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I'm very so much in love with God and my relationship with him, I was a member of the church i went to and i went religiously every sunday, until i made the decision to leave due to the other members of the church as well as the pastor and the way i was treated. Though I feel as if my relationship has not changed with God I feel like my relationship with people has changed. I also didnt feel like i was getting fed the word in the right way.
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Most of the time this idea of a relationship with the creator is often worn as a badge of honor by people within religious organizations. When you try to compare your own relationship with God in comparison with the other members of the church, it is a lot like comparing your own level of happiness in comparison with others. It always seems like everybody else has figured it out except you. But this is an illusion. The relationship that you seek is something that always awakens within a personal and private place within yourself. When it happens you realize that the Church and the Religion have been place holders for you until you were ready for your own private meeting with God. (don't read too much into that statement. it is an idea not a physical experience) It is very similar to realizing that your parents were your guardians until you were able to take care of yourself without their help. Something will happen within you and you will start to question the validity of the spiritual structure within which all your opinions of God were formed. The structure of religion will never become irrelevant like your parents will never become irrelevant. However, just like you start to realize that your parents don't have all the answers, you will realize that your religion also doesn't have all the answers to your spiritual awakening. I think your difficulties with the other church members is merely symbolic of a much deeper realization that the structure that served you so far is now no longer serving the real questions that are awakening within you. I think you are getting ready to make the shift from "seeking" God to "discovering" God's presence within consciousness. Believe it or not, the basic application of the "Law of attraction" is a great way to discover that there is a power of creation that is flowing within consciousness. Once you apply and discover that the law of attraction actually works, you are left to wonder how is it that it works that way? and the only idea that fits is to acknowledge that your power to attract and God's power to create is the same power. And so where is God. is he out there somewhere or is he the life force within your own consciousness? The answer to that question is God, is both within my consciousness and "out there somewhere", to me.
(25 Aug '10, 02:19)
AAQfox
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The relationship between humans and God does not require religious middle men in the form of priests, pundits or mullahs. Rumi wrote : Thou didst contrive this "I" and "we" in order that thou mightest play the game of worship with thyself, that all "I's" and "thou's" should become one soul and at last should be submerged in the Beloved. Oneness with God has always been the way of the Sufi's and some of the most famous Sufi saints attained this oneness out side traditional religious practices. So in short I think loving and believing in God does not require organized religious practices. I really like your thoughtful comment and I am a big admirer of the writings of Rumi!
(23 Aug '10, 22:53)
LeeAnn 1
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Church = ritual The 38th passage from
Peace "Ritual is the end of compassion and honesty" interesting, I've never heard this before.. I can't say I understand or agree.
(26 Jun '13, 03:22)
ele
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Yes and No If your after a relationship with an outside of yourself god.....who doesn't exist then yes, go to church. It may well give you a warm feeling that your somehow getting closer to god, and it may give you the company of those who believe a similar thing. But if you think going to any church will bring you closer to your higher self then I fear your misleading yourself. You ARE as close to God as you can be....because you ARE GOD. Your very "I AMness" is proof of this. You are I AM. If going to church does put you in a good feeling place then go! If going there even more regularly puts you in an EVEN BETTER feeling place..... then move in there! But if your not taking that course of action its no problem. Your an extension of God, you will ultimately realise this. And you absolutely will re align with who you are eventually. So suit yourself. |
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Definitely don't have to go to church to have a close relationship with God. Church helps us remember and renew our connection with Him but there are many people who go weekly and have no connection with Him. Sometimes the most convincing pastors later turn out to not be good people. We are ALL human. Even the pastor and people who go to the church so don't let them discourage you. When you go perhaps go to listen to the message of Jesus himself. All the other stuff, music, praise, people acting different, is just human "stuff". Anyway, try out different Churches in our area and see what you like dislike. It will never be perfect because humans run churches not the Lord. |
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Here are my thoughts: Going to Church is good. It builds fellowship in the Church among the members. The Church is the body of Christ, and the members are the body of the Church. The Church needs the support of its members to form the body of the Church. Therefore, without the attendance of its members the Church cannot function as a whole. On the contrary, we are living in a changing world, people change, circumstances change, and we sometimes have to make changes depending on own personal situation. So it is mostly, what works for you, but if you are a Lamb in the Lord, you do need spiritual food; and the Church is where you commune in fellowship to receive spiritual food. Also, once you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord, and Saviour, and you are a born again Christian, you are covered under the blood of Jesus Christ. Attending Church will strengthen, and uplift you spiritually. You will grow in your confidence in worshiping in the Church, and you will grow spiritually with more positive changes in your life. God loves you! You didnt get born again when you accepted Christ.When Jesus made the ONLY mention of this in the Bible he stated that we MUST be born again.When asked how he said in paraphrase that youve got about as much to do with getting born again as you do controlling the wind!! If it was up to you then Jesus would have answered the question and given specific means to accomplish this wouldnt he? After all it would be chirlish to claim someone HAD to do something and then not tell them straight out how they were to do it. Jesus made us all born again,you didnt do it for yourself. Good news Eh
(02 Sep '10, 17:44)
Monty Riviera
@Graham Cook: Web definitions for born again christian a Christian who has experienced a dramatic conversion to faith in Jesus wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn - Definition in context In Christianity, born again refers to the spiritual rebirth (regeneration) of the human person, contrasted with the physical first birth everyone experiences. The origin of the term "born again" is the New Testament: "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.' "[Jn 3:3 TNIV] [1] It is a term associated with salvation in Christianity.
(02 Sep '10, 22:20)
Inactive User ♦♦
@Graham Cook: Of course none of this will make sense to you, if you are not a Christian. But in the same token, I am interested to hear other people's point of views. Thank you for your feedback.
(02 Sep '10, 22:32)
Inactive User ♦♦
Im not too worried about web definition.More bothered about what Jesus said about it ( or didnt ).Also a bit concerned that its been mis applied and equated with salvation.It may be associated with salvation but none of the other new testement writers mentioned it.I do believe we MUST be born again.I just beleive WE ALL ARE .I believe God did it without consulting us.
(06 Sep '10, 13:22)
Monty Riviera
While I respect your opinion, other people opinion may differ from yours.
(08 Sep '10, 04:33)
Inactive User ♦♦
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Churches and religions were made by man, not God. And in knowing, "there is no seperation in all that exists, and when this is understood upon a heart level, enlightenment simply is." Therefore, I know God is within all of us. That God essence is also referred to as the 12th body we all carry and have access to. When one expands their consciousness and understands things at a higher level they cannot go back to that lower consciousness. It's like when you find out there really isn't a Santa Claus. When a part of us awakens and yearns to learn and grow outside of a controlled, fear based, belief system that can no longer answer the questions in our hearts, it is not always undestood by those ones who choose to remain and follow a group religion, geared with peer pressure, to remain in this "club." This is not good, bad, right or wrong. It is simply where you are at and where those people from that church are at. If any of those people were what you considered friends, remember, "A Friend of the Heart, will NEVER depart. A friend of the mind, will scatter like the wind." If they are your friends, they will remain, otherwise, they are like Santa Claus. A deception created by a fear based controlling belief. When one makes choices from the heart they will not be deceived. It is only the mind that will deceive. Follow your heart and when in doubt ask your heart, not your mind. Don't give your power away to a group that promises you will go to heaven if you follow them. And if you don't you will go to HELL!? I say not. I say there is no heaven or hell, unless you create it here and now. Heaven has been a symbol of a higher consciousness and God is within. I'm not sure what you are asking about in being covered, but I would expect it is one of those controlling indoctrinations most religions teach that make ones believe if they don't follow their teaching, they will not make it to heaven. Your journey will lead you to a wonderful place if you follow your heart and not make choices out of fear. God loves us all unconditionally and is within each and every one of us. All we have to do is access our God self, our God essence, the 12th body/God body. Hope this helps! I went through this journey myself. I am glad to be awake and following my heart! it may be better said if one learns to see from the heart; since it can also be swayed by our senses.
(25 Aug '10, 00:36)
fred
Naturally, church and religion were created by man, because God created man to create all these things on earth. You are right, we all have God within, because when God created man he breathe the breath of life into man giving man life. God is in all of us through the breath of life; God is within, and God is without. Look at all the wonders of the world, all the things that were created by God for man, and by man for God, yet we continue to grasp at straws. There is a saying: he who has eyes to see let him see, he who has ears to hear let him hears. How do we access the 12th body/God body?
(25 Aug '10, 03:13)
Inactive User ♦♦
Here here Assistor. Well said..
(02 Sep '10, 17:57)
Monty Riviera
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