Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Satan - Redefining Christ

We begin the penitential season of Advent on Sunday December 2nd, a journey of reflection regarding the cost of our sin - the incarnation of Christ. And Satan is at work, as usual.

Coming to a clothing rack near you is a line of baby/children’s clothing developed by Celine Dion and the company Nununu [forming celinununu]. Its aim? To make gender neutral clothing for the parents who want their child to decide his/her own gender, and begin a “new world order.”

The TV ad that accompanies this line of clothing [see here https://youtu.be/GYYKbM6rmxE ] is diabolical. It begins with Celine riding in a limo, dressed in white, opining in regard to children, their future and how dare we thrust gender upon them. She then changes into black, and goes into a hospital nursery carrying a bag. As she enters, it’s notable the wall on one side of the door reflects the universal symbol for boys/men and the otherside the reciprocating girl’s/women's symbol [like the ones found on public restroom doors]. Stepping in, she finds what one would expect, bassinets filled with babies in pink and blue, mobiles hanging above, with a lullaby gently playing.  Celine reaches into her black “doctor's” bag [complete with white hospital cross on the side - as if she's ‘healing’ these babies of some dreaded disease] and pulls out a handful of black, sparkly, magic dust that she blows on to the children, transforming their clothing. They go from pink and blue, to white and black. Some have the little white crosses on their clothing, others black stars and still others “NEW ORDER” emblazoned on their onesies. The symbols on the walls have changed to one white hospital cross on either side, as well as the mobiles. Celine stands between the crosses smiling. The remainder of the commercial is [Celine being arrested for breaking in] inconsequential and is only about Celine's celebrity.

So what's the big deal? Plenty. Let's start with the gender issue.

First of all, GOD created males and females [Genesis 5.2]. There is no ambiguity in GOD'S creation. It's only after the fall into sin that we get the mutations of GOD'S creation [the abnormalities in body and mind].

For what purpose were they created? To love Him and one another [Luke 10.27].

What mandate were they given, once created? To fill the earth with their progeny [Genesis 1.28]. This can only happen through male and female copulation.

The idea of healthy [non-abnormality] babies being born without gender is ludicrous to the extreme [and let's be honest from the get go, this commercial and clothing line is NOT aimed at the small number of the abnormal, but at EVERY child being born]. Gender is not chosen. It is given in the womb - in the dna. That's the science folks. It cannot be argued. Any challenge to what GOD has ordained is sinful - case closed.

So what about all of the symbolism?

  1. Celine goes from white to black - she approaches the hospital as an angel of mercy [2 Corinthians 11.14], but her true colors are revealed once inside.
  2. She pulls from her ‘medicine’ bag a black, magic dust that ‘heals’ the children of their GOD given genders [Colossians 2.8; see also Holy Scripture reference above].
  3. Suddenly the room changes. Crosses are everywhere, especially on the two walls mentioned above. This black angel - Satan - [Revelation 12.7ff] strikes his best Jesus Christ pose by situating himself [in Celine] between the two crosses [see Mount Calvary here; Luke 23.39ff] as the Savior of the world's children.
  4. The clothing of the babies changes from pink and blue, to black and white. The gender choice, by virtue of the black magic, has been given to each baby and his/her future. Thus, what is rightfully and solely GOD’S work has been relegated to man. A clear desire of Eden’s original sin, in wanting to be like GOD [Genesis 3.4ff].
  5. One thing Satan does get right here, albeit not what he intended, the choice between Christ and Satan is very black and white. Not a speck, nor a drop of grey can be found betwixt these. The line is razor sharp because the Gospel divides [Matthew 12.30].
  6. Found on the clothing, the medicinal cross, once again mocking Christ [Galatians 6.7]. Also found marked on the clothing are black pentagrams, a symbol of satanism.
  7. Although this may be a stretch, given everything else, it’s hard to locate coincidence. Nununu, in numerology, is 21/14/21/14/21/14. 21-14=7 or 777. This is a number associated with GOD. Obviously 666 is the number of Satan. Again, he mocks the LORD.

This was brought to my attention by way of an article on the ChurchPop website, dated 11.24.18 [see article here https://churchpop.com/2018/11/24/this-is-satanic-exorcist-says-of-celine-dions-gender-neutral-clothing-line/?fbclid=IwAR0r_1T15zBKeM3KhsrxHpMOzFBXZ4cdGHcRa2H4koa2XlcLLcLPvvcJINo ]. This was taken from a larger, more in depth, article found on the National Catholic Register website, dated 11.21.18 [see article here http://m.ncregister.com/blog/armstrong/exorcist-warns-about-celine-diones-occult-childrens-clothing ] In this later article the author, Patti Armstrong, talks with Monsignor John Esseff, a priest of 65 years, and an exorcist in the Scranton, Pennsylvania diocese for 40 years. He sees the demonic in this.

Armstrong quotes the Monsignor in regard to this ad, “The devil is going after children by confusing gender,” he said. “When a child is born, what is the first things we say about that child? It’s a boy, or it’s a girl. That is the most natural thing in the world to say. But to say that there is no difference is satanic.”

In this clothing line [and ad] we find Satan at his most deceitful and it comes as the Christian world prepares for the Christ Child to be born in Bethlehem. He wants distraction from this Holy event. So he prowls about [1 Peter 5.8] looking for a way into the hearts of all people. More pointedly, he desires the hearts of Christians who will dismiss this and other such warnings as overreaction and reading too much into things. The scary thing? That's exactly what Satan wants us to do.

Kyrie Eleison!

Thursday, November 8, 2018

A November Afternoon Thought...

A Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness…
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ @Emmaus -
In 1989 the second [and not nearly as good] Ghostbusters movie came out. It had many of the same punchlines, gags and props. What was different was the enemy, the ghost to be busted. This time it was ‘pure and concentrated evil.’ This ‘evil’ preyed and grew on the hatefulness and generally bad attitude of New Yorkers [the location for the story].
It would seem that this evil had only increased in the past [gulp] 29 years! Drive to Buck’s, Adrian Orchard, Garfield Park, or Boyden’s and no doubt you’ve experienced the bad attitudes I am referencing. Whether it’s the 'me first' way of drivers [as if each driver was another Veruca Salt!], the bad mannered fellow shoppers in the grocery, the rude workers or [heaven forbid] a fellow parishioner on a Sunday - these stinky attitudes are EVERYWHERE!
Now, we could hope for such a simple solution that was proffered by the movie, and just join hands and arms, and SING our troubles away [the climax takes place on New Year’s Eve and the New Yorkers join in singing, ‘Auld Lang Syne’]. Fat chance that will happen!
So we must rely on our faith to see us through, and point us in the right direction. That direction is made clear to us by these words from St. Paul…
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5.1-2
In other words, be Christ to one another - loving GOD with all of your heart, soul and mind; and loving your neighbor as yourself - just like Jesus.
Martin Luther wrote in his book, ‘The Freedom of a Christian,’ [1520]...
“As our heavenly Father has in Christ freely come to our aid, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through our body and its works, and each one should become as it were a Christ to the other that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the same in all, that is, that we may be truly Christians…”
So, in this month of giving thanks, let us give thanks for the many opportunities we have to be Christ in another’s life, as we live out Christ-Centered Lives!
It is a privilege to be your pastor.
‘Living Out Christ-Centered Lives’ -
Pastor Ray
“Behold! The Lamb of GOD Who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1.29

Thursday, November 1, 2018

For the Love of GOD!

When it come to love and GOD we know a few things…

GOD is love. 1 John 4.8
GOD loves us and gives His Son for us. John 3.16
GOD wants all to be saved. 1 Timothy 2.4

There are many more.

We know GOD loves unconditionally.

You may say, "Wait, He requires faith in Him to receive His love."

Yes, He requires faith...but not to love you. He does that with or without your faith in Him. Jesus says, "For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5.45

No, He loves everyone, regardless of their faith in Him. Jesus' cross shows that in crystal-clear vision.

But faith IS necessary, just not how you think.

Faith is necessary -  for YOU to love HIM.

To GOD be the glory. Amen.