Blog Posts containing "in"

Year A Second Sunday Sunday in Lent Bottom Line Meditations

OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 12:1-4a Literal Religion: God called Abraham to leave his homeland to go to a country He will show him. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” Spiritual grace: God calls us to leave our worldly homeland to go to a spiritual country He will show within us. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” Can you feel the difference?  Read more


Year A First Sunday in Lent Bottom Line Meditations

OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 2:15-17 Literal Religion: To “die” is physical. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. The serpent said to the woman, “You will not die.” Spiritual grace: To “die” is spiritual death. (They both died spiritually not physically). Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. The serpent said to the woman, "You will not die.” Can you feel the difference? Legalism is a five mile walk punctuated with disappointments!  Read more


Year A Transfiguration Sunday Bottom Line Meditations

PSALM: 99 Literal Religion: God is in the cloud. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud.” Spiritual grace: God IS The Cloud. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. “He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud.” Can you feel the difference? His religious literalism is improving. He's missing the mark much closer than he used to!  Read more


Year A Seventhth Sunday in Epiphany Bottom Line Meditations

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 Literal Religion: We become holy by following the law. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Spiritual grace: We are holy in the Lord’s Presence so we can follow His will. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy in you.” Can you feel the difference? I love legalism. I live legalism. If only I could do legalism!  Read more


Year A Sixth Sunday in Epiphany Bottom Line Meditations

EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Literal Religion: To get out of the “Flesh” we must stop doing what we are doing that is wrong. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “You are still of the flesh as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you.” Spiritual grace: “Flesh” means we must get into His Presence to stop doing what we are doing that is wrong. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. “You are still of the flesh as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you.” Can you feel the difference?  Read more


Year A Fifth Sunday in Epiphany Bottom Line Meditations

PSALM: 112:1-9 (10) Literal Religion: We praise the Lord to delight in doing His commandments. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.” Spiritual grace: We praise the Lord because we delight in doing His commandments. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. “Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.” Can you feel the difference? Legalism calls the equipped. Grace equips the called!  Read more


Year A Fourth Sunday in Epiphany Bottom Line Meditations

OLD TESTAMENT: Micah 6:1-8 Literal Religion: The Lord requires us to follow His Commandments. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Spiritual grace: The Lord enables us to follow His Commandments when we are in His Love. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Can you feel the difference?  Read more


Third Sunday in Epiphany

Epiphany is about changing our thinking from outside to inside, to inside to outside. We cannot do it unless we are able to know the difference between the two ways of thinking. If we cannot tell the difference, no matter how sincere we are we will go back to the old way. This is illustrated by the word “repent”. It can be either from outside to inside thinking or from inside to outside thinking. Do you know the difference between the two? You can practice with the “Bottom Line” exercises published in this blog every Monday.  Read more


Year A Third Sunday in Epiphany Bottom Line Meditations

Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4 Literal Religion: “No gloom” refers to Israel. Read this scripture literally to find its religious meaning. “There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish.” Spiritual grace: “No gloom” refers to us when we open our hearts to the light of His Love. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture. “There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish.” Can you feel the difference?   Read more


Second Sunday in Epiphany

Epiphany is a spiritual inside-out experience. The feeling of His Presence transforms our thought about the event. The rational outside-in thinking tries to change what we think about the event to transform our feelings. We find this thinking in the Gospel lesson today. It is about two disciples Andrew, and most likely John. John does not like to mention himself. Although he does not mention his name, he calls himself “The Disciple whom Jesus loved.” Outside-in thinking believes this disciple was the one that Jesus loved. It sounds pretentious that Jesus would love one more than the other. Inside-out thinking knows his name “John” means “The Beloved”. That is as close to his name you can get. The author was just referring to his name not his relationship with Jesus as a special person.  Read more


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