And as he drove on, the rain clouds dragged down the sky after him for, though he did not know it, Rob McKenna was a Rain God. All he knew was that his working days were miserable and he had a succession of lousy holidays. All the clouds knew was that they loved him and wanted to be near him, to cherish him and to water him.
~~~So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Douglas Adams quotes

I'm not real anxious to resume my angel duties (psychopomp) because it used to go like this:

"Good morning _____, are you ready to get up?"

"Are you my angel?"

"Yes, and I'm going to ..... no! no! what the ....? For crying out loud, I was just going to help you get dressed for breakfast! ...

... I really, really have to learn to say no when asked about being an angel!"

reply to post by jmdewey60

Paul did not abandon Jewish Christians who were already by default post-exile zionists,

I did mention to deetermined that it was maybe premature and foolish to bring the question up when I did, because I haven't figured out what was going on, and haven't really spent much time in analyzing it.

Well anyway, the question is out there now.

I'm not sure yet who those people were exactly. I'm slowly in the process of trying to find out.

Did you happen to read the essay that Unity_99 linked to:
The Gospel According to Seneca. That was pretty interesting.

reply to post by Deetermined

My confusions are usually self generated, especially when trying to follow the conversation in more than one thread at a time. Right now I'm trying to follow 4 threads. I'm not well suited to that sort of multi-tasking. I need to slow down a bit. If I could find a tired looking emoticon I would put it right about here.

God doesn't hang out at the top of mountains any more waiting for people to gather around the base of it for God to talk to them.

The actual place of conversation was close to mount Gerizim, where the temple used to be until one of the Hasmonean Messiahs destroyed it.

The religious tension between the Jews and the Samaritans led to the temple on Gerizim being destroyed by either John Hyrcanus in the 2nd century BCE (according to Josephus) or by Simeon the Just (according to the Talmud). The date of the Samaritan temple destruction, the 21st of Kislev, became a holiday for the Jews during which it is forbidden to eulogize the dead.
Mount Gerizim

My History and Theology of the Old Testament teacher in college was one of the archeologists involved in digs around the mountain. He celebrated Passover with the Samaritans once.
see: Kenneth Vine Collection

I guess the main question I have is why would/should Jerusalem be considered so special? The clan deity had a center of worship already in Shiloh 300 years before any temple was built in Jerusalem(founded on Shalem, god of the dusk).

Jeremiah 26 …4And you shall say to them, Thus said the LORD; If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, 5To listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent to you, both rising up early, and sending them, but you have not listened; 6Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

Hasn't Jerusalem been nothing but a curse to all the nations on earth ever since it was first destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar?

reply to post by pthena

Hasn't Jerusalem been nothing but a curse to all the nations on earth ever since it was first destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar?

Yes. The reason they're called "the chosen people" is because first, Jesus was born into their bloodline. Second, they would be the ones responsible for first spreading the gospel of the kingdom. Third, they would be used to set the example for everyone. Jesus has used them throughout history to show people what to do and what not to do if you expect to be blessed by God.

Remember what you said earlier about the "first throw away son"? Yeah, well Israel was also called God's firstborn in the Bible. Back in those days, the firstborn were always set high on a pedestal and always received promising positions in the temples and the governments as well as receiving double inheritances. God didn't like it. They didn't earn it.

Since Jesus started it all there, he will end it all from there.

God will separate the wheat from the tares and rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years allowing his true followers to live in peace and fulfill his promises, but then he'll end that too and bring down the new heaven/earth where God will reside with man forever in our new heavenly bodies and atmosphere with no sin or death.

reply to post by Deetermined

. . . they're called "the chosen people" . . .

If you do a Bible word search for "God's chosen people" you get none in the Old Testament but several in the New Testament saying that those who believe in Jesus (the Christians) are God's chosen people.
Jacob is recognized as the person who was chosen, and people afterwards just benefited by their relationship to that person.
The reason people use that phrase today in relation to the Jews is pure propaganda and the attempt at drowning out the knowledge that God has chosen others over them.

Originally posted by Akragon
reply to post by WashMoreFeet

 

I suppose we shall see what comes of this won't we...

Believe it or not i do not need to hold myself to a self proclaimed Jesus' standard... Nor do i fear threats from him or you... I routenely "poke the hornets nest" and have never been bitten or stung so to speak

As i've said... IF he was who he proclaims himself to be, he would know who i am... For we are known by our fruit... And thus far he's clearly shown that he knows nothing of me... What i do... Or even what i write

So we'll let the chips fall where they may... In any case we'll find the truth of the matter tomorrow

Won't we...

By the way... Assumptions don't help anything... On your part or his

edit on 26-6-2013 by Akragon because: (no reason given)

My comments to you were out of genuine concern and not to be construed as a threat. To my knowledge, I have assumed nothing about you, I have only related my personal conclusion based on the few interactions we've had throughout the years, and the myriad of threads we've participated in together. You know me. You just don't know it.

I've tried to leave this site time and time again, but I keep getting sucked back in for one reason or another. For a few years and a few thousand posts I tried to be everybody's friend, not getting too involved in the details of a matter to pick a side one way or another. I didn't want to be divisive, I didn't want anyone to feel attacked, I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I wanted to represent the ultra groovy feel-good side of Jesus, the "can't we just all get along?" meme of faith. However as time wore on it became more and more apparent that wasn't what I had been led here for. Without further digression, I will say that at this point in my participation on ATS, after genuine attempts to walk away and never look back, I am not here for personal entertainment and I am not here to make friends. I am not here to make anyone feel good about themselves or to be an enabler of delusion.

I've already come to terms with the uncomfortable fact that I would be hated, ridiculed and disregarded. I accept the fact that I cannot be everyone's friend. I don't like it, but I accept it because if I don't speak at all, then I am accountable for those whom I was supposed to help. Of course, I don't know who those people are, and I most likely never will. Not on this side of the spectrum anyway. All I know is that I am a total nobody with a laundry list of faults, mistakes, flaws and shortcomings, but with a commission to speak out whether anyone wants to hear it or not. What may seem as arrogance is simply emotional detachment from my anticipated backlash.

As far as the complaint about the brevity of some of my posts, I guess they'll just have to deal with it. If that's all I have to say, then that's all I have to say, I'm not going to beat around the bush. As far as the jab at narcissism, I fail to see how I exhibit such. I have no delusions of grandeur or prestige. Seriously, I think fart jokes are the apex of quality humor and my idea of dressing up is flip-flops with a little Bling Bling on 'em. At the very least a pair that don't have chicken poop stuck to the bottom like most of the others.
A colossal smartass --yes I am; A narcissist-- not so much. I just have no patience for revolving door debate or pointless argument.

Regardless of how thick your skin becomes as you forge ahead in your purpose, I'm still a paltry human being at the end of the day, left to work out that day's encounters. No better than anyone else, riding on the same rock, spinning through space.

reply to post by WashMoreFeet


Well that was unexpected to say the least...

Know that I have no ill will towards you or Mr. Bornofsin... but as I've said numerous times, I've seen this routine many times before... Self proclaimed prophets pop up here on the regular, and some even claim to be Jesus reincarnated... So no one can blame me for my scepticism...

I know at times I can come off as a bit harsh... perhaps its because I've seen it all before, and as you've said... "my skin has been hardened" towards these people... and it really erks me when someone says they know who I am... which only gets worse when those same people assume (based on my Avatar) that I am out to be deceptive... I rarely get mad... but I do get annoyed. And such things annoy me because I have nothing but the best intensions for the most part...

Yes... I like to stir the pot... Yes I like to question people's beliefs... so as to try to understand how and why said people have come to conclusions that I have not... but again, I mean no harm to anyone... and many times I am misunderstood... perhaps that is my fault for not making my intentions clear on every single post... but that's life... no one is perfect.

In any case I appreciate your clarifying things here...

That last post earned my respect... for what its worth

reply to post by Deetermined


If I said it I don't ignore it, silly. I wanted to figure out if it was true that you went that far into my thread past to find something useful to post. It is borderline obsessive and all the way creepy. You know what it tells me, is that you dug that deep and still couldn't find anything that you could say, "GOTCHA" with.

Are you confused now? Do you feel the wind has been sucked out of your mindless religious diatribe?

For your information, I go out and look to the bright stars to meditate (pray to close-minded folks) because the beauty of that vision helps make me forget about the BS going on on Earth. Being as it is one of GODs great creations, that should be okay by your standards, right?

You really are OCD for untruths.

AAC

reply to post by Deetermined


Do you find your GOD to be racist? Inferior to other cultures?

If YES...

.... why would you want to follow a GOD that would look one portion of his creation and say I like them better? Would you not respect a GOD who would first say all my creations are equal and deserve the blessings of the universe?

If NO

Isn't it odd that this entire religion came from a GOD who sent his son to be born of a certain bloodline? A bloodline that was to be called the chosen people? He gave them the role to spread the blessings of the church. Why would the creator of all, the GOD of existence, choose one portion of his creation as the main focus? Moreover, while not telling the rest of creation about is without bloody crusades of killings to galvanize?

In conclusion...

Don't you find it the least bit coincidental that one of the big religions in the world preaches that the origin of its start has also chosen that same origin as the chosen location for divinity? No... take a while, think about it....

,,, Or you can go back to the original question...

Do you think your GOD is racist?

AAC

reply to post by WashMoreFeet


I feel the love.

You too purple cat.

Now let's get back to disagreeing.

AAC

reply to post by AnAbsoluteCreation


lol... Im pretty sure there's gonna be plenty o that tomorrow

reply to post by filledcup


Thankyou for your detailed and considered response, i am very appreciative of the time you took and look forwared to putting to good use your ideas mentioned. Youre right in the idea that it is a long path of self discovery and the unknown, but i believe that its worth more than any amount of materialistic possession you could trade it in for, and i hope to one day have the virtue you speak of

reply to post by AnAbsoluteCreation

If I said it I don't ignore it, silly. I wanted to figure out if it was true that you went that far into my thread past to find something useful to post. It is borderline obsessive and all the way creepy. You know what it tells me, is that you dug that deep and still couldn't find anything that you could say, "GOTCHA" with.

No, what it really says is that you are evasive and a liar. You want us to think that you don't practice certain things in order to keep from being ridiculed, yet you do them and then you lie about them. I knew you did. I'm only proving my point here on this thread. People who claim the things that you do are all talking to other spirits whether you want to admit it or not. The rest of the people who read this thread deserve to know the truth about what you do and how you draw your conclusions. What's worse is that you claimed it came from Jesus and I have a serious problem with that. No one deserves to be lied to while on their journey to deny ignorance.

reply to post by AnAbsoluteCreation

I go out and look to the bright stars to meditate (pray to close-minded folks) because the beauty of that vision helps make me forget about the BS going on on Earth. Being as it is one of GODs great creations, that should be okay by your standards, right?

No, it's not alright. Demons are God's creations too, but he said to direct all of your focus on God himself, not his fallen creations. Direct your meditation to God directly so that your thoughts aren't infiltrated by other spirits.

When you talk to any creation other than God directly, you're opening a door for anything to answer.

reply to post by AnAbsoluteCreation

,,, Or you can go back to the original question...

Do you think your GOD is racist?

What in the world are you talking about? God is not racist.

He gave both angels and humans free will.

He just doesn't want you risking talking to the fallen angels who are all so willing to mislead you from the truth.

If you're talking about the Israelites, why would it be odd that God takes one group of people and uses them to set the example for the entire world from a human standpoint? If he hadn't chosen one group of people, we'd just be stumbling through a bunch of different peoples who followed different gods.

The reason you don't like it is because it suggests that there is only one true God who has certain expectations. Expectations that you don't like.

It has begun

POPE ORDERS VATICAN BANK PROBE

Originally posted by BornOfSin
It has began

POPE ORDERS VATICAN BANK PROBE

LOL! That's a far cry from giving all of your money away to the poor and announcing that God is a woman!