The three wise men

Yes, the Star of Bethlehem led three kings to the stable! They saw the Child Jesus, gave precious gifts and departed, carefully avoiding the evil minded Herod.

Scripture did not provide their names nor their number. However, some traditions regard them as saints and say they are three namely: Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar. As regards where they came from, Encyclopedia Britannica states: "according to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India." 

Let us consider: what was the whole point of the kings traversing field and fountain, moor and mountain following the star? Was it all about presenting gifts and nothing else? Suppose one of them offered to take the Child away to his kingdom for safety given the warning in a dream about the danger posed by Herod. Suppose the kings came back regularly to check on Jesus. Suppose they later became the servants of the Lord of Lords. Suppose through their faithful service, the peoples of the three kingdoms were able to hear the Redeeming Word of Jesus direct from Him. Suppose the Message of Christ was embraced in the three kingdoms. Imagine the effect if Christ’s Message had come direct from Him 2000 years ago to the countries known today as Iran, Saudi Arabia and India!

The three kings were indeed led faithfully and brought face to face with the reason for which they were born unto the face of the earth: to serve the new born King and prepare His path with their wealth and power so that no harm might befall Him in the fulfillment of His Mission. Their failure in this regard actually changed the course of mankind’s history in the spiritual sense!

Let us therefore realise that it is our sacred duty to investigate why we are living on earth. We also should look inwards; consider our abilities and assess our circumstances carefully.  Soon we will gradually come to recognise our own purpose which will lead us to fulfillment if we are ardent in our seeking. We will then be doing the wise thing unlike the famous three who received enlightenment enabling them to find the Lord Jesus but failed to fully recognise their sublime call.

What is in a name?

In reporting the year 2016, a firm of some of my learned friends said they are grateful that despite the challenges of the year, they have reached the 2016 finish line, smiling as Usain Bolt. I quickly checked on the name Usain Bolt and was amazed that the young man is regarded as the fastest human ever timed. Wikipedia says he is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records and due to his unprecedented dominance and achievements in the athletic field, he is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time.

Interestingly, the young man’s surname says it all. BOLT. A quick check on one dictionary reveals that -- to bolt is to run as quickly as you can.

Have you heard of anyone named Abraham or Ibrahim? The name means father of nations. Someone who bore this name in ancient times really fulfilled, whilst many have not lived up to the expectation implied by this name despite the great opportunities afforded them!

How about Trump? Trump as a name has an old history of referring to trumpeters or makers of trumpets. In ordinary use however, to trump is to outrank or defeat someone or something, often in a highly public way. In the card game bridge, the trump card is the most powerful card in a particular round and defeats all the others.  Originally trump implied a deceptive form of victory involving cheating, but that sense has been largely lost, though it's still around in the term trumped up, meaning something that's been falsely made up. For example, a politician may face trumped up charges that could ruin his career.

I can go on. But what I wish to say is that the name we bear is not just a coincidence. We are what our name says! No wonder some who have been deeply moved have had to change their names and thereby often change their lives!

Let us therefore pay closer attention to our names, first names and surnames inclusive. They hold the key to a deeper understanding of ourselves. Our names can guide, admonish and ultimately help us as we strive to fulfill the very purpose of our present lives on earth! 

WHAT IS FREEDOM?

Some have defined Freedom as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint, and the absence of a despotic government.

While the above definition covers the outward, there is yet another freedom, the real one, the inner freedom. This is important because one may have the outward freedom to act, speak and think as one wants and not be in prison; but if one is inwardly bound he is really a slave. He will remain a slave even if he were an Emperor!

So what freedom are we talking about here? It is the freedom that comes with living in accordance with the Will of God. Sounds simple. Before you can live in accordance with this Will you first have to know it. It is important because only the person who knows the Will of the Almighty and acts accordingly is really free. All others will entangle themselves with thousands of threads arising from their negligence in this regard.

One of the Laws of God is the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Just as in Nature we see that a seed of maize gives a harvest of a multiplicity of maize, so it is that our words, thoughts and deeds are seeds that give rise to a multiplicity of the types we sow. Slander can only produce slander, hate only hate, and murder only murder. But dignity, peace, light and joy can in turn only arise from a dignified way of thinking, never otherwise.

Let those who think that by “getting even” by hurting those who have wronged them think again because they are only sowing fresh seeds that will lead to a continuation of what they think they are preventing. They will also be chained to the people they have refused to forgive!

Our freedom, happiness and welfare lies only in working in consonance with the Will of the Creator of all!

WORKING WITH THE LANGUAGE

Do you know that we human beings are meant to work with, and also work through the language?

I am sure you have felt the effect of the speech of others on yourself. But indeed that is not the only effect of the human word. The human word is like a seed which we sow each time we speak. They germinate and grow to form a garden around us, either beautiful or ugly depending on the nature of the kinds of words sown. Some of us cannot drive for more than two minutes before raining curses on other road users. We cannot converse with friends, family or colleagues without abusive words (even if we claim or deceive ourselves that they are used in jest only). I have heard some who boast openly that they can say words to others that will make them angry enough to jump into the Lagoon!

From what we observe in our world today, definitely majority of us have sown poison through the word and the harvest is now with us to taste. Not really palatable…

But we have never been left without guidance in these matters. If only we follow our deep inner feelings we will engage in only up-building conversation. Don’t we feel heavy after having a session of gossip and backbiting no matter how much we enjoyed the pointless conference? That tells us that empty chatter is of little benefit to us. Many also have the Name of the Almighty on their lips at every drop of the hat, swearing by It and calling on the Holy Name to bear witness/confirm their statements in the most trivial matters. Really audacious and careless if you think of it!

Therefore, we will be wise to advise ourselves that the ability to speak is a great gift from our Maker that comes with a great responsibility that it be used aright. It was given to us in love so we can work with and through it to attain our required maturity, for peace and progress and to achieve all that is good. We therefore need to heed our word, pay attention to our speech and speak only when, where and how it is necessary! Let’s never forget the great admonition given to mankind two thousand years ago: Let your communication be yea or nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil! In all simplicity this is the same as saying that we should keep our conversation simple and true!

The Law of Attraction

The Law of attraction works such that all that is similar will be attracted to each other. Sayings like “birds of a feather flock together”, and “like father like son” seem to reflect the workings of this Law.

For the human spirit, there is an inherent ability to attract things just as a magnet will attract metals. This Law of Nature ensures that man will not attract all sorts of things to itself in a wild confusion. The effect of this Law ensures order. Therefore only what is similar to the nature of the human spirit is attracted to it.

In this, our thoughts, words, actions and even our aspirations play a very important part. So a person who lives in a particular state of mind will attract a similar reality to himself. For example a person who lives in perpetual fear of attack by enemies seen and unseen will eventually be harassed and in some cases lead to depression and serious mental illness!

One can on the other hand cooperate with the workings of this Law. For example, if you are a new business owner just starting out in your business  and you desire that only those who are punctual and honest are those you require in that business- you start off by being punctual yourself. Pay yourself a salary and do not take company money anyhow. You will find that only those who have the same work style like you will be attracted to join you in the business. If you wish for a good spouse (wife/husband) you start out by becoming a better human being first and only a person that complements you will be attracted to you.

On a lighter note I tell my friends that if they want a quick experiment of this Law, all they need do is to invite about 40 people to a party. After a while during the party, they will find that people will seat in a way that suggests a common interest. People who work in the same place will move close to each other, those who enjoy talking about football will come together, the beer drinkers and smokers will form separate circles! You can also change an undesired circumstance. For instance where a man decides that he is tired of being a drunkard, he can start by forsaking the company of his drunkard friends, make new friends with those who find better ways to relax. His lifestyle will change gradually in accordance with the measure of his inner change.

A close look at our surroundings shows the operation of this law. And that is why this saying is true: show me your friends and I will tell you who you are! 

Naomi

I requested for a cab using the uber app this afternoon and pronto, a cabbie was said to be on the way. The driver's name was given as Naomi. The first Nigerian lady cabbie on Uber in my reckoning. She arrived on time and the trip started. We got talking and I expressed the view that since the Uber app is technology driven there will not be a question of competing with her male counterparts as the app would simply give the cab requests to the driver nearest to the requester. The young lady then informed me that most requesters cancel their trips the moment they are advised of her gender! She usually experiences as much as six cancellations in a row! Most people she says are not convinced that a lady will be able to drive them safely to their destinations! Really! Naomi then admitted that if she was a requester, she too would have some hangups about going with a lady cabbie! Amazing! Could this be discrimination against women, by men and also by women? Or is this a deep sensing by the human beings that there are some roles that are not suitable for the grace and nobility of womanhood?

CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

21 countries have legalized same sex marriage. We are still counting. Look around you and behold excruciating economic, political and social conditions, unprecedented natural catastrophes, false prophets and mind boggling corruption.  Do not be alarmed but seek understanding of what is going on. The events of these times are meant to trumpet the well prophesied World Judgement! These events lovingly help the alert ones to move closer to the Creator. This is only achieved by living the Laws of Creation which issue from the Lord, the Creator of all. What are we to learn from these momentous events?  

1. The ways proffered by relying solely on the intellect has failed. This is evidenced by the economic distress, crime, immorality, wars and conflicts, environmental degradation etc now multiplied world over.

2. It is now time to be more spiritual.

3. We will be spiritual by recognizing the Will of the Lord revealed in His Laws.

4. To follow these Laws guarantees our welfare even in the present turmoil and confusion. They guide and they protect us.

5. We must not rest till we find and rediscover these Laws.

6. We have to live by these Laws as we see and experience the benefits in real time.

7. When we have realised the failure of relying solely on the intellect, we learn to put our intuition to good use. Then in addition, from our own experiences in working in alignment with the Laws of Creation, we can bring help to our neighbors in the Word as that is what they also need first!

TOP SECRET:

The Father has already endowed us with the power for everything. We only have to use it!

AN INTERESTING QUESTION...

At another forum this question was asked: The laws of God are consistent and God, in His perfection, will never alter/go against His laws by taking arbitrary actions. Why then did Jesus defy the law of nature by performing certain miracles like walking on water?

We responded as follows:

It appears from the body of your question that you have come to recognise that the Creation Laws are consistent and that the Creator will not change them or go against them. True!

This indeed is the infallible way to measure all matters including the accounts one comes across daily or even accounts from past eras.  Christ being the Son God does not imply that He will employ His Divine Power to act arbitrarily against the Laws of Creation. Being a Divine Envoy He will always act strictly in accordance with the Will of His Father expressed in the Laws of Creation. One may also add that with a human being who is highly matured spiritually, there is only the wish to obey the Will of the Lord at all times. It is only the small minded and immature ones that act arbitrarily when they are given some level of authority.

Therefore, all the miracles of Christ were in accordance with the Divine Laws. For example, the raising of the dead through Divine Power is not beyond Divine Laws as long as it happens within a certain time after death, the length of which differs for each human being. The more spiritually mature the soul is when severing itself from the physical body the quicker it will be released, and the shorter will be the time during which the lawful opportunity exists to recall it, because this can only happen while the soul is still connected with the body! 

Now to walking on water. There is no way that a human body can float in water except by way of swimming in its various forms or by using an implement adapted to the water element! In all simplicity, one needs to adapt to a particular element of matter in order to make use of it. For this reason, a child will first learn to crawl and later start to walk gradually on the ground. If however man wishes to transport himself in water, he needs to learn how to do so either through swimming or using an adequate implement (e.g. boats, water skateboards, water bikes etc).  Similarly one needs to adapt to the nature of air in order to use it as a form of transportation. A human body of flesh and blood cannot just fly into the skies!

From the forgoing one cannot but conclude that accounts that suggest that the Lord Jesus whilst still inside His physical body walked on water cannot be taken as literally true and factual! If it had happened with Christ as such transmissions report, then God would have to act against His own Laws. But this He cannot do since He is perfect from the very beginning, and thus also His Will, Which lies in the Laws of Creation. 

Let us not rest until we come to a right understanding of the Savior and then  the whole life of Christ as it really was will unfold itself before us divested of all the fantasies invented by human brains!

THE ABRAHAM AND ISAAC STORY

On Sunday 20 February 2011, I sent out the following question to a small group by SMS. Please find below the feedback I got. I have deliberately left out the names of the commentators for obvious reasons.

First the question:

Could the story that Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son refer to physically killing Isaac? Just food for thought. I'd appreciate your insights. 

Now the 8 answers:

1.      I believe! 

2.      Well, so far I’ve seen the Abraham-Isaac story as mainly to show his implicit trust and obedience to The Almighty. It is not likely that The Almighty would demand human sacrifice.

3.      Adam and Eve did not eat an apple and Abram saw no ram.

4.      Obviously no. Not physical. The Lord would never ask such of anyone.

5.      Hello Sola. It is a beautiful allegorical illustration of Test of Faith. D story went further to show how Abraham was shown d ram as d alternative for such an act! D case of serpent and apple in d Garden of Eden is also another spiritual illustration although for different situation. From what we know of d Lord in His Commandment through Moses, He will never permit or even demand such physical sacrifice. Thank u for sharing.

6.      Who asked Abraham to offer the sacrifice? Certainly not the Almighty. Was it folk tale or reality? Methinks those are (the) pertinent questions!

7.      It was an ethereal experience for Abraham- not earthly!

8.      Nice one Sola!

I may be digressing a bit but just a thought; 

I believe God was referring to a physical killing. Many of us have an image of a God who is goody-two shoes and all Nice and can never ask us as He did of Abraham (i.e. ask something of you that will cause you pain or hurt). While God is not the author of evil or wickedness, He is Almighty and can do anything that He so pleases. The Bible says that He can get really jealous and that He is a consuming Fire….Do you know that God can allow certain “bad things” to happen to make a point or for whatever reason that He has chosen? Few can assume that God did not mean a physical killing because Abraham did not end up sacrificing His Son but what if He actually did? Would you and I believe any less in God because He allowed that? There are enough things that happen around us that make us look up to the Sky sometimes and wonder….Hmm God, but why? Think about the environmental disasters, murders, and abortions etc. that take place. Real lives are affected and destroyed by these occurrences. While some allow their faith in God to die alongside the tragedies that occur in their lives or around them some others actually still choose to believe in God all the more in spite of the pain and incomprehension of it all. Just a thought! I like what you are doing anyway….Keep it up! Warm Regards,

 

Your own views too are welcome. So please keep them coming…

JOHN 14:6 AND THIS SEASON

In John 14:6 it is written "....I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me." In view of this, my very good friend asked on Facebook: what will happen to all the billions of our brothers and sisters devouring ram today? I will like them to join me in Heaven and not the other side…

I wish to comment as follows:

You are very kind and mean well for your fellow men! But each must really find his way to the Truth! He who seeks the Truth will be helped. He shall find! It is a Promise! Now the Truth which the Lord Jesus spoke of is not restricted to a particular religion or group. It refers to His Father (Son and Father are One). God is the Eternal and Unchangeable Truth! He manifests to us through the Natural Laws of His Will which rests in this Creation in which we live and have our sustenance! We can recognise these Laws if we look all around us with an open heart and mind. He also speaks to us through His Messengers who are again not appointees of any religion or groups. These Messengers in all history have always been rejected by men to whom they are sent to help. They are especially hated by leaders of religious groups! The Son of God himself suffered under this mindless hatred. So, for the human beings who seek the Truth and seek to live by the Laws of God, they are already on the right path regardless of the religion they profess on earth! Because of his good decision to follow God’s Commandments, such a human being shall be led to the Christ Spirit which in the final end will lead him on towards the recognition of God the Father. Thus the Word will be fulfilled: “No man cometh unto the Father but by me!”

YOU ARE MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN CHANCE!

A man is so good that others look up to him as an example. Suddenly the good man becomes poor, ill health takes over and the people around him wonder why a good man should suffer such adversity. Events such as these elicit all kinds of theories. Some will say we are just like pawns on the chessboard of the gods! Fate just does with people as it wishes. Some have said time and chance happens to them all!

But are we really subject to chance? Somehow that thought runs against all sense of justice. But then the question remains; why do bad things happen to good people?

The human being is endowed with free will to choose the ways he wishes. In my mother tongue the human being is described as an entity who has the capacity to choose! In doing this, man uses the Power that streams through all that exists. This Power is from on High and is pure. As it flows through man, he has the freedom to put it to whatever use and for this he is accountable. This Power when put to noble use achieves that which is beautiful, it brings peace and happiness. If wasted or perhaps put into ignoble use, then the careless or evil minded one must give account to the Lord of all the Worlds the Dispenser of this Pure Power!

Man must simply reap what he has sown. We sow through our words thoughts and deeds. Now the thoughts are not easily discernible by others and therefore the person one sees as the “good man” may actually have a heart filled with hatred and vice! Many men are different in their inner life to what they allow the world to see. I am sure you are aware of this about yourself!

In addition to this is the fact that we live on earth more than once and all of the outings and departures form a single existence. Therefore the results of actions from a former life may now come home to roost in the present earth life. If the opponents of reincarnation are correct, then justice will require that all the for and against of a human being must play out all in a single earth life. This is however never the case! 

We do not need to despair concerning our ignoble past if we are now firm in our decision to do only that which is good. When we turn away from our willful disobedience and resolve to be obedient to the Laws of God continuously then our circumstances will change. The returning evil reactions from our past deeds will find no basis of attraction in us anymore and this works out as the forgiveness of our past wrongdoing. 

So we really have our destinies in our hands and are much more powerful than chance!

THE ANTICHRIST UNMASKED!

Are you still looking for the Antichrist in some man or institution? You are not alone. The prophetic number 666 which has always been linked with the Antichrist has been associated with some human beings and even institutions over the centuries. In 2015, a controversial photo of a baby with curls resembling 666 appeared in a Swedish newspaper causing a stir in social networks. Protestant preachers including John Wesley and Martin Luther have pointed to the Papacy as the seat of the Antichrist! Apart from this revered institution, another one that has been accused is the American Presidency. Every American President since George Washington has been suspected of being the one to usher in the end times. On the individual level, we have had Nero, Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler and even Henry Kissinger / Mikhail Gorbachev. (Ironically, 85 year old Gorbachev has this bold birthmark on his forehead!). Today, Donald Trump is being labelled. Reason among others: the Trump family bought the most expensive single building ever purchased in the United States, at 666 Fifth Avenue, (remember the prophetic number 666) a street symbolic of money (Mammon), materialism, affluence, hubris and power!

But then who really is this Antichrist? Is he a human being or an institution? How can he be identified? If he is easily identifiable, will he be able to have followers? (Followers certainly will not be much as many know that by following the Antichrist they will incur the wrath of the Almighty)

I am happy to tell you that the Antichrist has been unmasked! Firstly, no human being or human institution can have the strength and power to become the Antichrist! The Antichrist, who is the only real enemy of God has actually been active among men for a long time. His aim is always to deceive man and lead man astray. He also works tirelessly against the salvation of man which can only be attained by man’s adherence to God’s Word of Truth. He earned the name Antichrist when he worked assiduously against Christ’s Work of Redemption. He did this by using the leaders of religion at that period. He fanned the embers of hatred in these people until they brought Jesus to the cross! Meanwhile, these people were under the delusion that they were serving God by silencing this troublesome Truth Bringer! That is the hallmark of the Antichrist. He uses mankind to achieve his aims while deceiving them that they are on the right path.

Today, those who serve him abound and they have no idea that they are under the rule of the Antichrist.

The Antichrist is Lucifer and his weapon has always been the same: enslavement of man through man’s intellect which is the product of the human brain. By this is meant placing the wishes of man’s perishable body (the brain being the highest part) over and above the Will of the Most High.

The sign that one has fallen into the hands of the Antichrist is not by physically bearing the mark 666 on one’s body, but it means leaving all decisions to the earthly intellect. Of course this has the result of behaving selfishly, thinking of only material gains and benefits and thinking less of the spiritual and God’s Holy Will. It leads to harming others, imposing upon them, corruption, malice, murders, wars and all the evil prevalent in the world today.  

As every human being carry’s the over-developed intellect within, let us not look outside again for the Antichrist but look within and put the Will of God above our own thoughts born of the flesh!

TODAY'S MIRACLE WORKERS

A man goes and kneels before another. The one standing then tells the kneeling one what he ate last night, he goes further to tell stories about the circumstances of the kneeling one which are otherwise confidential. The kneeling one now assumes that the standing one is a man specially called to be a prophet, a man set apart to help mankind from their afflictions. He puts all his trust in him and in some cases practically becomes a slave to him. All decisions that concerns his life must first receive clearance from this “man of god”!

If the standing one has a gift to heal with the magnetism of his body which often can have a salutary effect by the laying of hands or other bodily contacts then he is proclaimed a miracle worker and followers will flock from home and abroad. He too will want to live up to expectations and begins to teach and preach many a times offering empty words…

But what really is the value of the ability to see the ethereal world which is on the same level with man? What also is the value of the activities of the many so called miracle workers and healers? Many of them are not even endowed with real and beneficial healing powers but are people with low level radiation, who make many words and mysterious gestures, and who imagine they are accomplishing great things.

All of these may be of interest to the individual, but they operate within low limits. Receiving healing for physical ailments on its own do not translate to the true healing of the soul. Being able to see, hear or feel the invisible world have little or no value when it is a matter of the spiritual ascent and maturity of mankind! However, to ascend spiritually, to inwardly grow and mature, and to seek God’s Kingdom is the real purpose of life. To be born anew is the real miracle!

...and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

I have heard many people say that they are permitted to command the Almighty! Honestly, I did not for a fraction of a second feel comfortable with such an assertion. How can a creature command the Creator of all? I decided to conduct my research into this and soon discovered that the protagonists of this thought relied on Isaiah 45.11 where it is written: Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands? 

To me, the riddle has been solved. This quotation did not say that one can command the Almighty but on the contrary posed a question which was to make a point that man cannot question the Lord at all! I then shared my findings with a friend who is a protagonist. He listened carefully but was not persuaded. He later showed me the same passage which reads:  Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

I was surprised. This quote supports the protagonists! I subsequently realised that I have relied on the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible whilst my friend was working with the King James Version (KJV).  Be that as it may, what is written still needs to be properly understood. So I decided we needed to examine the statements before the verse 11 to understand its context. This exercise revealed that such rhetorical questions have been asked earlier on in the passage. For example:   "Woe to him who strives with his Maker, an earthen vessel with the potter! Does the clay say to him who fashions it, 'What are you making'? or 'Your work has no handles'? 

Given this context we see clearly that a creature cannot begin to issue orders to his Maker. Man should stop all arrogance and presumptions when thinking of God. We need to bow down in humility before the Omnipotence and Omniscience of the Most High!

And He rested on the seventh day!

In Scripture we read that by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Some have explained that this does not mean that the Omnipotent Lord of all needed to rest, but simply ceased creating on the seventh day as He will never be tired. Others link it to the Sabbath day: we also need to rest on one day of the week.

But we also see that many scriptural writings ascribe human characteristics to the Almighty! The Lord is portrayed as jealous, repenting of His deeds, angry with the wicked, and even walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and from whom the human couple could attempt to hide.

While all these might be able to bring partially to the level of human understanding the unfathomable Majesty of the Most High, the fact remains that human words and expressions remain inadequate to explain the Creator. The danger also remains that these attempts could form in man a totally incorrect concept of God.

The Lord can be seen in His Work of Creation in which we have our existence. He speaks to us through His Creation and thereby shows us His Will clearly. To recognize this Will is our duty. And before now, the Son of God in His Holy Word showed the right way to do so.

Remember that Christ Jesus did not concern Himself with creeds. Let us therefore wake up, look around us, and in listening to our inner voice, move away from shackling dogmas and wrong concepts! Only this can open the way to pure understanding!

Man shall not live by bread alone!

In this well-known statement of Jesus we are guided on how to resist the temptation of living a one-sided life. It admonishes one and all that we have to balance the pursuit for our earthly goals and pleasures with high spiritual aims as well.

After all, man is spirit when stripped of all his material coverings and it will be of little gain to give all attention to the body and starve the inner core of attention. Of what benefit will it be for a man to gain the earth (material benefits) and lose his inner core – the spirit?

A whole lot of us live the one sided life blindly. We have even confused our earthly pursuits with the spiritual to the extent that all our religious activities are geared towards achieving one purely material earthly goal or the other. When majority talk of seeking the face of the Lord in prayer and when fasting, it is all about the next promotion, making money, exam success, finding a viable spouse and so on.

While these are desirable, they are like earthly bread and we are not to live by these alone but by the Living Word, the spiritual bread which refreshes, enlightens and revitalizes our spirit. We should grasp the Holy Word aright, resolve to do only that which is good, and give purity to our thoughts so that all the rest can be added unto us! We shall become sound in body and soul and we shall be able to soar upwards and find our way back to the Eternal gardens of the Most High!

Can a loving God create hell?

The answer already lies in this question.

The Almighty is Love! All that emanates from Him is therefore pure and good. Since no evil can proceed from the Creator, then He did not create hell which is the dwelling place of evil men and their abominations!

The power of the Lord flows through all that exist. It flows through what we call nature and all creatures. In the case of man, in addition to his ability to receive this power, he is especially endowed with the ability to also direct the power and use it in any direction of his choice. Man has the free will to press the power which is neutral to good or evil purpose. He uses this same power when he is thinking, when speaking and for all his deeds.

A very important aspect of the activity of man is his ability to think and also use his intuition. The products of his thinking and that of his intuition have real forms! These can be beautiful and benevolent forms or evil forms. The propensity of the majority of mankind for evil made such obnoxious forms to mushroom and gather in huge centres that is now known as hell. Thus hell is the handiwork of men alone and is not a Divine institution!

Man is responsible for using the power of his Creator in such a wanton way and is therefore compelled to live in his self-created hell after his departure from this earth as he cannot escape from the consequences of putting the pure power of God into wrong use.

How about a 30 day Sabbath?

What can one give to the Lord in thanksgiving?

He is our Maker and King!

Can we give ourselves and our paths?

How about a 30 day Sabbath?

30 days of doing only the Will of the Lord!

No sin in thought and word

30 days of the Lord

30 days of pure accord

30 days of prayers and thanksgiving

Welfare of all we keep seeking.

Unyielding to base desires

Lustful desires cast in fires

Looking up to God for strength to fulfill

Pleasing Him in thought, word and deed

Watching and praying

In gardens of God alone serving

The 30 days shall become a lesson of songs!

A rehearsal of heavenly songs

Then the Sabbath shall outlive 30 days-

And become Sabbath till the end of days!

Sola Adeyegbe

Abuja, 4.55 p.m. 29^th June 2006.

Animals as our friends.

In their answer to the question of whether animals really have a sixth sense, Readers Digest informs us that a box jellyfish has 24 eyes, an earthworm’s entire body is covered with taste receptors, a cockroach can detect movement 2,000 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom — and your dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times greater than yours (some dogs have been known to smell human cancers). It’s safe to say that animals experience a much different world than we do.

Yet, the foregoing is just scratching the surface! Have you heard of animals leaving an area just before the occurrence of what we describe as natural disasters? When you inquire further perhaps you too will come to realise that animals have a similar origin as that of the servants of our Creator that work with Nature. When occurrences such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods are imminent, these servants warn and the animals more easily perceive these warnings and act accordingly. However, man runs into the danger and thereby suffers great harm or even perish. 

We should therefore pay closer attention to animals and learn to understand them. We will then thankfully recognise that animals are our friends and form a useful link in the chain of helpers that always surround us!

What did Jesus mean by: ‘If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also'?

The meaning of "turning the other cheek" is that we should endeavor not to react in a vengeful manner when we perceive that we have been wrongly treated by others.

All the actions that proceed from us must be borne out of love instead of an evil intent which includes taking revenge by taking some actions meant to harm the other person who has perpetrated a wrong against us.

In addition, it also means that we must forgive those who offend us. That is the way we ourselves can be free. If we do not forgive those who trespass against us our own sins too cannot be forgiven! We should always remember a portion of the Lord’s Prayer that says: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. If we forgive others, we will not intentionally harm them in retaliation. Acting in retaliation only heaps up a burden of guilt on us regardless of the temporary satisfaction that the vengeful act may bring.

However, the foregoing does not mean that we should encourage others to treat us shabbily. That will be promoting evil and this is not the meaning of Christ’s Teaching. We should be fearless and face others with dignity and firmness. We should demand the same respect we voluntarily give to others and seek to be treated fairly but we should not commit a sin in that process.

Balm for the wounded spirit.

Are you disturbed by your own actions or the actions of your neighbor? Are you oppressed by a particular bad habit? This might be an evidence of a weak spirit too weak to bring to fruition its own inner desires or too weak to understand that it is responsible for its own happiness and this does not depend on the action or inaction of others. Such spirit has been suffering from the whip of the intellect a product of his own flesh. A poor wounded spirit this is!

There is good news however! There is a balm for the wounded spirit. This balm is Truth. Truth revitalizes and heals. Truth however is not what the earthly senses can grasp for it is eternal. Earthly senses are only familiar with forms which keeps changing! So for us to grasp the Truth and heal our spirits we have to become spiritual, free from all earthly thoughts. Then we will stand in the Truth and be surrounded by its pure Light. We make a start in this by finding out the Laws of God and striving to live accordingly.