Football.

When the cameras showed two young boys in tears at the football the commentator said they should "harden up."
Meaning they should follow the example of the footballers who were "hard".

The greatest insult that a team can be given is to be called "soft"*, like one coaches "marshmallows".

This may seem the most logical survival strategy to people who live their lives reactively.  This world is harsh and cruel, even brutal, so the way to survive is to "harden up".

This is the way of the world.

But God's way is different.
We pray not to harden our hearts.
A gentle, loving heart is what God wants for us.

Love.
Compassion.
Charity.

These are things of God.

The football league epitomizes the way of the world.
And we are encouraged to emulate their success (the cigar, the chocolates).

"He who dies with the most toys wins."

These are people who do not listen to God.
If they have heard God's message they do not follow it.

"You have to live in the real world."

You can cry out to God!
He will hear and deliver you.

"You deliver the weak from those too strong for them,
the weak and needy from those who despoil them."  Psalm 35:10b (NRSV)

God is faithful and worthy of our trust.

We should love those who oppress us and pray for them.

For they are more afraid than us.

(*This comes from their corporate owners.)


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Did Jesus Make a Mistake?

When Jesus reached Jerusalem he attacked the Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious authorities) and threatened to replace them.

Was this a mistake?

Jesus' philosophy was to love your enemies not to attack them and threaten them.

When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed for the cup to pass from him.  He did not pray for the Pharisees and Sadducees as he had preached.

It was not until he was on the cross that he prayed for his enemies.

The Mars/Pluto conjunction in Jesus' progressed horoscope opposed his natal solar stellium in Pisces.  This can be read as biting off more than you can chew, provoking authority, and inviting a test of strength resulting in power struggles and violence.

This certainly happened to Jesus.

So should Jesus have behaved differently?
Should he have recognized that the Pharisees and Sadducees (and the Romans) were motivated by fear - fear of God and fear of revolt.

Jesus inadvertently triggered their worst fears.

Had he talked about fear and had compassion for those who were captive to that fear the result might have been different.

Jesus said not to resist evil but to pray for those you perceive as evil.

You will find that they are motivated by fear.
And you can have compassion for them.

Might and Power.

God is not might and power.

Although God is almighty and all powerful, He does not function through might and power.

Many Christians make the mistake of assuming that God, being almighty and all powerful, wins out though might and power.

But this is not the case.

God is gentle and non-violent.

When God showed Elijah the wind, earthquake, and fire, God was not in them.
God was in the still, small voice (a whisper).

"'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.'"  Zechariah 4:6b (NRSV)

So we can reject all the hymns and doctrines based on might, victory, conquest, violence etc..

God is not in them.

God is gentle and non-violent, even small.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

A Dream.

When we are in darkness we are full of fears.

When we are in darkness we make mistakes.

When we are in darkness we are deceived.

But when the light comes it dispels the darkness and we awaken.

And all our fear is like a dream.

The Way of God.

1.  Love (for everyone).

2.  Compassion (understanding).

3.  Unselfishness (consideration).

4.  Gratitude (a thankful heart).

5.  Charity (generosity).

6.  Courage (to act).

7.  Integrity (principles).

The Gods of the World.

The first god of the world is beauty.
If you are good looking you are more likely to make friends, get a partner, get a job, get a promotion, get elected, make money.....than if you are not.

The second god of the world is money.
Wealth is what we seek when we have achieved success in the first god's arena of relationships.

The third god of the world is fame.
When we have a relationship and wealth the next god of seduction is fame.  We want to be admired and applauded.

The fourth god of the world is leisure.
Holidays, sports, entertainment, movies, lunch.....all these recreations follow the former gods.

The fifth god of the world is shopping.
Spending money for the sake of it, or as therapy (compensation), is the next pitfall.

The sixth god of the world is pleasure.
Sex, food, art, reading, music, winning.....all these things are pleasurable.

The seventh god of the world is success.
Achievements in this world are a constant seduction, a prop for our ego.

There are many other gods in the world but these are the most seductive.

Success?

Working backwards from the answer, Satanists in our popular culture believe that a person who rebels against God and commits himself to worldly goals, forsaking everything that God has taught us and doing the opposite, will automatically succeed.

As if Satan is the god of the world and his ways succeed on earth.
They believe that everyone is in Satan's power (as  St. Paul did).

And it can often seem that way.

This, however, is not the case.

Satan does not exist.
So we cannot be in his power.
Nor can they sell their souls to him.
Nor can he reward them for their (dirty) deeds.

So practicing Satanism - principles of hatred, violence, revenge, torture etc. - is pointless.

They are creating great suffering for nothing.
For, despite the fact that Satan does not exist, their deeds still affect us -
negative input, hatred, violence (physical, emotional, spiritual), malice, sabotage, drugs, divorce..... all these things they do while disguising themselves as humanitarians, even saints.

Most people take things at face value.

This is backwards and forwards.
Backwards (black magic) to create success - money, sex etc..
Forwards to cover it up.

They are evil by choice.
And if they can be exposed, i.e. break the spells that hide their activities, then people will see them for what they are.

It is not just heavy metal music either.
It is all rock music and more - movies, sports, T.V., novels etc..

Working through the unconscious, it is a constant diet of evil and sabotage designed to lead you astray and lead you to death and damnation.

But this will not happen.
Death is a theological fiction (i.e. it does not exist in reality).
Damnation is a human construct (i.e. God does not do it - it is out of character).

In a popular movie poster one of them is standing behind a young man making the sign of the devil (two fingers for horns) on each side of his head.
This would indicate that he was trying to make the young man think like a Satanist, i.e. hate God, be bad, live for sex, court money, possessions, and status, take revenge, desecrate the holy, destroy the Church.....

And he thinks it creates success.

Islam.

Much of Shariah Law does not come from the Koran at all.
Amputations and covering women (dress codes) are from other sources.

This is like the Catholic Traditions (which are not Biblical).

So there is no obligation to observe them.

Islamic God Alone philosophy returns to the Koran and interprets it in a progressive way, i.e. in its cultural and historical context.

There are other progressive movements within Islam.

We can only hope that these baby steps will gain momentum and that a non-violent form of Islam which is accepting of gay people will develop.

It cannot be too soon.

The Great Commandment.

God gently nudges us in the right direction.
He suggests and hints.
Then He leaves a space (He withdraws).

This space is there for us to grow into.
To put into practice what we have learned.

The greatest thing we learn is Love.
To give love is its own reward.

So what is the meaning and purpose of life?
To give and receive Love.

Love God and love your neighbor.
Love your enemies and pray for those who abuse you.

All else flows from this.

If we love those around us we will treat them justly - not according to rank or status, power or privilege.
We will be generous and forgiving, sensitive and compassionate.
We will not oppress others (the poor or the wicked).
Neither will we ignore their pleas for help.

Love one another - this is the great commandment.

The Forgiving One.

What we see in the Koran is what we see in the Old testament.
God is compassionate and merciful but.....

The prophets seek to apply conditions to God's Love.
They fear that sinful humanity will not do God's will without the threat of punishment.
This attitude results in prophecies of Judgment - the End Times and the Last Day.

None of this is true.

There is no punishment - no End Times, no Last Day.
There is no evidence that God punishes us at all so why would the situation be different after death?

In Indian Philosophy we are exhorted to non-violence ahimsa (harmlessness).

Why would God tell us to be non-violent if He was violent Himself?

Therefore, as there is no punishment, there can be no Hell (which is eternal punishment).

Hell.

In the end times section of Daniel the beast is defeated in battle and his body "given over to be burned with fire."   Daniel 7:11b (NRSV)

This refers to the normal practice of burning the bodies of the dead after battle.
There is nothing supernatural about it.

In Revelation, where the end times passages from all the prophets are combined and exaggerated, this becomes the unquenchable fires of Hell, reserved for Satan and his followers.

This is a spiritualization of the practice of burning the bodies of the dead.

Therefore Hell does not exist in reality.
It is a fabrication.

This is the lesser understanding's approach to evil - to battle against it and defeat it and destroy it.

This is not Jesus' approach - Jesus said, "Do not resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also"  Matthew 5:39 (NRSV) = non-violent non-cooperation.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]  

The Powers.

Take no notice of the powers that be - their religion and their precepts.

For it has always been, since the time of the Pharaohs, that men and women have usurped the power of God and ruled through violence and fear.

Mercy.

Jesus said, "'Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."'" Matthew 9:13a (NRSV)

This refers to Hosea 6:6, "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

And Micah 6:6-8, "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?  Shall I came before him with burnt offerings, with calve a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my first born for my transgression*, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
"He has told you. O mortal, what is good; and what does the lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."

*  This would appear to be a reference to child sacrifice in ancient times - the story of Abraham and Isaac may have signaled the end of this practice.

This progression would indicate that ancient religious practices kept in ignorance were superseded by more enlightened practices.  In this case a better life is preferred by God to ritual sacrifices.

In Ezekiel the saying that God punishes sins to the third and forth generation is no longer to be heard.  Each person is to be responsible for their own sins.

So our understanding of God evolves according to our ability to understand.

When Jesus comes this understanding is further progressed.
We are to love God and our neighbor and love our enemies.

Now our understanding is progressing to supersede ideas like judgment, hell, death, and punishment, original sin and redemption.

God punishes no one.

His love is for each of His children, to the least.

Rather than taking things literally we should see the spirit of scripture.

Know what goodness is - not the dark side of hatred, revenge, and violence; but the light - love, forgiveness, and peace.

"'"I desire mercy, not sacrifice."'"  Matthew 12:7b (NRSV)


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

Good News.

I am not seeking glory for myself.

But I know the Father and can tell you of His ways.
Shocking and inconvenient as they may be.

Many have greatly desired this day and not experienced it.

Blessed are those who bring you God's word.
Difficult and painful as that may be.

But we do not murmur against God.
For we know that His ways are good.

He knows so much better than us.

We bring you good news.
That no one will perish.

Open your hearts!
Give love to all.

Love God.
And He will draw near.

Paradise.

At the beginning of the Bible paradise is a garden, Eden = nature.

At the end of the Bible paradise is a city, New Jerusalem = civilization.

Projecting.

One of the ways that we image the divine is as an authority figure like the King or the Lord.  We project the behavior of the King or the Lord onto God.

In my experience God is never punitive or cruel.
God transcends these things.

God is always patient and kind, forgiving, merciful, and compassionate.

Why would God tell us to be compassionate if He was not compassionate Himself?
Why would God tell us to be non-violent (ahimsa) if He was not non-violent Himself?

The Father is another example of projecting our experience of our own fathers onto God (eg: the dispenser of punishments, harsh and distant, a disciplinarian)

These are subconscious associations with God's titles.

But its love that counts.
The mind may be open and full of light, even enlightened, but the center is in the heart.

If you have not love it is nothing

Dualism.

We confuse the god of nature with the nature of God.
The principles of dualism which we experience in the world are not the nature of God.

One definition of the divine is that it transcends evil and sin.

To transcend dualism does not mean to mingle the pairs of opposites: light and darkness, good and evil, right and wrong etc..

God is all good.
Without shadow.
Omniscient and omnipotent.

The New Paradigm is holistic
- "'"Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one"'"  Mark 12:29b (NRSV)

On earth we experience light and shadow, good fortune and misfortune.
But no good man is entirely good and no bad man is entirely bad.

We make the mistake of projecting this dualism onto God, rather than experiencing the divine directly.

God is gentle and sublime.

The definition of an authentic spiritual experience is that it has an entirely positive outcome.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Universal Principles.

If hatred, revenge, and violence are the dark side then love, forgiveness, and harmlessness are the light side.

These are universal principles.

If lies, deception, and cowardice are characteristic of the dark side then truthfulness, honesty and courage are the light side.

Cruelty, murder, stealing and destructiveness are dark.
Kindness, mercy, contentment, and creativity are light.

Injustice, oppression, persecution, and domination are dark.
Justice, freedom, tolerance, and equality are light.

Miserliness, taking, and selfishness are dark.
Generosity, giving, and selflessness are light.

Cheek, anger, provocation, and corruption are dark.
Respect, calmness, patience, and integrity are light.

War is dark.
Peace is light.

Agitation is dark.
Serenity is light.

Excess is dark.
Moderation is light.

Harsh punishment is dark.
Understanding id light.

Cursing is dark.
Blessing is light

Negativity is dark.
Positivity is light.

These principles apply no matter what your religion.

Reality.

God is merciful, kind, patient, sensitive, beautiful, and loving.

He judges no one.

It is as if He knows the reasons why people are as they are.
He knows our childhood and our experience.

God does not interfere.
He does not force Himself on anyone.

In adolescence, when we come to know the world with all its faults, we become cynical and bitter.  This makes us more selfish.  We call it being realistic.

But this is not the ultimate Reality.

If we call upon God in our distress He will deliver us.

God knows the violence and darkness of the world.

He sows light.

We misunderstand it.  We rationalize it.  We ignore it.  We extinguish it.  We alter it to suit ourselves.  We misinterpret it.

It has been said that God sends a messenger when it has become most dark.
When the darkness is so black that the light is overcome.
Then God intervenes:
Akhenaten, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed.....

The time, the place.....

It is very dark now.

The new paradigm is Aquarius.
The light is the light of love, unconditional love.

Harmlessness (ahimsa).  Trust.  Faith.  Charity.
Honesty.  Equality.  Humanitarianism,  Altruism.
Freedom.  Consideration.  Compassion.  Forgiveness.....

All these things radiate from the goodness of God.

But the greatest of all is Love.

The Light.

There is no punishment from God.

There is no Judgment.

There is no Hell.

There is no Devil.

These are projections (onto God) from humanity.

The Devil is a conception created by one theory of existence.
It explains why there is evil in a world created by a good God.

There are other explanations.

Humans in their ignorance (darkness) commit errors (sins) which create evil.
There is no need for a supernatural entity called the Devil to explain the evils of the world.
Human ignorance is enough.

When babies are born they seem to glow with an inner light.

We soon discover that they are self-centered, possessive, aggressive, territorial, demanding, and exhausting, even manipulative.

We learn to be more social, to share things, to have consideration for others, to be sympathetic, compassionate, and to love.

Is this a pattern?
Darkness to light.
Ego to selflessness.

Enlightenment, development, growth.

Suffering teaches us compassion.

Our life is like a Shakespearean drama of which we are the protagonist.

We exist to experience, to learn.

Unfortunately, most learn to be cynical and selfish.

Are they happy?

Some learn to be childlike again.
To trust and love like a child.
Without the childishness.

The world is corrupt and full of darkness.

Seek the Light.

The Light comes from God.

Interdependence.

When we are young and inexperienced we think that we are alone and separate in our individuality.  We think that we are autonomous and we can do what we like.

What we discover, however, is that we are intricately linked to all of mankind, even life itself.  We are interdependent and must take our place in the scheme of things.

This is not to say that we are totally passive or subject to the perceptions of others. We can still assert ourselves or challenge others' prejudices and stereotypes.

But we are not alone.

We are to some extent made by the perceptions of others.  Especially those in positions of authority over us.

This is not to apologies for a hierarchy.
In fact we are all equal.
But authority adds power to some perceptions.
We can submit to these authorities or challenge them if they offend us.

We can pray for them.

Jesus said, "'And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father - the one in heaven.'"  Matthew 23:9 (NRSV)

God will deliver us from oppression.
For there is no authority greater than God.

If God is doing something new then there must be change.
Some perceptions must be challenged.

Many say that God does not change.
Perhaps not, but our perception of Him changes.  It evolves as we emerge from darkness and see more clearly.

Not everything that is written is true.
It is a mixture of light and darkness.

The darkness oppresses us.

The light liberates us.

The darkness is fear.

The light is Love.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

9/11.

America's response to 9/11 was the perfect example of the earthly dilemma.

America was big enough and secure enough to absorb the blow to its national ego (turn the other cheek) and increase aid to third world countries (love their enemies).

But America's leaders could not do what Jesus taught.

What they did was act according to the way of the world which is to reinforce your dominance by violence and fear (shock and awe).

So, despite what they might say, they are not Christians because they do not do what Jesus taught.

They act in this way because they do not think that Jesus teachings will work (i.e. win).

This is why modern Christianity bears little resemblance to what Jesus actually taught.

The doctrines and dogmas of the Church were formulated by people who had little faith who wanted to win (dominate).

"'Why do you call me "Lord, Lord", and do not what I tell you?'"  Luke 6:46 (NRSV)

"'"This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines."'"  Matthew 15:8,9 (NRSV)

In fact they ignore what Jesus taught and endorse a philosophy of worldly dominance disguised as religion.

They do this out of fear.

Fear of what will happen if they follow Jesus' teachings which seem foolish and impractical.

They changed what Jesus said to suit the world.

So the hippies' rejection of the Church is not a rejection of Jesus teachings at all; it is a rejection of the worldly philosophy and hypocrisy of the Church.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

2020.

By the year 2020 China, India, Brazil, and Russia will be in the top six economies in the world (with the U.S.A and Germany).

This is a sign of the Age of Aquarius where the most populous nations will have the largest economies.

Other signs of Aquarius are:
Democracy.
Women's rights.
Gay rights.
Socialism.
Occupy Wall Street.
The Arab Spring.

The equalizing effects of Aquarius will cause the first world countries to lose some of their privileges.

"Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common..... There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need."  Acts 4:32-35 (NRSV)    

We've got enough.
More than enough.
Any more should be given back.

Our law is not based on Christian principles.
Our law is based on Roman law with its emphasis on private property.

We might be happier with less.
(It takes a lot of looking after).


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

The System.

Institutional sin is The System.

The selfishness and corruption of the multinational corporations.
The heartlessness of the establishment.
The fear and guilt manipulation of the Churches.
Domination through fear and threat.
Victory through violence.
Financial inequality.
Business conventions.
Hypocrisy about sex.
Profit motive.

The System ensures the domination of the rich and the persecution of minorities.

The hippies challenged the System in the 1960s - stopping the Vietnam War and electing a Labor government.

But the System had its revenge.  The Labor government was dismissed and the conservatives took us back to the fifties.  Blaming everything on the hippies - their political opponents.

Now we see the predominance of fear and the language of violence.

But how do we challenge institutional sin - the injustice which has ossified into the System.

How much do we care?
Enough to do something?
Enough to challenge the powers?

Or will we just slip comfortably into a niche in the System (out of fear).

The only thing which has more power than the corporations is the government.

If we care enough to elect a government that will act then they will have a mandate to regulate the corporations.

Tax and welfare is a kind of enforced unselfishness.

The corporations don't like it but it is the law.

They use their media outlets to oppose this by changing public opinion and (they hope) the government.

When public opinion is separated from the will of the corporations (the rich) then we will see a change in the System.
A more compassionate, more just society may develop.

The corporations' profit motive is fear of losing money.  Even if they have more than they need.

To bring about a change we will have to address this fear.

A fear which has been great enough to corrupt them completely.

Doves.

Through ideation we experience naive understandings.
Things which seem true at first but don't stand up in time.

This results in cynical reactions, resentment and disillusionment.

When we are young we assume that because we are more or less benevolent and honest that others are the same.  It takes some time for us to realize that others can be quite different from ourselves.  Their heredity and experience can make them quite different.

We must understand that others are not perfect.
They are only human.
Even if they are in positions of authority, including spiritual authority, over us.

Forgiveness helps the forgiver as well as the forgiven.
We are free of cynicism, resentment and disillusionment.

"'be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.'"  Matthew 10:16b (NRSV)

Know the world and be like God.

In the end there is only one teacher and that is God.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

Suffering.

Rather than developing ideas of evil, which owe much to dualism, we should look at the purpose behind what happens to us.

Perhaps it suits God's purpose (the development of the individual heart) to allow us to help those who suffer.

Suffering is caused by nature or by ignorant human actions.

God wishes us to help,which comes from the human heart.

In my experience my own suffering caused others close to me to develop in ways that they may not have developed otherwise.

This is why prayers may sometimes remain unanswered.
We pray for a cure or a release from suffering.
The love that inspires our prayers is the desired result.

The love that we show to the suffering is the development that God seeks.

This remains.

Would we ever develop compassion if we did not suffer?

The suffering of others tugs at our heartstrings.

It is this that life is about.

And that is why life is not just endless pleasure.
If it were we would be selfish and cruel, hardhearted and unsympathetic.

It is suffering that inspires our tears and melts our hearts.

Our love for others grows from this.

And that is the purpose of life.

Satanism.

What Satanism in our rock music and entertainment does is tell people to sin.
It tells people to take drugs, to be promiscuous, to lie, and to take the cowardly option.

The intention is to create death and damnation for the unsuspecting listener.

Fortunately God does not do these things.
So they are wasting their time from that point of view.

Unfortunately the sin remains as objective actions which cause great suffering for men and women.

They oppose anything God might do to alleviate our suffering, reversing it and making things worse.

What they do is lies, of course, but it is cleverly disguised lies.
They pose as good and lead people astray.

Think of the suffering caused by drugs and divorce.

They are people who have sold their souls to the devil and do evil in the world.

They call themselves dogs (gods backwards).

But there is no Satan in reality so it is built on sand.

There is no supernatural effect, only direct effects through the collective unconscious (backtracking etc.).

So it only half works.

Satan cannot reward them because he does not exist.

But the sin remains.

So I pray that they see their errors and cease from their malice and evil actions.

It is not supernatural.
In the end it works more like propaganda.

The Beatitudes.

"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
  'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
  'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
  'Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
  'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
  'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
  'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"  Matthew 5:3-10 (NRSV)

I believe that in the Beatitudes Jesus is differentiating between the ways of the world and the ways of God in the coming kingdom.

When God comes these attributes will be recognized.
In the world they are persecuted as they persecuted "the prophets who were before you."  Matthew 5:12b (NRSV)

The ways of the world are: power, status, fame, wealth, pleasure, ego, force and violence.

The ways of God are: love, compassion. forgiveness, charity, humility, gentleness, and peace.

Satanism covertly encourages the ways of the world.

Jesus teaches us the ways of God.

N.B.  By practicing the qualities set out in the Beatitudes we bring about the coming of the kingdom on earth - Lorraine Parkinson.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

The Greatest Commandment.

If you look at the story of the Greatest Commandment in Matthew, Mark, and Luke you will see how that details of the three versions differ.

In Mark 12:28-34 a scribe asks Jesus, "'Which commandment is the first of all?'" and Jesus answers, "'.....love the Lord your God.....'" and then adds the second, "'.....love your neighbor.....'".  The scribe then says that Jesus is right and reiterates the two sayings (from Deuteronomy and Leviticus).  Then Jesus says to him, "'You are not far from the kingdom of God. '" (NRSV)

In Matthew 22:34-40 a Pharisee asks which commandment is the greatest.  Jesus replies, "'.....love the Lord your God.....'" and adds that the second is like it, "'.....love your neighbor.....On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'" (NRSV)

In Luke 10:25-28 a lawyer asks, "'..... what must I do to inherit eternal life?'"  Jesus asks him what is written in the law.  The lawyer answers, "'.....love the Lord your God.....and your neighbor as yourself.'"  Jesus says he is right and, "'do this and you will live.'" (NRSV)

It can clearly be seen that the identity of the questioner differs, who asks who differs, the ending differs, but the message is the same in all three versions: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."  Deuteronomy 6:5 (NRSV) and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself"  Leviticus 19:18  (NRSV)

This should teach us not to get hung up on the details of the narratives and parables but to look for the inner meaning.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

The Center.

God is at the center.

God hints, nudges, directs, relieves, corrects.....

The process, the idea, the event is guided by God.

The hand of God can be discerned in it.

A movement of the spirit.

A great leap forward.

A process of enlightenment.


The heart is at the center.

The opening of the heart.

The blossoming of the heart.

Giving Love.

The water of human kindness.

To everyone.