Who want people to choose as their Messiah and how they view God

In previous weeks, people could see “The Passion” on television and hear a lot of talk about God. It was striking that several talked about their god Christ.

Today Donald Trump posted an AI photo of him depicted as Jesus healing a man. Trump insinuated that he is the one who brings peace and heals people. Striking even though Trump has started a war in Iran, many Americans still support him and almost, as it were, worship him as their deity. Many consider him as the present Messiah.

Today, as in the time of Jesus, several religious leaders are seen lounging with the ruling power in order to benefit from that power.

The current situation reminds us of the warning Jesus gave during his public life. He asked his disciples to be careful not to be overcome by the Pharisees’ words. He called the attitude of those religious leaders hypocritical. During Jesus’ lifetime, some inattentive believers were swept away by common theological teachings. Much of that imposed teaching was not really in accordance with the previous words of the Old Books.

Jesus pointed out that one had to be careful not to be hypocritical. That would be folly, because in the end everything will be made known. We must realise that nothing will remain hidden, that should not be made public, or not disclosed. Eventually, there will come a time when everything will become clear.

“17 For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, nor anything secret that will not surely become known and then come to the light. 18 Because of this be very careful how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”” (Luke 8:17-18 MHM)

“2 There is nothing that is covered up that will not become known, for what is secret will become known. 3 So then, whatever you [disciples] say in darkness, it will be heard in the light; and whatever you whispered in secrecy will be announced from the rooftops.” (Luke 12:2-3 MHM)

Jesus tried to give his disciples more insight into the Words of God and asked them to look at the world with an open mind and question everything carefully in the light of the Holy Scriptures.

So the disciples had to be open, not two-faced, about the way they lived. He warned them to guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their doctrine, for it was hypocrisy. [In Scripture, yeast often refers to something evil, evil, or sinful (cf. Mark 8:15).]

“It was then Jesus warned them, saying: “Keep looking and be on guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, as well as the leaven of Herod.”” (Mark 8:15 MHM)

Jesus made it clear to his disciples that they would not always have an easy time, but that they still had to be fearless because God would take care of them.

Instead of fearing people who might kill their bodies (cf. 11:48–50), they should fear God, the One who has the power to throw someone into damnation. It is God Who makes and disposes. He decides about life and death. People can kill someone, but God can then bring them back to life.

God knows everything and knows every heart. The disciples were much more valuable to God than sparrows, which were sold for a small sum (five birds for two cents). The word for “penny” is assarion, a Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius (a daily wage), and used only here and in Matthew 10:29. Since God cares for ordinary little birds (cf. Luke 12:22), He will also take care of His own.

“Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s [awareness].” (Matthew 10:29 MHM)

“Now Jesus turned to his disciples and said: “And so I tell you [disciples], do not be anxious regarding your souls as to what you will eat, nor regarding your body as to what you will wear.” (Luke 12:22 MHM)

In these turbid or troubled times, several people fear that everything will go wrong and that we are heading for a world war. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father do not have to be afraid. They do know that there will one day be a very big war that will be much worse than all previous wars. But they need not fear that, provided Armageddon is the very last war before Jesus’’s return, which will let us pass through the gates of God’s Kingdom, where a peaceful life lies ahead for true believers.

In these times, it comes down to making the right choice. We will have to decide whether we want to view Trump, Jesus or someone else as the Messiah and hope for that person for our salvation.

How do you want to view God, and who do you see in Jesus Christ, who has risen from the dead?

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Tonight, we're going to explore the conditions of the world when Jesus was born -- and why that made many less than excited at God's gift to us. https://youtube.com/live/CnWM7wBMkfo

#KingHerod #Pharisees #Sadducees #Jesus #Christmas #12DaysOfChristmas

Were the #Pharisees Really Jesus’s Enemies?

#Jesus #Christianity #BibleStudy

The Pharisees appear throughout the #Gospels as opponents of Jesus—but how much do we actually know about them from antiquity? In this video, Dr. #RobynWalsh explains what our sources tell us (and don’t tell us) about the Pharisees. From #Josephus to Paul to early #Christian writings, much of what survives is filtered through outsiders—or even critics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scWs1tT4uiY

Predestination

Predestination is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. This usually references to the eventual fate of an individual soul.

Predestination often seeks to address the contradiction of free will. God’s omniscience seems to conflict with human free will.

In this way, predestination can be regarded as a form of religious determinism/predeterminism. Also known as theological determinism. Determinism is a metaphysical view that all events within the universe can occur in only 1 possible way.

Josephus wrote, during the 1st century, that there were 3 main Jewish sects. They differed on this subject. Josephus argued that the Essenes & Pharisees thought that God’s Providence orders all human events. The Pharisees still maintained that people were able to choose between right & wrong. Josephus wrote that the Sadducees didn’t have a doctrine of Providence.

In the New Testament, Romans 8-11 speaks on a statement of predestination, in Romans 8:28-30. People have interpreted this passage in some different ways. Some say this only has to do with service & not about salvation.

Others say that this passage should be interpreted to the Christian community as a group rather than individuals. While some Catholics believe that this passage teaches that God has predestined the salvation of all humanity.

Some Protestants believe that this passage is teaching that God has predestined a certain set of people to salvation, & the remainder of humanity is predestined to reprobation. Reprobation is a doctrine that teaches that a person can reject the Gospel to a point where God can, in turn, reject them & curses their conscience.

Origen when writing in the 3rd century taught that God’s Providence extends to every single person. He believed God’s predestination is based on God’s foreknowledge of every human being’s merits, whether in their current life, or a previous one.

Valentinus believed in a form of predestination. In his opinion, people are born into 1 of 3 natures. This depended on which elements prevailed in a person. In Valentinus’ view, a person born with a bad nature can NEVER be saved because they’re too inclined to evil.

Some people have a nature that’s a combo of good & evil. They can choose salvation. The 3rd type of person has a good nature & will be saved because they’re inclined to be good.

Irenaeus attacked predestination that Valentinus set out. Irenaeus argued that it was unfair. For Irenaeus, people were free to choose salvation or not.

In the 4th & 5th century, Augustine of Hippo also taught that God orders all things whilst preserving human freedom. Prior to 396, Augustine believed that predestination was based on God’s foreknowledge of whether people would believe, that God’s grace was “a reward for human assent.”

In response to Pelagius, Augustine said the sin of pride consists in assuming that “we are the ones who choose God or that God chooses us (in His foreknowledge) because of something worthy in us.” Augustine argued that it’s God’s grace that causes the individual act of faith.

Scholars are divided over whether Augustine’s teaching implies double predestination, or the belief that God chooses some people for damnation, as well as some for salvation.

Catholic scholars tend to deny that Augustine held this view. Some Protestants & secular scholars believe that Augustine did indeed believe in double predestination.

Augustine’s view raised some objection. Julian of Eclanum said that Augustine was bringing Manichean ideals into the Church. Tensions became obvious, eventually, with the confrontation between Augustine & Pelagius culminating in the condemnation of Pelagianism. As interpreted by Augustine, at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Pelagius denied Augustine’s view of predestination in order to affirm that salvation is achieved by an act of free will.

The Council of Arles, in the late 5th century, condemned the position “that some have been condemned to death, others have been predestined to life.” This seems to follow Augustine’s teaching.

The Second Council of Orange in 529 also condemned the position that “some have been truly predestined to evil by divine power.”

In the 8th century, John of Damascus emphasized the freedom of the human will in his doctrine of predestination. He argued that acts arising from peoples’ wills aren’t part of God’s Providence at all. Damascene teaches that people’s good actions are done in cooperation with God, but aren’t caused by Him.

Cassian believed that despite predestination being a work that God does, God only decides to predestinate based on how people will respond.

In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas taught that God predestines certain people to the beatific vision based solely on his own goodness rather than that of creatures. Aquinas also thought that people are free in their choices, fully cause their own sin, & are solely responsible for it. According to Aquinas, there are a few ways in which God wills actions.

Again in the 13th century, William of Ockham (Of Occam’s Razor fame.) taught that God doesn’t cause human choices & associated predestination with divine foreknowledge. Ockham/Occam taught that God predestines based on people’s foreseen works, he sustained that God’s will wasn’t constrained to do this.

John Calvin repudiated the idea that God allows rather than actively decrees the damnation of sinners, as well as other evil. Calvin didn’t believe God to be guilty of sin. But rather he considered God imposing sin on His creation to be an enigmatic mystery.

Though he maintained God’s predestination applies to damnation is caused by their sin. but that the salvation of the saved is solely caused by God.

In Roman Catholicism, free will isn’t denied. Predestination plays a very small role in Roman Catholicism. The “heretical” 17th & 18th century sect within Roman Catholicism known as Jansenism preached the doctrine of double predestination.

Although Jansenism claimed that even members of the saved elect could lose their salvation by doing sinful, un-repented deeds, implied in Ezekiel 18:21-28. According to the Roman Catholic Church, God doesn’t will anyone to mortally sin & so to deserve punishment in Hell.

The Mormons (LDS church) rejects predestination. But they believe in foreordination. Foreordination teaches that during the pre-mortal existence, God selected (foreordained) particular people to fulfill certain missions (“callings”) during their mortal lives.

For example, prophets were foreordained to be God’s/the Lord’s servants (Jeremiah 1:5), all who receive the priesthood were foreordained to that calling & Jesus was foreordained to enact the atonement.

However, all such people foreordained to retain their agency in mortality to fulfill that foreordination or not. The Mormon church (LDS church) teaches the doctrine of mortal agency, the ability to choose & act for oneself, & decide whether to accept Christ’s atonement.

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#13thCentury #17thCentury #18thCentury #396 #3rdCentury #431 #4thCentury #529 #5thCentury #Cassian #ChurchOfLatterDaySaints #CouncilOfArles #CouncilOfEphesus #CouncilOfOrange #Damascene #Determinism #Essenes #Ezekiel182128 #Foreordained #IrenaeusOfLyons #Jansenism #Jeremiah15 #Jewish #JohnCalvin #JohnOfDamascus #Josephus #JulianOfEclanum #Late8thCentury #Manichean #Mormons #NewTestament #OccamSRazor #Origen #Pelagius #Pharisees #Predestination #Predeterminism #Protestants #Reprobation #RomanCatholicChurch #RomanCatholicism #Romans811 #Romans82830 #Sadducees #SecondCouncilOfOrange #StAugustineOfHippo #TheologicalDeterminism #ThomasAquinas #Valentinus #WilliamOfOckham

#Gospel Reading: #Luke 14:1, 7-14

#Jesus taught among the #Pharisees.

The Whore of Babylon

This name refers to a female figure which is symbolic & an actual place of hostility. This phrase is mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Her full “title” is: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots & Abominations of the Earth.” She’s also identified as a representation of “the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 17:18) Her Bible passages are: Revelations 17:1-18.

She’s associated with the Beast of Revelation with a connection of equally evil kingdoms. Her apocalyptic downfall is prophesied to take place in the hands of the image of the Beast with 7 heads & 10 horns.

In I Peter 5:13, Babylon is code for Rome. Because at the time, the pagan Roman Empire persecuted Christians, before the Edict of Milan in 313. In Revelations 17:9, she sits on “7 mountains,” which are interpreted as Rome.

Others believe that Babylon, in this context, refers to an apostate false queen. A former “bride” who’s faithful, & who continues to falsely claim to be the “queen” of the spiritual realm, even though divorced & cast out. Believers of this think the “7 mountains” are the 7 hills of Jerusalem. The “fall of Babylon” in Revelations 18 is the fall & destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

A few Old Testament prophets refer to Jerusalem as a spiritual harlot & the mother of such harlotry. (Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20, 3:1-11; & Ezekiel 16:1-43, 23) John of Patmos may have known these prophesies.

An example in Matthew (23:34-37) & Luke (11:47-51), Jesus gave all the bloodguilt to the Jerusalem Pharisees. In Revelations 17:6 & 18:20, similar phrasing is used in charging the bloodguilt to Babylon. This is also bolstered by Jesus saying, “It’s not possible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:33)

The Whore of Babylon has long been assigned to different people or places. Some uber traditionalist Catholics believe that the post-conciliar church is the Whore. (Post-conciliar is known as Vatican II or the 2nd Vatican Council.)

Historicists believe that the Whore is the Catholic Church in its entirety. Martin Luther & John Calvin taught this. Some believe the Whore is a church. The 7 hills of Rome are suggested to locate the church. An image from the 1545 edition of Luther’s Bible depicts the Whore wearing the papal tiara.

Some think that the Whore represents the fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Catholic Church. Some think the Whore represents the world empire of false religion. In Thelema, the Whore is a goddess. Yes, the religion that Aleister Crowley founded.

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