Quote from: stavraki on August 11, 2013, 02:30:18 AM
I love the gnostic tradition.
Me too stav. It just seems to make more sense than anything else that I looked into. Kind of like the right mix of mysticism and spirituality or for me at least.
Quote from: Del on August 11, 2013, 03:11:03 AM
Jess,
According to the word of God there is one true faith. As for it being few the Lord said few would find the way unto eternal life. Since it has been few over a course of about 6000 years that few here and few there makes up quite a bit.
If you really would want to find that one true faith it can be accomplished by using the word of God and the Holy Ghost. It seems every minister has a different view of scripture but the Holy Ghost only has one. The faith of God's elect. the faith of the elect lady and her children as written.
The word says there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all. It is written we (Christians) should all believe the same thing and speak the same thing. The word also says the word is spiritually discerned. The Holy Ghost will lead us into all truth when we really believe that there is one gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit will not strive with man forever.
I hope you seek the Lord with all your heart and seek the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God will lead you in the right direction when you place Christ first and above all other things and fully trust it. It will always glorify Jesus and will rightly divide the scriptures for you.
As with anything else, it must be you to make that decision to follow Christ and be obedient unto him and follow the leading of the Holy Ghost. I hope this helps.
May God bless.
I agree Del on the one true faith thing. But on the other hand I believe that one true faith is way out of our level of comprehension at this time, much like being able to understand the mind of God or what/who God is for that matter. I do believe we catch glimpses of that faith and then turn those glimpses into concrete religions. I believe that Spirituality, not religion, is dynamic and evolves or forced to evolve over time. The bible shows Spiritual evolution from Genesis to Revelation. I don't believe any religion, if it is Devine in origin is wrong or right, just a small peice of a bigger puzzle that has it's certain place in the much larger scheme of things.
As for the Holy Ghost, I believe that is a great gift to us. I see it as internal, other's may see it as external and have heard it called the Christ Consciousness. This is a little mystic in thinking but to me it makes sense. What could we accomplish if we could access our subconscious? It would be wonderous. What about the superconscious? Definately the world would be a much better place? What about the Christ consciousness? Would our thoughts and actions be the same as Christ's? Just think if everyone would act and think like Christ did how the world would be. This I believe is the Second Coming which falls into line with my Gnostic beliefs of internalizing Spirituality. This would be living due to what is within one's self have an effect on the material world instead of letting the material world effect what is within one's self.
You and I are differnent in our perceptions. Perceptions are unique to a person's life experiences. Some people have good luck and are happy in their life so they can percieve an intervening God that has watched over them throughout their lives. Other's are unlucky and are unhappy in life and in no way can percieve an intervening God and may even grow resentful and or hateful over time. How can a person have faith when life itself is a living hell? Why would a god allow someone to suffer while another lives it up in the lap of luxury? I can't blame or athiests or call their views wrong because if there seems to be nothing there then how can you believe there is something. I have seen a lot of athiests that are more devine in nature than a lot of strict religious people. This is where the reincarnation comes into my beliefs in that I chose my life for whatever reason before I was born in order to strenthen, experience, for learning or just Karmic or Righteous justice. This physical life is temporary and my consiousness, Spirit, Soul and whatever other names are used for it will live on after my body goes back to being one with the earth again. Then I either come back, go on in another material existence or go on to more advanced Spiritual teachings. Some see single life others see multilife. Still the same message though and that is trying to ascend the Spirit to a higher level and overcoming material urges, desires and emotions.
Other than our differences in perceptions we pretty much believe the same thing. There was a Christ, there is one God, The Holy Ghost is a gift, that the Bible should be used, I just believe in the way of a History text with an open mind in that Spirituality has changed since the end of Revelation though. I think with concrete religion we get so caught up in the differences of perceptions that the consistency of the message is overlooked. I am also a believer in the main messages of all other religions though, even Satanism on the treatment of animals and respect for other humans and their lives. To me Faith, especially True Faith is about having confidence that Good is stronger than Evil even though it doesn't always conquer it, that Love is stronger than hate, that there is a much bigger picture than I can see with my limited physical senses, that there is an eternity riddled with life that we can see or not see and that our lives aren't just random anomolies in a linear time line that pop into existance and right back out again with no consciousness to it. To me, it's not so much about the stories in the Bible or beliving those stories as much as applying the messages contained within those stories to my life.
And may God bless you too. We all need blessings in this world that's for sure.
Jessica
