A Ladder of Divine Ascent

2019
Prayers
† Blessed is our God always, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever
shall be, world without end. Amen. ... in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Through the prayers of our holy
Ancestors, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere
and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and
abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O
Good One.
† Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three
times).
† Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it is
now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
“Ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ.” — Luke 18:131
“Ἰησοῦ, μνήσθητί μου ὅταν ἔλθῃς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου.” —
Luke 23:422
“David ascended in the Ascent of Olives, ascending and
weeping, with head covered, he went barefoot; and each
person with him covered his head, so they went up,
ascending and weeping.” — 2 Samuel 15:30 LXX

1
God, let me be pardoned, the sinner.
2
Jesus, let me be remembered when you come in your kingdom.
 “The sowers will reap in joy. The ones going, went and
wept, casting their seeds; yet, the ones coming, will come in
exultation, carrying their sheaves.” — Psalm 125:5-6 LXX
[126:5-6]3
“Send away your bread on the surface of the water: because,
in a multitude of days you will find it.” — Ecclesiastes 11:1
LXX
“Indisputably great is the good-worship mystery: Who was
clearly displayed in [the] flesh; Who defended righteousness
in [the] Spirit; Who was witnessed by messengers; Who was
proclaimed internationally; Who was believed cosmically;
Who was taken up in Glory.” — 1 Timothy 3:16
“…: for, when prophecy came, not by human will: but, being
carried by [the] Holy Spirit, humans, spoke from God.” — 2
Peter 1:21
“These [Bereans] were better-begotten than the [people] in
Thessaloníki; who welcomed the Word with all enthusiasm:
daily examining the writings if He might have it so.” — Acts
17:11
“Similarly, younger people, be submitted to [your] elders; all
of you be clothed with humble mindedness toward one
another: because, God opposes [the] arrogant; but, gives
grace to the humble. Therefore, be humbled under the strong
hand of God, so that He would exalt you in due time: casting
all your care on Him: because, He cares about you.” — 1
Peter 5:5-7

3
The name, Jezreel (‫ )יִ ז ְְרעֶ֑אל‬means God spreads or scatters; in its
positive connotation, it paints a picture of God sowing seed on the earth.
In its more negative meaning, it suggests that God is dispersing a
gainsaying, wicked people. Perhaps, these are not necessarily two
different and distinct things. Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8; Ecclesiastes
11:1
Be clothed with poverty, Peter says: for: humility and poverty are very
close synonyms.
Introduction

“I know that with my arrival4 fierce wolves will come in

among you, not sparing the little flock. Out of you
yourselves men will stand up, speaking well established
perversions5, to wrench away the disciples after themselves.”
— Acts 20:29-30

In our examination of Church history, we discovered a great deal of

betrayal; not in little matters; but, in weighty matters: murders,
adulteries, grand larcenies, and false witness… all sorts of violence…
even rampant atheism… antichrist… among our highest and most
trusted leaders. To whom shall we go? Where will we turn? When it
seems as if there is no one left who is qualified to lead, when we have
been left alone, seemingly to perish….
We will go where the Church has always gone in humility, and service.
We will seek, A Ladder of Divine Ascent: not a ladder only for
monastics; but, a ladder for everyone: Jacob’s Ladder.
The Ladder
Its Foundation
We pride ourselves with the idea that we are the seekers of God. The
foundational truth is that God has been seeking us, since before the
creation of the world, from eternity past in the hidden recesses of His

4
Paul refers to his arrival in heaven; which would be a departure from
earth.
5
These διεστραμμένα are in the perfect passive: the most likely source
of these is Jewish fables, such as Oral Torah.
Own mind. Father, Son, and Spirit always wanted a family; planned a
universe; foresaw that children endowed with free will would hurt
themselves; provided for their healing; planned in the Son to become
perfect humanity; anticipated every need for restoration.
Then Father, Son, and Spirit created such a universe, such a world, with
every forgiving, healing, nurturing, redemptive need… either built into
that world from the start… or to be met through the intervention of
miracles along the way.

“What is mankind, that You remember him? Or the son of

man, that You watch over6 him?” — Psalm 8:5 LXX, [8:4
KJV; Hebrews 2:6

God created angels, which have no such freedom. Such, He has assured
us, are either frozen in obedience, or in disobedience.
We do not need to ask God for things, though we commonly think we
do: for, there is nothing needful for our journey that He has not already
foreseen, planned, and richly provided. We do not need to ask for
things. We need only to trust our Father.
Long before we ever thought of seeking God; long before we were ever
betrayed by the multiple treasons of our leaders: God knew where we
were, knew our plight, knew our every wound, and, as the faithful Father
He is, has been calling to us to turn around and look to Him.

“The Lord God called to Adam. He said to him, ‘Where are

you?’ ” — Genesis 3:9 LXX

6
Ἐπισκέπτῃ: this is the same word as is used to title bishops. 1 Peter
2:25 uses the same word, speaking about Christ.
Thus, we begin with the tender voice of God reaching out to His injured
and beloved child. A Ladder of Divine Ascent, stands on the foundation
prepared by God.
Its Guide
We are lost. We are crying. We cannot find the way home, let alone
begin the ascent. We cannot find our Father. We think of ourselves as
orphans. Blind, it would seem, we grope to find the door, a door, any
door…. In desperation, we cry out for help, and help is not wanting.

“I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you: for, everyone
asking, receives; [everyone] seeking, finds; and to [everyone]
knocking, it will be opened. What father among you, if a
child will ask for fish, will give them a serpent instead of
fish? Or if they will ask an egg, will give them a scorpion?
Therefore, if you, being evil, had known to give good gifts to
your children: how much more will the heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” — Luke 11:9-13

Our bishop may have betrayed us: we do not need to ask a bishop for the
Spirit… or a priest… or a deacon… or a traitorous king. Our Father
hears our cries; He has already answered our prayer, long before we
thought to pray. The Spirit is freely offered to all. You will not be
denied.
A first step is taken as God holds our hands and encourages us to begin
to walk: He gives us the Spirit. We are toddlers. We learn to walk.
A second step is taken: we learn to pray without ceasing.

“Pray unceasingly.” — Acts 12:5; Romans 1:9; 1

Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Timothy 1:3
We cannot progress in the Spirit without learning to pray to Father, Son,
and Spirit.
A third step is taken: we learn to listen.

“After the earthquake, fire; the Lord was not in the fire.
After the fire, a sound of a gentle whisper … [the] Lord was
there.” — 1 Kings 19:12 LXX

A fourth step: we learn to obey.

“If you love Me, you will protect My commandments.” —

John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 John 2:3, 4; 3:22, 24; 5:2, 3; 2 John
67

“Although being Son, He learned from what He suffered, the

obedience;” — Hebrews 5:8

We are mere babies; barely toddlers: just beginning to learn to walk as

our Father holds our hands, urging us on, to take each new step. Before
we know it, we will be flying up and down Jacob’s ladder as if we were
ourselves angels.

“The ones waiting on God will regain strength; they will

grow feathers as eagles; they will run, and they will not tire;
they will walk, and they will not hunger.” — Isaiah 40:31
LXX

7
For many more passages on obedience:
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=keep+comma
ndments&qs_version=KJV
 Its Entrance
The Spirit leads us to a door.

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Amen, amen, I tell you that
I Am the door of the sheep.” — John 10:7, 9

“To the angel of the Philadelphia congregation write; ‘This is

what the Holy, the True, the Key Holder of David, the
Opener that no one will shut, the Shutter that no one opens,
says. “I know your works. Look, I have placed before you
an opening door, which no one is able to shut: because, you
have little ability. You protected My word. You did not
deny My Name.” ’ ” — Revelation 3:8

Its Pasture and Path

The door opens into a pasture and path.

“[The] Lord shepherds me. He will lack nothing for me. He

made me dwell there in verdant pasture; upon water of rest
He nurtured me; my soul He restored; He guided me upon
paths of righteousness on behalf of His Name: for, even if I
also would be carried in [the] midst of death’s shadow, I will
not fear evils: because, You are with me; Your rod and Your
staff, these accompany8 me; You prepared a table before me,
confronting my oppressors; You anointed my head with oil.

8
παρεκάλεσαν: call beside, companion
 Your cup satiates me as if [the] best [of drinks].9 Your mercy
will follow me all the days of my life … for me to dwell in
[the] Lord’s house into eternity of days.” — Psalm 22 LXX

“Jesus said to him, ‘I Am the path, the truth, and the life: no
one comes to the Father if not through Me.’ ” — John 14:6

Its Beckoning

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wills to come

after Me, let them deny themselves, take up their crosses, and
follow Me.” — Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23

Discipleship.
Christianity is all about discipleship: which is to say following the One
leader.

“So, while you are going, make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to protect everything I
have commanded you. Look, I am with you all the days until
the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20

Let’s be clear here. Discipleship is not about going, as so many falsely

insist. Discipleship is for everybody: you don’t have to become a
missionary to be a disciple, not that there is anything wrong with
becoming a missionary, if that’s what God calls you to do. Where are
people going anyway? Look at the context. These verses are being read

9
The cup of the Lord is crucifixion. The Psalmist is many rungs above
us to be able to describe such a thing with eagerly receptive gladness.
in church. Both the disciples and everybody else are going about life
after they leave church, after they leave Christ’s immediate presence for
a little while.
Discipleship is all about following Me, that is Jesus, only. Discipleship
is not about following Peter, Paul, the other Apostles, the Seventy,
Mary, the Pied Piper of Hamelin,10 or anybody else: only Jesus must be
followed; only Jesus is worthy of being followed. Don’t follow false
leaders. This is why none of the Apostles or the Seventy imitated Jesus
by establishing their own followings of thirteen and seventy-two. The
Father has provided that we follow Jesus directly and immediately; He
has given us open access through the Spirit so that we can contact Him
or Jesus at any time from any place… no waiting… no excuses…. Be a
follower of Jesus.
There are some caveats. Wives should follow their husbands, always
supposing that their husbands know more about following Jesus than
they, unless the contrary becomes obvious. Children should follow their
parents, always giving their parents the same benefit of the doubt, that
parents know best how to follow Jesus. The ultimate measure of any
human leader is that he teaches us to follow Christ, as Paul teaches us to
follow Christ. If this is not the case, the leader is a false prophet, and a
traitor.
Discipleship is a matter of will, free will, “if anyone wills”. It’s your
mind to make up. Don’t let anybody else push you into this. Don’t defy
your conscience and damage it.11 Stay in the pasture and graze until you
freely come to understand that this is the only way. You will know soon
enough without human prodding.

10
The tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is all about gullible and
impressionable people (mental children) who follow any false leader
who happens down the road.
11
Here are several verses on the conscience:
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=conscience&
qs_version=KJV
 “Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.” —
Romans 14:5

Discipleship is for everyone, “if anyone wills”. Don’t let people

convince you that it’s too hard either. Discipleship is for you: come
freely of your own will, when you realize that the Father has made you
ready.
Discipleship has a cost, “let them deny themselves”. We can’t follow
Jesus and ourselves at the same time. We can’t do or have what we
want, after we decide that it’s best to do what God wants. We must not
flip back and forth on this issue: “the double minded person is unstable
in every way”.12 Make up your own mind; be completely firm about it;
commit to it without reservation; do what you committed to: don’t turn
back like Lot’s wife. Don’t move ahead until you are sure you are ready
and that God is telling you, it’s time to move on.

“Remember Lot's wife! Whoever could have sought to

preserve his soul will destroy it; whoever would have
destroyed will bring it to life.”13 — Luke 17:32-33

Burdens.
Everybody has burdens to carry. Everybody has a cross to bear. There
is no escaping this. Even if you don’t think you are ready for
discipleship, the burdens come all by themselves. As soon as Adam fell

12
James 1:8
13
This is not a death wish; neither a destructive life style. Lot’s wife
could not embrace the lifestyle of crucifixion and poverty that lay ahead,
which would have resulted in her eternal joy: in turning back, she lost
everything… she also harmed everyone around her in the process.
Genesis 19:15-23, 26, 30-38
in the garden it became necessary that you carry burdens: your appetites
drive you to them. You tire and must rest. You hunger and thirst and
must refresh yourself. You have sexual desires that demand to be met.
You strive for success, but are confronted by repeated failures. You
grow old and face pain. You fight with your spouse. Your children get
sick. Life goes on and on and on and you are defeated by it: the endless
toil is discouraging. Your possessions rot and rust to dust. Your friends
die. You face loneliness.

“Do not treasure up for yourselves treasures on earth, where

moth and rotting14 devour; where thieves break through and
thieve. Treasure up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth or rotting devour; where thieves do not break
through or thieve: for, where your treasure is, there your
heart will also be.” — Matthew 6:19-21

“But mankind is begotten to toil and trouble, as vulture’s

nestlings [are begotten to] soar high above.”15 — Job 5:7
LXX

“I have told you this, so that in Me you could have peace; in

the world, you have trouble: but, be of good cheer; I have
conquered16 the world.” — John 16:33

Sexuality is one of mankind’s chiefest and first burdens. As the gift of

God and therefore wonderfully sacramental; human sexuality was

14
literally eating
15
Mankind is as predestined to its lifestyle as a vulture chick is
predestined to its behavior.
16
perfect tense
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=overcome+th
e+world&qs_version=KJV
designed to be fully enjoyed in the marital union of one man and one
woman, brought together, and joined by God Himself… there is no sin
in this. However, mankind fell, thus distorting the whole sexual
relationship and making it into yet another burden. Why did God give
you a spouse, you might ask? In order to make a saint of you.17
Together with sexuality comes the agony of pregnancy and offspring.
You will have experienced no affliction, no angst, no anguish, as that
when your firstborn is stricken and you labor for days without sleep over
their small, fevered, and frail body. Why did God give children to
parents?18 To make saints of them. Later, children become adolescents
and wonder, why did God curse19 me with parents? To make you a
saint.
There can be no doubt that marriage is a great burden that will keep you
from prayer. Paul says as much.20 However, celibacy is another kind of
burden. Celibacy escapes one set of burdens, to stumble into a different
set of burdens.

“But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to

marry than to burn.” — 1 Corinthians 7:9

Everybody has burdens to carry. What shall we ever do with them?

Eventually, we realize that these burdens are part of discipleship
training: custom designed for each of us to help us grow in grace.
Eventually, we learn to embrace them as friends; not reject them as

17
I learned this from Fr. Basil McMurry of blessed memory.
18
ibid
19
Please take this as the jest it was intended to be: for, it is a grave sin to
curse parents. But I know that in your hearts you will thus be tempted
along these lines many times, as also will your parents be. So,
remember the joke; put away your temporary tempest of temptation, and
move on in peace and love.
20
1 Corinthians 7:28, 32-40
enemies. All of them are for our sanctification, our consecration, our
dedication as saints. The more we embrace them, the lighter they are to
carry. We cannot hope to climb Jacob’s Ladder with angels until we
have been made strong by carrying burdens.

“Let my yoke be lifted up21 upon you. Learn from Me:

because, I am gentle and humble22 in heart. You will
discover rest for your souls.” — Matthew 11:29

We must take the yoke of Jesus. We must not shy away from it. This
yoke is the key to our deliverance.
We must learn from Jesus; other teachers are optional: if they fail to
point us to Jesus, they are false prophets… avoid them at all costs. Paul
was a great teacher, he incessantly points us to Christ. The greatest
teacher we have is the Spirit, Who, points us to Christ without fail.
Learn all about Jesus from the Spirit.
Jesus is the greatest of leaders: He is gentle and humble. We must not
follow leaders who are not gentle and humble. Follow Jesus.
Restraint
Many burdens are the result of desires, hungers. The fall has twisted
these into wicked extremes: gluttony, sexual perversion, and the like.
The cacophony of mortal sin was so bad in the fourth century, that many
people saw monasticism as the only way to find quiet and peace to pray:

21
This verb has a self-contained play on words: it means both to lift up
and to lift away. Thus in accepting and embracing the yoke of Christ,
He helps carry our burdens with us, making them lighter: but,
eventually, as we grow in grace, He is able to remove them entirely.
Learn to love your burdens: they are blessings in disguise.
22
poor, not arrogant, proud, ruthless; not cruel or tyrannical; the
opposite of human rulers.
that is still true for those called to it. However, this is not a choice for
the sexually burdened person.
What the monastics discovered was that it is necessary to restrain the
flesh by fasting, hard work, humility, and service mixed with their
prayers. Today, few of us have a very good mental picture of what
monastic life was like. At least the early monasteries were mostly like
Amish farms today. The monastics worked the land, nurtured the crops,
tended the orchards, working hard with their hands, pausing at the
appointed hours to pray. Silence was viewed as a virtue. Spare time
was mostly spent in the library studying. All of these methods and
virtues will help prevent our sexuality from perverting us; from running
away with our bodies.
Unfortunately, such monastic systems prospered because of their
diligence, becoming quite wealthy; with wealth came hired surfs, until
the serfs did all the menial work: the monastics retired to a life of
scholarship and study and ever growing arrogance.23
Monastic life improved when the monastics were returned to the fields,
to hard work, and service, as with the Cistercians and their revival. To
be brief, a gentle and humble, Christ-like, life requires the development
of self-restraint.
Many have found fasting a necessary instrument in restraining gluttony
and other sins of the body. Else, instead of owning a body, you find that
your body owns you. Else, instead of owning things, you discover that
your things own you. You are working for all those machines you’ve
invented; instead of all those “labor saving” devices working for you.
Sexuality can also run away with the mind, resulting in a wide variety of
sexual perversions operating in the world today. I was mildly amused
when a preacher addressed this problem among the eldership: because, I
couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Then, in an unguarded moment, I

23
Paul rejects the pride of his fleshly education, to embrace Christ. No
one in the early church was more highly educated than Paul. Philippians
3:7-21; 1 Corinthians 8:1
got caught in the same web: I was lucky to escape with my life: but
Jesus found me floundering and struggling, and cut me free.
Some burdens are easier to restrain than others. The rich man can give
away his wealth; the poor man cannot give away his poverty. The king
may give away his crown; the surf cannot give away his bondage.

“Were you called [as] a servant? Do not let it bother24 you.

But if you have power to become free, rather use [it].” — 1
Corinthians 7:2125

“Not that I speak out of poverty: for, I learned, in whatever I

am, to be self-sufficient26.” — Philippians 4:11

Marriage and celibacy are both burdens. Feast and famine are both
burdens. Wealth and poverty are both burdens. Lordship and servitude
are both burdens. Choose your burdens wisely. Exercise restraint with
every burden.
Crosses
However, a cross is more than a burden: it is an instrument of death.
With it, we put our own personal desires to death every day, so that we
can do what God wants us to do. The worst days are those days when
we forget the cross and wander aimlessly in sin: then, clothed in our
shame as lost sheep, Jesus finds us and carries us home.
The cross is a constant reminder of our mortality. We cannot escape
death. We cannot cross over into heaven without going through the

24
care
25

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=servant+free
&qs_version=KJV
26
This is being content to cope with every situation by the grace that
God has already supplied.
experience of death: which is why this is sometimes called, “The Valley
of Death’s Shadow”.
The cross is a clear declaration of our rights. We have the right to die
for and with Jesus. We do not have the right to engage in physical war
for Him.
The cross is a beacon, pointing to our homeward destination. The cross
leads us to heaven.
Baptism
Jesus baptizes us in two ways: with the Spirit and with fire. Fire speaks
of all those burdens, hardships, tribulations, crosses we must learn to
embrace in life.27 Spirit refers to our Constant Companion, while we are
away from the immediate presence of Christ. Get used to praying for
the Spirit’s guidance, both night and day, every hour… minute…
second. Grip the Spirit’s hand tightly so that you do not stumble and
fall.
Teaching
The road of discipleship is all about learning: as we walk, Jesus and the
Spirit teach us with every step we take.

“Look! That same day two of them are going28 to a village

sixty stadia29 away from Jerusalem, which was named
Emmaus. They were discussing with each other, all that had
been happening among them.

27
our pathos
28
The present tense is used to intensify the wording, to engage the
reader more closely with the action: this may be the climax of Luke, that
Christ is risen.
29
just short of 7 miles: 6.90 miles
 “It began, during their discussion and debate, that Jesus
himself, approaching, had gone with them; their eyes were
glazed to not know Him.30
“He said to them, ‘What words are you tossing around with
one another, walking along?’ They stood downcast…. One
named Cleopas, in replying said to Him, ‘Are you alone, a
stranger in Jerusalem? Did you not know the beginnings in
her in these days?’ He said to them, ‘What was done?’ They
said to Him, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, Who began
as a heroic31 prophet, powerful in works and words, facing
God and all the people: how our chief priests and archons
delivered Him to a death sentence. They crucified Him. We
have hoped that He is The One intending to deliver Israel:
but, now also, with all these, this [is] the third day since these
things began: but, some of our women also surprised us,
beginning early at the tomb: not finding His body, they came
saying to have seen a vision of angels saying that He lived.
Some of those with us went away to the tomb. They also
discovered, even as the women said: yet, they did not see
Him.’32

30
True worship begins when Jesus walks invisibly among us.
31
Literally, ἀνὴρ: man, male, masculine, manly, warrior; hence, hero
heroic. Aner (ἀνὴρ) emphasizes the masculinity of man; anthropos only
discusses the common humanity… both male and female.
32
Their volubility is explained by their fear,
 “He said to them, ‘Unthinking33, and slow of wit34 to believe
in everything the prophets35 spoke. Must it not have been
necessary for Christ to experience these, then to enter into
His glory?’
“Starting first from Moses, with all the prophets36, He
explained37 to them about Himself in all the writings.38
“As they approached the village where they had been going:
He intended to go further. They urged Him, saying, ‘Stay
with us: because, vespers is approaching, the day has
declined already.’ He came in to stay with them.
“It began when He was to recline with them, taking the
bread, He blessed [it], and breaking [it], has given [it] to
them; their eyes were opened, they recognized Him, and He
became invisible to them.39

33
They were without nous, not using their heads, not thinking.
34
Literally, heart: the heart appears to be the core of the rational spiritual
function. See verse 32 for the repair of their heart or wit, with the partial
rectification of their befuddlement.
35
This is the first inkling we get that the primary subject matter is the
Old Testament.
36
The Old Testament is referenced again.
37
διερμήνευσεν
38
This is the essence of the Liturgy of the Word.
39
This is the essence of the Liturgy of the Body and Blood.
 “They said one to another, ‘Was not our heart40 igniting in us,
as He has talked with us on the road, as He has opened41 the
writings to us?’42
“Standing up in the same hour, they returned to Jerusalem.
They discovered the eleven and those with them were
gathered together, saying that the Lord actually was
awakened. He was seen by Simon. They have described the
[events] on the road; and how He was known to them in the
breaking43 of the bread;44 they are saying these [things],
[when] He stood in their midst; being panicked with fear, at
first45, they have thought to see a spirit.

40
Heart, singular, a collective heart, the heart of The Church, not the
heart of individuals: there is a power to right worship that brings
symphonic agreement among the faithful: a greater agreement than that
formed in compromise, in consensus, or even in unanimity. Matthew
18:19 (prayer); 20:2 (wages); Luke 5:36 (cloth patch); 15:25 (music);
Acts 15:15 (prophets); 1 Corinthians 7:5 (marriage); 2 Corinthians 6:15
(Christ with evil; belief with unbelief); which is similar to 8:7 (grow
together in a dangerous sense); 1 Thessalonians 2:14 (suffer together)
41
He did not merely explain: this is a new beginning, He revealed things
that most had never seen or understood before. This is revelatory: He
opened: διήνοιγεν.
42
This is the essence of the Liturgy of the Word.
43
This is the feminine dative noun, not the participle: the manner in
which He broke… there was something about the way He did it that was
distinctive… that gave Him away….
44
This is the essence of the Liturgy of the Body and Blood.
45
beginning
 “He said to them, ‘Why are you being upset? Why do plots46
arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that I Am47
He. Touch Me. See that a spirit does not have flesh and
bones, even as you observe Me having.’48
“Speaking thus, He showed them His hands and His feet:
while they, incredulous with joy and amazement, He said to
them, ‘Do you have anything edible here?’ So, they served
Him a piece of broiled fish. Taking [it], He ate in their
presence.
“He said to them, ‘These [are] My words which I told to you,
while being with you, that it is necessary for everything in
writing in the Law of Moses, Prophets, and Psalms49 about
Me to be fulfilled.’50 Then He opened their minds, to
understand the writings.51 He said to them, ‘Thus it was
written [for] Christ to have suffered, and have stood up out of
the dead in the third day.’52 (Change of mind and
forgiveness of sins53 was to be proclaimed in His name to all

46
Many were plotting to get out of that room by any means possible,
they were so terrified. Within fractions of a second they ran through the
full gamut of human emotions as He calmed them down.
47
Ἐγώ Εἰμι
48
A primary goal of worship is to see Jesus in our midst.
49
Law, Prophets, and Psalms constitute the three divisions of the Old
Testament: together indicating the whole Old Testament. Interestingly,
He does not mention the Deuterocanonical division: which does not
appear to be essential in the formation of a Christology.
50
This is the foundation of the Christology of the Old Testament.
51
This is the essence of the Liturgy of the Word.
52
This is the essence of the Liturgy of the Body and Blood.
53
not condemnation and judgement
 the nations, starting from Jerusalem.)54 ‘You are witnesses of
these things. Look, I send out My Father’s promise55 on you:
Stay seated in the city until you would be robed56 with power
out of heaven57.’ ” — Luke 24:13-49

From Luke, we discover that learning comes by walking with Jesus from
two sources:
† One, from the Bible, specifically from the Greek Old Testament;
† Two, from breaking bread with Jesus, which is called Communion,
Eucharist, or Mysteries. God calls it the Epiousion.
Its Word
We reserve the title, The Word, for Jesus Christ, Himself. What He
spoke is words. This suggests that what is important is that Jesus words
are not ordinary words; recording them with paper and ink does not
suffice, they must be engraved on human hearts: this, the Scripture itself
says, is the primary instrument of Scripture transmission.

54
We do not generally support the idea of reading parenthetical
expressions into the text. However, this is what it seems to be: we do
not otherwise know how to handle this strange use of tense and change
of topic. The correct Christology, which Jesus presents, forms the basis
for this kind of Apostolic preaching of universal, global human amnesty:
otherwise preaching is off base and corrupted to whatever extent it
misses this standard of excellence. We all fall short.
55
Jesus sends out the promise: He does not send the Spirit.
56
It is necessary that all of the wedding guests be robed with the
garment provided by the Bridegroom; which is the robe of Christ’s
righteousness: the Holy Spirit is that robe. Lacking this gift is certain
death.
57
The Holy Spirit brings the enabling and indwelling power with Him.
 “You are our epistle, having been written in our hearts, being
known and being recited by all mankind: illuminating that
you are an epistle of Christ, being delivered by us, having
been written; not in ink, but with the Spirit of the living God;
not in stone tablets, but in fleshy hearts tablets.” — 2
Corinthians 3:2-3; Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 2:15; Hebrews
8:10, 16

The Bible
Do not be deceived into merely reading or studying the Bible.
Intellectual approaches are of no value: all they do is cater to pride. We
will not learn from Jesus and the Spirit because we are smart; often we
learn most by being humiliated, usually by our own stupidity.
We must consume, devour, eat the Bible as though we would die of
starvation if we did not have it: for, surely, we will die of starvation if
we do not have it.

“Your words by being consumed, You accomplished them.

Your Word will be to me for [the] gladness and joy of my
heart: because, Your Name had been called upon me, O Lord
Almighty.” — Jeremiah 15:16 LXX

“I received the little book out of the angel’s hand. I

swallowed it down. It has been in my mouth as honey sweet.
When I swallowed it, my belly was made sour.” —
Revelation 10:10

If the Word of God does not kindle a fire in our belly, unworthy as we
will always be, we can never become effective godly leaders: we will
only imitate the arrogant and the demonic.
Pray the Bible; let each word be a request for the Spirit’s teaching and
understanding. If devouring and praying the Bible doesn’t draw forth
blood, fears, sickness, tears, terrors, trembling, mingled with joy and the
pounding of your heart, something is lacking.

“Thus says [the] Lord, ‘The heaven is My throne; the earth is

footstool of My feet: what sort of house will you build Me?
What kind of place is My rest? For, all these My hand made.
All these things are Mine, says [the] Lord. Upon whom will
I look? But, upon the humble and silent and trembling before
My Words.” — Isaiah 66:1-2 LXX

Its Obedience
You say that it’s all by faith, and it is: but, even demons have faith and
tremble.58 Why do demons tremble? Demons tremble because they
cannot possibly obey; they cannot add works of faith to their faith: they
can only watch helplessly as their disobedience multiplies: because, they
have no Champion, they have no Savior … to die for them. God became
man. God did not become angel.

“Do you have faith that God is One? You do well. The
demons also have faith, and feel terror.” — James 2:19

So, all is for naught, if we do not learn to obey.

“teaching them to protect everything I have commanded

you.” — Matthew 28:20a

58

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=trembl&qs_v
ersion=KJV
 “The Word was begotten flesh. He camped among us. We
saw His Glory, Glory as Only-begotten in parity with [the]
Father59, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14

“What I have seen in parity with the Father, I say. So, you
also, what you heard in parity with60 the Father, do.” — John
8:38

“No one takes it from Me; but, I lay it down from Myself. I
have authority to lay it down. I have authority to take it
again. This command I received in parity with61 My Father.”
— John 10:18

We must become doers. How? To proceed without the Spirit in any

holy quest, any educational endeavor, is pure vanity: for, the outcome
will be pride, rather than wisdom.62 The unceasing request for the Spirit,
who the Father gives to all without fail is absolutely necessary. Yet, if
we would ask, we also must listen with great attention: for, the Spirit

59
He is, Μονογενοῦς Παρὰ Πατρός, Only-begotten on par, or equal with
the Father, not merely begotten of the Father….
60
The Apostles heard on par with the Son as perfect Man; we hear on
par with the Spirit and His indwelling presence. There are only two
kinds of parallel behavior, or parity: one moving in the same direction,
or absolute equality; and one moving in the opposite direction, or
absolute adversity; a third use of παρά simply notes location, place or
position: beside.
61
Παρὰ, is used here, which is most unusual: we expected ἀπό or ἐκ,
with a preference for ἐκ.
62
1 Corinthians 8:1
whispers more often than not.63 What we hear from the Spirit, we must
do. That is how we become doers.
What is this deed we must do, above all others? We must take the cup
of salvation.64 We must take the cup of Jesus’ crucifixion, embracing it
as if it were our own: we gladly die with Him. This is the meaning of
Communion.
Its Pitfalls
I paused from feasting and prayer, to glance at the horizon. I
realized, cloud like, we had floated to a considerable altitude;
seemingly, without much effort. We were many rungs above the
valley floor: nearly at the top. I smiled as I took great pleasure in
everything I had accomplished. I slept. I awoke. We were back at
the lowest spot of the valley floor. My pride had ruined
everything. That great elevation was achieved, only as the Spirit
carried us aloft, as if on eagle’s wings. My pride had dashed every
hope to the ground. The Spirit was very disappointed in me.
Humiliated and ashamed, the next day I was commanded to do an
investigation of the valley floor and its soils: it was part of my
penance. Nothing destroys spiritual workmanship as pride
destroys … so completely…. I got down on my hands and knees
and began to examine the dirt.

63
1 Kings 19:12 LXX
64
Psalms 114:1-9 and 115:1-10 LXX; Psalm 116:1-19 KJV
 “Look, the sower went out to sow. As he [began] to sow
some fell beside the road. The birds, coming, consumed it.
Other fell on the rocky place, [which] does not have much
earth. Immediately, they sprouted: since, they did not have
depth of earth. [The] rising sun burned: because it did not
have root, it dried up. Other fell on the thorns. The thorns
came up and choked it. Other fell on the good earth. It
began to yield65 fruit: one an hundredfold, one sixty, one
thirty.” — Matthew 13:3b-8

While I was digging in the dirt, Jesus began to teach by the voice of the
Spirit, Who reminds us of everything Jesus did and taught.66

“You, therefore, you listen to the Parable of the Sower.

Everyone listening to the Word of the kingdom, not
understanding: the evil would come, and he snatches away
the sowing in his heart. This is the sowing beside the road.
The sowing on the rocky, this is the listening to the Word,
and immediately receiving it with joy; yet, he does not have
root in himself: but, it is briefly; now, coming distress or
persecution because of the Word, immediately he stumbles67.
The sowing in the thorns, this is the listening to the Word,
and the worry of time, this and the deception of wealth
strangles the Word. It becomes fruitless. The sowing on the
good earth, this is the listening to the Word and
understanding: which carries fruit and yields: one an
hundredfold, one sixty, one thirty.” — Matthew 13:18-23

65
literally give
66
John 14:26
67
Σκανδαλίζεται is the behavior of the trigger stick in any trap. The
trigger strap falls away. Then the trap is sprung on the hapless victim.
As the scales slipped away from my eyes, I began to understand that this
was not about the soils slipping through my fingers. This was not about
an ineffective gardener, who was too dull to keep his efforts away from
bad soils. This was about the Sower named the Word, Who, in love
brings His proclamation to every variety of people: there is no one He
does not love, no one He does not seek to reach.
This is about the hearts and attitudes and wills of people, as well: for, the
heart is the core of the mind where thinking is done, and decisions are
made.
This is about listening: Jesus repeats it five times. Listen to Jesus, and
do what He says.
The birds and demons are just doing what birds and demons do: they
clean up unwanted treasure. Hardness of the heart is a choice. Then I
remembered the many times I had scorned the forgiveness of God. …
the times I had kept my brothers and sisters in bondage to me; the
grudges I had held; the bitternesses I had harbored; the hate and malice I
had spewed forth… then I was ashamed and began to weep. Such was
the state of my road-like, hardened heart.

“Thus, also, My heavenly Father will do to you if you do not

forgive, each his brother from your hearts.” — Matthew
18:35

I slept and dreamed about all the many times I had bypassed a street
beggar, refusing to give even a dime. I remembered the many times I
had rebuked the poor for their sloth and stupidity: I blamed their poverty
on them. I had refused to approve the slightest charity in church or in
government… then I awaked, terrified by my own dreams: for I knew
that I had turned Christ Himself away. Such was the state of my rocky
shallow heart.
 “For, I was hungry. You did not give Me to eat. I was
thirsty. You did not quench Me. I had been a stranger. You
did not gather Me in. … naked. You did not cover Me. …
weak and in prison. You did not visit Me.” — Matthew
25:42-43

I became obsessed with my career, with success, and making money. I

toiled, often double shifts. I worried that I might not be able to provide
for my family. I fought to get ahead. I neglected the proclamation of
the Gospel. My prayers were compressed. I had little time for the Bible.
Preaching went in one ear and out the other: because, my thoughts were
on career, money, providing, worries. I grew cold. A preacher rebuked
me, and cut me free. I wept again. Such was the state of my thorn
strangled heart. I had forgotten my first love. I had stopped listening to
the Spirit. I had neglected the purpose for which God left me on earth.

“… make disciples of all nations….” Matthew 28:19b

It is probably inevitable that hard working young people would worry

about money today. Modern standards of income are simply oppressive.
Predatory lending surrounds us. Don’t let your true life in Christ be
strangled.

“[It is] good for a man when he could pick up [the] yoke in
his youth.” — Lamentations 3:27

… better than in old age. There is nothing of which to be ashamed in

hard work. There is nothing of which to be ashamed in providing for
your family. Just don’t let it deafen you to the sincere hearing of God’s
Word.
 “Make [the] profane word and lies far away from me, wealth
and poverty, You should not give me. Appoint me praying
and necessities; lest being wealthy, I could become a liar and
I would say, Who sees me? Or, being poverty stricken, steal
and curse the Name of God.” — Proverbs 30:8-9 LXX, found
after 24:22ε

So it was, that in old age, having been delivered from many dangers and
snares; having escaped death on many occasions: only by the
deliverance and grace of God: for, my guardian angel must have been
exceedingly put to the task; so, at last I stumbled, blindly and wounded,
into what God wanted me to do with my life. It was not digging in the
dirt examining soils. It had to do with digging in the heart with the
Word of God: from the examination of my own wicked heart, I would
learn what to say to others. In order to make disciples.
Its Enemies
Then a new problem surfaced:

“He set before them another parable, ‘The kingdom of

heaven [is as] a man sowing good seed in his field. While his
laborers went to sleep, his enemy came. He re-sowed tares68
in the midst of the wheat69. He escaped. Thus, the grass
sprouted. It gave fruit. Then the tares also appeared. So, the
servants of the house foreman approaching, said to him,
“Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how
does it have tares?” He began telling them, “An enemy
laborer did this.” The servants say to him, “Then, do you
want [us] going [that] we should collect them?” He says,
“No, lest collecting the tares you should uproot the wheat

68
darnel
69
grain, corn
 together with them. Allow both to be grown together until
the harvest. In the season of the harvest I will tell the
harvesters, “Collect the tares first. Bundle them into bundles
to burn them. Then, gather wheat into my storeroom.” ’ ” —
Matthew 13:24-30

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for, what a person

would sow, that he will also reap: because, the one sowing in
his own flesh, will reap corruption out of the flesh. But, the
one sowing in the Spirit will reap everlasting life out of the
Spirit.” — Galatians 6:7-8

Jesus explains that He, the Word, is the sower. The field is the world,
not just Israel, not just the Roman Empire, not just Western Civilization.
The good seed are the children of the kingdom: that is, Christians. The
tares are the children of the evil one: that is, Satan. The enemy is the
devil: namely, Satan himself. The harvest is the end of the world. The
harvesters are the angels.70
Several applications are clear. We are not to touch or harm the tares,
since the laborers and servants are not to touch or harm the tares. The
tares are an enemy, we are not to emulate them in any way. The tares
will be with us until the end of the world: we need to get used to it. We
are where God has planted us, we should be content with that as far as it
is possible: circumstances do move some of us. The tares are none of
our business. Our business is bearing fruit.

“Do not be vexed over evildoers, neither be jealous of the

doers of lawlessness.” — Psalm 36:1, 7, 8; Proverbs 24:19
LXX; Psalm 37:1, 7, 8 KJV

70
condensed from Matthew 13:36-43
 Its Purpose

“I Am the vine, you the branches; He abiding in Me… I also

in him, this71 bears much fruit: because, apart from Me you
most certainly72 do not have power to do anything.” — John
15:5

Its Soldiers
My master decided that I was now strong enough to join the ranks of
soldiers and be fitted with a suit of armor.

“Henceforth, be filled with power in [the] Lord, and in the

might of His strength. Put on all the armor of God; thus, to
empower you to stand against the methods of the devil:
because, our conflict is not against blood and flesh; but,
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world
powers of this darkness, against the supernatural wickedness
in the heavenlies. Because of this, take up all the armor of
God, so that you would be empowered to stand against the
evil day. Having accomplished everything, to stand. Be
stood, therefore: girding your hips in truth; donning the
breastplate of righteousness; under-binding the feet in
readiness of the good news of peace; in all taking up the great
shield of faith in which you will have power to extinguish all
the flaming missiles of the evil; receive the helmet of
salvation; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the speech of
God; through every prayer and request, praying at all time in

71
This refers to the two-way abiding relationship, not to us.
72
The double negative, not … nothing, is emphatic: thus, most certainly
… not … anything.
 Spirit; unsleeping in every persistence and request for all of
the consecrated.” — Ephesians 6:10-18

Here, we learn that our spiritual battle has always been against those
very leaders who betrayed us: for, they were sold out to Satan from the
beginning.
Its Song
We turned to hear and see a band of singing soldiers marching down the
valley toward the ladder. We hastened to follow and listen: for, their
singing had a heavenly purity about it, as if angels, rather than people,
were singing.

“Happy, the poor in spirit: because, theirs is the kingdom of

the heavens.
“Happy, the mourners: because, they will be comforted.
“Happy, the gentle: because, they will inherit the earth.
“Happy, the hungering and thirsting for justice: because, they
will be satisfied.
“Happy, the merciful: because, they will be shown mercy.
“Happy, the clean in heart: because, they will see God.
“Happy, the peacemakers: because, they will be called the
children of God.
“Happy, the persecuted for righteousness: because, theirs is
the kingdom of the heavens.
“Happy are you, when they would condemn you, and would
persecute, and would say all kinds of evil against you, lying
because of Me.
“Rejoice, and be glad: because, great is your reward in the
heavens: for, thus they persecuted the prophets before you.”
— Matthew 5:3-12
Then I heard a strange Jody Call.

“You’re the salt of the earth.” You’re right.

“You’re the salt of the earth.” You’re right.
“Sound off….”

“You’re the light of the world.” You’re right.

“You’re the light of the world.” You’re right.
“Sound off….”

Its Race
Soon we were at double time. Then we were running.

“For, truly then, we also, having so great a cloud73 of

witnesses surrounding us, setting aside every burden and the
easily ensnaring sin, we should run the race being set before
us with endurance and patience, concentrating on the
Founder and Finisher of the faith, Jesus, Who, for the joy
being set before Him, remained on [the] cross, ignoring [the]
shame, He was enthroned at the right of God’s throne.” —
Hebrews 12:1-2

Its Battles
We came to an abrupt halt as we were set upon by an angry mob dressed
in priestly garments (false priests) and uniforms of government (traitors

73
a crowd of witnesses as dense as a cloud
in leadership), who hurled great insults and rocks at us … injuring some.
We set our shields in the square74, and unsheathed our swords. Our
swords immediately sang out:

“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.

“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.
“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.

The counterattack came quickly. We were assaulted with swords and

spears, clubs and staves. God is dead, they shouted. We did not strike
back.75 Some were beaten to death. Some were arrested and sent to
prison camps. Others were tortured. I was left in the road to die. I
thought my quest had ended. Then a gentle voice came to me:

For, consider such a contradiction remaining on sinners

against themselves; so that, you would not be wearied in your
souls, quitting. You have not yet defiantly resisted death76,
struggling against sin.” — Hebrews 12:3-4

“Become faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of
life.” — Revelation 2:10b

I struggled to my feet, and pressed on down the road, limping …

remembering Jacob….

74
The square is an ancient battle formation.
75
It is wrong to strike back.
76
blood, not bloodshed, meaning death
 “For, you have need of endurance and patience: so that,
doing the will of God you would receive the promise.” —
Hebrews 10:36

Patience comes easily for a child with toys, even broken ones.
Endurance is simple with a helpless animal or child. Being patient with
an enemy is a little harder to bear. But, when a supposed good friend, a
longtime associate, a colleague attacked me, I exploded in anger. Later I
broke down in tears. I had failed in endurance, becoming impatient, yet,
once more. The disciple must struggle for mastery of patience and
endurance.
It takes diligence, time, and toil to wage war against personal anger,
even if it’s a losing battle. This is often a broken rung on the ladder.
I slept. I dreamed lascivious dreams. I awoke in terror. Months later,
after many repetitions of similar lascivious dreams, I would come to
realize that I was under demonic attack. Everybody has demons. Learn
to recognize them. Look for ways to kill them by prayer.
Forgiveness, gratitude, humility, mercy, selflessness, and service are
virtues that faithful disciples must cultivate in life. Each is a ladder
rung.

“I say, ‘Walk in [the] Spirit.’ You should never ever

complete [the] desire of flesh: for, flesh desires against the
Spirit; the Spirit against the flesh: for, these oppose one
another: so that, you should not do whatever you would wish.
If you are led in [the] Spirit, you are not under law.
“The works of the flesh are visible77, which are: prostitution,
demonism, violence, idolatry, drug abuse, hostility, strife,
jealousy, tantrums, ambition, division, opinion, envy,
drunkenness, reveling, and the like of these; of which I

77
If these visible sins terrorize us, which invisible sins are worse?
 predict to you, just as I warned that [the ones] practicing such
things will not inherit God’s kingdom.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faith, gentleness, self-discipline78. There is not
any law against such things.
“Christ’s ones crucified the flesh, with the experiences79 and
the desires. If we would live in [the] Spirit, we should also
walk in [the] Spirit. We should not become arrogant,
provoking one another, envying one another.” — Galatians
5:16-26; Ephesians 5:9

“Similarly, younger people, be submitted to [your] elders; all

of you be clothed with humble mindedness toward one
another: because, God opposes [the] arrogant; but, gives
grace to the humble. Therefore, be humbled under the strong
hand of God, so that He would exalt you in due time: casting
all your care on Him: because, He cares about you.” — 1
Peter 5:5-7

Be clothed with poverty, Peter says: for: humility and poverty are very
close synonyms.
These are the marks of the true Christian; not domination, lying, pride,
and show. We have lost nothing in the loss of our leaders: for, the true
Church was never like them at all… we only pray for their sincere
repentance….
Silence is golden. It too is a difficult ladder rung to grasp; as is sloth…
it’s so easy to remain in the valley, never to run or climb… or say, “I’m
wounded, it’s too hard to climb.”

78
1 Corinthians 9:27
79
παθήμασιν: from pathos
All these things and their enemies block the path to following in the
footsteps of Jesus; to becoming an effective, faithful evangelist; to
becoming Christ-like.

“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.

“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.
“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.

Its Tutor
These obstacles are our friends that train us in spiritual battle. We
cannot grow without them.

“You have forgotten the conversation which coaches you as

children. ‘My child, do not take casually [the] Lord’s
tutoring, or quit at His correcting: for, whom [the] Lord
loves, He tutors, He punishes every child whom He
welcomes.’
“In tutoring, endure as children, it is offered to you by God:
for, what child [exists] whom a father does not tutor? If you
are without tutoring, in which all have become partners: then
you are illegitimate, not children.
“On the one hand, we have had fleshly fathers [who] tutored
[us] and we have revered [them]. Will we not much more
submit to the Father of Spirits, and live? For, on the other
hand, they, for a few days, tutored [us] according to whatever
seemed [best] for them; He, in bearing with us, that we might
share His consecration.
“All tutoring, for the [time] being, seems not to be joyous,
but grievous, only later it yields [the] peace-ruling fruit of
righteousness in those being trained by her. So, straighten up
the sagging hands and the weakening knees. Make straight
 tracks for your feet; so that, the lame would not be thrown
out [of joint]; rather, it could be healed.” — Hebrews 12:5-13

It is very easy to become discouraged in spiritual battle. When others

attack us, we want to strike back, and sometimes we do, retaliating with
physical force, which is wrong.80 We fail, and we fail, and we fail;
which is why, at last, we succeed. So, it is important that we not allow
ourselves to become casualties.

“We should not tire of doing good: for, in our own time, not
quitting, we will reap.” — Galatians 6:9

“Pursue peace with everyone, and consecration and

dedication81, without which no one will see the Lord.

“Jesus replied, ‘My kingdom is not of this world; if My

kingdom were of this world: My servants would fight, so that
I would not be delivered to the Jews: but now My kingdom is
not from here.’” — John 18:36

“For although we walk in the flesh, we do not soldier by the

standard of flesh: for, the armaments of our soldiering are not
fleshly; but, powerful in God for82 razed83 fortresses: razing

80
Matthew 5:39; Luke 6:29
81
ἁγιασμόν: being set apart to God’s service.
82
Πρὸς: toward, here it approaches the meaning of producing.
83
This is a noun, not a verb, functioning adjectively with fortresses.
Descriptive actions follow.
 reasoning, and all haughtiness being lifted up against84 the
knowledge of God, capturing every thought in the obedience
of Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

“There is no such a thing as just war.”

The distinctive mark of Christians is their consecration or dedication to

God: which is to say that they have picked up their crosses to follow
Jesus. As He was a person of peace, so they also must be people of
peace. A warmonger cannot be a Christian leader, let alone a Christian.

“He sat down, calling the twelve. He told them, ‘If anyone
desires to be first, He will be last of all, and servant of all.”
— Mark 9:3585

“Christ is risen!” All is forgiven.

“Overseeing [that] no one is being left behind from the grace

of God; [that] no one is growing up [as] a root of sourness
[that] would disturb, and through it many could be defiled;

84
This word would make an interesting study by itself; nevertheless, we
are after Paul’s core thought that we never fight with weapons of flesh in
mortal secular combat: we witness, we pray, we sing, we die.
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Isaiah 41:9; Matthew 20:27; 23:11; Mark 10:44; Deuteronomy 34:5
(Moses); Joshua 24:29 (Joshua); 1 Samuel 3:9-10 (Samuel); 1 Kings
11:13 (David); Romans 1:1 (Paul); Titus 1:1 (Paul); James 1:1 (James);
2 Peter 1:1 (Peter); Jude 1:1 (Jude); Revelation 1:1 (The Church and
John)
 [that] no one [is] a prostitute86, or worldly as Esau, who, for
one dinner, gave away his own first-born rights: for, you
know that also thereafter, wishing to inherit the blessing, he
was rejected: for, he did not find a place of repentance,
although seeking it with tears.” Hebrews 12:14-17

At last, we have reached the top rung of the ladder. We are at the gates
of the true Church. We take one last look at the fallen world below. It
was being ground into powder by a great stone. Our treacherous leaders
in church and politics all perished… sad….

“You continued to observe until a stone was cut without

hands out of a mountain. It struck the statue87 upon the iron
and clay feet. It ground them into [their] end. Then the clay,
the iron, the copper, the silver, the gold was ground into one.
It became as if dust from a summer threshing floor. The
violence of the wind lifted it up. It was not found anywhere.
The stone striking the statue was begotten a great mountain.
It filled all the earth.” — Daniel 2:34-35 LXX

“In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will stand up a
kingdom, which will not be destroyed into the ages. His
kingdom will not be left to a different88 people. It will grind
and separate all the kingdoms. It will stand in the ages. In
this turning point where you saw that a stone was cut without
hands from a mountain; it ground the clay, the iron, the
copper, the silver, the gold: the great God made known to the

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Who, male or female, Esau like, sell their own bodies for a lie in an
idol temple, instead of selling their birthright as Esau sold his birthright .
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εἰκόνα
88
ἑτέρῳ: another of a different kind
 king what is necessary to be born with these. The dream [is]
true. Its analysis [is] faithful.” — Daniel 2:44-45 LXX

We do well to give attention to the words of Daniel. Rome may have

moved its Capital to Constantinople; it will later shift back to Rome
again… and to Metz, Aachen, Vienna, Regensburg, Wetzlar, Weimar,
Berlin, Moscow, and yet other cities: but the Word of God stands firm…
Rome will crumble and fall to dust along with all other human
arrogance. True Christianity is humble and seeks humility in service.
Its Destination
Finally, we turned and entered the gates of the true Church. This is what
we saw.

“For, you had not come to a tangible [thing], to a [visibly]

burning fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm; or to [audible]
sound of trumpet, voice of speech: which, the hearers begged
to not be subjected to [another] word to them: for, they had
not carried what was being commanded, ‘if even a beast
would touch the mountain it will be stoned.’ Thus, so terrible
had been the appearing [that even] Moses said, ‘I am terrified
and trembling.’
“But, you had come to mount Sion, to [the] city of the living
God, to heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, to a festal
assembly; to the calling out of the firstborn having been
enrolled in heaven; to God, judge of all; to righteous spirits
being made complete; to a new covenant mediator, Jesus; to
sprinkled blood speaking better than Abel’s.
“See that you would not reject the speaker: for, if these did
not escape on earth, rejecting the warning One, much more
we [are not] escaping the One from heaven, by Whose voice
the earth was shaken then; now He had promised, saying,
‘Yet once I will shake, not only the earth, but also the
 heaven;’ this ‘yet once’ makes clear about the shaking, the
transformation, as of things being made over, that the not
shaking things would remain: through which, receiving an
unshaken kingdom, we would have grace through which we
could serve God well-pleasingly, with respect and fear: for,
our God [is] a consuming fire.” — Hebrews 12:18-29

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for, the first heaven
and the first earth went away. The sea is not any longer. The
consecrated city, new Jerusalem, I saw, descending out of the
heaven from God, being prepared as a bride being adorned
for her husband.
“I heard a loud voice out of the throne, ‘Look! The
tabernacle of God is among the humans. He will tabernacle
among them. They will be His people. God Himself will be
among them.
“God will wipe every tear out of their eyes. Death will not
be any longer; nor mourning, nor wailing, nor will pain be
any longer. The first went away.” — Revelation 21:1-4

Our eyes must be fastened only upon the prize of the heavenly kingdom
described by Paul in Hebrews and John in Revelation. All other worldly
kingdoms must crumble to dust.
Then we saw Jesus Himself with His Father.
Without the Spirit there is no new life in Christ.89 We cannot walk with
Jesus throughout our lives… it is the Spirit Who has guided us on the
right track throughout our journey.

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Romans 8:9
 “The Spirit is the life-giver90; the flesh does not benefit
absolutely anything91; the utterances that I had spoken to you:
it is spirit; it is life.” — John 6:63

“Ἐλέησόν με, κύριε υἱὸς Δαυίδ….” — Matthew 15:22

“Κύριε, ἐλέησόν μου τὸν υἱόν….” — Matthew 17:15
“Κύριε, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, υἱὸς Δαυίδ.” — Matthew 20:30

“Our Father in the heavens,

“Your name was consecrated and dedicated; Your kingdom
came; Your will was begotten; as in heaven, also on the
earth. You gave us our bread today, the epiousion (the very
glorious Body and like precious Blood of Jesus Christ, Your
Son, our Savior and Lord). [For His sake] You forgave our
debts; as we forgive our debtors. Even though You could not
have led us into peril; even so You delivered us from the evil.
“For if you did forgive others their side-falls (stumbling),
then your heavenly Father will forgive you. Yet, if you did
not forgive others their side-falls, neither will your Father
forgive your side-falls.” — Matthew 6:9-14

Amen.
Other Resources
There is a wealth of excellent literature and movies on this topic. A few
that come to mind are:

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ζῳοποιοῦν
91
The double negative, οὐδέν, nothing, intolerable in English is
emphatic in Greek.
Bunyan, John, The Pilgrim’s Progress
Climacus, John, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
There is a free copy at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ladder_of_Divine_Ascent
Note that many comments in celibacy or monastic genres of literature
contain things completely inapplicable to ordinary people: these should
be disregarded. On the other hand, if read with prudence, there are
many other comments of great value to all.
Hugo, Victor, Les Misérables
Lewis, C. S., The Chronicles of Narnia
Lewis, C. S., The Pilgrim’s Regress
Lewis, C. S., The Screwtape Letters
Lewis, C. S., The Space Trilogy
Sobolev, Dmitry, Ostrov (2006 Film)
Tolkien, J. R. R., The Hobbit
Tolkien, J. R. R., The Lord of the Rings
Final Comments
Much has been written on the absolute necessity of having a Spiritual
Father. This may have been the case in the first centuries, when pagan
culture dominated everything, where the Christian converts could
discover that even their own parents were seeking to kill them. Indeed,
this may once again be the case, as our modern cultures become
increasingly pagan and secular. However, if you were raised in a
Christian home, where your parents brought you to Jesus from birth, this
is not the case. Moreover, the Bible makes no such special point: the
idea of Spiritual parentage barely arises in a few aside mentions of Paul.
Everywhere, the Bible emphasizes, “honor father and mother”, even the
pagan ones… this should be our first objective.
Still, it is inevitable that we move away from our parent’s house, where
we benefit and are mentored by many advisors: these should be
respected as well. Nevertheless, none of these ever replaces our parents.
If one enters a monastery, it is necessary that one be under a Spiritual
Father: even that cannot replace Christian parents… indeed, it is an
insult to God for even thinking of doing so.
All of these parents and mentors die, eventually leaving us orphaned.
We are thus left to look only to God. Matthew exhorts us that we have
only One Father, God (Matthew 23:9). We do well to remember that we
do not approach the Father through an endless list of intermediaries.
Christ has broken open the veil of the Oracle, and we have direct
personal access to the Father (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6)
Those who are racked with pain over the spiritual betrayal perpetrated
by all their leaders, both secular and ecclesiastical, need to be reminded
that this direct access to the Father cannot be taken away: they can
always, anywhere, enter into the secret inner chamber of the heart and
pray, and remember this vision of Hebrews 12, the True Church of Jesus
Christ.

“Whenever you pray, come into your private place.92

Closing your door, pray to your Father, the One in secret.
Your Father, seeing in secret, will give away to you.” —
Matthew 6:6

“Similarly, younger people, be submitted to [your] elders; all

of you be clothed with humble mindedness toward one

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Not necessarily a physical earthly room; since Christ has given us full
access to the Father, more likely the heavenly Oracle of God is intended.
In the secrecy of your mind, considering yourself as in the presence of
God, pray secretly and silently. Of course it may be necessary to seek
out a physically quiet place to avoid distractions: but, when you are
desperate, any place will do.
 another: because, God opposes [the] arrogant; but, gives
grace to the humble. Therefore, be humbled under the strong
hand of God, so that He would exalt you in due time: casting
all your care on Him: because, He cares about you.” — 1
Peter 5:5-7

Be clothed with poverty, Peter says: for: humility and poverty are very
close synonyms.
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