Replies (154)
This is the best question and I appreciate your honesty.
How big is Jesus/God in your mind?
If he is a caricature, small, timid, powerless then I would also feel nothing.
I think it starts with seeing God as he is. Creator, beginning and end, and most of all ... interested in knowing you.
My favorite books on this are Wild at Heart and the Sacred Romance by John Eldredge
I'm in the same boat as you.
you will find Him in stillness😌🙏🏼
Feelings may wax and wane--they're not a reliable guide. Aim instead to have your understanding of who Christ is and what he did and he is doing sharpened and amazed. Aim at your heart through your mind--see the first few verses of Colossians 3.
Read his word. Study it. Pray and sing with the psalmists. Study something meaty, like the Heidelberg catechism. Find and join a bible-believing church where the gospel of grace is preached faithfully, week in and week out--don't fly solo, we're not meant for that. 🤙
Hope this helps in some small way.
Great question!
When I think of Christ, I think as the Apostle Peter when he said to Jesus, "To whom else shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68)
I feel an inkling of this towards #Bitcoin too... I would be lost (economy and otherwise) without it!
But Bitcoin doesn't give me hope beyond the grave like Jesus does. Bitcoin doesn't assure me of my value and worth as a loved human being like Jesus does. Bitcoin doesn't speak word to my soul like Jesus does.
This is just a taste of what Jesus means to me. Best way to pursue this is through the simple things: pray, read scripture, talk with others about God, etc
Interesting question for a quick scroll environment. But my initial impulse to reply was:
'Leave all concepts behind. Everything you ever heard and think you know about God, Jesus, Christianity etc. Go within, in silence, undistracted by the senses, with strong faith in that you will receive an answer when the time is right, but without any urgent need to know anything. This way, in silence, get to know thyself. Everything will reveal itself through you, through your openness and ability to see what really is, beyond what your mind wants to see. If you find that relationship with yourself, you also have it with God, Jesus, the All who also is within you.'
Easier said than done, but this is how far a reply can go from my side at this point for whatever it's worth to you. It's much more about letting go than actively finding anything.
Read his word, count your blessing daily, be in awe of Gods creation and give God the glory in all your accomplishments.
I personally miss the Old Testament God, full of wrath and fury.
The New Testament is weak and forgiving.
I don't love quoting Peterson... However,
"I act as if God exists"
This is productive to me for two reasons. The relationship, if God exists, requires me to take responsibility for my side of the relationship. Dogmatic/ignorant belief allows Christians to self-deceive, utilizing cliches to mask their fears/uncertainty and ultimately act in ways that are antithetical to Christ.
Imo, feeling strongly about Jesus comes from the continual practice of questioning the uncertainty and often "taking the narrow path". Funny thing about the narrow path... It's always uncomfortable and (I think?) always (often?) strengthens a relationship with Christ.
Go to Church regularly. Find one with music that moves you
Not a Christian more of a transcendental Buddhist. But I have a strong relationship with Jesus through his compassion. The way I think about it is, Jesus is the embodiment of compassion you feel toward everyone else. A good thought experiment is trying to treat everyone you meet as if they were Jesus in disguise. An outpouring of compassion regardless of how they treat you is how he lived his life. Treated everyone he met with that compassion even though they weren't him but he treated them as if they were. Anyway, that's my two sats.
I want to say that it is tough, the fiat system is a result of The Adversary preying on those of us who are weak, and blind.
Every human is unique in their struggles, issues, and temptations, so I think when faced with those elements it can weaken our faith, or willingness to believe.
When someone is bitter, it makes it difficult in general to think of the higher things.
I can attest that every believer even the most righteous have sinned.
For me, I would say that suffering which does exist, remember it because it was The Almighty who has helped us through it.
But I would say seek earnestly, read the scriptures deeply, find a community, & always seek improvement.
The NT has plenty of wrath and fury, but hey don’t get the same press the OT stories get, lol. The problem is that we’re removed from them and have a hard time imagining how revolutionary they’d be if they happened today.
tell me you've never read The Revelation without telling me you've never read The Revelation
If you ask Brian Muraresku, the Eucharist was a a ritualistic lsd trip. Great book btw:
Not a Christian, but how close do you think you can get to a spiritual being when you're tied to a physical body?
I don't think any two people experience the spiritual world in the same way, but if a Being or agency or will created this universe they are logical as fuck.
So maybe you experience god through logic and reason or maybe through some other medium?
Feelings and individuality are over-valued in modern Christianity. But it is possible to feel strongly about Jesus, as a real person, not as an abstract concept. To do that, you have to know who he is — this is best done by reading the gospels, which are in part his biography. This brings you to the same level of affection you might have for Tesla, or Vitruvius, or Archimedes, or whoever your favorite (most loved) dead historical figure might be.
Next, pray and read the Psalms (and pray the Psalms), because they are the words of Jesus, given by inspiration to David et al. This makes you an active participant in the conversation between God and the Church which has been happening throughout the history.
One other great resource for understanding the "loveliness of Christ" is a book by the same name, by Samuel Rutherford. It's sort of a mixture of all of the above, including personal and theological articulations of what Jesus should mean to the Christian. Especially good in seasons of grief, when God can seem most remote, and when Jesus can become most real.
https://ccmbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/loveliness_2012.pdfWeak how?
What about your life makes you trivialize the forgiveness of a holy God?
also, in the Old Testament (as well as the New) He is simply HOLY
He did not change--we did
Wrath is what holiness feels like to sinners still in Adam
Favor is what holiness feels like to those counted righteous in Christ by faith alone
no really--look it up 🤙
just send it bro
Opinions without even reading it first 🙄 he spoke about it on some podcasts too if books are not your medium.
I read the description, and it made no sense, so that doesn't portend an enticing read
The description someone wrote and the content of the book are not the same thing, but you seem to be stubborn to confirm your views. 🤷
Do mushrooms
You've obviously never seen peak R9 1995-2002
I've never really "gotten it" through the word, moreso from eastern practices of breath work, meditation and fasting. Then topping of those feel goods with riteous living. Maybe I'm just a shitty Christian.
did you grow up religious?
Brief background. I grew up catholic. Altar boy, Catholic school etc… in general I had good interactions with Catholicism, but definitely was harmed by the classic Catholic guilt at home with family etc…
In middle school I went to a Lutheran school which was run by young earth creationists who in addition to being morons also happened to be hypocrites .
Really turned me off on religion in general and I decided that I was an agnostic atheist at 13 or 14 years old.
I basically stayed this way until I had children, which brought me around to believing in god again.
🫂
I don't subscribe to much dogma or many labels.
I feel like Christ was the personification of pure love. I feel closest to Christ when I tap into the feeling of being One with everything. It's only when I push aside the feeling of separateness that I feel connected to my Christ consciousness.
When I first started experiencing this I was a blubbery mess with joy. The ego also rejoiced in this feeling of being special but the irony is that it comes from a knowledge of unity rather than separate specialness. So many who experience this feeling end up with a god complex. Mental institutions are full of people who remember that they're Christ but think they're special.
This book is something like ~50 pages. It's a talk Fr. Rose gave in California to a college. His story in itself is worth investigating and his talks and writings speak to the post-modern age in an incredible way. This book may not answer your question but perhaps it will bring you to the person that could.
Goodreads
God's Revelation to the Human Heart
What does man seek in religion, and what should he seek…
interesting. did you ever have a personal practice outside the churches? also, ever tried ayahuasca?
Pray occasionally and smoked DMT before a few times
There are a few particularly good ways to get to know God, and its best if all are done together:
- Read about what God has done and said (read the Bible)
- Talk with others who know Him about what He’s doing and saying (become involved in a church, probably also in a “small group,” where you can do this)
- Tell Him you want to get to know Him, and spend some time each day speaking to Him and open to hearing from Him (pray)
A bunch of us are about to start a Bible study Tuesdays at 8:30 pm EST and you are welcome to join. The first one will be Sept 10.
You get Jesus at the price you deserve is the short answer.
I do understand what you're feeling about "personal relationship". I struggle with that as well. A lot. Think of it this way: I know you love your wife because you talk about your family in nothing but positive language.
Do you trust her? That's the basis of your personal relationship with her.
I've come to trust God and Jesus and I think that's all there needs to be to my personal relationship with those two. The Holy Ghost thing I still don't understand at all so I just kind let that one float.
Someone once described the Holy Ghost thing to me as water in three forms. Solid, liquid and gas.
I think you’re probably right and that trust is a key part of the equation. I’ll have to overcome that hurdle at some point.
Directly related to my previous reply. 🙏
Read some Flannery O'Connor.
I was an atheist.
I know the Christ now.
My path was through plant medicine and mushrooms. (Because my arrogant ego and self destructive behaviour wouldn't let me know it otherwise)
I knew Christ as I opened my heart.
I don't think Jesus and the Christ are exactly the same
(They are)
But it is as Siddhartha Gautama was to the Buddha.
Buddha is a state of being.
Christ is a state of being.
Jesus was the awakened one who seeded the idea of the Christ and lived accordingly. And left us accordingly.
But the Christ is in me and you.
No judgements.
Complete trust in God.
Interrelation of all things
Within and without.
And when you step into your center knowing that you only have one relationship (it is with yourself and hence all creation). That is your cross.
To take responsibility for all of your experience.
And when you tune yourself to the frequency of love and grace, then you serve your father in heaven and your mother earth.
"A course in miracles" is a good practice.
It is a practice.
The Christ is a verb. It is alive. Not a set of words or dead rituals. And it is our responsibility to vivify it and express it whith our own unique voice and feeling
It is all you are. You just have to realise it. No one judges but you, to yourself and condemn and punish yourself.
Because there is only one relationship going on in the entire eternal vast universe.
And the Christ is the living loving miracle you are.
Open heart. And everything is good.
Be patient and compassionate specially with yourself. There is a magical stairway to the heavens and the more elevated life forms. Just set your intention and the Christ will guide you through signals and symbolic language. Trust, have faith more in that and less in fear and spooky things.
Just trust
Use deduction.
If that doesn't work, wait until you meet the Devil.
Admittedly I did read through all 100 replies…
I will say the first few I glanced over were not Biblically based per se. (Again I haven’t read through all the replies)
Based upon the initials ones I saw; this may be a topic you want to discuss in DM’s or I’d even be happy to hop on a Zoom with you to discuss and answer questions you have.
For context, I’ve had a personal relation with God through Jesus for ~35 years and I’ve led Bible studies / small groups in my community and church.
The offer being extended aside, the short answer to the question “how does one have a personal relationship with Jesus” is as simple as ABC…
A: Admit you are a sinner (we all are! We have all fallen short of the Glory of God due to our sin nature)
B. Believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for you as the ultimate and final atonement for your sins (past, present, and future). Your debt has been paid in full!
C. Confess before others that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and through Him you now have eternal life with God the Father.
(I’ll add D)
D. Depend on His Holy Spirit to draw you closer to Jesus and God, day by day, moment by moment. Build that friendship with God. Ultimately God created humans to rule the Earth for Him. We screwed that up. But it doesn’t change the fact that God wants us as a part of His family.
—
Let me know if you’d like to chat more about growing closer to God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
I’d be happy to chat with you.
Most people that have achieved this "personal relationship with God" have had years of brainwashing to achieve it. You're just going to have to put in the time.
I was struggling to articulate an answer. You said it perfectly.
Respectfully, Biblically this is not accurate.
This thread isn’t really the place to debate the topic.
Since one verse was referenced incorrectly (John 14:6 does not state that God existed before Jesus. )
John 14:6 is Jesus speaking “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
That verse being cleared up; John actually begins his book with 1:1 which states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Theologians around the world agree that the term “The Word” in English (Logos in Greek which was the language John wrote and spoke in) is a reference to Jesus, drawing upon and connecting to the Genesis account.
—-
Again probably not the best place to have a deeper theological discuss as I don’t want to hijack HODL’s original questions
Can you elaborate / clarify your question?
What are you neutral about?
And are you asking if one must be a “member” of a particular “religion” to have a personal relationship with God through Christ?
(I think that is what you are asking, I just want to be certain as to give you the best answer given the context)
That is because there no such thing as a god, except some vague concept in some people’s heads.
I created this profile to share a unique series that explores the application of mathematics to the Bible. Through this series, I aim to present findings that have profoundly strengthened my faith. While the topic is esoteric, my goal is to break it down in a clear and coherent manner for anyone interested.
i think you get it right. english is not my primary language and i cannot elaborate it to the best english possible.
Thanks Phil 🕊️
It’s not some that just happens. What has always led to this for me is genuine seeking of Him while reading the Bible or even just dwelling on Him and His ways in prayer etc.
I can read the same passage in the Bible ten times but each time I approach with a heart that’s patient and awaiting His insight while reading, new perspective is revealed. I know when He is speaking through His Word to me compared to when I’m just reading it with my own reasoning.
We can lie to ourselves but we can’t lie to Him. It’s not easy to put everything else on hold and enter into time with Him that is not pressured and without agenda. But that’s what He desires. Quality time and hears listening and heart seeking.
In that place there is so much beauty and intimacy. He is a good, good Father.
Thinking about God and Jesus defies the purpose, it’s like fighting for peace or fucking for virginity…
Find people who are peaceful, content, happily enjoying life. Observe how they live, sort out the fake ones, copy their lifestyle.
That’s when you start having the God experience, moment by moment, stop trying to mentally masturbate, and start living true life.
Beyond a mental concept ❤️
Jesus was an anarchist who opposed tyranny with love instead of hate.
He taught us that God was not of this world so that we would stop honoring tyrants as semi-gods and thus set us free.
If you're willing to, I’m interested to hear more about being harmed by Catholic guilt as a child. I'm also happy to have a private conversation. Please reach out, brother; the Church wants you back. 🙂
Also, I'm not sure if this will help build a personal relationship with Jesus, but you may find it interesting:
View quoted note →From my experience to feel the presence of Jesus you need to be in very bad mind condition. If you experience trauma and call Jesus you can feel his love and power.
Start by thinking about the holy trinity. This is imo the best starting point for spiritual Christians who are mostly intuition led. As a man, a father and a soul, the holy trinity is always within you and you are connected to God naturally. The masculine plays a very important role in life, which God and Christianity can help you honor (just as it does for the feminine). The duality between man and women is easier for us to grasp because we see it on the daily. The holy trinity is something which the creative mind must ponder to understand. Which is why I recommend starting there.
As other people have commented, also find a good church that has inspiring sermons (which help introduce and clarify the Bible as well as relate to modern life) and has nice music (healing frequencies). In my experience Catholic Churches are easier to find this bc they’re typically very traditional and based (but can be boring — find a good one).
Just start talking to him. Be as honest as you possible can.
I’ve had a very similar experience and was at best agnostic prior
For someone who has taken a "leap of faith" there's already a strong conviction that God exists. From that point, it can be relatively straightforward to convince yourself that you have a personal relationship with whatever it is you believe in. It's like once you've accepted the initial premise, the rest can fall into place through personal interpretation and reinforcement.
Not to be difficult but, you already know the answers.
How does one feel strongly about anything? Through knowledge and experience.
How does one have a personal relationship with anyone? In this case one must first except hat the person is a person. No person, no personal relationship. After that? Get to know them. Exchange value for value with them. You're in the hole there and always will be. We (who believe) owe Him everything but, attempts to pay will pay for nothing. We'll give because He first loved us. Add this to knowledge from the first answer and we'll find how he interacts with us in His Word. This will give us the experience.
If Jesus is the center of the question then God is not a vague concept. Those two are fairly well identified and described in The Word. If it's vague to you, read more of those words. That's where the knowledge that can lead to experience comes from, His Word. Commentaries and theologies can come later. Start with what all those commentaries are commenting on. Let them later help you after you have first thought for yourself.
And of course, no. You'll never get there. It's an endless journey. Once the relationship is established there is no end of the rabbit hole. Just how far down it you wish to dive. Every inch has it's trials, tribulations and rewards.
Those are great questions and I struggled with in my journey in the beginning.
When I read the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and studied what Jesus was saying, his claims are very profound.
Then it becomes a quest of truth. And if what he is claiming is true then that requires my full attention.
Thats where the personal relationship comes in because I’m always refer to the word in accordance to my life.
And I feel you will find many similarities in your bitcoin journey. The conviction you have didn’t come over night, it took time and trials and seasons to the point where no once can tell you any different. So much conviction you evangelise to others.
When the Holy Spirit convicts you… it’s makes you want to share and spread the word.
Hope that helps.
Try reading proverbs a chapter a day. 31, can finish in a month.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
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Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) - Trust in the LORD with all your hea | YouVersion
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
PS. Jesus is referred to as "The Word" in scripture. That comes from 'logos' from whence we get 'logic'. Logic isn't Jesus but Jesus is the embodiment of logic, among other things.
So as to the vagueness of god or God, there are only 5 options to the answer of, 'where did anything/everything come from'.
1. Everything came from nothing naturally. Nothing comes from nothing and nothing ever could.
2. Anything/everything created it's self. A thing cannot be A and non-A at the same time and in the same way. Logic...
3. A thing or everything is eternal. Laws of thermodynamics deny this. Eternal material systems are stagnant. Motion requires a prime mover. Aristotle.
4. Everything is a figment of your imagination. This can be shot full of holes with some simple observations. Argument to absurdity.
5. Something (someone) at some point created.
I have found no 6th option that isn't substantially the same as one of the 5 or some combination of them. Only the 5th is logical as I see it.
From there, the Bible answers best as to why that something created anything, that this something is personal and wants to relate with us, and how He does that and how we can relate back to Him.
Look for places and experiences that inspire awe, like in enormous churches, undisturbed nature, music. Feel the feeling and stop to absorb it whenever possible. This is as close as you can get to the holy spirit.
Then consider your relationship to death. Face your mortality. A near death experience or psychedelics might help but are not required. Then read the Christ’s passion and absorb his choices. When you feel in awe of him, you will have found your destination. You will likely feel awe at being alive and it’s as if he’s with you always.
I was agnostic until I was broken
> “How does one have a personal relationship with Christ?”
By making yourself available to Him. Do this and the questions about feelings and vagueness will sort of take care of themselves.
You’ve already made a huge first step with this question. In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus says “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
It will take time and like me you may need to go through some serious personal pain but you’ll find him if you truly seek him.
God is calling you and I’ll be praying for you.
The relationship with Jesus is all about love . Nothing more , nothing less.
You will crave a relationship with Jesus when you realize you have done evil/sin in your life and others. He took your guilt and shame away on the cross. Its freedom on another level. Sin makes slaves - Jesus sets the slaves free
If you'd like to chat about this, let me know.
Thanks for reaching out. This is a common experience for most Christian’s. Our walk of faith is filled with glorious mountain tops and tearful valley of death experiences. Christianity is a walk of faith and not of sight. Our faith is this: “I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” This is the historic Christian faith. Faith is apprehended and grows in two ways: Gods word (the Bible) and the sacraments (baptism and the Lords supper). I recommend finding a church that believes and confesses these things and you’ll do well. Hope this helps.
It took more strength to hold himself to the cross for my sin than I will ever know.
If you are up for it, I would consider a daily devotional from a Tozer, Spurgeon, or some old school Christian like that along with actually reading through the whole Bible. You will start to see how his calls to you are about personal responsibility, self discipline, and morality that all stem from the relationship you have with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. This, of course, is predicated upon acceptance of Christ as your Savior. If you’re just looking for some mystical journey of wisdom to find spirituality, you will never find it. That only comes after fully committing to Christ and daily prayer. Like all good things in life, it’s a low time preference endeavor that begins with one high time preference decision.
Beyond the mystical, for me is upmost respect, even when I thought I was agnostic I always respected Him, but not for what He said, but for what He did. All His actions led him towards the cross.
Here is a good translation of a XVI century Spanish poem from an anonymous author, original title "No me mueve mi Dios para quererte"
The author just like Descartes' Meditations, searches for reality as foundation, in his/her case, is not mathematics, but staring to His body at the cross:
"I am not moved, my God, to love you
By the heaven which you've promised.
Nor am I moved by the Hell I fear,
And for that reason, not to offend you.
You move me, Lord! It moves me to see you
Humiliated and nailed to a cross;
It moves me to see your body wounded so;
It moves me to behold your suffering and death.
Ultimately, I am moved by your love,
In such a way that even if there were no heaven, I would love you,
And even if there were no hell, I would fear you.
You need give me nothing for me to love you,
For even if I had no hope for things hoped for,
I would love you the same as I love you now."
Come spend some time in the Amazon…
HODL,
Our faith is strengthened by hearing his voice……….
We are blessed that He gave us the Bible and that is how we strengthen our faith in Him by reading His word. That is our connection to our Heavenly Father.
My first question to you is when did you last read the Bible?
That is a barometer of whether we are lukewarm in our beliefs.
Remember that although there are many faiths, the below stands firm.
It’s is your belief in Christ and Christ alone, that leads to salvation.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Read your Bible HODL, and meditate on the verses…….
A Proverbs a day or a Psalms a day!
It starts from within. In the heart and with renewing of the mind.
Until those are changed by seeking wisdom Jesus/God will seem like an abstract concept.
Job 28 describes seeking wisdom. There are many places that describe a need for changing of the heart and a few that describe renewing the mind.
Reading scripture and making it a habit is the way. I myself struggle to make it routine, but the more you immerse yourself in Christ this way the more connected you will feel. Attending church and being around other Christians will help as well.
How do you feel strongly about bitcoin? Jesus is the bigger truth just keep seeking and he will reveal himself to you!
2 Cor 3:14, talks about a veil on the non believer which will be lofted if you believe in Jesus.
Keep going and you build a stronger relationship, you may not be able to pin point when you gave yourself to Jesus but I assure you if you approach him with open heart the Holy Spirit will come upon you and help you to get crazy about Jesus!
for me, I believe that God gave us free will. He never violates that gift. The only way to feel close to God is to ask Him to be close to you.
James 4:8 (KJV): "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
Psalm 145:18 (NIV): "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."
Zechariah 1:3 (NIV): "Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Return to me, declares the Lord Almighty, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty."
God will become as close as you want Him.
I believe our decision to call to Him is what gives us value in Gods eyes. Because we have free will.
I would suggest the book “The Reason for God” by Timothy Keller. It is an exploration of arguments from Christian skeptics. There is a section that focuses specifically on the relationship with God
You get to know him by reading the bible. Can’t feel strongly about someone you don’t know much about.
And of course prayer
My advice would be to pray. Many would say, "But, how?" I'm a Catholic, so for me the Rosary is my prayer of choice. I pray a full Rosary each day. I also spend an hour and 20 minutes in Eucharistic Adoration each day. I'm blessed our church offers an adoration chapel. It took a long time to build up to this, but I wouldn't change it for anything. It brings such peace in this crazy world. If you want to give the Rosary a try, you can start small. One Decade (Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be) takes about 3-4 minutes. If that's too much, just talk to Jesus each day like you'd talk to a friend. He's a great listener.
God is a social construct
I’ve come to feel close to him as a way to have someone to turn to when things are tough. It is my strong belief that as a father and leader of my family, I must always be the one they can turn to for comfort and strength. My ability to do so greatly diminishes when I show weakness or uncertainty in the face of difficulties.
Jesus Christ is the king of kings. The lord of lords. Showing your weakness and uncertainty to him in a personal relationship, while gaining strength and decisiveness is a solution where none of the people who depend on you have to hear or see your struggles.
One has a relationship with Jesus by acknowledging that we lack wholeness of being with Him in our life, and that we're incomplete and broken without His presence in our lives. All our striving for purpose and meaning in life is our soul crying out in longing for Jesus.
He gave His life in atonement for our sin and conquered death so that he might have relationship with us. He yearns for us to be with Him! Cry to Jesus and He will answer you.
Praying for you on your journey towards Him.
Ephesians 1:17-18 CSB
[17] I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
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Ephesians 1:17-18 (CSB) - I pray that the God of our Lord Jes | YouVersion
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit , of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of h...
This! But know that one has to knock, seek, knock and keep on seeking. Matt7:7 James1:25 Rev3:20 Eph1:18
It takes time. Just like any other relationship, it takes time to build. It starts out with a simple faith, but if you really love somebody, then you want to get to know them more.
The only way to do this is to meditate on the word of God, share time with other believers, and participate in the traditions of the church - as watered down as they are these days…
I came to Faith in my mid 20s out of a life of psychedelics and nihilism. I had no desire whatsoever to become a Christian, I wasn’t looking for purpose or lonely or anything like that. I just realized one day that if there is such a thing as absolute truth, then “it” must be absolutely exclusive . That’s when I started reading the new testament, and it was almost as if the words were alive. I wouldn’t even get into the Trinity and how God is both centralized and decentralized….
As the years went on, the “it” turned into a “Him.” And now I am at the point where I know God so well that I can actually anticipate his providence to a degree and talk to him in a non-schizo way.
Anyway, I hope this helps.
Another thought: this translation provides an enormous amount of concordance, and explains how things have been translated over time. This is a sort of open-source translation of the bible. The sort of thing people on nostr will appreciate.
He was asking Christians, if you’re not a Christian, that’s totally fine. No worries. But it’s rather disingenuous of you to respond to a question that was not addressed to you.
Another thought: this translation provides an enormous amount of concordance, and explains how things have been translated over time. This is a sort of open-source translation of the bible. The sort of thing people on nostr will appreciate -
I'm a part-time believer.
For example, during funerals, I believe the person is in a better place. I see it as a tool. I need it so I use it. When it's done, I put it back in the toolbox.
I also believe that religion creates value for people even if we find out there's no god(s).
By Alan Watts
HODL, great questions. Lots of answers here already but I’ll add mine to the list.
A relationship with Jesus starts with repentance, knowing that you can’t meet Gods perfect standards on your own, and then asking God to forgive you. The Good news is that God already knows you can’t do it on your own and has made atonement for your sins through Jesus’ death and resurrection. When you put your faith in Him, he says you’re forgiven and He sends His spirit to live with you and guide you.
Google “Romans Road to Salvation” and you can see a few verses from the book of Romans that explain this process of coming to faith.
It’s at this point you can start grow in your faith, Christian life and feel strongly about Him like you asked.
If you want to read some from the Bible, I’d suggest starting with the book of John, Romans, and Galatians.
If you want to read a different book explaining Christianity, my go to recommendation is Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.
I’ve been on my Christian walk for 40ish years and I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I pray that you find the answers you’re seeking.
A few things:
When someone first grokks Bitcoin, they need to recognize why they need it. In much the same way, one needs to recognize their need for Christ before they can develop a relationship with Him. That's where contemplating all our sins and imperfections comes into play. But this is also where controlling, fiat religions love to take over and inundate you with guilt and shame in order to squeeze money out of you, so it's vital that you don't stay at this stage, but only use it as a springboard to launch yourself into a personal relationship with Christ.
Have you ever watched The Chosen? It's only a TV show, but IMO its depiction of Jesus' personality is the closest to what I've experienced personally, when talking to Him and receiving His answers in my heart. You can watch The Chosen for free here:
https://watch.thechosen.tv/page/seasons%201-3
One of my favorite quotes from The Chosen comes from a woman in the 2nd episode, who, in the 1st episode, experiences demonic possession and suicidal ideations. But in episode 2, she says:
The whole point of building a relationship with Christ is to change us into better, happier, more peaceful human beings. It's not to go through Hell here to somehow accrue "points" get into Heaven some day later; it's to have a bit of Heaven in us here and now, as much as we're able to take, to strengthen and prepare us for Heaven later.
And lastly, test and try out different holy books, different ways of praying, and different styles of worshipping, and then measure their results. Basically, use the scientific method by living the teachings you find, and examine the "fruits" you get from them.
For example, I grew up Mormon, but now my relationship status with that church would be best described as "It's Complicated" (I'm actually planning on posting a note about that soon), but I've still found a lot of value in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon (which is not a replacement for the Bible by any means, but is more like a spinoff series, lol). Anyway, in the Book of Mormon, there's a great chapter in which a man named Alma is preaching to a group of poor people all about humility and faith. The humility part basically touches on the same thing I said earlier (about recognizing your need for Christ), and the faith part is all about this "scientific method" approach to coming to know God, using an analogy of planting a seed, seeing of it's good by seeing if it grows, and then nourishing it until it bears fruit. You can read the whole chapter here:
Alma 32
Alma teaches the poor whose afflictions had humbled them—Faith is a hope in that which is not seen which is true—Alma testifies that angels min...
I'm glad you're asking about this, and hope you'll find Jesus at the best time and in the best way. And I think you already know to be cautious about some religious people (like Mormons and others), who may see your note as an opportunity to convert you to their particular church or way of life. While I think you'll find a lot of value in reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon side-by-side, I would actually warn you *against* the main church that champions it, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormon" is just the nickname, coined by the church's opponents because of the Book of Mormon, similar to Vitalik calling us "Bitcoin Maximalists"). Contrary to popular belief, Mormons *are* Christians, but their biggest difference from other Christians is that they believe they have God's authority, which gives them a monopoly on the way back to God.
No church has such a monopoly. The way to God is directly through His Son, Jesus Christ, on an individual level, and not through any church. But I'll say more about this in a couple days, when I share my note about the church I grew up in.
Thanks for reading all that! I hope and pray that it helps. 🙏
Thanks!
Having an emotional connection to Jesus is a modern Protestant invention. The Eastern Christian tradition does not place the same value on logic (Aquinas) or emotions (pietism) as the West. In the Orthodox tradition, you can directly perceive and relate to Christ through the "nous" (the spiritual organ of perception). In order for the nous to function properly, it needs to be purified through prayer, fasting, works of mercy, regular consumption of the Body and Blood, and confession to a priest. The nous is like a dirty mirror than cannot reflect God's glory until it is cleaned.
My relationship with Dionysus and Hermes is much stronger. Jesus lost touch with his followers and given the history of the church that claims his legacy, I'm ok with leaving it in the history books.
Totally fine man!
Sometimes I think English isn’t my first language (or only) either LOL 🤣
So here is the easiest way to look at it.
Religion does not equal relationship with God!
It may make us feel like we are closer to Him, but until we accept His son Jesus, we are apart from the Father (God).
Religion is typically a set of rules…structure…it doesn’t depend on heart, mind, and life change…usually only one or two of those.
A Relationship with God through Jesus Christ restores us back into God’s family.
I don’t need a set of religious rules to do that…
I simply need to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior…and that is as simple as
1. admitting I’m a sinner,
2. believing Jesus did and rose again for the forgiveness of my sins (past, present, and future), and
3. confessing that to others (make it publicly known…often times “churches” will do this via Baptism)
—-
Now this is where religion rears its ugly head.
Some “churches” (religions) believe that until you are Baptized by your own choice (ie not as a baby when you had no choice) that you are not “saved”.
Relationship with God via Jesus does not indicate that in scripture.
Instead Baptism is a “practice”. An outward symbol of the internal heart, mind, and (to live out) life change you have chosen.
There is a lot more I could say on this whole topic but I don’t want to confuse you or muddy the picture at this point.
Simply put…
Being a Christian in about Restoring Relationship with God via Jesus (not some priest or pastor in the middle).
Religion often confuses and puts a block between the direct relationship we have to God the Father.
(We could talk about denominations and different “religious belief systems” with within and without protestism vs catholosim et cetera…but again that confuses instead of simplifies)
Just ask yourself…do I want my relationship restored with my Heavenly Father (God)…and if so;
A. Admit you are a sinner and ask for forgiveness
B. Believe Jesus died on the cross, rose again to forgive your sins.
C. Confess (often but not required via Baptism) that Jesus is now your Lord and Savior
It’s a simple 1 - 2 sentence prayer…not complicated nor convoluted by man
PS
I know I typed a lot…my apologies.
If it’s easier to go to DM or hop on a Zoom cal I’m happy to do so with you
One will live happier and more principled by having a Master. Ego is a destroyer of life. Wisdom brings more solutions.
Wait....wtf? You're orthodox? I found bitcoin and naturally gravitated to orthodox. What is happening here?
Been following you 3 years. keep up the good work.
Begin with daily prayer, asking the God of your understanding what you can do to be of maximum service to others. Ask Him for the strength to do His will. Pause many times throughout the day to invite Him in to any and all of your endeavors. Practice faith, reliance and trust in Him. This is a good way to begin to have a relationship with God.
What a powerful answer, thanks 🙌
What was the experience like??
Indescribable. Like dying and being reborn.
BRO I’m the same way! I feel like it’s an amazing feeling to truly believe it, but my logician brain refuses to let me view it as anything more than a construct of the human psyche. It always comes back to being one way to shield and protect yourself from the inevitable shitstorm that is life, and a way to make every end justify the means.
Not necessarily a negative thing, despite the vernacular, but it just feels like a spiritual safety blanket.
You don't have to approach divinity through religion. You yourself are a part of God, therefore, you *are* God. The key is to "know thyself." This means turning inward through meditation, quieting the mind, and practicing one-pointed focus. As you still your thoughts, the truth becomes clearer. After all, *"Be still, and know that I am God."* It’s about connecting to the divine within, not just outside of you. When you understand yourself deeply, that’s where you’ll meet Christ, quietly waiting.
In saying that, if one wants to walk the path through religion, we must respect their choice. There is no right or wrong path to the divine. Some take a shorter route, some get sidetracked, and some take detours. Ultimately, we all come from the same source and will return to the same source. It’s about honoring the journey, no matter the form it takes, because the destination is shared by all. So whether you meditate, pray, or explore scripture, the divine remains present in all ways.
reach out and touch faith
At first glance this is just a reference to a 90s electro pop song .. on deeper analysis when you study the ancient greek ... the reference adoitly goes to whatever Jesus was doing with that naked boy at 4am in the garden of Gethsemene just as the cops arrested Jesus.
No rules until there are
Wow ✨️
Need to experience this 🫡
Man examines Gods Creation and finds a small part of the Code of Life. So wouldnt you want to know the story of mans relationship with the Guy who wrote the Code to Creation. And GO ALL IN?!
#GOALLIN
In the follow up to this article (link in bottom), I touch on how most people - regardless of whether they consider themselves as believing in anything resembling the divine - live and act as if God exist. Might give a perspective - did for me once I understood it.
https://medium.com/@penglunds/why-being-stranded-on-an-island-explains-everything-you-need-to-know-about-inflation-b08e51ae10581: study scripture (I recommend starting with the New Testament)
2: pray for understanding. One question I like to ask is "IF this were true, what would that MEAN for me?"
3: observe and repeat
Fast, pray, praise and read His Word. John 10 7-10
I love Johns Gosple, John 14 is beyond words, it resinates in your soul
i grew with catholic parents hopping on many religions claiming to be the truth and i end up with nothing. i respect all religions for what they believe.
I converted to Orthodoxy a couple of years ago.
Coincidentally I recently discovered you and last week decided to sign up for your course at Bitcoin University.
Now I am Definitely going to! 😄
Thought this was a good explanation.
It’s Love. That’s All. Love everyone and everything that comes before (in front of) you and you will feel something Within….THAT is God, Light, Source, Universe….Love.
One usually needs to suffer a great hardship or shock to find faith, regardless whether it's Christianity or some other faith.
I had a breakdown in my 20's and through trying to understand what happened discovered Buddhism.
Have you ever read “Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis? IMO, this will be a good start.
Thank you Mike. 🕊️
My curiosity is what brought you to ask this question. Why isn’t a vague concept of God not enough? I don’t have a relationship with Jesus and never needed one because I have trust in cosmic laws. What came before Jesus and religion? That’s where I tend to gravitate. The Kybalion is an interesting book to start with. Something created this universe we are living in, I think the concept of this is meant to be vague but your connection to source/God is alive within you and all around you. Observing and being in nature, in silence illuminates that connection.
1.
(~3 min)
2.
(~1.5 hrs)
Worth your time if you’re really seeking, many answers here in this thread represent clearly the wide path that leads to destruction (look inward/ seek the spirit realm through forbidden means, etc.). The call to repentance and faith isn’t a game and it isn’t optional, there’s no fence sitting, wish you and your family the best 🤝
Hebrews 2:10-18
What I'm trying to say is that the traditional catholic vales are something to think about. If people would hold on to these there would be less evil in this world but than again the hypocrisy is that the church killed so many people in the name If God so they can not even hold in to their own rules.
Agree
This was a fantastic read. Thank you!
Thank you! Glad you liked it. 🌏
Personally I found Christ during a heavy LSD session. Many Christians might dismiss my take, but it's not about them. I do have a personal connection with Christ. Some days more than others.
The most consistent factors determining that feeling of connection are generally healthy habits.
Exercise, time in nature, no alcohol, no pornography, good sleep schedule, minimal screen time, natural foods.
Basically moving more and more towards being amish.
Hi Zach,
So exciting to meet you last night at the meet up. This is an awesome project and I look forward to learning more about it. !
I believe in order to have an authentic emotional experience With Christ, you would first need to see him face to face. If you ever did, it wouldn't be a warm-fuzzy, lubby, dubby experience, it would be one of absolute Reflection of yourself and how you are intrinsically so inadequate, compared to his purity.
Christ isn’t a him FFS 🤦🏻♀️ Start there
OK... You go right ahead and worship your trans lord
I’ve read the Bible in every translation and can argue it. Can you?
Yes, what does that have to do with you claiming Christ is a woman?
In our image means what?
I didn’t say Christ is a woman … you did.
If you believed believed you saw Christ or an angel .. I’m genuinely integrated to listen. Raised in Midwest & know the Bible but studied all religions lifelong to understand myself.
Jesud Christ is a him. If you want to argue God the Father and Christ are in a single godhead, you're barking up the wrong tree.
There is no mistaking Christ for an angel
I didn't see your question. "In our image" means we are created to be sons of God and to be gods.
With respect - your approach is heavily
Logical. Are you gravitating towards Aquinas ?
Roman Catholicism takes a similar approach, only they call the nous the "soul". Christ is unclear on this IMO, but Paul makes the claim that that salvation is only through a truthful declaration (faith) that you believe Christ is your Lord. What "salvation is through" means is less clear, it's stated as a guarantee (at least in KJV) but it could also mean it's only the first step to unity with the Father. I do not believe salvation is obtained through the sacraments and good deeds, as this is works-only, but am of the belief (I Peter 2:9) that works and deeds are evidence of salvation and are not the means. Purification and an outpouring of holy spirit is obtained by quietly being present and one with the Father
What a cool topic. This is my first time on NOSTR, first post. Lol, I was picturing this space to look like an AppleIIfor some reason, like, green and black and drab. You know. I learned of nostr from BTC University maybe three years ago, annnnnd it's taken me this finally sign up because I knew it'd stress me out lol. I loath "signing up". Anyway...
Just some context, My uncle lived in and around Thimpu around 20 years. I went to a middle school run by a zen buhhist head master. Grew up with Taekwondo. I lived in Thailand for ten years. And 'Check Yo Head" by the BBoys is dope. I've never considered myself Buddhist. I wouldn't be agreeable to say that I am, in fact. The influence and knowledge may be evident if one knew what to decipher, I guess. I dunno.
You make a point about strong emotional conviction towards God. I haven't experienced that type of 'genre'of devotion from the east side, towards their deity. Though, for example, I don't think it'd surprise me if Somchai had his jugular snipped for slandering the king, well the previous one anyway. What I mean is there's intense and expected dedication for the king. I just had a thought that Christians have a strong emotional tie for, Jesus. I thought for a sec the two analogous, but worshiping the king is not like Jesus, I think now for two reasons: the Tao is not a creator, and it's seems Siddhartha would be more fitting when considering Jesus' relationship to God.
Eeh, I'm rambling, sorry. So, this topic is fitting because the very.... very best people I interact with, and respect, are all Christians these days. live in Santa Barbara, my hometown, where Christians are what you hear about on the corporate media doing something somewhere else. I work two store wrenching on bikes. Both owners have known me for, well one for more than 30 years and the other twenty or so. 80-90 Christian-employeed. They accept me, fully. They're what I've got left. I'm probably way off topic. Bye
