up ySf

Dumping a Whole Webpage to Edit It

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 20:57:00 -0300

An easy way to extract and edit contents from a webpage

Instead of copying and pasting portions of a webpage that interests you, through mouse selecting them, just use a simple command in Linux to dump a whole webpage into a file and use, say Emacs or (n)Vim, to edit the page and extract the information that you are after…
For this, just install a cli-webbrowser (elinks and/or w3m) and issue a simple command to dump the website you want to get some information. Likoe so:
sudo apt install w3m elinks vim neovim neovim-qt emacs
Then, head to the webpage you want, copy its URL address and issue this command:
elinks -dump $URL > $fileName
Where $URL is the https address and $fileName is any name you can give to it
Then, open the $fileName with Emacs or (n)Vim and edit it as you like
It is that simple!

How to translate a webpage

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:51:00 -0300

An easy way to translate a whole webpage into other languages

You can easily translate a whole webpage, say: from English to Portuguese, using a command-line called translate-shell.

For this, just install it on your Linux box and issue a simple command, like so:

Open a terminal and issue these commands:
sudo apt install translate-shell
Then, find, e.g., a webpage written in English
https://www.gotquestions.org/who-is-God.html
Issue this command:
trans -browser firefox :pt https://www.gotquestions.org/who-is-God.html
Where firefox can be any other browser (chrome, chromium, brave-browser, et.al)
And the URL can be anything that you want to read in your own language
See the manpage for translate-shell to get more info about this superb command…
man trans
It is that simple!
🤓

Mary Magdalene Bible verses 02

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 17:16:00 -0300

I’ve written this text when I was preparing a Bible study for our prayer group meeting on the subject character of Mary Magdalene… Preparei esse texto quando o nosso grupo de oração estava estudando a personagem Maria Madalena…

Mary Magdalene Maria Madalena disciple Christ discípula Cristo Bible verses versículos bíblicos

Maria Madalena - versículos Bíblicos 02

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Mary Magdalene Bible verses

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 17:02:00 -0300

Maria Madalena - versículos Bíblicos

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Haskell notes (part 01)

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 12:07:00 -0300

These are few notes on my Haskell study…

What is Haskell?

Haskell is a functional language
Meaning that its paradigm is not OO (Object Oriented), neither Imperative
A functional programming language uses a basic method of aplying functions to its arguments (or parameters)
There ara a ton of good reasons why you should learn a functional language like Haskell
Suffice to say that most OO and Imperative languages borrow methods and concepts from functional ones…
But, you can do your own research on this subject…

What is a Haskell function? (01)

It is an entity that takes a value or a set of values (including other functions)
And returns (reduces it to, evaluate it to, execute it to) a new value ;)
You should first define a function, and then, execute (call, evaluate) it
You can define a function in a script, using an code editor
As well as in GHCI, but you need to write the definition and its body on a single line separated by “;” (a semi-colon)

What is a Haskell function? (02)

e.g.:
Int -> Int -> Int ; soma x y = x + y
or
Float -> Float -> Float ; soma x y = x + y
or
Double -> Double -> Double ; soma x y = x + y
Call it like so: soma 2 3 – (et.al)
:t – check their types

Translating mathematics functions into Haskell ones

Note that function applications default from left to right
f(x) ≍ f x
f(x,y) ≍ f x y
f(g(x)) ≍ f (g x)
f(x,g(y)) ≍ f x (g y)
f(x)g(y) ≍ f x * g y
et.al.

The Haskell platform (01)

Avoid Window$ OS for working at all costs…
Especially when learning coding/programming…
Avoid VsCode (and VsCodium) at all costs as well…
They are a declaration of lazy programmers (in an extremely bad sense (note in the good sense of coding))
Worst of all, if they are used on a Linux environment, it is an heresy and a profanation ate the same time… ;)
Unless, they impose it on you when working locally and/or remotely

The Haskell platform (02)

Preferably, use a GNU/Linux distro like Debian…
and Emacs (or an Emacs start-kit) and/or Vim (or a Vim start-kit)
These are real editors for serious programmers ;)
If you do not have the muscle brain to use one of them or both, Zed can be berable as your code editor:
https://zed.dev/
Installing haskell on Linux Debian (or Debian-like) OSes
sudo apt install haskell-platform
sudo apt autoremove

Haskell Programming Language

A simple “Hello Haskell!” script
Copy this code into a, say, “hello_hask.hs”
And read on to learn how to compile/run it…

import Data.Binary.Put (putShortByteString)
import Data.Text.Encoding.Error (ignore)
main = do
  putStrLn "Hello! World!"

-- Just ignore this part, if you do not use Emacs and eev

-- (buffer-file-name)

{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load hello.hs
-}

How do you start a ghci REPL in Linux?
Just type “ghci” in a terminal
Then you can “:set prompt ”$sth“” as you wish

- :set prompt "hsk > "

You can call “M-x helm-ucs” and choose “𝜆 > ”
as your prompt, e.g. :)

The haskell interpreter

ghci is the haskell interpreter
You can also run a program callint it on a terminial
followed bye the name of the haskell script. Like so:
ghci foo.hs
ghci /path/to/script.hs

Then you can start issuing commands at the REPL..

- putStrLn "Hello Haskell!"

For getting help and information, do:

:doc $func
:help $func
:info $func
local help:
dino laptop
(browse-url-firefox “~/.ghcup/ghc/9.4.8/share/doc/ghc-9.4.8/html/index.html”)
cypher laptop
(browse-url-firefox “~/.ghcup/ghc/9.6.1/share/doc/ghc-9.6.1/html/index.html”)
On-line help:
ghc-docs
(browse-url-firefox “https://downloads.haskell.org/ghc/latest/docs”)
hoogle-docs
(browse-url-firefox https://hoogle.haskell.org")
On Emacs (a personal local function):
M-x cypher/haskell-docs

For repeating the last command

Type “it” on GHCI

For loading, reloading and calling a function from your prompt, do:

:main
:l(oad)
:l /path/to/script.hs
:r(eload)
:r /path/to/script.hs
:q(uit) or “C-d”
setting your Haskell editor
ghci> :edit hello.hs
editor not set, use :set editor
ghci> :set editor emacsclient

For running a program on console, do:

runhaskell $script.hs

For compiling a script, do:

ghc $script.hs

Then you can run your compiled code like so:

./$script

For issuing a bash command inside de REPL, do:

:!$cmd
$cmd is just a variable

Start writing your haskell scripts with: (01)

- This is just an example:

- module $Test where

- main :: IO() -- it is the monad IO () - the Input/Output monad
- main = putStrLn "Hello Haskell!"

- If you have multiple lines after "main =", you've to write:

- main = do

- and open a new line (2 spaces of left-indentation)
- for writing your code...

Start writing your haskell scripts with: (02)

What is a module?
module is a place where we keep all functions we’ve defined
Prelude is the default Haskell module where all standard functions are already defined
Sometimes, we have to import a module for building more specific applications…

Commenting your Haskell code

Commenting your code is a good programming practise
It helps you, and others, who reads the code
Especially, if you visit it after a while…
It serves as a way of documenting your code as well
For commenting single lines, use two dashes “–” before or after them
Like so: – this is a single-line comment
Multi-line comments start with curl-braces and a single dash and close the with single dash and curl-braces.
Like so: {- Write lines here -}
Multi-line comments can be nested

Haskell classes and types

Note Haskell is case-sensitive
What is a type?
It is set of related values. E.g.: Numbers (Int, Integers, Double and Float)
Boolean types hold logic values: True and False
We can combine types and build functions
Boolean types map all functions from a Bool to another Bool
Bool -> Bool
:t (&&) - yields True if the two sides are True
:t (||) - inclusive Or - yields False if the two are False, otherwise renders True
:t not - it changes the Boolean values to be the opposite of themselves
Haskell has got a short-circuit semantic
We can call it a lazy evaluation
False && True && True – this yields False, because it stops after evaluating the two first elements
T~ (v has got a type T)
We have to assing a type to every expression we intend to execute (evaluate)
Example of expressions: 1; not True; not (not False); 3 + 4; et.al.
:t (+)
:t map
:t filter
Int~) + 2
Float~) + 2
Bool~ (3 has got a type Bool) gives an error
Types should be coherent, otherwise the interpreter will yell at them
Before evaluating any expression, Haskell checks its type on the background
This checking up is called type inference
if True 1 ; else False – this gives an error. Because True is an Bool and has to return a Bool and not an Int

You can check types with:

:t(ype) $func ($id)
for operators, you’ve to place them inside parenthesis, so that it will be possible to see their types:
:t (*) – you’ve to enclose infix operators with parentheses to turn them into prefix ones for checking their types
:t (==) – you’ve to enclose infix operators with parentheses to turn them into prefix ones for checking their types
An script to show some math operators and math functions in action

module Main where

main :: IO ()
main = do
  print (5 + 5)
  print (5 * 7)
  print (8 - 3)
  print (5 / 2)
  print (3 * 6.0)
  print (4 ** 3)
  print (sqrt 36.0)
  print (round 4.4)
  print (round 4.6)
  print (floor 4.6)
  print (ceiling 4.6)
  return ()

-- Just ignore this part, if you do not use Emacs and eev

-- or type "C-c C-l". So that, the function is automagically loaded into haskell REPL
-- M-x haskell-doc-mode

-- (buffer-file-name)

{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load maths.hs
:main
-}

Bool and compare

’a’ == ’b’ -> False
’a’ `compare` ’b’ -> LT

The “show” type class prints values as strings

- :t show 3 -> show 3 :: String

The “read” type class prints values as non-strings

- :t read "3" -> read "3" :: Read a => a

- read "3" + 5
- read "True" && True

- read "4" -- error, since it needs a type annotation, because it
- does not know if you want a Float or Int

- read "4" :: Int
- read "4" :: Double
- read "5" :: Float
- (read "4" :: Float) * 3
- read "[1,2,2]" :: [Float]
- read "('a', 3.4)" :: (Char, Float)

A simple doubleMe and doubleUsSumUs haskell functions
As usual, code the code; save it on a “.hs” ending file and compile/run it

-- load the function in the repl with:
-- :l hello
-- after saving it, you do not need to load again, but:
-- :reload
-- and call it with:
-- :main

-- Script from the book:
-- Learn You a Great Haskell

-- double an only given number
doubleMe x = x + x

-- double two given numbers
-- and sum them
doubleUsSumUs x y = (x * 2) + (y * 2)

-- Just ignore this part, if you do not use Emacs and eev

-- or type "C-c C-l". So that, the function is automagically loaded into haskell REPL
-- M-x haskell-doc-mode

-- (buffer-file-name)

{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load baby.hs
-}

Compiler type inference

- the compiler can infer what we want,
- by looking to the rest of the
- list elements
- [read "True", False, True, False]

You can get a range with “..” notation inside a list

[1..10] – [start..end]
[LT .. GT]

Checking bounded types

- minBound :: Int
- maxBound :: Int
- maxBound :: (Bool, Int, Char)

Functions (built-in)

e.g.:
4 + 2
4 - 2
4 * 2
4 ^ 2
4 ** 2
4 / 2
4 `div` 2
4 / 0
4 `div` 0
succ ’a’
succ 7
sum [1..5]
et.al.

Function naming (rules)

No space between two or mor strings
Must start with downcase letter
Can have down, upper-cases letters, digits, underscores, and single quote in its end
camelCase style
e.g.: fooBar; foo1; foo’; foo’’; foo’’’ (’’’ …)

  module Dup where

-- You can write functions with same names (with two (or more)
-- versions (you can use prime(s) "'" for that), and different types

-- load and call the functions on GHCI

-- dupFoo 3
-- dupFoo' 3

-- function declaration
dupFoo :: Int -> Int

-- build the function
dupFoo n = n + n

-- function declaration
dupFoo' :: Float -> Float

-- build the function
dupFoo' n = 2 * n


{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load dup.hs

-}

Cannot use Haskell reserved words: case, class, data default, deriving, do, else, if, import, in, infix, infixl, infixr, instance, let, module, newtype, of, then, type, where

Function assignments

e.g.:
What does the following expression mean?

- div :: Integral a => a -> a -> a
- div :: Int -> Int -> Int

It means that the div(ision) function takes two arguments (or parameters) of type Int and returns a value of the same type (Int)
Integral is a Class, in Haskell
division x y = x `div` y
or
division x y = div x y
It is not necessary to add function signatures in your heading code, but Haskell good programming practice say so…

Functions can be classified on:

prefixed functions
e.g.: - 2
div 4 2
infix functions
2 + 4
4 `div` 2
post-fixed functions
2 sqrt

Assigning non-default types to data

- :t 20

- 20 :: Int
- 20 :: Float
- 20 :: Double

fromIntegral function

:t fromIntegral
(length [1,2,3,4]) + 3.0 – error
fromIntegral (length [1,2,3,4]) + 3.7

Lists are the most common types Haskell uses to manipulate data

There are no loops on Haskell
It uses recursive functions (functions that call themselves)
Which are most powerful methods to reach what loops do on OO and Imperative languages

List names (convention)

ns – list of numbers
xs – list of arbitrary values
xss – list of list of characters

Joining data with “<>” (used to be “++”)

- e.g.:

- lists:
- [1,2,3] <> [4,5,6]

- lists of lists
- [[1,2,3],[4,5,6]] <> [[7,8,9]]

- strings (chars, for real):
- ['h', 'e'] <> "llo"

Accessing data elements with “!!”

- words = ["foo", "bar", "barz", "foo1", "bar2", "barz1", "barz2"]

- words !! 0
- words !! 5
- words !! 10

An script to show how to acces list elements with:
!!
head
last
init
And
tail

main :: IO ()

-- Lists start at 0 index

scores :: [Int]
scores = [5, 7, 9, 10]

-- the bang operator access list indexes

main = do
  print [scores !! 0]
  print [scores !! 2]

  print (head scores)
  print (last scores)
  print (init scores)
  print (tail scores)

-- Just ignore this part, if you do not use Emacs and eev

-- or type "C-c C-l". So that, the function is automagically loaded into haskell REPL
-- M-x haskell-doc-mode

-- (buffer-file-name)

{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load lists.hs
:main
-}

Consing (constructing) lists with “:”

- 1 : [2,3] -- prepends 1 to the list, using cons ":"

- 'h' : ['e', 'l', 'l', 'o']

- 'f' : 'o' : ['o']

- [1,2,3] : []

- [1] : [2] : [3] : [[10,11,12]]

- l = [1] : [2] : [3] : [[10,11,12]]

Accessing list elements with head, init and tail

- l = [1] : [2] : [3] : [[10,11,12]]

- head l
- init l
- tail l

Data pattern matching

Copy the function bellow and save it as:
e.g.: patMatch.hs

module PatMatch where

-- partern matching

sorte :: Int -> String
sorte 7 = "Acertou! Parabéns"

-- load this function and
-- call this it like so:
-- sorte # -- where "#" is a number

-- we should always add a catchall at the end of our patern matching function

sorte x = "Que pena... Errou"

-- ignore this part if you do not have "eev" in Emacs

{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load partern_match.hs
-}

Emacs Haskell Niceties (1)

- Type "C-c C-l" when editing a haskell script. So that, the function is automagically loaded into haskell REPL

- (buffer-file-name)
- eval this inside your local buffer or file

Emacs Haskell Niceties (2)

- You can use eeit
- and just add ":main" to its block
- or you can call ghci with "C-c C-l" as well

- use 2 spaces indentation
- M-x haskell-doc-mode

Branches and decision making

if, then, else
A simple script

module Main where

-- call the down function

main = printSmallNumber 11

-- function name = body

printSmallNumber num =
 if num < 10
 then print num
 else print "The number is too big"

Branches and decision making (cont…)

-- Just ignore this part, if you do not use Emacs and eev
-- or type "C-c C-l". So that, the function is automagically loaded into haskell REPL
-- M-x haskell-doc-mode
-- (buffer-file-name)

{-
 (eepitch-ghci)
 (eepitch-kill)
 (eepitch-ghci)
:load prNum.hs

-}

Good Haskell tutorials:

- Books
- Effective_Haskell
- Learn_You_a_Great_Haskell
- Haskell_98_Tutorial
- Haskell_TCofP
- Haskell_PaTyp

- Introduction au langage Haskell
- by nokomprendo

- gitlab
- http://tny.im/CxTon

- Articles
- http://tny.im/qZbsp

- Videos
- http://tny.im/lFIfd

God's judgement

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 20:33:00 -0300

God’s judgement

Video is here

Appointments on Jesus_Mount Sermon

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 20:35:00 -0300

Appointments on Jesus’ Mount Sermon

Video is here

Não temas filho

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 16:13:00 -0300

Essa é uma breve mensagem que o Senhor deu-me em novembro de 2021. O tema principal é sobre o Medo e porque devemos temer ao Senhor, e não a homens.

Não temas, filho

Vídeo aqui

Entendendo o Salmo 29

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:21:00 -0300

O Salmo 29 é uma declaração de louvor, adoração, temor e tremor diante do poder de Deus… O texto pinta um quadro do Senhor entronizado através de vários fenômenos que podemos observar durante o período de tempestades avassaladoras que presenciamos ao longo da nossa vida. O rei Davi, ainda nos seus dias de jovem pastor, nos conta, em linguagem poética, acerca de uma ocasião em que presenciou uma dessas fortes tempestades… Portanto, vamos tentar acompanhá-lo nesse cântico e oração sublime O que acham?

Texto Bíblico

Salmo 29¹

Introdução

Todos nós gostamos de mencionar o texto que narra a fuga do profeta Elias das garras da bruxa Jezabel quando ele, um campeão da Fé, em um momento de titubeio e fraqueza, foge para bem longe e vai se enfurnar dentro de uma das cavernas do monte Carmelo…
Então o Senhor, na Sua imensa misericórdia e cuidado todo especial com o Seu profeta, vai buscá-lo com o intuito de arrancá-lo da cova do desânimo, da depressão e da pulsão de morte:
Na Sua busca misericordiosa, depois de se manifestar ao profeta através de fenômenos barulhentos, alardeantes e amedrontadores (vento fenomenalmente forte que separava montes e esmiuçava rochas; terremoto e fogo), o Senhor foi encontrado por Elias no murmúrio de uma brisa suave (1 Rs 19)…
Por vezes, transformamos esse evento numa doutrina ou num dogma, uma espécie de paradigma da forma correta de Deus falar conosco…
Se o Senhor nos fala como um Leão, então pensamos: “Hum… Não foi o Senhor, pois o Senhor é meigo, amoroso, cuidadoso e de fala mansa e leve…”
Será mesmo? Ou o Ele é como um Pai que nos adverte, às vezes, com a força da Sua potente voz, do perigo que estamos correndo ou tenta nos tirar do buraco em que já caímos através de uma pitada de disciplina divina?²
Sem negar essa verdade, no entanto, não devemos engessar a forma como o Senhor deve ou não falar conosco…
Na realidade, tudo depende da situação…
Ele é Deus soberano e faz como Lhe apraz, porque nosso Senhor é a própria Sabedoria…
E, por vezes, o Senhor pode também falar conosco num tom totalmente antitético do que muitos de nós esperamos e pensamos, segundo nossas regras de comportamento culturais e pessoais…

Desenvolvimento

O salmo 29, nos ensina, justamente, essa _verdade da maneira exótica e que vai totamente contra o que ensina nossa sociedade do “politicamente correta”:
O falar de um Deus que deve gerar em nós respeito, temor e, sobretudo tremor
Não porque Ele seja um Deus irado e sem controle de Si mesmo, mas porque o Senhor é Rei. E como Rei dos reis e Senhor dos Senhores, há situações em que Ele expressou, expressa e expressará a Sua glória em forma de infinito poder
Um estilo que nós, Seus servos, e a humanidade como um todo, não está acostumada a ver e nem a experimentar…
Davi, quando pastor de ovelhas, antes de ser ungido rei de Israel, e assumir o cargo, andava aí pelos montes de Israel, cuidando das ovelhas da família, dormindo ao relento, observando as belezas da natureza e lutando contra os inimigos³ do rebanho da família
Numa tarde de forte chuva e raivosa tempestade, talvez a maior que houvera presenciado nos seus anos de pastoreio, passou por um estado de perplexidade, admiração, louvor e medo diante do poder e da majestade do Senhor…
Debaixo daquele arbusto, ou abrigado na sua pequena tenda, cercado de ovelhas, viu as nuvens escuras correrem numa rapidez frenética a cobrir todo o horizonte de norte a sul e de leste a oeste daquela amontanha ou vale…
De repente, começou a ver o dia escurecer, os raios cortar o espaço numa dança de tirar o fôlego, cada um deles seguido de estalos ensurdecedores…
Como ele não tinha uma cama para entrar debaixo e se “proteger” - como o fazem muitas crianças, pelo menos em algumas estórias que ouvíamos - ficou por ali mesmo imóvel e petrificado, cercado pelo seu rebanho também paralisado e assustado com o desfile retumbante de tantos relâmpagos e trovões visitando-os de todas as direções…
Depois de algum tempo imóvel, o ruivo pastor lança mão da sua harpa e começa a cantar o poder, glória e majestade do Senhor expresso na voz de trovões e do olhar penetrante e ofuscante dos Seus raios que nenhuma escuridão era capaz de encobrir…
Na sua oração de louvor e adoração ao poder e majestade do Senhor, também aproveita a ocasião para reafirmar quem é o Verdadeiro Senhor da natureza, dos trovões, da chuva, da tempestade, dos relâmpagos e trovões…
Não é baal (o baal dos cananeus - o deus da tempestade, dos trovões e da fertilidade)⁴…
Mas, é o Senhor Deus dos Céus…
Sem aquela experiência arrebatadora que ele teve, acredito eu, nunca teríamos essa bela oração e cântico de perplexidade e admiração diante do nosso Criador…
Este Salmo é para ser lido, cantado, meditado e admirado, sobretudo, nesses dias de chuva, vento e tempestades arrebatadores que caem aqui nessa região (e que me custou o segundo modem/roteador)… E também em sua cidade, campo, região, comarca, município ou seja lá onde o Senhor te colocou…
Ele é um lembrete pra nós, de que servimos a um Deus de Poder.
A Quem também devemos temer e tremer diante da Sua majestade santa, perfeita e imensurável
Fico um tanto quanto preocupado com aqueles que brincam com o Nome do Senhor; que O desprezam e falam coisas horríveis acerca dEle…
E outros chegam até o extremo de blasfemar o Nome santo do nosso amado e querido Deus, fazendo chacotas e sátiras com as coisas santas e, sobretudo, com o mundo espiritual que O serve (Seus santos anjos)⁵…
Davi nos faz, aqueles que verdadeiramente amam e temem ao Senhor, cair prostrados em louvor e gratidão diante desse Deus tremendo que sendo tão amoroso, bondoso e misericordioso é também infinitamente majestoso, poderoso e acessível…
É um Deus, o Deus verdadeiro, que incute em nós através de uma tarde chuvosa, cinzenta e tempestuosa uma atitude de reverência, respeito e admiração em tê-lo como nosso Pai…
Jacó, nem precisou de uma experiência tão tempestuosa como a de Davi, mas manifestou um sentimento semelhante quando percebeu que o lugar onde havia reclinado a cabeça para pernoitar era uma espécie de elevador para o Céu, e que havia, naquele instante, descoberto a Porta do Céu!⁶.
Aquilo foi motivo para incidir nele um sentimento de temor e tremor diante da presença e majestade do Senhor!
Provavelmente, Davi, presenciou durante aquela tempestade a qual estamos imaginando, e várias outras, um “raio” - um corisco como se diz em algumas partes do Nordeste - cair e despedaçar cedros do Líbano, partindo-os ao meio…
Você, por acaso, já viu a altura e o diâmetro dos cedros do Líbano?
O que acha que aquelas árvores expressam em relação à pessoa e atributos de Deus?
Davi então, ponderou e concluiu: “essa é a Voz do Senhor”
E quando Ele fala todos O ouvem⁷ e não tem como não ouvir:
Ouvem-No aqueles que estão grassando os mares;
Ouvem-No aqueles que habitam no Norte (Líbano) - no Sul, Leste e Oeste;
Ouvem-no aqueles que estão no topo do Siriom (O monte Hermon)⁸;
Ouvem-No aqueles que habitam nos desertos (“… o Senhor faz tremer o deserto de Cades”);
Ouvem-No aqueles que habitam na escuridão das florestas densas (homens e animais, estes, por vezes, dão até a luz ao som dos trovões);
Ouvem-No aqueles que O adoram nos lugares santos (“A voz do Senhor faz as corças dar à luz, e desnuda as florestas; e no seu templo todos dizem: Glória!”)
Ouvem-No, sobretudo, aqueles que estão debaixo do dilúvio das tempestades (“O Senhor está entronizado sobre o dilúvio; o Senhor se assenta como Rei, perpetuamente”). Como o Salmista muitas vezes esteve em situações parecidas…
Ouvem-No, e ouvirão, até os mortos cujos corpos já foram enterrados⁹
Ouvem-No os mortos espirituais¹⁰
Ouvem-No, para louvor ou disciplina, as igrejas espalhadas por todos os lugares e em todos os séculos¹¹
Além de ouvir ao Senhor, Davi, também sentia a presença do olhar penetrante dEle nos turbilhões das tempestades, através de trovões e relâmpagos (“A voz do Senhor lança labaredas de fogo.”)

Conclusão

Nada, nem ninguém poderá, um dia, dizer ao justo Juiz que não ouviu a Sua voz enquanto em vida¹² …
Deus nos fala através da natureza¹³
Deus nos falou e nos fala e continuará falando a nós, de forma especial (a Revelação especial de Deus), através de Jesus Cristo¹⁴^,¹⁵
Deus nos fala através da Palavra (a Voz do Senhor): Jesus Cristo¹⁶
Verdadeiramente, além do Senhor falar conosco de várias formas, também, e bem verdade, que nós mesmos, somos a Voz do Senhor
E Ele faz tanto dos Seus santos anjos, quanto de cada um dos Seus discípulos, ministros e labaredas de fogo¹⁷^,¹⁸^,¹⁹
Para ensinar e pregar o Evangelho da salvação que é capaz de purificar o homem de todo pecado, através do ministério especial do Espírito Santo que aplica a obra de Cristo àqueles que o recebem…
Em nós deve haver poder para revelar tanto a nossa condição espiritual como a do pecador sem Cristo diante da santidade do Senhor…
Em nós deve haver temor e tremor diante do Altíssimo para que assim conduzamos as pessoas também a reverenciar, temer e tremer diante do Deus dos relâmpagos, trovões, tempestade, fertilidade e agricultura; Senhor de todo o Universo…
Em nós deve haver a voz que clama no deserto²⁰ dos corações humanos para revelar ao pecador, começando por nós mesmos, a se tornar um verdadeiro adorador do Deus de Majestade e Poder²¹
Se puderem, ouçam, em atitude de louvor e adoração, essa canção:
Música - A Voz do Senhor²² - Alda Célia
Que o Senhor os abençoe…
Boa estação de chuvas para todos…
Cypher
Sun Jan 22 10:39:54 AM -03 2023

Footnotes:

Psalms 29
Psalms 29:1: Tributai ao Senhor, ó filhos dos poderosos, tributai ao Senhor glória e força.
Psalms 29:2: Tributai ao Senhor a glória devida ao seu nome; adorai o Senhor vestidos de trajes santos.
Psalms 29:3: A voz do Senhor ouve-se sobre as águas; o Deus da glória troveja; o Senhor está sobre as muitas águas.
Psalms 29:4: A voz do Senhor é poderosa; a voz do Senhor é cheia de majestade.
Psalms 29:5: A voz do Senhor quebra os cedros; sim, o Senhor quebra os cedros do Líbano.
Psalms 29:6: Ele faz o Líbano saltar como um bezerro; e Siriom, como um filhote de boi selvagem.
Psalms 29:7: A voz do Senhor lança labaredas de fogo.
Psalms 29:8: A voz do Senhor faz tremer o deserto; o Senhor faz tremer o deserto de Cades.
Psalms 29:9: A voz do Senhor faz as corças dar à luz, e desnuda as florestas; e no seu templo todos dizem: Glória!
Psalms 29:10: O Senhor está entronizado sobre o dilúvio; o Senhor se assenta como rei, perpetuamente.
Psalms 29:11: O Senhor dará força ao seu povo; o Senhor abençoará o seu povo com paz. (PorAR)

Hebrews 12:7: Se sofreis correção, Deus vos trata como a filhos; pois qual é o filho a quem o pai não corrige?
Hebrews 12:8: Mas, se estais sem disciplina, da qual todos são participantes, então sois bastardos e não filhos.
Hebrews 12:9: Além disto, tivemos nossos pais, segundo a carne, que nos corrigiram e os respeitávamos; e não nos sujeitaremos muito mais ao Pai dos espíritos, e viveremos?
Hebrews 12:10: Pois eles, por pouco tempo, nos corrigiam como bem lhes parecia; ele, porém, para nosso proveito, para sermos participantes da sua santidade.
Hebrews 12:11: Ora, nenhuma correção parece, no momento, ser motivo de alegria, mas sim de tristeza; depois, entretanto, ela produz o fruto de justiça pacífico, naqueles que têm sido por ela exercitados. (PorAR)

I Samuel 17:34: Então disse Davi a Saul: Teu servo apascentava as ovelhas de seu pai, e sempre que vinha um leão, ou um urso, e tomava um cordeiro do rebanho,
I Samuel 17:35: eu saía após ele, e o matava, e lho arrancava da boca; levantando-se ele contra mim, segurava-o pela queixada, e o feria e matava.
I Samuel 17:36: O teu servo matava tanto ao leão como ao urso; e este incircunciso filisteu será como um deles, porquanto afrontou os exércitos do Deus vivo.
I Samuel 17:37: Disse mais Davi: O Senhor, que me livrou das garras do leão, e das garras do urso, me livrará da mão deste filisteu. Então disse Saul a Davi: Vai, e o Senhor seja contigo. (PorAR)

⁴

Baal < https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal >, acesso em Sun Jan 22 10:34:36 AM -03 2023

⁵

Matthew 12:36: Mas eu vos digo que de toda palavra inútil que os homens disserem, hão de dar conta no dia do juízo.
Matthew 12:37: Porque pelas tuas palavras serás justificado, e pelas tuas palavras serás condenado. (PorAR)

⁶

Genesis 28:6: Ora, viu Esaú que Isaque abençoara a Jacó, e o enviara a Padã-Arã, para tomar de lá mulher para si, e que, abençoando-o, lhe ordenara, dizendo: Não tomes mulher dentre as filhas de Canaã,
Genesis 28:7: e que Jacó, obedecendo a seu pai e a sua mãe, fora a Padã-Arã;
Genesis 28:8: vendo também Esaú que as filhas de Canaã eram más aos olhos de Isaque seu pai,
Genesis 28:9: foi-se Esaú a Ismael e, além das mulheres que já tinha, tomou por mulher a Maalate, filha de Ismael, filho de Abraão, irmã de Nebaiote.
Genesis 28:10: Partiu, pois, Jacó de Beer-Seba e se foi em direção a Harã;
Genesis 28:11: e chegou a um lugar onde passou a noite, porque o sol já se havia posto; e, tomando uma das pedras do lugar e pondo-a debaixo da cabeça, deitou-se ali para dormir.
Genesis 28:12: Então sonhou: estava posta sobre a terra uma escada, cujo topo chegava ao céu; e eis que os anjos de Deus subiam e desciam por ela;
Genesis 28:13: por cima dela estava o Senhor, que disse: Eu sou o Senhor, o Deus de Abraão teu pai, e o Deus de Isaque; esta terra em que estás deitado, eu a darei a ti e à tua descendência;
Genesis 28:14: e a tua descendência será como o pó da terra; dilatar-te-ás para o ocidente, para o oriente, para o norte e para o sul; por meio de ti e da tua descendência serão benditas todas as famílias da terra.
Genesis 28:15: Eis que estou contigo, e te guardarei por onde quer que fores, e te farei tornar a esta terra; pois não te deixarei até que haja cumprido aquilo de que te tenho falado.
Genesis 28:16: Ao acordar Jacó do seu sono, disse: Realmente o Senhor está neste lugar; e eu não o sabia.
Genesis 28:17: E temeu, e disse: Quão terrível é este lugar! Este não é outro lugar senão a casa de Deus; e esta é a porta dos céus.
Genesis 28:18: Jacó levantou-se de manhã cedo, tomou a pedra que pusera debaixo da cabeça, e a pôs como coluna; e derramou-lhe azeite em cima.
Genesis 28:19: E chamou aquele lugar Betel; porém o nome da cidade antes era Luz.
Genesis 28:20: Fez também Jacó um voto, dizendo: Se Deus for comigo e me guardar neste caminho que vou seguindo, e me der pão para comer e vestes para vestir,
Genesis 28:21: de modo que eu volte em paz à casa de meu pai, e se o Senhor for o meu Deus,
Genesis 28:22: então esta pedra que tenho posto como coluna será casa de Deus; e de tudo quanto me deres, certamente te darei o dízimo.
Genesis 29:1: Então pôs-se Jacó a caminho e chegou à terra dos filhos do Oriente.
Genesis 29:2: E olhando, viu ali um poço no campo, e três rebanhos de ovelhas deitadas junto dele; pois desse poço se dava de beber aos rebanhos; e havia uma grande pedra sobre a boca do poço.
Genesis 29:3: Ajuntavam-se ali todos os rebanhos; os pastores removiam a pedra da boca do poço, davam de beber às ovelhas e tornavam a pôr a pedra no seu lugar sobre a boca do poço.
Genesis 29:4: Perguntou-lhes Jacó: Meus irmãos, donde sois? Responderam eles: Somos de Harã. (PorAR)

⁷

Habakkuk 2:20: Mas o Senhor está no seu santo templo; cale-se diante dele toda a terra; (PorAR)

⁸

O Siriom < http://tny.im/WQHpf >, acesso em Sat Jan 21 11:28:35 PM -03 2023

⁹

John 11:43
John 11:43: E, tendo dito isso, clamou em alta voz: Lázaro, vem para fora! (PorAR)
I Thessalonians 4:13: Não queremos, porém, irmãos, que sejais ignorantes acerca dos que já dormem, para que não vos entristeçais como os outros que não têm esperança.
I Thessalonians 4:14: Porque, se cremos que Jesus morreu e ressuscitou, assim também aos que dormem, Deus, mediante Jesus, os tornará a trazer juntamente com ele.
I Thessalonians 4:15: Dizemo-vos, pois, isto pela palavra do Senhor: que nós, os que ficarmos vivos para a vinda do Senhor, de modo algum precederemos os que já dormem.
I Thessalonians 4:16: Porque o Senhor mesmo descerá do céu com grande brado, à voz do arcanjo, ao som da trombeta de Deus, e os que morreram em Cristo ressuscitarão primeiro.
I Thessalonians 4:17: Depois nós, os que ficarmos vivos seremos arrebatados juntamente com eles, nas nuvens, ao encontro do Senhor nos ares, e assim estaremos para sempre com o Senhor. (PorAR)

¹⁰

Ephesians 2:1: Ele vos vivificou, estando vós mortos nos vossos delitos e pecados,
Ephesians 2:2: nos quais outrora andastes, segundo o curso deste mundo, segundo o príncipe das potestades do ar, do espírito que agora opera nos filhos de desobediência,
Ephesians 2:3: entre os quais todos nós também antes andávamos nos desejos da nossa carne, fazendo a vontade da carne e dos pensamentos; e éramos por natureza filhos da ira, como também os demais. (PorAR)

¹¹

Revelation 1:4-6
Revelation of John 1:4: João, às sete igrejas que estão na Ásia: Graça a vós e paz da parte daquele que é, e que era, e que há de vir, e da dos sete espíritos que estão diante do seu trono;
Revelation of John 1:5: e da parte de Jesus Cristo, a testemunha fiel, o primogênito dos mortos e o Príncipe dos reis da terra. Àquele que nos amou, e nos lavou de nossos pecados em seu próprio sangue,
Revelation of John 1:6: e nos fez reis e sacerdotes para Deus, seu Pai, a ele seja glória e domínio pelos séculos dos séculos. Amém. (PorAR)

¹²

Psalms 139:5-12
Psalms 139:5: Tu me cercaste em volta, e puseste sobre mim a tua mão.
Psalms 139:6: Tal conhecimento é maravilhoso demais para mim; elevado é, não o posso atingir.
Psalms 139:7: Para onde me irei do teu Espírito, ou para onde fugirei da tua presença?
Psalms 139:8: Se subir ao céu, tu aí estás; se fizer na tumba a minha cama, eis que tu ali estás também.
Psalms 139:9: Se tomar as asas da alva, se habitar nas extremidades do mar,
Psalms 139:10: ainda ali a tua mão me guiará e a tua destra me susterá.
Psalms 139:11: Se eu disser: Ocultem-me as trevas; torne-se em noite a luz que me circunda;
Psalms 139:12: nem ainda as trevas são escuras para ti, mas a noite resplandece como o dia; as trevas e a luz são para ti a mesma coisa.

¹³

Romans 1:19-21
Romans 1:19: Porquanto, o que de Deus se pode conhecer, neles se manifesta, porque Deus lhes manifestou.
Romans 1:20: Pois os seus atributos invisíveis, o seu eterno poder e divindade, são claramente vistos desde a criação do mundo, sendo entendidas mediante as coisas criadas, de modo que eles são inescusáveis;
Romans 1:21: porquanto, tendo conhecido a Deus, contudo não o glorificaram como Deus, nem lhe deram graças, antes nas suas especulações se tornaram vãos, e o seu coração insensato se obscureceu.

¹⁴

John 1:18: Ninguém jamais viu a Deus. O Deus unigênito, que está no seio do Pai, esse o deu a conhecer. (PorAR)

¹⁵

Hebrews 1:1-8
Hebrews 1:1: Havendo Deus antigamente falado muitas vezes, e de muitas maneiras, aos pais, pelos profetas,
Hebrews 1:2: nestes últimos dias a nós nos falou pelo Filho, a quem constituiu herdeiro de todas as coisas, e por quem fez também o mundo;
Hebrews 1:3: sendo ele o resplendor da sua glória e a expressa imagem do seu Ser, e sustentando todas as coisas pela palavra do seu poder, havendo ele mesmo feito a purificação dos pecados, assentou-se à direita da Majestade nas alturas,
Hebrews 1:4: feito tanto mais excelente do que os anjos, quanto herdou mais excelente nome do que eles.
Hebrews 1:5: Pois a qual dos anjos disse jamais: Tu és meu Filho, hoje te gerei? E outra vez: Eu lhe serei Pai, e ele me será Filho?
Hebrews 1:6: E outra vez, ao introduzir no mundo o primogênito, diz: E todos os anjos de Deus o adorem.
Hebrews 1:7: Ora, quanto aos anjos, diz: Quem de seus anjos faz ventos, e de seus ministros labaredas de fogo.
Hebrews 1:8: Mas do Filho diz: O teu trono, ó Deus, subsiste pelos séculos dos séculos, e cetro de equidade é o cetro do teu reino. (PorAR)

¹⁶

Revelation of John 19:11-16
Revelation of John 19:11: E vi o céu aberto, e eis um cavalo branco; e o que estava montado nele chama-se Fiel e Verdadeiro; e julga a peleja com justiça.
Revelation of John 19:12: Os seus olhos eram como chama de fogo; sobre a sua cabeça havia muitas coroas; e tinha um nome escrito, que ninguém sabia senão ele mesmo.
Revelation of John 19:13: Estava vestido de um manto salpicado de sangue; e o nome pelo qual se chama é o Verbo [A Palavra] de Deus.
Revelation of John 19:14: Seguiam-no os exércitos que estão no céu, em cavalos brancos, e vestidos de linho fino, branco e puro.
Revelation of John 19:15: Da sua boca saía uma espada afiada, para ferir com ela as nações; ele as regerá com vara de ferro; e ele mesmo é o que pisa o lagar do vinho do furor da ira do Deus Todo-Poderoso.
Revelation of John 19:16: No manto, sobre a sua coxa tem escrito o nome: REI DOS REIS E SENHOR DOS SENHORES. (PorAR)

¹⁷

Hebrews 1:7: Ora, quanto aos anjos, diz: Quem de seus anjos faz ventos, e de seus ministros labaredas de fogo.

¹⁸

Acts 2:1-12
Acts 2:1: Ao cumprir-se o dia de Pentecostes, estavam todos reunidos no mesmo lugar.
Acts 2:2: De repente veio do céu um ruído, como que de um vento impetuoso, e encheu toda a casa onde estavam sentados.
Acts 2:3: E lhes apareceram umas línguas como que de fogo, que se distribuíam, e sobre cada um deles pousou uma.
Acts 2:4: E todos ficaram cheios do Espírito Santo, e começaram a falar noutras línguas, conforme o Espírito lhes concedia que falassem.
Acts 2:5: Habitavam então em Jerusalém judeus, homens piedosos, de todas as nações que há debaixo do céu.
Acts 2:6: Ouvindo-se, pois, aquele ruído, ajuntou-se a multidão; e estava confusa, porque cada um os ouvia falar na sua própria língua.
Acts 2:7: E todos pasmavam e se admiravam, dizendo uns aos outros: Pois quê! Não são galileus todos esses que estão falando?
Acts 2:8: Como é, pois, que os ouvimos falar cada um na própria língua em que nascemos?
Acts 2:9: Nós, partos, medos, e elamitas; e os que habitamos a Mesopotâmia, a Judéia e a Capadócia, o Ponto e a Ásia,
Acts 2:10: a Frígia e a Panfília, o Egito e as partes da Líbia próximas a Cirene, e forasteiros romanos, tanto judeus como prosélitos,
Acts 2:11: cretenses e árabes, nós os ouvimos em nossas línguas, falar das grandezas de Deus.
Acts 2:12: E todos pasmavam e estavam perplexos, dizendo uns aos outros: Que quer dizer isto? (PorAR)

¹⁹

I Kings 18:20: Então Acabe convocou todos os filhos de Israel, e reuniu os profetas no monte Carmelo.
I Kings 18:21: E Elias se chegou a todo o povo, e disse: Até quando coxeareis entre dois pensamentos? Se o Senhor é Deus, segui-o; mas se Baal, segui-o. O povo, porém, não lhe respondeu nada.
I Kings 18:22: Então disse Elias ao povo: Só eu fiquei dos profetas do Senhor; mas os profetas de Baal são quatrocentos e cinquenta homens.
I Kings 18:23: Deem-se-nos, pois, dois novilhos; e eles escolham para si um dos novilhos, e o dividam em pedaços, e o ponham sobre a lenha, porém não lhe metam fogo; e eu prepararei o outro novilho, e o porei sobre a lenha, e não lhe meterei fogo.
I Kings 18:24: Então invocai o nome do vosso deus, e eu invocarei o nome do Senhor; e há de ser que o deus que responder por meio de fogo, esse será Deus. E todo o povo respondeu, dizendo: É boa esta palavra.
I Kings 18:25: Disse, pois, Elias aos profetas de Baal: Escolhei para vós: um dos novilhos, e preparai-o primeiro, porque sois muitos, e invocai o nome do Senhor, vosso deus, mas não metais fogo ao sacrifício.
I Kings 18:26: E, tomando o novilho que se lhes dera, prepararam-no, e invocaram o nome de Baal, desde a manhã até o meio-dia, dizendo: Ah Baal, responde-nos! Porém não houve voz; ninguém respondeu. E saltavam em volta do altar que tinham feito.
I Kings 18:27: Sucedeu que, ao meio-dia, Elias zombava deles, dizendo: Clamai em altas vozes, porque ele é um deus; pode ser que esteja falando, ou que tenha alguma coisa que fazer, ou que intente alguma viagem; talvez esteja dormindo, e necessite de que o acordem.
I Kings 18:28: E eles clamavam em altas vozes e, conforme o seu costume, se retalhavam com facas e com lancetas, até correr o sangue sobre eles.
I Kings 18:29: Também sucedeu que, passado o meio dia, profetizaram eles até a hora de se oferecer o sacrifício da tarde. Porém não houve voz; ninguém respondeu, nem atendeu.
I Kings 18:30: Então Elias disse a todo o povo: chegai-vos a mim. E todo o povo se chegou a ele. E Elias reparou o altar do Senhor, que havia sido derrubado.
I Kings 18:31: Tomou doze pedras, conforme o número das tribos dos filhos de Jacó, ao qual viera a palavra do Senhor, dizendo: Israel será o teu nome;
I Kings 18:32: e com as pedras edificou o altar em nome do Senhor; depois fez em redor do altar um rego, em que podiam caber duas medidas de semente.
I Kings 18:33: Então armou a lenha, e dividiu o novilho em pedaços, e o pôs sobre a lenha, e disse: Enchei de água quatro cântaros, e derramai-a sobre o holocausto e sobre a lenha.
I Kings 18:34: Disse ainda: fazei-o segunda vez; e o fizeram segunda vez. De novo disse: Fazei-o terceira vez; e o fizeram terceira vez.
I Kings 18:35: De maneira que a água corria ao redor do altar; e ele encheu de água também o rego.
I Kings 18:36: Sucedeu pois que, sendo já hora de se oferecer o sacrifício da tarde, o profeta Elias se chegou, e disse: ó Senhor, Deus de Abraão, de Isaque, e de Israel, seja manifestado hoje que tu és Deus em Israel, e que eu sou teu servo, e que conforme a tua palavra tenho feito todas estas coisas.
I Kings 18:37: Responde-me, ó Senhor, responde-me para que este povo conheça que tu, ó Senhor, és Deus, e que tu fizeste voltar o seu coração.
I Kings 18:38: Então caiu fogo do Senhor, e consumiu o holocausto, a lenha, as pedras, e o pó, e ainda lambeu a água que estava no rego.
I Kings 18:39: Quando o povo viu isto, prostraram-se todos com o rosto em terra e disseram: O senhor é Deus! O Senhor é Deus!
I Kings 18:40: Disse-lhes Elias: Agarrai os profetas de Baal! Que nenhum deles escape: Agarraram-nos; e Elias os fez descer ao ribeiro de Quisom, onde os matou. (PorAR)

²⁰

John 1:19-24
John 1:19: E este foi o testemunho de João, quando os judeus lhe enviaram de Jerusalém sacerdotes e levitas para que lhe perguntassem: Quem és tu?
John 1:20: Ele, pois, confessou e não negou; sim, confessou: Eu não sou o Cristo.
John 1:21: Ao que lhe perguntaram: Pois que? És tu Elias? Respondeu ele: Não sou. És tu o profeta? E respondeu: Não.
John 1:22: Disseram-lhe, pois: Quem és? para podermos dar resposta aos que nos enviaram; que dizes de ti mesmo?
John 1:23: Respondeu ele: Eu sou a voz do que clama no deserto: Endireitai o caminho do Senhor, como disse o profeta Isaías.
John 1:24: E os que tinham sido enviados eram dos fariseus. (PorAR)

²¹

Psalms 29:1-2
Psalms 29:1: Tributai ao Senhor, ó filhos dos poderosos, tributai ao Senhor glória e força.
Psalms 29:2: Tributai ao Senhor a glória devida ao seu nome; adorai o Senhor vestidos de trajes santos. (PorAR)

²²

A Voz do Senhor
< https://yewtu.be/watch?v=E4D8g5NV8_A >, acesso em Sun Jan 22 12:10:26 PM -03 2023

Entendendo o Salmo 82

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 15:12:00 -0300

O Salmo 82 é dirigido a uma classe especial de pessoas da nossa sociedade… Contudo, apesar de ter uma mensagem clara e direta da parte do Senhor para tal grupo, tal palavra também é direcionada a cada um de nós “filhos do Deus Altíssimo” por adoção através do sacrifício perfeito do N.S. Jesus Cristo… Portanto, vamos estudar a mensagem do Salmo? O que acham?

Entendendo o Salmo 82

Salmo 82¹

Introdução

Queridos… Esse salmo nos fala a respeito do dever de julgar as pessoas com justiça e retidão…
O Salmo é dirigido especialmente a uma classe de pessoas em posição de autoridade: Os juízes.
Contudo, também podemos considerá-lo em relação a nós mesmos…
Há uma crença no meio cristão que não devemos julgar ninguém nem coisa alguma.
Na prática, isso é impossível pois estamos constantemente emitindo o que se chama: "Juízo de valor" (um termo técnico da Filosofia).
Por exemplo: se formos atravessar uma rua, repleta de carros, temos de parar, olhar, analizar e considerar se devemos cruzá-la ou não; se formos a um supermercado, da mesma forma, temos de considerar se compraremos esse ou aquele produto; se tivermos de sair de casa, enquanto estiver “caindo um pé d’água” lá fora… também devemos averiguar a possibilidade de sair imediatamente ou esperar um pouco mais… e assim por diante.

Desenvolvimento

A crença de que qualquer tipo de julgamento que emitimos é intrinsecamente pecado contra Deus é “baseada” numa interpretação equivocada da Palavra de Cristo nos Evangelhos, especialmente na passagem em que Ele diz: “Não julgueis, para que não sejais julgados…”
Contudo, o texto paralelo de Lucas, na maioria das vezes, é ignorado ou omitido²… Pois diz também: “… não condeneis para não seres condenados³…”
O problema do julgamento humano é sempre a parcialidade. Naquele texto, o Senhor não está condenando o ato de julgar em si mesmo, mas o ato de julgar sem conhecimento de causa e em seguida emitir um veredito de condenação…
Ou seja, julgar de forma preconceituosa, como observamos constantemente em nossa sociedade cheia de preferências e racismos…
“Preto é ladrão ou marginal…”; “Pobre aqui! Nesse aeroporto! Deve ser faxineiro”; “Barbudo! É muçulmano, terrorista e petista”; “Árabe! Então é terrorista e muçulmano…”; “Loira bonita! É burra”, etc…
Na realidade, o texto, nos mostra exatamente o contrário… Pois a Palavra de Deus nos diz que temos a capacidade de julgar, contudo, o julgamento que fazemos deve ser regado com duas substâncias essenciais:
Discernimento:
No mesmo texto, Jesus nos mostra essa verdade:
“Não deis aos cães o que é santo, nem lanceis aos porcos as vossas pérolas, para não acontecer que as pisem com os pés e, voltando-se, vos despedacem.”
Minha pergunta aqui é: Como podemos distinguir quem são os “cães”, a quem o Senhor está se referindo, se não formos capazes de julgar com discernimento?
O que acham? É possível?
Então: Quem são esses cães?
Se concordarmos com a interpretação popular de "suspender todo tipo de julgamento" (porque, intrinsecamente, se constitui em pecado contra Deus), será impossível obedecer a Cristo aqui. Porque, basicamente, estaremos colocando Jesus contra Jesus mesmo (pois haveria uma contradição no texto) e, da mesma forma, Deus contra Jesus, nesse capítulo da Bíblia. Percebem?
Então seria total “Balagan - bagunça em Hebraico moderno”.
Mas, como podemos distinguir os cães dos não-cães?
Que acham?
Tenho uma dica:
Os cães são as pessoas que investimos em pregação e ensino da Palavra através de evangelização, estudos Bíblicos, orientação, conselho, oração, etc… Contudo, eles desconsideram totalmente a Palavra de Deus, de forma prática e, muitas vezes, teórica, em suas vidas. Chegando até mesmo a terem uma atitude de desprezo e zombaria com as coisas que a Palavra consideram santas: o nome do Senhor e a Bíblia, os mandamentos do Senhor, o Reino de Deus, a Salvação em Jesus Cristo, et.al.
Portanto, quando percebemos que não querem ouvir, se arrependerem, buscar o Senhor para que sejam salvos e mudem o estilo pecaminoso de vida que têm, Cristo nos diz para que não mais lancemos nossas pérolas⁴ e as coisas santas (a Palavra de Deus) a eles…
Segue-se, assim, que é impossível a interpretação popular de “suspender todo o julgamento” atribuída à pessoa de Jesus…
Jesus nunca pregou o Pirronismo e o Ceticismo⁵
Pelo contrário, o texto de Mateus, capítulo 7, é muito mais acerca de como julgar do que de não julgar…
Pois vivemos numa época em que as plataformas digitais, sobretudo as chamadas “Redes Sociais” são verdadeiras máquinas de engano. Se não formos cautelosos⁶, poderemos ser controlados e manipulados de tal forma pelo diabo e seus agentes por trás das Redes sociais que estaremos suscetíveis de cometer crimes hediondos por causa de conteúdos falsos e que se passam por verdadeiros em tais plataformas…
Um triste exemplo, dentre muitos, foi o linchamento de três pessoas por uma multidão, acusadas de sequestrar crianças, sem nenhuma prova, que aconteceu no México, em 2019, por causa de uma acusação sem fundamento que “viralizou” no Facebook⁷
Na realidade, o Senhor “precisa” de discípulos cheios do Espírito de Discernimento para influenciar, argumentar, e arrancar as massas da Fôrma desse Mundo⁸ e conduzir as pessoas (aqueles que você encontra por acaso, seus amigos, colegas de trabalho e familiares) do engano à Verdade e das trevas à Luz para que atrocidades (tanto físicas, quanto psicológicas) como essas sejam evitadas contra os inocentes…
O texto, novamente, nos diz que devemos discernir entre os verdadeiros profetas e os falsos profetas que vêm disfarçados de ovelhas…
É possível obedecer a Cristo nesse aspecto sem julgar com grande discernimento?
Falsos profetas disfarçados de ovelhas é tarefa dura julgar e discernir… O próprio Jesus diz isso em outro lugar mais uma vez⁹…
Misericórdia:
É a outra substância essencial que Jesus nos ensina no texto de Mateus 7…
Quando Ele diz que não devemos julgar para não sermos julgados… está se referindo ao tipo de julgamento humano que, na maioria das vezes, carece de misericórdia…
Então é aqui que devemos atentar com precisão…
Quando emitimos um juízo de valor sobre qualquer pessoa, e o fazemos com o intuito de condená-la, pecamos gravemente contra o Senhor
Deus é amor! Não devemos esquecer jamais. Ele tem mais prazer em salvar do que em condenar¹⁰… E se quisermos ser a imagem e semelhança dEle, também temos que refletir o caráter santo, justo e misericordioso dEle.
Se julgarmos o nosso próximo sem misericórdia, ou seja, somente pelo prazer de apontar o erro, envergonhar, abrir feridas já cicatrizadas que a vida tratou de fazer, "esmagar a cana quebrada e apagar toda centelha de esperança na vida dele(a)¹¹", então seremos julgados pelo Senhor na mesma medida…
O Salmo em apreço, também nos adverte sobre essa verdade. E nem os deuses escaparão do julgamento de Deus (vv. 2-5)…
E quem são esses deuses a quem o Salmo se refere?
Ora, são os juízes (aqueles que estão investidos de autoridade oficial e governamental para julgar as pessoas nas suas respectivas comarcas e nos seus diversos casos e processos)
Observem que o Juiz Supremo que está no meio dos deuses (juízes) é o Senhor Jesus
E o que Ele está fazendo lá? Ele está com os olhos e ouvidos bem abertos e atentos, observando a maneira de cada um julgar; e perscrutando o coração de cada juiz(a), todos os dias e em todos os lugares, quando os processos e outros casos são trazidos à presença deles…
E há uma advertência do Juiz Supremo, aqui nesse texto, contra os juízes(as) que não julgam o povo com justiça, favorecendo os bandidos, criminosos, ladrões, exploradores, traficantes de drogas, traficantes de pessoas, agiotas oficiais (banqueiros) e não oficiais, abusadores, políticos corruptos de todas as espécies (presidentes, deputados, senadores, prefeitos, governadores, vereadores, representantes de bairros e comunidades, etc.
E condenam os oprimidos, explorados, pobres, viúvas, órfãos, aflitos, desamparados, sem tetos, (etc.) da nossa sociedade, sobretudo os mais vulneráveis e fracos (as mulheres e as crianças…)
Quando se levanta um juiz ou juíza que julga com retidão, não por causa do dinheiro ou do suborno a que estão expostos, mas por causa da justiça e, sobretudo do temor ao Juiz dos juízes (o que é raro. Pois, na maioria das vezes, numa sociedade secular, não acreditam em Deus)
O Senhor lhes dá o privilégio de serem chamados “filhos do Altíssimo” (v. 6)
No entanto, a verdade “nua e crua” é que sendo os juízes(as) deuses ou demônios; crendo ou não crendo na existência do Juiz Supremo e na Sua Justiça eterna e que não falha, um dia terão que se apresentarem na Corte Real do Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo para também prestar conta do seu trabalho e serem julgados (v. 1)…
Ninguém vai escapar desse dia! nenhum juiz humano (mesmo que recorram ao recurso da “Imunidade Política” diante do Justo Juiz) e nenhuma pessoa viva ou morta¹². Os mortos também ressuscitarão para prestar contas…
O Senhor ainda adverte aos juízes, fazendo-os lembrar que apesar da posição elevada, de honra e respeito que ocupam na sociedade, eles não passam de meros mortais e um dia também irão perecer…
Mesmo que pensem que são ainda melhores e mais importantes que os príncipes (ricos, famosos, “influencers” e poderosos da sociedade) a quem servem, morrerão como qualquer um deles e terão de comparecer diante do Juiz Supremo
Asafe nos lembra, no final do Salmo, que independentemente da forma de julgar que os juízes(as) humanos escolhem, no final, o Senhor é Aquele que se levanta para julgar com justiça, misericórdia e retidão os moradores da terra, pois a Ele pertencem todas as Nações (povos) da terra

Conclusão

Com certeza, o foco principal desse Salmo de Asafe são os juízes e juízas da nação de Israel, e, por extensão, de todas as nações em todas as épocas.
Vivemos num tempo de grande injustiça e falta de misericórdia, inclusive dentro das Instituições Religiosas: cristãs, muçulmanas, budistas, judaicas, etc. Ela, a Injustiça, passeia diante nossos olhos todo santo dia… Basta ouvir ou ler um noticiário, acessar a notícias na internet, passar a vista nos jornais nas bancas, etc. E você a perceberá quase onipresente…
Vemos e, às vezes, presenciamos as mais terríveis situações cometidas no meio da nossa sociedade: no trabalho, na escola, na faculdade, no meio das nossas famílias, no nosso Estado, país e no mundo… Sobretudo, contra os mais fracos, oprimidos, pobres e desamparados.
A justiça humana é subornada e é adquirida a preço de ouro todos os dias e em todos os lugares. Os mais abastados facilmente compram-na e a manipulam em favor e lucro próprio…
No entanto, o Salmo adverte os juízes e juízas do nosso tempo a serem coerentes com a verdade: condenar o erro e aqueles que o cometem e absolver as vítimas e inocentes das mãos dos opressores…
Enfim, têm o dever de julgar tendo como parâmetro chave a Palavra de Deus. (devemos nos lembrar que todas as Constituições dos países ditos cristãos têm os Mandamentos da Palavra como fundamento).
A mensagem desse Salmo, além de ser dirigida a pessoas de grande autoridade e responsabilidade diante das sociedades, também é direcionada a cada um de nós que somos salvos em Cristo Jesus.
Pois, assim como diz o texto, somos também filhos de Deus¹³ e fomos, como aqueles, investidos de grande poder, grande autoridade e grande responsabilidade no Reino de Cristo¹⁴
Por isso mesmo, na nossa lida diária com as pessoas, de forma geral:
Com os mais fracos, as mulheres, as crianças, os necessitados, aqueles com necessidades físicas e mentais especiais, o órfão, a viúva, o explorado, o subjugado, o escravizado, o aprisionado e acusado injustamente… e;
Com nossos irmãos e irmãs em Cristo…
Quando julgarmos, devemos fazê-lo com discernimento, amor e misericórdia. Pois, do contrário, seremos julgados pelo Senhor com o mesmo rigor que julgarmos nosso próximo.
E não se esqueçam também do lidar com os nossos inimigos!¹⁵
Pois essa é uma das marcas que diferencia o verdadeiro cristão do religioso, como disse Mestre¹⁶
Que o senhor abençoe a todos nós

Cypher
Sat Jan 14 02:49:26 PM -03 2023
Para Erratas e correções, por favor, me contactem…

Footnotes:

Psalms 82
Psalms 82:1: Deus está na assembleia divina; julga no meio dos deuses:
Psalms 82:2: Até quando julgareis injustamente, e tereis respeito às pessoas dos ímpios?
Psalms 82:3: Fazei justiça ao pobre e ao órfão; procedei retamente com o aflito e o desamparado.
Psalms 82:4: Livrai o pobre e o necessitado, livrai-os das mãos dos ímpios.
Psalms 82:5: Eles nada sabem, nem entendem; andam vagueando às escuras; abalam-se todos os fundamentos da terra.
Psalms 82:6: Eu disse: Vós sois deuses, e filhos do Altíssimo, todos vós.
Psalms 82:7: Todavia, como homens, haveis de morrer e, como qualquer dos príncipes, haveis de cair.
Psalms 82:8: Levanta-te, ó Deus, julga a terra; pois a ti pertencem todas as nações. (PorAR)
See also:
biblical_judgement

Luke 6:37: [For ver. 37, 38, 41, 42, see Matt. 7:1-5; [Rom. 14:13; 1 Cor. 4:5; James 5:9] , [Matt. 6:14; 18:23-35] Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; [Matt. 6:14; 18:23-35] forgive, and you will be forgiven; (ESV2011)

Matthew 7
Matthew 7:1: Não julgueis, para que não sejais julgados.
Matthew 7:2: Porque com o juízo com que julgais, sereis julgados; e com a medida com que medis, vos medirão também.
Matthew 7:3: E por que vês tu o cisco no olho de teu irmão, e não reparas na trave que está no teu próprio olho?
Matthew 7:4: Ou como dirás a teu irmão: Deixa-me tirar o cisco do teu olho; e eis que tens uma trave no teu próprio olho?
Matthew 7:5: Hipócrita! Tira primeiro a trave do teu olho; e então verás claramente para tirar o cisco do olho de teu irmão.
Matthew 7:6: Não deis aos cães o que é santo, nem lanceis aos porcos as vossas pérolas, para não acontecer que as pisem com os pés e, voltando-se, vos despedacem.
Matthew 7:7: Pedi, e dar-se-vos-á; buscai, e achareis; batei e abrir-se-vos-á.
Matthew 7:8: Pois todo o que pede, recebe; e quem busca, acha; e ao que bate, abrir-se-lhe-á.
Matthew 7:9: Ou qual dentre vós é o homem que, se seu filho lhe pedir pão, lhe dará uma pedra?
Matthew 7:10: Ou, se lhe pedir peixe, lhe dará uma cobra?
Matthew 7:11: Se vós, pois, sendo maus, sabeis dar boas dádivas a vossos filhos, quanto mais vosso Pai, que está nos céus, dará boas coisas aos que lhe pedirem?
Matthew 7:12: Portanto, tudo o que quereis que os homens vos façam, assim fazei-o vós também a eles; porque esta é a lei e os profetas.
Matthew 7:13: Entrai pela porta estreita; porque larga é a porta, e espaçoso o caminho que conduz para a perdição, e muitos são os que entram por ela;
Matthew 7:14: e porque estreita é a porta, e apertado o caminho que conduz à vida, e poucos são os que a encontram.
Matthew 7:15: Guardai-vos dos falsos profetas, que se achegam a vós disfarçados como ovelhas, mas interiormente são lobos devoradores.
Matthew 7:16: Pelos seus frutos os conhecereis. Colhem-se, porventura, uvas dos espinheiros, ou figos dos abrolhos?
Matthew 7:17: Assim, toda boa árvore produz bons frutos; porém uma árvore corrupta produz frutos maus.
Matthew 7:18: Uma árvore boa não pode dar maus frutos; nem uma árvore corrupta dar frutos bons.
Matthew 7:19: Toda árvore que não produz bom fruto é cortada e lançada no fogo.
Matthew 7:20: Portanto, pelos seus frutos os conhecereis.
Matthew 7:21: Nem todo o que me diz: Senhor, Senhor! Entrará no reino dos céus, mas aquele que faz a vontade de meu Pai, que está nos céus.
Matthew 7:22: Muitos me dirão naquele dia: Senhor, Senhor, não profetizamos nós em teu nome? E em teu nome expelimos demônios? E em teu nome fizemos muitos milagres?
Matthew 7:23: Então lhes direi claramente: Nunca vos conheci; apartai-vos de mim, vós que praticais a iniquidade.
Matthew 7:24: Assim, todo aquele que ouve estas minhas palavras e as põe em prática, eu o compararei a um homem sábio, que edificou sua casa sobre a rocha.
Matthew 7:25: E desceu a chuva, vieram as inundações, sopraram os ventos, e bateram contra aquela casa, e ela não caiu, porque estava fundada sobre a rocha.
Matthew 7:26: E todo aquele que ouve estas minhas palavras, e não as põe em prática, será comparado a um homem tolo, que edificou sua casa sobre a areia.
Matthew 7:27: E desceu a chuva, vieram as inundações, sopraram os ventos, e bateram contra aquela casa, e ela caiu, e grande foi a sua queda.
Matthew 7:28: Ao concluir Jesus este discurso, as multidões se maravilhavam da sua doutrina;
Matthew 7:29: porque ele as ensinava como quem tem autoridade e não como os escribas. (PorAR)

⁴

Matthew 13:45-46
Matthew 13:45: Da mesma maneira, o reino dos céus é semelhante a um negociante que busca boas pérolas;
Matthew 13:46: e encontrando uma pérola de grande valor, foi, vendeu tudo quanto tinha, e a comprou. (PorAR)

⁵

Suspensão do Juízo

⁶

Matthew 10:16: [Luke 10:3; [John 17:18]] Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be [Gen. 3:1] wise as serpents and [Rom. 16:19 (Gk.); Phil. 2:15; [1 Cor. 14:20]] innocent as doves. (ESV2011)
Matthew 10:16: ιδου εγω αποστελλω υμας ως προβατα εν μεσω λυκων γινεσθε ουν φρονιμοι ως οι οφεις και ακεραιοι ως αι περιστεραι (TR)
Ἀκέραιος # Strong’s number: 00185
Pronunciation: ak-er’-ah-yos
KJV defintion: harmless, simpler mansos (lembrando que mansidão não é covardia. Moisés era manso, mas não covarde)
Φρόνιμος # Strong’s number: 05429
Pronunciation: fron’-ee-mos
KJV defintion: wise(-r); sábio(s)

⁷

Documentário da Aljazeera em 3 partes (essa é a terceira parte)
All Hail The Algorithm : Click Me: The Algorithm Made Me Do It Political manipulation, fake news and lynchings - what’s the cost of our clicks?
Todos Saldemos o Algoritmo: Clique em Mim: O Algorítimo levou-me a fazer isso - Manipulação Política, notícias falsas e linchamentos - qual é o custo dos nossos cliques?

⁸

Romans 12:1-2
Romans 12:1: [1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 10:1; Eph. 4:1] I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, [ch. 6:13, 16, 19; [Ps. 50:13, 14; 1 Cor. 6:20]; See 1 Pet. 2:5] to present your bodies [Heb. 10:20] as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:2: [1 Pet. 1:14; [1 John 2:15]] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by [Titus 3:5; [Ps. 51:10; 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10]] the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may [Eph. 5:10; 1 Thess. 4:3] discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV2011)

⁹

Matthew 24:23-34
Matthew 24:23: Se, pois, alguém vos disser: Eis aqui o Cristo! Ou: Ei-lo aí! Não acrediteis;
Matthew 24:24: porque hão de surgir falsos cristos e falsos profetas, e farão grandes sinais e maravilhas; de modo que, se possível fora, enganariam até aos próprios escolhidos. (PorAR)

¹⁰

Tiago 2:12-13
James 2:12: So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under [See ch. 1:25] the law of liberty.
James 2:13: For [Job 22:6-11; Ps. 18:25, 26; Prov. 21:13; Ezek. 25:11-14; Matt. 6:15; 18:32-35; Luke 6:38] judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (ESV2011)

¹¹

Isaiah 42:3: [ch. 57:15] a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; [Ps. 9:8] he will faithfully bring forth justice. (ESV2011)
Matthew 12:20: a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; (ESV2011)

¹²

II Corinthians 5:10: For [Matt. 25:31, 32; [Rom. 14:10]; See Acts 10:42] we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, [See Ps. 62:12] so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (ESV2011)

¹³

John 1:12: But to all who did receive him, [See 1 John 5:13] who believed in his name, [1 John 5:1] he gave the right [1 John 3:1; [Matt. 5:45]] to become [[Gal. 3:26]; See ch. 11:52] children of God, (ESV2011)

¹⁴

Revelation of John 1:6: and made us [ch. 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pet. 2:9] a kingdom, [ch. 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pet. 2:9] priests to [See Rom. 15:6] his God and Father, to him be [See Rom. 11:36] glory and [1 Pet. 4:11] dominion forever and ever. Amen. (ESV2011)
Revelation of John 1:6: And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJVA)

¹⁵

Matthew 5:38-47:
Matthew 5:38 You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Matthew 5:39: But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 5:40: And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Matthew 5:41: And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Matthew 5:42: Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Matthew 5:43: You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
Matthew 5:44: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 5:45: so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:46: For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Matthew 5:47: And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (ESV2011)
Romans 12:20: To the contrary, [Cited from Prov. 25:21, 22; [Ex. 23:4, 5; 2 Kgs. 6:22; Luke 6:27]] if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. (ESV2011)
Proverbs 24:17: Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
Proverbs 24:18: lest the Lord see it and be displeased,

and turn away his anger from him. (ESV2011)

¹⁶

Luke 6:32-36
Luke 6:32: [Matt. 5:46] If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:33: And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Luke 6:34: And [ch. 14:12-14; Prov. 19:17; Matt. 5:42] if you [Ps. 37:26] lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
Luke 6:35: But [ver. 27] love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and [Matt. 5:45] you will be sons of [ch. 1:32; See Mark 5:7] the Most High, for [James 1:5]he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Luke 6:36: [Matt. 5:7, 48; Eph. 5:1, 2; James 3:17]Be merciful, even as [James 5:11] your Father is merciful. (ESV2011)

The Perfectionist Relationships

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:27:00 -0300

What does the Bible say about people who are perfectionists? How do they function in relation to God, themselves, their neighbours and the whole creation? We will investigate few aspects of this issue, trying to clarify them and act on them

Where and when perfectionism started?

What do you think?
In Heaven. Before the creation of Earth!
Among the Angelical realm…
Who was the first perfectionist?
The devil
But, wait!
Was not he a perfect being created by God¹?
How can it be that someone who is perfect wanted to be more perfect yet?
Isn’t this a contradiction?

Where and when perfectionism started on the Earth?

What to you think?
In the Eden.
Before the Earth was populated by the human offspring
Who was the first perfectionist among the human race?
Eve was the first
But, wait!
Was not she already a perfect being created by God?
How can it be that someone who is perfect wanted to be yet more perfect?
Isn’t this a contradiction?

The perfectionist ultimate dream

What is the ultimate dream of the perfectionist?
What do you think it is?
It is to transcend beyond the perfection that he does not yet have

The perfectionist relationship levels

His relationship with God

The ultimate goal of a perfect perfectionist is to be god or the true God
to be god - a lesser God - in the sense of being admired, recognised, respected, followed and worshiped by his/her peers
They try to get this recognition through striving for good marks in schools, colleges, universities…
They try to get this recognition through striving for good and high positions and salaries in their workplaces…
They try to get this recognition through striving for Masters and PHDs degrees in every level of the academic world…
They try to get this recognition through striving for likes in social media platforms (Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, et.al.)
They try to get this recognition through striving for religious positions and higher status in the religious realms, escalating through them: pastors, bishops, apostoles, father-apostles (pai-póstolos)… et. al.
Still wait for into being archangels, seraphim. et.al.
Of course, there are people in all these categories who are not perfectionists. As we know that every rule has its exceptions…
And finally, someone will be the false Christ (the Antichrist)
The ultimate goal of a perfectionist is to be the true God
Why?
Because perfectionists find faults and imperfections even in God!
His way of dealing with people, His way of dealing with time, His of dealing with justice
Especially this one… Because they are always accusing God of not being a just God…
In this sense, every atheist is a perfectionist…
They would rather reformat God in their own likeliness and image, in case He existed…

His relationship with others

The perfectionist is always pointing imperfections on his neighbours life and deeds²
He/she has got eyes to scan the minimum faults and errors on them
Because of this attitude, the perfectionist is a tireless persecutor and tormentor to those who coexist, live or work with them.
The perfectionist is a chaser who is always trying to find faults on others
The perfectionist is an archaeologist… When he/she does not find present faults and imperfections on peoples’ life, he/she tries to scavenger their already gone away and buried past to resuscitate their faults and sins before their faces
The perfectionist is a peace thief. It is difficult to have peace living or working with someone who is repeatedly searching and trying to find faults and defects in things (sometimes very small and minimum things) that even the victim thinks there is no evil on them…³
The perfectionist is a schadenfreude⁴, a sadistic. He finds pleasure in accusing and seeing peoples failures, pain and suffering…
How bad!

His relationship with Oneself

The perfectionist always sees himself/herself above other people (who are poor creatures - not in the sense of capital assets)
Jesus’ warning here against this behaviour is very strong and serious⁵
Since perfectionists seen them as “top-of-the-pops” they are always driving people away from them on social relationships…
Thus, the perfectionists become highly toxic people who others avoid, at all costs, to be with…
Being alone and isolated because of this posture towards others, the perfectionist often find himself/herself overwhelmed by his/her workload which is a consequence of intolerance towards other “lesser” human beings.
Since, no one, for them, is up to fulfil complex and common tasks as they should
So that, it is better, in their mind, the “I will do it myself” philosophy of life…
And when things go wrong, as expected, they try to self-justify their failures, blaming others and never recognising their own failures and imperfections…

His relationship with the world

Basically, his/her attitude towards the world, and people, is a pessimist one, since everything is highly imperfect
And he/she wants to change everything and everyone into his/her own “perfection”

His relationship with Nature

The perfectionist always finds imperfection in nature and wants to change it for “better”
They want to redo the human race and the whole nature in its inner aspects up to the point of trying to change all the Genoma code-base on them
They strive to find the “philosophical stone” that can lead them to immortality and other goodies…

His relationship with Science

The perfectionist is a scientific dreamer, because he is always trying to reach the Next Level (mentally, psychologically, physically and spiritually)
He/she thinks they are “open-minded” people, mainly to experiment other exotic experiences, including those related to unknown spiritual dimensions and portals
The perfectionists are behind what we call now the Singularity (the blending of the human race with the machine (chiefly the computer technology)
The perfectionists are behind what we call now the trans-humanism (chiefly the search for magical and superpowers skills that go much beyond the human realm)

His relationship with the Spiritual realm

The perfectionists, because of their “open-mind” attitude are always in search for an outer technological and spiritual civilization…
This civilization, according to them, will help them (the perfectionists) to reach the Holy Grail, the transcendence, the always dreamt immortality…
The truth is: in a way or another, they will find that civilization (The fallen angels? Travestied into light-bearer ETs? The yet-to-come-nephilim? We do not know… But, perhaps, Hollywood knows…)
And we know that the so-called hyper-tech-developed civilization will not take them to an upper-level stage… but, to the Abyss, as the Bible call that place…

Jesus was totally and infinitely perfect

But, was Jesus a perfectionist?
What do you think?
He was not
Although Jesus was, is, and always will be fully perfect
He was not a perfectionist
The first and strongest spiritual trial and battle our Lord faced
Was around what?
What do you think?
It was around to defeat perfectionism in His own life!
How was that? Explain
Well. It is in Matthew chapter four
And the devil tried to suggest to Jesus that He was not that perfect and, because of that, He should put into test His superpowers…
It was a kind of second version, an upgraded one, of the Eve-at-Eden-temptation⁶
But, the Lord did not fall into that devilish scheme and won that galactic battle once and for all on our behalf…

Jesus relationship with the religious perfectionists

Who were they?
What do you think?
The devil, the Pharisees, the Sadducee’s, masters and doctors of the Law, and the politicians

Jesus defeated Satan suggestion of transcendental perfectionism beyond Jesus infinite perfection

God cannot change in His own attributes and inner Being…
Why not?
Because if He changes He is not perfect!
If He changes, this would be a declaration of His failure and the biggest lie ever told:
That He is not God!
Because God has to be perfect to be the true God
If He is not perfect, it follows that He is not the true God!

Jesus defeated the religious perfectionists of His time (and beyond)…

Can you show it in the Bible?
Yes… It is in the passage when they brought an adulterous woman before Christ to be condemned by Him⁷
Could you show me another example?
Sure! It was in that occasion when the rich man came to Jesus saying that he was a perfect religious person⁸…
What was Jesus message to those and all perfectionists?
What do you think?
His message was - and always be: it is impossible to reach perfection through our works and deeds…
So, that what do they, as well as we, need to do to reach a state of perfection they, and we, lost back in the Eden garden?
They, and we all, need to spiritually die to our sins and rebellion against the Father and receive the true life the Lord offer us, through our faith in His perfect sacrifice on the Cross on behalf of them/us⁹^,¹⁰…

Jesus defeated the political ideologies of a perfect System

Jesus defeated Pilate’s claim about serving a god-like System
What did Pilate say to Jesus about his political “power” over the Lord’s life?
And what was the Jesus’ answer to him: “You do not have any power, unless…¹¹”
Jesus, just before His crucifixion, also told those who came to imprison Him and also, a bit later, to the Jews, that the His Kingdom was not from this world¹²!
This truth was also conveyed to Pilate¹³
What was Jesus’ message to politicians and their political alliances (now they are called political parties) and to every political, sociological, psychological, spiritual, philosophical, financial, and religious system?
What do you think?
"You will never reach perfection on this earth, through your own means, works, deeds, science, knowledge, researches, and efforts if you do not turn to God and recognise Him as the source of all knowledge and wisdom…
The only, exclusive and perfect Kingdom is the one that belongs to the a perfect King
The King of kings. The Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, our “beloved King”

Religion and perfectionism, especially in Judaism

What does any religion and its laws are good for?
The Bible says, e.g., that the Judaic Law had and has only one purpose: to show the human failure to perfect men into salvation before the true God and to lead them to Jesus Christ to save them¹⁴
The ultimate truth of any Religion should be to raise the awareness that we cannot reach perfection in ourselves and through any human means whatsoever

The perfectionists will not inherited God’s Kingdom

Why not?
Because they have the potential to create an infinite loop of sin in Heaven
Meaning that they are open to be trapped into Eve-like-temptation again and again throughout eternity…
Do you know what an infinite loop is all about in computer algorithm technical terms?
It is a running piece of code that runs infinitely. It never ends… until it breaks the whole computer System and causes an explosion of memory, a stack-overflow…
And God will not allow perfectionists to enter Heaven for messing up all His creation once more. Because Jesus’ perfect sacrifice was once and for all…
Jesus cannot be sacrificed again and again throughout the human history.

Conclusion

The perfectionist(s) desperately needs Jesus to show them that the aspiration of being perfect through the Self is a great sin against God and His holy Word and has the potential to lead them into eternal damnation
The perfectionist(s) desperately needs Jesus to show them the only way to salvation and reconciliation to God
The perfectionist(s) desperately needs Jesus to heal them from the psychological spectrum of deception of reaching the "Nirvana" in every aspect of life (mental, physical and, mainly spiritual)
The perfectionist(s) desperately needs Jesus to show them that, as the Lord said: “without Me you can do nothing¹⁵”.
The perfectionist(s) desperately needs Jesus to show them that no one is perfect, but the Lord
The perfectionist(s) desperately needs Jesus to show them that: yes, it is possible to reach perfection, but by God’s methods alone and not human's
The perfectionist(s) desperately needs to understand that perfection, not the one that exclusively belongs to the Lord, is possible and there is only one Way to be perfect within the human realm…
It is through the work and deeds of the only begotten Son of God - Jesus Christ¹⁶

Footnotes:

Ezekiel 28:1-19
Ezekiel 28:1: The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 28:2: Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Ezekiel 28:3: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:
Ezekiel 28:4: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
Ezekiel 28:5: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
Ezekiel 28:6: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;
Ezekiel 28:7: Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
Ezekiel 28:8: They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.
Ezekiel 28:9: Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
Ezekiel 28:10: Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 28:11: Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 28:12: Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty*.
Ezekiel 28:13: Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created*.
Ezekiel 28:14: Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire*.
Ezekiel 28:15: Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee*.
Ezekiel 28:16: By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire*.
Ezekiel 28:17: Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee*.
Ezekiel 28:18: Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee*.
Ezekiel 28:19: All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more*.

Luke 18:9-14
Luke 18:9: And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luke 18:10: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luke 18:11: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luke 18:12: I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luke 18:13: And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luke 18:14: I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (KJV)

Job 1
Job 1:1: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Job 1:2: And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
Job 1:3: His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Job 1:4: And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
Job 1:5: And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Job 1:6: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7: And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8: And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9: Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10: Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11: But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12: And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:13: And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
Job 1:14: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
Job 1:15: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:16: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:17: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:18: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
Job 1:19: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:20: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
Job 1:21: 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.
Job 1:22: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (KJVA)

⁴

“Book of Proverbs mentions an emotion similar to schadenfreude: ”Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.“ (Proverbs 24:17–18, [223]King James Version).”
http://tny.im/zaEAV

⁵

Matthew 7:3-5
Matthew 7:3: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Matthew 7:4: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Matthew 7:5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. (KJVA)

⁶

Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew 4:1: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Matthew 4:2: And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Matthew 4:3: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:5: Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Matthew 4:6: And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Matthew 4:7: Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Matthew 4:8: Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Matthew 4:9: And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Matthew 4:10: Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Matthew 4:11: Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (KJVA)

⁷

John 8:3-11
John 8:3: And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
John 8:4: They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
John 8:5: Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
John 8:6: This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
John 8:7: So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
John 8:8: And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
John 8:9: And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
John 8:10: When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
John 8:11: She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (KJVA)

⁸

Luke 18:18-27
Luke 18:18: And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 18:19: And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Luke 18:20: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luke 18:21: And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luke 18:22: Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luke 18:23: And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Luke 18:24: And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Luke 18:25: For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:26: And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
Luke 18:27: And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (KJVA)

⁹

Matthew 7:13-14
Matthew 7:13: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Matthew 7:14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJVA)

¹⁰

John 10:9
John 10:9: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (KJVA)

¹¹

John 19:1-16
John 19:1: Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
John 19:2: And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
John 19:3: And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
John 19:4: Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
John 19:5: Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
John 19:6: When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
John 19:7: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
John 19:8: When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
John 19:9: And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
John 19:10: Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
John 19:11: Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
John 19:12: And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar.
John 19:13: When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
John 19:14: And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John 19:15: But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar.
John 19:16: Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. (KJVA)

¹²

Matthew 26:14-75
Matthew 26:14: Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
Matthew 26:15: And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 26:16: And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Matthew 26:17: Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
Matthew 26:18: And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
Matthew 26:19: And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
Matthew 26:20: Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
Matthew 26:21: And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
Matthew 26:22: And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
Matthew 26:23: And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
Matthew 26:24: The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
Matthew 26:25: Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
Matthew 26:26: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Matthew 26:27: And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:29: But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Matthew 26:30: And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Matthew 26:31: Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Matthew 26:32: But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Matthew 26:33: Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Matthew 26:34: Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Matthew 26:35: Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
Matthew 26:36: Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
Matthew 26:37: And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Matthew 26:38: Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Matthew 26:39: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Matthew 26:40: And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:42: He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Matthew 26:43: And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
Matthew 26:44: And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:45: Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Matthew 26:46: Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
Matthew 26:47: And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Matthew 26:48: Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Matthew 26:49: And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
Matthew 26:50: And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
Matthew 26:51: And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Matthew 26:52: Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Matthew 26:53: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Matthew 26:54: But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
Matthew 26:55: In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
Matthew 26:56: But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Matthew 26:57: And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Matthew 26:58: But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
Matthew 26:59: Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
Matthew 26:60: But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
Matthew 26:61: And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
Matthew 26:62: And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Matthew 26:63: But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Matthew 26:64: Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Matthew 26:65: Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
Matthew 26:66: What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Matthew 26:67: Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
Matthew 26:68: Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
Matthew 26:69: Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Matthew 26:70: But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
Matthew 26:71: And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Matthew 26:72: And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Matthew 26:73: And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Matthew 26:74: Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Matthew 26:75: And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. (KJVA)

¹³

John 18
John 18:1: When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
John 18:2: And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
John 18:3: Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
John 18:4: Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
John 18:5: They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
John 18:6: As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
John 18:7: Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
John 18:8: Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
John 18:9: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
John 18:10: Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
John 18:11: Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
John 18:12: Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
John 18:13: And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
John 18:14: Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
John 18:15: And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
John 18:16: But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
John 18:17: Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.
John 18:18: And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
John 18:19: The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
John 18:20: Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
John 18:21: Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
John 18:22: And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
John 18:23: Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
John 18:24: Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
John 18:25: And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
John 18:26: One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
John 18:27: Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
John 18:28: Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
John 18:29: Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
John 18:30: They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
John 18:31: Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
John 18:32: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
John 18:33: Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
John 18:34: Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
John 18:35: Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
John 18:36: Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
John 18:37: Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
John 18:38: Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
John 18:39: But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
John 18:40: Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. (KJVA)

¹⁴

Galatians 3:8-25
Galatians 3:8: And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Galatians 3:9: So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Galatians 3:10: For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Galatians 3:11: But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:12: And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Galatians 3:13: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Galatians 3:14: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:15: Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3:17: And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Galatians 3:18: For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Galatians 3:19: Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Galatians 3:20: Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Galatians 3:21: Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Galatians 3:22: But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Galatians 3:23: But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 3:24: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25: But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (KJVA)

¹⁵

John 15:1-12
John 15:1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
John 15:2: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
John 15:4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:5: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:6: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:8: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:9: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
John 15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
John 15:11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (KJVA)

¹⁶

John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJVA)

God against churches

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 13:32:00 -0300

Can God turn His face against churches? Yes, the History of the Church throughout the centuries says so… But, in a way, He can, and, in another way, He cannot… So that, let’s examine, in video, the issue…

God against churches

God against churches - Part 01

Walk not Like the Gentiles

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 20:46:00 -0300

Tomorrow, <2022-10-02 dom>, we will held presidential elections for the next four years…

Emotions are really high at this stage of affairs…

But, in this presidential election, and in all situations like this one: Be aware, Christians! And walk not like the gentiles who do not know God.

We should not walk like the gentiles do

I Peter 4:4: εν ω ξενιζονται μη συντρεχοντων υμων εις την αυτην της ασωτιας αναχυσιν βλασφημουντες¹
I Peter 4:7: παντων δε το τελος ηγγικεν σωφρονησατε ουν και νηψατε εις τας προσευχας² (TR)
I Peter 4:4: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
I Peter 4:7: But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (KJVA)

This text warns that Christians can be mocked, degraded, put down, taken down, and persecuted even in their workplace, because real Christians do not take part in impious men deeds.

And, certainly, we can expand the results of not following the world system and its rotten state of art up to the point of being target in our workplace, schools, college, families, extended families, friends, cities, Nations, and everywhere we go.

Jesus told us this, when He prayed for His disciples - past, present and futures ones - that they should be aware that they were bound to face persecution.

Because, if they persecuted Him as His Master, they would do even worse with those who follow Him³. His servants.

For that, we should not walk like the gentiles do. They do not understand Christians because, ideally, believers do not take part in the sins.

Or, at least, they should not to…

When we throw a closer look to this passage, we, interestingly, find out there is a strong stress in the kind of sins described here.

Although they are not listed here, deductively, They are, if we can rank sins, no small sins. But serious ones.

Because the word used here is “ἀνάχυσιν (anachysin)”, indicating the level, deepness and seriousness of committed sins…

What Peter is expressing here is that the kind of evil deeds they practice is really bad.

They are the kind of sins people are proud of public expressing them before the whole society.

They are the kind of sins that our modern Western countries institutionalize through their evil Laws and so-called Constitutions.

They are the kind of sins that poor and rich people invest capital to spread and promote them in our societies and culture…

They are the kind of sins that people go to the streets to fight for the right to act on them.

They are the kind of sins that are taken as manifestation of freedom and right to speak…

They, according to the Roman Catholic church, are sins that lead to other sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth⁴.

Although the Protestants and Orthodox Jews can slightly disagree with the classification, there are lots of truths in here…

The thing is that, these capital sins can really generate other sins as their evil children and their consequences can disgrace people’s own lives and other’s.

If you open any newspaper these last months, you will notice that there have been lots of violent acts because of disagreements over political parties and personalities.

These kind of behaviours are triggered by the way that, specially in modern times, people make politics. The do not have concrete plans to present to the population as a whole.

Most of people who wants to go into politics, mainly in Latin America, choose this path not because they want to make society better and help the disadvantaged.

But their main aim is to earn lots of money, since political life in underdeveloped countries are a mine of gold, because this class of people only have the name of, e.g., ministries, which stands for servants.

The only people they want to serve, in the end, are themselves and their families. You can tell it after a few months they get there just at comparing their assets before and after being elected…

There is no need to point to A, B or C here. Everyone know this for a fact. Which is a shame for every society.

We are just witnessing, for example, many young people trying to escape from Bosnia because they lost faith in their politicians as a source to change their situation and perspective of a better future, among other reasons…

Although this research is from 2019, it is still a relevant one on this subject⁵.

Anyway, back to home…

We can affirm that this time, down here, it is better for Christians do avoid discussions about politics. Since people can really get very emotional about the subject…

You can be intimidated by someone who wants to get to know what your preferred candidate for the presidential election.

Last night, today is Fri Sep 30 06:38:26 PM -03 2022, there was that last political debate between the presidential candidates and it was said to have lasted for four hours and it finished 2am!

I am sure that many Christians, who are said to be followers of Jesus, did not leave the TV or the internet until the last second of that “show”.

I really get amazingly shocked by such attitudes from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

People go just crazy in times such as these and not only in this country, but everywhere when it comes to politics, fight power and dominance.

In the case of Christians, fanaticism takes thousands of them and put each one against everyone…

And the lack of Bible knowledge is just appalling…

They seem not to understand that political parties existed way before even the human race come into being…

And that political parties only serve to divide people as it did back them in Heaven, having Lucifer as, supposedly, a running candidate who thought to be able to dethrone God.

In the New Testament, Jesus never got into politics.

Now, you are likely to be about to ask me: “Where do you see political parties in the first century Israel?”.

Well, if a political party was formed before men existed, is it an amazing thing that in the times of Jesus they also where present?

Not at all!

For, in Jesus’ times, and even today, in many cultures, religion is mixed with politics and it is in such societies that things get too complicated.

It was started before the physical world, as I mentioned before, was created by God.

Then, in the Old Testament period, we easily see Israel and other pagan nations involved with a mixture of religion and politics.

They believed their gods also had geographical authority over large pieces of lands on their dominion, for example. We can see this truth pictured when there was a war between Ben Haddad, the king of Syria, and Acabe, the king of Israel…

The Syrians soldiers believed that the God of Israel was a God of the mountains and not the valleys. So that, for this very reason, they thought to have been defeated in that battle⁶.

In the same fashion, when an Israeli king was about to go into war against other nations, it was common practice to consult a prophet of God to get His approval or not…

This time we can spot it when Jehoshaphat, the king of the South, joined the evil king Ahab, the king of the North, and was invited by the former to raise war against Ramoth-Gilead.

But, before making that move, Jehoshaphat advised Ahab to consult the Lord to see what He thought about that endeavour.

So did Ahab, but he asked his own false prophets to prophesy before them. As he knew that they would tell them good things about what he had just proposed to Jehoshaphat… And then the story goes⁷…

In Jesus’ time, again, religious and politics were totally mixed in a way that it was hard to split them apart.

Only the Lord was able to seve them and identify what was God’s Word from what was men additions.

He, masterly, do this everywhere in the Gospel pages, but, specially in the chapters 5-7 of the book of Matthew.

To add a bit more to this truth, in the Roman Empire, the Emperor was considered to be a god himself. And for not obeying to render homage to Caesar, it turned to be one of the main causes Christians were persecuted by the Roman State.

Only after much stress, theological debates, threatening, persecutions and deaths, supposedly, the Protestant Reformers, managed to get rid of the political heavy hand of the Roman Catholic church.

Notice that I, intentionally, wrote: “supposedly”. Because, the trend sneaked in Protestant churches everywhere in the world until this day.

And in this country, and elsewhere, we, again, have this filthy alliance between moral and spiritual suspicious politicians with “small and big-name” pastors and spiritual leaders up to the point of permitting these people to occupy which is considered the most holly places inside churches, the altars, the pulpits to “preach” the “good news of next-four-years salvation”. And Christians applaud such behaviour of their spiritual leaders.

How nauseous it is!

We not should forget there are sins we commit that even Jesus, Himself, feels like vomiting and I tend to think that this kind of alliance is one of them.

So that, be watchful my brother and sister, be discerning and, above of all seek the Lord as the Berean church members did when hearing even one of the most knowledgeable doctors of the Bible of their day, the apostle Paul.

Do not be deceive by people who have only status and position in churches and Christian institutions who mix up and promote people and political parties that, in the end, will enhance the kingdom of darkness in our country.

Be ware that what your hear goes accordingly how they already have acted in the past.

Jesus advise us that we can discern people, no matter if they are religious or not, through their fruits.

Apart from that, when the Bible tell us about the Pharisees, Sadducee’s, Herodians, Zealots, and, although the Essenes were not mentioned in its pages, it is not just mentioning religious groups, but trending political religious ideologies of the day.

The Sinedrim was the English Parliament, the Brazilian Federal Senate, the USA White House, the Argentinian Pink House, et al. of today’s.

Why do you think Herod wanted to kill the Lord straight away after He was born? Why do you think, that chiefly, the Pharisees, Sadducee’s and Herodians, backed by the Roman authorities, persecuted and killed Jesus?

You see that politics is all about division, confusion, fighting for power and dominance.

Can you imagine if Jesus had decided to take sides in all that mess? A sea of sins!

This was exactly what the devil tried to lure the Lord into.

First, he appeared as the king of this world and put some political proposals on the table to bribe Jesus into his Party of Darkness.

He desperately, sought Jesus alliance through bribing Him with money, properties, and power. But, the Lord knew it all and just repelled the devil’s lies with the power of *God’*s Word.

All the papers the devil put on the table for the our Lord to sign in were rejected and he had to go totally defeated from that place for designing other evil strategies to try to catch the Son of God.

After that event, Satan, tried hard to make the Lord to fall down from the Father’s favour. He incited religious groups to get Jesus to ally to their political parties and, if doing so, the whole divine project of salvation would be an eternal failure and we, the whole mankind, would, consequently, be damned for ever and ever.

But, the Lord never got submersed in the waters of political dirtiness.

Not surprisingly, the devil’s strategies have not changed throughout millennia. He only adapts his methodology to the times and cultures he acts in.

If you throw a closer look on how he approached the second Adam, Jesus Christ, you will find lots of similarities on how he deceives people into his party till this very day.

Let me just recapitulate what happened in the garden of Eden in terms of political language for you:

Satan came to the woman disguised as a beautiful serpent⁸, deceived her by promising⁹ her supernatural knowledge powers that would upgrade her human state into a trans-human¹⁰ divine one.

He got her to vote for his Darkness party… So that, in the first round, he got 50% of the earth population approval.

Then, the woman campaigned on behalf of his new opposition party and convinced his husband to vote in her new party. Adam did so, without questioning a single word of his wife argumentation…

For that, the devil and his allies, got more 50% of the population votes and finally won the whole earth population, including, potentially,all of us, to his Darkness party….

But, fortunately, Jesus came to reveal all deceptions and lies that Satan lured humanity in, undo and destroy all his work and offer us, through His blood, the opportunity to repent from our first voting wrong choice, through Eve and Adam; and open the way for us to join *God’*s eternal Party of Light again…

Praise the Lord! Forever and ever!

The Pharisees tried to manipulate Jesus against the Herodians and the Roman Empire; The Sadducees, on the other hand, tried to discredit the Pharisees, through a Jesus’ theological compromise…

In sum, the thing was a real war and our Lord was just in the middle of that and was, in fact, the main target behind the scenes.

But, the Lord did not fit to any of those religious political parties. Because his worldview was much beyond that.

The maximum we can say about the Lord in terms of agreeing or not with human institutions is that, probably He, and Paul the Apostle, was more of pro Hillel’s school of thought, than Shammai’s¹¹.

He was totally aware that these human institutions are set to come to an end in due time. When the Rock comes from Heaven, hits and smashes the feet of Nebuchadnezzar statue dream.

He told that truth to Pilate just before He was delivered to be crucified: “My Kingdom is not from this world…”

How revealing!

We should pay much more attention to Jesus’s political views, because He is divine, Almighty, Omnipresent and Omniscient and He just knows the right form of ideology, government System and administration humanity needs.

And, one day, as sure as it can be, Jesus’ Kingdom will manifest and come true on this very earth.

You, probably is already judging me and thinking that I am against everything related to politics¹²…

In fact, I am not. I am aware that, even if the kernel of politics is stinky, it is not because of politics per se, but, because it is made by men, and humanity is a decayed race in all its levels.

There are good things that we can only achieve through political moves as we see in God’s Word¹³ itself; there are political leaders that the Lord can use for the good of His people¹⁴; there are men of God who can survive inside an evil political context and be a blessing to promote God’s message¹⁵; there are political regimens and citizenship conditions God can use to spread His holly Message¹⁶, et al.

We could elaborate much beyond about the risks of us, Christians, getting into sin excesses and loosing our mind, dividing our families, breaking well built friendships, splitting our brotherhood inside the churches we attend, fighting in social networks with God’s children whom the Lord shed His precious blood to save them and us in times such as this…

Does it pay off! No. Not at all…

We should not be into this kind of fight, because all these things will soon pass away…

Do we still need more proofs to conclude there are deeper influences behind political fights, disagreements, discussions, attacks, “add hominem” televised debates, deceptions and lies in the political arena?

I really think not. Just to finish up this argument, apart from being already on the knowing that political divisions started in Heaven; in Old Testament times, Israel and pagan nations considered that the true God and false gods, respectively were behind human events, there is still a classical text in the book of the prophet Daniel backing this truth up.

In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Daniel set in his heart to seek the Lord to better understand a word of knowledge he got from God about a great war that would happen in the future. After fasting and praying for three weeks, he had the fortunate visitation of an angel who told him everything he should now about that Word. The angel told him had been heard since the first day he asked the Lord about that issue, but this very angel could not break the stronghold the devil set up in the celestial regions, through his evil angels, and it was necessary the Lord to send another powerful angelical being, the archangel Michael, to break that spiritual barrier and open up the way for him to reach Daniel out with the revelation.

The disclosing info here, though, is that the angel who brought the supernatural understanding to Daniel, call those evil angels in the celestial realms, who did not let him to reach the Prophet early on time, and the holly angel, Michael, who came in to help him as princes! Anyway, read the whole story in Daniel chapter ten¹⁷.

Can you see? What do you think? Are you still not convinced that when it comes to politics and administration either in the spiritual or human levels their source purely invisible? And it has to do with an ongoing battle beyond our eyes…

the New Testament, again, comes into play.

This time, it is the book of Ephesians telling us, as clear as crystal,

Even the vocabulary¹⁸ used there has got a political tune.

So that, let us check that out:

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, agains t the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

So, there we have it: the indisputable link between celestial and human political realms. With a clear stress that the later is just a reflex of the former.

If we act out of our mind and do not show the peace of the Lord in us when dealing in situations like this, for sure we will be labelled as one of the gentiles who do not know the Lord and we will be a motif to make the Holly Spirit to be sad with us…

We have to remember that the gentiles who do not know God and all sinners who are involved in the deepness of Satan¹⁹, even inside churches, will have to give account of their evil deeds before Him and they finally will be judged based on their deeds.

In this case, being judged by the Lord really means to be dammed to eternal separation²⁰ from Him.

On other hand, we, as disciple’s of Christ, will give account to the Lord about our deeds, but not to be condemned and thrown to perdition, but to receive, or not, special celestial gifts the Father has in store for us.

So that, my advice in this time of election is:

Do not spend you time in void discussions over political parties;

But, do fight in prayers and intercessions, for the manifestation and coming of the celestial Kingdom and His mighty King

Do not start a battle over political candidates; if you vote, vote in the less evil… At least, the one who has a clear and reasonable plan for the good of all citizens and not for specific groups.

Because the perfect Ruler is yet to come.

Do not engage in political discussions and disagreements; all of these will soon pass away and the Lord will come down to dethrone all human power, political parties, ideologies, and human political Systems;

But, do engage in the teaching and preaching of the Good News. The Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ

Do not waste your time with lesser things, but fix your eyes in the eternal ones.

Just be sure that Jesus will soon come, take all human power from men’s hand and reign forever and ever, and you and I, as a faithful Christians, if we hold fast our faith in Him till the end, will occupy the administrative, political and true religious positions in His everlasting Kingdom in a not so far future…

Revelation of John 1:6: and made us [ch. 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pet. 2:9] a kingdom, [ch. 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pet. 2:9] priests to [See Rom. 15:6] his God and Father, to him be [See Rom. 11:36] glory and [1 Pet. 4:11] dominion forever and ever. Amen. (ESV2011)

Não devemos nos comportar como os gentios

I Pedro 4:4: εν ω μη ξενιζονται συντρεχοντων υμων βλασφημουντες εις την αυτην της ασωτιας ασωτιας αναχυσιν βλασφημουντες¹
I Pedro 4:7: παντων δε δε το τελος τελος ηγγικεν σωφρονησατε ουν και νηψατε εις τας προσευχας² (TR)
I Peter 4:4: E eles acham estranho não correrdes com eles no mesmo desenfreamento de devassidão, falando mal de vós;
I Peter 4:7: Mas já está próximo o fim de todas as coisas; portanto sede sóbrios e vigiai em oração; (PorRecebida)

Este texto nos mostra que os verdadeiros cristãos podem ser escarnecidos, degradados, abatidos e perseguidos em todos os lugares que estão pelo simples fato de não participarem de atos pecaminosos que homens ímpios praticam.

Certamente, poderíamos expandir tais consequências quando recusamos seguir o sistema mundial em seu estado de putrefação atual até ao ponto de sermos alvejados em nosso local de trabalho, escolas, faculdades, universidades, famílias nucleares, famílias estendidas, entre amigos, nas nossas cidades, Nações, e em todos os lugares por onde passamos.

Jesus nos advertiu acerca disso quando orou por Seus discípulos - do passado, presente e futuro; no sentido de que eles deveriam estar cientes de que estariam sujeitos a enfrentar todo tipo de perseguição.

Porque, se perseguiram a Ele que era o Mestre, certamente, fariam pior com aqueles que O seguissem³: Seus servos.

Não devemos nos comportar como os gentios. Por isso, eles não nos entendem porque, não tomamos parte nos pecados deles.

Ou, pelo menos, não deveríamos…

Quando olhamos mais de perto esta passagem, descobrimos, de forma curiosa, que há um destaque especial doo nível de profundidade dos pecados aqui descritos.

Embora não estejam listados, dedutivamente, eles são, se pudermos fazer uma classificação de tipos de pecados, não sem importância, mas sérios tipos de infrações.

Porque a palavra usada aqui é “ἀνάχυσιν (anachysin)”, e indica o nível, profundidade e gravidade de pecados cometidos…

O que Pedro está expressando, nesse texto, é que o grau de maldade que eles representam é realmente preocupante.

Podemos classificá-los dentre os tipos que as pessoas se orgulham de expressar, publicamente, diante de toda a sociedade.

Podemos classificá-los dentre tipos de pecados que nossos países ocidentais, e ditos modernos, institucionalizam através de suas leis malignas e das chamadas Constituições.

Podemos classificá-los como tipos de pecados que as pessoas pobres e ricas investem capital para espalhá-los e promovê-los em nossas sociedades e cultura em geral…

Podemos classificá-los como tipos de pecados que as pessoas vão para as ruas para lutar pelo direito de agir em favor eles.

Podemos classificá-los como tipos de pecados que são tomados como manifestações de luta pela liberdade e direito de expressão…

Eles, segundo a Igreja Católica Romana, são pecados que levam a outros pecados: orgulho, cobiça, luxúria, inveja, gula, ira e preguiça⁴.

Embora os protestantes e os judeus ortodoxos possam, de forma sutil, discordar de tal classificação, há muitas verdades aqui…

O fato é que, tais infrações, chamadas de Capitais, podem realmente gerar outros pecados, como seus filhos maus, e suas consequências podem desgraçar a vida dos que os praticam e também a do próximo.

Se abrirmos qualquer modalidade de jornal, material our virtual, nestes últimos meses, notaremos que suas páginas estão repletas de atos violentos, devido a desentendimentos, de pessoas comuns, relacionados a partidos políticos e personalidades afins.

Este tipo de comportamento é desencadeado pela forma como, sobretudo, nos tempos modernos, a maioria das pessoas fazem política e que se resume em total nihilismo de não apresentarem planos concretos para população como um todo.

A maioria daqueles que querem entrar na vida política, principalmente na América Latina, escolhe este caminho não porque desejam melhorar a sociedade e ajudar a população carente e trabalhadora.

Mas, o principal objetivo deles é ganhar muito dinheiro, e enriquecerem-se de forma fácil, já que a vida política em países subdesenvolvidos é uma mina de ouro, pois esta classe de pessoas só têm o nome de ministros. Um nome que, na verdade, significa servidores ou diáconos.

As únicas pessoas que desejam servir, no final das contas, são eles mesmos, suas famílias e seus parentes e aqueles que os apoiam. Podemos afirmar isso fazendo uma simples comparação dos bens que tinham antes de serem eleitos com os que passam a possuir depois de alguns meses pós eleição.

Não há necessidade de apontar A, B ou C aqui. Todos sabemos que isso, infelizmente, é fato. O que se constitui em grande vergonha para toda sociedade.

Recentemente estamos testemunhando, por exemplo, muitos jovens tentando fugir da Bósnia, porque perderam a fé em seus políticos como esperança de mudança da situação social e perspectiva de um futuro melhor para eles, entre outras razões…

Embora esta pesquisa seja de 2019, ainda é relevante sobre este assunto⁵.

Enfim, voltemos à nossa discussão…

Podemos afirmar desta vez que, aqui no hemisfério sul, é melhor os cristãos evitarem discussões vazias sobre política. Pois, muitos se alteram facilmente com tal assunto…

Você pode se sentir até mesmo intimidado por alguém que quer, a todo custo, descobrir o candidato de sua preferência nas eleições presidenciais.

Ontem à noite, hoje é sexta, 30 de setembro 06:38:26 -03 2022, houve o último debate político entre os candidatos à presidência… Tal “debate” durou quatro horas e terminou às 02:00 da madrugada.

Estou certo de que muitos cristãos, que se dizem ser seguidores de Jesus, não tiraram os olhos da TV ou da Internet até o último segundo do “programa”.

Eu realmente fico espantosamente chocado com tais atitudes de nossos irmãos e irmãs em Cristo.

Alguns parecem enlouquecer em tempos como estes… e não apenas neste país, mas em todos os lugares quando se trata de política, luta por poder e domínio.

No caso dos cristãos, vergonhosamente, o fanatismo político, muitas vezes, leva milhares deles a se desentenderam uns contra os outros…

Nesse aspecto, falta de conhecimento bíblico é simplesmente devastadora…

Eles parecem não entender que partidos políticos já existiam há muito tempo: antes mesmo da raça humana existir…

E que partidos políticos só servem para dividir as pessoas: como aconteceu no céu com os anjos, tendo Lúcifer como, suposto e potencial candidato autodeclarado que pensava poder destronar a Deus.

No Novo Testamento, Jesus nunca se envolveu com a vida política.

A essa altura, é provável que esteja prestes a me perguntar: “Onde você vê partidos políticos no Israel do primeiro século?”.

Minha resposta é uma pegunta: se um partido político foi formado antes que os homens existissem, é coisa incrível que nos tempos de Jesus eles também já fossem realidade?

De modo algum!

Pois, nos tempos de Jesus’, e ainda hoje, em muitas culturas, a religião se mistura com a política e é em tais sociedades que as coisas se complicam ainda mais.

Eles são um fenômeno que exite mesmo antes que o mundo físico, como mencionei antes, fosse criado por Deus.

No período do Antigo Testamento, vemos, de forma clara, Israel e outras nações pagãs envolvidas com uma mistura de religião e política.

Elas acreditavam que seus deuses também tinham autoridade geográfica sobre grandes porções de terra sob seu domínio, por exemplo. Podemos ver esta verdade retratada quando houve uma guerra entre Ben Haddad, o rei da Síria, e Acabe, o rei de Israel…

Os soldados sírios acreditavam que o Deus de Israel era o Deus das montanhas, e não o dos vales. Essa foi a razão pela qual pensaram terem sido derrotados naquela batalha⁶.

Da mesma forma, quando um rei de Israel, ou Judá, estavam prestes a fazer guerra contra outras nações, era prática comum consultar um profeta de Deus para obter A aprovação d*Ele*, ou não…

Para exemplificar, Podemos observar que Josafá, o rei do Sul, se juntou ao malvado rei Acabe, o rei do Norte, e foi convidado por este para fazer guerra contra o rei de Ramoth-Gilead.

Mas, antes de irem ao campo de batalha, Josafá aconselha Acabe a consultar ao Senhor para saber o que Ele pensava sobre a empreitada deles.

Acabe acatou o conselho, mas ordenou seus próprios - falsos - profetas que profetizassem diante deles. Pois sabia que eles somente profetizariam coisas boas sobre o que havia acabado de propor ao rei Josafá… E a história segue⁷…

No tempo de Jesus, mais uma vez, a religião e a política estavam tão misturadas a tal ponto de ser muito difícil separá-las.

Somente o Senhor foi capaz de tal façanha: separar o que era a Palavra de Deus do que era adição puramente humana.

Ele, magistralmente, fez isto, como lemos, em todos os lugares nas páginas dos Evangelhos, sobretudo, nos capítulos 5-7 do livro de Mateus.

Para reforçar um pouco mais essa verdade, no Império Romano, o Imperador era considerado o próprio deus. E foi a recusa a não obedecer e prestar homenagem a César, que se tornou uma das principais causas da perseguição aos cristãos pelo Estado romano.

Somente depois de muito estresse, debates teológicos, ameaças, perseguições e mortes, os reformadores protestantes, supostamente, conseguiram se livrarem da pesada mão política da igreja católica romana.

Note que, intencionalmente, escrevi: “supostamente”. Porque, tal tendência à política, e luta pelo poder, se infiltrou, pouco tempo depois da Reforma, dentro das igrejas protestantes em todas as partes do mundo e está presente até os dias de hoje.

E, neste país, e em muitos outros, novamente, temos esta aliança suja entre políticos suspeitos em seu comportamento moral e espiritual com “grandes e pequenos” pastores e outros líderes espirituais. Estes, chegam a ponto de permitir que aquela classe ocupe o que é considerado por muitos o lugar mais sagrado dentro das igrejas: os altares e os púlpitos; para “pregar” a “boa nova da salvação dos próximos quatro anos”. E muitos cristãos participam de tais eventos e aplaudem, chegando a entrar em um estado de quase transe, como forma de aprovação ao comportamento de seus líderes espirituais.

Como tudo isso é realmente nojento!

Não devemos esquecer que há pecados que são cometidos na igreja que o próprio Jesus parece querer vomitar. Minha tendência é pensar que este tipo de aliança é um desses tipos de pecados.

Por isso, meu irmão e irmã, tenham discernimento e, acima de tudo busquem ao Senhor em todo o tempo. E façam como os membros da igreja Bereia ao ouvir até mesmo um dos mestres da época que mais conheciam a Bíblia, o apóstolo Paulo.

Não se deixem enganar por pessoas que só têm “status” e posição e estão ocupando cargos importantes dentro de igrejas e instituições cristãs, mas que se misturam e promovem pessoas e partidos políticos que, no final das contas, somente irão promover o reino das trevas em nosso país.

Estejam atentos para discernir se as promessas que ouvem está de acordo com o que eles já fizeram no passado.

Jesus nos diz que temos capacidade de discernir e julgar as pessoas, não importando se são religiosas, ou não, através de seus frutos.

Além do mais, quando a Bíblia nos fala dos fariseus, saduceus, herodianos, zelotes e, embora os essênios não tenham sido mencionados em suas páginas, não está apenas se referindo a grupos religiosos, mas sim às ideologias religiosas e políticas da época.

O Sinédrio judeu seria o Parlamento inglês, o Senado Federal brasileiro, a Casa Branca dos EUA, a Casa Rosa argentina, etc. de hoje.

Por que você acha que Herodes queria matar o Senhor logo após Ele ter nascido? Por que você acha, que, principalmente, os fariseus, saduceus e herodianos, apoiados pelas autoridades romanas, perseguiram e mataram a Jesus?

Podemos observar que a má política, também conhecida como politicagem, somente promove a divisão, confusão, luta pelo poder financeiro, domínio e supremacia. E não somente no sistema secular, mas, infelizmente dentro das instituições cristãs também.

Você pode imaginar se Jesus tivesse decidido tomar parte em toda aquela confusão que O cercava? Um mar de pecados!

Foi exatamente isto que o diabo tentou fazer com o Senhor, atraindo-O para cair numa armadilha.

Primeiramente, apareceu como o rei deste mundo e colocou alguns propostas sobre a mesa para subornar Jesus a aderir seu Partido das Trevas.

Ele procurou desesperadamente fazer uma aliança com Jesus, oferecendo-Lhe dinheiro, propriedades, glória e poder. Mas, o Senhor que sabia de tudo, simplesmente o repeliu com o poder da Palavra de Deus.

Todos os documentos oficiais que o diabo colocou sobre a mesa para o nosso Senhor assinar foram rejeitados, um por um, e ele teve que sair, totalmente derrotado, daquele lugar para armar outras estratégias malignas para tentar derrotar o Filho de Deus.

Após aquele evento, Satanás, tentou, arduamente, fazer com que o Senhor caísse da graça Pai. Ele incitou os grupos religiosos a levar Jesus a Se aliar aos partidos políticos vigentes. Se Ele o fizesse, todo o projeto divino de Salvação teria sido um fracasso eterno. E nós, toda a humanidade, estaríamos, irremediavelmente, condenados pelos séculos dos séculos.

Mas, o Senhor nunca se submergiu nas águas da impureza política.

Não é de se admirar que as estratégias do diabo não mudaram ao longo dos milênios. Ele apenas adapta a metodologia que utiliza aos tempos e culturas em que atua.

Se olharmos mais de perto como ele abordou o segundo Adão, Jesus Cristo, encontraremos muitas semelhanças com a forma que se aproximou do primeiro casal e como o faz até hoje para enganar as pessoas para aderir seu Partido até hoje.

Deixem-me apenas recapitular o que aconteceu no jardim do Éden em termos de linguagem política para vocês:

Satanás se aproximou da mulher disfarçado de uma belíssima serpente⁸, a enganou prometendo-lhe⁹ poderes sobrenaturais de conhecimento que aperfeiçoaria seu estado “imperfeito” e humano a um estado trans-humano¹⁰ e divino.

Ele conseguiu, imediatamente, obter o voto dela para o partido dele: o Partido das Trevas… De modo que, no primeiro turno da disputa dele com Deus, logicamente não de forma direta, pois já tinha caído do seu estado de santidade e sido expulso do Céu pelo Senhor, ele conseguiu 50% da aprovação da população da Terra.

Então, a mulher, depois de corrompida pelo pecado, faz campanha em nome de seu novo Partido de oposição e convence seu marido a votar nele. Adão faz isso, sem questionar uma única palavra da argumentação enganosa da sua esposa…

Depois disso, o diabo e seus aliados, conseguem mais 50% dos votos da população e, finalmente, conquistam toda a população da Terra, incluindo, todos nós, potencialmente em Adão e Eva, para o Partido das Trevas….

Mas, felizmente, Jesus veio, envidado graciosamente pelo Pai, para revelar todos os enganos e mentiras que Satanás usou para ludibriar e atrair toda humanidade a ele; desfazer e destruir toda a sua obra; e nos oferecer, através de Seu sangue precioso, a oportunidade de nos arrependermos de nossa primeira escolha errada através daquele voto de morte e destruição que fizemos através de Eva e Adão. Através da Sua obra de salvação, o Senhor abre, novamente, o caminho para nos juntarmos ao Partido da Luz eterna que pertence a Deus…

Louvado seja o Senhor! Para sempre e sempre!

Os fariseus tentaram manipular Jesus contra os herodianos e os Império Romano; O Saduceus, por outro lado, tentaram desacreditar os fariseus, firmando um compromisso teológico com Jesus…

Em suma, a coisa era uma verdadeira guerra e nosso Senhor estava, exatamente, no meio dela, sendo, de fato, o principal alvo nos bastidores.

Mas, o Senhor não se encaixava em nenhum daqueles partidos político-religiosos. Porque a visão de mundo que possuía estava muito além do que era visível.

O máximo que podemos dizer sobre o Senhor em termos de concordar, ou não, com instituições humanas é que, provavelmente Ele, e Paulo, o Apóstolo, era mais voltado para a escola teológica de pensamento de Hillel, do que a de Shammai¹¹.

Ele era totalmente consciente de que aquelas instituições estavam destinadas a desaparecerem no devido tempo do fim. Quando a Rocha que vem do céu, atingir e esmagar os pés da estátua do sonho que o rei Nabucodonosor teve.

Essa verdade foi revelada a Pilatos pouco antes de d*Ele* ter sido entregue aos soldados romanos para ser crucificado: “O meu Reino não é deste mundo…”

Que declaração reveladora da parte do Senhor!

Devemos prestar bem mais atenção às opiniões políticas de Jesus, porque Ele é divino, Todo-poderoso, Onipresente e Onisciente e Ele conhece a fundo a ideologia correta, sistema de governo e administração que a humanidade realmente precisa.

E, um dia, com toda a certeza, o Reino de Cristo se manifestará e será realidade nesta terra que também vai ser transformada.

Você, provavelmente, já está me julgando e pensando que sou contra tudo que se relaciona à política…

Na verdade, eu não sou. Estou ciente de que, o núcleo da política, na maioria das vezes, cheira mal. Mas, isso não é por causa da política em si, e sim porque ela é feita pelos homens, e a humanidade é uma raça intrinsecamente decadente em todos os níveis.

Há coisas boas que, com certeza, só podemos alcançar através de movimentos políticos, como vemos na própria Palavra de Deus¹²; há líderes políticos que o Senhor pode usar para o bem do Seu povo¹³; há homens de Deus que podem sobreviver dentro de um contexto político maligno e ser um instrumento eficaz para promover o verdadeiro Deus¹⁴ e Sua santa Palavra; há regimes políticos e direitos de cidadania que Deus pode usar para fazer Sua Palavra chegar aos confins da terra¹⁵, et al.

Poderíamos, aqui, continuar discutindo muito mais sobre os riscos de nós, cristãos, entrar pela via de excessos de pecado, perder nossa mente, dividir nossas famílias, romper amizades bem construídas, dividir a fraternidade dentro das igrejas que frequentamos, nos exceder em comentários nas redes sociais com os filhos de Deus, nossos irmãos e irmãs, que o Senhor também derramou Seu precioso sangue para salvá-los, em tempos como este…

Será que cometer tais delitos compensa! Não. De jeito nenhum…

Não devemos nos envolver nesse tipo de luta, porque todas essas coisas passarão logo, logo…

Será que ainda precisamos de mais provas para concluir que há influências mais profundas por trás de lutas políticas, diferenças, discussões, ataques, debates televisivos, que não passam, na maior parte, de falácias “add hominem” entre candidatos que enganam e mentem na arena da politicagem?

Eu realmente acho que não. Só para fechar este argumento, além de já sabermos que as divisões políticas começaram no Céu e, nos tempos do Antigo Testamento, Israel e as nações pagãs consideravam que o verdadeiro Deus e os seus deuses, respectivamente, estavam por trás de todos os eventos humanos, ainda há um texto clássico no livro do profeta Daniel que apoia esta verdade.

No terceiro ano de Ciro, rei da Pérsia, Daniel propôs em seu coração buscar o Senhor para entender melhor uma palavra de conhecimento que ele tinha recebido da parte de Deus sobre uma grande guerra que aconteceria no futuro. Depois de jejuar e orar por três semanas, ele recebeu a visita afortunada de um anjo que lhe revelou tudo que deveria saber sobre aquela Palavra. O anjo disse a ele que tinha sido ouvido desde o primeiro dia que Daniel perguntou ao Senhor sobre aquele assunto. Mas este mesmo anjo, que tinha sido encarregado de trazer a resposta, não pode ultrapassar a fortaleza que o diabo havia construido nas regiões celestiais, através de seus anjos malignos, e foi necessário o Senhor enviar outro ser angelical mais poderoso, o arcanjo Miguel, para ajudá-lo ultrapassar aquela barreira e abrir caminho para que chegasse até o profeta com a revelação.

A informação reveladora aqui, no entanto, é que o anjo que trouxe o mensagem para Daniel, chama aqueles anjos malignos nas regiões celestiais, que não deixaram-no chegar ao Profeta mais cedo, e também o santo anjo, Miguel, que veio ajudá-lo, de príncipes! De qualquer forma, leia a história completa no capítulo dez de Daniel¹⁷.

Conseguem ver? O que acham? Ainda não estão convencidos de que em negócios relacionados à política e administração, seja em nível espiritual ou humano, as fontes são puramente invisíveis e tem a ver com uma batalha contínua que se trava além dos nossos olhos?

O Novo testamento, mais uma vez, é revelador.

Desta vez, é o livro de Efésios que nos informa, de forma clara, esta verdade: que o verdadeiro sentido da vida não acontece no reino reino humano, mas no reino espiritual…

Mesmo o vocabulário¹⁶ usado ali tem um tom político.

Portanto, vamos verificar essa informação:

Efésios 6:12: pois a nossa luta não é contra a carne e o sangue, mas sim contra os principados, contra as potestades, contra os dominadores das trevas desse mundo, contra a iniquidade espiritual nos altos. (PorRecebida)

Aqui encontramos o elo indiscutível entre políticas celestiais e humanas. Com ênfase especial de que a última é, sobretudo, reflexo da primeira.

Se agirmos de forma irracional e não tivermos a Paz do Senhor em nós mesmos, quando lidamos com situações como esta, com certeza, seremos rotulados como gentios que não conhecem ao Senhor e seremos motivo para que o Espírito Santo se entristeça conosco…

Temos que lembrar que os gentios que não conhecem a Deus, e todos os pecadores que estão envolvidos com as profundezas de Satanás¹⁹, mesmo dentro das igrejas, terão que prestar contas de suas más ações diante d*Ele* e finalmente serão julgados com base nelas.

Neste caso, ser julgado pelo Senhor, aqui, significa realmente ser condenado à separação eterna ¹⁷ d*Ele*.

Por outro lado, nós, como discípulos de Cristo, daremos contas ao Senhor de nossas ações, mas não para sermos condenados lançados à perdição, mas para receber, ou não, presentes celestiais e especiais que o Pai tem reservado para nós.

Por isso, meu conselho nesta época de eleição é:

Não gastemos nosso tempo com discussões vazias acerca de partidos de partidos políticos;

Mas, lutem, em oração e intercessões, pela vinda e manifestação do Reino celestial e Seu poderoso Rei.

Não comecem uma batalha em favor de candidatos políticos; se votar, votem nos menos maus. Conhecida como a escolha do mal menor… Naqueles que tem um plano claro e razoável para o bem de todos os cidadãos e não voltado grupos específicos.

Porque o Rei perfeito ainda está por vir.

Não se envolvam em discussões e brigas políticas; tudo isso logo passará e o Senhor descerá para destronar todo o poder humano, partidos políticos, ideologias e sistemas humanos;

Mas, engajem-se no ensino e na pregação das Boas Nova. O Evangelho da salvação através do qual o Reino de Jesus Cristo é promovido.

Não percam tempo com coisas sem importância, mas fixem os olhos nas eternas.

Tenham certeza que Jesus virá em breve, para tomar todo o poder das mãos dos homens e reinar para todo o sempre. E você, e eu, como um fiéis seguidores d*Ele*, se mantivermos firme nossa fé e confiança n*Ele*, até o final, iremos ocupar os cargos administrativos, políticos e religiosos no Seu Reino eterno e de justiça em um futuro não tão distante…

Apocalipse de João 1:6: e nos fez [cap. 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pe. 2:9] reis [cap. 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pe. 2:9] e sacerdotes para [Veja Rm. 15:6] Deus, seu Pai, a ele seja [Veja Rm. 11:36] glória e [1 Pe. 4:11] domínio pelos séculos dos séculos. Amém. (ESV2011)

God bless you all.

Cypher

Fri Sep 30 08:44:37 PM -03 2022

P.S. This is not a grammatically perfect text. But, a work in progress… So that, calm down ;)

Footnotes:

Because of Ἐν (En) Preposition Strong’s 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; ’in, ’ at, on, by, etc.
this, ᾧ (hō) Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular Strong’s 3739: Who, which, what, that.
they consider it strange - ξενίζονται (xenizontai) Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural Strong’s 3579: (a) I entertain a stranger, (b) I startle, bewilder. From xenos; to be a host; by implication, be strange.
of you ὑμῶν (hymōn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural Strong’s 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.
not μὴ (mē) Adverb Strong’s 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.
to plunge with [them] συντρεχόντων (syntrechontōn) Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural Strong’s 4936: To run (rush) together, run with. From sun and trecho; to rush together or headlong.
into εἰς (eis) Preposition Strong’s 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.
the τὴν (tēn) Article - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
same αὐτὴν (autēn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular Strong’s 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
flood ἀνάχυσιν (anachysin) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong’s 401: Outpouring, excess, overflow, a pouring out. From a comparative of ana and cheo; properly, effusion, i.e. license.
of reckless indiscretion, ἀσωτίας (asōtias) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong’s 810: Wantonness, profligacy, wastefulness. From a compound of a and a presumed derivative of sozo; properly, unsavedness, i.e. profligacy.
[and] they heap abuse on you. βλασφημοῦντες (blasphēmountes) Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong’s 987: From blasphemos; to vilify; specially, to speak impiously.

The τὸ (to) Article - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
end τέλος (telos) Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong’s 5056: (a) an end, (b) event or issue, (c) the principal end, aim, purpose, (d) a tax.
of all [things] Πάντων (Pantōn) Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural Strong’s 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
is near. ἤγγικεν (ēngiken) Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong’s 1448: Trans: I bring near; intrans: I come near, approach. From eggus; to make near, i.e. approach.
Therefore οὖν (oun) Conjunction Strong’s 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.
be clear-minded σωφρονήσατε (sōphronēsate) Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong’s 4993: To be of sound mind, be sober-minded, exercise self-control. From sophron; to be of sound mind, i.e. Sane, moderate.
and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong’s 2532: And, even, also, namely.
sober, νήψατε (nēpsate) Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong’s 3525: (lit: I am sober), I am calm (vigilant), circumspect. Of uncertain affinity: to abstain from wine, i.e. be discreet.
so εἰς (eis) Preposition Strong’s 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.
you can pray. προσευχάς (proseuchas) Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Strong’s 4335: From proseuchomai; prayer; by implication, an oratory.

John 15:20: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
John 15:21: But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. (KJVA)

⁴

The seven deadly sins

⁵

Youth Study BOSNIA and Herzegovina 2018/2019
https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id-moe/15262.pdf

⁶

1 Kings 16:29-34; 20:1-29 - KJVA

⁷

2 Chronicles 18 - KJVA

⁸

This is exactly what every politician try to do when dealing with possible voters: to look as good as they can before the society.

⁹

Oh no! Promises again! But be aware! Most of them are void and disguised lies…

¹⁰

Here, we see the same old promised being sought by the adepts of AI, who, many of them, are inspired by an alien high order technology called trans-humanism.
Trans-humanism is a real devilish lie that promises us to be upgraded to a new level of power, cleverness, and even immortality… it’s said to be building, in our age, the 2.0 men…
And it will reach its full power when we, humans, get mixed with powerful computer machines…
Try to research on the subject and you will see the same strategy Satan has used, but with new scientific language apparels.

¹¹

Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43070387

¹²

Politics here, really means, bad politics and evil politicians. Because it is a prevalent and a strong trend in modern times everywhere we look… No matter if it is in this country or in the so-called Developed ones.

¹³

Nehemiah - chapters 1 and 2

¹⁴

¹⁵

¹⁶

¹⁷

¹⁸

For ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong’s 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.
our ἡμῖν (hēmin) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural Strong’s 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
struggle πάλη (palē) Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Strong’s 3823: Wrestling, a wrestling bout; hence: a struggle, fight, conflict, contest. From pallo; wrestling.
is ἔστιν (estin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong’s 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
not οὐκ (ouk) Adverb Strong’s 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.
against πρὸς (pros) Preposition Strong’s 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.
flesh σάρκα (sarka) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong’s 4561: Flesh, body, human nature, materiality; kindred.
and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong’s 2532: And, even, also, namely.
blood, αἷμα (haima) Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong’s 129: Blood, literally, figuratively or specially; by implication, bloodshed, also kindred.
but ἀλλὰ (alla) Conjunction Strong’s 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.
against πρὸς (pros) Preposition Strong’s 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.
the τὰς (tas) Article - Accusative Feminine Plural Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
rulers, ἀρχάς (archas) Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Strong’s 746: From archomai; a commencement, or chief.
against πρὸς (pros) Preposition Strong’s 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.
the τὰς (tas) Article - Accusative Feminine Plural Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
authorities, ἐξουσίας (exousias) Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Strong’s 1849: From exesti; privilege, i.e. force, capacity, competency, freedom, or mastery, delegated influence.
against πρὸς (pros) Preposition Strong’s 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.
the τοὺς (tous) Article - Accusative Masculine Plural Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
powers κοσμοκράτορας (kosmokratoras) Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Strong’s 2888: From kosmos and krateo; a world-ruler, an epithet of Satan.
of τοῦ (tou) Article - Genitive Neuter Singular Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
this {world’s} τούτου (toutou) Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Singular Strong’s 3778: This; he, she, it.
darkness, σκότους (skotous) Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular Strong’s 4655: Darkness, either physical or moral. From the base of skia; shadiness, i.e. Obscurity.
[and] against πρὸς (pros) Preposition Strong’s 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.
the τὰ (ta) Article - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
spiritual [forces] πνευματικὰ (pneumatika) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong’s 4152: Spiritual. From pneuma; non-carnal, i.e. ethereal, or a spirit, or supernatural, regenerate, religious. of evil
πονηρίας (ponērias) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong’s 4189: Wickedness, iniquities. From poneros; depravity, i.e., malice; plural plots, sins.
in ἐν (en) Preposition Strong’s 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; ’in, ’ at, on, by, etc.
the τοῖς (tois) Article - Dative Neuter Plural Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
heavenly realms. ἐπουρανίοις (epouraniois) Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural Strong’s 2032: From epi and ouranos; above the sky.

¹⁹

Revelation of John 2:18: And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Revelation of John 2:19: I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
Revelation of John 2:20: Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Revelation of John 2:21: And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Revelation of John 2:22: Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Revelation of John 2:23: And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Revelation of John 2:24: But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
Revelation of John 2:25: But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Revelation of John 2:26: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Revelation of John 2:27: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Revelation of John 2:28: And I will give him the morning star. (KJVA)

²⁰

Revelation of John 20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation of John 20:13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation of John 20:14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation of John 20:15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Natanael's Calling

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 03:50:00 -0300

Natanael’s calling reveals a few facets of his character which could be worked by the Lord for His glory.

The Lord values what we bring to Him and is fully able to lapidated us into pure gold and a beautiful diamond that shine in us and through us for lightning the way of those who want to follow Jesus.

As He did through Felipe who led Natanael to the true Messiah.

Natanael’s calling

In John 1.43-51, we can read the amazing encounter of Jesus with one of His about-to-be disciples, who was called Natanael¹.

He was introduced to Jesus by Felipe, whom the Lord had just told to follow Him.

When Felipe told Natanael that Jesus was from Nazareth, although Jesus was not, he had a strong prejudicial reaction against the Lord… Just because He was from an unimportant, irreligious city…

But, on meeting Jesus Christ, he had a pleasant surprise that made him to change his prejudicial view radically and straight away.

The thing is that Jesus told him something tremendously unusual to be told by a person who couldn’t have no intimacy with God. The Lord told him something that a normal person would not tell and, at the same time, have total assurance on doing that.

You probably are thinking that: the devil and his daemons can also lure people, telling them what happened in certain moments of their past lives… Sure they can.

But, Natanael came to believe in Jesus as the true Messiah, not exclusively because Jesus showed him a glimpse of His superpowers. Certainly, on the way up to meeting the Lord, Felipe had told him what John Baptist had already told about Jesus and the main sign, the Holly Spirit who, in a dove shape, came upon the Son of God. This was already good and disseminated news to many people who witnessed and heard about that event.

This is also a warning that we should be aware and discerning when we deal with signs and wonders. We have to check and recheck its sources.

Natanael, for sure, already had all that info at hand. The revelation sign he had heard from the Lord about being under the fig tree was only a confirmation of Jesus’ real identity and origin.

So that it was not difficult for Natanael to recognize that, in fact, the Messiah was not from Nazareth, but came from above and was sent by God Himself. He was the one whom they were waiting for centuries as the Hope of Israel. In that sense, all prejudices Natanael firstly showed against the Lord were destroyed. All religious, social and geographical barriers he had against His lineage just fell down and was crashed down.

There are some characteristics in Natanael that I do like:

He was a transparent person. He told Felipe what he thought about Jesus. Although he can be considered impolite, rude and not welcoming by our modern social standards, the Lord knew that he could trust him because he was not a secretive person. For sure, he needed to be lapidated by Jesus when dealing with people and engaging in relationships. But his raw material was invaluable to Jesus as an apprentice.

Although he was prejudicial against other people’s origin, he had an open mind to accept changes in his thinking and behaviour. He was not the stubborn type who likes to state his point no matter if it was not right. Just for the sake of showing others that he was cleverer, brighter or smarter than the others. So that, for the Lord, this would be a desirable feature of his personality. Because that, the Lord was sure that he was a teachable type and could bear good fruits in himself and to the Kingdom.

He was not a naive person who follow others without inquiring and analysing the whole context and situation until building an incisive and spot on conclusion.

He already had previous information about the Messiah through the Holly Writings; he was an attentive watcher waiting for the manifestation of the Light of Israel. We can see this, because he does not question Felipe, asking him whose Messiah he was referring to.

He had a tool God had already given him when he was crafted, and he knew how to use this tool for diligently to search for the Messiah in the hope of finding Him while he was still alive.

Which tool was that? You, probably, are asking. He had a mind, and he showed to be able to sharply use it for not being deceived. Through this tool, he was able to ask questions, cross data, organize his thoughts on top of previous knowledge, especially the knowledge of God’s Word that pointed to the coming of the Messiah.

Then, he could form a clear and right conclusion.

For the Lord, this was another positive aspect of Natanael behaviour, and he could well learn from Jesus how to engage in future dialogues and discussion with people, specially when trying to lead them to the Lord.

Wait! Are you saying that Jesus chose Natanael, and by inference all the other 13 apostles, because of their gifts, behaviour and abilities? Isn’t this what gnosticism taught, especially in the first and second century, and until this day, about Jesus? Was not also for this reason that Paul wrote to the church of Colossians to avoid such theological view?

No. I am not. Paul was one of the most gifted men in all human history. He had special natural and spiritual gifts. Even though, he tells us that he was the sinner of sinners and he and us are all chosen by God’s grace to follow the Lord. And Natanael, in this sense, is no exception.

However, it is a fact that the Lord also value the good things we already have in our personalities, our natural gifts, good habits, et al. After all, He was the One who gave all good things that are part of us as James said. Because when taking such raw material He already gave us into His Holly hands, He can work in us and through us, as a potter and a goldsmith do with deformed clay and impure gold.

All of us have something good to place in God’s altar to be worked by Him. So that the Lord can make us into what He wants and use our lives for His glory alone.

The only thing He wants from us is that consciously we follow Him in faith and trust throughout our lives and be open to surround our fears, doubts, will, gifts and personality to be perfected by Him until the day He comes to take us to forever live with Him in His glorious Kingdom.

O Chamado de Natanael

Em João capítulo 1.43-51, podemos ler a história do maravilhoso encontro de Jesus com uma das pessoas que seria um dos Seus discípulos, Natanael.

Ele foi apresentado a Jesus por Felipe, a quem o Senhor, recentemente, tinha dito para segui-Lo.

Quando Felipe disse a Natanael que Jesus era de Nazaré, apesar do Senhor não ser, ele teve uma reação racista e preconceituosa muito forte contra o Senhor… Simplesmente porque “era” de uma cidade sem importância em termos morais e religiosos…

Mas, depois de encontrar-se com Jesus Cristo, ele teve a alegre surpresa de fazer com que sua visão preconceituosa e racista mudasse radical e imediatamente.

A questão é que Jesus revelou algo a ele tremendamente fora dos padrões de ser dito por uma pessoa comum que não tinha intimidade com Deus. O Senhor mostrou a ele algo que uma pessoa normal não teria capacidade de descobrir, e ao mesmo tempo, ter total confiança no que disse.

Vocês provavelmente estão pensando que: o diabo e seus demônios também podem enganar as pessoas, mostrando-as algo que aconteceu em certos momentos do passado delas… Com certeza, eles podem.

Mas, Natanael veio a acreditar em Jesus como o Messias verdadeiro, não exclusivamente porque o Senhor lhe mostrara uma pequena porção dos Seus superpoderes. Com certeza, no caminho até encontrar o Senhor, Felipe disse a Natanael o que o profeta João Batista já tinha testemunhado acerca de Jesus e do principal sinal, o Espírito Santo que, em forma de pomba, pousou sobre o Filho de Deus.

Essa também é uma advertência para nós no sentido de estarmos atentos e conscientes, discernindo em todo tempo os sinais e maravilhas que testemunhamos e ouvimos falar a respeito. Nós temos que checar e rechecar, repetidamente, a fonte de tais sinais.

Natanael, com certeza, tinha toda aquela informação à sua disposição. E acrescentada à revelação que ele ouviu do Senhor acerca de ter, a pouco, estado debaixo de uma figueira foi mais uma confirmação da identidade e real origem de Jesus.

Dessa forma, não foi difícil para Natanael reconhecer que, verdadeiramente, o Messias não era de Nazaré, mas veio do alto e foi envidado pelo próprio Deus. Ele era Aquele a quem esperavam, por séculos, como a Esperança de Israel. Nesse sentido, todos os preconceitos expressos por Natanael contra o Senhor foram destruídos. Todas as barreiras religiosas, sociais e geográficas que ele tinha contra a linhagem de Jesus caíram por terra e foram esmagadas.

Há algumas características na vida de Natanael que eu realmente aprecio:

Ele era uma pessoa transparente e disse para Felipe o que pensava de Jesus. Apesar de podermos considerá-lo uma pessoa sem educação, grosseira e não hospitaleira para nossos padrões modernos, o Senhor sabia que podia confiar nele porque ele era uma pessoa que não escondia as coisas. Com certeza, ele precisava ser lapidado por Jesus ao lidar com outras pessoas e ser aperfeiçoado na arte do relacionamento interpessoal. Mas, o material cru que trazia consigo era de grande valor para Jesus como Seu futuro aprendiz.

Apesar dele mostrar uma atitude preconceituosa em relação à procedência das pessoas, ele tinha uma mente aberta para aceitar mudanças em sua forma de pensar e agir. Natanael não era o tipo teimoso que insiste em defender seu ponto de vista pelo simples prazer de ser do contra, mesmo sabendo não ter razão. Somente para mostrar aos outros que era mais inteligente, esclarecido e mais esperto que os demais. Para o Senhor, essa seria uma característica desejável na sua personalidade. Por causa disso, o Senhor sabia, sem sombra de dúvidas, que ele era uma pessoa ensinável e humilde e que poderia produzir bons frutos na sua própria vida e também para Reino.

Natanael não era uma pessoa boba que seguia outros sem inquirir e analisar o contexto geral e situações antes de chegar a uma conclusão certeira e incisiva.

Ele já havia adquirido informações sobre o Messias através dos Escritos Santos do seu povo - A Lei e os Profetas; ele era um vigilante atencioso que esperava pela Luz de Israel. Podemos ver isso, porque ele não questiona a Felipe, perguntando-lhe a que Messias se referia.

Ele tinha uma ferramenta que Deus já havia lhe dado quando foi formado, e sabia como usá-la para buscar, com diligência, o Messias na esperança de encontrá-lo ainda em vida.

Que ferramenta era essa? Vocês, provavelmente, estão se perguntando. Ele tinha uma mente, e mostrou-se ser capaz de usá-la de forma precisa a ponto de não ser enganado. Através dessa ferramenta, ele foi capaz de inquirir e fazer perguntas, cruzar dados, organizar seus pensamentos baseado no conhecimento que já possuía, especialmente do conhecimento que tinha da Palavra de Deus que apontava para a vinda do Messias.

A partir daí, foi capaz de chegar a uma conclusão clara e certeira.

Para o Senhor, esse era outro aspecto positivo na vida de Natanael, e que poderia levá-lo a aprender muito bem, através dos ensinamentos de Jesus, como travar diálogos e discussões futuras com as pessoas, sobretudo quando estivesse tentando conduzi-las ao Senhor.

Pera aí VRFdS! Você está dizendo que Jesus escolheu Natanael, e, por inferência todos os treze apóstolos, por causa dos dons naturais, comportamento, e habilidades que possuíam? Não é isso o que ensina o Gnosticismo, especialmente do primeiro e segundo séculos, e até hoje, sobre a pessoa de Jesus? Não foi também por causa dessa doutrina, entre outras, que Paulo escreveu para a igreja de Colossos no sentido que evitassem tal visão teológica?

Não. Não me entendam mal. Não estou dizendo isso.

Paulo foi um dos homens mais prendados da história da humanidade; possuía dons naturais e espirituais especiais. Mesmo assim, considerava si mesmo o principal dos pecadores. Ele disse acerca de si mesmo, e de nós também, que somos todos escolhidos pela amorosa e misericordiosa graça de Deus para seguir ao Senhor. Natanael, nesse sentido, não era uma exceção.

Contudo, não podemos negar o fato de que o Senhor também valoriza o que temos de bom em nós mesmos: na nossa personalidade, nossos dons naturais, bons hábitos, etc. Apesar da nossa natureza corrompida pelo pecado. Porque, no final das contas, foi Ele mesmo que nos deu tudo de bom que temos em nós mesmos, como disse Tiago. Dessa forma, quando pega tal material que nos deu, mesmo sendo cru, em Suas Santas e milagrosas mãos, pode trabalhar em nós e através de nós, como um Oleiro e um Ourives fazem com uma porção de barro deformado e uma pepita de ouro impuro respectivamente.

Todos nós temos algo de bom para oferecer no altar de Deus para ser aperfeiçoado por Ele. Para que o Senhor possa fazer de nós o que quer e nos usar para Sua exclusiva glória.

A única coisa que requer de nós é que, em sã consciência, O sigamos, em perene fé e confiança, por toda nossa vida, e que estejamos abertos a render nossos medos, dúvidas, vontade, dons e personalidade para que nos aperfeiçoe até o dia que vier nos buscar para que vivamos eternamente com Ele, e com aqueles que Lhe pertencem, no Reino da Sua glória.

God bless you all.

Mon Sept 26 - 03:50 am

Cypher

Footnotes:

Ναθαναὴλ (Nathanaēl)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Proper name - Of Hebrew Origin, indeclinable, John 1:43-49, 21:2
Meaning - Gift of God
Strong’s 3482: Of Hebrew origin; Nathanael, an Israelite and Christian.

Bold Men of God

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 05:31:31 -0300

What does it mean to be bold men or women in God’s view?

Courage and boldness is a totally different subject in God’s view and has nothing to do with the worldly Macho view the System teach us…

So that, lets analyse the issue based on Acts 14

Bible text

Acts 14:1: Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

Acts 14:2: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Acts 14:3: So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly¹ for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Acts 14:4: But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Acts 14:5: When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them,

Acts 14:6: they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country,

Acts 14:7: and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Acts 14:8: Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked.

Acts 14:9: He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,

Acts 14:10: said in a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he sprang up and began walking.

Acts 14:11: And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!

Acts 14:12: Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Acts 14:13: And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

Acts 14:14: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,

Acts 14:15: Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Acts 14:16: In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

Acts 14:17: Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

Acts 14:18: Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Acts 14:19: But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Acts 14:20: But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

Acts 14:21: When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

Acts 14:22: strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Acts 14:23: And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 14:24: Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

Acts 14:25: And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia,

Acts 14:26: and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled.

Acts 14:27: And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Acts 14:28: And they remained no little time with the disciples. (ESV2011)

Introduction

Our society, not only in a national way, but in a international level, teach us that manhood is about, above of all, strong virility, getting as many women as possible, drinking, partying and living a lifestyle of freedom.

Freedom here means doing whatever one wants, irrespective of personal and social consequences.

These concepts come from the domineering Macho and Patriaral view of the world…

This is a sign of being real men in the view of a sinful and rebellious society that does not know God and His holly Word

Jesus was a fully man, although He had no women, had no children and did not get married throughout His whole life…

He was the boldest man in the world.

His battles were raised not only in the natural world through fierce arguments when challenged by the religious authorities, but above of all, such wars happened mostly in the spiritual realm.

For that, we can see that what the Lord sees as courage, manhood and boldness is way beyond what most people, including many Christians do…

This text show us a glimpse of what is to be a bold, courageous,

brave and real men, and women, in God’s eyes.

So that, let us have a taste of it.

Development

Bold in the middle of an unnatural war - part 01

Those men were very bold, we can see it through their attitude of going into a synagogue and preaching the true Gospel of God to the Jews as well as to gentiles.

The text says that they preached a long time and "boldly¹ in the Lord.

Now, the simple fact of going into a synagogue to give testimony about Jesus was not without risk and the two apostles knew that very well.

It was to enter into an enemy realm. And that held, by itself, a big challenge.

They knew that they have to face not only the Jews who used to reject their message and the battle would extrapolate the human level and reach the spiritual level.

This attitude stirred up all the demonic forces around and those bad guys - the daemons - took over the Jews’ minds from those who did not believe in Christ and persuaded them to persecute and stone Paul, Barnabas and the other brothers in such a way that they had to flee to other towns - Lystra and Derbe

This move resulted in many Jews and gentiles being converted to Jesus Christ.

But, why some Jews and gentiles were converted? Because of the boldness of Paul and Barnabas and other faithful Christians who were with them?

What is your view here? I think that verse 3 can answer this question:

Acts 14:3: So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly¹ for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

The Lord was so happy with them that their teaching and preaching were backed up by Him Who made them to perform many signs and wonders through their hands.

Teaching and preaching like they did requires a great deal of confidence in the Lord.

Confidence that He would be there with them.

And He was indeed… The apostles and brothers could nearly touch Jesus presence in their midst.

The Lord told them, a little while before going back Home, He would be in, a special manner, with those who were engaged with the task of going and preaching the Gospel:

Matthew 28:18: And Jesus came and said to them, [ch. 11:27; Dan. 7:13, 14; John 3:35; 13:3; 17:2; Acts 2:36; Rom. 14:9; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:10, 20-22; Phil. 2:9, 10; Col. 2:10; Heb. 1:2; 2:8; 1 Pet. 3:22; [ch. 9:6; John 5:27] All authority ch. 6:10; Luke 2:14] [ch. 6:10; Luke 2:14] in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Matthew 28:19: [Mark 16:15, 16] Go therefore and [ch. 13:52] make disciples of [Luke 24:47; [ch. 24:14; Mark 11:17; Rom. 1:5] all nations, [Mark 16:15, 16] baptizing them [See Acts 8:16] in [2 Cor. 13:14] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:20: teaching them [John 14:15] to observe all that [Acts 1:2] I have commanded you. And behold, [ch. 1:23; 18:20; John 12:26; 14:3; 17:24; Acts 18:10] I am with you always, to [See ch. 13:39] the end of the age. (ESV2011)

So, here, we see the Lord fulfilling His promise and applying His authority to make them to perform those signs confirming their words.

We, as Christians, say that the Lord is with us wherever we are and go and it is true. But, Jesus’ presence in power is a specific promise for those who are totally engaged into obeying Him in the sense of preaching and teaching His holly Word and facing superhuman challenges.

If you want to see God acting in supernatural way through your hands, just prepare yourself to obey the Lord, engage in the noble task of teaching and preaching the Gospel of salvation, and trusting that He will show up, in a special way, to back up your work.

Jesus power in not meant to be a TV show at the will of many televangelists and those who try to lure people for their own gain, above of all, financial one.

If someone is “performing” signs and wonders just to impress you, your family, your church, your community, your estate, your country, and is not engaged in teaching and preaching the Word of God as it should: look! Be aware not to be deceived by such person, such team, such church, such denomination, such Christian organisation, et.al…

The Lord, Himself, never performed a sigle sign to just satisfy peoples desires and curiosity.

Once the Jews came to Him asking Him to perform a miracle…

Did the Lord do that?

Can you find that text?

Oh! It is here:

Matthew 16:1: [For ver. 1-12, see Mark 8:11-21] And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and [John 8:6] to test him [1 Cor. 1:22; See ch. 12:38] they asked him to show them [Luke 11:16; 21:11] a sign from heaven.

Matthew 16:2: He answered them, [Luke 12:54, 55] When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.

Matthew 16:3: And in the morning, It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening. [Luke 12:56] You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret [ch. 12:28; Luke 19:44] the signs of the times.

Matthew 16:4: [See ch. 12:39] An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So [ch. 4:13; 21:17] he left them and departed. (ESV2011)

Why do you think Jesus did not perform the sign the Jews wanted Him to do?

Firstly, because Jesus obey not any men. For He is the Lord of us all; secondly, because, that request was a temptation to God. And was just an attempt to fool the Lord for making Him a showman and He didn’t came to this earth to exhibit His power before His own creatures.

He came here to give us the most precious opportunity we can have throughout all our life: to make a decision of how we want to live this life in relation to God and, particularly, the after life…

He came here to call us into a relationship of life (eternal) through His work, sacrifice, death and resurrection.

So that, we either take it and follow Him, or reject it and follow our own way which will lead us into eternal perdition…

The multitude of the city got divided under Paul’s and Barnabas preaching. Some where for and others against the apostles and brothers.

No wonder that those who heard the message preached got divided. After all, they were right in the middle of a battlefield.

So that, division is a common ground when it comes to raising wars.

Sword can be a symbol of wars. Especially in those days when the roman empire was in power.

The Lord told this when still on this earth:

Matthew 10:34: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword . (KJVA)

What! Did Jesus come to earth to mess it even more with wars?

Not at all! Dividing is the effect of teaching His Holly Word.

Countries can be divided by it, as it happened in the Reformation period; Christian organisations can be divided over it; families members can also be divided upon hearing and accepting the Gospel of salvation…

Matthew 10:35: For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (KJVA)

Matthew 10:36: And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. (KJVA)

So that, those who preach and teach it will obtain many enemies along their journey…

You have to be bold to get fully engaged in a war. don’t you?

Bold in the middle of an unnatural war - part 02

After fleeing to Lystra and Derbe they kept preaching the Gospel

In Lystra, Paul came across a crippled man. or rather, the other way round. Upon listening to Paul, the apostle could see that he had faith to be healed, so that he prayed for him and he was healed.

Because of that tremendous miracle, the lycaonic people wanted to sacrifice to Paul (Mercurius) and Barnabas (Jupiter). But they were convinced of not doing so

In verse 15, we see Paul, Barnabas and the apostles preaching a very straight message to the people who wanted to sacrifice to them.

They clearly told them to covert to God from their vanities and showed them the only true God who created everything.

We could well say that on part 01 it was not so clear that the whole thing involved an spiritual battle at first.

But, here, in Lystra, we can see it very clearly that the spiritual realms are playing the main part behind the scenes…

Paul tells them about how good God is. The One he is telling them about.

The testimony of his goodness is such that the own Nature should be enough to bear witness of Him: the rain that falls down on our plantations, the beautiful seasons, the fruits, vegetables, cereals and every kind of food the land can provide us.

And on top of all of this, He also gives us joy. What a God!

Only blinds and stoned hearts and the New Atheists² disciples cannot see His existence in all of this.

Paul’s and Barnabas teaching made all the regional daemons to be even angrier at them.

So that, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived at the town to physically attack them in such a way that Paul was stoned and drawn out of the city as a dead man.

Be warned that if you push to teach the Gospel some will welcome the amazing Truth, but you can stir up the celestial regions and be the target by those hellish spirits.

We saw there were an attempt to physically kill the apostles when they were in Iconium. But, fortunately, the conspiracy was found and they flew away from that city.

But, the hellish guys were not happy and just sent his servants to try to kill the missionaries once more.

This is exactly how the devil acts: he tries to convince people through his twisted arguments, mostly of them are subtle fallacies; them if the person is smarter than him in God’s Word, he shows himself not as an “angel of light”, but a terrible killer…

He has been using this technique during the whole history of humankind.

Which was the two most classical examples in the Bible?

Hint: they are in the book of Genesis and in the Gospels…

Yeah! That’s it:

Firstly when he persuaded the woman through his cunning bent words, taking God’s Holly words and convincing her about a hidden knowledge she would get if she did exactly the contrary of what the Lord had told us not to do…

This time, he came as an enticing beautiful and seducing creature.

So, there were no need to show his ugly and murderer face…

Secondly, he tried his old technique of twisting God’s Word with Jesus Christ.

But, now his millennial distorted Psycho-Theology couldn’t do any harm to our Lord who is the Truth Himself.

By the end of that Psycho-Theological-Intellectual-spiritual battle, he had to go away as a looser.

But, then he kept trying to get the Son of Men with lesser battles of the type.

When he convinced himself he was not up to our Lord, he took the physical and violent method as the last option against the Lord.

He did not know that killing Jesus would the final strike he would get straight on his head… So that, he was once and for all done by the death and Resurrection of our Saviour.

Yes! Be warned when taking the noble task of teaching and preaching God’s Word. The devil will play dirt, if he cannot stop you by using lighter tricks.

But, be courageous and brave because you hold the holly Sword and Jesus the One who already won over the prince of darkness is fighting by your side and He will never, but never, let you down…

Just keep on obeying and trusting in Him.

As Paul, Barnabas and the early Church did…

To our very surprise, after all this upheaval, they went back to the very cities they first were persecuted: Lystra and Iconium and reached his missionary church in Antioch

They did this to check the souls up who had been converted and were left on their own after they first left those cities. This really is what Jesus told to his disciples to do: preaching, teaching and shepherding the flock.

We cannot claim that we’ve done God’s work in full, if we only preach, only teach and just go on our way, letting people behind without giving assistance to them.

Preaching and teaching the Gospel is a serious task and not an adventure we do when we have free time…

This is not a discourages advice I’m giving you. But, I am only trying to recall, first and foremost, myself.

It is OK to share, as people sometimes call, Christian literature to the unbelievers. But, just sharing them and telling them: Jesus loves you is not evangelising them in a biblical way…

Of, course, there are exceptions to the rule, e.g., if God places this desire into your heart and your have no time and no opportunity to engage in a 1-to-1 deeper conversation with those who you are trying to lead to Christ, I think, the Lord is wise more than enough to turn any Christian literature, into a powerful weapon to reach the open hearts.

But, it is not the rule…

And Paul and Barnabas as well as the whole book of Acts (of the Holy Spirit) through the Apostles teach us about the right way to fulfil Jesus’ commission through our lives on earth.

We’ve set to confirm the faith of those who have received Jesus Christ in their lives through our hands as instruments of the power of the Holy Ghost in us, and, above of all, they have to feel that we truly love, and care for them. After all, love is what do make a difference in our ministry towards people.

In the case of Paul and Barnabas, they only left them after establishing a new church there and choosing elders to care for them, believing that God was more than enough to keep for their lives and make them grow. After that, they still preached in Perga on their way back to Antioch

What a lesson for us who live in a said to be Liquid society?

In a burn out society! Where we are driven to show work in 24/24 routine to the point of killing ourselves till exhaustion!³

Conclusion

Questions:

How we Christians are used to deal with other peoples’ culture and religion?

Are we cowards under the guise of being politically correct in such a way that we could never be bold enough to engage in Theological debates and preach the real Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Why you and I do not do that? Is this because we were taught to leave this hard task to the “professional” of Faith? (pastors, ministers, missionaries, Bible teachers and the like?)

Or is it because we are lazy to study God’s Word and we feel unprepared to preach a more apologetic Gospel?

Have you been challenged in your workplace, school, college, university, or among your family to expose the reason on your faith and your did no do well and smart people squared you in a way you felt really bad?

What if you had the will and acted beforehand building up your faith and preparing yourself face such situations?

You would like to… But, does not know where and how to start…

So, I leave here an advice to you: ask your leader in your church to prepare a course on Apologetic to prepare you and those who want to fulfil the Great Commission in a serious and engaged way…

And, most important, pray to God while you build your faith to be a faithful testimony of His Word.

You say that you have not bear witness using that methodology because we have to respect other people’s religion and cultural background?

We see that Paul and Barnabas made a very challenging and bold move on this occasion. For them, saving lives and sowing the Word was worth of taking the risk. Even being aware that their lives were at risk…

We have to be prepared to face opposition whenever we open our mouths with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we do that, for sure, daemons, and the whole hell will stir up against us and try to use his servants’ minds against anyone who is bold to hold fast God’s Word. Irrespective of being “professional” preacher, missionaries, church-goers, or whomever…

In a way that, if possible, the hellish gang will try to use every kind of dirty devices in an attempt to make God’s children to shut their mounts up forever in this life.

But, we have to stand firm and trust that God is the One who is with us when on the move making His will.

Even if we have to face stones coming in our direction to hitting our faces and body, God can well resurrect out bodies by His sovereignty will. In case we’ve not yet fulfilled His whole plans in us and through us ⁴^,⁵.

In a way, even if we do not know the level of Paul’s wounds and pain, this was what God did in that occasion: He preserved his life and his companions, so that they could fulfil their calling for their generation…

All that boldness on behalf of *God’s name had a high price to be paid, but the other side of the coin is much more special…

The fact that they could see God acting through their teaching and preaching was way more rewarding than the fear of being persecuted and even murdered!

I am sure, that apart from feeling the Lord acting through them, they felt His presence is a strong way, as to build up their faith in Him and confidence in the Message of the Gospel which is pure power to set men free from the bondage of sin and break every chain⁶ pushing them into Hell…

Why we do not see God acting in this way - with signs and wonders - anymore?

Is there something with God? Has He changed or is His Word just a bunch of fictional stories?

What do you think?

I think, IMHO, that we’ve not seen the Lord acting through signs, power and wonders, because of our timidness to raise His name on high in our life and wherever we are.

Not that we have to act in an aggressive and uncaring way.

Because, boldness has nothing to do with arrogance and lack of wisdom.

Remember Moses that was a meek man, but powerful and bold for doing God’s will.

He was able to face and challenge one of the most powerful man in his generation: Pharaoh Ramses II⁷

We want God to revive our churches, denominations, and country, but we want it our way…

Meaning that God will operate wonders inside our churches building during our services, while we are all comfortable sat down in our cushion chairs or benches.

In reality we want to take part in a show where it showcase God to others.

Specially these days, where our churches are surrounded by cameras everywhere, outside and inside our well built temples.

No matter who is delivering the Word of God.

So that, children of the Almighty who are preaching the Word in persecuted places and countries have to warn the leaders of such churches that they should not record them sharing what God has been operating in such places.

Unfortunately, some church leaders have never put their feet in an hostile missionary field and are totally unprepared to even understand a simple request like this one from a person who is involved in such ministries

I get amazed on how most Bible Colleges and Theological organisations are preparing the young generation to lead their churches and Christian organisations nowadays…

But, I will leave this issue to discuss another time…

Otherwise, we will be off-track here…

Certainly, the Lord does not act as He did in the pages of the Bible, not because He has changed. But, because we read Him in a slightly wrong way.

So that, it is a good exercise, from time to time, try to check the god we sometimes start building with the real One the Bible tell us…

I believe that we do not see that powerful God the Bible tell us about because, lets be fair with us here, we are, most of time, a bunch of fearful Christians who do not really believe in God and fully understand what He is able to do. presence and assistance while we are teaching and preaching.

Apart from that, as I already have stated above, our mission is mostly restrict to our internal and safe well built buildings.

While the Mission Jesus told us to do is totally the contrary:

Matthew 10:16: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Matthew 10:17: But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Matthew 10:18: And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Matthew 10:19: But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Matthew 10:20: For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Matthew 10:21: And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

Matthew 10:22: And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Matthew 10:23: But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Matthew 10:24: The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Matthew 10:25: It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Matthew 10:26: Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

Matthew 10:27: What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Matthew 10:28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

Matthew 10:30: But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10:31: Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:32: Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:33: But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:34: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (KJVA)

In sum: He sent us into a battlefield and there is no way to get out of it…

All of us, who are true children of God are involved in this war!

So that, it is not only a matter of preaching, teaching, praying, and interceding in a safe place - inside our churches and Christian organisations - but doing all of this in hostile places and environments.

This is the key for God being with us in the power of the Holy Ghost as Jesus promised his disciples before going up home.

He told them that He would be with them in a very especial way whenever they were at work, believing in Him, trusting in Him, preaching and teaching His Word till the edge of the earth.

Please do not ask me if I believe in the flat-earth theory… Edge here is just a imagery and literary resource…

Another predictable behaviour that they certainly knew would happen was that their audience at some point would be divided and should have to take sides on God’s message of salvation.

Jesus Himself told that people even inside their own families would be divided under the Gospel.

God’s message is a message that any men cannot be neuter on hearing it.

Every man have to decide which side to take when faced with the Message of life.

This Message is not an unimportant story that happened in the first century, but it is the most important News a men can hear.

Because the decision over this Message will decide our eternal future and there is no way out of this very truth.

They could well be intimidate about what had just happened in Iconium when they reached Lystra and Derbe.

But, far from true, they kept preaching the Gospel in those cities as well.

This teach us the level of commitment they had with the Message of Jesus Christ.

In fact, the only thing that stopped those first brothers of us was to be put to death.

Anything else didn’t work against them - The cure of the crippled man tell us that sometimes the necessary faith for someone to be healed is not on the one who prays for, but, rather, on the person who receive the prayer.

How different from Paul’s and Barnabas’ behaviour some churches/denomination VIP leaders act nowadays!

Paul and Barnabas did not want any glory to themselves, but God’s.

We are already kinda of fed up on seeing “big stars” in these Institutions getting God’s glory on their shoulders as if churches, denominations and Christian organisations they lead have its growth root in their own “superpowers” instead of God’s mercy and grace.

We have to immediately, repent before God as a true church and avoid any kind of adoration to men and, even more, to ask the Lord to clean these figures away from ministry if they do not repent of their behaviour of being worshipped as if they are gods.

The Church has been too tolerant with these kind inside her.

It is time to do something to stop these people who mislead God’s flock to the eternal abyss.

I am, of course, not advocating and kind of physical violence against anyone. But, if we pray insistently to our God, He can do something new…

We should say: but, this is the way the Bible already foretold us, so let it be…

I do not think that the Message is passively conniving with such leaders among God’s people.

At least, I see not it in the epistles of the New Testament.

I see men of God who dealt with wrong teaching and cunning spiritual leaders inside the churches…

When I read this text, I wonder how have been our presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ an the true God to other people.

We seem to be so shy in our way of approaching people.

We do not challenge them, we do not tell them the real truth about who God is and what they should do to be forgiven by Him and enter his Kingdom.

We have to change our way of preaching and teaching the Gospel.

There is no time to be circumventing the true message of God.

We have to go straight to the point without fearing any kind o retaliation.

We should be prepared to face the most ferocious spiritual battles whenever we start preaching and teaching the Gospel in the devil strongholds like those cities.

Demonic forces will certainly raise up and use people, especially religious people - Jews, pagans and Christians alike - to try to stop us at any cost.

After the WWII Zionists have coined the term “Antisemitism” to fool everyone who do not agree with the Zionist project.

If you criticise Modern Israel or Jews anywhere in the world you are labelled as being antisemitic.

But let us not forget that in the early days of Christianity and even today, one of the most fierce enemies of Christianity are the Jews.

Through the pages of Acts (of the Holy Spirit) through the Apostles, we can clearly see this pattern over and over again.

But, praise the Lord, because many Jews got converted to Jesus Christ back then and still are turning to Christ.

Any many others either Jews and gentiles will fill up the True Church, the Bride of Christ, through the bold and courageous preaching and teaching of the true Message till the day the Almighty Lord comes to reign for ever and ever.

While this day does no come, we should go on believing, trusting and obeying the Lord. God bless you all.

Sun Sep 11 09:52:30 PM -03 2022

Cypher

Footnotes:

speaking boldly παρρησιαζόμενοι (parrēsiazomenoi) Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong’s 3955: To speak freely, boldly; To be confident.

The New Atheism and the Four Horsemen

The Burnout Society

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Richard Wurmbrand

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As citações apontando para artigos da “Wikipedia” não são autoritativas do ponto de vista acadêmico. Servem, somente, como ponto de partida para pesquisas mais aprofundadas e de cunho científicas.

The citations pointing to Wikipedia articles are not authoritative from an academic point of view. They only serve as a starting point for more in-depth and scientific research.

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Break Every Chain

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Ramses II

The Lost Generation

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:01:00 -0300

Why Hebrews 3 advises us not to behave like the Desert Generation?

Let’s Analyse the Issue…

Por que Hebreus 3 nos adverte a não agirmos como a Geração do Deserto?

Vamos Analisar o Tema…

The Lost Generation

Bible text

Hebrews 3

Today, I was reading Hebrews chapter three and felt quite a shock when thinking that a whole generation was eternally lost before God’s eyes!

We have some expressions in our languages, at least in Portuguese and English, to refer to this generation as well, especially the young people who seems to live without any moral and spiritual parameters.

And some of our observations, sometimes, also applies to our own families, our own relatives…

The book of Hebrews tell us about the spiritual loss of a whole generation who fell in the desert and did not make his way to the promised Land!

And the Bible is not saying that they were just a bunch of people, some families or a small community, but a generation - those who were born during the desert period and some of those who left Egypt out of their captivity!

The question is: why did they stayed behind, in their graves, and, ultimately, went to hell?

They did so because committed few things that really upset God and hurt His holiness:

Let’s first analyse the privileges that Lost Generation had before the Lord Almighty

They were a generation full of privileges before the true God, in the sense that they could hear God’s voice, for 40 years, through their spiritual leaders and, sometimes, God, Himself, used to spoke to them in a direct way.

Can we hear God’s voice nowadays? Yes, we certainly can.

Can we hear God’s voice through some spiritual leaders? Yes.

But, we have to keep in mind that there are not many women and men of God in our time. In fact, there are many who claim to be God’s voice and such

The truth is that, when we analyse what they say and how they live, we come to the conclusion that there are only a few of them.

But, aren’t we judging the other? Yes we are¹… And Jesus Himself said we can judge people through their fruits…

What Jesus is against is to judge others base on our own preconceptions and not based on the Bible principles.

Fortunately, for those who love and seek the Lord, these, have the Holy Ghost and God’s Word to discern His voice out of many other voices.

In our generation, we can certainly hear God’s voice through people, through electronic means, e.g., radio stations, through the internet, television and even, to our surprise, in some churches!

God’s voice can speak on and on during all our lifetime! For some of us, much longer than 40 years!

But, unfortunately, even by hearing God’s voice on a daily basis, that generation hardly paid attention to that, because they wanted to live as pagan nations did. Specially, in the way they just lived - during their capitivity in in Egypt!

Even though they knew to be slaves out there!

This is funny and sad at the same time. When we live in sin, in the world, as we call it, in Egypt (a symbol of moral sin, geographical sin and temporal sin), we do not feel that we are, ultimately, slaves of sin, but free!

Why is that, then? It happens because of the deception of sin!

The original sin and its children, our private and personal sins, are so poisonous and deceptive that we think that what we are doing is the right thing to do and everyone else is wrong, backward, traditional, out of date, old-generation, not having an open and progressive mind, and the like… - The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (KJVA)

Such is the power of the deception of the sin!

The very sins that generation committed against God, during 40 years, are described as being provocations and temptations against Him!

Let’s analyse the sin(s) the Lost Generation committed against God

What were they, then? We have some examples here:

They told God that their lives in Egypt were much better than living in that land of nowhere, the desert.

They, in fact, did not understand the whole project of God in their lives.

Because, the desert was meant to be only a short period until they reached the Land where there would be “milk” and “honey”, a Land of abundance, security and happiness.

Does this, sometimes, happen to us as well? Of course, it does…

Some, or most of us, as Christians, live in this world as if it is the final stop of our existence.

We are unable to see the promises God has in store for us in eternity.

Living like this costs us a high price for trying to fulfil all our desires, dreams, and expectations while we are still alive.

We want to be successful at all costs! Success, most of times here, means to accomplish what the sinful system of the world is telling us to be: well employed; powerful buyers and consumerists; being our own bosses - this one is not a bad idea. Is it? And getting tons of money to fulfil our personal desires…

We want to accomplish every material desire here and now… and we do not understand that we should just walk with God our own path and that this is a time that He is preparing us to get fit to be able to live in the Promised Land.

This life is not our final destiny!

But, many, including Christians, live here as if they will be on this earth as it is, forever and ever…

I think, we have to change our minds and we should hope that God is wise enough to lead us towards entering in His final place of rest and happiness.

Did I say happiness? This deserves some pages to be discussed in a Christian context… But, not here right now…

Living a Christian life with such a worldly view is, certainly, a behaviour taken by God as putting Him and His words under proof. Which is serious sin against our Father.

Because, in other words, we are telling Him that we know much more than He does

We know much more than Him what real life is all about!

That generation told God that the Egyptian food was much better than the one God had been providing to feed them all those years!

Meaning that they knew better than the Creator what was best for them as they crossed through that dry land facing all those challenges.

They told God that He was a terrible nutritionist and He knew nothing about desert diet!

So, God gave them the food they wanted and many of them died while they were still eating what they wanted.

We have also received some gifts from God, throughout our journey, that help us to live well while crossing this long desert.

We might be tempted to think that what God has given us is not enough to survival and that these things bring no satisfaction to our body and soul, but, for sure, He knows what is best for us.

He knew that the Manna was the perfect food for them in that situation².

Apart from that, we can be sure, He is also testing our faith in small things. So that, in the future, He can give us big - according what big really means to God - things, as it is written in the Servants Parable that Jesus taught to his disciples.

Let’s, then, be grateful to the “small” things the Lord have placed in our hands to test us.

That generation also complained about not having water and being at risk of dying in the desert.

Let’s suppose that they really were nearly dying of thirst in that desert.

Would you think God would let them to die in such way?

Or God was just testing their patience and endurance?

Would God let the children, whom He loved a great deal to fell down on that hot sand and become food to vultures, jackals and other animals? No way!

Why not? Because of His own Name.

What the other nation would say if He did such a cruel thing? Wouldn’t they level the God of Israel as any other pagan god who were taken as full of passions, caprices and instability?

For me, that was just a short-time of proof from God to test their endurance and resilience, because they were about to fight some powerful enemies ahead of them when getting in the Promised Land.

Let’s not forget what the prophet Isaiah told us:

Isaiah 48:21: And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. (KJVA)

One of the most difficult proofs for most Christians, including me, is related to God’s timing in our lives.

What do you think? Are you at ease with God’s timing in your life or do you struggle with it?

All these provocations against God were still in the physical level up to that time…

But, then, that generation really got on God’s nerves when they crossed their limits and tempted God in the spiritual level!

They, through their crazy behaviour, actions and a permissive and passive leader (Moses’s brother), held a spiritual service, while Moses and a few men were up in the Sinai hearing and learning from God during a 40 days retreat…

That very event brought God’s judgment on the Israeli congregation straight away in such a level that God started killing them in the desert.

But why was the Lord so angry with them?

Firstly, because they rejected God Himself and His Holy Words.

Secondly, because they did not wait to hear God’s voice through Moses and their spiritual leaders once more;

Thirdly, and worst of all, because that spiritual service was not being directed to God whom had been so good with them during all those years:

He had saved them from the slavery of Egypt, led them through the desert, given bread to eat and water to drink, and preserved their shoes, clothes, bodies and heath…

He had given protection, security, direction, love and forgiveness.

Much more than a human father could provide to a son or a daughter.

But, lamentably, that generation had not learnt to be grateful to God in any sense!

They even wanted to serve strange and false gods, those with whom they had contact in Egypt! Which, in turn, were the devil and his daemons themselves.

That service was their sin apex that led God to start cleaning up and sever those who did not belong. Those who did not submit³ to Him, from those who did.

We, as adopted children of God, have to be aware that believing in God are not punctual experiences in time as we try walking with Him.

The main verse in the Bible, as we know it, tell us about this truth:

John 3:16: “…for those who keep on believing do not perish, but have eternal life”. This is the original meaning of the text.

God does not want to engage in a relationship of instability with us.

Meaning: “today I will be faithful to God. But, in this situation, I will do it my way…”

Tomorrow I will go to a Rave party and leave God behind for a little while… and the day after tomorrow we will meet again… and so it goes…

Faith and relationship with God is an ongoing process of believing and trusting in Him non-stop…

But, what did happen in that service that ignited God’s wrath against them?

Well, that was a pagan service, which, in the end, was not aimed at worshipping the true and holy God, but the devil and his servants.

aqui - explicar o nível do engano e cegueira espiritual quando abandonamos o Senhor..

That service was an appeal to their emotional and physic senses⁴.

That service was an invocation of demons in the very middle of the Israeli congregation!

They probably went as far as the pagans used to do in their demonic rituals: having sex with one another in an undiscriminating way, including same-sex practise, paedophilia, group sex, and so on…⁵

And not only God got very angry, but Moses as well…

Why do you think he came to the point to break the stone-tables of the Law?

Something very serious was going on down there at the Mountain…

That probably is the main reason why God led Moses to also add a statement, in the book of Leviticus, forbidding sodomite practises among his⁶ people.

Leviticus 18:22: Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (KJVA)

Something is not quite right here and a key question can be raised in this whole situation:

Were those people aware they were involved in a service not delivered to the True and only God?

Or they were self-deceived in such a level they became totally blind they thought that engaging in that fertility cult was a mean to please the God of Israel?

It seems that the two thoughts are into play here:

Because, the people told to themselves: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! Having the approval of Aaron!

They were so self-deceived and, consequently blind that the decision not to wait for God, made them to depart from Him once and for all!

They just made up a syncretic cult, a mixture of paganism and their own concept of God and in their madness they thought to be pleasing God!

That happened with the help of his interim leader! Aaron. Who, himself, took an active role in the making of that abomination before the holiness of the Lord.

Now, can you imagine a big church, full of people, dancing, drinking, feasting, chanting, listening high pitch music, exposing their bodies in a sensual way, full of colourful blinking lights, having sex together in all possible ways, men with men, men with children, women with women, etc… and saying that they are worshipping the True and Holy God?

Such as that “Sinai” service of old…

Did God do right killing them on spot?

Was God a cruel God? As the enemies of the Word are used to accuse Him?

They do that mostly because they do not study and analyse the historical and grammatical context of the Bible…

Of course, He got that right once again, because they were totally contaminated, demonised, some also possessed, and lost in their senses, spirit, minds and behaviour…

Paul says that “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” - Galatians 5:9 (KJVA)

And in that case, there were not a little, but lots of leaven that should be removed from God’s Congregation!

That was the main reason why they did not enter in the Promised Land…

Now, can we see any similarity with the way Christians have been deceived by their own sins and permissive (liberal) leaders in some of (our) churches in our days? - You probably can.

The main problem in that occasion was Aaron, the brother of Moses, who was a weak leader and instead of reproaching the people who was putting pressure on him, he, rather, gave orders to the Israelite’s to gather their gold to sculpt a Golden Calf, the god of virility (fetility) of the Egyptians…

Aaron fell to people pressure, because they already had lost the pacience of waiting for Moses and the other spiritual leaders to bring down to them God’s Words and the Law to them. Although they did not know what was happening up in the mountain.

Have you seen or experienced this scene to repeat in our very generation? A weak spiritual leader in character and faith in God who starts allowing the pressures of people in his church, denomination, Christian organisation, missionary agency, et. al. to the point to allow them to live as they want, fulfilling their carnal desires and building a god whom they follow and say that they are following and serving the Holy God of the Bible!

And not only this! But, he, himself, took an active part, publicly, in the whole process as the head of the situation!

This is self-deception and our modern Christianity is full of likewise stories.

In God’s name, people divide churches, denominations, families, communities, societies, states, countries, and so on…

In God’s name, men raise war against each other and call them “holly” wars…

In God’s name, men kill themselves and claim to be doing God’s will…

All these things have marred Christianity, Islamism, Hinduism and all kinds of religions, human Systems and Ideologies throughout human history…

But, it happens because one only thing: The deception of sin that is the most poisonous evil in the world and, because of it, our view of God, ourselves and our neighbours is completely twisted and wrong.

Why do you think that the devil used a serpent to lure Eve? Is there any symbolism there? Although, we might think the reason why God let him to use that creature as a tool on the devil’s hand… I have an opinion about that…

In this sense, there are many spiritual leaders who want to please people the more, than to obey God and wait on Him.

I am not advocating here that a leader should be a police who punishes⁷ and prohibits others of doing whatever they want, getting into peoples’ private lives.

We could well open up a discussion here to deal with the controlling leader theme… But, this is a vast issue to be discussed in another occasion..

However, as a reflecting note, I will leave a simple hint here: the controlling leader is someone who tries to control, firstly, God, caging Him (this, by the way, is the root, the kernel of what God’s Word calls idolatry⁸) with the intention to serve his own interests. In our time, they sum up as financial and material gains, for such things, in our society, are symbol of power… isn’t it puzzling that in this Bible passage we are analysing, Aaron tells the people to gather all the gold they have to carve the golden calf?

Have you thought if there is any link between, the New Testament mammon god and the Prosperity Theology god worshiped in various christian denominations and organisations nowadays?

Secondly, the controlling leader, attempts to control every aspect of those who are under his(her) authority and all in the name of God!

But, the real role of a godly leader is to follow and obey the Lord and wait for His Holy word to lead, advice, and reproach, depending on the situation, others who are under his care according to what the very Bible tell him to do.

If those who say to be Cristianismo do not want to obey God, this is another issue…

Aaron should have been more assertive towards people and steadfast in faith towards God. But, unfortunately, he just let things go and he himself took part of that “spiritual” feast⁹… So sad…

Nowadays, there are all kinds of churches, even those where they hold services that look like more of a disco than a place of worship…

David Wilkerson, once said, in one of his sermons, that we were not far from seeing people who claimed to belong to the true God, in our churches, worshipping demons through all those strange rituals, including all kinds of sexual obscenities…

I think that, unfortunately, also our generation who is said to be a Cristian one, have already reached the sin(s) apex that will soon bring God’s judgment in our time…

And God will visibly start separating those who belong to Him from those who claim to belong to Him.

Even inside our churches, denominations and Christian organisations…

Actually, He, probably, is doing it in His way, this very thing…

So, let’s pray so that we are not caught, as that Desert generation was, by the deceptiveness of sin, that led them to harden their heart so strongly to the point to worship the devil and his daemons thinking they were serving the Almighty and Holy God

Let’s analyse the consequences of the sin(s) that Lost Generation committed against God

Their lack of spiritual discernment and relationship with God, based on fulfilling their own immediate earthly desires, were real traps that deceived them, blinded them and hardened their heart into disobedience, incredulity and, finally, spiritual death…

They refused to wait on God to hearing His Holy Word and commandments on how to live a life that pleased God.

Even their spiritual leader on charge of them, for a short period, fell under their sinful pressure and simply let things go, being himself involved in the whole thing that ignited Moses anger to the point of breaking what the Lord Himself had written to guide them and, because of that process, they were nearly totally destroyed by God’s judgment on them.

The result: they reaped eternal condemnation and perdition…

May God keep us faithful to Him till the end of our lives for not happening to us what had happened to that Lost Generation.

Have mercy on us, our beloved and Almighty Lord.

Give us Your Holy Ghost to guide us and teach us into Your Eternal Kingdom.

Allow us to see the Promised Land and live there forever and ever in you Holy presence…

God bless us all.

A Geração Perdida

Texto bíblico

Hebreus 3

Hoje, eu estava lendo o capítulo três do livro de Hebreus e senti uma espécie de choque quando parei para pensar que toda uma geração se perdeu por toda a eternidade diante dos Senhor!

Temos algumas expressões em alguns idiomas, como por exemplo em Português e Inglês, para se referir a esta geração também, sobretudo a geração mais nova que parece viver sem nenhum parâmetro moral e espiritual.

E algumas das nossas observações, vez por outra, se aplicam às nossas próprias famílias e parentes…

O livro de Hebreus nos conta a história da perdição eterna de toda uma geração que caiu no deserto e não conseguiu entrar na Terra Prometida!

A Palavra não nos diz que era somente um punhado de pessoas, algumas poucas famílias ou uma pequena comunidade, mas toda uma geração principalment aqueles que nasceram durante a estada de Israel no deserto, e alguns que vieram do Egito e não eram israelitas, mas também foram libertos da escravidão!

A pergunta que cabe aqui é: porque eles ficaram para trás, em suas covas, e, foram parar no inferno?

Isso aconteceu porque eles cometeram alguns pecados que deixaram o Senhor bem triste e feriram a Santidade Senhor bem triste e feriram a Santidade dEle:

Primeiramente, vamos analisar os privilégios que aquela Geração que se perdeu tinha diante do Senhor Todo-Poderoso

Eles foram uma geração cheia de privilégios diante do verdadeiro Deus, no sentido que podiam ouvir a voz do Senhor, por 40 anos, através dos seus líderes espirituais e, algumas vezes, o próprio Deus, costumava falar com eles de forma direta.

Podemos também nós ouvir a voz do Senhor, hoje, na nossa geração? Certamente, podemos.

Podemos também nós ouvir a voz do Senhor através de alguns líderes espirituais na nossa geração? Sim.

Contudo, devemos ter consciência que não há muitos homens e mulheres de Deus na nossa época. De fato, há muitos que afirmam ser a voz de Deus e por aí vai…

Mas, a verdade é que quando começamos a olhar mais de perto o que dizem em nome do Senhor e como vivem, chegamos à conclusão que existem poucos deles na nossa geração.

Mas… Isso não é julgar o próximo? Sim, estamos… e foi Jesus mesmo que disse que podemos julgar olhando para os frutos que produzem na vida…

O que Jesus não aprova é julgarmos os outros baseados nos nossos próprios preconceitos, e não baseados nos princípios da Palavra de Deus…

Felizmente, para aqueles que amam e buscam o Senhor, esses tem o Espírito Santo e a Palavra para discernir Sua voz no meio de tantas outras vozes.

Na nossa geração, com certeza, ouvimos a voz do Senhor através de pessoas, de meios eletrônicos, por exemplo, estações de rádio, internet, televisão e até mesmo em algumas igrejas!

A voz do Senhor pode nos acompanhar, falando aos nossos corações durante toda a nossa vida! Para alguns de nós por um período bem maior do que 40 anos!

Mas, infelizmente, mesmo ouvindo a voz dEle todos os dias, aquela geração raramente prestou atenção ao que ela dizia, porque o que queriam era viver de acordo com o padrão das nações pagãs que os cercavam. Sobretudo, da forma que tinham vivido um pouco antes de serem libertos - durante a escravidão no Egito!

Mesmo sabendo que tinham sido escravos naquela terra!

Isso é irônico e triste ao mesmo tempo. Quando vivemos em pecado, no mundo, como chamamos essa situação, no Egito (um símbolo de pecado moral, geográfico e temporal), nós não achamos que, verdadeiramente, somos escravos do pecado! Nós pensamos que somos livres!

Por que isso acontece então? Isso acontece por causa do engano do pecado!

O pecado original e seus filhos, nossos pecados particulares, são tão venenosos e enganadores que pensamos que estamos vivendo da forma correta e que todo o mundo é errado, atrasado, tradicional, desatualizado, geração ultrapassada, que não tem uma mente aberta e progressiva, e coisas do tipo…

A Bíblia diz em Provérbios 14:12: [ch. 16:25; See ch. 12:15] Há um caminho que ao homem parece direito, mas [[ch. 5:5; Rom. 6:21]; See ch. 7:27] o fim dele conduz à morte. (PorAR)

Tal é o poder de engano do pecado!

Exatamente aqueles pecados que aquela geração cometeu contra Deus, durante 40 anos, são descritos como sendo provocações e tentações contra Ele!

Vamos analisar o(s) pecado(s) que a Geração Perdida cometeu contra Deus

Que pecados foram aqueles, então? Nós temos alguns exemplos aqui:

Eles disseram para Deus que a vida no Egito era muito melhor do que viver naquela terra de ninguém, o deserto.

Eles, na realidade, não entenderam o projeto futuro de Deus nas suas vidas.

Porque, o deserto sera somente uma pequena parte do projeto global até alcançarem a Terra onde “jorraria” leite e mel, uma Terra de abundância, segurança e alegria.

Algumas vezes, isso pode acontecer conosco? Com certeza, pode.

Alguns, ou a maioria de nós, como Cristãos, vivem nessa vida como se aqui fosse o ponto final da nossa existência.

Somos incapazes de vislumbrar as promessas que o Senhor tem guardado para nós na eternidade.

Viver dessa forma é pagar um alto preço porque estamos sempre em busca de satisfazer todos nossos desejos, sonhos, e expectativas enquanto vivos.

Queremos ser bem-sucedidos a todo custo! Tal sucesso, via-de-regra aqui, significa alcançar o que o Sistema pecaminoso do mundo diz para nós: estar bem-empregado; possuirmos grande poder de compra e de consumo; sermos nossos próprios patrões, essa até que não é uma má ideia. Não é memso? E empilhar muito capital para sermos capazes de realizar nossos desejos…

Nós queremos realizar todos os nossos desejos materiais aqui e agora… e não entendemos que o que devemos fazer é caminhar com o Senhor o caminho que Ele propôs para cada um de nós e que este é um tempo que Ele está nos preparando para ficarmos “em forma” para sermos capazes de viver na Terra Prometida.

Essa vida não é o nosso destino final!

Mas, muitos, incluindo os Cristãos, vivem aqui como se fossem viver eternamente nessa terra como ela é, para sempre e sempre…

Eu acredito, que devemos mudar nossa mentalidade e devemos esperar que o Senhor é suficientemente sábio para nos conduzir em direção ao lugar de descanso e felicidade que Ele tem reservado para nós.

Eu falei felicidade? Esse é um assunto que merece algumas páginas para ser discutido, num contexto cristão… Mas, não aqui e agora…

Viver uma vida dita Cristã, tendo tal visão e mentalidade mundana é, certamente, um comportamento considerado por Deus como colocando a Ele e Suas Palavras sob prova. Que se constitui em grave pecado contra nosso Pai.

Porque, em última instância, estamos afirmando diante dEle que conhecemos muito mais do que Ele conhece.

Que sabemos muito mais do que Ele sobre a verdadeira Vida.

Aquela geração disse para Deus que a comida egípcia era bem melhor do que a providenciada por Ele para alimentá-los durante todos aqueles anos!

Significando que eles sabiam mais do que o Criador o que era melhor para eles à medida que cruzavam aquela terra seca e enfrentavam todos aqueles desafios!

Eles disseram para Deus que Ele era um terrível nutricionista e que Ele não tinha ideia de como deveria ser uma dieta para o deserto!

Por causa de tal provocação, Deus deu a eles a comida que queriam e muitos deles morreram no deserto comendo o que tinham pedido.

Também nós, temos recebido muitos presentes da parte do Senhor, através da nossa jornada, que nos ajudam a viver bem enquanto atravessamos esse longo deserto.

Podemos ser tentados a pensar que o que Deus tem nos dado não é suficiente para sobreviver e que tais coisas não trazem satisfação para nosso corpo e alma, mas, com certeza, Ele sabe o que é melhor para nós.

Ele sabia que o maná² era o alimento perfeito que os israelitas necessitavam naquele contexto de deserto

Além do mais, podemos estar certos, que Ele está testando nossa fé nas pequenas coisas. Para que, no futuro, Ele possa colocar em nossas mãos grandes - de acordo com o que realmente grande significa aos olhos de Deus - coisas, como está escrito na parábola dos servos que Jesus ensinou aos Seus discípulos.

Dessa forma, sejamos gratos pelas coisas “pequenas” que o Senhor coloca sob nossa responsabilidade para nos testar.

Aquela geração também reclamou de não ter água e estar em risco de morrer no deserto.

Suponhamos que eles realmente estivessem a ponto de morrer de sede naquele deserto.

Você acha que o Senhor permitiria que morressem de tal maneira?

ou Deus estava somente testando a paciência e persistência deles?

O Senhor deixaria que seus filhos, a quem Ele tanto amava caíssem mortos naquela areia quente e se tornassem alimento para abutres, chacais e outrosa ne animais? De forma nenhuma!

Por que não?

Por causa do nome dEle.

O que as outras nações diriam se Ele fizesse algo tão cruel?

Não iriam eles nivelar o Deus de Israel a qualquer outro deus pagão que eram considerados cheios de paixões, caprichos e instabilidades?

No meu olhar, aquela experiência era somente um curto período de prova, da parte de Deus, para testar a perseverança e resiliência deles, porque eles estavam a ponto de lutar contra alguns inimigos poderosos à medida que fossem se aproximando da Terra Prometida.

Não nos esqueçamos o que o profeta Isaías nos disse:

Isaiah 48:21: [ch. 35:6; 44:3; Deut. 8:15] e não tinham sede, quando os levava pelos desertos; [ch. 43:19; Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:11] fez-lhes correr água da rocha; fendeu a rocha, e as águas jorraram. (PorAR)

Uma das provas mais difíceis para a maioria dos Cristãos, incluindo eu mesmo, está relacionada ao tempo de Deus na nossa vida.

O que você acha? Você está satisfeito com a administração do tempo que o Senhor escolheu para sua vida ou você tem dificuldade de aceitá-lo?

Todas as provocações contra Deus estavam somente no nível físico, até aquele momento.

Mas, logo, aquela geração realmente “atravessou o Corguinho” e tentou ao Senhor no nível espiritual!

Eles, através de um comportamento desvairado, suas ações e o apoio de um líder permissivo e passivo (o irmão de Moisés), prepararam um culto, enquanto Moisés e uns poucos homens subiram no Sinai para ouvir e aprender do Senhor durante 40 dias de retiro…

Aquele exato evento, de forma imediata, trouxe o julgamento de Deus sobre a congregação de Israel. De tal forma, que o Senhor começou a matá-los ali mesmo no deserto.

Mas, por que o Deus ficou tão irado com eles?

Primeiramente, porque eles rejeitaram o Senhor e Suas Santas Palavras.

Segundo, porque, mais uma vez, eles não tiveram paciência para esperar Moisés e seus líderes espirituais trazerem a mensagem de Deus para eles.

Terceiro, e pior de tudo, porque aquele culto espiritual não estava sendo dirigido ao Senhor, quem por todos aqueles anos tinha sido tão bom com eles:

Ele havia os salvado da escravidão do Egito, os conduzido através do deserto, dado pão para comer e água para beber, e preservado os calçados, roupas, a saúde e o corpo deles…

Ele tinha dado a eles: proteção, segurança, direção, amor e perdão.

Muito mais do que um pai humano seria capaz de dar a um filho(a).

Mas, lamentavelmente, aquela geração não aprendeu a ser grata ao Senhor, de forma alguma!

Eles ainda queriam servir a deuses falsos e estranhos, aqueles com os quais tinham tido contato no Egito! Os quais, na realidade, eram o diabo e os demônios.

Aquele culto se constitui no ápice do pecado deles contra Deus e foi o que levou o Senhor a começar limpar e separar aqueles que pertencia a Ele daqueles que não. Aqueles que não se submetiam³ a Ele daqueles que o faziam.

Nós, como filhos adotivos do Senhor, devemos estar cientes que confiar nEle não se constitui em experiências pontuais no tempo à medida que tentamos caminhar com Ele.

O principal versículo da Bíblia, como sabemos, nos ensina essa verdade:

João 3.16: “… para que todo aquele que continua confiando (acreditando) não seja destruído (espiritualmente), mas tenha a vida eterna”. Esse é o sentido original do texto.

Deus não tem interesse em se envolver em um relacionamento de instabilidade conosco.

Do tipo: “hoje eu serei fiel ao Senhor. Mas, nessa situação, eu farei da minha forma. ”

Amanhã, eu irei participar de uma festa “Rave” e deixar o Senhor para trás por algumas horas… e, depois de amanhã, nos encontraremos outra vez… e assim continuamos…

Fé e relacionameto com Deus é um processo contínuo de acreditar e confiar nEle sem parar…

Mas, o que aconteceu naquele culto que acendeu a ira do Senhor contra eles?

Bem, aquele era um culto pagão, que, no final das contas, não tinha o objetivo de adorar o Deus verdadeiro e santo, mas o diabo e seus servos.

Aquele culto se constituiu num apelo à satisfação emocional e física deles⁴.

Aquele culto foi uma invocação de demônios no cerne da congregação de Israel!

Eles, provavelmente, foram tão longe quanto os pagãos costumavam fazer nos seus rituais demoníacos: praticaram sexo uns com os outros, de forma indiscriminada, incluindo relações homossexuais, pedofilia, sexo grupal, e assim agiram…⁵^,¹⁰

E não somente o Senhor ficou bastante irado, mas Moisés também…

Por que você acha que ele chegou a ponto de quebrar as Tábuas da Lei?

Alguma coisa muito séria estava acontecendo lá no sopé da Montanha…

Provavelmente, essa foi a principal razão porque Deus disse para Moisés incluir também um mandamento, no livro de Levítico, que proibia práticas sodomitas no meio do seu⁶ povo.

Leviticus 18:22: [ch. 20:13; [Gen. 19:5; Judg. 19:22; Rom. 1:27; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10]] Não te deitarás com varão, como se fosse mulher; é abominação. (PorAR)

Algo não está certo aqui e uma questão chave pode ser levantada diante de toda essa situação:

Aquele povo tinha consciência que estavam envolvidos em um culto cujo principal sujeito não era o Único e Verdadeiro Deus?

Ou eles estavam tão auto-enganados de tal maneira que se tornaram totalmente cegos a ponto de pensar que o envolvimento deles naquele culto da fertilidade era uma forma de agradar o Deus de Israel?

Parece que as duas coisas estão presentes aqui:

Porque o povo disse pra si mesmo: “Esses são os seus deuses, ó Israel, que te tirou do Egito!”

E, ao mesno tempo tinha a aprovação de Arão!

Eles estavam tão seduzidos pelo auto-engano do pecado e, como cosequência, se tornaram espiritualmente cegos, através da decisão consciente de não esperarem mais por Deus que aquela atitude os levou a se separarem do Senhor de uma vez por todas!

Por causa disso, eles se engajaram naquele culto sincrético. Uma mistura de paganismo e o conceito que tinham de Deus.

E na sua loucura pensavam estar agradando a Deus!

Tudo aquilo aconteceu com a ajuda do líder interino deles! O qual, ele mesmo, teve um papel ativo em toda aquela abominação diante da santidade do Senhor.

Agora, imagine, nos nossos dias, uma grande igreja, ou ajuntamento, cheia de pessoas, dançando, bebendo, festejando, cantando, ouvindo músicas psicodélicas, expondo seus corpos de forma sensual em um ambiente cheio de luzes coloridas e piscantes, praticando sexo, e outras abominações, em público de todas as formas possíveis, incluindo praticas homossexuais, incluindo crianças e etc… dizendo que estão prestando um serviço de adoração ao Santo e Verdadeiro Deus?

Tal era a situação daquele culto no Sinal em tempos idos…

Fez o Senhor o que é certo matando muitos deles naquele exato momento?

Foi Ele um Deus cruel? Como costumam dizer os inimigos da Palavra, que acusam ao Senhor?

Eles agem assim, sobretudo, porque não estudam e analisam o contexto histórico e gramatical da Bíblia…

Com certeza, o Senhor acertou mais uma vez, porque eles estavam totalmente contaminados, demonizados, alguns até possessos, e perdidos em seus sentidos, espírito, mente e comportamento…

Paulo diz que “um pouco de fermento leveda toda a massa” - Gálatas 5.9.

E, naquele caso, não havia um pouco, mais muito fermento que deveria ser removido da Congregação de Deus!

Aquela foi a principal razão pela qual eles não entraram na Terra Prometida…

Será que agora podemos observar alguma semelhança com a forma que muitos Crentes têm sido enganados pelos próprios pecados e com o aval de líderes liberais (não no sentido de usos e costumes, mas de doutrinas cardeais da Palavra) em algumas igrejas em nossos dias? Provavelmente, você pode.

O principal problema naquela ocasião foi Aarão, irmão de Moisés, que era caráter fraco e, ao invés de reprovar aqueles que estavam colocando pressão sobre ele, o mesmo, deu ordens aos israelitas para juntar ouro para esculpirem um touro de ouro, o deus Egípcio da virilidade…

Aarão se deixou vencer pela pressão, porque o povo já tinha perdido a paciência de esperar por Moisés e os outros líderes que iriam trazer as Palavras de Deus e a Lei para eles. Apesar de que não sabiam o que estava acontecendo no pico da montanha.

Você já viu ou experimentou essa cena se repetir na nossa geração: Um líder espiritual de igreja, denominação, organização Cristã, agência missionária, etc… fraco de caráter e fé no Senhor que começa a permitir que o povo faça o que bem entende, para satisfazer seus desejos carnais, misturando tudo isso com o deus que inventaram na mente a quem seguem e servem, dizendo estar prestando culto e serviço ao Deus da Bíblia! E não somente isso, mas que também encabeça toda a situação de forma pública e ativa!

Isso é o que chamamos auto-engano e o Cristianismo moderno está cheio de histórias desse tipo.

Em nome de Deus, o homem divide igrejas, denominações, famílias, comunidades, sociedades, estados, países, etc.

Em nome de Deus, o homem cria guerras uns contra os outros e as denominam guerras “santas”.

Em nome de Deus, os homens matam-se a si mesmos e afirmam que estão fazendo a vontade de Deus…

Tudo isso têm manchado o Cristianismo, Islamismo, Hinduísmo, e todo tipo de religiões, Sistemas humanos e ideologias no decorrer da História…

Mas, tais coisas acontecem por cause de uma única coisa: o engano do pecado que se constitui no mal mais venenoso que há no mundo e, por causa dele, nossa visão de Deus, de nós mesmos e do nosso próximo é completamente distorcida e errada.

Dessa forma, há muitos líderes espirituais que querem agradar pessoas, muito mais do que seguir, e obedecer ao Senhor, e esperar nEle.

Não estou advogando aqui que um líder deve se tornar a polícia¹¹ que pune e proíbe os outros de fazerem seja lá o que for, interferindo na vida privada das pessoas.

Poderíamos aqui, abrir um grande leque para lidar com o assunto do líder controlador… Contudo, esse é um assundo bem vasto para ser discutido em outra ocasião…

No entanto, como nota de reflexão, fica aqui uma dica: o líder controlador é aquele que tenta controlar, primeiramente a Deus, colocando-o em uma gaiola (isso é a raíz, o cerne, do que a Palavra chama de idolatria⁸) para servir aos seus próprios interesses, na nossa época, geralmente materiais e financeiros, pois tais atributos, na nossa sociedade, são sinônimos de poder… Não é curioso que na história em análise, Aarão manda o povo busca o ouro deles para construírem o deus bezerro de ouro?

Você já parou para pensar se existiria alguma ligação entre tal deus, o deus Mamon, e o deus da Teologia da Prosperidade em muitas denominações e instituições de cunho cristão dos nossos dias?

Em segundo lugar, o líder controlador, tenta controlar todos os detalhes da vida dos seus liderados e tudo isso em nome de Deus!

Mas, o papel de um líder escolhido e chamado por Deus é seguir ao Senhor, obedecê-lo e esperar na Sua santa Palavra para guiar, aconselhar, e reprovar, dependendo da situação, aqueles que estão sob o seu cuidado exatamente de acordo com que a Bíblia o orienta fazer.

Se aqueles que se dizem cristãos não quiserem obedecer ao Senhor, esse é outro assunto…

Aarão deveria ter tido mais firmeza com o povo e mais comprometido na fé em Deus. Mas, infelizmente, ele simplesmente deixou as coisas correrem soltas e ele mesmo se tornou parte do problema se envolvendo naquela “festa” espiritual⁹… Essa é uma nota tão triste…

Hoje em dia, existe todo tipo de igreja e até algumas em que o culto se parece mais com uma danceteria do que um lugar de adoração…

David Wilkerson, disse uma vez, em um dos seus sermões, que não estávamos longe de ver pessoas que se pertenciam ao Deus verdadeiro, nas nossas igrejas, adorar demônios através de todos aqueles rituais estranhos, incluindo todo tipo de obscenidades sexuais…

Eu acredito que, lamentavelmente, nossa geração dita Cristã, já atingiu o ápice do pecado que logo, logo trará o julgamento do Senhor no nosso tempo…

E o Senhor começará de forma clara a separar aqueles que pertence a Ele daqueles que dizem pertencer a Ele.

Até mesmo dentro das nossas igrejas, denominações e organizações cristãs…

Verdadeiramente, Ele, provavelmente, já está fazendo isso da forma dEle, essa coisa mesmo…

Então, oremos para que não sejamos pegos, como aquela geração do deserto o foi, pelo engano do pecado, que os levou a endurecer o coração de tal forma, a ponto de adorar o diabo e seus demônios, pensando estar servindo ao Deus Santo e Todo-Poderoso.

Vamos analisar as consequências do(s) pecado(s) que aquela Geração Perdida cometeu contra Deus

A falta de discernimento espiritual e relacionamento com Deus, baseado no desejo de satisfazer seus desejos terremos e imediatos, se constituíu em uma verdadeira armadilha que os enganaram, cegaram e endureceram o coração deles por causa da desobediência, incredulidade e, finalmente, a morte espiritual…

Eles se recusaram a esperar no Senhor, e ouvir Sua Santa Palavra e ordenanças acerca de como viver uma vida que agradava a Deus.

Até mesmo o líder espiritual interino responsável por eles, por um curto período, cedeu a pressão pecaminosa deles e simplesmente deixou as coisas correrem soltas. Sendo que ele mesmo se envolveu em toda aquele ritual que acendeu a ira de Moisés até o ponto de quebrar as tábuas da Lei que o Senhor houvera escrito para guiá-los e por causa de todo aquele processo, eles foram quase que totalmente destruídos através do julgamento de Deus sobre eles.

O resultado? Eles colheram a condenação eterna e perdição…

Que o Senhor possa nos ajudar a ser fieis a Ele até o final das nossas vidas para que não aconteça conosco o que aconteceu com aquela Geração Perdida.

Tenha misericórdia de nós, amado e poderoso Deus.

Dá-nos Seu Santo Espírito para nos guiar e ensinar acerca do Seu Reino Eterno.

Permita que vejamos a Terra Prometida e vivamos lá para sempre e sempre na Sua Santa presença…

Deus nos abençoe a todos.

By Cypher

sáb 05 mar 2022 09:28:10 -03

Footnotes:

Judge or judge not, access in Wed Sep 7 07:54:30 PM -03 2022

The manna, access in Wed Sep 7 09:54:42 PM -03 2022

For those with a supposedly progressive and open mind, including many Cristians, this word: “submission” has in itself a heavy and bad connotation. But, I will not apologise to use it here. Because, in here, it is linked with a Father who loves and care and not to the devil. This means a submission in love, because of gratefulness towards Him.

⁴

“Humans have five senses: the eyes to see, the tongue to taste, the nose to smell, the ears to hear, and the skin to touch. By far the most important organs of sense are our eyes. We perceive up to 80 per cent of all impressions by means of our sight”

⁵

Homosexuality and religion, access in sáb 05 mar 2022 08:52:14 -03

⁶

Whose people here… in this situation? Moses’ people or God’s people. You decide…

⁷

Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault

⁸

“A idolatria pode ser praticada de várias formas. Mas, basicamente, é uma e a mesma coisa: a tentativa de controlar a Deus e, consequentemente, toda o conhecimento, sabedoria e poder para trabalhar a favor de quem O ”controla“. Portanto, é exatamente isso que muitos líderes espirituais, de várias religiões tentam fazer com Deus. Seja na forma de artifícios teológicos, ”bíblicos", e institucionais com o intuito de manipular o povo em favor de sim mesmos e dos seus objetivos pecaminosos. Da mesma forma, é isso que os médiums, feitiçeiro(a)(s), e bruxo(a)(s) tentam fazer com os poderes do além (o diabo, e seus demônios) para ganho próprio e para alcançar suas próprias metas…

A materialização da Idolatria é o ídolo esculpido. Que nada mais é do que uma tentativa de limitar, prender, engaiolar e, finalmente, controlar a Deus ou o diabo em benefício próprio.

Esse é o principal motivo porque um dos pecados que o Senhor mais detesta é a idolatria tnato no Velho Testamento quanto no Novo." - Cypher

"Idolatry can be practiced in many ways. But basically, it’s one and the same thing: the attempt to control God and, consequently, all His knowledge, wisdom and power to work in favor of the one who ’controls’ Him. So that, this is exactly what many spiritual leaders of various religions try to do with God. Whether in the form of theological, ’biblical’, and institutional devices intended to manipulate people in favor of themselves and their sinful goals. Likewise, this is what mediums, sorcerer(s), and witch(es) try to do with the powers of the beyond (the devil, and his demons) for their own gain and to achieve their own goals. … The materialization of Idolatry is the carved idol. Which is nothing more than an attempt to limit, imprison, cage and ultimately control God or the devil for one’s own benefit.

This is the main reason why one of the sins the Lord hates most is idolatry in both the Old Testament and the New. " - Cypher

⁹

Aaron worshipping the golden calf, access in Sun Sep 4 10:57:24 AM -03 2022

¹⁰

The citations pointing to Wikipedia articles are not authoritative from an academic point of view. They only serve as a starting point for more in-depth and scientific research.

¹¹

Vigiar e Punir - Michel Foucault

Eden 2.0

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:01:00 -0300

O que aconteceu com o Jardim do Éden?

What happened with the Garden of Eden?

Éden Versão 2.0

Atualizado por Deus

Genesis 2:8: Então plantou o Senhor Deus um jardim, da banda do oriente, no Éden; e pôs ali o homem que tinha formado.

Genesis 2:9: E o Senhor Deus fez brotar da terra toda qualidade de árvores agradáveis à vista e boas para comida, bem como a árvore da vida no meio do jardim, e a árvore do conhecimento do bem e do mal. (PorAR)

Estes são versículos maravilhosos…

Porque nos diz que depois que o Senhor criou a maior parte de sua Obra, através do infinito poder da Sua Palavra… O senhor, Nosso Deus, fez um Jardim “à mão”, todo especial, e o deu como Presente ao homem e à mulher que Ele mesmo acabara de criar!

Ele fez isso de forma tão cuidadosa que o lugar era (e é) realmente uma Obra-prima de Suas mãos.

Podemos imaginar que o processo foi parecido como se Ele tivesse “arregaçado as mangas da camisa”, retirado as sementes de um saco, aberto as covas na terra Santa, e as plantado de forma minuciosa…

E para a alegria dos Naturalistas: Ele não usou nenhum tipo de pesticida para fazer com que as árvores e a vegetação do Seu perfeito Jardim crescessem e desbrochassem.

Além do mais, elas não eram apenas úteis para comer, mas para contemplar a própria beleza e poder do Senhor estampados nos troncos, galhos, folhas e frutos…

Árvores dignas de contemplação e admiração… Mas não de adoração…

A Palavra de Deus, por exemplo, repetidamente, nos fala, da beleza, esplendor e robustez dos cedros do Líbano. E nos faz pensar no poder, força e beleza do próprio Criador.

Psalms 29:5: A voz do Senhor quebra os cedros; sim, o Senhor quebra os cedros do Líbano. (PorAR)

Bem… Alguns poderiam dizer que o Jardim do Éden era um lugar simbólico que Moisés, no livro de Gênesis, nos relata… Nesse caso, também deveríamos considerar que nós, como homens e mulheres, também somos criação simbólica, ou virtual, de Deus e que, no final das contas, vivemos em uma grande Matrix, como a famosa série de filmes Matrix nos faz refletir…

Mas, por que o “Éden simbólico” seria um tema que, indiretamente, se repete no livro que encerra a profecia Bíblica, Apocalipse?

E também porque a Árvore da Vida é recorrente naquele livro?

Nesse sentido, a Nova Criação também seria uma nova criação Virtual de Deus? E, de fato, estamos vivendo um grande sonho dentro de uma Matrix? Se isso for verdade, então Hegel e a escola filosófica do Idealismo, baseada no Platonismo, estão totalmente corretos e a Bíblia é um livro cheio de estórias fictícias, pois não segue a linha do Realismo filosófico! E, para complicar mais a situação, nós, seres humanos somos auto-enganados por um Deus que também é fruto da nossa imaginação sendo que tal imaginação também não é real porque ela mesma é fictícia…

Enfim… tais pensamentos são dignos de serem levados em consideração…

Voltando à terra novamente…

Será que perdemos, para sempre, aquele lugar tão lindo e perfeito que deveríamos, de fato, ter desfrutado?

Mas não foi possível por causa dos pecados de nossos antepassados e dos nossos próprios?

Poderíamos terminar esta breve reflexão com a triste nota de: “tudo agora está perdido, tudo está perdido…”

Mas, como Milton, em seu poema épico “Paraíso Perdido¹^,²”, Jesus se ofereceu em sacrifício vivo para nos resgatar…

Felizmente, nosso bondoso e amoroso Deus tinha um Plano perfeito, por meio de Jesus Cristo, Seu Filho unigênito, para nos salvar, resgatar a Natureza, também contaminada pelo pecado, e, finalmente, nos levar para um outro lugar incrível, ou, talvez, o mesmo lugar…

A pergunta aqui seria: Por o Senhor colocou anjos (querubins), a leste do Jardim, para guardar o caminho de acesso até a Árvore da Vida depois da Queda do homem?

Sabemos, pela lógica e pela Teologia, que Ele o fez para que o homem não comesse do fruto da Árvore da Vida após ter pecado contra o Senhor. Pois, provavelmente, as consequências seriam bem maiores para eles e para nós…

Mas, além de fechar o acesso do lado oriental do Jardim, o seu acesso total também foi impedido. Hoje, temos somente uma ideia da geografia do lugar. Mas, depois que Adão e Eva foram expulsos de lá não se tem notícias de que algum homem tenha encontrado e visitado aquele lugar tal como era no passado…

Teria o Senhor a intenção de revelar o Edén numa versão atualizada para os santos e santificados em Cristo no final dos Tempos?

Mas, o Tempo tem fim? Se teve fim, também teve começo… Porque somente o Senhor não teve nem começo e nem terá fim… Mas, esse é um assunto para outra ocasião…

Podemos, talvez, dizer que uma versão 2.0 do Éden nos espera na Eternidade?

Um lugar onde todos os filhos e filhas de Deus viverão juntos, para sempre, em perfeita harmonia com a Divindade (Trindade), a Natureza e os anjos de Deus…

Eu realmente espero estar lá, e te ver lá também, e a todos aqueles que em todos os lugares invocam, amam e servem nosso Senhor e Salvador Jesus Cristo.

Aquele lugar, extraordinário, vai ser aqui e ali. O profeta Isaías nos dá uma prévia daquele lugar, que, supostamente, será aqui na terra, e o apóstolo João nos mostra, sem sombra de dúvidas, a versão final dele, tanto a terrena quanto a celestial (Apocalipse 21:1-6).

Significando, que todo o Universo, toda a criação de Deus que foi contaminada pelo pecado, no final das contas, será totalmente refeita pelo poder infinito do nosso Criador e Pai…

E assim estaremos eternamente com Ele…

De uma coisa tenho certeza: Ali, e aqui, é o nosso verdadeiro Lar…

Meu sogro, poucas semanas antes de partir, com Parkinsonismo agudo, repetia essa frase, constantemente: “Quero ir pra Casa…”

E eu, hoje, digo: e nós também…

Que o Senhor nos abençoe a todos…

VRFdS

Tue Aug 30 06:37:13 PM -03 2022

Eden Version 2.0

Upgraded by God

Genesis 2:8: And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:9: And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (KJVA)

These are amazing verses…

Because they tell us that: God, apart from creating most of His Creation by just telling them to be through the power of his Word, in the case of the Garden of Eden, they say that this place was God’s handmade.

That was a special gift from God to the men³ whom he had just created! He did that in such a marvellous way that we can justly state the Garden was really a God’s Masterpiece.

We should notice that the whole process of crafting that was as if God had rolled up his sleeves, taken His seeds from a bag, opened the holes in the holly ground, and planted them in a careful way…

And for the adepts of Naturalism, best of all, He did not use any pesticide, as we would do, to make His vegetation and trees to fully grow.

By the way, they were not only useful to eat, but also to see its astonishing beauty! Which, in turn, reflected the very beauty and power of our Lord stamped in themselves

They were trees worth of contemplation and admiration. - But not of adoration, of course…

God’s Word repeatedly, for example, tell us about the beauty, splendor and power of a special tree in Bible times: the cedars of the Lebanon. And it make us thing about the power and beauty of our God.

Psalms 29:5: The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. (KJVA)

Well… Some could say that the Garden of Eden was a symbolic place that Moses wrote about in the book of Genesis.

In that case, we should also consider that we, as men and women, are also a symbolic or a virtual creation of God and that, in the end, we do live in a big Matrix, as the famous Matrix film series had told us so a little while ago…

But, why the symbolic Eden would be a recurrent theme in the closing book of the Bible, Revelation?

And also: Why does the Tree of Life is repeated a theme in the same book?

In that sense, the New Creation would also be a new virtual creation of God? If it is so, are we living an extended dream into a Matrix? If all this is true, then Hegel and the Idealist school of Philosophy, which has its base on Plato (and the Platonism) are totally relevant and, it turns out, the Bible is a book full of fictional stories and characters which has got only a literary value. Because it does not tend the Philosophic Realism! And, to make things worse, we, human beings are a bunch of self-deceived virtual specie created by a God that is also a product of our deceived mind. Going even deeper, our own imagination is not a real one because, in itself, it is a fiction…

Anyways, let’s not go off-road here…

But, such thoughts can arise when we consider the whole issue in a Theological and philosophical way…

Let’s come back to the earth, though.

Anyways… There we have such a beautiful Place we should have enjoyed forever and ever.

But we couldn’t because of our forefathers sins and ours own as well…

We could finish this brief reflection with this thought banging on our head during our short life on this earth: “everything is now lost, everything is now lost”…

But, as Milton wrote centuries ago, in his famous poem “Paradise Lost”: Jesus was there, in the beginning, to offer Himself as a living sacrifice to rescue us from our own sins…

Another question we can think of, in this context, is: Why did the Lord ordained cherubim to guard the Orient of the Garden and to close the access to the Tree of Life - just after men’s fall?

By reasoning and through studying Theology, we know that God did that to avoid the men to the fruit of that Tree after committing sin, because the consequences would be way too serious for them and for us…

Apart from closing the access to the Tree, it seems that all paths to the Garden were blocked. We, nowadays, have only a geographical hint about where that place was. But, after Adan and Eve were expelled from there we do not have any report of another man finding the place and going back to live there.

This situation make us raise a key question: Would the Lord have the intention to reveal a new and better version of the Eden in the End Times to His saints in Jesus Christ?

Did I mention the word time? But, has the time has an end? If so, it also had a beginning. Right? Because only our Lord no beginning and neither He will have an end… But, this is a discussion to be taken another time…

But, fortunately, our amazing and loving God had a Perfect Plan through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, to rescue us, rescue nature as a whole and take us to another dimension.

Could we think that an updated version of the Eden awaits for us in Eternity - say, a 2.0 Garden?

A place where all sons and daughters of God will be living together, forever and ever, in perfect harmony with the Godhead, the Nature and all His holly angels…

I really hope to be there and see you all there as well.

You who love (and keep on loving) and serve (and keep on serving) our Lord Jesus Christ, in that outstanding place which is going to be Here (the transformed Earth) and there (the Holy City).

The prophet Isaiah give us a preview of that place, that supposedly will be here on this very earth. And the apostle John, finally, give us, for sure, what will that place be. Both the earthly and the celestial versions (Revelation 21:1-6).

Meaning, the whole Universe, the whole Creation which were contaminated by sin will be totally redone, to a 2.0 version and up, by the infinite power of our God and Father…

And, thus, we will, eternally, be with the Lord…

Of one thing I am totally sure: that unspeakable place, as Paul saw and could not find words to describe, is our real Home… There and here.

My father-in-law, before passing away, when suffering of chronic Parkinsonism, used to repeat the phrase: “I want to go Home…”

And so do we all…

God Bless you my reader…

VRFdS

Tue Aug 30 06:37:13 PM -03 2022

Footnotes:

Paraíso Perdido

The citations pointing to Wikipedia articles are not authoritative from an academic point of view. They only serve as a starting point for more in-depth and scientific research.

Here it is a general term, meaning Adan, Eve and the whole humankind.

Remove not the Ancient Landmarks

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:01:00 -0300

What does it mean to remove not the Ancient Landmarks that Proverbs 22:8 tell us about?

On the one hand, it says: remove not. But, is there any situation when we should, otherwise, remove them?

What are these landmarks?

Who were those fathers who set them up?

These are questions we will try to discuss in this text.

So, let’s take a brief journey through these words…

Don’t remove the ancient landmarks

Introduction

Proverbs 22:28: Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. (KJVA)

These days I have been thinking a great deal about this verse… In fact, I am totally unease to seeing what is happening around the world and in our own country when it comes to churches and Christian Institutions… It seems that things have changed a great deal as the song “Things Have Changed” states¹:

"People are crazy and times are strange

I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range

I used to care, but things have changed"

Development

As far as the above verse is concerned, we should ask:

What does “Remove not” mean?

What does “ancient landmarks” mean?

Who are those “fathers”?

Let’s start reasoning about the Bible principles, The Landmarks…

Probably, those landmarks are referring to those…

What do you think?

It is a good catch to discuss this issue taking this viewpoint into account?

Do you agree? If so, let’s carry on…

The Landmarks could well be taken as the main doctrines of the Bible and the way people live out of them.

Because our life, in the end, reflects what we think…

Jesus himself tells this very truth to us in His famous Mount Sermon: “Because out of men’s heart comes out all filthiness …”

Matthew 15:19: For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (KJVA)

If the Bible says that we should not remove the ancient landmarks, we can ask the same question in the other way round:

Remove the landmarks

Is there any place in the Bible where we, as Christians, should move the ancient landmarks of our fathers away without sinning against God?

What do you think?

I mean, you have to take into account the link we have made between landmarks, the main Biblical doctrines and our way of living.

In theological technical terms, we call this concept our Orthodoxy or Practical Theology…

It seems that the Bible also says, by inference, that, sometimes, we should remove the ancient landmarks that our fathers set…

Where can we find this truth in the O.T.?

Can you think of any stories where a such thing happened? I can…

In the time of the Judges with Gideon.

Gideon, of course, was not perfect. But He remove a specific landmark set up by his own father…

What was that? Do you remember? Who told him to totally destroy that landmark his father had set up? (Judges 6.27-29).

In the time of the king Jehoshaphat.

Of course Jehoshaphat had some faults in his life. But, he, as we as well, was not perfect… (2 Chronicles 19).

Jesus also removed many landmarks the Jews added to the teaching of the Bible (see Matthews chapter 23).

Those landmarks were reflected in peoples lives in such ways they couldn’t and did not want to follow God.

Since they were so heavy to bear with…

Remove Not the landmarks

So, if on one hand, the Bible says that we should remove some landmarks, namely, human doctrines and wrong Bible interpretations that twist our speaking, acting and living towards men and God.

On the other hand, we should not remove them!

This is the assertive statement we see in this very Bible verse

When do you think we should not remove these Landmarks? What do you think?

I have a guess: When they were established by God Himself..

These are called the “Ancient Landmarks”

What does it mean to be Ancient in this case?

Does it mean to be outdated? The question again is: Is everything we call to be ancient worth of being replaced and also thrown into the rubbish bin?

What do you think? Do you think that ancient is a synonym of outdated?

If you think so, it is better you to throw your whole Bible in the dustbin…

Because, Ancient is far from being a synonym of outdated.

Perhaps, it is, but only in the common men mind or for most of those who belong the New Generation who, unfortunately, think that everything that is New is a synonym of good…

Because, as a general rule, they and even us, who are of age, were “educated” by the System… But, this is another totally different story to be discussed in another opportunity.

In fact, this is a classical fallacy called by Philosophy: “The New is Better”. Which states that the simple fact that something is new, it resumes to be better…

In the case of this verse, it is quite the contrary: the Ancient is better (which is not the same as the other classical fallacy also called The Old is Better). Because these Ancient Landmarks were instituted by God Who is the Truth itself and cannot err or get things wrong as we do…

Where, then, in the O.T., we can see this principle strongly emphasized?

Any thoughts?

Yes! Your got it right! They are in Deuteronomy 27 and 28:

The Blessings at Mount Gerizim

The Curses at Mount Ebal

On Mount Gerizim, the blessings are tied to obeying God.

On Mount Ebal, the curses are tied to desobeying Him.

But, One could argue: That was an O.T. thing…

Yes! For sure! But the principals remains, because God is the same. He still is Holy, Holy, Holy. isn’t He? And our relationship with Him should be grounded on believe, trust and obedience.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

The Fathers

Finally, who are these fathers the verse is mentioning?

Of course, these Fathers are people who were faithful to God…

They couldn’t be, for example: Jeroboam and Ahab two of the kings of Israel (this one, Ahab, was an underdog of his wicked wife, the witch Jezebel), or Manasseh one of the kings of Judah (who, although being a son of a godly father, Hezekiah, was the masculine Jezebel version and led the whole nation of Judah to commit all kinds of abominations before the Lord. Fortunately, he repented of his sins before dying),

What do you think?

So, again: who where they?

Well… This is easy-peasy…

They were people, man and women, who walked with God, loved Him and obeyed Him, irrespective of good and bad circumstances they faced in life…

Starting from the Legislator or Israel: Moses; Then, the prophets like Elijah; the minor and major prophets; women like Ruth, Esther and Deborah.

Of course for those people before this Bible verse was written, the Fathers came before them…

But, for us, who live in the twenty-first century, they are all the godly men and women from the Bible.

Secondly, lets reason about what are those landmarks

The landmarks

What do you think the landmarks are?

If they were moral and spiritual principals given by God to us, then, it follows that the famous Ten Commandments will be in the top of the list.

Exodus 20, will be its main address.

Then we have also the five first books of the Bible, especially the book of Leviticus (which heavily discuss the theme of Holiness).

And in the N.T., we have Jesus’ Mount sermon and Paul’s letters to the churches.

In sum, all these Hagiographa literature from the Bible will make what we call the Doctrines of the Bible

In the case of these landmarks, they will be the main Doctrines of the Bible²^,³.

But, we do have to take into account that when the verse tell us about not removing the landmarks, it is not only a question of theory, but practical Theology.

It has deep implications on how we live, on the basis of what we study, know and think about the Holy Book and our God.)

Firstly, we have to know those landmarks.

But, it is not enough.

Secondly, we have to internalise them.

Thirdly, we have to strive to live up to them, trying, at all costs, to transform them in good habits in our own lives.

When we starting doing this, Christ will shine on us and reflect His glory towards those we relate to….

Conclusion

“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set” is a serious business to every Christian and follower of Jesus Christ.

It can reflect what we think about the Bible, God and our neighbour.

It is not a matter of theory, but of practical life.

If we obey it, blessings, mainly spiritual ones will populate our life because we will please our Father who art in Haven

If we disobey it, and remove them from our minds and doing, we will gather terrible consequences. Not because the Lord will curse us. But, because we will reap the natural law of sin(s) consequences.

This issue is so relevant that turning a blind eye to it, can lead us into eternal perdition:

Revelation of John 22:18: I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: [Deut. 4:2; 12:32; [Prov. 30:6]] if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,

Revelation of John 22:19: and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in [ver. 2, 14] the tree of life and in [See ch. 21:2] the holy city, which are described in this book. (ESV2011)

God bless you all :)

VRFdS Mon Sep 5 09:55:42 AM -03 2022

Footnotes:

Things Have Changed, access on Sun Aug 28 09:46:27 PM -03 2022

Basic Doctrines of the Bible, access on Mon Sep 5 09:42:01 AM -03 2022

Ninety-nine Essentials, access on Mon Sep 5 10:42:24 AM -03 2022