My People! My People are Here!

My People, My People are Here!

Greetings in Christ Jesus, 

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For those who prefer to read it,

My people, my people are here. Are these the words that Jesus is going to say when He returns? My friends, William here, of the Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Churches of the Americas. We are a very small group who is just forming and working on building a seminary, hopefully online actually in order to ordain Priests, Deacons, Deaconesses and so on for home based church groups. We preach the gospel, we preach in an Orthodox Catholic understanding but I need to remind you again, (those who have been with us for awhile) that we are not affiliated with any mainstream Orthodox or Catholic group whether Eastern or Western or Roman. We want no money, we don’t want applause nor do we seek acclaim from the world or any church group. We will however associate with any church group of like minded Christians, that doesn’t mean that they are exactly like us, anyone in association has to have the same basic belief system with all of the necessary parts required to fulfill that understanding.

So with that in mind I will say again; my people, my people are here! Are these the words that Jesus is going to say when He returns? The first time that I heard these words uttered like this was nine years ago, my granddaughter who was four years old at the time was spending the day with my wife and I. We took her to a park, it was a weekday and the park was empty, it was just the three of us. I am a white guy, my wife is a white woman, and we have children who are white skinned. Our granddaughter has a heritage from Columbia, South America, she is darker skinned, straight, jet black hair and very Spanish Indian looking, such a beautiful young lady who looks nothing like my wife or I in any way shape or form.

So after we were in the park for about an hour a car pulled in, a black woman gets out of the car along with five black children, the children were approximately the age of our granddaughter, some older some younger. Our granddaughter spotted them getting out of the car and immediately yelled out; my people, my people are here and so she took off running to them, the other children came running onto the playground with her and they spent the next several hours together playing in equipment, swinging, and playing in the sandbox. They had a great time together and then it was time to leave. What requirements did they have in order for all of them to play together? The only requirement was that they were all children of approximately the same age, some girls and some boys, gender didn’t matter, exact age didn’t matter, race didn’t matter, skin color didn’t matter.

They were a people together because they were children of the same age group with the same interests and desire at the time and that was to have some fun on the playground together. My people, my people are here! I will carry these words into my grave. Even as I write them I am in tears. Children, what are we doing to our children in this world today? Did not Jesus say; “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

So how do Christians treat one another? What else did Jesus say about His coming? Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth? What is He saying? There are churches on many corners throughout the so-called civilized world and scattered through the other places. How can that be a question, will the son of Man find faith? The Body of Christ is fully represented on earth through its many denominations isn’t it? Yeah sure, the diversity of the teachings, the doctrines, the theologies, and the attitudes are insane. How in the world did the fishermen and tax collectors set the world on fire for Christ when they had no one with a degree in canon law? Did Peter, James, and John hate Paul? Did Paul hate any other Apostles? And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Your name; and we forbade him, because he follows not with us. But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side. What makes a Christian, how can we (meaning my group specifically) determine who is allowed to participate in Eucharist or Holy Communion with us? First off there are some basic beliefs; Belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Trinity. The death, descent into hell, resurrection and ascension of Christ and Who is now seated on the Right Hand of God the Father. The holiness of the Church and the communion of the saints. Christ's second coming, the Day of Judgment and the salvation of the faithful.

They must have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and be Chrismated. They must understand the Real Presence of the Body and Blood in the bread and wine: This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

 Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.  As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me.  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever.  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you?  What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

 They must believe that Jesus was born of the Blessed Virgin. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 

Then comes the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign, till He has put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  For He has put all things under his feet. But when he says, all things are put under Him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under Him.  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

This is all scripture, this is all basic understanding. So many people say that they follow the Christ but do not even believe in a God. How can they participate in the Eucharist? They cannot but they can hear the gospel preached. So many people call themselves Christian and yet hate fills their souls and their preaching. What are the two greatest commandments according to Jesus the Christ? Love God first, with all of your heart, with all of your mind, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength, the second is this; love your neighbor as yourself, there are no other commandments greater than these. Jesus said: You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those. So many who call themselves Christian want to walk into any church and have communion while living in their sins, they do not repent but make excuse and they will not confess before partaking of the sacrament: Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

My friends, this is basic Christianity, anyone who is lacking can be given if one would only ask. What did Jesus say: if you love me keep my commandments. Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Friends, again, this is basic Christianity, the milk of salvation, these things must be understood. It is not a thing of prejudice to prevent one from partaking of the sacrament but a thing of love. This is true love to keep someone from the sacrament until they have these understandings. How is it that I can say such a thing?

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.  That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

So my friends, it is love that prevents the partaking of the Holy Sacrament of just anyone. These things must be understood, there is no priest or preacher alive who truly does the Lord’s work and truly love the soul of the people who will allow someone to participate in something to his death just to keep the roll call numbers up. Do not judge but understand. Anyone who lacks I will say again, they can receive, just ask.

Do you call yourself Christian and preach hatred from the pulpit of another Christian group? Do you stand outside of the church doors of another group and hand out leaflets for the people to come to your group because you are the only ones who have the truth? Do you gossip? Do you slander? Do you spread words that you have heard as if they are true without ever actually fully investigating? Do you greet another who loves Jesus with a smile and a handshake as a brother or do you look on another who truly loves Jesus with disdain because that one worships in a group that you hate? Should you be hating that group? I have seen all of these things. I have heard these things preached from the pulpits. I have been called a heretic because I do not follow a specific calendar. I have been condemned to hell for eternity for leaving a group and going to another to understand what they were preaching and the ones who condemned me were the pastors, yes, plural, more than one.

My people, my people are here. Are these the words that Jesus will shout out aloud when He returns? Think about it.

Blessings in Christ,

+William