Basic Christian Understanding

In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Amen!

Welcome to Monk Michael’s Corner

I want to continue with this idea of Christianity unity. Today it is becoming increasingly more important for Christianity to stop the hate and quarreling and recognize one another, we are under an attack that is growing and becoming more evident in every society around the world. Governments seem to be increasingly anti Christian and laws are being written to subdue and silence Christian teaching. How is it that the church in many areas and groups does not recognize this?

There are many of course who work diligently for understanding but there are many who work just as diligently against this. Why? To be honest, in my opinion much of it is pride in denominational teaching and the fact that many who have railed against this will not admit that they are wrong if it is proven to them so they will not hear it, they want to save face and keep the dollars coming in. So I want to speak about what the basic concept of Christianity is and the basic beliefs that make up Christianity;

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

And of his fullness we all have received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

These words are the basic understanding of Christianity, the Word of God became man, born in the flesh, lived, taught, suffered, died, and rose again defeating sin and death and is now seated at the right hand of God. This is our belief. So what did the early church teach regarding how to live and worship this Jesus the Christ, the living Word of God, before there was ever even the thought of a written New Testament?

I am going to read directly from a document that precedes the New Testament; it’s called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles or the Didache. This was the instruction given by the Apostles Paul and Barnabus in their teachings before Paul had ever written or conceived of writing his first letter, let’s start;

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,

Commonly Called the Didache

THE TEXT

The Lord's Teaching to the Heathen by the Twelve Apostles:

1 There are two ways, one of life and one of death; and between the two ways there is a great difference.  ²Now, this is the way of life: "First, you must love God who made you, and second, your neighbor as yourself." And whatever you want people to refrain from doing to you, you must not do to them. ³What these maxims teach is this: "Bless those who curse you," and "pray for your enemies." Moreover, fast "for those who persecute you." For "what credit is it to you if you love those who love you? Is that not the way the heathen act?" But "you must love those who hate you," and then you will make no enemies.  ⁴"Abstain from carnal passions." If someone strikes you "on the right cheek, turn to him the other too, and you will be perfect." If someone "forces you to go one mile with him, go along with him for two"; if someone robs you "of your overcoat, give him your suit as well." If someone deprives you of "your property, do not ask for it back." (You could not get it back anyway!)  ⁵"Give to everybody who begs from you, and ask for no return." For the Father wants his own gifts to be universally shared. Happy is the man who gives as the commandment bids him, for he is guiltless! But alas for the man who receives! If he receives because he is in need, he will be guiltless. But if he is not in need he will have to stand trial why he received and for what purpose. He will be thrown into prison and have his action investigated; and "he will not get out until he has paid back the last cent."  ⁶ Indeed, there is a further saying that relates to this: "Let your donation sweat in your hands until you know to whom to give it."

2 The second commandment of the Teaching:  ²"Do not murder; do not commit adultery"; do not corrupt boys; do not fornicate; "do not steal"; do not practice magic; do not go in for sorcery; do not murder a child by abortion or kill a new-born infant. "Do not covet your neighbor's property;  ³do not commit perjury; do not bear false witness";do not slander; do not bear grudges.  ⁴Do not be double-minded or double-tongued, for a double tongue is "a deadly snare."  ⁵Your words shall not be dishonest or hollow, but substantiated by action.  ⁶ Do not be greedy or extortionate or hypocritical or malicious or arrogant. Do not plot against your neighbor.  ⁷ Do not hate anybody; but reprove some, pray for others, and still others love more than your own life.

3 My child, flee from all wickedness and from everything of that sort.  ²Do not be irritable, for anger leads to murder. Do not be jealous or contentious or impetuous, for all this breeds murder. ³My child, do not be lustful, for lust leads to fornication. Do not use foul language or leer, for all this breeds adultery.

⁴My child, do not be a diviner, for that leads to idolatry. Do not be an enchanter or an astrologer or a magician. Moreover, have no wish to observe or heed such practices, for all this breeds idolatry.  ⁵My child, do not be a liar, for lying leads to theft. Do not be avaricious or vain, for all this breeds thievery.

⁶My child, do not be a grumbler, for grumbling leads to blasphemy. Do not be stubborn or evil-minded, for all this breeds blasphemy. ⁷But be humble since "the humble will inherit the earth." ⁸ Be patient, merciful, harmless, quiet, and good; and always "have respect for the teaching "you have been given. Do not put on airs or give yourself up to presumptuousness. Do not associate with the high and mighty; but be with the upright and humble. Accept whatever happens to you as good, in the realization that nothing occurs apart from God.

4 My child, day and night "you should remember him who preaches God's word to you," and honor him as you would the Lord. For where the Lord's nature is discussed, there the Lord is.  ²Every day you should seek the company of saints to enjoy their refreshing conversation.  ³You must not start a schism, but reconcile those at strife. "Your judgments must be fair." You must not play favorites when reproving transgressions.  ⁴You must not be of two minds about your decision.

⁵Do not be one who holds his hand out to take, but shuts it when it comes to giving.  ⁶If your labor has brought you earnings, pay a ransom for your sins.  ⁷Do not hesitate to give and do not give with a bad grace; for you will discover who He is that pays you back a reward with a good grace.  ⁸Do not turn your back on the needy, but share everything with your brother and call nothing your own. For if you have what is eternal in common, how much more should you have what is transient!

⁹Do not neglect your responsibility" to your son or your daughter, but from their youth you shall teach them to revere God.  ¹⁰Do not be harsh in giving orders to your slaves and slave girls. They hope in the same God as you, and the result may be that they cease to revere the God over you both. For when he comes to call us, he will not respect our station, but will call those whom the Spirit has made ready.  ¹¹You slaves, for your part, must obey your masters with reverence and fear, as if they represented God.

¹²You must hate all hypocrisy and everything which fails to please the Lord.  ¹³You must not forsake "the Lord's commandments," but "observe" the ones you have been given, "neither adding nor subtracting anything."  ¹⁴At the church meeting you must confess your sins, and not approach prayer with a bad conscience. That is the way of life.

5 But the way of death is this: First of all, it is wicked and thoroughly blasphemous: murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, sorceries, robberies, false witness, hypocrisies, duplicity, deceit, arrogance, malice, stubbornness, greediness, filthy talk, jealousy, audacity, haughtiness, boastfulness.  ²Those who persecute good people, who hate truth, who love lies, who are ignorant of the reward of uprightness, who do not "abide by goodness" or justice, and are on the alert not for goodness but for evil: gentleness and patience are remote from them. "They love vanity," "look for profit," have no pity for the poor, do not exert themselves for the oppressed, ignore their Maker, "murder children,"  corrupt God's image, turn their backs on the needy, oppress the afflicted, defend the rich, unjustly condemn the poor, and are thoroughly wicked. My children, may you be saved from all this!

6 See "that no one leads you astray" from this way of the teaching, since such a one's teaching is godless.  ²If you can bear the Lord's full yoke, you will be perfect. But if you cannot, then do what you can. ³Now about food: undertake what you can. But keep strictly away from what is offered to idols, for that implies worshiping dead gods.

7 Now about baptism: this is how to baptize. Give public instruction on all these points, and then "baptize" in running water, "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."  ²If you do not have running water, baptize in some other.  ³If you cannot in cold, then in warm. If you have neither, then pour water on the head three times "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."  ⁴Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being baptized must fast, and any others who can. And you must tell the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand.

8 Your fasts must not be identical with those of the hypocrites. They fast on Mondays and Thursdays; but you should fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.

²You must not pray like the hypocrites, but "pray as follows" as the Lord bid us in his gospel: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your Kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us today our bread for the morrow; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but save us from the evil one, for yours is the power and the glory forever." ³You should pray in this way three times a day.

9 Now about the Eucharist: This is how to give thanks:  ²First in connection with the cup:  "We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David, your child, which you have revealed through Jesus, your child. To you be glory forever."

³Then in connection with the piece "We thank you, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you have revealed through Jesus, your child. To you be glory forever.  ⁴"As this piece [of bread] was scattered over the hills and then was brought together and made one, so let your Church be brought together from the ends of the earth into your Kingdom. For yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever."

⁵You must not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized in the Lord's name. For in reference to this the Lord said, "Do not give what is sacred to dogs."

10 After you have finished your meal, say grace in this way:

²"We thank you, Holy Father, for your sacred name which you have lodged. in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have revealed through Jesus, your child. To you be glory forever.

³"Almighty Master, 'you have created everything' for the sake of your name, and have given men food and drink to enjoy that they may thank you. But to us you have given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through Jesus, your child.

⁴"Above all, we thank you that you are mighty. To you be glory forever.

⁵"Remember, Lord, your Church, to save it from all evil and to make it perfect by your love. Make it holy, 'and gather' it 'together from the four winds' into your Kingdom which you have made ready for it. For yours is the power and the glory forever."  ⁶"Let Grace come and let this world pass away."  "Hosanna to the God of David!"  "If anyone is holy, let him come. If not, let him repent."  "Our Lord, come!""Amen."

 ⁷In the case of prophets, however, you should let them give thanks in their own way.

11 Now, you should welcome anyone who comes your way and teaches you all we have been saying. ² But if the teacher proves himself a renegade and by teaching otherwise contradicts all this, pay no attention to him. But if his teaching furthers the Lord's righteousness and knowledge, welcome him as the Lord.

³Now about the apostles and prophets: Act in line with the gospel precept. ⁴Welcome every apostle on arriving, as if he were the Lord. ⁵But he must not stay beyond one day. In case of necessity, however, the next day too. If he stays three days, he is a false prophet.  ⁶On departing, an apostle must not accept anything save sufficient food to carry him till his next lodging. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet.

⁷While a prophet is making ecstatic utterances, you must not test or examine him. For "every sin will be forgiven," but this sin "will not be forgiven.” However, not everybody making ecstatic utterances is a prophet, but only if he behaves like the Lord. It is by their conduct that the false prophet and the [true] prophet can be distinguished.  ⁹For instance, if a prophet marks out a table in the Spirit, he must not eat from it. If he does, he is a false prophet.  ¹⁰Again, every prophet who teaches the truth but fails to practice what he preaches is a false prophet.  ¹¹But every attested and genuine prophet who acts with a view to symbolizing the mystery of the Church, and does not teach you to do all he does, must not be judged by you. His judgment rests with God. For the ancient prophets too acted in this way.  ¹²But if someone says in the Spirit, "Give me money, or something else," you must not heed him. However, if he tells you to give for others in need, no one must condemn him.

12 Everyone "who comes" to you "in the name of the Lord" must be welcomed. Afterward, when you have tested him, you will find out about him, for you have insight into right and wrong.  ²If it is a traveler who arrives, help him all you can. But he must not stay with you more than two days, or, if necessary, three.  ³If he wants to settle with you and is an artisan, he must work for his living.  ⁴If, however, he has no trade, use your judgment in taking steps for him to live with you as a Christian without being idle.  ⁵If he refuses to do this, he is trading on Christ. You must be on your guard against such people.

13 Every genuine prophet who wants to settle with you "has a right to his support."  ²Similarly, a genuine teacher himself, just like a "workman, has a right to his support." ³Hence take all the first fruits of vintage and harvest, and of cattle and sheep, and give these first fruits to the prophets. For they are your high priests.  ⁴If, however, you have no prophet, give them to the poor.  ⁵If you make bread, take the first fruits and give in accordance with the precept. ⁶Similarly, when you open a jar of wine or oil, take the first fruits and give them to the prophets.  ⁷Indeed, of money, clothes, and of all your possessions, take such first fruits as you think right, and give in accordance with the precept.

14 On every Lord's Day—his special day come together and break bread and give thanks, first confessing your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure. ²Anyone at variance with his neighbor must not join you, until they are reconciled, lest your sacrifice be defiled.  ³For it was of this sacrifice that the Lord said, "Always and everywhere offer me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is marveled at by the nations."

15 You must, then, elect for yourselves bishops and deacons who are a credit to the Lord, men who are gentle, generous, faithful, and well tried. For their ministry to you is identical with that of the prophets and teachers.  ²You must not, therefore, despise them, for along with the prophets and teachers they enjoy a place of honor among you.

³Furthermore, do not reprove each other angrily, but quietly, as you find it in the gospel. Moreover, if anyone has wronged his neighbor, nobody must speak to him, and he must not hear a word from you, until he repents.  ⁴Say your prayers, give your charity, and do everything just as you find it in the gospel of our Lord.

16 "Watch" over your life: do not let "your lamps" go out, and do not keep "your loins ungirded"; but "be ready," for "you do not know the hour when our Lord is coming."  ²Meet together frequently in your search for what is good for your souls, since "a lifetime of faith will be of no advantage" to you unless you prove perfect at the very last.  ³For in the final days multitudes of false prophets and seducers will appear.  ⁴Sheep will turn into wolves, and love into hatred. For with the increase of iniquity men will hate, persecute, and betray each other. And then the world deceiver will appear in the guise of God's Son. He will work "signs and wonders" and the earth will fall into his hands and he will commit outrages such as have never occurred before.  ⁵Then mankind will come to the fiery trial "and many will fall away" and perish, "but those who persevere" in their faith "will be saved" by the Curse himself.  ⁶Then "there will appear the signs" of the Truth: first the sign of stretched-out [hands] in heaven, then the sign of "a trumpet's blast," and thirdly the resurrection of the dead, though not of all the dead,  ⁷but as it has been said: "The Lord will come and all his saints with him. Then the world will see the Lord coming on the clouds of the sky."

Thus is the teaching of the Twelve.

So let’s continue on, the teachings mentioned baptism and how to go about it, now let’s read what the scriptures tell us and see how this teaching continued.

	Acts 2:38 But Peter said to them: Do penance, (some translations say: repent) and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
	Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name. Acts 10:48

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they desired him to tarry with them some days.

So it should be pretty clear that we are to confess, repent and be baptized to wash away our sins and to receive the Holy Spirit, this is scripture or it isn’t, I believe that it’s pretty clear.

What about the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper? What did Jesus specifically say?

John 6:52

If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.

John 6 54 and continuing:

Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever. These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.

Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you? If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him.

Aren’t these words pretty clear and easy to understand? Why is it that so many ignore them? Also many preach that Jesus the Christ never drank alcoholic wine, how is that?

What do we learn from the wedding in Cana? John 2:9 And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now.

So how is it that when men have well drunk then the worse wine comes out if it is not alcoholic? Why do people insist on making up their own understanding? When you change the meal from bread and wine you lose the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior, this is from Satan.

What else is written about the body and blood? 1 Corinthians 10:16 and continuing; The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread.

1 Corinthians 11:23 and continuing;  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread and giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.

For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.

So how in the name of Jesus the Christ can we be guilty of the Body and Blood when we partake of this Eucharist unworthily if in fact the Body and Blood of our Lord is not spiritually present just as He Himself said it was in the wine and bread? We must all understand this.

What about the schisms that we are not supposed to have but are prevalent in the so called Christian church? Again, remaining in the letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians chapter 1

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you; but that you be perfect in the same mind, and in the same judgment.

For it hath been signified unto me, my brethren, of you, by them that are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I am of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I give God thanks that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Caius; lest any should say that you were baptized in my name.

What did Jesus the Christ Himself say about divisions and unity?

John 17:11

And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are.

So what are we learning from these verses? Can you guess the theme? Well that would be unity in the church. No schisms, that we all speak the same thing, that we may be one, again the words should be pretty simple and easy to understand don’t you think?

To speak against the church being one in spirit is speaking against the One whom we call Lord and Savior; there is no getting around this no matter how hard you try. All of Christianity, all true Christians need to have the same basic understanding of the Christian church in things that matter so that there can be unity in spirit.

There are other things; what about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior, the One that we call God. How are we to respect her?

There are several ideas regarding this woman, the Blessed Virgin. Some say that she was born immaculate and from her conception she had no original sin attached to her and that she remained sinless throughout her life in order to bear and bring forth the Only Begotten Son of God, and to raise him. Some say that her conception was no different than anyone else’s, that the sin we are born with is not the guilt of Adam and that she was kept free from personal sin throughout her life for the bearing of the Christ Child. Others denigrate her as if she were a dog. So let’s examine this.

Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother, that you may have long life upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee. Have you ever heard these words before? Isn’t this the fourth commandment in what is called the Ten Commandments?

What did Jesus Say about this?

Mark 7:10

For Moses said: Honour thy father and thy mother; and He that shall curse father or mother, dying let him die.

What else do the scriptures say?

Ephesians 6:2
Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with a promise:

Jesus also said; For God commanded saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and he who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, 'Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God'--then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophecy about you, saying: 'The people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines of God the commandments of men" (Mat 15:3-9).

So we are to honor our mother and our father but the mother of the one that we call the savior of the world deserves no respect no reverence, talked about like a dog at times? I’ve heard it and I’ve seen it in writing. If you become angry if someone verbally abuses your mother how angry do you think Jesus the Christ is when His mother is verbally abused? Or maybe that’s the problem; no one cares for their mother or father any more, all have become a bunch of Pharisees, knowing everything and twisting the law to suit ourselves.

So let’s take a look at this original sin for a moment because this is the basic root of the issue;

All Christians agree that Adam and Eve sinned and that we suffer for their sin, what is not agreed on is how we suffer. Some say that we are born guilty of Adams personal sin; we have the same guilt put on us as he had on him as if we ourselves had performed this sin.

Others say that we are not guilty of Adams personal sin but because of Adams sin man fell from grace with God and death entered into the body along with corruption and the surrendering to temptation so that we fall easily to this temptation which then we have personal sin on us as well as death through Adams sin.

So the question came up centuries ago regarding the birth of Jesus the Christ due to heretical teaching by some. Question; how could the Christ be born as God and man in the flesh if the flesh is corrupt, the scriptures require a spotless, unblemished sacrifice, how could one born in the flesh be spotless if we carry original sin? Therefore Jesus was not truly flesh or He was not truly God until He led a perfect life and God the Father adopted Him.

And so you thought some Catholic Pope simply decided to make up some Immaculate Conception story to worship Mary because he had some mother fetish didn’t you? Believe it or not, forty years ago those very words came out of my mouth and there are many others who think this, I have been and am now trying to correct this statement that I made so many years ago. This problem of conception was not answered easily or quickly, the debate went on for centuries, I have already given you the two scenarios of original sin after the fall and the guilt or no guilt idea. This heresy and the questions surrounding it were fought about for centuries.

One ultimately came to the conclusion that man is born guilty of Adams sin and in order for the Christ to be born as true man in the flesh then His mother must have been purified in some way, they determined that from the womb itself she was protected from sin so that she could carry the Christ and so that he would have flesh without sin.

The other determined that man is only stained, we do not carry the guilty verdict of Adams sin but we carry the punishment which is death and separation from God and that we are born into a corruptible world and easily tempted and so we sin and are guilty of our own personal sin only. So the Virgin did not have to be born in any special way but that she did have to be protected from personal sin in order to be capable of bearing one that was sinless in the flesh.

I have only given the very basic understanding of two sides of the issue that was fighting against a serious heresy; you can go as deep into the study as you want. The question is; which one can be proven from scripture? Surprisingly neither one can be proven; either way could be right or wrong. Neither is committing some sin because they believe one way or the other since no direction is given.

So I’m going to throw some more of the issue at you; if Adam and Eve were created in God’s image and had no original sin to be guilty of, if they were a perfect creation then why did they surrender into temptation? How is it that without the stain of sin they sinned anyway even knowing their Creator in the way that they did?

Obviously temptation from the deceiver is very powerful, if they, who knew no sin, sinned, what chance does anyone else have? Out of all of the women throughout all of time, to include today, why was this particular virgin chosen?

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, (some translate this as; thou who are highly favored) the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

So, how many people in all of scripture do we read of an angel of the Lord coming down and giving them a title such as ‘full of grace?’ Or if you choose to say thou who are highly favored, who else had this greeting? Who else was chosen to carry the Only Begotten Son of God who is the Savior of all of mankind? Are we not told to honor our mother and father? Are we any less to honor the mother of the one who is God? You have got to be insane or very deceived not to honor the mother of our God.

It makes no difference how the virgin was conceived or at what point she was made able to bear the Christ child. It matters nothing whether she sinned before or after, she found grace with Almighty God, what part of this for those who choose to speak against her honor do you not understand? Do you become angry if someone trashes your mother? Think about the Savior of mankind, it is your salvation that you seek through Him and you do not respect His mother? The woman honored by Almighty God Himself? I pray for you. Our own Bible tells us; because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Everyone claims the Bible as the written Word of God and yet so many ignore what is written because it doesn’t suit them.

Did Mary have other children? Did Jesus have actual brothers and sisters? Think first before you answer. If Mary had other children, and I am not saying that she did or did not because it is not relevant to the point that I am going to make. If Mary had other children, why did Jesus assign the care of His mother to a disciple?

When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

Didn’t Jesus condemn the Pharisees for not caring for their parents in the pretense of giving money to the temple? If Mary had other children why then did Jesus give her to a disciple? Why did he charge the disciple with the care of His mother? It doesn’t matter if she had other children, Jesus gave her to the church and told the church that she was the mother, Jesus entrusted the church and His mother together, Mary became the mother of the church and the church is also responsible for her and she for the church, behold thy mother, aren’t these the words spoken?

If you cannot comprehend that because you simply refuse to then I will continue praying for you. If she had other children it was their responsibility and duty to care for her so this makes the giving of Mary to the church by giving her to a disciple even more dramatic don’t you think?

These are the beliefs that make up basic Christianity, you cannot change any of it and still call it Christianity, it would be a false and diluted Christianity. All need to understand this because the days are growing dark very fast and if God does not have mercy on the church then we will suffer greatly, we are destined to suffer, do you want to add to the suffering by being hateful towards one another who truly love Jesus the Christ and live according to what I have written here that I have done nothing but speak about what has been written from the beginning?

Do not fear the words or fear living them, you are not listening to or following me, I am no one but a messenger and the message is over 2,000 years old, I did not create it I am merely spreading it during these very troubling times. The church must understand the basics, and what I have given you here are just that, the basics. Do not condemn one another who follow the teachings, push away the liars and haters who fight against these truths, seek the truth, knock and never stop knocking.

One more item that I will only mention because it is the subject of a whole other teaching but it concerns the Bible itself. I have seen it written and I have heard it preached that the Septuagint bible was a fabrication of the Catholics, or that Origen wrote it himself, this is regarding the six books that were removed after the reformation. All that I am going to say now is that; the Septuagint was the Jewish Bible, stop researching things through your own particular body or groups writings, there is much that has been written through prejudice and hate.

Was it the Jewish Bible? Research the Jewish history of the Septuagint for yourself and find out or are you afraid to discover actual truth? What will you do when you find out that you have been lied to regarding this? Will you begin to change your understanding and seek the full truth? Will you ignore it and continue living and preaching what makes you comfortable because to admit that you had been deceived would be embarrassing? I’ve been there, the truth can be hard at times when we are so convinced of one way already but remember this, it is our salvation through Jesus the Christ that is important, it is the honor of His Most Holy Name that we are to uphold and then we begin to teach others this truth but we first have to have it in our own heart.

May you be blessed with the heart and determination to find the truth.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Amen.

In Christ,

Monk Michael

 

Harold, I’m making chicken

Poor old Harold, now Harold was a Christian man and he loved his wife dearly, his wife’s name was Mabel, now this couple was well on in years, into their 80’s and had been married for about 60 years, they no longer slept in the same room, Mabel had a nerve condition that caused her legs to jump during the night so they started using separate beds, well Harold began snoring so loudly that Mabel’s nerve condition got worse when trying to sleep so separate rooms became their life.

But, during waking hours you could not separate the two of the except for running errands or some such thing and Mabel would generally stay home. For about a year they had been bickering back and forth over nonsense things and neither one of them liked it. Harold became convinced that Mabel was losing her hearing and going deaf. One day while getting his regular checkup at the doctor Harold brought this up to his doctor and asked how he might determine if Mabel was indeed losing her hearing without upsetting her.

The doctor said that the next time Mabel was in a room that Harold should stand in the doorway and ask her a question and if she didn’t respond to then go halfway into the room and ask the question again and if she still did not respond then go to her and speak to her, telling her that he had already asked twice and that this was the third time that he had asked and since she could not hear him until he was up close that he was very concerned for her hearing and maybe she should see a hearing doctor so that they could stop all of the bickering that had been going on for so long. Well, Harold thought that this was an excellent idea so when he got home and later that evening Mabel was in the kitchen at the sink so Harold stood in the doorway and asked; “Mabel, honey, what are you preparing for dinner?” Well, Harold did not hear an answer so he then went halfway into the room and asked again; “Mabel, honey, what are you preparing for dinner?” Again Harold did not hear an answer. So now he goes on up to Mabel at the sink and taps her on the shoulder and says; “Mabel, honey, now I have asked you twice and now this is the third time, what are you preparing for dinner?” Mabel just turned around and looked Harold dead in the eye and said; “Harold, for goodness sake, for the third time I’m telling you that I am preparing chicken.”

Poor Harold, he was so concerned over the loss of hearing he believed Mabel was experiencing that he never thought that he himself may be suffering the problem. Now Harold would never have intentionally placed some burden on Mabel or cause her distress but in this case Harold’s perception was off, why?

Pride, lack of humility and judgment, all of us has a preconceived prejudice within us and it is rampant throughout the church. One group against another, lies and attacks based on lies, hatred for things one group does not understand about another, error through pride and prejudice, closed minds. Much like Harold who was proud of his own health and could not conceive that there may be a problem with him, he automatically assumed that Mabel had hearing problems and never once took a look at himself.

Today’s church is a watered down diluted form of the Christian Church and so also is the Bible that most people use, watered down, diluted, translated by various groups to suit their own philosophy and no one even knows this, why? Because no one cares enough to investigate the truth, Pastors go to seminary and learn only what has been decided by someone a century or two ago from the diluted Bible that suited their philosophy and whole volumes of that philosophy are written with out of context scripture thrown in to support this philosophy and then they preach it and continue to teach it along with the hatred of the truth, there is always enough of the truth thrown in to make it look good.

Today’s modern church has a lot of bells and whistles, entertainment but no spiritual connection, they have forgotten those who have gone on from here, they have forgotten the Holy Communion of the saints, it’s too much trouble, it isn’t entertaining enough, they have forgotten the Father in the worship, they have forgotten that we are seen and watched by Holy Ones who participate with us in the worship of the Lamb and of Almighty God, they have forgotten the Body and Blood of the Christ, Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of Almighty God and the Blessed Virgin who we know as Mary. It is forgotten by far too many for the sake of slick entertainment to keep the role call up and the money coming in to fill the coffers.

Where is the true worship? Where is the healing? Where is the love for one’s brother instead of the attitude of; well I have mine, sorry that you don’t have yours. Where are the workers that should be working?

Think about these things, Have questions? Contact me, I’m Monk Michael, ask.

May you be greatly blessed by the desire for complete truth, come to Jesus the Christ through truth and not through entertainment.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

In Christ,

Monk Michael

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Why Jesus the Christ?

Why Jesus the Christ?

 Why Jesus the Christ? There is a claim of many who have called themselves the messiah or a messiah in ages past.  How many of these who made this claim or the claim was made by others on their behalf, actually came and in their own words stated that they were willing to give up their life for humanity?

People go to a church and yet there are many who complain about religion, some claim to worship Jesus Christ and yet hate others who are also worshipping Jesus the Christ, many preach in his name and then prophecy against another saying things that they cannot prove and yet call themselves Christian, it seems the more outrageous the prophecy the more people there are to believe it.

So why Jesus the Christ? So many lies are told in His name that it defies reason and yet the lies keep coming, the liars keep prospering, are the people really this misled or is everyone just simply so full of hate and stupidity that they simply will never hear the truth because it will disturb their state of superiority and hatred of others?

Is any of this from Jesus the Christ? No, none of it is. Why did Jesus come when he did anyway? Weren’t the Jews going along just fine with their animal sacrifices? What did Jesus get so angry with them about? He was angry with the corruption that was contained within the temple worship. Didn’t Jesus tell those of the law and the temple that they twisted the law for their own purpose while denying the people access to heaven?

Listen, the temple was soon to be gone, the Jews did not know this but Almighty God did, the law stated that there could only be sacrifices performed in the temple, so without the temple where would the Jews perform their sacrifices and how would they do this? They can’t, not according to the Law of Moses, Jesus came and preached and those who believed him would come to see him as the final sacrifice and through him they would know that there was salvation in Almighty God through the sacrifice given by Jesus Christ and the temple destruction was not an issue.

Once the temple was destroyed the Jews had to come up with an alternative to the temple and the fact that there were no longer the sacrifices and the worship, still many refused to accept Jesus Christ, instead they have developed an alternative solution, that is; prayer, the study of the Torah or Law and performing acts of kindness or showing the love of God. There is nothing inherently wrong with these things but they are still not Jesus the Christ.

Christians see Jesus the Christ as the living law, the temple of old is gone, the old sacrificial system is gone, Jesus as the final sacrifice is the living law, He is the Word of God, through Him, the Word, the Living Law; is found salvation. What has changed?

It is still the law that saves only it is not the written law that was hard to comply to but the living law which intercedes for us in our weakness; it came in the form of a man and yet is still the law.

This is why Jesus the Christ and none other, no one else fulfilled the law, no one else willingly died for mankind so that we might have eternal life, only Jesus the Christ. There is no other name under heaven that man can be saved by. No one else is the Living Law.

Sadly the church is full of corruption, riches, abuse of power and authority. These things must be removed; it’s as simple as that, the abuse is not from Jesus Christ but from those in authority, the church today does not seem to differ much from the temple during the time of Jesus walking on the earth.

There is nothing wrong with having authority, do not take my words out of context or meaning, it is the abuse of authority and the abuse of the riches which is the sin, this is the sin of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, this is the sin of the church today.

The sin of the people is that they do not pray, the people are complacent; most just simply do not seem to care. A life of prayer needs to become a way of life for everyone; the world is on a path of self destruction and the church through its abuse is right along with it, do not think that when I say that the church is abusive that I meant it only for those in authority, I mean it for all who are members of the church, gossip, hate mongering, prophecies against one another, all of these things are abuse and all who participate will suffer. There will be no exceptions.

May you all be blessed and come to a better understanding of what it is to be Christian, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

In Christ,
Monk Michael


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    Well here we are in a mess, the aliens are coming and we're going to be destroyed and of course Rome is going to lead the way. I have heard some ridiculous things in my life but this new idea beats everything. The Book of Enoch tells us of the Fallen Ones who came and mated with human women and that their offspring were giants and they were called Nephilim.
    These giants were spoken of in holy scripture. That's all well and good so now the Fallen Ones are returning and these are the aliens and the UFO's that everyone talks about seeing everywhere, OK, but now Rome is accused of consorting with them, those who make these and other accusations against Rome are for the most part blatant liars and so many people listen to this garbage that it is beyond comprehension.
    Where is the love of Christ in these clowns who claim to be Christian and spin one lie after another against another group? If you truly love Jesus Christ, aren't you getting just a little bit tired of all of this? Did Jesus say these words? "that they may be one as we are one",   what a bunch of idiots and clowns who continue to chase a dollar by putting out lies, obviously they are not preaching Jesus Christ.
    Everyone needs to wake up and see what is going on, every group has problems in it, one attacking another is stupid, the lies keep coming though and people just keep jumping on the bandwagon, there will be much weeping and knashing of teeth on the last day.
    Wake up and find the true Jesus the Christ and stop following these idiots with outrageous stories, the more outrageous the story the bigger the following. Jesus said it Himself and it seems to be obvious; only a remnant will be saved, people choose to follow the lie instead of the truth, pay attention to what these nut jobs are saying and research them, don't just accept something because it is in a nice format  and is coming out of your group or one that you admire.
    Think about what you are believing and spreading. May Almighty God have mercy on us all.


In Christ,
Monk Michael
Rev. Fr. Michael Valentine

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Easter 2013

It is March 31, 2013. It is a day that many Christians are celebrating 'Easter', the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior; Jesus the Christ.

Many are celebrating from their prison cell. Some are possibly even being tortured today as a special day of celebration for the jailers.

I ask you, do not be complacent, pray for all on this day, neglect none, prayer can change the world. Pray for unity in the church so that the church prays with one voice, one Spirit. Pray!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, through the Most Holy Name of Jesus the Christ.

Amen!
Rev. Fr. Michael

Origen on Prayer Chapter Four

Origen on Prayer Origen
CHAPTER IV

ANSWER TO OBJECTIONS: MAN’S FREEWILL AND GOD’S FOREKNOWLEDGE

Of objects that move, some have the cause of motion outside them. Such are objects which are
lifeless and in passive motion simply by force of condition, and those which are moved by force
of nature and of life in the same manner and not like things which move occasionally, for stones
and stocks that have been quarried or cut off from growth, being in passive motion simply by force
of condition, have the cause of motion outside them.

Such too are dead bodies of animals and movable parts of plants, which change position under
compulsion and not as animals and plants themselves change their position but in the same manner
as stones and stocks cut off from growth—although even these may be said to move in respect that,
all bodies in decay being in flux, they possess the motion inherently attendant upon decay. Besides
these a second class of moving objects are those which move by force of their internal nature or
life, which are said by those who use terms in their stricter sense to move of themselves.

A third kind of movement is that in animals, which is termed spontaneous movement, whereas, in
my opinion, the movement of rational beings is independent movement. If we withdraw from an
animal spontaneous movement, it cannot be any longer conceived as even an animal; it will be like
either a plant moving by mere force of nature or a stone borne along by some force external to it:
Whenever an object follows its own peculiar movement, since that is what we have termed
independent movement, it must needs be rational. Thinkers therefore who will have it that nothing
is in our power, will necessarily assent to a most foolish statement, firstly that we are not animals,
and secondly that neither are we rational beings, but that, what we are believed to do, we may be
said to do by force as it were of some external cause of motion and in no sense moving ourselves.

Let anyone, moreover, with special regard to his own feelings, see whether without shame he can
deny that it is himself that wills, eats, walks, gives assent to and accepts certain opinions, dissents
from others as false. There are certain opinions to which a man cannot possibly assent though he
puts them with innumerable refinements of argument and with plausible reasoning: and similarly
it is impossible to assent to any view of human affairs in which our free will is in no sense preserved.
Who assents to the view that nothing is comprehensible, or lives as in complete suspense of
judgement: Who that has received a sense perception of a domestic misdeed, forebears to reprove
the servant? And who is there that does not censure a son who fails to pay the duty owed to parents,
or does not blame and find fault with an adulteress as having committed a shameful act? Truth
forces and compels us, in spite of innumerable refinements, to impulsive praise and blame, on the
basis of our retention of free will with the responsibility in which it involves us.

If our free will is in truth preserved with innumerable inclinations towards virtue or vice, towards
either duty or its opposite, its future must like other things have been known by God, before coming
to pass, from the world’s creation and foundation; and in all things prearranged by God in accordance
with what He has seen of each act of our free wills. He has with due regard to each movement of
our free wills prearranged what also is at once to occur in His providence and to take place according
to the train of future events. God’s foreknowledge is not the cause of all future events including
those that are to have their efficient cause in our freewill guided by impulse.
Even though we should suppose God ignorant of the future, we shall not on that account be
incapacitated for effecting this and willing that. Rather it ensues from His foreknowledge that our
individual free wills receive adjustment to suit the universal arrangement needful for the constitution
of the world. If, therefore, our individual free wills have been known by Him, and if in His
providence He has on that account been careful to make due arrangement for each one, it is
reasonable to believe that He has also pre-comprehended what a particular man is to pray in that
faith, what his disposition, and what his desire.

That being so, in His arrangement it will accordingly have been ordained somewhat after this wise:
This man I will hear for the sake of the prayer that he will pray, because he will pray wisely: but
that man I will not hear, either because he will be unworthy of being heard, or because his prayer
will be for things neither profitable for the suppliant to receive nor becoming me to bestow: and in
the case of this prayer, of some particular person, let us say, I will not hear him, but in the case of
that I will.

Should the fact of God’s unerring foreknowledge of the future disquiet anyone by suggesting that
things have been necessarily determined, we must tell him that it is a real part of God’s fixed
knowledge that a particular man will not with any fixed certainty choose the better or so desire the
worse as to become incapable of a change for his good. And again I will do this for this man when
he prays, as becomes me seeing that he will pray without reproach and will not be negligent in
prayer: upon that man who will pray for a certain amount, I will bestow this abundantly in excess
of his asking or thinking, for it becomes me to surpass him in well doing and to furnish more than
he has been capable of asking.

To this other man of a particular character I will send this angel as minister, to cooperate from a
certain time in his salvation and to be with him for a certain period: to that other, who will be a
better man than he, that angel of higher rank than his. From this man who, after having devoted
himself to the higher views will gradually relax and fall back upon the more material, I will withdraw
this superior cooperator, upon whose withdrawal that duly inferior power, having found an
opportunity to get at his slackness, will set upon him and when he has given himself up in readiness
to sin, will incite him to these particular sins. So we may imagine the Prearranger of All saying:
Amos will beget Josiah, who will not emulate his father’s faults but will find his way leading on
to virtue, and will by aid of these companions be noble and good, so that he will tear down the
evilly erected altar of Jeroboam. I also know that Judas, in the sojourn of my son among the race
of men, will at the first be noble and good but later turn aside and fall away to human sins so that
he will rightly suffer thus for them.

This foreknowledge, it may be in regard to all things, certainly
in regard to Judas and other mysteries, exists in the Son of God also, who in His discernment of
the evolution of the future has seen Judas and the sins to be committed by him, so that, even before
Judas came into existence, He in His comprehension has said through David the words beginning
“O God, keep you not silence at my praise.”—Knowing as I do the future and what an influence
 Paul will have in the cause of religion, ere yet I set me to begin creation and found the world I will
make choice of him: I will commit him from the moment of his birth to these powers that cooperate
in men’s salvation.

I will set him apart from his mother’s womb. I will permit him at the first to fall in youth into an
ignorant zeal and in the avowed cause of religion to persecute believers in my Christ and to keep
the garments of them that stone my servant and witness Stephen, so that later at the close of his
youthful wilfulness he may be given a fresh start and change for the best and yet not boast before
me but may say: “I am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God,.”
and realizing the kindness that he will receive from me after his faults committed in youth in the
avowed cause of religion may declare “It is by God’s grace that I am what I am”; and, being
restrained by conscience by reason of the deeds he wrought while still young against Christ, he
will not be excessively elated by the exceeding abundance of the revelations which in kindness I
shall show him.

To the objection in reference to prayer for the rising of the Sun we may reply as follows. The Sun
also possesses a certain free will, since he with the moon joins in praising God, for “Praise Him,
Sun and Moon” it says: as also manifestly the moon and all the stars conformably, for it says “Praise
Him all the stars and light.” As, therefore, we have said that God has employed the free will of
individual beings on earth for the service of beings on earth in arranging them aright, so we may
suppose that He has employed the free will, fixed and certain and steadfast and wise as it is, of sun,
moon and stars in arranging the whole world of heaven with the course and movement of the stars
in harmony with the whole.

If I do not pray in vain for what concerns any other freewill, much more shall I pray for what
concerns the freewill of the stars which tread in heaven their world-conserving measures. It may
indeed be said of beings on earth that certain appearances in our surroundings call out now our
instability, now our better inclination to act or speak in certain ways: but in the case of beings in
heaven what appearances can interpose to oust and remove from the course that benefit the world
beings which have each a life so adjusted by Reason independently of them, and which enjoy so
ethereal and supremely pure a frame?
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Origen on Prayer Chapter Three

Origen on Prayer Origen

CHAPTER III

OBJECTIONS TO PRAYER

If then I must next, as you have urged, set forth in the first place the arguments of those who told
that nothing is accomplished as a result of prayers and therefore allege that prayer is superfluous,
I shall not hesitate to do that also according to my ability—the term prayer being now used in its
more common and general sense. In such disrepute indeed is the view and to such a degree has it
failed to obtain champions of distinction that, among those who admit a Providence and set a God
over the universe, not a soul can be found who does not believe in prayer.

The opinion (sentiment) belongs either to utter atheists who deny the existence of God, or assume
a God, as far as the name goes, but deprive Him of providence. Already, it must be said, the adverse
inworking, with intent to wrap the most impious of opinions around the name of Christ and around
the teaching of the Son of God, has made some converts on the needlessness of prayer—a sentiment
which find champions in those who by every means do away with outward forms, eschewing
baptism and eucharist alike, misrepresenting the Scriptures as not actually meaning this that we
call prayer but as teaching something quite different from it.

Those who reject prayers, while, that is to say, setting a God over the universe and affirming
Providence—for it is not my present task to consider the statements of those who by every means
do away with a God or Providence—might reason as follows: God knows all things before they
come to be. There is nothing that upon its entrance into existence is then first known by Him as
previously unknown. What need to send up prayer to One who, even before we pray, knows what
things we have need of? For the heavenly Father knows what things we have need of before we
ask Him.

It is reasonable to believe that as Father and Artificer of the universe who loves all things that are
and abhors nothing that He has made, quite apart from prayer He safely manages the affairs of each
like a father who champions his infant children without awaiting their entreaty when they are either
utterly incapable of asking or through ignorance often desirous of getting the opposite of what is
to their profit and advantage. We men come further short of God even than the merest children of
the intelligence of their parents. And in all likelihood the things that are to be are not only foreknown
but prearranged by God, and nothing takes place contrary to His prearrangement. Were anyone to
pray for sunrise he would be thought a simpleton for entreating through prayer for the occurrence
of what was to take place quite apart from his prayer: In like manner a man would be a fool to
believe that his prayer was responsible for the occurrence of what was to take place in any case
even had he never prayed.

And again, as it is the height of madness to imagine that, because one suffers discomfort and fever
under the sun at Summer Solstice, the Sun is through prayer to be transferred to the Springtime
Zodiac, in order that one may have the benefit of temperate air, so it would be the height of
infatuation to imagine that by reason of prayer one would not experience the misfortunes that meet
the race of men by necessity. Moreover, if it be true that sinners are estranged from birth and the
righteous man has been set apart from his mother’s womb, and if, while as yet they are unborn and
have done neither good nor evil, it is said the elder shall serve the younger, that the elective purpose
of God may stand based not on works but on the Caller, it is in vain that we entreat for forgiveness
of sins or to receive a spirit of strength to the end that, Christ empowering us, we may have strength
for all things.

If we are sinners, we are estranged from birth: if on the other hand we were set apart from our
mother’s womb, the best of things will come our way even though we do not pray. It is prophesied
before his birth that Jacob shall be over Esau and that his brother shall serve him: what has prayer
to do with that? Of what impiety is Esau guilty that he is hated before his birth? To what purpose
does Moses pray, as is found in the ninetieth psalm, if God is his refuge since before the mountains
were settled and the earth and world were formed. Besides, of all that are to be saved, it is recorded
in the Epistle to Ephesians that the Father elected them in Him, in Christ, before the world’s
foundation, that they should be holy and blameless before Him, preordaining them unto adoption
as His sons through Christ.

Either, therefore, a man is elect, of the number of those who are so since before the world’s
foundation, and can by no means fall from his election in which case he has therefore no need of
prayer; or he is not elect nor yet preordained, in which case he prays in vain, since, though he should
pray ten thousand times, he will not be listened to. For whom God foreknew, them He also
preordained to conformity with the image of His Son’s glory; and whom He preordained, them He
also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also
glorified.

Why is Josiah distressed, or why has he anxiety as to whether or not he will be listened to in prayer,
when, many generations before, he was prophesied by name and his future action not only foreknown
but foretold in the hearing of many. To what purpose, too, does Judas pray with the result that even
his prayer turned to sin, when from David’s times it is pre-announced that he will lose his
overseership, another receiving it in his stead.

It is self-evidently absurd, God being unchangeable and having pre-comprehended all things and
adhering to His prearrangements, to pray in the belief that through prayer one will change His
purpose, or, as though He had not already prearranged but awaited each individual’s prayer, to
make intercession that He may arrange what suits the supplicant by reason of his prayer, there and
then appointing what He approves as reasonable though He has previously not contemplated it. At
this point the propositions you formulated in your letter to me may be set down word for word thus:
Firstly, if God is foreknower of the future and it must come to pass, prayer is vain. Secondly, if all
things come to pass by virtue of God’s will, and His decrees are fixed, and nothing that He wills
can be changed, prayer is vain. Towards a solution of the difficulties which benumb the instinct of
prayer, the following, as I believe, helpful considerations may be advanced.

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