ih8pumpkin wrote on Mar 12
th, 2016 at 3:02pm:
Are you a Christian "Yadda"?
ih8pumpkin,
I will concede, that most persons who are 'recognised' as being Christians [today], would probably disown me, and the views i express.
I would not be deemed 'tolerant' enough, to be 'labeled' as a Christian.
Most Christians would probably characterise me as being
a heretic.
And those feelings are mutual.
I don't attend church.
And i have no desire to be associated with any Christian denomination/church in the world today.
I do have fellowship [a spiritual 'joining'] with some [a handful of other church-less] individuals.
And i find solace in reading the Bible, and in prayer and meditation and reflection.
And in my night dreams.
.
Within the Bible, God repeats again and again, to the individuals who read its words, that we should seek him.
IMO, men don't require priests, or organised religion, to give us a 'connection' with God.
We merely need a will to sincerely seek for God, ourselves.
IMO, finding God is, can be, relatively simple.
Firstly, sincerely seek his will, for our conduct [Matthew 6:33 - Jeremiah 9:23-24], and then maybe we will find God.
IMO, the Bible, its meditations and all of its stories, are a good place to start, if you are seeking God.
Psalms 1:1-2
But if a person hates God, if he hates what God requires from us, ...then how is that person going to establish any connection with that God, and how is such person going to 'find' [or
know] that God ?
If a person chooses to do, every day, what God declares to be an abomination to him, then will that person find God ?
Psalms 14:2
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
.
Those who seek and love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are joined by a peaceful spirit.
2 Corinthians 6:16
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 29:45
And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Exodus 29:46
And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
Leviticus 11:44
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy:....
Leviticus 19:2
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
Leviticus 20:26
And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Amos 5:4
For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you....
.
The Spirit of truth,
John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Psalms 58:1
Do ye indeed speak righteousness,.... do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb:
they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
Jeremiah 9:3
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies:
but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil,
and they know not me, saith the LORD.
...
...
6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit;
through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.