IT IS FINISHED!

This was the last sigh of Jesus as His earthlife and His suffering through mankind came to a close. The popular interpretation of these words is that it marked the completion of a sacrifice ordained by God to save humanity. 

However, let us reflect:

1. The wife of Pilate, perhaps the last man who could have made a difference at that moment in humanity’s spiritual history sent him a warning! In Matthew 27:19 we read: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

2.       On His way to the crucifixion place, we are told in Luke 23:28- “Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children…” Clearly, this shows that the unfolding events would have unpalatable consequences from that very moment and also in the future.

3.       Then at the death of Jesus, the veil that separates humanity from the Holy of Holies was torn into two! The interpretation of this is that with man’s rejection of Christ, man separated themselves more from Divinity thus making the Holy of Holies unnecessary! With the blood of Jesus dripping from the hands of men, the Holy of Holies was simultaneously exposed and lost all sanctity! An immediate repercussion for the atrocity just perpetrated.

“It is finished!” was the cry of relief that now, the adversities, hostilities, loneliness and all the suffering that had been endured by the Son of God was coming to an end.

In His Love, the Almighty sent His Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! Whoever believes! And believing in Him simply means accepting His Word of Truth and living by It. It is living by the Word of Truth brought by Jesus that leads to having everlasting life.

God is Love but His Justice will not permit anyone to bear the guilt of another.  

How then can we be forgiven? Ezekiel 18:21 helps us: "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.”

May we be given the strength to turn away from our wrong doings and walk the path that leads to salvation and redemption.

BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY

In Genesis 1:28 it is recorded that the first human beings received the following blessing: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Many have interpreted these words to mean that no woman on earth should be childless!

This thought raises a number of questions. Is motherhood the highest role of womanhood? Why should one bring children into this world? What are the reasons behind childlessness? And most important of all, what is the purpose of life itself?

The real purpose of life on earth is the attainment of spiritual maturity and ascent back to the Realms of Light and Paradise from where we came. Womanhood has a crucial role to play in humanity’s attainment of this fundamental purpose!

Therefore, the real task of woman on earth is to ennoble her surroundings and through her gift of high intuition to ensure that positive influences from on High reach the earth. This ennoblement in turn brings about spiritual ascent for humanity as a whole. This role of womanhood that facilitates the overall attainment of the very purpose of life, naturally far surpass the role of bearing children.

Birth is a gift of God which provides opportunities for human spirits to incarnate on earth so that they may continue to improve themselves, cast off old faults and ultimately attain spiritual maturity. The parents simply provide the possibility for an incarnation and also play the role of hosts to the children who are only guests of the parents as they journey on to spiritual maturity and ascent.

The reasons for childlessness could be medical, or a free decision of the individual or a couple and it could also arise if that is an experience that is required for the spiritual growth of the person or couple concerned. The main cause however is the defectiveness of the special delicate bridge which is bestowed on womanhood in order to attract souls for incarnation. This defect can arise when a woman out of vanity takes on male characteristics by emulating men and even seeking to outdo them!

However, there is blessing for those who being childless adopt a child out of love and selflessness and not for self-satisfaction.

May womanhood on earth come to the recognition of their high task as priestesses of Purity on earth and that this has nothing to do with marriage or motherhood sacred as these are!

FATHER, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?

In Isaiah 53:3 we read: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Let us consider that we are talking here of the Word of God Who became flesh. He is Part of the Father and the Father Himself is within Him and works in Him. He came on a Mission of Love to point out the way back to Paradise to erring humanity.

He came into a world of human beings whose level of spiritual immaturity was so great that He sorrowfully told His disciples: “I would say many things unto you, but you would not understand!” Even His disciples misconstrued Him in many things!

Then we must remember the relentless opposition from the Scribes, Pharisees and the Priests. All the good that Christ did was really not appreciated by men that it all seemed quite hopeless. Jesus was hated and even pursued with evil plots. It got to a point when Jesus began to have a strong longing to return Home and ascend back to the Father. He was homesick! Tragically, the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled. At Lucifer’s prompting, men inflicted deep sorrow on Jesus, brought Him grief and derided Him. He Who brought them help in their greatest need. Every night He could hear the vibrations of the Darkness sounding a menacing and dreadful note. It seemed as though He was alone… “Father! Hast Thou forsaken me? How much longer? When can I return to Thee?”

Eventually, human beings in their craftiness and spiteful hatred brought Jesus to the cross of suffering. And as if he had not done his worst, Lucifer stood before Him right there on the cross hence the urgent call: “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?” Then the evil one disappeared, and Jesus saw countless hosts of luminous helpers. He recognised all those who had escorted Him to this earth, and was filled with blissful happiness.

Let us remember always that Jesus came down for us from His Holy Realm into this wicked world. He fought for us, suffered and died in order to show us the way that leads to forgiveness and redemption. May we be able to go the way shown to us by Christ so that forgiveness may really be ours!

Oh my soul

Oh my soul!
When will you awake?

When will you concern thyself solely with the Truth?

BEHOLD THIS IS THY SON, AND THIS IS THY MOTHER, JOHN!

Before the birth of Christ, Mary experienced the Annunciation which prepared her for her mission of being the earthly mother of Jesus. Therefore, she was among the few who recognised the Star that shone over the stable in Bethlehem as the fulfilment of the prophecies! The same Star led three kings to the stable. They presented earthly gifts and went away leaving without protection the Child Who they were meant to protect with their wealth and power so that no harm may befall Him in the fulfilment of His Mission.

In the course of years the memory of the Radiant Star slowly paled and Mary had to struggle with her grave concerns about how Jesus was exposing the false teachings of the religious leaders of His time. In motherly anxiety she expressed the fear that Jesus will only make formidable enemies for Himself who in their hatred might bring Him harm or even kill Him! Mary feared for Jesus, she had no peace. However, Jesus cannot but fulfil His Mission to carry the Word of the Father among mankind on earth. He therefore went forth to bring Light to those who longed for His Message. Christ regarded as His kindred these ones who hear His Holy Word and make use of it. So in Luke 8:19-21 we read “¹⁹ Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰ Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Jesus the Personification of Divine Love however prior to His departure from the flesh, entrusted the care of Mary to John, one of His Disciples. Despite the agonizing pain of the crucifixion, and as physical death approached, Jesus still managed to reiterate His earlier instructions to John when on seeing Mary with John mourning Him under the cross He said gently: “Behold, this is thy son, and this is thy mother John!”

John embraced Mary. At this solemn hour Mary’s doubts melted away and she became convinced of Christ’s Holy Mission. Similarly, we read in Mark 15:39” ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Subsequently, Mary moved to the House of John and kept pace with the Disciples of Christ and their activities.

May we also be endowed with the courage to cast off all the old and concern ourselves solely with the Truth no matter the obstacles and opposition that may confront us!

I THIRST!

Biblical accounts tells us that preceding the crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 speaks of His praying in agony and that His sweat were like drops of blood. Medical science also recognises that hematidrosis (excretion of bloody sweat) occurs where a person is undergoing extreme levels of stress for example when facing death such that the blood vessels under the skin ruptures and mixes with sweat to come on the skin surface.

The agony experienced in Gethsemane was soon followed by unspeakable tortures in the hands of evil men. He was scourged, and with a crown of thorns pressed firmly on His head he was made to carry the cross for a long walk to Golgotha. The Son of God collapsed under the weight of the cross. Now put together the scourging, the loss of blood thereby and through the crown of thorns and then the crucifixion that followed. All of these culminated in total dehydration for the Holy One. And so on that fateful day, Jesus on the cross in utter exhaustion whispered the words “I thirst”. 

Now to a brief description of crucifixion. This is a method of execution that provides a slow and painful death. The term excruciating literally came from crucifying. One can describe it as gruesome, humiliating and wicked. Although this method was used by the Romans in centuries past, its horrible nature was described by one of their eminent citizens Cicero, who described crucifixion as "a most cruel and disgusting punishment" and suggested that the very mention of the cross should be far removed not only from a Roman citizen's body, but from his mind, his eyes, and his ears.

I therefore urge you to think again if you still attribute this hate filled, ruthless, cold-blooded and vengeful actions against Jesus of Nazareth to a plan endorsed by His Almighty Father Who already gave us the Commandment: thou shall not kill!

May we have the strength to cast away all false interpretations and thirst only to do the Will of God which Jesus explained to us at such a great and painful price!

ODE TO IRRESPONSIBILITY

ODE TO IRRESPONSIBILITY…

Adam ate the apple he ought not to eat. 

Called to account, he pointed at Eve.

"I did not do it my Lord, Eve did!"

Heaven’s Gate was shut unless they repent.

Eve, why? Will Eve be penitent?

"I did not do it my Lord, the serpent did!"

To Adam and Eve’s descendants the Holy One showed the Way.

But they hated, rejected and murdered the Way!

"We didn’t slay You dear Lord," they insist; "the prophecies did!"

This day shalt thou be in Paradise

This is another proclamation of the Son of God from the cross on that unforgettable Friday afternoon when two thieves were crucified along with Him. One of them said to Christ, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! The second rebuked the first saying: Do you not fear God? ...we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but Jesus has done nothing wrong. This penitent thief then pleaded: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Let's label them the wise and foolish thieves. I am of course drawing here from the Parable of Jesus on the wise & foolish virgins!

We can liken the 2 thieves to the two types of believers on earth today. All are thieves in that all have sinned. We are all in need of salvation and redemption.

Just like the foolish thief, a part of present day believers do not have the true faith. Such believers hold that Jesus can do the unnatural for example - suddenly coming down physically and unaided from the cross. What these people desire or better said, what they demand from their Saviour are arbitrary acts they call “miracles”. They expect to be delivered suddenly from all kinds of earthly difficulties that they themselves have brought about through their stubbornness and reckless behaviour. These types of believers always approach the Most High with a shopping list whenever they pray to Him. Some have even stepped over all boundaries by attempting to “command” their Creator, asking Him to prove Himself by doing this or that for them! This attitude reminds one of the insults of the foolish thief who said “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us”.

The wise thief on the other hand (epitomising the attitude of a true believer) recognised humbly and declared openly that he was in the wrong and was paying for his wrongful behaviour. He did not demand any quick fix to his problem nor seek a temporary earthly advantage: e.g. possible release from his pains on the cross just like the expectation of the foolish thief. Instead, he longed for the Heavenly Kingdom reminding us of one of the admonitions of Jesus that we seek first the Kingdom of Heaven. Similarly, true believers recognising that they are responsible for their thoughts words and deeds continually strive to give purity to their thoughts. They bear within them the firm volition for what is good.

In the end, the foolish thief got no visible advantage while the wise thief got a firm promise of a place in paradise! One can decide the path to follow. It is either the path of those who make self-serving earthly demands and expect arbitrary actions from the Creator, or the path of repentance that pleads humbly for God's forgiveness and strength for spiritual ascent. May we have the strength to choose the path of repentance which leads to salvation and redemption.  Amen

FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO (addendum)

Let it be said that the crucifixion was an outrage against the Father Who sent Jesus. That was what necessitated this prayer.

You may now ask: If the crucifixion does not redeem us then how is man saved?  This question takes us to the meaning of the Cross. While the type of cross used for torturing Jesus remains an executioner’s tool and has nothing to do with the redemption of mankind, the real Cross of Redemption is an equal armed cross. It is the sign and the living form of Divine Truth! The Cross of Truth stood behind Jesus radiantly during His life on earth. It clung to Him inwardly and outwardly in a living form because He was a Bringer of Divine Truth and came from the Truth. Even some of us have seen paintings that show the Son of God with the equal armed Cross shining around His head. Where this Radiant Cross is, there also is Truth, since the Cross and the Truth are one.

Furthermore, since man can only be saved and come to know about his Creator through the Truth, it follows that the Cross of Truth is also the Cross of Redemption. Truth comes from God, His Holy Word is Truth and if we adhere to this Word of God or this Truth, we will be redeemed out of our present derangement and error. The Truth frees us from the shackles of sin and leads us back to our Creator. Our salvation and redemption therefore lies solely in our accepting and abiding by the Truth.

For that reason the Son of God told men to take up the Cross and follow Him, which means to accept the Truth and to live accordingly! This simple and clear instruction has been wrongly interpreted to mean that following Christ also implies that we are to embrace suffering and that suffering is part of serving the Almighty. This doctrine of suffering is a fallacy desired neither by God nor the Son of God. In fact, in the scriptures we read words to the effect that Jesus called out to men who are heavy laden to come to him to find rest but not to add to their burden.

What is required from us therefore is to accept the Truth as it issues from Christ and adhere to His Teaching faithfully.  We would then have taken up the Cross which will lead us to joy instead of suffering. Ultimately, the way of the Redeeming Cross of Truth (which in all simplicity means obedience to God’s Laws) leads to our salvation and redemption!

  

FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO (PART 3 & CONCLUSION)

In conclusion, please permit me to share with you some of the things that happened during the crucifixion. Some people present at the event mocked and laughed maliciously uttering insults such as - Now prove that you are the Son of God come down from the cross – If you are the Son of God, help yourself and so on.   As they were saying this, unseen hands were chaining them in spirit to this world. Many of them were thereafter compelled to reincarnate several times on earth stigmatized and thus clearly branded for all discerning ones to see!    

One notable example of this phenomenon was recorded some decades ago. This was Therese Neumann who lived in a part of Europe. At a point in her life she developed stigmata. This means that she bore on her body wound marks similar to those borne by Jesus during His crucifixion. The wounds on the lady bleeds and she was sometimes drenched in her own blood while she lay on her bed in agony. The pains are aggravated when medicament are applied to the wounds. Many people came from far and wide on pilgrimage to where she stayed. During these periods she hears in spirit talk about the crucifixion in dialects of the language of that time to the amazement of language experts.

If you seek genuinely perhaps you will come to the recognition that the soul concerned here had been on earth before. She was in the past one of those that reviled Christ as He suffered on the cross. She had been permitted to come to the earth this time to settle accounts. Through reincarnation this soul was given another opportunity to recognize her faults and to ask for forgiveness, this being the only way to deliverance!

FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO (PART 2)

One may ask: why did Jesus utter this intercessory prayer? A plea for forgiveness earnestly directed to the Almighty is only relevant where a sin has been committed. Of course the execution of the sinless is what was happening at the time the prayer was uttered. Such wanton recklessness cannot be an act of righteousness or an act of worship or a sacrifice to God Who is Justice Himself. An earthly judge will not knowingly order the execution of an innocent man in the place of an offender and set the real offender free.    Neither will the Almighty Father demand such an abomination as a way to appease Himself - the Holiest! Since there will be absolutely no need to forgive a deed that is ordained by God, therefore the statement is a prayer to intercede for the shedding of the blood of the Son of God!

After the words “Father forgive them” comes the extremely severe words: “for they know not what they do”. These ominous words call for deep reflection. It means that if the people really know the full implications of laying their wicked and sinful hands on the Son of God, they would not have dared to act in such an irresponsible manner! It shows that what was being done was wrong and nothing but a grievous crime!

Being the Personification of Love, Jesus did not wish to hold this crime against the blind and wicked agitators. So He prayed for their forgiveness. However, while Jesus can forgive and pardon the wrongs done against Him, the Laws of God keeps on working and affects all who rejected the Teachings of Christ. The delivery of His Message of Truth from His Father is His real Mission!  For humanity as a whole, the rejection of Christ and His Mission has brought the results manifesting in the current world happenings. The guilt of Golgotha is now being resolved in the World Judgement currently in full swing! The effects of the Judgement is reflected in the present day confusion, frequent wars, riots, the arms race, political misunderstandings, economic difficulties, the unbelievable fate of individuals and masses, previously unheard of crimes, new diseases, the natural catastrophes and the unusual atmospheric conditions and temperatures across the globe!

FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO (PART 1)

When you ask most people who know about Jesus concerning His Mission, what you will be told in one form or the other is that He came to the earth to die for the sins of mankind. If one probes further they may explain that mankind have sinned against God and because the wages of sin is death, Jesus came to die in the place of sinners. The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as a propitiatory sacrifice meant to appease God. In fact, many seriously believe that man’s salvation is predicated on the sacrificial death of Christ! The adept will point to scriptures and interpret such to the effect that the Almighty Himself made all the provision for this sacrificial death of His Son as the best that can be pleasing and acceptable to Him!

This thinking which has prevailed for over 2000 years is questionable in the face of the statement made by Jesus as He was nailed to the cross. He said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

The words “forgive them” can only imply that the event under reference is wrong at the least. But in reality the actions of that momentous Friday were sinful and an outrage against the Father Who sent Jesus. The whole process that led to the crucifixion was a show of hatred to a Person Who is Love Himself, mockery of justice culminating in a most gruesome murder! Love and Justice are two attributes of the Most High but the mindless hatred leading up to the mockery and trial of Jesus all show an opposition of men to God’s Love and Justice! By the acts of the majority of people, mankind shunned the Love that inclined to the earth in the Person of the Son of God. 

THE LAST WORDS OF THE SAVIOUR ON THE CROSS

As recorded in The Bible, the following were the Last Words spoken by Jesus as He endured the gruesome hours at Golgotha:

1.      Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

2.      Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).

3.      Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27).

4.      Eli Eli lama sabachthani? ("My God, My God, why have you forsaken     

       me?”)  (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).

5.      I thirst (John 19:28).

6.      It is finished (John 19:30)

7.      Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).

At the time of this special Easter Season, it may be a good time to contemplate these words. It may well be that we have taken these momentous words with apathy over time, not really recognising that they have deeper meanings and have tremendous impact from the moment they were spoken up to this moment!

I dare say that the very first one for example negates the popular belief about the significance of the crucifixion. However, these words point to the real Mission of Christ, His suffering in the hands of ungrateful men and the way that leads to salvation.

Who says money can’t buy happiness?

Here are three ways your money can buy happiness:

1. Buy memories not stuff! You see, the stuff we buy may lose their appeal to us later on. However, when we share time with our loved ones, friends and family, the memories of these people we are happy with lasts with us. So, create memorable occasions with people at lovely places and doing joyful activities together!

2. Spend on others: Very simple. See, when we buy a gift for someone or give to somebody else, we feel happy doing it, don’t we? That’s the way to go…

3. Last but certainly not the least: buy the inexpensive stuff you like. There is really no need to keep up with the Joneses of this world! Buy small things that make you feel happy instead of spending huge amounts on stuff that will end up making you feel remorseful.

MONEY MONEY MONEY!

There is a popular belief that money is the answer to all things! Really?

On the other hand, many erroneously describe it as the root of all evils! A few have dared to live their lives without money; an example being Heidemarie Schwermer, a 69-year-old woman from Germany who has been able to abandon the use of money for over 15 years!

But how are we to treat this matter in a balanced manner?

Definitely, we cannot shun money in this age of the materialists. We do so at a big risk as one can simply be overrun by unscrupulous opponents who will use their wealth to oppress anyone shamelessly. We also need some money to take care of our basic needs, those of our dependants and those we are moved to assist.

However, one enters into the slippery slope of the damned when one makes the acquisition of wealth the sole aim of life. We get distracted from higher and more sublime goals when we cling to the single idea of “making it” which in this case is a code word for acquiring wealth and all kinds of money at whatever cost and by all ways and means.

As the Psalmist says, the earth is the Lord’s and its fullness thereof! We therefore can come to His Table which is always richly spread and take from it in the measure of the abilities and the talents we have been endowed with. Let us achieve positive earthly results by harnessing all the powers and abilities at our disposal to maintain ourselves but at the same time we must not lose sight of that which makes us human which is our spirituality. We need not let our aim to make money or the comfort afforded by wealth send us into spiritual slumber or make us forget our real purpose of life which is  to attain spiritual maturity. Wealth should not be our master but we must make sound use of it for our benefit, that of others and the noble causes we stand for.