1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,300 In the name of the glorious trinity, Father and 2 00:00:02,300 --> 00:00:05,660 Son and Holy Spirit, forever amen. Glory 3 00:00:05,660 --> 00:00:08,100 be to the everlasting mercies which sent you to 4 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:11,480 us, O Christ, the light of the world and the life of 5 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,440 all. Give us wisdom by your law and 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,000 enlighten our impulses by your knowledge. Sanctify 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,520 our souls by your truth and grant that we may be 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,360 obedient to your words and may fulfill your 9 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,860 commandments at every hour. O 10 00:00:25,860 --> 00:00:28,660 you who enlightens the rational with the knowledge 11 00:00:28,660 --> 00:00:32,060 of your greatness. Do enlighten, O my Lord, our 12 00:00:32,060 --> 00:00:35,300 thoughts, that we may meditate upon your holy and 13 00:00:35,300 --> 00:00:37,880 divine scriptures at all times, O Lord of all. 14 00:00:38,620 --> 00:00:40,600 Father and Son and Holy Spirit, 15 00:00:40,600 --> 00:01:03,500 forever. Amen. In the Gospel of our Lord 16 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,420 Jesus Christ, according to the preaching or the 17 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:09,620 proclamation of Saint Matthew chapter 10 verse 18 00:01:09,620 --> 00:01:15,520 16, Jesus instructs his disciples that they were to 19 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:21,540 be wise as serpents and pure as doves, but we'll 20 00:01:21,540 --> 00:01:24,060 leave that for another episode. And 21 00:01:24,060 --> 00:01:26,780 possibly making this a standard by which God 22 00:01:26,780 --> 00:01:31,920 measures wisdom, their wisdom, our wisdom and the 23 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,060 wisdom of the world. Why? What qualities, what 24 00:01:36,060 --> 00:01:40,640 characteristics has God, the serpents creator prepared it 25 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:45,700 with and instructs us to possess those same qualities 26 00:01:45,700 --> 00:01:49,940 and characteristics by which we can better our 27 00:01:49,940 --> 00:01:54,820 relationship with Him and others as far as wisdom is 28 00:01:54,820 --> 00:01:57,120 concerned. Now we're going to be examining 29 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,060 the commentary and the writings of Marishudad, mid 30 00:02:02,060 --> 00:02:06,260 eighth, eighth century bishop of Haditha, that is 31 00:02:06,260 --> 00:02:10,720 a Palestine Arab village. His 32 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,420 writings and he writes of four qualities as also 33 00:02:14,420 --> 00:02:17,800 stated by the blessed Theophilact, the Byzantine 34 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,300 Archbishop, commentator, 1055 AD. These 35 00:02:21,300 --> 00:02:24,800 are the church fathers that we always refer to. So 36 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,800 he writes that a serpent or a snake possesses four 37 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,560 qualities or characteristics. The 38 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,760 first one is intriguing and I examine this, I Google 39 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,100 these and these according to what Google, Mr. or 40 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:43,500 Mrs. Google has provided are true that 41 00:02:43,500 --> 00:02:46,940 are verified. When the skin of a serpent 42 00:02:46,940 --> 00:02:50,580 oppresses it, so when the skin of a snake or a 43 00:02:50,580 --> 00:02:53,940 serpent oppresses it, the skin of the serpent gets 44 00:02:53,940 --> 00:02:59,160 old and its eyes are blinded, you'll be amazed 45 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,700 what he does, he doesn't eat. It 46 00:03:01,700 --> 00:03:05,100 actually says for 40 days, Marishudad states that for 47 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:11,660 40 days it fasts, it abstains from food until 48 00:03:11,660 --> 00:03:16,900 the body is relaxed and then what it does, it 49 00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:22,460 seeks a cleft, a gap or a fissure, a slit. You've 50 00:03:22,460 --> 00:03:25,140 seen it on documentaries and what is it, National 51 00:03:25,140 --> 00:03:30,400 Geographic, it starts seeking a gap between two 52 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:36,580 rocks or thistles or branches and it seeks that 53 00:03:36,580 --> 00:03:40,340 gap to be straight and narrow and it begins to 54 00:03:40,340 --> 00:03:46,960 slide in, penetrating its body onto the cleft and it 55 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:52,240 casts off that old skin of its and it's made young 56 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,920 and acquires strength and health and then you see 57 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:03,100 the shedded skin of the serpent. But 58 00:04:03,100 --> 00:04:07,220 what is Christ signifying here and what is he trying 59 00:04:07,220 --> 00:04:13,660 to teach us by this simply put is that we too should 60 00:04:13,660 --> 00:04:16,579 enter the narrow gate according to Matthew chapter 61 00:04:16,579 --> 00:04:19,320 7 verse 13. Now this is going to give it 62 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,700 another perspective of Matthew chapter 7 verse 13. 63 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:27,240 We should strive, we should 64 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:32,340 force, we should challenge ourselves to go through the 65 00:04:32,340 --> 00:04:37,840 narrow gate, the cleft and the fissure and that narrow 66 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:42,280 gate being no other than the gate of trials and 67 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:47,480 temptations and challenges in life be it personal, 68 00:04:48,180 --> 00:04:53,940 Christian, marriage, work, relationship, finances, not 69 00:04:53,940 --> 00:04:58,440 limiting to any trials and temptations that we go 70 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,200 through. So this is the reason then 71 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,180 why St. James writes in his letter 72 00:05:04,180 --> 00:05:08,240 chapter 12 verse 12, Blessed is the man who 73 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:14,360 endures trials for when he has been tested he will 74 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,940 receive a crown of life which God has promised to 75 00:05:17,940 --> 00:05:22,540 those who love him. So these are the gates, this 76 00:05:22,540 --> 00:05:27,020 is the cleft, this is the fissure beloved, that oh 77 00:05:27,020 --> 00:05:30,140 this is the narrow gate that we need to strive to 78 00:05:30,140 --> 00:05:32,700 go through and that gate being the temptations and 79 00:05:32,700 --> 00:05:36,500 the trials and the challenges of life. You 80 00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:42,800 see God tests, not tempts but God tests us. Now 81 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:47,720 he may allow us to go through temptations and that 82 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:52,760 to reveal and expose our evil desires according to 83 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,060 verse 13 of St. James chapter 12. Let 84 00:05:56,060 --> 00:06:00,620 no one when he is tempted say I am tempted by God 85 00:06:00,620 --> 00:06:04,380 for God is not tempted with evils nor does he 86 00:06:04,380 --> 00:06:07,640 tempt any man but he allows us to go through 87 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,900 those temptations. It's allowing us to go through 88 00:06:10,900 --> 00:06:14,700 the narrow gate so that we can shed off that old man. 89 00:06:15,140 --> 00:06:16,740 Now learning from the serpent 90 00:06:16,740 --> 00:06:21,860 while trying to cast off the old man within us that 91 00:06:21,860 --> 00:06:27,300 same aged, that same man that is aged in sin and 92 00:06:27,300 --> 00:06:31,840 trying to strive to put on the new man renewed in the 93 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,540 knowledge and likeness of our Creator according to 94 00:06:34,540 --> 00:06:40,340 Colossians chapter 3 verse 10 it is the same as the 95 00:06:40,340 --> 00:06:44,060 serpent and we must do that and we too sometimes 96 00:06:44,060 --> 00:06:48,740 become very heavy, laden and burdened with the old 97 00:06:48,740 --> 00:06:52,480 man that we carry because of temptations, trials, peer 98 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:58,180 pressure what have you. Now when we do want to enter 99 00:06:58,180 --> 00:07:03,740 that narrow gate, now this is not to be taken lightly 100 00:07:03,740 --> 00:07:08,100 because we're now wanting to go up against Satan. 101 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:09,620 I'm going to talk about that. 102 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,020 So when we do want to enter 103 00:07:12,020 --> 00:07:16,380 that narrow gate which is trials and temptations and 104 00:07:16,380 --> 00:07:21,440 we want to gladfully and joyfully and praisefully 105 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,360 receive God's allowance, God permitting us to go through 106 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,080 those temptations we also must do what the serpent 107 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:35,800 does is fast. And now it was what six weeks 108 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,720 ago that we ended our fast the great Lent. So 109 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:44,260 fast is not just because we need to do it Jesus 110 00:07:44,260 --> 00:07:48,480 did it and the church is proclaiming it no no that 111 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:52,740 is the the process of shedding off the old man 112 00:07:52,740 --> 00:07:57,760 which is being corrupted and aged in sin. So 113 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,640 we need to also abstain from food which is fast 114 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,460 because as I said we are attempting, we are preparing 115 00:08:05,460 --> 00:08:09,360 to enter our wilderness, we are preparing to enter a 116 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,460 battle with Satan to take on Satan and his demons 117 00:08:13,460 --> 00:08:19,880 and also our evil desires which are from Satan. We 118 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:24,900 are going up against the enemy which is Satan and 119 00:08:24,900 --> 00:08:31,020 Christ warns us that this type of challenge, this 120 00:08:31,020 --> 00:08:34,320 type of competition you want to call it trial, 121 00:08:35,220 --> 00:08:42,760 this type of warfare can only be done and receive 122 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:47,040 victory and be victorious through prayer and fasting. 123 00:08:47,260 --> 00:08:48,260 You know when his disciples 124 00:08:48,260 --> 00:08:50,900 couldn't heal the demon possessed man and Jesus 125 00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:53,320 rebukes the father because he didn't believe, oh 126 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,520 perverse generation how long am I going to be with you 127 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,520 in Matthew chapter 9? Then it is disciples who try to 128 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:06,760 enter that narrow gate by trying to heal the son's 129 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:11,940 demon and the father who brought his son to be 130 00:09:11,940 --> 00:09:16,100 entered into the narrow gate by the apostles but 131 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:18,700 he didn't believe he was lacking in faith. Jesus 132 00:09:18,700 --> 00:09:21,840 says and when they ask him why we couldn't do it why 133 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:25,260 did it not happen he said because of the unbelief but 134 00:09:25,260 --> 00:09:29,260 this type Jesus said when you want to go against 135 00:09:29,260 --> 00:09:33,280 Satan and his demons you need to do it through 136 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:37,380 prayer and fasting. Some of the versions of the 137 00:09:37,380 --> 00:09:39,920 Bibles that are out there have done away with fasting 138 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:41,880 because they don't believe in fasting. Jesus 139 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:46,260 fasted we fast right? Yes Jesus said they don't need 140 00:09:46,260 --> 00:09:48,300 to fast now because they said why aren't your 141 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:50,880 disciples fasting? He said why do they need to 142 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:52,520 fast? The bridegroom is still with 143 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,860 them I'm with them but when the bridegroom is 144 00:09:54,860 --> 00:09:57,600 taken away they will fast and Jesus says in Matthew 145 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,720 chapter 6 when you fast that means you fast so 146 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,920 don't do or woe to those. Woe 147 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,540 to the writer to the author who's taken away 148 00:10:06,540 --> 00:10:16,900 from the word of God. We are another quality that 149 00:10:16,900 --> 00:10:22,280 Marishu Dad writes and according to his writing is 150 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:27,960 that when a serpent goes to drink water or water, 151 00:10:28,300 --> 00:10:34,720 Nia, Mai, Aqua, is that right Stephen? Aqua 152 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:39,340 yes when a serpent goes to drink water it actually 153 00:10:39,340 --> 00:10:45,320 hides its fangs in the fang hole in the mouth. 154 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:47,240 Now you go and google that as 155 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:48,840 well you'll find that that is true. Now 156 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,180 this is when did I say let me let me let me go 157 00:10:51,180 --> 00:10:55,080 back again and and Marishu Dad this is um eighth 158 00:10:55,080 --> 00:11:01,320 century right in year 800 so 1200 years from now 159 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:06,420 Marishu Dad writes about how a serpent drinks water 160 00:11:06,420 --> 00:11:10,520 scientifically he's correct and we find out that that 161 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,340 is true of course it would be true so it hides its 162 00:11:14,340 --> 00:11:18,620 fangs in the fang so he doesn't produce the fangs 163 00:11:20,260 --> 00:11:24,240 so too writes Marishu Dad those who believe in his 164 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:31,120 name when they are about to drink the water of 165 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,840 everlasting life which is the provisions of the grace 166 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,780 of the Holy Spirit when we want to have a relationship 167 00:11:37,780 --> 00:11:42,760 with God when we want to please God when we want to 168 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,920 serve God in order to be replenished by the 169 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:51,480 everlasting water of grace which is Jesus Christ 170 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,400 himself please praise me to you Nia his name should 171 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,680 enter their fangs should I'm sorry should not enter 172 00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:02,700 with their fangs that is to say fleshly lusts and 173 00:12:02,700 --> 00:12:07,380 pollutions we cannot serve God beloved and be 174 00:12:07,380 --> 00:12:12,020 corrupted we cannot have one leg in the world and 175 00:12:12,020 --> 00:12:15,280 one leg in the church it it just doesn't work now 176 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:20,460 society and unfortunately some preachers some pastors 177 00:12:20,460 --> 00:12:23,680 some churches may be preaching this but that is 178 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:28,240 blasphemy and there is heresy you cannot serve two 179 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:33,380 masters Jesus said we cannot come to God with 180 00:12:33,380 --> 00:12:36,820 our evil desire and can't we I'm sorry we come to 181 00:12:36,820 --> 00:12:40,620 God without even the evil desires and when do we 182 00:12:40,620 --> 00:12:43,280 come to God with our evil desires is at the moment 183 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,540 when we want to repent from our evil desires not 184 00:12:46,540 --> 00:12:50,160 to have a relationship with God and beg God to accept 185 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,940 me as I am I'm going to continue in this evil no 186 00:12:53,940 --> 00:12:58,240 we need to put those fangs away put those evil lusts 187 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:02,940 and corruption and pollution away you cannot claim and 188 00:13:02,940 --> 00:13:05,780 have a relationship with Jesus Christ just by 189 00:13:05,780 --> 00:13:08,120 reading the scriptures and saying that I read the 190 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,340 scriptures I have a relationship with God but 191 00:13:10,340 --> 00:13:13,580 you neglect those same scriptures are saying that 192 00:13:13,580 --> 00:13:17,220 do not neglect your holy assemblies coming to church 193 00:13:17,220 --> 00:13:21,820 being a part of church no you cannot claim to be a 194 00:13:21,820 --> 00:13:25,280 Christian and not do what Christ did on earth and he 195 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,700 didn't need to do that he did it as an example for 196 00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:33,680 you and I fasting praying you cannot claim that you 197 00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:36,320 have a relationship with God through only the 198 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:38,460 scriptures but you don't have that intimate 199 00:13:38,460 --> 00:13:42,620 relationship that can communion with God through 200 00:13:42,620 --> 00:13:46,860 the holy scripture holy Eucharist we love it so we 201 00:13:46,860 --> 00:13:51,980 have to come to God we come in our filthy state 202 00:13:51,980 --> 00:13:57,600 but we come ready to fold those fangs we come with 203 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:03,100 to God to get rid of the pollution we cannot have a 204 00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:07,380 relationship with God and we remain in lust beloved 205 00:14:08,580 --> 00:14:12,380 St Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22 you 206 00:14:12,380 --> 00:14:16,240 shall lay aside your former practices the old man that 207 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:21,420 is corrupted with the lusts of error beloved our first 208 00:14:21,420 --> 00:14:25,500 cannot be watered or refreshed by the gracious 209 00:14:25,500 --> 00:14:30,140 provisions of Christ if we who claim to believe in 210 00:14:30,140 --> 00:14:35,240 his most holy precious majestic and dominant name 211 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:40,740 yet continue to carry our most dreadful corrupted and 212 00:14:40,740 --> 00:14:48,440 lustful old self the third quality saint Marysh Udad 213 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,460 writes is that when a serpent this is very 214 00:14:51,460 --> 00:14:54,700 interesting when a serpent sees a man who is naked 215 00:14:54,700 --> 00:15:00,220 unarmed just person just walking by for example it 216 00:15:00,220 --> 00:15:06,440 is afraid and flees from him but if he sees the 217 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,660 man clothed and dressed adventures that means he 218 00:15:09,660 --> 00:15:14,840 becomes brave and daring and springs up upon him 219 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,860 what that is telling us beloved is that we ought 220 00:15:18,860 --> 00:15:23,620 to put off the garments of culpable blamful shameful 221 00:15:23,620 --> 00:15:29,140 passions desires and doubt that the devil our enemy 222 00:15:29,140 --> 00:15:35,100 who hates us may not spring upon us you see the 223 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:40,520 enemy satan satan when he wants to attack tries to 224 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:47,020 find that target and satan is proud this is this is 225 00:15:47,020 --> 00:15:52,500 the vocation of satan satan doesn't go around seeing 226 00:15:52,500 --> 00:15:58,060 who is homeless and wants to help the person satan 227 00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:00,660 and his enemies don't go around and seeing who is 228 00:16:00,660 --> 00:16:04,620 brokenhearted and discouraged and sits by their side and 229 00:16:04,620 --> 00:16:07,160 taps him on their back and says it's okay everything 230 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,620 will be all right no actually satan goes and 231 00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:11,620 sits with these people and says why don't you end 232 00:16:11,620 --> 00:16:13,980 your life that's the best thing for you to do right 233 00:16:13,980 --> 00:16:18,880 now take your life it's constantly prowling saint 234 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,360 simon saint peter the rock in his first epistle 235 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,880 chapter five verse eight writes this be sober and 236 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:30,580 be guarded because satan your adversary like a lion 237 00:16:30,580 --> 00:16:35,360 roars and goes about and seeks whom he may devour 238 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:41,440 devour saint paul writes in aphesians chapter six verse 239 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,580 16 take up the shield that is the confidence of faith 240 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:50,720 by which you will have power to crunch all the 241 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:55,540 fiery darts or arrows of the evil one so satan is 242 00:16:55,540 --> 00:17:00,760 prowling wanting to to work out your weaknesses your 243 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:05,339 foolishness your doubt and he will start and your 244 00:17:05,339 --> 00:17:12,040 evil desires our passions our lusts that's where he 245 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:20,640 starts shooting his flaming arrows always keep in mind 246 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:28,420 beloved that passions desires lusts weaknesses and 247 00:17:28,420 --> 00:17:33,900 doubt are the bullseye the hundred mark of the target 248 00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:37,700 at which satan our adversary our enemy our 249 00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:42,880 opponent aims and releases all his flaming arrows of 250 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,440 temptations and enticements and you know what the 251 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,860 target is the target itself is our minds and our 252 00:17:50,860 --> 00:17:56,960 hearts so let us not carry these doubts and evil 253 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:02,980 desires so that there is no place no reason no 254 00:18:02,980 --> 00:18:09,180 opportunity for satan to pounce on us as does the 255 00:18:09,180 --> 00:18:16,880 serpent and lastly the serpent marishudad writes 256 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:22,200 the serpent delivers all its body and to blows and 257 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,920 strokes but covers only its head that it may not be 258 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:31,060 beaten on the head being the sustainer of life in 259 00:18:31,060 --> 00:18:35,060 the body the lord is teaching us beloved that we 260 00:18:35,060 --> 00:18:41,080 also must bear all now bear not justify not 261 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,780 provoke not pray them upon ourselves but bear all 262 00:18:45,780 --> 00:18:50,240 torments and ills which troubles and problems and 263 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,160 persecutions and sufferings as we spoke last episode 264 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:59,800 until death but we need to keep spotless the fear of 265 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:04,180 god which is the head of the life of earthly beings 266 00:19:04,180 --> 00:19:08,900 writes marishudad so just as a reptile whose head is 267 00:19:08,900 --> 00:19:12,360 crushed is not saved it dies portrayed beautifully 268 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:17,120 by mel Gibson our christian brother you know why mel's 269 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:20,180 being mel was attacked after the passion of the 270 00:19:20,180 --> 00:19:23,140 christ you know why you know why hollywood came 271 00:19:23,140 --> 00:19:27,420 after mel because that film was a life -changing film 272 00:19:27,420 --> 00:19:30,720 changed many people's lives you know and hollywood 273 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:35,540 doesn't want that hollywood wants filth filth filth 274 00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:38,680 that's what hollywood likes but we need to support our 275 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,620 brother mel Gibson who is a christian brother who is 276 00:19:41,620 --> 00:19:44,320 now a god -loving god -fearing lord -loving 277 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,460 christian portrayed it beautifully in the garden 278 00:19:47,460 --> 00:19:49,480 of gethsemane for those who've seen the film i'm 279 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,060 sure everyone's seen the film the passion of the 280 00:19:52,060 --> 00:19:55,360 christ when he stands up after his agonizing prayer 281 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,240 in the garden of gethsemane he crushes the head of the 282 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,680 serpent so just as the head of the serpent if 283 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:06,080 crushed is not saved neither is a christian who 284 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:12,880 corrupts his right he's true his catholic with a 285 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:20,160 small c he's true meaning the orthodox faith that 286 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,760 faith that was passed down to faithful men according 287 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,620 to 2 timothy chapter 2 verse 2 by the apostles 288 00:20:27,620 --> 00:20:33,120 that faith which is the chief of all good things 289 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:40,540 so if you're asking what is true faith that i must 290 00:20:40,540 --> 00:20:48,260 protect and i must nurture and i must stand firm in 291 00:20:48,260 --> 00:20:54,300 and i must guard regardless if my body is being 292 00:20:54,300 --> 00:21:00,100 pounded with persecution and even death but i must 293 00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:04,420 protect the head which is the faith in our lord god 294 00:21:04,420 --> 00:21:08,920 and his son our lord jesus christ what is that faith 295 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:14,840 well i want to invite invite you to join me in 296 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:21,000 proclaiming i say your name when i say i you say your 297 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,900 name i by the way hang on we need to stop washing 298 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:28,880 dishes stop vacuuming pull over to one side we're 299 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:34,540 going to now experience the true faith passed down by 300 00:21:34,540 --> 00:21:38,100 the apostles to faithful men so it's still being 301 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:41,060 passed down it didn't end at the apostles as some 302 00:21:41,060 --> 00:21:45,880 preach so when i say i you repeat your name i 303 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,180 believe in one god the father almighty maker of 304 00:21:50,180 --> 00:21:53,240 all things visible and invisible and in one lord 305 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:57,240 jesus christ the only son of god the first one of 306 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,000 all creations who was begotten of his father 307 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,300 before all worlds are not made true god of true god 308 00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:07,660 of one essence with his father by whose hands the 309 00:22:07,660 --> 00:22:10,820 worlds were established and all things were created who 310 00:22:10,820 --> 00:22:13,920 for us men and for our salvation came down from 311 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:16,960 heaven and was incarnate of the holy spirit and became 312 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,860 men and was conceived and born of the virgin mary 313 00:22:20,860 --> 00:22:24,520 and suffered and was crucified in the days of 314 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,060 puncher's pilot and was buried and rose on the 315 00:22:28,060 --> 00:22:31,920 third day as it is written and ascended into heaven 316 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,400 and sat at the right hand of his father and shall 317 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:39,580 come again to judge the dead and the living and i 318 00:22:39,580 --> 00:22:43,320 believe in one holy spirit the spirit of truth who 319 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,900 proceeds from the father the life -giving spirit and 320 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:49,860 in one holy and a apostolic and catholic 321 00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:54,840 universal church and i confess one baptism for the 322 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,700 forgiveness of sins and in the resurrection of our 323 00:22:57,700 --> 00:23:03,200 bodies and in the life forever and ever amen 324 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,040 we hope you enjoyed this week's message please don't 325 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,900 forget to rate and review this podcast and share with 326 00:23:34,900 --> 00:23:37,780 your friends and family for any future topic suggestions 327 00:23:37,780 --> 00:23:40,800 or to give us detailed feedback please visit our 328 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:45,860 link in the show notes link tr .ee forward slash 329 00:23:45,860 --> 00:23:48,940 double -edged sword until next time god bless you 330 00:23:48,940 --> 00:23:49,120 all