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dailyaudiobible · 7 years

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11/16/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 33:1-34:31, Hebrews 13:1-25, Psalm 115:1-18, Proverbs 27:21-22

Today is the 16th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian, it is great to be here with you. And here we are, pretty much smack in the middle of the 11th month, which only leaves us a month and half left in the year 2017, if you can believe it. And we’re going to cover a lot of ground in that six weeks. When we get to the New Testament reading today we will conclude the book of Hebrews. But first, Ezekiel chapter 33 verse 1 through 34 verse 31. We’re reading from the Common English Bible this week.

Commentary:

Alight. So, we concluded the book of Hebrews today. And it’s conclusion, we had begun yesterday, with kind of postures up for our lives that continued today like: keep loving each other like family, don't neglect to open your homes to guests, you don't know who is coming in, you might even be entertaining an angel, remember those who have been imprisoned, remember them like you were in prison with them, and look at those who are being mistreated as if you were in their place, honor your marriage, adultery is going to take you nowhere, and you should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. And then Hebrews tells us what we have, the promise - I will never leave you or abandon you, which is far more valuable than currency. And then we’re told to remember though those who brought the good news to us in the first place and imitate their faith. And all of these things still apply to us today. And then finally we’re told not to be misled by the many strange teachings out there. And this is interesting because if we just look at our lives in the world today, we can say, yea, there’s all sorts of people saying all kinds of things out there. But where the writer of Hebrews goes is completely Hebrew. The writer of Hebrews is saying, don't be misled by many strange teachings out there and then moves back toward the Jewish traditions, essentially saying that Jesus is the next step in the same story. And they do this by talking about an altar, and how, when a sacrifice is given, the high priest will take the blood in as an atonement for sin but the body of the animal be taken outside the camp and burned. And then showing how Jesus was taken outside the city walls and crucified. And then tells us, so, let's go to him, outside the camp, bearing his shame. And we should remember this because all of the noise of all of our religious practices and rituals aren’t actually the things that get us anywhere. And sometimes we remember, we have to go outside the camp, bearing his shame in getting back to the core essentials of our relationship with Christ. And the writer of Hebrews counsel in this is, that we go outside the camp and continue to bear His shame and continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through Him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess His name. And may we remember this as we conclude our reading from the book of Hebrews this year. God has done a new thing through Jesus. A new covenant has been instituted, one that allows us to personally go into the holy of holies, to personally collaborate and have a relationship with God in our lives, a relationship that is built upon faith and hope in what we can't see what we know is there. And may we hold on to the final words in the book of Hebrews, ‘may Grace be with all of you’. And may we not only read it as the conclusion of a letter but may we understand what's being said, ‘may grace be with all of you’.

Prayer:

Father, we confess that without Your mercy and grace in our lives there is literally no telling where we would be. Were it not for Your kindness and Your sacrifice and a new covenant, we could never come into Your presence righteous and holy. And now there is no where we can flee from Your presence, nor would we want to. Come Holy Spirit, indwell us, fill us, guide us, lead us into all truth, rebuke, and correct us, and lead us on the narrow path that leads to life. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Looking at the calendar, I’ve been saying this for a few days, a couple days from now, on the 19th, this Sunday we will be out on the road sharing the Sneezing Jesus message one final time this year and that will be in the Shreveport Louisiana area, Bossier City at River Valley church. So, if you are in the deep South, we would love to see you. Come say hello. You can get all the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the events section. And we’ll look forward to that.

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And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayers and Praise Reports

Hi guys. It’s June at Perseverance in Indonesia. I wanted to first say thank you to Shannon and Mellissa, I think, that I just heard on the November 11th call. Thank you for praying for teachers as well as be a reminder to go into the workplace ready for spiritual warfare and ready to conquer. So, that’s what I am going to pray for today. Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the opportunity to work and to go out on the mission field to glorify You, not in our own strength but by being the witnesses who can say, that’s a amazing and that’s because of God or this is a miracle and it’s only through God that it happened. Please help us to keep our eyes on that and to take them off of ourselves and the pain or the challenge that comes with being in spiritual warfare and help us to see it, to recognize it for what it is, and to turn to You and say, this is Yours, be glorified through it, and I know you will deliver me in it. In the name of Jesus, I pray for continued strength from You as each teacher who is a believer in You goes into the classroom. I ask that you will fully equip us, that we will fully surrender to You so that You can grow Your fruit of the Spirit in us and we can be empowered in those places that are broken and that are at a loss and all of the toxic and negative aspects of these…

Hi. This is Mermaid Girl South Carolina. I'm a long time listener but first time caller. Lately I have, for many and various reasons, kind of lost my joy. I’ve been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, which has caused me to gain weight and be depressed. I really am coveting your prayers that I will back the Lord, find His joy, find His and happiness, and handle all of my illnesses. I listen to you all pray for you all and I thank you very much. Love you. Bye-bye.

Hi. This is Lisa from Southern California. I'm new to the Daily Audio Bible but I want to say hello to all of the Daily Audio Bible family. I just want to say that you guys have encouraged me. I’ve been listening ever since the end of August and I've been encouraged by the Bible reading and the commentary, the prayers, and I want to thank the lady who called on November the 12th and was talking about our jobs and how we’re on assignment on our jobs. And it’s been pretty rough for me at my job and I was, you know, just really seeking the Lord on what I should do. It was a very hostile environment, but I began, one of the Daily Audio Bible programs told me to pray for my management and pray for my supervisor. And I began to do that and I’m seeing right now, the hand of God move at my job. So, I just want to say thank you all. I will continue to pray for all of you. I listen to you in the morning before I go to work and even when I'm on my off days. You guys are so much of an encouragement to me. Again, this is Lisa from Southern California. God bless you all. God bless you Brian. Have a wonderful day.

Hi beautiful family. This is Pastor Gene from Bradenton Florida. I would like us to lift in prayer, Pastor P., his wife, and that family. This is the pastoral family that suffered the attacks a few weeks ago, or maybe a couple of weeks ago, or last week, I don’t know where my mind is, the church in Texas, this happened while he was preaching. And, so, let’s just pray. Father, we just thank You for we are members of the same body and when one member is hurting all of us hurt. And Father I just want to lift up Pastor Paul P., his wife, his family. They lost, not only members of the congregation, but they lost their own 14-year-old daughter to that madman and I pray Father that Your comfort, Your peace, Your strength, Your courage will be with him and will be with every member of that congregation and every person that lost someone in that congregation. Like to quiet the voice of the enemy that is telling them that it is not worth it to follow God, that it’s not worth it to remain faithful because of what happened. I rebuke that in the name of Jesus. I thank You for the strength that You are giving Pastor P. to give glory to God, to point people God in the midst of this tragedy. And I pray that You will continue to use him and other voices that will come out of that tragedy and would testify of Your goodness and Your kindness. In the midst of the unthinkable tragedy, may what has happened, somehow, turn around and bring glory to Your name as You have promised and work for the good of those who love You as You have promised, Lord. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. I love you family. Pastor gene from Bradenton Florida. Bye.

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finalbiblecom · 5 years

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On the Eve

Yuri Lutsenko, September 2019

On the Eve

Humanity claims to possess spiritual values while increasingly spiraling down the path of lies, violence, and debauchery. Why? The reason is quite clear. However, there is no serious attempt to resolve the issue. Is there a single person who does not have at least one of the following vices: envy, greed, vanity, anger, irritability, resentment, sadness, fear, lust, the list goes on? From a religious point of view, these are all sins. Whether we acknowledge the Laws of the Creator or not, it does not change in any way their unshakable effect on our lives. Ignorance is not an excuse from responsibility.

So, sinful people form families, communities, nations, and, eventually, all of humanity. We live outside of the Law of creation, and we suffer accordingly. That is the highest form of justice.

Materialists do not believe in God, and that is their choice. But there are believers. Let’s take into consideration only the Christian denominations. Right from the start, all of them accepted the central principle that Jesus Christ redeemed all sins of the believers with His blood.

The priests say that we suffer for our sins. If that is true, then why do all of the redeemed believers, who have been cleansed of sin, continue to suffer? Especially since they regularly seek forgiveness from their new sins through the church, in God’s name. That must mean that the sins yet remain.

Many years ago, disciples of Jesus Christ concluded: if almighty God did not save His Son from death, He must have wanted it to happen. Why? Naturally, there came a need for a logical explanation.

And that explanation was found! The Old Testament describes the redemption of sins through a bloody sacrifice. That was the common practice of Jewish people at the time. Remember, the disciples were also Jewish and were raised in the traditions of their religion. A bloody sacrifice was a practice of ancient tribal sorcery. For your reference, you may want to read the Old Testament, the beginning of the book of Leviticus, ch. 1, v. 4-17. There you will find the detailed description of redemption through sacrifice. Leo Tolstoy, as part of his spiritual work, also noted an infiltration of some elements of Judaism into Christianity. That infiltration was introduced by the disciples. Bloody sacrifice as redemption was voiced primarily by Paul the apostle, although other apostles have made similar statements. Unfortunately, this version replaced the main essence of Christianity, and the “authoritative” opinion of the apostles became the core dogma for all Christian denominations, which appeases spiritual laziness.

That is how the Darkness residing in the minds of people, who did not yet fully comprehend the essence of the Word of God, introduced a lie at the very source of the Christian religion. The lie that one becomes free from their sins and is spiritually saved not through personal victory over sin but by the blood of the innocent Son of God. Thus, obeying the Commandments is the unnecessary hassle for the already “redeemed and saved.”

Compare it with the text from the New Testament, 1 John, ch. 2, v. 3, 4:

v. 3: “We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.”

v. 4: “Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

Clearly, some of the apostles carried the opinion that fulfillment of the Commandments forms the main element of spiritual ascension.

Who was Paul the apostle?

1) During the lifetime of Jesus Christ, he was the agent of the Sanhedrin. He fiercely persecuted Christ and did not know Him personally.

2) He was a student of Gamaliel to become a rabbi and could not help but to introduce some elements of Judaism into Christianity.

3) As the Lamb of God, Jesus takes on all the sins of humanity, so that believers can be acquitted on the day of the Last Judgment. Paul explains the role of Jesus from Nazareth, who died on the cross, in a very unique way through the history of humanity. A Protestant theologian Heinz Zahrnt called Paul “a person who ruined the Gospel of Jesus.” Another theologian, Franz Overbeck, states: “Everything beautiful in Christianity gathered in Jesus, everything monstrous – in Paul” (Veddig Frikke “Who condemned Jesus?” ch. 2).

4) Paul became a Christian after the death of the Savior, while the apostles followed Christ from the beginning of His teaching. Those who researched the biography of Paul have concluded that the so-called “judo-christian” apostles did not trust Paul and considered him a spy in their midst.

5) Paul was subjected to harassment, not only from the apostles. From the very beginning, he definitely was the most controversial figure. The fathers of the Church, including Papias, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian, did not accept Paul. The author of the New Testament’s chapter of James (the brother of Jesus Christ) dissociated himself from Paul. The pointed message “Leave Paul – return to Jesus” remains relevant to this day (Veddig Frikke, ch. 2).

Paul the apostle writes in Romans, ch. 3, v. 24, 25, 28:

v. 24: “and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.”

v. 25: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.”

v. 28: “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Compare the above with James, ch. 2, v. 24, 26:

v. 24: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”

v. 26: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

With his interpretation, Paul justifies the cruel death of Christ, along with the betrayal by Judas, and draws a very odd conclusion. Unable to control the actions of his flesh, he denies responsibility for his sinful behavior by making a decisive statement:

Paul in Romans, ch. 7, v. 15-25:

v. 19: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.”

v. 20: “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

That is the way the present-day Christians lead their lives – they believe and they sin simultaneously, justifying their weakness with the quotes of the apostles, while disregarding the Word of God that is in front of them, given by the Savior.

You won’t find a single quote by Jesus Christ to the effect of “it’s impossible to be sinless; therefore, I redeem your sins with My death, to abolish your responsibility over them.” If that were the case, this notion would be repeated consistently by all authors of the Gospels. For it is the most crucial element of religion!

Instead, the notion contradicts the Law of the Father: “A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians, ch. 6, v. 7). This means that the officially accepted dogma that our sins are redeemed by the blood of the murdered Christ does not coincide with God’s Law of personal responsibility for one’s own actions. Moreover, it indirectly indicates that God gave man the impossible task of personally redeeming our sins while living by the Commandments.

For almost 20 centuries, humanity has been walking past Christ’s Truth, all the while thinking that we are “saved”. The result is apparent in cities and villages, on the streets and in families. It manifests in the form of rivalry and hatred between nations and, most revealing, in hostility between the Christian denominations. “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” (John, ch. 13, v. 35).

The moan is spreading across the Earth, so where can we find justice? Without accurately understanding the essence of the Christian religion, we stand defenseless before an onslaught of evil. We refuse to remove the log of sin out of our eye. Instead, we continuously search for someone to blame for our misfortunes while forgetting the critical and perpetual Law that carves us, the Law that what we sow, so must we reap a hundredfold.

Let’s draw an analogy, by comparing our sinful society with a harsher equivalent, like a prison. Humanity consists of sinful people breaking the Law of God. We are surrounded by an invisible “barbed wire fence,” beyond which is our health, the joy of life, and the victory of justice. There’s a sign over the prison’s exit: “Out to freedom with a clear conscience.” However, for some reason, freedom does not come to us.

God does not support criminals, no matter which theories they justify themselves with. No excuse is accepted for a failure to live by His Law. Consequently, suffering is inevitable until we find our way to the right path and conquer our own laziness.

Jesus predicted the Second Coming. He knew that humanity would be unable to climb out of the surrounding sea of lies and misfortune without help from above.

But do you think the Second One will bring a new message? Just like the First One, He will proclaim: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John, ch. 14, v. 15). And if we are incapable of living by the Law of God, which means loving Him, then we will face His Judgement. Or perhaps another apostle will suggest that our sins are redeemed through bloody sacrifice? Especially considering all of the many sins we have amassed by now!

Except this time, there will be no bloody sacrifice because, on the day of His welcoming, all enemies will be preoccupied with saving their own skin.

Didn’t the very few spiritual devotees prove to us that only a lifetime of hard work and dedication, supported by the Holy Spirit, can lead us to spiritual ascension?

We have had the time to live righteously, but now it seems that time has nearly run out. Instead of living by the examples set by the past devotees to attain spiritual accomplishment, we have put them on a pedestal and turned them into objects of cult worship.

Who helped us to forget or ignore the Word of the Son of God? Who, for centuries, while urging us to live by the Commandments, has been preventing us from walking along the right path?

“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John, ch. 8, v. 34). Speaking in simple terms, we are the slaves of envy, resentment, anger, despondency, fear, lust, jealousy, vanity, greed, and so on. These vices shape our external behavior.

Each negative emotion has keys for resisting it, which we need to learn and internalize. A victory over negative emotions will lead our society to cultivate harmonious relationships.

Why wasn’t the strict and straightforward teaching of Christ taken as a foundation for the spiritual development of a Christian? Instead, the opinions of the apostles, influenced by Judaism, were accepted as a core of Christianity. The word of the apostles, who were mere humans, was exalted over the Word of God! Why?

There is only one reason: a failure to clearly explain how to obey the Commandments and an inability to understand their true essence. Also, we didn’t cultivate the tools to fight the diverse and often cleverly camouflaged manifestations of the Darkness in our minds. For that, we need to learn from the experience of people living by the Commandments — people who took on the difficult task of spreading the Word of God.

The apostles themselves admitted their imperfection.

Paul, 1 Corinthians, ch. 13, v. 9-10:

v.9: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part,”

v.10: “but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.”

Jesus Christ, addressing John in Revelation, expressed His opinion about the apostles:

Revelation, ch. 2, v. 2, 4, 5:

v. 2: “I know your deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them false.”

Further, in v. 4, 5, Jesus admonishes John for his transgressions and encourages him to repent.

The apostles did not possess the holiness that was attributed to them on their own. They received their righteous qualities from Jesus Christ, who said: “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew, ch. 10, v. 8).

“Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” (Matthew, ch. 10, v. 1).

Remember that the term “apostle” does not mean “holy.” The word “apostle” translates from Greek as “the one who is sent to preach.” Satan also has his apostles.

The notion that we are redeemed of our sins by the “holy sacrifice” became the screen hiding the real key to freedom and soul salvation.

The Son of God, during His life on Earth, already knew that people would fail. He saw our weaknesses, manifested in the people He interacted with. Thus, He proclaimed His prediction of the Second Messenger.

Why would we need the Second Coming if at least one of the denominations were following the right path to the Light? If that were the case, the congregation would learn by the example of their spiritually experienced priests. Then, people would be taught how to obey the Commandments, which would result in the gradual improvement of their spiritual and physical lives. Consequently, such people would become an example to follow. That is the inevitable outcome of living by the Laws of the Creator. The opposite of that would be the devastation, disease, and humiliation that serve as punishment for our sins.

The second coming of Christ is awaited by many, although He clearly stated that another advocate would come – the Spirit of Truth, which is another hypostasis of the Creator.

Gospel of John, ch. 16, v. 7-14:

v. 7: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

v. 8: When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

v. 9: about sin, because people do not believe in Me:

v. 10: about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer;

v. 13: But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.

v. 14: He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you.”

Christ’s statements make it evident that He does not speak of His own coming but a coming of another manifestation of God. Jesus is Love, and people crucified Him. And the Spirit of Truth, Immanuel, is the hypostasis of God’s Will. He will descend to establish order on Earth.

Let’s go back to the murder of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the apostles’ missionary work.

If Christ chose people who came to Him and later became apostles, that means they were deserving, spiritually strong individuals, perhaps the best of their day.

The apostles did everything in their human power. We owe them for spreading Christianity across the world, thanks to their sacrificial missionary work. It is not the apostles’ fault that the interpreters choose to follow their imperfect understanding of the Word, to the detriment of the true Word of the Son of God.

Those who have attempted to live by the Commandments know how tricky and powerful the Darkness is. It approaches a person mainly through their intellect, in the form of thoughts disguised as their own.

A follower can be led to the beginning of their spiritual work only through true faith, uncompromising self-control, sincere prayer, resistance of their own pseudo-thinking, and the strongest willpower, which must be applied regularly. In addition, willpower must be supported by God’s Will, through baptism. The next step is to never relax even for a minute for the rest of your life. How many of you are ready to take that plunge?

The death of Jesus Christ left the apostles without His continuous visible support.

The Darkness furiously attacked the still imperfect consciousness, trying to destroy the sown seeds of Truth. And it partially succeeded, preying on our unconquered vanity and other vices. If Jesus Christ were to live another 20 years, perhaps the history of Christianity and humanity would be entirely different.

Since that did not happen, the single “trunk,” formed by the religious teaching of Christ, began to branch off into numerous directions. Which of those branches is the right one? Only a person unburdened by the sin that prevents our consciousness from making the right choice, can answer that question.

Sin is not an abstract concept, such as merely breaking the law. Speaking in modern language, sin is a mass of dark, destructive energy – the Darkness, or demons. Terminology does not change the definition. This mass forms powerful dark clouds over each individual. Those clouds cut our physical body with its thoughts and feelings off from our soul, from the Light.

A sin can be external, visible, in the form of a physical act or a word, or it can be internal, invisible, in the form of a thought or an emotion.

As ordinary people, we can often control the visible part of our relationship with the world; however, we do not know how to block negative thoughts and feelings. Or perhaps we do not even consider them a controllable act.

The Will of the Creator controls all expressions of human “I” and judges us for all of them, including unrighteous thoughts and feelings. The words “Keep the hearth of your thoughts pure; by doing so, you will bring peace and be happy!” were addressed to us.

So, why did God not prevent the death of His Son?

Everyone, including Jesus Christ, falls under the Law of Choice, and God does not change His Laws. A Visitor, when coming to Earth, voluntarily accepts all possible consequences, including physical death. That is what constitutes the grandeur of the heroic act of Jesus Christ!

Humanity, to which the Son of God addressed His Message, could have chosen to embrace It. People could have decided to follow Christ, and to become the nation led by God. But the supreme spiritual authority of that time did not want to admit its inadequacy. The massacre of the Savior was bolstered by fanaticism or indifference of the masses.

“Blind leading the blind…” chose to murder! After the torture and execution of Jesus Christ, all that remains is to wait for the Last Judgement as an extreme measure. Humanity rejected the real opportunity to be saved and confirmed its intentions by nailing the Savior to the cross.

In recent years, after observing what is happening in society and nature, many conclude that the apogee of the final Judgement is rapidly approaching. The separation of “sheep from goats” is taking place. Possibly for the last time, man is offered to either walk towards God or to remain in the arms of his demons. “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.” (John, ch. 12, v. 48).

Let me remind you of several main virtues, without which the movement to the Light remains only an illusion:

1. Repentance. “Penitent heads don’t get chopped off.” (Proverb)

2. Faith. Faith must be a genuine, spiritual perception rather than an intellectual statement.

3. Goal. The main goal is to free your soul. It must prevail over any earthly goals.

4. Having your brain under the control of your spirit, your conscience.

5. Presence of will.

6. Presence of patience.

7. Presence of humility. This means accepting the right of the Law to return our sins to us in the form of punishment. If the acceptance is genuine, then forgiveness is genuine and, thus, the sin is forgiven. That sin is redeemed with pain and loss.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew, ch. 6, v. 14).

All of the above qualities must manifest in the presence of real baptism.

Only a priest who possesses spiritual faith is able to baptize. Additionally, the baptized one must understand the essence of baptism. The Holy Spirit protects only those who have real faith. And real faith means openness to God, along with a consistent reduction of the personal sins which dirty this world. Otherwise, a person loses support from above.

Remember the warning of the Son of God – Head of the Church. Matthew, ch. 7, v. 21: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.” Conforming to the Will of the Father means fulfilling His Commandments. This is the salvation of the soul from the enslavement of sins.

Anyone who follows any of the official Christian denominations, including Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant, sooner or later will see the inconsistency and contradiction of certain postulates. That is if we seriously want to understand the essence of religion and to honestly find the answers to our spiritual questions.

The Creator cannot be illogical. Truth always holds simple and clear logic unless it gets replaced by the far-fetched and unproven interpretations of humans. For, as we know, one lie always breeds another to defend the first one, and so it multiplies.

First, we need to understand that forgiveness and redemption of sins result from humility and personal elimination of negative emotions. This is a long-term commitment, which I can personally attest to through my own experience on this particular journey. Negative emotions destroy our physical and spiritual health; however, there exists a specific weapon against each negative emotion. This weapon is the conquering logic that is supported by the knowledge of the Laws of God. That is the only way one can be victorious over the primary opponent of one’s soul – intellect.

Blind faith is equivalent to ignorance and often leads to fanaticism. We need to obtain knowledge, not only so our souls can receive grace through faith, but also so our minds can understand the logic of Truth from the Creator. And such knowledge exists. Then the logic of the Light will conquer the logic of the Darkness, and intellect will serve man without degrading his soul, thereby fulfilling the Savior’s Covenant: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew, ch. 22, v. 37). As a result of living by the Laws, we will become children of God and not the destroyers we are now.

Aren’t we now repeating the mistakes of our two-thousand-year-old history? “Blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew, ch. 15, v. 14).

Would it not be better to follow the phrase: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John, ch. 8, v. 32)?

For now, freedom remains unseen.

Of course, these words are primarily addressed to living souls who have faith and seek a way out of life’s dead end.

Non-believers are not interested in the topic of religion for the time being.

I ask you not to view this text as an imposition of personal opinion, even though it is verified by the personal experience of witnessing positive results. Because each one of us bears personal responsibility for our choices, which shape our own destinies – sowing and reaping. Time will tell who is right. Life is the best teacher, and we must be able to learn from It, for life is from God!

Throughout the history of the Christian movement, there have been several martyrs for faith, many beautiful and spiritually strong people, and countless deeds worthy of respect. The memory of them will forever remain with us and will support those who truly move towards the Light.

Content of this article was selected, and conclusions were drawn based on a comparison of the two approaches to Christianity:

1. Rare spiritual devotees came close to fulfillment of the Commandments by following the Word of Christ.

2. The majority of the Christians, unfortunately, are spiritually inert.

The goal of this article is an attempt to direct human consciousness towards real work on oneself. Lazy people will not like it, guaranteed.

Addendum 1.

Citations from the book “In the Light of Truth” by Oskar Ernst Bernhardt:

From the chapter “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”:

Mankind could not burden themselves with anything more terrible than this voluntary limitation, this incapacity to perceive all that lies beyond earthly matters, i.e., by far the greater part of all happenings. To this must now be added the many schisms and the ever-increasing hatred for one another, despite the uniformity of their voluntary enslavement by intellect! The cause lies neither with employer nor employee, neither with wealth nor lack of it, nor is it due to the church or the state, or to the different nations, but it is only the wrong attitude of each individual which has brought about the present state of affairs.

Even the so-called seekers for the Truth are now seldom on the right road! Nine-tenths of them turn into nothing but Pharisees who look arrogantly down upon their fellow-men and criticize them, while at the same time quarreling among themselves!

From the chapter “What seek ye?”:

But the seeker’s cry for Light, imbued with strengths to cleave through the mire, is turned aside and dies away beneath an impenetrable canopy, assiduously set up by the very people who think they help. They offer stones for bread!

From the chapter “The call for the helper.”:

In order really to be a human being, and begin his ascent as such, it is first of all necessary for man to descend from his artificial height. Today, spiritually puffed up, he is sitting in a tree at the foot of the mountain, instead of standing with both feet firmly and securely on the ground. Thus, unless he first comes down or falls from the tree, he will obviously never be able to climb the mountain.

From the book “Resonances of the Grail Message” by Oskar Ernst Bernhardt:

From the chapter “Easter 1934.”:

Each person only once has an opportunity to feel the last Grace of God in His Word! The Word will pass by him in such a way so that he will be able to know It if he wills. If he then does not grab hold of It with all his might and does not take advantage of the moment, then It will never return to him, and he will have to perish.

Addendum 2.

An interesting quatrain from the 16th century:

“So long-awaited will never return,

Homeland in Europe, he will appear in Asia:

The only one who comes from the league of the great Hermes,

And he will rise above all the Kings of the East.”

Nostradamus, (Century 10, Quatrain 75).

How to interpret this quatrain?

It will not be Jesus who comes but Immanuel – the Spirit of Truth, which is another hypostasis of God.

He will be of European descent born in Asia,

The only successor to all God’s Messengers.

The Truth that He brings will rise above all branches of religions, including eastern ones.

Yuri Lutsenko, September 2019.

#bible

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pope-francis-quotes · 7 years

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24th June >> Pope Francis' Address to the audience participants in the General Chapter of the Congregation of the Resurrection (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis addressed the participants in the 33rd General Chapter of the Congregation of the Resurrection on Saturday, during a special audience granted them on Saturday morning in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. Below, please find the full text of the Holy Father's remarks, in their official English translation... **************************** Dear Brothers, I am pleased to receive you on the occasion of your General Chapter. I thank the Superior General for his kind words, and through you, I greet all your confrères present in fifteen countries on four continents. As spiritual sons of Bogdan Janski, the apostle of Polish émigrés in France in the nineteenth century, you were founded in order to testify that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the basis of the Christian life, to proclaim the need for personal resurrection, and to support the community in its mission of service to the Kingdom of God. In close connection to the charism of the Institute, you have chosen as the theme of this Chapter: Witnesses of the Presence of the Risen Lord: from Community to the World. I would like to reflect with you on three particular phrases. 1. Witnesses of the Presence of the Risen Lord. In a word, missionaries, apostles of the Living One. In this regard, I would propose to you as an icon Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles. On Easter morn, having encountered the risen Jesus, she proclaimed him to the other disciples. She sought Jesus dead and found him alive. This is the joyful Good News she brought to the others: Christ is alive and he has the power to conquer death and bestow eternal life. This brings us to a first reflection. Nostalgia for a past that was rich in vocations and impressive achievements must not prevent you from seeing the life that the Lord is causing to blossom, today too, in your midst. Do not yield to nostalgia, but be men who, moved by faith in the God of history and of life, proclaim the coming of the dawn amid the darkness of the night (cf. Is 21:11-12). Men of contemplation, who, with the eyes of the heart fixed on the Lord, can see what others, caught up in the concerns of this world, cannot. Men capable of proclaiming, with the boldness born of the Spirit, that Jesus Christ is alive and is Lord. A second reflection is this. Mary Magdalene and the other women who went to the tomb that morning (cf. Lk 24:1-8) were women “on the move”: they abandoned their “nest” and set out; they took a risk. The Spirit is calling you too, Brothers of the Resurrection, to be men who set out, to be an Institute “on the move” towards every human periphery, wherever the light of the Gospel needs to be brought. The Spirit is calling you to be seekers of the face of God wherever it is to be found: not in the tombs – “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (v. 5) – but where it lives: in the community and in mission. 2. From Community to the World. Like the disciples of Emmaus, allow the Risen One to walk at your side, both as individuals and in community, especially along the path of disappointment and abandonment (cf. Lk 24:11ff.). This encounter will make you run once more, filled with joy and without delay, to the community, and from the community to the entire world, in order to tell others that “The Lord is risen indeed!” (v. 34). Those who believe in the Risen One have the courage to “go forth” and bring to others the Good News of the resurrection, embracing the risks of testimony, even as the Apostles did. How many people are waiting for this joyful proclamation! It is not right for us to deprive them of it. If the resurrection of Christ is our greatest certainty and our most precious treasure, how can we not run to proclaim it to others? A concrete way of showing this is fraternal life in community. It entails accepting the brothers the Lord has given us. As the Apostle Paul tells us, now that Christ has risen from the dead, we can no longer look at others from a human point of view (cf. 2 Cor 5:16). We view them and we accept them as a gift from the Lord. Others are a gift not to be taken for granted or looked down upon, but a gift to be received with respect, because in our brothers, especially if they are weak and frail, Christ comes to meet us. I urge you to be builders of evangelical communities and not merely their “consumers”. I ask you to make fraternal life in community your primary form of evangelization. May communities be open to mission and flee every form of self-absorption, which leads to death. Do not let problems – for problems will always be there – overwhelm you. Instead, cultivate the mysticism of encounter and, together with the brothers the Lord has given you, as you dwell “in the light of the loving relationship of the three divine Persons”, seek ways and means to move forward (cf. Apostolic Letter To All Consecrated People, 21 November 2014, I, 2). In a society that tends to reduce everything to flat uniformity, where injustice gives rise to divisions and hostility, in a world torn and aggressive, ensure that the witness of fraternal life and community will never be lacking! 3. Prophets of joy and of Easter hope. The Risen Lord poured out upon his disciples two forms of consolation: interior joy and the light of the paschal mystery. The joy of recognizing the presence of the Risen Jesus draws you into his Person and his will: for this very reason, it leads to mission. The light of the paschal mystery brings new hope, a “trustworthy hope”, as Pope Benedict XVI has said (Spe Salvi, 2). Risen in order to enable others to rise, set free in order to bring freedom to others, born to new life in order to bring new life to birth in everyone who crosses our path: this is your vocation and mission as Brothers of the Resurrection. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Lk 24:5). May these words continually resound in your hearts. They will help you to overcome moments of sadness and will open before you horizons of joy and hope. They will enable you to shatter tombstones, and give you the strength to proclaim the Good News in this culture so often marked by death. If we have the courage to descend to our personal and community tombs, we will see how Jesus can make us rise from them. This will enable us to rediscover the joy, the happiness and the passion of those moments when we first made of our lives a gift to God and others. Dear brothers, I conclude by repeating something I have often said to consecrated persons, especially during the Year of Consecrated Life: remember the past with gratitude, live the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope. A grateful memory of the past: not archaeology, because charism is always a wellspring of living water, not a bottle of distilled water. A passion for maintaining ever alive and young our first love, who is Jesus. Hope, in the knowledge that Jesus is with us and guides our steps, even as he guided the steps of our founders. May Mary, who in a singular way experienced and continues to experience the mystery of her Son’s Resurrection, watch over your journey with a Mother’s love. I give all of you my blessing. And I ask you, please, not to forget to pray for me.

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