In short, it involves change...significant life changes many of which are very difficult. It is not primarily an intellectual event or process, but rather a change of heart, will and soul...a change in our manner of living. In fact, it is our spirit coming alive and thus enabling us to 'see' like we have not before. Our entire view of the world and of human life changes, as well as our understanding of ourselves and the purpose of our lives.
This is the real, genuine process of becoming a follower of the Light of the world...anything less is an illegitimate substitute or a cheap counterfeit.
The religious substitute is primarily an intellectual exercise possibly involving an emotional event which merely results in a few new God beliefs and some new religious rituals, but their is a lack of significant life change...a lack of change in the basic manner of how one's lives one's life and WHAT we are living for . The person substituting the religious experience for the genuine faith experience will simply not be a significantly different person...nothing significant about their lives or their world view will changes. Oh, they might have a new political view of things or some new religious beliefs or behavior, but when it comes to how they live their lives, nothing significantly changes.
Is it possible for those who obey Joshua's teachings to live lives that are essentially the same as before they claimed to have become a follower of Joshua of Nazareth? Or, is it possible for those who obey Joshua's teachings out of love for him and his Father, to live lives that are indistinguishable from those who reject Joshua as their Leader?
The simple answer is no, it is not possible. It is as possible as a caterpillar not changing into a butterfly, or the Spring not brining new life or warmer temperatures not melting ice.
Furthermore, is it possible for the genuine followers of Joshua of Nazareth to spread a half-true 'gospel' (not derived from Joshua himself but rather from Paul) and ignore and disobey the basic teachings of the Real Joshua on how to live our lives?
No, it is not possible.
Does the kingdom of God that Joshua teaches involve attending a religious organization people call 'the church', having more bible or scripture knowledge, trying to be more moral than the next fellow, and giving a bit of one's money to the religious organization so that their religious leaders can be paid to 'spread the gospel'?
No, it does not.
How should the followers of Joshua be living our lives? Does Joshua give us specific instructions on how to live our lives
Yes.
Do the teachings of Joshua address this most important question of how the followers of Joshua ought to be living our lives while on this earth? Quite plainly if we have ears to hear and a willing heart.
Sadly, christians and other biblians spend a great deal of time trying to "find the will of God for their lives". The number of sermons and books on this subject is very large. They do this because they are not listening to the Light of the world. If they would listen to the good Shepherd, they would receive him giving them the will of God, for God does not hide His will regarding HOW His children live our lives but rather has given it plainly for all to hear. The disciples of Joshua's lives will be the same in terms of the basic how they are living, in all places in all times, for neither the Master nor his teachings vary with time or cultures.
If the christians would actually listen to Joshua for how to their lives, they would have more than enough to do in DOING the basic commands of Joshua. They would be too busy doing the work of the Master - the will of the Father - to spend time reading all the books on finding God's will! But since the christians are used to building the counterfeit kingdom of God, they have plenty of disposable time, since they have a professional clergy doing their work for them. Instead of doing what Joshua says, they build religious organizations which in every significant way mimics the world they say is 'lost' or 'in need of salvation'. The christians choose to hang onto the world and thus reject the very one whom they claim to follow who says, "lose your life and hate your life in this world" (John 12).
The good news is that the teachings of Joshua do give us great and specific guidance on how we ought to be living our lives. The bad news is that very few are willing to receive these truths - that is that most are not even willing to consider these teachings of Joshua as a little child, let alone try living them out. Each person who hears these Words of Joshua has a choice to make, including this author and you, dear reader. In fact, the Words and teachings of Joshua in the four gospel books and repeated in this article and on this web site will have a dramatic effect on how we live our lives IF we don't try to explain them away and nullify them (often using bible religion) due to our love for this world. So, let us look at the teachings of Joshua to see if we can find how we ought to be living our lives, or said another way, how our days, weeks, months and years ought to look while on this earth. As the Master says, "He who has ear, let him hear!"
Upon hearing the Words of the Light AS ADULTS, we repent from ignoring our Father and His Messenger, and receive the seed which is the Son's Word. We see and acknowledge how our pride, fear and selfishness have caused hurt or harm to others and ourselves and we truly regret it and commit to change and with our new-found faith, we do change. When we receive our Father's forgiveness, we should be VERY grateful! At the same time, our new Leader Joshua tells us to count the cost of following him. If we are to follow Joshua (and thus please our Father) we must turn away from loving our lives in this world (John 12:25; Matt. 4:17, 10:39), and this means to stop valuing and living for the things the world says are important or valuable...things like money or other material things, our natural or legal relatives, our religious organizations and their gods, our 'careers' or jobs or work, our political views and work, our educations, our recreations, our hobbies or entertainments or self indulgences and even our efforts to help other people when not doing it Joshua' Way. This is what Joshua means when he says that we must forsake all, and hate our lives in this world, in order to be his follower (Matt. 3:2, 8; 19:29; Luke 14:26, 33; John 12:25, 6:27, 14:6).
Reality Check: Has this happened in your life dear reader? Or are you like the many who say, "Oh, I've always known jesus since I was a child. ..." or "I became a christian when I was baptized..." or a thousand other excuses or substitutes for a significant change in our life's direction as an adult? Have the courage to truly evaluate your life in light of these truths, and then DO SOMETHING. You have everything that is truly valuable to lose and eternal Life to gain!
The new purpose of our life will change to living for our Father and his Son and to please them (Mark 12:30-31) instead of living for ourselves and the things this world says are important, including the religious world. We cannot please our Father or our new Leader by living for the world or the things of the world for the Light says we must hate our lives in this world and forsake all the world considers valuable and worth pursuing with our lives (Luke 14:33, John 12:25). Our primary way to love our Father and new Leader back is by obeying the Son (John 14:15, 21) and we can please them by bringing other people to them in order for the Father to have more received children and the King to have more subjects (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19-20). We only have so much time in a day/week/month/year/lifetime, and we ought not to deceive ourselves by thinking we are not working for money if that is what we are doing. If our passion has nothing to do with bringing people to Joshua, or helping others to do the same, or loving the follower's we are sharing our life with, but rather has everything to do with earning money and accumulating material wealth or retaining physical security even while we do not speak/acknowledge our alleged King with our words (Matt. 6:19-24, John 6:27), then we are self deceived.
Reality Check: What is in our heart comes out of our mouth. In like manner, where our treasure is, there will our heart be. If you are not speaking about the Father you claim to love with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, then you are badly self deceived or a coward. If you are not talking about your beloved "Master" - which is what Joshua of Nazareth will be to you if you have actually placed your faith in him - then you are badly self deceived or a coward. If you are not actively trying to get to know the one you somehow claim as 'Lord', by reading HIS words and teachings, then you are not his follower. If you really want to know what you love and value most in your life, just look at your thoughts and words over the course of a day or week. It is that simple so please don't deceive yourself by believing a few hours of prayer asking God for stuff amounts to your heart loving God or Joshua...or a few hours at a religious 'service' (really entertainment meeting) amounts to "loving God" or "loving one another".
As we speak our Master's Words, we will be disliked or hated by people who do not want to follow the Light, and we will be rejected and persecuted (John 15:19-21, 17:14). This will not only be true if we are working at a job with others, but it will especially be true of the people who once knew us in the religious organizations (christians or bible people) and our natural relatives (Matt. 10:34-39, 13:57). If we are faithfully following Joshua, we will be at best rejected ('I don't want to be with you anymore because all you want to talk about is this Joshua and his supposed truths...') by those who refuse to follow Joshua as HE HIMSELF defines it, and at worst, persecuted (' sorry, you're just not a team player that is why we are letting you go' or 'I am right in divorcing you because you are a different person than I married' or 'you need to submit to church leadership or we will take disciplinary action' or 'if you don't give up this 'Jesus stuff', you need to move out', or 'I am getting a restraining order against you seeing our children because you are teaching them wacked out religious stuff', etc. (John 15:19-21).
Reality Check: Well? Having a difference of opinion or a spat about 'theology' or politics does not amount to being rejected or persecuted. Losing a job because you did poorly or being separated from people due to our own self-pride, fear or selfishness is NOT a valid reason for being rejected or persecuted due to following Joshua. Being obnoxious or pushy or arrogant with one's god beliefs due to our self-pride or fear-based insecurity are not valid reasons for being rejected or persecuted due to Joshua. However, make no mistake, we will be rejected and persecuted by people due to our speaking HIS truths and trying to live them out. Of course the real easy way around the simple truth that followers of Joshua will be rejected and persecuted is to say, 'well, we are all christians that is why I am not experiencing any of that...we live in a christian nation!'. First of all, that betrays a DEEP misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God and of the King. The simple truth is that Joshua was rejected and persecuted by the religious equivalent in his day of 'christians', and so it has been for his followers throughout time.
We will find ourselves very much alone as we are unable to easily find others who are also willing to try to forsake their lives in the world in order to faithfully follow Joshua and thus truly love one another (Matt. 7:13-14, Luke 13:24, John 13:34-35). We will find ourselves unable to do the lessor work well with others where we can freely acknowledge our Master and speak his Words openly and consistently (John 15:19-21, 17:14; Matt. 10:32-33). Since we are rejected by the world (especially the religious people who make up churchianity and bible-anity who will be offended at our comments about how their god beliefs and practices do not line up with Joshua's teachings), we will find ourselves needing a new Family to be a part of, to help us do our Master's work as well as help support each other in daily life while on this earth.
Reality Check: Well? What rejection have you experienced due to faithfully repeating Joshua's truths? How much have you been truly alone due to your faith in Joshua and the primary manifestation of that faith being speaking his truths, including the unpopular ones which people will reject you for? Unpopular truths like...christian and bible religion work against Joshua and his teachings...to love one another means we live together and share all our stuff...to love one another could not possibly include killing people a world government calls 'your enemy'...Joshua is to be our only Leader and Teacher, no one else which mean's religious guys who take titles of leadership are seeking to replace Joshua...in general the people of the world are in darkness and normal practice is to take from each other no matter the harm it causes...to be ruled by self-pride, fear and selfishness is to be part of the problem NOT part of the solution...to deny that self-pride and fear play no role in one's refusal to use reason to understand God stuff is to be deluded, etc.
Joshua plainly says that the way the world will know that we are his disciples, is because of the love we will have for one another (John 13:34-35). While our words (as we repeat his) are important, Joshua doesn't say that his followers will be known for their bible knowledge or correct doctrine or beliefs. He says that his follower's witness to the world will be primarily the world seeing his love lived out among his followers (John 13:34-35). The love Joshua teaches necessitates the followers of Joshua being together in order to represent a physical witness and manifestation of the love of God to back up the Words we speak about God's forgiveness, love and the Master's Life (John 13:34-35; Matt. 5:14-16). God's Family must manifest itself visibly on the earth for the world to see our Father's love, and that Family will live according to the selfless-ness of the Master and his teachings. We will act like good, real brothers and sisters having the same Father, sharing all He gives us, and doing His work together.
The teaching of Joshua on our love for one another being the primary witness to the world, along with this love working itself out will lead us to seek out other followers to love and be loved by in order to be the manifestation of God's Family on the earth (John 13:34-35; Mark 10:29-30). Since we have forsaken all the world hold's dear, we have no problem leaving our former houses, families, jobs, careers, educations and such in order to find other disciples to share the Life with (Mark 10:29-30). If we can find none locally, we would have no problem getting mobile in order to find other followers to love and serve our Master together. If we are not looking to share our lives with others who have the Life, then we are falling short of perhaps the most important command of the Master in terms of our work on this earth, which command is recorded in John 13:34-35.
When we do find other's who are sincerely trying to live their life according to the Words of Joshua, we will try and love them as a manifestation of God's love for them (John 13:34-35). This love is selfless and we will share all the material things we have in order to try and stop depending on the world so that we can learn to depend on our Father and the provision of His Family (Mark 10:29-30). If our Master commands us to give a thief our shirt if he steals our jacket, how much easier should it be to share the material things our Father has given us with other members of His Family? (Matt. 5:40-42) Isn't that what Family does...care for one another? Isn't real love about selfless sharing and commitment born out of a heart of compassion? If we can't love our new Family, how can we love our enemies?
As we stop living for material security, and start living for our Father and His Son, we will see others who are doing the same as our new mothers, and brothers and sisters, and we will treat them as such (Matthew 12:47-49). "Brother" will no longer be just a label given to others who only share our beliefs but don't share our lives. Rather, it will be worked out in life just like REAL BROTHERS working for their father. While we forsake depending on the world and it's ways for material security, our gracious Father will add all these things to those who follow His Son and to those in His Family as they seek the kingdom of God (Mark 10:29-30).
Reality Check: Those who partake in the substitute or counterfeit of christian or bible religion and who meet a few times a week for a few hours while they live their lives apart from those they call "brother" and "sister" and who actually live with only natural or legal family, are badly deceived and living a delusional lie. Those who see themselves as 'prophets' who correct everyone who has different beliefs then their bible beliefs, and who choose to have no one to practice love with in their life, are badly deceived. Are you able to face the truth on this? Or are all the false justifications running through your mind?
As the new Family grows in any particular location, it's purpose will not be to be materially secure and comfortable in the world, or to focus inward in self-love or religious entertainment. Rather, it will be to do the Greater work together to advance the King's kingdom and bring our Master to others. Because we are sharing all things, the need to do the lesser work to provide for food, shelter and clothing will decrease, and the time available to go and bring our Master to others will increase. We will do the lesser work together for food, clothing and shelter, but the purpose of our lesser work will be to support the Greater work of others who are truly serving our Master, and thus we will truly not be working for the food which perishes. Any material things gained over our daily needs we could sell and use to help others find the Life we have found and to spread his Words in truth.
Each little flock (God's Family) will not be isolated away from the lost sheep on the earth. We will live in or near areas where we can go and try and bring others to the Way and Life just as our Master did and tell us to do. And our witness will not be merely words...for when we find a person who repents and is willing to forsake what the people of the world value in order to live for the new Life, we will be able to bring them back to a real Family which is living according to the Master's teachings, and thus TRULY love and support them in the new Life! (Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:29-30)
The little flocks and Families will not be immune from the hatred of the world, and we will be rejected and persecuted, just as we were when we were individuals and alone. We will be labeled with all the fear words the world can offer (cult, heretics, dangerous sect, extremists, etc.), and we may have to flee to other areas if the persecution gets too difficult. But take heart, little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom! (Matt. 10:23; Luke 12:32)
Reality Check: So, how is your Family Life getting along? How is it going bringing Joshua and HIS truths to others? Are you going to insist your religious organization's meetings with people you barely know is "Family"? Are you going to claim that acquaintances and 'friends' (those you hang out with when it is convenient for you do to so) act like actual brothers and sisters with the same Father sharing all the Father has and doing His work - brining the Light to others - together? Please abandon the great delusion and come find Life!
"All who have ears to hear, let them hear!"
...and then come, join the Peaceful Revolution!