Sannhetseeker

As I re-read the Gospel of Thomas by Marvin Meyer, I am curious to know the feelings of others with regard to the meaning of the following verse (55): Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate his father and mother cannot be a disciple of me, and whoever does not hate brother and sisters and bear the cross as I do will not be worthy of me." This verse from Thomas is very similar to verses from the tenth chapter of Matthew: 10.37 - He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he... Sign in to see full entry.

There seems to be some concern growing amongst Christians with regard to Halloween. It has been suggested by some churches, and some bloggers, that Chrsitians should not celebrate Halloween because it got its start as a Pagan holiday. However, if we are to stop Halloween because of its Pagan origins, then let’s end all of the other Pagan-based rituals and stories now found in Christianity – the following information is courtesy of Religioustolerance.org: Note: Each of the items listed were... Sign in to see full entry.

Christ died on the cross for our sins. This is a statement that Christians hear time and time again. But I don’t think that is true. And not just because I don’t believe we are born sinners. I think Christ died on the cross to graphically and symbolically (as I've mentioned in previous posts) show us the unbelievable amount of pain and suffering one must go through to reach the kingdom of heaven. It’s not physical pain (though some who have been down the path have stated it can be physically... Sign in to see full entry.

So, here is an interesting item. In this week's Time magazine is an article on a scientist who has discovered a gene that seems to allow for the experience of transcendence, one of the necessary characteristics of those who experience God through various types of religious ecstacy. While everyone has this gene, only those with the nucleic acid cytosine in a specific spot on the gene will experience self-transcendence. Those without cytosine in that particular spot have never experienced... Sign in to see full entry.

Listening to the radio today, the disk jockey hosting the show was talking about how upset he was about the music being played on the rides at our state fair. He was complaining that the musical lyrics were at least NC-17 rated if not X-rated, and that his young child was being exposed to this kind of music in a public place. He wondered how people could allow that and spoke of the lack of respect for people. And he is right. There is a tremendous amount of disrespect for people in America... Sign in to see full entry.

Why is it that we spend so much time and energy trying to be spiritually perfect, when we already are? We are "God's" sons and daughters (Rom. 8:16 - The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.), so perfection is already a part of us. Why is it we spend so much time concerning ourselves about our supposed sinfulness, when we are already sinless (1 John 3:9 - Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin,... Sign in to see full entry.

If one agrees with the premis that one can only read "God" by going within as Jesus/Yeshua said, then the church as it is today needs to change. Attending church today, one experiences a process that focuses on the external world. Whether Catholic or Protestant, on Sunday it is all about what's outside of us: do good works, pray, tithe, follow God's laws and one will get to heaven. But if the kingdom is within, as Yeshua/Jesus said in Luke 17:21, then why is so much time invested on what is on... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalms 45:10 - Be still and know that I am... Be still. To quiet one's self. Void of noise or turbulance. To quiet the mind. To be alone. What picture comes to mind when reading these words? For me, it sounds like prayer or meditation. So to know "God" is to pray and meditate privately. Not gathering with others to pray. Not with a group of people being led by one person. This can be good if one or a group is praying for another, But to know "God", one must listen to the small still voice inside... Sign in to see full entry.

In John 4:24 Jesus/Yeshua said "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth." So what does this mean? From one perspective, it could mean that anyone with the Holy Spirit in them must worship God. But that's not really what his statement says. One must first look at the beginning of the statement. Yeshua/Jesus first said God is a Spirit, so everything else that follws has to do with God as a spirit. So having the Holy Spirit inside of one's self is not enough.... Sign in to see full entry.

The path to the divine is brutal. Just leading a good life and going to church and tithing won’t get one into "heaven". It is much more difficult than that. It’s doing these things as well as going within. It’s spending time each and every day on one’s self, in silent mediation or contemplative prayer. It’s working on replacing the ego with Spirit – the most difficult task of all. In order for one to replace the ego, in order for one to touch the divine, in order for one to truly be one with... Sign in to see full entry.