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My suggestion at this point is for you to be the best you can be and I can't offer any other details because I am not you. I can sit on this bus, next to you, because I want to, because you are honest, and because your honest viewpoints are proving to be very valuable to me, more than I can say with words.
Thanks Joe. I really had to take your words which I believe you probably used Boyd’s continuum to encourage me to practice in the right direction and Words I already knew were a great assistance to me.
This one brought the reality that I might not like the consequences of continuing:
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• Matthew 5:25 KJV
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.
After considering the negative consequences of proceeding in the direction I was headed. I consider the positive side of the problem.
• Proverbs 19:11 KJV
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
There was another one, but I can’t remember what it was now.
And then there was Joe:
My suggestion at this point is for you to be the best you can…
Who practices being a good friend and offers good advice.
And I know, I can’t really be sorry if I continue to harp…
If you never meet anyone who challenges your faith, will that be a surprise?
Actually Joe, I can look at this 2 ways:
1. My faith was not being challenged in the sense of sharing it because that is not what was going on.
2. My personal faith was challenged because I had to live within it’s boundaries instead of what I wanted to continue doing to hammer away.
I'm here on the bus. I read your welcome words. I respond honestly. I hold back language that I use freely when not in your company. I hold back things that you find to be unwelcome, things that may appear to be vulgar to you. That is not deception on my part, as far as I know.
I think it is a sign of a good friend who will consider how something makes the other person naturally feel. But Joe, the part I don’t understand is why would you ever want to be vulgar? Is there pleasure in it?
You are more than welcome here, because you are honest, and because your viewpoint is more precious than I can ever measure, because I am merely a human being, complete with many human faults.
Thank you Joe, you know I am always questioning my welcome. I think I am in, I need to go get your words…oh it looks like I was supposed to answer some questions:
Are you in combat with your past?
Are you in combat with your future?
Yes, I am probably in combat with my past. I should not be though. I should be doing this:
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but th is one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
In that sense, I suppose I am in combat with my future to continually press forward for a goal.
I like the bus. I like your company on the bus. When I can no longer afford to do the things I like, I will stop.
It is a fun bus ride. There is so much to learn and talk about. I know, though that it takes power and power may not be available for a bus, but I am glad I got on and didn’t miss it!
Joe, what is it that you are trying to believe?
Here we are back at the fence and we are in the Forum Topic Invented, Produced, and now being Maintained for that expressed purpose.
I can start with one thing so as not to confuse any other things. I can start with this one thing because this one thing was on my mind more than once in that past few days.
God is a person like existence, having arms and legs, I suppose, so while I am doing this supposing, I think in terms of this fence right here, and I can meet you at this fence, and I can try to believe that God is a person like existence, having arms and legs.
Is that what I am supposed to be believing?
That is a starting point, or not?
Joe, Jesus said these words:
• John 4:24 KJV
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
What do those words mean to you?
If we can start on this effort to reach this goal, I think a good start is this he business. To you God is a he?
Looking back at the verse I just listed: John 4:24 Jesus said: GOD is a SPIRIT and they that worship HIM must worship him in spirit and truth
The word GOD in that verse is from the Greek word is: Theos : (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/theos.html )
And it has these meanings:
a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
the Godhead, trinity
God the Father, the first person in the trinity
Christ, the second person of the trinity
Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity
spoken of the only and true God
refers to the things of God
his counsels, interests, things due to him
whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way
God's representative or viceregent
of magistrates and judges
The word SPIRIT in that verse is from the Greek word is: Pneuma (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/pneuma.html)
And it has these meanings:
the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his personality and character (the \Holy\ Spirit)
sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his work and power (the Spirit of \Truth\)
never referred to as a depersonalised force
the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated
the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides
the soul
a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting
a life giving spirit
a human soul that has left the body
a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel
used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men
the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels and equal to God, the divine nature of Christ
the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one
the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.
a movement of air (a gentle blast)
of the wind, hence the wind itself
breath of nostrils or mouth
The word HIM in that verse is from the Greek word is: Autos
(http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/autos.html )
And it has these meanings:
himself, herself, themselves, itself
he, she, it
the same
Does God have arms and legs? Is he male?
Joe, God is a spirit. He had arms and legs and was male when he walked on the earth as Jesus.
I think to explain I am going to say, have you heard the literary term, personification? In my own words from memory it has to do with giving an inanimate object the qualities of a person. Like, the sun smiled as it cast it’s warmth upon the earth. Or the tulips were cheerful as they swayed in the breeze. Well, the sun can’t smile and tulips are not cheerful in the terms that humans smile and humans can be cheerful.
There is a term called ANTHROPOMORPHISM which the attribution of human qualities either physical or psychological characteristics to God. For instance:
Here is an example:
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
• 2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Just a thought…the 2nd part of that verse: blowback???
Anyways that is not our subject.
The subject is the arms, ears, and eyes of God. Those are examples of anthropomorphism.
They are words that help us understand.
What hears? Ears. Does ears in the sense that humans have ears? Can God hear? What does he hear with? I don’t know because I don’t understand how a spirit can hear.
Does God have arms to save; i.e., does he lend us a helping hand? Yes, but is it really a hand, or is it just his help?
Does God see me? Does he have eyes like mine? Or is He God and can He see without physical eyes?
Jesus said God is a Spirit. He can do things and we can do some of the things that He can do, but He does not need the same faculties that we need to do those things.
Why call Him He? http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/male.html
“Is God in heaven male?
When most people think of God, they think of Him in His glory in heaven. So, the question, "Is God male" usually refers to God as He exists in heaven. The Bible always refers to God using male pronouns. Does this mean that God is physically male? In other words, does God have male sexual organs? Surprisingly, the Bible does address this question indirectly, through a number of different statements about the nature of God and what He is like. Jesus said that God is "spirit."8 Although not defined extensively in the Bible, a spirit is an entity that has no physical body. After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples that He had returned in bodily form, saying, "a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."9 If God is a spirit as the Bible says, and a spirit has no flesh or bones, then God cannot be male in physical form. God is not male, since He is not a physical, but a spiritual, being.”
“God in three persons
The Bible says that God exists in the form of three persons, although He is one God. These three persons are said to be the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. According to the Bible, nobody has ever seen the Father, except the Son and the angels.3 The Father is the fully-expressed glory of God in heaven. The Son is the image of God4 expressed in bodily form,5 who existed in eternity past as part of the Godhead,6 but voluntarily gave up some of his glory to come to earth as a Jewish male.7 In this sense, the representation of God on earth could be said to be male. Likewise, every time "The Angel of the Lord" appeared on earth in the Old Testament, He appeared as a male. Most Christian theologians interpret the appearance of God in the Old Testament as the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. The third person of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit, who works through believers, but has never appeared on earth in human form.”
OK here are some words that I have come up with: Also, if you look at creation and consider anthropomorphism, in general, which of the sexes are the strongest and most beautiful in the animal kingdom? Which of the sexes go thru the effort to attract a mate? In that attraction, which is the dominate partner? That is the aspect of God’s maleness, humanly speaking.
But, just like a mother hen, Jesus wanted to gather Jerusalem under His wings, and they would not. So in that sence God has given himself anthropometric traits of the female sex.
What is in the word: Male?
What is in the word: Female?
What is in the word Man
What is in the word Woman?
What is in the word He
What is in the word She?
To me God is a the power of creation, and more simply, or more difficult to understand, I don't know, God is truth.
When I read the words: “God is a power of creation.” In my understanding you are placing God under creation’s power or from Creation’s power, as if creation created God. A power of creation? That causes me to ask: What other powers does creation have?
When I say God IS Creator, I am saying God did the creating thru Power resident IN God. God IS the source of the power. (I am trying to avoid using the word “himself”) Creation is OF God.
Creation is not God or more than God. God is more than creation. Creation is the manifestation of God’s power (speaking like Fromm).
God = Truth
I can agree with that. Jesus is the Truth according to
John 14:26:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The Bible specifically says: God is Love.
• 1 John 4:8 KJV
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
God is Truth. God is Love. God is Creator. God is Holy
You ask:
"Joe, is there anything that you are holding back from God? Any part of you that you are unwilling for Him to have?"
Him, where is this Him, and how can I answer your question if there is no Him to hold back from, anything or nothing?
Does God, that you believe, have arms and legs?
I have a hard time believing in the God you see, to hold back something, or give everything, when I see no such thing.
Can we approach that part of the question after you have read this reply as I have tried to explain God as a Spirit? You can let me know if you still have questions about God as a Spirit and then I can also talk about holding things back.