God is Good

God is good.

His love is

steadfast,

constant, reliable.....

A love that

endures,

remains, renews.....

Love God.

Love your neighbors.

Open your hearts.

Weep.....

God is good.


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Religions.

All religions grew out of the one ground.

Each tree is a description of an experience of God.

Each description is colored by the vessel through which it was realized.

And so we have many manifestations of religion.

But the sap which is the life-blood of each tree is Love.


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The Good Within.

Jesus said, "'The Kingdom of God is within you.'"  Luke 17:12b (GNB)

Within each one of us there is a Divine Spark - a part which partakes of God's nature.

To identify with this spark we must live in the present moment - the moment of eternity.

To do this we must quieten the mind with its endless searching and distractions.

But the Divine Spark is not in the mind.
It is in the heart.

So to experience the spiritual we must enter the fifth dimension - within.


[Scriptures (marked GNB) are taken from the Good News Bible published by The Bible Societies/Collins copyright American Bible Society.]

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Prayer.

I pray

for you

with all my heart.

And I know

that you

will benefit

forever.


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New Growth.

Christianity is like a tree with many branches.

For new growth to begin the tree must be pruned:

Gone is the branch called Original Sin.
Gone is the branch called Virgin Birth.
Gone is the branch called Penal Substitution.
Gone is the branch called Fall/Redemption.
Gone is the branch called Trinity.
Gone is the branch called Christology.
Gone is the branch called Death.
Gone is the branch called Satan.
Gone is the branch called Hell.
Gone is the branch called Judgement.
Gone is the branch called End Times.

The tree has one trunk - Judaism.
And in Judaism God is One.

So the tree must be pared right back to the basic teachings of Jesus:
Love God, and love your neighbor, love even your enemies.

And from this will spring new growth.


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The Sweetest Thing.

God reserves

the sweetest thing

for those

who love Him.


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Joy.

From God

comes

Joy.

Heaven

for

the broken-hearted.


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Trust.

One of the reasons why the influence of superstars in our culture is so effective is because people trust them.

We trust celebrities: rock stars, movie stars, movie makers, T.V. producers, authors, the media.....

But are they trustworthy?

We would do well to question their motives.

Why are so many T.V. shows, movies, and books about evil?

I would suggest that many of the people who produce these entertainments do what they believe is the devil's work.

There is no devil in reality.

But many people still believe that there is.
And that they can benefit from his power.

This is the source of much of the evil in our entertainment.

Can we trust no one then?

We can trust God.

God is good.
And He wishes the best for us.

Pray to God.

And He will deliver you.


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Pray.

I pray for you

to turn away

from Satan's music

and his works.

And turn to God

with all your heart.

And begin

the journey

Home.


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Turn to God.

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other."  Isaiah 45:22 (NRSV)

Jesus (John 12:40) quotes Isaiah "turn and be healed"  Isaiah 6:10b (NRSV)

What could this mean?

It would appear that God does not act in the world unless we turn to Him.

What does it mean to turn to God?

It means to call on Him in prayer.

Many people who complain that God does not act in the world, or worse blame Him for all the evils of the world, have failed to call on God in prayer - they have not turned to God for help.

Many are unaware of the fact that you can call on God for help.

When we call on Him we become aware of His benevolent nature and the social justice agenda of the Old Testament prophets: the widow, the orphan, the stranger.....

And He heals us.
He mends our broken hearts, our broken bodies, and our broken spirits.

We are healed in body, mind, and spirit.

He delivers us from our oppressors.
And He delivers us from evil.

So turn to God and be healed.    


[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.]

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Persecution.

Gay

in Russia,

in Africa,

in China,

in Iran,

in America.

Suffering hatred,

living in fear.

Sounding a cry

that no one will hear.

Dreading arrest

and interrogation.

Fearing trial

and execution.

Damned by the Church

and blamed by religion.

We live with

modern day

persecution.


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1%.

The top 1%

of the rich

in our world

live

on the backs

of the poor.


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Rubbish.

On rubbish heaps

in our modern world

live

children

with no hope

and no future.


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Our Popular Culture.

People are unaware of the evil which permeates our popular culture.

We are encouraged to denigrate religion, use violence to resolve conflict, call for harsher penalties, banish forgiveness, have tough/hard attitudes, ignore the disadvantaged, fear foreigners, crush our enemies, live for money and possessions, watch T.V., and follow the football.....

The popular culture worships celebrities who are of dubious quality and may even be evil.  It has an endless capacity to distract us from our purpose.

So until people learn to turn off the T.V. and use the internet with discrimination nothing will change.

Or rather all change will be for the worse.  


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Culture Club.

Clever Chinese.

Spiritual Indians.

Strong Islanders.

Cultured Europeans.

Altruistic Africans.

Artistic Arabs.

Liberal Americans.


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Borders.

When you

close

your borders

you

close

your hearts.


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The Global Plutocracy.

At present we live in a global plutocracy.

Rich corporations and individuals control the election of governments through their ownership of the media.

Even left-wing governments are controlled by their economic-rationalist advisers.

So any progress towards a more equitable world is doomed.

Our economic rulers don't want a fairer world.
Nor do they want to preserve the environment.

So cries for help like the Earth Charter and the Charter for Compassion have limited impact because their adherents have no real power.

We can only hope that people will grow tired of injustice and wake up to the ways in which the media manipulates our thoughts and actions.

Hate campaigns and saturation methods control public opinion and votes.

But where are the politicians?
Where are the leaders who might implement a reactionary humanism?

Perhaps this is to come.  


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See!

Black devil.

White devil

Red hair.

Rich man.

Whited sepulcher.

Backwards.

Black and White.

False image.

Evil intent.

See!


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God's Love.

God's Love

is infinite.

And it is

present

for those

who love.


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Infinite Love.

The source

of love

is infinite.

And it comes

from

within

your own heart.


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The Wisdom of Solomon.

At the beginning of this holy book Solomon sets out the mentality of the wicked - that when you die the body is buried and there is nothing more.

The righteous, on the other hand, live with God in Love.

At first this seems true.
But he goes on to enumerate the punishments of the wicked and the rewards of the righteous.

This is merely natural justice dressed up as cosmic law.

But God does not judge as we on earth judge.

God punishes no one.

And, rather than the way being a way of righteousness, the way is a way of the heart - the way of love.

God does not punish the wicked.
He seeks to reconcile them to Himself through Love.

This is why Jesus said that he had come to save sinners not the righteous.

As for the righteous they are probably not as righteous as they think.
They may need forgiveness along with the wicked.

The way is a way of love and love is its own reward.

So do not put too much emphasis on moral rules.

Open your heart and you will find God.


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Musclemen.

The devil

will tell you

you are gods

because

men worship muscle.

But I tell you

you are blessed

because

men love you.


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Jar.

Your heart

is a jar.

Is it full

of living water?

Is it full

of Love?


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Credo.

Alone

I can do

nothing.

With God

I can do

anything.


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Redemption.

No one is too far gone to outreach God's Love.

Even the most heinous apostates can be reconciled to God.

To God we are all like His children.

He will not judge us.

And He will not condemn us.

This is why Jesus said, "For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Matthew 9:13b (NRSV)

We can pray for those who persecute and abuse us to be reconciled to God.

This is what it means to love our enemies.

And who is to say that God will not redeem them?

[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.]                                                                                                    

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Temple.

Your body

is a

temple.

And the

sanctuary

is your

heart.


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Heaven or Hell?

The mentality that endorses a philosophy of rewards and punishments, heaven or hell, is one with no faith in the goodness and benevolence of God.

These individuals, who have dominated the religions of the world, believe that humankind is basically wicked and depraved and in need of stern punishments to keep them on the straight and narrow path.

Hell is the ultimate deterrent.

Those of us who believe that humankind is basically good, however, have more faith in the benevolence and mercy of God.

Many are now challenging the traditional belief in hell, stating that it is incompatible with the God of Love that we believe in.

To do this circumvents the convoluted arguments which try to reconcile evil with God.

Evil is the result of a decision to rebel against God because of negative images put out by the Church.  The rest is merely the ignorant actions of people with free will which is usually the result of deep-set fears.

So to believe in a good and benevolent God we no longer need the deterrent of hell.

Humankind can find God through Love.  


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Blessed.

I ask

nothing

for myself

that is not

freely given.

Save

the joy

of knowing

you are

blessed.


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The Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God

is the Land of Life.

Blessed with His Breath.

Bathed in His Light.

Descending from Heaven

like the Holy Dove.

Bathed in His Water.

Blessed with His Love.


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How?

How can God

help

if we

will not listen?


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Canna Flowers.

New Year

and my garden

comes to life

with

tropical

canna flowers.


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Learn How to Weep.

Children

starving in their mothers' arms.

Women

stoned in the desert.

Child soldiers

in the jungle.

Slaves

forced to labor in fields.

Child

prostitution.

War rages on.


Learn how to weep.


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Discipline.

"I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."  Romans 7:15 (NRSV)

An Indian yogi once said to me, "You cannot be happy without discipline."
By discipline he meant self-discipline.

The practice of yoga leads to self-actualization - i.e. doing what we want rather than what we hate.

This is achieved by controlling our thoughts - replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
This is the first lesson of meditation.

St' Paul could have done with some meditation practices from yoga.

These practices have become so widespread in the West that they are almost second nature.

But if we remember what it was like before yoga we can identify with St. Paul.

So not only do we need to know the way - which is the way of the heart - but we need the discipline and technology to put it into practice.


[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.]

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Blessing.

Bless them.

Keep them safe.

Light their way.

Guide their feet.

Bless their hearts.


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Sex.

To seek

gratification

through

sex without love

is to

experience

emptiness.

But to experience

sex

as the consummation

of love

is heaven

on earth.


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Love.

It is

my joy

to give

love.


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Strength.

People mistake tough/hard attitudes for strength.

But this is not true strength.

People who are truly strong and secure are gentle and loving.

It is fear that makes us tough and hard.


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The Voices of Angels.

The voices of angels

fill my room;

singing, blessing,

praising God;

rejoicing

in the Holy One;

bringing

Holy Heaven

near.


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Peace.

In a world

that is racked

by war.

Where refugees

are turned away

to die.

Where the rich

profit

from the sale of arms.

And the poor

have no say.

How can we

bring

peace?


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Authority.

The tough/hard attitudes of men in authority have historically been projected onto God.

This has produced the judgmental, violent God of the Old testament and other religious texts.

But this is not the true nature of God.

God is gentle, forgiving, compassionate, and loving.
God judges no one.
God punishes no one.

God is transcendent and sublime.
A mystery beyond dualism.

So when religious authorities tell you God is violent and judgmental don't believe them.

Go into your room and close the door.
Pray to God and He will hear.


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