What Are The Building Blocks Of Our Faith ?

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The Son was with God in the beginning. The Son was God. God has always existed.

I'll let you do the math from there.
--Hi Jae -- You should not keep asking me . As I will give you the answer.

Col 1:13He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
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Col 1:14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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Col 1:15He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
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Col 1:16for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.
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Col 1:17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
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Col 1:18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.
 
BetteTheRed ---your quote ----So Santa is a sub-set of God?

Apparently not the God of Abraham ---Isaac and Jacob of the Bible --------


He is a sub-set of the a pagan god called Odin according to this ----one of the major gods in Germanic mythology

Odin
St. Nicholas is commonly linked to Odin, the ruler of Asgard, one of the major gods in Germanic mythology who was depicted as a white-bearded man with magical powers. However, Odin’s ties to Santa Claus may be more pronounced. The winter solstice, also known as Yule, was a time when Odin led a hunting party, known as the Wild Hunt, in the sky with an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. The 13th century Poetic Edda said the mythical horse could leap great distances -- a trait reindeer possess. Children would leave their boots by the chimney filled with carrots and hay to feed Sleipnir. Legend has it that whenever Odin flew by he wouldleave gifts by their boots, as About.com noted.

http://www.ibtimes.com/santa-claus-pagan-origins-5-influences-behind-father-christmas-1736863
 
I have fun with faith. I enjoy the lighter side of it, and I mock faith that would try to make ridiculous claims or scare people for not believing. What you *want* is the angry reaction in the last panel. Then after you get it, you sulk about getting what you wanted.

It's healthy to have fun with faith ones whole life
One recent communion I looked @ the guy.next to me also kneeling and asked him "come here.often?"
I got a.laugh
And the rector is.pretty cool
I.was.commenting to another.congregant.that I.am glad for places of worship like this one that.make it.acceptable for straight guys to wear.dresses...and the rector overheard and.smiled and courtesied asking.me.if.I thought he.looked.pretty
This looks like my kind of church
 
Neo --posted---
If it's all "fait accompli", which means the choice has already been made for us, then why all the instructions to "love one another" and "not to keep your light under a bushel", etc, etc?. These instructions are there so we can act on them, not just to increase our faith in them. What kind of children would we have if we did everything for them just because they had faith in us to do so? It's not any different between humanity and God. We are expected to pick up the cross of self sacrifice and we are expected become active in our service to the plan. Faith without works is dead faith, as far as I can see.

Airclean--posted--
I am not a believer in that GOD choices Who will be saved. I do believe ,GOD can see what is to come , and is able to work with it in HIS Plan. I don't believe we as Humankind , have the control of our minds yet. We I believe will soon have more thought power. So we can understand many more things which GOD is doing. To often many Christians" have taken it upon them self's to change history . These" have been our great"s mistakes. Only GOD" knows right", from wrong . He knows the right way. This is why it so important ,to allow GOD to lead. Not the other way around. We serve an are learning, how we better can do this.
Airclean--posted--
"I don't believe we as Humankind , have the control of our minds yet. "

Hmm...

I believe you are only partly right here, I don't believe you can say that for all of Humanity though. There have been and still are some very advanced people in this world. And not just spiritual people, but think of the likes of Carl Sagan, Mozart and Leonardo DeVinci. These people alone most definitely had control of their minds.

You tend to refer to God as something external to yourself, giving Him compete and sovergn control over your heart and soul. That may have been the case in the old days when we were young, but with the advent of great Teachers like the Buddha and the Christ, God appears to be manifesting His Wisdom and Love within human beings themselves.

So what about us? Could God ever manifest through us? Could we too one day hope to be Christ-like in our glory? It's been said, and I can't remember by who, that Christ was the first real flower on Earth.

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
- The Christ.

***

Airclean--posted --
"Only GOD" knows right, from wrong .."

Hmm.. I think your slip is showing here Airclean. {smile}

"And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil."
- Genesis 3:22

This has been our whole problem, that we know good from evil, right from wrong. If we didn't then we would be as innocent of our crimes as the animals.

***


God's "plan" is working through everyone who aspires to become a better person. But the connection is much more deeper than you believe, as you seem to think that you are nothing more than some kind of a puppet on a string, letting God lead you from afar.

If you can find the God within you then you have found your "Self", and I use that capital "S" purposefully to distinguish this "Self" from your lower "self". Your lower self is formed from the matter of dust, a reflection of the God within. The greater Self is the God-Aware within, the Great Observer, the Spark of Divinity. The greater Self exists in the heart which is where you experience God. How can something internal not be part of what we are? This is not arrogance or aggrandization or even apotheosis (wanting be God), for only with true humility can one ever become fully aware of this part us. This is why Christ became thought of as "being God": He became aware that He was One with the Father, that His will and the Fathers Will worked together in unison.


Our job, as human beings, is to also discover this God-Aware-Self within us. In this way God manifests through a human being, producing Heaven on Earth where the twain becomes One and the serpent of the polar opposites is put to rest for ever. Do you see? Or is that too much?
 
We are part of God's broken self ... fractals of god appearances as heh sees Ur (his image) all broken up by the brutal nature of god behaving like Odin ... making god's parts think ... sometimes with great faith it isn't a' temporal!

To know what gods can do to broken people when acting like god ... well moving around in such crap would require a set of sante's boots ... that'd be healthy when dealing with such irrational fallout!

Thus the separation from the heavenly balance of knowing and caring ... the vast concern part get many that don't wish to worry the point!
 
Hi Neo--Your --post---
Airclean--posted--
"I don't believe we as Humankind , have the control of our minds yet. "

Hmm...

I believe you are only partly right here, I don't believe you can say that for all of Humanity though. There have been and still are some very advanced people in this world. And not just spiritual people, but think of the likes of Carl Sagan, Mozart and Leonardo DeVinci. These people alone most definitely had control of their minds.

--Airclean--post--
First Neo many things I have post to you . Are from what GOD said in His word. We as humans understand we use only a part of our minds. I believe that is 10 present . I also believe that when we leave this flesh .GOD will open our minds to 100 present. He lowered it so we would not remember what was before and would chose from, what we know now. Yes I believe we all where before". I don't bring it up often , because some may be confused by it. These great people and minds, you give credulous to. (Which means, inclined to believe esp . on slight evidence). I believe GOD" for what ever reason . Allowed them to excess a part of that 100 %.
 
--Neo post---
You tend to refer to God as something external to yourself, giving Him compete and sovergn control over your heart and soul. That may have been the case in the old days when we were young, but with the advent of great Teachers like the Buddha and the Christ, God appears to be manifesting His Wisdom and Love within human beings themselves.

--Airclean-- post--
GOD had been external. When we sinned we shut the door for Him to be with us. Jesus The Christ open that door , so He GOD could come in . and as with The Christ ,God is with us an in us . Teaching us an help us do what GOD want. By the way . I use Spirit for Soul. As I believe there meaning, is the same. There is but One GOD that I know as GOD The Father . I believe Jesus is a part of that same GOD. I also believe The Holy Spirit is another part of The same GOD. We who have accept Jesus as The Christ". Have changed from human to --
Jhn 1:13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
 
To Neo---your post--
Our job, as human beings, is to also discover this God-Aware-Self within us. In this way God manifests through a human being, producing Heaven on Earth where the twain becomes One and the serpent of the polar opposites is put to rest for ever. Do you see? Or is that too much?

--airclean--post--Neo this is a proof in GODS word that shows He is bring Heaven to earth. If your going to be hear for the 1000 year rain, of Christ Jesus on earth, you will get to see it. Rev 20:-1--6

Rev 20:6Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev21--All of.
 
Apotheosis ... people that feel God and think that's IT in all continuity ... within them ... only in part ...

What about people that don't feel god ... is this due to avarice on the point of those with apotheosis?

I was told I couldn't have any since I was not elected to be raptured out of my senses, thus I think ... the devil to those that don't like such bothers ...
 
--Hi Jae -- You should not keep asking me . As I will give you the answer.

Why would I possibly not want to know the answer?

airclean33 said:
Col 1:13He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
copyChkboxOff.gif
Col 1:14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
copyChkboxOff.gif
Col 1:15He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
copyChkboxOff.gif
Col 1:16for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.
copyChkboxOff.gif
Col 1:17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
copyChkboxOff.gif
Col 1:18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy" - Colossians 1:15-18 (NIV).

What does it mean that the Son is, "the firstborn over all creation"? Does it mean that He was created first?

"Note that Jesus is called the first-born, not the first-created. The word "first-born" (Greek word "prototokos") signifies priority. In the culture of the Ancient Near East, the first-born was not necessarily the oldest child. First-born referred not to birth order but to rank. The first-born possessed the inheritance and leadership.

Therefore, the phrase expresses Christ's sovereignty over creation. After resurrecting Jesus from the dead, God gave Him authority over the Earth (Matthew 28:18). Jesus created the world, saved the world, and rules the world. He is the self-existent, acknowledged Head of creation." - Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-first-born.html
 
Hi Jae--This is what you posted--
erefore, the phrase expresses Christ's sovereignty over creation. After resurrecting Jesus from the dead, God gave Him authority over the Earth (Matthew 28:18). Jesus created the world, saved the world, and rules the world. He is the self-existent, acknowledged Head of creation." - Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-first-born.html

Airclean--post --The Bible post is fine Jae . The other is from another mans mind. Not even yours. Do you believe what he wrote is true? I wonder why" as you seem not to believe what I gave you from GODS Word.
Here is some more of his teaching ,that is this person you believe in.---

---
Question: "What does it mean that Jesus is the 'first-born' over Creation?"

Answer:
In a letter to the church at Colossae, the Apostle Paul gave an intriguing description of Jesus. In it, he explained Christ's relationship to God the Father and to creation. Some have claimed that Paul’s description of Christ as the first-born of creation means that Jesus was created -- not eternal, not God. Such a doctrine, however, conflicts with the rest of the Bible. Christ could not be both Creator and created; John 1 clearly names Him Creator. Let’s take a careful look at the passage where Jesus is called the first-born.

airclean--I did not say Jesus was not" the Creator of all things. I really don't think He Jesus Created GOD" The Father though" . I believe it was the opposite way around myself. Jesus seems to think so as well" , I believe . He says, He only dose what GOD THE FATHER tells Him" . HE Prays , Our Father Who Art in Heaven. Also it would seem . GOD The Father was in Heaven" , well Jesus The Christ" The begotten Son was on earth. You had shown GOD gave Jesus the authority He Jesus has. This I agree with. I wonder though , do you know Jesus will return this authority back to GOD The Father"? 1 Cor15:--28.
 
Airclean--post --The Bible post is fine Jae . The other is from another mans mind. Not even yours. Do you believe what he wrote is true? I wonder why" as you seem not to believe what I gave you from GODS Word.

(Side question: How do you know the writer was a man?) Yes, I believe what the writer stated is truth. I take it you don't?

airclean said:
...airclean--I did not say Jesus was not" the Creator of all things. I really don't think He Jesus Created GOD"
airclean said:
The Father though" . I believe it was the opposite way around myself. Jesus seems to think so as well" , I believe . He says, He only dose what GOD THE FATHER tells Him" . HE Prays , Our Father Who Art in Heaven. Also it would seem . GOD The Father was in Heaven" , well Jesus The Christ" The begotten Son was on earth. You had shown GOD gave Jesus the authority He Jesus has. This I agree with. I wonder though , do you know Jesus will return this authority back to GOD The Father"? 1 Cor15:--28.

We agree in believing that God the Son did not create God the Father. However, I do not agree that God the Father created God the Son. When it comes to Jesus saying that he does only what the Father tells him, I believe that God the Father sent God the Son to the earth to do His will, and that Jesus voluntarily chose to do so.

As for "1 Cor15:--28," I do not know what Scripture you are referring to here (do you mean 1 Corinthians 15:28?), and thus I cannot comment on it.
 
As for "1 Cor15:--28," I do not know what Scripture you are referring to here (do you mean 1 Corinthians 15:28?), and thus I cannot comment on it.

You guess right, I think. I read 1 Cor 15 and 28 says

1 Corinthians 15:28 said:
24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For he “has put everything under his feet.”c Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Which sounds relevant to the discussion you are having. It does seem to imply a transfer of power from Father to Son and then back to Father gain. I'm sure there are other ways to read it and I haven't really read the preceding and succeeding verses closely to see what they say.
 
Jae--post--
Therefore, the phrase expresses Christ's sovereignty over creation. After resurrecting Jesus from the dead, God gave Him authority over the Earth (Matthew 28:18). Jesus created the world, saved the world, and rules the world. He is the self-existent, acknowledged Head of creation." - Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-first-born.html

Airclean--post--
Once more Jae , I believe you make a mistake ,It was GOD who raised Jesus from the dead. It was GOD who gave Jesus all the authority He has. SO ALL GLORY IS GODS I don't think Jesus would have it any other way.
Jhn 5:19Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise.
 
As for "1 Cor15:--28," I do not know what Scripture you are referring to here (do you mean 1 Corinthians 15:28?), and thus I cannot comment on it.

Yes Jae.
 
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