(A disclaimer before you read- forgive any grammatical or typing errors ..... I haven't time to edit and correct but hope my points can be understood)
I thoroughly appreciate your writings and feel you speak truth. One thing I'd like to help you with is your understanding of "praying through Jesus" according to your Jan 16 entry... I have a greater understanding of that I believe. It would be far easier to explain it verbally but I'll try to write it. Bear with me as I TRY to explain......
If you can, picture theTrinity as we - as a living human "being"- is.
God the Father is a SPIRIT "Being", just as we have a "spirit". It is unseen though is CAN be recognized as a "brightness" or "light"
Jesus the Son of God is the physical body which was "God the Father" clothed in "flesh". He was Immanuel- God with Us.
The Spirit of God is what enters INTO our spirit.... That 'portion" of God is "emotion" based... it is recognized by 'feelings' and tends to be expressed and manifest through 'actions' and "words" . Jesus said I will send to you "A COMFORTER", the SPIRIT that is OF GOD and IS GOD can JOIN with OUR spirit to comfort, nuture, love, give peace, give joy, have faith, give hope, express truth--- it is a very vital LIFE force. Sadly without it, man will destroy himself.
That is the TRINITY "Image" of God.
Next thought--
Consider our lives as a human "Being". God created us in HIS image with a spiritual, physical AND emotional "Being" all encompassed together. We could not live without ALL 3 of those things residing together in our flesh.
Even, for example, if a person were in a coma, their spirit still resides within their physical body (so they are considered "alive") but they are not "living" because they can't EXPRESS themselves and cannot "live" life as it is meant to be lived. When the SPIRIT departs from the physical body, it is EVIDENT it is gone. Our flesh looks like a 'shell' and sometimes the body seems almost unrecognizable as to who they WERE becasue their spirit has departed.
The NewTestament says the BODY was created FOR God, and GOD for the BODY. We are like a vessel.... we have a "place" within our SPIRIT where God can enter into us and abide... like a vase of sorts. The vase is HALF filled with dirty water (which is our spirit that is filled with darkness because of sin) and the Spirit of God pours Himself into OUR SPIRIT , intermingling with us. It was the way we were created. And the MORE of HIM that is within us, the "cleaner" or "Holier" we become.
Jesus was the epitomy of a PURE and holy human, as Adam had been created. But he had the limitations brought on by sin since he was born of a woman. Jesus was GOD clothed in flesh- He is God but He, being in HUMAN form is lower than God the Father-- BECAUSE He was in corruptable flesh. He lived as holy as a human could- and he did it perfectly. He TAUGHT how to live that way. (NOTE* STUDY the NAZARENE sect into which he was born_ an interesting topic! essene.com ) Jesus said He IS the "WAY" , the 'direction' --- NOT the END. It doesn't STOP with Jesus. Jesus' WHOLE goal as a human was to DIRECT mankind TO God the Father. Jesus never said "worship ME or GLORIFY ME". Everything he did was all directed towards glorifying the FATHER God. There was a time when he accepted honor and allowed Himself to be ministered to and in a sense received attentions and gratitude. He WAS worthy and He received it with humility but ultimately He deflected all praise and glory BACK to Father God.
He is the WAY. He is Truth. In him is LIFE. But it is because God's SPIRIT "Being" resided in His spirit within His flesh.
You are so right about pursuing the scriptures in the way that you do. I am happy and grateful that you are speaking out and sharing this!!!!!!!! To refer others, to search the OLDEST scriptures that there is, would of course, direct them to "teachings' that are MORE True. Teachings that have not been ignored or watered down or misinterrpreted by a 'man' who hasn't yielded himself fully. The BEST way that I can recommend that a person GAIN what God wants him to have, is to fast. and pray and SEARCH scriptures and most importantly open themselves to God's SPIRIT . Then when they HAVE His spirit, BE STILL and LISTEN what He is saying. But that takes a spiritual AND physical discipline most people cannot perform unless they have GREAT determination. I wanted that. I sought for truth. I asked. I searched. I DID a fast, and sought God through prayer, I practiced "being still" so I could HEAR Him ..... I had DETERMINED I would DO what it was that Jesus showed to his disciples- those closest to him.... trust me when I say it took WORK- I am a mother of 5 children with a husband who travels for a living! :) But God is faithful .... in my devotion, I received!! I am filled with awe and truly have a glimpse of God Almighty.
A brief run down on what I found.... The Lord God has show me so much and I "understand" that as you also do.... I can tell by your writings. I'm gratetful to have found your web-page! :) I think I could help you to learn a little more about the Spirit of God... the Holy Spirit (as man commonly refers to it as). It will help you gain a greater understanding of JESUS and WHAT He taught- HOW He lived.
I have found some very enlightening info that was translated by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. It has to do with the Essene's and their writings and life style. There are ancient truths there that have been passed down from Enoch, Moses, the Preists of Zadok and Levi, etc. It is believed that David, John the Baptist and Jesus were Essenes. It's unbelievable. It can open your understanding to the scriptures in an amazing way.... who Jesus in the flesh WAS and what he taught. And also it will help you know the MIND and heart of God in an unbelievable way. When you read them, don't let the concept of the "Earthly Mother" firghten you. My even writing that phrase now, will make you stand back and say "huh??!" .... consider, these are documents thousand's of years old. The "Church" has chosen to keep them quiet because of the nature of them but think on a MUCH broader SCALE... God the (Heavenly) FATHER, Jesus the SON (who lived here on earth yet was spiritually connected to 'heaven'), The Earthly MOTHER (That portion of God created LIFE ,and the EARTH MANIFESTS that Spirit which nourishes and sustains life.) That "FAMILY " trinity brings everything FULL CIRCLE.... it makes so much sense.
You spoke of CHRISTIAN religons.... The Essene teachings broaden the religons of mankind so much further!! You can SEE how even the NON-Christian 'religons" have a PORTION of the truth, but they are missing THE MOST IMPORTANT Element... acceptance of the Supreme God Almighty. The only true Creator God. The Modern day church also is missing certian elements of God.... man has made a mess of things once again. BUT we STILL need to appreciate it and join with them. God WILL fullfill His purpose and there is ALWAYS Hope- Jesus proclaimed it.... God's Spirit IS hope, peace, love, truth, joy... we can overcome the mess if we JUST KEEP the faith and LIVE OUT the truth, IN our churches and outside of the churches.
A note about the Essene teachings- ALL the rituals they performed was SPECIFICALLY to purify themselves (physically and spiritually) to be "clean enough" so the SPIRIT of God COULD intermingle within their spirit. When Jesus came, He made it so man did not have to DO ALL of that "purification" process. He GAVE us His Spirit when we accepted HIM as God-Messiah. SO those rituals were no longer 'necessary". Jesus CHANGED how things needed to be done. He SIMPLIFIED God's entrance into our Beings. It was the new PROMISE (covenant, testament) that was sealed by His shed blood and was firmly and completely established by His resurrection.
The benefits of the rituals STILL are important but most people cannot pursue such purity because of how corrupt we and our world is today. BUT - we can STILL try (as well as we can)... and when we DO, our Spirit can be filled with God's spirit in a far greater way. THAT is how I learned these things. Jews in Jesus' day and today prefer rituals ... they can not accept that Jesus' kingdom was a SPIRITUAL kingdom-- they are so SET on having someone to LEAD them in the FLESH towards earthly superiority. They have SO MUCH, if they could just SEE what it is that they were given...
I gave you a LOT of truth in a SHORT email :) TRUST me when I say there is so much MORE... but this is the NUTSHELL- FIRE HOSE version.
A word of advice-- ALL of this is so deep- you can get overwhelmed with the concepts and delve to some extreme depths searching for truth. MOST IMPORTANT- We have a job, here and now. To LIVE OUT the truth. To reflect God's spirit that is within us. People cannot comprehend such "DEPTH" often times, so we need to 'meet them" at the level that they can understand. We need to live out God's Truth and express JOY and SHOW the wonderful Peace, Love and hope that radiates and manifests itself in word and deed to ALL creation- to man, earth, and all creatures. THAt is what we are to do to carry out Christ's work. We are His "living" word. :) An AWESOME priviledge!
God is a WONDERFUL God! He created the earth FOR us- to nuture us and sustain us- to provide all things for us physically. The rest we get from HIM. :) It is the WAY we were created- to be a vessel that allows Him to reside within and perform His work. We are intruments of His peace and truth :) . When we understand such wisdom, it makes "living" our lives SOMEWHAT easier- because we KNOW our purpose.
Sincerely written with God's love and truth,
Camille Walker
Rockford IL USA
