Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Gospel of John 9:1-41

Healing the Man Born Blind

9:1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
4 "We must work the Works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
5 "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."
6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,
7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?"
9 Others were saying, "This is he," still others were saying, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the one."
10 So they were saying to him, "How then were your eyes opened?"
11 He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so i went away and washed, and I received sight."
12 They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I don't know."
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind.
14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
15 Then the Pharisees were also asking him again how he received is sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see."
16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them.
17 So they said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet."
18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received sight,
19 and questioned them, saying, "I this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?"
20 His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;
21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know; Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself."
22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.
23 For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know this man is a sinner."
25 He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."
26 So they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"
27 He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?"
28 They reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
29 "We know that god has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from."
30 The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened  eyes.
31 "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
32 "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.
33 "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing."
34 They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they put him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36 He answered, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
37 Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you."
38 And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped Him.
39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."
40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?"
41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see', your sin remains."
John 9:1-41

Well as soon as it got to line 14 I knew Jesus was in trouble. Why the Sabbath? Either He is just making these miracles happen by accident on a Sunday, or He is purposely testing the Pharisees. If Jesus found the cure for cancer and stopped every child from starving, the Pharisees would be twice as angry that He didn't just do one work, but two...

Then the Pharisees started bothering the man who could see. They said he was lying about being born blind, he was lying about Jesus healing him, his parents were lying that he had been blind, he was lying... And finally he just gives it to them strait, "What do you want from me?! Why are you accusing me of being healed? This is suppose to be a good thing." Then he joked about them secretly wanting to be Jesus's disciples, and then he got bounced from the temple.

But when Jesus found him and had one of the most confusing conversations I've ever heard.

"For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see', your sin remains."

-Wait, shouldn't it be: I will make those who are blind able to see, and I will make those who can see, but choose not to, blind. There's that whole thing with the "blind" having dual meanings like: literal blindness and blind ignorance. So I'm confused which He's saying, but that's o.k. I'll just fill in the blanks and assume he means to heal the world that is physically blind and judge those who are ignorant or remain in sin.

You know when I read the title of this story I was wondering why it was 41 lines long. And sure enough, the actual healing takes only 7 lines. And yet the repercussions of that one act caused a stir that led to 34 more lines of he-said-she-said-doubt by the Pharisees. It just had to be on the Sabbath...

Zodiac Sign Associations: Scorpio

Scorpio e /Pisces i

Issues: This seldom lasts a long period of time. Everything seems fine until Pisces gets tired of the little interests that seem to keep Scorpio occupied outside of the home. Positive qualities of Pisces are not appreciated by Scorpio, who feel that possessiveness is his own sacred domain. The latching on of Pisces has Scorpio’s sympathies, but respect is soon lost for the weaker member, and the relationship will soon deteriorate.

Strengths: This may be a love at first sight combination. There is an intuitive bond here that both will find agreeable. There is attraction and emotion and feelings and all that good stuff that you both like. Not too much though. Just be sure you can still see clearly and realistically once in awhile. Very Compatible 90%


Scorpio e/ Sagittarius f

Issues: Scorpio is dominant by nature, but Scorpio will have trouble keeping their Sagittarian partner under control. This freedom loving sign will surly bring out the worst in Scorpios nature. Mutual distrust is easy here. The Scorpion possessiveness will make life unbearable for Sagittarius

Strengths: It is true that from the sexual standpoint, Scorpio is attractive to the Sagittarian lust, but that’s where the compatibility ends. Not a recommended combination. Live and learn is about the best thing to expect here. Both can bring out some of the other's better qualities but the chance of anything long lasting is remote. If both can have mutual respect and overcome their vices, they can Build each other into better people. Not Very Compatible 80%

 Scorpio e/ Capricorng

Issues: With Scorpio’s strong and powerful personality, Capricorn may clash, fighting for the last word when it comes to important decisions pertaining to family welfare. Capricorn can be mighty disagreeable when frustrated, and Scorpio will have to use the sting of the Scorpion barb to move the Capricorn goat from a set course. The emotional incompatibility usually becomes unbearable for the combination to handle. Scorpio is more spiritual and finds it difficult to open up, whereas Capricorn is more religious and also finds it hard to open up. Capricorn and Scorpio both have instincts towards being suspicious of others and may not trust each other.

Strengths: This is a very hard combination to analyze. For practical matters there are common traits, but the stubborn nature of both signs could make them enemies when things get down and dirty. Both are business-oriented and handle their money well. They can do well as friends. Not Very Compatible 70%

Scorpio e/Aquariush

Issues: This combination usually ends up getting into unpleasant terms after a little time. Unpredictable Aquarius is too much for the solid Scorpio temperament. Aquarius has many of outside interests and this does not sit well with Scorpio. Aquarius are too reserved for the passionate Scorpio. Scorpio wants to possess the person and Aquarius wants to own the world.

Strengths: Humanitarian instincts are what Scorpio admires in an Aquarian, but Scorpio has no interest in sharing them with the world. Without some extremely mature attitude adjustment it will be difficult to rectify the inherent differences in each other's nature. Not Very Compatible 40%

Scorpio e/ Aries^

Issues: Since there is no room for two heads in one family, this combination is not an ideal match. Scorpio may also be intimidated by Aries leadership tendencies, and this may lead to some resentments.

Strengths: With Mars dominating both signs it makes for very positive temperaments unless there are several benign natal planetary aspects. In simple terms, there are conditions which when met in their virtues and interests, they may actually be a good match. This is rare however, because both are natural born leaders and we all know, only one can lead. While Scorpio may adore the Aries from a sexual standpoint , their more mundane interests would be constantly at odds. Fairly Compatible 70%

Scorpio e/ Taurus_

Issues: Jealousy and possessiveness are the big problems with this pair and seems to be always showing their faces. Beware to the one who crosses the scorpion's path, the sting is considered deadly.

Strengths: This combination mutually admires each other. With a strong sexual urge both will find much in common. Taurus must be careful to keep faith with the Scorpion mate, or the house will fall down without warning. These are zodiac opposites, but they are compatible earth and water signs. This usually manifests itself in a strong physical attraction at first. Both signs are intensely passionate, more so with Scorpio and both are the jealous and possessive types. Very Compatible 85%

Scorpio e/ Gemini `

Issues: Gemini's desire for freedom of action will clash with the jealous and possessive nature of Scorpio. These two will have some difficulty rectifying their innate natures.

Strengths: Here Gemini has found a mate that can surpass the Gemini urge for action. Gemini is more than a match from a mental standpoint, but from a sexual and physical viewpoint, Gemini is too modest to meet Scorpio's demands. While some Gemini-Scorpio combinations may work out fairly well, the pure Gemini- Scorpio alliance packs as much power as an atomic bomb. An air sign with a water sign. Love conquers all. Then again, too much, stifles some. This is an opposites attract couple. Fairly Compatible 70%

Scorpio e/ Cancer a

Issues: Can be very constructive or very destructive depending on the next wave.

Strengths: Masterful Scorpio should make a good mate for quiet spoken Cancer. While jealousy may plague both from time to time, their great mutual ability to love deeply will usually limit periods of dissension. Scorpio is well equipped to cope with Cancer’s moods. Excess energy which Scorpio emanates, will act as strong tonic for Cancer's reticence. Scorpio and Cancer could well prove the ideal marriage combination. Both are ruled by the emotions and both are water signs. If water signs could only learn to float instead of surge. Very Compatible 96%

Scorpio e/ Leo b

Issues: Jealousy plays a major role in family quarrels. Two very strong willed individuals generally create some rather stormy moments.

Strengths: Two shinning personalities join together. They have a lot in common, especially when Leo is the female and Scorpio is the male. The Scorpio female is too demanding for the Leo male. Basically, this should make for one of the most compatible combinations, but long and happy partnership will be far better when a Leo female marries a Scorpio male. Without some mutual give and take there is rocky road ahead. Very Compatible 90%

Scorpio e/ Virgo c

Issues: The only problem here is on the emotional side, Scorpio thrives on it and Virgo subdues it.

Strengths: The combination sometimes belongs to the mutual admiration society. The Virgo mind is very fascinated with the mysterious and intriguing Scorpio. Out of all the signs Scorpio is the most likely one to curb Virgo's tendency to sulk. Virgo respects Scorpio's ability to analyze all situations and thereby sidesteps controversial issues before they they become grounds for an argument. If Virgo will keep from hurting Scorpio's pride, this combination will be happy and enduring. Aside from that a friendship or business arrangement may be the best idea. Fairly Compatible 85%

Scorpio e/ Libra d

Issues: There is a strong sexual attraction here, but Libra may find Scorpio’s intense nature a bit overwhelming.
Strengths: There is much sympathetic magnetism between these two signs. While Scorpio is the more dominant sign of the two, the Libra's beauty and sense of fair play appeal to Scorpios good judgment. Libra sees all the virtues that she admires in Scorpio, for Scorpio's sex drive is all Libra's hope to be. There is much to recommend this union, for they have many sympathies in common. Libras are sentimental and susceptible as lovers. This seems to be appealing to Scorpio's dominant and possessive urges. As long as Libra does not hurt Scorpio’s pride, Libras will find what they are looking for when they marry a Scorpio. Common goals and shared interests could avert any difficulties. They are also Builder signs for each other. Very Compatible 96%
Scorpio e/ Scorpio e

Issues: The dominant, possessive, and jealous temperaments of each are things which both will have to handle with extreme consideration. If one suddenly gets inconsiderate of the other's tender spots, or does anything to upset the apple cart in the jealousy department, then the storm will began.

Strengths: Here is a combination that is confusing in its outcome. If both individuals have a thorough understanding of their inherent traits, they can have deep sympathy for each other. They both are intense in their love nature, and can get just what they are looking for in each other. This can be a very good combination or a very bad one. This is about as intense a combination as you will ever find. It works well with common goals and objectives but when the fire is lit you best keep an eye on it because it may get out of control. Fairly Compatible 80%

Writing Prompts

1. Jesus calls Himself in one place a Door, in another the Good Shepard, in another place the Vine. How do these thoughts translate to you?

Jesus calls Himself many things -Son of Man, God... well actually mostly just those two. Others called Him: The One, Savior, Lord, Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Lion...

But the ones in the prompt sound more like things He would have called Himself in various Metaphors trying to illustrate various points. When concepts are too complicated for people you need to break them down into concrete things the can visualize and understand. This is why the Spirit is compared to a Dove and the Body of Christ is compared to the Bread of Life. If I had to venture a guess as to what context and point Jesus was trying to convey by calling Himself:
1. a Door,
2. the Good Shepard
3. the Vine

The Door is often metaphorically referenced to convey something is an opening. Jesus could be comparing Himself to a Door through which people can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Without this door they will run into a wall. They need not only the door, but for the door to be unlocked. Jesus is the unlocked door people can enter through, but they have to choose to enter through and cannot be forced or pretend to entering through it. In this sense Jesus (the door) has His purpose and people (who enter) have theirs in relation to Him.

The Good Shepard is the easiest one to comprehend because of the phrase "leading His flock". Without a Shepard sheep go wandering off on their own and get lost, then becoming prey to wolves and other wild animals. A Shepard looks after beings that need guidance and someone to watch over them. Jesus is the Good Shepard of Man. He is also ironically called the Lamb of God, but this is due to His sacrifice to absolve men of sin.

The Vine is one I believe I may have heard before at FCA in high school. If I remember correctly, the Vine gives nutrients to the fruit it bears, but the farther the fruit gets from the source of the Vine the more it whithers. Jesus is the Vine providing a source of Spiritual Sustaining Life for people to take and grow from. The further they get from Jesus and God, the further they remove themselves from what they need to lead a fulfilling, meaningful life. Their lives then waste away into nothing worth having.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What is Blasphemous and What is Sacred

I was asking myself this while uploading pictures of "miscellaneous nature". I was pondering to myself, What do I consider Sacred? What would I consider Blasphemous?

The first thing that popped into my mind was Nature. I have a deep respect and connection to nature -I consider myself a part of it and it a creation of God. I've had people tell me they don't really care much about nature, and it hurts when I hear that. I would call nature sacred, but I would not call making jokes about it or mocking it blasphemous. I can hear jokes about someone sawing down trees. I don't take offense to hearing that people don't care about endangered species. The feeling that I get isn't that of offense, but instead pity. I pity people who don't respect things I have great reverence for. Like when I'm really excited about a movie or something and somebody else tells me the movie is crap. I pity and feel sorry for them the they cannot enjoy it the way I do. We can both witness and acknowledge something, but only one of us can enjoy it or hold deep respect for it.

Like a rose.

So when it comes to God, do I find Him sacred? I suppose I find the Divine sacred, and God sacred on some level.

Wikipedia says sacred is "Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy (perceived by religious individuals as associated with the divine) or sacred (considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas)."

So wouldn't it be redundant to say God is Sacred and Holy. If God is these things then it's like saying a Cat is a Feline. "Sacred" is religious jargon. Sacred is a term required for a religion or spirituality.

I suppose I find the Soul sacred. Compasion. Love. Peace. Living Beings.

But I don't take it personally when other people don't. In fact an atheist has made jokes about God before. He said the universes  was created by a plate of Pizza that rolled a bunch of spaghetti into the universe giving birth to planets (meat balls). I thought it was funny. He was amusing. But he also had a lot of issues. And he smoked cigarettes. And he contemplated suicide. And he was depressed with no real plans for the future. I find jokes funny, but I find life often isn't. Which is why we make jokes, to make lighten the harshness reality can bring so we can think it is something sizable we can understand and overcome.

I pity people who make jokes about things I take seriously. Not initially of course, I find the jokes funny, unless they are blatantly offensive in which case I go strait to the pitying. It's sympathy. I wish people could appreciate the things that I do instead of writing them off. I feel the same for those who are judgmental. For those who write people off as if they have nothing to offer and are beyond compassion -I pity them.

I haven't heard anything blasphemous though, I don't think. I don't take people's opinions on various aspects of life personally. You can tell me you don't believe in ghosts and you think I'm crazy. It only hurts me to think that there's a truth I know that I cannot show to others because they have to see and experience it for themselves. I don't take offense when people speak poorly of Jesus -I don't enjoy there words by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't take it personally. I'll lead by example. Let no one be offended by the jokes I make and the opinions I share about life, and I'll be open to whatever words may be spoken or thoughts may be shared with me by others.

God doesn't get offended. He is infinite. He transcends everything. I'm pretty sure He doesn't take jokes personally and start moping around because somebody doesn't like Him or made fun of Him. God is patient and understanding. He Loves unconditionally and Forgives unconditionally. He only pities and sympathises for those who don't appreciate the blessings He he brought to their lives. If God created all life then any joke about life we made in some way is making fun of its Creator. God gave us humor to remember not to take life too seriously and to Enjoy and Share it with others like you would a good joke.  

Quote Response 4

“This is the excellent foppery of the world that when we are sick in fortune—often the surfeit of our own behavior—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars, as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influence, and all that we are evil in by a divine thrusting-on. An admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star!” - Shakespeare (King Lear)

This is why words rule. Whether they were written today or 300 years ago, they are still alive breathing wisdom we can live. Way to go Shakespeare. Granted, it took my a couple minutes to interpret what the heck he was saying... But then I got it :)

Ok: This line was key, "as if we were... fools by heavenly compulsion". He's saying don't blame the sun and the moon for your issues and sins and flaws and troubles. Don't blame God. It's not by anything other than ourselves that we got lost and wander into the land of scape-goating and evasion of accountability. We need to keep ourselves on track by maintaining alignment with the Universe. The Divine doesn't deviate -it doesn't go anywhere and it doesn't lose it's way. We do. We do when we lose sight of it.

The Gospel of John 7:53 + 8:1-59

The Adulterous Woman

7:53 [Everyone went to his home.
8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives
2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees bought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,
4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.
5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"
6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."]
12 Then Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, bu will have the Light of life."
13 So the Pharisees said to Him, "You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true."
14 Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
15 "You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.
16 "But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.
17 "Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.
18 "I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me."
19 So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also."
20 These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
21 Then He said again to them, "I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come."
22 So the Jews were saying, "Surely He will not kill himself, will He, since He says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?"
23 And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.
24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
25 So they were saying to Him, "Who are You?" Jesus said to them, "What have I been saying to you from the beginning?
26 "I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who has sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world."
27 They did not realize they had been speaking to them about the Father.
28 So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
29 "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do things that are pleasing to Him."
30 A He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?"
34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
35 "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
37 "I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
38 "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father."
39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you re Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.
40 "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.
41 "You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God."
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceed forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.
43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.
44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
46 "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?
47 "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you donot hear them, because you are not of God."
48 The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"
49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
50 "But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death."
52 The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.'
53 "Surely you are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?"
54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God';
55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, butI do know Him and keep His word.
56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
57 So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"
58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."
59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
-John 7:53 + 8:1-59

Intenseness. I just have to say that the way Jesus handled the adulteress situation was genius. Pure genius. I could not have come up with that. Genius. With one phrase he got an entire room of judges in a court ready to stone a woman to death to leave of their own accord because they acknowledged they were not fit to judge her because they had sin. And then the adulteress called Him, "Lord". That was amazing.

Then Jesus preached again. He was a brave, brave individual. He proved one point and then went right on making new ones. Then the Jews made the mistake of taking Him literally again. It occurs to me that His disciples understood Him the whole time and always knew what he was speaking about. Maybe it's not that people of that time didn't understand Spiritual concepts, but that most of the people He spoke to were not spiritual themselves. I makes sense considering their doctrine lacked a good amount of spirituality until He came around.

And people kept accusing Jesus of boasting of Himself. He said He was just speaking truth and they were from the devil and couldn't understand Him. Then they said He had a demon. Here's how you know Jesus was not evil or possessed: He told people to come to God. Most demons wouldn't do that. He also spared a woman's life and argued for Forgiveness and Mercy over Revenge and Judgment. He was accepting and patient. None of those characteristics would ever be associated with a demon or someone evil . Evil people aren't exactly understanding and compassionate.

I also reflects a lot on what happened during the Inquisition and other times in history when people twisted the Bible to suite heir own agendas. As I know understand it, as long as a person accepts God as their Savior and gives Reverence to Jesus -they are never beyond the Divine. So whatever "sins" people ere accused of committing back then or now -Death is never a suitable punishment because Death takes away a person's chance of redemption and return to Salvation. Only through God can a person be saved, not execution. Men aren't really fit to judge. They judge with their eyes, not with the Light.

Here's another good point: Jesus never said anything that contradicted the teachings of Moses or Abraham. At least not that I am currently aware of. He may have updated a few things, but it was because He was fulfilling God's purpose and the Law. And He always directed His glory back to God, and said even if someone were to glorify Him it would still be glorifying Him because He is Him. The devil may be cocky, but He certainly never calls himself God.

I also sensed here that Jesus was getting frustrated with people. He genuinely wanted them to understand, but they genuinely could not. It's like trying to light a match that won't light. Frustrating. And yet He kept talking and making His points because He had Patience and Acceptance.

Adalynn

My step-sister Sarah gave birth to her daughter Adalynn yesterday :)

Novemeber 27th. She's a Sagittarius. I was worried about Sarah's signs not matching up with hers, but a Capricorn is the Builder sign of a Sagittarius so I'm glad for that. Sarah will be a great mommy. She has the perseverance, spunk, and responsible nature to raise this may with care and love. There will be awkward and difficult times when Adalynn is a teen, but outside of that Sarah will instill in her the modesty and humbleness she needs to succeed in the world.

Focus

I lack prompts. My friend has jury duty and hath not bequeath prompteth unto me. There fore I'm going to look at some pamphlets he wrote on and make comments about his thoughts.

The first on is called ""Nothing But the Blood"...

In this post he was discussing the role of blood in Christianity. As noted in the Gospel of John, Jesus said that we must, "Eat of His flesh and drink of His blood" -on other words take the body of Christ into ourselves. Now in the pamphlet my friend focuses on the Passover of the Jews in Egypt -how they had to place the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the borders of their doors to avoid the plague that killed all first borns. He says regardless of whatever sin they had -past, present, and future- the only thing that saved them was the blood of the lamb. In this same sense, we are all saved by the sarifice Jesus made.

My friend notes, "I like to think it is my righteousness, working with God's power that saves me. I want to think that I have something important to do with my own fate. Yet I must humbly admit that the only thing bringing me to heaven is the blood of Jesus." -AT

He also quotes Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast".

This was interesting for me to read because i remember from John that people kept coming up to Jesus asking Him, "So what do we do to go to heaven and receive the Spirit?" And all He would tell them was to Believe in Him and do not sin. That's it. And I was confused because it seems like we have to do more, but it's an even playing field.

 It makes sense though when you take the quote from Ephesians into consideration. If some people put more works and effort into their faith then they might say they are more worthy of salvation than others. This would  then raise their Egos and lower the confidence and faith of others. Instead God doesn't pick and choose; He is on no one's side -He is the side. He's just waiting for people to join Him. He loves unconditionally and embraces everyone wherever they may be in their live as long as they revere Him as the One.

The Second pamphlet is titled, "Hard Work + Waiting =Absolute Success"

He basically states that you need to work hard, but also be patient. We as humans want instant gratification and we have to humble ourselves by realizing it is God who decides when we are ready to receive our rewards in life. For example, if a rich man wins the lottery but hasn't worked to appreciate his wealth and doesn't know how to spend it right because he is not fulfilled as a person, he will waste it on unworthy things. But if someone works hard and genuinely deserves his reward, God will give it to him and that person will multiply it and use it for the highest purpose possible to glorify God, not himself.

My friend says, it is not wrong o have fame or riches -but as people who are in humble service to our Lord we should put our worldly interests in a more divine frame of mind and use them for higher virtues. "As Christians, our idea of success in life should be anything having to do with bringing people closer to the Lord." -AT
And anything we do to try and speed up the process to bring about the reward quicker, will not end well because it will be without the guidance of God -Master of Time.

I have to say, my friend writes very well and makes good points. However, his writing seems clogged with words that don't bring their message to life. I would edit out some things and add some more feeling to it. It seems like great information, but too much information and no emotional connection make the paragraphs harder to recall because they don't have as strong of an impact.

Also, being an aries, he speaks mostly of duty - It is our duty as Christians to... Maybe it's just my Pisces nature, but it's too rigid for me to adhere to.  understand and respect duty, but Compassion and feelig will always compell me further than some telling me to do something. I am led by empathy, and do not have  duty to things I should do, but do them because it hurts my nature to go against what is right. It's like leading  horse by a rope that could just as easily follow without being told to. I don't need the rope. I don't need duty. I am bound by my Compassion to do what is right.

Also I don't like the phrase "We as Christians". This is why, even if I get baptised -which I intend to- and declare Jesus my savior -which I intend to -I will still Not call myself a Christian. I've seen to many works of God that lie outside of any one religion to define myself by just one. Buddhism has validity to it. I fear closing myself off by labeling myself in a category when God Himself transcends religion. He is always and will always Be. Regardless of what religion or religions I follow -I follow Him first. I have more duty as a Soul than I do as a Jew or a Christian or a Buddhist. My duty is to Truth and God and Compassion.

So my advice to my friend may seem partial, but i would recommend leaving the "We as Christians must..." out of it. Say "We as followers of God", then it's a lot more inclusive to people who maybe aren't Christian but end up reading his pamphlets anyway. They won't feel as closed off from the message and think it was only intended for a specific group of people he or she is not a part of.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Self-Photo

Quote Response 3

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” Confucius

True. True. I've never really sought vengeance. I'm trying to recall a time when I did. It probably would have involved me at a young age trying to frame my sister for something because she did something I decided to get revenge on her for. Like if she tattled on me for doing something wrong. She was always bringing mom into those situations. I was civil. I told her we could negotiate a peace treaty between ourselves we didn't need to bring the dictatorial monarchy into it. I knew how to handle things with the appropriate conduct. But Em was always braking the code and bringing mom into it.

So Yah, occasionally I would seek vengeance. Usually I was just impulsively spiteful. I felt for some reason like she needed to respect my authority. I felt like I was in charge of her and if she didn't listen or obey me then I couldn't have any control over her. i think it's because my parent's divorced and my mom and dad worked during the day so I was sort in charge of looking out for her at the babysitters and when the parents weren't around. And dad wasn't exactly maternal so I would make sure Em had brushed her teeth and taken her meds in the morning. I would make sure she didn't eat anything with red dye in it. I would make sure she did her homework. I would make sure she was behaving...

But it was hard getting her to see me as an authority figure, so I had to make sure she respected my words. If an "act of defiance" was made against me I had to put I down. I rarely treated her like an equal. I wasn't abusive but I did make threats occasionally and pushed her around. As time went on I found she could take care of herself, so I let her and relinquished my role.

The point is I've never sought revengeance against anyone before except my sister. And it was mostly out of fear. I was afraid of losing respect and control over someone. I needed to make sure she was going to take me seriously and not push me over like a push-over. I think that's why people opt for revenge sometimes. We want people to know they don't have control over Us. We want them to know they are being held accountable and will be made to show respect. But the fact is, respect is earned -not taken. And control over people is an impossibility. Never expect anything from people -they do not live for you, but for themselves. You should accept them as you would a wild animal -you can try to pet it, but if it turns on you or leaves you know that it is in it's nature to do so.

Acceptance and Forgiveness are the only ways to Let Go and Move On.

Zak Bagans of the Shire

Born April 5, 1977 -an Aries by nature


Zak has been an interesting person to watch. If you see the first video made, he looks and acts a lot different than he does now. He actually went out to show ghosts didn't exist. It was him, Aaron Goodwin (Born April 1, 1976), and Nick Groff (Born April 19, 1980 -Which makes him an Aries/Taurus hybrid) and their hand-held video cameras. They always brag about not having a big camera crew -it's just them.

In the beginning Zak was cautious, kind of wimpy, uneasy, frightened, more withdrawn. He was genuinely scared to be exploring ghost world. It was funny to see his reactions back then because he has changed a lot over the years. Being an Aries, he has a middle-line focus between Spirituality and Physicality. Which basically means, he's interested in the soul and finding out about the afterlife, but also invests in his physical strengths. He works out,and specifically started doing so after his first run-in with ghosts. I think in his mind he thought that if he was physically stronger then he would fear the supernatural less.

Along with his biceps, his ego also increased. He's still humble on some level, but he definitely pays a lot more attention to his appearance and carrying himself in a way that seems strong and sturdy like a fortress. He reminds me of Criss Angel sometimes, with his theatrical announcer voice. It's hard to take him seriously sometimes, which bugs me. But both Criss and Zak reside in Las Vegas, which I think has had a negative impact on their personalities. They're showy.

Then there's Aaron, who is goofy and tends to over-react to things. He's funny. He's a lot more frightened to explore things alone, and Zak goes out of his way to make him stay in dark places alone. Aaron seems less educated than the other two, and his vocabulary is not as extensive. But he also seems to bring more foolishness to the team and genuine support.

Lastly there's Nick. I feel sorry for Nick. He's the calmest of the three and most humble. He often drifts into the background because he is so normal compared to the other two. He's actually from San Jose, CA -which is awesome. Nick seems to have a lot of darkness he lets loom over him. You can tell he's taken some beatings from his experiences.

I would say Spiritually, all three are lost, though they have a great capacity to be Spiritual if they chose. They are brave though. They plunge in head first. Zak needs to work more on being sensitive to the feelings of others. Aaron needs to work more on standing up for himself. Nick needs to learn to build himself up -his issue isn't fear, but letting sadness overwhelm him and bring him down. Zak and Aaron seem like they could bounce back from anything, but Nick seems like the darkness could weigh him down and make him collapse if it builds up. But he is fearless.

Being Bold is the nature of all fire signs. Zak calls out and even taunts negative entities. He's gotten pushed and scratched. He's had entities follow him home and haunt his house. I don't know how he can do that. It baffels me. The fear he must feel, to know spirits call you out by name... And yet he pushes through like it doesn't even bug him. He's a soldier. If this job wasn't his passion and he were any other type of sign that was other than Fire, he'd be screwed. There's no way he would have stuck with this that long.


Sunday, November 27, 2011

Yoga Joke

This ad was posted on Craigslist for a yoga mat:

Yoga mat for sale. Used once. - $1 (Bellevue)

Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:

11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.

11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.

11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.

11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.

11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.

12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.

12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.

12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)

12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.

12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.

12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.

12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.

12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?

1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!

1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.

1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.

1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.

1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.

1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.

1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.

3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.

4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.
Any takers?! You can check out the actual picture of the mat and full ad for yourself here.
Published September 16, 2011 at 7:00 PM
According to my friend, if someone were to post a coment about this funny experience a man had trying out yoga, the story itself would become Negative and Disrepectful. If you liked this joke-story don't insult it, because doing so would therefore make the joke-story insulting.

Two Things

1. I don't use Horoscopes. I thought I'd just make a statement. My step-dad was jokingly reading them to me this morning because he knows I follow the zodiacs. I told him there are minimal amounts of horoscopes that are legit, all the other ones are made up. And it's nearly impossible to tell the fake and the real ones apart, so I'd call it pointless. Horoscopes are pointless. I'll let the future come as it may, as long as I'm being guided and led down the right path I have nothing to worry about.

2. I keep wondering what I would do if I was living in the time of Jesus. If I was wandering around hearing news and rumors of Him, what would my reaction be. My reaction is always unsurprised and kind of lack luster. And I wouldn't go out of my way out of curiosity to see who He was and what He was saying. But being led, I would probably be brought to Him from a friend or someone telling me to go see Him speak. Then after I saw and heard Him, I would believe. Others doubts might make me quiet about my opinion, but I would believe in Him. Logically I would be skeptical, but the miracles and wisdom He would give would erase all doubts. I would speak freely around family and friends, with respect, of my belief. I'd probably be made fun if by doubters, but when you know the truth you are only saddened by the blindness of others. It hurts sometimes when you want someone to see what they can only believe.

The Gospel of John 7:1-52

Jesus Teaches at the Feast

7:1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of the Booths, was near.
3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.
4 "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."
5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
6 So Jesus said to them, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.
7 "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
8 "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not fully come."
9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
11 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, "Where is He?"
12 There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray."
13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.
15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?"
16 So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. 
18 "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
19 "Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?"
20 The crowd answered Him, "You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?"
21 Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel.
22 "For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.
23 "If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?
24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?
26 "Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?
27 'However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from."
28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who has sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
29 "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
31 But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs then those which this man has, will He?"
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him.
33 Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me.
34 "You will seek Me and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."
35 The Jews then said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?
36 "What is this statement that He said, 'You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come'?"
37 Now on this day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink.
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From this innermost being will flow rivers of living water'."
39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, who those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
40 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet."
41 Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?
42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
43 So a division formed in the crowd because of Him.
44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?"
46 The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks."
47 The Pharisees then answered them, "You have not also been led astray, have you?
48 "No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?
49 "But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed."
50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them,
51 "Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"
52 They answered him, "You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."

Well, a lot of events to digest here.

Firstly, "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." -This was an interesting incident. Jesus and every other Jew was expected to be there, but Jesus didn't want to go. He said it was because everyone there hated Him and it wasn't His time to die yet. I think He was feeling put out and wanted to avoid the feast. Then He was sitting alone with everyone gone and no one around and He knew He should go there. He stayed in secret at first, still kind of embarrassed and also listening on what people were whispering about Him. Then He got tired of staying in hiding. Also there's a notion that if you're keeping something hidden it's because it is evil or wrong. Jesus knew what He had to share was good, and therefore did not belong in shadow.

Jesus never wanted Fame. Fame is something superficial. He wanted God to be known, not His own Ego. So "going public" wasn't in His nature. But speaking to people about His Father and teaching people about God was, and the urge to share the Truth overcame His inhibitions. Jesus also seemed like an All or Nothing kind of a guy, so if He was going to make His presence known, He was going to be bold.

"If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? -Here Jesus was them out on their hypocrisies -they complained about Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, but they gave circumcision to a baby on the Sabbath (the day you were suppose to do no work). It was a good point.

Then the crowd started wondering why the leaders and Pharisees were just standing there letting Jesus speak. They kept wondering back and forth whether Jesus was Christ.

1.They said that they weren't suppose to know where the Savior came from, but they knew Jesus came from Galilee. Jesus said they knew Him, but not God who had sent Him.
2. Then they said that the Christ wouldn't do more signs than He had. The signs made it hard to argue He wasn't the One.
3. Then they said, "Isn't the Christ suppose to be from Bethlehem and a descendant of Davids?" Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but raised in Galilee. He was also a descendant of David.

People kept wanting to seize Jesus and kill Him, but nothing ended up happening. Even when the Pharisees sent the officers after Him, they refused because they believed He might be the Savior. Then they kept mocking the officers saying that they believed in a prophet from the run-down town of Galilee as the uneducated masses did. They also added as proof that none of the Pharisees believed in Him. Then Nicodemus said, "I don't think we can judge a man before we know who he is and what he is doing." Then the Pharisees mocked him and said, "Are you from Galilee too?" Jerks.

This chapter seems a lot shorter now that it's typed, but it felt a lot longer while I was writing it up.