Peter1 ;I agree completely. But we must be careful not to mistake our own fear of death, emotional needs and wishful thinking as reliable indicators of what is true.
Hi Dave! I think you are saying that our individual emotional natures can be an impetus for arriving at cosmological conclusions that enable us to feel more emotionally secure. In other words, our intellectual journey turns out to be a framework that supports our emotional needs. I feel that this is going on in all sectors of social interaction as well as in spiritual circles. For example the capitalist hates the communist and visa versa. But underneath the philosophical logic, is an emotional need in both. I feel with strong conviction that one who is sincerely seeking for Truth is led by God to a teacher who can share Truth with him. Jesus would preach by telling different parables, and then he would say, “Those who have ears, let them hear.” In other words, many could hear the words of Jesus, but not everyone could understand the wonderful Truth that he was sharing. Some were curious. Some were indifferent. Some hateful. And some few were so moved that it changed their live. But the ability to recognize the Truth when it is placed before us is a God-given gift to those who, in their deepest hearts, are ready to bow before God. The symptom of one who comes closer to God is that he is proportionately free of the fear of death……..because he knows that we are deathless. Only the body can be destroyed. But if one understands by direct perception that “I am not this body. I am an eternal spirit soul.”, such a person becomes fearless, just as Jesus was fearless, although able to foresee the crucifixion…..and simply say, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” This is real spiritual life, not attained by simply saying, “I accept Jesus as my savior.” When that acceptance becomes total, a person will become re-made, born again as a spiritual being, while living within the same body. Most people are simply church members. But Jesus says in Bible, “I never knew you.” In other words spiritual life is a very serious undertaking. But the churches tend to tell people what they feel the people want to hear.
This may be the most important thing that people here have ever read so one more time:
We must be careful not to mistake our fear of death, emotional needs and wishful thinking as reliable indicators of what is true. Think about this. Keep thinking about it until you get it.
I know you want to share something with me, David, but I cannot say that I understand what you wish to share. If you feel inclined, you can write to me in specific definitive words.
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My last post has done exactly that. If you don’t understand it it’s because you refuse to. One more time; Do not mistake your own fear of death, emotional needs or wishful thinking for what is true.
Hello David. Everyone is afraid of death, afraid of loss of one kind or another. This is the nature of life in the material world for those who are not in living communion with God. This fear takes the form of insurance policies, locked doors, keeping guns, receiving vaccinations, aspiration to earn more wealth than is required for subsistence, creating marriage contracts, using seat belts, etc., whereas Jesus counsels us to “Consider the lilies of the field….” who receive all of their needs from God without worry or endeavor. I am simply trying to understand your perspective. But you are judging me and talking down to me in an attitude that feels arrogant and condescending. This is not what I expect from one who is actually in communion with Jesus Christ. Maybe this form of aggression is an indication of your fear of death. One who is close to God becomes fearless, and thereby filled with patience and loving compassion, whereas you are rejecting me for my lack of understanding.
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“Everyone is afraid of death”: a pastor I had in Virginia said that, in his experience, people who regularly prayed, “Jesus, I trust in you,” were not afraid to die.
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Greetings Steve! I always like what you write because you are gentle.
I respectfully ask you to consider the following: What is this “fear of death”?
In every day life in this material world, there is profit and loss, victory and defeat, success and failure, as they apply to our sense of self. The important aspect in this context is “our sense of self”. If one is concerned about profit and loss, victory and defeat, success and failure, it is our mundane sense of self that we are desiring to maintain in an enhanced way. My thought is that a person who is genuinely not afraid of death, because of his intimate heartfelt association with Jesus, will also not be emotionally moved by profit and loss, victory and defeat, success and failure. We see these symptoms in the lives of the saints in the various classical religious traditions. The first saint that comes to mind is Saint Francis. He came from a well-to-do family life, and left it all behind, and lived very austerely, feeling no sense of loss, failure or defeat. Rather he was exuberant. I think Jesus tells us that we are born naked, coming into this world with nothing, and when we leave, everything must be left behind. I do know that Jesus says, “What profitith a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his eternal soul. I also know that when Jesus was fasting in the desert for 40 days, and was offered all the opulences that this world could provide, he said, “Get behind me, Satin!” Therefore when it becomes a man’s turn to die and leave everything behind, if he is not already bereft of every shred of attachment to the things of this world, including name, and fame, real property, bank account, family and friends, …….. how will he be able to die peacefully? Therefore my thought is, it is one thing to pray, “Jesus, I trust in you.” But it is another thing to have such a degree of intimate loving reciprocation with Jesus, that he feels, “My cup runneth over. I have no concern for things and relationships of this world.”…….just like Saint Francis. Such a man will not be disturbed as he is approached by the hand of death. He will be serene in his conviction: “Jesus, I trust in you.” The point is that if one can live his life on this platform, then perhaps he can accept his death on this platform. If I am cultivating attachment in connection with the dualities of life from day to day, while I am alive…..how will I be indifferent to these passing affairs when my time comes to depart from it all? Therefore , my thought is, that the path that is chalked out by Jesus, for all of us to follow is not a simple task to be taken lightly. Recall the narrative of the well-to-do man who asked Jesus how he could improve his life by spiritual standards. He was a pious man. And Jesus said something like, “Sell it all and give the proceeds to the poor and follow me.” And the man could not do it. Perhaps it was then that Jesus said, “It more difficult for a man of means to enter heaven, than it is to pass a camel through the eye of a needle.” I’m not arguing with you, Steve, for the sake of arguing. I confess that I am not able to give away everything I own and follow Jesus today. My question is then, “What is the measure of genuine trust in Jesus?” What are the symptoms of that kind of trust, in the here and now? Perhaps the benefit of making that daily prayer, “Jesus, I trust in you.”, is that I would be reminded of how attached I am to the things of this world that must inevitably be left behind. Jesus warns us, by way of encouragement, “What profitith a man who gains the whole world, if he loses his eternal soul?”In other words, what is more important to us……the things of this world, or our complete conviction that attachment to our relationship with Jesus is more important than our attachment to anything else in this world? The symptom of genuine trust in Jesus, is that none of the reverses of this world will disturb the balance of my heart. Likewise, all desire for name and fame, and for acquisition of any kind. will depart from my heart. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” A little introspection will tell us how close we have arrived at attaining that eternal goal. These are some of my reflections. Nice to correspond with you, Steve.
Maybe I should get a tattoo, that says, “Jesus, I trust in you.” 
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Another after-thought: Perhaps attachment to the things of this world, and attachment to Jesus are mutually exclusive. Perhaps there’s a spectrum, and we have to see clearly where we stand.
Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said that a man cannot have two masters, and that we are either a servant of God, or a servant of Mammon. If we trust the in the things of this world, for our satisfaction, perhaps we are, to that degree, already in the service of Mammon. Serving the things that cannot save us.
Why did Jesus say, “Consider the lilies of the field.”? And, “Straight is the gate, and narrow the way.” Jesus is laying it on the line…….for our own good. When the time comes, will Jesus say to us, “I never knew you.”?
Certainly “Jesus, I trust in you” are not magic words. If they reflect a sincere abandonment of everything to God (and that is not easy to do), then the attitude the words reflect should lead to serenity. When I offer that prayer, I say, “Jesus, I trust in you. Please help me believe that, mean it, and live it.” With God’s help, I will.
Peace to all,
And in keeping with the “OP”, Logically, a tattoo repented is a sin absolved from Sacrifice through Penance forgiven in all mankind becoming again in all One Family, I believe.
Thanks, Peter1, and God Bless you always,
Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5), and now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with fruit of gentleness.
“Surely you will never die”, is both a lie and a truth, in one line, one sentence. How can this be? Simple, logically, I believe. The One Body has Two Natures, Spirit and Life from Three Powers through Three Personal Gods in being preexisting in undefiled logical intelligence, From The Father through the Mother for The Son becoming The Christ in all mankind becoming again in all One Family, OMNILogically, I believe.
OMNILogically, The God from The Faith of Abraham is The Two Nature Logical Eternal God Family from Three Personal Divine Spiritual Gods in being through One Divine Family Preexisting becoming again for all manifesting in One Family, I believe.
Trusted and verified from Creation through the Moses Seat are the logical formulas from The Wondrous Mysteries of the Faith in the Catholic Church transforming and glorifying and transfiguring all as one in being becoming One Body becoming for all Creation becoming again in all Creation One Family, I believe.
OMNILogically all mankind is created blood and water born for all created souls becoming again through both natures, Spirit and Life. We become to know OMNILogically, I believe, the Spirit in the created souls it what will never die, only the flesh becomes from death through resurrection becomes again from the Power of the Holy Spirit Family One God in being becoming again in all through two natures, Spirit and Life becoming One Body through the New Eve for Jesus in the New Adam becoming through the Christ in all mankind becoming for all glorified and transfigured becoming again in all One Family, OMNILogically, i believe.
“Straight is the gate, and narrow the way.” To me, rationally, The undefiled logical intelligence never fails and in only “One Way” becoming again and follows the pattern, “What would Jesus do in all cases of the fulfilled faith and morality through The Christ becoming in all mankind becoming for all creation becoming again in all One Holy Spirit Family One God in being,” I believe.
What manifests transfiguration is from the Power of the Holy Spirit Family for all created mortal and corrupt becomes Baptized from the living waters for immortality through the flesh in the soul of all to be able to become from death through resurrection from the Power of The Holy Spirit through the created souls of all in the immaculately immortal flesh from The New Eve through Mary becoming One Body for all becoming brothers and sisters of Jesus in the New Adam from Holy Spirit Incorruption through the Christ in all mankind becoming Sons and Daughters of God becoming again in all Creation One Holy Spirit Family One God in being, OMNILogically, I believe.
Logical formulas from the Wondrous Mysteries of the Faith from Abraham transform cousins becoming brothers and sisters becoming glorified Sons and Daughters of God becoming transfigured for all Creation becoming again in One Family, OMNILogically, I believe.
Logical Co-Redemptive Powers are From Mary through transformed immaculate immortality for all becoming brothers and sisters in all mankind through the New Eve for Jesus Virgin Born from the Immaculate Conception becoming for all in the New Adam becoming Sons and Daughters of God for all through The Christ in all mankind becoming for all glorified and transfigured becoming again in all One Family, I believe.
Here we see the Mind of God literally becoming to the flesh failed from the power of the spirit corruption through the created souls of all for the created failed mortal flesh becoming One Body from Adam and Eve. And logically through New Eve, both natures become the OMNILogical “Reborn” Body becoming sanctified from the Living Waters of Baptism becoming from the Power of the Holy Spirit incorruption through the created souls of all for the immaculate flesh immortalized and sanctified in both natures, Incorruption from the Spirit Immortality through The Life in One Body becoming the New Eve for all becoming immortally transformed brothers and sisters in all mankind, I believe. And “Saved” is through the Christ is all mankind, Salvation is through the New Adam for Jesus in re-Sanctified Spirit Incorruption through Life Immortalized Immaculately from Sacrifice through Penance forgiven through the “Host” becoming in all mankind spirit and life re-Sanctified Incorruption through immortalization glorified and transfigured in all becoming again in all One Family, I believe.
To me, logically, The Disciple is who will never die, I believe we were there before creation was ever created was even created and He Spoke to us by name from the cross, we are all disciples from the Cross, “Disciple, Ecce Mater Tua.”
Faithfully, logically Death has already been destroyed forever, What is it to you if He remain alive? John 21:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Jesus 33 A.D.
Peace always,
Stephen
Thank you Literalman. I like your answer. Peter
Stephen Andrew, my friend…….I know (I feel in my heart) that your a most sincere. But I must confess that it is a challenge to understand your sermons. I do try. What I do derive from your words is a wonderful faith, that there is great hope for all of us if we can open our hearts to God’s love. Thank you my dear friend, Peter
O.K. Dave, you are correct. I am a stubborn rascal. And a sinner. I do have emotional needs. And I do have wishful thinking. My wish is to feel God’s presence in my heart as I go through the activities of daily life……….but I find myself to be easily forgetful and distracted. At the same time, I pray to God every morning, because without this little sense of connection I find my life to be empty.