Ummmmm... folks (and peace to you all!)... I can see that this conversation is beginning to deteriorate, and I really don't want that to happen. I believe dear NVL's questions are valid, even if his/her frustration is causing him/her to become... ummmm... caustic. So, I am going to try and clarify a little bit more, if he/she will permit me. And dear Outlaw/PSacto... thank you. I know you're trying to help and I truly appreciate that. Let's see, though, if we can do more to help dear NVL "get" what I'm trying to convey.
Dear NVL, if you don't mind, I'll start with the "burning" bush thing, just so we can dispense with that once and for all (at least, I'm hoping). First, it wasn't burning, dear one. Really, it wasn't. It just LOOKED like it was "on fire" because there was a fiery being (an angel) sitting in it. Spirit beings are seraphs (yes, all of them, including the Most Holy One Himself)... which are "flying FIERY serpents." And no, not snakes. Contrary to what earthling man has taken the word to mean, “serpents” are NOT snakes but a kind of species. The specie of spirit beings is seraph. I promise you. And they ALL look "aflame" because they are very BRIGHT (when they are reflecting GOD's glory - some have been restricted from doing that, however)... and radiate. (The Most Holy One has the BRIGHTEST light, with His Son, my Lord having the second most brightest light). They are IN this light because… well, they are pretty hard to look at. Really. By OUR standards (earthling man)… they are quite… ummmm… let’s say, “challenging” to look at. The Most Holy One of Israel is most so… which is why no man can see him… and live. NOT because He would kill them… but because the flesh cannot handle it. Which is why most of the prophets were frightened… and fainted dead away when a spirit appeared to them.
This is one of the reason why no spirit being has appeared to YOU: although you may deny this truth and think that you could handle it, I would wager that you could not. Indeed, I almost had a heart attack the first time I saw my Lord as he really is. Took me several additional times… and in small stages… before I could “behold” him in full. It wasn’t easy, I promise you.
Second, Moses had never seen such a thing before and the only way TO describe it would be to say (to whomever he told the event, because it wasn’t he who literally wrote about it), "Like, I saw this bush, you know and, well, the thing looked like it was burning... and yet, it wasn't." And the person to whom he was speaking would no doubt say something like, "Burning but NOT burning? Yeah, right, man. I mean, how can that happen? Dude, what were YOU smokin'?" To which Moses would have responded something like, "No, seriously. I saw, like, well, white fire... IN the bush… but the bush was still there, perfectly intact. No smoke, no nothin'. Just burnin’. So, I went over to check it out."
And so as he approaches… he hears a voice. Here’s the thing, dear NVL: he HEARD the voice because he CHOSE… to go and check the matter out. Again, he could have said, “Ain’t my problem!” or “Uh-uh, can’t be no bush burnin’ like that…” or even “Well, it might be burnin’ but if so it’s a demon and I ain’t gonna mess with it.” At any rate, his CHOICE to entertain what was even going on was the first step. Of course, the person probably asked him if he was scared and I PROMISE you he told that person that he was… but “something” helped him to know he didn’t need to be. Regardless, even if he was scared, he couldn’t turn away. He HAD to see what it was. I know. I have been there, dear one.
How does this affect someone like you? Well, from what I’ve read thus far, you don’t even believe there could BE a “burning” bush… or better, an ANGEL in a bush making it look like it was burning… because YOU don’t even believe the Most Holy One of Israel DOES such things. Now, you might want to say here, “Oh, no, AGuest, you have me wrong – I do believe God would do such a thing.” But if that’s true, then you’ve denied that belief in virtually every response you’ve made here because your position seems to be that if the Most Holy One of Israel hasn’t manifested Himself to YOU… then He hasn’t/doesn’t to ANYONE. Think about that… because that thinking is what is standing in YOUR way.
You can’t have it both ways, dear one: either He does manifest Himself… and chooses who to do so with… and WHY... as well as who NOT to (which I will discuss in a second)… or He doesn’t. If He DOESN’T… then your whole “how comes He can MAKE ones see/hear Him?” doesn’t fly. If He doesn’t, then He DOESN’T, right? If He DOES… and your adamant stance on those you claim He MADE see/hear tends to lead me to believe that YOU believe He DOES… then where is your argument going?
Third, as I've explained, when the Most Holy One of Israel FORCES someone to see or hear (i.e., Pharaoh, Balaam, Belshazzar, Saul of Tarsus, etc.), it's usually not a GOOD thing... but a last resort and usually for the purpose of SHOWING someone what they now must "suffer" as a result of NOT choosing to listen/hear/see to begin with.
Now to the "why" as stated above: your position is WHY... hasn’t He manifested Himself… to YOU. And I told you why. NOT because you don’t believe He CAN… but because you don’t believe He WILL. With YOU. You asked… but NOT EXPECTING TO HEAR ANYTHING. As I shared with you, though, faith… is… the… ASSURED EXPECTATION… of the thing HOPED for.
To help you understand, I share what happened with me: I asked. Simply asked. I did not know at the time I asked HOW... or WHEN... the answer would come, but I had EVERY expectation that I would be answered. Absolutely NO doubt about it. None whatsoever.
And when He DID answer… even I was skeptical at first. I even thought perhaps it WAS demons. But… I responded. I took a chance. I EXERCISED MY FAITH… DEMONSTRATED my "assured expectation"... and asked, when He called me, “Who is this, please?” And when He responded, I did not immediately believe what I heard. NOT because I didn’t think HE speaks… but because I believed (1) that demons spoke louder (due to the false teachings of the WTBTS), and thought it might be demons, and (2) who was I so that the Most Holy One of Israel would speak to ME????
But they did (the Father and the Son, together, at first - now, it's pretty much just the Son), and when I asked why my Lord responded “Because you asked for me.”
I first tried to deny that, but he reminded me of what I asked: To know the Son. Which I learned TRANSLATED to: to know the Truth.
Let me explain, and I can do it by explaining what took place at a dinner a few months ago with other dear ones. They, too, said they had asked… and asked… and asked. And my Lord directed me to ask them WHAT had they asked for? The answers were virtually the same. Although they all pretty much said, “I asked to know the truth,” when I asked them WHAT truth, their answers, although slightly varying, came down to “I wanted to know what was going on, who I was, what was going to happen, etc.”
My answer was different, though. Yes, I wanted to know the truth. The Truth. God's SON. I didn’t want to know "what" was "going on." I didn’t want to know “who” I was. I didn’t want to know “what” was “going to happen.” I didn't want to know "life's mysteries." Or something like the day's lotto numbers. For ME… ALL I wanted to know... was the Son of God. KNOW him. Not ABOUT him.
I wanted this because we were "studying" the “Greatest Man” Book… and it occurred to ME that if this individual gave his life for ME… and God conferred ALL authority upon HIM… and we are supposed to “kiss” HIM… then he HAD to be more important than what the WTBTS was making him out to be. For all I could see, everything was “Jehovah… Jehovah… Jehovah.” But it SEEMED to me that, although “Jehovah” WAS the MOST High God… HE was telling me that I needed to know His SON. SO… that is what I asked for: I asked God to let me know His SON... better. And as a result of that request, the Son… was sent to me and revealed himself to me.
And that’s all I asked for, dear NVL. I didn’t ask for wisdom. I didn’t ask for money. I didn’t ask to know all things. I didn’t ask to "understand the Bible." I didn't care about those things. I only cared about knowing this person who I believed loved me SO much... and so I asked to know him. And… my request was answered… as I KNEW it would be. Again, I had absolutely NO idea that it would be in the WAY it was… but I knew it would be answered. And it certainly was. To the glory of God… and the mercy and salvation of me, His servant girl.
So… bottom line: you need to check YOUR heart out… and “see” whether or not you are receiving EXACTLY what you are asking for… and HOPING to receive. As I’ve stated, I think you are. There error is not God’s, dear one. It is yours. And it is because you have been sorely misled about these things… by the blind guides.
BUT… it does NOT have to continue that way. You, TOO, can LISTEN… and HEAR… the Spirit and the Bride when they say to YOU:
“Come! Take life’s water free!”
If you HEARD that invitation, dear one… then you would RESPOND… by coming… and taking. I heard… and responded to THAT call… even before I asked to know my Lord.
May you have ears to hear… and get the SENSE of these truths.
I am YOUR servant, and a slave of Christ,
SA
