Warfare.

Warfare is the opposite of Jesus' teaching.

Jesus taught peace and love.

"'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.'"  Matthew 5: 9 (NRSV)

And so Spiritual Warfare and Culture Wars are not the way of Jesus. 

Jesus said: "'Do not resist an evildoer.....'"  Matthew 5:39 (NRSV)

and: "'Pray for those who persecute you.'"  Matthew 5:44 (NRSV)

In Astrology Mars is a malefic planet, Venus is a benefic planet.

So do not perpetuate the conflicts in our world by waging war.

But be a Peacemaker and look for ways to reconcile warring parties.

[Scripture quotation (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.] 

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Leaving Church.

If we think that leaving the Church in answer to its erroneous teachings will make everything OK we are wrong!

Because outside of the Church we are subject to Satanic influences hidden in the popular culture.

And if you think that these are harmless you are wrong.

Rock music, sports, and entertainment are full of negative suggestions which will lead to suffering.

The answers and temptations set before us are empty boxes that will not bring the happiness they promise.

Instead you will experience emptiness and burn-out.

Excessive indulgence in pleasure leads to suffering not happiness.

So do not listen to them.

They are sirens who will lure you onto the rocks.

But listen to your heart.

And follow that.

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Priests and Ministers.

How can it be that the Priests and Ministers who control Jesus' Churches do not know God?

As Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"'Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?'"  John 3:10 (NRSV)

The answer is that when Priests and Ministers are trained by their Churches they undergo a process of indoctrination.

They are forced to accept Traditional Theology or be rejected.

So they do not become enlightened teachers but agents of indoctrination themselves.

And because Traditional Theology is inspired by fear they become agents of fear not love.

Hence Jesus' vehement confrontation with the Priests of the Temple in Jerusalem.

"I send prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.....'"  Matthew 23:24 (NRSV)

So do not submit to the theology of fear.

But open your heart.

And give your love.

Then you will be Home.

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Traditional Theology.

I am a member of a Christian Church.

But my theology is Progressive.

Unfortunately the majority of people even in my own Church, which is relatively Liberal, still cling to the Traditional Theology of Original Sin and Redemption through Jesus' death on the Cross.

That is to say they are still ruled by fear.

Their Christianity is based on what they have been told to do in order to avoid punishment and hell.

It is not based on Love.

Love is always the bridesmaid.

So when you deal with them you encounter fear not love.

But the Bible says:

"whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

 For God is love.

"and perfect love casts out fear."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

So the problem is that those in authority in the Churches are not sufficiently enlightened to teach what is true.

"'You hypocrites, first take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.'"  Matthew 7:5 (NRSV)

Jesus called them "blind guides"  Matthew 15:14 (NRSV)

Because they cannot see God.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love."  1 John 4:8 (NRSV)

So do not listen to those who preach fear.

Listen to your heart.

And follow that.

[Scripture quotation (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Money.

What was back to the 50s all about?

Why did Generation X kick the Baby-Boomers' heads in?

Why did they choose Evangelical Churches over others?

The answer is:

Money!

They despised the Baby-Boomers' negative attitude towards money.

And they blamed their left-wing politics for the recession.

Any hint of Socialism or tax was labelled Marxism and attacked with full force.

And their attraction to Evangelical Churches was because most of the preach Prosperity Theology.

Prosperity Theology teaches that God wants you to be rich and successful.

And if you are rich and successful then God is smiling on you.

Idealism and poverty are seen as evil and signs that God is punishing you because you are a sinner.

Some of them even turned to the devil because they believed that the devil could grant them riches.

So its all about money!

And money is the root of all evil.

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Rock Music.

When I was young I listened to rock music like everyone else.

Later in life I worked out that there was Satanism hidden in the music.

But although some people disapproved of rock music no one told me that.

So I'm telling you now:

Rock music is Satanic.

It contains hidden messages about death.

This is the death to God written of by St. Paul.

The objective is to encourage sin and transgression in order to induce death and damnation.

Initially this was mainly through Hedonism and drugs.

But later it became about materialism, violence, and hate.

Each generation has its own temptations and curses.

These are designed to coincide with each generation's astrological make up.

So be warned.

Rock music is Satanic.

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Homosexuality and God.

When AIDS hit the gay community in the 1980s homophobic Christians insisted that God was punishing us for our sexuality.

They even opened a Hell House where gay men who had died of AIDS were depicted in torment.

But AIDS is no longer a death sentence.

In fact AIDS has virtually been cured.

 

So why do Christians still insist that homosexuality is a sin punishable by damnation and hell?

The truth is that this was not true then and it is not true now.

God loves His gay sons and daughters in the same way as He loves all His children.

We are not condemned.

And we go to Heaven when we die.

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The Wicked.

"Why do the wicked live on,

reach old age, and grow mighty in power?"  Job 21:7 (NRSV)

"They spend their days in prosperity,

and in peace they go down to Sheol."  Job 21: 13 (NRSV)

"Why does the way of the guilty prosper?

Why do all who are treacherous thrive?"  Jeremiah 12:1 (NRSV)

This is an age-old question.

And it can still be asked today.

If God is good why do the wicked prosper on Earth?

The answer to this question does not lie in the notion of Natural Justice.

We have an assumption that God will reward good behavior and punish bad behavior.

And if God is not doing this now then He will do it when we die.

But there is no evidence that God behaves in this way at all.

And this does not mean that the wicked are in some way more worthy than the righteous.

God is our Father.

And a good father will not condemn his own children.

And God can see things that we cannot see.

He knows that the wicked are acting out of fear.

And some of that fear is created by His own Churches.

And so God does not punish us.

 

God loves us like a Father.

He does not intervene to stop bad behavior.

But He waits for us to see.

To see His Love for us.

And His great Love for us will overcome our fears.

For it is fear that causes us to do what we know is wrong.

And it is God's prerogative to enact His amazing grace.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Fear.

The mistake that the Traditional Churches and Modern Fundamentalist and Evangelical Churches make is to use fear to control people.

This is not new of course.

It goes back to the beginning of civilization in ancient Egypt.

Punishment, Judgement, and Hell have always been used to control people's behavior.

And those who use fear are the powers of this world - Pharaohs, Political Leaders, and their allies in positions of Religious Authority.

The purpose is to make people obey.

Ostensibly to make people obey Moral Laws.

But it has always been used to maintain power and authority over the masses.

And the modern right-wing technique of carrot and stick is also a manifestation of Machiavellian control.

But God does not judge us.

Judgement is a projection of our human concept of Natural Justice.

God is merciful, forgiving, and gracious.....

But this is not to say that God condones bad behavior.

God can see, however, that most of this is caused by fear.

And the Church is responsible for much of our fear.

But the scripture says:

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

So do not fear God's wrath or the Day of Judgement.

That day will never come.

But let go of your fears and open your heart.

Then you will be on your way Home.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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The Answer.

So what is the answer?

You will be pleased to know that there is an answer.

And that is love.

Most of our lives we are looking for love.

And some of us are fortunate enough to find it.

But the problems don't end there.

We are still subject to temptations and misunderstandings.

We are still in the grip of fears learned from our experience of the world.

We must unlearn what we have learned.

And learn the way of the heart.

For our real self, our soul, which is a spark of the Divine, resides in our heart.

It is the source of love.

And the goal of our journey.

Because to be loved is good but to love is even better.

Love God and love your neighbor.

Give your love to those around you.

And always follow your heart.

For God is Love.

And love is our salvation.

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The World.

When we are young we live in the protection of our parents' love.

But when we encounter the world we are confronted by fear and evil.

Fear in the playground.

And evil in the popular culture.

I do not believe that the devil is real.

But I do believe that devil-worshippers are real and that they are hidden in our popular culture.

And they do evil in our world.

Most people are unaware of this because most of it is unconscious.

Rock musicians, sports men and women, commentators, actors, directors, and novelists have turned to evil in the belief that the devil can grant them fame and fortune.

And so we are tempted and poisoned by evil disguised as good.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll leads to addiction and decadence.

 

And sexual license leads to divorce.

These alone have led to untold suffering in our world.

But hedonism and hate make us miserable and nasty.

There is no satisfaction in them.

So be aware there is evil hidden in our culture.

And pray to God to deliver us from evil.

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The Church.

How can it be that the descendants of those who killed Jesus are in control in his Churches?

Jesus said: "'Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.'"  Matthew 24:28 (NRSV)

And so those who lust after power and authority gather around the body of Jesus.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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The Need.

Modern society is in need.

Young people have no religious beliefs or ideals by which to live their lives.

The messages they get are materialistic and selfish.

"Buy this product", "get rich", "get famous", "win at all costs".....

They are encouraged to be ruthless, tough, and hard.

And to seek material gain.

But these things are empty boxes.

They may be wrapped in golden paper.

Or adorned with diamantes.

But in the end they are empty.

This is the way of the world.

It does not lead to happiness or fulfillment.

God's way is the way of the heart.

The heart leads to love and compassion.

And the goodness of God:

Honesty, moderation, truthfulness, generosity, humility, gratitude, and courage.

These things flow from God like rain.

But at the heart of it all is Love.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

For it is fear that corrupts us and makes us compromise what we know is right.

So love God and love your neighbor.

And live!

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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AFL.

Commentators on the AFL are in the habit of calling good players "beasts".

In the Bible a Beast refers to someone who uses violence, brutality, and force to dominate others.

And the followers of the Beast receive his mark in their right hands or their foreheads.

The right hand refers to actions taken in righteousness.

And the forehead refers to your mentality.

So the aggressive, brutal, ruthless mentality of the AFL is the mentality of the Beast.

And that's not to mention the 666 Rule.

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Fear or Love.

Hate is fear.

Fear of sin and evil.

Fanatical Christians hate sinners.

But Jesus said: "'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."  But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.'"  Matthew 5:38,39 (NRSV)

And: "'You have heard that it was said. "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'"  Matthew 5:43,44 (NRSV)   

So when a question arises in regard to our response to others' actions we should ask ourselves: "Is it fear or is it love that motivates me?'

For there is no fear in God.

Only Love.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Fear.

If God treats everyone the same in Heaven then how will we be able to forgive those who have wronged us?

How will the Jews be able to forgive Hitler and the Nazis?

The answer lies in the fact that their behavior was driven by fear.

And we all have hidden fears.

Fears that can make us punish and kill.

So when God makes it clear that we have in our shadows "demons" that we don't acknowledge.

"Demons" that oppress and torture others.

"Demons" that are unconscious fears.

Then we can forgive ourselves.

And if we can forgive ourselves then we can forgive those who have hurt us.

Because they are motivated by fears.

And if some have more fear than others then they are more to be pitied than us.

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The Mark of Cain.

The Mark of Cain is not what we think.

We think it is a stigma for murdering his brother Abel out of jealousy.

But what the Bible actually says is this:

"And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him."  Genesis 4:15 (NRSV)

The temptation is to think of Abel as good and Cain as evil.

But God shows mercy to Cain and does not punish him.

This is because Cain's murder of Abel is out of jealousy.

And jealousy is fear.

It is fear of losing God's Love.

And we all have these fears.

God's mercy offends our sense of Natural Justice - reward for good and punishment for evil.

But were God to act in this way we would be condemning ourselves.

Because we all have these fears in our shadows.

And so God shows us mercy.

And we can forgive ourselves.

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Violence.

The Hippie Generation were subjected to psychic and spiritual violence by Generation X.

Endorsed by their President Ronald Reagan Generation X attacked the mentality of the Hippies.

They "kicked their heads in."

And they forced them to change.

This was called  Reconstruction.

And the right-wing political parties backed it to the hilt.

They scapegoated hippies and gays.

And they exploited racism and prejudice.

This is the story of our time and the reemergence of political Fascism.

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Scapegoats.

Hippies and gays get the blame for Satanism in rock music.

This is because the Fundamentalist Christians who have been given this knowledge are right-wing and use it to smear their political opponents.

Hippies and gays are scapegoats for for rock musicians and rap artists.

This is why this information has been around for decades but nothing ever comes of it.

The rock and rap musicians who sold their souls are getting off scot-free.

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Hippies.

Hippies are not all bad.

The Hippie Generation preached peace and love.

And peace and love are major teachings of Jesus.

They also endorsed eastern religious principles like: non-violence (ahimsa), meditation, and the middle path (Buddha).

They pioneered concern for the environment.

And they challenged profit motive and corporate greed.

Unfortunately they were betrayed by their rock stars who sabotaged their spiritual quest and poisoned their minds.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll led to decadence and degradation.

This left them sitting ducks for Reagan's revenge.

And the full force of reactionary Fascism.

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Popular Music.

Rock music contains Satanic messages hidden in the music and videos.

It makes you pursue sex and pleasure.

And it conceals death and damnation.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll leads to decadence and indulgence.

"Money for nothing and your chicks for free." encourages selfishness and corruption.

And rap music is nasty sex and prejudice.

These things lead to suffering, burn-out, and suicide.

They do not lead to happiness.

They are the work of devil-worshippers hidden behind a mask of glamour and poplularity.

So be warned.

We are being cursed.

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Gay Men.

Gay men go to Heaven.

Homosexuality is not a bar to Heaven in itself.

Homosexuality is love.

And Love is the inmost nature of God.

So gay men are blessed by God.

And they can partake of Eternal Life.

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Good and Evil.

When the world was created it was good.

"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good."  Genesis 1:31 (NRSV)

Evil came into the world when humankind invented Dualism which led to the creation of evil.

This is why the original sin was eating the fruit of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."*  Genesis 2:17 (NRSV)

Evil is an idea - the converse of the good that is God.

So evil is rebellion against God.

And there have been people who chose this path from the beginning.

And they exist today.

So our task is not to overcome some mythical devil and the power of death** but to realize that death is not real.

And that the only evil that exists is the evil which exists in the minds of men and women.

So death and the dark arts have no substance in reality.

God's creation is wholly good.

"and indeed, it was very good"  Genesis 1:31 (NRSV)

(*NB There is no punishment for this.  Evil leads to suffering and death is its own reward.)

(**Dualism states that God is good, light, truth, life, and love and the devil is evil, darkness, lies, death, and hate.)

[Scripture quotation (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Life!

Sitting alone in the garden

I am surrounded by Life!

Vibrant green trees,

Beautiful flowers,

Birds of the air

calling to their mates,

Insects,

Butterflies.

A dog barking,

A silent cat.

Everywhere there is Life.

And the Presence of God!

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Evil.

What are we to make of people who do what we would call evil in our world?

Things like: violence. murder, torture, crime, lies, intimidation, stealing, exploitation, and oppression.....

These things are "demons" which are urges twisted by fear and wounds.

These people are to be pitied because they are afflicted.

They are miserable and they suffer.

But God can remove these "demons".

This is what Jesus and the disciples did in ancient times.

It was their understanding that they were physical demons - evil spirits - within people.

We do not believe this.

  

But there are "demons" within people's psyches that can be removed.

They are urges that have been twisted by fear and wounds.

And we all have them.

So perhaps we are not so different from those we call evil.

It then becomes a matter of degree.

And God will not show mercy to some and not to others.

But what happens when we die?

 

My understanding of God is that He will show mercy and heal us.

Hell is out of character.

For God is Love.

And His Love will prevail.

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The Laborers.

On Sunday we had the Parable of the Laborers in which the master pays the workers the same wage no matter how long they worked. (Matthew 20)

This suggests that all will receive the same blessing in Heaven.

So what are we to make of statements like: "your reward is great in heaven" (Matthew 5:12) and "a prophet's reward" (Matthew 10:41) and the treatment of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25.

My experience of God is that He shows mercy to everyone no matter what they have done.

And so He treats everyone equally.

I do not believe that God judges us according to our deeds.

And if we are forgiven others will be forgiven also.

But what of evil deeds and injury?

My understanding of these things is that they are caused by fear.

And things that are caused by fear are forgivable.

God does not conform to our human concept of Natural Justice*

God is merciful towards all His children.

And so the Parable of the Laborers is more true about God than other conceptions of rewards and punishments.

But what of injury and debt?

"For you say, 'I am rich. I have prospered, I need nothing.'  You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."  Revelation 3:17 (NRSV)

These are those who are imprisoned by their fears and their deeds are to be pitied not judged.

And so the injury and debt that they have incurred will be forgiven and they will be free.

As we are free.

(*Rewards for good deeds and punishment for bad deeds.)

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

I would say: "You've got me in between the Devil and the Pharisees."

We are stuck between devil-worshippers at large in the community and Churches controlled by modern-day Pharisees.

We are tempted, corrupted, and poisoned by devil-worshippers in music, sports, and entertainment.

And we are threatened, misled, and controlled by those who usurp the power of God.

The Churches are dominated by those who enforce the traditional theology of sin and judgement.

And those who have appropriated the name of Jesus.

This is why Jesus was so critical of the Pharisees and why they killed him.

But there is an alternative.

Progressive Christianity does not enforce judgement or sin.

Rather we worship a God of mercy and love.

A God who forgives us and offers us grace.

This is not to say that God condones corrupt or bad behavior.

He does not.

But the fears that cause us to compromise our principles fall away.

And we become good people.

Transformed by the goodness of God.

And centered in a good and open heart.

Photo Credit: webcomicsapp.com*

Rap Music.

Rap music is obscene, nasty, homophobic, monotonous, boring, and bad.....

It is no improvement on rock music.

And Satanism is rife within it.

Its fashions are ugly.

And its politics is fascist.

So don't assume that the next generation of musicians are exempt.

They are not.

Rap music is Satanic.

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Satanism.

The reason that I expose Satanism in rock music, sports, and entertainment is not for the purpose of judging them or punishing them.

The purpose is to reverse the negative practices that they sell which are counter to the way of God.

Hedonism, drugs, decadence, selfishness, excess, cynicism, recalcitrance, hate, and evil.....

All these things derive from Satanism in our popular culture and they undermine the way of God in the world.

Discipline, self-sacrifice, honesty, truthfulness, generosity, cooperation. benevolence, goodness, and love.....

These things are in harmony with the Kingdom of God.

And spiritual qualities: mercy, forgiveness, grace, faith, prayer, and study of the scriptures - these things prepare us for the presence of God.

God is real.

The devil is a chimera.

But the damage done by those who choose the devil leads to suffering and suicide.

And it is not just bands who are openly Satanic.

All rock music is Satanic.

It is sex and drugs and rock and roll.

It sells the lie "money for nothing and your chicks for free".

But it is hidden behind a mask of glamour and populism.

This is the truth which plagues our world. 

And we should recognize it for what it is.

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