Article Reproduction and Reprint Rights

	"God is a God of Love and He does not teach through fear or use fear in any way." -- David Nelmes	RSS / XML Feeds

Article Reproduction and Reprint Rights

These articles may be reproduced without further need of approval. Adhering to the following guidelines will be helpful and appreciated....

Retain the authors bio and website contact information provided with the article.
Send a courtesy e-mail as a FYI to let us know where the article will appear.
Copy all images to your own server if you can. By default, all images will be loaded through our server.

HTML Version Includes the exact code for the style and layout used in the article as published on this website. Also includes direct links to our server for the images. This format allows you to just paste the code into a page without any additional work needed on your part.	Text Version Great for pasting into newsletters and documents or for when you need more control of how the code will appear on a page. Does not include any image references, hotlinks or any html code of any kind.	Combo Version Great for pasting into form fields that allow some html, such as <b> <i> and <li>, but no styling. Does not include any image references or hotlinks.

Prophecies of Doom
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", "verdana"; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} #picntext {width: 340px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #FFE6C5;} .caption {margin-top: 10px; padding: 3px; font-size: 9pt; font-family: georgia, times new roman; color: #000000; font-style: italic; font-weight: 500; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px black solid; border-right: 2px black solid; border-bottom: 2px black solid;} H3.details {font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, verdana; color: #173297; margin-left: 3%; margin-right: 3%; font-weight: 500; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; border-bottom: 1px solid black;} </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Prophecies of Doom</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (10/30/2007) </DIV> <H3 class="details">End time prophecies of doom appear to provide glimpses of our future, but all they really do is diminish our capacity to see that we have total say about the future, because the future is based upon what your mind believes is possible or inevitable.</H3> <p class="inner">Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus, John from Revelations, the Mayans, and numerous other authors and psychics have all depicted terrible end time cataclysms that will result in the end of life as we know it. Like moths to a flame, we appear to be attracted to these prophecies since we tend to believe that we may be somewhat deserving of a fiery end...or at least that some people deserve or earned this future.</p> <p class="inner"><b>Various end of the world dates have been predicted hundreds of times since 30AD</b> and even more predictions are provided for as far ahead as 2047 at this time...and as each year passes, more end of the world predictions occur for even later years. The addition of more and more predictions is inevitable since each occurrence of '<i>previously hidden evidence</i>' or '<i>newly discovered information</i>' will result in predictions going on for thousands of years to come...or until we choose to stop subjecting ourselves to such fearful and unnecessary banter.</p> <p class="inner">Some popular '<i>end of the world dates</i>' were and are:</p> <ul> <li> <b>1982</b>: Pat Robertson predicted that the world would end, plus world ends due to the Jupiter effect. <li> <b>1988</b>: 40 years after Israel became a nation ('this generation shall not pass' with a generation being counted as 40 years + 1948.) <li> <b>1993</b>: Same as above, but 7 years added for tribulation period. <li> <b>1998</b>: Because 666 x 3 = 1998, plus based upon predictions from Nostradamus as depicted in the movie "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow". <li> <b>1999</b>: Predicted by Kirk Nelson using Edgar Cayce's Predictions in conjunction with the Bible. <li> <b>2000</b>: World ends due to the new millennium, also if you divide 2000 by 3, you get 666, plus another Jupiter effect, plus also predicted in the book, 'The Bible Code', plus Hal Lindsey's updated prediction from being in 1988 (40 years after Israel became a nation) to the rapture happening in 2000 and the end of the world in 2007. <li> <b>2001</b>: Jack van Impe prediction, plus, since there is no year 0, the true millennium is 2001 <li> <b>2007</b>: Same as above but includes an adjustment for calendar changes in the middle ages, plus Hal Lindsey updates end dates to possibly now being 2040 or 2047. <li> <b>2009</b>: Jerry Falwell predicts the end in 1999, saying less than 10 years to go. <li> <b>2012</b>: Mayan calendar ends, plus the book "The Bible Code" includes yet another end date, plus Nostradamus picks this date in his newly discovered revelations, plus variations of interpretations from Edgar Cayce. </ul> <p class="inner">I am not going to argue that Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus or Biblical prophets may have had the capacity to see what we interpret as future events, but what I do know is true is that these depictions have more to do with dreaming or fashioning the future as compared to predicting it.</p> <p class="inner">Even though hundreds of world ending predictions have come and gone in centuries past, without the world ending, the moment the next prediction is presented, the masses are drawn to this prophecy of doom and embrace it as inevitable and allow the fear of the prediction to affect them in some way.</p> <p class="inner">The only reason these predictions attract any interest at all is because we feel so unable to control our own futures and therefore, we use these predictions as a way to grab apparent control, even though the future these prophecies provide for us are events we would not otherwise have chosen. In our frantic attempt to grab control of the future by accepting these predictions, we totally deny our own capacity to provide a better future that we could manifest ourselves.</p> <p class="inner">End time prophecies may appear to provide us with a glimpse of our future, but all they really do is diminish our capacity to see that we have total say in what the future holds, because the future is not set. The future is based solely upon what your mind believes is possible or inevitable today...this moment. Your thoughts and resulting actions at this moment are what shapes the future, and nothing else.</p> <p class="inner">If following the crowd and simply accepting the worst is where the majority of us desire to go, then let's look at where this method of thinking might take the world. Let's say that one of these predictions were really true and an event will occur that will wipe mans existence from the earth. How should we respond to this? How should we really view this possibility?</p> <p class="inner">The only reason any prediction of the future would concern you is if you believe that the physical '<i>you</i>' is all that there is. If you do not perceive or consider that there is something beyond the physical, then yes, the end of the world is the end of everything, and man's every conscious thought of every person simply ceases to exist as the universe just shakes us off. It's as though we never existed and as though not a single achievement or struggle ever happened or mattered at all. Life loses all meaning and even though this has not happened yet, the thought of it could only strip you of any reason to want to move forward and make something positive of your life.</p> <p class="inner">Alternatively, if you do see that we are more than these bodies, and if you can perceive that we are actually spirit beings that simply use these bodies for a time, then any prediction of the end of the world has no real impact since its as though you are simply saying that one of your dreams will end. We experience this life and we behave as though we are really here and as though we are affected by all things, just like we do when we dream, but as when you awaken from any dream, you simply release the value the dream provided and often totally forget what it was about. Likewise, the end of times, were it to occur, would bring about an end of your physical life and you would awaken within a spirit existence and see that the physical things you thought mattered, don't matter any more. Even though the physical universe would say you are dead, you'll clearly see that you never died, but simply left that physical body and every concern that it manufactured.</p> <p class="inner">When the body dies for any reason, even if the whole world were destroyed as well, the results for you are the same. This simply means that you move on to whatever is next. What is next can only be guessed about and is therefore a waste of time to ponder or debate. No matter what does come next, the spirit '<i>you</i>' continues to exist and will continue its journey back to our Father and Creator.</p> <p class="inner">Some believe we are reincarnated here on earth, or even possibly on other planets and even as other species. This may or may not be true, but it does not matter since whatever form you may take, that form is still only a shadowy reflection of the spirit '<i>you</i>' which is eternal and never dies.</p> <p class="inner">So, while experiencing life here on earth, or in your next existence, what is the best thing to do when faced with such terrible predictions of pending doom? You can choose to be open to see these predictions more clearly and see that you have a choice as to when, if and how they occur. You can choose to embrace the fear of the predictions and become a willing partner for why they occur or you can choose to see that you are a spiritual being that has the capacity to make higher and more peaceful choices. You can choose to see that you have the capacity to allow the future to be nothing more than a perfect and peaceful path towards God.</p> <p class="inner">To release yourself from any fearful concept of what the future may hold, first release all images of what you think the future should be or may be, then invite the Holy Spirit to correct your thinking and say "<i>I am open for that which is best</i>". By actively allowing the Holy Spirit to make your decisions for you, you can simply feel secure in knowing that God will bring into your life, only that which will result in drawing you closer to him. You can then cease to use your judgement to interpret the events of the world and allow yourself to see things as he sees them, as peaceful and loving paths towards the light.</p> <p class="inner">Everything can be seen as an opportunity to grow and move forward...and no matter how anyone else may view your circumstances or the circumstances of the world, your existence can be one of peace because you will have nothing to fear, nor will you fear what may happen to others since you can know that no matter what they may allow to happen, the worst thing they could do is to end their dream of being physical here. Since their spirits live eternally, their journey back to our Father will still continue on in some way, until we are all reunited again.</p> <p class="inner">Our world, or the existence we perceive outside of God, will end some day, but this is a glorious and happy event, not something of cataclysm and doom. Nobody dies. Nobody loses. Everyone wins. When we no longer see this world as something we need or want, we will once again return to our Father and Creator. At that time, our thoughts of this world will simply fade away as any bad or unusual dream does, and we will resume our eternal existence with our Father, and the '<i>one second of eternity</i>' that was this world, will simply cease to exist. Being reunited with our Father, eliminates our desire for this world to exist, and that is when the world ends.</p> <p align="center">(You can find this publication online at <a href="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/prophecies-doom.php">http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/prophecies-doom.php</a> )</p> <hr size=1> <P><I><A NAME="author"><B>David Nelmes</B></a> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <P><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></i></p> <p>This article Copyright ©2007 - David Nelmes. All rights reserved.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	PROPHECIES OF DOOM through David Nelmes (10/30/2007) Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus, John from Revelations, the Mayans, and numerous other authors and psychics have all depicted terrible end time cataclysms that will result in the end of life as we know it. Like moths to a flame, we appear to be attracted to these prophecies since we tend to believe that we may be somewhat deserving of a fiery end...or at least that some people deserve or earned this future. Various end of the world dates have been predicted hundreds of times since 30AD and even more predictions are provided for as far ahead as 2047 at this time...and as each year passes, more end of the world predictions occur for even later years. The addition of more and more predictions is inevitable since each occurrence of 'previously hidden evidence' or 'newly discovered information' will result in predictions going on for thousands of years to come...or until we choose to stop subjecting ourselves to such fearful and unnecessary banter. Some popular 'end of the world dates' were and are: - 1982: Pat Robertson predicted that the world would end, plus world ends due to the Jupiter effect. - 1988: 40 years after Israel became a nation ('this generation shall not pass' with a generation being counted as 40 years + 1948.) - 1993: Same as above, but 7 years added for tribulation period. - 1998: Because 666 x 3 = 1998, plus based upon predictions from Nostradamus as depicted in the movie "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow". - 1999: Predicted by Kirk Nelson using Edgar Cayce's Predictions in conjunction with the Bible. - 2000: World ends due to the new millennium, also if you divide 2000 by 3, you get 666, plus another Jupiter effect, plus also predicted in the book, 'The Bible Code', plus Hal Lindsey's updated prediction from being in 1988 (40 years after Israel became a nation) to the rapture happening in 2000 and the end of the world in 2007. - 2001: Jack van Impe prediction, plus, since there is no year 0, the true millennium is 2001 - 2007: Same as above but includes an adjustment for calendar changes in the middle ages, plus Hal Lindsey updates end dates to possibly now being 2040 or 2047. - 2009: Jerry Falwell predicts the end in 1999, saying less than 10 years to go. - 2012: Mayan calendar ends, plus the book "The Bible Code" includes yet another end date, plus Nostradamus picks this date in his newly discovered revelations, plus variations of interpretations from Edgar Cayce. I am not going to argue that Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus or Biblical prophets may have had the capacity to see what we interpret as future events, but what I do know is true is that these depictions have more to do with dreaming or fashioning the future as compared to predicting it. Even though hundreds of world ending predictions have come and gone in centuries past, without the world ending, the moment the next prediction is presented, the masses are drawn to this prophecy of doom and embrace it as inevitable and allow the fear of the prediction to affect them in some way. The only reason these predictions attract any interest at all is because we feel so unable to control our own futures and therefore, we use these predictions as a way to grab apparent control, even though the future these prophecies provide for us are events we would not otherwise have chosen. In our frantic attempt to grab control of the future by accepting these predictions, we totally deny our own capacity to provide a better future that we could manifest ourselves. End time prophecies may appear to provide us with a glimpse of our future, but all they really do is diminish our capacity to see that we have total say in what the future holds, because the future is not set. The future is based solely upon what your mind believes is possible or inevitable today...this moment. Your thoughts and resulting actions at this moment are what shapes the future, and nothing else. If following the crowd and simply accepting the worst is where the majority of us desire to go, then let's look at where this method of thinking might take the world. Let's say that one of these predictions were really true and an event will occur that will wipe mans existence from the earth. How should we respond to this? How should we really view this possibility? The only reason any prediction of the future would concern you is if you believe that the physical 'you' is all that there is. If you do not perceive or consider that there is something beyond the physical, then yes, the end of the world is the end of everything, and man's every conscious thought of every person simply ceases to exist as the universe just shakes us off. It's as though we never existed and as though not a single achievement or struggle ever happened or mattered at all. Life loses all meaning and even though this has not happened yet, the thought of it could only strip you of any reason to want to move forward and make something positive of your life. Alternatively, if you do see that we are more than these bodies, and if you can perceive that we are actually spirit beings that simply use these bodies for a time, then any prediction of the end of the world has no real impact since its as though you are simply saying that one of your dreams will end. We experience this life and we behave as though we are really here and as though we are affected by all things, just like we do when we dream, but as when you awaken from any dream, you simply release the value the dream provided and often totally forget what it was about. Likewise, the end of times, were it to occur, would bring about an end of your physical life and you would awaken within a spirit existence and see that the physical things you thought mattered, don't matter any more. Even though the physical universe would say you are dead, you'll clearly see that you never died, but simply left that physical body and every concern that it manufactured. When the body dies for any reason, even if the whole world were destroyed as well, the results for you are the same. This simply means that you move on to whatever is next. What is next can only be guessed about and is therefore a waste of time to ponder or debate. No matter what does come next, the spirit 'you' continues to exist and will continue its journey back to our Father and Creator. Some believe we are reincarnated here on earth, or even possibly on other planets and even as other species. This may or may not be true, but it does not matter since whatever form you may take, that form is still only a shadowy reflection of the spirit 'you' which is eternal and never dies. So, while experiencing life here on earth, or in your next existence, what is the best thing to do when faced with such terrible predictions of pending doom? You can choose to be open to see these predictions more clearly and see that you have a choice as to when, if and how they occur. You can choose to embrace the fear of the predictions and become a willing partner for why they occur or you can choose to see that you are a spiritual being that has the capacity to make higher and more peaceful choices. You can choose to see that you have the capacity to allow the future to be nothing more than a perfect and peaceful path towards God. To release yourself from any fearful concept of what the future may hold, first release all images of what you think the future should be or may be, then invite the Holy Spirit to correct your thinking and say "I am open for that which is best". By actively allowing the Holy Spirit to make your decisions for you, you can simply feel secure in knowing that God will bring into your life, only that which will result in drawing you closer to him. You can then cease to use your judgement to interpret the events of the world and allow yourself to see things as he sees them, as peaceful and loving paths towards the light. Everything can be seen as an opportunity to grow and move forward...and no matter how anyone else may view your circumstances or the circumstances of the world, your existence can be one of peace because you will have nothing to fear, nor will you fear what may happen to others since you can know that no matter what they may allow to happen, the worst thing they could do is to end their dream of being physical here. Since their spirits live eternally, their journey back to our Father will still continue on in some way, until we are all reunited again. Our world, or the existence we perceive outside of God, will end some day, but this is a glorious and happy event, not something of cataclysm and doom. Nobody dies. Nobody loses. Everyone wins. When we no longer see this world as something we need or want, we will once again return to our Father and Creator. At that time, our thoughts of this world will simply fade away as any bad or unusual dream does, and we will resume our eternal existence with our Father, and the 'one second of eternity' that was this world, will simply cease to exist. Being reunited with our Father, eliminates our desire for this world to exist, and that is when the world ends. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/prophecies-doom.php ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 - David Nelmes. - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version	Prophecies of Doom through David Nelmes (10/30/2007) Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus, John from Revelations, the Mayans, and numerous other authors and psychics have all depicted terrible end time cataclysms that will result in the end of life as we know it. Like moths to a flame, we appear to be attracted to these prophecies since we tend to believe that we may be somewhat deserving of a fiery end...or at least that some people deserve or earned this future. <b>Various end of the world dates have been predicted hundreds of times since 30AD</b> and even more predictions are provided for as far ahead as 2047 at this time...and as each year passes, more end of the world predictions occur for even later years. The addition of more and more predictions is inevitable since each occurrence of '<i>previously hidden evidence</i>' or '<i>newly discovered information</i>' will result in predictions going on for thousands of years to come...or until we choose to stop subjecting ourselves to such fearful and unnecessary banter. Some popular '<i>end of the world dates</i>' were and are: <ul> <li> <b>1982</b>: Pat Robertson predicted that the world would end, plus world ends due to the Jupiter effect. <li> <b>1988</b>: 40 years after Israel became a nation ('this generation shall not pass' with a generation being counted as 40 years + 1948.) <li> <b>1993</b>: Same as above, but 7 years added for tribulation period. <li> <b>1998</b>: Because 666 x 3 = 1998, plus based upon predictions from Nostradamus as depicted in the movie "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow". <li> <b>1999</b>: Predicted by Kirk Nelson using Edgar Cayce's Predictions in conjunction with the Bible. <li> <b>2000</b>: World ends due to the new millennium, also if you divide 2000 by 3, you get 666, plus another Jupiter effect, plus also predicted in the book, 'The Bible Code', plus Hal Lindsey's updated prediction from being in 1988 (40 years after Israel became a nation) to the rapture happening in 2000 and the end of the world in 2007. <li> <b>2001</b>: Jack van Impe prediction, plus, since there is no year 0, the true millennium is 2001 <li> <b>2007</b>: Same as above but includes an adjustment for calendar changes in the middle ages, plus Hal Lindsey updates end dates to possibly now being 2040 or 2047. <li> <b>2009</b>: Jerry Falwell predicts the end in 1999, saying less than 10 years to go. <li> <b>2012</b>: Mayan calendar ends, plus the book "The Bible Code" includes yet another end date, plus Nostradamus picks this date in his newly discovered revelations, plus variations of interpretations from Edgar Cayce. </ul> I am not going to argue that Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus or Biblical prophets may have had the capacity to see what we interpret as future events, but what I do know is true is that these depictions have more to do with dreaming or fashioning the future as compared to predicting it. Even though hundreds of world ending predictions have come and gone in centuries past, without the world ending, the moment the next prediction is presented, the masses are drawn to this prophecy of doom and embrace it as inevitable and allow the fear of the prediction to affect them in some way. The only reason these predictions attract any interest at all is because we feel so unable to control our own futures and therefore, we use these predictions as a way to grab apparent control, even though the future these prophecies provide for us are events we would not otherwise have chosen. In our frantic attempt to grab control of the future by accepting these predictions, we totally deny our own capacity to provide a better future that we could manifest ourselves. End time prophecies may appear to provide us with a glimpse of our future, but all they really do is diminish our capacity to see that we have total say in what the future holds, because the future is not set. The future is based solely upon what your mind believes is possible or inevitable today...this moment. Your thoughts and resulting actions at this moment are what shapes the future, and nothing else. If following the crowd and simply accepting the worst is where the majority of us desire to go, then let's look at where this method of thinking might take the world. Let's say that one of these predictions were really true and an event will occur that will wipe mans existence from the earth. How should we respond to this? How should we really view this possibility? The only reason any prediction of the future would concern you is if you believe that the physical '<i>you</i>' is all that there is. If you do not perceive or consider that there is something beyond the physical, then yes, the end of the world is the end of everything, and man's every conscious thought of every person simply ceases to exist as the universe just shakes us off. It's as though we never existed and as though not a single achievement or struggle ever happened or mattered at all. Life loses all meaning and even though this has not happened yet, the thought of it could only strip you of any reason to want to move forward and make something positive of your life. Alternatively, if you do see that we are more than these bodies, and if you can perceive that we are actually spirit beings that simply use these bodies for a time, then any prediction of the end of the world has no real impact since its as though you are simply saying that one of your dreams will end. We experience this life and we behave as though we are really here and as though we are affected by all things, just like we do when we dream, but as when you awaken from any dream, you simply release the value the dream provided and often totally forget what it was about. Likewise, the end of times, were it to occur, would bring about an end of your physical life and you would awaken within a spirit existence and see that the physical things you thought mattered, don't matter any more. Even though the physical universe would say you are dead, you'll clearly see that you never died, but simply left that physical body and every concern that it manufactured. When the body dies for any reason, even if the whole world were destroyed as well, the results for you are the same. This simply means that you move on to whatever is next. What is next can only be guessed about and is therefore a waste of time to ponder or debate. No matter what does come next, the spirit '<i>you</i>' continues to exist and will continue its journey back to our Father and Creator. Some believe we are reincarnated here on earth, or even possibly on other planets and even as other species. This may or may not be true, but it does not matter since whatever form you may take, that form is still only a shadowy reflection of the spirit '<i>you</i>' which is eternal and never dies. So, while experiencing life here on earth, or in your next existence, what is the best thing to do when faced with such terrible predictions of pending doom? You can choose to be open to see these predictions more clearly and see that you have a choice as to when, if and how they occur. You can choose to embrace the fear of the predictions and become a willing partner for why they occur or you can choose to see that you are a spiritual being that has the capacity to make higher and more peaceful choices. You can choose to see that you have the capacity to allow the future to be nothing more than a perfect and peaceful path towards God. To release yourself from any fearful concept of what the future may hold, first release all images of what you think the future should be or may be, then invite the Holy Spirit to correct your thinking and say "<i>I am open for that which is best</i>". By actively allowing the Holy Spirit to make your decisions for you, you can simply feel secure in knowing that God will bring into your life, only that which will result in drawing you closer to him. You can then cease to use your judgement to interpret the events of the world and allow yourself to see things as he sees them, as peaceful and loving paths towards the light. Everything can be seen as an opportunity to grow and move forward...and no matter how anyone else may view your circumstances or the circumstances of the world, your existence can be one of peace because you will have nothing to fear, nor will you fear what may happen to others since you can know that no matter what they may allow to happen, the worst thing they could do is to end their dream of being physical here. Since their spirits live eternally, their journey back to our Father will still continue on in some way, until we are all reunited again. Our world, or the existence we perceive outside of God, will end some day, but this is a glorious and happy event, not something of cataclysm and doom. Nobody dies. Nobody loses. Everyone wins. When we no longer see this world as something we need or want, we will once again return to our Father and Creator. At that time, our thoughts of this world will simply fade away as any bad or unusual dream does, and we will resume our eternal existence with our Father, and the '<i>one second of eternity</i>' that was this world, will simply cease to exist. Being reunited with our Father, eliminates our desire for this world to exist, and that is when the world ends. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/prophecies-doom.php ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 - David Nelmes. - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Combo Version

Achieving Peace Through War
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", "verdana"; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} #picntext {width: 350px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #FFE6C5;} .caption {margin-top: 10px; padding: 3px; font-size: 9pt; font-family: georgia, times new roman; color: #000000; font-style: italic; font-weight: 500; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px black solid; border-right: 2px black solid; border-bottom: 2px black solid;} H3.details {font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, verdana; color: #173297; margin-left: 3%; margin-right: 3%; font-weight: 500; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; border-bottom: 1px solid black;} </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Achieving Peace Through War</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (10/15/2007) </DIV> <H3 class="details">The end of war does not bring peace, it just brings about the end of war. This confusion of defining the result of winning a war as an indication we have achieved peace, can be corrected by being willing to see things differently and more clearly.</H3> <p class="inner">Peace is the result of a total embrace of love. Peace is being open to truth and seeing all things new. Peace results in healing, joy, love, and total bliss. Peace is natural and only appears to leave when we purposely turn our eyes away from it, but it's always still there.</p> <p class="inner">War is all that peace is not. War is an attempt to force a condition. War is an attempt to make something exist which is not natural and will not last. War is pursued only through fear and a total misunderstanding of how we are connected to those we choose to war against.</p> <p class="inner">History appears to have provided many examples of where war has eventually resulted in peace, but this is an error of perception. The end of war does not bring peace, it just brings about the end of war. This confusion of defining the result of winning a war as an indication we have achieved peace, can be corrected by being willing to see things differently and more clearly.</p> <p class="inner">Webster's definition of an '<i>oxymoron</i>' states it as being a situation where opposite or contradictory ideas are combined. The title of this article is an oxymoron...'<i>achieving peace through war</i>'. Peace will never result from war because war is a total contradiction of peace and peace is a total contradiction of war. One cannot exist with the other, nor could one ever lead to the result of the other. They are opposites that can never interact.</p> <p class="inner">Being at peace is not just a ceasing of hostilities, but is a characteristic of how you live and how you treat others within the world. Being at peace is not about not waging war, but is about embracing and extending peace by being peaceful and pursuing peaceful methods of existence. When we are not doing so, we are not at peace, whether there is an active war underway or not.</p> <p class="inner">There are almost endless examples of where we think war was necessary in our past to bring about peace and it's hard to fathom how we could have survived without engaging in war to either protect ourselves or gain something we valued or believed we needed. This method of thinking only exists because we go far, far out of our way to not see that there is always a peaceful solution. The peaceful solution is often not politically correct and may not bring immediate results, however, the pursuit of peace will always result in peace. Quite the contrary, the pursuit of war will never result in peace and will usually only result in additional war, pain and suffering.</p> <p class="inner">Peace is not the act of not fighting or not demanding vengeance. Peace is the result of having removed the anger and fear that brought about what we feel is the need for war or vengeance in the first place. War does not stop this anger or fear, it just results in the anger or fear of the stronger army, overpowering the anger or fear of the lesser army. There is no winning, there is simply the error in thinking that somehow we have gained control, but control is not victory. Control is bondage through fear, and peace will never exist where bondage and fear reign.</p> <p class="inner">Recent history has given us a blatant example of how war does not bring about peace. Our nation experienced a major terrorist attack several years ago and our response was to seek vengeance and wage war. Is the world a better place today because of the war we waged? It is not. From an objective view, not only is the world today not a better place, but it is now more volatile than before the attacks occurred. War engenders more fear and more war. The only way to '<i>Win</i>' through war is to totally obliterate your enemy, but that does not bring peace, just the end of war. When your goal becomes one of '<i>winning a war</i>' as compared to '<i>bringing about peace</i>', peace will never occur because it is not part of the goal and can never be the result of war.</p> <p class="inner">So, what were our other options when the terrorists made their play? What else could we have done to bring about peace....just fold up and ignore what happened? Where we supposed to just turn the other cheek and say '<i>please, hit me again</i>'?</p> <p class="inner">Peace is not about inaction, but about peaceful thinking with resulting peaceful actions and effects. Peace is not about giving up but about becoming open to allow healing to occur in any situation and within any event. Peace neither looks to find blame nor does it care to determine who started a problem. Peace looks past all judgement and simply chooses to apply healing to all sides of the perceived problem so that the issue can be seen truthfully and fully resolved to where everyone wins.</p> <p class="inner">When any form of attack appears to occur, we can choose to accept the attack and then attack back, or we can choose to see the attempt of attack as a cry for help that indicates a healing is necessary for the situation. When the terrorists attacked, instead of embracing thoughts of vengeance and war, our thoughts could have been focused on providing healing to the situation that allowed the attack to happen in the first place. Then our minds and hearts would be open to say things in the spirit of truth and peace, such as:</p> <ul></p> <p class="inner"> <li> "<i>Our actions in the past have provoked you to fear us so greatly that you eventually felt you had no choice other than to attack us so that we might stop affecting you in the future. Neither of us has done the better thing and we are both responsible for a world situation where great healing is necessary so that peace can return.</i>"</p> <p class="inner"> <li> "<i>As a first step towards healing and peace, we are going to immediately change our motivations for how we interact within this world. We have no right in playing the worlds police and meddling in the relationships between other nations and we will stop doing so immediately. With the exceptions of countries currently under attack that need military defensive aid, all our troops are coming home. We will only use our military defensively from this time forward.</i>"</p> <p class="inner"> <li> "<i>Our actions in the past have included deliberate ignorance of areas of the world that are truly in need, but had no natural resources we desired. Our goal from this point forward is to provide financial, technical and educational support to the starving nations and struggling people throughout the world and help stimulate new growth and true hope.</i>"</p> <p class="inner"> <li> "<i>We will also work with all nations to help best distribute the resources of the world as equally as possible amongst all nations so that the seeds of war are not watered in the first place. Feeding, housing and educating our brothers and sisters of the world is all that matters now.</i>"</p> <p class="inner"> <li> "<i>The terrorist attack upon our country has awoken a sleeping giant who was dreaming of war, but inherently knows only of peace. We are awake once again and will not behave foolishly and warlike again. We are not at war, so please stop any future attacks and let's sit down and truly heal the rift that has allowed this situation to fail so poorly. All is forgiven because we have all contributed to this state of the world, so there is no blame to cast and no guilty party to destroy. We extend our peace to you, and whether you believe it or not or initially accept it or not, you will see it within us as we so dramatically change how we treat all nations and people of the world.</i>"</p> <p class="inner"> </ul> <p class="inner"> Granted, some of those statements might be a little '<i>utopian</i>', but I was just looking to make a clear point that the idea of pursuing peace instead of war is always an option and is possible. We can be a nation of peace. We can be a nation that uses our resources to extend blessings instead of a nation that uses our might to inflict a misguided concept of world order.</p> <p class="inner">We are mighty spiritual beings that have a powerful capacity to bring about that which is our greatest thought. If the greatest thought within you is of an inevitable world war, catastrophes, economic collapse, poverty, starvation, disease and a government controlled by a war-like leader... then that is what you will help bring about, and are already supporting. Likewise, if the greatest thought within you is a love and desire that all people and nations pursue peace, along with a sincere desire to work fairly with all nations of the world... then that is what you will help bring about...and are already supporting.</p> <p class="inner"> Perfect love casts out fear. Perfect peace casts out war. Concluding a war does not bring about peace, but by pursuing peace, you remove the need for war and it simply vanishes. The result of peace is the total rejection of the concept of war. The result of peace is the absolute dismissal that war is even a slightest part of the answer because war and peace cannot exist at the same time and will only ever annihilate each other.</p> <p class="inner">This world has always had two choices...war or peace. You can side with war or you can side with peace. Which side are you on? There is nothing in between because you can embrace only darkness or light, but never both. Do you welcome peace or do you welcome war? Which do you believe will provide answers in the world? Which do you believe a truly loving God would embrace as an answer? Which do you believe a truly loving God would reject as an answer? Which cannot exist where there is a God of perfect love?</p> <p class="inner">You can be a part of ridding this world of war. Instead of seeing war as inevitable, prophesied or even divinely necessary, choose instead to see peace as the only solution and be open only for what it will bring. Look away from all other ideas and options and choose peace. Be open for answers. Be open for peace. By being willing to see the future of this world as more peaceful, you will be part of the reason that peace spreads more quickly around the world. Be peaceful...and support the concept of <b>Achieving Peace Through Peace</b>.</p> <p class="inner"></p> <p align="center">(You can find this publication online at <a href="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/achieving-peace-through-war.html">http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/achieving-peace-through-war.html</a> )</p> <hr size=1> <P><I><A NAME="author"><B>David Nelmes</B></a> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <P><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></i></p> <p>This article Copyright ©2007 - David Nelmes. All rights reserved.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	ACHIEVING PEACE THROUGH WAR through David Nelmes (10/15/2007) Peace is the result of a total embrace of love. Peace is being open to truth and seeing all things new. Peace results in healing, joy, love, and total bliss. Peace is natural and only appears to leave when we purposely turn our eyes away from it, but it's always still there. War is all that peace is not. War is an attempt to force a condition. War is an attempt to make something exist which is not natural and will not last. War is pursued only through fear and a total misunderstanding of how we are connected to those we choose to war against. History appears to have provided many examples of where war has eventually resulted in peace, but this is an error of perception. The end of war does not bring peace, it just brings about the end of war. This confusion of defining the result of winning a war as an indication we have achieved peace, can be corrected by being willing to see things differently and more clearly. Webster's definition of an 'oxymoron' states it as being a situation where opposite or contradictory ideas are combined. The title of this article is an oxymoron...'achieving peace through war'. Peace will never result from war because war is a total contradiction of peace and peace is a total contradiction of war. One cannot exist with the other, nor could one ever lead to the result of the other. They are opposites that can never interact. Being at peace is not just a ceasing of hostilities, but is a characteristic of how you live and how you treat others within the world. Being at peace is not about not waging war, but is about embracing and extending peace by being peaceful and pursuing peaceful methods of existence. When we are not doing so, we are not at peace, whether there is an active war underway or not. There are almost endless examples of where we think war was necessary in our past to bring about peace and it's hard to fathom how we could have survived without engaging in war to either protect ourselves or gain something we valued or believed we needed. This method of thinking only exists because we go far, far out of our way to not see that there is always a peaceful solution. The peaceful solution is often not politically correct and may not bring immediate results, however, the pursuit of peace will always result in peace. Quite the contrary, the pursuit of war will never result in peace and will usually only result in additional war, pain and suffering. Peace is not the act of not fighting or not demanding vengeance. Peace is the result of having removed the anger and fear that brought about what we feel is the need for war or vengeance in the first place. War does not stop this anger or fear, it just results in the anger or fear of the stronger army, overpowering the anger or fear of the lesser army. There is no winning, there is simply the error in thinking that somehow we have gained control, but control is not victory. Control is bondage through fear, and peace will never exist where bondage and fear reign. Recent history has given us a blatant example of how war does not bring about peace. Our nation experienced a major terrorist attack several years ago and our response was to seek vengeance and wage war. Is the world a better place today because of the war we waged? It is not. From an objective view, not only is the world today not a better place, but it is now more volatile than before the attacks occurred. War engenders more fear and more war. The only way to 'Win' through war is to totally obliterate your enemy, but that does not bring peace, just the end of war. When your goal becomes one of 'winning a war' as compared to 'bringing about peace', peace will never occur because it is not part of the goal and can never be the result of war. So, what were our other options when the terrorists made their play? What else could we have done to bring about peace....just fold up and ignore what happened? Where we supposed to just turn the other cheek and say 'please, hit me again'? Peace is not about inaction, but about peaceful thinking with resulting peaceful actions and effects. Peace is not about giving up but about becoming open to allow healing to occur in any situation and within any event. Peace neither looks to find blame nor does it care to determine who started a problem. Peace looks past all judgement and simply chooses to apply healing to all sides of the perceived problem so that the issue can be seen truthfully and fully resolved to where everyone wins. When any form of attack appears to occur, we can choose to accept the attack and then attack back, or we can choose to see the attempt of attack as a cry for help that indicates a healing is necessary for the situation. When the terrorists attacked, instead of embracing thoughts of vengeance and war, our thoughts could have been focused on providing healing to the situation that allowed the attack to happen in the first place. Then our minds and hearts would be open to say things in the spirit of truth and peace, such as: - "Our actions in the past have provoked you to fear us so greatly that you eventually felt you had no choice other than to attack us so that we might stop affecting you in the future. Neither of us has done the better thing and we are both responsible for a world situation where great healing is necessary so that peace can return." - "As a first step towards healing and peace, we are going to immediately change our motivations for how we interact within this world. We have no right in playing the worlds police and meddling in the relationships between other nations and we will stop doing so immediately. With the exceptions of countries currently under attack that need military defensive aid, all our troops are coming home. We will only use our military defensively from this time forward." - "Our actions in the past have included deliberate ignorance of areas of the world that are truly in need, but had no natural resources we desired. Our goal from this point forward is to provide financial, technical and educational support to the starving nations and struggling people throughout the world and help stimulate new growth and true hope." - "We will also work with all nations to help best distribute the resources of the world as equally as possible amongst all nations so that the seeds of war are not watered in the first place. Feeding, housing and educating our brothers and sisters of the world is all that matters now." - "The terrorist attack upon our country has awoken a sleeping giant who was dreaming of war, but inherently knows only of peace. We are awake once again and will not behave foolishly and warlike again. We are not at war, so please stop any future attacks and let's sit down and truly heal the rift that has allowed this situation to fail so poorly. All is forgiven because we have all contributed to this state of the world, so there is no blame to cast and no guilty party to destroy. We extend our peace to you, and whether you believe it or not or initially accept it or not, you will see it within us as we so dramatically change how we treat all nations and people of the world." Granted, some of those statements might be a little 'utopian', but I was just looking to make a clear point that the idea of pursuing peace instead of war is always an option and is possible. We can be a nation of peace. We can be a nation that uses our resources to extend blessings instead of a nation that uses our might to inflict a misguided concept of world order. We are mighty spiritual beings that have a powerful capacity to bring about that which is our greatest thought. If the greatest thought within you is of an inevitable world war, catastrophes, economic collapse, poverty, starvation, disease and a government controlled by a war-like leader... then that is what you will help bring about, and are already supporting. Likewise, if the greatest thought within you is a love and desire that all people and nations pursue peace, along with a sincere desire to work fairly with all nations of the world... then that is what you will help bring about...and are already supporting. Perfect love casts out fear. Perfect peace casts out war. Concluding a war does not bring about peace, but by pursuing peace, you remove the need for war and it simply vanishes. The result of peace is the total rejection of the concept of war. The result of peace is the absolute dismissal that war is even a slightest part of the answer because war and peace cannot exist at the same time and will only ever annihilate each other. This world has always had two choices...war or peace. You can side with war or you can side with peace. Which side are you on? There is nothing in between because you can embrace only darkness or light, but never both. Do you welcome peace or do you welcome war? Which do you believe will provide answers in the world? Which do you believe a truly loving God would embrace as an answer? Which do you believe a truly loving God would reject as an answer? Which cannot exist where there is a God of perfect love? You can be a part of ridding this world of war. Instead of seeing war as inevitable, prophesied or even divinely necessary, choose instead to see peace as the only solution and be open only for what it will bring. Look away from all other ideas and options and choose peace. Be open for answers. Be open for peace. By being willing to see the future of this world as more peaceful, you will be part of the reason that peace spreads more quickly around the world. Be peaceful...and support the concept of Achieving Peace Through Peace. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/achieving-peace-through-war.html ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 - David Nelmes. - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version	ACHIEVING PEACE THROUGH WAR through David Nelmes (10/15/2007) Peace is the result of a total embrace of love. Peace is being open to truth and seeing all things new. Peace results in healing, joy, love, and total bliss. Peace is natural and only appears to leave when we purposely turn our eyes away from it, but it's always still there. War is all that peace is not. War is an attempt to force a condition. War is an attempt to make something exist which is not natural and will not last. War is pursued only through fear and a total misunderstanding of how we are connected to those we choose to war against. History appears to have provided many examples of where war has eventually resulted in peace, but this is an error of perception. The end of war does not bring peace, it just brings about the end of war. This confusion of defining the result of winning a war as an indication we have achieved peace, can be corrected by being willing to see things differently and more clearly. Webster's definition of an '<i>oxymoron</i>' states it as being a situation where opposite or contradictory ideas are combined. The title of this article is an oxymoron...'<i>achieving peace through war</i>'. Peace will never result from war because war is a total contradiction of peace and peace is a total contradiction of war. One cannot exist with the other, nor could one ever lead to the result of the other. They are opposites that can never interact. Being at peace is not just a ceasing of hostilities, but is a characteristic of how you live and how you treat others within the world. Being at peace is not about not waging war, but is about embracing and extending peace by being peaceful and pursuing peaceful methods of existence. When we are not doing so, we are not at peace, whether there is an active war underway or not. There are almost endless examples of where we think war was necessary in our past to bring about peace and it's hard to fathom how we could have survived without engaging in war to either protect ourselves or gain something we valued or believed we needed. This method of thinking only exists because we go far, far out of our way to not see that there is always a peaceful solution. The peaceful solution is often not politically correct and may not bring immediate results, however, the pursuit of peace will always result in peace. Quite the contrary, the pursuit of war will never result in peace and will usually only result in additional war, pain and suffering. Peace is not the act of not fighting or not demanding vengeance. Peace is the result of having removed the anger and fear that brought about what we feel is the need for war or vengeance in the first place. War does not stop this anger or fear, it just results in the anger or fear of the stronger army, overpowering the anger or fear of the lesser army. There is no winning, there is simply the error in thinking that somehow we have gained control, but control is not victory. Control is bondage through fear, and peace will never exist where bondage and fear reign. Recent history has given us a blatant example of how war does not bring about peace. Our nation experienced a major terrorist attack several years ago and our response was to seek vengeance and wage war. Is the world a better place today because of the war we waged? It is not. From an objective view, not only is the world today not a better place, but it is now more volatile than before the attacks occurred. War engenders more fear and more war. The only way to '<i>Win</i>' through war is to totally obliterate your enemy, but that does not bring peace, just the end of war. When your goal becomes one of '<i>winning a war</i>' as compared to '<i>bringing about peace</i>', peace will never occur because it is not part of the goal and can never be the result of war. So, what were our other options when the terrorists made their play? What else could we have done to bring about peace....just fold up and ignore what happened? Where we supposed to just turn the other cheek and say '<i>please, hit me again</i>'? Peace is not about inaction, but about peaceful thinking with resulting peaceful actions and effects. Peace is not about giving up but about becoming open to allow healing to occur in any situation and within any event. Peace neither looks to find blame nor does it care to determine who started a problem. Peace looks past all judgement and simply chooses to apply healing to all sides of the perceived problem so that the issue can be seen truthfully and fully resolved to where everyone wins. When any form of attack appears to occur, we can choose to accept the attack and then attack back, or we can choose to see the attempt of attack as a cry for help that indicates a healing is necessary for the situation. When the terrorists attacked, instead of embracing thoughts of vengeance and war, our thoughts could have been focused on providing healing to the situation that allowed the attack to happen in the first place. Then our minds and hearts would be open to say things in the spirit of truth and peace, such as: <i> <ul> <li> "Our actions in the past have provoked you to fear us so greatly that you eventually felt you had no choice other than to attack us so that we might stop affecting you in the future. Neither of us has done the better thing and we are both responsible for a world situation where great healing is necessary so that peace can return." <li> "As a first step towards healing and peace, we are going to immediately change our motivations for how we interact within this world. We have no right in playing the worlds police and meddling in the relationships between other nations and we will stop doing so immediately. With the exceptions of countries currently under attack that need military defensive aid, all our troops are coming home. We will only use our military defensively from this time forward." <li> "Our actions in the past have included deliberate ignorance of areas of the world that are truly in need, but had no natural resources we desired. Our goal from this point forward is to provide financial, technical and educational support to the starving nations and struggling people throughout the world and help stimulate new growth and true hope." <li> "We will also work with all nations to help best distribute the resources of the world as equally as possible amongst all nations so that the seeds of war are not watered in the first place. Feeding, housing and educating our brothers and sisters of the world is all that matters now." <li> "The terrorist attack upon our country has awoken a sleeping giant who was dreaming of war, but inherently knows only of peace. We are awake once again and will not behave foolishly and warlike again. We are not at war, so please stop any future attacks and let's sit down and truly heal the rift that has allowed this situation to fail so poorly. All is forgiven because we have all contributed to this state of the world, so there is no blame to cast and no guilty party to destroy. We extend our peace to you, and whether you believe it or not or initially accept it or not, you will see it within us as we so dramatically change how we treat all nations and people of the world." </ul> </i> Granted, some of those statements might be a little '<i>utopian</i>', but I was just looking to make a clear point that the idea of pursuing peace instead of war is always an option and is possible. We can be a nation of peace. We can be a nation that uses our resources to extend blessings instead of a nation that uses our might to inflict a misguided concept of world order. We are mighty spiritual beings that have a powerful capacity to bring about that which is our greatest thought. If the greatest thought within you is of an inevitable world war, catastrophes, economic collapse, poverty, starvation, disease and a government controlled by a war-like leader... then that is what you will help bring about, and are already supporting. Likewise, if the greatest thought within you is a love and desire that all people and nations pursue peace, along with a sincere desire to work fairly with all nations of the world... then that is what you will help bring about...and are already supporting. Perfect love casts out fear. Perfect peace casts out war. Concluding a war does not bring about peace, but by pursuing peace, you remove the need for war and it simply vanishes. The result of peace is the total rejection of the concept of war. The result of peace is the absolute dismissal that war is even a slightest part of the answer because war and peace cannot exist at the same time and will only ever annihilate each other. This world has always had two choices...war or peace. You can side with war or you can side with peace. Which side are you on? There is nothing in between because you can embrace only darkness or light, but never both. Do you welcome peace or do you welcome war? Which do you believe will provide answers in the world? Which do you believe a truly loving God would embrace as an answer? Which do you believe a truly loving God would reject as an answer? Which cannot exist where there is a God of perfect love? You can be a part of ridding this world of war. Instead of seeing war as inevitable, prophesied or even divinely necessary, choose instead to see peace as the only solution and be open only for what it will bring. Look away from all other ideas and options and choose peace. Be open for answers. Be open for peace. By being willing to see the future of this world as more peaceful, you will be part of the reason that peace spreads more quickly around the world. Be peaceful...and support the concept of <b>Achieving Peace Through Peace</b>. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/achieving-peace-through-war.html ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 - David Nelmes. - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Combo Version

God Is Agape Love
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 301px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #FFE6C5;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} H3.details {font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, verdana; color: #173297; margin-left: 3%; margin-right: 3%; font-weight: 500; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; border-bottom: 1px solid black;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">God Is Agape Love</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (9/11/2007) </DIV> <H3 class="details">We are creatures of love that thrust ourselves into what appears to be a world of hate. The influence of fear and separation has provided us with the perception that love can exist on several levels.</H3> <p class="inner">Relationships are everything...simply because they are all that exist. Nothing has meaning until you decide how it relates to you or how you relate to it. It is the process of making these associations that will determine the outcome of our experiences in life.</p> <p class="inner">We are creatures of love that have thrust ourselves into what appears to be a world of hate. We once knew there was only one form of love, but now the influence of fear and separation has provided us with the perception that love can exist on several levels. The current levels of love are:</p> <p class="inner"><b>Eros love</b> - <i> known as 'erotic love', is based on strong romantic feelings towards another.</i></p> <p class="inner"><b>Philos love</b> - <i> a love based on friendship between two people who share a mutual, 'give-and take' relationship.</i></p> <p class="inner"><b>Agape love</b> - <i> unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. This is the original and only true form of love.</i></p> <p class="inner">The description of '<i>Agape Love'</i> that is accepted by most beliefs as the love that God provides, is identical to how his love is described throughout "<i>A Course in Miracles</i>", which is founded upon the primary principle that God's love for us has never allowed him to even begin to see us differently, regardless of what we may have done or believe we have done. The Course is repeatedly clear how God never takes and only gives, which is how creation works since God creates by extending himself...as he also extended himself into what has come to be known as us, the Son of God.</p> <p class="inner">God never takes...and since we are created in his likeness...with his same method of thinking and being, our true selves (not these ego shrouded human shells) also know this is true. We inherently know that it is never better to take or require that somebody give. Giving is natural and never includes loss of any kind. True giving is like creation in that you do not lose what you give, but you extend that thing and it grows larger as you give it, or share it...like sharing a story or experience.</p> <p class="inner">True giving is rarely experienced on a physical level since we perceive the thing as missing once it is given. On a physical level, you believe you have less after you give or that you have more when you receive. As you can see, this physical world has nothing to do with agape love since this world is based upon taking and having more or upon losing and having less. Agape love is based upon giving through sharing and knowing you already have everything and have nothing to lose. Agape love acknowledges that we are all connected and can only move that thing amongst ourselves, but never outside, so we never lose it. Everything is simply shared.</p> <p class="inner">In a spiritual reality, only thoughts of agape love exist. Nothing else can exist there since everything is in harmony. There is no thought of less or loss or sacrifice since all needs are met before they even exist. This is where the mind of our God exists and it is from here where he teaches us and speaks to us. Every thought or idea that has truly originated from the mind of God, originated from his center of Agape Love.</p> <p class="inner">Since we are no longer centered in agape love, the issue we have while forming relationships is that we tend to severely limit the capacity of the relationship to what we can get from the other or what we think the other wants to take from us. This form of relationship stems from "<i>philos</i>" love which indicates you share a like mindedness (eg. if you agree with me, I will love you). A philos love relationship is a mutual, "<i>give-and take</i>" relationship which ends the moment one side either does not get what they want or is asked for something they do not wish to give.</p> <p class="inner">Our confusion on the purpose of love relationships is often then applied to how we think God relates to us, where we imagine that God only loves us when we please him, or that God will only walk with us if we acknowledge him, or that God will only extend his hand and carry us back to him in heaven if we agree with what we think he demands from us. In doing this, we have created a philos love relationship with God which is totally at odds with his agape love since agape love only gives and never takes and is void of any necessary condition. Agape love asks for nothing and gives everything....simply because we are the children of agape love.</p> <p class="inner">Having built walls between ourselves and our creator, we have distanced ourselves from sensing God's love and the world we see around us is a reflection of living without real love. This environment breeds calamity and destruction since that is the result of life based upon fear instead of love. If accepting perfect love can cast out fear, then likewise, accepting fear removes our ability to sense perfect love.</p> <p class="inner">Fortunately, our creator views any problem or tragic moment as an opportunity to reach into our hearts and provide reason for change. No matter what loss appears to have occurred, he is not angry or upset at who we think is at fault because he knows nothing has been lost. Since material things have no eternal value, they do not matter at all to him. In addition, any person you believe has died, is still safe in spirit form, and since God exists spiritually, he does not sense the loss of this being and therefore has no reason to be upset at anyone. His only thought is to help us see that life can be happier... life can be fuller... it is better to be kind... it is better to be loving, and then our time down here will become a focus on preparing ourselves to return to our creator. Regardless of what happens here, He has not and never will lose one of us because we are created eternal spirits, just like him. Jesus proved when he rose again that you can kill the body, but the spirit remains, untouched and unaffected by anything that happens while here in this physical world.</p> <p class="inner"> <ul> <li class="bw"> Agape love is seeing the answer and sharing that with whoever is seeing or experiencing the problem. <li class="bw"> Agape love is never judgmental and is eternally patient with any thing that must be learned. <li class="bw"> Agape love is totally without demands or requirements. <li class="bw"> Agape love is total truth in that it does not change, no matter what appears to change around it. <li class="bw"> Agape love knows not of time since time does not exist in heaven. <li class="bw"> Agape love is unconditional forgiveness for any event because agape love transcends the concept of needing forgiveness in that it knows we are simply misguided and therefore our actions are not held against us in the first place. </ul> Like frightened children running through a dark forest, we act irrationally and do things out of fear and panic. Agape love knows this and seeks only to help us resolve our fears so that we can see clearly once again and return to full communication with our creator.</p> <p class="inner">Nothing physical matters. Nothing can be lost. Nothing can be taken. Nothing needs to be given. In our true form, we know this, but right now we can only recite the words...but we don't really believe them...and that's why we are here. We are in a place where we believe we have been removed from agape love and have written books about a god who does not behave as though he is agape love, but this is not so. The closest our reality can be described here is to think of this as a collective dream on a universal scale. We, the Son of God, attempted to perform something separate from our creator and this is not possible, so instead, this action created a place... a dream, where Gods agape love does not seem to exist...and this is a horrific thought and thus our lives have been horrific.</p> <p class="inner">God has sent the Holy Spirit to help awaken us and to help us see that this world is upside down and totally backwards in thinking. This world teaches taking. God teaches giving. This world teaches sacrifice and guilt. God teaches you have nothing to lose so there is nothing to sacrifice and therefore nothing to make others feel guilty about. This world teaches that fear is necessary to survive, but God teaches that love casts out fear and that we will only truly live when we cast out our fear and embrace agape love once again.</p> <p class="inner">Every lesson, teaching or guideline that ever truly came from God, can only originate from the unchangeable spirit of his unconditional love and endless patience, and his truths, or love, can speak of nothing else. We do know the truth when we hear it because God created us in his image, therefore, we too are agape love. Once we learn to really embrace this, we will remember who we really are and then we'll wake up to see our creator right where he always has been....everywhere...above us, beside us, below us, within us. Everywhere.</p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	GOD IS AGAPE LOVE through David Nelmes (9/11/2007) Relationships are everything...simply because they are all that exist. Nothing has meaning until you decide how it relates to you or how you relate to it. It is the process of making these associations that will determine the outcome of our experiences in life. We are creatures of love that have thrust ourselves into what appears to be a world of hate. We once knew there was only one form of love, but now the influence of fear and separation has provided us with the perception that love can exist on several levels. The current levels of love are: EROS LOVE - known as 'erotic love', is based on strong romantic feelings towards another. PHILOS LOVE - a love based on friendship between two people who share a mutual, 'give-and take' relationship. AGAPE LOVE - unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. This is the original and only true form of love. The description of 'Agape Love' that is accepted by most beliefs as the love that God provides, is identical to how his love is described throughout "A Course in Miracles", which is founded upon the primary principle that God's love for us has never allowed him to even begin to see us differently, regardless of what we may have done or believe we have done. The Course is repeatedly clear how God never takes and only gives, which is how creation works since God creates by extending himself...as he also extended himself into what has come to be known as us, the Son of God. God never takes...and since we are created in his likeness...with his same method of thinking and being, our true selves (not these ego shrouded human shells) also know this is true. We inherently know that it is never better to take or require that somebody give. Giving is natural and never includes loss of any kind. True giving is like creation in that you do not lose what you give, but you extend that thing and it grows larger as you give it, or share it...like sharing a story or experience. True giving is rarely experienced on a physical level since we perceive the thing as missing once it is given. On a physical level, you believe you have less after you give or that you have more when you receive. As you can see, this physical world has nothing to do with agape love since this world is based upon taking and having more or upon losing and having less. Agape love is based upon giving through sharing and knowing you already have everything and have nothing to lose. Agape love acknowledges that we are all connected and can only move that thing amongst ourselves, but never outside, so we never lose it. Everything is simply shared. In a spiritual reality, only thoughts of agape love exist. Nothing else can exist there since everything is in harmony. There is no thought of less or loss or sacrifice since all needs are met before they even exist. This is where the mind of our God exists and it is from here where he teaches us and speaks to us. Every thought or idea that has truly originated from the mind of God, originated from his center of Agape Love. Since we are no longer centered in agape love, the issue we have while forming relationships is that we tend to severely limit the capacity of the relationship to what we can get from the other or what we think the other wants to take from us. This form of relationship stems from "philos" love which indicates you share a like mindedness (eg. if you agree with me, I will love you). A philos love relationship is a mutual, "give-and take" relationship which ends the moment one side either does not get what they want or is asked for something they do not wish to give. Our confusion on the purpose of love relationships is often then applied to how we think God relates to us, where we imagine that God only loves us when we please him, or that God will only walk with us if we acknowledge him, or that God will only extend his hand and carry us back to him in heaven if we agree with what we think he demands from us. In doing this, we have created a philos love relationship with God which is totally at odds with his agape love since agape love only gives and never takes and is void of any necessary condition. Agape love asks for nothing and gives everything....simply because we are the children of agape love. Having built walls between ourselves and our creator, we have distanced ourselves from sensing God's love and the world we see around us is a reflection of living without real love. This environment breeds calamity and destruction since that is the result of life based upon fear instead of love. If accepting perfect love can cast out fear, then likewise, accepting fear removes our ability to sense perfect love. Fortunately, our creator views any problem or tragic moment as an opportunity to reach into our hearts and provide reason for change. No matter what loss appears to have occurred, he is not angry or upset at who we think is at fault because he knows nothing has been lost. Since material things have no eternal value, they do not matter at all to him. In addition, any person you believe has died, is still safe in spirit form, and since God exists spiritually, he does not sense the loss of this being and therefore has no reason to be upset at anyone. His only thought is to help us see that life can be happier... life can be fuller... it is better to be kind... it is better to be loving, and then our time down here will become a focus on preparing ourselves to return to our creator. Regardless of what happens here, He has not and never will lose one of us because we are created eternal spirits, just like him. Jesus proved when he rose again that you can kill the body, but the spirit remains, untouched and unaffected by anything that happens while here in this physical world. - Agape love is seeing the answer and sharing that with whoever is seeing or experiencing the problem. - Agape love is never judgmental and is eternally patient with any thing that must be learned. - Agape love is totally without demands or requirements. - Agape love is total truth in that it does not change, no matter what appears to change around it. - Agape love knows not of time since time does not exist in heaven. - Agape love is unconditional forgiveness for any event because agape love transcends the concept of needing forgiveness in that it knows we are simply misguided and therefore our actions are not held against us in the first place. Like frightened children running through a dark forest, we act irrationally and do things out of fear and panic. Agape love knows this and seeks only to help us resolve our fears so that we can see clearly once again and return to full communication with our creator. Nothing physical matters. Nothing can be lost. Nothing can be taken. Nothing needs to be given. In our true form, we know this, but right now we can only recite the words...but we don't really believe them...and that's why we are here. We are in a place where we believe we have been removed from agape love and have written books about a god who does not behave as though he is agape love, but this is not so. The closest our reality can be described here is to think of this as a collective dream on a universal scale. We, the Son of God, attempted to perform something separate from our creator and this is not possible, so instead, this action created a place... a dream, where Gods agape love does not seem to exist...and this is a horrific thought and thus our lives have been horrific. God has sent the Holy Spirit to help awaken us and to help us see that this world is upside down and totally backwards in thinking. This world teaches taking. God teaches giving. This world teaches sacrifice and guilt. God teaches you have nothing to lose so there is nothing to sacrifice and therefore nothing to make others feel guilty about. This world teaches that fear is necessary to survive, but God teaches that love casts out fear and that we will only truly live when we cast out our fear and embrace agape love once again. Every lesson, teaching or guideline that ever truly came from God, can only originate from the unchangeable spirit of his unconditional love and endless patience, and his truths, or love, can speak of nothing else. We do know the truth when we hear it because God created us in his image, therefore, we too are agape love. Once we learn to really embrace this, we will remember who we really are and then we'll wake up to see our creator right where he always has been....everywhere...above us, beside us, below us, within us. Everywhere. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/god-agape-love.html ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

Beyond Any Secret
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 350px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #FFE6C5;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} H3.details {font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, verdana; color: #173297; margin-left: 3%; margin-right: 3%; font-weight: 500; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; border-bottom: 1px solid black;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Beyond Any Secret</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (6/11/2007) </DIV> <H3 class="details">Recent beliefs hypothesize how our lives are surrounded by infinite choices and infinite outcomes...infinite directions with infinite possibilities. These beliefs have declared that you can now direct your own path to improve any aspect of your life.</H3> <p class="inner">There are no secrets, but there are things we have hidden from ourselves. These hidden truths were never denied us by God. Quite the contrary, we denied ourselves access to the truth because we are terrorized to some level of what we believe the real truth is...so we make our own truths in place of real truths, thus we see and experience the world as we have chosen...but not as it really is.</P> <p class="inner">Science, through the study of quantum physics and other related fields, has recently hypothesized how our lives are seemingly surrounded by infinite choices and infinite outcomes...infinite directions with infinite possibilities. A few recent beliefs share this concept and have declared that you can better direct your own destiny as compared to what we had previously been lead to believe. I invite you to join with me and take a closer look at this.</p> <p class="inner">Recent findings state that each of us has the capacity to create a focus in our lives and get whatever it is that we want or desire. This concept is true, but it only hints at the true nature of who we are since the true scope of our creative capacity is much larger than what the recent findings can even begin to comprehend. The reality is that each of us is the sole originator of how we see and experience everything and everyone. Nothing happens to anyone or anything unless you chose it or allowed it. This statement is also true for everyone else as well.</p> <p class="inner">I realize the previous statement seems impossible, since it implies that your world and the world of everyone else is a direct result of your perception and of what you specificaly made or allowed, while also stating that everyone elses world is also a direct result of their own perception and everything in this world, including your world, is a part of what they have made or allowed. I am saying that you make all that there is and influence everything that happens, but so does everyone else. How can this be so? How can we all be the makers of everything thing that happens to everybody, including ourselves? Let's take a look at a few key concepts that will help you see this more clearly.</p> <p class="inner">We have all said or heard that "<i>We Are One</i>". Often this is misconstrued as meaning we are all in the same human family, etc, but this reference has only to do with us being one spirit, joined in a way we can not yet fathom, but in a way we can still perceive as possible to some degree. To see how we can all be one, let's contemplate a situation where God, the one source of all that really exists, had a child. We shall call the child's name, Christ, and everything that is known to exist is a part of this child and therefore the child is complete. This child is the perfect spiritual duplication of its creator and the only difference between the child and the creator is that the child did not create itself. Other than that, the child is identical to its creator and also creates as does its creator.</p> <p class="inner">In the beginning, nothing physical existed because God's child was a spiritual being, experiencing only an eternal spiritual existence. Because of an error in thinking, this child mistakenly embraced a concept of creating something separate from God, and now this child utilizes what appears to be the brains, eyes, ears, sensory limbs, etc of trillions of people. This child has become confused into believing that all these bodies are separate from all other bodies because when he limits his view of the world from that of a single person, perception becomes possible and it appears obvious to the child that he is indeed separate from everything he sees, including God, his source. Suddenly, he feels small, insignificant and vulnerable and feels as though he can be easily attacked. Isolation is born, and thus the seeds for war and murder are planted.</p> <p class="inner">God's perfect child, the Christ, is the Son of God. Many beliefs lay this identity at the feet of one person, Jesus, of whom it is said to be the only begotten Son of God, but this is not so. Jesus is, was and will always be a part of the Son of God, a part of the Christ, just as you and I. We are not separate and we never have been. It's simply not possible to break apart anything that God has created. It's not possible to have a bigger part, a lesser part, a more important part or a less important part. All parts, comprised of Jesus, yourself, myself and anyone who exists and who ever existed, are all the Son of God and are all equally loved and cherished by God's unconditional love. While we use and experience time, some of us may appear to play important or pivotal roles, but this means nothing in eternity where everything is joined as one in harmony and all things are viewed truthfully.</p> <p class="inner">For greater insight on how the one Son of God can appear to be a collection of billions of separate people, imagine for a moment that the spirit that is the Son of God is like a human brain. This brain can create worlds within its thoughts and discuss things amongst itself. Although the brain is one object, the thoughts within it are almost infinite in number. These thoughts move at near the speed of light as bolts of energy that send and receive messages. Although the brain is one thing, it is also billions of things.</p> <p class="inner">Within the spirit that is the Son of God, you exist as one of its thoughts. Thought is all that really exists. Similar to the function of electricity in a human brain, you are a message of thought energy within the Son of God. You are a message of love, created with love and existing because of love. Only thoughts of love exist because only thoughts of love come from our source and Father. Nothing that is unlike him can exist.</p> <p>Each thought of love, confused by thinking it is separate from God, flashes into physical perception for just an instant of eternity and then appears to go away. We associate this period of '<i>time</i>' as our experience of being born into a body, living and then dying, but the energy behind the thought is never extinguished with physical death. This thought of love is simply changed to another state of being for a split moment, (like what occurs right after our perceived bodily death) until it once again flourishes and bursts forward once again.</p> <p class="inner">Energy cannot be destroyed. It can change form and appear to have gone, but it never ceases to exist and that's how and why Jesus was able to say we have an eternal existence because it's simply not possible not to. We are eternal beings that are all part of the same mind...the mind of the Son of God which exists within the mind of God. We are all one. We are all connected. Everything that happens to anybody, affects everyone.</p> <p class="inner">To summarize this topic, each of us affects the rest of us, but since we are all one being, we have mutually agreed upon the premise for our existence and we all currently agree with the current conditions that all our lives experience. At the same time, a single perception from what we misperceive as a single point of view, rocks the boat and we seemingly fight with the other, manifesting unnecessary issues and struggles. However, since we are all one being, we are only fighting with ourselves. As individuals, we can choose to think we can run our own lives and fool ourselves into thinking we experience this world as though we are not connected in any way to anyone or anything. Alternatively, as part of a collective, we can choose to see that there may be a better way and welcome God's direct guidance into our lives and open our minds to seeing that our true condition is one of total peace with unending abundance.</p> <p class="inner">When contemplating the '<i>secret</i>' idea of creating your own destiny and being positive and looking forward to a richer and healthier you, there is no argument that you do have this capacity...but the misunderstanding of the true purpose of this capacity is why we are not in full communion with our source anymore. Recognizing this power within you is a wonderful step, but choosing what to do with it will determine how you either continue to evade communion with God or fully embrace communion with God.</p> <p class="inner">So, now that you are more aware that your surroundings are a direct result of what you have either chosen directly to happen or have simply allowed to happen through ignorance, what do you do with this new awareness? There are only two choices. For all things, there are only ever two choices. You either choose to believe that you know what is best for yourself and follow a path you perceive through ignorance and blindness or you choose to believe God knows what's best for you and follow a path he manifests through truth and vision.</p> <p class="inner">It's easy to say you need to allow God to direct you, but if we could so easily trust him, we wouldn't be in the situation we are. The truth is that we do not really trust God. We view the whole idea of trusting God as rather fearful because of what we inherently think God would do to us or have us do, if we let him have his way. While we see him this way, we will never even begin to trust him, so we need to look at what we can do to see God differently.</p> <p class="inner">The best place to start is to open your mind and allow yourself to consider that your perception of God may not be totally accurate. To do this, set aside all fearful concepts the world has drawn of God and simply accept they may be mistaken and that God is pure love without condition. Everything and anything that has ever occurred here on earth that was not a direct result of unconditional love was done by us...only by us. All the things we have blamed God for in the past had nothing at all to do with him. You are as directly responsible for everything that has ever happened to anyone, as is everyone else. God was never the architect of anything that lead to death or decay, only we are.</p> <p class="inner">By seeing how we have done this to ourselves and by seeing that we are the ones who have distanced ourselves from God, can you also see that what we have done and are doing now is insane to some degree? We are blind in so many ways and we really do not know what is best for us. We think we do, but the state that the world is in is proof to the contrary. This world is proof only of what existence is like when hiding from God...but it's not real because it was not fashioned in love and therefore it only exists as a splintered dream from which we will eventually awaken.</p> <p class="inner">Even though we may have convinced ourselves that we have hidden from God, or should be hiding from God, He has never lost site of us and has never let go of us. We thought we let go of him, but it's not possible to separate ourselves from God, but we can think we have...and that is a very frightening thought and this thought has created so much havoc throughout our existence. We conjured up this physical world to prove to ourselves that we are not spiritual beings and to prove to ourselves that we are not immortal and to prove to ourselves that there is no God. Fortunately, we cannot undo what God have so lovingly created.</p> <p class="inner">When making the choice to let God's all seeing wisdom direct you, there is only one prayer you ever need and there is only one desire you ever need and that is for you to be willing to <b>allow in your life, that which is best...period</b>. Simply speak and say "<i>Father, Holy Spirit and brother Jesus, I am open to allow in, that which is best.</i>" Don't suggest a direction and don't tamper with ongoing results, but simply and truly, be open to see that what God knows is best for you, is really what is best for you.</p> <p class="inner">Even as you speak the words above, many thoughts, ideas and whole situations may flow through your mind as what you think you know is best, or what you hope God knows is best. This reaction is normal at first, but you cannot ignore these thoughts since they are undoing your request in that they are screaming, "<i>Never mind!</i>". As these thoughts come to you, simply hand them over to the Holy Spirit to correct. For example, for any thought that is clearly your own idea of what you think is best, say "<i>These thoughts about what my career should be, or who my mate should be or the activities I want to pursue, I hand over to you to correct. I would rather be open to receive and experience that which is best.</i>" In time, these thoughts will recede and you will find yourself much more trusting of the direction God manifests in your life as compared to the direction we attempt to make and follow.</p> <p class="inner">When practicing your new knowledge of having the capacity to bring about change in your life, please integrate into your thinking, the only scripture that needs to exist; <span style="color: #800000;">Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely upon your own concepts and ideas. In everything you do, accept that He sees and knows what is best, and he will lead your way.</span></p> <p class="inner">What then is the path God will provide? God's path for you is never a physical path. His path for you is to help you be more patient, more loving, more forgiving and more peaceful in whatever you may physically do. As your mind becomes more Christ like, the choices you make will differ and change from what they have in the past and then one day you will see and know that what God knows is best for you, was never at odds with what you truly wanted all along. God, yourself and I, at the heart of all things, desire only one thing, to experience being one again and to restore the connection and communion that we had experienced for an eternity before and will experience for eternity hereafter.</p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	BEYOND ANY SECRET through David Nelmes (6/11/2007) There are no secrets, but there are things we have hidden from ourselves. These hidden truths were never denied us by God. Quite the contrary, we denied ourselves access to the truth because we are terrorized to some level of what we believe the real truth is...so we make our own truths in place of real truths, thus we see and experience the world as we have chosen...but not as it really is. Science, through the study of quantum physics and other related fields, has recently hypothesized how our lives are seemingly surrounded by infinite choices and infinite outcomes...infinite directions with infinite possibilities. A few recent beliefs share this concept and have declared that you can better direct your own destiny as compared to what we had previously been lead to believe. I invite you to join with me and take a closer look at this. Recent findings state that each of us has the capacity to create a focus in our lives and get whatever it is that we want or desire. This concept is true, but it only hints at the true nature of who we are since the true scope of our creative capacity is much larger than what the recent findings can even begin to comprehend. The reality is that each of us is the sole originator of how we see and experience everything and everyone. Nothing happens to anyone or anything unless you chose it or allowed it. This statement is also true for everyone else as well. I realize the previous statement seems impossible, since it implies that your world and the world of everyone else is a direct result of your perception and of what you specificaly made or allowed, while also stating that everyone elses world is also a direct result of their own perception and everything in this world, including your world, is a part of what they have made or allowed. I am saying that you make all that there is and influence everything that happens, but so does everyone else. How can this be so? How can we all be the makers of everything thing that happens to everybody, including ourselves? Let's take a look at a few key concepts that will help you see this more clearly. We have all said or heard that "We Are One". Often this is misconstrued as meaning we are all in the same human family, etc, but this reference has only to do with us being one spirit, joined in a way we can not yet fathom, but in a way we can still perceive as possible to some degree. To see how we can all be one, let's contemplate a situation where God, the one source of all that really exists, had a child. We shall call the child's name, Christ, and everything that is known to exist is a part of this child and therefore the child is complete. This child is the perfect spiritual duplication of its creator and the only difference between the child and the creator is that the child did not create itself. Other than that, the child is identical to its creator and also creates as does its creator. In the beginning, nothing physical existed because God's child was a spiritual being, experiencing only an eternal spiritual existence. Because of an error in thinking, this child mistakenly embraced a concept of creating something separate from God, and now this child utilizes what appears to be the brains, eyes, ears, sensory limbs, etc of trillions of people. This child has become confused into believing that all these bodies are separate from all other bodies because when he limits his view of the world from that of a single person, perception becomes possible and it appears obvious to the child that he is indeed separate from everything he sees, including God, his source. Suddenly, he feels small, insignificant and vulnerable and feels as though he can be easily attacked. Isolation is born, and thus the seeds for war and murder are planted. God's perfect child, the Christ, is the Son of God. Many beliefs lay this identity at the feet of one person, Jesus, of whom it is said to be the only begotten Son of God, but this is not so. Jesus is, was and will always be a part of the Son of God, a part of the Christ, just as you and I. We are not separate and we never have been. It's simply not possible to break apart anything that God has created. It's not possible to have a bigger part, a lesser part, a more important part or a less important part. All parts, comprised of Jesus, yourself, myself and anyone who exists and who ever existed, are all the Son of God and are all equally loved and cherished by God's unconditional love. While we use and experience time, some of us may appear to play important or pivotal roles, but this means nothing in eternity where everything is joined as one in harmony and all things are viewed truthfully. For greater insight on how the one Son of God can appear to be a collection of billions of separate people, imagine for a moment that the spirit that is the Son of God is like a human brain. This brain can create worlds within its thoughts and discuss things amongst itself. Although the brain is one object, the thoughts within it are almost infinite in number. These thoughts move at near the speed of light as bolts of energy that send and receive messages. Although the brain is one thing, it is also billions of things. Within the spirit that is the Son of God, you exist as one of its thoughts. Thought is all that really exists. Similar to the function of electricity in a human brain, you are a message of thought energy within the Son of God. You are a message of love, created with love and existing because of love. Only thoughts of love exist because only thoughts of love come from our source and Father. Nothing that is unlike him can exist. Each thought of love, confused by thinking it is separate from God, flashes into physical perception for just an instant of eternity and then appears to go away. We associate this period of 'time' as our experience of being born into a body, living and then dying, but the energy behind the thought is never extinguished with physical death. This thought of love is simply changed to another state of being for a split moment, (like what occurs right after our perceived bodily death) until it once again flourishes and bursts forward once again. Energy cannot be destroyed. It can change form and appear to have gone, but it never ceases to exist and that's how and why Jesus was able to say we have an eternal existence because it's simply not possible not to. We are eternal beings that are all part of the same mind...the mind of the Son of God which exists within the mind of God. We are all one. We are all connected. Everything that happens to anybody, affects everyone. To summarize this topic, each of us affects the rest of us, but since we are all one being, we have mutually agreed upon the premise for our existence and we all currently agree with the current conditions that all our lives experience. At the same time, a single perception from what we misperceive as a single point of view, rocks the boat and we seemingly fight with the other, manifesting unnecessary issues and struggles. However, since we are all one being, we are only fighting with ourselves. As individuals, we can choose to think we can run our own lives and fool ourselves into thinking we experience this world as though we are not connected in any way to anyone or anything. Alternatively, as part of a collective, we can choose to see that there may be a better way and welcome God's direct guidance into our lives and open our minds to seeing that our true condition is one of total peace with unending abundance. When contemplating the 'secret' idea of creating your own destiny and being positive and looking forward to a richer and healthier you, there is no argument that you do have this capacity...but the misunderstanding of the true purpose of this capacity is why we are not in full communion with our source anymore. Recognizing this power within you is a wonderful step, but choosing what to do with it will determine how you either continue to evade communion with God or fully embrace communion with God. So, now that you are more aware that your surroundings are a direct result of what you have either chosen directly to happen or have simply allowed to happen through ignorance, what do you do with this new awareness? There are only two choices. For all things, there are only ever two choices. You either choose to believe that you know what is best for yourself and follow a path you perceive through ignorance and blindness or you choose to believe God knows what's best for you and follow a path he manifests through truth and vision. It's easy to say you need to allow God to direct you, but if we could so easily trust him, we wouldn't be in the situation we are. The truth is that we do not really trust God. We view the whole idea of trusting God as rather fearful because of what we inherently think God would do to us or have us do, if we let him have his way. While we see him this way, we will never even begin to trust him, so we need to look at what we can do to see God differently. The best place to start is to open your mind and allow yourself to consider that your perception of God may not be totally accurate. To do this, set aside all fearful concepts the world has drawn of God and simply accept they may be mistaken and that God is pure love without condition. Everything and anything that has ever occurred here on earth that was not a direct result of unconditional love was done by us...only by us. All the things we have blamed God for in the past had nothing at all to do with him. You are as directly responsible for everything that has ever happened to anyone, as is everyone else. God was never the architect of anything that lead to death or decay, only we are. By seeing how we have done this to ourselves and by seeing that we are the ones who have distanced ourselves from God, can you also see that what we have done and are doing now is insane to some degree? We are blind in so many ways and we really do not know what is best for us. We think we do, but the state that the world is in is proof to the contrary. This world is proof only of what existence is like when hiding from God...but it's not real because it was not fashioned in love and therefore it only exists as a splintered dream from which we will eventually awaken. Even though we may have convinced ourselves that we have hidden from God, or should be hiding from God, He has never lost site of us and has never let go of us. We thought we let go of him, but it's not possible to separate ourselves from God, but we can think we have...and that is a very frightening thought and this thought has created so much havoc throughout our existence. We conjured up this physical world to prove to ourselves that we are not spiritual beings and to prove to ourselves that we are not immortal and to prove to ourselves that there is no God. Fortunately, we cannot undo what God have so lovingly created. When making the choice to let God's all seeing wisdom direct you, there is only one prayer you ever need and there is only one desire you ever need and that is for you to be willing to allow in your life, that which is best...period. Simply speak and say "Father, Holy Spirit and brother Jesus, I am open to allow in, that which is best." Don't suggest a direction and don't tamper with ongoing results, but simply and truly, be open to see that what God knows is best for you, is really what is best for you. Even as you speak the words above, many thoughts, ideas and whole situations may flow through your mind as what you think you know is best, or what you hope God knows is best. This reaction is normal at first, but you cannot ignore these thoughts since they are undoing your request in that they are screaming, "Never mind!". As these thoughts come to you, simply hand them over to the Holy Spirit to correct. For example, for any thought that is clearly your own idea of what you think is best, say "These thoughts about what my career should be, or who my mate should be or the activities I want to pursue, I hand over to you to correct. I would rather be open to receive and experience that which is best." In time, these thoughts will recede and you will find yourself much more trusting of the direction God manifests in your life as compared to the direction we attempt to make and follow. When practicing your new knowledge of having the capacity to bring about change in your life, please integrate into your thinking, the only scripture that needs to exist; Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely upon your own concepts and ideas. In everything you do, accept that He sees and knows what is best, and he will lead your way. What then is the path God will provide? God's path for you is never a physical path. His path for you is to help you be more patient, more loving, more forgiving and more peaceful in whatever you may physically do. As your mind becomes more Christ like, the choices you make will differ and change from what they have in the past and then one day you will see and know that what God knows is best for you, was never at odds with what you truly wanted all along. God, yourself and I, at the heart of all things, desire only one thing, to experience being one again and to restore the connection and communion that we had experienced for an eternity before and will experience for eternity hereafter. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/beyond-any-secret.html ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

Will God Ever Forgive You?
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 350px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #ffffff;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Will God Ever Forgive You?</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (4/26/2007) </DIV> <p class="inner">Have you ever forgiven anyone? You may quickly say 'Yes', which indicates you still remember the issue, which means it is not totally forgotten...and so therefore, it is not truly forgiven. We say we forgive, but we rarely do. We 'excuse', we 'permit', we 'look past', we 'understand', we 'learn to live with', but we never really forgive. We simply exchange our dislike of an event with the hope of returning to more pleasant times.</P> <p class="inner">What then, would you have to do to forgive...I mean to truly forgive? Is it possible to forgive while not totally forgetting the problem that created the reason for forgiveness in the first place? How do you forgive? How do I forgive? How does God forgive?</p> <p class="inner">To understand why total forgiveness seems almost impossible, or at least, very difficult, we need to ask why we value the concept of forgiveness in the first place. We need to look at what motivates us to either run from it or embrace it...depending upon which end of the problem we see ourselves. Let's tear apart the whole concept of forgiveness and look at it truly...perhaps for the first time.</p> <p class="inner"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">What triggers the need to forgive or to be forgiven?</b><br> Having done something wrong, you will experience the sensation of guilt. It might not happen immediately...and it may take some time, but once you have done something wrong, the door is open for you to eventually feel guilty about it. The understanding of guilt is totally necessary for you to be on either side of the forgiving exchange.</p> <p class="inner">Now, having embraced the concepts of doing a '<i>wrong</i>' or 'bad' thing and then associating them with guilt, this opens the door for multiple levels of forgiveness to exist. For example, once the wrong deed has occurred, an opportunity suddenly appears for somebody to forgive you, and you can also forgive yourself, and ultimately, God has the option to forgive you as well. </p> <p class="inner"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">What triggers the sensation of guilt?</b><br> Somewhere, we were taught that certain things were '<i>right</i>' and certain things were '<i>wrong</i>'. Later, we then create connections to events we experience and use our past examples of right and wrong to inform us of whether our actions or the actions of the people around us are proper. In time, we can easily see who has done something wrong and we know they are guilty and should admit to their crime and admit they are guilty. This then opens the door for us to forgive them and for them to forgive themselves and then for God to eventually forgive them.</p> <p class="inner">Our society and many religious structures look upon guilt as a mighty and necessary force that is used to help us maintain an orderly society. It can be difficult seeing how our world could exist without us taking turns being either the receiver or the distributor of guilt. What else could possibly motivate anyone to desire change?</p> <p class="inner"><p class="inner"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">What if you were taught about right and wrong, in error?</b><br> Imagine being in a country where it is '<i>wrong</i>' for a woman to show her face in public. Imagine a situation where it is '<i>wrong</i>' to cross the boundary from one country to another when you are not welcome. Imagine a moment where it is '<i>wrong</i>' to kill another person. Imagine a moment where it is '<i>wrong</i>' to purposely exceed the speed limit while driving.</p> <p class="inner">Imagine being in a country where it is '<i>not wrong</i>' for a woman to show her face in public. Imagine a situation where it is '<i>not wrong</i>' to cross the boundary from one country to another because you are welcome. Imagine a moment where it is '<i>not wrong</i>' to kill another person who is attacking you. Imagine a moment where it is '<i>not wrong</i>' to purposely exceed the speed limit while driving, so that lives may be saved.</p> <p class="inner">These examples clearly show how something that is '<i>wrong</i>' in one instance, is '<i>not wrong</i>' in another instance...which means our concepts of right and wrong are not based upon any specific truth, but solely upon the perception of the moment. With this being the case, 'being right' or 'being wrong' are totally transient in the eye of the beholder and have no absolute state of being. Truth is eternal and unchangeable, so from an eternal and unchangeable spiritual point of view, this means the whole concept of right and wrong is not real and simply does not exist.</p> <p class="inner"><p class="inner"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">What if you never did anything wrong?</b><br> If the concept of '<i>right and wrong</i>' is not a solid spiritual truth, since they change with perception, then these concepts are neither seen, experienced nor even known to God. God has no concept of right or wrong. He knows only love, he gives only love and he receives only love.</p> <p>You have never done anything wrong. You are an eternal, loving being that is created in the image and likeness of God and you have all the same strengths and powers as does he. You too are a creator. The only difference between you and God our Father is that he created us. Other than that, we are identical.</p> <p class="inner">I know it's hard to see that you are like God or that Hitler was like God or that your annoying neighbor is like God....but we are currently viewing things from an extremely narrow and erroneous perception...but just as with the concept of right and wrong, what we are seeing and believing about ourselves and those around us has no real meaning and is based only upon what we believe is real and has absolutely nothing to do with what God knows is real.</p> <p class="inner">So, if there is nothing '<i>wrong</i>' with killing, should we just let the world run amok with violence and terror and do nothing to stop it? In a perfect world, you would not fear that you had to stop it, but likewise, in a perfect world, the concept of '<i>wrong</i>' or 'fear' would not exist in the first place and no threats would be perceived. To get past the concepts of '<i>right and wrong</i>' and their control through guilt and fear, it would be helpful to see that all improper behavior and events are mistakes that occur due to our attempt to make decisions separate from God. We are lost without him, but this does not make us bad, it just makes us lost, frightened and mistaken.</p> <p class="inner">Instead of using the perception tainted variables of 'being wrong' to judge ourselves and our brothers, let's instead look at improper events simply as 'mistakes'. For example, if I were on a train to Philadelphia and happened to mention to a fellow passenger about how excited I was to be heading for Chicago, it would be obvious to this brother that I had made a mistake and had gotten on the improper train. This does not make me bad. This does not require any sensation of guilt and this does not require forgiveness. All this requires is that I get off that train and get on the proper train.</p> <p class="inner">When the brother informs me of my mistake, he has not judged me, but is simply informing me of an error I have made. Since I have done nothing wrong, there is no reason to associate guilt or fear with what the brother tells me. Being open for truth, I will not feel attacked and I will feel no need to defend my mistake. Instead, I will be happy and thankful to the brother for helping me see and undo the mistake.</p> <p class="inner">Truth frees because there is no judgment of any kind and it eliminates the need to be forgiven since it already shows you as the perfect Son of God that you are. It's sole purpose is to lead you back to our Father because you will know you are worthy of him. Likewise, guilt binds because it is dependent upon judgment and it requires your need to be forgiven since it seemingly shows you as the sinful subject of God that you think you are. It's sole purpose is to distance you from our Father because you will think you are unworthy of him.</p> <p class="inner"><p class="inner"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Will God Ever Forgive You?</b><br> God has never seen that we have done anything '<i>right</i>' or '<i>wrong</i>' with respect to anything we perceive while we believe we are separate from him. We are not separate from him. All he knows is that we have made a mistake and he is patiently waiting for us to see the error and change our direction. Once we start going in the proper direction which leads back to him, we will get closer each day to the final moment where we once again know and experience only absolute truth and unconditional love.</p> <p class="inner"><b>God will never forgive you</b> because he has never perceived you as having done something '<i>wrong</i>' in the first place. He has never saddled you with 'guilt' and he has never required, asked or hinted at your need to ask his forgiveness because there is simply nothing to forgive. All concepts and origins of guilt, sin, right, wrong, etc, are of our own making and are based upon fear, which should be a clear sign that these things are not from our God of love since he has never taken advantage of fear to motivate us or teach us. Only man and his mistaken perceptions have created these concepts of God...but they are not true. They are simply errors of thinking.</p> <p class="inner">To change your course, all you need to do is to be open to see where you may be mistaken and then the Holy Spirit will heal your mind and will heal your perception of this world and of yourself. He will teach you that to learn to forgive while living here, is a step towards seeing more clearly and this will help you embrace peace. The final lesson he will teach you is that since nobody has ever done anything other than make mistakes, including yourself, there is really nothing at all to forgive in the first place.</p> <p class="inner">Forgiveness is simply a tool we can use to help us see our brothers more truthfully until we finally see them as God sees them. When this happens, we will know we are all perfect Sons of God that simply experienced a temporary error in thinking when we thought we could create separate from God our Source. We were mistaken, and it's as simple as that.</p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	WILL GOD EVER FORGIVE YOU? through David Nelmes (4/26/2007) Have you ever forgiven anyone? You may quickly say 'Yes', which indicates you still remember the issue, which means it is not totally forgotten...and so therefore, it is not truly forgiven. We say we forgive, but we rarely do. We 'excuse', we 'permit', we 'look past', we 'understand', we 'learn to live with', but we never really forgive. We simply exchange our dislike of an event with the hope of returning to more pleasant times. What then, would you have to do to forgive...I mean to truly forgive? Is it possible to forgive while not totally forgetting the problem that created the reason for forgiveness in the first place? How do you forgive? How do I forgive? How does God forgive? To understand why total forgiveness seems almost impossible, or at least, very difficult, we need to ask why we value the concept of forgiveness in the first place. We need to look at what motivates us to either run from it or embrace it...depending upon which end of the problem we see ourselves. Let's tear apart the whole concept of forgiveness and look at it truly...perhaps for the first time. WHAT TRIGGERS THE NEED TO FORGIVE OR TO BE FORGIVEN? Having done something wrong, you will experience the sensation of guilt. It might not happen immediately...and it may take some time, but once you have done something wrong, the door is open for you to eventually feel guilty about it. The understanding of guilt is totally necessary for you to be on either side of the forgiving exchange. Now, having embraced the concepts of doing a 'wrong' or 'bad' thing and then associating them with guilt, this opens the door for multiple levels of forgiveness to exist. For example, once the wrong deed has occurred, an opportunity suddenly appears for somebody to forgive you, and you can also forgive yourself, and ultimately, God has the option to forgive you as well. WHAT TRIGGERS THE SENSATION OF GUILT? Somewhere, we were taught that certain things were 'right' and certain things were 'wrong'. Later, we then create connections to events we experience and use our past examples of right and wrong to inform us of whether our actions or the actions of the people around us are proper. In time, we can easily see who has done something wrong and we know they are guilty and should admit to their crime and admit they are guilty. This then opens the door for us to forgive them and for them to forgive themselves and then for God to eventually forgive them. Our society and many religious structures look upon guilt as a mighty and necessary force that is used to help us maintain an orderly society. It can be difficult seeing how our world could exist without us taking turns being either the receiver or the distributor of guilt. What else could possibly motivate anyone to desire change? WHAT IF YOU WERE TAUGHT ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG, IN ERROR? Imagine being in a country where it is 'wrong' for a woman to show her face in public. Imagine a situation where it is 'wrong' to cross the boundary from one country to another when you are not welcome. Imagine a moment where it is 'wrong' to kill another person. Imagine a moment where it is 'wrong' to purposely exceed the speed limit while driving. Imagine being in a country where it is 'not wrong' for a woman to show her face in public. Imagine a situation where it is 'not wrong' to cross the boundary from one country to another because you are welcome. Imagine a moment where it is 'not wrong' to kill another person who is attacking you. Imagine a moment where it is 'not wrong' to purposely exceed the speed limit while driving, so that lives may be saved. These examples clearly show how something that is 'wrong' in one instance, is 'not wrong' in another instance...which means our concepts of right and wrong are not based upon any specific truth, but solely upon the perception of the moment. With this being the case, 'being right' or 'being wrong' are totally transient in the eye of the beholder and have no absolute state of being. Truth is eternal and unchangeable, so from an eternal and unchangeable spiritual point of view, this means the whole concept of right and wrong is not real and simply does not exist. WHAT IF YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG? If the concept of 'right and wrong' is not a solid spiritual truth, since they change with perception, then these concepts are neither seen, experienced nor even known to God. God has no concept of right or wrong. He knows only love, he gives only love and he receives only love. You have never done anything wrong. You are an eternal, loving being that is created in the image and likeness of God and you have all the same strengths and powers as does he. You too are a creator. The only difference between you and God our Father is that he created us. Other than that, we are identical. I know it's hard to see that you are like God or that Hitler was like God or that your annoying neighbor is like God....but we are currently viewing things from an extremely narrow and erroneous perception...but just as with the concept of right and wrong, what we are seeing and believing about ourselves and those around us has no real meaning and is based only upon what we believe is real and has absolutely nothing to do with what God knows is real. So, if there is nothing 'wrong' with killing, should we just let the world run amok with violence and terror and do nothing to stop it? In a perfect world, you would not fear that you had to stop it, but likewise, in a perfect world, the concept of 'wrong' or 'fear' would not exist in the first place and no threats would be perceived. To get past the concepts of 'right and wrong' and their control through guilt and fear, it would be helpful to see that all improper behavior and events are mistakes that occur due to our attempt to make decisions separate from God. We are lost without him, but this does not make us bad, it just makes us lost, frightened and mistaken. Instead of using the perception tainted variables of 'being wrong' to judge ourselves and our brothers, let's instead look at improper events simply as 'mistakes'. For example, if I were on a train to Philadelphia and happened to mention to a fellow passenger about how excited I was to be heading for Chicago, it would be obvious to this brother that I had made a mistake and had gotten on the improper train. This does not make me bad. This does not require any sensation of guilt and this does not require forgiveness. All this requires is that I get off that train and get on the proper train. When the brother informs me of my mistake, he has not judged me, but is simply informing me of an error I have made. Since I have done nothing wrong, there is no reason to associate guilt or fear with what the brother tells me. Being open for truth, I will not feel attacked and I will feel no need to defend my mistake. Instead, I will be happy and thankful to the brother for helping me see and undo the mistake. Truth frees because there is no judgment of any kind and it eliminates the need to be forgiven since it already shows you as the perfect Son of God that you are. It's sole purpose is to lead you back to our Father because you will know you are worthy of him. Likewise, guilt binds because it is dependent upon judgment and it requires your need to be forgiven since it seemingly shows you as the sinful subject of God that you think you are. It's sole purpose is to distance you from our Father because you will think you are unworthy of him. WILL GOD EVER FORGIVE YOU? God has never seen that we have done anything 'right' or 'wrong' with respect to anything we perceive while we believe we are separate from him. We are not separate from him. All he knows is that we have made a mistake and he is patiently waiting for us to see the error and change our direction. Once we start going in the proper direction which leads back to him, we will get closer each day to the final moment where we once again know and experience only absolute truth and unconditional love. God will never forgive you because he has never perceived you as having done something 'wrong' in the first place. He has never saddled you with 'guilt' and he has never required, asked or hinted at your need to ask his forgiveness because there is simply nothing to forgive. All concepts and origins of guilt, sin, right, wrong, etc, are of our own making and are based upon fear, which should be a clear sign that these things are not from our God of love since he has never taken advantage of fear to motivate us or teach us. Only man and his mistaken perceptions have created these concepts of God...but they are not true. They are simply errors of thinking. To change your course, all you need to do is to be open to see where you may be mistaken and then the Holy Spirit will heal your mind and will heal your perception of this world and of yourself. He will teach you that to learn to forgive while living here, is a step towards seeing more clearly and this will help you embrace peace. The final lesson he will teach you is that since nobody has ever done anything other than make mistakes, including yourself, there is really nothing at all to forgive in the first place. Forgiveness is simply a tool we can use to help us see our brothers more truthfully until we finally see them as God sees them. When this happens, we will know we are all perfect Sons of God that simply experienced a temporary error in thinking when we thought we could create separate from God our Source. We were mistaken, and it's as simple as that. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/will-god-ever-forgive.html ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

The Family Tomb of Jesus
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 350px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #ffffff;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">The Family Tomb of Jesus</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (3/5/2007) </DIV> <p class="inner">Nothing physical matters. The purpose of Jesus' resurrection was a statement that nothing that happens here matters because nothing that happens here can touch the spirit that is you...the real you. Nothing physical matters. Nothing physical is worthy to be used as a means to create any religion or faith. Only spiritual things matter since only spiritual things are eternal.</p> <p class="inner"><b>The Body of The Resurrected Jesus</b><br> If there is indeed evidence of Jesus' tomb, how then can we say he resurrected? The Bible appears clear that this was a major event and a primary purpose of the messiah. How then could there be a dead body for a resurrected Jesus? Even though I do not see the Bible as the end-all, be-all words of God, I can easily see where the Bible does provide some answers. You can find these answers as well, if you are willing to see things a bit differently than what the world has taught you.</p> <p class="inner">For starters, when Mary Magdalene and the disciples first saw Jesus after his resurrection, they did not recognize him. Why is this? Because he appeared to them in a new body that did not resemble his previous body and it had nothing to do with the body that had died, because that was not who he was. The physical body of the Jesus they knew, was dead. Now, he appeared in a new body which represented a more enlightened manifestation of what can never die.</p> <p class="inner">Since nothing physical matters, the body of Jesus may have been killed, but his spirit was not affected in any way...as is the case for all of us. He returned shortly after his physical death to let his followers know that physical death is not the end of the journey, but just a step along the way. How he looked was not important and whether his actual body had risen from the dead was not important. What was important was that he ...the spirit that was Jesus, never died and still exists. This is why he can say we never die and have eternal life. It does not refer to our bodies, but to our true selves and true spirits.</p> <p class="inner"><b>The Story of Doubting Thomas</b><br> How about when the Bible indicates that Thomas would not believe Jesus was alive until he saw and felt the wounds in his hands and feet...and then Jesus reportedly showed him the wounds? Even regular readers of the Bible should see how this is already out of step with even the basic concept of Jesus' resurrection...even if his original body were risen again.</p> <p class="inner">Would Jesus bring any body back to life and not remove the cause of death from the body in the first place? When Lazarus was raised from the dead, was Lazarus still a decayed and cancer ridden body that was alive, while carrying with him all the signs of why he died? This is not likely since the process whereby a miracle is performed, is in the undoing of what caused the problem in the first place.</p> <p class="inner">If this story of Thomas and Jesus were true, then it would require that Jesus was still also totally bruised and beaten, and had the flesh peeling off his back from the whippings, and his bones would be out of joint and there would be a hole near his heart. Was this version of Jesus then, a walking zombie, somewhat like we might see in the night of the living dead where mortally injured bodies are animated with life? If Jesus' real body were to be risen, wouldn't it be more likely that it would be healed of what killed it...showing no sign whatsoever of the cause of death?</p> <p class="inner">The bottom line is that the story of Jesus and Thomas is not true and was written only to discredit Thomas and also act as a lesson for having blind faith...but it never actually happened. Initially, nobody recognizes Jesus because he had a new physical appearance and he showed no signs of any of the injuries that occurred to his previous body.</p> <p class="inner"><b>Jesus' Ascension Into Heaven</b><br> How about where Jesus ascended to heaven with his body? First off, heaven is a spiritual place, so Jesus would not be manifest in heaven with his body, so this was not an actual event as it was described. On every occasion after the new Jesus was seen after his death, he popped in and out of this physical reality from the spiritual and meta-physical realities beyond. In these cases, the body was used to represent Jesus since it is how we associate and communicate here...but the new body Jesus used, did not really exist as anything other that what he created to momentarily exist in this physical reality.</p> <p class="inner">Jesus' body had nothing to do with him being alive. Jesus, as with you or I, are alive, with or without a body. The resurrected Jesus did not have a restored and eternal physical body, but simply made temporary use of a body to communicate with us. As with Jesus, you too are not a body. You are currently making use of a body so that you can communicate and experience things here...other than that, the body has no spiritual use.</p> <p class="inner">The body is often used to create beliefs that are contrary to spiritual beliefs, which then further strengthens your belief that you are not a spiritual being. With this in mind, the best beliefs you can follow are those beliefs that do not depend upon or associate with any physical event in the past, present or future, since the meaning and interpretation of these events will be perceived differently as time passes. This means there is usually little or no truth in them, since truth does not change and is not affected by time. Truth is eternal and exists outside of time and cannot be seen differently than what it is.</p> <p class="inner"><b>Mary Magdalene as Jesus' Companion</b><br> One primary issue about the Tomb of Jesus is that it implies Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. This concept has also been introduced within the Gospel of Thomas and other agnostic writings....and the question to ask your self is this...Why should it matter? Who ever said sex was bad? Who ever said that having a close companion here on earth is bad? Who implied Jesus must be celibate in order to be Holy? All these answers are the same. All these conclusions were drawn up by various religions in the first few centuries following the birth of Christianity, but have absolutely nothing to do with Christianity and the original teachings of Jesus.</p> <p class="inner">Jesus never spoke against married sex and Jesus never implied that having sex would prevent you from being holy. Any teachings that arose later that frowned upon sex and marriage and also embraced the requirement for celibacy, were the teachings of men...and although anyone could use celibacy to create focus in their lives, the choice to be celibate or not to be celibate, has no bearing whatsoever as to whether you are accepted as holy before God or not. We are all already holy before God because we are his children. No matter what we do, none of us are more special or more holy than another because we are all unconditionally holy and special to God our Source and Father.</p> <p class="inner"><b>Mary's Immaculate Conception And Jesus' Family Members</b><br> The designers of early religions were also the architects behind the concept of a virgin birth and a required virgin lifestyle. Again, nothing physical matters, so why would it matter to God how Jesus was conceived? Again, who said sex was bad? Who said having sex made anything unholy? If it was necessary for the Holy Spirit to impregnate Mary directly so that Jesus would be exactly who he was, why would this also be interpreted that this was done because sex was bad? Why would this also imply that Mary would have to be a virgin her whole life? How would she be less holy by doing what is totally natural for everyone ever born?</p> <p class="inner">Since nothing physical matters, none of these concepts are true and did not occur. Mary had many additional children, whereby providing Jesus with brothers and sisters...which the Bible does list by name in the Gospel of Mark.</p> <p class="inner">On another note, it still always surprises me that the church later adopted this story of the immaculate conception, since in doing so, it stripped Joseph from being the physical Father of Jesus. Once this change was made, Jesus was no longer born from the House of David, which was considered to be vitally important to fulfill the prophecy of the coming messiah as being a direct descendant of King David.</p> <p class="inner">Of course, none of those physical events matter. Don't get drawn in to debate them and argue them. You can discuss them and perceive them and consider them, but don't let any physical event become a basis for your faith, since these events can never be truly confirmed as having happened and so they don't really matter. It's the lessons from the possible events that matter since these lessons can be used by the Holy Spirit as tools that help you open your mind to see things more clearly and more truthfully.</p> <p class="inner">When you look at any worldly event, remember that these things are temporary situations and have no eternal effect. Everything that happens here eventually fades away to dust or to lost and distorted memories. The only things that matter are those things that are eternal...and we do not see those things here, however we can experience them here by expressing and sharing our love. The only thing in this world that is eternal is truly loving thought. Since nothing else but love is eternal, nothing else exists, therefore, nothing else matters.</p> <p class="inner"><b>Overall Conclusions</b><br> I think it's a great event that this tomb was discovered. It does not matter if this is actually tied to Jesus or not. What does matter is that is helps to raise the question as to why we have made something so important, that really should not matter. Many beliefs around the world are in bondage to unquestionable requirements that are based upon how we perceived the importance of past events. Simply putting these past events into question is a wonderful exercise in being open to seeing more clearly and seeing the world differently.</p> <p class="inner">The discovery of the Tomb of Jesus' family is a global opportunity to look at our beliefs and see where we feel attacked by this discovery. If we consider then that truth cannot be attacked, perhaps it's time to reevaluate the truths we have held onto so dearly for centuries, since many of these beliefs are based upon things that really do not matter.</p> <p class="inner">Beliefs that are based upon spiritual truths, are free to evolve and can never be thwarted by physical events since they are not based upon them. When you drop any importance to physical events from your beliefs, possibilities and discoveries such as the tomb of Jesus simply become interesting events to talk about....and nothing more.</p> <p class="inner">Truth cannot be threatened since Truth is eternal. If truth is eternal and all physical things perish, truth cannot be found in the physical. Let go of any belief that embraces the physical in any way and follow beliefs of what cannot be seen here, but can be practiced here by expressing and sharing your love, patience, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and total equality for all life.</p> <p class="inner">Jesus never died, so it does not matter what may or may not have become of the body he used while visiting with us. His lesson is that nobody dies and that life goes on, forever. Life may take different forms and we might not be able to fathom them or understand them, but they exist and are real, none-the-less. So, while in this life, know that how you treat yourself and others does matter and that these things will carry forward with you into the next existence and expression of life.</p> <p class="inner">Be loving, be patient, be kind, be decent, be forgiving and be open to see that none of us are disconnected from the other and that what you do for anyone, you do for everyone and yourself. We are one. Jesus knew this and he told us. We just need to learn to better apply this.</p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	THE FAMILY TOMB OF JESUS through David Nelmes (3/5/2007) Nothing physical matters. The purpose of Jesus' resurrection was a statement that nothing that happens here matters because nothing that happens here can touch the spirit that is you...the real you. Nothing physical matters. Nothing physical is worthy to be used as a means to create any religion or faith. Only spiritual things matter since only spiritual things are eternal. THE BODY OF THE RESURRECTED JESUS If there is indeed evidence of Jesus' tomb, how then can we say he resurrected? The Bible appears clear that this was a major event and a primary purpose of the messiah. How then could there be a dead body for a resurrected Jesus? Even though I do not see the Bible as the end-all, be-all words of God, I can easily see where the Bible does provide some answers. You can find these answers as well, if you are willing to see things a bit differently than what the world has taught you. For starters, when Mary Magdalene and the disciples first saw Jesus after his resurrection, they did not recognize him. Why is this? Because he appeared to them in a new body that did not resemble his previous body and it had nothing to do with the body that had died, because that was not who he was. The physical body of the Jesus they knew, was dead. Now, he appeared in a new body which represented a more enlightened manifestation of what can never die. Since nothing physical matters, the body of Jesus may have been killed, but his spirit was not affected in any way...as is the case for all of us. He returned shortly after his physical death to let his followers know that physical death is not the end of the journey, but just a step along the way. How he looked was not important and whether his actual body had risen from the dead was not important. What was important was that he ...the spirit that was Jesus, never died and still exists. This is why he can say we never die and have eternal life. It does not refer to our bodies, but to our true selves and true spirits. THE STORY OF DOUBTING THOMAS How about when the Bible indicates that Thomas would not believe Jesus was alive until he saw and felt the wounds in his hands and feet...and then Jesus reportedly showed him the wounds? Even regular readers of the Bible should see how this is already out of step with even the basic concept of Jesus' resurrection...even if his original body were risen again. Would Jesus bring any body back to life and not remove the cause of death from the body in the first place? When Lazarus was raised from the dead, was Lazarus still a decayed and cancer ridden body that was alive, while carrying with him all the signs of why he died? This is not likely since the process whereby a miracle is performed, is in the undoing of what caused the problem in the first place. If this story of Thomas and Jesus were true, then it would require that Jesus was still also totally bruised and beaten, and had the flesh peeling off his back from the whippings, and his bones would be out of joint and there would be a hole near his heart. Was this version of Jesus then, a walking zombie, somewhat like we might see in the night of the living dead where mortally injured bodies are animated with life? If Jesus' real body were to be risen, wouldn't it be more likely that it would be healed of what killed it...showing no sign whatsoever of the cause of death? The bottom line is that the story of Jesus and Thomas is not true and was written only to discredit Thomas and also act as a lesson for having blind faith...but it never actually happened. Initially, nobody recognizes Jesus because he had a new physical appearance and he showed no signs of any of the injuries that occurred to his previous body. JESUS' ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN How about where Jesus ascended to heaven with his body? First off, heaven is a spiritual place, so Jesus would not be manifest in heaven with his body, so this was not an actual event as it was described. On every occasion after the new Jesus was seen after his death, he popped in and out of this physical reality from the spiritual and meta-physical realities beyond. In these cases, the body was used to represent Jesus since it is how we associate and communicate here...but the new body Jesus used, did not really exist as anything other that what he created to momentarily exist in this physical reality. Jesus' body had nothing to do with him being alive. Jesus, as with you or I, are alive, with or without a body. The resurrected Jesus did not have a restored and eternal physical body, but simply made temporary use of a body to communicate with us. As with Jesus, you too are not a body. You are currently making use of a body so that you can communicate and experience things here...other than that, the body has no spiritual use. The body is often used to create beliefs that are contrary to spiritual beliefs, which then further strengthens your belief that you are not a spiritual being. With this in mind, the best beliefs you can follow are those beliefs that do not depend upon or associate with any physical event in the past, present or future, since the meaning and interpretation of these events will be perceived differently as time passes. This means there is usually little or no truth in them, since truth does not change and is not affected by time. Truth is eternal and exists outside of time and cannot be seen differently than what it is. MARY MAGDALENE AS JESUS' COMPANION One primary issue about the Tomb of Jesus is that it implies Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. This concept has also been introduced within the Gospel of Thomas and other agnostic writings....and the question to ask your self is this...Why should it matter? Who ever said sex was bad? Who ever said that having a close companion here on earth is bad? Who implied Jesus must be celibate in order to be Holy? All these answers are the same. All these conclusions were drawn up by various religions in the first few centuries following the birth of Christianity, but have absolutely nothing to do with Christianity and the original teachings of Jesus. Jesus never spoke against married sex and Jesus never implied that having sex would prevent you from being holy. Any teachings that arose later that frowned upon sex and marriage and also embraced the requirement for celibacy, were the teachings of men...and although anyone could use celibacy to create focus in their lives, the choice to be celibate or not to be celibate, has no bearing whatsoever as to whether you are accepted as holy before God or not. We are all already holy before God because we are his children. No matter what we do, none of us are more special or more holy than another because we are all unconditionally holy and special to God our Source and Father. MARY'S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND JESUS' FAMILY MEMBERS The designers of early religions were also the architects behind the concept of a virgin birth and a required virgin lifestyle. Again, nothing physical matters, so why would it matter to God how Jesus was conceived? Again, who said sex was bad? Who said having sex made anything unholy? If it was necessary for the Holy Spirit to impregnate Mary directly so that Jesus would be exactly who he was, why would this also be interpreted that this was done because sex was bad? Why would this also imply that Mary would have to be a virgin her whole life? How would she be less holy by doing what is totally natural for everyone ever born? Since nothing physical matters, none of these concepts are true and did not occur. Mary had many additional children, whereby providing Jesus with brothers and sisters...which the Bible does list by name in the Gospel of Mark. On another note, it still always surprises me that the church later adopted this story of the immaculate conception, since in doing so, it stripped Joseph from being the physical Father of Jesus. Once this change was made, Jesus was no longer born from the House of David, which was considered to be vitally important to fulfill the prophecy of the coming messiah as being a direct descendant of King David. Of course, none of those physical events matter. Don't get drawn in to debate them and argue them. You can discuss them and perceive them and consider them, but don't let any physical event become a basis for your faith, since these events can never be truly confirmed as having happened and so they don't really matter. It's the lessons from the possible events that matter since these lessons can be used by the Holy Spirit as tools that help you open your mind to see things more clearly and more truthfully. When you look at any worldly event, remember that these things are temporary situations and have no eternal effect. Everything that happens here eventually fades away to dust or to lost and distorted memories. The only things that matter are those things that are eternal...and we do not see those things here, however we can experience them here by expressing and sharing our love. The only thing in this world that is eternal is truly loving thought. Since nothing else but love is eternal, nothing else exists, therefore, nothing else matters. OVERALL CONCLUSIONS I think it's a great event that this tomb was discovered. It does not matter if this is actually tied to Jesus or not. What does matter is that is helps to raise the question as to why we have made something so important, that really should not matter. Many beliefs around the world are in bondage to unquestionable requirements that are based upon how we perceived the importance of past events. Simply putting these past events into question is a wonderful exercise in being open to seeing more clearly and seeing the world differently. The discovery of the Tomb of Jesus' family is a global opportunity to look at our beliefs and see where we feel attacked by this discovery. If we consider then that truth cannot be attacked, perhaps it's time to reevaluate the truths we have held onto so dearly for centuries, since many of these beliefs are based upon things that really do not matter. Beliefs that are based upon spiritual truths, are free to evolve and can never be thwarted by physical events since they are not based upon them. When you drop any importance to physical events from your beliefs, possibilities and discoveries such as the tomb of Jesus simply become interesting events to talk about....and nothing more. Truth cannot be threatened since Truth is eternal. If truth is eternal and all physical things perish, truth cannot be found in the physical. Let go of any belief that embraces the physical in any way and follow beliefs of what cannot be seen here, but can be practiced here by expressing and sharing your love, patience, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and total equality for all life. Jesus never died, so it does not matter what may or may not have become of the body he used while visiting with us. His lesson is that nobody dies and that life goes on, forever. Life may take different forms and we might not be able to fathom them or understand them, but they exist and are real, none-the-less. So, while in this life, know that how you treat yourself and others does matter and that these things will carry forward with you into the next existence and expression of life. Be loving, be patient, be kind, be decent, be forgiving and be open to see that none of us are disconnected from the other and that what you do for anyone, you do for everyone and yourself. We are one. Jesus knew this and he told us. We just need to learn to better apply this. (You can find this publication online at http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/family-tomb-of-jesus.html ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

Are You Saved?
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 350px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #ffffff;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Are You Saved?</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (2/11/2007) </DIV> <p class="inner">Recently, a man asked "<i>Are you saved?</i>" I think this question is asked of most of us at some time or another, and perhaps some of you were even the ones that were asking the question... '<i>Are you saved?</i>' What exactly does this question mean, and/or imply?</P> <p class="inner">Having once followed the evangelical Christian beliefs myself over 20 years ago, I know what this man was thinking and I know how he felt. His beliefs have taught him that only a very few who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior are "<i><b>Saved</b></i>" and will be accepted into heaven and be rewarded with eternal life. Meanwhile, the majority who do not accept Jesus as their personal savior, will not be accepted into heaven and will be tortured endlessly for all eternity.</p> <p class="inner">This perception of both Jesus' and God's requirements do not take anything into consideration for entering heaven other than having accepted Jesus. It doesn't matter if you lead a kind and gentle life...it doesn't matter if you saved thousands of lives from death or injury...it doesn't matter if you share all your money with the world and give from the heart at all times. Unless you said the magic words and saw Jesus the way the Christian beliefs say you must see him, you will spend eternity in torment.</p> <p class="inner">During a Christian Youth meeting when I was 17, we discussed and debated the question..."<i>If somebody is born in some foreign country and simply never hears about Jesus in the first place, what is to become of him?</i>" After much discussion it was obvious that their was no compromise to be made with God. This person, unfortunate as it may seem, will spend eternity in eternal pain and suffering because he didn't say the magic words.</p> <p class="inner">It sure was lucky of me to not be that person. Somehow, God must have liked me just enough to make sure I heard about Jesus and was at least given the choice as to whether I wanted to spend eternity in severe pain or not. But hey, God apparently can't reach everyone and explain to them about his inability to truly love them unless they meet with his terms.</p> <p class="inner">Back to the original question..."<i>Are you saved?</i>". This is how I would respond to this question...</p> <div style="margin-left: 15px; background-color: #f5f5f5; padding: 5px;"> <p class="inner">From what do I need to be saved? Who or what is threatening my existence in the first place?</p> <p class="inner">It's apparent that you believe it is necessary for me to be saved since you follow the teachings of YHWH, the ancient God of War, whom, by default, starts out your life by setting you on a course of eternal damnation unless you are fortunate enough to discover his terms and then agree to them. I don't follow that god. I follow the God that is the source of all things loving and all things peaceful. There is no reason he would be compelled to save me since he is not threatening me in the first place.</p> <p class="inner">I am reminded of a story...</p> <p class="inner" style="margin-left: 15px; color: #800000;">Some time ago, a mafia warlord that moved into a new area, expressed to a store owner that if he would choose to serve him and pay tribute to him, that he would be protected. When the store owner said he has never had a need for protection in the past, the mafia warlord made it clear to him that he has a need for protection now... and that if he didn't agree to accept this protection, he would be severely beaten and his business would be destroyed.</p> <p class="inner">Basically, the warlord was offering the store owner protection from the warlord himself. Since you would not accept this form of behavior from a mafia warlord, why do you accept this same kind of behavior from your god?</p> <p class="inner">Bottom line, when you ask me if I am saved, you are asking me if I have appeased the God of war so that he will not punish me. You are asking me if I am saved from God's vengeance, by God's favor. Wow. By asking me if I am saved, you are implying that your god is like a person who jeopardizes you and then requires your gratitude and submissiveness in order to rescue you from the situation he created. There are a few modern day terms for this, such as '<i>extortion</i>' and '<i>entrapment</i>'...and they are highly frowned upon and can in no way be confused with acts of love and kindness.</p> <p class="inner">What's that? The god of war thing has you upset and confused? To make sure you heard me correctly, I'll say it again, '<i>YHWH is the ancient god of war</i>' but now I'll also add '<i>He was greatly feared and worshipped since he was also a volcano.</i>' <a href="http://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yahweh.html" target="_blank">Do a search online</a> and you'll be amazed at what you will find out about this subject. None of this information is hidden, but you need to be open to look for it and find it.</p> <p class="inner">Didn't it ever seem odd to you that the Jewish God was always destroying things and helping one group of people destroy another group of people? The god of war endorsed killing without mercy of any kind. Does this sound like any form of being that has love at it's core?</p> <p class="inner">Now consider this...during Exodus (Exodus 13:21), what would be the one possible thing the ancient Israelites could follow out of Egypt by day due to it's pillar of smoke, and follow by night due to it's pillar of fire? A volcano. Then, upon arriving there, why were they told they could not climb or touch the mountain or they would surely die (Exodus 19:12), and why did it belch smoke and shake the ground they stood on and why did a large crevice open up and swallow dozens or hundreds of people? Because it was a volcano. In addition, if God were to destroy a city, such as Sodom and Gomorrah, why would his preferred method be to send balls of fire from the sky? Because he was a volcano. Finally, where do you think the entire concept of hell and the lake of fire came from? A volcano. Therefore, those who would not accept this god and were not "Saved", would be thrown into the lake of fire within the volcano.</p> <p class="inner">My point is that your whole concept of God is based upon primitive beliefs of things they simply could not understand and has little or no thread of truth. For example, we once thought night happened when a pin holed sheet was draped over the earth. We once thought that the earth was flat and if we ventured too far, we would fall off, and yes, we once thought that a volcano was God. These concepts were a natural and necessary start of reaching out to something greater, but to continue worshipping the volcanic god of war today is totally unnecessary, and rather surprising that it is embraced by so many people. </p> <p class="inner">So, am I saved? No, there is nothing from which I need to be saved. However, I am free. I am free from the requirements and beliefs and duties and sacrifices and obligations and behavioral requirements that must be maintained in order to appease the once renown volcanic god of war. I am free to pursue God, the source of all love and peace in my own way, without fear of retribution. I am free to explore and be open to hear what God would have me hear since his messages are not limited by what an earthly religion or philosophy might hinder.</p> <p class="inner">If your beliefs require specific things be said and specific things be performed, then, no matter what you might like to think, you are not saved...you are trapped, just like the store owner in the story above. This is not salvation...it is bondage. So, my question to you is "<i><b>Are you free?</b></i>" God creates freedom...truth will set you free. Light is freedom from darkness. God is everything to do about freedom and nothing at all to do about bondage.</p> <p class="inner">God, the source of all that is loving, peaceful and light offers only freedom because he has nothing else. He has no jealousy...he has no anger...he has no wrath...and therefore, he cannot utilize or offer any of those things. To receive his love, peace and light, you need only be open to see him differently and he will present himself to you and change how you see him. He has no desire to change the world...and neither can you, however, the Holy Spirit can help you change how you see the world and then the world will change on its own.</p> </div> <p class="inner"><b>Be free.</b></p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	ARE YOU SAVED? through David Nelmes (2/11/2007) Recently, a man asked "Are you saved?" I think this question is asked of most of us at some time or another, and perhaps some of you were even the ones that were asking the question... 'Are you saved?' What exactly does this question mean, and/or imply? Having once followed the evangelical Christian beliefs myself over 20 years ago, I know what this man was thinking and I know how he felt. His beliefs have taught him that only a very few who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior are "Saved" and will be accepted into heaven and be rewarded with eternal life. Meanwhile, the majority who do not accept Jesus as their personal savior, will not be accepted into heaven and will be tortured endlessly for all eternity. This perception of both Jesus' and God's requirements do not take anything into consideration for entering heaven other than having accepted Jesus. It doesn't matter if you lead a kind and gentle life...it doesn't matter if you saved thousands of lives from death or injury...it doesn't matter if you share all your money with the world and give from the heart at all times. Unless you said the magic words and saw Jesus the way the Christian beliefs say you must see him, you will spend eternity in torment. During a Christian Youth meeting when I was 17, we discussed and debated the question..."If somebody is born in some foreign country and simply never hears about Jesus in the first place, what is to become of him?" After much discussion it was obvious that their was no compromise to be made with God. This person, unfortunate as it may seem, will spend eternity in eternal pain and suffering because he didn't say the magic words. It sure was lucky of me to not be that person. Somehow, God must have liked me just enough to make sure I heard about Jesus and was at least given the choice as to whether I wanted to spend eternity in severe pain or not. But hey, God apparently can't reach everyone and explain to them about his inability to truly love them unless they meet with his terms. Back to the original question..."Are you saved?". This is how I would respond to this question... From what do I need to be saved? Who or what is threatening my existence in the first place? It's apparent that you believe it is necessary for me to be saved since you follow the teachings of YHWH, the ancient God of War, whom, by default, starts out your life by setting you on a course of eternal damnation unless you are fortunate enough to discover his terms and then agree to them. I don't follow that god. I follow the God that is the source of all things loving and all things peaceful. There is no reason he would be compelled to save me since he is not threatening me in the first place. I am reminded of a story... Some time ago, a mafia warlord that moved into a new area, expressed to a store owner that if he would choose to serve him and pay tribute to him, that he would be protected. When the store owner said he has never had a need for protection in the past, the mafia warlord made it clear to him that he has a need for protection now... and that if he didn't agree to accept this protection, he would be severely beaten and his business would be destroyed. Basically, the warlord was offering the store owner protection from the warlord himself. Since you would not accept this form of behavior from a mafia warlord, why do you accept this same kind of behavior from your god? Bottom line, when you ask me if I am saved, you are asking me if I have appeased the God of war so that he will not punish me. You are asking me if I am saved from God's vengeance, by God's favor. Wow. By asking me if I am saved, you are implying that your god is like a person who jeopardizes you and then requires your gratitude and submissiveness in order to rescue you from the situation he created. There are a few modern day terms for this, such as 'extortion' and 'entrapment'...and they are highly frowned upon and can in no way be confused with acts of love and kindness. What's that? The god of war thing has you upset and confused? To make sure you heard me correctly, I'll say it again, 'YHWH is the ancient god of war' but now I'll also add 'He was greatly feared and worshipped since he was also a volcano.' Do a search online and you'll be amazed at what you will find out about this subject. None of this information is hidden, but you need to be open to look for it and find it. Didn't it ever seem odd to you that the Jewish God was always destroying things and helping one group of people destroy another group of people? The god of war endorsed killing without mercy of any kind. Does this sound like any form of being that has love at it's core? Now consider this...during Exodus (Exodus 13:21), what would be the one possible thing the ancient Israelites could follow out of Egypt by day due to it's pillar of smoke, and follow by night due to it's pillar of fire? A volcano. Then, upon arriving there, why were they told they could not climb or touch the mountain or they would surely die (Exodus 19:12), and why did it belch smoke and shake the ground they stood on and why did a large crevice open up and swallow dozens or hundreds of people? Because it was a volcano. In addition, if God were to destroy a city, such as Sodom and Gomorrah, why would his preferred method be to send balls of fire from the sky? Because he was a volcano. Finally, where do you think the entire concept of hell and the lake of fire came from? A volcano. Therefore, those who would not accept this god and were not "Saved", would be thrown into the lake of fire within the volcano. My point is that your whole concept of God is based upon primitive beliefs of things they simply could not understand and has little or no thread of truth. For example, we once thought night happened when a pin holed sheet was draped over the earth. We once thought that the earth was flat and if we ventured too far, we would fall off, and yes, we once thought that a volcano was God. These concepts were a natural and necessary start of reaching out to something greater, but to continue worshipping the volcanic god of war today is totally unnecessary, and rather surprising that it is embraced by so many people. So, am I saved? No, there is nothing from which I need to be saved. However, I am free. I am free from the requirements and beliefs and duties and sacrifices and obligations and behavioral requirements that must be maintained in order to appease the once renown volcanic god of war. I am free to pursue God, the source of all love and peace in my own way, without fear of retribution. I am free to explore and be open to hear what God would have me hear since his messages are not limited by what an earthly religion or philosophy might hinder. If your beliefs require specific things be said and specific things be performed, then, no matter what you might like to think, you are not saved...you are trapped, just like the store owner in the story above. This is not salvation...it is bondage. So, my question to you is "Are you free?" God creates freedom...truth will set you free. Light is freedom from darkness. God is everything to do about freedom and nothing at all to do about bondage. God, the source of all that is loving, peaceful and light offers only freedom because he has nothing else. He has no jealousy...he has no anger...he has no wrath...and therefore, he cannot utilize or offer any of those things. To receive his love, peace and light, you need only be open to see him differently and he will present himself to you and change how you see him. He has no desire to change the world...and neither can you, however, the Holy Spirit can help you change how you see the world and then the world will change on its own. Be free. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2007 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

Find Out Where The Anti-Christ Is
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.bwtitle {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 369px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #ffffff;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Find Out Where The Anti-Christ Is</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (11/19/2006) </DIV> <p class="inner">The anti-christ is the opposite of Christ, thus anti Christ. I will show you where the anti-christ is, but to ensure you see it clearly when I tell you where it is, it would be helpful for you to first take another look at what Jesus Christ represented, so that the anti-christ or anti-Jesus appears more obvious to you.</P> <p class="inner">I firmly believe our Father and Jesus are beings of unfathomable love and forgiveness. There are countless places within the Bible and other text that makes this apparent. Anything that disagrees with this loving and peaceful concept of our Father and Jesus, is from the thoughts of man and does not reflect God's true nature.</p> <p class="inner">Jesus spoke of loving your enemies, lending without thought of return, forgiving without being asked and pursuing a path of peaceful existence. One of his final actions before his death on the cross was to forgive. He forgave because that's what he was, the ultimate example of love and forgiveness. The Christ is loving...the Christ is forgiving...the Christ is patient and the Christ is understanding. <i>Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever</i> means that he can never be anything less than what he was at his best. You can't dim his light and you can't have any darkness in the glory of his shining love and peace.</p> <p class="inner">On the other hand, the anti-christ would have to be lacking in compassion and lacking in the capacity to forgive unless it somehow served his needs and desires. His forgiveness would be conditional and fleeting. The anti-christ will be a murderer of men and will do so with a passion. The anti-christ will feel no remorse for his actions because he will so completely believe he is righteous in his cause.</p> <p class="inner">Jesus, on the other hand, were he physically with you, would stand between you and the executioner and take the bullet for you. He knows there is no greater act of love than to lay down your life for a brother, so not only would Jesus not allow you to be killed he would die so that you would not have to. It would not matter to him if you knew him or appeared worthy in the hearts of men. In his heart he knows we are all the children of God and are all worthy, so anything he were to do would not be sacrifice...but simply an act of unconditional love for you and all men.</p> <p class="inner">The anti-christ, however, would never defend you and will only see you as an enemy if you do not believe what he believes while also following the direction he dictates. The anti-christ will despise all those who disagree with his rules and conditions and label them his enemy and he will seek out their deaths. Upon killing, he will not consider that he has killed, but will vindicate himself in that his victims were the ones who chose not to believe him, so therefore, they chose to die. However, for the anti-christ, death alone is still not sufficient pain and suffering for his victims. The anti-christ would see to it that their punishment and pain be eternal, because only this might possibly satisfy the sadistic hate within him.</p> <p class="inner">On the other hand, Jesus can only love forever, and together with our Father, they can only ever surround us with their warm light of eternal security and blessings. They could only ever love us. They could only ever hold us tenderly and with compassion. They could only ever work with us to see them more clearly and they could only ever have all the patience and forgiveness that eternity allows.</p> <p class="inner">Who or what is anti-christ? The anti-christ is not actually a man, but the spirit of thinking that is currently embraced by millions of people. The anti-christ is in the mind of anyone who embraces the thought that the Christ would return to kill. The anti-christ is in the mind of anyone who embraces the thought that the Christ can be anything other than unconditionally forgiving. The anti-christ is a spirit of thinking embraced by the Christian majority that Jesus can be unforgiving and a killer of men. Their fear of a misguided prophecy has blinded them with such tremendous self-righteousness that they have allowed themselves to believe that Jesus is returning in exactly the opposite manner in which he left. Jesus left loving and forgiving...that is the Christ. They believe he will return as a murderer and punisher...that is an anti-christ.</p> <p class="inner">For any Christian who believes Jesus will return as a warrior, leading an army of angels to kill those who do not believe in him, there is a mote in your eye and it's time to stop pointing out what is wrong with everybody else because you are not seeing clearly at all. You are blind. You think the prince of peace is a murderer. You think our all-forgiving Jesus wants to kill billions of people and torment them for all eternity. You think our God of patience and blessings is at war and you think war and darkness can exist where there is only light.</p> <p class="inner">The belief that Jesus will return as depicted in the Book of Revelation is the spirit of the anti-christ. Christians have become the creators of the thing they most feared and it's time for them to stop seeing Jesus and God in this way. It's time to step back from the Bible and ignore anything and everything in it that does not show God and Jesus as anything other than loving and forgiving. It's time to step back and see that anything that shows them differently is from the thoughts of men and not from the spirit of light which comes from the Father.</p> <p class="inner">There is a second coming of Jesus and it is happening right now, but it is not a physical event. The second coming of Jesus is a spiritual event. Nothing physical matters. That's what Jesus proved by rising again. This body is a vessel to be used for a time, but it is not who you are. You are a living bright light from God and our real selves are spirit. Spirit is all that matters and Jesus made this clear several times, but his words were lost, tainted and skewed because some of his followers wanted a physical kingdom...as do many modern Christians. This is never going to happen. This is not what Jesus taught, but it is what the hearts of men wanted.</p> <p class="inner">What will happen is what is already happening. The spirits within us are awakening and we are shining our lights and showing our Father and our Brother Jesus as the totally loving, forgiving and shining lights of love they are. Jesus has returned and this awakening is spiritual and you will experience it the moment you set aside your beliefs of Jesus and our Father as being anything other than peaceful and loving.</p> <p class="inner">Stop for a moment. Is it so hard to fathom that God could just love you simply because he created you and that he is not looking to punish you for your wrong doings but is simply wanting to work with you and help you change the way you behave? He wants us to improve and see him as our true friend and Father. He wants to once again communicate fully with us and he will work with us all for as long as it takes until we all choose to embrace him because he is loving and not because we think there is any form of fear or punishment required.</p> <p class="inner">Despite what you might think, Jesus and our Father have nothing but compassion for you and are patiently waiting for you to allow them in as loving and forgiving spirits of light that require no conditions be met and no specific words be uttered. They just want you to be a part of them again and they want to work with you more closely than ever...without any fear, threats or sacrifice of any kind.</p> <p class="inner">Above all, Jesus forgives you already for depicting him as an anti-christ. He understands that you simply do not understand. He is not upset or angry in any way. He just wants you to get past this view of him so that real change can once again sweep this world. From now on, instead of spreading the fear of the anti-christ, spread the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Where he says, "<i>No man comes to the Father but through me</i>", it's because everyone needs to know him...not because he'll kill them otherwise, but because their lives will be so very blessed once they do.</p> <p class="inner">Be a part of Jesus' blessings. Be a part of his peace. Be a part of his love. Let Jesus' <i>perfect love cast out your fearful ideas</i> and concepts of him and the future of our world. Open your heart to truth that contains only light and you will be set free.</p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2006 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	FIND OUT WHERE THE ANTI-CHRIST IS through David Nelmes (11/19/2006) The anti-christ is the opposite of Christ, thus anti Christ. I will show you where the anti-christ is, but to ensure you see it clearly when I tell you where it is, it would be helpful for you to first take another look at what Jesus Christ represented, so that the anti-christ or anti-Jesus appears more obvious to you. I firmly believe our Father and Jesus are beings of unfathomable love and forgiveness. There are countless places within the Bible and other text that makes this apparent. Anything that disagrees with this loving and peaceful concept of our Father and Jesus, is from the thoughts of man and does not reflect God's true nature. Jesus spoke of loving your enemies, lending without thought of return, forgiving without being asked and pursuing a path of peaceful existence. One of his final actions before his death on the cross was to forgive. He forgave because that's what he was, the ultimate example of love and forgiveness. The Christ is loving...the Christ is forgiving...the Christ is patient and the Christ is understanding. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever means that he can never be anything less than what he was at his best. You can't dim his light and you can't have any darkness in the glory of his shining love and peace. On the other hand, the anti-christ would have to be lacking in compassion and lacking in the capacity to forgive unless it somehow served his needs and desires. His forgiveness would be conditional and fleeting. The anti-christ will be a murderer of men and will do so with a passion. The anti-christ will feel no remorse for his actions because he will so completely believe he is righteous in his cause. Jesus, on the other hand, were he physically with you, would stand between you and the executioner and take the bullet for you. He knows there is no greater act of love than to lay down your life for a brother, so not only would Jesus not allow you to be killed he would die so that you would not have to. It would not matter to him if you knew him or appeared worthy in the hearts of men. In his heart he knows we are all the children of God and are all worthy, so anything he were to do would not be sacrifice...but simply an act of unconditional love for you and all men. The anti-christ, however, would never defend you and will only see you as an enemy if you do not believe what he believes while also following the direction he dictates. The anti-christ will despise all those who disagree with his rules and conditions and label them his enemy and he will seek out their deaths. Upon killing, he will not consider that he has killed, but will vindicate himself in that his victims were the ones who chose not to believe him, so therefore, they chose to die. However, for the anti-christ, death alone is still not sufficient pain and suffering for his victims. The anti-christ would see to it that their punishment and pain be eternal, because only this might possibly satisfy the sadistic hate within him. On the other hand, Jesus can only love forever, and together with our Father, they can only ever surround us with their warm light of eternal security and blessings. They could only ever love us. They could only ever hold us tenderly and with compassion. They could only ever work with us to see them more clearly and they could only ever have all the patience and forgiveness that eternity allows. Who or what is anti-christ? The anti-christ is not actually a man, but the spirit of thinking that is currently embraced by millions of people. The anti-christ is in the mind of anyone who embraces the thought that the Christ would return to kill. The anti-christ is in the mind of anyone who embraces the thought that the Christ can be anything other than unconditionally forgiving. The anti-christ is a spirit of thinking embraced by the Christian majority that Jesus can be unforgiving and a killer of men. Their fear of a misguided prophecy has blinded them with such tremendous self-righteousness that they have allowed themselves to believe that Jesus is returning in exactly the opposite manner in which he left. Jesus left loving and forgiving...that is the Christ. They believe he will return as a murderer and punisher...that is an anti-christ. For any Christian who believes Jesus will return as a warrior, leading an army of angels to kill those who do not believe in him, there is a mote in your eye and it's time to stop pointing out what is wrong with everybody else because you are not seeing clearly at all. You are blind. You think the prince of peace is a murderer. You think our all-forgiving Jesus wants to kill billions of people and torment them for all eternity. You think our God of patience and blessings is at war and you think war and darkness can exist where there is only light. The belief that Jesus will return as depicted in the Book of Revelation is the spirit of the anti-christ. Christians have become the creators of the thing they most feared and it's time for them to stop seeing Jesus and God in this way. It's time to step back from the Bible and ignore anything and everything in it that does not show God and Jesus as anything other than loving and forgiving. It's time to step back and see that anything that shows them differently is from the thoughts of men and not from the spirit of light which comes from the Father. There is a second coming of Jesus and it is happening right now, but it is not a physical event. The second coming of Jesus is a spiritual event. Nothing physical matters. That's what Jesus proved by rising again. This body is a vessel to be used for a time, but it is not who you are. You are a living bright light from God and our real selves are spirit. Spirit is all that matters and Jesus made this clear several times, but his words were lost, tainted and skewed because some of his followers wanted a physical kingdom...as do many modern Christians. This is never going to happen. This is not what Jesus taught, but it is what the hearts of men wanted. What will happen is what is already happening. The spirits within us are awakening and we are shining our lights and showing our Father and our Brother Jesus as the totally loving, forgiving and shining lights of love they are. Jesus has returned and this awakening is spiritual and you will experience it the moment you set aside your beliefs of Jesus and our Father as being anything other than peaceful and loving. Stop for a moment. Is it so hard to fathom that God could just love you simply because he created you and that he is not looking to punish you for your wrong doings but is simply wanting to work with you and help you change the way you behave? He wants us to improve and see him as our true friend and Father. He wants to once again communicate fully with us and he will work with us all for as long as it takes until we all choose to embrace him because he is loving and not because we think there is any form of fear or punishment required. Despite what you might think, Jesus and our Father have nothing but compassion for you and are patiently waiting for you to allow them in as loving and forgiving spirits of light that require no conditions be met and no specific words be uttered. They just want you to be a part of them again and they want to work with you more closely than ever...without any fear, threats or sacrifice of any kind. Above all, Jesus forgives you already for depicting him as an anti-christ. He understands that you simply do not understand. He is not upset or angry in any way. He just wants you to get past this view of him so that real change can once again sweep this world. From now on, instead of spreading the fear of the anti-christ, spread the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Where he says, "No man comes to the Father but through me", it's because everyone needs to know him...not because he'll kill them otherwise, but because their lives will be so very blessed once they do. Be a part of Jesus' blessings. Be a part of his peace. Be a part of his love. Let Jesus' perfect love cast out your fearful ideas and concepts of him and the future of our world. Open your heart to truth that contains only light and you will be set free. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2006 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

Contradictions of Spirit
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- h2.bwtitle {color: #000080; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} LI.bw {margin-bottom: 7px; color: #000000;} #picntext {width: 350px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #ffffff;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">Contradictions of Spirit</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (11/12/2006) </DIV> <p class="inner">If I were to say there are contradictions in the Bible, it's likely that some people would not listen to anything I have to say and would most likely defend the Bible to high heaven...so to speak, so I'm not going to say that. What I am going to say is this, '<i style="color: #008000;">There are undeniable truths in the Bible that show our God as a god who loves unconditionally</i>'.</P> <p class="inner">I am going to help you see the true face of God and we will never leave the words that most Christians revere...but in doing so, I am also going to show you a God who has already forgiven you and has never been angry and is not going to punish you, no matter what you believe. I am going to show you where the Bible makes these things clear..and then, you can determine for yourself where the contradictions may be and why they are there.</p> <p class="inner">For starters, my all time favorite scripture is 1Jn.4:18 which states "<i style="color: #0000a0;">Perfect Love casts out fear</i>". This statement makes it clear that the mere presence of love should totally annihilate fear. In the same way as turning on a light switch has the result of making the darkness simply vanish, so does love make fear vanish. Love and fear cannot exist at the same time, in the same place or be used together in any way, since one would annihilate the other in the same way that light annihilates darkness.</p> <p class="inner">Likewise, in 1Jn.1:5 it states "<i style="color: #0000a0;">God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.</i>". This confirms the spirit behind the truth that love and light are identical in the same way that darkness and fear are identical.</p> <p class="inner">If we are to believe that God is love, then we have to also believe that God has no fear and cannot use fear or manipulate it in any way because it simply does not exist where he is. God cannot use fear or be associated with it in any way and still love unconditionally. Since fear and darkness cannot exist where there is love and light, God doesn't even know what those things are. They are foreign to him and they do not even exist for him to use or control.</p> <p class="inner">Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that God uses fear and war and death and all kinds of darkness as weapons against his enemies....but I won't list those instances here for you. You find the places yourself where other areas of the Bible contradict this concept of a God that does not use fear or darkness, and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how our God of light and love is otherwise portrayed, ask yourself this...which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving God.</p> <p class="inner">Moving on, a wonderful little nugget of God's true image fell into my lap recently...and it was in the Bible all along and nobody seemed to see it. This nugget says God was never upset at us. This nugget says that we are the ones who thought we were sinners and guilty before God, but that God is not the one seeing it this way...only we are seeing it this way. We have written volumes of writings and created multiple beliefs to reinforce the concept that God is the punisher of us...but the Bible clearly shows how it is God who is all forgiving and that it is only us who believe we have sinned and are unworthy of his blessings.</p> <p class="inner">Where is this little nugget, take a look at Luke 15: 11-24</p> <div style="margin-left: 20px; padding: 5px; background-color: #eaeaea; color: #400000; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman'; font-size: 10pt;"> <p class="inner">A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, '<i>Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.</i>' So the father divided the property between them. </p> <p class="inner">After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. </p> <p class="inner">When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.</p> <p class="inner">Coming to his senses he thought, '<i>How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "<span style="color: #000080;">Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.</span>"</i>' </p> <p class="inner">So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.</p> <p class="inner">His son said to him, '<i style="color: #000080;">Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.</i>' </p> <p class="inner">But his father ordered his servants, '<i style="color: #ff0000;">Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.</i>' Then the celebration began.</p> </div> <p class="inner">Look closely. The Father in this story represents our heavenly Father...and he wasn't upset. He wasn't upset that the son left in the first place and he wasn't upset about anything the son had done before returning to him. The father never called him a sinner and never said he was unworthy...but the son felt guilty and had these feeling himself...but this had nothing to do with how this father felt...or how our Father feels about us.</p> <p class="inner">As soon as the father saw the son returning, he was simply filled with joy because his unconditional love could create no other feeling. The father did not need a repentance and did not even know at this time that the son was feeling guilty and remorseful. This didn't matter to the father because the father knew that nothing his son had done really mattered. The only thing that matters is that the son has returned.</p> <p class="inner">After the son returned and expressed his guilt and expected the worst, it says, <i>But the father...</i>. It says '<i>But</i>'. It says that regardless of what crazy notion the son had about himself, the father was not looking at his son this way. The Father was not upset, never was and was simply overjoyed to have his son return.</p> <p class="inner">Separate from the Father, we are lacking and this creates a situation where we do not feel good about ourselves. Our lives are a constant struggle and this also leads us to experience and utilize guilt...but this is of our own making. Our unconditionally loving God, like the father in this story, never required our guilt or repentance. He is just happy to have his son back. That is unconditional love.</p> <p class="inner">The sons repentance was not required by the father, however, the sons repentance or <i>re-thinking</i> helped him stop digging a deeper hole for himself and helped him see that he had another choice...he could return to his father. Repentance is an internal choice to change and improve your way of being. This action might make you feel as though you are now worthy to approach God, but God does not require it. You are always worthy to approach God.</p> <p class="inner">Also, take notice...the Father did not demand the son return ...or else. The father did not threaten the son to severe or eternal punishment when he left, nor did he hold it over his son's head while the son was gone. Likewise, the son did not return to his Father because he was given an ultimatum, but because he knew his Father loved him and he knew it's where he belonged...and even though the son had feelings of guilt mixed in as well, this had nothing to do with the unconditional love of his Father and the rejoicing that followed.</p> <p class="inner">Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that repentance is required and that punishment will follow swiftly without it....but i won't list those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradict this story and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how this father acts and how our Heavenly Father is often portrayed as acting, ask yourself this...which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving father.</p> Now let's look at your sins that never were. Take a look at these statements of Jesus.</p> <div style="margin-left: 20px; padding: 5px; background-color: #eaeaea; color: #400000; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman'; font-size: 10pt;"> <p class="inner">Luke 5: 20 <i style="color: #000080;">Seeing their faith, he said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."</i></p> <p class="inner">Mark 2: 5 <i style="color: #000080;">When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." </i></p> <p class="inner">Luke 7:48-49 <i style="color: #000080;">Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." </i></p> </div> <p class="inner">Do you notice a common theme. These statements are not actions. These statements are affirmations. He is not saying 'I forgive you', followed by an action of forgiveness, he is simply stating a truth that they do not know. He is telling them they are already forgiven. According to the Old Testament law, a sacrifice was required for all forgiveness, but Jesus was still alive, so this has nothing to do with the belief that later arose that Jesus was a blood sacrifice to appease a God who only loves conditionally through the shedding of blood and the instilling of fear. In addition, he never once said you must ask him for forgiveness. he just said, "<i style="color: #008000;">Your sins are forgiven</i>"</p> <p class="inner">Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that you must work for and meet a requirement for forgiveness....but i won't list those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts those statements and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how Jesus was totally forgiving without even being asked and how other areas of the Bible place many conditions upon this being so...you decide which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving God.</p> <p class="inner">While on the subject of Jesus, here is another wonderful truth from Hebrews 13:8, "<i style="color: #000080;">Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.</i>". When I read this, it clearly tells me that the unconditionally forgiving man hanging on the cross will always forgive unconditionally. This sentence tells me about a man who was not upset at me, who does not blame me and who embraces the concepts of peace and love at all times.</p> <p class="inner">Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that Jesus will return as a slayer of men, or that he requires my obedience in order to forgive me....but I won't list those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts this statement and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how Jesus was totally forgiving then and is supposed to always be, as compared to what is later revealed about him in the Epistles and the Book of Revelation...you decide which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving Jesus.</p> <p class="inner">Another great set of truths is found in Luke 6:27-38</p> <div style="margin-left: 20px; padding: 5px; background-color: #eaeaea; color: #400000; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman'; font-size: 10pt;"> <p class="inner"><i>But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.</i></p> <p class="inner"><i>If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. </i></p> <p class="inner"><i>Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.</i></p> </div> <p class="inner">There's a lot in there, but let's first look at the overall picture. This message is saying it is best for you to always do the better thing and be loving, be forgiving and be giving. Do you think Jesus is recommending you do things that he himself has not mastered? Therefore, if Jesus followed his own teachings, would he do anything to an enemy who curses him and abuses him other than to simply love them? But he wouldn't just stop there and accept the punishment. Wouldn't he also go beyond that and actually be kind and good to his enemies?</p> <p class="inner">Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that Jesus called somebody a traitor, or where he killed a tree or where he said he has come as a sword or where he will abandon billions to eternal pain and suffering for not knowing who he is ....but I won't list all those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts this set of Jesus' teachings and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how Jesus taught us to behave and how he and our father is otherwise said to behave...you decide which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving God and Jesus.</p> <p class="inner">While looking at the passage above, there is something else I would like to say. In Matt. 25: 34-40, Jesus basically says "<i>What ever you do to any one, you also do to me."</i> This is true because we are all one spirit. There is no 'me' and there is no 'you', because there is just one spirit of which we are all a part.</p> <p class="inner">In the statement above where it says that you are judged if you judge or you are forgiven if your forgive, it is because anything you do for anybody else, you are also doing for yourself. You are separate from nobody. Jesus knew this.</p> <p class="inner">Read the scripture above again and know that it is not referencing a retribution from God, but only from yourself if you do not forgive, or if you condemn or if you judge. If you hate somebody else, you are also hating yourself. If you curse somebody, you are also cursing yourself, If you love some one, you are also loving yourself. If you forgive some one, you are also forgiving yourself. If you judge nobody, neither are you judging yourself. We are not separate. Everything that you do to anyone, affects you as much as it affects them.</p> <p class="inner">Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible talks about how we are separate and how we have the right to destroy our enemies...Gods enemies....but I won't list those hundreds of instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts this set of Jesus' teachings were he so clearly indicates how everyone...including himself, should treat every other living person and you decide which one is more likely to be true of a God who is unconditionally loving.</p> <p class="inner">All the examples above show contradictions of spirit in how God is portrayed and in how he behaves with respect to how he requires us to behave. These items also show a loving and forgiving Jesus who is never supposed to change, yet Jesus is later written to lead a heavenly war against people of earth and slaughter billions.</p> <p class="inner">How could you possibly believe these contradictions of spirit are true? How is it that religions the world over have simply accepted that our loving God can murder? To believe that would also mean you believe that darkness remains in the room when the lights are on. This is a contradiction in the spirit of his teachings.</p> <p class="inner">The world has painted a picture of God where most people believe God thinks like us and has the same character flaws as we do. Most people believe he has a split mind the way we do and sets conditions and requires retribution and demands justice. People think he changes his mind and gets upset....but if you look carefully at the Bible, you will find small segments of truth that made it through the ages without being totally obscured by the tampering concepts of man.</p> <p class="inner">Man has a mind that believes in duality. Basically this means that our conclusions are based upon what we think is important or true at that time. Since we are not all knowing, we perceive things, and even what we do perceive comes from a very limited perspective. Nothing we do or think is absolute and everything is split and fragmented by our own feelings and beliefs.</p> <p class="inner">Our all-knowing, all-loving, unchangeable Father does not share the duality and insecurity in thinking that we do. What this means is that He cannot love at times and hate at other times. He cannot embrace peace at times and send fear at other times. He cannot create life at times and destroy life at other times. He is only one thing at all times and He can only do one thing at all times and that is to love us unconditionally.</p> <p class="inner">Duality also supports the belief that God is separate from us, but he is not. When Jesus said "<i>The Father and I are one.</i>", this wasn't a declaration of some exclusive right of his. He was expressing what he knew was true for himself and all people. God is not separate from us. God is not judging us. God is not making demands from us and the reason this is true is because we are a part of God and for him to do any of those things to us, he would also have to do them to himself.</p> <p class="inner">You and the Father are one. Open your heart to see things differently. Open your mind to see things more clearly. Open your life to a loving God.</p> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2006 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	CONTRADICTIONS OF SPIRIT through David Nelmes (11/12/2006) If I were to say there are contradictions in the Bible, it's likely that some people would not listen to anything I have to say and would most likely defend the Bible to high heaven...so to speak, so I'm not going to say that. What I am going to say is this, 'There are undeniable truths in the Bible that show our God as a god who loves unconditionally'. I am going to help you see the true face of God and we will never leave the words that most Christians revere...but in doing so, I am also going to show you a God who has already forgiven you and has never been angry and is not going to punish you, no matter what you believe. I am going to show you where the Bible makes these things clear..and then, you can determine for yourself where the contradictions may be and why they are there. For starters, my all time favorite scripture is 1Jn.4:18 which states "Perfect Love casts out fear". This statement makes it clear that the mere presence of love should totally annihilate fear. In the same way as turning on a light switch has the result of making the darkness simply vanish, so does love make fear vanish. Love and fear cannot exist at the same time, in the same place or be used together in any way, since one would annihilate the other in the same way that light annihilates darkness. Likewise, in 1Jn.1:5 it states "God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.". This confirms the spirit behind the truth that love and light are identical in the same way that darkness and fear are identical. If we are to believe that God is love, then we have to also believe that God has no fear and cannot use fear or manipulate it in any way because it simply does not exist where he is. God cannot use fear or be associated with it in any way and still love unconditionally. Since fear and darkness cannot exist where there is love and light, God doesn't even know what those things are. They are foreign to him and they do not even exist for him to use or control. Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that God uses fear and war and death and all kinds of darkness as weapons against his enemies....but I won't list those instances here for you. You find the places yourself where other areas of the Bible contradict this concept of a God that does not use fear or darkness, and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how our God of light and love is otherwise portrayed, ask yourself this...which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving God. Moving on, a wonderful little nugget of God's true image fell into my lap recently...and it was in the Bible all along and nobody seemed to see it. This nugget says God was never upset at us. This nugget says that we are the ones who thought we were sinners and guilty before God, but that God is not the one seeing it this way...only we are seeing it this way. We have written volumes of writings and created multiple beliefs to reinforce the concept that God is the punisher of us...but the Bible clearly shows how it is God who is all forgiving and that it is only us who believe we have sinned and are unworthy of his blessings. Where is this little nugget, take a look at Luke 15: 11-24 ****************** A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. **************** Look closely. The Father in this story represents our heavenly Father...and he wasn't upset. He wasn't upset that the son left in the first place and he wasn't upset about anything the son had done before returning to him. The father never called him a sinner and never said he was unworthy...but the son felt guilty and had these feeling himself...but this had nothing to do with how this father felt...or how our Father feels about us. As soon as the father saw the son returning, he was simply filled with joy because his unconditional love could create no other feeling. The father did not need a repentance and did not even know at this time that the son was feeling guilty and remorseful. This didn't matter to the father because the father knew that nothing his son had done really mattered. The only thing that matters is that the son has returned. After the son returned and expressed his guilt and expected the worst, it says, But the father.... It says 'But'. It says that regardless of what crazy notion the son had about himself, the father was not looking at his son this way. The Father was not upset, never was and was simply overjoyed to have his son return. Separate from the Father, we are lacking and this creates a situation where we do not feel good about ourselves. Our lives are a constant struggle and this also leads us to experience and utilize guilt...but this is of our own making. Our unconditionally loving God, like the father in this story, never required our guilt or repentance. He is just happy to have his son back. That is unconditional love. The sons repentance was not required by the father, however, the sons repentance or re-thinking helped him stop digging a deeper hole for himself and helped him see that he had another choice...he could return to his father. Repentance is an internal choice to change and improve your way of being. This action might make you feel as though you are now worthy to approach God, but God does not require it. You are always worthy to approach God. Also, take notice...the Father did not demand the son return ...or else. The father did not threaten the son to severe or eternal punishment when he left, nor did he hold it over his son's head while the son was gone. Likewise, the son did not return to his Father because he was given an ultimatum, but because he knew his Father loved him and he knew it's where he belonged...and even though the son had feelings of guilt mixed in as well, this had nothing to do with the unconditional love of his Father and the rejoicing that followed. Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that repentance is required and that punishment will follow swiftly without it....but i won't list those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradict this story and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how this father acts and how our Heavenly Father is often portrayed as acting, ask yourself this...which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving father. Now let's look at your sins that never were. Take a look at these statements of Jesus. **************** Luke 5: 20 Seeing their faith, he said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." Mark 2: 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Luke 7:48-49 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." **************** Do you notice a common theme. These statements are not actions. These statements are affirmations. He is not saying 'I forgive you', followed by an action of forgiveness, he is simply stating a truth that they do not know. He is telling them they are already forgiven. According to the Old Testament law, a sacrifice was required for all forgiveness, but Jesus was still alive, so this has nothing to do with the belief that later arose that Jesus was a blood sacrifice to appease a God who only loves conditionally through the shedding of blood and the instilling of fear. In addition, he never once said you must ask him for forgiveness. he just said, "Your sins are forgiven" Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that you must work for and meet a requirement for forgiveness....but i won't list those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts those statements and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how Jesus was totally forgiving without even being asked and how other areas of the Bible place many conditions upon this being so...you decide which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving God. While on the subject of Jesus, here is another wonderful truth from Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.". When I read this, it clearly tells me that the unconditionally forgiving man hanging on the cross will always forgive unconditionally. This sentence tells me about a man who was not upset at me, who does not blame me and who embraces the concepts of peace and love at all times. Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that Jesus will return as a slayer of men, or that he requires my obedience in order to forgive me....but I won't list those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts this statement and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how Jesus was totally forgiving then and is supposed to always be, as compared to what is later revealed about him in the Epistles and the Book of Revelation...you decide which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving Jesus. Another great set of truths is found in Luke 6:27-38 **************** But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. ****************** There's a lot in there, but let's first look at the overall picture. This message is saying it is best for you to always do the better thing and be loving, be forgiving and be giving. Do you think Jesus is recommending you do things that he himself has not mastered? Therefore, if Jesus followed his own teachings, would he do anything to an enemy who curses him and abuses him other than to simply love them? But he wouldn't just stop there and accept the punishment. Wouldn't he also go beyond that and actually be kind and good to his enemies? Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible makes it clear that Jesus called somebody a traitor, or where he killed a tree or where he said he has come as a sword or where he will abandon billions to eternal pain and suffering for not knowing who he is ....but I won't list all those instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts this set of Jesus' teachings and when you see the contradiction in the spirit of how Jesus taught us to behave and how he and our father is otherwise said to behave...you decide which one is more likely to be true of a unconditionally loving God and Jesus. While looking at the passage above, there is something else I would like to say. In Matt. 25: 34-40, Jesus basically says "What ever you do to any one, you also do to me." This is true because we are all one spirit. There is no 'me' and there is no 'you', because there is just one spirit of which we are all a part. In the statement above where it says that you are judged if you judge or you are forgiven if your forgive, it is because anything you do for anybody else, you are also doing for yourself. You are separate from nobody. Jesus knew this. Read the scripture above again and know that it is not referencing a retribution from God, but only from yourself if you do not forgive, or if you condemn or if you judge. If you hate somebody else, you are also hating yourself. If you curse somebody, you are also cursing yourself, If you love some one, you are also loving yourself. If you forgive some one, you are also forgiving yourself. If you judge nobody, neither are you judging yourself. We are not separate. Everything that you do to anyone, affects you as much as it affects them. Of course you might say there are so many other places where the Bible talks about how we are separate and how we have the right to destroy our enemies...Gods enemies....but I won't list those hundreds of instances here for you. You find the places where other areas of the Bible contradicts this set of Jesus' teachings were he so clearly indicates how everyone...including himself, should treat every other living person and you decide which one is more likely to be true of a God who is unconditionally loving. All the examples above show contradictions of spirit in how God is portrayed and in how he behaves with respect to how he requires us to behave. These items also show a loving and forgiving Jesus who is never supposed to change, yet Jesus is later written to lead a heavenly war against people of earth and slaughter billions. How could you possibly believe these contradictions of spirit are true? How is it that religions the world over have simply accepted that our loving God can murder? To believe that would also mean you believe that darkness remains in the room when the lights are on. This is a contradiction in the spirit of his teachings. The world has painted a picture of God where most people believe God thinks like us and has the same character flaws as we do. Most people believe he has a split mind the way we do and sets conditions and requires retribution and demands justice. People think he changes his mind and gets upset....but if you look carefully at the Bible, you will find small segments of truth that made it through the ages without being totally obscured by the tampering concepts of man. Man has a mind that believes in duality. Basically this means that our conclusions are based upon what we think is important or true at that time. Since we are not all knowing, we perceive things, and even what we do perceive comes from a very limited perspective. Nothing we do or think is absolute and everything is split and fragmented by our own feelings and beliefs. Our all-knowing, all-loving, unchangeable Father does not share the duality and insecurity in thinking that we do. What this means is that He cannot love at times and hate at other times. He cannot embrace peace at times and send fear at other times. He cannot create life at times and destroy life at other times. He is only one thing at all times and He can only do one thing at all times and that is to love us unconditionally. Duality also supports the belief that God is separate from us, but he is not. When Jesus said "The Father and I are one.", this wasn't a declaration of some exclusive right of his. He was expressing what he knew was true for himself and all people. God is not separate from us. God is not judging us. God is not making demands from us and the reason this is true is because we are a part of God and for him to do any of those things to us, he would also have to do them to himself. You and the Father are one. Open your heart to see things differently. Open your mind to see things more clearly. Open your life to a loving God. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2006 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

About Your Right To Be Upset
<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- H2.inner {color: #800000; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold", verdana; font-size: 22pt; font-weight: 600; line-height: 80%;} #picntext {width: 300px; float: right; padding: 5px; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1px; margin: 5px; background-color: #ffffff;} p.inner {font-size: 10pt;} --> </STYLE> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <h2 class="bwtitle">About Your Right To Be Upset</H2> through <A HREF="#author">David Nelmes</A><BR> (10/18/2006) </DIV> <p class="inner">We have all felt wronged at some point in time by somebody or something. When this occurs, it seems perfectly natural to become upset and embrace the thoughts that this person or thing should pay for what they have done...or at least they should acknowledge what they have done and say they are sorry. Most would agree that they owe you something to compensate for the situation they created.</p> <p class="inner">Even though you may feel upset or angry, this feeling generally only covers deeper feelings of hurt and confusion that you can't seem to otherwise vent or resolve. While feeling you are being attacked or afflicted, your anger often paints a picture for you of what you believe should be done to remedy the problem. You are convinced that you can clearly see how the other was wrong and you are convinced that you can clearly see what they should do or say to undo what they have done to you.</P> <p class="inner">The problem with being upset is that no matter how clear an answer may seem to be, you may not be seeing clearly at all. Your judgement may easily become clouded beyond any form of rational thinking...but you will not see this. Your anger and hurt masks any of your outrageous concepts and actions by making them appear rational to you. While in this mode of thinking, there can be almost no convincing you that you are being irrational. More than likely, any conversation about your current feelings would only be seen as a further attack and will just increase your desire to defend your position.</P> <p class="inner">How is it that your mind can so easily flip and accept totally irrational thinking as being rational and justified?...because this world has taught you that when you feel you are wronged, you have the right to be upset and you have the right to expect and seek justice. You have been taught to believe that somebody needs to be punished and somebody needs to declare they have wronged you and apologize for their actions.</P> <p class="inner">As an example of how we have been programmed to think and simply accept vengeance as normal and justified, consider our thinking patterns when watching almost any crime related movie. At the end of the movie where the bad guy dies or is hurt (the common film recipe)...you simply accept that he deserved it and that justice has prevailed because we have been taught that people should be punished for their bad actions. The movie is actually written to surface these feelings for you because the writers know you have them...because we all tend to see this way. We have been taught that justice is the handing out of punishment and pain to the one who initiated the problem, so, when you find yourself momentarily or endlessly upset at what somebody has done to you or to another, it is simply because this world has taught you to react this way.</P> <p class="inner">Getting upset may be inevitable in this world, but letting go of the feeling, whether you believe it or not, is just as inevitable because you can't hold onto that anger forever. So the question to ask yourself is how long you plan to hold onto something that you will eventually let go of anyway? There is a point where you have to consider...what is the point? Who is this really hurting?</p> <p class="inner">There is a tangible form we embrace while holding onto our right to be upset. This form is dark and clouded and looks for support from others to agree with you and join with your anger, because <b>left alone, anger will simply go away</b>. Anger needs to be fed to sustain itself because anger is not a natural state of being. Peace is the natural state of being and needs no help to exist. Peace always exists and can always be found when you set aside or remove things you have placed in its way.</P> <p class="inner">Anger, sadness, frustration and other feelings generated while being upset or not at ease, are not at all like peace. They are all false creations of "<i>anti-peace</i>" that devour a persons awareness and conscious thoughts so that they may continue to live and grow. Upset feelings never build and never reward...they only separate and destroy. So why do we embrace them so? Why do we often cling to our anger and hurt...sometimes holding on for hours, days, years and even generations? Because our upset feelings are a direct result of not being forgiving. We all know we should forgive...but the world has taught us that we are weak if we forgive, so when we are upset, we embrace instead what we believe is our right to be upset...our right to not forgive.</P> <p class="inner">Simply put, any time you are holding on to your anger and hurt, you are actually fighting your natural desire to embrace peace and forgiveness. Peace and forgiveness will eventually resume because they are the natural and unchangeable result of any action...but how long this may take is always your choice and is always just seconds away from being resolved.</P> <p class="inner">While holding onto your right to be upset, you are the one who suffers. Even if you inflict pain on others in the meantime...this has not stopped your own suffering. You might be able to distract your feelings and thoughts, but your anger wants to be fed and it wants to be nurtured. Anger is like a virus that serves no purpose other than to exist and grow at the expense of its host...you.</P> <p class="inner">You can stop being upset at any time and you can stop being angry at any time. A few simple steps can be taken that will greatly help you get past bad moments and help prevent more bad moments growing from them. Follow these simple concepts and I guarantee you will be amazed at how wonderfully relieved your life will become.</p> <ul> <li class="bw"> First we need to do some rewiring. It would be a good thing for you to see that <b>you do not have the right to be upset.</b> To believe you have that right is simply an error in thinking. This is a error in how man visualizes justice and is not a right at all. it is simply a mistaken idea that would be better off forgotten. <li class="bw"> Next, it would be helpful for you to see your 'rights' differently and instead, remember, <b>You have the right to be at peace.</b> Say to yourself, "<i>I would rather be at peace</i>". Peace exists whether you embrace it or not, but you can place things in its way so that you do not see or feel its effects. Anger does not exist...it can only be manifest from an error in thinking, but peace is true and exists eternal. Embrace the eternal. Embrace peace. <li class="bw"> Now, since anger needs to be fed, you can release the anger and the compelling desire to hold onto your right to embrace it, by handing over this feeling to the Holy Spirit and he will fix this thought for you. The job of the Holy Spirit is to do whatever is necessary to draw you towards the light, so you can always know that help is just a thought away. Say to the Holy Spirit, "<i>This thought about 'my right to be upset', I hand over to you to correct. I have the right to be at peace. I accept your thoughts of peace.</i>". <li class="bw"> Conclude by embracing forgiveness and your problem is resolved. You will also have taken a mighty step towards reducing the length of time it takes you to resolve similar problems you have yet to experience. If forgiveness is difficult for you to embrace, consider this: <ul> <li class="bw"> When somebody wrongs you, you can see instead that they are the one having a problem...not you. Even if their problem is with you, it's still their problem. You can pray that they resolve their problem, but you do not need to take anything they do as personal...and even if you do, embrace forgiveness and understanding. Do not confuse this process with sacrificing and just putting up with something...that is not forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to peace, but sacrifice leads to resentment and anger. <li class="bw"> If your situation includes physical or mental abuse, it may be difficult to forgive because the situation almost assuredly requires you to sacrifice by staying in the situation and sacrifice embraces owing and engenders anger...a very bad and self-perpetuating circle. In the same way that Jesus would go to the gardens to pray...to get away to find his peace, you too have the right to get away and find your peace. Don't stay in a situation that does not allow you to find your peace and practice forgiveness. Leave the situation that exceeds your ability to find peace, then release your right to be upset. After that, you can forgive the person or situation and move on to a better place in your life. </ul> </ul> <p class="inner">Your right to be at peace never goes away. It may be hidden at times by a busy lifestyle and can be covered over by your direct decision to embrace fear, anger and unforgiveness, but through it all, peace never goes away. It is always there, patiently waiting for you to allow it back into your life and into your way of thinking.</P> <p class="inner">When you allow peace and love to enter your mind and embrace them, your capacity to forgive grows wonderfully and you then experience healing in your life in and the lives of those you forgive. Embrace your right to be at peace and you will clearly see there is no reason to be upset in the first place.</P> <p class="inner">Choose peace. Choose love. Choose forgiveness. Nothing else matters. Nothing else really exists.</P> <BR CLEAR=ALL> <HR SIZE=1 COLOR="#3E1300"> <p><I><A NAME="author"><IMG SRC="http://www.beingwilling.com/articles/graphics/david_nelmes.jpg" WIDTH=79 HEIGHT=100 alt="David Nelmes" BORDER=0 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=10 STYLE="border-style: inset; border-color: #DDDDDD; border-width: 2px;"></A> <B>David Nelmes</B> - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him.</I></P> <p><I>His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Ftg%2Fbrowse%2F-%2F10405901%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fsr%3D53-1%2Fqid%3D1181498397&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Bible</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCourse-Miracles-Foundation-Inner-Peace%2Fdp%2F0670869759%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1181498802%26sr%3D1-1&tag=beinwill-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">A Course in Miracles</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=beinwill-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />".<BR> You can visit David's website at: <A HREF="http://www.beingwilling.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.BeingWilling.com</A></I></P> <p >This article Copyright ©2006 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.</P> Highlight & Copy Html Version	ABOUT YOUR RIGHT TO BE UPSET through David Nelmes (10/18/2006) We have all felt wronged at some point in time by somebody or something. When this occurs, it seems perfectly natural to become upset and embrace the thoughts that this person or thing should pay for what they have done...or at least they should acknowledge what they have done and say they are sorry. Most would agree that they owe you something to compensate for the situation they created. Even though you may feel upset or angry, this feeling generally only covers deeper feelings of hurt and confusion that you can't seem to otherwise vent or resolve. While feeling you are being attacked or afflicted, your anger often paints a picture for you of what you believe should be done to remedy the problem. You are convinced that you can clearly see how the other was wrong and you are convinced that you can clearly see what they should do or say to undo what they have done to you. The problem with being upset is that no matter how clear an answer may seem to be, you may not be seeing clearly at all. Your judgement may easily become clouded beyond any form of rational thinking...but you will not see this. Your anger and hurt masks any of your outrageous concepts and actions by making them appear rational to you. While in this mode of thinking, there can be almost no convincing you that you are being irrational. More than likely, any conversation about your current feelings would only be seen as a further attack and will just increase your desire to defend your position. How is it that your mind can so easily flip and accept totally irrational thinking as being rational and justified?...because this world has taught you that when you feel you are wronged, you have the right to be upset and you have the right to expect and seek justice. You have been taught to believe that somebody needs to be punished and somebody needs to declare they have wronged you and apologize for their actions. As an example of how we have been programmed to think and simply accept vengeance as normal and justified, consider our thinking patterns when watching almost any crime related movie. At the end of the movie where the bad guy dies or is hurt (the common film recipe)...you simply accept that he deserved it and that justice has prevailed because we have been taught that people should be punished for their bad actions. The movie is actually written to surface these feelings for you because the writers know you have them...because we all tend to see this way. We have been taught that justice is the handing out of punishment and pain to the one who initiated the problem, so, when you find yourself momentarily or endlessly upset at what somebody has done to you or to another, it is simply because this world has taught you to react this way. Getting upset may be inevitable in this world, but letting go of the feeling, whether you believe it or not, is just as inevitable because you can't hold onto that anger forever. So the question to ask yourself is how long you plan to hold onto something that you will eventually let go of anyway? There is a point where you have to consider...what is the point? Who is this really hurting? There is a tangible form we embrace while holding onto our right to be upset. This form is dark and clouded and looks for support from others to agree with you and join with your anger, because left alone, anger will simply go away. Anger needs to be fed to sustain itself because anger is not a natural state of being. Peace is the natural state of being and needs no help to exist. Peace always exists and can always be found when you set aside or remove things you have placed in its way. Anger, sadness, frustration and other feelings generated while being upset or not at ease, are not at all like peace. They are all false creations of "anti-peace" that devour a persons awareness and conscious thoughts so that they may continue to live and grow. Upset feelings never build and never reward...they only separate and destroy. So why do we embrace them so? Why do we often cling to our anger and hurt...sometimes holding on for hours, days, years and even generations? Because our upset feelings are a direct result of not being forgiving. We all know we should forgive...but the world has taught us that we are weak if we forgive, so when we are upset, we embrace instead what we believe is our right to be upset...our right to not forgive. Simply put, any time you are holding on to your anger and hurt, you are actually fighting your natural desire to embrace peace and forgiveness. Peace and forgiveness will eventually resume because they are the natural and unchangeable result of any action...but how long this may take is always your choice and is always just seconds away from being resolved. While holding onto your right to be upset, you are the one who suffers. Even if you inflict pain on others in the meantime...this has not stopped your own suffering. You might be able to distract your feelings and thoughts, but your anger wants to be fed and it wants to be nurtured. Anger is like a virus that serves no purpose other than to exist and grow at the expense of its host...you. You can stop being upset at any time and you can stop being angry at any time. A few simple steps can be taken that will greatly help you get past bad moments and help prevent more bad moments growing from them. Follow these simple concepts and I guarantee you will be amazed at how wonderfully relieved your life will become. - First we need to do some rewiring. It would be a good thing for you to see that you do not have the right to be upset. To believe you have that right is simply an error in thinking. This is a error in how man visualizes justice and is not a right at all. it is simply a mistaken idea that would be better off forgotten. - Next, it would be helpful for you to see your 'rights' differently and instead, remember, You have the right to be at peace. Say to yourself, "I would rather be at peace". Peace exists whether you embrace it or not, but you can place things in its way so that you do not see or feel its effects. Anger does not exist...it can only be manifest from an error in thinking, but peace is true and exists eternal. Embrace the eternal. Embrace peace. - Now, since anger needs to be fed, you can release the anger and the compelling desire to hold onto your right to embrace it, by handing over this feeling to the Holy Spirit and he will fix this thought for you. The job of the Holy Spirit is to do whatever is necessary to draw you towards the light, so you can always know that help is just a thought away. Say to the Holy Spirit, "This thought about 'my right to be upset', I hand over to you to correct. I have the right to be at peace. I accept your thoughts of peace.". - Conclude by embracing forgiveness and your problem is resolved. You will also have taken a mighty step towards reducing the length of time it takes you to resolve similar problems you have yet to experience. If forgiveness is difficult for you to embrace, consider this: -- When somebody wrongs you, you can see instead that they are the one having a problem...not you. Even if their problem is with you, it's still their problem. You can pray that they resolve their problem, but you do not need to take anything they do as personal...and even if you do, embrace forgiveness and understanding. Do not confuse this process with sacrificing and just putting up with something...that is not forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to peace, but sacrifice leads to resentment and anger. -- If your situation includes physical or mental abuse, it may be difficult to forgive because the situation almost assuredly requires you to sacrifice by staying in the situation and sacrifice embraces owing and engenders anger...a very bad and self-perpetuating circle. In the same way that Jesus would go to the gardens to pray...to get away to find his peace, you too have the right to get away and find your peace. Don't stay in a situation that does not allow you to find your peace and practice forgiveness. Leave the situation that exceeds your ability to find peace, then release your right to be upset. After that, you can forgive the person or situation and move on to a better place in your life. Your right to be at peace never goes away. It may be hidden at times by a busy lifestyle and can be covered over by your direct decision to embrace fear, anger and unforgiveness, but through it all, peace never goes away. It is always there, patiently waiting for you to allow it back into your life and into your way of thinking. When you allow peace and love to enter your mind and embrace them, your capacity to forgive grows wonderfully and you then experience healing in your life in and the lives of those you forgive. Embrace your right to be at peace and you will clearly see there is no reason to be upset in the first place. Choose peace. Choose love. Choose forgiveness. Nothing else matters. Nothing else really exists. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and is open and willing to see what God would have him see. He invites you to join him. His influences consist of truly being open to seeing and applying the truths he has discovered through life and through both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". You can visit David's website at: http://www.BeingWilling.com This article Copyright ©2006 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission. Highlight & Copy Text Version

Home

Articles

See More Articles with Reprint Rights