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Drudgery: Watching for Clues
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[quote:Jonny Blaze:MV8yMDMyMTI3XzM0MzUxNzIwX0JCQTFBQUY0] [quote:Keep2theCode:MV8yMDMyMTI3XzM0MzUxMDc0X0M0RjQ4QzJE] I completely agree with you about the empty impostor that is "churchianity". My family has a long tradition in it, including pastors, and we all grew up as church musicians, some of us teachers and deacons as well. So we were always there, all my first 47 years. And though we told ourselves it was for the glory and service of God, we knew it was really a performance, entertainment, with the intent of making people feel spiritual for an hour once a week. I could say a lot more about the whole "worship service" psychological manipulation, the Sunday School where nobody ever graduates, and the endless pressure to conform and fork over money. I even wrote some books about it at http://books.fether.net . Yet from personal Bible study I knew this was nothing like Jesus taught or the NT taught. (more at http://www.fether.net/readme/ , especially the link at the bottom called "Three Laws Saved") We said it was a relationship rather than a religion, but the irony of saying it in a sanctuary, with sacred furniture and rituals, escaped most of us. But it really is a relationship, a reconciliation with God through faith in the risen Jesus, as I explain at http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2025794/pg1 . If a person accepts Jesus as God in the flesh who died and rose again, and does so for the purpose of being with God forever rather than merely escaping hell or getting material goods in this life, they will be saved and be adopted as children of God. And IF a person truly understands and accepts this reconciliation, they will realize that spiritual birth is not the end but the beginning. This is where good deeds and repentance from sin come in: how could we claim to be reconciled with someone if we ignore them or keep doing things they hate? When I came to see all of this, I began to lose myself and be filled more with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, to the point where I have lost all interest in this world. I just don't belong here anymore. It bothers me to need physical things, but this is only temporary. Because I love Jesus for making it so easy to be reconciled to God, I live to pass on this "good news", and to try and model for others what Jesus did for me. When it comes to discipline, the very essence of the word "disciple", I remember a great illustration I heard once: Does a person need discipline to make themselves eat a bowl of delicious ice cream? No, because it's something they crave, something they want. So it should be with Jesus; we should put Him first, put the relationship first, and then all the years of spiritual growth will not be discipline or work at all, but a joy. To me, prayer is not an eloquent speech given mostly to impress God or people, but the way I'd talk to a respected parent or mentor. God is always there, and we communicate mostly without any words at all. It is a "knowing" that I really can't describe, and it requires no meditation practices or postures. It is as natural and spontaneous as breathing. To meditate is to not empty my mind but to fill it; as Paul wrote to the Philippians, "whatever is noble... think about such things". Though I do trust God that many will be saved on the thinnest of threads just because He is merciful, I also believe that such people as you described (assuming they're saved at all), will deeply regret losing the rewards they could have had, if only they had been disciples and not just believers. Gotta stop typing for now; arthritis can be a royal pain. [/quote] Well, sir, just know that there are some out here who see the spirit work in other people, even if the other people use different labels for different ideas. Like you say, it's all about one's personal relationship with the spirit. To view it properly, we have to look at each other on an individual basis. It doesn't matter to me that you call yourself a "Christian" and I don't. What matters is that I respect your voice. I give it pause. I do so because I sense you respect mine. When we stop listening to each other...when we stop giving each other turns to speak, we have lost our way with each other. This world is full of people who talk over other people...people who don't realize that the people who they are talking to aren't listening to them. Or worse yet, they are. They are listening and repeating. Down the totem pole it goes. Garbage in, garbage out. A world full of beggars. I am ready to leave as soon as the spirit allows death to take me. I can't say that I wish for that to be sooner or later. We are all geared to survive...yet we have intended to die from the moment we are born. Such a wonder, a terror, a mystery. [/quote]
Original Message
Some say that The Drudge Report gives out subtle clues via the pictures or headlines of a given day. Here is the link to Drudge: [
link to www.drudgereport.com
]
Today I see lots of "finger pointing". Are we about to see the MSM present a scapegoat and a boatload of excuses for Benghazi this week, to condition people before the election?
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