The Artist Magistra Q that hopefully can shed some light

[Kenny]

@The Artis Magistra Questions

1. Who is the Lord,
2. who are the Other Gods or Options,
3. How does one choose or prove they have chosen the Lord,
4. who is the Devil,
5. what are the works of the Devil,
6. how were the works of the Devil revealed or exposed and
7. how were they destroyed,
8. what are demons exactly,
9. what is the form/appearance/activities of the Devil and of the demons,
10. what happens to people who choose gods other than the Lord you described above,
11. how do we know we are dealing with the Lord and not some imposter or that it is right,
12. what form do the demons take today and how are they followed or worshipped or harming people today and
13. how did they do so in the past in comparison,
14. is there only a particular name of God that is appropriate to use or consider or can other names be used (like the names used by Amorites),
15. is it the concept we have in our mind that counts or our activities or ritual performances or name we use or what exactly counts to indicate our party/choice,
16. how do we live a good life,
17. what happens after we die and why do you think so,
18. how do we attain a good afterlife,
19. what benefit is choosing the Lord (what do I get out of it, how do I know, and what if anything do you think the Lord gets out of it?),
20. who is Jesus,
21. what was the role and duty or job of Jesus,
23. why was Jesus necessary or put into play,
24. could Jesus have failed, could the Lord or God fail or be defeated or overcome,
25. is it right to worship Jesus
26. is Jesus the Lord or God and is the Lord God and are there any other Lords or Gods that are real or actual or powerful at all,
27. what should I do in a day, every day, or how often should I do whatever (and what would that be exactly, step by step) to achieve the best now and later,
28. could you explain the thing about "I know what God wills" again (I am currently understanding it as feeling confident that you know God wants good for you and that you have the freedom to go about your life and actions however you want, so the knowing is mainly about knowing that God wants you to do and think certain things? Maybe I haven't quite grasped the meaning just yet, but if you could help elaborate on that specifically),
29. what does the Lord or God want from me or us and how do I know that is so or how can I trust such is true,
30. do you sense the presence of demons or demonic possession on this website or among any of its members (and what indicates such?),
31. how can we personally defeat demons or destroy their works and protect ourselves,
32. what other threats are there than demons,
33. what is God's role or help regarding demons and what is our role and position or authority in dealing with them or power against them and their works,
34. what are your personal feelings and views regarding each of the other religions or major religions each and with special or extensive commentary on,
35. Allah and Islam,
36. Judaism which rejects Christianity,
37. Hinduism and Hindu Sects,
38. Buddhist and Buddhist Sects,
39. New Religions and Cults,
40. Neo-Paganism and Magic as well as The New Age and Spiritism,
41. Atheistic and Theistic Satanism and Dark Sorcery/Malicious Witchcraft,
42. Atheism and Agnosticism
43. Animism and Voodoo type things,
44. Politics and Conspiracy,
45. Wealth Accumulation and Self-Care or Showing Off type things like getting really fit or dedicating oneself to achievements or status or prestige or fame,
46. who do you think are spiritually the best or most likely to achieve good in this life and the afterlife in your opinion among people you know and on here,
47. who do you think are spiritually the worst or most likely to achieve bad in this life and the afterlife in your opinion among people you've heard of or here,
(These would give me examples to try to understand right from wrong according to your understanding of things or your reading of the scripture),
48. what is your personal story with religion and how you became this way and what have the pros and honestly the cons been in how you've developed,
49. how would you like to improve or where and in what areas do you think you could improve and how would these changes benefit you,
50. do you think a person who dedicates themselves to Allah and worship of Allah five times a day or Odin or whatever stands a chance for good,
51. do you think they will be given less or their efforts not counted or they will be destroyed or will be failures,
52. why do you think people will their genitals maimed or whatever can't be part of the Lord's assembly,
53. what are some things you question or give you pause in the scripture and what are some unsolved mysteries and puzzles in it that disturb you still if any,
54. how can I know for certain both right from wrong as well as when I'm right and wrong about something or the benefits I should legitimately expect,
55. is Amanaki's recent interest and practice in Islam headed in the wrong direction in your opinion and is he demonically influenced or harming himself,
56. what should Amanaki do if you were to suggest all the best things for him and his daily practices,
57. should Amanaki worship the Lord or Jesus and how would he go about doing this and should Amanaki abandon Allah and the worship of Allah,
58. would it be good for humanity (and bad for the Devil) if the word Allah was expelled from the tongues and minds of all humanity and extinguished,
59. what is the description of and daily life and practices of the most ideal follower of the Lord or Jesus or a Christian in your understanding,
60. are you like that or do you try to be like that and do all that yourself daily,
61. if all humanity were to be what you consider the most perfect and ideal, how do you think things would look or be and what wouldn't be present or here,
62. and finally, do lots of questions make you suspicious of my intentions or irritated or do you actually enjoy the opportunity to share all your thoughts?
63. What is Faith?
64. What is Religion?
65. What is the Right and Best Religion and Why?
66. What is the Most Wrong and Worst Religion or Practice or Belief System or Thought and Why?
67. Could you explain more about the incident where Jesus couldn't perform miracles, what was going on there in that scene exactly?
68. How do we have power or perform miracles or what is this having faith and moving mountains business all about, can you explain that?
69. How far do you believe the turning the other cheek, giving in to your enemies, cutting off your own hand or foot or gouging out your eye thing should go?
70. What is the Truth, The Way, The Life, and how far am I from practicing it, and how do I do it and know I am doing it or doing enough?
71. What can I trust and why? Like, can I trust my heart (and what is my heart?) or my mind or thoughts or reasoning or the scripture? How/Why?

 

[Kenny]

Will start with the first three... but it will take some time as Sunday is a full day for me. Feel free to accentuate certain questions that you may have that are more important to you that you would like to do sooner than later.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Nice list. I don't have much pre-existing knowledge about this thread, but I'll tip my hat to the both of you.

 

[Kenny]

Starting with Number 2 "Who are the Other God's or Options"

Everything begins according to one's personal foundation of beliefs. For the atheist, "other God" is no option and there are no other options. For the Hindu, there are many other gods. Etc.

So, my answers are in light of the Christian beliefs.

Other gods or options could be varied. If God is defined as the Supreme Being... we could, in of ourselves, be our own god. We would hold to the position that basically an atheist is saying they are their own god. They are the determinate of their own destiny.

We could make a crucifix our own god, if we believe that by placing it on a chain and hanging it on our neck will create a supernatural power that will protect us. As we could make our job our god or alcohol or anything material that we ascribe as the answer to our lives and living.

Spiritually speaking, we would classify anything that says "gods" (plural) to be other gods. God would be simply the Supreme Being that is the originator of all that we see.

Number 1, who is Lord

There are many definitions to "Lord" as translated into English. From Hebrew it can mean from God Adonai and Yayweh to master or the person in authority. Context determines. In Greek, it can mean God, person in charge, husband et al and also must be applied according to context.

So "who is Lord" is in the viewpoint of a Christian. Pretty much self explanatory

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all

Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Revelation 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

So, for Christians Jesus is Lord.

3. How does one choose or prove they have chosen the Lord,

One chooses the same way a person chooses their spouse and it is confirmed by words. First with the heart (which only God can really see) and then by accepting that He has become their personal Lord and Savior (made a decision to do things His way and not our ways. (Although never perfectly but the heart desire is there).

One does not have to "prove" it for no one can see the heart and it isn't a work orientated life. However, if the heartfelt decision was made, usually you can see it with a changing life.

Well... that's the basic for starters.

 

[Kenny]

Starting with Number 2 "Who are the Other God's or Options"

Everything begins according to one's personal foundation of beliefs. For the atheist, "other God" is no option and there are no other options. For the Hindu, there are many other gods. Etc.

So, my answers are in light of the Christian beliefs.

Other gods or options could be varied. If God is defined as the Supreme Being... we could, in of ourselves, be our own god. We would hold to the position that basically an atheist is saying they are their own god. They are the determinate of their own destiny.

We could make a crucifix our own god, if we believe that by placing it on a chain and hanging it on our neck will create a supernatural power that will protect us. As we could make our job our god or alcohol or anything material that we ascribe as the answer to our lives and living.

Spiritually speaking, we would classify anything that says "gods" (plural) to be other gods. God would be simply the Supreme Being that is the originator of all that we see.

Number 1, who is Lord

There are many definitions to "Lord" as translated into English. From Hebrew it can mean from God Adonai and Yayweh to master or the person in authority. Context determines. In Greek, it can mean God, person in charge, husband et al and also must be applied according to context.

So "who is Lord" is in the viewpoint of a Christian. Pretty much self explanatory

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all

Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Revelation 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

So, for Christians Jesus is Lord.

3. How does one choose or prove they have chosen the Lord,

One chooses the same way a person chooses their spouse and it is confirmed by words. First with the heart (which only God can really see) and then by accepting that He has become their personal Lord and Savior (made a decision to do things His way and not our ways. (Although never perfectly but the heart desire is there).

One does not have to "prove" it for no one can see the heart and it isn't a work orientated life. However, if the heartfelt decision was made, usually you can see it with a changing life.

Well... that's the basic

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

I'm reading all you are writing, and enjoying it a lot, and its also very relaxing for me, and I appreciate tremendously your taking the time to write it all out over time and answer all those questions. Even if it doesn't end up having any particularly great effect on me personally (though I think it is bound to most likely), it may still provide material that ends up helping someone who reads it to come to Christ and understand more about Christianity or how to be Christian and all that sort of stuff, which I think maybe isn't always clear to everyone, both coming from outside the Christian tradition and even those who are nominally Christian but might not actually know too much overall about the beliefs involved or scriptures and how to apply what is written within or interpret them in a workable way.

I am in the process of writing a response in the other thread where I answer in a very brief form those questions I asked, to give an idea of my personal beliefs currently or where I'm at.

What I really want to know though, and what I really want to understand, sincerely, is how does one come to Christ or come to believe in Christ and what is it that inhibits one from such a belief or whatever, what is the blockage and how is it removed?

I didn't ask these questions to be skeptical or to mock or anything like that, but out of a genuine interest in understanding your ideas and practices and how you reason them out or arrived at them, and to understand all that as thoroughly as possible.

Often, it seems to me that in many cases, people follow the religion and the ideas that were planted in some way early on in their lives as valid or worthy and then might develop their own explanations and understandings to further make sense of those ideas which their families or upbringing may have somehow approved of. Others have different stories behind how they arrived at their current understandings.

In my case, I was raised with certain beliefs as well (and I also grew up going to a Christian school which also had religious classes and mass that I'd attend or sit through), but to this day, I can not for whatever reason put my faith in the teachings of the scriptures or the character/being known as Jesus Christ. It actually concerns me in some ways that very many people seem to be able to, and seem to be sincere in their devotion, but that I can't, and it almost makes me envious of some people and their ability to believe in things or trust things that I can't seem to be able to, and I want to understand what the difference is between them and me. The other thing is, I find them inferior to me in their relationship with God and understanding of God and religious practices, and I don't understand how I can ever come to respect or follow what I find at a lesser level than anything I've experienced myself. It feels like it would be choosing something worse when I seem to have something better, or to select folly instead of sense. All that makes me slightly agitated though, because it alienates me from people and understanding them, and I'm a very friendly and social sort of person, and so that is why I'm bothered by not being able to have a sense of kinship with people or knowing them deeply or understanding them and finding them potentially self-destructive and foolish. That is all honesty, not to insult anyone or anything. So that is where questions might stem from too, like why should Christ be selected or believed in?

So what a lot of those questions revolve around are these concerns and how to overcome them, or how to better understand what inhibits me and how to overcome it or what would bypass whatever blockages there may be or doubts.

That is why, even if I don't end up helped or saved by this writing, still, someone else might be, and your effort to gently show what you think is right and best may overall work as a great example and benefit people in many ways, even if they don't become Christians or whatever, so I think it will be good regardless.

As for me, I don't want to interrupt your flow of writing or anything while you're able to write all these or willing to, but I will let you know that my main area of interest is probably in how one can come to know or believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and be Saved and accept Jesus Christ authentically and genuinely and it not just empty words or 'lip service' as its called maybe.

How can one know that the statements of the Bible are true and happened, that the stories of Jesus are true and happened and that Jesus even existed and if Jesus existed that what they say about Jesus or what Jesus is recorded as saying has any worth or meaning or truth at all? It seems that out of many of the religions, Christianity may be almost unique in some ways for how much it might seem to now rely on taking people's word for things or trusting in them, or faith, and leaps in how one understands things or accepts things.

If someone told me the story of a human who was supposed to be God or the Lord or something, and who was slain also, or performed miracles that were two thousand years ago or whatever, how can I believe this? Would anyone believe this if someone brought up the miracles of someone else? Apollonius of Tyana, or someone else? What if someone spoke of or even showed videos of a person today performing miracles or magic tricks and calling themselves God, how are we to believe what they are saying is true at all or could ever be? It really drives me crazy. You know the show X-Files? Mulder has that poster that says "I want to believe". I do too, I really do, but I almost physically can not, and it disturbs me so much, and it disturbs me so much that others seem to be able to and I can't.

There are lots of things people seem to have or to be able to do which I can't do, or can't even stomach, and so in that sense, I feel deprived and removed from the majority of society and people, an outcaste, though I try to behave normally and integrate within reason and without compromising much of my beliefs or ideas, I lack a feeling of connection from so many communities because I can't understand or even perform the things they seem to be able to without any trouble, it even makes me sort of feel hatred. Like for example, someone maybe says this or that about Ganesh and is pouring milk all over Ganesh and saying this is good and I just find it a waste of milk and that its all false, no matter how sincerely they seem to believe, but my disconnection almost verges on hatred, that a person is saying and promoting something that I think is totally false and even stupid and even so wrong that its causing harm, such as by wasting milk on a statue.

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

So this is my big problem, and I'm being quite genuine (hopefully you can tell, even though its just text). I want the best arguments and explanations and help possible to try to at the very least understand how people can even accept or believe these things. I'm perhaps a bit shy to get on the bad side of anyone by admitting that I have trouble understanding just about any religious person of the variety of religions, except a few.

I don't understand how or why the religious Jewish people accept the Bible or what it says. I can barely stomach the book, it gives me a violent or visceral reaction of revulsion with much of what it says and frequently seems to say, and others just seem to have no reaction at all and stomach all of it and this angers me because I feel like puking or get so angry with what it says, so again I feel irritated that I'm seemingly alone in reacting that way or so strongly. I can't even respect people (and I want to) that can just sit by and say that book is good or worthy when it says what it says and fills me with hate at what I deem injustice and lies and slander against what would be right to any sane person.

I don't understand how or why the Christians accept the Jewish scripture but are not Jews and the Jews reject them as well. I understand why the Jews reject Christianity and the Christians, but not why the Christians even exist or why they hold on to the Jewish scripture. I mean I basically understand the aspect that its due to how the Jewish scripture is used to justify the Christian teachings in some ways, but overall, I pretty much don't understand it or how this has gone on for so long.

I don't understand how anyone can trust what writing, past or present, says! How! How can anyone genuinely just accept a thing because a book has it in there or says so? What is that all about? How can anyone have faith in any of this narrative or reasoning or trust that this is what to stake your life and afterlife on? It confounds me!

I understand the Upanishads, I understand the Qur'an, and even some of the ideas of the Pagans who used words and concepts and anthropomorphized them but retained the words and their meanings as the "names" can be made some sense of, but, I don't understand how anyone can accept various cults that just say totally weird stuff and expect people to believe it, or like the beliefs behind Scientology or Mormonism, or who would trust the Jehovah's Witnesses, or even the ideas behind the Voodoo people and whatever, or the New Age, and the stuff people have said. The secular humanist Buddhist types, though they have often been very rude to me online and irritating people in general, at least they seem to perhaps have skepticism about the reality of the Buddhist stories perhaps and are more into the benefits of certain practices, but the people who believe the stories around the Buddha and other Buddhist characters and saints and whatever, how do they believe those things that they don't even know are true and can't know are true? The whole thing just sounds like total rubbish to me, all made up, all un true, and that there is no reason at all to have any faith that anything the Buddhists teach or where they teach it will lead is true at all, that the practices could just as well be a total waste of time and life, that its all error and illogical and fantasy.

So, you won't be able to speak for them (but anyone representing their own beliefs or any belief system can come here too maybe and answer my questions and help me to understand better).

What inhibits me from Buddhism? I don't believe in the Buddha, I believe that if such a man exists as in the stories, that all the miraculous elements were likely to be false and made up (and I am a person who does not deny the existence of miracles, I believe in miracles, and I have experienced seemingly miraculous and magical sorts of things myself). I also believe that the character of the Buddha as depicted in the stories they have about him, is not really a good character, and that Jesus also doesn't seem very appealing to me, even as a man, and so much more disturbing as God or a God.

How does one justify those stories of the Buddha and how can one believe them? They may provide some sneaky answer like "you don't need to believe them, and they don't need to be true, but rather there is much to learn from them which has benefitted many and which may be able to benefit you as well", and that would be true, and the same goes for any stories or the Gospel stories as well perhaps or the stories of the Old Testament even, all of which I find mainly un-readable due to thinking they are just wasting my time with hateful lies, unjust ideas, basically evilness.

What the Christian scriptures sometimes attribute to the Devil, I only consider the domain of what I call and consider the All-Powerful God. What the Buddhists attribute to Mara, I only consider the domain of what I call and consider the All-Powerful God. So by the standards of both these groups (somewhat similar, as each verges on or outright deifies a man figure who traveled around and taught and took on disciples and followers) what they consider the Evil One is what I consider the Only God, so what the heck am I to do, being forced into the position of Devil-Worshipper or Devotee of Mara by both of what they say and by clear reasoning, since I do not consider the activities of the World or of Life processes to be anything evil, nor Death to be anything but God's work as well in any form.

So, please don't let this discourage you at all from writing more and explaining everything, it was just to give you an idea of my spiritual state and my thoughts and troubles and concerns.

I want to relate to people and get along with them, I don't want to look down on them as helplessly as I seem to (meaning, I can't seem to force myself to respect people I consider illogical or following incorrect things baselessly or who can stomach things I find hideous or utterly wicked, such as some of the things depicted in the Scriptures or even in the Tripitaka).

What you've written so far, I enjoyed a lot, and I expect that I will enjoy it all as you continue and I will read it all carefully, and with a lot of gratefulness that you were willing to respond so patiently and kindly to me. Consider me like a person from the past who is asking a Christian or even asking Jesus or a representative of Jesus how can I be saved, how can I believe, how can I have faith, how can I come to believe what seems unbelievable, and asking sincerely for help in this regard, practically begging!

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

Here are my answers for my current beliefs and personal status:

1. Who is the Lord,
A: There is only One Master, having no name, going by any true or appropriate name and accurate description.

2. who are the Other Gods or Options,
A: Choose any name, so long as the concept is correct, then it refers to the same True One.

3. How does one choose or prove they have chosen the Lord,
A: They must genuinely believe in the correct concept, and they know it is correct by careful reasoning, and ideally should also experience miraculous things.

4. who is the Devil,
A: Most people attribute to the Devil things that should only rightfully be attributed to the Power of One, otherwise the Devil is just one of many evildoers.

5. what are the works of the Devil,
A: The same as any Devil or evildoer, lying, deceiving, cheating, defrauding, making mischief for people, plotting harm, and designing agendas to harm

6. how were the works of the Devil revealed or exposed and
A: Anyone can use reasoning, history, evidence, and other methods to expose the works of evil and harmful beings and the destructiveness of their actions.

7. how were they destroyed,
A: The Devil and Devils (of various sorts, including human beings) are active to this day, and so only exposure sometimes helps to combat their plots/acts.

8. what are demons exactly,
A: There was a belief among people that diseases and mental illness were caused by intelligent beings inhabiting the body and causing symptoms/behaviors.

9. what is the form/appearance/activities of the Devil and of the demons,
A: The original or very early writings at times made them out to appear like a low fine mist or gaseous, cloud-like puffs and slithering smokes in appearance. Their activities were said to be the causing of diseases or madness and violence, as well as whispering and seducing people to do wrong and evil acts.

10. what happens to people who choose gods other than the Lord you described above,
A: Whoever/Whatever has the true power and influence and cares will determine what occurs to anyone for anything, and so its possible nothing happens, or otherwise something happens, it remains unknown, but generally it was eventually expected that anyone who has done wrong and spread lies or followed evil beings or falsehoods and committed atrocities of various sorts will be punished for it and suffer for it, a punishment imposed by some authority greater than the false or evil beings they thought were their saviors or patrons/matrons.

11. how do we know we are dealing with the Lord and not some imposter or that it is right,
A: One never knows what they are dealing with for certain, but can direct their mind towards a better concept and hope for the best.

12. what form do the demons take today and how are they followed or worshipped or harming people today and
A: If demons exist, then they harm people by whispering bad suggestions to them, and creating plots and agendas they inspire powerful and influential people with, but the demons that are responsible for mental illness and physical illnesses are now called into question or suspect as an archaism of outmoded thinking and possibly ignorance about viruses, medicine, and internal chemical issues.

13. how did they do so in the past in comparison,
A: No difference, except that it might have been more prevalent and common to purposefully attempt to feed them at temples, in forests, or in relation to altars and idols with food placed in front and left to rot, the methane gas and other vaporous biproducts of which were consumed by these gaseous beings just like we are made of carbon matter and eat solid foods which we break down in our bodies.

14. is there only a particular name of God that is appropriate to use or consider or can other names be used (like the names used by Amorites),
A: God is nameless and all the best names belong to God, so any name can be used, as names are just sounds ultimately, but should mean or refer to a proper or accurate concept of whatever is or would be truly Ultimate.

15. is it the concept we have in our mind that counts or our activities or ritual performances or name we use or what exactly counts to indicate our party/choice,
A: What determines which factions or party you belong to are all of the above, but most especially the concept you hold and the type of ritual performance or worship you perform based on that concept and towards that concept you hold as God and God's Cosmological Hierarchy or the System you believe in.

16. how do we live a good life,
A: Master the roughly 15 or so waking hours in a day, the environment you deal with the most, and focus on strategies using clear reasoning to establish what is best and why and should lead to the best here and now most likely (in all probability) and potentially later (by covering as many bases as possible without breaking rules or stepping on toes as much as possible).

17. what happens after we die and why do you think so,
A: Death is the cessation of all information and input, literally Nothing happens and you cease experiencing, thus from your perspective you are automatically skipped forward no matter how long it takes to your next moment of experience whenever that might occur in infinite time or possibility. I think so due to language and logic.

18. how do we attain a good afterlife,
A: By doing what we think is justifiably the best and avoiding evil as much as possible, to do good, worship God devoutly, help those in need and the innocent, and work justice and righteousness and mercy throughout the world and to all creatures that we can, reducing anxiety and suffering, increasing all benefit and speaking what is right and true always when possible or reasonable.

19. what benefit is choosing the Lord (what do I get out of it, how do I know, and what if anything do you think the Lord gets out of it?),
A: If one chooses something unreal and without power or inferior, there would be a lower chance of their success, but if someone chooses something that is real, powerful, and capable, or even proven, then there would be a higher chance to succeed or make appeals to such a powerful intelligence with the capability to save us or bring us back.

20. who is Jesus,
A: Jesus is a man, as well as a character that people have told stories about, and I have little trust in stories about long ago told by ancient people.

21. what was the role and duty or job of Jesus,
A: To bring the Jewish people the Good News and correct what might be perceived as a gradual degraded state of their religion, tradition, & understanding.

23. why was Jesus necessary or put into play,
A: Jesus was not necessary, and God only brought Jesus into play as an assistance to help people to learn and improve.

24. could Jesus have failed, could the Lord or God fail or be defeated or overcome,
A: No God that anyone should put their faith in or believe in should be able to lose or be out of total control. God didn't fail, but created Christianity.

25. is it right to worship Jesus
A: No. Even if Jesus is considered to be God and God incarnated, it is God and not some body or form or inhabited or possessed thing that should receive worship.

26. is Jesus the Lord or God and is the Lord God and are there any other Lords or Gods that are real or actual or powerful at all,
A: No and No. Jesus is a body, some body, a form, and all forms, even invisible forms, can be eradicated by the all-powerful Supreme Intelligence, the only true and real Power or God. Everything else is equal in comparison, equally powerless, equally submissive, equally incapable of rebellion or overcoming the overwhelming and singular power of God.

27. what should I do in a day, every day, or how often should I do whatever (and what would that be exactly, step by step) to achieve the best now and later,
A: Do everything you can do to master a day, investing in this life and now and later, and the afterlife as well, through hygiene, exercises, worship, good eating, beautifying yourself and your life and environment and surroundings and having pleasant and thoughtful interactions, spreading grace and truth and relief, being generous, and being undeniably righteous, virtuous, humorous, noble, and great, as much as one understands true greatness, to pursue it in everything, particularly the small things which often get neglected or thought of as nothing. Great influence, fame, and prestige may not necessarily be what earns one the best merit, and one may actually be at risk in such positions and tested in terribly difficult ways and taken to account for their actions more harshly due to the capacity to do some big things or for forgetting to help or see the little things or little people.

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

28. could you explain the thing about "I know what God wills" again (I am currently understanding it as feeling confident that you know God wants good for you and that you have the freedom to go about your life and actions however you want, so the knowing is mainly about knowing that God wants you to do and think certain things? Maybe I haven't quite grasped the meaning just yet, but if you could help elaborate on that specifically),
A: No one actually knows what God truly wills or wants or will do, and people are always left questioning such and without true or verifiable certainty about such, or else they would really know every detail of what is to occur or what everything that is happening now may be leading to, and God can freely change things in ways one can not estimate, control, or predict.

29. what does the Lord or God want from me or us and how do I know that is so or how can I trust such is true,
A: God wants nothing from anyone that God doesn't receive, and whatever God wants is only and exactly whatever occurs, even if its terrible in our opinion or experience. God will always get what God wants only, even if no one else gets what they wanted or is made by God to feel that they have not gotten what they wanted, that would be what God wants, there is nothing left to Chance, and if Chance decides, then Chance is God's name.

30. do you sense the presence of demons or demonic possession on this website or among any of its members (and what indicates such?),
A: Yeah, me. I perceive the names of demons as the potential names of God. I don't believe in a league of evil beings or spirits, but that if one is calling upon demons in their quiet or inaudible mutterings in their room, only God knows and sees them and can react or play with them, as the rest is just the fantasies and lies of people for the most part or mainly. If people say God can pretend to be Jesus, then why can't God pretend to be everything else as well, including demons? If one says, well why would God do that? Then one could reply "Why would God incarnate as a man and yank people's chain for a few years?".

31. how can we personally defeat demons or destroy their works and protect ourselves,
A: Prayer, and don't fear such things anyway, they are not even a legitimate threat. If one doesn't believe in a secret league of evil unicorns, why should one believe in this conspiracy of evil spirits? Not believing in the league of evil unicorns is exactly what they want! You'll be caught off guard if you don't waste your time on being worried about the secret league of evil unicorns! How many things do the mad and sick humans invent? Which should we take seriously and why? God who thinks Free-Will is so precious supposedly, lets beings possess and control bodies (like some say, probably not what you think or say though since that would not be reasonable, but some seem to genuinely believe such a thing)? Should we burden ourselves and our minds with unfounded concerns, or should we focus on the God alone, or is it that God really is only a background watcher,

A: Expose them and face them with genuine light and love and truth, and so only the truthful can persist and everything else is made to appear foolish and stinking and mad.

32. what other threats are there than demons,
A: Diseases, Bad People, but according to me, Nothing is a true Threat except whatever is generating or orchestrating all Experience, so I call that God, and so God is the only threat ever, and everything else is just a dead puppet whose mind is controlled.

33. what is God's role or help regarding demons and what is our role and position or authority in dealing with them or power against them and their works,
A: Nothing can obstruct God's will, but God alone can be appealed to in order to combat any evil or find ways to get help, and without God bringing it into existence or bringing it about, there is no hope that anything can ever happen or will go smoothly.

34. what are your personal feelings and views regarding each of the other religions or major religions each and with special or extensive commentary on,
A: All the religions can perhaps be made to be right or matched up to the truth and reality, and differ in their interpretations and uses of language, which can confuse people or make greater differences or the appearance of greater differences and vastly different uses and interpretations. They can likewise be twisted to conform to one framework or skeleton.

35. Allah and Islam,
A: Of all the Religions, the content in the Qur'an is the clearest and most useful and difficult to twist too far in most cases, and so it stands above all the others as the World's Best and Greatest Religion, with idiotic and sucky followers and traditions made up by the dummies. Its like pearls to swine, and seems to be yet another joke in God's comedy show:

36. Judaism which rejects Christianity,
A: An utterly corrupt and polluted, unjust, evil version of Islam. Islam's most mutant face and how wrong things can go. Judaism may even be the more true, but for all pragmatic purposes, the extremely sterilized Islam and Qur'an is far preferable to the Old Testament Scripture which brings up only intense revulsion in me. I think of the Bible as literally an evil book, full of evilness, made by evil minds, which destroys the minds and culture of the people who accept it, like its a poison which has destroyed generations of minds and lives, and should never have become accepted by the world at large.

37. Hinduism and Hindu Sects,
A: The second best of all the religions is the philosophy of The One in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita and things like that, and so the Monotheism of the Vedic people is the best after the clearest Qur'an. One can see also how twisted and idolatrous and lost seeming the people called Hindus are as well in the villages and things, just like the Muslims people see on the television, while the texts themselves are full of good seeming words, intentions, and philosophy. The writings coming out of this region, though sometimes very wrong seeming (like the later Puranic literature), are far superior seeming and far older than anything bandied about as the great stuff of the Bible, which is like it was written by truly demented criminals.

38. Buddhist and Buddhist Sects,
A: Probably the third best, only when it takes a turn towards returning to its Vedic roots in Mahayana aspects at times and returns to Theism and basically the worship of God under the name Dharmakaya or other things, and Taoism can also be good and pious, but the majority of people practicing each seem to be totally corrupt and superstitious and way off base about practically everything and matching up with reality, as if religions are just always doomed to be inhabited by imbeciles for the most part while providing clearly good things and truths.

39. New Religions and Cults,
A: Sometimes alright seeming, often times not, especially when a charismatic leader is involved and seemingly bound to commit heinous criminal acts or sex crimes. Most of these I have absolutely no respect for at all. I consider Scientology a complete lie, and Mormonism the exact opposite of my theology and beliefs regarding God.

40. Neo-Paganism and Magic as well as The New Age and Spiritism,
A: Some of the worst and most irritating people in existence are part of these groups and philosophies, and probably need to work on their personalities more than their superstitions and fantasies. Inhabited by liars and loonies and some of the worst people you'll ever have the misfortune of meeting or talking to. Even if they speak the truth, they seem to totally suck as human beings, and are probably also nerds or something, I don't know, really horrible experiences with these people every time.

41. Atheistic and Theistic Satanism and Dark Sorcery/Malicious Witchcraft,
A: Surprisingly much easier to get along with these people than the ones mentioned above, and the Satanic Bible of Anton is also not so bad in what it says, but among these, the worst of them are the Joy of Satan kid recruits, since they are really Neo-Pagans and a New Religion of sorts and believe in totally idiotic things like that the "Gods" of the past were demons who were tricked by Angels but are now free somehow from their wrongful imprisonment by angels and so they disregard things like the names of various Gods being things like "Sun" and "Moon" and instead view them as all individual humanoid like beings in a bout of utter fantasy and madness, but no one really respects them, though their numbers grew a lot in the last few years as the world seems to be filled with lunatics more than ever (or access to them, due to the internet and population growth).

42. Atheism and Agnosticism
A: Seemingly obsessed with religion much of the time and defined by their objection to it, they are actually some of the more decent folks I've encountered as well, but I get along better with the Satanists, who still at times have some more room for the mystical and weird.

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

43. Animism and Voodoo type things,
A: Some more of the worst beings in existence, I abhor the religions of Voodoo and all of that stuff and the way they kill animals and the excuses they make, its likely that these are the most similar to Ancient popular Pagans and if that is the case, I understand why anyone would want them wiped off the face of the Earth. They are the most degraded and degenerate beliefs and practices I have ever seen and I have only the most ill will towards the supporters of these traditions or behaviors, may they perish for all their despicable and evil acts and poisonings and snapping necks of kittens and puppies and all the trash I've seen them filmed doing for nothing but their mad superstitions. I think there probably aren't too many lunatics like this overall hopefully, and I sincerely hope they cease to exist eventually (as soon as possible would be preferable). They don't deserve the freedom to go about doing every manner of evil and spreading all sorts of lies to justify it or trick vulnerable dimwits into following their vile philosophy and way. Even though Mormonism may be the opposite to my beliefs, their people are far better than the Voodoo Palo Santeria types, who I think are the wickedest and most untrustworthy and dangerous of all the various open or known factions, and are just corrupt and criminal minds let loose with an excuse in a hideous system of death and unneeded ending of lives and messing around with soaking things in blood and just total pollution, and I despise people who also say its OK or support them in the slightest. If anyone has a fondness for it, they should check their head, abandon it now, or I wish them a goodbye forever from this existence. If someone told me they practice these things and think its totally fine to just kill and dump animals for rituals then I'd stay away from the mental cases or psychopaths and hope for every accident to take their lives as soon as possible before they can go about wastefully killing more animals or doing other wickedness. Utterly unacceptable beliefs and practices, which have not profited them much at all clearly, and I believe God also despises them (since God is most likely just whatever I think and want made large).

44. Politics and Conspiracy,
A: Lots of hopeful, paranoid, and crazy people here. I have political and conspiratorial beliefs as well, but I also feel helpless in these regards, and I stay away from the topics mainly and especially the more idiotic conspiracies that seem to be promoted to cover up the more reasonable ones, a conspiracy of conspiracy theories!

45. Wealth Accumulation and Self-Care or Showing Off type things like getting really fit or dedicating oneself to achievements or status or prestige or fame,
A: I am impressed by these people but I think they also must be somewhat mad to be able to dedicate so much time to a project like that, as I can't relate and can't seem to do it myself. They seem annoying, and not anyone I'd like to know or talk to, just boring people, though I dream of being able to show off as well, I doubt I'd be able to be obsessed and dedicated enough or care enough to ever do it, plus I don't like attention like that really anyway.

46. who do you think are spiritually the best or most likely to achieve good in this life and the afterlife in your opinion among people you know and on here,
A: Maybe the person who made the insha'Allah thread that started all this, but God only knows. Whoever is sincere, genuine, devout, truly good, they will not fail to be guided to the right and attain the best, if God is any good, then the good will triumph.

47. who do you think are spiritually the worst or most likely to achieve bad in this life and the afterlife in your opinion among people you've heard of or here,
(These would give me examples to try to understand right from wrong according to your understanding of things or your reading of the scripture),
Probably the atheists or worse than them the trolls and the psychos, I think they are basically doomed. The worst person I've encountered on this website so far was the troll who put in my Profile some picture of a noseless person, I think they have a deep sickness and are basically a psychopath who will only do more and more bad things to "get off" and feel stimulation, and will very likely be destroyed and burn in hell, and there is most likely not even an inkling of hope that a psychopath or sociopath like them will ever turn good or decent, but God can transform anyone, but really, it doesn't seem to happen often.



48. what is your personal story with religion and how you became this way and what have the pros and honestly the cons been in how you've developed,
A: I was raised with religion but was the most religious and philosophical of all since childhood and continue to be so, and I was raised with access to and reading into all the religions from a very young age, which I continue to do to this day. I have experienced numerous of things which I consider very magical and miraculous and were witnessed, involving people, with proof, so God is utterly undeniable to me, besides my philosophy or understanding which to me is 100% logically irrefutable and entirely solid but difficult to make people apparently understand how I am using words so it frequently seems inaccessible to them and I remain utterly alienated from every feeling certain anyone understands a darn thing ever.

49. how would you like to improve or where and in what areas do you think you could improve and how would these changes benefit you,
A: I want to become more physically fit and less in pain and less injured. Then I want to show off and seduce people more using my fitness and lack of pain to worship and show off more and broadcast it. My main interest is in attracting the attention and lusting and admiration of women, but with no intention of actually touching them or anything, and not wanting too much of their interest, since I hate dangerously insane or obsessive people who might threaten my peace or happiness by their greed.

50. do you think a person who dedicates themselves to Allah and worship of Allah five times a day or Odin or whatever stands a chance for good,
A: Yes. Also, Allah is Odin and Odin is Allah, or Can be, depending on what one is using the word or epithet for. If someone is thinking of some pathetic and foolish concept though, it doesn't matter what word they use, they are achieving nothing, speaking to nothing, and are fools that are expected to utterly fail (in my view and opinion, or else I'd do what they do if I thought it was best, right, or leading to success).

51. do you think they will be given less or their efforts not counted or they will be destroyed or will be failures,
A: No, if they do basically the same things and have the same beliefs and understandings, the name they use to refer to God is meaningless or arbitrary, since God is nameless or possessor of every good and true and accurate or explicable name that justifiably can apply.

52. why do you think people with their genitals maimed or whatever can't be part of the Lord's assembly,
A: There seems to be some verse like this in the Bible talking about people with damage to their testicles or something, and whatever it might mean, I think its garbage, and hopefully entirely untrue like so much in the Bible. I hate numerous stories in the Bible and a great many of its characters and depictions of people, and find it to be the most despicable of all the religious scriptures probably.

53. what are some things you question or give you pause in the scripture and what are some unsolved mysteries and puzzles in it that disturb you still if any,
A: Nothing too much really, maybe that I hate what I believe (or accuse/blame) God for putting us all through, I really hate it all, and so ultimately or basically hate the creator of what I hate, so hate God, but worship God nonetheless as our only hope. I also like God and love God.

54. how can I know for certain both right from wrong as well as when I'm right and wrong about something or the benefits I should legitimately expect,
A: Use your reasoning and make your excuses for your actions utterly justified and justifiable with the strongest reasoning possible, and beyond that, one never knows if what they think is good is bad or leads to bad or is good and leads to good truly.

55. is Amanaki's recent interest and practice in Islam headed in the wrong direction in your opinion and is he demonically influenced or harming himself,
A: It might be, since one can never know how Islam is given and taken away from anyone at all, and its hard to trust people who switch or might switch away or anything like that. God is in charge of that whole situation and ordeal, and seeing all the switching I've experienced or witnessed in people, I find humans to be untrustworthy, fickle, and their thoughts and opinions to be mainly worthless sounds, like animals in pain, and so I really don't often respect their views, opinions, or anything about them since they just switch the next second or eat a sandwich and now their mood is different and suddenly its a whole new world with new views, unstable freaks. If Amanaki keeps away from the mainstream Muslim Hadith loving lunatics and blasphemers, and sticks to the Qur'an and what it says, and cleans himself and worships Allah alone and keeps away from the dress up game of the Hadith types and their lying and bullying, he is in my view almost certainly guaranteed to succeed. He only has to make it to the finish line (death), which is only a few decades away for him most likely. How can he be expected to lose worse than other people if he devotes a portion of the days to good deeds, avoiding bad deeds, being kindly to all creatures, and worshipping the all powerful God? If Allah has chosen him and saved him from folly, that is a tremendous gift. If he were to come to me later and say that he discovered the joy of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ is his God now and he is dedicated to Jesus Christ, in my current view, he would be destined to be utterly destroyed for that, by God, since supposedly God hates liars and fools (that God makes into fools and liars spreading lies).

56. what should Amanaki do if you were to suggest all the best things for him and his daily practices,
A: Be humorous and lighthearted, follow the Qur'an, treat his woman like a queen and a princess and give her all the best even as a good deed and a kind of charity and grace, and worship Allah and fear Allah, and whatever he thinks is good and best and most noble and beautiful, do it and be it, and he should win.

57. should Amanaki worship the Lord or Jesus and how would he go about doing this and should Amanaki abandon Allah and the worship of Allah,
A: Never, unless he really wants to risk a final loss. Worship of Jesus defies all the religions, whereas worship of God really doesn't defy any of them and one is covering many more bases than by following this mainly unheard of belief system and person that is exclusive and weird and focused on this man-god type figure.

God-man (Christianity) - Wikipedia

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

58. would it be good for humanity (and bad for the Devil) if the word Allah was expelled from the tongues and minds of all humanity and extinguished,
A: No. Oh, I misread it, I thought it was saying "The Word of Allah" as in like the Qur'an or scriptures or something. The word Allah is arbitrary, God could choose any designation of letters or sounds to mean anything at all, or no sounds, or any symbol, or whatever, so it would make no difference at all if this word is expelled or never used. Allah didn't need the word "Allah", but chose it, and can choose anything else, and make anything seem like it never even existed or was ever used, in an instant.

59. what is the description of and daily life and practices of the most ideal follower of the Lord or Jesus or a Christian in your understanding,
A: The true follower of Jesus does not worship Jesus, but worships God, in a fashion reminiscent of the Muslims, and goes around doing good. Jesus also worshipped God and did so in a similar fashion, and was not worshipping himself, nor did Jesus know what God knows (according to the New Testament). So, in my current view, a true follower of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus is going to be someone living in the fashion of the Qur'an and practicing Surrender to God (Islam) and worship of God in that ancient fashion, and not worshipping Jesus Christ or believing in the Trinity.

60. are you like that or do you try to be like that and do all that yourself daily,
A: I hope to be what I perceive as a True Christian.

61. if all humanity were to be what you consider the most perfect and ideal, how do you think things would look or be and what wouldn't be present or here,
A: Everyone would be really wonderful and nice to each other, even beautiful, with their inner beauty shining through, and everyone could be trusted, so I guess the world might be experienced like a teenager on ecstasy or something. The world is practically the opposite of that, and is full of wickedness around every corner, and predatory monsters laying in wait to take advantage of people or do them harm, and God could make it not so, but instead makes it so (according to me, one way or the other, even if one says God is simply letting it be), and this is evil, and I despise God for this hideous and wicked, vile world and its monstrous people.

62. and finally, do lots of questions make you suspicious of my intentions or irritated or do you actually enjoy the opportunity to share all your thoughts?
A: I am suspicious of you, Artis Magistra, what do you think will be achieved by any of this? I guess I think it can be nice to occasionally get this stuff off my chest and also maybe encourage or inspire others to write a lot and get things off their chest or make them into educators and feel good teaching what they think is good and giving them a platform or a voice to get it all out there.

You might end up answering this in the questions above, but:

63. What is Faith?
A: Blind Faith is wrong, and no one needs or should have any (Blind) Faith whatsoever, but instead, should reason clearly and carefully, and then place their best bets and hope for the best, and it is this hope in God and knowing we are hopeless without the All-Powerful to save us, that is true Faith.

64. What is Religion?
A: Beliefs followed by practices based on those beliefs, no one is without beliefs and practices based on those beliefs, even if their belief is that there is no God or whatever and then their actions based on that understanding, and these are religions, everyone has their own, and there is only one True Religion, which is simply the Truth or the Reality, which can be discovered perhaps based on careful reasoning, but otherwise I think that no one can ever come to belief really, and that its up to God to make them think this way or some other way.

65. What is the Right and Best Religion and Why?
A: All the religions can be made to be right, but the practices which resemble Islam according to the Qur'an are in my opinion the safest bet which cover the most bases, and worship of Jesus Christ as God is least safe and fails most qualifications or takes the greatest risks.

66. What is the Most Wrong and Worst Religion or Practice or Belief System or Thought and Why?
A: Human/Animal bloodbath sacrificing and mass murdering and wasting in the belief that such accumulates magical energy or sends them to the other realm with messages or that ghost gods are eating them and need them and will pay you back for this waste, and killers and their belief in a lack of consequences, and people who hurt people or animals, may they all be destroyed and burn in hell forever, they are the worst and I wish only the worst for them as soon as possible and before they do more harm.

67. Could you explain more about the incident where Jesus couldn't perform miracles, what was going on there in that scene exactly?
A: Jesus couldn't perform any miracles, and any miracles seemingly performed by any messenger of God were not by any power or merit of their own or even their own faith or belief or that of those around them, but simply God doing it all and it is easy for God to bring about anything regardless of anyone's faith or beliefs, as no one has any power and everyone is equally empty and without true value or merit of their own, whatever good we do is also from God only, so no credit goes to us or our own virtue or quality ever, which can be switched in an instant to anything else or taken away. To understand that with clear reasoning is true humility.

68. How do we have power or perform miracles or what is this having faith and moving mountains business all about, can you explain that?
A: No such thing, you require no faith or belief to experience anything, including amazing miracles generated in your experience by God alone.

69. How far do you believe the turning the other cheek, giving in to your enemies, cutting off your own hand or foot or gouging out your eye thing should go?
A: None of that, its all dangerous even if well intended or emphasizing certain points or a partially useful strategy at times, but mainly, defend yourself and do not harm yourselves or those you care about or be a detriment to yourself, even if it is true that you might do better being maimed, maiming yourself is sinful and wrong and ungrateful, and yes hell is fearful, but also, shut up.

70. What is the Truth, The Way, The Life, and how far am I from practicing it, and how do I do it and know I am doing it or doing enough?
A: You can never be certain, so try your best, and keep trying harder, within reason, and don't destroy your life or yourself by excesses of any sort.

71. What can I trust and why? Like, can I trust my heart (and what is my heart?) or my mind or thoughts or reasoning or the scripture? How/Why?
A: You can not really trust anything, you may be utterly deceived, and so your best bet is in trusting all these factors to a degree while knowing them as untrustworthy, and reason can be one of the better of these to put your trust in, but still know, that you may be easily convinced and deceived and can never really be certain or know, and so the best it amounts to is always a bet and gambling, but you may be excused by having reasoning for your apparent choices and justifications that are strong seeming based on your genuine experiences and apparent knowledge or history of consistent seeming reactions (which may also be only existing now this moment and deceiving you, but alas, there is no way around that ever).

Evil demon - Wikipedia

72. I would also like to know the names of all those deities or what you think their names may have been and what they were really (like, were they real beings, like demons or something?).
A: If any one of them had the right concept in mind, then they were not wrong if they used the name or word to refer to the correct concept, but if they had the wrong concept in mind, then it wouldn't matter if they called in YHWH or Allah or anything, they were in the wrong, and according to most, apparently having the wrong idea somehow gets people into a lot of trouble eventually.
Amurru (god) - Wikipedia

 

[Kenny]

You are a very prolific writer.... have you thought of going into writing?

 

[Kenny]

4. who is the Devil,
5. what are the works of the Devil,
6. how were the works of the Devil revealed or exposed and
7. how were they destroyed,

Obviously, on any one subject, a whole book could be written to expound and explain so this is a VERY redacted version.

4. who is the Devil,

The Devil, in Christian scripture, is known as a fallen angel that because of pride was cast out of Heaven. His main office was in worship. There is a great power in music--a great mover of hearts and minds. Ezekiel 28:13-18

It is believed that a third of the angels followed the Devil.

There are many titles for the Devil:

1. Father of Lies
2. Tempter
3. Satan
4. Prince of the power of the air
5. Thief

and many more. He also has the power of death (Heb 2: 14) I define death as that area of one's life that is separated from God.

5. what are the works of the Devil,
6. how were the works of the Devil revealed or exposed and
7. how were they destroyed,

He receives and received his authority in people's lives and on this earth through mankind's sins as they yield to temptation.

If you can think of a coin that has two sides to it. Jesus took a coin when asking about taxes and said "Whose inscription is on this coin" and they replied "Ceasar". Then Jesus said "Give to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar and give to God what belongs to God.".

I say there is another coin in John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

This verse explains the works, how it is revealed and how they are destroyed.

So the works and how they are revealed is quite simple. If it steals, kills or destroys, ultimately it is a manifestation of the works of the Devil (although he may not have done it himself, he is still the author of it).

Obviously they are still in the process of being destroyed. As a three part being that man is yet still one man, different areas are destroyed by different means.

Spiritually. Darkness is destroyed by light. When one accepts Jesus Christ as Lord, they are (what Jesus called) born again (John Chapter 3) by God's Holy Spirit. Jesus is the light of the world and we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1:13). The very spirit of man is recreated into the image of God (once again completely united with His Spirit) - and is forever free from darkness control (spiritually). Satan's influence over man's spirit is forever destroyed.

Soul or mentally - Our souls (our thinking and our mental processing) is continually being saved by receiving and engrafting God's word into our thinking process. James 1:21

This is a process of transformation. There is a battle for our minds. Advertisements, pictures, music, people of authority, games etc are all vying for the control of our thought processes. It really is a battle between two forces - the world (with the Devil's influence) and God (with the influence of His Word and His Spirit).

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

the word "conformed" - can be likened unto plastic being molded into a shape through heat and pressure. The world is forever trying through the pressure of influence or power, to cause people to think a certain way.

The word "transformed" is where we get the word metamorphosis. Much like a caterpillar that turns into liquid in the cocoon and comes out completely different.

We destroy the works of the devil in our minds by adapting to God's way of thinking. Cutting off our old way of thinking, engrafting God's way of thinking until it is cemented into our very fiber.

Physical - The ground of the earth is cursed and our bodies are made up of the ground of the earth. Physical death is inevitable but we get a new body. It is the final destruction of works of the devil through sin. However, the manifestations of the physical body is destroyed but us sacrificing what our bodies (whether physically or carnal desires) want to do and opting for what God wants to do

Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

Those are major categories.

there are innumerable subcategories such as:

Love overcomes hate
Healing (whether by doctors or prayer or both) that destroys sickness
Forgiveness that destroys unforgiveness
Liberality in giving that destroys lack. etc etc etc.


Hope that helps

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

You are a very prolific writer.... have you thought of going into writing?

I have thought about it, I just don't know how to do it or what to do and maybe I lack a little confidence and I feel a bit lazy or overwhelmed, but its clear that I can write tons with ease and speed, and I don't know really what holds me back, maybe a fear of failure, but that is guaranteed or 100% failure if I never try or do it, so then maybe its subject matter? When it comes to prose writing, which I'm also good at, I get annoyed by my knowing the story already and feeling like I'm wasting people's time or my own time by stretching it out or keeping things a mystery and not getting to the point, so most of my writing has been online and just talking freely like I do. I'd love to be able to write and make it an income even, as its so easy for me and people tend to enjoy me and my style as well (despite the occasional online crank pots/sour puss people who I think often admit to also being crazy, so not my fault).

I have fantasized about numerous different things I can write extensively about, but one of the things that repeatedly deters me is making something I enjoy into feeling like work, and sometimes more than that interacting with people that I don't really like or hearing their backlash, since a lot of the topics I like to discuss tend to have very aggressive and lunatic seeming guard dogs who are possessive about the topics or the ways they are written about, even to the point that I've received numerous death threats, hacking attempts, all kinds of harassment for writing about historical magic or symbolism or simple things, and so its unfortunate that practically anything I like writing about just happens to also be the are of interest for (other) freaks.

So then I thought maybe I'll write about all the things I like, but change the words and names and things by one or two letters and pretend its all just made up and so maybe avoid the attention of weirdos or at least disable them from being able to make a big deal about it because then other people can say to them "Hey, its not real, its just made up, relax, see, its not Loki its Roci, they are fictionalizing everything, calm down, its Roci".

The other problem that I've been facing (and I used to be so motivated in the past) is that over the years, I've become so misanthropic and bitter that I just really don't know who I'd be writing for. I genuinely hate most people, and the way the internet culture is and the generation that is now active and has grown up, are literally the worst people I've ever seen in my life, and I deeply despise them, so the idea of working for these people I consider total scum as my audience is very disturbing, even heartbreaking.

My way around that though, was to maybe write horror or something (which for me would actually be less horror and more pleasurable fantasy) where I write about these 20 something year olds getting massacred by supernatural means. Reminds me of Fletcher Hanks and his destructive fantasies (he was supposedly a drunk whose work has only been recognized and popularized lately).

 

[Kenny]

What I really want to know though, and what I really want to understand, sincerely, is how does one come to Christ or come to believe in Christ and what is it that inhibits one from such a belief or whatever, what is the blockage and how is it removed?

I

That is certainly a good question.

My personal belief is that it will ultimately be a process of your thinking and judging as you read and ask questions.

For me, it was a decision of whether I personally can become perfect by my efforts or not. So, for an example, if I am good in this life-time and reincarnate into another person in the next and am better, and reincarnate into a better person until I reach perfection..or I cannot do it.

If I can reach a heavenly state by somehow disassociating myself completely from all earthly desire and simply connect until I become one with the presence or I cannot do it.

If I can perform a certain amount of rites, and/or do enough good deeds to counter the bad ones (not sure when I would achieve it) - like a work release program or I can't

In summary, either man can do it or only God can do it. And if only God can do it, by what means.

As I look at religions, I find that invariably it falls into those two categories. I look at mankind after millenniums and I find that mankind has not changed one iota except now, like Satan the devil, they pride themselves that they are better than God and can make all the necessary changes to be better on their own. So, in my view, only God can make the difference.

How do come to believe in Christ? Almost always it requires asking questions and reading the Gospels and the NT (with certain exceptions when it is through dreams or appearances of Jesus. But there are different catalysts for different people but still all find their foundation in their reading of the Gospels and New Testament and judging and asking questions about it until they are convinced. (Even when you purchase something of value, you question and judge it until you are convinced it is worth the price).

For some, the vehicle was their field of expertise.

For Lee Strobel, an investigative journalist, was his attempt to prove that the story of Jesus was made up.

For J Warner Wallace, a renown cold-case detective, decided to put his efforts in seeing if what was written was true.

For C S Lewis it included the realization that his belief in justice and morality required a transcendent moral lawgiver and that Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God only made sense if it was true.

For Jennifer Fulwiler - having a baby was the catalyst

For Leah Libresco it was the reality of a mathematical realm that existed independently of us humans until sh had to admit the reality of a moral realm of good and evil.


so different catalysts but same foundation (with exceptions).. The preaching of the Gospel - That God said 'Man cannot make themselves better so I will". When justice was met when an innocent Jesus Christ took the sins of mankind and paid for it and in that the tomb is empty it testifies that death no longer has power. That His blood was shed for the forgiveness of mankind and if anyone wants a free gift of forgiveness - it is there.

you receive it my coming to a place where you actually believe that he was raised from the dead and with you mouth you accept the gift proclaiming that Jesus is the Lord (Your supreme boss) of your life.

What stops people?

The list is to great to enumerate all possibilities. But some, as mentioned in the Bible,

1. They loved their power and authority more than wanting Jesus
2. They didn't want a "God" who would "tell them what is right and what is wrong".
3. They love the riches of this world
4. They were prideful to the point that they became hard hearted
5. They look at people (who say they are Christians) instead of Jesus who died on the cross so they say "WELL, hmph. If THAT is being a Christian, i don't want it" as if the person they were looking at was the answer and not Jesus

and the list can go on and on.

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

Obviously, on any one subject, a whole book could be written to expound and explain so this is a VERY redacted version.

4. who is the Devil,

The Devil, in Christian scripture, is known as a fallen angel that because of pride was cast out of Heaven. His main office was in worship. There is a great power in music--a great mover of hearts and minds. Ezekiel 28:13-18

It is believed that a third of the angels followed the Devil.

There are many titles for the Devil:

1. Father of Lies
2. Tempter
3. Satan
4. Prince of the power of the air
5. Thief

and many more. He also has the power of death (Heb 2: 14) I define death as that area of one's life that is separated from God.

5. what are the works of the Devil,
6. how were the works of the Devil revealed or exposed and
7. how were they destroyed,

He receives and received his authority in people's lives and on this earth through mankind's sins as they yield to temptation.

If you can think of a coin that has two sides to it. Jesus took a coin when asking about taxes and said "Whose inscription is on this coin" and they replied "Ceasar". Then Jesus said "Give to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar and give to God what belongs to God.".

I say there is another coin in John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

This verse explains the works, how it is revealed and how they are destroyed.

So the works and how they are revealed is quite simple. If it steals, kills or destroys, ultimately it is a manifestation of the works of the Devil (although he may not have done it himself, he is still the author of it).

Obviously they are still in the process of being destroyed. As a three part being that man is yet still one man, different areas are destroyed by different means.

Spiritually. Darkness is destroyed by light. When one accepts Jesus Christ as Lord, they are (what Jesus called) born again (John Chapter 3) by God's Holy Spirit. Jesus is the light of the world and we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1:13). The very spirit of man is recreated into the image of God (once again completely united with His Spirit) - and is forever free from darkness control (spiritually). Satan's influence over man's spirit is forever destroyed.

Soul or mentally - Our souls (our thinking and our mental processing) is continually being saved by receiving and engrafting God's word into our thinking process. James 1:21

This is a process of transformation. There is a battle for our minds. Advertisements, pictures, music, people of authority, games etc are all vying for the control of our thought processes. It really is a battle between two forces - the world (with the Devil's influence) and God (with the influence of His Word and His Spirit).

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

the word "conformed" - can be likened unto plastic being molded into a shape through heat and pressure. The world is forever trying through the pressure of influence or power, to cause people to think a certain way.

The word "transformed" is where we get the word metamorphosis. Much like a caterpillar that turns into liquid in the cocoon and comes out completely different.

We destroy the works of the devil in our minds by adapting to God's way of thinking. Cutting off our old way of thinking, engrafting God's way of thinking until it is cemented into our very fiber.

Physical - The ground of the earth is cursed and our bodies are made up of the ground of the earth. Physical death is inevitable but we get a new body. It is the final destruction of works of the devil through sin. However, the manifestations of the physical body is destroyed but us sacrificing what our bodies (whether physically or carnal desires) want to do and opting for what God wants to do

Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

Those are major categories.

there are innumerable subcategories such as:

Love overcomes hate
Healing (whether by doctors or prayer or both) that destroys sickness
Forgiveness that destroys unforgiveness
Liberality in giving that destroys lack. etc etc etc.


Hope that helps

That was great, and very beautiful, but one issue of a little confusion or two maybe issues are that I've thought of God, based on the Old Testament as well and even the New Testament, as the one that takes lives, cuts off people, destroys people or leads to their destruction (like when it says in the Bible that God has put the words into the mouths of the false prophets to utter lies to lead them to their destruction), and even that it seems to say that God comes like a thief in the night or all of a sudden and unexpected, and that God maims and kills (as well as heals). So basically everything apparently associated with the Devil now I had associated with El Shaddai (The Destroyer), the God of the Old Testament, the God that Jesus seems to say should be feared because such not only destroys the body but also destroys or harms the soul in the afterlife for example.

The other issue is, words like worship God are put out there, but how do we go about doing this or what are the specific rituals or actions involved and how do we know them or what qualifies?

Did the Devil seize this role on his own or was the Devil given this role and authority by God to perform this all as a task? I'm still a bit unclear on what exactly the Devil does or manages, and how the Devil does it even? Is the Devil the one talking in the ears of big shot politicians telling them what policies to work towards and bring forth to make the lives of people miserable so that they end up hating life and becoming atheists or something?

 

[Kenny]

I have thought about it, I just don't know how to do it or what to do and maybe I lack a little confidence and I feel a bit lazy or overwhelmed, but its clear that I can write tons with ease and speed, and I don't know really what holds me back, maybe a fear of failure, but that is guaranteed or 100% failure if I never try or do it, so then maybe its subject matter? When it comes to prose writing, which I'm also good at, I get annoyed by my knowing the story already and feeling like I'm wasting people's time or my own time by stretching it out or keeping things a mystery and not getting to the point, so most of my writing has been online and just talking freely like I do. I'd love to be able to write and make it an income even, as its so easy for me and people tend to enjoy me and my style as well (despite the occasional online crank pots/sour puss people who I think often admit to also being crazy, so not my fault).

I have fantasized about numerous different things I can write extensively about, but one of the things that repeatedly deters me is making something I enjoy into feeling like work, and sometimes more than that interacting with people that I don't really like or hearing their backlash, since a lot of the topics I like to discuss tend to have very aggressive and lunatic seeming guard dogs who are possessive about the topics or the ways they are written about, even to the point that I've received numerous death threats, hacking attempts, all kinds of harassment for writing about historical magic or symbolism or simple things, and so its unfortunate that practically anything I like writing about just happens to also be the are of interest for (other) freaks.

So then I thought maybe I'll write about all the things I like, but change the words and names and things by one or two letters and pretend its all just made up and so maybe avoid the attention of weirdos or at least disable them from being able to make a big deal about it because then other people can say to them "Hey, its not real, its just made up, relax, see, its not Loki its Roci, they are fictionalizing everything, calm down, its Roci".

The other problem that I've been facing (and I used to be so motivated in the past) is that over the years, I've become so misanthropic and bitter that I just really don't know who I'd be writing for. I genuinely hate most people, and the way the internet culture is and the generation that is now active and has grown up, are literally the worst people I've ever seen in my life, and I deeply despise them, so the idea of working for these people I consider total scum as my audience is very disturbing, even heartbreaking.

My way around that though, was to maybe write horror or something (which for me would actually be less horror and more pleasurable fantasy) where I write about these 20 something year olds getting massacred by supernatural means. Reminds me of Fletcher Hanks and his destructive fantasies (he was supposedly a drunk whose work has only been recognized and popularized lately).

Every Gold-medalist has hundreds of failures... but was it failures? Or simply an exercise for improvement? God gives gifts...

Love overcomes hate... God is love.

The day you do something you like doing is the day you stop working (as they say)

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

That is certainly a good question.

My personal belief is that it will ultimately be a process of your thinking and judging as you read and ask questions.

For me, it was a decision of whether I personally can become perfect by my efforts or not. So, for an example, if I am good in this life-time and reincarnate into another person in the next and am better, and reincarnate into a better person until I reach perfection..or I cannot do it.

If I can reach a heavenly state by somehow disassociating myself completely from all earthly desire and simply connect until I become one with the presence or I cannot do it.

If I can perform a certain amount of rites, and/or do enough good deeds to counter the bad ones (not sure when I would achieve it) - like a work release program or I can't

In summary, either man can do it or only God can do it. And if only God can do it, by what means.

As I look at religions, I find that invariably it falls into those two categories. I look at mankind after millenniums and I find that mankind has not changed one iota except now, like Satan the devil, they pride themselves that they are better than God and can make all the necessary changes to be better on their own. So, in my view, only God can make the difference.

How do come to believe in Christ? Almost always it requires asking questions and reading the Gospels and the NT (with certain exceptions when it is through dreams or appearances of Jesus. But there are different catalysts for different people but still all find their foundation in their reading of the Gospels and New Testament and judging and asking questions about it until they are convinced. (Even when you purchase something of value, you question and judge it until you are convinced it is worth the price).

For some, the vehicle was their field of expertise.

For Lee Strobel, an investigative journalist, was his attempt to prove that the story of Jesus was made up.

For J Warner Wallace, a renown cold-case detective, decided to put his efforts in seeing if what was written was true.

For C S Lewis it included the realization that his belief in justice and morality required a transcendent moral lawgiver and that Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God only made sense if it was true.

For Jennifer Fulwiler - having a baby was the catalyst

For Leah Libresco it was the reality of a mathematical realm that existed independently of us humans until sh had to admit the reality of a moral realm of good and evil.


so different catalysts but same foundation (with exceptions).. The preaching of the Gospel - That God said 'Man cannot make themselves better so I will". When justice was met when an innocent Jesus Christ took the sins of mankind and paid for it and in that the tomb is empty it testifies that death no longer has power. That His blood was shed for the forgiveness of mankind and if anyone wants a free gift of forgiveness - it is there.

you receive it my coming to a place where you actually believe that he was raised from the dead and with you mouth you accept the gift proclaiming that Jesus is the Lord (Your supreme boss) of your life.

What stops people?

The list is to great to enumerate all possibilities. But some, as mentioned in the Bible,

1. They loved their power and authority more than wanting Jesus
2. They didn't want a "God" who would "tell them what is right and what is wrong".
3. They love the riches of this world
4. They were prideful to the point that they became hard hearted
5. They look at people (who say they are Christians) instead of Jesus who died on the cross so they say "WELL, hmph. If THAT is being a Christian, i don't want it" as if the person they were looking at was the answer and not Jesus

and the list can go on and on.

I enjoyed that writing a lot as well and I'm still in the middle of the film where that journalist guy is trying to disprove God to his wife or something funny and annoying like that haha, but one of the problems is the following:

I was not present or witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, nor (even if I had been) would that have made clear to me what it meant or was or what really happened were I have to seen it with my own eyes, but I was not there at all as far as I know, and I am also not supposed to lie or testify about what I don't know or can't say with any certainty. So, for this free gift (and I'm always salivating for salvation or a free gift), why am I required to perjure myself, solemnly testifying to something I do not know, didn't see, was not present for, and can not confirm happened or that even if it did happen or if I saw it and all that, what it means or represents or truly indicates or is indicative of? God can certainly raise the dead, or so we are told, because of God's power, and so how would one witnessing this event first hand even (and apparently according to the stories there were no witnesses to the actual resurrection aspect which happened within the tomb) mean that Jesus is God or Lord and is to be worshipped or that my crimes and sins are somehow forgiven by this person being resurrected by God? I think I'm missing numerous pieces of the puzzle to make sense of that or make that connection or bridge that gap or make that leap.

So, from my perspective, I like blaming God for everything and so I like God as my perfect excuse for all the misery that exists, and beyond that I also like beneficial free things and free gifts, but I've been asked by the scriptures (I think?) not to perjure myself, not to say what I don't know or otherwise tell lies. I've also been told by the scriptures not to worship images or forms or idols of any sort (which I took to include living and moving forms, like a lizard or animal supposedly inhabited by God or a god, or a human form), and now I'm being tempted by a supposed free gift, that isn't really freely given but given only on the condition that I say something I don't know or even understand: "That Jesus Christ is the Lord my God who I worship, who died and was resurrected, and therefor God overcame the Power of Air and the Power of Death (which was even some sort of issue or struggle going on?), and by dying as a man and coming back to life as a man and flying up into the sky as a man, this means that Jesus is God and I am by stating that such occurred even though I never saw it, never met witnesses of it, have no way of knowing it happened or what happened if anything happened, am now saved, forgiven, cleansed, and can expect to do good and be good and pure and go to the Kingdom of Heaven after death".

Why? How? What? How can this be? Why would this be? Why would God, the God who supposedly told people not to bear false witness or offer false testimony or talk about things we don't know or understand, why would God ask us to state or swear to something like this and how have so many generations of people actually justified their swearing to such a thing? Is it that its so strange and confusing that it short-circuits their minds completely and they just go for it, and feel great after introducing a healthy dose of the absurd (mysteries) into their life?

Credo quia absurdum - Wikipedia

"Tertullian may be repeating an idea rehearsed in Aristotle's Rhetoric, where Aristotle argues that something is more credibly true if it is an incredible claim, on the reason that it would have not been made up if it were truly so incredible to the human mind."

"
The phrase does not express the Catholic Faith, as explained by Pope Benedict XVI: "The Catholic Tradition, from the outset, rejected the so-called “fideism”, which is the desire to believe against reason. Credo quia absurdum (I believe because it is absurd) is not a formula that interprets the Catholic faith."[19]

The phrase is thus sometimes associated with the doctrine of fideism, that is, "a system of philosophy or an attitude of mind, which, denying the power of unaided human reason to reach certitude, affirms that the fundamental act of human knowledge consists in an act of faith, and the supreme criterion of certitude is authority."(Catholic Encyclopedia).[20] It has also been used, though often in different interpretations, by some existentialists.

The phrase inspired a celebrated bon mot by H.L. Mencken: "Tertullian is credited with the motto Credo quia absurdum—'I believe because it is impossible'. Needless to say, he began life as a lawyer.""

Fideism - Wikipedia

Sola fide - Wikipedia

Apophatic theology - Wikipedia

 

[Kenny]

Did the Devil seize this role on his own or was the Devil given this role and authority by God to perform this all as a task? I'm still a bit unclear on what exactly the Devil does or manages, and how the Devil does it even? Is the Devil the one talking in the ears of big shot politicians telling them what policies to work towards and bring forth to make the lives of people miserable so that they end up hating life and becoming atheists or something?

Adam had all authority on this earth given by God. When Adam and Eve followed the Father of Lies, the Tempter, they - in reality - handed over the authority to the Devil.

Jesus got back the authority and said "All authority is given to me... go therefore" and gave the authority back to man.

The Devil ins't omnipresent and many times we blame the Devil for our own yielding to temptation. But he was the beginner of that process. You have a question about demons that I will get to, but the Devil does have a hierarchy of power and influencers.

He (his hierarchy) tries to influence our thoughts and depending on how much we yield to him will depend on his capacity to control. For some, he has no control over. IMO, the more power and authority one has, the more likely there is a spirit that is attacking and trying to influence.

Certainly if he can convince someone that it is all God's fault, you could create an anti-God philosophy. The reality is, it is mostly man's fault.

There are different degrees of control but it all starts with thoughts. Not every thought is from the Devil's hierarchy... but he does deal with thought.

The word "Devil" in the Greek is comprised of two words 'dia' and 'bolos'. Dia has the understanding as penetration like light that penetrates. Bolos - means to hit again and again. When combined it gives the understanding of hitting someone again and again until it penetrates the thinking process and ultimately building a road of influence. (Rick Renner - Greek scholar)

The other issue is, words like worship God are put out there, but how do we go about doing this or what are the specific rituals or actions involved and how do we know them or what qualifies?

It should never be a ritual - or at least it must always be from the heart. Example: If I give my "worth -ship" worship of flowers to my wife on our anniversary because "I have too out of tradition and for ritual sake" - it has lost its power and meaning. If I give her the same worship because I love her, it has all the meaning in the world.

The meaning of Worship "worth-ship" has lost its true meaning when they relegate it to just singing which can also be worship. Anytime you do something out of love for God, it is worship. If someone lays down their life for the benefit of someone else, it is worship. If you have compassion on the needy, it is worship, If you sing to Him out of love and thankfulness, it is worship. If you honor your mother and your father, it is worship. the list is endless.

But notice, if you sing just mouthing words and thinking "Can't wait until this is over", it became religious and was not worship.

That was great, and very beautiful, but one issue of a little confusion or two maybe issues are that I've thought of God, based on the Old Testament as well and even the New Testament, as the one that takes lives, cuts off people, destroys people or leads to their destruction (like when it says in the Bible that God has put the words into the mouths of the false prophets to utter lies to lead them to their destruction), and even that it seems to say that God comes like a thief in the night or all of a sudden and unexpected, and that God maims and kills (as well as heals). So basically everything apparently associated with the Devil now I had associated with El Shaddai (The Destroyer), the God of the Old Testament, the God that Jesus seems to say should be feared because such not only destroys the body but also destroys or harms the soul in the afterlife for example.

The one who destroy the soul is not God... he was referencing the Devil.

I can understand the confusion and the difficulty in the Old Testament. There is culture, there is the language of that time, there is grammar construction... even the Jewish sages can have different viewpoints of what it means.

There are pictures hidden in pictures... this is one...

I could never do it, but supposedly if you stared at it in just the right way, there is a picture in it.

We see the Old Testament somewhat like that. We think we see the picture but it is sure hard to see it let alone understand it all.

So, we view the Old Testament through the life of Jesus Christ who said "I do nothing unless I see my Father doing it" and again "I say nothing unless I hear the Father saying it". Jesus is the ultimate expression of the Father...

Hebrews 1:2-3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

If we look at the life of Jesus, beyond the different Old Testament Covenants that were enacted for different reason, we will find the unadulterated will of God.

No once did Jesus ever say to the most wicked of people, "You are the son of the Devil, so I'm going to kill you". It become very clear with the coin of death vs abundant life who really is doing what.

There were reasons (sometime beyond things that we know because there isn't enough books that would fit all of God's thoughts and reasonings) for which He made covenants in the OT. However, Jesus is a New Covenant based on better promises and is the ultimate fulfilling of God's will.

Deep questions... hard to not make volumes on it.

 

[DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan]

What then is it to be a Christian and how am I not a Christian even now? If its basically not even doing anything in particular really and just being me and eating and sleeping and stuff? I even read the scriptures quite frequently anyway. Is the only thing that makes a person a Saved Christian vs a Non-Christian simply the matter of saying we believe in something that we haven't seen (the resurrection of Jesus and that Jesus is God)? Then one can live their life almost in the manner of any atheist, buying, selling, pooping, sleeping, and dying, and that is it? Then the one who made the statement "I believe in what I never saw, that Jesus was resurrected and is God and died for my sins, which I can't possibly know except that I can say it" is saved, and the others go to hell and live with their devil comrades? Can we ever have a good relationship with the demons who hate us, since we'll be inhabiting the same place together due to our inability to say these things about Jesus?

As for the Jesus talking about killing, this verse has often puzzled me, what is this about in your opinion:

Luke 19:27
But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"

and also somewhat puzzling for me (as I prefer a Cosmic Universal Christ to a specific and exclusive one):

Matthew 15:24
He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

and this was concerning for me as well:

Matthew 7:23
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

What is going on in these verse and verses like these? Also, when Paul says "first the Jew", why first the Jew?

There were so many people throughout the world and all generations, and even now, but why is so much emphasis on this small ethnic group and their particular names and ideas about God? All the rest of the whole world were rubbish?

Do you know about Michael Heiser? What do you think of his ideas?

I've enjoyed all the answers and dialogue so far a lot, and I think this will still all be really very good for people who might come by this thread to read your perspective.