ChristLight

What I see is the myopic view that now is all there is, or that is important. It is an arrogant and self-center view that only makes decisions based on fear, fear of lack, fear others, fear of loss, fear of what happens "if" ... but always fear, fear, fear, which creates a hording mentality, hording wealth, hording possessions ... This is how to cripple a person, a country, and the world. Now is the time for the courage to practice kindness and love for all. It is the ability to plant better seeds if we want to reap better outcomes.

Are you aware that the hyssop Jesus took a sip from while he was on the cross and the foods that he ate post crucifixion after meeting up with the apostles as they walked on the road to Emmaus were all foods that had healing and antiseptic properties? I discovered this when I did research for my trilogy of books considering the possibility that Jesus Christ survived the crucifixion, as many sources report. This 3-book series won the 2024 International Impact Book Awards in the Social Change category. This went against all the Christian indoctrination I had up until this point in my life. This was very disconcerting to me. This is what I found out: Consider Luke 24:39, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” And in the New King James version Luke 24: 42, 43 says, "So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb." Here Jesus is showing his wounds from the nails in his hands, and how they recognized him as he eats broiled fish and a piece of honeycomb with them after the crucifixion. He is with them physically, literally, not as s spiritual illusion or other manifestation. In the book Jesus in India by Mirza Ghulam Admad, he asks a good question, "If he had been resurrected after death, how was it that his body of spirit could still have borne the wounds inflicted upon him on the Cross? What need had he to eat? And if he required food then, he must be in need of food even now." Notice what Jesus ate after the crucifixion,[1] "When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, he said to them, "Have you any food here?" So, they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And he took it and ate in their presence.” Luke 24:40-43 Spirits do not eat food. I do not believe this was a mistake, nor matter of chance that the food Jesus was given held immense healing benefits for his recovery from crucifixion. Other people previously survived crucifixion. I have always used food as medicine, just as I, my mother, and grandmother did throughout our lives. First, I investigated the medicinal benefits of honey.[2] Honey has high levels of monosaccharides, fructose, and glucose. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties often used in chronic wound management and combatting infection. Honey promotes wound healing, heart health, and healthy blood sugar levels. All of these would benefit Jesus’ wounds after the crucifixion. There are many references to the history of honey dating back to 2100 BCE[3] and several are mentioned in the Old Testament and New Testament: Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” King James Version 1 Samuel 14:24-30, “Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food. The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.” Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?” Deuteronomy 32:13, “He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;” 2 Samuel 17:27-29, “When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.” Psalm 81:16, “But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Ezekiel 16:13, “So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.” Matthew 3:4; and Mark 1;6, “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” There are eleven evidence-based health benefit of eating fish:[4] 1. High in important nutrients 2. May lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes due to Omega fatty 3 acids 3. Contain nutrients that are crucial during development 4. May boost brain health 5. May help prevent and treat depression 6. A good dietary source of vitamin D – functions like a steroid 7. May reduce your risk of autoimmune diseases 8. May help prevent asthma in children 9. May help protect your vision in old age 10. May improve sleep quality 11. Delicious and easy to prepare Fish also has Vitamin B12, crucial for the growth of healthy red blood cells which Jesus needed to recover from his near-death experience. It is also important to note that the gifts of Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold presented to Jesus by the Magi, was a foreshadowing of his path. Frankincense is an antiseptic aiding digestion, coughs, and cold. Myrrh is an antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, helping to repair the immune system and reduce fevers. Both Frankincense and Myrrh would be beneficial for healing after a crucifixion. Gold has always been a treasured mineral which would have been necessary for the purchase of travel and goods on his travels to the east post-crucifixion. The Hyssop stalk soaked in wine was what Jesus had put to his lips when he said, “I am thirsty,” recorded in John 18:9:28. Hyssop is a holy herb that was used to sprinkled on lepers. It is commonly used in tea for coughs, decongestant, shortness of breath. It is also used to treat bruises, cuts, and wounds. Might it have been for purposes of compassion rather than merely mockingly giving Jesus a bitter drink at such a distressful time on the cross?

I am grateful for the ULC for so many reasons. This ULC ministry, and particularly this forum on good wishes, gratitude, blessings, and prayers now, has been by my side for my entire journey since 2004. It has been a wild ride of shifting knowledge and experiences, and still the ULC is here for me regardless of my indoctrinations into and out of other religions as I tried on each one to see if they felt right. Most did not. I find myself on the precipice of both new and ancient frontiers. I love that I feel that I am a welcomed and valued part of this incredible group of soul searchers who allow themselves to continue learning beyond the indoctrinations of the past. The responses from other members of our ULC family were kind and thought provoking as I posted my various comprehensions as I experienced life. I would like to share my lived experiences now. What have ai learned? I entered the ULC first as a minister around April 2, 2004 as a former frustrated Catholic, until I left the ULC completely in 2014, because I was studying with Jehovah's Witnesses and they insisted that I had to get out of everything, including the ULC. I gave my personal power away to them and got out. But that only lasted for 2 years. I had grown up loving my Catholic faith in Jesus, but I was not happy with the regurgitated sermons from most Christian pulpits including all other Christian denominations. While I hesitated studying with Jehovah's Witnesses, I needed to learn for myself firsthand. After 2 years, I found myself debating with the elders, but it was more of the same. I was re-ordained in the ULC on August 3, 2016. I think when I got out of the ULC altogether, it wiped out my presence from ever being in the ULC, but some of you may remember me still. Everyone in all Christian religions seemed happy with only knowing the first 12 childhood years of Jesus, and then only his 3 years from his ages 30 to 33, as if that's all he had to say. How would any of us like to only be known by our first 12 years in our childhood, and then only from what we had to say from our ages 30 to 33? Certainly not me. Now I study what most Christian denominations do not allow themselves to even read, let alone study. Every religion is part of the indoctrination they preach on their own "doctrine," obviously. They dare to call those other 18 years of the life of Jesus "Heresy!", from his ages 12 to 30, and his life from his ages 33 to 120, according to some research I discovered. I say, we should all have mercy on those indoctrinated ones, because most of them learned what they know from other indoctrinated ones for the past 2,000 years. It is not completely their fault that key and important information has been hidden from their eyes, minds, and hearts. We serve no one if we do not teach with love, compassion, and empathy, for that is where I once was. Thank God for the ULC which dares to teach beyond the indoctrinations of others. Again, I am grateful for the ULC.

I love the Universal Life Church for many reasons. Gone are the prerequisites of having to follow indoctrinations of "Christian" religions that claim to know the Life of Jesus, that is, his first 12 years as a child, and ONLY the 3 years, from his ages 30-33, while daring to call his 18 adult years, from 12-30, and his lived experience post crucifixion apocryphal because what Jesus taught in those years does not agree with their human religious teachings. Most people today are not aware of the cult-like indoctrination that has taken place prior to the Old and New Testament writings. Jesus taught that there are 2 "Gods." Read John 8:44 without the usual spin most ministers, priests and rabbis usually spin to agree with their own comprehension, where verse 44 says: "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." I know, this passage is usually followed by the manipulated truth twisting with which most faith believers are indoctrinated. I decided to take Jesus at his own words rather than follow popular understandings of most, if not all, bible teachings. When I realized that what I have read in the Old and New Testaments were changed, under the influence of fallen angel and Nephilim spirits, a different history comes to light. One look at what happened during the Crusades shows that the hijacking of religion for human greed and conquering of Jerusalem for supposedly holy purposes, shows just the opposite. Upon further investigation, I discovered that humanity combined the Almighty God of Creation, who is the Father of the Christ - Eternal Universal Life Force Energy within the person of Jesus; with the "god" of the Old Testament, who Jesus is calling "the devil" in John 8:44. Think of what the "god" of the Old Testament wants people to do in the Temple Scrolls, if they provide him with cooked bulls, goats, sheep, and birds, and saving the blood, he will kill all men, women, children, and animals in the land of Cannan. What good "God" would agree to kill the precious human creation that is animated by his Eternal Universal Life Force Energy within each human Spirit/Soul? Furthermore, what need would the Almighty God of all Creation have for food of any kind, or a Temple? Look at the size of the Temple as well as all ancient huge buildings, like at the Temple of Issis entrance. Who would need such mammoth structures? That would be the fallen angels and their huger than life Nephilim children. My husband, who is also a Universal Life Church minister, in writing his The Mustard Seed 2154 in his four-book series, (The Mustard Seed 2095, The Mustard Seed 2210, The Mustard Seed 2130, and The Mustard Seed 2154, which is currently being written) has an insightful thought. One of the lead characters is Michelle. "Michelle remembered when her friend Sophia had told her the words from the King James Bible. "Then the Lord said, 'My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.' The spirit began to die at the outset of the twenty-first century," her friend had told her. She knew that humans were losing the spirit imbedded in them so long ago, the DNA of the gods. Its absence left a vacuum to be filled by no one knew what. She knew that when it was gone, humans would have returned to what they had been in the beginning, so much like the other animals. Instinct without empathy. Wisdom without love. Sophia's mistake." The belief in two "Gods" is not new, as some of our studies in the ULC Seminary explain. I am so glad the ULC is still here.

Yes, Jesus handed his kingdom power to us. I like where Jesus tells us in Luke 17:20-21, when asked when and where the kingdom of God will come, he answers that the kingdom of God is WITHIN us. Some bible translations had changed that to among us, but most all modern bibles are now going back to the original understanding, which is WITHIN us, as the Hebrew-Greek-English Interlinear Bible says. The older interpretation of among us, has a footnote, which at the bottom, says WITHIN us. Why do I share this, or even bother to mention this? It is my understanding that this is the very reason that Jesus died. He equated himself with the Divine Christ Light that was within himself. The Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees simply could not have that. Jesus was telling everyone who would listen that the kingdom of God, this Divine Light also animates everyone through our Spirit, without which we would be dead. That is why we are the body of Christ, the living kingdom of God here on earth. Thanks for the opportunity to share. It's nice to be back.

True. I think our hearts are restless until we find God, the Father of Jesus. I say it that way because as humans, we tend to worship many "gods." The quest is noble. Never give up the quest I say. The bible says God is love. I believe that. I also think we all have a God particle within us, no matter what our belief system is. I think that has to do with the light within us. I think we all find God, if we ever really do, in our own ways. So much of how we explain our beliefs is semantics.

I can understand that point of view. I've even questioned these things myself. I question everything. But one thing I cannot deny are my personal experiences in prayer and at other times when I feel God's presence. There really are no words to describe the indescribable.

Sorry for the delay in my response. The only people that I read of who did speak against Jesus were the Jewish Pharisees and the Sadducees of his time, pretty much saying that he was a fraud. I have read stories handed down through the Jewish oral tradition, that the back wall of the tomb was a movable stone, that Jesus body was stolen, and that story has been told to this very day. I took a class from an energy teacher, whose mother was of the Jewish faith. The teacher told this story in the process of teaching something else. I was surprised it was still being promulgated today. Many New Age people think Jesus was merely a prophet. For me, there are simply too many miracles noted, for me to dismiss them. I think it is always good to keep seeking.

So glad you are back. May God bless you and your ministry. You have a lot to share.

That's OK. Since then, I have posted another couple posts on the Secret Book Of James, which I divided into two parts. I should also post them here in the ULC forum. They are also on my website: https://enlightenmentministriesrevlindahourihan.wordpress.com/. Let me get them on the forum too.

I can understand that. My next thought addresses your first question, of one covenant or two. Lately I have been studying the Nag Hammadi Scriptures, many of which describe that initially God first created Jesus, being love, and Sophia, being wisdom, and that all the rest of Creation was to be made through them, from love and wisdom together. But Sophia creates on her own and creates Yaldaboath, who then creates 7 archon. Yaldaboath then looks around and seeing no other greater than himself, stands up and says, "I am the lord they God ..." and proceeds with how all creation is to revere him. It never says he was evil, but Sophia, seeing the snake-like form that he was "like an aborted fetus," casts him down to earth. Yaldaboath was created out of wisdom, without love, these books say. It goes on to say that Yaldaboath created humans. The Good God of heaven, Father of Jesus, then had compassion on us humans, after being created and having to deal with the fallen angels of Genesis 6 fame, and sends Jesus to show us the better way we should live, so that we could become adopted sons and daughters of the Good God of heaven. If this is the case, that we were made from there good seed of Sophia, but with the bad seed of Yaldaboath, I could understand why Jesus would be sent to us, as the new covenant. It also makes much more sense that we are the field sown with both good and bad seed. This thought, new to my thinking, if it is at all true, makes much more sense to me, how the God of the Old Testament is such a blood thirsty God, requiring numerous animal sacrifices, and sanctioning the death of every man, woman and child in the numerous cities he wants conquered. I have always wondered, "Wasn't there one innocent eight year old girl in Sodom and Gomorrah, or any of the other lands conquered? Were one hundred percent of the cities and towns conquered with any redeeming people in them?" More and more I am reading the things Jesus said in a new light. I have also been researching different Bibles, because I notice that some of the newer translations actually change the intent of the verse. Take Luke 17:20-22 for example. The newer translations say that "the kingdom of God is among you." But the older translations like the Tyndall translations, the King James version, and the Holy Bible from Aramaic with the George Lamsa translation, as well as the Interlinear Bible with Hebrew, Greek and English says that "the kingdom of God is within us." That is an entirely different thing. I keep seeking because so much, like the Nag Hammadi Scriptures for so long were hidden from us. I think this sheds new light on the topic of one covenant or two.

I have been looking very closely at all of this, and the promises and threats from the "God" of the Old Testament. More and More I see that Jesus in John 8:44 really meant what he said, when Jesus specifically says his Father is not our Father, that our father is the devil and the father of lies. I can better understand, that God, the Father of Jesus had compassion on us, because he IS Love, and not a vengeful god. No wonder we have to go through Jesus to get to the God of LOVE.

I know. For this very reason, I have been taking a much deeper look at which "God" is saying this. I seems that the "God" of the Old Testament is not a very loving "God," but a violent and blood thirsty "God." This is making me take a better look at the Nag Hammadi Scriptures, when they say that we were not made by God the Father of Jesus, but by Yaldaboath, who was made out of wisdom, but not love. I dismissed this years ago when I first heard it. But then I came across John 8:44, where Jesus specifically says that his Father is not our father, that our father is the devil and the father of lies. Interesting.

The first thing that comes to mind is when God says he will never again send a flood to kill all mankind. Could that be considered a covenant, a promise between God and man?

More to the point of this initial topic of One Covenant or Two, I checked out The Interlinear Bible (Hebrew-Greek-English), which sent me to Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. It is true that the Hebrew word "kohen" means one officiating, a priest, or one acting as priest, as Zamber aptly points out that even pagans had their priests who served their gods, as intermediaries between their god and the people. This concordance says that the Jewish priestly role began in the days of Moses (commonly referred to as the Old Covenant). Jesus (known as the New Covenant) says he came to fulfill the Law (Old Covenant) not destroy it. This an interesting question.

Upon reflection, I do know a bit about the Pharisees and Sadducees. The following is my understanding of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. PHARISEES The Pharisees were a prominent sect of Judaism existing in the first century C.E. According to some scholars, the name literally means "Separated Ones; Separatists," referring perhaps to avoidance of ceremonial uncleanness or to separation from Gentiles. Just when the Pharisees had their beginning is not preciously known. The writings of the Jewish historian Josephus indicate that in the time of John Hyrcanus I (latter half of the second century B.C.E.) the Pharisees already formed an influential body. Josephus wrote, "And so great is their influence with the masses that even when they speak against a king or high priest, they immediately gain credence." - Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 288 (x,5) Josephus also provides details of the Pharisees. He observed, "They believe that their souls have the power to survive death and that there are rewards and punishments under the earth for those who have lived lives of virtue or vice: eternal imprisonment is the lot of the evil souls, while the good souls receive an easy passage to a new life." - Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 14 [I,3]) "Every soul, they maintain, is imperishable, but the soul of the good alone passes into another body, while the souls of the wicked suffer eternal punishment." Regarding their ideas about fate or providence, Josephus reports, "(They) attribute everything to fate or to God; they hold that to that act rightly or otherwise rests, indeed, for the most part with men, but that in each action Fate cooperates." - The Jewish War, II, 162, 163 (viii, 14). The Christian Greek Scriptures reveal that the Pharisees fasted twice each week, titled scrupulously (Matthew 9:14; Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33; 11:42; 18:11,12.), and did not agree with the Sadducees in saying that "there is neither resurrection nor angel nor spirit within us, but the Pharisees believe in all of these." (Acts 23:8) The Pharisees prided themselves on being righteous (actually self-righteous) and looked down on the common people. (Luke 18:11,12; Job 7:47-49). To impress others with their righteousness, the Pharisees broadened the scripture - containing cases that they wore as safeguards and they enlarged the fringes of their garments. (Matthew 23:5). They loved money (Luke 16:14) and desired prominence and flattering titles. (Matthew 23:6, 7; Luke11:43). The Pharisees were so biased in their application of the Law that they made it burdensome for the people, insisting that it be observed according to their concepts and traditions. (Matthew 23:4) They completely lost sight of the important matters, namely, justice, mercy, faithfulness, and love of God. (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:41-44) The Pharisees went to great lengths in making proselytes. (Matthew 23:15) The main issues over which they contended was with Christ. Jesus involved Sabbath observance (Matthew 12:1, 2; Mark 2:23, 24; Luke 6:1,2), adherence to tradition (Matthew 15:1, 2; Mark 7:1-5), and association with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:11; Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30). The Pharisees apparently thought that refinement resulted from association with persons who did not observe the Law according to their view of it. (Luke 7:36-39) Therefore, when Christ Jesus associated and even ate with sinners and tax collectors, this prompted them to object. (Luke15:1,2) The Pharisees found fault with Jesus and his disciples because of their not practicing the traditional washing of hands. (Matthew 15:1, 2; Mark 7:1-5; Luke 11:37, 38) But Jesus exposed their wrong reasoning and showed them to be violators of God's law on account of their adherence to man-made traditions. (Matthew 15:3-11; Mark 78:6-15; Luke 11:39-44) Rather than rejoicing and glorifying God in connection with the miraculous cures performed by Christ Jesus on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were filled with rage over what they deemed a violation of the Sabbath law and therefore plotted to kill Jesus. (Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:7-11; 14:1-6) To a blind man whom Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, they said concerning Jesus, "This is not a man from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath." (John 9:16) The attitude the Pharisees displayed showed that they were not righteous and clean inside. (Matthew 5:20; 23:26) Like the rest of the Jews, they were in need of repentance. (Compare Matthew 3:7, 8; Luke 7:30) But the majority of them preferred to remain spiritually blind (John 9:40) and intensified their opposition to the Son of God. (Matthew 21:45, 46;; John 7:32; 11:43-53, 57) There were Pharisees who falsely accused Jesus of expelling demons by means of the ruler of the demons. (Matthew 9:34; 12:24) and of being a false witness. (John 8:13) Certain Pharisees tried to intimidate the Son of God (Luke 13:31), demanded that he display a sign to them (Matthew 12:38; 16:1; Mark 8:11), endeavored to trap him in his speech (Matthew 22:15; Mark 12:13; Luke 11:53, 54), and otherwise tried to test him by questioning. (Matthew 19:3; 22:34-36; Mark 10:2; Luke 17:20) Jesus finally silenced their questioning by asking them how it would be possible for David's lord also to be David's son. (Matthew 22:41-46) The mob that later seizes Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane included Pharisees (John 18:3-5, 12, 13), and Pharisees were among those who requested that Pilate secure Jesus' tomb so that the body could not be stolen. (Matthew 27:62, 64) During the earthly ministry of Christ Jesus, the Pharisees exerted such great influence that prominent persons were afraid to confess him openly. (John 12:42, 43) One of such fearful ones evidently was Nicodemus, himself a Pharisee. (John 3:1-2; 7:47-52; 19:39) There may also have been Pharisees who later became Christians. For example, the Pharisee Gamaliel counseled against interfering with the work of Christians (Acts 5:34-39), and the Pharisee Saul (Paul) of Tarsus, became an apostle of Jesus Christ. (Acts 26:5; Philippians 3:5) SADDUCEES The Sadducees were a prominent religious sect of Judaism associated with the priesthood. (Acts 5:17) They did not believe in either resurrection or angels. (Acts 23:8) The precise time for the emergence of the Sadducees as a religious sect is not known. First, historical mention of them by name appears in the writings of Josephus, which indicate that they opposed the Pharisees in the latter half of the second century B.C.E. Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 293 [x. 6] Josephus also provides information about their teachings. However, there is a question as to whether his presentation is completely factual. Unlike the Pharisees, Josephus says the Sadducees denied the workings of fate, maintaining that an individual, by his own actions, was solely responsible for what befell him. Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 172, 173 [v.9] They rejected the many oral traditions observed by the Pharisees and also Pharisaic belief in the immortality of the soul and in punishments or rewards after death. In their dealings with one another, the Sadducees were somewhat rough. They were said to be disputatious. According to Josephus , their teachings appealed to the wealthy. Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 298 (x, 6); XVIII, 16, 17 (I, 4); The Jewish War, II, 162,-166 (viii, 14) As pointed out by John the Baptized, the Sadducees needed to produce fruits befitting repentance. This was because they, like the Pharisees, had failed to keep God's Law. (Matthew 3:7, 8) Christ Jesus himself compared their corrupting teaching to leaven. (Matthew 16:6, 11, 12) With reference to their religious beliefs, Acts 23:8 states, "Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees publicly declare them all." It was in connection with the resurrection that the brother-in-law marriage that a group of Sadducees attempted to stump Christ Jesus. But he silenced them. By referring to the writings of Moses, which the Sadducees professed to accept, Jesus disproved their contention that there is no resurrection. (Matthew 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40) Later, the apostle Paul, went before the Sanhedrin, divided that highest Jewish court by playing the Pharisees against the Sadducees. This was possible because of the religious differences existing between them. (Acts 23:6-10) Although religiously divided, Sadducees joined Pharisees in trying to tempt Jesus by asking him for a sign. (Matthew 16:1), and both groups were united in their opposition to him. Biblical evidence indicates that the Sadducees took a leading part in seeking Jesus' death. Sadducees were members of the Sanhedrin, which court plotted against Jesus and later, condemned him to death. Included in the court where Chiapas, the Sadducee and high priest,, and evidently also other prominent priests. (Matthew 26:59-66; John 11:47-53; Acts 5:17, 21) Therefore, whenever the Christian Greek Scriptures speak of certain action as being taken by the high priests, Sadducees were evidently involved. (Matthew 21:45, 46; 26:3, 4, 62-64; 28:11, 12; John 7:32) Sadducees appear to have taken the lead in trying to stop the spread of Christianity after Jesus' death and resurrection. (Acts 4:1-23; 5:17-42; 9:14)

Hello RabbiO ~ You are absolutely correct, except you are giving me too much credit. What I presently know of the Pharisees and the Sadducees would fit on the head of the pin, which is vastly more than what a thimble holds. I am currently studying in the Seminary, the course, Comparative Religions. I am only on week 1. I know I have much to learn. What I know about the Jewish religion is what my Christian upbringing has provided me, which is precious little about the Pharisees and Sadducees. Part of my homework for this course is to visit other religions which I know little about. Connecting with a Rabbi and visiting a Jewish Temple is on my to do list. But I see I need even more education. I want to know the Jewish faith from a Jewish stand point, not from a Christian one. This course suggested for me to get a lot of books. Presently I am diving into the I Ch'ing, which seems to be one of the oldest works of literature. A am open to study all works helpful to my spiritual growth, both so I can better understand what each religion teaches, as well as help someone in that faith. Thank you for your comment. I'd be interested in your understanding of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

I find my beliefs come from experiencing different beliefs first hand. I seem to investigate beliefs deeply to see if it feels right for me. For example I had a deeply rooted Catholic upbringing and continued with extensive studies and teaching Catholic doctrine. Then I went to a New Age School to learn what they knew. I think I must been the student from hell though, as I sat in my first Reiki class, with my arms and ankles folded. They asked how I was doing. I told them I was here to learn Reiki, not to have them mess with my theology. Shows you what I knew then. Still I wanted to learn about other belief systems. I couldn't help but notice that I was in classes with every type of Christian, Buddhist, atheist, and beliefs I could not identify at that school. After that I got so into New Age everything. I did find allowing myself to change my religious practices painful at first. There was this uncomfortable period of time. I wondered if it was it safe to do this. But even thought I was scared, I continued on, because that was the only way to move forward. For me, having learned so much about so many religions, I find going back to being Christian makes the most sense for me. However, it think Catholics have it wrong. I think I liked the feeling of spiritual nostalgia. When I retired, I went to every church in my hometown area to see what they were doing. Some ministers still yell and demean their congregations. Some danced in the isles, and sold items right inside the church. The Catholic ones were arrogant. So here I am, back again, back in the ULC Seminary and back to my online ministry. To your questions, I think so much of this is semantics. After studying different religions for years, I find that sometimes we call the same thing, like God, by different names, like a multi-faceted diamond. It is all one diamond with many different reflections. I realize that some religions do not believe in God at all. That's different. No judgment here, just different. Currently I am studying the apocryphal books: The Books of Enoch, and the many books included in the Nag Hammadi Scriptures, which got thrown out, from what I can tell, because they didn't like that they told how we humans were created partly with the good seed of the Good God of heaven, Father of Jesus; and partly with the seed of a fallen creation, Yaldaboath. I think in 300-400 ad, the Church Fathers combined the evil God and the Good God together, so that now people worship the fallen God without even knowing that. Even Jesus tried telling the people of his time this fact in John 8:44 when he says his Father is not our Father, that our father is the devil. It is one thing if people choose to worship Satan, but I think well meaning Christians ought to know what really happened. Still, I do fell the struggle with the spiritual growth process. It is not how any of us believe what happened, happened. What actually happened, happened. I do want to get this right. I think it matters.

I am late to this conversation, if that is OK. But I am here. I have learned that when Jesus came, he came as the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies, and fulfilled the letter of the law, as well as to teach what was called the New Way, which was also simply called, "The Way." Jesus came to teach the heart of the law, with love, empathy and compassion, which was something new to both the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Jesus taught that it was OK to heal on the Sabbath, to eat by plucking grain and eating it, etch. It is at least the Christian view that if you keep the Golden Rule laws, you do in fact keep all of the Ten Commandments. Now for a new thought. Have you read the Secret Book of John among six other Nag Hammadi scriptures? They tell of the Father of Jesus not being the father of humans. They explain how humans are half of the good seed from the Good God of heaven, and half of the bad seed of a fallen angel. Even Jesus said, in the traditional Bible in John 8:44, that his father is not our father, that our father is the devil. Later when Jesus gives the parable of the good seed and the bad seed in the farmer's field, he says that the wheat and the weeds should grow together, so the wheat does not get lost. Think of it. If we are made of both good and bad seed DNA, we would not survive if that were to be split apart. So we must choose in this life whether to choose good or choose bad in life. This evil fallen angel, written about in the Nag Hammadi scriptures, says we called the one who created us, God. Yet this "God" was of a fallen nature, egotistical in nature. When he first realized his own being, he stood up and said, "I am the Lord they God. There is none before me." This is the "God" who wipes out city after city in the Old Testament, killing every man, woman and child. It is this "God" who demanded the Ten Commandments, with severe penalties to all who disobeyed. Does this sound like an all loving God?