Alpha Omega

One knows that faith consists in accepting truth, and hope is depending upon God for one’s needs. One also knows that love is saying yes to our Lord. Now one will look into a few of the thousands of methods by which one receives truth, obtains his or her needs, and says yes to our Lord.

Two of the methods are the Holy Bible and the Roman Catholic Church. These two sources are the primary — but not only — means of receiving religious truth, obtaining spiritual needs and saying yes to God. But the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Mother Church are concerned primarily with spiritual truth and spiritual needs, and one says yes to Jesus Christ in spiritual manners by daily prayer, reading and meditating on the word of God — particularly the gospels — and the frequent reception of Holy Communion.

What about temporal truths and one’s physical needs, how does one say yes to this world and still remain in God’s innermost mansion? The Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Church have no authority over this world.

The Holy Bible does not contain any scientific facts relating to the physical world. The Mother Church is not obligated to help one obtain truths concerning the physical world. Nor is She obligated to help one obtain material goals. Her obligation is to administer Her seven sacraments and to teach the word of God, which is an “eighth sacrament” in union with the other seven.

However, one does not need to worry about the truthfulness of secular teachings nor the dependability of material needs.

First of all, one keeps him or her self in perfect love and says yes to this physical world by believing in truth and by being completely honest and just with one’s neighbor.

Secondly, there have always been, still are and always will be people all over the world, in all walks of life and study, who are inspired by a devotion to seek truth in their particular field, and who will not stop searching for the truth they seek until they either find it or meet their physical death. That is, they put their search for truth above their own life (Jn.15:13).

Two such children of God are Alfred Wegener, a meteorologist and geologist who died in 1930 searching for the truths in plate tectonics (continental drift), and Dr. Louis Leakey, an anthropologist who died in 1972 after dedicating his life to discovering the truths of man’s physical origin.

The third reason one need not worry about the truthfulness of secular teachings is because science is self correcting. The Piltdown Man is a classic example of how truth will prevail in the scientific community. It was originally propagated as an ancestor of man. But due to the efforts of a few anthropologists who sought to bring truth into the anthropological world it was proven to be a hoax.

Thus, the Piltdown Man was really a blessing to the scientific community. It revealed that a person does not have to worry about the teachings of science, for it manifested how science is self correcting. It manifested how science teaches the truth.

There are also people all over the world, inspired by a devotion to help those in need, who will not stop helping those in need until they either free everyone of their particular need or meet their physical death. That is, they put the needs of others above their own life (Jn.15:13).

Two such people are Florence Nightingale, a nurse who died in 1910, helping the sick and the lame, and Anne Sullivan, a social worker who died in 1936, after dedicating her life to helping the blind to “see.” It is in this way that God, working through His nonclerical children, teaches secular truths and helps all His children with their material needs.

One receives truths about the physical world through schools and universities, the news media and public announcements, government and civic leaders, ethnic and social organizations, one’s own friends and relatives, employers and employees, business associates and acquaintances and through colleagues and fellowships of all sorts.

Truth comes to one through doctors, lawyers, receptionists, sports personnel, clerical workers, journeymen, scientists, laborers, blue and white collar workers and through professionals and amateurs of all types.

The truths of this temporal world comes to one through musicians, painters, sculptors, journalists, photographers, actors and through artists of all kinds.

Jesus Christ speaks to one through the learned and the unlearned, the old and the young, the big and the small, the commanding and the meek, the great and the inconsequential, with similes, metaphors and analogies as well as direct communications, using each person’s own everyday surroundings and each person’s ability to grow and to understand.

One receives his or her material needs through the health centers, hospitals, and other medical agencies; through government agencies, laws, courts, and civic organizations; through one’s own friends, relatives, employers, business associates, municipal leaders and colleagues and fellowships of all sorts. In fact, one receives help in his or her physical needs from the same places one receives truth.

There are thousands of ways our Lord helps His children. One need only open his or her eyes and ears to God’s helping hand and God’s loving word to see and hear our Lord, Jesus Christ guiding one to the Father.

Of course, one must exercise caution for there are many individuals who practice deceit. The same areas from which one can receive truth and help one can also receive lies and hindrances. The ultimate goal of the wolves in sheep’s clothing doing this wickedness is to draw one away from God.

A true child of God will pray to our Lord for help in order to distinguish a fellow child of God from someone who is nothing more than a pseudo-Christian practicing deceit. A child of God will listen to all the teachings of someone professing to have truth in order to perceive whether such a person is of God or of Satan. A child of God will watch all the works of a person professing to offer help to those in need in order to perceive whether such a person is of God or of the evil one.

A true child of God will do this for he or she knows that a tree is known by its fruit (Mt.7:15-20). St. John also warns one to beware of the workers of iniquity.

One may better understand this by explaining first that a prophet is not necessarily a person who always foretells the future or someone who has some divinely inspired mission to reveal some mystery of God. The prophets that one normally hears about do such things. A normal, everyday prophet of God is someone who proclaims God’s word, the truth. An average, ordinary prophet of God is a person who helps his or her neighbor in their hour of need.

This is not to exalt the normal, average person above the ancient prophets of old or above the saints of God. For these were specially chosen children of God with specially chosen tasks. But trying to manifest to one that all the children of God are equal.

All children of God are servants and prophets and saints of our Lord. Which is to say that each person has the obligation of serving our Lord by propagating the truth and by helping his or her neighbor in their hour of need.

If a prophet of God is someone who says yes to God by propagating the truth and helping those in need, then one may wonder what type of person is a false prophet. As one knows, even Satan’s henchmen can speak the truth and they do help those in need when it meets their purpose. Who or what kind of people were St. John writing about?

A false prophet is an individual who propagates lies along with any truths he or she may also proclaim. A false prophet is an individual who hinders a person’s progress toward our Lord while helping the person with his or her physical needs. A false prophet is someone who works solely for his or her own gain and his or her own self glory.

A false prophet’s faith is in the works of his or her own hands and a false prophet’s hope is in his or her earthly treasures. A false prophet loves only him or her self. A false prophet cares nought for God nor his or her neighbor.

Everything a false prophet does he or she accomplishes under the disguise of doing the will of God. A false prophet is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He or she claims to be a child of God, but he or she only gives lip service to our Lord. A false prophet’s heart is far from God. A false prophet’s only goal is to place him or her self first in all things.

The aforementioned methods of receiving truth and help are just a few of the thousands of ways in which our Lord reveals to each person the many mysteries of God’s kingdom. One need only ask God for forgiveness of his or her sins and then begin to do the will of the Father by obeying the law of love.

Such a person is then automatically living under the divine guidance of our Lord. Then when confronted with a trial of some sort, one need only follow the logical, rational course of action, applying humility at all times. Such a person would grow rapidly with God and be able to accomplish his or her everyday tasks much easier. A person who follows truth and justice has God working for him or her.

One should note that without absolution from God a person has guidance from God, but it is a hindered guidance. One may liken this to a person trying to read by the light of a full moon. While the guidance of a person in the state of grace may be likened to the ease one has reading by the light of the sun. They both can do the work, but the one in the state of grace has a much easier task. All can seek truth and help those in need, but those in the state of grace have a much easier labor.

The revealing of the mysteries of God’s kingdom through His prophets is fulfilling a prophecy made by our Lord Jesus Christ while He was here in this world.

The revealing of the secrets of the kingdom of our Lord is fulfilling still another prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord was quoting the second verse of Psalm 77 in the above verse. This was also to fulfill a prophecy from the prophet Isaias:

In almost all instances one will receive truth or one will receive help obtaining his or her needs through one of the conventional methods mentioned above or some other conventional method. But on rare occasions our Lord will reveal His message privately or inspire a specially chosen child of God to do a particular task. This child of God will then freely give this information to God’s other children. This is fulfilling a prophecy where our Lord said that He would speak to all His children through His prophets.

One may wonder how our Lord chooses someone to do a special assignment. In order to answer this one needs to turn to the chess board, for it offers a good analogy.

In this game, when one wishes to attack his or her enemy, one will look at all the different pieces that are available to accomplish the task. Some pieces will be out of position. Some pieces will be guarding another of one’s own pieces or one may not have enough time to get a certain piece into the proper position to do the task. But from all the pieces available to one, one will choose the right piece for the right task.

The same is true with God. Whenever He wishes to accomplish a certain work He will look at all His children who are available to complete the mission. Then He will choose the right person, with the right personality, from the right place, at the right time, knowing (having faith) that this child will accomplish the goal.

The method that God will choose to reveal His message to His servant will be either through some kind of religious experience or through some conventional method — similar to one of the methods mentioned earlier. But either way, the authenticity of the message will be clearly discernable.

One should note that the average person will rarely ever receive any extraordinary religious experience. For the average person is too filled with materialism and self love to maintain a close relationship with God. Most people receive their truth and help through conventional methods.

However, one should note that whenever someone does receive a religious experience from our Lord, he or she should take caution that someone else may receive a greater experience. This is because one must give more in order to receive more. The more of one’s own life one gives to God, the more one receives from our Lord in return.

Thus, while some may receive dreams, visions, apparitions, locutions or raptures others may receive increases in perseverance, veracity, humility, piety and the other virtues. All will receive increases in faith, hope and love, but some will receive more because they give more.

Again, this is not to exalt the ordinary person, but trying to manifest that all children of God share equally in our Lord’s kingdom. All receive the same gift: God’s love and eternal life with Him in His kingdom. God gives the same to all, but some will receive more because they give more and have made themselves capable of receiving more.

Returning to the chess analogy, one only needs to ascertain who knows more about how to play the game, the person who devotes only one hour a week to it or the person who plays it every day.

The same is true with God. The soul who only spends one hour a week at prayer knows less about God and receives less from Him. While the soul who dedicates his or her daily life to our Lord receives more from Jesus Christ. This latter person has made him or her self capable of receiving more from our Lord.

The more one gives to Jesus Christ the less loss he will suffer. This is what St. Paul meant when he wrote his epistle to the Corinthians.

Those who give their all to God will receive a full reward. Those who give very little of their lives to God will lose that which they do not give. Those who do not give anything to God will suffer total loss. Thus, our Lord gives the same love to all His children, but some receive more due to their greater capacity caused by their giving more of themselves.

However, one should not believe that only a member of the clergy — or someone of this nature — can give his or her all to God. One gives his or her all to God by being totally truthful and totally just in all their interactions with their neighbor. This is saying yes to God’s will and obtaining spiritual perfection. One does not have to be a member of the clergy to do that.

Finally, any message one receives from God may not always be of a religious nature. Often times it will be about some personal want or need. But whether the message is of a spiritual nature or a secular nature, a child of God will accept it with humility. This is true regardless of how one receives the word of God. Whether one receives it directly from our Lord or through some conventional method.

If such comes from a specially chosen child of God, then this soul will be someone who has unreservedly said yes to our Lord, keeps his or her faith in total truth as revealed by Jesus Christ and is completely honest and just with his or her neighbor. They are the ones who gave more of their own lives to God while in this life and will receive more from Him in the life to come.

Throughout history there have been many such “prophets” who gave our Lord’s truth to the world and thereby helped mankind come a little closer to God. Galileo Galilei was just such a person. He cared nought for the opinions of man. Rather, he searched for the truths of the heliocentric solar system until he died.

Another such child of God was cognitive developmentalist Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) who spent his life researching the evolution of knowledge, the growth of logical thought and the cognitive development of children.

Finally, St. Teresa of Avila mediated on the mysteries of the soul and learned of its truths. In the introduction to her book The Interior Castle she wrote: “God showed her a most beautiful crystal globe, made in the shape of a castle, and containing seven mansions. In the seventh and innermost of which was the King of Glory, in the greatest splendor, illumining and beautifying them all. The nearer one got to the center, the stronger was the light; outside the palace limits everything was foul, dark and infested with toads, vipers and venomous creatures.”

Those who express very little love of God and man keep their souls in the red mansions. Such souls have a great self love and a great love of materialism; they have many secular goals. They offer no sacrifice to God and are spiritually blind, paralyzed and impotent. They often fall into sin, which prevents one from approaching close to God. Hence, their progress toward our Lord is slow and long, with very little freedom.

Those who keep their souls in these nethermost, outer echelons are full of fear and confusion, and they are very distant from our Lord. They obey rules only to avoid punishment and their concern is focused solely on themselves. Most people keep their souls in these cold, dark “fetus” levels where humility cannot be found.

Beyond these mansions a soul exists without God. Outside these mansions exists death and mortal sin.

Those who still express a strong self love and a great love of materialism and secular goals, but offer some small sacrifices to our Lord, lose a little of their redness. Such souls may be said to be born into the orange mansions.

However, they are still spiritually blind, paralyzed and impotent. They still have very little love of God and man and have yet to awaken to the joy of doing God’s will. Their progress toward our Lord is still very slow and long and without much freedom. These lower levels are still very distant from God and those here frequently fall into sin; they are still full of much fear and confusion.

However, they have put some distance between themselves and death. They obey rules in order to receive rewards and their concerns are still self centered. Many souls remain in these cool, dusky “infant” levels where light is just beginning to dawn.

Entering into the yellow mansions are those souls whose love for God and man is mild. They are aware of our Lord and His graces for they are closer to Him, but they tire easily because they are weak and still somewhat paralyzed and impotent. They are still clothed with self love and have many secular desires and goals, and they are still partially spiritually blind.

However, their humility is beginning to grow, which speeds one’s progress toward God. Hence, they do offer better sacrifices to our Lord, and their spiritual progress is somewhat more rapid and shorter. Their fear and confusion are beginning to decline and weaken. Those here conform in order to avoid disapproval or dislike by friends, relatives and acquaintances. Their concerns are focused on groups they are associated with and the norms of these groups.

These palaces have much dust in them and those here have some spiritual sight (understanding) as they is rising closer to God. But these “baby” levels are still filled with many shadows, which blind the soul. In these mansions light may be said to be beginning to express its strength.

Into the green mansions enter those souls who have a strong interest in our Lord and His kingdom. But their interest has no depth because their love of God and man is only just beginning to warm up. Their blindness, paralysis and impotence are on the wane, and they are closer to God.

These souls manifest rapid, short progress in their spiritual growth, but they are still weakened and fatigued by their self love and the secularism in which they wrap themselves. However, fear and confusion have lost much of their influence on these souls.

One may say that light and darkness are competing for dominance in these “child” levels. Their obedience to rules takes on a wider perspective to include legitimate authorities and their concerns are toward order in society. The few souls who have reached this rank of spiritual growth do not sin very often. Their major hindrance to further spiritual progress and freedom of activity is their own lack of humility.

In the blue mansions light is beginning to dominate over darkness, warmth over cold, courage over fear and understanding over confusion. Those souls who have reached this height of spiritual perfection have a strong love of God and most of their blindness, paralysis and impotence has left them. Hence, they do not tire easily in their progress toward God.

They frequently say yes to our Lord. They offer up holy sacrifices to our Lord, but they do maintain some reservations as they still have some self love and secular desires and goals that they do not wish to part with. They obey laws for the good of the community and their concern is focused on the principle that what is right is what society desires as a whole. It is this materialism that hinders further progress and encumbers their souls.

There are very few souls who reach these “pre-adolescent” levels and even fewer progress beyond them.

There are almost no shadows in the violet mansions and almost no blindness, paralysis or impotence. The souls who have reached this high degree of spiritual perfection have almost complete freedom, and they are almost completely full of strength and understanding.

The rare souls who have come to this stage of spiritual growth continually say yes to God, but at times begrudgingly or with reservations. They want to offer perfect sacrifices to our Lord, for they know that this is what one ought to do. They desire to be close to God.

However, such souls still have a minute self love and one or two secular desires of which they have yet to disrobe themselves. This latter is what prevents them from coming closer to God.

Souls in these levels may be said to have reached their “adolescent” stage of spiritual growth and development. They are guided by a universal ethics toward all mankind. Their concerns are focused on the principle that morality is a decision of one’s own conscience based on these universal ethics.

For further progress one must divest him or her self of all self love and all love of materialism. Many souls who reach this height of spiritual perfection do so. But many do not and are never admitted into the private chateau of our Lord.

The innermost mansion is reserved for those souls who have a perfect love of God and man in their hearts. This personal, intimate chamber is filled with clear, white light, and those who dwell here have complete freedom in both thought and activity. There are no shadows, paralysis or impotence here. This is God’s conjugal retreat, the nuptial palace in which He dwells.

Those who have reached this climax of final perfection never tire of doing God’s work. They unreservedly say yes to our Lord, for no sacrifice is too great. The progress of these souls is complete. They are there; they are home.

This is our Lord’s heart and those souls in this nucleus level have great courage, wisdom and understanding of God’s law. They have unashamedly and completely disrobed themselves of all self love and have a high disdain, if not out right contempt, for secularism and materialist goals.

Rather, their pride is in propagating truth and justice to all mankind. Their ethics transcends morality and their concerns transcend mankind, to include everything that has ever existed, exists now or ever will exist in the future. It is extremely rare to find a soul who has risen to this pinnacle of spiritual perfection. This is the “mature adult” level of perfect love and humility.

This is truth. God is omnipresent. One is always within Him and before Him and one must go about his or her everyday life with this belief in mind. One has nothing good in him or her self; only the wretchedness of one’s past sins (Ps.50:5). The only worthy offering that one can give to our Lord is a contrite and humble heart (Ps.50:11-19). Anything else may be likened to offering a blemished fruit to God.

One should therefore not desire to be celebrated any better nor more than his or her worth. In all things and in all actions one ought to seek God and give to Him that which is His (which is everything) and to oneself that which is one’s own (which is nothing). Any and all good accomplished by one are done by our Lord working within one. All evil is done by each person’s own unholy desire. One is worthy only of eternal damnation in the second death.

To believe this is to be humble and contrite and to believe otherwise is to exalt oneself and live in lies. When one makes this admission of truth from the heart and in secret (Mt.6:3-6), then he or she is living before God in perfect love and humility and has entered God’s innermost chamber.

It takes great courage and humility to make such an admission from the heart. There is a barrier separating this innermost mansion from the other mansions which takes great courage and humility to cross. Such courage and humility must come from the Holy Spirit and be tried by fire. Upon crossing this barrier, the feet or foundation of one’s soul is washed by our Lord. Therefore, upon making such an admission one is automatically in the state of grace and his or her debt to God is paid back in full.

Finally, one should note that the closer to the center one keeps their soul the more they resemble and emulate God in their thoughts, beliefs and actions. Conversely, the farther from the center a person keeps his or her soul the more their thoughts, beliefs and actions are their own.

It is extremely rare to find someone who has reached this level of spiritual perfection. A good ratio analogy would be to compare those who reach the innermost mansion with those who become professional football players in the National Football League (or any professional sport).

Those who keep their souls in the outermost mansions may be likened to all fans and players throughout the world. That is, of all those students who play ball in their school days, only a very few actually make it to the professionals. The remaining students drop out and take up other interests as they get older. Only the rare few make it to the professionals.

The same may be said of those who reach the innermost mansion. Of all souls who seek God only a very few actually make it to the private chateau of our Lord. The other children of God have interests in their secularism, in their materialism and in their self love. Hence, they remain in the lower, outer mansions.

One should not allow his or her thoughts to become confused. To obtain perfect love does not mean that one has obtained perfection in all things. It means that one has perfect love of God and man. Which is to say that those who keep their souls in this private, intimate palace put God and the needs of their neighbor above themselves. They put truth and justice above themselves.

A person who has perfect love may still have many vices within his or her soul (pride, envy, sloth, lust, anger, etc.) but these evils have been rendered impotent by his or her love. Which is to say, that the evil one has no influence on a soul with perfect love in his or her heart.

As long as such a soul keeps his or her thoughts fixed on God and the law, then he or she is safe from sin. But as soon as he or she departs from truth and justice, as soon as he or she looks away from humility or as soon as he or she begins to do his or her own will instead of the will of God, then he or she will begin to fall from grace. Such a person’s vices then begin to have influence and he or she will begin to weaken.

The farther from perfect love one falls, the farther from God one’s soul is and the more influence the vices of Satan have upon such a person.

Finally, one may draw an analogy and say that having perfect love but not being perfect in all things is like having a diamond that has not been polished, a “diamond in the rough,” so to speak.

Nor should one believe that a person can obtain absolution from a priest and then automatically be admitted into the innermost chamber of our Lord’s spiritual world. It is love of God and man that brings one into this wonderland of delight, not absolution from a priest.

Absoution washes the “cornerstone” of one’s soul and admits one into the kingdom. Such a person could be at a state of spiritual growth that would place him or her in any of the outer levels. Absolution does not admit someone who is spiritually imperfect into the innermost chamber of heaven. It merely admits one into our Lord’s world. Such a person would still have to grow spiritually to the mature, innermost mansion.

But those whose souls dwell in the innermost mansion are automatically in the state of grace, no matter what their particular faith. Such souls have proven that they love God more than their very own lives. Hence, one need not be a Catholic Christian or even a non-Catholic Christian in order to grow spiritually, by admitting one’s own faults, and then enter into the intimate chateau of our Lord. To get there, it’s easy. All you need is love.

Finally, it is humility, not knowledge or understanding of God, which helps one to grow spiritually and progress through the outer levels and into the innermost chamber of the castle of one’s own soul. This is because one’s spiritual growth and strength are different from one’s spiritual maturity and knowledge.

A person can have much knowledge and understanding of our Lord and His word, but not be able to put it to full and proper use due to his or her own lack of love. Such a person would gain in spiritual maturity but remain weak and afraid. This is because humility gives strength and eliminates fear. While understanding helps one to mature and eliminates ignorance.

Many souls cannot come to a full knowledge and understanding of God because they were born at the wrong place or time. There may be a mountain or an ocean preventing our Lord from getting His truth to His children. Some may not get the truth of God because of a disability or dependency of some kind. Some children may not get the word of God because those responsible for their education are not ensuring that they get a proper education.

There are many things that can prevent our Lord from getting His truth to one of His children. A classic example of this is the American Indians living before Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. There was no way that our Lord could teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ before that year. Another example would be someone who is born with a disability that prevents him or her from learning of God’s word or someone whose parents just refuse to send him or her to school.

Jesus Christ will get His word to anyone who wants it; if it is entirely possible to do so. If there is something preventing our Lord from reaching His child, then he or she will receive his or her spiritual maturity in the world to come.

In this way, any soul who comes to an admission of his or her own guilt, but does not have the opportunity to reach full spiritual maturity in this life, will have that opportunity in the world to come. Such souls have the strength and courage, but lack in knowledge and understanding of God, which they will receive in the next life.

On the other hand, those who do not acknowledge their own worthlessness from their heart and in secret, but have gained much knowledge and understanding from our Lord will gain in spiritual maturity but remain weak and timid. They will be saved but will also suffer some loss (1Cor.3:13-15).

An example of such a soul would be someone living today who has a degree in theology but has not humbled themself before our Lord. Such a person has knowledge of God but does not have the spiritual strength or courage to put that knowledge to perfect use.

It is only those souls who have reached the innermost mansion who will maintain all the strength and courage that Jesus Christ bestows. Any ignorance in knowledge and understanding of God of these latter souls is of no disgrace to them, for they may not have had the opportunity to learn of Him in this life. They will receive their full perfection in the world to come.

This is because it only takes a second to acknowledge one’s own worthlessness and enter the intimate chamber of God. But it takes many years of study and practice to gain knowledge of God. It only takes a second to acknowledge that one does not have knowledge of God, but it takes many years of daily, dedicated practice in humility to put knowledge of God to full and proper use by avoiding sin in times of temptation.

One who has just acknowledged his or her unworthiness for the first time may be likened to a new born baby. If such a child of God has never studied the word of God, then he or she has no knowledge of God. He or she has the strength but lacks the maturity. His or her maturity will come as he or she studies the word of God.

Those children of God who have spent many years studying the word of God but have just acknowledged their unworthiness for the first time may also be likened to a new born baby. But, unlike the aforementioned children of God, these children of God have both the strength and maturity and will grow faster.

However, both types of children must still spend many years of daily dedicated practice in humility in order to avoid sin in times of temptation.

Many may still be confused over this. But if one were to compare a star’s absolute magnitude with its apparent magnitude then the difference between spiritual strength and spiritual knowledge, and the difference between spiritual growth and spiritual maturity could possibly be better understood.

A star can be very dim but appear to be very bright only because it is relatively close to the observer, or it can be dim and appear dim because of its great distance from the observer.

Also, as one learned in the first book of this trilogy, stars burn with different magnitudes. Thus, a star may actually be very bright but appear to be very dim only because it is so far away from the observer, or it could very bright and appear very bright because of its nearness to the observer. All this is a star’s apparent magnitude.

However, if all stars are observed from the same distance only the very bright stars will show up thus and the dim stars will show up dim. This is the star’s absolute magnitude.

Four stars immediately come to mind: Sirus (a dwarf star), Alpha Centauri (a main sequence star), both stars relatively close, Betelgeuse (a red giant star), and Rigel (a blue giant star), both stars relatively distant. Sirus (type A1) and Rigel (type B8) are both hotter burning stars than Alpha Centauri (type G2) and Betelgeuse (type M2). Yet, each of these stars appears with different magnitudes or brightness. Some stars appear to be bright and other stars appear to be dim.

The same is true with God and His children. A person may appear outwardly to be very holy only because he or she has much knowledge and understanding of God. Another person may appear to be a wretch only because he or she has very little knowledge and understanding of God. However, it is love of God and man that makes one a holy child of God, not knowledge of truth. Those who have a great love of God and man are holy children of God, while those who have little or no love of God and man are materialistic and secular.

Thus, a soul can have great knowledge and understanding of our Lord and still have very little love in his or her heart. Such a soul would outwardly appear to be holy but would actually be materialistic and secular. A soul can have very little knowledge and understanding of God with a small love in his or her heart. Such a soul would appear to be materialistic and secular and actually be materialistic and secular.

A soul can also be “born” into the innermost palace with a great knowledge and understanding of God. Such a soul would both appear to be and actually be a holy child of God. Finally, one can be “born” into our Lord’s innermost castle and still have very little knowledge or understanding of Jesus Christ. Such a newborn, suckling soul, while outwardly appearing to be a wretch, would actually be a holy child of God. Thus, came the praise of the psalmist many centuries ago.

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