Imagine for a moment, Mr. and Mrs. Christian, that your young daughter was
abducted. The worst thing you could imagine happening will happen to
her. Would anything stop you from attempting to retrieve her? Would
your Christianity hamper you to only non-violent means, or would you
pick up a gun?

I know what you would do. It is what I would do. It is what Pastor Sam
Childers is doing RIGHT NOW.

You see, Pastor Sam in his former non-Christian life was a biker, drug
dealer and brawler. But then Jesus had other plans for this tough
guy. Christ grabbed a hold of this guy’s heart and he became born
again.

He then became a minister.

He then felt the call to preach in Africa.

Upon his arrival, he saw the remains of a young boy that had stepped on a
land mine. Upon his investigation, he found that in the part of East
Africa where he was, untold amounts of young boys are forced to fight
for the evil militias or face dismemberment. He was told innumerable
young girls are raped and sold as slaves by the hands of those evil
gangsters. The total is over 50,000 children.

His blood boiled.

He picked up a gun. He picked up many guns. He formed his own militia.
He then set up, with his own sweat and life savings, Sudan’s
largest orphanage.

Then he went hunting. Over the course of his time there he has rescued
over 1000 children, and houses over 200 kids in his orphanage. The
orphanage is under 24 hour protection by Pastor Sam’s militia.

This story isn’t a movie (but Hollywood has just produced his story,
starring Gerard Butler as Pastor Sam… to be released late September
2011).

It is real life.

If you can stomach it, read the testimonials on his website of some of
the rescued children (www.machinegunpreacher.org).

Look at the pictures, Mr. and Mrs. Christian.

What would you do?

   JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

P.S.

Check out the trailer for the movie about Sam’s life and work, called
“Machine Gun Preacher”, right here:  www.machinegunpreacher.org/movie

~ D

In the year 2000 B.C. <+/- 200 years> (and possibly again in 2045 A.D.) humankind became one.  Became one apart from the divine right.  Became one without the necessity of the idea of “God” (though it remains ironic that mere existence requires more than just an “idea” but an actuality of “God, the first Mover” – something which escapes the God deniers who place intent within the mind as surpassing the physical which cries out the concreteness of a Creator… but I digress.)

Mankind became one and God Almighty personally intervened to end the power and strength which the unity of the special creation, who bore His image, would wield.

It was because mankind bore the image of God that their potential (though finite) is immense; however when in perfect unity with all of mankind their potential would approach infinity thereby requiring the
personal attention of the truly infinite, the Creator of all.

Once in history we as a human race commanded the full attention of Almighty God, Creator of all, not because of our perversions (as in the time of Noah) or just pockets of cities in full rebellion (Sodom
and Gomorrah), but the entirety of God’s image personified by the dust of the earth and the breath of the Creator took God’s attention from the throne of Grace because of our unity of MIND.

And then for the second time in the history of space–time God intervened with the forward progress of the near divine potential of man:

first =

God sent out Adam and Eve from the Garden, that although they were like the Trinity in knowing good and evil (because they dined on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), they must not eat of the tree of life so as not to live forever.

And second =

God said in 2000 B.C. <+/- 200 years>  “Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do (building a city and a tower):  and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.”  ~ The First Book of Moses, Called GENESIS; chapter 11;  verse 6.  

TOWER OF BABEL

Briefly:

Three centuries after the flood of Noah, the human race, through the influence of Nimrod (the mighty hunter; GENESIS 10:9), traveled to the land of Shinar and lived there.  Now the population
was about a million people at that time (figuring 339 years after the flood, starting with eight people at a conservative 3.5% growth rate).  Then the Bible says:

“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

“ And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.” ~ GENESIS 11:4,5

There are theories and circumstantial evidence available pointing to the beginning of a one world empire whose genesis was with this city and tower.

God then observed the coalescence of the mind of man, and saw that the offspring of this collective would rule the world in the image of humanism.

He then confounded the language and scattered the human empire so that man may not fulfill their imaginations.

And this is where the city (and tower) received its historic name:  “Babel”, which means “confusion”.

TOWER OF BABEL, 2045A.D.

Some very smart non-Christians believe that we are on the cusp of a unity within the minds of the human race.  They call it the “Singularity”.

Simply:  they say in a matter of decades, computer power will attain such exponential growth that humans will be able to join with machine and become infinitely intelligent… and live forever.

As preposterous as that sounds, it is hard to argue with the science involved.

I mean, the cell phone on my desk has more power then a computer that filled a building a mere few decades ago.

They say a short time from now, we will have computers the size of red blood cells that we can insert into our bodies which will monitor our health to such a degree that sickness will no longer exist.

Could  they then have a computer in our skull to augment our thoughts, memory and computation ability?

Right now with a computer and internet access, you are almost infinitely intelligent:  if I ask you any question, you can find its answer with Google.

Is it a stretch to have that capability installed mechanically inside your brain?

They also say with this computation advancement will come the ability for computers to build themselves, therefore speeding up exponentially the advancement of all technologies.

They say this technological enlightenment will reach its zenith in 2045 A.D., at which point you can say “now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.”

So, if in fact this does occur, will we see (for only the second time in the history of man) God’s full attention commanded to the impending earth wide human actualization of becoming one apart from God?

And will we see God (for the third time) intervene with the forward progress of the near divine potential of man?

What will we see when humankind rises again with a second Tower of Babel?

The intervention of the Creator upon His creation…

“Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

“For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

~ The PROVERBS; chapter 3, verses 25 and 26.

      JESUS IS LORD

~ Rev. Daniel Gabriel

I am a monster.

For Christ and the Cause alone.

Everywhere I tread belongs to the enemy.

And my desire is for my Long Home.

While here, I am His energy,

Filling the earth with my will.

And with His Church I am in synergy.

As I destroy and consume and fill.

Nothing can stand before me.

Every atom burning bright.

I am the monster of Christ.

I will BE with all HIS might.

No mourners go before me.

I am the dawn’s searing light.

   JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

Disappointment is Acid.

This is for the Christian:

“The level and duration of your disappointment is in direct proportion to the intensity of your Christianity.”

Christians are called to suffer, but suffering is not disappointment.

Christians are called to prosper, but prospering is not disappointment.

(what?)

I am not a “word-smith”. Nor do I pretend to be classically trained in literature. With that, I know (as do you) what the word “disappointment” means.

And the quote:

“The level and duration of your disappointment is in direct proportion to the intensity of your Christianity.”, is telling for who you are in Christ.

If we truly follow to the end what it means to be a Christian in this “pre-existence”, then we know we are to not love the world: 1 John 2:15.

And we know we are to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind: Luke 10:27.

And we know that the 80 or 90 years that we live on this planet is a vapor considering the millions of years of true-existence which awaits us: James 4:14.

Which brings us to this:

To be “disappointed” is to trust in your own nature above Christ. To be “disappointed” put’s Christ in the back seat of your Christianity.

To feel compassion, and love is Christian. To be disappointed is not.

Disappointment leads to bitterness, hate and envy… and ultimately bondage.

Because I trust in Christ, who or what can disappoint me? I know what is true, and I know Who goes before me…

Disappointment for the Christian should be an emotion of opportunity:

Someone let me down, I begin to feel disappointed (which would lead to bitterness, then death). At the feeling of disappointment, I have opportunity to approach the situation as a Christian, which is: compassion for the individual, wisdom for myself to appropriate my goals differently in the future for a better outcome, and an opportunity to acknowledge Christ as first in my life and not the pain of living on the planet… and all of that leads to a “closer walk with Jesus.” Read Ephesians 6:10 and John chapters 15 and 16.

Otherwise, I can feel sorry for myself… woe is me…

SELF PITY

I never saw a wild thing

sorry for itself.

A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough

without ever having felt sorry for itself.

~ D.H. Lawrence

O.K., this is for you detractors.. “would you feel disappointed if devastation hit your family, wouldn’t that be a right emotion?”

Let’s take it a step further: I have a large family. Let’s say a close member of my family dies… would that disappoint me?

I would feel, not disappointment, but anguish. Yes, anguish can lead to disappointment, which then ultimately leads to destruction.

So what would I, as a Christian, do?

1 Peter 1:7 states that the trying of our faith is more precious than gold. Who I become on this planet, in this life, is infinitely more important than what I accomplish.

Who you become, as you roam the earth, is more important than what you accomplish.

Read Hebrews chapter 12 and 1 Peter chapters 3 and 4; we grow in Christ through chastening, trials, and problems.

So what would I do? I would do what Job did after hearing his sons and daughters were killed, most of his servants were killed, lost his ranch house plus 7000 of his sheep and 3000 of his camels (after living a more than righteous life):

“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away: blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

~ Job 1:21,22

And I will rejoice that I will one day see my loved one in the Glory of Heaven. And I will rejoice knowing that in the Infinite Mind of God, within the Infinitely Complicated Plan of God, that all is well.

And I rejoice.

   JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

This will not be a diatribe against Megachurches.

Most of the Megachurches in the U.S. I would consider orthodox and are contending for the Faith… and I believe that Megachurches usually get an unfair amount of criticism not only from the “secular” world, but within the umbrella of Worldwide Christendom.

I am merely offering an original (and single) incite as to the phenomenon of the idea of a Megachurch, especially as it refers to the “multi-site” architecture that so many of our larger churches are moving towards.

But first, a brief background:

A Megachurch is defined as a church having 2000 or more attendees for a typical weekly service.  Of the 300,000 churches that are organized within the United States, about 1300 evangelical churches fit that definition. (On a related note, 3000 Roman Catholic parishes fulfill the same definition, however they are not typically associated with the Megachurch movement.)

Of the 1300 Megachurches in the U.S., about 50 have weekly attendance levels of between 10,000 and 50,000.

Now in order to accommodate such a massive expansion to any one congregation, the idea of the “multi-site” emerged. Before multi-site avenues were explored, more service times were added while a larger church building was being built in order to accommodate growth in attendance. But as attendance even exceeded those levels, it became financially impossible to continue building larger and larger facilities. Thus we have the growing popularity of the “multi-site”.

Brief definition:  the multi-site church is made up of multiple church meeting places over a certain geographic area (that can pass over state lines!) which represent one specific church body.  The multiple sites retain the culture of the original church location and most of the time have the pastor of the “mother church” preach via large screen HD video, either live or “taped”.

REMOTE CONTROL PASTOR

Back to the commentary: for the longest time I could not imagine going to church and watching my pastor preach on a large TV.  Initially, it seemed a bit ridiculous.  I would think: I might as well stay home and watch a TV preacher; or the common refrain: how could the church body get a personal connection from the pastor via a TV monitor? (and that debate rages on within the evangelical community…)

So, rather than be continually snarky, I visited a number of multi-sites.

Shocking to me:  I really enjoyed the experience.  I suppose a better way to put it is I was blessed by the experience.

The messages given by the TV pastors were professional and moving. And if I ever would need pastoral care, there were always multiple “site-pastors” available. And those site-pastors would always make themselves known to the congregation, both before and after the preaching TV program.

I was (and still am) amazed that I really appreciated the multi-site experience.

HYPNOSIS

After considering my experiences at those churches I began to wonder “why?” they were good. I mean on the surface it did seem ridiculous… until of course I experienced it and know for a fact it is not.

So why is it an effective and popular model for the common day church experience?

It hit me when I was reading about television watching in relation to children. You have read the studies, or have read someone reference them, about prolonged TV watching being an unhealthy childhood experience. And you know that children should be reading and playing outside for optimum physiological health.

The specific reason children should not be overly prolonged to TV is because it induces the brain into a subtle hypnosis where brain activity is significantly reduced. I believe without reading a single published study on this fact that you know this to be inherently true. When you are in that reduced level of brain activity, you are no longer creating (thinking) anything in your brain (and when you actively THINK you fire away IQ increasing synapse activity) BUT your brain is reduced to a lazy euphoria where you only take in the images and activity created by another. You are put into a very unhealthy brain wave state.  And as everyone knows who is reading this right now, if you don’t actively use the brain God gave you, it will weaken.

So what does this have to do with multi-site churches?

The reason they are successful is because of the subtle euphoric hypnosis experienced by the multi-site attendee. Every single American has been bred on TV, movies and the internet. Visual media and its experience cannot be un-experienced by any of us. Our very existence is now defined by visual media. And since we typically only purposefully watch media that we enjoy, we hardwire into our bodies the subtle euphoria we receive from the pleasurable TV watching experience.

So when we sit in the multi-site church and the large HD moving image of our favorite and well polished pastor begins to unravel, we, by default of our decades of TV watching, fall right back into that Pavlovian subtlety like a warm blanket. It is irresistible.

EVIL?

So is any of that “evil”? So are multi-sites “a bad thing”? I am not making any ethical determination on any of this, merely an observation.

However what the Apostle Paul has written comes to mind:

“What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached: and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

~ The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians; chapter 1, verse 18.

    JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

“Then came he {The Apostle Paul} to Derbe and Lystra {two cities} : and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus {Timothy} , the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek.

“Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

“Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.”

~ The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 16, verses 1, 2 and 3.

What would you do to show the humbleness of Christ?

A growing addendum to my philosophy of life is the idea of being the Humbleness and Boldness of Jesus Christ to society.

By being the Humbleness of Christ I would mirror who they are, but not neglecting the oracles of God. By being the Boldness of Christ I would in turn lift up Christ and demand repentance to be reconciled to God.

In the above Scripture, Timothy (a young minister in his twenties) showed the Humbleness of Christ by getting circumcised as an adult (and not an 8 day old infant)!

Imagine the conversation:

The Apostle Paul wanted Timothy to be able to reach the Jews, but they would not even acknowledge him because he was not a Jew, just a filthy half-breed. So Paul proposed to Timothy that if he were to get circumcised, it would show he was first a Jew from his mother’s side of the family.

I’m certain Timothy thought, “By GRACE I am saved, not works! By the way Paul didn’t you write in the book of Romans that circumcision isn’t necessary for anyone’s Salvation? And did you not write in the book of Galatians that you refused to circumcise another young minister by the name of Titus because of circumstances? Now you want me to mutilate myself for just the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Christ to the same group of racist bigots that never gave me a second look or care while I was growing up?”

The answer, of course, was yes.

So, Rev. Timothy relented. By great sacrifice he showed the Humbleness of Christ.

But it did not stop there. Once the Jews would listen to him, Timothy didn’t befriend them and go golfing with them. He didn’t attempt to just be nice and not wrinkle any feathers.

He preached Christ crucified and demanded repentance:

“And as they went through the cities, they {Paul and Timothy} delivered them {the Jews} the decrees {dogmas, doctrines, ordinances, judgments} for to keep, that were ordained of the Apostles.” ~ The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 16, verse 4.

Which is therefore showing the Boldness of Christ.

And this has now become eminent in my life.

How are you showing the Humbleness and Boldness of Jesus Christ?

The Humbleness of Christ is elucidated eloquently by the Apostle Paul in this passage:

“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

“And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

“To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law;

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

“And this I do for the Gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”

~ The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians; chapter 9, verses 19 through 23.

And of course the Boldness of Christ, as written by the Apostle Paul:

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

~ The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans; chapter 1, verses 16, 17 and 18.

May the Church become this dual image of evangelism.

      JESUS IS LORD

~ Rev. Daniel Gabriel

Recently, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted a significant survey about religion consisting of questions on the Bible, world religions and religious figures.

Check out www.PewForum.org for an in depth analysis of the results.

What you will find is that among the respondents to the survey, Atheists scored higher than Christians, Jews and Mormons!

Mormons were the second highest.

There has been much commentary printed over the past week concerning the ignorance of our Evangelical brethren concerning their own Faith System and what that means.

Well, simply, it means that we as Christians are selfish. It also means that the teachers of Christianity are FAILING at their jobs.

That’s what it means… so what are YOU going to do about it?

Here is that Pew Forum quiz… see how you do (the answers follow after…):

32. When does the Jewish Sabbath begin?

 A) Friday

B) Saturday 

C) Sunday 

D) Don’t know 

31. What is Ramadan?

A) The Hindu festival of lights 

B) A Jewish day of atonement

C) The Islamic holy month

D) Don’t know

30. Do you happen to know which of these is the king of gods in ancient Greek mythology?

A) Zeus

B) Mars

C) Apollo

D) Don’t know

29. Which of these religions aims at nirvana, the state of being free from suffering?

A) Islam

B) Buddhism

C) Hinduism

D) Don’t know

28. In which religion are Vishnu and Shiva central figures?

A) Islam

B) Hinduism

C) Taoism

D) Don’t know

27. What is an atheist?

A) Someone who believes in God

B) Someone who does NOT believe in God

C) Someone who is unsure whether God exists

D) Don’t know

26. What is an agnostic?

A) Someone who believes in God

B) Someone who does NOT believe in God

C) Someone who is unsure whether God exists

D) Don’t know

25. Where, according to the Bible, was Jesus born?

A) Bethlehem

B) Jericho

C) Jerusalem

D) Nazareth

E) Don’t know

24. When was the Mormon religion founded?

A) Before the year 1200 A.D.

B) Between 1200 and 1800

C) Sometime after 1800

D) Don’t know

23. The Book of Mormon tells the story of Jesus Christ appearing to people in what area of the world?

A) The Americas

B) Middle East

C) Asia

D) Don’t know

22. Which of the following best describes Catholic teaching about the bread and wine used for Communion?

A) The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ

B) The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ

C) Other

D) Don’t know

21. Which of these religious groups traditionally teaches that salvation comes through faith alone?

A) Only Protestants

B) Only Catholics

C) Both Protestants and Catholics

D) Neither Protestants nor Catholics

E) Don’t know

20. Please tell me which of the following is NOT one of the Ten Commandments?

A) Do not commit adultery

B) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

C) Do not steal

D) Keep the Sabbath holy

E) All are in the Ten Commandments

F) Don’t know

19. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with remaining obedient to God despite suffering?

A) Job

B) Elijah

C) Moses

D) Abraham

E) Don’t know

18. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with leading the exodus from Egypt

A) Job

B) Elijah

C) Moses

D) Abraham

E) Don’t know

17. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with willingness to sacrifice his son for God?

A) Job

B) Elijah

C) Moses

E) Abraham

F) Don’t know

16. Would you tell me if Mother Teresa was …

A) Jewish

B) Catholic

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don’t know

15. Would you tell me if the Dalai Lama is …?

A) Catholic

B) Jewish

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don’t know

14. Would you tell me if Joseph Smith was …?

A) Catholic

B) Jewish

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don’t know

13. Would you tell me if Maimonides was … ?

A) Catholic

B) Jewish

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don’t know

12. Which of the following statements best describes what the U.S. Constitution (including amendments) says about religion?

A) Christianity should be given special emphasis by the government

B) The government shall neither establish a religion nor interfere with the practice of religion

C) The Constitution does not say anything one way or the other about religion

D) Don’t know

11. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to lead a class in prayer?

A) Yes

B) No

C) Don’t know

10. Do you happen to know what religion most people in India consider themselves?

A) Buddhist

B) Hindu

C) Muslim

D) Christian

E) Don’t know

9. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to read from the Bible as an example of literature?

A) Yes

B) No

C) don’t know

8. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to offer a class comparing the world’s religions?

A) Yes

B) No

C) Don’t know

7. Do you happen to know what religion most people in Indonesia consider themselves?

A) Buddhist

B) Hindu

C) Muslim

D) Christian

E) Don’t know

6. Do you happen to know what religion most people in Pakistan consider themselves?

A) Buddhist

B) Hindu

C) Muslim

D) Christian

E) Don’t know

5. What was the name of the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation?

A) Martin Luther

B) Thomas Aquinas

C) John Wesley

D) Don’t know

4. Which one of these preachers participated in the period of religious activity known as the First Great Awakening?

A) Billy Graham

B) Jonathan Edwards

C) Charles Finney

D) Don’t know

3. Do you happen to know the name of the holy book of Islam?

This is not a multiple choice question.

Write your answer down, and go to the next question.

2. What is the first book of the Bible?

These is not a multiple choice question.

Please jot your answer down and go to the next question.

1. Will you tell me the names of the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible, that is the Four Gospels?

Again, this is not a multiple choice question.

Write your answers down.

The correct answers are as follows:

32) A – Friday

31) C – The Islamic holy month

30) A – Zeus

29) B – Buddhism

28) B – Hinduism

27) B- Someone who does NOT believe in God

* Some might disagree with Pew’s characterization of atheism and agnosticism. Strictly speaking, atheism is the belief that God does not exist. Agnosticism, a term coined in 1869 by English biologist T.H. Huxley, is the belief that the existence of God is unknowable.

26) C – Someone who is unsure whether God exists

25) A – Bethlehem

24) C – Sometime after 1800

23) A – The Americas

22) A – The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ

21) A – Only Protestants

20) B – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

19) A – Job

18) C – Moses

17) E – Abraham

16) B -Catholic

15) C -Buddhist

14) D – Mormon

13) B – Jewish

12) B – The government shall neither establish a religion nor interfere with the practice of religion

11) B – No

10) B – Hindu

9) A – Yes

eight) A – Yes

7) C – Muslim

6) C – Muslim

5) A – Martin Luther

4) B – Jonathan Edwards

3) Quran

2) Genesis

1) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

HOW DID YOU DO?

    JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

So what do you think about the skull image pictured on the above crucifix? Does it represent some sort of “evil”, or maybe it has something to do with some cult?

Well, interestingly enough, it has a HUGE significance to a rather large “cult”… namely Christianity! (As far as referring to Christianity as a “cult”, cannot our Faith be considered a cult of Judaism? Yes, it may be considered that, however Christianity is in fact the fulfillment and realization of the Jews’ religion.)

You see, Christ was crucified at a place called “Calvary”. The word “Calvary” means “the place of the skull”.

A very interesting name.

We will get into a brief history of the name in a moment. But for now, I thought I would bring out a few points:

The word “Calvary”, which has to be the most popular church name ever, appears only once in the English Bible; and only in the King James Version (there are a few modern versions which use the name of “Calvary” in the notes of their particular editions, but no other English Bible uses it in the text proper).

The word “Calvary” is not a translation of the Greek word “kranion” (which means skull), but is a transliteration of the Latin word “Calvaria” from the Latin Vulgate (which is a Latin translation of the Bible from Jerome in the fifth century).

Rather than referring to that place directly as “Skull Hill”, the local population during the time of Christ called the “place of the skull” by the proper name they gave to it: “Golgotha”. You see, “Golgotha” is an Aramaic word which means “skull” that soon became a Hebrew word through avid use. Perhaps the locals preferred the name of “Golgotha” over “skull” because it wasn’t so overt as to be a sharp reminder as to what actually happened at that place. Sort of like the word “Euthanasia” which is an antiseptic word for killing.

BRIEF HISTORY:

So why was the place of the Crucifixion called “The Place of the Skull”?

The following theories have been advanced:

= Calvary may have been a place of public execution, and so named from the skulls strewn over it. The victims were perhaps abandoned to become a prey to birds and beasts.

= Its name may have been derived from a cemetery that may have stood near.

= The name may have been used to describe the physical contour of the place.

= There was a tradition current among the Jews that the skull of Adam, after having been confided by Noah to his son Shem, and by the latter to Melchisedec, was finally deposited at the place called, for that reason, Golgotha. The Talmudists and the Fathers of the Church were aware of this tradition, and it survives in the skulls and bones placed at the foot of the crucifix (like the photo at the top of this post).

Again, these are theories. Of course I have my favorites…

But at the end of the day, regardless of the name speculation, I praise God for the gift which was birthed on Calvary so long ago!

Glory to God for the Cross!

   JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

What does it mean to live the “normal Christian life”? I suppose the question will be discussed till the performance of the trumpet of God, as it has been discussed since the Ascension. Whatever the answer may be in whole, it in part means to live with the knowledge of the power inherent to being an adopted child of God.

In this regard I believe Christians put limits upon themselves to what is possible in their individual lives living as children of the Sovereign and Transcendent Creator. A simple daily limitation is our self hypnosis to the words we use and the words which consume our thoughts.

With this said, there are a handful of words within Christianity which are really hindrances to the actualization of the normal Christian life. The one word which particularly grates on my sensibilities of what it means to be a Christian (and by full implication of the word “Christian” to be “Christ-LIKE”, the fulfillment of being a Christ-follower) happens to be the simple word ‘hope’.

The word ‘hope’ is common in the English Bible, so it is common in popular Christian literature and vernacular.

The general definition of ‘hope’ is: to feel that something desired may happen.

“Feel” and “may happen“… This does not sound very confident for any attainment of any desired end; much less to live with the knowledge of the power inherent to being an adopted child of God.

To me this seems a weak and feeble word which should not be associated to a child of the Most High and Father of Lights, to whom the the four beasts of Revelation 4 cry out “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is and is to come.”

Upon further investigation into this word, we find that although it is popular in its religious (and political) usage, it is not indigenous to Christianity.

We find the word ‘hope’ is not found in the original autographs of the New Testament (NT). Remember, the NT was written in Koine Greek (a form of ancient Greek which is not used in modern day Greece).

What we find in the NT are the Greek words elpis and elpizo which are usually translated ‘hope’ in common English translations of the NT. The definitions of these are: to trust in faith; joyful and confident expectation.

This is NOT the definition of the English word ‘hope’.

So we observe the meaning of the English word ‘hope’: ‘maybe’ it will occur.

So we observe the meaning of the Greek words actually used in the NT: to trust in faith.

If I believe in “maybe”, I believe in a great possibility of failure.

If I “trust in faith”, I believe God is the Sovereign and I am His adopted child.

To “trust in faith” is to be as David was before the Giant: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” <1 Samuel 17:26>.

To ‘hope’ is to be as the army that stood before the Giant, and did nothing.

So then we have the biblical phrase of “Faith, Hope and Love” as it truly is defined in the biblical literature:

To believe confidently, to trust expectantly, and to love unconditionally.

Now we are beginning to comprehend the normal Christian life.

    JESUS IS LORD

Rev. Daniel Gabriel

“The world is floating on an ocean of lies.”

 Please consider the following:

How many of you have a particularly disturbing story of a certain event that has happened in your personal industry? I’m talking about your career. I’m sure you have an anecdote or two about what really goes on “behind closed doors“.

I’m sure there are issues relating to cooking the books, lying to investors, sexual liaisons, inter-industry spying and outright cheating your consumers. I’m sure there are stories of incredible waste and bilking the public.

I’m sure you have at least one story that if the general public knew, it would turn your place of business or industry upside down.

Please, think about one of those stories right now…

Do you have one in your mind?

I will now put you at ease and let you know that it isn’t surprising, everyone has a story.

And now I will put you in horror and notify you that YES, EVERYONE HAS A STORY.

Everyone you know has inside information concerning their industry (or actual place of work) that would make you and I shudder to consider it.

Everyone.

So there is the world that is projected to us by the genius in the marketing department to keep everyone at ease.

And there is the story behind the curtain.

The story of how we truly feel about one another…how cash profits trump human decency and how we would kill our brother to possess our brother’s land.

The enemy of our souls is brilliant and we in turn are masters at lying to ourselves.

These truly are the day’s of Noah.

But don’t think about it. I’m sure there is something good on TV tonight…

Come quickly Lord Jesus.

     JESUS IS LORD
Rev. Daniel Gabriel

P.S.

Here is some encouragement:

“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
~ the Lord Jesus Christ <John 16:33>