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Yesterday, while at Church, I heard several sermons exhorting me to "live in accordance with the Bible" and to be grateful that all believers have special access to God as Abba, Father.
Yet, I'm still confused as to what those things mean practically? I'm thinking that no matter how profound those sermons were, most people (most are believers) left the church without learning anything new, anything earth shattering for them, they just left and returned to doing what they were doing previously and few will even remember the profound wisdom a few weeks from now.
Just as few may even recall the wisdom of this thread 1 week from now. Is this really how profound wisdom from God's Word works?
Can you see into people's minds and hearts like God can? The mind and the heart are where the Word does its heavy lifting. What is visible to you is only the surface reality of things.
Thanks for your responses. By no means do I want to dissuade you from your fragile theism. But I'll just respond to your post as I see it.
No worries. I take things as they come. (I cut out most of your post for the sake of brevity and because I think I can address your general ideas more easily this way.)
BigV, I'm with you, actually, in that I don't necessarily think that Jesus literally performed any "miracles", nor do I necessarily see God as directly responsible for healing today. I do think, however, that the desire to love others and seek the best for them, as Jesus spoke of, is responsible for those advances. I give credit to Love then, and if God IS love, then I'm just giving credit where credit is due.
At any rate, I do not necessarily take the bible too literally. I seek the underlying principles and truths that are possibly being conveyed, realizing that the authors were learning as they went, just as we are. I think the same principles and truths found in the bible, or different aspects of those truths, can be found in many traditions. But I am still weighing the possibility that Jesus played a special and unique roll.
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With respect to raising the dead today... If these are 'miracles' then it makes my point that whatever Jesus was doing was probably not supernatural. And, btw, those are still not in accordance with Jesus' promise, for only believers who are trained as MD's or RN's can perform these and most likely in the right hospital. While Jesus promised that 'whosoever' believes *will* perform them.
I don't think in terms of supernatural and, to me, physical healing is of lesser importance to the greater truths I believe are being expressed. That being said, I see humanity more as a whole (a belief that we are all connected, whether we realize it or not), a whole that bears the image of LOVE (whether we realize it or not ), so the advances made in any field, including that of physical healing, are shared by all.
As I said, BigV, these are just my current thoughts. I find that leaving behind the more mythical understandings of Christianity that I was once hung up on allows me to explore things from a different, more universal, point of view.
Yesterday, while at Church, I heard several sermons exhorting me to "live in accordance with the Bible" and to be grateful that all believers have special access to God as Abba, Father.
Yet, I'm still confused as to what those things mean practically? I'm thinking that no matter how profound those sermons were, most people (most are believers) left the church without learning anything new, anything earth shattering for them, they just left and returned to doing what they were doing previously and few will even remember the profound wisdom a few weeks from now.
Just as few may even recall the wisdom of this thread 1 week from now. Is this really how profound wisdom from God's Word works?
The one's who are asking what it means practically, are the ones who will remember, and it will possibly make a difference for them. The wisdom of God/Love does seem to work that way, as far as I have been able to observe ... It overcomes the darkness a little at a time.
The one's who are asking what it means practically, are the ones who will remember, and it will possibly make a difference for them. The wisdom of God/Love does seem to work that way, as far as I have been able to observe ... It overcomes the darkness a little at a time.
But what point is there in asking without receiving a response?
Can you see into people's minds and hearts like God can? The mind and the heart are where the Word does its heavy lifting. What is visible to you is only the surface reality of things.
Well, using your logic you can never discredit a prophet then. Because any spiritual leader can say whatever they want and then ask those who are not convinced the same questions you are asking of me.
Of course I can't see the hearts and minds. But if the loving Deity understands us and wants us to escape hell fires, why are there so many questions that are unanswered?
Is it because we just really don't *want* to hear the answer?
But what point is there in asking without receiving a response?
I'm confused ... from whom are you awaiting the answer? Someone else? Different people may have different parts of the puzzle, but in the end the resonsibility lies on each one of us to discern which pieces fit and how, I think.
As I said, BigV, these are just my current thoughts. I find that leaving behind the more mythical understandings of Christianity that I was once hung up on allows me to explore things from a different, more universal, point of view.
I have recently (within the past few months) started to read historica-jesus.info website. Basically, the author of that site makes a point that anytime Jesus is trying to be secretive most likely means that the region in question or the miracle performed most likely did not happen and the 'secrecy' is jut to explained why the locals never heard of it.
Also, very strangely, we find in the Gospels themselves Jesus being equated with John the Baptist (who died before Jesus went public per the Gospel accounts).
Mark 8: 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned themnot to tell anyone about him.
Mark 6:14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
Now, this passage from Mark is very unbelievable. For it makes a claim that Jesus' name became well known as reincarnated John the Baptist. Supposedly, we are talking about Aramaic speaking Jews who did not believe in reincarnation. Even Herod, we are told as Gospel truth, considered John the Baptist risen from the dead in the person of Christ.
Curiously, John the Baptist's existence is well attested historically. Josephus writes about him (but not Jesus, if you don't count Testimonium Flavium as authentic).
And the Gospels are written to give John's fame to Jesus Himself. As if saying... we will tell you the truth. John the Baptist was famous only because people thought he was Jesus.
I'm confused ... from whom are you awaiting the answer? Someone else? Different people may have different parts of the puzzle, but in the end the resonsibility lies on each one of us to discern which pieces fit and how, I think.
Should I expect God to answer or not?
Ideally, I'd like God Himself to provide a response. Is this too much to ask? I'm not asking to move a mountain here.
Yesterday, while at Church, I heard several sermons exhorting me to "live in accordance with the Bible" and to be grateful that all believers have special access to God as Abba, Father.
Yet, I'm still confused as to what those things mean practically? I'm thinking that no matter how profound those sermons were, most people (most are believers) left the church without learning anything new, anything earth shattering for them, they just left and returned to doing what they were doing previously and few will even remember the profound wisdom a few weeks from now.
Just as few may even recall the wisdom of this thread 1 week from now. Is this really how profound wisdom from God's Word works?
It is only profound if one takes to heart what is said and actually practices it...then it cannot be forgotten because one then lives it.
People can claim they are Christian by going to church on Sunday...but it doesn't make them one anymore than sitting in a garage makes one a car. We will know them by their "fruit"...the way they live their everyday lives.
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(I cut out most of your post for the sake of brevity and because I think I can address your general ideas more easily this way.) 
