From a friend:
Sounds like "ME" Christianity.
The Christian message is not "ME" its "Others".
Charity with "Others"
Love with "Others"
Peace with "Others"
If you are Loving, Charitable and Peaceful you are with the Divine
and embodied in the spirit.
My Reply:
Let me explain myself better and I think you’ll see we don’t disagree at all. I could definitely see how someone could see Christian Mysticism as “ME” Christianity. Like “all you care about is changing yourself into a more holy being and what about others”, right? The idea is that becoming Christ-like or walking with a Christ-consciousness could mean nothing else but that you begin to embody charity, love for your brother, service, wisdom, peace, and many other characteristics of the divine nature of God.
So the idea is to truly take on the character of Jesus in order to actually be like him and love your neighbor as yourself while loving God with all your heart. Jesus made many comments like, “if you knew me you would know my Father also”. Some people see that as a need for a prayer of “acceptance”, one that says “I receive the Savior”…. Others see it as a call to truly know who Jesus was… meaning know what he would do during his daily life. Then you can be transformed into his likeness and truly do his work here on earth.
Jesus said in Luke, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” From my perspective, being like Christ or being like our Teacher should be the #1 priority of the “Church”… but you don’t see much of that on TBN.
I’ve seen great results in my daily life since I started studying who Jesus was and trying to be like him. When I say “great results” I don’t mean I’ve been “super holy and righteous and all my friends can tell”. I mean I’ve been able to serve others with less effort and I’ve been less selfish… and more open to giving. His teachings are changing me. Plus I’m finding things I’ve never noticed before. Like this… this is not taught…
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]" 28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
I told some people Jesus made no mention of the “Romans Road” here (do you know what that is?), but it’s still up for discussion.
On another note – even Jesus took time out to meditate, fast, and pray. Yet those types of practices are not taught in the Western church. He was constantly going off to be alone. Think of the verse in Romans “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. That is a Christian Mystic approach. Change your thinking, change your walk. Change your thoughts, change your character. Be like Jesus, do his work.
Here are some really basic things I found in Luke that are great guidelines and points of focus for Christ-conscious living. These types of teachings should be the foundation of the church today, but most people (including Christians) can’t even conceive the type of behavior spoken of below playing out in their daily lives…
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Yeshua answers - How do I inherit eternal life?
A man who was trying to test Yeshua asks, how can he inherit eternal life? The answer may seem surprising to some. There is no sort of "Romans Road" mentioned. I am not trying to offend, but I want to uncover the simplicity of truth.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Yeshua compared to a drunkard in Luke 7
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by all her children."
Yeshua's Standards from Luke 6
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
New Focus: Yeshua's personality & beliefs
My only focus right now is on Yeshua through a Christian Mystic approach. I want to know who Yeshua was. I need to know my Lord in order to worship him in spirit and truth. I believe my studies of Yeshua will transform me. If I know him, I know the Father. In John 8:20 Yeshua said, "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
For months I've searched through resources looking for the approach that matched the desires of my heart. I haven't connected with the traditional approach to Christian lifestyle that I've seen in most settings today. The main purpose seems to be converting "non-believers". For years this has felt foreign and it hasn't brought me peace. It didn't feel right to say "I know God. You do not. You need to take xyz steps to become worthy of life." It didn't set right with me and I started to feel very distant from my Christian brothers and sisters who ascribed to such behavior. My main complaint was that they didn't look like Jesus to me. They didn't sound like Jesus and they didn't remind me of Jesus. They reminded me more of... Americans haha.
Anyway after studying numerous resources from other spiritual belief systems I still felt unfulfilled and my questions had not been answered. But I definitely gained perspective, insight, and wisdom as I realized how people of other faiths were seeing the world. Yet, they didn't teach me about who Jesus was. Although they helped me see common ground, which was nice. I decided to study the Gospels ALONE. And that's where I am now. I'm studying the Gospels until my belly is full and the Lord puts something else before me.
For months I've searched through resources looking for the approach that matched the desires of my heart. I haven't connected with the traditional approach to Christian lifestyle that I've seen in most settings today. The main purpose seems to be converting "non-believers". For years this has felt foreign and it hasn't brought me peace. It didn't feel right to say "I know God. You do not. You need to take xyz steps to become worthy of life." It didn't set right with me and I started to feel very distant from my Christian brothers and sisters who ascribed to such behavior. My main complaint was that they didn't look like Jesus to me. They didn't sound like Jesus and they didn't remind me of Jesus. They reminded me more of... Americans haha.
Anyway after studying numerous resources from other spiritual belief systems I still felt unfulfilled and my questions had not been answered. But I definitely gained perspective, insight, and wisdom as I realized how people of other faiths were seeing the world. Yet, they didn't teach me about who Jesus was. Although they helped me see common ground, which was nice. I decided to study the Gospels ALONE. And that's where I am now. I'm studying the Gospels until my belly is full and the Lord puts something else before me.
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