Readings, April 15, 2007

Acts
Chapter 5

Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon's portico.

None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them.

Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them.

Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.

A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

Revelation
Chapter 1

1 I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos 2 because I proclaimed God's word and gave testimony to Jesus.

I was caught up in spirit on the Lord's day 3 and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet,

which said, "Write on a scroll 4 what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

5 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands

and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, 6 wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest.

When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. 7 He touched me with his right hand and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. 8

Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards. 9

John
Chapter 20

19

1 2 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."

20

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 3 The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21

4 (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

22

5 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.

23

6 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

24

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

25

So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

26

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."

27

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe."

28

7 Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

29

8 Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

30

9 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book.

31

But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Catholic Fundamentalist Interpretation

The Apostles had been given advanced programming abilities. No others had the courage to join them, but the people could see and respect their abilities.

Many were so impressed with their programming abilities that they believed, too.

Even the shadows of the Apostles, where light was less, was enough to cure the ill, whether by destroying germs, bacteria, and virus, or making the body strong enough to do so.

People brought the sick and disturbed from a distance, and the programming ability given to the Apostles cured them all.

I told people about God's power, and Jesus's ability to program in three dimensions and save souls.

I was taken up, nearer The Programmer, and heard a loud voice, which told me to write down what I saw and send it to the seven churches.

I turned to see whose voice it was, and saw 7 gold holders of light, in their midst was one like a son of man (an angelic programmer in human form?) wearing an ankle-length robe with a gold sash around his chest.

When I saw him, I fell down at his feet, as though dead. He said "Don't be afraid. I was, and will be, with The Programmer forever. Once, I was dead, but now, I am alive forever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write down so that others may know what you've seen, what is happening now, and what will happen later.

At night, The disciples were so afraid of the Jews that they locked themselves away. (the First Reading says they taught openly during the day, leading to conclude that Roman patrols protected them while it was light.) Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you.

Then, He showed them His hands and side, and they rejoiced.

As The Programmer has sent me, so I send you.

And, He breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Wireless Connector.

You now have the power to forgive sins, reprogramming the mind to eliminate the power of sin over them. On the other hand, those whose programming errors you leave in place will keep those errors.

One of the Disciples, Thomas, wasn't there. He refused to believe the story that Jesus had reappeared. "I won't believe, etc."

Jesus came through the locked doors again the following week, and told Thomas to touch His wounds.

Then, Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said, "you believe because you saw. Blessed are they who believe without seeing. This encourages all of us with a blessing that one eleventh of the Disciples did not receive.

We saw Jesus (The Program in perfect, loving, human form) do many other things we didn't write down. 

These things are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God , and that by believing you may have life in His name.