kamoteus2003's Blog

Matthew Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a swordwound.

Mark Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after beingdragged by horses through
the streets until he was dead.

Luke- was hanged in Greece as a result of histremendous preaching to
the lost.

John Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in hugebasin of boiling oil
during a wave of persecution in Rome . However, he wasmiraculously
delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on
theprison island of Patmos . He wrote his prophetic Book of
Revelation on Patmos .The apostle John was later freed and returned
to serve as Bishop of Edessa inmodern Turkey . He died as an old man,
the only apostle to die peacefully.

Peter was crucified upside down on anx-shaped cross. According to
church tradition it was because he told histormentors that he
felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

James, Just The leader of the church inJerusalem, was thrown over a
hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle ofthe Temple when he
refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discoveredthat he
survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a
fuller'sclub. * This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken
Jesus during theTemptation.

James the Great , son of Zebedee, was afisherman by trade when Jesus
called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strongleader
of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem . The Roman
officerwho guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith
at his trial. Later,the officer walked beside James to the place of
execution. Overcome byconviction, he declared his new faith to the
judge and knelt beside James toaccept beheading as a Christian.

Bartholomew also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia . He
witnessedfor our Lord in present day Turkey . Bartholomew was
martyred for his preachingin Armenia where he was flayed to death by
a whip.

Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross inPatras , Greece . After
being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied hisbody to the
cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported
that,when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these
words: "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross
hasbeen consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it." He
continued topreach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

Thomas Was stabbed with a spear in India duringone of his missionary
trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.

Jude, Was killed with arrows when he refused todeny his faith in
Christ..

Matthias The apostle chosen to replace thetraitor Judas Iscariot, was
stoned and then beheaded.

Barnabas One of the group of seventy disciples,wrote the Epistle of
Barnabas. He preached throughout Italy and Cyprus . Barnabaswas
stoned to death at Salonica.

Paul Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome
inA.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment which allowed him to
write hismany epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the
Roman Empire . Theseletters, which taught many of the foundational
doctrines of Christianity, forma large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferingshere are indeed
minor compared to the intense persecution and cold crueltyfaced by
the apostles disciples during their times for the sake of the
Faith.And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake

But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22

God Bless !!! Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land. This election is the scariest I remember in my lifetime.

2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America . The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever ! ! !

If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the up-coming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.

Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.

To God be the Glory!

Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9

Saint Augustine once said: "The faith of Christians is the resurrection of Christ. It is no great thing to believe that Jesus died; even the pagans believe this, everyone believes it. The truly great thing is to believe that he is risen".

Yet, the question often is asked: Can the resurrection of Christ from the dead be proven historically? Or, in common parlance, did it really happen?

Theologians would answer the question by appealing to two indisputable facts. First is the recorded tradition of those who had come to believe in it; and second is the sudden and unfathomable faith of the disciples, a faith so strong as to endure persecution and martyrdom.

Saint Paul is considered to have written the oldest testimony to the resurrection of Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians, written around A.D. 56 or 57, he says: "For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me" (15:3-8). Unmistakably, the heart of this text is the Easter Faith which Paul claims he received from others.

The gospel accounts of the Lord's resurrection were written some decades later and obviously manifest a development in the Church's reflection. And yet, the core of the testimony remains the same: The Lord is risen and was seen alive (Mt 28:1-8; Mk 16:1-14; Lk 24:1-40; Jn 20:1-9).

Nonetheless, what appears more compelling than the written tradition of the resurrection of Christ was the sudden change of the first followers' state of soul. The trial, persecution and death of Jesus brought excessive fear and confusion to the disciples. They fled and hid themselves from the Jews, without any thoughts concerning the resurrection. But something unexplainable did happen which brought a radical revolution in the hearts and minds of the disciples. All of sudden, the disciples started to come out and preach Jesus Christ boldly to the people. Theologians suggest that the stirring factor of their fearless proclamation of Jesus was the disciples' full conviction that Christ indeed rose from the dead.

For us who also received the Easter Faith, what does it mean to believe in the resurrection of Christ? First of all, the Lord's resurrection reminds us that evil will not triumph in the end. Love is more powerful than evil; it is stronger than hatred and sin. Christ faced all that evil can give and, by so doing, transformed sin to grace, hatred to forgiveness, and death to life. Hopefully, this thought will console those who are victims of injustice, jealousy, conspiracy, persecution and other forms of human cruelty. The challenge is to descend with courage into the world's darkness, trusting that in the end we will ascend victoriously with Christ.

Moreover, the resurrection of Christ inspires us to see death not as an end but as the beginning of an endless, happy life with God. Through faith and baptism, we become one with Christ. Like Paul, we can now say, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). Because of this, we learn to hang on to the words of Jesus in John's gospel: "I live and you will also live" (14:19). Thus, we believe in eternal life because we believe in our existential communion with Christ who is himself the source and the giver of life.

A priest was called to give the sacrament of holy anointing to a terminal cancer patient. After hearing her confessions and after anointing her with holy oil, the woman said to the priest, "Father, for the first time in my life I feel God's loving embrace."

http://abetuy.blogspot.com/
REV. FR. ALBERTO S. UY
Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary
Camaman-an, Cagayan de Oro City
9000 Philippines
Mobile Phone: +63-918-912-8915

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

Concentrate on this sentence...
'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

I encourage you all, my brothers and sisters, to do some reflections -think about Jesus' Passion, seeing his love expressed. Ask yourself, "What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What will I do for Christ?"

When Peter realized his sin, he went to God, wept over his sin and said he was sorryâ¦confessed "I am weak, but God always loves me". We too, are weak, but regardless- God loves us!

One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington, D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument. With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this amazing historical information.

On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words: Laus Deo.
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn't care less.

Once you know Laus Deo's history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.

Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.

So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say "Praise be to God!"

Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo. "Praise be to God!"

From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant .. a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.

A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, and is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.

Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message.

On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore;
On the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians;
On the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy "One Nation, Under God."

I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!

"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Laus Deo!

When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of "Laus Deo ", its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: "Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127: 1)

It is hoped you will send this to every child you know; to every sister, brother, father, mother or friend. They will not find offense, because you have given them a lesson in history that they probably never learned in school. With that, be not ashamed, or afraid, but have pity on those who will never see it his because someone failed to send it on.