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I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father but by Me. John 14:6
Not through Mysticism, Buddhism, Islamism, Sinnerism, and any other ism and scism!! Which part of that do you not understand? Especially coming from Christ Himself? What else do you need to know? The truth is not good enough for you? Straight from the Master Himself? Really?Again, yes a child full of imagination..............
Calm down, Betsey. I changed the highlight so that you might see that there is a different interpretation of what is said that is possible. To WHOM is Jesus's human consciousness and Holy Spirit the ONLY Way? The FATHER is in Heaven, Jesus's human consciousness and Holy Spirit is here with us on earth. WHO do we need to get to . . . and WHO is the Way to get THERE.
Nothing about a consciousness here. Jesus is not here on earth. He is at the right hand of God awaiting the appropriate time to come back for His Bride. The Holy Spirit is here with us now.
John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
Jesus the Way to the Father
5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
"Come now; let us leave.
Nothing about a consciousness here. Jesus is not here on earth. He is at the right hand of God awaiting the appropriate time to come back for His Bride. The Holy Spirit is here with us now.
Do you honestly believe Jesus could have used the word consciousness and had ANYONE understand what He was talking about? Spirit was confusing enough for the carnal minds of the time. Hopeless.
Do you honestly believe Jesus could have used the word consciousness and had ANYONE understand what He was talking about? Spirit was confusing enough for the carnal minds of the time. Hopeless.
Your lack of confidence in what Jesus could have used and the dismissal of His disciples' intelligence of that time is laughable.
What troop (I think) is saying is who cares how you ultimately find Jesus. What if troop falls the infamous "mysticism" path and at the end realizes a faith in Jesus per how you define a Christian should be defined.
Still don't want him to follow mysticism? I mean he ends up following your method of salvation.. believing everything you do.. but to get there.. he had to follow mysticism. At the end of his mysticism walk he rejects mysticism and follows what you believe to be the "True Christian Way" (copyright patent pending).
If following mysticism was the only way to even get him on the path that you believe he should be on.. would you deny that path?
Yes, a child full of IMAGINATIONS. Correct. You asked: "Why is it so hard to imagine that Christ just might be powerful enough to accommodate more than one worldview"? That's just it!! You don't have to imagine! He already gave the answer to that question. It goes like this: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father but by Me. John 14:6
Not through Mysticism, Buddhism, Islamism, Sinnerism, and any other ism and scism!! Which part of that do you not understand? Especially coming from Christ Himself? What else do you need to know? The truth is not good enough for you? Straight from the Master Himself? Really?
Again, yes a child full of imagination..............
For whatever psychological reason, you have attached to a very shallow, literal understanding of that phrase "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life".
You think it's so clear and evident. Yet, what you do not understand is how much deeper and more profound that statement is when fully experienced.
You do not yet realize that Christ speaks through Buddhist Yogis meditating and through Islamic Sufis just as easily as he might speak to a devout Christian.
You vastly underestimate the power of Christ and in so doing you condemn what you do not yet understand.
I think it's important that those who condemn this concept of "mysticism" take some time to understand what it actually is. Simply condemning another path because it is different from yours as the likes of Fundamentalist and Betsey are wont to do is not the approach of an intellectual or a scholar.
I did not one day say. "I think I'm going to be a mystic. I like that church much better than the Baptist or Catholic one." There was no minister who handed me a pamphlet like happens in the evangelical / fundamentalist traditions.
It emerged from years of deep introspection into the fundamental nature of humankind and has been reflected in many others who have walked very different paths to the same conclusion. It is not an organized movement and most would not even know what to label themselves because what they are experiencing simply is. It is simply a word that even touches upon the vast depth of experience in Christ accessible to all and through all.
It has no sect or creed or dogma. It is the divine authority that dictates all of life, not a book. Trust me. You need no higher authority. You will know what is right and what is wrong quite clearly. Time and again, I have seen people awaken to this connection and walk around with daze on their face for days or weeks afterward because they experienced the vast power of oneness that is all of life.
You label it the "emergent church" and all these other monikers as a way to put it in a box and be able to say "That is them over there. This is us over here." But we are you. What we are experiencing is there for you to experience as well for it is there in your scriptures if you allow the Bible into your heart where there is no more rationalization and logic rather than your head that must compartmentalize and dictate rules and objectives. Christ Jesus himself said, "You too can be as I am".
"You too can be as I am."
Why does that beautiful potential available to all humanity threaten you? It should inspire you that Christ came to show us our highest potential.
I think it's important that those who condemn this concept of "mysticism" take some time to understand what it actually is. Simply condemning another path because it is different from yours as the likes of Fundamentalist and Betsey are wont to do is not the approach of an intellectual or a scholar.
I did not one day say. "I think I'm going to be a mystic. I like that church much better than the Baptist or Catholic one." There was no minister who handed me a pamphlet like happens in the evangelical / fundamentalist traditions.
It emerged from years of deep introspection into the fundamental nature of humankind and has been reflected in many others who have walked very different paths to the same conclusion. It is not an organized movement and most would not even know what to label themselves because what they are experiencing simply is. It is simply a word that even touches upon the vast depth of experience in Christ accessible to all and through all.
It has no sect or creed or dogma. It is the divine authority that dictates all of life, not a book. Trust me. You need no higher authority. You will know what is right and what is wrong quite clearly. Time and again, I have seen people awaken to this connection and walk around with daze on their face for days or weeks afterward because they experienced the vast power of oneness that is all of life.
You label it the "emergent church" and all these other monikers as a way to put it in a box and be able to say "That is them over there. This is us over here." But we are you. What we are experiencing is there for you to experience as well for it is there in your scriptures if you allow the Bible into your heart where there is no more rationalization and logic rather than your head that must compartmentalize and dictate rules and objectives. Christ Jesus himself said, "You too can be as I am".
"You too can be as I am."
Why does that beautiful potential available to all humanity threaten you? It should inspire you that Christ came to show us our highest potential.
Your lack of confidence in what Jesus could have used and the dismissal of His disciples' intelligence of that time is laughable.
Your constant misunderstanding of the authors and audience the scriptures were written by and for is laughable. The audience was years later . . . none of the writers had firsthand information and explanation from Jesus.
It's really bizarre to me that atheists are arguing for mysticism. It's even more bizarre that atheists would taunt, tease and name call in a Christian forum Oh wait....it's not bizarre, it's Satan!!! Bizarre went on vacation.
As I've stated a ton of times before there is no record of Jesus EVER railing against atheists or the common masses or prostitutes or gays etc etc. It was to religious BELIEVERS (who claimed exclusive understanding of 'God's word') that He is recorded as saying "You are of your Father the devil".
Many times I see more of God's nature written upon the consciences of atheists than what is spouted from Christian pulpits. The REAL Jesus did not set up this organization we call Christianity. As far as we know He did not command the writing of any epistles, spoke of no special collection of books to come and no hierarchy of leaders. He spoke of a kingdom where servants were kings and the poor in spirit were rich and the meek inherited all things (not the theologically correct).
And as far as blaming everything on "Stan", it's not a big bad boogie man causing all the trouble in the world - it's the ignorance contained in religious dogma - just as in Jesus' day.
If you will simply study the history of Christianity it's very plain. If anything - religious institutionalized 'Christianity' twisted Peter's mystical revelation of who Jesus really was to mean that he would be God's physical representative on earth to start a new religion. Things went downhill very quickly from there.
But Mr. Luther and Mr. Calvin fixed all that, right? As they imprisoned and tortured and burned those who dared defy them??? (Yeah - rrrriiiiigggghhhhtttttt - as CG would say). The wonderful reformation - the only time in history you could get burned alive in a perfect spirit of love (by either side).
Those who dig deeper into the mysteries of God are the ones always perceived as rebels because they don't follow the right creeds - they are the ones whom the 'church' tried to stamp out and whom they are still persecuting today - all the while thinking they are doing God a service.
God is love. If ANYTHING causes you to love GOD (not a book about God) and to love your neighbor as yourself then it is OF GOD - period.
Break oppression, feed the hungry, support the elderly who cannot care for themselves, stop abuse, visit and clothe Jesus (the son of man). This is the work of God - not these fundie witch hunts trying to save us from God's anger. Ridiculous.
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, it's not a big bad boogie man causing all the trouble in the world - it's the ignorance contained in religious dogma - just as in Jesus' day. 
