"Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set ..." (John 5:45-47)

"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47)

Why does Jesus refer to Moses as their accuser?

The reason is that Moses was (and is) the central spiritual teacher of the Jewish nation, and Moses delivered to the Jewish nation many instructions and commandments from God. Therefore, Moses was God's representative, and the institutional temple priests that Jesus is speaking to here held Moses as the father of their faith.

This is confirmed by the word "hopes" - as in "Moses, on whom your hopes are set." The word "hopes" is not the best choice of translation.* The Greek word ἐλπίζω (elpizō) can mean "to hope" but also "hopefully to trust in."*

In other words, because these institutional temple priests are supposedly relying upon Moses' teachings, and presented to the people that they represented Moses, they will have to answer to Moses, not Jesus.

We can understand two clear things from this: We can understand that Jesus held to the standard of taking instruction from a particular representative of God and then passing those instructions on. This is the standard that Jesus accepted, rather than a standard of blindly following the teachings of an institution. 

Coming to know and love God is a personal thing: It is not a group thing. A relationship with God has nothing to do with our standing with a particular organization or congregation: It is between each of us and God. Jesus taught love of God to personally introduce us to the notion that we could have a personal relationship with God.

Were they hearing Moses' teachings?

Thus Jesus is clarifying that while the institutional temple priests were presenting to others that they had some special connection with Moses, they indeed were not even focused on what Moses actually taught. If they were, they would have recognized that Jesus was the embodiment of Moses' teachings. Jesus was functionally practicing and teaching what Moses taught.

So what did Moses teach? Consider Deut 6:5:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:5)

And what did Jesus teach?

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38)

Jesus says this is the "first and greatest commandment," yet the instruction is identical with the instruction of Moses. Why would Jesus quote Moses and then say this was the first and greatest commandment? Because they were teaching the same thing.

Furthermore, Joshua also confirms the essence of Moses’ teachings:

“But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul." (Joshua 22:5)

We can see that Joshua was also teaching the same thing as Moses taught, and as Jesus taught. So we can see here that Joshua, the student of Moses, is truly representing Moses to the people, because his teachings are consistent with Moses.

How did Moses write about Jesus?

Is Jesus saying that Moses wrote specifically about Jesus? Because Moses’ focus was to instruct the Israelites about loving and serving the Supreme Being, Jesus is the embodiment of those instructions. Jesus is carrying out those instructions. He is loving God. He is serving God. He has given his life to God, just as Moses instructed.

And because Moses instructed his students to work for the pleasure of God, Jesus carried out Moses instructions. Thus Jesus could say that Moses’ teachings were about him. Yet Moses’ teachings were also about Joshua, David, Solomon, Job and so many others who also gave their lives to God and worked to please God. They all embodied Moses' teachings.

Context is important. Jesus is speaking to those who were saying they represented Moses but were not living by the primary central instructions of Moses. God was not the center of their lives. 

Rather, they were so caught up in the organizational minutia and rituals of their priestly positions. Their focus was in maintaining their positions of authority. This is why they were questioning Jesus, instead of realizing that Jesus was the pure loving servant of God: Moses' true representative.

The institutional temple priests were wearing priestly clothes and following rituals discussed in the scriptures. But they were not living the central instruction of Moses. 

They did not get (or teach) the essence of Moses' teachings. This is actually no different than some of today's sectarian priests, ministers, reverends, popes, cardinals and bishops who claim they represent Jesus. They may wear the robes and practice so many rituals. But do not focus on "the first and greatest commandment.”

Moses also said:

“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear [honor and respect] the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

This is the essence of Moses' teachings, and what Jesus’ life and teachings were all about. Jesus was perfectly following the instructions of Moses: Jesus was loving and serving God with all his heart and all his soul.

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"Do not think I will accuse you before the Creator; the one who accuses you is Moses, upon whom you put your hope. For if you trusted Moses, you would trust me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not trust his writings, how will you trust my words?” (John 5:45-47)

"I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence ..." (John 8:34-38)

"Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." (John 8:34-38)

Why is Jesus talking about slavery?

Jesus is responding to the institutional temple Pharisees who said:

"We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" (John 8:33)

They said this in response to Jesus' prior:

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

In this statement, Jesus is utilizing the concept of slavery as a metaphor. It is not that he is speaking of slavery as in a human being enslaving another human being.

Rather, Jesus is referring to the reality that self-centeredness traps a person into a certain consciousness. That consciousness produces desires for self-centered enjoyment. When these desires take root in the mind they can produce activities that can harm others, manifesting sin.

Why does Jesus talk about the 'son' and the 'father' here?

The word "son" here is discussed allegorically. The Greek word translated* to “son” is υἱός (huios). This can be interpreted as a relationship of offspring in the context of a physical family. 

However, as indicated in the lexicon, this is "restricted" to a context of physical family ties. But it can also be translated, according to the lexicon, as "one who depends on another or is his follower."

Jesus is utilizing this word metaphorically in his statement above, as he clarifies and compares his relationship with God to the institutional temple Pharisees' deference to the Prophets.

While the Greek word πατήρ (patēr) can be translated* to "father," this word is limiting in that it typically refers to being a physical father to a physical child. But the word, according to the lexicon, can also mean, "the originator and transmitter of anything." 

In the context of Jesus' teachings about God, this would be more accurately translated to, "Creator," or "Lord."*

In the context of Jesus' statement, "Lord" or "Creator" is a more appropriate translation because Jesus wasn't referring specifically to the fathers of the Pharisees' physical bodies. He was referring to whom they respect and honor. 

This is also the case with the use of "son."

This translation* of υἱός (huios) as being God's follower and loving servant is confirmed in other verses in the Bible. Jesus himself confirmed this when he said:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

There is also a historical context of followers (loving servants) of God:

When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. (Genesis 6:1-3)

And Jesus' disciples accepted this definition of "sons of God":

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26)

As mentioned in the struggle over Jerusalem and lands of the middle east above, the disease of false bodily identification is spread not only by virtue of a person being born in a certain family, but it also is spread by the misinterpretation of scripture. While the Supreme Being led his followers through His loving servant Moses, it was by virtue of following Moses that they were pleasing to God. It is a living testament.

Jesus is making a distinction between God's loving servants, who are part of God's spiritual family, and those of us who are primarily self-centered. Jesus wants to free us from the bondage of our self-centeredness.

A person whose focus is upon pleasing the Supreme Being is part of God's spiritual family. That person - that "child of God" or "loving servant of God" has the power to free others from the bondage of self-centeredness.

What has Jesus seen in 'the Father's presence'?

Jesus is trying to communicate to them that their eyes are shrouded by the darkness of ignorance. He is trying to communicate that he is able to save them from this ignorance through his teachings because he is God's representative:

"I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence"

Jesus accepts that they are Abraham's descendants, but he is communicating that he has a direct connection with the Supreme Being.

This indicates that Jesus has experienced a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. This can only be experienced personally from within the heart.

God's presence can be seen anywhere He allows Himself to be seen. But He tends to hide from those who do not want to be with Him. For most of us in the physical world, that means that God is unseen. Especially to the physical eyes. The Supreme Being created the physical body with the design of not being able to see Him.

But as Jesus professes, one can see the Supreme Being with the eyes of the heart. We can see Him through the eyes of love.

For most of us, these eyes are now covered up. Our eyes are blinded by the darkness of self-centeredness.

The problem is, these institutional temple Pharisees do not think they are in ignorance. They believe that because their physical bodies are descendants of Jewish prophets they are somehow privileged, and have some special relationship with God. Jesus is trying to dispel this myth that these Jews are somehow privileged with a special relationship with God.

Does God discriminate?

God does not give special advantages to someone depending on their race or nation of birth. This would be akin to racism, and God is not a racist. The reality, in fact, is that we are not these physical bodies.

This myth of a "chosen people" continues to this day as so many peoples are currently struggling for ownership of land in many places in the world - including the Middle East - by virtue of each side thinking they have some sort of privilege through heritage. As a result, some say that Jerusalem or other sacred sites and lands around the world belong to them because of some right of ancestry.

What they do not see is that none of them own anything. Only the Supreme Being owns the lands of the earth, as well as all the temples and sacred sites.

The physical bodies of human beings only live for a few decades before they die. Each of us must leave this physical body behind at the time of death. Therefore, humans cannot own anything. 

That which is taken away at death cannot be claimed as owned. Ownership is a permanent thing, and ownership means control. 

Only the Supreme Being has complete and permanent control over the earth. Therefore He is the only owner. So we must ask: Why are these peoples fighting over God's property?

Can each of us connect with God?

Each of us, despite our race or nationality, has the same opportunity to reach out and connect with God, and re-develop our own relationship with Him. It is not as if we can be born into a family and because being born in that family, we are automatically qualified with spiritual advancement. 

Yes, it is true that being born into a religious family is a sign of spiritual evolution. But this does not render any privilege with regard to our relationship with God. That is between God and each of us individually.

The Supreme Being treats all of us fairly and equally and gives us the freedom to accept our relationship with Him or reject that relationship. Being born amongst others who pray and talk about God and scripture certainly is an advantage in one's spiritual progression. 

But God looks at the heart: How sincere are we? How much do we really want to know Him and love Him? These are the qualities that the Supreme Being looks at - not the form of our temporary physical body or what family that temporary body was born within.

What about the "chosen people"?

Those who assume that because we were born in a certain family we are somehow God's "chosen" people is a misuse of the dedication and commitment of God's loving servants. It is they who testify to the relationships of loving service between God and His loving servants.

While certain groups seem to think that the Israelites were God's chosen people forever, they forget the parts of the Bible where God became upset at Israelites who had abandoned Him. It was not as if they were all His chosen people even though they had abandoned their dedication and worship of Him.

The Israelites who followed Moses were God's chosen because they were following God's instructions, imparted through Moses. In other words, they chose to follow God, so they became God's "chosen."

The Supreme Being wants each of us - every one of us - to return to Him. He does not want any one group or society to come back to Him any more than any other. It is each of us who make the choice. We are the ones who make the choice of whether we want to return home to God or remain in this physical world - where the self-centered souls dwell.

God has given each of us the freedom to love Him or not. After all, how could we truly love without freedom? Therefore, each of us has the ability to change direction, and begin refocusing our lives upon the Supreme Being. 

Regardless of our family origin, we each have the freedom to change our self-centered focus to one of focusing upon getting to know, love and serve the Supreme Being. It is our choice, each of us, as individuals.

Now once we make a determination that we are going to direct our lives towards coming to know, love and serve the Supreme Being, we then become one of God's "chosen" people. Why? Because we have chosen to follow Him.

Jesus also talks about being "set free." How does Jesus set us free? By following his and Moses' central teaching:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38 and Deut 6:5)

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

“Very truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave cannot remain in the house, but a child always stays there. So if the child sets you free, you will certainly be free. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you seek to kill me because you have no place for my teachings. I speak the things I know from my LORD and you are doing the things you know from your lord.” (John 8:34-38)

"My Father will honor the one who serves me." (John 12:26)

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." (John 12:26) 

Why is service to Jesus so important?

Jesus is stating that his relationship with the Supreme Being is such that his followers who serve him will be pleasing God. Why is service important?

Jesus is clarifying our natural role as servants, and ultimately, as servants of God.

Most of us in the physical world want to be masters. We want to be the boss. We want to be the star. We want others to adore us and serve us. This is our disease.

Jesus is offering the remedy to this disease: To resume our natural position as servants.

Yes, regardless of whether we think we are the boss or the master, we are still a servant, even in this world. Just consider the star who must, in order to maintain his or her fanbase, continue to appease the fans with new songs, interviews, shows or movies. Or consider the boss who must maintain the enthusiasm or support from those they are in charge of.

Or consider even those who achieve high positions in government: They must maintain their positions.

All of these activities to maintain such positions are forms of service. So while they might think they are in charge, their constant service means they are ultimately servants.

Even parents who might feel they are masters of their children are ultimately servants. The duty of a parent is to constantly serve the child. This begins with diapers and feedings as babies and continues throughout the child's lifetime. Even when the child is an adult and has children, the service of the parents then becomes serving the grandchildren. Now that is a life of service.

These all point to the reality that ultimately we are servants by nature. Anything we do in life requires service. This is because we cannot escape our natural position.

Jesus taught this very point clearly:

"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12)

Ultimately, the Supreme Being is the only Master. God is in charge, and we are not.

And those who want to develop their relationship with God must become servants.

Since Jesus is God's messenger, we can become pleasing to God by serving God's messenger.

Furthermore, Jesus is clarifying that service is the key to following Jesus, and following Jesus is the key to serving him. These are interchangeable relationships.

It is ultimately about love. Jesus is not speaking of becoming a slave to God or himself. The type of service Jesus is speaking of comes from love.

What does it mean to "follow" Jesus?

One might ask how they can serve Jesus now, and become his follower now?

The most basic element of following Jesus is to carefully read his teachings, and carefully take those teachings into our hearts.

The next step is to apply those teachings to our lives as best we can, according to the time and circumstance. As we follow his teachings, we begin to understand Jesus' intentions. Jesus is very clear about this:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

Jesus is saying that it is not enough to be praising Jesus as "Lord." Jesus clarifies that to follow him ("enter the kingdom of heaven") we must do the will of Jesus' Father. Who is Jesus' Father? God, the Supreme Being.

What does doing the will of God mean?

To do someone else's will means to care about that person and act in a way that is pleasing to them. This requires that we come to understand what pleases them.

The best way to understand what pleases the Supreme Being is to carefully understand Jesus' teachings. Because Jesus is God's representative we are given an insight into what pleases God. Jesus is speaking on behalf of God. So we can understand God by understanding Jesus' teachings.

Jesus' teachings indicate the God is lovable. Because Jesus' "first and foremost" instruction is to love God, we know that God is a lovable person. That negates some of the threatening interpretations of God given by those sectarian teachers who have taught that God is to be feared.

What about fearing God in the Bible?

The word "fear" from the Old Testament in the Bible has been mistranslated.

The translation comes from the Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare'). This word can mean to fear, but it also means "to stand in awe of, be awed," and "reverence, honor, respect" according to the lexicon.

Now consider this carefully. How can a person love someone they are afraid of? We can, however, love someone whom we also revere, and honor, and have respect for. Certainly, if we love someone, we will naturally revere them and honor them.

Furthermore, we can certainly accept that a person who loves God and be "awed" by God. We can certainly accept that the Supreme Being is awesome and love Him at the same time.

But loving God and fearing God simply do not mix well. The entire teachings of Judaism are founded upon love of God. We know this because Moses, who is considered the central Prophet, repeatedly stressed the importance of love of God:

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

“Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always.” (Deuteronomy 11:1)

“So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today – to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 11:13)

“If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow – to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to hold fast to Him – “ (Deuteronomy 11:22)

“…because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today – to love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways – “ (Deuteronomy 19:19)

“For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws” (Deuteronomy 30:16)

“…and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life....” (Deuteronomy 30:20)

We also know that Joshua, Moses' disciple who continued Moses' teachings, also stressed love of God as the prime directive:

“But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

“So be very careful to love the LORD your God.” (Joshua 23:11)

Love of God was stressed elsewhere in the Bible:

“Love the LORD, all His saints!” (Psalms 31:23)

“Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalms 97:10)

Jesus also stressed the importance of this teaching:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

We can add to this all of the directives in the Bible that have been translated to "fear God" can be translated to "revere God" or "honor God." This means that all of those Biblical verses are also teaching love of God.

How can we learn to love God?

Loving someone means caring about them. That means doing what pleases them.

Let's say that we get married and have a relationship with our spouse. After we are married, do we just run off and continue to do what we want? No. We begin to find out what pleases our spouse, and do things that please them. This becomes the glue of our relationship: Doing things that please our spouse.

This is not like reading a menu. In order to do what pleases our spouse, we have to find out what pleases them, yes? This means that we begin to focus on them and discover what pleases them. Sometimes it takes just observation, other times it takes asking questions and engaging in communications. This is called relating. As we communicate more with our spouses, we gradually find out what pleases them the most, and then we do those things.

This entire process is called a loving relationship, and it defines Jesus' call to do God's will. In other words, Jesus wants us to turn to God, focus on God, relate with God, and do what pleases God. This is following Jesus.

Jesus was engaging in a loving relationship with God while he was on the planet, and he told his students that he would be returning to the spiritual realm after the death of his body. So we know that if we truly follow Jesus' teachings, we will also re-establish our loving relationship with God and return to Him. We also know that by following Jesus we can be engaging in a relationship with Jesus and His Father, the Supreme Being, now.

Jesus confirms the mechanism of this as he says: "My Father will honor the one who serves me."

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"If someone serves me, he will follow me; and wherever I go, my servant shall also go. And my LORD will honor one who serves me.” (John 12:26)

"Now is the time for judgment on this world ..." (John 12:31)

"Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out." (John 12:31) 

Is Jesus speaking of his coming crucifixion?

Some sectarian institutions and their teachers interpret this statement as Jesus referring to his crucifixion.

Many that follow this interpretation teach that all we have to do is "accept that Jesus died for our sins" and we will be "saved."

This is despite the fact that Jesus never taught this.

Does this interpretation even make sense? If it were true, why did Jesus even bother teaching anything? Why didn't he simply teach, "just accept that I will die for your sins and you will be saved"?

If this "Jesus died for my sins" teaching is true, then this means that Jesus was wrong when he taught:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

Those who are teaching and those who are practicing this "Jesus died for my sins" doctrine fall under this category of people who are saying "Lord, Lord" in the above verse. They are proclaiming Jesus as Lord without following his teaching: "only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Jesus goes on to say:

"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matt. 7:21-23)

This is what many sects do in Jesus' name... prophesizing in Jesus' name, performing miracles, and driving out demons in Jesus' name. Yet here Jesus is calling them "evildoers," saying "Away from me." Why?

Because they are not following his teachings, which were to serve the Supreme Being ("does the will of my Father who is in heaven.")

Who is the 'prince of this world'?

Is it a horned character with a pitchfork who lives underground in fiery-hot caves? Is it someone who sits on our shoulder tempting us? Such fictitious characterizations are certainly creative.

"This world" is being translated from the Greek word κόσμος (kosmos), which means, according to Thayer's lexicon, "universe" or "world", but also, "world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly; a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc."

If we accept this meaning, we can understand that "this world" isn't simply a place: Jesus was talking about the consciousness that pervades this material world: A consciousness of greed and self-centeredness.

And the use of the word "prince" is being translated from the Greek word ἄρχων (archōn), which means, according to the lexicon, "ruler, commander, chief, leader." So just who is leading or ruling this consciousness of greed and desire that pervades the physical world?

"The prince of this world" that Jesus is discussing is self-centeredness. This is the root cause of greed, envy, and sin. Being self-centered is putting ourselves at the center. Being self-centered is "loving ourselves." Being self-centered is putting ourselves first and everyone else last - including God if we even believe in His existence.

Self-centeredness is the "prince of this world" because this is the opposite consciousness that Jesus was teaching about. Jesus was teaching us to be God-centered, while self-centeredness is opposed to Jesus' teachings.

So why is Jesus saying that "Now is the time for judgment on this world" and "now the prince of this world will be driven out"? What was happening at that moment in time that would refer to this? 

This follows God's saying, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." after Jesus asked God, "Father, glorify your name!" and Jesus stating after God spoke, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine" directly afterward. (John 12:28-30)

So the word "now" is the key, coming from the Greek word, νῦν (nyn) which means "at this time, the present, now," according to the lexicon.

Jesus was not dying on the cross "at this time" and in "the present." Rather, Jesus was teaching a crowd that surrounded him by the temple in Jerusalem, and they had just heard God speaking to them, and God glorified His Name. That is what was happening "now."

How does glorifying God's Name bring 'judgment on this world'?

Glorifying God's Name brings "judgment on this world" because the consciousness of "this world" is self-centeredness. 

Glorifying God is the opposite consciousness. This creates a contrasting moment, dividing those who are self-centered from those who are God-centered.

Those who are God-centered were marveling and giving thanks at hearing from God, while those who were self-centered were not. They - such as the Pharisees and priests who were observing - were envious - saying "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" (John 12:19)

Why were the Pharisees so against Jesus?

The Pharisees and priests were not interested in glorifying God. They were focused upon maintaining their positions in the temple hierarchy and were thus 'towing the line." Unfortunately, this is similar to many sectarian institutions and their teachers today.

Like the Pharisees, many institutions that claim to represent Jesus don't seem very interested in glorifying God. They want to glorify Jesus - which is good - but they ignore the very person Jesus came to teach us to love: the Supreme Being.

Instead, their teachings are that all we have to do is "accept Jesus into my heart" and "Jesus died for my sins."

This "Jesus died for my sins" is the teaching that the Roman government promoted because it supported their ability to control the Christian world with one doctrine that could be consistent with their continued materialism.

Remember that it was the Romans - the same government who murdered Jesus and many of his followers, and the same government who murdered hundreds of thousands of Jews in the first century - who governed the process of assembling and editing the books of the Bible - and destroying other sacred texts. 

It was the early Roman Catholic Church - organized by the Romans in the Fifth Century - who dictated the meaning of Jesus' teachings. Meanwhile, they de-emphasized Jesus' actual teachings. 

And they disregarded the teachings of Jesus' direct disciples while promoting the teachings of someone who was not a direct follower of Jesus (Paul) - who created this teaching that Jesus died for our sins.

The Romans also smartly tied early Christianity with a diety the Roman elite worshiped - Mithra. Oddly enough, it was Mithra's celebrated appearance on December 25 that became the supposed birth of Jesus. Mithra's appearance on December 25 was also oddly done by exchanging presents over a 12-day period.

Mithra was also accepted as being born from a virgin, and the vernal equinox is oddly accepted as the dates of Jesus' persecution and reappearance, though there is no evidence of this date in the Scriptures. Mithra was also considered the savior and the son of God to the Romans, and the shedding of blood was considered the salvation of Mithra's followers.

It is said that Constantine converted to Christianity before going to battle with his rival Maxentius. Yet the Roman wall build near the Colosseum years later by Constantine does not display any signs that Christianity was observed by Constantine or his army.

What appears to be the case here is that Constantine married early Christianity (which truly followed Jesus) with Mithraism through his control over the First Council of Nicaea and the assembly of the first translation of the Bible put together by Constantine's assistant Eusebius. Constantine's goal was to combine and control the Roman Empire through the merging of the two leading religions at the time: Christianity and Mithraism.

All of this de-emphasized Jesus' core teachings. Jesus' teachings instructed us that in order to return to the spiritual world, we would have to change. Jesus strictly applied the teachings of David, Moses, Abraham, Samuel, and others, who emphasized that we need to learn to love God and dedicate our lives to the Supreme Being. 

This means changing our consciousness from being self-centered to being God-centered. This is supported by every teacher from the Old Testament, and the instructions by Moses, who summed up the meaning of God's commandments with this single instruction:

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut. 6:4)

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"Now this material world is condemned; and the chief of this world will be cast out.” (John 12:31)