What my love for my Pet Yorkie Zeke teaches me about the Father's love

 1Jn 3:1a  "See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children"

Jesus introduced the fact that we are God's children and He is our Father. In fact, Jesus called Him Abba Father, which is similar to our affectionate term "papa." My wife calls me papa when ever she is referring to my relationship to Zeke and quite frankly, I consider myself his papa. I spoil him and love him and in my eyes he really can do no wrong.... even when he does wrong :)

I make this point because when we think of God as our father, I think we make the analogy of a loving human father, and that is fine to do, but God is so far above us that the comparison breaks down in reality. This is why I think that my love for Zeke, and my relationship with him is so instructive in understanding the Father's love for me and for you.

Zeke can be very selfish and yet, still I love him. I am getting to the age where I take naps frequently, and Zeke usually takes them with me. If he is laying on the bed, in front of my pillow, often times he will not move, and if he does it is with pained reluctance, and yet still I love him.

He will make messes sometimes and I just clean them up and still I love him. Why, because the things he is doing are just natural to him being a dog.  Occasionally he will tear up paper some where and I simply clean it up and continue to love him with all of my heart. Why, because he is just doing what he was created to do and I love him because I have chosen to love him and he has a special place in my heart.

I often hear the Spirit reminding me of the Father's love for me as I think about my love for Zeke in the various circumstances that come up. Right now he is curled up at my feet laying content because he knows that I love him, I feed and water him, I protect him from danger, I take him to the vet to keep him well. I have no way of knowing exactly what his cognitive capabilities are, a lot of the time he seems to be able to understand more that one would think he can, but none the less, because I am a human with speech, and the ability to drive and work, and because I am in a position to take care of him it seems that I am advanced in capability beyond him, not to the degree of course, but not unlike the Father's superiority over me.

I have no ill will against him at all. I have no desire to punish him. I merely want him to be safe and secure and to trust and love me. That, I believe is exactly the way the Father feels about you and me. I am writing this because I want to be able to express the way that I believe the Father truly loves us and rebuff the idea that he is out to punish at every instance. That He demands perfect obedience and adherence to the Law.

So, there is a lot to learn from my love for Zeke, and I hope you have benefited from my insight.

This post is a repost from my paradigm shift blog....

Quantum Prayer and Forgiveness: Quantum Prayer Part II

 Mat 18:19  "Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."

I think that the above verse from the gospel of Matthew is interesting indeed, and opens up the doorway to quantum prayer or ethereal prayer. I use these descriptive terms because of the developments in quantum mechanics, and the work of Tesla and the ancient physicists/philosophers. The idea is this. During our waking conscious hours, we can specifically, precisely describe our prayer requests and concerns. While I am not criticizing typical prayer practices, I am building on something that I have found successful in the past with additional revelatory insight. This is where a written tangible prayer list comes into play. I have used them over the years, and over time have been amazed as I return to them months and sometimes years later and see how much of was answered specifically as requested and, often in rather miraculous ways. In the past, and I think with quantum prayer it is beneficial to have a prayer box. One does not have to look at the requests and people can actually if they are more comfortable, seal up the prayer request in an envelope, mark it private with their name on it, and no one but them need see it. The important thing is to write down the request as precisely as is possible.

The idea is that when we sleep, our material body rests and rejuvenates, our soul dreams and is either educated or entertained, and our spirit which never sleeps, nor slumbers enters the quantum/ethereal level and works hand in hand with the Divine Logos, participating with all of the communal divine natures/spirits of all who are currently participating in this universe on the human material plane. This is where the above passage from Matthew chapter eighteen comes into play. We can agree to work on each other's prayer requests in the natural world and fulfill it at the quantum level. I can imagine that our spirits are capable of doing this at any time, but during sleep seems like a good time to set aside specifically for the exercise.

So where does forgiveness come in? While the above passage in Matthew states clearly and unequivocally that one can ask anything in agreement with at least one other person, the greater context of the chapter is forgiveness. Therefore, it is reasonable to incorporate forgiveness in this process. 

YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN! Jer 31:34  "No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more." And....  Psa 103:10-12  "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  (11)  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;  (12)  as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us."

In the New Covenant, (Matt 28:26,) all are forgiven! Jesus has stated that because we are forgiven, we should be forgiving. This simply means that as we participate in quantum/ethereal prayer, as we are conscious of having been forgiven, our spirit will be a forgiving spirit. As we think about all that God has forgiven us for, at least I can say ALL that I know he has forgiven me, is it too much to ask for me to exercise forgiveness to those around me? We forgive because we have been forgiven. We love because we are loved! This is the importance of understanding God's Agape Nature. This means that at the quantum level love is the main characteristic of all creation. If as quantum mechanics postulates, creation is an ongoing process, and the writer of Hebrews backs the idea up by explaining that the Logos sustains the universe and upholds it with the Word. Then, it only makes sense that we as partakers of the divine nature, seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, participate in that creative endeavor. Being forgiven, knowing that "WE ARE," "not someday will" be forgiven and being mindful of being forgiving ourselves is an important part of creating a more loving kinder and gentler material realm. Add to this the idea that at the quantum level all things are possible and that lack is not an issue with the universe, then we perhaps can work toward eliminating the zero sum game we face now. 

 

Divine, Human, Spirit; God's mini me: The God Beyond Religions Part III

I grew up learning a tradition where the Holy Trinity was important. As a young person I was introduced to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three. I was taught from childhood that Jesus was fully God and fully man and that the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, two names that are interchangeable indwelled believers. I have to admit that the concept never made sense to me until recently. Quite frankly, it still does not make sense to me the way that orthodoxy explains it. However, I am realizing that I am a microcosm trinity myself. Human beings are tri-part. I am created in the image of the divine, I am human, and I am spirit. Could it be that we all are the mini me's of Father? I know, it is somewhat sacrilegious to compare ourselves with characters from Austin Powers, but I am confident the reality is there. We are each replica's of the trinity.

So let's examine the trinity. Could God (the complete triune entity) be the Logos? That would make Papa (God's Agape Love,) Jesus (The Logos in Flesh,) The Spirit (the ethereal essence) all manifestations of the one creative source of the universe. This could make Jesus the mediator, the prototype of all to come. This would definitely explain why Genesis refers to making humanity in "our" image rather than making humanity in "my" image. This makes this scripture passage come to life for me and perhaps it will for you. "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1Jn 3:2) Maybe, just maybe this really means what it implies. Does Jesus have a special place as the mediator? Of course. At least that is true for me. Jesus is the way that the Logos communicates too me by the Spirit. Jesus puts a human face on the Logos and Papa exemplifies the Logos's traits. 

There are a multitude of clues that this is the case. Peter tells us that since and through Jesus we have become partakers of the divine nature. Paul tells us that Jesus, the Logos in flesh, has raised us up and seated us together with him and Papa in heavenly places. Heavenly places cannot be somewhere out there in the sky. Jesus said that the kingdom or rule of heaven was in and among the people he ministered too. Jesus went on to say that he and Papa are in us and we are in them. Here's the amazing point. Jesus said, that we would do "greater works" than he did? What if he really meant that? What would that mean for us. I am confident that Jesus performed the miracles because he tapped into his divine nature in a way that previously had not been done by humanity. He knew what he knew because he tapped into the divine mind. But doesn't Paul say that we have the mind of Christ? What if he really meant it?

If there is one creator, and we are a part of one universe, then the concept of heaven is within the universe. What if Planet Earth is indeed God's Holy Mountain? What if the catalyst for the kingdom is our understanding the love of Papa and the faith of Jesus? What if we are indeed the instruments to bring forth the kingdom of God in its fullness? What if the mediator is desperately and patiently trying to get us to see? What if we are co-creators? In the words of the Beatles, "All We Need Is Love." 

Thy Kingdom Come: The God Beyond Religions Part II

It occurred to me this morning that the Universe is a 3D Printer. It manifests material reality out of energy. With the discovery by quantum physicists recently, in which, they found they could actually create matter out of light energy the case is now closed. Further, I realized that the zero sum game is a product of the error of human thought. I am beginning to see that corporate thought systems have real consequences in unfolding material reality. This is causing me to completely re-evaluate the message of Jesus. Likewise, I am re-evaluating the mystical revelation that Paul et.al. received. What if ALL of the violent passages of scripture are not literal but metaphorical? In addition, what if corporate, communal thought is a substantial factor in the reality we experience day to day? I do not mean corporate in the business sense but rather corporate in the community sense as of many individuals. Did Isaiah see the future potential of humans here on earth? Did he actually prophesy about what ultimately the kingdom of God would be if Jesus teachings were embraced? I believe he did.

He gave a glimpse in Isaiah 11:1-10. After reading this blog, if you have the time and inclination read that passage again, and think about what I am asking. Let me say that 11:4 states that the wicked will be killed, but what if that is metaphor for being consumed by love? Here is a description of the "peaceful kingdom."

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

(Isa 11:1-10) NRSVA

If you want to know what the kingdom of God is like, here it is in a beautiful metaphor. I am reminded of Jesus words. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." (Mat 18:19) This is where the corporate communal idea comes into play. Touching and agreeing is an important part of manifesting circumstances in the material world. We do not realize the power of ideas and thoughts. Social media should prove that point and the horrific division that currently besets our country is largely the result of corporate thought. Making the kingdom that Jesus presented can become a reality with the intention of his followers. The hatred and division can be overcome by groups of willing people joining together with the intention of bringing the peaceful kingdom into existence in the material plane.

The "Creative Source" of the universe is agape/love. The nature of God is indeed the peaceful kingdom. The teachings of Jesus to love your enemies and care for those less fortunate is a part of this peaceful kingdom, and is described in the passage above from Isaiah. This is not a phenomena that needs to be put off to the future. The future is now if we but grasp the fact that we are partakers of the divine nature. We can corporately love and set our intention in motion to begin to work with the "Creative Source" to materialize this kingdom where there will be no harm anywhere on God's Holy Mountain. I believe that the Holy Mountain is planet earth. 

What if the universe is a 3D printer of sorts. What if the resources of the universe are unlimited? What if by corporate intention we could materialize abundance for all. What if the idea of the Zero Sum game is lie that need not exist? The possibilities are truly endless!

   

God Beyond Religions Part I

I consider myself a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is a student. I have studied Jesus and his teachings. I try to take them seriously and apply them to my day to day life. It is not always easy to do, and I am quite certain that at times, I fail miserably. This is not a cause for concern in me because I have learned that Jesus accepts me and loves me for who I am and where I am at. But not just me, it is the same for you and everyone who has ever lived here on planet earth. Jesus is a constant companion with me and is as real as I am. I want to use this as a thought launchpad for “The God Beyond Religions.”

While Jesus is the God beyond religions to me, it is not necessary that he is that for you. What he is more interested in is that you become reconciled in your mind to God because God was in Christ Jesus reconciling you and planned it before creating anything. But let me say more about Jesus. Besides being my personal companion, Jesus was the incarnation of the Logos. Logos, pronounced la-ga-s is the Greek word for Word/Thought. As the Logos, Jesus is the Divine Creative seed that thought and spoke all of the material world into existence, and the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews writes that he sustains the material world by his word. It is the gospel of John that explains that Jesus was the incarnate Logos.

 

Heraclitus, the Greek Stoic Philosopher wrote about the Logos as the creator five hundred years prior to Christ. Here is a quote from one of the fragments of his writing. “Although this Logos is eternally valid, yet men are unable to understand it – not only before hearing it, but even after they have heard it for the first time … though all things come to pass in accordance with this Logos, men seem to be quite without any experience of it … My own method is to distinguish each thing according to its nature, and to specify how it behaves; other men, on the contrary, are as forgetful and heedless in their waking moments of what is going on around and within them as they are during sleep.” (Heraclitus Fragment 1 p19)

 

Not only did Heraclitus write about the Logos but so did Lao-tzu in roughly the same time frame. Since Lao Tzu was Chinese and not familiar with Greek, he did not call it the Logos but rather the Tao pronounced DAO/DOW. It means the way. Here is what he wrote or at least was credited with writing…

“The Tao that can be understood

is not the eternal, cosmic Tao,

just as an idea that can be expressed in words

is not the infinite idea. And yet this ineffable Tao

is the source of all spirit and matter;

expressing itself,

it is the mother of all created things. Not to desire material things

is to know the freedom of spirituality;

and to desire them is to suffer

the limitations of matter. Yet these two things, matter and spirit,

so different in nature, have the same origin. This unity is the mystery of mysteries,

and the gateway to spirituality.”  (~Lao Tzu. Tao Te Ching . Ancient Renewal. Kindle Edition.)

Finally, to add perspective, I will include what the Apostle John said about the Logos….

Joh 1:1-5  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  He was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  (4)  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (5)  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

 

(~Gospel of John NKJV chapter 1:1-5.)

 

Certainly, it should be quite clear that the God of the universe is much bigger than the boxes we have tried to house the creative Source in. The Logos is an exceptionally large concept, immense beyond our understanding. And yet, the first century writers of the New Testament explain that we are partakers of this divine nature. For my understanding this means that we are related and connected to the Source. Paul wrote that we humans are actually seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I believe that heavenly places is metaphorical language to describe the ether or the unified field of conscious energy that creates and sustains the material universe. We participate in that. I have explained how I think that happens in the post on quantum prayer.

This is a topic that I hope to explore in great depth over the next weeks and months.