Anyone believe in either God or karma?

[Aad]

I 100 % believe in God, our Creator.

 

[Aad]

God is the Light

The Light is Love.

Love is God.

Once we die, we, our souls, will be able to 'see' the Light and be fully embraced by it.

It's the Love, which comes from Our Creator.

 

[AdR]

I do understand what you mean. It's our reasonable service to give ourselves wholly to God that He may use us for some good.

The only question remaining is... do you honestly believe that - as the lying, blaspheming, fornicator you are lawfully judged as - you are worthy of a perfect, Holy God's eternal heaven of life? Are you certain that you'll make the cut based on your life's work?
_______________
Isaiah 64:6
[6] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 3:10
[10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23-28
[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
[24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
[25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
[26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
[27] Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
[28] Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

I don't think you can be a lying, blaspheming, fornicator and be worthy of eternal life, no.

I don't think you can let God work through you and still do all those things either. I have committed those sins you mentioned, but I have also repented them because I realized what a filthy person it made me, how out of touch with the creator and creation, and I can say honestly that one cannot commit them unless one is deluded by worldly things and then then lets his heart seek them. Removing the illusion cuts sin at its root, but so does having a a still heart (being intentionless). For one who quiets himself, the tasks of the day are apparent and joy comes readily, and he finds himself repelled by sin as water is repelled by high ground- not really repelled at all, but still never getting there because it is unnattural. To get there, it needs to be taken there by your own will, counter to the will of God. Consider your sin the water pumped to the high ground by none other than yours truly, more than likely energized by the promise of pleasure.

Self control is not equivalent to letting God work through you I don't think, but so often it is done in the pursuit of self-betterment - perhaps you could call it the grey that is turning you from black to white. It requires a mistake in understanding, yes, and that is not ideal, but for many it is a necessary step to learning that you do not need to grapple with yourself to be a good person. You just need to surrender your entire self, even parts that you think belong to you, since the only thing that belongs to you is your divine spirit, uncreated and imperceptible. The best thing you (your spirit) can do is be free and let life follow its natural course, not caught up in the grimy, illusory details of earthly matters.

God is with you, in you, and of you. There is nothing but God. Consider the mystery of your own being and you can find only the divine (eventually). That is how some people have come to this realization. But those same people will tell you that a life without sin, a life where you seek nothing, is both the final step in the path to that realization, and is the path of life after that realization. In doing nothing you will find God, and in finding God you will realize there is nothing to do, nothing to think. He does not need your enthusiasm. Your body and mind are his and your spirit is there to witness it all. When it is time for you to act you will act if you have it together. So it's good to chill and enjoy, easier said than done with all the craziness and our idiotic tendencies.

 

[TheSir]

I don't think you can be a lying, blaspheming, fornicator and be worthy of eternal life, no.

I don't think you can let God work through you and still do all those things either. I have committed those sins you mentioned, but I have also repented them because I realized what a filthy person it made me, how out of touch with the creator and creation, and I can say honestly that one cannot commit them unless one is deluded by worldly things and then then lets his heart seek them. Removing the illusion cuts sin at its root, but so does having a a still heart (being intentionless). For one who quiets himself, the tasks of the day are apparent and joy comes readily, and he finds himself repelled by sin as water is repelled by high ground- not really repelled at all, but still never getting there because it is unnattural. To get there, it needs to be taken there by your own will, counter to the will of God. Consider your sin the water pumped to the high ground by none other than yours truly, more than likely energized by the promise of pleasure.

Self control is not equivalent to letting God work through you I don't think, but so often it is done in the pursuit of self-betterment - perhaps you could call it the grey that is turning you from black to white. It requires a mistake in understanding, yes, and that is not ideal, but for many it is a necessary step to learning that you do not need to grapple with yourself to be a good person. You just need to surrender your entire self, even parts that you think belong to you, since the only thing that belongs to you is your divine spirit, uncreated and imperceptible. The best thing you (your spirit) can do is be free and let life follow its natural course, not caught up in the grimy, illusory details of earthly matters. Surrender yourself to the creator.

God is with you, in you, and of you. There is nothing but God. Consider the mystery of your own being and you can find only the divine (eventually). That is how some people have come to this realization. But those same people will tell you that a life without sin, a life where you seek nothing, is both the final step in the path to that realization, and is the path of life after that realization. In doing nothing you will find God, and in finding God you will realize there is nothing to do, nothing to think. He does not need your enthusiasm. Your body and mind are his and your spirit is there to witness it all. When it is time for you to act you will act if you have it together. So it's good to chill and enjoy, easier said than done with all the craziness and our idiotic tendencies.

Thank you. I've been praying for clarity in regards to certain aspects of one's spiritual life recently and this addressed the core of my inquiry.

 

[AdR]

Thank you. I've been praying for clarity in regards to certain aspects of one's spiritual life recently and this addressed the core of my inquiry.

You are very welcome, but I tell you, my words fall far short of the truth.
Give up and just live. Let go of your desire to do things the right way, let go of your tendency to use your will to get you through life, stop chasing pleasure, and God will work through you.

In the same manner, let go of your desire for knowledge so that the divinity in things may be revealed. It is like looking at one of those pictures: you look at it and you see a forest, but if you continue to look at it you might suddenly see a beautiful woman. Both are there, and there is nothing you can purposely do to see that woman or to look at things a different way. When you let go, you just allow it to happen.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

I don't think you can be a lying, blaspheming, fornicator and be worthy of eternal life, no.

I don't think you can let God work through you and still do all those things either. I have committed those sins you mentioned, but I have also repented them because I realized what a filthy person it made me, how out of touch with the creator and creation, and I can say honestly that one cannot commit them unless one is deluded by worldly things and then then lets his heart seek them. Removing the illusion cuts sin at its root, but so does having a a still heart (being intentionless). For one who quiets himself, the tasks of the day are apparent and joy comes readily, and he finds himself repelled by sin as water is repelled by high ground- not really repelled at all, but still never getting there because it is unnattural. To get there, it needs to be taken there by your own will, counter to the will of God. Consider your sin the water pumped to the high ground by none other than yours truly, more than likely energized by the promise of pleasure.

Self control is not equivalent to letting God work through you I don't think, but so often it is done in the pursuit of self-betterment - perhaps you could call it the grey that is turning you from black to white. It requires a mistake in understanding, yes, and that is not ideal, but for many it is a necessary step to learning that you do not need to grapple with yourself to be a good person. You just need to surrender your entire self, even parts that you think belong to you, since the only thing that belongs to you is your divine spirit, uncreated and imperceptible. The best thing you (your spirit) can do is be free and let life follow its natural course, not caught up in the grimy, illusory details of earthly matters.

God is with you, in you, and of you. There is nothing but God. Consider the mystery of your own being and you can find only the divine (eventually). That is how some people have come to this realization. But those same people will tell you that a life without sin, a life where you seek nothing, is both the final step in the path to that realization, and is the path of life after that realization. In doing nothing you will find God, and in finding God you will realize there is nothing to do, nothing to think. He does not need your enthusiasm. Your body and mind are his and your spirit is there to witness it all. When it is time for you to act you will act if you have it together. So it's good to chill and enjoy, easier said than done with all the craziness and our idiotic tendencies.

These notions seem well-intentioned and certainly convey a realization of faith being the only true source of divinity.

However, if the "God" that you're referring to isn't the name of the Son of God, then it's ultimately the worship of the self or a false god.
_______________
1 John 5:10-13
[10] He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
[11] And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
[12] He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
[13] These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 3:18-21
[18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
[19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
[20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
[21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

John 20:31
[31] But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

 

[AdR]

I don't call the divine by any name personally. Seeing as creation and the creator are one and the same, there can only be one God. People have known the divine, learned from Him, for a long time I am sure. If you were born in a place with no religion, you could still find Him, as far as I can tell, that is the point. There is no lock on the door to realization other than materialistic tendencies and the attitude that arrises from them. Those who worship false gods are worshipping gods that they have received from others, and have no sense of the nature of the divine themselves. I would say that you should consider looking for a description of the Lord from people you are unsure of. Only then can one know whether or not he worships the same Lord as another. Only one can can be both the weaver of creation and the fabric, and only one can be realized.

I haven't written to you about notions, and when explaining what I mean, I try not to speak about anything that I have not myself learned. I think it immoral to guess about things and then speak of them as if they true. I only contribute what I can and what I feel I should say. In this case, I have tried to show you we have great regard for the same God, and that we can all notice Him if we are aligned with Him.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

I don't call the divine by any name personally. Seeing as creation and the creator are one and the same, there is only one. Those who worship false gods are worshipping gods that they have received from others.

So then... you're saying that the only true God is the one that we receive of ourselves(?)

Yet we ourselves are born of the same spirit, hence why we have the same inherent moral propensities towards life. We understand that where death is, life cannot also be. It seems obvious that that selfsame Spirit which enjoins the collective soul of men is one in the same for all of us, as I have read that you have, in your words, "noticed," but why would this spiritual glue be any different for me or you or anyone if it's all the same God? Are there 7 billion gods on the planet or is there One that we all share?

As it is written that our moral compass makes us "as gods:"
Genesis 3:5
[5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

John 10:34-38
[34] Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
[35] If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
[36] Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
[37] If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
[38] But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Thus I ask, are we all as individuals God unto ourselves? Because if we were, we'd be able to create something out of nothing, yet we cannot. If I show a periodic table of the elements, of the which are the Lego blocks that the creation is constructed by - including our flesh - I cannot create any new element to add to this table... I'm only able to rearrange the ones that already exist. It is God who created the elements. Therefore we falter when we rearrange these elements to proclaim our own individual, personal creation.

Ecclesiastes 1:9
[9] The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
__________________

I haven't written to you all about notions, and when explaining what I mean, I try not to speak about anything that I have not noticed myself. I think it immoral to guess about these things and then speak of them as if they are the truth.

In Webster's 1828 dictionary, a "notion" is defined as a conception, sentiment, opinion, sense, understanding, and/or inclination.

What you have repeatedly conveyed are things that you have noticed yourself. You're not guessing about the things that you've noticed, yet you are guessing when your highest authority is yourself because you're the wayfinder, the creator, and your final word is absolutely the finality of your intent towards living a spiritual life... and alas, it is but a guess.

1 Corinthians 14:33
[33] For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Matthew 7:21-27
[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

 

[TheSir]

@Twohandsondeck A couple of questions if you don't mind.

1. If no one is righteous, that means that everything we do is sinful, right? If everything we do sinful, what use is our charity? Isn't every charity we do out of our own will innately corrupted by our sinful nature? Isn't proper charity, then, only that to which God himself guides us, by living through us? There is a saying that even those who wait do God's will. If you go out on our way to do great works before God has given you a command to do them, is this not just a case of following your own will, rather than God's? Do you not then become very much the work of iniquity mentioned in Mathew 7:23?

2. Doesn't everyone who seeks their creator, the source of their immediate existence, inevitably approach towards the same being, the same realization? At this point, does it matter what you call our creator? Would insisting calling God by a specific name not be an attempt to limit his infinite nature (hence why God merely said "I am that I am"). When you raise beyond your thoughts, ideas, beliefs and feelings, are you no longer in God's presence? If you are, what name is there left to utter, as you are fully immersed in the Spirit of God? Even Jesus Christ has different pronunciations depending on the language in question. How do the metaphysical linguistics/semantics of Christ account for this? What is and is not a valid language, a valid pronunciation of Jesus? Isn't it thus more about the intent of your presence, than the semantics of your linguistics, that determines whether or not you're connected to God?

Hope you understand what I'm asking.

 

[AdR]

So then... you're saying that the only true God is the one that we receive of ourselves(?)

Yet we ourselves are born of the same spirit, hence why we have the same inherent moral propensities towards life. We understand that where death is, life cannot also be. It seems obvious that that selfsame Spirit which enjoins the collective soul of men is one in the same for all of us, as I have read that you have, in your words, "noticed," but why would this spiritual glue be any different for me or you or anyone if it's all the same God? Are there 7 billion gods on the planet or is there One that we all share?

As it is written that our moral compass makes us "as gods:"
Genesis 3:5
[5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

John 10:34-38
[34] Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
[35] If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
[36] Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
[37] If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
[38] But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Thus I ask, are we all as individuals God unto ourselves? Because if we were, we'd be able to create something out of nothing, yet we cannot. If I show a periodic table of the elements, of the which are the Lego blocks that the creation is constructed by - including our flesh - I cannot create any new element to add to this table... I'm only able to rearrange the ones that already exist. It is God who created the elements. Therefore we falter when we rearrange these elements to proclaim our own individual, personal creation.

Ecclesiastes 1:9
[9] The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
__________________


In Webster's 1828 dictionary, a "notion" is defined as a conception, sentiment, opinion, sense, understanding, and/or inclination.

What you have repeatedly conveyed are things that you have noticed yourself. You're not guessing about the things that you've noticed, yet you are guessing when your highest authority is yourself because you're the wayfinder, the creator, and your final word is absolutely the finality of your intent towards living a spiritual life... and alas, it is but a guess.

1 Corinthians 14:33
[33] For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Matthew 7:21-27
[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

I am saying that anyone can perceive the true God, and that is the one God we all share. Anything else is imagined. There is a true God whether or not one understands that this is the case. He is both the perceiving and that which is perceived. He is the awake-ness and that which we are awake to. I have heard God described as the lightless light.

In seeing that which illuminates and that which is illuminated as one and the same, one can see that creation and the creator are one and the same. Some see this temporarily, and some for their whole lives I'm sure, but I don't really know. In giving himself up, one lets the divine work through him, and one's spirit is able to witness it. This is not the same thing as understanding, but it is a way of forming a relationship with the divine, which is infinite and indivisible, hence the difficulty of answering the question "how do you know you are worshipping the right one?" The premise is lacks any basis in reality.

I did not mean to say or imply that we are the creator himself. Nor do I think that the any of the fish, birds, or trees is the creator. I do think that the creator himself resides at the heart of each of us, but through his infinite power, we are able to mistake him as unreal and ourselves as independent entities. Only when we can behave truly innocently, not immersed in worldly pleasure and not intending, can we reconnect with reality, which is that there is nothing but the creator.

 

[meatbag]

Praise him!
Also pay your taxes and listen to grown ups
Don't forget to genocide people who I tell you to
I will only tell them in secret, FYI
Amen

 

[AndrogenicJB]

17 year old disciple of Christ here. I have been hearing of the decline of religion especially in britain/us where apparently 3% of 18-24 year olds are religious that may or not be true, but if one were to approach finding a female mate, a believer in Christ, in this drought how should one go about it

 

[AdR]

Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, South & Central America have some very religious people.

 

[meatbag]

17 year old disciple of Christ here. I have been hearing of the decline of religion especially in britain/us where apparently 3% of 18-24 year olds are religious that may or not be true, but if one were to approach finding a female mate, a believer in Christ, in this drought how should one go about it

Even the faintest candle
Shines brightest
In the darkest cavern
-meatbag 1:3

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8HukyeWM0tM

 

[Jack Earth]

17 year old disciple of Christ here. I have been hearing of the decline of religion especially in britain/us where apparently 3% of 18-24 year olds are religious that may or not be true, but if one were to approach finding a female mate, a believer in Christ, in this drought how should one go about

Go to church or join a Christian dating site

 

[TheSir]

17 year old disciple of Christ here. I have been hearing of the decline of religion especially in britain/us where apparently 3% of 18-24 year olds are religious that may or not be true, but if one were to approach finding a female mate, a believer in Christ, in this drought how should one go about it

Interestingly, in my country (finland) Christianity is gaining popularity among young men, whereas women are becoming less religious than ever before: Here is a recent survey on the Christian importance of Easter by age group, with yellow being women and teal being men:

What is peculiar is that men under 30 are more religious than other men below the age of 55. I think women will soon follow this trend, since they mostly adapt to the beliefs of men in the surrounding society. Christianity is by no means dying, it's just shedding some of the dead weight.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

Isn't proper charity, then, only that to which God himself guides us, by living through us? There is a saying that even those who wait do God's will. If you go out on our way to do great works before God has given you a command to do them, is this not just a case of following your own will, rather than God's? Do you not then become very much the work of iniquity mentioned in Mathew 7:23?

You answered the question with the first sentence. A Christian, under any title that they are given, whether it's soldier or servant, is merely tasked with obeying God. If I'm to obey God, I would have to first receive a command from Him. Thus, we have the many commandments that are written throughout the Bible. I remember there's something like 613 in the OT and over a thousand in the NT, but Jesus Christ Himself summarizes all of them as such:

Matthew 22:35-40
[35] Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
[36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
[38] This is the first and great commandment.
[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Therefore, as long as we are wholly fulfilling these two commandments by having faith in God above all, we can rest assured that we are executing the complete will of God.

Galatians 3:10-11
[10] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
[11] But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Further, God's will is spoken by Christ:

John 6:39-40
[39] And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
[40] And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

God's will is that we believe on His Son. His Son IS the Word which became flesh:

John 1:1,14
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
...
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

...and that word is available to us today as the 1611KJV. Believing the book is to believe God is to execute the will of God.

One more verse comes to mind. In the book of James, we are told that 1) we must ask in order to receive and 2) that if we ask for something that we intend to consume upon the lusts of our flesh, we will not receive it (because this is outside the will of God):

James 4:3
[3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Would insisting calling God by a specific name not be an attempt to limit his infinite nature (hence why God merely said "I am that I am").

Psalms 148:13
[13] Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Ephesians 1:17-23
[17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
[18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
[19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
[20] Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
[21] Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
[22] And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
[23] Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Philippians 2:9-13
[9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
[10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
[11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[12] Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
[13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The significance of the name is apparent. It is the name above every name. There's a reason why calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is of unique significance in dispelling episodes of so-called 'alien encounters' and inexplicable behaviors akin to devilish possession.

Of course it doesn't matter if someone audibly makes that specific noise which accounts for the English pronunciation of the name of God, but it does matter that a person prays in that name, however it is translated in any language. That name carries the power... and not just "Jesus." The full title carries power: "Lord [Father] Jesus [Son] Christ [Holy Spirit]"

By my estimation, people who babble 'Jesus Jesus Jesus' are possessed by a spirit of divination that is written of in Acts chapter 16:

Acts 16:16-18
[16] And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
[17] The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
[18] And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

When you raise beyond your thoughts, ideas, beliefs and feelings, are you no longer in God's presence? If you are, what name is there left to utter, as you are fully immersed in the Spirit of God? Even Jesus Christ has different pronunciations depending on the language in question. How do the metaphysical linguistics/semantics of Christ account for this? What is and is not a valid language, a valid pronunciation of Jesus? Isn't it thus more about the intent of your presence, than the semantics of your linguistics, that determines whether or not you're connected to God?

By default, we are always in God's presence:

Psalms 139:7-8
[7] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
[8] If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

Jeremiah 17:10
[10] I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Colossians 1:16-17
[16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
[17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

So long as we are still in these bodies, we may not be "fully immersed in the Spirit of God." Though a born again believer is circumcised of their flesh, they are still in their flesh until they are redeemed.

Galatians 5:17 is my next reference to the aforementioned point, but this series of verses is also a suitable addition to other topics covered in this same post:

Galatians 5:13-26
[13] For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
[14] For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[15] But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
[16] This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
[17] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
[18] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
[19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
[20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
[21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
[24] And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
[26] Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Notice that all the opposition of the flesh are written as works (or actions) and the fruit of the Spirit is a list of qualities.
__________________
I gave it a shot. Feel free to ask again if something seems missing or insufficient.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

hence the difficulty of answering the question "how do you know you are worshipping the right one?" The premise is lacks any basis in reality.

A saved believer sees the Holy Spirit work in their life the same way that the wind blows things around:

John 3:8
[8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Besides that, there's been a couple dozen times that I've asked God to guide my hand in opening His book, to which I was immediately humbled, brought to my knees, and instructed by His word. He has never failed to give me the knowledge that I don't know that I'm lacking which exactly solves the current problems in my life. Likewise, I have been precisely rebuked for my recent actions upon having faith in God's word upon opening His book. It's as real as it gets, but to the natural man it is foolishness and imaginary.

1 Corinthians 2:14
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 1:21-24
[21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
[22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
[24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Romans 10:17
[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Also, the number of times that I've witnessed the Holy Spirit present the knowledge of God in relation to what I see in the world is innumerable. The more you ask Jesus Christ in, the simplicity of the working of the world being antagonistic to Him becomes increasingly more simple and apparent.

I have heard God described as the lightless light.

What I hear you to say is that God is everything that ever was and ever will be.

When I was unsaved, this was a conversational starter that I used many times. I would ask, "Do you think that God is everything that ever was and ever will be?" Admittedly, some people didn't understand the question, but many said yes.

I would then ask, "if God is everything that ever was and ever will be, that means that God is also nothing, right? Because if God is ALL of the things, then God must also be NONE of the things. This is the only equal justification I can think of... yet here we are as SOMEthing that came from nothing. Clearly, since we came from nothing, God is also nothing."

I thank God that I was counted worthy to suffer His justified wrath upon my head during those days, that I could finally be humbled and delivered unto a knowledge of the truth, my soul being spared from an eternity in the place where the fire is never quenched.

Colossians 3:5-7
[5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
[6] For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
[7] In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

17 year old disciple of Christ here. I have been hearing of the decline of religion especially in britain/us where apparently 3% of 18-24 year olds are religious that may or not be true, but if one were to approach finding a female mate, a believer in Christ, in this drought how should one go about it

It will only be God who offers this luxury to you. Consult Him, keep His commandments & thereby abide in His grace, and enjoy the peace of God until He delivers that God-fearing woman to you.

I assure you that if you go out of your way to try and scavenge for one, since the intent will be to satisfy the flesh, you will reap what you sow.

 

[AdR]

A saved believer sees the Holy Spirit work in their life the same way that the wind blows things around:

John 3:8
[8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Besides that, there's been a couple dozen times that I've asked God to guide my hand in opening His book, to which I was immediately humbled, brought to my knees, and instructed by His word. He has never failed to give me the knowledge that I don't know that I'm lacking which exactly solves the current problems in my life. Likewise, I have been precisely rebuked for my recent actions upon having faith in God's word upon opening His book. It's as real as it gets, but to the natural man it is foolishness and imaginary.

1 Corinthians 2:14
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 1:21-24
[21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
[22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
[24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Romans 10:17
[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Also, the number of times that I've witnessed the Holy Spirit present the knowledge of God in relation to what I see in the world is innumerable. The more you ask Jesus Christ in, the simplicity of the working of the world being antagonistic to Him becomes increasingly more simple and apparent.

What I hear you to say is that God is everything that ever was and ever will be.

When I was unsaved, this was a conversational starter that I used many times. I would ask, "Do you think that God is everything that ever was and ever will be?" Admittedly, some people didn't understand the question, but many said yes.

I would then ask, "if God is everything that ever was and ever will be, that means that God is also nothing, right? Because if God is ALL of the things, then God must also be NONE of the things. This is the only equal justification I can think of... yet here we are as SOMEthing that came from nothing. Clearly, since we came from nothing, God is also nothing."

I thank God that I was counted worthy to suffer His justified wrath upon my head during those days, that I could finally be humbled and delivered unto a knowledge of the truth, my soul being spared from an eternity in the place where the fire is never quenched.

Colossians 3:5-7
[5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
[6] For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
[7] In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

I agree with you that the Holy spirit moves us as well as that which is around us.

And yes God certainly is all things, although I would can't see why that would mean that God is nothing.

I think my original message to you was that all people are saved through surrender of their will, which allows them to witness the will of God as a reality and makes their minds and their bodies into instruments of that will. They avert sin because the divine is not inclined toward worldly pleasures or petty satisfaction.

My next point was in response to your mentioning that any ideation about a God not named Jesus Christ is equivalent to the following of a false God. But the point I am trying to make is that the divine only works through us in the absence of ideation, in the same way that one can only listen when one stops speaking. These are not thoughts, and what works through me in the absence of my own intentions is the divine. He is both my sight and that which I see. To let the divine work through oneself is supreme worship. I am sure there are other things that could also the divine, but I prefer not to do more than I must. I am not trying to say that this makes us Gods ourselves. What I am trying to say that the divine actually works as is written in the Bible and many other religious texts. He controls all things and we are best of being happy to witness them.