Posts by Michael Moore3

shadownomad4 said:And my friend Michael Moore3, you have misunderstood me.

Look, Jesus is the sole mediator between God and humanity, and all you need to do is invite Him into your life. If He is as real as I have been telling you all this time, He will prove it to you. That is how it works. Until then, here are the testimonies of a guru who did exactly that and was followed by 400 disciples. Please watch until the end; it is quite fascinating to see how Jesus entered his life, and how He eventually came to the disciples and told them that everything he had taught them up to that point was a lie.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.ph...171cca8f8dbc5f

Since you asked me to take a look at your version of the Truth, I’m asking the same of you; please, consider my perspective:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...29460246678761
To be fair, mine runs a bit longer than yours does, so perhaps just watch the first 26 minutes to match the length of your video, and feel free to ignore the rest if you aren't feeling it.

Brian Thomas612 said:Of course, that doesn't mean we have to dismiss the idea that Jesus existed as a real person.
I was thinking about this the other day while watching a documentary, and it occurred to me that maybe those astrological shifts mentioned in the film—you know, things like stars aligning into a cross, the sun dipping low for three days before heading back up, or the Earth's rotation moving through different zodiac signs—might just be happening in sync with the arrival of great teachers like Jesus and others throughout history who share similar traits... 🤷

It is somewhat curious how certain ancient teachers are exceptionally well-documented—take Buddha, for instance, who predates Jesus—whereas Jesus lacks that same level of direct record, despite living during an era characterized by quite sophisticated bureaucracy and census-taking.

shadownomad4 said:Lies. Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, and lies from Satan.

Quickly now—douse me in holy water! Say a prayer for me so we can cast out Satan! Or just drag me out into the sunlight and let me crumble into ash... though I suppose that’s more of a vampire thing, isn't it?
🙄

shadownomad4 said:"I am the Path, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the father except through me."

Could it not have been stated more clearly? If there were any other option, he wouldn't have said "except through me."

You should check out the documentary "Zeitgeist"
In it, you might see how Jesus appeared throughout different eras of history within various cultures under different personas. What all these figures share—including Jesus—is that they don't represent a physical person, but rather the sun's journey across the sky. Jesus's death after three days and his resurrection represents the time of year when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky (which lasts three days), followed by the days getting longer (the resurrection). That’s why Jesus's life is celebrated at this same time every year.

Just as American religion evolved from ancient Egyptian roots (which I mentioned before regarding the word "Amen" and the transcription of much of the Bible from the Egyptian Book of the Dead), the Egyptians believed God was invisible. Like many ancient peoples, they felt you could only perceive the divine through creation, and the most brilliant of those creations is the sun. The point is: you can't see God directly, but you can see God's sun—His son.

So, what Jesus claims holds up if you interpret it through the lens of the ancient beliefs that gave rise to Christianity.

Here are a few more examples:
You know the story about the wedding at Cana?
Cana is actually Canaan; Americans celebrate weddings to mark the union of Yahweh (masculine energy) and nature (the earth) during the spring—when the heavy rains begin to fertilize the soil. The mother asks Jesus to turn water into wine (essentially asking the sun to pull the water up so the vines can produce grapes). And that is how Jesus turned water into wine...

The story where Jesus feeds the multitudes with fish on a mountain:
The fish is a symbol of Christianity. He didn't physically feed people fish; he fed their spirits with his teachings (Christian doctrine).

And here is some symbolism for you:
The name Israel:
IS-RA-EL refers to three distinct Old Testament deities: ISIS, AMON RA (the sun), and EL (Saturn).

shadownomad4, Jesus's teaching is one truth and one way, but certainly not the only one. Believing it is the only way simply because "that's what he said" makes you a follower who doesn't understand why they do what they do, justifying their actions through a higher purpose they can't grasp or even see—they just believe.
That kind of belief leads to many errors because it removes individual responsibility, especially since one attributes their own actions to divine intervention through themselves, as seen in your example.

Angela Hall30 said:Well, nothing special, really... he was part of their little group, but the second they heard the direction his teachings were heading, they kicked him to the curb. And the woman standing up there on the stage—you know, the one acting all intensely focused, claiming she was tracking the astral vibrations—she actually leaned over to her colleague and whispered, "See? I knew they were here."
Just a bunch of pretentious, middle-aged suburbanites playing at being occultists. It reminds me of that amateur crew over at www.hermeticism.com.
Believe me, I’ve encountered much more profound masters than these pretenders, and unlike these posers, the real ones don't feel the need to parade their ego around like trophies.

And which specific teaching was it that made them feel so threatened?

mistygull16 said:Look, I'm not trying to be all exclusive about it, but yeah, the motive could be profit or making a buck, or maybe just covering the rent so things run smoother and more often. Even if I pick up some free book, someone, somewhere, had to foot the bill for it. So, maybe you've actually got a point there. 🤷

I tend to approach things from the perspective that the Truth carries its own weight simply by existing. As for compensation, I don't see an issue with it, provided the motivation isn't just chasing the reward; if the rewards are merely a byproduct of being grateful for the knowledge gained, then money is perfectly fine.
Since we’re talking about expertise and finances, I should mention that the Tensegrity instructors in Washington, D.C., don't actually teach for a paycheck. They just ask the group to split the hall rental costs among everyone attending, which is how they handle it every single time. In short, nobody is out for personal profit or making a living off the lessons.

Angela Hall30 said:I had a buddy who once attended one of those Rosicrucian gatherings—and honestly? As soon as they caught wind of his interests, they suddenly claimed they’d had some sort of astral vision of him and promptly kicked him out of the hall...
So, there you have it—that's the deal with them, their supposed knowledge, and everything else that comes with it.

There’s always a few bad apples in any harvest, so I suppose it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that even that group of Rosicrucians might fail to live up to their own teachings.
And just to be clear regarding Rosenkreuz—I wasn't referring to their followers, but rather the actual teachings themselves.

That sounds like quite an interesting experience your friend had. Would it be asking too much to have you share a few more details about it with us?

mistygull16 said:I don't really care about how much someone charges for spiritual material or specific techniques. I mean, let's be real: just because we "buy" a technique doesn't mean we've suddenly bought spirituality. You still have to actually master the damn thing. When we pay, we're basically just paying for the room rental and the time those people spent putting the technique together, but it shouldn't turn into some shady business venture where people are just selling us smoke and mirrors. People tend to value things more when they're expensive, sure, but there needs to be some kind of accountability, otherwise, it's way too easy for scammers to operate in the gray areas.
So, for me, the price tag isn't the dealbreaker, though it can definitely tell you something about how organized they are or even the character of the people selling the technique.
At the end of the day, it's the spiritual background that actually matters!

I tend to feel that if money plays even the slightest role in motivation, it can't truly be called pure; I'm not saying that kind of knowledge is useless, just that it comes somewhat tainted.

Angela Hall30 said:Those "Rosicrucians" are nothing more than a bunch of eloquent, pseudo-intellectual fossils who gather for tea parties just to drone on about "spiritual" matters. Whatever they're handing out so freely? It isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

I think your bias against them might be keeping you from seeing the Truth tucked away in their teachings.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting they hold the monopoly on absolute Truth, but there is a certain weight to the insights they share simply because they offer them up for free, which arguably makes them more significant than many other doctrines out there...

shadownomad4 said:What matters to me is that you have heard the Truth, and it will find its way to your heart.

It is no coincidence that you noticed the similarity between me and that man. That is precisely why I sent you this clip, which I watched for several hours just before you did (please, believe me for my own sake, not yours, as I have nothing to gain from this). God is not a matter of coincidence; He works by aligning these things for us.
I leave you in peace and faith, trusting that you will become convinced of Him, just as both of us have in this instance.🙂

As I mentioned before, aside from my early steps on my spiritual path, I only really started diving deep into Jesus' teachings a few years back, spending a significant amount of time and focus reading through the book of life. It led to several insights I hadn't quite grasped before—like the idea that Jesus might not have actually died on the cross, but was instead quickly taken down through the influence of Joseph of Arimathea, who was a powerful figure and a follower of Jesus.
In the Gospel of Mark, it says:
"When the centurion standing by him saw what had happened, he said, 'Surely this man was the son of God.'"
...
"Pilate, seeing that the man was already dead, asked the centurion if he had died a long time ago."

It seems clear here that the centurion was devoted to Jesus, leading him to tell Pilate that he had already passed. Given how long and agonizing a death on the cross typically is, it makes sense why Pilate would be surprised that Jesus was already gone.
Regardless, Jesus was removed from the cross and immediately wrapped in linen along with myrrh—which acts as a very potent traditional remedy with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

But none of that is truly the point; the essence of Jesus' own play required an immense amount of willpower and a willingness to endure suffering without any selfish motive.

Ultimately, I’m sticking to my guns: Jesus represents one of many paths and truths, but certainly not the only one. When Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," he didn't say, "I am the *only* way, truth, and life," which is precisely the point you seem to be trying to drive home to me...

shadownomad4 said:And my friend Michael Moore3, you have misunderstood me.

Look, Jesus is the sole mediator between God and humanity, and all you need to do is invite Him into your life. If He is as real as I have been telling you all this time, He will prove it to you. That is how it works. Until then, here are the testimonies of a guru who did exactly that and was followed by 400 disciples. Please watch until the end; it is quite fascinating to see how Jesus entered his life, and how He eventually came to the disciples and told them that everything he had taught them up to that point was a lie.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.ph...171cca8f8dbc5f

I’ve looked into this quite thoroughly, trying to approach it without any judgment or doubt, just coming from a place of wanting to truly grasp what you're getting at

but honestly, all I see is a narrative that mirrors our own discussions here so closely that it feels as though you might have picked up certain threads from a guru and woven them into your own story

I’m also not buying what they're selling, mainly because that show where the guru was featured seems to have this odd habit of charging for God's word... for instance, in one episode discussing Messianic Jews (those who recognize Jesus as the Messiah), they were advertising this new "Power Bible," which was supposedly "free," yet you had to "donate" $5 just to cover production costs to actually receive it
for comparison, groups like the Rosenkreuzers share their teachings quite freely without demanding a fee to access their wisdom
generally speaking, any knowledge that comes with a price tag tends to be worthless to me

It is with a heavy heart that I have to admit you haven't convinced me, especially since it seems this particular guru hasn't actually read every religious text if he managed to skip over the Bible... it also appears his meditation was aimed at triggering specific feelings, which misses the whole point of meditation; those emotions are really just distractions that get in the way of true insight, and focusing on them only slows down the process

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

So, it seems it was actually possible to experience the Holy Spirit before Jesus arrived.
I suppose you can rationalize it however you like, though you seem to be admitting that Jesus' teachings aren't the only path to "heaven." If those leaders truly carried the Holy Spirit within them, wouldn't that make them teachers as well, given their success in spreading God's doctrine?

"Quote:"

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

Not knowing the Law doesn't really give you a pass when you go out and break it. That goes for human laws, sure, but it’s just as true for God's.
So, there’s actually a way to live in accordance with the law even if you haven’t been formally introduced to the Gospel. Those are the other truths I’ve been mentioning—the kind that don't strictly require a teacher for us to eventually grasp on our own, though having one around certainly makes the journey a bit smoother.

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

Well done.
You're only looking at it through that rigid lens because you've basically anchored yourself so firmly to the Gospel that you refuse to acknowledge anything else.
The answer you're looking for is that the Gospel isn't the only truth out there; if you look closely, it's pretty obvious there are plenty of different paths and truths to find.

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

See, I find myself agreeing with this entirely, though I wouldn't include "Satan" or your "Holy Spirit" in the equation, but rather the Ego and Divine energy
since I am quite aware of how vital faith is to manifesting what one perceives...

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

Whoa, hold on a second! 😲
Are you truly suggesting you are so pure and worthy that you can act as a mediator between someone—in this instance, me—and God????

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

"Greatness" is perhaps a term reserved for the naive who follow him. To me, he isn't great...
it reminds me of a curious fact I read recently, where for nearly a century, people believed humans had 24 pairs of chromosomes, even though many knew there were actually 23 pairs—it was even visible in early chromosomal photography—but no one dared to contradict the "great" scientific authority who discovered them and miscounted...
it goes to show how relative "greatness" can be... much like your "teacher" who took material things from you in exchange for giving you something "spiritual"

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

Just remember that you were the one who came to us here, not the other way around. How is it that you weren't able to simply ignore us?

shadownomad4 said:If we assume that God shows mercy to those who have never heard the Gospel, then we run into an insurmountable logical problem. If people who have never heard the Good News are saved... then we ought to ensure that no one ever hears the Gospel. In that scenario, preaching the Good News to someone who will ultimately reject it becomes the worst thing we could possibly do, because they would then be condemned. People who don't hear the message of the Gospel must be condemned; otherwise, there is no motivation for evangelism. Why would we expose people to the danger of rejecting the Good News and facing condemnation—when they were previously saved simply because they had never heard the Gospel?
I copied this to save time, but I agree with everything written here.

I am not forcing you; perhaps that is just how it appears to you. However, having witnessed so many testimonies from people who have returned from Hell and Paradise, this conviction within me compels me to shout the Truth from the rooftops. Time is short, and the day is coming when there will no longer be any opportunity for salvation. If you disagree with me and refuse to accept anything I say, then please, just ignore me; I have nothing against you. I also know that it takes immense strength to tear down what Satan has spent years building within a person, and that process is painful until the old is destroyed and the true path is rebuilt.

I do not respect anything that comes from the devil. If I were to respect paths that do not lead to Jesus, I would be suggesting there are multiple ways, and there are not.

I didn't say "not even close to me" to elevate myself; I said it to describe how fiercely I used to oppose this science. I trust I am being clear.

Of course they weren't; the leaders were guided by the Holy Spirit.

A person possesses free will and acts by deciding which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Thought precedes action. A person without the Holy Spirit stands no chance of resisting Satan because they lack His power. You can possess a strong character and resolve, and you can succeed in doing so; furthermore, if you believe in what you are doing, you will find even greater success, as faith serves as the channel through which spiritual things materialize into the physical realm. Again, why would you care about earthly success when eternity is guaranteed? The only question is the destination you have chosen through your own free will.

Satan gained authority over the earth the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He holds that authority today, but he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Yes, God is omnipresent, but His power manifests only where there is a conscious Christian serving through the Holy Spirit in the way He intends—and that is always for the good of the people. The issue is that there are very few Christians today filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God reveals Himself less on earth. Essentially, just as God gave us free will, He does not manifest His presence without our invitation, which must, of course, align with His perfect will as revealed in Scripture.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

That is a deception from Satan. No one can approach God without an intermediary because your spirit isn't pure enough to stand before His holy presence. You would simply burn up if that were the case; however, since God knows this, He does not enter someone else's life without the Holy Spirit acting upon a person, serving as a mantle for us, through which God sees us just as He sees Jesus himself. Don't take this too literally. Therefore, the devil won't say, "Hey, it's me, not God," but rather he convinces you that it is Him and that you are "blessed."

It was like that for Maharishi, who is still cited today as a great figure in that field, but since that dream has passed, I am no longer interested, thank God.

I won't, nor is it my intention to linger here.

Yes, that was revealed to me. As for meditation, I have never experienced it in its full capacity because it operates strictly on a psychological level rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual plane is where one communicates with God; the psychological level remains confined to the mind and one's emotions.
🙂

No matter how you choose to spin it,
how on earth could you possibly know enough about me to even attempt a comparison?

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

But what about the people who live in total harmony with themselves and nature, folks who have never even heard of Jesus? Are they not "children of God" either? You still find tribes like that out in the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean...

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

Michael Moore3 said:The whole point of this discussion seems to be lost because everyone is misinterpreting Scripture and the actual teachings of Jesus.
History has repeatedly demonstrated how such flawed interpretations give rise to entire religions, ultimately fueling the very evil they claim to oppose.

It isn't necessarily the truth that everything done in Jesus' name originates from God, even when it seems perfectly aligned with Scripture. Our subjective perception of what constitutes acting "in Jesus' name" is really just part of our own internal filter—the lens we use to decide whether our actions are righteous or wrong. In your case, I can see how you've convinced yourself that your approach is the right one, constantly reinforcing that certainty by layering Bible verses over your arguments to give your own opinions the label of being "good."
But this version of "good" you’re pushing around seems to be nothing more than what you personally define it to be.
They say the road to hell is paved with nothing but good intentions.
So, you’ve gone and tripped yourself up by trying to spread the Holy Spirit, even if your intentions were clearly coming from a good place.
In your first post, you mentioned having read most of the literature we discuss and using meditative techniques that ultimately just drifted you further away from the actual truth. If that claim holds water, then you surely realize that we are all navigating this search for truth entirely on our own; after all, true insight isn't something that can be achieved as a group effort.

If you truly believe your version of the truth is working and has steered you toward the right path, I struggle to see why there's such an urge to push it onto the rest of us. Wouldn't it be more fulfilling to simply sit back, enjoy what you've found, and let it speak for itself?

Truth doesn't need to be forced; it’s inherently good, possessing a certain grace akin to a beautiful melody or the refreshing clarity of spring water. It requires no heavy-handed promotion or artificial embellishment, as it naturally does its work—quietly dispelling darkness and drawing the light toward itself.
And if there’s one thing that really matters, she doesn't need to lean on anything from the Bible, the Quran, or the Torah... she just speaks for herself.

I’m of the mind that karma operates in the present moment—it’s happening right now—even if the actual fallout doesn't manifest until later. This also leaves a little window open to potentially mitigate or heal a future "penalty," provided the bill hasn't already come due.
Let's put it this way:
If you’ve gone and done something that messes with your karma—sending you down a jagged little path where you can clearly see the wreckage ahead—you might still find a way to pivot. Perhaps there's a chance to nudge yourself back toward a slightly less disastrous trajectory before the inevitable impact hits.
Karma is just as unpredictable as our material lives here in the States; perhaps someone truly earned a fatal collision today, yet they manage to do something that softens the blow, leaving them with nothing more than a wrecked car and a narrow escape.
And that is exactly what karma looks like.

So, one could argue that settling the score for ten lifetimes is actually possible, given that our spirit is timeless and isn't tethered to the constraints of matter.

It’s a mistake, really, to view karma through such a purely material lens.

Why are you trying to force me to accept your "God"? Where does this urge come from—this need to pull me, or anyone else, into this shared "holiness" with you? If you're really a follower of Jesus, then you should know He never used force; He simply shared the truth, and the truth was what drew disciples and followers to Him...
Can't you see that you're making a mistake here?

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

Just respect other people's right to choose, even if their choice looks wrong to you. Just respect it...

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

The ego—or Satan, if you prefer—is pushing you to act superior to me, but if that makes you feel better, I'll gladly concede that you have more "experience" than I do, whatever it is you think you gained from it.
because, as I've mentioned before:

Michael Moore3 said:Perhaps I haven't offered anything entirely novel, though it seems you've only just begun to grasp these concepts through Jesus' teachings—likely because they come in a much more "appealing" package.
Realizations like these are similar to learning to view each new day as a gift; some people don't start doing that until a tragedy strikes and forces their eyes open, while others arrive there simply by observing the flow of life. I wonder which of them has "better" or more "correct" understanding? Or perhaps, in the end, they both understand just as deeply.

The issue is actually that I am NOT contradicting you; rather, I am pointing out that we are discussing the exact same thing, just using different terminology—you call it by your terms, and I call it by mine. There is no fundamental difference in our interpretations, except that I recognize we are talking about the same reality, whereas you stubbornly insist yours is the only true version.
You see, these are those many truths I have mentioned before; they are like colors in a spectrum... all of them constitute a single truth, but the distinction between your color and mine is merely a matter of hue. Furthermore, I acknowledge your color (if you look closely at my posts, I have never claimed Jesus was wrong), yet you refuse to acknowledge mine, insisting instead that ONLY Jesus holds the truth.

Regarding the idea of "helping" someone: I am not trying to help you, nor has that ever been my intention. I am simply dismantling the prejudices you’ve voiced to everyone here. I am not attempting to defend what you attacked; I am merely asserting the Truth regarding what you attacked.
On the other hand, you walked in here acting like a sheriff, telling us all we were wrong and attempting to lead us onto the "right path" with your ultimate truth. And there it is—that is how religion begins... you've created a divide between us even though we are both advocating for love and peace. Was such a division necessary? Do we truly need "help" just because we don't refer to Jesus as the "Son of God," even though we live in accordance with His teachings?

It all sounds rather abstract and fairy-tale-like, doesn't it? Christ lives within you.I suppose if you said that to someone who wasn't in on the joke, they might take it the wrong way. It would probably remind them of that scene in the movie *Alien* where the creature bursts out of someone's chest—because apparently, there’s "something" living inside me.
It’s pretty obvious that phrases like these feel completely foreign to anyone who doesn't quite grasp the nuance, making them incredibly difficult to accept since they can be interpreted in just about any direction you care to look at them.
It feels more accurate to say that once we finally get a handle on our material Ego, we achieve a true awareness of our various parts—their morality and their integrity—which naturally manifests as a sense of harmony with everything around us, both physically and spiritually.

I suppose I am here. You’re proving it. Truth.?
I honestly can't wrap my head around how you don't see just how incredibly nonsensical that sounds. Truth doesn't exactly need to provide its own credentials to prove it's the Truth. Truth carries its own weight, existing as its own proof without needing anyone else to validate it.
And there you have it—the classic move of washing one's hands clean by simply dismissing inconvenient realities as nothing more than "delusions sent by Satan." It’s quite a convenient way to dodge the facts, isn't it? But it makes me wonder: who exactly is this Satan we keep hearing about? What is his actual motive for doing any of this?

It seems there are quite a few of us who find ourselves placing our faith in the various teachings of many different instructors.

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

So what about the people before Jesus? What about the people in the Old Testament? Moses? Were they ALL under Satan's control?

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

But where is the actual "person" in all of this? I mean, if you claim that a person receives thoughts either from the Holy Spirit or from Satan... then where is the individual? What even is a human being? Are we just robots being steered by these "forces"? Where does free will fit in?
plus, how can such a person do anything of their own volition that isn't pleasing to God if they seemingly can't help themselves because Satan has taken hold and is controlling them...
I honestly don't see how you can't hear how untrue that sounds...

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

Go ahead and give me a clear answer on this:
If God is supposedly everywhere and in everything, where exactly is He when Satan is busy pulling the strings and leading people straight into hell? Does He just hide away, or is He simply sitting back and watching the whole thing unfold in silence?

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

It’s basically just saying that things are what they are, and if they weren't, they would be, but since they are, well, they simply are—because that's just how it goes.
And most of what you say sounds exactly like that...

shadownomad4 said:I will continue to say the same thing over and over until your mind finally accepts the realization.
Jesus is the only Way, and there is no other way!!!!!

I believed in everything you did, which makes me your ally. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because the details are irrelevant now.

When I was in your position, I didn't struggle even half as much as I did against what I advocate for now. I was even the leader of a New Age community, but once I experienced the freedom found in Jesus—that fullness of fullness—I realized You are the King of the Universe and the only one who truly exists; everything else is just delusion and spiritual coddling.

You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—specifically through the Holy Spirit—then you aren't truly a child of God. This means being a child of God is reserved solely for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master, and Savior...

The Holy Spirit is our gift here on Earth; He is the one who executes God's will in this world. Without Him, you are connected only to one entity, and that is Satan. Whether you are aware of it or not, he maintains his influence over you until you choose to let Jesus into your life. Only Jesus holds authority over Satan; no one else does.

Satan is a spiritual being who commands a kingdom of dark forces—spirits that are entirely subject to him and carry out his work. This includes spirits of lust, spirits of addiction, spirits of religiousness, spirits of sorrow, and spirits of depression. Each of these specializes in exerting pressure on human thoughts. Essentially, the thoughts you receive come from either God—via the Holy Spirit or angels—or from Satan and his spirits. They attempt to steer your thinking toward their own counsel or push you to act in ways that are not pleasing to God.

Satan's greatest victory is when a person has absolutely no idea he even exists. God said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Therefore, Satan’s strategy is to keep you trapped in delusions and behaviors that dishonor God so that he may maintain control over you. His ultimate goal is to ensure you do not find salvation through Jesus, leading you to a place where God does not want you: Hell.

There it is. That is the reality of the matter. If I am not being perfectly clear, it is simply because I am speaking from my own personal insights; I don't possess the specific gift that some of my friends have to articulate these things in a way that is effortlessly accessible to everyone.

I will say it again: one cannot enter into divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit guiding them. There is often a counter-pressure from a spirit whose sole purpose is to prevent you from understanding. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is not acting as your guide; rather, that other spirit is exerting influence. That spirit has the power to cloud your mind and block spiritual insight. It doesn't even matter which specific spirit it is—all that matters is that it is not from God.
Why? Because children of God exist only within the shelter of Jesus. Why only through Jesus? Because God is one, and he who has no Son has no Father. That is what the Bible says, and it is what I have become convinced of after a long period of searching through various alternative paths and such.

I bless you in Jesus's name, and I pray that the Lord Jesus grants you all the knowledge of Him that you need to live out the fullness of life that God intended for us—both here and in Heaven with Him forever. Amen.

Thanks, but I don't really feel the need for some middleman to petition God on my behalf when He’s already providing me with direct insight myself.

shadownomad4 said:

mistygull16 As stated by:
Question for shadownomad4
How many years have you been practicing meditation—if I recall correctly, you mentioned Transcendental Meditation—and just how consistent has your practice been?
I believe we all understand that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to spiritual practice; as human beings, our needs are inherently diverse. If a particular technique isn't resonating with you, it simply suggests a need for a different approach—it doesn't mean the original method was flawed. In your specific case, it seems your inclinations might lean more heavily toward the bhakti component, which would naturally call for meditative techniques that align with that devotion. However, I must offer a word of caution: what is most likely to distance you from God is your own exclusivity.
Let me try to illustrate this point by sharing a story.
There was once a student who was taught by his guru that God resides within the heart of every living being, and he was instructed to live his life in accordance with that truth. This sentiment echoes the teachings of Jesus, who pointed out the hypocrisy of anyone claiming to love God while failing to love their neighbor. After all, how can someone claim to love a God they cannot see if they are unable to show love to the person standing right in front of them?
There was once a student who lived strictly by the instruction to honor every living creature, believing that God resides within every single heart. On one occasion, he traveled into a bustling city, only to find the streets deserted. People were fleeing in terror because a massive elephant had gone rogue, charging through the streets and demolishing everything in its path. Despite the chaos, the student remained unmoved. He ignored the frantic warnings of the locals, refusing to seek cover simply because he held fast to the conviction that God dwelt within the heart of that very elephant. The citizens continued to shout at him, pleading with him to get out of the way before the beast reached him, but he found little reason to listen to mere mortals when his Teacher had already declared that God is present in all things. Ultimately, his unwavering devotion offered him no protection. When the elephant finally closed the distance, his singular focus proved useless. As it turned out, even the elephant seemed amused; it appeared quite content to find that it wasn't the only mad thing in town—there was now a student even more irrational than itself, standing his ground against a rampaging beast.
What else could one possibly expect? Our naive little student barely managed to escape with his life before fleeing in a rage to his teacher, demanding to know why he had been told that God resides within all living things. He was, quite understandably, livid after the ordeal he had just endured with that elephant. To this, the teacher simply replied that he had failed to recognize God in the very people who had tried to warn him, choosing instead to acknowledge the divine only through the lens of a maddened elephant.

Common sense always takes precedence over written doctrine; that is where true wisdom begins.
The concept of scripture is fundamentally irrational; it is nothing more than a mechanism for exclusivity.

I’ve been dedicated to this practice for two years now, only missing a single evening because something urgent came up. I have always been an incredibly disciplined student, and my goal was to move on to the advanced course, but at the time, I simply didn't have the funds to make that happen—you might be familiar with the Flying technique. It was honestly discouraging to realize I needed to shell out $1,100 just to advance my spiritual journey when I was so hungry for growth. In reality, though, I’ve learned that chasing spiritual phenomena is a distraction. Miracles, whether they seem to come from God or from the devil, don't actually lead us closer to Him. What truly matters is a devotion to the truth; once you establish that, everything else naturally follows. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a Christian can't have profound spiritual experiences at a higher level, or that someone can only experience out-of-body sensations through meditation. I have had those experiences myself, as have many of my friends who remain open enough to receive them, and such moments are never without purpose. However, that sensation itself isn't the ultimate goal, nor is anything similar to it. The true objective is His presence through the Holy Spirit—a state where you can simply sit in one place for hours, abiding in Him, and receiving everything you need directly from the Lord.

The fundamental difference is this: when you walk with Him, you have the absolute certainty that you are on the right path. He is the only one who declared Himself to be the Way. When you operate through Him, you carry His power within you; you lay hands on the sick in His name, and they are healed. But after you meditate, you find you can no longer simply lay hands on the suffering in some arbitrary name just to see what happens—you can only look upon them with compassion, realizing you have no power of your own. Now, go ahead and try to tell me that "bioenergy" is a viable alternative. I’ve actually practiced it myself; I worked with people and they genuinely felt better, right up until the moment the illness struck them again. Because they had relied on a mere energy rather than a Name, they had nothing to stand against the sickness when it returned, leaving them without healing. It simply doesn't work that way. Attempting to heal through such means only breeds dependency on the practitioner instead of reliance on God. The ultimate goal for any Christian is to help others become self-sufficient—to ensure they are reliant solely on God, rather than on any mere human being.

I am quite far from there, my apologies.

Any knowledge that comes with a price tag is essentially worthless.
If your "teacher" was actually asking for money to pass on their wisdom, then they were never truly connected to spirituality in the first place; it’s hardly surprising you're dismissing other traditions when you haven't even been granted any real insight.

Please, spare me the comparisons between your little "insights" gained from paid meditation sessions and the truths I am discussing, because they don't even exist in the same universe.

shadownomad4 said:

mistygull16 As stated by:
Question for shadownomad4
How many years have you been practicing meditation—if I recall correctly, you mentioned Transcendental Meditation—and just how consistent has your practice been?
I believe we all understand that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to spiritual practice; as human beings, our needs are inherently diverse. If a particular technique isn't resonating with you, it simply suggests a need for a different approach—it doesn't mean the original method was flawed. In your specific case, it seems your inclinations might lean more heavily toward the bhakti component, which would naturally call for meditative techniques that align with that devotion. However, I must offer a word of caution: what is most likely to distance you from God is your own exclusivity.
Let me try to illustrate this point by sharing a story.
There was once a student who was taught by his guru that God resides within the heart of every living being, and he was instructed to live his life in accordance with that truth. This sentiment echoes the teachings of Jesus, who pointed out the hypocrisy of anyone claiming to love God while failing to love their neighbor. After all, how can someone claim to love a God they cannot see if they are unable to show love to the person standing right in front of them?
There was once a student who lived strictly by the instruction to honor every living creature, believing that God resides within every single heart. On one occasion, he traveled into a bustling city, only to find the streets deserted. People were fleeing in terror because a massive elephant had gone rogue, charging through the streets and demolishing everything in its path. Despite the chaos, the student remained unmoved. He ignored the frantic warnings of the locals, refusing to seek cover simply because he held fast to the conviction that God dwelt within the heart of that very elephant. The citizens continued to shout at him, pleading with him to get out of the way before the beast reached him, but he found little reason to listen to mere mortals when his Teacher had already declared that God is present in all things. Ultimately, his unwavering devotion offered him no protection. When the elephant finally closed the distance, his singular focus proved useless. As it turned out, even the elephant seemed amused; it appeared quite content to find that it wasn't the only mad thing in town—there was now a student even more irrational than itself, standing his ground against a rampaging beast.
What else could one possibly expect? Our naive little student barely managed to escape with his life before fleeing in a rage to his teacher, demanding to know why he had been told that God resides within all living things. He was, quite understandably, livid after the ordeal he had just endured with that elephant. To this, the teacher simply replied that he had failed to recognize God in the very people who had tried to warn him, choosing instead to acknowledge the divine only through the lens of a maddened elephant.

Common sense always takes precedence over written doctrine; that is where true wisdom begins.
The concept of scripture is fundamentally irrational; it is nothing more than a mechanism for exclusivity.

I’ve been dedicated to this practice for two years now, only missing a single evening because something urgent came up. I have always been an incredibly disciplined student, and my goal was to move on to the advanced course, but at the time, I simply didn't have the funds to make that happen—you might be familiar with the Flying technique. It was honestly discouraging to realize I needed to shell out $1,100 just to advance my spiritual journey when I was so hungry for growth. In reality, though, I’ve learned that chasing spiritual phenomena is a distraction. Miracles, whether they seem to come from God or from the devil, don't actually lead us closer to Him. What truly matters is a devotion to the truth; once you establish that, everything else naturally follows. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a Christian can't have profound spiritual experiences at a higher level, or that someone can only experience out-of-body sensations through meditation. I have had those experiences myself, as have many of my friends who remain open enough to receive them, and such moments are never without purpose. However, that sensation itself isn't the ultimate goal, nor is anything similar to it. The true objective is His presence through the Holy Spirit—a state where you can simply sit in one place for hours, abiding in Him, and receiving everything you need directly from the Lord.

The fundamental difference is this: when you walk with Him, you have the absolute certainty that you are on the right path. He is the only one who declared Himself to be the Way. When you operate through Him, you carry His power within you; you lay hands on the sick in His name, and they are healed. But after you meditate, you find you can no longer simply lay hands on the suffering in some arbitrary name just to see what happens—you can only look upon them with compassion, realizing you have no power of your own. Now, go ahead and try to tell me that "bioenergy" is a viable alternative. I’ve actually practiced it myself; I worked with people and they genuinely felt better, right up until the moment the illness struck them again. Because they had relied on a mere energy rather than a Name, they had nothing to stand against the sickness when it returned, leaving them without healing. It simply doesn't work that way. Attempting to heal through such means only breeds dependency on the practitioner instead of reliance on God. The ultimate goal for any Christian is to help others become self-sufficient—to ensure they are reliant solely on God, rather than on any mere human being.

I am quite far from there, my apologies.

Based on what I've gathered from books on the subject, various distractions like feelings of euphoria or supernatural abilities can arise during the meditative journey toward enlightenment, but they are merely things that pull a practitioner away from the true path of meditation...
It's quite clear that your perception of meditation is fundamentally flawed.

Way to go, mistygull16; you've really hit on a profound truth here.👍

shadownomad4 said:And you truly believe you’ve shared some profound revelation that I didn't encounter years ago while meditating myself. Honestly, I don't know what more could be said than a simple proverb: "One who cannot be advised cannot be helped." Or perhaps even better: "One who refuses to seek help cannot be helped." That is why I shared my perspective with you; I have walked the path you are currently stepping onto, yet you choose to contradict me once you arrive at my level.

By the way, a person who has sincerely surrendered their life to Jesus no longer lives for themselves, because it is no longer they who live, but Christ who lives within them.

Perhaps I haven't offered anything entirely novel, though it seems you've only just begun to grasp these concepts through Jesus' teachings—likely because they come in a much more "appealing" package.
Realizations like these are similar to learning to view each new day as a gift; some people don't start doing that until a tragedy strikes and forces their eyes open, while others arrive there simply by observing the flow of life. I wonder which of them has "better" or more "correct" understanding? Or perhaps, in the end, they both understand just as deeply.

shadownomad4 said:And you truly believe you’ve shared some profound revelation that I didn't encounter years ago while meditating myself. Honestly, I don't know what more could be said than a simple proverb: "One who cannot be advised cannot be helped." Or perhaps even better: "One who refuses to seek help cannot be helped." That is why I shared my perspective with you; I have walked the path you are currently stepping onto, yet you choose to contradict me once you arrive at my level.

By the way, a person who has sincerely surrendered their life to Jesus no longer lives for themselves, because it is no longer they who live, but Christ who lives within them.

The issue is actually that I am NOT contradicting you; rather, I am pointing out that we are discussing the exact same thing, just using different terminology—you call it by your terms, and I call it by mine. There is no fundamental difference in our interpretations, except that I recognize we are talking about the same reality, whereas you stubbornly insist yours is the only true version.
You see, these are those many truths I have mentioned before; they are like colors in a spectrum... all of them constitute a single truth, but the distinction between your color and mine is merely a matter of hue. Furthermore, I acknowledge your color (if you look closely at my posts, I have never claimed Jesus was wrong), yet you refuse to acknowledge mine, insisting instead that ONLY Jesus holds the truth.

Regarding the idea of "helping" someone: I am not trying to help you, nor has that ever been my intention. I am simply dismantling the prejudices you’ve voiced to everyone here. I am not attempting to defend what you attacked; I am merely asserting the Truth regarding what you attacked.
On the other hand, you walked in here acting like a sheriff, telling us all we were wrong and attempting to lead us onto the "right path" with your ultimate truth. And there it is—that is how religion begins... you've created a divide between us even though we are both advocating for love and peace. Was such a division necessary? Do we truly need "help" just because we don't refer to Jesus as the "Son of God," even though we live in accordance with His teachings?

shadownomad4 said:And you truly believe you’ve shared some profound revelation that I didn't encounter years ago while meditating myself. Honestly, I don't know what more could be said than a simple proverb: "One who cannot be advised cannot be helped." Or perhaps even better: "One who refuses to seek help cannot be helped." That is why I shared my perspective with you; I have walked the path you are currently stepping onto, yet you choose to contradict me once you arrive at my level.

By the way, a person who has sincerely surrendered their life to Jesus no longer lives for themselves, because it is no longer they who live, but Christ who lives within them.

It all sounds rather abstract and fairy-tale-like, doesn't it? Christ lives within you.I suppose if you said that to someone who wasn't in on the joke, they might take it the wrong way. It would probably remind them of that scene in the movie *Alien* where the creature bursts out of someone's chest—because apparently, there’s "something" living inside me.
It’s pretty obvious that phrases like these feel completely foreign to anyone who doesn't quite grasp the nuance, making them incredibly difficult to accept since they can be interpreted in just about any direction you care to look at them.
It feels more accurate to say that once we finally get a handle on our material Ego, we achieve a true awareness of our various parts—their morality and their integrity—which naturally manifests as a sense of harmony with everything around us, both physically and spiritually.

shadownomad4 said:The Holy Spirit is a Person, and He was given to us on this earth to serve as our guide.

I am here to demonstrate the Truth, which is Jesus. Nothing more and nothing less; He stands alongside the Truth as the only Way and the only Life. Anything else is merely a delusion provided by Satan.

I suppose I am here. You’re proving it. Truth.?
I honestly can't wrap my head around how you don't see just how incredibly nonsensical that sounds. Truth doesn't exactly need to provide its own credentials to prove it's the Truth. Truth carries its own weight, existing as its own proof without needing anyone else to validate it.
And there you have it—the classic move of washing one's hands clean by simply dismissing inconvenient realities as nothing more than "delusions sent by Satan." It’s quite a convenient way to dodge the facts, isn't it? But it makes me wonder: who exactly is this Satan we keep hearing about? What is his actual motive for doing any of this?

silentcyclist3 said:Man, I believe in Buddha and Jesus!
What happens to me then? 😢 🙂

"....if the Vedas were...." You don't have a clue who Jesus is. Because if you did, you wouldn't be spitting on the Vedas! 👎

I sincerely hope that one day you start actually feeling things instead of just stubbornly rattling off definitions you were taught.

Oh God!
The limits of your arrogance are as endless as the human imagination...

It seems there are quite a few of us who find ourselves placing our faith in the various teachings of many different instructors.

shadownomad4 said:The Truth isn't truly within you until the Holy Spirit resides within you. Right now, what you're experiencing is a lie because you are being guided by a spirit that provides a "functional delusion"—it makes you believe in your own actions just to keep you going. That is precisely why Sin came: to reveal the Truth to you. But let's be honest, it is much easier to live a lie than to accept the Truth, because accepting it means you have to walk away from the lifestyle you've built. So, you simply refuse to accept it.

It makes your head spin and leaves you feeling sick when you consider the possibility that you've been deceived all along. You can't even fathom it. You tell yourself, "There is no way I'm throwing away everything I've invested my whole life into!" Yet, a small part of you whispers, "But what if the Truth spoken by shadownomad4 is right? What if I've messed everything up?" And then, just like before, you shut it down: "Whatever, this isn't 'Truth,' I'm on the right path and I don't need to overthink it."

This cycle continues until you finally realize that there is only one Truth. If you truly love the Truth, you will inevitably find your way to Jesus, because He has always had a special interest in those seeking Him and has always drawn them close.

I have walked the very path you are on, and I know how difficult it was to strip away the doctrines I spent years absorbing through alternative studies. Now, thank God, I no longer have those nagging questions about eternity or God.🙂

I am fully convinced that everything else is an illusion except for Jesus, having personally explored all those "other ways." You can judge me however you like.

What you're describing is the Ego

And the Ego is an inherent part of who we are. The real issue lies exactly where you're pointing: people allowing their Ego to take the driver's seat. Since the Ego is rooted in matter, it behaves in a materialistic way, constantly striving for power.

So, it wasn't some external "Satan" pulling your strings or any other nonsense; it was simply you yielding to your own desires. And desire is the root of all suffering, as one of Christ's followers once spoke the Truth.
Essentially, your thought that you "received the Holy Spirit" only when you realized you aren't just "you"—but rather a combination of your true spiritual self seeking God's energy and your material self (the Ego) seeking worldly things like power—is quite telling.

shadownomad4 said:The Truth isn't truly within you until the Holy Spirit resides within you. Right now, what you're experiencing is a lie because you are being guided by a spirit that provides a "functional delusion"—it makes you believe in your own actions just to keep you going. That is precisely why Sin came: to reveal the Truth to you. But let's be honest, it is much easier to live a lie than to accept the Truth, because accepting it means you have to walk away from the lifestyle you've built. So, you simply refuse to accept it.

It makes your head spin and leaves you feeling sick when you consider the possibility that you've been deceived all along. You can't even fathom it. You tell yourself, "There is no way I'm throwing away everything I've invested my whole life into!" Yet, a small part of you whispers, "But what if the Truth spoken by shadownomad4 is right? What if I've messed everything up?" And then, just like before, you shut it down: "Whatever, this isn't 'Truth,' I'm on the right path and I don't need to overthink it."

This cycle continues until you finally realize that there is only one Truth. If you truly love the Truth, you will inevitably find your way to Jesus, because He has always had a special interest in those seeking Him and has always drawn them close.

I have walked the very path you are on, and I know how difficult it was to strip away the doctrines I spent years absorbing through alternative studies. Now, thank God, I no longer have those nagging questions about eternity or God.🙂

I am fully convinced that everything else is an illusion except for Jesus, having personally explored all those "other ways." You can judge me however you like.

Looking at what was written above, it's clear you've only just mastered the first step of understanding—recognizing your Ego. In other words, you're only at the very beginning of your Spiritual development and the pursuit of Truth.

It's hardly surprising that you haven't achieved anything through meditation while your Ego was running wild with thoughts and creating total confusion in your mind.

shadownomad4 said:Tihica, this isn't the Truth. Don't speak about things you haven't personally experienced.

4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the Church. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.

1 Corinthians 14:4, 14, 15

There is a distinct difference between the gift you mentioned and the gift given for one's own edification. There is another verse—though I can't recall the exact location—that states "when our spirit prays, it speaks the mysteries of God..." which implies that our spirit knows exactly what needs to be requested. When we pray in tongues prior to our conscious prayer, we receive answers in the Spirit. This differs from when we begin with our intellect (our native language); in those cases, we are limited by our reasoning. Instead, we should be guided by revelation coming through the Spirit, which sometimes may seem nonsensical given a difficult situation, yet the peace that descends upon our spirit tells us to press on toward the fulfillment of that prayer.

In our community, anyone who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit has automatically spoken in tongues; there is no one among us who hasn't. Some received this gift while praying with the Pastor or with brothers and sisters, while others experienced it privately at home. Tongues are an expression of our spirit rising within us when we decide to stand against Satan and his works. The Holy Spirit dwells in everyone who has prayed the prayer of salvation, though He does not manifest His power to those who do not believe in His gifts.
As we know, everything is dictated by our faith, and everything that happens to a Christian—or fails to happen—is reciprocal to their knowledge of who they are in Christ.

If we limit the operation of the Holy Spirit within ourselves, that is exactly what happens.
Would the Father give a snake if we asked Him for bread? You remember that verse, surely.
So, if you pray in Jesus' name for the expansion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and you already possess them within you, He will not give you anything from the devil.
If you are afraid, it means your faith is not complete and Love does not fully reign.
Therefore, relax and ask the Holy Spirit, who is within you as I can see, to fill you with His strength and reignite His gifts within you. You will witness His faithfulness, and in doing so, you will live in the full abundance of His blessings—not to mention how much more the Lord will be glorified through the use of your gifts for His glory.

I know you will tell me again that He gives the gift of tongues to some and the gift of interpretation to others. That is true; that gift becomes evident when God speaks in tongues through someone possessing the gift of interpretation for the entire Church. It never happens without the presence of the person holding that gift, and I have experienced this countless times myself. 1 Corinthians 14:5 "...that it may profit the Church."

Essentially, there is a difference between the gift of tongues for personal edification and the gift used to build up the Church.
Please, ask the Holy Spirit to grant you revelation on this before you move forward.
Blessings.

Well, here we go again: you’re contradicting yourself.
Because earlier, you wrote this:

shadownomad4 said:God has already judged Satan, and this has already taken place in the spirit; we are simply waiting for the fullness of time for it to be realized physically, otherwise God would not have created hell for him and the others.
I have no reason to hate him because he is defeated. For three days, Jesus dragged him through hell until the Resurrection, so that everyone could see WHO THE KING OF KINGS is. He took the keys of death, and there is absolutely no authority over a Christian who is aware of their authority in Christ.

As for forgiving him, I have nothing to forgive. Regarding what he did to me for years, I wasn't even aware of it—I wasn't aware of his influence. That gives you the answer: he operates through the unconscious, which is why Christians are equipped with the Holy Spirit, who awakens people through His voice speaking through them.

In the same way, he carries out his work, but once he sees he can do nothing to you, he retreats because the force within a Christian is almighty.
Every person should ask themselves how aware they are of their own unconsciousness. Once you receive Christ, His consciousness comes alive within you and shows you EVERYTHING, and you begin to live within His consciousness, which is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega.🙏

So, now you're claiming that speaking in tongues is how you oppose Satan, yet before that, you insisted you had broken ties with him—that there was no reason to hate him because he's already beaten. If he’s truly defeated, why the need to actively resist him? Shouldn't that imply he no longer has any interest in you or your faith, meaning you're fully devoted to God alone?

Generally speaking, the issue with the Bible is that it relies on Satan as a necessary foil to represent everything we should be striving against.

shadownomad4 said:Tihica, this isn't the Truth. Don't speak about things you haven't personally experienced.

4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the Church. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.

1 Corinthians 14:4, 14, 15

There is a distinct difference between the gift you mentioned and the gift given for one's own edification. There is another verse—though I can't recall the exact location—that states "when our spirit prays, it speaks the mysteries of God..." which implies that our spirit knows exactly what needs to be requested. When we pray in tongues prior to our conscious prayer, we receive answers in the Spirit. This differs from when we begin with our intellect (our native language); in those cases, we are limited by our reasoning. Instead, we should be guided by revelation coming through the Spirit, which sometimes may seem nonsensical given a difficult situation, yet the peace that descends upon our spirit tells us to press on toward the fulfillment of that prayer.

In our community, anyone who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit has automatically spoken in tongues; there is no one among us who hasn't. Some received this gift while praying with the Pastor or with brothers and sisters, while others experienced it privately at home. Tongues are an expression of our spirit rising within us when we decide to stand against Satan and his works. The Holy Spirit dwells in everyone who has prayed the prayer of salvation, though He does not manifest His power to those who do not believe in His gifts.
As we know, everything is dictated by our faith, and everything that happens to a Christian—or fails to happen—is reciprocal to their knowledge of who they are in Christ.

If we limit the operation of the Holy Spirit within ourselves, that is exactly what happens.
Would the Father give a snake if we asked Him for bread? You remember that verse, surely.
So, if you pray in Jesus' name for the expansion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and you already possess them within you, He will not give you anything from the devil.
If you are afraid, it means your faith is not complete and Love does not fully reign.
Therefore, relax and ask the Holy Spirit, who is within you as I can see, to fill you with His strength and reignite His gifts within you. You will witness His faithfulness, and in doing so, you will live in the full abundance of His blessings—not to mention how much more the Lord will be glorified through the use of your gifts for His glory.

I know you will tell me again that He gives the gift of tongues to some and the gift of interpretation to others. That is true; that gift becomes evident when God speaks in tongues through someone possessing the gift of interpretation for the entire Church. It never happens without the presence of the person holding that gift, and I have experienced this countless times myself. 1 Corinthians 14:5 "...that it may profit the Church."

Essentially, there is a difference between the gift of tongues for personal edification and the gift used to build up the Church.
Please, ask the Holy Spirit to grant you revelation on this before you move forward.
Blessings.

It is quite interesting to watch the two of you—both proponents of the Bible, both claiming to have reached a high level of insight into the Holy Spirit—bicker over the very thing that should be bringing you together: the interpretation of faith in the Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, nobody else here advocating for meditation or various truths seems to be contradicting one another with such intensity...

Tihica, I only partially agree with the idea that religions distort the image of God; personally, I find religion to be a complete detour in the search for God.

However, I have to disagree with your premise that God is a person. That line of thinking usually leads to the misconception that Jesus is God, which isn't quite right. Jesus never claimed to be God himself... though he did frequently refer to himself as the Son of God, just as he noted we are all children of God. To me, his point was that we are all equal before God.
The mistake lies in deifying Jesus—we should simply be grateful for his teachings and leave it at that. One shouldn't pray to Jesus or follow him blindly. His teaching is what should be followed. After all, Jesus is merely one of many Christs who walked this earth, and anyone can become a Christ the moment they achieve an awareness of God.

Furthermore, the Old Testament of the Bible presents a "God" who can be characterized as a persona. He even has a name: Yahweh... but he isn't the God that Jesus teaches about.
Given how various technologies granted by this Yahweh to his followers are depicted in many parts of the Old Testament, I would go so far as to say we are looking at some kind of higher entity—something powerful enough that we mortals in the material dimension could easily mistake it for "God."

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Nastavak:

Your consciousness and mine—they aren't exactly cut from the same cloth. You see, your perception is anchored to a specific set of "truths" you’ve gathered from the books on your shelf—books that seem to validate themselves through certain religious practices and those intense, emotional surges you hit during meditation. Essentially, you’ve placed your faith in what you feel while you're sitting there in silence. In short, you believe. I suppose I should start by being honest with myself—though that’s always been a bit of a struggle, hasn't it? It’s easy to get lost in the noise of everything else, drifting through the day without really checking in on what’s actually happening under the surface. I tend to wander off on these long, winding paths—much like my own thoughts, which rarely follow a straight line—and I often forget that the most important work happens internally. It's a slow process, a measured one, and frankly, a bit exhausting at times. But I'm trying. I'm trying to be more intentional, even if my attempts at being "composed" usually end up feeling a little bit ridiculous..
I believe in God—period. It doesn’t matter that I don't feel anything particularly special, nor do I go around chasing some sort of profound spiritual epiphany or "peak experience." My faith isn't rooted in myself—not in my fleeting emotional highs, nor in whatever transient mental states I might be cycling through at any given moment. If God says something, I do it. Plain and simple. Because I trust Him. I’m not out here hunting for internal validation or looking for some sign within my own "consciousness levels" to tell me I'm doing it right. Faith isn't an emotional rollercoaster; it's just following what He said.

My own consciousness stands as a witness to the Bible being the absolute truth. It’s my conviction that Jesus is truly "the way, the truth, and the life." Honestly, I can only attribute this clarity to the work of the Holy Spirit—because if it weren't for Him, I’d just be stuck believing in "myself"—relying on my own misguided opinions about God, piety, or what a Christian life ought to look like. I'd be lost in the whims of my own emotions or those fleeting, pious feelings one gets during a church service or similar rituals.

Regarding what shadownomad4 claimed about being able to translate various languages back into his native tongue—well, frankly, that just doesn't square with the Bible. In his particular Christian community, they treat the "gift of tongues" as this singular, extraordinary gift from God, even though if you actually look at Scripture, it’s listed as just one among many different gifts. To them, it serves as their ultimate "proof" that God is present among them. They fall into these trances during worship services, and once they feel some force taking hold—which they insist is the Holy Spirit—they start shouting, jumping around, making all sorts of noise, and speaking in unknown tongues. But in my view, that isn't the work of the Holy Spirit. After all, there's no practical value to it.
"The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets, because God isn't a God of chaos—He's a God of order." So, look—when the Holy Spirit truly takes hold of a person, it’s not some frantic, chaotic whirlwind that just tosses them around in a fit of mindless shouting or manic frenzy. That's not how it works. Instead, the Holy Spirit actually submits to the prophet. He doesn't overpower them; rather, He guides them—providing that specific inspiration needed to grasp or "see" a particular divine revelation or word from God.
When you look at what actually happened during Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, people tend to get it all twisted. They jump straight to the idea of speaking "angelic" tongues—which, let’s be honest, sounds much more poetic than the reality—but that isn't what the text is actually describing. It wasn't some mystical, celestial dialect; it was about speaking foreign languages. Plain and simple. You had these uneducated fishermen and rural folks suddenly gifted by the Holy Spirit with the ability to speak the native tongues of the surrounding nations. Why? Because there was a practical purpose behind it. It wasn't just for show; they were given this specific gift so they could effectively deliver the Good News about Jesus Christ to everyone listening. It was a functional, purposeful gift from the Holy Spirit, designed to bridge a communication gap, not just to sound impressive.

To "believe in God" basically just means you accept that He exists—that He’s the Creator, the one who penned the Bible, and all that. It’s essentially believing a few things *about* God. Honestly, if we're being real, it's a pretty shallow way to look at it—just sitting there on this superficial, "informational" level.
To "believe in God" means trusting Him as your Father, as the Creator, and as a Friend. When He issues a command—well, you follow it simply because you trust His heart. When you dig into the Bible, you aren't just reading old ink; you're searching for the good He intends to teach you—the specific kind of character He wants to forge within you. You read that God is love, yet also justice. And honestly, it’s the only way it makes sense. Through love, God sustains life; He provides His children with everything necessary for happiness and success. But at the same time, He shields them from the evil that exists in this world—evil that persists solely because of human choice. It makes you love Him even more, knowing He doesn't just hand out life, family, and joy, but that He is watching over you every single moment to ensure evil doesn't overtake you. And in those inevitable moments where He allows evil to touch you—you see it as a "test" of your loyalty to Him. You end up loving Him even more, because He is guiding you through life with such steady, gentle hands. Why can you trust Him unconditionally, even when He allows us to be tested by darkness? Because: "«No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.» 1 Corinthians 10:13
The God of the Bible is magnificent. Personal. The Creator. The Redeemer. The Judge of evil. The Friend of all that is good.

Jesus' own words are merely the "peak" of the wonderful biblical truths. From the first page to the last, the Bible is a magnificent divine revelation to humanity. Anyone sincerely searching for meaning and purpose in life will surely find it in the Bible. "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds" (Matthew 7:8)
It's a tragedy, really, that Christian churches have established a "monopoly" on Christianity. Now, when we look at the institutions and the believers they have shaped, we find ourselves recoiling from the Bible, from Christianity, and from the God of the Bible. All because they have distorted clear and beautiful biblical truths. In doing so, they misrepresent God. Much like Satan does.

I'm glad we can exchange thoughts so calmly and openly. And I truly hope that your trust in the Biblical God grows—not based on my little text here, but through your own personal study of the Bible as the magnificent Word of God. Warm regards

The answer to every question, the Truth, and the realization of God resides within ourselves.

What’s most interesting is that Jesus never actually spoke with God!
In fact, Jesus went into the desert to meditate for forty days, where he confronted the devil—his own personal demon—having to endure every temptation to reach an understanding of God. Interestingly, Buddha did the exact same thing! Toward the end of his meditation that led him to Nirvana, he also had to face the temptations of a demon.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Nastavak:

Your consciousness and mine—they aren't exactly cut from the same cloth. You see, your perception is anchored to a specific set of "truths" you’ve gathered from the books on your shelf—books that seem to validate themselves through certain religious practices and those intense, emotional surges you hit during meditation. Essentially, you’ve placed your faith in what you feel while you're sitting there in silence. In short, you believe. I suppose I should start by being honest with myself—though that’s always been a bit of a struggle, hasn't it? It’s easy to get lost in the noise of everything else, drifting through the day without really checking in on what’s actually happening under the surface. I tend to wander off on these long, winding paths—much like my own thoughts, which rarely follow a straight line—and I often forget that the most important work happens internally. It's a slow process, a measured one, and frankly, a bit exhausting at times. But I'm trying. I'm trying to be more intentional, even if my attempts at being "composed" usually end up feeling a little bit ridiculous..
I believe in God—period. It doesn’t matter that I don't feel anything particularly special, nor do I go around chasing some sort of profound spiritual epiphany or "peak experience." My faith isn't rooted in myself—not in my fleeting emotional highs, nor in whatever transient mental states I might be cycling through at any given moment. If God says something, I do it. Plain and simple. Because I trust Him. I’m not out here hunting for internal validation or looking for some sign within my own "consciousness levels" to tell me I'm doing it right. Faith isn't an emotional rollercoaster; it's just following what He said.

My own consciousness stands as a witness to the Bible being the absolute truth. It’s my conviction that Jesus is truly "the way, the truth, and the life." Honestly, I can only attribute this clarity to the work of the Holy Spirit—because if it weren't for Him, I’d just be stuck believing in "myself"—relying on my own misguided opinions about God, piety, or what a Christian life ought to look like. I'd be lost in the whims of my own emotions or those fleeting, pious feelings one gets during a church service or similar rituals.

Regarding what shadownomad4 claimed about being able to translate various languages back into his native tongue—well, frankly, that just doesn't square with the Bible. In his particular Christian community, they treat the "gift of tongues" as this singular, extraordinary gift from God, even though if you actually look at Scripture, it’s listed as just one among many different gifts. To them, it serves as their ultimate "proof" that God is present among them. They fall into these trances during worship services, and once they feel some force taking hold—which they insist is the Holy Spirit—they start shouting, jumping around, making all sorts of noise, and speaking in unknown tongues. But in my view, that isn't the work of the Holy Spirit. After all, there's no practical value to it.
"The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets, because God isn't a God of chaos—He's a God of order." So, look—when the Holy Spirit truly takes hold of a person, it’s not some frantic, chaotic whirlwind that just tosses them around in a fit of mindless shouting or manic frenzy. That's not how it works. Instead, the Holy Spirit actually submits to the prophet. He doesn't overpower them; rather, He guides them—providing that specific inspiration needed to grasp or "see" a particular divine revelation or word from God.
When you look at what actually happened during Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, people tend to get it all twisted. They jump straight to the idea of speaking "angelic" tongues—which, let’s be honest, sounds much more poetic than the reality—but that isn't what the text is actually describing. It wasn't some mystical, celestial dialect; it was about speaking foreign languages. Plain and simple. You had these uneducated fishermen and rural folks suddenly gifted by the Holy Spirit with the ability to speak the native tongues of the surrounding nations. Why? Because there was a practical purpose behind it. It wasn't just for show; they were given this specific gift so they could effectively deliver the Good News about Jesus Christ to everyone listening. It was a functional, purposeful gift from the Holy Spirit, designed to bridge a communication gap, not just to sound impressive.

To "believe in God" basically just means you accept that He exists—that He’s the Creator, the one who penned the Bible, and all that. It’s essentially believing a few things *about* God. Honestly, if we're being real, it's a pretty shallow way to look at it—just sitting there on this superficial, "informational" level.
To "believe in God" means trusting Him as your Father, as the Creator, and as a Friend. When He issues a command—well, you follow it simply because you trust His heart. When you dig into the Bible, you aren't just reading old ink; you're searching for the good He intends to teach you—the specific kind of character He wants to forge within you. You read that God is love, yet also justice. And honestly, it’s the only way it makes sense. Through love, God sustains life; He provides His children with everything necessary for happiness and success. But at the same time, He shields them from the evil that exists in this world—evil that persists solely because of human choice. It makes you love Him even more, knowing He doesn't just hand out life, family, and joy, but that He is watching over you every single moment to ensure evil doesn't overtake you. And in those inevitable moments where He allows evil to touch you—you see it as a "test" of your loyalty to Him. You end up loving Him even more, because He is guiding you through life with such steady, gentle hands. Why can you trust Him unconditionally, even when He allows us to be tested by darkness? Because: "«No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.» 1 Corinthians 10:13
The God of the Bible is magnificent. Personal. The Creator. The Redeemer. The Judge of evil. The Friend of all that is good.

Jesus' own words are merely the "peak" of the wonderful biblical truths. From the first page to the last, the Bible is a magnificent divine revelation to humanity. Anyone sincerely searching for meaning and purpose in life will surely find it in the Bible. "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds" (Matthew 7:8)
It's a tragedy, really, that Christian churches have established a "monopoly" on Christianity. Now, when we look at the institutions and the believers they have shaped, we find ourselves recoiling from the Bible, from Christianity, and from the God of the Bible. All because they have distorted clear and beautiful biblical truths. In doing so, they misrepresent God. Much like Satan does.

I'm glad we can exchange thoughts so calmly and openly. And I truly hope that your trust in the Biblical God grows—not based on my little text here, but through your own personal study of the Bible as the magnificent Word of God. Warm regards

So, are you saying you trust your own feelings, which you label as God, even while you claim to ignore all your actual feelings?
It's interesting, because meditation is meant to quiet the mind so we can overcome and silence the Ego, allowing us to hear or see the true Truth.
To me, that sounds exactly like what you claim to be doing...

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Nastavak:

Your consciousness and mine—they aren't exactly cut from the same cloth. You see, your perception is anchored to a specific set of "truths" you’ve gathered from the books on your shelf—books that seem to validate themselves through certain religious practices and those intense, emotional surges you hit during meditation. Essentially, you’ve placed your faith in what you feel while you're sitting there in silence. In short, you believe. I suppose I should start by being honest with myself—though that’s always been a bit of a struggle, hasn't it? It’s easy to get lost in the noise of everything else, drifting through the day without really checking in on what’s actually happening under the surface. I tend to wander off on these long, winding paths—much like my own thoughts, which rarely follow a straight line—and I often forget that the most important work happens internally. It's a slow process, a measured one, and frankly, a bit exhausting at times. But I'm trying. I'm trying to be more intentional, even if my attempts at being "composed" usually end up feeling a little bit ridiculous..
I believe in God—period. It doesn’t matter that I don't feel anything particularly special, nor do I go around chasing some sort of profound spiritual epiphany or "peak experience." My faith isn't rooted in myself—not in my fleeting emotional highs, nor in whatever transient mental states I might be cycling through at any given moment. If God says something, I do it. Plain and simple. Because I trust Him. I’m not out here hunting for internal validation or looking for some sign within my own "consciousness levels" to tell me I'm doing it right. Faith isn't an emotional rollercoaster; it's just following what He said.

My own consciousness stands as a witness to the Bible being the absolute truth. It’s my conviction that Jesus is truly "the way, the truth, and the life." Honestly, I can only attribute this clarity to the work of the Holy Spirit—because if it weren't for Him, I’d just be stuck believing in "myself"—relying on my own misguided opinions about God, piety, or what a Christian life ought to look like. I'd be lost in the whims of my own emotions or those fleeting, pious feelings one gets during a church service or similar rituals.

Regarding what shadownomad4 claimed about being able to translate various languages back into his native tongue—well, frankly, that just doesn't square with the Bible. In his particular Christian community, they treat the "gift of tongues" as this singular, extraordinary gift from God, even though if you actually look at Scripture, it’s listed as just one among many different gifts. To them, it serves as their ultimate "proof" that God is present among them. They fall into these trances during worship services, and once they feel some force taking hold—which they insist is the Holy Spirit—they start shouting, jumping around, making all sorts of noise, and speaking in unknown tongues. But in my view, that isn't the work of the Holy Spirit. After all, there's no practical value to it.
"The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets, because God isn't a God of chaos—He's a God of order." So, look—when the Holy Spirit truly takes hold of a person, it’s not some frantic, chaotic whirlwind that just tosses them around in a fit of mindless shouting or manic frenzy. That's not how it works. Instead, the Holy Spirit actually submits to the prophet. He doesn't overpower them; rather, He guides them—providing that specific inspiration needed to grasp or "see" a particular divine revelation or word from God.
When you look at what actually happened during Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, people tend to get it all twisted. They jump straight to the idea of speaking "angelic" tongues—which, let’s be honest, sounds much more poetic than the reality—but that isn't what the text is actually describing. It wasn't some mystical, celestial dialect; it was about speaking foreign languages. Plain and simple. You had these uneducated fishermen and rural folks suddenly gifted by the Holy Spirit with the ability to speak the native tongues of the surrounding nations. Why? Because there was a practical purpose behind it. It wasn't just for show; they were given this specific gift so they could effectively deliver the Good News about Jesus Christ to everyone listening. It was a functional, purposeful gift from the Holy Spirit, designed to bridge a communication gap, not just to sound impressive.

To "believe in God" basically just means you accept that He exists—that He’s the Creator, the one who penned the Bible, and all that. It’s essentially believing a few things *about* God. Honestly, if we're being real, it's a pretty shallow way to look at it—just sitting there on this superficial, "informational" level.
To "believe in God" means trusting Him as your Father, as the Creator, and as a Friend. When He issues a command—well, you follow it simply because you trust His heart. When you dig into the Bible, you aren't just reading old ink; you're searching for the good He intends to teach you—the specific kind of character He wants to forge within you. You read that God is love, yet also justice. And honestly, it’s the only way it makes sense. Through love, God sustains life; He provides His children with everything necessary for happiness and success. But at the same time, He shields them from the evil that exists in this world—evil that persists solely because of human choice. It makes you love Him even more, knowing He doesn't just hand out life, family, and joy, but that He is watching over you every single moment to ensure evil doesn't overtake you. And in those inevitable moments where He allows evil to touch you—you see it as a "test" of your loyalty to Him. You end up loving Him even more, because He is guiding you through life with such steady, gentle hands. Why can you trust Him unconditionally, even when He allows us to be tested by darkness? Because: "«No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.» 1 Corinthians 10:13
The God of the Bible is magnificent. Personal. The Creator. The Redeemer. The Judge of evil. The Friend of all that is good.

Jesus' own words are merely the "peak" of the wonderful biblical truths. From the first page to the last, the Bible is a magnificent divine revelation to humanity. Anyone sincerely searching for meaning and purpose in life will surely find it in the Bible. "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds" (Matthew 7:8)
It's a tragedy, really, that Christian churches have established a "monopoly" on Christianity. Now, when we look at the institutions and the believers they have shaped, we find ourselves recoiling from the Bible, from Christianity, and from the God of the Bible. All because they have distorted clear and beautiful biblical truths. In doing so, they misrepresent God. Much like Satan does.

I'm glad we can exchange thoughts so calmly and openly. And I truly hope that your trust in the Biblical God grows—not based on my little text here, but through your own personal study of the Bible as the magnificent Word of God. Warm regards

And as it turns out, the only way to tell if God is actually speaking to you or if you’re just listening to your own internal monologue is by looking at the fruits of that conviction.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Nastavak:

Your consciousness and mine—they aren't exactly cut from the same cloth. You see, your perception is anchored to a specific set of "truths" you’ve gathered from the books on your shelf—books that seem to validate themselves through certain religious practices and those intense, emotional surges you hit during meditation. Essentially, you’ve placed your faith in what you feel while you're sitting there in silence. In short, you believe. I suppose I should start by being honest with myself—though that’s always been a bit of a struggle, hasn't it? It’s easy to get lost in the noise of everything else, drifting through the day without really checking in on what’s actually happening under the surface. I tend to wander off on these long, winding paths—much like my own thoughts, which rarely follow a straight line—and I often forget that the most important work happens internally. It's a slow process, a measured one, and frankly, a bit exhausting at times. But I'm trying. I'm trying to be more intentional, even if my attempts at being "composed" usually end up feeling a little bit ridiculous..
I believe in God—period. It doesn’t matter that I don't feel anything particularly special, nor do I go around chasing some sort of profound spiritual epiphany or "peak experience." My faith isn't rooted in myself—not in my fleeting emotional highs, nor in whatever transient mental states I might be cycling through at any given moment. If God says something, I do it. Plain and simple. Because I trust Him. I’m not out here hunting for internal validation or looking for some sign within my own "consciousness levels" to tell me I'm doing it right. Faith isn't an emotional rollercoaster; it's just following what He said.

My own consciousness stands as a witness to the Bible being the absolute truth. It’s my conviction that Jesus is truly "the way, the truth, and the life." Honestly, I can only attribute this clarity to the work of the Holy Spirit—because if it weren't for Him, I’d just be stuck believing in "myself"—relying on my own misguided opinions about God, piety, or what a Christian life ought to look like. I'd be lost in the whims of my own emotions or those fleeting, pious feelings one gets during a church service or similar rituals.

Regarding what shadownomad4 claimed about being able to translate various languages back into his native tongue—well, frankly, that just doesn't square with the Bible. In his particular Christian community, they treat the "gift of tongues" as this singular, extraordinary gift from God, even though if you actually look at Scripture, it’s listed as just one among many different gifts. To them, it serves as their ultimate "proof" that God is present among them. They fall into these trances during worship services, and once they feel some force taking hold—which they insist is the Holy Spirit—they start shouting, jumping around, making all sorts of noise, and speaking in unknown tongues. But in my view, that isn't the work of the Holy Spirit. After all, there's no practical value to it.
"The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets, because God isn't a God of chaos—He's a God of order." So, look—when the Holy Spirit truly takes hold of a person, it’s not some frantic, chaotic whirlwind that just tosses them around in a fit of mindless shouting or manic frenzy. That's not how it works. Instead, the Holy Spirit actually submits to the prophet. He doesn't overpower them; rather, He guides them—providing that specific inspiration needed to grasp or "see" a particular divine revelation or word from God.
When you look at what actually happened during Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, people tend to get it all twisted. They jump straight to the idea of speaking "angelic" tongues—which, let’s be honest, sounds much more poetic than the reality—but that isn't what the text is actually describing. It wasn't some mystical, celestial dialect; it was about speaking foreign languages. Plain and simple. You had these uneducated fishermen and rural folks suddenly gifted by the Holy Spirit with the ability to speak the native tongues of the surrounding nations. Why? Because there was a practical purpose behind it. It wasn't just for show; they were given this specific gift so they could effectively deliver the Good News about Jesus Christ to everyone listening. It was a functional, purposeful gift from the Holy Spirit, designed to bridge a communication gap, not just to sound impressive.

To "believe in God" basically just means you accept that He exists—that He’s the Creator, the one who penned the Bible, and all that. It’s essentially believing a few things *about* God. Honestly, if we're being real, it's a pretty shallow way to look at it—just sitting there on this superficial, "informational" level.
To "believe in God" means trusting Him as your Father, as the Creator, and as a Friend. When He issues a command—well, you follow it simply because you trust His heart. When you dig into the Bible, you aren't just reading old ink; you're searching for the good He intends to teach you—the specific kind of character He wants to forge within you. You read that God is love, yet also justice. And honestly, it’s the only way it makes sense. Through love, God sustains life; He provides His children with everything necessary for happiness and success. But at the same time, He shields them from the evil that exists in this world—evil that persists solely because of human choice. It makes you love Him even more, knowing He doesn't just hand out life, family, and joy, but that He is watching over you every single moment to ensure evil doesn't overtake you. And in those inevitable moments where He allows evil to touch you—you see it as a "test" of your loyalty to Him. You end up loving Him even more, because He is guiding you through life with such steady, gentle hands. Why can you trust Him unconditionally, even when He allows us to be tested by darkness? Because: "«No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.» 1 Corinthians 10:13
The God of the Bible is magnificent. Personal. The Creator. The Redeemer. The Judge of evil. The Friend of all that is good.

Jesus' own words are merely the "peak" of the wonderful biblical truths. From the first page to the last, the Bible is a magnificent divine revelation to humanity. Anyone sincerely searching for meaning and purpose in life will surely find it in the Bible. "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds" (Matthew 7:8)
It's a tragedy, really, that Christian churches have established a "monopoly" on Christianity. Now, when we look at the institutions and the believers they have shaped, we find ourselves recoiling from the Bible, from Christianity, and from the God of the Bible. All because they have distorted clear and beautiful biblical truths. In doing so, they misrepresent God. Much like Satan does.

I'm glad we can exchange thoughts so calmly and openly. And I truly hope that your trust in the Biblical God grows—not based on my little text here, but through your own personal study of the Bible as the magnificent Word of God. Warm regards

The most frustrating part of this debate is that I keep seeing glimpses of my own perspective in what you say, with the sole exception being your rigid insistence that such realization can only come through the Bible. My contention is that we can reach that same realization through other teachings and meditative practices...
because what I found quite easily—certainly more easily than trying to parse it all from the Bible—through other disciplines is that love is the only human action that is an end in itself. Everything else we do is instrumental; we eat to live, we perform bodily functions to stay healthy, and so on. But when we love, we love for the sake of creating more love.
This leads to the understanding that love is the highest of all human purposes, a self-generating energy, the only part of God we can truly feel.
Living within, creating, or giving love naturally gravitates toward order and balance. You cannot destroy something out of true love; because if you truly understand how to love, you will recognize even the things that need to be let go, and you won't find it in you to destroy them. So, as I was saying, love inherently seeks balance... and that, in turn, pulls in all sorts of positive qualities, like morality...

And you see, none of this was handed to me by the Bible. Nor was it the fault of my "teachers," since I never really listened to people or religious instructors; I listened to their teachings instead. While I find the teachings of Jesus to be good, they feel insufficient to me because they leave too much empty space.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

Michael Moore3 said:You’ve gone and put together another string of Bible excerpts that could be interpreted in just about any way imaginable. You also seem determined to hand over every single attribute previously assigned to God to the Holy Spirit—suggesting He is everything and in everything, which essentially allows the Holy Spirit to be a person, an energy, or whatever else we can or cannot wrap our heads around.

And I’ll say it again: based on your claim that you've personally experienced the Holy Spirit—which, fine, if you say so, good for you—your interpretations just end up muddled and complicate my own understanding of God. I’ve built my own view of the Divine through various meditative practices and books outside of the Bible, and frankly, it makes more sense to me than any ambiguous verse from Scripture, especially since the only things in the Bible that truly resonate are the direct quotes from Jesus, and there aren't nearly enough of those to go around.

Since I started taking religious studies back in second grade during the old era when that kind of behavior wasn't exactly encouraged by society, I don't think you can really claim I'm unfamiliar with the Bible; it's quite obvious that I genuinely wanted to know it for myself...
The only real difference between us is that I couldn't quite satisfy my spiritual hunger through the Bible; it was a decent starting point, certainly, but it felt full of gaps and unknowns. But then again, some people choose to build their entire world on such shaky foundations, while others don't, so I decided to seek out all the truths and eventually realized that no single truth is ever the whole truth. That seems to be what you two are missing, because for you, the Bible is the only truth. It's like claiming a single color—say, blue—is the only color that exists, when in reality there is a vast spectrum, much of which lies beyond our visible range. Truth works the same way.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

briskharbor35 said:Just a heads up, before I finally crossed paths with Christ, I’d already burned through most of the books you guys are talking about—tried all sorts of meditation stuff, transcendental meditation, you name it. But honestly? It all feels kind of hollow, like it just pulls you away from the Truth, which lives entirely within His Spirit. He’s the one in charge of everything, the ultimate wisdom and knowledge, the only thing that's truly whole. If those ancient Eastern philosophies were actually the key to saving our souls or finding eternal life, reincarnation wouldn't even be taught, right? And look, Jesus did everything specifically so we could receive the gift of eternal life. Even if reincarnation were a real thing, He took it all upon Himself on the Cross so we wouldn't have to go through the cycle of being reborn over and over. That's why God gave us His Son—so we can receive the GIFT of eternal life through Him. Because let's be real, NOBODY can achieve unity with God for eternity through good deeds or spiritual practices alone unless they are done in Jesus's name. I mean, what kind of God would He be if He just ignored His Son's sacrifice and offered other ways to reach that eternal union?

The absolute best part is that all we really need to do is repent for our mistakes and ask Jesus to come into our hearts with His Holy Spirit. Then, we just declare to the spiritual realm with our own voices that, from this moment on, we accept Him as our Savior and Lord who looks after every single part of our lives.🙏

That kind of spiritual experience often results in total freedom—spiritually, mentally, and even physically through healing. So, grab a copy of "The power of positive thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale to help fire up your faith in Jesus, then just call out to Him. You'll experience something so personal you won't even be able to put it into words, but I promise, the story will be incredibly joyful and full of freedom.👍

shadownomad4 said:This is simply one of His gifts; it is our spirit that speaks, while He is the one providing the inspiration. You don't possess a gift to translate this native tongue into a spiritual one—it works the other way around. For instance, there are people gifted with the ability to interpret tongues, where they translate what someone else has said, and that is the extent of it. When you pray to the Father in Jesus' name asking for something, He won't grant you something from the devil. Therefore, when skeptics try to force the concept of language into the conversation, they are merely exposing their own unbelief and fear.

What I am actually "projecting" is a defense against that "my truth is the ultimate truth" attitude that both you and shadownomad4 seem to be pushing. You both seem quite blinded by your own version of the truth. And, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not just making this up as I go; I'm speaking from study and other truths.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

Considering how much of the Bible appears to be adapted from the Egyptian Book of the Dead—from the Ten Commandments down to the word "Amen," which stems from Amon; Amon-Ra, translated as "the hidden one" and Ra as "King of the Gods," referring to a single God we cannot see who is the god of gods, the King of Gods...
In any case, the Bible is essentially a transcription of ancient beliefs for a new era, but it certainly isn't the only text regarding God. So, your argument really just circles back to what I said before: the idea that only Biblical truth is the most truthful.
It feels a bit presumptuous, doesn't it, once you realize the Bible is a transcription?

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

???
Are you truly certain you know what you're talking about? Labeling meditation as a religious technique instead of a spiritual one?
And is reading the Bible a spiritual technique, or a religious one? Or perhaps it's both?
Does meditation create religions that worship the practice itself, whereas the Bible creates spiritually awakened people who don't feel the need to spread religion just to promote the book?
Are you really sure you understand this?
For me, meditation is what drives my spiritual growth, and at no point has it ever pushed me toward joining or starting a religion...

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

But that is precisely what I never found in the Bible. If anything, the Bible is responsible for my childhood spent wrestling with guilt over certain "sins" supposedly committed against some God I was expected to fear and love simultaneously.
The whole thing is just absurd.
You simply cannot love someone you are terrified of, and besides, "sin" is ultimately defined by one's own internal compass of right and wrong...
One shouldn't fear God, but rather hold Him in reverence. Unfortunately, the Bible failed to teach me that; instead, its teachings seemed almost exclusively focused on instilling fear, right up until the point of Jesus' actual teachings, which finally made sense. In fact, only His direct words carry any weight for me, not the various narratives or descriptions of miracles and healings. Personally, I think equating Jesus' actual teaching with the entirety of the Bible is perhaps the greatest mistake people make when studying His message.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

I couldn't agree more with this idea.
In many ways, that is exactly what the Catholic Church does.

However, meditative techniques aren't like that... meditation doesn't make me feel "pious," it makes me feel conscious. That sense of awareness is exactly what you both claim to experience through receiving the Holy Spirit, except you don't actually demonstrate it, even though shadownomad4 claims to have the gift of translating spiritual words into a native tongue. You see, when you truly grasp something, the only real proof of that understanding is being able to explain it to someone else who knows nothing about the subject, in a way they can actually understand.

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

That is quite a powerful statement...
But how does one "trust God"? What exactly am I supposed to be trusting Him with?

Elizabeth Lewis11 said:Dear Michael Moore3,
Of course you don't understand the Bible—you haven't even made the effort to try. You walked in with a pre-packaged, judgmental attitude toward the Bible, and frankly, I’d bet you haven’t even read it from cover to cover, let alone sat down to actually study or grasp its depth.

That’s exactly why you can't make sense of what shadownomad4 is saying, whereas for me—someone who has been studying the Bible in detail for about fifteen years now—everything is perfectly clear. You simply lack the necessary foundation, and so you end up criticizing what you don't comprehend. You're projecting your own confusion onto shadownomad4, acting as if the flaw lies with him. Besides, those meditative techniques and non-Biblical books only offer the illusion of clarity—they aren't inspired by God. I looked into them myself a long time ago (long before I realized the value of the Bible), and while they provided some answers regarding humanity and the world, they failed to satisfy my spiritual needs. They couldn't, really, because they are religious techniques rather than truly spiritual ones—even if they claim otherwise! It's only when one encounters the Bible that true spiritual needs can be met: reconciliation with God, forgiveness for past sins, and being equipped for a new life free from the bondage of sin. Religious techniques, churches, and various denominations can only cater to your "religious" needs—those fleeting "feelings" of piety, "feelings" of holiness, or "feelings" of oneness with God. It's all built on sensations and experiences—subjective things that are false, distorted, and manipulative because they don't come from God. God speaks to a person's reason: do not kill, have no other gods, love your neighbor—these aren't "feelings" or religious "experiences." They are rational principles and moral mandates designed to shape your character, not to manufacture fake "emotional highs." See, when someone relies solely on their feelings and their own opinions, they are relying on themselves rather than on God. They are building their faith on their own ego instead of on Him. They believe *in* God, but they don't actually trust Him.!!!

I’m not writing this to hurt your feelings or out of any ill intent. I'm saying this to show you that through humble, detailed study of the Bible, one can reach very clear and simple conclusions—conclusions that are essential if we want to understand the true meaning and purpose of life, devotion, and how we ought to act.
Best regards, Elizabeth Lewis11.

Cheers to all five of you! From where I'm sitting, this looks like nothing but a high-quality debate.
And just to reiterate my point, when I talk about "quality" within the Bible, I am referring exclusively to the statements and teachings of Jesus.
My only hesitation with your perspective is the fear that accepting it might mean discarding other truths—and the specific methods used to uncover them—because without those tools, I'd be forced to accept the Bible on blind faith alone; by keeping them, I can actually study the Bible with an open mind, knowing there are alternative viewpoints out there...

shadownomad4 said:Who is the Holy Spirit?

Question: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Answer: There are many misconceptions regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force. Others believe He is an impersonal power that God bestows upon Christ's followers. What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply put—the Bible states that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person, a Being possessing His own mind, emotions, and will.

The fact that the Holy Spirit is God is clearly evidenced in many Scriptures, including Acts 5:3-4. In these verses, Peter confronts Ananias because he lied to the Holy Spirit, stating that he "did not lie to men, but to God." From this statement, it is clear that lying to the Holy Spirit is simultaneously lying to God. Furthermore, we know the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the attributes and characteristics of God. For instance, in Psalm 139:7-8, we see the reality of the Holy Spirit's omnipresence: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in the Underworld, you are there." Later, in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, we see the characteristic of the all-knowing Holy Spirit: "For God has revealed it to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man within him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God."

We can know that the Holy Spirit is truly a Person because He possesses a mind, emotions, and a will. The Holy Spirit thinks and knows (1 Corinthians 2:10). We can grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit makes decisions according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person in the Holy Trinity. As God, the Holy Spirit can truly act as the Comforter and Counselor that Jesus promised to send (John 14:16, 26; 15:26).

Copied from gotquestion.org

You’ve gone and put together another string of Bible excerpts that could be interpreted in just about any way imaginable. You also seem determined to hand over every single attribute previously assigned to God to the Holy Spirit—suggesting He is everything and in everything, which essentially allows the Holy Spirit to be a person, an energy, or whatever else we can or cannot wrap our heads around.

And I’ll say it again: based on your claim that you've personally experienced the Holy Spirit—which, fine, if you say so, good for you—your interpretations just end up muddled and complicate my own understanding of God. I’ve built my own view of the Divine through various meditative practices and books outside of the Bible, and frankly, it makes more sense to me than any ambiguous verse from Scripture, especially since the only things in the Bible that truly resonate are the direct quotes from Jesus, and there aren't nearly enough of those to go around.

shadownomad4 said:Without the Holy Spirit, gaining insight into spiritual realities is impossible, which explains why everything seems so confusing to you.

Oh, naturally!
It’s that classic, quintessential Christian fallback—the ultimate way they've managed to rubber-stamp centuries of suffering and misery, always used by those calling themselves "spiritual" as a convenient shield whenever they run out of actual arguments.

So, if I'm following your logic, you're suggesting that without something completely undefinable (the Holy Spirit), it's impossible to grasp something else that is also entirely undefinable (spiritual realities)...
And where does that leave you, claiming to possess this thing (the Holy Spirit) that the rest of us apparently can't perceive? You claim to be translating these concepts from the spiritual realm into our language, yet the things you "translate" still sound like nonsense to us... and then you just shrug and say we can't understand because we lack the Holy Spirit. If that's the case, what exactly is the point of your translation? What purpose does it serve?

shadownomad4, you’re essentially peddling pseudo-philosophy under the guise of quoting the Bible. Your grasp of Scripture seems more like memorizing lyrics to a song without actually understanding what the songwriter meant; it shows in your interpretations, which tend to circle aimlessly around vague terms, twisting quotes to fit your own narrative just because they contain a word that suits your moment, even when the broader context suggests something else entirely.