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Easter Sermon, April 2007
Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ. On this day of the Resurrection of Jesus the son of The One with
no name, I greet you. I thought it was appropriate to have my first online sermon available by Easter. It is a time of new
beginnings. It is a time of new commitments to God.
Three days before Easter a great gift was given to save us from our flawed selves. The life that was
given was a special life filled with a new idea. It was the idea that Love in its highest form can and will overcome all hate
in the world we live in. It was a radical idea who’s time had come.
In the intervening years many have claimed that violence was the way God wanted Christians to defeat
Evil in the world. 99% of the time these rulers invoked God’s name to wage wars of conquest, revenge, resource seizure,
and imposition of ‘Christian’ ideas on other cultures.
Christianity has its own way of spreading. That is by example. By using violence they ceased to be the
people Christ taught them to be. To Love your neighbor was not a hollow Command. These people did not do as Jesus would have
done. They followed a baser animal will to dominate.
The result is a horrible mixed message that you should Love when you feel like it. It was to rely on
violence when you wanted something. It is time to explain something basic that has been missing from most ’Christian’
teaching lately.
We are not alone in this fight against Evil. Angels help and defend Christians every day. There is a
very good reason to use great self- restraint in any decision to use violence. Angels see clearly who is Christian and those
who just pay Jesus’ teachings lip service. That distinction is whether we turn the other cheek or automatically strike
out at any obstacle to what we want.
Angels see who relies on God’s will and who relies on Human Energy. People who rely on Human Energy
are not following Jesus. Angels know who to bash by which side they rely on. There are many religions that rely on Human Energy.
They are a sorry impoverished lot.
They are like small children who refuse a hand up off the ground because they just know that they can
do it alone. When they do refuse the freely offered help they also choose to be Alone. They may get off the ground a hundred
times. But when their Human Energy is not enough they will stay laying in the dirt. And they will be alone. The One with no
name does not interfere with free choice.
Three days after Jesus’ murder his tomb was found to be empty except for a burial cloth. On this
day the promise of Jesus was fulfilled by his Resurrection. A new beginning was at hand for those who chose to follow in Jesus’
footsteps. Christianity was born that day. Jesus said to follow him was to pick up his cross. The One calls few of us to be
tortured and murdered in this day and age. To die is easy, to live a life that Jesus would be proud of is hard.
For the Followers of the Apostle Thomas, I call on you to come out of exile. It is time for the teachings
of Jesus that were relayed by the Apostle Thomas to be heard after too many years of silence. We will be set upon again by
the Trinitarians, no doubt. They do not have the clout that they used to have to persecute us. It is long past time when they
can torture us with the Inquisition.
It is time to let our lights out from under that bushel barrel. It is time for our example to shine
on our own right. Many Church of Thomas people have attended and been members of Trinitarian groups and Churches. Often we
have been pointed out as the most devote among these other Christians. It is time for them to know where our devotion originated.
In my deepest heart I hope that they see us as fellow Christians as we see them as our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
There are two more groups I wish to invite. First there are many people who have similar beliefs to
us that do not attend a Church. I propose that you may be the ones whose families have been in hiding for 2000 years, so long
that the origins of your philosophy have been lost. Your families may have originally been Church of Thomas people. It is
hard to be firm when there was no written record of the memories of Jesus recounted by Thomas. Especially when the Trinitarians
kept waving their Gospels in your face. When they said their Gospels were all that was written. I invite you to read the Reconciler
gospel of Thomas. You may find what is written down confirms your belief set.
The last but not least group is those that have always wanted to belong to God. You feel that there
is something missing in your life. You may be someone who has heard televangelists and ministers in churches go on and on
about how God knows you are a good Christian because you give until it hurts. I am here to offer you another Christianity
that has always considered Christianity a Grass roots effort. A Christianity that does not try to inspire you with how big
there Church is, or if they have a ‘Campus’, or pretty fountain out front. Church of Thomas wants people to relate
directly to God. We offer a support system to fulfill your God given gifts and missions in life. We may not pat you on the
back but we will hug you when you hurt.
To the world we say, Easter marks a new day to find God, or reaffirm our commitment to follow Jesus’
example to the best of your ability. To fellow Christians we say, don’t be discouraged, you have some long lost Brothers
and Sisters out here. We Love all of you. God Bless the whole world, no exceptions.
Peace of The One with no name to you all.
Love,
Angel Eliza
How the mighty have fallen 4-16-07
I was looking through Sermon ideas a about a week ago. I was drawing a blank. Nothing spoke to
me, nothing inspired me. I asked Dad (God) to help me out.
I did not wait long. I was watching the news when it came to me what today’s Sermon would
be about. I saw the story about some Molecular Paleontology. A scientist had done a DNA test on a Dinosaur bone.
It was the bone of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, translation “Terrible lizard King”. They wanted
to find out if the Theory that dinosaurs were related to birds was on the right track. In this case they used a non-endangered
species. One that was easy to raise in a lab. A chicken.
The test results confirmed the Theory. The ex-King of the World; the undisputed master of the
World at the time was a distant Cousin to the Chicken. I never laughed so hard in my life.
We have started to think that we are The Monarchs of the World. Christian Scholars even started
saying that Angels were nothing more than tools to get what we wanted. “Angels were made to bow down before Man….”
What a sad statement. Others feel that Angels are here to be “called” to do our bidding. Prayer should not be
made to any one or any thing other than God.
Angels are God’s first children. Many Generations of Angels aid God in the work. Church
of Thomas knows that Angels are also children of God. If you have ever had kids or siblings I think you will be able to relate
to this. Parents love all their children. The Eldest usually gets baby sitting duty, as well as many other chores that aid
the family of God. Middle children have chores, but also more freedom from responsibility.
The Youngest is often pampered, sometimes spoiled. When they do something wrong their punishment
is not as firm as the older kids. Very little is expected of them. As long as they do not go around hitting or biting other
kids it is considered not so bad.
In a good family all the children have their chores to do. Even the Youngest. We are the Youngest
children of God. All we know is that someone is always waiting on us hand and foot. We can not help but think that everyone
else was created to serve us. We cry and suddenly someone is fixing it.
Of course we also have some Run Away siblings that like to knock us down on the playground. As
you can imagine they were the ones that wanted people to give them “all the candy”. God gives them nothing. They
live on what they can Bully out of us. They use lies to make us a bridge between God strength and themselves. They may be
siblings but they are not working with God. They like to foster the idea that people are the ultimate and chosen of God’s
kids.
The Next Generation of Angels is coming from the cradles of humanity. They choose to take on more
than is asked of them. They defend the other little kids and puppies. They scream bloody murder when there is danger to warn
their siblings. When Evil is being done they turn over the basket it is hiding under and point. They do not have to do this,
they choose to help. When God asks them to do something they try to pay attention and do what is requested of them. Sometimes
all it takes is a little child of God at the right place at the right time. A grain of sand will stop an M-16 from firing.
Which bring us to the T. Rex and it’s cousin the Chicken. God wants us doing our chores.
“Loving one another” still has not caught on. I personally would rather be a child of God, doing the best I can
to get better; to some day take on more responsibilities. God would never give up on us. However we are a work in progress.
Many are not even doing that work. Many people today think that doing Well equates with doing Good.
The alternative is to believe The Liar that people are invincible because we are “chosen”.
In that way of thinking lies the trap. The Enemy would never allow a competitor for the Monarchy. People who chose this route
risk becoming what T. Rex became, a main course on the menu sustaining The Enemy.
God Bless You.
Angel
Rabbi means Teacher Sermon 4-28-07
The dialogue has now begun.
The visitors of this site are asking questions. This is when we can begin. I welcome all of my
new friends. Jesus was called Rabbi because he was teaching his people how to become teachers as well.
Some of you will stay a while and drift off. You have my Blessings. Some of you will fear to ask
questions because you don’t want to look ‘silly’. I encourage you to join in the discussion.
Lastly, there are people who I think God sent to this site. The list so far is not complete, it
may never be. To my new friends, I hope I can answer your questions to your satisfaction. This list is in no particular order.
Phillip, I think you will be using your talent at music to teach. Rodney, your beautiful outrage
at the double standard of public display of affection, you will find a way to fight this injustice. Gail, you seem to be trying
to find the higher meaning in what you are being called to do in life. Eli, you are a teacher already, because of your son.
Your calling to start a Bible Study group is wonderful. Jake, you have a fine eye for injustice, let us find a way to hone
it to a fine edge. Sandy you help people who would never have been allowed in The Temple, I see in you a fine questing heart.
Amy, you are an artist, creating anything is a gift from God.
I already see a trend that pleases me. These new friends of mine represent some fine qualities.
Music, Art, Healing and Helping people are well represented.
One of the purposes of this site is to get folks thinking outside the box. Church of Thomas is
not in any of your boxes. From the questions I can see you are, trying to understand outside of the box. Here is a quote from
the Reconciler Gospel of Thomas, Which from now on will be written, RGoT. It is verse # 4.
(4) Jesus said, “An old person who dares to see the wisdom in the eyes of a seven day old infant will
know how to know heaven, and be born again. Many who are first will be last by service to The One.”
If people can look beyond what they have been taught about the Teachings of Jesus,
they can see some other Christian viewpoints. An infant remembers Heaven, and sees the world through that lens of trust and
love. These are hallmarks of being or growing into Children of God.
In the teachings of Jesus you learn to love others and yourself. When you are expressing
God’s Love through action, you find the peace of knowing you are loved. It is a full time job, but well worth the effort.
(90) Jesus said, “Come to me because my yoke is easy and my teachings mild. You will find peace inside
yourself.”
For those who have apologized for asking so many questions, please don’t. That is
why I am here. I will not chase you down to teach you, you have to ask. If my answers are clumsy, if you do not fully understand
please, ask again. Verse #92, # 94, and # 108 are good ones illustrating this point in Church of Thomas teachings. God does
not want robots repeating what they have been taught. God wants you to understand the reasons, background, and purpose behind
these verses of Jesus’ sayings.
(92) Jesus said, “Seek and you shall find. You asked me questions before, but I did not tell you because
it was not time. Now it is time. I want to tell you now but you have stopped asking. Do not give up looking. Ask until you
get your answers, as a three year old will persist until they are fully satisfied.”
(94) Jesus said, “A person who seeks will find. A person who knocks will be admitted into The Presence
of The One.”
(108) Jesus said, “A person who satisfies their thirst from the spring of my mouth will become more
like me. The things that have been hidden will be Lighted for that person to see.”
If you have not figured it out this is a “New idea”. Blind obedience is
frowned upon, and questioning everything is encouraged in the Church of Thomas. You might say we are an audience participation
Church.
God Bless You,
Angel
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