Where did all those DOs & DON'Ts come from?

about the Holy Spirit and the Church 

As this reinterpretation emerged, it became, and remains, a mystery of what was missing from Jesus‘ first words as He left the empty tomb (John 20:22) It is truly amazing that He simply charged everyone to receive the Holy Spirit, and be open and receptive to Its gifts for them. Did He choose to lay out specific, undeniable instructions on how to have church? No. Did He indicate specifically what doctrines to teach? No. What about all of the dos and don'ts that crept into the modern church, did He indicate their necessity to live righteously? No, He did not do that! He did not give them any warnings about what to be sure not to do. 

Obviously, He knew all that one  

needs is to receive daily from Spirit—this must be the most important message for humanity. That message leaves the Holy Spirit as the new personal Master Teacher of the spiritual life—not the church and not some doctrine or set of rules and regulations. Thus, the Holy Spirit took its  rightful place of power on the Earth. 

In His glorified body, Jesus visited and sat with those who loved Him and cherished His words (Luke 24:36-49, Mark 16). As they sat in amazement and wonder of the resurrected Son of God, Jesus tells them to receive the Holy Ghost and that the sins of those that they forgive are forgiven, and those that they do not forgive, their sins are not forgiven. Jesus gave common man the power to forgive sins through the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

No longer did God solely hold the power to forgive sin. However, the power that they were to receive brought an amazing ability for them to escape death to live free of the world. The Holy Spirit was to be their Comforter, Healer, Teacher, Counselor, and the Giver of the gifts of Spirit. 

Want to find God? Just be still!

My good friend, Randy Perry, does a great job on this song.  Of course, I am always helping people to learn to be still and enter the Silence.  What a difference it makes to spend moments with the Presence!  Enjoy!

Just be Still by Randy Perry

WE ARE ONE IN SPIRIT PODCAST: PART FOUR

 

Why Words Are So Powerful

Today is the fourth segment of my discussion with Minister Steve Brannon. We continue our interview by chatting about how words are used to manifest our reality.
To read more about leaving organized religion and this interview with Steve Brannon, click the links below. Or, you may listen to the interview, "Are You Spiritual.. or Religious?," here: http://bit.ly/JcOKFt
Part 1 -Don’t Rock the Boat Lest You Want to Leave the Church Fellowship
Part 2 - Why Religion is No Longer Working for Most People
Part 3 - Emergent Conversation about Christians Leaving the Church
Part 4 - Why Words Are So Powerful
Steve: I believe a lot of lessons are being set in motion for us on the global scene, just by the economic instability in countries and climate change all around the globe. Mother Earth is crying out to be treated correctly and have good stewards. We’re setting up a number of lessons on that level, but even right now in our country, we are wondering which way we are going to go. Are we going to show love and take care of one another, or are we going to be selfish and see ourselves as separate? Even on the personal level, so many people that I know are having a lot of health things come up, conflicts in relationships, the same lesson is coming over and over again. Are we going to see ourselves as united as one people, one energy; or are we going to continue in separation, which is not working? We won’t be able to get through this life without having a chance at learning that lesson, I don’t believe. Today it’s really coming to a head.
Yvonne: Yes that’s what we’re learning, that we are one in spirit. We are one with each other. We are one with the earth. We are one with the animals. All life is valuable. That is what Spirit is trying to teach us, Oneness.
Steve: I loved the visual I got while reading The Celestine Prophecy. The individuals praying over the plant, watching the plant respond—a beautiful picture of oneness to me.
Yvonne: Mr. Masaru Emoto demonstrated oneness with water. People prayed over or spoke/wrote words and put them on containers of water, and the crystals changed formation.
Steve: Our words are powerful. That’s how we manifest our reality. When our heart and our mind are settled on one thing, we speak it out, we confess it with our mouth. That’s phraseology. Things happen.
Yvonne: The word was with God from the beginning and is God. God spoke and things came into being. We have that same life force in us. Our words have power to manifest our reality. It all starts with a thought or word, and we add our emotion; the next thing we know we have a creation whether it’s what we wanted or not—it may be a negative thing, but we get what we believe we should have. Even if it is condemnation or judgment from others, a loss of job, loss of health or whatever, we’re creating with our words at all times. Words are powerful. We have to be careful what we say
Steve: Every even our thoughts are prayers. The universe immediately starts to line up with what we think about and what we intend, so we better think about our thought life! Yvonne: No wonder the Bible encourages us to guard our hearts diligently for in it is the issues of life. Guard those thoughts. Guard those emotions.
Steve: It encourages us to think on things that are of a good report—anything pure, honest, true, lovely—think on these things.
Yvonne: That’s been one of my favorite verses—especially for the past two weeks. Well, we’ve come to the end of our interview. Is there one thing that you might say to encourage us from our conversation today?
Steve: Leave room for mystery and questioning; don’t get locked down when you find a comfortable place in your belief/faith system. Don’t drive too many tent stakes. Be ready to move on to something new. Never stop growing. If one door gets closed, there’s always another one to open. The Holy Spirit is always teaching and you will always discover new truth.
Yvonne: True, so true. I learn more every day.
Steve: This is the day for it too. We need a lot of guidance. It’s time for us to get still, enter the silence, and come back with the guidance and answers that we need.
Yvonne: Be still and know God.

Technorati Tags: the spoken word,good,know God,Holy Spirit,leave room for mystery,questioning of your faith,enter Silence and a time of stillness

Today, we need to have the Conversation more than ever.

 

I invite you to support a controversial conversation: the Emergent Conversation. Some religious leaders wish it to end; others believe it already has ended. I propose that the need for the Emergent Conversation has never been greater. People (especially the younger generations) are disillusioned with traditional Christianity; they hunger for God, yet they are “turned off” by the dogma, the rules, and the narrow version of salvation. By way of example, I recently heard a story about a young Christian woman who had lost her father to cancer. As his condition deteriorated, she became increasingly concerned about “where he was going to go” after he died. Her father had spoken of God, but he had not been a churchgoer, and she was not quite sure whether he believed the “right” things. As she put it, “being a good person is not enough to get you into Heaven.”

These beliefs only serve to cut us off from God, each other, and our spiritual selves. That’s why a central message of my reinterpretation is that there is no separation between man and God, except that which lives in our hearts and minds. This separation, which began with Adam and Eve (the “Lie”) has been perpetrated throughout history by the Christian establishment. It preaches that we are all inherently sinful. Any “sin” we commit (i.e. not following religious dogma) further separates us from God and excludes us from the kingdom of Heaven. Any questioning of this dogma is a sin in and of itself, for it indicates a “disbelief” in Jesus, God, and the Bible.

The Conversation, however, welcomes questions, for it is in this way that we come to God in love, not for fear that we will be banished to hell. There are several things not explained by the traditional interpretation of the Scriptures, that have left many of us feeling marginalized and unworthy for not believing strongly enough. For example:

· How is it Jesus did a perfect work and paid for all sins, yet humankind is still in danger of losing soul salvation, and therefore must continually ask forgiveness for these same sins?

· How is it that God expects us to sincerely love Him with all our heart while under the threat of eternal punishment if we fail to truly, sincerely love Him?

· Why does the phrase “plan of salvation” appear on gospel tracts, but cannot be found in the gospels of the New Testament?

· How is it that the church of today is not, neither can it ever become, a continuation of the church Jesus commissioned?

· Given that Christ's resurrected life brought victory and salvation, why is the cross, an instrument of death, the celebrated symbol of Christianity?

· How many times have we sat in church wondering why being with God must be so mechanical and boring?

· Jesus taught that all people are one with the Father, so why does the church teach that people are separate and removed from God?

The questions are only the beginning, but my answers to them go a long way to eliminating fear and bringing us closer to God. The aim of the Conversation is to rethink all aspects of Christianity. And I support the undertaking by writing the reinterpretation of the Good News story. This reinterpretation debunks the Lie of our separation from God and teaches us a simple yet often-buried Truth: that we are nothing more (and nothing less!) than aspects of the Creator.

Ironically, one of the most encouraging reactions to the Conversation has come from the Christian establishment; not in the form of acceptance, of course, but rather an attempt to repackage their own mainstream message. The current trend in Christian churches is the kinder, gentler version: more love, less judgment. Yet the basic message remains the same: believe as we do, or you will be forever separated from God and his Kingdom. This makes the Emergent Conversation, or Movement, even more necessary, if only to keep applying pressure.

On the other hand, there are many challenges to the Emergent Movement, not only from those outside it, but also from within. As with any “shiny new toy”, there is the threat of eventual disillusionment. For those seeking instant gratification, there is the very real chance of returning to conformist views or having no spiritual life at all. Therefore, my advice to those joining the Movement is to keep in mind that this is not a “quick fix”, but a long-term commitment to know God and oneself.

It is my sincere desire that it continues and remains a powerful influence on Christianity as the global community undergoes The Great Emergence. That’s why I have pledged to make myself available to congregations wanting to learn to create inspirational support networks and groups for them. For more information on my group work with a plurality of faiths, please visit: The Two Agreements FB page, thetwoagreements.blogspot.com, thetwoagreements.wordpress.com. Contact us: thetwoagreements@yahoo.com

Are you spiritual? This book will change your life.

Are you spiritual… or religious?  If you are satisfied with your spiritual life as it is, you do not need to read this book.  This new work challenges everyone to rethink the “saint and sinner” doctrine, embracing all humanity regardless of race, gender, religion, and past “sins”.  The book compels you to examine the religious box you’ve been squeezing into, without questioning leaders who have long been put upon a pedestal. 

   Have you accepted religion’s programmed answers as truth, never asking the Spirit for validity of certain ideas?   Is accepting your forefathers’ beliefs causing you to feel as though your true self is held captive, as you persevere to do good and become more like God? Stop this internal battle and move toward peace!  Get ready for a life-changing journey that will refresh your view of God, your self, and your religion.  Thankfully, Jesus identified the Holy Spirit as our Healer, Counselor, Comforter, and Teacher—not “the church”.  Why not attune your personal connection with God and live the happiest, most fulfilling spiritual life possible? 

Many Christians are confused when comparing Jesus’ loving redemption message with opposing Church-dictated rules which claim to create right standing with an angry, judgmental God.  Claiming allegiance to no man, institution, religion, or ideology, The Two Agreements retells the greatest story ever told. This reinterpretation of the gospel, coupled with the Emergent Conversation and quantum science, asks those who love Jesus, the Bible, and the Christian faith-community to revaluate their position. The Two Agreements shines a light on your perfect relationship with the Divine, teaching you how to live freely yet securely in your eternal connection. As you gain new awareness of true salvation, you will experience peace beyond belief.