Hello, my dearest Amazing... and may you, as always, have peace!
I would like to respond to you, if I may. First, though, I would like to thank you for taking the time to respond to me, personally, in the way that you have. Thank you. Okay, then:
All my life I have been told not to "Question" when it comes to God and the Church.
Yes, dear one, I know this. But whom was that told you such... our Father? Our Lord? Or earthling man? May I refer you to Psalm 4:4? Thank you.
Later on the Church taking on the form of Jehovah's Witnesses and their Watch Tower religion.
Yes, but still, we are dealing with 'earthling man' here, yes? In whom we were told NOT to put our trust?
Now that I am in the second half of my life, I am taking a whole new look at everything and shaking down all the claims and accepted views of God, the Bible, Christianity, and religion.
As well you should. As well ALL of us should. We have been misled. And we were TOLD that there were those who WOULD attempt to mislead us, yes?
Matthew 23:2, 3, 10, 13
Matthew 24:24
I am finding much lacking, and much more based on plasuibilities and platitudes attributed to God.
I am glad that you said "attributed", aren't you? Kinda keeps things accurate...
Example: The preachers who say that God was pained at the attack on the World Trade Center.
Yes... earthling man... who CLAIM to speak for God and know what God 'feels'...
How do they know what was going trough God's mind?
They don't, dear one. And the fact that they claim to know what GOD felt, as opposed to what my Lord may have told them, should be a 'warning' signal to us. For indeed, that is the WHOLE point, isn't it? Even with the WTBTS? Everyone running around "God this" and "God that". How in the WORLD can ANYONE know the 'mind' of the Father? I promise you, my brother, if they have left out our Lord... they are IMPOSTERS! For NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER... or HEARS FROM THE FATHER... except through that One! I PROMISE you.
1 Corinthians 2:16
It is ALL conjecture and speculation as to what God thinks.
Absolutely! It is the same as saying one knows what the heart of Pharaoh was with regard to his 'grain', without ever having consulted with Joseph! But how can that BE? Was not Joseph the one 'appointed' BY Pharaoh to dispense HIS grain? How then could ANYONE eat... without seeking the face of Joseph?
1. I am NOT judging God as you assert. I am simply trying to understand him.
First, I did not assert that of you, my brother. I only related to you a 'message' to one that had, in the hopes that YOU would 'see' and 'hear' the Spirit on the matter. My Father and my Lord KNOWS your intent... to understand. That is why I was granted permission... from them AND from the recipient of the original message... to share it with you. It was given you... out of love, dear one. Not judging or discipline.
2. You compare respecting God's discipline to respecting my fleshly father's discipline as though this equation should cause me to see the similarity. They are not similar.
Again, please know and understand that the message was to another. It was the PRINCIPLES, however, that may have 'touched' you. That's all.
My dad was a criminal and did not discipline me in a loving way.
Yes, and that was the point of the statement that 'he... disciplined you according to what seemed good... to HIM.' Indeed, it was directed at another, but did it not also apply in your case? Your father did was pleased HIM... and NOT what was for YOUR 'profit'. Yes? My Lord... and thus our Father... KNOWS this, dear Amazing. [They] know and understand us... and what we have been through... even more than we ourselves know and understand. That, too, I promise you. Your motive was NOT in question; your desire to understand was simply 'heard'... and responded to.
He was never caught by the authorities and never served prison time. Yet, I cared for him when he was old and no one in the family would touch him.
Indeed, as the saying was "and we used to give THEM respect." Even though THEY... did not warrant... or perhaps even deserve... it. But... we gave it, didn't we? Why? Because... they were our 'fathers'.
3. You compare respecting God's discipline to how I may have disciplined my own children as though this would cause me to not want to be judged by my children.
Again, the 'lesson' was for another. The information was only presented to YOU... so that you could compare and see where it may have applied in your life.
My children were disciplined in love.
Praise JAH! And the one to whom the message was originally for did so, too. But... it did not mean his children always PERCEIVED it that way, yes?
One the other hand, God exterminated entire cities including every last man, woman, and child, and baby. I never abused or killed my children. Otherwise, I would go to jail or be executed by civil authorities.
First, my Father has in His 'power' to grant... and take life. As the 'giver' of life, it is His 'right'. I KNOW you've heard the saying, "I brought you into this world; I'll take you out." Indeed, if earthling man can perceive such a thing, why not our heavenly Father, the One who can... and WILL... also RESTORE such life? In addition, He... unlike YOU... is not 'subject' to the 'superior authorities', for they are 'subject' to Him. It is by HIS permission that they 'stand placed in their respective positions', yes? We do not have to AGREE with this, my dear brother, just as OUR children do have to AGREE with OUR decisions. But... if they wish to live in OUR homes, they will have to, to some degree, abide by them, yes? No difference. Our Father did not leave Himself 'without witness': unlike many of US, He TOLD His 'children' what would occur if they continued in their course... yes?
4. You mention that a father does not answer to his son, but that only sons answer to their father and applied this to our relationship with God.
Actually, while that is the RULE... that is not always the CASE. Did not Abraham question our Father? And did He not permit it... AND answer Abraham? Did not Moses, Jacob and others inquire, contend, and put to the test our Father? Did He invoke a 'law' and annihilate them? Or did He do what we ourselves would lovingly do... and condescend to hear His child speak to Him?
Generally, parents of minor children do not account to them. But when a parent abuses children, then the parent is accountable, and the parent can go to jail.
I must disagree with you here, Amazing, and say that it DEPENDS... on where you live, what the 'belief system' of your location is... and sometimes who the authorities are. As well as sometimes who YOU are. Yes? However, in a 'perfect' system in an 'ideal' country, you might be correct. But I would venture to say that there are tens of thousands of children that would disagree with you.
And yes, as adults, the children will ask an accounting from the parent.
Some, yes. Some others, no. Those who KNOW their parents to be sound in mind, just, and equitable... may not. They MAY just come to the conclusion that 'Dad knows that he's doing; he's never let ME down, so... I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."
5. You exhort me to have a soft heart toward God.
Again, no, my dear one. I only related to you a message... to another... that I thought would have some benefit to YOU.
I never expressed hardheartedness toward God.
And I don't recall saying that you had. Could it be, however, that you were heading in that direction? I can absolutely understand why, as I did... and as did our Father and my Lord... with regard to the original recipient. They UNDERSTAND US... Amazing. It is WE... that do not understand THEM... and give up trying to when we grow tired of being misled... by 'earthling man'.
Were I to do that, I would tell God to go to hell.
I don't think so, but I can see where you might think you would.
Rather, I appeal to God in prayer to help me understand why he murdered innocent babies, as told in HIS word...
The Bible, my dear one... is NOT our Father's word. IT IS NOT!
Revelation 19:13
John 1:14
And it is VERY important that you UNDERSTAND that! Why? Because MEN... have compiled what is 'written' as we behold it today... and that very written compilation ITSELF bears witness to the 'false stylus' of those entrusted to copy it accurately! There are things missing, changed, altered, included that was not originally, contrived, etc. That is WHY our Lord said:
"You are searching the SCRIPTURES...
because you THINK...
that by means of THEM...
you will have life.
And THESE... are the VERY ones...
that bear witness about ME...
and YET...
YOU DO NOT WANT TO COME...
TO ME...
that you may HAVE... life.
John 5:39, 40
How else can he SAY, my dear one, to STOP trusting the 'written' law on stone tablets and on paper in delible ink... and INSTEAD... TRUST HIM... and COME TO HIM? But... we just LOVE to keep on referring back to that 'law'... those stone tablets! My Lord is a SPIRIT... just as my Father is a SPIRIT! You CANNOT worship Him by following a 'written law'... other than that 'written'... on your HEART! You MUST... worship Him... IN SPIRIT! Irregardless of WHAT 'earthling man' has told you... you MUST... worship Him... NOT with your flesh... NOT with the 'senses' of your flesh... but with SPIRIT! And the spirit does not NEED the 'law' written on stone tablets, or indelible ink... for the spirit... is TAUGHT... BY SPIRIT! HOLY SPIRIT!
... as ordered by him and carried out by his agents, be they angels, or Israeli soldiers, or in Job's case, he even allowed the Devil to draw some blood. Yea! Brother, bust a head and break bones for God!
You and I punish with a belt... or a restriction... or some such thing. Just as our Father dispenses blessings with greatness, are we to expect Him to dispense discipline with less? I will tell you a 'sacred secret', my dear brother:
What occurred in Israel and the 'nations' before our Lord manifested himself in the flesh was this:
1. The 'nations' occupied a land that was NOT theirs, a land given to Abraham and his offspring by God. Such individuals had NOT right to such land, as it was not theirs. Do you truly think a 'court' would have removed them? Indeed, Pharaoh, after seeing 10 PLAGUES... STILL did not want to let Israel go? And what had Moses, Aaron or Israel done to Pharaoh to 'reap' his hard-heartedness? Was he not asked in kindness and mercy? Yet, he failed to consent and even challenged the Holy One of Israel. As a father, had YOU asked a enslaver of YOUR children to let them return to you and HE refused... and you practically begged and pleaded with him... and he STILL would not do so... what, eventually, would YOU do... to release your children so that they could return to YOU? IF... you had the 'power'?
What if you asked people to get off your land, land that YOU gave to your children, land that was YOURS... and they REFUSED? Would you not tell your children, "Go.. TAKE what is yours, and I will support you?"
And what if YOUR children, after having AGREED to a covenant with YOU... continually put you to the test, maligned you, turned away from you, followed other gods, followed the neighbors, whatever, and you begged and pleaded with them... or others of your children begged and pleaded with them, and rather than LISTENING to you or such other children, they instead intended to usurp and corrupt YOUR household... for the good of the children who LOVE you and conduct themselve in your household as YOU wish... what would you do to 'cleanse' your house... were it in your 'power'?
Now, YOU might think killing them... in the flesh... to be extreme. But that is because death... to US... in the flesh... is eternal. But... it is NOT eternal to our Father, Amazing. To Him, it is simply a matter of putting certain ones to sleep... for the 'good' of others. Now, He does not expect us to UNDERSTAND this, just as we do not always expect our children to understand all of OUR decisions. But the misunderstanding of a child does not necessarily STOP us... from pursuing a course that WE feel to be the best... for the 'entire' household. Yes?
6. You suggest that I am angry or contentious toward God. No so.
Not so. Again, I only 'shared' with you a message to another.
I am not at all angry, contentious, bitter, or upset.
You know, HE didn't think HE was... either. Until later, when he 'saw' himself as the Father and Son 'saw' him. He changed his mind a bit.
I am perhaps using a little sarcasm to make a point.
Okay. I didn't take it that way, but... okay.
I am giving God every benefit of the doubt to step forward and enlighten me as to why he acts as he does.
Actually, you are not. May I ask... have I lied to you, yet? I have spoken NOTHING but truth to you... and all those here. And I have given ALL credit and ALL glory to our Father and Lord. I have ADMITTED to you, that I am 'nothing'... a good-for-nothing servant and slave, only doing what I have been directed to do. I ask NOTHING in return: I do not wish followers for myself, I do not wish money or fame or glory. I have 'sold' myself into this slavery, by accepting the 'ransom' than 'bought' me. I have established no 'religion', no institution... and have directed you to none.
Yet, like many others, when someone is SENT to you... because YOU lack faith (and understandably so)... so as to help you REBUILD your faith... you do not 'receive' such one hospitably and with love... but because of the false prophets BEFORE... you ridicule, malign and slander. You ASKED... and was ANSWERED... yet, you harden your heart and refuse to RECEIVE. Were you not TOLD what would occur in fulfillment of the words of the Prophet Joel? And yet, where is your faith?
You might say, as many do, "but MANY have come on the basis of his name, saying "I am the Christ". And you would be correct. But... you were TOLD how to "know" such ones, yes? "By their fruits"! What "fruits" has the WTBTS offered you? Do they teach you love? Sure, they have a FORM of 'godly devotion', but are they TRUE to its power... or false? Yet, all I have offered you... and others... is to receive what I have received... holy spirit... and its 'gifts'. Tell me, Amazing... what else IS there to offer? What did our Lord offer? What did our 1st century brothers offer? WHERE DID ANY OF THEM POINT YOU TO RELIGION? Where did our Lord tell you to put your faith in 'scribes and Pharisees'? Where did HE tell you to read... and trust entirely... the "Bible"? WHERE does it say... ANYWHERE... that the "Bible"... is the Word of God? EARTHLING MAN... has taught you that lie, as directed by their 'father', the father OF the lie... so as to mislead you... away FROM the TRUTH, the WORD OF GOD... our Lord and Master... or ONLY Leader, the Son of God and His Christ, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH. There IS not other "Word", "Truth", "Way"... or means of "Life".
And if he has good solid reasons, then by all means I will praise him from the roof tops!
Indeed, my brother, you will. As soon as you consent to 'soften' your heart so that His 'law'... the law of LOVE... can be written thereon. For you must love HIM... first... with your WHOLE heart, your WHOLE soul, your WHOLE mind and your WHOLE strength. It is then, and only then, that you can TRULY love your brother. For God IS love. If then, YOU love... which is a commandment FROM God, by means of Christ... they WILL come... and 'make their abode' with you. Because IF you love THEM... you WILL... 'obey' their commandments, which commandments are few:
1. Love God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength;
2. Love your neighbor as yourself;
3. Remain in union with them
4. Become the 'least' among your brothers... indeed, among ALL men.
The ENTIRE law is summed up in the first two... and MANIFESTED in the latter two.
7. You recommend God's righteousness as the basis on which to trust his acts.
Is there any other 'basis'?
I have done that for 50 years, or at least since I was old enough to understand God.
I disagree, for by the spirit of my Father that is in me, holy spirit, by means of Christ, I say to YOU... that you do not yet 'understand' God. You 'understand'... what 'earthling man' has told you of God. But you have yet to have God REVEALED to you... by means of Christ.
If God is acting righteously to have an Israeli soldier run a sword into the guts of an innocent baby, then so be it. I am simply trying to understand this brand of righteousness, its wisdom, and most of all its love - since God is a God of love.
I guess the ONLY thing I can say to you then, is 'think Hitler'. Think Idi Amin. Think PolPot. And think were mankind would be... IF we 'knew' what God did... many years before.
Shelby, I seriously wonder if you really read my post.
I did, Amazing. Several times.
I wonder if you really understand how you sound with your holier-than-thou writing style.
Please... I am not trying to sound 'holier than thou'. I am only speaking TRUTH to you. If, though, TRUTH, sounds 'holier than thou'... what am I to say? It is NOT my intention to raise myself up by ANY means. I am your SERVANT. Truly, were I not... I would not condescent to even CARE about the despair... and NEED for truth... that your heart is undergoing. The 'truth', however, Amazing... is not always what we EXPECT to hear... or WANT to hear. I am sorry, but THAT... is also a 'truth'.
John 3:19
God gave me a brain to think, learn, reason, and question.
He did. And for YEARS... you allowed others to TELL you what to think and believe and NOT to reason and question. My Father is NOT saying that to you... or any others... but rather, ASKING you... to give HIM the same benefit of the doubt that you will one day wish Him... to give to you. For 'with the same judgement that YOU are judging... you WILL be judged. Please... do NOT forget that. Please.
God says to test everything, especially everything claiming to be an inspired utterance.
Indeed, He even invites Israel to 'test [Him] out'. Why? Because HE... unlike US... has nothing to hide. HE... can 'answer' for His actions. Can we? In ALL of our actions? Are we SURE, then, that we wish to judge HIM?
Why? Because NOT everything is from God.
Absolutely. And for YEARS... you, I and many others... accepted as from God what indeed was NOT from God. I do NOT fault you... or anyone... for putting ME to the test. Nor does my Father fault you. But... you must permit Him to reply... yes? And I have tried... WITH ALL MY MIGHT... to tell you and others here... how to HEAR that reply... FOR YOURSELVES. And yet, you doubt. I have not told you that you need to hear it through me. I have TOLD you that you have the SAME capabilities as I. And I have OFFERED, time and again, to help those who lack faith, to 'cultivate' that ability and 'receive' that same 'gift'. Yes? And yet, you fault me, and falsely accuse me of seeking my OWN 'interests'. Exactly how does that work, dear one?
AND, this is what I am driving at. What is truly from God!!!
The Bible, that you and others so readily put your faith in... TELLS you how to 'know' what 'originates' from God. All you need do... is examine the FRUITS.
What troubles me is that when I also lay these issues out before others, "some",like yourself, seem to fail to understand the plain basic issue, and instead you read "attitudes and motives" into my material that are not there.
What you fail to understand, though, dear Amazing, is irregardless of what you WISH to believe... attitude... and MOTIVE... is the very BASIS for EVERYTHING 'spiritual'! For the flesh can HIDE intentions... attitudes... and motives. But... such things are NOT 'hidden' from the one who EXAMINES the heart... and the kidneys. It is ALL about motive... and attitude. I promise you THAT... also.
You counsel without understanding what in the hell you are talking about, or the issue(s) involved. This is like the one mentioned in Proverbs who responds to a matter before hearing it.
I beg your pardon... and I digress... in sackcloth... and ashes. I am... YOUR servant.
My whole premise in delving into the Bible record started with proving that a worldwide flood of Noah did NOT take place. So, if that is not as many believe, then is there anything else that I might question? And, as a mature, responsible adult, I do seriously question the Hebrew scriptures when it comes to God ordering Israel to kill off whole tribes and cities, adults and babies. I have to believe that as I do this, I will shrink the Bible down to what may truly be from God, and then at last I can rebuild my faith on love, and have a faith that is simple and not complicated by a bunch of mumbo-jumbo
The "Bible"... will sabotage your faith, Amazing. For it is inaccurate, as well as 'sensual'. It does not require faith, nor does it cultivate it. If you are hellbent on disproving what is 'written' there... you will succeed in some instances... and fail in others. And if proving the Bible true or false is your goal... and your focus... then I say to you... be about your work. IF, however, being 'sealed' as a son of God, finding your way into the kingdom of God... and becoming a part of His Christ (the Body) is your goal... I would say to you... stop wasting your time on fruitless pursuits that can neither save you... nor grant you life. They are mere distractions, designed by the 'father of the lie' to keep you occupied... and off 'track'. To lure you AWAY from the Light... and lull you to sleep. That is their VERY purpose... and whether they succeed with you... or not... is entirely... up to you.
May the undeserved kindess and mercy of my God and Father, JAH OF ARMIES, and the peace of His Christ, my Lord, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH, serve to be upon you... IF you so 'wish' it... to time indefinite.
Again, I am...
YOUR servant, as I am servant to ALL those of the Household of God, Israel, and a slave of Christ,
SJ
