may you have the peace... that Christ gives. John 14:27
And before we being, I would like to respectfully ask you consider all that I have written, as well as the verses and scriptures I have included. For I have read all that you post… and looked up all that you have quoted. But the word of my Lord is that you have NOT looked up what I have quoted to you… nor have you responded to anything that I have brought up to support what I have shared with you. And thus, if you refuse to do so, then it is you who are refusing to hear… but instead leaning on your own understanding. Now, you must know… that it is your CHOICE to hear… by means of making the effort… or not to. Neither God nor Christ will make you… and while you might the dear folks here to believe that if you DON’T… that it was because God didn’t MAKE you… you would be in error… and possibly at risk of misleading these. Again, the choice… is yours.
Now, then… you ask:
Do you believe that the spreading of the gospel, and humans receiving it would somehow rely upon yourself?
No, I do not. I believe that even if we did not speak what we are given... the rocks would cry out. I do not believe my receipt is DUE to myself: it is DUE... to the undeserved kindness of my Father and my Lord. Although I do not DESERVE such kindness... knowing them... and receiving their spirit... I asked... and received. It was not withheld from me. Just as the Phoenician woman asked... and received... even "crumbs". Just as Jairus asked... and received his daughter. Unlike the man Simon, who tried to BUY it, literally: it is not for sale, but a GIFT, which God grants, through Christ... to those wishing... and asking.
That is why the Spirit and the Bride KEEP saying "Come"... to those wishing, as well as thirsting... as well as hearing.
You say this ("I asked my Lord"), I assume your pettioning Jesus; [Lord] vs [LORD]
Actually, no... on a few accounts:
1. I do not "petition" my Lord, at least, not very often. I do, however, petition my Father... in the NAME of my Lord... and approach Him THROUGH my Lord. For I do not pray to my Lord... but to the Father... just as my Lord has taught me to pray. Contrastly, I SPEAK with my Lord daily... sometimes around the clock. Since he is my High Priest, I can approach him and ask him to plead my behalf with the Father, which he always does. But, I do not feel the need to implement the formality with my Lord that I do with the Father.
If I need something, I can actually ask the Father Himself, by means of my Lord. Even when I don’t know what to ask for… for THEN… my spirit asks FOR me.
Matthew 6:6-14; Romans 8:26
It works in the same way as with Joseph and Pharaoh: although it was Pharaoh's grain, when his brothers wanted to feed their families, Joseph's brothers had to come to him, for he was second only to Pharaoh, and in charge of dispensing Pharaoh's grain. When they FIRST approached, Israel's sons did so in great reverence, for they did not KNOW Joseph; however, once Joseph revealed himself to them, he no longer required... them to bow down before him. Rather, HE... became as their slave and gave them all that they asked for... even of Pharaoh's grain, cattle, and more.
Genesis 42:4-48:12
Joseph, although having GREAT position, did not "lord it over" his brothers. In the same way, my Lord did not "lord it over us"; rather, he serves us, just as he demonstrated when he existed in the flesh... as he SHOWED us... so even as we must serve one another.
John 13:12-15
He that wishes to be greatest among us... must be least. My Lord, although greatest, took a slave's form... and made himself servant to his disciples... and to us... although he is our "lord" and "teacher." It is the pattern that he set... one he learned from his Father. Even though there is none HIGHER than he, BUT the Father... he is not jealous of his position: he knows who and what he is and serving us does not decrease him in any way, size, shape or form. Thus, it does not decrease us one iota to serve one another - rather, it exalts us.
2. My Lord is not "Jesus." "Jesus"... which name in Greek is "Ieosus"... means "Je is zeus"... or "Jah... is God." However, since the Greek word "zeus" is also the NAME given to their false god, Zeus (which word means "God")... I do not feel the freedom to use it. Rather, I use the name my Lord told me himself:
JahEshua,
which is pronounced "Yah eShua"... in Hebrew... and "Joshua" in English ("Jesus" is Greek) - the "j" in Hebrew being pronounced like a "y"... and which name means "JAH... saves"...
MischaJah
, which is pronounced "meesha yah"... in Hebrew... and "mee si yah" in English... again, the "j" being pronounced like a "y" in both cases... which means "chosen" or "anointed"... "of JAH." The Greek word for "chosen" or "anointed" is "kristos"... or "christ". Thus, the "chosen people" are, in English... "christ ians"... or in Hebrew... "mischaJahim"... pronounced "mee sha yah eem".
JAH
... is the name of the true God... (Psalm 68:4)... which is why we say, "Praise you, Jah,"... or "hallel u Jah"... pronounced (in Hebrew) "ah lell oo yah" - the "h" is silent - or (in English)... "hah lay loo yah".
The letters of the Tetragrammaton... rendered by some as "YHWH"... by others as "YHVH"... and still others as "JHVH"... is actually:
"JaHVeH"... which is pronounced "Yah Veh"... and means... "JAH... of Armies." There is no "JeHoVaH" - that name is false.
I know these things because my Lord speaks to me many times in HIS "tongue"... which is an ancient form of Hebrew, sometimes with a very old form of Aramaic mixed in. I did not know this initially... because I HEAR... in my own "tongue"... English. However, it is by means of holy spirit that I can hear HIS tongue spoken... as if in my own.
A couple of years ago I heard someone filled with holy spirit speak in this tongue, literally. I had never heard it spoken out loud... and she did not know what the translation was. As she spoke, however, it was if my ears were "opened"... and I understood everything she said. I was shocked; she was not. Not only had I never translated a tongue... I truly had believed what I was formerly taught by the WTBTS... that such things no longer occurred. My faith was "added to" that day.
I give you John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never drive away.
Dear one, I have also given you this "truth" - that if we draw close to the Father, He... will draw close to us... by drawing us TO the Christ. I have not disputed this "truth" one bit.
Also, John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.
Again, I absolutely agree: draw close to God... and He... will draw close to YOU... by means of drawing YOU... to Christ. I have spoken such truth to you. But it is WE... who must "draw close"... first.
James 4:8
John 6:65 He[Jesus] went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
I have not disputed this "truth" with you, either, but have told HOW such "enabling"... begins.
James 4:8
But you have it that it is you who ask the Father to send Jesus to yourself. Which is kinda backwards.
And what occurred with me is just as it was said to be: I asked, I received. I drew close; God draw close to me by drawing me to Christ. It occurred this way:
At the time my Lord first came to me, I heard a voice. It seemed as one, but I later recognized it as two (2) voices. My name was called... and at first I ignored it. Then, one of the voices said, "Why don't you answer?" I ignored that, too. Why? Because... such a thing had never occurred before (at least, not that I remembered at that time)... and I had been taught by the WTBTS... and others... that such "voices" belong to either demons... or crazy people. So, I ignored it. But... it called again. This occurred a few times until, once, when the voice asked again, "Why don't you answer?" I decided... okay, alright, what the heck... I'll answer. Let's see what this is about.
And so, I said, "Who is this, please?" And I heard two (2) voices: one said, "I am 'Jehovah' (He used that name, for it was what was known to me at that time. My Lord later gave me the TRUE name, which name I have given to those here)... and the other said, "I am the Christ." At that point, I made a decision NOT to listen... because I did not want to be "communicating" with demons. However, my name was called again, the incident occurred in the same manner, until I responded, "Okay, if you are 'Jehovah'... can I talk to you?" I mean, I HEARD Him... could I talk to Him?
Immediately at that moment, one of the “presences” of voices... disappeared. I knew it was gone because I felt the void it left. But the other voice said, "No one can come to the Father, except through me." And so I asked, "And who are YOU, please?" He again said, "I am the Christ."
So, now I am thinking, this truly is demons... but he heard the thoughts of my heart and responded. He said, "Satan can transform himself in an ANGEL of light... but he cannot transform himself into that Light. I am the Light."
So, I asked again who it was... and why he was there... speaking to me. And he said, "The Father has sent me to you"... which flabbergasted me, so I asked WHY had the Father sent him... and he said... "because you ASKED for me." I initially started to deny this, when I was transformed in the spirit to a point in time about 3 weeks previous... in the Kingdom Hall. At that time, I knew I was at my last meeting; I don't know HOW I knew... but I did. I couldn't "hear" the speakers because the entire meeting was as if I was in a Charlie Brown cartoon: the voices seemed as the "adults" in Charlie Brown... or something like that - a "language"... that was "foreign" to me.
Since I couldn't hear... I kept my head down and my eyes in my Bible. But... in my heart I was speaking. I was asking "Jehovah" about the Christ. It seemed to ME that if he (the Christ) had given his life for ME... that I should know him MUCH better than what the "Society" was teaching me. They just seemed to skim over him... throw him in as an afterthought; something just wasn't right. So, I saw myself asking, "Father, if it is by knowing Christ that I can know you, how can I get to know him? Please... let me know him and let me know the truth." I didn't know at the time that the WTBTS was NOT the truth, and that my Lord WAS (John 14:6)... but I KNEW I needed to know him... better. I knew I did... and so I wanted to. Whatever it took. I had NO idea that what would occur... would occur.
So, he was correct, I had asked. So, I asked him, then, why he had come to me just because I had asked. And he said, "Because you faith... the size of a mustard seed." And for some reason, this made me feel VERY sad! I cannot describe the sadness, only that my thought was that if I had faith, where in the WORLD was everyone else... because I really didn't think I had that much... and I was CERTAIN I knew others who had more. I have since learned that they didn't/don't... for when he calls THEIR name... they don't answer. Even when he asks, "Why don't you answer?"
John 10:1-3
He then told me that the faith I had... the size of a mustard seed... was not mine; he had given me that. I had a BIT of faith... but it was tiny. But I has asked for faith... and he had given me a portion the size of a mustard seed... and that was all took: with that, I could hear him. So, I asked him if I could ask him questions... to which he replied that I could. I also asked him if I could tell anyone (because I remembered when he would tell people not to), and he said that I could tell anyone I wished... but that not all would have faith in what I told them. He then showed me who in my life at that time would... and who wouldn't. And he was dead on.
I asked a TON of questions; it seemed like hours went by... and I later found out that it was only minutes, actually. Since then, I have heard more and more and more... and seen more and more and more. 99% of the time, what he tells me I can find in the Bible canon. However, he eventually told me something I found to be truthful… and profound: that not all of the scriptures have been preserved in the Bible canon… not all that is in the Bible canon is scripture (for which he took me to Luke 24)… and a good deal of what IS in the Bible canon… has been tampered with by the secretaries… scribes… whose commission it was to copy what was written.
Jeremiah 8:8
He said that many things have been mistranslated (words thought to mean something that they don’t)… mistransliterated (word in one language THOUGHT to mean something in another language that they don’t)… misinterpreted… and misapplied… and that many things have been removed… other things have been added.
Revelation 22:18, 19
When I ask him why this was, he said, “Have you not me say that ‘false prophets’ and ‘false christs’ would arise to mislead you?” I told him that I remembered hearing something like that, and he took me to Matthew 24:14, where is it recorded that he said such a thing. As I said, this was quite profound to me, as I thought… like many others… that the Bible COULDN’T be tampered with (at least, I had been TAUGHT that!) He said that it indeed had… which is why there are SO many versions, variations, and translations… which say different things and are interpreted differently.
So, I asked him, “How am I to KNOW what is TRUTH?” And he said to me (something I know I had read, but NEVER applied in this way):
“I… am the Truth. Come… to ME.”
What a REVELATION!!! If I wanted to know something, all I needed do was go to HIM? But of course, I did not immediately put faith in that… of course. Remember, I only had about a “mustard seed” portion at that time. However, he “heard” the doubt of my heart when it asked, “But I thought we’re supposed to read the scriptures…” and he took me to:
John 5:39, 40, Hebrews 12:18-25… and Proverbs 8:4-11
And to this day, it is him that I consulted; I no longer “search the scriptures” and ONLY use them when I must for those who still need them… to HEAR and to SEE… with their FLESH… for they cannot do so, yet, with their SPIRIT, as my Lord has since taught me.
He told me one other profound thing, that I shared with you earlier: “ALL things that I tell you… are written. But… not all that is WRITTEN… is what I will tell you.”
When I asked about this, he again told me of the tampering… that there were writings… scripture… that were not included… and writings that are not scripture… that are. He said it was earthling man who compiled the “canon” of the Bible… at their own whim: they decided what would… and would not… be included, as well as what that which IS included would… and would not… say. Why? Because… IF earthling man HAD kept all the scriptures intact, we would not NEED the other writings… and would have heard his voice. However, they have used much of the other to mislead us… by leading us… not TO God… but AWAY from God… to THEM. He said that HE… was the only “way”… the “Door”… “narrow gate”… through which we must “enter”… in order to come before the person of God.
Daniel 7:9
(Oh! By the way, just so you know, neither my Lord nor my Father has hair as some of my fellow African Americans assert. True, it is “like wool”… but not like the wool still on a sheep’s back – tightly curled and matted. Rather, it is like wool that has been cleaned and carded out… just before it is ready to be spun: long… QUITE long… and combed out. True, it is course… but it is more like the hair of Middle Eastern people… long and quite wavy – heavy texture.)
Moving on…
You state in response to my comment:
I certainly am NOT trying to destroy your thinking. I am simply showing you what the bible teaches.
Yes, I absolutely understand. What I believe YOU do not understand, however, is that I do not look to the Bible as my “teacher”. Rather, I have the Holy Spirit, the Comforter… Christ… as my “rabbi” or “teacher”. Thus, I do not NEED any other… for it is only by means of THAT One… that I can be led… into ALL truth! I hear HIS voice… not the voice of “strangers”. For HIS law… is not written on tablets of stone… but rather, he was written HIS law… on the table that is my heart.
Matthew 23:8; John 14:26; 16:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 John 2:2, 27; Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:10,11
I would'nt want anyone to follow me or my thinking. It is the Logos /written word you should feed off of.
And I must respectfully disagree. It is the Tree of Life that I feed off of… the TRUE Vine… the Root of Jesse… Sprout. It is from HIS “leaves” that I eat… and from HIS cistern that I drink.
John 6:48-56; 7:37, 38; 15:1-7; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
Ive never made my line of thinking mandatory as an example to go by.
I am not sure I can agree with that. You would have to search YOUR heart to know if that is true.
Ive always used scripture which you seem to either not want to trust in its entirety or just the prophets and Psalms.
I trust the scriptures. I do not, however, agree with you that the Bible is entirely scripture, and that is where our differences seem to be… among a couple other things.
Why do you think I keep stating "your arguement is not with me, but what I expound to you from the scriptures."
Again, we disagree on what IS scripture. I have shown you from the Bible what my Lord says is scripture… but you cannot seem to “hear” that. But it is of no consequence at this time. Perhaps you are correct: perhaps God is not LETTING you see just yet. If that is true, however, the pivotal point may lie with you and YOUR heart. I do not know… and I have not heard.
Its that, plain and simple.
Indeed.
I leave you in peace,
As I you... and the greatest of love. I am,
YOUR servant... and fellow slave of Christ,
SJ
