How Do You Relate To God? (48)
You don't need religion to have a close relationship with God, hence the term "spiritual but not religious". 
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mikey12654: You don't need religion to have a close relationship with God, hence the term "spiritual but not religious".
Good point.
Many people say you cannot be spiritual without being religious.
I think these days many people turn away from mainstream religion without wanting to totally ignore certain philosophical questions like:
'What is the meaning of life?'
'Am I just an animal having runty feelings about women or do I really care for others in a non-genetic gene replacing way?'
'Is my life a total waste of space or am I part of some universal cosciousness?'
'Do I like ice-cream just because it tastes good or does it have some weird and wonderful aesthetic value?'
The answers to these questions can turn a person into a spiritual being!
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God is my Father and my friend. He knows my soul. He has felt my pain and has healed me. When I am in need, he feeds me. I think of him daily and beg for forgiveness when I am not strong. I have no fear of God, for he has only love for me. I am his child.
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No idol worshiping here!
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NAKEDMUDPEOPLE: No idol worshiping here!
Who said that God was an idol?
God created man 'in his image' - and if you're made of clay then don't complain!
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NAKEDMUDPEOPLE: God is my Father and my friend. He knows my soul. He has felt my pain and has healed me. When I am in need, he feeds me. I think of him daily and beg for forgiveness when I am not strong. I have no fear of God, for he has only love for me. I am his child.
"Never fear Lass,nought's to dread,
Look not left nor right.
In all the Endless road you tread,
There's Nothing but the Night."
A.E. Housman
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HealthyLiving: ...If you believe you are a Christian yet do not take time to enter into His presence and become one with Him in that moment, in the deepest of intimacy, you are missing out. This experience was His plan for us all. Religion will distance you from gaining this experience. I encourage you, strive with everything in you, to gain this intimacy with God. The Holy Spirit says, "Come"...
I would like to point out that where you say "Religion will distance you from gaining this experience," I tend to agree to a certain extent. However, I wouldn't be able to totally agree if this statement means that ALL religion will distance you. There are some religions and churches where one may find the presence of God, and also allow you to draw closer to him on your own accord--not forced upon you. Those are very few and far between anymore and other proclaimed religions make mockery of them, and in return, give all religions a bad name. I have witnessed both.True religion belongs to God and those that believe. The Ten Commandments are evident and part of His religion.
I will agree that you do not need religion to turn to God or to get close to Him, but having a religion lead by God can indeed, draw you closer to Him as well. Go with what is comfortable to and for you. JMHO.
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YouMeUs: I would like to point out that where you say "Religion will distance you from gaining this experience," I tend to agree to a certain extent. However, I wouldn't be able to totally agree if this statement means that ALL religion will distance you. There are some religions and churches where one may find the presence of God, and also allow you to draw closer to him on your own accord--not forced upon you. Those are very few and far between anymore and other proclaimed religions make mockery of them, and in return, give all religions a bad name. I have witnessed both.
True religion belongs to God and those that believe. The Ten Commandments are evident and part of His religion.
I will agree that you do not need religion to turn to God or to get close to Him, but having a religion lead by God can indeed, draw you closer to Him as well. Go with what is comfortable to and for you. JMHO.
True religion belongs to God and those that believe. The Ten Commandments are evident and part of His religion.
I will agree that you do not need religion to turn to God or to get close to Him, but having a religion lead by God can indeed, draw you closer to Him as well. Go with what is comfortable to and for you. JMHO.
The ten commandments make economic, social and psychological sense for most societies for people to live in realtive peace without attacking each other and taking what they want - property, women, material possessions etc by pure brute force.
You don't need religion to make sensible rules for people to live by.
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RobertC2: The ten commandments make economic, social and psychological sense for most societies for people to live in realtive peace without attacking each other and taking what they want - property, women, material possessions etc by pure brute force.
You don't need religion to make sensible rules for people to live by.
Can you recite #1 and #4?You don't need religion to make sensible rules for people to live by.
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Healthy Living
Read what I said again - I accept the simplicity of those ten as listed. I never discuss my beliiefs or how I came to form them with anyone in public and have always believed in the rights of privacy for anyone regardless of colour or culture to pray or not as they wish.
No further comment
Read what I said again - I accept the simplicity of those ten as listed. I never discuss my beliiefs or how I came to form them with anyone in public and have always believed in the rights of privacy for anyone regardless of colour or culture to pray or not as they wish.
No further comment
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I wanted to believe in God so much. I am not gullible and don’t believe in everything just because many people say so. I studied religion at the university and applied it to my own experience.
My conclusion is that people invented God when they are in scary or uncontrollable situations and there is nothing else to do and nowhere else to turn. If he/she exists he does what he wants, not what I ask him, I tried many times nothing happened, he never answers my prayers.
So god is like weather, you can pray it will be raining and it’s raining and you think he listened to your prayers, but next time there is a good chance that nothing would happen, because you can’t ask or communicate with weather.
But I still talk to him every day and he is just my fantasy friend because I don’t have a real one. I don’t expect anything from him any more, just talk. I tried not to but it was boring and empty so I continue.
God is far from anything that churches and priests say. If he is loving why is there so much misery and usually good people suffer? The only rule I see working in real life is survival of the fittest, when people use cleverly their talents and circumstances to reach what they want. The rest is an illusion.
My conclusion is that people invented God when they are in scary or uncontrollable situations and there is nothing else to do and nowhere else to turn. If he/she exists he does what he wants, not what I ask him, I tried many times nothing happened, he never answers my prayers.
So god is like weather, you can pray it will be raining and it’s raining and you think he listened to your prayers, but next time there is a good chance that nothing would happen, because you can’t ask or communicate with weather.
But I still talk to him every day and he is just my fantasy friend because I don’t have a real one. I don’t expect anything from him any more, just talk. I tried not to but it was boring and empty so I continue.
God is far from anything that churches and priests say. If he is loving why is there so much misery and usually good people suffer? The only rule I see working in real life is survival of the fittest, when people use cleverly their talents and circumstances to reach what they want. The rest is an illusion.
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explorador:
My conclusion is that people invented God when they are in scary or uncontrollable situations and there is nothing else to do and nowhere else to turn. If he/she exists he does what he wants, not what I ask him, I tried many times nothing happened, he never answers my prayers.
But I still talk to him every day and he is just my fantasy friend because I don’t have a real one. I don’t expect anything from him any more, just talk. I tried not to but it was boring and empty so I continue.
.
My conclusion is that people invented God when they are in scary or uncontrollable situations and there is nothing else to do and nowhere else to turn. If he/she exists he does what he wants, not what I ask him, I tried many times nothing happened, he never answers my prayers.
But I still talk to him every day and he is just my fantasy friend because I don’t have a real one. I don’t expect anything from him any more, just talk. I tried not to but it was boring and empty so I continue.
.
The purpose of prayer is to build relationship, not an action where one person does all the talking (which sadly most of us tend to do when we pray to God). We need to make listening a part of our prayer (you may be already doing this...you didn't mention it so I wanted to add this very important point) - that we need to take time to listen to His response in the silence of our hearts and in the people and world around us. That is the way a relationship grows and you get to know someone...by listening as well as honestly sharing our hearts, which is the intimacy I believe Healthy Living is referring to. We need to know God as a Person which means taking time to communicate with Him, know Him, and experience His love for us as very personal. Sometimes we need to learn how to recognize God's voice in our lives because besides being in the stillness of our hearts and in the quiet where He tells us He is to be found, He is constantly working in all of creation, which is moving and acting all around us.
I find it sad that you feel He never answered any of your prayers but I know that is not a unique experience...to be honest, I feel He has answered some of my prayers, and has not answered others. I know people will say I imagined He answered the ones I credit Him for. I know they will say the odds are 50-50 I will get what I prayed for whether He exists or not. But because the answers are so deeply and perfectly part of my relationship with Him, these explanations don't satisfy me and I do believe He is with us and will never leave us.
I hope you continue to pray and find Him one day when you least expect Him. He is after all a God of surprise.
Does religion distance us from this relationship? I personally believe with another poster that it can enhance it. If one draws near to God in a place where He is worshipped, and joins with others in prayers and unity, religion can help uplift and support a Christian who is trying to walk alone in a world that scoffs at his beliefs.
To those who think that Christians are fools, we are all fools for one thing or another. It's just a matter of choosing!
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YouMeUs: I would like to point out that where you say "Religion will distance you from gaining this experience," I tend to agree to a certain extent. However, I wouldn't be able to totally agree if this statement means that ALL religion will distance you. There are some religions and churches where one may find the presence of God, and also allow you to draw closer to him on your own accord--not forced upon you. Those are very few and far between anymore and other proclaimed religions make mockery of them, and in return, give all religions a bad name. I have witnessed both.
True religion belongs to God and those that believe. The Ten Commandments are evident and part of His religion.
I will agree that you do not need religion to turn to God or to get close to Him, but having a religion lead by God can indeed, draw you closer to Him as well. Go with what is comfortable to and for you. JMHO.
True religion belongs to God and those that believe. The Ten Commandments are evident and part of His religion.
I will agree that you do not need religion to turn to God or to get close to Him, but having a religion lead by God can indeed, draw you closer to Him as well. Go with what is comfortable to and for you. JMHO.
Great response!
I am in agreement with you. When I use the term "Religion", I mean Institutionalized Doctrine and Theology. I hate "religion" and would refer to the true belief as being "spirituality", as we are led by the Spirit, and not Doctrines. There is a big difference in the two.
The Bible tells us to "Trust NO man", Trust only in God. When we put our trust in man, we are not fully trusting in God. Sure, man can share enlightenment and encourage us or give us confirmation on what the Spirit teaches us. But to not know the voice of God personally and believe every word that rolls off the tongue of others, no matter how "spiritual" they may be, can lead us to err.
We must go straight to the source to know the Truth. He will meet with us and talk with us and show us the way thru His Wonderful Holy Spirit!
Yes, I have been in many "Spirit filled" churches and the presence of God has been tremendous! I love this kind of fellowship, meeting together with the saints in Worship!
But as you have pointed out, these churches are few and far between. In these places, you are encouraged to enter into the presence of God, not to sit and listen to the man on the pedestal who hears from God and shares his message to the sheep who do not know how to hear God's voice for themselves. When I listen to a spirit filled preacher, I receive confirmation to what the Holy Spirit has been teaching me. Some may mix truth with lies from that pulpit. Be alert!
If you get a "check" in your spirit, ask the Holy Spirit, "Is that true?" I have done this and He immediately shows me when it is not true. I do not discount every part of the message, for most may be valid. We must use discernment, given to us by the Holy Spirit, that is what He's there for.
For those of you desiring to visit one of the churches mentioned here, where the Holy Spirit is very present at their services, I would recommend you check the yellow pages in your area under Churches, then the subtitle "non-denominational", for a start. A church with a good Praise and Worship band with instruments, that uses overhead screens for words to the songs and not hymnals may be a good start.
I am not saying that God's presence can not be found in any other place, for He can meet you anywhere you are and He knows how strong the desire to know Him is, within you. You could have an intimate experience with Him anywhere. But some places have a better atmosphere of ushering in the Spirit than others.
Sad to say, but some preachers just won't allow His presence in their church!!
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calmheartseeks: The purpose of prayer is to build relationship, not an action where one person does all the talking (which sadly most of us tend to do when we pray to God). We need to make listening a part of our prayer (you may be already doing this...you didn't mention it so I wanted to add this very important point) - that we need to take time to listen to His response in the silence of our hearts and in the people and world around us. That is the way a relationship grows and you get to know someone...by listening as well as honestly sharing our hearts, which is the intimacy I believe Healthy Living is referring to. We need to know God as a Person which means taking time to communicate with Him, know Him, and experience His love for us as very personal. Sometimes we need to learn how to recognize God's voice in our lives because besides being in the stillness of our hearts and in the quiet where He tells us He is to be found, He is constantly working in all of creation, which is moving and acting all around us.
I find it sad that you feel He never answered any of your prayers but I know that is not a unique experience...to be honest, I feel He has answered some of my prayers, and has not answered others. I know people will say I imagined He answered the ones I credit Him for. I know they will say the odds are 50-50 I will get what I prayed for whether He exists or not. But because the answers are so deeply and perfectly part of my relationship with Him, these explanations don't satisfy me and I do believe He is with us and will never leave us.
I hope you continue to pray and find Him one day when you least expect Him. He is after all a God of surprise.
Does religion distance us from this relationship? I personally believe with another poster that it can enhance it. If one draws near to God in a place where He is worshipped, and joins with others in prayers and unity, religion can help uplift and support a Christian who is trying to walk alone in a world that scoffs at his beliefs.
To those who think that Christians are fools, we are all fools for one thing or another. It's just a matter of choosing!
I find it sad that you feel He never answered any of your prayers but I know that is not a unique experience...to be honest, I feel He has answered some of my prayers, and has not answered others. I know people will say I imagined He answered the ones I credit Him for. I know they will say the odds are 50-50 I will get what I prayed for whether He exists or not. But because the answers are so deeply and perfectly part of my relationship with Him, these explanations don't satisfy me and I do believe He is with us and will never leave us.
I hope you continue to pray and find Him one day when you least expect Him. He is after all a God of surprise.
Does religion distance us from this relationship? I personally believe with another poster that it can enhance it. If one draws near to God in a place where He is worshipped, and joins with others in prayers and unity, religion can help uplift and support a Christian who is trying to walk alone in a world that scoffs at his beliefs.
To those who think that Christians are fools, we are all fools for one thing or another. It's just a matter of choosing!
You Wonderful Compassionate Hearted Woman!!
I can see that explorador's words touched your heart as deeply as they did my own!
Your reply to her is Spot On!!!
The Holy Spirit has truly led you on this!
I wanted to tell her these very things myself, but was answering another post.
So, HERE is confirmation for ALL to see first hand, God's Love in Action!
This is how He works. He confirms things by witnesses. Just one of the way, I should say!And you have given confirmation with your senario on corporate worship, which I was posting while you were posting!
Love you girl!
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HealthyLiving: You Wonderful Compassionate Hearted Woman!!
I can see that explorador's words touched your heart as deeply as they did my own!
Your reply to her is Spot On!!!
The Holy Spirit has truly led you on this!
I wanted to tell her these very things myself, but was answering another post.
So, HERE is confirmation for ALL to see first hand, God's Love in Action! This is how He works. He confirms things by witnesses. Just one of the way, I should say!
And you have given confirmation with your senario on corporate worship, which I was posting while you were posting!
Love you girl!
I can see that explorador's words touched your heart as deeply as they did my own!
Your reply to her is Spot On!!!
The Holy Spirit has truly led you on this!
I wanted to tell her these very things myself, but was answering another post.
So, HERE is confirmation for ALL to see first hand, God's Love in Action! This is how He works. He confirms things by witnesses. Just one of the way, I should say!
And you have given confirmation with your senario on corporate worship, which I was posting while you were posting!
Love you girl!
i have read somewhere that for a true religious maniac everything is a sign
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explorador: i have read somewhere that for a true religious maniac everything is a sign
It's very possible!!!
Perhaps a very good reason to avoid Religion like the plague!
That's why I only Trust God and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
He brings forth confirmation and He is not a man, that He should lie.
Yes I have a passionate fire for God!
I pray it consumes me Forever!
His LOVE will Never Fail!
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explorador: i have read somewhere that for a true religious maniac everything is a sign
I adore religious women who see ME as a sign of God's love!
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RobertC2: I adore religious women who see ME as a sign of God's love!
Put a sock in it, Robert!!!
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HealthyLiving: At the outset of our spiritual journey, our primary perception is of a huge chasm between ourselves and God. Into the state of the soul trapped in duality some light begins to shine. At the turning point a critical event shakes the soul. Everyday life is interrupted, either by a crisis or by a sudden epiphany, or by both, in what is described as “the dark night of the soul.”
For Christians this is the moment when a sinner sees the light, but the same imagery occurs in every spiritual tradition. To an outsider the whole experience sounds dubious, like some kind of hallucination. But Jesus doesn’t deny that this is the case; he just ascribes a different value to it. Salvation is a glimpse of reality; perception begins to detect illusion.
The astonishment of experiencing the turning point inevitably fades away. Descending back into mundane existence is very much like falling out of love. Your heightened perceptions return to their former state, which seems dull now.
When the divine presence is gone, only emptiness remains. Look for some way to re-create the departed blessing. The most powerful thing that anyone can do, however, is to fill the void directly: going inward to find peace and silence; following the trail of spiritual clues; paying attention to the guidance of your soul; seeking your own essence; finding the presence of God; removing obstacles and inner resistance; changing your allegiance to the soul.
I think nothing here is incompatible with Christian life. The aftermath is a precarious time, and some people don’t strike out on their own; they are attracted to the safety and comfort of organized religion. Perhaps the prospect of an inner path feels too mystical or abstract, though I am amazed at how many people do not choose going inward as their first response to the aftermath.
Adapted from The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008).I would like to point out here, as Mr. Chopra has, that Organized Religion will not lead you into the deeper journey of your inner self. What he is referring to here is Intimacy with God. I have posted threads previously on this very topic.
I like the way he explains it thru this writing.
If you only knew how my heart aches for you all to know this intimacy! I have not words to describe it. You must experience it for yourself to know it.
If you believe you are a Christian yet do not take time to enter into His presence and become one with Him in that moment, in the deepest of intimacy, you are missing out. This experience was His plan for us all. Religion will distance you from gaining this experience. I encourage you, strive with everything in you, to gain this intimacy with God. The Holy Spirit says, "Come".
This message is for "Christian" believers and has no intentional purpose of discrimination against any other belief system. I would like that we discuss this for the purpose of encouragement, enlightenment and spiritual growth. Please, out of respect, do not disrupt the thread with negative remarks. If you do not believe in God, we probably already know it and need not be reminded of it again.
I feel this to be and important issue for Christians.
Thank you and God Bless!
HL
For Christians this is the moment when a sinner sees the light, but the same imagery occurs in every spiritual tradition. To an outsider the whole experience sounds dubious, like some kind of hallucination. But Jesus doesn’t deny that this is the case; he just ascribes a different value to it. Salvation is a glimpse of reality; perception begins to detect illusion.
The astonishment of experiencing the turning point inevitably fades away. Descending back into mundane existence is very much like falling out of love. Your heightened perceptions return to their former state, which seems dull now.
When the divine presence is gone, only emptiness remains. Look for some way to re-create the departed blessing. The most powerful thing that anyone can do, however, is to fill the void directly: going inward to find peace and silence; following the trail of spiritual clues; paying attention to the guidance of your soul; seeking your own essence; finding the presence of God; removing obstacles and inner resistance; changing your allegiance to the soul.
I think nothing here is incompatible with Christian life. The aftermath is a precarious time, and some people don’t strike out on their own; they are attracted to the safety and comfort of organized religion. Perhaps the prospect of an inner path feels too mystical or abstract, though I am amazed at how many people do not choose going inward as their first response to the aftermath.
Adapted from The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008).I would like to point out here, as Mr. Chopra has, that Organized Religion will not lead you into the deeper journey of your inner self. What he is referring to here is Intimacy with God. I have posted threads previously on this very topic.
I like the way he explains it thru this writing.
If you only knew how my heart aches for you all to know this intimacy! I have not words to describe it. You must experience it for yourself to know it.
If you believe you are a Christian yet do not take time to enter into His presence and become one with Him in that moment, in the deepest of intimacy, you are missing out. This experience was His plan for us all. Religion will distance you from gaining this experience. I encourage you, strive with everything in you, to gain this intimacy with God. The Holy Spirit says, "Come".
This message is for "Christian" believers and has no intentional purpose of discrimination against any other belief system. I would like that we discuss this for the purpose of encouragement, enlightenment and spiritual growth. Please, out of respect, do not disrupt the thread with negative remarks. If you do not believe in God, we probably already know it and need not be reminded of it again.
I feel this to be and important issue for Christians.
Thank you and God Bless!
HL
I relate to GOD.........PRETTY DAMN GOOD.
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For Christians this is the moment when a sinner sees the light, but the same imagery occurs in every spiritual tradition. To an outsider the whole experience sounds dubious, like some kind of hallucination. But Jesus doesn’t deny that this is the case; he just ascribes a different value to it. Salvation is a glimpse of reality; perception begins to detect illusion.
The astonishment of experiencing the turning point inevitably fades away. Descending back into mundane existence is very much like falling out of love. Your heightened perceptions return to their former state, which seems dull now.
When the divine presence is gone, only emptiness remains. Look for some way to re-create the departed blessing. The most powerful thing that anyone can do, however, is to fill the void directly: going inward to find peace and silence; following the trail of spiritual clues; paying attention to the guidance of your soul; seeking your own essence; finding the presence of God; removing obstacles and inner resistance; changing your allegiance to the soul.
I think nothing here is incompatible with Christian life. The aftermath is a precarious time, and some people don’t strike out on their own; they are attracted to the safety and comfort of organized religion. Perhaps the prospect of an inner path feels too mystical or abstract, though I am amazed at how many people do not choose going inward as their first response to the aftermath.
Adapted from The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008).
I would like to point out here, as Mr. Chopra has, that Organized Religion will not lead you into the deeper journey of your inner self. What he is referring to here is Intimacy with God. I have posted threads previously on this very topic.
I like the way he explains it thru this writing.
If you only knew how my heart aches for you all to know this intimacy! I have not words to describe it. You must experience it for yourself to know it.
If you believe you are a Christian yet do not take time to enter into His presence and become one with Him in that moment, in the deepest of intimacy, you are missing out. This experience was His plan for us all. Religion will distance you from gaining this experience. I encourage you, strive with everything in you, to gain this intimacy with God. The Holy Spirit says, "Come".
This message is for "Christian" believers and has no intentional purpose of discrimination against any other belief system. I would like that we discuss this for the purpose of encouragement, enlightenment and spiritual growth. Please, out of respect, do not disrupt the thread with negative remarks. If you do not believe in God, we probably already know it and need not be reminded of it again.
I feel this to be and important issue for Christians.
Thank you and God Bless!
HL