xjwsforChrist

I TOTALLY agree re Elysium, dear Pup (mornin' and peace to you!). For me, it was "Mad Max" meets the Borg meets District 9 meets that movie where everyone got on those space arks 'cause an asteroid or somethin' was gonna destroy earth (the arks crashed). Ho-hum, for me. I just couldn't "immerse."

Peace!

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

Shellamar

Alo there

Borderline dangerous in that it is a sweeping generalization that in a way exchanges one concept for another when the two are not the same.

For example... Two people are talking about a butt ugly puppy lol. One person says this puppy is ugly and I hate it. Other person says how can you hate this puppy!?! It's so innocent and cute and loveable! If you can't love this puppy then you are against love! God created this puppy so you are also against God and hate God! You are a god hating, puppy despising, monster of a human being

Extreme example I know

From the post I also get the impression that if a person doesn't hear or want to hear Jesus(speak to them) then they do not want the "truth". It's a very subtle "us against them" type of argument. I say it is borderline dangerous because it paves the way to "we are right and you are wrong black/white" thinking. It also mixes the figurative and the literal.

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To fear me is to love me....

Our Puppy is a very wise Puppy

And lol I've repeatedly written several times in different posts reminding people that I am not an atheist. That I am a Christian. Not that I consider myself as one but I am one. There is a difference between the two. One implies a subtle wishy washy uncertainty and the other is an absolute.

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To fear me is to love me....

It's possible God said that or it's an invention of false scribes . I believe Moses and Elijah were also seen by Jesus' side during that exchange. This goes against some crowds who say that the dead are dead and sleeping until Jesus comes again. What is the purpose of Moses and Elijah being by the side of Jesus? It can and has been argued that God can rouse up any spirit he wishes from their bones but why at that time?

Can truth contradict itself?

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To fear me is to love me....

No, but there is no conflict in that.

First... as to the scribes (and I am assuming that question mark blue square is a winkie face, lol)... we also have John the Baptist witness; and Christ saying, follow ME, and the example of the apostles actually following and listening to Him. Like when many left off because they did not understand Christ on eating his flesh and drinking his blood... but when He asked Peter, Peter said... "to whom else would we go? You have the words of eternal life."

Then of course we have the Spirit now who teaches us who to listen TO...

But even just based on what is written, that one verse is backed up by others, and by the example of those who followed and belonged to Christ.


Also a spirit can be awakened... even if only briefly... but this is not the resurrection. I believe it was Saul who had someone awaken... was it Samuel? So I see no conflict.


Peace,
tammy

Alo here is where my skewed sense of purpose and personal integrity comes to play

We can never emulate God or Jesus. I don't believe that we should because then we would be playing God. We can try to adopt some traits and moral guidelines taught by them.

And now I come to perhaps the more controversial side of my personal philosophy. Yes it is a good thought to recieve everlasting life by placing God and Jesus first. The example being to let the dead bury their dead and to follow Jesus.

My philosophy is that for me to try to live as Christ has lived. I would sacrifice my place in heaven if it meant administering to my family and friends. This doesn't mean that I turn my back upon God and Christ. It just means that I would enjoy helping others in my journey to God rather than leaving them behind.

And yes I absolutely question my teachers

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To fear me is to love me....

The conflict is not within my post about Elijah, Moses, and Jesus : )

Is there a conflict in truth if what Jesus says is in contradiction to what God has said or done in the past?

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To fear me is to love me....

Also a spirit can be awakened... even if only briefly... but this is not the resurrection. I believe it was Saul who had someone awaken... was it Samuel? So I see no conflict.


Yes, Tammy.

Excellent example. It was the prophet Samuels spirit that was aroused by Saul wanting to know the future by the use of a spirit medium.
But it does not mean Samuel was resurrected.

Jah forbids the use of spirit mediums and divination in the bible, but he never says it couldn't be done as this is a perfect example. And there are still many today that practice this.

Thank you for sharing this
Love Justmom.

There would not be a conflict in truth. Christ IS the Truth. He is the image of God... to know Him is to know God... so God IS as Christ reveals Him.

Which is why I stated that the man could have asked if there was a conflict, or if the man had not, himself, misunderstood the truth about the command to honor one's mother and father.


(As to your statement above the one to me, PUP, regarding that you would give up your life/resurrection to care for your family... I don't think anyone is knocking that choice; and you have the right to make it. (though please understand also that Noah and others saved their ENTIRE house by their faith... would that not also apply to those who followed when Christ called them?) Christ still loved the rich man... but the rich man could not serve as was needed.

But if you were choosing your 'front line' - so to speak - to serve as kings and priests in your Kingdom with you, would you not choose those who WOULD follow when you called, and put faith in you and the truth and life you offer, so you could also bear witness for others to have life?)


Peace,
tammy

Which is something we "see" differently as to, dear Pup (peace to you!). Because for me, I would deem my place in heaven being a BETTER position to help my family and friends... ETERNALLY... than the few moments of "administering" to them now. I offer Christ... and the man Joseph. Joseph, in that when taken from prison and made second in command to Pharaoh he COULD have said, "Yes, I will serve you, but first let me return to my home and bury my father" (Jacob, whom he hadn't seen in some decades). Surely, Jacob was old now and nearing the end of his life and so, given your position, Joseph SHOULD have returned home not only to bury his father, but to let his father know he was alive, which would have brought the elder man GREAT joy. However, it was Joseph's choosing to stay and serve Pharaoh that led to his entire household... his father, sisters, 11 brothers... and THEIR entire households... not dying of starvation.

As for Christ, HE could have said, "Well, now, wait, Father: why do I have to go give myself for these people? Since you can give ME the power to resurrect them, why not just resurrect them... WITHOUT my going? And I can stay here with you?"

See what I mean?

It can be the same for you as a man: you CAN stay home with your kids, who might not WANT you go off to work... but the chances that you will be able to provide for them are much slimmer if you do. On the other hand, you have to LEAVE them... in order to CARE for them.

Christ had/has the power to grant life. If he calls someone to follow him... should such a one really be concerned about who and what they're leaving behind? Isn't that along the lines of the WTBTS' false teaching that Adham ate the fruit because he didn't want to live without Eve? That rather than obey God and LIVE... he chose to DIE with Eve? Which is a lie?

Don't get me wrong, dear Pup: I understand your philosophy and you're not alone in having it. But I'm not so sure you truly know... or understand... Christ. Because, again, I am not sure how you could... know OR understand him... and have responded to him as you say you would have... yet, claim to be a christian. As a christian, you would have FOLLOWED THE LAMB... WHEREVER HE WENT... and whenever he called you to do so. Like those who stayed WITH him, YOU would have dropped YOUR nets... and followed him... leaving behind all others. At least for the time he designated.

You would have HAD to... as a christian (anointed/chosen person) because the very spirit that MADE you such... HOLY spirit... would have led you to DO so. In which case, his following words would have proven true with YOU:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." John 15:1-6

As merely a disciple, no, perhaps not. MANY who were once disciples ceased being so because they wanted what THEY wanted... and to hear what THEY wanted to hear... rather than what he SAID. And I get that: many, SO many... want to have it their way - as THEY see/believe it.

But it doesn't really work that way, dear one. Could you have ASKED him why he didn't want you to go bury your father first and/or why you shouldn't? To explain it better so that you could better grasp what he meant? Of course, you could have. His disciples often asked him to clarify things he said. But had you said to him, "I have to obey God and honor my mother and father," he would have let you go... and moved on. Without you.

BEFORE moving on, though, I have no doubt that he would have also reminded you of what it meant to obey God: obey HIM:

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does [i]not [/i]love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." John 14:23

And...

"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." John 5:30

And...

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” John 8:28, 29

And HE said:

"Let the dead bury their dead. YOU come follow me."

Apparently, then, those weren't HIS words... but God's.

And so, your rebuke would not have been to HIM, luv, but to God. Now, I dunno: maybe you are that kind of a guy. Maybe. But I don't think your hutzpah would have garnered you the... mmmm... love... his presumptuousness garnered dear Peter. While Peter did put himself out there and even overstepped once or twice, he never actually considered himself SO much of something that he actually challenged our Lord... HIS Lord (and, by your own implication, yours) and insinuated that HE knew the Law better than that One.

Peter was bold at times, yes... but he wasn't a complete idiot. HE believed Christ to be the Son of God. As a "christian," you apparently believe the same. So, it would seem to ME that you would know to concede that he DID know the Law... accurately... and so even better than you.

I hope this helps and, again, peace to you!

YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,

Shellamar

I still wonder what is the message or point of having Elijah and Moses standing next to Jesus as God voiced to follow Jesus?

When it comes to Noah do you believe that after the Flood he and his family were the only humans to survive the Flood? Or were there others in other regions?

What is meant when people say "Jesus is Truth"? I feel that this has become jargon for many people to say and parrot about as a catchphrase. I'm not saying that is occurring here.

Here is another crucial difference between my approach to Jesus versus the mainstream I do see and view him more as a teacher than a God. This is likely influenced by my background also in Buddhism : ) I've changed my smiley so they actually look like smileys and not a blue box ; ). I do wonder on occasion if over the years the accounts of Jesus have been exaggerated much like how some stories based upon a real figure take on superhuman affects or if there is a Plato/Socrates effect going on.

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To fear me is to love me....

Alo Shelby I did feel that you might go that route so I made sure to clarify between my considering myself a Christian versus my BEING a Christian : )

And I agree that we both see things differently : ).

I accept that you question my claim of being a Christian and that you wonder if I truly know what being a Christian is really about as my actions and choices in a hypothetical situation do not fall in line with your understanding and expectation of how a Christian should behave and what a Christian should be.
Each of the twelve disciples were not cookie cutter images of each other as each believer doesn't share the same approach towards their faith. We all hae our individual reasons for behaving and acting the way that we do based upon our experiences.

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To fear me is to love me....

In the example of how I would reply to Jesus I am putting myself in the shoes of a person of that era. Of a person who did not have access to a Bible or knowledge of all the stories surrounding Jesus. As a contemporary of Jesus who did not have the closeness to Jesus as the 12 disciples did.

A strange new teacher with avant garde teachings is bound to be questioned by me : )

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To fear me is to love me....

It was a means by which to increase the faith of James, John, and Peter, dear Pup (peace, luv!)... which was necessary, given the great opposition they were subjected to by those who claimed to FOLLOW Moses and Elijah. The scribes, et al., kept invoking "Moses" and "Elijah" ("Teacher, Moses said"... "Isn't Elijah supposed to come?" etc., etc.). So, Christ showed HIS disciples who Moses and Elijah followed, considered their Lord: HIM. If those scribes and Pharisees, etc., were right, what was Moses and Elijah doing here with CHRIST?? Jimmy John can claim to "know Tim and Tom"... but if Bernie Bee is seen standing and TALKING with BOTH Tim and Tom... well, which one would YOU say knows them? Because of this, those who saw could unreservedly believe... and tell others so that THEY could believe... what CHRIST said Moses/Elijah said/did/meant... versus what the scribes et al., were saying.



Since my Lord has never lied to me, my understanding is that it was 8 humans (Noah, his wife, his three sons and three daughters)... and two clean/seven unclean animal of every phyllus/kind/family (NOT species). I get it that some believe the flood was regional. To that, I can only say: to each his/her own - we'll have to wait to find out.



It means just what he said: HE is the truth. Meaning, if you are looking FOR truth... in ANYTHING... then you only need look at him. It is revealed IN him. Outside of him, things may APPEAR to be true... have a FORM of truth, or present an ILLUSION of truth... but it is not the full REALITY of truth: there is some deceit/falsehood. Perhaps minute, but still not PURE truth. He, however, is the ONLY truth that is PURE: without ANY adulteration or deviation. And so all that comes FROM him, OUT from him... and out of HIS mouth... is absolutely, totally, and completely true. Without blemish, adulteration, or deviation. Everything else... every other word or saying... as to ANYTHING... that is not of/from him... is only partially true, partial truth. If it dissected there will be some falsehood found in it. Somewhere.

Here is another crucial difference between my approach to Jesus versus the mainstream I do see and view him more as a teacher than a God. This is likely influenced by my background also in Buddhism : ) I've changed my smiley so they actually look like smileys and not a blue box ; ).

Yes, I can understand that. Although, if that's the case, I'm not quite sure on what you base your position that you're a christian. I mean, other than your choosing to call yourself such. What most who do that miss, though, is that calling oneself a christian does not make one a christian. As Christ said:

"You did not choose me; I chose you."

So that, although one MAY choose to be a disciple (of Christ), one does not CHOOSE to be christian. One CANNOT choose to be a christian. One is CHOSEN... which is what MAKES one a christian (a christ-person... or chosen/anointed person > "christ/kristos" + ian).

The apostles didn't choose Christ; he went and found THEM and called THEM to follow him. Saul of Tarsus did not choose Christ; he chose Saul and told Ananias he had chosen him to suffer for him. Cornelius did not choose Christ; Christ chose HIM. Same with the Ethiopian enuch; he wasn't looking for Christ - Christ told Philip to go join himself to the eunuch's chariot. And so on. Unfortunately, the false christs, false prophets, and false scribes have created an entire false system whereby folks believe they can choose Christ and so be deemed "christians." It really doesn't work that way. True, many are CALLED... and so many believe they are christians because they heard the call. But few are CHOSEN (i.e., chosen/anointed people... or christ-ians).

I don't say that to create an elite group of people, as some use this truth to do. MY hope is that ALL who are called hear, answer, and so are chosen. But that is not the TRUTH, not the REALITY. And I cannot lie to you about it, as that would be blasphemy. So, I apologize... to you and any others who might feel offended at this, but it IS the truth.

I do wonder on occasion if over the years the accounts of Jesus have been exaggerated much like how some stories based upon a real figure take on superhuman affects or if there is a Plato/Socrates effect going on.

Of COURSE they have. Like him being all "nice." WHERE in the WORLD do folks GET that?? Or that EVERYONE is chosen and/or a child of God?? Or that he had perfect flesh? Or was tall, strapping, and good-looking? Or that he venerated his mother? Or that he judged... and will judge? And... and... and...

There are SO many lies about him... AND JAH... out there! Indeed, he CAME partly to set some of those lies (about JAH) straight - to "bear witness to the TRUTH" about the MOST Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies. And OUR job, as members of HIS Body... is, along with HIS angels, including Michael... to bear witness as to the truth about HIM. Unfortunately, most don't want to HEAR the truth... about him OR JAH. They want them both to be exacting, vindictive, angry, judgmental, warmongering revenge seekers... yet, nice, loving, forgiving, passive, pansies.

They don't KNOW either of these, though, else they would know the TRUTH: their love, while ABLE to be infinite and eternal is NOT unconditional. While it can be infinite and eternal for the sake of MERCY... it CAN'T be unconditional... for the sake of JUSTICE. If mercy had NO limit, then justice could NEVER be served. Anyone could do anything to anyone else... even horrible things... and there would be NO recompense for the victim. No justice.

While love calls for mercy, justice calls for conditions on love. For the sake of the RIGHTEOUS. Meaning those who are DEEMED righteous... by the blood of Christ... which blood was shed for ALL... who want to take advantage of its saving properties. But that taking advantage is not just something someone SAYS: it is borne out in DEED. FAITH... that is EXERCISED.

I hope this helps, dear, dear Pup, truly!

Again, peace to you!

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

Shellamar