Category: Inspirational
Many priest, pastors, and theologians also claim that Jesus Christ felt forsaken while hanging on the cross. However, how can God in the flesh feel forsaken? The fact is that Jesus was trying to share Psalm 22 and the people when that he was beginning the words to a Psalm which is song. Today if someone said, “Let it Be, Let it be” He would think of the lyrics of a song. When Jesus said this words the Pharisees and the people watching Jesus die would have know He was stating David’s prophecy about Him. Here is Psalm 22 and you see it describes the every event of Jesus Christ on the cross.
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. 11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near; For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax;It has melted ]within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.18 They divide My garments among them,And for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! 20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. 21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him!All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to [k]the dust
Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, 31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.” (Psalm 22 NKJV)
Here is a review of my book Protect and Serve available on Amazon by Dylan Ward of The US Review of Books.
“They began to pray that something would take place very soon so that they could change their lives for good.”
Author Raimondo returns with an intriguing second novel based on two Bible verses, Matthew 25:40 and 25:45, weaving together a surprisingly uplifting tale of spirituality exploring the ramifications of crime and punishment. The Lord walks among the city streets disguised as a “Homeless Man,” wearing white shoes emblemed with blood-red crosses on their sides. He keeps a close watch on two Italian detective cousins, fresh from a big win in a major case but inexplicably nicknamed with “infamous monikers”—Alfonzo Hitali (Hitler) and Mose Dalini (Mussolini). The detectives patrol while engaging in deep debate as they protect and serve their city. One night, after meeting two prostitutes, the four encounter the Homeless Man. It is a life-changing moment that develops unexpected relationships and positive futures.
Meanwhile, recent crimes against children anger Al and Mose’s mafia uncle, Chich the Key. As the detectives become embroiled in a major new case, their uncle enacts a plan of revenge against the potential perpetrators. As Raimondo steadily builds the tension, Al and Mose find themselves walking a fine line between loyalty to their careers amid their uncle’s nefarious dealings and embracing new loves.
Though plot-heavy and action-driven, Raimondo’s book is a convincing, atmospheric detective mystery with fleshed-out characters who discover more about themselves and their beliefs when thrust into difficult situations. Clearly, the author’s faith factors into this tale full of drama and romance, especially with the fascinating and thought-provoking debates of good and evil between Al and Mose. As Raimondo states in his acknowledgment, this second book of the Least of Brothers series is just “part of an ongoing saga,” so readers and fans certainly have something to look forward to with the next stimulating book in this growing series.
My article is not a request for money for Wounded Warriors but about a different type of Warrior with wounds. Christians often are wounded spiritually. They may not have physical injuries though some do; in most cases, there is a wounded spirit. Unfortunately, the churches have failed to strengthen the characteristics of the Soldier for Christ. They have done this by constantly imagining Jesus Christ as the Lamb, a docile animal. Jesus, however, was the Lion of Judah with courage and strength to do His Father’s will. He prayed that the cup of pain should be given to another, not as He willed but as God willed. The act of prayer was more for us that we will face times of trial and tribulation, and we are to grin and bear it, for it must always be God’s will and not ours.
The enemy of God, however, will tempt us with three things, for he knows that one of them, if not all three, will have us choose our will and not God’s. These temptations are Riches and whatever makes life comfortable; Pleasure of every kind that makes it enjoyable; Honor to be famous, administration, all that makes consequential. Any one of these is a trap to lure us from God. Like, bait on a hook to capture a fish. When you don’t take the bait, the enemy comes to destroy you with pain and suffering so that you blame God and even reject the idea of God. What the enemy could not do with his three imagines of a beautiful life, he now does with its absences. You are now wounded, discouraged, Satan’s greatest weapon. He gets you to quit serving the Lord Christ and God. However, it is at this point if you stand fast and thank God for the trial and accept your destiny as Jesus Christ did in the Garden that the Holy Spirit will descend on you and give you the strength you need to overcome the enemy.
A true Christian is to follow his King Jesus Christ into the same battlefield as his Lord commends. Jesus commands us this; “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26 NIV) We are only true Christian when we are prepared to die for Christ.
There is an old saying, “Be careful of what you wish for.” Well, what it means is what you affirm is what you will get. People today are stating and protesting things without thinking about what they are saying and thinking. They are setting in motion for their lives the very thing. Let’s examine the recent protest by women over the reversal of Roe vs. Wade. What are they affirming with their protest? What is that they want? They want the freedom to have an abortion. What does that represent if you want the freedom to have an abortion?
Women who resent being told that abortion is wrong are protesting the right to be promiscuous, to enjoy sex whenever and with whomever without using any form of contraceptive. And even to experience what it is like to get pregnant and then abort it without any remorse. We have a total breakdown of moral behavior, a result of a lack of disbelief in a God and the consequence. The result is they are affirming the want for an abortion and the trauma that comes with it. Without realizing that their protest is saying I want an abortion. Is that what they really want? Affirmations should be more positive.
I want to ask everyone in America, especially members of the Media, Hollywood Celebrities, Congress, and Governors, these questions. Would you go into battle and fight for this kind of Commander-and Chief? Would you risk your life for a leader who cares little or nothing about the babies of his citizens? Would you risk your life for a leader who supports illegal aliens and not his wounded soldier? Would you risk your life for a leader who let people cross American borders unchecked? Would you risk your life for a leader who supports those who refuse to work at the expense of those who do? Would you risk your life for a Commander who gave the enemy nearly a trillion dollars of military equipment? Would you risk your life for a President who would rather manufacture products in China instead of at home? Would you risk the lives of your family for a leader creating food storage and rising cost of goods and services by ending oil production? Finally, would you risk your life for a Commander-and-Chief who cares little about the health and welfare of his citizens? The answer is no; you would not risk your life for such a leader. However, at present, you’re forced into such a position.
I ask why the media and our leaders support such a person? The answer is for power and greed. Illegals voting to keep them in power back door deals for more wealth. These corrupt and evil deals are foolish because a Great Commander-and-Chief will cause people to risk their lives to help create a nation that supports its citizens, provides for those who work, and take care of their wounded heroes and the families of those who gave up their lives for the nation. Close its border to uninvited individuals and create a self-dependent country on no other nation for products. Anyone who rejects these concepts is a traitor and should be treated as one. Leaders in DC who put others before the American citizen should be removed since they are not representing the American citizen and the oath they took to uphold the office.
We often hear about after death experience where the soul of someone dies, sees the light, and meets Jesus Christ. In Lee Strobel’s film, ‘The Case for Heave,’ he explores the concept and interviews people who had the experience. These experiences are spoken of not only by Christians but often by non believes in Jesus Christ, which causes a life-changing experience. Oh, a Christian retreat weekend, I heard a former Jewish man who said he died and met Jesus Christ, who told him it was not his time. The experience caused him to change his former beliefs and made him a more caring individual.
In John 20:29 (NIV), Jesus says, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” It would seem that often Jesus comes to individuals in an after-life experience to bring them to Him. People who already believe do not need to have that experience. When I was about 19 years old, I was sitting in a parked car with a friend on a summer day when a stranger about my age walked up to the car, put his face inches from mine, and said, ”I am Jesus!” and walked away. My friend said, “That guy was messing with you.” However, it gave me the notion of what if the stranger you make eye contact with and leaves you with the feeling he knows everything about you could be an angel or even Jesus Christ.
Now that I am retired, I decided to combine those two concepts. So I wrote a story that deals with what if a person were dying and had an out-of-body experience and, instead of going to Heaven, followed a homeless holy man and observed how people reacted to the least of humankind. Matt 25:40 on Amazon books by Anthony Raimondo presents such as story.
The Liberal Left is promoting a new ideal family. It could not have come at a better time. With higher gas prices, a war going on, nearly a trillion dollars worth of military equipment was left to an enemy. Americans need a new direction for the future. A new religion promotes a new hypothesis for human biology and that new direction with a dislike for Patriarchy and Heteronormativity. Which an old faith repackaged now called Identity Faith. The result has led people to change their family structure and many lives. People are suddenly identifying with their true selves. The true self hidden inside their body at the very being of their whole life can be free. This movement has created a new sense of freedom for so many people. It all begins with President Obama wanting men to use the lady’s room. Sitting down to urinate brought about the first sign of freedom. Men’s briefs were no longer needed and replaced with soft female panties or thongs. At the same time, individuals with a vagina can now stand to urinate at the urinal with the Shewee device, the next evolution of the human species.
Men of all ages began dressing in women’s clothing when no one was home. They began to try on clothing provided by mom, a sister, even a wife. The hundreds of videos on the Internet for training led to the use of makeup, wigs, and finally, to go outdoors as a woman. The easy access to hormones and breast implants has made the physical transformation complete. The same transformation happened with women dressing as men, taking testosterone for facial and body hair larger muscle mass. The final step was having sex with the new body. This last step provided the emotional need to experience sexual behavior in the Identified Gender. The voyage is now being completed. The sexual experience provides the final stage of realizing the true Identity.
It brings this discussion to the present new picture of the family dynamic. Mom now has a penis for breeding since dad has a vagina to give birth and breasts used for nursing infants. Doctors now call a child with a penis seed provider and the one with a vagina the seed receiver. Hollywood, the media, and the Liberal Left are happy with the new family structure. Those who hold to the old traditions are called radicals and prevented from using social media with rebellion, leading to arrest. The old views of religion are too restrictive, preventing real spiritual growth and therefore outlawed. Those who continue to resist change but are not outspoken are not permitted to participate in sports or hold important positions in the workforce—public opinion viewers this group to be non evolved. The Left is cheering that true freedom is finally here, for the inner spiritual demon can now fully possess the body of the human it desired, without interference.
One big misconception in the Christian Churches of all denominations is the notion of hell and that Satan is there with his minions. It is not what scripture teaches. Here are some examples of the misconception. “Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.” (Luke 11:14) “And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him.” (Matthew 8:28) These are just two examples of many others. If Satan and his demons are in hell, how can they possess humans on earth?
So, where is Satan? In the Book of Revelation, we read in the letter to Pergamum (Revelation 2:13), “I know[a] where you live—where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan lives.” So again, how can Satan be in Hell if he has a throne on earth and lives there? In Revelation 20:2-3, We read,” He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that he must be released for a brief time.” Finally, after a thousand years, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10) Nowhere up until that moment is Satan in Hell.
Satan has created the greats of his lies in the hearts and minds of Christians. The only possible explanation for this teaching is to cause fear of going to hell. But, of course, the lake of fire is the final destination for evil! If Satan and his minions are on earth, then the reality of demon possession is actual. Those who refuse to recognize a God are deceived into believing there is no Satan. In doing so, they welcome control since God is not present in their hearts. These evil spirits try and influence our behavior every day. They speak to our minds as if the ideas and thoughts are our creation. Without God’s gift of discernment, we can easily be deceived.
I recently saw and read something on FaceBook with the same vague reasons for Abel’s sacrifice being acceptable and Cain’s rejection by God. Also, no real reason why Cain becomes jealous and kills his brother. Finally no explanation as to who and where Cain gets a wife when he runs off and starts a tribe of his own. Since we have indeterminate, unclear, hazy reasons based on what the author of Genesis presents we need to examine the details more closely.
Most theologians would present that Abel was a keeper of folk of sheep, while Cain was a farmer. They both sacrifice the first fruits of what they had. At this point, we have no information that Adam sacrificed anything we can suggest that Adam was also a farmer since God’s curse involved the land. “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” This brings us to the question of what made Abel a shepherd and why he choose to sacrifice the fat portion of his firstborn? Another question comes to mind how many sheep did Abel have. As you can see these are only a few questions that theologians seldom answer.
Let’s examine Genesis 4: “In the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” Notice the fat portion of some of the firstborn of the flock is what Abel sacrificed. In order to get the fat portion you first must kill the animal then separate the fat from the meat of the muscle.
The question here is did Abel eat or cast away the fat. While Cain brought the fruits of the soil. Cain sacrifices that which was edible to God. Theologians often make their readers believe that Abel sacrificed a lamb to God, but here we read the fat portion. The suggestion here is that the meat was not sacrificed therefore the better portion was not sacrificed to God. Yet God accepts Abel’s offering.
God provides a clue why it was not acceptable: Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 6-7 NIV) What sin is crouching at Cain’s door? God asks Cain why are you angry? God rejected Cain’s offering not because there were few fruits or bad fruits since Abel’s sacrifice was not the meat but the fat. It was rejected because he was angry. Why was Cain angry? This is the question that theologians fail to answer and is at the heart of why God warns Cain by first rejecting his offering. It isn’t the offering that is rejected, but Cain’s attitude while presenting the offering. In Matthew 5:24 Jesus provides the clue; “Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” There is a conflict between Cain and Abel but also possibly with his parents.
What could be the possible reason why the firstborn son is angry? We have read that the fat portion was sacrificed. So what was done with the meat? Abel provided the meat of the lamb to be eaten, roasted over a fire as the fat was sacrificed. Like a shepherd he sat and watched his sheep graze, while Cain work hard to till the soil, watering the crops. Perhaps Adam and Eve praised Abel for the meat of the lamb, giving him more attention; as Jacob later does with Joseph. The climax of Cain’s jealousy comes with a decision of marriage for Abel, and himself.
In a non-Canon document, both Cain and Abel had twin sisters. Cain’s twin was beautiful, and he was handsome and strong due to his hard work. Abel and his sister were more homely. Adam and Eve were inspirited to crossbreed the two couples Cain’s twin to Abel and Abel’s twin to Cain; this arrangement only increased Cain’s anger causing his sacrifice to be rejected. Having his brother praised for meat and now rewarded with his sister was the last straw. Cain’s sister also desired him over Abel. A meeting was agreed upon between brothers. Cain rejects the idea of marriage with Abel’s twin. The conflict increases and Cain is in anger as God had warned fails to rule over his anger. As the result, Cain kills Abel and runs off with his twin turning his back on God and his parents.
Now you ask why isn’t a part of the Genesis story. The reason being was the notion of incest is present and therefore rejected, as Canon. However, Adam and Eve were in reality twins. Eve was created from a portion of Adam’s body, therefore sharing the same DNA. Since there were no other humans on the earth procreation would have been necessary with brothers and sisters breeding. God-given inspiration provided Adam and Eve to decide to crossbreed, a sign of moving away from inbreeding. When we add the rejected accounts to the history the reactions become more clear, that the death of Abel is over a woman. The desire and jealousy for knowledge of a woman brought sin into the world and the desire and jealousy over a woman brings about the first murder. The desire for a woman and murder occurs often in history. David takes a friend’s wife and later has him killed. The Bible has many reoccurring themes.
Dr. Anthony Raimondo 