I beleive Jesus is God. God Himself came to humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. God put on a human face for us to understand and embrace Him in our hearts, minds, will, soul and being. We could have a restored relationship with the the almighty creator God. Through the wonderful plan of salvation, one can come to know God. By embracing Jesus Christ, one is embracing God, for they are one in the same.
When Jesus left us in human form and returned to His throne, the Holy Spirit was and is sent to those He so desires and to those who have come to know Him or seek Him. I shall call this Spirit. Spirit is Gods mighty force and influence. Picture an exploding star of perfection showering on us in the form of Spirit. Spirit is now the essense of our spiritual attachment to God. Through Spirit I am one with Jesus, I am one with God, for Spirit IS God. Sounds pretty tradtional Three in One thought to me.
Perhaps here now is where I have strayed. I beleive God almighty made himself known to All of humanity. I beleive the plan of salvation will be worked miraculously across all religions, all cultures, all peoples.
I beleive that God also manifested Himself in many "Christ-like" or "Christ figures" to many culture groups. For example, Peacemaker arrived in a white canoe. He shone like the sun. He taught the natives the way of peace and ended the generations of war. He taught the way of cooperation and the greatest thing Love. When the peoples hearts turned back toward the Creators intent, the Peacemaker turned into an Eagle and flew away.
Many native stories talk about the son of the creator who taught them everything about how to live in harmony with the creator and mother earth. I read about the White Buffalo Calf Women, who became the face of the creator for tribes and helped define how one might properly address God. Other natives eagerly await the return of Wakitanka. These are all many faces of God expressed in humanity, just as He expressed Himself to us through Jesus. Am I saying they were Christ? I cant say because I dont know. However, the yeilding of one's heart to God has to do with accepting God in us..Emmanuel.
Jesus taught me how. Peacemaker taught the six nations how. White Buffallo Calf Women taught the American Natives how. All have helped restore the relationship between a people and their God.
So how do I resolve this? Easy. It has to do with Bible prophesy. Jesus Christ will return. He will sort the whole mess out. Bible prophesy tells us he will rememebr our sins no more. Regradless of our crazy misconceptions and misunderstandings and even utter evilness, He will cleanse us and restore us....a double prophesy.
Who is us? I beleive those who have turned their hearts to God, regardless of their culture and religion. They may not know the Jesus we know, BUT, They will know Jesus when He returns! Their hearts will have been prepared.
Interestly, there were promises made by God to the house of Jacob and to the house of Israel. These promises appear to be independant of whether or not they have accepted Jesus Christ here and now as their personal saviour. No simply He said exactly what He was going to do. He was going to restore His poeple. There is nothing anyone can do about it, and therfor there is nothing anyone can do to cause it or stop it. Man will have no influence on this. He will do it because He said and because that is what He intends to do.period.end. Its another model of grace.
While my immediate faith in Jesus Christ has been a blessing to me, It is Spirit that I count on now to guide me. It is Spirit that tells me to love with all my heart, regardless of doctrine. It is Spirit that tells me its OK to join in with the joys of my brothers and sisters as we worship the same God in differant ways. The Mighty Lord God forgave me of my differances on the floor of a Seikh gardwara. The Spirit bekons me to simply be. Simply live in the freedom and joy of a restored relationship.
I wish that all these things I talk about would be seen in how I live, not in what I say. I want to just simply be. I beleive that once you know Spirit, you can simply be. That is the point when all the doctrine in the world is just words and talk and banging gongs and chasing of the wind.
Brenda. I promise I will never turn from Christ, its simply not possible. Endulge me or even challenge me as I look beyond the words of man and doctrines argued by man, in search of the simple and pure love that Spirit enables and even demands.
Watch for the fruits of the Spirit and you will be amazed at where they can be found....then follow the path back and you will be even more amazed where it came from.
love daddio
HA! My pastor says i shouldn't read your blog any more!!!! He thinks it's a bad influence on me!!!! He doesn't know how much of a good influence you have been though. I told him if God agreed with him and told me not to, then i would stop. Like that's ever going to happen eh???
ReplyDeleteI like your letter thanks D for thinking about it and posting it when you are really busy with other stuff like finding somewhere to LIVE, lolol
I know you and your Mrs will find the perfect place.
MWAH Brenda
teehee..I'm honoured! How are you to measure the badness of my influence. Shall we measure by speech or action? Are we to weigh it against that which God has told us in our hearts? You must work through these things and regardless of wheatther you agree or not, I love you. I expect as always that you will use that wonderful "cut the crap" sense of yours and perhaps maybe you can help steer me home when I stray.
ReplyDeletedon
My 2 cents....
ReplyDelete...he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.
(John)
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Sometimes church elders think that souls have lost their way when they are in fact on their way to do their good work for the good Shepherd....
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"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."