Different spiritual paths

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

Angela Hall30 said:And how exactly do you "prove" it? Through arguments? Rhetoric? If that were the case, I could prove just about anything. Besides, isn't this desperate need to provide proof really just a reflection of one's own insecurity?

My proof lies in the written Word within the Bible and the lived testimony of Jesus in my own life.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yeah, buddy, you went way too far with that fanatic, closed-minded attitude.
Both mistygull16 and Michael Moore3 really tried to help you out, so I won't bore you by repeating everything they already said—I'm with them 100%.
I want to touch on this last point: laying on hands. It's funny you didn't even mention Reiki—that technique the Catholic Church loves to bash.
At the end of the day, it's always about ENERGY—God's energy—whether we're talking about laying on hands, bioenergy, or Reiki (which is also laying on hands). And here's a little reality check: if you want to permanently heal someone using any of these methods, your heart has to be totally pure. Every single cell in your body needs to be overflowing with pure love and compassion. When that happens, you don't even need to invoke anyone's name. At that point, you become like Jesus = Buddha = Krishna = Babaj and all those other enlightened masters who, in some other reality, are working together for ALL of us through their endless love. They don't care about sorting us by race or whatever group you belong to. If you were actually connected to Jesus Christ, He wouldn't let you spit on everything else, and He definitely wouldn't let you threaten everyone who isn't ready to follow your specific interpretation of the Bible.
I'm probably a lot older than you, so I'll give you a tiny bit of advice: work on yourself, and you'll see that all of this looks completely different than how you see it now.
Take care🙂

Sean Kelly52 said:Yeah, buddy, you went way too far with that fanatic, closed-minded attitude.
Both mistygull16 and Michael Moore3 really tried to help you out, so I won't bore you by repeating everything they already said—I'm with them 100%.
I want to touch on this last point: laying on hands. It's funny you didn't even mention Reiki—that technique the Catholic Church loves to bash.
At the end of the day, it's always about ENERGY—God's energy—whether we're talking about laying on hands, bioenergy, or Reiki (which is also laying on hands). And here's a little reality check: if you want to permanently heal someone using any of these methods, your heart has to be totally pure. Every single cell in your body needs to be overflowing with pure love and compassion. When that happens, you don't even need to invoke anyone's name. At that point, you become like Jesus = Buddha = Krishna = Babaj and all those other enlightened masters who, in some other reality, are working together for ALL of us through their endless love. They don't care about sorting us by race or whatever group you belong to. If you were actually connected to Jesus Christ, He wouldn't let you spit on everything else, and He definitely wouldn't let you threaten everyone who isn't ready to follow your specific interpretation of the Bible.
I'm probably a lot older than you, so I'll give you a tiny bit of advice: work on yourself, and you'll see that all of this looks completely different than how you see it now.
Take care🙂

God is exclusive, and what kind of Father would He be if He ignored the sacrifice of His Son and allowed things to be done in other ways that He performs through the Holy Spirit—which is only possessed by those who have accepted Jesus? That power (strength) you refer to as "energy" is what I have always called strength. The trap lies here: the force (energy) used in all various healing techniques originates from the spirit of dark forces, yet it feels remarkably similar to the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads everyone to believe they are the same, when they are not. With dark forces, the stronger demon displaces the weaker one, and when it comes to healing someone, the spirit of sickness displaces the spirit of religiosity through an action that is felt energetically (the religious spirit is that which acts through all techniques and devotions that do not act exclusively in Jesus's name). This is because such a spirit will lead a person to Hell forever, which is Satan's ultimate goal. It may grant you health or material blessings (did the devil not offer Jesus dominion over the whole world, implying the devil is the master on earth for those not with Jesus?), providing earthly comforts for the rest of your life, only to leave you facing unimaginable torment for all eternity.
The devil imitates God, and one must be extremely careful to recognize him. I will say it again: only when you possess the Holy Spirit do you receive the gift of discerning spirits. Otherwise, you have no idea what is actually happening to you, even while you think you do. This is based on my own experience.

Anything that is not done in Jesus's name is not from God, but from the devil! Amen.

Yeah, shadownomad4, we're all part of the One, and eventually, it’ll all click. Honestly, we already know—we just need to snap out of it and remember.🙂 Once that happens, all these different "spiritual paths" (here we go again, right?) will be both right and wrong at the same time—basically, they'll just be things we do to kill time while we wait.👍🙂

shadownomad4:
You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—meaning, guided by the Holy Spirit—then you aren't actually a child of God. Essentially, being a child of God means you have truly accepted Jesus as your Lord, your Master, and your Savior...

But look, shadownomad4, according to what the Bible actually says, simply performing actions and declaring that they were done in the name of the Lord isn't some kind of guaranteed ticket to Heaven. 🙄
..they'll say: "Lord, didn't we perform miracles in Your name? Didn't we cast out demons?" And I'll have to tell them: "I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoers."

If you live with the mindset that there is only one earthly life to get through, you can certainly lead a righteous life within the boundaries of whatever religion or doctrine you've adopted. And hey, if that path happens to align closely with seeking Jehošua, then it’s a pretty good way to live, I suppose. 🙂

shadownomad4 said:God is exclusive, and what kind of Father would He be if He ignored the sacrifice of His Son and allowed things to be done in other ways that He performs through the Holy Spirit—which is only possessed by those who have accepted Jesus? That power (strength) you refer to as "energy" is what I have always called strength. The trap lies here: the force (energy) used in all various healing techniques originates from the spirit of dark forces, yet it feels remarkably similar to the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads everyone to believe they are the same, when they are not. With dark forces, the stronger demon displaces the weaker one, and when it comes to healing someone, the spirit of sickness displaces the spirit of religiosity through an action that is felt energetically (the religious spirit is that which acts through all techniques and devotions that do not act exclusively in Jesus's name). This is because such a spirit will lead a person to Hell forever, which is Satan's ultimate goal. It may grant you health or material blessings (did the devil not offer Jesus dominion over the whole world, implying the devil is the master on earth for those not with Jesus?), providing earthly comforts for the rest of your life, only to leave you facing unimaginable torment for all eternity.
The devil imitates God, and one must be extremely careful to recognize him. I will say it again: only when you possess the Holy Spirit do you receive the gift of discerning spirits. Otherwise, you have no idea what is actually happening to you, even while you think you do. This is based on my own experience.

Anything that is not done in Jesus's name is not from God, but from the devil! Amen.

🙂Look, the Father is LOVE. He loves all of us and actually enjoys our differences because that's how He made us, right? He’s a Father who loves us endlessly and watches over us no matter who we are or where we end up. He even loves our little games. At the end of the day, we're His children, aren't we? Everything else is just us doing our own thing. Satan (the EGO) is nothing more than something living inside our own heads.
Just chill out, man, and stop stressing so hard. There's no need to go around trying to save everyone. Everything happens for a reason and it's all good exactly as it is. 🙂

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

Yes, because there is Absolute Truth.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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."

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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

Michael Moore3 said: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...

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?

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

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:

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

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...

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.
🙂

Kimberly Evans said:

shadownomad4:
You can go through all the motions and do everything Jesus commanded, but if you aren't doing it under His guidance—meaning, guided by the Holy Spirit—then you aren't actually a child of God. Essentially, being a child of God means you have truly accepted Jesus as your Lord, your Master, and your Savior...

But look, shadownomad4, according to what the Bible actually says, simply performing actions and declaring that they were done in the name of the Lord isn't some kind of guaranteed ticket to Heaven. 🙄
..they'll say: "Lord, didn't we perform miracles in Your name? Didn't we cast out demons?" And I'll have to tell them: "I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoers."

If you live with the mindset that there is only one earthly life to get through, you can certainly lead a righteous life within the boundaries of whatever religion or doctrine you've adopted. And hey, if that path happens to align closely with seeking Jehošua, then it’s a pretty good way to live, I suppose. 🙂

That is correct. You can certainly act in Jesus's name, but naturally, those actions lack efficacy if you lack the power of the Holy Spirit to heal—especially if they were performed without His guidance. 👎 Jesus stated, "...for you did not do the will of my Father." This implies that we, as Christians, must remain in step with the Holy Spirit and act according to His will rather than our own impulses.

Sean Kelly52 said:🙂Look, the Father is LOVE. He loves all of us and actually enjoys our differences because that's how He made us, right? He’s a Father who loves us endlessly and watches over us no matter who we are or where we end up. He even loves our little games. At the end of the day, we're His children, aren't we? Everything else is just us doing our own thing. Satan (the EGO) is nothing more than something living inside our own heads.
Just chill out, man, and stop stressing so hard. There's no need to go around trying to save everyone. Everything happens for a reason and it's all good exactly as it is. 🙂

That is a very accurate way to view Hell, and it is exactly how Roman Catholics think. One day, they will all be caught off guard because they failed to take what Jesus told them seriously, and by then, there will be no chance left to change their circumstances.

Just imagine being stuck in a state of permanent unchangeability forever, with no end in sight. It’s a terrifying thought, isn't it? That is precisely why I am shouting it from the rooftops.

shadownomad4 said:God is exclusive, and what kind of Father would He be if He ignored the sacrifice of His Son and allowed things to be done in other ways that He performs through the Holy Spirit—which is only possessed by those who have accepted Jesus? That power (strength) you refer to as "energy" is what I have always called strength. The trap lies here: the force (energy) used in all various healing techniques originates from the spirit of dark forces, yet it feels remarkably similar to the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads everyone to believe they are the same, when they are not. With dark forces, the stronger demon displaces the weaker one, and when it comes to healing someone, the spirit of sickness displaces the spirit of religiosity through an action that is felt energetically (the religious spirit is that which acts through all techniques and devotions that do not act exclusively in Jesus's name). This is because such a spirit will lead a person to Hell forever, which is Satan's ultimate goal. It may grant you health or material blessings (did the devil not offer Jesus dominion over the whole world, implying the devil is the master on earth for those not with Jesus?), providing earthly comforts for the rest of your life, only to leave you facing unimaginable torment for all eternity.
The devil imitates God, and one must be extremely careful to recognize him. I will say it again: only when you possess the Holy Spirit do you receive the gift of discerning spirits. Otherwise, you have no idea what is actually happening to you, even while you think you do. This is based on my own experience.

Anything that is not done in Jesus's name is not from God, but from the devil! Amen.

That’s a pretty clever way to interpret the New Testament, I suppose, but maybe you could explain this part:
[Then they brought to him a man possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him, so the blind and mute man spoke and was healed. And all the people were astonished, saying, "Could this be the son of David?" But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, "He cannot cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the prince of demons."]
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?"
I'm not entirely sure about the exact Bible citation format, but I think it's Matthew 12, something like that...
And oh, you haven't actually answered my little experiment yet—maybe it poked a bit too hard at your sanctity? Or perhaps your... religious ego?!?! Oh, wait, I totally forgot, you don't have one of those! 🤣🤣🤣

shadownomad4 said:That is correct. You can certainly act in Jesus's name, but naturally, those actions lack efficacy if you lack the power of the Holy Spirit to heal—especially if they were performed without His guidance. 👎 Jesus stated, "...for you did not do the will of my Father." This implies that we, as Christians, must remain in step with the Holy Spirit and act according to His will rather than our own impulses.

Honestly, I don't know about all that nonsense; I mean, Jesus said His disciples would heal the sick, pick up snakes, drink poison, and all that stuff... does that seriously imply that nobody is actually His disciple except for maybe a few priests?!? And please, don't try to hit me with those passages from the Book of Acts—it feels like you're just quoting some kind of man-made rulebook.

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:That is correct. You can certainly act in Jesus's name, but naturally, those actions lack efficacy if you lack the power of the Holy Spirit to heal—especially if they were performed without His guidance. 👎 Jesus stated, "...for you did not do the will of my Father." This implies that we, as Christians, must remain in step with the Holy Spirit and act according to His will rather than our own impulses.

What about that guy who was casting out demons or healing people on his own authority? I think the disciples tried to stop him, saying "anyone not against us is for us," or something along those lines. I don't recall the exact details, but it was something like that.😬

Michael Moore3 said: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:"

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.

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.

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...

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????

"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"

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?

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

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

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

Michael Moore3 said: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

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.🙂