My attention was caught by a comment posted on my blogsite by someone who introduced himself as Angelo DF. There are some favorable remarks he wrote about my understanding of the Scriptures. Whether they came from the heart or they are praises undeserved, let me emphasize that I do not accept them! Glory, honor and praises belong to the Creator! As for insults and defamations imputed on me and posted on my blogsite, let them stay there!
Comments that come show me two opposites: beauty and ugliness. Beauty is in everything created by God. Harmony, orderliness, gentleness and wisdom abide in the totality of all things in the original state of creation! In GENESIS 1:31, And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
We have to understand that the “very good” condition of everything that was made implies order in movements, harmony in relations, and symbiosis in existence. There is beauty in everything that exists! That beauty came from the Creator, the Divine originator of everything. PSALMS 29:2 states, Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Surely there is beauty in holiness! God in His holiness is the source of beauty in everything He created. Even in things or beings regarded as ugly by others beauty is present. A deep sea creature called fangtooth may look ugly to some but considering the role it takes in nature, it shows how beautiful this creature is! Vultures may look ugly and their ways also, but without these creatures the forest and the wild jungle will stink and will be infested with highly contagious pests hazardous to both humans and animals.
The fangtooth is a menacing looking creature that inhabits the deep waters of the ocean. It gets its name from the long, sharp, fang-like teeth that line its enormous, over-sized mouth. Its gruesome appearance has earned it the name, “ogrefish”. The fangtooth is an extreme deep water species that lives at depths of about 16,000 feet. The pressure at these depths is intense and the water temperature is near freezing. Food here is scarce, so the fangtooth will eat just about anything it can find. Most of its meals probably fall from the upper depths of the ocean.
The fangtooth is found throughout the world in temperate and tropical ocean regions. The fangtooth has a short deep body with a large head and mouth. The body is covered with small prickly scales. The distinct lateral line is an open groove partially covered by scales. There are mucous cavities on the head separated by serrated ridges. The Fangtooth grows to 17cm in length. As the common name suggests, this fish has very long pointed teeth. The lower jaw fangs slide into pockets in the roof of the mouth when the jaws close. This species is dark brown to black. (Source: http://www.allthesea.com/Deep-Sea-Fish-Fangtooth.html)
An online site that discusses vulture extinction in Africa shows a close association between the transmission of disease and scavengers.
Ecological implications of vulture extinction on scavengers and disease transmission
…Scavengers, especially vultures, provide one of the most important yet under-appreciated ecosystem services of any avian group. Because they feed by scavenging, vultures are highly specialized to rapidly dispose of large carcasses, thus playing a critical role in nutrient cycling, leading other scavengers to carcasses and reducing the risk of contamination by pathogens by quickly consuming decomposing carcasses. Despite the rate at which vultures are declining, little is known about the potential consequences of the widespread disappearance of these scavenging birds on other scavengers and rates of disease transmission at carcasses.
(http://www.africanraptors.org/ecological-implications-of-vulture-extinction-on-scavengers-and-disease-transmission-darcy-ogada/)
Beauty is in created organisms like plants, flowers, birds, insects, animals, man.
(ECCLESIASTES 7:29) “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”
Man was made upright! He was made in the likeness and image or beauty of his Creator.
(GENESIS 1:26) “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. “
The beauty in man is very well appreciated by someone who loves him or her. Whether that beauty is physical or otherwise, it is observed, felt and believed. I call on all loving mothers as my witnesses!
Now comes ugliness. Where did ugliness originate?
After quite some time, beauty has vanished in so many things. What was the cause? Corruption!
These are what are stated in THE ROMANS 8:22, 20-21 –
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Corruption from the Greek word “φθορά” or phthora, means decay, destruction of the original composition or state of being.
phthora
From G5351; decay, that is, ruin (spontaneous or inflicted, literally or figuratively): – corruption, destroy, perish.
* (Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, Dictionaries of Hebrew and Greek Words taken from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., 1890.)
How is this related to church? The church in the Bible is symbolized by a bride, a virgin, with Christ as the bridegroom.
(II CORINTHIANS 11:2) “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. “
This is a great mystery in the Bible!
(EPHESIANS 5:30-32)
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The church in the Bible is a beautiful entity, which beauty is based on sanctity and holiness.
(EPHESIANS 5:27) “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
The sanctifying agent that made the Church of God beautiful is the word of God!
(JOHN 17:17) “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. “
The exactness and completeness of the word of God constitute its sanctifying truth.
(PSALMS 119:160 RSV) “The sum of thy word is truth; and every one of thy righteous ordinances endures forever.”
Truth must not be adulterated by man’s words and ideas!
(PROVERBS 30:5-6)
5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Truth must not be diminished even by a word!
(JEREMIAH 26:2) “Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:“
Adding or diminishing truth will mean perdition to transgressors!
(REVELATION 22:18-19)
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
But the whole truth has been corrupted by additions or teachings of men.
(MARK 7:7) “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
SO MANY UGLY CHURCHES EXIST NOW
The Catholic Church is laden with so many teachings and commandments of men! Its doctrines and teachings are not written in the Bible but are contrary to it as are being observed and believed in, in the Catholic Church!
Mary is believed to be brought to heaven body and soul.
Whereas, the Bible tells us that flesh and blood or the human body cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
(I CORINTHIANS 15:50) “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.“
For this reason our earthly body has to be changed to a heavenly body for us to be able to enter heaven or the abode of God.
(I CORINTHIANS 15:51-54)
51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
To enter heaven therefore, our terrestrial body has to be changed to a celestial body.
(I CORINTHIANS 15:40, 49)
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Such Catholic doctrine about Mary is contrary to the revealed truth in the Bible! It is an invented teaching of Pope Pius XII who sounds not so pious in his study of the Scriptures. Apparently Mary was dead at the time of the Apostle Paul. Paul greeted many known figures in the 1st century church and commanded the Christians in Rome to greet them even the mother of Rufus and his’ own mother.
(THE ROMANS 16:13) “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.“
If Mary were alive at that time, why would not the Apostle Paul greet her being the mother of his Lord? And why would not he command the Romans to greet the mother of his Lord? And if Mary were taken to heaven after her death, body and soul, why did not the Apostle Paul mention it in his letters to the 1st century Christians?
The fact that, that teaching of the Catholic Church about the assumption of Mary body and soul was only taught in 1950 at the time of the not-so-pious Pope Pius XII proves that it is an invented teaching!
God Bless.
Bro. Eli Soriano
