#because he may have killed them before they could repent and accept jesus

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

my brother in christ jefferey dahmer

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group ... Daily Prayers

THE SEVEN SORROWS ROSARY PRAYER

■ SIGN OF THE CROSS

In the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

■ INTRODUCTORY PRAYER

My God, I offer You this Rosary for Your glory, so I can honor your Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin, so I can share and meditate upon her suffering. I humbly beg you to give me true repentance for all my sins. Give me wisdom and humility, so that I may receive all the indulgences contained in this prayer.

■ ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend You, my God, You Who are all good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

■ Hail Mary ×3

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

1. THE FIRST SWORD OF SORROW: The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:22-35)

"And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord  (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"). There, the old priest Simeon held the baby Jesus in his hands, and the Holy Spirit filled his heart. Simeon recognized Jesus as the promised Savior and held the Child high toward heaven, thanking God for granting his wish that he would live long enough to behold the Messiah.

"Now Your servant may depart this life in peace, my Lord," he said… Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

The Blessed Virgin knew that she had given birth to the Savior of humankind, so she immediately understood and accepted Simeon’s prophecy. Although her Heart was deeply touched by this favor of bearing the Baby Jesus, her Heart remained heavy and troubled, for she knew what had been written about the ordeals and subsequent death of the Savior. Whenever she saw her Son, she was constantly reminded of the suffering He would be subject to, and His suffering became her own.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother Mary, whose Heart suffered beyond bearing because of us, teach us to suffer with you and with love, and to accept all the suffering God deems it necessary to send our way. Let us suffer, and may our suffering be known to God only, like yours and that of Jesus. Do not let us show our suffering to the world, so it will matter more and be used to atone for the sins of the world. You, Mother, who suffered with the Savior of the world, we offer you our suffering, and the suffering of the world, because we are your children. Join those sorrows to your own and to those of the Lord Jesus Christ, then offer them to God the Father. You are a Mother greater than all.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

2. THE SECOND SWORD OF SORROW: The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

Mary’s Heart broke and her mind was greatly troubled when Joseph revealed to her the words of the angel: they were to wake up quickly and flee to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill Jesus. The Blessed Virgin hardly had time to decide what to take or leave behind; she took her Child and left everything else, rushing outside before Joseph so that they could hurry as God wished. Then she said, "Even though God has power over everything, He wants us to flee with Jesus, His Son. God will show us the way, and we shall arrive without being caught by the enemy."

Because the Blessed Virgin was the Mother of Jesus, she loved Him more than anyone else. Her heart was deeply troubled at the sight of her Infant Son’s discomfort, and she suffered greatly because He was cold and shivering. While she and her husband were tired, sleepy, and hungry during this long travel, Mary’s only thought was about the safety and comfort of her Child. She feared coming face to face with the soldiers who had been ordered to kill Jesus because she was aware that the enemy was still in Bethlehem. Her heart remained constantly anguished during this flight. She also knew that where they were going, there would be no friendly faces to greet them.

■ PRAYER:  Beloved Mother, who has suffered so much, give to us your courageous heart. Please pray for us to have strength so that we can be brave like you and accept with love the suffering God sends our way. Help us to also accept all the suffering we inflict upon ourselves and the suffering inflicted upon us by others. Heavenly Mother, you, in union with Jesus, purify our suffering so that we may give glory to God and save our souls.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

3. THE THIRD SWORD OF SORROW: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)

Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, but He was also Mary’s child. The Blessed Virgin loved Jesus more than herself because He was her God. Compared to other children, He was most unique because He was already living as God. When Mary lost Jesus on their way back from Jerusalem, the world became so big and lonely that she believed she couldn't go on living without Him, so great was her Sorrow. (She felt the same pain her Son felt when He was later abandoned by His apostles during the Passion.)

As the Holy Mother looked anxiously for her beloved Boy, deep pain welled in her heart. She blamed herself, asking why she didn’t take greater care of Him. But it was not her fault; Jesus no longer needed her protection as before. What really hurt Mary was that her son had decided to stay behind without her consent. Jesus had pleased her in everything so far: He never annoyed her in any way, nor would He ever displease His parents. She knew that He always did what was necessary, however, so she never suspected Him of being disobedient.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother, teach us to accept all our sufferings because of our sins and to atone for the sins of the whole world.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

4. THE FOURTH SWORD OF SORROW: Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31)

Mary witnessed Jesus carrying the heavy cross alone—the cross on which He was to be crucified. This didn’t surprise the Blessed Virgin because she already knew about the approaching death of Our Lord. Noting how her son was already weakened by the numerous hard blows given by the soldiers’ clubs, she was filled with anguish at His pain. The soldiers kept hurrying and pushing Him, though He had no strength left. He fell, exhausted, unable to raise Himself. At that moment, Mary’s eyes, so full of tender love and compassion, met her Son’s eyes, which were pained and covered in blood. Their hearts seemed to be sharing the load; every pain He felt, she felt as well. They knew that nothing could be done except to believe and trust in God and dedicate their suffering to Him. All they could do was put everything in God’s hands.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother, so stricken with grief, help us to bear our own suffering with courage and love so that we may relieve your Sorrowful Heart and that of Jesus. In doing so, may we give glory to God Who gave you and Jesus to humanity. As you suffered, teach us to suffer silently and patiently. Grant unto us the grace of loving God in everything. O Mother of Sorrows, most afflicted of all mothers, have mercy on the sinners of the whole world.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

5. THE FIFTH SWORD OF SORROW: Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross (John 19:25-27)

The Blessed Virgin Mary continued to climb the mount to Calvary, following behind Jesus painfully and sorrowfully, yet suffering silently. She could see Him staggering and falling with the cross some more, and she witnessed her Son being beaten by soldiers who pulled His hair to force Him to stand up. Despite His innocence, when Jesus reached the top of Calvary, He was ordered to confess in front of the crowd so they could laugh at Him. Mary deeply felt her Son’s pain and humiliation, particularly when His tormentors forced Him to strip off what was left of His clothing. The Blessed Virgin felt sick at heart seeing these tyrants crucifying her Son naked, shaming Him terribly merely to amuse the jeering crowd. (Jesus and Mary felt more disgrace than normal people did because they were without sin and holy.)

The Blessed Virgin Mary felt pain beyond bearing when Jesus was stretched out on the Cross. His murderers sang merrily as they approached Him with hammers and nails. They sat on Him heavily so that He could not move when they spiked Him to the wood. As they hammered the nails through His hands and feet, Mary felt the blows in her heart; the nails pierced her flesh as they tore into her Son’s body. She felt her life fading away.

As the soldiers lifted the Cross to drop it into the hole they had dug, they deliberately jerked it, causing the force of His body weight to tear through the flesh and expose His bone. The pain shot through His body like liquid fire.

Jesus endured three excruciating hours skewered on the Cross, yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the agonizing heartache He was forced to bear seeing His mother suffering below Him. Mercifully, He finally died.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother, Queen of the Martyrs, give us the courage you had in all your sufferings so that we may unite our sufferings with yours and give glory to God. Help us follow all His commandments and those of the Church so that Our Lord’s sacrifice will not be in vain, and all sinners in the world will be saved.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

6. THE SIXTH SWORD OF SORROW: Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus in Her Arms (John 19:38-40)

The friends of Jesus, Joseph and Nicodemus, took down His Body from the Cross and placed It in the outstretched arms of the Blessed Virgin. Then Mary washed It with deep respect and love because she was His mother. She knew better than anyone else that He was God incarnate who had taken a human body to become the Savior of all people.

Mary could see the terrifying wounds from the flogging Jesus had received while at Pilate’s. His flesh had been shredded and large strips had been torn from His back. His entire body had been so lacerated that gaping wounds crisscrossed Him from head to toe. Mary found that the wounds from the nails were less severe than those caused by the flogging and by carrying the Cross. She was horrified at the thought that her Son had managed to carry the heavy, splintered Cross all the way to Calvary. She saw the circle of blood the Crown of Thorns had made on His forehead and, to her horror, realized that many of the barbed thorns had dug so deeply into His skull they had penetrated His brain. Looking at her broken Boy, the Holy Mother knew that His agonizing death was far worse than the torture reserved for the wickedest of criminals.

As she cleaned His damaged Body she envisioned Him during each stage of His short life, remembering her first look at His beautiful new born face as they lay in the manger, and every day in between, until this heart rending moment as she gently bathed His lifeless Body.  Her anguish was relentless as she prepared her Son and Lord for burial, but she remained brave and strong, becoming the true Queen of Martyrs.  As she washed her Son she prayed that everybody would know the riches of Paradise and enter the Gates of Heaven. She prayed for every soul in the world to embrace God’s Love, so her Son’s torturous death would benefit all humankind and not have been in vain. Mary prayed for the world; she prayed for all of us.

■ PRAYER: We thank you, Beloved Mother, for your courage as you stood beneath your dying Child to comfort Him on the Cross. As our Savior drew His last breath, you became a wonderful Mother to all of us; you became the Blessed Mother of the world. We know that you love us more than our own earthly parents do. We implore you to be our advocate before the Throne of Mercy and Grace so that we can truly become your children. We thank you for Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, and we thank Jesus for giving you to us. Please pray for us, Mother.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

7. THE SEVENTH

SWORD OF SORROW: The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb (John 19:41-42)

The life of the Blessed Virgin Mary was so closely linked to that of Jesus she thought there was no reason for her to go on living any longer. Her only comfort was that His death had ended His unspeakable suffering. Our Sorrowful Mother, with the help of John and the Holy women, devoutly placed the Body in the sepulcher, and she left Him. She went home with great pain and tremendous Sorrow; for the first time she was without Him, and her loneliness was a new and bitter source of pain. Her heart had been dying since her Son’s heart had stopped beating, but she was certain that our Savior would soon be resurrected.

■ PRAYER: Most Beloved Mother, whose beauty surpasses that of all mothers, Mother of Mercy, Mother of Jesus, and Mother to us all, we are your children and we place all our trust in you. Teach us to see God in all things and all situations, even our sufferings. Help us to understand the importance of suffering, and also to know the purpose of our suffering as God had intended it.

You yourself were conceived and born without sin, were preserved from sin, yet you suffered more than anybody else. You accepted suffering and pain with love and with unsurpassed courage. You stood by your Son from the time He was arrested until He died. You suffered along with Him, felt His every pain and torment. You accomplished the Will of God the Father; and according to His will, you have become our Mother. We beg you, dear Mother, to teach us to do as Jesus did. Teach us to accept our cross courageously. We trust you, most Merciful Mother, so teach us to sacrifice for all the sinners in the world. Help us to follow in your Son’s footsteps, and even to be willing to lay down our lives for others.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

CONCLUDING PRAYER 

Queen of Martyrs, your heart suffered so much. I beg you, by the merits of the tears you shed in these terrible and sorrowful times, to obtain for me and all the sinners of the world the grace of complete sincerity and repentance. Amen.

■ Mary, who was conceived without sin and who suffered for us, pray for us. ×3

■ SIGN OF THE CROSS: In the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

FOOTNOTES

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https://www.facebook.com/share/p/pKpB4Jm4ShEE2o4s/?mibextid=oFDknk

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow?" (John 19:31-34; Lamentations 1:12)

The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows dates back to the Middle Ages, but it gained new popularity following the Marian apparitions in Kibeho, which have been approved by the Catholic Church. During Mary's apparitions to Marie-Claire Mukangango, she assigned the young visionary a mission to reintroduce this special rosary to the world. Before her untimely death, Marie Claire did just that, traveling widely to teach it to thousands of people, who then taught it to thousands of others. (Marie-Claire was killed in the genocide of over a million people in Rwanda, a tragedy that was foretold through visions of rivers of blood that the young people in Kibeho received several years before the killings.)

She (the Holy Virgin) promised that when prayed with an open and repentant heart, the rosary would win us the Lord's forgiveness for our sins and free our souls from guilt and remorse. She also promised that over time, the rosary would develop within us a deep understanding of why we sin, and that knowledge would give us the wisdom and strength to change or remove any internal flaws, weaknesses of character, or personality faults causing unhappiness and keeping us from enjoying the joyous life God intended for us...

HOW TO PRAY THE SEVEN SORROWS ROSARY

This prayer heregiven is a description of this amazing Rosary as the Virgin Mother herself taught it to Marie-Claire in Kibeho. It may be prayed aloud or contemplated in silence, alone or with others; the key is for the prayers, reflections, and meditations to always come from the depths of our hearts...It is important that, when we reach each of the Seven Sorrows, we take a moment to meditate on the magnitude of Mary's sufferings...and the strength of Our Mother's love. Always repent, pray and convert your hearts whilst there is yet time!

The Lord be with you!

***

【Build your Faith in Christ Jesus on #dailyscripturereadingsgroup 📚: +256 751 540 524 .. Whatsapp】

[thewahookid]

THIRD AND LAST PROPHECY OF FATIMA

- BE AWARE.

(Sister Lucia)

"When the world asks for peace and security and repents of all the evil it has done, the sudden destruction of the new Armageddon has arrived and all will suffer."

These were the prophecies of the Virgin of Fatima when she appeared to the three children in 1917 and said that on this date 2025 would come to an end.

Lucia was only 10 years old when the apparitions took place, which began on May 13, 1917. Lucia and her two cousins ​​saw the Virgin Mary in a holm oak tree for a period of six months.

Carmelite nun Lúcia do Imaculado Coração, the last survivor of the three children who made sure they saw the Virgin Mary in the Portuguese town of Fátima, died at the age of 97 on February 14, 2005. She died in the Carmel convent in Coimbra where she has lived since 1948 .

This message was read by Pope John Paul II who decided not to reveal this secret because he thought doing so would bring panic and despair to the world.

Now another part of this message is being revealed.

NOT OUT OF PANIC BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY READY TO KNOW IT AND MAY BE AWARE

Lucia first delivered the message to Pope John Paul II, who after reading it, trembled a lot and decided not to make it public for fear of the reaction.

The virgin said to Lucia:

“Do not be afraid, dear. I am the Mother of Heaven, speaking to you and asking you to make this message public to the whole world. You will then meet strong resistance.

Listen and heed what I say: The sins of men need to be atoned for. With humble supplication, they must ask forgiveness for the sins they have committed and those they could have committed. You want me to give you a sign so that everyone accepts my words that I say to humanity through you. They saw the wonder of the miracle of the Sun, all believers, non-believers, farmers, citizens, scholars, journalists, seculars, priests, all saw it.

A great punishment will befall all humanity, not today, not tomorrow, but in the second half of the 21st century. I had already revealed to the children Melania and Massimino, "La Salette", and today I repeat to you why humanity has sinned and trampled on the gift that God gives. Nowhere in the world will there be order and Satan reigns in the highest degrees that determine the ground of things, because men are led by the devil, sowing hatred and revenge everywhere.

Men make deadly weapons that can destroy the world in minutes.

Half of humanity could be terribly destroyed.

There will be conflicts between religious orders.

God will allow all natural phenomena like smoke, hail, cold, water, fire, floods, earthquakes, viruses, inclement weather, terrible catastrophes and extremely cold winters like these times to wipe out the earth little by little.

There will be diseases without a cure, people will mock the saints and the church.

There will be uncontrolled killings, people will kill each other, many people will suffer.

Some natural phenomena will occur before 2025 and then continue with greater intensity and greater destruction, the climate will suddenly change to extreme weather conditions.

They will not survive, they lack charity towards their neighbor and they do not love one another as my Son Jesus loved them.

Many will wish to be among the dead, because millions of people will lose their lives in a few seconds and others will suffer too much, new life forms will come and contribute to the destruction, to give them more power and consequently procreate their number, it is a race.

The punishments that await us on Earth are unimaginable, but they will surely come.

God helps the world, but whoever does not testify faithfulness to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, will be destroyed, because many turn their backs on Him and He can do nothing about it.

Father Agostino, who resides in Fátima, received authorization from Pope Paul VI to visit Sister Lucia.

Father Agostino expresses that she received him very weakly, with tears in her eyes, and told him:

"Father, the Virgin Mary is very sad because nobody is interested in her 1917 prophecy, people don't want to know about this prophecy.

So while the good ones must tread a narrow path; the wicked are treading a broad path that leads them straight to destruction and believe, Father, that the chastisement will come very soon since 2020 and it will come with firm power.

Many souls may be lost and many nations and states will disappear from Earth; the world may be lost forever.

The time has come for everyone to pass on the Virgin Mary's message to their family, their friends and to the whole world.

We are near the last minute, the last day, and disaster is coming.

(ATTENTION) WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

There is talk of peace and security everywhere, but the punishment will come without anything to stop it.

A WILD WAR WILL BRING NUCLEAR DESTRUCTION.

This war can destroy everything, anything, it will be a disaster.

The darkness will then fall on us for 72 hours (3 days) and the third party who will survive these 72 hours of darkness and official; will begin to live in a NEW ERA.

On a very cold night ten minutes before midnight (Portuguese time) a GREAT EARTHQUAKE will shake the earth for eight hours.

The good ones, those who propagate the prophecy of the Virgin of Fatima,

SHOULD NOT FEAR, but others will suffer the consequences of ignoring this warning, the earthquake will cause the destruction of a large part of the earth, some parts will separate and cause great disasters!

WHAT TO DO?...

Sister Lucia says what the Virgin said:

"Don't leave your house and don't let strangers in, there will be new and unknown people who will look pretty talkative and say to join them, their new race and lifestyle, we don't accept it!"

These new "people" will benefit from the disaster that will happen in the world (earth)...

Sister Lucia continues with what was revealed to her:

So that you can prepare yourselves and stay alive, as my children who are also taking this warning seriously, I will give the following signs:

It's going to be a very cold night. It will be during a strong wind...

There will be anguish and soon the earthquake will begin that will make the earth shake strongly...

Close the doors and windows at home and don't talk to those who are not inside the house...

Don't look outside, don't be curious, for this will be the wrath of the Lord...

Light blessed candles, for three days no other light can shine...

The movement will be so violent that it will move the earth 23⁰ degrees and then return to its normal position...

Then there will be total darkness that will cover the whole Earth. All evil spirits will be dissolved and released doing great harm to souls who did not want to hear this message and those who do not want to repent...

Everything will be dark and a great mystical cross will appear in Heaven to remind us of the price that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, paid for our redemption.

Sister Lucia continues to refer to what the Virgin entrusted to her:

We pray as follows:

O God, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and take to Heaven all souls, especially those most in need of your mercy."

Those who believe in the message that God sends and bring the message to others should fear nothing on the Great Day of the Lord...

Those who remain silent now will be responsible for this great number of souls lost to ignorance...

When the earth no longer shakes, those who still do not believe in our Lord will die horribly...

The wind will bring gas, viruses and water everywhere...

Then the sun will rise again...

Many can live after these disasters...

once they have started they cannot look outside the house for any reason because God does not want any of his children to see when he punishes these sinners how they suffer and he does not want them to see the pain he will cause these wicked people. ..

We need to understand that God allows all this to pass and we need to understand that God will punish all those who did not listen to what this text says, that's why so much panic was caused, because God will unleash his uncontrollable wrath and find all those who offended and destroyed the world...

Remember that the word of God is not a threat, but good news.

Perhaps God allows it to be so, because He wants to save everyone for Him.

If you read it, say something.

They say that every beat of our heart is God saying he loves us.

Have you ever stopped to think how many times he told you this today?

If you love God leave an amen and share in seven groups on Facebook. If you're ashamed of God, watch...

Remember, God said:

If you deny me among men, I will deny you before the Father.

Amen 🙏❤️✝️

[church-history]

St Charles Lwanga and Companions

Feast: June 3rd

Patronage: African Catholic Youth Action, converts, torture victims

For those of us who think that the faith and zeal of the early Christians died out as the Church grew more safe and powerful through the centuries, the martyrs of Uganda are a reminder that persecution of Christians continues in modern times, even to the present day.

The Society of Missionaries of Africa (known as the White Fathers) had only been in Uganda for 6 years and yet they had built up a community of converts whose faith would outshine their own. The earliest converts were soon instructing and leading new converts that the White Fathers couldn't reach. Many of these converts lived and taught at King Mwanga's court.

Mwanga II of Buganda

King Mwanga was a violent ruler and pedophile who forced himself on the young boys and men who served him as pages and attendants. The Christians at Mwanga's court who tried to protect the pages from King Mwanga.

The leader of the small community of 200 Christians, was the chief steward of Mwanga's court, a twenty-five-year-old Catholic named Joseph Mkasa (or Mukasa).

When Mwanga killed a Protestant missionary and his companions, Joseph Mkasa confronted Mwanga and condemned his action. Mwanga had always liked Joseph but when Joseph dared to demand that Mwanga change his lifestyle, Mwanga forgot their long friendship. After striking Joseph with a spear, Mwanga ordered him killed. When the executioners tried to tie Joseph's hands, he told them, "A Christian who gives his life for God is not afraid to die." He forgave Mwanga with all his heart but made one final plea for his repentance before he was beheaded and then burned on November 15, 1885.

Charles Lwanga took over the instruction and leadership of the Christian community at court -- and the charge of keeping the young boys and men out of Mwanga's hands. Perhaps Joseph's plea for repentance had had some affect on Mwanga because the persecution died down for six months.

Anger and suspicion must have been simmering in Mwanga, however. In May 1886 he called one of his pages named Mwafu and asked what the page had been doing that kept him away from Mwanga. When the page replied that he had been receiving religious instruction from Denis Sebuggwawo, Mwanga's temper boiled over. He had Denis brought to him and killed him himself by thrusting a spear through his throat.

He then ordered that the royal compound be sealed and guarded so that no one could escape and summoned the country's executioners. Knowing what was coming, Charles Lwanga baptized four catechumens that night, including a thirteen-year-old named Kizito. The next morning Mwanga brought his whole court before him and separated the Christians from the rest by saying, "Those who do not pray stand by me, those who do pray stand over there." He demanded of the fifteen boys and young men (all under 25) if they were Christians and intended to remain Christians. When they answered "Yes" with strength and courage Mwanga condemned them to death.

He commanded that the group be taken on a 37 mile trek to the place of execution at Namugongo. The chief executioner begged one of the boys, his own son, Mabaga, to escape and hide but Mbaga refused. The cruelly-bound prisoners passed the home of the White Fathers on their way to execution. Father Lourdel remembered thirteen-year-old Kizito laughing and chattering. Lourdel almost fainted at the courage and joy these condemned converts, his friends, showed on their way to martyrdom. Three of these faithful were killed on road.

A Christian soldier named James Buzabaliawo was brought before the king. When Mwanga ordered him to be killed with the rest, James said, "Goodbye, then. I am going to Heaven, and I will pray to God for you." When a griefstricken Father Lourdel raised his hand in absolution as James passed, James lifted his own tied hands and pointed up to show that he knew he was going to heaven and would meet Father Lourdel there. With a smile he said to Lourdel, "Why are you so sad? This is nothing to the joys you have taught us to look forward to."

Also condemned were Andrew Kagwa, a Kigowa chief, who had converted his wife and several others, and Matthias Murumba (or Kalemba) an assistant judge. The chief counsellor was so furious with Andrew that he proclaimed he wouldn't eat until he knew Andrew was dead. When the executioners hesitated Andrew egged them on by saying, "Don't keep your counsellor hungry -- kill me." When the same counsellor described what he was going to do with Matthias, he added, "No doubt his god will rescue him." "Yes," Matthias replied, "God will rescue me. But you will not see how he does it, because he will take my soul and leave you only my body." Matthias was cut up on the road and left to die -- it took him at least three days.

The original caravan reached Namugongo and the survivors were kept imprisoned for seven days. On June 3, they were brought out, wrapped in reed mats, and placed on the pyre. Mbaga was killed first by order of his father, the chief executioner, who had tried one last time to change his son's mind. The rest were burned to death. Thirteen Catholics and eleven Protestants died. They died calling on the name of Jesus and proclaiming, "You can burn our bodies, but you cannot harm our souls."

When the White Fathers were expelled from the country, the new Christians carried on their work, translating and printing the catechism into their natively language and giving secret instruction on the faith. Without priests, liturgy, and sacraments their faith, intelligence, courage, and wisdom kept the Catholic Church alive and growing in Uganda. When the White Fathers returned after King Mwanga's death, they found five hundred Christians and one thousand catchumens waiting for them. The twenty-two Catholic martyrs of the Uganda persecution were canonized.

When Pope Paul VI canonized these 22 martyrs on October 18, 1964, he also made reference to the Anglican pages martyred for the same reason.

Prayer:

Martyrs of Uganda, pray for the faith where it is danger and for Christians who must suffer because of their faith. Give them the same courage, zeal, and joy you showed. And help those of us who live in places where Christianity is accepted to remain aware of the persecution in other parts of the world. Amen

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

Once again reading Eclipse.

Now, Edward, I am 100% with you on being waiting till after marriage for sex. It is totally right of you to expect Bella to accept your 'no' and wait until you're comfortable with having sex.

That said, I tend to follow a Quaker line of thinking in that the issue is not "pre-marial" sex at all because, by a purely biblical basis, Sex is the ceremony. The convention of the marriage ceremony was invented by the Catholic Church, firstly, to protect the rights of the bride and groom-- there must be witnesses to say "yes I know Mary and John are married I saw it" so that parents can't force their children into unwanted marriages for the financial gain of the family by saying "well you have no proof that the farmer's son is your husband so nothing can stop us!" It's also the reason that, through the years the ceremony has always included the "Speak now or forever hold your peace" clause. Secondly, similarly, it was invented to protect the spouse's rights, if, for instance John leaves Mary and Runs off with Phillppa, Mary has recourse to prove that John can't just go marry Phillppa. So in short, the ceremony is there solely to provide accountability. And the third reason was so the church could make money, but hey ~shrugs~.

So the "ceremony" is pretty immaterial, here Edward, but nevertheless, if you aren't comfortable with gettin it until a crowd of witnesses is present for your vows, then Bella needs to shut up and accept that compromise without you having to give excuses. I'm with you on that point but I've still got a bone to pick on another topic.

"We've had this discussion before, but humor me. How many people in this room have a soul? A shot at heaven, or whatever there is after this life?"

"Two," I answered immediately my voice fierce.

"All right. Maybe that's true... Now of course, it may be too late for me, even if you are right about my soul."

"No, it isn't." I argued angrily.

" 'Thou shalt not kill' is commonly accepted by most major belief systems. And I've killed a lot of people, Bella."

"Only the bad ones."

He shrugged. "Maybe that counts, Maybe it doesn't..."

*scratches nose* okay see here's my thing, Edward. If we're working from a Christian angle here, and let's assume we are, the kind of people you killed doesn't get a look in. It's not too late for you, not because you only killed people who had, or were in the act of, committing attrocities--what matters is that you stopped because you felt remorse and were penitent.

This is one of the basic tenets of redemption and salvation in Christianity--it doesn't matter what you've done, but that you repent of what sins you have committed in the past--yes even murder--and that you desire to go forth and sin no more.

I'm not trying to preach a sermon here, I'm just super FUCKING tired of this constantly popping up in media where whiny bitches like Edward Cullen are wrapped up in self loathing to the point of arrogance and think that their sin is so special that even Jesus won't forgive them, when the sins they've committed are LITERALLY NO WORSE THAN THE MURDERERS AND THIEVES THAT JESUS SPENDS THE WHOLE NEW TESTAMENT BEING LIKE "HEY! I WANT TO SAVE EVERYONE, YEAH, MURDERER, EVEN YOU, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS MEAN IT!"

Like SHUT UP, Edward. You ate a few serial Killers. You're not special.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

9th May >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Monday, Fourth Week of Eastertide

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18

God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.

The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.

   ‘Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.”

   ‘I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’

   This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 41(42):2-3,42:3-4

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

Like the deer that yearns    for running streams, so my soul is yearning    for you, my God.

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

My soul is thirsting for God,    the God of my life; when can I enter and see    the face of God?

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

O send forth your light and your truth;    let these be my guide. Let them bring me to your holy mountain,    to the place where you dwell.

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

And I will come to the altar of God,    the God of my joy. My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,    O God, my God.

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

John 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my own sheep and my own know me. Alleluia!

Gospel

John 10:1-10

I am the gate of the sheepfold.

Jesus said:

   ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

   Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.

   So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[coffeeman777]

Why is it a sin to be in love with the same sex? No one is harming anyone so what is the problem. I am not asking to cause trouble, I genuinely want to know.

Heya!

So, before I directly answer your question, I want to set the stage by explaining the Christian teaching about the fallenness of humankind, also called "total depravity."

When Adam and Eve rebelled in Eden, they corrupted themselves and passed on that corruption to all their offspring. Every one of us is born tainted by sin; everything we are, and do, and desire is to some extent or another affected by sin. Because of this, we are naturally drawn towards many evil things without realizing the things are evil. Those things feel good, right, and natural to us, and we often can't see them for what they are.

Now back to the question:

Humans are made in God's image. Like it or not, we are His imagers, and that comes with certain responsibilities that we can't shake. One of the reasons that God hates murder is because it desecrates His image when a human being is killed unjustly. In fact, any abuse of the human body falls into this category, including the misuse of the body for sexual purposes. God sanctioned only one form of sexual expression for human kind, and that is heterosexual sex between a husband and wife. Everything else, all other forms of sexual expression whether heterosexual, homosexual, or something else, are abuses of the human body's sexual capacity, and are therefore sexually immoral. And sexual immorality is offensive to God because it desecrates His image.

Furthermore, while it may seem that various forms of sexual immorality aren't harmful to anyone, the Scripture tells us that all sexual immorality, including homosexuality, harms the people who practice it:

1 Corinthians 6:18

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body."

All sexual immorality, both heterosexual and homosexual, defiles and degrades the body, and desecrates God's image. It sometimes results in physical harm, and always results in spiritual harm. Because of our fallen state, we can't see how bad this is. We're blinded to the wrongness of it by our desire for it. Some of us have a natural inclination towards wrongful uses of sexuality, and it seems like the only way we can be happy is to satisfy our urges; I'm very pleased to tell you that this is not the case. We can see through the fog of our own fallen natures and bring our physical urges to submission to God's command through Jesus Christ.

God will accept anyone through Christ, no matter what darkness they are living in, or have lived in. The Lord calls to all, and He will recieve all who come to Him, in whatever state they happen to be in. But to be included in Christ's atonement and be saved, repentance must happen. The Lord will take any of us the way we are, but in His love, He will heal us and change us from the inside out, such that we leave the old self behind. The Lord Jesus came to save us from our sins and give us new life.

If a person comes to Jesus and surrenders themselves to Him, He will save them; gay or straight makes no difference. A person with same-sex attraction may end up living a celibate life, and that isn't a bad thing at all. Jesus Himself was celibate while He was here as a man. The Apostle Paul was celibate as well, and he said that in his estimation, being celibate was better than being married (1 Cor 7:32-35, 40).

But, on the other hand, the Lord could also deliver a person from same-sex attraction. A lot of people say that's not possible, but the truth is that God can do literally anything. The power of God is unparalleled. God delivers people by the hundreds and thousands from the desires and obsessions of their sin nature every single day.

If we surrender ourselves to the Lord Jesus, humble ourselves and ask Him to save us, He certainly will. He will accept and change us into who He would have us be.

I hope my response is a help to you. Be blessed!

[write-it-right-2]

Let's talk about God.

Let's talk about faith, and belief, and all the things I meant to be and never let myself say. 

And I know no one is going to see this, and I know even if I post this there's next to no chance it'll be seen, but it needs to be said and I need to say it.

Let's talk about God.

-

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. He made the sky, and the sea, and everything reflected in either of those. He made every plant and every animal, everything that creeps or crawls or flys, spoke every line and dot of it into existence simply with His words. And He looked at it, and said that it was good.

And then He made man, made humanity, out of dust that he shaped with His hands and that He brought to life with the breath He breathed, made man in the image of Him, and He said that it was very good. 

And man, and Adam, one, singular, named, was in the garden, and there was Eve, then, as well, and it was two, them, in the garden with God.

And there was nothing they were forbad from, nothing they may not do, but for one rule.

Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God said, For the day you do so, you will die.

And then there was satan, and he said look, at how good the fruit is to eat. God lied, you will not die. you will become like God.

And they looked, Adam and Eve. And they looked, humanity, and they saw it was ripe, and they ate.

And so then, man and woman, Adam and Eve. And so then Humanity knew sin.

And God came, and saw them, and knew what they had done.

And Man and Woman, Adam and Eve, were cast from the Garden of Eden for their sin, and God cursed them and blessed them in the same statements.

Cursed them, for sin, and blessed them, in the promise of There will be an end.

You are not meant to toil forever.

And man, and woman, Humanity, spread out across the lands, as far as far could be, and they were kind and they were cruel and they sinned, and they wanted to be like God. And humanity stared up at the stars and said i will go there. i will show i am a god.

And they could not. Because humanity is many things, we are stubborn and bold and petty and scared and a million more beside, but we are not God. We were never meant to be God.

They followed false gods, dead things made of wood or stone or clay, and as lifeless as the hearts of those who made them. They followed them, these people mean only ever to love and be loved, followed them and made wars and death and horrid, awful things in the names of these dead and lifeless gods.

Made wars and death and horrid, awful things in the name of the Living God.

And God brought earth low, wiped out all but a remnant, wiped out all but Noah, the last of those who cared, wiped out all but Noah and those who would believe him.

And then there was Abram, and he followed God, and he worshipped Him. 

And God said I will give you as many children as there are grains of sand in the desert, or stars in the sky.

And He named him Abraham, to mean the promise made.

And from Abraham, came the Jews. 

Humanity said i want to be like God.

And so God said Fine.

And here are my Laws. This is what it means to be God, and you must not break one, or surely you will die.

Each law, a line of intent, something that could be kept mixed with something that could never be done.

Each line, possible, but never all. Humanity could never be all.

And the Jews said Yes, we will do these, because they were a prideful people, and they did so, until they forgot once more and God sent His prophets, to show the Jews each line and tittle, each broken vow that they no longer knew they had broken.

And again, they said Yes, we will do these.

And they did so, until they forgot once more.

And there was so much, so very, very much else. There were wars and deaths and loves and the constant, endless want of people trying and failing and never quite knowing what to do, never quite knowing or being what they wanted to be. 

There was so very much else.

People scared, and people who followed God until they followed something else, because God said Ask. Whatever you want to know, ask me and I will tell you.

Other gods asked for much simpler things. Other gods told much less difficult truths.

But there was David.

And David read, and he learned, and he was not afraid.

When he and his troops needed food, when he was at a temple for the Lord and they asked him if he and his men were Clean, for if they were not they would die to eat the bread as many had before - as so many had because our God may be kind but He has always drawn lines with as much strength as those who cross them - 

When David was asked, he said yes. Because he had read, and he knew and understood.

And humanity may be killed for breaking the Law, but it was Man who first asked if to kill. It was not God who chose to not forgive.

And the law was not meant to tell humanity how to be God.

It was meant to show that humanity is many things - we are brave and cowardly and cruel and wise, stubborn and foolish and sometimes even kind - but we are not God.

We are never God.

-

God is real.

This is the tenet I live by.

God is real.

That is the force of my awaking and the gentle whisper of my sleep, and it will not change nor falter, no matter what I may face. 

This is the truth and the blood of my life, and I will live no other. 

God sent his son to save us. His son, the Son, who is God Himself as well, one of the three that is All.

God sent his Son.

And His name was Jesus, as God said He was to be named. 

Jesus, the messiah, as all his followers called him.

Jesus, a dead man on a stick, as many others call him.

The Jews and their head priests said Do to others as they do to you.

Jesus said, Treat others as you wish to be treated.

and As you judge others, so you will be judged.

and Give Ceaser that which is his, but give God that which is His.

and If you are so much as angry at you family without cause, it is like you have murdered them.

He said that humanity could never fulfill the Law.

He said, in those words and so many others, that here and now, the Law was done.

Gospel means Good News, and nothing could be better.

Because under the law, humanity, male and female, old and young - under the law, they died.

But God said the Law would stand until one came who could fulfill it, and Jesus came, the Son, and He fulfilled it and more.

And here He asks for no great feats, no perfect actions, no insatiable courses of trying and failing to fulfill a role that no mortal could ever rise to - except for one.

Humility.

And isn't that the greatest feat of all?

He asks for this:

First, acceptance.

We are not perfect. We never were, we were never meant to be. We can not judge others, for we are all as bad at the rest. There are no worse sins. There is just sin, and not. We are born in sin. There is no not, for us.

Second, repentance. Even if - Even if. Always. Oh God, forgive me, for I have sinned. Say it like you mean it, because you mean it.

Third. Show it.

What good does it do you or any other, if you take this seed that has grown in your heart, and you lock it in the dark, never to be seen? 

What good does it do you, if you take the forgiveness the God always has and always will show you, and you show it to no other?

What good does it do you, if you believe in the Lord with all you heart but never let words of such pass by your lips? 

If you are hunted, if you are scarred, if such words will lead to your death, are you willing to speak them still?

-

I do not have much. I am scared, and shaking, and always so much a coward, but I have these words that build up and cut in me until I am brave enough to say them, and I have the fragile breaking hope of a crushed flower, locked in a dark and sunless box until, here and now, I let them spill out because the Lord has told me again and again that this is what I am meant to do. It calls to me and fills me with the thought of such fear and joy. I do not want to do this, I am scared to like a shaking blossom, but I know I must because I could not live with myself if I do not speak these words, if I do not let them be heard, even if it is only once, even if no one else cares.

I must. I could not bear myself otherwise.

[radiopastor]

How Does God Us to Live?

Spiritually speaking, God wants us to live forever because He created us as a Spirit (in the image of God) that will live on earth now and later in heaven for eternity.

Physiologically speaking, God wants us to live on earth in our human body for 120 years.  Does that surprise you?  Are you among the people who believe that most people are supposed to die at 70 or 80 years old?  The fact is that most humans, in today’s world, think that they’re supposed to die at age 70.  Since that idea has been implanted in their brain, and their brain tells their body to die at that age!  What humans think programs their brains.  What humans say programs their life, for better or worse.  Please, be careful what you think, and more importantly, be careful what you say.  God created the whole world, the stars, and the entire universe with words.  You can create your whole world, failures, and successes, by what you say.  Our words have power.  God’s words have divine power and must be followed exactly, if you want to live up to the potential that God created you to aspire to in this life.

Here comes the truth, and the proof, that we are created to live 120 years on earth.  If you don’t want to live to 120, that is in God’s permissive will.  If you choose to live to 120, just imagine all that you could do for God, for your family and you, too.

Genesis 6:3 – Amplified Bible – 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be [a] a hundred and twenty years.”

Footnotes – a. Genesis 6:3 This may refer to the time given man to repent before the flood, or to the normative human life span after the flood.

There it is! – God said in sacred scriptures in Genesis 6:3 that we are to live 120 years here on this earth.  The footnotes give us cause to wonder if the directive to live 120 may have been for humans to repent before the flood.  This writer (Ed Brady) believes the second half of the footnote. It suggests that that 120 years is how long you and I are to live.  How about you?  Do you want to live according to God’s word in Genesis?  It could give you so much time to succeed in the desires and passions that God has placed in your heart.

120 years, you ask?

–

You may feel that 120 years is too long to live, but perhaps you need to re-think your paradigm and learn to understand that we are a spirit, with a soul (mind, will, emotions) living in a body for 70 or 120 (depending upon which we choose).  And yes, we choose the age and time we die, not God.  When you are ready, you can release your spirit.  Or, when you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, you can choose to live.  

Acts 7:59-60

– Amplified Bible – 59 They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive, accept, and welcome my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].

God does not need another angel.

–

Scripture teaches us that when we are ready to die, we can ‘release’ our spirit and it goes to heaven or hell.  It bothers me when people think that God killed (or took) their loved one.  It bothers me when people say things like, “God must have needed another angel.”  The statement itself is wrong, and it is wrong to believe that humans become angels.  God created humans and God created angels to honor God, help humans, and deliver messages to humans.  Nope, you won’t ‘get your wings’ because you will not become an angel.  Up in heaven you will be you, in spirit form, in a new resurrection body that looks like you, but better!  Remember when Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and came out of the tomb He had a body that looked like Him, but better!

What about the 70 years verse? – It is not a blessing, but a curse.  The anger of God is expressed in this biblical verse against the people of Israel who chose, on their way to the Promised Land, go a different way than God had told them.  

Psalm 90:10

– Amplified Bible – The days of our life are [a]seventy years—Or even, if because of strength, eighty years; Ye their pride [in additional years] is only labor and sorrow, for it is soon gone and we fly away.

Footnotes –

Psalm 90:10 This psalm is credited to Moses, who is interceding with God to remove the curse which made it necessary for every Israelite over twenty years of age (when they rebelled against God at Kadesh-barnea) to die before reaching the promised land of Canaan (Numbers 14:26-35). Moses himself lived to be 120 years old, Aaron 123, Miriam several years older than Aaron, and Joshua 110 years of age; but it is conceivable that Moses considered such longevity the exception. The ancient Israelite Rabbis taught that by the time of David, 70 was the age of death for an old man and 80 for a vigorous old man.

Go the way that God tells you. – God had told the Israelites to take a route that would have gotten them there in about a dozen days.  However, the Nephilim tribe who were directly in front of the Israelites.  They were large men whom the Israelites would have to fight and defeat, if they took God’s planned route.  The key here is to do what God says, even if you don’t feel like it.  Please, do what God says (and live as Jesus lived) even if you’re afraid, do it afraid, but do it, okay?

Numbers 13:33 – Amplified Bible – 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Unfortunately, the Israelites judged the problem by the size of the other tribe, but they should have judged the problem by the size of their God.  God could have helped them defeat the large Nephilim warriors, but they mistakenly thought that they had to fight their enemies by their own power.  Of the 12 spies that the Israelites sent to observe and evaluate their chances of winning in battle, only 2 men, Joshua and Caleb, had strong faith and belief in God and (based on that faith) told the Israelites that they could defeat the Nephilim in battle.  The other 10 spies said that they could not win and advised the tribe of Israel to go a different way, because of that, the House of Israel wandered in the desert for 40-years and none of the Israelites lived to enter the Promised Land.  Only the two men that showed their faith, Joshua, and Caleb, entered the Promised Land with the sons and daughters of the people who died before they entered.  Everybody who was over 20 years of age died in the desert before they got to go into the Promised Land.  During the 40 years in the desert they all died.

Old Versus New Testament – That’s an example of the Old Testament Wrath of God.  We’ll discuss the different manner that God views us in the New Testament (because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross) at another time.  For now, let’s wrap up this section of “How does God want us to live?”

This note is for YOU. – If the Israelites would have done what God told them to do, it is estimated that they would have entered the Promised Land in a dozen days instead of wandering for 40-years and never entering the Promised Land.  When God tells YOU to do something, by faith just do it because God will help you conquer any giants in front of you, okay?  The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons because He shows no partiality (Read Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11).  That could be interpreted in a negative manner, but by faith we can believe that what God does for other believers who have faith in Him, He will do for YOU.  Please, read the Bible daily, study it, and apply it to your life to have a wonderful 120 years on this earth.  Enjoy!  However, if you do not follow God’s directives/commands in the Bible, try enjoying your wandering in the desert for 40 years.  Ouch!

We must live by faith, not sight.  To get better at living by faith, spend more time reading and studying the Bible daily.  The main reason that most Christians believe wrong information about God, and life, is that they have no knowledge of scripture.  In closing, “How Does God Want Us To Live?”  He wants us to live our life the way He told us in the Bible.  Read it daily and apply it to your life, okay?  To make it easier for us live the way God wants us to live, He sent His son, Jesus, to make it very, very clear how God wants us to live.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – Amplified Bible – 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].

Thanks, and God bless you, Pastor Ed Brady

Questions?  You can reach me at: ed@edbradyradio.com

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[religioused]

Bigger God, Bigger Religion

Bigger God, Bigger Religion

by Gary Simpson

Isaiah 42:1-9 (KJV)

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8 I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Acts 10:34-43 (KJV)

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Matthew 3:13-17 (KJV)

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

I recently purchased the prayer book Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Given this church’s rich heritage of social justice, I think that I might need a prayerbook for extraordinary radicals. Common Prayer has a liturgy for every day of the year. January 12’s liturgy reminds us of an important event that took place on January 12. On this day in 1948, Gandhi began to fast to achieve peace in the Indian subcontinent.

Gandhi was influenced by Christianity. He often read the Sermon on the Mount. Ghandi decided to live out Jesus’ teachings in an effort to bring peace to the region.(1) On a day that we reflect on Jesus going into the wilderness to be baptized and to bring peace to humanity, we also reflect on Gandhi’s life. When Ghandi was in the wilderness of conflict, he strove to bring peace to an important region of the world.

To put the Gospel reading in context, I am going to refer to the passage in Isaiah that is part of our lectionary reading. Isaiah Chapter 42 is considered by many people to be a Messianic passage, a prophetic passage about Jesus, the gentle Messiah, who will not “break off a bent reed or put out a dying flame.”(2) This gentle Messiah is predicted to bring justice to the world.(3) The gentle Messiah is important, because Jesus is considered to be the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. Some people might picture the passage in Isaiah as saying that God will bring justice without yelling at people on street corners and without breaking a bent read or putting out a weak flame.

There are times when we need to back up and place a Gospel reading in context of the lectionary schedule. Christmas Day, the lectionary reading covered Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. In St. Luke’s narrative, shepherds are invited to the stable to see Jesus in the manger. Shepherds were “despised” by good people of the time. There is no way the ancient shepherds could keep the ceremonial laws, such as hand-washing.(4) William Manson wrote the commentary on the Gospel of Luke for The Moffatt New Testament Commentary set. Manson notes that the shepherds are the “centre-piece” in Luke Chapter 2. The inclusion of shepherds is significant for those living in the “Judean home of Christianity.”(5) Luke refers to Jesus as the savior, which shows that Jesus is going to make an “appeal to sick and suffering humanity.”(6) Luke is very inclusive, including Samaritans, Gentiles, and the impoverished, disreputable, outcasts, and sinners.(7) Luke pictures God as having a universal embrace.(8) Commentator and Greek scholar William Barclay refers to the Gospel of Luke as the “universal gospel.”(9) There is also a universal element in the Gospel of Matthew. Alejandro Duarte, a Catholic theologian who worked in Beunos Aires, says that Jesus is the Messiah who is “geared toward those who are not considered important.” He supports his position by citing examples of Jesus healing ‘outsiders,’ lepers, blind, and Gentiles.(10) The life, ministry and passion of Jesus needs to be seen within the context of the universal gospel. We can see the theme of the universal gospel in Jesus’ baptism.

Matthew Chapter 2 contains Matthew’s Christmas story. In Matthew’s narrative, wisemen, Magi, arrive in the Palestine region. They tell Herod that they have been following a star and that they have come to worship the new King of the Jews. The wisemen ask Herod where the new king can be found. Herod summons Jewish scholars about where the Messiah will be born and they tell him that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Herod asks the wisemen to search for the child and to come back and tell him where the child is. A star then leads the wisemen to Jesus. After they see Jesus and worship Him, angels warn them to not tell Herod where they found Jesus. The wisemen return home by a different route, so they would not encounter Herod. Angels warn Joseph to leave and go to Egypt where Jesus will be safe. Herod is so threatened that he gives the order that all children under two years of age in Bethlehem be killed. And Jesus becomes a political refugee. Jesus’ family lives in Egypt until Herod dies.

When I was a student at Pacific School of Religion, I had the privilege of taking a course with Jim Mitulski. When searching for ideas for this sermon, I found a sermon that Jim Mitulski gave a Cathedral of Hope, a megachurch in Dallas, Texas. He was preaching on the Gospel passage.

Christianity traditionally holds that Jesus is God incarnate, God in human form. Mitulski makes the point that the God incarnate in Jesus was not just for Jewish people. The God of the chosen people is available to all people, regardless of religion, culture or background.(11) In Matthew’s birth narrative, Magi came to the stable, to the manger to worship Jesus. Jim Mitulski observes, that the Magi came, saw, worshipped, were transformed, and moved on. The Bible does not tell us that they converted to Judaism. While they appreciated Judaism and saw something of value, they did not need to co-opt it, corrupt it, domesticate or own it; they enjoyed it and experienced it, and “It opened their minds, their bodies and their spirits to see the world differently.”(12)

Who witnessed Jesus‘ baptism? Who was His audience? This is a question that we need to ask ourselves over and over again as we read the Gospels. The high priest and the Caesar were not at the river waiting to be baptized. The Gospel of Mark’s account tells us that John was preaching for a baptism of the repentance of sins.(13) The leading religious figures are not likely to have considered themselves sinners and the thought of publicly acknowledging that they needed to repent from sins was a no go. Those getting baptized were more likely to be the religiously marginalized, a class of people that the priests looked down on. Jesus told parables, because they “resonated with the lives of the poor, the tax collectors, the prostitutes . . . the marginalized.”(14) As we read Bible, we need to be open to reading the Bible from the perspective of those who are marginalized. There is power when we understand the Word from the perspective of the margins of society. The Gospels had to resonate with the common person or Christianity would not have rapidly spread across the Roman Empire.

Mitulski notes, “Experiences of divinity are meant to open us up to see wider, to see broader, to experience more. If our religion results in a smaller world, then we have missed the point. Religion is meant to expand, enlarge, inspire our imaginations, our spirits, our bodies, how we live.”(15) As we reflect on a story where we are presented with an encounter with the Divine, as the Spirit descends and speaks, the baptism experience calls us to expand our view of God and of religion.

There are far too many merchants of fear in religious circles. Some of those merchants of fear may claim that people who made serious mistakes or who are spiritually marginalized are not people of faith even though they are baptized. This is not true. Experiences with God cannot be taken away by people. Mitulski makes the point emphatically when he says, “Baptism can never be taken from you. I want to renounce as heresy any notion that a promise made to you by God and symbolized by water can ever be broken by human error . . . If you were baptized and were later told that you did not somehow belong in a faith community, that person committed a grave error, because you cannot take what is God’s to give.” He goes on to observe, "The devil did not give it and the devil cannot take it away . . . God gives us grace . . . no human can take it from us. When they try to, it says something about them, not about God, not about us.” (16)

Our task is not to over analyze the story. Our job is to focus more on how to apply the Biblical narratives to our lives, to improving society. Miguel De La Torre, a professor at Illif School of Theology, appears to believe that the task for the church of God is more to spend time learning how the our communities takes possession of the Bible texts than it is to spend hours trying to determine the exact words Jesus spoke. (17)

And there are those who may question your faith. I am not sure if you have ever wondered how to respond when a person asks you if you have a personal relationship with Jesus. Miguel De La Torre has an interesting response for his students who ask if he has a personal relationship with Jesus. He responds, “No, I have a public relationship with Jesus Christ.”(18) In the waters of baptism, Jesus showed He had a public relationship with us and that is the kind of relationship that we are challenged to have with God and with people.

Arsenius was known as Arsenius the Great and Saint Arsenius. He lived from about the 350s to the 440s of the Common Era. According to Wikipedia, Arsenius was a tutor for an Emperor’s sons. Later, he entered more religious work. Arsenius’ teachings influenced the development of the contemplative life.(19) An old story about Arsenius is that he “consulted an old Egyptian monk about his own thoughts.” Someone who knew this happened, asked Arsenius why Arsenius, a man who knew Greek and Latin asked a “peasant” about his thoughts. Arsenius is reported to have replied, “‘I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant.’“(20)

Living out the spirit of Christ’s baptism can be as easy as taking the time to learn the alphabet of those around us, of having a public relationship with marginalized members of society.

Notes

(1) Shane Clairborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enumu Okoro. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2010), 102.

(2) Isaiah 42:3 Contemporary English Version.

(3) Isaiah 42:1.

(4) William Barclay. “William Barclay's Daily Study Bible: Luke 2.” n.d., 17 Oct 2019. Study Light. <https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/luke-2.html>.

(5) William Manson. The Moffatt New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Luke. Kindle ed. (Seattle: Source Digital Pub., 2018. Originally published in New York by Harper and Brothers Pub., 1930), ebook.

(6) Manson. (2018, originally published 1930), ebook.

(7) William Barclay. The New Testament: A Translation. Vol. 1. (London: Collins, 1968), 123.

(8) Barclay. (1968), 124.

(9) Barclay. (1968), 123.

(10) Daniel Patte, et al., eds. Global Bible Commentary. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004), 353.

(11) Jim Mitulski. “‘Matthew 3:13-17’ - Gospel Lesson.” Cathedral of Hope. YouTube. 13 January 2014, 26 December 2019. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT_cjZIVYgI>.

(12) Mitulski. (2014). <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT_cjZIVYgI>.

(13) Mark 1:4.

(14) Miguel A. De La Torre. Reading the Bible from the Margins. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2019), 31.

(15) Mitulski. (2014). <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT_cjZIVYgI>.

(16) Mitulski. (2014). <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT_cjZIVYgI>.

(17) De La Torre. (2019), 136.

(18) De La Torre. (2019), 136.

(19) “Arsenius the Great.” Wikipedia. 02 Jan 2020, 05 Jan 2020. <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenius_the_Great>.

(20) Clairborne, Wilson-Hartgrove and Okoro. (2010), 95.

[spiritleak]

Narcissists & gaslighting, Jezebel Spirits, journey to abuse healing

Psychologists state that a narcissist is someone who has covered his true self-expression in response to mental injuries and replaced it with a highly developed, compensatory false self. This other self often comes across as above others, self-centred, self-absorbed, and highly conceited.

Many of them also use gaslighting as a way to make many people around them more vulnerable to their attacks.

Gaslighting is a form of peristent manipulation and constant indirect brainwashing that causes the victim to doubt himself, his opinions and side of the stoy. The goal is to ultimately lose one’s own sense of perception, identity, and self-worth. A gaslighter’s statements and accusations are often based on deliberate falsehoods and calculated marginalization. The term gaslighting is derived from the 1944 film Gaslight, where a husband tries to convince his wife that she’s insane by causing her to question herself and her reality.

Many narcissists are gaslighters but it's not necessary to always coexist 100% . Someone could have antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy) and use gaslighting to manipulate, for instance.

Both narcissists and gaslighters tend to project false, idealized images of themselves to the world, in order to hide their inner insecurities. Many narcissists like to impress others by making themselves look good externally. This complex can exhibit itself physically, romantically, sexually, socially, religiously, financially, materially, professionally, academically, or culturally. The underlying message of this display is: “I’m better than you!” or “Look at how special I am — I’m worthy of everyone’s love, admiration, and acceptance!”

Both narcissists and gaslighters have a desire to make decisions for others to suit their own benefit. Narcissists may use their romantic family members, friends, or colleague to meet unreasonable self-serving needs, fulfill unrealized dreams, or cover-up weaknesses and shortcomings. Narcissists are also fond of using blame, guilt and victimhood as manipulative means.

Gaslighters conduct psychological manipulation toward individuals and groups through persistent distortion of the truth, with the intention of causing their victims to question themselves and feel less confident. In personal and professional environments, they manipulate by telling others how they should think, feel, and behave under the gaslighter’s unreasonable restrictions. They often become judgemental, angry, intimidating, and hostile toward those who fail to bow down to their directives. Gaslighter manipulation is often highly aggressive, with punitive measures (tangible or psychological) executed toward those who fail to recognize and obey their self-perceived authority.

Jezebel spirits - the spiritual side of manipulative people

How can you tell if a Jezebel spirit is affecting your actions or using someone close to you?

In her book, “Jezebel’s Puppets” Jennifer LeClaire describes Jezebel as: “A wicked spirit that has roamed the earth for thousands of years seeking someone to entice into sin, Jezebel is more than a spirit of control and manipulation that many make it out to be.  Jezebel is a spirit of seduction that works to woo people into immorality and idolatry….”

People influenced by a spirit of Jezebel have fear issues of rejection. They control others so that they will not be hurt. Generally, there is a history of trauma or abuse. They are not accountable to anyone and often accuse others of being a Jezebel. A Jezebel never forgets when they are wronged because they struggle to forgive others. Therefore, he/she will not be at peace until they find revenge, even if it takes years to achieve. Jezebels do not forgive nor forget. Such a person is capable of killing you emotionally or destroying your life. In the bible, such was the case with the Pharisees, they found Jesus teachings offensive and very hurtful to them and they eventually sort to kill and destroy Jesus.Those under Jezebel in position whether in the workplace, ministry or family dynamics; will tend to fear him/her because when a Jezebel is in power, he/she has an authoritative and threatening demeanour. He/she will cunningly make you believe that you need him/her and you’re nothing without their help. A Jezebel spirit is never wrong, unless it is a temporary admittance of guilt to gain favor with someone, make them feel empathy and confuse them. To accept actual responsibility would violate the core of insecurity and pride from which it operates. When a Jezebel apologizes it is never in true repentance or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. It’s unbelievably painful when it’s a member of your own family. People have a hard time believing anyone could be so cruel. It’s life shattering to come to grips with this as reality

No matter what someone’s religious and spiritual views are, I believe we all agree that it is important to heal. To heal from emotionally draining people and situations and eventually get out.  Heal from the self doubt and self hate we are being put through when dealing with such a person. Gain our lost confidence back and realize that they are the problem, not us.

How will that healing take place?

Try to get educated on the topic. Watch Youtube videos and read about such behaviors. Knowledge is your biggest weapon against manipulation and hurt. Understand that they are not who they show they are and also realize what they want from you. 

Begin to notice that self-care is something you need to participate in consistently. Not sorely because you are healing from emotional abuse, but because healthy people, in general, understand the importance of putting on their oxygen mask before they can help others.Life can be stressful enough without the added obstacle of toxic abuse. It only stands to reason that if your goal is narcissistic abuse recovery, your body and mind require extreme self-care. This might include reducing social engagements, staying off of the internet, saying “no” to friends and family, taking a nap when you feel exhausted, and making time to do meditations.You resist the urge to make excuses as to why you can’t take care of yourself, realizing that even single mothers can work self-care into their schedules.  If you are a single mother, you deliberately get a babysitter on occasion to take yourself out. Do guided meditations, treat yourself with spending time doing what you love, listen to relaxing music. One step at a time. You are worth this.

No longer obsess about the narcissist with their new supply or the fact that they seem so happy because you can come to understand that the narcissist is destined to repeat the same cycle of abuse with anyone they are with at any given time. There is an African, humanist philosophy called Ubuntu. At its most basic, it states that:  ‘A person is a person through other people’. Who you choose to associate with will have an influence on who you are. This means that surrounding yourself with narcissists, manipulators, and abusers will lead to deep unhappiness.

WIsh you luck on your beautiful journey!

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group ... Daily Prayers

THE SEVEN SORROWS ROSARY PRAYER

■ SIGN OF THE CROSS

In the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

■ INTRODUCTORY PRAYER

My God, I offer You this Rosary for Your glory, so I can honor your Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin, so I can share and meditate upon her suffering. I humbly beg you to give me true repentance for all my sins. Give me wisdom and humility, so that I may receive all the indulgences contained in this prayer.

■ ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend You, my God, You Who are all good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

■ Hail Mary ×3

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

1. THE FIRST SWORD OF SORROW: The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:22-35)

"And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord  (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"). There, the old priest Simeon held the baby Jesus in his hands, and the Holy Spirit filled his heart. Simeon recognized Jesus as the promised Savior and held the Child high toward heaven, thanking God for granting his wish that he would live long enough to behold the Messiah.

"Now Your servant may depart this life in peace, my Lord," he said… Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

The Blessed Virgin knew that she had given birth to the Savior of humankind, so she immediately understood and accepted Simeon’s prophecy. Although her Heart was deeply touched by this favor of bearing the Baby Jesus, her Heart remained heavy and troubled, for she knew what had been written about the ordeals and subsequent death of the Savior. Whenever she saw her Son, she was constantly reminded of the suffering He would be subject to, and His suffering became her own.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother Mary, whose Heart suffered beyond bearing because of us, teach us to suffer with you and with love, and to accept all the suffering God deems it necessary to send our way. Let us suffer, and may our suffering be known to God only, like yours and that of Jesus. Do not let us show our suffering to the world, so it will matter more and be used to atone for the sins of the world. You, Mother, who suffered with the Savior of the world, we offer you our suffering, and the suffering of the world, because we are your children. Join those sorrows to your own and to those of the Lord Jesus Christ, then offer them to God the Father. You are a Mother greater than all.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

2. THE SECOND SWORD OF SORROW: The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

Mary’s Heart broke and her mind was greatly troubled when Joseph revealed to her the words of the angel: they were to wake up quickly and flee to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill Jesus. The Blessed Virgin hardly had time to decide what to take or leave behind; she took her Child and left everything else, rushing outside before Joseph so that they could hurry as God wished. Then she said, "Even though God has power over everything, He wants us to flee with Jesus, His Son. God will show us the way, and we shall arrive without being caught by the enemy."

Because the Blessed Virgin was the Mother of Jesus, she loved Him more than anyone else. Her heart was deeply troubled at the sight of her Infant Son’s discomfort, and she suffered greatly because He was cold and shivering. While she and her husband were tired, sleepy, and hungry during this long travel, Mary’s only thought was about the safety and comfort of her Child. She feared coming face to face with the soldiers who had been ordered to kill Jesus because she was aware that the enemy was still in Bethlehem. Her heart remained constantly anguished during this flight. She also knew that where they were going, there would be no friendly faces to greet them.

■ PRAYER:  Beloved Mother, who has suffered so much, give to us your courageous heart. Please pray for us to have strength so that we can be brave like you and accept with love the suffering God sends our way. Help us to also accept all the suffering we inflict upon ourselves and the suffering inflicted upon us by others. Heavenly Mother, you, in union with Jesus, purify our suffering so that we may give glory to God and save our souls.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

3. THE THIRD SWORD OF SORROW: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)

Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, but He was also Mary’s child. The Blessed Virgin loved Jesus more than herself because He was her God. Compared to other children, He was most unique because He was already living as God. When Mary lost Jesus on their way back from Jerusalem, the world became so big and lonely that she believed she couldn't go on living without Him, so great was her Sorrow. (She felt the same pain her Son felt when He was later abandoned by His apostles during the Passion.)

As the Holy Mother looked anxiously for her beloved Boy, deep pain welled in her heart. She blamed herself, asking why she didn’t take greater care of Him. But it was not her fault; Jesus no longer needed her protection as before. What really hurt Mary was that her son had decided to stay behind without her consent. Jesus had pleased her in everything so far: He never annoyed her in any way, nor would He ever displease His parents. She knew that He always did what was necessary, however, so she never suspected Him of being disobedient.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother, teach us to accept all our sufferings because of our sins and to atone for the sins of the whole world.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

4. THE FOURTH SWORD OF SORROW: Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31)

Mary witnessed Jesus carrying the heavy cross alone—the cross on which He was to be crucified. This didn’t surprise the Blessed Virgin because she already knew about the approaching death of Our Lord. Noting how her son was already weakened by the numerous hard blows given by the soldiers’ clubs, she was filled with anguish at His pain. The soldiers kept hurrying and pushing Him, though He had no strength left. He fell, exhausted, unable to raise Himself. At that moment, Mary’s eyes, so full of tender love and compassion, met her Son’s eyes, which were pained and covered in blood. Their hearts seemed to be sharing the load; every pain He felt, she felt as well. They knew that nothing could be done except to believe and trust in God and dedicate their suffering to Him. All they could do was put everything in God’s hands.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother, so stricken with grief, help us to bear our own suffering with courage and love so that we may relieve your Sorrowful Heart and that of Jesus. In doing so, may we give glory to God Who gave you and Jesus to humanity. As you suffered, teach us to suffer silently and patiently. Grant unto us the grace of loving God in everything. O Mother of Sorrows, most afflicted of all mothers, have mercy on the sinners of the whole world.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

5. THE FIFTH SWORD OF SORROW: Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross (John 19:25-27)

The Blessed Virgin Mary continued to climb the mount to Calvary, following behind Jesus painfully and sorrowfully, yet suffering silently. She could see Him staggering and falling with the cross some more, and she witnessed her Son being beaten by soldiers who pulled His hair to force Him to stand up. Despite His innocence, when Jesus reached the top of Calvary, He was ordered to confess in front of the crowd so they could laugh at Him. Mary deeply felt her Son’s pain and humiliation, particularly when His tormentors forced Him to strip off what was left of His clothing. The Blessed Virgin felt sick at heart seeing these tyrants crucifying her Son naked, shaming Him terribly merely to amuse the jeering crowd. (Jesus and Mary felt more disgrace than normal people did because they were without sin and holy.)

The Blessed Virgin Mary felt pain beyond bearing when Jesus was stretched out on the Cross. His murderers sang merrily as they approached Him with hammers and nails. They sat on Him heavily so that He could not move when they spiked Him to the wood. As they hammered the nails through His hands and feet, Mary felt the blows in her heart; the nails pierced her flesh as they tore into her Son’s body. She felt her life fading away.

As the soldiers lifted the Cross to drop it into the hole they had dug, they deliberately jerked it, causing the force of His body weight to tear through the flesh and expose His bone. The pain shot through His body like liquid fire.

Jesus endured three excruciating hours skewered on the Cross, yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the agonizing heartache He was forced to bear seeing His mother suffering below Him. Mercifully, He finally died.

■ PRAYER: Beloved Mother, Queen of the Martyrs, give us the courage you had in all your sufferings so that we may unite our sufferings with yours and give glory to God. Help us follow all His commandments and those of the Church so that Our Lord’s sacrifice will not be in vain, and all sinners in the world will be saved.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

6. THE SIXTH SWORD OF SORROW: Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus in Her Arms (John 19:38-40)

The friends of Jesus, Joseph and Nicodemus, took down His Body from the Cross and placed It in the outstretched arms of the Blessed Virgin. Then Mary washed It with deep respect and love because she was His mother. She knew better than anyone else that He was God incarnate who had taken a human body to become the Savior of all people.

Mary could see the terrifying wounds from the flogging Jesus had received while at Pilate’s. His flesh had been shredded and large strips had been torn from His back. His entire body had been so lacerated that gaping wounds crisscrossed Him from head to toe. Mary found that the wounds from the nails were less severe than those caused by the flogging and by carrying the Cross. She was horrified at the thought that her Son had managed to carry the heavy, splintered Cross all the way to Calvary. She saw the circle of blood the Crown of Thorns had made on His forehead and, to her horror, realized that many of the barbed thorns had dug so deeply into His skull they had penetrated His brain. Looking at her broken Boy, the Holy Mother knew that His agonizing death was far worse than the torture reserved for the wickedest of criminals.

As she cleaned His damaged Body she envisioned Him during each stage of His short life, remembering her first look at His beautiful new born face as they lay in the manger, and every day in between, until this heart rending moment as she gently bathed His lifeless Body.  Her anguish was relentless as she prepared her Son and Lord for burial, but she remained brave and strong, becoming the true Queen of Martyrs.  As she washed her Son she prayed that everybody would know the riches of Paradise and enter the Gates of Heaven. She prayed for every soul in the world to embrace God’s Love, so her Son’s torturous death would benefit all humankind and not have been in vain. Mary prayed for the world; she prayed for all of us.

■ PRAYER: We thank you, Beloved Mother, for your courage as you stood beneath your dying Child to comfort Him on the Cross. As our Savior drew His last breath, you became a wonderful Mother to all of us; you became the Blessed Mother of the world. We know that you love us more than our own earthly parents do. We implore you to be our advocate before the Throne of Mercy and Grace so that we can truly become your children. We thank you for Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, and we thank Jesus for giving you to us. Please pray for us, Mother.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

7. THE SEVENTH

SWORD OF SORROW: The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb (John 19:41-42)

The life of the Blessed Virgin Mary was so closely linked to that of Jesus she thought there was no reason for her to go on living any longer. Her only comfort was that His death had ended His unspeakable suffering. Our Sorrowful Mother, with the help of John and the Holy women, devoutly placed the Body in the sepulcher, and she left Him. She went home with great pain and tremendous Sorrow; for the first time she was without Him, and her loneliness was a new and bitter source of pain. Her heart had been dying since her Son’s heart had stopped beating, but she was certain that our Savior would soon be resurrected.

■ PRAYER: Most Beloved Mother, whose beauty surpasses that of all mothers, Mother of Mercy, Mother of Jesus, and Mother to us all, we are your children and we place all our trust in you. Teach us to see God in all things and all situations, even our sufferings. Help us to understand the importance of suffering, and also to know the purpose of our suffering as God had intended it.

You yourself were conceived and born without sin, were preserved from sin, yet you suffered more than anybody else. You accepted suffering and pain with love and with unsurpassed courage. You stood by your Son from the time He was arrested until He died. You suffered along with Him, felt His every pain and torment. You accomplished the Will of God the Father; and according to His will, you have become our Mother. We beg you, dear Mother, to teach us to do as Jesus did. Teach us to accept our cross courageously. We trust you, most Merciful Mother, so teach us to sacrifice for all the sinners in the world. Help us to follow in your Son’s footsteps, and even to be willing to lay down our lives for others.

■ Our Father

■ Hail Mary ×7

■ Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.

CONCLUDING PRAYER 

Queen of Martyrs, your heart suffered so much. I beg you, by the merits of the tears you shed in these terrible and sorrowful times, to obtain for me and all the sinners of the world the grace of complete sincerity and repentance. Amen.

■ Mary, who was conceived without sin and who suffered for us, pray for us. ×3

■ SIGN OF THE CROSS: In the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

FOOTNOTES

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https://www.facebook.com/share/p/pKpB4Jm4ShEE2o4s/?mibextid=oFDknk

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow?" (John 19:31-34; Lamentations 1:12)

The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows dates back to the Middle Ages, but it gained new popularity following the Marian apparitions in Kibeho, which have been approved by the Catholic Church. During Mary's apparitions to Marie-Claire Mukangango, she assigned the young visionary a mission to reintroduce this special rosary to the world. Before her untimely death, Marie Claire did just that, traveling widely to teach it to thousands of people, who then taught it to thousands of others. (Marie-Claire was killed in the genocide of over a million people in Rwanda, a tragedy that was foretold through visions of rivers of blood that the young people in Kibeho received several years before the killings.)

She (the Holy Virgin) promised that when prayed with an open and repentant heart, the rosary would win us the Lord's forgiveness for our sins and free our souls from guilt and remorse. She also promised that over time, the rosary would develop within us a deep understanding of why we sin, and that knowledge would give us the wisdom and strength to change or remove any internal flaws, weaknesses of character, or personality faults causing unhappiness and keeping us from enjoying the joyous life God intended for us...

HOW TO PRAY THE SEVEN SORROWS ROSARY

This prayer heregiven is a description of this amazing Rosary as the Virgin Mother herself taught it to Marie-Claire in Kibeho. It may be prayed aloud or contemplated in silence, alone or with others; the key is for the prayers, reflections, and meditations to always come from the depths of our hearts...It is important that, when we reach each of the Seven Sorrows, we take a moment to meditate on the magnitude of Mary's sufferings...and the strength of Our Mother's love. Always repent, pray and convert your hearts whilst there is yet time!

The Lord be with you!

***

【Build your Faith in Christ Jesus on #dailyscripturereadingsgroup 📚: +256 751 540 524 .. Whatsapp】

[jbuffyangel]

Arrow Season 7 Poster Analysis

Arrow promo department handed me a little crack today.

This poster is my jam.

But we’ll get to the light. Actually, what struck me first was the tagline “Revelation and Repentance.” It’s very biblical in nature. Beth Schwartz said the season theme was redemption. There were many guilty parties in Season 6, whose actions were anything but heroic, but I wouldn’t count Oliver among them. 

In fact, Oliver came as close to being a fully realized superhero in Season 6 than he ever has before. Yet, he ends up in prison. So what does Oliver need redemption for? Why is he being punished for the actions of others?

Redemption is a broad concept. It’s not limited to an act of atonement for a fault or a mistake. While there are many characters in Arrow that require atonement for their mistakes *cough*newbies*cough* I do not believe this is the lens we should view Oliver Queen through. Redemption means something very different for his character and the Season 7 poster illuminates how (pun intended). 

In the beginning, Oliver was a man in need of redemption for his sins. He was a self centered layabout who cheated and lied. 

It was Oliver’s sins that put him on the Queen’s gambit and lead him to Lian Yu – aka Purgatory. 

The island burned Oliver to ash and what emerged was a very different man. He was selfless, repentant, and completely committed to helping others. 

Oliver was still haunted by demons, but overtime (and with the help of his loved ones) he eventually was able to conquer most of them. 

Oliver’s light was on full display in Season 6. 

He married the love of his life, was an amazing father to his son, and fought for Star City both as the mayor and the Green Arrow. When his team turned him, Oliver offered forgiveness and understanding, even though those betrayals resulted in great personal cost.

It wasn’t a perfect arc. Oliver made mistakes and perhaps you believe he does require redemption for his sins. He did not discuss his decision to serve a life sentence, in exchange for the FBI’s help, with Felicity. 

Oliver Queen is also a murderer. Sure, they were all bad people, but murder is murder. It’s the entire reason he was being prosecuted. Damien Darhk nuked thousands, but it still didn’t give Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, the legal right to kill him. So, if this is how you view Oliver then the first definition of redemption works quite nicely.

However, I view Oliver differently. I’ve always been firm in my belief Oliver shouldn’t kill, but then again I’m not losing sleep over anyone he has killed. When I view the landscape of Season 6 as a whole, Oliver did almost everything I’ve ever asked of him. Even his mistakes were rooted in selflessness (more about that in my 6x23 review). I don’t believe Oliver Queen requires redemption anymore. He has shifted into something else entirely.

He is the redeemer.

Every superhero is essentially a Christ like figure. Look no further than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiering over Holy week and the movie culminating in the crucifixion of Superman.

Wonder Woman hovers above the sky, in a perfect cross like formation, and destroys the epitome of evil Ares, (aka the Devil).

“It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Diana, Wonder Woman

The superhero evolves to a place where they become the beacon of light for those they fight for. They become the best example of humanity. However, this often requires sacrifice. 

What did Jesus Christ require redemption for? Nothing. Jesus died for our sins. His death was our redemption. Did we deserve that kind of sacrifice? No, but it’s not about what we deserve. It’s about how much we are loved even though we are sinners.

Need a less Catholic perspective? No problem. Consider The Shawshank Redemption. As the always brilliant @callistawolf​ pointed out, Andy was an innocent man. He did not require redemption because he did nothing wrong. 

Perhaps he was not a good husband, but the punishment far outweighed the crime. But Andy had a light that could not be distinguished. He had hope and it gave others hope. His belief made others believe. Andy was the path to redemption.

Since both Shawshank and Arrow made not so subtle nods to The Count of Monte Cristo this is another prime example of an innocent man nearly consumed by anger and revenge, but ultimately embraces love and peace. 

Edmond Dantes is the path to redemption for others as well. Redemption  requires punishment or forgiveness for some, while other characters never achieve it.

Side note: Maybe we’ll be able to slot in Arrow characters into corresponding Shawshank & Monte Cristo roles. That’d be nifty.

As I said, the tagline is very biblical in nature which feeds my Oliver-as-the-redeemer theory. The definition of revelation is:

a : an act of revealing or communicating divine truth

b : something that is revealed by God to humans

2 a : an act of revealing to view or making known

b : something that is revealed; especially : an enlightening or astonishing disclosure shocking revelations

c : a pleasant often enlightening surprise

However, Revelation is also one of the books of the Bible. The scary one. 

This is the book, written by the apostle John, which details the way the world is going to end, but leaves it confusing enough so we have absolutely no idea when it will happen. 

That’s entirely the point though. We aren’t supposed to know when the world ends, but simply understand it will happen. Maybe we will to see the end or maybe we don’t. Either way our time here on earth is finite. There is a clock ticking. Our redemption lies with Jesus Christ. We must repent our sins and look to Him for our salvation. In fact, the word apocalypse means revelation. The Book of Revelation is often called the Apocalypse of John.

What the heck does all this mean for Arrow? I’m not saying Oliver is Jesus because that’s crazy, but symbolically he is. Oliver is Star City’s salvation. He went to jail primarily to protect his wife and child, but also to save his friends from prosecution. Oliver did it to save the city from Diaz - the same city prosecuting him for being the Green Arrow. Did the newbies or Star City citizens deserve Oliver’s sacrifice? No. Not even a little bit, but Oliver sacrificed everything that mattered to him to ensure their safety. Oliver Queen is a martyr. All superheroes become one eventually.

It’s why Oliver is bathed in light. He is the light. It’s always the light. There’s no mask, suit, bow, arrows or team (because prison, duh). Oliver is alone. He doesn’t have any of the tools he uses as a conduit for either his darkness or his light. Everything is stripped away. He is battered and bruised, but the light still shines.

One thing we have yet to see Oliver do is harness his light by himself. He’s always had Felicity or Diggle as his support system. They’ve always been there to pick him up and point Oliver in the right direction. But he’s cut off in the same way he was cut off from all those he loved on Lian Yu. Slabslide is another island.

I hope is Oliver is able to pull himself out of the dark hole by himself this time. This may be one of the final pieces of Oliver Queen’s superhero puzzle. The knowledge that Oliver can lose everything and yet retain his goodness may give him an inner strength he’s never known before.

It will take time and I expect Oliver to screw it up at first, because that’s what he does. Oliver will tunnel deeper into the darkness before he finds the way out. When Oliver was on Lian Yu he had to shut down his humanity to survive, so I expect this is the route he’ll initially go. However, he must embrace his humanity to survive this island. If the poster is any clue then Oliver he will eventually set himself on this path. 

Even though the other characters are not on the poster it still hints at their direction as well. The Arrow posters are always equally about the city as they are the characters, because the show never strays too far from Oliver’s mission.

The word repentance means to turn away from sin. The Hebrew roughly translates to “turn away from.” However, whenever we turn away from something we turn toward something else. We turn away from sin and turn toward Christ.  

If we replace revelation with apocalypse and repentance means “turn away from” then the message of the Season 7 poster is very clear. Star City and the newbies turned their backs on Oliver Queen, yet he is their salvation. The “apocalypse” is nearing, but we don’t know when or how. (This is standard Arrow story structure because the city is always under attack from the new Big Bad). The city and team must “repent” or turn away from their “sin” (mistakes/wrong doing/betrayals/self absorption/petulant toddler like fits – slot whatever you want in for sin) and turn towards the light – Oliver Queen.

All of this points to a new understanding and acceptance of Oliver Queen from the team, the city and himself. Oliver may be in prison, but his deliverance lies within. And the city’s deliverance lies with Oliver. 

If Season 6 was a rejection of the Green Arrow then Season 7 is about acceptance. The city and team will realize they need Oliver and the Green Arrow. They will atone by giving Oliver the chance to live both identities, man and mask, without lies and compartmentalization.  All of this brings us closer to a fully realized superhero and the story of Oliver Queen, the repentant sinner turned redeemer, full circle.

[mrlnsfrt]

Utterly Destroy

In an age when global solidarity is highly valued, and so many are interested in a social gospel, there are many attacks and an outright rejection of various Old Testament passages.

There are many, including Bible believing Christians, who say that “the violence called for in Deuteronomy 7 contrasts sharply with the assertion that God is love.” (Biddle 136) A popular “solution” is to name Moses as the author of these commands, perhaps trying to protect God from seeming barbaric.

The behavior commanded on Deuteronomy 7:2 is widely considered not only unloving but also unchristian, leading many to neglect the study of the Old Testament as the inspired word of God or at least as still relevant to 21st Century Christians.

The Question

Was God angrier and meaner in the Old Testament or is the God of Deuteronomy 7 the same loving and just God that is present throughout the Scriptures?

Is the God of the Bible a God of love or a God of destruction?

A God of peace or a God of war?

The Approach

We will embark on an in depth study of God’s command to “utterly destroy” found in primarily in the context of war and extermination. Since the occurrences range primarily from Deuteronomy through 2 Chronicles, Deuteronomy 7:1–5 seemed like the perfect place to begin our study for it gives a good description of what God intended for Israel to do. If you were to look up every occurrence of this verb you would see that the other texts deal with a summary of the Israel’s military conquest of the territory west of the Jordan under Joshua, and are all connected to this command.

The most common approach when dealing with Deuteronomy 7:2, is to make a brief applications such as “compromise leads to apostasy; therefore, avoid it” (Honeycutt 127), or “the covenant-treaty of the Lord with Israel excludes other treaties.” (Gebelein) Though such comments are true and important, they only scratch the surface of what this text has to offer.

Others have treated the command as a hyperbole or exaggeration meant to illustrate a high moral calling but never meant to be literally followed. The tendency is to simply label such comments as “strange anomalies and paradoxes” (New Interpreter’s Bible) and move on without seriously attempting to harmonize it with the rest of Scripture.

Historical and Literary Context

One of the keys to gaining a clear understanding of a text is to study its context. Historically, the book of Deuteronomy describes the events that took place at the end of the Mosaic period, just before Israel enters into Canaan. This was a critical time for Israel because their future goal was dependent on their obedience and commitment to God.

Literarily Deuteronomy 7 and the command to “utterly destroy” come after a call to love the Lord God, found in Deuteronomy 6, and just before a warning to not forget the Lord, found on chapter eight.

Interpreting The Text

As we read this text we notice “a very strict caution against all friendship and fellowship with idols and idolaters.” (Henry) Because those who are taken into communion with God must have “no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness,” (Eph. 5:11) and God gave these orders to protect His people from this snare now before them. (Henry)

The Interpreter’s Bible states that Deuteronomy 7:2 describes the principle that everything belonging to foreign gods, including people and their possessions, was abhorrent to Yahweh and was therefore “devoted” to destruction. This interpretation may be okay, but the explanation that follows it is dangerous. The Interpreter’s Bible states that “if we are revolted by a command to exterminate the people of the land just because they worshiped other gods, our repugnance may be mitigated by the fact that it was never rigorously carried out.” (Buttrick 378,379)

In an attempt to mitigate our reaction to God’s command, the George A. Buttrick, highlights how the Canaanites lived side by side with the Israelites until the Exile and beyond. Such an approach to Scriptures encourages the reader to disobey God whenever she thinks He is being too harsh, in which case the reader no longer following God. The reader now becomes a judge of which parts of God’s massage are applicable to her.

You can’t highlight Israel’s high moral code while doing away with the “grosser features” (Buttrick 378–379) of God’s command to “utterly destroy” without giving any reasons for this position other then referring to it as “extreme” and “almost unbelievably harsh” (ibid) will of God.

The command is treated as a hyperbole meant to illustrate a high moral calling but never meant to be literally followed. We need to resist focusing on the New Testament and skipping to applications without putting forth a serious effort to understand the text in its historical and literary context.

It is true that to the modern reader the demands found on Deuteronomy 7:2 seem to contrast strangely with the preceding affirmations concerning the loving aspects of God and of obedience, and that the book of Deuteronomy presents the reader with a number of apparent strange anomalies and paradoxes. It is easy to call these teachings contradictory and move on, but a deeper study of the text goes a long way in doing away with many of these supposed “anomalies and paradoxes.” (New Interpreter’s Bible)

In order to properly understand verse two it is important to pay attention to its context. In Deuteronomy 7:1, seven nations are named and “they are specified, that Israel might know the bounds and limits of their commission: hitherto their severity must come, but no further.” Therefore, Israel is not here authorized to treat every nation in this way. (Matthew Henry)

“The confining of this commission to the nations here mentioned plainly intimates that after-ages were not to draw this into a precedent” therefore, to use this text to justify similar behavior in the future under different circumstances is to misuse the Scriptures. (ibid)

The text is clear, Israel was not to take in anyone who belonged to any of the seven nations named by God. The members of those nations could not be tenants, tributaries, or servants. No covenant of any kind was to be made with them, and as we mentioned earlier no mercy may be shown them. This severity was appointed by God. The iniquity of the Amorites was now full.

There are some who want to rationalize that God chose such extreme methods because God prescribed it to a dispensation under which large numbers of beasts were killed and burned in sacrifice. The argument is that now that all sacrifices of atonement “are perfected in, and superseded by, the great propitiation made by the blood of Christ, human blood has become perhaps more precious than it was, and those that have most power yet must not be prodigal of it.” (ibid)

Are we to believe that human blood became more precious to God after Jesus’ death? Such dispensationalist position raises serious questions concerning God’s love towards sinners, and about our value before God. Henry’s suggestion that God loved people less before Jesus’ death on the cross is unbiblical. Are we to accept the idea that God is evolving and becoming more loving over time? Does the plan of salvation evolve throughout history making it easier and easier for people to be saved?

God’s command to “destroy them totally, that is, men, women, and children,” (Walvoord) has often been thought of as unethical for a loving God. However we need to keep several points in mind concerning these people.

The first point is that they deserved to die for their sin (Deut. 9:4–5). According to The Bible Knowledge Commentary, studies of the religion, literature, and archeological remains of those peoples reveal that they were the “most morally depraved culture on the earth at that time.” (Bible Knowledge Commentary) These peoples would even sacrifice children to their gods (Deut. 12:30–31).

Secondly, we must keep in mind that they persisted in their hatred of God (Deut. 7:10). If they had repented, God would have spared them as He spared the Ninevites who repented at the preaching of Jonah.(Johan 4:2) Nevertheless, it appears that these nations were not interested in repenting and changing their ways.

A third point to keep in mind is that the Canaanites constituted a moral cancer (Deut. 20:17–18; Num. 33:55; Josh. 23:12–13) When reading these texts we need to remember is that one day Jesus Christ will return and there will be a final judgment, and a condemnation of unrepentant sinners. This is a factor that many Christians forget. The wrath of God and the final condemnation of unrepentant sinners is a topic many avoid.

The key idea here is that there is no dichotomy between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. The God of the Bible is the same God in both testaments, revealing Himself to us as a loving and righteous God.

“The command to engage in holy war is, of course, not applicable today since at the present time God is not working through one nation to set up His kingdom on the earth.” Nevertheless, we can learn from this text how ruthless we should be with sin in our own lives, not willing to make any treaties with it. (Bible Knowledge Commentary)

According to A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments the relentless doom of extermination which God denounced against those tribes of Canaan in Deuteronomy 7:2 “cannot be reconciled with the attributes of the divine character, except on the assumption that their gross idolatry and enormous wickedness left no reasonable hope of their repentance and amendment.” (Jamieson)

After all, God also swept away the antediluvians (Genesis 6–9) and also utterly destroyed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16–19:29). Unrepentant sinners who filled up the measure of their iniquities have faced God’s wrath in multiple occasions.

As we see how God works throughout the Bible, we know that those living in the land at that time must have been hopelessly unrepentant idolaters and this command must have been a form of immediate divine judgment upon those who had sinned away their day of grace.

God gave the inhabitants of the land about 400 years to change their ways (Genesis 15:16; Exodus 12:40). Abraham had lived there and set up altars and was well known. (Genesis 13,14) When the Israelites finally come into the promise land, the people were aware of who they were and of the God they worshiped (Joshua 2:9–14).

Those nations were not being destroyed just because they were not Israelites, because if Israel was to behave in a similar way they would suffer a similar judgment (Leviticus 18:24–30 24). The judgment was based on the actions and wickedness of the inhabitants, not on their ethnicity or ignorance.

Those who do not understand the judgment of God do not understand the awfulness of sin. Moreover, those who do not understand the sinfulness and awfulness of sin are the ones who argue that God was wicked to destroy these nations. If we understood the sinfulness of these pagan religions and the way these nations had resisted God, we would feel differently about God’s command. We need to read these texts keeping in mind the whole Bible and what it says about God as a context. If God sent Jonah, despite Jonah’s resistance, to warn Nineveh and eventually spared them.(Jonah 1–4) If God was willing to spare Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous people living there, and sent angels to deliver Lot and his family, even though they were not that willing to be saved (Genesis 18:16–19:29). If God sent His Son to die that we might live (John 3:16). Then, in the context of who God is, as revealed throughout the Bible, these people must have indeed been terrible sinners who sinned away their day of grace.

In our modern day we get upset when we witness injustices, and many shake their fists to the heavens asking why God does not do something about all the evil in the world. Yet on the times that God judges and destroys we then shake our firsts at heaven asking how He could do such a thing. If we want to have the freedom to make our own choices, that means some people will misuse that freedom. For God to make everyone nice people would mean limiting their freedom and thus make God a tyrant. Therefore, people have the freedom to chose their path, and also enjoy the consequences that company different choices.

God calls for love and commitment from those who want to follow Him. This is nothing beyond what married couples expect form their spouse. Except God knows the consequences that follow rebelion against His rules, He wants to protect us by inviting us to set ertain things aside. Deuteronomy 2 gives us an example of “spirituality that sets aside what is incompatible with God’s lordship, even to its apparent strategic disadvantage.” (Work) But it is not the only passage in the Bible that calls for us to set aside sin. Consider the following texts:

Matthew 7:16–21–16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Ephesians 5:11 — And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Covenanting, showing mercy, and or marrying members of those peoples, would destroy Israel quickly. Israel was a chosen people and through them the whole word would be blessed. A little bit of sin is all it takes, the enemy wants just a foothold in our lives, and from there he can work our destruction.

Application

God gave those seven nations plenty of time to repent, from the time of Abraham to the time of Joshua. Rehab, a prostitute from Jericho was saved, because she believed (Joshua 6:17). Sadly however the majority preferred to stay and fight against God and His people. The same way Rahab was saved, I am sure anyone else who wanted to join Israel could have done so. I don’t have time to cover it in this post but look into the stories of Tamar (Genesis 38:1–30), Rahab (Joshua 2:1–21), Ruth (Ruth 4:12–22; Hebrews 11:31), and Bathsheba (2Samuel 11:1–27). At least three of these women were not Isralites, and they are all mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:3–6), showing God’s willingness to use both men and women, Jews and Gentiles.

The obedience and purity of Israel were important because the whole world would be blessed through them, we, the modern day children of God, are no different. Not that we are called to wage war against non-believers, but rather in the sense that when we sin, we too deprive others form blessings.

We know things are just getting worse. We know that Jesus is coming back soon. We know God’s grace will not be extended forever. There is a parable of Jesus recorded in Matthew 25 about 10 virgins. All ten knew the bridegroom was coming.Five were wise and prepared, five were foolish and were caught unprepared. The problem with the five foolish virgins is not that they were ignorant, but rather that they failed to prepare properly. The parable tells us that at a certain point the door was shut, and even though the foolish virgins wanted to come in to the wedding banquet, they could not because the door had been shut.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Matthew 25:10

Revelation confirms the teaching of this parable. In Revelation 22 we are told that there comes a time when people will continue on the path they have chosen and no one will change from that point on. The saved will remain saved, and the lost will remain lost.

He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous[a] still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11

The idea of judgment is present throughout the Bible. Jesus himself describes it Matthew 25 comparing he process to a shepherd separating sheep form goats. In the end there are only two groups of people.

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:32

The book of Revelation confirms this teaching with a different illustration on chapter 20 starting with verse 11 we read about a judgment, and books are opened, and once again we have two groups.

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

This may seem harsh, or extreme, but it is necessary. Because there is one more scene described in Revelation that I would like to call to your attention.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

The former things need to pass away. For there to be no more death nor sorrow nor crying, the cause of death and sorrow and crying must be destroyed. Those who do not love God and have no interest in living in harmony with Him are allowed to die. If you want to live forever with God, today is the day to make that decision.

Today the door of mercy is still open.

Jesus died to save you, but you have to want to be saved. Jesus will not throw you into heaven by force.

If there is something separating you from Christ today, something keeping you from committing yourself fully to Him, make a decision right now not to allow it to stand between you and Christ anymore.

I make an appeal for you to make a serious decision for Christ, for you to make a commitment. To choose Jesus whenever the option comes up.

When you have to chose between Jesus and your boss, choose Jesus.

Between Jesus and your boyfriend or girlfriend, choose Jesus.

Between Jesus and partying, drinking, sexual immorality, infidelity to your spouse, lying and cheating, being an abusive person, choose Jesus.

You cannot afford to wait, to postpone it.

Those who repeatedly reject Jesus,

Those who come to church and learn but refuse to follow

Those who come to quiet their conscience but don’t live according to the light they have received.

Those who know, but for different reasons chose not to follow and choose to rebel, will be utterly destroyed.

There is no reason for anyone to be destroyed. There is no reason for anyone to be lost. Jesus died that we might live.

I ask that you stop rejecting Jesus, and make a real commitment.

Right now I invite you to close your eyes, and pray inviting Jesus into your heart and renewing your commitment to Him.

I just ask that you stop postponing. That you stop playing games. This is the most important decision you will ever make in your life, this is life. Do not reject life. There is no reason to. Humble yourself and receive God’s salvation and allow Him to bring the changes that He wants to bring about in your heart.

Deuteronomy 7:1–5 has a message of judgment, which is not new, for we have the account of the flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah among others in the Old Testament, and we also have mention of judgment at the end of times on both the Old and New Testaments.

Exodus 34:6–7 tells us that though we have a “compassionate and gracious God,” He “does not leave the guilty unpunished.”

The God of Deuteronomy 7:1–2 is not a different God, but the same one, this text only presents us with a facet of God many wish to ignore.

Summary and Conclusion

In conclusion, even though Deuteronomy 7:2 may strike many 21st Century Christians as an extremely harsh and unloving command given by God, a closer look at the text allows us to see the same God who is described in the New Testament. Deuteronomy 7:2 is often misinterpreted.

Though it is a harsh judgment from God, it is not the only one of its kind, for we also have the account of the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the final Judgment at the end of times. Our God is a loving God, but He is also a just God who will not allow iniquity to go on forever unpunished. Also when we look at the context and the use of “utterly destroy” we realize that Israel was not allowed to treat everyone in this manner.

These were specific measures given by God for a specific situation, this was judgment, and it was restricted to seven nations and a specific geographical location. Just because those peoples were facing judgment at that point it does not mean that they did not have opportunities to repent beforehand.   Overall, Deuteronomy 7:2 provides the reader with another facet of God’s character; the same loving, just, and unchanging God that we have in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

Sources:

Abingdon Press. The New Interpreter’s Bible : General Articles & Introduction, Commentary, & Reflections for Each Book of the Bible, Including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994.

Biddle, Mark E. Deuteronomy Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Macon, Ga.: Smyth & Helwys Pub., 2003.

Botterweck, G. Johannes, and Helmer Ringgren. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1974.

Buttrick, George Arthur. The Interpreter’s Bible: The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard Versions with General Articles and Introduction, Exegesis, Exposition for Each Book of the Bible. New York,: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951.

Craigie, Peter C. The Book of Deuteronomy The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976.

Gaebelein, Frank Ely, J. D. Douglas, and Dick Polcyn. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary : With the New International Version of the Holy Bible. 12 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1976.

Honeycutt, Roy Lee. Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy Layman’s Bible Book Commentary V. 3. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1979.

Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids, Mich.,: Zondervan pub. house, 1934.

Kelley, Page H. Biblical Hebrew : An Introductory Grammar. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992.

Mayes, A. D. H. Deuteronomy : Based on the Revised Standard Version New Century Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich. London: Eerdmans ; Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1981.

Merrill, Eugene H. Deuteronomy The New American Commentary V. 4. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 1994.

Rauschenbusch, Walter. Dare We Be Christians? The William Bradford Collection from the Pilgrim Press. Cleveland, Ohio: Pilgrim Press, 1993.

Waltke, Bruce K., and Michael Patrick O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1990.

Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. 2 vols. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1983.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1993.

Work, Telford. Deuteronomy Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2009.

Zondervan Bible, Publishers. Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

[pastorg7]

Jesus Christ- Our First Responder

G sermon time I want you to imagine yourself at a dinner party. You've just finished the main course and are quaffing down the last few drops of that delicious Rioja you apportioned to yourself early on. You are full to brimming, but still looking forward to that chocolate desert you spotted in the fridge. You feel happy, bathed in the bonhomie of good company and the gentle hum of conversation. Suddenly you start to feel lightheaded, there's a tightness in your chest, you struggle to breathe, you try to get up but your legs just buckle from beneath you.

You wake up. You are conscious at least, but you can't speak or even move. it's probably a stroke; and the concerned voices you hear assure you that help is coming. You listen to the conversation-

Someone ask's "What should we do?" Suggestions abound "Maybe we should give mouth to mouth". "I'll get some paracetamol"; "Let's check the symptoms on the internet" As you lay dying on the floor, unable to speak or even move that voice inside your head is screaming "CALL THE F***ING AMBULANCE" More redundant suggestions fall like acid, corroding the last vestiges of hope, as the darkness begins to swirl more quickly around you and their voices fade into an all encompassing web of shadows which seems to swallow up everything, even hope.

O.K Pastor G where are you going with this. Why didn't they call the ambulance? Maybe they don't believe in ambulances???? Perhaps they question the existence of phones?????? Ah now Pastor G that's just stupid. So easy to prove that both exist, is it not?

I agree; and I would like to extend the same logic to God ( don't worry i will get back to the story in a moment). I have spoken many times about proofs for God's existence and won't be rehashing them here. If you see a book, you assume an author. Why? Because those characters that comprise language are intelligible to you and every book has an author. What about you? What's the most complex language in the universe? The language of DNA that is written in every cell of your body . It's so complicated that we only acquired the ability to discern it a few decades ago (hat tip to Watson and Crick). The arrangement of your DNA into YOU was deliberate and EVIDENCE of a designer.. If you cannot accept that then logically you would have to accept that simpler things such as jumbo jets could result from a hurricane in a scrap yard. One of the greatest arguments for God's existence is the Fine tuning /cosmological constant argument- we're talking about fine tuning of a unimaginable magnitude -10 to the 120 DECIMAL PLACES.( I've included a short video explaining this).

Ambulances exist, Telephones exist + GOD EXISTS.

i have written extensively on why I believe in The God of the Bible. You are welcome to peruse my posts on this point.

So God exists and Jesus Christ is his only begotten Son. What has that got to do with telephones and ambulances???

When Jesus went about His ministry on this earth, He did some incredible things; he healed the sick He gave sight to the blind He walked on water HE RAISED THE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And yet what did His disciples ask Him to teach them? "LORD,TEACH US TO PRAY" Matthew 6:5, Luke 11: 1-4. God, Our Creator, Our Heavenly Father is on the Line and it's a collect call. All we have to do is pick up that phone and dial the right number. Jesus Himself made the promise

" And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” "IF you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7 We all face troubles and often "they come not single spies, but in battalions". Bereavement, marriage breakdown, redundancy......... You can try to face them alone. But why not MAKE THAT CALL; REACH OUT FOR THE FIRST RESPONDER. THE AMBULANCE WILL COME...........

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The Cosmological Constant - absolute proof that God created the universe for a purpose - YouTubeIn cosmology, the cosmological constant (usually denoted by the Greek capital letter lambda: Λ) is the value of the energy density of the vacuum of space. It...www.youtube.com

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Gerry Johnson

6 days ago

Luke 15 : 7 "In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!

Some of the most amazing Christian stories are the ones where God reached down and caused a 180 degree change in that person. Two of my favourite saints are exemplars of that phenomenon ; namely St. Paul and St Dismas. You're all familiar with Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus- Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light saying "Saul why are you persecuting me?". Saint Paul became the greatest evangelist in history and died a martyr's death. Saint Dismas anyone???? He was the good thief crucified beside Jesus. He accepted his wrongdoing and asked Jesus to forgive him. With the last ounce of strength as wave after wave of pain engulfed His Dying body, The Saviour fixed him with a look of pure love assuring him that "Today, you will be with me in Paradise"

I could add myself to that list, but I am not yet a saint!!!! Anyone who has known me for the last half century may testify to the Magnitude of my conversion.

There is someone whom I believe has entered the Pantheon of Saints, in February 2017- Norma Mc Corvey. I sense blank looks in the audience. Jane Roe ring any bells. Yip, the Jane Doe in the infamous Roe VS Wade stain on American jurisprudence

Just think of that; You didn't even know her real name. She was used by a far left lawyer to push for Abortion, given that her home state (Texas) banned the murderous procedure. She was an unwitting pawn in a game that didn't give a whit about her.

Fact number 2 that I bet you didn't know about Norma- SHE NEVER HAD AN ABORTION. In fact the child she wanted to abort was given up for adoption and has her own beautiful family.

Norma McCorvey had it tough. The following is an excerpt from an article I've linked to -

"She was the ninth child of poor rural parents who could not afford her and soon divorced. She was raped repeatedly by her mother’s cousin as a child, and by her own account she would deliberately get caught stealing from local stores so that she would be sent to reform school, which she preferred to her family home. “I beat the fuck out of her,” her mother Mary told Vanity Fair in 2013.

McCorvey was married at 16 to a man who left her when she became pregnant, and when the child was born her mother tricked her into relinquishing custody, claiming that the forms she signed were for “insurance.” She became homeless, and struggled with alcohol, drugs, and suicidal depression. "

She became a pro-choice advocate (working for the next 20 years at a Planned Parenthood death camp). She decided to identify as lesbian and lived with her female partner for 35 years.

Remember Paul- who was busy persecuting and killing the early Christians; and yet was chosen by Christ to bring the Word of God to the Gentiles.

Jesus entered Norma's life in 1995, through the great Pastor Benham. She broke through the sinful "chrysalis" that was keeping her in a slug like state of (dis)grace and became a spiritual "butterfly" who soared toward The Father.

Real Christianity runs on the twin tracks of transformation and love. It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society

“Finding yourself" is not really how it works. You aren't a ten-dollar bill in last winter's coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people's opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. "Finding yourself" is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.” ― Emily McDowell

https://newrepublic.com/article/140793/culture-wars-norma-mccorvey

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The Conversion of Norma McCorvey - YouTubeThe Diocese of Fresno Family Life Ministry and KNXT TV are featuring a Randall Terry documentary film on the life story of Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Ro...www.youtube.com

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

26th April >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Monday, Fourth Week of Eastertide

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18

God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.

The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.

   ‘Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.”

   ‘I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’

   This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 41(42):2-3,42:3-4

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

Like the deer that yearns    for running streams, so my soul is yearning    for you, my God.

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

My soul is thirsting for God,    the God of my life; when can I enter and see    the face of God?

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

O send forth your light and your truth;    let these be my guide. Let them bring me to your holy mountain,    to the place where you dwell.

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

And I will come to the altar of God,    the God of my joy. My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,    O God, my God.

R/ My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. or R/ Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

John 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my own sheep and my own know me. Alleluia!

Gospel

John 10:1-10

I am the gate of the sheepfold.

Jesus said:    ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

   Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.    So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.