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Mission: To unconditionally love everyone.
Goal: Pray for the Holy Spirit to show us ways to help others discover their unique gifts of grace.
Action: Model compassionate care.
Call: Share ministry with others by encouraging everyone to exercise their relational ministry. First, with family, then close friends, and then those in the community who are not connected to someone in a spiritual relationship.
World View: Local churches make up the spiritual heart of a community. However, all local churches are connected with the global universal church. The global universal church is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on the earth. This fleshly dwelling place is the treasure in earthly vessels. The global universal church is a spiritual body, made without hands. The church is God's new governmental system on earth. The global universal church is made up of all nations, all people, all kindred, all tongues, is God manifested in the flesh. It is the Nation of Jesus Society.
Sacramental View: A sacrament is an outward sign of an inward influence of God's grace. Therefore, everything we do is a result of God's mercy and grace working in us to bring peace and non-violence into the world. Although God calls some to live a life of single devotion to the sacred heart and work of Jesus. Marriage, Conception, Birth, Baptism, Preventing Grace, Repentance, Confirmation of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Communion, Communion of Saints, Healing, Miracles, Anointing of oil, Laying on of hands, Witnessing, Confessing our faults, Encouraging one another, and Restoration are all a result of our responding to the immeasurable Grace of God and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
The Kingdom of God: The teaching of Jesus is represented in the Aramaic prayer that he taught his disciples to pray.
"Our Father in Heaven, Our heavenly Father, hallowed is your name.
Your Kingdom is come. Your will is done,
As in heaven so also on earth.
Give us the bread for our daily need.
And leave us serene,
just as we also allowed others serenity.
And do not pass us through trial,
except separate us from the evil one.
For yours is the Kingdom,
the Power and the Glory
To the end of the universe, of all the universes." Amen!
Eashoa (Jesus) our King-Priest continually representing humans on earth, both dead and breathing from his parallel Universe of higher frequency. Jesus teaches that "all live unto me". Jesus our King-Priest sits at the right hand of Allaha, Our Father, continually mediating mercy and grace. Gifting "gifts" to both men and women, at His discretion, to those who cooperate and respond to his spirit-voice and written Word. Jesus is continually mediating his Seven Spirits to humans as we need them to be more than conquerors. His Seven Spirits are: "there shall rest and settle upon him the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge, the Spirit of Providence and Greatness, the Spirit of Understanding and Submission to the Lord;3. And he shall ascend from the East* with his Lord's assumptions,*" The spirit of Eashoa, is pouring out healing, joy, knowledge, understanding, peace, justice, mercy, oil of gladness into this global community. If you interested in becoming a partner with us contact us by filling in your contact information on the Home Page. |
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The Maltese archipelago lies in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and northern Africa. The chain is situated about 60 miles south of Sicily and 180 miles east of Tunisia, and it straddles the 36th parallel. The tiny nation is composed of three inhabited islands (Malta, Gozo and Comino) and three islets, or big rocks (Cominotto, Filfla and St. Paul's Island). In satellite images the fragments of land look like crumbs that have fallen off their huge Sicilian neighbor.
Many cultures have coveted the small chain of islands. Due to their strategic location, Malta and her two small sisters, have been the targets of a long succession of invaders and conquerors, including Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, French, Arabs and Turks. To this list of intruders add hordes of pirates of various nationalities and boatloads of British colonials. And St. Paul, who survived a shipwreck on the rocks in 60 A.D. and converted the entire population to Christianity. Each of these gate-crashers contributed an ingredient to the rich cultural stew that is the modern-day Republic of Malta.
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Indisputably the most potent influence upon the Maltese crossroads was exerted by a group of crusading, hospital-building, multinational aristocrats known as the Knights of Malta. The story of this monastic community, originally called "The Knights of the Order of St. John's of Jerusalem," begins long before its reign in Malta. The religious fraternity was founded in 1099 before the taking of Jerusalem by the armies of the First Crusade.
 Only sons chosen from noble European families of were offered membership in the exclusive club. As a result of the vast wealth the rich scions brought with them (and later from extensive privateering), the group possessed plenty of resources and lots of prestige.
The wealthy brothers' first order of business was to build and administer a hospital for pilgrims in the Holy Land. Later the hospitaller's felt obliged to become a military unit. They were needed to defend crusader territory and to protect pilgrims from bandits and gangs of marauding infidels. During this period the brotherhood acquired the status of knighthood.
When the Turks ejected the Knights from their headquarters in Rhodes in 1522, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, gave his military men the choice of Malta or Tripoli as a new home base. The Knights didn't like either choice, but they figured no place could be less hospitable than hot dry Tripoli ??" they opted for Malta.
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The Knights' Rule
In 1530 Charles deeded the Maltese islands to the grand masters in return for a symbolic annual rent of one live bird, a Maltese falcon, which was to be presented yearly to the emperor's viceroy in Sicily. The tribute represented the role the Knights played for Christendom ??" they served as protective "birds of prey" for the empire.
The religious warriors ruled the Maltese archipelago for 268 years and, in the process, they transformed the small island country. Evidence of the industrious Knights' occupation can be seen everywhere, but most noticeably in the gorgeously carved and faceted architecture of the islands' cities, towns and villages.
Massive stone-walled citadels and battlements, impressive turreted basilicas, and charming, narrow-laned hamlets crown Malta's many hills. Most were built in the 16th century by these authentic knights in shining armor. Multitudes of Maltese crosses, the eight-pointed emblem of the order, were chiseled into golden limestone surfaces, putting the Knights' stamp on the place for all time.
Opulent Palaces
Although the Knights took vows of chastity, obedience and poverty, they became slackers over the years. The grand masters lived in princely luxury in castle-like headquarters called auberges. These luxurious palaces were segregated into eight nationalities (Provence, Auvergne, Aragon, Castille, Leon, Italy, Germany, and England) and were designed and decorated to reflect the homeland culture of the Knights who lived there. No English duke or French viscount lived in more a more splendid style than a grand master of Malta.
The imposing, historically-significant residences still dominate the cityscape of Valetta, although now they function as government buildings. For example, the Auberge de Castille et Leon is now the prime minister's residence and the National Museum of Archeology is housed in what was once the Auberge de Provence.
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The Grand Master of Them All
The most famous Grand Master was Jean de La Vallette, who is credited with building the imposing fortress city of Valetta. The reinforced capital was constructed in a hurry after the original fortifications just barely fended off an onslaught in 1551 by the minions of the Turkish sultan (and the Knights' archenemy) Suleiman the Magnificent. The mighty limestone bastions jut out into the sapphire water of Grand Harbor like the prows of colossal ships and no one can look upon them without conjuring up images from children's picture books, of heated battles between scimitar-wielding, turbaned infidels and mace-bearing knights clad in mail.
No record exists that supports the notion that the wealthy Knights showed off in 1539 by having a jeweled bird fashioned from solid gold, which they sent to the emperor's representative in a treasure galleon, although Dashiell Hammett's fabrication certainly thickened the plot of his thriller. In reality, the Maltese falcon was a living bird of prey which symbolized the power and prowess of the strong military arm of the Holy Roman Empire, the Knights of Malta. The true story of Maltese falcon stimulates the imagination, too.
 Maltese Falcon
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Click on picture or link to visit Marvelous Light Ministries
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There was a Bible man named Joseph born to a faithful man who loved him very much. His brothers disliked him from the beginning but around the house could say nothing. Dad was listening and would not stand for any talk about Joseph. But one day Joseph went to visit them at the work location.
In Joseph's excitement he began to tell them of the fantastic things that God was going to do and they could all be a part of it. But they were already doing okay by the standards of the day and he was just a dreamer anyway. They took one look at the beautiful coat of many colors that his Daddy had bought him and jealousy took control.
The tongues wagged behind the poor boy's back and he knew nothing. But it was decided that he was not their speed. He could not run with them. He had nothing tooffer. After all something must be wrong with him for his Daddy to love him so much.
So the plot was laid. They would silence his voice. See him no more. Have no awkward moments when he came into their presence. And the house would be the same again, like before he was born!
Springing on him like a cheetah on zebra, they stripped him of his beautiful earthly assets. They flung him in a pit. They killed a goat. Dipped his coat in the blood. That's it. We will call him dead.
Yes, Daddy would sorrow for awhile but after a while the killing by an animal story would stick. They would be through with him. No more dreams. No more Joseph. But what do we do with him?
Now they were not murderers of flesh. Just assassins of character, intelligence and good works. They had to get rid of him. Down the dusty road came their answer.
Slave traders. Sure, why did they not think of it before? Let's make some money off of him. Take him for what he's worth. No one will ever know.
Sunlight flooded into the pit where Joseph had been cast. Drug by ropes up the side until feet landed upon the ground. Bound hand and foot his fearful eyes took one last, longing look at those he loved and those he thought loved him and then it was over. He was gone. Gone to a place called Egypt to be a slave!
Money exchanged over and over for this intelligent, sharp favored son until he landed in the house of a ruler. He began to do well. He began to make friends. He began to find favor again. Wealth reappeared and he was making do.
I don't how often he thought of his brothers and their deeds but I am sure he thought of his dear old dad and how he must miss him! But can't go there too much. Got to keep thinking his way out and moving up where he was enslaved. And then it happened again.
The old gal who he worked for desired him. He had far too much integrity to fall for the soft words again and he fled. She lied. Her husband believed her. Joseph had tried to rape her and now he was headed to another prison to pay for someone else's ladder climbing, backstabbing, ungrateful ways.
Down in the jail house he started moving up again. Made some good friends. When they dreamed he told them what it meant. The favor was still on him and he was accurate so he was gaining ground when somebody told somebody who told somebody that he was good at what he did. That somebody happened to be the King or the Pharaoh as he was called.
Out of prison. Into the Palace. Moving on up. Now he's over the national warehouse and because of his way with dreams he knew the famine was coming and had stocked up so good that the Pharaoh could feed all of his people pretty good and then it happened.
Back at home Daddy could not supply food for his sons and daughters and their wives and children and so he made a decision. Calling them in, he told them to get their trucks and trailers and go to Egypt and buy some food. Off they went and when they got there they showed up at the Pharaoh's warehouse. And guess who was there?
Well, they did not remember him. It was so long ago. We have no more obligation. But Joseph remembered. Cried a bit. And sold them food. But he had to find out about Daddy and is this a brother he had never seen before?
What a heartache. What a sadness. But to see Daddy again he had to put up with the boys. What would Daddy want him to do?
I can identify with Joseph...
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