Online Seminary

Archive for August 2010

At first it was for a joke – a friend of mine told me about the ULC and I did a search. I was ordained in October 2002 (about the same time I looked up the ULC through this site I believe – or the HQ site as I know I am on the ULC’s official “roll call”.) After a short time I came back to this site (June 2003) and joined the forum. I have since received the basic ministry package (before the CD-ROM was included). Last year I received a few books and the D.D. This year was more books.

I really like calling myself “Reverend” and have made up some business cards that have may “Reve.” and “D.D.” included – mainly to show off to people. I really don’t use my Reverend too much though as the Government here is not really that big on the ULC or other “fringe” churches. However, if I am complaining about something, or do a “Letter to the Editor”, I use my “Reverend” and “D.D.”

At first, I never really thought of my credential as more than fun, but I am taking it more seriously now. I really enjoy being a Reverend.

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. 

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

 

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.  
 
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar
At first it was for a joke – a friend of mine told me about the ULC and I did a search. I was ordained in October 2002 (about the same time I looked up the ULC through this site I believe – or the HQ site as I know I am on the ULC’s official “roll call”.) After a short time I came back to this site (June 2003) and joined the forum. I have since received the basic ministry package (before the CD-ROM was included). Last year I received a few books and the D.D. This year was more books.

I really like calling myself “Reverend” and have made up some business cards that have may “Reve.” and “D.D.” included – mainly to show off to people. I really don’t use my Reverend too much though as the Government here is not really that big on the ULC or other “fringe” churches. However, if I am complaining about something, or do a “Letter to the Editor”, I use my “Reverend” and “D.D.”

At first, I never really thought of my credential as more than fun, but I am taking it more seriously now. I really enjoy being a Reverend.

*******************************

 

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. 

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

 

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.  
 
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar
Wicca Essay
The Wiccan class is one that I have truly enjoyed. While I am not a practicing Wiccan, I find that I do practice Wicca in many ways.
I have enjoyed all the classes, they were very interesting, an easy read that held my interest.
The introduction to herbs class as inspired me to learn more about herbs. I drink the herbal teas, I have rushed to the health food store to purchase herbs as a remedy for a cold, but never really gave much thought to it. I never considered the lavender plant to be an herb, it’s one of my favorite scents of aromatherapy. My rosemary bush by the front porch has taken on a new life, so to speak. I recently purchased a beautiful mortar and pestle, I am ready to take on the herbs.
I enjoyed the classes on alters and have added additional alters around my home.
Rituals, spells, the basics are here. My rituals are limited to moon ceremonies, perhaps someday I will expand, it’s nice to have all the basics here at hand.
Since starting this course, I have added some new books to my library, spells and herbs, dousing, rituals and ceremonies.
Wicca, a religion or a way of everyday life…I believe we are all wiccans at heart, this class helps you realize that.
Thank you Amy and Lord Starwalker. I have enjoyed the journey.
Nancy L. Kuhn
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Happiness is when what you think,
what you say,
and what you do are in harmony.
~Mahatma Gandhi
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Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving,
the most beautiful of the arts,
because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life;
it is life itself.
~ Havelock Ellis
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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar
ULC SEMINARY SERMONS

Hello!

Welcome to our weekly sermon. We have created this feature to allow you to get regular weekly sermons sent straight to you. These sermons are on a variety of topics and we are neither promoting nor insisting on any particular point of view. We are merely sharing what has been sent to us. If you don”t agree with the weekly topic or point of view, please just delete it and wait for next weeks.

ULC Sermons

They built underground shelters and prepared themselves for the total destruction of the planet”s surface. They didn’t know whether this was going to occur, but they wanted to be safe. They knew they had a safety margin and that if they were prepared, their race would survive. They began learning to use alternate energy sources that could be used underground without any dependency on sunlight or oxygen from the surface. Thus they created a world that would be totally independent from the surface ecosystem.

Preparation stretched out over many generations. They were farsighted, for they were certain this change needed to occur. They paced themselves and moved slowly. They began to see that they were evolving at such a rapid rate that the Apexian cranial size was quickly increasing. The natural birth process became difficult, for the cranial size was expanding more quickly than the female pelvis could accommodate. Thus there were many deaths during childbirth – of both the mother and the child. Since what you call caesarian delivery was not part of their belief system, they were certainly facing a species crisis.

They were faced with a dilemma. Their population was decreasing. It became obvious that they had to prepare for planetary catastrophe as well as the possible death of their own species. They thus began turning to cloning techniques so they would not be dependent on the birth process. Then they could actually reproduce their species in the laboratory without the need for the reproductive act, conception, or natural birth. They assumed this knowledge would take care of them and they would be ready for anything.

The Apexians did attempt to reverse some of the conditions that were occurring on the planet”s surface before they took shelter underground. However, it had progressed too far. Many Apexians were dying from various diseases resulting from radiation or air pollution. They knew this was the time to move beneath the planet”s surface.

Gradually, individuals wrapped up their business on the surface of the planet and began to inhabit the underground cities. This was a great shock to many. Imagine knowing that you could never look at the sky again. . .that you could never lie under the stars…that you would be trapped in a rock environment for the rest of your life. Imagine the fear and sorrow these people were experiencing.

Eventually, they all were moved underground. They had to learn how to adapt. Through their cloning capabilities (which they had been working on for at least 100 of their years), they began to understand how a body could adapt to an environment such as this. They began altering their genetics so that when new babies arrived they could be part of the underground ecosystem.

This entailed restructuring bodies so they could absorb frequencies of light beyond the visible spectrum and then change these frequencies into heat. This required a completely different way of body functioning and a new way of teaching the body to absorb nutrients. The bodies began learning to ingest nutrients from some of the luminiferous rocks underground. They had brought from the surface luminiferous plants as well. They studied these plants (which were chlorophyl-based) and allowed themselves to incorporate these qualities into themselves.

All of this occurred over a span of hundreds of years. Many Apexians died. There were successes as well as failures. They eventually got to a point where the population growth leveled out as the death rate decreased. The methods by which they were taking in nutrients and recycling into the ecosystem became symbiotic and balanced. They knew they could survive this way for an indefinite period of time.

While this was occurring under the surface of the planet, profound changes were occurring on the surface. The Apexians did not realize that the planet”s toxicity had set a chain reaction in motion. Severe radiation had begun breaking down the planetary energy field on a subatomic level. This created an electromagnetic warp in the time/space fabric surrounding the Apex planet. While they were underground, Apex actually shifted its position in the time/space continuum because of this dramatic subatomic energy breakdown.

Time and space is very much like swiss cheese. A planet in one location is connected through a series of multidimensional networks or passageways to other areas of your galaxy. When this warp began around their planet, the planet was moved through the fabric of time/space to another time/space continuum – which was a significant distance from their point of origin. You have labeled this area the Reticulum star group. The Apex planet was inserted in the Reticulum system around one of the faintest stars is that star group. This occurred simply because the planetary shift followed the fabric of time and space. The underground Apexians were totally unaware of this as they continued with their lives under the surface. They continued saving their species.

If something such as this occurred on Earth, there would be various factions of people living underground who would have no communication with each other. These factions could develop very different cultures over hundreds of years. This is what occurred on Apex. These different factions represent the different variations that have been viewed in the Zeta Reticuli groups. Some individuals say they are very negative; others say they are very benevolent. But it really isn”t as black and white as that.

Over the hundreds of years that they were underground, they deliberately manipulated their body type to suit their underground environment. They allowed themselves to become shorter in stature than they originally were so they could make better use of the cavern space. It was merely a conservation effort. Because they were not procreating physically, their reproductive organs atrophied. Their digestive tracts atrophied because they were no longer taking in solid nutrients. They had mutated to allow themselves to take in nutrients through the skin. Their eyes adapted to the environment through the pupil mutating to cover the entire eye. This allowed them to absorb certain frequencies of light beyond the visible spectrum. They had to do this in order to make optimal use of their underground environment. This description of their changes is a general one, since different factions would have made slightly different alterations to their genetic structure.

During this time, they evaluated what they had done to their planet. They concluded that emotions were largely responsible, so they no longer allowed emotion in their lives. They also vowed that they would no longer allow diversity in their culture. Thus they deliberately bred out variations in emotional reactions to differing stimuli. They were adamant that their passions would no longer rule them. They began creating a neurochemical structure in which every external stimulus produced the same reaction in every person. They felt this would allow them to integrate into one people and eliminate the warring and passion that had ruled their culture in the past.

Generally speaking, the separate underground factions followed the same reasoning. Most of them adapted themselves biologically in much the same way. This was a natural progression – they were following an equation. But the differences in the factions were more noticeable in their philosophie orientations.

Each faction had differing points of view about their own sense of self The ones you now call Zeta Reticuli are the more benign and benevolent beings. There are those we can term the negative Zeta Reticuli who stemmed from a faction that was interested in gaining power. They carried this desire from their Lyran roots into their mutation. There were other groups whom you have named the Greys who were from this Apex world but had slightly different genetic structures. You will find that the extraterrestrials playing a big role in your abduction literature come mostly from this original Apex planet. This is why there is so much controversy over who is who. Though they have the same lineage, their orientations and motivations are quite varied.

Eventually the Apexians realized that enough time had passed that they could return to the surface of the planet. The atmosphere had not totally regenerated (thus their time on the planet”s surface was limited), but they did allow themselves to emerge. When they did, they had quite a shock. Observing the star field, they knew the planet had shifted its position in the cosmos. The stars were very different. The astronomers who had been plotting the heavens during the seclusion were astonished. They realized then what they had done. The more benevolent Zeta Reticuli now were firmly committed to becoming one people and finding out what they had lost during the time they were underground. Thus they diligently learned about the folding of time and space. They didn”t even know where they were. They wanted to find out what had happened. They wanted to learn about themselves through other cultures. It was also their desire for no one else to ever do to themselves what they had done. At this time, that was their primary motivation.

The other more negative or self-serving groups also emerged on the surface of the planet and realized what they had done. The negative Zeta Reticuli group allowed themselves – with the technology they had in the past – to build ships and move to other planets in the Reticulum system where they built their culture. Others of the self-serving orientation allowed themselves to explore the universe, setting up colonies in several systems including Orion (Betelgeuse) and the Sirius trinary system.

Have any of these beings on Apex been reincarnationally connected with Earth?

Reincarnationally speaking, a good number of them are upon your planet now. Many of these Apexians who died out were somewhat opposed to the idea of manipulating the Apexian genetic structure. But at the same time, they were adamant about not creating pollution and toxicity and knew the Apex planet had to change. So they have incarnated all through the galactic family – especially whenever they saw a planet coming to the brink of the same kind of destruction they had created in their past. It is their wish to share their knowledge of what occurred in their past so that others will not need to recreate it.

So the Zetas are not indigenous to the Reticulum system?

Correct. However, after Apex shifted into the Reticulum system, the Zetas had many thousands of years of evolution. They have been there so long that Apex is only a dim memory to them.

If the Apexians had spacecraft, why didn”t they leave Apex when the catastrophe was occurring?

They could have left had they desired. Understand the nature of their being: they were pioneers; they had the same motivations and passions as the individuals who colonized your America. Even when the pioneers were faced with Indian attacks, they did not want to leave. The Apexians saw this as a great challenge. They felt that by going underground and changing their species, they would heal their past. They felt they would not recreate it again. The majority of them felt that if they left and went somewhere else, they would continue to recreate the pattern. Some of them did leave and went to other planets in the Lyran system, but only a small number. For the most part, the individuals who were committed allowed themselves to stay, feeling that this was an opportunity for them to heal their society.

You were saying that the pupil of the eye mutated to cover the whole eye. Does the pupil also grow larger through expanded consciousness?

In their case, yes. The brain was growing larger and therefore the eye structure as well as their desire for knowledge facilitated the enlargement of the pupil. But they also genetically manipulated it as well. Over a long period of time it would have occurred naturally because the surface area of the eye was not large enough to take in all of the light they needed. Also, the Lyran beings who were their forefathers had larger eyes than the Earth human.

Did the Apex planet move back to its original location once they began healing themselves?

No. The planet still remains in the Reticulum star system. The underground caverns are still home to many of them, though for the most part a good number of them spend time in space on their ships.

Is it possible in our time that our world could create something like this?

Yes, it is. In your current development and use of atomic power, it is not possible, but should you continue using your knowledge of atomics for more destructive means without allowing yourself to evolve from atomics to something else, then you could create that scenario.

Understand that there is a certain evolutionary scale (on average) that a civilization will follow. You are now at the stage of playing with the nuclear or atomic energies. There is a natural evolution from atomics that moves you away from the danger point. You are at the point now of almost deciding to move away from the danger scenario. You are still deciding whether or not you are going to take the natural evolutionary process away from atomics.

Most of the Zeta Reticuli that we interact with today are quasi-physical, almost approaching non-physicality. How did they get to that state? Was it simply the great length of time they’ve been focused on developing themselves?

The length of time has something to do with it, yes. But also it was because of their technological advancement, which allowed them to evolve themselves physically. They have allowed themselves to evolve to the point where they are on the brink of becoming nonphysical. However, they do not wish to leave physicality because there is still something they think they need to learn.

Never forget that there are different factions of the Zeta beings. Some of them are very altruistic. There are others who are here purely for their own reasons and those reasons can be either positive or negative or any shade in between. As an overall idea, they want certain things from you they feel they lack. You see, they think they have made some mistakes in what they have eliminated through cloning. They are now trying to watch you and learn how they can successfully integrate these things within themselves.

In a sense we can say that you are their past as well as their future. It is as if at every corner they turn, they face you. You represent their past; you also represent their only hope for a future.

Authors Details: Lyssa Royal – Excerpt from the book Visitor from Within Chapter 1

Talk to you next week!


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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the , is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

 

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.
 
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

” Becoming a star may not be your destiny, but being the best that you can be is a goal that you can set for yourself.”
Bryan Lindsay

Universal Life Church

Amy,
This was sent to me a few days ago.  While I have been going through some spiritual turmoil.  But I have stuck to my own thoughts, I had people telling me that I was wrong, however I knew that I was not.  I trusted what I felt inside.  Today after work, I had a meeting with two of my friends and we hashed everything out.  By trusting in myself and my feelings, things were worked out to the highest good.  I just sat down and read this email.  :o)  Tiny blessings Red rose
Thank you so much!
In love and light
Julie
Universal Life Church 

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As a long time member of ULC, I created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge selection of Universal Life Church minister supplies. Since being ordained with the Seminary since the beginning, I’ve watched and facilitated the huge change and growth that has continued to happen.  I also started sending out Kind Words every week, which has been a huge hit with the congregation.








Christian Sermons
Handling Anger Constructively
INTRODUCTION:
Please turn to (Mt. 5:21-26).
Before we study this passage, I need to briefly explain the setting that prompted Jesus to teach on the subject of anger.
In (Mt. 5:20), Jesus said, For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Imagine for a moment how disturbing that statement must have been for the Jewish citizens of that day. In their eyes, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the most spiritually minded people of their day. They were looked up too much like Ministers, Elders, and Deacons are in our day.
They were the spiritual leaders. They were the shepherds of the people of God. Everyone looked up to them for guidance in the laws of God.
However, Jesus said to the people, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
The people who heard Jesus say that must have been wondering, How can we possibly become more righteous than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law?
Well Jesus answers that question in (Mt. 5:21-5:48). In the following verses, Jesus outlined some examples of the how. Six times he will say, You have heard it said but I say to you.
With these words Jesus shows the true intent of Gods law. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law lived and taught one way, however Jesus points out that they didnt go far enough. They obeyed the laws outwardly, however, Jesus wants His disciples to obey them inwardly as well. Not only does God measure our actions by His Word but also our attitudes. Not only are there external measurements but internal measurements as well.
IF WE WANT OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO SURPASS THAT OF THE PHARISEES AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW, AND IF WE WANT TO ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THEN WE MUST LEARN HOW TO HANDLE OUR ANGER.
THIS MORNING, WE WILL LOOK AT TWO POINTS ON THE SUBJECT OF ANGER.
FIRST, AS CHRISTIANS, WE MUST BE AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER.
In (Mt. 5:21-22), Jesus quoted (Ex. 20:13) to show us that murder is a series offense. It is an ungodly act of violence that is totally against the will of God.
If Jesus had stopped right there, all of us would probably clap our hands and cry out, Amen, thats right, murder is wrong. Show no mercy to those who take innocent lives.”
But when Jesus went on to suggest in (v. 22) that being angry with your brother is just as serious as murder, our amens would soon stop because each one of us just became guilty before God.
Killing is a terrible sin, but unrighteous or unjustified anger is a great sin as well because it also violates Gods command to love.
Before I move on, I must tell you that righteous or justified anger is not forbidden in the Bible.
For example, Jesus in (Jn. 2) became angry with the dishonest merchants who were polluting Gods temple. However, in His anger, He did not sin.
(Eph. 4:26) In your anger do not sin
When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai and saw the people worshipping a golden calf, he had every right to be angry.
When Jonathan became angry with his father Saul for treating David shamefully (1 Sam. 20:34), he had every right to be angry.
Some anger, brethren, is not wrong. If we have valid reasons to get upset, then our angry feelings are not immoral. On the other hand, some anger is wrong and destructive.
ANGER THAT IS UNJUSTIFIED IS WRONG.
For example, When Abel offered a better sacrifice to God, his brother Cain became angry. His anger was prompted by his jealousy. That is unjustifiable anger.
ILLUSTRATION:
In Dadeville, Alabama, a man shot and killed another man because he was a better Bible quoter. They were arguing over a subject, and one man became so jealous and angry because he couldnt keep up scripturally with the other man, he shot and killed him.
ANGER THAT PROMPTS US TO SAY HATEFUL THINGS TO OTHERS IS WRONG AND MANY TIMES DESTRUCTIVE.
Jesus in (Mt. 5:22) warns us of the awesomely destructive potential of words.
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell (Mt. 5:22).
When we are angry and say hurtful things to others, we are sinning.
We need to be very careful with the words that we offer to others.
We must remind ourselves daily that angry outbursts of lethal words can damage self-concepts and destroy personal relationships.
ILLUSTRATION:
In his book The Power Zone, Dr. Larry Calvin wrote this article that can help us understand that words can damage people.
He wrote, several years ago, a young lady walked into my counseling center. She was 25 years old, five foot two inches tall, and weighed well under a hundred pounds. When she was asked to describe herself, every word she used was a fat word.
While we were thinking she needed intravenous feedings, she was seeing herself as fat. Her daily diet was three grapes and a teaspoonful of Grape Nuts, and after eating that, she felt bloated.
In the process of treating her, we learned of the verbal abuse she endured as a child. She recalled one incident that occurred when she was about eleven years old. She had sneaked off one Saturday to go to the mall to meet a boy her age. Theyd had a coke and walked around holding hands in the mall looking in store windows. Her brother had ratted on her, so when she got home her dad started yelling at her.
Among other things her dad said that day was one sentence she has never forgotten. Her dad said, I dont see what the boys see in you anyway, as fat as you are. Every time she looks in the mirror, she hears that sentence and sees a fat nobody.
Brethren, in the heat of our conflicts, we must avoid saying things that can do absolutely unbelievable damage to both the self-concept of the person we are talking to as well as the relationship itself. Angry words can cause serious damage.
Parents be very carefully with the words you use when you are disciplining your children. Angry words can effect them for the rest of their lives.
Husbands and wives, be very carefully with the words you say to one another.
Christians, be very careful with the words you say to your brothers and sisters. Angry words can destroy relationships and cause others to abandon their faith.
We need to take the advice of (Jam. 1:26). If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
ANGER THAT IS NOT RESOLVED AND STILL LINGERS IN OUR HEARTS IS WRONG AND SINFUL.
(Eph. 4:31) “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
If we have anger lingering in our lives, then we have sin reigning in our hearts.
If we add a d to anger we have the word danger. We are in a dangerous situation if we have anger stored up in our hearts.
SECOND, AS CHRISTIANS, WE MUST LEARN HOW TO HANDLE ANGER CONSTRUCTIVELY.
At this time, I will offer three principles that we should consider in order to handle anger constructively.
FIRST, BEFORE WE GET ANGRY, WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES THIS QUESTION, “DO I HAVE A VAILD REASON TO GET ANGRY?”
If we do not have a valid reason to get angry, then we must drop it!
(Prov. 17:14) Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
(Prov. 19:11) A mans wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
SECOND, IF WE HAVE A VALID REASON TO GET ANGRY, THEN WE SHOULD VERBALIZE OUR ANGRY FEELINGS.
When anger strikes, we should not suppress it which means to hold it inside or deny it exists.
When anger strikes, we should not explode and say things that we will later regret.
Instead, we should verbalize it in a positive and gentle way.
(Prov. 15:1) A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Go to the person you are angry with and tell him or her your feelings. Do this in a loving way.
(Mt. 5:23) Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Some of you may think that the best way to resolve anger is to go exclusively to God and ask Him to work it out. But God is saying that if we truly want to work out our anger then we must go to the person we are having trouble with first and get it all worked out, and then come to Him.
LASTLY, FORGIVE THE PERSON WHO MADE YOU ANGRY.
(Mk. 11:25) And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
(Mt. 6:14, 15) For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Forgiveness means that you pardon the person of his or her offense; you give up all feelings of getting even; you let go of all the hurt that he or she has caused; and you keep no records of wrongs. Forgiveness means it over; it is complete; it is finished.
If we have anger in our hearts then we better forgive before it is too late.
CONCLUSION:
This morning, from the Sermon on the Mount, we learned several principles.
Unrighteous anger is a serious offense.
Anger that is unjustified is wrong.
Anger that prompts us to say hateful things is sinful and many times destructive.
Anger that is not resolved and still lingers in our hearts results in spiritual sickness.
Justified anger is not necessarily wrong, especially when we learn how to handle it constructively.
Before we get angry, we need to ask ourselves this question, “Do I have a valid reason to get angry?”
If we have a valid reason to get angry, then we should verbalize our angry feelings in a gentle and loving way.
We must forgive people when they make us angry.
This morning, if you have some anger in your heart, then please get rid of it. Go to the person you have hard feelings with and work it out. Do it today, before it is too late.
Bible Center


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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church


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Spirit Quest Essay by Rev. Timothy Spotswood

I found the Spirit Quest course to be very informative and helpful. I have been involved in religious studies for over 30 years and practicing daily meditation for over 20. So when the course starts out with lessons in meditation I decide that since I paid for the course and want to take it seriously I will study the lessons. Although, since I have been meditating for so many years, I am sure they will have some good information for beginners, but not for me. Imagine my surprise when one of the first things I read about is the ‘grounding cord’. I don’t recall ever learning about this wonderful tool. The blowing up roses is a great tool as well but I have used similar things, but I can not stress how much the grounding cord has helped me. So the first lesson learned is to keep my mind open; I might actually learn something if I let me.



For the first half of the course I was doing very well. I was reading all the lessons as soon as they came in, working on the exercises, taking lots of notes. I really felt I was making some good progress. Then, about half way through I took a vacation out of state for a couple weeks, without internet access. I knew I would be a bit behind but could readily catch up, or just stay a couple weeks behind and continue.



Unfortunately when I got back from Disney World I had not only lost my momentum, I had seemed to have lost interest in the course. I just always had other things to do instead of catching up on my reading. After a few weeks of this I decided to try and figure out what was going on. I mean I was really enjoying the course and felt I was doing well. Why would I try to convince myself I was too busy to pick it back up?



After some mediation I realized I had done this before. Many times before. Throughout my life as things start to go well for me, either in a relationship or business things always fall apart. After some contemplation I realized I was doing it to myself. Something would start to go right for me and I would do something to mess it up. As if some part of me didn’t think I deserved to be happy. I tried to determine when this started or how long I had been doing it. I could not come up with a particular event or time but I could almost see myself around pre-school age and knowing I was a bad person.



I know I am not a bad person but the feeling was very hard to overcome. I decided I had to take charge and try to overcome it. So for starters I would finish this course. As I pick up the next lesson imagine my surprise to see lesson 15 Affirmations, then 16 Speaking In The Positive. These two lessons seemed to cover what I had just spent the last two months working on. I am glad I worked on these ideas first because reading the lessons meant much more to me than if I had read them first (and probably just glossed over them)



Life is a journey. I thank you very much for this course and the help it gave me, and will continue to give me on my journey. The end of the course is not really a destination, but more a step in the right direction. I took almost 10 months to make this step, instead of 8. But I have learned patience a long time ago, and I feel it is more important to do something right, not necessarily fast.



Timothy ‘ Tukaram ‘Spotswood
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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


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DIVORCE and the CHRISTIAN
Prepared by Stanley C. Lawrence
Paper Written for The FOUR GOSPELS Course
“The Unvarnished Gospels” book was interesting and provided many different perspectives of the Four Gospels of the New Testament, however I tended to disagree with a few of the interpretations of some of the Biblical phrases used, such as, “Kingdom of the skies” and “bathing of the Spirit,” as used in the book. I felt that these interpretations just didn’t provide the punch that the original Bible interpretations provided.
Basically, I found fault with much of this interpretation of the four Gospels. I would have preferred an Aramaic to English translation, or better to have studied the book, “The Complete Gospels,” Robert J. Miller, Editor. The textbook, however, does bring up some interesting questions.
Having said that, this interpretation did make one think about the words of Jesus and the traditions about him. I thought about and had the most trouble with the subject of divorce, as
it pertains to the Christian today. It seems as though every family has experienced divorce somewhere in their families or someone who is a friend. And I believe this topic to be very
important for the ULC clergy to consider, as most religions will not remarry someone, through the church, after they have been divorced, because most church clergy believe that this
comes from God, and so this should be adhered to if we are to do what the law of God commands.
Divorce is so prevalent in today’s society and most individuals know of people personally who have divorced and broken their marriages apart. Of course, the main emphasis of any
marriage that has children, should be that the best interest of the children involved come first and foremost before the interests of the feuding adults. It is so very interesting that the discourse on divorce in Matthew (Matthew 19:3-12) was immediately followed by a discourse on little children, so it is very important to see that Jesus tied the two subjects together.  Problems causing divorce are largely rooted in dysfunctionality of the adult individuals involved, which makes it extremely difficult to reconcile differences. In these cases, I believe that these marriages have not been ordained by God, as the individuals have usually not taken the time for courtship and the engagement of getting to know each other properly. This often is because of the dysfunctionality of the individuals that rush into these slipshod marriages because of sex being such a part of these courtships and quite often pregnancies ensue as a result.
The dysfunctionality can be very varied, but may include: ADHD, various other mental problems and diseases, alcohol or drug addictions, low self-esteem, these things often combined with low income, and many, many times survivors of child abuse.
Jesus said in Matthew 19, as it is said in the textbook: “So what God joined together, let no man divide.” In the Gospel book of John, it tells the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, where Jesus asks her about where her husband is and he tells her she had had five husbands and was then living with a man not married to her. Jesus doesn’t really condemn her for all these marriages (and obvious divorces), however he does speak to her of forgiveness and commitment in her life. Strangely though, the book of John was written for believers in Christ, but it does not specifically mention divorce, as the other three Gospels do.
We as clergy, should be concerned about whether or not the two individuals to be married are truly believers in Christ and if salvation is a part of their lives. If both are sincerely Christian and wanting to obey God’s commands, the greatest of which is to love God and each other, then we would seek to try and counsel the adult individuals with the hope that their marriage will completely be from God. We as clergy can decry the terrible evils of divorce and then we seek to marry everyone that wants to be married. Therefore, we should not place the center of our attention on divorce, but rather we should emphasize the lifelong commitment that should be a necessary part of Christian marriages today. Marriage should be a source of spiritual and moral strength in life, with the grace and love of Jesus Christ.
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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


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Dear Rev. Amy Long,

I became a ordained minister with the Universal Life Church, because I believe mortals are called to Christ’s ministry by Christ. Christ does not require a four year degree at a seminary school. Education is always good for the individual, but it is not necessary to preach the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus, did not select the educated scholars of the time to be his 12 apostles, he picked tax collectors, fisherman, unlearned mortals, etc. Why, because when you preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not adding or subtracting anything from the word of God, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you need to say or know, when the time comes. The Universal Life Church, asks only that we be honest and true to ourselves and helpful to our brothers and sisters.

Since, I have been ordained, I have mostly officiated at funerals, now I would not have picked this way to serve, but this must be my calling at the time. To serve and give comfort to those that mourn. I have been told several times that I have the Holy Spirit guiding me in my funeral sermons, and I usually get asked where I went to school, when I tell them I did not attend a seminary, most are surprised, and I feel they think I am joking. But, I pray and give myself to the Holy Spirit, who knows all, and helps us when needed.

I say all this to show that the Universal Life Church is doing a service to the mortals of this earth, male and female, with no rejection because of ones race, sex, education level, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs.
God Bless and keep the Universal Life Church.

Reverend Dennis William Hawkins
Unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado
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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. 

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

 

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I’ve been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it’s Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.  
 
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Universal Life Church Seminary

This is a blog for the Universal Life Church and it's seminary. We post seminary essays, sermons, poetry and more at this site. You can read more of our site at www.ulcseminary.org

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