tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post5479230127015574458..comments2023-05-25T07:17:05.918-04:00Comments on Abide in My Word: Heaven Is For RealRev. Thomas C. Messer, SSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13740553600700598394noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-8965383257554923782015-01-13T23:27:10.305-05:002015-01-13T23:27:10.305-05:00Such a heart touching story. What is written using...Such a heart touching story. What is written using these pages sure does seem genuine. Thanks for sharing this life event . I've always believed in God our Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. And now what you shared of heaven is an addition to what we can look forward too.<br /><a href="http://www.zesprikiwi.com/index.php" rel="nofollow">View this site for Zespri New Zealand Kiwi fruit information</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00118707550077647899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-89808022285316786292012-10-02T22:03:13.194-04:002012-10-02T22:03:13.194-04:00Also just wanted to say, I can't say i am a fo...Also just wanted to say, I can't say i am a follower of any set religion. I am a child of God. If i were to pick up the bible i believe that it has great power and truth and i would see that the scriptures are of the truth. I have been gifted with seeing truth and comprehension of it. What i see with the spirit working through me is the same truth that was given for the written word. God speaks clearly. Being religious or identifying yourself as a person of a religion i don't feel will naturally bring spirituality. And being spiritual doesn't label you religious. My belief is in God. With Jesus, i am consumed by the spirit. My Shangri-laAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-85902763926871188352012-10-02T21:02:11.108-04:002012-10-02T21:02:11.108-04:00Dear Rev. Thomas,
I was raised in the church, a...Dear Rev. Thomas, <br /><br />I was raised in the church, as far as reading the bible, i cant say i have. I know the Bible is the source for the word of God, but the word speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus died for us so we may see the light. I would not say im a Mystic, i dont know a lot about those sorts of things. I do know that God has given me a gift of sight, i wont go into all that now but honestly a year ago i would tell you i have doubts that God was even real. But he told me it was time to wake up. My mother is also a minister, for the past year everything that my eyes have been open to see she tells me that that's what the scripture says. I have surrendered, destroyed my the illusion of "I". I was shown that i was a slave, and my life was controlled by the mind and the illusions it created for me. I seem to have a calling, so knowing that i'm just a child of God, Jesus is guiding me so i follow. I have seen so many things, not only have i been shown to look past identity and form of what is, to just observe. I have also been shown that i don't need these eyes to see the beautiful light within. I know the Bible is the source for Holy Scripture, through it we get the word of God, But i see that the source for the Word is God, through the Holy Spirit. When God woke me so abruptly he told me that their fading lights are fading and i should set fire to their flames, I alone don't have the knowledge or ability to do that, he said watch me as i lead the way from infancy to grown up babies. Then it hit me what my mother had told me along time ago, we have to be that of a child to enter the gates of heaven. Right now in my life, my mind only serves as the tool it was given to me for, it does not consume any of my thoughts, emotions or beliefs. I am always still, filled with love, and happiness and i walk with Jesus, and he uses me for his will. All i can say that comes through is that you spoke of walking on dangerous ground, If this little boys story has the power (regardless of how the book came to be) to save people, or to restore faith back into the hearts of the stray, then tread lightly with the words you say for fear of being rendered silent.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-3484199983201118112012-10-02T10:35:35.417-04:002012-10-02T10:35:35.417-04:00Dear Tyler,
We can know nothing about God apart f...Dear Tyler,<br /><br />We can know nothing about God apart from His revelation to us in Holy Scripture. We cannot bypass Holy Scripture to get "straight to the source," for Holy Scripture IS the source. <br /><br />This is why Jesus, the Eternal Word of the Father, who became Flesh and dwelt among us, directs His disciples to the Scriptures, because they are the Scriptures that testify of Him. When He appears to them in His resurrected body, He opens up the Scriptures to them, so that they finally understand that everything He came and did was the fulfillment of what had been prophesied beforehand in the Scriptures.<br /><br />Likewise, when Jesus tells us about the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), the rich man, who is suffering eternal torment in hell, wants father Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers, so that he might preach the truth to them and they might be spared the torment he is suffering. But, Jesus says, through Abraham, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them." That is, they have the Scriptures and, if they won't listen to the Scriptures, then neither will they believe if a dead man should be resurrected and preach to them. <br /><br />The idea that we do not need Holy Scripture and can have access to God apart from His revelation to us in the Bible is not Christianity, but mysticism. <br /><br />That you are pitting the Bible against God reveals that you do not understand what the Bible is. The Bible is God's Word and is not in competition with Jesus, the Incarnate Word - they are one and the same. It is Jesus Himself who points us time and time again to the Holy Scriptures, bidding us to abide in His Word. <br /><br />The Bible doesn't have to agree with what you see as truth; the Bible IS truth. It is the sole source and norm of all Christian doctrine. To believe that you can gain knowledge and truth apart from God's revelation to us in the Bible is akin to the heretical teachings of gnosticism, an early form of which St. John was already combating in his day when, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the Gospel that bears his name, his three epistles, and Revelation, all of which make it vividly clear that Holy Scripture is God's Word, and that Jesus is that Word made Flesh for us. <br /><br />"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17). <br /><br />In Christ,<br />Pr. MesserRev. Thomas C. Messer, SSPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13740553600700598394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-42170919809411382132012-09-27T22:56:41.766-04:002012-09-27T22:56:41.766-04:00Sorry but this is weighing on me, like im supposed...Sorry but this is weighing on me, like im supposed to say it here. Just because something doesnt quite add up to what the Bible says or may not be in the Bible in a text that you understand fully yet. If you have to go back to the Bible for an answer, see what you are doing, instead of getting the answer from the book, just get the answer straight from the source.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-48979870749273907612012-09-27T16:27:19.182-04:002012-09-27T16:27:19.182-04:00Rev. Thomas, God loves us, he loves us soo much. Rev. Thomas, God loves us, he loves us soo much. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-57376404643319785982012-09-27T16:17:46.565-04:002012-09-27T16:17:46.565-04:00Stop digging and picking apart words, Stop thinkin...Stop digging and picking apart words, Stop thinking and trying to understand what words say, Listen very hard and the truth will come to you at last. In stillness you will see, written words only trigger thought of what they say, and understanding only what you think of the words read. Let all that go, and you get to listen to the word come through.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-38897288424925103582012-09-27T16:11:19.268-04:002012-09-27T16:11:19.268-04:00Wow guys, I agree that we were not there and it di...Wow guys, I agree that we were not there and it did not happen to us but as a Christian, a believer, you should know that we don't need proof, we just have to believe. The Bible is not the sole authority, GOD is. The word is not the bible, the word is god and the word is with god. You simple cant count on the words you read in scripture, the word may be spoken to you through the Bible, but the word is spoken to you not just what you read and have to think or believe that what you read is true. The truth is shown and spoken, God speaks the word, you dont just read it. I honestly have never read the Bible, i remember bible stories as a kid, but speaking to other christians even preachers as to what shines through me as truth as if im just shown the truth like i already somehow knew it, they say is what the bible says. I guess the bible would have to say the things i see as truth. I dont need eyes to read words in a book to see or know the word. Just sayingAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-10639088717920462112012-09-27T16:10:52.527-04:002012-09-27T16:10:52.527-04:00You know its in the mind the we question what is, ...You know its in the mind the we question what is, or we think we need to see proof, or have to experience something first hand. And really what i just dont get is why most that say they accept God, why they only accept what they read to believe what they think is the word of God. The word is not read, it is spoken to YOU through the spirit. Mere words cant speak the truth of God, the truth speaks itself.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04512089171873469309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-90451109426340209812011-06-02T20:56:43.854-04:002011-06-02T20:56:43.854-04:00Thanks, Josh.Thanks, Josh.Rev. Thomas C. Messer, SSPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13740553600700598394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2978485750390455025.post-69428822619339815742011-06-02T19:00:45.867-04:002011-06-02T19:00:45.867-04:00Thomas,
I read the book also, and had a similar s...Thomas, <br />I read the book also, and had a similar skepticism going into it and reaction after reading it. I thought your review was very good and to the point. Very interesting account, but ultimately not proof for us--the Bible is the sole authority. Thanks for your review!The Joshua Victor Theoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com