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From: hemingways@xtra.co.nz
Date: 9/8/01
Time: 7:35:37 PM
Remote Name: 210.55.37.124
We are church planting - meeting in a cafe - and have met up with a philosopher who has become interested in Jesus and is reading a book called 'putting on the mind of Christ'(he's given us a few chapters to look over and discuss with him) which has kind of united the eastern view of Unity Conciousness with Christ's message. It says that Jesus led the way for us all to become like him (sons of God) and that the kingdom of heaven he preached about is the highest conciousness there is. Dallas Willard's book 'The Divine Conspiracy' (which we really thought was good at the time we read it) bears some resemblance to this in that he interprets Jesus' teaching on the kingdom as being available now to all who follow Jesus teaching. That we can live in that kingdom right now (another dimension of reality). It true to say that the kingdom is, as Jesus said, 'at hand' and 'within', and thus it is just a matter of becoming conscious of it and living according to it's principles. So it seems that the preaching of the gospel is what brings it to people's consciousness and living according to it's principles brings it into people's actual experince. The trouble we are having is that our philosopher and the author of the book he is reading (amongst numerous others) are considering themselves 'Christians' but without actually believing that Jesus is the only way. That this 'kingdom' might be found by other means - that others have found truths which have led them into this reality as well. They have no problem in recognising Jesus as the first one to really walk this path and they recognise his deity but believe that we are all able to take on this deity as we submit to the kingdom rules and that other great spiritual thinkers and experimenters from other religions have also done this. Many of these people describe experiences akin to being filled with the Holy Spirit and many apparently live lives of service to others as a result. In fact the main thing seems to be that there is a death to self experienced and a subsequent change in values to loving others and God (of whom they recognise themselves as now being one with whilst he still remains transendent). This fits all apart from the fact that these people have not first acknowledged Jesus as God and Lord and THE way, the truth and the life. Are they lying? Do we nod and encourage our philosopher friend to keep moving on with this or is he going in the wrong direction entirely? Can he have a relationship with God outside of acknowledging Jesus as Lord (he would admit to Jesus being God and God's son, but then we all are beoming Gods and God's sons like him too so...'you will do greater things than these..' 'I pray that they may be one with you as I am one with you'). Has anybody got any experience on this level...please help!!