It’s hard accepting the fact that God lives within us. We’ve been taught to live our lives trying to follow the commandments and do good things, and one day we will go to heaven and live with God face to face. We have an image of God sitting on a throne way up in heaven, and here we are, far, far away down on earth.
We talk about going to a meeting and the Spirit showing up, or being at a specific place because God is there. We pray and talk with God, yet we wonder if our prayers are even getting to Him.
The more I read, I’m finding that we really have the whole thing backwards.
The Old Covenant has been fulfilled in Christ and we are living under a New Covenant. We no longer have to try to be good enough. The law was a tutor that led us to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we no longer need a tutor. We are free from the law, and children of God through the gift of his grace.
Jesus came to live among us and show us the love of God. When Jesus left, he said he would send us the Spirit. God has now come to live within us. Jesus said the kingdom of God is within you. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we have the mind of Christ. Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would be one with God, just as he and the Father are one.
Sounds to me that we are missing the main point. We do not have to wait to die and go to heaven to enjoy kingdom living. We do not have to wait to be united with the Father. We no longer need to look to a human guide, teacher or preacher. We have the living, powerful, perfect Word of God living inside us, the Spirit of Jesus.
There is nothing wrong with listening to others, getting their thoughts and ideas, and being encouraged by other believers, but we do not need to rely on other humans. We have the Spirit within us, teaching us and guiding us in the way he has for us.
We do not have to look up in the sky to some far-away place and wonder if God is listening. We can turn our thoughts inward and realize the Spirit is right there within us, listening, loving us and ready to teach us as we begin to hear his voice from within.
We are all at different stages along the path we walk with him, and we need to remember none of us have it all figured out. We so often want to fight and argue from the understanding we currently have without realizing that we have not reached completion. There is more the Spirit wants to teach us as we become ready to accept it.
For my wife and me, we have changed a lot over the past few years, but we realize we have not come to perfection. We will change over the few next years also. So why argue over doctrine, interpretations and beliefs, as if we had it all figured out and everyone else is wrong. We all have a lot more to learn as we walk with the Spirit each day.
We should come to accept each other where we are currently, realizing what we know and believe today will more likely be different a little further down the road. We can love each other, learn from one another and accept each other as we are, just like Jesus loves and accepts us just as we are.
We should be looking deep within ourselves, listening for the voice and guidance of the Spirit, rather than putting all hope in others, and to those we think are more spiritual because they have been trained, educated and paid to do so. Remember, we are all kings and priests and have the same Spirit within us. Each of us are equal and important parts of the body, with Christ as the head. His Church is not a building, not a denomination, but a people.
This is not saying we are all God, but the Spirit lives within us and we are one with our Father. It would do us all good to start focusing on this fact rather than what we have been taught in the past, that being one with God is a future event after we die. Kingdom living is now. Listening to the Spirit, being taught by him and living day by day in communion with the Father is a reality that we all need to realize.
Done with Religion 
MORMON PROPHETS BY STEVE FINNELL
If Mormons believe that all Mormon prophets are appointed by God, then why do they not believe every word, every doctrine taught by all of the Mormon prophets?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PROPHETS
Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
2 Peter 1:20-21 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
God puts His words in the mouths of prophets. All prophets from God are given God’s word through the Holy Spirit.
God’s prophets speak without error.
WHY DO NOT ALL MORMONS BELIEVE ALL THE WORDS SPOKEN BY MORMON PROPHETS?
“In the beginning the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it” (The Journal of Discourses, Volume VI, Sermon by Joseph Smith)
If you are Mormon and do not believe this, why not? Is it because it is contrary to the Bible?
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret… It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for certainty the Character of God, and to know…that he was once a man like us…Here, then, is eternal life…to know the only wise and true God; and you have to learn to be Gods yourselves…the same as all Gods have done before you… (Prophet Joseph Smith,Jr., “King Follett Discourse,” Journal of Discourse. V.6, pp. 3-4)
“Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saints and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He MICHEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about holy men have written and spoken–He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom WE have to do …..(Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V. 1, p. 51)
“No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith… every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are”(Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V. 7, p. 289)
If you are a Mormon and deny the quotes by Mormon prophets are true, then, how can you be a Mormon in good standing with the Mormon Church?
All of the above quotes by Mormon prophets are contrary to the truth found in the Bible. You either have to believe that the Mormon prophets are from God or that the Holy Bible is from God. You cannot believe both.
THE TRUTH, IS, THAT THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ALONE CONTAINS GOD’S TRUTH!
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com
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Thank you Kevin. Your comment makes a good article in itself. It is so true, we defend our point, and argue with our brothers and sisters over things, yet we may feel completely different about them in time. We look up to a pastor or speaker, then almost get dependent on them. Like you, I’m for getting out of the nest and flying free in the Spirit. Thanks for commenting.
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Great post! Growing up in the church, it seems that the goal was to master information and data, so we could know the facts and “defend our faith.” This is so counter to the life Christ calls us to, though. He calls us to live in union with Him, as our teacher, and at peace with the world around us. The church, on the other hand, fills our heads with data to use as ammunition for battle against anyone who opposes us, believer, or not. I find that the longer I’m on this journey away from organized church, the less I feel the need to fight over the things that don’t agree with my current understandings. I’ve learned that what I think today will likely conflict with what I think tomorrow. This is ok, though. I would even argue that its important, because my relationship with Christ is evolving, growing, and hopefully maturing; something I couldn’t say after over 40 years in the building.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Corinthians, lately. Paul scolded them for not transferring their dependence on him and Apollos, to the leadership of Jesus; saying that he still had to feed them milk, because they weren’t ready for anything stronger. The modern church is no better. Generation after generation of people have relied on earthly teachers to feed them like baby birds and now the nest is full of adult birds that still can’t fly, or feed themselves. As a result, people are convinced that the nest is where true life is, rather flying free in the open skies, which were made for us to spread our wings and soar!
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