John 16:22-23 … To See Him again (12/22/16)

“I will See You again, and your Heart will rejoice, and no one will be able to take your Joy from you.  On that day you will ask nothing of me.” ~ Jesus (John 16:22-23)   On the one hand, most Christians believe that the “I will see you again” in this passage refers to […]

Mark 5:36 … To only Believe (12/21/16)

“Do not fear; only Believe.” ~ Jesus (Mark 5:36)   It is once again crucial to remember that the word “Believe” for Jesus was a verb — that he wanted us not to mentally believe in him or even intellectually believe in his teachings, but rather to actively Believe (i.e. to emulate – or as […]

Mark 9:40 … To take up our Cross (12/20/16)

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their Cross and emulate me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for the sake of the Good News will find it.” ~ Jesus (Mark 9:40)   Here are a few […]

Mark 9:40 …For & Against (12/19/16)

“Whoever is not against us is for Us.” ~ Jesus (Mark 9:40)   This verse reflects a most intriguing biblical conundrum, for while Jesus here claims that everyone who is not directly opposing him is his ally, Matthew 12:30 flips this saying on its head and has Jesus claiming that everyone who is not actively […]

John 6:53-58 … Communing with Communion (12/18/16)

“Blessed are You, Lord our God; source of the Universe, who creates the fruits of the Vine and of the Earth.” ~ Jewish blessing*   This blessing is actually a combination of two of the four blessings traditionally said before every Jewish Shabbat meal – honoring God and giving thanks to Him for the sustenance […]

1 Corinthians 7:15 … Called to Peace (12/17/16)

“It is to Peace that God has called us.” ~ Paul (1 Corinthians 7:15)   In this verse Paul (as was so often the case) is actually speaking of bringing the “peace” of comfort and the “peace” of convenience to his audience (in this case first telling his listeners they should avoid divorcing their marriage […]

1 Peter 2:15 … the Will of God (12/17/13)

“For such is the Will of God that by doing right you may calm the ignorance of the unwise.” ~ unknown (1 Peter 2:15) Quite simply, our Work in this lifetime is to actualize the Will of God … a perfect LOVE that will not come into being unless WE choose to make it so. […]

Matthew 5:3-7:27 … the Sermon on the Mount (12/16/13)

“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace; more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom, and yet have rejected the Sermon on the Mount.”~ General Omar N. Bradley 65 million copies of the Bible […]

1 Corinthians 1:25 … The foolishness of God (12/16/16)

“God’s foolishness is wiser than human knowledge, and God’s weakness is stronger than human might.” ~ Paul (1 Corinthians 1:25)   While Paul is quite obviously making a standard case for the over-arching superiority (indeed, the authoritarian omnipotence) of his external, “judge and jury from on high” god, there is a far deeper (and far […]

1 Corinthians 13 … LOVE is (12/15/13)

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have Love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have Love, I […]

Mark 3:34-35 … A real Reunion (12/15/16)

“And looking at those who sat around him, he said: Here are my mother & my brothers. Whoever does the Will of God is my brother & my sister & my mother.” ~ Jesus (Mark 3:34-35)   This passage speaks to the Truth that, once the selfless Way is chosen, all sentient beings become full […]