Morning Meditation
20 minutes of Relaxation Response meditation (IAO)
Bible Reading: Matthew 16-18
Here Yeshua starts to prepare his followers for His impeding crucifixion. Moses and Elijah appear and spend the day with the apostles--although Yeshua also says that Yokhannon (John) the Essene was the return of Elijah referred to in the Old Testament (I learned "Yokhannon" today; I'll try to be consistent in using it). Although some people take issue with a passage in Mt 16 where Yeshua states that "There are men who stand here who will not taste death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom," the real problem should be with Elijah.
After all, Yeshua appeared to his followers in a blinding light after His crucifixion; "appearing in his kingdom," as it were. However, the re-appearance of Elijah is supposed to herald the end of the world.
Self-Hypnosis
Autogenic Arm Relaxation
My right arm is very heavy. (x5)
My left arm is very heavy. (x5)
Both my arms are heavy as lead. (x5)
Everything is normal. (x3)
These autogenic exercises I'm doing are from a book called Power Hypnosis by Pierre Clement. Good luck finding a copy--it's been out of print for years. Autogenic induction seems to have gone out of vogue.
I found this book when my parents moved and cleaned out some of their storage; I had previously used it to good effect when I was in high school and college. I wish I had continued my practice--but I fell out of a lot of good habits in Boot Camp, I'm afraid. The skill of self-hypnosis is not coming back to me as quickly as I first acquired it, but it is returning.
Afternoon Meditation
20 minutes of Relaxation Response meditation (IAO)
QC-LBRP-QC
Although I'm not currently affiliated with any Rosicrucian bodies, I'm going to try to start working Rosicrucian exercises back into my daily routine. I don't think it will be much of a problem... at least until I register for classes in September! For right now, I'm limiting myself to one session daily.
Freemasonry
Blue Lodge
We did a first-degree initiation tonight. I didn't participate this time, but I did get the recommendations I needed to enter the Scottish Rite in December.
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13 comments:
Ok, G.P., can you explain to me about the name, "Yokhannon" ?
Also, the thing about Elijah/John... is very confusing to me... Jesus didn't outright say that John WAS actually Elijah (the disciples just took him to mean that?)... I mean John was BORN... So that would be like riencarnation, wouldn't it? Wait, ok, I just looked at Matthew 11:14 Jesus said, "And if you are willing to accept it, he (John) is the Elijah who was to come."
What does "the" Elijah mean? Maybe a symbol? Not the "original" Elijah who was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire....
Why does the coming of Elijah herald the end of the world? Are you talking about those "Two Witnesses" in Revelation 11 who prophesy and have power to bring pleagues?? and then they are are killed and lay dead in the streets for 3 days and then come back to life and everyone is terrified?
For some reason I was always under the impression that these men were Elijah and Enoch... both of who did not die, but were taken directly to Heaven....because they had a job to do later... ??
Sigh! It is too early in the morning for Bible study! I like to read at night! :O !
"Yokhannon" is the original Aramaic name translated as "John" in the KJV--just as "Yeshua" was translated as "Jesus."
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Malachi 4
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD;
Matthew 17
10 And his disciples asked him, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?
11 Jesus answered, saying to them, Elijah will come first, so that everything may be fulfilled.
12 But I say to you, Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, and they did to him whatever they pleased. Thus also the Son of man is bound to suffer from them.
13 Then the disciples understood that what he had told them was about John the Baptist.
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Let's save the Revelation of John for later... :)
:/
But I thought John was "the voice in the desert saying, "Prepare the way of the Lord!"."
This is confusing to me... If Jesus was talking about Elijah as a symbol or talking about him as actually being Elijah (reincarnatied????).
Whereas, I think if he was one of the 2 witnessess in Revelation, that would not be reincarnation... but just two men who had been taken to Heaven, put back down on Earth again!!
Also, how is Jesus coming to earth to be born, die, and raise from the dead, "the great a terrible day" ??? That is the GOOD and HAPPY day! It is the terrible day when He comes back to destroy the world!
Err! But, ok, G.P., if you promise to talk about Revelation later, I will wait. :P
*did you look at my nuthatch blog!? >:/
There's no record of John's birth. There's nothing to say that he wasn't sent straight from God to spread the news... and Jesus' testimony that that's exactly what happened. And in fact, Elijah is sent straight from God again in that chapter, along with Moses, to speak with Jesus and His disciples.
The Resurrection isn't the great and terrible day of the LORD; that's Judgement Day (just as you said). All that Malachi says is that Elijah will appear and talk to people before that happens. So presumably, if John WAS Elijah, Judgement Day would have been imminent at the time of the Christ.
Hmmm..... But Elizabeth was pregnant with John! Remember how he jumped in her womb when he heard Mary's voice??
How come in my translation, Jesus said John was the Elijah (making me think He meant a symbol). Because I have a bad translation??
Are you saying judgement day maybe already happened? How could that be? Then why are we still here?
???
*you think birds are boring, don't you? >:/ You didn't read about my nuthatch.
Oh, yes, I'd forgotten about Luke... But Elizabeth was barren and given a child by an angel; assuming that the child was to be Elijah reborn, that's not really reincarnation the way most people think of it.
*And* the LORD (I feel so silly writing that) said that John would carry "the spirit and the power of Elijah." If I carried "the spirit of Elijah," wouldn't I BE Elijah?
I don't believe in Judgement Day. I'm simply pointing out what I feel to be the most logical interpretation of the text. :)
Yes, I DO think birds are boring (present company excluded, of course). But I will read your blog. I just can't visit MySpace from work.
LOL! You are killing me! Why do you feel silly saying "the Lord"?? I don't understand....
I will have to re-read about Elizabeth. I just thought the Lord allowed her to become pregnant in her old age (through regular methods... like Sarah with Abraham)....Not that an angel actually gave her a child...
And I have the Holy Spirit in me, which is the Lord's Spirit... but I am not the Lord! But maybe that is not a right comparison....
Tisk tisk!!! Birds are not boring, G.P.! You say that because you just don't know! You are assuming wrongly. Everyone who doesn't know, and puts up a feeder because someone encouraged them to, will soon find that birds are delightful... each species with its own personality! Plus they are just pretty. What would the world be without their song? You would find that you would be sad. I wish you would just believe me and give it a try... They might even eat some black widows for you!
(btw, didn't you like that Leonard Cohen vid?? I LOVE it!)
If you look more closely at your Bible, you will see that it is not "the Lord," but "the LORD." The explaination should be in the beginning of the Bible, in the translation notes: "the LORD" is how the KJV team decided to get around the unpronounceable name of God ("YHVH"). When the Bible says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD in vain," what it is really saying is that no one but the Jewish high priest in a special ceremony on High Holy Day is allowed to pronounce the name "YHVH." (In fact, the correct pronunciation has been lost).
No, I don't think that one can correctly compare the Holy Spirit and the spirit of a person...
Yes, I'm sure the birds would love to eat my spiders.
And then poop them all over my car...
Wow! You just taught me something, G.P.! Thank you! I just read about it in the beginning of my Bible! I guess my eyes and brain just never picked up on the capital letters! (though they are still smaller than the "L").
NIV does annoy me because it doesn't capitalize the "H" in any "He" or "Him" when referring to God.
G.P., you don't have to hang the bird feeder anywhere near your car! We have a vehical, you know... and it isn't covered with bird poo! You just are making excuses!
And I guess you didn't like the vid I sent you. lol! When you don't answer me, that means you don't like whatever I was talking about! ? lol!
It just means that I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. When I do, I'll let you know what I think. I'm sure I'll enjoy it, though!
There is nowhere in my yard that isn't near my car... I have a very small yard!
I just always think that if you approved a comment you already watched it. Sorry!! But yeah, let me know if you like it! :)
Drat! Now I know you will never hang up a feeder. :( I give up!
Hahaha!
My mission is complete!!!
:p
oh, :P !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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