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Good morning bus riders!
It is Pentecost Sunday! You know what that means, right?
<Look for nodding heads.>
It’s the Fiftieth Day!
Oh … and it’s graduation day too!
Raise your hand if tomorrow you enter into ministry for Yahweh.
<No one’s hand ever raises these days. Just look down at the sidewalk.>
Well, like they say for sports teams … wait till next year, right?
The lesson of Pentecost Sunday is that it is when the Spirit of Yahweh made the Apostles act. They had “Received Spirit Set apart by God” ["Labete Pneuma Hagion"] when Jesus breathed upon them on Easter Sunday. The Spirit of Yahweh was with one hundred twenty family, followers, and disciples of Jesus, after which they all had spent forty days learning to adjust to being Jesus reborn.
Then, after forty-two days (after the end of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread), the First Fruits were matured, ripened, and deemed fit for consumption. It was then the Spirit of Yahweh led them to suddenly begin explaining Scripture like nobody had heard it explained before [in multiple foreign languages even]. They began explaining Scripture like Jesus explained it to them over his three years in ministry, when they were still immature and unable to comprehend much of what he said.
If anyone here had graduated from the Easter season, he or she would be standing now; and, with spiritually elevated voices, he or she would be explaining what the reading from Romans 8 means. If several of you stood at once, then I imagine each would speak a different version of English translations: King James, New International Version, and New American Standard Bible (for examples).
The Romans 8 reading is pretty much like all the Epistle choices to be read aloud, as all the Apostles who wrote Epistles were filled with the Spirit of Yahweh; so, they all wrote in a divine text. They wrote in a known language, but their writings were 'spoken foreign' to the way fluent readers read. Thus, divine text means there is deeper truth that is purposefully hidden from view. Understanding divine text requires another who is filled with the Spirit of Yahweh.
Yahweh wants seekers to understand what is hidden; but that does require some effort, just to prove to Yahweh one really care about Him. Memorizing some English Bible quotes is a good start, but God wants His chosen people to do more than just trust a translation company [Bible salesmen] as the source of truth.
Apostles speak the same divine language. They speak in tongues that others cannot see at first; but when it is explained, that leads one to experience one of those ‘aha moments.’
I had one of those this past week, when I was carefully meditating on the Greek text of Romans 8:22-27.
The paraphrase read aloud this morning does little to make that truth be seen; but after having the truth exposed, I found the paraphrase can then be seen as simply needing a little refocusing.
I recommend everyone go home later and see what I interpreted and posted on this website, about all six verses Paul wrote in Romans 8:22-27. It is necessary to realize the truth those words contain. However, because Romans 8 is an optional reading today, and because we only have fifteen minutes before the bus comes, I'll just give you a taste of what Paul wrote.
Verse 23 of that letter was read aloud this morning as saying:
“and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
Whenever I sit in a pew and hear some volunteer reader try to capture the power of an Epistle orally, it makes me groan inwardly. Sometimes, I can't hold it in and an audible sigh comes out.
I’m sure everyone here feels the same way.
The Epistles are not written to be read like prose. Reading them like prose is really a waste of time, especially when the prose is poor paraphrases, read aloud by people with nasally monotones. The power of the words is clearly missing then.
This is what verse 23 reveals, when read slowly, led by the Spirit of Yahweh to see:
“not alone on top of this” , “otherwise kai ourselves” , “which the beginning of a sacrifice of this Spirit possessing” , “we kai ourselves with itself compressed internally and unexpressed” , “sonship eagerly awaiting” , “who setting free of this body of us.”
This says first: Our souls are no longer alone, as one soul in one body of flesh. This is the "Advocate" Jesus promised. It does not come to be beside one's soul, but "on top of this."
Second, it says there is another – an “otherwise” presence – which importantly [use of "kai"] becomes one with ourselves. Here “self” means “soul.”
Third, this new union – marriage of one’s soul to Yahweh – is the beginning that comes from one sacrificing – as a first fruit placed green in the Temple for fifty days – so the Spirit of Yahweh can possess our soul-body. This is a statement of divine possession.
Fourth, it says each of us – we – transform importantly ["kai" again] into ourselves (our souls) with it – the Spirit – which is compressed internally and unexpressed. This is the truth of “groan inwardly while we wait.” It means the expanse of Yahweh's Spirit is compressed into one body of flesh, as more than can ever be expressed physically.
Fifth, it says our souls then eagerly await the resurrection of Jesus in our individual bodies of flesh, so each of knows our souls will welcome and anticipate Jesus being reborn in us.
Finally, it says that presence within, which makes us become Sons of Yahweh, just like Jesus, as Jesus born into both men women, is what redeems our souls to everlasting life. The flesh will never again become a prison for our souls. We will be indeed free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty when that happens, because our souls will be free at last.
Now, raise your hands if you got those six important points from hearing read aloud: “and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
<Look for shaking heads.>
The words of Paul, who was not one of those standing with Peter on Pentecost morning, says everything that happened then also happened to him, some time after. Paul was able to explain what happened on Pentecost, when he wrote to the Judaic-Christians of Rome; but to understand what he wrote you need an interpreter that “speaks in divine tongues.”
Now, Romans 8 usually is not read aloud on Pentecost Sunday. The Episcopal Church makes it an optional reading selection, filling the “New Testament” slot; but that is only chosen when the mandatory Acts reading – about Peter on Pentecost – takes the place of the optional Ezekiel 37 reading.
Because few priests have a clue what Romans 8 means, they go for the theatrics of Ezekiel having Yahweh show him a valley of dry bones. Who doesn't love hearing Yahweh ask, “Mortal, can these dry bones live?”
In my bus stop presentation, I read aloud all possible readings as if everything is important and worth saying out loud. I do that because everything is worth hearing read and everything is worth explaining. The beauty of the Episcopal Church is its lectionary, because it was organized before the Church collapsed on itself. There really is no reason to go to a church, if it knows what needs to be read aloud, but then pares that down and then says nothing explanatory. Thus, here we are at a bus stop [as fictitious as it is].
In the reading from Ezekiel, Yahweh tells his prophet, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”
Then, after Ezekiel did that, Yahweh told him: “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”
Then after Ezekiel did that, Yahweh said to him, “prophesy, and say to [the house of Israel], Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.”
Hopefully, you heard the repetition of the word “prophesy.” The Hebrew word written is “hin·nā·ḇê,” which is rooted in “naba.”
According to the Webster’s, the word “prophesy” [as an intransitive verb] means: 1. to speak as if divinely inspired; 2. to give instruction in religious matters : PREACH; and, 3. to make a prediction.
Peter, the other eleven and the rest of the one hundred twenty “prophesied” on Pentecost morning. Paul “prophesied” in his letter to the Judaic-Christians of Rome. Joel “prophesied” in his book, as did David in his psalms. John “prophesied” by writing what Jesus “prophesied” the evening after his final Seder experience.
The only reason Jews go to synagogues on the Sabbath and Christians go to churches on Sundays [or Saturday] is to have a prophet go up to the podium and “prophesy” to the Spirit [or breath]. Those sitting in the pews must have breath keeping their bodies alive still.
Raise your hands if the last time you went to a church or synagogue and the reading was about Ezekiel and dry bones and you received prophecy that explained what dry bones, sinews, skin, and breath means.
<Look for everyone nervously sitting on their hands, shaking their heads.>
Let me “prophesy” about that now.
First, the dry bones reflect every human being that ever lived. A soul is breathed out by Yahweh at birth, animating matter, which only lasts so long. Eventually, the soul leaves the body and the body returns to dust and dry bones. Dry bones means the physical realm, which is naturally devoid of life that breathes.
The symbolism of Ezekiel’s dream is Yahweh asking him if mortals born to die can find eternal life. The only way for any mortal to even begin to think about having life requires a soul. Therein lies the trap of reincarnation – one set of dry bones after another in a soul's wake. Once Yahweh breathes out a soul to animate dead matter, someone has to teach them the end will come, when the breath is returned; but to stay returned, the soul needs to be saved. A soul in a body of flesh must hear someone PROPHESY about Yahweh, coming from one who understand His divine texts, written by prophets.
Sitting in a church pew [or on the bench at this bus stop], listening to human beings vocalizing divine texts [all-be-them poor paraphrases of the truth] makes one’s dry bones begin to mimic “life,” by adding some sinews, some skin and flesh. It learns death is coming. It wants to return to the spiritual realm forever. To do that means a soul leads its bag of bones to a church of some kind, seeking to hear prophecy.
That symbolizes a soul that had been lost before, returning to mortal life again. They have been given the breath of life, which means they have hearts again, ones that pump blood throughout a new body of flesh. The have received reincarnation, as another chance for a soul to find redemption and eternal life.
When Ezekiel “prophesied” to the “breath” – soul to soul explanation – he spoke like Peter to the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for a feast day. He spoke to dry bones that had renewed mortal life, including a soul. Peter and the others spoke to seeking souls, just like Jesus’ soul spoke to his disciples on Easter Sunday, saying “Receive Spirit Holy.”
Yahweh told Ezekiel those who received the Spirit were “the house of Israel,” which in Hebrew is “bet Yisrael.”
A “house” is not a nation. A “house” is an individual soul in a single body of flesh.
“Israel” is not a nation that needs to feel God has given it the right to steal land [or anything else]. “Israel” is an individual soul that has married to Yahweh’s Spirit and then “strives for Yahweh” [the meaning behind the name].
Jacob was a mortal. He wrestled with his own soul all night long, fighting to a draw, although Jacob's hip was permanently damaged. When morning came, the soul of Jacob said his name was now "Israel." Jacob's soul "strived for Yahweh," so his name changed. Jacob was one soul, not a nation. His body became a "house of Israel."
Today, Christians “strive for Yahweh” as Jesus reborn. If we fight for our souls, we too can each become a “house” in which “Yahweh strives.” Each of our souls can be Anointed ones, which is the truth of Christianity: all members are the Christ, all reborn as Yahweh's Sons [regardless of human gender]. A true Christian has been reborn as Jesus.
This is what I have been saying the Easter season is about: becoming comfortable being a true Christian.
That is why Yahweh told those who had married Him:
“you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from
your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will
place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will
act.”
The only way to stop leaving a pile of dry bones in your soul’s wake is to marry Yahweh, receive His Spirit, become His Son resurrected, and [if you caught the last word] act as one “striving for Yahweh.”
In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus called this “the Advocate” or “the Helper.”
Just capitalizing that word says, "Do not try this alone! Trying to pretend to be righteous will not work without divine assistance!"
When Jesus termed that “the Spirit of truth,” can you hear those words saying “the Spirit of prophecy”?
Can you see how the “truth” is the same as what Peter and the rest were doing: They were “prophesying” to the truth Scripture contained. They did not speak in those tongues to make everyone marvel at their abilities. They "prophesied" to the returned souls that were renewing dry bones – the Jewish pilgrims – because they sought to receive that message.
Their souls sought to receive the prophecy from a saved soul: like Ezekiel, like Joel, like David, like Jesus resurrected in Peter and the others.
For the past seven weeks, I have stood here and told those present that one must already be married to Yahweh. One must be learning how to be comfortable being Jesus reborn. That means practicing letting the Spirit of truth reveal things to you, like are found in Roman 8:23.
The Spirit reveals the truth about Ezekiel 37. It reveals the truth about Acts 2:1-21.
Today we heard Jesus say, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
In that is hidden the truth that says, “Your soul becomes nothing, once it marries Yahweh.”
It says “You submit your ego,” so whatever it is your brain thinks Jesus wants, that Christmas list is no longer heard. You either want to be Jesus, or you want nothing to do with the Father.
It says, “You go where Yahweh’s Spirit sends you,” no questions asked.
You remember, from the reading in Ezekiel 37, how Yahweh asked Ezekiel, “Mortal, can these dry bones live?”
<Look for nodding heads.>
Ezekiel answered that question by saying, “Yahweh who is the lord of my soul [“adonay Yahweh”], you know.”
Ezekiel said what a submissive soul always must say. Your brain’s opinion means squat – nada – nothing. A brain is flesh, which is addicted to the ways of the world.
Marriage to Yahweh means "No more thinking for you, o wife o mine. Yahweh will do the thinking from now on."
Gaining eternal life is not something given freely, just because you say, “I believe Jesus is the Christ and he will come again some day and take us all to heaven.”
You – as a soul – have two options:
1. Sacrifice yourself to Yahweh and do whatever He tells your soul to do … earning
eternal life; or,
2. You do what you please, including saying you believe in God and Jesus, but then
question everything ever divinely written, so your soul ends up coming back to
generate some new bodies that will eventually turn back into dust and dry bones.
Either – or.
Not both.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and matter.” (Matthew 6:24)
It is amazing how much people calling themselves Christians [most importantly those wearing collars, robes and albs – or nice suits] know all this, but then turn right around and ignore all of this.
In the Acts 2 reading, Peter quoted from Joel 2. While everyone finds it easy to relate the pouring out of spirit upon all flesh, to sons, daughters, young and old, there is more that seems to be forgotten. Probably because it is never explained.
Peter quoted Joel writing:
And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and
fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of
Yahweh's great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.
[Note: "Yahweh" was written by Joel, not "Theos"]
All of that is what Baptists and Pentecostals love to read as being about the end of the world.
They add to that belief how Jesus said (according to Matthew’s Gospel):
Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather, Immediately after the suffering of
those days the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of
heaven will be shaken.
Sounds similar, right?
All of this end of the world stuff is used by people who think he or she is too important to ever marry Yahweh and submit to His will. They do not believe the “Spirit of truth” is ever meant for them to sacrifice themselves for. They are quite happy with paraphrased translations that have been memorized and formed into an agenda of spiritual favoritism. They prefer the paraphrases of ignorance, which makes the end of the world be some time always too far away to know when, even if it always seems like it is right around the corner.
Baptists and Pentecostals will routinely say, “When Jesus comes, then all the evil in the world [not me, of course] will be destroyed and us equals in divine holiness [me and of course God] will laugh and point fingers and have a grand old time watching the souls we hate burn in hell.”
All the branches of the universal catholic church [including Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Episcopal, et al], they just sit on their high thrones laughing at the fools who are not like them - special as children of the Lord [not Yahweh]. Their intellectualism is way to aloof to think about End Times.
News flash: The end of the world is when your mortal flesh stops being a “house” for your soul. Mortal comes from the Latin word meaning "death" ["mortalis"].
If one's soul has not taken up Yahweh on His proposal of marriage [agree to the Covenant]; and, if one has not submitted to His Will, going into ministry “prophesying” to dry bones …. Then David summed up your end of your world in his song of praise to Yahweh.
David’s 29th verse [some call it 30] sings, “You hide your face, and they are terrified; you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.”
Because humans are born as mortal creatures, the “valley of dried bones” is the history of the world that is the ‘vacation’ place eternal souls are condemned to return to, life after life, always having to start all over from scratch. Those souls return, all straining to drag a soul into dry bones … trying to inch it closer to hearing the prophecy of truth. And then, once again, they end up doing the same ole same ole, all over again.
Imagine being a priest of some Christian denomination, feeling so close to eternal life, only to be placed before Yahweh upon your soul's Judgment Day, listening to your soul brag about all the good you did for yourself … only to hear Yahweh ask your soul, "Why did you do so much for yourself, when I needed you to truly feed my sheep?"
Just like Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, it is not the easiest thing in the world to get the courage to say, “Yahweh who lords over my soul, you know.”
We are not playing horseshoes when we are talking about souls at stake. Close might count when it comes time to agree to a reincarnation plan - such as being born to Christian parents who actually care about their religion would be a good rebirth - but close does not earn a soul eternal life.
Over the past many weeks, I have told you about the Spirit of truth exposing new things hidden in scripture, which had a powerful impact on deepening my faith. Time and again I have revealed these amazing revelations here, hoping you will benefit from knowing what I have seen. In that way, I am “prophesying” to you, in hopes that your souls will let Jesus breathe upon you, so you “Receive Spirit” and become Saints - true Christians.
This past week, I looked closely at Psalm 104 and saw it with fresh eyes.
I must admit that in the past I have skipped over interpreting the Psalms of David, seeing them as a musical interlude between readings. I have been wrong in that approach.
In the verses sung aloud today was this:
“There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, which you have made for the sport
of it.”
Raise your hand if you have heard of the Leviathan before.
<Look for raised hands.>
In Hebrew, the word “liw·yā·ṯān,” transliterated as a proper name: “Livyathan,” is defined as “a serpent, a sea monster or dragon.” It seemingly is a creature of the deep that is a danger.
To read that word – leviathan – and realize it as metaphor makes it more difficult to fully understand. Why would David suddenly write lyrics to a song of praise that talks of a sea monster?
Raise your hand if you know what the leviathan stands for.
<Look for raised hands or shaking heads.>
To understand it, I found you have to look at the verse prior, which sings:
“Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things too many to number, creatures
both small and great.”
That is a weak paraphrase of what is written. The Spirit of truth reveals that verse to be saying “the sea” is the vast collection of souls that have married to Yahweh. They are an expanse of “hands,” as extensions of Yahweh on the earth. Those souls are too many to number, but all are all “small” souls [regardless of any human title of importance possibly obtained]. All of those small souls have united with the greatness of God.
It is then upon this "sea" of Yahweh’s "hands" – as the "hand of Yahweh" outstretched” – that “ships move upon.”
I saw those “ships” as the churches that are the institutions of religion. They leave the stability of the known world and set sail over the waves that seem as endless as the great oceans of the world. The “land” they seek is heaven.
The “ship” we sail on flies the flag of Christianity; but many different flags are represented on the ships on Yahweh's "sea" of saved souls. All who serve Yahweh can come from any background or upbringing.
The leviathan is then not a monster or sea dragon-serpent. It is the Spirit of Yahweh that fills this “sea” of souls. It is the Advocate Jesus spoke of. It is only understood as a monster to those without belief; but, to believers in a God, it is a valuable trophy that many want to capture.
Strong’s refers one to the verb “lavah” as a root for "leviathan," which means “to be joined” or “to join.” Thus, David knew that root when he wrote of “leviathan,” a word that only appears in Scripture six times: twice each in Job, David’s Psalms, and Isaiah.
In those references, this root verb brings forth the essence of a Spirit that joins with the souls of humans, making it possible to see the aspect of spiritual possession. As such, demonic possession is indeed the “serpent” that influenced Eve to sin. It is the dragon knights of King Arthur were sworn to fight against. All Christians believe Jesus had the ability to cast out demon spirits.
This makes the Leviathan be a spirit seeking to join with one's soul, which makes it natural to resist. Even when Jesus said, "I will tell the Father and he will send you an Advocate," such a promise strikes fear in the hearts of believers.
The problem is this: For as many as readily believe in demonic possession, few believe it is possible for Yahweh’s “great hand,” which is a “sea” of souls that have been “joined” with a divine presence, to be an all-possessing good thing that swims unseen in one’s being.
Think of the fear that surrounded Jonah when the sea was turbulent and he was thrown overboard from the ship, because others feared their lives would be lost. Jonah did not voluntarily jump in the water, seeking to be swallowed whole by the leviathan. Being divinely possessed means going kicking and screaming, "No!"
We fear giving up what seems to be freedom. People get 'cold feet' before weddings, because a commitment means complete sacrifice for a union.
Those souls still single, floating in the religious sanctuaries that make a living catching fish of the sea of Yahweh, they either fear the Leviathan or they want to seek it to destroy it. Not once do they consider sacrificing the pilot [a priest, bishop, or pope] of the "ship" [a church called a "nave"], as an example to all ‘deck hands’ to also sacrifice everything and leap into the dark waters.
No one calls for leaps of faith anymore.
Instead, they hunt the Spirit, like did Captain Ahab, trying to kill the great white whale – Moby Dick.
This is a statement of human fears; to not let go and allow Yahweh to take control. It is a statement why no one will leave this bus stop and go out into ministry today.
The message is written in Scripture. The Word comes from the Spirit of truth. An Apostle is a messenger of Yahweh, of the human variety.
To wait for the end times means to wait until death leaves a valley of dry bones, whose souls are destined to come back and start all over again.
Who can tell?
Maybe in the next incarnation those dry bones will await a returning soul, only to be far from the sea of religion, making it harder for a reborn soul to find its way home to Yahweh.
I wrote in depth about every reading on the schedule for today. They are all posted on this website and very easy to find. In case you want to jump off the "ship" of standardized Christianity and take a swim, be my guest.
Get out of the box.
Who knows? Maybe the leviathan will glide by and give you a nudge, reading what I was led to write?
Regardless, may the Ordinary season that follows today find you paying attention to any “prophesying” that will come to you.
Amen