Sunday 31 January 2016

Experience.


Rather than being what we experience in the world God is all those things which we don't experience.

Like: sympathy, compassion, comfort, consolation, loyalty, faithfulness, trust, and love.

We are trained to think of life as tough and hard, corrupt and treacherous.

We become cynical and world-weary.

We grow addicted to pleasure.

But happiness does not reside in these things.

Happiness only derives from love.

And this is what we experience in our relationships.

But through our relationship with God we experience spontaneous joy and the peace that surpasses understanding.

So do not think that God is what you experience in the world.

God is transcendent, sublime, beautiful.....

But most of all God is Love.


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Saturday 30 January 2016

Transgressions.


What Satanists in rock music and the popular culture do is tell you to do something which turns out to be a transgression for which you can be damned.

For example in the 1960s rock musicians told the Hippie generation to practice yoga and take drugs.

This turned out to be a serious transgression of Eastern religions.

Another message in the music was to have multiple sexual partners and open marriages.

This turned out to be a serious transgression of marriage vows which resulted in divorces.

Younger generations are being told to practice magic and witchcraft.

This will turn out to be a transgression for which they could be sent to hell.

Satanists believe that God will damn people for these things.

But God does not punish us.

There is no hell to go to.

There are, however, laws and judgements made by human beings.
And these can be invoked to punish people.

So be wary of the messages in rock music and the popular culture.

They may be telling you to transgress.


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Friday 29 January 2016

Debt.


What the Church has traditionally done is take an unsuspecting soul and place him/her in debt.

This is done by invoking Universal Condemnation - the sin of Adam and an individual soul's sin.

They say you were born in sin and your whole life has been sin.

Therefore you are in debt.

And the way that you pay off this debt is to do good works - which are determined by them.

Because the result of debt is hell all their good works are motivated by fear.

But wait there's more.

Have you ever noticed that the debt never diminishes.
In fact the more you do the greater the debt becomes.

This is because the debt is a mechanism by which they subjugate you to their will (social and political).

It is not salvation it is slavery.

This is the sin of the Church.

They take the free gift of God and use it to enslave people.
 

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Left Behind 2.


The emerging progressive religions symbolize the opening of the Age of Aquarius.

A new mentality which incorporates both science and religion is developing across the globe.

Inclusive practices and active concern for the environment characterize this change.

The old orthodox and fundamentalist religions have peaked and are now in decline.

Progressive religions are forging ahead.

The rest will be left behind.


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Thursday 28 January 2016

Awakening.


Around the world there is an awakening of humanity to a new spirituality.

In diverse places and cultures there are men and women coming to a new understanding of God and His relationship with humankind.

The similarities of these revelations suggests the hand of God moving anew to lift humanity from the darkness which has engulfed us.

Eastern meditation practices have prepared us for the experiences we are now seeing.  Positive thought processes and awareness of the present moment lead us to contemplation of the Divine.

Prayer and study lead us into relationship with God.

A new way of interpreting scripture allows the facts of science to be reconciled with religion.

But it is when we practice unconditional love that we enter the sanctuary - our heart of hearts - and meet God face to face.  


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Wednesday 27 January 2016

Love One Another.


It is God's will that we love one another.

So let's see you do it!

Love overrides fear and prejudice and judgement.

If we love someone enough we will ignore their faults, their sins, and their crimes; we will see their soul, the divine spark within them, and we will treat them as we would a child or a brother or sister.

We will pray for them and wish the best for them.

We will not reject or judge them

So the will of God is not that we judge people according to some moral rule or principle but that we aspire to goodness through love.

It is God's will that we love one another.

So let's see you do it!


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Tuesday 26 January 2016

Lies.


"If you have sex you'll go to hell."

"Sex and drugs and rock and roll equals death to God."

"There is no God only Satan."

These are the lies propagated by Satanists in rock music, movies, books, and sports.....

We are inundates with negative ideas which cancel any spiritual aspirations we might have.

We are drowning in darkness, death, and evil.

But there is no devil in reality.

Only God's Love.

So seek to see how evil lies to you.

Seek to see the Love of God.

Seek to be delivered.

And to be free to love.


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Monday 25 January 2016

A Pathway to God.


Modern people do not want to be told how to behave or what to do to qualify for acceptance by the Church.

Modern people want to experience God directly.

This is why so many have embraced yoga and Buddhism with their meditative practices which lead to personal enlightenment.

But a way still exists in the Christian religion.

This is the way of the heart.

When asked which was the greatest commandment Jesus said, "'"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."  This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'"  Matthew 22:34-40 (NRSV)

So to love God and love God in our neighbor is the essence of Christianity.

If we practice these things something happens.

Jesus also said, ""You have heard that it was said "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."  But I say to you.  Do not resist an evil doer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also....
"'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."  But I say to you.  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.'"  Matthew 5:38.39.43-45a (NRSV)

If you practice theses things something happens.

As with all spiritual development we cannot limit our practice to one aspect only.

If we meditate on the meaning of the scriptures and immerse ourselves using spiritual images and classical choral and sacred music we may find that God draws near to us and we experience God's presence.

Along with contemplation come study and prayer and action.

But if we are sincere in our desire to know God and open our hearts.

All these things will combine to open a pathway to 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.]

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Sunday 24 January 2016

The Last Judgement.


Above the altar in the Sistine Chapel is Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgement.

On Jesus' right the righteous rise to heaven.
On Jesus' left the damned are dragged to hell.

It is time to revise the theology behind these images.

Those on the right will still rise to heaven.
But those on the left will no longer be condemned.
They will be washed clean and reconciled to God through Love - the unseen hook.

The figure of the angel lifting the dead with rosary beads should be on the left of Jesus above those who need his prayers.

This is the theology of the future.

No one will be condemned.


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Saturday 23 January 2016

New Wine (Water).


Jesus said, "'And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says "The old is good."'"  Luke 5:39 (NRSV)

And I say, "No one after drinking wine desires water, but says 'The wine is good.'"


[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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Friday 22 January 2016

Chariots.


An ancient pagan text says that you can ascend to the Divine in the chariot of any one of the gods.

Our modern experience may be something like this:
You can ascend to God through any one of the religions.

Progressive Christians ascend to God through the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus forms a Trinity with God and the Holy Spirit.

But this is not the only pathway to God.

You can ascend to God through any one of the religions.


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Thursday 21 January 2016

Dehumanization.


The biggest problem in our modern world is dehumanization.

Too many people are not seen as being human beings in the way that we view ourselves.

Employees are seen as work units.

The poor and those on welfare are seen as self-destructive or criminal - drug addicts or dole-cheats.

Sex workers are not people but objects.

Gays and lesbians are evil sinners or sex maniacs.

People with mental illness are less than human.

Refugees are inhuman terrorists or dangerous fanatics.

In short anyone whom we suspect might make demands on us is dehumanized and blamed.  Some are even scapegoated.

The media feeds us these images and we comply without thinking.

But the truth is that each of these people is a human being just like us.

And the essence of spirituality is to see the other as an equal human being.


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Wednesday 20 January 2016

Footprints.


The churches are all empty.

Our friends are all divorced.

Our world is wrecked by drugs.

Our media is controlled by the rich.

The disparity between rich and poor is at an all time high.

Our governments are controlled by plutocrats.

Our popular culture is saturated with evil.

And everyone follows the football.

These are the footprints of an evil in our society which few people can see.

Satanism in rock music, movies, sports, T.V., and literature casts a shadow over the whole world.

It is a conspiracy of gigantic proportions.

And it is the defining secret of out time.


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Gods.


Primitive humans ascribed to their gods aspects which they experienced in life that seemed to have some supernatural power.

Thus was born religion.

Socrates maintained that the Greek gods were fakes.

Many of these forces can now be explained by science.

The ancient gods live on, however, as the planets and asteroids of astrology.

But there is a supernatural power which transcends our mere earthly existence.

This is God.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The God of Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed.

Transcendent, sublime, and beautiful this God is beyond our imagination.

But we can enter into relationship with this God through love.

Wholly benevolent, beyond dualism, and immanent God wishes the best for us.

Through forgiveness, mercy, and compassion He engages us in life and welcomes us after death.

He periodically breaks into human history to lure us to a better way - away from the gods of the world and towards His Kingdom.

This is the covenant He makes with humankind - to do His will on earth.
 
And what is His will?

That we love one another.


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Monday 18 January 2016

Your Soul.


When we meditate we observe our thoughts.
Therefore I am not my thoughts.

But what is my true self?

Carl Jung said that we hide our true selves from others.
This is because we are afraid of being hurt.
We are protecting our hearts.

So my true self is closer to my heart than my mind.

Many religions teach that our true self is a form of consciousness.
But I say that your true self, or your soul, is in your heart.

Love brings us into contact with our true selves, or our souls, which are in our hearts.

Love brings our true selves to the surface where we can meet other souls.

Fear makes us hide our true selves.
We bury our souls and become separated from them.

Love integrates our personalities.
Love allows us to express our true personalities.

So do not be afraid.
Love others even as you love yourself.


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Creation.


I read an article in the Uniting Church newspaper that described the mission of the Church as "the renewal of all creation, to overcome the powers of sin, evil, and death, and to reconcile all creation to God's own self through Jesus Christ." (Crosslight June 2015).

To tell people that they are dead and if they reject the Church then they are rejecting Jesus Christ and therefore God is at least an insult and at worst an attempt to subjugate the whole of humanity.

Most modern people will say, "So what?"

And the Church will be further downgraded in their estimation as a tyrannical institution bound up with self-delusion and megalomania.

My own opinion is that they have overestimated the power of Jesus Christ.
While to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ is to transform the world it was never meant to be a cosmic transformation.  It is personal and voluntary.

So the Church needs to be more humble in its claims.

Only when the Church can offer something positive to people will the Church become relevant again in the modern world.


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Sunday 17 January 2016

Safety in Numbers.


There is nothing more terrifying than being alone.

That is why people feel safety in numbers.

In the schoolyard you will often find a group of children will gang up on an individual and bully him.

This is terror in the group dynamic.

Children are so afraid of being bullied by others that they band together to pick on someone more vulnerable than themselves - an individual who is a lone representative of difference.

We see this in gangs.
We see this in society.
We see this in religion.
We see this in politics.
We see this in international relations.

But the fact remains - it is a manifestation of fear.

A fear that is learned from the world around us.


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Saturday 16 January 2016

No Discrimination.


God does not discriminate.

He loves gay and lesbian people the same as he loves heterosexual people.

He accepts us totally and equally.

He invites us to communion.

And binds us in His covenant.

We partake of His redeeming Love.

And share in everlasting life.

We will enter Heaven when we die.

Of this there is no doubt.


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Friday 15 January 2016

Nothing Works.


Do you find that no matter how many self-help books you read or how many things you try nothing seems to work?

Your life is on hold.
We are manipulated and controlled.

Everyone complains.
But no one knows what is wrong.

Well there is an answer.

The rock music you are listening to and the T.V. and movies you are watching are sabotaging you.

Evil, darkness, violence, materialism, hate, fear, and dark fantasies.....
All these things are poisoning your mind, sabotaging your aspirations, and cursing your quest.

And this is being done deliberately by malevolent forces in our popular culture.

Rock stars, movie stars, directors, T.V. producers, writers, sportsmen, and commentators - all have turned to Satanism for fame and fortune at our expense.

We are tempted, corrupted, cursed, and damned.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Most of this evil is hidden in the unconscious where it manipulates our thinking and behavior.

And that's why nothing works.

But there is a solution.

If we eliminate these things from our lives and turn to God through prayer and contemplation there is an answer.

God will deliver you from evil.

He will save your life and rescue your soul.

And then things will begin to work.


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Thursday 14 January 2016

Wednesday 13 January 2016

The Darkest Hour.


The darkest hour is upon the earth.

The media is saturated with sin and evil.

We are cursed and distracted.

We are oppressed and controlled.

Religion is dead.

Our culture is dark, materialistic, and hopeless.

Inequalities are extreme.

We are alienated and disturbed.


But the darkest hour is just before the dawn.

There is a flicker of light on the horizon.


God is working through progressive religions and activism on the internet.

A spark of enlightenment and justice and love.

Can the light overcome the darkness?

The light illuminates both good and evil.

Will we see?

Will we realize?

Rock music poisons us.

Celebrities betray us.

Sports distract us.

Find your purpose.

Follow the light.

Pray, and listen, and see!

God will rescue you.


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Tuesday 12 January 2016

Biographies.


People read the biographies of successful people.

This is because we are trained from birth to aspire to worldly success.

But we make the mistake of thinking that those who succeed in a worldly sense are the right people to emulate.

The qualities that it takes to succeed in the world are not spiritual qualities.

So if we aspire to be spiritual people stars and celebrities are not the right people to copy.

Spirituality is characterized by humility.

Spiritual people are warm and compassionate, patient, honest, and charitable.
They are filled with joy.
But most of all they show love.

These are not the qualities you will find in biographies.


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Monday 11 January 2016

Gay Theology.


Most of the world's religions have traditionally represented God as male.

And the relationship between God's representatives on earth (His priests etc.), who were also traditionally male, and this God was symbolized by marriage.

To avoid the obvious homosexual connotations of this situation the Christian religion stated that the Church was feminine and was symbolized as a submissive wife.  The Indian yogis* also stated that all human sexual energy was feminine (shakti).

Rather than twisting my mind into a pretzel to avoid it I would suggest that the obvious solution to this problem is to admit that God accepts homosexuality.
Indeed all priests and yogis are in same-sex marriages with God.

They assumed the feminine sexual role rather than say that God is homosexual.

This, of course, is a ridiculous situation.

But it shows to what lengths men have gone to avoid homosexual connotations in the past.

The time has come to admit that God accepts gay relationships and indeed gay marriages.

It is much simpler than the traditional solutions.

Furthermore, all those feminists who insist that God is female (the Goddess) are in lesbian relationships with their deity.

This, of course, is just as ridiculous.

So there you have it.

Those who insist on the same-sex identity of God are all in homosexual relationships with their deity.

Examine your own claims and you will see that this is true.

Wouldn't it be simpler to say that God also engages in homosexual relations, even same-sex marriages?

If God is everything and everyone then He/She is also homosexual.


*Yoga means union - i.e. union with God.

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Sunday 10 January 2016

Dualistic Thinking.


"The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being."  Genesis 2:7 (NRSV)

God is the source of all life.

So if you think dualistically there must be death and a source of death.

This is the bane of religious thinking.

Death was thought to be the condition of men and women separated from God, a way of life not conforming to the commandments of God.

"For the wages of sin is death."  Romans 6:23a (NRSV)

And the source of death was thought to be the devil.

"The one who has the power of death, that is, the devil."  Hebrews 2:14a (NRSV)

But this is a false dichotomy.

Progressive Christianity invites us to think of God holistically, i.e. as an integrated whole.

Dualistic thinking is like the primary school of religious thought.
Its conclusions will not stand greater scrutiny.

There is no devil in reality, no death, no hell.

Evil is a human concept.
It is the result of dualistic thinking.

Animals have no concept of evil.
Nature cannot be evil.

It is only humans who can choose evil as an alternative to good, which is God.

But God is transcendent - i.e. beyond sin and evil - which is not to say that God is a blending of the opposites.

God is Light without shadow.
Life without death.
Love without hatred.

God is infinite and sublime - beyond our primitive dualistic thinking.

God is panentheistic and immanent.

God is One.

There is no other.


[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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Saturday 9 January 2016

Principles.


And what are these principles on which we are expected to act?

Mercy, forgiveness, compassion, honesty, truthfulness, charity, generosity, gratitude, altruism, humanitarianism, faith, hope, and love.

But most of all Love.


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Friday 8 January 2016

Orthopraxy.


We are not expected just to believe.

We are expected to act.

Religion is not just a set of mental principles to which we give lip service.

Religion is a way of life, a way of acting in the world.

"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?" Micah 6:8 (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.]

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Thursday 7 January 2016

Trinities.


The spirit of God - breath (nephesh) and wind (ruach) - is the spirit of Life.

This is the Holy Spirit of which Jesus spoke.

And it forms a Trinity with Jesus (the Son) and God (the Father).

But this is not the only pathway to God.

Ancient Hindus approached God through Krishna (Light).

Yoga says that God is energy (Life).

Yet others say that God is Love.

So we can approach God through any of these aspects.

All are valid paths to God.


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Wednesday 6 January 2016

Trash!


Take off your Megadeath t-shirt

and throw it in the trash!


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Message.


To all those who have sold their souls to the devil and worship Satan and do his work in the world:

There is no devil in reality, only God's Love.

So you cannot sell your souls.

Your soul is a part of God.

As for the works of Satan: you have invented them by reversing orthodox religious practices.

Satan cannot reward you.

As for fame and fortune and sex: these things come naturally to anyone who has talent and succeeds - they are not dispensed by Satan.

There are many who have bargained with the devil who have not received these things.

All your malice and sabotage is for nothing.
There is no devil, only God.

So turn to God and be forgiven.


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Tuesday 5 January 2016

The Lord.


"'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.'"  Exodus 34:6,7 (NRSV)

This is the description of God given to Moses which is repeated throughout the Bible.

It is the description used by the prophet Nehemiah, King David in the Psalms, the prophet Daniel, and the prophet Jonah.

It is repeated almost word for word.

What does this tell us about God?

This is certainly not a God waiting to punish us.
This is not a moral accountant.

This is a generous, forgiving God of Love "'ready to relent from punishing.'" Jonah 4:2 (NRSV)

Why is this not the standard description of God?

Why have we been told that God will judge us?

Why have we been told that we are condemned?

The answer is simple:

Fear  

Humankind is so fearful of an almighty God that our guilt and shame drive us to slander Him.

And yet God says, "Fear not."
Jesus says, "Fear not."

This is the way of the heart.

It is not a way of rules and punishments.

God will forgive us.

If we open our hearts.


[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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Monday 4 January 2016

Epiphany.


"For there is still a vision for the appointed time."  Habakkuk 2:3a (NRSV)

That time is now!

"'For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps."  I send you to reap that for which you did not labor.  Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.'"  John 4:37,38 (NRSV)

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion 'Your God reigns.'"  Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

We are blessed to be messengers of the good news from God that is manifesting now.

This is the epiphany that ushers in the Age of Aquarius.

We will enter into a brotherhood with all humanity.

And it will bind all life on this planet in an everlasting covenant with 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.]

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Sunday 3 January 2016

Disturbing the Peace.


Rock music disturbs the mind.

The negativity, excitement, hedonism, and beat of rock music has created generations of disturbed youth.

And that's not counting the evil messages which are backtracked in the music.

Rock music stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain addicting you to pleasure and excitement.

It is like the drugs that rock musicians have pushed on the Hippies and subsequent generations.

But peace comes from God:

The silence of nature.
The serenity of sacred classical music.
The stillness of prayer.

All these things create peace of mind.

A peace that comes from God.


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Saturday 2 January 2016

Dialogue.


The time has come to initiate dialogue between the warring factions.

Dialogue between dictators and freedom fighters.
Dialogue between religious fundamentalists and religious progressives.
Dialogue between social conservatives and social liberals.
Dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

The pendulum is swinging.
Unless we engage both camps the pendulum will swing to the other extreme and we will see equally violent reprisals.

The answer is not to crush any threat to our supremacy, which is what we are doing now, the answer is to listen to our enemies and acknowledge their concerns.

This does not necessarily mean giving in to all of their demands.
Some of their concerns may be irrational fears with no basis in reality.

But other concerns may be legitimate complaints and criticisms.

It is not weakness to listen to our enemies.

In fact it shows strength of character and true security.

Conflict can only be resolved through dialogue.

And then we might know peace.    


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Friday 1 January 2016

A True Prophet..


Jesus said, "'Then if anyone says to you, "Look!  Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" - do not believe it.  For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.'" Matthew 24:23,24 (NRSV)

How are we to recognize a true prophet?

One who is close to God has an open, loving heart; personal integrity; and humble, simple ways.

His/her life is characterized by joy, non-violence, and gentleness.

He/she has a peace that is palpable.

Egotistical, self-obsessed, social climbing celebrities are best avoided.
It is unlikely they are close to God.  


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