Good morning bus riders!
Welcome to the eighth Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Proper thirteen.
To sound like a Top 40 song played on A.M. radio back in the sixties, it is vital to remember that the Ordinary after Pentecost season – half of each year – symbolizes the call for ALL Christians to enter ministry.
That requires being the resurrection of Jesus, which is the symbolism of Pentecost Day. That is like graduation day, before ministry begins.
To graduate, there must first be serious work done prior – years of study and practice – so one can reach that state of preparedness. One just does not wish to be reborn as Jesus and then do nothing to make that wish come true.
The lessons for today take us more away from the acts of ministry, to see the dark side that is the distraction that keeps one from becoming totally committed to Yahweh.
True ministry is desperately needed because the world is the only place where sin can exist. The world has many more sinners in it than saints.
As nice as it is to think that entering ministry means getting a job at some church
organization, where they place you in a building that has regular attendees that want to hear preaching, that is preaching to the choir.
Ministry is not about serving an organization, which rejects those of different mindsets. Ministry is about going into the lion’s den with complete trust and faith, knowing that if Yahweh sent me here to minister, then I must face the rejection coming from souls in love with sin.
Ministry is about finding those lost souls that seek salvation.
To begin to teach one about salvation, one must be saved.
Being saved means being married to Yahweh – Anointed by His Spirit – and a soul joined with the soul of Jesus – brothers to all who are likewise led by Jesus as their inner Lord and Sons of Yahweh reborn.
The Holy Bible must be understood as a divine set of books that were all written by Yahweh, through the mouths of prophets, written precisely as Yahweh commanded.
This means the Pentateuch, the History of kings, the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Saints were all the voice of Yahweh, written by those souls in human flesh that had become married to Yahweh and the resurrection of His Son within their souls.
In today’s Track 1 and Track 2 choices [we discuss all tracks here each Sunday], we have the Old Testament selection from Hosea and the Old Testament selection from Ecclesiastes. Those are two different voices of Yahweh, written through two different servants.
Last Sunday we talked about Hosea’ first chapter, where verse one (unread) says, “Yahweh began to speak through Hosea.” Today, in Hosea’ eleventh chapter, we must assume we are reading a song coming from Yahweh, written by Hosea.
In Ecclesiastes we are reading the voice of the goddess Wisdom, whose spirit was married to Solomon’s soul. Solomon wrote the words; but Lady Wisdom is an eternal spirit created by Yahweh, who has sworn total commitment to Yahweh.
Yahweh asked young Solomon (when he became king) what gift he wanted; and, Solomon asked for wisdom. Yahweh gave Solomon his spiritual bride, who made Solomon a wife-soul of an earth-bound spirit-soul-angel.
Because Wisdom serves Yahweh and true wisdom comes from Yahweh, Ecclesiastes is written by a spirit married to Yahweh, who controlled the hand of its underline. Thus, Yahweh spoke the truth through the goddess’ influence over Solomon.
Those two perspectives – Hosea and Ecclesiastes – become divine truth written, which exposes those souls who serve Yahweh, who are ministers in the name of His Son, and those who serve self, who are ministers in the name of evil or Satan.
By realizing this subtle difference, one can see how Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Colossians; and, one can see how Jesus told a parable that exposed those who claim to serve Yahweh, when they really serve self and some other Soul guiding them.
With that setup, let’s look at the lessons of Hosea.
In this song it is easy to become distracted by the many names listed. Twice Israel is named, three times Egypt is named, twice Assyria is named, and three times Ephraim is named. This is in addition to Baals, Admah, and Zeboiim are named, with all said to be spoken by Yahweh.
The confusion comes from forgetting that Hosea was a prophet sent to the Northern Kingdom (named Israel) to speak for Yahweh. It makes one question all these other names, as to why Yahweh would speak of them.
Raise your hand if you are familiar with Admah and Zeboiim.
<Look for no hands raised.>
Those are two of the ‘five cities on the plain,’ of which Sodom and Gomorrah are the two most notable.
Last week we discussed Genesis 18 and the prophecy of the destruction of Sodom, which cause a future representation of Abraham to debate with Yahweh about why he would kill good people, just to punish evil ones.
This song of Yahweh, sung through Hosea, is a response to that fictitious reading in Genesis 18.
When you look at the meaning behind the names as being the primary intent of Yahweh speaking them, a vivid story unfolds that perfectly fits the seduction of people claiming to serve Yahweh, when their soul had actually divorced Him and married lesser gods.
The name Egypt means “Married To Tragedy.” In verse one we read Yahweh saying, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” When the meaning behind the names is inserted, this says “when a child Who Retains [Yahweh’s] elohim and I loved him ; and out of Married To Tragedy I called my son.”
That says Yahweh created Adam, as a Yahweh elohim who would save souls “Married To Tragedy” of lesser spirit possessions.
It says the theme of this chapter is the intent behind the Northern Kingdom’s leaders and people was they were supposed to be saved; but they were instead remarried to tragedy.
The name Ephraim means “Doubly Fruitful,” and in Jeremiah 37 we read of Yahweh speaking through His prophet, saying “Ephraim is my firstborn.”
The firstborn of Yahweh is Adam. Adam is “Doubly Fruitful” when his soul has become merged with a lost soul, becoming the Lord of that soul and body.
The name Ephraim means to not be “Married To Tragedy,” one’s lost soul must become married to Yahweh and have His Son’s soul be resurrected within one’s soul, making one become “Doubly Fruitful.”
In the song Yahweh sang through Hosea, he questions, “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim?”
In response to those questions, Yahweh then said, “My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim.”
This is the answer to last week’s prophecy of the future destruction of Sodom, where a false Abraham will argue against destroying the wicked, if a minimal number of good people are among them.
The wicked will be destroyed; but those in whom the soul of Adam-Jesus has made them be “Doubly Fruitful,” they will not be destroyed. They will have gained eternal life beyond death.
In the companion Psalm 107, David sang about what it takes to become one who was lost, but was rescued from a bad spiritual marriage.
He celebrates that salvation by singing, “Let all those whom Yahweh has redeemed proclaim that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.”
The “foe” is the “enemy” that is a demon spirit, while also being a soul that allows itself to be led by worldly desires. We are our own worst enemies.
When David then sang, “He gathered them out of the lands; from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south,” this says there is no one spot on earth that is where all the saved souls live.
It says “Israel” is not a spot on a map, but the state of a soul within. One “Who Retains Yahweh as one of His elohim” means a lost soul has merged with the soul of Adam-Jesus.
Sinners exist all around the world; and, Jesus was sent to Judea and Galilee because they too were like those Yahweh sent Hosea (and Amos) to warn.
David then sings of “some wandering into the desert,” away from the cities, where they were fed spiritual food and spiritual drink. They had to be in a place of dryness in order to be saved.
They had to seek salvation; and, that meant leaving fleeing from the places where lusts and desires were overwhelming influences.
The cities – like Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim – were places to be avoided.
When one receives the Spirit of Yahweh in divine union, then one is placed spiritually in a dry place, where the Son of Yahweh becomes the guard against such distraction.
After one has become prepared for ministry, with the soul of Adam-Jesus becoming the face one wears to the world, then the cities are where a minister in the name of Jesus must go.
You do not preach to the choir. You go to where lost souls are crying out for help; and, that is among the sinners who gather in large numbers live.
David then sang, “For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
That says the seekers will be found by the ministers in the name of Jesus.
To see in recent weeks how Amos was sent to the false high priest of Israel – Amaziah – who prophesied of the coming destruction of King Jeroboam – this is why Yahweh began speaking through Hosea (and others).
When Israel was under David, whose soul was married to Yahweh, the people lived up to the name: “those “Who Retained Yahweh as His elohim”. When David died, he had been allowed to sin (like Adam and Eve were needed to be kicked out of Eden). His son of his wicked deeds – Solomon – would become the King of Israel.
When Solomon was a boy, he was visited by Yahweh in a dream, when he was asked what he wanted from Yahweh. He requested wisdom.
Solomon’s soul was given his wish; and, the goddess Wisdom became his soul’s spiritual wife. Solomon, unlike his father, was not one “Who Retained Yahweh as one of His elohim.”
Solomon retained a worldly goddess. Thus, the people of his nation were no longer led to marry their souls to Yahweh, as they had been under David.
Solomon led them to seek Wisdom as their guide. Those who didn’t were called “fools.”
In Ecclesiastes 1, verse two, we read of “vanity of vanities.” The Hebrew word rooted in that actually translates as “vapor of vapors.”
To read, “vanity of vanities, says the teacher, vanity of vanities. All is vanity” says this the “teacher” – Lady Wisdom, not Yahweh – leads souls to be nothing more than a lot of hot air – bad breath.
The Hebrew word “hebel” has accepted translations in various places in the Old Testament that say it means: “delusion, emptiness, futility, nothing, useless, and worthless.” This is the root meaning of “vanity.”
These words of wisdom were spoken by Lady Wisdom, through her obedient soul in the flesh of Solomon.
The lesson says marrying a soul to a lesser spirit than Yahweh is “vain.”
Having a Big Brain is “useless,” if one’s goal is salvation.
Wisdom instructed Solomon to write about his quest for wisdom while king. He said, “to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.”
The words translated as “under heaven” should be read as intending to mean the “secrete and hidden workings of the spiritual.” The translation as a capitalized “God,” connecting to words saying “given to human beings” actually says this: “has given elohim the sons of man.”
This means Wisdom explained that the troublesome work given to Solomon was due to his “Marriage To Tragedy” and the “elohim” that has created “sons of humanity.”
The work involved trying to make a Big Brain causes headaches. The “sons of humanity led by demon spirits” struggle to squeeze all this knowledge into one organ atop their heads.
Those who are truly “Israel” do not have to slave for wisdom. It is freely given to them as needed, immediately. However, for someone like Solomon, his attempts to solve the riddles of everything “under the son” was like “chasing after wind.”
It was not Solomon who said he hated all this toiling for wisdom, it was the spirit he had married. It was her who said, “to those who come after me -- and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish?”
This should be seen like the young girl who was possessed in Macedonia, used by Roman citizens to benefit from her psychic wisdom. Paul cast out that possessing spirit, because she followed then declaring the truth: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
To have people seek to be saved because they heard a girl oracle speak those words meant those who would seek salvation through Paul and Silas would likewise be unknown factors. Were they wise to seek salvation through an oracle? Or, were they fools who sought salvation as seekers whose souls felt the presence of Yahweh in the souls of Paul and Silas?
When Wisdom led Solomon to conclude: “For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity,” this says there is no true comfort that comes from ‘having figured out what one needs to be saved.’
Instead of joy from the light of truth being shown one’s soul (the days), one feels pains – the headaches from thinking too much.
Everything one thinks should result in happiness is wrong.
The symbolism of “night” is the darkness, where the light of truth is absent. It is metaphor for “death,” which is when the best laid plans of mice and men bring no “rest” from worry.
It says there is no inner Yahweh elohim that tells one, “Do not fear. Your soul is saved.”
In the companion Psalm 49, David sang in verses: “My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding” and “For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they perish and leave their wealth to those who come after them.”
That says Yahweh is true wisdom. The work done as His wife-soul is amazing and leads a soul to seek more revelations, without ever having to question anything.
The aspect of seeking wisdom from a source other than Yahweh is that quest is for personal benefit and profit.
Solomon is known for having made Israel a jewel of a nation, which was rich from the wisdom Solomon had been given. However, as would be seen after Solomon’s death, when two nations split, the wealth was left “to those who came after him.”
Judah sought not to follow the ways of Solomon, preferring to return to the ways of David.
David sang, “The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, and boast of their great riches? We can never ransom ourselves, or deliver to God the price of our life”. This becomes a mirror of the Solomon who would come and go; and, it becomes a model of the rich man of the parable told by Jesus in Luke 12.
This says no soul can redeem itself from it sins. Only Yahweh can do that.
The words written that are translated as “deliver to God” actually say, “set to elohim a price of life.” In that, “to elohim” is to a worldly spirit, such as Wisdom.
For all the devotion Solomon had in his “teacher” of wisdom, all the wealth he gained during his reign could not be used in payment for his rejection of Yahweh.
The only way to redemption is through Yahweh.
Paul wrote of this in his letter to the true Christians of Colossae. He said clearly, “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
In the eleven verses we read from Paul’s letter, three times he wrote some form of “Christ.” Twice he wrote some form of “God.” Not once did he write the name Jesus. His use of “Christ” cannot – must not – be read as ‘the last name of Jesus.’
By seeing the contradiction of Hosea speaking what Yahweh told him – without question – and seeing how Solomon wrote what the goddess Wisdom told him – without question – it is important to see Jesus worship in the same light of those worldly spirits that marry our souls and lead us away from salvation.
We cannot be ‘raised in Jesus.’ We can only be “raised in Christ,” where the Greek word “Christos” means “Anointed.” To be “Anointed” can only come from Yahweh. to be a “Christ” means one’s soul has married Yahweh.
When one has been “Anointed” by Yahweh, then one’s soul in its body of flesh has become “seated at the right hand of God,” as His instrument of service on earth.
Paul then said, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
This means the things of the earth are Jesus teaching and Jesus hanging dead on a Roman crucifix.
Things that are “above” are spiritual. This is the mind of Christ, which is led by the soul of Yahweh’s Son being resurrected spiritually within one’s Baptized clean soul.
When the resurrection of Jesus in one’s soul makes the soul of Jesus one’s brother AND one’s Lord, then “you have died” of self-ego – no quests for a Big Brain and the profits of Wisdom – “and your life is hidden” behind the presence of Jesus, “with Christ in God.”
Paul did not directly name Jesus; but Jesus is the necessary addition that is sent by Yahweh into His wife-souls, after they have become His wives via receipt of His Spirit – the Baptism of the “Anointment.”
Paul then wrote, “When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory,” this again names Jesus covertly. We cannot seek to be Jesus; but as a seeker of salvation, “Yahweh Saves” means He will send His Son’s soul for that purpose.
The inner whispers of Yahweh’s Son tells our soul we have gained eternal life and that we will enter ministry in the name of Jesus, as a Christ, with the presence of Jesus within one’s “glory.” It is the “honor” bestowed by Yahweh to His wife-souls.
Paul then went on to state what would be prevented by this inner Lord. All of the trappings of sin will be avoided.
When Paul said there will be no divisions or separate classes of people – only souls saved by marriage to Yahweh – this states the oneness of the Trinity, where the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all gathered together.
This storage of divinity should be seen as relative to the story told in Luke 12, which is called the Parable of the Rich Fool.
In the translation presented by the NRSV it is confusing to see how someone asking Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance has anything to do with him then telling a parable about a rich man who tried to save up enough wealth to “eat, drink, and be merry.”
The confusion comes from the first verses not being about someone wanting his physical brother to divine a physical inheritance – left by a deceased father – so he could have some.
The first verses are speaking spiritually about a soul having been merged with his “brother” soul, who is the soul of his inner Lord. The inheritance is like that asked of Jesus by the young rich man, when he asked Jesus to tell him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
When you think about it, had the question asked by the NRSV translation meant to ask what the translation implies, Jesus would have told him, “I have not come to change the Law, but to fulfill it.” Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
The laws governing the eldest son getting the inheritance of a dead father was not something Jesus came to change. So, what could he say to a brother who followed the law?
Nothing.
That is why the words written have to be seen relating to a question about one soul being governed by a spirit that his soul has married. The question is then a man hollering to Jesus about being like Hosea or Solomon, whose voice has been silenced, in a quest for eternal life inheritance or a quest for physical life wealth.
Can you see this?
<Look for nodding heads.>
Good!
When Jesus responded to this question, his saying “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions,” this was addressing a soul’s desire to divorce Yahweh and think one’s soul is free to play the field and return to the ways of sin, like it had lived before gaining a “brother” who held the “inheritance” of eternal life in his hands.
When Yahweh asked young Solomon what his wish would be, his asking for wisdom was a form of greed or “covetousness.” Rather than expect Yahweh to always lead him to do the right thing and benefit from that guidance, Solomon wanted all the power of wisdom to be his. He wanted to divide his birthright to heaven (as a son of King David) with his own right to figure out what was best for him and his kingdom.
This is how we all are when we are sinners. Knowing (as professed Christians) that we should submit our souls completely to Yahweh and become his faithful wife-souls, we constantly rise up from the crowd and complain to Jesus, “But that doesn’t allow me to have any fun! Make it stop.”
This is how all the modern leaders who falsely say, “If Jesus were alive today, I am sure he would embrace homosexuality and abortion rights and ban the death penalty” … on and on and on.
The parable of the rich fool tells us how we – as professed Christians – have the whole earth before us, as ours to grow whatever life we want.
Call that ‘free will.’ It is the freedom to find out what sin is all about, up close and personal.
For us sinners who find religion as our means to seek some sense of solace for our sins, we hear about self-sacrifice for Yahweh and being reborn as His Son, but that storage facility – our individual souls – is seen as too puny to do all that we are expected to do, to gain eternal life – the inheritance of salvation.
So, we become engaged to some worldly spirit – like the goddess Wisdom – and we make grandiose plans that allow us to not only sin, but increase our sins, so we have time to “eat, drink, and be merry” before we make the decision to say, “Enough is enough. Now, I will commit my soul to Yahweh and prepare for my inheritance of eternal life.”
Jesus says, “That is the problem Solomon had. When death comes, it always comes before we have reached a Big Brain decision that enough is enough.
We become the “Fool” that must leave everything behind, without finding the reward of eternal life in heaven. Instead, a soul that is so foolish finds reincarnation (probably back with less physical advantages to work with than before) or worse. Worse means being condemned to eternally live in the darkness of Satan’s realm.
The lessons of today ask each of us, “Are you Hosea of Solomon? Are you committed to Yahweh and filled with His Spirit as were David and Paul? Or, are you crying out to Jesus to let you sin and have fun, before the time to commit to divine marriage to Yahweh comes around?”
The answer can be seen in Jesus’ parable about the Prodigal Son. He asked for his inheritance before his father was dead; and, he was given full right to have his cake and eat it too.
He squandered everything.
It is nothing new.
We sinners never want to stop sinning. We want to have as much as we can, before we fully commit to Yahweh.
We have to be raised in Christ, before we can become a virgin womb in which will be resurrected Yahweh’s Son.
I see the bus is pulling into the stop ow; so, I will end here.
Please ponder what I have said. Do your own homework to see for yourselves what the truth of the written word is.
I wish everyone a good day and week ahead. I look forward to meeting you again next Sunday.
Amen