In this year of transition:
Let us all
be humble and contrite
purifying our hearts
seeking a deeper personal relationship with God
in order that we may commit ourselves fully
to doing His will
Let us all work together
with God
in love
to assist
in the realization
of
His kingdom
Filed under Jesus, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Politics, World Peace
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Mat 6:5
Jesus reveals to us that we have direct access to the Most High God, the essence and the source of all being. Moreover, he reveals that this Most High God is Our Father. Our relationship with God is a parent/child relationship.
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4)
Think on this. Childlike humility before God is important because before God you are a child. Ask yourself, “What does it mean to be like a child before God?”
Jesus then gives advice on how to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. He doesn’t say you have pray exactly like this. He give the prayer as a model and says, “Pray then, like this.”
His example is a starting point for people who are grateful to have been a new start through Divine Grace; who want to be delivered from the power of evil, forgiven for past sins, and cared for; and who want to do God’s Will and help to bring his Kingdom on Earth.
Private prayer springs from a deep heart of gratitude. It is a confidential, honest, sincere, introspective, reflective, conversation between you and your Divine Parent, who also happens to be the source and essence of all love, consciousness, and existence.
This wonderful opportunity is available to all of us all the time. Begin with a childlike attitude using he model that Jesus provided and ask God to help deepen your faith and lead you into the truth. The possibilities and potentialities are infinite.
Satisfaction guaranteed!
Filed under Flawed Guru, Jesus, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Religion, The Lord's Prayer
Filed under Flawed Guru, Jesus, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Philosophy, Religion, World Peace
When our heart/mind experiences the love of God through the Holy Spirit, the natural spontaneous response is to offer thanks and praise. The natural response when one is experiencing the loving kindness of God is to love God in return.
The more we love God in gratitude, praise, surrender and commitment, the more we are capable of experiencing God’s love to a greater degree. The more we experience God’s love and forgiveness, the more we desire to show that love by loving, serving and forgiving others. The more we express God’s love in service and the more we forgive others, the more we experience God’s love.
We live in a reciprocal relationship of love between God and ourselves and also amongst ourselves and others. When we live this way we are living, moving, and breathing in God.
Our physical bodies live and breathe air. When we live in the Spirit in loving relationship with the source of all Being and others, our souls live and breathe in God.
Thank you God for your loving kindness.
I praise you for your awesome wonder.
Thank you God for your forgiveness. Thank you for helping us to wash our robes.
I surrender to your love.
I forgive others their sins, their debts, and their trespasses just as you have forgiven me.
Help me to discover your kingdom within.
Thank you God for your loving kindness.
We praise you for your awesome wonder.
We thank you God for your forgiveness.
With the help of your Holy Spirit we will sin no more.
We will forgive each other and seek reconciliation.
We surrender to your love.
Guide in those situations where we can be of service to you and to others.
Please give us wisdom and help us to know, experience, and understand the truth as much as we are able.
Let your Kingdom come in the midst of us on earth as it is in heaven.
We are your offspring. You are our loving parent.
Let us live and breathe in God.
Amen
Filed under Flawed Guru, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Religion, World Peace
Heavenly Father
El Shalom
Teach us the way of peace
Heavenly Father
El Shaddai
We offer praise to you
We want to be your true sons and daughters
Building your Kingdom on Earth
We want to feel your Holy Spirit
Giving our hearts new birth
Holy Spirit
Heavenly Dove
Fill our hearts with your love
Holy Spirit
Wonderful Counselor
Send us wisdom from above
We want to be your true sons and daughters
Bringing your Kingdom on Earth
We want to see your bright shining presence
Filling the world with new birth
We praise you
We give you thanks
For all your wonder
For all of your power
For all of your glory
For all of your mercy
We offer our lives to you
Heavenly Father
Holy Spirit
We give our lives to you
Filed under Jesus, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Religion, Videos
Words matter.
Words can teach, uplift and heal, and give life to our spirts. Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
When Jesus asked the twelve disciples if they too wanted to leave him, Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
Yet, words can also do great damage. Deceitful words can sow doubt, cause rancorous division, and create disorder, pain, and division.
Adam Eve and the Serpent
In Genesis 3, we see that the words of the serpent resulted in the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden.
James 3:6-8 says:
And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue–a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
So the words that the tongue speaks can be used for good or evil. In Matthew 12:34-37, Jesus points out that the quality of our words stems from the condition of our heart:
“You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus explains further in Matthew 15:18-20
“… what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man;”
So if we engage in false witness, malicious lies, of slander, it reveals that there is something wrong with our heart. If our heart were pure we would see God. Our heart would be filled with truth, love, and peace and we would speak words of truth, love and peace.
If we speak evil words, our hearts are not full of love, peace and joy. We feel a lack of love, fear, doubt, and perhaps resentment or hatred. We may be filled with false pride, envy, greed, lust, or anger. These feelings are not healthy for ourselves or others. They will bring us down.
It is not easy to control one’s words. It is not easy to purify one’s heart. But with God all things are possible.
Still Waters
Jesus, the sinless messiah, the perfect man, the true Son of God, died for the sins of mankind. On the cross he prayed for our forgiveness.
We need to pray to our Heavenly Father. We need to ask the Father to forgive us for our sins. God in his gracious mercy will send the Holy Spirit to forgive and comfort us. God will send the Holy Spirit to bring us back to life so that we can be reborn in His love.
When we feel this gift of grace, we need to continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us power to sin no more. Old habits die hard. We can not change without the help of the Holy Spirit to guide, teach and comfort us. But with the help of the Holy Spirit we can change old patterns of thought, speech, and behavior. We can be reborn and our hearts can be cleansed and purified. Then God will dwell within us and our thoughts, words and deeds will shine with the light of truth and love. We will become the true sons and daughters of God.
We also must learn to forgive others. The Kingdom of God is not a solo flight. It is a family affair. It includes not just our biological family, not just our race or nation, but everyone in the whole world.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.”
After teaching the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15,
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Road to the Temple of Peace
Through repentance and forgiveness we can receive the love of God and be born again. Through repentance and forgiveness, reconciliation can occur. Through repentance and forgiveness, God’s Kingdom will come.
If we follow this way, our hearts will become pure and we will speak words of truth, love, and life.
How then do we help those around us who speak lies or engage in malicious gossip and slander?
First of all, do not condemn them, but just as Jesus did, forgive them and pray for them.
The second step is paradoxical and must be practiced to be understood. The second step consists of introspection, self-examination, and purification of one’s own heart.
If we see people engaging in lies, malicious gossip, and slander, we know that the problem lies in the heart. There is a sin problem.
Jesus said in Luke 6:42,
.. how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
The proud will be humbled and sinners will be brought to repentance. God is a God of both judgement and mercy. It is not our job however to humble the proud and bring sinners to repentance. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
If we repent, sin no more, forgive others and pray for others, then God will show us clearly what we should do. We will see the power of the Holy Spirit at work and if God wants to use us the Holy Spirit will guide our words and actions.
There is no one-size -fits-all solution to every situation. That is why we pray for divinely inspired wisdom.
James 1:5 says,
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
James 3:14-17 clarifies further,
…if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.
So ask God to purify your heart and deepen your faith. Then pray for wisdom. God will guide you and you will see the power of the Holy Spirit at work.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Our Father, who art in Heaven, thy kingdom come.
Filed under Flawed Guru, Jesus, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Psychology, The Lord's Prayer, World Peace
On November 17, I had the blessing of participating in another of Craig Boyer’s “Dig This! Music with a Message” shows on KKRN 88.5 FM. The theme was “Gratitude and Thanksgiving” hosted by Craig Boyer with guests Alex Colvin & Pamela Spoto.
Craig always picks out wonderful music. His selection for this program were:
LET’S TAKE OUR HEADS OUT OF THE SAND by: BOB WICKLINE
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY HERE by: JOHN McCUTCHEON
HARVEST HOME by: JAY UNGAR & MOLLY MASON
SEEDS by: DENNIS WEAVER
LOVE TILL YOU’VE LOVED IT AWAY (aka, THANKSGIVING EVE) by: BOB FRANKE
THE RAINBOW RACE by: PETE SEEGER
SONG BY ALEX COLVIN was : TRAVELING IN THE MAINSTREAM OF LOVE
In between songs we conversed on the theme of gratitude. If you have time to spare, please give it a listen.
Filed under Flawed Guru, Jesus, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Philosophy, World Peace
The conditions for the restoration of Adam’s sin have been fulfilled. That means that people can be liberated from original sin.
Road to the Temple of Peace
Therefore, the Kingdom of God can come on earth as it is in heaven.
This means that world peace will be established. People of different races and nationalities will live together in harmony. An environment of true love will come to be.
God is compassionate. God’s compassion is expressed through both judgement and mercy.
In order for us to experience God’s mercy we must go through God’s judgment.
The proud will be humbled and the sinners must come to repentance.
End it now!
Pray for God’s Kingdom to come on earth. Pray for God’s will to be done. Pray for us to be delivered from evil.
Believe, repent, and sin no more.
Through repentance your personal sins are forgiven. God will give you the strength to resist evil. God will fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can feel His love. The Holy Spirit will cleanse your heart. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. You can be perfect as your Heavenly Parent is perfect.
Peace will come through forgiveness. Just as God forgives us we must forgive others. As we forgive each other God will forgive us, not just individually but collectively.
Racial, religious, and ethnic harmony will come through forgiveness. Forgiveness opens the door for us to feel God’s love together. Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy.
True love now!
The kingdom of God is the world of true love. The world of true love is coming now.
How long will it take for the world of true love to be realized?
The door is open. For me to enter I must repent and sin no more. In this way, I dis-cover the Kingdom of God within me. Loving others and sharing the truth that God reveals to me I help to expand the kingdom. Listening to the truth that God reveals to others helps to expand the kingdom. Forgiving others is part of loving others. Through reconciliation we expand the world of true love.
The door is open. For you to enter you must repent and sin no more. Ask God for help. Ask and you shall receive. Be patient and believe. You will be redeemed through your faith in the power of God.
The door is open. For all of us to experience the Kingdom of God together as one family, we must both repent and forgive. As we do so we will become one together in God’s love. The Father will be in us and we will be in the Father.
Sin will be no more.
The kingdom of God is coming now. The door is open. Please enter.
Filed under Flawed Guru, Judeo-Christianity, Love, Religion, World Peace
In order to realize the universal world of True Love, trust must be restored.
No one exists alone. We all exist in relationship to God, to other people, and to nature.
Without God, there would be no existence, no life, no love.
Without our parents we would not have been born.
In his description of the psychosocial stages of human development, Eric Erickson says that when a baby is born, the first crisis that he or she faces is “trust or distrust.”
Trust is a fundamental prerequisite of a healthy psyche. Trust is fundamental to loving relationships.
Do I trust God? Can God trust me?
Can I trust you? Can you trust me?
Am I capable of trusting? Am I trustworthy?
In English, the words trust and faith share some common connotations. The word trust is derived from Teutonic: Old English, Old Norse, Germanic. The word faith is derived from the Latin fidere. In origin, both words refer to a common quality of relationship. I can confide in you without fear of betrayal. I can rely upon you. I know that you are true.
So trust is related to honesty, sincerity, reliability, responsibility, vulnerability, and truth.
In the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were naked and unafraid. The existed in relationship with God and with each other. God, Adam, and Eve had no reason not to trust one another. Their love for one another was growing.
In their relationship with each other and with God, Adam and Eve were creating their reality, and it was a reality based in love and trust. God had created Adam and Eve to be co-creators. God trusted Adam and Eve.
God gave Adam and Eve responsibility. He asked them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The serpent introduced doubt. Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and trust was destroyed.
When trust is betrayed, it is very difficult to restore. This is true in all relationships. It is true between parents and children, between husband and wife, between friends, between business partners, in organizations, in communities, between leaders and followers, in politics, and between nations.
In order for there to be peace, trust must be restored. In order for there to be love, trust must be restored. In order for their to be happiness, trust must be restored.
Trust is a mystical healing power that comes from opening one’s heart to the power of God’s love.
God can be trusted.
God is the rock, the cornerstone of restoration.
In your inmost heart, call out to God to show you the Way.
God will guide you and God’s love will overwhelm you.
Then we can expand the foundation. Step by step, open your heart to others.
If you are trustworthy others will trust you. If you extend your trust to others, gradually they will reciprocate.
But do not be discouraged if they don’t. Pray for them, forgive them. This is a process. God will guide us to restore a community of trust.
Step by step, dear Heavenly Father, please help us to restore trust in out families, amongst friends, in our communities, in our nations and amongst nations. Help us to restore trust amongst all people of different races and cultures in our world.
In God we trust.
Filed under Love, Psychology
The Flawed Guru 