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DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE


OUR GOD COMMUNAL OR CELESTIAL ?

By DR.GEEVARGHESE MAR OSTHATHIOS

The 10 commandments given to Moses can be adhered by the modern Governments; But Sermon on the Mount cannot be followed by anyone other than the children of the True Celestial Heavenly God. The modern lawmakers or the judges can never digest the teaching of Jesus Christ ‘If a man take away the coat, let him have thy cloak also.'

There is a book in English with the title 'Your God is too small'. Paul Tillich, a famous Theologian described this small God as 'God up in the sky' and called the true God as 'Ground of being'. The Gods being believed in vivid religions are small and communal in nature. In the old testament God is called as 'Lord of Hosts', but this name is not seen any where in the New Testament. Christians believe that the 'Celestial God' (Heavenly God) who is 'God up in sky' had been revealed by His son Jesus Christ. The Verse 'God is Love' (1 John 4:16) is not recorded any where in the Old Testament. God in the Old Testament, who is the God of Israel allowed or commanded to destroy the enemies of Israel. So the Theory of  'Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors' had come only from the mouth of Jesus Christ and it was never mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament. Even the 10 commandments given to Moses can be adhered by the modern Governments; but the Sermon on the Mount cannot be followed by anyone other than the children of the true Celestial God. The modern lawmakers or the judges can never digest the teaching of Jesus Christ 'If a man take away the coat, let him have thy cloak also.'

Even though historically the God is manifested as Love, Bhagavalgeetha (Ch.4:6,7) describes the God as the one who 'destroy the wicked and save the good.' This doctrine is followed in the war of Kurushektra and many others. Understanding and imitating the God, who is the incarnation of love, could be done only by the true Christians and few good people of vivid religions for the last 2000 years. The world war II lead by Hitler, Terrorist activities lead by the soldiers of fanatic extremists and many other wars and atrocities were/are believed to be done as per the will or command of their Communal Gods. In the Crusades of 11th century Muslims might have thought that they fought for Allah and Papal Soldiers might have thought that they fought for Jesus Christ. Israelites firmly believed that they annihilated the 7 tribes and captured the Land of Canaan as per the commandment from God. The Hindu extremist who destroyed the Babri Masjid firmly believed that the act was done with the permission of Shri Ram; however the Scholars of Advaida deny this accusation.

Faith in the true Celestial God is sparingly seen in many vivid religious teachings and the Love as the clear manifestation of God is seen only in the New Testament of the Bible. In the verse of old testament 'Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord , your God am holy' (Lev. 19:2) , even though it is an eternal truth that God is glorified as holy, but not as Love. Look at the Verse (Mal 2:10) 'Have we not all one father ? hath not one God created us ? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the Covenant of our father?' Here also as God is not social, he can not be interpreted as Love.

Khuran teaches that all are the children of Adam and Eve. Also it signifies the Allah as merciful and gracious cf. 'In the name of Allah, the merciful and gracious' and it is being proclaimed by all Surah, still we miss the word Love in it. Also Khuran teach the soldier who fight the Holy War (Jihad) is more rewarded than the one who declare, finance or manage the war. In spite of the fact that Muslim Scholars opinioned that this permission was on a special considerations of the scenarios at the time of writing the Khuran, the modern extremists still believe and follow it literally.

If we study the religious teachings or books of any religion with out any prejudice or fanatic aberrations, it reveals the mercy, graciousness, sympathy etc. of the Celestial God. It is apparent from (Jonah 4:11) the lack ness of understanding of Jonah for the sympathy God shown to a Non-Jewish nation and the people, because the depiction of Jonah's God was that of communal nature.

The four Vedas, Bhagavad Geeta and Upanishads are not like the Advaida (Non-Dualistic) Vedanta of Sankaracharya. The school of Advaida teaches that the Braman is beyond the instincts of Love, Hatred, Good or bad and the essential identity of Jiva , the individual self , is nothing other than the Brahman itself; which form the cardinal doctrine that Advaida differs from the scriptures of Shri Ramanuja. But KeshaChandra Sen Sachidanda had compared Brahman to the Holy Trinity with Sat-Pitha to Father, Chit-Putra to Son and Anand to Holy Spirit. In fact the fanatic believers always quote the specific portions of their scriptures to suit their will and pleasure to uphold the communalism. Mahatma Gandhi has depicted the war of Kurushektra as a war fought by the five organs of the body which symbolizes the Pandavas to the Kauravas of illicit thoughts of wickedness. So Gandhiji invented that Bhagavad Geta also teach the lesson of Non-violence just as that is preached by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the mount. Also he found that professional classes has its own merits, but the untouchability is a severe sin.

Though all the religion has its on loophole to convert the Celestial God to a God of Communal Nature , I had never seen a book or a scripture which depicts the picture of a Loving God. The New testament teaches us the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to Love the God and love the neighbor (even enemies) as thyself. The truth of New Testament reveals that Faith is useless without Love, as Love supersedes the Faith. The word Love is referred 500 times in the bible, while the faith is referred 300 times. Through the faith in the Celestial God, we have to bind all the religions together and lead to the 'God up Above' who is the symbol abundant Love.

PSALM 23 AND LORD'S PRAYER
The Crown of the Old Testament is the Psalms 23. There is no other Psalms which Children around the world learn By heart like the Psalms 23. Lord' Prayer (Mathew 6:9-15) is the Verse much more Globally used than this Psalm. The comparison of these two scripture passages reveals the depth of the faith and width of the Love. This Psalm of David proclaim the Faith in the Divine God in spite of any Communal favoritism

1. God is my Shepherd
(Personified Prayer)

2. I shall not want
(Depth of Faith)

3. He make me to lie down in green pastures
...leads to still waters
...consoles my soul
(This also get from the faith)

4. I shall not fear in shadow of death
(Courage of a firm believer)

5. Thou art with me
(Courage and Consolation of the believer)

6. Your Rod and Staff comfort me

7. Faith for the feast amongst enemies and anointing with oil.
Our Lord who art in Heaven
(This is not My Father)

Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy will
(Not Praying with My Name)

Give us our daily bread
(Prayer of the Global Love)
Will be pardoned if you pardon
(The way to stop any war)

Relief from the temptations of Satan


Kingdom of no one in the earth. Kingdom only of Heaven
In the above two prayers, like the first one manifest the depth of faith, the mental courage is attained by the faith of vivid religions. The Social aspect of the religions are not seen in the David's Prayer.
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