ChristLight

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?

Aloha Rev. Dhana ~ I am just returning back to my ministry here, and my online ministry at Enlightenment Ministries with Rev. Linda Hourihan. I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I also was ordained 14 years ago. I also just returned from an entire year in Oahu. I know death of our loved ones is so hard to go through. What helps me is my belief that when Jesus walked on the earth, he showed us resurrection from death is real. He promised us all that there will be a resurrection at the end of this life, for all who have died, both the righteous and the unrighteous. So I will be able to hug my Dad again and speak with him. That helps my heart so very much. My Dad died in my home 12 years ago. That was so very hard for me, because my work was as a massage therapist and I owned my own business. I did take a week off, but then went back to work to make other people feel better. Grief takes longer than a week to resolve in our minds and hearts. When I was in Hawaii, I saw 3-5 brides and weddings each day at the beach parks. The wedding officiate must have been very busy. But I had stopped my ULC ministry then, and did not make any Hawaii connections. But, I am here now. I thought I would share my faith with you in case it helps you in any way. In the meantime, I know that Jesus compared death to sleep. It helps so much to know our loved ones are not suffering. Right now I am studying the Nag Hammadi Scriptures. I find them helpful too. I hope you also find consolation through this forum also. Mahalo, Rev. Linda

Consider for a moment that something you have believed all your life is not quite the way it really is. Can you imagine that? Has it ever happened to you that someone did not tell you the whole truth, or misrepresented the truth, in order to get something they wanted, which they wished to remain hidden? The early Church Fathers suppressed such truth, resorting to alternative "truths." This information becomes apparent when you discover the Books of Enoch and many other Nag Hammadi Scriptures, which were in fact well-known as scriptures until 325 BCE, over 325 years after Jesus. Oral tradition kept these books alive until such time as they were written down. After they were written, Church Fathers excluded them. It would have been too much power for the people to have, especially women. Yet even Jesus referred to the Books of Enoch and other Nag Hammadi writings. Do you want to know what they said? This post, and the ones to follow in this series, address three types of angels, their missions, and how their actions have affected all of us human beings on planet earth. It is a fantastic realization which some of us have already arrived at on their own long ago. It is so fantastic I have dismissed it for years, as some of us have shunned such knowledge, preferring instead to believe, if we ever believed, what was spoon fed to us as children. I always found it interesting that the traditional Christian message came to a stagnant halt on about the sixth grade. After that, the message and the story kept playing on a repetitive loop. The Books of Enoch include: The First Book of Enoch (The Ethiopia Book of Enoch) The Second Book of Enoch (The Slavonic Secrets of Enoch) The Third Book of Enoch (The Hebrew Book of Enoch) The Book of Fallen Angels, The Watchers, and the Origins of Evil: With Expanded Commentary on Enoch, Angels, Prophecies and Calendars in the Sacred Texts Why would these Books of Enoch be taken out of the Bible? Enoch is said to be the one who walked with God, that he did not die, but God took him up to heaven. Then Enoch was no more. He was beloved by God. Jesus referred to these writings. Yet these books, and over 49 other scriptures and numerous other writings, were taken out of the Bible we have today. Why? The Books of Enoch have a different explanation of the Fallen Angels, the Origins of Evil, the mission of the Fallen Angels and that of the Watchers, than that of the traditional Bible. The three groups of angels Enoch mentions are: Good and Faithful Angels in heaven. They use their Free Will to choose good, choosing to align with the Good God of heaven. Rebel Angels who fell through pride with Lucifer mentioned in Isaiah 14:12-17; and Revelation 12:7-9. They amounted to about one-third of the formerly good angels, who were then cast out of heaven in a war with Archangel Michael. The spirits of these fallen ones still roam the earth, since they are not allowed back in heaven. The Fallen Watchers, whose fell through lust in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 6:1-4, having sex with women, and whose children are the famed giants of old, the Nephilim. Though when their physical bodies died, their spirits did not. Those angels who sinned against the Good God who made them, also still roam on the face of the earth. Still, the Loving God, Father of Jesus, has empathy and compassion on the entire human race, which He intended to be Created in pure goodness. When He saw how His Creation was maligned, through the Fallen Angels, and how they misused their creative powers, He chose to send his only begotten Son to redeem us all. Now for this next part, you will have to allow different, very different reasoning for your consideration. These thoughts and concepts are so revolutionary that I stopped reading them when I first heard them. I had been conditioned to only read and support what I already believed. But that is no way to grow spiritually. I hope you do better than I did when I first heard this information. Keep seeking and questioning why the Church Fathers would not want you to know this precious and accurate information. In this series, I will simply put forth the themes of the Books of Enoch, and many other Nag Hammadi Scriptures, that explain angels and their classifications, as well as the true origins of angels and humans. The Secret Book of John, Nature of The Rulers, On The Origin of The World, The Wisdom of Jesus Christ, The Second Discourse of Great Seth, Three Forms of First Thought, The Gospel of Judas, all Nag Hammadi Scriptures, all say there were two Gods, not one. Technically, there is the one true God of all Creation, who is also the Father of Jesus. However, these books mentioned a god who created humans on earth, who is not this loving God. How did Enoch come to know this information about Creation and the angels, as well as Jesus coming as Savior years before it happened? "And he began his story saying: (I am) Enoch, a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, and who saw the vision of the Holy One in heaven, which the angels showed me. And I heard everything from them, and I saw and understood, but it was not for this generation (to know), but for a remote one which is to come." First Book of Enoch 1:2 We are this remote generation. I will explain more on this point in future posts. Enoch told his son, Methuselah, everything God showed him through the angels. This account of our creation by the Fallen Angels, our current state of affairs, and why we have both good and evil inside us, got preserved in the safe vault of the earth over time, until now, for our enlightenment. This gives a different view to many of the parables, such as the good seed which a farmer sows in his field, only to have weed seeds also sown in this field right after he plants the good seed. Jesus uses this illustration also. The farmer decides to let the wheat and the weeds grow together, so as not to pull up the wheat along with the weeds. You have been told by traditional religions*, that the field is the earth, that the good seed is God and the Word of God, and that the bad seed is Satan and all his temptations. You were told you had to make choices between what is good and what is bad. You (all humans) were also told that you sinned by giving in to temptation and choosing evil, or eating that fruit in the Garden of Eden. Then you were told that God punished all human beings for the sin of Adam and Eve. You were even told that the Original Sin is yours. Not so says Enoch. Enoch, (and most of the other books explaining this to us), says that we human beings are the field in this parable. We are Created part good from the good DNA from the good angel Created by the Good God, and part evil since our bodies were created by a Fallen Angel. If the part of us with the bad DNA had that part removed, we would be completely destroyed. So the bad seed cannot be removed from the field of our bodies without lethal consequences. Did you get that? Human beings did not choose to sin in the Paradise Garden as the Church Fathers want you to believe. They had a strong reason for promulgating this story. Rather, Original Sin belongs to the Fallen Angels, a sin that belongs to them alone. This point will be further explained in posts to come. Still, being created with good DNA and evil DNA, we do need to make a choice as to which way we live our lives. This is the constant struggle we have each and every day, whether to choose evil over good, or good over evil, because both are ingrained into our very nature. Looking out at the world stage, many of us are not choosing good over evil. Jesus also explains this very point in our traditional Holy Bible, in John 8:44, when he says, "For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does." He meant this literally. He was trying to tell us way back when, but so many of us did not want to listen. Don't forget to breathe. Maybe you have known this all along. I did not. For me, it took my breath away. I did not even know if it was safe to consider the possibility, so I stopped studying this for a long while. One thing I know, is to never ever make a decision based on fear. Fear is a dark energy, not from the Good God above, who is total LOVE and PURE LIGHT. But I am still human, and succumb to fear from time to time, when I am not consciously walking in LOVE. We come to realizations and knowledge a little bit at a time, step by step. I only mention this struggle with fear in case any of you out there are in the same boat. I urge you to continue reading these posts as I explain many more false truths that have seeped in to the hearts and minds of most of humankind. How liberating it is to know the truth. We all know the truth when we hear it. Truth simply rings true. Truth has no opinions. * Also, the Creation stories in Genesis in the modern Bible is a compilation of at least three conflicting creation stories from various authors. What the composer (not writer) of Genesis did was to select portions of each to best portray his line of thinking, and omit other important things. There are even more Creation stories from other cultures that were not included in the Bible's version of Creation. *Traditional Bibles have Jesus explaining the good and bad seeds and the field. But remember, Jesus is still using parables and illustrations in trying to help us understand. We are the field he is teaching about. I will explain more in future posts.

What have I learned in the Master of Chaplaincy Course? I have learned more about helping other human beings in a wide variety of belief systems on this journey through life. I began my ministry as a chaplain at the local hospital. I wanted to dovetail this particular course with the first-hand experience of doing the mandatory 45 hours of chaplaincy service to become an ordained ULC Chaplain. I found most people in the hospital appreciated my visit, at least as a distraction of what brought them to the hospital in the first place. At first, I just went in the patient’s room, said hi, and asked if they wanted a prayer. Some said yes, some said no. They I left. Then I remembered 85 year old Pastor Bob, who the hospital had me shadow before my fledgling first time visitation by myself. He said he used to carry a Bible, but let that practice go. I see why. I brought my Bible, but found I never used it. Pastor Bob also said he wanted to get back to touching the patient, either by shaking their hand when he came in to the room, or touching their arm or shoulder when he said the prayer. As I write this, I think I will incorporate that. Pastor Bob also showed me the hospital chapel, which is sometimes used on Sundays by other priests or ministers so they can offer a Sunday service. I can see this as a place where I can hold services, or even a Bible Study. The chapel Pastor Bob showed me was beautiful, with a stained glass window with a cross on it. But the person who I signed up with to volunteer was Jewish. She didn’t like the Christian symbol, so the hospital created a different chapel, which is still under construction. As I got less and less scared, yes I was scared to do something new, I became more comfortable with greeting the patients. Now instead of suddenly appearing in their rooms, saying a five second prayer and dashing out to the next patient, I come in with a big smile and a big wave of my hand saying I am spreading cheer. This makes them relax and usually they smile back. I talk with them, asking how long they have been there and when they think they get to go home, so they can think of moments past what brought them to the hospital. Then I ask if they would like a prayer, most say yes, some say no. But I leave them with a big smile and wishing them to feel better. Two instances stand out in my mind. One was two days ago when I went. The first patient was so talkative, so I just let her talk, looked directly in her eyes, and affirmed and nodded to let her know I was listening. She shared one terrible experience after another, ending with a life shattering personal experience, causing her to tear up. At the end of 90 minutes, she told me she had prayed in the morning for a sign. I only showed by at 3 p.m. for my schedule. She said I was an answer to her prayer, and that she felt comforted and listened to. The other experience was the previous time I did the chaplaincy ministry in the hospital. One gentleman I spoke with, at the end of my short visit, told me he was waiting to go to heaven, that there was no hope. I said a prayer there for him, but I left, wishing I had stayed and said more to comfort him. I feel I need to get better at that part. I felt the tug to stay, but no words came to me. I got the indication that he was Catholic, from his saying he was going to heaven. I used to be Catholic, so I could have said more to ease his mind. Another time, I was called by the Emergency Room, since the family was asking for a minister to come to pray for their dying daughter, and to pray with them too. But I live 20 minutes away and wouldn’t get there in time. I found myself feeling relieved when they said they got another minister who could get there quicker. I know we ULC ministers can do funerals as well as weddings. But I need to learn more, as a chaplain, how to assist those near death, without having my heart in my throat, to better assist the one passing over, as well as helping the family find a sense of peace. I find this has to do with my insane ego. Moments like I have been sharing are not about me. Yet it is me who is responding, or not responding in the best way possible. I think this also has a lot to do with my own faith journey. I have been deeply assessing various beliefs, and continuing to study the Nag Hammadi scriptures. Not everyone believes in them. I want to be cognizant and sensitive to others, especially at moments like this, when so many people have differing belief systems about the afterlife. It is one thing for me to have my own beliefs. It is quite another to help others at these tender moments, without causing them further grief by me saying the wrong words. I think the solution to this problem is to continue studying the remaining six courses required in this Master of Chaplaincy course. In a way, I feel like I have jumped into the deep end of the swimming pool, and a bit over my head. But I also feel that is how I learn best, by jumping right in. I am sure the remaining courses will round out these rough edges I am feeling. I will keep ministering as a chaplain at the hospital at the same time I am continuing with my education in the seminary. One idea I came up with, was to have prayers written out ahead of time, that I could leave with patients who were interested in receiving them. I had Christian prayers, and prayers for Jewish patients, and other prayers for pagans with more of a nature theme. I think from now on, I will leave my ULC ministry business card I had made up from www.vistaprint.com, with a note saying I came by to visit them, for the patients who are sleeping. When they wake up, they will then know someone other than their doctors, nurses and family came by to visit with them. This course was fantastic and prepared me well. I like the idea of meeting with other ministers in the area. Pastor Bob said ministers in the area got together once a week over breakfast to share their ministries. I need to get back in touch with Pastor Bob, who I can also use as a mentor, one of the suggestions in this course, so I can find out if the other ministers are still meeting together once a week. When I first retired to my new address, I spent many months visiting other churches in the area, to see what they were teaching. I even spent three years with Jehovah’s Witnesses to see what they taught. However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are not interested in meeting with anyone who does not believe exactly what they believe. I might be able to get back in touch with the other ministers in the area, especially Pastor Bob, if he is still around. One of the reasons I took this class was so that if I needed an income later in life, I would have it to fall back on. But I find that it is something I would like to continue, in my journey as a Christian minister. I can use my ULC ministry in a meaningful way, and have a brand new chapel to use. Again, I find I need to walk through the fear of doing something I have never done before. But history teaches me that courage is having fear, but doing what you need to do anyway. That is exactly what I am going to do.

I do believe in Christ, Jesus Christ, but there is so much more to Jesus than the Bible teaches. I am still investigating this. I think all Christians need to know all of what Jesus said and taught, not just part of it. I also need to know more about gnostic teachings, and other teachings, which I plan on taking as part of my Chaplaincy program. Until I come to understand this information differently, I am a Christian, and calling myself a Christian. I need more than someone else's opinion on this matter to change my mind. However, I am looking much more closely on these points, at least coming to understand them better, even if I do not agree with them.

I AM aligning and embracing Light shifts which is allowing me to embrace my divinity. I Am alive. I AM breathing. I AM divine. I AM aligning to God, not the god you think of as the creator god of this system of things, which is where you trip on, thinking that is my god. That god is vile. I AM aligning to the first, pure, love energy God, Father/Mother of Jesus, who is not the creator of humans. My intent in my recognitions is pure. You certainly do not need to know or believe what I say. I AM only expressing this because you incorrectly assume - in your trying to correct or suggest corrections to me by your questions. I AM simply wishing to clarify my belief in your understanding, which you incorrectly write about, or misinterpret what I say. Or perhaps I do not write it out clearly enough. Perhaps that is also because my understanding is mutable as enlightenment come to be, sometimes by leaps and bounds.

I do not deny anyone any god they chose to follow. You are making incorrect leaps of assumptions on what I believe. I do not know whether I am a "Universalist" or not. I choose to believe "Universal" Life Church stands "Universal" as in common to everyone. What is Universal with the church we both belong to if the freedom to believe what we believe, without indoctrinating the other. I believe Jesus came to show us there is more beyond the limiting beliefs they understood back in his day. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is inside and outside us. I believe that. There is more to this and I AM exploring that. It is mutable as I come to understand more. You seem to think because I said I am "Christian" that I believe in an archaic system. That is not true. The rain falls on all of us, no matter what our understanding is.