Dan Brooks's Blog, page 27

Spiritual Fruit

I think God expects us to develop, grow and evolve to produce spiritual fruits and gifts.  He has no need of religious nuts, that phenomena is especially prevalent in today's culture.

Jesus said it is not what goes into your mouth that defiles you, it's what comes out that defiles you.  He also said out of a good hear comes good things and out of an evil heart comes evil.  So what comes out is indicative of what is inside.

Jesus also said by their fruits shall ye know them, meaning good trees produce good fruits and bad trees produce evil fruit.  So based on the way you treat people, talk about people, it will be obvious whether you've produced good spiritual fruits or whether you've produced evil fruit or religious nuts.

Those who use their 'religious freedom" to deny civil rights to anyone are not in fact living their self proclaimed Christianity, they have created a false idol who hates the same people and things they do.  Whether that be gay people, or the more liberal amongst us or feminists or the homeless and poor.

Jesus said this about the two greatest commandments:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  Matthew 22:37-40

The love of God and all His children is the whole message of the Gospel.  I think it would be safe to say after having gone over this that Jesus is more concerned with how you treat all of God's children than He is about your "religious freedom."  Especially when that "religious freedom" looks nothing like what the Gospel of Christ does.

Christ treats all with respect and love, even those the religious elite deem to be lesser than the rest.  "As ye have done it unto the least of my brothers, ye have also done it unto me."

Jesus saw every prostitute, every leper, every tax collector, every Roman Centurion, every Samaritan as children of God that He loved.  Jesus doesn't seem to care whether or not you believe the historical accuracy of scripture as much as He does whether or not you respect and love even the least amongst you.  Like the beggars, sinners and lepers that Jesus spent most of His time ministering to.  We should help those that our society deems to be worthless every bit as much as Jesus did the same in His time.

Using this Gospel as Christ proclaimed it to deny gay people their constitutionally protected rights is not what Jesus would condone I think.  I'd like to tell you now what Jesus had to say about gay people, I'd like to but I can't because Christ never mentioned it, not even once.

So I don't understand how what so many call "religious freedom" is not to enjoy their faith but to deny the rights, to deny service Jim Crow style to those they do not like is even approaching a Christ-like ethos.

Prop 8, Westboro Baptist Church members picketing furnerals with hateful signs, having children picket with the same type of signs and aren't members of the westboro baptist church, these things are hateful and Christ preached love not hate.  So you can't preach discrimination and hate and be intellectually honest in saying you are Christian because you are not.

The thing is God doesn't hate gay people, drug addicts, or whoever it is that you do.  He loves everyone, that's kind of His thing, same with Christ. 

It is important to tell this to those who do these un-Christian things, to do it with compassion and the understanding they need to have in their lives.

To react with compassion and love to hate and anger is what Jesus meant, I think, when He said to turn the other cheek.  And when He said that if you are forced to go one mile go the extra mile instead.

Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.  Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that.

What the Westboro Baptist Church, proponents of Prop 8, and others need is that light of Christ's agape or unconditional love and understanding to soften their hearts and to open their minds.  Fighting fire with fire will only lead to disaster.

And by their hateful fruits/acts and speech and deliberated discrimination they make themselves know as the amongst the most Un-Christian in our country.

My Brother's Keeper

To be your brothers keeper takes a lot, it means a lot.  We are all commanded to love one another as Christ loved us.  We call everyone brother or sister in church settings as a reminder that we are all Gods children and all called to be our brothers keeper.  Being able to see God in all His children can help soften our approach to those who may be rougher around the edges.

Jesus gave us clear cut examples of this in His sheep and goats parable.

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:31-46

In Genesis 4:9 Cain denies knowledge of Abel's whereabouts and refuses responsibility by asking God "Am I my brothers keeper?"

But Jesus says "As ye have done it unto the lest of my bretheren ye have also done it unto me."  So we are responsible for others in need or even helping out with a small thing before it snowballs into something huge.

To deny responsibility for our brothers and sisters is to have the same attitude as Cain when confronted by God for his murder of his brothers.

The people who fall into our lives do not do so by chance, they are there for a reason and you are there for a reason.  So we would do well to make the most of the chances and opportunities we are given. 

A certain rich man who Jesus gives no name to, like Cain, feels he owes nothing to his brothers and sisters.  But a beggar named Lazarus petitions the rich man to no avail over the course of what seems to be a long time.  One day they both die, Lazarus and the rich man.  The rich man finds himself burning in Hell and looks up through the flames to Heaven and sees Lazarus in Abrahams bosom eing blessed by him in Heaven.

The rich man was punished for his iniquities while Lazarus was blessed for his life and hardships.

 Find the scripture in Luke 16 here.

We are responsible for ourselves and how we treat or mistreat others.  To those who are least valued in our society like beggars like Lazarus, Christ said that how we treat the least amongst us is also how we treat Him.  

So hard as it might be being that we are all created in Gods image and the kingdom of God is within us all, we will see Christ in everyone if only we look deep enough.

We're All Worthy

Good works is giving to the poor and the helpless, but divine works is showing them their worth to the One who matters.”
― Criss Jami

 The word worthiness is defined as:

Use Worthiness in a sentence [wur-thee] Show IPA adjective, wor·thi·er, wor·thi·est. 1. having adequate or great merit, character, or value: a worthy successor. 2. of commendable excellence or merit; deserving: a book worthy of praise; a person worthy to lead. noun, plural wor·thies. 3. a person of eminent worth, merit, or position: The town worthies included two doctors. Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English;  see worth1 , -y We make a big deal of worthiness but it is always defined by outward signs of piety rather than internal signs, progress and righteousness. Jesus said to the Pharisees that did much the same thing of defining righteousness and cleanliness by outward signs rather than the internal ones, He said:  25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:25-28

He also said that the Kingdom of God is within you.  So if we access that divine spark in our soul we unlock the Kingdom and let it flow through us to others.  By thinking that worthiness is accessed by checking off boxes on a list you are on an unhealthy path, there is nothing to be gained by shaving, getting a short hair cut and wearing a suit.

Some may think that the homless, the prisoners, the non-Mormons are lesser when in fact they may have a closer relationship to God based on their reliance on Him during their trials and tribulations.

Jesus doesn't care about how many Bible verses you know, he cares about how you treat, how you love His children.  Especially those you may think do not matter.


34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.  Matthew 25:34-46

Jesus said by their love shall His disciples be known.  He gave us two commandments above all others to follow.


37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  Matthew 22:37-40

So the bottom line is that The Lord seems to feel that with repentance and a humble attitude you are ready to be a disciple, you are worthy because you are a child of God created in His image.  And when you act with love and faith you may open minds, soften hearts and be a light to all.

The moon is visible and bright only because it reflects the Sun and likewise as children of God when we reflect His light we light the way for others.

By defining worthiness as it is done today, that definition hinges on outward signs and as Jesus said " They may be beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and uncleanliness."

But if you are clean from the inside out, you will be beautiful both inside and out.  And how you treat people, especially when you get nothing out of it or when those you help are of a lower class, is what's really going to test your metal and prove whether or not you're true to the commandment to love your neighbor.

The Pharisees often complained that Jesus treated sinners with compassion and respect because to those legalistic, outwardly judging religious elitists, sinners were nt worthy and Jesus minstering to them was proof He was a fraud.

 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  Luke 5:32

Jesus said the healthy need no doctor but the sick do.  And He is that Physician healing the infirmed, and forgiving the sinners and inspiring them to go and sin no more.


10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.  Luke 18:10-14

Jesus was cool with this sinner at the Temple yet He was not ok with the Pharisee.  This is a good case for why outward sings of righteousness are only acceptable to men whose philosophy mingled with scripture do not measure up to what Christ preached.

Others may make you feel unworthy but as long as you keep the two commandments Jesus gave us to guide us through life so that we may obey the spirit of the law and know whatever the circumstances are, we are headed down the right path.

Those two commandments uphold every one of the 613 commandments of Mosaic law.  When the spirit is clean all else is clean as well.

We are all children of God created in His image, we are worth more that the rest of creation to Him, we are the reason for creation.  We are worthy of love and forgiveness.  Our forgiveness was worth Jesus' Atonement and death.  Jesus gave His life for us, how could any of us be unworthy of His sacrifice?

The Twelve Apostles of Jesus

The Twelve Apostles were Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Lesser, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Thaddeus (Jude), Simon and Judas Iscariot.

Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen, Simon and Judas were zealots and Matthew was a tax collector.  Most Jews hated the tax collectors as they robbed their own peoples meager earnings to stuff the rich coffers of the Roman empire, they were considered to be traitors to their own people and yet Jesus chose one as His disciple, His messenger to the world. 

And the zealots like Simon and Judas wanted a military victory over Rome.  Yet Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and turn the other cheek and so these teachings must've taken much humility to absorb.

None of the Apostles were scholars, none were Sanhedrin, Sadducees or Pharisees.  As such they were nothing special, no one worth listening to according the the religious elite.

And yet what these 12 men had to say changed the world.

Because after Jesus' time on Earth had passed, they were the only 12 disciples Jesus had left, they are the ones who grew the church and preserved the Gospel in ink.

These were ordinary men, just like most of us but why would they be chosen if they were not special in some way?

We are all chosen but I think being humble and honest with yourself and God about your short comings is what they had that many do not. The thing about people who are extraordinary is that their egos are also extraordinary whereas the Apostles were humble before The Lord.

One parable I think may have actually been about Matthew appears in a brief passage of scripture:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.  Luke 18:10-14

The Pharisee brags to God about how he is so much better than those people like sinners, theives and tax collectors.  Whereas the tax collector humbles himself, beats his chest and begs for forgiveness and Jesus says he is justified before God not the Pharisee.

This humble attitude of the tax collector I would think is what each of the 12 had that made them stand out and be receptive to Jesus' message.

Each of us is called to be a disciple just as the 12 were.  And each of us have sinned, just as the 12 had.  But if we repent and humble ourselves we too my be chosen and not simply called.

The 12 seem to have gotten along rather well.  And trial by fire usually invites a strong bond to form but they all came from such radically different backgrounds it could not have been easy.  You had those that may have been more pacifist in nature clashing with the zealots of the group while others like Mary Magdelene who may have had more money clashing with the simple fishermen who never knew what having enough was like much less plenty.

For the sake of Christ they pulled together and did what they had to do to preach the message.

But they didn't quite make it at first.  They had some technical difficulties.


15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.  Matthew 17:15-20

Peter was one who could walk on water by faith one moment and find himself sinking in doubt the next.  But He grew into the leader Jesus needed and had envisioned.

Saul of Tarsus was a zealot who was responsible for the murder of the first Christian martyr Stephen.  But hot on the trail of the Jesus movement on the road to Damascus he was blinded by the light of Christ and Jesus asked him why he was persecuting Him.  Jesus seemed to feel that attacks against His flock were attacks against Him, as I'm sure He feels when any of us fights another either physically or verbally.

But when Saul was converted he changed his name to Paul.  And he then wrote 2/3 of the New Testament.  So just because someone has an ugly past does not mean they can't create a beautiful future.

So no matter how unworthy you may feel, no matter how ugly your past, the Atonement is available to all as many times as you need it to get back on track. No matter how ordinary you may feel, no matter how unskilled you may be all you need to answer the call of discipleship is to be humble, repentant and cultivate a strong faith but even faith as insignificant as a grain of mustard seed can move mountains.
 

Sin

In the Abrahamic context sin is to defy the will of God.  The word for sin in Greek meant "to miss the mark."  And the view of most is that sins vary from minor sins to mortal sins which lead one to Hell.  However, Jesus said lust is as bad as adultery and that hate is equal to murder so Jesus doesn't seem to have this nuance human view point of sin.

And yet He calls us to follow Him and He forgave the sins of many He came into contact with.  He told group of men ready to stone an adulteress caught in the act that "He who is without sin may cast the first stone."  But Jesus is the only one who is sinless and yet He cast no stone and instead said He did not condemn her but told her to "go and sin no more."

Jesus is forgiving as long as each of us repent of our sins.  His forgiveness is perfect and infinite.

Jesus tells a story about sinners involving a tax collector(publican) and a Pharisee:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. luke 18:10-14

This forgiveness of Christ is possible not only because of His countenance but because of the eternal nature of the Atonement.  The Atonement is ongoing and eternal it is not some fixed point in time where it becomes used up and forgiveness runs out.

The Atonement is forever ongoing and all that is required is repentance and a humble attitude.  It is not as some would have it be, that every sin is dirt and grime that covers us and we can never be clean after certain sins.  The power of the Atonement washes us clean no matter how many times we miss the mark.

Jesus likens this to sheep who have been lost in Luke 15:1-10:
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Notice that Jesus accepts repentant sinner while the Pharisees stand in permanent judgement of anyone who has sinned in a way they consider evil and forgive sins they think don't matter. 

Modern Pharisees perpetuate this idea of certain sins not mattering at all but there are deal breaker sins according to them.  Then there is the far worse idea of the "Not even once club."

The idea of striving to be perfect even though none of us are, this puts an unrealistic and unlivable burden on us that no one can live up to.  This is part of an honor/shame culture where outward signs of piety are honored and outward sinners are shamed, not loved or forgiven.

This is not what Jesus had in mind and yet His self proclaimed disciples are often the worst of offenders in terms of judgment, grudges and condemnation.  As opposed to what Jesus professed which was acceptance, forgiveness and love.

We are never so lost that we cannot be found, we are never so dirty that we cannot be washed clean.  We are never so sinful that we can't be loved.

We are all worthy of acceptance, forgiveness and love because we are all God's children.

Those who want to determine who is and is not worthy are professing the philosophies of men mingled with scripture.

It is not that being Christ-like is unreal, it's that our idea of what perfection means for us is what's imperfect.  Before you listen to people pointing their fingers make sure their hands are clean.


Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.  Matthew 5:21-24

And here Jesus tells us that it is our job to forgive, and even that if we hold a grudge our offerings to God will be ignored.

So in response to being shamed, righteous indignation is not the path one should take, even if some sin by judging they need forgiveness because darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that and hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.

By reacting in this way it shows rather than tells others what is really important and it leads people by example.  Which is the way Jesus taught us best.

The Light Of The World

In John 8:12 Jesus says "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Many believe that we are fallen and that we need Christ to be truly risen and saved.  I believe that the Kingdom of God lies within us as Jesus said it does, so I feel it is the illusions of this world that overshadows the life before and after this one and that divine spark within us is what will save not just us but those close to us and even strangers by example because once that spark is nourished and activated we shine with the light of Christ.

I feel that we are divine in nature because we were created in the image and likeness of God.  This world is an illusion in a way, in that the world before and the world after is the ultimate reality.  And that we can through prayer become closer to that.  And by following in Christ's footsteps in being as forgiving, as loving, as non-judgmental, by serving others we nourish the good in us and starve the negative instincts within us.

The is a proverb that says "There are two wolves battling for control within us, the good wolf wich is love, forgiveness and acceptance and the evil wolf which is anger, hate and fear.  Which wolf wins?  The one you feed."

So if we nourish the better angels within us we will become the perfected versions of ourselves and be more Christ-like in the process.

Jesus gives us examples; but this example of humbleness and repentance is one of my favorites:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

Jesus is cool with a sinner going to the Temple when he acts as this man had done.

Jesus says that this Pharisee on his high horse thinking he's some how better than others when in fact he is worse.  He has all the signs of outward righteousness which is a classic Pharisaical move, yet Jesus says that it is not the outside of the cup that must be clean but the inside and then the outside will be clean also.  Which is to say when you are truly clean on the inside outwardly you will be clean also.

Jesus also said that "As ye have done it unto the least of my bretheren, ye have also done it unto me."

Jesus takes it personal however we treat those we think don't matter, how we behave when we think no one is watching is what tests our metal and proves us good or not.

Jesus takes our treatment of everyone but specifically those we don't think matter, the prisoner, the stranger, the leper, the sick and afflicted, the poor, the homeless, the drug addicts.  Jesus takes this treatment personally because to Him we are all His family.  Which is why He loves us as we should be loved.  

The Good Samaritan is about a man who saves a man from death but not just any man, a Jew, who were hated mutually by Samaritans.  Yet this man did what was right not out of fear of punishment or out of seeking reward, he did the right thing to do because it was the right thing to do.  That is what righteousness is at it's finest.

So when we walk the walk and don't just talk the talk we let that divine spark shine with all the glory of the lighthouse at Alexandria.  A beacon to those in rough seas.  A light as illuminating and nourishing as the Sun itself.  When that light shines forth no darkness can exist.

And when we partake of the living water Christ describe to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, we become fully nourished spiritually and we grow infinitely.  All we were yesterday is multiplied today and grows even stronger tomorrow.

We are called to be like Christ, we are called to be that city on a hill which cannot be hid.  And when others come into contact with people like Dr.King, Gandhi or Jesus Himself, they are transformed by that love, strength, forgiveness, and acceptance of you despite your short comings.

That is what it means to truly access that divine spark and let it shine.  It means that that light becomes contagious and spreads but rather than spreading illness it spreads wellness, balance, and an unconditional love that Christ exemplifies.

That love is the light that nourishes the world. It is up to each of us to let it shine within us and inspire that love in others.

Clearing The Way For Others

Jesus didn't just walk the path He cleared the way for all of us to return to Him.  He called all but chose only 12 to continue His work.  There are many key elements but there are two abve the rest that make the Kingdom work.

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40

The Dalai Lama said "Love is the absence of judgment."  And while love is much more than that it is at the least the absence of judgment.  We are admonished by Jesus to forgive as infinitely as we are asked to love.  Both of which are impossible if we judge.


Jesus showed us the door, we are the ones who have to walk through it by choice not by force.  Since Jesus never coerced or forced anyone to do anything why do so many coerce or force others to live up to their standards these days?

Jesus was without sin yet of all His disciples and followers He was the only sinless person, as a matter of fact He was the only sinless person period.  He came to us to save us not to condemn us.  Likewise, we must call sinners to repentance by repenting of our sins and leading the way.

A crowd gathered before Jesus with an adulteress caught in the act.  They asked Jesus what the law said they should do.  Jesus said "He who is without sin may cast the first stone."  The men dropped their stones and walked away humbled.  Jesus then asked the woman "What man condemns you?"

And she said "No man Lord."  Jesus said "Neither do I.  Go and sin no more."

He also said "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."



Many jump on the fact that Jesus said go and sin no more, and this is true every time we repent.  But Jesus was without sin and could throw the first stone but He did not.  He forgave, He showed compassion at a capitol offense.  Why should we be any different in our attitudes and treatment of others.  We ask for forgiveness so how is it we deny forgiveness to others?

Jesus tells a story of a tax collector and a Pharisee:


10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

Now the fact that Jesus was cool with a sinner going to the Temple in His day on His watch yet that is not the case these days is something for another post sooner or later but the tax collector beat his chest, that's what it means to smote his chest.  So the sinner humbles himself and the self righteous pharisee exalts himself but Jesus says those who exalt themselves shall be abased and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Matthew 7:2

You will be judged as harshly as you judge others.  Or as kindly as you treat others.  If you love others you will reap that love back but if you mistreat, judge, or sham and shun others you will face that same fate.

The best parable I think describes exactly how and why we should live according to the teachings of Christ:

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Matthew 25:34-46

So you are judged based on your treatment of all but specifically those you don't think matter, the homeless, the addicts, the alcoholics, sex offenders; all those people you think deserve nothing or deserve nothing good.

We are called to love them all, our neighbors, our enemies, and everyone else.  Jesus goes so far as to say that if you hold a grudge against anyone, your sacrifices to The Lord will not be accepted.

Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Mathew 5:24

Jesus treated the least of His people with love, forgiveness, compassion, and acceptance.  So we are called to do the same.

If people see the kind of love described in that last scripture quote, who wouldn't want to be a part f that?  But if people see the opposite, who wouldn't run from that treatment?

Religious Liberty, Civil Liberty

I found something awesome on Huffington Post that I want to share.  It's by Reverend Emily C. Heath.  Now many people are up in arms about how gay issues are violating their religious beliefs but I think this warrants a more in depth look but first a quiz!

(1. My religious liberty is at risk because:

A) I am not allowed to go to a religious service of my own choosing.
B) Others are allowed to go to religious services of their own choosing.

2. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to marry the person I love legally, even though my religious community blesses my marriage.
B) Some states refuse to enforce my own particular religious beliefs on marriage on those two guys in line down at the courthouse.

3. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am being forced to use birth control.
B) I am unable to force others to not use birth control.

4. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to pray privately.
B) I am not allowed to force others to pray the prayers of my faith publicly.

5. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) Being a member of my faith means that I can be bullied without legal recourse.
B) I am no longer allowed to use my faith to bully gay kids with impunity.

6. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to purchase, read or possess religious books or material.
B) Others are allowed to have access books, movies and websites that I do not like.

7. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) My religious group is not allowed equal protection under the establishment clause.
B) My religious group is not allowed to use public funds, buildings and resources as we would like, for whatever purposes we might like.

8. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) Another religious group has been declared the official faith of my country.
B) My own religious group is not given status as the official faith of my country.

9. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) My religious community is not allowed to build a house of worship in my community.
B) A religious community I do not like wants to build a house of worship in my community.

10. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to teach my children the creation stories of our faith at home.
B) Public school science classes are teaching science.

Scoring key:

If you answered "A" to any question, then perhaps your religious liberty is indeed at stake. You and your faith group have every right to now advocate for equal protection under the law. But just remember this one little, constitutional, concept: this means you can fight for your equality -- not your superiority.

If you answered "B" to any question, then not only is your religious liberty not at stake, but there is a strong chance that you are oppressing the religious liberties of others. This is the point where I would invite you to refer back to the tenets of your faith, especially the ones about your neighbors.

In closing, no matter what soundbites you hear this election year, remember this: Religious liberty is never secured by a campaign of religious superiority. The only way to ensure your own religious liberty remains strong is by advocating for the religious liberty of all, including those with whom you may passionately disagree. Because they deserve the same rights as you. Nothing more. Nothing less.)

So rather than religious liberty being trampled on it's the "right" of religious people to deny civil liberties to others, it's the "right" of some religious elites to legislate their beliefs into law and force others to live by their moral code. Denying civil rights and liberties is not a right, it's actually illegal under the constitution these very legislators claim to love.

Gay people are petitioning our government for the rights to join their lives together, to share insurance benefits, the right to visit their spouse in a hospital, the right to join their lives just as everyone else does now.

Recognizing those rights, the one's you've always had, is not granting them special rights.  What it actually is, is them being granted access to their civil rights under due process under the constitution.

Before you say you love Jesus and Jesus hates the gays there's something you should probably know; Jesus doesn't hate anyone, in fact He loves everyone, even His enemies.  This unconditional love for all is kind of His thing.  I mean, His entire life and ministry was all about it, all the laws and prophets hang on that principle as He said in Matthew 22:40.

So if Jesus doesn't hate anyone, why do you?  So you may want to find a different justification for your attitude, hate and behavior.

If you think that every one deserves love except those people and insert demographic, racial and gender types here.  That's a type of discrimination and it's unhealthy and sinful to deny basic love and respect to people based on them offending your delicate sensibilities is unwarranted.

Repentance, Forgivness and Healing

Jesus welcomed sinners into His flock.  When asked why He had this to say:
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Matthew 9:12-13

Jesus is our master and when speaking of His role He said this:

If you repent, you are freed from the bondage of sin and have been set free by The Savior Himself no one else can hold you in bondage or hold your sin over you.  If you repent you are indeed freed as Jesus has said.
Jesus also said you cannot serve two master or else you offend one and fail the other.  But we will all make mistakes, all of us have but grant yourself the patience to improve over time.  I'm not saying that sin doesn't matter I'm saying all you can do is your best so do that and over time you will, with effort, improve yourself.  Just be better tomorrow than you were today.  And over time you will do more than succeed, you will prevail.
Buddha gives us a parable about life, he says life is like a sitar string; if it is too lax it will make no music but if wound too tight it will break and yet if you tune it just right it can make beautiful music.  This he says is why the middle ground, the middle path is the best.
Sounds a lot like the "all things in moderation" advice we so often hear in church.
Jesus didn't just stand out by welcoming sinners, He stood out because He also welcomed the sick and afflicted though the religious elite believed they were sick and afflicted because of their own sin.  Jesus did not agree.
9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. John 9:1-16

Jesus healed a man all had thought a sinner or had been cursed by his parents sin.  The pharisees were asked how a man can perform miracles if He himself is a sinner and they have their answer but because Jesus does not bow to the authority of men He is condemned by them. 

Many say Jesus' miracles were a sham, now since we don't own a T.A.R.D.I.S. we cannot prove they were or were not a sham.  But there is evidence outside of scripture to let us know what those who lived during His ministry thought.  

Some sources say Jesus healed but He healed by sorcery, thus begging the question that Jesus Himself answered with a question "And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges." Matthew 12:27

I've used many scripture references out of Matthew and Matthew was a tax collector or a publican as it is called in scripture, and Jesus tells us a story of a publican and I have to wonder, was this Matthew's story that Jesus used to open eyes and soften hearts?


10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Matthew 18:10-14

Jesus said the tax collector was justified before God because He humbled himself and asked for forgiveness whereas the Pharisee praised Himself for fasting and paying tithing and all the other things that he thinks make him better than those people like tax collector amongst others.

So Jesus accepts the repentance of the tax collector but not the bragging of the Pharisee.  Jesus says that those was exalt thenselves will be humbled and those that humble themselves will be exalted, think about that the next time someone braggs about how humble they are in church or elsewhere.

We are in the bondage of our sins until we repent and once we do our Savior, the son of The Master has set us free.  And as Jesus says "If the son of The Master sets you free ye shall be free indeed."

Jesus excluded no one so who are we to exclude anyone?

We are all sinners.  We may repent and be washed clean of our sins.  If we live out the teachings of Christ, that is salvation in this life which leads to exaltation and everlasting life in the next.  We can find everlasting life on Earth in the here and now if we love one another, if we accept ourselves and each other.

It's like that old saying "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

Jesus says to judge not lest ye be judged.  Forgiveness is our job, judgment is Christ's.

Jesus didn't just heal people on the outside He healed them from the inside out.  Jesus' teaching can heal us from the inside out.  And if He's forgiven you after repentance, who can truly condemn you?

Never Even Once

I am a fan of eastern religion and philosophy so when I came across The Jesus Sutras I was ecstatic.  But the first thing that caught my attention was that in these eastern versions of western scripture the cause for the fall of Adam and Eve was not original sin but original nature.

This is an important distinction to make.  We, according to the 2nd article of faith, are punished for our own transgressions and therefore not under the burden of original sin theology.

But in eastern, specifically Hindu culture, the idea is that everyone is divine in nature rather than sinful in nature and that the path to purity is to dig deep and uncover that divine spark inside yourself.

The western idea is that we are inherently sinful and we must be made pure by Christ.  An eastern view is that we are inherently divine and it is the world which is an illusion that causes confusion and that confusion results in sin.

Contrary to the 2nd article of faith a lot of the original sin theology has made it into our church culture.  The idea of being perfect and never even once philosophy for never making a single mistake and licked cupcake analogies have harmed the youth of our church culture for decades.

It's not bad to model yourself after Christ but that path takes a lifetime to get right and everyone has their own timeline to success.

What I find usually happens is people look to the sinlessness of Christ and though sinful themselves they hold themselves to an unrealistic goal.  Remember, all fall short of the glory of God according to Paul.  So out of billions of people to have ever lived Christ was the only one to be perfect and sinless.  So it's best to keep that perspective when holding yourself to an unrealistic standard.

I have known a few people who had an infinitely forgiving heart, and amazingly accepting and understanding.  I don't know how to describe them except to say they were Christ-like.

It seems more common to me to meet someone who is as forgiving, accepting and understanding and loving as Christ was or impressively close to that standard than the standard of sinlessness that even scripture says Christ was the only sinless person among us all.

Isn't it better to be in the company of someone who is infinitely loving, forgiving accepting and understanding than someone who boasts about their righteousness and their humbleness?

I've been in the company of both types of people and the first was definitely better.

It's not that perfection is bad, it's that if Jesus was the only one who ever accomplished this then how is that an achievable goal?

Yet I have met several people who did come close to measuring up to the love and understanding and acceptance of Christ.

The Kingdom of God is within us and we all can access it at any time.  But we should be weary f those who tell us that God keeps track of every sin and once dirty you can never again become clean which is the idea that was born of men not of God.  God allows for repentance.  The goal is to learn and move on and some of us take longer than others.  But we can again become clean after repentance.

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:10-14)

The Pharisee thanks God because he isn't "one of those people."  He felt he was so much better than others, he lifted himself up bu putting others down and he does this in a prayer!!

Whereas the sinner, the tax collector or publican, beats his chest or smotes it as scripture says but he admits his sins and asks God for forgiveness.  He displays true remorse and according to Jesus he is justified by God which is to say he is forgiven.

One thing that disturbed me as a teen was the licked cupcake analogy.  This was a lesson where cupcakes were brought in and then the teacher said "Ok, who wants cupcakes?"  And when we all said "I do!" he said ok (licked one and handed it to me) and said how about now?

Then I said "No, nevermind."

He then taught the lesson that once a woman has sex she is essentially a licked cupcake and who wants that?  No, you want a virtuous woman.

This strikes me as 1) treating women as possessions rather than people and b) refusing to recognize the power of repentance.

It is a lesson that teaches once you have sinned you are forever dirty.

Jesus on the other hand teaches that if even one out of 99 sheep goes missing that He will find them and return them to the rest of the flock.  This to me means we are never so lost that we cannot be found, that we are never so dirty we can't get clean, that no matter how wrong we've been we can still be forgiven, at least by God.

Jesus compares lust to adultery and hate to murder so His standard of sin is quite steep, but His standard of forgiveness seems infinite especially when repentance takes place and it is Jesus' call as to whether or not you're sincere enough no one else can properly say.

It is not the idea of doing your best or of doing what Christ did that is bad.  It's being unrealistic as to what's possible.  We have all sinned so the idea of being perfect and without sin is beyond us.

But Jesus says the Kingdom of God is within us so all we have to do is look within and claim it.  We can be like Christ in terms of His forgiveness, His compassion, His acceptance and His love.  We need to focus more on what is possible and we also need to learn about what that looks like.

I used the analogy of a circle with a wedge missing to demonstrate what is it to be "imperfect."  But now I'll use a different one.

Think of car tires.  They have tread cut into them and the designs cut are for different season, snow tires, all weather, off road.  But what if we have been cut to perform as God intended on the road of life?

We think we're imperfect, we think we are lacking but really we are cut to specific standards for a reason, meaning that what we think we're missing or lacking has been removed for a reason.  

So it's not that we are imperfect, it's that we have an imperfect idea of perfection.

Remember when Jesus was asked what He though of an adulteress caught in the act?  He said He who is without sin may cast the first stone.  Then He told her to go and sin no more.

I'm not trying to excuse sin, but life is messy and imperfect and we will all make mistakes, some more than others but no one is free of missing the mark.  Which is how the Greek word used for sin is translated as, missing the mark.

Taking life day by day a is a good way to go.  We should be more in the moment than we are these days.  We can make progress and we don't just have a life time, we have eternity.

The only true way to avoid losing a game is to never play.  The only way to avoid singing the wrong notes is to never sing and the only way to avoid sinning, for all but Christ, is to never have lived.

Repentance is key and sin is not permanent to God, maybe people but not The Lord.

Just being the best version of yourself that you can be is all that can be asked of you.  Making progress little by little you can attain a Christ-like presence and even personality.  Love is what He asked us to give all, especially ourselves because of we do not take care of ourselves we can do no good for those we care for.

We need a healthy love and we need to know what a healthier idea of perfection is.  Licked cupcake analogies need to stay in the past.
I believe you are not punished for your sins, you are punished by them and that's what makes a sin harmful and wrong.