1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,000 In the name of the. Glorious Trinity, Father and Son 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:04,800 and Holy Spirit forever. Amen. 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:07,640 Glory be to the. Everlasting mercies. 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,360 Which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world and the 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,040 life of all. Give us wisdom by. 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,840 Your law and enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge, 7 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,920 sanctify our souls by Your truth, and grant that we may be 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,400 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 9 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,680 every hour. O You who enlightens the 10 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,840 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 11 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,680 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 12 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:40,040 divine Scriptures at all times, O Lord of all, Father and Son 13 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:41,520 and Holy Spirit. Forever. 14 00:00:42,400 --> 00:01:02,600 Amen. We continue our study of the 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:07,280 Acts of the Apostles, and we're going to start at chapter 14, 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,480 verse 8. Just to recap, we see Saint Paul 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,160 and Barnabas once again. Opposed by the Jews. 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:15,760 Who rejected their words and what is their? 19 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,120 What was their words? Jesus Christ, the Gospel, the 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,600 good news? And this was in Iconium. 21 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,240 However, when they were rejected, it didn't deter them. 22 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,920 They didn't flee until their lives were in danger. 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,040 And we learned that this is an instruction from Christ. 24 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:37,000 Matthew chapter 10, verse 23. And when they persecute you in 25 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,680 one city now it doesn't say merely walk away, turn the other 26 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,760 cheek. You know what, just have a break 27 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:44,200 for a few days. Let him go. 28 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,800 No, no, no, the word is flee, escape to another. 29 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,440 Why? So that the preaching of the 30 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,320 gospel would not be deterred and hindered. 31 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,000 And that is why Jesus would at times not flee. 32 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,600 He didn't need to flee, but He would just walk away from 33 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,600 amongst them and go away to another city because his time 34 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,600 had not come. And to know what their words 35 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:08,880 were. What were they preaching? 36 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:14,920 We find them in the beginning from chapter 13, verse 13 or 37 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:20,400 chapter 13 itself, and it was in Antioch of Presidia preaching 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,720 the resurrected Christ seen by many. 39 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:28,840 This was their message, the message of the gospel or the 40 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,920 message of the letters mainly was Christ resurrected. 41 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,560 And this is the message of the church. 42 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:38,040 Why? Because it is the pinnacle, is 43 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,720 the foundation of Christianity. We worship, we honor, we 44 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:49,280 glorify, we adhere to, we obey, we praise, we give Thanksgiving 45 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:55,240 to a resurrected Lord, not one that is dead and that is decayed 46 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,680 and has seen corrupt like every other author of every other 47 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,800 faith, dead, corrupted, turned to dust. 48 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,160 Keep it in mind, beloved. This is the beauty of 49 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,480 Christianity. If you don't know your faith, if 50 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,000 you haven't read the scriptures, when people ask you why do you 51 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,520 believe in Jesus Christ? Simply because he is 52 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,840 resurrected. He is resurrected and when they 53 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,360 want evidence, well, you need to go and read the scriptures and 54 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,920 maybe listen to the double edged sword a little bit, you know, to 55 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:32,840 the to the programs and we have archives of play 127th program. 56 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,360 This is, I believe, OK. So why beloved? 57 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,840 Because in one Corinthians chapter 15, verse 14, this is 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,600 what Saint Paul writes. And if Christ be not reason, 59 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,480 then our preaching is vain and our faith is vain. 60 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,000 So if Christ wasn't resurrected, what am I doing here? 61 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,000 What are you doing there right now? 62 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,720 Whether you're in the car and you're washing your dishes, 63 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,360 you're vacuuming, you're ironing, or whatever you may be 64 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:04,280 doing, Why? Why have you tuned into the 65 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,720 Double Edged Sword podcast series? 66 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,120 Why? Why do we go to church? 67 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,080 Why do we praise? Why do we fast? 68 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,880 Why do why do we do good? Why, if Christ is not 69 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,680 resurrected, why it's all in vain. 70 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:24,120 But no, Christ is resurrected. And this is their word, beloved. 71 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:28,520 So let's pick it up from verse 8 and we'll read till verse 10 and 72 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,720 we'll, we'll expand on that. And they're dwelled in the city 73 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:37,000 of Lystra, a cripple who had been lame from his mother's 74 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:42,600 womb, who never had walked, never deprived of walking the 75 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,320 entire life. He heard Paul speak. 76 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:50,680 And when Paul saw that's a, that's an important word. 77 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,920 And when Paul saw him and perceived that there was faith 78 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:00,880 in him to be healed, he said to him with a loud voice, I say to 79 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:05,400 you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, stand upright on 80 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,960 your feet. And he leaped and walked. 81 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,000 Wow. You know, this reminds me of 82 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,160 when Christ would leave Jerusalem, would go to all these 83 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,840 other cities, you know, to Samaria to just to meet a 84 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:24,160 person. He would, he would walk a 85 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:28,400 specific path so that he could encounter Zacchaeus. 86 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,800 He would go to the well to see the Samaritan. 87 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:38,440 He would he would go places in particular to work his signs and 88 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,120 powers for one person at times beloved. 89 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:45,560 And the same thing is happening. So when they leave, when they 90 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,440 leave Iconium and came to Lystra, that's a 19 mile 91 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:53,840 distance. Now walking on one mile on a 92 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:58,040 week, a week's walk, you know, with rest, give it two weeks, 93 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,120 for example, right. So they walked what? 94 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:01,760 It wasn't just because they fleed. 95 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,920 Persecution, no. And death, no. 96 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:09,000 This was divinely inspired because they had to come to this 97 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,480 person. This man had been crippled the 98 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,240 his entire life. Now let's let's just presume 99 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,200 he's 30 years old, right? For 30 years, his feet were 100 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:25,400 tucked in beneath him. He couldn't walk, you know, it's 101 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,800 like when when the disciples asked Christ Lord, did this man 102 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,640 sin or his parents, he said no, neither this man nor his 103 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,880 parents, but the that the power of God, the power of the Lord 104 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,400 may be seen and we're going to see the power of the Lord. 105 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,720 And remember Jesus promised these signs that I do you will 106 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,480 also do and you will do greater signs through him by his power, 107 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,880 by his grace. So the man was crippled from 108 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,440 birth. Now again I hear some bells 109 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:56,840 ringing. Right? 110 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,880 Ding Ding Ding Ding. What can I relate this to? 111 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:05,920 Yes, Acts chapter 3 verses 1 to 11 we read of Peter and John 112 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,400 curing the lame man. And now this lame the father say 113 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,920 this lame man in Acts chapter 3 whom Peter and John healed or 114 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,560 cured, prefigured the salvation of the Jews who would believe 115 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,880 and follow the Christ. And this happened at the door of 116 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:27,480 the temple. Now this sick Lyconian man 117 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,360 prefigures the people of the Gentiles. 118 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:35,400 Remember in verse 13, Saint Paul says to the Jews who didn't 119 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,760 believe and and was was rising a coup to get rid of them. 120 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:44,080 He said, listen, it was, it was, it was right that you first hear 121 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:48,200 the gospel because you are the children of the people. 122 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,400 You know, you're the, you're the Jewish, you're the Israelites. 123 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,520 But since you don't receive it and you reject it, you have made 124 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,600 yourself to be unworthy. We are now going to preach to 125 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:06,360 the Gentiles, right? So this man here in in the city 126 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:11,680 of Lystra, he is prefiguring the gentiles who are now going to 127 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:16,320 hear the word, who for a long time were isolated, were distant 128 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:20,160 from the religion of the law and the temple. 129 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:21,640 They wouldn't go into the temple. 130 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,520 But now the time has come and this man is prefiguring because 131 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,200 they were crippled, they didn't have the law. 132 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,120 They were pagans worshipping idols and false gods. 133 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,000 Now these people, these Gentiles were brought in by the preaching 134 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,760 of the apostles Peter, Paul and Barnabas. 135 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,800 And this is what Paul says in Galatians chapter 2 verse 9. 136 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:51,600 They meaning Peter, James and John gave to Barnabas and I the 137 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,720 right hand of fellowship. You know what that is? 138 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,200 They didn't just say it wasn't a a handshake. 139 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:58,480 It wasn't a high five for his face fist pump. 140 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,680 No, no, no. It was the laying on of the 141 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:04,920 hand, laying on of the hand. Now if you're saying, well, why 142 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,440 would Paul need the laying on of the hand of Peter, James and 143 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,120 John? Paul was chosen by Christ. 144 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,280 He was Christ's chosen vessel. You know, it was preserved for 145 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:17,560 this day. Well, let's go to Numbers 146 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:23,240 chapter 15, I believe where God chooses Joshua and God claims 147 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:27,000 and instructs to Moses that the Spirit is upon him. 148 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,120 But you, Moses, lay your hand on him so that you can give him 149 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,200 some of your power. Moses didn't say, well, Lord, I 150 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,040 don't need to do that. You've chosen him. 151 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,120 No, it was the laying on of the hand, the Apostolic succession. 152 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,320 And you know, we read that it was Peter, James and John, not 153 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,760 the entire church, raising their hand and praying and and 154 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:53,000 invoking the Holy Spirit to come down and to set apart our 155 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,920 brother for the ministry. No, no, no, it was the apostles. 156 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:01,400 And Paul goes on to say, so that we might go to the Gentiles, but 157 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,680 they go to the circumcised. So see even their rejection and 158 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:10,400 their persecution, it was meant to be, it was a divine work of 159 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:14,240 God, so that these people, Paul and Barnabas, would go to the 160 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,440 Gentiles, while Peter and theirs would stay and preach to the 161 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:23,400 Jews. And the time when the two cures 162 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,280 occur is significant as well, beloved. 163 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:33,280 The lame man cured by Peter and John, he was cured in the, you 164 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:38,440 know, early days of the faith when the word was not yet 165 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,680 believed by the Gentiles. It was being preached to the 166 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:42,920 Jews. And there it is. 167 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,960 Paul says it isn't as well. Again, it is for you that we 168 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:50,560 must preach to you. And when John, Peter and John 169 00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:54,200 healed the lame at the temple, it was, you know, the early 170 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,920 missionary or the early stages of the preaching. 171 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:58,680 The Gentiles weren't hearing the word. 172 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:08,400 But this lame Laconian who was cured in the midst of the joy 173 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:12,040 and the gladness of the conversion of the Gentiles. 174 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,320 It was during the the marvelling of the Gentiles when they were 175 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:20,840 hearing Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was crucified. 176 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,800 God resurrected him when he was taken off from the cross. 177 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,760 And we're going to read that God resurrected him and he was seen 178 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,680 and he did many miracles and the Gentiles were being glad in the 179 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:34,760 heart while the Jews were being, you know, ticked off as as I 180 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,360 said last week. But these, these Gentiles were 181 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:42,360 accepting and, and leaving their paganism and coming to the 182 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:47,720 Christian world when the Jews had been excluded for their lack 183 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:52,040 of faith and brought upon themselves damnation because 184 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:53,480 they didn't believe and they rejected. 185 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:58,120 The Gentiles were being born receiving and were being cleared 186 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,400 and cleansed of their nation. Hence St. 187 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,920 Paul writes to the Romans, Chapter 11, verse 12. 188 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:10,680 By their offence, the Jewish offence, the people, the the 189 00:12:10,680 --> 00:12:13,800 people. By their offence, life came to 190 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,800 the Gentiles. Through their rejection you, O 191 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:27,600 Gentiles believed, through their offence you, O Gentiles, came to 192 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:29,120 life. Through the word. 193 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,680 You know, one man's loss is another man's gain. 1 man's loss 194 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:35,640 is another man's treasure, as they say. 195 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,280 Now regarding this man, we read something very interesting that 196 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:45,120 he was paying attention. It says to Paul's words, he was 197 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,360 attentive. That's why during the 198 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,760 Eucharistic service, Listen up everyone. 199 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,800 You know, when you're in church and you're on your Instagram and 200 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,600 TikTok and Facebook, how disrespectful is that? 201 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,240 And you know you're disrespecting all right now 202 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,280 you're you're thinking, oh, I do that. 203 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:04,280 Well, it's OK. Just repent. 204 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,680 Don't do it anymore. When the gospel reading is being 205 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:10,520 preached, what does the Deacon instruct the people? 206 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:15,920 Listen intently. Listen don't worry about who 207 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:21,680 walks in when you walk in late as well in respect to the word 208 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:23,400 of God. That's being the gospel that is 209 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:28,880 being read and preached and in in respect to your fellow 210 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,280 Christians who were there before you at the beginning of the 211 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,880 service. Don't walk down the island, kiss 212 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,600 the cross and high 5 everyone and then and then become a 213 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:37,880 disturbance. Don't do that. 214 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,480 Stand at the back, back wall. Listen to the word being read 215 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,120 intently. Listen, don't worry about who's 216 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:47,680 there. Don't worry about saying hello. 217 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:49,480 Hey, how you going to your friends? 218 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,920 No, listen intently. When the gospel reading is over, 219 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,120 then quietly and respectfully walk down the aisle, kiss the 220 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:02,280 cross and come back and be seated and start in praise and 221 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:04,680 Thanksgiving. Or when the sermon is being 222 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:08,040 presented. Don't be an instrument of 223 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,560 distraction for others. No, we do that. 224 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:13,160 You see, I've, it happens every day in church. 225 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:18,680 I'm always saying, excuse me, you know, can you please refrain 226 00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:21,440 from walking down the aisle because we have a habit of being 227 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,280 distracted so easily when we're focusing on God. 228 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,600 No, we could be watching a film in the movies or on the 229 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,320 television when we're poised, like when someone says something 230 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,160 quiet, I'm listening to this, right? 231 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,120 But when it comes to Christ and the church and the, and the 232 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,480 liturgy and the service, we're so relaxed, right? 233 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,000 Don't do that. Don't walk down the aisle. 234 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,160 Just stop and wait and be respectful. 235 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,800 Show respect to the sermon because that is the lesson, that 236 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,480 is the teaching for those who have attended church. 237 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:55,960 So in the midst of his misery, this man is attentive. 238 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:57,880 He's listening to Saint Paul's words. 239 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:02,400 In no way did his condition hinder his eagerness, his 240 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:08,080 willingness to listen. This is why a healing to the 241 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:14,240 soul has come before the body. This is how his soul, we see 242 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,000 right now, his soul is being healed. 243 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,480 He must have been demoralized. He must have been faithless, 244 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,480 hopeless for 30 years. You know, we're saying just 245 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,120 presuming he's 30 for 30 years, a miserable life. 246 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,600 Imagine his soul, a broken soul, a broken heart. 247 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:40,640 Yet he hears the words of hope. The words of hope are only 248 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:42,640 through Jesus Christ, no one else. 249 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:47,080 Beloved, you want hope, You want healing. 250 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,640 Don't listen to any other words to be uttered but the words of 251 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,920 the Lord Jesus Christ found in the Holy Scriptures and the 252 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,720 liturgy of the of the Church. Don't go findings. 253 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:03,080 Don't go anywhere else. You know when Jesus said to 254 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:11,240 Simon when Jesus said he who does not eat the body of the the 255 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,440 Son of man and drink his blood, That's Borbana, by the way. 256 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,240 That's literally that's, that's the Eucharist has no life. 257 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,480 Listen, if you do not partake in the Holy Eucharist, you have no 258 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,720 life in yourself. That's what Jesus said. 259 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,560 All of his disciples thought these his words are very 260 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:27,280 difficult. How are we going to? 261 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,640 How are we going to uphold them? They walked away and Jesus said 262 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,560 to Simon, Simon, you too, Park it thought that they say in 263 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,800 Arabic, if there are Arabic speaking people, there you go. 264 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,160 You're most welcome to leave. What did Simon say? 265 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:44,560 Where am I going to go? Where do we find the words of 266 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:48,920 life, words to the soul? Where do we find them? 267 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:52,760 Unless it be from you, O Lord Jesus Christ, don't go looking 268 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,680 anywhere else. Don't go to clairvoyance. 269 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:58,320 And, and, and the cup, the, the coffee cup. 270 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:03,120 And I always say it's either a mother or, or a, a 271 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,079 mother-in-law. Always, there's always got to be 272 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:06,920 a mother or a mother-in-law in these cups. 273 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,520 These are evil, beloved. This is paganism. 274 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,319 This is blasphemy. This is heresy. 275 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,920 You want hope right now. Right now. 276 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:23,400 If you need hope, if you need your soul to be lifted up, your 277 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,200 life, read the Holy Scriptures. And I pray that during this 278 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,400 episode, right now, you're being uplifted. 279 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,480 Not because it's kasha general, no, no, no, it's not because 280 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:33,800 it's a double edged, no, it's nothing. 281 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:35,880 It's the Lord Jesus Christ speaking. 282 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,400 These are his words. This is the Gospel, this is 283 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,320 Jesus. This man's eagerness was to 284 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:46,480 listen to the words first. His soul must have, and I'm sure 285 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:51,280 death 100%, most assuredly his soul was brought to life. 286 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,240 His soul was rejuvenated. Hope came into his mind. 287 00:17:55,280 --> 00:18:00,720 And when we say soul, that is his life before the body was 288 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,800 healed. The soul was healed. 289 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:11,520 And then it says that Paul also looked intently at him and saw 290 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,680 that he had faith to be made. Well, how do you see faith? 291 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:17,920 Question. How do you see faith? 292 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,720 There must be an expression. There must be an action. 293 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:35,280 Oh, faith is seen, is evident through an action, a deed. 294 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,880 James chapter 2. Many read James chapter 2. 295 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:43,680 They either ignore it or are arrogant or ignorant or because 296 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,400 James chapter 2 puts us in check. 297 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,920 We don't want to preach it. We don't want to read it 298 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,000 anymore. There must have been some. 299 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:53,920 This man must have done something. 300 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:58,280 It must have been an expression on the face because he saw and 301 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,760 he knew by seeing. He knew this man. 302 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:06,160 Maybe after hearing the word of hope, the resurrected Lord Jesus 303 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,400 Christ healed and gave hope to the soul. 304 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,000 He must have tried to come closer to Saint Paul. 305 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:17,840 This is the action of the faith. This is the evidence of the 306 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:19,880 faith. So if you say I believe you have 307 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:22,320 no actions, well, that's a dead faith. 308 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:28,080 As Saint James writes in chapter 2, Saint Paul saw that the man, 309 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:32,520 and this was a Gentile, was already persuaded in his purpose 310 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:34,320 and determination. And what was it? 311 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:37,960 The purpose and determination was to receive healing. 312 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,480 So first, beloved, this is what we need to do. 313 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,760 Even learning from this, when someone is broken, we need to 314 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,040 lift up the spirit. When when someone is driven to 315 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:53,320 the point and, and I'm sad to say to the point of suicide, 316 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:58,840 there is a broken spirit, a broken soul, a damaged soul, a 317 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,840 helpless soul. What we need to do is we need to 318 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,840 give life, give purpose to the soul, reinstate the soul. 319 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,640 And how do we do it? We only do it through the words 320 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:15,200 of Jesus Christ in the Church of Jesus Christ. 321 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,880 Through the liturgies of the Church of Jesus Christ, when you 322 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:23,800 understand the liturgy, when you understand what is being prayed 323 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:28,000 and besieged and supplicated, and when you understand that 324 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,960 when you walk out the church after that 1 1/2 hour service, 325 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,400 you are cleansed by faith. Obviously you know your faith 326 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,040 has drawn you there. Regardless of your demands, 327 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,880 regardless of your misery. You know this man's misery was 328 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,280 he was crippled. Our misery when we enter the 329 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:48,520 Church, if we are sinners, we have sinned, we are defiled, we 330 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,120 stink, we stink. You know, when someone walks and 331 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:56,200 they have, I'm sorry to say, perspiration, they call it beer. 332 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:57,520 What do we do? Right? 333 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:01,480 But God doesn't do that. When God sees that, yes, he sees 334 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,120 it, but he says, come to me, I want to cleanse you. 335 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,840 And when you leave that church, it's because number one, your 336 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:13,600 soul has been one more time, rejuvenated, given life, given 337 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:15,840 hope. And then and then the action of 338 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:21,400 that is when you approach the Holy Mysteries in worthiness. 339 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,600 By the way, how do we make ourselves worthy? 340 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,040 How do we become worthy of the Eucharist? 341 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:32,960 By confessing our sins, by not justifying our sins because the 342 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:37,960 world says, because you know, this is what is it, the 343 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:43,360 amendments, legislation, what I think, what I believe. 344 00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:47,240 No, no, no, Confess our sins according to the standards of 345 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:52,840 God, Repent from them and ask God to make us worthy, not like 346 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,880 the Jews, to make ourselves unworthy, but God, we have made 347 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,160 ourselves unworthy as well. Yes, we are like the Jews now 348 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:04,560 unworthy because of our sin, but you they must worthy to approach 349 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,240 the mysteries and then be healed. 350 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,200 That's why when you walk out the church, you have received by 351 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,640 both, you know the body, the soul and the spirit and the 352 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,000 mind. Your whole being has been 353 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,720 cleansed by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. 354 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:30,480 And in verse 10, he said to him, Paul says to him not listen, I 355 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,360 really can't say much because I'm scared I'm going to get 356 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,880 persecuted, get up and walk. No, he didn't do that. 357 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,760 He cried out, cried out so people could hear him because 358 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:41,400 there was going to be a power work. 359 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:43,400 Christ was going to be glorified. 360 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,120 And as I always say, you want to glorify God, do it properly. 361 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:49,560 You want to do the sound of the cross. 362 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,000 And I've always, I've always touched up on this and I pray 363 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,240 the Lord that it has made a difference in your in your life 364 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,320 when you're sitting at that table in the restaurant and 365 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,160 before the food is we jump into the food. 366 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:06,000 You pray, beloved, pray. And when you pray, do the sign 367 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,400 of the cross properly, not just the little itching of the of the 368 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,680 chest. No, no, no, do it properly. 369 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,280 Call to the name of the Trinity, in the name of the Father and of 370 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,120 the Son and of the Holy Spirit and one God. 371 00:23:18,120 --> 00:23:20,880 Amen. Lord God, heavenly Father, bless 372 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,520 and sanctify this food of your worshippers in the name of your 373 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,280 glorious Trinity, and do the sign of the cross on it, so that 374 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,240 if they have been, they have been offered and cooked by 375 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,280 pagans and paganism, it'll be cleansed for you. 376 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,440 Jesus said what you whispered. Cry it out. 377 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,520 Now don't be ashamed to cry it out. 378 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:44,080 Don't be ashamed to do the sign of the Christ to talk about the 379 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,320 resurrected Christ. If you have nothing to say, tell 380 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,440 people Jesus is resurrected. Simple. 381 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:55,000 This is what they did and this was a fulfillment of prophecy. 382 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,880 He leaped, he leaps. He doesn't just struggle. 383 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,840 You know, it's, you know, you think it by the time his legs 384 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,000 would go straight and you know, it took him a few minutes, but 385 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,800 he leaped, jumped. Why? 386 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,040 Because there was a prophecy. Isaiah 35, six Yeah, I know this 387 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,680 is about Jesus, but these people did it in Jesus name. 388 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:15,320 The miracle, the Son was in Jesus name. 389 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,640 Then the crippled one shall leap like a stag. 390 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:23,680 That is a male deer. Now, in closing, let's examine 391 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,880 the process of the healing of this lame man. 392 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:30,200 Beloved, and these are very important #1 we see the 393 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,320 apostles, Saint Paul and St. Barnabas, called by the Holy 394 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:35,560 Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit. 395 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,640 They weren't elected by a group of people. 396 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,720 They didn't check their curriculum Vitara or resume. 397 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,000 Oh yeah. Oh, Master's in theology, 00, 398 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,880 PhD. No, no, no, the Holy Spirit 399 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:53,400 elected them. When, and this was while the 400 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:59,200 prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Simeon and Lucius and Mana 401 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:03,120 in in Acts chapter 13. And these were the four leading 402 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:06,600 the Christian community in the Church of Antioch while they 403 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:13,680 were fasting and beseeching God while they were fasting. 404 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,240 It boggles my mind where people tell you you don't need to fast. 405 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,080 You don't need to fast. No, we don't have to fast. 406 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,000 Who said we don't have to fast? Please show me a scripture verse 407 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:26,680 where it says you don't have to fast. 408 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,280 Let's be solid scripture, right? Why is solid scripture only 409 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,400 beneficial good when it's beneficial for you, but when 410 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:33,680 it's not. No, no, you know what? 411 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:39,480 Yeah, pastor this or or commentator that said no, no, 412 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,400 no. If the disciples were fasting 413 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,200 and the prophets and the teachers in the church, these 414 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:46,920 are the Christians who are fasting. 415 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,000 We need to fast. We continue fast and not because 416 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,840 of the prophets. Jesus fasted I fast period. 417 00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:54,040 They were fasting and beseeching God. 418 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,040 Then we see that they were set apart. 419 00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:59,800 What does that mean? That means they were ordained. 420 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:04,080 They were sanctified right now set apart means they didn't just 421 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,600 say you guys come on this side, I'm sorry, you 3 on the other 422 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:08,360 side. No, no, no. 423 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,000 This is what happens when there is an ordination. 424 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:15,240 The candidate being ordained to a diaconate or a priesthood has 425 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,680 been set apart. The priest that Bishop actually 426 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:19,920 lays the hand says has been sanctified. 427 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,800 This name has been sanctified, has been set apart for the work 428 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,080 that he's being called to do, right? 429 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,000 These people were set apart. The Holy Spirit commands set 430 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,680 them apart. Again, if you're going to say, 431 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,640 well, why the Holy Spirit shows, well, God chose Joshua, but God 432 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:40,280 commanded Moses to lay his hand on him and they were set apart 433 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:44,760 for the work to preach the word, preach Jesus, preach the gospel. 434 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:50,200 Then while preaching, they touched the soul, they moved the 435 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:54,920 soul, they drew the soul by simple words, not so much. 436 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,440 Do you know Jesus? Are you saved? 437 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,760 Have you found Jesus? You know, there was a mockery of 438 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,880 that. I saw a what was it? 439 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,560 I can't remember where it was someone telling another person, 440 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,240 have you found Jesus? And the reply was I didn't know 441 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,760 he was lost right? Mocking Jesus. 442 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,760 It's our fault. It's it's it's it's we are being 443 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,120 the cause. Are you saved or have you found 444 00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:24,040 Jesus? If you die where will you end 445 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:25,760 up? They didn't say that simple 446 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,000 words yet effective and soul moving. 447 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,160 This was their word. God raised him from among the 448 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,760 dead. He appeared for many days to 449 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:40,160 those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they 450 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,280 are now His witnesses to the people. 451 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,680 This is what people heard. And obviously as the powers that 452 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,480 He worked and what He promised, right? 453 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:55,360 And they accepted and they drew souls to the Word and drawing 454 00:27:55,360 --> 00:28:02,680 souls willingly, soul meaning life, drawing the life, the soul 455 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:08,520 willingly to the Word. They saw the genuine faith, and 456 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:13,000 the genuine faith in the Word was evident by some sort of the 457 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,560 deed or an action. And lastly we see the healing of 458 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:21,480 the weak flesh, healing the soul and the body with the double 459 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,800 edged sword which is the Word of God. 460 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:28,840 And again seeing the effect and evidence of the healing. 461 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:34,200 This was the sign. This is the evidence and the 462 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:39,680 effect of the healing in the sign being the lame man leaped 463 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,800 and was walking. And again, fulfillment of 464 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,120 prophecy. Isaiah 35, six. 465 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:50,520 All this was also foretold. Beloved, what did Saint Mark 466 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,240 write in his Gospel chapter 16, verse 20? 467 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,840 This is the last chapter, but they went forth and they 468 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:01,880 preached in every place and our Lord was helping them and 469 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:06,800 confirming their words with the signs that they were doing and 470 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:11,200 their the signs. So Christianity is not only a a, 471 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:18,680 a, a religion of faith, but accompanied by deeds, willing 472 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:23,480 genuine faith, accompanying by deeds, and those deeds and those 473 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:28,600 signs worked by Jesus Christ in His Church, through His Church, 474 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,960 through His apostles, for His glory and for the salvation of 475 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:33,840 souls. Praise and glory be to His name, 476 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:35,800 now and at all times and forever. 477 00:29:36,320 --> 00:30:06,360 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 478 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:08,680 message. Please don't forget to rate and 479 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,400 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 480 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,080 For any future topics, suggestions, or to give us 481 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,680 detailed feedback, please visit our link in the show notes. 482 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,360 Linktr dot EE forward slash double edged sword. 483 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:24,600 Until next time, God bless you all.