How to meet God ?

citizenzen said:
Sheesh! That Jehovah can be a stickler some times.
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And its always for our benefit:)

Following Jehovah’s guidance might mean that we have to humble ourselves

The foremost source of divine guidance is the Bible, God’s inspired Word.
(Read 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.)

The discipline of Jehovah, O my son, do not reject; and do not abhor his reproof, because the one whom Jehovah loves he reproves, even as a father does a son in whom he finds pleasure.
proverbs 3;11-12


All those for whom I have affection I reprove and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent

revelation 3;19


 
is that an ethnicity or a religion or both ?
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Judaism isn't an ethnicity. We come in many shapes, sizes and colors. It's a tribal religion which is to say it is the shared religion of a particular people. In that way it is similar to, say, native american religion. I like R' Mordechai Kaplan's description of Judaism as an "evolving religious civilization." It does vary a bit from other Abrahamic religions, e.g. it does not require non-Jews to accept Judaism in order to be in good with G!d and traditionally is far less dogmatic than Islam or Christianity.
 
mee said:
And its always for our benefit:)
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Mee, humility is a precious gift. I work to embody it and am grateful for it presence.

I prefer to call my god, life. I spell it with a little "l". She doesn't seem to mind at all.
 
GlorytoGod said:
So you think we need to follow the rules ?

is that what you are saying ?

and if so what are the rules ?
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Yes, brother, I believe we should follow the rules. How can one say he/ she is in love, while he/she doesnt strive for the pleasure of his/her beloved?....How easy it is for one to say he/she is in love, and how hard it is to prove that this love is real and true...Love cant be achieved without sacrifices, without unconditional giving, without giving up and submission...

What are the rules? From an Islamic point of view, the following hadith gives us an idea about the rules: from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, there is that he said, "While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless with him and grant him peace, one day a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of travelling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew, until he sat down close to the Prophet, may Allah bless with him and grant him peace, so that he rested his knees upon his knees and placed his two hands upon his thighs and said, 'Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless with him and grant him peace, said, 'Islam is that you witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish the prayer, and you give the Zakat, and you fast Ramadan, and you perform the hajj of the House if you are able to take a way to it.' He said, 'You have told the truth,' and we were amazed at him asking him and [then] telling him that he told the truth. He said, 'Tell me about iman.' He said, 'That you affirm Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you affirm the Decree, the good of it and the bad of it.' He said, 'You have told the truth.' He said, 'Tell me about ihsan.' He said, 'That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you.' He said, 'Tell me about the Hour.' He said, 'The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.' He said, 'Then tell me about its tokens.' He said, 'That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings.' He went away, and I remained some time. Then he asked, 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'He was Jibril who came to you to teach you your deen'." Muslim (8) narrated it.

To meet God is simply to love God, and to love God is to be obedient with love, to worship with submissive loving heart. Sometimes, it can happen that we obey without love, or we love without obeying, but to love and obey at the same time is the highest form of true love.

The question is how to love? Is it under our control? The answer is to know...yes, to know. Look at the wisdom of the prphet Muhammed peace be upon him in the following very short and concise hadith. Once a man came to the Messenger of God (s) and said, “O Messenger of God, tell me something about Islam, which I can ask of no one but you”. He (S) said: “Say: I believe in God and thereafter be upright”. The prophet Muhammed peace be upon him gave the key of love, the key of meeting God, the key to be upright and committed to that man: belief, and belief comes after knowing.

How come that one knows God very well and he/she doesnt love Him, and be really submissive with loving, satisfying heart. That's why the prophet Muhammed peace be upon him spent 13 years in spreading knowledge about God before starting to really practice the teachings publicly. Meeting God cant be achieved without being a faithful of His ordres, and one cant be upright and committed untill his/ her love is really firm that can survive all the hardship and the seduction, for the lover sees no pleasure but in that of the beloved.

In some Qudsi hadiths, God said:
"
“O son of Adam! I created you with My own hands and raised you with my blessing and you disobey Me and draw away from Me but if you come back to Me, I will forgive you. Where can you find a god like Me and I am the most Merciful, most Forgiving”

“O David! Had those who are straying away from Me known how much I love that they come back to Me and how much I love that they were near to Me and how much I love to forgive them; they would have been mad in love with Me.
O David! That is how much I care for those who are away from Me, How is My love then to those who are drawing near to Me.”



In another hadith Qudsi Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) narrated:

“Me and the humans and Jinn are in a great struggle. I create but they worship some one else. I give but they thank someone else.

I bestow my blessing on them but they challenge me!

I draw closer to them with My mercy, though I am no need for them but they turn away from Me with their sins though they are in great need for Me.

Those who remember; are those who are fit to be in My company. So, whoever wishes to be in my company, let him remember Me.

Those who obey Me are those who are fit to receive My love.

Those who disobey Me, I do not cast them out of My mercy. If they repent to Me then I will love them. But if they refuse (to repent) then I am their doctor. I afflict them with adversities to cleans them from evil.

A good deed with Me is rewarded ten folds and I give even more. A bad deed with Me is one and I forgive. By My Glory! Were they to ask Me to forgive it, I will forgive it.

He who comes to Me in repentance; I will come to him from afar. And he who insists and turns away from Me, I call him from near; I say to him: Where are you going? Do you have a god other than Me?”

“My servant! I brought you into existence out of nothing. And I granted you hearing, sight, brain and reasoning.

My servant! I cover you but you do not fear Me.

My servants! I remember you but you forget Me. My servant! I feel shy from exposing your sins but you do not feel shy from Me.

Now! Who is more generous than me? And who is this who knocked on My door but I did not open for him. And who is this who asked from Me but I did not give him.

Am I stingy or miser that My servant acts stingy with Me?!”





 
citizenzen said:
Mee, humility is a precious gift. I work to embody it and am grateful for it presence.

I prefer to call my god, life. I spell it with a little "l". She doesn't seem to mind at all.
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It is because of God’s will that all things “existed and were created.” (Re 4:11)



You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”revelation 4;11
 
This is how I come close to God.

Prayer, Practise all fundemental virtues (as many as I can), Learn, Teach (anything, because you learn more from attempting to teach when you discover your wrong and how to present yourself to the many different), Charity, Tolorance, Persistence. Learning how to avoid causing pyshical and emotional pain and to actually believe in One God.

To me this amounts to life being a job and an artform and leads me in the right direction no matter where I turn or believe.
 
dauer said:
Judaism isn't an ethnicity. We come in many shapes, sizes and colors. It's a tribal religion which is to say it is the shared religion of a particular people. In that way it is similar to, say, native american religion. I like R' Mordechai Kaplan's description of Judaism as an "evolving religious civilization." It does vary a bit from other Abrahamic religions, e.g. it does not require non-Jews to accept Judaism in order to be in good with G!d and traditionally is far less dogmatic than Islam or Christianity.
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Yeah Judaism is a very good religion after I started looking into it. I dated a quater Jewish girl once from her mother’s side. Although she was Christened Greek Orthodox from her father’s side, she was a practising Jew on the down low, ate Kosher and visited Synagogues. She used to tell me kissing Icons in Church is wrong.
 
Here's a simple question from a gods denying heathen. For all the ways folks have identified as to how to meet god, try this; substitute the term "the Easter Bunny" for the noun ”god”. Does it make sense?
 
GlorytoGod said:
what works best for you.

Prayer, Drugs, Meditation, Grace, worship etc ?
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I just wanted to add... None of these, are really the reason behind meeting god, or seeking god... It all comes down to the mind, does the mind of the person seek god? Does the mind of the person see god?

I could have said awhile back yes I was seeking a god, and through drugs yes I was seeing my god. But that was with the right kind of eyes and the right mind..... Without thoses eyes/mind god cannot be found in drugs... or any other method....

Smoke some erb mon.... and I appreciate life and nature and wow this is all good... and this is god.

Now I just do it for teh lulz.


4tl.jpg



So if you haven't got the mind for it... Prayer, drugs, meditation, kumbyah sing along whatever it ain't gonna work... Only if you want to see your god do you...
 
Worship sometimes brings down the presence of God in an amazing way :)
 
GlorytoGod said:
Worship sometimes brings down the presence of God in an amazing way :)
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Can you define worship and down?

I don't see where any supreme being of any value needs/requires worship...no ego needing feeding. And down to me references a coming from up. Both seem to me archaic/elementary references to source. References which handcuff spirit.
 
Why is this thread still growing? I already posted the definitive answer to this question way back in post #11 ! Don't you arrogant folks ever read????????
 
Dream said:
Get alone, then start thinking about your physical size, the length of your life, and all of the things that make your life possible. Overlook the things that bother you as insignificant, since you are. Now in your mind everything everywhere should be just a great big smile, because you are seeing the wonder of everything. If you feel overwhelming appreciation, then you are very close; and if you can silently maintain this positive point of view then you are transformed.
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Dream said:
Why is this thread still growing? I already posted the definitive answer to this question way back in post #11 ! Don't you arrogant folks ever read????????
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I've posted your 'definitive answer' seems you may need to reread it or at least attempt to practice it.
 
Wil said:
I've posted your 'definitive answer' seems you may need to reread it or at least attempt to practice it.
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Don't be ridiculous. I'm the one who wrote it!
 
I can attest to people finding the gods of porcelain after an all night college dorm party.
 
Resigned said:
Here's a simple question from a gods denying heathen. For all the ways folks have identified as to how to meet god, try this; substitute the term "the Easter Bunny" for the noun ”god”. Does it make sense?
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From your perspective, no it doesn't.
But if you begin from the perspective that there is a certain facet of life unreachable through normal rational means, a "post rational" approach would be a necessary injunction to understanding IT.
Every religion has within it a certain practice of pre-rational or magical thinking aspect to it, and those with that level of understanding will give you a hard time in defending their perspective. Note here that a well constructed argument will not dissuade them because of their "hard wiring" so to speak.

Still, there is that certain something you have alluded to in past posts, a mystery that the world religions have not satisfied for you. All you have seen thus far is a magic/mythic approach which offends your rational sensibilities.

Is it possible that you throw out the baby with the bath water here? I don't mean that you should buy into the popular view, but perhaps the old stories and poems pointed to something that those who experienced it had no choice but to explain it in view of their own understanding. Perhaps that certain something, call IT what you will is still awaiting recognition, awareness?
 
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