1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,480 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,160 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,080 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the Light of the world 4 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:14,800 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,840 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,920 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,360 obedient to your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,680 every hour. O you who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,840 rational with the knowledge of your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,680 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon your holy and 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:40,040 divine scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:01:03,140 and Holy Spirit, forever Amen. Peace be upon you, beloved. 13 00:01:03,580 --> 00:01:07,980 Welcome one more time to another episode of Double Edged Sword. 14 00:01:07,980 --> 00:01:10,440 Those who've been following these series, we've we're 15 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,160 studying the book of Acts and which is basically the history 16 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,920 of the church, the history of the holy Apostolic Catholic 17 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,320 denoting universal Church, the one holy Apostolic and universal 18 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:29,240 or Catholic Church. And a recap from last episode. 19 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:35,040 We chapter 14, we read that witness that Saint Paul and 20 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,240 Barnabas are healing a man that was lamed from his mother's womb 21 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,080 and he couldn't walk. Saint Paul gazes at him and 22 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,480 commands him to stand and he does at that very moment. 23 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,600 Then the crowd go wild and they proclaim they, these are gods 24 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,280 that have come down and taken flesh. 25 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,040 It must have been an understanding of, you know, the 26 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,400 coming of the Messiah. But Zeus and Hermes, these are 27 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,360 gods that have come down and take, you know, have taken on 28 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,320 flesh. And they came out and they 29 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:12,400 wanted to, you know, offer oxen and, and, and place reefs on 30 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,160 their, on their necks and on their heads. 31 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,560 And, and we read the Saint Paul and Barnabas run out to them 32 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,760 tearing their robes because it was, it was quite serious. 33 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,440 They were tearing their robes. They ran to the crowd so that 34 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,080 they could turn them away from this, you know, the offerings 35 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,560 and the, and the, the fanfare and the, and the worship of, of 36 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,680 man. And Saint Paul speaks about that 37 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,360 immediately, immediately at the very outset, we learned that 38 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,920 they overthrew this evil because they knew this is an act of 39 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:46,720 evil, you know. And they said they didn't simply 40 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,040 say we are men, they said we are men like you. 41 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,480 You don't worshippers. We are not gods, we are men like 42 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:57,280 you. And then so that they should not 43 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:02,800 be seen honoured as gods, Saint Paul goes on to same verse 15. 44 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:08,560 We bring you good news that you should turn from these vain 45 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,240 things. What you've been doing before, 46 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,600 the paganism, the idolatry that you were in before, we're here 47 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,920 to teach you to, to steer you away to you, you know, to bring 48 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,760 you to the light and away from the darkness of idolatry. 49 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,160 So to steer you, turn you away from these vain things to a 50 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,120 living God. Not a God that is seen in 51 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,120 statues and in trees that are dumb and that are, you know, 52 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,400 deaf and can't do anything to a living God who made the heavens 53 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,800 and the earth and the sea and all that is in it. 54 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,760 Want to continue? And we're going to read 2 verses 55 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,360 today because I want to speak a little bit more and, you know, 56 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,280 elaborate more on those because there's some some important 57 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,240 points in the significance in those. 58 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,800 So verses 19 and 20, chapter 14 Acts. 59 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,880 But there came there Jews from Iconium and Antioch. 60 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,960 Now these are Jews that didn't believe, they weren't faithful, 61 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,480 they weren't believers. But there came their Jews from 62 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,600 Iconium and Antioch and stirred up the people against them, and 63 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,279 they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him 64 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,200 to be dead. Howbeit, as the disciples 65 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:24,480 gathered around him, he rose up and entered again into the city. 66 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,680 And the next day he departed from there with Barnabas, and 67 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:35,520 they came to the city of Derby. So they stone Paul, you know the 68 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,280 Father's right. And the reason why they do this 69 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:42,440 is because when they are converting all these pagans and 70 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,160 you know, the Gentiles to the Jews, they were hitting the 71 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,680 Gentiles to Christianity, to Christ, they were hitting the 72 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,520 pockets because the Jews would make money from these people, 73 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,600 right? They were their prophet in many 74 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,440 ways. Let's not going. 75 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,720 So wasn't that because the Jews, the, the Gentiles believed and 76 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,440 they came to worship them. And then they, they come out to 77 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,840 grab the pole and you know, they want to kill him. 78 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:09,520 No, that was one of the reasons. But they were cutting their 79 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,400 grass, as they say, I believe, right. 80 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:14,360 Nothing has changed, beloved. Nothing has changed today. 81 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:19,400 Maybe not so much stoning, but words that are worse than 82 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:24,240 stones. Christianity is being attacked 83 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,200 when there are, when there are Christians who who preach the 84 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,880 word of God, who care about those who are in the darkness, 85 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,080 who are dead in their sins and they want to bring to life with 86 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,040 Jesus Christ. And we see this is evident 87 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,360 today. I think it's in England, in 88 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:46,000 London, all our Christian brothers and sisters who are 89 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,200 preaching on the streets. What are the police? 90 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,920 Do they come and they pull out. They, they, they, they, they 91 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,320 battle with them. They take out their microphones 92 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,320 and their speakers and they command them not to preach, but 93 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:04,360 it's OK for prayers to be in the middle of the street, Disrupt 94 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,600 traffic to be gathered around the cathedral because there's 95 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,960 messages there, beloved, right? I saw a video. 96 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:14,880 They're all around the cathedral. 97 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,600 And then they're in their hundreds dressed black and their 98 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,600 mats are on the crown and they're praying. 99 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:22,840 And then the church bells start to go off, Right. 100 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:27,560 But I assure you that the same police officers would not say, 101 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,040 I'm sorry, this is disrupting traffic. 102 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:36,720 So pack up your your stall and move from here. 103 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,920 But I I'm sure that they would go into the cathedral and say 104 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,920 stop these bells. You know why? 105 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,000 Because these are people that hate the Lord Jesus Christ. 106 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:53,320 This is evil that gets exposed by holiness. 107 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,760 And when evil is being exposed by holiness, what does it do? 108 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,240 It's try. It tries to kill holiness, but 109 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:04,320 no one can kill holiness because holiness is a nature of God. 110 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:10,080 Praise and glory be to his name. They stoned this Saint Paul, and 111 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,880 he must have played dead because they thought he was dead. 112 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,280 Why did it give this man so much courage? 113 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,440 And he gets up and goes into the city again. 114 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,800 Now you may say, yes, he went into the city. 115 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,080 He was then treated by the apostles. 116 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,160 The next day he left because his life was in danger. 117 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,320 But we're going to read that they're going to come back again 118 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:32,080 one more time. They travel 60 miles to Derby, 119 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,280 and then they travel back another 60 miles and come back 120 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:36,680 to the same city. Why? 121 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,680 Because he was because out of out of his mind. 122 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:43,520 No, because they remembered the words of Christ were echoing in 123 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,240 the in the minds, in the hearts of the apostles. 124 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,040 Beloved Matthew chapter 5, verses 11 and 12. 125 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,760 Blessed are you when men reproach you and persecute you 126 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,600 and speak against you every kind of evil falsely for my sake. 127 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,280 Then be glad and rejoice, for your reward is increased in 128 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,960 heaven. For in this very manner they 129 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,640 persecuted the prophets who were before you. 130 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,960 They persecute the prophets before Christ. 131 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:18,320 They persecuted the apostles, and they persecute the church 132 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,080 today. But what is it that we need to 133 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,400 do? We are being persecuted, 134 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,480 beloved, Maybe not so much stoned. 135 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:28,760 Only in some of these Middle Eastern Islamic countries, 136 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,480 you'll be stoned, you'll be put to death if you preach Jesus 137 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,640 Christ. But what are we to do? 138 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:40,120 We that are not stoned, but we are hurt by the words. 139 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,640 You know, they say sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but 140 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,080 words will never hurt me. Well, yeah, about me, fine. 141 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,080 But when it comes to the truth, it disappoints, beloved. 142 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,320 It annoys. It disheartens. 143 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,400 What do we do? We do the same as Paul did. 144 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,480 He did not hate those who cast the stones. 145 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,880 We don't read that. As they were casting the stones, 146 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,600 Paul was saying, I will get you, may the Lord strike you. 147 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,120 Ouch. It would have been in pain. 148 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,960 It would have been in pain. But he didn't hate them. 149 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,480 They dragged him out. He entered again. 150 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,800 What? To be friends with them? 151 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:26,880 To be friends with those who had done him evil, who had wronged 152 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,760 him. Beloved now again, if we may 153 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,960 say, Yeah, but that was only for a few hours. 154 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:33,560 Maybe because the next day they've gone. 155 00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:36,960 But, well, why didn't he? Didn't he just go to Derby 156 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,800 after? He was he, he, he, he. 157 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,040 He wasn't dead. He. 158 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,720 They dragged him away. Then they left him. 159 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,760 He could have ran away. He could have escaped, but he 160 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,760 didn't. Those who wronged him harshly, 161 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,360 Beloved, he didn't hate. What do we do? 162 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:56,320 We don't hate Those who wronged us harshly. 163 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,440 We don't say I've done nothing wrong. 164 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,120 You see, Saint Paul didn't say, what are you doing? 165 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,840 Why have you done this? What have I done wrong? 166 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:13,320 No, we don't also whinge and murmur and and, you know, sour 167 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,960 crepes, sour grapes. What have I done? 168 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,640 No, actually, when you do something wrong, the scriptures 169 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:21,360 tell us. Saint Peter says if you've done 170 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:23,720 something wrong and you suffer, well, it's your fault. 171 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,240 You made your bed, you sleep in it. 172 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,160 You do the crime, You do the what is it? 173 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,040 You do the crime. You do the walk or something. 174 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:32,600 You do the walk. Sorry. 175 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:34,840 You do the crime, you do the time. 176 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:35,880 Yeah. Thank you, Stephen. 177 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,120 He's not just the producer, he's my lexicon. 178 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,120 Why don't we murmur? Because Christ did nothing 179 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:49,240 wrong, beloved, to be crucified during his trial before the high 180 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:54,120 priests in John chapter 18, verses 22 to 23, we read. 181 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:59,000 And when he had said these things, one of the gods who was 182 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,480 standing there struck Jesus on the cheek and said to him, Do 183 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:05,520 you answer thus to the high priest? 184 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:10,520 Jesus answered and said to him, If I have spoken evil, testify 185 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,320 of the evil, but if I have spoken correctly, why do you 186 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:18,000 strike me? He didn't say what have I done 187 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,800 wrong? No, I've spoken correctly and 188 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,360 Christ had every rights. Beloved, he is God. 189 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,000 Saint Paul may have said a few things that that had ticked them 190 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,960 off, may have said a few things that because he is a human 191 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,800 being, remember, remember he said I we are men like you. 192 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,520 He may have said a few things that aggravated them, the 193 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,680 manner, the tone, but Christ did not deserve whatsoever. 194 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,640 What wrong did Paul do to be stoned? 195 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:55,080 He was announcing a Kingdom. He was leading them away from 196 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,920 error, from death, to bring them to God, to life, to eternity, to 197 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:02,600 salvation. These things are worthy of 198 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,720 crowns, beloved. These things are worthy of 199 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:10,640 proclamations, worthy of 10,000 good things, and were not worthy 200 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,800 of stones. These things were worthy of 201 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:19,360 blessing Paul, glorifying God for Paul because of what he was 202 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,360 saying. Yet having suffered, he did the 203 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,920 opposite. He did the opposite to what was 204 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,680 expected. And this is the splendid 205 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,120 victory, beloved. Now there must be alarm bells 206 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,600 going off, those who read their holy scriptures, and I pray that 207 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,600 you do, Don't just wait for the Double Edged Sword podcast or 208 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,440 any other podcast that you listen and all these memes of 209 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,640 priests that are great. They're amazing. 210 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,480 My brother, the Catholic priest, the Orthodox priest, they have 211 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,960 such amazing memes. Don't just wait for those. 212 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:01,240 Open the scriptures and read, read. 213 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,880 If you are listening and you don't open the scriptures and 214 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:12,360 read, you are in error, beloved brother and sister and don't 215 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,640 say, well, how does he know I'm speaking generally? 216 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,960 Obviously right? Alarm bells must be going off. 217 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:24,440 Luke chapter 6, verse 29 and to him who strikes you on your 218 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,080 cheek, offer the other. This is what Jesus means by 219 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,200 that, not that you go and give your cheek and once some someone 220 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,240 has slapped you, you turn the other cheek and say please slap 221 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,040 me one more time. This is silly. 222 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,360 That's not what Jesus means. This is an example of when they 223 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,840 slap you on one cheek, turn the other. 224 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:50,200 They stoned him, yet he went back into that city and yes, 225 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,840 he's going to leave. He's going to travel. 226 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,800 They're going to, I should say there that is Saint Paul and 227 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,440 Barnabas. They're going to travel 60 miles 228 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,440 away from Iconium and then they're going to come back one 229 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:04,520 more time. Why? 230 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:12,040 Because He loves them, because they just just slapped him on 231 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,520 the cheek, He's going to come back and turn the other cheek, 232 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:19,960 not to prove any point, but just to bring them to Christ, just to 233 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,920 bring them to the truth of the gospel, which is Jesus Christ. 234 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:30,560 They go back again just as Jesus did, beloved. 235 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:36,880 In Luke chapter 4 verse 31, Jesus talks about paranorm. 236 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:44,720 Jesus went down to Capernaum. Now Jesus is God, He knows who 237 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,400 will reject him, who will receive him, and who will not. 238 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:53,200 So when he was going down to Capernaum, he knew that they 239 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,000 were going to reject him, but yet he still went. 240 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,960 He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was 241 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:06,080 teaching them on the Sabbaths, knowing that he they were going 242 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,840 to reject him. Because in Luke chapter 10 verse 243 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:15,120 15, he says, And you Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will 244 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:19,680 be brought down to Hades, but still went and visited that 245 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:20,280 place. Why? 246 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:24,480 To heal them. Just as a true physician visits 247 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:29,360 His patients so that he could heal them, so that they could 248 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:34,520 come back one more time, so they could, you know, walk away from 249 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,840 the stubborn stiff neck that they were to come to the truth 250 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,320 of Jesus Christ. Paul did the same. 251 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,880 So too did Saint Paul and Barnabas. 252 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,200 More bells, more bells. Yes, yes, you may be saying 253 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,880 those who read the Scriptures, Robbie, 1 Corinthians 11/1. 254 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,720 That's why Saint Paul says imitate me, just as I also do 255 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,120 the Christ. This is how he imitate. 256 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,640 He imitated Jesus Christ. He went to those cities that he 257 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:10,760 knew would reject him. He continued to speak to the 258 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,520 Pharisees. He continued to talk to them and 259 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,680 tried to bring them. Now when I say tried, I don't 260 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:24,720 mean that Jesus failed. No, they rejected you know when 261 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,760 he talks about which of you, if your donkey falls in a a pit, 262 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:33,200 won't go on the Sabbath and bring him, You know the the 263 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,320 story goes and then immediately after that one more time when he 264 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,200 walks into Simon's house and there is a man with Dopsey and 265 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,200 he says is it is it? And he heals him and he said 266 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,280 again, he, he goes back and says, if your donkey, which of 267 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:53,720 you will not take out your donkey and to take it to drink 268 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,440 on a Sabbath? He wasn't, he wasn't, you know, 269 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,320 he didn't constantly try to rub them the wrong way. 270 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,880 No, he wanted to show them and tell them and teach them and 271 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,680 somehow touch their hearts so that they could come back. 272 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,119 He wasn't their enemy. He didn't hate the Pharisees. 273 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,079 He didn't hate those who who rejected him. 274 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:18,640 He continued to preach to them. He washed Judas's feet, knowing 275 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:22,440 that he is going to betray him. Judas didn't know. 276 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:24,920 He knew that he's going to betray him. 277 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,960 Yet he still washed his feet. And there was a chance there was 278 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,160 an opportunity for Judas to have repented. 279 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:32,760 Well, then Christ wouldn't have died. 280 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,960 Well, yes, it it, it has been written. 281 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,640 It had to be written. But Judas didn't know. 282 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:43,480 He looked him in the eyes. So Saint Paul does the same, 283 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,400 beloved, he imitates Jesus Christ. 284 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:51,200 We too imitate me, Saint Paul says, just as I also do the 285 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,880 Christ. Let's imitate Paul. 286 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:59,720 Let's be like Paul, that when we are harshly done wrong, we don't 287 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,880 hate. We try to reconcile, we try 288 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:07,000 again, and we try again to win over our enemies. 289 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:11,480 It's not easy. I mean to that it takes a lot of 290 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,800 faith, it takes a lot of love, it takes a lot of obedience to 291 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:21,720 Jesus Christ, obedience to God. And then when we reach that 292 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:26,640 completion in our obedience to Jesus Jesus Christ, completion 293 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,800 in love and mercy, then we will conquer. 294 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,120 We will truly be imitated of Christ. 295 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:36,000 And then we can rightly say to our friends and our family and 296 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,280 our you know, whoever we have a relationship with be imitator of 297 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,800 me because I'm I am imitating Saint Paul and Saint Paul has 298 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:48,720 imitated Jesus Christ. Galatians chapter 6 verse 17. 299 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:54,040 Saint Paul writes from now on, let no one trouble me, for I 300 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,840 bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 301 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,600 I bear in my body. I have suffered Amen to that. 302 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:09,880 He was stoned, you know. We too need to work on bearing 303 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:16,320 Jesus's marks on our body. We need to work on receiving and 304 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,440 accepting the spittle if we get to that point. 305 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:26,160 We need to try to bear Christ's nails in our hands and our feet. 306 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:33,080 If we get to that point, we need to bear Christ's rejections, 307 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,800 those who rejected Jesus Christ, we need to also bear those 308 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,360 marks. Be prepared to be rejected for 309 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:44,280 goodness, for holiness, not rejected because you've done 310 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,080 something wrong. No, Saint Peter teaches us that 311 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,280 if you've done something wrong, if you're in error and you 312 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:51,920 suffer, well, you know, that's it. 313 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,280 And I mentioned this. No, but for Christ's sake, 314 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:01,440 bearing Christ's marks in our bodies, for Christ's sake, for 315 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:07,840 our sake and for others sake, we need to bear the falsehood and 316 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:13,320 the the, the, the the untrue statements and the the ridicule 317 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,880 and the disrespect that Jesus received while he was on earth. 318 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,360 We need to be prepared to say that we are bearing those marks. 319 00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:26,800 Do you know why, beloved? Because Jesus Christ. 320 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,240 Who we see and read during the Scriptures and we watched all 321 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:36,480 the films, you know, bearing so much pain and suffering and 322 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:42,960 rejection, but was glorified. That glory is awaiting each and 323 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,920 every one of us. If we do bear those marks, if we 324 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:52,280 walk the paths of Jesus Christ, if we walk the paths of the 325 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:57,080 apostles, that's why Jesus tells his apostles, he who receives 326 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,520 you receives me. Why did he say that? 327 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:07,080 He who receives you receives me. He who receives me receives him 328 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:08,800 that sent me. Why? 329 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,880 Because God, Jesus was God Incarnate. 330 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,000 The love, the grace, the mercy, the compassion, the 331 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,200 righteousness, the holiness, the justice of God, we see and we 332 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:25,280 saw in Jesus Christ. So then when we then go to the 333 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:30,600 apostles and we see the life that they had lived and receive 334 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,000 them, hence we receive Jesus Christ. 335 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,080 That's why Saint Paul says, imitate me. 336 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:42,440 The apostles were tortured, Every one of them, the 337 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,560 disciples, all of them were martyred except for John, who 338 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,080 lived the longest and suffered the longest. 339 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:54,560 We don't read of any apostles or any of the apostles that died. 340 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,880 Yes, a natural death, all in peace and harm. 341 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:01,160 There was no suffering. No, they all suffered. 342 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,400 The holy Saints have all suffered. 343 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,200 The Saints of this beloved Church, beloved, the Assyrian 344 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:14,160 Church of the East, the Church of martyrs, the martyrs of the 345 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,800 Assyrian Church, of these and other Apostolic and Orthodox 346 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:22,240 churches, their Saints have bared the marks of the Lord 347 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:23,880 Jesus Christ. Why? 348 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:27,960 Because they are now glorified. They are glorified before 349 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,480 Christ. They're in paradise. 350 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,760 They are now interceding, beloved, they are now 351 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:39,440 interceding to the Lord. How long, O Lord? 352 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,000 How long? And they are caring. 353 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,480 They are seeing our torment, our suffering, our persecution, and 354 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,520 they are crying out to the Lamb. But there will come that time. 355 00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:55,680 They came that time with Saint Paul says I have fought a good 356 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,440 battle, I've done it, it's time for me to receive. 357 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:03,480 He was so confident, yet in other places he says whether I 358 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:05,960 have attained it or not, I don't know. 359 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,240 One thing. I know that I've focused ahead. 360 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,440 I don't look back. I continue every day. 361 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,760 But when time came, he was confident. 362 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:20,000 He knew that his blood was going to be shed and he said I am now 363 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:25,880 ready to receive that crown. This is why Saint Paul and St. 364 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,760 Barnabas went back again. They're going to go to Derby and 365 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,040 they're going to come back again. 366 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:33,840 Why not? So they could be troubled and 367 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,640 not so they can be persecuted, So that they can be glorified? 368 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:43,240 No, but to focus on preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. 369 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,320 And that's what we must do, beloved. 370 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:52,200 Every church, it's incumbent of every church to preach Jesus 371 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,320 Christ, to bring to the knowledge of the truth of the 372 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,240 Lord Jesus Christ. You see. 373 00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:59,520 You see where the world is with Christ? 374 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:04,800 Nowhere in darkness, total darkness, beloved. 375 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,600 And all these philosophies now all these legislations, all 376 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:14,840 these laws that are just evil, and evil is being called good, 377 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,800 good is being called evil. Do you know why? 378 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,480 Because evil will always come out second best. 379 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,560 Righteousness, goodness, holiness will always prevail. 380 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,240 So regardless of what they do to us, beloved, they can. 381 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:35,240 I was preaching at the Mariosa Parish on Sunday. 382 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,840 You know, they may come a time we don't know. 383 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:44,120 It's so unpredictable. And especially in this state, 384 00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:48,960 they may come a time where they will enforce that there be no 385 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:54,440 crosses on the churches. You know, I heard the Emmanuel 386 00:24:54,440 --> 00:25:00,880 Hospital here in Turlock, there is a statue of Jesus Christ that 387 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:05,040 they are now working on. Removing that statue. 388 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,960 Don't fret. Remove any statue you want, 389 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,000 remove any crosses you want, remove. 390 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:18,240 Remove all these holy symbols that we have, the Holy Cross of 391 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,360 our Lord. Remove it from before my face, 392 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:23,240 before my sight. Remove it. 393 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:28,760 Remove the statues, you know, remove the, the, the scriptural 394 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,360 verses, remove them from the heart before my gaze and my 395 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:35,240 sight. But you cannot listen to me. 396 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,200 Oy oy, listen to me, whoever you are. 397 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:43,360 You cannot remove Jesus Christ from my heart. 398 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,120 You cannot, you cannot remove it. 399 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,960 I don't care about your laws. It doesn't concern me. 400 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:56,520 Remove whatever you please. You cannot remove Jesus Christ 401 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:01,680 from our hearts, from our minds, from our life, from our love, 402 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,280 from our being. You cannot remove Jesus Christ. 403 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:11,400 The only thing you can do, Mr. Politician, Mr. Allah Akbar, the 404 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,720 only thing you can do, the best that you can do is put me to 405 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,200 death. And I thank you for that. 406 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:23,960 If I am made worthy to die for my Lord and am my Savior Jesus 407 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:28,920 Christ, be it through stoning, be it through the the sword, or 408 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:31,840 be it through your legislations, I thank you for that. 409 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:36,160 Because you have sent me to my Lord to be glorified with my 410 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,200 Lord Jesus Christ. This is the Zeal Saint Paul and 411 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,400 Barnabas and all the apostles and all the Saints of the Lord 412 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,560 had. Beloved, don't fret. 413 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,000 It's disappointing. It's this. 414 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,600 You know why it's disappointing? Because it's so disappointing. 415 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:56,480 Because you laugh at those ridiculous, ridiculed people who 416 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:01,960 think that by taking down a cross or by trying to stone St. 417 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,040 Paul, let's say Saint Paul had died. 418 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,960 Then there's Barnabas, there's the other 70 who are all over 419 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,840 the world preaching. And the preaching of Jesus 420 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:16,160 Christ continues and continues and continues and ridicules 421 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,080 every other false faith that is out there. 422 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:23,640 Beloved puts to shame every other false faith. 423 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:31,240 So let's not fret, there may be no stones now in these 424 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,560 countries, in the Western countries, you never know. 425 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:38,840 Maybe that you know, you hear of some places want to introduce 426 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,480 the Sharia law. That means stoning to death. 427 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,560 That means if you don't accept the faith, you must either pay 428 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,800 ajiza or you will be murdered. Simple as that. 429 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:54,840 OK, let's not, you know, be wishy washy that it is, It is 430 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,600 right? So maybe one day stoning will be 431 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:02,120 and we may be stoned to death. Glory be to Christ our Lord. 432 00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:07,520 Glory be to Christ our Lord. Every stone is a Pebble in the 433 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:11,320 Kingdom of heaven, is a flower budding in the Kingdom of heaven 434 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,600 for you and I, for those who die for Jesus Christ. 435 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,600 So let's continue, beloved, now not so much. 436 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,520 Go out and preach. Not many people are called to 437 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,440 preach. Remember you know who who sends 438 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:24,800 preachers? The church, not because I've 439 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,800 read the Bible cover to cover, I'm going to go to the preach. 440 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,840 No, you have no authority. The church has to give you the 441 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,760 authority, right? But our lives in general, you 442 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:38,880 fall down, especially when Satan drops you, when Satan stones you 443 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,040 and he thinks you're dead. Just get up again and say in the 444 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,280 name of my Lord Jesus Christ, who is my life is my savior. 445 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:50,160 I will continue my life regardless of what I have done, 446 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:55,560 regardless of how grievous my sin is, regardless of how 447 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,960 unforgiving the society will be because of my sins. 448 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:01,960 But I know I have a merciful God. 449 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:06,640 I know there is a process. I know there is a hospital. 450 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:12,320 There is a spiritual hospital that I can go in and enter with 451 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:17,160 my drug addiction, enter with all my spiritual evil 452 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,320 addictions. And that hospital who has 453 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:25,480 renowned physicians that are the priests and has one amazing or 454 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:30,800 many amazing medicines, which is confession, repentance, 455 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,880 absolution and the Holy Eucharist being the body and 456 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,640 blood of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. 457 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:44,120 And you walk out of that hospital all healed and, and you 458 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:48,880 know, rejuvenated, revitalized one more time and you continue. 459 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,120 And if you fall again, you go back to that hospital one more 460 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,400 time. You continue, you continue, 461 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,440 beloved, you continue until the Lord returns. 462 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:02,320 This is the strive, this is the the striving in our life to 463 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,680 enter that narrow gate. For when the Lord returns, those 464 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:10,320 who are waiting outside, mocking those who are waiting outside, 465 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:12,880 mocking those who are striving to enter or those who are 466 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,000 waiting outside saying, you know what, I've got some time. 467 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,080 Let's, let's just enjoy ourselves a little bit. 468 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:21,480 When the Lord returns and the door, when the master returns 469 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:23,440 and the door is closed, we'll be knocking. 470 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,200 They will be knocking. Oh, you know, I didn't know. 471 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,120 I didn't know. No, you must have known because 472 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,120 you were my enemy. So you knew me or I didn't know. 473 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:36,120 Well, you decided not to take heed to the Double edged sword 474 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,320 podcast and all these other, you know, the church sermons and the 475 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,440 Gospels itself. You decided not to hate to it. 476 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,360 Well, I do not know where you are from, beloved. 477 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:50,440 Let me close with this now in the Middle East, in the Middle 478 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:57,640 East, you know, going back right now, it's that that ethics, that 479 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:02,640 the ethics, the, the, the manners are not there anymore. 480 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,920 When a father would say to the son, you've really disappointed 481 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:12,880 me, The sun's day was blackened, you make Kimberly, that's what 482 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:17,560 we say. The sun was so broken hearted 483 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:21,880 that he disappointed his father. All right. 484 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,240 And he would do everything to win that love, that trust, to 485 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,320 heal the Father's heart. Now this is a father who Jesus 486 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:34,080 says who are evil. We all die, but how much more 487 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:40,240 when we stand before the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus 488 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:45,040 Christ, your Lord, my Lord, your Savior, my Savior, your God, my 489 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,960 God. When he says to you, listen to 490 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,640 this, stop. No more vacuuming, no more 491 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:52,200 washing dishes. Pull aside. 492 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,760 Pull aside if you're driving, listen. 493 00:31:55,480 --> 00:32:02,520 Listen when Jesus says to you, Eddie Shamir, I'm Tony Yoursip, 494 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:07,000 John Agatha, Elizabeth, whoever it is listening when Jesus says 495 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,320 to you, I do not know where you are from. 496 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:17,560 Depart from me, workers of evil. That is alarming, Beloved, as 497 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:22,800 opposed to come, good and faithful servant, enter the 498 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,960 Kingdom which was prepared before the beginning of the 499 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,680 world. For all the righteous beloved, 500 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,240 for all those who've loved the Lord, praise and glory be to His 501 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,360 name, now and at all times and forever. 502 00:32:32,360 --> 00:33:02,840 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 503 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,120 message. Please don't forget to rate and 504 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:07,880 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 505 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:11,600 For any future topic suggestions or to give us detailed feedback, 506 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,160 please visit our link in the show notes. 507 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,840 Linktr dot EE forward slash double edged sword. 508 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:21,080 Until next time, God bless you all.