Wednesday, January 18, 2023

The Twenty-fourth Saying (Part 5)

“Having completed his commentary, The Man awaited another question. Then a Mariner said, ‘My question concerns the Hebrew tribal god Jehovah, perhaps a fourth-dimensional entity who was responsive to the pagan ritual of blood sacrifice. If that is the case, what type of entity or what type of energy do the modern Christian churches perpetuate in their continuance of the symbolic blood sacrifice of Jesus on the altar? What entity do they nurture in terms of worshiping a man as a personal savior – a mediator whom they believe to be one with God? Are they keeping alive the Hebrew Jehovah who demanded blood sacrifice, in this case his supposed son?’

“And The Man said, ‘Whether a symbolic sacrifice on the altar, or a communion of fellowship in Christian unity by the faithful, improper worship, no matter how sincere – and we must acknowledge the sincerity of all Christian worship – only perpetuates an idea of theology which is a living force and does nurture some entity or god in whatever dimension. It becomes a living force and must be reckoned with. I do not believe that this kind of worship is what was intended by the One God by whatever name, whether Hebrew or Christian. Worship is a matter of interpretation.

“‘For example, Jesus was undoubtedly of the Essene sect, as noble as the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He admonished the priests and the many rabbis, scribes, doctors of the law, and the high priest that their interpretation of scripture was improper, and that his sect had the true interpretation. God did not wish to have blood offerings. God did not wish to have innocent animals killed on the altar. That is why the Essenes refused to send animals to the Temple for sacrifice. They were Jews who believed in the same God worshiped by the priesthood in control of the Temple. So it was a matter of interpretation.

“‘Jesus emphasized that God’s Law was of the spirit, not of scroll. His was a God of Love and Beauty, of Life and of Light – a God of Heaven, not of this world. The only sacrifice worthy of this God was a pure heart and a true spirit living The Way. The God of Jesus was not a wrathful one that demanded blood sacrifice.

“‘Jesus was a peacemaker. And yet, without ever having harmed a living thing, he was killed by the priests who refused his revelations and fulfillment to the Hebrew religion. Jesus was a Hebrew. He offered up his body as a living sacrifice in accordance with the prophets who had predicted his coming, his suffering, and his rejection. At their communal meal prior to his crucifixion, Jesus broke bread and gave it to his disciples instructing them to eat of it in memory of him, saying that it was symbolic of his body being broken for them. And he gave them a cup saying, This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many.

“‘Jesus was for ever invalidating the sacrifice of animals and instituting a new freedom. His was the final sacrifice, thenceforth, all should live The Way. He was the Messiah of suffering, as foretold by the older prophets. He was instructing them in the truths known to every Essene. Yet Jesus predicted a later Coming of God at His Second Advent, a Coming in which God’s Body would be given to the world for nourishment.’”

Very truly yours in Light+,

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

I trust you had a joyful and blessed Christmas-Epiphany Season. The weather here at the Center in Reno did not allow us to have daily sunrise services throughout the 12 Days of Christmas nor on Epiphany Day, but we received much needed snow and communed with the Sun of Righteousness in our own way.

As we resume our review of the Twenty-fourth Saying of Jamil, you may want to refresh your memory on where we left off by re-reading the previous segment: [CLICK HERE.]

The Twenty-fourth Saying (Part 4)

And The Man continued his dissertation to the Companions of the Way.

“‘The world must be educated in The Way. It is the responsibility of this Church and the Order of Ministers to educate the world. When man and woman are put in contact with the true Image of God and receive the true Word of God, they will know in their hearts whether The Way is true or not. Their spirits will respond accordingly. If they allow their emotions, or their minds, or their intelligence, or their habits of traditional concepts to outweigh the real Teaching of The Way, then they have retrogressed.

“‘The sayings of all the great and holy prophets of former times tell us that in the final age of the world, God’s mighty Light will burn up the old world in making way for the new. No one is to be killed, for it is contrary to the True God that anything be killed. The Dark spirit, matter, and all of false creation is to be burned away by the brightness of God’s Coming into the world. Only the spiritual will be sustained. The Way instructs people in how to become spiritual. Eventually, the Image and Word of God will be so strong that man and woman will not have any choice except to follow Truth because there will be nothing else to follow. This is difficult for some people to comprehend because of their preoccupation with free will.

“‘Regardless of their religious view, most people believe quite sincerely that they have, by virtue of their respective religion, the highest way to God or a god. Usually this view is one of their own, a private creation – a form of idolatry. They find it repulsive that God would have the right to reclaim His Creation, to restore the cosmos to its original, spiritual perfection. This is explained by the fact that most religions are of the earth and of nature, that this world is good and will continue as it is forever in spite of the evident imperfections observed. Strangely enough, this is a common view.’”

Again, if I may be of any personal service to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours in Light+,