“Whoever is near Me is near Fire” ~ Jesus (Gospel of Thomas 82) First & foremost, it is crucial to remember than each & every New Testament reference to “fire” is actually a reference to cleansing, not a reference to punishment – is a reference to the discomfort that comes from breaking free of […]
Salvation is: Attending to another with Heart-felt Kindness … … and doing so for just one moment … … THIS moment. “See, now is the acceptable time; Now is the day of Salvation!” ~ 2 Corinthians 6:2
“The Eye is the Lamp of the body. So, if your Eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of Light.” ~ Jesus (Matthew 6:22) While it is indeed our eyes that most directly connect our consciousness with our surroundings, it is the combination of all 9 senses* that form “The Eye” mentioned […]
“Truly I tell you, unless you awaken and become again like small children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” ~ inspired by Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:3) In the past whenever I have mentioned this verse to emphasize our need to enliven humility in our dealings with others (especially our enemies), I have often […]
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ~ Jesus (Luke 4:12) This verse also contains much more Meaning than originally meets the mind … Initially, it is important to realize the implications of this verse’s direct ties to Matthew 4:1-10, the portion of the Gospels where Jesus three times resisted the […]
“I will give you as a Light to the nations; that my Salvation may reach to the ends of the Earth.” ~ unknown (Isaiah 49:6) I have three observations of note regarding this particular Scripture … First, this verse comes from the portion of the book of Isaiah known by biblical scholars as “Isaiah […]
“Clothe yourselves with the New Self; created according to the likeness of God.” ~ unknown (Ephesians 4:24) Note here that it is not humankind that has been physically created in the image of the Divine (as though any over-arching godhead would ever have a human-like form), but rather that it is the internal, conscient, […]
“Your Faith has saved you – Go in Peace.” ~ Jesus (Luke 7:50) So often the poor and the maimed and the ill came to Jesus to be healed, and every single time he told them that he had nothing at all to do with their subsequent wellness (see Matthew 8:5-13, Mark 5:34, Mark […]
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit*” ~ Matthew 1:18 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ And yet I say to […]
“‘Lord, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ And Jesus said to him: ‘Not a mere seven times, but … seventy times seven times [shall you forgive].’” ~ Jesus (Matthew 18:21-22) This passage has been traditionally interpreted to mean that we are to forgive others frequently (especially our friends), and that […]
“If you wish to be perfect, then go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in Heaven” ~ Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:21) This particular Bible verse is quite appropriate for Black Friday, and yet not for the reason most of you might assume. You see, the most ancient […]
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