In the political world, new wine needs to be put into new wineskins

Recently a longtime friend of mine opined “As a Democrat it saddens me to realize that the Dem Party has sold its soul out to the devil! They are the champion of sexual deviancy and illegal immigration!”

I was moved to respond as follows:

I know your good heart. I’m not sure what triggered this outburst. It is unclear what you mean. Are you implying that all Democrats are champions of sexual deviancy and illegal immigration? After all, you are a Democrat.

What about Republicans who claim to stand up for sexual morality and family values but then turn a blind eye to President Trump’s dishonesty and immorality? Or those who out of fear are embracing white supremacist tendencies? Have they been deluded, succumbed to the temptation of power and money, and sold their souls to the Devil?

As an Independent, I see serious problems in both the Democratic and Republican parties. I also see many good people. I admire John Kasich on the Republican side and i find hope in the quality of many of the newly-elected Democratic members of the House of Representatives. Many recognize that the problem of unequal and unjust income distribution has to be addressed.

Most traditional conservatives – who believe in moral principles, fiscal conservativism, limited government, and a sensible defense policy – have distanced themselves from the Republican Party or are trying to figure out how to redeem it. Libertarians are in a quandary.

All of the parties are suffering from being attached to old paradigms in an age of rapid transition. We need new ideas and concepts to address the changing situation.

Many of these ideas are being generated on the local level where people are solving real problems affecting people in local communities.

On a global level, new ideas are being generated by those who are willing to engage in intelligent assessment and discussion, learning from the experience and wisdom of all nations and cultures in order to promote world peace, racial and religious harmony, shared prosperity, and true family values.

We should not be taking sides in irrational discussions where people demonize one another out of fear, anger, greed, or the lust for power. Rather, motivated by God’s compassion, we should be trying to reconcile conflicting parties in pursuit of peace, harmony, and true love.

Where two or three are gathered together

“I’ve got a garden with flowers so rare
But somehow it’s empty with no one else there
And you have got treasures so precious and fair
But what are they worth with no one to share?”

– From the song “Stay Awhile” by Alex Colvin

 

Something wonderful happens when two or three people are able to communicate openly and honestly with one another in a spirit of mutual love and respect.

Inspiration flows. The mind is quickened and thoughts are stimulated. Deep feeling is awakened and the heart is enriched. Communicants discover that they are tapping into a common mind and heart.

Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mat 18:19-20)

Private prayer is the foundation of personal faith. Individual study is a fundamental step toward gaining knowledge. But when two or three are gathered together in a spirit of love and humility, God blesses us.

Knowledge blossoms into understanding. Hearts open in the experience of love and oneness. God can lead us into the truth and reveal his heart and healing power to us, in us, and through us. We experience a holy state of communion in spirit, truth and love.

To once again quote Jesus in Mat 18:18-20, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Therefore, let us gather together as friends in groups of two of three to study and discuss, to encourage one another, and to pray for God’s Will to be done.

Private Prayer

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 6:5-13)

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!

Thanksgiving Song

I didn’t know enough Thanksgiving Songs so Linda and I made one up the day before Thanksgiving and sang it at the Senior Nutrition Center and the Circle of Friends.

 

Lyrics:

Give thanks to God who sees and provides
Give thanks to the Spirit that loves and guides
Thanks for friends and neighbors
In whom love abides

Thank you God for being you
Without you what would we do
Even when we’re in a stew
You are true

Thank you God for being here
Freeing our hearts from doubt and fear
Now we bow our heads and pray
In thanks this day.

Notes and Corrections:

The “God who sees” is from the story of Hagar in  Gen 16:13 – So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “Thou art a God of seeing”; for she said, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?”

I misspoke  in this video when I said it was the episode where the well appears. It is actually from the earlier episode when Hagar fled before Ishmael was born. Both stories are worth reading because Hagar is one of the few women in the Bible for whom a theophany is recorded not just once but twice. The second occurs in Gen 21:17 after the birth of Isaac, when Abraham sends her and Ismael away at Sarah’s request.

The “God who provides” is from the story of Abraham and Isaac. Gen 22:14 – So Abraham called the name of that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Happy Thanksgiving! May your heart be filled with gratitude to our loving Heavenly Father who sees and provides.

Hark!

You listen but do not hear
The song that fills the air
Your heart is numb with fear
To dance you do not dare

See the people running nowhere as the righteous stand strong
See the people stiff as statues as the righteous stroll along

Hear the inner voice
The silent inner voice

Make the right choice

In time you shall rejoice

Repentance and Forgiveness

Regarding the past transgressions of public figures, some people make statements like “God called David a great leader and a man after his own heart. Don’t judge only their past. Forgive and see the good.”

Forgiveness is indeed central to gospel. Jesus did say that in order for us to be forgiven we must forgive those who sin against us.

Adam, Eve, and the Serpent

Let us not forget however that repentance is also important. In order to be forgiven we need to acknowledge our sin and repent. God brings our sins to light, either privately or publicly, for the very purpose that we may repent and be cleansed through His mercy.

God’s judgment and mercy work together so that sin may be cleansed and reconciliation achieved.

Let’s take a closer look at David’s heart.

When David sinned and tried to keep it secret, God sent the prophet Nathan to judge him (2 Samuel 12:7-12).

When confronted, David acknowledged his sin and repented. However, there were still consequences for his sin.(2 Samuel 12:13-15).

David’s prayer of repentance for the sin is recorded in Psalm 51.

This is an example of how through repentance and forgiveness, our Heavenly Father delivers us from the power of evil.

If the heart is not cleansed through repentance, the result is denial, defiance, and lies. A person acting from such a heart is still not free from the power of evil.

It is good to be just and loving, but please don’t use the Bible to excuse sin.

The Solution to the World’s Problems

Advice to students graduating from high school in 2018

Living and breathing in God

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

Praise, gratitude, supplication, and commitment

I added in another verse so this worship song would include Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I was moved when I heard Johnny Cash sing Depeche Mode’s song, “Everybody needs their own personal Jesus, Someone who cares, someone who’s there.” It was a valuable reminder and counsel for me. If you want to open the door to the Father and receive the love and guidance of the Holy Spirit, then humble yourself to Jesus, read his words, and do what he says.

A Song of Praise and Offering

Father

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

Son

Thank you Jesus
Holy Messiah
For showing us the Way

Thank you Jesus
Son of God
In your Holy Name we pray

Teach us to live as brothers and sisters
Sharing the Kingdom within

We want to be your true disciples
Living our lives freed from sin

Holy Spirit

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

Refrain

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

Conclusion

Heavenly Father
Lord of Love
We give our hearts to you