What is a christian (page 2)

A Paduan

I apologise for all my editing: it often doesn't sound like I wanted to say when I read it back.

Edited by - a paduan on 4 September 2002 23:14:25

A Christian is one baptized in the name of the Farther and the Son and the Holly Spirit. The other questions speak only to the quality of the Christian.

there once was an apostle who had faith he could walk on water if called by his lord, but faith is given life not in the believing, he believed he had all the faith in the world, but in the work we are called to do. remember he stepped out of that boat walking and began to sink his faith was not enough he called to his lord with faith Jesus would and could save him. Through the grace of his lord he was rased up walked on the water in the hand of Jesus Christ and received life were there was sure death awaiting him.

That's how I see faith and works, as one. We have faith Christ calls us but if we will not do the work of walking we can never reach him. we can have faith and works but still like his apostle before us we cannot reach him on our faith and works, but it is enough that we try and call on him when we fall short, this is salvation through grace.

AGuest

May you all have peace... and may I respond as well? Thank you!

First, my dear brother in Christ, Inkie, my spirit bears witness to the truth of what you have stated here. You, too, JM, have some "sayings" of truth. I would like to expound on being a "christian", however, if you all will permit me and bear with me.

The simple answer: One is not a christian simply because one wishes to be or thinks one is. One is a christian because by means of asking, out of a clean HEART, and having one's prayer heard... or simply by God's will through Christ... and then being "found", chosen and cleansed... God and Christ dwell in such one, as a living stone in the TRUE temple of God, the "House" of Israel. THAT... is a 'christian' or 'christ' person.

The "complete" answer: A "christian" is a "christ" person or christ-ian; and, as Inkie stated, a "christ" (English), "cristo" (Greek) or "messiah" is one who is "chosen" or "anointed"... by God (ma-sy-JAH) by means of His Christ, mischaJah, or chosen/anointed one, my Lord, JAHESHUA (Joshua, in English, and meaning JAH "saves" - Jah eShua... pronounced "Yah e Shua"), MISCHAJAH (messiah, in English, and meaning "chosen" of JAH... pronouced "Mee sha Yah"). (Another example would be "hallel u JAH", or "allel u JAH", meaning "Praise you, JAH"). For JAH is the name of the Holy One of Israel: JAH... of Armies... or "JAHVEH" (JHVH), pronouced "Yah Veh" (YahWeh"). Psalm 68:4

By means of the Holy Spirit, which is the Son of God as a spirit being ("the Spirit of Truth"; "I am the... Truth"), such one is searched for. Why? To become a "vessel" for God to dwell in. You see, God used to dwell, by means of His spirit, in the temple at Jerusalem; however, when His Son was rejected as the "cornerstone" of His temple "not made with human hands", His spirit was removed from that place. Subsequently, it needed another place to "dwell"... and thus was "poured out" by Christ... INTO people. And thus, the TRUE temple of God... is being built in this way: Christ, and his FAITH... the cornerstone The apostles, and their FAITH... the foundation The rest of us, and our FAITH... the 'living stones'.

But such faith is not BLIND... but has an "assured expectation" of what it hopes for. It is CERTAIN, not just that one is a son of God, but when God speaks to such one, through Christ, such one's FAITH... hears that voice and attitributes it to what it truly is: God speaking through Christ... to US. And God speaks to us... from within us... from His dwelling place within us.

Now, God's spirit cannot dwell... or reside... in just any old "vessel" (the vessel being the bodies that we now have). It can ONLY reside in a "clean" vessel. And clean vessels occur only one way: by means of holy spirit. BUT... that vessel can be somewhat clean BEFORE being further cleanses by holy spirit... by means of being devoid... of DECEIT... or HYPOCRISY... or HATRED. If, however, a vessel is deceitful... hypocritical... or hateful... the "Light" of God's spirit, my Lord, cannot dwell in it; it is too "dark" and the dark will overpower the Light.

BUT... by means of the "water" that cleanses... the "blood" that cleanses... the SPIRIT of God that is His "life force" and "regenerative" power... one who is deceitful, hypocritical or hateful can be CLEANSED... so that God and Christ CAN dwell in such one.

One might tend to think that when I mentioned bodies, I meant the physical flesh that we have. And, in part, I did. However, the physical flesh that we have is 'corrupt'... unclean... by means of its inherent sin and death... sickness, aging and ultimately death. However, we are not just our physical bodies, but SPIRITUAL beings RESIDING in physical bodies. And so, it is not the PHYSICAL BODY that must be cleansed, but the SPIRIT that must be. Thus, my Lord said to the Pharisees, who were concerned with the outward appearance, of themselves and others... "cleanse the INSIDE of the 'cup'".

Okay, so let's say you are 'unclean', in that you are... a hypocrite. You judge and condemn others while you yourself exist in sin and error. You tolerate less from others than you wish them to tolerate from you... and you look down on them as inferior, considering yourself to be more. You judge them as "unclean", while you yourself do, think and desire things that only you and God (and perhaps one or two more) know of... and are themselves unclean. You, who are just as "sinful" as the next one. What you DO is STOP... you stop your hypocrisy, your judging, your deceit. You PURIFY YOUR HEART. How? Love, a fruit of God's spirit is a good way to start. Kindness and long-suffering are good, too.

Okay, let's say you are dishonest, cheating those who do you good, taking advantage of others, abusing widows and orphans by talking them out of their little pittance. Or you take from and/or harm others with no care or thought of the harm to them. What you DO is STOP... you stop your extortion, your abuse, your greed. You CLEANSE YOUR HANDS. Again, love... can help to overcome this 'weakness'.

You can overcome anything that makes you hateful, deceitful, hypocritical and unloving by ASKING for one or all of the "fruits" of God's spirit: love, joy, peace, faith, kindness, mildness, goodness, long-suffering and self-control. One or more of these will fit your "need"... to be "clean." And there is no "law" against these things.

Once you are CLEAN... then God's spirit, by means of Christ... AND the spirit of Christ... will "come and make [their] abode"... or come and dwell... IN YOU!

OR... if He chooses... God Himself, by means of Christ, can cleanse you. Think Jeremiah, Moses, Saul of Tarsus, Zacchaeus... as well as those cleansed in the flesh! "Living water"... or holy spirit... can cleanse ANYTHING... even that which H20 cannot.

Okay, so now God and Christ have 'chosen' you and you have been 'cleansed'. What then? Well, they come INTO you, into your vessel... and "grow" there. Christ is "root", the "tree" of Life... Sprout! So, as they reside there, YOU... bear MORE "fruit"... that which was mentioned above. You love more, have more faith, more joy, etc., etc., etc., until Christ has become "full" in you.

BUT... you may also have the privileges of USING that spirit of God which is now IN you... to do the things that God Himself, by means of Christ, would and could do: You may be able to heal the sick; you may be able to hear into the spirit realm; you may be able to speak in tongues, interpret tongues, etc., etc., etc. You may receive great wisdom and knowledge... whatever "gifts" the Spirit deems well to be "with" you. And you MANIFEST such gifts... not upon yourself... but upon OTHERS... in LOVE... which is the 'fulfillment' of the New Covenant.

How does one KNOW one has been 'anointed', received holy spirit? Several ways:

1. One's spirit bears witness with God's spirit, so that when that spirit is active, one KNOWS it... and at times even FEELS it. We were taught, unfortunately, by the 'hired man'... the WTBTS... that such does not occur. We were misled.

2. One HEARS that spirit speak to one. We were taught, unfortunately, by the 'hired man'... the WTBTS... that such does not occur. We were misled.

3. By always manifesting the FRUITS of that spirit, one is able to manifest the GIFTS of that spirit, as it is given to them. We were taught, unfortunately, by the 'hired man'... the WTBTS, who themselves possess no such fruits and therefore cannot manifest the gifts of them... that such does not occur. We were misled.

And there are many other ways to "tell" as well... but these are the most basic ways. There is, of course, a caveat: it would be nice if once chosen always chosen, but Judas proved that to be untrue. How? By his deceitful hatred for the Master: he preferred gold and the glory of men over the life of our Lord, one who did him no harm, but only showed love toward him. By means of this hatred, he showed himself to be, NOT a son of God, but a child of the Devil.

In contrast, the TRUE sons of God not only love their brother(s)... and their neighbor(s)... but MUST love their ENEMY... as well. If they fail in this, then they put themselves in line to be judged... with a much heavier judgment than any others. Why? Because in keeping to hatred, they do not "esteem the value" of the blood of Christ, by which they were "bought", so that they could be "chosen", and after being chosen "cleansed" so as to "render sacred service in the temple"... as of little value. Since it has no value to them, as manifested by means of their 'works' (begetting hatred) or LACK of 'work' (not feeding, clothing, caring for those in need - i.e., widows, orphans, the hungry, the poor, etc.), then it has no "value" to cleanse... or redeem them.

One is not a christian simply because one wishes to be or thinks one is. One is a christian because by means of asking, out of a clean HEART, and having one's prayer heard... or simply by God's will through Christ... and then being "found", chosen and cleansed... God and Christ dwell in such one, as a living stone in the TRUE temple of God, the "House" of Israel. THAT... is a 'christian' or 'christ' person.

I, myself, SJ, have spoken it to you just as I have heard it from my Lord and master, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH, who is the Son of the Holy One of Israel, whose name is JAH... of Armies... by means of holy spirit.

Your servant, and a slave of Christ to time indefinite,

SJ

A Paduan

Willythink,

Perhaps Peter started to sink when he was in a way uncertain, didn't really 'believe' he could do it - so far, baptised with water, but not yet with the Holy Spirit.

I also see faith and works as one - and that works are a result of faith, the evidence of, or rather the witness to faith. Works simply being fruit that is growing on a tree.

And Aguest,

Well, I can follow that, but I don't think that darkness ever overpowers light. Maybe some mirrors are too smudgy or some lamps just run out of oil (gladness).

paduan

Edited by - a paduan on 5 September 2002 0:17:45

AGuest

Dearest A Paduan... peace to you!

You said: "I don't think that darkness ever overpowers light."

Ahhh, it can, my dear one, when one LOVES the darkness rather than the Light. The Light exists in love, dwells and manifests himself THROUGH it, by means of holy spirit. If, however, one loves the darkness... rather than the Light... then darkness will indeed overpower that Light's... light.

John 3:19-21 John 8:11; 1:3-9 John 14:23 Romans 8:9

True, we can "conquer the evil with the good,"; however, it truly depends on what... or rather whom... one CHOOSES as one's "master": The Darkness... or the Light. For the flesh resides in darkness and there is not much we can do about that. But the Light CAN reside in us, in the spirit... and it is ENTIRELY up to us, after such being 'chosen' to BE a vessel of light... as to whether it... he... "remains" in us... and us 'in' it... him.

Genesis 1:3-5 John 15:1-7

I bid you the greatest of peace, dear A Paduan, as well as issue to you the same invitation issued to all, that which the Spirit and the Bride KEEP saying:

If you are wishing, if you are hearing... if you are thirsting, then, "Come!", you, too... and

"Take 'life's water'... free!"

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

SJ

Edited by - AGuest on 5 September 2002 10:41:9

AGuest

Dearest Willy... may you have peace... and may I respond to your thought? Thank you!

You said: "A Christian is one baptized in the name of the Farther and the Son and the Holly Spirit."

You are absolutely correct in that statement; however, MOST folks believe that such baptism is WATER baptism, that done in H20 in the manner of "John's baptism." John's baptism, however, was only a part of it, and actually small. For it the "this baptism that is saving you," NOT water (H20) baptism, for H20 can cleanse only the OUTSIDE of the "cup"; rather, it is baptism... with FIRE AND SPIRIT... the 'water of life'... that is saving those who receive it. It is that baptism which cleanses the INSIDE of the 'cup', in order to make our 'mortal' bodies alive. Matthew 3:11 John 1:33 Acts 10:44-48 Acts 19:1-7 1 Peter 3:21

There are those who go around baptizing folks in H20, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit. Actually, however, the TRUE baptism is done by baptizing such ones in the name of the Father... INTO the Son (into his 'death' and into his 'body')... IN HOLY SPIRIT... as stated in the original Greek language. It is 'earthling man' who has changed such wording, the 'false stylus of the secretaries' that has mistranslated, mistransliterated and misled mankind that it reads and means something else.

Again, I bid you peace,

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

SJ

Edited by - AGuest on 5 September 2002 10:56:29

JosephMalik

Inkie,

It is remarkable how something so simple and basic is grasped by so few. Keep up the good work.

Joseph

What is a christian

A Paduan

willy_think

AGuest

A Paduan

AGuest

AGuest

JosephMalik

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