About Heaven on Earth
Our Vision
Our vision of Heaven on Earth is to create a community of individuals from all walks of life, united by our faith. We welcome everyone with open arms - regardless of their background, race, or beliefs - who are dedicated to living a life guided by faith and love. We strive to make a positive impact on our world by spreading kindness and compassion to those around us.
Who We Are
Heaven on Earth is based on the belief that God sent Jesus to create Heaven on earth by teaching us how to love; how to meditate; how to forgive; and how to pray.
Jesus gave us only one Commandment “To love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves;” and if we all embrace this one Commandment to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves, we will begin to experience Heaven on earth.
We can view our Writer’s Sample on this website. If you would be so good as to take a look at our Writer’s Sample and share with us any questions, comments, and/or recommendations you may have at Heaven0nEarth.org/Edits.
Rarely has there ever been a time in human history that we have needed Jesus’ healing message of Love and Forgiveness… more than we need this message today. With our book Heaven on Earth we attempt to peel away 2000 years of interpretation and re-interpretation to get back to the original teachings of Jesus and His Disciples.
We find a Spirituality and a Faith (based on Love and Forgiveness) that can be both Enlightening and a Healing balm for all the divisiveness and division we are experiencing in our world today.
Miracles are still possible for us today: if only we are all willing to work together to solve our problems; and if we do believe!
So as not to offend any of us… we may wish to begin reading our Writer's Sample at the end: “Love as Found in the World Religions.”
The Healing Power of Meditation
According to Hindu mythology our human body has seven Chakras. Chakras have more than one dimension to them. One dimension is their physiological existence; and another dimension is their “Spiritual” dimension.
Each of these Chakras is to be found at our corresponding part of our body. By our learning how to find and concentrate on each of these Chakras we can generate feelings throughout our body.
Our Vagus nerve that is found at the center of our spine also plays a significant role in meditation.
Our Base “Muladhaara” Chakra is located at the base of our spine between our anal outlet and genital organ; our Sacral “manipuraka” Chakra is located at our Sacroiliac below our navel; our Solar Plexus “Anahata” Chakra is located at our Solar Plexus below where our rib cage meets; our Heart Chakra is located at our heart; our Throat “Vishuddhi” Chakra is located at the pit of our Throat; our Third Eye “Ajina” Chakra is located between our eyebrows; and our Crown “Brahmarandra” Chakra is located at the Crown of our head where babies are born with a soft spot.
Each of our Chakras are located at a “plexus” of our nervous system. Our Base Chakra is found at our Venical Plexus; our Sacral Chakra is found at our Aortic Plexus; our Solar Plexus Chakra is found at our Cardiac Plexus; our Heart Chakra is found at our Coronary Plexus; our Throat Chakra is found at our Middle Cervical Sympathetic Ganglia; our Third Eye is found at our Amygdala; and our Crown Chakra is found at the Crown of our Head.
When we focus on both our part of our body that corresponds to each of our Chakras and our parallel portion of our Vagus nerve we will eventually sense a “pinpoint” that will appear; and as we concentrate on this pinpoint we will begin to experience sensations throughout those portions of our body that are “fed” by the nerves of each of our “plexi.” In Hindi the word for this “pinpoint” is “bindu.”
Our learning how to “open” our Chakras is very much the same as our learning how to control both our bladder and our bowls; and our Heart and our Throat Chakras should be relatively easy for us to find. We already know where we feel Love in our chest; and we already know where we feel a swallow in our throat.
Our Vagus nerve is our “Meditative Highway. By our directing the energy “up” that we create from our lower Chakras - while we breath in – we will begin to see another bindu in our Brain; our Mind will begin to “expand;” we will begin to see Light; and we will experience Heaven.
Our Base Chakra generates passion, excitement, and energy; our Sacral Chakra rejuvenates, releases, motivates; our Solar Plexus Chakra refreshes and gives joy and peace; our Throat Chakra is communicative, calming, and tranquil; our Third Eye is intuitive, insightful, and uplifting; and our Crown Chakra is intellectual, Spiritual, and creates a Divine connection.
There is a physiological aspect to meditation in addition to the “Spiritual” aspect. This physiological aspect will achieve the healing of our body and our mind; and when we understand the “science” behind meditation we will find “meditation” will become our best “medication” for whatever ails us.
Luke tells us: “But now even more the report about Jesus went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear Him and be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Could it not be that at the same time Jesus was talking with our Heavenly Father He was also meditating?
By our learning how to focus our consciousness on our Chakras we can heal ourselves from: scattered energies; anxiety and fear; repressed creativity; sexual dysfunction; withheld intimacy; emotional isolation; low self-esteem; control issues; manipulative tendencies; misuse of power; depression; difficulty in relationships; lack of self-discipline; shyness; being withdrawn; arrogance; increased anxiety; lack of direction; lack of clarity; cynicism; disregard for what is sacred; closed mindedness; and disconnection with God.
Our Bible tells us: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand evil, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and take the helmet of salvation, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”
When we open our Heart Chakra it feels as though we are putting on a “breastplate;” and when we open our Crown Chakra it feels like a “helmet.”
The symbol for the Heart Chakra is the exact same symbol as the Star of David of Judaism; and the Heart Chakra represents Love and governs our relationships. The Crown Chakra represents higher states of consciousness and Divine Connection.
Each day we begin by our first opening our Crown Chakra, then taking a deep breath in and moving down to open our Inner Eye while we slowly exhale, then continuing down our spine the same way to open all of our Chakras, ending with our Base Chakra… will be filled with peace, love, and hope.
An in-balance in our Heart Chakra causes depression and difficulty in relationships; and an in-balance in our Crown Chakra causes cynicism, disregard for what is sacred, closed mindedness, and disconnection with the Spirit.
Just think the impact our learning how to concentrate on these two Chakras would have on all of the divisiveness and division we are experiencing in our world today… as well as on our own health and happiness!
Is this not the exact same impact the Teachings of Jesus and His Disciples has had on our world?
Jesus tells us: “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 among them.”
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul tells us: “Since we are of the Light, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love [our Heart Chakra] and the hope of salvation for our helmet [our Crown Chakra].”
When we apply the Teachings of Jesus and His Disciples to our everyday experience we do begin to find ourselves in Heaven; and we fulfill God’s purpose for having sent Jesus to Earth.
In the end Jesus tells us: “Your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
Our Self-Guided Meditation Scripts
Our Self-Guided Meditation® Script – Energizing our Chakras
[We can create our own Self-Guided Meditation recording or go to HeaveOnEarth.org and download our sample recording.]
Take a deep breath in. Find our Vagus nerve. Our Vagus nerve is a tiny thread that is located in the center of our spine that runs up and down our spine from the Base of our Spine to our Crown of our Skull. Our Vagus nerve has been designated by many of our Great Mystics as: “Our Meditative Highway.”
By our directing the energy “up” that we create from our lower Chakras - while we breath in – we will begin to see another Bindu in our Brain; our Mind will begin to “expand;” we will begin to see Light; and we will experience Heaven.
Breath out slowly and travel down our Vagus nerve to your Base Chakra.
Our Base Chakra generates passion, excitement, and energy.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Base Chakra we will strengthen our scattered energies; and we will free ourselves of: our anxiety; and our fear.
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and reside in your Base.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Base.What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Base.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Base.What do you feel?
Do you feel tingling throughout you body and your brain begin to “wake up?”
Take a deep breath in. Hold your Breath; and sink into your Base Chakra.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and sink further into your Base.What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Base.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Base.
What do you feel?
Do you feel tingling throughout your body and energy in your brain?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vagus nerve to your Groin Chakra; and reside in your Groin.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Groin.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Groin.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Groin.
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Groin.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Groin. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Groin.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Groin.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Groin.
What do you feel?
Do you feel stimulated?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vagus nerve to your Naval/”Sacral” Chakra; and reside in your Naval Chakra.
Our Naval Chakra rejuvenates, releases, motivates.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Naval Chakra we will free ourselves of: our sexual dysfunction; our withheld intimacy; our emotional isolation; and we will strengthen our repressed creativity.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Naval.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Naval.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Naval.Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Naval.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Groin. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Naval.
What do you feel?
Do you continue to feel stimulated?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Naval.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Naval.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vagus nerve to your Solar [Plexus] Chakra; and reside in your Solar [Plexus] Chakra.
Our Solar Plexus Chakra refreshes and gives joy and peace.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Solar Plexus Chakra we will strengthen: our low self-esteem; and free ourselves of: our control issues; our manipulative tendencies; and our misuse of power.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Solar Plexus.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Solar Plexus.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Solar Plexus.
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Solar Plexus.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Solar Plexus. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Solar Plexus.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Solar Plexus.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Solar Plexus.
What do you feel?
Do you feel light in your Pre-Frontal Cortex?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vagus nerve to your Heart Chakra; and reside in your Heart Chakra.
Our Heart Chakra represents love; self-love; and governs our relationships.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Heart Chakra we will free ourselves of: our depression; and we will strengthen our difficulty in relationships; and our lack of self-discipline.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Heart.What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Heart.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Heart.
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Heart.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Heart. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Heart.
What do you feel?
Do you feel any joints in your spine open up?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Heart.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Heart.
What do you feel?
Do you feel warmth and light throughout your body?
Is there anyone you are thinking about?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vagus nerve to your Neck Chakra; and reside in your Neck Chakra.
Our Throat Chakra is communicative, calming, and tranquil.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Throat Chakra we will strengthen: our shyness; our being withdrawn; and we will free ourselves of: our increased anxiety; and our arrogance.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Neck.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Neck.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Neck.
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Neck.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Neck. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Neck.
What do you feel?
Are there any joints in your spine opening up?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Neck.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Neck.
What do you feel?
Is there anyone you are thinking about?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vargas Nerve to your Inner Eye [Pituitary Gland] Chakra; and reside in your Inner Eye Chakra.
Our “Third” Eye is intuitive, insightful, and uplifting.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Third Eye Chakra we will strengthen: our lack of direction; and our lack of clarity.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Inner Eye.What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Inner Eye.
Are your eyes fluttering while you re-focus on your Inner Eye?
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Inner Eye.Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Inner Eye.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Inner Eye. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Inner Eye.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Inner Eye.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Inner Eye.
What do you feel?
Do you feel enlightened?
Take a deep breath in; travel up your Vagus nerve to your Crown Chakra; and reside in your Crown Chakra.
Our Crown Chakra is intellectual, Spiritual, and creates a Divine connection.
When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Crown Chakra we will free ourselves of: our cynicism; our disregard for what is sacred; our closed mindedness; and we will strengthen our connection with God.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to reside in your Crown.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and focus on your Crown.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs. Hold your breath; and continue to focus on your Crown.
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and sink into your Crown.
Breath out slowly and empty your lungs while you sink further into your Crown. Hold your Breath; and continue to sink into your Crown.
What do you feel?
Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath; and energize your Crown.
Breath out slowly. Hold your breath and continue to energize your Crown.What do you feel?
Do you feel ecstasy?
Do you feel you are touching Heaven?
If we do this guided our meditation every morning for one week…This will lay our foundation for our next self-guided meditation…When we will learn how to direct our attention and concentrate on each of our Chakras… Which will allow us to have:A truly great day…Our Best Day Yet!
Our Self-Guided Meditation® Script – Wind Sprints
Take a deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go… Hold our breath…And let go.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and sink into the bottom of our spine – our Base Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Concentrate on the bottom of our spine… Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we reside in the bottom of our spine.Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve to our Solar Chakra…Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Solar Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to our Groin Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and sink into our Groin Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Concentrate on our Groin Chakra … Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to reside in our Groin Chakra.Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve to our Heart Chakra…Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Heart Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to our Belly Button – our Sacral Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and sink into our Sacral Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Concentrate on our Sacral Chakra… Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we reside in our Sacral Chakra.Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve to our Throat Chakra…Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Throat Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to our Heart – our Heart Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and sink into our Heart Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Concentrate on our Heart Chakra… Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to reside in our Heart Chakra.Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve to our Inner Eye Chakra…Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Inner Eye Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to where our throat meets our skull - our Throat Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and sink into our Throat Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Concentrate on our Throat Chakra… Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to reside in our Throat Chakra.Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve to our Crown Chakra…Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Crown Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to space in the center of our brain behind our eyes – our Inner Eye.Please note the difference in the distance we have sprinted down to our Inner Eye Chakra…From when we had originally sprinted down to our Groin Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Hold our breath…Let go and sink into our Inner Eye Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Concentrate on our Inner Eye Chakra.Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to reside in our Inner Eye Chakra.Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve to our Crown Chakra at the top of our head – at the “soft spot” in our skull where our skull had compressed while we were passing through our mother’s womb.Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Crown Chakra.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we reside in our Crown Chakra… Now take a deep breath in while we continue to climb as far as we can go…Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot above our skull where we stopped.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…While we continue to climb higher and higher until we can feel the ecstasy of touching God.Now relax…Nothing to do… nothing to think… just relax.Jesus tells us: “Put on the armor of God.”Feel God’s Helmet.Feel God’s Breast Plate.Bask in the Love of God.Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go. Slowly become aware of our bodies.Smile.Open our eyes.
Our Self-Guided Meditation Script® - Releasing Our Anger
Anger was critical to the survival of our ancestors Before Christ (BC) – when survival was defined by physical prowess.Anger no longer has a place in Civilized Society.Anger reveals our weakness when it manifests itself when we feel threatened.Do you like the ugly feeling that anger creates in your heart?Do you like to lose control of your senses?Would you like to restore Love to your Soul when you become angry?Every time you feel angry – simply repeat to yourself:“I am positive.”“I am grateful.”
Our Self-Guided Meditation® Script – Appreciating our Body
Feel the weight of our bodies from our head to our toes sinking into our chair or mattress. [Pause]When we came into this world, we weighed anywhere between 5 to 10 pounds.When we leave this world, we will weigh less than 1 pound if we are cremated… and if we choose the more traditional route and get buried… eventually our flesh will be eaten by maggots and deteriorate until there is nothing left but teeth; bones; and whatever joints we have had replaced. Whatever state our bodies are in… they are quite literally our Temple God has given us to house our Spirits… and we should continue to honor our bodies and take as good of care of our Temples as we possibly can.So for now: let’s honor our bodies. [Pause]Our bodies are comprised of millions of tiny little cells… that are comprised of molecules… with positive and negative signs… all of which are filled with energy.Let’s take a moment to feel all of the energy pulsing throughout our entire bodies. [Pause]Do you feel the energy? [Pause]All of our cells replace themselves every 7 years… so the theory goes… if we are able to break our pattern our cells have developed over years of mis-use and neglect… we can actually begin to renew our bodies.A body in motion stays in motion… It is 100% possible for us to renew our Spirits…When we are able to renew our Spirits, it is possible for us to create our own Spiritual “blanket” around us… and feel no pain.Doesn’t that sound nice?So are we ready to begin to renew our bodies and feel our Spiritual blanket comfort us?[Flute background music with peacocks]Before we do: let’s take one more moment to honor our bodies… feel our weight of our entire bodies lying on our bed; and feel all of those tiny cells shooting electricity back of forth all of our body. [Pause]Now let’s start to direct our attention and concentrate on the space above our heads. Try to expand your mind to your headboard. [Pause]Now to the wall. [Pause]Past the wall. [Pause]Feel the space “above” our heads. [Pause]Can you start to feel our Spirit actually outside of our bodies?Isn’t this amazing! Our bodies are actually vessels that contain a Spirit that is far larger than our bodies.Just think what we are able to achieve… if our Spirits are healthy and strong!?!The only catch is… for now we need our healthy bodies to store our Spirits… and we are talking about our getting a Total Make Over!Ok, now move our attention down to the top of our heads. [Pause]Feel the soft part of our skulls that allowed our heads to compress as we passed out of our mothers’ wombs. Can you feel the spot? [Pause]This is actually a very important spot for us to be able to locate. This is the spot that allows our Spirit to pass out of our bodies and to connect with God. All of our meditation begins with this spot. This is our Crown Chakra… our Connection with God that enable to experience the “Holly.”Now let’s move to our right side of our skull. [Pause]Our right temple… [Pause]Our right eye… [Pause]Our right ear… [Pause]Our right cheek… [Pause]Our right jaw… [Pause]Take a deep breath in. [Pause]Hold your breath. [Pause]Now slowly exhale. Feel the air as it leaves our bodies.Now gradually and very SLOWLY… let’s shift our focus to the back of our heads.Very SLOWLY shift our focus to our left side of our skull. [Pause]Our let temple… [Pause]Left eye… [Pause]Left ear… [PauseLeft cheek… [Pause]Left jaw… [Pause]Feel our brain… [Pause]Direct our focus behind our eyes… To the center of our skull… [Pause]Here is our Penal Gland and our Pituitary Gland are located. [Pause]You will know when you find the right spot in the center of our brain behind our eyes – when our brain begins to fill with Light. [Pause]Many of us will remember an ad from the 80’s which begins with a frying pan; and then an egg is dropped into the pan; and when the yolk begins to sizzle a voice says: “and this is your brain on drugs.” Any of us who smoked marijuana… knew what this ad was talking about.Well guess what? When we learn you to find our Inner Eye and how to open our Inner Eye by concentration… we can experience all the healing powers that are being ascribed to marijuana. [Pause]Now feel the back of our neck… [Pause]Our throat… [Pause]Our throat has both a windpipe and a food pipe…Follow the pipes down our throat. [Pause]Feel our Adam’s apple… [Pause]This is where are Throat Chakra is located… [Pause]Now move down our throat to our shoulders… [Pause]Our right shoulder… [Pause]SLOWLY… our left shoulder… [Pause]Our left bicep… [Pause]Our left elbow… [Pause]Our left forearm… [Pause]Our left wrist… [Pause]Our left hand… [Pause]Our fingers… [Pause]Our tips of our fingers… [Pause]SLOWLY move to our right side… [Pause]All it takes is our intention to move from our left to our right side… [Pause]Our right bicep… [Pause]Elbow… [Pause]Forearm… [Pause]Wrist… [Pause]Hand… [Pause]Fingers… [Pause]Tips of our fingers… [Pause]Our left side is our “feelings side… Our heart is on our left side. [Pause] Now move to our chest… [Pause]Our heart… [Pause]Can you feel our Love in our heart… [Pause]Feel our Love in our heart… [Pause]This is our Heart Chakra. [Pause]Move down to our solar plexus… [Pause]Our solar plexus is our source of joy and peace… [Pause] Do you remember that tingling feeling we used to get when we were excited? [Pause]This begins in our solar plexus… [Pause] The great Yogis and Swamis actually develop lager than average solar plexus because they spend so much of their time focusing on their solar plexus… Which is our neurological seat for our will and our power… [Pause] It represents self-esteem, pleasure, will-power, and personal responsibility… [Pause]When we learn to direct our attention and focus on our Solar Plexus Chakra through meditation we will strengthen our low self-esteem… [Pause]Free ourselves of control issues… [Pause]Let go of manipulative tendencies and misuse of power… [Pause]And refresh our Soul with joy and peace. [Pause]Now let’s move down to our navel… [Pause]Our belly button… [Pause]Here’s where it begins to get interesting…Do you feel any tingling in your groin? [Pause]It is not until we begin to feel this tingling in our groins that we know we have located our Navel Chakra… [Pause]Now let’s direct our attention to our base of our spine… [Pause]If we begin to feel discomfort… first accept it… [Pause]Then let it go… [Pause]We may have felt this discomfort in the base of our spine earlier… Because all of our Chakras are tied to the base of our spine… [Pause] When we have identified our Base Chakra… We will actually begin to feel energy coming alive in our brain. [Long Pause]SMILE… [Pause]Feel our smile all over our bodies… [Pause]Take a deep breath in… [Pause]Hold it… [Pause] Let it go... [Pause]Feel the air empty out of our lungs…[Pause]Though our windpipe… [Pause]Our nose… [Pause]And into the space surrounding us. [Pause]OK. Let’s move to our hips… [Pause]Our right hip… [Pause]Our left hip… [Pause]Our thighs… [Pause]Our left thigh… [Pause]Our right thigh… [Pause]Our knees… [Pause]Our right knee… [Pause]Our left knee… [Pause]Our shins... [Pause]Our left shin… [Pause]Our right shin… [Pause]Our calves… [Pause]Our right calve… [Pause]Our left calve… [Pause]Our ankles… [Pause]Our left ankle… [Pause]Our right ankle… [Pause]Our feet… [Pause] Our right foot… [Pause] Our heal… [Pause] Our arch... [Pause] The pad of our foot... [Pause]Our toes… [Pause]Our big toe… [Pause]Our middle toes… [Pause] Our pinkie… [Pause]Let’s direct our attention to our left foot… [Pause] Our heal… [Pause] Our arch… [Pause] The pad of our foot… [Pause]Our toes… [Pause]Our big toe… [Pause]Our middle toes… [Pause]Our pinkie… [Pause]Now take a deep breath in… [Pause] Smile… Hold your breath… [Pause] Exhale slowly… [Pause] Feel our smile percolate in the back of our brain… [Pause] Feel our smile in every cell of our body… [Pause]Feel our smile fill all of the space around us… [Pause]Let’s honor our bodies one more time… [Long Pause]Can you feel our Spiritual blanket comforting us… Taking all of our pain away? [Long Pause]God is living in us… Guiding us… Helping us make the most of this greatest gift of life He has given to us. Let’s not waste a single moment. Let’s make the most of every day… every minute… every second. [Pause]Concentrate on your breathing… [Pause]Feel the air coming into your lungs… [Pause]And escaping into our environment around us… [Long Pause]Smile some more… [Pause] Now start to become aware of our world around us… [Pause]Slowly open our eyes… [Pause]
Our Self-Guided Meditation® Script – Wind Sprints II
Take a deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
And let go.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and sink into the bottom of our spine – our Base Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Concentrate on the bottom of our spine…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to concentrate on the bottom of our spine.
Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vargas Nerve as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot where we stopped on our Vargas Nerve.
Please note that this time we were able to sprint further up our Vargas Nerve.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vargas Nerve to our Groin Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and sink into our Groin Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Concentrate on our Groin Chakra …
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to concentrate on our Groin Chakra.
Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vargas Nerve as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot where we stopped on our Vagus nerve.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to our Belly Button – our Sacral Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and sink into our Sacral Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Concentrate on our Sacral Chakra…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to concentrate on our Sacral Chakra.
Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus Nerve as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot where we stopped on our Vagus nerve.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to our Heart – our Heart Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and sink into our Heart Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Concentrate on our Heart Chakra…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to concentrate on our Heart Chakra.
Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot where we stopped on our Vagus nerve.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to where our throat meets our skull - our Throat Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and sink into our Throat Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Concentrate on our Throat Chakra…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to concentrate on our Throat Chakra.
Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot where we stopped on our Vagus nerve.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we Sprint Down our Vagus nerve to space in the center of our brain behind our eyes – our Inner Eye.
Please note the difference in the distance we have sprinted down to our Inner Eye Chakra…
From when we had originally sprinted down to our Groin Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Hold our breath…
Let go and sink into our Inner Eye Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Concentrate on our Inner Eye Chakra…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we continue to concentrate on our Inner Eye Chakra
Now take a deep breath in while we “sprint up” our Vagus nerve as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into our Crown Chakra.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go while we sink into our Crown Chakra… at the top of our head – at the “soft spot” in our skull where our skull had compressed while being born.
Now take a deep breath in while we continue to climb as far as we can go…
Let go and suck our belly in while we sink into the spot above our skull where we stopped.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
While we continue to climb higher and higher until we can feel the ecstasy of touching God.
Now relax…
Nothing to do and nothing to think.
Jesus tells us: “Put on the armor of God.”
Feel God’s Helmet.
Feel God’s Breast Plate.
Bask in the Love of God.
Take another deep breath in and expand our belly as far as it will go…
Let go and suck our belly in as far as it will go.
Slowly become aware of our bodies…
Smile and open our eyes.
Self-Guided Meditation® Script – Downward Spiral and Straight Up
Picture a compass on top of our Head.
North is our Front of our Head; Northeast is our Right Front of our Head; East is our Right of our Head; Southeast is our Right Back of our Head; South is our Back of our Head; Southwest is our Left Back of our Head; West is our Left of our Head; and Northwest is our Left Front of our Head.
Take a slow… deep Breath in… and let it go.
Take another slow… deep breath in… while we repose deep in ourselves. Let go of any thoughts while we breath out.
Let’s direct our consciousness to and concentrate on our “Soft Spot” (when we were babies) at the top of our Head [This is the center of our compass].
All it takes is just an intention to focus on our Soft Spot. (1 minute)
Let go of any thoughts as they enter our mind… just let them go.
Now direct our focus to the North/Front top of our Head… the North-East/Right Front top of our Head… East/Right top of our Head… South-East/Right Back top of our Head… South/Back top or our Head… South-West/Left Back top of our Head… West/Left top of our head… North-West/Left Front top of our Head. (5-10 seconds each)
Now let’s move our consciousness to the Center of our Forehead… our Right Temple… Above our Right Ear… South-East… South… South-West… Above our Left Ear… Left Temple. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our Bridge of our Nose… Right Eye… Right Ear… South-East Side of our Head… South side of our Head… South-West side of Head… Left Ear… Left Eye. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our Nose… Right Cheek… Right Ear lobe…South-East side of our Head… South side of our Head… South-West side of our Head… Left Ear Lobe… Left Cheek. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our Mouth… Right Jaw… East side of our Neck… South-East side of our Neck… South side of our Neck… South-West side of our Neck… West side of our Neck… Left jaw. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our chin… Front Right Collar Bone… Right Shoulder… Back Right Collar Bone… Base of Neck… Back Left Collar Bone… Left Shoulder… Front Left Collar bone. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our Breast Plate… Right breast… Right Under Arm… Right Shoulder Blade… Thoracic… Left Shoulder Blade… Left Under Arm… Left Breast. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to North Lower Rib Cage… North-East Lower Rib Cage… East Lower Rib Cage… South-East Lower Rib Cage… South Lower Rib Cage… South-West Lower Rib Cage… West Lower Rig Cage… North-West Lower Rib Cage. (5-10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our Naval… Right Hip… East Side… Right Butt Cheek… S I Joint… Left Cheek… West Side… Left Hip… Groin. (5-10 seconds each)
Breath in… push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold in our Breath… breath out very slowly and suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go.
Now let’s move our attention to the Base of our Spine… concentrate on the Base of our Spine… until we feel energy… direct our energy up our Spinal Cord to the Front of our Brain… relax our Brain. (1 - 2 minutes)
Breath in… push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold in our Breath… breath out very slowly and suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our Breath and sink into and repose in our Base Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our Spine to our Groin… breath out when we reach our Groin… concentrate on our Groin… until we feel arousal… direct our energy up our Spinal Cord to the Back of our Brain… relax our Brain. (1 minute)
Breath in… push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold in our Breath… breath out very slowly and suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our Breath and sink into and repose in our Groin Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our Spine to our Naval/Sacral Chakra… breath out when we reach our Naval… concentrate on our Naval… until we feel our energy move up our Spinal Cord to the Back of our Brain… relax our Brain. (1 - 2 minutes)
Breath in and push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our Breath… suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go while we breath out… Smile while we hold our Breath and sink into and repose in our Sacral Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our Spine to our Solar Plexus… breath out when we reach our Solar Plexus… concentrate on our Solar Plexus… until we feel joy… direct our energy up our Spinal Cord to All of our Brain. (1 - 2 minutes)
Breath in and push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our breath… suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go while we breath out… Smile while we hold our Breath and sink into and repose in our Solar Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our Spine to our Heart… breath out when we reach our Heart… concentrate on our Heart… until we feel love… spread love and light around our entire Body including our Brain. (1 minute)
Breath in and push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our breath… suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go while we breath out… Smile while we hold our Breath and sink into and repose in our Heart Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our Spine to our Top or our Throat… breath out when we reach our Top of our Throat… concentrate on our Top of our Throat… until we feel peace… and energy… fill all of our Brain… and relax our brain. (1 - 2 minutes)
Breath in… push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold in our Breath… breath out very slowly and suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go… and feel the burn begin in our stomach muscles… Smile while we hold our breath and sink into and repose in our Neck Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our Spinal Cord to our Pituitary Gland in our center of our Brain behind our Eyes… breath out when we reach our Pituitary Gland… concentrate on our Inner Eye Chakra… until we feel enlightened… relax our Brain. (1 - 2 minutes)
Breath in… push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold in our Breath… breath out very slowly and suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our breath and sink into and repose in our Inner Eye Chakra.
Breath in while we move up our up Spinal Cord to our “Soft Spot” of our Head… and return to where we began our meditation… breath out when we reach our Crown Chakra. Gradually rise up to Heaven… lift our Spirit up… step by step… as though we are going up a ladder… until we reach Heaven and feel Ecstasy above our Head. (2 minutes)
Breath in… push our stomach muscles out as far as they will go… Smile while we hold in our Breath… breath out very slowly and suck our stomach muscles in as far as they will go… Smile while we hold our breath and sink into and repose in our Crown Chakra.
Now let go… and do absolutely nothing. (1 minute)
Slowly become aware of our bodies… Smile… and open our Eyes.
Self-Guided Meditation® Script – Downward Spiral
Let’s direct our consciousness to and concentrate on the top of our heads.
All it takes is just an intention. (1 minute)
Now let’s drop down and move our consciousness to the right front side of our top of our head… right middle… right back… back… left back side… left middle side… left front side… and front of the top of our heads. (10 seconds each)
Now shift our attention to the center of our forehead the right temple… right middle… right back… back… left back side… left middle side… left temple… and back to the front of our forehead. (10 seconds each)
Now drop down to our center between our eyes… our right eye… our right ear… our right back side of our head… back… left back side… left ear… left eye. (10 seconds each)
Our nose… right cheek… right ear… right back side of our head… back… left back side… left ear… left cheek. (10 seconds each)
Our chin… our right jaw… our right side of our neck… back side… left side… left jaw. (10 seconds each).
Our front of our neck… right front side… right middle… right back… back… left back… left middle… left front side. (10 seconds each)
Top of our chest… right shoulder… our right shoulder blade… center of back… left shoulder blade… left shoulder. (10 seconds each)
Solar plexus… right side… center of back… left side… (10 seconds each)
Naval… right hip… right but cheek… left but cheek… left hip… groin. (10 seconds each)
Right thigh… right knee… right shin… right ankle… right heel… right arch… metatarsal… little toe… fourth toe… middle toe… second toe… big toe. (10 seconds each)
Left big toe… left second toe… middle toe… fourth toe… little toe… metatarsal… right arch… heel… ankle… shin… knee… thigh. (10 seconds each)
Left hand… thumb… index finger… middle finger… fourth finger… pinky… palm… wrist… forearm… elbow… bicep… triceps… shoulder. (10 seconds each)
Left of neck… bottom of neck… right of neck. (5 seconds each)
Right shoulder… triceps… bicep… elbow… forearm… wrist… hand… palm… pinky… fourth finger… middle finger… index finger… thumb. (10 seconds each.)
After we have practiced each of our Self-Guided Meditation® for seven days we will create the foundation for us to begin to create our own Personal-Guided Meditation scripts for us to record and listen to – in our own voice. We should have found the locations of all of our Chakras and we should have mastered the fundamental basics of meditation.
We can take phrases from our Personal Guided Meditation® Phrases as well as thoughts from our Personal Guided Meditation Primer to create our own guided meditations for ourselves.
Our Personal-Guided Meditation® Phrases
Sit or lie easily and comfortably
Spine erect and shoulders relaxed
Close your eyes and listen to the voices in your head
Direct your attention to…
Find a tiny little dot…
Focus on the dot…
All it takes is an intention…
Polish it
Let go and relax
Move our attention up our spine when we breathe in… and down our spine when we breathe out
Let’s continue to do this diligently and with patience
Now move down to your ____________ chakra… touch it… feel the warmth… now let go
Let’s go deep into our…
Take a long deep Breath… hold 5 seconds… breathe out slowly
Feel the air
Focus on the air coming in and out of your body as you breathe in and out
Feel the air surrounding your body
Ohm… feel the vibration throughout your body
Polish your _____________
Let go of all of your efforts
Repose in your inner self
As your body relaxes your mind expands… and as your mind relaxes your body expands
There is nothing to do and nothing to know
If a thought enters your mind… let it come in and it will go away on its own
If you have any sensation… pleasant or unpleasant… let it come
Breathe in with a smile… breathe out with a smile
Smile and feel your smile percolate in the back of your brain
Feel your smile in every cell of your body
Feel all of the cells in your body smile
Our Personal-Guided Meditation® Script – Anxiety and Depression
(After we have practiced our Opening our Chakras Meditation for seven days we will know our opening our Solar Plexus Chakra; our opening our Heart Chakra and our opening our Sacral Chakra helps with our anxiety and our depression. So let’s create a Self-Guided Meditation® Script that can heal our anxiety and our depression beginning with our Solar Plexus Chakra… moving up to our Heart Chakra… moving down to our Sacral Chakra… and then directing our attention to all 3 of our chakras together. We may find it effective to move up our Vagus Nerve when we breath in and move down our Vagus nerve when we breathe out while we are opening each of our chakras.)
Our Beginning Meditation:
What is love?
Love is a feeling… That radiates from our heart.
Love is an emotion… That transforms our world.
Jesus taught: God is love.
To feel love is to know love.
What is it that you love?
Find it...
See it...
Choose it...
Discover it...
Focus on it...
Smile until you begin to feel love bubble in your heart.
Be thankful to God for the feeling of love in your heart.
We love because God first loves us.
Why not Love?
Revealing Meditation:
Think of something or someone you love and kindle this feeling of love in your heart.
It could be when a son, daughter, grandchild climbs up on your lap. It could be when you come home and a pet greets you. It could be doing something you really enjoy doing. It could be watching a sun rise or sun set. It could be shopping.
Smile and take the time to really feel The feeling of love in your heart.
What do you feel?
Try to describe what you feel.
How about: joy; happiness; peace; contentment.
OK. Let’s try it one more time.
Smile, fill your heart with love, and describe what you feel.
We love because God first loves us.
Why not Love?
Our Illuminating Meditation:
When our heart is full of love, This is the same way God feels towards us.
How easy does mercy flow from our heart, When our heart is full of love?
How simple is forgiveness, When our heart is full of love?
What end is there to our giving, When our heart is full of love?
It is easy for us to be generous, When our heart is full of love.
Jesus says: love our God; and our neighbor as ourself.
Jesus also says: even sinners love those who love them. I say: love your enemy.
Jesus taught us: God is love.
Fill our heart with your love, Oh Lord.
Your love is our only penchant.
We love because God first loves us.
Why not Love?
Our Healing Meditation:
Think of someone or something that is troubling you.
Now smile and fill your heart with love.
Now think of the same thing again.
Experience the healing power of love.
Isn’t it amazing when your heart is full of love – Your mind is flooded with constructive; positive possibilities and solutions!
Our feeling of our love of God in our heart is our only and Best medicine: for our healing – mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Love is the answer to all of our problems and challenges.
Love is the magic that will give us a happy and healthy life.
Reach out for God’s love.
Reach out for that hug God will give you.
We love because God first loves us.
Why not Love?
Our Reconciling Meditation:
What is it that you love?
It can be anything.
Pick something or someone that you love.
Focus on it.
Smile and feel the love in your heart.
Now transfer this feeling of love To everything around you.
See the beauty of everything surrounding you When your heart is full of love!
Feel the smile on your face increase… As Joy washes over your entire being… When you see everything anew.
Sense the abundance… Followed by your grateful heart.
This is the Peace Which passes all understanding.
Now try to feel love in your heart… While you hang on your cross.
How does the world look to Jesus… While he is hanging on the cross?
What is it that Jesus feels?
By his example Jesus expects us: To see greater things… If only we can forgive.
We love because God first loves us.
Why not Love?
Our Redeeming Meditation:
The only motivation Jesus ever gives… For his hanging on a cross… Is love.
It is Jesus’ love that gives meaning – Even in his dying.
“I give to you a new commandment.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, That he lay down his life for his friends.”
“My yolk is easy and my burden is light.”
“And the lion shall lay down with the lamb.”
Jesus affirms: “I am the Way; the Truth; the Life. He who believes in Me shall not perish But shall have Eternal life.”
What greater testimony is there that love is eternal… Than the love of Jesus?
Jesus’ love for us motivates him To endure intolerable cruelty; Ultimately leading to his crucifixion; And to his death… And his love still lives in all of the hearts of all of us… Who believe his Word today.
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself… And God our Father, who loved us and by his grace Gave us eternal encourage
Discovering A New World
2000 years ago lived a person named “Jesus.” He has been believed by many of us to be the “Christ,” the Son of God. He came to create a New World: “The Kingdom of God.” He lived a Life of Love, as the living Word: the Word incarnate.
Three hundred years ago, people from Europe suffered the perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to create a New World in the Americas. As we travel throughout New England, the original colonies, and across the Americas we find places of worship at the center of each community.
It is the same across Europe and around the world. Our ancestors chose places of worship as the center of their life.
If we were to populate a New World today, what would we place at the center of our world to help us make our life everything it has the possibility to be?
Why not Love?®
“Someday after we have mastered the air, the winds, the tides and gravity, we will harness for God the energies of love. And then for the second time in the history of the world man will have discovered fire.”
-- Teilhard de Chardin
Prologue
The Gospel of John tells us: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Jesus Christ dedicated his life to usher in for us the Kingdom of Heaven.
As modern-day Christians have we ever asked ourselves where is the Kingdom of Heaven?
There is very strong evidence in our New Testament that both Jesus and His Earliest Disciples fully believed we will begin to experience Life in the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth by our dedicating ourselves to living a life of love, faith, and forgiveness and by our constantly “lifting up” all things to God.
Jesus was a Jew and as a Jew he was firmly entrenched in the Hebrew Tradition that the nation Israel had been chosen by God to establish His Kingdom on Earth. Having said this: why would Jesus ever dedicate his entire life AND His death to creating a Kingdom that is not of our Earth?
When Jesus says: “My Kingdom is not of this world” does He mean His Kingdom is not on earth or does He mean His Kingdom is a Spiritual Kingdom?
How we interpret the message of Jesus and his earliest disciples will be radically shaped by how we answer the question where the Kingdom of Heaven is to be found.
As just one example how do we interpret I Peter 1:7 when we read “These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold… may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
If we believe God sent His only Son to create for us a Spiritual Kingdom of Heaven on earth here and now… when we read these words of Peter we interpret Peter to say: “Jesus Christ is revealed” when our “faith – of greater worth than gold… is proved genuine” and this “results in praise, glory, and honor” in our lives today.
Faith does not start with our mind. Faith comes by our “lifting up” our Spirit.
When we lift up our Spirit we restore hope in our mind and our heart is filled with love.
If we think about it: we experience fear, anger, and anxiety in our lower portion of our being; and we experience hope, joy, and happiness in our upper being. So in a sense Heaven really is “up” and Hell really is “down.”
When we believe that Jesus does fully expect us to begin to experience Life in the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth… when we start to perceive “Hell” as being “down” in our self and “Heaven” as being “up”… our focus of receiving Heavenly Rewards is not so much at some point in time in our “After-Life.”
Judgement and forgiveness take on new meaning for us.
We are taught forgiveness is our key to life in the Kingdom of Heaven and we begin to understand we receive our Heavenly Reward of forgiveness… both our being forgiving as well as our forgiving others… here and now.
“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in turn be measured out to you.” (Luke 6: 38)
When we combine faith in our Spirit, hope in our mind, love in our heart, with an attitude of forgiveness we will begin to enjoy our Heavenly Rewards every day of the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to reveal to us.
In this way we will find our Bible to be relevant especially today… when we are seeing unprecedented scientific discovery and change that can cause us to question much of what was once believed to be true… and we will discover a vibrant Faith that is relevant though out all ages.
We find the eternal Salvation of the Kingdom of Heaven every day by our deliberately lifting ourselves up from our depths of Hell to our heights of Heaven; and Jesus is revealed by our aligning our Spirit with God.
Peter writes: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” (1 Peter 2: 2)
James writes: “Put away all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly welcome the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” (James 1: 21)
When do you want to begin to live in the Kingdom of Heaven?
According to both Peter and James you can “grow up in your salvation” and “save your soul” here and now.
Please understand that as a human, Jesus was in fact a Jew who was firmly rooted in the Hebrew Tradition that our purpose for life should be to experience Heaven here on earth with God. All we ask is that you simply try and read our Bible from our perspective that Jesus intends for us to both discover and live Life in the Kingdom of Heaven here and now on earth… and see what you may find.
When you do you will more fully understand what it means for us to be “in” the world… but not “of” the world and you will begin to experience “miracles” in your life. “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us… put on the armor of light” of the Spirit through prayerful meditation.
When we ignite our armor of Light with our eternal flame we experience Eternal Life now and will not perish.
Creating Heaven on Earth - Part 1
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The time is now!
[What if “the Day of our Lord” is today?]
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of our own poets have said, ‘‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know - this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power. The one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life
For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
If anyone imagines that s/he knows something, s/he does not yet know as s/he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, s/he is known by God.
No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is call, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Let each of us please his/her neighbor for his/her good, to build him/her up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control - being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.
The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by wo/men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather ahis elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘all things are put in subjection,’ it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Creating Heaven on Earth - Part 2
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.
It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world.
Because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge - even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you - so that you are not lacking in any gift.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of this great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers and sisters I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’
Jesus replied: ‘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 others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 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.’
Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.
Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’
I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you.
O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
[Jesus give us comforts:] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore spray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
By the mercies of God, go present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires
.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich). Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith.
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Creating Heaven on Earth - Part 3
Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. Esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually has he wills.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. There are many parts, yet one body. If all were a single member, where would the body be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require.
If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Be not angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into la holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. God considers it just… to grant relief to you who are afflicted.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and in turn, and I would heal them.’
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.
Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So he took the talent from him and gave it to him who has the ten talents.
For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, s/he is like a man who looks intently at his/her natural face in a mirror. For s/he looks at him/herself and goes away and at once forgets what s/he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, s/he will be blessed in his doing.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like aa foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
The builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will our Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Hear then the parable of the Sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his/her heart. This is what was sown along the path.
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet s/he has no root in him/herself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately s/he falls away.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. She indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
[On the one hand we have:] But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
[On the other hand we have:] For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for;’ and God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
[Here are three stories about faith and miracles.]
One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger.
And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.
He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?’ They were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?’
And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time as a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’
And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’
So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
[Jesus’ Disciples have the power of healing as well:]
Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’
And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
[Jesus tells us:] ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.’
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men and women we proved to be among you for your sake.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example.
Who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
Women received back their dead by resurrection. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
God bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. All things are possible if only we believe. [Jesus decrees:] ‘These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.’
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
Awake the Power of our Love of God
When is the last time you had the feeling of love glowing in your heart, radiating throughout your body, and pulsating in your mind? As a reference point: what you feel when you fall in love.
When is the last time your heart was so full of the feeling of love that it encompasses everything in your life? This is the love we find in Jesus when we embrace his message he gives us with his life.
When Jesus is hanging from the cross in immeasurable physical and spiritual agony, even after he has been physically beaten; emotionally scourged; betrayed by someone very close to him; abandoned by his best friends; and at the very pinnacle of his experiencing this horrific injustice, when he is all alone and dying with nails driven through his hands and feet and a crown of thorns biting into his head, Jesus says: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
The love Jesus demonstrates in his Life of Love is unprecedented. Jesus expresses his love of God and his love for us in a way that no other person ever has. The love our world so desperately seeks is to be found in the life and death of Jesus.
Jesus gives us a very basic purpose to our life: to fill our heart with love constantly and completely. When we love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength: we warm our heart; we lift our soul; and we brighten our mind.
All of our intellectualizing with our brain what it means “to love” obscures Jesus’ intent to make God’s Law plain to us. The message of Jesus for us is so simple. When our heart is full of our love of God, full of our love of our neighbor, and full of our love for ourself: we know what God commands us to do.
Jesus ends his earthly ministry with: “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jesus makes our loving one another both his command for our life, as well as the sign of our being his follower.
Jesus makes a very powerful commitment to us when we are faithful to his command for us to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus tells us: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Jesus makes a covenant with each of us: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
This new covenant by Jesus is our second source for us to ask our question: Why not Love? Just picture your life with Jesus showing himself to you; with Jesus and God making their home with you; and with Jesus and God filling your heart with the power of their love!
In the life and death of Jesus we find both the ultimate expression of God’s love for us as well as the perfect example of how we are to love God above all else and our neighbor as ourself.
We feel the love of God in our heart. When we get our heart in the right place – our brain automatically follows. When your heart is full of your love of God – the direction you should take in your life becomes very simple for you to find.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells one of the teachers of the law: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” when the teacher of the law affirms to Jesus: “To love God with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
The Gospel of Luke recalls this event in Jesus’ life a little differently:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
He answers: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself.”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
The point of both these accounts of Jesus’ message to us is the same. Love is our key to eternal life. Love is our key to life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus states: “…but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.” In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” And the apostle Paul writes in his letter to the saints in Ephesus: “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”
The focus of Jesus and his first followers is on what we feel in our heart. How does your heart feel when the feeling of love leaves your heart? Our heart “grows cold.” If our heart is empty of the feeling of love, our heart “hardens.”
When Jesus tells us: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and when Jesus talks about “the love of God in your hearts,” Jesus is talking about one and the same thing. Jesus is talking about our loving God.
When our heart is full of love of God this feeling is no different than what we feel when we love anyone else in our life. Do you remember the feeling when your heart was filling with your love of God for the very first time? What we feel is a heart thumping–can’t eat–can’t sleep–the earth moves under our feet–the sky comes tumbling down kind of love.
Isn’t this what we feel when we fall in love with someone? This is also what we feel when we “fall in love” with God.
We find this love of God in Jesus Christ. As his final act Jesus sacrifices his life on a cross so you can see very clearly once and for all the totality of responding to God’s love for you by your living a Life of Love.
Our living a Life of Love begins with our faith in a God of love. During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down. Jesus teaches us: “If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
By Jesus actually calling God “Father,” he instills in us the same image of God that we have of our earthly father – only better. The vision Jesus gives us of God is of a Father who loves us more than we can ever imagine; a Father who holds us; a Father who comforts us; a Father who protects us.
God’s love for us is the starting point of Jesus’ message, ministry, and life. The theology of Jesus is the theology of a God of love. At a time when gods are believed to be arbitrary and angry, Jesus reminds us: God loves us.
We love because God first loves us. What does it mean to you, for you to love a loving God?
For us to love a loving God is huge. We are not to be afraid of God. We are not to live in fear of being punished by God. We are not to be concerned about appeasing God. We have no need to hide or protect ourself from God. “But the man who loves God is known by God.”
At the same time your loving God means your holding yourself accountable to Someone greater than yourself; and your seeking Direction outside of your own self-interests.
Jesus teaches us our love of God is more important than any other act of faith or worship. While Jesus is having a meal with a Pharisee who is surprised Jesus does not wash his hands before eating a meal, Jesus affirms: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”
Our loving God is much more than our doing acts of worship. Your loving God creates in you a new state of being when your heart is full of your love for God. Jesus shows us: when we respond to God’s love for us with our love of God we find the meaning and the direction we seek in life.
“Nicodemus, a member of the ruling council, comes to Jesus and says: ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus declares to Nicodemus: ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ”
When our heart comes alive with the feeling of our love of God, we experience a rebirth. Our heart feels fresh; our heart feels alive; our heart feels anew. It is as though we are “born again.” Our life takes on very new and very different meaning for us as unabashed joy floods throughout our heart, mind, body, and soul.
The major difference between our “falling in love” with God and our falling in love with someone else in our life is: when we “fall in love” with God the object of our love transcends all finite elements of our existence. Our loving God means for us to love our Creator; to love the Creative Force within our universe; to love the very Nature of our world; to love our life; to love Life itself.
The true power of the faith that Jesus shows us, both begins and ends with your feeling God’s love in your heart. Our source of our faith is solely and completely a function of our feeling our love of God in our heart.
Your having your love of God in your heart does require your conscious decision with your brain to both initiate and to achieve. Your commitment to love is also an ongoing action of your brain. And you create your habit of love with your brain by your always responding with love as your conscious choice.
When it comes to our faith this is where our brain ends. Our feeling our love of God in our heart requires no explanation – and this is our greatest blessing. The more we feel our love of God in our heart, our conviction grows and our faith blossoms.
If you train your brain to focus completely and constantly on your feeling of your love of God in your heart, you find you never have the need to explain anything. With your feeling your love of God in your heart, all of the answers to life you cannot find with your brain are answered.
When your heart is so full of the overwhelming feeling of love for God that it encompasses everything you say and do, this is when you are “born again” to live a Life of Love as Jesus did. You are reborn to live a Life of Love when you feel this same passion in your heart that only your love of God can ignite.
Simon Peter, the rock whom Jesus chooses to build his church, writes to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout: “…love one another deeply, from the heart.” Jesus and his first followers experience their love of God in their hearts at a very deep and personal level; and God’s love spreads into the hearts of everyone they touch.
When we see our scripture in the light that our love of God transforms how our heart feels, we too begin to experience the same incredible passion of Jesus and his first followers. This is your birth of a Life of Love that gives you the power to “perform miraculous signs” in your life. This is the Way for you to discover life in the kingdom of Heaven today!
With the power of our love of God in our heart, we find: we rise above any occasion; we endure any pain and suffering; we touch people’s lives in a very special way; and we experience the kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Just as their love of God does for Jesus and his first followers.
Your feeling your love of God in your heart is your unfailing and truest guide. In terms of what we feel is right and what we feel is wrong, there is very little variation when we feel love in our heart. This is what inspires Paul to say: “when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law… they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts.”
The apostle Paul affirms: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Jesus shows us that the positive passion of our love of God transforms our very life.
Our world comes alive for us with possibilities we cannot even imagine when we stop trying to intellectualize “what is love” and “how we should respond with love” with our brain and when we focus on our feeling our love of God in our heart.
Jesus tells us: “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.”
This is our birth of a Life of a Love.
Re-Telling the Message of Jesus
As with all scripture, Jesus’ message of love has undergone many interpretations and re-interpretations over time. The earliest reproduction of scripture was first an oral and then a written process – one copy at a time.
During this manual process of re-writing scripture, the human tendency would be to make little embellishments along the way. Linguists have discovered evidence of the early editors of scripture inserting a phrase here and a phrase there – to apply what they were repeating more directly to the current events of their time as they saw them.
One extreme example of how the well intended zeal of an early editor has radically altered the message of Jesus for generations to follow is: “Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.’ He then added, ‘I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’ ”
Greek is the original language for the writing of the New Testament. The syntax of the Greek in the second quote, which is attributed to Jesus, is very different from the syntax of the first quote. This major change in syntax would indicate that the second statement was added to Jesus’ original quote.
So here we have a statement that is being presented to us as a direct quote of Jesus, which was actually inserted by someone else at a later date. This statement is more reflective of the zeal of a writer of scripture than it is an affirmation of the true message of Jesus!
Just think how this one seemingly innocent addition of this one simple verse has fundamentally changed the shape of the message of Jesus for years, decades, centuries, and even millennia. If “the angels of God ascending and descending” is not what Jesus means when he says “you shall see greater things” there are so many other meanings Jesus may have actually had in his mind.
Another example of how our New Testaments could have been shaped while a scribe of the Roman Catholic Church as making copies of the Bible is found in : - which uses the number 72 followers of Jesus spreading the Gospel of Good News. There was a time I used to believe the number 72 was a number built into the universe by God for building a Community.
However when we realize that Roman Numerals are built on “5s” because this is the organizational structure of the Roman Army and we also know Jesus had 12 disciples… would it not be possible that this Scribe might have given Jesus’ Disciples the role of Sergeants in the Roman army? With each of Jesus 12 Disciples having 5 “Soldiers” spreading the Good Word with him: 12 + 60 = 72.
For us to fully fathom the radical impact all these little editorial enhancements have had on the original message of Jesus, let’s try to think of other possible meanings Jesus might have intended when he says “you will see greater things.” For example Jesus could have meant “you will accomplish even greater things yourself.”
Jesus’ true purpose of his affirmation “you will see greater things” could very well have been to encourage you to comprehend the true potential of God’s love and your love of God in your heart. Instead, thousands of years later we are still waiting to see: “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending.”
As more and more time passes after the life and death of Jesus the persecution of the first followers of Jesus escalates by the Romans. This writer was probably trying to give early Christians a grander vision of “heaven opening and the angels of God ascending and descending” to help them preserve their faith and to maintain their courage to continue to endure their persecution at the hands of the Romans.
Here is just one example of how the events and the environment when our scripture is being written and re-written, have affected our record of the message of Jesus. We have what are seemingly innocent twists by very well intentioned writers to address very real concerns for their fellow Christians when “great persecution broke out against the church of Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”
However little these “twists” may have seemed, at the time, to help address the impact of the heat of persecution that the first followers of Jesus were suffering, these little twists have indelibly altered and reshaped the message of Jesus – even though the circumstances that motivated these little “twists” are no longer even relevant to us today.
The re-shaping of the message of Jesus between Jesus’ life on earth and today does not end here. Charlemagne had his army paint the cross of Jesus on their shields before going into battle; and the more battles his army won, the further “Christianity” spread.
Then we have the Crusades…
When the religion of conquering armies was being imposed upon unwilling masses, how could any practice of an unwanted faith by subjugated people possibly come even close to the initial faith? Particularly when the message of Jesus is “love.”
During the Dark ages while the Church was entrusted to make copies of the Bible one at a time by hand, Jesus’ redemptive message of love and forgiveness was corrupted with judgement and sacrifice due to human greed and ambition.
The Church sold Indulgences for the forgiveness of sins … so its members could secure Salvation in the After Life. Knights went to Bishops to secure the Salvation of their Immortal Souls in the After Life. Bishops would hear the Confession of Knights so they could go out and rape and pillage without fear of condemning their mortal souls to Hell in the afterlife.
Today we do recognize that Knights going out raping… pillaging… and plundering in this Life… in all good conscience and peace of mind that the Salvation of their immortal souls was secure in their After Life that was a warping and thwarting of Jesus’ Message of Salvation. When we focus less on our Salvation in this life and more on our Salvation in our After Live could we not be guilty of the same misapplication of the Salvation Jesus offers us by our not focusing on our “here and now?”
In the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responds: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Jesus adds: “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
So there can be no doubt, Jesus concludes: “All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The Gospel of Mark records Jesus’ reply a little differently to the question “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replies: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
This message of Jesus is recorded throughout our scripture with very little variation from writer to writer. This message of Jesus is our first source for us to ask our question: Why not Love? “There is no commandment greater” than for us to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself. “All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The apostle Paul states in his letter to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: “The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
All the canons of all the Churches and all the books that have ever been written about our living the Christian life “hang on these two commandments.” Your loving God and your loving your neighbor as yourself is your key to your living the Life of Love that Jesus both teaches and demonstrates for us in his life.
Love as Found in our Religions of our World
The principles of love are to be found in every major religion of the world. If all of us of every faith were to go back to the initial teachings that are the genesis of our faith – be it Buddhist, be it Hebrew, be it Hindu, be it Islam, etc. – and if we remove the countless iterations our belief system has undergone as the initial teachings were adopted to changing times: we will all find a Life of Love, devotion, and faith.
In the earliest Budhist scripture we find: “Nirvana, perfect bliss, is where Noble Wisdom and enlightenment expresses itself in Perfect Love for all. Where Perfect Love expresses itself in Noble Wisdom for the enlightenment of all – there, indeed, is Nirvana.”
As Moses was preparing the Israel nation to enter the promised land he proclaimed: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” “And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”
In the ancient Hindu scripture, we find: “The Lord of Love, omnipresent, dwelling in the heart of every living creature, turns every face to himself. He is the supreme Lord, who through his grace moves us to seek him in our own hearts. He is the light that shines forever. Those who realize him become immortal.” “Seeing the Lord of Love in all around, serving the Lord of Love in all around, they are united with him forever.”
“I have realized the Lord of Love, is the sun that dispels our darkness. Those who realize him go beyond death; no other way is there to immortality. He fills the cosmos, yet he transcends it. Those who know him leave all separateness, sorrow, and death behind. Those who know him not, live but suffer.”
The Lord of Love tells us: “Not through study of the scriptures, austerities, charity, or sacrifice can I be seen as you have seen me. Only by the unswerving love of the heart can my supreme state be seen, and known, and attained.” “But those who worship me with love live in me, and I come to life in them.”
The Prophet Mohammed proclaims at the origin of the Islam faith that Allah says: “My love is due to those who love each other for my sake, who sit with each other for my sake, who visit one another for my sake, who spend on each other for my sake.” “Those who love one another through My glory, I shall give them shade in My shade, it being a day when there is no shade but My shade.” “None shall die with a mustard seed's worth of love.”
Mohammed affirms: “The believers, in their love, mercy, and kindness to one another are like one body: if any part of it aches, the whole body shares its sleeplessness and fever.” “None of you believes until he loves for his brother or for his neighbor what he loves for himself.”
Jesus distinguishes himself uniquely by the extent to which he responds with love to any and all circumstances that confront him. Jesus dies on the cross so we can witness his love: unambiguously, unqualifiedly, and ultimately.
The question “Why not Love?” is a way for us to give the same focus to love as Jesus gives to love in his message; in his life; and perhaps even most significantly, in his death.
Epilogue
God sent Jesus to create Heaven on earth by teaching us how to love and how to meditate and pray. Jesus helps us awake our Spiritual nature within us and to create a world filled with love and forgiveness.
At a time when the Western World is turning to the East for Spiritual Enlightenment this same Spirituality can be found in the teachings of Jesus and in the writings of the early Christian Community. Is it not possible all of these teachings have in fact the exact same Source?
In our first Gospel of our New Testament we read: After the Magi “opened their treasures and presented Jesus with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh and having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” Then “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt… for Herod in going to search for the child to kill him.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” (Matthew 2: 11-14)
In our next recorded event in the life of Jesus when he was 12 years old we read: “while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.” (Luke 2: 43-44)
When travelling in the safety of a caravan was the most common way for people to travel distances at the time of Jesus… just as Jesus and his family traveled in a caravan “with relatives and friends” when Jesus was 12… how probable would it be for the Magi to travel in one direction and for Joseph and Mary to take off with the baby Jesus in another direction on their own?
Would it not have been much more probable for Joseph, Mary, and the Magi to discuss together how best to respond to all of their warnings in a dream that Herod wanted to kill Jesus… and decide it would be best for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to travel with the Magi back to “their country” in the East?
This would make much more sense than Joseph, Mary and Jesus heading off to Egypt on their own.
Instead of fulfilling Messianic expectations by going to Egypt (“And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’ ”) Jesus would have been exposed to Eastern Spirituality very early as a child. The Maji would have schooled Jesus in the ways of the Eastern Mystics.
Could it be that it was not a coincidence that the Wise Men were keeping track of what was happening to the star? Could it be that it was not a coincidence that the Wise Men travelled to Israel to find out what was going on? And could it be that it was not a coincidence that Joseph, Mary and the Wiseman felt the need to flee Bethlehem at the same time?
There are many parallels between Judaism and Hinduism.
One of the most stunning parallels between Judaism and Hinduism is: the Star of David and the Hindu symbol for our Heart/Love Chakra (illustrated on our cover). According to Hindu mystics we have seven major Chakras: three above our heart Chakra; three below our heart Chakra; and our heart Chakra. The two triangles that make up the Hindu symbol for our heart Chakra represent the three Chakras above and the three Chakras below our heart.
Both Hebrews and Hindus celebrate a “Festival of Lights.” And although the event, that recalls how “Light” will always prevail over “Darkness,” in each Tradition could not be more different… for Hindus it is Ram’s destroying Ravna and for Hebrews it is the oil lamp in the Temple continuing to burn for 8 days without getting any more oil during the revolt of the Maccabees… the Source, the Celebration, and the Message that has evolved through each “Tradition” is identical: Good will always triumph over Evil.
There is also one more interesting parallel between Judaism and Hinduism. Hindus devote 40 days every year celebrating Ram’s fighting evil in the “Wilderness;” and Moses 40 years wandering the wilderness after the nation Israel’s flight from Egypt.
And Hindus celebrate DeShara in the beginning of the Diwali Season – which also means “Gift from God” – on the same day as Hebrews celebrate Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. Both celebrations share very similar meaning.
If we accept that the “Astrologers from the East” who visited with Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus may have been of the Hindu Faith and if we also accept these Wise Men may have been an influence on the early development of Jesus during His unrecorded years as a Child to the age of 12 by exposing Him to the Spirituality of the Hindu Faith… by our understanding the Spirituality of the Hindu Faith we will better understand the Spirituality of Jesus’ Teachings, just as we will better understand the Theology of the New Testament by our understanding the History and the Theology of our Old Testament.
Our Bible does record events that show the very highly evolved mystical Spiritually of both Jesus and his early Disciples. We call these events “miracles.”
One such event is shortly after Jesus had predicted he would be tortured and killed by his enemies Jesus selected 3 of his most devoted Disciples to go up with him into the mountains. Still numb from the shock of their leader telling them that he was soon to be killed and wondering what might happen to them… Peter; James; and his brother John dutifully climbed higher and higher with Jesus not knowing what to expect next.
And then to their amazement “Jesus’ face shone like the sun and his garments became white as light as nothing on earth could bleach them; and Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.” Does this not rival any experience on record in the accounts of the early Eastern Mystics?
Peter eventually became the “rock” upon which our Roman Catholic Church was built; John is believed to have written our Gospel of John; and it was not until our 20th Century discovery at Nag Hamadi of what we now believe could be our oldest surviving written record of our teachings of Jesus, that we have come to learn more of the teachings of our Apostle James.
Right before Jesus had ascended the mountain with Peter; James; and John, He had said; “I assure you that some of you standing right now will not die before you see the Kingdom of God.” Could it be possible that over 2000 years ago Jesus had actually shared with his Disciples a Way for us to live a more Spirit filled life “to see the Kingdom of God” here on earth?
In one of our texts that were found in Qumran we find the mandate “to record what you have seen so future generations may know.” Scholars place the writing of many of our books of our New Testament towards our end of our first century and our beginning of our second century. What if some of these Teachings of Jesus were actually recorded by those Disciples of Christ who had survived the martyrdom of many of their contemporaries?
This would mean that at a time when our average life span was between 25 and 30 years we had people who were living life into their 100s; and prior to our medical advances and our greater creature comforts we enjoy today, we had centurions who had tried to record the Way for future generations to experience “Eternal” life here on earth.
Could it be our key to our opening our door to our personal relationship with God is less to be found in our reading insights achieved by other disciples living their lives centered in their “Spiritual” reality, and will be found more in our learning how to explore our own “Spirituality” by our “finding” and “opening” our own “Spiritual” centers?”
Meditation is where our “physical” meets our “spiritual.” Our Vargas nerve that runs along the center of our spine has been referred to as the “meditative highway.” All of the chakras of Hindu mythology are located along our Vagus nerve.
Our Amygdala which is located in the center of our brain is the 6thChakra of Hindu mythology that is also known as our “Third Eye.” The Amygdala influences almost every part of our body. It is referred to as the body’s “master gland” because it controls the activity of most other hormone-secreting glands and plays a major role in regulating vital body functions and general wellbeing. The hormones it produces helps to regulate fear, anxiety, and depression; and our concentrating on our Amygdala through meditation can help us facilitate much of the exact same healing properties associated with marijuana as well as help us feel “high.”
There is very strong evidence in our Bible that in addition to helping His disciples to know a God of Love Jesus also revealed their “Spiritual” centers to them and helped them open their “Spiritual” center that transcends words. Our Book of Acts tells us “what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit… with each hearing in their own language… [and appearing to be] full of new wine.”
Jesus tells us to “Put on the armor of God.” When we focus on our heart Chakra, which is symbolized by the “Star of David” in Hindu mythological charts, we can create loving, caring, and nurturing feelings and it actually feels as though our body is being enveloped by “armor.” One of the most famous paintings of Jesus includes what could be our Heart Chakra.
Meditation is our best medication.
Throughout our Bible we read what others have discovered by their finding and living “Spirit” filled lives.
Are you content to just continue to read the Godly insights as learned by others who have touched their “Spiritual” centers; or are you ready to embark on a journey to find your own key to living a “Spirit” filled life?
So that we may not lose our educated among ourselves by our using our word “Spirit” because of any previous definitions that may have been ascribed to it… let us all agree: we are all
Intellectual Beings; we are all Emotional Beings; and we are all Spiritual Beings – with “Spirit” meaning our “Third” Being that is neither intellectual nor emotional.
Our “Kingdom of God” does dwell in each of us.
