Good morning bus riders!
Welcome to the fifth Sunday after Pentecost, in the Year C!
Always keep in mind that the Ordinary season after Pentecost is symbolic of when one should be traveling the road of ministry, after having ‘graduated’ from Jesus’ ‘school’ of discipleship.
In Psalm 25, which is the “Track 2” Old Testament accompaniment for today, we sing verses about being taught by Yahweh.
Verse four sings, “your manners Yahweh show me ; your paths teach me .” This says David, even as king over a nation of people, was not smart enough to be a minister of Yahweh by himself.
He had to be led divinely.
So many Christians feel the need to serve God; but they are all processed as sincere applicants for a chosen seminary or theological institution. Once they pass the discernment screening, the feelings that led them to that point – IF truly souls divinely led to serve … not political activists seeking to destroy Christianity – have to be set aside, in order to be taught standardized religious studies.
More emphasis is put on learning the history and values of one particular Church organization, than is placed on understanding Scripture. Thus, when those priests, ministers, and pastors graduate and are sent out to assigned flocks of Church-owned properties, many of them have been washed clean of those spiritual feelings that led them initially to serve God.
When a seminarian has graduated and returns to his or her home base for assignment, they are ceremoniously ordained as deacons, or priests-in-training. After some specified time of ‘on the job training,’ they are then ceremoniously deemed full-fledged ministers, priests, or pastors … all hired hands of that church organization.
None of them are ordained to serve God. They all must swear oaths to serve the head of that church organization, and follow his or her lead … as one member of that body of organization.
The Ordinary after Pentecost season is not a ceremoniously recognized title-giving event. It is a personal, spiritual and private relationship that begins with God, in the same way one’s birth into this world begins a personal, spiritual and private relationship with one’s mother. Yahweh becomes one’s Father, who teaches one’s soul how to be led divinely. That teaching is done out of love – that of a Father to a Son.
This can be easily seen in the lesson we read today in Amos.
In what the Church offers for us to read from Amos, the translation services make the Hebrew say in English, “This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?"
In that, the word “Lord” is presented three times, with “God” translated once. In verse six [not read today], we find that verse ending with Amos writing, “adonay Yahweh.” That has been repeated at the beginning of verse seven [the first verse of our reading selection today], when the actual text for verse seven says, “thus he showed me , adonay took a stance on a wall with a plumb line”.
In reality the places where we read “Lord” are inconsistent. Places where Amos wrote “adonay” are translated as “the Lord,” when the standard mistranslation of “Yahweh” is that. The word “adon” means “lord,” but “adonay” is the masculine plural noun that says “lords.”
In verse eight, where the translation says, “And the Lord said to me,” Amos wrote “Yahweh,” so the same English translation shown prior for “adonay” is the same for “Yahweh.”
In the story where Yahweh has told Amos to go prophesy to His people, to tell them of a coming destruction and deaths, we find the opposing principles of Saint and false shepherd. We find a true prophet versus a hired hand. In essence, we see the truth of one ordained by Yahweh and one ordained by blood.
The two are not the same.
This is where it is vital to discern the truth that is written, which means fully understanding “Yahweh adonay.”
Raise your hand if you have ever seen “adonay taking a stance on a wall with a plumb line.”
<Look for no raised hands.>
Neither has Amaziah. Although Amaziah wore robes and trinkets of importance; and, although he resided in a holy place and did ritual practices predetermined for him to do, which he learned from his elder relatives working in the same holy place and books he read, Amaziah had never been shown a vision of Yahweh. He had never heard the voice of Yahweh speak to him.
Amos came in speaking the truth of prophecy and Amaziah refused to listen. He would not believe such a message from God was possible … him having never experienced such divine conversation.
He heard the Word of Yahweh speak to him and he threatened Amos with death by sword, if he did not run away and never come back with messages from Yahweh.
Amos said to Amaziah, “Hey. I’m just an ordinary Joe who has faith in Yahweh. Yahweh came to me and told me what to do. Out of my faith I do what Yahweh tells me to do … without question.”
The difference between Amos and Amaziah was Amos was Spiritual married to Yahweh, with Yahweh placing within the soul of Amos His elohim Son [Adam-Jesus]. That internal elohim then became the “Lord” over Amos’ soul-body. What Amos saw visually and heard spiritually was his inner adonay, who brought to Amos the Word of Yahweh.
That inner guide made ordinary Joe Amos a true prophet of Yahweh.
Can you see this?
<Look for nodding heads.>
Good!
Now, in the story told in Amos, the “wall” shown Amos was not plumb. It was leaning over, to the point of toppling. That “wall” was every brick or stone that was from the foundation of leaders, to the ordinary Israelites making up the whole image. The plumb line made it clear how leaned that structure was.
Amos reflects the “plumb line” that was “held by adonay” – his inner guide. Amos was himself a “wall” that “stood” rightly, square and firm. When Yahweh told him to go into the midst of my people, Amos would then the example of what being plumb was.
When Yahweh told Amos to “prophesy to my people,” that meant to speak the truth of Scripture, so all those leaned over to near collapse could right themselves and become plumb through submitting their souls into divine union with Yahweh and each receiving his or her own “adonay.”
In today’s transformation that is called Christianity, we reflect the same leaned over “wall,” which is facing destruction and death. We have Church leaders – of all denominations – that proudly say, “I lean left!” or “I lean right!.” The focus placed on “I” – self-identity as a god, in the same way that Amaziah and Jeroboam thought all their political views were the ‘cat’s meow,’ were souls alone in bodies of flesh, not able to see visions of hear the Word of truth.
The ”wall” of Christianity has a foundation of leaders now that has made it no longer be plumb.
Today’s Christians do not understand the name “Yahweh.” We do not understand the word “adomay.” We memorize English paraphrases of Scripture, which means putting one’s beliefs in a manmade basket … not able to see or hear Yahweh.
The accompanying Psalm 82 is a perfect example of this dangerous lean, which nobody associated with a leaning “wall” can sense.
In verse one of David’s Psalm 82, he identified it as one of Asaph. Wikipedia has an article about the “Psalms of Asaph,” where they admit nobody knows what “Asaph” is. They conject it could be the “temple singers,” when David refused to build a temple. The Ark was within the Tabernacle [a tent] still.
The word “Asaph” means “Gatherer” of “Collector.” There are twelve Psalms of Asaph; and, each one must be read as a song designed by divine inspiration [from Yahweh to David, through his inner adonay] to “Gather” the people who followed David’s lead, so they would be divinely inspired just like he was.
To be a nation of people who were all like the king, who had been “Anointed” by Yahweh, whose Spirit was poured out upon his soul forever [that being a “Messiah,” or in Greek a “Christ”], then guess what?
The nation of Israel under David was a plumb wall! The truth of the name “Israel” was what made the people truly be “Israelites” – or “sons of Israel.” They were all “Gathered together” – a built “wall” – to be those Who Retained Yahweh as being possessed by His elohim.
Now, after David identified his Psalm 82 as one of the “Asaph” songs, verse one sings out, “elohim takes his stand [like adonay stood on a wall] in the congregation of the divine ; inward elohim he judges .”
The word “congregation” needs to be read as a group all “Gathered” together. The bond that joins them all together is they stand upright through a divine presence.
In the last verse he concludes in song, singing “arise [to stand upright] elohim judge the earth [metaphor for “flesh”]. He then sang, “for your souls shall inherit , all the people .”
This promise of “inheritance,” where “you” means the souls that give the pretense of life to otherwise lifeless flesh [or earth – dust and clay], which is to be promise to “all the people,” means “inheritance” is based on what you do towards salvation.
In between the first and last verses of David’s Psalm is verbiage that perfectly matched the opposing principles that were Amos and Amaziah. Verses three through seven paint a picture of what a “wall” that is not plumb can expect to find – “afflicted, weak, poor, wicked, unstable, walking in darkness, and like men you shall die.”
Together, Amos 7 and Psalm 82 are singing the same tune of needing to be plumb [or else]. Can you see that?
<Look for nodding heads.>
Great!
Since I don’t recognize Tracks here at the bus stop, the Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy needs to be discussed in the same light as we have seen Amos and Psalm 82.
Here, it is important to see that Deuteronomy 30 is only three chapters away from the one telling of Moses’ death. Following that comes the Book of Joshua, when the Israelites were moved into the land of Canaan, as promised.
This means Deuteronomy 30 is like Moses’ final reminders before that move; and, his instructions must be seen as Moses having been the plumb line held by his adonay, so the “wall” he built over forty years would be plumb. His reminders are then all about maintenance of that upright “wall,” so it would not succumb to worldly pressures and begin to crumble and collapse.
In the eight verses before this reading selection, Moses had recorded “Yahweh eloheka” (“Yahweh your elohim”) nine times, with verse eight finding a single “Yahweh.”
In the verses that follow this selection, to the end of this chapter, Moses had recorded three more “Yahweh eloheka.”
In these selected verses, Moses had recorded three more “Yahweh eloheka,” with another single “Yahweh.” This makes for a total of fifteen combined words that are “Yahweh eloheka,”, and three single uses of “Yahweh.”
This is not conveyed when the translation constantly says, “the Lord your God.”
The men, women and children that followed Moses into the wilderness and remained with him for two generations had come from a nation that was polytheistic. The Egyptians believed in separate gods for everything. It should be an educated assumption that there was one supreme Egyptian deity [either Osiris or Amun-Ra], who the ordinary Joe Egyptians would be told, “this is your Lord God.”
To translate the proper name given to Moses, after he asked, “What god can I say sent me?” is to be led by false priests like Amaziah. To then use “Lord” and “God” as equal [implied through both English words being capitalized] says, “We do not know either “Yahweh” or “elohim.”
When “Yahweh eloheka” is realized to say “your Yahweh elohim,” that is Moses naming the Son made by the hand of Yahweh in Eden, on the seventh day, as detailed in Genesis 2. Eleven times in that chapter is written [Moses-directed] “Yahweh elohim.” To tell the perfectly plumb Israelites, “Yahweh elohim is yours, just as This is mine,” says the key to being an upright “wall” for Yahweh is being possessed by His Son’s soul.
In verse ten, Moses reminded the people, “if you obey , voice Yahweh your elohim , to keep his commandments and his statutes , which are written in the book of law this ; if you turn to Yahweh your elohim , with all your heart and with all your soul .”
This is a core value that Jesus said was “correctly” stated by the “certain lawyer” who asked about inheriting eternal life. All this written in Deuteronomy 30:10 is conditional. It is not promised as an inheritance. It says, “IF you obey voice of your Yahweh elohim” and “IF you turn to your Yahweh elohim” completely submitting your soul to this, THEN you get what you work for.
This is the same promise that David knew and it is the same promise that Amos knew. It is, therefore, the same promise made to each of you.
Can you see this?
<Look for nodding heads.>
Good!
As the accompanying Psalm to this reading from Moses, David stated he knew the condition of promise, which is evident in his first verse that says, “into you Yahweh my soul I lift up.”
This needs to be read as a statement of submission of self – a “self” is a “soul” – such that the first-person “I” is not from the will of David, but the “I” that comes from submitting self-identity [“into you Yahweh my soul”]. David’s loss of self-importance meant the “I” that “lifted” his soul up was the presence of Yahweh’s elohim. That is the resurrection of the soul of Adam-Jesus within the soul of David.
Now, the Episcopal Church has taken verse two and joined it with verse one, which is wrong to do; but the truth of verse two is David then followed verse one’s submission of self by singing, “my elohim , in you I trust not to be ashamed ; not let triumph my enemies over me . selah”.
The possessive pronoun – “my” – implies David owned the elohim as his, when the reverse should be seen, where the elohim has become the possessor of David’s soul-body.
Again, “in you” is repeating the verse one submission that is “into you Yahweh my soul.” There, “my” is a statement of Yahweh possessing the soul of David.
This began when Yahweh made David “Messiah,” meaning “Anointed” by the outpouring of Spirit into David’s soul.
That possession is then the source of David’s faith, where “in you I trust” is the personal experience of submission to Yahweh’s elohim is the same as what Amos knew.
Amos told Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, `Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”
Just like David, Amos completely put his “trust in Yahweh,” such that it took true faith to walk into Bethel and tell Amaziah all the darkness that Yahweh told Amos was going to befall the Northern Kingdom – the collapsing wall that was not plumb.
All of that prophesying of death to come was due to the sins of Jeroboam and the people whose foundation was built on the lies of a false prophet.
David’s “trust in Yahweh” meant his soul-flesh did not have to worry about being “ashamed” from sins brought on by worldly pressures.
When David sang, “not let triumph my enemies over me,” the “enemies” were not Philistines or other Gentile tribes nearby. The “enemies” that make one “ashamed” are sins. This sys the “trust in Yahweh” was the faith that his soul’s submission to his possessing elohim from Yahweh would never let him turn away from Yahweh and towards sin.
A consistent theme stated in this song is “teaching, which leads one away from the “shame” of sins.” This directly relates to the Gospel reading, where Jesus was referred to as “Teacher.” David’s “teaching” spirit within was the same elohim soul that was Jesus’.
This takes us to the Epistle reading selection for today, which comes from Colossians 1.
In the presentation (as I see it on the lectionary site), the first three verses stand out as separate from the majority [11 verses] that follow. These first three verses are packed with deep meaning, none of which is seen. The English translation is presented like some gratuitous offers from Paul, which say, “Hey, look at me. Its famous Paul writing a letter to you guys; and, my pal Timothy says “Hi.”
That is an Amaziah presentation … derived from a false prophet that has absolutely no belief in God.
The first three verses present seventeen capitalized words, which include: “Paul,” Jesus, Timothy and Colossae.” Nobody ever reads those as divinely elevated, where the meanings behind the name shine forth.
“Timothy” means “Honoring God” or “God Values.” Connected to that name Paul wrote, “this brother.” Few people read this as “Honoring God this brother,” where being a “brother” is a statement about a “Yahweh elohim” possessing one’s soul.
In the Episcopal Church’s massive decline [the sign of a “wall” that is not plumb] they gladly present the NRSV [updated edition] as the truth of the written word, so they grovel at the feet of women, transforming the Greek written – “pistois adelphois,” which clearly states “faithful brothers” – into “faithful brothers and sisters”. To do that is to play god, as did Jeroboam and Amaziah, making up stuff they thought the people would believe, while keeping them rich and powerful as their leaders.
The words written by Paul then connect the word “brothers” to “within to Christ.” The preposition that says “en” – meaning “in (inside, within); (figuratively) "in the realm (sphere) of," as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within)” [HELPS Word-studies] – says the masculine state of relationship that makes multiple be “brothers” is soul-related, as that “within” one’s flesh. All souls are of masculine essence, because soul do not and cannot recreate souls. Souls are eternal; and, the masculine essence is of the eternal, spiritual realm.
By understanding that, it becomes selfish pomposity that would urge one’s soul in a body of flesh to change divine text, in any way – “not even one iota.” The only place “brothers and sisters” exist is as sinful fleshy bodies that have a propensity to seek sexual pleasures, while trying as hard as possible to not produce any children in that physical process. Therefore, there are no sisters in the realm of souls and spirits.
The aspect of “within to Christ” is mistaken, so people reading English translations of New Testament Greek think “Christ” is the last name of Jesus. They then read the word “Christ” and think “Jesus.” That is the ignorance instilled in their minds by false shepherds.
The word “Christ” means “Anointed,” with the capitalization being a divine spiritual “Anointment” by Yahweh. Then, like took place with David, Yahweh released an outpouring of Spirit that remained with David’s soul the rest of his days. Yahweh made David a “Messiah” by marrying his soul to Him, with a most divine Baptism of Spirit making David the equivalent of a “Christ.”
The Dative case spelling of “Christō” says those who were related as “brothers” were those souls [that “within”] that had been moved “to Christ,” which is a direction statement that says before they were not “Anointed” by Yahweh’s Spirit.
Can you see this clearly?
<Look for nodding heads.>
Great!
The capitalized words that appear like simple statements of name only appear that way to those built into a “wall” that is in danger of collapse.
The name “Colossae” means “City Of Refuge,” with the words connected to that capitalized word being found to present a statement that connects to “Honoring God [Timothy] this brother,” by saying “To this within City Of Refuge to saints kai to faithful brothers within to Christ.”
The “saints” or “sacred ones” in a “City Of Refuge” means they were just like David sang in Psalm 82, “elohim takes his stand in the congregation [Gathering] of the divine.”
Therefore, Paul wrote to “saints,” not a place in Phrygia, or modern day Turkey. That deeper meaning is seen by those who have been “Gathered” to receive Yahweh’s elohim.
In the first three verses of Colossian 1, Paul wrote the word “Christou” (3 times) – in the Genitive case [possessive] – “Christō” (twice) – in the Dative case. He wrote “Jesou” (3 times) – all in the Genitive case [possessive].
Twice Paul wrote “of Christ of Jesus,” and once he wrote “to Christ to Jesus.” Each of those two words stand separately as having divinely elevated meaning.
“Jesus Christ” – as the first and last name of one man – is nowhere to be found written in this epistle of Paul’s.
In verse seven is found the capitalized name “Epaphras,” which means “Very Lovely.” Connected to that capitalized word is found written: “just as you learned from Very Lovely , of this of beloved of fellow servant of our souls , that he exists faithful for the sake of of our souls , a servant of this of Christ .”
Verse eight ends with Paul saying, “of your souls love within Spirit .”
The focus made to “love” cannot be understood by anyone whose only knowledge (faith based on personal experience) is emotions felt by the flesh. Human “love” cannot ever begin to equate, in any way, to divine “love.”
The true definition of Yahweh’s “love” is only known through the divine possession of one’s soul by the resurrected soul of Jesus.
Jesus reborn within one’s soul is the meaning of Paul’s focus on “of this beloved of fellow servant of our souls.” Thus, then name “Epaphras”, as “Very Lovely” is a statement about the experience of that Jesus soul. A Yahweh elohim was made to be Yahweh’s “love” shared to save souls.
The Genitive case – “of” – states divine possession. This means “love within the Spirit” refers to the LOVE of Yahweh, which is His Son. The “love Spirit within” means being reborn as Jesus.
Now, every word written by Paul – in all his epistles – are divinely inspired and most deep. One cannot discuss such a lengthy reading selection as fourteen verses in the timeframe of a short homily. Therefore, I ask each of you to do your own work in discerning the truth written. Make a serious effort in that regard, and divine assistance will be returned … in some way.
The point is faith does not come from someone telling you what to believe. Faith comes from personal experience. You must do your own work to find faith.
This brings us to the Gospel selection from Luke.
It is the only place where the parable of the Good Samaritan is found.
This event must be seen as a recollection of Mother Mary, told to Luke, which is written in a non-chronological order, with the purpose being to place focus on this parable told.
A comparison should be made to the event told in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, where a known man approached Jesus, while he was spending the winter beyond the Jordan. In the version told by Luke, he refers to “a certain himself ruler,” where the Greek word for “ruler” also means “member of the assembly of elders.”
Today’s reading selection calls this man “a certain lawyer,” with the word for “lawyer” implying it was a man of wealth, who made his money from teaching Jews the meaning of Mosaic Law. That would most likely mean he was a Pharisee; and, it would imply he had connections with the Temple in Jerusalem.
This must be seen such that “certain lawyer” is the “rich young ruler,” who John wrote of in his Gospel – Nicodemus.
While not named, his name means “Victory Of The [Common] People.” He sees himself as a winner, who deserves the adulation of the Jewish people. Thus, he is young and wealthy, while being a member of the assembly of elders – the Sanhedrin.
In the question posed by this “certain lawyer,” he asks about “inheriting life eternal,” which returns our focus on David’s words saying “stand upright elohim judge the flesh ; for your souls shall inherit , all the people .” This focus alerts us that this “certain lawyer” was worried that his “wall” was not plumb, he did not understand the meaning of “elohim” and he was not a “soul of Yahweh’s,” because he thought he was of greater importance than “all the people.”
Jesus divinely knew this immediately.
What is easy to overlook, is when Jesus asked the “certain lawyer” “how do you read Scripture,” he did not read it so he could give the answer that he gave. This should be like Peter (who knew little of value) answering Jesus’ question, “Who do you think I am?” by blurting out the truth: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Neither Peter nor the “certain lawyer” was smart enough to give the answers they gave. Both were mentally controlled by the Mind of Jesus making them say what he [as the voice of Yahweh] wanted them to say.
That is why Jesus told the “certain lawyer,” “Correctly you have answered , do this [your lips just said] kai you will live [eternally].”
When Jesus said that, the “certain lawyer” realized he has spoken words he had no clue how he said them; so, when told to live up to his words, he realized, “I do not know who my neighbor is.”
When he asked, “Who is my neighbor,” this becomes the motivation for this recording in Luke 10 – to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Since all adult Christians know this story, I will not go over it in detail. I published a book entitled Explaining the Parables: In the Gospel of Luke, which does that well enough. Buy the book, read it; and, do some self-study.
What I will say now is this: There is no literal Good Samaritan. Calling the man a Samaritan was just for metaphoric purposes. Since parables never tell the truth of the purpose – naming a distant relative to the Jews is purely symbolic. A “Samaritan” reflects someone who lived nearby, but was rejected wholehearted by the Jews. The Jews of the Temple were reflected in a high priest and a Hasmonean priest [used a slaughter knife in sacrifices and cleaned up later, but not a Levite] that walked by and left the man beaten, robbed, and left for dead, without pausing one step.
The true meaning of the “Good Samaritan” is it is the soul of Jesus. The soul of Jesus only comes to revive those souls who have sacrificed their lives [symbolic death] and pray to Yahweh for Salvation.
The “neighbor” is then not someone who lives down the road, but the twin soul that lives within one’s soul – the Yahweh elohim that is the soul of Adam-Jesus.
The moral of the parable of the Good Samaritan is the only true “neighbor” that one can “love as oneself” is one’s Yahweh elohim, one’s adonay that guides one to eternal life.
This then becomes another surprise statement that says a “wall” that is not plumb, but close to collapse and ruin – like today’s modern versions of Christianity – are little more than a bunch of false shepherds and hired hands running around telling Christians to love every sinful Gentile the world has to offer, saying, “Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
Those fools say those words pretending to be little-g gods, blessing every known sin in the world, while spitting condemnations on anyone who questions their judgments, based on contradictory Scripture.
Today’s priest, pastors, and ministers routinely tell anyone who brings the truth of Yahweh before them, as one whose adonay stands to speak from their lips for Yahweh, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of “Praised,” earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at us in America-Europe-Britain-their Colonies, or anywhere that we bow down before translators of English and worship their paraphrases as truth, for those are the Presiding Bishop’s-Archbishop’s-Pope’s sanctuaries, and it is a temple of false priests to their kingdoms."
Well, the bus came and left quite some time back. I thank those of you who stayed to hear me out. Today’s lessons need to be learned. However, once the Ordinary after Pentecost reality of true ministry begins, one can no longer be restrained by the short attention spans of lost sheep.
I wish everyone a good week ahead. Remember, your Salvation is in your hands, no one else’s. To reach a goal, you have to do the work involved.
Amen