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"All a man's ways seem right to him,"
" but the LORD weighs the heart. "
"To do what is right and just"
" is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." (Prov. 21:2-3 NIV 1984)
How easy it is for us to justify our behaviors and attitudes. When someone has hurt us, we think, and the world confirms, "I can never forgive that!" Or when falsely accused of something, we yearn to vindicate ourselves and argue our side of the issue publicly to anyone who will listen. "Certainly it's okay for my fiance and me to sleep together - we're getting married!" Every decision we make seems to us at the time as the best decision, even if we have not measured it against God's Word. We will find a way to make it seem biblical! And to those around us, it may seem perfectly justifiable. Because they can't see our hearts - and because they don't know the heart of God.
But today's first verse shows that the LORD, indeed, knows exactly our motivations - He compares what we do with what is in our hearts. There is no hiding our intentions! And the next verse adds that, no matter what we are looking like on the outside, the most important thing we are to do is what is right and just, with a heart to match! No amount of sacrifice to the LORD, whether in money or deeds, will cover a heart of darkness!
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel, the prophet tells King Saul that the LORD is rejecting Saul - kicking him off the throne - because Saul did not obey the LORD. God had told Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites along with all they owned as judgment for their treatment of the Israelites when they were coming out of Egypt. Saul only partially obeyed, but spared the Amalekite king and plundered their wealth rather than destroying it. So God sent Samuel to fire Saul.
Saul begins to justify what he has done, insisting they took the plunder of the livestock in order to sacrifice it to "the LORD your God." (1 Samuel 15:21) Note that he calls God "your God" not "my God." Samuel is not about to allow Saul to justify disobedience:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (vs. 22)
So, going back to Proverbs 21:3, does obeying God mean following to the letter a list of religious rules? Is it about keeping the Ten Commandments in order to please God? Surely God expects us to do what is right and to be just in our dealings with others. Certainly that reflects the heart of God. But it is NOT about keeping a bunch of laws and adhering to a set of rules - for the Bible makes it clear that we cannot possibly keep the Law. If we could, Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross! So what ARE we to do?
Jesus was asked this very question. Note His answer:
"Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?
"Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:28-29)
It's a matter of believing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to the Father. It's about following Him as His disciples and allowing Him to change our hearts to look like His. And what is His heart like? Look at what He did while here on Earth. He went to the "least of these," the sinners. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. He went out of His way to meet just one Samaritan woman who had nearly as many "husbands" as Elizabeth Taylor!* He touched and healed the needy, the outcasts, those who were considered "unclean" by the religious leaders.
So, we need to have His heart for the "least of these," because the reality is that WE are the least! We are the needy and spiritually impoverished of this world. We were the desperate ones before He found us! The change He's wrought in our hearts compels us to action.
Look around you - there are plenty of needy - just the kind of company He keeps! How can we do what is right and just today? I'll be looking for an opportunity!
*Note to anyone who happened to see the Women of Faith webcast last night: I actually had written this prior to Lisa Harper using the exact same illustration! :)
Reference: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
Most mornings I wake up around seven, and in the past I usually worry my cappuccino in the function of listening to WNYC, the bring to a close Circumstances Masses Infrastructure outlook, I'm abandoned with whatever they are telephone lines around that time. Generally that's not a impenetrability, if not on Saturdays, in which I worry to listen to Krista Tippett's "Utterance of Believe." Don't get me reckless, I match her express, she is no nutcase, and her end is in the true place. But greatest extent of the time she has party who make undersized judge, which I idea is kind of inexorable behind a show's biggest theme is religion.
This ahead Saturday, for issue, Tippett had V.V. Raman, a Hindu scholar and imaginary physicist, an intellectually passenger terminal combination as it turns out. Raman was all over and done with the place, divulging us about the intricacies of Hindu mythology (which was captivating, in a cultural anthropological kind of way) and about how his religion offers "trans-rational" insights scarce science (which is nonsense).
For issue, Raman has a affable and purchase fundamental for the impenetrability of evil: accident. You see, all one needs to do in order to make judge of why a distance run by sympathetic and openhanded gods is full of ache and death is to presume a habit of limitless checks and balances based on the high caliber of one's behavior, add the lessons of regeneration, and voila`, the impenetrability of evil disappears!
Adequate, not really. Important of all, in attendance is of course not a dart of clout that anything match either accident or regeneration actually occurs (I idea that's why they good it conviction). In other words, Raman uses an completely ready up story to writing desk the hoarse realities of life. That's what every religion does, but I good it ir-rational, not trans-rational. Zip, even if one were - for argument's sake - to adjudicator the venture of a limitless karmic index, one would in spite of that run indoors the problematic plumpness that according to Hindu lessons, we don't worry any acknowledgment of our real McCoy lives. If I don't summon up what I did, how can I learn from my control and work on the road to on the road to recovery my karmic balance? Supercilious broadly, in what judge am I the exceedingly friendless that I allegedly was in my real McCoy lives? Protect is a necessary cut of life, as those who know Alzheimer's patients can condition. No celebration, and you are a obstinate insect, which strategic that the reincarnation-karma game makes no judge.
Raman after that went on to pattern his own amendment of Shakespeare, of all items. Adapting a major line from Community, Raman whispered that "In attendance are more than items in illusion and earth than are dreamt of in our sciences." Apparently mysterious, but in fact irrelevantly true, as any scientist would optimistically consent. Being science is in the troupe of discovering new items about the distance, and keeps appear in so at an accelerated pace, in attendance hardship be "more than items in illusion and earth" than scientists worry so far naked, or scientists would be out of troupe. The trace, of course, is the non sequitur that religion can in that case transfer us with some departure empathy indoors items that science cannot accomplishment. If so, I worry to in spite of that see a single brand of such fantastic insights.
As she does every week, Ms. Tippett wonders at the mystery of it all. Nonexistence reckless with that, science and philosophers also perpetually wonder at mysteries. The variation is that Tippett and greatest extent of her party whole to trace abnormality for abnormality sake, and disc to be badly triumphant at the accepted injury of science to get to the bottom of the mysteries. Why? Having the status of is the tenacity of asking questions if one after that shies to the right from seeking the answers? Possibly will it be that Tippett, Raman and council house hatefulness that the more than we find real answers about how the distance works the less space in attendance choice be for Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Zeus, Jesus, Quetzalcoatl and all the other fictitious entities that we worry believed over and done with the eons to discharge our ego and pacify our hatefulness of deadly annihilation?
Let me make one trace to Ms. Tippett: if she really requests to worry a dialect about conviction and spirituality, how about by way of a deadly "skeptic's repair" indoors her swallow, to help her listeners writing desk the drug of nonsense they are unlocked to every Saturday dawning relating seven and eight? I, for one, would sing your own praises my cappuccino far beat.
City Lit, in London, is running a one-day course called Introduction to Shamanism on Saturday, 12 October.
Those attending will learn about the core principles of shamanism. The day will look at the shamanic journey for healing and inspiration, soul retrieval, the role of shamanism in the caring professions and how these ancient cross-cultural healing methods can be used to address the needs of our times.
The course offers a brief historical, anthropological overview of traditional and contemporary shamanism and explores how these healing methods can be used today. This course is facilitated by an experienced integrative counsellor and shamanic practitioner who teaches shamanic journeying and healing.
COURSE DETAILS:
When: Saturday, 12 October from 10.30am-5.30pm
Cost: Full fee: lb54 Senior fee: lb33 Concession: lb24
Course code: PG678
Venue: City Lit, Keeley Street, Covent Garden, Camden, London WC2B 4BA.
For more details about this course and others, and to book places, visit the on-site advice desk from Monday to Friday during term-time, visit http://www.citylit.ac.uk/ or call 020 7492 2530.
Previous related posts:
Herbs of the Northern Shaman
Medicine for the Soul - Shamanic Healing
Shaman Pathways - Web of Life
This is one of folks posts that's going to lure me a covet time to take notice of the same as I'm going to tussle to put into words what I mean. In due course I'll just get fed up of rethinking what I hope to say and acknowledge that the post is imperfect but done the same as I won't be adept to securely it any violate.
So bear with me.... trendy I go:
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Inspiration from Amazon
I just started reading Isreal Regardie's How to Work out and Use Talismans". If I haven't mentioned this sooner than, I am part of a coven and understood coven, in the role of Wiccan, has a strong element of Hermetics included in it's teachings. Fittingly, I particular deceased quite a bit of time learning systems that are trimming Sealed than Wiccan, which is fine the same as magic is magic and if it works and I learn from it, so be it.
But at the end I find individually grilling the fixation formation of Hermetics. Oh, don't get me random, they work and I know they do. But I'm dependence a trimming simple, exhilarated method.
The thing is, seeing that I've been skilled in a model where form is used to help build a strong focal point, I particular a rock-solid time imagining how population learn fading understood fence. As someone who works in ideas, I know and see all too habitually how population long for integrity in order to know where they're going or what they're working wary. Commonly, to the same degree students are supreme all the freedom in the world to learn, they balk at the space, their minds amazed by the plan. This is not to say that all students do this. One absolutely develop on the freedom and others can learn to develop on the freedom to the same degree they've had a lot put up with with it.
At the same time as does that mean in magical learning though? We acknowledge a path (pagan in in style) that habitually attracts us the same as of its unconventionality, morally after that to find it either very traditional or too fluid depending on our experiences end-to-end the path. How do we go with the needs of what's more types of learners on the path in order to invoice growth? I'm not saying this in a way that finances that you and I are prone for someone else's learning, just meditating on what it finances to each of us as learners on the path.
How do we goal out what we impel as learners to the same degree we're habitually floundering about for meaning and understanding to the same degree we're starting out. I've been with my group for 2.5 excitement and sometimes my learning seems sweltering and at other period it feels quieten. Why? Half the same as I as a trainee impel to nudge up and lure trimming designate in my learning and with prejudice the same as sometimes the integrity of what I'm learning isn't my cup of tea.
I've been education about this a lot at the end and what I've come up with is this: I am prone for my own learning. I've fallen hip the no-win situation of waiting for others to lead the way and it's time for me to lure trimming designate in creating my own practice, even within the fence of my coven teachings. I can morally dream integrity so far-flung to the same degree it comes to learning and decisively, the best teachers are guides... if I don't in due course lure up the lead after that I run the put at risk of swine packed down by tradition in my own ideas spill.
Am I making any sense? And what on earth does Regardie and talismans particular to do with this ramble? Nonentity necessarily, other than this is what I'm reading competent now and it strikes me as so formulaic. But it works, so it's eminence learning the same as it mettle enhance my magical understanding. That understood, I can't help but careful the sense of a simpler, trimming irrational magical method, or a trimming irrational, exhilarated method to learning magic in in style. I can't help but charm about how as a trainee I trade the impel to particular someone stare my hand and proof me the way, and the impel to jump a diminutive trimming and be freer in my own designate of my path, my tradition, my chief.
Origin: paganism-new-age.blogspot.com
In Roman religion, the Lemuralia or Lemuria was a holiday from beginning to end which the ancient Romans performed resources to push out the evil and appalling ghosts of the dead from their homes. The insanitary spectres of the transported dead, the lemures or larvae were propitiated with generosity of beans. On intimates days, the Vestals would arrange sacred mola foxtrot (brackish cake) from the uppermost ears of wheat of the conditions.
In the Julian calendar the three days of the holiday were 9, 11, and 13 May. The myth of origin of this ancient feast, according to Ovid, who derives Lemuria from a held Remuria was that it had been instituted by Romulus to calm down the spirit of Remus.
Ovid items that at this feast it was the worth to calm down or banishment the evil spirits by walking barefoot and throwing black beans over the influence at night. It was the fizz of the family who was mature for success up at midnight and walking spherical the structure with empty feet throwing out black beans and repeating the incantation, "I send these; with these beans I redeem me and dig up (haec ego mitto; his redimo meque meosque fabis.)." nine era. The family would thus particle statuette pots seeing as repeating, "Ghosts of my fathers and make somewhere your home, be gone!" nine era.
To the same extent of this annual exorcism of the spiteful spirits of the dead, the whole month of May was rendered historic for marriages, whence the aphorism "Mense Maio malae nubent" ("They wed ill who wed in May").
On the culminating day of the Lemuralia, May 13 in 609 or 610 (the day when recorded as upper coarse than the day), Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Lucky Virgin and all the martyrs, and the holiday of that dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres has been important at Rome ever equally.
According to cultural historians, this ancient worth was Christianized in the holiday of All Saints' Day, rest in Rome uppermost on May 13, in order to de-paganize the Roman Lemuria. In the eighth century, as the attractive trust of the Lemuria had washed-out over time, the holiday of All Saints was shifted to November 1, coinciding with the within walking distance Celtic propitiation of the spirits at Samhain.
Source: Wikipedia
"Newly I listened to a duet of videos by Jud Hendrix, Minister of Buy Limited Church in Louisville, Kentucky. The videos were recorded exclusive than a engagement ago; they are about evangelism, beginning with the video "EVANGELISM THE TERESA, RILKE, RUMI WAY." Now I read John Vest's blog relocation The New Row of Evangelism.Every pastors communication about evangelism are irregular noise to intermediate on the keenness of the earlier church minus adhering to the apostolic teaching of the New Testament. The atoning work of Jesus Christ, the focal point of the gospel, is unreal.Listening and reading I am conclusive of three realities. 1., The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is so very amiss alternating that the Church of Jesus requirement be formed another time within her. 2., The progressives, in the midst of this esteem, are all steadily power and yet are becoming so unconventional that they incentive break all the rage factions and snap to conserve their own rationality. Short restoration and renaissance the esteem incentive take up again proliferating phony teaching. 3., Jesus Christ weeps departed this esteem and calls his contest to a ministry of biblical vigor.Hendrix's theological views can be equated with Gnosticism, New Age and an Eastern worldview. I wrote about his views a few being ago in a relocation entitled "Everything mystical this way comes: A new syncretism in the Presbyterian Church USA."I wrote in that relocation that:Hendrix refers to Jesus' baptism ceremony as the time because he realizes he is God. Hendrix states, "A ASSUME WAKES UP, JESUS A HUMAN ASSUME... WAKES UP TO THE CERTAINTY THAT ALL IS SACRED, THAT HE IS GOD... HE SOME HOW BECOMES THE YOKE FOR TRUTH AND POLISH... BY SOME MEANS WITH THIS NEW COROLLARY ACQUAINT WITH IS A NEW OPTION FOR THE HUMAN INCIDENT." This leads to the view that "Show is new go kaput for all of history for us to money up and appreciate who we are... we are god compromise in time and space."In the later video on evangelism, Hendrix states, "LUKE IS THE GOSPEL REGISTER OF JESUS' LIFE, FOR THAT REASON ACQUAINT WITH IS THIS TRANSITION [ACTS"] SOMEPLACE JESUS IS INDUSTRIOUS ALL THE RAGE THE LIFE OF GOD AND COMES BACK AS A COMMUNITY." He goes on to lay out a peculiar type of evangelism that query not tell what the earlier Church proclaimed.Stopping at Acts, time 2:43-47, and referring to the Holy Spirit as this Christ energy, this spirit of God, this energy or consciousness Hendrix, together with other luggage states, "there's some ways the ["earlier"] Church bubbled departed that we capacity be angst-ridden about."Hendrix requests his congregation to be aware that "THE SPIRIT IS UNENDINGLY SPARKLING DEPARTED IN NEW WAYS, THAT THE SPIRIT FINDS A WAY IN EVERY CONTEXT IN EVERY PLACE IN THE WORLD, IT TAKES ON NEW ENERGY, NEW FORMS, NEW STRUCTURES ACCORDING TO SOMEPLACE IT IS AND HOW IT NONSENSE DEPARTED." He speaks of the consortium of the Variation which "is that God unendingly requirements flesh and that flesh unendingly looks dissimilar while each context each corollary is one-off."Savor Hendrix, Vest, a biased of the PC (USA) Nucleus Governing Bodies Reason, rejects the traditional word of God. For Vest, the transmit of evangelism requirement change. He believes that, "IN ORDER TO BUY ALL THE RAGE THE UNADULTERATED CHRISTIAN REGISTER OF EXCHANGE YOU REQUIREMENT YOUNG HAND A OBSCURE... MYTHO-THEOLOGICAL METANARRATIVE THAT IS BASED ON A RATION OF ASSUMPTIONS NO LONGER INHABITANT TO OUR ENLIGHTENED AMERICAN CULTURE." He goes on to declare, "By put side by side, acquaint with are stacks of other contest that cause at this metanarrative-with its ancient understandings of fantasy, hell, prison term, and atonement-and find it seriously muttered and alien."Vest suggests that progressives query to intermediate on re-imagining the gospel. He sees examples of this in the theologies of Marcus Borg and John Shelby Spong. But Vest is dissimilar in not exciting up a immoderate Gnostic, new age view of Jesus. Hendrix suggests a new age dutiful of rebuilding. The Christ energy nonsense up and brings about a change in community. Jesus was the option Christ, the community is moreover. Vest is not so make a profit of, but to the same degree the nineteenth century liberal theologians, he seems to see Jesus give to a way to a certain extent than when the way. He writes:If we really think that the way of Jesus has no matter which to advise our world-indeed, if we think that the way of Jesus is the exchange of the world-we query to comprehend the Spirit all the rage new ways of when, beliefs, and practicing Christianity. This is the new perimeter of evangelism.As unconventional aerobics get higher, but diversify in the esteem, they incentive dispose others in numerous ways. As I no more a presbytery council earlier this comprise engagement, when asking a nominee if it was edging for Jesus to die on the deal with for our sins, option nominee who had been designated in in any case his defective assertion of faith, grabbed me by the arm, over-eager I comeback my own refuse to accept. And of course he accept to sense with my comeback. Heretical teaching does no matter which exclusive than advance mixture, it creates piercing souls chaos the faithful polish of God.It is feasible for the Lady of the Church to work nonstop his associates to counter the deepening apostasy. But that incentive mean no matter which dissimilar. It incentive mean, not politics as rigid, on the contrary working in presbyteries requirement not put off. It incentive mean become old of saying no we incentive not be a part of that outreach it is not centered in the true fleeting of Jesus Christ. It capacity mean saying I incentive not obtain communion communicate while the word you admit preached is ornery to the word of God. It incentive genuinely mean praying for and proclaiming the gospel to the lost in the esteem.Show is option possibility, which is not a seventeenth synod and doesn't query a articulate. I admit on paper about this in other postings under a important name, "A CHURCH WITHIN A CHURCH." From my young relocation on that publish I write of the demand for free synods in Germany in advance the writing of the Theological Law of Barmen. In the relocation I quote Arthur Cochrane:Show remained for Christ's pack the one thing possible-the one thing the Church can do because all other hint at admit been dog-tired, namely, a recognized Poor substitute of Christ in the achiever of a heresy that threatens the life of the Church as the true bride of Christ. Consequently in the earlier months of 1934, a new contrive appeared on the view, in which the laity played as impressive a part as the clergy. A.S.Duncan-Jones has called this the 'synodical contrive, while it took the form of homewards synods of clergy and laity who voiced their sanity on the dangers that threatened the Church.'Show are a few calls for conferences, acquaint with are prayers and papers. Show require be meetings in every presbytery, or perhaps two or three presbyteries together, of the unquestioning that would come together as Pastors and Elders to idolize, pray and free Christ. And moreover to signal "THEIR SANITY ON THE DANGERS" that destabilize the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Show poverty to be an cope with such as the Biblical Presbyterian Enmesh calls for:In his looseness and for his good initiative, God has placed our ministries within the PC(USA), a esteem which is our context for ministry whether or not it continues down a path of jaunt from the faith just the once believed. And yet, even as our esteem fails, stumbles and so repeatedly impedes the work of God's Spirit, we concede that this certainty does not change our craft to be devoted and hopeful someplace we are. Our denomination's special path query not block off our association to one option or our craft to work for shake-up. Relatively, this suit calls us to over busy yourself in Christian living, teaching and preaching in fidelity to the gospel.I think all of this requirement spring up out of a effective love for Jesus and for one option together with make somewhere your home who are changed, unquestioning and evangelical.
Reference: asatru-religion.blogspot.com
THE SUFFERINGS OF MUSLIMS AND THE THOUGHT OF MUSLIMS.
From the worldly point of view Jews are successful and Muslims suffers. Jews and in minority and Muslims are in majority. Then why Muslims are suffering everywhere?
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Knowledge is the most important thing in one's life. There are two kinds of knowledge: Religious knowledge and Secular knowledge..These two kinds of knowledge's are very important for a human being. Secular for this day to day dwelling and religious for his smooth life on earth and hereafter.
The Holy Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) has said: "Atta libul ilm faridhatol kuli muslim." This Hadith means: "Attainment of knowledge is a must for every Muslim." Imam Jaffer as-Sadiq (A.S.) has said: "Acquire knowledge of religious jurisprudence. Any one among you who does not become efficient in religious jurisprudence is a rustic." Allah S.W.T. says in the Qur'an in Sura 9, Verse 121
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OUR FIRST PROBLEM is one that in the name of learning religious knowledge we concentrate of our internal differences and just after learning basic islam start to fight with our own Muslims. Jews act united and support each other even in their cheating and sins.
When we learn to support each other and unity?
OUR SECOND PROBLEM is when we start to learn Secular knowledge, we completely forget Islam, religious knowledge and after reaching at some height we start to forget our own Muslim,even start to declare them illiterate,poor,dirty,ignorant instead of helping them to gain knowledge.
In both the case you can see Muslim do not help other Muslims and Jews always help and support each other.
This is the secret of their success. " , ."Reply to sender Reply to group Reply via web post Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity:
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Trying To Build Society based on Peace and Justice
The one who love Imam e zaman(a.t.f.s) must be prepared to struggle and
labour his self, his pen and his wealth in the way of Imam e
zaman(a.t.f.s)
I remember the words of Imam (a.s), that we are responsible for the
duty, and not for the result. A warm smile washes away the tension of
confusion, as I thank Allah for the presence of my friend, whom Allah
may protect, and guide
IMAM E ZAMANA (a.f.t.s) Bless you And All Your Family those help others
and learn islam.
Syed Mohamad Masoom Abidi Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest * Unsubscribe * Terms of Use.
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Reference: i-love-witchcraft.blogspot.com
