“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
I suppose a lot of people would strongly disagree with my views and further more the choices I am making day by day. But in my heart, I feel like they are right. I feel that God is telling me the path I am on and the way I am growing in my faith is right. That’s not like religion. Religion usually has someone else telling you what’s right and wrong, feelings don’t seem much of a part of it, its not really about experience. But as Patricia King says, you cant have relationship without experience, and I want a relationship with my creator. I don’t just want to read about Him, although I thoroughly enjoy that too. I love every aspect of God, but the experience of having Him around me, hearing Him speak and seeing visions He has planted in my mind, makes this journey more exciting, more real.
The reason I am writing about this is that yesterday I was first happy, then disturbed, to discover that one of the men I knew who went to school with me and who I was friends with, wrote on his facebook page about being saved. I immediately messaged him to tell him I was pleased and I was also lucky enough to be following the path of faith. Then, everything changed. I started looking at his page and scattered all over it were links about conspiracy theories and proof that the world was ending soon and people had better accept Jesus or they would burn in Hell for eternity. Woah, this was too much to take in. I looked at the conversations he was having with other people and his words were threatening, they were vindictive and they didn’t sound at all like the Jesus I have come to know and love.
He then started chatting to me and I told Him of my experiences and about the amazing Patricia King and other great believers, who he labelled as a new age witch and then told me people like her were perverted! His piece of advice to me was to go to a baptist church immediately and explain to the pastor how lost I was. He advised that Jesus was not pleased with me, but I could try and mend my ways! I was in complete and utter shock. He then provided list after list of websites that would prove my beliefs were of the occult and that the people who's guidance I had been seeking were all wrong and essentially the spawn of Satan. Which for me, was strange and very disturbing. I swiftly informed Him, that in my opinion, He had not found God, He had found religion. Amen.
Last night over my mums, I discussed how much his objections were bothering me and she made a very valid point. She reminded me that the devil seemed intent on having my soul, that darkness was still fighting for me and tricking me and that this seemed very much like another test. Here was a man who I had liked and respected, but who had a connection to the village I lived in where I went to school and was miserable. He was also very close to the man I spent a horrific five years of my life with. Now, I had started to free myself of the pain and emotional baggage from that time and here, the least likely person to ever turn to God EVER, had claimed he had been saved. Not only that, but he came with proof and an offer of help from him so that I could be right and be accepted. Basically, my emotional baggage was dressed up as man I knew, offering me acceptance from the past I never really dealt with. Worst of all, it was the biggest bluff he could have played. He was using my new found happiness and path of glory, to attack me and try to make me unsure of myself and my beliefs. The ideal ending to the scenario, would be that out of a desperate need to be accepted and correct the pain of my past, I would be in a baptist church crying to the preacher to save me. It is there, that the devil and I would be back together again. Oooooooooooo how wonderful my mums perception is. I understood, this was another challenge and I have overcome it.
The weird thing with this challenge was that it proved how sure I am of the path I am following. We both claim the same wondrous event has happened to us, we have both been saved. We both believe eternal life is through Jesus and we both believe that the Bible is the word of God. But,this is where the similarities end. I do not feel the need to bombard people with threats about the end of the world. I do not feel the need to dictate what is right and wrong with my faith, because some websites I've found have offered man’s evidence. Man's evidence is great, but I have witnessed something bigger. I have been in the presence of the Lord and no website, with its elaborate videos and detailed facts is going to prove me wrong. I know that following God has many objections, not only from non believers, but from other believers too. Its so strange, we all believe in essentially the same principles, but our attitude and behaviour varies greatly. Who is to tell us who's right or wrong? Well, for me at least, it is not out of the mouth of man, it is the Lord, my God who I listen for.
My mum also said to me, that regardless of what other peoples beliefs were, the change in me was proof that something beautiful had touched my life. She told me that she had never in all my life, seen me glow as I glow now. Not a clear skin glow, an untouchable and radiant glow that emanates from within and around me. For the first time in my life, she said that she just knew I was always safe. No matter what, she felt I was being protected and that I had changed, that I was more peaceful, more happy than ever before. She neither strongly agrees nor disagrees with my views, but she admits that I am seemingly following a path that I was destined to be on.
So, when opposition comes, even when it is disguised as one of the other children of God, I must look honestly at their hearts. If out of their mouths tumbles the word of God and their experience of it and no forcefulness is used to express this, then I will recognise them and welcome them in my hearts. But, if they are wearing a holy cloak and out of their mouth comes religious ideals and force fed man made rationality, then in my heart they will sit, but they will not stay. No mark will be left, but I will still extend love in the hope that they will realise that love is the gateway in which true experience can be felt. That by following the Word and by focusing on its beautiful message, we will understand that scare tactics do not need to be used. I cant remember Jesus seeking artificial information on what is right and wrong. No, follow the Word and then use this to follow your heart. There at the end is the Kingdom, it is only there when the truth will be revealed in all its fullness and in all its wondrous glory.
Love Always.x
P.S: I would like to add that I am not condemning all religious people. I know plenty of people who are religious and they are wonderful. I am just opposed to the idea that man will tell us whether we are on the right path to God and also the discounting of experience as a viable method of communication with God. As I have said at the start of my blog, it is not my intention to insult anybody, I am just being honest about my journey, even if that means I may cause certain mindsets to disagree with what I am saying. I am sorry if I have insulted anyone and can assure you, that is not the aim of my writing.x
No comments:
Post a Comment