i wrote this message almost a year ago. As i came from a Christian upbringing, it is thusly addressed to Christians, and makes reference to their holy book, the Bible. i decided to share it today because i felt the need to do so; i felt that the timing was right. Perhaps after reading it, you might understand. ;) =-=-=-= BELIEF. Idea. Perspective. Morality. Point of view. Ever find yourself attempting to interpret a scripture? Is such a thing even possible if one is under the belief that the Bible is the literal word of God? Would such a person, uncertain as to what Gods telling them in a particular passage, even be wise to attempt to somehow interpret it on their own somehow, or by choosing to adopt someone ELSES interpretation? If youve ever wondered anything along those kinds of lines, perhaps you might consider this: Looking for doctrinal meanings within scripture isnt how the scriptures are supposed to be used...! Not long after raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus mentioned many things to the disciples about what would happen in the coming days for them, and He also mentioned how He would leave them after His earthly work was completed; as He would then go to be with the Father. In one chapter of John (chapter 14) we can find the keys to understanding how we living today might KNOW [with HIS AUTHORITY...!] not only scriptures and their messages for our lives, but also how one who follows Him should BE LIKE HIM -- serving others as He did (one person at a time) with love, accepting of others without judging them or trying to change them... even doing GREATER MIRACLES AND WONDERS than Jesus own! John 14:12-14 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. There are many differing opinions for why, 2000+ years later, we dont see people walking around raising others from the dead (or performing other miracles). There are also many differing interpretations (including group-held doctrines/denominational belief systems) for what scripture is saying in these next key verses. John 14:16-18 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Here is the introduction of the Holy Spirit, who is a helper and messenger of Truth. Some believe that you must do something, pray something, believe something, or the like.. before you are then saved -- and THEN (and only then...) receive the Holy Spirit. These views (interpretations..!) predominantly use verse 17 to defend themselves as being correct .... But they also tend have as their basis the concept that someone whose life is NOT like Christs (usually thought to be what Jesus meant by saying: .. whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him...) doesnt get to receive the Holy Spirit until they...: do something, pray something, believe something.... And then of course, these interpretations continue to differ as they attempt to approach the actual arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (... ever wonder why, Christian, when you received the Holy Spirit, you didnt have a tongue of fire over your head and begin speaking TRUE tongues [meaning: everyone present would hear you speaking in their OWN NATIVE LANGUAGE, understanding all that you said perfectly], and all..?). On that topic, lets consider something. If those kinds of things HAVENT happened around you, does that mean you dont have the Holy Spirit...? But wait... they said if I did this, prayed that, believed something (but definitely NOT something else...)... then Id be saved and get the Holy Spirit ...! Then, what about that soft, still voice that speaks the truth to you and helps you by guiding and directing your life? Thats not your conscience or any other voice in your head... that, friend, is the Holy Spirit. It lives in your heart, and has always lived there! And if youll remember, YOU COULD HEAR HIM BEFORE YOU did, prayed, OR believed anything...! ;) This proves to us that the Holy Spirit became integrated within us PRIOR to our having decided whether or not we were going to follow Jesus. The rushing of the wind at Pentecost WAS THE SPIRIT arriving to the people -- and were not just talking about the Spirit entering the lives of ONLY the apostles. If youll recall, in Acts 2 the apostles themselves were gathered at Pentecost, but then we see (in verses 5 and 6) that multitudes in the area heard the rushing of the winds and gathered, trying to figure out what the heck just happened; and then they heard the apostles speaking in TRUE tongues. The winds rushing was the arrival of the Spirit; and all the people witnessed the winds. When the Spirit came, He did NOT come to dwell on this world but IN THE HEARTS OF MANKIND. We do not witness winds rushing, like in Pentecost, when we receive the Holy Spirit in our lives... because....? BECAUSE the Spirit came to everyone THEN; and as we today are living descendants of the people who lived in those times, we thus physically inherited the Holy Spirit the same way we inherited every OTHER physical trait -- from the two biological parents that conceived us! How then can the world (from John 14:17) mean non-believers...? It does not! The verse tells us that we do not find the Holy Spirit wandering around the world (like a ghost or spectre), waiting/watching for us to do anything before receiving Him. Well find Him ABIDING WITHIN US... NOT on some path, journey, or method of indoctrination into ANY interpretation/belief/denomination! THOSE THINGS (yeah... the things we learned from SOMEONE ELSE) -- come to us and our lives from external sources (outside of your being -- which consists of body, soul, and SPIRIT) -- they are of the world. The worlds many twists and turns... the game called LIFE! My life -- yeah, all that stuff that HAPPENS TO ME. That reality (the way of the world) can be the reality youre tuned into if you claim to follow Christ; yet you do not see yourself being like Christ. (... seen any miracles in/around/through your life? Been able to minister unto AND SERVE someone personally, as Jesus did, by serving them while also sharing insights given you by the Holy Spirit?) We thus discover that we each already have at the very core of our being our own personal fraction of the Holy Spirit of God Himself -- given us by the Father at the request of the Son. The degree to which ones own particular reality looks like their life or looks like Christs life, is the degree to which theyve looked WITHIN THEIR SELF to the soft, still voice that helps and guides them by giving the truth -- WITHIN, to the Holy Spirit that allows ANYONE and EVERYONE to know ALL THINGS! ... Well, heres some fine print: ... ANYTHING (all things) refers to the degree of thing that the Spirit has given you for which you have asked. John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. So; we do not look outward, through our eyes, to something and then decide it is our belief. We do not look at scripture, reading its word by eye -- and then decide what it means for our life. Nor are we to take anothers word as to interpreting scripture and what it is supposed to mean for our life. Even these words youre reading right now -- dont just take my word for it! TEST IT for yourself. How do we do so, though? WE LOOK WITHIN. We seek such guidance from within ourselves, and are then directed appropriately where to look, what to read, what to research, etc. So... when He said Ask, and you shall receive! ... Were told that back in vs. 13-14, where we started. Thats what Jesus told us... and thats what it means. Its that simple. :) One should never trust their faith in ANYTHING they see in reality in front of them...! Thus, the saying seeing is believing IS A LIE. Now.... Regardless of our beliefs/views/morals, we are [as human beings] all living with part of Gods spirit at the very core of our beings, which means (whether you believe it or not) that we all share a common thread -- the entire human race then is literally the BODY of the human organism (called HUMANITY) on this world. As individuals, were like the cells in the body; there are various kinds of cells for various purposes. In the body of the human organism (which we, from the egoic perspective, see as other people... being different from ourselves) each of us are an independant living cell within that body. That means that the life you and others perceive as being YOU is going to have some characteristics; some traits. You know, all that stuff you inherited! Some parts of YOU will appear to be your own: a unique personality (the self, or ego). Other aspects are going to resemble Christ in some way. Whatever the trait -- the degree to which its one end of the meter [you] or the other [Christ] is based upon the depth of time spent believing in an external reality, or an internal one. Or, put another way, in how much faith youve spent believing that which youve seen with your eyes, or the faith placed believing in the Holy Spirit within you.... the one, you know; with the soft, still voice.... ;) If you QUESTION EVERYTHING YOU SEE (including these very words!) by presenting them to that Spirit.... you WILL find the truth. Just dont go blindly looking for it out there...! The world (and each of the unique individuals living in it) is full of many ideas; but their ideas have no business guiding your belief and/or faith! When youre contemplating what to trust as the TRUTH FOR YOUR LIFE.... Dont look for it with your eyes. SEE IT WITHIN YOUR HEART. =-=-=-= So, how then do we put these concepts into practice? How do we begin to live like Christ? When you see others around you, how do you perceive them? When you interact with them, how do you treat them? As people, we interact in a multitude of ways; each interpersonal or organisational relationship being characteristically unique because it involves a number of individuals. These interactions occur in a way appropriate according to the members concerned; we see this in anything between a personal relationship and/or amongst groups of people who are of like mind. But take these concepts with you everywhere you go, and test yourself as you do so. Try it with the very next person you see. If theyre just some random person; all on their own, do you even give them the time of day but keep going about your business? A smile and a nod of kindness, at least? Or do you chose to ignore them and stay isolated within your own mind-space (of FEAR, of EGO) for the purposes of avoiding a confrontation or reaction of some kind? As for myself: i strive always to treat them like they were Jesus. That means im recognizing another cell within His human organism -- HUMANITY. The individual body i perceive does, after all, contain [JUST LIKE i DO...] a part of Gods Holy Spirit of Truth; put simply, a spirit. This simple view, seeing others as though they were Jesus, is the essence of the golden rule -- treat them like youd like to be treated -- as equals, all with a unique purpose or role which, more times than not, i can LEARN SOMETHING from. ;)
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 17:23:02 +0000