I recently had a long chat with one of the guys I was working with recently in Cheyenne Wyoming about religion and its many faces in Christianity today. He enjoyed my answers so much that he said I had cleared many things up for him and given him a new perspective on the Word and that he thought I should probably write these thoughts down and that it may help someone else. So that is exactly what I have decided to do here on my blog. I will start with basics and move forward from there.
This search for the truth is something I have been researching since I was a small boy and looked for answers to many questions I couldn't seem to get appropriate answers to about the Catholic church I was raised in. Needless to say I walked away from the Catholic church when I about 14 years old because the answers I received from the priests, monsignors and even the Bishop were sometimes more confounding than the questions.
When I first joined the Navy I told myself that I would begin a investigation into mans search for God (religion) and began by reading everything I could get my hands on and talking with a wide variety of religious leaders throughout my worldwide travels.
I'd like to start by saying that I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. I believe in Good and believe in Evil, I believe in the Darkness and I believe in the Light and I believe that man is a three part being. One part physical, one part conscious and one part ethereal spirit (the gift of God to man). God did not make religion what is today but man has allowed himself to become confused by his own efforts and the efforts of a worldly realm of dark spirits. Yes, I believe in spiritual evil, I have witnessed its physical presence and its physical power and I have never been more frightened in my life. These dark and evil entities has been bound to this earth and continually try to influence mankind to turn away from God. I know what I believe. I am lead to believe that my personal search for God has yielded a bountiful harvest of the knowledge of the truth. The very sad thing is that after all those years of seeking the Truth I finally understood that I had found it as a young boy but let the confusion around me become my compass and ended up travelling in circles for many years trying to find what had already been found.
I hope readers of these new episodes throughout my blog understand that I am simply conveying to you the knowledge God has blessed me with over many years. There is so much confusion today that many have simply given up their search for spiritual answers, like asking themselves "Who am I and what is my purpose here?" or they have become numbed by the modern world and see no point in wasting their precious time looking for God and the depths of eternity but rather cover themselves with the rewards of the here and now.
NOTE: Jesus is a modern interpretation of the Greek "Iesous" (pronounced "[ee]yeh-sooce") and the later Roman interpretation of the Greek into "Jesu" (pronounced "yehsoo"). It is most proper to call Him Yeshua; only in Hebrew does this name have any meaning. In Hebrew Yeshua means both "Salvation," and the concatenated form of Yahoshua, is "Lord who is Salvation." The name Jesus has no intrinsic meaning in English whatsoever. I have had some arguments about this but honestly I simply end each discussion with the fact that confusion begins at the beginning and the Messiachs Hebrew name is that pivotal beginning. My name is Paul and that is the name I have carried throughout this life I don't think I'd like to be called Clifford.
Lesson #1: The Ten Commandments KJV
1. Belief in God - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
2. Prohibition of Improper Worship - "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."
3. Prohibition of Oaths - "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
4. Observance of Sacred Times - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
5. Respect for Parents - "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
6. Prohibition against Murder - "Thou shalt not kill."
7. Prohibition of Sexual Immorality - "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
8. Prohibition of Theft - "Thou shalt not steal."
9. Prohibition of Harming a Person through Speech - "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
10. Prohibition of Coveting -"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
This search for the truth is something I have been researching since I was a small boy and looked for answers to many questions I couldn't seem to get appropriate answers to about the Catholic church I was raised in. Needless to say I walked away from the Catholic church when I about 14 years old because the answers I received from the priests, monsignors and even the Bishop were sometimes more confounding than the questions.
When I first joined the Navy I told myself that I would begin a investigation into mans search for God (religion) and began by reading everything I could get my hands on and talking with a wide variety of religious leaders throughout my worldwide travels.
I'd like to start by saying that I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. I believe in Good and believe in Evil, I believe in the Darkness and I believe in the Light and I believe that man is a three part being. One part physical, one part conscious and one part ethereal spirit (the gift of God to man). God did not make religion what is today but man has allowed himself to become confused by his own efforts and the efforts of a worldly realm of dark spirits. Yes, I believe in spiritual evil, I have witnessed its physical presence and its physical power and I have never been more frightened in my life. These dark and evil entities has been bound to this earth and continually try to influence mankind to turn away from God. I know what I believe. I am lead to believe that my personal search for God has yielded a bountiful harvest of the knowledge of the truth. The very sad thing is that after all those years of seeking the Truth I finally understood that I had found it as a young boy but let the confusion around me become my compass and ended up travelling in circles for many years trying to find what had already been found.
I hope readers of these new episodes throughout my blog understand that I am simply conveying to you the knowledge God has blessed me with over many years. There is so much confusion today that many have simply given up their search for spiritual answers, like asking themselves "Who am I and what is my purpose here?" or they have become numbed by the modern world and see no point in wasting their precious time looking for God and the depths of eternity but rather cover themselves with the rewards of the here and now.
NOTE: Jesus is a modern interpretation of the Greek "Iesous" (pronounced "[ee]yeh-sooce") and the later Roman interpretation of the Greek into "Jesu" (pronounced "yehsoo"). It is most proper to call Him Yeshua; only in Hebrew does this name have any meaning. In Hebrew Yeshua means both "Salvation," and the concatenated form of Yahoshua, is "Lord who is Salvation." The name Jesus has no intrinsic meaning in English whatsoever. I have had some arguments about this but honestly I simply end each discussion with the fact that confusion begins at the beginning and the Messiachs Hebrew name is that pivotal beginning. My name is Paul and that is the name I have carried throughout this life I don't think I'd like to be called Clifford.
Lesson #1: The Ten Commandments KJV
1. Belief in God - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
3. Prohibition of Oaths - "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
4. Observance of Sacred Times - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
5. Respect for Parents - "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
6. Prohibition against Murder - "Thou shalt not kill."
7. Prohibition of Sexual Immorality - "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
9. Prohibition of Harming a Person through Speech - "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
10. Prohibition of Coveting -"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
The Two Tablets: Duties to God and Duties to People
The ten commandments are the basic and very simple lesson plan for having a one on one relationship with God. Follow these simple instruction and you will lead a fruitful physical, moral and spiritual life.
I once met a Rabbi who summed it all up rather succinctly, "Know what is sin and FEAR it."
I have had that thought foremost in my mind ever since. That was a delightful and fruitful discussion all those years ago and still helps me maintain my main search for truth preface and that is that it is all so simple.
The first tablet, containing the first five declarations, identifies duties regarding our relationship with God, while the second tablet, containing the last five declarations, identifies duties regarding our relationship with other people.
You may have noticed, however, that the fifth category, which is included in the first tablet, is the category to honor father and mother, which would seem to concern relationships between people. Simple, our parents are our creators and stand in a relationship to us akin to our relationship to the God. Disrespect to our biological creators is not merely an affront to them; it is also an insult to the Creator of the Universe. Accordingly, honor of father and mother is placed in the middle because it is both a duty to God and your mortal creators.
These two tablets are parallel and equal: duties to God are not more important than duties to people, nor are duties to people more important than duties to God. However, if one must choose between fulfilling an obligation to God and fulfilling an obligation to a person, or if one must prioritize them, and Genesis 18 teaches that the obligation to a person should be fulfilled first. This principle is supported by the story in Genesis 18, where Abraham is communing with God and interrupts this meeting to fulfill the mitzvah of providing hospitality to strangers (the three men who appear). The bible gives another example, disapproving of a man who, engrossed in prayer, would ignore the cries of a drowning man. When forced to choose between our duties to a person and our duties to God, we must pursue our duties to the person, because the person needs our help, but God does not need our help.
You can see here in Yeshua's words how important ones relationship with fellow man was considered to be. To come before God in prayer and seeking atonement while still withstanding or holding a grievance with another was a grievous offence and one that must be addressed immediately and prior to seeking God.
In His sermon on the Mount Yeshua says atonement has no application until and unless you reconcile with the one you offended. (KJV Matthew 5:21-26)
21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill (Greek and Hebrew original the word is Murder); and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."
Yeshua showed the full meaning of this commandment. All rash anger is heart murder. "Raca," is a scornful word, and comes from pride: "Thou fool," is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills secretly and slowly. If at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God. It is always good and right for us to make a serious self-examination anytime we prepare to go before God. While we are alive, we should always be preparing to stand before the judgement-seat; after death, it will be too late.
When you finally see the importance placed upon our ability to interact and live peacefully among our brothers neighbors and see the uncertainty of life, then how very important it becomes to seek peace here in our daily lives first and foremost and then be able to stand before God.
In simple terms "How can you expect to have a daily loving relationship with a Universal and Divine God if you can't even have a simple relationship with your family and neighbors?"
You may have noticed, however, that the fifth category, which is included in the first tablet, is the category to honor father and mother, which would seem to concern relationships between people. Simple, our parents are our creators and stand in a relationship to us akin to our relationship to the God. Disrespect to our biological creators is not merely an affront to them; it is also an insult to the Creator of the Universe. Accordingly, honor of father and mother is placed in the middle because it is both a duty to God and your mortal creators.
These two tablets are parallel and equal: duties to God are not more important than duties to people, nor are duties to people more important than duties to God. However, if one must choose between fulfilling an obligation to God and fulfilling an obligation to a person, or if one must prioritize them, and Genesis 18 teaches that the obligation to a person should be fulfilled first. This principle is supported by the story in Genesis 18, where Abraham is communing with God and interrupts this meeting to fulfill the mitzvah of providing hospitality to strangers (the three men who appear). The bible gives another example, disapproving of a man who, engrossed in prayer, would ignore the cries of a drowning man. When forced to choose between our duties to a person and our duties to God, we must pursue our duties to the person, because the person needs our help, but God does not need our help.
You can see here in Yeshua's words how important ones relationship with fellow man was considered to be. To come before God in prayer and seeking atonement while still withstanding or holding a grievance with another was a grievous offence and one that must be addressed immediately and prior to seeking God.
In His sermon on the Mount Yeshua says atonement has no application until and unless you reconcile with the one you offended. (KJV Matthew 5:21-26)
21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill (Greek and Hebrew original the word is Murder); and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."
Yeshua showed the full meaning of this commandment. All rash anger is heart murder. "Raca," is a scornful word, and comes from pride: "Thou fool," is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills secretly and slowly. If at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God. It is always good and right for us to make a serious self-examination anytime we prepare to go before God. While we are alive, we should always be preparing to stand before the judgement-seat; after death, it will be too late.
When you finally see the importance placed upon our ability to interact and live peacefully among our brothers neighbors and see the uncertainty of life, then how very important it becomes to seek peace here in our daily lives first and foremost and then be able to stand before God.
In simple terms "How can you expect to have a daily loving relationship with a Universal and Divine God if you can't even have a simple relationship with your family and neighbors?"
End Lesson #1
We will go slow because there is quite a bit to cover.
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