Immanuel

God be with us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas!!

Palm Sunday

Discussion Question: 

Holy week is upon us. HOLY week. Interesting. What's so "holy" about it? According to the Bible story, Jesus goes into Jerusalem on a donkey as a King lauded by the crowds; before the week is out, He's dead on a cross--killed by those same crowds?

What's so "Holy" about these events? about the crowd's behavior? about Jesus' horrific death?
What's "Holy" about this week?
How can we take this "Holy" and apply the concept to our lives?

~~ Sue Marie

Response:

So, what's up with Holy Week? It was a time of mind-stretching and heart-wrenching, especially for the 12 apostles. Jesus, who had several times up to this point, identified himself as the God of Heaven to the Jewish leaders, is now riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey as a king of old would have done. The significance lost on the disciples and the people was that He was showing Himself to be the King of Heaven, not earth. On Palm Sunday, the people saw Jesus as an earthly king. So, when they saw him being killed on the cross, later in the week, they only saw a human king being killed. Symbolically, they were not looking beyond their earthly, human egos; they were not seeing the "big picture" that Jesus was God of the Universe.

He first comes to us in and through His Word, such as the Bible, the Torah, the Vedas, or the Gothas. Once we start learning the truth, the light dawns in our minds and the first day of creation, as described in the Book of Genesis, occurs. When we begin living our lives according to the Divine Precepts and keep them by binding them on our brows (Deuteronomy 6:8), i.e., foremost in our minds, we begin to grow a wonderful garden. But when we go further still and begin to think of the spirit behind these Divine Precepts, we begin to see God as no longer just a pagan, earthly god, but as the God of Heaven, and, therefore, also God of the earth and universe.

That's what makes this week "holy"--when we realize that the God of the Universe came to earth and humbled himself to live among us in order to bring us into union with Himself.

The practical application of this "holy" is to recognize that we need to raise our natural (earthly-based) sight into the spiritual realm and start seeing the "bigger picture" with our spiritual eyes, which is that our lives are lives of spirit--of heavenly values--not just of human, earthly values. We need to recognize that we, too, can unite with God in our spiritual paths and that our ultimate life is a heavenly one in the Lord's Kingdom.

Jesus' death represents, on one level, that, for some of us, the attainment of heaven involves horrific pain and suffering in order to empty ourselves of our earthly egos and desires so that we are humbled to be open to receiving God's spiritual blessings and, ultimately, union with Him.

"May Your will be done, not mine."

~~ Rev. Bob

The Two Sides of Affection

We say we have affection for another person when we care for him, rejoice in her joys, and sorrow in his troubles. Yet we should be cautious in using that phrase because affection can be for evil as well as good. The truth underlying our affection for another, when we truly care for the well being of another, is that the affection has the foundation of compassion and love, in other words, goodness. That goodness translates into love of the neighbor, which is one of the two greatest commandments given to us by Jesus:

One of them, an expert in the law tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” ~~Matthew 22:35-40 (NIV)

On the other side of the affection coin is passion for evil. This affection of a different sort is exemplified by love for material goods, such as striving for the largest and most expensive house in the neighborhood so that others may look upon you with envy. This self-aggrandizement is love of self—an affection founded in love of the world, this natural world in which we live and of which Jesus cautioned us to be in but not of.

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.~~John 15:19 (NIV)

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.~~John 17:14 (NIV)

Love of this world and love of self is the most base—the very lowest—of all affections, meaning it’s the most mundane, all it’s about is self-preservation. You have to have love of self at some level to the point of wanting to live, to preserve your life, and have food and shelter. It’s the most basic of needs. But, the next step is to rise above that level and understand and desire that you can help others. In other words, now that you have taken care of yourself you can help others. In the airplane when the oxygen masks fall down, as a parent, you first breathe into your mask and ensure your survival and then assist your child because if you die, your child dies. The same is true for the rescuer who dives to assist the drowning person. He must have the oxygen with him so that when he locates the victim, he can share his life-giving oxygen with the dying person. The farmer grows more than enough food for himself. But, first, he takes in enough for his own family to get through the winter and then he sells off the surplus to his neighbors.

These scenarios all exemplify affection showing love of the neighbor and based in the goodness of love of self, i.e., caring for one’s self first so that one is able to care for others.

Accountability

Readings:  II Samuel 22:2-33; 23:1-4; Psalm 4; Matthew 11:28-30

  

We must hold ourselves accountable.  If we do not, we may find ourselves on the wrong side of the law.  Whenever we interact with others, there is accountability involved for all of those interacting with each other.  If we don’t honor our accountability when driving, we will be found accountable by Law Enforcement.  If we don’t hold ourselves accountable to our financial responsibilities, we will find ourselves in debt to others and may be imprisoned.  If we don’t hold ourselves accountable for our thoughts and feelings and act upon them, we will probably find ourselves at odds with others when what we want interferes with their wants and desires. If marriage partners don’t hold themselves accountable to each other, the marriage covenant will soon break apart, and if we don’t hold ourselves accountable to a higher spiritual Authority we will live empty lives full of frustration and fear harboring petty grievances against some impersonal Power as well as our fellow human beings. 

It can be scary to have a personal relationship with a  Supreme Being.  This is the idea in Scripture behind the phrase “to fear God.”  To “fear” God is not to be afraid of Him as you would be scared of a bear or a great white shark, rather to fear God is to be concerned that you’re out of sync with His modus operandi.  It would be the same feeling we would have if we were suddenly thrust out onto the highways without knowing the rules of the road that need to be obeyed so that everyone can safely get to where they want to go. 

To get where we want to go by using a car, we must hold ourselves accountable to the traffic laws.  Why would we think it would be any different in our lives?  If we want to get where we want to go in our lives, wouldn't it follow that we need to learn the rules of life so that we can live fulfilling and happy lives?  If we want to live fulfilled and happy lives, we must hold ourselves accountable to God’s spiritual laws which He reveals to us through His sacred writings.  If we don’t know and follow the rules that God has set down, how can we hope to gain His promised just rewards?

God is all loving and merciful.  He knows what will give us satisfaction and the most  fulfillment in our lives.  He tells us to love one another as He has loved us.  If you are not satisfied and don’t feel fulfilled in your life, take a good long soul-searching inventory of how you have lived your life up to this point and then study the Sacred Scripture of your belief system to see where you’re not following God’s rules.  Change your "why" of thinking.  As one of the slogans from The Twelve Steps spirituality program says, “the height of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results."  If you want to enter the kingdom of God, you must become again as a little child.  In other words, trust in God and God's teachings: cease to do evil and learn to do good; love God with your heart, mind, and soul and your neighbor as yourself.

Blessings,

Rev. Bob

All Things Grow With Love

I spent a lovely hour gardening in my tiny apartment patio garden this morning. I love digging my hands into the new soil and gently crumbling it over my herbs, vegetable plants, and flowers. I like to think that the energy of my love and passion for what I'm doing is transmitted to the plants. In fact, as I'm gently transplanting one herb I speak softly to it, asking it to understand that what I am doing is best for it. When I'm watering the tomato plant, I respectfully ask it to provide nourishing tomatoes for my family and I thank it for the baby ones that have started to develop on its stems.

I know this all may sound like a bunch of nonsense to many people, but it's what I do because I love the practice of gardening. I think my plants love it, too, and because they are open to my nurturing, I believe they will flourish with my love. "All things grow with love"~~I'd like to add: ..."if they are open to receiving that love." Let me explain.

We have a close family member in the intensive care unit. This person has been dealing with a terminal illness for the past 14 months. His tired body has now developed pneumonia; it's hard to know if the patient will recover in this world or the next. One of our family members, the patient's spouse, is having a very difficult time with the situation. We each have tried to support and love this person, but always we are met with hostility. I was in the hospital room when the patient said "I love you" to the spouse. The spouse rejected those words. All of a sudden, I realized that the patient's spouse was not open to receiving love, from us, the patient, or probably even God. How can "all things grow with love" if their hearts are not open to receiving that love. That spiritual "aha" was a real eye-opener for me to examine my own heart: am I open to receiving love... from my neighbor as well as from God?

One of my flowers, a beautiful red geranium, is planted in a decorative pot that has the words "All things grow with love" on its side. That's what made me think of my experience in the hospital yesterday when I was gardening this morning. This family member of ours can't grow--nor can any of us grow--with love if not open to God's love.

Definitely food for thought and heart and soul on this lovely gardening morning.

Peace and Serenity,
Rev. Bob

Thoughts & Feelings

Have you ever wondered where your thoughts and feelings come from? Try this exercise and follow the thread of a conversation back. Break its pieces and its convoluted windings back to the original germ. Now concentrate on that original germ. Where did it come from? Was it something that popped into your head, as if injected from within? How does this idea make you feel? Do you have an affection for it?

All thoughts that you hold on to, you have an affection and a desire for. But what are their origins? Your affection for the thought, in effect, is birthed by attracting like-minded spirits to you. Dwelling on a particular idea or thought creates a sphere around you that attracts like-minded spirits, who influence more ideas and thoughts connected to the first one. It is your responsibility to direct the thought that came to you because antogonizing spirits will also vie for your attention wanting to inject impure and misleading ideas into your stream of consciousness, as Christ says in Matthew 5:29-30:

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into Hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better foryou to lose a part of your body than for your whole body to go to Hell.

Also, in Matthew 10:21, 23, 28:

Brother will betray brother to death and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Do not be afraid of those that kill the body but who cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and the body in Hell.

Lastly, Matthew 12:35-37, 43-45:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him. And an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that people will have to give account fore everything careless word they have spoken on the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be found innocent and by your words you will be found guilty.

When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest, but doesn’t find it. Then it says to itself, “I will return to the house I left.” When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself and they go in and live there and the last condition of that person is worse than the first condition. This is how it will be with this wicked generation.

All of these passages have to do with our thinking and the effect that our thoughts have on us, mentally, spiritually, and physically, even at the cellular level. Considering this, we can hypothesize that what we think affects those around us, creating a rippling effect, stretching across our physical and spiritual galaxies.

For out of the heart, come evil thoughts: murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are the things that make a person unclean…~~ Matthew 15:19, 20.

Food for Thought: Be careful, Jesus said to them. Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They discussed this among themselves… aware of their discussion, Jesus asked… Why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread but be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then they understood that He was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread but against the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.~~Matthew 16:6-12

~~Rev. Bob

How we're all connected...

In regards to one's thoughts, the fact is that no one at all, whether man, spirit, or angel, is able to will or think for oneself, but does so from others. Nor are those others themselves the source of anything they will or think. But others again and so on with these. Thus, each individual wills and thinks from the first Source of Life Who is the Lord. Anything that isn't connected to a prior source can't occur. (Reference: Heaven's Arcana 2886, Kern)

From Rev. Bob's upcoming book, First Light.