Top Christian Spiritual Resources

[John Doe]

YouTube channel - 'Spiritual Unfoldment with John Butler'. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi0TFuqj6eND-mJRf8i2Tnw

Has been very useful to me, even though I'm a Hindu.

[Bill W]

Hi All,

I feel I am in the early stages of a love affair with a particular well known Christian author. I wanted to give you a couple of snippets from one of his books and you let me know if you fancy guessing who this is?

Some of you might know, most will not. If you can't guess, and are curious, you can Google a couple of these lines and you will probably find out who this is. I'm awestruck with his writing. I'm about to finish reading a second book of his in a 24 hour period (some of his works are quite short, about 40-50 pages). 

To dissolve a problem that now seems so real to you all that you do is remove your attention from it. In spite of its seeming reality, turn from it in consciousness.

Take your attention from being imprisoned and begin to feel yourself to be free. FEEL it to the point where it is natural – the very second you do so, those prison bars will dissolve. Apply this same principle to any problem.

As long as you are conscious of being imprisoned or diseased, or poor, so long will you continue to out-picture or express these conditions.

This cue is given you in words, “Whom seek ye?” And they answered, “Jesus.” And the voice said, “I am he.” ‘Jesus’ here means salvation or savior. You are seeking to be salvaged from that which is not your problem.

Claim it in consciousness – not in words – and consciousness will reward you with your claim.

[Bill W]

I am new to the Bible. There are only 3 books of the 66 I've read from start to finish. Generally, I've been collecting versus as I go, but do intend to read the Bible in it's entirety. 

These are some of the my favourite versus thus far. I've divided them into three categories; GRACE, LOVE, FEAR, and OTHERS

 

Grace

1 Corinthians 10:13 - The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. NLT

2 Corinthians 5:7- For we walk by faith, not by sight. KJV

Luke 17:21 - Nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” KJV

Mark 8:34-35  - Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me (NLT) For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (NIV)

Philippians 4:8-9 - And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me do doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. NLT

Psalm 4:4 - Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. NIV

 

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV)

Galatians 6:2 - Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. (NIV)

Proverbs 11:24-25 - One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed NIV

Ephesians 4:2 - Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. NLT

 

Fear

2 Corinthians 12:9 - Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. NLT

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. NLT

John 14:27 - “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid”. NLT

Philippians 4:6-7 - Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. NLT

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding (NIV). Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. NLT

Psalms 23:1-4 - A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (NIV)

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV

 

Others

Isaiah 43:25 - I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. NLT

Matthew 18: 21-22 - Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. NLT

James 1:19 - Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. NLT

Proverbs 11:12 - It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet. NLT

Proverbs 26:27 - If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. NLT

Edited December 30, 2019 by Bill W

[Zigzag Idiot]

Thanks @Bill W

I'm aware of Neville Goddard but have never read him. 

My favorite of the Bible verses you quoted.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV)

Reminds me of the idea in being a placeholder for others,,,,

[SgtPepper]

Found a new resource! Philokalia is apparently one of the best resources on Christian Mysticism.

https://www.amazon.com/Philokalia-Complete-Text-Ser-Three/dp/B000KBLIKA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=philokalia&qid=1579633632&sr=8-1

There's 4 volumes, but I will be ordering the volumes one at a time.

The description reads "A collection of texts written in Greek between the fourth and 15th centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox tradition. Compiled in the 18th century and first published in Venice in 1782, it has had a profound influence on the spiritual life of the Eastern Churches"

[pluto]

Akashic Records

[fridjonk]

Really liked this video.

[Ero]

Stumbled across his channel. Haven't watched much, but it would be interesting to learn more. Sorry if somebody already shared it, only today I came across his channel. 

"We humans are insatiable. We do or best to limit the limitless. We find that much easier than let go of our limits and unite with the limitless. "

Edited January 29, 2020 by Ero

[tsuki]

@Ero This is really good. Thank you for this link. John Butler has been gaining popularity here recently.

I don't know whether Wikipedia counts as a top resource, but here are some gems related to mysticism:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_contemplation
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Prayer

Edited January 29, 2020 by tsuki

[Zigzag Idiot]

Ted is laying it down eloquently utilizing his sometime used, dramatic, evangelical cadence.

[Petals]

Hesychasm:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesychasm

has Emanuel Swedenborg already been mentioned?

https://swedenborg.com/

 

[andyjohnsonman]

On 25/12/2019 at 0:18 AM, John Doe said:

YouTube channel - 'Spiritual Unfoldment with John Butler'. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi0TFuqj6eND-mJRf8i2Tnw

Has been very useful to me, even though I'm a Hindu.

I also watch John Butler's content and find his content incredibly useful. I would put him as a stage turquoise christian - definitely found peace

 

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by andyjohnsonman
wanted to add link

[Verdesbird]

the first half hour is interesting 

[Zigzag Idiot]

@Verdesbird I appreciate other perspectives but the video you posted doesn't belong on this particular thread.

 

[Elshaddai]

I think this quote from John of the cross really gets to the essence of true christian mysticism and spirituality, even though I am nowhere near to apply everything he talks about in my own life:

 

“First of all, carefully excite in yourself an habitual affectionate will in all things to imitate Jesus Christ. If anything agreeable offers itself to your senses, yet does not at the same time tend purely to the honor and glory of God, renounce  it and separate yourself from it for the love of Christ, who all his life long had no other taste or wish than to do the will of his Father whom he called his meat and nourishment.

For example, you take satisfaction in hearing of things in which the glory of God bears no part. Deny yourself this satisfaction, mortify your wish to listen. You take pleasure in seeing objects which do not raise your mind to God: refuseyourself this pleasure, and turn away your eyes. The same with conversations and all other things.

Act similarly, so far as you are able, with all the operations of the senses, striving to make yourself free from their yokes. “The radical remedy lies in the mortification of the four great natural passions, joy, hope, fear, and grief. You must seek to deprive these of every satisfaction and leave them as it were in darkness and the void.

 Let your soul therefore turn always: “Not to what is most easy, but to what is hardest;

“Not to what tastes best, but to what is most distasteful;

“Not to what most pleases, but to what disgusts; “Not to matter of consolation, but to matter for desolation rather;

“Not to rest, but to labor;

“Not to desire the more, but the less;

“Not to aspire to what is highest and most precious, but to what is lowest and most contemptible;

“Not to will anything, but to will nothing;

“Not to seek the best in everything, but to seek the worst, so that you may enter for the love of Christ into a complete destitution, a perfect poverty of spirit, and an absolute renunciation of everything in this world.

Embrace these practices with all the energy of your soul and you will find in a short time great delights and unspeakable consolations.

“Despise yourself, and wish that others should despise you. "

“Speak to your own disadvantage, and desire others to do the same;"

“Conceive a low opinion of yourself, and find it good when others hold the same;"

“To enjoy the taste of all things, have no taste for anything.“

"To know all things, learn to know nothing. “To possess all things, resolve to possess nothing."

“To be all things, be willing to be nothing “

"To get to where you have no taste for anything, go through whatever experiences you have no taste for."

“To learn to know nothing, go whither you are ignorant."

“To reach what you possess not, go whithersoever you own nothing.“

"To be what you are not, experience what you are not.”

“When you stop at one thing, you cease to open yourself to the All. “For to come to the All you must give up the All. “And if you should attain to owning the All, you must own it, desiring Nothing.

“In this spoliation, the soul finds its tranquillity and rest. Profoundly established in the centre of its own nothingness, it can be assailed by naught that comes from below; and since it no longer desires anything, what comes from above cannot depress it; for its desires alone are the causes of its woes.”

 

“When you stop at one thing, you cease to open yourself to the All. “For to come to the All you must give up the All. “And if you should attain to owning the All, you must own it, desiring Nothing. “In this spoliation, the soul finds its tranquillity and rest. Profoundly established in the centre of its own nothingness, it can be assailed by naught that comes from below; and since it no longer desires anything, what comes from above cannot depress it; for its desires alone are the causes of its woes.”

 

TLDR:Renounce yourself completely and give up all of your selfish desires and attachments in order to cling to god alone.

[Amil]

I understand

[Petals]

Is anyone here familiar with the Pathwork Lectures? what do you think about them?

https://pathwork.org/lecture-categories/pathwork-lectures-1996-ed/

Edited July 2, 2020 by Petals

[Zigzag Idiot]

@Petals I've yet to check out your link. I'm going to do that now.

Here is Ted and his preacher man cadence. ? Don't let that turn you away. He's a sharp character. Basically, he's delivering Esoteric Christianity. Aka - Fourth Way Teachings 

[Petals]

https://www.jgbennett.org/chapter-4-mow/ 

J.G. Bennet on Divine Love and the (surprising) role of Judas.

[Zigzag Idiot]

J.G. Bennet certainly had a long interesting life. As a Young British military officer he first met Gurdjieff in Constantinople as Gurdjieff was leading a small group out of and away from the Russian revolution.

J.G. Bennet's personal Diary combined with his wife, Ezlizabeth's Diary were made into a book about Life with Gurdjieff during the last 2 years of Gurdjieff's life. This book is Titled - Idiot's In Paris

Bruno Martin who put together the book- The Realized Idiot - in 2008, was a Student of J.G. Bennet

This book is subtitled The Artful Psychology of G. I. Gurdjieff and "The Science of Idiotism"

In an online group reading of Beelzebub's Tales To His Grandson I wrote a summary of chapter 38 which is somewhat flawed and amateurish. The last couple of paragraphs  addresses Judas and The Last Supper. I put this Summary in my Journal a while back for anyone who might be interested.

If this were moved to the Thread on George Gurdjieff, it would be fine with me. Not all of the Students of Gurdjieff, past and present, go along with this version of The Last Supper.