(This is an excerpt from "Extinguishing the Flames of Hell")
In accordance with His love and concern for mankind, God continued to send volunteers from Heaven to minister to receptive individuals and groups during the period between the fall of Adam and Eve, and the arrival of Jesus Christ.
These brave Messengers struggled diligently against overwhelming spiritual ignorance to introduce God to pagans, and to keep His presence alive among those who knew of His existence.
Due to the dangers inherent in a mission to Earth, however, volunteers for extended assignments were not plentiful. Those that did commit to making our world a better place came as either materialized Angels, or infants born of human parents.
To protect themselves against evil spirits still roaming the Earth, and murderous human beings, the vast majority arrived as incarnated Angels. The courageous few that chose to experience life as mortals among men understood that they would become much more vulnerable to evil and pain and suffering than materialized Angels, but the promise of greater rewards for these prophets and teachers upon their return to Heaven proved to be a huge incentive.
Many of these humanized Angels, however, suffered untimely termination of their Earthly careers when their teachings threatened to upset the status quo.
And so it should come as no surprise that when Jesus volunteered to enter our strife-torn world as a helpless infant for the purpose of uplifting mankind, Heaven stood still. As one of the highest-ranking Sons of God in the entire Universe, he could have sent a personal representative, or he could have chosen to arrive as an awe-inspiring Angel of Light.
But, in light of the slow progress being made on Earth, and because of his compassionate concern for all human beings, he decided to make the journey himself under the most challenging circumstances.
Historical evidence suggests that Jesus was born in the fall season in the town of Bethlehem. His Earth parents, Joseph and Mary, had journeyed from their Nazareth home to register for the regional census and to pay their annual taxes to Caesar and King Herod when Mary, shortly after their arrival, went into labor. The only available shelter, due to the large number of people in Bethlehem to pay taxes, was an innkeeper’s barn.
Fall would be the logical time of Jesus’ birth simply because taxes in ancient times were collected after the annual harvesting of crops when people were more likely to have money. It is, therefore, inconceivable that Jesus could have been born in the dead of winter at a time when people would have been less inclined to part with their funds, and when inclement weather would have made travel more difficult.
In spite of these facts, church leaders in the third century after the death of Jesus, proclaimed that he was born on December 25th, a day that coincides with the birthday of the Roman sun “god” sol invictus and the observance of yule, the celebration of the winter solstice, one of the oldest pagan holidays in history.
Except for his insightful intelligence, Jesus grew up in Nazareth as an ordinary child. He worked as an apprentice to his father, Joseph, a respected carpenter and building contractor, until he became a master craftsman in his own right. And, just like every other Jewish boy, he received religious instruction in the Jewish tradition at the local temple.
Because Jesus volunteered to experience life as an average human being, he did not become fully aware of his status in the Universe until he matured into manhood. At the appropriate time, God revealed to him his true identity, and the purpose of his mission. His cousin, John the Baptist, another highly respected Heavenly Messenger, marked the occasion with the ceremonial baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
From that day forward, Jesus set about his Heavenly Father’s business, confronting evil and erroneous religious teachings wherever and whenever he encountered them. He healed and comforted the mentally and physically afflicted. He fed the hungry with Earthly foods, and strengthened the downtrodden with spiritual nutrition.
As mentioned earlier, Jesus also introduced the concept of loving God rather than fearing Him, and he erected an effective prayer barrier to protect the innocent from supernatural assault.
Like most revolutionaries, however, Jesus incurred the wrath of the power elite. The rising popularity of his radical teachings about a loving, compassionate God, as opposed to a jealous, vengeful God; his willingness, as a spiritual teacher, to work for a living rather than obligate his followers to support him; and his disapproval of blood sacrifices and other pagan rituals were viewed by political and religious leaders of the day as a direct threat to their wealth and authority.
To understand the vehement opposition to the growing influence of Jesus during his ministry on Earth, one need look no further than the economic implications of his teachings.
By the time Jesus stormed the Temple in Jerusalem and disrupted the operations of the money changers and animal vendors, the sacrificial slaughtering of animals had become a thriving business. The doves, lambs, goats, and cattle offered to God had to be without blemish according to law. So most worshipers, rather than risk the humiliation of having their sacrificial offerings rejected by the temple priests, simply purchased their animals from authorized Temple dealers.
The priests also feared that if people accepted the notion that it is possible to worship God at any time and any place, such as the outdoor settings Jesus used, financial support for the Temple and its ruling members would be substantially diminished.
Political leaders, equally obsessed with maintaining the status quo, worried over the possibility of Jesus recruiting a large enough following to remove them from power.
Jesus fully understood the motives of those who worked to undermine his ministry. And he accepted the probability that his enemies would resort to violence to try to silence him. But he continued his courageous mission, undeterred, secure in the knowledge that his soul, the part of him that would return to God, would remain immune to the weapons of man.
This is an important message for all human beings: nothing built by man can destroy that which is created by God. The soul is bulletproof, bombproof, poison-proof, etc. As a matter of fact, it comes with an eternal warranty against any and every man-made weapon. The only being with the power to destroy the soul is the soul itself.
Since his death, mankind has failed to fully understand the messages Jesus brought from Heaven. After more than two thousand years since his untimely departure, the human race remains mired in spiritual stagnation. Empires have appeared and disappeared, crushed by rivals that value competition over cooperation. The only things that seem to change are the weapons humans use to destroy each other. They become more lethal with every passing generation.
Instead of helping man to rise above the primitive mindset of ever escalating violence, the most advanced religions on Earth still teach that God Himself is more like a warrior than a compassionate father, and that fear is the most important element of man’s relationship with God.
Without question, mankind has reached a point where nothing short of Divine Intervention will save us from extinction. Left to our own devices, the human race would surely self-destruct.
Until Jesus puts God’s plans for the rescue of mankind into action, however, we must re-evaluate his teachings in order to become more receptive to his instructions when he returns.
The next chapter contains messages that assess the current status of various human groups and suggestions for those who seek to qualify for spiritual enhancement.
Wishing you all Peace, Love, Health, Prosperity, and an Abundance of Blessings!
-Natural Light Network
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