The ONLY way to God.

[GodsGrace]

The single most important lesson I learned came from Henry Blackabee. Through him I learned to stand still, be quiet, look and listen to see what God has going on. Then move closer to God and join in in what He is doing.

Right.
And bring others in with you. But at a speed they can follow. Some are hungry and want a lot of information and encouragment.

Some get mad. Better to leave them alone or they just get madder.
One speed doesn't work for everyone...

Also, it doesn't all depend on us. The person must be convicted by the Holy Spirit. We have responsibility, but full responsibility cannot fall on us. It would be too big of a burden to bear, and might even discourage us for future witnessing.

 

[jaybird]

Maybe you would be willing to share your belief of "His way since it is different that most? But we are waned about believing a different Gospel......
Galatians 1
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. KJ2000

was the Gal passage written before or after Christianity merged with rome? rome was the same ones that killed Jesus, burned down the temple and only became Christian after failing to destroy it for several hundred years?

 

[jaybird]

Does salvation have anything to do with certain beliefs, such as who Jesus is, that he died for man's sins, that he literally rose again, etc.? Or is it all in what one does?

i am not the final authority on salvation. Jesus was asked directly on salvation and He refereed them to the commands love your Father, love your fellow man.

 

[jaybird]

I think I know what you mean, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know much about Hindu, but it makes sence from the aspect of someone unfamiliar with Christianity when they discover it's true will look at it deeper to try to apply and understand it as much as they can. Where as if a person is in a culture of Christianity when they accept Jesus, they might not look so hard to differentiate what Jesus taught, and what He did, as opposed to what is culturally believed in that Christian community, and what might be unknowingly wrong but accepted beliefs.

i was born into Christianity with my moms family and some of my dads. my dads family is native american. i was told by many that all my native ancestors, that never heard of Jesus, were in hell being punished for being born in a culture outside the influence of Christianity. this never made sense to me, when i got older i could never find this teaching. it was nonsense such as this that made me question many of the things that i was taught in church. if its in the bible i believe it and do my best to follow it, if its a church doctrine built on twisting scriptures, i but little to no faith in it at all.

One drawback though is the Hindu has his/her culture as their foundation, which while strengthens one's resolve to look closely at Christianity, it also is hard to abondon. That factor could lead (and probabley has lead) many people to mix religions and add to Christianity when they shouldn't. Case and point from Israel's early foundations on it struggled with idol worship because of being so close with the other cultures that worshiped idols.

Jesus said we would know a false teacher by their fruits, i look at the Hindu people and i see a culture based in peace, humility, forgiveness and compassion for others. that does not look like bad fruit to me. and i dont remember reading of the Hindus destroying outside cultures.

 

[jaybird]

As old as I am I have studied World History and Christianity to this very day is persecuted. India has a mix of religions but it has always been a Hindu nation, the question is without a godly purpose. No follower of Jesus is here for the points.

they are not hunted and persecuted in India. England who was a Christian nation did it to the Hindus, did you know the British slaughtered over seven hundred Hindu men women and children in Amritsar, India in one day? they were very good at killing.

 

[GodsGrace]

i was born into Christianity with my moms family and some of my dads. my dads family is native american. i was told by many that all my native ancestors, that never heard of Jesus, were in hell being punished for being born in a culture outside the influence of Christianity. this never made sense to me, when i got older i could never find this teaching. it was nonsense such as this that made me question many of the things that i was taught in church. if its in the bible i believe it and do my best to follow it, if its a church doctrine built on twisting scriptures, i but little to no faith in it at all.


Jesus said we would know a false teacher by their fruits, i look at the Hindu people and i see a culture based in peace, humility, forgiveness and compassion for others. that does not look like bad fruit to me. and i dont remember reading of the Hindus destroying outside cultures.

Jaybird,
I've been reading along and the question of Jesus being the only way is a very loaded question.
Joel Osteen was asked this on the Larry King program and he's never heard the end of it!

Some questions would need answering.
WHO are we talking about?
My neighbor down the block who has heard of Jesus and salvation and turned Him down?
Someone in India who has their own culture and their own God and have heard of Jesus and may be confused?
Someone in a remote part of South America or Africa or any other remote place on earth who never heard of Jesus at all?
And does this last person ever think of God?
Does he look up at the stars and wonder who or what made everything?
Does he glorify God in his heart even though he doesn't know who God is?

Romans 1:19-20 comes to mind.

I wouldn't worry too much about your relatives.
God knows whom He will save. Those who glorify His name, even if they don't know His name.

 

[GodsGrace]

they are not hunted and persecuted in India. England who was a Christian nation did it to the Hindus, did you know the British slaughtered over seven hundred Hindu men women and children in Amritsar, India in one day? they were very good at killing.

Not everyone in a Christian nation
IS Christian.

 

[civilwarbuff]

was the Gal passage written before or after Christianity merged with rome? rome was the same ones that killed Jesus, burned down the temple and only became Christian after failing to destroy it for several hundred years?

How about just answering my post instead of deflecting?
Maybe you would be willing to share your belief of "His way since it is different than most? But we are warned about believing a different Gospel......
Galatians 1
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

 

[GodsGrace]

was the Gal passage written before or after Christianity merged with rome? rome was the same ones that killed Jesus, burned down the temple and only became Christian after failing to destroy it for several hundred years?

Galatians was written between 48 and 60 AD.
BEFORE Christianity became accepted in the Roman Empire.

We ALL killed Jesus and burned down the temple until we got to know our Lord and Savior.

So what difference does it make when Galatians was written?
Your post on believing in Jesus in a different way is interesting.

Please respect Civilwarbuff and respond to this.
Thanks.

 

[Free]

i am not the final authority on salvation. Jesus was asked directly on salvation and He refereed them to the commands love your Father, love your fellow man.

Does Jesus say to love God and love one's fellow man in the context of salvation? It doesn't matter whether or not you consider yourself an authority, what does the Bible say? It says a number of things regarding salvation.

 

[th1b.taylor]

they are not hunted and persecuted in India. England who was a Christian nation did it to the Hindus, did you know the British slaughtered over seven hundred Hindu men women and children in Amritsar, India in one day? they were very good at killing.

You really need to open your eyes and wake up. Try visiting the Voice of the Martyrs site and read up on the Indians, it is risky to just be Christian in India. My Primary is from India and when they, as a family unit, converted, they had to migrate and none of their extended family want anything for them but their extermination, they're Hindu.

 

[eddif]

jaybird
Read Ephesians chapter 2
Chapter 2 describes e foreign nation without God, and the joining of them together with Jews to form one new man.

Make comments.

What is your tribal bird? ( if I am allowed to ask)

eddif

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

i was born into Christianity with my moms family and some of my dads. my dads family is native american.

That's awesome, then you might know what I'm talking about. I was raised in two religous cultures from my family. Christian (from my mom and several other members of my family), and Baha'i (from my dad). From my mom we didn't have a specific denomination we went to church through, and from my dad as far as I'm aware his religion hasn't split into different sects or denomations. You probabley had to rely heavily on the bible to sift through the different perspectives and philosophies of Christianity to try and understand what's right by the bible, and what isn't from God. For the most part I think that's how I've found my foundation in Christianity.

i was told by many that all my native ancestors, that never heard of Jesus, were in hell being punished for being born in a culture outside the influence of Christianity. this never made sense to me, when i got older i could never find this teaching. it was nonsense such as this that made me question many of the things that i was taught in church.

I've been told something simular, and believe me it is something I struggle with. But take heart in this. Those who told my dad his religion was false, from Satan, or that he was going to hell(or anything simular); they weren't angry church members, or a mob outside his home. They were his brother and his mom who are both Christian and worry about him. As angry as the talks went it was largely between a dynamic of my dad wanting to be accepted or at least not said he was going to hell, and my uncle and grandma worried about my dad and wanting to save him.

Take heart because when someone warns another about hell, usually it's because they care enough to try to save them. At least that's my observation. That said I understand the point of saying you are not an authority for who goes to heaven and who doesn't. I have to hold a simular perspective because I can not hold out for answers that condemn my father. (At least not yet in my life.). The bible does say that Jesus is the only way though. It also says that when the nation's will be judged they will be seperated into two groups with those who cared for the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the imprisoned; and the other group who did not care for any of them. Our works and our love and mercy are part of the equation. Who and how God chooses to save, that is His authority. It is still no less true though that Jesus is the way to God.

if its in the bible i believe it and do my best to follow it, if its a church doctrine built on twisting scriptures, i but little to no faith in it at all.

That's a good approach. Having the bible as the real foundation.

Jesus said we would know a false teacher by their fruits, i look at the Hindu people and i see a culture based in peace, humility, forgiveness and compassion for others. that does not look like bad fruit to me. and i dont remember reading of the Hindus destroying outside cultures.

I really don't know much about Hindu people or the culture around it. I know about Christian, Baha'i, and some who don't believe in God at all. I know those from experience, the limited amount that I've experienced with each. Everyone else I've been taught about teaches one thing or another concerning others or themselves, often to be corrected when I see it face to face how it really is.

Everyone is innocent and a good person until you see where they are hypocritical or hold the standards but don't live up to them. The more you see this the more you understand that we all think of ourselves as good, and many strive to be good, but the reality is we all fall short.

 

[GodsGrace]

That's awesome, then you might know what I'm talking about. I was raised in two religous cultures from my family. Christian (from my mom and several other members of my family), and Baha'i (from my dad). From my mom we didn't have a specific denomination we went to church through, and from my dad as far as I'm aware his religion hasn't split into different sects or denomations. You probabley had to rely heavily on the bible to sift through the different perspectives and philosophies of Christianity to try and understand what's right by the bible, and what isn't from God. For the most part I think that's how I've found my foundation in Christianity.



I've been told something simular, and believe me it is something I struggle with. But take heart in this. Those who told my dad his religion was false, from Satan, or that he was going to hell(or anything simular); they weren't angry church members, or a mob outside his home. They were his brother and his mom who are both Christian and worry about him. As angry as the talks went it was largely between a dynamic of my dad wanting to be accepted or at least not said he was going to hell, and my uncle and grandma worried about my dad and wanting to save him.

Take heart because when someone warns another about hell, usually it's because they care enough to try to save them. At least that's my observation. That said I understand the point of saying you are not an authority for who goes to heaven and who doesn't. I have to hold a simular perspective because I can not hold out for answers that condemn my father. (At least not yet in my life.). The bible does say that Jesus is the only way though. It also says that when the nation's will be judged they will be seperated into two groups with those who cared for the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the imprisoned; and the other group who did not care for any of them. Our works and our love and mercy are part of the equation. Who and how God chooses to save, that is His authority. It is still no less true though that Jesus is the way to God.



That's a good approach. Having the bible as the real foundation.



I really don't know much about Hindu people or the culture around it. I know about Christian, Baha'i, and some who don't believe in God at all. I know those from experience, the limited amount that I've experienced with each. Everyone else I've been taught about teaches one thing or another concerning others or themselves, often to be corrected when I see it face to face how it really is.

Everyone is innocent and a good person until you see where they are hypocritical or hold the standards but don't live up to them. The more you see this the more you understand that we all think of ourselves as good, and many strive to be good, but the reality is we all fall short.

Hi NNS

So you're familiar with the Baha'i faith. This is why you're so well-balanced in all your remarks. As you know, I've always admired this about you.

The Baha'i faith is a very interesting one. All the messengers of God are "lights" that come to man at different times of history to shine the light of God upon us.
Those who see the light and follow it are of God, and those who do not, are not of God.

As you must surely know, Jesus is one of these lights. I always would say to them that there is a problem with Jesus because none of the other lights claimed to be God and Jesus did.

However, Jesus is a light and I'm sure your father experiences Him in this way and it's not right to claim he does not know Jesus.

God is a big God and we cannot put Him in a box and close it tight.

I used to have a friend long ago who would insist that no one can get to heaven unless they know Christ. And she meant those in the small tribes of Africa who had no hope of knowing the Lord. Could God be such a small God?
What is Romans 1:19 all about??

I believe Jesus is the right way. I believe Jesus is God. I trust Him and not Krishna.
Those who know God and serve God will be with God. If they see God through Krishna, so be it. I'll let God be the judge.
Those who serve satan will be with satan. Death is a continuation of life.
What we do here, we will reap in the hereafter.

 

[th1b.taylor]

jaybird
Read Ephesians chapter 2
Chapter 2 describes e foreign nation without God, and the joining of them together with Jews to form one new man.

Make comments.

What is your tribal bird? ( if I am allowed to ask)
!!
eddif

He's not Mescalero Apache I'm betting if he is of the Nations at all, I asked and he did not answer, likely a white boy wanna bee.

 

[jaybird]

Galatians was written between 48 and 60 AD.
BEFORE Christianity became accepted in the Roman Empire.

IMO the message of Jesus and the 12 changed after rome. to rebel against the Lords anointed is to rebel against the Most High Himself. the philistines tried and they were wiped off the face of this earth, there is literally nothing left of that culture, rome does the same thing, and they are blessed by being the new center for the Lords church? maybe im crazy but that makes little sense.

We ALL killed Jesus and burned down the temple until we got to know our Lord and Savior.

i somewhat agree with this as mankind has always taken things to far and is easily mislead by evil people. but, when Jesus was crucified the Jewish leaders, who had to conspire in secret to pull this off, had run off most all the believers, mary and a few others had to watch from a distance.

 

[jaybird]

Does Jesus say to love God and love one's fellow man in the context of salvation? It doesn't matter whether or not you consider yourself an authority, what does the Bible say? It says a number of things regarding salvation.

Jesus was asked:
Luke 10:25
25And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
and Jesus answered:
Luke 10:26-28
26He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

 

[jaybird]

That's awesome, then you might know what I'm talking about. I was raised in two religous cultures from my family. Christian (from my mom and several other members of my family), and Baha'i (from my dad). From my mom we didn't have a specific denomination we went to church through, and from my dad as far as I'm aware his religion hasn't split into different sects or denomations. You probabley had to rely heavily on the bible to sift through the different perspectives and philosophies of Christianity to try and understand what's right by the bible, and what isn't from God. For the most part I think that's how I've found my foundation in Christianity.

i know very little of the Bahai faith other than its from the middle east. does it have any roots into Zoroastrianism? i have studied that.
Jesus taught ask, seek, knock. this is a big part of how i approach spirituality. i seek and i put my faith in the Spirit will lead me where i need to be. i try not and rely on a group to lead me, groups can be manipulated and mislead, the Spirit can not. if i find myself lead out side of certain groups, i dont worry about it.

I've been told something simular, and believe me it is something I struggle with. But take heart in this. Those who told my dad his religion was false, from Satan, or that he was going to hell(or anything simular); they weren't angry church members, or a mob outside his home. They were his brother and his mom who are both Christian and worry about him. As angry as the talks went it was largely between a dynamic of my dad wanting to be accepted or at least not said he was going to hell, and my uncle and grandma worried about my dad and wanting to save him.

i struggled with it for many years but dont worry about it anymore because i simply dont believe it. at the time of Jesus and the 12 there were many othe belief systems going on, Hinduism, Buddhism, Greek thought, Egyptian, Zoroastrianism, etc. i dont remember Jesus condemning any of them. one of the wise men was a Zoroastrian priest, strange a priest from a "religion of the devil" would want to honor the Son of the Most High. there was one religion Jesus was very critical of, Judaism, His own people. Jesus was following the way but His people had forgotten the way. the faith had broken into sects, didnt agree on scripture, had created so many doctrines they could no longer understand the word.

 

[GodsGrace]

IMO the message of Jesus and the 12 changed after rome. to rebel against the Lords anointed is to rebel against the Most High Himself. the philistines tried and they were wiped off the face of this earth, there is literally nothing left of that culture, rome does the same thing, and they are blessed by being the new center for the Lords church? maybe im crazy but that makes little sense.
The message of Jesus and the twelve started to change immediately after Jesus' ascension. There were many heresies that started to circulate - one of the most important ones being whether or not Jesus was God, what it meant that He was God's Son, what was His real mission for coming to earth, etc.

I'd say that it's the early church fathers who kept the original faith going, as the 12 understood it. Were it not for them, who knows what would have happened to the Christian faith.

I do agree that more changes took place as time went on. After the reformation (Martin Luther 1,500's) things really started to change as evidenced by all the different beliefs we have today. All the churches because of splits because all don't agree on some small point or other. And some of the points are big ones; this also happens. I wouldn't look down so negatively on Rome.

i somewhat agree with this as mankind has always taken things to far and is easily mislead by evil people. but, when Jesus was crucified the Jewish leaders, who had to conspire in secret to pull this off, had run off most all the believers, mary and a few others had to watch from a distance.

I'm not so sure you understood what I meant. WE ALL KILLED JESUS. I killed Him, YOU killed Him. Anyone who is trusting in Him for salvation has killed Him. Why? Because He died for that person who is trusting in Him. He died for all, but His sacrifice must be accepted to be valid for that person. This is what I meant.

The believers closest to Jesus ran off the night of His trial because they were afraid they would also be put to death. I'm not sure where you're going with this idea. They were human and were afraid of death. Mary and John and Mary Magdalen were at the foot of the cross. The other Apostles could have been there had they wanted to, just like John was there. But they went to hide, probably at Martha and Mary's house in Bethany.

In any case, I'd have to repeat what I said to Not_Now.Soon and say that although we are all believing in the same God, in the sense that there is only ONE Almighty God, Creator of the universe, we who know Jesus understand that He is different from the other messengers God Almighty has sent to gather his most precious creation (us) to Him.

Jesus did not condemn the other religions of the world, as you said in a previous post, however, He DID say He was the truth, the way, the life. What more could be said? Those who deny Jesus after understanding who He is, are truly denying God Himself (since Jesus is God).

Please Click to expand.
My reply is in blue...

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Hi NNS

So you're familiar with the Baha'i faith. This is why you're so well-balanced in all your remarks. As you know, I've always admired this about you.

The Baha'i faith is a very interesting one. All the messengers of God are "lights" that come to man at different times of history to shine the light of God upon us.
Those who see the light and follow it are of God, and those who do not, are not of God.

As you must surely know, Jesus is one of these lights. I always would say to them that there is a problem with Jesus because none of the other lights claimed to be God and Jesus did.

However, Jesus is a light and I'm sure your father experiences Him in this way and it's not right to claim he does not know Jesus.

God is a big God and we cannot put Him in a box and close it tight.

Thankyou Wondering. I don't think I'm that well balanced, but I appreciate it. I love the things I've learned from my dad and from the Baha'i community, as well as the people themselves. And with that in mind I can't come to any conclusions that their fates will be bad after they die. So many of them are very active and spiritual with all the fruits of the spirit that people can have without dipping into maraculous things like healings or talking to God. It would break my heart to think on the lines that God won't accept them.

But that said there are just a few things that I can't bring myself to agree with either, so I can't accept them as a religion from God the same way I can accept Jesus was from God. It is a beautiful religion, and has some wonderful teachings and books of prayers that remind me of the prayers in psalms with it's language, it's reverence for God, as well as highlighting love and kindness. With that in mind I can't reject them, but I also can't accept them. The main reason though is because the bridge between Baha'i and Christian is Islam, which holds itself as the correcting authority over previous scripures that have been corrupted. If you can't cross that bridge you can't accept what's past it either. It's an unfortunate dilemma. My dad does believe in Jesus, but I don't know how much he believes. In the same way I believe in a lot of what the Baha'i Faith teaches, but I am unsure it is from God, or am very sure it isn't from God on other things.

I used to have a friend long ago who would insist that no one can get to heaven unless they know Christ. And she meant those in the small tribes of Africa who had no hope of knowing the Lord. Could God be such a small God?
What is Romans 1:19 all about??

I believe Jesus is the right way. I believe Jesus is God. I trust Him and not Krishna.
Those who know God and serve God will be with God. If they see God through Krishna, so be it. I'll let God be the judge.
Those who serve satan will be with satan. Death is a continuation of life.
What we do here, we will reap in the hereafter.

God can reach anyone. That I agree with.