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.]

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The Beast and the Human.

The Beast is violent, cruel, dominating, boastful, and blasphemous.

He rules by fear and he punishes any dissent.

But his time is limited and his dominion will be taken away.

It will be given to the man - the one who is like a human being*.

This means he is humane, gentle, honest, truthful, generous, and loving.

He rules in peace and conciliation.

This is God's Son.

He is non-violent, wise, faithful, pure, and just.

He does not raise a hand or use weapons**.

He relies on the words of his mouth.

And he defeats the Beast.

(*Daniel 7:11-13)

(** 2 Esdras 13:9)

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Heart to Heart.

When we begin to live from the heart we can discern what others' hearts are experiencing.

Mostly we will find that their hearts are burred deep within a fortress of fears.

But if we relate to them through our hearts we find that they respond, not in kind, but that they relax and open up a little. 

And they will mostly react in a positive way.

So let down your defenses and relate heart to heart.

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