This is for all of you who have had those thoughts, or who may know someone who feels or has felt this way.... and it is also for those of you who have never considered suicide, but might one day out of the blue be thrust into such thoughts.
I'm not going to list the usual reasons NOT to do so, to take one's own life regardless of the reasons. I am, however, going to tell you one FACT that should deter you from doing so.
Regardless of how hopeless your situation may seem, when you meet God in judgment, you will see how you could have handled the situation with perfectly clear eyes through God himself. In other words, if while alive you felt desperate, like in a maze with no exit, God will show you exactly how the exit would have been shown to you out of your dilemma and despair.
I've blogged about this before, about how if only Judas Iscariot had held onto life for three more days, he would have seen the Resurrected Christ and have sought forgiveness.
When you are judged by God, whether you are taken to heaven or sent to hell, you realize not only that there was a way to cope with your situation, no matter how hopeless or painful and, further, that even if you felt the most worthless person who ever lived, how someone in the present or the future would have needed you very much. Each and every person can save their own physical life and thus, through God, be open to Him saving his or her eternal soul also.
DO NOT BAIL OUT. Trust God and genuinely open your heart to Him and Him alone.
I hope this helps.
Through His Holy Name.
Showing posts with label personal judgment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal judgment. Show all posts
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Both God and Jesus have roles in judgement
I've noticed there is some confusion among some people based on the completeness of the authority given to Jesus by God to judge all of humankind. Here is a quick way to help you to understand precisely what God does and intends.
Yes, Jesus has complete authority to judge, which he will do at the Second Coming. The Book of Revelation explains that through the eyes of the Apostle John, who is taken to heaven in vision to see some of what will happen in the final days leading up to the Apocalypse and Christ's Return. God remains on his heavenly throne while the world passes away and Jesus judges all, the living and the dead.
However, until that time comes, people have individual lives and they live and they die. Each person is judged on their death by God himself. How do we know this? Again, turn to what seems to be my most cited scripture, Luke 16, where Jesus describes what happens to a rich man who goes to hell.
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores...When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames" (Luke 16:19-20, 22-24).
Now, remember that Jesus has a greater point to make in telling this story, this actual event that has happened, so you must read it for both 1) the main point and 2) any other insight one can glean since everything that Jesus said is saying it "as it really is."
Notice that the rich man does not say, "Abraham! HEY! What in the world am I doing in hell? I was a great guy!" The rich man knows exactly why he is there so he does not bother to ask for an explanation, which he already knows (and in fact is gazing on the very reason, his neglect of the poor, suffering and dying Lazarus). This is because God judged that man as he woke up in hell. It's not like there's a kind of courtroom or waiting room where God calls people in and judges each one in a neutral spot in turn. One wakes up from death in the place where one is sent, with the knowledge of God's judgement. Period. The angels escorted the poor man Lazarus, carrying him to heaven. God's judgment was apparent by the fact the angels were taking him to heaven. Likewise God's judgement was apparent and the facts about "why" given into the spiritual heart and mind of the person who ends up in hell. So the first thing that careful reading and trusting that Jesus is precise and truthful and complete in all things reveals is that people die and wake up in either heaven or hell, knowing exactly why they are there, which only God can provide.
The second thing you notice is that Jesus did not say at any point that he, Jesus, was the one who judged Lazarus or the rich man. If that were the case he would have said so, since Jesus' complete ministry is to be open, freely sharing the facts of the Kingdom of God, and he would have told the disciples if he, Jesus, were the one who was already judging each person who died, even before he was alive as Son of Man on earth and before his crucifixion and resurrection. That would have been an extremely important fact to share in the Gospel and Jesus would have done so if that were the case. Indeed, it would have been mind boggling for the disciples to hear that even before Jesus was born to Mary on earth that he was in heaven judging each person who died! So even though Jesus is of course of God and thus eternal, when he speaks of his role of judge and authority to judge whether one goes to heaven or hell he means at the Second Coming.
So when Abraham explains why the rich man cannot have a drop of water, Abraham is not breaking the news to him about why he is in hell, Abraham is explaining the unchangeable rules and conditions, that no aid or comfort will be given to those in hell.
"Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours" (Luke 16:25-6).
Do you see? If Jesus had judged the rich man, Jesus would have told the disciples that "And I told him during judgement exactly how many times he had ridden past the poor bleeding hungry and dying Lazarus while riding on his horse and then I had told him each and every one of his sins and that's why he's in hell." But Jesus did not do that....God himself did that. Another way that you can understand that it was God and not pre-born Jesus doing the judging is that Jesus mentions that angels carried the poor man Lazarus to heaven, and everyone realizes that God sends angels to do his bidding. For example, when Jesus is praying before the betrayal in Gethsemane, God sends an angel to comfort him; Jesus does not summon angels. He could do so but he never did so, as Jesus and God work in harmony in all things. It is in the Second Coming where Jesus sends angels and judges. Until then it is exactly as it has always been, which is that God himself renders personal individual judgment and the sending of a soul to heaven or hell upon that person's death.
So to continue the reading, the rich man now asks for permission to send Lazarus (and can you see that he still does not "get it," I mean, he's in hell for how he neglected Lazarus in the first place and he's still trying to order Lazarus to go on his errands... the road to hell is pride, pride, pride...) to warn his brothers. Again, if you carefully read this you can glean an important insight. The rich man is not so much wanting to share the sins that got him into hell, but, and this is important, he wants to tell his brothers how bad and final the suffering of hell is!
"He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him [Lazarus] to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment'" (Luke 16:27).
See? It is the horror of hell in its actuality that spurs the rich man to want to warn his brothers. It's not a genuine repentance since he is still trying to get the very poor miserable "beneath his notice" Lazarus, even as he's glorified to heaven, to go back to earth and do his bidding! So it's not like the rich man didn't "realize" "why" he was in hell since he wasn't judged until Abraham "explained" it to him: he knew full well all along since the story does not start out with "Hey! What's that poor bum Lazarus doing in heaven while I've found myself in hell? What gives?" He immediately hits up Lazarus, through Abraham, for a drop of water. This is how you can infer from what Jesus relates are the facts that people are transported, waking up to find themselves in either heaven or hell with full understanding of how and why they were judged to go there by God. Jesus tells the disciples this actual portrayal of heaven and hell and two people who go to their judgement respectively to make the broader point about what God expects regarding charity, but also to explain how the reality of heaven and hell "works." This is why Abraham explained not only the "why" of why he would not given the rich man even a drop of water or send warning to living five brothers, but also the mechanism, the physics, of heaven and hell, where the great chasm prevents any crossing in either direction. So Jesus was providing a moral and lesson in the telling of what actually happened in this case of the judgment of two men, but also describing for the disciples, who of course needed to know, how the reality of hell and the divide between heaven and hell "works."
Since that is Jesus' intention, if Jesus were "already" judging individual human beings upon their death, he would have said so. To use the expression "it goes without saying" that the disciples understood that God had simultaneously rendered/conveyed judgment to each person and had them conveyed to their place of eternity, either heaven or, of course, hell.
So yes, Jesus has all authority and he will Judge. But do not fall into the trap of thinking that upon personal death (not the End of Days when all will die and rise again for judgement) that when one dies one goes into kind of a waiting room area where one can argue one's case in front of stereotype "forgiving and easy going" Jesus. One is BANG! in heaven or hell, receiving simultaneously judgement and full knowledge of the why's from God himself. Simultaneous with being conveyed by the angels to heaven Lazarus would have received the light of God praising him for his belief and comforting him for his suffering with reward in heaven. Simultaneous with waking up in hell, the rich man would have received full knowledge of the why's of his condemnation and judging by God, which we know because as Jesus relates, it's not like the rich man was puzzled at seeing that "loser" Lazarus in heaven with Abraham. No dialogue is wasted in him asking why that is, because he wakes in hell fully knowing how and why God judged him. No, he's just shocked at how truly unbearable, unrelievable and eternal that hell actually is. It is that shock of suffering that makes him want to warn his brothers that ignoring that dirtbag Lazarus and other poor losers like him is a bad idea. In other words, by how the dialogue progresses you can see that if hell were in theory not such a bad place, but not heaven, this guy would never have bothered trying to warn his brothers, since he still doesn't "get" how unrighteous and unjust he was to Lazarus through his neglect. He's solely motivated by how dreadful that hell is and how he truly can't order the peasant around to do his bidding like he did on earth.
That's why, to remind you of a few postings ago, pride is the downfall of MANY who go to hell. Pridefulness, especially putting one's self before God's priorities, IS a grievous sin and merits hell, regardless of the other "good deeds" or whatever.
When one decides that Jesus is one's Lord and Savior, it is not so you can show a membership card to Jesus, because he's not the one checking at the door upon death: it's God. This is why Jesus repeatedly explains he is the "way." Jesus is not saying that he is judging people's entry into heaven. Remember when James and John's mother asked Jesus if he would have them sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom? What did Jesus say? He said that was up to God. Jesus promised them to go prepare the places for them in heaven. Jesus did not say that he would be the judge when they die. Jesus is the way in the sense that if one trusts him to not only save but to be LORD over one's life, then one will pass judgement from God. It is at the End of all Days, at the Apocalypse, at the Second Coming, that all who lived and died in all humanity will resurrect and be judged by Jesus. Until that time each individual person's death and rendering of judgement to heaven or hell is in God the Father's hands.
Finally, another way you can understand this is to recall one of the most insightful, but most subtle and unnoticed, of all the writings of St. Paul.
And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
You see? Here Paul is reminding the readers that the Holy Spirit also partakes in the final judgement! What he is basically saying that if Christians are "All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling...along with all malice" (Ephesians 4:30-31) then these Christians risk losing, by giving sadness and grief to the Holy Spirit, the seal which will get them redeemed. This is powerful and serious stuff, people. Again, this is why I must caution you not to allow a kind of video image of Jesus in the waiting room giving easy judgement upon a person's death to delude you that it's not something that can't be lost. One can accept Jesus as one's Savior but if one does not also follow completely his "way" and indeed, going further, grieves the Holy Spirit, if Jesus is not truly Lord, then one is not prepared to be judged favorably by God, who does the judging based on 1) one's belief and 2) one's righteousness, through the guidance and filter of both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Paul is warning good believers of the early Christian community that they can lose the seal of redemption if they grieve the Holy Spirit through the actions as listed above.
Yes, Jesus has complete authority to judge, which he will do at the Second Coming. The Book of Revelation explains that through the eyes of the Apostle John, who is taken to heaven in vision to see some of what will happen in the final days leading up to the Apocalypse and Christ's Return. God remains on his heavenly throne while the world passes away and Jesus judges all, the living and the dead.
However, until that time comes, people have individual lives and they live and they die. Each person is judged on their death by God himself. How do we know this? Again, turn to what seems to be my most cited scripture, Luke 16, where Jesus describes what happens to a rich man who goes to hell.
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores...When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames" (Luke 16:19-20, 22-24).
Now, remember that Jesus has a greater point to make in telling this story, this actual event that has happened, so you must read it for both 1) the main point and 2) any other insight one can glean since everything that Jesus said is saying it "as it really is."
Notice that the rich man does not say, "Abraham! HEY! What in the world am I doing in hell? I was a great guy!" The rich man knows exactly why he is there so he does not bother to ask for an explanation, which he already knows (and in fact is gazing on the very reason, his neglect of the poor, suffering and dying Lazarus). This is because God judged that man as he woke up in hell. It's not like there's a kind of courtroom or waiting room where God calls people in and judges each one in a neutral spot in turn. One wakes up from death in the place where one is sent, with the knowledge of God's judgement. Period. The angels escorted the poor man Lazarus, carrying him to heaven. God's judgment was apparent by the fact the angels were taking him to heaven. Likewise God's judgement was apparent and the facts about "why" given into the spiritual heart and mind of the person who ends up in hell. So the first thing that careful reading and trusting that Jesus is precise and truthful and complete in all things reveals is that people die and wake up in either heaven or hell, knowing exactly why they are there, which only God can provide.
The second thing you notice is that Jesus did not say at any point that he, Jesus, was the one who judged Lazarus or the rich man. If that were the case he would have said so, since Jesus' complete ministry is to be open, freely sharing the facts of the Kingdom of God, and he would have told the disciples if he, Jesus, were the one who was already judging each person who died, even before he was alive as Son of Man on earth and before his crucifixion and resurrection. That would have been an extremely important fact to share in the Gospel and Jesus would have done so if that were the case. Indeed, it would have been mind boggling for the disciples to hear that even before Jesus was born to Mary on earth that he was in heaven judging each person who died! So even though Jesus is of course of God and thus eternal, when he speaks of his role of judge and authority to judge whether one goes to heaven or hell he means at the Second Coming.
So when Abraham explains why the rich man cannot have a drop of water, Abraham is not breaking the news to him about why he is in hell, Abraham is explaining the unchangeable rules and conditions, that no aid or comfort will be given to those in hell.
"Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours" (Luke 16:25-6).
Do you see? If Jesus had judged the rich man, Jesus would have told the disciples that "And I told him during judgement exactly how many times he had ridden past the poor bleeding hungry and dying Lazarus while riding on his horse and then I had told him each and every one of his sins and that's why he's in hell." But Jesus did not do that....God himself did that. Another way that you can understand that it was God and not pre-born Jesus doing the judging is that Jesus mentions that angels carried the poor man Lazarus to heaven, and everyone realizes that God sends angels to do his bidding. For example, when Jesus is praying before the betrayal in Gethsemane, God sends an angel to comfort him; Jesus does not summon angels. He could do so but he never did so, as Jesus and God work in harmony in all things. It is in the Second Coming where Jesus sends angels and judges. Until then it is exactly as it has always been, which is that God himself renders personal individual judgment and the sending of a soul to heaven or hell upon that person's death.
So to continue the reading, the rich man now asks for permission to send Lazarus (and can you see that he still does not "get it," I mean, he's in hell for how he neglected Lazarus in the first place and he's still trying to order Lazarus to go on his errands... the road to hell is pride, pride, pride...) to warn his brothers. Again, if you carefully read this you can glean an important insight. The rich man is not so much wanting to share the sins that got him into hell, but, and this is important, he wants to tell his brothers how bad and final the suffering of hell is!
"He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him [Lazarus] to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment'" (Luke 16:27).
See? It is the horror of hell in its actuality that spurs the rich man to want to warn his brothers. It's not a genuine repentance since he is still trying to get the very poor miserable "beneath his notice" Lazarus, even as he's glorified to heaven, to go back to earth and do his bidding! So it's not like the rich man didn't "realize" "why" he was in hell since he wasn't judged until Abraham "explained" it to him: he knew full well all along since the story does not start out with "Hey! What's that poor bum Lazarus doing in heaven while I've found myself in hell? What gives?" He immediately hits up Lazarus, through Abraham, for a drop of water. This is how you can infer from what Jesus relates are the facts that people are transported, waking up to find themselves in either heaven or hell with full understanding of how and why they were judged to go there by God. Jesus tells the disciples this actual portrayal of heaven and hell and two people who go to their judgement respectively to make the broader point about what God expects regarding charity, but also to explain how the reality of heaven and hell "works." This is why Abraham explained not only the "why" of why he would not given the rich man even a drop of water or send warning to living five brothers, but also the mechanism, the physics, of heaven and hell, where the great chasm prevents any crossing in either direction. So Jesus was providing a moral and lesson in the telling of what actually happened in this case of the judgment of two men, but also describing for the disciples, who of course needed to know, how the reality of hell and the divide between heaven and hell "works."
Since that is Jesus' intention, if Jesus were "already" judging individual human beings upon their death, he would have said so. To use the expression "it goes without saying" that the disciples understood that God had simultaneously rendered/conveyed judgment to each person and had them conveyed to their place of eternity, either heaven or, of course, hell.
So yes, Jesus has all authority and he will Judge. But do not fall into the trap of thinking that upon personal death (not the End of Days when all will die and rise again for judgement) that when one dies one goes into kind of a waiting room area where one can argue one's case in front of stereotype "forgiving and easy going" Jesus. One is BANG! in heaven or hell, receiving simultaneously judgement and full knowledge of the why's from God himself. Simultaneous with being conveyed by the angels to heaven Lazarus would have received the light of God praising him for his belief and comforting him for his suffering with reward in heaven. Simultaneous with waking up in hell, the rich man would have received full knowledge of the why's of his condemnation and judging by God, which we know because as Jesus relates, it's not like the rich man was puzzled at seeing that "loser" Lazarus in heaven with Abraham. No dialogue is wasted in him asking why that is, because he wakes in hell fully knowing how and why God judged him. No, he's just shocked at how truly unbearable, unrelievable and eternal that hell actually is. It is that shock of suffering that makes him want to warn his brothers that ignoring that dirtbag Lazarus and other poor losers like him is a bad idea. In other words, by how the dialogue progresses you can see that if hell were in theory not such a bad place, but not heaven, this guy would never have bothered trying to warn his brothers, since he still doesn't "get" how unrighteous and unjust he was to Lazarus through his neglect. He's solely motivated by how dreadful that hell is and how he truly can't order the peasant around to do his bidding like he did on earth.
That's why, to remind you of a few postings ago, pride is the downfall of MANY who go to hell. Pridefulness, especially putting one's self before God's priorities, IS a grievous sin and merits hell, regardless of the other "good deeds" or whatever.
When one decides that Jesus is one's Lord and Savior, it is not so you can show a membership card to Jesus, because he's not the one checking at the door upon death: it's God. This is why Jesus repeatedly explains he is the "way." Jesus is not saying that he is judging people's entry into heaven. Remember when James and John's mother asked Jesus if he would have them sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom? What did Jesus say? He said that was up to God. Jesus promised them to go prepare the places for them in heaven. Jesus did not say that he would be the judge when they die. Jesus is the way in the sense that if one trusts him to not only save but to be LORD over one's life, then one will pass judgement from God. It is at the End of all Days, at the Apocalypse, at the Second Coming, that all who lived and died in all humanity will resurrect and be judged by Jesus. Until that time each individual person's death and rendering of judgement to heaven or hell is in God the Father's hands.
Finally, another way you can understand this is to recall one of the most insightful, but most subtle and unnoticed, of all the writings of St. Paul.
And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
You see? Here Paul is reminding the readers that the Holy Spirit also partakes in the final judgement! What he is basically saying that if Christians are "All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling...along with all malice" (Ephesians 4:30-31) then these Christians risk losing, by giving sadness and grief to the Holy Spirit, the seal which will get them redeemed. This is powerful and serious stuff, people. Again, this is why I must caution you not to allow a kind of video image of Jesus in the waiting room giving easy judgement upon a person's death to delude you that it's not something that can't be lost. One can accept Jesus as one's Savior but if one does not also follow completely his "way" and indeed, going further, grieves the Holy Spirit, if Jesus is not truly Lord, then one is not prepared to be judged favorably by God, who does the judging based on 1) one's belief and 2) one's righteousness, through the guidance and filter of both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Paul is warning good believers of the early Christian community that they can lose the seal of redemption if they grieve the Holy Spirit through the actions as listed above.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Important reflection about violence and St Paul
This is a reflection about St Paul that is particularly pertinent during the time when we commemorate the Lord’s suffering and death. Many sermons correctly point out, as the scripture relates, that while Jesus answered the questions of Pilate, he did not resist what would be his inevitable execution. Jesus himself explains that he could have summoned both earthly and heavenly forces to defend and free him, but as this is not his realm, but heaven is his true home and destination, he did not.
Well before the Passion and Crucifixion Jesus taught the Apostles, the disciples and all who attended his sermons and believed that his followers should turn the other cheek. Another time the Apostles wondered why Jesus did not send fire down upon a town that had rejected him. Jesus explained that he came to save souls, not to kill.
Now, you might at this time guess that I’m going to compare Jesus and what he taught to Saul, he who was the persecutor of Christians, before he was confronted by the resurrected Jesus, converted and became St. Paul. You would be wrong, as that is not where I am going with this reflection but, rather, to a far more important point. I am going to point out to you the dire, deadly consequences of not obeying Jesus in all matters.
Suppose that the Apostles and disciples listened to Jesus about passive resistance (to use a modern term) with one ear, but with the other ear succumbed to temptation to “fight back when attacked,” immediately after Jesus was crucified. That would be the attitude of modern society, not the Church, today. We have “enemy lists” and “preemptive strikes,” and we declare enemies of not only terrorists who are declared enemies but also those who “aid and harbor them.” Here is what would have happened.
Immediately after Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven we had our first Christian martyr, Stephen, who was stoned as he forgave his murderers. A young man tended to the cloaks of the stoners and that was Saul. Saul then developed zeal, a murderous zeal, where he not only spied and reported on the disciples and their converts, those who Jesus and the Apostles had converted to Christianity, but he hunted them down in person in order to bring them to their deaths.
This, in fact, was what Saul was hastening to do on the road to Damascus, when the resurrected Jesus confronted him and threw him from his horse, blinding Saul with the light of his glorified body. But what if as soon as Stephen was stoned, the Apostles and other Christians had made “an enemies list?” What if they had recognized right away what a scourge Saul was to the early Christians, including themselves, and decided, as moderns glorify in real acts and in entertainment media, “take him out first?” What if the Christians had ignored Jesus in this one matter and had killed Saul?
If that thought terrifies you, it should.
Thank God on your hands and knees that the Apostles and disciples, and all the martyrs and early Christians, obeyed Jesus in all matters, most particularly in this one. If I want to give myself the horrors and make myself sick to my stomach, all I have to do is think of one stupid cowboy from modern times urging the Apostles after Stephen was killed to make an “enemies list” and conduct “preemptive strikes” in order to have a “justifiable defense” and “defend ourselves and our faith.”
If just one of the disciples had been of that mindset, to ignore Jesus in “just this one matter,” and had killed Saul before he became St. Paul, Christianity would not exist today.
It is not that St. Paul was so instrumental to the Christianity that I say this, though obviously he is the one who brought Christianity to the Gentiles and not only the Jews. It would be that through the action of one or a handful of people, those early Christians would have demonstrated their lack of worthiness and faithlessness to God, who had sent Jesus to be heard, believed and obeyed in ALL matters, not “most of them” with “exceptions cause it’s an emergency and ‘Jesus would understand.’” God would have allowed Christianity to die on the vine because disobeying Jesus within months of his resurrection would have indicated that the soil and the plants were not worthy.
When we say that God has a perfect plan, that is the truth, but the very people who say God has a perfect plan and seem to believe in God often think that they know better than God. This is the dire, extreme, and impossible to exaggerate peril of modern humans, both believers and non believers. While not a single one of the Apostles, disciples or early Christian converts, those of Jesus himself and the next few generations, were unfaithful to all that Jesus taught, including going to their death in non-resistance, can I say that about a single person living today? Do not people happily “cherry pick” what Jesus said and did, saying “Jesus would understand that these times are ‘different?’” People spy on each other’s supposed ‘transgressions,’ gossip, and target for malice those on their personal and clique “enemies list.” I know, for I have had a prominent place on the “enemy list” of those who supposedly believe in God and Jesus.
When I think of the people who have spied on me and thus misunderstood my actions, or inactions, and attributed judgmental “identities” to me (including the Harlot of Babylon, a crown I guess many Catholics have to bear), I think of how those people would have shot Saul right through the heart in “self defense,” thinking that “Jesus would understand.”
No, Jesus would not and does not “understand” such a mindset, and God will be severe in his judgment.
The next time you think that you have “secret knowledge” about who someone “really is” and whether they are “worthy in their faith or not,” imagine your hands on the trigger of a gun pointed at the head of Saul and you blowing his brains out in “self defense.”
Well before the Passion and Crucifixion Jesus taught the Apostles, the disciples and all who attended his sermons and believed that his followers should turn the other cheek. Another time the Apostles wondered why Jesus did not send fire down upon a town that had rejected him. Jesus explained that he came to save souls, not to kill.
Now, you might at this time guess that I’m going to compare Jesus and what he taught to Saul, he who was the persecutor of Christians, before he was confronted by the resurrected Jesus, converted and became St. Paul. You would be wrong, as that is not where I am going with this reflection but, rather, to a far more important point. I am going to point out to you the dire, deadly consequences of not obeying Jesus in all matters.
Suppose that the Apostles and disciples listened to Jesus about passive resistance (to use a modern term) with one ear, but with the other ear succumbed to temptation to “fight back when attacked,” immediately after Jesus was crucified. That would be the attitude of modern society, not the Church, today. We have “enemy lists” and “preemptive strikes,” and we declare enemies of not only terrorists who are declared enemies but also those who “aid and harbor them.” Here is what would have happened.
Immediately after Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven we had our first Christian martyr, Stephen, who was stoned as he forgave his murderers. A young man tended to the cloaks of the stoners and that was Saul. Saul then developed zeal, a murderous zeal, where he not only spied and reported on the disciples and their converts, those who Jesus and the Apostles had converted to Christianity, but he hunted them down in person in order to bring them to their deaths.
This, in fact, was what Saul was hastening to do on the road to Damascus, when the resurrected Jesus confronted him and threw him from his horse, blinding Saul with the light of his glorified body. But what if as soon as Stephen was stoned, the Apostles and other Christians had made “an enemies list?” What if they had recognized right away what a scourge Saul was to the early Christians, including themselves, and decided, as moderns glorify in real acts and in entertainment media, “take him out first?” What if the Christians had ignored Jesus in this one matter and had killed Saul?
If that thought terrifies you, it should.
Thank God on your hands and knees that the Apostles and disciples, and all the martyrs and early Christians, obeyed Jesus in all matters, most particularly in this one. If I want to give myself the horrors and make myself sick to my stomach, all I have to do is think of one stupid cowboy from modern times urging the Apostles after Stephen was killed to make an “enemies list” and conduct “preemptive strikes” in order to have a “justifiable defense” and “defend ourselves and our faith.”
If just one of the disciples had been of that mindset, to ignore Jesus in “just this one matter,” and had killed Saul before he became St. Paul, Christianity would not exist today.
It is not that St. Paul was so instrumental to the Christianity that I say this, though obviously he is the one who brought Christianity to the Gentiles and not only the Jews. It would be that through the action of one or a handful of people, those early Christians would have demonstrated their lack of worthiness and faithlessness to God, who had sent Jesus to be heard, believed and obeyed in ALL matters, not “most of them” with “exceptions cause it’s an emergency and ‘Jesus would understand.’” God would have allowed Christianity to die on the vine because disobeying Jesus within months of his resurrection would have indicated that the soil and the plants were not worthy.
When we say that God has a perfect plan, that is the truth, but the very people who say God has a perfect plan and seem to believe in God often think that they know better than God. This is the dire, extreme, and impossible to exaggerate peril of modern humans, both believers and non believers. While not a single one of the Apostles, disciples or early Christian converts, those of Jesus himself and the next few generations, were unfaithful to all that Jesus taught, including going to their death in non-resistance, can I say that about a single person living today? Do not people happily “cherry pick” what Jesus said and did, saying “Jesus would understand that these times are ‘different?’” People spy on each other’s supposed ‘transgressions,’ gossip, and target for malice those on their personal and clique “enemies list.” I know, for I have had a prominent place on the “enemy list” of those who supposedly believe in God and Jesus.
When I think of the people who have spied on me and thus misunderstood my actions, or inactions, and attributed judgmental “identities” to me (including the Harlot of Babylon, a crown I guess many Catholics have to bear), I think of how those people would have shot Saul right through the heart in “self defense,” thinking that “Jesus would understand.”
No, Jesus would not and does not “understand” such a mindset, and God will be severe in his judgment.
The next time you think that you have “secret knowledge” about who someone “really is” and whether they are “worthy in their faith or not,” imagine your hands on the trigger of a gun pointed at the head of Saul and you blowing his brains out in “self defense.”
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Warning: Purgatory is real and not nice
I've written about this before, but find I need to keep reminding people, just as I need to remind people of the reality of hell.
Most non-Catholic Christians deny the existence of purgatory, but they are wrong. They misunderstand the role of Jesus as Savior with somehow giving the "born agains" a free pass into heaven. It's not a matter of just sashaying into heaven. Heaven cannot be endured unless one is pure, and no one is pure. Non-Catholic Christians need to read Isaiah 6:1-7 many, many times until it sinks in. Isaiah of all the prophets came the closest to being in God's presence in heaven while still being an alive human. You see, with the other prophets, when God appeared to them God was, for the most part, "bringing to earth" a portion of his glory, rather than "bringing to heaven" the person themselves. There are really three that you can think of who were drawn to God in heaven: Ezechiel, Isaiah, and St. John the Apostle (Book of Revelation). Remember that even St. John who personally served both Jesus and his mother Mary not only threw himself down in being in the presence of heaven, but ate a scroll. Ezechiel differs from Isaiah and St. John because again, God mostly "brought heaven" to him on earth, rather than drawing him onto the threshold.
Isaiah was also, as the foremost Old Testament prophet regarding prophesying the Savior, the closest to being a pure man doing's God's will during that time in history as one could imagine. Yet when God appeared on his throne to Isaiah, Isaiah himself was stricken with the realization that he could not merit or endure speaking with the Lord due to having sinful lips, living among sinful people. The angel of God burned Isaiah's lips with coals from the altar by the throne of God in order to purify him.
This is the most precise description of the reality and existence of purgatory, plus what its characteristics will be for each person. Isaiah judged himself at that threshold of heaven by recognizing that even his deep holiness and unquestioning service to God does not erase the fact of his being human and thus having to speak profane things among profane people. All people will recognize their own deep sinfulness before they enter heaven. The nature of the purification of purgatory will relate directly toward the quality of sinfulness that the human bears with him or her. So this is not going to be like the green room while waiting to be on the Oprah show. The nature of the coals and the pain involved will be directly related to the among of sinfulness that must be recognized, atoned for, purified and shed from the deceased person. For example, a person who advocated and enabled many abortions, yet confessed and repented before dying, while being saved is not "home free" because of the impurity that still attaches to them for their deeds. I would not be surprised if the penitent abortionist had to view the reality of the physical and spiritual assault that was done to each human infant "from the inside." I would not think that would be a marvelous experience. This is another reason why it is better to not sin once one understands the lasting effects of sin that accumulates on the soul. Being forgiven and "saved" is fine and good, but one is not automatically pure and able to enter heaven just because one is saved.
I know that one reason modern people delude themselves is because of some "near death" experiences where people perceive that they have seen heaven, those who have died before, and had nothing but sunshine and lolly pops before they returned to their bodies. Um, obviously you did not experience purgatory or your personal judgement, which everyone goes through (even Jesus would have, except that he alone would have nothing in need to purify)... because you did not die and God did not intend to take you at that time. Remember, the Father said about Jesus when he was baptized that he was "well pleased" with Jesus. That is a judgement, obviously. So all in a human body who die will be judged. Near death experiences that did not include the judgement means that you didn't "die," dummies. It means that you were able to observe what it would be like to participate in one part of the entry to heaven. It does not mean you were going through the process and then at some point God just changed his mind. God knows all, sees all, controls all, and don't you forget it. Having a near death experience and seeing part of the reality of entry to heaven is supposed to be a grace to increase faith, not to make you a smug expert that you've "got it made" and you know exactly what happens. That is not a scriptural or biblical perception. Even the Apostles themselves who were martyred for Jesus lived in hope of salvation, not smug assurity. They would also be one of the first to recognize the need to be purified before entering heaven. They would expect nothing less.
So I strongly urge you to stop thinking in terms of having some sort of free pass where you are not judged just because you recognize Jesus as your Savior. Further, it's not like one category of sin is "forgiven," regardless if you did it once or a hundred times. Each occurance of a sin is a further sullying of the soul. Someone who mocks someone a thousand times is dirtying themselves a thousand times, not just "once" under the category of "mocking." Even if one repents and confesses, and makes amends, the purification must still take place. Heaven is not a place were stains can exist at all. Like Isaiah, people need to understand the circumstances of life among profane and sinning humans places stains on even the souls of those who are most worthy. Believing in Jesus gives one the opportunity and the reality of being "saved," and being "washed in his blood" makes one pure in terms of original sin. I cannot believe how many non-Catholics misunderstand that. Jesus washes the sinfulness of humans from them (the original sin and the broken condition). Jesus is not bleach and whitener for the sins that an individual commits. All humans must have an personal accounting with God when they die. Believing in Jesus and worshipping God as Jesus taught all to do is not a "clear" for your individual sins.
Revelation 4:1-2
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven and the former voice which I had heard as of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up hither, and I will show thee the things that must come to pass hereafter." Immediately I was in the spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne One was sitting.
St. John is clearly taken to the boundary of heaven and states this in no uncertain terms, "a door standing open in heaven" and "come up hither... there was a throne set in heaven." But remember, he had an angelic escort to bring him there plus he was there in the spirit, not having yet actually died on earth. So there is no recounting of his being judged, purified and then reunited with Jesus Christ as would have occurred had he died in fact at that time.
Revelation 10:10-11
And I took the scroll from the angel's hand, and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey, and when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, "Thou must prophesy again to many nations and peoples and tongues and kings."
Just like with Isaiah, however, there is a clue as to what I am speaking of in what John experiences when he eats this scroll in heaven. The taste was sweet but he got a stomach ache and heartburn! What does that mean, and why would John have "pain" of any sort in heaven, which is perfect? Again, this is because he's not yet actually dead and purified. John is given more "work" to do back on earth, which is to take the word of God which is sweet, but take a hard message of warning to humans, which is the bitter. If John was actually dead he would have been judged, purified and received into heaven, with no further mission on earth. Thus there would have been no feeling of a "heartburn and stomach ache" in heaven.
Ezechiel 1: 3-4, 22, 26
3. the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezechiel, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chobur.-There the hand of the Lord came upon me.
You can clearly see that the Lord comes to Ezechiel, and the hand of the Lord came upon him, instead of Ezechiel being drawn up to heaven as John was.
4. As I looked, a stormwind came from the North, a huge cloud with flashing fire...
Here the cherubim arrive, and again notice they come from the North, so obviously this is again a geographic detail that indicates Ezechiel is seeing part of heaven brought to him, not him being drawn to heaven. The electrum and the wheels that the cherubim used alude to the physical reality of life (galaxies) rather than the actual infrastructure of heaven itself.
22. Over the heads of the living creatures, something like a firmament could be seen...
Firmament refers to a sense of boundary of being the 'edge' between earth and heaven. So again, parts of the perception of heaven are brought to Ezechiel as the firmament is shown to him as he stands on earth.
26. Above the firmament over their heads something like a throne could be seen, looking like sapphire. Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man... 28... Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
Ezechiel throws himself on the ground in awe and worship, and God tells him to stand up so he can speak to him. So here he has a similar experience to John where he eats a scroll.
Notice too that the seraphim are veiling their faces and their feet, while the cherubim who appeared to Ezechiel did not veil any parts of themselves. This is not just because they appear differently in features and demeanor. Isaiah would have instantly comprehended that he was being exposed to the "full" glory of God in heaven. Angels veil parts of themselves as both humility in the presence of God and to veil the parts of themselves to protect humans because the glory of God shines unbearably strongly through them in those segments. Thus the seraphim veiling themselves while shouting their declaration of the Lord of hosts would have instantly informed Isaiah of his position being in the midst of the heavenly host and in God's presence just as he would be upon his death. This is why there is validation that even this amazingly holy and great man of God who would prophesy the coming of Christ would need to be "purged" of his "wickedness," being in the Lord of hosts' heavenly presence.
One closing thought to this particular blog posting, which I hope has been seriously illuminating and helpful. Modern Christians have gotten a little too comfortable and familiar with an inaccurate mental sketch of the kindly, sandled pal "Jesus." Things change in heaven. If you read the Book of Revelation you will understand that St. John does not see Jesus as the pal who hiked alongside of him, just "one of the guys," ready to have a "comfortable" reunion in heaven. The full glory of God, the Lord of hosts, in heaven is overwhelming. And Jesus, at God's right hand, is not the cuddly Jesus that certain modern Christians foster for their own simplicity and "comfort." Yes, Jesus is to be loved and turned to, for he brings God to humans in both form and word that they can comprehend and love. But Jesus would be the last who would want people to as a result misunderstand the fullness of God's awesomeness, power and perfection as Lord of hosts. Isaiah comprehends this instantly and in perfection, as he sees into heaven from within the very Temple of Jerusalem. Ezechiel has components of heaven brought to him to view, and is immediately "put to work" in physical reality, so his comprehension of the fullness of heaven, while more detailed in physical features than Isaiah's viewing, is not as perfect and complete as is Isaiah's. Remember, Ezechiel viewed God and some "entourage" coming to earth; he did not view God as he is in fullness in heaven AND from the placement in the holiest place of the Temple. Focusing on Jesus as the kind of love-in hippie guy who runs heaven is a serious and disrespectful error, one that he would condemn in the strongest terms. This passage of Isaiah is one of the most important in the Bible and is one reason why the words of the angels are repeated in each Catholic Mass, as the essential reminder of the need for awe and humility toward the one true God.
Most non-Catholic Christians deny the existence of purgatory, but they are wrong. They misunderstand the role of Jesus as Savior with somehow giving the "born agains" a free pass into heaven. It's not a matter of just sashaying into heaven. Heaven cannot be endured unless one is pure, and no one is pure. Non-Catholic Christians need to read Isaiah 6:1-7 many, many times until it sinks in. Isaiah of all the prophets came the closest to being in God's presence in heaven while still being an alive human. You see, with the other prophets, when God appeared to them God was, for the most part, "bringing to earth" a portion of his glory, rather than "bringing to heaven" the person themselves. There are really three that you can think of who were drawn to God in heaven: Ezechiel, Isaiah, and St. John the Apostle (Book of Revelation). Remember that even St. John who personally served both Jesus and his mother Mary not only threw himself down in being in the presence of heaven, but ate a scroll. Ezechiel differs from Isaiah and St. John because again, God mostly "brought heaven" to him on earth, rather than drawing him onto the threshold.
Isaiah was also, as the foremost Old Testament prophet regarding prophesying the Savior, the closest to being a pure man doing's God's will during that time in history as one could imagine. Yet when God appeared on his throne to Isaiah, Isaiah himself was stricken with the realization that he could not merit or endure speaking with the Lord due to having sinful lips, living among sinful people. The angel of God burned Isaiah's lips with coals from the altar by the throne of God in order to purify him.
This is the most precise description of the reality and existence of purgatory, plus what its characteristics will be for each person. Isaiah judged himself at that threshold of heaven by recognizing that even his deep holiness and unquestioning service to God does not erase the fact of his being human and thus having to speak profane things among profane people. All people will recognize their own deep sinfulness before they enter heaven. The nature of the purification of purgatory will relate directly toward the quality of sinfulness that the human bears with him or her. So this is not going to be like the green room while waiting to be on the Oprah show. The nature of the coals and the pain involved will be directly related to the among of sinfulness that must be recognized, atoned for, purified and shed from the deceased person. For example, a person who advocated and enabled many abortions, yet confessed and repented before dying, while being saved is not "home free" because of the impurity that still attaches to them for their deeds. I would not be surprised if the penitent abortionist had to view the reality of the physical and spiritual assault that was done to each human infant "from the inside." I would not think that would be a marvelous experience. This is another reason why it is better to not sin once one understands the lasting effects of sin that accumulates on the soul. Being forgiven and "saved" is fine and good, but one is not automatically pure and able to enter heaven just because one is saved.
I know that one reason modern people delude themselves is because of some "near death" experiences where people perceive that they have seen heaven, those who have died before, and had nothing but sunshine and lolly pops before they returned to their bodies. Um, obviously you did not experience purgatory or your personal judgement, which everyone goes through (even Jesus would have, except that he alone would have nothing in need to purify)... because you did not die and God did not intend to take you at that time. Remember, the Father said about Jesus when he was baptized that he was "well pleased" with Jesus. That is a judgement, obviously. So all in a human body who die will be judged. Near death experiences that did not include the judgement means that you didn't "die," dummies. It means that you were able to observe what it would be like to participate in one part of the entry to heaven. It does not mean you were going through the process and then at some point God just changed his mind. God knows all, sees all, controls all, and don't you forget it. Having a near death experience and seeing part of the reality of entry to heaven is supposed to be a grace to increase faith, not to make you a smug expert that you've "got it made" and you know exactly what happens. That is not a scriptural or biblical perception. Even the Apostles themselves who were martyred for Jesus lived in hope of salvation, not smug assurity. They would also be one of the first to recognize the need to be purified before entering heaven. They would expect nothing less.
So I strongly urge you to stop thinking in terms of having some sort of free pass where you are not judged just because you recognize Jesus as your Savior. Further, it's not like one category of sin is "forgiven," regardless if you did it once or a hundred times. Each occurance of a sin is a further sullying of the soul. Someone who mocks someone a thousand times is dirtying themselves a thousand times, not just "once" under the category of "mocking." Even if one repents and confesses, and makes amends, the purification must still take place. Heaven is not a place were stains can exist at all. Like Isaiah, people need to understand the circumstances of life among profane and sinning humans places stains on even the souls of those who are most worthy. Believing in Jesus gives one the opportunity and the reality of being "saved," and being "washed in his blood" makes one pure in terms of original sin. I cannot believe how many non-Catholics misunderstand that. Jesus washes the sinfulness of humans from them (the original sin and the broken condition). Jesus is not bleach and whitener for the sins that an individual commits. All humans must have an personal accounting with God when they die. Believing in Jesus and worshipping God as Jesus taught all to do is not a "clear" for your individual sins.
Revelation 4:1-2
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven and the former voice which I had heard as of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up hither, and I will show thee the things that must come to pass hereafter." Immediately I was in the spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne One was sitting.
St. John is clearly taken to the boundary of heaven and states this in no uncertain terms, "a door standing open in heaven" and "come up hither... there was a throne set in heaven." But remember, he had an angelic escort to bring him there plus he was there in the spirit, not having yet actually died on earth. So there is no recounting of his being judged, purified and then reunited with Jesus Christ as would have occurred had he died in fact at that time.
Revelation 10:10-11
And I took the scroll from the angel's hand, and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey, and when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, "Thou must prophesy again to many nations and peoples and tongues and kings."
Just like with Isaiah, however, there is a clue as to what I am speaking of in what John experiences when he eats this scroll in heaven. The taste was sweet but he got a stomach ache and heartburn! What does that mean, and why would John have "pain" of any sort in heaven, which is perfect? Again, this is because he's not yet actually dead and purified. John is given more "work" to do back on earth, which is to take the word of God which is sweet, but take a hard message of warning to humans, which is the bitter. If John was actually dead he would have been judged, purified and received into heaven, with no further mission on earth. Thus there would have been no feeling of a "heartburn and stomach ache" in heaven.
This is why one must read the Bible very carefully and with open mind to receive all the layers of message held within it, because there are clues as to what the process will be like, or will not be like, even in the most mysterious passages that are plain to understand. These things are not meant to be "mysterious" or "decoded" (which is an elitist view, whereby only the arcane wise "wizards" can figure out divine matters based on knowledge that the average Joe dummy does not possess. That is anti-Christian and anti-Islam). Even the most mysterious aspects of God that challenge one's ability to describe are made accessible by the Bible authors' use of easy metaphors and descriptions of common human experiences, such as sweetness and a stomach ache. Thus people who have legitimate (and not imaginary or self delusional) near death experiences, like John, were not actually dead. They would view some part of heaven that could be described and understood when they returned to consciousness in their bodies. But this by no means is an indication that they observed or experienced "the process" of being received into heaven as one would actually experience when one dies. John should be the role model for understanding that and careful study of this passage and its implications make this clear that while John was in heaven, he was not there through the normal process and so would not experience yet some things that he would when it was his time, and likewise since he was there for a purpose he would see and hear things that he was meant to witness to in service of God's will and purpose for him at that time.
Compare and contrast John's experience with "heaven" with Ezechiel's.Ezechiel 1: 3-4, 22, 26
3. the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezechiel, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chobur.-There the hand of the Lord came upon me.
You can clearly see that the Lord comes to Ezechiel, and the hand of the Lord came upon him, instead of Ezechiel being drawn up to heaven as John was.
4. As I looked, a stormwind came from the North, a huge cloud with flashing fire...
Here the cherubim arrive, and again notice they come from the North, so obviously this is again a geographic detail that indicates Ezechiel is seeing part of heaven brought to him, not him being drawn to heaven. The electrum and the wheels that the cherubim used alude to the physical reality of life (galaxies) rather than the actual infrastructure of heaven itself.
22. Over the heads of the living creatures, something like a firmament could be seen...
Firmament refers to a sense of boundary of being the 'edge' between earth and heaven. So again, parts of the perception of heaven are brought to Ezechiel as the firmament is shown to him as he stands on earth.
26. Above the firmament over their heads something like a throne could be seen, looking like sapphire. Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man... 28... Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
Ezechiel throws himself on the ground in awe and worship, and God tells him to stand up so he can speak to him. So here he has a similar experience to John where he eats a scroll.
Ezechiel 3: 3
Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
So while Ezechiel sees a part of heaven brought to him (you can think of it as God's entourage), Ezechiel is clearly on earth, not raised to heaven itself. He worships God until God tells him to stand up and receive a message. You can see now why I bring Ezechiel, Isaiah and St. John to your attention to study the similarities and the key differences in how they perceive God in heaven and how the differences are illuminating. John and Ezechiel are similar because they are each in turn exposed to heaven because both of them having a mission and words to speak on behalf of God while yet living. Thus both of them have scrolls to eat. This is how Ezechiel and John are similar. Likewise they do not have a purgatory experience because they have not died and gone to heaven in the fullness of their life and the natural process. They are living on earth and heaven is either brought as part of God's entourage to earth or in John's case, his spirit ascends to heaven.
So you might ask why Isaiah had the experience of purification when Ezechiel and St. John did not? This is because Isaiah was actually serving his office as priest in the High Holy place within the Temple of Jerusalem.Isaiah 6:1-7
In the year king Ozia died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces, and two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!"
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!" For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it. "See," he said, "now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."
See, here this holiest of men, serving as a priest in the highest of holy places, the one who one would assume is the least needing to be purified and have "sin purged" is the one who instantly declares his woe at being so unclean and seeing the King, the Lord of hosts. It is the humble who see God and his works and his will the most clearly. Jesus said, years later, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." Isaiah was the living example of this, and therefore he is the great prophet who would prophesy the coming of Christ, being given that unique honor among all the great prophets of God. Serving in the high holy place of the Temple, and hearing the seraphim shout their continuing glory of God, Isaiah instantly comprehended what all who die and appear before God will comprehend: their utter unworthiness. Thus Isaiah is the one who most clearly "experienced," through his own humility and grace, what occurs when one dies and is judged by God.Notice too that the seraphim are veiling their faces and their feet, while the cherubim who appeared to Ezechiel did not veil any parts of themselves. This is not just because they appear differently in features and demeanor. Isaiah would have instantly comprehended that he was being exposed to the "full" glory of God in heaven. Angels veil parts of themselves as both humility in the presence of God and to veil the parts of themselves to protect humans because the glory of God shines unbearably strongly through them in those segments. Thus the seraphim veiling themselves while shouting their declaration of the Lord of hosts would have instantly informed Isaiah of his position being in the midst of the heavenly host and in God's presence just as he would be upon his death. This is why there is validation that even this amazingly holy and great man of God who would prophesy the coming of Christ would need to be "purged" of his "wickedness," being in the Lord of hosts' heavenly presence.
One closing thought to this particular blog posting, which I hope has been seriously illuminating and helpful. Modern Christians have gotten a little too comfortable and familiar with an inaccurate mental sketch of the kindly, sandled pal "Jesus." Things change in heaven. If you read the Book of Revelation you will understand that St. John does not see Jesus as the pal who hiked alongside of him, just "one of the guys," ready to have a "comfortable" reunion in heaven. The full glory of God, the Lord of hosts, in heaven is overwhelming. And Jesus, at God's right hand, is not the cuddly Jesus that certain modern Christians foster for their own simplicity and "comfort." Yes, Jesus is to be loved and turned to, for he brings God to humans in both form and word that they can comprehend and love. But Jesus would be the last who would want people to as a result misunderstand the fullness of God's awesomeness, power and perfection as Lord of hosts. Isaiah comprehends this instantly and in perfection, as he sees into heaven from within the very Temple of Jerusalem. Ezechiel has components of heaven brought to him to view, and is immediately "put to work" in physical reality, so his comprehension of the fullness of heaven, while more detailed in physical features than Isaiah's viewing, is not as perfect and complete as is Isaiah's. Remember, Ezechiel viewed God and some "entourage" coming to earth; he did not view God as he is in fullness in heaven AND from the placement in the holiest place of the Temple. Focusing on Jesus as the kind of love-in hippie guy who runs heaven is a serious and disrespectful error, one that he would condemn in the strongest terms. This passage of Isaiah is one of the most important in the Bible and is one reason why the words of the angels are repeated in each Catholic Mass, as the essential reminder of the need for awe and humility toward the one true God.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Perfection in God's dispensations
No one living knows more about the ways of the Lord than me. No brag, just fact. Yet even with all my total comprehension I cannot describe to you the perfection of how God dispenses with both mercy, and justice, when it comes to one's time to be judged. Even those people who have had very complex and mixed lives are all dealt with perfect completeness by God. Most people I have a pretty good idea "where they are going to go" when they die, if you know what I mean. Sometimes I think, "Wow, this one is a tough call," but I know that God handles every human with the severity or the mercy that is perfectly complete in its appropriateness and outcome. So what may seem a tough case to one of us looking at it as a human is dispensed and judged in total righteousness and correctness by God.
Because God is perfect he is the perfect judge. This should be of great consolation to those of you who are on the whole authentic and good, though you must rely on God's mercy for human flaws, sins and weaknesses. This should not be reassuring to those of you who have secret agendas and internal arrogance for power and control, since as I said, God renders the perfect judgment, and I must warn you, all the facts and intentions are already known to him as you do them.
Humans, understandably, find it hard to comprehend, relate to or even believe in God's perfection. It is fine not to comprehend or relate to it and in fact, that is healthy. But it is essential that you believe and trust in God's perfection. That is, after all, what "faith" really is: the trust in God's perfection to resolve all. Jesus' last words were to commend his spirit into God's hands. Jesus showed that people must trust in God's perfect dispensation of all matters, even as he expired he taught and showed people to trust and indeed, to the astonishment of all, he rose from the dead. Many wonder why God "allowed" bad things to happen to Jesus, and why Jesus "allowed" them to happen to him. It is the sin and disbelief of the people that resulted in the slaying of Jesus, not a divine script. But it was the will of God that people would see in the only way they could believe that Jesus could demonstrate to all the trust of the beloved Son even to the bitter end, and how God repairs all, in his realm. Jesus was not "just a humanitarian or philosopher." Jesus was the one and only who demonstrated that by putting one's faith in God one conquers death, both literally in the physical death, and after, in the personal judgment through which people hope (at least they should hope) that they will attain eternal life in God and not the eternal fire of punishment. As the angels correctly asked at the tomb, why do you seek him in the place of the dead? In this way the angels were not only saying that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they were saying he had achieved eternal life. All of this was done for the sake of humans, to redeem their sinful natures and point the way to grace in the hope of eternal life.
I always feel bad when people preach about "the good thief" and "the bad thief" who died on their crosses to each side of Jesus. While it is true that the good thief believed on the spot, who is truly to say that God would not have mercy on the bad thief too, who in his suffering could not believe with the swiftness of the good thief? Even the disciples took a while to convince, and it did not take place on their deathbeds, or crosses in this case. God dispenses with each human with total perfection and rather than assume the "bad thief" "was not saved," you should share in the love of God and satisfaction that I have in knowing he will treat all with perfect comprehension and completeness of their faith. So while it is natural to wonder, it is not natural or even helpful to assume that you know what will happen, when even I will not state that in every case. Bear this in mind and focus on your own goodness, rather than polishing your faults and thinking you can hide them forever. For you will not and God is the perfect accountant.
Because God is perfect he is the perfect judge. This should be of great consolation to those of you who are on the whole authentic and good, though you must rely on God's mercy for human flaws, sins and weaknesses. This should not be reassuring to those of you who have secret agendas and internal arrogance for power and control, since as I said, God renders the perfect judgment, and I must warn you, all the facts and intentions are already known to him as you do them.
Humans, understandably, find it hard to comprehend, relate to or even believe in God's perfection. It is fine not to comprehend or relate to it and in fact, that is healthy. But it is essential that you believe and trust in God's perfection. That is, after all, what "faith" really is: the trust in God's perfection to resolve all. Jesus' last words were to commend his spirit into God's hands. Jesus showed that people must trust in God's perfect dispensation of all matters, even as he expired he taught and showed people to trust and indeed, to the astonishment of all, he rose from the dead. Many wonder why God "allowed" bad things to happen to Jesus, and why Jesus "allowed" them to happen to him. It is the sin and disbelief of the people that resulted in the slaying of Jesus, not a divine script. But it was the will of God that people would see in the only way they could believe that Jesus could demonstrate to all the trust of the beloved Son even to the bitter end, and how God repairs all, in his realm. Jesus was not "just a humanitarian or philosopher." Jesus was the one and only who demonstrated that by putting one's faith in God one conquers death, both literally in the physical death, and after, in the personal judgment through which people hope (at least they should hope) that they will attain eternal life in God and not the eternal fire of punishment. As the angels correctly asked at the tomb, why do you seek him in the place of the dead? In this way the angels were not only saying that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they were saying he had achieved eternal life. All of this was done for the sake of humans, to redeem their sinful natures and point the way to grace in the hope of eternal life.
I always feel bad when people preach about "the good thief" and "the bad thief" who died on their crosses to each side of Jesus. While it is true that the good thief believed on the spot, who is truly to say that God would not have mercy on the bad thief too, who in his suffering could not believe with the swiftness of the good thief? Even the disciples took a while to convince, and it did not take place on their deathbeds, or crosses in this case. God dispenses with each human with total perfection and rather than assume the "bad thief" "was not saved," you should share in the love of God and satisfaction that I have in knowing he will treat all with perfect comprehension and completeness of their faith. So while it is natural to wonder, it is not natural or even helpful to assume that you know what will happen, when even I will not state that in every case. Bear this in mind and focus on your own goodness, rather than polishing your faults and thinking you can hide them forever. For you will not and God is the perfect accountant.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Another analogy, this is a good one
First, don't miss Pope Benedict's great answers to two questions raised by priests during a meeting on February 7. One deals with the reality of heaven, purgatory, hell and sin, and as always sheds great light on why these truths have been wrongly de-emphasized.
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/189547?eng=y
***
Anyway, while reading what the Holy Father said, I thought of a crystal clear way to help people understand the reality of and difference between "personal judgment" upon the death of a human and "final judgment (and resurrection of the body)" at the End of Times.
Let's use a job analogy that everyone can understand.
Upon each person's death they meet with their boss, get their performance review, and their new (and eternal) assignment: hell, purgatory, heaven.
At the End of Times the Lord will do the total reorganization of humanity and earth. This is why it is the Final Judgment because all those who have not yet been "assigned" (since they are still alive) will be assigned, and then humanity in total will be "reorganized" so that while people have glorified bodies restored they do not repeat the cycle of a flawed cycle of original sin and any influence of sin at all. This is possible because all the "chaff" is discarded, the "wheat" has been saved and most importantly after being purified (purgatory) and achieving heaven all souls will have been so fundamentally reborn and transformed that they will not again go the way of Adam and Eve.
Hope this helps. Time's a wasting and it's important that people have a cold dash of water and realize that many have already gone to their future job assignment with great gnashing of teeth. Trust me, I don't enjoy repeating this on a daily basis and harping on it, and I enjoy even less the sour pusses of snots who I see on a daily basis who don't believe me. They'll find out when it is too late but what disturbs me is that they, like the Communists the Pope refers to in the above Q&A, drag along to the not-very-nice future job assignment a lot of people who could otherwise have been saved had they been properly formed from childhood in the true faith and piety toward God.
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/189547?eng=y
***
Anyway, while reading what the Holy Father said, I thought of a crystal clear way to help people understand the reality of and difference between "personal judgment" upon the death of a human and "final judgment (and resurrection of the body)" at the End of Times.
Let's use a job analogy that everyone can understand.
Upon each person's death they meet with their boss, get their performance review, and their new (and eternal) assignment: hell, purgatory, heaven.
At the End of Times the Lord will do the total reorganization of humanity and earth. This is why it is the Final Judgment because all those who have not yet been "assigned" (since they are still alive) will be assigned, and then humanity in total will be "reorganized" so that while people have glorified bodies restored they do not repeat the cycle of a flawed cycle of original sin and any influence of sin at all. This is possible because all the "chaff" is discarded, the "wheat" has been saved and most importantly after being purified (purgatory) and achieving heaven all souls will have been so fundamentally reborn and transformed that they will not again go the way of Adam and Eve.
Hope this helps. Time's a wasting and it's important that people have a cold dash of water and realize that many have already gone to their future job assignment with great gnashing of teeth. Trust me, I don't enjoy repeating this on a daily basis and harping on it, and I enjoy even less the sour pusses of snots who I see on a daily basis who don't believe me. They'll find out when it is too late but what disturbs me is that they, like the Communists the Pope refers to in the above Q&A, drag along to the not-very-nice future job assignment a lot of people who could otherwise have been saved had they been properly formed from childhood in the true faith and piety toward God.
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