Spiritual Labels

So what do you call yourself?

Few people really like labeling themselves….because labels don’t always fit or not everyone agrees what the label means.

For example I would and have called myself a “Christian” but that label in my opinion...through the years...no longer fits as well. I have learned to let go of my Christian dogma and I find more and more others are doing the same. So can I call myself a Christian? What do I call myself? What fits?

Some would say “Why do you have to label yourself?” Good question!

I have found myself wanting to define my belief system so I can clearly communicate with you what I believe and what I teach. I am a teacher and it is hard to describe what you teach without first giving yourself a label. People want to know where you are coming from.

So I am searching for a label that best describes who I am.

I know I could call myself a “Spiritual Being” “Child of God” a “Member of the Kingdom of God” but these labels are too broad.

I decided to narrow down my labels by eliminating the ones I knew would NOT fit.
Not to exclude neither myself nor my acceptance of others but to get clear which one fits me the best. I can NOT say I am a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Pagan, Jew or Taoist even though I may share with them some spiritual truths. But I quickly eliminated them from my list.

But what about Christian Mystic, New Thought Thinker, a New-Ager, a Spiritualist or a Meta-Physician? Then there other other labels like Light-Worker or Way Shower.

What about you? What would you call yourself? If you had to get in line behind a label… what labels best describe who you are and what you believe?

So I made a video to tell you which spiritual label I have chosen.

Steve Hart

Meditation

Do you meditate and pray every day? Do you know how? What are the benefits of prayer and meditation?

For many years I did not understand how or why it was so important to learn how to pray and meditate everyday. I don’t remember anyone teaching me how to meditate. Most Christians do not know how to spend time in prayer and meditation.

I remember hearing the word meditation used in the book of Psalms but it was a mystery to me for many years. It was not until I let go my dogma that I begin to open myself up to idea. If I had learned how to meditate years ago I am sure I would have saved myself from a lot of stress, heart ache, frustration, and disharmony.

The Hebrew words for “Meditate” used in Psalms means to “murmur” as you might ponder your thoughts as you speak to yourself.

I think it is interesting the medical field uses the word “murmur” to describe an unusual sound emanating from the heart….why, because there lies a secret to meditation.

The secret of meditation is…you must get quite enough to hear what your heart is saying...that means learning how to let go of the all the noise within your head. Releasing all thoughts...notice I did not say stop thinking…why? Have you ever tried to do that? Every time you try to stop your thoughts you only create more thoughts. Instead you learn how to let go of your thinking as you begin to relax and experience the moments between the thoughts. That is when your heart will begin to speak to you.

Breathing

Here is a technique I have found that helps me to relax and get quite...the answer is your breathing!

As you set aside your time for meditation and prayer...do it when and where you will not be disturb by anything around you. Find a quite comfortable place to meditate.

As you begin to relax…focus upon your breathing as you breathe normally at a comfortable pattern...stay focused upon your breathing until your mind begins to quite down. Enjoy this quite time. The longer you do this…in time you will sense a connection to your heart, you inner being, your spiritual being and your connection to God.

Listen to what your heart is saying to you...at the same time the Spirit of God will speak and minister to you….surrender to at least five minutes and later on increase that amount of time everyday until you reach a comfortable time for you.

After you have given yourself to this time you will find it easy to pray your prayer of thanks giving…as you acknowledge your connection with God. Once you have reached that personal connection with God...that is when you make your request and affirmations for what you want. I will not go into detail about how to pray but...end all your request with the words of faith….what I mean by that is...make a statement which affirms your request as though it has already been answered...therefore give thanks.

You might want to write down anything the Spirit has spoken to you during your meditation so you will remember it. If you do this I think you will find great joy, peace and harmony through out the rest of the day.

In Psalms 49:3 it says, “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.”


Steve Hart

"To Know The Kingdom of God"

What does this mean?

Nicodemus perceived that God was with Jesus since he performed miracles and Jesus told Nicodemus… “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

This is the scripture where Christian’s get the term the “Born Again” experience. But the Greek word for “Again” really means “From above, or the top” so Christians would do better to say, “Born of the Spirit from above.”

What is more important is the word “See” which in the Greek means “to Know.” Therefore know the Kingdom means to see it conceptually, to perceive its existence.

So the best translation of what Jesus said may be “Except a man be born of the Spirit he cannot know of the Kingdom of God.”

When you are born of the Spirit a shift takes place within your mind and you are introduced to an awareness of Spirit and the Kingdom of God. Until then it has no meaning.

Now there are two Greek words and two meanings for the word “Know.” The Greek word used in John 3:3 for “See” is “Eido” which means to know intellectually, factual knowledge, perceived through spiritual perception.

The other Greek word for “Know” is “Ginosko” which means to experience something first hand knowing, a knowing within. This Greek word is used in John 8:32 “…You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” This knowing is the work of higher levels of consciousness. Note the objective is to “Be Free” not to just know the truth.

This is why 1 Cor.8:1b says, “Knowledge puffeth up but Charity editieth.”

Later in the 13 chapter of Corinthians verse two it says, “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

In John 8:55 Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders saying, “Yet you have not known (Ginosko) him; but I know (Eido) him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like to you: but I know him, and keep his saying.” Here we find Jesus telling those who profess to know God, they really do NOT know God, they only knew about him. Ouch! This made them mad enough they tried to stone Jesus.

Jesus is clearly saying…to “know” God meant you must first have an “Eido” intellectual knowing and then have the “Ginosko” inner knowing of God which is a work of the Holy Spirit.

In 1 Cor. 2:14 it explained, “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know (Ginosko) them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

When you are born of the Spirit the “Spiritual Being” within you is awakened. From that point on your assignment is to allow the Holy Spirit to do its work within you for it is the power of God able to give you great joy, peace and love. Transcending out of the darkness into the light…letting go of the things of this world and into the Kingdom.


Steve Hart