sister ann | notes to self

Martin Luther, re: "indulgences"

2009-02-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

from The Wordy Shipmates, by Sarah Vowell, 2008:

[Martin] Luther was outraged when the pope sent emissaries up northe to raise money for St. Peter's Basilica by selling "indulgences," essentially coupons a buyer could use to pay off the pope to erase sins from the Judgment Day ledger. Luther's point was that, according to Scripture, salvation is not a bake sale: "They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory." His larger message became the core ethos of Protestantism: the Bible, not any earthly pope, is the highest authority.

referenced by Stephen King, The Stand

2008-10-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 21
28 A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.
29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.
31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.

"faint not"

2008-09-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

re: prayer

2008-09-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:8
... your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

the spirit, the soul & the garment

2008-09-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

The Dialogue of the Savior 136.17-23
As they stood there, he saw two spirits bringing a single soul with them in a great flash of lightning. And a Word came forth from the Son of Man, saying, "Give them their garment!" [And] the small one became like the big one.

polarity: darkness & light

2008-09-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

The Dialogue of the Savior 134.19-22
If one does not stand in the darkness, he will not be able to see the light.

dialogue: Matthew & Jesus

2008-09-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Dialogue of the Savior 132.27-30
[Matthew] said, "Lord, I want [to see] that place of life [...] where there is no wickedness, [but rather] there is pure [light]!"
The Lord [said], "Brother [Matthew], you will not be able to see it [as long as you are] carrying flesh around."
[Matthew] said, "Lord, [even if I will] not [be able] to see it, let me [know it]!"
The Lord [said], "[Everyone] who has known himself has seen [it in] everything given to him to do [...] ... and has come to [...] it in his [goodness]."

Levi, re: Peter & Mary of Magdala

2008-08-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Mary (BG 7, 1-19, 5) 17.17-22, 18.1-21
[Peter] questioned them about the Savior: "Did he really speak with a woman without our knowledge (and) not openly? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?"
Then Mary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?" Levi answered and said to Peter, "Peter, you have always been hot-tempered. Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. That is why he loved her more than us. Rather let us be ashamed and put on the perfect man, and acquire him for ourselves as he commanded us, and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said."

The Seven Powers of Wrath

2008-08-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Mary (BG 7, 1-19, 5) 16.1-21, 17.1-7
"When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, (which) took seven forms. The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven [powers] of wrath. They ask the soul, 'Whence do you come, slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space?' The soul answered and said, 'What binds me has been slain, and what surrounds me has been overcome, and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died. In a [world] I was released from a world, [and] in a type from a heavenly type, and (from) the fetter of oblivion which is transient. From this time on will I attain to the rest of the time, of the season, of the aeon, in silence.'"

Mary of Magdala, re: "the treasure"

2008-08-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Mary (BG 7, 1-19, 5) 1.1-16
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember – which you know, (but) we do not, nor have we heard them." Mary answered and said,"What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you." And she began to speak to them these words: "I," she said, "I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him, 'Lord, I saw you today in a vision.' He answered and said to me, 'Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure.'"

The Nature of Matter

2008-08-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Mary (BG 7, 1-19, 5) 7.2-9
"... will matter then be [destroyed] or not?" The Savior said, "All nature, all formations, all creatures exist in and with one another, and they will be resolved again into their own roots. For the nature of matter is resolved into the (roots) of its nature alone. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

The Place

2008-08-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Truth (I 16, 31-43, 24) 42.11-38
This is the manner of those who possess (something) from above of the immensurable greatness, as they wait for the one alone and the perfect one, the one who is there for them. And they do not go down to Hades nor have they envy nor groaning nor death within them, but they rest in him who is at rest, not striving nor being twisted around the truth. But they themselves are the truth; and the Father is within them and they are in the Father, being perfect, being undivided in the truly good one, being in no way deficient in anything, but they are set at rest, refreshed in the Spirit. And they will heed their root. They will be concerned with those (things) in which he will find his root and not suffer loss to his soul. This is the place of the blessed; this is their place.

Valentinus, re: Jesus

2008-08-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Truth (I 16, 31-43, 24) 31.28-35
He became a way for those who were gone astray, and knowledge for those who were ignorant, a discovery for those who were searching, and a support for those who were wavering, immaculateness for those who were defiled.

"the fusion of Unity"

2008-08-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Truth (I 16, 31-43, 24) 24.28-38, 25.1-19
Since the deficiency came into being because the Father was not known, therefore, when the Father is known, from that moment on, the deficiency will no longer exist. As in the case of the ignorance of a person, when he comes to have knowledge, his ignorance vanishes of itself, as the darkness vanishes when the light appears, so also the deficiency vanishes in the perfection. So from that moment on, the form is not apparent, but it will vanish in the fusion of Unity, for now their works lie scattered. In time, Unity will perfect the spaces. It is within Unity that each one will attain himself; within knowledge, he will purify himself from multiplicity into Unity, consuming matter within himself like fire, and darkness by light, death by life.

The Word

2008-08-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Truth (I 16, 31-43, 24) 22.38-39, 23.1-35, 24.1-9
This is the knowledge of the living book, which he revealed to the aeons at the end as [his letters], revealing how they are not vowels nor are they consonants, so that one might read them and think of something foolish, but they are letters of the truth, which they alone speak who know them. Each letter is a complete [thought], like a complete book, since they are letters written by the Unity, the Father having written them for the aeons, in order that by means of his letters they should know the Father.
While his wisdom contemplates the Word, and his teaching utters it, his knowledge has revealed [it]. While forebearance is a crown upon it, and his gladness is in harmony with it, his glory has exalted it, his image has revealed it, his repose has received it into itself, his love has made a body over it, his fidelity has embraced it. In this way, the Word of the Father goes forth in the totality, as the fruit of his heart and an impression of his will. But it supports the totality; it chooses them and also receives the impression of the totality, purifying them, bringing them back into the Father, into the Mother, Jesus of the infinite sweetness.

"those of the middle"

2008-08-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Truth (I 16, 31-43, 24) 17.4-35
... When the totality went about searching for the one from whom they had come forth - and the totality was inside of him, the incomprehensible, inconceivable one who is superior to every thought - ignorance of the Father brought about anguish and terror; and the anguish grew solid like a fog, so that no one was able to see. For this reason, error became powerful; it worked on its own matter foolishly, not having known the truth. It set about with a creation, preparing with power and beauty the substitute for the truth.
This was not, then, a humiliation for him, the incomprehensible, inconceivable one, for they were nothing, the anguish and the oblivion and the creature of deceit, while the established truth is immutable, imperturbable, perfect in beauty. For this reason, despise error.
Thus, it had no root; it fell into a fog regarding the Father, while it was involved in preparing works and oblivions and terrors, in order that by means of these it might entice those of the middle and capture them.

the first message

2008-08-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Mark 1:15
... “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

animals & angels

2008-08-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

Mark 1:13
... And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

basics

2008-07-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Luke 6:35
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again...

Valentinus

2008-07-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

Valentinus and his followers taught that God, the Father, is "uncontained, incomprehensible and cannot be seen or heard" (Against Heresies 1:2:5). God defies accurate description. God is infinite, without beginning or end, and is the ultimate origin of all things. God encompasses all things without being encompassed (Ep 5:3, Gospel of Truth 18:34, Valentinian Exposition 22:27-28, Against Heresies 2:2:2). Everything, including the world, lies within God, the Father, and continues to be part of him. God manifests himself through a process of self-unfolding in the subsequent multiplicity of being, while maintaining his unity.

God, re: food basics

2008-07-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Genesis 1:29-30
29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

reminder to self

2008-07-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

my favorite

2008-06-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Mom-ma's favorite

2008-06-29T03:56:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Pappy's favorite

2008-06-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

Psalm 121
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

reminder to self

2008-06-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

Matthew 23:8-12
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

The Good Fight & The Calling & The Receivers

2008-06-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

Apocryphon of John (II, 1)
"... Those on whom the Spirit of life
will descend and (with whom) he will be with the power,
they will be saved and become perfect
and be worthy of the greatness and
be purified in that place from
all wickedness and the involvements in evil.
Then they have no other care than
the incorruption alone, to which they direct their attention
from here on, without anger or envy or jealousy
or desire and greed
of anything. They are not affected by
anything except the state of being in
the flesh alone, which they bear while looking expectantly
for the time when they will be met
by the receivers (of the body). Such
then are worthy of the imperishable,
eternal life and the calling. For they endure
everything and bear up under
everything, that they may finish
the good fight and inherit
eternal life."

The Ancient of Days

2008-05-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

The Ancient of Days, William Blake, 1794

The Ancient & The Son

2008-05-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

Daniel 7:9-14

9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.

11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed."

The Jealous God, Ezekiel & Earthquakes

2008-05-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 38:17-23
17 Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? 18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. 23 So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

basics

2008-05-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Ezekiel, re: baptism & redemption

2008-05-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 36:25-27
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

"a plant of renown"

2008-05-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 34:29 (KJV)
And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

plus ça change...

2008-04-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 22:23-31
23 And the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel replies

2008-04-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 20:49
49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”

re: Israel

2008-04-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 11:16-17
16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’

the cherubim

2008-04-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 10:9-14
9 And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling beryl. 10 And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. 11 When they went, they went to their four sides without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front head faced, the others followed without turning as they went. 12 And their whole body, their backs, their hands, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels that the four of them had. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the whirling wheels.” 14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

The End

2008-04-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 7:6
6 An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes.

re: Jerusalem

2008-04-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 5:12
12 A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.

Ezekiel 16:3, 44-46
3... "Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. ...
44 “Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 And your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways."

The Vision of Ezekiel

2008-04-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

4 As I looked, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were amber. 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were amber, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

The Vision of Nahum

2008-04-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
the bloom of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him;
the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who dwell in it.

New Jerusalem

2008-04-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Babylon

2008-03-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Babylon was a city of ancient Mesopotamia, the ruins of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 55 miles south of Baghdad.
All that remains today of Babylon is a mound, or "tell", of broken mud-brick buildings and debris in the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Historical resources inform us that Babylon began as a small town that had sprung up by the beginning of the third millennium BC. The town flourished and attained prominence and political repute with the rise of the first Babylonian dynasty. It was the "holy city" of Babylonia by approximately 2300 BC, and the seat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 612 BC. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The city was built along the Euphrates, divided in equal parts along its left and right banks, with steep embankments to contain the river's seasonal floods. Babylon grew in extent and grandeur over time, but eventually became subject to Assyrian rule.
It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world from ca. 1770 to 1670 BC, and again between ca. 612 and 320 BC. It was perhaps the first city to reach a population above 200,000.

pictured:
The Ishtar Gate, in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The Ishtar Gate was the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon. It was constructed circa 575 BC, by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, on the north side of the city.

(info from Wikipedia)

The Revelation 16:20

2008-03-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.

the beatitude of the Revelation

2008-03-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

The Revelation 14:13
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

the unwritten Revelation

2008-03-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Revelation 10:4
4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”

the water of life

2008-03-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

The Revelation 7:17
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

not only the tribes...

2008-03-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

The Revelation 7:9-10
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

John the Divine, of Patmos

2008-03-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

John of Divine is the name given to the author of The Book of Revelation (also known as The Book of the Apocalypse, The Apocalypse of Saint John the Divine, and The Revelation of Saint John the Divine) in the New Testament. He is also known as John the Patmos, John the Theologian, the Eagle of Patmos, and John the Seer. Several Christian denominations regard him as a prophet and a saint.
According to the Revelation, the author, who gives his name as "John," lives in exile on the Greek island of Patmos. In the book, he writes to the seven Christian churches in Asia to relate apocalyptic visions he received.

Behemoth & Leviathan

2008-03-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

Behemoth and Leviathan, William Blake, 1825

Leviathan

2008-03-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

Destruction of Leviathan, Gustave Doré, 1865

the ostrich, as mother; the mother, as ostrich

2008-03-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Job 39:13-18
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
but are they the pinions and plumage of love?
14 For she leaves her eggs to the earth
and lets them be warmed on the ground,
15 forgetting that a foot may crush them
and that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
17 because God has made her forget wisdom
and given her no share in understanding.
18 When she rouses herself to flee,
she laughs at the horse and his rider."

re: dreams

2008-03-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Job 33:15-18
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he opens the ears of men
and terrifies them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his deed
and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
his life from perishing by the sword.

"... a brother to dragons..."

2008-03-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Job 30:29-31 (KJV)
29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.
31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

the 2 sets of 3

2008-03-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

1 John 5:7-8 (KJV)
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

walk the walk

2008-03-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

1 John 2:4-6
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 3:18
... let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.

John, re: the message

2008-03-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

1 John 1:5
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

the divine relativity of time

2008-03-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

2 Peter 3:8-10
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly elements will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be will be burned up.

Job: "It is all one..."

2008-03-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

Job 9:22-24
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.
23 When disaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he covers the faces of its judges—
if it is not he, who then is it?

"the quick and the dead"

2008-03-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 4:1-6 (KJV)
1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

"... in his steps."

2008-03-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 2:21-25
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

the flesh & the word

2008-03-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 1:22-25
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

"Joy Unspeakable..."

2008-03-03T06:05:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 1:6-9 (KJV)
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Job, re: light

2008-03-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

Job 3:20-25
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
and life to the bitter in soul,
21 who long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes instead of my bread,
and my groanings are poured out like water.
25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me."

Eliphaz the Temanite, to Job:

2008-03-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Job 5:19-23
19 He will deliver you from six troubles;
in seven no evil shall touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue,
and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
and shall not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

The Father of Lights

2008-03-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Watch your tongue. . . .

2008-02-29T06:49:00.000-08:00

James 3:5-12
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Buddhism, re: desire / light

2008-02-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

from The Song of Mahamudra, by Tilopa:
For if the mind, when filled with some desire, should seek a goal, it only hides the light.

Tilopa (988-1069 C.E.) was a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha. He developed the Mahamudra method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerated the process of attaining bodhi (enlightenment). He is regarded as the human founder of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered the Buddha Vajradhara.

action | words | faith

2008-02-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

James 1:19-26
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

James 2:26
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

temptation, desire, sin, death

2008-02-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

James 1:13-15
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

re: faith

2008-02-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

re: judgment

2008-02-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 10:26-31
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The New Covenant

2008-02-21T05:38:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 8:10-12
"... 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”

The Stoning of James the Just

2008-02-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

The (Second) Apocalypse of James 61.1-27, 62.1-12
"[On] that day all the [people] and the crowd were disturbed, and they showed that they had not been persuaded. And he arose and went forth speaking in this [manner]. And he entered (again) on that same day and spoke a few hours. And I was with the priests and revealed nothing of the relationship, since all of them were saying with one voice, 'Come, let us stone the Just One.' And they arose, saying, 'Yes, let us kill this man, that he may be taken from our midst. For he will be of no use to us.'
"And they were there and found him standing beside the columns of the temple beside the mighty corner stone. And they decided to throw him down from the height, and they cast him down. And they [...] they [...]. They seized him and [struck] him as they dragged him upon the ground. They stretched him out, and placed a stone on his abdomen. They all placed their feet on him, saying 'You have erred!'
"Again they raised him up, since he was alive, and made him dig a hole. They made him stand in it. After having covered him up to his abdomen, they stoned him in this manner."

The Prayer of James the Just

2008-02-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

The (Second) Apocalypse of James 62..16-25, 63.1-29

'My God and my father,
who saved me from this dead hope,
who made me alive through a mystery of what he wills,
do not let these days of this world be prolonged for me,
but the day of your (sg.) [light ...] remains in [...] salvation.
Deliver me from this [place of] sojourn!
Do not let your grace be left behind in me,
but may your grace become pure!
Save me from an evil death!
Bring me from a tomb alive,
because your grace – love – is alive in me
to accomplish a work of fullness!
Save me from sinful flesh,
because I trusted in you with all my strength,
because you are the life of the life!
Save me from a humiliating enemy!
Do not give me into the hand of a judge
who is severe with sin!
Forgive me all my debts of the days (of my life)!
Because I am alive in you, your grace is alive in me.
I have renounced everyone,
but you I have confessed.
Save me from evil affliction!
But now is the [time] and the hour.
O Holy [Spirit], send [me]
salvation [...] the light [...]
the light [...] in a power [...].'

James the Just, re: Jesus

2008-02-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

The (Second) Apocalypse of James 58.2-20
"He was that one whom he who created the heaven and the earth, and dwelled in it, did not see.
He was [this one who] is the life.
He was the light.
He was that one who will come to be.
And again he shall provide [an] end for what has begun and a beginning for what is about to be ended.
He was the Holy Spirit and the Invisible One, who did not descend upon the earth.
He was the virgin, and that which he wishes happens to him.
I saw that he was naked, and there was no garment clothing him.
That which he wills, happens to him [...]."

re: Melchizedek (Melchisedec)

2008-02-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 5:5-10
5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:19-20, 7:1-3
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Hebrews 7:14-19, 7:22
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. ...
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

James and Jesus, step-brothers

2008-02-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

The (Second) Apocalypse of James 50.5-23; 51.14-22
"'Once when I was sitting deliberating, [he] opened [the] door. That one whom you hated and persecuted came in to me. He said to me, "Hail, my brother; my brother, hail." As I raised my [face] to stare at him, (my) mother said to me, "Do not be frightened, my son, because he said 'My brother' to you (sg.). For you (pl.) were nourished with this same milk. Because of this he calls me 'My mother.' For he is not a stranger to us. He is your [step-brother ...]."' ...

"'"< You are > the one to whom I say: Hear and understand – for a multitude, when they hear, will be slow witted. But you, understand as I shall be able to tell you. Your father is not my father. But my father has become a father to [you]."'"

James the Just, re: the women

2008-02-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

The (First) Apocalypse of James 38.12-23; 40.22-26, 41.6-18
James said, "[I am] satisfied [...] and they are [...] my soul. Yet [another thing] I ask of you: who are the [seven] women who have [been] your disciples? And behold, all women bless you. I also am amazed how [powerless] vessels have become strong by a perception which is in them. ...

"... When you speak these words of this [perception], encourage these [four]: Salome and Mariam [and Martha and Arsinoe ...] since he takes some [...] to me he is [...] burnt offerings and [...]. But I [...] not in this way; but [...] first-fruits of the [...] upward [...] so that the power [of God might] appear. The perishable has [gone up] to the imperishable and the female element has attained to this male element."

James' advice from his step-brother

2008-02-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

The (First) Apocalypse of James 32.29, 33.1-24; 34.15-20
"James, behold, I shall reveal to you your redemption. When [you] are seized, and you undergo these sufferings, a multitude will arm themselves against you that may seize you. And in particular three of them will seize you - they who sit (there) as toll collectors. Not only do they demand toll, but they also take away souls by theft. When you come into their power, one of them who is their guard will say to you, 'Who are you or where are you from?' You are to say to him, 'I am a son, and I am from the Father.' He will say to you, 'What sort of son are you, and to what father do you belong?' You are to say to him, 'I am from the Pre-existent Father, and a son in the Pre-existent One.' ...
"When he also says to you, 'Where will you go?,' you are to say to him, 'To the place from which I have come, there shall I return.' And if you say these things, you will escape their attacks."

"this bond of flesh"

2008-02-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

The (First) Apocalypse of James 27.1-12
"... If you want to give them a number now, you will not be able to do so until you cast away from your blind thought, this bond of flesh which encircles you. And then you will reach Him-who-is. And you will no longer be James; rather you are the One-who-is. And all those who are unnumbered will all have been named."

Valentinus, re: the Father, within

2008-02-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of Truth 42.11-38
This is the manner of those who possess (something) from above of the immensurable greatness, as they wait for the one alone and the perfect one, the one who is there for them. And they do not go down to Hades nor have they envy nor groaning nor death within them, but they rest in him who is at rest, not striving nor being twisted around the truth. But they themselves are the truth; and the Father is within them and they are in the Father, being perfect, being undivided in the truly good one, being in no way deficient in anything, but they are set at rest, refreshed in the Spirit. And they will heed their root. They will be concerned with those (things) in which he will find his root and not suffer loss to his soul. This is the place of the blessed; this is their place.

Lois & Eunice

2008-02-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy 1:5
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

"The oblivion of error..."

2008-02-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of Truth 17:36-37, 18.1-11
The oblivion of error was not revealed. It is not a [...] from the Father. Oblivion did not come into existence from the Father, although it did indeed come into existence because of him. But what comes into existence in him is knowledge, which appeared in order that oblivion might vanish and the Father might be known. Since oblivion came into existence because the Father was not known, then if the Father comes to be known, oblivion will not exist from that moment on.

the aberration, explained...

2008-02-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Matthew 25:29-30
29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Apocalypse of Peter (VII, 3) 83.19-34, 84.1-6
"For there will be no honor
in any man
who is not immortal,
but only (in) those who were chosen
from an immortal substance,
which has shown
that it is able to contain him
who gives his abundance. Therefore
I said, 'Every one
who has, it will be given to him, and
he will have plenty' (Mt 25:29).
But he who does not have, that is,
the man of this place, who is
completely dead, who
is removed from the planting
of the creation of what is begotten,
whom, if one
of the immortal essence appears,
they think that
they possess him -
it will be taken from him and
be added to the one who is."

Wisdom's trauma, made visible

2008-02-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

per Valentinus:

Paul, re: God

2008-02-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Acts 17:24-29
24 "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

“'In him we live and move and have our being'; [1] as even some of your own poets have said,

"'For we are indeed his offspring.’ [2] 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man."

[1] 17:28 Probably from Epimenides of Crete
[2] 17:28 From Aratus's poem “Phainomena”

self-knowledge

2008-01-31T06:35:00.000-08:00

Thomas 3
3 Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the Kingdom is in heaven,' then the birds of heaven will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are poverty."

The Shepherd of Hermas

2008-01-29T06:07:00.000-08:00

from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Hermas

Poimen

Athanasius

Aleph

Irenæus

Tertullian

Origen

Instrumentum

Hermas, "first-born of unrighteousness"

2008-01-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

Apocalypse of Peter (VII, 3) 78.22-31
"But many others, who oppose the truth and are the messengers of error, will set up their error and their law against these pure thoughts of mine, as looking out from one (perspective), thinking that good and evil are from one (source). They do business in my word. And they will propagate harsh fate. The race of immortal souls will go in it in vain until my Parousia. For they shall come out of them – and my forgiveness of their transgressions into which they fell through their adversaries, whose ransom I got from the slavery in which they were, to give them freedom that they may create an imitation remnant in the name of a dead man, who is Hermas, of the first-born of unrighteousness, in order that the light which exists may not believed by the little ones.

"The New Self"

2008-01-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

Colossians 3:2-15
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

The Prayer of the Apostle Paul

2008-01-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

(Approximately two lines are missing.) ... [your] light, give me your [mercy! My] Redeemer, redeem me, for [I am] yours; the one who has come forth from you. You are [my] mind; bring me forth! You are my treasure house; open for me! You [are] my fullness; take me to you! You are (my) repose; give me [the] perfect thing that cannot be grasped!
I invoke you, the one who is and who pre-existed in the name [which is] exalted above every name, through Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of Lords, the King of the ages; give me your gifts, of which you do not repent, through the Son of Man, the Spirit, the Paraclete of [truth]. Give me authority [when I] ask you; give healing for my body when I ask you through the Evangelist, [and] redeem my eternal light soul and my spirit. And the First-born of the Pleroma of grace – reveal him to my mind!
Grant what no angel eye has [seen] and no archon ear (has) heard, and what has not entered into the human heart which came to be angelic and (modelled) after the image of the psychic God when it was formed in the beginning, since I have faith and hope. And place upon me your beloved, elect, and blessed greatness, the First-born, the First-begotten, and the [wonderful] mystery of your house; [for] yours is the power [and] the glory and the praise and the greatness for ever and ever. [Amen.]

Prayer of Paul (the) Apostle.
In Peace.
Christ is holy.

The Tree and the Fruit

2008-01-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

Luke 6:43-45
43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Apocalypse of Peter (VII, 3) 76.4-8
"... For people do not gather
figs from thorns or from
thorn trees, if they
are wise, nor grapes
from thistles."

"the middle region"

2008-01-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

Gospel of Philip 66.7-23
And so he dwells either in this world or in the
resurrection or in the middle place.
God forbid that I be found in there!
In this world, there is good
and evil. Its good things
are not good, and its evil things
not evil. But there is evil after
this world which is truly evil -
what is called "the middle". It
is death. While we are in this world
it is fitting for us to acquire the resurrection,
so that when we strip off the flesh
we may be found in rest and not
walk in the middle. For many go astray
on the way. For it is good to come forth
from the world before one
has sinned.

Apocalypse of Peter (VII, 3) 71.22-34, 72.1-3
"Therefore be strong until the
imitation of righteousness -
of him who had summoned you,
having summoned you
to know him in a way which is
worth doing because of the rejection
which happened to him, and the sinews
of his hands and his feet,
and the crowning
by those of the middle region,
and the body of
his radiance which they bring
in hope of
service because of a reward
of honor - as he was about to reprove
you three times
in this night."

The Son of Man

2008-01-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Mark 14:61-62
... Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

This is the only Gospel in which Jesus admits that he is "the Son of Man" per Daniel's vision.

Daniel 7:13-14
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed."

The Gospel of Philip

2008-01-21T06:54:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of Philip dates back to around the third century, but was lost to modern researchers until rediscovered, with other texts, at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in the mid-20th century. Although this gospel may at first appear similar to the Gospel of Thomas, it is not a "sayings" gospel, but a collection of gnostic teachings and reflections. Sacraments, in particular the sacrament of marriage, are a major theme. The text is perhaps most famous as a very early source for the idea that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. Though never explicitly stated in the document itself, she is described as Jesus' "lover" in some translations. The text's title is modern; the only connection with Philip the Apostle is that he is the only apostle mentioned (73.8). The text makes no claim to be from Philip.

(info: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Philip)

life vs Life

2008-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

Philippians 1:21-24
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Knowledge vs Ignorance

2008-01-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

Philip (II, 3) 84.8-13
... The word said, "If you (pl.) know the truth, the truth will make you free" (Jn 8:32). Ignorance is a slave. Knowledge is freedom. If we know the truth, we shall find the fruits of the truth within us. If we are joined to it, it will bring our fulfillment.

re: salt

2008-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Philip (II, 3) 59.28-35, 60.1
The apostles said to the disciples, "May our entire offering obtain salt." They called [Sophia] "salt". Without it, no offering is acceptable. But Sophia is barren, [without] child. For this reason, she is called "a trace of salt". Wherever they will [...] in their own way, the holy spirit [..., and] her children are many.

the Marys

2008-01-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

Philip (II, 3) 59.6-11
... There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion. His sister and his mother and his companion were each a Mary.