I know one trap that all people who decide to change themselves fall into. It lies on the surface, but it is so cunningly arranged that none of us will pass by it - we will definitely step on and get confused.
The very idea of \u200b\u200b“changing yourself” or “changing your life” leads us straight to this trap. The most important link is overlooked, without which all efforts will go to dust and we may end up in an even worse situation than we were.
We've been taught to break ourselves
Wanting to change ourselves or our lives, we forget to think about how we interact with ourselves or with the world. And what will happen depends on how we do it.For many of us, the main way we interact with ourselves is violence. From childhood, we were taught that we need to break ourselves in order to get the desired result. Will, self-discipline, no indulgence. And whatever we offer such a person for development, he will use violence.
Need to set goals and achieve them? I will drive myself into illness, fighting to achieve five goals at once.
Children need to be raised by affection? We will caress children to hysterics and at the same time we will put pressure on our own needs and irritation on children - there is no place for him in a brave new world!
We become like a person who masters different tools, knowing only one thing: to hammer in nails. He will use a hammer, a microscope, a book, and a saucepan. Because he knows nothing but hammering in nails. If something does not work out, he will start hammering "nails" into himself ...
And then there is obedience - one of the forms of violence against oneself. It lies in the fact that the main thing in life is the conscientious observance of instructions. Inherited childish obedience, but now instead of parents - business gurus, psychologists, politicians, journalists ...
The psychologist's words about how important it is to clarify your feelings in communication will be perceived as an order with this method of interaction.
Not "important to clarify", but "always clarify." And, sweating, ignoring our own horror, we will go to explain to everyone with whom we were previously afraid.
Having not yet found any support, no support in oneself, only on the energy of obedience - and as a result, falling into depression, destroying both myself and the relationship.
And punishing oneself for failures: "They told me how right - but I couldn't!"
Infantile? Yes. And ruthlessly to himself.
Very rarely does another way of dealing with ourselves appear in us - caring. When you study yourself carefully, discover strengths and weaknesses, learn to deal with them. You learn to be self-supporting, not self-adjusting. Gently, not in a hurry - and catching yourself by the hand when the habitual violence against oneself rushes forward. Otherwise, you can start taking care of yourself with such a frenzy that no one will be happy.
And by the way: with the appearance of care, the desire to change oneself often disappears.
Dmitry Adonyev, Assistant to the Dean of the Dobrin Central Organ for Missionary Service.
Why can the right people go to hell? Or why faith in the soul cannot save a person!
The church is a ship of salvation in the sea of \u200b\u200blife.
It turns out that doing good deeds and not sinning is only part of the plan to save the soul from hell.
The Old Testament is a teacher to Christ. The whole history of the righteous, the prophets is reduced to educating the people to accept the Messiah the Savior. Before the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all the righteous went to hell (sheol). The souls of the righteous lived, but the life that was in Sheol is comparable to death.
The prophet psalmist David in 21 psalm verse 7 says: " I am a worm and not a man. Vile people and humiliation of people."
Christ is called a worm because he carried the flesh as bait for Satan, under which the rod of the Godhead was hidden. As for the fish the bait is the worm, so Christ's humanity was the bait for catching the great and mental whale - the devil, swimming in the sea of \u200b\u200breal life. For, having swallowed the bait, otherwise having killed and devoured Christ's humanity, he is caught with the hook of the fishing rod of His Divinity, hiding under humanity; and thus the all-devouring one is torn to pieces and put to death.
God comes to earth to destroy Satan's kingdom. What is the kingdom of death? Death is emptiness, nothingness. Therefore, death cannot be simply chased away. Death can only be filled from within. The destruction of life cannot be overcome by anything other than creation. In order to enter this void and fill it from within, God takes on a human form.
God becomes a Man, clothed in flesh and unites with a rational soul in order to sanctify our souls with His Soul and to heal our fallen and defiled flesh with His pure Flesh. He became completely human, but without sin, was born without seed from the Pure Virgin and from the Holy Spirit, having first purified the soul and flesh of the Virgin with the Holy Spirit in the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel about the Nativity of the Lord.
Another image likens Christ to a doctor. God, before sending His Son to earth, forgave sins to all of us. Christ comes in order, like an experienced doctor, to bind together the disintegrated human nature. Man must himself, from within his own nature, remove all the barriers that separate him from God. That is, a person must learn to love, and love is a very dangerous feat. In love, a person loses himself. In a sense, any serious love is close to suicide. A person stops living for himself, he begins to live for the person he loves, otherwise it is not love. He transcends his own limits.
With our wounds, we are healed. What is not perceived cannot be healed! Jesus Christ took our flesh in order to heal it from sin, since he himself had no sin.
And the third image is the redemptive feat of the Son of God. He suffered for us and our salvation from sin, curse and death. He shed his blood by sacrificing himself. The Old Testament Passover in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt coincides with the New Testament Passover of the deliverance of the souls of the righteous from hell. And both events are similar in meaning to each other and, as it were, even complement each other. After all, the people of Israel were prepared every year by sacrificing a one-year-old lamb without blemish. The God-man appeared as the New Testament lamb!
Now let’s be clear that every word of God is “unchanging” (Titus 1: 2).
In a conversation with the secret disciple Nicodemus, Jesus Christ tells him: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." (John 3: 5).
And then Jesus Christ says: "The Father loves the Son and gave everything into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3: 35,36).
If I were the holy Apostle John the Theologian, I would have changed the places of these lines for missionary purposes! From these 2 sentences it follows that even if a person believes in God, but does not get baptized in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, he will not enter Paradise!
You say: "But what about those who have never heard of God then?" Those people who have not heard about Jesus Christ will be judged by the law of conscience!
And you, my dear reader, are now aware of the full responsibility!
Listen to how Christ himself explains this, saying: "Not everyone who says to Me:" Lord! Lord! "Will enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 7:21). And one blasphemy against the Spirit is enough to be cast into Gehenna.
The Savior, through death on the cross, destroyed death, and took away sin, and destroyed the oath, and gave us countless benefits in life. That is why Christ wanted so much that they believed in His incarnation - this root and source of countless benefits for us. At the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, Jesus Christ broke bread and said that it was his body and gave everyone a cup of wine to drink, indicating that it was his blood. These were terrible words for the disciples of the Savior! Indeed, some time ago He called himself the king of the Jews and on Palm Sunday entered Jerusalem on a donkey like a king. And now he has established a New Testament and new rules. The God-man established a bloodless sacrifice, because he sacrificed himself for all people. And only through the Sacrament of the Communion of the holy mysteries can one unite with God!
Many people can say that they believe in God at heart! In their souls, the Old Testament righteous also believed in God, and lived according to the commandments of God, and the precepts, and laws. But then death was not defeated and the gates of hell were closed and no one extended a hand to them to pull them out of hell.
Jesus Christ extends his hand to everyone. He created the Church and established the sacraments, so that people through them, as with the help of tools, could be saved from sin more easily and become closer to God. What is easier to walk a thousand kilometers in boots or fly by plane?
The church is a ship of salvation across the sea of \u200b\u200blife.
And no matter how a person believes in God in his soul, faith without works is dead, according to the apostle James. And the Holy Spirit doesn't live in a rotten barn. The soul can be cleansed only through the confession of one's sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Repentance.
As you can see, you will have to live the life of the Church and it will not work out otherwise!
Otherwise, God could simply tell the devil that Jesus Christ has power over hell. But God sent His only Son to overcome death, the devil and hell itself. All words and all actions of the Savior are valid and necessary for our salvation.
A person, believing in God in his soul, cannot say at the Last Judgment that he is ready to be with God in Paradise if he did not strive to be a partaker of Paradise through the Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ!
Therefore, Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is celebrated in churches during the Divine Liturgy, when, under the guise of wine and bread, a person receives the body and blood of God and unites with the Most High! Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of Love!
The Apostle Paul says that a person who does not have love does not represent anything of himself and his words are emptiness, like the wind! Love is a sacrifice! God showed his true love for people by giving his only Son as a sacrifice for our sins! Love for God is expressed in attention and sacrifice of time to the Church! Stand at the service for several hours. Endure pain in your legs! Christianity is breaking oneself. You cannot be overlaid with attributes (icons) and believe in God in your soul. Recognition of the Catholic Apostolic Church is required must be in practice! Observance of fasts, reading prayers, participation in divine services and the Sacraments. The Church is a society of believers united by rituals, sacraments and the hierarchy. And when all believers partake of the Holy Mysteries, then in the aggregate a living perfect organism is formed, about which Jesus Christ spoke, that he is a vine, and the rest are His bunch.
Many people, out of laziness or other reasons, find an excuse for themselves not to go to the temple. Therefore, they believe in God in their souls. Some invent bad priests, while others prices for services. Still others lie that they go to the temple, which in fact they do not go to. Don't make excuses for yourself! Do not consider yourself a saint, but in churches all are bad people! We must remember about love for the priest and the Church, and thus love for God! It takes the experience of the church to grasp the hand of Christ. It's like pulling up on a horizontal bar. You may not be able to jump and grab right away, let alone pull yourself up to the bar. Likewise, in the matter of saving the soul, one may simply not be able to grasp the hand of Christ while being saved from hell!
The whole life of a Christian is reduced to the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. The grace of God is given through the Sacraments of the Church. This power strengthens a person physically and spiritually. And in order to fight the devil, you need a lot of spiritual strength.
Train to love Jesus Christ through his bride, the Church. Participate in the services and ordinances established in the Church!
Learn to love all people, including priests!
Visit the house of God more often. Fulfill the 4th commandment of God about attending the temple on Sunday: "Remember the Sabbath day so that you can keep it holy. Work six days and do all your deeds in them, and the seventh day (rest day) is Saturday (dedicated) to the Lord your God. . "
And remember!
To whom much is given, much will be demanded from that!
God is betrayed by silence!
And woe to him who does not speak about God!
St. John Chrysostom: “The difference between the two Testaments in the names shows the affinity of the one and the other Testament, and this very difference consists not in the difference in their essence, but in the difference in time. This is the only reason why the New is different from the Old, and the difference in time does not mean either a difference in belonging to someone, or a minority of one over another. The New and Old Testaments are not opposite, only different. The new Law is a strengthening of the first, and not a contradiction to it.
So, let's talk with Christ. He is still standing among us and speaks to us through the prophets and through His disciples. Let us listen and obey. How long will we live in vain, without benefit? Not doing what is pleasing to God really means living in vain, or better, not only in vain, but also to the detriment of oneself. If we do not use the time given to us for any useful business, then, having departed from here, we will be subjected to the greatest punishment for the loss of time. If the one who received the money for trade turnover and then spent it is subject to responsibility before those who entrusted it to him, then will he not be punished who exhausted this life in vain? It was not for this that God introduced us into the present life and breathed in our souls so that we would use only the present, but so that we would do everything for the future life; only the wordless are made for one real life. And for this we have an immortal soul, in order to fully prepare for that life. If anyone asks what is the purpose of horses, donkeys, bulls and other animals, then we will say that there is no other purpose than to serve us in real life. And this cannot be said about us; there is a better state for us after leaving here; and we must do everything so that we can shine there, rejoice with the angels, stand before the King - always, for everlasting ages. For this, our soul was created immortal, and our body will be immortal, so that we enjoy endless benefits. If you pin yourself to the ground, while heavenly blessings are offered to you, then think what an insult this is for the One who gives them. He offers you a mountain, and you, not too dear to it, prefer the earth. Therefore, as offended, He threatens with hell, so that from this you will know what benefits you are depriving yourself of. But let it not be that we should be subjected to this punishment, but, having pleased Christ, let us be honored with eternal blessings, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen."
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“Hell is a place where sinners are boiled in cauldrons”;
"Hell is covered with ice ...";
“Hell is the land of yellow springs, where the base part of the soul dwells”;
Today we will talk about why people go to Hell.
The understanding of hell is different in different religions. In "good and peaceful" Buddhism there are eight of them in general, and each in the center is red-hot, and around the perimeter - icy. But all religions agree on one thing - this place is extremely unpleasant and it is not worth getting there.
But how not to get there - there are also options.
In "militant" Islam, getting to hell and getting out of there is not a question at all. Those who commit sin will certainly be thrown into torment: in Islam it is fire, and sinners will burn. Only Allah himself knows how long the torment will last, no one else, even the most high-ranking and respected leaders of the church, has "access" to information about the sentences.
But the sinners themselves need not worry.
Those who have done good deeds along with sins will come out of Hell through the intercession of those who are allowed to intercede for them.
Those who managed not to commit a single good deed ... will also come out - by the endless grace of Allah.
You can just envy!
Although in Christianity, envy is one of the surest ways to thunder into hell. Moreover, not in purgatory, from where you can still get out, even after centuries of torment. Namely, to hell, from where there is no exit.
"A verdict that knows no exemption"
"... Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch'entrate" in translation from Italian means "Leave hope, everyone who enters here." The inscription over the gates of hell in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, written 700 years ago, and still frightening impressionable people. Still would…
“Naked souls, weak and light,
Having heeded the verdict, knowing no exception,
Teeth chattering, pale with longing
Shouted curses to the Lord ... "
There are seven deadly sins in the Catholic version of Christianity: pride, greed, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and laziness. That is, according to this "report card" you can go to hell for an extra piece of pie at dinner or for a bed not made in the morning ... Cool, no?
But a funny conclusion follows from this: sins have different "weight" and there is a certain "divine price list", where each deed has its own price tag.
You can get acquainted with it in the same "Divine Comedy", where it is quite complete. Dante was not too lazy and clearly described: who, where, at what address, for what torment and for what sin. According to this classification, those obsessed with passion are condemned to the "lightest" torments. Heavy ones are for traitors. The worst thing in Hell is for those who betray trust.
Meanwhile, the “perfect code” says that the punishment for any sin, small or large, is the same - death (does this mean that those who have not sinned by deed, or inaction, or even thought will live forever?).
Why do they turn off the Divine Light
Orthodoxy is both softer and stricter at the same time. "Gehenna of Fire" is not a place for people at all, it is intended for "fallen and rooted spirits rooted in evil."
And for us, humans, there is only health and illness of the soul. And the Orthodox hell itself is not something material, like a frying pan without oil for a sinner, but simply and terrifying: the death of the soul. When you think about it, it becomes clear why the question sounds so strange: "How to save a soul that went to hell?" No way. It's like trying to resurrect a dead person. "She's dead, so dead."
Why is the Divine Light turned off? Obviously not for eating a cutlet in fasting.
The list of sins is the same, and the unforgivable sin (guaranteed and finally killing the soul) is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. "The verdict, knowing no exception" is imposed only for this - for the fact that you opposed yourself to God. Like Satan and Company.
But what needs to be done (or rather, of course, it is not necessary) to finally and irrevocably quarrel with God like this? Unleash a war? Create a sect? Selling drugs? Or is everything simpler, and it is enough, as 9 out of 10 priests teach, just not to go to church and “believe at home”?
Why is the “home temple” dangerous?
“If you don’t go to church and listen to the priest, then who will teach you how to believe in God? You will begin to decide for yourself what is sin and what is not. And you will definitely be mistaken, because the devil is cunning and will find a loophole in a person's heart. "
It is not for nothing that among the sins that need repentance and forgiveness in Orthodoxy are: "the condemnation of priests, a rare visit to the church, non-observance of fasts, violation of church and prayer rules."
"A man is weak and greedy for temptations, a sheep needs a shepherd ..."
It is difficult to argue with this. Yes, weak.
But who is stopping us from becoming stronger? "Who can teach to believe in God correctly?" And he himself? Why can't it? Does He not speak to each of us, is He not in our hearts? Why don't we hear Him? Or don't we understand? Or do we understand it wrong? Why do we need interpreters?
How to throw away the key to the door of hell
The ancient Slavs considered Krivda the most terrible of the "dark gods". That is a lie.
Quite strange and even wild from the position of a modern person who lies, breathes and does not consider a lie, not just a sin, but even a somewhat serious offense.
"Come on, if you don't lie, you won't live."
Why, then, did our distant ancestors think otherwise, and considered lying to be an offense worse than murder?
Because before you do something, you ALLOW it yourself, yourself. In the shower. "He already has a lot" - before stealing. “I have no other choice” - before betraying, change. “There is nothing wrong with that,” you say to yourself and allow you to do evil.
Lies are the very key that opens the doors of hell. The disintegration and death of the soul begins with it.
Do not lie to yourself ... At least to yourself - and this door will never open.
So simple. And it's so hard.
The preacher considers all this a fairy tale, because the Old Testament speaks of something completely different. He declares, "When you died, everything is over," and the kingdom of Lucifer is on Earth.
Well-known American evangelist from Arkansas Timothy Rogers declared in his recent hour-long sermon that Hell does not exist. He calls this place, which by the way is in every religion and even in polytheism, fiction. The preacher considers Hell to be akin to the tales of Santa Claus.
Continued ...
Timothy Rogers said that no one has been to Hell, because there are no stories about it. For billions of years, not a single person has declared that it is hot in the kingdom of Lucifer and there is eternal torment.The preacher explains that the Old Testament does not say that Hell is “underground”. The text indicates that he was on Earth. As for Paradise, it was not “in heaven,” but in the Garden of Eden. At the same time, the exact location is not indicated.
According to Rogers, people are waiting for life in the kingdom of Lucifer, turning it into a living Hell. This is all due to the fact that people literally began to worship death. All of these tales are dangerous and demonic doctrine created by Satan to "steal the souls of people."
At the same time, the preacher believes that after death, people fall into parallel worlds. It is in them that Paradise and the Garden of Eden are located. Timothy Rogers is far from being the first to claim a multiverse with many worlds. Theory actively exists in science, and in philosophy, and in religion.
By the way, parallel worlds are often recalled in ancient Hindu writings when describing God and everything that he created from a religious point of view. For the first time, the theory of the existence of several universes was put forward by the great philosopher Plato, talking about the world of things and the world of ideas.
However, from a Christian point of view, the existence of parallel worlds must be considered a false statement that violates many existing dogmas and rules. The fact is that the Pastor should not talk on such topics, because Christianity is based only on faith.
Christian writings and holy scriptures indicate that man is not perfect and cannot know God. Therefore, all his ideas should be based only on the authority of the church and the saints, who, from a religious point of view, carry the truth. As for Rogers, for such thoughts he should go to Hell, no matter how satirical it sounds.