GIVE THANKS!

G - race isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live.
- Jacqueline Winspear

I - f the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is 'thank you', that would suffice.
- Meister Eckhart

V - ery little is needed to make a happy life.
- Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

E - nter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good...
[Psalm 100:4, 5a]




T - o speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.
- Johannes A. Gaertner

H - e who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
- J.A. Shedd

A - s we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

N - o longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.
- John Greenleaf Whittier

K - now that the pain will pass, and, when it passes, you will be stronger, happier, more sensitive and aware.
- Mel Colgrove

S - ilent gratitude isn't very much to anyone.
- Gertrude Stein

VISION (Re-Post)

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil".

- James Allen

"We lift ourselves by our thought. We climb upon our vision of ourselves. If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself. Hold the ideal of yourself as you long to be, always everywhere -- your ideal of what you long attain -- the ideal of health, efficiency, success".

- Orison Swett Marden


"Vision: the art of seeing things invisible". - Jonathan Swift

Where there is no vision, the people perish.
(Proverbs 29:18 - KJV)

From the Introduction to THE GOSPELS IN THE NOW: The Four Biographies of the God-Man Re-Imagined in Modern Context

Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 1:5, 6, 10 - NKJV)

I LOVE THE GOSPELS:

I love Matthew's Gospel...the Gospel of the Kingdom...the Gospel of the Lion-King...a uniquely important revelation, written for the Jews, from a firsthand, up-close-and-personal viewpoint, portraying Jesus as the Messiah so long awaited after Abraham...the King after David. There is a particular and sometimes palpable tension in Matthew, probably because it was written in the name of a Jew whom the Jews hated, because he was a collector of taxes for the Romans. But it is written with much love, nonetheless. Matthew was apprehended by Jesus, and was not at all like the other disciples, so the writings that bear his name bring a certain richness to the Jesus narrative that is essential to our understanding of the Son of Man. What the other Synoptic Gospel writers call the "Kingdom of God", Matthew calls the "Kingdom of Heaven" (or, better translated: Kingdom of the Heavens"). "Kingdom of God" says Whose and what it is..."Kingdom of Heaven" says Whose it is and where it's from. Perhaps the most significant contribution of Matthew is the attention to detail in the Sermon on the Mount...the blueprint for the "Kingdom of/from the Heavens". Matthew…the Gospel that roars!

I love Mark’s Gospel…you can feel the youth and vitality of the man whose name it bears pulsating in every page of it…the Gospel of passion and fire…the most masculine of the Gospels…a Gospel that gets the job done…the “can do!” Gospel. Matthew is symbolized by the Lion, Luke is personified in the Man, John shows us the Eagle…but Mark’s is the picture of the OX…strong…utilitarian…dependable…effective…the Gospel with muscle. No attention is given to Jesus as a baby…those kind of details are less important here. It’s also the shortest of the Gospels…it does more and says less…gets to the point…emphasizes themes like faith and power. Mark’s Gospel provides a much-needed paradigm to the big picture…an aspect of the earthiness of Jesus, the Carpenter, who personally builds His Kingdom without fear of getting His hands dirty…a concept that is especially appealing to the Romans, to whom it is written. Mark…the Gospel that bears!

I love Luke’s Gospel…the Gospel of the fully evolved Man…sophisticated…elegant…educated…intelligent. Luke is a physician with an excellent bedside manner, who writes a thoughtful and lovingly detailed letter to the young Greek, Theophilus, about the amazing God-Man. But in reality, it is written to all the Greeks, who would, in theory, appreciate the culture and refinement of its author, and the miracles and philosophy of its Main Character. Luke gives the most attention to the Nativity, because it is the most biographical of the four Gospels…it was also originally combined with the Book of Acts. It brings the Synoptic Gospels full circle, showing us the complete spectrum of all that was and is the Son of Man. Luke…the Gospel that cares!

I love the Gospel of John…a living, breathing Word, unlike anything else…so different from the three Synoptic Gospels. Each of them brings something original to the table, but John’s account of the greatest story ever told is in a class all by itself. It is the Gospel written for non-conformists and individualists…for those who can comprehend Jesus outside the box…a flight plan for eagles who exist high above the clouds. Matthew is written for the Jews, Mark is written for the Romans, Luke is written for the Greeks, but John’s writings come from the paradigm of a universalist…he paints his picture in very broad strokes, and writes with the global vision of one who sees the whole earth through a bird’s eye view. Can you imagine the visionary mind of someone who begins his story with , “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”? Matthew and Luke open the Jesus-narrative in the little town of Bethlehem…but John begins IN THE BEGINNING…in eternity…in the cosmos…in the now! You could spend a lifetime just discussing that one wonderful concept and still not be able to fully plumb the depths of its meaning. John’s is the Gospel of the Son of God…John…the Gospel that soars!

Food For Thought (Re-Post)

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most respected leaders of modern history. A Hindu, Ghandi nevertheless admired Jesus and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Ghandi he asked him, "Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?" Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ." Apparently Ghandi's rejection of Christianity grew out of an incident that happened when he was a young man practicing law in South Africa. He had become attracted to the Christian faith, had studied the Bible and the teachings of Jesus, and was seriously exploring becoming a Christian. And so he decided to attend a church service. As he came up the steps of the large church where he intended to go, a white South African elder of the church barred his way at the door. "Where do you think you're going, kaffir?" the man asked Ghandi in a belligerent tone of voice. Ghandi replied, "I'd like to attend worship here." The church elder snarled at him, "There's no room for kaffirs in this church. Get out of here or I'll have my assistants throw you down the steps." From that moment, Ghandi said, he decided to adopt what good he found in Christianity, but would never again consider becoming a Christian if it meant being part of the church.

Over the years I have had many conversations with people who claim to be Christian "backsliders" or non-believers or atheists, and nearly every time I hear their personal histories, I discover a story similar, or in some way relatable to this one in their past. It seems to me that when damage is done to the horizontal in spiritual relationships, it always affects the vertical. I've never met anyone who just decided to be an atheist for no reason...the disconnect in every case seems to be more about people-experience than about God-expereince.

Do you know of any situations like the Ghandi story? Did something like that ever happen to you, and, if so, how did it affect you? How did you get past it?

Consider these quotes and this passage and tell me what you think.


"I am not sure exactly what Heaven will be like. But I don't know that when we die and if comes the time for God to judge us, He will not ask, "How many good things have you done in your life?" Rather He will ask, "How much love did you put into what you did?"
- Mother Teresa



"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.



"So this is what I need to leave with you - these are my last words to you - what I want, more than anything, for you to remember. I have given you many instructions and insights during our time together, but here is the new commandment, the new order, the thing that is superior to every other thing, in a word: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. In the way that I have loved you, so you must love one another. Do you understand? You see, this is the only way that people will know that you are My disciples. Your love for one another is the solitary thing that will validate My message in the long run - not the miracles, not the signs and wonders, not the teaching - but your unconditional love for each other. It is not optional." (John 13:34, 35 - JITN)

The Wisdom of James (Re-Post)

Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive, for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one [is] a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;

lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about; lo, also the ships, being so great, and by fierce winds being driven, are led about by a very small helm, whithersoever the impulse of the helmsman doth counsel, so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle! and the tongue [is] a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna.

For every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature, and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison, with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God; out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen; doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter? is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water [is able] to make.

Who [is] wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom, and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth; this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like, for where zeal and rivalry [are], there is insurrection and every evil matter; and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: -- and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace.

James 3 - Young's Literal Translation

Excerpts from THE GOSPELS IN THE NOW (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

“But seek out and search for a revelation of the kingdom of God in and through every circumstance, and in every situation. And seek it first (or first thing)...before you strive with the circumstance... before you start to worry about the situation…before you fret over it…before you allow yourself to become overwhelmed by it or let it become exaggerated in your mind. And along with your primary search, look diligently for His righteousness, (or His rightness) to be revealed somewhere in the thing, as well. When you prioritize the kingdom in this way, then you can be sure that everything in your personal world will come into order, and that all you need for your daily provision will just automatically flow into your life and will be added to you as a result of your quest. So don’t worry or be anxious about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Live in the now, because the kingdom is always revealed in the now. Deal with tomorrow and what it may bring when it gets here, knowing that tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. As you live each day as it comes, God will enable you to successfully handle each day’s trouble, whatever it may be.”

(Matthew 6:33, 34 - Matthew In The Now)

“Let Me reveal this truth to you...you're impressed with what happened to the fig tree, but the fact is that you have the power and ability to say to this entire mountain, "Be lifted up and be thrown into the sea!", and see it obey you! You've seen me actually speak to a storm...or command the dead to live again...well, in the same way, if you can connect the God-kind of faith that is in your own heart with the creative ability that is in your own mouth...if you say what you believe, and believe what you say...you can produce these kinds of results! This is why I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer...whatever you decree...BELIEVE...accept the reality that it exists in another, unseen dimension, simply because you say it. Don't suspend or delay belief until you see it manifested in the physical realm, because what is unseen is more real than what is seen. Be confident that your request is granted to you, and you will get it...your own irresistible faith will attract it to you."

(Mark 11:23, 24 – Mark In The Now)

"And while I'm on the subject of the operation of this new world order, I will also tell you not to pronounce judgment on anyone, and you will live beyond the authority of any one's judgment on your life...do not condemn or pronounce guilt on anyone, and you will exist beyond the reach of condemnation and personal guilt...acquit, forgive and release others from your agendas and opinions, and you will never be limited by the agendas and opinions of others. And give...give generously and freely...because if you do, gifts will be lavished upon you...and these gifts will be abundant (to demonstrate the infinite possibilities of the Kingdom), packed down (to make room for more), shaken together (to make sure that you never receive filler), and running all over the place (so that you never have a sense of lack)! People will come into your life just to give to you, and this is the way that they will pour into the pouch formed by the bosom of your robe and used as a bag. You define your own terms in this, for with the same measure you deal out...with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others...it will be measured back to you!"

(Luke 6:37, 38 - Luke In The Now)

"You see, God’s love for the whole world – His paternal affection for the entire cosmos – was so all-encompassing and complete that He freely gave His unique Son to it, so that anyone from that world who believes in Him would not perish, but would awaken to the fact that eternal life is theirs. It certainly was never God’s intention to send His Son into the world to pronounce a sentence of condemnation upon it. Rather, He was perfectly focused on saving it...on redeeming the whole of humanity, everyone and everything on the planet...through the gift of that unique, manifested Son."

(John 3:16, 17 - John In The Now)

The Art of the Word (Re-Post)

For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]. (1 Corinthians 13:12
- Amplified Bible)

Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and [a]everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:19
- Amplified Bible)

We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. (Hebrews 4:15, 15
- The Message)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.(Psalms 19:1-4 - TNIV)

O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!From the ends of the earth,I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! (Psalms 61:1-4 - NLT)

That which is now already has been, and that which is to be already has been; and God seeks that which has passed by [so that history repeats itself ]. (Ecclesiastes 3:15 - Amplified Bible)

That's Life...

It Is Finished...

Hey bloggers...here is the rest of Luke In The Now, Chapter 24...the last 17 of the 3,779 verses that comprise the four Gospels. Thanks so much for your support of this project. For those of you who have blogged, commented, discussed, encouraged, added your own revelation, and helped proof this, along with Matthew In The Now and Mark In The Now as I have written and posted them here over the last year, a special thanks...I really feel like this has been a collaborative effort, and, in many ways, is the product of this blog community...

John In The Now was put out a couple of years ago, but it will be included with the Synoptic Gospels and published in one volume which will be called THE GOSPELS IN THE NOW: The Four Biographies of the God-Man Re-Imagined in Modern Context, which will be available in a few weeks...



LITN XXIV, Verses 36 - 53

36. And while they were in the process of trying to explain all this, Jesus actually materialized in their presence, stood in the middle of the group, and said to them, "Peace...peace be with all of you."

37. Everyone in the room was startled and frightened, reacting as if they were seeing a ghost...in fact, most of them believed that they were, indeed, seeing an apparition.

38. But He said to them, "Why, after all this time...after everything that you've all seen, especially in the last few days, are you still so quick to be upset and easily spooked? But the bigger question is...why are you still so prone to have doubts about Me in your minds?

39. Look at Me! Look at My hands and My feet! It really is Me! Touch me and see for yourselves. Don't be afraid...a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, as you obviously can see that I have."

40. As He said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

41. But they still just couldn't grasp it...couldn't believe their eyes...they were excited to see Him, but it just seemed to good to be true. So He said to them, "All right...do you have anything here to eat?"

42. And one of them had the presence of mind to respond to His request and give Him a piece of broiled fish.

43. And He took the fish and ate it in front of them to further prove that He was real.

44. Then He said to them, "Remember...this is what I told you while I was still with you in the earthly dimension. Every single thing must be fulfilled that has been written about Me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms."

45. Then His presence, words, and anointing opened their minds to revelation so that they could understand the Scriptures.

46. He reminded them, "This is what is written...whether you like it or not...whether you understand it, fully, or not...the Messiah will suffer terribly, and then rise triumphantly from the dead on the third day.

47. And a global paradigm shift for the realization of His forgiveness of the world's sins will be preached in His name to all the nations of the earth. What happened in Jerusalem is just the beginning.

48. And you in this room are privileged to be witnesses of the beginning of these things.

49. So I'm going to send you what my Father has promised...but stay here in the city until you have been inundated and infused with power from on high."

50. Then He led them out of that place to the vicinity of Bethany, and once they were there, He lifted up his hands and blessed them.

51. And while He was still speaking a blessing over them, He de-materialized and was translated into the heavenly dimension.

52. Then they instinctively worshiped Him, even though He was no longer physically in their presence. At last they understood that His being...His reality...was greater and more transcendent than anything that could be contained in a finite, physical body. And they returned to Jerusalem with great exuberance.

53. And for the days immediately following, they stayed continually in the Temple, praising, exalting, and increasing in their comprehension of the one, true God.

LITN XXIV, Verses 13 - 35

13. Later that very same day, two of the disciples who were not a part of the remaining Eleven were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

14. They were still somewhat in a state of shock from all that had transpired over the weekend, and as they walked along the road together, they could speak of nothing else.

15. In fact, they were so engrossed in deep conversation about their take on the events of the previous few days that they didn't even notice when the freshly-resurrected Jesus, Himself, came up and walked along with them.

16. But they were unable to recognize Him in His post-resurrection incarnation.

17. So He said to them, "Pardon Me, but may I ask what in the world you gentlemen are discussing so intently as you walk along?" The sound of His voice penetrated their intense communication, and jarred them into stopping in their tracks. But they just stood there for a few moments in silence with their faces downcast.

18. Then one of them, Cleopas by name, asked Him, "What are we discussing? Are you serious? You must be the only visitor to Jerusalem that doesn't know about or isn't talking about the things that have happened there in the last few days!"

19. "What things?" He asked. "Terrible things", they replied, "Terrible events...the things surrounding the arrest, trial and execution of Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet with a powerful message...a miracle-worker who was blessed by God and all the people.

20. But the Chief Priests, and those in cahoots with them, found a reason and a way to hand Him over to be sentenced to death...and they crucified Him.

21. We're devastated by the whole thing, mainly because we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And today is the third day since all of this took place.

22. To make matters worse, this morning some of our women presented us with this far-fetched story that has us totally confused. They went to the tomb at daybreak to anoint the body of Jesus,

23. but didn't find it in its tomb. They came and told us that they had seen a manifestation of spirit-beings who claimed that He was alive.

24. Then some of our colleagues went to the tomb to see for themselves, and found it exactly as the women had said. But they didn't see Jesus anywhere, dead or alive."

25. Then He said to them, "How clueless you are...and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

26. Isn't it written that the Messiah had to suffer these things, and then enter into the fullness of His glory?"

27. But they had no response to His words, so, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He patiently and methodically explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.

28. And this continued throughout the entire seven-mile trek, until they approached the village to which they were going. Jesus, however, just kept walking as if He were going farther.

29. But they urged Him to remain with them saying, "No...don't go...stay with us, and continue with what You were saying. Besides, it's nearly evening...the day's almost over." So He obliged, and went in to stay with them.

30. They had dinner together, and when He was at the table with them, He took the initiative and began to act as the host. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to both of them.

31. And that's when it happened. They hadn't recognized Him in His current physicality, even though He had been walking and talking with them all afternoon, but somehow here...at the table...with the bread...in the communion...they had a revelation of Him. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him in the now. But as soon as this happened, He disappeared from their sight.

32. They sat there for a moment, and then when they were able to speak they asked each other, "Wasn't it as if our hearts were on fire while He talked with us on the road, and opened up the meaning of the Scriptures to us?"

33. They didn't even finish the meal...instead, they got right up and made the seven mile trip back to Jerusalem. When they finally got there they found the Eleven and those with them, all together in one place.

34. They said to them, "Everybody...it's true! The Lord really has risen, and has appeared to Simon Peter!"

35. Then the two of them began to unfold the story of how He had appeared to them, as well. They told all that had happened on the way to Emmaus, and how that Jesus in His current incarnation was revealed to them in the breaking of the bread.