ADVENT REVEALS   JESUS THE LAST PROPHET 

 APROVED AND SENT BY GOD TO HELP US

TO WORK OUR  SALVATION

 beware of prophets not approved by God

                           Philippians 2:12

 

1)-FALSE PROPHETS WERE COMMON IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.  JESUS WAS SURROUNDED WITH THEM.  THUS HE WARNS US IN VERY CLEAR TERMS.  May we read Jesus in Lucas 21:8:

“Jesus replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.” 

SAINT LUKE REVEALS ALL THE COMPASSION AND THE SOLICITUDE JESUS SHOWS FOR US.  IN SPITE OF HIS WARNINGS NOT TO FOLLOW PROPHETS NOT APPROVED BY GOD, JESUS KNOWS THE LEGIONS OF SOULS WHO WILL BE LOST BECAUSE OF FALSE PROPHETS.

2)-WHY MUST WE BELIEVE JESUS?   

WE MUST BELIEVE JESUS BECAUSE HE PROVED, NOT WITH WORDS, BUT WITH SIGNS, MIRACLES, THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS OWN RESURRECTION, THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD AND THE LAST PROPHET APPROVED AND SENT BY GOD.

May we read saint Peter in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:22-24:

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,^d put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”. (Acts 2:22-24)

3)-PROPHET ISAIAH  PROCLAIMED  THE COMING OF THE LAST TRUE PROPHET  May we read Isaíah in his own words, Isaiah 9:2-5:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;  upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.  You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as men make before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.  … FOR A CHILD IS BORN TO US, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests.  They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.  His dominion is vast and forever peaceful”.   Help us to prepare our hearts and mind to the coming of your Son in the flesh.”                                          (Isaias 9:2-5)

LORD HELP US TO PREPAFE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ONLY SON AS YOUR LAST PROPHET, APPROVED AND SENT BY GOD.

4)-HOW DO WE KNOW THAT JESUS IS THE LAST PROPHET, APPROVED AND SENT BY GOD?

JESUS HIMSELF REVEALS TO US THAT HE IS THE LAST PROOPHET APPROVED AND SENT BY GOD?  JESUS HIMSELF ANSWERS OUR QUESTION.  May we read Jesus in his own words in Luke 21:8:   

“He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.”                                                                       (Lucas 21:8)

5)- ONLY GOD CHOOSES, APPOVES AND SENDS HIS PROPHETS. 

IN THIS HISTORICAL TIME OF ADVENT, IT IS OUR SACRED DUTY AS BELIEVERS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THIS PROFOUND CONFUSION ABOUT PROPHETS.

6)-AFTER JESUS, “NO SO-CALLED PROPHETS”  HAVE PRODUCED ANY SIGNS, WONDERS, MIRACLES, TO PROVE THEIR PROPHETIC MISSION WAS FROM GOD. 

OUR AGE IS TROUBLED WITH SO MANY PREACHERS CLAIMING TO BE PROPHETS WHO, IN THEIR PREACHING, CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER.  ALL ROVE OVER AND CRISS-CROSS THE PLANET AND PEOPLE’S CONCIENCE TO BECOME THEIR FOLLOWERS.  THEY ALL CLAIM TO BE PROPHETS OF GOD, INTERMEDIARIES BETWEEN GOD AND MEN.  HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SHOW ANY SIGNS OF WONDERS, MIRACLES, THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD AS DIVINE PROOFS  CONFIRMING  THEIR MISSION.  NO PROPHET AFTER JESUS EVER CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD!  ONLY OUR PROPHET JESUS RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD!

7)-GOD PROMISED HE WILL APPROVE THE PROPHET HE SENDS WITH SIGNS OF WONDERS, MIRACLES TO GUIDE US IN CHOOSING GOD’S TRUE PROPHET. 

THUS, WHEN GOD SENDS HIS PROPHET TO GUIDE US ON OUR JOURNEY TO ETERNAL LIFE,  THE SIGNS HE GIVES US ARE TO BE RECOGNIZED BY EVERY HUMAN BEING.  WE SEE SAINT PETER GOING ALL OUT TO TEACH US HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE TRUE PROPHET SENT BY GOD; GUIDED BY GOD’S DIVINE SIGNS, WE MUST BE ABLE TO SEPARATE HIS TRUE PROPHET FROM ANY FALSE PROPHETS.  May we read saint Peter in his own words,  Acts 2:22:

 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.”

8)-JESUS HIMSELF GUARDS US AGAINST SELF-PROCLAIMED PROPHET.  THEY CANNOT GIVE US ANY MIRACULOUS SIGNS, MIRACLES TO PROVE GOD’S APPROVING THEIR MISSION.  HOWEVER, IN SPITE OF GOD’S ABSENCE, THEY KEEP DECEIVING THEIR FOLLOWERS AWAY FROM THE PATH LEEDING TO SALVATION.  May we read Jesus in his own words in Luke 21:8:

 “ He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.”

9)-THE PROPHET IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE.

THE PROPHET IS THE PERSON CHOSEN BY GOD HIMSELF TO BE HIS INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN GOD AND MEN.

GOD TOOK THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO PREPARED THE COMING OF HIS ONLY SON,  HIS LAST PROPHET WHOM HE WAS SENDING TO REDEEM US FROM ADAM’S SIN.  May we read in   Jn 1:44-45:

“Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

10)-GOD, IN PREPARING THE COMING OF HIS SON, THE LAST PROPHET HE SENT US, USED MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS.  GOD, IN HIS DIVINE WISDOM, HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE IMPORTANCE HE PUT INTO THIS HISTORICAL EVENT OF THE ADVENT OF HIS ONLY SON THE LAST PROPHET.

11)-ADVENT IS A HISTORICAL EVENT CELEBRATED IN THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH.

DURING THE HISTORICAL TIME OF ADVENT, MANY PROPHETS ANNUNCED THE COMING OF THE MESIAS, THE SON OF GOD AND THE LAST PROPHET UNTIL THE END OF TIME.

12)-GOD USED MANY PROPHETS  WHO CONSUMED THEIR LIFE PREPARING, WITH THEIR PREACHING AND SIGNS AND WONDERS, THE COMING OF THE LAST PROPHET.

May we read the prophet Isaiah 7:13-14:

“ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign: The virgin^[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[c] will call him Immanuel.”

13)-THE ETHIOPIAN BEGS PHILIP’S HELP TO CLARIFY FOR HIM THE MEANING OF THE BIBLE TEXT.

THE ETHIOPIAN, HELPED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, BEGS PHILIP TO CLARIFY FOR HIM A CASE IN POINT IN THE BIBLE TEXT THAT HE IS READING.  THUS HE NEEDS HELP TO CLARIFY THE CONFUSION HE SEES IN THE BIBLE CONCERNING THE SEARCH FOR THE REAL PROPHET.

May we read in the Acts of the Apostles,  8:26-40:    

“ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,  and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.  The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”^[b]

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”  Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”   And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.  When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.  Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”                                    (Acts of the Apostles,  8:26-40)

14)-ADVENT IS THE FULLNESS OF THE TIME GOD HAS DETERMINED TO SEND US HIS ONLY SON,  HIS LAST PROPHET.   (Mt 16:15-20; Mt 28:19-20; Lc 21:8).  

May we read saint Paul  in Galatians 4:4-7:

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,  Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”

15)-BENEDICT XVI HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE REQUEST FROM THE ETIOPIAN, WHICH IS BEING REPEATED CONSTANTLY AROUND THE WORLD.  PEOPLE BEG THEIR PASTORS TO TEACH THEM THE CATHOLIC FAITH BUT TO NO AVAIL.  THE ETIOPIAN WAS BLESSED HIS REQUEST WAS GRANTED.  HOWEVER, CRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOT BEING GRANTED THEIR REQUEST TO BE EVANGELIZED.  BISHOPS AND PRIESTS REFUSED TO FULFILL THEIR PRIESTLY ORDINATION THAT CONSACRATED THEM TEACHERS OF THE WORD OF GOD.  THEY PREFER THEIR COMMITMENTS TO POLITICS TO SHOW HOW BUSY THEY ARE.  MANY BISHOPS TOLD ME PRIESTS ARE OVERBURDENED WITH OTHER “THINGS.”  THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO CATECHIZE THEIR BAPTIZED.  THEY LOOK LIKE MOTHERS WHO ARE SU BUSY LOOKING AFTER THE STREETS THEY HAVE NO TIME TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN.

16)-POPE BENEDICT XVI WARNS THE BISHOPS OF BRAZIL, AND OF THE WORLD, THEY HAVE LOST THEIR ZEAL TO TEACH CATECHISM.  THEY EVEN DO NOT HAVE TIME TO TEACH THEIR OWN BAPIZED. 

17)-PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH CATHOLICS WHO, NOT ONLY VOTE TO KILL THE UNFORN, BUT PROMOTE IMMORAL PRINCIPLES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. THEY TAKE THEIR DELIGHT IN  SUPPORTING OBAMA BECAUSE HE STANDS STRONG AGAINST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.  

MAY WE PRAY FOR OUR BISHOPS WHO ARE UNAWARE OF THEIR SACRED CONSACRATION OF ORDAINED THAT THEY ARE PRIESTS NOT TO BE INVOLVED WITH POLITICS. WE ACCEPT THE PRIESTLY CONSACRATION TO PRAY FOR OUR PEOPLE AND TO TEACH THEM JESUS WITH HIS PRIESTLY MEANS TO WORK OUR SALVATION.

IF WE ARE GOOD TEACHERS OF CATECHISM, OUR FAITHFUL WILL LOOK AFTER THE POLITICS.                                                                                                                    
 

May the good Lord bless you with the fullness of his Eternal Love during the fruitful and historical time of Advent to understand Jesus’ warning not to follow preachers outside the path of salvation. The professor.