Which god?...there are so many to choose from. Personally if one is going to invest in god or gods I'd like to see a divine risk disclosure statement, margin requirements and a track record. A shady god like a deceptive broker could give me little return on my prayer investment. Looking at the conditon of the world it would appear the god investment hasn't shown much in the way of return for any any group. I mean a country can invest in a particular god for hundreds or thousands of years and still have only problems to show for it. If anything the godless Chinese communists seem to be reaping a divine return on investement, followed by the multi god Indians. The singe Jewish god countries seem to be up a creek at the moment.
Past perfomance is no guarantee of future performance. Some restrictions apply. Not available in all states. JB
True, but I always look at the actual track record as opposed to the hypothetical one. If you believe in a god perhaps you can tell me why there are no more miracles. Each religion has them but only in the distant past: burning bushes, walking on water, rising into heaven on a horse...lots of cool stuff. But hese don't occur anymore. If they did you could get folks from MIT or NASA to document and monitor the event with high speed video, Xray scans and all sorts of stuff to prove that they are real and the god responsible does in fact work miracles. The last one I know of was the Mormon god fooling around with gold plates and such, but nothing since the start of scientific documentation. Are the gods scared of magnet ressonance imaging?
Mary Baker Eddy goes to see a bedridden man at his home. She passes his doctor making a house call on his way out. He says the man is dying. Shows her the probe he took of the man's hip-bone turning to mush. She sits with the man for a few minutes thinking about the "truth". Man says he feels better. She leaves. Next day he is up raking leaves in the yard. His wife swears it was "that woman". But all the credit went to the doctor. Source: "Science and Health", Mary Baker Eddy
Miracles are associated with learning of truth and making it integral to your mind-set. Not many yet percieve the truth, let alone make it a priority among their thoughts. Jesus
Miracles are associated with the right Teacher, not the wrong god. Most people are praying to the god which makes this world. That is the wrong god. It is an idol, basically. It does not exist. Results will be sporadic and random relative to the thinker and the larger thought stream that worships this idol. Jesus
Who are the right teachers then? I'd love to find some and get multiple data telemetry on the walking on water stuff. Go you realize the value today of turning water into unleaded gasoline? A Chruch that had this power would have no need for missionaries!!
Uh...what is a hydrogen cell? I'd say the value is under $150. It would be better to start with the question: What are miracles for? Are they to jump start a new religion, after which, they are obsolete? No! Miracles are shared lessons that are primarily for the miracle worker. They serve to educate the miracle-worker about Self. They are shared because the miracle-worker is learning about the Kingdom of God through them. [The Kingdom is always shared]. He is learning about the Kingdom because he has long since abandoned the knowledge of the Kingdom for a learning environment [this world]. He is moving from obliviousness to a greater awareness until his perception is completely corrected. At that point he is ready to be re-given the knowledge of the Kingdom: omniscience. Miracles prepare the miracle-worker to leave this world and return to the Kingdom. One must "know thySelf" to return to the Kingdom. Miracles gradually teach the miracle worker who he is. When he has understood, he will know himself as the Son of God, willing to be restored to his Inheritance. Miracles demonstrate who is Lord in heaven and on earth...in reality or in illusions. They show that only God's laws apply to the Son. That means he is not subject to any laws of this world. The miracle worker is on a path leading out of this world. The establishment of a following is incidental and inevitable. It is not the purpose. The purpose is to give the miracles worker choice, as well as those who may benefit from them. A miracle is simply the insertion of Self identity into a problematic situation. As the miracle worker allows Self to work through him, he comes to realize he is this Self...and not the body he once thought he was. In this way, he lays down the false, and takes up the true. The world is totally false, so any time a miracle worker inserts Self into the equation, there will be a miracle. Self is what I've called "Holy Spirit", and other times "Christ". This world is the denial of Self. It was "made" by a theoretically renegade aspect of Self as it explored the idea of an antithesis to Self. A miracle is the denial of the denial. Self has a solution for every problem in this world, if allowed to be Self. When Self is allowed to insert itself into this world, there is no more "Jesus"... there is only "Christ". When completed, there is no more world, only Christ, his Creations, the Holy Spirit, and the Father...all equals, all One. This is reality, the truth and life. "Man" is a self-concept, and is the antithesis of all that is true. So he dies. Miracles teach the miracle-worker how to lay down his alledged "life", that he may take it up again. Through miracles, each miracle worker fulfills a special function toward the salvation of the wayward son [the world] that only he can fulfill. The Son is one, therefore my salvation is equally dependent upon you and your miracles as me and mine. It is Self who is saving the son by teaching him that he is really the Lord. Because he is Lord always, he must "ask" to be taught, that is, be willing. For will is king, even if it is a false will believing itself autonomous in the world. Miracles show that true Will is truly King. A King rules his mind and knows himself as innocent. And an innocent mind cannot suffer, even he should be crucified. That is the miracle associated with the crucifixion demonstration. It has nothing to do with martyrdom, nor does it accord value to death or blood. It was a parody that tells the story of all who have believed in this world. The truth about me is the truth about every-one. The "resurrection" in my mind happened long before the body called "Jesus" came back to "life" after some time in a tomb. That too was a parody, telling the story of the Son's destiny in time. Therefore, this is man's destiny. It is his destiny because he is being "saved" by Self who directed me to do these miracles, and who did them for me, through me, so that there is no longer a "me", but only "Christ". I have said that those who follow me will do miracles, and greater still. If there are no miracles in the world, then obviously, no one is deliberately following me. Miracles are mandatory for your re-education. I ask you to do them "in rembrance of me"...which means in order to remember who you are as Self, the Christ! You cannot be certain of this memory without miracles which assert who you are by denying who/what you are not. You are too far gone into denial to remember who you are without Help. Therefore, assert your will through prayer that Help may guide you. Ask an open question such as, "what can I think in order to have a better year?". Self will answer that question gradually as you can handle it, leading you to the teachers who can *connect* you to this Self. This is all I have endeavored to do: to give you enough information that you may be taught directly by Self who is the Teacher, mine and yours. Hear my voice until you hear His. Self is the master teacher, who will teach you everything He knows until you are equal to Him in everything. He teaches you first to percieve correctly, and that is all that I do. Therefore "Christianity" is really a way of looking at this world as Christ looks at it with you and for you. Until then, it is a private world in your own mind, confusing you, and making you blind. Christ sees this world in the light of total perception, and will open your eyes to another world which is the antithesis to this one. This vision is healing, and has a profound effect upon anyone who is "seen" by Christ. This vision sees the innocence in everyone. It is the basis of miracles. You have made the world. You are asked to "do" miracles that it be unmade. Miracles dismantle the world piece by piece. Your piece is awaiting your will that there be only peace, and no more conflict. I could go on. Is this enough "telemetry" for you? Jesus