Why does the Bible call God male? And why "God"? The name YHWH was used in the old testament; it supposedly means:
I AM
Self-existent One
I Am Who I Am
The "first" human created was male and female perfectly combined apparently. Not a hermaphrodite, probably not a sexual being at all, but complete. The evidence is that "Adam" was taken apart - divided into component parts of male and female. (Unless of course, we're to believe that the Almighty Creator forgot that he would need a female to go with that male until he noticed all those other animals he had made and remembered!)
Aren't the first statues, idols, cave paintings, etc., of a female god? Because females made new people, makes sense that they would be considered amazing creators. But then people realized men had a part in it and it changed. The men were stronger physically and able to take over without worry that this female would make new warriors to avenge any poor treatment of her.
People used to, many still do, believe in an entire pantheon of male and female gods, are all the overall mightiest ones perceived as male? What happened to spirit? The Bible says there is no marriage in heaven/the kingdom, no male and female to YHWH.
I believe the concepts of male and female gods, Father, Abba, the Son, Bride of Christ, etc., are all merely allegories, ways to help us start on a path of understanding spiritual things, we just needed a starting point to refer to.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
What is the Kingdom?
What is the Kingdom of Heaven? The Kingdom of God?
Some say it's heaven, a place believers go after death. Some say at the end of this world, we are resurrected and go to heaven. Some say it's a place we go when Yahshua/Jesus is preparing and will take us to on his return.
There's also a view that it's a kingdom that will be set up on earth when Yahshua returns. This also sometimes includes a view that current believers will rule with him either on earth or from heaven.
Then there's a view that this kingdom is here. Yahshua said whenever the Father's power and love is demonstrated on earth, the kingdom is here, is among you. Scripture backs this up, but the other views are backed up too. (That's a matter for another post, the Word is "alive".) I just read something about this latter view that i find so true. It leads to other questions of course, but what doesn't? That's as it should be.
Anyway, it's nothing new. It's from a teaching on a site called Emet Ministries, the Keys series, this one is in Key to the Kingdom. It says the gospel is, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is here," and that the good news is "YHWH's reign is for today, repent and accept His will for your life and rule as you were created to!"
This doesn't sound any different than the usual teaching but in a small way...we're usually exhorted to believe, trust, all that. But no one can just go get belief somewhere and no one can trust someone they don't even know. The Bible says even our faith comes from Him in the first place; then we trust Him as He shows us He's trustworthy. Until He shows Himself to someone, that person has no way to "live in the kingdom here and now", anything they believe is just what someone has told them. Even the meaning of the word faith is disputed. I've read that it should be "faithfulness", and not the blind faith we're taught is so righteous.
What i'm trying to figure out right now is how this kingdom life now is different than positive thinking. Optimism and positive thinking are beneficial to humans in many ways; is a kingdom lifestyle merely that? Does the word "merely" apply? How can someone be optimisitic in the face of adversity without knowing there's a plan behind it all, or that somehow it will be the best?
Some say it's heaven, a place believers go after death. Some say at the end of this world, we are resurrected and go to heaven. Some say it's a place we go when Yahshua/Jesus is preparing and will take us to on his return.
There's also a view that it's a kingdom that will be set up on earth when Yahshua returns. This also sometimes includes a view that current believers will rule with him either on earth or from heaven.
Then there's a view that this kingdom is here. Yahshua said whenever the Father's power and love is demonstrated on earth, the kingdom is here, is among you. Scripture backs this up, but the other views are backed up too. (That's a matter for another post, the Word is "alive".) I just read something about this latter view that i find so true. It leads to other questions of course, but what doesn't? That's as it should be.
Anyway, it's nothing new. It's from a teaching on a site called Emet Ministries, the Keys series, this one is in Key to the Kingdom. It says the gospel is, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is here," and that the good news is "YHWH's reign is for today, repent and accept His will for your life and rule as you were created to!"
This doesn't sound any different than the usual teaching but in a small way...we're usually exhorted to believe, trust, all that. But no one can just go get belief somewhere and no one can trust someone they don't even know. The Bible says even our faith comes from Him in the first place; then we trust Him as He shows us He's trustworthy. Until He shows Himself to someone, that person has no way to "live in the kingdom here and now", anything they believe is just what someone has told them. Even the meaning of the word faith is disputed. I've read that it should be "faithfulness", and not the blind faith we're taught is so righteous.
What i'm trying to figure out right now is how this kingdom life now is different than positive thinking. Optimism and positive thinking are beneficial to humans in many ways; is a kingdom lifestyle merely that? Does the word "merely" apply? How can someone be optimisitic in the face of adversity without knowing there's a plan behind it all, or that somehow it will be the best?
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Knowledge Shouldn't Be Our God
It's difficult to decide how much of the Bible to take as daily instruction. Naturally, i'm supposed to understand that ALL scripture is profitable for instruction and training in righteousness, etc. We have to acknowledge that much of scripture is full of totally depraved people, though.
What do we do with Samson for example, he broke the food laws, did not show honor to his parents, treated women with total disrespect, and more. The bible says this was done because God intended to use this mess of a man for His own purposes. Samson was dedicated to God from his birth, a Nazirite. Was this just his parents promising to raise him right? If Samson had behaved as he was supposed to be taught, would his life perhaps have turned out differently? We know he accomplished the purpose he was intended for - to take out the Philistines for the Israelites. If he had been truly a decent, godly man, would he have been hailed as a true Israelite hero? He still is but with reservations; we have to be sure to only mention his final act. Is this what it comes down to? Pretending the bad isn't there and only concentrating on the good?
Would Samson have gone on to do even greater things, or at least more great things, if he had been righteous ALL the time?
What about Solomon, he pleased God and was given wisdom. But he ended up totally depressed, turned from the Almighty and was nothing but a whore. He counted it better to do whatever women wanted so he could be with them than to live a godly life. And we're supposed to learn WHAT exactly from the "wisest man who ever lived"?
I can use my own mental powers to explain it for good or to explain it for bad. For bad: Following a righteous, holy path in life is not worth the trouble. For good: God does not give us all wisdom and knowledge because we can't handle it.
If this world, if people, are so depraved, sinful, and bad that wisdom will destroy us, why are we so impressed by the Father's work in creating it? Whatever happened to "we are fearfully and wonderfully made"? Is this why God said to Adam at the beginning, "Look buddy, i'm telling you, don't eat from that tree. If you insist, you go right ahead but i'm telling you now, you don't want to do this!"
More from scripture:
Too much knowledge wearies the mind and of the making of many books, there is no end.
I don't think i can accept that knowledge is bad, wrong, or even unwise. Maybe that's just because i was raised to consider the acquisition of knowledge as the pinnacle of achievement. The Bible doesn't say that though. Since i don't believe God was hoping for a planet full of ignorant, non-thinking retards, there must be another way to look at it. (Unless of course he WAS hoping for that.) There must another way of looking at knowledge and wisdom.
So far, we go by the evidence and facts; that's how we put together our "knowledge". And then every new bit of evidence, every new fact, can change the entire picture. Sometimes we can find a way to force the piece into the puzzle but there are many times it can't be done. Humankind has to redraw the whole outline.
We have to define knowledge by the definition the Almighty gives us. I don't yet know what that is but i'm looking. I can still study and learn history, science, even grammar (hey, i LIKE grammar!), but that isn't the whole point. Having wordly knowledge may or may not help me be successful by my country's standards, having spiritual knowledge probably won't. But having spiritual knowledge, the little i've been given so far, has already made a profound difference to me. I'm on a QUEST!
What do we do with Samson for example, he broke the food laws, did not show honor to his parents, treated women with total disrespect, and more. The bible says this was done because God intended to use this mess of a man for His own purposes. Samson was dedicated to God from his birth, a Nazirite. Was this just his parents promising to raise him right? If Samson had behaved as he was supposed to be taught, would his life perhaps have turned out differently? We know he accomplished the purpose he was intended for - to take out the Philistines for the Israelites. If he had been truly a decent, godly man, would he have been hailed as a true Israelite hero? He still is but with reservations; we have to be sure to only mention his final act. Is this what it comes down to? Pretending the bad isn't there and only concentrating on the good?
Would Samson have gone on to do even greater things, or at least more great things, if he had been righteous ALL the time?
What about Solomon, he pleased God and was given wisdom. But he ended up totally depressed, turned from the Almighty and was nothing but a whore. He counted it better to do whatever women wanted so he could be with them than to live a godly life. And we're supposed to learn WHAT exactly from the "wisest man who ever lived"?
I can use my own mental powers to explain it for good or to explain it for bad. For bad: Following a righteous, holy path in life is not worth the trouble. For good: God does not give us all wisdom and knowledge because we can't handle it.
If this world, if people, are so depraved, sinful, and bad that wisdom will destroy us, why are we so impressed by the Father's work in creating it? Whatever happened to "we are fearfully and wonderfully made"? Is this why God said to Adam at the beginning, "Look buddy, i'm telling you, don't eat from that tree. If you insist, you go right ahead but i'm telling you now, you don't want to do this!"
More from scripture:
Too much knowledge wearies the mind and of the making of many books, there is no end.
I don't think i can accept that knowledge is bad, wrong, or even unwise. Maybe that's just because i was raised to consider the acquisition of knowledge as the pinnacle of achievement. The Bible doesn't say that though. Since i don't believe God was hoping for a planet full of ignorant, non-thinking retards, there must be another way to look at it. (Unless of course he WAS hoping for that.) There must another way of looking at knowledge and wisdom.
So far, we go by the evidence and facts; that's how we put together our "knowledge". And then every new bit of evidence, every new fact, can change the entire picture. Sometimes we can find a way to force the piece into the puzzle but there are many times it can't be done. Humankind has to redraw the whole outline.
We have to define knowledge by the definition the Almighty gives us. I don't yet know what that is but i'm looking. I can still study and learn history, science, even grammar (hey, i LIKE grammar!), but that isn't the whole point. Having wordly knowledge may or may not help me be successful by my country's standards, having spiritual knowledge probably won't. But having spiritual knowledge, the little i've been given so far, has already made a profound difference to me. I'm on a QUEST!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
A Timely Reminder
On a forum i frequent, this was posted:
S: I feel like when it comes to being rewarded at the judgement, how we treat our neighbor will be the main focus, and not on how we kept the Sabbath, or fasted, or ate the right stuff or studied or prayed. I'm not saying that those things aren't important, but I believe it is more important to Yahweh and Yahshua that we actually do something constructive for our fellow man, rather than just live a blameless life before Yahweh.
-------------------
This is exactly what i've been meditating on, i even started writing to get this clear in my head. It feels like i've been thinking and writing all around it; now S has cleared all the muddled debris and i can walk right to the middle of it and go from there. As i sit here right now, i see that much of my life has been a human push for knowledge then the Father pulling me back and telling me where the knowledge REALLY comes from. And reminding me that He's already told me and shown me that i will get the knowledge i need on HIS timetable, not my own. He shows me too that much of the "knowledge" i keep going for is irrelevant and wasting my time. I can study and learn but i'm to remember my priorities.
S: I feel like when it comes to being rewarded at the judgement, how we treat our neighbor will be the main focus, and not on how we kept the Sabbath, or fasted, or ate the right stuff or studied or prayed. I'm not saying that those things aren't important, but I believe it is more important to Yahweh and Yahshua that we actually do something constructive for our fellow man, rather than just live a blameless life before Yahweh.
-------------------
This is exactly what i've been meditating on, i even started writing to get this clear in my head. It feels like i've been thinking and writing all around it; now S has cleared all the muddled debris and i can walk right to the middle of it and go from there. As i sit here right now, i see that much of my life has been a human push for knowledge then the Father pulling me back and telling me where the knowledge REALLY comes from. And reminding me that He's already told me and shown me that i will get the knowledge i need on HIS timetable, not my own. He shows me too that much of the "knowledge" i keep going for is irrelevant and wasting my time. I can study and learn but i'm to remember my priorities.
Friday, December 7, 2007
More than one theory of gravity?
??? In one of the physics discussion groups, i just read, "That's the age-old question. Which theory of gravity is the correct one?"
WHICH theory of gravity? I didn't know there was more than one!
Oh, well, that's why i'm reading there. Once again, is our knowledge necessary? Or is it just a way to exercise our intellects and creativity? If we're making decisions based on our fluid certainties, how can any of our decisions be right? Pure random chance? Things turn out the way we expected so we assume we were right? Makes sense, but it apparently has a very remote chance of being true.
Is this why the Almighty at the very beginning advised people not to eat from the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'? The options were to trust Him to show us the right way since He already HAS the knowledge; or learn a little at a time ourselves and go through all the screwups on the way. We, obviously wanted to do it OUR WAY, which is fine if we're willing to pay the price. Problem is, nobody can even comprehend what that price is because we don't have all the knowledge yet! Conundrums and paradoxes...
WHICH theory of gravity? I didn't know there was more than one!
Oh, well, that's why i'm reading there. Once again, is our knowledge necessary? Or is it just a way to exercise our intellects and creativity? If we're making decisions based on our fluid certainties, how can any of our decisions be right? Pure random chance? Things turn out the way we expected so we assume we were right? Makes sense, but it apparently has a very remote chance of being true.
Is this why the Almighty at the very beginning advised people not to eat from the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'? The options were to trust Him to show us the right way since He already HAS the knowledge; or learn a little at a time ourselves and go through all the screwups on the way. We, obviously wanted to do it OUR WAY, which is fine if we're willing to pay the price. Problem is, nobody can even comprehend what that price is because we don't have all the knowledge yet! Conundrums and paradoxes...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Truth Can Be Such A Pain!
When my son is fussing and complaining about schoolwork, i get very aggravated sometimes. Often i decide whatever plans i had with him are shot, forget it, i don't want to be in the company of someone with such an attitude.
Today i just left to run errands, ignored the places i had planned to stop for his pleasure; i even decided to deliberately bring back the remains of a fast food lunch so he would see what he missed because of being such unpleasant company. But as i was driving, fuming about how i don't even want to go to the trouble of raising him if he's going to be so obnoxious about doing his own work, work that's for his own good (not that i really expect a child to understand that), something struck me. Hmm....
1. He complains about doing annoying schoolwork.
I complain about doing annoying child training.
2. He complains that he has to put so much effort into his work.
I complain that i have to put so much effort into my work.
3. He complains that he can't see any result from so much effort.
I complain that i can't see any result from so much effort.
Unfortunately the list can go on and on and on...
WHY do children have to be such perfect mirrors?!
Today i just left to run errands, ignored the places i had planned to stop for his pleasure; i even decided to deliberately bring back the remains of a fast food lunch so he would see what he missed because of being such unpleasant company. But as i was driving, fuming about how i don't even want to go to the trouble of raising him if he's going to be so obnoxious about doing his own work, work that's for his own good (not that i really expect a child to understand that), something struck me. Hmm....
1. He complains about doing annoying schoolwork.
I complain about doing annoying child training.
2. He complains that he has to put so much effort into his work.
I complain that i have to put so much effort into my work.
3. He complains that he can't see any result from so much effort.
I complain that i can't see any result from so much effort.
Unfortunately the list can go on and on and on...
WHY do children have to be such perfect mirrors?!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Is Knowledge Necessary?
Does knowledge really matter anyway? Human knowledge?
1. first humans in the middle east, then in southern africa, the latest?
2. earth is round, earth is flat, earth is round again.
3. three states of matter - solid, liquid, gas; then four - solid, liquid, gas, plasma; then five - solid, liquid, gas, plasma, BEC...
4. things work in THIS manner, oh wait, now we've discovered a whole subatomic world that works the opposite way, oh wait, it only works this way unless we observe it, then it stops...
5. earth is the center of the universe, if you say otherwise you die! Oh. Oops. No it's not. Just one planet out of nine in this solar system. Oops. Now there are only eight.
We're so demanding about our kids' schoolwork because... because...why?
1. first humans in the middle east, then in southern africa, the latest?
2. earth is round, earth is flat, earth is round again.
3. three states of matter - solid, liquid, gas; then four - solid, liquid, gas, plasma; then five - solid, liquid, gas, plasma, BEC...
4. things work in THIS manner, oh wait, now we've discovered a whole subatomic world that works the opposite way, oh wait, it only works this way unless we observe it, then it stops...
5. earth is the center of the universe, if you say otherwise you die! Oh. Oops. No it's not. Just one planet out of nine in this solar system. Oops. Now there are only eight.
We're so demanding about our kids' schoolwork because... because...why?
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