The Four Gospels

First of all I would like to say that this course was very interesting and thought provoking. To be able to choose just one specific area is going to be difficult but I would like to talk about the book of Mathew.

It’s interesting to first note that the gospels are not placed in order in the bible, but rather in the order of what makes sense. I was looking at the estimated dates of when the gospels were written and discovered that the gospel of Mark was actually written first, followed by Luke, then Mathew and finally John.

However, having said this, I find Luke to be the least in depth of all the gospels and Mathew to be the most detailed. I seemed to be constantly drawn toward the book of Mathew for the main reason that it’s the first book in the New Testament and has often been unofficially declared the “New Genesis”, meaning that it is the book that sets the foundation for the New Covenant.

Upon reading the book of Mathew we see that it starts with the outline of Jesus’ lineage demonstrating that His return was indeed foretold from the very beginning, in fact it was talked about in the book of Genesis. In fact it is quickly understood that Jesus is God incarnate and that He is coming to live as man so that He can fulfill the promises for the new kingdom, Jesus has to become a human and live among men not as a rich man but as a man of humility, He is born of a virgin whose husband is a carpenter. This picture of humility is illustrated many times throughout the bible as it is the spirit that is more important, the body is just a temporary shell and as we know, God does many great works through those who are looked down upon by the world. Jesus was no different, He was disrespected by many in His time but He demonstrated great faith and continued to share His teachings to all who would listen. Despite what people thought and said, Jesus was to become the new Adam except this time to live a life that was sinless, in a sense, cleaning up Adam’s mess!

The first part of Mathew talks about the birth of Christ and the visitation of the 3 Magi or Priests. We see right from the get go that Jesus was threatened with death by Herod so He had to be taken to Egypt until it was safe to return to Nazareth.

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin paves the way for Jesus saying to the people that the Messiah is coming and when He does come, Jesus is baptized by John. We see that in order for the new covenant to succeed, Jesus has to experience all that man has had to experience, including being tempted for 40 days and nights by the devil. What this demonstrates is that Jesus not only became human but it shows that with the faith that Jesus had in His father, man can overcome anything, this is important because in order for Jesus to truly understand what man is, He has to become what man is, including the experiences of man.

After Jesus calls His first disciples, he travels throughout the land performing miracles, which included healing the sick and raising the dead. This is also the time when Jesus lays down the law, so to speak, starting with the beatitudes and reaffirming that the law will indeed be upheld until the end of time and if any of the laws or commandments are broken, they will be called least in the kingdom, but for those who practice and teach the laws, will be great.

Jesus, for those who may have had a memory lapse, provided some refresher courses around the commandments so that all knew what had to be done. Jesus also taught about other things that must happen, from practicing humility, feeding the hungry, loving your enemies, fasting and prayer, just to name a few.

The book of Mathew is a book of great wisdom and is an instruction manual for eternal life and riches. Jesus had never ending wisdom and that wisdom He taught through parables, in fact the book of Mathew is the first we see of the parables and we see 14 of them, the other gospels talk about the parables but in less detail. The idea behind the parables is that if you have the “eyes and ears” needed, meaning the true faith of God, you will understand Jesus’ parables. I have found this in my personal life as I have grown in my faith. When I first started out reading the New Testament, I didn’t really understand, I saw Jesus’ parables as really confusing stories, but now, I have re read them and they make a lot of sense, the depth of such wisdom in them is unparalleled anywhere else, in fact many times in Mathew we see the disciples asking Jesus what He meant by His many stories. This has always been a surprise to me, even after they saw Jesus perform such wondrous miracles, they still questioned their faith and they still questioned Him, can you imagine!

As part of Jesus’ ministry, we see Him cast out demons and thus we have the first exorcisms recorded, and with His great teachings, the disciples learned to do the same thing. This demonstrates and foreshadows on a smaller scale, the predicted defeat of Satan, the defeat that will signal the beginning of the new kingdom.

Mathew is also the book where we see the great sermon on the mount, when Jesus knows that His end is near and He has gathered all in the land to pass on the things that must be done in order for the new kingdom to be successful. The sermon on the mount is what Christians should be abiding by today…He basically has said that we are the body of Christ and that it is important for us to go forth as the arms of Christ and reach out to all that need to be saved, helped and healed. This sermon is probably one of the most important ones in the entire bible and I would say that this is the “backbone” of Christianity.

Jesus demonstrates a couple of times in this book, the awesome power of faith and prayer, specifically demonstrated with Him feeding the five thousand and the four thousand; during these times, Jesus goes off on His own and prays to God demonstrating to the people that God is indeed their provider, as a result all of the people were fed with food left over.

As we approach the end of Mathew, Jesus predicts His death, a death that has to happen in order to fulfill the new covenant. He gives 3 of His disciples a “sneak preview” of what is to come at the resurrection, but He is sure to tell them not to say anything until He has risen. Jesus foretells who is going to betray Him and later as we see, is subsequently arrested, all for things He didn’t do. When looking at this, Jesus is also teaching that just by being a Christian, we will be unjustly persecuted as He was but if you have faith and do not deny Christ, you will enjoy glorification in Christ’s name and have eternal life.

In the final chapters of Mathew we see the fruition of Jesus’ prediction and He is put to death on the cross and 3 days later He rose from the dead in His entire splendor, fulfilling the predictions from Christ Himself.

The book of Mathew is a fantastic book, a book filled with such great wisdom that despite the number of times you read it, there are many treasures to be unearthed. It is a book of hope, of awe, of wonder and excitement, it is a book of things to come, and it is “the new beginning”.

Rev. Jason Casey

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

St. Paul

To spend 20 weeks in the study of St. Paul or NOT?, was the question I asked myself twenty weeks ago when I was deciding which class I wanted to take next. 

To complete the PhD program I needed 60 hrs and I had already taken the classes I knew I would like, so I took this the Study of Saint Paul by default, telling myself after all Paul was a man who could "almost" make a complete change in his life patterns when shown an enlightened and better way.

Peter and especially St. Paul. were two of the early Christian leaders I felt the least passion for as I studied the history of the Bible. Both Peter and Paul appeared to have turned the axes of the Christian church away from bestowing honor to humankind by balancing ones self with both male and female energy. Thus, the study of Christian church often appears with an aggressive, "power hunger" ego nature, verses a loving, forgiving,, nurturing, peaceful, soulful nature. Governments from which the church had controlled for many years were also ego center and aggressive. After all, most wars were and still are about power to control or religion views (the one and only "right ones"). Peace, that should come with a spiritual enlightened life has yet to be discovered, for the most part, by those of us who call ourselves Christians. Females, until lately, have always been degraded, and even still the movement forward is slow. Attacks, excommunication or even death awaited anyone that so much., as even questioned the creeds or rules of the Christian church. Fortunately, early founders of the United States of America had the foresight to see that the United States constitution took the control of government away from the church. As our citizens were given a free education, at least through the 12th grade, and more and more make the decision to attend college, humankind is regaining it’s female energy from knowledge and the wisdom about the need for balance, the rights of all, and a need for peace if we wish to survive as a world rather than little groups, here and there, pitting against one another for power as each wipe out the other.

After the completion of this study I came to realized Paul himself faced a struggle with the Jews with all of their many rules, narrow mindedness and a need for control when he tried to establish the Christian faith in honor of the teachings of Jesus. Paul was very aware that Jesus saw all men as equal both slave and master, rich and poor, and he also had to see the female was equal to the male, where he liked it or not. Paul does make a point to let us know his views of marriage and perhaps about females in general are his own, not the teachings of Jesus. Perhaps having this weakness of his own flesh enabled him to work more patiently with some of the communities of the early Christian church that wanted to keep the new church strongly leaning in the path of the older teachings of the Jewish community. "Old dogs have problems learning new tricks" as the saying goes, even though they may appreciate and even understand that the new tricks lead to as a better path. In my driving patterns, I can at least have compassion with Paul as I often choose to travel the old rural route rather than take the new modern bypass.

I especially, liked the last class of the course on Spiritual Gifts. As a young age of six and even more as I became an adult, I have been a prophetic dreamer - dreaming of things before they happen and being told how to deal with them when it dose happen. Often I am given a wiser view in which to see the tragic event so that it was not near as traumatic without the knowledge of the dream. At first, I was often troubled by these dreams and asked God not to send them. For a while they actually stopped, but as I grew older and wiser I came to see there was no need to fear these dreams in the least. If flowers need rain, as well as sun, so do we humans. The dreams have returned and now when problems come I asked not. "Why me Lord?" but "What can I learn and how can I grow from this?"

Two days before the 9/11 attacks I saw them in a dream. When a colleague called, "Come quick! Look what just happened," I ran to the television screen to see the second tower hit and knew this was what I had seen in my dream. An angel had appeared as the ashes came down upon my head and feet, telling me to get up and go read from the Bible a passage from Lamentations. (The night of the dream I had awaken and rose from bed the find passage and it read something to the affect, - An Jerusalem shall be destroyed but it will be built even stronger. ) The angel in the dream continued to tell me I had used my own painful childhood to seek God all the more and had found the love and peace within I searched for, and that as tragic as this event would be I was to send love and blessings to both sides, the attackers and those attacked, for both were in pain and needed to know the positive energy of love, for perfect love cast out all fear. The day of the real attack, I stood and watched in tears and horror but even at that moment I sent love to both sides. I have continued to teacher others from that point forth, that hurt people, hurt people, and that the negative energy of fear only attacks more fear. However, love and forgiveness can break the chain of both fear and hurt.

Reading this last lesson on Special Gifts, I came see my dreams are nothing less or more than special gifts from God that I am to use like a great singer to lift the spirits and hopes of others. 

In the last few years another of my reoccurring dreams is where I am in a play ground with a partner "see sawing" and I am loving it as if I am a child again. I am thrilled both at being lifted into the sun and the big blue sky, and in love lifting my partner for those brief moments, as well. Then an angle appears and stands in the middle of our "see-saw" and holds us both in perfect balance. We are told to close our eyes, and to slowly breath in and out and then to hold the breath and feel the perfect stillness of balance,. Then the angle continues with advice. "Life is not just about the ups and downs but the perfect stillness - the balance that always takes two. Now as I step off, the two of you balance together," the angel directs us. We do and it is good! 

Perhaps the time has come for all humankind to find balance amidst our ups and downs - the yearnings of our souls for perfect peace -Divine Love where "Self" includes all things created on this universe as One Whole, be it male, female, communities, nations or humankind and the flowers, trees, rivers, birds or the sun that greets all with rays of warmth.

Rev. Linda Francis

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Mystical Christianity

I usually take 3 to 4 classes at a time and I open my favorite classes first and Mystical Christianity is always my first lesson to open and read each week. Last year I became interested in the imbalance of the white man's female and male inner emotions as seen by the red man, the American Indians and the effect it had had upon society as a whole. In their tradition there is a legend that the red man will help the white man reclaim himself with balance and save mankind from destruction. As I began to read on this subject I learned that many faiths point to this same turning point and most give a date around 2012. Thus, this class was of great interest to me in learning more about the subject, since of my own dreams were pointing in this direction, as well. I was surprised to learn that details in my dream journals were much like the lectures, books, classes and spiritual teachings of these ancient people from all around the world.

At the same time I was going through great emotional problems in the death of my beloved husband and many health problems that forced me to give up a job I dearly loved and was very good at in counseling children. At first, I could not believe so much misfortune was coming my way all at once, for I felt God had called me to work with children and now I did not have the health to do so. Between the angel that kept appearing in my dreams and this class I have come to accept that I am where I am supposed to be and not to worry about it. Each time a large sum of money was needed for a bill that I owed, I have surrender it to the universe and just before it was due the money showed up from some unexpected source, but also just before it did I would have this inner voice telling me the money was coming.

I am no longer upset over having to give up my joy either. I am seeing the whole so called problem with new vision. Having the health problems that kept me from working on a public job has allowed me much free time at home, writing, painting, reading and enriching my spiritual life in a very personal way. Even thought I felt my calling was to help others it seemed the angels on high needed me right where I was, bound at home so they could help me grow in my spiritual faith of appreciation for simple things of joy. I have learned the art of living in the "Now," not in the past or the future, but finding beauty in my garden, the sound of the rain or birds outside my window, and while I having been living with less in some ways, it seemed to be I had more joy than in all my life before. Also, my grief lifted about my late husband. An angel in a dream came and told me all I grieved for in my loss of him was nothing more or less than the way he allowed God to show through him and that was in me as well by just honoring my highest self. This course has helped listen to these angels in my dreams and to let go of my fears.

Even before my late husband's death an angel appeared telling me I was going to be very unhappy that my husband would be departing but that I was not to give up on life, and wish to go with him for my best and most useful days ahead were yet to come. After my husband’s death he came in my dreams telling me a time was coming soon that I would teach what he taught and showed me for the world needed what I had to share. What he showed me with his example of serene peace was there was no room in this world for guilt, shame, and fear but only non-judgment, forgiveness and unconditional love. 

I have no idea the direction my life is to take, the present is still full of physical pain and if I was the same person I was before I took this class I would be living in much fear and depression, but somehow each little weekly lesson has moved me closer to trusting the dreams, and inner voice that comes and promises me I will walk again without pain and teach and guide in a way even more productive in the past. I have an inner peace even in the middle of the storm for I find beauty and love in each moment in some small way and know the energy I honor will come back to me. I no longer ask, "Why me Lord?" I asked, "Now, Lord how can I grow stronger and learn from this?" And yes, I am learning, growing and living in love and peace even in the middle of the storm of life and perhaps soon I will be up and about teaching others to do the same.

By Rev. Linda Francis

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

The Four Gospels

The four gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in it's original Greek text gives the reader a better understanding and chance to interpret the events that took place with the gospels and Christ.

With Matthew, one of the ideas that made me stop and think about the wisdom of Christ was when he was with his students in Israel. As he was seated at the table in his house with tax collectors and godless people, with Jesus and his students. The Pharisees said: why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and godless people? Jesus replied: It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. My interpretation of this is that I'm here to help those that need help with understanding the word of god. Another example was when Jesus said: Don't judge, so that you won't be judged ; you will be sentenced to the same sentence you sentence others, and by whatever standard you measure you will be measured. In our days, as well as then, it is hard not to pass judgment on our fellow man. I will have to make an effort to not judge others and remember that there is only one force in our world to do just that.

It is hard for me to except that Jesus had such awesome power to cure the sick with every disease and every infirmity while making his rounds of all the towns and villages, in their synagogues, proclaiming the good word of the kingdom of god. I sometimes wonder if some of these "miracles" were maybe exaggerated a little when written. The twelve students he refers to are the twelve apostles, one of which is Matthew the tax collector.

According to Mark, John came along, bathing others in the wilderness and announcing the washing of a changed heart for the forgiveness of wrongs is the first Baptisms being held in the Jordan river. The people of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were admitting their mistakes and John was washing away their sins. I'm glad there's fast food restaurants today, because John's diet of locusts and wild honey would get old fast for me.

Luke's account of Joseph and Mary from the town of Bethlehem is very interesting. Because of a census of the world by Caesar Augustus, everyone was to be registered to their own home town. Joseph was from the city of David and was registered with Mary as his fiancee, who was pregnant. Here, she bore her son, her first born, in a grain crib. A messenger of the lord came and gave the good news that a savior was born to the city of David. This account sounds like the story told so many times at Christmas every year.

John tells the story of Jesus washing the feet of his students, Peter has a problem with the lord washing his feet. Jesus replies that he is just setting the example. He also knew who would betray him. He dunks a piece of bread and offers it to Judas Simon Iscariot. What a toast that must of been.

I learned a lot of important wisdom by reading this book, and I know that it will help me in my daily endeavors. I can only hope that the wisdom of Christ will shape my life and make me a better human being.

Rev. Robert Kenneway

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