» Christianity Don's Blog

This is a difficult and touchy subject for many. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Many people think you need to be religious or belong to an organized religion or you can’t possibly believe in God. The truth is, in many cases, belonging to a religious group can hinder your appreciation of the true nature of that great being referred to as God. Many millions of people believe in a higher power but never set foot inside a structure that has been set aside for worshiping God, no matter what the religion may be. And eventually God will openly permeate all aspects of life on our planet, including government, with humanities blessing. However, I, for one, certainly don’t want some religious group’s fanciful notions of who and what God is forced on me. There are some pretty ridicules beliefs out there! Someday there will be a greater measure of understanding within humanity regarding God and He will become universally accepted throughout all of man’s activities.

Let’s be clear on one thing – God exists! He is real! However, there are many facets to the term ‘God’ and many levels of understanding. It has been said that the average Christian prays to their ‘personal god’…that is, the highest aspect of themselves. You see, man is the first level of being that can claim ‘god’ status. God is a creator. Man is also a creator. Although it goes without saying, man is far from perfect; nonetheless, he is a god in the making. Christ refers to this fact in the statement “I have said you are gods” (John 10:34).

Going higher we can say that the informing life of our planet is God – He is the creator of all that lies within His sphere of influence…but that does not include the entire solar system. However perfect our planetary life is to us, He is not perfect when it comes to that great life informing our solar system. He IS God on a much higher plane! Higher than that, we dare not go. Those stupendous lives are so far removed from our small level of existence there is no point in trying to comprehend the nature of life on those tremendously high levels. Life progresses from point to point. We are told there is no beginning and there is no end! As each individual life achieves perfection on its own level – the next highest level is entered and work begins to master that next phase of development – there is no death – only evolutionary life, constantly changing and moving upwards toward the next highest sphere of livingness.

Each life within our solar system, no matter at what level they find themselves, incarnates upon particular streams of energy. There are seven such streams or rays as they are called. One ray of energy is called ‘Love-Wisdom’ – it is said the main characteristic of the informing life of our solar system, God, is upon this particular stream of energy. ‘God is Love’ is a factual statement. Man’s attempt to try and describe, or in any way consider Him as some emotional, vengeful or angry God is absurd! There is only love streaming through Him to us and all lower kingdoms in nature. It is our misunderstanding, misuse, and present attainment upon the ladder of life that limits our ability to respond; to demonstrate in our lives the highest potential of this energy, as individuals and as a race. The perfect life of a Son of God was demonstrated for us in the Person of the Christ. Such is the destiny of us all! At some point in our evolutionary development we will each achieve the state of a perfected human being and thus be permitted to move upward into the next kingdom, and continue our life’s sojourn.

Quotes:

“First and foremost, there must be recognition of the fact of God. That central Reality can be called by any name that man may choose according to his mental or emotional bent, racial tradition and heritage, for it cannot be defined or conditioned by names. Human beings perforce always use names in order to express that which they sense, feel and know, both of the phenomenal and also of the intangible. Consciously or unconsciously, all men recognize God Transcendent and God Immanent. They sense God to be the Creator and the Inspiration of all that is.

The Eastern faiths have ever emphasized God Immanent, deep within the human heart, ” nearer than hands and feet, ” the Self, the One, the Atma, smaller than the small, yet all-comprehensive. The Western faiths have presented God Transcendent, outside His universe, an Onlooker. God transcendent, first of all, conditioned men’s concept of Deity, for the action of this transcendent God appeared in the processes of nature; later, in the Jewish dispensation, God appeared as the tribal Jehovah, as the soul (the rather unpleasant soul) of a nation. Next, God was seen as a perfected man, and the divine God-man walked the Earth in the Person of the Christ. Today we have a rapidly growing emphasis upon God immanent in every human being and in every created form. Today, we should have the churches presenting a synthesis of these two ideas which have been summed up for us in the statement of Shri Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita: “Having pervaded this whole Universe with a fragment of Myself, I remain.” God, greater than the whole, yet God present also in the part; God Transcendent guarantees the plan for our world and is the Purpose, conditioning all lives from the minutest atom, up through all the kingdoms of nature, to man.”

– The Reappearance of the Christ, p 144-145, by Alice A. Bailey

“A new definition of God was given us when the Buddha taught that God was Light and showed us the way of illumination, and when Christ revealed to us that God was Love through His life and service on earth. Today the knowledge aspect of illumination is being comprehended, but the inner meaning of love is only now dimly sensed. Yet light and love have been revealed to the world by two great Sons of God in two Approaches. A new Approach is on the Way, bringing us the next needed truth. We ask ourselves: What will it be? For it, the knowers and lovers of God and their fellowmen are prepared; for it, the masses of men wait.”

– The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p 406, by Alice A. Bailey

Serving God is a commitment from the heart and it takes a rare individual to do so in a public setting, while remaining free from the material trappings of their position. The job demands a responsible man or woman, one with a focused purpose and loving heart. But as we know, all too often there is abuse. I am specifically referring to church clergy, especially those that have set up churches to teach their followers what they believe (note that wording – what they believe!). If the head of your church is living in a mansion and flying around in a private jet you should run for the hills! At least find another church. If you proclaim you are serving God and are taking in more than the minimum required to live in your community, you are a fraud! There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it! You are not serving God. You are interested in material riches and serving yourself.

I once had a devout Christian tell me that God doesn’t want you to be poor. WHAT? First of all God doesn’t focus his attention on your emotional level, your desires or material longings. To think He cares how much money you have it about as naïve as you can get. Contrary to what many people claiming to be Christian believe and state, you can’t be focused up and down at the same time (of course since you are living on this plane you have to tend to your material duties – but that doesn’t require focusing your attention toward acquiring material wealth). Either you are orientated toward your spiritual life or your material one, but not both. And it irks me to no end when these people twist statements in the bible to justify their actions and ends.

Look around you. If you see people getting rich off of their religion they are not to be trusted. PERIOD! And in this country there are many of these individuals and groups. Churches are supposed to help people with their spiritual needs and tend to those who need assistance; food, shelter, and clothing etc. There isn’t any excuse for anyone, especially children, in this country to go hungry. And yet they are. These clergy, many of them public figures, should be ashamed of themselves!

There are also those high profile people using their religious status to garner trust in their statements. They are quick to criticize and try to manipulate public opinion, all for the sake of making money off of their contrived controversy. It’s reprehensible! Shame on you!

Quote:

“Just as money has been in the past the instrument of men’s selfishness, now it must be the instrument of their goodwill.”

– Discipleship in the New Age – Volume I, p 166, by Alice A. Bailey