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Let's examinine mysticism; Privately of course :)
Topic Started: Jul 27 2005, 09:37 PM (275 Views)
Stace4Jesus
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A Mystic may be said to be one who has a spiritual awareness of the existence of inner and more evolved worlds, or planes of being, and who strives for conscious awareness of, and communication with, these worlds and their inhabitants. For the Mystic, convictions based on inner vision, intuition and revelation are ranked equal to or above those based on mere physical observation.


That's it. That's the bottom line.

To have been baptized by the Holy Spirit... is to have stepped into mysticism.
To be a christian who is not a mystic type... is to be fundamentalistic.


God is a Spirit, angels are spirits, demons are spirits. The world and its god has tried very hard to corrupt the spiritual life and power of the saints of God, thus limit them to rational, tangible, and logic thinking and performing.

It is fine to believe in angels... they have been made popular, but, if you take it too far, you can be labeled wrongly.

Consider... Jesus walked through the door when it was shut and locked. Hum... that is dealing with 'another realm.'

Anyway.. the first thing one has to do is cast off the stereo type image of it being ugly. We must follow God, yes, only Him, but we must know there is more. This is the first step to being mystical.

:P

what say ye?


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Stace4Jesus
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I typed in a google search... :eek



but, one good page I found was this list.. just see the names


---------------------------
Christian Mysticism

St. Paul was the first great Christian mystic. The New Testament writings best known for their deeply mystical emphasis are Paul's letters and the Gospel of John. Christian mysticism as a system, however, is derived from Neoplatonism through the writings of Dionysius the Areopagite, or Pseudo-Dionysius. The 9th-century Scholastic philosopher John Scotus Erigena translated the works of Pseudo-Dionysius from Greek into Latin and thus introduced the mystical theology of Eastern Christianity into Western Europe, where it was combined with the mysticism of the early Christian prelate and theologian St. Augustine.

In the Middle Ages mysticism was often associated with monasticism. Some of the most celebrated mystics are found among the monks of both the Eastern church and the Western church, particularly the 14th-century Hesychasts of Mount Athos in the former, and Saints Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, and John of the Cross in the latter. The French monastery of Saint Victor, near Paris, was an important center of mystical thought in the 12th century. The renowned mystic and Scholastic philosopher St. Bonaventure was a disciple of the monks of St. Victor. St. Francis, who derived his mysticism directly from the New Testament, without reference to Neoplatonism, remains a dominant figure in modern mysticism. Among the mystics of Holland were Jan van Ruysbroeck and Gerhard Groote, the latter a religious reformer and founder of the monastic order known as the Brothers of the Common Life. Johannes Eckhart, referred to as Meister Eckhart, was the foremost mystic of Germany.

Other important German mystics are Johannes Tauler and Heinrich Suso, followers of Eckhart and members of a group called the Friends of God. One of this group wrote the German Theology that influenced Martin Luther. Prominent later figures include Thomas á Kempis, generally regarded as the author of The Imitation of Christ. English mystics of the 14th and 15th centuries include Margery Kempe and Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, Julian of Norwich, and the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing, an influential treatise on mystic prayer.

A number of the most distinguished Christian mystics have been women, notably St. Hildegard, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Teresa of Ávila. The 17th-century French mystic Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon introduced into France the mystical doctrine of quietism.

By its pursuit of spiritual freedom, sometimes at the expense of theological formulas and ecclesiastical discipline, mysticism may have contributed to the origin of the Reformation, although it inevitably came into conflict with Protestant, as it had with Roman Catholic, religious authorities. The Counter Reformation inspired the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence was a classic French work of a somewhat later date. The most notable German Protestant mystics were Jakob Boehme, author of Mysterium Magnum (The Great Mystery), and Kaspar Schwenkfeld. Mysticism finds expression in the theology of many Protestant denominations and is a salient characteristic of such sects as the Anabaptists and the Quakers.

In New England, the famous Congregational divine, Jonathan Edwards, exhibited a strong mystical tendency, and the religious revivals that began in his time and spread throughout the U.S. during the 19th century derived much of their peculiar power from the assumption of mystical principles, great emphasis being placed on heightened feeling as a direct intuition of the will of God. Mysticism manifested itself in England in the works of the 17th-century Cambridge Platonists; in those of the devotional writer William Law, author of the Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life; and in the art and poetry of William Blake.

Contemporary Mysticism

The 20th century has experienced a revival of interest in both Christian and non-Christian mysticism. Early commentators of note were the Austrian Roman Catholic Baron Friedrich von Hügel, the British poet and writer Evelyn Underhill, the American Quaker Rufus Jones, the Anglican prelate William Inge, and the German theologian Rudolf Otto. A prominent nonclerical commentator was the American psychologist and philosopher William James in The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).

In non-Christian traditions, the leading commentator on Zen Buddhism was the Japanese Daisetz Suzuki; on Hinduism, the Indian philosopher Savepalli Radhakrishnan; and on Islam, the British scholar R. A. Nicholson. The last half of the 20th century saw increased interest in Eastern mysticism. The mystical strain in Judaism, which received particular emphasis in the writings of the Cabalists of the Middle Ages and in the movement of the Hasidim of the 18th century, was again pointed up by the modern Austrian philosopher and scholar Martin Buber. Contemporary mystics of note are the French social philosopher Simone Weil, the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and the American Trappist monk Thomas Merton.
http://www.connect.net/ron/mysticism.html

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Madame Geanne Guyone (sp?) was really accused of being one...
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Bill and Joan
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Hi Stace,

Thanks for your efforts to help last night. Sorry I wasn't more receptive or into it. As I've said, there's much going on right now. Yes, I believe there is more to know and understand in regards to mysticism and I also believe that we need great discernment regarding it. As for Madame Jeanne Guyon, I have read her autobiography. Did you know that she suffered many illnesses and persecution? What stands out to me in her writings is that she walked in God's love towards all those she came in contact with (or tried to the best of her ability with the Holy Spirit's help) and she trusted the circumstances that came her way, the adversities as being an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord and trusting Him through them.

I am not opposed to examining mysticism. I just do not want to get off focus the simplicity of Chrisitianity and walking in His love. I think the Christian community has filled themselves with so much head knowledge that we have missed many of the simple and important things the Lord would have us do, like feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the orphan and the widow, etc., etc. Any ways, that's my two cents on it. Then again, I have to realize that each of us has a calling upon their lives unique and often different than another part of the body. One is no more or less important than the other. We just have to find out, individually, what God has called us to and then walk in it.

Hope that makes some sense. I've just seen what can happen when we strive so hard to educate ourselves on things of God when we missed the very thing He asked us to do. Who knows. I might be wrong in all of this and if that is the case I ask your forgiveness and His.

I love you all,
Joan
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Stace4Jesus
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Hey

Oh my... you have no need to ask for my forgiveness. I agree with you that we are all different and have different gifts and calls. I am not going to dive deeply into the topical study.. ugh.. arg... yuck...

But, I do realize this, that the "baby can be thrown out with the bath" water when the devil can mess something up so bad that the Body of Christ rejects whole topics.

For example.. how about traveling in the Spirit? now that is a wild thought. But, as we know, the Holy Spirit transported Philip to another place. And, He still does it today.
But.. in steps Shirley McClain (spelling???) and boom... the whole topic is "new age." And now.. if you talk about the topic of traveling in the spirit, then you are weird, a cult, or.. ect...

Anyway... I will stop here because I am not really into this topic either. I did just have a wonderful conversation the Lord this morning about 'studying." For me, during this time, I am to continue to press in with my studies. But, then with this job, I am able to have great opportunities to walk in love, so He has not left anything undone.

Anyway.. I should go now. I sure can yack alot. lol


We will continue to pray for you.
lv
stacie
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Bill and Joan
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Stace,

I totally agree with you that we are not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. As a matter of fact, I said something simiiar to Billy this morning when I took him to work. Actually, it was more like this, "so, what are we do reject the possibility that the world is round just because we've been taught that it's square and we're afraid that if we walk too far we're going to fall off?" LOL I want to be open to ALL that God was to teach us and share with us. About traveling in the spirit, we have had a couple of pastors/ministers share with us that it has happened to them. One was from India, the other from Africa. I know this is possible. I also know that the enemy can imitate the things of God, such as with New Age, but you have to have an original to make an imitate of, right?

Love ya,
Joan
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Stace4Jesus
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Absolutely...

:woopi
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Barb
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Oh boy....don't know what really is going on here...BUT.... ;) Ya knew there was a but didn't you...?! :lol:

I have to say that God is spirit and we are to worship Him in spirit.
We are to be as He is...spirit.
We are to dwell where He dwells...in the spirit realm.

We are made after His likeness...He is spirit.
We are residents of the spirit realm and that is our true reality, that is home.

What we 'see' here around us in the natural is a reflection of the spirit around us.
What we see manifest in our lives is a direct result of spiritual law, blessing or curse and for the most part we are the author of such things by our acceptance of and adhearance to His truths and teachings for us.

Mysticism is not be feared but embraced. It is a spiritual journey directly to the heart of God. Those who embrace it and pursue God in such a way are refined by fire and made into His likeness. However, it must be anchored in fundamentalism. It must have an anchor of truth. A knowledge and understanding of God, who He is and His character.

It is NOT a tool to be used to maipulate others, circumstances or situations. Rather is it the threshold of an extreemly intimate one on one relationship with the Lord that surpassses earthly understanding and is the path to opening ones spiritual eyes into deeper things of the Lord, greater understanding of His ways, revelatory wisdom and knowledge, and entry into the heavenly realms where He dwells.

Trouble is the enemy has caused this term to be used in negative circumstances and situations and applied in un-godlike ways in an attempt to nullify it' and cause believers to shy away from crossing over into the spiritual realms. Truth is; it is God. He is the creator of ALL things, mysticism included. The enemy did not 'invent' any of the things that are used in contrast to God, he just uses them to serve himself and not God.

Anyway....as far as mysticism is concerned...I think that if we are to really know God and be as He is then we must embrace the "mysterious". We must become 'mystic' in our understanding towards Him and pursue Him in the spirit.

The thing is....as Joan said...it needs to be simple. What can be more simple than pursuing God in spirit? We are spirit it is our nature to be spirit. Yet we are bogged down with the flesh and the trappings of such...if we could just let go of all that then ...WOW :woo

Love yas'








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Stace4Jesus
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:bang

Man... I wish I'd said it that way.



:woo



Great post


lv
stacie :woopi
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Bill and Joan
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Hi Stace,

Please stop beating your head against a brick wall - you're giving me a headache and I can only imagine what it must be doing to you! LOL Stace, both you and Barb expressed yourselves well. It is good to see the interaction taking place here. Hallelujah! Now Lord, we ask that You open it up to others to come fellowship in this site for Your glory, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Love ya,
Joan
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Barb
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hey....yea sounds good to me too!

Joan is right Stacie, don't beat yourself up so much....take it from one who knows....lol :faint

I think we all expressed ourselves with marvelous widsom and it has been brought together as only He can.

It may cause each of us and those who read it to stretch a bit but ya know that is good it also helps us see where we are in our thinking and whether it is going astray or not.


The main thing is that He is revealed and He is taught. With mysticism it is imperative that one tie the living God into the teaching so there is no misunderstadning at all. This is how we reclaim what the enemy has stolen and how the truth prevails.

love ya's


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Stace4Jesus
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:wave

Cool topic


:woopi
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