Religion And Philosophy

By Roberto Garabell

 Who is Jesus? Many in the bible wondered the same thing, because he came and stood against the Jewish tradition that had woven itself into the worship of God. The flesh is satisfied with the works of the flesh and Jesus destroyed that. The same issues and spirits that caused problems in that day still move in the church today. Jesus the Christ was against the traditions of man and yet the church today still embraces the traditions of man. Its amazing that even though so many say that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, they justify themselves by church attendance. Jesus was sickened by the false and vain worship of that time.

Who is Jesus? He was born to a virgin. He was born in a manger. He was a carpenter. He was not in a lineage of Levite priests. He was not the son a preacher. He died on a cross in shame.

Who is Jesus? He is the lamb that was slain since the beginning of time. He came so that we might have an abundant spiritual life through his death and resurrection. He healed and set the oppressed free. The deliverer.

Who is Jesus? Our eternal high priest on the right hand of God. The lamb that covers our sins so they can be seen by God no more. Our only access to the father. The Door.

To many these revelations of Jesus have only surface value. Most don’t understand that Jesus didn’t come for peace but with a sword (Matt 10:34).

JESUS DID NOT COME SO THAT YOU MAY BE A MILLIONAIRE!

Not knowing who Jesus was opens the door for a false messiah or false Jesus. Evil spirits play the minds of the spiritually weak and spiritually arrogant leading to a false realization of Jesus. Those who are children in Christ are easily deceived because they are not grounded in what they believe and let emotion and pressure take them down a spiraling path that leads anywhere but to Jesus Christ. Those who are arrogant in their walk with God believe their revelations that contradict bible teachings, are a revelation to what God is doing now and who Jesus is. They will mix and match catchy ideals and entertaining sermons to fake an anointing from the Holy Spirit thinking all along they are walking with Jesus (Rom. 16:18). They will call on the name of Jesus, not knowing that the Jesus they call on is not the real Jesus the Christ. They will be surprised on the day when Jesus tells them he never knew them. (Matt. 7:22-23). If they were doing great works in the name of Jesus and yet Jesus says he never knew them…….What Jesus were they using? An Imposter? So many powerful works yet without the power of the real Jesus Christ?. I think that this scripture sums is up, (2 Cor. 11:14), “and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light”. Many “Christians” follow Satan without even realizing it. They are a child of disobedience (Satan), by the works of their flesh.

In a lot of Christian churches, Satan has diluted who Jesus Christ really is. Satan replaces faith, spirit, and truth with tradition and works of the flesh. Justifying those worshippers in vain with what they see and feel, yet never coming to a knowledge of truth.

(2 Tim 3:7)

The true Jesus Christ has such a great pull on people that many religions appear to embrace him, yet they are really using him as a token to pull your belief system away from the true Jesus Christ. Muslims embrace Jesus the prophet, Hindus embrace Jesus the enlightened, Wiccans embrace Jesus as part of the “mother earth”. Catholics pair him as a baby next to the great Mother Mary. Mormons put him on a spaceship. These path ways include Jesus Christ but divert you from his true purpose….Salvation of his people. Why do these religions embrace Jesus Christ when he didn’t embrace them? They are embracing an imposter. These doctrines are designed by devils to dilute and destroy a knowledge of the true and living Jesus Christ.

I have been called to preach the word of God since I was a yound child. No matter how many roads I tried in life they all eventually led back to Christ. My ministry is dedicated to teaching a pure word of God and untangling the oppressed from the clutches of the devil. For more information please visit my website. www.singleseed.com. Visit Do You Really Know Jesus?.

Religion

religions

By Michele De Capitani

 Celebrations have taken place for centuries and are meant to remind people of St. Agathas martyrdom. The saint was born in Catania in 235 A.D., in the period of the persecutions of Christians, and it is because of her Christian faith that Agatha was arrested, tortured and laid on burning embers. Agatha died praying in 251 A.D. The following year an eruption of the volcano Etna threatened the city, and people, trying to stop the lava flow, placed the Saints veil in front of the flow, which stopped immediately. For this reason Agatha was canonized and proclaimed patron Saint of Catania.

Immediately Saint Agatha became an object of worship, but the great celebrations that take place nowadays are supposed to have begun only in the 14th century. These celebrations, with the passing of time, have become an important religious and folkloristic event, which includes solemn ceremonies, historical parades, pyrotechnical shows and a fair, and they follow every year precise rituals. Celebration begins at the end of January, but it is in February, in particular between the 3rd and the 5th (the day when the Saint died), that the climactic events take place. On the 3rd February visitors can watch the procession for the offering of candles: people wearing historical costumes and two 18th centurys carriages go by through the streets. In the procession 11 candelore, cannot miss.

Candelore are wooden, richly decorated constructions containing large candles, and they represent the citys ancient guilds of craftsmen. At the end of the day, a pyrotechnical show (which is particularly meaningful, being Saint Agatha the fire patron) takes place. On the 4th February people meet the Saint for the first time: her relics (preserved in a casket and in a silver trunk containing her skull and thoracic cage), indeed, are taken from the Cathedral, loaded on a fercolo and carried in procession through the places that remind us of the martyrdom. The whole construction, including the reliquary, might weigh up to 30 quintals, and 4000 or 5000 people wearing a typical costume (a white robe with a belt on the hips, a black velvet cap and white gloves) carry it: the procession is certainly a unique show. The fercolo is brought back to the cathedral, where, the following day, a pontifical high Mass is celebrated. In the afternoon there is a new procession through other areas of the city. A particularly important moment is the passage of the fercolo through San Giuliano street, which is characterised by a dangerous inclination: carrying the heavy structure on this street, people give evidence of their courage. Another pyrotechnical show, at night, closes the celebrations.

Tourists going to Catania to watch this peculiar procession will also be given the possibility to taste some typical sweets, which take inspiration from some moments of the Saints martyrdom, such as St. Agathas breast (little cassatas, i.e. ricotta and candied fruit cakes, decorated with a candied cherry, which reminds us of the moment when her breast was torn away), and St. Agathas olives, green, almond, covered with sugar cakes (according to the tradition, while she was escaping from the roman soldiers, St. Agatha bent down and saw an olive tree arising, which hid her and satisfied her hunger).

Discover this typical religious and folkloristic feast. Hundreds of thousands of people go to Catania to take part in St. Agathas celebrations, thus we suggest that you book a cheap hotel in Catania as soon as possible.

Tickets: free event

Date: 4th January 12th February 2009

Location: Catania, Palermo

This article was written by Michele De Capitani with support from accommodation in Catania for any information, please visit hostels in Calabria or for travel insurance visit bed and breakfast in Catania.

Religion

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