Teej... my brutha (sic)... peace! And...
Well.... you told Farkel:
Oh, pleeze! Someone was "sent" to YOU. Did you listen? No,
wait... let me ask the RIGHT question: did you WANT to?
Yes. I told him the reason. I did not "allege" it. I don't have any problem saying I said something, Teej. I don't have to "justify" it with fancy words. I said the reason. It was true. With regard to the first item. With regard to the second, I neither alleged nor said that he didn't. He in fact did, and I said so. (Smiling sweetly...) K?
From that it seemed that you were saying that he (god, not Farkel) needs to sense a "want to" on the part of the creature before he bothers to reveal himself to said creature. Sorry... I musta misunderstood.
Well, sort of. He (God) ANSWERED a "want to" sent out by Farkel. And when He (God) responded, Farkel changed his mind. Truth. (Smiling sweetly...) K?
(You, and then you quoting me re: leaning on one's own understanding... and then you again...)
Two things...
(Smiling sweetly) K...
1. you say that I fail to understand god because I insist on leaning on my own understanding. THEN you say that I should "raise my thoughts".
Yes. Indeed.
Wouldn't that require me to "lean on my own understanding"?
No. You see, you wish to understand God and His ways according to what YOU wish to understand... rather than what He has TOLD you to understand... in order to KNOW Him. The choice is yours, Teej, but He ain't gonna make it for you.
2. I see analogies to parenthood. I'm older than my daughter. I can talk baby talk (or, in this case, "three-year-old" talk) but there's no way in hell that she can talk on my level. I mean... come on! Few ADULTS can do that! *cough, cough... gag*
Wrong analogy. You're older than your daughter... but your daughter... is an ADULT! Moving right along...
Where was I?
Spoutin' bad analogies...
Oh yeah...
Yeah, I thought it would come back to you, too... (smiling sweetly...)
(Let me clarify the error of your analogy: You are older than your daughter; however, your daughter, although a grown woman, wishes to REMAIN A BABE... and rather than learn the things of a grown woman, wishes to learn ONLY the "elementary" things of life. Whose fault... yours... or hers? When you tell her, "Honey, high school is this way...", she says to you, "No, I don't want it be that way, so... for ME, it's THIS (elementary school) way." You say, "Honey, doesn't matter what you want; it's not ABOUT what you want... it's about what IS. High school... IS this way." And your daughter says, "Well, if that's the way high school is, I don't want it. I'll just stay in elementary school. It's easier and I understand it better than high school." And you say, "Well, look, here are some 'tools' to help you... and a tutor, even." And she says, "Sorry, Pop. I understand elementary, and I don't really think I need high school anyway, so... let me be. I don't WANT it!"
What's "wrong" with this picture? Your daughter... is 40 years old!)
Now, where was I? Oh, yes, giving a more accurate analogy...
So, if there is to be any sort of communication, I must stoop to her level. For me, it's not a problem. I love her and want to communicate.
So then what, you both end up dummies? (Smiling sweetly)... Well, K.
God don't seem to have that kind of love for me since s/he seems to arrogantly wait for me to speak to him/her on it's level.
No, Teej... God speaks to us first. And we USED to here it... when we WERE elementary school age. But some "good-meaning" folk came along somewhere in the line and told you, "Boy, stop that! Ain't nobody there and ain't nobody talkin' to you! Stop that mess; 'dems demons or sumthin'!" And after awhile, guess what? You bought it! True, you didn't APPEAR to have much of a choice, 'cause no one told you that you did. So, God... waited.
(Smiling sweetly) May I ask... are you ready NOW, Teej?
And there's where the problem is: god, being a kazillion years old, should understand that there are some clueless, skeptical bastards out here (that would be people like Farkel. And... well, me.)
Ohhhhh, He understands that... especially the first part, you know, about being clu... uh, nevermind... (smiling... sweetly)...
who are a couple of seconds old that he needs to reach out to like I do to my daughter. Does this make sense to you?
Yep. I do... and he does. What, you think I LIKE wasting my time and breath saying, "Hey, Teej! He's ready to talk to YOU... if YOU'RE ready to listen!" You think?
I have been here long enough so that you don't have much of an excuse either.
Well, it's true. See comment above...
So *that's* it?!! You--Shelby--have been here on JW.com so teejay don't have no excuse?
Well, not much of one. Let me ask you and you tell me: I am here; I have BEEN here. I have told you what I hear, whom I hear it from, why... and how. Why haven't you asked to hear, too, Teej? I mean, truly, what do you have to lose? Either you will hear... or you won't. Right? So, I stand on my statement... you don't have much of an excuse, if indeed you have any at all.
You for real? YOU are my one shot at eternity?
"One shot"? Who said one shot? It doesn't work that way, Teej. JAH keeps calling... UNTIL WE HEAR HIM! For some of us... it takes a bit longer: many don't hear Him, until right before they're about the check out. THEN... they have all KINDS of things to say and ask!!
Wow. Now... thasss deeeeep. My ass is grass 'cause I don't co-sign everything you say. Wow.
What the...??!! Now, see, there you go again: leaning on your own understanding. I have NEVER said such a thing to you... nor ever implied it. Go back, Teej, if you need to and reread EVERY thread I've ever posted here... and see if I have. I don't need you to co-sign, dear one: my Lord provides a "second" witness whenever one is called for. You will see THAT in such threads, too.
Bottom line... I am to speak... whether you... or any others HEAR... or refrain. I cannot count the times I've said that, Teej. Truth.
Seems I heard that somewhere before... "Listen to me...
And if someone says that to you... do I what would do... get AWAY from them. However, IF someone said: "Listen to CHRIST... or LISTEN to GOD who speaks by MEANS of Christ...", I would have to at least slow down and give it a bit of consideration. At least. For God, who so long ago USED to speak to us by means of the prophets, speaks to us TODAY... by means of a Son.
My message? The same invitation that has been going out from times long past: "COME! Take life's water... free! ANYONE who is hearing... ANYONE who is thirsting... ANYONE who is wishing... COME!" That is my message, Teejay... and methinks you know that. There is no orgization, no church group, no religion. None. Nothing more than the Body of Christ, of which there are MANY members... but only ONE Body... and ONE Head, Christ.
do what I say, or else you have no chance at Everlasting Life / Paradise / Life. Yep... I sure have... God sho' is funny.
Yeah, I remember hearing that, too. But I must ask you... WHEN have you ever heard such a thing coming from me... here... to you or others here? True, there was a message to "Israel" on H20 to cease from their hypocrisy... but even then... there was no message of doom, but rather an invitation. My 'commission' has never included such a message. It has only begged for Israel to 'return'.
I'm-a tellya... you cool and all Shelby, and I think... no, I KNOW you're good peeps and errah thang, but when it comes to god and most things spiritual I don't see things your way AT ALL.
Well, duh (on the not seein' eye-to-eye 'thang)! That's why we's havin' this conversation... ain't it?
So if you *are* god's voice--god's... ahem... channel--sent to save me from the everlasting flames of damnation, then god might as well start cooking me right now.
Sigh! Sigh! SIGH! SIGH! I am not "God's voice"! I am not "God's channel." And I have not been sent to save you... or anyone else... from anything! I can't even save myself... how in the WORLD can I save YOU?! God has a Voice, Teejay... and He has One to speak FOR Him. I am... just a SERVANT... TRULY... of that One! And I have been SENT... to INVITE your hard-headed, hard-hearted, STIFF-necked behind!! But, like a few others, ya just can't seem to LET GO of that 'ol Watchtower "babelogna". THEY'RE the ones that go around (along with a number of Fundy's) saying they need to save your soul. My Lord knows, I don't know how in the heck they propose to do it, though...
... if someone comes to you with a message from Christ... or "the spirit"... my advice? At least entertain the message.
Oh, I thought you were saying that, and I was about to vehemently agree...
You don't think I've "entertained" your posts, Shelby? Hey... you're one of my favorites here. No joke. You are one of the few whose every thread I read (or "try" to, anyway). I just don't see things your way. So for that, I'm doomed? God is *that* merciless?
Where do you GET this stuff? "Doomed"! He is a God of MERCY, Teej. That is WHY I have been sent... to extend the invitation. Doom... is not a part of my commission... nor is it my vocabulary. Look, previously, you all were told that you were gonna die, be destroyed "at Armageddon." Given horrific views of what your future demise could be... if you didn't "straighten up and fly right," according to the beliefs of the WTBTS. But, Teej, my Lord is NOT that way! He sent me, NOT to judge and condemn and doom... but to FORGIVE AND RELEASE AND ASSIST AND INVITE!
Well, here's the deal. You "hear" god in ways that I don't. So, your "faith" is bolstered by what you "hear." Does what you "hear" negate your faith? I wouldn't think so. What you hear only makes your already-existing faith even stronger.
Yes. But what I hear... is not "tangible", Teejay. It cannot be "beheld". And faith, "is the ASSURED expectation of the things HOPED for... the EVIDENT DEMONSTRATION of REALITIES... though... NOT BEHELD."
So, why can't *I* also hear (like *you* do) in order to support a measure of faith in me?
You can. All you need do is want to. And when it occurs, believe that it did, rather than trippin' out and thinkin' you're all "demonized" or something, like the FALSE prophets, who give more credit to demons than to God and Christ, saying the former can and do communicate with man... but God and Christ, who are supposedly even greater... can't... and don't. What in the WORLD kind of sense does THAT make?
Don't you understand, Teejay? People all over all the time "hear" and "see". But... the FALSE christs and FALSE prophets tell them, "DON'T listen... it's DEMONS!" Why. Why would they say such a thing? Well, look at the result: look at your faith NOW... or lack thereof. They are accomplishing their purpose, as given them by THEIR Father... the one who is a LIAR. God speaks, Teejay... through Christ. And we ALL have the capacity to hear Him. We just don't all have the faith. Sadly.
What makes YOU so special?
Nothing. Nothing makes me special. I am YOUR servant, Teejay. It is YOU, then, who are special.
Out of all the humans looking for SOMETHING on which to latch their faith in a living god who is our Father also, why did god choose only a minority of humans like YOU?
Because... we heard. And we put faith in what we heard. And we told others that they, too, can hear.
Why not folks like me, too?
You tell me, Teej... why NOT folks like you? Why DON'T you have just faith the size of a mustard seed? For that's all it would take. Only YOU know why you don't. I do not.
Am I not a creation--a son--of his?
Depends. Have you accepted His invitation to BE a son? Have you affirmed your covenant with Him that you ARE His son? Your answer is mostly likely, "no." Why? Because those you USED to associate with told you that you WEREN'T a son, couldn't BE a son... and therefore, would not allow you to ratify the COVENANT of your sonship by EATING AND DRINKING... and thus, 'shut up the kingdom of the heavens... BEFORE you." But my Lord and my Father have not forgotten you, Teejay... as they have not forgotten ANY of mankind who WANT to be "found."
You've been misled, Teejay. So much so... that you don't even KNOW you rejected the invitation to enter into that covenant EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU PASSED THAT PLATE OF BREAD AND GLASS OF WINE PASS YOU. EVERY TIME. And our Adversary, the Devil, REJOICED... and REJOICES... each time one of us passes that blade and glass. Every time. YOU, Teejay, said, "Uh-uh, no, no thanks... that's not for me." Why? Because... you were misled. But... you don't have to CONTINUE to be.
John 6:48-56 (please... pay CLOSE attention to verses 51 and 53. Please.)
No, no, no!! I'm not talking about stuff that supposedly happened centuries ago on the other side of the planet to people totally unrelated to me. I'm talking about ME. Why can't your god talk to ME... here in America... TODAY?
Why do YOU think He can't? Who TOLD you that? They lied to you.
I think I know why...
And I think you are in error in your thinking. Truly.
I'm tired, Teejay. This one took a bit out of me. Sometimes it's a bit emotional, because I truly know EXACTLY how my Lord felt when he said:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how MUCH I wanted to gather you to me... like a hen gathers her chicks. But... YOU... did not WANT it."
Good night, Teejay... and... may the undeserved kindness and mercy of my God and Father, the Holy One of Israel, whose name is JAH... of Armies... and the peace of His Son and Christ, my Lord, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH... be upon you... you and your entire household... if YOU so wish it.
Your servant, and a slave of Christ,
SJ
