"I Rebuke You In The Name of Jesus!"

Have you ever shared something empowering and clarifying only to be met with total confusion or, even more humorously, an outright rebuke? If you’ve ever tried to introduce Neville Goddard’s interpretation of the Bible to someone who holds a more traditional view, you might know exactly what I mean. And let me tell you—some of the reactions I’ve had are as funny as they are revealing.

The First Reaction: “I Rebuke You in the Name of Jesus!”

Now, I wasn’t expecting everyone to just accept Neville’s teachings and say, "Yes, that makes total sense." But I was a little surprised at how often the first thing I’d hear when sharing Neville’s ideas was: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!”

It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? Here I am, sharing a perspective I find incredibly empowering—that imagination is the creative power, and that the Bible is a symbolic guidebook to awakening—and I’m met with, well, a rebuke. At first, I didn’t understand it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that this reaction wasn’t as much about me or my ideas—it was about where people’s minds were at.

Blind Faith: The Real Comedy

What I was offering wasn’t meant to attack anyone’s beliefs or undermine their faith. In fact, I truly believe Neville’s teachings have the potential to empower anyone willing to explore them. The Bible, when seen through Neville’s lens, is a treasure trove of spiritual symbolism, where Jesus represents the imagination within us all, and David represents our awakening to the divine.

But for those who are deeply rooted in a literal interpretation of the Bible, it’s hard to see this. That’s when I started to realise: the rebukes weren’t personal. They were simply the result of blind faith—an attachment to a particular understanding of the Bible that leaves little room for new interpretations. And while that faith is valuable, it can sometimes be limiting.

Side Note: The Apostle's Rebuke

Interestingly, we see in the New Testament that even one of the apostles, Paul, rebuked someone for trying to hinder the spread of truth. In Acts 13:8-11, Paul rebukes a false prophet named Elymas, calling him a "child of the devil" and declaring that he would be struck blind for his opposition to the gospel. While this story isn’t directly about blind faith, it highlights the presence of opposition to spiritual truths in the early church. And much like the rebukes I encountered when sharing Neville’s interpretations, it shows how challenging it can be to move beyond a fixed perspective.

But the key takeaway here is not the rebuke itself, but the realization that new ideas or perspectives often face resistance—whether in the Bible or in our own lives. Change, or awakening, isn’t always met with open arms, but it doesn’t invalidate the truth.

The Real Joke: It’s About Perspective

Here’s where the comedy really kicks in: I wasn’t suggesting anything radical or disrespectful. I was simply offering a way to unlock the deeper meanings of the Bible and see it as a map for our spiritual awakening. Yet, the rebuke would come, as if the very idea of imagination as the divine power was somehow threatening.

Now, looking back, I realise that the real joke is how attached people can become to their way of seeing things. And I don’t say that with any sense of superiority—I’ve been there too. Blind faith is a powerful force, and it can be hard to let go of long-held beliefs, especially when they’ve been comforting for so long.

The Shift: Seeing the Bigger Picture

What I’ve come to understand is that these rebukes don’t reflect the truth of the message—it reflects where the person is in their journey. Sometimes, people are just not ready to see things from a different perspective. And that’s okay. Everyone is on their own path, and we all awaken in our own time.

So, if you ever find yourself in the same position—sharing something that feels empowering but being met with confusion or even a rebuke—don’t take it personally. It’s not about you; it’s about where they are in their own awakening. Their faith, while beautiful, can sometimes blind them to a bigger perspective, but that doesn’t make the truth any less powerful.

Final Laugh: The Comedy of Awakening

In the end, the humor isn’t in ridiculing anyone’s beliefs, but in seeing how attachment to a particular interpretation can prevent us from seeing the deeper empowering truths that are waiting for us. Blind faith, when not examined, can keep us stuck in a narrow view of what’s possible. But once that attachment is loosened—even just a little—everything starts to shift.

I don’t say any of this to be superior, but just to share what I’ve learned. The truth Neville offers isn’t meant to take anything away from people’s faith; it’s meant to add to it. To help unlock spiritual power and awaken to something even more beautiful than we imagined.

So, if you’re ever rebuked for offering a new perspective, remember this: it’s not about you. It’s just a natural part of the journey. And when the time is right, they’ll see things from a new light—just like I did. And maybe, we’ll all look back and laugh at how blind faith once kept us from seeing the full truth.