Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The apostle Paul talks about "mysteries". Mysteries are things the ordinary rational mind cannot discern but can only be understood through revelation or gnosis, hidden or esoteric meanings or wisdom. They were part of the pagan mystery religions, which Paul was probably familiar with, so he was making analogies. The original term for a sacrament was "mysterion", or "mystery", in fact, sacrament is a Latinized term that doesn't appear in the early church, sacrament is closer to Roman religion than to the Eastern world that Christianity started in (Romans viewed religion as propitiating the gods, whereas the concept of a mystery implies a change more on the subject side than the objective side- expiation rather than propitiation). Noetic wisdom and holy mysteries still play a strong part in the Orthodox faith, so are you going to dismiss one of the oldest Christian groups as "New Age"?
Judaism had similar beliefs, too. Look up "pesher" some time, it is a non-literal way to read scriptures, looking for an esoteric meaning. Judaism itself was influenced by the Greek world and their mystery religions, look up Philo of Alexandria of the Essenes. And the concept of judgement of the dead, a paradise, and a hierarchy of angels comes originally from Persia (the prophet Zoroaster), in fact the priestly Jews, the Sadduccees, denied this belief.
With all due respect, it's not a "mystery" anymore.........they are'nt hiding what they're doing anymore! They are BOLDER than ever before, it just a matter of: ARE YOU PEOPLE SEEING THE WRITING ON WALL? What will it take for some of you to wake up?
Perhaps it is time for this wisdom to enter the mainstream and spread Christ's consciousness throughout humanity.
Don't worry, it already is I'm afraid. That's why it is so important for Christians to understand what this deception is all about so they will not be deceived themselves.
Perhaps it is time for the wisdom they held to come to the light.
Perhaps we are the ones who are awake.
Perhaps you should stop judging what you do not begin to understand.
Perhaps you should read and study and BELIEVE the WORD OF GOD and follow it, instead of following ages old deception and your own desires. You believe you are "enlightened" when in fact you are living in complete darkness and deception that comes straight from the devil. No one is judging, that's God's job. But it is our job as followers of Jesus Christ and God's Word to point out and teach about false doctrines.
God is a jealous God and no other god should be worshiped before Him, and that includes Allah!
This statement from Carolina_Guy sums it all up. Wow. God is so jealous and so insecure that everyone has to laud her with attention and praise and tell her how beautiful she is all the time.
That doesn't sound like a God. That sounds like a child. It sounds like you are jealous and insecure and demand that everyone worship your worldview, or else. You have constructed an image of God that reflects your worldview.
A true master does not create followers, he creates other masters. I am becoming one such master because I am open to God's guidance.
The poster who spoke of Einstein and physics was absolutely on point. Again, just because you do not understand something does not mean it is not true.
I hope you someday find fulfillment within your soul to fill this void that is consuming you.
God bless you.
I pray that you someday find the peace that Christ has to offer your heart.
Perhaps you should read and study and BELIEVE the WORD OF GOD and follow it, instead of following ages old deception and your own desires. You believe you are "enlightened" when in fact you are living in complete darkness and deception that comes straight from the devil. No one is judging, that's God's job. But it is our job as followers of Jesus Christ and God's Word to point out and teach about false doctrines.
Your belief that a book is the inerrant word of God is your belief.
It does not make you right nor make me wrong.
I will pray for your soul that Christ finds his way into your heart, elevates you above your fear, and gives you a love and peace that can raise a thousand sinking ships.
This statement from Carolina_Guy sums it all up. Wow. God is so jealous and so insecure that everyone has to laud her with attention and praise and tell her how beautiful she is all the time.
That doesn't sound like a God. That sounds like a child. It sounds like you are jealous and insecure and demand that everyone worship your worldview, or else. You have constructed an image of God that reflects your worldview.
A true master does not create followers, he creates other masters. I am becoming one such master because I am open to God's guidance.
The poster who spoke of Einstein and physics was absolutely on point. Again, just because you do not understand something does not mean it is not true.
I hope you someday find fulfillment within your soul to fill this void that is consuming you.
God bless you.
I pray that you someday find the peace that Christ has to offer your heart.
Unfortunately and what you seem to not understand, is that God is Sovereign and there is none like Him.
About your "masters" statement--are you also of the belief that you can become a god? You can become a christ? This is also very much ingrained in the deceptive emergent church movement.
Finally, I have a wonderful peace because my peace comes from Jesus. I worship Him and only Him, and reject any form of other godliness as deception from Satan. You seem to believe that everyone is "saved" and no one will have to answer to a righteous Judge one day. Therefore, what is the point in believing anything at all if if doesn't matter what path one takes? Might as well be an atheist or agnostic if all roads lead to heaven.
It is clear you have also been deceived, and I pray you will remove the scales from your eyes.
PRAYER: JESUS VS. RICHARD FOSTER
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Oct 8, 2008 in AM Missives, Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism, Current Issues, Richard Foster, Spiritual Formation
It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1, NASB)
Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism Was Never Part Of Christ’s Doctrine
In that verse from Luke 11 our Lord Christ Jesus of Nazareth was asked a straightforward question: Teach us to pray as John the Baptist once taught his own disciples. We are on safe ground to understand that something concerning the way these disciples had seen the Master pray moved them to want to be able to pray in such fashion. And since both John the Baptist and Jesus in His humanity were practicing Jews we know from history they would not have been involved with meditation, which is the type of “prayer” neo-Gnostics like Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic “Roshi” Richard Foster are talking about when they yammer on about “silence and solitude.”
Men and women, don’t let these practioners of this Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) masquerading as supposed Spiritual Formation e.g. taught by Foster’s friend Dallas Willard fool you. The burden of proof is on them to show you from any reliable historic sources that their form of “Christian” transcendental meditation aka Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP) was ever practiced by Jews at the time of Christ. And they can’t produce such sources because they don’t exsist. As a matter of fact in his book The Sacred Way Emergent Church theologian Tony Jones, who practices CSM as does his own pastor Doug Pagitt, tells you where CCP came from:
Like the Jesus Prayer, Centering Prayer grew out of the reflections and writings of the Desert Fathers. John Cassian (c.360-c.430) came from the West and made a pilgrimage to the desert to learn the ways of contemplative prayer … Cassian was deeply influenced by his time in the desert, and he wrote his book The Conferences about his conversations with the Desert Fathers to acquaint Western Christians with their teachings. (70, emphasis mine)
Quote:
Guru wannabe Richard Foster:
Contemplative Prayer immerses us into the silence of God. How desperately we in the modern world need this wordless baptism! … Contemplative Prayer is the one discipline that can free us from our addiction to words. Progress in intimacy with God means progress toward silence… It is recreating silence to which we are called in Contemplative Prayer…
At the outset I need to give a word of warning,… Contemplative Prayer is not for the novice. I do not say this about any other form of prayer… Contemplative prayer is for those who have exercised their spiritual muscles a bit and know something about the landscape of the spirit. In fact, those who work in the area of spiritual direction always look for signs of a maturing faith before encouraging individuals into Contemplative Prayer…
I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as a supernatural guidance. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on that, there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! … But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection. (Prayer: Finding The Heart’s True Home, 155,156,157)
Therefore, what is the point in believing anything at all if if doesn't matter what path one takes? Might as well be an atheist or agnostic if all roads lead to heaven.
Yes! Now you've got it! Absolutely. I'm glad you're finally beginning to see the Light! One is capable of reaching the ultimate union (what your mythological tradition calls Heaven) from any path.
Do all people reach it? Absolutely not. Just like Christians, many get caught up in drugs, alcoholism, sexually abusive and empty lifestyles...
But one committed to understanding the deepest wisdoms of science and spirituality will find them and elevate to a level at which they lose all desire for drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex. Rather than strict laws to enforce, they are free to work through these desires and purge them on their own.
That's what the freedom of our country is all about! It's beautiful, isn't it? Divine, some might say.
When you create rules of strict right and wrong, you suppress peoples' ability to evolve through shallower vices. Look how many conservative Christian ministers have homosexual desires? Look how many Catholic priests whose sexuality has been denied them are forced by the system to express it by abusing little boys?
It's horrific what this strict "right and wrong" dogma has done to peoples' lives. Just look at Haggard.
So, yes, the wisdom Christ brought is available to all if they seek it. Otherwise, why in the world would God concentrate the only people who have the answers and can be saved in the deep South of the United States?
You would have to have lived in the deep South your whole life to actually believe that.
When you ask yourself the simple question, "What works?", you will always find my way does and your way oppresses people and creates the anger and jealousy you feel within your own heart.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
