Simplicity, Stillness, Grace
While many Christians are familiar with praying to the Father, we are less accustomed to sitting quietly and waiting for an answer. Instead, many turn to both ancient and new age techniques to quiet the mind, when all along, unbeknownst to many of us, meditation has been in the Bible all along. In this 10-day series we will explore Christian meditation basics, their foundations in the Bible, and begin a daily practice of spending time with G-d, not just in prayer, but also listening and enjoying His presence.
Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. - 1 Kings 19:11-12
The Way is for followers of Yeshua who seek a closer, more fulfilling relationship with HaShem, the One G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The meaning of the word "Christian" has been hijacked and turned into something our beloved Meshiach would never have approved of. Many reform groups have attempted to return to The Way that Yeshua originally preached, and their success has been equivalent to how dedicated they are staying true to the spirit of the scripture in their doctrines.
Instead of a new doctrine, The Way is about finding out what He wants for each of us individually. Instead of grudging obedience to what other people tell us we are supposed to do, we ask the Father directly. And He Answers!
Unless directly quoting scripture in a respectful way, many people choose not to utter or write the name of G-d. A common practice is to refer to Him as HaShem ("The Name" in Hebrew). This is not required, and is a personal preference chosen for many reasons. One of those reasons is that words like "G-d", "Christian", and even "Jesus" have been terribly abused and misused.
Much of our modern biblical language comes from Rome or Greece, not the original Hebrew and Aramaic Yeshua himself spoke. To make matters worse Constantine's Roman form of Christianity has seemingly forever tarnished and manipulated our precious Saviour's name and message beyond recognition.
People tolerate it today in subtle forms: the names of days of the week, months of the year, and even resting on SUNdays (the day to remember the sun-god Apollo as decreed by Constantine!). It is tolerated because people got used to it, and change is not easy. For some, this is not a good enough reason to continue with these traditions that clearly are not biblical. For those who do not feel this way, that is between you and HaShem.
...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone... - John 8:7
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