Spiritual Junk Food

If You Were a God

2012-01-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

If you were a god, if you had subjects who worshipped you, would you rule with an iron hand? Would you want them to fear you? Probably. Why? Because deep down you would feel that if you did not rule with an iron hand, your faithful (fearful) subjects would run to another without that tight grip. Besides, your ego would be basking in the glory of it all-the adoration, the accolades.

Isn't that how dictators rule? Through fear and manipulation. Syria's now deceased leader said "the people love me, they would die for me." He was certainly out of touch with reality. In North Korea, the people had pictures and shrines to their leader, who recently died and referred to him as their Dear Leader. And they hated America while wearing American products. These dictators and others lived in splendor while their loyal subjects lived in abject poverty, squalor and dispair. No one would dare speak against their leader for fear of torture, imprisonment or death. If you were targeted by the wrath of the leader or ruling party, the consequences were usually swift and often deadly. Just look at the atrocities happening in parts of Africa and the Middle East where entire groups of people (men, women and children) have been targeted for genocide.

Media shows the killers riding around cheering and holding their guns but I dare to venture this thought. Taking the lives of the innocent, raping women and girls is having a toll on the killers, I assure you, and leaves a void in their soul. They don't show that pain for fear they would meet the same fate as their victims. (Remember the creed of the Mafia? Once in, the only way out is death.)

OK, I'm making a point here. Here's a question for you. Did the God of the Old Testament use fear and manipulation to keep His highest creation, man, in line? "Worship me, obey me or else death and destruction to you."

The New Testament talks love, love, love but still says if you do not obey, you will live in hellfire for eternity. The church preaches the same thing, using different words. "Our way or the highway-to hell." Is that a little contradictory and confusing? Christ says come as you are. The Church (dictators) says this way or else.

Something to think about, isn't it?

God and Wisdom

2012-01-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

Are God and Wisdom one and the same? In Proverbs 1:20-33, Wisdom basically says, because you did not heed my counsel, I will not answer in your time of calamity. Yet in Hebrews 13:5, God says He will never leave or forsake you. Which is it?

Just asking.

I'm back - and - Happy Holidays

2011-12-27T01:39:00.000-05:00

I'm back!!! Had major computer and Internet problems the latter part of this year. All is resolved and I can now get back to sharing with you.

Hope you are enjoying the holiday season. It is truly a most wonderful time of the year. Looking forward to a new year of fulfilled desires for you and me.

Was God Really Speaking?

2011-08-29T11:42:00.000-04:00

Was God really speaking?

Leading up to the arrival of Hurricane Irene, I heard a lot of “Christian” folk, "believers", say the this was God speaking and basically He was saying “I, (God), am doing this (storm) to get your attention and remind you of Who is in charge.” REALLY? Back that up biblically. I seem to recall reading that “God is not in the whirlwind or the thunder but is in the still small voice.” And why would God create a storm when we know that Jesus quieted the storm. Wouldn’t that be fighting against oneself? In one instance, God creates a storm to get our attention. In another instance, God quiets the storm. Contradictory don’t you think?

Where do people get these ideas? When someone dies, especially if it is a child, people say God needed another flower for His garden in heaven. When someone develops a horrible disease, I’ve heard people say God allowed it. FOR WHAT REASON??? So He could heal the person? Couldn’t He have prevented it in the first place?

What God are you serving? God was not speaking through Hurricane Irene. Get real. And if He was, how many heard Him? Lots of people were afraid and others didn’t care. I don’t think either group was listening. It’s amazing the things people make up and say it is God. Even more amazing is how many people believe them. God doesn’t need to take your child because He needs another flower in His garden! What garden??? And why??? If He is the God you say He is, can’t He create whatever flowers He desires? How insensitive to say that to a grieving parent. Am I the only one who thinks this is nonsense? If my child died, and I was led to believe that God allowed this or somehow had a part in my child’s death, I would be TOTALLY PISSED OFF WITH GOD! And if you have any sense, you would be too.

Christians/believers need to stop the foolishness and really find out who God is. Obviously, too many have the wrong impression of God. I know Him as a God of unconditional love for all of us. That’s right. I said ALL OF US. You can’t sin bad enough or often enough for God to stop loving you. Romans 8 declares that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” So again I ask, what God are you serving? SELAH.

I Stepped Outside of Myself

2011-08-15T09:46:00.000-04:00

Ran into a friend I had not seen in years. She and another lady had just left a church service. We did the usual small talk about family. Then she asked if I was "in church" (a member of any church.) Christians tend to ask this question of everyone. I said what I always say. "I'm on the backside of the desert, me, Moses and God." Her expression changed immediately. Kind of like, uh oh. So I did something I don't do. I stepped outside of myself and explained that (l) God has not led me to any church yet, (2) but I still read my Bible and (3) fellowship with other believers. STOP! I don't have to explain myself to any man (or woman in this case.) No, I'm not in a church. Have not been for years. That which I can God released me from religion several years ago and I couldn't be happier. I AM closer to He, She, It that I call God than ever before.

I read the authorized Bible, (King James) and as many other books as I can find including The Other Bible, The Gnostic Bible, The Essential Koran, The Dead Sea Scrolls, writings by Deepak Chopra, Osho, Eckhart Tolle, Kaballah and the list goes on. Just re-read Conversations With God, Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch. About to read Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill.

So I'm not going to church. And your point is what? Like I said, I stepped outside of myself, actually, forgot who I AM and felt like I needed to clarify myself so she wouldn't feel bad for me. STOP! What about how I feel? Never again. My answer is still, I'm hanging out on the backside of the desert like Moses did and I'm having a ball. Not in church, don't want to be in church, not looking for a church home. I AM the church! God is...therefore I AM. End of story. Everyone has to walk their own path and everyone needs to respect each other's path even if they disagree or think it's wrong.

So do you in this life. Don't apologize for being who you are and always listen to That which you call God.

Another definition of sin

2011-06-25T18:34:00.000-04:00

Another Definition of Sin

I’ve heard many definitions of sin. Most of them actually deal with what many would say is the appearance of sin. Things like smoking, drinking, sex outside of marriage, etc. One definition is “missing the mark.” Sounds more appropriate, don’t you think? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel says. “sin is the refusal of the human to be who we are.” WOW. That really says it all. We miss the mark when we don’t live up to our potential.

God wants to say something!

2011-06-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

Are you Listening?

God wants to say something. “There are some changes you need to make immediately in your life. Pay attention to these guidelines.”

Quit worrying: Why are you worrying anyway. I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you or did you forget?
Put it on the list: Not your list. Put it on MY to-do list. You can’t fix it anyway (though I know you sometimes think you can) but I can’t help you until you turn it over to ME.
Trust me: Now why are you trying to take it back after you just put stuff on MY to-do- list? You’ve got to trust ME. Whatever the problems-problems with the kids, problems with your finances, problems with your relationships? I will take care of it. All you have to do is ask – and leave it in MY hands.
Leave it alone: Don’t wake up thinking, “OK, I’m feeling better. I can handle it from here.” No the hell you can’t!!! Oh, excuse ME. Don’t get it twisted. The reason you feel stronger is because I renewed your strength. I’m giving you the peace you’re feeling. Forget about those problems. You gave them to ME. Now let ME do my job.
Talk to me: Forget the problems, worries, etc but please don’t forget to talk to ME. I LOVE YOU. Talk to me about your friends, family, desires, etc. I want to be your dearest friend. Prayer is just having a conversation with ME.
Have faith: Have faith that I know what I’m doing. Trust me. How easy is that?
Share: Share with those less fortunate than yourself. Share your joy with someone who needs encouragement. Share your laughter, share your tears. Share your faith with those who have none.
Be patient: Kind of funny that you get so impatient when it takes ME longer than you expect or think it should take for Me to handle your issues. I know I created the entire universe in six days but even then, I did not rush. Everything in its time. I know what I’m doing.
Be kind: Be kind to others, for I love them as much as I love you. I created each of you different in some way. I didn’t want robots.
Love yourself: How can you not love yourself? You were created for one reason-to be loved and to love in return. I love you. Love ME. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. You are very precious to ME.

Who is this God?

2011-06-18T17:11:00.000-04:00

I’ve touched on this before but it bares another entry. What do you believe about God? How do you experience and know God? Are you wondering about what you’ve been taught to believe about God and what you are feeling, hidden in your heart? Maybe you have begun to question some things. Are you having trouble reconciling the God of the Bible with a God of unconditional love?

The god in the Bible seems to have respect of persons (Jews are favored over everyone else). The god of the Bible speaks of unconditional love on the one hand and damnation and punishment if you do not love and serve him. In fact, you will be damned to an eternity of fire and torment if you do not serve him. The god of the Bible then is about conditional love. Love him and serve him or else be forever tormented. Sounds like the message of most churches: believe and serve god our way or you will go to hell.

So how is the god of the Bible so vindictive and capable of such awful things-in his name and so loving that he sent his son to die for us so we would not be in torment forever?

The truth of the matter is, most who believe in a god, no matter what you name him/her/it believe that this god will punish you or those not of your faith with an awful eternity for not following his dictates. Most believe that it is our duty to get rid of literally or figuratively those who do not believe as we were taught. We see it every day. Look at those behind 911 and other hate groups right here in America. Why else would one group of Africans, Muslims, Asians, Americans, Catholics, Protestants, etc want to kill or separate from another group of Africans, Muslims, Asians, Americans, Catholics, Protestants, etc? Most religions have a punishment attached. Did you notice that? It’s hard to believe in and feel safe with a god who will throw you into a never-ending fire for eternity if you slip up!!! So if I commit adultery, get drunk, steal something, tell a lie maybe just one time but if I die before I can ask for forgiveness, I will burn in hell for eternity. BTW-when does eternity begin? I thought eternity was forever which means it can’t begin at death but that’s another story. Hard to live with love in your heart for that kind of god, isn’t it?

Is this really God? Does not the Bible say that nothing, no thing, shall separate me from the love of God? Romans 8:38-39. God wants everyone to come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9, so why did he create a world where he knew so many would not come to repentance? Isn’t God all knowing? Therefore he knew Adam and Eve would mess it up for everyone. That’s what I was taught in church. I have wondered why God would put Adam and Eve in the garden with the tree that they should not touch AND THEN POINT THE TREE OUT TO THEM! What’s up with that??? Speaking of all knowing, didn’t he know 1/3 of the angels were plotting against him? So what happened? Did they sneak up on him unawares and he was surprised? Makes you wonder about what we’ve been taught, don’t it? But I digress. And parent, teacher, grand parent or anyone who has dealings with children know that if you tell a child not to do something, that is the very thing they are going to do. Happens with adults too. Perfect example is the wet paint sign. Inevitably, someone will touch the painted area whether the sign says don’t touch or not. It’s an open invitation. So not only did God already know Adam and Eve would mess up, he set them up to mess up. Uh oh. Blasphemy! How dare I say such a thing? Read it for yourself. My take on this is that Adam and Eve were frolicking in the garden, having fun, swinging out the trees, maybe even THAT tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam not to eat of that tree Genesis 2:17. Why not wait until he had created Eve and tell them both together? Better yet, leave the tree out of the garden all together. How about that? God also created all the animals and tells us in Genesis 3:1 that the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Never mind that the serpent spoke to Eve. Probably everything spoke and could be heard and understood back then. We have to work at hearing nature speak today. WTH??? Looks like a set up to me. Can you now see how our beliefs are shaped by society, our parents, our church, our culture but not by us?

There discussion will be continued.

Let’s look further into this. The god of the Old Testament is vengeful and gets angry and doesn’t show at lot of love at times. First of all, only blood sacrifices appease him. Then there is what happened in Judges 21 where the Israelites attacked Jabesh-gilead and killed every man, woman and child EXCEPT 400 virgins which were given in marriage but there were still men of the tribe of Benjamin who did not get a wife. So the Israelites went to Shiloh, during the feast of the Lord, hid in the vineyards and took the daughters of Shiloh who came to the vineyards to dance. By the way, they also had an answer in case the fathers/brothers of the daughters of Shiloh came to complain. The last verse of this chapter says, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” V. 25. There is nothing written about any consequences coming to the Israelites. Surely God knew and therefore condoned what happened.

WOW. Lot of killing and raping and everything else going on with God’s knowledge and dare I say it, blessings toward the children of Israel. Is this the God of love I’ve come to know? Or is this the god created by the people of old? In Judges 11, we see God accepting a human burnt offering because of the oath made by Jephthah. We know in Genesis 22, Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac when God stopped him. Why one and not the other? Why human sacrifice at all? I’m just saying.

A lot to think about. Don’t take my word for it. Read it for yourself. Read what Judges 11 says about slavery. And we wonder why hate groups like the KKK use the Bible as their reference for the awful things they do. Question everything. Let me say that again. Question everything.

2011-06-18T17:06:00.001-04:00

No Respecter of Persons

2011-05-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

Can you sense the change? It's all around us. May 21st, yesterday, was supposed to be the end of the world. Truly there is an ending taking place but it started last year--or at least I began to sense it last year. And it is not necessarily a one time, major event. It is a paradigm shift spread over time. Not a catastrophic "Big Bang" event. Not the end of the world; but the end of an age, a shift in consciousness, a change in what we think we know about God and who God really is. WOW. Are you ready?

Let me give you an example of what I'm beginning to see. You see, I had an issue with God concerning the Scripture that says God is no respecter of persons. I began to wonder about that because it seemed to me He was favoring others above me. I couldn't seem to catch a break and I told Him so often. I felt that God was ignoring me, not answering my prayers, kicking me to the curb, etc, etc in my whiny little girl voice. Then I read some things that changed my mind.

"There is a Universal Mind, Spirit, Intelligence that is the Origin of everything. It is God." p.35

This Original Life is Infinite. It is Law." p.36

"Our belief sets the limits to our demonstration of a Principle which, of Itself, is without limit. p.37, which means we put the limits on God, Universe, Spirit.

"As he sows, so shall he reap; the law works for all alike. We must accustom ourselves to the concept of the impersonalness of the law, the availability of the law, and the mechanical accuracy of the law. If we can conceive only a little good, that is as much as we can experience. We experience good and evil because we perceive a presence of duality rather than unity."

"The Spirit can give us only what we can take." p.40. "It can tell us only what we can understand." p.41

"The Universe is impersonal. It gives alike to all. It is no respecter of persons." p,41

"Faith in a certain specific statement has power consciously to oppose, neutralize, erase and obliterate the opposite mental attitude." p.48 "I know that the faith within me now neutralizes ALL doubt." p.49

I was thinking of God as a Person who was not listening to me, not answering my prayers, not performing miracles in my behalf, therefore it seemed (dare I say it), He was favoring others over me. However, when I see Law as impersonal, bells went off and light bulbs came on. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

God is Love, yes. God is good, yes. Law is love because it gives love to all. We just have to accept it. Law is good because that's what It is. Not good AND evil. That is our limiting belief in duality but it is not TRUTH. WOW WOW WOW.

As Energy, Law, Principle, God cannot by Its very nature favor one over another. If something is not working for me, it is because of my failure to believe it is so. The Law/Lord can only respond to my level of belief.

Hard to swallow? Maybe but once you've heard it, you're responsible for that Truth. Like it or not, you cannot fit a 10 x 12 picture (mind) into a 5 x 7 frame.

(The pages refer to The Science of Mind book by Ernest Holmes.)

God is not Mocked

2011-04-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

"God is not mocked" is not a warning but a reassurance. God would be mocked if any of His creation lacked holiness. The creation is whole, and the mark of wholeness is holiness. ACIM

Resurrection Sunday

2011-04-24T20:24:00.000-04:00

Resurrection Sunday.

Celebrated by believers all over the world. Others celebrate today as Easter. People dress up in their Easter finery, some crowd into churches for their obligatory spring visit to the House of God, have a big family meal and then go back to their regular life the next day. To each his own. When I was attending church, I went all the time, not just Easter and New Year's Eve. To me, that was the height of hypocrisy. Even the Bible says, "so then because thou are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew (vomit) thee out of my mouth." Revelation 3:16. In other words, either be in all the way, all the time, or be out totally.

BTW: I am a believer and no matter how I try to count it, Friday to Sunday is NOT 3 DAYS. And besides, the Sabbath according to the Bible is Saturday so Jesus did not die on Friday and rise on Sunday. Mathematically impossible. I'm just saying.

Can you see that God was there all the time?

2010-07-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

Psalms 139:7, 8

You cannot get away from the love of God. Psalms 139 says, "if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou are there." I challenged God on that verse many years ago when I was in my own hell of unemployment, couldn't find a job, had no gas or electricity for several weeks, taking pennies to a supermarket that would accept them to buy canned soup that I could eat cold out of the can, one way carfare to job interviews in which I took my sneakers so I could walk 3 or 4 miles back home.

Do you see that God was there with me in that hell? Angrily I asked, "where are you, God? Where are you in this hell?" He was there all the time. With no electricity, I got up at daybreak so I could read and study the Word all day until it got too dark to read. Then I went to bed. I rolled pennies in brown paper and took them to the only place I knew that would accept them and bought 2 or 3 cans of soup and crackers because they were non perishable. Sometimes I bought a bag of ice so I would have cool water to drink. Can you see that God was there all the time?

I seemed to always find enough carfare to get to the job interview. I had to take my sneakers so I could walk home, sometimes from the east side of midtown back to the west side of Harlem. And many times I cried when I got home, from exhaustion and frustration. Can you see that God was there all the time?

I walked to and from church, a little over a mile a couple of times a week. Someone would take me out to eat between Sunday services. Little did they know that was the only meal I'd had or might have for a couple of days. Do you see that God was there all the time?

Romans 8:25, 38, 39
Not only did God meet me in my hell, but even that could not separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Neither the distress or famine I was living could separate me from the love of Christ. Neither the place I was at - hell - nor the sometimes-angry-at-God person I was could separate me from His love.

Can you see He was there all the time.

Mocking the Word of God

2010-05-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

OK Believers. When are you going to stop making a mockery of the Word of God?

The Bible says man's body is the temple or house of God, the very sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 6:19 and II Corinthians 6:16. "For you are the temple of the living God, and you are not your own." And yet the church is the last place you will find health and wellness! Diabeties, high blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic illnesses are rampant in the church. How do I know? Same people asking for prayer every week, same people on the healing line every week, same OVERWEIGHT people in the same fast food restaurants every Sunday after service or at the church's food court. (Everyone knows church sisters know how to throw down in the kitchen.) And the same people dying of complications from the diseases listed above.

WHAT KIND OF TESTIMONY IS THAT???

So what are you going to do about it? It's time to get healthy, America. It's time for the Church to lead the way. It's time for believers to look the part of a triumphant Child of God. It's bad enough that believers don't portray the riches of the Kingdom, but that's another post. The world sees most believers as in need of health and wealth. In other words, sick and poor. And since many in the world are healthy and/or wealthy, why should they embrace your God? It's obvious He is not taking care of you - or at least that's how many think. Of course, we know that He is doing His part. It's you who are not lining up with the Word of God. That's an uninspiring testimony to say the least.

Stop living the lie. If you are overweight, diabetic, hypertensive, you are destroying the temple! Even if you are under weight. If you are not healthy, you are destroying the temple. Make the necessary changes to be that shining testimony of the Word of God. Remember, God is not mocked.

Contact me at Mysticdiva77@yahoo.com for addition information of getting and maintaining good health. Let's get healthy in 2010.

Adam and Eve-not the first???

2009-10-18T21:22:00.000-04:00

OK, what's going on in Genesis? There's Adam and Eve, right? Adam named his wife, Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Genesis 3:20. Then there is Cain and Abel, right? Now when Cain killed his brother, he was banished from the family, such as it was. The Lord said in Genesis 4:15, "therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengence shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him." Whosoever who??? (Sorry. I know that's incorrect English but making a point here.) I thought it was just Adam, Eve and Cain.

Even Cain said in Genesis 4:13-14, "my punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold---, I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me." That's why the Lord set a mark upon him. Every one who???

Then there is the part about Cain's wife. Genesis 4:17, "And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch. v.19 And La'mech took unto him two wives."

Where are all these people coming from???

What's going on?

2009-10-11T21:02:00.000-04:00

There's something going on here, Lord. Probably not just with me but I can only speak for me. Common thread seems to be seeking to know You.

For me, it started with leaving one place of worship after about 20 years, then leaving another after less than a year, being on the "backside of the desert" like Moses and experiencing You like never before. For me, it's been acquiring and reading books that organized religion would frown on. Books by Christians (?) and non-Christians (?) alike. Define Christian for me, Lord because back in the day, it was a derogatory term. Sorry, I digress. Books about Mother/Father God, Buddha, Jesus, Christ (are they one and the same?), Kabbalah, Gnosticism, The Lost Bible, even my essay about being angry with you Lord. And books about leaving the church. Gasp!

Anybody else been there? Books like Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor, The Shack by William Young, Gospel of Inclusion by Bishop Carlton Pearson and So You Don't Want to go to Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman.

Are you noticing a central theme here? I know You notice the theme, Lord. You designed it especially for me. I'm writing this for the readers who are feeling "something", feeling disquieted about their religious experience, beginning to ask, like I did, "why am I here?", what is my purpose, Lord?" or "why did You let that happen to me, Lord?"

OK, people, how is that working for you?

Romans 8:35, 38-39.

God's image

2009-09-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

We are created in God's image. Physical image? Mental image? Consciousness? If the latter, where did all this doubt, fear, anger and uncertainty come from?

Jesus showed emotion-anquish in the garden and anger. Father God showed anger in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit can be grieved. If God showed these emotions and we're created in God's image, can we do any less? So if/when I attempt to solve a problem "on my own", am I truly (1)"on my own" since God will never leave or forsake me, (2) doing my own thing as in without God or (3) exercising my God given abilities and talents and being a co-creator with The Creator? And am I wrong if I display anger while solving this problem.

What part do our emotions play in our development as spiritual beings. Can we ever be angry with God? Why not? He certainly got angry with us many times.

Did you ever...?

2009-04-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

When you were a child, did you ever wonder about the things you heard in church, Sunday School, vacation Bible school? Did you ever dare question any grownup about anything that went against the grain of the organized church that you belonged to?

I remember asking why schools taught that we evolved from monkeys but the Bible said we were created in the image of God? Of course, no one was saying God was a monkey!!! Could not get an answer to my question. Still can't. Now my question is, if we evolved from monkeys, why have we stopped evolving? Everything that science says evolved from something else seems to have "stopped evolving". In all these millions of years that the earth has been around and creatures have been around, shouldn't we be at another place by now? In some cases, it seems that nature has gone backwards. Did elephants evolve from mammoths? If so, why are elephants so much smaller than mammoths?

Welcome your comments, thoughts.

Leaving Church

2009-04-29T00:02:00.000-04:00

Reading a new book: "Leaving Church, A Memoir of Faith" by Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest who loses faith with the church but not with God. Sounds like me.

When people ask me where I worship, I tell them that I am on the backside of the desert like Moses and like Moses, I hear from God, perhaps even better than when I was a church member.

If you have read this, tell me your thoughts. Also leave a comment about The Shack. Definitely want to hear your thoughts on that one.

The Crucifixion

2009-04-19T15:33:00.001-04:00

The Bible tells us that Jesus' legs WERE NOT broken as was the custom when someone was crucified. This was done, so I've read, to prolong the agony of a slow death because the person could not brace themselves up to breathe. Even with one's legs broken, it could take days for the person to actually die. (Talk about man's inhumanity to man! WOW. Who thinks up these terrible things to do to each other - sometimes in the name of God?)

In Jesus' case, he was crucified and hung on the cross for only a few hours. His legs were never broken and He was removed from the cross that same day. Anyone ever wonder why the procedure was changed? Is there any other account of a man who was only crucified for a few hours, left intact and taken down the same day?

Of course, as a believer, this is an important aspect of your theology. But shouldn't the resurrection weigh more heavily than the crucifixion? The crucifixion is recounted in detail in the Bible and in most churches on Easter Sunday. We have the whole story from the entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the betrayal, arrest and trial to the buriel in great detail. In the book of Luke, this covers chapters 18 through 23. The resurrection is all in chapter 24. In John, the "sufferings and the glory" are from chapters 18 through 19. The resurrection appearances are verses 1-19 in chapter 20.

Have we put the emphasis on the wrong part of the story of Jesus?

SELAH

The Question of Angels

2009-04-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

Has anyone ever encountered angels? Not evil spirits, demons, etc. Unfortunately, many born again believers can recount stories of encounters with demons but how many have encountered angels. Makes you wonder who has the most power in their lives.

Just finished reading a book from 1997 that featured stories of people who experienced assistance by angels and was wondering if anyone had the same or similar experiences. One story described a very large black dog that kept a man from freezing to death in a blizzard by lying down on the man. (Thomas Hobbes said "For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.") My daughter told me she would see angels as pillars of light all the time at the church we attended several years ago.

Just curious. Give me a shout back.

What is the question?

2009-04-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

This question was asked by someone in one of the writing groups I belong to: if love is the answer, what is the question?

Good Friday/Easter

2009-04-10T23:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter. Happy Resurrection Day. Happy Passover, Happy Good Friday.

I have a problem that I hope someone can address. First, let me say that I am a believer. You may not think so, reading some of the posts on this blog. Whatever. My problem is that The Church teaches that Jesus was crucified on Friday (Good Friday) and arose 3 days later. I don't know about you but Friday to Sunday IS NOT 3 DAYS!!! No way, No how. So am I missing something? I spent the last few hours checking other blogs dealing with Easter, the resurrection, etc., but NO ONE tackled this math issue. Just need some clarity.

Negative reactions to The Shack

2009-04-03T19:38:00.000-04:00

I just read that some are "appalled" by the number of Christians who are raving about The Shack. Frankly, I like the book. Think it makes God more approachable. But that's just my feeling. Without giving anything away for those who have not read the book yet, I especially like how the GodHead is portrayed. Definitely was not expecting that.

As for the naysayers, you have every right to your opinion. I happen to believe that God, whoever He, She, It may be can take care of Themselves. And if we are to believe at least some of what we have been taught, They knew The Shack would be written before the foundation of everything. Besides, who says They did not ordain it. (Technically they did, you know.) Remember the uproar over The Secret? The DaVinci Code? Some folks may never pick up the KJV or New American Standard Bible but they may read The Shack. Can God not speak through a book that the religious establishment has problems with? Remember, God did open the mouth of an ass because the man riding it could not see the angel about to "jack him up."

Happy reading!!!

The Shack

2009-04-01T19:38:00.000-04:00

Just started reading The Shack. Half way through the book already and just picked it up a couple of days ago. I recommend it and I don't read fiction. This is the 3rd fiction book I've read in about 20 plus years but it was worth the wait. Story is about suffering a great loss and being angry with God (been there, done that). The author does a fabulous job of protraying the Godhead and "they" are not who/what you expect. Read it. You will enjoy.

What God created

2009-03-28T17:43:00.000-04:00

Question:

Why would God create everything and call everything He created good and then select one group of people out of all His creation to elevate as the "Chosen" people? At the time of creation, from what I read, all of mankind had not been created (born) yet. Just Adam and Eve. Were they Israelites? I would think all the people God created would be the chosen people. The Bible says man was made in the image of God. Not some men. Not certain men, but MAN which represents all men. If we are all created in the image of God, should we be killing each other?

Existence of Satan

2009-03-27T00:05:00.000-04:00

Just watched Nightline's discussion on the existence of Satan. Interesting but of course, not enough time for such a weighty talk. I guess the audience was equally divided though no poll was taken to my knowledge.

On one side was the Pastor of the church hosting the debate and a reformed, now born again former prostitute. On the other side was Bishop Carlton Pearson who has been called a heretic by the organized church he used to belong to and author Deepok Chopra. I happen to believe we give Satan, evil, etc., too much power. If we gave as much power to Jesus, God, Divine Spirit, LOVE, etc., perhaps the world would be in a different place. The Bible says ALL power was given to Jesus!!! If Jesus has ALL power, how much power does the devil have??? If you have all the money, how much money do I have? So if you believe the Bible, why are you giving Satan, evil, etc. so much power if the very book you read says Jesus has ALL the power? Either Jesus has all the power or He doesn't. Which is it? And then how much of the Bible am I supposed to believe? The part about Satan or the part about all the power Jesus has. God said He created good and evil. For what purpose?

Open your mind. Is the Bible to be read as a literal book or a book about Christ Consciousness?
Talk me down on this one.

Literal or Allegorical

2009-03-15T19:11:00.000-04:00

Should the Bible be viewed literally or as an allegory? Are we to take the stories as something that actually happened or as a blueprint on how to live?

Sex in the Church

2009-03-15T18:17:00.000-04:00

Intriguing title but this post is not just about the usual deacons cheating on the wives or priests molesting altarboys. Just read an article about a church in Good Hope, Alabama. The Daystar Church in Good Hope is pastored by Jerry Lawson. He preaches that sex is a good thing, in the context of marriage. That's what I thought too. In other words, it's not just to make babies.

Surprise! Surprise! So God created us as sexual beings, gave us body parts that make us feel good but sex is not supposed to be fun. That's why women suffer clitoral castration in third world countries. In those countries, the men can have pleasure in sex but not the women. (At least they know what the function of that body part is for women.) How sexist is that? In relation to animals, we are the only creatures that don't have to wait once a year or whatever to be in heat in order to have sex (mate).

Another minister, Evangelist Roland Belew says "talking about sex ain't gonna get nobody in heaven." I disagree. If we talk about it correctly, which means the Church needs to address it along with parents and schools, maybe it will help people get into heaven. Besides, according to the Bible, there are only 2 destinations. So if we keep folks out of hell by giving them correct information, perhaps they will be going to heaven.

Besides, the Church needs to teach folks how to live the other 6 days of the week. Jumping, shouting, feeling good in church on Sunday does not help you fight the good fight of faith the rest of the week if you don't have the correct information (revelation).

Be for real. God created sex. Not the devil who didn't create anything. And if you really read Genesis, there was a whole lot of sex going on. After Cain killed his brother Abel and was cursed by God, he was marked so that any finding him would not kill him. Any who? Where did this "any" come from? That means there were other people around (unless Adam and Eve had populated the whole earth by then) who were having sex. And if Adam and Eve were responsible for populating the whole earth, not only was there a lot of sex going on but there was some serious incest taking place. WOW. That's a heavy thought, isn't it?

Shout me down, someone.

In the Garden

2009-03-09T01:20:00.000-04:00

Just to add to the last post, I hope you realize that the Bible does not say that God cursed Adam and Eve. He cursed the serpent, "above all cattle, and above every beast of the field: upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life..." To Eve God said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shall bring forth children..." and to Adam God said, "cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life..." Some may argue that Adam and Eve were cursed even though God did not use that word. See Genesis 3:14 through 19.

What's interesting is verses 20 and 21 of Genesis 3. After God finished telling Adam and Eve of the consequences of their disobedience, Adam named his wife Eve (she had not been named before) and the Lord made coats of skin and clothed them. And in verses 22 through 24, the Lord God says that "the man has become as one of us, (italics is mine) to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:..."

The tone of those verses does not sound like an angry God heaping everlasting punishment on his disobedient children, does it? And nowhere is hell mentioned. Did not read anything about repentence in those verses either. As a matter of fact. God sounds downright merciful, doesn't He? After all, He clothed Adam and Eve before He drove them from the garden.

Come on someone, talk me down on these points. Maybe I'm seeing it all wrong. Help a sister out. (By the way, who is the us of verse 22?)

The Tree

2009-03-06T21:13:00.001-05:00

What happened in the Garden? The first man and woman were in the Garden, naked, enjoying life, frolicking with the animals. Adam had named the animals and from what I can see, God did not change the names Adam had selected. WOW. What power is in the tongue. After all, God said, "Let there be ..." and there was. Just think what kind of power you and I have in our mouths. Sorry. I digress.

So Adam and Eve were dancing all over the Garden, when God said, "you see that tree over there? Don't eat of that tree!" There is no indication that Adam and Eve had even thought about "that" tree of the knowledge of good and evil UNTIL God pointed it out. Makes you wonder, don't it? I used to wonder about this whole scene. Why did You, God, put that tree in the garden, point it out and then say, don't eat of that tree? What do You mean, don't eat of the tree after YOU pointed it out?!!?? Didn't You know Your creation, mankind, would mess up? I was taught that You did know, because the Lamb, Jesus, was slain before the foundation of the world. So now I'm confused. Because everything You created, You said was good. Including the serpent who was more subtle than all the creatures You created, and who deceived Eve. (How did the serpent become associated with evil and Satan anyway? More on that on another post.) So this transgression caused man and woman to be kicked out of the garden. And the snake was relegated to crawling on his belly. (Apparently he was upright before the Fall.) And because of one man, you and I and all mankind are now born as sinners. (Will discuss that on another post.)

Now think about this: Adam and Eve, the first humans, commited the first sin and were allowed to leave the Garden but there is no mention that they were going to burn in hell forever and ever. I don't remember either of them asking for forgiveness. Adam blamed Eve, the woman You, God, gave me. Eve blamed the serpent who beguiled her. Kind of messes with your theology a little bit, doesn't it?

Let me hear from you but keep it positive. Remember, I just want you to think.

What is sin?

2009-03-04T20:27:00.000-05:00

What is sin? Is it robbing a bank, killing someone, telling lies about a person? And if I do one of those things, will I have committed a sin? What would be the result if I robbed a bank? I could get away with it, I could get caught leaving the bank, I could get shot by bank guard or police officer, I could get ratted out by someone who thinks I should give them some of the money. A lot of things could happen. So if I rob the bank and have a heart attack and die, will I open my eyes in hell? If so, why? Because for everything I do, there is a consequence, good or bad. If I help someone, someone may help me when I need it. Cause and effect. If I rob a bank, I may get caught, etc. Cause and effect. Consequence. Not sin!

If you do "A", then "B" will follow. Plain and simple. Just my thought.

What do you think?

LOVE

2009-03-02T18:53:00.000-05:00

Nothing can separate me from the LOVE of God. Nothing. NO THING! No thought, no deed, no word. No person, no creature, no angel, no principality, nothing, living or dead, past, present or future. Nothing I do, did or will do. WOW.

Does that give me license to do "wrong?" I do not need a license to do good or evil. As Jesus said in the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ when asked which is the greatest of the Ten Commands, "I do not see a greatest of the Ten Commands. I see a golden cord that runs through all Ten Commands that binds them fast and makes them one. That cord is love, and it belongs to every word of all the Ten Commands. If one is full of love he can do nothing else than worship God; for God is love. If one is full of love, he cannot kill; (literally or figuratively) he cannot falsely testify; he cannot covet; can do naught but honor God and man. If one is full of love he does not need commands of any kind."
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ (by Levi), Chapter 17:2-7.

Something to think about, isn't it? Don't know about you, but I have a long way to go.

Let's be honest. Most of us say the words, but how many of us live the words? It is very simple. If I really live by the word/code of love, I cannot assassinate your character (killing by any other name is still killing!) I cannot steal what is yours. I cannot lie against you. Etc, Etc. You get the point.

If we ALL exhibited true love, there would be no Bin Laden, genocide in Africa, poverty all over the world, global warming, pollution, ill health, AIDS epidemic, CEOs begging for money while flying to Washington on $50 million jets, mortgage foreclosures, etc.

THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE.

Think about it.

2009-03-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

Are you beginning to question what your read in the Bible and other great books with what you are being taught or have been taught? Do you have thoughts that are contrary to what you're being taught? If so, you are like me. Some things did not quite answer my questions. So I kept searching. I began reading everything I could get my hands on. Especially if the Church said I should not read it!

Are you getting fat on empty spiritual calories? Junk food may fill you up but is it healthy? Junk food makes you sluggish. You crave more and more of it even when you know it is not good for you. Like sugar. You eat something sweet, you get a temporary boost and then you come down hard. You feel worse than you did before you ate the candy bar.

Let's explore some of the things I have questioned. I don't have all the answers. But I am willing to ask some questions. Like what is hell? Where is hell? Where is heaven? Who is the devil? Are we all saved? Did God really select only one group of people out of ALL the people He created to be The Chosen People? Why would He do that? Why did God create man? What is sin? When does eternity start? I was taught that when I die, I will go into eternity (heaven or hell). But how can eternity start at a certain time? These are just a few of the topics I will be exploring. I will also talk about being totally, spitting mad with God.

Now, if you are easily offended, this is not the site for you. Some of you will probably condemn me to your version of hell. My question to you is, What God are you serving? Where is the love of Christ? So let me save you some time and trouble. No need to post angry remarks. I AM NOT GOING TO HELL. I'm sure you have different thoughts and I respect that. Do the same for me.

Anyway, this should be an interesting journey. I hope so. I look forward to bringing forth some thoughts that I hope will get you to think. That's all I want.

Many blessings.