Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as the Lord Jesus Christ allotted it. It was said that he would: When he ascended to the height, He captured prisoners, he gave gifts to men. When it says, 'He ascended,' 'What can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service building up the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the son of God, until we become the perfect man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ Jesus himself.

Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and they cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:7-16 - 

Hence, by sustaining and through faith, hope, and love in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, by God grace; the Lord Jesus can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. "Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works." - Hebrews 10:23-24 -

"Does it follow that we should remain in sin so as to let grace have greater scope? Of course not. We are dead to sin, so how can we continue to live in it? You have been taught that when we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life." Amen!

If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from slavery of sin. When a man/woman dies, of course, he/she has finished with sin.

But by the living God promise and assurance, we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: The Lord Jesus Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him anymore. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is with the living God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

That is why you must not let sin reign in your mortal bodies or command your obedience to bodily passions, why you must not let any part of your body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin; you should, instead, offer yourselves to God, and consider yourselves dead men brought back to life; you should make every part of your body into a weapon fighting on the side of God; and sin will no longer dominate your life, since you are living by grace and not by law." - Romans 6:1-14 -

The great PLAGUES OF EGYPT before the EXODUS - Exodus Chapter 7 to 11 - Old Testament -

As smoke disperse, they disperse; as wax melts when near the fire, so the wicked perish when God approaches. But at God's approach, the virtuous rejoice, exulting and singing for joy. Sing to Yahweh, play music to his name, build a road for the Rider of the Clouds, rejoice in Yahweh, exult at his coming! - Psalms 68:2-4 - 

Archaeologists have discovered rock carvings that show Baal holding a club in his right hand and a lightning flash with a spearhead in his left. These symbols identify him as the god of rain and storm and as the rider of the clouds, a term showing his power over the heavens. - Gives this title to the God of Israel - a declaration that the Lord God, and 'Not the false god Baal,' is ruler over the heavens. - Psalms 68:2-4 - The great PLAGUES OF EGYPT before the EXODUS - Exodus 7:14, 12:30 - struck at the heart of Egypt's religion. Their fertile land was struck with plagues; their sacred river was turned to blood; their glorious sun was darkened; and even the son of the "divine" Pharaoh was killed. The wonders that God brought against Egypt clearly demonstrated that their gods were lifeless statue, powerless and it is just a stone, before the true and living God of Israel. And all that the Egyptians been worshiping are lifeless statue.

In time an elaborate system of beliefs in such natural forces was developed into mythology. Each civilisation and culture had its own mythological structure, but these structures were often quite similar. The names of the gods may have been different, but their functions and actions were often the same. The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many heathen, idolatrous and pagan cultures believed that the god of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn each year in the spring. The details differed among cultures, but the main idea was the same.

According to the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible - The Old Testament, - the many pagan gods that served as a temptation to the Hebrew people may be conveniently grouped into four distinct types: the 'false gods' of (1) Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylon) (2) Egypt (3) Canaan (4) Greece and Rome.

The scriptural/biblical references to pagan gods begin with the statement that Terah, Abraham and Nahor, when they dwelt on the other side of the River (that is in Mesopotamia), "served other gods". - Joshua 24:2 - Ancient Mesopotamia covered the region that is roughly equivalent geographically to present day Iraq and Iran. The prominent gods in Mesopotamia were those over heaven, air and earth, personified by Anu, Enil and Enki (Ea). Another group was made up of those that controlled the heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon and the planet Venus (the "morning star")

In fact, Ur, the city from which Abraham came, was the center for worship of the moon god - Sin - As Mesopotamian religion developed, each god had his own star, and the worship of the stars became popular with the development of 'Astrology'. Many of the astrological texts and charts of the ancient Babylonians read like modern horoscopes.

The worship of the sun, moon and the stars eventually spread across the entire ancient world. The Egyptians, Canaanites and Phoenicians all incorporated features of this form of worship. Place names in pre-Israelite Canaan reflect the practice. Beth Shemesh - Joshua 15:10 - means house of the sun [god]. Jericho - Numbers 22:1 - probably means moon city. Joshua's miracle of the sun and the moon standing still takes on greater significance in light of this fact. It was a demonstration of the sovereign power of the Lord God of Israel over the pagan gods identified as the sun and the moon, worshiped in pagan cities. - Joshua 10:12-13 - 

Another god of ancient Mesopotamia was Adad, who represented the storm - either the beneficial rains for the crops or the destructive storms with hurricanes. Identical with Adad or Hadad, was Rimmon or Ramman, the Assyrian god of rain and storm, thunder and lightning. The two names, Hadad and Rimmon, were combined in one name, Hadad Rimmon, in the Old Testament reference. - Zechariah 12:11 - In the Old Testament Rimmon was an Aramean (Syrian) god who had a temple at Damascus. Naanman and his royal master worshiped this pagan god. - 2 Kings 5:18 -

The ancient Babylonian and Assyrian goddess Ishtar symbolized Mother Earth in the natural cycles of fertility on earth. Many myths grew up around this female deity. She was the goddess of love, so the practice of ritual prostitution became widespread in the fertility cult dedicated to her name. Temples to Ishtar had many priestesses or sacred prostitutes, who symbolically acted out the fertility rites of the cycle of nature. Ishtar has been identified with the Phoenician Astarte, the Semitic Ashtoreth and the Sumerian Inanna. Strong similarities also exist between Ishtar and the Egyptian Isis, the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus.

Associated with Ishtar was the young god Tammuz, considered both divine and mortal. - Ezekiel 8:14 - In the Babylonian mythology Tammuz died annually and was reborn year after year, representing the yearly cycle of the seasons and the crops. This pagan belief later was identified with the pagan gods Baal and Anat in Canaan.

Another kind of god in both Babylonia and Assyria was a national god connected with politics. In Assyria it was Ashur and in Babylonia it was Marduk, who became prominent at the time of Hammurabih (about 1800B.C) The ancient ideas about the ordering and governing of the universe were taken over by these two gods. Marduk, for example, achieved his prominence by victory over Tiamat, goddess of the sea. This cosmic conflict, described also in ancient Sumerian, Indian and Canaanite myths, was believed to have established order. Marduk established order by destroying the goddess Tiamat.

In contrast, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible makes it clear that the forces of nature are not pagan gods that war with one another annually to bring about an established order of the universe. They are part of God's creation. - Genesis chapter 1 -

The Babylonian god Bel is the same as Marduk, the chief Babylonian god. - Isaiah 46:1; Jeremiah 50:2, 51:44 - The Babylonian god Merodach an alternate spelling of Marduk, was the god of war and the patron deity of the city of Babylon.

Nebo was the Babylonian god of education, literature, writing, wisdom, the arts and sciences. Nisroch was an Assyrian god with a temple in Nineveh. The idol representing this pagan god had a human form with an eagle head. Sakkuth and Kaiwan was a name given by the Babylonian to the planet Saturn.

When Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, deported the inhabitants of Samaria to farflung regions of his empire, he also imported into Samaria settlers from afar to colonize this area of Palestine. These people brought their religion and their pagan gods with them. Among these gods were: Adrammelech, an idol of the Sepharvites worshiped by chid sacrifice; Anammelech, another god revered by Sepharvites; Ashima, an idol worshiped by the people of Hamath; Nergal, the war god of the men of Cuth; Nibhaz, an idol of the Avites; and Tartak, an idol also worshiped by the Avites. - 2 Kings 17:30-31 -

The pagan gods of Egypt were a constant threat to the Israelites, both during their years in bondage and afterwards. Their deliverance from Egypt was described by the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible as a great spiritual victory, with the sovereign Lord of Israel defeating the gods of the Egyptian. - Exodus 18:11; 2 Samuel 7:23 -

Egyptian religion reflected the same pagan ideas that were popular in the ancient world, but with different figures. Horus was the god of Egypt's western delta; he was a human figure with a falcon's head. Hathor, the corresponding goddess, had a cow's body and a woman's head. The god Set had a man's body and an animal's head. Anubis had a man's body and the head of an ibis.

Besides gods that were composite with animal forms and human forms, some Egyptian gods were portrayed as completely human. The are many, many more. The Egyptians also worshiped the sun, moon, and the stars. The Egyptians had many other pagan gods and the worship of all the gods involved magic and superstition.

The pagan gods of Canaan. The pagan peoples who inhabited the land of Canaan before the Israelites arrived also worshiped many gods and goddess. The Canaanite literature discovered at RASHHAMRA (on the site of the ancient city of Ugarit) on the Syrian coast provides abundant information about several gods mentioned in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

The Canaanite god most often referred to is Baal, which means "lord" or "master". The word can be used as a title for any person who owned something, or any god considered to be lord or master. But the word Baal soon became identified with various regional gods that were thought to provide fertility for crops and livestock. As a god who symbolized the productive forces of nature, Baal was worshiped with much sensuality - Numbers 22:41; Judges 2:13; 1 Kings 16:31-32 -

Baal appeared in many forms and under many different names. Baal-berith, is a name under which Baal was worshiped in the time of the judges at Shechem, where he had a temple. Baal-zebub was the god of Ekron-the name under which Baal was worshiped at the Philistine city of Ekron. This god was worshiped as the producer of flies that was able to defend against this pest. In the New Testament, reference is made to Beelzebub, a heathen god considered the chief evil spirit by the Jewish people, The Pharisees called him the ruler of the demons, and the Lord Jesus Christ identified him with Satan. - Matthew 10:25; 12:27; Luke 11:18-19; Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15 -

What and Who is Beelzebub/Beelzebul in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. In post-biblical Judaism and in Christianity, however, Satan became known as the "prince of devils" and assumed various names: Beelzebub in Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 11:14-23, often cited as Beelzebul and Lucifer (the fallen angel of Light) an Angel, more specifically a 'Seraphim' or 'Cherubim' (a type of celestial or heavenly being), who was once under the Archangel Gabriel and revered as a Philistine Deity named "Baal Zebul". Either way, Beelzebub/Beelzebul fell and joined with Lucifer to become high-ranking Demon in Hell. In another word, the prince of devils and in the Old Testament, in the form Baalzebub, it is the name given to the god of the Philistine city of Ekron - 2 Kings 1:1-18 -

"After the death of Ahab Moab rebelled against Israel. Ahaziah had fallen from the balcony of his upper room in Samaria, and was lying ill; so he sent messengers. saying to them, 'Go and consult Baalzebub the god of Ekron and ask whether I shall recover from my illness'. But the angel of the Lord/Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Up! Go and intercept the messengers of the king of Samaria. Say to them, "Is there no God in Israel, for you to go and consult Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Yahweh says this: The bed you have got into you will not get out of; you are certainly going to die." And Elijah set out.

The messengers returned to the king, who said, 'Why have you come back?' 'A man came to meet us' they answered 'and said, "Go back to the king who sent you and tell him: Yahweh says this: Is there no God in Israel for you to go and consult Baalzebub the god of Ekron? For this, the bed you have got into you will not get out of; you are certainly going to die." He said, "This man who met you and said all this, what was he like?' 'A man wearing a hair cloak' they answered 'and a leather loincloth,' 'It was Elijah the Tishbite he said.

Ahaziah, the king, then sent a captain of fifty soldiers with his contingent to Elijah, whom they found sitting on top of the hill; the captain went up to him and said, 'Man of God, the king says, "Come down"'. Elijah answered the captain, 'If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy both you and your fifty men'. And fire came down from heaven and destroyed him and his fifty men. The king Ahaziah sent a second captain of fifty to him, again with fifty men, and he too went up and said, 'Man of God, this is the king's order: "Come down at once"'. Elijah answered them, 'If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men'. And fire came down from heaven and destroy both you and your fifty men. Then the king sent a third captain of fifty to him, with another fifty men. The third captain of fifty came up to Elijah, fell on his knees before him and pleaded with him. 'Man of God,' he said 'let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours have some value in your eyes. Fire has fallen from heaven and destroyed two captains of fifties, but let my life have some value now in your eyes.' The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, 'Go down with him; do not be afraid of him'. He rose and accompany him down to the king, and said to him, 'Yahweh said this, "Since you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub the god of Ekron, the bed you have got into you will not get out of; you are certainly going to die"'.

And, in accordance with the word of Yahweh that Elijah had uttered, he died. Since he had no son, his brother Jehoram succeeded him, in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The rest of the history of Ahaziah, and his career, is not all this recorded in the Book of Annals of the King of Israel? - 2 Kings 1:1-18 -   

-  Jesus and Beelzebul / Beelzebub  - Then they brought to Jesus Christ a blind and dumb demoniac; and Jesus cured him, so that the dumb man could speak and see. All the people was astounded and said, 'Can this be the Son of David?' But when the Pharisee heard this they said, 'The man casts out devils only through Beelzebul, the prince of devils'.

Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin; and no town, no household divided against itself can stand. Now if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; so how can his kingdom stand? And if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges, then. But if it is through the Spirit of God that I cast devils out, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you.

Or again, how can anyone make his way into a strong man's house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first? Only then can he burgle his house.

He/She who is not with me is against me, and he/she does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every one of men's sins and blasphemies will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And anyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but let anyone speak against the Holy Spirit and he/she will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next. - Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 11:14-22 -

Baal and related deities are also portrayed as a mating bull, symbolizing fertility. It is no surprise that while Moses was on Mount Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments from the Lord, the disobedient Israelites fashioned a golden calf to worship. Jeroboam 1, king of Israel, acted in accordance with this pagan idea by making two calves of gold, setting up one at Bethel and the other at Dan. - Exodus 32; 1 Kings 12:26-30 -

During the history of the Israelites, a rivalry developed between Baalism and the true worship of the Lord. - Jeremiah 23:27 - Perhaps the best example of this rivalry was the conflict between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel - 1 Kings chapter 18 - Elijah's challenge to them to bring down fire from heaven was appropriate, because the Canaanites believed that Baal could shoot lightning flashes from the sky. Elijah's mocking of Baal struck at the heart of the claims; he knew that Baal was powerless, that the prophets of Baal had misled the people, and that only the Lord God of Israel was alive and able to answer. In the struggle to the death between true religion and false religion, Elijah knew that Baalism and its prophets had to be destroyed.

Elijah and Obadiah - 1 Kings 18:1-15 - Elijah and Ahab - 1 Kings 18:16-19 - The sacrifice an Carmel - 1 Kings 18:20-40 - The drought ends - 1 Kings 18:41-46 - A long time went by, and the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, 'Go, present yourself to Ahab; I am about to send down rain on the land'. So Elijah set off to present himself to Ahab. As the famine was particularly severe in Samaria, Ahab summoned Obadiah, the master of the palace - Obadiah held Yahweh in great reverence: when Jezebel was butchering the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took a hundred of them and hid them, fifty at a time, in a cave, and kept them provided with food and water - and Ahab said to Obadiah, 'Come along,.... Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself. While Obadiah was on his way, whom should he meet but Elijah; recognising him he fell on his face and said, 'So it is you, my lord Elijah!' 'Yes,' Elijah replied 'go and tell your master, "Elijah is here".' ...Has no one told my lord what I did when Jezebel butchered the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid a hundred of them in a cave, fifty at a time, and kept them provided with food and water? And now you say to me, "Go and tell your master: Elijah is here". Why, he will kill me!' Elijah replied, 'As Yahweh Sabaoth lives, whom I serve, I shall present myself before him today!'

Obadiah went to find Ahab and tell him the news, and Ahab then went to find Elijah.... Ahab called all Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah stepped out in front of all the people. 'How long' he said 'do you mean to hobble first on one leg then on the other? If Yahweh is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.' But the people never said a word. Elijah then said to them, 'I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh, while the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty... You must call on the name of your god, and I shall call on the name of mine; the god who answers with fire, is God indeed. the people all answered, 'Agreed!' ... and from morning to midday they called on the name of Baal... Midday came, and Elijah mocked them. 'Call louder,' he said 'for he is a god: he is preoccupied or he is busy, or he has gone on a journey; perhaps he is asleep and will wake up.'... Midday past and they ranted on until the time the offering is presented; but there was no voice, no answer, no attention given to them.

Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come closer to me', and all the people came closer to him. He repaired the altar of Yahweh which had been broken down. Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh had come, 'Israel shall be your name', and built an altar in the name of Yahweh. Round the altar he dug a trench of a size to hold two measures of seed. He then arranged the wood, dismembered the bull, and laid it on the wood. Then he said, 'Fill four jars with water and pour it on the holocaust and on the wood'; this they did. Elijah said, 'Do it a second time'; they did it a second time. He said, 'Do it a third time'; they did it a third time. The water flowed round the altar and the trench itself was full of water. At the time when the offering is presented, Elijah the prophet stepped forward. 'Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel/Jacob,' he said 'let them know today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, that I have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Yahweh, answer me, so that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God and are winning back their hearts.'

Then the fire of Yahweh fell and consumed the holocaust and wood and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this they fell on their faces. 'Yahweh is God.' they cried 'Yahweh is God.' Elijah said, 'Seize the prophets of Baal: do not let one of them escape.' They seized them, and Elijah took them down to the wadi Kishon and he slaughtered them there.

Elijah said to Ahab, Go back, eat and drink; for I hear the sound of rain'. While Ahab went back to eat and drink. Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and bowed down to the earth, putting his face between his knees.... The seventh times, the servant said, 'Now there is a cloud, small as a man's hand, rising from the sea.' Elijah said, 'Go and say to Ahab, "Harness the chariot and go down before the rain stops you"'. And with that the sky grew dark with cloud and storm, and rain fell in torrents. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel. The hand of Yahweh was on Elijah, and tucking up his cloak he ran in front of Ahab as far as the outskirts of Jezreel.   

In Canaanite mythological texts Baal is sometimes called the son of Dagon. Dagon was the chief god of the ancient Philistines, a grain and fertility god whose most famous temples were at Gaza and Ashdod. - Judges 16:23; 1 Samuel 5:2-7; 1 Chronicles 10:10 -

With the recent discovery of documents at ancient ELBA in Syria, it is clear that Dagon was a much more ancient and prominent god. These texts show that Dagon was being worshiped before Abraham entered Canaan about 2000 B.C. Dagon continued to be worshiped by the Canaanites up to the time of Christ. In the APOCRYPHA mention is made of a temple of Dagon at Azotus in 147 B.C. - 1 Maccabees 10:83-84 - Azotus was a later name for Ashdod, one of the five chief Philistine cities.

Like the myths of so many pagan religions, Canaanite stories claim that Baal came to prominence by defeating other gods. One of the Baal's enemies was sea monster known as Leviathan. - Job 3:8, 41:1; Psalms 104:26; Isaiah 27:1 - But in the Bible Leviathan is simply a powerful creature in the sea that man cannot control.

Baal's mistress or lover was Anat or Anath, the goddess of war, love and fertility. - Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-19,25 - Anat was the patroness of sex and passion; lewd figurines of this nude goddess have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Palestine.The goddess Asherah was portrayed as the wife of EI in Canaanite mythology. - 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Judges 3:7 - Asherah was a favourite deity of women. Some of the wives of David and Solomon worshiped her, as Ahab's wife, Jezebel, also probably did. King Asa suppressed the worshiped of Asherah, and King Josiah destroyed "the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven". - 1 Kings 15:13; 16:31-33; 2 Kings 23:4 -

Other pagan gods in addition to Baal and his companions were worshiped by the Canaanites.

Molech was the national deity of the Ammonites, whose worship was accompanied by the burning of children offered as a sacrifice by their own parents. - Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35 - The god Molech also appears in the Old Testament as Milcom and in the New Testament as Moloch. - 2 Kings 23:13; Zephaniah 1:5; Acts 7:43 -

Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and Ammonites. - Judges 11:24; 2 Kings 23:13 - This deity was apparently compounded with Athtar, the Venus star, and so is thought to be a pagan god associated with the heavenly bodies. Like Molech, Chemosh was worshiped by the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings. King Solomon sanctified Chemosh as a part of his tolerance of pagan gods but Josiah abolished its worship. - 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13 - Human sacrifice was made to Chemosh, according to - 2 Kings 3:27 -, which reports that Mesha, king Moab, offered his eldest son as a burnt offering on the wall of Kir Hareseth, the ancient capital of Moab.

The Pagan gods of Greece and Rome. Only a few of the ancient Greek and Roman gods are mentioned in the New Testament. Zeus was the supreme god of the ancient Greeks. According to Greek mythology, Zeus was the ruler of heaven and father of other gods and mortal heroes. - Acts 14:12-13 - Hermes was the Greek god of commerce, science, invention and cunning. He also served as messenger and herald for the other gods. - Acts 14:12 -

When the apostle Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, the people of the city declared, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" They called Barnabas (Zeus) and Paul (Hermes), because he was the chief speaker. - Acts 14:11-12 -

Diana, in Roman mythology was the goddess of the moon, hunting, wild animals and virginity. When Paul preached in Ephesus, the Ephesians were in an uproar because the gospel threatened to destroy the profit of the artisans who crafted silver shrines of Diana. - Acts 19:24,27-28,34-35 - The Twins were regarded as the special protectors of distressed sailors. The Alexandrian ship in which Paul sailed from Malta to Puteoli had a carving of the Twins as its figurehead. - Acts 28:11 -

In both the Old and New Testament the people of God were surrounded by pagan gods. The apostle Paul declared to the philosophers of Athens, Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, - Acts 17:22 -

In the city of Athens, idols of pagan gods stood on every street corner. The Athenians, perhaps fearing that they had slighted some deity, had even erected an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. - Acts 17:23 - Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it. Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. - Acts 17:23-24 -

Only the sovereign Lord God has the power to rule the world; only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to rise from the dead as conqueror, establishing once and for all our everlasting life with Him.

God's anger against the pagans. - The anger of God is being revealed from heaven against all the impiety and depravity of men who keep truth imprisoned in their wickedness. For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them since God himself has made it plain. Ever since God created the world his everlasting power and deity - however invisible - have been there for the mind to see in the things he has made. That is why such people are without excuse; they knew God and yet refused to honour him as God or to thank him; instead, they made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened.

The more they called themselves philosophers, the more stupid they grew, until they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for a worthless imitation, for the image of mortal man, of birds, of quadrupeds and reptiles. That is why God left them to their filthy enjoyments and the practices with which they dishonour their own bodies, since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshiped and served creatures instead of the creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen!

That is why God has abandoned them to degrading passions; why their women have turned from natural intercourse to unnatural practices and why their menfolk have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion for each other, men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for their perversion.

In other words, since they refused to see it was rational to acknowledge God. God has left them to their own irrational ideas and to their monstrous behaviour. And so they are steeped in all sorts of depravity, rottenness, greed and malice, and addicted to envy, murder, wrangling, treachery and spite. Libellers, slanderers, enemies of God, rude, arrogant and boastful, enterprising in sin, rebellious to parents, without brains, without honour, without love or pity. They know what God's verdict is; that those who behave like this deserve to die - and yet they do it; and what is worse, encourage others to do the same. - Romans 1:18-32 -

Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." - Matthew 28:16-20 - 

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Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -

Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  

Strength for a Christian's victory over sin has been provided through the death of Christ Jesus. In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible - Old Testament - The Hebrew people were described as God's elect, a person or group chosen by God for special favour and for the rendering of special service to Him. The gracious and free act of God by which He calls those who become part of His kingdom and special beneficiaries of His love and blessings.

However, - the New Testament - speaks of Christ Jesus as God's Chosen One and of the Universal Church of God's new chosen people. The Lord Jesus Christ is the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to Him, set yourselves close to Him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which the Lord Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, and may be the living stones making a spiritual house. As sacred scripture says: "See how I lay in Zion a precious cornerstone that I have chosen and the man who rests his trust on it will not be disappointed." - Isaiah 28:16 -

God's call of individual to SALVATION, made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We know that by turning everything to their good - God cooperates with all those who obey and love Him, with all those that He has called according to his/her purpose. God's call to salvation also involves the believer in the calling of living his and her life in the service to others.

God, alone know what is truly best for us at all times. Rely first on God [the Creator] and His holy Will. Depend on everything else only as far as God permit. Too few have the trust that God demand. Many lack the confidence which He desire of us. Heaven's perfect life is the only lasting good for us and live our earthly life according to His commandments, and He shall not fail us. May we never depend too much on human beings.

Do not put too much confident and trust in human relationships and human remedies. Things human can bring only a limited help in our daily needs. If we depend on them too much, we are doomed to bitter disappointments. Above all the persons and things that satisfy our needs each day, instead, put our reliance and trust in God. People who are for us today, may be against us tomorrow. Those who please us now, may displease us later on. The things that satisfy us at present, may dissatisfy us in the future. Do not be so foolish as to rely too much on these ambiguous creatures. People are human like us. There is a limit to their wisdom, their knowledge and understanding, and their love. Only in God alone shall we perfect Understanding, all satisfying Love, and infinite Wisdom. If we can make God the First One and the most importance in our daily life, there will be a great positive change in our outlook, our goodness and in everything around us. In other word, it means that for you and I who are believers, it is precious, but for unbelievers, the atheists, that is: heretic, freethinker, heathen, pagan and nihilist, the stone rejected by the builders has proved to be the keystone, a stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men/women down. They stumble over because they do not believe in the word of God, it was the fate in store for them.

Do not care too much about who likes us and who does not. Why waste time worrying about who is for us and who is against us? Just do our best to please God, and He will be on our side. God will stand by us as long as we hate sin and avoid it in our daily life. When God with us, what does it matter who else is against us? Never be disturbed when others say things that hurt. If we thought more often of our sins, we might even agree with some of their remarks. Therefore, speak often with God, and men will impress us less than they do now. The more we advance in prayer, the less will we be tempted to talk against others. What they say or do against us, will seem so trivial when we have learned to join Him through prayer and recollection. God know what we really are. What men say about us, will not change what we are. Do not worry what anyone may think or say of us. Do not fear the judgments of those around us. Just do our best for God's sake and then, we will enjoy His peace.

In God alone will we find true peace and glory. We must not desire to please men, nor fear to displease them, when there is question of doing what is right. Only God's judgment is important. All men/women will be judge at the Last Judgment by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Apostle/Saint John's the author of the Book of Revelation, his first vision is of Christ Jesus standing in the midst of His Church with eyes like fire, that is, All-Seeing, and feet like fine brass, that is, All-Powerful, and hair like wool, white as snow, that is, Eternal and All-Knowing and with a sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth, that is, The Word of Truth.

The central figure in the army of God the King is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only 'begotten Son of God'. Thus, the Book of Revelation begins the words, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" - Revelation 1:1 - This is not a book of revelations, but of one revelation - The Lord Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse depicts the end of the present age and the coming of God's future kingdom. The grand theme of the Book of Revelation is that of two warring powers, God [Creator] and Satan [creature], and God's ultimate victory. It would be a mistake and foolish to consider the two powers as equal in might.

God [Creator] is always stronger and has infinite power than Satan [creature] and Satan will continue his scheming plots only because God [Creator] permits him to do so. Therefore, at the final battle Satan [creature] and his demons, devils and evil followers are utterly destroyed. In fact, without a contest. That is, by fire from heaven and consume them.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive all the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, and mobilize them for war. His armies will be as many as the sands of the sea; they will come swarming over the entire country and besiege the camp of the saints, which is the city that God loves. But fire will come down on them from heaven and consume them. Then, the devils, who misled them, will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet are, and their torture will not stop, day and night, for ever and ever. - Revelation 20:7-10 -

The Beast or Satan influence in earthly and worldly affairs is clearly revealed in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible and in our everyday, earthly and worldly lives/life. Indeed, Satan is permitted to afflict God's people. But he is never permitted to win an ultimate victory over them. Satan nature is malicious. Satan leads people into sin by various methods, and of the method used by Satan in carrying out his evil work, none is more characteristic than 'Temptation'. Satan brings disorder into the physical world by afflicting human beings. At times he opposes the work of God by violent means, and disguise themselves as messengers of God. Along with his work of tempting mankind, Satan delights in deception. The great falsehood which Satan uses so frequently is that, good can be attained by doing wrong or sinning, that is, sin against God. As a great deceiver, Satan is an expert at falsifying truth.

Very soon now, I (The Lord Jesus Christ) shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man/woman according to what he/she deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city. - Revelation 22:12-14 -

The true of all scriptural/biblical prophecy, God's Word comes to a particular situation; but it yields a harvest to now and latest generations as they receive it. Hence, 'Revelation' assures us that God is present, purposeful, and powerful, today, tomorrow and days to come; no matter what forms the beast may take.

Strength for a Christian's victory over sin has been provided through the death of Christ Jesus.

Now my soul is troubled.
What shall I (The Lord Jesus Christ) say;
Father, save me from this hour?
But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!

A voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.' People standing by, who heard this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, 'It was an angel speaking to him.' Jesus answered, 'It was not for my sake that this voice came, but for yours.'

'Now sentence is being passed on this world;
now the prince of this world is to be overthrown.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I shall draw all men to myself.' - John 12:27-32 -

By these words Jesus indicated the kind of death he would die. - John 12:33 -

I (The Lord Jesus Christ) have told you all this
so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but be brave:
I (The Lord Jesus Christ) have conquered the world. - John 16:33 -

Many people have trouble admitting the existence of such an enemy as Satan. Thus, many people wonder why God would allow Satan, this great embodiment of evil, to exist in His creation. No completely satisfying answer to this question has been found. Perhaps God allows it to show that evil and wrongdoing do not provide the key to the ultimate meaning of life which man/woman so desperately desires.

WRATH refers to the personal manifestation of God's holy, moral character in judgment against sin. Wrath is neither an impersonal process nor is it irrational and fitful like anger. It is in no way vindictive or malicious. It is holy indignation - God's anger directed against sin. God's wrath is an expression of his holy love. If God is not a God of wrath, His love is no more than frail, worthless sentimentality; the concept of mercy is meaningless; and the Cross was a cruel and unnecessary experience for His Son.

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible declares that all people are "by nature children of wrath" - We all were among them too in the past, living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our own physical desires and our own ideas; so that by nature we were as much under God's anger as the rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that He was generous with His mercy: when we were dead through our sins, He brought us to life with him and gave us a place with him in heaven in Christ Jesus, - Ephesians 2:3-6 - and that "the wrath of God's is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth and in unrighteousness". - Romans 1:18-19 - The anger of God is being revealed from heaven against all the impiety and depravity of men who keep truth imprisoned in their wickedness. For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them since God himself has made it plain.

Since Christian have been "justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him". The magnitude of God's love is manifested in the Cross, where God's only Son experienced wrath on our behalf.  - Romans 5:6-11 - We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men/women. It is not easy to die even for a good man - though of course for someone really worthy, a man/woman might be prepared to die - but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God's anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

"The day of the Lord's wrath" "Neither their silver nor their gold will have any power to save them. On the day of the anger of Yahweh, in the fire of his jealousy, all the earth will be consumed. For he means to destroy, yes, to make an end of all the inhabitants of the earth. - Zephaniah 1:18 - is identical with "the great day of the Lord". The great day of Yahweh is near, and coming with all speed. How bitter the sound of the day of Yahweh, the day when the warrior shouts his cry of war. - Zephaniah 1:14 - These terms refer to "the wrath of the Lamb", Jesus Christ will fall on the ungodly at His Second Coming.

"Then all the earthly rulers, the governors and the commanders, the rich people and the men of influence, the whole population, slave and citizens, took to the mountains to hide in caved and among rocks. They said to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us away from the One who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb. For the Great Day of his anger has come, and who can survive it?'" - Revelation 6:15-17 - 

Living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming. - 1 Thessalonians 1:10 - God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him. - 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 - 

God will very rightly repay with injury those who are injuring you, and reward you, who are suffering now, with the same peace as he will give us, when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with the angels of his power. He will come flaming fire to impose the penalty on all who do not acknowledge God and refuse to accept the Good News of our Lord Jesus. It will be their punishment to be lost eternally, excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength on that day when he comes to be glorified among his saints and seen in his glory by all who believe in him; and you are believers, through our witness. - 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 -

***  As pre-contemplative and contemplative prayer play an essential role in the process of purification. Let us look at it more closely. The spiritual life is divided into two periods. The first we call pre-contemplative. Spiritual progress is achieved through our own effort. We need to reflect, evaluate, examine our conscience. We consider, decide and make resolutions. These resolutions are renewed and put into practice, until the desired change in ourselves has taken place. Love and faith have grow in us. It goes without saying that all these endeavours are impossible without the accompanying grace of God. All the same; it is we ourselves who make the effort to progress spiritually, it is we who work for the kingdom of God in the sweat of our brow.

After a certain time we are led into the contemplative phase. Our way of procedure changes. Instead of exerting ourselves to make progress, we now need to learn to look at God alone and let go of everything else. We trust that everything else will be added unto us, if we solely orient ourselves to God. The difference is very important. In the contemplative phase our sole endeavour is directed to our relationship with God.

Everything else happens by itself, occurs, is given. We no longer worry about the course of things on earth. This does not mean inactivity, but our activity has lost all anxiety. We are gradually becoming independent of results. The pressure for achievement disappears. During the pre-contemplative phase our effort was directly turned to changing ourselves and the world. We have to obtain results. This causes pressure, worry and stress.

These two forms of the spiritual life stand in a peculiar relationship to the inner reality of the human being, to the outer rind, to the dark layer, and the good core. The level around the rind presents the sphere of pre-contemplative prayer. Within the rind lies the sphere of contemplation.

This means in the concrete, that outside the rinds the laws for changing the world are valid; we have to think actively and reach goals. Our reactions in daily life are like this. If something disturbs us, we immediately ask ourselves what is the cause, and try to change it. Within the rind, in the dark layer and in the good core, we can neither think or act. The moment we begin to think or to act, we are already outside the rind.

How are we to behave in the contemplative sphere? First of all, look and gaze. This is purely spiritual activity with which we do not aspire to reach anything. To look, always implies letting go being directed toward something. Secondly, we can trust.

Thirdly, we can love. This is not love as we usually understand it. It is the pure love that no longer expects anything from the other. It is like the sun which always shines and does not cease to shine even when its ray are not received or reflected. This love comes from looking and cannot be made. If we remain in looking, in contemplating, it grows in a natural way. Fourthly, we can suffer, Sin that is suffered in contemplating and loving is redeemed and never returns.

In meditation, we gradually grow calm. This leads us to the rind we mentioned, our resistance to our sin. If we continue to devote our attention to awareness, the rind breaks open, and we enter the zone we called the layer of darkness. We experience our negative feelings which separate us from God and from others. Our spontaneous reaction is to think and do. We ask ourselves from whence this darkness comes, why it is there and how we can remove it. Thus we become active and fallen back into our old habits of thought and action.

On the contemplative level, however, we neither think nor act, and so we have left the contemplative sphere through our reaction and find ourselves again outside the rind, in the pre-contemplative sphere. If we want to stay in contemplation, we must stay looking. Looking means, in our case, directing our attention to the sensation of our hands, and through this to the awareness of the present. It is looking in the direction of the good core, the presence of God. We enter more into depth, into the dark layer, which causes pain.

To remain in contemplation we need to admit the pain and bear it. But whatever is suffered through in this way, while looking toward God, is redeemed. It does not return. So much light and strength comes to meet us from the good core, that we find the courage to continue.

***  BY REV. FR. FRANZ JALICS  S.J.

-     WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY     - 

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -

Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.   

Most of you are unhappy because you never give God a chance to love you. You are in love only with yourself. I, I, I, I,... We do not save our souls alone, but only in conjunction with others. 

The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the true head of men and angels. "In his body lives the fullness of divinity and in him you too find your own fulfilment in the one who is the head of every Sovereignty and Power." - Colossians 2:9-10 -  Hence Christian wisdom appears to be foolishness to the people of the world. But it is wiser than the philosophy of this age which comes to nothing. Christians 'speak the wisdom of God' which is revealed through His Spirit and received by His Spirit. Christians have the highest and most complete wisdom in Christ Jesus.

The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation but those of us who are on the way to see it as God's power to save. - 1 Corinthians 1:18 - For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. - 1 Corinthians 1:25 -

"As for me, brothers/sisters, when I came to you, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus and only about Him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great 'fear and trembling' and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.

But still we have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity; not a philosophy of our age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age which are coming to their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls; the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.

These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit for the Spirit reaches the depths of everything even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man/woman can only be known by his/her own spirit not by any other man/woman and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God to teach us to understand the gifts that He has given us.

Therefore we teach not in the way in which philosophy is taught but in the way that the Spirit teaches us; we teach spiritual things spiritually. Any unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God; he/she sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his/her understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man/woman on the other hand is able to judge the value of everything and his/her own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says; Who can know the mind of the Lord Jesus so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 -

The doctrine of the person of Christ or Christology, is one of the most important concerns of Christian theology. The various aspects of the person of Christ are best seen by reviewing the titles that are applied to Him in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. The title, Son of Man was Jesus' favorite way of referring to Himself. He may have done this because it was not a recognized title. This title means essentially "The Man". But as Jesus used it, it took on new significance.

Firstly, He used the title in a general way almost as a substitute for the pronoun "I". A good example of this usage occurred in the saying where Jesus contrasted John the Baptist who came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, with the Son of Man who "has come eating and drinking". - Luke 7:33-34 - Another probable example is the statement that "The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head". - Luke 9:58 - Jesus used the title to emphasize that "the Son of Man must suffer". - Mark 8:31 - It is implies that His suffering was foretold by the true prophets. It was indeed "written concerning the Son of Man that He is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt". - Mark 9:12 - So when Jesus announced the presence of the betrayer at the Last Supper, Jesus declared, "Yes, the Son of Man is going to his fate, as sacred scriptures say he will just as it is written of Him". - Mark 14:21 - Later on the same evening Jesus submitted to his captors with the words, "The Scriptures must be fulfilled". - Mark 14:49 -

Finally, Jesus used the title Son of Man to refer to himself as the one exercised exceptional authority, that is, authority delegated to Him by God. "The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins." - Mark 2:10 - Jesus declared, he exercised this authority in a way that made some people criticize him for acting with the authority of God: "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath". - Mark 2:28 - The Son of Man appeared to speak and act in these cases as the representative man. If God had given man dominion over all the works of His hands then he who was the Son of Man in this special representative sense was in a position to exercise that dominion. Near the end of his ministry, Jesus spoke of his authority as the Son of Man at the end of time. Men and women "will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory" Jesus declared. - Mark 13:26 - 

Jesus also stated to the high priest and the other members of the supreme court of Israel: "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven". - Mark 14:62 - In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, Jesus referred to as the Son of Man by anyone other than himself. This occurred when Apostle/Saint Stephen, condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin, saw "the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God". - Acts 7:56 - "I can see heaven thrown open' Stephen said 'and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God". I tell you if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of God's angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God's angels. - Luke 12:8-9 -

We do not save our souls alone, but only in conjunction with others. How do you think of God?

***  THE GREAT CHARACTERISTIC of life is growth. Youth and growth are synonymous; age and decay are synonymous. Life has therefore been properly defined as the sum of those forces which resist death. The law of growth was imposed on creation when God told man and the lower creatures of which he was the master, "Increase and multiply."

The same law of growth was imposed on super nature, on the Church, when our Lord told his apostles, "Preach the gospel to every creature." The Church was thus ordered to reproduce, to generate new life, to fill up the Kingdom of God, to make conquests from the outside, to increase progeny from within. For the Church that does not reproduce, that is not missionary, is weaving its own shroud. "You have not chosen me" said our Lord, "but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain."

But just how is this Mystical Body of Christ to grow from a mustard seed into a great tree? Is it to grow by God pouring out his grace on human beings, while we the members remain inactive? Or is it to grow by members cooperating with the grace of God?

The law of nature suggests the answer. The human body develops from infancy to perfection, thanks principally to food and drink. But food and drink would not make the body grow unless the body already possessed a soul, which is the principle of life. Corpses do not grow, regardless of how much nourishment is poured into them. Neither does the soul alone suffice for life. The food that the living body needs comes to the body through the members of the body: the feet that walk to the table and the hands that touch it and take it into the organism. Thus the two factors combine for growth: the living soul, and the food given to the body through the help of the body itself.

The Church's soul is the Spirit of Christ, without which the Church would be an organization, not an organism. Its body is made up of all who have been baptized. But the Body and Soul alone are not enough to account for the growth of the Church. The Church, like the human body, depends for its development on the activity of its members. The fact that we share the life of Christ does not dispense us from the obligation of working with him for the increase of his Mystical Body.

Do not the branches reach out to absorb the sunlight: do not the hands and feet reach out to grasp the food? Why then should not our Lord, in like manner, make the growth of his Church dependent on its members? Mary was called to share in the Redemption, and the apostles were called to preach what Christ had preached, and Peter was called to be the rock of his Church. In fact, since the call of Abraham and the endowing of Adam with free will, it is by means of human beings that God deals with everyone.

As the diamond is polished only by the diamond, so it is by and through human natures that Christ spreads the Kingdom. The zealous souls, the apostles, the missionaries in far countries, the saintly souls in our own land, the sisters in our schools, the priests in our parishes: All Christ-loving men and women whose hearts are on fire with the love of God, are the eyes, the feet, and the hands of Christ which reach out to pagan, the dejected, the forlorn, the humanists, the sinners, the erring, to lift them into the Body where they may be quickened again into Life and Love and Truth by the vivifying power of the Spirit of Christ.

What nobler work could there be than zeal for souls? What finer way to spend oneself and be spent than in drawing souls to the love of their Lord and their God? The world holds in high repute physicians who restore health to the diseased, surgeons who amputate cancerous growth, teachers who bring history and grammar to the illiterate, social workers who rehabilitate the broken human earthenware of our streets, and scientists who extend the frontiers of our science beyond another star. All this is noble, but since there is a life beyond this one, let it be remembered that in the Book of Life they are written in letters of gold who do for souls what others have done for the body. The great Heart of Christ holds in eternal love 'spiritual' physicians, 'spiritual' teachers, 'spiritual' surgeons - those who bring to others his truth, knowledge, healing, and grace.

The responsibility to extend the Mystical Body devolves upon everyone of us. Any member who refuses the right of way to life by denying it facilities for transmission is guilty of a breach of trust. The privilege of being a cell in the Body is the privilege of a stewardship of service and of apostolate. Through loyalty to this missionary imperative each member may pay his debt of thanks for the gift of faith by endowing the future with that faith. Every living unit thus stands between past and future with obligations to both which it cannot default. What we have received we must pass on, not pocket. What has been given to us must not be confined, but cradled for growth. As guardians of the Divine Life that has come down to us since Pentecost, we must answer to God for misappropriation and impounding to our own ends. Every talent received must bear interest, and every grace received must furnish a highway along which the Gospel shall have a straight and unimpeded path for propagation.

We do not save our souls alone, but only in conjunction with others.

So often we kneel before God only in body. In spirit we are somewhere else. Many times we begin to think of God or speak to God, and then find ourselves thinking of other persons or things. We know that these distractions come to us in spite of our goodwill. Let God, then show us how to deal with distractions, so that we may learn the secret. Action is the proof of sincerity. How sincere do we desire to turn our attention to God throughout the day?

Distractions are thoughts, imaginations, feelings or sentiments, and desires which hold our attention longer than they deserve. At a time when we might direct our attention to God or to some profitable activity, we often find ourselves fighting to keep control of our thoughts. These distractions are due to the various experiences which we have in our daily life. By diminishing these experiences, we will also lessen the number of our distractions. True, we are obliged to give our attention to a number of people and attend to various duties and needs throughout the day. Yet, we need not give our attention to these people and things anymore than is necessary.

We could eliminate many a distraction without neglecting the necessary obligation of our daily life. If we really want to become more aware of God nearness to us throughout the day, we must do our part to gain so great a favour. Begin at once to examine what comes between us and God. See how many things we can eliminate in our daily life without neglecting our duties and obligations. Unless we make a determined effort to concentrate our attention on God, we will always be the victim of distractions.

Holy desires are worthless unless they are put into action. The saints tried so hard to keep their attention on God. They deliberately avoided all unnecessary distractions. They learned how to fix their minds on holy things throughout the day. They knew how to enjoy God's company. True, we must give our attention to our duties and obligations. So often, however, we give our attention to what is unnecessary. Is it any wonder that we find prayer hard or strange? We want to begin today to avoid unnecessary distractions, so that we may think more often of God and speak to Him more frequently throughout the day.

The grace of devotion is not just a holy feeling, nor is it a religious mood. It is an intelligent attachment of our will to God and do whatever He command or desire of us. This is a great grace. God will grant it to us if we make a sincere effort to turn our back on whatever hinders our spiritual progress. We must empty our heart of all useless interests in order to make room for God. Often it is such a small matter that prevents one from obtaining this grace. Misguided self-interest cuts many people off from this glorious gift. In fact, God desire us to have this grace. If we do not have it yet, it is because we have not yet prepared our soul for it. Pray for it and labor for it, and gain control of our feelings and unreasoning desires by acts of self-denial and self-sacrifice.

Above all, begin a determined battle against the outstanding faults in our daily life. Acquiring this grace of true devotion, we will find many things easy and light which now seem difficult and impossible. We will never again lose sight of God power, wisdom, and love, and we will consider it a privilege to follow His Will. If we make a firm and persevering effort to abandon our foolish love for unnecessary distractions, God will give us the gifts. From then on, we will have a steady faith, hope and love to Jesus Christ. We will no longer depend on feelings or moods, but instead, follow God's Will intelligently and faithfully even when we do not feel like doing so.

Thus, live our daily life in God presence by trying to be constantly aware of His nearness to us. The more we strive to develop this virtue, the more God will help us to acquire it. With this grace we will grow in love and kindness toward others. Our faults will become less and less frequent, and our goodness will shine before the world. This daily labor for virtue requires a continual effort. We must go on trying, like a man swimming against the current. To stop trying, even for a little while, is to lose ground. Without a determined and constant effort there will be no progress.

Do not be afraid of work, inconvenience, suffering, our way to Heaven was the way of prayer, work, patience and suffering. To earn Heaven we must become God-like in our daily life. It seems impossible, yet God Himself wants to lead us on toward this goal which so many have had received it. A lively consciousness of God's presence will help us to control and direct our likes and dislikes. Gradually there will be less and less unguarded moments, less slips into our old faults. We shall gradually come to see God's Will in every event that comes along and He desires to grant us this wonderful grace. We must prepare ourselves for it by beginning today to practice acts of faith in God's presence, and acts of self-offering in our daily activities. Too many peoples make a feeble effort to improve themselves, and they give up because of repeated failures. Others claim they feel too small and unworthy of such gift from God. Their real reason, however, is not a virtuous one. They are selfish and afraid of the effort required or the sacrifice involved.

Lord Jesus Christ, let Your holy grace fall on this sinful heart of ours, so that we may love most what is most lovable, know best what is most important, and desire first what is most valuable. [our soul] Let us fear and remove whatever draws us away from You. Teach us to pray, and help us to love Your company, and to seek it as often as possible. Make us aware of Your presence throughout the day. Amen.

Do not put too much trust in human relationships and human remedies. Things human can bring only a limited help in our daily needs. If we depend on them too much, we are doomed to bitter disappointments. Above all the persons and things that satisfy our needs each day, put our trust in God. People who are for us today, may be against us tomorrow. Those who please us now, may displease us later on. The things that satisfy us at present, may dissatisfy us in the future. Do not be so foolish as to rely too much on these ambiguous creatures.

God, alone know what is truly best for us at all times. Rely first on God [the Creator] and His holy Will. Depend on everything else only as far as God permit. Too few have the trust that God demand. Many lack the confidence which He desire of us. Heaven's perfect life is the only lasting good for us and live our earthly life according to His commandments, and He shall not fail us. May we never depend too much on human beings.

People are human like us. There is a limit to their wisdom, their understanding, and their love. Only in God shall we perfect Understanding, all satisfying Love, and infinite Wisdom. If we can make God the First One in our daily life, there will be a great positive change in our outlook, our goodness and in everything around us. No longer will people have power to rob us of our interior peace. We will not need human company as much as before, we will enjoy a new freedom from the human distractions which at present worry or frighten us.

Do not care too much about who likes us and who does not. Why waste time worrying about who is for us and who is against us? Just do our best to please God, and He will be on our side. God will stand by us as long as we hate sin and avoid it in our daily life. When God with us, what does it matter who else is against us? Never be disturbed when others say things that hurt. If we thought more often of our sins, we might even agree with some of their remarks. Therefore, speak often with God, and men will impress us less than they do now. The more we advance in prayer, the less will we be tempted to talk against others. What they say or do against us, will seem so trivial when we have learned to join Him through prayer and recollection. God know what we really are. What men say about us, will not change what we are. Do not worry what anyone may think or say of us. Do not fear the judgments of those around us. Just do our best for God's sake and then, we will enjoy His peace.

In God alone will we find true peace and glory. We must not desire to please men, nor fear to displease them, when there is question of doing what is right. Only God's judgment is important. All men will be judge at the Last Judgment by the Lord.

How many friends stand by us when we  need them? As soon as a sacrifice is required, so many of these so called friends are busy with other matters. No matter how dear any human may be to us, we still live our daily life pretty much alone. In the middle of the night or in moments of fatigue, or at times when others are absorbed in their own interests, we get a momentary awareness of being alone, of being unnoticed or forgotten by others. Do not overestimate earthly friendship. Sooner or later we must leave our friends, or they must leave us.

If we depend too much on any human companion, we will have to bear a painful separation later. Human friendship needs God blessing, therefore, try to help our friends come nearer to Him by our good example. Look forward to the purification and continuation of our earthly friendships in Heaven. With God blessing, earthly friendships can be a lasting thing. In Heaven they will bring a new kind of joy to us and our friends. All true friendship must be based on virtue and loyalty to Christ. Unless we are helping our friends in some way to live a better and moral life, we are not a true friend. So, people who are not helping us to become a better and moral person, are not real friends of ours, but useless acquaintances. Anyone who brings us closer to sin by words and actions, is an enemy in spite of any good intentions which he/she profess.

If we want the sincerest friendship, we will find it in God's saints. They are God's favorites  because they were heroically loyal and faithful to God during their life on earth, and they made God's their favorites. They chose to love God more than their own life. They served Him with all the unselfishness and generosity at their command. They gave God the best service in their power, and they denied Him nothing.

Whether God sent them labor, hardship, failures, disappointments, sickness, they accepted all from His hand with complete willingness. Even after the saints have left this world, they are still interested in seeing God glorified by men. Their greatest desire for us is that we may some day join them in the perfect life and joy of Heaven. We honor God when we honor His friends. We will also be acting wisely if we request them to join us in asking for God help. What we may not deserve by ourselves alone, we may receive when the saints intercede for us. They are far more deserving of God favours than their selfish fellowmen.

Honor God's saints not only for the help which they can obtain for us, but also because they are the greatest heroes of all mankind. The greater the cause for which a man lives, the greater the man. The saints lived for God glory, for the praise of His goodness and the following of His truth. Theirs was the highest, most noble, and least selfish of all causes. They labored for Him alone, and loved Him more than any personal advantage or profit. As far as they could, they tried to do their work, hidden from the eyes of their fellowmen. They were working for God, and they desired no human recognition.

In their noble generosity, they could not offer God less. In God's saints we will find sincere friends and strong helpers before God. Their prayers and friendship will bring us extra helps from God's hand, helps which they earned by their glorious generosity with God. In their love for God we can see a wonderful example of continual self-giving to Him Who deserves all that we can offer.

How do you think of God?

Do you think of God as Someone on a throne who sulks and pouts and becomes angry if you do not worship and glorify Him and who is happy and grateful to you when you go to Church and pray to Him?

Or do you think of God as a benevolent grandfather who is indifferent to what you do so long as you enjoy yourself?

If you hold either of these two views of God you cannot understand either why you should worship God or how God can be good if He does not let you do as you please.

Let us start with the first difficulty: Why worship God?

The word "worship" is a contraction of "worthship". It is a manifestation of the worth in which we hold another person. When you applaud an actor on the stage, or a returning hero, you are "worshiping" him. Every time a man takes off his hat to a lady, he is "worshiping" her. Now to worship God means to acknowledge in some way His Worth, His Power, His Goodness, and His Truth.

If you do not worship God, you worship something, and nine times out of ten it will be yourself. If there is no God, then you are a god; and if you are a god and your own law and your own creator, then I am an atheist. The basic reason there is so little worship of God today is because man denies he is a creature. But we have not yet answered the question: "Why should you worship God?" You have a duty to worship God, not because He will be imperfect and unhappy if you do not, but because you will be imperfect and unhappy.

If you are a father, do you not like to receive a tiny little gift, such as a penny chocolate cigar, from your son? Why do you value it more than a box of Corona Coronas from your insurance agent? If you are a mother, does not your heart find a greater joy in a handful of yellow dandelions from your little daughter, than in a bouquet of roses from a dinner guest? Do these trivialities make you richer? Do you need them? Would you be imperfect without them? They are absolutely no utility to you! And yet you love them. And why? Because by these gifts your children are "worshiping" you; they are acknowledging your love, your goodness, and by doing so they are perfecting themselves; that is, they are developing along the lines of love rather than hate, thankfulness rather than ingratitude, and therefore they are becoming more perfect children and happier children as well.

As you do not need dandelions and chocolate cigars, neither does God need your worship. But if their giving is a sign of your worth in your children's eyes, then is not prayer, adoration, and worship a sign of God's worth in our eyes? And if you do not need your children's worship, why do you think God needs yours? But if the worship of your children is for their perfection, not yours, then may not your worship of God be not for His perfection, but yours? Worship is your opportunity to express devotion, dependence, and love, and in doing that you make yourself happy.

A lover does not give gifts to the beloved because she is poor; he gives gifts because she is already in his eyes possessed of all gifts. The more he loves, the poorer he thinks his gifts are. If he gave her a million, he would still think he had fallen short. If he gave everything, even that would not be enough. On of the reasons he take price tags off his gifts is not because he is ashamed, but because he does not wish to establish a proportion between his gift and his love. His gifts do not make her more precious, but they make him less inadequate. By giving, he is no longer nothing. The gift is his perfection, not hers. Worship in like manner is our perfection, not  God's.

God would still be perfectly happy if you never existed. God has no need of your love, for there is nothing in you, of and by yourself, which makes you lovable to God. Most of us are fortunate to have even a spark of affection from our fellow creatures. God does not love us for the same reason that we love others. We loves others because of need and incompleteness. But God does not love us because He needs us. He loves us because He put some of His love in us. God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because He loves us.

God thirsts for your love, not because you are His waters of everlasting life, but because you are the thirst, He the waters. He needs you only because you need Him. Without Him you are imperfect; but without you, He is still Perfect. It is the echo that needs the Voice, and not the Voice that needs the echo.

Now we come to that other misunderstanding concerning God which interprets His Goodness as indifference to justice, and regards Him less as a loving father than as a doting grandfather who likes to see His children amuse themselves even when they are breaking things, including His commandments.

Too many assume that God is good only when He gives us what we want. We are like children who think our parents do not love us because they do not give us revolvers or because they make us go to school. In order to understand goodness, we must make a distinction between getting what we 'want' and getting what we 'need'. Is God good only when He gives us what we 'want' or is He good only when gives us what we 'need' even though we do not want it? When the prodigal son left the father's house he said, "Give me." He judged his father's goodness, by the way the father satisfied his 'wants.' But when he returned a much wiser young man, he merely asked for what he 'needed': a restoration of his father's love; and hence he said: "Make me."

The thief on the left judged the goodness of Our Lord Jesus by His power to take him down from his cross; that is what he 'wanted.' The thief on the right judged the goodness of Our Lord Jesus by His power to take him into Paradise; that is what he 'needed.'

The Goodness of God means that God gives us what we 'need' for our perfection, not what we 'want' for our pleasure and sometimes for our destruction. As a sculptor, He sometimes applies the chisel to the marble of our imperfect selves and knocks off huge chunks of selfishness that His image may better stand revealed. Like a musician, whenever He finds the strings too loose on the violin of our personality, He tightens them even though it hurts, that we may better reveal our hidden harmonies. As the Supreme Lover of our soul He does care how we act and think and speak. What father does not want to be proud of his son? If the father speaks with authority now and then to his son it is not because he is a dictator, but because he wants him to be a worthy son. So long as there is love, there is necessarily a desire for the perfecting of the beloved.

And that is precisely the way God's goodness manifests itself to us. God really 'loves' us, and because He loves us He is not disinterested. He no more wants you to be unhappy than your own parents want you to be unhappy. God made you not for His happiness, but for yours, and to ask God to be satisfied with most of us as we really are is to ask that God cease to love.

Think of the thousands you have met whom you could never love. You may even wonder how their mothers could love them. But God loves them! He even loves them more than He loves us who look down on them with disdain and scorn.

If you want to know about God, there is only one way to do it: get down on your knees. You can make His acquaintance by investigation, but you can win His love only by loving. Arguments will tell you God exists, for God's existence can be confirmed by reason; but only by surrender will you come to know Him intimately.

That is one of the reasons why so many professors in secular institutions have no religion. They know about God, but they do not know God. And because they do not 'love' what they already know, because they do not act on their belief, even the little they have is taken away. They rattle the milk cans of theology but they never drink the milk. Atheism is born from the womb of a bad conscience. Disbelief comes from sin, not from reason.

This is not a broadcast about God, it is a plea to love God. Worship Him because He is your perfection, more than knowledge is the perfection of the mind. Love Him because you cannot be happy without love. Love Him quite apart from all you are, for you have the right to love Him in your heart, even though you do not always succeed in loving Him in your acts. Think a little less about whether you deserve to be loved by Him; He loves you even though you are not deserving - it is His love alone that will make you deserving. It is love that confers value. "Nobody loves me" is the equivalent of being valueless. Hence the more important the person who loves you, the more precious is your value. You are infinitely precious because you are loved by God. Most of you are unhappy because you never give God a chance to love you. You are in love only with yourself.

***  BY VENERABLE / ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN  ( 1895 to 1979 )

-     WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY     - 

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -

Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.