The White Rider.

In the Book of Revelation the White Rider who defeats the Beast does not brandish a sword in his hand.

"From his mouth comes a sharp sword." Revelation 19;15 (NRSV)

"and his name is called The Word of God." Revelation 19:13 (NRSV)

So it is not by violence that the Beast is defeated but by the Word of God.

[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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Angels.

I have noticed that recently images of angels have begun appearing on my Facebook page.

These images, however, are of both good and evil angels.

And the good angels are exclusive,y musclebound males brandishing swords and fire with which to fight against the evil angels and the devil.

While this is not an uncommon idea of what God's angels do I believe that it is not correct nor is it borne out by the facts. 

If this scenario was true evil would have been defeated centuries ago*.

But there is no evidence that God and His angels act in this way at all.

God is non-violent.

And His angels reflect the Divine Nature.

They are agents of love and blessing.

They are not violent agents of God's wrath.

(* I remember it was supposed to happen at the Millennium.)

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Abundance.

In church this week we had the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-10) that ends with: "'I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'" (NRSV)

To me this means not that we have many possession, or great wealth, but that we have rich and loving relationships.

For life comes from love.

And love comes from the soul.

Our soul is our true self and it resides in the heart.

But it is imprisoned by fears.

So in order to experience life in all its fullness we must overcome our fears and give the love that dwells abundantly in our hearts.

Then we will have life abundantly.

[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 use by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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The Yoke.

"If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger,

the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

and your gloom be like the noonday."

Isaiah 58: 9,10 (NRSV)

[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 Reality.

In the Reality there is no Satan, no dark powers.

There is only God.

Evil in our world is the result of human fears or the deliberate negation of God's goodness brought about by error.

And so in the end evil must fail.

And God's goodness will prevail.

For the Light that comes from God will reveal their error and evil will disappear like the mist.

But we must wait until the time is ripe.

And they are ready to accept God's Love.

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Hidden Evil.

There is an evil in our world which is leading us all astray.

This is the influence of Satanism which permeates our popular culture.

Rock music, sports, entertainment, literature, and advertising all conceal the works of Satanists.

And they use their influence to corrupt and tempt everyone.

You will see the sign of the horns, tongues poking out, references to the beast, the devil, and hell.....

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

90% of the influence of Satanism is subconscious.

It will incite hedonism, violence, selfishness, lies, vice, hate, and sin.....

None of these things brings happiness.

They lead to a desert of suffering and bitterness.

And it is suicidal.

Those who inspire these things claim a reward from the devil for your soul.

Or so they believe.

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Yoga.

One of the first steps of Yoga is the Yamas and Niyamas -  the restraints and observances:

"Vows of restraint comprise abstinence from violence, falsehood, theft, sexual excess, and acquisitiveness."*

"Purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, and self-surrender constitute observances."*

At first we wonder why?

But theses steps help to prepare us for the presence of God.

For God is transcendent, sublime, and wholly good.

It is consistent with the Biblical witness:

"Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined."  Daniel 12:10 (NRSV)

(*Yoga Sutras - Patanjali.)

[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.]

Photo Credit: freepik.com