Christian Art | King James Audio Bible KJV | Parables Of Jesus | Advent
Matthew 18: 12-14 | King James Audio Bible | KJV | Daily Bible Verses Advent
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
In these verses of the Bible, Christ expresses the love of God for all people. Christ’s is not an exclusive calling, nor especially a calling to those who most clearly, visibly, seem to adhere to the requirements of the Old Law; he has come to bring home to God those who have wandered, sinners who have fallen far from the Law. When a sinner comes home to God, there is incredible rejoicing in heaven. So we, though we may sin, should never be afraid to return to the Church, to say sorry, confess our sins, and find forgiveness.
The little ones in these verses are children. Asked who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Christ has called a child to come to him, so that he may the more forcibly tell us that we must become like children to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity and tenderness of our Lord, and these are virtues we are called to imitate.
Furthermore, we are asked to pay special attention to protecting the children, the little ones, and those most vulnerable in our society. None must be allowed to perish through the moral corruption present in our society. Each is precious.
‘Unfortunately we witness the moral pollution which is devastating humanity, disregarding especially those very little ones about whom Jesus speaks. What must we do? We must imitate the Good Shepherd and give ourselves without rest for the salvation of souls. Without forgetting material charity and social justice, we must be convinced that the most sublime charity is spiritual charity, that is, the commitment for the salvation of souls. All souls are saved with prayer and sacrifice. This is the mission of the Church.’ Pope John Paul II
Concluding Prayer | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Lord God,
all the ends of the earth have seen your salvation.
Give us the grace to await with joy
the glorious day of our Saviour’s birth.
We make our prayer through our Lord
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
Children In Christian Faith And Jesus Of Nazareth | Pope Francis
Children face challenges that have a lasting impact on their lives. Challenges include moral decay, loss of family values, and increasing violence and insecurity.
The Bible speaks directly, reminding us that ‘sin is a reproach to any people’ (Proverbs 14:34) and that ‘people will seek teachers who will feed their own desires instead of enduring sound doctrine’ (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Pope Francis has addressed this challenge, noting that ‘we are living in a culture of relativism that denies absolute truth’ and that this culture ‘errs in teaching that each person has his or her own truth’.
A challenge facing children is loss of family values – therefore breakdown in social fabric of communities. The Bible instructs us to ‘honor one’s parents’ (Exodus 20:12) and to ‘raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4).
Pope Francis has emphasized importance of family values, stating that ‘the family is the foundation of coexistence and a remedy against social fragmentation’. Pope Francis adds that ‘children have the right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother who can create a suitable environment for their development and emotional maturity’.
Children face violence and insecurity. The Bible teaches us to be ‘peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9) and to ‘live peaceably with all people as far as possible’ (Romans 12:18). Pope Francis has spoken out against violence and insecurity, reminding us that ‘we are called to promote peace and to reject a mentality of hostility, hate, and enmity’.
Psalm 83 rises from depths of adversity. The psalmist confronts a brewing storm of hostility, a plot devised by various nations against the people of God. This psalm expresses need for divine intervention; a call for deliverance when the very identity of Israel faces threat of annihilation [ … ]
Christian Art | Parousia | Second Coming | Lamb Of God, You Take Away The Sins Of The World Luke 17: 26-37 (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word) Early Christian thought about the Parousia – the second coming – was largely influenced by the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. In the early Christian community, expectation of Christ’s return was strong, and many Christians believed that it would happen in their lifetime. This belief is evident in the New Testament, where the authors express a sense of urgency in their writings and encourage their readers to be prepared for Christ’s imminent return. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the idea of the Parousia became more complex and nuanced. Theological debates arose around the nature of Christ’s return and the events that would precede it. Some theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, saw the Parousia as a spiritual event that was already happening in the Church. Others, such as the Montanists and the millenarians, believed in a literal, physical return of Christ and the establishment of a new, earthly Kingdom. In the Middle Ages, the Parousia was often associated with apocalypticism and the idea of a final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil – the last battle. The idea of the Antichrist, who would precede Christ’s return, became a popular theme in Christian literature, and the book of Revelation (Apocalypse – meaning to reveal, to uncover) was interpreted as a prophetic guide to the end of the world. Biblical Basis For The Parousia | The Second Coming The concept of the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is central to Christian eschatology and is supported by numerous biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there are numerous passages that refer to the coming of a Messiah who will restore Israel and bring about the final judgment. For example, in Daniel 7:13-14, it is written: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ This passage describes a divine figure who comes in the clouds and is given dominion over all nations. In the New Testament, the Parousia is described in greater detail, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. Jesus speaks of his return in many passages, including Matthew 24:30-31, where Jesus says: ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Here, Jesus describes his return in power and glory, accompanied by angels who gather Jesus’ elect from all over the world. In Saint Paul’s letters, the Parousia is also described in detail. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Saint Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This passage describes a resurrection of the dead and the gathering of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. The language and imagery used to describe the Parousia are often dramatic and apocalyptic in nature. The Parousia is often described as a time of judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked, and God’s justice will be fully revealed. The imagery of clouds, trumpets, and angels is used to depict the power and glory of Christ’s return. Theological Interpretations Of The Parousia | Jesus’ Second Coming The concept of the Parousia has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout Christian history. Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological framework that emerged in the 19th Century and has since become popular among some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalists believe that history is divided into distinct periods or ‘dispensations’, each of which is marked by a particular mode of divine revelation and a specific plan of salvation. According to dispensationalist theology, the Parousia will be preceded by a period of tribulation, during which the Antichrist will establish a one-world government and the Jews will be restored to their homeland. The Parousia itself will involve a physical, visible return of Christ, who will establish a thousand-year reign on earth before the final judgment. Preterism Preterism is a theological interpretation of the Parousia that holds that many of the prophecies in the New Testament, particularly those in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the first century AD. According to this view, the Parousia occurred in a spiritual sense when Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church. Preterists argue that the tribulation and other end-time events predicted in the New Testament were fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Postmillennialism Postmillennialism is a theological view that holds that the Parousia will occur after a period of history in which the Church will gradually bring about the kingdom of God on earth. According to this view, the Church will spread the gospel throughout the world, and social, political, and economic conditions will gradually improve. Eventually, Christ will return to a world that has been largely transformed by the Gospel. Amillennialism […]
Psalm 23 is often referred to as the ‘Shepherd’s Psalm’ and is cherished for its profound comfort and reassurance in times of uncertainty and distress [ … ]
