How do you have a personal relationship with G (page 5)

mouthy

I can only answer for ME!!! I was distraught when the WT kicked me out
wanted to kill myself.Still believed it was truth & I was a Judas
But caring EXJWs & Christians took me under their wing. They never tried to talk about
what I SHOULD believe ,just asked if I would like to go with them to PA
an EX JWs convention.I went listened to all their testimonies ,felt they understood me
Every one seemed to give Jesus a voice. So I thought to myself .I wish I knew this
Jesus like they talked about him LOVING ,KIND,So right there in my seat I prayed that I
might KNOW him also.Then the one giving the testimony said" there is someone in here
who is asking to know you Lord.Open their heart to let you in.."..He then made an alter call
& I went forward.... I know you all may think I am nuts( maybe I am) but let me tell you
since then my life has been absolutley peaceful,except for the loss of my JWfamily & friends.
But I always remember GOD gave us FREE WILL & Choices ,& they want to follow the WT
So I said the sinners prayer & asked the LORD to guide,lead, direct me , I now dont go
to any religion Just have a personal relationship with Jesus ,,,me & him are friends....NOT SLAVES

frankiespeakin

PSacra,

Difference is, I tell m kids everyday, many times, how much I love them, how they are my world to me and that they are my heartbeat and, unfortunatley, we don't get a chance to hear that from God and Jesus unless we talke to them. My kids hear it wether they like it or not !

Well I'm glad your not following God and Jesus example when it comes to your kids. The Biblical god always seems too self interested to be much of a caring parent from a loving earthly parents point of view.

Narkissos

The essence of ancient religion was fear of the gods. They were powerful, hence both potentially helpful and dangerous. Not unilaterally benevolent. Certainly not all-loving and forgiving. They were to be served, pleased, placated, which implied a certain (priestly) knowledge which could work or fail. Approaching the gods was a necessary but hazardous task, which could not be taken lightly. There was certainly a relationship, more collective than individual, but it implied the formal mediation of the priesthood and temple. Not something anyone would wish to get too "personal".

It is noteworthy that the Deuteronomy commandment (which became the "first" in later Jewish and Christian traditions) about loving Yhwh with all your heart etc. derives from the contemporary Assyrian treaties where the suzerain exacted "love" as well as fear and obedience from his vassals. This went hand in hand with graphic cruelty against enemies and especially traitors to the pact which is directly echoed in the covenant curses.

The influence of Hellenism, especially in mystery cults blending religious traditions and popular philosophy, tended to suppress the distance between saviour gods and salvation-seeking men at the turn of the Christian era, although not exactly in the sense of "personal relationship". The relationship between the deity and the adept was closer than personal. Communion rather than communication. Fusion rather than relationship. Being one with the deity, "mutual indwelling" (being in the god et vice versa), this is more than "personal relationship". And this is heavily echoed in early Christianity (especially Pauline and Johannine).

The theme of friendship between God and man is remarkably rare: God calling Abraham his "friend" or the Johannine Jesus calling his disciples friends rather than slaves. Always a favour from the superior to the inferior. Nobody dared to call God or Jesus his/her "friend".

All of this is a very interesting background to the evolution of religious sensitivity. Fear has vanished from modern religious vocabulary, while "personal relationship" came to the fore (interestingly both among JWs and Evangelicals, for instance, along with a general wariness about fusional mysticism as well). Familiarity seems to be the trend.

ldrnomo

Read the bible

Reniaa

Reniaa, you forgot

Field service

study, (read watchtower and awake)

prayer (but you have to pray the right way like the watchtower tells you to

LD

Quirky1

Oh, it's personal...believe me..

frankiespeakin

PSacra,

I try not to judge God and Jesus for what they do or the lackthereof, just as I hope that my kids don't judge me to harshly (which I am sure they do) when I do things that are for their own good that they don't agree with.

So does this mean they are untouchable in your imagination as to what you imagine them doing or not doing. And that you just chalk it up to: they are superior and unquestionable or unanswerable to humans because of an imagined superiority?

PSacramento

frankie,

The God and Son of the NT and New Covenant always struck me as loving.

Love is the cornerstone of the New Covenant.

Adonijah1974

Like any relationship, you have to spend time talking with someone you want to get to know. The best way is just to be real. We all know we are a mess so don't try to hide anything, God already knows. Seek God and ask him to reveral himself to you. Read the bible and ask God to reveal his will for your life. We all have to go to God just as we are, you can't change yourself, but God can.

Jesus said Mat 11:28 Come to Me, all those laboring and being burdened, and I will give you rest.

also see Mat 11:27 the Son reveals the Father

When I went to Jesus and asked Him to reveal God to me... My life forever changed.... Hope this helps

PSacramento

Frankie,

Viewing any relationship with God and jesus is, well, interesting to say the least, I can only speak to how I view it and no one else.

I view God and Jesus as being in perfect harmony with each other and the HS, God is perfectly and totally manifested in his Son and in the HS.

I view them as infalliable but not unquestionable, I question because I do NOT have the answers, so I ask the questions.

God has, as I believe, given Us free will and as such, we are responsible for everything that happens or doesn't happen, we can ask God for guidence and he will give it, but only IF we ask and only IF we receive it.

We Ask for strenght to deal with the adversities that come are way, God gives us strength and we must be willing to ask and receive it.

God's infinit Grace shows us that, no matter what it is up to US, God loves us as much as he can, no matter what, but we must receive his love and grace.

Free will is a bitch, but it is our bitch and God and Jesus are there to help us deal with it.

Spike Tassel

dutchstef Asked this before, are you and reniaa friends, familie, maybe the same person? Or are you still in the BORG?

Spike Tassel Friends in the Internet-sense, that's the only way I know her. She is studying off-and-on with someone, doesn't work secularly (unless posting on JWN counts), and probably doesn't attend much yet; and was away from meetings for years after growing up in the Truth — as far as I know. As for me, [Spike Tassel] is NOT one of Jehovah's Witnesses, doesn't work secularly (unless posting on JWN counts), and attends all the time, after only being with JWs the second half of my life (at meetings, any way).

frankiespeakin O I can never imagine a jealous god, or one that is always demanding exclusive devotion with threatening acts revenge, for those that choose another deity,, he's to prickly for me to draw close to, too demanding.

Spike Tassel Ironic, then, that God is love. As for prickly, that reminds me of Matthew 7:17 in Jack J. Blanco's Clear Water paraphrase. There is reads [regarding telling spiritual leaders by their fruits]:— It's the same with people who have prickly dispositions. They are not the ones you want to depend on for spiritual advice.

ldrnomo Reniaa, you forgot Field service

Spike Tassel Field service comes with time and application and circumstance, whether for her, or for me. In the meantime, there's JWN

drnomo Reniaa, you forgot study, (read watchtower and awake)

Spike Tassel that comes with Reading the Bible, if I dare to speak on both her behalf and mine

drnomo Reniaa, you forgot prayer (but you have to pray the right way like the watchtower tells you to

Spike Tassel that comes with Reading the Bible, since I dare to speak on both her behalf and mine

How do you have a personal relationship with G

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