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Helovesme2
Registered user
Username: Helovesme2
Post Number: 2092
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 25, 2009 - 8:57 pm: |     |
Different Gods
On an old episode of Murder She Wrote, there once appeared a scene a bit like this. Under a canopy in the back garden of a large, ornate house a wedding guest who was sat among the other guests waiting for a wedding to begin when she struck up a conversation with the old lady at her side.
“Lovely day for a wedding, eh?”she remarked.
“Oh yes, lovely!” Came the reply.
“Are you here with the bride’s side or the grooms?”
“The bride’s. I’m a distant cousin of her mothers.”
“What do you think of the dress? I think she’s going to look lovely in that gorgeous silk!”
“Of course! It will bring out her eyes beautifully!”
“What color are her eyes anyway? I’ve never been close enough to see.”
“Deep blue! They go beautifully with her long blonde hair and pale skin!”
“Interesting! . . . . You don’t really know the bride do you?” mused the guest, “She has olive skin, dark brown eyes, and short black hair, and she’s wearing cotton with eyelet lace. Just why are you at this wedding?”
Embarrassed, the other guest looked down, mumbling incoherently. “I . . . ., I . . .. “
“Don’t worry,” returned the guest, “I know you’re only here for the food. I saw you slipping some of the appetizers into your purse just a few minutes ago.”
Who knew the bride? Who knew (or was) an impostor? Actually, from this short exchange we don’t know, but the guest that started the conversation sure ‘knew’ a different person than the old lady! If only discerning who knew God were so simple! Or is it?
It’s true we don’t know more than the Bible tells us about Jesus’ looks, and discussing what he was wearing and the style of his hair would not really help much either, but are there ways to tell if, when we talk about knowing God we are at least discussing the same being? I think there are!
One person says God once had a disagreement, with Jesus having to talk the Father into letting him sacrifice himself – twisting his arm, so to speak, till, sometime after the fall, a way was made for salvation. Another thinks that God, the Three in One, had the plan already in place before sin and that in Him is no shadow of turning. One person believes that Jesus Christ existed from all eternity with no beginning. Another thinks Jesus did not exist till the incarnation, when ‘Christ’ was somehow united with a man – in Mary’s womb, at his baptism, or, perhaps, at his resurrection. They all say they love and worship Jesus.
One person thinks Jesus came in sinful flesh and lived a perfect life – like we can live if we make all the right choices – and died so that our sins could be removed from us and taken to the Heavenly Sanctuary, where they are piling up till they will finally be dumped back on Satan, the originator of sin. This person believes Jesus moved from one apartment of the heavenly sanctuary to the other in 1844, and has begun the final work of deciding who gets to go to heaven and, this person hopes, if they do good enough and remember and confess every sin, they will be saved in the end. Another believes that Jesus’ death at the cross took care of sin, once and for all, and after He ascended, Jesus went and sat down at the right hand of His Father right then, and, having trusted Him for salvation, therefore has confidence that their adoption is sure and that they have begun the life that will continue through eternity.
One person thinks that God the Father has a body like the Son (though the Son became human and gave up part of His abilities as God) and that the Holy Spirit is something or other that comes from both of them, another thinks that God is Spirit and that only the Son took on a human body (while still remaining fully God). One person thinks that God needs to be vindicated before His creation, another thinks that God needs no vindication. And I could go on, and on. . .
If all we know is “This one thinks, but that one thinks” we know no more than the watchers of that wedding guest conversation. We know that the people are not describing the same person, but do not know which one is actually describing the real person. Finding out, were you at that wedding, would be a simple matter: ask the mother of the bride, look around for a picture of the bride, or wait till the bride herself arrives. In the case of God it is almost as simple. We have the accounts of Jesus and his life as God on earth, we have the book God gave us to show Himself to us, and, better than anything at that wedding, we have the Holy Spirit who God himself has promised will lead those who seek into all truth.
Thoughts??? |
Raven
Registered user
Username: Raven
Post Number: 1032
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 4:16 am: | |
Excellent analogy! When you line it all up the contrasts are so striking - definitely different Gods.
While thinking through the recent posts about the Scapegoat, and reading this post, it becomes more and more obvious how innately evil and twisted SDA theology is. All of it of course is shaped completely by EGW and her visions. There can be no other source (the one behind EGW's visions) for how "off" and blasphemous it is.
You're right, we can know! Who will a person believe, the Bible alone or EGW? |
River
Registered user
Username: River
Post Number: 5105
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 6:43 am: | |
Since you are telling stories Mary, I will take a turn and tell one also.
Children gather round as I tell you the story of *The confirmation*
Once upon a time there was a guy named Phil, who had a wife named Jan, and they both decided to visit with a character called River and his lovely wife just prior to meeting with a couple named Dianna and Shaun, who was a big lovable dude who stands about six foot umpteen, and there also appeared a cute chick named Daisy_girl, all whom River, Phil and Jan were to see for the very first time.
Now just before leaving for the meeting with Dianna, Shaun and Daisy_girl they decided to have a time of prayer together.
And the Holy Spirit saw this and was pleased, and as they prayed he graced them with all great presence and by his presence confirmed them all as his own children and blessed them greatly.
So, having been confirmed as children of the great king and blessed, they got in their cars and left that place to go to the other place where the meeting with the heretoforeunseen persons were too appear as if by magic.
At this meeting after the joyful hugs and introductions the Holy Spirit again appeared also and love flowed back and forth from one to the other in confirmation and joy that these others who appeared as if by magic through the great door where spaghetti is made were truly his children.
Now they ate and they drank and made merry, over shadowed by the Holy Ghost till far into the evening until their joy was complete.
And sooner than was wanted by all the guests, the confirmations were over and alas it was time to go their separate ways. So, amidst hugs and sad goodbyes they each went their on way.
But they each left the other among the teary goodbyes with the confirmation that they all were truly the children of the same great King and were comforted by the love of one another.
The beginning. |
Lucybugg
Registered user
Username: Lucybugg
Post Number: 236
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 7:21 am: | |
The beginning.
I love that! |
Mommyk
Registered user
Username: Mommyk
Post Number: 281
Registered: 4-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 11:50 am: | |
Great thread!!!
~Kristen |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 7107
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 1:54 pm: | |
Love your stories River. I just received your book yesterday. Thank you so much.
Diana L |
River
Registered user
Username: River
Post Number: 5107
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 4:15 pm: | |
Your welcome Dianna, I hope you enjoy it.
River |
8thday
Registered user
Username: 8thday
Post Number: 1038
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 7:42 pm: | |
River, can you bring me one please? An autographed, limited edition with gold trim?? |
River
Registered user
Username: River
Post Number: 5116
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, June 28, 2009 - 7:34 am: | |
I will bring one with the Autographed limited addition, less the gold trim. I am already way ahead of you!
River |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 10072
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 28, 2009 - 1:35 pm: | |
Yes, I also love your book! I have it on the trip...
Colleen |
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