Hi! All
Please note that I'm in no way deviating from Ray's teachings, on the contrary I am fully in accord with them that is why I'm on this site in the first place to support not fault.
Thank you all both supporters and detractors, your input is very welcome it gives us a starting point if we keep a clear and unbiased mind. I will emphasize once again I am not a teacher nor am I in a position to teach but learn from people like Ray, the moderators and you kind and loving members. We are all entitled to our own opinions and I thank you all for your frankness. I mean no offense to anyone, including you brother musicman I appreciate your input and if I have inadvertently offended please accept my sincere apology and when I apologize I mean it from the heart, believe me. I am only sharing God's Word as He speaks to me and each and everyone of us, so let's share in harmony and peace, I enjoy reading what He is saying to each and everyone of you as you share it in your individual posts with me. All I ask is that you please give His message to me a fair run as I share it with you.
I see from the post that there are quite a number who are prepared to try and follow my thread and I will direct this to you so as to cause no offense to those who do not wish to know and wish to criticize purely for criticisms sake.
Beloved, Joe, OBenda, KristaD, Darren and Vangie. Yes indeed Matt.22:37-40 is truly still alive and kicking and that is the Scripture heading to where I'm going on this thread. As to the "YES" or "NO" is it of man or God? I didn't mean the lukewarm to be personal it was directed at the subject in question. I now see my error and why I'm being accused of being judgmental though inadvertently, and I will repent of this sin and here and now sincerely apologize to musicman and ask his forgiveness.
1...."Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets'". (Matt.22:37-40)
2...."Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.” Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Gen4:1-7)
3.... “But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. “But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you. “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts." (Mai.1:8-11).
3..... ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Rev.2:7)
4......‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Rev.2:11).
5......‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ (Rev.2:17).
6.......‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations;" (Rev.2:26).
7.......‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Rev3:5).
8.......‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name." (Rev.3:12).
9......‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Rev.3:21).
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Ray teaches us that the whole Bible is a parable and I believe that he is right. Not just Revelation but the complete Bible is a parable and must be read as such in the SPIRIT.
I see a spiritual connection between all the Scriptures I have quoted and my question "DO YOU LOVE GOD?" and the beast within who is cunningly deceiving us.
It defeats the purpose of the exercise if I tell you what I believe, we should all study them in prayer and try to discover what they are saying to us regardless of what they are saying to me. When Evangie plunged for (Matt.22:37-40), I thought she had the answer but then she drifted on to my critics and was thrown of her path.
Beloved you are so very near. Indeed it all centres round the first three commandments but the thorn lies in the second command. It is that thorn we are trying to locate and name.
I will download and post out to Dewey the entire Old and New Testaments, as his supply must have worn out by now, because all he seems to be able to do is throw the Scriptures at each and everyone haphazard which is far from edifying and doesn't seem to have a clue as to what he is talking about.
Randy I don't understand what stung you. Was it a bee? Horseflies can cause a nasty swelling.
I emailed Bobby Proctor on a PM maybe he'd like to post it here for all to share. Would you Bobby?
Darren I can see your point, but I'm not talking about earthly love for mother, father, friends and neighbours, but a Godly love which requires much, much more than we are normally accustomed to here on earth, you will find that love described beautifully in 1Cor.13. An entire chapter devoted to that one topic so it must be very important, don't you think?
Hi! Joe you're a real comforter but why have you gone and robbed me of the cream.
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Here is our "beast" the carnal mind)
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Fantastic Joe it is all truly about the Spirit and the hand of God. You and Beloved have quoted the correct Scriptures that I am basing my thoughts on.
Deep within me I feel that everyone of you is seeing what I am going on about and I give all thanks and glory to God because this has been on my mind for quite sometime now and it is not by accident that I have ventured to post it on this forum. I had a good idea that there would be differences of opinion but I never expected the mean spirited criticism I received. Thank you Beloved for your forewarning post God bless you.
But one person, OBrenda, has truly nailed it, that is to say what this post is all about, here is her post;
Well Roy,
IMHO...The beast within me is what I also understand as the Ego/Carnial Mind. Which calls itself "I". It sees itself as separate from others, where comes forth pride and judgement and loneliness. It identifies itself with physical things, which produces Lust and Greed. (What car I drive, what I do for Work, What Church I go to) When the scriptures tell us WE are "ONE" body....with many parts...."ONE" tree with many Limbs.
So the one that says "I" in me is the beast.
So No "I" do not Love GOD!
But greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the World (Satan)
But the creation and workmanship that is HIM that works in me, Loves God Dearly!
Without a doubt HE who (now please don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting or inferring anything, I know how this can go wrong. I have already messed things up with musicman and had to go down on my knees for his forgiveness because it was not meant in the way it was taken, so please bear with me) is in you Loves God dearly, but the "I" is still sharing space with Him and it is that "I" which speaks for you in Satan's world outside you. "DO YOU LOVE GOD?"
Do you follow what I'm trying to say? That beast has to be brought out of hiding and exposed before the Spirit within you can assist you to overcome him. As long as he is in hiding he is absolutely safe.
Now Brenda we are on really sticky ground, we cannot sit on our laurels and say the One within is greater than him without, we have a command repeated 7 times further up "Overcome". Overcome what if not the "I" within. The Spirit will help you but you have to do your bit as well. You mention Pride, Lust, Greed, judgment but left out one more deadly than the lot. I remember seeing a Hollywood film called "Pride and Prejudice" so let's throw in this last sin which has to be overcome.
How do we all fare now, think hard and long about it and pray because it is the deadliest sin against our neighbour. With that on our plate can we still say "WE LOVE GOD?" "If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." (1Jn.4:20,21). Prejudice is next door to hate if not worse. Remember Miriam and what God thought of prejudice.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." (1Cor.10:12)
God bless you brothers and sisters in our joint walk in Christ.
Love in Christ Jesus.
Roy UK