âThe intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.â ~ Albert Einstein Christ!
Christianity, as it is popularly understood, is a conflict with Self. It is a war from within, against the perfect One, which is GoD's creation. This article offers a comparison, that the difference between Self and ego may be better understood. If you can grasp the crux of this article, you can understand what it is that Christianity, as it has been curve fit to individualistic ideals, really stands for. The issue is about Oneness vs plurality, diversity and differences. The argument goes, that the Original is..."boring", "dull"..."incomplete". So diversity, plurality and differences are made to somehow supplement, vivify, excite, or complete the creation of the One. This is the basis of so many brands of war against Self, which themselves are at war against each other...because they are at war against Self. The gOd which makes this world is here understood to be "Satan". But whether it goes by the name "Satan" or "Jehovah" or "Allah", any gOd which makes the world of humanity is effectively against the oneness of the perfect One. And though these gOds may war with each other, they are built on the same foundation: separatism, individualism, special status, unique character, differences, multiple autonomous wills, and heirarchy [a manifestation of differences]. Whether it is the empowerment of humanity, or the glorification of the human specie through various transformational purification processes, it is all the same. It is all against the one perfect creation of GoD...in which there are no differences, and the perfection is now...always. The article offered makes "judgements" about the One perfection, calling it "dull". Upon such judgements the world of multiplicity is founded. When such judgements are judged as false, the world will come to an end. Upon such judgements, the article author builds an elaborate idealistic thesis. Such is the world...a tower of babbling. Christ!
In context, the phrase is connected to a theology in which men decide to be *owned* by "Jesus Christ", or otherwise, *owned* by the powers that be [the devil, god-of-this-world, satan, the father...ect]. In Paul's context, ownership changes hands when men decide to have "Jesus Christ" pay for their sins with his "blood". In such theology, it is proposed that "Jesus Christ" has enough blood money to purchase all men as slaves, if they would choose to have him as owner. Slavery continues, only under new ownership. The choice is made between which owner is preferable to the slave. But this is not a choice at all. It is not a choice to be free. In this theology, it is not clear which owning power is being paid off so that ownership exchanges hands. Is it the devil? Is it gOd? Is it the father? Is it the god father? Is it a "family" affair? Is son purchasing men from father? This kind of choice is made out of fear, and not out of love. This is ineffective. So it enslaves, continues enslavement, and does not set free. This theology utterly obscures the true choice and results in slaves leading slaves to more slavery. Christ!
The true choice is between "flesh" or "spirit". These are the legendary "two masters". The chooser is mind. Mind can serve one or the other, but not both. The mind is free to choose either. So, the mind is always free. Flesh is a concept in the mind. Flesh is mind serving the concept of limitation. Freedom is mind serving the reality of spirit. Mind and spirit, as one, is Christ. Mind, divorced from spirit, is expressed as flesh. Christ and flesh cannot be *married* [mixed, combined, yoked together] because they are opposites. Mind, expressed as flesh, is unnatural, and non-creative. Mind, serving spirit, is natural and creative. Mind, serving flesh, is eventually enslaved by the limitations that flesh imposes upon it. Mind, bowing down to flesh, is gradually mastered by the flesh. When the mind is mastered, the flesh seems to tell the mind what to think and what to feel. The "master" mind understands that this is backwards. In this sense, Jesus was "the master". It is mind over matter, or else, matter will be over mind. Flesh is a concept that the mind is digesting. Flesh is mind thinking through the ramifications of limitation. Flesh is mind digesting the concept of "good and evil" married, combined, mixed together. In this process, the mind seems to lose its bearings, its moral compass, so-to-speak. In the "fall from grace", the mind succumbs to the flesh, and begins to express insanely [sin]. A mind dominated by flesh is one which digests thoughts indiscriminately, without discernment between true or false. Such a mind will pick up "worms", which will eventually work toward the death of the flesh. If a mind dominated by the flesh reads the bible, it will indiscriminately digest worms with what it believes is food from GoD. The bible looks "good" to eat. The bible tastes good and "holy". But it is a combination of "good and evil" thoughts. As you swallow it whole, you welcome it into your mind, and digest it there. There, in your mind, the worms will hatch and wreak havok among your thoughts. Such thoughts will kill the very flesh your mind is serving. And as your mind serves flesh, it will continue to serve flesh. And flesh will continue to be "born to die". In this way, the "worm" shall "never die". In the way of Jesus, such thoughts are cleared [cleansed, washed away] from one's mind. In this way, the mind realizes its mastery. As master, the mind is now free to choose between flesh and spirit. Jesus chose spirit, which is why you do not see him anymore. To "follow" Jesus is to choose spirit and truth. To choose spirit and truth is to choose Christ. Paul had not yet made that choice, choosing instead servitude to flesh. If you swallow the thoughts of Paul whole, without discrimination between true and false, you will die...like Paul. If you digest Paul's thoughts, the worms will spread through your mind, and from your mind to others, killing their flesh as well. In this way, the parasitic cycle of the worm continues. In this way, the parasitic cycle of flesh continues. In this way, flesh sucks the life-blood out of the mind of Christ. In this way, Christ is put to death, and the truth is mangled beyond recognition. This is the way of Christi anti. Christi anti cannot "cook" Jewish scriptures enough to kill the worms. You cannot "cook" Christi anti enough to kill the worms. You cannot "cook" Paul's thoughts hot enough to kill the worms. You must start over. You must interpret with a mind that chooses spirit. You must interpret with the mind of Christ... ...If you would be free. You must have that mind within you that was in "Christ Jesus". You must have the mind of a master. Or, you will interpret [digest] like a slave. Be "lord", or, be subject to the "sword". Be "master", or, be a disaster. Be equal to GoD, or, be cattle to a prod. Christ!
Re ; Religion & Politics,WE WIN One Jewish believer in Jesus Christ said during thanksgiving meal; they tried to kill us , WE WIN, lets eat. Gov Sarah of Alaska campaigned victoriously recently[runoff] in GA, Senate race; we win
Brotherly Kindness and Charity, II Peter 1:5=9 Peter makes a clear distinction between brotherly kindness and love. In this list of graces give to us as we grow in Jesus, these two are distinguished with one building on the other. So many times we are content with brotherly kindness in reaching out to those who are our brothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends in whom we have some sort of interest. This is good, proper, and among the higher fruits of grace which the Holy Spirit gives. But true love, charity is beyond brotherly kindness. True love is a work of the Spirit in our lives reaching beyond personal interest into a world which is in need. True love is to love as God loves, and God love us when we were sinners in rebellion against him. God loves those who hated and despised him when he sacrificed himself for their sins. His love reaches out of himself and out to us. So our love must flow from him and out to others in the world. It is this love which Jesus exhibited during his earthly ministry. I once read where an author described Jesus to Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts 10:38 as one "who went about doing good". His love was seen in his reaching out to the sick, the poor, the lepers, sinners and meeting their needs. But beyond the physcial, his love extended to the real need of all people...A Savior! Unlike Brotherly Kindness which is a human to human realtionship and action; love is a devine relationship and action....God through us to a needy world. Only as we learn to go beyond beotherly kindness and allow his love to flow through us, will we geow into a true knowledge of Jesus Christ. "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened" As we face the future the destiny of men and nation is always being decided. Every generation is crucial; every generation is strategic. But we are not responsible for the past generations, and we cannot bear full responsibility for the next one. However, we do have our generation! God will hold us responsible for how well we fulfilled our responsibilities and took advantage of opportunities. Let us start 'resolving' now to do more for the cause of Christ in 2009!
Faith is mind boggling, and I don't think I'll ever understand people's reasoning on how they believe in a man in the sky.
Ask yourself if there is a god. If the answer to the question is yes there is a god than how do you figure there is a god? Can you come up with any proof whether there is a god or not? There is no proof of a god and no proof that there isn't one. Just keep questioning whether there is a god. Try and be factual and logical. Is there a god? Is there a god? Is there a god? Is there a god? Is there a god? Is there a god? Is there a god? Is there a god? Any good god answers anybody? No.