1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,440 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,120 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:11,040 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 --> 00:00:16,800 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,880 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,360 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,640 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,640 --> 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 --> 00:00:42,680 and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen. 13 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:09,000 It's been 2 weeks since we last presented a new episode of the 14 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,240 Double Edged Sword Podcast. We've been busy last week. 15 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:20,600 We're in Canada at the 37th North America Youth Conference, 16 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,960 and the week prior to that we're busy preparing for the 75th 17 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,720 anniversary of the consecration of the altar of the Mother Day 18 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,320 church in Turla. But in any case, we're back 19 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:38,880 again and we will continue our studies of the Holy Scriptures, 20 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:43,520 the Acts of the Apostles. We're at chapter 14 and we're 21 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,200 going to begin at verse 11. Another recap going back from 22 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,400 the first, from the beginning of the of the book of the Acts. 23 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:55,000 We are introduced by Luke to Christ ascension. 24 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,920 Then came the Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit in 25 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,720 Jerusalem, and then the beginning of Christianity in 26 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:04,960 Antioch. Then we read Philip, St. 27 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:10,639 Philip preaching the Gospel in Samaria because the church was 28 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:14,720 persecuted in Jerusalem and they escaped to Samaria and Saint 29 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,200 Philip began to preach there. Then we read of the conversion 30 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,120 of the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the Old Testament and 31 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,680 needed someone to interpret, wow. 32 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,720 You know, the, the, the Scriptures didn't interpret 33 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,960 themselves to the Ethiopian eunuch. 34 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:32,800 He needed some. He actually said, how can I 35 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,560 understand if no one interprets and teaches me? 36 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,400 Then we are, you know, confronted with Saint Peter's, 37 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,080 Saint Peter visiting Cornelius in his house and he preaches the 38 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,000 Gospel and he baptizes the house. 39 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,880 Then we are introduced to Seoul, his journey to Damascus to go 40 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,080 and capture the people of the way. 41 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:58,960 The word Christian or the term the title Christians or 42 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,000 Christianity had not been established then. 43 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,360 And we're talking about the third year or the 4th year after 44 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:05,880 the ascension of our Lord into heaven. 45 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,120 And then we read of Paul joining the Christian community with 46 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,720 Barnabas. And in chapter 13, verse 2, we 47 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,800 read that the Holy Spirit set apart Paul and Barnabas for the 48 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,920 preaching of the gospel. And they go to Antioch. 49 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:25,040 And then we left off at 14, chapter 14, verse 10, where they 50 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:32,320 heal a lame born from mum's womb, a lame person who was born 51 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,840 from his mother's womb. And this affirmed Mark chapter 52 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,760 16, verse 20 where he writes. But they went forth and they 53 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:45,360 preached in every place, and our Lord was helping them and 54 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:49,000 confirming their words with the signs that they were doing. 55 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,960 So Christ was working through them. 56 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:56,960 Christ was leading them. The Holy Spirit empowered them 57 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,480 to do these signs for the glory of God. 58 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:02,160 So we're going to pick it up from verse 11. 59 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,680 And when the people saw that the man was healed, when the people 60 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,600 saw what Paul had done, they lifted their voices, saying in 61 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:15,600 the language of the country, the gods have come down to us in the 62 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,079 likeness of men. Well, they weren't so wrong, but 63 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:20,240 we're going to have a look at that. 64 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,800 So they called Barnabas the chief of the gods, and Paul they 65 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,360 called Hermes, that is Zeus, the chief of the God was Zeus and 66 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,520 Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 67 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:40,760 Then the priest of Zeus, whose shrine was outside the city, 68 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:45,480 brought oxen and garlands, wreaths of rope garlands to the 69 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:50,120 gate of the courtyard where they stayed, and he wanted to offer 70 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:55,840 sacrifices to them. So Zeus and Hermes, these are 71 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:59,560 the gods of the ancient Greek religion and mythology. 72 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,680 Now, this was a pretty silly error on the part of the 73 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:08,120 Gentiles who thought that every time something would happen that 74 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,080 was beyond themselves, that was beyond their own capability, 75 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,040 obviously, because Saint Paul and Barnabas didn't do this 76 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:16,680 through their own capability and strength. 77 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,760 It was through strength of God. They thought that it was a God. 78 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:24,320 And you know, back then, this is the first, first decade of 79 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,920 Christianity, you know, they had different understandings of God. 80 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,120 You know, they had the God of love and God of fornication and 81 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,480 they had all these God and goddesses, in particular the 82 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:41,040 Greek myth, mythology and a religion, St. 83 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:48,400 Ishudad of Merv, which is the Bishop of Hadithov's Assyria in 84 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,520 the year 1850. He comments on this. 85 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,200 Let me read a little bit of his commentary about these two gods 86 00:05:55,200 --> 00:06:00,480 that they they worship. Basically he called Zeus the son 87 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:07,240 of Kronos, Lord of gods. Now a prophecy came out to this 88 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:13,560 Kronos, their God, a son of thine shall push thee from thy 89 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:18,480 Kingdom and thy godhead. So therefore every son he had, 90 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:25,880 he swallowed his Kronos like Pluto and Posidon, which was the 91 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:31,440 God of the sea and the God of the waters, That's how they knew 92 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,240 them. So therefore every son he had, 93 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,240 he swallowed. And when he got his son, Zeus 94 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,880 and his mother Rhea saw that he was beautiful. 95 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:47,560 She had compassion on the boy and hid him and gave him to the 96 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:53,960 Caribbeans. And the Caribbeans were the 97 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:59,240 singers and the timbrel players, the musicians and the curators. 98 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,840 Who was a the the the warriors and armed warriors and armed 99 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,960 priests who strike their Shields. 100 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,920 They stroke their Shields lest when the boy should cry, his 101 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,760 father coronors should hear his voice and swallow him as well. 102 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:21,200 Methodology and instead of this sorry and swallowing and instead 103 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:27,920 of the boy his mother gave Kronos a stone rolled up in 104 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,560 swaddling clothes. See they had an understanding. 105 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,280 I must have heard I must have knew that there will be a 106 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,560 Messiah and you know that was the prophecies but they had 107 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,040 these understandings of themselves. 108 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,520 They had their own gods, yours and Hermes, right. 109 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,360 So she, she wrapped him up in swaddling clothes. 110 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:49,960 And when he had swallowed that stone, he when he had swallowed 111 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,040 that stone, he brought up all the former sons he had 112 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,600 swallowed. But Zeus, when he grew up, bound 113 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,600 his father and cut off his testicles and pushed him from 114 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,320 heaven and threw him into the darkness of Tartars. 115 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:12,480 But from the severed testicles of Chronos they felt they fell a 116 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:17,080 drop of seed into the sea. That is a semen, and from it 117 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:23,760 sprang Aphrodites, or Aphrodite, the mistress of incantations and 118 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,000 fornication. These are all the gods and 119 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,480 goddesses. Many fables, many fables of her 120 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,280 are from that time. But Zeus afterwards went up to 121 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,919 heaven and took the kingship over all the gods, and sometimes 122 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:44,240 he came down and transforming himself into the shapes, into 123 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,760 all shapes. He he outraged both women and 124 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,200 men. And did the rest of these lie 125 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,520 shivenessness that means he's evil. 126 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,720 They called him Lord of gods, but they called Hermes one of 127 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,520 the gods who was more rational and skillful and intelligent 128 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,400 than all the gods, and they called him Hermes, that is Saint 129 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:12,320 Paul, Hermes, Trish Magi, Trish Majestis. 130 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,000 That is to say, who knows three things, what is past and what is 131 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,960 present and what will happen. God's characteristics, 132 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,440 omnipresent, Omni, knowing and omniscient. 133 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,640 And he became of all these they called Paul. 134 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:30,760 And because of all these they called Paul Hermes because he 135 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,880 was speaking the most, he seemed the more intelligent. 136 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,160 Now, if you're astonished by this and you're probably saying, 137 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,680 why should I be reading this? Like, well, it's good to know 138 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:43,120 why. I mean, there's a reason why 139 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,480 they did this. They just didn't just come out 140 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,600 and out of the blue, they just plucked these two names and 141 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,480 said, Hey, let's worship these people. 142 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,480 Let's let's offer offerings and sacrifices before them because 143 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,680 that was the understanding. And the understanding you see, 144 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:00,240 goes back to the Old Testament. So there was an understanding 145 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,000 and you're reading in in Romans chapter one that, you know, the 146 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,360 law was written in their hearts. So they had this understanding, 147 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,040 but they had it wrong, basically. 148 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,200 Let's let's not point the finger at them. 149 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:18,000 If we're astonished by this, probably within the first decade 150 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,640 of Christianity this happened. Let me astonish you even more. 151 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:25,920 There are people today who still hold on to those, these myths, 152 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:31,920 superstitions and others. People hold on and believe in 153 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:38,360 witchcraft. People have hope and faith and 154 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:43,760 believe in the evil eye where you go into people's houses, the 155 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,960 Christian houses. Let me tell you my dear brother 156 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:52,160 and sister, if you see a an eye of the evil or is an evil eye at 157 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,960 your house, go and tell my mom I love you, but I got to smash 158 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,800 this in Jesus name. This doesn't do anything for us. 159 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:02,120 This is nothing. Your cross on the wall is 160 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,000 sufficient, the cross of our Lord, because power was wrought 161 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:10,080 on the cross. There are people who who 162 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,120 practice even and who strongly believe in these myths and 163 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,440 superstitions. Let me let me, let's bring it 164 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,880 home to our community. Ironing at night times, you 165 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:23,400 know, we were told don't iron in the evenings because it's a sin. 166 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,280 Don't whistle at night time because you're gathering all the 167 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,520 demons. You know, when I whistle, I 168 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,720 don't see demons dancing before me. 169 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,000 I don't see any demons when Sometimes I whistle at night in 170 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:36,320 the car. We've all done it. 171 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,320 Have you ever experienced A demonic possession when you're 172 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,160 whistling or do not chew gum on Good Friday or Friday or sorrow, 173 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:48,320 because that entails chewing the gum or the the bones of the 174 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,280 dead. You're probably laughing and 175 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,160 you're probably such a gagging. Yeah, but these are in within 176 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,120 the the community. What about during wedding 177 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,120 ceremonies? In the House of the Lord, in the 178 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:04,600 presence of God Almighty, the holy place that we enter in fear 179 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,880 and in trembling and in reverence. 180 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,120 Not with our flip flops and shorts and with a bottle of 181 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,840 water and our Starbucks coffee and sitting there, legs crossed 182 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,360 and arms behind our partners and wives. 183 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,360 And no, that's not a church. That's an assembly. 184 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,880 That's a hall. When we enter the church in the 185 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,960 presence of God, we sit politely in reverence. 186 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,760 So you've seen during wedding ceremonies where you'll hear a, 187 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,880 you'll see, you'll hear a sound and you look around and there's 188 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,400 some a mother of the bride or the groom has a scissors in her 189 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,680 hand and she's constantly clicking the scissors. 190 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:44,200 You know, clich, clich, clich. And you say, why are you doing 191 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,440 that? So that if there is any curses 192 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,480 that are bound on this couple, I am cutting them loose. 193 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:56,720 That is blasphemy. Blasphemy because you're telling 194 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:02,640 me the sacrament of the priesthood, the sacramentality 195 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,440 of the Son of the Holy Cross, the presence of God in his holy 196 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:11,520 Church, in his holy altar, the prayers, the mentioning of the 197 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:17,880 name Jesus Christ is insufficient to drive away 198 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,600 demons. But a pair of scissors brought 199 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,520 from Home Depot or what are some of these fabric places? 200 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,080 Joanne's. Yeah, that that and you know 201 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:33,440 that pair of scissors probably made by a Pagan, by one who 202 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,080 doesn't believe in God, an atheist. 203 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:42,400 That pair of scissors is going to deter anyone from casting 204 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,400 spells. That's blasphemy. 205 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,440 And and we're in the almost the 21st century, right? 206 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,080 So let's not be too harsh on these people. 207 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,560 That's why the apostles were sent to teach these people to 208 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:01,440 explain to them that no, that is not how it works. 209 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:06,120 That is not how God intended. No, no, there are no other gods 210 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:13,080 but one God. Everything that was seen above 211 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,880 ourselves, we too. Everything that is beyond 212 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:22,600 rationale and logic has to be questioned. 213 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,000 Was it Saint Augustine who said that, that everything must be 214 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:34,040 proven by the logic of mankind? No, because God said your 215 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,520 thoughts are not my thoughts, my ways are not your ways. 216 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:41,040 So don't even go there, OK? And everything that must be a 217 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,760 God. Well, Jesus said in John chapter 218 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,880 one verse 18, no one has ever seen God. 219 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:52,200 No one has ever seen God. Exodus 3320 God says to Moses, 220 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:57,640 you cannot see my face, for no man can see me and live. 221 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:02,080 Let me read you a commentary of the Blessed Theophilic who 222 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:08,600 quotes Saint John Chrysostom many times on John chapter one 223 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:12,040 verse 18. He writes because the evangelist 224 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:17,560 has stated that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ to confirm 225 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,800 his words. He now adds, I have said nothing 226 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,800 unbelievable. Neither Moses nor any other man 227 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,360 ever saw God. Nor could Moses tell us clearly 228 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,000 and distinctly about God as a servant. 229 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,120 His task was merely to deliver the written Law. 230 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:38,560 But Christ, the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the 231 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:44,040 Father, not only sees God, but declares and explains God to all 232 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,600 men. No one has seen God. 233 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,240 Maybe Moses saw a glimpse of God. 234 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,440 That's why he had to cover his face because the Israelites 235 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,040 couldn't look at his face because of the glowing of his 236 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,840 face. So let's see what the reaction 237 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:03,120 of these apostles is. Paul and Barnabas, verse 14. 238 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,320 When Barnabas and Paul heard this look, listen to what they 239 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,920 did. They tore their clothes. 240 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,680 They didn't say no glory to God, it's not us. 241 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:16,440 No, no, no, no. They tore their clothes and 242 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:21,800 leaped to their feet and went out to the crowd crying out. 243 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,680 They started screaming. They went out to the crowd 244 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:30,480 started to scream. Now, now this beloved is in the 245 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:37,360 first decade of Christianity. But look at their their intense 246 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,440 disapproval of what these people did notice. 247 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,320 You'll notice on every occasion they are free of the lust of 248 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,280 glory. They never want glory, not only 249 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,640 not coveting it, not wanting it, but rejecting it when it 250 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:58,000 offered, when it was offered to them, just as Peter did in Acts 251 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:03,080 chapter 3 verses verse 12, when he healed the the crippled 252 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:08,560 beggar, when he was going to the temple, was it Simon and James 253 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,880 going to the synagogue? Look what he says. 254 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,280 Why do you gaze upon us? Why are you looking at us as 255 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:20,359 though, wow, look at what they did as though by our own power 256 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:25,960 or holiness we had made him to be Well, no, they did the same 257 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:27,839 and Paul and Barbaz did the same. 258 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:32,160 Joseph did the same in Genesis 40 chapter 8 when he interpreted 259 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,440 the dream. He said do not interpretations 260 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,280 belong to God. Don't glorify me. 261 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:41,680 No, Daniel did likewise. Daniel chapter 2 verse 30, he 262 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:46,560 said, and to me also, not through the wisdom that is in me 263 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,200 was it revealed, which is Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 264 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:54,480 No, it was all God, all ascribing glory to God. 265 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,880 Nothing we can do, There is nothing we can do that we can 266 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:04,360 claim glory, beloved, because it's glorifying God because it 267 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:09,480 is God who is doing it. And when people start start 268 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:15,640 acknowledging and you can sense a a, a glorification because if 269 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,240 you've done something in your Christian walk, whether it's 270 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,200 your preaching, whether it's your good deeds, whatever it is, 271 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:27,760 run away, Rook, Kristen Rook Borough, run away. 272 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:30,960 Now, I'm not saying we need to tear our clothes off, but no, 273 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,880 run away doesn't mean just, you know, pace or you know, just nip 274 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,920 it in the butt. No, all glory to God. 275 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,320 A brother, a brother of mine, said Robbie. 276 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,560 When people are acknowledging and they're commanding about 277 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,120 what you do, you always change the topic because I'm not 278 00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:49,040 worthy, because it's not me. Because the minute I start 279 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:56,360 entertaining for a second, then pride sets in, Satan starts 280 00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:58,600 doing your mind and prides that scene. 281 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,440 So from the get goes, glorify God. 282 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,560 You want to commend someone for something that he or he she has 283 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:08,720 done for God, Glorify God. Just give glory to God. 284 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:16,000 Saint Paul always says in Second Corinthians 35 not that we are 285 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:21,000 sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. 286 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,320 No glory for me, I've done nothing. 287 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:28,360 I am but an unworthy servant. Jeez, who is who is the only 288 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:34,280 person in the history of the world that glory is befitting 289 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:41,040 and right and meet but Jesus Christ in his humanity, the Son. 290 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:45,160 But look at what he says. I don't seek my glory. 291 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:47,600 There is one who seeks and judges. 292 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:53,000 I don't seek my glory. I'm he to glorify the Father. 293 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,000 I am the Son. I will glorify the Father. 294 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:06,040 And notice too, the Venus, the forcefulness, the intensity with 295 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,400 which. All of this is done by the 296 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,400 apostles. They tore their garments and 297 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,360 rushed out among the multitudes, crying out. 298 00:20:14,360 --> 00:20:19,760 Why? All because their very beings 299 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:23,120 were turned away in horror from what had happened. 300 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,600 They despised that within their beings, beloved. 301 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,400 It was a grief, truly, it was a a devastating grief. 302 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,360 You know, now some may have said, relax, OK, You know, 303 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:40,480 sometimes when you glorify God and say no, please don't, OK, 304 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:44,040 All right, relax. No, no, not relax. 305 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:50,720 Glorify God and God only. They were about to be called 306 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,960 gods. And through that paganism, 307 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,240 idolatry would have been introduced. 308 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,120 And that is the very thing they came to destroy. 309 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:05,440 They went to the Gentiles to bring them back from paganism, 310 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,840 from idolatry, to destroy that understanding. 311 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:14,160 Now this was surely the devil's gadget. 312 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:18,960 It was the devil's device, but they did not keep quiet. 313 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:27,400 What did they say in verse 15? And saying, men, what are you 314 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,080 doing? We also are ordinary human 315 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:35,040 beings like you, who preach to you that you shall turn from 316 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:39,680 these useless things to the living God who made heaven and 317 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:44,080 earth and the sea and all things that are therein. 318 00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:50,760 Immediately, from the very outset, they overthrew the evil. 319 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,800 They rebuked evil by what they say now. 320 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,760 They didn't simply say we are just men. 321 00:21:55,760 --> 00:22:00,320 No, no, no, like you. You know when Paul writes his 322 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,080 letters to the Gentiles who have received Christianity, who have 323 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,400 become Christians, who have received the Jesus Christ me 324 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,320 baptized, he always includes himself. 325 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,320 This is what we were in the past. 326 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:18,440 This is how we walked before being saved by Jesus Christ, 327 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,240 before being saved from our slavery to sin, before being 328 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,640 slave from the repercussion of sin. 329 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,040 This is how we all walked. You know, that's a good example. 330 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,680 When you want to correct someone, include yourself in 331 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,880 what that person is doing. You have done this, you were 332 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:38,960 doing this. That sometimes turns people off, 333 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,240 and I do it myself. Yes, I stand corrected. 334 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,160 You know, I've always said when you preach, I think the first 335 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:48,400 person to be convicted is the preacher himself because we're 336 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,640 human beings. No, but you always join in their 337 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,840 grief. Christ commands this. 338 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,480 Mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. 339 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:01,520 So when we want to talk to someone, say, you know, we're 340 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,320 all that. We used to do this, but now we 341 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,720 need to do this, joining in their grief. 342 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,360 And that's what they did. We are like you. 343 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:17,680 And then so that they should not be seen to honor their gods, so 344 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,960 that there was no hint that yeah, we're honoring your gods. 345 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:25,480 They say we bring you good news. We're here to bring you good 346 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,200 news. That you should turn from these 347 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:32,240 vain things. Vain, empty. 348 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,880 There are no gods apart from one God. 349 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,960 Beloved, who is your God today? Who is it? 350 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,840 There is no gods. There is no other gods but the 351 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,280 one God who was known only through Jesus Christ. 352 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:54,320 Gods that are known outside of Jesus Christ are vain, vain 353 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,160 things to a living God who made the heavens. 354 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,960 Don't do these vain things to living gods who made the heavens 355 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:04,680 and the earth and the sea and all that is in them vain. 356 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,440 What is he talking about verse 16 and 18? 357 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:13,120 Well, they came to offer offer the ox. 358 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,120 They came to slaughter animal before them in the name of the 359 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:18,600 gods. And he says no, no, no. 360 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,160 So that so that he doesn't, he doesn't even talk about their 361 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,520 gods. He says these things are vain to 362 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:26,480 God, the true God, that means your gods. 363 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,880 I have no time, I have no interest. 364 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:33,760 They're idol, they're dead. Zeus and Cornus and Aphrodite, 365 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,800 they're dead. They're dumb gods and these 366 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,600 things you're doing the true one true God doesn't require any 367 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:46,440 offering or sacrifices of oxen and Garland, which is a reef of 368 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:52,120 flowers. Turn away from that today, 369 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,800 beloved. Sacrificing something is 370 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,240 offering is, is a foreign thing to us, right? 371 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:04,000 We Christianity never has never claimed or requested or demands 372 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:09,160 that we sacrifice animals or we sacrifice our flesh. 373 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,680 You know, sometimes you're seeing some of these Pagan 374 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:17,080 faiths and you know, the, the, the empty faiths that you know, 375 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,400 they cut off their tongues and they have to, they have to offer 376 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,680 children to a God. You know, they worship the fire, 377 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:28,040 they worship, you know, cows, they worship monkeys and they're 378 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,040 worshipping cockroaches. Whatever it be, right. 379 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,960 In Christianity, we don't need to offer any sacrifices. 380 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:36,920 We don't offer any sacrifices, by the way. 381 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,200 And those who tell you that on a Sunday, the Holy Eucharist is a 382 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,400 sacrifice that we offer. Yeah, we do. 383 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,080 The commemoration of the offering of Jesus Christ on the 384 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:46,920 cross. And he commanded. 385 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,240 He commanded that each time you gather, you must Remember Me 386 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,320 through the Eucharist, through the Holy Eucharist, because my 387 00:25:54,320 --> 00:26:02,440 body is indeed food, but my body is what you believe is indeed 388 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,800 food. You must partake in my body. 389 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,240 So we're not offering any sacrifices. 390 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,000 I had a friend who said, oh, every Sunday you guys are doing, 391 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:11,640 you guys are offering sacrifices. 392 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:16,040 No, we're we're commemorating the offering of our Lord Jesus 393 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:22,280 Christ who was sacrificed once and for all on the cross today 394 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:29,920 to offer one's very self to God and to be pleased to God, not by 395 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,480 what others are doing, but the what others are the works of 396 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,920 others but our own. To offer ourselves to God and to 397 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:42,080 be pleasing to God by what I do for God, how I live for God is 398 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:46,880 more perfect and more renowned than all the offerings that were 399 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:53,600 done prior to Jesus Christ. And this only makes us imitators 400 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:58,840 of Christ, who gave us, as Saint Paul says, the earth, the sea, 401 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:04,080 and all that is in them. And to serve our needs, He gave 402 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:08,080 us the sky above beloved, and the ground below that we walk on 403 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:13,200 the moon, the stars, the rains, the winds, and all the world. 404 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,800 He gave to us from the beginning, when God created 405 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:21,840 heavens and earth, or the essence of the heavens and the 406 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:23,680 essence. There's a word missing in the 407 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,320 English translation in the Aramaic languages, Brilla alla 408 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:32,680 yad shmayya yad ara, the essence of the world and the essence of 409 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,160 the earth. But after all of this, beloved, 410 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,160 He gave us everything. He gave His very self. 411 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,880 So when we give ourselves as an offering to God, when we offer 412 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:50,200 our bodies as a sacrifice holy and pleasing to God, our souls, 413 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:54,640 our spirit, as a sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, we become 414 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,160 Christ. Like so much did Christ, so much 415 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:02,080 did God love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. 416 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:06,120 John 316, John 651. Why did he give his begotten Son 417 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:11,120 for the life of the world? So even that when we offer, even 418 00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:15,800 when we offer ourselves, beloved, even when we offer what 419 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:19,640 we have to God, we've done nothing great because God 420 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,240 before, before we made that move, before we had an 421 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:30,240 understanding of the sacrifice of self, God sacrificed his Son 422 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,480 for our salvation. So let's be very careful, 423 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:39,320 beloved today, you know, I see these videos of people, you 424 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,480 know, statues moving. I saw a video of, I'm not sure 425 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,680 who, who was behind the camera, he or she, let's say a brother 426 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:51,640 was filming a service in a church and there was the statue 427 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,520 of the blessed Mary. And, and you know, there's a 428 00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:00,840 window behind the statue and you could see the glare of the sun 429 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:04,640 coming through the window. So as the cameraman was moving, 430 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:08,800 obviously the glare got a little bit more shiny and claiming, oh, 431 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,480 Mary appeared. We don't need to see Mary. 432 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:16,280 May her prayers be a beacon of high wall of protection to us. 433 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,400 Our Blessed Mother, Mary, we Rev. She is the mother of my 434 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:25,880 Lord. I Revere her, I bless her, I ask 435 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:30,880 her to intercede for me, I commemorate her, I pray with 436 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,240 her, I ask her to pray with me, Right? 437 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:37,040 But I don't need to see her. I don't need to see Jesus 438 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:40,600 Christ. I don't need to see Jesus unless 439 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:46,320 the Lord is going to deem me the worst sinners of the greatest 440 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:50,400 sinners that He wants to reveal. Praise and glory be to His name. 441 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:54,640 And when He does, it's not for my glorification, it's for His 442 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:56,360 glory, for the salvation of souls. 443 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,640 But I don't need to see Jesus Christ. 444 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,560 Because the minute you see Jesus, because you want to see 445 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,760 him, the minute you want to see a miracle, you ask for a sign 446 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,560 and you believe. Well, you forfeited yourself 447 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,320 from the blessing that Jesus gave. 448 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:15,560 Blessed are those who do not, who have not seen and yet 449 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:17,640 believe. And I believe he said that to 450 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:22,040 the messengers of King Abgar. Blessed are those who have not 451 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:27,600 seen and yet believe. We don't need to see anything 452 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,160 that is above from our understanding. 453 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,280 Let's not claim a miracle quickly. 454 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:33,760 This is what these people are doing. 455 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,480 And again, I don't blame them. First decade of Christianity, 456 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,840 but today it's still going on. We got to be very careful. 457 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:47,800 We have one God and the one Son of Son of God, our Lord Jesus 458 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:52,800 Christ and the Holy Spirit which we have been entrusted to. 459 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,040 When the Lord ascended, he didn't leave us the Bible. 460 00:30:56,040 --> 00:31:00,160 He didn't leave us a vicar. He left us the Holy Spirit, 461 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,600 beloved. And the Holy Spirit has been 462 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:07,640 leading the has been empowering the Holy Church of Jesus Christ 463 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:12,720 for 2025 years to lead it to holy it as to salvation of 464 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,480 souls. For when He returns, praise and 465 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:17,720 glory be to His name now and at all times and forever. 466 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:48,480 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 467 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:50,640 message. Please don't forget The to rate 468 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:53,040 and review this podcast and share with your friends and 469 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:55,640 family. For any future topic suggestions 470 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,080 or to give us detailed feedback, please visit our link in the 471 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:04,520 show notes linktr dot EE forward slash double edged sword. 472 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,760 Until next time, God bless you all.