In the last post I discussed why baptism is really about meditation. This week’s post will continue on the subject of meditation and higher consciousness by discussing what the so called Biblical “rapture” is really about.
The rapture truly is a strange doctrine that’s been going around for hundreds of years. Millions of people believe in it. Some are so sure of it that they are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to prepare for it, even quitting their jobs and selling all their worldly possessions. What scripture would cause someone to do something so foolish if the word “rapture” isn’t even in the Bible?
The rapture doctrine actually comes from a conglomeration of many scriptures, but the main scripture is found in Thessalonians.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so we shall ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
Interesting! And so from the words “caught up” and “in the clouds” and “air” the rapture doctrine appeared.
Just like baptism, this description is about what happens during meditation. It has nothing to do with literal people flying in the air to meet Jesus Christ. People don’t fly. This fact is not going to change unless we grow wings and feathers. The ancient scripture writers knew this as well. They certainly didn’t mean that people would fly to the clouds literally.
Let’s review some aforementioned scriptures from this blog to get more of an accurate assessment of Paul’s meaning in Thessalonians.
“…the kingdom of God cometh not with observation” (Luke 17:20).
In other words, the kingdom of God is not something that you will observe with your eyes. You can’t look around and see it. No one will see anyone else fly in the air, either. No one will meet their past loved ones in the clouds. In fact, the whole event isn’t about anything that happens outside of you. So where does it happen?
“…the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
The entire Bible and all of its stories happen within you. If you’re going to understand the Bible, you have to see all of its stories and parables as something that happens within you.
Being “caught up” into the “clouds” and “air” is about higher consciousness. To elaborate on this point, we need to go over a little Greek history first.
There is the idea going around that the ancient Greeks believed the universe was made up of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. This idea comes from the writings of ancient Greeks like Thales, Anaximenes, and Empedocles. For example, Thales emphasized that water was a fundamental element of the universe. Anaximenes, his student, seemed to place more emphasis on air. Empedocles stated that the universe consisted of earth, water, air and fire but that all four elements are eternal and interchange with one another.
Did these thinkers really believe that these literal elements made up the universe? Hardly. These elements represented different levels of consciousness usually experienced as a direct result of meditation.
Earth represents ordinary consciousness within the physical body.
Water is the second level of consciousness initiated by the act of meditation. Think how baptism in literal water is symbolic of initiating one’s spiritual journey in Christ by submerging the head (where conscious thought is channeled). This represents the beginning of meditation and the process needs to be continued in order to manifest Christ consciousness.
Air represents the third level of meditation where thought begins to cease. Ever wonder why Christ says that we should “Take no thought…” so much throughout the Gospels? Well now you do. It simply means that we aren’t to let the ego rule, for the ego is always worried about “me” and “mine.” Having complete faith in God is simply letting go in meditation and being filled with His Spirit instead. When one participates in meditation long enough, ‘Taking no thought…’ will manifest a surprisingly blissful state. It is truly a state of peace.
The fourth level is fire. It is the baptism with fire that John talks about when speaking of Christ’s coming. This state is brought about in advanced meditation.
So to rap this post up we can conclude that the event people refer to as the rapture discussed in Thessalonians represents this third level of meditation and resulting consciousness. Remember that the New Testament was written in Greek. The ideas and concepts are the same.
Some helpful information on meditation and its effects:
In deep meditation, the lower thoughts of man (emotions and ego) are metaphorically killed off. They essentially experience a death. They are “the dead in Christ” which must first rise. In other words, the lower mind that has been killed off will experience a resurrection. How exactly does meditating kill off the lower mind or man?
Meditation brings stability, peace, and wholeness to the mind. This is the “rising” of conscious awareness. Check out these links to see this for yourself. The first source is an excellent article on how meditation actually helps to balance emotions.
This next article is published on Science Daily and explains how meditation even helps with aging!
Paul also states the phrase, “we which are alive and remain,” will also rise to meet the dead in Christ first. This aspect of your new awakening is simply your individuality living as the higher mind. Contrary to some thought, the individuality is not lost or taken over when meditate with no thought. Our individuality remains intact even though we walk in oneness with God, because we “ever will remain with the Lord.” This ever remaining with the Lord is to abide in and walk in the spirit continually, and no longer is the self under the delusion of the ego.
I believe this is what ELCUMEDIES truly meant when he stated that earth, water, air, and fire are eternal and interchangeable. In other words, consciousness manifests in different ways and on different levels. Spirit and matter are essentially interchangeable and two sides of the same coin.
How does this knowledge help us?
It seems that a lot of people in this world are now experiencing anxiety, depression, and “crazy” thoughts. Meditation is needed more now than ever. Granted, stress and a busy lifestyle has already done some damage to our internal glands that help regulate our body’s ability to channel higher consciousness. For example, many people have exhausted their adrenal glands and they are suffering to the point where it’s even hard to function every day, much less meditate! Many of us not only need to meditate, but change our diets and lifestyle too. I am also speaking to myself. I am continually challenged lately to improve my diet. It’s hard with work and everything else I have to do, like running this blog. But I know that’s its absolutely necessary, and you should too.
Do whatever it takes to make your body feel good and balanced again. Eat more raw foods and cut out the stuff you know is detrimental to your Holy Temple. Take more time for yourself and meditate. When you’re ready, you’ll know when it’s time to begin meditation for the purpose of higher awareness. Hopefully, you’ll experience the “rapture” and realize that all those people who are still waiting for it to happen are only deluding themselves. Then maybe you can help them see the truth if they become open to it.
Blessings!
I love that you are encouraging and inspiring us to meditate. So important, now more than ever. Meditation can easily feel intimidating in the beginning, and yes the time factor in this busy world doesn’t help either. But you offer great advice to get started here. Thanks for yet another great post!
No problem, Suzy. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Josh,
This post has just answered one of the others esoteric insight that was in the pipe line to be asked amongst the “Biblical story of man’s belief being saved by the shared blood of Jesus Christ that washes away the sins of the world” and how the blood of Jesus replaced the old paradigm of the people sin’s passed on to goats and blood shared on the alter for sacrifices” …………! Inwardly, my spirit bears witness with this esoteric truth, none of the hundreds of friends and pastor friends that i meet from my previous mainstream churches ever admit this truth when i try to share with them. One just asked me why i was in luck of money if i claim to have seen the truth and he is continually blessed financially by God. The leader of one of the largest structured church in Ghana with more than 15,000 siting capacity has it written boldly at the entrance “AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER UNTO ALL NATION’S” thus referring to the church made by the hands of carpenters and masons. No one else would want to listen to me because 95% of the people in Ghana still holds on to indoctrinated mind sets expecting to observe the Kingdom of God outside of themselves. It is very difficult living and integrating in such a society. Well what i have realized is that, the ability to understand this hidden meanings of scriptures is rather of a divine intervention upon the souls of the solitary individual following a unique path of soul evolution that do not fit into fixed, accepted societal structures. Therefore attempts to physically share this truth will rather cause pains that good.
Josh, you will agree with me and other blog followers of yours that it wasn’t by accident or marketing strategies that interests us but of a higher consciousness intervention. So sorry to have made a long comment, but if you could also tell us the esoteric interpretation of the shared blood of Jesus Christ that takes away the sins of the world taking into consideration Hebrews 7,8,9,10….. and not forgetting issues of GRACE and KARMA. Thank you.
Bernhadt,
Yes, I know what you mean. It’s hard when everyone around you wants to feed the ego with doctrine when you know in your heart of hearts that it just doesn’t fit. And you are also right when you say that arguing your belief with them is pointless. Actually, this only serves to reinforce their ego as they try to defend their point. Don’t even waste your time. They can only come into what the scriptures are really saying when they get the courage to ask God some hard questions and are willing to explore alternatives.
I will work on your request for a future post, Bernhardt. Blessings!
During meditation, higher level consciousness “metaphorically kills off” lower level consciousness. Or another, less violent way to say the same thing is: higher consciousness overrides lower level beliefs. I wonder why the Bible uses the words “killing” and “death” so often? To instill fear and control, maybe? The Bible is definitely schizophrenic.
I understand what you are saying Christine, but I think the Bible uses these words so often to describe how serious the business of dealing with the ego really is.
Yes, that makes sense. It’s serious business to raise one’s consciousness. It takes some gumption to break free from all the peer pressure, the societal and institutional programming, to step into one’s truth.
Josh, thanks for this post! I love it! I totally agree with you on the necessity to take care of yourself and lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes good nutrition. I have some good information on that, including a list of which foods are considered good (and which you should avoid), in my blog post listed below:
Thanks, Christine. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Like you I disagree with the rapture as taught by the popular churches. What we need to understand is that when they use the word rapture they are actually referring to a secret ascension of the saints and not the Second Coming of Christ referred to in the text you quoted. According to the rapture advocates, the Second Coming will come after the rapture when the “tribulation saints” will be delivered from the great time of trouble.
The Second Coming as taught in the scriptures is not referring to meditation. I will be a real event where a real Christ will return to a real earth to take a real set of people with him.
The text you cited in support of your argument about meditation, which states, “the kingdom is within you”, is not talking about the kingdom of glory but the kingdom of grace. This was the kingdom that Jesus bid his disciples to preach, and this is the kingdom that John the Baptist was preaching. The kingdom of grace dwells within us by the Holy Spirit, which enables us to perform the work of changed lives.
In Revelation 21 and 22 we are told of a real city to come. The prophet John saw it in vision coming down from God out of heaven. According to Revelation 20 while the New Jerusalem is surrounded by the wicked the saints of God was seen in the city, the kingdom. The kingdom will be a real, literal place.
Hi Josh,
I guess all I can say is wow!!
I found your website just today. I am very interested in developing my understanding of the Bible in the spiritual meaning versus the literal meaning and I would like to learn to meditate more effectively. Is there a church that teaches the principles and concepts that are laid out so well here in your blog? I desire to meet with like minded people and be a support to each other. Is there a certain church you suggest? Thank you eternally for your work of this blog. It is because of people like you who spread the message of truth and reality that helps some of the obliviously lost begin to awaken. Thank you.
Keri,
Unfortunately, this is where the road can seem a bit tough. There aren’t as many like-minded people out there when it comes to esoteric view of scripture, but they are out there and the community is growing. I live in a rural area, so there are no churches in my vicinity. I have heard of two places about an hour and half drive from my house, but as you can guess, I don’t have that kind of time most weekends. I have met a lot of people on the internet who share the same views, but that’s about all.
For me, this was necessary. I needed time to step back and regroup after being in a church with mainstream doctrine. I spent most of my time studying and learning. I am still in this stage, so I don’t go out and actively seek any kind of formal setting. I spend my free time with my family (I have two young children).
If you live in a big city I am sure you can find a group you might enjoy meeting with. Even meditation classes could be helpful. Why don’t you try a google search for your area and see what you can come up with? If you can’t find anything, shoot me an e-mail and I’d be glad to search a little for your area as well.
blessings!
I do think this information is growing and spreading rapidly.
Thank you very much for your response. I am sad to learn that there are not groups of people formed already that are studying this information together on a regular basis and being a support system to each other. This makes me want to change that! I do not yet know enough to act on my desire yet though. I need to ask the basic things like: What is this philosophy even called? What do you study to learn this information? Once I know the name of this type of teaching and possibly have some clues as to where I can look to study this teaching on my own, then I will be more equipped to start spreading the news. I have also been listening to Bill Donahue’s old videos that are being uploaded to youtube. It seems that your blog and his teachings are one in the same as well…yet I still don’t know what these are called??? I need a starting point. I am struggling and coming out of fundamentalist strict christian teachings that take everything in the bible as infallible and literal to the highest extent possible. I am even amazed that I am able to finally listen to my “knowing” that I’ve been pushing down all my life. It’s very scary and I need to find a support system and others who are also craving truth and knowledge and a deeper relationship with God. I too live in a small town in a rural area and it’s in the middle of the bible belt. There is no one to my knowledge that thinks along these lines. Any clues you can give me to help me find the name of this type teachings and where to study this on my own would be of huge value to me and to others who will read this post after me too. Thank you so much for all your work and sharing your knowledge with us all. Keep on keeping on… Don’t give up!! We are listening!!!! Much love and blessing to you and yours. <3
I may be a little late with this information, but nevertheless it may be of some help to you and others. There is a spiritual movement that is referred to as “New Thought Christianity.” There are churches all over the United States that practice this teaching. A man named Ernest Holmes started it more than 70 years ago. They publish a magazine called “Science of Mind” it is incredible. You can go to their website and get all kinds of information about it and it’s teachings. They do not teach a literal interpretation of the bible, they are more focused on the metaphysical interpretations. Check it out you will be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for sharing another resource for us, Marti. I am personally not familiar with Ernest Holmes’ work, but I will check it out.
I am not into all of the things mentioned here but I did enjoy reading them and will continue to do so.
It appears to me from the Garden of Eden our Flesh is the Beast the Great Red Dragon of Blood Life that has wrapped its tail around a 3rd part of us and cast us down to this world. Satan working through the weakness and desires of human passions has captured a 3rd part of us by climbing into the upper lintels of our soul and he being the one who hath power of death stands between my Spirit (God) and my Body, causing my body to die. Sin which is unbelief resting now in the soul of man and mans carnal mind being death itself in that it is now interwoven with the angel of Satan holds our human mind in captivity. Christ came to break that appointment of death, took upon himself the sinful unbelief of the Mind of Satan within him own self and cast Satan out of the Soul and into the Earth, from which He came. Inside one body as a woman with twins we carry both Good and Evil, we carry the Spirit (God and Good) and we carry the Soul (Evil and Satan). The Serpent having trapped the Spirit and Soul or both Adam and Eve. At Calvary Christ rent that veilish tomb in two and released the Spirit and Soul to be reunited as ONE, as Eve came forth from Adam thus the Soul came forth from the Spirit and we see this at the Cross Blood and Water came forth from the side of Jesus indicating the Birth of the Child which received its breath upon the day of Pentecost. So many dimensions to see this in. The Soul is a womb in which the eternal spirit plants its seed to grow, yet that seed needs both light and darkness to bring forth the creative powers of life through comprehension which substantiates faith and faith is the power or a 6th sense even God used to create all things. he has been trying to produce within his creature an eternal faith that rules over all of creation, to say what you will and doubt not and it shall be done.
Like the man finding the genie bottle, the genie is all powerful, yet submits itself to the will of the Man to whom found it, so which one is God? The Genie or the man who controls the Genie? God hath submitted Himself to the Faith of His Son Jesus Christ.
On another note I love the way you use higher and lower consciousness etc, I can see that, I just call it a different name, I call the human mind the carnal mind which must be sacrificed and killed out as a rock in front of the tomb of the Higher consciousness called the Mind of Christ which is then resurrected and appears in another form and walks among the people beholding the good and evil and upright in heart. Great site I will be continually reading and enjoying this site very much and thank you for such labors to put this all out here for us to read! PHN
Patrick,
I enjoyed reading your comment. We do have some differences of opinion, but we are also on the same page on many points. Thanks for commenting.
sorry I posted my old site this site is my new one. enjoy and share!
http://www.scribd.com/dsohministries
No problem, Patrick. Thanks for the link.
Your post about the rapture caught my attention. You speak very straightforwardly of the raising of consciousness, practice of meditation and so on. But what do we do when we have a powerful experience that seems to open gates within us that we never understood could open? That introduces us to a realm of consciousness never dreamed of? What does an everyday person do that has an experience, or series of experiences of a supernatural nature that are frightening in their intensity and puzzling, inexplicable and almost overwhelming? This has happened to me and I need help to integrate it, to understand it, to live life in a way that honors it. I’m not sure what happened to me, it is almost beyond belief. You say we don’t literally fly, we don’t meet Christ in the air. But what if it seems like we do? What if we have a years-long series of experiences, the likes of which we only hear of in ancient writings, scriptures? I don’t know why these things happened to me. I prayed, I didn’t meditate. I talked to God like a friend and he answered in ways I never expected and that changed my life. I go to Church because it’s a place to worship. I have to worship. But I also want to better understand the mystical experience I had and find out if there’s a way to understand what I am meant to do with it. I’d like to progress. It’s as if I walked into the mystical castle on the twelfth floor instead of the first and have no frame of reference to interpret the experience. I truly need help, because it’s hard living with this and having no one understand and no way to integrate it into day to day life. Thanks for your site, it’s amazing. But how do you keep from falling into New Age?
Happy New Year,
Laura
Laura,
Thanks for your questions. Since I have had this site up, you are not the first person who has asked about these type of spontaneous experiences. Before I write any further, I am just going to say that I have not had anything spontaneous happen like this, but I have read up on them. I’ll do my best, but there are going to be others that will you do your more justice than I.
With that being said, it sounds like you have had a Kundalini experience. Kundalini is a energy that is responsible for raising consciousness. You have a physical body, but you also have an etheric body that is the electrical energy blue-print for your physical body, which without, your physical body dies. In Sanskrit, the term nadis refers to thousands of energy meridians that act as threads of subtle energy distributing chi throughout the entire body. There are three major energy meridians that all humans have called Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala. Think of them as the etheric spine, the energetic blueprint to your physical spine. These three energy meridians carry kundalini through these channels. The central channel, Sushumna, is where kundalini surges from the base of the spine up to the brain. The only way this energy can flow freely is when the ego is worked on and the positive and negative energies of the persona are balanced. Balancing these energies is the task we have while living on earth and experiencing through duality. We balance our energies by overcoming the desires of the lower nature. Kundalini automatically begins to rise as we progress. I have read that some people have very frightening experiences when kundalini begins to rise but their positive and negative energies aren’t balanced within the persona, and in effect kundalini causes pain and suffering. In other words, kundalini was raised too quickly. Sometimes very dramatic and tragic life experiences can cause this. For others, these traumatic experiences serve as a springboard for overall positive change, but again, it all depends on the persona and ego.
From your experience, it sounds like it was positive. If this is the case, then you should be content to know that you are progressing as you tread the spiritual path. You have gained experience and insight into the more subtler planes of consciousness, and they are a blessing. To honor it, you should simply continue on the path you are on, even if that means going to church. Even though the church may have many teachings about scripture wrong, it doesn’t mean that we can’t still have a positive experience there.
You can further honor kundalini raising by continuing to pray and learning to meditate and simply loving. Meditation, yoga, and many other forms of spiritual practice naturally assist in raising consciousness. Even meditating upon scripture can help if you’re not ready for transcendental meditation practice. Continue to do what you are doing, because obviously it’s working.
How do we keep from falling into New Age? The information I gave up above may sound like New Age. In actuality it is, but there are a lot of New Agers that don’t truly honor following the spiritual path that seeks unity consciousness. As you decide what to believe or not believe, look to your heart. You won’t need to rely on other’s information, including blogs and websites like this one :), because the answers will come from within you, just as Jesus said the Kingdom is within you. I cannot stress how important daily meditation practice is because these answers will arise naturally from within.
I hope I have helped.
Hi again, Joshua,
Thank you for the time and effort you put into this response. It really was comforting to hear you say that I am progressing, but sometimes I just wonder. I have so many physical crosses to bear and occasional deep depressions. I see some small improvement in my heart/ability to love, but have setbacks too. Now I am wandering in a desert of dryness in prayer and have been for a few years. Prior to this period, I would literally run to pray as I would be rewarded with such a flow of peace running through my inner river . Not often any more! Milk is over and meat seems far off. My main personal criteria of progress is: do I love, do I forgive? But I am also by nature a shy and very reserved person for whom social interaction can be excruciating. So I have a LOT to overcome to love people, to extend myself. And yet God clasped me to his heart and loved me to death, in a firestorm, or so it seemed. So now, why am I still so shy, so reserved, such a mess around people? I feel as if I’m failing. Please forgive me if I am becoming a bore. These things can’t be discussed with a priest, at least not easily, and my parish priest is way too busy.
It’s hard to believe your level of knowledge and yet you say you’ve had no spontaneous experience of the mystical type. That must be part of God’s plan for you too.
Thank you again.
Laura,
We all go through periods of dryness like this, and even depression. I’ve had my fair share. I also believe its part of the spiritual experience. Sufferings are part of the journey, so don’t beat yourself up, and I wouldn’t compare myself to others. We are each on our own journey and the things we go through are there for good reason.
Keep in mind we can’t love others until we learn to love ourselves. Is this maybe part of the problem? Maybe this is why social interactions can be excruciating?
I’ll be honest, loving myself is difficult because after I began to know God my conscience became crystal clear. I had never understood what that old saying meant: Know yourself. Well, now I get it. I see how without God I can do no good, that in fact all the good I do I don’t really do, but God does through me. So I find it difficult to love “me” but easy to love God. Yet still, difficult to love God the way I should because I’m not fully mature in Christ yet. To tell you the truth I don’t think I’m sure what it means to love myself. I can understand loving myself with God, in other words when I’m in a state of grace, (in which case I’m really loving God who is with me) but what is there to love about me with ego? And I’m still with my ego too much of the time. The ego is afraid of appearing less, weak, needy, stupid, or anything less than perfect and that’s probably the root of my shyness: pride. But knowing one has pride and getting rid of it are two separate things. All I can do is trust that God will make sure it turns out right since I am failing in my own discipline and efforts. People always say I’m too hard on myself, but I know I’m too easy.
The wings of the dual serpents of ancients times are being resurrected again Laura, within those families whom are of bloodline of the ancient priesthood once again in this life-time. In other words don’t look for too much answers in mainstream theological orgainzations or churches, rather find a spiritual master (guru) in your karmic path and destiny pool. The planet and society sits at a huge spiritual upheaval due to sooo much violations of sacred laws (Kaballah: tree of life) (Jacob Ladder: paut neteru) that goes way beyond the ten commandments and the general doctrines of the bible. A friend once told me a long time ago that Bible Means: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!!! The more advanced masters (reawakening) have to seek the straight and narrow path for themselves and become the living proof of Kundalini Rising ie- the helio in their life time. Hope this helps some…
Ezekiel
Hi Josh, if your writing is right, then something very mighty is wrong with the entire world system. What you teach seems to be the doctrine or the beliefs of the “occult, and the secret societies “. Why must the “truth ” be for the few?
Okonbaba,
I see your point. However, when has anything ever been very right with the world? The truth is not “for” the few. It is for everyone, but even Jesus said “few” find the path. I am still learning and will always seek to do so.
@Laura I agree with you. Rapture does happen and not all are kundalini.
I happened to have one some 30 years ago. That is when
I went on a journey to find out. I did the ‘New Age’ scene and came out of it a lot wiser.
Regards.
I would just like to thank you for giving me better understanding on the things that I could hardly explain to myself even though I knew it was more metaphysical than literal. This blog has helped me tremendously. I really do appreciate you for all your help!
My please Detrick!
At this point I can almost see journey’s end and it sure does look a lot like where I started from. The most glorious adventure brings us right back to where we started from….I can promise you that…..just up ahead our Father waits preparing the greatest welcome home that one could ever imagine. PA most glorious adventure…..isn’t that what this all seems like. Most set out readying themselves for the journey and then it begins with all its twists and turns….choices to be made do I go over the mountain or take the time to find it’s hidden pass….sometimes falling down hoping no one will notice…finding the courage to pick ourselves back up again brushing off the dirt that covers the hands that broke our fall. Doesn’t it seem like we walk in circles until eventually we realize our misstep and take the other path. Kind of reminds me of the 40 year trek walking in circles trying to find the promised land.
robably most of us are going to be beat up a little bit…but thats o.k……the salve that heals awaits us in our Fathers house. What on Earth were we thinking to ever leave the sanctuary of our Fathers house? The way back is embedded in each of us.
Josh….do you think there will there be a mass raising of consciousness that will tip the energies opening the mountain pass that will guide us home. I hope so. God is in us. God’s mercy and grace is great. We are in good hands.
I am exhausted yet I know I need not be. I suppose it was all necessary to reach the intended place.
I just planted seeds for the first time with the hope to transplant into a vegetable garden when weather permits.
I could have purchased a plant in June however I wanted to see for myself how a viable seed endowed with all the knowledge it needs to grow seeks the light. Plunged into dark earth given water and warmth it breaks forth from the hard outer shell as it seeks the light. Everything on Earth mirrors everything else.
We are seeds planted by Divine will who watches as we awaken to our inner knowingness breaking forth from a hard outer shell forever seeking Light. From one seed you can get untold numbers of other plants who in turn provide untold number of seeds and so forth. “Be Fruitful and Multiply” “In His Image”
Father God rain down on us so we serve purpose.
Christ did not come to give us a way to higher levels of spirituality. He is all sufficient, the sufficiency of Christ. While the rapture as the mainstream church Teaches may be wrong what you are leading people in to is equally wrong. There is a Holy Spirit the very Spirit of God/Jesus who enters our human body and translates or raptures us. You have to know to balance the physical and the spiritual. The Bible says that when He the Holy Spirit comes He will guide you in to all Truth. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only Life. Climbing up another way will lead you astray. The work of the Holy Spirit is not the work of meditation. Straight is the gait that leads to Him. Not some personal so called experience spiritual awareness mixed with new age thought. There may be a lot of teaching in the church today that are wrong but mixing God’s grace and faith with new age meditation will only lead one down a very slippery path to destruction. I’m not saying that what you have brought up has some truth but so does every religion, but a partial truth is not truth. Jesus is the truth. God Bless you all on your journey as you prayerfully seek Him.
Nathaniel…
Thanks for adding your comment and insight. However, I would like to take this a little deeper:
The intellectual reading of scripture has a hard time grasping that Christ and the Holy Spirit are one and the same, as without Christ there can be no Holy Spirit and with Christ there must be. Receiving the Holy Spirit indicates that one has crucified the lower personal self (the flesh which is enmity with God) and therefore resurrected the Higher Nature within the body, and made the two (separate natures because of sin), ONE again. This person doesn’t just know about the divine nature, he or she has experienced it, for God is ONE.
Christ must come in the flesh (i.e., your body), for your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. What people fail to realize through the Gospel stories is it’s allegorical nature teaching us the process. But the New Testament makes it perfectly clear that every atom of the universe was made by and THROUGH Christ, and it is all divine life. The Christ is everywhere, in everything, and nothing could have been made without Christ. This means the divine nature is within not only every living soul (nephesh), but in all matter itself. Read the Gospel of John carefully along with some of Paul’s words. Those who follow after the flesh and the desire thereof cannot experience the resurrection of Christ (within themselves). Meditation (be still and KNOW that I am God) is about purging the lower nature through conscious experience. Does meditation equal salvation? No, of course not. Does it help the lower mind on it’s journey…absolutely, because it helps let go of detachment to the personal self in favor of in that day KNOWING, through experience, that Christ is IN the Father and You in Christ, and all three are one. The highest meaning of LOVE is not a belief or an emotion (these are fleshly ideals of love that reflect a higher reality of it). Scriptural love and wisdom is about experiencing the ONENESS of God, and then loving all of creation and every person in it. Love always forgives, always has compassion, because it KNOWS ONENESS, and it never seeks to advance the personal self.
The Church throughout the ages has robbed this universally held truth by the earliest Christians when Christian doctrine was born. Man’s belief in the personal self has been the root of all suffering on this planet, i.e., the wars, greed, every desire to remain attached to this impermanent world. Satan, the adversary, is the desire nature which is rooted in the personal self. Christ prayed that we would not be taken out of the world (because it is in this world of the body) that we can only resurrect the Christ, but that we are not to be “of the world” with it’s separateness apart from God.
One who loves God loves others, because the higher mind (the receiving of the Holy Spirit) sees all causes and effects and does not identify with them. The fact which the church preaches that man must believe this doctrine or that is quite silly. Believing in something with the intellect doesn’t mean you KNOW it. It is simply a belief. Most beliefs are intellectual in nature and will die with man’s last breath.
The Bible is not the word of God. The word of God is living, and it is Christ. Even Moses said the Torah was not the law, but it was very nigh to them, even within them. Jesus reiterates that the Kingdom of God is within you.
He who denies that Christ came in the flesh has more to do with that which is already a part of you, in you, and anyone who denies this has that antichrist spirit (spirit here is thought) which doesn’t understand. That is why the very next verse of John’s epistle states HE that is greater is in YOU than he (the antichrist spirit) that is in the world (seperation from the ONENESS of God).
Paul’s entire mission was the labor until Christ was birthed in US, the body, not through a belief, but through faith and action, word and deed, those fruits which are beyond the personal self.
No spirit can manifest unless it has a body, a vehicle, to work through.
Blessings and thanks again for your comment.
That’s right Nate, I agree. I only shared the article to show how we can think out of the box. Good word.
Patrick…
We must begin to think outside the box of all that religion teaches. Religion had its place and it has helped to curb man’s fleshly desires, but it is entirely deficient on it’s doctrine, which is why there are so many different beliefs even within the church. When man tries to interpret the scripture with his intellect alone he will fail, and cause many divisions and judgement of others who don’t believe the same way. This is man’s lower nature at work. The church teaches a devil that makes man do it. No the devil didn’t. The devil is man’s lower nature gravitated towards personal desire, which always leads to destruction. It’s man’s fleshly desire nature that has caused all the suffering in the world, and the devil is man’s religious scapegoat to justify his or her desire to continue doing that which he wants.
The Hebrews had no devil such as the one taught by the church today.
Blessings.