Giants In America

[bbyrd009]

Why be here with us even till the end of the world along with the Holy Spirit if all people need to do is to read about Him? Does not make even the tiniest bit of sense to me...

imo one reveals their heart in their interpretation of Scripture, which contains no absolute truth other than "God," even though most Christians would assure you It does. You don't find anyone arguing over Gone with the Wind, or The Catcher in the Rye.

 

[bbyrd009]

I just have a lot of trouble understanding why He is seen as someone not really that real, which surely all Christians say that they do believe.

can you rephrase this?

 

[Helen]

@pia I greatly admire your bravery heart ...in being open enough to share your personal encounters with the living Lord. Once we dare to do that, we lay ourselves openly vulnerable and transparent , which not many are willing to do....lest they be hurt or scorned.
I somewhere mentioned elsewhere that we had a friend who also knew nothing about The contents of the Bible as a book....but was taught face to face by The Living Book Himself!!
Thank you...enjoyed your posts.
Bless you....H.

 

[michaelvpardo]

You might notice that when God speaks in the pages of Old Testament scripture, Moses or the prophets, or their scribes, write things in the first person, and switch point of view between "the prophet" and God. The New Testament is almost entirely about what Christ has done for us or what He is doing through His church. God no longer needs to speak through anointed king or priest or prophet to make Himself known, but uses His word to introduce Himself in the person of His Son to all those who would receive Him. Even those who meet Him without the benefit of scripture, have usually heard of Him, have heard someone proclaiming the gospel, which is indeed from God's mouth to our ears. There could be no faith without hearing the word preached and no life without the breath of His Spirit received by faith in the Word made flesh, even our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some people like their god neatly tucked away on a shelf or stored away in a box, and this will always be objectionable to those who know and love Him.
My mind can always imagine God to be saying something which He hasn't said, but the Apostle points out that we have a more sure word in scripture. The written word is tested, tried, proven true. Some writings, such as from the proverbs, are not universally true, but express commonalities and conventional wisdom as generalized instruction for life. The Lord is entirely able to lead us by His Spirit alone, but since He allows us choice and desires that we choose good over evil, how should we be informed in our choices? By our own "evil" imagination?

 

[pia]

i think Christ's reading from the Torah, and His being sent to or at least coming from those with the Torah at least lend credence to the concept. But the concept of "love God and your neighbor" is plainly made paramount in the Book, as well as "see and not see" and even "a time will come when you no longer need It."

Yeah they had to have the written word, as they had no direct way to commune with God. At that time He was 'confined' to the inner sanctum inside the Holy of Holies, which is why the massive 'curtain' was rent from top to bottom once Jesus died. His other way was through those rare people who had a right (believing) heart before Him, those He knew He could call upon. But once Jesus finished what He had to do, it was a whole new 'ball game'. The Holy spirit was 'poured' out as it was foretold and through Him and the now resurrected Christ, our wonderful Father now had/has a way of having us 'with' Him and we have been given permission to 'boldly come to the throne of Grace'.
I love reading the Bible but I love direct communion with Him better, I have an easier time understanding things when He explains it to me, as opposed to when I am trying to figure out what has been written.
Anyway it's about believing who He is and who sent Him and then following Jesus' command ( not demand ) to Love. Every other thing added to that, seems to differ from one religious group to another. :)

 

[pia]

imo one reveals their heart in their interpretation of Scripture, which contains no absolute truth other than "God," even though most Christians would assure you It does. You don't find anyone arguing over Gone with the Wind, or The Catcher in the Rye.

Thanks for the giggle.....You are absolutely right in that :)

 

[Helen]

My mind can always imagine God to be saying something which He hasn't said, but the Apostle points out that we have a more sure word in scripture. The written word is tested, tried, proven true

And John said .." ....and much more more did Jesus say and do...if they were written in a book the world would not be able to contain it!"

Jesus said and did "much more" than we have now, written between the leather bound pages.
To God be the Glory!!

 

[pia]

@pia I greatly admire your bravery heart ...in being open enough to share your personal encounters with the living Lord. Once we dare to do that, we lay ourselves openly vulnerable and transparent , which not many are willing to do....lest they be hurt or scorned.
I somewhere mentioned elsewhere that we had a friend who also knew nothing about The contents of the Bible as a book....but was taught face to face by The Living Book Himself!!
Thank you...enjoyed your posts.
Bless you....H.

Thank you so much, and you are so right, lot of both hurt and scorn, but He always manages to get me smiling again, as do wonderful people such as yourself. You have a real 'presence' of peace, love and patience, which I don't often find. I have not read your account of your friend who was also taught by the Lord, would love to see it, if you're able to find it? Isn't it amazing though just how many things you and I have been taught the same , just by slightly different means ? Obviously the Holy Spirit and Jesus are the same , but you came up through church, and was open to listening to the Holy Spirit ( and many are not ) and you have had ears to hear and therefore heard lol.....Just marvelous !
By the way I got no notification of this post, I just came across it while replying to someone else ???
Thank you so much, it just happened that today I asked the Lord if I shouldn't have shared what I have, and then to see your encouragement here, means a lot, a whole lot ! Thank you so much again and truly I so enjoy your honesty and wisdom, and you have a great way with people, particularly the 'difficult' ones. You are a very special jewel indeed...... Blessings always Pia

 

[bbyrd009]

Yeah they had to have the written word, as they had no direct way to commune with God. At that time He was 'confined' to the inner sanctum inside the Holy of Holies, which is why the massive 'curtain' was rent from top to bottom once Jesus died. His other way was through those rare people who had a right (believing) heart before Him, those He knew He could call upon. But once Jesus finished what He had to do, it was a whole new 'ball game'. The Holy spirit was 'poured' out as it was foretold and through Him and the now resurrected Christ, our wonderful Father now had/has a way of having us 'with' Him and we have been given permission to 'boldly come to the throne of Grace'.
I love reading the Bible but I love direct communion with Him better

interesting analogies might be made there of one's maturation process also imo; we "forget our first love" when we come of age, perhaps, and proceed through legalism--hopefully--to the grace of maturity, evident in many elderly people.

 

[pia]

can you rephrase this?

I'm not sure how, I just find a lot of Christians see Him as someone very far off in heaven somewhere, who has had nothing to say or do for two thousand years, also a lot of them have a real problem understanding that when it says He was resurrected ( His body also ), it is a truth, not a metaphorical thing....Sorry 'bbyrd' I am not certain how else to put it?

 

[lforrest]

I feel bad in as much as I have to disagree with you on this, the reason being that I had been brought up in a family where God or religion in general was a totally taboo subject. Then when I was 30 years old, I had what people now call a 'near death experience' where Jesus revealed Himself to me, after saving me from a place I NEVER want to get anywhere near again.
Seriously you could have knocked me over with a breath, because I could have never even imagined in my wildest dreams, not just that He actually was real ( as Christians had been saying ), but that He had the ability to stand there, right in front of me and speak to me, and a bit later I was able to touch Him, He is actually able to be solid also.
That first night this happened He must have spent close to 5 1/2 - 6 hours with me, and He patiently answered every single question I put to Him, so He most assuredly can bring LIFE and understanding to us, without the aid of a Bible ( I didn't even get around to getting one till ca. 6 1/2 years later, when I first joined a fellowship) . During these past 33 odd years since, I have had encounters with Him such as that 8 times in all, but many more times where understanding has come through the Holy Spirit or where I have just heard Him instead of seeing Him..... I am reminded that in the Bible He is quoted as saying :" My sheep heareth My voice and a stranger they will not follow." Turns out He wasn't being metaphorical there.
Sorry it got so long, and I sincerely hope we can be in fellowship, even if we don't see eye to eye on all of it....Here's hoping ! Be blessed in KNOWING Him :) Pia

Thank you for sharing pia. The same Holy Spirit inspired the scriptures and he reveals them to us too. I'm sure he has a hand in the appearance of Jesus when he visited you.

The Bible is available to us when God seems far away. It is a witness to verify what we hear, because all revelations should agree with what has been written if it is something that can be verified.

I believe it is possible for someone to come to know Jesus without reading the Bible.

 

[pia]

I believe it is possible for someone to come to know Jesus without reading the Bible.

For sure. I must say I was very surprised when I finally did get hold of a Bible ( approx 6 1/2 years after that fateful night ) and people would come and show me things in it, I had shared with them which He had answered me or told me about. It wasn't written in the sort of 'kindergarten' way He gave it to me, but was still saying the same things. It really did astound me......Mind you, if I had just been reading the Bible, I am not sure at all that I would have understood it the same way . I have needed Him many times, to explain things to me, that I read in the Bible, prior to Him saying anything about a particular subject or passage, and maybe I have been a bit spoiled by Him, but I still prefer the 'child' way He has used so often for me. A friend reminded me today of one of the thieves on the cross next to Jesus, he didn't have a Bible or a church (catholic or otherwise) as well he wasn't baptized , and Jesus assured him that he would be with Him in Paradise. So we can gather from that, that Jesus saved this man, without any other to do. What a wonderful Lord we serve ! Thank you very much for your words of encouragement............. :)

 

[Sword]

I believe it is possible for someone to come to know Jesus without reading the Bible.

Native Americans new Jesus crusified

 

[lforrest]

For sure. I must say I was very surprised when I finally did get hold of a Bible ( approx 6 1/2 years after that fateful night ) and people would come and show me things in it, I had shared with them which He had answered me or told me about. It wasn't written in the sort of 'kindergarten' way He gave it to me, but was still saying the same things. It really did astound me......Mind you, if I had just been reading the Bible, I am not sure at all that I would have understood it the same way . I have needed Him many times, to explain things to me, that I read in the Bible, prior to Him saying anything about a particular subject or passage, and maybe I have been a bit spoiled by Him, but I still prefer the 'child' way He has used so often for me. A friend reminded me today of one of the thieves on the cross next to Jesus, he didn't have a Bible or a church (catholic or otherwise) as well he wasn't baptized , and Jesus assured him that he would be with Him in Paradise. So we can gather from that, that Jesus saved this man, without any other to do. What a wonderful Lord we serve ! Thank you very much for your words of encouragement............. :)

People may have a problem with Jesus appearing before the last day. I have heard too much about Jesus appearing not to believe theses testimonies. Not sure exactly how it is possible but I assume they are quickened in such a way that they can see Jesus.

 

[pia]

Not sure exactly how it is possible but I assume they are quickened in such a way that they can see Jesus.

Thank you for your kind words. When it first happened I just took it as it was, but once I got a Bible and began to fellowship with other believers, it became somewhat different in even my own mind. Not what had happened, but how !
Jesus coming for the whole world to see when it states He comes with all His saints, WILL be different ( mind you I am taking the Bibles word for that, I have not asked Him that directly, and straight up, EVERY time for more than a decade ( some time ago ) when I would ask Him about the Book of Revelation, to either tell me if it was true or what or when something was going to happen, He always told me to to back to Genesis.
After the first couple of times I felt a little sad, as I thought myself stupid, as to not get whatever it was He was wanting me to see, but then after a few more times, I started to realize that He was showing me a wealth of truth, from just the first couple of chapters, I mean an astounding amount of information. Prior to that, it had just been an account of the creation........Then He went on to do likewise with the Crucifixion and the events surrounding the before and after.
I do not know how to explain in plain English how He can be seated next to the Father and still somehow be with us, but I can pass on to you, that the last thing He said before that first encounter came to an 'end'....He said :" Remember ! I am always here whether you can see me or not." and as He said the last words he disappeared from my view but i could still hear Him. He is no doubt one of the most fascinating, wonderful and absolutely awesome people I have ever met, and the best is that He is no respecter of persons, so I HAVE to believe, that what He did for and with me, He is able to do with anyone. Thank you again............Blessings in Him Pia

 

[pia]

Native Americans new Jesus crusified

That is just amazing, and again very intriguing. He can obviously do whatever He desires as long as it is within the Fathers will. I think it's wonderful because it isn't always Christians who are trying to tell others about the Lord do a convincing job, so to speak.

 

[mjrhealth]

Summary from Posts# 157 and 158: you reject the Bible, and therefore do not believe the Word of God (Jesus Christ); and you worship a man you call Jesus.

And that means what,?? so many know the bible yet reject Jesus, who is the Word of God. Yes, christians have made the bible an idol in there hearts and raised it above Jesus and even God Himself.

 

[bbyrd009]

Yeah they had to have the written word, as they had no direct way to commune with God.

His other way was through those rare people who had a right (believing) heart before Him, those He knew He could call upon.

sounds like they had a direct way to commune with God?

and i'm out of time, so i'll just stick this here

MVP "My mind can always imagine God to be saying something which He hasn't said, but the Apostle points out that we have a more sure word in scripture."

makes a good point imo, that Word will not contradict Scripture, even if It might seem to in the moment sometimes. If some Word you have got seems to violate a commandment, for instance--does that ever happen?--more searching might be in order.

 

[bbyrd009]

I'm not sure how, I just find a lot of Christians see Him as someone very far off in heaven somewhere, who has had nothing to say or do for two thousand years, also a lot of them have a real problem understanding that when it says He was resurrected ( His body also ), it is a truth, not a metaphorical thing....Sorry 'bbyrd' I am not certain how else to put it?

ha it made perfect sense this morning lol, it was me. Yes, we are usually introduced to Jesus, the impersonal icon imo.

 

[bbyrd009]

That is just amazing, and again very intriguing. He can obviously do whatever He desires as long as it is within the Fathers will. I think it's wonderful because it isn't always Christians who are trying to tell others about the Lord do a convincing job, so to speak.

they had a "forgiving ceremony" for all the evil done to them @ the pipeline thing, i was floored by that. YT has a vid of it :)