Different spiritual paths

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

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

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

briskharbor35, spiritual growth is pretty heavy lifting, isn't it? It’s almost like the core of the Christian message—the idea that you need this total metamorphosis, this complete rebirth, being "born of the Spirit." I don't quite get why you're celebrating so hard. 🤷 What has your own spiritual journey actually looked like? Or do you feel like you've already hit that milestone of being reborn through the Spirit?

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

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

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

Given that you mentioned using meditation and reading most of those books, it feels a bit inconsistent to bring up repenting for "bad" actions; anyone who has actually delved into those texts or practiced meditation to understand their own spirit knows quite well that there aren't really "bad" things, nor is anything inherently "sinful" enough to require repentance, but rather just different paths of experience that eventually lead toward realization.

So, either you aren't being entirely truthful—which would, of course, run contrary to the teachings of Jesus you're defending—or you haven't truly grasped what you've been reading or meditating on, because meditation isn't like sleeping where results manifest in ways you can't consciously comprehend, much like a dream might.

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

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

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

Where did you run into Him? Did you happen to ask how Elvis Presley is doing?...
🙂

Hey, if that’s what works for you, go for it!!
But I’ve been sitting here wondering... did God really have to send Jesus?
I mean, Adam messed up, and then Jesus comes along to fix it while we just sit here not even smelling the onions in the kitchen.
To me, that feels like some pretty thin theology!

Kimberly Evans said:briskharbor35, spiritual growth is pretty heavy lifting, isn't it? It’s almost like the core of the Christian message—the idea that you need this total metamorphosis, this complete rebirth, being "born of the Spirit." I don't quite get why you're celebrating so hard. 🤷 What has your own spiritual journey actually looked like? Or do you feel like you've already hit that milestone of being reborn through the Spirit?

Look, you're born into this the second you actually call on Jesus to step into your life—assuming you truly want Him there and aren't just running some kind of experiment to see what happens. Nothing's gonna move if you're just testing the waters, because God is looking for a heart that's actually sincere.
Here's how it went down for me:
I was carrying so much weight from all the mistakes I'd made, and I finally hit a wall where I just couldn't take it anymore. I was reading "the power of positive thinking" by N. V. Peal and realized that Jesus isn't out to judge me, because He took all my sins and bad vibes right there on the cross, so all I really had to do was call on Him and accept His forgiveness. One night before bed, I was just leaning back against the wall, and I did it. I was just so thirsty for that love and freedom I'd read about everyone else experiencing, and suddenly, I felt this massive release from all that pressure. It was pure joy, man; I felt freer than I ever had in my life. Everything bad in my life just stopped—it wasn't even hard. I just quit. Things like smoking, drinking, drugs, and all that bitterness toward people who screwed me over just vanished, replaced by forgiveness and healing from the PTSD I carried from the war.
When people talk about meeting Christ, just like so many others do, that's what they mean—it's something you actually feel. It's not a guarantee for everyone, obviously (depends on how real you are and how much you crave Him), but it's like this surge of electricity that's actually His Holy Spirit liberating and healing you.
If you ever want to experience something like that, here's a link with everything you'll need🙂

Michael Moore3 said:Given that you mentioned using meditation and reading most of those books, it feels a bit inconsistent to bring up repenting for "bad" actions; anyone who has actually delved into those texts or practiced meditation to understand their own spirit knows quite well that there aren't really "bad" things, nor is anything inherently "sinful" enough to require repentance, but rather just different paths of experience that eventually lead toward realization.

So, either you aren't being entirely truthful—which would, of course, run contrary to the teachings of Jesus you're defending—or you haven't truly grasped what you've been reading or meditating on, because meditation isn't like sleeping where results manifest in ways you can't consciously comprehend, much like a dream might.

To truly grasp the truth, you can't do it until you receive the Holy Spirit, because He *is* the Truth. "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me!"
Humans are made of spirit, soul, and body. Meditation techniques mostly keep you stuck at the soul level (where your mind, emotions, and intellect live), while your spirit remains dormant and needs to be born again, which is what I was talking about in my previous post. Once your spirit is reborn, it becomes open to receiving insights from God, but until then, everything stays strictly at the intellectual level.
Behind all these meditation methods, there's this religious-style drive (trying to force you to be consistent, or guilt-tripping you if you aren't, making you feel unworthy of fullness) that gives you a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment right up until the moment you have to face questions about true fullness or eternity. That's when the answers vanish, because those methods aren't true fullness, unlike the Holy Spirit, which is. Your entire being knows and feels that deep down, which is what ultimately frees you from all those questions about completeness because you are actually living within it.

briskharbor35 said:Look, you're born into this the second you actually call on Jesus to step into your life—assuming you truly want Him there and aren't just running some kind of experiment to see what happens. Nothing's gonna move if you're just testing the waters, because God is looking for a heart that's actually sincere.
Here's how it went down for me:
I was carrying so much weight from all the mistakes I'd made, and I finally hit a wall where I just couldn't take it anymore. I was reading "the power of positive thinking" by N. V. Peal and realized that Jesus isn't out to judge me, because He took all my sins and bad vibes right there on the cross, so all I really had to do was call on Him and accept His forgiveness. One night before bed, I was just leaning back against the wall, and I did it. I was just so thirsty for that love and freedom I'd read about everyone else experiencing, and suddenly, I felt this massive release from all that pressure. It was pure joy, man; I felt freer than I ever had in my life. Everything bad in my life just stopped—it wasn't even hard. I just quit. Things like smoking, drinking, drugs, and all that bitterness toward people who screwed me over just vanished, replaced by forgiveness and healing from the PTSD I carried from the war.
When people talk about meeting Christ, just like so many others do, that's what they mean—it's something you actually feel. It's not a guarantee for everyone, obviously (depends on how real you are and how much you crave Him), but it's like this surge of electricity that's actually His Holy Spirit liberating and healing you.
If you ever want to experience something like that, here's a link with everything you'll need🙂

Your issue is that you're thinking in such binary terms—either this or that. What you went through isn't the exclusive property of any single sect, religion, or belief system. You were under immense pressure from guilt, and you found a way to face it; you allowed Christ to wash that sin away from you... And honestly, it all makes sense. The negativity in your consciousness reached a breaking point, causing a shift in your perception, a new standpoint, a new way of seeing things. It all adds up, and it's something that's happened many times before... Something similar happened to me when I first read Osho's "my path, path of the white cloud." But everything after that? That's just the ego playing games. You've processed your experience through a rational mind, and now you think you're the only one with the truth. You've latched onto a new belief system, holding onto it so tightly that you aren't letting yourself see the bigger picture... Just remember, so many people have had experiences like yours. They've had their "encounter with Christ" in all sorts of different ways, shaped by their own subconscious structures... So, take a moment to reflect, broaden your horizons, and please don't misuse that experience to turn yourself into just another fanatic... We have more than enough of those already.

mistygull16 said:Hey, if that’s what works for you, go for it!!
But I’ve been sitting here wondering... did God really have to send Jesus?
I mean, Adam messed up, and then Jesus comes along to fix it while we just sit here not even smelling the onions in the kitchen.
To me, that feels like some pretty thin theology!

Yeah, He did it because God loves this world so much that He gave His own Son so we could all be saved from eternal ruin and live in perfect unity with His Love forever—because let's face it, nobody could ever save themselves through their own goodness or good deeds. Only God could step in like that, taking on all those sins that separated humanity from Him by coming down in the flesh to take on earthly life.
We’re all heirs to Adam's sinful nature, which leaves us spiritually dead, but once a person is born again, they aren't inheriting Adam anymore; they're inheriting everything the Holy Spirit possesses, which is perfection. That perfection takes root in a person, and the whole process of realizing who you truly are in Christ happens at different speeds for everyone, depending on how much they hunger and thirst for that truth. In fact, everything a Christian experiences is basically inversely proportional to how much they understand their identity in Christ.

Joseph Ramos11 said:Your issue is that you're thinking in such binary terms—either this or that. What you went through isn't the exclusive property of any single sect, religion, or belief system. You were under immense pressure from guilt, and you found a way to face it; you allowed Christ to wash that sin away from you... And honestly, it all makes sense. The negativity in your consciousness reached a breaking point, causing a shift in your perception, a new standpoint, a new way of seeing things. It all adds up, and it's something that's happened many times before... Something similar happened to me when I first read Osho's "my path, path of the white cloud." But everything after that? That's just the ego playing games. You've processed your experience through a rational mind, and now you think you're the only one with the truth. You've latched onto a new belief system, holding onto it so tightly that you aren't letting yourself see the bigger picture... Just remember, so many people have had experiences like yours. They've had their "encounter with Christ" in all sorts of different ways, shaped by their own subconscious structures... So, take a moment to reflect, broaden your horizons, and please don't misuse that experience to turn yourself into just another fanatic... We have more than enough of those already.

The path to God is narrow, while the wide road leads to ruin. Trust me, I've been there, and I wouldn't go back.
Just imagine for a second that you were the father of this entire world, and the only way everyone could truly be one with you was if you gave up your own son. After all that, would you really tell everyone else they could find their way to you through any old method, using different techniques, or going through someone else, basically dismissing everything your son sacrificed and his very name? I don't think you would, and honestly, you probably don't even need to answer that.

briskharbor35 said:The path to God is narrow, while the wide road leads to ruin. Trust me, I've been there, and I wouldn't go back.
Just imagine for a second that you were the father of this entire world, and the only way everyone could truly be one with you was if you gave up your own son. After all that, would you really tell everyone else they could find their way to you through any old method, using different techniques, or going through someone else, basically dismissing everything your son sacrificed and his very name? I don't think you would, and honestly, you probably don't even need to answer that.

Concepts, beliefs... they might hold weight within your own consciousness, but they aren't universal truths. Every person is their own universe, walking their own unique path. Even when it comes to the concept of God and Christ, everyone sees things differently... and that's just how it is. It can't be any other way.

I'm suggesting that while your experience might have been real, what follows feels like typical ego games. It looks like an attempt to box in that experience or force your perspective on everyone else... a bit of messiah complex... that "I'm right and everyone else is wrong" mentality. Those are all hallmarks of fanaticism and narrow-mindedness... Well, if that's the path you want to take, who am I to judge?...

briskharbor35 said:Yeah, He did it because God loves this world so much that He gave His own Son so we could all be saved from eternal ruin and live in perfect unity with His Love forever—because let's face it, nobody could ever save themselves through their own goodness or good deeds. Only God could step in like that, taking on all those sins that separated humanity from Him by coming down in the flesh to take on earthly life.
We’re all heirs to Adam's sinful nature, which leaves us spiritually dead, but once a person is born again, they aren't inheriting Adam anymore; they're inheriting everything the Holy Spirit possesses, which is perfection. That perfection takes root in a person, and the whole process of realizing who you truly are in Christ happens at different speeds for everyone, depending on how much they hunger and thirst for that truth. In fact, everything a Christian experiences is basically inversely proportional to how much they understand their identity in Christ.

Eternal ruin? If God is our Father, what are we even talking about here?
I mean, what kind of father (or mother, for that matter) would just sign their kids up for eternal destruction?
And if this is all stemming from Adam's sin, then that's his baggage, not mine or yours.
What kind of logic is it to hold descendants responsible for some ancient ancestor's mistake? Not if we're talking about a righteous God, right?
If God designed us to be inherently sinful—like a factory defect—then His business model toward us isn't exactly looking noble.
He creates us with a glitch, hands us over to the devil to lead us astray, and then acts like He wants as many people as possible to end up in hell??? Give me a break, man, talk to me here.
If you gave anyone the choice between suffering and joy, everyone's picking joy every single time. Suffering is only an option for those who don't actually have a choice.
Can you actually weigh in on this and address these points?
I've got a feeling that somewhere deep down, in a quiet corner of your heart, you actually agree with me.

Joseph Ramos11 said:Concepts, beliefs... they might hold weight within your own consciousness, but they aren't universal truths. Every person is their own universe, walking their own unique path. Even when it comes to the concept of God and Christ, everyone sees things differently... and that's just how it is. It can't be any other way.

I'm suggesting that while your experience might have been real, what follows feels like typical ego games. It looks like an attempt to box in that experience or force your perspective on everyone else... a bit of messiah complex... that "I'm right and everyone else is wrong" mentality. Those are all hallmarks of fanaticism and narrow-mindedness... Well, if that's the path you want to take, who am I to judge?...

It isn't about my will, it's His, and everything I say is rooted in the Bible, which is the only authority worth listening to since it's His Word written down. So there are no ego games here because my ego died the very day I accepted Christ as my Lord and decided to only do what pleases Him. Basically, whatever I receive in my spirit that aligns with God's Word in the Bible, I embrace and follow; anything else, I toss aside. You really have to know the Word to live a life that's above reproach, otherwise, a person just wanders off on their own path—which is basically a guaranteed fail because they're being led by the wrong spirit. There really isn't a third option or a middle ground.
That "feeling" you're talking about doesn't actually exist; it's just conviction, and this whole argument of yours is hollow simply because you haven't been born again. It’s right there in the Bible: "All spiritual things are foolishness to the earthly man" (paraphrased).
So look, if you aren't hungry for the truth, this whole conversation is pointless and just a waste of time.

mistygull16 said:Eternal ruin? If God is our Father, what are we even talking about here?
I mean, what kind of father (or mother, for that matter) would just sign their kids up for eternal destruction?
And if this is all stemming from Adam's sin, then that's his baggage, not mine or yours.
What kind of logic is it to hold descendants responsible for some ancient ancestor's mistake? Not if we're talking about a righteous God, right?
If God designed us to be inherently sinful—like a factory defect—then His business model toward us isn't exactly looking noble.
He creates us with a glitch, hands us over to the devil to lead us astray, and then acts like He wants as many people as possible to end up in hell??? Give me a break, man, talk to me here.
If you gave anyone the choice between suffering and joy, everyone's picking joy every single time. Suffering is only an option for those who don't actually have a choice.
Can you actually weigh in on this and address these points?
I've got a feeling that somewhere deep down, in a quiet corner of your heart, you actually agree with me.

Look, God is a Father specifically to those who carry the Holy Spirit—those are His children, the ones who’ve invited Christ into their lives. For everyone else, He's still longing for them and has a plan for salvation; He carries that truth wherever His children go to spread it through all sorts of ways, including stuff like this.
God made us perfect, and Adam was exactly that, but He also gave him free will—just like we all have today—so we can choose to come to Him out of genuine love rather than being programmed like robots. Why? Because He is pure Love.
Once you realize that everything else is just a distraction except for Christ, you start thinking, "Well, what do I have to lose by being free?" But trust me, once you truly experience Him, you'll look back and regret all the time you spent living without Him.
For me, it was my love for the Truth that ultimately pulled me back to Him.

briskharbor35 said:It isn't about my will, it's His, and everything I say is rooted in the Bible, which is the only authority worth listening to since it's His Word written down. So there are no ego games here because my ego died the very day I accepted Christ as my Lord and decided to only do what pleases Him. Basically, whatever I receive in my spirit that aligns with God's Word in the Bible, I embrace and follow; anything else, I toss aside. You really have to know the Word to live a life that's above reproach, otherwise, a person just wanders off on their own path—which is basically a guaranteed fail because they're being led by the wrong spirit. There really isn't a third option or a middle ground.
That "feeling" you're talking about doesn't actually exist; it's just conviction, and this whole argument of yours is hollow simply because you haven't been born again. It’s right there in the Bible: "All spiritual things are foolishness to the earthly man" (paraphrased).
So look, if you aren't hungry for the truth, this whole conversation is pointless and just a waste of time.

Total nonsense. You don't actually know what God's will is. You take what you read in the Bible, run it through your own subconscious filters, and end up just voicing your own desires while claiming they're His. That mechanism you're using is called projection, and it's the foundation of fanaticism and cult mentalities...

Joseph Ramos11 said:Total nonsense. You don't actually know what God's will is. You take what you read in the Bible, run it through your own subconscious filters, and end up just voicing your own desires while claiming they're His. That mechanism you're using is called projection, and it's the foundation of fanaticism and cult mentalities...

Honestly, I don't think I could be any more satisfied if I literally quoted a verse for you, since clearly you don't even believe in the Bible anyway.

briskharbor35 said:Honestly, I don't think I could be any more satisfied if I literally quoted a verse for you, since clearly you don't even believe in the Bible anyway.

I could sit here all day and list how many people God personally killed according to the Bible—exactly 2,391,421 humans (if you count those who actually bothered to tally them up)—or how He ordered His followers to carry out massacres. There are plenty of instances involving children too, like when 42 kids were killed just for laughing at someone's bald head, and so on... if you really want the details, I have it all in a PDF I can drop right here...
So, there's the Bible and its literal versus metaphorical interpretations...

Joseph Ramos11 said:I could sit here all day and list how many people God personally killed according to the Bible—exactly 2,391,421 humans (if you count those who actually bothered to tally them up)—or how He ordered His followers to carry out massacres. There are plenty of instances involving children too, like when 42 kids were killed just for laughing at someone's bald head, and so on... if you really want the details, I have it all in a PDF I can drop right here...
So, there's the Bible and its literal versus metaphorical interpretations...

The author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit, and honestly, you have to be able to understand it; you need to receive the Spirit first, otherwise, you don't stand a chance. God was sending His people to reclaim territories from folks who had turned their backs on Him and were acting out. I don't really need a post to explain this since I have the Bible right here with me, and I know it's perfect without any flaws. I'm done arguing or trying to prove His Love, because Jesus already did that on the cross.

briskharbor35 said:The author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit, and honestly, you have to be able to understand it; you need to receive the Spirit first, otherwise, you don't stand a chance. God was sending His people to reclaim territories from folks who had turned their backs on Him and were acting out. I don't really need a post to explain this since I have the Bible right here with me, and I know it's perfect without any flaws. I'm done arguing or trying to prove His Love, because Jesus already did that on the cross.

It's probably for the best, you aren't exactly winning any arguments...😉

briskharbor35 said:Look, God is a Father specifically to those who carry the Holy Spirit—those are His children, the ones who’ve invited Christ into their lives. For everyone else, He's still longing for them and has a plan for salvation; He carries that truth wherever His children go to spread it through all sorts of ways, including stuff like this.
God made us perfect, and Adam was exactly that, but He also gave him free will—just like we all have today—so we can choose to come to Him out of genuine love rather than being programmed like robots. Why? Because He is pure Love.
Once you realize that everything else is just a distraction except for Christ, you start thinking, "Well, what do I have to lose by being free?" But trust me, once you truly experience Him, you'll look back and regret all the time you spent living without Him.
For me, it was my love for the Truth that ultimately pulled me back to Him.

Look, sorry, but you totally dodged my question! 😢
Who's deciding I haven't accepted Jesus? And for the record, Jesus recommended I read the Bhagavad Gita, unlike that Buddhist guy who listened to the ruler of hell and led a bunch of people astray. Who says I'm not in the Spirit? I was baptized and confirmed!
Can you honestly claim I don't love the Truth?
I wish you'd give me a real answer instead of just pooping out some vague response. This is heavy stuff for me. Talking about hell right off the bat just scares people away from God—so maybe be a little more responsible when discussing these things.

Don't let my edge trip you up, though. I really do respect people. 🙂