WHO IS "THE REAL, THE TRUE, THE LIVING" JESUS?
Just sharing some thoughts on the LIVING Jesus (see https://thelivingjesuschrist.wordpress.com/)
“
from https://sharefaith.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/jesus-makes-god-real-to-me-2/
I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, and live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is.”
from https://myjourneyofaith.wordpress.com/my-journey-of-faith/
YOU too (with a bit of faith) can have the mind of Christ!..
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
― C.S Lewis, Mere Christianity
from
Web Sites: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007E2WXW0http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1374375740
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at http://sharefaith.wordpress.com and https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
Publishing Guidelines:
We hope that the following thoughts may be interesting, informative, helpful and especially thought-provoking to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. This piece (as with all my writings) may be freely reproduced electronically or in print (with acknowledgement to the sources, thanks). If it helps others “out there” in any way on the ‘amazing journey of life’, then we’re very happy.
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
#
C.S. Lewis on Jesus Christ: Lord, Liar or Lunatic?
“God does work in amazing ways”
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Submitter’s Thoughts:
I am fascinated by the life and immense spirit of Jesus, as well as the controversy and varying beliefs about this most written about “figure” in human history. So in my research for my latest Amazon book The Spirit of a True Champion: A Look into the Mind of Jesus Christ, I came across these thoughts of CS Lewis on the www, so thought I’d share. No matter what you may or may not believe… enjoy
Is Jesus Christ a Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and GOD?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic–or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If Jesus were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? Christ said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
(My thought, I need to study the above statement/claim in more depth…purely for myself)
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
The Claims of Jesus
Christ claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God’s nature and ask, “Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?” Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus Christ.
John 8:28-29 “So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’”
John 8:46-47 “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus Christ claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
Christ claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John–who shared bread with Jesus–wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jesus Christ claimed to be able to forgive sins
(my note : indirectly. Also see *)
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people’s sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’”
Christ claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
Luke 23:1-3 “Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’ So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.”
John 18:36-37 “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’”
Christ claimed to be able to give everlasting life
Jesus didn’t just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”
John 10:28-30 “I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die…’”
Jesus claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
John 12:32-33 “‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”
John 16:16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
Luke 18:31-33 “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’”
Christ claimed that he would return again to judge the world
* (my thought: Yet Jesus also claimed that only God could judge)
Matthew 24:27-30 “So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”
Matthew 25:31-32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.”
Mark 14:61-62 “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
From: http://www.allaboutgod.com/jesus-christ.htm
http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/who-is-jesus-god-or-just-a-good-man/index.htm
http://www.jonathantweet.com/religionlewisonj.html
‘The Spirit of a True Champion: A Look into the Mind of Jesus Christ’ is already available at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007E2WXW0
Craig’s various books on Jesus and the “Spiritual journey” are available at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1374375740
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE (paperbacks)
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
“Together, one mind, one life (one small step at a time), let’s see how many people (and lives) we can encourage, impact, empower, enrich, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.”
PPS
A life lived in the spirit of Christ will never die!
As my good friend, Lindsay ‘the Prophet’ often says: “Get yourself right with Jesus, man!”
from https://sharefaith.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/c-s-lewis-on-jesus-christ-lord-liar-or-lunatic-3/
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus Christ: The Greatest Possibility Thinker Who Ever Lived (from “Endless Possibilities, Far and Great Horizons”)
Jesus truly believed that common people can become incredibly powerful beings. He knew without a shadow of doubt that ordinary people could become extraordinary people, if they could merely become possibility thinkers.
The claims of Jesus:
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11)
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. (John 10:9)
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit.” (John 15:5)
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through Me.” (John 14:6)
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)
Being a follower of Christ is offering yourself to Him and following His teachings: Your mind for Christ to think through. Your heart – for Christ to love through.
Your lips for Christ to speak through. Your hands – for Christ to touch through.
WHEN the spirit of Christ lives within you…
* Your problems will turn into great opportunities. Incredible, amazing opportunities for growth!
You will: * Have the strength to tackle your opportunities with divine strength and succeed.
Picture: Paddle-board Nelson by Gemma Campbell
Credit: House of Travel in the “scenic and tranquil little haven” that is New Zealand (or ‘Godzone’, as it is often affectionately known)
Article Title: Jesus Christ: The Greatest Possibility Thinker Who Ever Lived (from Endless Possibilities, Far and Great Horizons)
Shared by: Craig Lock
Category (key words): Spirituality, Jesus, Jesus Christ, hope, possibilities, possibility thinking, inspiration, faith, Christianity, pursuit of peace
Web Sites: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 http://www.creativekiwis.com/amazon.html and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at
http://www.peacepursuit.wordpress.com
http://www.sportforpeace.wordpress.com
http://www.buildbridgesofunity.wordpress.com
http://www.buildbridgesofunderstanding.wordpress.com
http://www.breakdownwalls.wordpress.com
http://religiousunity.wordpress.com
http://www.sharefaith.wordpress.com. wordpress.com
http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com + so many others I can’t keep track (obsessive or WHAT!)
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
Publishing Guidelines:
We hope that the following extract including some thoughts from a new “work”, which he’s currently writing titled ‘Endless Possibilities, Far and Great Horizons’) may be informative and helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. This piece (as with all my writings) may be freely reproduced electronically or in print. If it helps others “out there” on the ‘amazing journey of life’, then we’re very happy.
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
Submitter’s Note: This extract forms part of a manuscript on which Craig is currently “working” (or rather it’s “writing itself”) called ‘ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES, FAR AND GREAT HORIZONS’: true and inspirational stories. Let the Journey Begin… *
Jesus Christ: The Greatest Possibility Thinker Who Ever Lived (from “Endless Possibilities, Far and Great Horizons”)
Jesus truly believed that common people can become incredibly powerful beings. He knew without a shadow of doubt that ordinary people could become extraordinary people, if they could merely become possibility thinkers.
The claims of Jesus:
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11)
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. (John 10:9)
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit.” (John 15:5)
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through Me.” (John 14:6)
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)
Being a follower of Christ is offering yourself to Him and following His teachings: Your mind for Christ to think through. Your heart – for Christ to love through.
Your lips for Christ to speak through. Your hands – for Christ to touch through.
WHEN the spirit of Christ lives within you…
* Your problems will turn into great opportunities. Incredible, amazing opportunities for growth!
You will: * Have the strength to tackle your opportunities with divine strength and succeed.
* Pick up the broken hopes of your unfulfilled aspirations in life, your shattered dreams and have the courage and resilience to start over gain.
* Dream great dreams and one day see them come to pass. God can dream a greater dream for your life than you could ever have imagined.
* Become a truly great person – like Jesus himself. Become the very BEST YOU that you are capable of being. With God, Jesus beside you and the Holy Spirit inside you nothing is impossible… and let your spirit soar like an eagle.
“Lord, show me the person You want to speak to through my life today.”
Amen
From The New Possibility Thinkers Bible by Robert H Schuller and Paul David Dunn (by Thomas Nelson Inc, 1996) *
Jesus was not just a figure from history and the Bible a series of stories (“fairy-tales”), I truly believe. It’s a way of presenting the Word of God. Jesus entered into a new form of existence with His “wealth of spirit”. Christ is a beacon, “the anchor of our faith”. Christianity is not a series of “do’s and don’t’s”, but a living faith that transforms lives, as people meet a risen saviour.”
Jesus lived in a war zone, as do modern children in the Middle East. He gave a voice to the voiceless. The silent Jesus symbolises all who cannot speak clearly for themselves. (Are we listening to their enforced silence?). Jesus responded with compassion to human cries. Jesus showed unconditional love and all people, whether religious or not, can embrace love. Peace and goodwill is for ALL to celebrate, but God needs human beings in partnership to help peace become a reality for others.
Listen to the silence of the voiceless, the message of Jesus and ACT according to that divine spirit that lies in every one of us.
Following the teachings of Jesus shows us ways of living and principles that we can ALL learn. Something WILL happen in your life. God WILL change things. These are simple principles, that can dramatically change our lives for the better.
Choose hope despite your circumstances. God has the amazing ability to bring make something beautiful out of brokenness in our life. Amazing! God can take an ordinary person, any situation and turn it into something amazing. Jesus, the Hope-Giver will use your life for good.
It was a defining moment in my life; it sculpted who I am today. God uses our deepest valleys. He can take any situation in life and use it for His glory. Changes people, regardless of their circumstances. Jesus gives us HOPE. It’s a CHOICE – He WILL be faithful.
The unlimited power of Christ to change lives. You too can be filled with His limitless generosity of spirit. A “spark in the soul” can lead to snow-capped peaks of accomplishment.
God never gives up on His children
(From ‘Hour of Power’) *
Jesus lived in a war zone, as do modern children in the Middle East. He gave a voice to the voiceless. The silent Jesus symbolises all who cannot speak clearly for themselves. (Are we listening to their enforced silence?). Jesus related to all societies and people – the common fabric of humanity.
He was “a voice for the voiceless”. Listen to the silence of the voiceless, the message of Jesus and ACT according to that divine spirit that lies in every one of us.
Jesus responded with compassion to human cries. Jesus showed unconditional love and all people, whether religious or not, can embrace love. Peace and goodwill is for ALL to celebrate, but God needs humans in partnership to help peace become a reality for others.
He had a passion for peace, mutual tolerance, interaction between different faiths and respect for all. Jesus taught that violence achieves nothing, whether it comes from terrorists or from the response to terrorists. Christ told us to love our enemies, not to shoot them, send them to concentration camps, or blow them up! And loving ones enemies was and still is a revolutionary statement 2000 years later!
In Jesus’ own life was the key of his nearness to God, that he expressed as no other could, the spirit and will of God. The person that IS Jesus Christ makes God REAL within me.
The life and death of Jesus gives each one of us HOPE: to choose hope despite our circumstances. We are choosing hope over fear, unity over division.
*
“Lord, Make me a channel for your peace to flow through, to share your message of hope and love with as many souls, lives as possible…a window for your light to shine through to everyone I meet.
God, Use my ‘little’ life as a focus for Your Infinite Possibilities.
craig
“Our talents are our gifts from God… but what we do with our talents are our gifts TO God.”
About the submitter:
Craig believes in (and loves) helping others to find their passions and gifts… through encouraging people to reach out for, then accomplish their “wildest” dreams. He truly believes people can overcome obstacles, rise to any occasion, and accomplish their dreams, even ‘Endless Possibilities’ in life with enough FAITH and PERSISTENCE.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/craig_lock.html http://www.craiglockbooks.com
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.creativekiwis.com/amazon.html and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at
http://www.peacepursuit.wordpress.com
http://www.sportforpeace.wordpress.com
http://www.buildbridgesofunity.wordpress.com
http://www.buildbridgesofunderstanding.wordpress.com
http://www.breakdownwalls.wordpress.com
http://religiousunity.wordpress.com
http://www.sharefaith.wordpress.com. wordpress.com
http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com + so many others I can’t keep track (obsessive or WHAT!)
“Together, let’s link hands and join hearts with the person next to you, as only together can we walk towards a better and brighter future.”
“Only when you’ve been in the deepest valley can a person know what it’s like to stand on the highest peak.” – inspiring words from Richard Nixon, former United States President
“When you can see no light at the end of the tunnel, light your own candle and let your light illuminate the world, like the radiance from a window at midnight.”
“Together, let’s link hands and join hearts with the person next to you, as only together can we walk towards a brighter future.”
– Amy Biehl, tragically killed in Cape Town, South Africa in 1993 (and whose parents Linda and Peter have graciously forgiven the murderers)
“Together, one mind, one soul, one life at a time, let’s see how many people we can impact, encourage, empower, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.”
THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED
“God is leading us to the light…
and what we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the eternal light.”
:
‘THE THIRD JESUS’ by Deepak Chopra: How to Find Truth and Love in Today’s World
Published in the UK in 2008 by Rider, an imprint of Ebury Publishing http://www.rbooks.co.uk
THE WORD
“Deepak Chopra explores what we call the ‘Christ-consciousness’, which can be identified neither with the Jesus of history, nor with the Jesus of the creeds, the doctrines, and the dogmas of the ecclesiastical institution. This ‘third Jesus’ can be seen only when we move into a new human awareness that will carry us beyond tribe and prejudice and even beyond our religious systems.”
– John Shelby Spong, retired bishop of Newark and author of ‘Jesus for the Non-Religious’
“The story of ‘The Third Jesus’ is based on the science of all great religions. The knowledge that God dwells within each of us is realised, when we enter into Christ-consciousness. His voice reaffirms the science that is the basis of all religions and echoes the truth in the human spirit.”
– Russell Simmons
INTRODUCTION
“Jesus wanted to inspire a world reborn in God. His name for the soul is the Kingdom of God and he clearly intended for it to descend to earth. (‘On earth let it be as it is in Heaven’)
Jesus’s radical vision needs to be renewed. Spirit, like water, remains fresh only if it flows.”
*
PART ONE
“The living Jesus was a man of baffling contradictions: extremely humble, yet with such exalting claims about who he was… so extraordinarily human, yet at the same time divine. He taught his followers how to reach God-consciousness. The third Jesus offers a direct relationship, that is personal and present. Conventional faith is the same as belief in the impossible (such as Jesus walking on water); but there is another faith that gives us the ability to reach into the unknown and achieve transformation. And that is what he taught each ONE of us. Jesus thought timelessly and rose to the highest level of enlightenment (and consciousness).
Picture from http://tworiversblog.com/
Article Title: A “Book Review”: ‘THE THIRD JESUS’ (by Dr Deepak Chopra) – Part One
Submitted by Craig Lock
Key words (Tags): Deepak Chopra, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christianity, spirituality, spiritual growth, enlightenment, inspiration
Web sites: www.deepakchopra.com and www.rbooks.co.uk
The submitter’s web sites are at:
Craig’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at www.sharefaith.wordpress.com.
www.peacepursuit.wordpress.com
http://drmartinlutherking.wordpress.com/
www.buildbridgesofunity.wordpress.com
www.buildbridgesofunderstanding.wordpress.com
www.breakdownwalls.wordpress.com
www.breakdownbarriers.wordpress.com
www.religiousunity.wordpress.com and his various other blogs are at http://craigsblogs.wordpress.
(Obsessive…or WHAT!)
Other Articles by the submitter are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, ‘spiritual writings’ (how ‘airey-fairey’), words of inspiration and money management (how boring now, craig!)
Publishing Guidelines:
I’m sharing these these thoughts, these writings by Dr Deepak Chopra with the world in a ‘spirit of enlightenment’, as in sharing I learn myself). So this article (as with all my articles) may be published, electronically or in print (with acknowledgment to the author, thanks).
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
#
Sharing some Thoughts (Spiritual) on Jesus from ‘THE THIRD JESUS’ by Dr Deepak Chopra
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Submitters’s Note:
Craig is studying the teachings of different religions, as he researches and writes his latest novels ‘A New Dawn’ and ‘From Seeds of Hate to the Bonds of Love’, which are set in the Middle East and his latest “labour of love” ‘ The Real, The True Jesus… the One That I Really Know!)’.
This article (in point form) was based on notes and some short extracts I’ve taken directly from Dr Deepak Chopra’s fascinating and thought-provoking new book, ‘The Third Jesus’, whilst studying the link between the human mind and spirituality. As I take notes, contemplate and share these most revealing thoughts from Dr Chopra, I learn more about my own spiritual journey. So am sharing this piece from Part One ( “a great enlightening read”) in the spirit of hopefully stimulating thinking and discussion on the life and mission of Jesus from Chopra’s writings and beliefs along the ‘spiritual journey’. I recommend that you read this book, if you are interested in spiritual (or “airey-fairey” as my very “down-to-earth”, practical friends call this subject matter) matters. (Incidentally, I do ‘try to test’, further explore and apply these principles in ‘real life’ and they DO work). Hope sharing this short extract, these ‘eternal truths’ from an excellent book may be of interest, uplifting… and perhaps even inspirational to you too. Enjoy…
* *
‘THE THIRD JESUS’ by Deepak Chopra: How to Find Truth and Love in Today’s World
Published in the UK in 2008 by Rider, an imprint of Ebury Publishing www.rbooks.co.uk
THE WORD
“Deepak Chopra explores what we call the ‘Christ-consciousness’, which can be identified neither with the Jesus of history, nor with the Jesus of the creeds, the doctrines, and the dogmas of the ecclesiastical institution. This ‘third Jesus’ can be seen only when we move into a new human awareness that will carry us beyond tribe and prejudice and even beyond our religious systems.”
– John Shelby Spong, retired bishop of Newark and author of ‘Jesus for the Non-Religious’
“The story of ‘The Third Jesus’ is based on the science of all great religions. The knowledge that God dwells within each of us is realised, when we enter into Christ-consciousness. His voice reaffirms the science that is the basis of all religions and echoes the truth in the human spirit.”
– Russell Simmons
INTRODUCTION
“Jesus wanted to inspire a world reborn in God. His name for the soul is the Kingdom of God and he clearly intended for it to descend to earth. (‘On earth let it be as it is in Heaven’)
Jesus’s radical vision needs to be renewed. Spirit, like water, remains fresh only if it flows.”
*
PART ONE
“The living Jesus was a man of baffling contradictions: extremely humble, yet with such exalting claims about who he was… so extraordinarily human, yet at the same time divine. He taught his followers how to reach God-consciousness. The third Jesus offers a direct relationship, that is personal and present. Conventional faith is the same as belief in the impossible (such as Jesus walking on water); but there is another faith that gives us the ability to reach into the unknown and achieve transformation. And that is what he taught each ONE of us. Jesus thought timelessly and rose to the highest level of enlightenment (and consciousness).
‘You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before all men.’
Jesus was the very model of his teachings. Buddha said, “Whoever sees me sees the teaching”, and the same is true of Jesus. He lived in Christ-consciousness, and his teaching drew directly out of his own state of awareness. Jesus can show us the way to enlightenment. If there is such a thing as God-consciousness, no-one can be excluded from it.
What makes Jesus so difficult for us to grasp is that he never veers away from the purity of the light. He has no choice. God consciousness creates its own reality. Surrender (fully) to God, the Father, proved to be Jesus’s ultimate weapon.
*
The Gnostic Gospels:
The Gnostics chafed at church authority, believing it was up to each Christian to find God through personal knowledge of him and thus to attain enlightenment. They preferred to walk an individual path guided by revelation. The Gnostics felt that enlightenment, not salvation in Heaven was Jesus’s mission. (My comment/question: What about both??). The Gospel of Truth accuses conventional Christians of missing the whole point of Jesus, falling into blind worship, instead of trying to seek enlightenment. Individual experience dominated over written doctrine.”
(My comment: One has to experience the presence, the spirit of Jesus in a life… and this comes through simply asking: “Ask and it will be given.”)
* *
CHAPTER TWO: THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN
“Reaching the Kingdom of God means arriving at a higher level of consciousness… and Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was within everyone. He serves as the model for this path by inner communion with God. Jesus is the human face of God.
Your devotion, service and contemplation are directed towards the higher self or soul. The seed is his teaching; the waste ground is a mind unprepared to receive the truth. We turn to Jesus, because he understands the territory of the unknown, the source not only of a messiah, but of the soul itself.”
– Dr Deepak Chopra
Shared (with thanks) by “not so goody-goody airey fairey spiritual” craig
(“Information and Inspiration Distributor, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder”)
“People fight and die for religion but they seldom live for religion.”
– former Indian Prime Minister, Jahrulal Nehru
“Let your light so shine that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
(Matt 5:16)
“You are the light of the world; a city cannot be hidden, if it is built on a mountain top. A lamp is not lighted to be put away under a bushel measure; it is put on the lamp stand, to give light to all the people of the house; and your light must shine so brightly before men.”
(Matt 5,14-16. Knox).
“Let the light of your BEING shine brightly; so revealing Who You Really Are. Be a Bringer of the Light, which emanates from our soul, God, our Creator, the Source, the Essence of Life (and Ground of our very Being). Therefore, it can do more than illuminate your own path.YOUR spirit will help makes the lives of others easier by illuminating others paths. For this light is our humanity, the spirit of God, truth, wisdom, beauty and especially love…and it lies within each one of us. Through your actions and your being, let your light, YOUR spirit truly shine brightly on the world, like the radiance emitted by a candle at midnight.”
– craig (as adapted from and inspired by Neale Donald Walsh in ‘Conversations with God Book 3′).
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lockhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
www.buildbridgesofunity.wordpress.com
www.buildbridgesofunderstanding.wordpress.com
www.breakdownwalls.wordpress.com
www.breakdownbarriers.wordpress.com
www.religiousunity.wordpress.com and his various other blogs are at http://craigsblogs.wordpress.
(Obsessive…or WHAT!)
“The world’s smallest and most exclusive bookstore”
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking;
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.”
– Marianne Williamson
I love these inspiring and uplifting words from Marianne Williamson as used by Nelson Mandela in his inaugeration speech as State President at South Africa’s first Democratic Election in 1994.
“Deep within us there is a flame that burns, and that flame is the spark of God. In some it burns brightly, in others it is barely distinguishable; but always it burns…and with love and acceptance the flame gets higher and brighter. We can help others to kindle this flame by seeing the good in them, even if they don’t see it themselves.”
– anon
“Together, one mind, one life at a time, let’s see how many people we can impact, encourage, empower, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials. Change YOUR world and you help change THE world… for the better.”
End of Part One
(Part Two to follow)
THIS PIECE MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED
(with acknowledgment to Dr Deepak Chopra, please)
PPS
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
– Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”
– the Buddha
“God is a mystery, the ‘mystery of life’, a Creative Presence, Who/That allows me to be who I really want to be and become.”
“God, the Essence of Life, is the great mystery in the vast unknown; yet He(??)* is understandable.”
* I prefer using the terms Infinite Spirit and/or Ground of all Being, which have no gender
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
― C.S Lewis, Mere Christianity
Web Sites: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007E2WXW0 http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1374375740
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at http://sharefaith.wordpress.com and http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com and http://craiglock.wordpress.com
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
Publishing Guidelines:
We hope that the following thoughts may be interesting, informative, helpful and especially thought-provoking to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. This piece (as with all my writings) may be freely reproduced electronically or in print (with acknowledgement to the sources, thanks). If it helps others “out there” in any way on the ‘amazing journey of life’, then we’re very happy.
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#
C.S. Lewis on Jesus Christ: Lord, Liar or Lunatic?
“God does work in amazing ways”
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Submitter’s Thoughts:
I am fascinated by the life and immense spirit of Jesus, as well as the controversy and varying beliefs about this most written about “figure” in human history. So in my research for my latest Amazon book The Spirit of a True Champion: A Look into the Mind of Jesus Christ, I came across these thoughts of CS Lewis on the www, so thought I’d share. No matter what you may or may not believe… enjoy
Is Jesus Christ a Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and GOD?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic–or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If Jesus were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? Christ said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
(My thought, I need to study the above statement/claim in more depth…purely for myself)
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
The Claims of Jesus
Christ claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God’s nature and ask, “Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?” Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus Christ.
John 8:28-29 “So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’”
John 8:46-47 “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus Christ claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
Christ claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John–who shared bread with Jesus–wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jesus Christ claimed to be able to forgive sins
(my note : indirectly. Also see *)
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people’s sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’”
Christ claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
Luke 23:1-3 “Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’ So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.”
John 18:36-37 “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’”
Christ claimed to be able to give everlasting life
Jesus didn’t just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”
John 10:28-30 “I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die…’”
Jesus claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
John 12:32-33 “‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”
John 16:16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
Luke 18:31-33 “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’”
Christ claimed that he would return again to judge the world
* (my thought: Yet Jesus also claimed that only God could judge)
Matthew 24:27-30 “So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”
Matthew 25:31-32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.”
Mark 14:61-62 “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
From: http://www.allaboutgod.com/jesus-christ.htm
http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/who-is-jesus-god-or-just-a-good-man/index.htm
http://www.jonathantweet.com/religionlewisonj.html
‘The Spirit of a True Champion: A Look into the Mind of Jesus Christ’ is already available at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007E2WXW0
Craig’s various books on Jesus and the “Spiritual journey” are available at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1374375740
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE (paperbacks)
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
“Together, one mind, one life (one small step at a time), let’s see how many people (and lives) we can encourage, impact, empower, enrich, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.”
PPS
A life lived in the spirit of Christ will never die!
As my good friend, Lindsay ‘the Prophet’ often says: “Get yourself right with Jesus, man!”
WHO IS "THE REAL, THE TRUE, THE LIVING" JESUS? 
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