The Immortal - Book 1
-- by Joseph John (JJ) Dewey
GODS-R-US - Chapter 12
John took a sip of fresh coffee and said, "Now, tell me
your answer."
"I figure this has to be a good answer because it is a
direct quote from Jesus, or Joshua as you now call him, and it
was written by you in the book of John chapter ten. There Jesus
said, Ye are gods."
John smiled and said, "So what is the answer to the question
- WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU?"
"I guess men are gods." I replied tepidity.
"I keep telling you to listen to the precise words I say.
The question is WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU? not what are humans?
Now think over the question and answer again."
"Well, I guess I am God or a god," I said.
"Which one is it. Are you God or a god?"
I didn't think the answer would be that awkward. I tried again.
"The Mormons say a god and the New Agers say just
God."
"And what do you say?"
"I guess I am God," I said, feeling a little strange.
"Should I worship you then?" John grinned.
"No! Of course not!" I exclaimed.
"Then are you sure you are God?"
"I'm not sure," I replied weakly. "Maybe I am
just a god."
"So you are a god then," John smiled again with that
look in his eye that revealed he knew things that were beyond
my grasp. "Then you must have great power. Why don't you
levitate that waitress over there and show me your power? Or better
still, why don't you snap your fingers and heal your wife?"
His latter words reached the core of my being. There was nothing
that revealed my powerlessness more than the fact that I had been
unable to help my own wife. "What a fool I am," I thought
to myself. "If I am God or a god, then I should be able to
heal my wife." I cast my eyes to the floor with great emotion.
I felt like I was nobody, let alone a god.
John looked n my eyes with compassion. "I didn't mean
to hurt your feelings; I just wanted to get your attention."
"You got it all right," I said. "Boy, do I feel
like a fool. I'm no more a god than that ashtray over there. If
I was God's little toe I would have healed Elizabeth. I seem to
do nothing for her, and I feel like nothing." I felt more
emotional than I had in years.
"Don't let emotion take your eyes away from the truth,"
John said softly. "A true seeker must be part Spock, part
Captain Kirk, with a dash of Bones."
I started to laugh.
"Glad I cheered you up. What's funny?"
"I just had an image of John the Revelator watching Star
Trek. It just struck me as very humorous - comparable to Jesus
singing a rap song." It's funny how you can sometimes switch
from one emotion to another when something strikes you right.
John looked a little perplexed for the first time since I had
met him. "I'll have to ask Joshua if he's done any rap lately,"
he quipped. "Now getting back to the subject. You must be
part Spock and part Captain Kirk here to find truth. Emotion often
turns the truth upside down."
"So, was my answer about being God right or wrong?"
"It was not the correct answer."
"So we are not really gods then?"
John paused and said, "Was your answer about being human
the correct answer?"
"You said no."
"But are you human?"
"Yes.... So are you saying my answer may be true, but
the wrong answer?"
"Exactly. We are called human beings, but since a human
doesn't know who he is, then naming yourself human doesn't really
bring you any knowledge about yourself, does it?"
"I guess not."
"If I say you are God and you do not know what or who
God is, then that does not bring you an increase in knowledge,
does it?"
"No."
"You don't really know any more about who you are than
you did before I told you that you are God."
"I think I see what you're getting at. You're saying I
must answer the question with something that really tells me about
who I am. If I say I am flesh and I don't know the difference
between flesh and silicone then I might as well say I am silicone.
My answer means nothing if I don't know what flesh is."
"That is good, my friend. I may use your example with
my next student. Yes, your answer must mean something. Saying
that you are human, God or a son of God may all be true, but if
you cannot explain what the terms mean, then they are just labels
without meaning and true knowledge."
Frustrated that I still didn't know the answer, I stated, "Before
we go on, I would like you to explain the scripture in John chapter
ten. There is a big dispute among Bible believers as to whether
Jesus is really telling us that we are gods."
"What conclusion did you come to?"
"It sounds like Jesus is really telling us that we are
gods."
"You are correct. I was actually in His presence several
times when He used this argument. After He obtained a certain
amount of notoriety in Jerusalem He was often approached by religious
authorities who had heard their followers express the belief that
He was either the Messiah, a god, Son of God or an ancient prophet
brought back from the dead or reborn. They would often speak to
Him with venom, saying something like, Who do you think you
are, the son of God?
"Then He would answer something like this: And what
if I did say I am a son of God? Why do you think that is a big
deal when your own law of God in the Psalms and writings of Moses
calls you gods? If those who merely received the scriptures are
called gods, why do you think it would be a major claim for me
to say I am a son of God?'
"Here, let's turn to Psalms." John opened his old
Bible to Psalms. "The first verse of the chapter in question
reads: God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth
AMONG THE GODS. Who are the gods that He judges among? It
tells us in verse six which reads, I have said Ye are gods;
and all of you children of the most High.
"Here we are told that the gods that God judges among
are the ones who received the scriptures as Jesus said. In fact,
there are numerous instances in the writings of Moses where the
people who judged among the people were called gods. In the Bibles
today these are usually translated incorrectly, but if you use
any Hebrew Concordance from a regular Christian bookstore you
can prove to yourself that the judges were really called gods
time and time again. I'll write down these references so you can
look them up."
John scribbled down some references and handed them to me.
It read Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8-9. "Now, everywhere the
word judges is mentioned in these scriptures it comes from
the Hebrew ELOHIYM, which is the same word used for the God who
created heaven and earth. Interestingly, they translated it correctly
in the King James Version in Exodus twenty-two verse twenty-eight."
He handed it to me and I read: "Thou shalt not revile
the gods, nor curse the ruler of the people."
John offered an interpretation: "The ruler of the people
was Moses, and the gods were Moses and the judges. This is why
David in Psalms called God as one who judges among the gods."
I added, "The Fundamentalist Christians think Psalms 82:7
refutes the idea that men are gods. Here, I'll read it: But
ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Because
this comes right after the ye are gods statement, they
say the ye are gods is a mockery."
"What does it sound like to you?"
"It sounds to me David was saying they were gods who were
behaving like they were just men."
"That is correct. Now turn to Exodus chapter four verse
sixteen and read."
I read, "And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people:
and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth,
and thou shalt be to him instead of God."
John explained, "Here it is talking about the calling
of Aaron to be a spokesman for Moses. However the translation
is poor concerning Moses; the Hebrew reads: Thou shall be a
god to him (Aaron)."
"I can see why your life is in danger from life to life."
I remarked. "I'll bet you really make some religious people
nervous when you talk the scriptures."
John smiled, "Unrealized truth clearly presented can cause
a great disturbance. The master at that was Joshua, or Jesus.
The Bible does not do justice at relating how angry he made the
religious authorities of his time."
"I can imagine," I nodded. "So, from our conversation
so far, it sounds as if you're telling me we are gods just as
the scriptures say, but just accepting that does not really tell
us who we are, so it is not the answer to your question."
"That is correct. You are both God and a god, and from
another prospective, you are becoming a god, but none of these
statements mean more than just words to those who quote them.
I will give you a hint that will help you realize more of what
God is. Read First Corinthians chapter twelve and tell me next
week what you come up with. Here, I'll write that down next to
the other references."
"I notice you quote a lot from the Bible," I remarked
while he wrote. "What do you think of the other scriptures
and philosophies of the world?"
"I use the Bible often with you because it carries much
weight in this part of the world. There is some truth in all scriptures
and all philosophies of the world. I am familiar with many of
them and have taught with many of them. Now, getting back to the
subject, do you have any other ideas about WHO OR WHAT YOU ARE
before I give you your next hint?"
I thought for a moment. "So, basically all my answers
are correct, but they just don't mean anything. I am a human,
I am spirit, I am soul, I am a son of God and I am even a god
or maybe even God in some esoteric way, but none of these statements
communicate more than a vague idea. Is this correct?"
"That is exactly correct. Can you think of an answer to
the question that does mean something to you?"
"I don't know if I can give you anything intelligent right
now. Why don't you give me my next hint and I'll think about it
during the next week?"
"All right, my friend. Here it is. To better understand
who and what you are it is helpful to know what you are not. I
think you have already concluded that you are not your body, that
the body is merely a vehicle for that which is the real you."
"Yes, I have pretty much accepted that."
"Just like you have a car which is a vehicle that takes
you places, with the real you inside the car, so do you have a
body, which is not the real you, which is a vehicle that takes
you places. The real you directs the vehicle. What many do not
realize is that the real you has other vehicles besides your physical
body.
There are two other things you are not: You are not your emotions
and you are not your mind. Instead, these are two other vehicles
you use to take you places.
The question remains: If you are not your body, your emotions
or your mind - what remains? WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU?"
"That's interesting," I mused. "Many lay philosophers
like myself are aware that we are not our bodies, but most see
our feelings and thoughts as part of our eternal nature. But you
say they are not a part of our real selves, but just vehicles?"
"That is correct," John replied. "Contemplate
this and the scriptures I gave you and we'll meet back here at
Denny's next week at midnight."
"Are you going back to your bell ringing job?" I
asked.
"I may have to skip it for the rest of the season,"
he said. "Joshua needs my help to place some safeguards on
some terrorism that has potential to hinder the purpose of God
on earth. Whatever you see happening the next few years, I want
you to know it would have been a lot worse without our intervention.
Hopefully, we can get things taken care of the next few weeks.
Don't ask me any questions about it. There is little I can reveal
at present."
"Sounds like you're a spiritual James Bond," I said
smiling.
John returned a light smile.
"Elizabeth told me to tell you she appreciates the fact
you gave her hope."
"How is she doing?"
"She had her strength back for a short time, but now she
is like she was before or perhaps worse."
"Ask her this for me," said John. "Ask her if
she has discovered her fears and thoughts she has been hiding
from herself, and has she learned to put them in their right place?"
"I'll ask her,' I said.
John arose as if he were ready to go. He pulled a red handkerchief
out of his pocket and handed it to me. "Tell her to rub this
on her forehead three times a day. It will give her additional
strength and make life more bearable for her for the next week.
However, you must return it to me next week."
"I'll do it," I nodded, taking the handkerchief from
his hand. "Do you have to go now?"
"I'm afraid so." We paid and walked out the door.
As we were walking down the street he said, "Your car is
the other direction."
"I know, but I'm curious. Where are you going and how
are you going to get there?"
"I'm going to the Middle East. The exact point I will
not say. How? You may ask. Let us go behind that tree and
I will show you."
I walked with him behind a tree where we were out of sight
from passers by. He stood perfectly still, closed his eyes, bowed
his head slightly and whispered a word ever so softly. In an instant
he was gone. He didn't fade away like some ghost in the movies,
but he was just instantly gone.
I wasn't sure which word he uttered, he said it so softly,
but it seemed like it was "Joshua".