I am here for the E/c2

[Chany]

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. - 1 Corinthians 2:13

The Holy Spirit of god compares spiritual things with spiritual.

That doesn't mean anything to the conversation at hand. It's just another assertion with the supposed backing of divine revelation. You're asserting alot without illustrating anything. Most of the Christians I know would pretty much accuse you of the same thing.

Anybody can claim divine revelation. Claiming something, however, does not make it so, especially in light of all the other people who claimed divine revelation.

 

[rockytopva]

I did study Philosophy and ethics in college and I remember that they studied one Thomas Aquinas who believed that the chief ethical duty of man was to love God. This is also the doctrine of John Wesley Methodism…

What is a Methodist? A description of the doctrine of the Philadelphian church age penned by Wesley himself.

1. We believe, indeed, that "all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God.” We believe the written word of God to be the only and sufficient rule both of Christian faith and practice.

2. We do not place our religion, or any part of it, in being attached to any peculiar mode of speaking, any quaint or uncommon set of expressions. Our religion does not lie in doing what God has not enjoined, or abstaining from what he hath not forbidden. It does not lie in the form of our apparel, in the posture of our body, or the covering of our heads; nor yet in abstaining from marriage, or from meats and drinks, which are all good if received with thanksgiving.

3. Nor, lastly, is he distinguished by laying the whole stress of religion on any single part of it

4. "What then is the mark? Who is a Methodist, according to your own account?" I answer: A Methodist is one who has "the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him;" one who "loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. God is the joy of his heart, and the desire of his soul; which is constantly crying out, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee! My God and my all! Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!"

5. He is therefore happy in God, yea, always happy, as having in him "a well of water springing up into everlasting life," and overflowing his soul with peace and joy. "Perfect love" having now "cast out fear," he "rejoices evermore." He "rejoices in the Lord always," even "in God his Saviour;" and in the Father, "through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom he hath now received the atonement." "Having" found "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of his sins," he cannot but rejoice, whenever he looks back on the horrible pit out of which he is delivered; when he sees "all his transgressions blotted out as a cloud, and his iniquities as a thick cloud." He cannot but rejoice, whenever he looks on the state wherein he now is; "being justified freely, and having peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." For "he that believeth, hath the witness" of this "in himself;" being now the son of God by faith. "Because he is a son, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father!" And "the Spirit itself beareth witness with his spirit, that he is a child of God." He rejoiceth also, whenever he looks forward, "in hope of the glory that shall be revealed;" yea, this his joy is full, and all his bones cry out, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten me again to a living hope -- of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for me!"

6. And he who hath this hope, thus "full of immortality, in everything giveth thanks;" as knowing that this (whatsoever it is) "is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning him." From him, therefore, he cheerfully receives all, saying, "Good is the will of the Lord;" and whether the Lord giveth or taketh away, equally "blessing the name of the Lord." For he hath "learned, in whatsoever state he is, therewith to be content." He knoweth "both how to be abased and how to abound

7. For indeed he "prays without ceasing." It is given him "always to pray, and not to faint.” And while he thus always exercises his love to God, by praying without ceasing, rejoicing evermore, and in everything giving thanks, this commandment is written in his heart, "That he who loveth God, love his brother also." And he accordingly loves his neighbour as himself; he loves every man as his own soul. His heart is full of love to all mankind.

8. For he is "pure in heart." The love of God has purified his heart from all revengeful passions, from envy, malice, and wrath, from every unkind temper or malign affection. It hath cleansed him from pride and haughtiness of spirit, whereof alone cometh contention. And he hath now "put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering:" So that he "forbears and forgives, if he had a quarrel against any; even as God in Christ hath forgiven him." And indeed all possible ground for contention, on his part, is utterly cut off. For none can take from him what he desires; seeing he "loves not the world, nor" any of "the things of the world;" being now "crucified to the world, and the world crucified to him;" being dead to all that is in the world, both to "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." For "all his desire is unto God, and to the remembrance of his name."
9. Agreeable to this his one desire, is the one design of his life, namely, "not to do his own will, but the will of Him that sent him." His one intention at all times and in all things is, not to please himself, but Him whom his soul loveth. He has a single eye. And because "his eye is single, his whole body is full of light." Indeed, where the loving eye of the soul is continually fixed upon God, there can be no darkness at all, "but the whole is light; as when the bright shining of a candle doth enlighten the house." God then reigns alone. All that is in the soul is holiness to the Lord. There is not a motion in his heart, but is according to his will. Every thought that arises points to Him, and is in obedience to the law of Christ.

10. And the tree is known by its fruits. For as he loves God, so he keeps his commandments; not only some, or most of them, but all, from the least to the greatest. He is not content to "keep the whole law, and offend in one point;" but has, in all points, "a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man."

11. All the commandments of God he accordingly keeps, and that with all his might. For his obedience is in proportion to his love, the source from whence it flows. And therefore, loving God with all his heart, he serves him with all his strength. By consequence, whatsoever he doeth, it is all to the glory of God. His one invariable rule is this, "Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

12. Nor do the customs of the world at all hinder his running the race that is set before him. He knows that vice does not lose its nature, though it becomes ever so fashionable; and remembers that every man is to give an account of himself to God. He cannot, therefore, follow even a multitude to do evil. He cannot fare sumptuously every day, or make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. He cannot layup treasures upon earth, any more than he can take fire into his bosom. He cannot "adorn himself, on any pretense, with gold or costly apparel" He cannot join in or countenance any diversion which has the least tendency to vice of any kind. He cannot "speak evil" of his neighbor, any more than he can lie either for God or man. He cannot utter an unkind word of any one; for love keeps the door of his lips. He cannot speak idle words; no corrupt communication ever comes out of his mouth, as is all that which is not good to the use of edifying, not "fit to minister grace to the hearers." But "whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are" justly "of good report," he thinks, and speaks, and acts, adorning the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in all things.

13. Lastly. As he has time, he "does good unto all men;" unto neighbours and strangers, friends and enemies: And that in every possible kind; not only to their bodies, by "feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those that are sick or in prison;" but much more does he labour to do good to their souls, as of the ability which God giveth; to awaken those that sleep in death; to bring those who are awakened to the atoning blood, that, "being justified by faith, they may have peace with God;" and to provoke those who have peace with God to abound more in love and in good works.

14. If any man say, "Why, these are only the common fundamental principles of Christianity!" thou hast said; so I mean; this is the very truth; I know they are no other; and I would to God both thou and all men knew, that I, and all who follow my judgment, do vehemently refuse to be distinguished from other men, by any but the common principles of Christianity, -- the plain, old Christianity that I teach, renouncing and detesting all other marks of distinction. And having the mind that was in Christ, he so walks as Christ also walked.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. – John 1:5

Wesley’s definition here not only defines a Methodist, but a revival. As people liberated and free from the destructive nature of the flesh and of the devil, these ways ought to come easy for us, for we have been freed from the darkness and bondages of the devil himself. If these things have not made for a spiritual light and warmth in the soul then we should examine our paths to make sure we are not inhibited and bound by the ways of the times, which pertain to the Laodicean age (Lukewarmness). We should be so filled with the creators E/c2 that we have forgotten and can no longer comprehend the things of darkness. Remember, z (absolute zero, cold, hate, rudeness) / d (darkness, greed, sorrow, fear, depression) is the opposite of E (Energy, warmth, motivation, love, etiquette) / c2 (light, charity, joy, faith, hope), you cannot have both in you at the same time.

The Wesleyan Methods as set here in Virginia can be categorized into four…

1. Justification – The acquiring of faith
2. Salvation – Accepting Jesus, by the acquired faith, into ones heart.
3. Sanctification – With a sweet spirit.
4. Witness of the Spirit – Pentecostals would accept this with tongues.

An old story goes of a Methodist farmer trying to plow straight wind rows with his horse. Having the horse go off track he then gets mad and begins to whip his horse. His wife then hollers out the door, “Not yet honey! Not yet!” When one gets sanctifiedthe first creatures to know about it are the household pets. Instead of kicking them you will rub them and show a little love. It should also be noted that the Methodist were not tight on the clothesline. On looking over Wesley’s ‘What is a Methodist,’ he was little concerned about what people wore; most concerned over the professors spiritual state! John Wesley once said that when a man dies they ought to have enough to bury him and a few pence for his friends. A Methodists love is in his work. A Methodist understands that the whole universe belongs to God the Father and we are all part owners, therefore a Methodist has little interest in hoarding things of this earth. The Earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof and God does indeed give us power to enjoy the earth, whether we are dead owners or not.

 

[rockytopva]

Confucius was born Ch'iu in China in 551 BC in a time when China was ruled by warlord princes. Ch'iu was self-educated and raised by a poor family in Lu where he developed a passion for ethics.

Ch'iu began travelling China sharing his philosophy with the ruling princes, believing these powerful leaders had an obligation to lead their people with virtue rather than vice, understanding their higher purpose, which was to do right and lead by selfless example. Ch'iu trained many disciples over the years installing followers in government positions. By the time Ch'iu died in 478 BC he was considered one of the greatest ethical minds of the East.

At the time of Socrates Ch'iu was popularizing ethical humanism which would have a huge impact on the social, political, and philosophical structure of China. "The practice of right living is deemed the highest. Complete virtue takes first place; the doing of anything else subordinate." - Ch'iu (Confucius)

*At fifteen I was bent upon learning. At thirty I stood firm. At forty I was free from doubt. At fifty I knew the dictates of heaven. At sixty my ear was obedient for the reception of truth. At seventy could follow what my heart desired without transgressing that which was right. *If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness *The superior man is anxious lest he should not get the truth; he is not anxious lest poverty come upon him. *Good and evil do not wrongly befall men but Heaven sends down misery or happiness according to their conduct. *The superior man wishes to be slow in his words and earnest in his conduct. *The superior man is satisfied and composed; the ordinary full of distress. *The superior man is distressed by his lack of ability; he is not distressed by men not knowing him. *That wherein the superior man cannot be equaled is simply this, his work which other men cannot see. *The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear. *They who know virtue are few. *In ancient times men learned with a view to their own improvement. Nowadays men learn with a view to be accepted of others. *The practice of right living is deemed the highest. Complete virtue takes first place; the doing of anything else whatsoever is subordinate.

*In archery, we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns around and seeks the cause of his failure within himself. *When internal examination reveals nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear? *The superior man is modest in his speech, but excels in his actions. *The way of the superior man may be found in its simple elements in common men and women. In its utmost reaches it shines brightly through heaven and earth. *If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness. *Without knowing the ordinances of heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man. *When you do not know a thing, to acknowledge that you do not know, is knowledge. *The way of heaven is to bless the good and make the bad miserable. *A superior man sends a man to a distant mission test his loyalty. He employs him near by to test his manners. He gives him lots to do order to judge his ability. He puts a question to him in order test his knowledge, and makes a commitment with him to test his ability to keep his word. He trusts him with money in order test his heart, and announces to him the coming of a crisis to test his integrity: He makes him drunk in order to see his character, and puts him in female company to test his attitude. Submitted to these nine tests, a fool always reveals himself.

*The way of the superior man is threefold: Virtuous, he is free from anxiety; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear. *To know what is right and not to do it, is cowardice. *Knowledge, courage, and energy, these three are the virtues that are universally binding. *Exalted merit depends upon high aim. *Action takes precedence over words. *The superior man sets his heart on virtue, the ordinary man sets his heart on land. *I have not yet met a sage, I would accept meeting a superior man. *With virtue there is no solitude. *Those not charitable cannot long endure adversity. *There are men who invent what they do not know. I do not. *With wisdom there is no delusion, with charity, there is no worry, with courage, there is no fear. The superior man is free and bountiful. The ordinary man bound and grieving. *In ancient times men would hesitate to speak out, for their conduct, if falling short, would be shameful. *The superior man helps others to accomplish good. *Do not be concerned about others not appreciating you. Be concerned about your not appreciating others. *The superior man is at peace without being arrogant. The ordinary man is arrogant without being at peace. *What is to be done with those who say, What is to be done? What is to be done? *Men who do not care about the future will soon have trouble.

*The superior man is faithful to what is right, irrespective of others faith in him. *To spread hearsay mindlessly is to abandon virtue. *Only the wisest and most dull-witted are unchangeable. *Confucius to Tsze-Hea: I am fortunate! If I have faults, people are sure to know them. Mencius: When anyone told Tsze-loo that he had a fault, he rejoiced. *Behave towards everyone as if receiving a great guest. *To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it. *The superior man rests in this that he will indulge in no injurious ease. *Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men. *Things that have their origin in heaven tend upward; things that have their origin in Earth, tend to what is below. *Those not charitable cannot endure adversity nor be long happy. The charitable are at ease with charity, the wise profit from charity. *The superior man on literary grounds meets with his friend and by their friendship helps his virtue. *The superior man seeks to devise the admirable qualities of men. The ordinary man does the opposite of this. *There are times when a superior man is not charitable, but at no times is the fool charitable.

 

[rockytopva]

“Thinking big creates the excitement necessary for accomplishment.” – Zig Ziglar

Does the light and energy of spiritual variety shine through the Christian churches? Sometimes it does! Sometimes it does not! As virtue is not knowledge therefore it cannot be taught. Therefore one may go through seminary and may or may not acquire the necessary spiritual light for accomplishment. My old Baptist preacher once said that seminary was the easiest place to backslide. Therefore I push very little doctrine here on CF.

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” – 1 Corinthians 1:23-29

In researching Christianity some of its finest had no seminary training. DL Moody was a shoes salesman and John Bunyan was a tinker. Both men would do much for the kingdom of God despite their lack of education. When in England an American clergyman marveled that DL Moody was drawing such crowds. He commented to an Englishman, “Why is it the English like the shoe salesman when there are so many more educated preachers in the states?”

The Englishman replied…. “Because the shoe salesman preaches with tears.”

 

[rockytopva]

It takes a lot of chemistry for light to...

1. Go through a lubricated cornea
2. Muscles to coordinate the lens to project the image to the correct spot on the retina
3. The chemistry that fills the eyeball must remain clear
4. Chemical reactions that occur on the retina
5. The brain to make sense of all of that, which receives the images upside down.
6. The visual sensory memory bank so that the brain can refer the image to an object.
7. For an imagination to occur!

The brain then tries to put into reality the images it is receiving from the retina. Is imagination reality? As in Plato's Republic, we are like prisoners in a cave trying to make sense of the images laid before us on the wall...

Having a prisoner released, venturing to the great outdoors reflects the gaining of knowledge, having seen the sun and the great outdoors reflects to the understanding of reality. This is reflected in Plato's Doctrine of the Divided Line...

In which it is the intention of the legislator (God the Father) to take us out of the cave where we can see the reality as he intended it. He does this with the help of the Holy Spirit. "O friends! Cry to God to reveal Jesus Christ unto you; there is none teacheth like he." - John Bunyan

 

[PsychoSarah]

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. - 1 Corinthians 2:13

The Holy Spirit of god compares spiritual things with spiritual.

That would be like comparing snow to snow when trying to explain what snow is to someone who has never seen it. Pointless

 

[rockytopva]

If E = mc2 then we can divide and conclude that...

Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2)

And there are three varieties...

Natural E/c2 - All mass is basically cooled plasma
Mental E/c2 - Our brains output is a result of E/c2
Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)

Scripture....


26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are... - 1 Corinthians 1

God chooses the compartment of spirituality over knowledge and physique.