God, the "Great Iconoclast."
  • Alma Turner
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    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
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      • Amend White to Black
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alive

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?"
(The angels at the tomb in Luke 24:5)

​"See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see.
For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

(Jesus in Luke 24:39)

 “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
(Jesus in John 8:58)


Jesus is, always was, and always will be alive.
What died on the cross was not him.

Scripture bears witness to his aliveness in Chapter 14 of Genesis, too.
His name is different, though:
"The Righteous Priest-King of the City of Peace,"
Melchizedek. 
Melchizedek greeted and blessed Abram with bread and wine
​when Abram returned from successfully rescuing his nephew, Lot. 
"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.
(He was priest of God Most High.)
And he blessed him and said, 

'Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High, 
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!' 
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything."
(Genesis 14:18)
​
​Melchizedek is superior to Abram as evidenced by the fact that Abram is blessed by him, spontaneously pays tithes to him, and later is protected from the King of Sodom by his blessing. 
​
"But Abram said to the king of Sodom,
"I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High,
​Posessor of heaven and earth,
that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or untying that is yours
lest you should say, "I have made Abram rich."
I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten,
​and the share of the men who went with me."  
​(Genesis 14:18)
​
Abraham is considered the father of three faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. As it turns out, there is a deeper spiritual connection among us all;  without Melchizedek's bread and wine blessing nothing would have unfolded as it did.  And what was the divine  choreography preceding that moment? We are given no clues as to where Melchizedek has been.  Melchizedek, a man without genealogy, blesses both God and Abram. 

Jesus said a blessing with bread and it multiplied to be able to feed five thousand people.

​
And taking the five loaves and the two fish, 
he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them.
Then he broke the loaves and
gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  

And they all ate and were satisfied.
And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.


 (Luke 9:16-17)
​
Jesus said a blessing with bread and it opened the eyes of the blind to his true identity.
"When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other,
​"Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, when he opened to us the Scriptures?"


(Luke 24:30-32)
​

Abraham and Sarah are beyond child-bearing years and yet, their offspring, like Christ's bread, multiply into a nation, due to Melchizedek's blessing. ​
The name "Melchizedek, king of Salem" expresses Melchizedek's identity;  
  • “Melchi”  מלך means “my king.” Note that at that time, a king was usually a secular manager, not a priest.
  • "Zedek"  צדק translates as "righteousness," aligned with spiritual principles.
  • "Salem" means "peace."  
  • "Melchizedek, king of Salem" was the "Priest King of the City of Peace of God Most High."
​Melchizedek is Jesus; Jesus is Melchizedek; this Spirit has taken on various human forms and will do so again.

"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 
“Take, eat; this is my body.” 
And he took a cup,
and when he had given thanks
he gave it to them, saying, 
“Drink of it,
all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many 
​for the forgiveness of sins. 
I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it new with you 
in my Father's kingdom.”

(Matthew 25: 26-29)

Just as Melchizedek blessed Abram with bread and wine, so too does Jesus bless us with bread and wine,
with his body and blood, with the image of the Creator.
Abraham's nation has come to pass, the infinite children of the living Creator. 
God is alive.
As you read these words, God is alive in you, in Jesus, in Melchizedek. 
Step One: Humility
  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • Beloved Poems by Others >
      • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
      • The Guest House by Rumi
      • The Invitation by Oriah
      • Invictus
      • Elohai Neshama
    • Poems by Alma >
      • Poems 2017-2020
      • Poems 2021 >
        • Prayer Poems
        • Poems Early 2021
        • Poems September 2021
        • Poems October 2021
        • Parables and Songs
        • Clay Haiku
      • Newer Poems
      • Injustice Poems
    • Big Book Prayers
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
  • more
    • Rowdy Beauties >
      • Rowdy Beauties Bible Study N'awlins
      • Rowdy Beauties Bible Study Zoom
      • Rowdy Beauties Resouces >
        • Resources for Chapters 1-4
    • Disciplines >
      • Fasting
      • Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer
      • Reading!
      • 12 White Steps
    • The Gospel of Thomas
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 121, 1, and 32
    • Bible Thoughts >
      • Genesis >
        • High Priest
        • Jacob is Israel.
      • Prophets >
        • Isaiah 30
        • Isaiah 54
        • Jeremiah 31:31-35
      • Frederick Douglas
      • Jesus >
        • Brown or Black
        • Teacher
        • Son of Man
        • Activist
        • High Priest
        • Innocent
        • Lynched
        • Alive
        • Sayings >
          • Sayings 1-3
          • Sayings 4-6
          • Sayings 7-9
          • Sayings 10-12
          • Sayings 13-15
          • Sayings 16-18
          • Sayings 19-21
          • Sayings 22-24
          • Sayings 25-27
          • Sayings 28-30
          • Sayings 31-33
          • Sayings 34-36
          • Sayings 37, 38, 39
          • Sayings 40, 41, 42
          • Sayings 43, 44, 45
          • Sayings 46, 47, 48
          • Sayings 49, 50, 51
          • Sayings 52, 53, 54
          • Sayings 55, 56, 57
          • Sayings 58, 59, 60
          • Sayings 61, 62, 63
          • Sayings 64, 65, 66
          • Sayings 73, 74, 75
          • Sayings 76, 77, 78
          • Sayings 100, 101, 102
          • Sayings 103, 104, 105
          • Sayings 106, 107, 108
          • Sayings 109, 110, 111
          • Sayings 112, 113, 114
    • The Symbol >
      • The Circle and Triangle
    • Blog
    • Preparations
    • MMS, CD, CDS