Are You Ready To See The Bigger Picture? Focused Eyes Pt 2

  Mankind is ready to see the paramount picture. It's time for us to get a grip! It's time to let go of old sentiments, veiled references, and crumbs that fell from the table. Embrace a greater hope and a brand new day!  -Dr. Nathaniel Duffey III  

   

Pour Into Your Spirit Man

 God will never be real to you and I until we come face to face with Him through His perfect and permissive will over our lives--that allow us to be totally free.  This is accomplished by studying the scriptures with a critical, logical, and open minded approach.  "Then we will know and can boldly proclaim, 'In all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is none but Thee.'” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, accessed November 17, 2011, http://utmost.org/).

 

"Study to show thy self approved."

Only through an in depth scriptural study that establishes an intimate relationship with The Creator through His Christ and the prophets He sent which is supported by daily study, application, prayer, and mediation does one begins to gain a deeper "Spiritual Aptitude."  Through this process we become logically and strategically grounded in our beliefs and we do not get caught up into group think or traditional thinking.  We can no longer solely rely upon Sunday School, Saturday Temple, Jummah prayer or what "Reverend Chicken Wing said."  We fall into a comfort zone of "Spiritual Stagnation," when we do so, based upon long held beliefs or traditions that have prevent us from growing and seeking a higher knowledge and realm of God.

We must grow from the baby stage of spiritual development into a mature stage of spiritual development.  In that we are active participants in every part of our daily faith walk with God.  We are no longer a heard of cattle or bodies in a pew, we now learn to aim for new spiritual heights because we are no longer the same.  We are now renewed and transformed.  We are always on our Post!

Much of our stagnation and confusion along our faith walk surrounds the birth, work, identity, purpose, and mission of The Messiah, Jesus.  There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus is the only begotten 'Son' of God in the "intended intrinsic sense and Will of God," (a human being [man] who is in relation to and in unity with the direct Divine Source or Originator of creation--who is God), i.e., hence Jesus saying "I and my Father are One."  Moreover (A thing or essence of, the intrinsic [Belonging naturally; essential] nature or indispensable quality of something or someone, that determines its character.  Regarded as representative or symbolic of something or someone else, i.e. God.  One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: i.e., Jesus implies and invokes God qualities or is a sign of God's qualities.  (Stand as a name or symbol for, God).   (Definitions adapted from the Farlex Free Online Dictionary) (*See Scriptural and Literary Support below for an in depth explanation)

Jesus' attributes also reflect the 'Sun' metaphorically speaking (The star around which the earth orbits. The sun is the central body of the solar system.  It provides the light and energy that sustains...) of God, i.e., "I am The Light, The Truth, and The Way," or as Minister Farrakhan suggests "Jesus is a light giving Son and Sun."

Jesus the Lamb of God

Jesus was the Divine Spiritual Representative of God between God and man during his physical presence on the planet.  Furthermore, Jesus is God's Divine Reminder and Mediator through the Holy Spirit (The Comforter), scriptures affirm that he Yeshua/Isa (Jesus) was sent for a sign like Musa (Moses) to deliver a specific message and do a prophetic and practical work.  Moreover, the Bible and Ouran line up, they both describe him (Jesus) as the Messiah (The Promised One or Deliverer), whom was above all prophets and messengers.  Moreover implying that his Divine power(s) and authority were given by God, The Father.

"'How can anyone serve God in ignorance?' the Minister asked. “Ignorance is the enemy of God. Knowledge will make us the friend of God and it will allow us to befriend one another, therefore all of the prophets taught us to get knowledge,” -Farrakhan

One falls into spiritual confusion when we place Jesus on the same level as God or suggest that Jesus is God.  Clearly throughout scripture this is not the case and out of Jesus' own mouth he declares so on several occasions. “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you" (John 17:1 NRSV, *See more scriptural support below).

We whom follow Christ must come to this conclusion through much deeper and very surgical scriptural study and examination.  Coming to this conclusion does not belittle or diminish Jesus' divine intrinsic value, purpose, or presence.  What it does do, is, allow us to follow him right and exact; therefore giving us the chance to understand more profoundly his divine intrinsic value, purpose, and presence without making him an idol of worship besides God or devaluing his reason for being sent.

As I have noted in previous writings--Jesus is indeed worthy of our admiration, honor, deference, and praise.  But he never expected or taught us to worship him, however he did teach us to follow him!  “If any of you want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matt 16:24 NRSV)

To God Be The Glory!

We are now preparing ourselves to become more equipped take on this new spiritual paradigm shift with a renewed faithfulness and excitement, in that we are growing and becoming more like Jesus.  We can now do that greater works that Jesus proclaim that we would do.  We are in the spiritual game of chess, which is warfare.  A spiritual warfare that requires our full attention, detail, and participation.  We are now free from the cowardice and stagnation that has made us timid to question or go against the grain of what we have been traditionally taught.  You and I are now able to be true followers, disciples, and students of Almighty God and His Christ.  No longer bowing down to or selling out to the powers or forces of this world.  But completely surrendering ourselves to do the Will of Almighty God, in Spirit and in Truth.  "To God Be The Glory!"

This type of thinking upsets the world of traditional religion as we know it!  It turns Satan's world upside down because he is the author of the confusion that has the whole world of religion in chaos today and has mankind not being the best examples of the Almighty that we can be! To God Be The Glory for this kind of teachin' -n- preachin'!!!  -The Brotha

Scriptural and Literary Support:

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.-Psalm 73:25-26 NRSV
 
I say, “You are gods,children of the Most High, all of you; -Psalm 82:3 NRSV 


Listen, children, to a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight; for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my teaching.  When I was a son with my father, tender, and my mother’s favorite, he taught me, and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.  Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.  Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight.  Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.  She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”-Proverbs 4:1-9 NRSV *Also see Proverbs 4:10-27 


For your immortal spirit is in all things. Therefore you correct little by little those who trespass, and you remind and warn them of the things through which they sin, so that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in you, O Lord.-Wisdom of Solomon 12:2 NRSV

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? -Matthew 16:24-26 NKJV also see *Mark 8:34–37; Luke 9:23–25

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” -John 14: 1-7 NRSV

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. -John 14:8-14 NRSV
 
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. -John 17:1-5 NRSV


“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours." -John 17:6-10 NRSV

I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standard for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.-2 Corinthians 10:4 NRSV

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. -2 Tim 15:4 KJV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. -2 Tim 15:4 NRSV

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? -Hebrews 1:1-5 NRSV    


*Side Note: When the scripture above says "'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You? And again: 'I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son'”? Bears witness to what I explained in the second paragraph above. Furthermore, Jesus is the begotten Son of God not in the literal sense of a male and female bringing a child into existence through sexual intercourse but in the "intended" intrinsic sense of the God's thought through His perfect and permissive will that gave rise to, or brought about the existence of Jesus through the womb of Mary and her encounter with the Supernatural as noted in both the Bible and Qur'an. (*See attached scriptural notes for further reference): [Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit]. -Matthew 1:18 NRSV  


[She (Mary) said: My Lord! when shall there be a son (born) to I me, and man has not touched me? He said: Even so, Allah creates what He pleases; when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be, and it is]. -Our'an 3:47 Surah Ale-'Imran (The Family of 'Imran)
 
“See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” -Rev 22:7-9 NSRV

Allah (God)! there is no god but He the Living the Self-Subsisting Eternal. It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step) in truth the Book confirming what went before it; and He sent down Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this as a guide to mankind and He sent down the Criterion (of judgment between right and wrong). Then those who reject Faith in the Signs of Allah will suffer the severest penalty and Allah is Exalted in Might Lord of Retribution. From Allah verily nothing is hidden on earth or in the heavens. He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He the Exalted in Might the Wise. -Qur'an 3:2-6 Surah Ale-'Imran (The Family of 'Imran)
 
We ordained therein for them: "Life for life eye for eye nose for nose ear for ear tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed they are (no better than) wrong-doers. And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary confirming the law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light and confirmation of the law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah. Let the people of the Gospel Judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed they are (no better than) those who rebel. -Qur'an 5:45-47 Surah Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

“No human should be afraid to know more. No human being should feel threatened by one who possesses knowledge,” said Min. Farrakhan. “So much ignorance exists that all of us who know whatever degree of knowledge we have, we have a responsibility to those who do not know to share that knowledge not seeking to make them our followers or slaves but share knowledge to improve them spiritually (and) mentally that they may improve themselves socially, politically, economically and otherwise,” he said. *Excerpts from Holy Day of Atonement Speech 2010  

"Jesus was not Christian! He didn't come to start a religious institution. The religious idea of Jesus came later. Jesus came to destroy that system, and let the Idea of God out of the psychological box that self-righteous men had placed Him in, and the world perceived Him in. -Dr. Nathaniel Duffey III