DAVID -- UNDERDOG OR DOG?

GOLIATH – UNDERDOG OR DOG?

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          There are some who claim that Goliath, and not David, was the underdog.

          The reason they give is that Goliath suffered from acromegaly (a condition in which there is excessive development of the bone and muscle structures, resulting into the giant that he was). And because of this condition his vision too was impaired.

           On the other hand they say that David’s slingshot was not just a toy, but a powerful weapon. And therefore his victory over the giant was attributed to superior technology.

                                                   

          And so let us analyze both characters scientifically as well as Biblically. [David, Goliath and the entire battle between the two are all described in the first book of Samuel, chapter seventeen]

                                                           

PERSON WITH ACROMEGALY

ACROMEGALY: A syndrome produced as a result of excessive growth hormone produced by a gland, the anterior pituitary. The result, the person becomes a giant and develops muscular weakness and fatigue, carpel tunnel syndrome (numbness of the hand with pain and weakness), vision impairment, and dies a premature death.

DID GOLIATH HAVE ACROMEGALY?

          Although he was a giant (over nine feet tall) and therefore thought to have acromegaly, his height was not the result of this disease.

          Goliath was a Nephilim! Nephilims were the product of sex between ‘the sons of God and beautiful daughters of men’. They were  huge in stature, and basically evil. (Genesis 4: 1-5).
                                               

A NEPHILIM SKULL

          

                                












         
       The Israelites feared them and therefore refused to enter the Promised Land. The descendants of Anak, the Anakites were Nephilims. They possessed the Promises Land. They were powerful, stronger than the Israelites and were of great size. (Numbers 13:28-32).

GOLIATH DID NOT HAVE ACROMEGALY!

          He was a champion! He had to be a champion to be sent single handedly against the champion of Israel, because the fate of two nations depended on this man-to-man combat. He had to be agile.

          His armor was massive! He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels (125 pounds or about 57kilograms). On his back he carried a bronze javelin. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod and its iron point weighed 600 shekels (about 15 pounds or 7 kilograms). No acromegalic could carry all this!

             And to become a champion he would have to be the best of the best, not only bettering any of the Philistine fighting men, but also his four brothers. No way could he have had carpal tunnel syndrome and be capable of wielding the sword and the javelin!

         And like him, his brothers did not have acromegaly and did not die prematurely, as people who suffer from acromegaly do, because they lived for many years during which time David grew from a boy to a man and became king. And Goliath’s brothers battled David and his men and were strong enough to almost succeed in taking David’s life. (2 Samuel 21: 15 – 22).

          His vision was unimpaired and he clearly saw David approach with only his staff in his hand.

          With this picture of Goliath in mind we can clearly see that in no way did he fit the description of a person suffering from Acromegaly as given above!

DAVID:

HIS STRENGTH: He had faith in his God! Though a mere boy, whenever a lion or a bear carried off a sheep from the flock he was tending, he went after it, struck and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When the lion or the bear turned on him, he seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

          David was not new to killing wild animals and considered the uncircumcised Goliath, nothing more than an animal.

HIS WEAPONRY: “The Lord Who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine”.

          His slingshot was a deadly weapon and it was only with it in his hands that he went against the giant. But his aim had to be perfect because Goliath was completely covered in armor. Nonetheless, David succeeded.

HIS HANDICAP: He was a mere boy; the youngest of the sons, unable to wear a grown mans armor which was too heavy for him.

GOLIATH – DOG NOT UNDERDOG:

          Goliath had blasphemed the God of Israel. And therefore David, coming against him in the name of the Lord Almighty, slew him!

There are about forty references to ‘dog’ in the Bible.

          “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil………” (Philippians 3:2).

          “Blessed are those……..who may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs……..” (Revelations 22: 14, 15).

          And from Goliath’s own mouth: “Am I a dog………..?” (1Samuel 17: 43).

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THREE A.M. NIGHTMARES

THREE A.M. NIGHTMARES

OR

 MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TERROR

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          Most people, at some time in their lives have had a nightmare. Deep in sleep, they suddenly wake up having experienced the most terrifying dreams they could ever have imagined.

                                                             

   

          And this usually occurs in the middle of the night – almost always at around three in the morning!

                                                            

    

           Drenched in sweat, with their hearts pounding wildly they slowly awaken from the horrible episode they could ever have imagined. And, terrified of the darkness, they are afraid to go back to sleep, opting to keep awake for the rest of the night, preferably with the light burning.

          Most people may probably forget this one stray incident. But when it keeps recurring on a regularly basis, it becomes a serious problem affecting them both physically as well as psychologically. Children are specially vulnerable to these demonic attacks. And so it needs to be handled. And handled correctly and at the earliest.

THE NATURAL AND THE SUPERNATURAL

                                                   

          These occurrences have their roots in the supernatural world of the occult.

                                                         

A COVEN OF WITCHES

          Thirteen witches meet in a coven and conduct their ritual from mid-night to three in the morning-after which they release the demons, which go forth and torment certain vulnerable people with attacks of anxiety, panic and nightmares.

WHY PSYCHIATRY FAILS:

          Humans beings are made up of a body, a soul and a spirit.

          The soul, in turn is made up of the intellect (mind), will and emotions.

          A demonic attack is essentially directed at the spirit, and not just at the mind. The effect of such an attack will definitely affect all three components of the soul. But by treating only the mind, as is usually done in psychiatry, the root cause will neither be detected nor eradicated!
       And so, to have any deeper and long lasting results, it is spiritual warfare that is required.

          Psychiatrists, who believe in ‘modern medicine’, refuse to believe in the occult, calling it superstition. And therefore treating a supernatural problem with natural medicine, will obvious give poor results to the patient and rich financial dividends to themselves.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE:

          If you ever go through such an experience, fear not!

           Take the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                                  

             Peter calls Satan a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8).

          Because the lion catches his prey by roaring so ferociously, that the poor animal is paralyzed with fear and cannot even flee.

          When, not if, attacked by fear, do not despair! Realize that the source of all fear is Satan. So, stand firm in the Lord Jesus. The opposite of fear is faith. so trust that the good Lord will see you through. repeat Psalm 23. And Satan and his demons will flee.

NOTE: When the Bible speaks of the ‘fear of God’ it’s definitely not the same as described above, because here we have the ‘reverential fear of God’. It’s what we experience in His awesome presence.

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

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BREAKING BREAD OR HOLY COMMUNION

 BREAKING BREAD or HOLY COMMUNION

BY.DR. MERVYN ABREO

I realize as I came here to dine,

I’m only human but You’re Divine.

But as I partake of this bread and wine,

I am Yours and You are mine.

                                          

DON’T MAKE A RITUAL OUT OF COMMUNION/BREAKING BREAD:

          Every Sunday morning many Christians go religiously to ‘Church’, to take part in the Mass and receive Holy Communion, or go to a Service and  partake in breaking of Bread.

           What we need to realize is that we are the Church (and it’s not a structure) and that Communion/Breaking Bread is not a ritual.

 IT’S ORIGIN:

          It all began with Jesus, Who at the Last Supper: took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

          In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22: 19, 20). (1Cor. 11: 22-26).

WE ARE PARTICIPANTS WITH JESUS:

           Paul speaking “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we gave thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16).

AN ONGOING SUPPER

                                                                  

           The key words we have just come across are ‘remembrance’ and ‘participation’. So keeping this in mind, is it right for us to finish off our 'Sunday obligation', and forget about the Lord for the rest of the week, or till the next Service or Mass?

          We humans are made up of: a body, a soul and a spirit. And all three need to be continuously fed and kept healthy.

          And the only way to do this is to feed the spirit each time we feed the body, which we never forget to feed and pamper.

          And therefore what is expected from us by the Lord is a continuous process of remembrance and participation every time we eat or drink something.

THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS:

                                                           

                                                                            

          Jesus was really hungry! Actually he was famished, because He hadn't eaten anything for forty days and forty nights. And Satan tempts Him.

           “But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4). (The New Amplified Bible).

          Jesus has claimed: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never go thirsty.” (John 6:35).

          Therefore, whenever we imbibe anything and think of Jesus, we are actually ‘imbibing’ the Lord spiritually.

          And again in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us today our daily bread.” (Mt.6:11).

          We definitely need our daily sustenance for our physical upkeep. But then, what about our daily spiritual requirement?

JESUS DID NOT PERFORM A RITUAL:

          He blessed what was normally eaten and drunk at that time.

AN OLD TESTAMENT 'TYPE': Bread and wine are mentioned as normal daily food for men, women and even for children!
  IN LAMENTATIONS 2:12 of the New Internation Version we see: 
            They said to their mothers, 'Where is bread and wine? as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away in their mothers' arms.
ACCORDING TO THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH: 
             The Ephramites will become like mighty men, and their heart's will be glad as with wine. (Zech. 10:7).
               How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and wine the young women. (Zech. 9:17).
                So we see that wine, like bread, was part of a normal meal!
         

MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES: (John 6: 1-15).

                                                               

           Jesus did this not just to fill their bellies. When all eyes were on him, He took the loaves, gave thanks, and then they were distributed. He did this because, after His death and resurrection, His followers would remember the bread He had fed them with and its significance as Him being the bread of life.

          For the same reason He changed water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. (John 2: 1-11).

          So the next time you have a sandwich or a hamburger, or a Coke or are dining at home or in a five hotel, having a seven course meal with the best wines, think of Him.

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

                                        drmervynabreo@gmail.com

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DIRTY VIRGIN -- CLEAN WHORE

DIRTY VIRGIN – CLEAN WHORE

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO 

          The teacher acknowledged the presence of the student with a slight nod of his head as he quietly entered the room and sat at his feet. The evening class was about to begin. Then with the slightest rise of his white bushy eyebrows the old man asked,” Did you read……….?”

          “Yes teacher,” the student answered eagerly, more as a result of excitement than due to any real trepidation. Studying under the teacher had a totally new meaning. “I did read about the Samaritan woman and her encounter at the well!”

          “Good! Then let us begin the lesson for the day. And that is………?”

          “What is the difference between a dirty virgin and a clean whore?”

           “And?” The teacher gently prodded.

          “I have pondered about it the whole day,” replied the student, shaking his head dejectedly. “And it has come to naught.”

          “Do you remember the school program we attended a few weeks ago?”

          The sudden change in topic took the student by surprise. But he quickly recovered his wits and answered in the affirmative. He knew that these deviations were not deviations at all but, like the spokes of a wheel, all met at the central theme.

          “And the one about HOME impressed you the best,” said the student. And the teacher, looking pleased, prompted him, “And how did it go?”

                                                                       

The student recited from memory:

H-O-M-E HOME.

H stands for happiness which you’ll find there,

O stands old folk in their old folk chair.

M stands for mother, you’ll never find another.

H O M E – Home!

          “Now let us see whether we can use this poem to throw some light on the problem in hand. We’ll use the poem, but with a slight twist,” said the teacher as he proceeded:

H stands for happiness which you’ll find there,

O stands for old folk in their old folk chair.

M stands for mother, a whore but for father.

H O M E – Home!

          I waited patiently, knowing full well that he always came out with a very good explanation. And as expected he continued, “The transition from a virgin to either a mother or a whore always necessities one other person. And that person is a man. And the relationship of that man to that virgin is of paramount importance, because if that man is her legally wedded husband, then she becomes a wife and a mother.     Whereas if that man is just another person, then their union is only a sexual gratification and the same act transforms her into a whore.

                                                            

          And the key factor which differentiates the two is the commitment they had made before God and society which bound them together as husband and wife.”

          I had never heard him speak so clearly before. He had always spoken in ‘parables’, but now he was so lucid.

          “But what has all this got to do with dirty virgins and clean whores?”

          “Ah! Now you seek a deeper truth.” He answered good naturedly. And went on. “What cleanses you from dirt is water, and that is exactly what both types of women need!”

          “So it’s all about cleansing?”

          “In a way, yes! Just as nature’s water quenches thirst, the spiritual water quenches the spiritual thirst- as the good Lord was trying to explain to the Samaritan woman at the well who was unable to transcend into the spiritual but was bogged down in this natural world of ours.

          So coming back to our problem in hand, the world will differentiate every ‘married’ woman as a mother or a whore, depending on what sort of person her partner is with respect to her, as we have already seen.

                                                                   

          But from our Lord’s perspective, every virgin, be she clean, and also every whore, requires a spiritual cleansing and a spiritual infilling. When the Lord was talking to the woman at the well in Samaria, He wasn’t addressing just to her spiritual needs, because she was a whore. But He was addressing the woman in totality.

          And He wasn't just addressing her alone, but every woman in Samaria, be she clean or dirty. And also every man and every child. Because when she ran back and told the Samaritans about her encounter with Jesus, they all came flocking to meet Him.

                                                            

                                         

         
          And the spiritual cleansing and infilling was not only for the people of Samaria, but for every man, woman and child, from time immemorial, that ever walked the face of the face of the earth.

          And not only the ‘dirty’ virgin or the ‘clean’ whore, but every one!

         And when I say EVERY ONE, I mean EVERY ONE! Even those that have been cleansed by any other means, and think that they are clean. They too need the spiritual cleansing of the Lord Jesus Christ!”

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

                                        drmervynabreo@gmail.com

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THE KING OF HELL

THE KING OF HELL

BY.DR. MERVYN ABREO

          There is only one King Who has absolute authority and rules over hell! And there will always be one King, and one King alone! And that King is the Lord Jesus Christ!

                                                         

 

          Hell has always wrongly been depicted as a burning inferno with Satan and his demons tormenting those human beings that have been cast there to suffer for all eternity.

          And the poor souls are either burning in the eternal fires or are being slowly boiled in a huge cauldron.

                                                       

          Satan is pictured as a tall figure, having a tail, with two horns and a long trident in his hand.

                                                              

          In the book Inferno, Dante describes Satan. And the artist Sandro Botticelli, using this description, paints the devil as a three headed monster devouring three people, each with one mouth.

          Then what really is the truth?!

          The greatest deception that Satan wants to promote is that he does not exist. And never did! So he will never expose himself as a dark evil, demonic being, but he masquerades himself as an angel of light.

          He has absolutely no power or authority over hell. On the contrary it was originally created by God to punish Satan, after the fall of Lucifer, which was his original name, to seal him for all eternity when this world came to an end.

          In the Book of Revelations (Chapter 20, verse 2), an angel seizes him and throws him into the Abyss, which is locked and sealed with him inside, for a 1000 years.

                                                             

          In verse 7 he is released, only to be thrown into the lake of burning sulphur (verse 10), where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Our future and that of Satan:

             When we repent and ask Jesus to forgive our sins………He grants us forgiveness.

               What exactly does forgiveness mean?

          God, Who is outside our time boundary, goes back in ‘time’ and undoes what wrong or sinful deed we have committed! The result -- it’s as if that wrong had never been committed by us!

          So, whenever the devil reminds you of your past, (to intimidate and put you under condemnation), you remind him of his future!

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

                                        drmervynabreo@gmail.com

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KNOWING WHO YOU REALLY ARE

KNOWING WHO YOU REALLY ARE

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          It is absolutely imperative that we know three basic facts about ourselves: who am I, where did I come from and where am I going!

                                                                  

          Jesus knew these three basic truths about Himself, and therefore He was able to function in any capacity; even as a humble servant doing His Father’s will, going even to the extent of washing the feet of His disciples.

                                                                  

          But before performing this lowly act, Jesus asserts Himself, thereby revealing His true identity:

          ‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.’ (Jh. 13:3).

                                                                 

                                                                    

                                               

          But it is only when this verse is paraphrased into modern Biblical language, that it’s truly appreciated.

          ‘Jesus knew that He was The Omnipotent God with absolute power, and that, although He had entered this world as a humble human being, He had never ceased being God,  and that He was returning to where He had come from, where He would be acknowledged in all His glory, honor and power.’

(For more such Scriptures read: Scientifically modernizing Biblical language).

                                                      

WHO AM I?

(Here I have used ‘I’ instead of ‘we’ to make it more personal.)

          I am a human being who has, out of my own free will and consent, accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and therefore I have free access to my heavenly Father.

           I am a child of God and can call the mighty Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient God as my Father.

          I am the temple of the Holy Spirit.

          I am a saint, who sins occasionally, and one who is continuously cleansed by the precious blood of Lord Jesus Christ.

          I have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose me in Him before the creation of the world to be hole and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined me to be adopted as His son through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will-- to the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given me in the One He loves. In Him I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on me with all wisdom and understanding.

(Ephesians 1: 3 – 8).

And David who affirms about himself:

                                                              

          “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:14).

 WHERE DID I COME FROM?

          We are ‘born again’ and therefore we come from God, Who is our Father.

          When we were born in the natural, our chromosomes came from our earthly parents, and therefore we carried all the characteristics of our parents.

          But now, since we are born of God, we automatically bear His genes. This can easily be seen in God’s children, who are so pure and holy, so different from those whose earthly parents are junkies, rapists etc.

WHERE AM I GOING?

          In the spiritual we are already in heaven! Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and therefore we are citizens of heaven.

                                                             

          And weather we undergo a physical death or are taken up in rapture, we will be spending eternity with our heavenly Father!

          Therefore it is essential that we live more in the spiritual than in the natural and keep continuously reminding ourselves of this fact:

I AM A SPIRIT BEING, WHO HAS A SOUL AND LIVES IN A BODY!

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

                                        drmervynabreo@gmail.com

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