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Introduction
Gospel Movie "The Mystery of Godliness" (5) - How to Know That Christ Is the Truth, the Way and the Life
Storyline:
Lin Bo'en was an elder at a house church in China. During all his years as a believer, he felt honored to suffer for the Lord, and valued the knowledge and attainment of the Lord Jesus Christ above anything else in the world. One fateful day, he went out to preach and heard some shocking news: The Lord Jesus has returned in the flesh, and He is Christ of the last days— Almighty God! Lin Bo'en was puzzled. When the Lord returns, He is supposed to descend with the clouds, so why would He incarnate Himself and do His work in secret? What mysteries were hidden behind God's incarnation? If the Lord has truly returned, why haven't we been raptured? … An intense debate unfolds between Lin Bo'en and his co-workers and the preachers from the Church of Almighty God … Will they finally be able to understand that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus, the appearance of God in the flesh?
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
Introduction
The Importance of the Word of God | "Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God" (Part Two)
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/knowing-the-three-stages-...
Almighty God says, "The three stages of work are at the heart of God’s entire management, and in them are expressed the disposition of God and what He is. Those who do not know of the three stages of God’s work are incapable of realizing how God expresses His disposition, nor do they know the wisdom of God’s Work, and they remain ignorant of the many ways in which He saves mankind, and His will for the whole of mankind. The three stages of work are the full expression of the work of saving mankind. Those who do not know the three stages of work will be ignorant of the various methods and principles of the Holy Spirit’s work; those who only rigidly stick to doctrine that remains from one stage of work are people who limit God to doctrine, and whose belief in God is vague and uncertain. Such people will never receive God’s salvation."
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HAPPY NEW YEAR, WILDLIFE LOVERS EVERY WHERE!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ❤️ ✝️ ❤️ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I HOPE 2023 BRINGS YOU A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP TO GOD WHO LOVES YOU AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR "YOU". YOU ARE LOVED, BY THE ONE WHO "DID" IT ALL FOR YOU! SO YOU CAN REST IN HIS LOVE AND GRACE, AND LIVE IN PERFECT PEACE! THROUGH YOUR FAITH IN JESUS OUR SAVIOR, LORD, GOD AND FATHER AND VERY BEST FRIEND! THE ONE WHO CREATED ALL THIS BEAUTY FOR US TO ENJOY. GIVE THANKS TO GOD AND PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME, "JESUS" "THE RISEN SAVIOR"!
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 )
------------------------------ JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so they might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH! Because JESUS LOVES YOU! ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
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I watched your life blood
Fall into the cup
It didn’t spill over
And it didn’t stop
A constant level of red dismay
A grieving litany I hear in my soul
Right up until this very day
Where the cup wants to take every drop
Bleeding you dry like a husk
Of everything you have got
Is this so that I live with the stain
Of retrospective treachery
But it is not something I have ever forgot
This remembrance is passed down through the ages
Of Grail Keepers, beggared and lost
Forgotten, unknown, paying the cost
Hidden in plain sight sometimes
Until it is our time to move along
We guard an eternal love
That outstrips existence itself
Though it would grant you healing if you asked
The treasure it holds is beyond compare
Containing the teachings of the soul
The movement of your blood
And the story of the universe untold
It never forgets or regrets
And remembers all the reasons
As to why you are loved
*****
What can I say? To me, this image transcends everything. Personally, it is one of my most meaningful and favourite images I have ever taken. If you were to ask me what I believed in, what I thought was precious in this world, I would say that this image represented my world completely, and who I am.
There is a dialogue happening here, with this Cup. There is a presence here, other than me, and the Cup has called it down.
When this happens and I am fortunate enough to witness it, feel it, experience it, I need nothing else.
A Grail Keeper protects and keeps this love safe. A Grail Keeper keeps the Light alive. My Love and Blessings to all.
Taken at Wilmington Church, East Sussex, UK. And yes, this is a photograph, not AI.
Why do I need a fake Grail when reality is like this?
And this is the point, don’t you think. Just believe for once, let joy into your life.
I have paired this with Era’s “The Mass” as this is what this image is, transubstantiation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV2yzuNTHnQ
And if you would like to see more of my work, visit my website at:
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-the-creators-authority/
Introduction
I
Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Tied to His workings, they are held within His sway. The laws of science and nature reveal how He works and rules. And the struggle to survive shows His supremacy. Yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things show His sovereign control.
II
In life and death and everything, mankind sees the Creator's work. In life and death and everything, mankind sees the Creator's work and bears witness to His superior ways that transcend all earthly powers and laws. So no created being can violate God's rule or change what He has ordained. All things bow to His laws, showing His authority. Both now and forever more.
from "God Himself, the Unique III" in Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh
by CountryDreaming and Linskudd.
l am requested to post a picture and write 16 things about myself ...
The picture shows me at my niece's wedding
l) l was born in Arkansas,USA ...but grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. My father, a doctor, passed away in 2001. My mother, a teacher, is very much alive and a vibrant spirit at age 83. l have 2 younger sisters.
2) When l was 18, l moved to New Orleans. l lived and worked in the French Quarter as a sculptor's apprentice. New Orleans was such a fascinating blend of cultures : French, Spanish , Caribbean, African ,etc. It was a wonderful experience.
3) My favorite sculpture is the bronze and granite grave marker for Clover Adams ...in Rock Creek Cemetery ...Washington , D.C.
It is commonly referred to as the "Adams Memorial " (You can google that name if interested) .
The sculptor was Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
Its beauty and mystery touches me deeply .
4) When l was 25, l went on a 4 month backpacking trip across India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. One memorable experience was in the holy city of Veranasi, on the Ganges River. A young local kid took me out onto the great river in his tiny boat before sunrise ...and, as the rising sun was breaking through the river mists, we floated past the impressive ghats and temples that line the bank. Everything looked and felt so exotic and timeless ..
5) When l was 26, l flew to Hawaii for a supposed 2 week holiday . l ended up living there for 4 years. It was hard to leave such a beautiful place. The small town boy was seduced by all those coconut trees, rainbows and frangipani.
6 When l was 30, l went on a 4 month trip through Europe and Morocco. To see the midnight sun in Narvik , Norway ...to stand beside the Parthenon in Athens ...to enjoy long walks in the green,springtime hills of Ireland ...it was all like a dream come true. l love Europe, and wish l could spend a year living in each country .
7) The biggest change in my life came when l was in my early 30s. l fell victim to a medical condition that took away a lot of my energy, both physical and mental . l had to change my plans from an ambitious, high-energy life ....to a life that was very simple and very limited in scope.
But l fully realize that, overall, l have been very lucky in this world. l feel that destiny has been very generous to me .
8) Several years ago, l received an e-mail from a lady in a foreign country who has been totally blind from birth. She asked if l would be willing to help her practice and improve her English .
This is a lady who never saw her mother's face ...has never seen her own face, or the face of a laughing child ...has never seen a rainbow or a butterfly ...the rising mist on a summer river or the glittering winter stars at midnight. And yet ....l have never heard her complain ....she maintains an independent life in a big city with her own flat....takes the subway to work at 2 different jobs ...plays the piano beautifully ...has learned far more about computers and technology than l will ever know ...and is always looking for ways to improve and grow as a person.
There is so much bad news in the world today . ...but to know such a person reminds me that there can also be great courage and dignity in the human spirit.
9) One of my favorite quotes is from Einstein ....
" The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious . It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of all true art and true science."
10) l love cats for their beauty, grace and mystery. My favorite pet was a tabby cat named Nancy . l still think about her everyday .
11) Books and reading have probably been the single greatest joy in my life. Just the act of walking into a nice library can give me a slightly euphoric feeling .
l love to read just about anything except camera manuals ....which helps explain why l am such a mediocre photographer .
12 ) l am a terrible procrastinator, but l do plan to confront that issue ....and l plan to do it next week ....or, maybe, next month ....or ....you know ...whenever l get around to it .
13) l love to see paintings and all forms of visual art.
A few of my favorite painters :...Edward Hopper, Frida Kahlo. Henri Rousseau .....Van Gogh ....Hieronymus Bosch, Andy Warhol, Giorgio de Chirico.
l am lucky that some of my Flickr contacts are painters and graphic artists ....l love seeing their work.
14) My favorite meal is Thanksgiving.l think pumpkin pie with whipped cream is food worthy of the angels. For my birthday, l like coconut pie. Then l have to diet for the other 363 days :-)))
It seems that everything l Really want to eat has a zillion calories .
15) Sunrise is my favorite time of day .
Sunrise is when the colors are freshest and the air is sweetest.
To experience the awakening of a new day can fill our hearts with hope .
16) Walking is my favorite exercise .
In a world that is much too tense ....too crowded ..and too complex ....the sheer simplicity of walking is a wonderful emotional release .
And, when l walk , l always take my camera ...because you never know what's waiting around the next bend :-)
Thank you for reading my list .
Best wishes to You for happiness in your life :-)
Introduction
What Is Faith In God | God's Word "Only He Who Experiences the Work of God Truly Believes in God"
Almighty God says, "When Jesus came into the world of man, He brought the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law. During the last days, God once more became flesh, and when He became flesh this time, He ended the Age of Grace and brought the Age of Kingdom. All those who accept the second incarnation of God will be led into the Age of Kingdom, and be able to personally accept the guidance of God. Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering, and did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life."
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No need to read the following if you do not wish.
This will be my last upload until I return to Canada from my holidays which begins next week. I will be busy closing off loose strings at work this upcoming week before I leave. I shall be returning to Canada by November 6.
I begin a visit to Israel and the West Bank in the Palestinian Territories as part of a religious and personal Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land and partly to see the enormous history related to this area of the world. I will be travelling throughout Israel and will also visit the Dead Sea. I will also be spending some personal time in what is the holiest city for Christianity i.e Jerusalem. Jerusalem is to Christians and Jews what Mecca is for Muslims or Amritsar is to Sikhs or the Ganges to Hindus. Jerusalem is also of importance to Muslims as it contains the third holiest site of Haram Al Sharif or Temple Mount to Jews.
I am very conscious of the fact that I am leaving the peace of Canada for a very troubled part of the world but I am reminded that through its history this territory is honored by the many who have been here... the Jews, the Persians, the Greeks under Alexander, the Romans, the Christians, the Muslims etc etc. and thru it all I know I will walk in the footsteps of Christ and the pilgrims who have gone before me for 2000 years to pay their respects and to pray at the most scared sites of Christianity.
I have one prayer to God and it is a prayer for peace for all in the Holy Land....and so I will go with the most minimal of earthly things when I board my flight for Tel Aviv for that place that Pope John Paul 2 called during his Millenium visit to the Holy Land ..."the place that God chose to pitch his tent. "
I end with the words of Jesus from the Holy Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 verses 3-10 commonly refered to as the Beatitudes.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
(Thursday, 10/25/2018)
I went on a lunch walk...I thought Autumn had bypassed me this year. I find myself working through my lunch hour more and more, but yesterday, I put the work aside...and quietly disappeared. It is so nice to be back in the arms of trees dropping leaves...where I can breathe deep and be lifted up in spirit.
So here I am! Starring into the deep where I find you! Before such beauty...a deep bleeding red...cushioned on a bed of yellow leaves...so enchanting...light dancing in the clear stream...and I let peace flow over me in this sacred space.
This shot has captured what I saw...and the feelings of gratitude...visit me again. This is Holy...this is liturgy...this is beyond words...so deep...where unity holds us together...if only for this moment.
-rc
/********************
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
What Is Faith In God | God’s words " Only He Who Experiences the Work of God Truly Believes in God "
Almighty God says, "When Jesus came into the world of man, He brought the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law. During the last days, God once more became flesh, and when He became flesh this time, He ended the Age of Grace and brought the Age of Kingdom. All those who accept the second incarnation of God will be led into the Age of Kingdom, and be able to personally accept the guidance of God. Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering, and did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life."
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
Terms of Use: en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
The story so far: At the close of the hunting season, King Arthur’s retinue descend from the fells and prepare to herd the barren does into the hollows in order to slaughter them with bows and arrows. Sir Gawaine leads King Arthur’s wife Gaynore down the track, when suddenly the woods are cast into darkness, and they are separated from their companions. Whilst Gawaine endeavours to explain away the phenomenon as a solar eclipse, a decayed, animated corpse appears before them. Gawaine observes that it is crawling with snakes and toads, and draws his sword to defend his queen. The ghost tells Gawaine that it is all that remains of Gaynore’s mother, and that it once was more beautiful even than its daughter, but is now a rotting corpse. It commands him to bring Gaynore into its presence, and when he obeys, it tells her that it is in Purgatory, and can only be redeemed by her prayers. Now, Gaynore asks whether there is any hope for her mother’s soul, and after giving a prescription for its own salvation, the ghost turns on Gaynore, accusing her of pride, and insisting that she too will suffer its fate, if she does not change her ways. Moreover, it suggests that King Arthur himself is doomed to destruction because of his pride, employing that favourite mediaeval metaphor, the Wheel of Fortune. Gawaine realises that if Gaynore’s sin is enough to send her to Hell, the sins of Arthur’s knights are far worse...
The Anturs of Arther: Part 3
“I grieve for your fate,” said Gaynore, “and wish
You redeemed. Mother, I ask, though I barely dare,
Whether Matins and Mass might serve to wash
You of sin – or jewels of the earth help you to fare
Better? Might bishops with beads bring you to bliss,
Or cloisters and covenants heal you of care?
For you were my mother, how horrid it is:
Your body was beautiful; now it is bare!”
“Yes, worms bared my body, and who is to blame?
You know this is true:
Vows were broken. I rue
The day! So do you!
I am writhing in pain!”
“Then tell,” groaned Gaynore, “What penance might
Save you? And what saint plead for thy sake?
For baleful beasts blast your body with blight,
Your blood blinds my eyes – can mere worms break
You?” “Worms are my paramours, writhing and white,
They sink me down softly to dwell in a lake.
Even these words are wombed in black night,
And wretched the worms – each writhes like a snake.
In torment I toss – Gaynore, know this:
Were nine hundred masses done
At Matins and Nones,
My saved soul would soon
Grope gladly for bliss.”
“May he bring you to bliss, who bought us with blood,
Who hung clear on a cross and was crowned with thorns,
Christened and chrismed with candle and creed,
In a font of cold stone, baptised newborn;
And mild mother Mary who nurtured the seed,
And swaddled the bairn of Bethlehem born:
May they give me the grace to turn your fate good
Through prayers at Mass, and Matins at morn.”
“Keep mindful at Mass, and meekly implore
Him, who hung on a rood –
Staunched evil with good
With his deluge of blood –
To abide at your door!”
“I stretch forth my hand! I repent as you scold!
A million masses may silence your groaning –
But one thing,” cried Gaynore, “I need to be told –
What sin angers Christ, that I should be disowning?”
“Pride and pretences - read the prophets of old
Made plain to all people – pay heed to their preaching!
Pride’s branches bear bitter fruit; you must be bold,
For thousands are doomed, ignoring God’s bidding,
All of them damned, stripped bare of bliss.
In Christ put your trust
To purge you of lust
Or suffer you must –
Gaynore, hear this!”
“Now hear me,” wept Gaynore, “grisly ghost,
What is the penance or prayer that will save?”
“Meekness,” it moaned, “is what you need most,
And pity the poor: you’ll be one in the grave!
The charitable please Christ more than the chaste –
It’s better to give alms than be boastful or brave:
These are the gifts of the Holy Ghost’s grace,
Inspiring each soul, salvation to crave!
But speak no more – to the chantry make haste!
Queen in your comfort, who charms a whole state,
Hold these words in your heart:
We live once, then depart!
Child, look to your fate!”
“How shall we fare,” cried Gawaine, “who are fickle and fight,
And are quick to oppress the poor of the land,
And overrun the world, and fight against right,
And war for men’s worship, by might of our hands?”
“Your king is too covetous; so are his knights!
The Great Wheel will revolve – but a moment it stands
Still! When he’s majestic, and high in his might,
The Wheel shall swing low, as justice demands!
Thus shall misfortune bring misery and blight!
Fell Fortune, by night,
Is an awesome wheelwright
Whose spokes turn in spite
At a touch of his hands!”
Anonymous northern Middle English romance (15th century), paraphrased by Giles Watson. Despite the apparent religious orthodoxy of this part of the poem, it is quite revolutionary for its time. It works against the spirit of the traditional mediaeval romance, which customarily lauded knights’ deeds-at-arms. Gawaine, ever conscientious, realises that Arthur’s knights are rapacious, and that the ghost’s command that Gaynore must care for the poor is diametrically opposed to the chivalric ideal – since the poor are always the first to suffer at the hands of warriors.
The picture shows a wheelwright at work in a mediaeval wall painting at the church of Ampney St. Mary, Gloucestershire.
The Imprint of the Maker in What is Made
When the Baal Shem Tov saw a crafted object, like a kabbalistic picture of the candelabra, he knew by his Holy Spirit the craftsman’s thoughts when he made it. After this incident in Whitefield, he explained the principle behind his ability to some disciples who were with him, “When a craftsman shapes crude matter, he leaves the imprint of his intelligence, which is his life-force, in the object he makes. The spirit of the maker is impressed and imprinted in the object made. .If you have the eyes to see it, you can recognize the spirit of the maker and his behavior in the object. The same principle,” said the Besht, “applies to this world, which is the work of God’s hands.”
-Yitzhak Buxbaum, The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov, pg. 125
/************************
Phaedra - Tangerine Dream
Leaning Tower of Pisa and Pisa Cathedral
Schiefer Turm von Pisa und Dom zu Pisa
The Piazza dei Miracoli (Italian: [ˈpjattsa dei miˈraːkoli]; English: Square of Miracles), formally known as Piazza del Duomo (English: Cathedral Square), is a walled 8.87-hectare area located in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, recognized as an important centre of European medieval art and one of the finest architectural complexes in the world.Considered sacred by the Catholic Church, its owner, the square is dominated by four great religious edifices: the Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistry, the Campanile, and the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). Partly paved and partly grassed, the Piazza dei Miracoli is also the site of the Ospedale Nuovo di Santo Spirito (New Hospital of the Holy Spirit), which houses the Sinopias Museum (Italian: Museo delle Sinopie) and the Cathedral Museum (Italian: Museo dell'Opera del Duomo).
The name Piazza dei Miracoli was coined by the Italian writer and poet Gabriele d'Annunzio who, in his novel Forse che sì forse che no (1910), described the square as the "prato dei Miracoli", or "meadow of miracles". The square is sometimes called the Campo dei Miracoli ("Field of Miracles"). In 1987, the whole square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(Wikipedia)
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: torre pendente di Pisa), or simply, the Tower of Pisa (torre di Pisa [ˈtorre di ˈpiːza; ˈpiːsa], is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), which includes the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry.
The height of the tower is 55.86 metres (183 feet 3 inches) from the ground on the low side and 56.67 m (185 ft 11 in) on the high side. The width of the walls at the base is 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase.
The tower began to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure's weight. It worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.
Architect
There has been controversy surrounding the identity of the architect of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For many years, the design was attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano, a well-known 12th-century resident artist of Pisa, known for his bronze casting, particularly in the Pisa Duomo. Pisano left Pisa in 1185 for Monreale, Sicily, only to come back and die in his home town. A piece of cast bearing his name was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820, but this may be related to the bronze door in the façade of the cathedral that was destroyed in 1595. A 2001 study seems to indicate Diotisalvi was the original architect, due to the time of construction and affinity with other Diotisalvi works, notably the bell tower of San Nicola and the Baptistery, both in Pisa.
Construction
Construction of the tower occurred in three stages over 199 years. On 5 January 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sixty soldi to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. The sum was then used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower. On 9 August 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid. Work on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began on 14 August of the same year during a period of military success and prosperity. This ground floor is a blind arcade articulated by engaged columns with classical Corinthian capitals. Nearly four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote: "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in the year 1174, together with sculptor Bonanno, laid the foundations of the bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa".
The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-metre foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil, a design that was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for the better part of a century, as the Republic of Pisa was almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca, and Florence. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have toppled. On 27 December 1233, the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the continuation of the tower's construction.
On 23 February 1260, Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni Pisano, was elected to oversee the building of the tower. On 12 April 1264, the master builder Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto, and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco. In 1272, construction resumed under Di Simone. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other. Because of this, the tower is curved. Construction was halted again in 1284 when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoese in the Battle of Meloria.
The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was finally added in 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who succeeded in harmonizing the Gothic elements of the belfry with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.
History following construction
Between 1589 and 1592, Galileo Galilei, who lived in Pisa at the time, is said to have dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass, in keeping with the law of free fall. The primary source for this is the biography Racconto istorico della vita di Galileo Galilei (Historical Account of the Life of Galileo Galilei), written by Galileo's pupil and secretary Vincenzo Viviani in 1654, but only published in 1717, long after his death.
During World War II, the Allies suspected that the Germans were using the tower as an observation post. Leon Weckstein, a U.S. Army sergeant sent to confirm the presence of German troops in the tower, was impressed by the beauty of the cathedral and its campanile, and thus refrained from ordering an artillery strike, sparing it from destruction.
Numerous efforts have been made to restore the tower to a vertical orientation or at least keep it from falling over. Most of these efforts failed; some worsened the tilt. On 27 February 1964, the government of Italy requested aid in preventing the tower from toppling. It was, however, considered important to retain the current tilt, due to the role that this element played in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa.
Starting in 1993, 870 tonnes of lead counterweights were added, which straightened the tower slightly.
The tower and the neighbouring cathedral, baptistery, and cemetery are included in the Piazza del Duomo UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was declared in 1987.
The tower was closed to the public on 7 January 1990, after more than two decades of stabilisation studies and spurred by the abrupt collapse of the Civic Tower of Pavia in 1989. The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of a potential fall of the tower were vacated for safety. The selected method for preventing the collapse of the tower was to slightly reduce its tilt to a safer angle by removing 38 cubic metres (1,342 cubic feet) of soil from underneath the raised end. The tower's tilt was reduced by 45 centimetres (17+1⁄2 inches), returning to its 1838 position. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on 15 December 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years. In total, 70 metric tons (77 short tons) of soil were removed.
After a phase (1990–2001) of structural strengthening, the tower has been undergoing gradual surface restoration to repair visible damage, mostly corrosion and blackening. These are particularly pronounced due to the tower's age and its exposure to wind and rain. In May 2008, engineers announced that the tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated that it would be stable for at least 200 years.
Earthquake survival
At least four strong earthquakes have hit the region since 1280, but the apparently vulnerable tower survived. The reason was not understood until a research group of 16 engineers investigated. The researchers concluded that the tower was able to withstand the tremors because of dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI): the height and stiffness of the tower, together with the softness of the foundation soil, influences the vibrational characteristics of the structure in such a way that the tower does not resonate with earthquake ground motion. The same soft soil that caused the leaning and brought the tower to the verge of collapse helped it survive.
Technical information
Elevation of Piazza del Duomo: about 2 metres (6 feet, DMS)
Height from the ground floor: 55.863 m (183 ft 3+5⁄16 in),[37] 8 stories
Height from the foundation floor: 58.36 m (191 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Outer diameter of base: 15.484 m (50 ft 9+5⁄8 in)
Inner diameter of base: 7.368 m (24 ft 2+1⁄16 in)
Angle of slant: 3.97 degrees[40] or 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) from the vertical
Weight: 14,700 metric tons (16,200 short tons)
Thickness of walls at the base: 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Total number of bells: 7, tuned to musical scale, clockwise:
1st bell: L'Assunta, cast in 1654 by Giovanni Pietro Orlandi, weight 3,620 kg (7,981 lb)
2nd bell: Il Crocifisso, cast in 1572 by Vincenzo Possenti, weight 2,462 kg (5,428 lb)
3rd bell: San Ranieri, cast in 1719–1721 by Giovanni Andrea Moreni, weight 1,448 kg (3,192 lb)
4th bell: La Terza (1st small one), cast in 1473, weight 300 kg (661 lb)
5th bell: La Pasquereccia or La Giustizia, cast in 1262 by Lotteringo, weight 1,014 kg (2,235 lb)
6th bell: Il Vespruccio (2nd small one), cast in the 14th century and again in 1501 by Nicola di Jacopo, weight 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
7th bell: Dal Pozzo, cast in 1606 and again in 2004, weight 652 kg (1,437 lb)
Number of steps to the top: 296
About the 5th bell: The name Pasquareccia comes from Easter, because it used to ring on Easter day. However, this bell is older than the bell-chamber itself, and comes from the tower Vergata in Palazzo Pretorio in Pisa, where it was called La Giustizia (The Justice). The bell was tolled to announce executions of criminals and traitors, including Count Ugolino in 1289. A new bell was installed in the bell tower at the end of the 18th century to replace the broken Pasquareccia.
The circular shape and great height of the campanile were unusual for their time, and the crowning belfry is stylistically distinct from the rest of the construction. This belfry incorporates a 14 cm (5+1⁄2 in) correction for the inclined axis below. The siting of the campanile within the Piazza del Duomo diverges from the axial alignment of the cathedral and baptistery of the Piazza del Duomo.
Guinness World Records
Two German churches have challenged the tower's status as the world's most lopsided building: the 15th-century square Leaning Tower of Suurhusen and the 14th-century bell tower in the town of Bad Frankenhausen. Guinness World Records measured the Pisa and Suurhusen towers, finding the former's tilt to be 3.97 degrees. In June 2010, Guinness World Records certified the Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi, UAE as the "World's Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower"; it has an 18-degree slope, almost five times more than the Tower of Pisa, but was deliberately engineered to slant. The Leaning Tower of Wanaka in New Zealand, also deliberately built, leans at 53 degrees to the ground.
(Wikipedia)
Pisa Cathedral (Italian: Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale di Santa Maria Assunta; Duomo di Pisa) is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa, Italy, the oldest of the three structures in the plaza followed by the Pisa Baptistry and the Campanile known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The cathedral is a notable example of Romanesque architecture, in particular the style known as Pisan Romanesque. Consecrated in 1118, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Pisa. Construction began in 1063 and was completed in 1092. Additional enlargements and a new facade were built in the 12th century and the roof was replaced after damage from a fire in 1595.
History
Construction on the cathedral began in 1063 (1064 according to the Pisan calendar of the time) by the architect Buscheto, and expenses were paid using the spoils received fighting against the Muslims in Sicily in 1063. It includes various stylistic elements: classical, Lombard-Emilian, Byzantine, and Islamic, drawing upon the international presence of Pisan merchants at that time. In the same year, St. Mark's Basilica began its reconstruction in Venice, evidence of a strong rivalry between the two maritime republics to see which could create the most beautiful and luxurious place of worship.
The church was erected outside Pisa's early medieval walls, to show that Pisa had no fear of being attacked.[citation needed] The chosen area had already been used in the Lombard era as a necropolis and at the beginning of the 11th century a church had been erected here, but never finished, that was to be named Santa Maria.[citation needed] Buscheto's grand new church was initially called Santa Maria Maggiore until it was officially named Santa Maria Assunta.
In 1092 the cathedral was declared primatial church, archbishop Dagobert having been given the title of Primate by Pope Urban II. The cathedral was consecrated in 1118 by Pope Gelasius II, who belonged to the Caetani family which was powerful both in Pisa and in Rome.
In the early 12th century the cathedral was enlarged under the direction of architect Rainaldo, who increased the length of the nave by adding three bays consistent with the original style of Buscheto, enlarged the transept, and planned a new facade which was completed by workers under the direction of the sculptors Guglielmo and Biduino. The exact date of the work is unclear: according to some, the work was done right after the death of Buscheto about the year 1100, though others say it was done closer to 1140. In any case, work was finished in 1180, as documented by the date written on the bronze knockers made by Bonanno Pisano found on the main door.
The structure's present appearance is the result of numerous restoration campaigns that were carried out in different eras. The first radical interventions occurred after the fire of 1595, following which the roof was replaced and sculptors from the workshop of Giambologna, among whom were Gasparo Mola and Pietro Tacca, created the three bronze doors of the facade. In the early 18th century began the redecoration of the inside walls of the cathedral with large paintings, the "quadroni", depicting stories of the blesseds and saints of Pisa. These works were made by the principal artists of the era, and a group of citizens arranged for the special financing of the project. Successive interventions occurred in the 19th century and included both internal and external modifications; among the latter was the removal of the original facade statues (presently in the cathedral museum) and their replacement with copies.
Other notable interventions include: the dismantling of Giovanni Pisano's pulpit between 1599 and 1601 that only in 1926 was reassembled and returned to the cathedral (with some original pieces missing, including the staircase); and the dismantling of the monument to Henry VII made by Lupo di Francesco that was found in front of the door of San Ranieri and later substituted by a simpler, symbolic version.
Description
The original building plan was a Greek cross with a grand cupola at the crossing, but today the plan is a Latin cross with a central nave flanked by two side aisles on each side, with the apse and transepts having three naves. The inside offers a spatial effect similar to that of the great mosques thanks to the use of raised lancet arches, the alternating layers of black and white marble, and the elliptical dome, inspired by the Moors. The presence of two raised matronea in the nave, with their solid, monolithic columns of granite, is a clear sign of Byzantine influence. Buscheto welcomed Islamic and Armenian influence.
Exterior
The rich exterior decoration contains multicolored marble, mosaic, and numerous bronze objects from the spoils of war, among which is the griffin. The arrival of the griffin in Pisa has been attributed to numerous Pisan military victories of the 11th and 12th centuries, including the 1087 Mahdia Campaign and the 1113-1115 Balearic Expedition. The griffin was placed on a platform atop a column rising from the gable above the apse at the east end of the roof, probably as continuation of the original construction that started in 1064. In the early 19th century the original sculpture, which can now be seen in the cathedral museum, was removed from the roof and replaced with a copy. The high arches show Islamic and southern Italian influence.Ref? The blind arches with lozenge shapes recall similar structures in Armenia. The facade of grey and white marble, decorated with colored marble inserts, was built by Master Rainaldo. Above the three doorways are four levels of loggia divided by cornices with marble intarsia, behind which open single, double, and triple windows.
The cathedral was heavily damaged by a fire in 1595. The heavy bronze doors of the façade were newly designed, executed and completed in 1602 by sculptors around Giambologna on the expense of Ferdinando I de' Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. At the top there is a Madonna and Child and, in the angles, the four evangelists. The tomb of Buscheto is found to the left of the north door of the facade.
Contrary to what might be thought, from the beginning the faithful entered the cathedral through the Gate of Saint Rainerius, found in the south transept of the same name, which faces the bell tower. For townsfolk approaching by via Santa Maria it was the shortest way to enter the cathedral. The door wings were cast about 1180 by Bonanno Pisano, and it is the only door not destroyed in 1595. The 24 bronze reliefs show stories of the New Testament. This bronze portal is one of the first produced in Italy during the Middle Ages, and is a forerunner of the bronze doors created by Andrea Pisano for the Baptistery in Florence (1329–1336).
Of further interest
At the end of the 10th century Pisa established March 25 as the beginning of its new year. This date was considered very important because it is both the Feast of the Annunciation (occurring nine months before Christ's birth on December 25) and it falls very close to the spring equinox. To mark the beginning of the Pisan new year a system was devised in the cathedral whereby a beam of light shines through a round window on the south side of the nave and, precisely at noon on March 25, lands on the same spot every year: on top of a shelf affixed to a pylon on the opposite side of the church. This shelf rests on a marble egg, a symbol of birth and new life. In 1750 the first day of the new year was officially changed to January 1, but this event is still celebrated every year accompanied by solemn religious and civic celebrations.
The lamp at the center of the nave is called Galileo's lamp, because a legend says that the great scientist formulated his theory of isochronism of the pendulum while watching its oscillations from the roof of the nave. The original, however, smaller and very different than this one, is found today in the Camposanto.
On the north side, to the left side of the facade in front of the Camposanto at about eye level, is an original piece of Roman marble (as testified to by its decoration that can still in part be seen), on which are a series of small black marks. Legend says that these marks were left by the devil when he climbed up to the dome attempting to stop its construction, and so they are referred to as the scratches of the devil. (The legend also says that out of spite the number of scratches always changes when counted.)
Legend has it that the amphora placed on a small column on the right side of the apse was used by Christ at the wedding feast of Cana when he turned water into wine.
Pope Gregory VIII is buried in the cathedral.
(Wikipedia)
Die Piazza dei Miracoli (italienisch Platz der Wunder), wie die Piazza del Duomo im Volksmund auch genannt wird, ist der Domplatz der toskanischen Stadt Pisa. Der Name stammt vom italienischen Dichter und Schriftsteller Gabriele D’Annunzio. Er beschrieb in seinem Buch Forse che sì forse che no den Platz als Wiese der Wunder. Die Piazza dei Miracoli ist eine Grünfläche nahe der Stadtbefestigung im nordwestlichen Teil der Altstadt. Die dezentrale Lage am Rande des Historischen Stadtkerns ist ungewöhnlich. Auf dem Platz steht das berühmte Ensemble, bestehend aus dem Baptisterium als größte Taufkirche der Welt, dem Friedhof Camposanto Monumentale und dem kreuzförmigen Dom Santa Maria Assunta mit seinem Campanile, dem Schiefen Turm. Sie gehören zu den Meisterwerken der mittelalterlichen Architektur und hatten einen großen Einfluss auf die monumentalen Kunst in Italien vom 11. bis zum 14. Jahrhundert. Seit 1987 gehört der Platz zum UNESCO-Welterbe.
(Wikipedia)
Der Schiefe Turm von Pisa (italienisch Torre pendente di Pisa) ist das wohl bekannteste geneigte Gebäude der Welt und Wahrzeichen der Stadt Pisa in Italien.
Der Turm war als freistehender Glockenturm (Campanile) für den Dom in Pisa geplant. 12 Jahre nach der Grundsteinlegung am 9. August 1173, im Jahr 1185, als der Bau bei der dritten Etage angelangt war, begann sich der Turmstumpf in Richtung Südosten zu neigen. Daraufhin ruhte der Bau rund 100 Jahre. Die nächsten vier Stockwerke wurden dann mit einem geringeren Neigungswinkel als dem bereits bestehenden gebaut, um die Schieflage auszugleichen. Danach musste der Bau nochmals unterbrochen werden, bis 1372 auch die Glockenstube vollendet war.
Der Grund für seine Schieflage liegt in dem Untergrund aus lehmigem Morast und Sand, der sich unter dem Gewicht verformt. Neuesten Ausgrabungen zufolge steht der Turm am Rande einer ehemaligen Insel direkt neben einem antiken, zur Bauzeit bereits versandeten Hafenbecken. Die Schieflage des Turms beträgt nach dem Ende der Sanierungsarbeiten rund vier Grad, entsprechend einer Auslenkung an der Spitze von 3,9 m (bei rund 55,8 m Höhe). Im Inneren des Turmes hängt ein Pendel, das oben in der Mitte befestigt ist und durch die Schieflage unten beinahe die Seitenwand berührt.
Der Legende nach hat der aus Pisa stammende Galileo Galilei bei Fallversuchen vom Turm die Fallgesetze entdeckt.
Im Jahre 1987 wurde das Ensemble auf der Piazza del Duomo aus dem Turm, dem Dom, dem Baptisterium und dem Camposanto von der UNESCO zum Weltkulturerbe erklärt.
Architektur
Der 56 Meter hohe und 12 Meter durchmessende Campanile besteht aus 14.500 Tonnen weißen Carrara-Marmors und hat sieben Glocken, die aber längere Zeit wegen der Einsturzgefahr nicht läuten durften. Er sollte der Höhepunkt der ganzen Anlage der Piazza dei Miracoli sein. Er unterscheidet sich von den üblichen quadratischen Türmen Mittelitaliens und steht in einem großen Gegensatz zu den spitz zulaufenden Türmen des nördlichen Europa. Er ruht auf einem spiralförmigen Fundament aus 700 m³ Bruchstein und Mörtel. Neben dem Eingang sind Monat und Jahr des Baubeginns eingemeißelt: August 1173. In Urkunden wird jedoch stets 1174 genannt, denn für die Pisaner begann nach damaligem Kalender das neue Jahr bereits am 25. März. Giorgio Vasari bezeichnete Bonanno Pisano und einen gewissen Guglielmo als ursprüngliche Architekten des Turms.
Der Campanile hatte – außer dass er die Glocken tragen sollte – noch eine andere Funktion. Bei äußerer Gefahr flüchtete damals der Klerus in den Turm. Maueröffnungen und -vorsprünge im Zylinderschacht machten es möglich, bei Bedarf in jedem Stockwerk Gebälk und Fußböden einzuziehen.
Jedes Stockwerk hat eine Tür hinaus auf die Säulengalerie, die aus jeweils 30 Säulen besteht. Auf der Südseite führen oben sechs Stufen zur Glockenstube hinauf, auf der Nordseite nur vier. Die Treppe zur obersten Aussichtsterrasse soll Brunelleschi inspiriert haben, einen ähnlichen Aufgang zur Laterne auf der Kuppel des Doms in Florenz zu bauen.
Vom 7. Januar 1990 an musste der 14.500 Tonnen schwere Turm für Besucher gesperrt werden, da die Schräglage zu gefährlich wurde. Es gab eine weltweite Aufforderung an Baustatiker, die besten Lösungen zur Stabilisierung auszuarbeiten und einzureichen.
Nach 13-jährigen Sanierungsmaßnahmen, bei denen der Turm wieder um 44 Zentimeter aufgerichtet wurde, ist er seit Dezember 2001 wieder für Touristen geöffnet. Besucher können gegen Entgelt den Turm in Gruppen von maximal 40 Besuchern für eine Dauer von 15 Minuten besteigen.
Der Schiefe Turm von Pisa ist nicht das schiefste Gebäude bzw. der schiefste Turm der Welt, wie häufig vermutet wird. Dennoch gehört er zu den schiefsten Bauwerken, die – aufrecht geplant – unabsichtlich in eine Schieflage geraten sind.
Glocken
Die sieben Kirchenglocken des Domes werden aus statischer Vorsicht nur noch mittels innenliegender elektromagnetischer Schlaghämmer angeschlagen, und zwar mittags um 12 Uhr und jeweils vor den Messen.
Zuvor wurden die Glocken entsprechend ihrer Namen liturgisch eingesetzt, so etwa die Terza zur Terz, der dritten Stunde des liturgischen Tages, also um 9 Uhr vormittags, oder die Vespruccio zur Vesper, 18 Uhr. Das Läuten erfolgte von Hand; an Festtagen wurden die Glocken voll – a slancio – ausgeschwungen.
Die kleinste Glocke von 1501, Vespruccio genannt, hat eine sehr schlanke, zuckerhutartige Form. Die Glocke Del Pozzo ist ein originalgetreuer Nachguss der Vorgängerin, 1606 von Nicolaus Castellum gegossen.
Sanierungsmaßnahmen
Versuche im Mittelalter, den Bau durch besondere Baumaßnahmen wie geneigte Böden sowie dünnere und leichtere Mauern auf der überhängenden Seite zu retten, zeigten keine ausreichende Wirkung, so dass von den ursprünglich geplanten 100 Metern Höhe nur 54 Meter gebaut wurden.
Seit dem Beginn exakter Messungen 1911 nahm die Neigung stetig zu, und die Rate der Zunahme verdoppelte sich von den 1930er-Jahren bis 1990. In diesem Jahr betrug die jährliche Zunahme der Neigung 6 Bogensekunden. Außerdem zeigte die Vermessung, dass es sich um eine Rotationsbewegung handelte, wobei das Zentrum des Kreises in Höhe des Bodens der ersten Galerie senkrecht über dem Mittelpunkt des Turms auf Bodenebene liegt, der selbst keine vertikale Bewegung ausführte. Bei zwei heftigen Starkregenereignissen konnte 1995 eine Neigungszunahme in der Größenordnung einer Bogensekunde in wenigen Stunden festgestellt werden. Daraus wurde geschlossen, dass die Ursache nicht – wie üblicherweise angenommen – im Kriechen der weichen marinen Tonschicht (Horizont B ab einer Tiefe von etwa 10 m bis zu einer Tiefe von 40 m, wo Horizont C mit dichtem marinen Sand beginnt) lag, sondern an dem darüberliegenden Horizont A (Sand, sandige und tonige Schluffe), in der regelmäßig im September bis Dezember auftretende Unwetter mit heftigen Niederschlägen eine verstärkte Rotationsbewegung auslösten.
Seit der vorübergehenden Schließung 1990 waren diverse Sanierungsmaßnahmen unternommen worden. Im Mai 1992 wurde der Campanile mit Stahlreifen im zweiten Geschoss gesichert, da sich dort gefährliche Risse im tragenden Marmor gezeigt hatten. Insgesamt wurden 18 dieser Reifen angebracht. Zusätzlich wurden im Juli 1993 im Fundament 600 Tonnen Bleibarren als Gegengewicht auf der Nordseite eingelagert. Dadurch konnte die Schieflage des Turmes 1993 um eine Bogenminute verringert werden. 1995 wurden weitere Sanierungsmaßnahmen (Bodenvereisung und Stahlkabel-Verankerung) durchgeführt, da man die Bleigewichte als störend empfand. In der Folge erhöhte sich dabei allerdings die Neigung. Daraufhin wurde die höhere Seite des Fundaments an seinem Vorsprung außen am Turm im September 1995 erneut, diesmal mit 900 Tonnen Bleibarren, beschwert (siehe Bild), was die Neigung stoppte.
Ein Komitee internationaler Fachleute, das über die Sanierungsmaßnahmen des Turmes befinden sollte (1990 bis 2001 unter Leitung von Michele Jamiolkowski), konnte sich auf keine bestimmten Maßnahmen festlegen und wurde deshalb zum Ende 1996 von der italienischen Regierung aufgelöst. Nach dem großen Erdbeben vom September 1997 wurde das Komitee jedoch wieder eingesetzt. Man einigte sich im Herbst 1998 mehrheitlich auf eine neue Maßnahme zur Sanierung des Campanile, die sogenannte Bodenextraktions-Methode (geplant von John Burland nach einer Idee des Ingenieurs Fernando Terracina aus dem Jahr 1962). Dazu wurden im folgenden Jahr schräge Löcher in den Boden (Tiefe rund 4 bis 5 m, innerhalb von Horizont A) unter dem nördlichen Teil des Turmes gebohrt, so dass etwa 50 m³ Material entfernt wurde. Das Erdreich sackte langsam nach, schließlich auch der Boden des Turmes, und der ganze Turm richtete sich zunehmend nach Norden auf. Die Gesamtneigung des Turmes wurde von 5,5 Grad vor dem Beginn der Sanierungsarbeiten (um 1990) auf etwa vier Grad verringert. Damit ist der Turm voraussichtlich für die nächsten 300 Jahre gesichert. Nach dem Abschluss der Sanierungsmaßnahmen wurde der Turm am 15. Dezember 2001 wieder zur Besichtigung freigegeben.
Zur Sicherung während dieser Arbeiten wurde der Turm 1998 mit zwei starken Stahlseilen von 103 Metern Länge so befestigt, dass er nicht durch unerwartete Bewegungen einstürzen konnte.
Bei Bauarbeiten zur Sicherung des Gebäudes ist eine alte Römerstraße entdeckt worden, die noch in alten Plänen verzeichnet war, außerdem ein mittelalterliches Grab samt vollständigem Skelett.
(Wikipedia)
Der Dom Santa Maria Assunta (italienisch Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale di Santa Maria Assunta) ist eine Kirche in Pisa, zu der der weltweit berühmte Schiefe Turm von Pisa gehört. Sie ist die Kathedrale des Erzbistums Pisa.
Der Dom steht auf dem weitläufigen Rasenplatz der Piazza del Duomo, auf dem sich auch die drei dazugehörenden Bauwerke Baptisterium, Camposanto Monumentale und der Campanile („Der Schiefe Turm von Pisa“) befinden. Dieser Platz wurde vom Dichter D’Annunzio als Piazza dei Miracoli (Platz der Wunder) bezeichnet und wird noch heute so genannt. Trotz einer Bauzeit von über 200 Jahren wurde durch den gleichbleibenden Baustoff Carrara-Marmor und die einheitliche Fassadengestaltung ein zusammenhängendes Bild geschaffen. Der Dom wurde zum Vorbild für spätere Dombauten wie z. B. in Florenz und Siena und galt jahrhundertelang als monumentalster Bau der christlichen Geschichte.
Papst Gelasius II. weihte 1118 den damals noch unvollendeten Dom ein. Er trägt das Patrozinium der Himmelfahrt Mariens.
Baugeschichte
Buscheto di Giovanni Giudice begann mit dem Bau des Doms im Jahre 1063 auf dem Schwemmboden vor der alten Stadtmauer. Finanziert wurde das Bauwerk mit den im gleichen Jahr von den Sarazenen vor Palermo eroberten Schätzen. Durch den weichen Untergrund sank auch der Dom im Osten leicht ein. Die kreuzförmige Grundfläche des Doms war zu diesem Zeitpunkt in Italien neu. Über der Vierung der fünfschiffigen Basilika mit dem dreischiffigen Querhaus erhebt sich eine elliptische Kuppel mit einem oktogonalen Ansatz. Sie wurde erst 1380 durch Lupo di Gante und Puccio di Gadduccio im gotischen Stil nachträglich hinzugefügt.
Die Fassade wurde am Ende des 12. Jahrhunderts von Rainaldo geschaffen und wurde als Pisaner Romanik in der gesamten Toskana zum Vorbild. Bei der westlichen Fassade erheben sich über den sieben Blendarkadenbögen im Erdgeschoss mit seinen drei Portalen vier Galerien mit insgesamt 52 Säulen. Auf dem Giebel der 35,5 m breiten und 34,2 m hohen Fassade steht eine Madonna mit Kind von Andrea Pisano. An ihrer Seite stehen Engel, die zusammen mit den beiden Evangelisten auf der ersten Galerie durch Schüler von Giovanni Pisano entstanden. Das mittlere Portal ist dem Leben Marias gewidmet. Im linken Bogen der Fassade ist das Grab des ersten Dombaumeisters Buscheto mit einer antiken Sarkophagspolie und einer langen Huldigung in die Wand eingefasst.
Die drei Bronzetore aus dem 17. Jahrhundert ersetzen die von Bonanno Pisano geschaffenen Tore von 1180, die bei einem schweren Feuer 1595 zerstört wurden. Die neuen Türen mit umfangreichen Reliefszenen wurden bis 1602 durch Schüler Giambolognas, Francavilla, Mocchi und Tacca, in loser Anlehnung an das alte Vorbild gegossen. Die Porta di San Ranieri am südlichen Seitenschiff ist dem Campanile zugewandt. Hier ist das restaurierte Original des Meisters Bonanno Pisano von 1186 noch erhalten. Es ist nach dem Schutzpatron Pisas benannt und stellt u. a. Szenen aus dem Leben Christi dar.
Am gesamten Gebäude findet man vielfach zusammenhanglose Zeichen auf den Außenwänden. Der Grund dafür liegt darin, dass man antike Baumaterialien wiederverwendete oder Materialien aus eroberten Städten holte.
Datierungsprobleme
Im Hinblick auf die Datierung des Baus und die historische Herleitung ihrer einzelnen Bauformen gibt es in der Forschung seit langem unterschiedliche Ansichten. Eine verbreitete Theorie nennt konkrete Zahlen und die Namen verschiedener Baumeister. Andere Kunsthistoriker halten diese Geschichten für bereits im Mittelalter erfundene Legenden.
Nach der ersten Theorie war der Seesieg bei Palermo über die damals im Mittelmeer herrschenden Sarazenen im Jahr 1063 Anlass zum Bau der Gesamtanlage. In Venedig spielten diese sarazenischen Seeräuber ebenfalls eine Rolle. Auch dort war die Abwendung dieser Gefahr Anlass gewesen, den Markusdom neu zu bauen, und zwar im selben Jahr 1063, in dem die Anlage in Pisa möglicherweise begonnen wurde. Auch die Pisaner hatten durch diesen Seesieg reiche Beute gemacht und den Ertrag zur Glorifizierung ihrer Stadt genutzt; Pisa war im 11. Jahrhundert die mächtigste Stadt der Toskana.
Nach der zweiten Ansicht ist lediglich erwiesen, dass im Jahr 1118 die Kathedrale im Bau befindlich war. Das sei das einzige zuverlässige Datum. Man habe damals die eher zufällige Anwesenheit des Papstes Gelasius II. genutzt, um eine angemessene Weihe zu vollziehen. Der Bau musste für diesen Fall schon weit genug fortgeschritten gewesen sein, so dass sich die angesetzten Entstehungszeiten der beiden Theorien nicht wesentlich unterscheiden.
Die Kathedrale gehört zusammen mit dem Markusdom in Venedig zu den ersten Monumentalbauten des mittelalterlichen Italiens. Daher stellt sich die Frage, auf wen die entscheidenden Bauideen zurückgehen. Die Stadt Pisa popularisierte schon sehr früh eine eigene lokalpatriotische Version, die dem Baumeister die gesamte Anlage als geniale, völlig eigenständige Idee zuschrieb, ohne dass fremde Einflüsse eine Rolle spielten. Demzufolge soll der erste Baumeister der Kathedrale Buscheto gewesen sein, über den nur sehr wenig bekannt ist. Vasari berichtet in seinen Vite, "Busketos" sei griechischer Herkunft gewesen – also kein geborener Pisaner. Dies wird mancherorts bestritten und vor allem lokal dadurch unterstrichen, dass man ihn „Buscheto Pisano“ nennt. Belegt ist seine Eigenschaft als Prokurator der Pfarre und als Mitglied der Dombauhütte.
Keine Einigkeit besteht in der Forschung, wer die Idee zu der Kathedrale hatte und was seine stilistischen Vorbilder waren. Pisa hatte – wie Venedig – als Seemacht intensive Handelsbeziehungen im östlichen Mittelmeer. Deshalb liegt es nahe, dass die östliche Baukunst hier Einfluss ausüben konnte. Auf jeden Fall war der Baumeister mit dem byzantinischen Kulturraum vertraut. Seine Baukunst nimmt Anleihen auf bei persischen Moscheen und bei frühchristlichen Kirchen in Armenien und Georgien. Zudem vereint sie Elemente der italienischen Romanik mit Motiven aus der Stadtmauer von Kairouan. Inschriften im Dom belegen die Mitarbeit von Heiden: Türken, Afrikanern, Persern und Chaldäern.
Auch wenn sich die Bauzeit des Pisaner Doms lange hinzog, ist der Gesamteindruck einheitlich. Der ersten Theorie zufolge verlief die weitere Entwicklung folgendermaßen: Vor Fertigstellung des Doms habe der neue Baumeister Rainaldus um 1100 den ursprünglichen Grundriss geändert. Er ließ das Langhaus verlängern, den Obergaden erhöhen – die ursprüngliche Höhe ist noch am Querhaus erkennbar – und das untere Geschoss der Fassade errichten. Vollendet worden soll der Bau bis 1160 durch den Innsbrucker Meister Wilhelm gen. Guglielmus (auch Guilielmus)., der um diese Zeit auch die erste Kanzel für den Dom schuf.
Rechts über dem mittleren Portal der Westfassade sind zwei Inschriften in die Wand eingelassen, deren erste Rainaldo als Bauherrn rühmen. Als demütige Replik folgt ein Bibelzitat aus der Vulgata (Psalm 21, Vers 22):
Hoc opus eximium tam mirum tam pretiosum
Rainaldus prudens operator et ipse magister
constituit mire sollerter et ingeniose
De ore leonis libera me domine et
a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam
Dieses hervorragende Werk, ebenso wunderbar wie kostspielig,
errichtete Rainald, der kluge Erbauer und selbst [Bau]meister,
in wundervoller, kunstvoller und erfinderischer Weise.
Aus dem Rachen des Löwen befreie mich, o Herr,
und von den Hörnern der Einhörner meine Niedrigkeit.
Bedeutung der Fassade für die Datierung
Die Westfassade des Doms stellt für die abendländische Architekturgeschichte eine entscheidende Neuerung dar, den Übergang von der glatten Wand zur plastisch gestalteten Schaufläche. Daher ist auch die Frage ihrer genauen Datierung wichtig, denn ähnlich gestaltete Fassaden wurden auch andernorts gebaut, etwa in Lucca an der Kathedrale San Martino, dessen Baumeister Guidetto da Como, der auch in Pisa tätig war, auf der Fassade mit dem Datum 1204 verewigt wurde.
Die kritischere zweite Theorie akzeptiert lediglich, dass in der zweiten Hälfte des 12. Jahrhunderts im Westen des Hauptschiffes drei Joche angefügt und die heutige Fassade begonnen wurden. Namen werden in dieser Theorie nicht genannt. Demnach könnte die gesamte Fassade auch erst um 1200 fertig und möglicherweise von Anfang an in ihrer heutigen Form geplant gewesen sein. Andere Schätzungen nehmen sogar erst die Mitte des 13. Jahrhunderts an – also hundert Jahre nach dem Datierungszeitraum der ersten Theorie.
Trotzdem spricht viel dafür, dass man zwei verschiedene Phasen in der Entwicklung des Dekorationssystems unterscheiden kann. Die ursprüngliche Konzeption hätte demnach vorgesehen, die Außenmauern im Erdgeschoss durch folgende Elemente zu gliedern: erstens durch Blendbögen, sodann durch waagerechte Streifen aus farbigem Marmor – nach dem Vorbild des Baptisteriums in Florenz – und durch eingelegte Ornamente und Medaillons. Dieses Schema gilt für das ganze Kathedraläußere, an den Seitenwänden auch für die oberen Geschosse. Doch in den über dem Erdgeschoß liegenden Etagen der Westfassade übertraf man diesen Formenreichtum noch um ein Vielfaches. Statt flächiger Aufblendung ließ man in vier Galerien übereinander eine plastische Dekorationsschicht aus Säulen und verzierten Bögen vor der eigentlichen Kirchenmauer deutlich hervortreten.
Legenden
Im Hauptschiff hängt ein bronzener Leuchter von Vincenzo Possenti aus dem Jahre 1587, der Entwurf stammt aber von Giovanni Battista Lorenzi. Es gibt die Geschichte, dass an dem Leuchter Galileo Galilei die Gesetze der Pendelschwingung gefunden haben soll. Sollte es ein Leuchter in dieser Kirche gewesen sein, der ihn auf das Gesetz brachte, kann es allerdings nicht dieser Leuchter gewesen sein, da Galileo Galilei das Gesetz um 1584 veröffentlicht hat.
Zwischen dem nördlichen Seitenschiff und der westlichen Fassade findet man an der Außenwand des Doms an einem Pfeiler einen Stein mit vielen schwarzen Punkten. Von diesem Stein erzählt man sich, dass er vom Teufel sei. Zählt man zweimal hintereinander die Punkte nach, so kommt man jeweils auf ein anderes Ergebnis.
(Wikipedia)
Please click to see the details
Built on a 9.5-metre high hill that makes it visible from far, covering an area of 22,000 square metres, and with the capacity to accommodate more than 40,000 worshippers, the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is an architectural masterpiece, dedicated to the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fondly remembered as the Father of the UAE.
Completed in 12 years at an estimated cost of Dh2.167 billion, it is the third biggest mosque in the world after Islam’s two holiest sites in Saudi Arabia – Mecca’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
With its 82 domes decorated in white marble and white gypsum adorning the mosque’s interior, the Zayed Mosque has earned the sobriquet, the ‘white pearl of the Gulf’. The mosque has four minarets on four corners with a height of about 107 metres each. The very best of coloured floral marble and mosaics have been used to pave the courtyard which is about 17,000 square metres.
While the mosque’s architecture combines the best of traditional Islamic designs and modern architectural techniques, what is drawing crowds to this holy place of worship is the sense of peace and utter serenity that it invokes.
The work on the mosque was initiated by the late ruler, founder and first president of the UAE whose vision was founded on dialogue between religions, civilisations and cultures. In the true spirit of this vision, the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, popularly called Grand Mosque by local residents, is seen as a ‘globally unifying’ landmark from its conception to completion, bringing together designers, features, materials and suppliers from nearly every corner of the globe - Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and the UAE. By Sangeetha Swaroop
"For the kingdom of God does not consist of words, but power. " The NIV translates this "Is not a matter of talk, but of power."
Paul is being very specific here, helping believers understand the power (dunamis in Greek) we should be releasing in our lives. Dunamis (we get the word dynamite from this word) is our inherent ability, our capacity to achieve or do. The power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is our dunamis; our words will not be cheap and idle when we listen to and act upon what God wants us to do and achieve. The hidden agendas of mankind's hearts will be exposed by the power of God!
When our Father speaks, He speaks truth and His words always come back fulfilled. Our words, when we speak with a humble heart and in service to Him, should reflect this power. It's a portion of our inherited authority He has blessed us with! This is part of the responsibility we have to God we need to work on ... releasing His power in our lives. That is how people today can see Jesus ... through our actions as His followers!
Release His power today with praise and thanksgiving! I'm praying for you!
Read 1 Corinthians 2:4-13, Ephesians 2:18-22, Hebrews 4:12 for more illumination.
Gospel Movie Clip | What Is the Difference Between God's Judgment Work in the Last Days and the Work of the Lord Jesus?
Introduction
View Feature Page: Judgment Beginning at the House of God
Some people believe that after the Lord's return. resurrected and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit descended to work on man on the day of Pentecost. He reproved the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. When we receive the work of the Holy Spirit and repent to the Lord for our sins, we are experiencing the Lord's judgment. The work done by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost should be the judgment work of God in the last days. Are we correct in the way we receive it? What is the difference between the work of the Lord Jesus and the judgment work of Almighty God in the last days?
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
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Gospel Movie Clip | Red Re-Education at Home" (5) - How Should Christianity Be Understood?
Introduction
It is common knowledge that Christianity, Catholicism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church are all religions that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church of Almighty God came into being because of the appearance and work of Christ of the last days. The Church of Almighty God is the church of Christ in the Age of Kingdom, and it is also a part of Christianity. So why does the Chinese Communist Party deny that The Church of Almighty God is a Christian church? What really is Christianity?
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
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The Word of the Holy Spirit | Almighty God's words "Are You a True Believer of God?"
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/word-are-you-a-true-belie...
Introduction
Almighty God says, "I have held man to a very strict standard all along. If your loyalty comes with intentions and conditions, then I would rather not have any of your so-called loyalty, for I abhor those who deceive Me through their intentions and extort Me with conditions. I only wish for man to be loyal to none other than Me, and to do all things for the sake of and to prove that one word: faith. I despise your use of sweetened words to make Me rejoice. For I always treat you with complete sincerity and so I wish for you to also act toward Me with a true faith. When it comes to faith, many may think that they follow God because they have faith, otherwise they would not bear such suffering. Then I ask you this: Why is it that you never revere God though you believe in His existence? Why, then, do you have no fear of God in your heart if you believe in His existence? You accept that Christ is the incarnation of God, so why do you hold such contempt and act so irreverently toward Him? Why do you openly judge Him? Why do you always watch His movements? Why do you not submit to His arrangements? Why do you not act in accordance with His word? Why do you extort and rob Him of His offerings? Why do you speak in the place of Christ? Why do you judge whether or not His work and His word are correct? Why do you dare blaspheme Him behind His back? Are these and others what constitute your faith?"
Recommended for You ：God's Work
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
Terms of Use: en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
To light the way through Holy Week....my latest commissioned work, celebrating the mission of evangelisation of Holy Innocents' Catholic Church, Orpington, Kent.
A blessing, I was given the freedom to depict the faith of the church - and knew, almost instantaneously, that, through my painting with prayers, Jesus, Our Lady and the Holy Spirit would emerge.
In January I travelled to Orpington to view the contemporary 1970s designed church to take photographs and make drawings on location to inspire my painting; completed in February. I like to reach the heart and spirit.
The original oil painting is due to be presented to the church this month, appropriately enough during what are the 50 days of Easter.
Deep gratitude to devout parishioner and professional football choreographer Mike Delaney who made this commission possible; and the belief in my work of the parish priest Fr Victor Vella and members of the church.
Peace and Light !
'A Parish On A Hilltop ; Holly Innocents' Catholic Church, Orpington'. 2023 by Stephen B. Whatley
Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in/76 x 102cm
Collection of Holy Innocents Catholic Church, Orpington, Kent.
Second Coming of Jesus | "When It Comes to God, What Is Your Understanding"
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/utterance-when-it-comes-t...
Introduction
Almighty God says, "The so-called God is not only the Holy Spirit, that Spirit, the sevenfold intensified Spirit, the all-encompassing Spirit, but also a person, an ordinary person, an exceptionally common person. He is not only male, but also female. They are similar in that They are both born to humans, and dissimilar in that one is conceived by the Holy Spirit and the other is born to a human but derived directly from the Spirit. They are similar in that both incarnate fleshes of God carry out God the Father’s work, and dissimilar in that one does the work of redemption and the other does the work of conquering. Both represent God the Father, but one is the Lord of redemption filled with lovingkindness and mercy, and the other is the God of righteousness filled with wrath and judgment. One is the Supreme Commander to launch the redemption work, and the other is the righteous God to accomplish the work of conquering. One is the Beginning, the other the End. One is sinless flesh, the other is flesh that completes the redemption, continues the work, and is never of sin. Both are the same Spirit, but They dwell in different fleshes and are born in different places. And They are separated by several thousand years. Yet all Their work is mutually complementary, never conflictual, and can be spoken of in the same breath. Both are people, but one is a baby boy and the other is an infant girl."
You may also Like : knock and the door shall be opened
en.godfootsteps.org/videos/only-God-loves-man-most-hymn.html
Introduction
English Christian Song | The Love of God Is Great | "Only God Loves Man Most"
God becomes flesh in the last days to save man for He loves man.
Driven by His love, He carries out today’s work.
It’s under the foundation of love.
God takes on flesh and suffers disgrace to save the tainted and broken ones.
He endures such pain.
For again and again, He shows His immeasurable love.
God doesn’t want any soul to be lost.
Man doesn’t care what his future will be.
Man doesn’t know how to cherish his own life.
But God does. Only He loves man. Oh … oh …
God’s words heal, encourage man.
They judge and curse, disclose and promise.
No matter what His words say, it comes from His love.
This is the essence of His work.
Why do so many follow closely? Why are they so full of energy?
God’s love and salvation, they all have seen.
God’s timing is perfect. He never delays.
God doesn’t want any soul to be lost.
Man doesn’t care what his future will be.
Man doesn’t know how to cherish his own life.
But God does. Oh, yes, He does. Only He loves man.
Man thinks he loves himself the most. But what kind of love is this?
God’s love is the most real, you will feel.
If God had not become flesh, guided and lived with man all the time,
it would be hard for them to know God’s love.
God doesn’t want any soul to be lost.
Man doesn’t care what his future will be.
Man doesn’t know how to cherish his own life.
But God does. Oh, yes, He does. Only God loves man.
Yes, only God loves man. Oh, yes, He does.
He loves man so. He loves man so.
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
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Then it was over. In fact, it was truly done in a manner of completion far beyond what the crowd understood.
"After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." John 19:28-30
God continued to provide physical types so that we could understand the spiritual activity. That cup of most bitter drink that Jesus had prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane might pass from Him if possible, was the Father's wrath at the sins of those Jesus would save. Having now completed that, having now paid in full every sin of every person He would save, Jesus now demonstrated this by drinking of the bitter wine He had refused before.
And He yielded to the physical death. Had evil prevailed over Christ? Hardly.
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”" John 10:17-18
It has been well said that what death did to Jesus is nothing compared to what Jesus did to death.
"When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away." Matthew 27:57-60
Continuing to fulfill prophecy in the most exact details, Christ's redemptive work marched on with the appropriation of His tomb.
The work was not yet complete. Justification had been achieved through His substitutionary atoning death on the cross but there was more to be done before His people would be secured for Himself forever, But the hard part was over.
Now, Jesus could rest from His labor of justification. He was active even now spiritually while His physical body lay silent. The religious leaders who had pushed for His death, who had aroused the mob against Him were still afraid.
"Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone." Matthew 27:62-66
After all, had Jesus not already said,
"Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." John 2:19-21
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Paprihaven celebrates the foreordained plan of God in His work of redemption for lost sinners culminating in the victorious resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead.
"“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." Acts 2:22-24
Previous Resurrection Day celebrations at Paprihaven:
2016:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/25962038802/
2017:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/34054141545/
2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/41096879842/
2019:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/32688654147/
2020:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49797426658/
2021:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51092700833/
2022:
New International Version (1984 Edition)
Revelation Chapter 22
The River of Life
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
Jesus Is Coming
7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. WORSHIP GOD"
10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
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Introduction
Almighty God says, "The biggest difference between God and mankind is that God rules over all things and supplies all things. God is the source of everything, and mankind enjoys all things while God supplies them. That is to say, man enjoys all things when he accepts the life God bestows on all things. Mankind enjoys the results of God’s creation of all things, whereas God is the Master. Right? Then from the perspective of all things, what is the difference between God and mankind? God can see clearly the growth patterns of all things, and controls and dominates the growth patterns of all things. That is, all things are in God’s eyes and within His scope of inspection. … Hence God is God, and man is man! Even if man keeps researching science and the laws of all things, it is only within a limited range, whereas God controls everything. For man, that is infinite."
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
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en.godfootsteps.org/videos/only-God-loves-man-most-hymn.html
Introduction
English Christian Song | The Love of God Is Great | "Only God Loves Man Most"
God becomes flesh in the last days to save man for He loves man.
Driven by His love, He carries out today’s work.
It’s under the foundation of love.
God takes on flesh and suffers disgrace to save the tainted and broken ones.
He endures such pain.
For again and again, He shows His immeasurable love.
God doesn’t want any soul to be lost.
Man doesn’t care what his future will be.
Man doesn’t know how to cherish his own life.
But God does. Only He loves man. Oh … oh …
God’s words heal, encourage man.
They judge and curse, disclose and promise.
No matter what His words say, it comes from His love.
This is the essence of His work.
Why do so many follow closely? Why are they so full of energy?
God’s love and salvation, they all have seen.
God’s timing is perfect. He never delays.
God doesn’t want any soul to be lost.
Man doesn’t care what his future will be.
Man doesn’t know how to cherish his own life.
But God does. Oh, yes, He does. Only He loves man.
Man thinks he loves himself the most. But what kind of love is this?
God’s love is the most real, you will feel.
If God had not become flesh, guided and lived with man all the time,
it would be hard for them to know God’s love.
God doesn’t want any soul to be lost.
Man doesn’t care what his future will be.
Man doesn’t know how to cherish his own life.
But God does. Oh, yes, He does. Only God loves man.
Yes, only God loves man. Oh, yes, He does.
He loves man so. He loves man so.
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Terms of Use： en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
Die Garnisonkirche (ehemals: Hof- und Garnisonkirche) war eine evangelische Kirche in der historischen Mitte von Potsdam, deren Turm von 2017 bis 2024 wiederaufgebaut wurde. Erbaut im Auftrag des preußischen Königs Friedrich Wilhelm I. nach Plänen des Architekten Philipp Gerlach in den Jahren 1730–1735, galt sie als ein Hauptwerk des norddeutschen Barocks. Mit einer Turmhöhe von fast 90 Metern war sie das höchste Bauwerk Potsdams und prägte im Dreikirchenblick zusammen mit der Nikolaikirche und der Heiliggeistkirche das Stadtbild. Gegen Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs wurde sie 1945 durch einen britischen Luftangriff in der sogenannten Nacht von Potsdam schwer beschädigt und brannte aus. Die Regierung der DDR ließ die gesicherte Ruine 1968 sprengen, um auf einem Teil des Grundstücks das Rechenzentrum Potsdam zu errichten.
Anhänger eines Wiederaufbaus des Gotteshauses traten 2004 mit dem Ruf aus Potsdam an die Öffentlichkeit. In der Folge ihres Engagements wird seit 2017 die kontrovers debattierte Rekonstruktion als offene Stadtkirche und internationales Versöhnungszentrum betrieben. Am Ostermontag 2024 wurde im wiedererrichteten Kirchturm die neue Nagelkreuzkapelle eröffnet. Im August 2024 wurde eine Ausstellung zur Geschichte des Ortes und die Aussichtsplattform in 57 Meter Höhe eröffnet. Noch fehlt dem Turm die Haube, deren Bau aber noch 2025 neben dem Turm begonnen werden und die dann bis 2027 auf den Turm gehoben werden soll. Das Kirchenschiff wird vermutlich, anders als ursprünglich geplant, nicht wieder errichtet, stattdessen wird über ein Veranstaltungszentrum oder auch einen Saal für die Stadtverordnetenversammlung diskutiert. Der Kirchturm ist bereits jetzt der höchste Aussichtspunkt Posdam, die Aussichtsterrasse ist barrierefrei zu erreichen.
Der Wiederaufbau des Turms war stark umstritten, und ist es immer noch, vor allem wegen des sogenannten "Tags von Potsdam" 1933. Bei den Reichstagswahlen vom 5. März 1933, die in einem Klima von Rechtsunsicherheit und Gewalt stattfanden, erhofften sich die Nationalsozialisten die absolute Mehrheit der Stimmen. Damit sollte die Selbstauflösung des Parlaments durchgesetzt werden, um endgültig den Weg in die Diktatur beschreiten zu können. In der Folge des Reichstagsbrandes in der Nacht vom 27. auf den 28. Februar beschloss das Reichskabinett auf Vorschlag Hitlers, die Reichstagseröffnung nach Potsdam zu verlegen. Unter Bezug auf die erste Reichstagseröffnung 1871 durch Kaiser Wilhelm I. im Weißen Saal des Berliner Schlosses wurde der 21. März als Termin festgesetzt. Höhepunkt der Feierlichkeiten war ein Staatsakt in der Garnisonkirche mit Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg, Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler, den Mitgliedern seiner Regierung und den Reichstagsabgeordneten mit Ausnahme der Abgeordneten der SPD und der KPD sowie geladenen Gäste aus dem öffentlichen Leben, der Wirtschaft und der Reichswehr. Damit ähnelte die Zusammenkunft dem Empfang der neuen Reichstagsabgeordneten beim Kaiser, wie es vor 1918 der Brauch gewesen war. Der stark von militärischen Traditionen geprägten Staatsakt in Potsdam mit Reden Hindenburgs und Hitlers und einer großen Militärparade wurde reichsweit im Radio live übertragen und von NS-Propagandaminister Joseph Goebbels als Tag von Potsdam inszeniert. Der Handschlag Hitlers und Hindenburgs vor der Garnisonkirche wurde fotografisch festgehalten und später von der NS-Propaganda zum symbolischen Händedruck stilisiert. Die Nazis, die ihre Macht noch nicht gefestigt sahen, sahen im Staatsakt in der Garnisonkirche die Chance, eine Annäherung zwischen Hitler und Hindenburg zu inszenieren und die 1932 im Reichspräsidenten-Wahlkampf noch heftige Spaltung des Mitte-Rechts-Lagers, als überwunden darzustellen. Dieses geschichtliche Ereignis und die Interpretation der Kirche als Symbol des preußischen Militarismus waren vermutlich Hauptgrund für den Abriss der wiederaufbaufähigen Ruine im Jahr 1968 durch die DDR-Behörden gewesen.
Dieser Text beruht im Wesentlichen auf Wikipedia
The Garrison Church (formerly: Court and Garrison Church) was a Protestant church in the historic centre of Potsdam, whose tower was rebuilt from 2017 to 2024. Built by order of the Prussian King Frederick William I according to plans by the architect Philipp Gerlach between 1730 and 1735, it was considered a major work of North German Baroque architecture. With a tower height of almost 90 metres, it was the tallest building in Potsdam and, together with St. Nicholas' and Holy Spirit Churches, dominated the cityscape in what was known as the 'Three-Churches-View' Towards the end of the Second World War, it was badly damaged by a British air raid in 1945 during the so-called Night of Potsdam and burnt out. The GDR government had the secured ruins blown up in 1968 in order to build the Potsdam Computer Centre on part of the site.
Supporters of rebuilding the church went public with the “'Call from Potsdam”' in 2004. As a result of their commitment, the controversially debated reconstruction as an open city church and international reconciliation centre has been underway since 2017. On Easter Monday 2024, the new Chapel of the Cross of Nails was opened in the rebuilt church tower. In August 2024, an exhibition on the history of the site and the viewing platform at a height of 57 metres were opened. The tower is still missing its spire, but construction will begin next to the tower in 2025 and the spire is due to be raised by 2027. The nave of the church will probably not be rebuilt as originally planned, instead there are discussions about an event centre or a hall for the town council meeting. The church tower is already the highest vantage point in Posdam, and the viewing terrace can be reached barrier-free.
The reconstruction of the tower was, and still is, highly controversial, mainly due to the so-called “Day of Potsdam” in 1933. The Nazis hoped to gain an absolute majority of votes in the Reichstag elections of 5 March 1933, which took place in a climate of legal uncertainty and violence. This was intended to force through the self-dissolution of parliament so that they could finally embark on the path to dictatorship. Following the Reichstag fire on the night of 27/28 February, the Reich Cabinet decided, at Hitler's suggestion, to move the opening of the Reichstag to Potsdam. With reference to the first Reichstag opening in 1871 by Emperor Wilhelm I in the White Hall of the Berlin Palace, 21 March was set as the date. The highlight of the celebrations was a state ceremony in the Garrison Church with Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, the members of his government and the Reichstag deputies, with the exception of the SPD and KPD deputies, as well as invited guests from public life, business and the armed forces. The gathering thus resembled the reception of the new Reichstag deputies by the Kaiser, as had been the custom before 1918. The state ceremony in Potsdam, which was strongly characterised by military traditions, with speeches by Hindenburg and Hitler and a large military parade, was broadcast live on the radio throughout the Reich and staged by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as the Day of Potsdam. Hitler and Hindenburg's handshake in front of the Garrison Church was photographed and later stylised by Nazi propaganda as a symbolic handshake. The Nazis, who did not yet see their power consolidated, saw the act of state in the Garrison Church as an opportunity to stage a rapprochement between Hitler and Hindenburg and to present the still fierce division of the centre-right in the 1932 presidential election campaign as having been overcome. This historical event and the interpretation of the church as a symbol of Prussian militarism were probably the main reasons for the demolition of the rebuildable ruins in 1968 by the GDR authorities.
This text is mainly based on Wikipedia
Am unteren linken Bildrand sieht man zwischen den Bäumen die russisch-orthodoxe Alexander-Newski-Gedächtniskirche, das älteste Gotteshaus dieser Konfession in Westeuropa. Sie wurde im Auftrag von König Friedrich Wilhelm III. von 1826 bis 1829 erbaut für einen Chor russischer Soldaten, für den die nahegelegene Siedlung Alexandrowka im Stil eines russischen Dorfs errichtet worden war.
The Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Memorial Church, the oldest church of this denomination in Western Europe, can be seen between the trees at the bottom left of the picture. It was commissioned by King Frederick William III and built between 1826 and 1829 for a choir of Russian soldiers, for whom the nearby settlement of Alexandrovka was built in the style of a Russian village.
Die Garnisonkirche (ehemals: Hof- und Garnisonkirche) war eine evangelische Kirche in der historischen Mitte von Potsdam, deren Turm von 2017 bis 2024 wiederaufgebaut wurde. Erbaut im Auftrag des preußischen Königs Friedrich Wilhelm I. nach Plänen des Architekten Philipp Gerlach in den Jahren 1730–1735, galt sie als ein Hauptwerk des norddeutschen Barocks. Mit einer Turmhöhe von fast 90 Metern war sie das höchste Bauwerk Potsdams und prägte im Dreikirchenblick zusammen mit der Nikolaikirche und der Heiliggeistkirche das Stadtbild. Gegen Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs wurde sie 1945 durch einen britischen Luftangriff in der sogenannten Nacht von Potsdam schwer beschädigt und brannte aus. Die Regierung der DDR ließ die gesicherte Ruine 1968 sprengen, um auf einem Teil des Grundstücks das Rechenzentrum Potsdam zu errichten.
Anhänger eines Wiederaufbaus des Gotteshauses traten 2004 mit dem Ruf aus Potsdam an die Öffentlichkeit. In der Folge ihres Engagements wird seit 2017 die kontrovers debattierte Rekonstruktion als offene Stadtkirche und internationales Versöhnungszentrum betrieben. Am Ostermontag 2024 wurde im wiedererrichteten Kirchturm die neue Nagelkreuzkapelle eröffnet. Im August 2024 wurde eine Ausstellung zur Geschichte des Ortes und die Aussichtsplattform in 57 Meter Höhe eröffnet. Noch fehlt dem Turm die Haube, deren Bau aber noch 2025 neben dem Turm begonnen werden und die dann bis 2027 auf den Turm gehoben werden soll. Das Kirchenschiff wird vermutlich, anders als ursprünglich geplant, nicht wieder errichtet, stattdessen wird über ein Veranstaltungszentrum oder auch einen Saal für die Stadtverordnetenversammlung diskutiert. Der Kirchturm ist bereits jetzt der höchste Aussichtspunkt Posdam, die Aussichtsterrasse ist barrierefrei zu erreichen.
Der Wiederaufbau des Turms war stark umstritten, und ist es immer noch, vor allem wegen des sogenannten "Tags von Potsdam" 1933. Bei den Reichstagswahlen vom 5. März 1933, die in einem Klima von Rechtsunsicherheit und Gewalt stattfanden, erhofften sich die Nationalsozialisten die absolute Mehrheit der Stimmen. Damit sollte die Selbstauflösung des Parlaments durchgesetzt werden, um endgültig den Weg in die Diktatur beschreiten zu können. In der Folge des Reichstagsbrandes in der Nacht vom 27. auf den 28. Februar beschloss das Reichskabinett auf Vorschlag Hitlers, die Reichstagseröffnung nach Potsdam zu verlegen. Unter Bezug auf die erste Reichstagseröffnung 1871 durch Kaiser Wilhelm I. im Weißen Saal des Berliner Schlosses wurde der 21. März als Termin festgesetzt. Höhepunkt der Feierlichkeiten war ein Staatsakt in der Garnisonkirche mit Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg, Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler, den Mitgliedern seiner Regierung und den Reichstagsabgeordneten mit Ausnahme der Abgeordneten der SPD und der KPD sowie geladenen Gäste aus dem öffentlichen Leben, der Wirtschaft und der Reichswehr. Damit ähnelte die Zusammenkunft dem Empfang der neuen Reichstagsabgeordneten beim Kaiser, wie es vor 1918 der Brauch gewesen war. Der stark von militärischen Traditionen geprägten Staatsakt in Potsdam mit Reden Hindenburgs und Hitlers und einer großen Militärparade wurde reichsweit im Radio live übertragen und von NS-Propagandaminister Joseph Goebbels als Tag von Potsdam inszeniert. Der Handschlag Hitlers und Hindenburgs vor der Garnisonkirche wurde fotografisch festgehalten und später von der NS-Propaganda zum symbolischen Händedruck stilisiert. Die Nazis, die ihre Macht noch nicht gefestigt sahen, sahen im Staatsakt in der Garnisonkirche die Chance, eine Annäherung zwischen Hitler und Hindenburg zu inszenieren und die 1932 im Reichspräsidenten-Wahlkampf noch heftige Spaltung des Mitte-Rechts-Lagers, als überwunden darzustellen. Dieses geschichtliche Ereignis und die Interpretation der Kirche als Symbol des preußischen Militarismus waren vermutlich Hauptgrund für den Abriss der wiederaufbaufähigen Ruine im Jahr 1968 durch die DDR-Behörden gewesen.
Dieser Text beruht im Wesentlichen auf Wikipedia
The Garrison Church (formerly: Court and Garrison Church) was a Protestant church in the historic centre of Potsdam, whose tower was rebuilt from 2017 to 2024. Built by order of the Prussian King Frederick William I according to plans by the architect Philipp Gerlach between 1730 and 1735, it was considered a major work of North German Baroque architecture. With a tower height of almost 90 metres, it was the tallest building in Potsdam and, together with St. Nicholas' and Holy Spirit Churches, dominated the cityscape in what was known as the 'Three-Churches-View' Towards the end of the Second World War, it was badly damaged by a British air raid in 1945 during the so-called Night of Potsdam and burnt out. The GDR government had the secured ruins blown up in 1968 in order to build the Potsdam Computer Centre on part of the site.
Supporters of rebuilding the church went public with the “'Call from Potsdam”' in 2004. As a result of their commitment, the controversially debated reconstruction as an open city church and international reconciliation centre has been underway since 2017. On Easter Monday 2024, the new Chapel of the Cross of Nails was opened in the rebuilt church tower. In August 2024, an exhibition on the history of the site and the viewing platform at a height of 57 metres were opened. The tower is still missing its spire, but construction will begin next to the tower in 2025 and the spire is due to be raised by 2027. The nave of the church will probably not be rebuilt as originally planned, instead there are discussions about an event centre or a hall for the town council meeting. The church tower is already the highest vantage point in Posdam, and the viewing terrace can be reached barrier-free.
The reconstruction of the tower was, and still is, highly controversial, mainly due to the so-called “Day of Potsdam” in 1933. The Nazis hoped to gain an absolute majority of votes in the Reichstag elections of 5 March 1933, which took place in a climate of legal uncertainty and violence. This was intended to force through the self-dissolution of parliament so that they could finally embark on the path to dictatorship. Following the Reichstag fire on the night of 27/28 February, the Reich Cabinet decided, at Hitler's suggestion, to move the opening of the Reichstag to Potsdam. With reference to the first Reichstag opening in 1871 by Emperor Wilhelm I in the White Hall of the Berlin Palace, 21 March was set as the date. The highlight of the celebrations was a state ceremony in the Garrison Church with Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, the members of his government and the Reichstag deputies, with the exception of the SPD and KPD deputies, as well as invited guests from public life, business and the armed forces. The gathering thus resembled the reception of the new Reichstag deputies by the Kaiser, as had been the custom before 1918. The state ceremony in Potsdam, which was strongly characterised by military traditions, with speeches by Hindenburg and Hitler and a large military parade, was broadcast live on the radio throughout the Reich and staged by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as the Day of Potsdam. Hitler and Hindenburg's handshake in front of the Garrison Church was photographed and later stylised by Nazi propaganda as a symbolic handshake. The Nazis, who did not yet see their power consolidated, saw the act of state in the Garrison Church as an opportunity to stage a rapprochement between Hitler and Hindenburg and to present the still fierce division of the centre-right in the 1932 presidential election campaign as having been overcome. This historical event and the interpretation of the church as a symbol of Prussian militarism were probably the main reasons for the demolition of the rebuildable ruins in 1968 by the GDR authorities.
This text is mainly based on Wikipedia
Homily29OT_102223
“Love Conquers All”
Today, I want to discuss our Gospel reading in the context of the two great commandments Jesus gives us; to love God with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. With these clear and straightforward commandments, we navigate a perilous and divided world. Secular culture would have us believe that we must leave our beliefs out of the public discourse. Living the Gospel in such a chaotic environment is challenging and dangerous, as it has always been and will continue to be. We do not walk this journey alone. God has given us an example to live by…HIS Son and the Holy Spirit, our constant companion. We carry, our love for God, not just in our words, but more importantly in our kindness and actions.
Our Gospel reading from Matthew, gives us an example of how Jesus navigates unfriendly forces, which always includes the Pharisees and, in this case, the Herodians that were directly supported by the Romans. Their goal is stated clearly “how they could entrap Jesus in speech.” They flatter Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” They then launch the well thought out question: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
Jesus knows they have witnessed the light. The problem is that they want to extinguish the light. Sometimes we miss this important point. We get the secondary message which is winning the debate…and focusing on the famous “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Some say that this is the seed of our secular culture…the separation of Church and State.
We all feel this tension of separation personally. We are taught in our jobs to never talk about religion or politics. Clergy are taught not to preach politics from the pulpit. These two topics have caused division in families and between friends. What are we to do?
Our gospel acclamation tells us where our focus should be:
“Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life.”
Let me share a story…I recently read on a deacon blog…and I quote:
“Just before the pandemic, my son had purchased a dog. It quickly became a source of frustration and joy. This dog become the motivation for me to walk every day. Soon several neighbors where meeting in the park with their dogs. The dogs play and the adults talk. Soon we were a caring community…now going on for three years. Most of them where non church goers, but I never preached. I knew the rules and I respected the boundaries. However, I am who I am. They knew I was a Catholic….and a deacon. They knew that I preached at church, andI had other church duties. Most important they knew I saw them as the beautiful and caring people they are. I was nonjudgmental and listened to them.
Recently, one couple from this group met me at my house. They had just lost their only son and want me to talk at his funeral.” End quote!
In an indirect and influential way…this couple was looking for comfort. They found it with a friend. The boundaries of correctness were breached and healing and comfort where found-a loving light was shining in the darkness.
This week, I have been reading a book, by Richard Rohr, called “Everything Belongs. In it, he states:
“When we see that the world is enchanted, we see the revelation of God in each individual as individual. Then our job is not to be Mother Teresa, our job is not to be St. Francis — it’s to do what is ours to do. That, by the way, was Francis’s word as he lay dying. He said, “I have done what was mine to do; now you must do what is yours to do.” We must find out what part of the mystery it is ours to reflect.”
We are called to engage and work in the world. God works uniquely in and through each of us and also through those who appear not believe in Him. The way of love is the hardest path to follow. What better example do we have then Jesus himself?
In a few moments…we will receive Him in the Eucharist. We will carry this light into the world…this light will surely be shared with others, in a mysterious and beautiful way, as we love God and neighbor.
I close with a familiar verse from a Catholic hymn:
Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife:
And preach thee, too, as love knows how,
By kindly deeds and virtuous life.
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-the-creators-authority/
Introduction
I
Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Tied to His workings, they are held within His sway. The laws of science and nature reveal how He works and rules. And the struggle to survive shows His supremacy. Yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things show His sovereign control.
II
In life and death and everything, mankind sees the Creator's work. In life and death and everything, mankind sees the Creator's work and bears witness to His superior ways that transcend all earthly powers and laws. So no created being can violate God's rule or change what He has ordained. All things bow to His laws, showing His authority. Both now and forever more.
from "God Himself, the Unique III" in Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh
When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/god-has-made-anew-heaven-...
Almighty God says, "The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit. I advise you to tread the path of belief in God with care. Do not jump to conclusions; what’s more, do not be casual and carefree in your belief in God. You should know that, at the very least, those who believe in God should be humble and reverential. Those who have heard the truth and yet turn their nose up at it are foolish and ignorant. Those who have heard the truth and yet carelessly jump to conclusions or condemn it are beset by arrogance. No one who believes in Jesus is qualified to curse or condemn others. You should all be someone who is rational and accepts the truth."
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A Hymn of God's Words
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/He-is-our-God-2/
He Is Our God （Eastern Lightning）
I
No one apart from Him
can know our every thought,
can have such a grasp
of our nature and substance,
can judge the rebellion,
corruption of mankind,
work and speak among us
on behalf of God in heaven.
This ordinary, insignificant One
rejected by us,
is He not the Lord Jesus
ever in our thoughts,
whom we long for night and day?
It is He! Our God!
The truth, the way and the life!
II
No one but Him has the authority,
the wisdom, and the dignity of God.
God's disposition, what God has and is,
are issued forth from Him.
This ordinary, insignificant One
rejected by us,
is He not the Lord Jesus
ever in our thoughts,
whom we long for night and day?
It is He! Our God!
The truth, the way and the life!
III
None but Him can bring us light
and show the way,
reveal the mysteries
that God has not shown 'till today.
No one apart from Him
can save us from bondage,
our corrupt disposition from Satan.
He represents God,
utters the voice of God's heart,
His exhortations and
judgment of mankind.
This ordinary, insignificant One
rejected by us,
is He not the Lord Jesus
ever in our thoughts,
whom we long for night and day?
It is He! Our God!
The truth, the way and the life!
IV
He has brought a new age,
a new heaven and earth.
He brings new work and hope for us,
ending lives we led in obscurity,
letting us behold the path of salvation.
He has conquered our being
and gained our hearts.
Now our minds become conscious
and our spirits revived.
This ordinary, insignificant One
rejected by us,
is He not the Lord Jesus
ever in our thoughts,
whom we long for night and day?
It is He! Our God!
The truth, the way and the life!
from "Beholding the Appearance of God in His Judgment and Chastisement" （The Church of Almighty God）
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5. Woe to Those Who Crucify God Once Again
During the last days, God has been incarnated in China to work, and has expressed millions of words, conquering and saving a group of people with His word and ushering in the new age of judgment beginning with the house of God. Today, the spreading of God’s work during the last days has reached its climax in Mainland China. Most of the people in Catholic communities and all Christian denominations who pursue the truth have returned before God’s throne. The incarnate God has accomplished the work of “the Son of man’s secret coming” prophesied in the Bible, and will soon appear publicly to every nation and place in the world. All people in every nation and place who thirst for God’s appearance will look upon God’s public appearance. No force can hinder or destroy God’s kingdom, and anyone who resists God will be punished by God’s wrath, just as it is said in God’s words: “My kingdom is coming into shape above the whole universe, and My throne holds sway in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people. With the angels’ assistance, My great accomplishment will soon be brought to fruition. All My sons and My people await My return with bated breath, longing for Me to reunite with them, never to be separated again. How could the multitudinous populace of My kingdom not race toward one another in joyful celebration because of My being together with them? Can this be a reunion for which no price need be paid? I am honorable in all men’s eyes, I am proclaimed in the words of all. When I return, I will conquer all enemy forces even more. The time has come! I will put My work in motion, I will reign as King among men! I am on the point of return! And I am about to depart! This is what everyone is hoping for, it is what they wish. I shall let the whole of humanity see the arrival of My day, and let them welcome the coming of My day with joy!” (“The Twenty-seventh Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “All those that I love will surely live for eternity, and all those who stand against Me will surely be chastised by Me for eternity. For I am a jealous God, I will not lightly spare men for all that they have done. I will watch over the whole earth, and, appearing in the East of the world with righteousness, majesty, wrath, and chastisement, I will reveal Myself to the myriad hosts of humanity!” (“The Twenty-sixth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
(....)
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God
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…Some brothers and sisters may raise questions, and will say: “We’ve believed in the Lord for many years and have worked very hard for Him. We can’t count how many churches we’ve established, and we’ve even been sent to prison. So even if we do commit sin, God will surely not abandon us!” If this was truly the case, then wouldn’t those Jewish Pharisees who traveled all over the lands and seas to spread the gospel, and yet defied and condemned the Lord Jesus, all have been able to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Why were they still condemned and cursed by the Lord Jesus? Wasn’t the Lord Jesus the loving and merciful God? How was He still able to condemn and curse them? Moreover, these people worked hard for God, so why didn’t the Lord Jesus pardon their sins? Regarding this question, these words of the Lord Jesus come to mind: “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Mat 7:21-23). And a book of truth also says: “Some people will end up saying, ‘I’ve done so much work for You, and though there may not have been celebrated achievements, still I have been diligent in my efforts. Can’t You just let me into heaven to eat the fruit of life?’ You must know what kind of people I desire; those who are impure are not permitted to enter into the kingdom, those who are impure are not permitted to besmirch the holy ground. Though you may have done much work, and have worked for many years, in the end if you are still deplorably filthy—it is intolerable to the law of Heaven that you wish to enter My kingdom!” (“Success or Failure Depends on the Path That Man Walks” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Reading these words, I suddenly saw the light. It turns out that those who will enter the kingdom of heaven must indeed be those who cast off sin and are cleansed, who follow God’s way, and who obey God, worship God and love God. Those who spread the gospel and cast out demons in the Lord’s name but who don’t follow God’s way are evil-doers in the eyes of God. …
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique (III) God's Authority (II)" (Part Three)
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/gods-authority-2-part-three/
God's words in this video are from the book "Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh".
The content of this video:
Progeny: The Fifth Juncture
1. One Has No Control Over What Becomes of One's Offspring
2. After Raising the Next Generation, People Gain a New Understanding of Fate
3. Believing in Fate Is No Substitute for a Knowledge of the Creator’s Sovereignty
4. Only Those Who Submit to the Creator’s Sovereignty Can Attain True Freedom
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
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"The Substance of Christ Is Obedience to the Will of the Heavenly Father" (Selected Passage)
(When the Lord Jesus Knocks at the Door, How Will We Answer)
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Almighty God says, "The incarnate God is called Christ, and Christ is the flesh donned by the Spirit of God. This flesh is unlike any man that is of the flesh. This difference is because Christ is not of flesh and blood but is the incarnation of the Spirit. He has both a normal humanity and a complete divinity. His divinity is not possessed by any man. His normal humanity sustains all His normal activities in the flesh, while His divinity carries out the work of God Himself. Be it His humanity or divinity, both submit to the will of the heavenly Father. The substance of Christ is the Spirit, that is, the divinity. Therefore, His substance is that of God Himself; this substance will not interrupt His own work, and He could not possibly do anything that destroys His own work, nor would He ever utter any words that go against His own will. Therefore, the incarnate God would absolutely never do any work that interrupts His own management. This is what all man should understand. The essence of the work of the Holy Spirit is to save man and is for the sake of God’s own management. Similarly, the work of Christ is to save man and is for the sake of God’s will. Given that God becomes flesh, He realizes His substance within His flesh, such that His flesh is sufficient to undertake His work. Therefore, all the work of God’s Spirit is replaced by the work of Christ during the time of incarnation, and at the core of all work throughout the time of incarnation is the work of Christ. It cannot be commingled with work from any other age. And since God becomes flesh, He works in the identity of His flesh; since He comes in the flesh, He then finishes in the flesh the work that He ought to do. Be it the Spirit of God or be it Christ, both are God Himself, and He does the work that He ought to do and performs the ministry that He ought to perform." (Unveiled: The True Meaning of “It Is Finished” Spoken by the Lord Jesus on the Cross)
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Im Alten Rathaus und den mit ihm verbunden zwei rechts angrenzenden Gebäuden befindet sich das stadtgeschichtliche Potsdam-Museum.
The Old Town Hall and the two adjoining buildings on the right house the Potsdam History Museum.
Die Garnisonkirche (ehemals: Hof- und Garnisonkirche) war eine evangelische Kirche in der historischen Mitte von Potsdam, deren Turm von 2017 bis 2024 wiederaufgebaut wurde. Erbaut im Auftrag des preußischen Königs Friedrich Wilhelm I. nach Plänen des Architekten Philipp Gerlach in den Jahren 1730–1735, galt sie als ein Hauptwerk des norddeutschen Barocks. Mit einer Turmhöhe von fast 90 Metern war sie das höchste Bauwerk Potsdams und prägte im Dreikirchenblick zusammen mit der Nikolaikirche und der Heiliggeistkirche das Stadtbild. Gegen Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs wurde sie 1945 durch einen britischen Luftangriff in der sogenannten Nacht von Potsdam schwer beschädigt und brannte aus. Die Regierung der DDR ließ die gesicherte Ruine 1968 sprengen, um auf einem Teil des Grundstücks das Rechenzentrum Potsdam zu errichten.
Anhänger eines Wiederaufbaus des Gotteshauses traten 2004 mit dem Ruf aus Potsdam an die Öffentlichkeit. In der Folge ihres Engagements wird seit 2017 die kontrovers debattierte Rekonstruktion als offene Stadtkirche und internationales Versöhnungszentrum betrieben. Am Ostermontag 2024 wurde im wiedererrichteten Kirchturm die neue Nagelkreuzkapelle eröffnet. Im August 2024 wurde eine Ausstellung zur Geschichte des Ortes und die Aussichtsplattform in 57 Meter Höhe eröffnet. Noch fehlt dem Turm die Haube, deren Bau aber noch 2025 neben dem Turm begonnen werden und die dann bis 2027 auf den Turm gehoben werden soll. Das Kirchenschiff wird vermutlich, anders als ursprünglich geplant, nicht wieder errichtet, stattdessen wird über ein Veranstaltungszentrum oder auch einen Saal für die Stadtverordnetenversammlung diskutiert. Der Kirchturm ist bereits jetzt der höchste Aussichtspunkt Posdam, die Aussichtsterrasse ist barrierefrei zu erreichen.
Der Wiederaufbau des Turms war stark umstritten, und ist es immer noch, vor allem wegen des sogenannten "Tags von Potsdam" 1933. Bei den Reichstagswahlen vom 5. März 1933, die in einem Klima von Rechtsunsicherheit und Gewalt stattfanden, erhofften sich die Nationalsozialisten die absolute Mehrheit der Stimmen. Damit sollte die Selbstauflösung des Parlaments durchgesetzt werden, um endgültig den Weg in die Diktatur beschreiten zu können. In der Folge des Reichstagsbrandes in der Nacht vom 27. auf den 28. Februar beschloss das Reichskabinett auf Vorschlag Hitlers, die Reichstagseröffnung nach Potsdam zu verlegen. Unter Bezug auf die erste Reichstagseröffnung 1871 durch Kaiser Wilhelm I. im Weißen Saal des Berliner Schlosses wurde der 21. März als Termin festgesetzt. Höhepunkt der Feierlichkeiten war ein Staatsakt in der Garnisonkirche mit Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg, Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler, den Mitgliedern seiner Regierung und den Reichstagsabgeordneten mit Ausnahme der Abgeordneten der SPD und der KPD sowie geladenen Gäste aus dem öffentlichen Leben, der Wirtschaft und der Reichswehr. Damit ähnelte die Zusammenkunft dem Empfang der neuen Reichstagsabgeordneten beim Kaiser, wie es vor 1918 der Brauch gewesen war. Der stark von militärischen Traditionen geprägten Staatsakt in Potsdam mit Reden Hindenburgs und Hitlers und einer großen Militärparade wurde reichsweit im Radio live übertragen und von NS-Propagandaminister Joseph Goebbels als Tag von Potsdam inszeniert. Der Handschlag Hitlers und Hindenburgs vor der Garnisonkirche wurde fotografisch festgehalten und später von der NS-Propaganda zum symbolischen Händedruck stilisiert. Die Nazis, die ihre Macht noch nicht gefestigt sahen, sahen im Staatsakt in der Garnisonkirche die Chance, eine Annäherung zwischen Hitler und Hindenburg zu inszenieren und die 1932 im Reichspräsidenten-Wahlkampf noch heftige Spaltung des Mitte-Rechts-Lagers, als überwunden darzustellen. Dieses geschichtliche Ereignis und die Interpretation der Kirche als Symbol des preußischen Militarismus waren vermutlich Hauptgrund für den Abriss der wiederaufbaufähigen Ruine im Jahr 1968 durch die DDR-Behörden gewesen.
Dieser Text beruht im Wesentlichen auf Wikipedia
The Garrison Church (formerly: Court and Garrison Church) was a Protestant church in the historic centre of Potsdam, whose tower was rebuilt from 2017 to 2024. Built by order of the Prussian King Frederick William I according to plans by the architect Philipp Gerlach between 1730 and 1735, it was considered a major work of North German Baroque architecture. With a tower height of almost 90 metres, it was the tallest building in Potsdam and, together with St. Nicholas' and Holy Spirit Churches, dominated the cityscape in what was known as the 'Three-Churches-View' Towards the end of the Second World War, it was badly damaged by a British air raid in 1945 during the so-called Night of Potsdam and burnt out. The GDR government had the secured ruins blown up in 1968 in order to build the Potsdam Computer Centre on part of the site.
Supporters of rebuilding the church went public with the “'Call from Potsdam”' in 2004. As a result of their commitment, the controversially debated reconstruction as an open city church and international reconciliation centre has been underway since 2017. On Easter Monday 2024, the new Chapel of the Cross of Nails was opened in the rebuilt church tower. In August 2024, an exhibition on the history of the site and the viewing platform at a height of 57 metres were opened. The tower is still missing its spire, but construction will begin next to the tower in 2025 and the spire is due to be raised by 2027. The nave of the church will probably not be rebuilt as originally planned, instead there are discussions about an event centre or a hall for the town council meeting. The church tower is already the highest vantage point in Posdam, and the viewing terrace can be reached barrier-free.
The reconstruction of the tower was, and still is, highly controversial, mainly due to the so-called “Day of Potsdam” in 1933. The Nazis hoped to gain an absolute majority of votes in the Reichstag elections of 5 March 1933, which took place in a climate of legal uncertainty and violence. This was intended to force through the self-dissolution of parliament so that they could finally embark on the path to dictatorship. Following the Reichstag fire on the night of 27/28 February, the Reich Cabinet decided, at Hitler's suggestion, to move the opening of the Reichstag to Potsdam. With reference to the first Reichstag opening in 1871 by Emperor Wilhelm I in the White Hall of the Berlin Palace, 21 March was set as the date. The highlight of the celebrations was a state ceremony in the Garrison Church with Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, the members of his government and the Reichstag deputies, with the exception of the SPD and KPD deputies, as well as invited guests from public life, business and the armed forces. The gathering thus resembled the reception of the new Reichstag deputies by the Kaiser, as had been the custom before 1918. The state ceremony in Potsdam, which was strongly characterised by military traditions, with speeches by Hindenburg and Hitler and a large military parade, was broadcast live on the radio throughout the Reich and staged by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as the Day of Potsdam. Hitler and Hindenburg's handshake in front of the Garrison Church was photographed and later stylised by Nazi propaganda as a symbolic handshake. The Nazis, who did not yet see their power consolidated, saw the act of state in the Garrison Church as an opportunity to stage a rapprochement between Hitler and Hindenburg and to present the still fierce division of the centre-right in the 1932 presidential election campaign as having been overcome. This historical event and the interpretation of the church as a symbol of Prussian militarism were probably the main reasons for the demolition of the rebuildable ruins in 1968 by the GDR authorities.
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Praise God Almighty | New Heaven and Earth Has Appeared | "The Universe and Expanse Is Praising God"
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/the-universe-and-expanse-...
New heaven, new earth, and new age; the entire universe is rejoicing.
New people, new things, and new kingdom; all God’s people along with all things are praising Him.
New songs, new dances, and new life; brothers and sisters are singing and extolling the accomplishment of God’s work.
Look! The new kingdom hymn “The Universe and Expanse Is Praising God,” accompanied by the passionate and vigorous drumbeats, leads you to praise God freely!
The Universe and Expanse Is Praising God
Ay … songs are many and dances are graceful;
the universe and the ends of the earth become a seething sea.
Ay … the heaven is new and the earth is new.
The vast expanse of the universe is full of praising; we shout and leap for joy.
Mountains join mountains and waters join waters, all brothers and sisters are heart to heart.
We praise God unceasingly. Created beings love God,
coming joyfully before His throne to worship together.
God has in Zion revealed to the universe His righteousness and holiness.
All God’s people are beaming with joy, praising God unceasingly.
Praise God, praise God!
Hallelujah! Praise God, praise God!
To love God, we must offer up a true heart.
Sing and dance to praise Almighty God.
The praising voice rends the skies.
Let us, male and female, old and young, catch up together.
You offer songs and I offer dances, you sing and I cooperate.
Shamed is the devil—the great red dragon; glorified is the name of the almighty true God.
We all have seen from His work God’s righteous disposition.
Almighty God is a righteous God. All God’s people have seen His glorious countenance.
We all pursue to love and satisfy God, willing to be faithful to Him forever.
Praise God, praise God!
Hallelujah! Praise God, praise God!
Come! Let’s praise God!
Come! Let’s praise God!
Coming!
Mountains are rejoicing and waters are laughing,
all nations and all peoples are laughing happily. What a new look!
The new heaven, new earth, and new kingdom!
We dance and sing new songs for God; we’re so joyful!
The most beautiful songs are sung to God, the most graceful dances are presented to God.
A sincere heart is held up to God, a true heart is offered up to God.
All God’s people and all things will praise Him forever without ceasing. Ay!
Oh! Zion is so glorious!
God’s dwelling place glows with rays of light. Its glory shines throughout the entire universe.
Almighty God wears a smile, and sits on the throne watching the new look of the entire universe. Hey!
Eastern Lightning,The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Christian Worship Song "God's Kingdom Has Appeared on Earth"
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Christian Worship Song "God's Kingdom Has Appeared on Earth"
I
Almighty true God, King on the throne,
ruling the whole universe,
facing all nations and all peoples.
The whole world shines with God’s glory.
All things in the universe shall see,
all living things everywhere shall see.
The mountains, lands, rivers and lakes,
oceans and all living beings,
in the light of the true God’s presence,
have opened their curtains, revived,
as though waking to life from a dream,
or like sprouts breaking through soil to light.
Oh, the one true God appears before the world.
Who dares, who dares to resist Him?
Everyone shakes with fear, all feeling convinced,
on their knees, on their knees before Him!
See them beg His forgiveness, pleading endlessly.
Every mouth, every mouth in worship!
II
Continents and oceans, mountains, rivers,
all things praise Him endlessly.
Spring breezes bring fine rain.
Stream currents, like people, mixing grief with joy,
they’re shedding tears of indebtedness,
they’re weeping, full of blame and remorse.
Rivers, lakes, surf, swells, all are singing
and praising God’s holy name.
All old things defiled by Satan,
each and every one will renew.
All things once corrupted will change.
They will enter a new circumstance.
Oh, the one true God appears before the world.
Who dares, who dares to resist Him?
Everyone shakes with fear, all feeling convinced,
on their knees, on their knees before Him!
See them beg His forgiveness, pleading endlessly.
Every mouth, every mouth in worship!
III
Then the trumpet sounds a holy blast.
Lend an ear and listen.
A sweet sound comes out from the throne,
announcing to every nation
that the time has already come,
the final end has come at last.
God’s management plan is finished
and His kingdom has come on earth.
Every kingdom in the world
has become the kingdom of God.
Seven trumpets sound from the throne,
what great wonders will now take place!
God joys to see His people, who hear His voice.
They gather from all nations and lands.
All people keep the true God in their mouths,
praise and jump, praise and jump endlessly!
Witnessing to the world of the one true God,
thundering, thundering like waters.
All will crowd into God’s kingdom!
from Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
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When you look upon a tomb stone, all most people see is just that, an empty grave site. But if you can look closer perhaps another story can unfold. So was the case of a distant relative of mine.
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Arthur LeClair was Murdered Dec. 22, in 1907 in Neche, North Dakota and was a distant family member of mine. He was murdered by his best friend. It made headlines in the surrounding towns. A very interesting story to read with a "surprise ending".
***************************
The Pink Paper
Bathgate, Pembina Co, North Dakota
December 25, 1907
HORRIBLE MURDER
ARTHUR LECLAIR OF NECHE
KILLED WITH A HATCHET
Suspect arrested at Bathgate on Monday
Coroner’s inquest to be held today.
On Monday morning this city was greatly stirred up over a phone message to the effect that Arthur LeClair, well known to our young people, had been murdered the previous evening at Neche.
Inquiry at the chronotype office brought the following information. Arthur had been about town on Sunday evening until about 11:15 p.m. when he started home along.
That was the last seen as he did not go home, that night, his father became some what worried over his absence. He called the residence of Robert Faulker, a neighbor, and the two started to look for him. They thought he might have gone to the ice rink on the river near the Great Northern Railroad crossing and perhaps had fallen in some way and injured himself. When within a few hundred feet of the dam they came across a pool of blood but were not especially alarmed, thinking it, that of some animal. They followed the bloody trail and shortly came on a small axe or hatchet covered with blood and as they approached the dam they saw Arthur’s hat at the head of it. By this time they were fully aroused to the seriousness of the situation. There was blood down the apron of the dam and a small opening consequent on the flow of water but the body could not be seen. Mr. Faulker went to his residence near by and secured an axe and enlarged the opening a few feet when they saw the body of Arthur under the water and the remains were quickly recovered and taken to the residence of his parents. His face was not disfigured but there was a large gash in the back of his head through which his blood flowed.
The Lampman family and others of Neche people heard screams the previous evening about the hour Arthur must have started for home but thought it was probably some late roysters from across the line and paid no particular attention to it. At this hour of going to press nothing definite seems to have developed regarding the murderer or the cause of the crime.
As is usual in such cases the air is full of rumors, the most authentic of which connects the name of a Negro transient with the crime. The Negro is said to have been seen in Arthur’s company on Sunday and later in the day was evidently under the influence of liquor. He was in Neche until Monday morning when he left afoot in a southerly direction and stopped at the Vospers, Hicks, Messacres and other places and reach Bathgate shortly after noon. Marshall O’Harra received notice that the Negro was probably in this place and was wanted as a suspect. O’Harra soon rounded him up and he was taken back to Neche by officers. So far as we are able to learn the evidence against the suspect is purely circumstantial. The inquest will probably develop farther facts.
Arthur LeClair resided at Neche since his birth, with his parents and was 21 years of age. He has been engaged for some time past as fireman on the Neche and Walhalla branches of the Great Northern Railroad. He was at home to spend the holidays. The Neche people are aroused and will see that the matter is sifted to the bottom and the murderer brought to justice. It was evidently the most cold blooded and shocking murders ever committed in this county and no expense should be spared on the part of the county officials to make the investigation most thorough.
Coroner Bour of St. Thomas has been notified but not in time to get to the scene of the crime on Monday.
The Pink Paper
Bathgate, Pembina Co, North Dakota
January 1, 1907
The funeral of Arthur LeClair took place on Thursday. The body was taken from the LeClair home to the R. C. church, where a very brief and simple service was said by Rev Fr. Fobes. The casket was covered with floral tributes, and the hearse was followed by a large delegation of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman, of which Arthur was a member, with whom marched a number of other friends of the dead boy, forming quite a procession. Interment was made in the Catholic cemetery here.
The Pink Paper
****Jan. 1, 1907****
Mr. Eli Roy, father of Mrs. Fred LeClair, and Mrs. J. Roy, sister-in-law of same, of St. Jean, Manitoba, arrived on Tuesday, calied by the death of Arthur LeClair.
The Pink Paper
Jan. 8, 1908
NECHE MURDER
-------------
WAS ONE OF THE MOST LAMENTABLE
CRIMES EVER COMMITTED IN
PEMBINA COUNTY
---------
James O’Brien, of Neche made a complete confession of the murder of Arthur LeClair, the Great Northern Fireman, Sunday. The 16 year old slayer gave up the details of his crime to J. C. Crawford a Pinkerton detective, who had been working on the case.The confession came after he had been confronted with his bloody clothing, hatchet with which the crime had been committed a bloody scarf and other evidences of his guilt. When the news was broken to the father of O’Brien, for years a resident of Neche and Customs Officer there, he broke down completely. Fred LeClair the father of the murdered boy called on him in an endeavor to console him.
Detective Crawford, 18 years in the business, had quite a time getting the murderer to confess. He worked various schemes and was finally successful, after picturing to the boy, the certainty of his conviction, and calling his attention to the great expense with which his father would be burdened, in case he fought the case in District Court.
The following is the complete confession of young O’Brien: To J.C. Crawford Pinkerton Detective.
On Sunday December 22, 1907, LeClair and I went to Gretna twice and drank each time. Coming back the second time both of us were quarreling as to who was the Best Man and LeClair said he could lick three O’Brien’s and I got mad. When we left Cook’s shop, I made an excuse to go out to the closet and I got a hatchet and we started for the rink. When we got down there he made some remarks about fighting me and he put one foot behind me and threw me over. I got up and he hit me and I hit him with a hatchet and after I saw what I had done, I hit him again and took his pocketbook and threw it in the river. I got the hatchet from behind the house where the ice is kept. I threw the body over the bank and followed the body down the bank, I think I had hold of him by the collar and dropped him right at the head of the dam, in the river. James O’Brien-
Witness (to Confession)
J.H. Anderson
J.C. Fielding
George Roadhouse
I James O’Brien, do voluntarily make a statement in my own handwriting and of my own free will before witness, J.C. Fielding and Geo. Roadhouse, that the contents and page no. 2 is a true statement of how I, James O’Brien, killed Arthur LeClair on Sunday, December 22, 1907. I have written this statement for the purpose of telling the truth on my part and have not shield anyone, as there was nobody implicated but myself.
_James O’Brien
Dated Sunday, December 22, 1907
Witness- Geo. Roadhouse
-J.C. Fielding
An effort was made yesterday to locate the money claimed by O’Brien to have been thrown in the Pembina River. Ice was broken but the money was not found. It is thought probable that O’Brien had not told the truth about the quarrel with LeClair and the disposition of the money. LeClair was not of a quarrelsome disposition and it is the general opinion, that he was killed in Cold Blood.
Although the above confession has been since shown by the boy murderer himself to have been in part a lie, it contains at least one horrible truth-James O’Brien foully murdered his friend. Whether he committed the crime as he relates it or whether he stepped behind LeClair and dealt the blow that felled him to the ground-interrupting perhaps a friendly conversation to do this deep most dark and damnable-will perhaps never be known except to him who has forever quitted god’s good sunshine for the light of a felon’s cell, who has forever breathed his last of the sweet air of liberty.
To return to the proceedings of the Saturday session of the coroner’s inquest. James O’Brien was the principal witness. He did not waver as he told states attorney Brynjolfson lie for lie; he did not change color when his gray haired father was forced to undergo the ordeal of accounting for his son’s movements the night of the murder; he did not blush for shame when his sorrow stricken mother was called upon to tell of the hatchet with which he had slain his chum; he did not even shudder when confronted with his own garments in which he knew was dried the blood of Arthur LeClair yet the meshes of the law were already about the boy, and he felt them tighten when he was place under arrest by sheriff Roadhouse Saturday evening. He must have realized that his guilt was known when he was taken to Pembina and place in a cell, in the county jail, but never, do we think, has he realized the enormity of his crime. He sang and whistled in his cell, and managing to lift the window, called to his acquaintances and held converse with them.
Pinkerton detective Crawford was admitted to O’Brien cell on Sunday afternoon, he told the boy that his guilt was known and that the proofs were positive He told him that one or two fates surely awaited him-hanging or life imprisonment. He told him that his crime was of a nature that merited hanging, and that the law had so inexorably provided. O’Brien still maintained his innocence. The detective told him that if the case came to trail and the prisoner entered a pea of not guilty, his guilt would surely be proven to the jury, and the Judge would undoubtedly be obligated, in view of the conclusive evidence submitted, to give him to the gallows. He told the boy that if he plead not guilty his father would, beggar himself in his defense, and all to no end-the result would be the same- a verdict of guilt. Still the boy protested that he had nothing to do with the murder of Arthur LeClair. Then the Pinkerton man told Jimmie that there were others suspected of complicity, and that a confession from him would not only cause sympathy as could be extended a murderer for himself, but would accelerate the ends of justice, while on the contrary if he, the prisoner, remained silent he could expect no mercy if found guilty, and a stigma of doubt would forever attach to the names of some perhaps innocent people. Already, the detective urges, the prisoner’s parents had suffered the pangs and pains of heartbreak, and by maintaining his innocence to the end, they would be further humiliated and their shame and sorrow held up to the gaze of all men, O’Brien was still obdurate. Then, after the detective had presented all these arguments in every light-and sympathy for the unfortunate boy perhaps made him eloquent-Jimmie at last burst into tears, and laying his head on Mr. Crawford knee’s confessed that he “did it alone.” Both the prisoner and the detective were now weeping. The confession followed which the boy-murderer has since himself proven to be a lie with the exception of the one all important fact-his hand, and his alone, dealt the blows that drove the life from the body of Arthur LeClair.
States-attorney Brynjolfson was called at once. O’Brien wrote with a lead pencil the confession which appears foregoing, in the presence of the witnesses whose names are there unto, subscribed. On Monday morning detective Crawford drove to Neche with the confession in his pocket, and proceeded to publish it to the townspeople. Everyone-even the family of the murderer-experience a feeling of great relief. Everyone had been morally certain-as certain as men can be before a trail by judge and jury-that James O’Brien had been the main actor in the hideous drama enacted on the night of December 22, but the demeanor of the murderer and the peculiar character of the trail made by dragging the body from the river bank to the hole below the dam-which indicated to those whose good judgment was recognized and respected that two had dragged the corpse, one at the head and one at the feet-led may to a belief that O’Brien had at least one accomplice. When it was learned that no one else had been in any way concerned in the commission of the crime everyone breathed freer, and to some the knowledge came as a relief from doubt and suspense.
*
*
After the inquest the prisoner made a request that he be allowed to see his parents before he was taken back to jail. The request was granted. In the intervening time, before his father could come to see him, he managed to communicate with one of the town boys to the effect that he would “find something, if he look under the rocks at the dam”. The officers were at once apprised of this statement, and a thorough search was made of the place mentions, which revealed nothing but three lead pencils found hidden under a stone. When the prisoner was allowed to see his father the latter on his knees begged his son to tell what had been done with the money. “I burned it,” was the reply. The search for the money by cutting ice below the dam was now discontinued. Shortly the prisoner left his parents, he told the detective that if he would allow, the place where the money was hidden would be revealed. The officer went with the boy to his father barn, and in the loft from under a handful of twine on a beam the boy took seventy dollars six five and four ten dollar bills. This O’Brien vowed was all the money he had taken from LeClair, the pocketbook he said he had burned in the kitchen stove. Sheriff Roadhouse took his prisoner back to Pembina Tuesday evening. Since then he has further amended his original confession by admitting that he had no quarrel with LeClair. This marks every vestige of the original confession as untruth, with the exception of the bare fact of the murder.
Detective Crawford on Wednesday secured a sworn affidavit from a seventeen year old boy who was a eye witness to the murder. The boy was
going home from Giadue’s rink that night about 11:15, and when coming up the road that runs along the river bank he saw figures ahead of him, and by their conversation recognized them as Arthur LeClair and James O’Brien. He was at this time standing about 60 feet from the spot where the murder occurred. As the boy relates it in his affidavit a conversation like this ensued between O’Brien; O’Brien-”Come on, Goose, let’s go down to the rink.” LeClair-”No, I'm sick; I’m going home and to bed.” O’Brien-”If you’re sick, lets walk to the woods-walk off your jag.” LeClair-”No, “I’m going home to bed.” O’Brien-”What you afraid of the wolves?” LeClair-Not afraid of anything, but I’m going home to bed.” The boy who had over heard this conversation saw the murder done. He ran home in terror, told his father what he had heard and seen, and begged him not to tell for fear “they might do something to him for it .” The affidavit was given on condition that the boy’s name would not be disclosed. It proves that there was nothing like a quarrel or a scuffle just before the murder. The thing was done in cold blood-a murder most foul.
O’Brien was given a preliminary hearing at Pembina Thursday. He plead guilty and was bound over to the session of the District court for sentence. It is believed he will receive a sentence of life imprisonment. The character of his crime would indicate that he can receive nothing less than this-If indeed, he escapes the hangman.
The Pink Paper
Jan. 15, 1908
CRIMINAL CALENDER
James O’Brien, aged 16 years, was sentenced at Pembina to life imprisonment for the murder of Arthur LeClair the Great Northern Fireman at Neche on Dec. 22th.
O’BRIEN PLEADED GUILTY
An appeal for clemency was made by John F. Conmy, attorney for the prisoner. Attorney Conmy pointed to the youth of the prisoner and the fact that he had become intoxicated as a result of saloons being kept open illegally at Gretna (Canada) on Sunday. As attorney Conmy pleaded for him O’Brien broke down and wept.
Judge W. J. Kneeshaw spoke for about 15 minutes to the prisoner and his remarks were intended as much for the great crowd assembled in the court room. He pictured O’Brien as one who had given away to his baser feelings and who was not about to pay the penalty. Bad habit, disregard for the law and the rights of others finally ended in the murder of a friend for a paltry sum of money.
A foul murder has been committed in Neche, by a boy of tender years, only sixteen years of age. He comes of a good family but had previous to
committing this crime built up an unsavory reputation. We do not know why. Whether improper administration of the parent is responsible for the acts of a boy so young can not always be determined. But waywardness and evil tendencies manifest themselves in a character at premature age and then is the time to apply or administer the remedy. Keep track of the boy and try and see that he does not frequent places of questionable demeanor that fill the atmosphere with the fumes of moral perversion. See to it that he selects
Good and Virtuous companions and guide him along the pathway of youth in
such manner that no one can point a finger of scorn at you for delinquency in parental duties. The church, the Sunday school, the home and the Public school have that boy in their care and his future is molded by the influences and environments of youth. “As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined”, if you deem yourself a good father or mother keep your eye on your boy.
O’Brien father was present in the court room with the boy. The old man is over come with sorrow and the disgrace the boy had brought upon him.
O’Brien was taken to the penitentiary Saturday evening.
Before passing sentence Judge Kneeshaw said;
“You are accused of murder in the first degree for the murder of Arthur LeClair, aforethought, with premeditated design to effect the death of Arthur LeClair; then and there assaulted and beat him with a hatchet from which he died. Have you any reason why the court should not sentence you?”
PLEA FOR O’BRIEN
J. P. Conmy, counsel for the defendant, in reply said:
“At this time, before sentence is pronounced, we wish to say a few words. We know just the position in which the court is placed in this case according to the law. However, we throw our self upon the mercy of the court and ask for clemency. Consider the character of the accused. He is not a hardened and unfeeling criminal. We do not mean that there should be no punishment for crime, on account of the tender age-but we do feel that in this case where a boy has confessed. In such a case, your honor, we believe that there is due clemency from this court. However, now that matters have been placed before you in their true light, that the accused stands before you readily, bear in mind the youthfulness of the lad-life is sweet to him-and the heartrending of his parents. Extend to him all the clemency in your power. This confession was not given to obtain the mercy of the court. It was given by James O’Brien with the purpose of removing the doubt, if there was any, from others and to prevent any further torture to his parents. On the circumstances surrounding the crime let me dwell. Let me introduce to you the surrounding which have assailed the life of the accused, the bars, and saloons of Grenta, the one necessary qualification being the price. How easy to pass from one station to the other. Think of the temptations which surrounded your life, of the temptations of any boy at the age of 16. How easy then it was to fall into temptations, which robbed him of his senses from unlawful administration of others. While we ask clemency we know the position in which the court is placed. His confession was made to free all others on whom the shadow of doubt might rest.”
COURT TO THE ACCUSED
Judge Kneeshaw said to James O’Brien:
“The law of this state when a defendant pleads guilty to a charge of murder provides that if he pleads guilty to murder in the second degree it then devolves into murder and the court may then examine witnesses in order to inquire into the enormity of the crime, or he may call in a jury to pass on the punishment, or he may refuse to pass on the plea and submit the case to a jury. In this case I have decided to receive the plea of guilty in the first degree and I will say that by so doing I have been placed in a very trying position. You, James O’Brien, I have known since you were a baby, and I have known your father and mother for 30 years. They are some of the old settlers in the county, and when I say old settlers of the Red River valley I mean they consist of the best people that ever lived. I have known your father when I was a young man, and learned to like him as a brother, and it is indeed, a trying thing for me to pass sentence upon you. I have no doubt that the bars of Gretna are largely responsible for the death of LeClair. No person can realize that a boy your age could ever commit a crime as been developed in this case. No more dastardly deed has ever been committed in this county.
JUDICIAL MURDER
“The penalty provided for such crime is death or imprisonment for life. In this case I will say and I feel proud to be able to say that I consciously do not believe that capital punishment is justifiable. Hanging is nothing but judicial murder. There is no excuse for a state to take a man out in cold blood and hang him by the neck. Most people of the present day believe hanging is a relic of barbarism. Now, Jimmie, you can see what whisky, and bad company have brought upon you. You can realize that in cold blood, you killed your chum and brought him before God and his maker. You can see what trouble rests upon your parents and all on account of whisky and bad company. I have noticed that during the proceedings you have shed many tears. I am glad of that. I believe that when a boy is able to shed tears and show that he is penitent that there is some hope that he may repent. This is indeed not only to you and boys of this country of the bad effects of whisky and I hope that everyone in my hearing will take this home with them. Now, Jimmie, I will have to sentence you. I hope that god’s holy spirit may be with you and help you and guide you in your future life. I think I have expressed to you all I can on this line.
“The sentence of the court is that you James O’Brien, shall be confined in the state penitentiary in the county of Burleigh, state of North Dakota, at hard labor for the rest of your natural life, commencing at 12 o’clock noon today.”
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Epilogue:
When World War I broke out the army needed bodies and promised any one in prison who would serve in the army, and survived, would be offered a pardon when the war ended. As luck would have it O’Brien served throughout the war without a scratch. After the war he returned to Neche. However, the local people would have nothing to do with him and shunned him. After a short time he left and was never seen or heard from again.
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This is finished and in 4-5 days i have an exhibition in the local place called Helligåndshuset ( House of the Holy Spirit)..an old house from around 1500 in the center of my town Randers......looking forward to exhibit, even though it is only 3 days...and we are 4 people showing our work and the theme of this exhibition is "Connections" and we do relate to the theme in 4 different ways….and I can´t wait to see what the other three have made.....only seen some of it...
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/knocking-at-the-door-2/
Introduction
Many people of faith in religious circles believe what the pastors and elders say, "All of God's words and work are in the Bible . It would be impossible for any of God's words to appear outside of the Bible." Is there a biblical foundation for this claim, though? Did Lord Jesus say these words? In Revelation, it is prophesied many times, "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." The words of the Lord say it so clearly: When the Lord returns in the last days, He will speak again. In the matter of welcoming the coming of the Lord, if we don't depart from the Bible and seek what the Spirit says to the churches, will we be able to welcome the Lord?
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God , the second coming of the Lord Jesus , Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
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Inside Il Duomo di Firenze, Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici commissioned Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari to paint a scene depicting the Last Judgment. Started in 1568, the upper portion is a fresco, representing the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse from Revelation 4:4, painted by Visari. The work below was painted by Zuccari and collaborators, in secco, and represents (from top to bottom) Choirs of Angels; Christ, Mary and Saints; Virtues, Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Beatitudes; and, at the bottom (mostly out of frame), Capital Sins and Hell; completed in 1579. Over 3,600 sq meters of painted surface in what is still the world's largest brick and mortar dome.
What Does Love Look Like
By Darren Wilson
I was nervous the moment I got off the plane.
I was in Recife, Brazil, and I was stepping out as a filmmaker in a way I had never even attempted before. This entire shoot—thousands of dollars spent on flights, crew, hotels, and everything else involved in making a movie—was hinging on whether or not I had heard God correctly.
My big problem at the moment was that I wasn’t sure whether I had or not.
It started when I was trying to figure out the first place I would film for this new film series, and I often sat in my studio and just prayed, trying my best to hear God’s voice.
I called up my good friend, Will Hart, and asked him if he knew of any amazing people around the world I should go film. He rattled off some names and what they did, and then he said, “There’s also an awesome couple named Nic and Rachel Billman. They’re in Brazil, and they have a ministry that reaches out to the homeless and the prostitutes down there.”
Immediately I felt a surge in my spirit, like butterflies in my stomach or a drop from a roller coaster.
I thought, this must be what God wants me to do.
So I hung up the phone and Googled their ministry. As I was clicking around, I heard (or again, I thought I heard) the Lord say, “Have them put on a banquet for the women, and have Nic sing the song that has never been sung before. When he does that, I will pour out my spirit on those women.”
When I emailed Nic, he was excited about me coming down to film, and the dates I had available worked well. This would be one of the first things I would film for these movies, and right off the bat I was putting my ability to hear God to the test for all the world to see.
Couldn’t we just start in the shallow end, Lord?
I mean, I was going to put on film the fact that I heard God give me directions, and if nothing happened, I’d have a very large egg on my face.
So we flew to Brazil. We filmed with Nic and Rachel, and captured some of what they were doing down there, and the entire time I had a knot in my stomach because I knew the last thing we had to do.
I was a nervous wreck.
Earlier, during an interview with Nic, he had mentioned something I found interesting. When talking about the Holy Spirit, he said that one thing he had observed is that the Spirit never usually came the way you expected Him to.
If you were very conservative, often He would make things “a little messy” and maybe make you laugh, shake, or something else not deemed “normal”. If you were expecting fireworks, often he’d come as a whisper.
That night, we had over 20 girls show up straight from the streets, and we gave them a night to remember. Gifts, good food, a total makeover—it was designed to simply let them know that God loves them and believes they have real worth in His eyes.
Then the moment of truth came, and Nic started to play his guitar and sing a song that he was making up on the spot: the song that had never been sung before. My crew stood poised, cameras ready, and I held my breath.
God, were you going to come through for me?
I was expecting fireworks. Lots of weeping, maybe a little wailing, some shaking possibly, who knows, maybe even a demonic manifestation as God’s spirit drove out the darkness in their lives. I was ready for a showdown.
As Nic sang, at first my heart sank because it appeared that nothing was going to happen.
Then, slowly and gently, various women began to silently weep. All around the room, as the women heard the song the Father was singing to them, they had a quiet but profound moment with Him. We filmed it, and it was beautiful.
Afterwards, Nic came up to me and reminded me of what we had talked about earlier regarding the Holy Spirit’s methods. Then he said, “Think about what love is to these women. It’s forceful. Violent. It degrades them. It makes them do things they don’t want to do. But how did the Spirit show them love? He was gentle. Kind. He didn’t overcome or overwhelm them. It was a small act of trust as He attempted to woo them for the first time.”
And for me, it was a major lesson learned.
God is love, and love looks a lot different than many of our best ministry ideas. And the sooner we can partner with His love and not our own agenda, the sooner we can see Him work in amazing, powerful, and beautiful ways.
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This Story is From:
The movie, Holy Ghost Reborn (2015)
by John Milton
HEnce vain deluding joyes,
The brood of folly without father bred,
How little you bested,
Or fill the fixed mind with all your toyes;
Dwell in som idle brain, [ 5 ]
And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess,
As thick and numberless
As the gay motes that people the Sun Beams,
Or likest hovering dreams
The fickle Pensioners of Morpheus train. [ 10 ]
But hail thou Goddes, sage and holy,
Hail divinest Melancholy,
Whose Saintly visage is too bright
To hit the Sense of human sight;
And therfore to our weaker view, [ 15 ]
Ore laid with black staid Wisdoms hue.
Black, but such as in esteem,
Prince Memnons sister might beseem,
Or that Starr'd Ethiope Queen that strove
To set her beauties praise above [ 20 ]
The Sea Nymphs, and their powers offended.
Yet thou art higher far descended,
Thee bright- hair'd Vesta long of yore,
To solitary Saturn bore;
His daughter she (in Saturns raign, [ 25 ]
Such mixture was not held a stain).
Oft in glimmering Bowres, and glades
He met her, and in secret shades
Of woody Ida's inmost grove,
While yet there was no fear of Jove. [ 30 ]
Com pensive Nun, devout and pure,
Sober, stedfast, and demure,
All in a robe of darkest grain,
Flowing with majestick train,
And sable stole of Cipres Lawn, [ 35 ]
Over thy decent shoulders drawn.
Com, but keep thy wonted state,
With eev'n step, and musing gate,
And looks commercing with the skies,
Thy rapt soul sitting in thine eyes: [ 40 ]
There held in holy passion still,
Forget thy self to Marble, till
With a sad Leaden downward cast,
Thou fix them on the earth as fast.
And joyn with thee calm Peace, and Quiet, [ 45 ]
Spare Fast, that oft with gods doth diet,
And hears the Muses in a ring,
Ay round about Joves Altar sing.
And adde to these retired leasure,
That in trim Gardens takes his pleasure; [ 50 ]
But first, and chiefest, with thee bring,
Him that yon soars on golden wing,
Guiding the fiery-wheeled throne,
The Cherub Contemplation,
And the mute Silence hist along, [ 55 ]
'Less Philomel will daign a Song,
In her sweetest, saddest plight,
Smoothing the rugged brow of night,
While Cynthia checks her Dragon yoke,
Gently o're th' accustom'd Oke; [ 60 ]
Sweet Bird that shunn'st the noise of folly,
Most musicall, most melancholy!
Thee Chauntress oft the Woods among,
I woo to hear thy eeven-Song;
And missing thee, I walk unseen [ 65 ]
On the dry smooth-shaven Green,
To behold the wandring Moon,
Riding neer her highest noon,
Like one that had bin led astray
Through the Heav'ns wide pathles way; [ 70 ]
And oft, as if her head she bow'd,
Stooping through a fleecy cloud.
Oft on a Plat of rising ground,
I hear the far-off Curfeu sound,
Over som wide-water'd shoar, [ 75 ]
Swinging slow with sullen roar;
Or if the Ayr will not permit,
Som still removed place will fit,
Where glowing Embers through the room
Teach light to counterfeit a gloom, [ 80 ]
Far from all resort of mirth,
Save the Cricket on the hearth,
Or the Belmans drousie charm,
To bless the dores from nightly harm:
Or let my Lamp at midnight hour, [ 85 ]
Be seen in som high lonely Towr,
Where I may oft out-watch the Bear,
With thrice great Hermes, or unsphear
The spirit of Plato to unfold
What Worlds, or what vast Regions hold [ 90 ]
The immortal mind that hath forsook
Her mansion in this fleshly nook:
And of those Dæmons that are found
In fire, air, flood, or under ground,
Whose power hath a true consent [ 95 ]
With Planet, or with Element.
Som time let Gorgeous Tragedy
In Scepter'd Pall com sweeping by,
Presenting Thebs, or Pelops line,
Or the tale of Troy divine. [ 100 ]
Or what (though rare) of later age,
Ennobled hath the Buskind stage.
But, O sad Virgin, that thy power
Might raise Musæus from his bower,
Or bid the soul of Orpheus sing [ 105 ]
Such notes as warbled to the string,
Drew Iron tears down Pluto's cheek,
And made Hell grant what Love did seek.
Or call up him that left half told
The story of Cambuscan bold, [ 110 ]
Of Camball, and of Algarsife,
And who had Canace to wife,
That own'd the vertuous Ring and Glass,
And of the wondrous Hors of Brass,
On which the Tartar King did ride; [ 115 ]
And if ought els, great Bards beside,
In sage and solemn tunes have sung,
Of Turneys and of Trophies hung;
Of Forests, and inchantments drear,
Where more is meant then meets the ear. [ 120 ]
Thus night oft see me in thy pale career,
Till civil-suited Morn appeer,
Not trickt and frounc't as she was wont,
With the Attick Boy to hunt,
But Cherchef't in a comly Cloud, [ 125 ]
While rocking Winds are Piping loud,
Or usher'd with a shower still,
When the gust hath blown his fill,
Ending on the russling Leaves,
With minute drops from off the Eaves. [ 130 ]
And when the Sun begins to fling
His flaring beams, me Goddes bring
To arched walks of twilight groves,
And shadows brown that Sylvan loves
Of Pine, or monumental Oake, [ 135 ]
Where the rude Ax with heaved stroke,
Was never heard the Nymphs to daunt,
Or fright them from their hallow'd haunt.
There in close covert by som Brook,
Where no profaner eye may look, [ 140 ]
Hide me from Day's garish eie,
While the Bee with Honied thie,
That at her flowry work doth sing,
And the Waters murmuring
With such consort as they keep, [ 145 ]
Entice the dewy-feather'd Sleep;
And let som strange mysterious dream,
Wave at his Wings in Airy stream,
Of lively portrature display'd,
Softly on my eye-lids laid. [ 150 ]
And as I wake, sweet musick breath
Above, about, or underneath,
Sent by som spirit to mortals good,
Or th' unseen Genius of the Wood.
But let my due feet never fail, [ 155 ]
To walk the studious Cloysters pale,
And love the high embowed Roof,
With antick Pillars massy proof,
And storied Windows richly dight,
Casting a dimm religious light. [ 160 ]
There let the pealing Organ blow,
To the full voic'd Quire below,
In Service high, and Anthems cleer,
As may with sweetnes, through mine ear,
Dissolve me into extasies, [ 165 ]
And bring all Heav'n before mine eyes.
And may at last my weary age
Find out the peacefull hermitage,
The Hairy Gown and Mossy Cell,
Where I may sit and rightly spell, [ 170 ]
Of every Star that Heav'n doth shew,
And every Herb that sips the dew;
Till old experience do attain
To somthing like Prophetic strain.
These pleasures Melancholy give, [ 175 ]
And I with thee will choose to live.
* * *
Detail from a recent tribute to Saint Michael The Archangel, painted by expressionist artist Stephen B. Whatley; created with prayers during the last two days of June 2024.
Saint Michael is seen as the Warrior Angel, fighting off Satan in heaven and protecting God's chosen people on earth from evil and enemies. St Michael occupies a special place in the church, appointed its protector; and his Intercession is encouraged to defeat the evil in the world - and for the protection from danger for anyone in their every day life.
Stephen B. Whatley is a Catholic convert, a calling he felt through his spiritual search to survive early tragedy in his life; and his exhibition, "Paintings From Prayer" was staged at London's Westminster Cathedral in 2013.
The British London-based artist gets what he humbly feels a 'Divine Push' to paint tributes of faith, alongside his other work; indeed this is the artist's third tribute to Saint Michael.
A large body of Whatley's work is on public display every day in the City of London, just outside the Tower of London - where his series of 30 paintings commissioned by Historic Royal Palaces, 20 years ago, vibrantly chart the history of The Tower.
As a permanent art exhibit reproduced throughout the walkway leading from Tower Hill Station they form a bright and colourful entrance to the Tower of London.
To see more of the artist's eclectic work and read more of his journey by visiting his website, link below.
San Miguel - Saint Michael The Archangel. 2024
Oil on canvas
40 x 30in/102 x 76cm
We welcome all truth seekers to contact us.
en.easternlightning.org/faith-and-life.html
Why the Lord Jesus Gave the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter
Baffled From Reading the Bible
'When I got up early in the morning, I made a prayer, then opened up the Bible to Matthew 16:19, where the Lord Jesus says to Peter: “And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Reading this passage of scripture, I became confused, thinking: “Peter didn’t do any great work nor were the epistles he wrote very famous. On top of that, when the Lord Jesus was arrested and stood trial, Peter denied Him three times. Why didn’t the Lord give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to other disciples, but only to Peter?” I searched and searched through the Scriptures, but nothing resolved my confusion. I had no choice but to go off to work.
Consulting a Colleague and Finding the Answer
During my lunch break I was still mulling over my question from that morning: “God is righteous and certainly wouldn’t do anything in error, but why did the Lord Jesus give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter? What kind of mystery is within this?” I consulted with a colleague who had believed in the Lord for many years so that I could gain clarity on this.
My colleague smiled and said: “The Lord gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter because the Lord chose him. So why was Peter favored by the Lord?” Seeing my bewildered look, he went on to ask: “Do you remember how Peter responded when the Lord Jesus asked the disciples who He was?”
I said, “And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
My colleague nodded his head and continued on: “That’s right. Out of the Lord Jesus’ twelve disciples, only Peter received the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah who was prophesied to come,........"（Eastern Lightning）
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The Mithraic Mysteries were a mystery religion practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The name of the Persian god Mithra (proto-Indo-Iranian Mitra), adapted into Greek as Mithras, was linked to a new and distinctive imagery. Writers of the Roman Empire period referred to this mystery religion by phrases which can be anglicized as Mysteries of Mithras or Mysteries of the Persians; modern historians refer to it as Mithraism,[1] or sometimes Roman Mithraism.The mysteries were popular in the Roman military.
Worshippers of Mithras had a complex system of seven grades of initiation, with ritual meals. Initiates called themselves syndexioi, those "united by the handshake".They met in underground temples (called mithraea), which survive in large numbers. The cult appears to have had its centre in Rome.
Numerous archaeological finds, including meeting places, monuments and artifacts, have contributed to modern knowledge about Mithraism throughout the Roman Empire.The iconic scenes of Mithras show him being born from a rock, slaughtering a bull, and sharing a banquet with the god Sol (the Sun). About 420 sites have yielded materials related to the cult. Among the items found are about 1000 inscriptions, 700 examples of the bull-killing scene (tauroctony), and about 400 other monuments.[9] It has been estimated that there would have been at least 680 mithraea in Rome.[10] No written narratives or theology from the religion survive, with limited information to be derived from the inscriptions, and only brief or passing references in Greek and Latin literature. Interpretation of the physical evidence remains problematic and contested.
The Romans regarded the mysteries as having Persian or Zoroastrian sources. Since the early 1970s the dominant scholarship has noted dissimilarities between Persian Mithra-worship and the Roman Mithraic mysteries. In this context, Mithraism has sometimes been viewed as a rival of early Christianity with similarities such as liberator-saviour, hierarchy of adepts (archbishops, bishops, priests), communal meal and a hard struggle of Good and Evil (bull-killing/crucifixion).The name Mithras (Latin, equivalent to Greek “Μίθρας” is a form of Mithra, the name of an Old Persian god– a relationship understood by Mithraic scholars since the days of Franz Cumont. An early example of the Greek form of the name is in a 4th century BC work by Xenophon, the Cyropaedia, which is a biography of the Persian king Cyrus the Great.
The exact form of a Latin or classical Greek word varies due to the grammatical process of declension. There is archeological evidence that in Latin worshippers wrote the nominative form of the god’s name as “Mithras”. However, in Porphyry’s Greek text De Abstinentia («Περὶ ἀποχῆς ἐμψύχων»), there is a reference to the now-lost histories of the Mithraic mysteries by Euboulus and Pallas, the wording of which suggests that these authors treated the name “Mithra” as an indeclinable foreign word.
Related deity-names in other languages include
Sanskrit Mitra (मित्रः), the name of a god praised in the Rig Veda.In Sanskrit, "mitra" means "friend" or "friendship"
the form mi-it-ra-, found in an inscribed peace treaty between the Hittites and the kingdom of Mitanni, from about 1400 BC.
Iranian "Mithra" and Sanskrit "Mitra" are believed to come from an Indo-Iranian word mitra meaning "contract, agreement, covenant".
Modern historians have different conceptions about whether these names refer to the same god or not. John R. Hinnells has written of Mitra / Mithra / Mithras as a single deity worshipped in several different religions. On the other hand, David Ulansey considers the bull-slaying Mithras to be a new god who began to be worshipped in the 1st century BC, and to whom an old name was applied.
Mary Boyce, a researcher of ancient Iranian religions, writes that even though Roman Empire Mithraism seems to have had less Iranian content than historians used to think, still "as the name Mithras alone shows, this content was of some importance.Much about the cult of Mithras is only known from reliefs and sculptures. There have been many attempts to interpret this material.
Mithras-worship in the Roman Empire was characterized by images of the god slaughtering a bull. Other images of Mithras are found in the Roman temples, for instance Mithras banqueting with Sol, and depictions of the birth of Mithras from a rock. But the image of bull-slaying (tauroctony) is always in the central niche.Textual sources for a reconstruction of the theology behind this iconography are very rare. (See section Interpretations of the bull-slaying scene below.)
The practice of depicting the god slaying a bull seems to be specific to Roman Mithraism. According to David Ulansey, this is "perhaps the most important example" of evident difference between Iranian and Roman traditions: "... there is no evidence that the Iranian god Mithra ever had anything to do with killing a bull."n every Mithraeum the centrepiece was a representation of Mithras killing a sacred bull, called the tauroctony.
The image may be a relief, or free-standing, and side details may be present or omitted. The centre-piece is Mithras clothed in Anatolian costume and wearing a Phrygian cap; who is kneeling on the exhausted bull, holding it by the nostrils[33] with his left hand, and stabbing it with his right. As he does so, he looks over his shoulder towards the figure of Sol. A dog and a snake reach up towards the blood. A scorpion seizes the bull's genitals. A raven is flying around or is sitting on the bull. Three ears of wheat are seen coming out from the bull's tail, sometimes from the wound. The bull was often white. The god is sitting on the bull in an unnatural way with his right leg constraining the bull's hoof and the left leg is bent and resting on the bull's back or flank.[34] The two torch-bearers are on either side, dressed like Mithras, Cautes with his torch pointing up and Cautopates with his torch pointing down. Sometimes Cautes and Cautopates carry shepherds' crooks instead of torches.
Tauroctony from the Kunsthistorisches Museum
The event takes place in a cavern, into which Mithras has carried the bull, after having hunted it, ridden it and overwhelmed its strength.[38] Sometimes the cavern is surrounded by a circle, on which the twelve signs of the zodiac appear. Outside the cavern, top left, is Sol the sun, with his flaming crown, often driving a quadriga. A ray of light often reaches down to touch Mithras. At the top right is Luna, with her crescent moon, who may be depicted driving a biga.[39]
In some depictions, the central tauroctony is framed by a series of subsidiary scenes to the left, top and right, illustrating events in the Mithras narrative; Mithras being born from the rock, the water miracle, the hunting and riding of the bull, meeting Sol who kneels to him, shaking hands with Sol and sharing a meal of bull-parts with him, and ascending to the heavens in a chariot.[39] In some instances, as is the case in the stucco icon at Santa Prisca mithraeum, the god is shown heroically nude. Some of these reliefs were constructed so that they could be turned on an axis. On the back side was another, more elaborate feasting scene. This indicates that the bull killing scene was used in the first part of the celebration, then the relief was turned, and the second scene was used in the second part of the celebration.Besides the main cult icon, a number of mithraea had several secondary tauroctonies, and some small portable versions, probably meant for private devotion, have also been found.[The second most important scene after the tauroctony in Mithraic art is the so-called banquet scene.The banquet scene features Mithras and the Sun god banqueting on the hide of the slaughtered bull. On the specific banquet scene on the Fiano Romano relief, one of the torchbearers points a caduceus towards the base of an altar, where flames appear to spring up. Robert Turcan has argued that since the caduceus is an attribute of Mercury, and in mythology Mercury is depicted as a psychopomp, the eliciting of flames in this scene is referring to the dispatch of human souls and expressing the Mithraic doctrine on this matter. Turcan also connects this event to the tauroctony: the blood of the slain bull has soaked the ground at the base of the altar, and from the blood the souls are elicited in flames by the caduceus.Mithras is depicted as being born from a rock. He is shown as emerging from a rock, already in his youth, with a dagger in one hand and a torch in the other. He is nude, standing with his legs together, and is wearing a Phrygian cap.
However, there are variations. Sometimes he is shown as coming out of the rock as a child, and in one instance he has a globe in one hand; sometimes a thunderbolt is seen. There are also depictions in which flames are shooting from the rock and also from Mithras' cap. One statue had its base perforated so that it could serve as a fountain, and the base of another has the mask of the water god. Sometimes Mithras also has other weapons such as bows and arrows, and there are also animals such as dogs, serpents, dolphins, eagles, other birds, lion, crocodiles, lobsters and snails around. On some reliefs, there is a bearded figure identified as Oceanus, the water god, and on some there are the gods of the four winds. In these reliefs, the four elements could be invoked together. Sometimes Victoria, Luna, Sol and Saturn also seem to play a role. Saturn in particular is often seen handing over the dagger to Mithras so that he can perform his mighty deeds.
In some depictions, Cautes and Cautopates are also present; sometimes they are depicted as shepherds.
On some occasions, an amphora is seen, and a few instances show variations like an egg birth or a tree birth. Some interpretations show that the birth of Mithras was celebrated by lighting torches or candles.[One of the most characteristic features of the Mysteries is the naked lion-headed figure often found in Mithraic temples, named by the modern scholars with descriptive terms such as leontocephaline (lion-headed) or leontocephalus (lion-head). He is entwined by a serpent (or two serpents, like a caduceus), with the snake's head often resting on the lion's head. The lion's mouth is often open, giving a horrifying impression. He is usually represented as having four wings, two keys (sometimes a single key), and a scepter in his hand. Sometimes the figure is standing on a globe inscribed with a diagonal cross. In the figure shown here, the four wings carry the symbols of the four seasons, and a thunderbolt is engraved on the breast. At the base of the statue are the hammer and tongs of Vulcan, the cock, and the wand of Mercury. A more scarcely represented variant of the figure with a human head is also found.
Although animal-headed figures are prevalent in contemporary Egyptian and Gnostic mythological representations, an exact parallel to the Mithraic leontocephaline figure is not found.
The name of the figure has been deciphered from dedicatory inscriptions to be Arimanius (though the archeological evidence is not very strong), which is nominally the equivalent of Ahriman, a demon figure in the Zoroastrian pantheon. Arimanius is known from inscriptions to have been a god in the Mithraic cult (CIMRM 222 from Ostia, 369 from Rome, 1773 and 1775 from Pannonia).
While some scholars identify the lion-man as Aion (or Zurvan, or Cronus) others assert that it is Ahriman.[51] There is also speculation that the figure is the Gnostic demiurge, (Ariel) Ialdabaoth. Although the exact identity of the lion-headed figure is debated by scholars, it is largely agreed that the god is associated with time and seasonal change.[53] An occultist, D. J.Cooper, speculates to the contrary that the lion-headed figure is not a god, but rather represents the spiritual state achieved in Mithraism's "adept" level, the Leo (lion) degree. Rituals and worship[edit]
According to M. J. Vermaseren, the Mithraic New Year and the birthday of Mithras was on December 25. However, Beck disagrees strongly.Clauss states: "the Mithraic Mysteries had no public ceremonies of its own. The festival of natalis Invicti [Birth of the Unconquerable (Sun)], held on 25 December, was a general festival of the Sun, and by no means specific to the Mysteries of Mithras." Mithraic initiates were required to swear an oath of secrecy and dedication, and some grade rituals involved the recital of a catechism, wherein the initiate was asked a series of questions pertaining to the initiation symbolism and had to reply with specific answers. An example of such a catechism, apparently pertaining to the Leo grade, was discovered in a fragmentary Egyptian papyrus (P.Berolinensis 21196),and reads:
... He will say: 'Where ... ?
... he is/(you are?) there (then/thereupon?) at a loss?' Say: ... Say: 'Night'. He will say: 'Where ... ?' ... Say: 'All things ...' (He will say): '... you are called ... ?' Say: 'Because of the summery ...' ... having become ... he/it has the fiery ... (He will say): '... did you receive/inherit?' Say: 'In a pit'. He will say: 'Where is your ...?... (Say): '...(in the...) Leonteion.' He will say: 'Will you gird?' The (heavenly?) ...(Say): '... death'. He will say: 'Why, having girded yourself, ...?' '... this (has?) four tassels. Very sharp and ... '... much'. He will say: ...? (Say: '... because of/through?) hot and cold'. He will say: ...? (Say): '... red ... linen'. He will say: 'Why?' Say: '... red border; the linen, however, ...' (He will say): '... has been wrapped?' Say: 'The savior's ...' He will say: 'Who is the father?' Say: 'The one who (begets?) everything ...' (He will say): '('How ?)... did you become a Leo?' Say: 'By the ... of the father'. ... Say: 'Drink and food'. He will say '...?'
'... in the seven-...
Almost no Mithraic scripture or first-hand account of its highly secret rituals survives;with the exception of the aforementioned oath and catechism, and the document known as the Mithras Liturgy, from 4th century Egypt, whose status as a Mithraist text has been questioned by scholars including Franz Cumont. The walls of Mithraea were commonly whitewashed, and where this survives it tends to carry extensive repositories of graffiti; and these, together with inscriptions on Mithraic monuments, form the main source for Mithraic texts.
Nevertheless, it is clear from the archeology of numerous Mithraea that most rituals were associated with feasting – as eating utensils and food residues are almost invariably found. These tend to include both animal bones and also very large quantities of fruit residues.The presence of large amounts of cherry-stones in particular would tend to confirm mid-summer (late June, early July) as a season especially associated with Mithraic festivities. The Virunum album, in the form of an inscribed bronze plaque, records a Mithraic festival of commemoration as taking place on 26 June 184. Beck argues that religious celebrations on this date are indicative of special significance being given to the Summer solstice; but this time of the year coincides with ancient recognition of the solar maximum at midsummer, whilst iconographically identical holidays such as Litha, St John's Eve, and Jāņi are observed also.
For their feasts, Mithraic initiates reclined on stone benches arranged along the longer sides of the Mithraeum – typically there might be room for 15 to 30 diners, but very rarely many more than 40 men. Counterpart dining rooms, or triclinia, were to be found above ground in the precincts of almost any temple or religious sanctuary in the Roman empire, and such rooms were commonly used for their regular feasts by Roman 'clubs', or collegia. Mithraic feasts probably performed a very similar function for Mithraists as the collegia did for those entitled to join them; indeed, since qualification for Roman collegia tended to be restricted to particular families, localities or traditional trades, Mithraism may have functioned in part as providing clubs for the unclubbed.However, the size of the Mithraeum is not necessarily an indication of the size of the congregation.
Each Mithraeum had several altars at the further end, underneath the representation of the tauroctony, and also commonly contained considerable numbers of subsidiary altars, both in the main Mithraeum chamber and in the ante-chamber or narthex.[68] These altars, which are of the standard Roman pattern, each carry a named dedicatory inscription from a particular initiate, who dedicated the altar to Mithras "in fulfillment of his vow", in gratitude for favours received. Burned residues of animal entrails are commonly found on the main altars indicating regular sacrificial use. However, Mithraea do not commonly appear to have been provided with facilities for ritual slaughter of sacrificial animals (a highly specialised function in Roman religion), and it may be presumed that a Mithraeum would have made arrangements for this service to be provided for them in co-operation with the professional victimarius of the civic cult. Prayers were addressed to the Sun three times a day, and Sunday was especially sacred.
It is doubtful whether Mithraism had a monolithic and internally consistent doctrine. It may have varied from location to location. However, the iconography is relatively coherent. It had no predominant sanctuary or cultic centre; and, although each Mithraeum had its own officers and functionaries, there was no central supervisory authority. In some Mithraea, such as that at Dura Europos, wall paintings depict prophets carrying scrolls,but no named Mithraic sages are known, nor does any reference give the title of any Mithraic scripture or teaching. It is known that intitates could transfer with their grades from one Mithraeum to another.
Mithraeum
See also: Mithraeum
A mithraeum found in the ruins of Ostia Antica, Italy
Temples of Mithras are sunk below ground, windowless, and very distinctive. In cities, the basement of an apartment block might be converted; elsewhere they might be excavated and vaulted over, or converted from a natural cave. Mithraic temples are common in the empire; although unevenly distributed, with considerable numbers found in Rome, Ostia, Numidia, Dalmatia, Britain and along the Rhine/Danube frontier; while being somewhat less common in Greece, Egypt, and Syria.According to Walter Burkert, the secret character of Mithriac rituals meant that Mithraism could only be practiced within a Mithraeum.Some new finds at Tienen show evidence of large-scale feasting and suggest that the mystery religion may not have been as secretive as was generally believed.
For the most part, Mithraea tend to be small, externally undistinguished, and cheaply constructed; the cult generally preferring to create a new centre rather than expand an existing one. The Mithraeum represented the cave to which Mithras carried and then killed the bull; and where stone vaulting could not be afforded, the effect would be imitated with lath and plaster. They are commonly located close to springs or streams; fresh water appears to have been required for some Mithraic rituals, and a basin is often incorporated into the structure. There is usually a narthex or ante-chamber at the entrance, and often other ancillary rooms for storage and the preparation of food. The extant mithraea present us with actual physical remains of the architectural structures of the sacred spaces of the Mithraic cult. Mithraeum is a modern coinage and mithraists referred to their sacred structures as speleum or antrum (cave), crypta (underground hallway or corridor), fanum (sacred or holy place), or even templum (a temple or a sacred space).
In their basic form, mithraea were entirely different from the temples and shrines of other cults. In the standard pattern of Roman religious precincts, the temple building functioned as a house for the god, who was intended to be able to view through the opened doors and columnar portico, sacrificial worship being offered on an altar set in an open courtyard; potentially accessible not only to initiates of the cult, but also to colitores or non-initiated worshippers.Mithraea were the antithesis of this.
Degrees of initiation
In the Suda under the entry "Mithras", it states that "no one was permitted to be initiated into them (the mysteries of Mithras), until he should show himself holy and steadfast by undergoing several graduated tests."Gregory Nazianzen refers to the "tests in the mysteries of Mithras".
There were seven grades of initiation into the mysteries of Mithras, which are listed by St. Jerome.Manfred Clauss states that the number of grades, seven, must be connected to the planets. A mosaic in the Ostia Mithraeum of Felicissimus depicts these grades, with symbolic emblems that are connected either to the grades or are just symbols of the planets. The grades also have an inscription beside them commending each grade into the protection of the different planetary gods. In ascending order of importance, the initiatory grades were:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_mysteries
In the Mithraic ceremonies, there were seven degrees of initiations: Corax (Raven), Nymphus (Bridegroom), Miles (Soldier), Leo (Lion), Perses (Persian),Heliodromus (Courier of the Sun), and Pater (Father). Those in the lowest ranks, certainly the Corax, were the servants of the community during the sacred meal of bread and water that formed part of the rite.
The area where the concentration of evidence for Mithraism is the most dense is the capital, Rome, and her port city, Ostia. There are eight extant mithraea in Rome of as many as seven hundred (Coarelli 1979) and eighteen in Ostia. In addition to the actual mithraea, there are approximately three hundred other mithraic monuments from Rome and about one hundred from Ostia. This body of evidence reveals that Mithraism in Rome and Ostia originally appealed to the same social strata as it did in the frontier regions. The evidence also indicates that at least some inhabitants knew about Mithraism as early as the late first century CE, but that the cult did not enjoy a wide membership in either location until the middle of the second century CE.
As the cult in Rome became more popular, it seems to have "trickled up" the social ladder, with the result that Mithraism could count several senators from prominent aristocratic families among its adherents by the fourth century CE. Some of these men were initiates in several cults imported from the eastern empire (including those of Magna Mater and Attis, Isis, Serapis, Jupiter Dolichenus, Hecate, and Liber Pater, among others), and most had held priesthoods in official Roman cults. The devotion of these men to Mithraism reflects a fourth-century "resurgence of paganism," when many of these imported cults and even official Roman state religion experienced a surge in popularity although, and perhaps because, their very existence was increasingly threatened by the rapid spread of Christianity after the conversion of the emperor Constantine in 313 CE.
global.britannica.com/topic/heliodromus
Mithraism had a wide following from the middle of the second century to the late fourth century CE, but the common belief that Mithraism was the prime competitor of Christianity, promulgated by Ernst Renan (Renan 1882 579), is blatantly false. Mithraism was at a serious disadvantage right from the start because it allowed only male initiates. What is more, Mithraism was, as mentioned above, only one of several cults imported from the eastern empire that enjoyed a large membership in Rome and elsewhere. The major competitor to Christianity was thus not Mithraism but the combined group of imported cults and official Roman cults subsumed under the rubric "paganism." Finally, part of Renan's claim rested on an equally common, but almost equally mistaken, belief that Mithraism was officially accepted because it had Roman emperors among its adherents (Nero, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and the Tetrarchs are most commonly cited). Close examination of the evidence for the participation of emperors reveals that some comes from literary sources of dubious quality and that the rest is rather circumstantial. The cult of Magna Mater, the first imported cult to arrive in Rome (204 BCE) was the only one ever officially recognized as a Roman cult. The others, including Mithraism, were never officially accepted, and some, particularly the Egyptian cult of Isis, were periodically outlawed and their adherents persecuted.
ecole.evansville.edu/articles/mithraism.html
Some words were enough for God to precipitate the most beautiful of his creatures at the bottom of the abyss. Lucifer, the carrier of Light, pulled(entailed) with him a third(third party) of the angels in its revolt. Hell was created for him. We know the continuation(suite) … The column of July Place de la Bastille, was set up between 1833 and 1840. In its summit, thrones the "Spirit of liberty" conceived(designed) by the sculptor Auguste Dumont. Curious tribute returned by Louis Philippe to the insurgents who knocked down(spilled) Charles X and the Absolute monarchy three years earlier. Lucifer picked up. No detail misses(is lacking) … Torch in the hand, the Angel has just broken his chains(channels) and dashes to new conquests. Under its impressive base is a crypt sheltering some 500 rests of Fighters of 1830, as well as Egyptian mummy brought back(reported) by Napoleon.Durant la commune de Paris en 1870, après avoir abattu la colonne Vendôme, les communards s’en prirent à celle de la Bastille… sans succès. Ni le dispositif d’explosifs souterrains, ni le tir d’une trentaine d’obus depuis les buttes Chaumont n’en virent pas à bout. La flamme du porteur de Lumière refusa de s’éteindre…
During the municipality of Paris in 1870, having brought(shot) down the column Vendôme, the Communards took themselves in that of the Bastille unsuccessfully. Neither the device(plan) of subterranean explosives, nor the shooting(firing) of around thirty shells since mounds Chaumont transfer(fire) it to end. The flame of the carrier of Light refused to go out …Lucifer was so far away...?
« Non Serviam »- « Je ne servirai pas ! »
Quelques mots suffirent à Dieu pour précipiter la plus belle de ses créatures au fond de l’abîme. Lucifer, le porteur de Lumière, entraîna avec lui un tiers des anges dans sa révolte. L’enfer fut créé pour lui. Nous connaissons la suite…La colonne de Juillet Place de la Bastille, fut érigée entre 1833 et 1840. À son sommet, trône le « Génie de La Liberté » conçu par le sculpteur Auguste Dumont. Curieux hommage rendu par Louis Philippe aux insurgés qui renversèrent Charles X et la Monarchie absolue trois ans plus tôt. Lucifer a repris du poil de la bête. Aucun détail ne manque… Torche à la main, l’Ange vient de briser ses chaînes et s’élance vers de nouvelles conquêtes. Sous son imposant piédestal se trouve une crypte abritant quelques 500 restes des combattants de 1830, ainsi qu’une momie égyptienne rapportée par Napoléon.Durant la commune de Paris en 1870, après avoir abattu la colonne Vendôme, les communards s’en prirent à celle de la Bastille… sans succès. Ni le dispositif d’explosifs souterrains, ni le tir d’une trentaine d’obus depuis les buttes Chaumont n’en virent pas à bout. La flamme du porteur de Lumière refusa de s’éteindre…
www.pariszigzag.fr/histoire-insolite-paris/qui-est-vraime...
13 Consider the work of God:
who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ec 7:13–14.