Tag Archives: Presence

Fire Storm of Thoughts 2018-45

Posted in Contemplation, Religious by

Fire Storm of Thoughts    2018-45

 The inner soul that consoles, gives credence to the eternal

Spirit that resides in the mind of mine.

The holy timbre of the Godly presence speaks with

The knowledge of my thinking.

Thought overcomes spoken words that have no

Rational belief; instead have truths exposed

For myself to hear.

Honest and untethered beliefs are now

Open, as true and exact in my mind.

I am one with God; His presence is

Encompassing, welcoming, plus

Comforting to experience.

His love is overwhelming, enveloping me in a

Cocoon of feelings beyond description.

The Creator is one, one with me, one with all.

My Self, is now simple, not complex as things

Were, are now not.

Simplicity reigns, knowledge is gained,

And beliefs are confirmed again.

The inner sanctum of fears are released, and

Peace is the norm.  No longer do the

Howls of inner turmoil be held captive as the

Tinkling of quiet solutions is heard and enjoyed.

 The moment of realization that peace is

Apparent and is appreciated for what it is.

God has spoken, I have heard, seen and I know

What many do not realize, speak, admit, and believe.

God is ALIVE, He is ACTIVE, He is AWARE, He is PRESENT

                      ALWAYS!!!

Peace,

Den Betts             bettsden@gmail.com

Breath of God 2016-69

Posted in Contemplation, Religious type by

The Breath of God  2016-69

God breathed on me and touched me in the process. I don’t think this was/is a normal everyday occurrence and is NOT an easy thing to contemplate.

Actually,  it was a somewhat scary thing to occur, which I called “The Happening” at the time. I since then thought “Why doesn’t He do this more often and to more people? I would guess He does, but it goes unnoticed by us mortals, at the time, or ignored.

What was days, weeks, months and a year, is now years ago, when this happened. I am still wondering “why me?” Why in the world me? Was it to give me an affirmation of belief in God? I have to say “Of course.”  Was it a gift? Without a doubt!

There were no directions or any explanations that came with this “touch” and I realize I am on my own to find out why, at this time, as I was when it happened.

Was I changed? Absolutely!!!!! Did I change others in some way? Don’t know!!!!

Have I accepted all this?  I think so, but still have questions, but am dealing with them…

It makes me believe that GOD   is   Alive, He    is  Active in our lives,  He  is   Aware, and His  Presence  is with us always……

I feel I am ONE of the most fortunate people alive and feel so, so, so blessed.

Thanks be to God.

 

Dennis Betts

Joys of Pain 2016-29

Posted in Contemplation by

How can pain be enjoyable; that is the question. Well, I read a book one time ( it was probably a military one) and the man said “Pain lets you know you are alive.”, which was sorta dumb, but maybe true….. I am sure there are many other ways on finding out you are alive, but it sounded neat at the time. I wrote this in a somewhat different perspective and here it is for your perusal….

Joys of Pain 2016-29

Pain is not a joy of life

but instead a joy of knowing

 

Knowing where the hurt

is located and finding it

 

Realizing where the

mind needs fulfilling

 

Seeing where the spot

needs fixed or repaired

 

Feeling where the heart

needs comfort with care

 

But most of all, the joy of pain

Really does let us know we are living.

Den Betts

 

Presence Wanted? 2015-99

Posted in Religious by

Presence Wanted?  2015-99

I have written about “The Presence” before, regarding the presence of the Holy Spirit in relation to religious or Spiritual life, but want to go further on this subject.

First off, let me suggest that we are believers of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for the sake of argument. If some are not, go along with me on this for the moment.

My question is this. If the Triune God as mentioned in paragraph two, comprises “The Presence”, do we want His presence with us all the time? I mean “REALLY”!!!!!

I have alluded to this before; when we are taking a pee for instance. Or, when we are doing anything personal that is, well – personal……

Or, when we are doing something that is not really nice. I will let you fill in the equal to nice……….

You see what I am getting at. If “The Presence” of God is with us always, then we really do not have a say in this as to what we like or do not like.

I had one person say, “He CANNOT” be with us always.” I asked why and he said, “Because there are too many people on Earth for Him to be with all of us always”.  I do not agree with his argument. God has His time frame in our lives and is not bound by earthly time zones of our living by the clock. He CAN be with all of us, individually, and still take care of Godly things that He does, at the same time.

One more thing!  Let us just say we agree that He is with us always! How many of us would acknowledge His Presence being with us on a continual basis. How would our lives be changed if we know and are aware of His Presence being with us? You would have to answer that one yourself!

There are times, not always, that I feel His Presence with me. It is not a 24-7 type of feeling, but I am conscious of His Presence at times. When this happens I have a profound feeling of many emotions, all good…. In reality, I AM trying to have this feeling of His Presence be with me continually, for I LOVE the emotions that come with the feeling.

In a way, you DO have to be aware at these times. It is not something that just happens and is gone, but instead, is a specific time period of this awareness. The time period may be a moment or an extended period of time; all depends.  The “CANNOT” guy would attribute this feeling period of time to something else, I am sure. I may add that he has also become an unbeliever or an agnostic at the best, if even that.

I have also written about Meditation and mentioned that this is a time where a one on one period of time with God is possible. I use this meditation time to contemplate many things, pray about many things, and try to become one with God in the process. It works; usually. I say that because life happens and I do not always concentrate on what I am doing, but mostly it does succeed.

How does Meditation work? How do I feel His Presence? I can only say it is a process. It does not happen all the time, when I want it to, or when. It is a process of trial and error, of trying over and over, of waiting for the inevitable, I say that with the thought that it WILL happen, but it takes TIME. Most of us want things NOW and do not want to wait or work at things. That is normal, but it all depends on what you want and how bad you desire it.  I started this “process” a couple of years ago, after “The Happening” occurred and I am still learning, but now getting results. I love it……..

Den Betts

Confusion with Reality 2015-58

Posted in Religious by

              Confusion with Reality    2015-58

Let me say this. I am sometimes confused about what I believe in regarding something of faith. I KNOW what I say to others and I actually believe in what I expound. I KNOW what I have experienced in life regarding God so I don’t have a problem with my faith in Him, which I identify as the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

What I do have issues with are those things that I hear and read that cloud the overall feelings that I profess too.  I do NOT think that this is unusual, but is not openly said or expressed by many Christian believers.

I was NOT a Christian believer or a “good” Christian (in my mind) until relatively recently (4 years ago). I have openly stated that I was “going through the motions by rote before then. I am not overly proud of this fact or ashamed, but just stating a fact as I see it now. I said things then, did things and probably believed things as they should have been said or done as a Christian.

No easy answers

OK, where am I going with this?  I feel that God is NOT going to lay it all out for me in a secret way, but it would be terrific if He did so. I am NOT going to get a set of golden tablets telling me all, to share with the world (sort of like Joseph Smith claimed, of the Mormon faith).  Those things and others I do not expect to see or happen.

I have done, what I feel, is extensive (somewhat) research about the Bible. This makes you also get involved in history of the past and what was happening at the time certain people were alive. It also brings forth the temperature of the moment in history as to what was going on, when someone was alive and affecting the Christian religion. An example would be St. Jerome writing The Vulgate in the fourth century.

This makes me admit that I have some reservations about certain, or many, aspects of belief of how things transpired and how it is perceived today. I honestly believe that religious leaders of various time periods did not transcribe accurate or truthful statements or writings of their time period.

How can I prove this; I cannot, simple as that. But do have questions that cannot be answered wholly or accurately without fail and I believe this is normal to have these thoughts. The thing is, I am stating them aloud for others to see and this makes me a little uncomfortable.

I state another thought that I have made before. I believe in God and have a profound and personal experience that gives me an unbreakable and absolute belief in Him, which NOBODY can change my mind or opinion on this subject of faith. So faith is not in question here, but something else.

We do NOT have time travel that would allow us to go back and witness certain things and happenings of the past relating to faith issues.  It would be great (in a way) to have seen and experienced the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for one.  I don’t know if I could handle that though, emotionally. It would be terrific to question His Apostles and follow them close by as they spread the word of the Teacher, Jesus. Knowing me, I could not keep my big mouth shut and I would be forced  to yell out something that I thought was different than what I have been taught, read,  or think I know.

The questions I have without insight or of knowing what I read are many.  Many theologians have ideas of the –who, the what, where, etc., but they give theories, which cannot be accurately proven.  Other, know it all’s, or those that think they know all things, do the same thing, giving their spin on how it was in the distant past.

Normal questions!

What were the names, actual names and credentials of those that made the canons of what is today’s scripture? What did they leave out and why? Did they add something that was thought to enhance a segment of the Scripture for the sake of knowledge (on their part)? Does the Catholic Church have a list of things that would prove or disprove something written in Scripture?

There was NO paper to write on until it was discovered and brought to Europe about the 11th century. Before that, many products were used, such as wood, metal, papyrus (plant used before paper in Egypt and elsewhere).  So, what was written on, how were the writings of the Gospels (for instance) recorded in a correct and complete manner? Word of mouth was one way things were passed on, but did those doing the mouthing of the words add this or that to their sayings?

I AM, repeat, AM a believer of the Triune God!  I know that He, in the form of the Father, and/or the son Jesus Christ, and/or the Holy Spirit has His Presence with me always. That I believe without any doubt, because I know this is true.  I am still allowed to question various things that bother me though.  I have that right and feel that it would be not a good idea to take ALL things I am told or what I read as absolute facts. I believe the Bible is inspired by God, but written by man and that leaves a lot of leeway for crap to happen. I realize this, but still maintain a Christian faith in God, regardless.

I started this by titling this “Confusion with Reality”. I will keep it that way, because I have some doubts and as my Pastor once said, “that is not unnatural, but a way of life”, or words to that effect. The Pastor may never read this, so it is close enough.

It is NOT wrong or incorrect to think thoughts that go contrary to decree by the church. The church, any church, does not have a direct line to God, so it cannot absolutely contradict any thoughts you may have. I am NOT, repeat, NOT in a hurry to die and see God and ask Jesus some neat questions in person, but I relish the thought of having the opportunity to do so.  If He wishes to whisper in my ear, certain things now, that is ok with me. Until then, confusion with reality will reign and I will wait and wonder.

 

Den Betts

Presence 2015-01

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The Presence     2015-01

I use the words, “The Presence” in my essays and poems at times, and when I do so, I am relating to the Presence of God. The Triune God of the Christian faith that is. The one God of the Universe who reigns over all people, that are on Earth.

He can be the Father Almighty, the Son, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit, but still each (or as one) is the one that comprises The Presence.  Many have a problem with this concept of One.  I would think that it would be easier to just plain accept it as fact that is unproven, but is.  That is hard to do, I realize, but in the process of trying to understand the concept, it is like the word Faith, it cannot be proven by anyone on earth; just is, or so I say now.  If you do not believe in the Presence, the Triune God or even in Faith, then it really doesn’t matter much then and I would suggest you just move on with  your life; no problem.

But, if you DO have Faith, then consider these words.  God can be all of one and being one, then is all. It is like the equation 1 x 1 x1 = 1.  Even I can understand that mathematical calculation. Let me move on with this thought.

Thinking of the presence again and the three in one concept, how are they related?  I would like to tie in the two with basically this statement.  When we talk about God, I relate to the One God and the essence of God being one.  In discussing the Presence, it is better to just think of it as God and not worry about the form or who exactly we are mentioning.  When I pray to God, I sometimes put names to Him, by saying “God in Heaven, maker of the Universe, or Lord Jesus, I ask you for ——, or Dear Holy Spirit, help me in what I am trying to do.” That is OK, in my mind, and I think with God, that it is also ok. He is God, and it doesn’t matter the exact title or term you use for Him.

I said the Presence, God, is with us always.  Not sometimes, or special times, but always; not when He feels like it. That can be daunting to think about. God is watching us when we eat, sleep, pee, do great things and not so great things. He knows all that we do and when we do it. That is not easy to comprehend for some.

Do we really want God to know when we do things that are not exactly those actions we want Him to know about and have Him realize just how we are at the time?  When we cuss out someone with words that are vile and especially use words that are using His name in vain, do we want Him to hear? Probably not, but sometimes we do. The great thing is, He does forgive us for swearing and doing those terrible or not so Christian/religious actions that we do. I would think asking or praying for forgiveness would be the thing to think about then.

His Presence, in the form of one of the Triune essences is with us when we have to contend with the horrors of life also. He is with us even though the act done is unimaginable to us. That is hard to fathom for some also. I remember someone telling me, “If He was there, why didn’t He do something to prevent what happened?” He was asking me? I can’t answer that question, but do believe He does NOT prevent all the things that happen in the world. Why doesn’t he stop a hurricane, a tornado, a flash flood or other natural calamity from happening? Maybe, I will ask Him when I die, if I have a chance. Why didn’t He prevent my mother, father or brother from dying? Hey, death is part of life, I heard one time, so it is also a natural occurrence that just happens.

I like to think His Presence is with me always. Not just when I need it, but all the time. I can pray to God at any time and know He hears me. That is the neat thing about having God with us always. We have Him to hear us all the time, both at good times and bad. He can laugh with us when we have a light moment in our lives and console us when the bad times arrive. The one cost of having His Presence with us might be our love for Him and it would be great to let Him know just how much we do love Him, because I believe He loves to hear us say it to Him.

Some could bring up weird things that can be thought of that would preclude having God present when we are doing something, but let me state that He is capable in the seeing, hearing and knowing what ALL we do, and nothing can surprise Him in our actions.

I like to think of God as the being that created us, died for us in the form of the man Jesus Christ, and is with me in my soul as the Holy Spirit and is near me, so close to me, always………..

Think about what I have said and like or comment if you wish.

Peace be with you,

Den Betts

God and Devil’s Presence 2014-12

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God’s and the Devil’s Presence    2014-12

 

I never thought about God’s presence when I was younger than I am today. It only has been recently (last couple of years) that I gave it any thought. I had the same thoughts (or non-thoughts) about the Devil himself. It was sort of like, taking it for granted that there was a God and also a Devil out there somewhere.

Then something happened that I ended up calling “The Happening” (made sense for me to do so at the time).  That is an event that has its own story/description that I will not go into detail here, but is on record elsewhere. Suffice to say, that experience affected me to where I started a spiritual journey which changed my life forever. I am no longer the person I was before, but instead am what I am now, which I identify as a spiritualist, for the sake of using a word. This is where I do not fit the mold of typical spiritualists that claim they can communicate with the dead or that type of context. I am a Christian, church going person that has a relationship with God and as such, I also feel His Divine presence at all times and all places.

God’s Presence

This concept is not new of course, and much has been written about this presence of God. Some other religions make the same claim, but in almost all, they make the same theological terms. God’s presence is in nature, in all human beings and especially in each human being. It could be perceived as an outside, environmental or natural entity that could be in the mind but instead is an unseen being that influences human perception. You cannot see it perhaps, but it is there, it is felt and in the feeling it actually “is”.

Some would call this presence “an angel” (perhaps) that has somewhat of a human personality and can therefore interact with humans without actually revealing themselves. The Divine or Holy Spirit, or the archaic expression of Holy Ghost, is tied into the Triune God that interacts with humans in God’s name as God Himself. What we hear at Christmas as Immanuel, “God is with us” which is a Biblical concept of the Divine presence as a title for Jesus.

What you believe about the presence, is what you believe and that goes for my thoughts as well. It is the same as the word “Faith” that is said so much. Either you believe or you do not. The “Presence” (for short) is mentioned in religious context very much, but is it felt or experienced? Maybe it is and we do not know of its affecting us or being around us when it is. Jesus Christ is part of the Triune God and because of this fact, or opinion, if you think this way, His presence is with us always.

Allow me to quote from my favorite source, Wikipedia. “Considering the notion of Jesus’ presence within the Christological area of study, one can articulate an account of presence in nine themes and so throw light on Christ “in himself” (in se) and Christ “for us” (pro nobis), thus recalling the strikingly new modes of divine presence to humanity and the world that the missions of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit brought, according to the Christian faith. As Word/Wisdom/Son of God, Christ is eternally and personally related to the Father in the Spirit. To adapt a central statement from Nicaea I, “there never was a moment when God was not present to/in him” ( Col. 1:19; 2 Cor. 5:19)  This divine “presence to”, which constitutes the triune God’s life in communion, is mirrored in Christ’s earthly existence — from the Trinitarian face of his virginal conception and baptism right through to his “being exalted at the right hand” of God the Father and jointly “pouring out” the Holy Spirit on the world (Acts 2:33). The Trinitarian presence takes into account the ultimate reality of Christ’s eternal and temporal existence.”

Let me digress to discuss the Devil’s Presence.

Much has been also written about the Devil and his presence. This entity (the Devil) is considered to represent evil and many religions have a devil to talk about in their writings. Many Christian writings have things about the Devil that are fabricated, or taken out of context.

The devil is sometimes called Lucifer and is thought to be a “fallen angel”. This has been taught in some Sunday schools for a long time. The only occurrence of the name Lucifer in the (KJV) Bible is in Isaiah 14:12, in this verse: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations?” Seems pretty straightforward, but it turns out that it’s another case of misinterpretation and mistranslation. If you go back to the original Hebrew text, you find a story not about a fallen angel, but about an unknown or named Babylonian king who figuratively fell from his throne when he began persecuting the Israelites.

The same goes for the number 666 that has been tied in with the Devil. This is cited from the Book of Revelation, in which John associates the number with the Antichrist, but the details of the story aren’t entirely clear. I don’t know many or any that truly understand Revelations. Another number, 616 has been mentioned as the other more accurate number based on numerology and different translations of text.

Now, there are many mentions in the Bible about Satan (The Devil), so I am not going to say there is not a Devil, but would like to offer the fact, or opinion, that the Devil is an evil presence that represents “sin” and, as such, is a factor in our lives. The Devil tempted Jesus Christ and was renounced by Him for his efforts. I will not call the Devil any name such as Lucifer, but say he is “the evil one” that corrupts humans to go against God’s wishes.

How do we know that the Devil is at work? Many do not know or ever will because what they do is normal (to them) and not evil in their mind, but instead, a way of life. He is described as hating all humanity (or more accurately creation), opposing God, spreading lies and wreaking havoc on the souls of mankind. Other Christians consider the Devil in the Bible to refer figuratively to human sin and temptation and to any human system in opposition to God.

In the Bible, the Devil is depicted as the serpent, which convinced Eve to eat the forbidden apple, and therefore Satan is shown as the serpent. Many snakes have been killed just because they represent the Devil in the minds of those doing the killing.

Is the Devil’s presence around us and affecting us? Once you get past the name calling and the myths that have been made, and consider what evil is, then you might believe that there is an evil one out there, coercing us to do those things that go against God’s wishes or Commandments. Modern conceptions of the Devil include the concept that there is a Devil that symbolizes humans’ own lower nature or sinfulness brought upon by evil actions.

What is evil?

What is evil? The easy answer is the opposite of good or  the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which good should prevail and evil should be defeated. In the context of religion, evil is complex and well discussed in Scripture. I read that the word evil occurs over 613 times in the KJV or 481 times in the Old Testament and 132 in the New Testament. Evil is described as a biblical term as being opposed to God and His purposes as “sin”, and describes the human perspective as being harmful and nonproductive, as in suffering. The fact of evil creates, not only a problem for existence, it creates a problem for belief in an all-good and all-powerful God allowing evil to exist.   Almost all religions and denominations of the Christian faith have evil as a force to be reckoned with in one way or another.

I believe that evil exists and that learned people know when evil has entered their lives. As such, I can blame the Devil, called Satan in my mind, as the evil one that tempts me or entices me to do the things that are contrary to God’s will. That is a simple statement, but one which I will stick to. Others can bring up a load of facts and past opinions by academic scholars or text written by well educated people, but when it boils down to reality, “The Devil Made Me Do It” is real.

Is there a Presence of God or the Holy Spirit and is there a Devil called Satan that is hovering around us on a continual basis.  I think so.  I feel His Presence and at times when I have the feeling that the evil one is lurking near me, at those times I say, “Be gone, in the name of the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit”, and I feel a calming effect come over me and I am at peace.    DDB

Proof of God 2014-7

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Proof of God                                                      2012-7

I had someone; I will call Uncle Pete, ask me to prove that there was a God, or at least convince him that there was one. I was at the beginning of my Spiritual Formation a couple of year ago and tried to give this person objective thoughts that would help him see the light.  What light? The light of knowing, for the sake of any other light. I might have brought this up before, but it bears repeating perhaps.

We went back and forth via email and I found out something. You cannot have a decent dialogue via email. I would bring up 5 or 6 ideas or thoughts and Pete would select only one and comment on it, forgetting or ignoring the others.  It was very frustrating to say the least.

So, being somewhat of an amateur then on everything from Scripture to basic knowledge of religious things, it did not work out. I decided to let it remain in the hands of God and have Him somehow get to Pete. Although, I have the idea that if God or Jesus Christ knocked on his front door, he would tell Him to go away or he would call the cops or worse, get his shotgun and take care of things himself.

How do you PROVE there is a God?

Guess what? I still do not know how to prove to someone that there is a God! I could relate my experiences to someone, but that is not proof to them. It is proof enough for me to the point that I do not just believe in God, I KNOW there is a God. Believing and knowing are two different things.

Years ago, when I related an experience that I now call “The Happening”, the person who I will call Johnny, stated that I was somewhat delusional and sort of suggested that my “mind” made it up.  There was no way he was going to believe me and admit that what I was saying to him was accurate and truthful. Sometime later he also espoused on his beliefs that there is no way a being called God could do  or have done the things others think He does. He might have being the one that stated that God cannot hear, talk or do things for individuals, because there are so many humans on Earth. He meant that there are too many people and only one God. I addressed this when I wrote “God’s Time”.

Barna Group        https://www.barna.org

I have read statistics from the Barna Group, which is a survey company regarding many things, including religious ones. The numbers show that the rate of believers or at least churchless people in almost all areas is changing in a negative way. The problem (if you could call it that) is complex and I do not want to go into details in this discourse, but state that there are reasons for my Uncle Pete and friend Johnny to say what they said.

It would be great if God were to show His presence to people, like He did with me and make it easier for people to believe in Him. That would be too easy, perhaps. It would be too easy for each of us to have the thing that really stands out for God to see. That thing is the word “Faith”.  For most of us faith is what makes us believe. Faith is what makes us keep going and faith is what helps us understand that God is real and His presence is with us always. If you lack faith, a person has no belief, simple as that