Spiritual versus Religious

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marks

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Now, I am not sure I follow you :)

The jest of what I am saying is, we were given the best direction from Jesus (quoted in post #115). But given the task of preparing the church for the many centuries and generations of the church age, much of the New Testament epistles address the endurance needed and the needs of people, along with the main focus given by Jesus. But because of the long and winding road, the church and most in it have taken on the mindset of it being all about the journey or the race, rather than the prize. But it was the prize that Jesus preached and insisted should be first in priority. And that prize is the "spiritual" kingdom of God, and not of the world and the church's preoccupation for tending to the flock while they "wait upon the Lord" and even preach it so.

Yet "waiting upon the Lord" was borrowed from the time before Christ--and now the church has been acting as if He has not already come, and promised to come "quickly." Which borrowing has made them more than partially blind to those things of the spirit of God. It has caused them to turn their focus to the counsel of the church fathers which was not supposed to take precedence over spiritual matters, but simply be a comfort. So we have traded worldly comfort under the heading of charity, for the spiritual promises given by Jesus.

Thus... at this point in church history "spiritual" has nearly become a bad word, or at best a "feel good" word for those "of no worldly good." God is spirit, and Jesus has joined the Father in spirit, and we are to "follow", but if this post is at all read, even this forum will light up with more against all that is spiritual, than for.

So, the idea of "spiritual vs. religion" is like a sick joke. After 2000 years of Jesus knocking on spiritual doors, I can just hear Him saying, "Are you kidding me? Playing church and repeating the elementary principles of salvation--is barely 'Feed My lambs.' What happened to "Feed and tend My sheep?"
OK. Keeping in mind that I still think Jesus is returning to set up a kingdom with a temple and a throne and such, still, I hear much meaningful in what you say.

What should our state be now?

Do you know what I'm asking?

Much love!
 

Waiting on him

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The thing I’m hearing in all of this is what is lame? Peter coming to the man which is begging at the gate says to him in my opinion, money is not your answer.
If it were God would have supplied this through me. Get up and put off what’s lame and be responsible for your self. Or just sit here a while longer and the church will come along and give you some money.
 
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Waiting on him

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Same thing at Bethesda, “ I’m waiting on some one to carry me”
Jesus,
“Get up and be responsible for yourself.”
 
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Waiting on him

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Most churches are handing out serpents,
When what is needed are fish.

This way we can go to church, and Glory in the good deeds we’ve done, in the name of Jesus of course?
 

ScottA

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OK. Keeping in mind that I still think Jesus is returning to set up a kingdom with a temple and a throne and such, still, I hear much meaningful in what you say.

What should our state be now?

Do you know what I'm asking?

Much love!
I do. What should our status be now?

We should have perceived the signs of the times of Christ (and I mean those who were there and everyone who has read of it).

I mean...He was really clear: "I am the Beginning and the End", "God is spirit", "the words that I speak to you are spirit", "I go to the Father", "It is finished", "Behold, I am coming quickly!","Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

Apparently, most have not actually believed Him.
 
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marks

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The thing I’m hearing in all of this is what is lame? Peter coming to the man which is begging at the gate says to him in my opinion, money is not your answer.
If it were God would have supplied this through me. Get up and put off what’s lame and be responsible for your self. Or just sit here a while longer and the church will come along and give you some money.

Have you considered . . . this man who was lame, at the Beautiful gate, begging, and everybody knew him. He'd been lame a long long time, so, just curious, why hadn't he been healed by Jesus?

Much love!
 

Waiting on him

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Have you considered . . . this man who was lame, at the Beautiful gate, begging, and everybody knew him. He'd been lame a long long time, so, just curious, why hadn't he been healed by Jesus?

Much love!
The Spirit had just recently been given
 

marks

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The Spirit had just recently been given
What I'm asking is, why wouldn't Jesus have healed him? This was a guy who was known for begging being lame, everybody knew him. Jesus was at the temple often enough, so, just thinking here, why hadn't the man been healed already?

Much love!
 

Waiting on him

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What I'm asking is, why wouldn't Jesus have healed him? This was a guy who was known for begging being lame, everybody knew him. Jesus was at the temple often enough, so, just thinking here, why hadn't the man been healed already?

Much love!
Maybe the religious system he was backed up too was encouraging him to be lame
 
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Waiting on him

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What would happen if just one person filled with the Spirit approached a man sitting on the street curb, and said arise be responsible for yourself?
Instead we toss a few coins and announce it’s all I have? Go to church and glory in what we’ve done.
I would suggest a few coins was all they had
 
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marks

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Maybe the religious system he was backed up too was encouraging him to be lame

I imagine things like, God wanted the authenticate the Apostle's preaching, so God saved the man aside, maybe, "Oh, you just missed Jesus again!" No!!!

Or maybe, he didn't have the faith to be healed, and let Jesus walk right by him, and never asked.

Can you imagine, year after year after year, being carried about to do your proffession, sitting in the way begging, seeing 1000's and 1000's healed, but not you, and then Jesus is gone.

So, all my friends, they're all working good jobs now, healthy, whole, while I still lay here an beg, for the rest of my miserable life! Money? Any money?

No? No money? What? Stand up?

Much love!
 
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Waiting on him

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I imagine things like, God wanted the authenticate the Apostle's preaching, so God saved the man aside, maybe, "Oh, you just missed Jesus again!" No!!!

Or maybe, he didn't have the faith to be healed, and let Jesus walk right by him, and never asked.

Can you imagine, year after year after year, being carried about to do your proffession, sitting in the way begging, seeing 1000's and 1000's healed, but not you, and then Jesus is gone.

So, all my friends, they're all working good jobs now, healthy, whole, while I still lay here an beg, for the rest of my miserable life! Money? Any money?

No? No money? What? Stand up?

Much love!
Complacency?
 

David kilmer

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Yes...we were created to be connected - I think we were created to love perfectly. But apart from Christ our desire to connect becomes misguided towards objects and objectifying people. We serve our flesh / false self / old man / ego, instead of God.
What false self? ARe YOU living in the past?

I believe Hell is radical individualism, isolation, mind torture, and an inability to ever connect with God. I also see it as a place where you feel cheated, dissatisfaction, unfulfilled, haunted, and completely right - Ego right - dead right.....
This can happen to any of God. But isn't money important? I may have had that happen but I love money.
Christianity is unity surrender and love
To be christian isn't bad.
However.... Not all definitions of some living being are always supposed to be bad.