Two Songs for the Season

Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. -- Luke 14:27

All three Synoptic Gospels mention Simon of Cyrene [the present day Benghazi, Libya]. Simon was just passing through Jerusalem, perhaps for the feast of the Passover. When Jesus collapsed under the heavy weight of the cross He was made to carry on the way to execution at the Place of the Skull at Calvary hill after the brutal scourging He was given by Roman soldiers, Simon was conscripted or compelled by the same soldiers to carry the cross for Him, lest He should die of exhaustion and blood loss before the scheduled crucifixion.

Mark’s Gospel uniquely mentions Simon’s two sons, Alexander and Rufus, who were evidently with Simon: A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. -- Mark 15:21.

We can only speculate why Mark should do so. Most Bible commentators agree that Rufus and Alexander all well known fellow believers to the readers of Mark’s Gospel [This is supposed to be the Christians in Rome.] Clement, circa AD 150-215, Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, writes this account in his writing HYPOTYPOSES: … they besought MARK, a follower of Peter, and the one whose Gospel is extant, that he would leave them a written monument of the doctrine which had been orally communicated to them. Nor did they cease until they had prevailed with the man, and had thus become the occasion of the written Gospel which bears the name of MARK. And they say that Peter when he had learned, through a revelation of the Spirit, of that which had been done, was pleased with the zeal of the men, and that the work obtained the sanction of his authority for the purpose of being used in the churches.

The Apostle Peter mentions Mark in his first epistle which is believed Peter wrote in Rome itself, as is indicated by him, when he calls the city, by a code name, Babylon, in the following words: With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. She [the church?] who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.—1 Peter 5:12-13. And they say that this Mark was the first that was sent to Egypt, and that he proclaimed the Gospel which he had written, and first established churches in Alexandria. (Eusebius, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 2.15.1-2, 2.16.1)

In fact, the Apostle Paul greets with tenderness a certain Rufus and his mother in his epistle to the Romans: Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. --Romans 16:13.

Richard Bauckham, author of The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, Eerdmans, 2006, conjectures about the mention of Alexander and Rufus as an unusual detail in Mark’s Gospel: “There does not seem to be a good reason available other than that Mark is appealing to Simon’s eyewitness testimony, known in the early Christian movement not from his own firsthand account but through his sons.”

If the Rufus in Mark 15 and Romans 16 are the same individual, this indicates that Simon of Cyrene, Alexander, Rufus and Simon’s wife eventually came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

No one who encounters Him at anytime and by any means can ever remain the same as he or she was before. Here is a beautiful song relating the story of that encounter between Simon and Jesus!

Watch The Lamb
by Ray Boltz
Courtesy of Google Video

Walking on the road to Jerusalem,
The time had come to sacrifice again,
My two small sons,
They walk beside me on the road,
The reason that they came was to watch the lamb.

Daddy, daddy,
What will see there,
There's so much that we don't understand,
So I told them of Moses and father Abraham,
Then I said dear children watch the lamb.

There will be so many in Jerusalem today,
We must be sure the lamb doesn't run away,
And I told them of Moses and father Abraham,
Then I said dear children watch the lamb.

When we reached the city,
I knew something must be wrong,
There were no joyful worshipers,
No joyful worship songs,
I stood there with my children
in the midst of angry men,
Then I heard the crowd cry out
“Let’s Crucify Him!”

We tried to leave the city
but we could not get away,
Forced to play in this drama
a part I did not wish to play,
Why upon this day
were men condemned to die,
Why were we standing here,
Where soon they would pass by.

I looked and said, even now they come,
The first one cried for mercy,
The people gave him none,
The second one was violent,
He was arrogant and loud,
I still here his angry voice
screaming at the crowd.

Then someone said there's Jesus,
I scarce believed my eyes,
A man so badly beaten,
He barely looked alive,
Blood poured from His body,
From the thorns upon His brow,
Running down the cross,
Falling to the ground.

I watched Him as He struggled,
I watched Him as He fell,
The cross came down upon His back,
The crowd began to yell,
In that moment I felt such agony,
In that moment I felt such loss,
Till a Roman soldier grabbed my arm
and screamed, “You, carry His cross!”

At first I tried to resist him,
Then his hand reached for his sword,
So I knelt and took
the cross from the Lord,
I placed it on my shoulder,
And started down the street,
The blood that he'd been shedding
was running down my cheek.

They led us to Golgotha,
They drove nails
deep in His feet and hands,
Yet upon the cross I heard Him pray
Father, forgive them.
Oh, never have I seen such love
in any other eyes,
Into thy hands I commit my spirit
He prayed and the He died.

I stood for what seemed like years,
I'd lost all sense of time
until I felt two tiny hands
holding tight to mine,
The children stood there weeping,
I heard the oldest say,
Father please forgive us,
the lamb ran away.
Daddy, daddy,
What have we seen here,
There's so much
that we don't understand,
So I took them in my arms,
And we turned and faced the cross,
Then I said dear children,
WATCH THE LAMB.

- § -

Forever, Author of Salvation,
JESUS rose and conquered the grave!

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
– John 20:15-16, NIV

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
-- Zephaniah 3:14, 17, NIV

Mighty To Save
by Hillsong United
Songwriters: Fielding, Ben; Morgan, Reuben
courtesy of get2pc.com

Thanks for singing!

Be With ME In Paradise

Michael Franzese, a Heart Changed by God's Grace

After overhearing Jesus’ intercessory prayer for the bloodthirsty mob and brutal soldiers who were crucifying Him and them –- “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”, – one criminal rebuked the other who was mocking Jesus: “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” [Luke 23:34, 40-43. NKJV]

Radical conversions like that of the penitent criminal still occur today. Jesus still gives the same blessed assurance of God’s pardon, salvation and eternal life to whoever believes in Him just as He did two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

This is exactly what happened to Michael Franzese, a.k.a. Prince of the Mafia, Yuppie Don, while serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison in the mid-80’s. Today, he is a much invited evangelical speaker and founder of Breaking Out, a Christian youth educational group. Here is his story, reprinted from http://www.michaelfranzese.com/story.php:

Michael Franzese was once in the top echelon of the Colombo crime family. He left the mob after converting to Christianity, and has since written the autobiography Blood Covenant.

Indeed, he was the son of Sonny Franzese, a kingpin in New York's Colombo crime family. It was when Sonny was sent to prison that Michael left Hofstra University, where he was a student athlete in pre-Med, to try to help win his dad’s freedom, choosing to follow the path that landed his dad in jail. He began working to help Joe Colombo protest the treatment of Italian Americans, handing out fliers at a rally in Columbus Square, and was standing nearby when Colombo was shot. For Michael, this was his beginning in a life that took him from college jock to Mob Capo, and ultimately made him the target of state, local, and federal organized crime task forces.

Becoming a sworn, made member at the age of 24, he avoided the traditional Mafia domains in favor of the enormously lucrative edges of the legitimate business world. The smart, sophisticated Franzese was long considered an heir apparent to the family's vast power. His ability to make money, which according to the fed’s was more than anyone since Al Capone, won his fame, respect, and rock-star status among mob watchers, but the envy of others in that life.

Michael masterminded brilliant scams, from auto dealerships to union kickbacks, from financial services to the worlds of sports and entertainment, to a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme, all with the help of ambitious tycoons and his own remarkable business acumen. His operations in gambling, loan sharking and corporate crime became a target of Manhattan's famed federal prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani, who indicted Michael on racketeering charges only to come up empty handed in court after promising him 100 years behind bars if convicted. More indictments would follow, however, and in a dramatic turn of events for the onetime Mob caporegime, Michael decided to plead guilty to yet another racketeering indictment, accept a 10 year prison sentence, and then vowed to do the unthinkable-quit the mob, not enter the witness protection program, and not testify against his mob brethren. The Prince abdicated his throne. It’s why he left that makes this story even more incredible.

Michael Franzese earned millions a week at his apex and used his wits and charm to keep the likes of John Gotti from encroaching on his operations. He escaped 5 major indictments and seemed invincible. That was before he met Cammy.

Among many things he was doing, he made movies – his last – Knights of the City, a break dance movie ala West side Story with Sammy Davis, Jr., Leon Issacs Kennedy, and music by Smokey Robinson, filmed in Florida. The imported 50 dancers from L.A. That was the beginning of the end – and the beginning of the unthinkable.

Michael met Camille Garcia, a beautiful dancer from Anaheim [and a Born-Again Christian] – he saw her getting out of the swimming pool and asked to be introduced. Cammy knew nothing other than he was the producer. He fell in love with her, doggedly pursued her and eventually they married. How she convinced him to take the rap on a racketeering charge and how he managed to become the only high ranking official of the Mafia to ever quit the mob, refuse government protection and live to tell about it makes Michael Franzese a truly motivational, inspiring, and fascinating speaker.

Michael's first book, Quitting The Mob, (Harper/Collins Publishing), was released in 1992, providing a glimpse at the life Michael left behind.

His most recent book, Blood Covenant (Whitaker House, Mar. 2003-now in the third printing), looks at that story from 10 years of changed life, providing insight only time allows. It captures Michael's life from beginning through today, offering a powerful look at the why and how he left his past, and how he is still alive today. As Paul Harvey would say, it is "the rest of the story."

- § -

Here is part of a reader’s review of the book, quoted from amazon.com:

By telling you how he came to completely trust in God, Franzese does a good job of creating the message that God forgives EVERYTHING that you do that is not pleasing to him.

Because many people do not accept the simple concept of God's grace, so many find this book to be a blow off towards the end. It is the exact opposite. Franzese's book explains God's grace and what it did for him in ways that most pastors and other religious leaders cannot explain. That does not make him a fanatic; it means he is telling the truth...a truth many do not understand and therefore refuse to accept. Here is my message: if you are looking for an ending that tells how he paid everyone back or how he fell back into the life, then this book is not for you. However, if you are someone who wants to see a true example of God's grace and the way he can use one person to change someone's life while getting the bonus of knowing the insides of the mafia life, I highly recommend this book to you. - by forevercrane.

- § -

Here is part of a video of the Born-Agin Don testifying about his conversion.

Michael Franzese recently spoke at Shadow Mountain Community Church, San Diego County, California. A DVD video of his talk available at http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/.

SOUNDING THE ALARM

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand- a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. – Joel 1:1-3, NIV

Here are two articles about these dangerous times we are living in [2009-????]. To introduce them, I've included the cover letter from Toni DePaoli [author of Reclaiming Victory in Jesus Christ, wife of Pastor Peter DePaoli of Rushing Wind Fellowship, Tigard, Oregon] which referred me to the websites.

Toni's letter:

Hi,
Some of you got this information through our ministry, so if you got a repeat, I apologize. It's the same info in Peter's urgent prayer request.

Some of you know that we've been following prophecies for years regarding judgment falling upon this country. We felt that something big would start rolling in the fall of 2008 and, sure enough, the first week of fall is when the economy went in the tank. At this time, there is lots coming down the pike, but, for the moment, we felt that we needed to share the following information with you, ask you to prayerfully consider what is written and go from there. If you'd like more information, let me know and I'll update you to the best of my ability. If you don't want to hear anymore, don't worry, I won't be sending things like this to you on a regular basis. This is a one-shot deal.

Just to pre-empt this, to my knowledge, David Wilkerson has not sent out an urgent message since right before 9/11. At that time, about three months before the event, he sent a separate mailing from his regular news letter (which is the most bible based, rock solid study in the Word each month). In this extra letter back then, he wrote asking us to pray. I may not have the details right, but what I remember is that David and his leadership believed that God told them to store up water and medical supplies. They did. God said, "More!" So they did. He kept saying, "More!" and they kept obeying. If I remember correctly, at the time of the writing, they had classrooms filled and they felt that the Lord told them that there was going to be a castrophe in NY and that it was not going to be avoided and to pray for them and whom ever would be effected. The reason that I remember this is that as some of you know, I was raised in outside of NY city and had lots of family and friends who were still there. When the towers fell, David Wilkerson's church was just blocks from the fall out zone. They were some of the first on the scene with... water and medical supplies.

That's why we trust this man. He doesn't send out "words" flippantly and his bible studies are always balanced, solid and centered on the Word of God. For those of you outside of the U.S. please pray for us. For those inside the U.S. please pray for discernment and ears to hear whatever the Lord may be speaking to you.

So, today, this was on his web site.
http://www.davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/2009/03/urgent-message.html

Another report that just came out is regarding Billy Grahams ministry.
http://www.christianpost.com/Ministries/Outreach/2009/02/ministry-leaders-world-s-bad-news-and-good-reveal-end-is-near-12/page1.html

The Two Messages. Websites' URLs above.

AN URGENT MESSAGE

I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).

God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12).

In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment—just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.

As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).

I will say to my soul: No need to run...no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take—trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.

Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you,

In Christ,
DAVID WILKERSON

- § -

Ministry Leaders: World's Bad News and Good Reveal End is Near
By Eric Young
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Feb. 12 2009 05:57 PM EST

The end is near.

“We’re looking at the end of human history,” said Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of renowned evangelist Billy Graham and president of AnGeL Ministries, at the recent convention of the National Religious Broadcasters. “That our generation is the generation that precedes the return of Christ, what a privilege, what a responsibility to share the gospel with the world in this generation.”

Though it’s been said many times before in the past that the end is near, the signs of “the end” are notably clearer for many in this generation than in past ones, whether they’re found in the record number of wars, the world’s environmental calamities, or the increasing number of scandals that lace today’s news – from celebrity assaults and athlete drug use to political corruption and decline in moral values.

“The world is crumbling, isn’t it? And it’s unraveling. And I don’t think it’s going to get better,” Graham Lotz told thousands of Christian media professionals during a general session at the recently concluded NRB Convention. “I think superficially, maybe, but it’s not really going to get better, not if what we’re experiencing is the judgment of God, which I believe it is.”
Of course, amid the chaos and crises in the world, there have also been advances and developments, many of which have been increasingly utilized by believers for the proclamation of the gospel. However, even in the positive developments, ministry leaders see an end approaching.

“We see that maybe for the first time, because of the technology available to us today, we can say, ‘This may be the generation in which we reach the entire world for Christ,’” says NRB president and CEO Dr. Frank Wright, whose association comprises over 1,400 Christian media organizations.

Whether it is social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, more tools are being created and utilized to reach out to people and spread the message of Christ. Last year, over 3 million decisions for Christ were reportedly made through the internet alone, and some 5 million more are projected for 2009. According to the Internet Evangelism Coalition, an umbrella group of online ministries, 1.5 billion people now access the Web for a wide range of activities.

“I’ve watched God operate through the years and I’ve seen Him do incredible things and much more incredible things in the last 5-10 years,” says Campus Crusade for Christ International president Steve Douglass, who spent all of his adult career in ministry and personally believes the Great Commission will be fulfilled in the next decade.

Aside from the internet, very fruitful ministry methods have been and are being continually developed, scripture translation is expanding rapidly, and believers are praying, planning, and more at one now than they have been in the past centuries, says Douglass.

“It’s not going to be ‘business as usual’ for the church anymore,” he told some 300 attendees of the North American Call2All Congress in Dayton, Ohio, last month. “We are experiencing increasing shakings all around the world; this is a prelude to the greatest ingathering into God’s Kingdom we have ever seen.

“The time is now,” Douglass exclaimed. “It is imperative we plan and work together to see the Great Commission completed.”

In her message this week during the NRB Convention in Nashville, Graham Lotz also emphasized the importance of unity among believers as “the time clock of human history is winding down.”

“Let’s bring integrity back, and unity ... at least let’s bring it back in the Church,” she said after having acknowledged division in the Church as a spiritual sign of the End Times.

“God’s people need to be people of integrity and humility and purity and unity,” she said. “We need to do all we can to set wrongs right and to reach out to other people so that we’re united with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ because ... in these last days, we need each other."

“We need to encourage each other and strengthen each other and pray for each other,” Graham Lotz exhorted. “It’s going to take us together to withstand the onslaught of the enemy in order to lift up Jesus in these last days. “

From Saturday to Tuesday, over six thousand Christian ministry and media representatives gathered in Nashville for this year’s NRB Convention, looking for new tools, services, and relationships to expand their ministries and to get up to speed on the latest advances in Christian radio, television and internet media.

Keynote speakers included Graham Lotz, John McArthur, and Charles Stanley, among others.

END OF MESSAGES

Walk With Me
sung by Ernie Haas & The Signature Sound
Courtesy of YouTube

DUNAMIN TES ANASTASEOS

The Power of His Resurrection

The Resurrection of Jesus is a unique event in all of human history. It is of paramount significance to all believers.

Caravaggio, Jesus and Thomas

Both before and after Jesus, there were various people who were restored to life again that are cited in the scriptures: the son of the widow of Zerephath, the son of the Shunammite woman, the recently-dead Israelite who was thrown into Elisha’s tomb and touched his bones, the son of the widow of Nain, Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter at Capernaum, Lazarus of Bethany, Dorcas of Joppa, the sleepy boy Eutychus at Troas [1 Kings 17:8-27, 2 Kings 4:8-37, 2 Kings 13:20-22, Luke 7:11-16. Matthew 9:18-26. Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56. John 11, Acts 9:36-42, Acts 20:7-12].

Another possible instance of resuscitation to life from death was Jonah, the reluctant prophet sent to Nineveh, after being swallowed by a great fish prepared by the Lord; depending on how one interprets his prayer from the ‘belly of hell [Sheol]’ –whether it was poetic hyperbole or truthfully literal. “From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry… The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God" [Jonah 2:1. 5-6]. In either case, Jesus referred to the sign of Jonah to foretell His impending death, burial and resurrection [Matthew 12:38-40, 16:1-4, Luke 11:29-30].

In all aforementioned precursors, the people raised from death lived mundane lives, aged, weakened and eventually died a second time: happy exceptions to the general norm in Hebrews 9, ‘man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…’ But when Jesus rose again bodily, -- leaving an empty tomb behind, appearing to more than 500 eyewitnesses for a period of 40 days, inspiring most of them to courageously die in martyrdom for preaching the gospel, -- He was resurrected to live forever, to intercede to the Father for us, to await His appointed time to reclaim the earth. [Hebrews 7:24-25, Revelation 11:15-16]. His glorified body is forever immune to pain, disease or decay, prevailing over the very laws and forces of nature.

The gospel preached by Paul and the Apostles focuses on three essential points: that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried, that He rose again on the third day. [1 Corinthians 15:3, Acts 2:23-24]. Without Jesus’ Resurrection, our faith is worthless, futile. The weary, stale, flat and unprofitable condition of life in this world would be left utterly with neither hope nor meaning. Righteousness that is imputed to us by faith comes with this declaration and confident belief: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved [Romans 10:6, 9]. So what is it about the resurrection of Jesus that makes so profoundly significant for those who believe?

Firstly, the resurrection proves the Jesus is the Son of God. John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and simultaneously heard the Father name Jesus as His Beloved Son; Peter, John and James heard the same words when they witnessed His Transfiguration. Various prophecies from Adam and Eve to Joseph and Mary declare the same affirmation. Conclusively, the resurrection is visible and irrefutable evidence to many that Jesus is who He claimed to be: the great I AM, as He declared under oath to Caiphas and the Sanhedrin [Matthew 26:63-64, Mark 14:61-62]. “Through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” [Romans 1:4].

The resurrection completes Jesus’ mission to accomplish the salvation and regeneration of all repentant believers. God declared that the condemnation Jesus suffered for our sin was annulled and cancelled. Jesus fully paid the price, the penalty for our sins. He was made sin for us though He Himself was without sin. “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” He challenged unbelieving Pharisees [John 9:46]. Being sinless, therefore undeserving of the wages of sin -death, - “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” [Acts 2:24]. For us, Jesus’ rising bodily from the dead is a sign that God approvingly accepted the payment Jesus made, writing ‘Tetelestai’ on our statements of account. Those accounts are settled. Forever!

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” [Romans 4:25]

Thirdly, His resurrection confirms Jesus’ sovereignty over life and death, thereby assuring us of our own future resurrection and glorification. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living [Romans 14:9].

After healing the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, on a Sabbath day, Jesus had an argument with several outraged Jews. Here, He said: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation [John 5:24-29] Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is [1 John 3:2].

For diligent students of the Scripture, there are many more reasons to be found, other than these three mentioned here, on the significance of the resurrection. For now, these three are more than sufficient for us to rejoice in Jesus Christ, who promised:

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. [John 14:19].

- End-

Astronomical anomaly sows tumult, mass hysteria

A strange, radiant light has been recently reported to be hovering above Bethlehem’s night sky in Judea, prompting the Babylon-based Mysterious Astronomical, and Geophysical Incidents (MAGI) bureau to dispatch a team of astronomers to investigate the incident.

“It may be a planetary conjunction, a comet, or a nova. No one really knows for sure,” according to MAGI’s press statement circulating in newsrooms yesterday. “Weird events are reportedly happening out there; it may be a Divine sign that the political turmoil in Judea is coming to a head.”

Bethlehem, a nondescript locale 6 miles south of the Judean capital city of Jerusalem, is the scene of a spate of bizarre events which has spurred the Royal House of Herod in Jerusalem to impose stringent security measures in the area. A group of shepherds were reportedly rounded up for rumor-mongering. One of them allegedly confessed that an intergalactic visitor named Angel Gabriel urged them to visit a newly-born baby who is reportedly the true heir to the throne of David.

Similar “angel” tales abound in the area and may have links to the appearance of this strange light. Some locals have attributed it to references of a heavenly vision in the Jewish Scriptures. “It’s the Shekinah Glory, the dwelling presence of God on earth! That’s why it is so bright!” exclaimed an innkeeper who refused to be identified for fear of possible arrest.

Authorities have dismissed these reports as a product of “mass hallucination” and “hyperactive imaginations” brought about by “bouts of melancholia” that often afflicted randy shepherds long accustomed to chasing loose women. “How can they claim that it was an angel? Angels are supposed to have wings, eh? Besides, how could a baby mount a revolt?” asked Herod Antipas, son and likely heir of Herod the Great, in an ambush interview two days ago as he was leaving the Temple’s entrance.

Palace insiders disclose, however, that the king’s orders for vigilance in the town of David betray a growing concern over a perceived political threat. Chief priests and teachers of the law were allegedly executed after linking the purported birth of the Messiah-king in Bethlehem to a prophecy.

In a related development, the Judean health ministry is currently validating reports of unsanitary birthing practices in Bethlehem. Rumors of a young girl’s birth to a baby boy in an animal stable have prompted local health authorities to evaluate child-delivery services and facilities. In recent months, the influx of census registrants and taxpayers has put a strain to the fragile infrastructure in Bethlehem, resulting in overcrowded houses and inns.

Bloggers’ note: We have just presented a likely news story that could have headlined a newspaper at the time of Jesus’ birth, if newspapers were already in existence back then. We find little difference in the worldview described in the gospels and the one we see today: any good news, especially of the miraculous kind, is met with sensationalism at best and skepticism at worst. All too often, we simply find it hard to understand, much less believe, that a Very Important Person was born 2,000 years ago in the most humble of circumstances only to die for inconsequential mortals like you and me. Perhaps we are too caught up with sentimental scenes of shepherds and kings hovering over a new-born baby in a manger. Or maybe too engrossed with our gift lists to bother seeing beyond Santa Claus and puto bumbong. Yet the message remains the same despite the passing of time: the Messiah came to this world to die…so that we may live and be reconciled with God. The Christmas crib leads us all the way to the cross at Calvary. On Christmas day, instead of being swept off by the revelries, why not take the journey back to understanding what Jesus’ coming means to humanity? Take the Bible as your navigator and discover what your Savior has done for you. We invite you to join us in the succeeding pages and find out why we rejoice in Jesus Christ.

AN EVANGEL OF L♥VE

I had first met Toni in an Internet prayer website; later on I learned that due to a previous severe injury to her vertebra there is no medical reason why she should be walking around and actively serving the Lord in counseling ministry, not to mention her loving husband, Peter, as well as raising their four godly children. After ten years she has just finished writing Reclaiming Victory In Jesus Christ, a bible-study book for pastors and anyone who wants to fulfill the Great Commission. Their website is http://reclaimingvictory.org/.

The church they pastor is Rushing Wind Fellowship in Tigard, Oregon.

Here is her true story that she shared with me last Christmas; with her permission, it is my joy to share this with others.

THE HUMMELS
by Toni DePaoli

My father’s parents lived very simply in a small, run-down duplex on the old side of New Rochelle, New York. Come Christmas time, that little apartment became the Mecca of delicious old-world cookies and pastries. Besides the Christmas tree that Grandpa would string with Grandma’s cookies, their only other decoration was the nativity set.

Grandma’s nativity was a limited edition set of fine porcelain made by Hummel. There were three wise men, Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus in his manger, a cow and donkey, a couple of shepherds and an angel. Most of the pieces stood about eight inches high and were painted in muted earth tones. Each Christmas Grandma would make a grand production of displaying the Hummels in her place of honor for all to see…on top of their portable television set.

Grandma would always take the time to walk me up to the nativity and lovingly point out one piece or another. Each visit, I was promised that someday this wonderful nativity set would be passed on to me. I would just sit and stare at them with little-girl wonder year after year. For twenty five years I would watch those pieces with the same awe. My sentiment for them would deepen with each holiday. As I grew and left home, memories of Grandma and Grandpa would always be of big Italian meals, Christmas cookies and the Hummels.

My family had many changes as I grew. My parents divorced and remarried. I moved to Oregon when I married in 1980. Grandpa passed away in 1984. Finally, in 1990 Grandma passed away on the day she finished knitting a baby sweater for my fourth child, my first daughter who would be born a month later.

Soon after, my father called me and asked me for a favor. “You were always promised the Hummels. I know that. But I would like to hang on to them for now. I want to put them out each Christmas just like mom did, but you will get them…I promise.” It truly never occurred to me that the Hummels meant as much to others as they did to me. How could I deny him this tradition?

Understanding his attachment, I voiced a concern. If Dad were to display the Hummels every Christmas, it would establish a tradition with his new family. I pictured them growing as attached to the nativity as he and I were. I couldn’t even imagine giving up this wonderfully tender part of my history with my grandparents; it was all I had left of them.

My dad promised that, no matter what, one day he would see that the Hummels would be in my possession. He had even come up with a plan to mail them. He would put each figure in a small box filled with foam and then put each small box in a huge box and surround it with packing “popcorn”. Each box would be mailed separately. He was certain that this would insure the safe arrival of each valuable piece on the long trip from New York to Oregon.

Five years later, my father, who was rarely sick and even more infrequently went to the doctors, called to tell me that his concerned wife had coerced him to get a checkup because of the flu like symptoms he had experienced for quite some time.

After telling me about his appointment, Dad told me to keep a look-out for a box he had sent. He would often send little gifts for the kids or me. His boxes had a reputation all their own and always brought a laugh. No matter how inexpensive the contents, sometimes he just sent a pencil, Dad would send everything receipt requested, unrealistically insured and packed in enough popcorn to feed a herd of elephants. The popcorn was his own twist because he loved to think of my four little ones gleefully spreading it all over the house…which they did with gusto. It would always give him a big belly laugh when I’d recount how I’d find packing popcorn under someone’s pillow or in their shoes.

Dad called a few days later to tell me that he had advanced liver cancer. He was given a prognosis of six months to live. I was devastated. How could this be? The man was never sick! That night and many others to come I cried myself sick.

A few days after Dad’s call the postman came to the door and handed me a large box. As I took it from him I could hear “clink, clink, and clink!” Whatever was inside was broken. The package wasn’t insured, which was very unusual for my dad, so I figured it wasn’t anything important, just some funny little joke of his.

My children crowded around as I opened the box to see what used to be inside. I had been squatting next to the box as I opened it. When I saw its contents I fell flat back with a thump and just stared openmouthed. To my absolute horror I saw what was left of the Hummels. It was obvious from the first glance that the pieces were shattered.

For whatever reason, Dad had simply wrapped each figure in a paper towel, put them all together in the box, one on top of the other with just a couple handfuls of “popcorn” thrown in for good measure. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Like a widow piecing through the ravages of an earthquake looking for her loved ones I pulled each piece out of the box. I cried as I lifted Mary with her shattered dress and arm, her head hanging down being held on by the inner material used to support the fine porcelain. As I lifted every paper towel the pieces disintegrated in my hands. The cow was in at least twenty pieces. It sounds silly, I know, but I sat on my floor and cried over that old cow.

My children looked on with wide eyes while I choked back sobs. Joseph, like Mary, had his head broken off and was hanging by a string. My four-year-old daughter thought Joseph looked like our friend and commented sadly, “Look, Mommy. Mike Banke’s head falled off!” It made me laugh and then cry all the harder.

I was sick with grief. All the years of hoping and waiting for this wonderful set, and now look at it! It was like losing Grandma all over again and now, if possible, it made my father’s coming death all the more devastating. I couldn’t look any more. I closed the box and set it in my room.

When my husband came home that night he knew something was wrong as soon as he opened the door. My four little heralds ran to meet him with the news. He thought they were just rambling until he looked at my face. I couldn’t even talk to him. I just choke up and turned away. The kids led him to the bedroom and pointed to the box as I numbly followed behind. Peter knew how much the Hummels meant to me. When he looked inside at the shattered contents he got choked up and said, “Oh, Honey. I’m so sorry. Oh, Honey, Honey, look at this. Oh, no! What happened? “

Later that evening, when I could talk without crying, I told my husband that even though the Hummels were destroyed I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the shattered bits. I wanted to keep them in the box for now until I could figure out what to do.

A few days later I spoke with my father. He asked if the Hummels had arrived. I simply told him that they had gotten there, but never told him HOW they arrived. I just thanked him and said I hoped it didn’t cause any problems between him and his wife. He assured me it didn’t and then said, “Well, honey, now you can keep the tradition going and pass them on to your children. Grandma would be so happy.”

I hung up the phone and the tears flowed again. In fact, every time I would look at the box in my closet or tell one of my friends about it, I would get all choked up. The box stayed in my closet, filled with broken pieces, stashed away under important papers and old clothes.

Two years passed and one day my husband arranged for a babysitter for the kids and said he was taking me for a ride with him to Dundee, Oregon, a one-traffic-light town stuck between other little towns. We didn’t know anyone there and the town wasn’t known for any particular place of interest. Why on earth were we going to Dundee? Peter just smiled and led the way.

We pulled up to a simple house and a young woman met us at the door beaming. Peter introduced her as Kelly and she greeted me with familiar warmth, even though I didn’t know her from Adam. I looked confused at Peter and he just smiled. Then Kelly said excitedly, “They’re in the dining room. Go on in.” Peter bowed as if he were the headwaiter of a great restaurant and gestured for me to go ahead.

There on the table was a Hummel nativity identical to mine. I wistfully looked at it and said, “Oh, look! It’s just like Grandma’s.” Peter, who got all choked up, said in a husky voice, “It is Grandma’s.”

My heart skipped and my eyes watered and I whispered, “What do you mean ‘it is Grandmas’?” Peter explained it grieved him to see me all broken up about the Hummels. Because he knew how much they meant to me he had searched and searched to find someone to restore the broken pieces. Kelly’s talent was her ability to repair broken porcelain and glass. She smiled and said it was her therapy.

I could not believe it. This truly was Grandma’s Hummels, those shattered splinters, completely restored.

From a distance, you would never be able to tell there was a break or a crack. I walked slowly toward them as if in a dream. I absolutely could not believe what I was seeing. Upon very close examination I could only see a slight line around some of the necks, otherwise the paint was the same and each figure was whole.

I didn’t want to touch them in case they would shatter. Kelly assured me they were as good as new and safe to handle. She went on to tell us the painstaking process she had gone through. Her greatest triumph was when she had one little piece to find, a pinky finger, which was stuck inside one of the pieces of popcorn. She explained that the only true difference was that the pieces, which before were possibly worth thousands, now had no value.

Grandma’s set. I almost couldn’t breathe as I looked through tear-filled eyes. There it was. Grandma’s Hummels. Kelly charged us less than $80 for the priceless gift my husband had just given to me.

Through the years, God has woven a story in my heart created by the Hummels. Only one of the twelve pieces wasn’t broken; the baby Jesus. God is always there, whole, when everything else seems to be falling apart. When my life seems shattered, totally in splinters and looks beyond repair, He is the one who can put all of the pieces together to make something even more precious than it was before.

Each Christmas, just like my father and his parents before him, we lovingly set out the Nativity set in a special place. Each year I turn the cow upside down. Underneath you can see the many cracks where the pieces were fit together. Those cracks bring a flow of liquid love to my eyes for a husband who shared my grief and brought such joy, for the love of generations that were and the generations to come that will love the Hummels.

-The End-

We Need a Little Christmas from the movie Auntie Mame
Sung by The Lettermen
Courtesy of YouTube

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD…”
- Isaiah 61:1-2

My Search for the Messiah

I searched for the Messiah in churches and cathedrals with their stained-glass windows, high-ceiling domes and jutting spires as though reaching out to heavens in supplication…

But I realized that the Messiah could not be confined on cold marble, pale ceramic, twisted metal, and other handiworks of men because the earth is God’s footstool.

I searched in vain for the Messiah on the pollution-smeared skies above, the denuded mountaintops, the garbage-filled beaches, the sadness mirrored in eyes of animals doomed to die…

But I could only see the shallow traces of His creative powers in the natural world that continues to groan from its bondage of decay.

I searched for the Messiah in other people’s company, hoping that they have innate goodness in their nature that would lead me closer to my quest…

But I found out that humankind is inherently evil and humanity has been mired in sin since Adam’s fall and there is madness in the hearts of men.

I searched for the Messiah in the pleasures of this world and the path that I hoped would lead me to success, glory, and fulfillment in life…

But I realized that the search for worldly pleasures and wisdom was just the “vanity of all vanities”; that there’s nothing new under the sun; that everything is meaningless; and the same destiny overtakes all: death.

I thought I could find Him by capturing the essence of Christmas festivity which commemorates His advent…

But I got lost amid the swirl of shopping frenzies of the crowd, images of Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman in a winter wonderland, and the gross materialism that have obscured the significance of His incarnation.

I looked deep inside of me, trying to discover or awaken the so-called miracle in me, as what the New Agers and “feel-good” preachers foist on the unsuspecting crowd…

But I only became too acutely aware of my own sins and shortcomings and the great chasm between me and God.

I searched for the Messiah on the pages of the Scripture without the guidance of the Holy Spirit…

But I could not understand why He has not returned after leaving this planet 2,000 years ago.
I did not find the Messiah.

In fact, He was the one who found me. I was in His heart and mind before the foundation of this world. He has always loved me before the advent of time. “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons …” (Ephesians 1: 4-5).

He was thinking of me -an inconsequential sinner, when He left His glorious place in heaven to be born in a lowly manger.

His thoughts were with sinners like me headed for eternal damnation when He endured the pain, the shame, and the humiliation while hanging at the cross.

And all I ever needed was to respond to His love and grace by asking Jesus to enter my life and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Now, I know that the Messiah lives in me as He walks with me through the snares and vicissitudes of life. I have finally realized that He has not really left this world but the Holy Spirit continues to live in the hearts of millions of believers as His kingdom advances to the end of this age.

I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas

Peanuts, a syndicated comic strip created by Charles M. Schultz running from October 2,1950 to February 13, 2000, the day after the Lord called Schultz home. It is considered to be one of the most popular and influential in the history of American popular culture.

In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, and as source material for several books, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts.

On December 9, 1965, the classic television special A Charlie Brown Christmas was aired by the CBS network. On many occasions, Peanuts dealt with religious themes. Here Linus van Pelt, the comic strip’s young theologian, quotes the King James Version of the Bible (Luke 2:8-14) to explain to Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. In his personal interviews, Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side.

Schultz was raised in the Lutheran faith. As a young adult and then later he taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church: he remained a faithful member of the Church of God (Anderson) for the rest of his life.

- Source: Wikipedia.

Let me share with all people of goodwill [or: on whom God’s favor rests] this delightful excerpt:

A Charlie Brown Christmas
courtesy of YouTube.

CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATION

This Is My Body Which is Broken for You

This is the season when the city is bedecked with star lanterns, tinsel buntings on Yule trees and boughs of holly, and a billion twinkling lights. Buyers and sellers are engaged in a paroxysm of purchases and sales of Christmas gifts for friends and family. Little if any room is prepared for Christ in the hearts of believers who are commemorating His birthday – except perhaps for crèches that are dusted by some from storage to be displayed is some innocuous corner for a few weeks.

As silently calm, bright, even joyful as these Nativity scenes are, they conceal the underlying bitter sweetness of the time: the strenuous forced trip to Bethlehem caused by an oppressive tax census by an occupying foreign power, the tarnished reputation of Mary of Nazareth for her unwed pregnancy [though the Child was divinely conceived], and the difficult [but fully human] delivery in a filthy stable with no one to midwife except the devoted and loving husband Joseph. Forty days later, when Jesus was presented at the Jerusalem temple to be consecrated to the Lord as Mary’s firstborn, an old prophet, Simeon, prophesied, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." [Luke 2:34-35] Some two years later, the slaughter of the innocent male infants in Bethlehem two years or younger was ordered by King Herod the Great in an attempt destroy God’s promised Anointed King. It was a very bitter sweet time.

Inconceivable but true. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Jesus, always fully God, became fully Man from zygote to embryo to fetus to His glorious birth. Then, “He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” “We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [Luke 2:52, John 1:14]

We delight in celebrating birthdays of family and friends, saved or unsaved, because they enrich and gladden our lives. The birth of our True Brother and Faithful Friend is much, much more than that. Full of grace and truth, He teaches us a better, righteous way of living; He restores broken hearts, forgives sins, heals diseases, casts out demons, and redeems us from darkness and death by making possible our rebirth in the Holy Spirit. He fully reveals to us the living, loving and luminous image of God [John 14:9, Colossians 2:9]

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” [Isaiah 9:2] “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” [John 1:4] That is the eternal life. “…so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” [John 3:13-15]

When Christ came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;” …. "Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do Your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." [Hebrews 10:5, 9-10] “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” [Philippians 2:6-8]

His tortured death on the cross is the penalty He took on our behalf for our sins, once for all. “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by HIM, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” [Isaiah 53:4-6]

So, that body, born one bitter sweet night in Bethlehem was lifted up on the cross on a hill in Jerusalem, died for our sins, was buried and rose to life again, exactly as God promised. Jesus commands us to constantly remember His body, broken in our behalf and His blood poured out for us. [Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26]

Because we shall behold that Body again. "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. [Revelation 22:20]

- End-

Jonseb, Tuesday 18 November 2008.

Mark Lowery sings

'Mary, Did You Know'

Courtesy of YouTube

Nearing the Midnight Hour

"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him" (Matthew 25: 6)


Darkening sky slides in the deafening absence of sound
as the grayish haze hides faintly-lit stars, beside

the neon-smeared pool, an old man gazes beyond
a swath of the stellar sea, comic book on hand,

as though watching the inky blackness swallows
a cruising capsule-crib, ahead of which flies up,

up in the sky, a hero’s tale that is faster
than a speeding bullet, but there is another story

more compelling, he reminds himself: a bloodied,
impaled body hung limply between the dark,

shrouded sky and the sin-stained ground,
his dying breath ascending like flickering mist

but weighed down instead by the sins
of us all, until the tale gets to the part

of the empty tomb, the body rising above
curdled clouds, below which gaping mouths

grapple for words, the way endless silence speaks
in volume, there is this other way that his dying,

and rising means everything, not just believing,
not just a mystery that keeps him waiting,

but how his scarlet sins turned white as snow, even
as he ponders the promises veiled in portents

and oracles, clues remain hidden between
the lines until the advent of the end-times, nothing

to flush from the pink urinals’ sludge, but how
he sips the cityscape’s bitter after-taste, even

the tisane from slanting rains he sniffs
for indelible signs of his coming, for all

signs are flowing traceries of prophecies
he used to say before humming lullabies

of longing, for there seems to be no end
from this lengthened spell of solitude, this slow

infinite waltz of waiting, even as Orion chases
the Pleaides night after night, hurtling headlong

across charcoal-coated sky, below which
the downbound train of worn-out faces, crashes

on the final bend, the screeching sound a faint
echo of thundering hooves, as his sunken eyes

continue to stare at a patch of the dark sky,
waiting for the rider on a white horse, with a robe

dipped in blood, to descend from the clouds, it is
starting to drizzle, the gentle breeze cools

his craggy face, a thunder rolls overheard,
its sound as audible as the last trumpet call.

REFORMATION DAY AND HALLOWEEN by Jonseb

On Oct 31, 1517 Martin Luther -- priest and Augustinian monk, lawyer by education, and professor of theology in the University of Wittenberg -- nailed the Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. It was an invitation to discuss by debate the commoditization and commercialization of indulgences: these are church produced documents that remit -- partially or in full -- temporal punishment in purgatory for sins which have already been forgiven spiritually. His argumant was based on the idea that Sacraments of Confession, Penance and Reconciliation have become a commercial transaction instead of a repentant change of heart. This minor matter became the catalyst for the Reformation. Copies of the 95 Theses were sent by Luther to Albert,the Archbishop of Mainz, [his immediate boss], Pope Leo X [his big boss], as well as his contemporary professors in other universities.

It was not unusual for anyone to post announcements on important matters on church doors, which were a kind of bulletin board at a time when there were no newspapers. Neither was the date chosen by Luther. Crowds of all sorts of people were due to flock to the church. Since 835 A.D. the following days -- November 1 and 2 -- were designated as All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively in the liturgical calendar of the Holy Roman Empire. This was officially decreed by [King] Louis the Pious, issued at the request of Pope Gregory IV. During the time of imperial persecution the early Christians would celebrate the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ (known as the saint's "birth day") by serving an all-night vigil, and then celebrating the eucharist over their tomb or the shrine at their place of martyrdom.. By 270 AD the practice had developed to to a joint commemoration of all martyrs since the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. Frequently, a number of Christians would suffer martyrdom on the same day.

In the Roman Church, the date was originally assigned to May 13 [since 610 AD]. By a strange coincidence, this day was also the culmination of the 3-day Feast of the Lemures [May 9,11,13]. This had been practiced by pagan Rome from antiquity. During this Feast, the malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were propitiated, exiled or exorcised. It was the date when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon -- the temple to all the pagan gods -- at Rome to the Blessed Mary and all the martyrs; the martyrs became known as All Saints or All Hallows. Then in 835 AD, Gregory IV moved the date of this holy day from May 13 to November 1, perhaps to accommodate the Celtic converts who obstinately kept celebrating their pagan festival of Samhain – their new year and harvest festival. They believed that on October 31, the the boundary between the living and the dead dissolved: the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. Costumes and masks were worn to mimic the evil spirits or placate them. Gregory IV’s decision is consistent with the policy of leaving pagan festivals and buildings intact (such as the Pantheon), while overlaying a gloss of Christiian meaning. However, no reliable documentation exists indicating that this was Gregory IV’s motivation.

All Souls Day is distinguished from All Saints Day in that it commemorates the souls of the dead Christians who have not yet been purified and finally arrived in heaven. Thus, on display at the Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517 were numerous relics collected by Frederic III [aka ‘the Wise’], Elector of Saxony, who later became Luther’s political protector. It was believed at that time that viewing a relic and donating something for the preservation of the Castle Church would earn the viewer/donor a commutation of 100 days in purgatory per relic for himself or for a dead relative or friend.

Luther’s objections and resevations about these beliefs were strongly resisted by some and strongly supported by others. In 1520 he was officially denounced and excommunicated by Pope Leo X in the bull ‘Exsurge Domine’. He escaped the fate of being burned a heretic -- as Jan Hus was in 1415 – only through the foresight and cleverness of Frederick the Wise.

The ensuing conflict eventually solidified Luther’s theological ideas into the five principles of the Reformation. These are:

v Sola Scriptura, ("by Scripture alone"). This principle recognizes the Bible, the word of God, as the only infallible and authoritative basis of faith, notwithstanding human and church traditions. As Martin Luther said, "The true rule is this: God's Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so."
v Sola fide ("by faith alone") teaches that justification- being declared right by God - is received by faith only, without any mixture of or need for good works; though saving faith is always evidenced by good works [James 1:18]. "Faith yields justification and good works" rather than "Faith and good works yield justification."
v Sola gratia ("by grace alone") teaches that salvation comes by God's grace or "unmerited favor" only — not as something merited or earned by the sinner,
v Solus Christus ("Christ alone") affirms that Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and that there is salvation through no other, Mary of Nazareth, the Apostles, the saints and the angels notwithstanding .
v Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone") teaches that all glory is to be due to God alone. No human being should be exalted for his or her good works, but rather praise and glory should be given to God who is the Author and Perfecter of people and their good works.

In response, the Council of Trent was convened in Trento -- three times between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 -- by Popes Paul III, Julius III and Pius IV. The ecumenical Council, after 18 years of deliberations, – and not allowing the few invited reformers to speak their views nor even vote -- entirely rejected these 5 principles proposed by the Reformers and pronounced an eternal anathema [curse] on all who believed and taught as Luther did. Likewise, the Lutherans, as this first group of Reformers were known, also pronounced an eternal curse on the Roman Church.

On October 31, 1999 the Roman Church, represented by Pope John Paul II, and the Lutheran World Federation signed The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. In effect, the Roman Church and the LWF, are apparently in agreement on Sola Fide without saying anything about the four other Solas. The excommunications and eternal curses of both groups relating to the doctrine of justification were mutually lifted. Confessional Lutherans, such as the International Lutheran Council and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, reject the Declaration. So do all present day churches that developed from the Reformation [except for the World Methodist Council].

Most of these churches have retained the celebration of All Saints Day, though many have moved it from November 1 to the first Sunday of November: but for most of the secular world, Oct 31 and the following days, it is the Haloween season [a contraction of All Hallows Evening]. In the Philippines it is known as ‘Undas’, perhaps from the Spanish word ofrendas (offerings), which are made on this day in Portugal, Spain and Mexico. Here, the day is devoted to visiting the graves of deceased relatives, where prayers and flowers are offered, candles are lit and the graves themselves are cleaned, repaired and repainted. In rural areas, candles are lit in houses all through the night to assist the spirits of the dead find their way in case they wish to visit. Elsewhere, in the USA and Europe, in the affluent gated-communities of Greater Manila, it is a season of tremendous fun, especially for children who come Trick-or-Treating!

While no one in the secular world believes anymore in the reality of restless, wandering spirits of the dead, goblins, ghouls, witches, vampires, zombies and the like, the memory of these is celebrated in the costumes, masks and visitations of children collecting teeth-decaying obesity-causing candies and goodies from house to house: these houses vie with neighbors with artistic décor of cemeteries, skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, haunted houses and anything with a scary motif. Cinemas feature horror movies that entertain viewers by making them scream in terror. Halloween is fast overtaking Christmas as a season of humungous retail sales. Just as in Luther’s time the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation was commoditized and commercialized, the day set aside for commemorating the Christian martyrs, Blessed Mary and all the beatified saints has become commoditized and commercialized for a great many people.

Halloween may be harmless, innocent fun. Maybe. Surely it is not in accord with St. Paul’s message: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” -- Philippians 4:7-8, NIV

The Dark Night of Halloween: No Joker's Caper

Have you noticed the increasing popularity of Halloween celebrations in Metro Manila during the past years? I do. It’s particularly interesting because this custom/practice is "borrowed" from Western culture. When I was a kid, my usual brushes with anything that comes closer to this "celebration" were the usual doses of tales revolving around "patianak", "kapre", and other creepy creatures etched deep in Capampangan folklore. "Trick or treat" was entirely alien to us (at least those of my generation), as alien as the "manlalague" of the stories told during brownouts and moonlit nights when there was nothing else to do but plumb the innermost recesses of imagination to kill boredom (only a few families in the neighborhood had TV sets then).

Fast forward to the future. The practice of "trick or treat" and costume parties during “ ‘tis the season to be scary” has become commercialized to the extent that shopping malls have been promoting this practice with a target market in mind: kids. Merchandise shops try to promote this supposedly "fun" activity to encourage parents to buy costumes, candies, toys, and other Halloween stuff. But do they realize that they may be sacrificing a young child's psychological and spiritual growth in the altar of crass commercialism?

A few years back, we bought grocery items from the newly opened shopping center in Pasig. Sales clerks donned spooky attires ranging from "Scary Movie" costumes to headless priests. My wife interviewed some of them who admitted that who admitted that management directed its employees to wear grotesque costumes and make-up during Halloween week. They formed a beeline leading to the supermarket, causing a young girl to scream her lungs out at the frightening sight. At the food court, another girl tried to hide under the table, her innocent face contorted in tearful terror when these costumed “creatures” started prowling each nook and cranny of the mall. The adults with her tried to hush her up but to no avail. Later on, they were forced to drag the poor girl outside the establishment.

I was incensed by the fact that insensitive mall operators have no qualms on what they could possibly do to a poor kid's psyche. Kids tend to have hyperactive imagination. Would they be able to sleep soundly at night knowing that horrible creatures may be lurking a few paces away from one’s bed? What if they would have recurring nightmares? And what about those kids who were encouraged by their naïve parents and merchandisers to wear witches' costumes and masks of the devil? Are they not being subliminally led to believe that it's cool and cute to be on the "dark" side? When they grow up, wouldn't it be easier for them to embrace occult practices? I cringed once to a remark I overheard a few years back. A teenager gleefully told her friend that "Halloween” is the "dark flipside" of Christmas in a snippet of a conversation.

The connection between Halloween and its pagan and occult associations is well-established. In the booklet The Facts on Halloween by John Ankerberg and John Weldon, the authors noted that “it is generally agreed that, in church history, Halloween took the place of a special day celebrated by ancient Druids who were the learned or priestly class of the Celtic religion. These people engaged in occult arts, worshipped nature, and gave it supernatural, animistic qualities”. The writers further noted that “although Halloween as commonly practiced today is a seemingly innocent time for most youngsters, it is a very serious observance for many witches, neo-pagans, and occultists. Reading through various histories of Halloween, one is struck by the large number of superstitions and divinatory practices involved”.

The Scriptures is full of stern warnings on these practices and beliefs. God cautioned the Israelites: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:31). “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

The booklet’s authors pose the following questions which could never be easily brushed aside if one claims to be a professing Christian: If the purpose of the Christian life is to glorify God, is it really possible to glorify God by imitating, however innocently, what occultists do on their special day? How does God, as He looks down on Halloween night, in full awareness of the events that have happened historically and today, view little children, especially Christian children, dressed up as ghosts, devils, witches and goblins? Is Halloween a deliberate mockery of God by letting God’s own children participate symbolically in celebrations that are tributes to the devil, pagan gods, and all kinds of evil?

Reflecting on these questions, I was tempted to unleash our dog to bite these unscrupulous mall operators and shop owners. I could only utter a prayer for protection from all evil influences that continue to corrupt the minds of humans. May the good Lord continue to help us keep the perspective that everything is in God's control and that He would not allow His children to fall from the precipice toward the dark side.

Discovering Your Life

Discovering the Bible

On Sunday, October 5, 2008, the Rejoice in Jesus Christ Discipling Group will host a 90-minute presentation of two segments – The Old and The New Testaments – of the DVD production by the Christian History Institute “Discovering the Bible”. It will be presented at 3:00 PM, either at the Third Floor Food Court at St. Francis Square Bldg, or in the Fourth Floor Old Worship Hall of CCF at the same building. The event is open to all who wish to discover God’s written message of His love for everyone. It is part of RJCDG’s program of fulfilling its part in Jesus’ Great Commission to all His disciples.

Among the many evangelists and apologists [legal defenders] for Jesus and the Christian faith is Lee Patrick Strobel. He is a holder of a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, and had been investigative journalist for 14 years at the Chicago Tribune. In the early 1980’s he set out to write a book to disprove the truth of the Gospels and the resurrection of Jesus in particular. He researched and thought about this for two years, mainly to disillusion his wife who is a steadfast believer and follower of Christ. By the unfathomable grace of God, the book he ended up writing was The Case for Christ, proving the authenticity of the Gospels, historically, scientifically and archaeologically, especially the resurrection of the Lord.

Other books he has written are: The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity, recipient of a 2001 Gold Medallion Book Award, The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ, and Experiencing the Passion of Jesus, co-written with Garry Poole as a discussion guide for Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ, the recipient of the 2005 ECPA Christian Book of the Year award. He also became a teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, from 1987 to 2000, and of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California from 2000 to 2002, and now writes and produces Apologetics and Evangelical TV shows. His website is http://www.leestrobel.com/.

Here is a video interview of Lee Strobel by Jerry Johnston discussing the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal Gospel of Judas which inspired the Gnostic fiction “The Da Vinci Code”.

Is the Bible Reliable as a Historical Document?

END

Visit the OMF booth at the 29th Manila International Book Fair

I know I'm going to send like an ad here but I simply can't pass up this opportunity to invite you to the 29th Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City this Sept. 12-16, 2008. Glenn and I have been regular patrons of the book fair for about 3 years now (Glenn, being a book junkie, has been into it for years).

What's interesting for growing Christians like you and me is the proliferation of Bibles and Christian books being offered at discounted prices by Christian book stores and publishers during this period. OMF, for one, usually puts up a big exhibition area and offers a host of books that you might find interesting.

If you really want to dive into the Scriptures, do invest in the study Bibles (e.g. Life Application Bibles) and commentaries (strongly recommending Nelson's Old and New Testament Survey for newbies on Bible commentaries, these are 2 separate volumes) on sale at the OMF booth. (Personally, I get a lot of help from the notes in my NIV Study Bible and commentaries like these.) There are reference books a-plenty which can help you a lot in your studies. This is the best time to avail bagsak presyo discounts, I think they go as high as 50-75% off.

OMF also offers a great selection of Christian-themed literature, both foreign (if you're hankering for Philip Yancey books) and local (if you want to complete your Ed Lapiz collection), and on various topics like apologetics, eschatology, leadership, relationships etc.

For more details, check out their web site at www.OMFLit.com. You may also drop by www.manilabookfair.com for additional information.