Man's natural reaction to an encounter with the LIVING God

by Terry 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  Terry

  Worship is man's natural reaction to an encounter with the living God

  For humans unacquainted with anything but a book or a prayer or a seat in an arena where "god" is SPOKEN it is a 2nd level intellectual or emotional experience. Not reality.

  Idolatry becomes necessary.

  What better way to serve an unknown and unknowable except by erecting a helpful worship aid: IMAGE?

  The IMAGE of "god" has no effect on the life of the idolator. None at all.

  Kneeling before an icon or deftly flipping onion skin pages in a book is an exercise and not much else.

  This worshipper relies on words and on "acts". An actor does act.

  Jehovah's Witnesses are nothing if not devout. Their devotion is frantic activity. Actions. Acts. Functional movements. Yet, life itself dims.

  Transformation in the life of someone who has God living inside them is a beacon so bright there is a glory reflected of how real such a god must be.

  The goodness in any of us is attracted to such light so compelling is the majesty of such reality.

  The sin in any of us wrenches away in the cynical mockery which is the only refuge of disbelief.

  We instinctively react in AWE to the LIVING God in the faces and voices of genuine worshippers.

  Yet--how many such persons have we met in our lifetime??

  For those whom such a God is impossible no explanation is possible. Only the image is real.

  For those whom such a God is undeniable no explanation is necessary. No image is required.

  No door knocking is necessary. No magazine article will suffice. Only a Living God reaches their sense of awe provoking WORSHIP.

  For Jehovah's Witnesses their god is a brand name. He is a boss. He is biding his time with anger and righteous indignation not unlike a rumbling

  volcano whose column of black smoke grows thicker each day.

  Worship for Jehovah's believers consists of a mad dash to get out of the way while grabbing as many others as possible.

  The only transformation inside them is mounting fear of failure to survive. The nature of their "worship" is appeasement.

  Bottom line?

  If you are engaged in ritual appeasement to your god you are flailing and failing, pretending and acting; fooling no one but yourself.

  Worship begins with awe. Awe is triggered by a Living God and not a lie. Everything else can be faked. Ask any JW!
• 

  rather be in hades

  The only transformation inside them is mounting fear of failure to survive. The nature of their "worship" is appeasement.

  you have a way with words. that's exactly what it felt like to me. even when i was pioneering there was a part of me that saw satan as more of a "liberator" in that he gave us choice. sort of. in reality it's do or die.

  anyway, what you said there is a large part of how i felt, but never knew how to put into words.
• 

  Terry

  I guess a question to ask is: "How many people have you personally met that had that shekinah light beaming out them?"
• 

  Finkelstein

  The pretense of fear derived from a living god is awe inspiring is it not ?

  So pick a god or create your own and be awed !
• 

  rather be in hades

  i'm trying to look up what that light is. either way, i've never seen anyone with light shining from them. perhaps i'm not taking the right medication?
• 

  tec

  I thought that was another great post, Terry. I'm getting worried here

  I think that what one sees from someone (the light you speak of on an encounter with the real God) might be different from individual to individual, depending upon where they were/are to begin with. Some people resist. Fear holds them back, imo, and so they are brought along (transformed) a bit more slowly.

  Peace,

  tammy
• 

  lisaBObeesa

  Agree!
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  tornapart

  I met someone like that many years ago while out door knocking. She felt sorry for me because I did not have what she had... it glowed from within her. It's always stuck with me.
• 

  Satanus

  Praying to a god outside yourself is always flailing.

  'I guess a question to ask is: "How many people have you personally met that had that shekinah light beaming out them?"'

  A few, at least ones that match the above description. One was a mormon lady. The one who was instrumental in opening the way for me didn't have any special glow that i could tell. He had a humble demonear. He was a visiting speaker at the pentacostal church group. We were meeting in a hotel conference room. He had grown up orphan. He didn't touch me. He just blew on my stomach area, and i fell down, knocked down, from what felt like an electric shock. I wasn't unconscious, or anything like that. I could get up imediately afterward. I see that as the opening of new possibilities, for me.

  I believe that you really can't tell, except maybe, for some of those hindu guru guys, who just smile, all the time. But, i have never met them face to face. Some people are just buzzing, all the time. It doesn't mean anything except brain chemistry. The pentle preacher who did that for me wasn't buzzing or glowing.

  Anyhow, my view is that 'god' doesn't come from without, 'he' 'it' comes from within. If someone gets it from outside themself, it ain't the real 'god', it's something else. In other words, we already have it. That is my belief based on my experience. It matches the eastern thought from the hindu/buddhist sector. Could be delusion, however. Whatever. You get your own mileage.

  Another thing, it has nothing to do w what religion a person happens to be in. When they are ready, a teacher appears, as the saying goes. Notice, that the saying isn't that god appears.

  S
• 

  scotoma

  Ted lectures are my Kingdom Hall substitute.