What kind of world do we live in today?

Where so many have lost their way

To idolize celebrities and denounce saints

For not being ‘on point’1 or ‘fleek’2

Surely, Mary Mother of God would be

At the top of everyone’s list, a role model for every

Generation – betrothed to Joseph, bore the world a King -conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit 3

How many Kardashians can say they have done the same? 4

Yet, in modern times, Mary is forgotten -discarded while others are revered

Still, she waits stoically -compassionately — to be once again embraced by

The lost flock of the world, who have been led astray by the distractions of man.

In a world of instant gratification -amidst times of uncertainty.

Where once archangels such as Gabriel sought her out

Now, there is but silence… a lack of faith… heathens abound

Has she not continued to “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death”?5

… and how is it that she has been honored recently? With loyalty?

Or have the masses simply turned a blind eye forgetting what Matthew 10:16 had taught.

Many may have forgotten the Holy Mother, but it is guaranteed that she has not forgotten any of you.

1 – “extremely good, attractive, or stylish.”

2 – also meaning “extremely good, attractive, or stylish.”

3 – Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-25

4 – https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/20/showbiz/music/kanye-west-god-complex- yeezus/index.HTML

5 – https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=217

I hope that everyone enjoyed this poem. I tired to mix traditional Catholicism with contemporary pop culture in order to for the work to relate with a younger crowd. I am not sure how well received it will be by those younger readers, but I am hopeful that they will understand where I am coming from. The older readers who happen across this poem will have a few footnotes that they can follow since there is some language that many readers may not be accustomed to. Also, I did my best to make sure that I put footnotes where they were warranted and there are also links to primary research material so that any interested parties who want to learn more about what I am writing about can simply follow those links. Have a great day everyone and happy writing!

This is the 20th Motörhead studio album in their 35th year of existence, and it came out just a few weeks before Lemmy Kilmister’s 65th birthday (born on December 24th 1945 in Stoke-on-Trent, England). The album is the essence of Lemmy and the essence of the band Motörhead.

“The Wörld Is Yours” is one of the best albums of the band and it’s one of the best rock albums this year, thanks to songs like “Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye”, “Get Back In Line”, “I know What You Need” and “I know how to die”.

The songs are full of Lemmy’s well known personal philosophy (“avoid idiots at all cost”, according to Lemmy that’s about 8-9 out of 10 people he meets, “rock and roll is my religion”, etc.) and he makes an effort to spread it with more melody than usual.

Just to make sure you know who he’s singing about, there are at least 10 “I’s” in each song. The lyrics and messages are kept simple (some stupid) but always honest and direct.

Lemmy sings a lot about death on this album, about facing death, and about living and dying without fear. In the song “Brotherhood of Men” the topic of death is put in political and social context, in “Outlaw” it’s about living your life the way you want and facing the inevitable (“… the one that kills you never hurts”).

The song “Rock N Roll Music” is his “Rockin’ All Over The World” (Status Quo). He is Rock ‘n’ Roll, he lives it, and it’s his lifestyle and religion.

Lemmy doesn’t know any better than to rock ‘n’ roll, but he is the best in what he does, the last living real rock ‘n’ roller and should get the acknowledgment for it during his lifetime.

Looking to attain ‘Nirvana’, ‘Moksha’ or salvation following Hindu strictures? Join in the spiritual paths of the Kumbh festivities being celebrated at Prayag or ancient Allahabad in North India. Prayag is the holy site that marks the confluence of the mystical river, Saraswati (not physically visible but believed to flow in the recesses of the earth or to exist on the spiritual plane) – joining the two most ancient and revered Indian rivers-the Ganges and the Yamuna.

This ‘Sangam’ or the confluence of the holy rivers is considered sacred. The Hindu belief is to scatter or immerse one’s cremated ashes at the ‘Sangam’ to attain ‘Moksha’ or salvation- a freedom from the infinite cycle of life and death. The Maha Kumbh Mela or the great festival of the ethereal urn symbolizes attainment of this state of ‘Nirvana’ or ‘Moksha’.

The Kumbh Mela, one of the most important of Hindu spiritual gatherings takes place every three years in rotation between the four major Hindu pilgrim centers-Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. Hindu believers in millions congregate at these locations to cleanse themselves, symbolizing the attainment of ‘Moksha’.

Haridwar is located in the state of Uttaranchal Pradesh where the holy Ganges flows in from the Himalayan plains and is believed to flow out some 15,500 miles towards the Bay of Bengal in the East coast of India. The ancient city of Ujjain is located on the banks of the Ksipra River in Madhya Pradesh and Nashik on the banks of the Godavari River flows past the West coast of Maharashtra.

The year 2007 cites important in the history of the Ardh Kumbh as celebrations gather momentum at Allahabad this year. Paush Purnima (3rd January) and Makar Sankranti (14th /15th January) solemnized “Gangasagar Snan” in multitudes.

More zest is expected in Allahabad on the 19th of January, the Mauni Amavasya or the “New Moon of the Saints” day. This day is the first and main bathing or cleansing day for holy folks where gilded and naked processions by mendicants mark spiritual passions. It is also a day when new members are initiated into the innumerable holy monastic orders or “Akharas” for the first time.

The 2007 “Mauni Amavasya” hopes to witness some 20 million pilgrims taking holy dips at the ‘Sangam’ in Allahabad or ancient “Prayag Raj”. Devout Hindus believe that on Mauni Amavasya, the sun, moon and the planets – Venus and Mercury are in the zodiac of Capricorn, a rare but perfect alignment of planets.

The day deems special because the above planetary position enables the sun’s rays, when they fall on the Ganges to turn the river water into nectar or ‘Amrit’, hence a dip in the holy river is akin to drinking nectar on this day. Although, all new moon nights or ‘amavasyas’ are auspicious for a holy dip, on this particular day, pilgrims do not utter a word or keep “maun”(silent) until they bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges.

The three auspicious Hindu dates -Basant Panchami (23rd January), Maaghi Purnima (2nd February) and Maha Shivratri (16th February) in 2007 is expected to add to the gusto amongst monastic orders and Hindu believers to uphold their ranks in the various spiritual folds.

The Kumbh festivities could be reckoned as a colorful pageant of diversities in the Hindu religion, exposing facets of the cult or occult nature of Hinduism as a diverse religious order. Hermits, sages, learned yogis and miracle men all rub shoulders and exhibit their spiritual prowess through their “chakraa” or meditative senses to commoners and missionaries alike.

The Kumbh Melas attract all sorts, from traditional to non-traditional followers of Hinduism from the Himalayas, Swamis and missionaries from South of India and also from shores abroad -Africa, Japan, Europe and also America.

The faces of ash-smeared mendicants, the “Digambers”, add to the mystic appeal of the Kumbh “snan”. The diversity of the learned men and their commoner devotees but speak volumes about the overwhelming mass appeal that India continues to wield over other countries spiritually—a trend which has intensified with tour operators cashing on this season and developing tour packages around the Kumbh Mela and its destination.

Though there is no air link to Allahabad, airports from metro cities could be accessed directly through airports in Varanasi and Lucknow about 147 kms and 210 kms respectively from Allahabad. There are rail links from Allahabad to cities like Calcutta Delhi, Patna, Guwhati, Chennai, Mumbai, Gwalior, Meerut, Lucknow Kanpur and Varanasi. Allahabad is on National Highways (NH) 2 and NH 27 and taxis, cycles and auto rickshaws are the common means of transport within the city. Most tours are locally centered on the Allahabad city, the Fort and the University.

2007 is also likely to unfold the twelfth “Dharma Sansad” or religious congregation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and arrangements are on for the third Vishwa Hindu Sammelan or World Hindu gathering to be held to be held on February 11, 2007 within the Ardh Kumbh premises. Such conferences depict the enormity of the Kumbh Mela as a breeding ground for religious discourse and discussions and challenge the devotees to learn and unlearn from these talks.

The origin of the Kumbh Mela dates back to the Hindu mythological tale of “Sagar Manthan” (the Great Churning of the Ocean) which resulted in the pitcher of nectar or the “Amrit Kumbh” to emerge from the ocean.ENDS

How do you measure success? It’s probably not exactly the same for any two people. While athletes measure success by wins or their personal best, a business owner may measure success by the amount of money their business nets every year.

Successful Christians do not measure success by the amount of wealth or physical possessions that they acquire but by the depth of their relationship with Christ and the understanding of God’s Wisdom, The Holy Bible.

Regardless of how you measure success, it all starts in your mind…your subconscious mind, to be exact. While most people are familiar with the concept of the subconscious mind, few truly understand how to use its power to create the success (and happiness) that they desire. Remember that we are told in Philippians 2:5 (NKJV), “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” and in Romans 8:6 (NKJV), “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” All of use function on a physical level and our conscious mind. We also have the advantage of the influences on a spiritual level in our subconscious minds. What some call the subconscious, a successful Christian knows to be a powerful functioning spiritual mind influenced by ‘the mind that was in Christ’ or the Holy Spirit of God who gives us the power to succeed and offers us eternal happiness.

To take advantage of this incredibly powerful presence, you must first ready your subconscious mind for the success you are seeking. Without a clear, consistent “picture” of the results you seek, your subconscious mind can actually sabotage even your best efforts. Where do we get this consistent “picture”. We are able to form that picture through constant and diligent study of the Wisdom of God, His Holy Written Word.

Any time there is confusion, your subconscious will strive to help you achieve your goals. That’s why the more concise your goal and your mental image of its results, the better the chances you’ll achieve it. By focusing on the diligent study of God’s Word and a concise concept of what you want to achieve, you’re helping your subconscious mind with the help of the Holy Spirit of God to manifest that result in your physical reality.

It’s very important to monitor what you tell your subconscious verbally and silently. Most people are surprised to find when they actually start to “listen” to the words they use on a daily basis that they are issuing counterproductive “requests” to their subconscious.

Make sure to use positive descriptions when speaking aloud or to yourself silently about your goals. Instead of saying “I won’t be tempted anymore”, phrase your request in a positive way: “I am strong through the strength that Christ gives me.” Our words hold the power of life or death.

Also, it’s important to use a present tense, not a future tense like “I will be strong” as your subconscious takes everything literally. If your request is in the future, you will subconsciously think that nothing needs to change now. You, physically and spiritually, live in the present. “I am strong because I have the strength that Christ gives me.”

Be careful not to use negative words accidentally: such as “I’m not going to be poor any more.” Your subconscious mind doesn’t understand words like “not”, “doesn’t” or “won’t”. It will automatically delete those words from your request which will almost always create the opposite meaning and results of your goal!

There are many techniques you can use to create clear pictures of your completed goal. Most find that imagining a movie in their mind of what it will be like when you achieve your goal to replay in your thoughts to be very effective. For example, if you’re trying to wipe out your credit card debt, imagine yourself receiving statements from your credit card companies with a $0 balance on the payment section.

Remember, what you focus on expands. You must focus on Christ. “Seek first the kingdom of Heaven and then everything else will be added to you.” If you constantly see yourself overweight, or in debt, that’s what your subconscious mind will continue to create for you in your reality. Study and concentrate on the promises that God has made to you. It’s very simple and takes very little time to mentally produce a “movie” that gives your subconscious a clear idea of what results you expect. With consistent attention and effort toward what you DO expect, you’ll be amazed at the results you can create with your mind!

Whenever we see a pirate ship on television, cinema or in comic books we also see an extremely ancient symbol – the skull and crossbones. This however, was not a symbol of death or indeed poison but instead it profoundly symbolized life in so many aspects.

It was in fact used by the infamous Templars.

But, I wondered, what explanation did the Knights Templar give for using the symbol? Where did they get it from? I found a strange tale that is told by most Templar researchers to link the symbol to them and this tale surprisingly involves the number 9, a mother earth image and a skull.

In The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, Baigent, et al tell the tale:

'A great lady of Maraclea was loved by a Templar, A Lord of Sidon; but she died in her youth, and on the night of her burial, this wicked lover crept to the grave, dug up her body and violated it. Then a voice from the void bade him return in nine months time for he would find a son. He obeyed the injunction and at the appointed time he opened the grave again and found a head on the leg bones of the skeleton (skull and crossbones). The same voice bade him 'guard it Well, for it would be the giver of all good things', and so he carried it away with him. It became his protecting genius, and he was able to defeat his enemies by merely showing them the magic head. In due course, it passed to the possession of the order. '

In another version this Lord of Sidon actually ritualistically marries the corpse.

Now such stories are naturally seen as macabre and the 'hidden message' therefore still evades us – which is the idea. But as I was to discover, what is really being conveyed in these stories, is the importance of the union or balance, which creates a state of enlightenment akin to that spoken of by the Gnosics, alchemists and mystics. [1]

I turned firstly to the main character in the tale, the infamous Lord of Sidon.

As a Titular metropolis of Pamphylia Prima, Sidon, dates as far back as Neolithic times. In the tenth century BC Sidon had its own coinage that bore the head of Athena (also Minerva a serpentine, feminine deity linked with healing.) I found that Athena was indeed the patroness of the city even though its people were sometimes termed 'a piratical horde 'and Constantine Porphyrogenitus called Sidon a' nest of pirates. ' However the place did go on to play host to one of Alexander the Great's garrisons for a while, which was used to subdue this piratical element for Alexander's own purposes. Under his successors Sidon became known as the 'holy city of Phenicia' and enjoyed relative freedom, with games and competitions attracting people from far and wide.

In 1111 AD the crusader Baldwin, who was later to become King Baldwin of Jerusalem, besieged the city and it was later to become one of the four baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

From early on, Sidon was a rendezvous for pirates, and even the slave trade continued after the fall of slavery elsewhere.

The fact that it was well known as a 'nest of pirates' was startling. I considered also the link of the skull and crossbones to piracy, especially as it was linked to the Templars, and the fact that the Lord from the skull and crossbones story was Lord of Sidon.

So was this Lord of Sidon mentioned in the Templar story really a pirate?

The links between Sidon are strong: Templars were highly commercial and indeed linked to slavery, so was Sidon. It collapsed in the 14th century, and so did the Templars. It had a huge fleet, and so did the Templars. In fact they were one and the same in many respects – both feeding from one another. The leaders of Sidon were linked with the Templars and would have seen the Templar's banking system as highly important.

As the Holy Land finally fell to the Muslims in 1291 I found mention of a Templar knight by the name of Tibald Gaudin who is thought to have carried off the famous Templar treasure. When Gaudin finally arrived at the Templar port of Sidon he was elected the next Grand Master – or Lord. It seems that there were ample financial reserves held at the Sidon Preceptory and so the treasure of the Templars cannot have been gold or otherwise it would not have been mentioned.

If Sidon had a hidden message in the text then it was simply that the Lord of Sidon was to get the Grail from the Lady of Maraclea – as intimated in the story quoted above – which reveals, and rather symbolically, the means through which he could claim it.

Having now established a link between Sidon and the Templars story I wanted to move on to the other name given that caught my eye – Maraclea.

This peculiar name I found was taken from a site that the Templars had previously held in the 13th century. I wondered whether the name had a symbolic meaning – a name with a hidden message in the language – why else would she be from Maraclea and not Antioch or Acre?

Initially I found the site was called Maraclea because it simply means 'Clear Waters' or 'Sea.' But I wanted to know why the Templars had used the term and began with the standard etymological practice of breaking the word up into two parts – Mara and Clea. I delved into the world of etymology once more and found some remarkable 'coincidences.'

Mara in Hebrew means, 'bitter' and was a common alternative for Mary – whether the Mother of Jesus or the Magdalene. In Latin it equates to mare, which is 'water,' 'lake,' 'sea' and indeed linked to 'horse' (female horse.) In Anglo Saxon I found that the term mara meant 'greater' or 'more.' In Buddhism Mara is 'death' or 'evil one.' Mara is said to tempt us like Eve and indeed it was Mara who tempted Buddha on the night before his enlightenment experience. I found this rather intriguing as in the Garden of Eden it was the serpent whom supplied the fruit of the tree of knowledge to Eve and therefore he was supplying enlightenment just like Buddha.

This Mara of the Buddhists I discovered was also closely related to Rama, where ma equates to black or dark, a term associated with beauty and a term also meaning 'Great Mother.'

I quickly moved on to the second part of the word – clea.

It was perfectly 'clear' what it meant. Clea means simply 'to clean,' 'to clear,' 'to be clear,' 'to be pure,' 'to be bright' or 'to shine!'

I ran through the variants that were now possible:

Mary Pure – well no, that didn't work.
Water Bright – this didn't really relate.

In fact there were numerous configurations that I could have made. In the end I landed on two that just seemed to make perfect sense and related etymologically in the Anglo Saxon for both words – without mixing up the languages. The result sent a shiver up my spine as I realized the two meanings of Maraclea. The first one was,
Black-Clear or Dark-Clear.

Well this was significant in the Gnostic sense, as the contradictory nature of the words revealed the duality spoken of by the Gnostics and Manicheans – light and dark, male and female.

The other meaning of the name Maraclea was equally astounding and related even more to the concept of illumination. It was 'Greater Shining'.

Here I have a Lord of Sidon, possibly a Templar knight, if indeed not a Grand Master, coming into union with the 'Greater Shining.' What could it possibly mean other than this Templar was a 'Shining One' and therefore experienced the Holy Grail of enlightenment for himself? The result of his union would be the head or skull 9 months later (although another version says 9 years,) and as I was to discover in my researches into the Temple of Jerusalem, the number 9 was of paramount importance to the Templars. The head was also definitely being used as a metaphor for this internal process, which actually involved the head or something within it.

I decided in this instance to just take a look at language rather than numbers and so consulted the Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson.

'Nine days' Wonder – Minor marvels, things that cause great sensations for a short time and then pass into limbo … Kittens, puppies, and other young animals have their eyes closed for a number of days [9] and then open them and see the light …. '

Amazingly this is mirrored in folktales, myth and legend and therefore in the significance of the number we have here a period of 9 months where the female is pregnant; 9 months or years for the Lord of Sidon to receive his prize; and 9 days before the new born animals see the light – it all made complete sense.

So, the skull and crossbones is linked to the number 9 and again, enlightenment and the Holy Grail – which are both seen as good, pure and holy. Indeed, was not the Holy Grail said to be the giver of all good things, just like the head in the Templar tale, 'guard it Well, for it would be the giver of all good things.'

'It became his protecting genius.' Others have found this part of the text very strange, however I understood what it meant immediately, and for confirmation I looked up the meaning in a standard dictionary and found perfect corresponding evidence for the Greater Shining.

Genius, inborn faculty. (L.) L. genius, the tutelary spirit of any one; also wit, lit. 'inborn nature.'

So, this 'Greater Shining,' this 'head,' became his inborn faculty or inborn nature. The two were the same.

The Lord of Sidon (a Templar) mates with the Lady of Maraclea (a Cathar) and we have an inborn nature called genius. Suddenly the Skull and Crossbones symbol, as explained in the Templar text is revealed before our eyes.

At this point it crossed my mind that I had only gone back to the Templars. I wondered just how far back in time I could possibly go with this skull and crossbones image?

The earliest reference to the actual skull and crossbones I could discover was the Templar reference. However, taking the image as symbolic, which is what it indeed was, then we are looking for the shape – a skull or head with a diagonal cross or saltaire below.

Amazingly, I found this in Ancient Egypt and on the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Carrying a staff or scepter was, in ancient Egypt, a symbol of universal power. The Flail was used to beat animals (or indeed people) into submission and shows authority like the scepter – hence their interchangeable nature. The crook was a shepherd's tool, used to pull stray animals by the neck without hurting them. Here we have an image of push and pull. This shepherd aspect of the king is as old as Mesopotamia and possibly beyond.

These two symbols reveal the two opposites of the duality spoken of by the Gnostics, the push (positive / male) and pull (negative / feminine). Anyone therefore that mastered these symbols had mastery over the self and the enlightened connection or 'shining'.

Tutankhamun was seen with these devices held upon the chest in the diagonal cross form, making a replica of the skull and crossbones in form, whereas many other Pharaohs held them outwardly away from each other.

When dead, the king becomes Osiris, and I find that this same image is seen upon Osiris and is therefore his symbol – a symbol of the ultimate universal power and borrowed by his earthly representative the Pharaoh.

Osiris is the archetypal resurrecting god – a symbol of regeneration, akin to the power of the Templar in the text. So the Templar is symbolically the same as Osiris on Earth. No wonder that Christ is called the 'good shepherd' – as was Osiris who was called the 'good god.'

I turned my gaze even more laterally and found another symbol related entirely to both the skull and crossbones and the Egyptian influence.

This separate and more obscure image also closely resembled the skull and crossbones and over it a 'holy war' has raged for decades.

The symbol is now commonly known as the Chi-Rho – so-called because it is composed of the Greek letters chi (X) and rho (P).

The war over these two letters is fought between Christians and historians; between fundamentalists on both sides and yet both sides are missing the point.

The Christians claim that the Chi-Rho form the first two letters of Christ (Cristos) and the historians claim that the symbol can be found hundreds if not thousands of years before Christianity and was therefore usurped by them. I needed to look into this to discover the origins, meaning and why it so resembled the style of the skull and crossbones.

An identical symbol to the Chi-Rho has been found inscribed on rocks dating from 2,500 BC Sumeria, and was interpreted as 'a combination of the two Sun-symbols' – symbols of the ancient shining ones. It was also used on the coins of Ptolemeus III from 247-222 BC, as well as being an emblem of the Chaldean sky / sun god and has the definition 'Everlasting Father Sun' (From An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols.)

According to Sir Flinders Petrie – the Egyptologist – the monogram Chi-Rho was the emblem of the Egyptian god, Horus, thousands of years before Christ and is therefore a link between Horus the savior, and Christ the savior. I had already noted on several occasions the links between these ancient characters and so this was highly believable and conclusive. [2]

To others it is in this second century BC where the secret of the monogram lies with the Greek Ptolemy's who are said to have 'borrowed' it from the Africans. In this scenario the Greeks called their version of Horus, Herecles or Hercules and applying the Greek Xpnc (Chres) to him. This suddenly gave the ancient Horus the title of Lord, Chrestos, and inevitably 'Christ.' This, if true, shows again the direct link between Horus, the Chi-Rho monogram and Christ.

Indeed many European scholars have actually identified Heracles or Hercules as none other than an emblem of Jesus Christ. I had to bear in mind that the name Heracles, is related to Hero and Hu, which means, 'shining,' but are also related etymologically to Christ, showing that these titles of the Messiah are directly derived from the word Heru which is of African origin and can be found the world over as a word for the sun.

But there were even more links, as I discovered. The Greek title Christ is, like Heru, also derived from an Egypto-African word Karast, and Kristos or Christos is the KRST (Karast). Karast is a person who is anointed (enlightened or shining) as a Heru (Hero) during his or her own lifetime. It is only when deceased that one receives the great term 'a KRST' or Ausur. This Ausur is none other than Osiris, the same Egyptian god I found with the skull and crossbones symbol with the flail and scepter.

The anointing, in the physical sense, (as the anointing also applies in the spiritual sense,) derived from the body or cadaver being anointed with spices, oils, and resins to preserve it. The body is then wrapped in bandages, placed in a coffer, which is then placed upright to symbolize resurrection. It was believed that in the plural, the Herus (Heroes) or Krst's (Christs) would rise again to save the world as fully divine beings and thus become the 'once and future king.' It seems then that this tradition came out of Africa, through Egypt and into Greek and Christian legend and brought with it the original symbols of Osiris.

So, I wondered, what do the Christians believe this Chi-Rho to derive from? Well, I found that it goes back to Constantine and was an amazing propaganda device to establish the new Roman, and therefore to become, Catholic Empire.

The story goes that Constantine had a vision before a great battle and was told that with the symbol of the Chi-Rho, which they called the Labarum, he would gain victory – 'By this sign, you will conquer.' Using the new Labarum as his battle standard, which would relate to everybody, Constantine took the field and the Empire was 'born again.' In fact, the Christians had been using this symbol secretly as a sign of their faith and Constantine (or somebody who advised him) simply picked up on the fact that this symbol and the whole savior process was as ancient and widespread as I am outlining here – and according to some – it was used to plunder the treasuries of the pagan temples. Amazingly, on the coinage during and after Constantine's death, we see the Laburnum or Chi-Rho, underlined with the serpent – a symbol used throughout time and especially by the Gnostics for wisdom and the enlightenment process.

Strangely, just as the biblical term, Elohim, is a plural word used for God, and in reality means the 'Shining Ones,' the X part of the monogram is also plural (X = 10) and is the number of Yahweh. Chi also has another meaning – 'Great Fire' or 'Light' or even 'Shining.' The P (Rho) part is more difficult but has been related to 'Pen' (pen means, 'head') in etymology thus implying that the loop on the top of the P is a head, in the very place that a skull would be on the skull and crossbones. [3]

I found that the symbol of the skull and crossbones then, stretches back over thousands of years and relates entirely to the ancient 'Shining Ones' – and directly to Osiris, the Egyptian version of the original 'Shining Father' incarnated on earth. Not only that, but geographically it goes right into the heart of original Shining territory.

I was tempted to look into the infamous Skull and Bones secret society of Yale University so famously joined by Bush Senior and Junior, as well as many other extremely powerful individuals, but decided I was straying too far into the world of conspiracy theories that had little or no substance and so I left well alone. However, as I was to discover with the Jesuits, who swear an oath upon the symbol of the skull and crossbones, I found that the Freemasons also have this symbol and utilize it without too much knowledge of its origin – or so we are led to believe.

However, what was intriguing was the 'degree' that utilized the symbol – the Knights Templar.

In the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Virginia, USA, there is an anteroom with a large portrait of the Colonial period Grand Master Lafayette wearing the Templar Apron bearing the 'skull and crossbones.' The same apron images have also been found elsewhere, such as Michigan, Detroit and Jackson and I am sure that these are not the only ones, as several members have also pointed out to me that they too have seen the aprons.

According to Masonic history the apron can only be dated back to the late 18th century and to the revisions carried out by Thomas Smith Webb where he pointed out that 'The flap black, and a skull and cross bones embroidered in silver thereon.'

On another apron is described by Cornelius Moore in 1859, 'An Apron of black velvet of a triangular form, trimmed in silver lace. On the top or flap is a triangle, with twelve holes perforated through it; in the center of the triangle is a cross and serpent; on the center of the apron is a scull and cross bones, and at equal distance from them, in a triangular form, a star with seven points; in the center of each star a red cross. ' (From The Craftsman and Freemasons Guide, 1859.)

The reasoning behind having this skull and crossbones on the Masonic apron, is revealed in a story with which I began – the story about a Lord of Sidon. . .

Notes
1 For more on this see Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed by Philip Gardiner, New Page Books, 2006 and the DVD from Reality Entertainment 2006

2 For more on this see Secrets of the Serpents: In Search of Our Sacred Past by Philip Gardiner, Reality Press, 2006 – a book and DVD.

3 One thing is sure, Rho stood for 'Pater' or 'Patah' (the Egyptian god Ptah), which is 'Father.' Together they therefore make 'Shining Father' (Dyaus Pitar) – which later became the Roman 'Jupiter' (Hu Ptah = father sun) – the Roman version of the Greek father-god Zeus.

Of all of those Big Questions central to philosophical concepts that surround life, the universe and everything, the realms of theology and religions and the nature of deities continue to fascinate. Opinions proliferate in books, articles, videos, conversations in bars and pubs, and in fact anywhere and everywhere two or more humans are in proximity. There’s the pro side; there’s the anti-side. There aren’t too many fence-sitters. I’m in the anti-camp as the following third installment of religious short pieces illustrate.

Contents:

Theological Dot Points

What Causes Religious Belief?

Do Science & Religion Conflict?

Arguments about God?

Fallacies in Arguing for God?

On The Concept of An All-Knowing God

Is There Life After Death?

Theological Dot Points

*Theology for the masses today becomes the entertainment for the masses tomorrow. Think of The Olympians way back when and Ancient Greek mythology today, as an example.

*Theology is both Earth-centered as well as human-centered. Yet in reality, Earth is about as minor a celestial object as you care to examine both in time and in space; humans are also quite the minor entity, especially in time vis-a-vis how long Earth has existed as well as how long the cosmos has existed. Therefore, theology, in cosmic (spatial and temporal) terms isn’t significant at all.

*Had you been born in a different time and/or place, you’d be singing the praises of Allah, Mohammed and the Koran or perhaps instead worshipping Isis, Horus and Osiris, maybe even The Aten. So, methinks your theological convictions are all a matter of the time and place, of the culture and the society you were born into. It has nothing to do with theologically coming closer to truth!

*Not all of the major religions can be true, but all can be false. As has been famously pointed out, nearly everyone today dismisses the concept of many deities (plural) or polytheism. I just go that one extra yard and dismiss the one deity that’s left over as not having any more credibility than the many deities that are now confined to the rubbish bin that once upon a time held sway over the religious faithful.

*But has it ever really occurred to you that your entire theological house-of-cards is just a product of the accidental and random timing and placement of your birth and associated upbringing. Had you been born and raised and indoctrinated say 1000 years ago in Japan, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, India or even what would become the USA, you’d be singing a vastly different theological tune with total conviction. You know that’s true. Further, that’s the most telling point of all.

What Causes Religious Belief?

Are we hard-wired for religion and belief in deities?

It would appear that humans alone of all the primates, far less all of the rest of the higher mammals, are hard-wired to, if not uncritically believe in a spirit or supernatural reality, at least have an intense and curiosity about the possibility of one. [Even the most rabid of atheists must have an interest in the possible existence of deities and the supernatural in order to bucket that existence.] The evidence for that is that nearly every culture from the Year Dot through to the present day holds such beliefs or interests. There’s no evidence that chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, and associated primates or other intelligent species like whales and dolphins and elephants, etc. have a similar belief or interest in anything theological. They don’t appear to have religious or spiritual experiences.

Why have humans and humans alone been singled out for this facet of ‘reality’? Further, there’s evidence that parts of the human brain can be stimulated to produce spiritual or religious feelings, for oneness with a personal God to a more nebulous oneness with the cosmos. Also, those with temporal lobe epilepsy can ‘suffer’ from hyper-religiosity.

Humans being singled out to have a spiritually inclined brain make little sense from a natural selection or biological evolutionary point of view. A religious frame of mind doesn’t help find food and shelter and a mate and avoid predators, etc. It all makes little sense unless this facet of our mental being was programmed in from the word go by either a really real supernatural deity or deities or else by my postulated Supreme Programmer who created our Simulated (Virtual Reality) Universe.

IMHO the Supreme Programmer has programmed into us an awareness that there is a Supreme Programmer – kind of like an artist signing their paintings!

Do Science & Religion Conflict?

Not all humans are of course moral, so that’s not a universal. Many other animal species are moral or have ethical qualities. In fact on average I’d suggest animals tend to be way more moral in their intra-species behavior than humans are. Regardless, that suggests that there has to be some evolutionary advantage in adopting a ‘golden rule’. When it comes down to survival, being moral and not pissing someone else off more likely as not will result in a benefit to you when the fertilizer hits the fan and you need an ally. Many an atheist is an upstanding citizen; many a religious believer can inflict the worst of cruelties on their fellows – do I really have to give you a history lesson to point that out? Just consider those ‘moral’ humans that are part and parcel of the so-called Islamic State. So, there could be a lot of dispute about our moral compass.

We only have one example of Planet Earth and one example of the human body, so suggesting that Earth or the human body has intricate complexity is arguing from a single data point. Complexity, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Some mathematics are highly complex to me; not complex at all to someone who has devoted years of work mastering the subject. Basic arithmetic is something incredibly complex to my cats. No doubt they must think arithmetic is a gift from the gods because only a god could invent something so complex.

The Earth and the human body are as complex as is needed to be in order to exist in the way that it does – no more and no less. It isn’t too difficult to imagine the Earth and the human body as being vastly more complex than they are. But anyone who has played around with computer programming generating ‘artificial life’ knows full well that from very simple starting parameters one can generate incredible complexity. No deity need apply for the job. From quarks and electrons you can naturally generate atoms of hydrogen and oxygen; from hydrogen and oxygen you can naturally generate water; from water you can naturally generate ice and vapor; oceans and icebergs and rain. There’s nothing supernatural required.

It is not a universal, therefore not a simple truth that we (as in 100% of us) yearn for all of the same things. If everyone yearned for the exact same things, however deep and important they may be, well that would be the state of our civilization. It would be pretty boring if all of us were monks of eastern religious faiths or philosophers or hippies and seekers of altered states of consciousness. Not all of us wish to know how many angels (not that there are angels of course IMHO) can dance on the head of a pin.

As for giving and getting, would you rather get a pay-check or give your money to the tax-man?

As a bit of a postscript, with respect to whatever degree of morality we humans have, it certainly didn’t derive from God. God’s own morality is non-existent if you believe the Old Testament. God is the greatest super-villain ever conceived of by humans, which is not at all unlikely given that God was created in the image of man. What’s a good camp-fire tall tale without a villain to make the narrative interesting? Fortunately, the Biblical Old Testament is just a camp-fire tall tale. It’s just myths and fairy-tales penned and told by grown-ups for grown-ups. There is no causality between the lack of morality in the fictional tales of God and the on-again, off-again morality of the human species.

Arguments about God?

1) When it comes down to providing arguments for the existence of God, I find totally incredible the statement by religious philosopher Alvin Plantinga that “Well, first of all I’d like to reiterate – I don’t think you need arguments. I think you can be perfectly sensible, rational, reasonable, justified, intellectually okay, meeting your responsibilities, etcetera, believing in God without believing on the basis of arguments even if you don’t think there are any good arguments. I think that’s how actually most people do believe in God and I think that’s a perfectly proper way.”

Excuse me, but if you propose the existence of something, anything, then the burden is on you to provide at the minimum some evidence even if you can’t provide proof. Evidence can be intellectual as in the form of arguments, but you’d better provide something to back up your belief. Plantinga does then provide arguments, but only after being prodded to do so. He’d rather just use his fallback position that you don’t need any arguments to believe in the existence of God. Of course I’ve come to except such nonsense from theologians or philosophers who dabble in religious philosophy. What a crock of bovine fertilizer it is to state that XYZ exists without the need to back up your claim. Obviously the Earth is flat and I don’t need any arguments to back that up!

2) The apparent fine-tuning of the laws, principles and relationships of physics that translates into a bio-friendly cosmos is indeed compelling evidence that there is an intelligence behind it all, even if most of the cosmos is bio-unfriendly. However, rather than postulate a supernatural intelligence, I suggest the odds favor a flesh-and-blood intelligence, in fact a computer programmer that has designed a Simulated (Virtual Reality) Universe, and we are part and parcel of that simulated landscape. That simulation would of course have to be fine-tuned to allow for a habitable albeit virtual landscape, in the exact same way as our video games are fine-tuned in order to make the game-playing logical in its depiction of ‘reality’. Fine-tuning might be an argument for intelligence, but it’s not of necessity an argument for God.

Fallacies in Arguing for God?

There are dozens and dozens of biographies and other historical accounts about famous individuals like Archimedes, Plato, Homer, Aristotle, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, Ramesses the Great, Tutankhamun, and so on down the line. Now you will note that these books never quote these individuals. They don’t say something like “Cleopatra said”, unless they actually wrote or carved some statement or inscription down. You can rattle off many “Jesus said” quotes; how many quotes do you know for any or all of the other above historical figures?

Now I’m not aware or I don’t recall Jesus having actually penned any document that has survived, not carved any inscriptions in stone – unlike Daddy, though for some strange reason those dual petroglyphs of His authorship don’t seem to be in the public arena anymore, or in a museum. So, when it comes to “God said” or “Jesus said”, something is clearly screwy somewhere.

I mean there are no qualifiers in the Bible about what God said or Jesus said. You don’t get words like “supposedly said” or “allegedly said” or “might of said” or “could have said based on… ” or “may have stated his view that” or “or words to that effect”. What God said or Jesus said is not in doubt which is more than just slightly anomalous.

Now here’s some pretty solid evidence the New Testament, just like the old, is a total fabrication – a work of fiction, or rather perhaps the world’s first anthology of fantasy stories. Now in the New Testament (Matthew 4: 1-11; Luke 4: 1-13) we find Jesus going walkabout in the wilderness for 40 days and nights. I might have been more impressed if it had been for 39 days and nights or 41 days and nights, but just another Biblical 40 is just so unoriginal, but that’s another topic. Anyway, Jesus didn’t totally lack for company, as he and the Devil had a bit of a chin-wag. Quotes are quoted regarding their conversation. Now, did the Devil act as a scribe for Jesus; did Jesus act as a scribe for the devil? Who was taking notes and recording this verbal interaction? The odds are there were no pens and pencils put to paper out there in the wilderness, so there can be no exact quotations of the Jesus-Devil exchange. That suggests that someone somewhere made it all up out of whole cloth, just as the characters in novels have conversations given in quotation marks.

On The Concept Of An All-Knowing God

Assuming there is such a being as an all-knowing (omniscient) Maximally Great Being (i.e. – God), this would suggest among other things that:

If you are all knowing then you know the past, the present, and the future as well since one can, being all-knowing, use the all omni-knowledge of the present to predict the future perfectly.

If God is all-knowing, God has to see what you see; taste what you taste; smell what you smell; hear what you hear; feel what you feel both physically and mentally. God may not think what you’re thinking, but He would have to know what you are thinking, what you have thought about, and what you will think about. You can’t even hide from God in your dreams. God would have to know everything that’s in your subconscious mind and know other things about you like how loudly you snore and know all about the intimate details of your various body odors. Multiply that database by every organism, not just human beings that has ever lived, lives now and will ever live.

God knows why I chose a blue tie over a red tie even though the rationale for that choice is buried in my subconscious and I have no actual conscious knowledge of why I made that choice.

Now apply that principle to each and every human who has ever lived, lives now and will ever live. This principle could also be extended further down into the animal kingdom.

God knows how many hairs are on my cat from day-to-day; moment-to-moment. That equally applies to every cat (past, present and future) and in fact all animals that have hair or fur.

God would have to know the state of health of each and every one of your body cells and by extension each and every cell of every multicellular creature that was, is, or ever will be. The same applies to all of those micro-organisms past, present and future. That’s trillions upon trillions of cells to note and log.

God knows which sperm cell(s) will score the touchdown(s) for each and every conception, human or otherwise, that ever was, is, or will be.

In seeming defiance of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, God knows the exact position and velocity of each and every fundamental particle in the entire cosmos from nanosecond to nanosecond and has instant recall of the state that existed for any particle at any time in the past and what will be in the future.

God knows every typo and misprint in every book, newspaper, magazine, letter, Internet blog, etc. in every written language that ever was, is or will be. Of course God has committed to memory every book, newspaper, magazine, letter, Internet blog, etc. in every language.

God could beat anyone, anywhere, at any trivia contest (past, present or future).

God could read and comprehend any medical doctor’s handwriting that’s been scribbled on their prescriptions.

Take this daily morning scenario:

– You wake up (God knows when) and you go to the bathroom to take a morning piss. God knows the volume you passed as well as the number of molecules of each chemical compound that was present as well as how long you took from start to finish and what it smelled like. God also knows if you then washed your hands! (God also knows those same details for my cats in their morning foray to their litter box apart from the hand-washing of course.)

– Then you take a morning shower. God knows the temperature of the water; how many drops of water came out of the shower head; what your bill for that water will be; how many bacteria got washed down the drain, the species of each and whether they survived. He also knows what brand of soap you used, how much you used, what it cost, and where you bought it from.

– When you get dressed He knows if you put on fresh underwear or not!

– Does God really need to know whether or not you had eggs or cereal for breakfast and if so how you had your eggs or what brand of cereal you dished out? God would also know the temperature of your morning coffee (or tea) at first sip and at final swallow.

By the way, you might have to add in all the nitty-gritty details of any and all possible extraterrestrial life forms into God’s databank as well.

Are you getting the impression that these are examples of Information Overload taken to extremes? Isn’t this scenario of an all-knowing Maximally Great Being not just getting a bit out of hand but getting pretty darned ridiculous to boot?

But the icing on the all-knowledge cake is that God could NOT forget anything, ever, or else He wouldn’t be all-knowing (omniscient) anymore. Isn’t that a curse rather than a blessing?

Is There Life After Death?

The philosophical logic of or behind Ockham’s Razor means that one shouldn’t pile on speculation after assumption after speculation after assumption in order to explain something. Stick with the facts and keep it simple, stupid!

Applying Ockham’s Razor to the Afterlife:

Fact: You have a body and no debate need be entered into regarding that observation.

Fact: You have an essence and no debate need be entered into regarding that observation.

Fact: You will die and no debate need be entered into regarding that future observation.

Fact: Your body will decay away and no debate need be entered into regarding that future observation.

Speculative Assumption: Your essence will leave your dead body at time of death and debate need be entered into regarding that future possibility.

Speculative Assumption: Your essence will unite with another living body (reincarnation) and debate need be entered into regarding that future possibility.

Speculative Assumption: Your essence goes directly to an afterlife location and debate need be entered into regarding that future possibility.

Speculative Assumption: Your essence will rejoin your original body when it is resurrected and go directly to an afterlife location and debate need be entered into regarding that future possibility.

So we see that if we want to minimize speculative assumptions and complications, then Ockham Razor is suggestive that we not proceed any farther than the fourth point. In other words, no afterlife is the default and simplest scenario when it comes to your demise.

Despite its morbidity, death is often seen as a sacred rite. Most religions outline specific preferences and prohibitions. The process of mourning and caring for the deceased is as varied as humans themselves. These three styles of death rituals have been observed throughout time, geographical location, class, culture, and religion.

Cremation

Cremation, or burning the body, is one of the oldest death rituals, dating back to the Stone Age. Archaeological records find this practice in at least 20,000 years of human history, tracing the oldest known example back to the "Mungo Lady" found in what is now Australia. Pagans saw this as a spiritual purification. Cremation urns, also called funerary, cinerary, or burial urns, span most ancient cultures, including Chinese, Greek, Anglo-Saxon, and Pre-Columbian. In Bavarian tradition, the hearts of kings were placed in cremation urns, a notable example being King Otto in 1916. Hindus believe in reincarnation and that the cycle of life and death reflected that of the universe. As an orthopraxic religion, Hinduism reveres rituals and correct conduct over metaphysical faith, and the death rite "Antyesti" literally means the "last sacrifice." The immortal soul, or "atman," is released in this process. The historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama was Hindu and cremated, thus setting the precedent for Buddhists. Ceremonies marking death are a reminder of the impermanence of life, which is a cornerstone of Buddhism. Jainism observes a simple ceremony called a "Mahotsav," or using a funeral pyre. Since they believe that reincarnation is immediate, prolonged mourning, wailing, or anniversary observances are not appropriate.

Burial

Inhumation, or burial in warm earth or a grave, began in several indigenous cultures and became the preferred method of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Caskets, as with cremation urns, range from cardboard boxes to ornate wooden works of art. Most Indigenous African tribes buried the dead as soon as possible to reunite them with their ancestors. As described in the Herodotus as early as 4,000 BCE, ancient Egyptians saw the afterlife as the common destination for all people. Bodies were mummified and placed in a sarcophagus to preserve the soul for the afterlife, which they believed mirrored life on Earth. Jewish burial is mandated, and cremation is forbidden. Funerals take place a day after death, followed by a week mourning period, or "shiva," and finally burial. Early Christians buried their dead in catacombs and cemeteries. Despite some Christians' concerns about resurrection after cremation, most modern theologians maintain the relative insignificance of the physical body after death. Islamic funerals, or "Janazah" in Arabic, begins with "ghusi" or bathing and shrouding the body, followed by "salah" or prayer, and finally burying the body. Islamic Sharia law calls for burial with the head facing toward Mecca, and forbids cremation.

Excarnation

Exposure of the corpse, or excarnation, is to leave the body to be scavenged by animals. The Herodotus describes exposure by Zoroastrians of mid-fifth century BCE, then notably with the Tower of Silence beginning in the 9th Century. Zoroastrians saw the deceased as unclean, and earth and fire as holy, so exposure prevented such contact. Some Buddhist cultures practice exposure, particularly the Tibetan Sky Burial. The body is wrapped in a ceremonial white shroud. Afterward, they collect relic bones to be cremated, buried, or placed in a "stupa." Survivors reflect in meditative circumambulation, or slowly circling the structure. Some Native American cultures practiced exposure, traveling with the wrapped body on the back of a horse to the destination, and the body continues the cycle of life.

Considering the last wishes of the deceased-such as scattering the ashes, burial in a family plot or mausoleum, or donation to science-is an important way to honor the individual, culture, and religion, as well as to create closure for their loved ones.

Kathi stayed late at a friend’s house and was compelled to drive home after dark, during a fierce thunderstorm. With little driving experience, Kathi trembled as she drove her Mom’s car. Her cell phone lay upon the passenger seat. Suddenly, the phone rang and Kathi looked over to see that her Mom was calling. Instantly, she heard the road noise change, and she looked back just in time to realize that she had driven straight on a hairpin curve! Off the road, down a steep bank and straight into a tree, she crashed the car. The air bag went off, and Kathi felt as though she had strayed into a dream. Pain in her face, chest, and back awakened her to what had happened. The lights were out in the car. Kathi smelled the sharp odor of gasoline. Her cell phone was nowhere to be found. In a rush of panic and fear, Kathi cried out a prayer, something she had never done before, “God, help me.”

Why does someone who does not know God pray to him in their hour of need? Kathi, a teenager of a well-regarded middle class family, was never taught to pray, had never been to a Christian Church, and only knew Christian teenagers in passing. Her parents were the source of her protection and love.

“There are no atheists in foxholes,” is a quote attributed to WWII correspondent Ernie Pyle (who was killed during combat in 1945). I like that quote, but I believe that there are atheists and idol worshipers all over the world, including in foxholes. Yet, God always has been there for all people, including the atheists. The Holy Spirit is the voice of God that speaks to everyone’s heart. Many people do not perceive the voice, or heed its guidance to their conscience, yet when tragedy comes to them a great number of people become aware of God and they have no doubt that he can help them. We have a glimpse of God from teachings in the Christian Bible, and if we are Christians who have a personal (direct) connection with God, through the Holy Spirit, our sense of peace, comfort, and well-being is high, no matter what tragedy befalls us.

Kathi might very well have begun her life anew by turning to God. God may have helped her and she might have become one of the most devoted Christians of her generation. Or, she might have found her cell phone and kicked God to the curb, so to speak. Any time is the right time for you to seek God, and it is common for tragedy to be the catalyst. But, you should ask yourself now if you intend to forever be a child who runs to God, like you might to your Mama, only when something is not right in your life. God should be understood by you, invited by you to be the guiding influence in your life, worshipped by you in prayer every day, maybe dozens of times each day.

As a Christian, you are supposed to connect with other Christians in a church, led by a pastor that God has genuinely called to teach you the behavior that pleases God. You, your family, and especially your children, should not discover God at the point of death, but at the beginning of life and God’s church should grow because you and generations of your family are that growth.

Today, people turn to the internet to search for answers, and they will get answers, like this article that I wrote. If you believe that messages can fly through cyberspace to help you in your earthly life, then you should be receptive to God communicating his love to your heart. Pray to Father God; ask him for his grace in your life.

Pain is no respecter of person, whether it is an ache, grief or nuisance, it is not pleasant to the soul and body. There are two ways out of it, to find a cure or for the affected to seek termination of his / her life. Likewise, a person passing through the valley of the shadow of death would sometimes prefer death in order to be relieved from the pain caused in that situation.

Grace and faith brings deliverance
Valley of the shadow of death may signify distress, pain, difficult or trembling situation, where hope of overcoming the unbearable is hopeless. It is only the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ can deliver such a person from such predicament.

The Bible says,

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence "(Ps 91: 1-3).
Living testimony

A woman of God came to our church to give a testimony on how God delivered her from the well of the shadow of death. This is a living testimony, true to life one. She accidentally fell into a 33feet well. She thought the iron sheet that covers it was loosely left on the ground, not knowing that an abandoned well was beneath.

Divine intervention

She was inside the well for two hours with broken legs of shattered bones before she could get assistance.
God spared her that she did not break her spinal cord or smash her head against the rocky bottom of the well. That is amazing grace.

While inside the well, she said there were reptiles and scorpion crawling over her, however, divine intervention would not allow them to sting or bite her. It reminds one about Daniel in the den of lion (Dan. 6). She was in agony of pain and faced with the possibility of even being suffocated.

God hears our prayers
While making effort to get her out of the well, she could no longer bear the pain, she then prayed for God to take her life if the pain would not subside. God answered her; she passed out between the time she was rescued from the well to the time she gained her consciousness in the hospital.

Enemies do not give up easily
Five different surgeries were performed on her in between the period of five months she spent in the hospital. Imagine the pain she passed through. To confirm that the whole occurrence was orchestrated by the enemy (devil), during one of the surgeries, a monitoring agent (an owl) was peeping through the window of the theater. Not until the owl was killed, the surgery was not successful.

The Bible says

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1Pet. 5: 8)

At the end of the fifth surgery, she recovered totally. What an amazing deliverance. Testimonies of other people reveal that this woman is prayerful, caring and hospitable; no wonder she receives grace.
Appearances of the shadow of death

Shadow of death refers to situations where people found themselves not of their own will, but by unforeseen powers eg Satan with his weapons. These weapons manifest in form of sicknesses, diseases, disasters, accident, hardship, losses, afflictions or attacks, not limited but inclusive of these.

Yet another shadow of death, which is more dangerous, looms on an apostate Christian. When a child of God plays with sin, he is walking in the valley of the shadow of death. A Christian who is deep into the sin of cultism, fornication, drunkenness, unforgiving, pride, greediness, sower of discord, wickedness, ungodliness and so forth; where would such a Christian end up? The answer is hell.

A Christian who finds himself in the valley of the shadow of death not of his own will is going through temporary trial; he would be delivered.

However, a Christian walking in the valley of sin is of his own will, he is not guaranteed of any deliverance. Those who know not Jesus, or those who refused to obey God's commandments, they are head captives by satan, bound in chain and locked up in prison for their next expectation, death. Learn a lesson from

Ps. 107. A genuine repentance today is a big step to earn you your own amazing deliverance.

During the forty days between the resurrection and the ascension, on various occasions, Jesus appeared and disappeared to his band of believers, until they were certain that he had survived death. They would be huddled together, talking about the meaning of all that had happened and suddenly he was in their midst. Just as suddenly he was gone.

Sunrise is dawning on the beach of Lake Galilee. Seven disciples are 100 yards from shore frustrated from a fruitless night of fishing. A stranger appears at the water's edge. His voice travels effortlessly over the surface: "Have you caught anything?" They confess: "Nothing." The stranger suggests that they take up the large net and spread it out, over the other side of the boat. Everybody knows that moving the net will only spook any fish in the area. But there is something vaguely familiar about that voice. So, contrary to their better judgment, they cast the net on the other side.

It seems that the movement of the net attracts every large fish in the lake and soon their net is bulging with 153 of them. John, with his characteristic spiritual perception is the first to recognize: "It's the Lord!" Peter with his characteristic impulsiveness hurls himself into the lake and begins to swim for shore while the other six, bending their backs, try to row that net full of flopping fish to the bank. What a scene for some gifted artist to immortalize on canvas.

As Peter pulls himself, dripping wet, from the water Jesus says, "Come and dine." What a welcome invitation to one who has spent a long night in futile fishing. Can't you just hear the fish sizzling and smell the bread warming on hot coals? A tummy tingling, tasty tidbit, to be sure.

The Gospel of John identifies this as the third resurrection appearance. The first two had occurred on successive Sundays in the holy city of Jerusalem, as the band of believers had gathered together in an 'upper room' for worship. This third manifestation occurred sometime during the week, in Galilee of the Gentiles, as the disciples engaged in their vocation of fishing. The Savior of the sacred is also Savior of the secular. We can find him not only in the church on Sunday; he is available all during the week as we labor in the work-a-day-world.

Our Galilee may be at a sink full of dirty dishes. It may be at the working end of a vacuum cleaner. It may be in an office behind a desk piled high with paper-work. It might be on the assembly line of a factory. Where ever it is, Jesus is available to those who turn to him for support.

Let's not draw such a hard-line between the sacred and the secular. Our wonderful Jesus has risen above death but not above the monotony of the mundane or the ritual of the routine. Even after Easter, the Risen One had time to prepare breakfast for seven hungry fishermen.