Conversing with God

 

·  another dialogue  ·

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Hi Dad!

This is the result of the argument we had last time we talked. I reacted badly to what you were quoting from the book

“Conversations With God”
by Neale Donald Walsch

and then you challenged me to read it for myself before discussing it. At first I didn’t want to, but I decided that this was important, so that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. I did it for you, Dad!  I wanted to finish it before I see you at the wedding, but I failed. I’m out of time and barely finished Chapter 3, but I got far enough to know what you meant,
so I’m giving you this as my answer.

 

Before starting it, I asked God for help. I am a fairly new Christian, I haven’t studied much and I’m a little fearful about accepting someone else’s experience at face value, especially someone claiming to be hearing from God.

But hey, if anyone can steer me straight it’s Him, right?

One of the points that immediately came to mind is that if one person can talk to God, anyone should be able to. He doesn’t discriminate, does He? If the author of the book had a valid experience just by asking for it, then I should be able to have my own experience that is just as valid, right?

 

So guess what? I decided to try it, and I have had one of the best experiences of my life! Whenever I was reading along and got stuck on something, I wrote it down just as you will read in the following pages, and I tried to listen for an answer. This has really been a cool thing to do and I’m happy to share it with you. I hope EVERYONE will have a conversation.

 

Thanks for putting me on this road, it has changed my life.

 

I love you.

Sunday May 25th

Chapter 1

 

If he can do it, I can too, right?

 

Certainly. As you’ve heard before, I stand at the door and knock. If you are opening the door I will come in and be with you. I stand by my promises, but be prepared to hear things that sound familiar. After all, this is not the first time we have been together, and I have spent time with many men before you.

Rev 3:20

 

I’m worried about my father. He has read and re-read a book that claims to contain words directly from you. Some of the quotes I hear don’t “ring true” in my ears.

 

Be careful how you interpret what is happening. I have conversed with many since the beginning, and various interpretations have had profound effects on the lives of men. Significant things are occurring even now, and they will continue to happen until the end. Not all that hear me are shiny happy people. What would you think if someone told you that after talking to me, they were going to kill one of their children?

 

Uhh… I would think he was either insane, or influenced by evil.

Or both.

 

You would be deceived, not seeing the truth. In fact this is exactly the faith I was trying to encourage in Abraham. You have read about him in the book of Genesis

Gen 22:2

And as you remember his son Isaac wasn’t killed. In the final moment I provided an innocent ram to die in his place. I was making a point for someone who asked me to, a man of faith who was conversing with me.

Gen 22:13

On a similar note I provided another innocent lamb to be sacrificed for someone else. I hope you can see the parallel.

John 3:16

 

Wow, that makes me feel like I can’t trust my own judgement.

What if two different books are written by men who both say they are hearing from you, yet seem to have truths that conflict with each other?

 

Consider Abraham again. You know him by his fruits. He became the father of the chosen people, the ancestor of the promised one.

Genesis 17:6

Now consider the men who decided to build the tower of babel. They were hearing from me, but their efforts didn’t bear fruit. They were on the wrong track. They misinterpreted the meaning of the message. They weren’t bringing people closer to me.

You will know them by their fruits.

Matthew 3:10

 

 

Monday May 26th

Page 32

 

Well, I guess I don’t have enough practice at this. I’m confused when I read things that sound really good, like comparing the trinity to “knowing, experiencing and being” and then come across something that sounds really warped, like “you cannot be ill without at some level causing yourself to be, and you can be well in a moment by simply deciding not to be”.

 

You seldom realize the gifts and powers you have. If each of you were living to your full potential the world would be a different place. Many of you are virtually asleep in your own routine.

But even the so-called “enlightened” ones are limited in what they can do. The kind of healing you are talking about comes from me. Even Jesus could do nothing with people who showed no faith. His power came from me just as yours does. If in faith you call for my power through a believer, miracles can happen, and you glorify my name. Even so, don’t expect it in every circumstance, because there may be more to the story than you know. I didn’t heal Job  even though he never lost faith. And if your goal is something other than love, don’t even waste your time asking. If you want the moon to be purple and call on me, don’t bet on the results.

There is a lesson in the woman who was healed merely by touching the hem of a garment. It wasn’t the touching that did it. It wasn’t WHO she touched either, for when you read the account you realize he was not even AWARE of the miracle until it had already taken place. It was the faith. 

Mark 5:30-34

But be careful. Others can perform miracles by calling on powers other than mine. When Moses made himself available for me to work through, I made things happen. But the priests also made things happen. Moses bore fruit for me, the others didn’t. You will know them by their fruits.

Exodus 7:11

As for the immediate question about making yourself ill, babies are born with disease and mutation for reasons you can’t understand, but it is certainly not punishment for doing wrong, and in no way can they heal themselves. That belief is a distortion of the truth.

John 9:1-3

 

Its seems to me that he had an actual revelation from you, but then misinterpreted what it meant.

 

You have told your own children things in truth, only to discover that they have applied it in ways unpredictable and unintended. In the same manner I can be nothing other than truth, and I speak the same truth to all, but what you hear from other men must be tested. Be like the Bereans. 

Mark 4:18-20

 

 

Tuesday May 27th

Page 38

 

Ok, now I’m at the part where he is asking if he should feel bad about the starving in Africa, violence and injustice in America, the earthquake that killed hundreds in Brazil. Your response is that there are no “shoulds and should nots”?

 

I’m not going to tell you how to feel. If you see suffering in the world and it is on your heart to do something to help, then do it. If you can’t do anything about it, at least hearing about it is an opportunity to appreciate what you have in your own life. The value of comparison is in the realization that you have been taking your blessings for granted, and there are less fortunate people among you. But there is a distinction between this type of comparison and judgement.  Let’s do a little thought experiment; Is it possible for you to imagine that every single person on this planet is just another version of yourself?

 

Whoa, sounds like a science fiction movie.

 

Well, just think about it for a minute. If you took away everyone’s titles and uniforms and even their bodies, and all of their possessions, what would be left? How would you judge them? Are they really different than you? In other circumstances you could have been any of them; the president, an opera singer, a bookworm, a drug addict. they are all similar to you because I created all of you in my image.

Gen 1:27

Surprise, You don’t recognize yourself in them, because they are surrounded by the trappings. the experiences that you have had make you distinct. two people will react differently under the same circumstances because they are filtering it through a different life. Different versions.

Now don’t misunderstand, I am not saying all of you are the same, I’m just trying to illustrate that I don’t judge people using the same criteria that YOU normally use to judge people.

I am the same God to everyone, I have the same love for all, and I have the same message for all.

Now imagine that what you are hearing right now has the same basic kernel of truth that a child in a nomadic tribe is hearing halfway around the world. You are interpreting it this way and writing these exact words. He is composing a poem and singing it to his mother. Both of you are filtering the same message through your own experiences, and you two have had very different experiences. Ok, now say you meet and trade results, his poemsong with your paper. Would either of you recognize that they had the same source?

 

 

Thursday May 29th

Page 39

 

Ok, I’m am with this so far. We are hearing the same message, but filtering it through our own experiences, and we have had very different experiences, so the result looks and sounds different.  But when I hear something that I know is not from you, like someone making the statement “there is no such thing as right and wrong” or see someone doing something that is wrong, do I have the right to say “You Are Wrong!”? Aren’t I making a judgement?

 

Yes, but that’s not where you need to focus your attention right now. Well, if someone is physically hurting others or you need to protect someone, do whatever you can. Follow your heart, of course. If someone really needs to be removed from the community to preserve the health of the community, so be it.

But trying to judge right from wrong in the actions of others during the normal course of the day is not a worthy task for you. And how good would you be at it anyway? Let’s take the previous “thought experiment” one more step to make a more glaring contrast. Imagine a person similar to yourself but who lived two hundred years ago. Can you even imagine what his life was like? Without electricity? Without plastics? Without travel as you know it? Without antibiotics and pain killers? Without Air-conditioning?

 

No, I am sitting in a recreational vehicle next to a pond, with virtually no stress in my life. I have it easy.

 

Both of you express your gratitude for your many blessings, but if you were to switch places you would both think you had been dropped into hell.

You can’t judge his life by looking at it. He can’t judge your life by looking at it. You would only be trying to fit what you see into your own experiences, not very useful. Neither of you should even try. It would be pointless and do more harm than good.

But I can judge both of you by looking at your hearts.

Believe me, where YOU are concerned, there IS a difference between right and wrong. If your heart is open to the guidance of the spirit of truth, you will KNOW right from wrong.

 

I know there is a difference between right and wrong, and I admit I choose wrongly sometimes, and I’m sorry because I know it separates us. I have everything I need and more, yet I am still selfish and fearful. But I am asking this. How can someone say they are hearing from you, and then say there is no right and wrong?

 

A soldier is called upon to perform certain acts to defend his country. If you were to perform those same acts under different circumstances, you would be doing something wrong. If you were to steal a loaf of bread because it was simply irresistible, it would be different than A father who is stealing a loaf of bread to keep his children from starving, even though the action looks the same from the outside.

It would difficult for you to try and make absolute rules for how others should live their lives, absurd for you to try and decide what is appropriate for others. That is why your courts are busier and busier, even though more and more laws are recorded every year. The law isn’t enough. The point here is that it is difficult to try and JUDGE right from wrong in other people’s lives, but it is relatively EASY to judge right from wrong in YOUR OWN life. Worry about the beam in your own eye before trying to pick the speck out of someone else’s.

Matthew 7:3

 

Ok, I’m with you.

 

When you have a multitude of choices for any given moment, and the path you decide to take is based on selfishness or fear or greed or jealousy or anything other than love, then you are pushing me away. In this respect many choices are “more right” than others. If you suddenly decide to drown yourself in the pond next to you, leave your children fatherless and this letter unfinished, I would not be pleased. You would have made a wrong choice. I would accept it, however.

 

 

Tuesday June 3rd

Page 55

 

Now I’m reading text that in summary seems to suggest that “thought is energy, enough energy can turn into matter, therefore people can think things into existence”. What IS creation, exactly?

 

What you call creation is different than what I call The Creation. When you arrange musical tones into patterns that are pleasing to you, you say you have created music. You have created a form that didn’t exist before, even though its components (the musical notes) did. You arranged them. When a painter applies pigments on a canvas you say he has created something, a painting. But the components were already there, he basically re-arranged the materials that were available to him, materials that in their most basic form I provided. The painter arranged pigments into a pleasing pattern. A sculptor shapes stone, but he didn’t create the stone. I have provided everything you need to sustain yourselves, and enough raw material for an infinite variety of expression. Enough for all of you until the end of time. But don’t confuse expression with creation.

Did you create the peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the table in front of you?

 

Yes! <grin>

 

Okay, what part did the peanut grower play? And the berry picker? Grain harvesters? The Bakery? Truckers? and the people working the cane fields?

And yet all of you put together could not create that sandwich. Creation is from God.

 

Gee, I almost hate to eat it now…

 

Don’t be silly, that’s what it is there for. Just appreciate all that went into it, and be thankful. Enjoy the creation, that’s part of the gift. To do otherwise would be such a waste.

 

 

Thursday June 5th

Page 57

 

Ok,  I’m stuck again. I was enjoying the end of chapter one. Walsch translates what he is getting from you as “Masters who have walked this planet are those who have chosen love”. I believe it. Countless times in countless ways we hear “Love is the Answer”. That part I really liked.

 

Broadcast the truth: Love Is The Answer. Love is the absolute pinnacle to strive for in all ways, at every moment. That message never changes. It pleases me when you see this reflected in the lives lived before yours, and when you recognize it in each other today. Nurture it. Nourish it. It is I.  I am love. I love you.

1John 4:8

 

But when I re-read page 57, a certain point jumped out at me, which seems to be a disturbing conclusion. His understanding seems to be this; the true masters realize that the creation is not reality, and that you are everything.

 

No. That is not the truth, it’s a distorted misunderstanding of the truth. I created all that you sense. I created everything you hear, taste, smell, see, and touch. I am not part of the creation, I am outside the constraints of space and time. I am not anywhere you could conceive of as “a place”, therefore I am “everywhere” to you.  I am not subject to time, therefore I am aware of the entire creation from beginning to end. I see you and the entire creation from a perspective that you cannot comprehend. We are distinct.

 

Yeah, I guess if Einstein proved time could only be measured relative to the observer’s mass and acceleration (or whatever), and you have no mass or acceleration (or whatever), then you have no experience of  “time” the way we do.

And when my body dies, whatever is left of me will not have mass or acceleration, and I will be free of the physical universe and its time. Cool. The absence of time is eternity.

 

That is the key to understanding why I can’t experience a life like yours. I don’t feel the wind in my hair. As you recall I sent a part of myself into your world to experience it, Jesus. He has lived both ways. Through him I know what you are experiencing, and through him you have seen a perfect life.

 

Well, even if I didn’t believe that Jesus was/is part of you, or that he healed people or did miracles, even if he didn’t rise from the dead, I can still believe that he communicated with you better than I could, and that he lived a perfect life.

 

He is a bridge for both of us. There is a third part of the bridge that connects us called the spirit, which is really the part you are hearing from right now. A teacher, a counselor that you can understand, a comforter. When we finally meet face to face you will know why we couldn’t meet while you were still inside the creation. Regardless of which of us you are picturing in your mind when your heart is open, know that we are one. As for your concept of reality, understanding that the creation is a temporary construct for a physical body does not make it any less real. It exists. I created it. The point that should have been made is this; although you observe the creation, you see it hear it feel it smell it taste it, there is more to reality than what you sense. The ones he is calling masters realized this, just as you realize this. 

 

But I guess I can’t get past the logic that says “If God is everything, then everything must be God”. Since you are everything, the creation is really you. If we are part of the creation, we are you. We are God, too?

 

It pleases me that you did get stuck on that. The logic is wrong. I am not everything. I created you and everything that contains you. You are not me. You are not God.

 

Well, I can easily see how inanimate objects are the creation and not the creator. Just thinking about what the creation really is, reminds me of my physics class. We learned that everything we sense is composed of atoms, and that an atom is a nucleus with a certain number of electrons spinning around it. The only difference between different materials is the weight of the nucleus and the number of electrons. If an electron was the size of a tennis ball, some scientists think the tennis balls would be no closer than 10 feet away from the nucleus, others say it would be more than a mile. Either way, that is a LOT of empty space. It never really occurred to me until now what that picture looks like, a few tennis balls spinning around in virtual nothingness. Even solid steel would look like mostly nothingness if viewed up close, not much different than water or air. You know its funny, my mind sees a glass of water on the table and I think of it as half water and half air, with a neat little border between them. But if I zoomed in far enough, I would see there is no distinct border between the water and the air. I would see a seething teaming jumble of insanity; water molecules streaming off into the atmosphere as it evaporates, water molecules trapping particles from the air and dragging them down into the water and dissolving them down into smaller parts. I guess I’m lucky that my mind normally filters all this out and sees a simple glass of water, half full or half empty.

Anyway when I start to think about it, all reality starts to look like just a matrix of mostly nothing. I am amazed by the infinite variety you created from nothing. Good job!

 

That is part of the filter. If you could truly comprehend the creation, you would be so amazed you couldn’t function. You would starve. If you could comprehend the endless reactions caused by your actions, notice all of the coincidences and infinite interactions, you would be paralyzed in fascination, in wonder, in awe.

But you become adept at balancing. Taking things for granted. Becoming accustomed to a routine because it is safer. The danger is filtering too much, not realizing the consequences of your decisions because its easier to be blind. Cocoons are comfortable.

 

Its hard to keep in mind that all we are doing is trading atoms for other atoms, re-arranging them, squabbling over them, letting them distract us from truth and love.

 

But there’s even more to it than that. Many things are not part of me. No, I am definitely not everything. Infinite, yes. Everything, no. That is why when you hear from others, you have to realize that what you are hearing is filtered through someone else’s experience, because that is the only way you communicate. That is why truth is never perfectly explained or described, it is being filtered through human experience. The message is distorted because the experience they are filtering it through is never perfectly unselfish.

When man turns away and lives selfishly without me, the message gets even more warped. Greed, jealousy, envy, hate, none of these are part of me, they are a result of the absence of me, the turning away

Be on guard, messages from them are foolish and dangerous. Besides distortions from what DID originate from me, there is also purposeful deceit from powerful sources that want you to be distracted from me. every one they encourage to reject me is a battle won. Be alert!

Ephesians 6:12

 

Friday June 3rd

Page 61

 

 “Hitler went to heaven. When you understand this, you will understand God.”

Hitler went to heaven? He is saying this came from you!

You gotta help me on this one…

 

Yes, that is an absurd statement, mostly intended to shock you. It didn’t come from me. For one thing, no one knows the fate of another, I reserve that knowledge for myself. I have a personal relationship with each of you. Every single one of you has had or will have a unique conversation with me before all is said and done, but you have no business speculating on the results of other conversations.

If you want to know the truth of the matter, you all arrive here at the same time. Well, that is not entirely accurate since there will be no “time”, but you can still grasp the basic idea. Remember discussing the fact that I am OUTSIDE the time domain? Outside the creation? Ah… I see you are remembering something you heard from a teacher.

 

Yes, about how if life is like a parade, then God can see the WHOLE parade, from beginning to end.

 

Yes, and now imagine that a death is like someone down in the parade letting go of a balloon. Can you imagine that all of the balloons from all parts of the parade arrive here simultaneously? You really can’t imagine it, but regardless, I would never make the statement “Hitler went to heaven”.

 

 

Monday June 9th

Page 61-62

 

Ok, laying aside the comment about Hitler, I still find a lot of this disturbing. His assertion that right and wrong are just ideas, that values and beliefs are relative, and that anything we do is acceptable to you. His definition of sin is when we accept someone else’s experience over our own.

I can agree with the concept that we test our values and beliefs, otherwise we are as dumb as the animals. And that we should test every “judgement” we hear from others, to make sure the bricks we are laying are true enough to become a solid foundation, but the idea that whatever structure we build is acceptable to you? C’mon…

 

Now we are getting down to a crucial part of the whole framework in which you find yourself. Part of the problem is in how you are interpreting the wording. Yes, everything is acceptable to me, but that doesn’t teach you anything. It means that no matter what you choose, I have to accept it. When I gave you free will I meant it. I will never take it back. But that doesn’t mean your choices are good, or that they please me. Some choose cruelty and wickedness which I hate, but I accept it. There are certain things I can’t do. If someone says “God can do anything” they are wrong. I can’t make you love me. Yes, values and beliefs change. That is the hope, that as you grow and mature you will continually examine and refine what you believe. As for the comment about accepting someone else’s experience over your own….

… I can see you smiling already. You just answered your own question, didn’t you?

 

Yeah, I’m not accepting HIS experience over my own. If I believed Walsch’s interpretations over what I know to be true in my own life, I would be making a HUGE mistake.

 

True, but there’s even more to this truth. The definition of sin is not that. Do you want to know what sin is?

 

Well, doing bad things?

 

Ah, its more subtle than that. Sin is whatever keeps you away from me, now that you know I am here. The times you choose your own selfishness over love.

When you were six years old you had a certain concept of me, and your concept of right and wrong was filtered through the experience of a six year old. It obviously didn’t surprise me when you made six year old decisions. But now that you have refined your values and have a more intimate picture of me, your decisions will be based on that. Obviously those decisions won’t surprise me either. 

 

I think I know a perfect example of what I’m hearing from you. I was on my way to the library one evening and noticed someone in the parking lot. I had a strong urge to stop and help him. But I was in a hurry, I just wanted to get in and out and finish some errands and get back home. When I came out of the library I noticed his car was still there, the tire was still flat, and he was nowhere to be seen. In a legal sense I had done nothing wrong, I mean I didn’t break one of the commandments or anything, right? But I can’t get it out of my mind, I knew I had failed. There was no way to go back, I chose the wrong path, the selfish one. For all I know the whole universe could have been unfolding in such a way to put me at that place and time and show me the opportunity, and I blew it.

 

What you do for the least of your brothers you do for me. But here is an important distinction; Other people passed and didn’t help either, they never even saw the opportunity. Even though their actions were indistinguishable from your own, they are not held accountable. That’s why it is foolish to judge other people by their actions, you are really just judging yourself. You can’t know what’s in their heart at any given moment unless they share it with you. Throughout your day there are many opportunities presented to you that you never even notice. Do I hold you accountable for those? Of course not. But when a fork in the road presents itself to you, I take notice of the choice you make. I accept your choice whatever it is, but you know there is more to it than that.

James 4:17

 

 

Wednesday June 11th

Chapter 2

 

Okay, I was re-reading chapter two with these things in mind, a lot of it is dealing with his own misunderstandings from teachers in his past, and questioning his publishing motives, but another point jumped out at me. The implication is that once we are perfect and happy, we won’t need you anymore.

 

Let me call your attention back to Jesus, who lived a perfect life. You may not be ready to accept everything about him, that he fulfilled the prophecies, that he was my son, that his is part of the trinity, that even now he is preparing a place for you; all of those truths you may think are too much for you to accept right now. But one thing you can see with your own eyes is that he changed the world. Even your measure of time revolves around his life (B.C., A.D.) Even though some are calling years “The Common Era” these days, it still means the same thing. His life was a profound event in your history. Even if you haven’t come to the realization that he was the promised messiah, you CAN accept the fact that he led a perfect life. Did he discard me when he reached maturity? No, he lived in communion with me. He loved me. Maybe you are not comfortable with the origin and authority of the bible, but here is something you can do. You have a bible that has the words of Jesus marked in red. If you turn to the gospels and read only what is written in red, you will start to understand the nature of Jesus and how he lived his life. This will help you understand OUR relationship and how you want to live YOUR life.

I am not a crutch to be discarded once you are healed. I WILL be a crutch for you when you need support, but I am more than that. This may illustrate another important point; in a comfortable world many will amble through it half asleep. In a world of turmoil and uncertainty many will cry out to me, and as I’ve promised when you are ready I will be there. So many of you say “If God is good, why is his creation so bad?” People come to me in different ways, some thanking me for their blessings, others crying out in their suffering. Either way, I am pleased when they come, no matter the circumstance.

 

Different strokes for different folks?

 

If the world was perfect, would you seek me?

 

 

Thursday June 12th

Driving to Princeton

 

Cruising Interstate 80, my normal commute, and suddenly:

 

I am Good. I am Pure Good. When your mother gave birth to you, you were pure, but things have happened since then. You have fallen away. You say you are good, but what you mean to say is that you want to be good, you try to be good. You know you are not perfect good, and therefore there is some amount of darkness in you. Do you think pure good can co-exist with partial bad? Can pure light have darkness in it? To meet me, to really feel comfortable in my presence you need to be ALL good. Otherwise, when we meet you will see the light and be so ashamed of your weaknesses. So aware of your faults and your selfishness, your fear. So inadequate. You will fall to your knees and bow your head. If you were to be cleansed of this before we meet however, the experience will be quite different. Joyful. You will still fall to your knees, but in a state of grace. in love. I sent my son as an innocent lamb, a sacrifice for you. You know you don’t deserve to be here with me in your imperfect condition, but when you accept the gift, these blemishes are removed. This is the second birth.

I made a promise to anyone, my son for your sins. That is the deal, Even though you haven’t done anything to deserve it.

Go ahead, put me to the test, make me a liar.

 

Ummm…. I’m a little overwhelmed.

I’m not really sure how to respond to that.

 

What really matters is right here right now. How are you going to respond to the offer? Force me to keep my end of the promise.

 

OK, what you are asking doesn’t seem that difficult. Now that I am in this frame of mind, how could anyone resist the chance for a fresh start? Why have I been so resistant? But I’m here and now.

I admit that I have turned away from you, and that I have led far less than a perfect life so far. I confess that there have been times when I have known the right path, and have freely chosen the wrong one. I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned away. I believe Jesus was God and died for me, and rose again I accept your gift, a perfectly innocent lamb sacrificed for me. But haven’t I felt this way before?

 

Yes. This is not the first time you have opened the door to me. You have greeted me many times. So today you are reborn. Try to be reborn every time you wake up.

 

This seems so simple. How do I know it made any difference?

 

You will know as you life and mind changes. In how you open yourself to others and deny your selfish urges. In how you love.

I promised a new heart to anyone who does what you just did, and a little of the spirit to come in and reside there. To the extent you continue this conversation, I will reveal all. If you love me you will bear fruit. If you go back to loving the world and pleasing yourself, the spirit in you will begin to wither.

Matthew 7:24-27

 

Thank you for sending the spirit of truth, may it come into my new heart and teach me and comfort me. Help me to know when I am doing your will, and correct me when I revert back to my own selfishness. But if you say you will reveal all, why did you say you gave me “a little” of the spirit?

 

I never give anyone more than they can handle. My burden is light

Matthew 11:28-30

But to he that has, more will be given. To he that has not, all will be taken away.

Matthew 13:12

 

 

Friday June 13th

 

You know, I started this just because I told my father I would, but I am in awe how quickly this has turned into quite a personal journey.

 

You opened the door.

 

It still seems so simple.

I almost feel like asking “what do I do now?”

 

Start with these two:

love me, and love others as you love yourself.

Matthew 22:36-40

 

I guess the rest doesn’t amount to much in the long run. So if I keep this conversation going, and love others, the rest can go to hell?

 

Cute. The rest is the material world, which I give to you as a gift to care for and enjoy. I want you to enjoy it. Just don’t enjoy it so much that it interferes with those first two commandments.

 

OK, sorry for being so flippant, let’s keep going.

I just read the first two pages of chapter 3, and it has a list of 13 questions for you to answer. So far, the way I have been approaching this is to read what Walsch says he heard from you, and then ask you what he meant by it.

This time I want to try it a different way. I want to ask you first, compose the answers on paper, and THEN compare the answers I get from you to the ones he got from you.

 

Ready when you are….

 

Friday June 20th

Chicago

 

I really got bogged down in this “reading the red” project and the “answer the 13 questions” plan. Stalled. Haven’t been able to keep this on my mind. Dried up? No way, I’m back…!

I just popped a cassette tape by Gayle Erwin in for my drive back home, and all of a sudden I get this gift from him, the perfect verse for what I needed to hear. Thank you!

Here it is:

 

John 14:16-18

“If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever – the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you will know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

 

 

I’m not much of a bible reader, but that just JUMPS out at me. It might be the most awesome promise I’ve ever read. It makes me wonder what other promises are in there. I know people might think “You can find something in the bible to make whatever point you want to make”. But I don’t care. Thank you for showing me this promise, thank you for giving me this just when I needed it. I gotta go through this again:

 

 

I will pray to the Father,

Jesus was conversing with God. Just as I am.

 

and he will give you another helper,

So that makes three. The Trinity. Cool.

 

that he may abide with you forever –

I don’t feel worthy, but I welcome you.

 

the spirit of truth,

Exactly what I want now and forever.

 

whom the world cannot receive,

The world is starting to have a new meaning for me.

 

because it neither sees him nor knows him,

Too busy? distracted? Trapped in the matrix? Filtered out?

 

but you will know him,

Ya.

 

for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The new temple. The true church.

 

I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

Praise God.

 

 

Friday Night June 20th

Back in Princeton

 

Well, I really stagnated there for a day or so, didn’t I? And you know what? I really missed the conversation we’ve started. I could tell I wasn’t feeling the same, and I also started to have doubts whether all this writing was really worth anything, or if I am just egotistically blowin’ smoke. I’m also getting self-conscious about what someone reading this will think about me, instead of what it means in my life. I guess I really needed to start this all along, but I’m still afraid to tackle those 13 questions. Maybe tomorrow. Thank you for a safe trip home and for a beautiful family to share it with. Sorry for losing my temper with Darrell. Goodnight.

 

Goodnight.

 

Wednesday July 9th

Chapter 3

 

Oh God, Where have I been for the last few weeks? It seemed like we were doing so well. Such an abundance of conversation and then BOOM…. virtually nothing. Since you say you are always available I have a feeling it wasn’t YOU who went away, but we have definitely been apart. I think I am beginning to comprehend the meaning of the scripture “pray without ceasing”. So far, I find it impossible to maintain a constant communication with you. I am too new at this. Too weak. And I slip back into the world so effortlessly.

When I start to get self-ish please help me, give me a nudge every now and then to keep me on the path.

 

You are being nudged in ways too numerous to describe, you are just comfortably numb to most of them. But the seed has been planted. It will continue to grow if you care for it.

 

Well, last I remember I had decided to read all the “red” words in the Gospels, and I had also decided to try to answer those 13 questions before reading any further. As soon as I made those decisions I started to fade. It seemed like every time I thought of doing either, something else seemed to be more pressing, more important, or at least more enjoyable.

 

I promise a rich and rewarding life to those that follow me. Go ahead and read the red words if you like, then read the whole gospel. I will show you some things. You can talk to me any time you want, with pen or without, but many before you have realized that I talk to them as they are studying the scripture. It may even seem unrelated to what you are reading, but when your heart is open to the truth thoughts will come into your head just as they are now. Study the scripture, you will see.

 

I would also like to find other people who are seriously having an ongoing relationship with you.

 

Well, EVERYONE has a relationship with me whether they accept it or not, but I know what you mean.

 

Now that I am back, I still find it interesting looking back over the last week or so. Where did I go? I was even joking to Cyndi about how I better get back to working on this because “there were no more excuses keeping me from it”. Even then I knew I was away “making excuses”, but it still took me awhile to get back. It reminds me of that verse by Paul where he says that even though he knows what he wants to be, he still can’t seem to do it. How easily I get distracted. Anyway, I still think it’s a good idea to try and answer those questions.

So…………

Okay, here goes.

I think I better write the questions exactly the same way he did. I’m not trying to take credit for Walsch’s work, I just want to make sure I am answering the exact same questions he was asking to avoid the chance of misinterpretation. Here they are:

 

Saturday, July 12th

Page 71

 

1. When will my life finally take off? What does it take to “get it together,” and achieve even a modicum of success? Can the struggle ever end?

The way this question is phrased makes it probable that the asker is not in a desperate situation; survival is not at stake here. It would be different if the question was asked by someone who was starving.

Let’s look at people who have made a name for themselves in this world. Think of all the people in history that have been dead for some time, and yet they are still remembered. Why are they remembered? Just thinking about it for a moment leads you to the realization that in a broad general sense they can be sorted into two groups.

People in one of the groups are famous because they were servants, they contributed something to society, they sacrificed something, or are known for heroic bravery, or they created something appreciated by society.

The members of the other group are infamous for some form of extreme selfishness. They were overly greedy, or committed heinous acts because of jealousy, or their hate resulted in war.

Which group did Alexander the Great fall into?

Which group will you fall into?

Most people alive today will not be remembered 100 years from now, yet the example still holds true. People tend to lean in one direction or the other. Are you just SLIGHTLY selfish?

The most world-renowned figure in human history is known for being supremely unselfish. He healed, he taught love, He brought people closer to God, and he laid down his life for his faith. Is this what you mean by success? Are you climbing some other ladder of success? Will you know when you get there? when to stop climbing? Or will you continue to climb until you die?

Mark 10: 42-45

 

2. When will I learn enough about relationships to be able to have them go smoothly?

You already know enough about relationships to have them go smoothly. I can only guess that if they are not going smoothly, it is based on selfishness in one party or the other. Some relationships are not by choice and will not be smooth. A parent’s job is to set boundaries and a child tests them. Other relationships are by choice, but don’t seem to be unfolding the way they should. Are you expecting the other person to be a certain way, and disappointed that they aren’t? Are you in a relationship where the other person is expecting things of you that you can’t live up to? Or aren’t comfortable with? If both parties are giving unselfishly to a relationship it will thrive. If one or the other becomes selfish for a unreasonable period of time, it will never be as good as it could have been. 

Is there any way to be happy in relationships?

Look around you. Can’t you see successful relationships wherever you look? And I don’t mean on TV or in the media, they are only interested in portraying unsuccessful relationships because it is profitable. Go to the park and watch children play. Can you see that the most unhappy children are the selfish ones? That the happy children are sharing and kind? Now turn your attention to grown-up relationships , the happy ones are giving, the unhappy ones are grasping. The way to happiness is to be a giver. Quit thinking of yourself all the time and you will be happier.

Must they always be constantly challenging?

Yes, they must always be constantly challenging. Even when you are constantly challenging yourself to be the kind of person you know you can be, you can’t help but notice that you continually fail to be that person. Once you realize where the center of the battle truly is, in your own heart, you will wonder that you didn’t realize it sooner. Relationships will be constantly challenging because you are not perfect no matter how hard you try.

 

3. Why can’t I ever seem to attract enough money in my life?

What is enough? And if you had it, wouldn’t you still want more? Will you have enough to eat today? Do you have a bed to sleep in tonight? Do you have any money anywhere? In the bank? Spare change in a jar or in a drawer somewhere? If so, you are already doing better than about two-thirds of the people in the world. If not, and you are truly trapped in a desperate situation, there are people willing to help, seek them out. If the basis for your question is really “Will I have ever have enough money that I can do nothing and still be alright”, that is probably not a wise thing to wish for. Many people become lost in the midst of financial independence.

Am I destined to be scrimping and scraping for the rest of my life?

I’m not a fortune-teller. Your life is your life.

Matthew 6:34

What is blocking me from realizing my full potential in this regard?

Nothing.

 

4. Why can’t I do what I really want to do with my life and still make a living?

Good Question. Why can’t you? You have a responsibility to provide for yourself and your family of course, but beyond that you can do what you love to do. Are you really doing it, or are you being distracted by other things in the world? Is what you love to do absolutely worthless to anyone else? If so, keep it as a pleasurable hobby. There is no principle that has proven that everyone can do whatever they want all the time and be rewarded for it, certainly not enough to call it “making a living”. If what you love to do happens to be something that society wants to buy from you, consider yourself fortunate. If what you really want to do is sit on the couch and watch television, you aren’t going to be making much of a living out of it, are you?

Col 3:23

 

5. How can I solve some of the health problems I face? I have been the victim of enough chronic problems to last a lifetime. Why am I having them all now?

You may not be able to. The intelligence, ingenuity and cooperation of mankind has resulted in many cures and medicines for your ailments. Reducing human suffering is a noble endeavor, but there will always be unsolvable problems. Do you remember the story of Job? Nothing helped. Others have performed miraculous healings to glorify my name, seemingly beyond all logic. Regardless, your physical body will continue to degenerate no matter what you do. That fact alone should be enough to tell you that the condition of the physical body is not the point. It is the condition of your heart that is of paramount importance.

 

6. What is the karmic lesson I’m supposed to be learning here?

That communicating with God will change your life.

What am I trying to master?

Your own selfishness. Your offenses against Love: Pride, Greed, Envy, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Sloth

 

 

Tuesday July 15th

Page 72

 

7. Is there such a thing as reincarnation?

No

How many past lives have I had?

None

What was I in them?

 -

Is “karmic debt” a reality?

It must be comforting to lay the blame for your misfortunes on a past you had no control of. How many people attribute their success to it? 

 

8. I sometimes feel very psychic. Is there such a thing as “being psychic”? Am I that?

The human mind is unfathomable in its ability to collect random bits of data and find patterns, and generate logical conclusions. Your mind is noticing things constantly and organizing them in ways too subtle for you to realize most of the time, and then suddenly you are astounded by a realization, an unexpected insight. Or you wake up in the morning with a solution to a problem , and you can’t explain how you arrived at it. Shared thoughts with others. Coincidences. You may be surprised by these conclusions, and be tempted to attribute them to some outside force, but most of the time this is simply not giving your mind the credit it deserves.  Beyond this, know that there are many spirits, some from me, some not. There is another level of reality that you won’t be able to comprehend until after you shed that body, but the signs are everywhere. Prophets have written things long ago which have already come to pass, things they could not have known. Notice that the accurate prophecies came from men of god, people who made it known publicly that they were trying to maintain their own conversations with  me. They were listening, But also realize that there are conversations with other spirits in the world that aren’t from me, and they can produce miracles of their own. This is important, not every impressive display  of supernatural power is from me, Be on your guard,  Some are celebrating whenever one of you chooses good over evil. Others are of the world, tempting you to turn away.

Are people who claim to be psychic “trafficking with the devil”?

Be careful how you judge other people, but pay attention to the fruits. Is the result of this “trafficking” leading others towards God and Love, or towards the world and its selfishness? You will know them by their fruits.

 

9. Is it okay to take money for doing good?

If I choose to do healing work in the world – God’s work – can I do that and become financially abundant, too? Or are the two mutually exclusive?

Since you asked the question that way, you must be well aware of those who are financially abundant that are definitely NOT doing God’s work, You can see examples of that everywhere you look, the world is their oyster. So we’re ignoring those people for the moment, right? For an example at the opposite end of the spectrum, let’s look at a born again Christian. He has come to the realization that his naturally selfish life is not satisfying, he has opened the door to God, repented of his evil ways, asked for forgiveness for his transgressions, accepted the free gift of salvation through my son Jesus Christ, traded in his scarred battered heart for a brand new one without blemish, received the spirit of truth into this new heart, the temple of the new church, and begins a new life dedicated to living in the light, walking on the path. So now what? You are wondering if he will have enough money? Haven’t you heard that if I can take care of little sparrows, how much more can I take care of you? Sure, the sparrow gets cold in the winter, and it has to work to build a nest. I didn’t promise the sparrow an instant paradise so it could sit in the tree and sing all day long, as nice as that sounds. It still has to do what it needs to do.

Luke 12:18-24

But for people living God-centered lives, what is money anyway? It’s just a tool. Its like water flowing through your life, and you decide how to direct the flow. Once you are “enlightened” or “doing healing work” or “God’s work”, you may realize that maybe you haven’t done such a good job directing the flow of money through your life., You really can’t do anything else except to start gradually adjusting your priorities. Once you start bearing fruit, maybe God will increase the flow of money through your life, or maybe He will turn your attention to a different goal. There are more rewarding things than money. After all, consider the account of the most perfect life you have seen, the life of Jesus. Did he ever have more possessions than he could carry? Did he ever want for things? Did he have any need for money at all? Was he doing God’s work? Could he have done a better job if he had a little more money? Lived a fuller life? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? What difference does money make in the larger scope of eternity? Maybe you will be the type of worker who sees a larger cash flow, so to strictly answer your question… Yes, its okay to take money for doing good.  

Matthew  6:19-21

 

10. Is sex okay? C’mon – what is the real story behind this human experience? Is sex purely for procreation, as some religions say?

Sex is a gift you give each other. Receiving is pleasure, Giving is Joy. Sharing is the goal of all good relationships. Bringing another soul  into the world is the miracle of it, the pinnacle of the relationship, your gift to the world. No, sex is not purely for procreation, but many are not ready to give the gift, nor have they met the appropriate person to share it with. Keep it special. Keep it Sacred.

Is true holiness and enlightenment achieved through denial – or transmutation _ of the sexual energy?

No. True holiness is achieved by dying and being received into the embrace of God. In the meantime, the people you consider enlightened are either fakes trying to maintain a polished exterior to the world, or people who have truly “seen the light”… That is, they are conversing with God, loving God and loving others.

Is it okay to have sex without love? Is just the physical sensation of it okay enough as a reason?

Imagine you had a button you could push as often as you wanted and receive a full minute of orgasmic sensation. How often would you push that button? Some would push it incessantly, to the exclusion of eating or anything else. And what would they have to say when finally face-to-face with God? That they spent their lives stimulating themselves? That the main focus in life was personal pleasure? Is this so different than alcoholism or drug addiction or any other obsession based on personal pleasure?

 

11. Why did you make sex so good, so spectacular, so powerful a human experience if all we are to do is stay away from it as much as we can? What gives?

As for the first part, who is telling you to stay away from it as much as you can? What you are probably hung up on is the wisdom of the ages, that history has illustrated time and time again that man and woman exist together better in long-term committed relationships built on trust. Wake up, can’t you see that? Think about  it. Down through history so much strife and suffering has been caused by infidelity and betrayal, wars have been  started over it. So if that is what is telling you to “stay from it”, then I can only agree. Otherwise, find a partner that you are willing to unselfishly share your life with, a partner who is willing to commit the same to you, and enjoy it! that’s what people do. That’s how God made you.

For that matter, why are all the fun things either “immoral, illegal, or fattening”?

Cute conclusion, but not entirely accurate. Think about the activities you really enjoy. Are you hurting anyone else while doing them? If so, continuing to do them would be intrinsically selfish and ultimately unsatisfying. What If you enjoy activities that don’t hurt anyone else, but hurt yourself?  Maybe over-indulgence? Do you recall part of the greatest commandment being to love others as you love yourself ? Well, part of that is the loving yourself part. For example, eating yourself into obesity is trading your health and well-being for the simple pleasure of eating. Not good. The pleasure is not worth it, Sure, its easy to go overboard with things that feel good, but don’t forget one of the purposes for you being in the world is to experience my creation. Enjoy it, celebrate it. Just don’t choose the creation over God, or over others, or over yourself.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

 

12. Is there life on other planets? Have we been visited by it?

No.

Are we being observed now?

Yes.

Will we see evidence – irrevocable and indisputable – of extraterrestrial life in our lifetime?

Yes and No. There is extraterrestrial life all around you. You don’t realize the battle being waged on your behalf at every moment. There are things going one “behind the scenes” that you don’t comprehend, The spirit world is quite busy, as people have surmised since the beginning. But no – you will never get irrevocable and indisputable proof of anything. That would spoil it, don’t you think? If you were given the truth beyond a shadow of a doubt, that would remove your free will once and for all. If something is KNOWN, there is no belief or unbelief. After you shed your body and leave the world there will be no belief or unbelief, you will know. Ephesians 6:12

Does each form of life have its own God?

No.

Are you the God of It All?

Yes.

John 17:3

 

13. Will utopia ever come to the planet Earth? Will God ever show Himself to Earth’s people, as promised? Is there such a thing as the Second Coming? Will there ever be an End of the World – or an apocalypse, as prophesied in the Bible?

These questions have already been answered. Look it up. A blessing is promised to  anyone just for READING it.

Rev 1:3

Its been published in every language and you can find a copy anywhere.

Is there a one true religion? If so, which one?

The one that encourages you to love God with all your heart, mind and soul

The one that encourages you to love others as you love yourself.

Matthew 22:36-40

 

 

Tuesday Night,

July 15th

               

Okay, that’s about the best I can do on those subjects for now. I am really wondering what the other book says your answers were, but I’m too tired to keep reading. And I guess in a way I’m a little apprehensive. What if the two sets of answers are completely different? Hmmm, I guess we are back to the same old conclusion; If you never change your tune, we are either hearing from someone else or not interpreting correctly. After all, we are both fairly new at this. Well, why am I even thinking this? Maybe the answers will coincide beautifully and we can celebrate you together. Kind of silly to dread the differences in advance. Ok, I’m putting this down until tomorrow.

 

 

Wednesday

July 16th

               

Busy, gotta finish work and get back to Princeton.

The rest of the family is getting ready to start the trip to Texas.

Seeya tomorrow

 

 

Thursday

July 17th

               

Busy, gotta finish my design work at Caterpillar, or I’m not gonna MAKE it to Texas.

Seeya tomorrow

 

Friday July 18th

 

Oh, I can’t believe it! I just have to smile about this… I’ve been stalled in the book for about a month now because I wanted to try and get a handle on those questions before I went any furthur. A MONTH! And now I finally turn the page to compare our experiences and…

…nothing.

What?

Well, I’ve read at least a dozen more pages; through the end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4, and the answers aren’t there! He’s either rambling on about material he already covered in the first two chapters, or introducing new concepts, concepts that I don’t have time to start dealing with right now. What a rip-off. Maybe he gets to them eventually, but I am out of time.

 

Well, here’s what I better do. I promised my father that I would have something to say about this book the next time we met, and that time is rapidly approaching. I better spend the weekend collecting all these scraps of paper and re-typing them into something readable, since I have to fly out next Thursday.


Saturday July 19th

Thanks!

         

I don’t know when I will get back to this project, so let me just say a few things:

 

Thank you God for being there, and for the many blessings in my life. Thank you for revealing yourself to us and for giving us your son to show us the way. Sorry for my part in killing him. Please help me realize when I am being selfish.

Please make me less afraid to show love to others.

 

Thanks Neal, for giving me the spark to start my own conversation with God.   Mark 9:42

 

Thanks Dad, for having me and being a good example for me, and for having so much patience with me through all the up-and-down cycles of my life. I hope you take this project as something I did because I love you, not as a means to be argumentative.

 

Thanks Mom, for having me and nurturing me, and for loving me even when I didn’t show it back. Thanks for not giving up on me. I love you.

 

Thanks Cyndi, for everything, I feel so fortunate to be able to share my life with you.

 

Thanks Jamie and Emily and Charlie, for being the best part of my life.

 

Thanks to a guy named Eric at the Capo Beach Calvary Men’s retreat (1997?), who prayed with me. My life changed that night. Thanks to whoever spoke that Friday night, sorry I don’t remember your name. Thanks to Chuck Smith Jr., Ray Stedman, Chuck Missler, Gayle Erwin, Ken Wilson, Philip Yancey, Matthew Mark Luke John and Paul, Chris Falson, Mark and Chariya, and Jeff and Nealey, Tim and Christy, and John.

Tuesday July 22nd

Last Gasp

 

Hey Dad,

 

I gotta say one more thing. I have been away from this for
a few days now, and have been thinking about something….

 

When I sat down with my own yellow pad and started to work through some of the things I couldn’t understand, I was surprised by how easily the answers came to me. Once I really engaged my mind to the task, things started happening.

In fact it happened so well, that I thought it would be clever of me to put it all in the same format as the book, thinking it might shock you into realizing that anyone can do this. The fact that both Neal and I had honest serious attempts to be with God, but arrived at different conclusions, should lead you into thinking that just because someone tries hard doesn’t make it truth.

 

Now I fear I have made a mistake doing it this way, because I may be setting the same trap he did. I have to confess,

I DON’T BELIEVE THIS CONTAINS WORDS FROM GOD.

I believe it is my interpretation of what the Holy Spirit is teaching me. Maybe this is too fine a distinction, because God and the Spirit are one, but I believe the bible contains the complete Word of God, and I’m not trying to add anything.

 

I believe the spirit of God is available for guidance, and helps me understand, and this is my best result after praying for help and writing what I think He would say. I hope to continue my conversation. But if I do, it won’t be in that “Interviewing God” style. It makes it seem too much like I’m putting words into his mouth. It will just be me writing what I think is true to the best of my understanding. 

 

Looking forward to seeing you.                             Bye for now.