Paradise | I Take Off The Mask!

What’s Wrong with the Forbidden Fruit of Eden?

Why did God forbid us to eat the fruit of knowledge? If it is indeed the knowledge of good and evil, why is the knowledge of good forbidden as well?

Knowledge is not bad per se. But knowledge that is apart from God, that is the source of all the evils and suffering we experience today.

We have been tempted from the very beginning. We have been offered enlightenment in exchange for love, and we took it. We didn’t know that enlightenment without love is darkness. We didn’t know that knowledge apart from God is foolishness. We didn’t know.

That is why our fall had been delayed. And that is why forgiveness had been available to men and not to angels. We have been given time. And we have been given the Ultimate Saving Sacrifice of Love. Shall we take it? Or shall we succumb to the eternal fall of living our own lives in a cold dark alley of knowledge apart from the burning love of God?

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Is Eternity a Curse?

Many people work tirelessly just to find out if there is indeed life after death. For the old alchemists, there is no greater joy than to find the elixir of life. In recent times, NDEs or near death experiences have become more prevalent and are sought for proof of the life beyond. We all seem to long for immortality, and not many are willing to accept that this life is all we’ve got.

But is eternity always a blessing? Shall we be happy to find out the mere fact that we are all eternal and that we shall never really die? Is that the end of all our sufferings?

Many Christians do not think so, for with the existence of eternal life and heaven, the existence of hell also comes into play. For Eastern Religions, too, the succession of never ending reincarnations seem more like a curse than a blessing, a curse that should be broken through enlightenment. For atheists, a vision of a life lived over again is empty compared to the valuable moment that will never pass our way again.

To some extent, I believe in that. In my own belief, “Hell” indeed is being stuck. This curse is hence symbolised by the circle, which is the false symbol of eternity and perfection. The circle is like the number zero, a life lived that merely goes back where it came from and amounts to nothing in the end. It is the eradication of the self and the absorption of everything into nothingness.

Perfection for me is symbolized by the infinity sign, a sign telling us that though life can be eternal, it is not zero, that though there can be unity, the separate persons embracing each other are not eradicated.

This infinity sign however was cut into two circles thru sin, hence, we were trapped in endless and meaningless cycles. We were separated from God and from perfectly loving each other. Hence came the bar between the two circles, a bar remedied by Jesus thru the cross. It is the cross that bridged the gap and restored perfection in infinity, a perfection of love, for where there is no love, there is no need for eternity.

This article was written by Jocelyn Soriano at http://itakeoffthemask.com You are free to republish this article as long as original author is cited and a link back to this website is provided.

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A Vision of Light, Darkness and Eternal Damnation

INQUIRER:
What do you see?

VISIONARY:
I see the Primeval Light, which is LOVE, encompassing the world, sustaining everything in it, offering Absolute Joy and Peace to all who will open up their hearts for Him.

INQUIRER:
How about darkness? Whence did it come from? Was it from the Light?

VISIONARY:
Light has nothing to do with darkness. Even in the beginning, light was separated from the darkness. Darkness is not created, only Light is, yet many choose to remain in darkness rather than be made part of the Light.

INQUIRER:
Why is there so much darkness in the world?

VISIONARY:
Light has come unto the world, but the world refused Him and chose to remain in Darkness. Nevertheless, the Light did not abandon the world, but provided a Flame that will seek out all who desire to come out of the darkness that they may be a part of the Light in the appointed time, when a separation of the Light from the Darkness shall be made once again.

INQUIRER:
When shall this separation commence?

VISIONARY:
The Time shall come like a thief in the night.

INQUIRER:
And what of this thief? How shall he separate the Light from the Darkness?

VISIONARY:
Those who have set themselves apart for the Light at the time appointed them shall be duly harvested, no one can snatch them away from their Lover.

INQUIRER:
And what of those who have not known their Love?

VISIONARY:
Their Lover awaits them, even unto the beyond. He will make known unto them that which had been concealed by the Darkness. He will wipe away the tears from their eyes and He will vanquish all their fears.

INQUIRER:
Does it mean then that all shall be saved?

VISIONARY:
Salvation is for all as Light is for all. Yet even in the beyond not all men look towards the Light. In stubbornness, men persist in their darkness and hide from the very One, the Only One who can bring True Light into the darkness of their hearts where they are.

This article was written by Jocelyn Soriano at http://itakeoffthemask.com You are free to republish this article as long as the author and the site are duly acknowledged.

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A Little Piece of Heaven

Image by TomRaven via Flickr

This is a sad time and a sad generation. Although there is no world war, although the technology to live a comfortable life has never been as advanced, although we can now reach one another in a click of a button; all the good things we possess can’t seem to cast away the dark clouds that hang everywhere, obscuring the azure sky, blocking the warmth of our bright and faithful sun.

Stripped of its radiance, we walk on cold pavements each day, flaunting the calloused hearts that hold back our tears, wandering the streets hurriedly, as though we knew where we should be going. The truth however is that we walk naked, pretending we are strong, numbing our hearts and killing our souls, just so we can get by, just so we’d be the people our twisted society wants us to transform into.

Rich and poor alike are dying within, the humanity of their souls being sucked away either by the necessity of their survival or by their meaningless ambitions. Where then can we find that little piece of heaven, that small flame of hope that would keep us from stumbling in the dark?

I urge you to look more closely, for it is there, streaking through the thick fog, making its way through the darkness.

-Busy morning. You hurry off to work unable to take a single bite of breakfast. You arrive at your office. You see what’s on top of your table. Coffee and croissant with a sweet note from a dear friend. You pause for a while, you savor the strong aroma of java, and take a good sip. Not much for a tv commercial, but enough to catch the first glimpse of sunlight of your day. A little piece of heaven.

-A man stricken with AIDS and considered an outcast. An old nun who reaches out, treats his wounds and embraces him warmly, passing no judgement, no fear, no condemnation. The man smiles and looks up to heaven. He breathes his last, but in that last breath was a breath of hope, and a renewed faith in God. A little piece of heaven.

-You got busted at work. On your way home you went through a hell of a traffic jam. Then right there at your doorstep, your two-year old child opens up her arms and hugs you. You feel her tiny fingers holding on unto you. She kisses you. Numerous little kisses that take away all your tiredness and frustrations. A little piece of heaven.

-A rebellious daughter. A patient and prayerful mother. A realization that brings a lasting change. Repentance. Daughter graduates valedictorian in her class. Mother listens to her speech, tears streaming down her cheeks. A little piece of heaven.

-A storm has just passed. The city lay in flood and ruins. In a few moments more, children emerge from their houses. They proudly carry the paper boats they’ve just made. No flood could dampen their spirits, no storm could darken the light in their eyes. You hear their laughter. You get infected with their joy. A little piece of heaven.

-It’s way past lunch. The young scavenger still has to search heaps of garbage before she could buy anything to eat. Something unexpectedly catches her eyes. A soiled doll with blue eyes, a red apron, and a missing leg. She smiles for her good fortune. She’s just found a gift for her little sister’s birthday! A little piece of heaven.

-Christmas. An old lady lives alone. The doorbell suddenly rings. The house is quickly flooded with young professionals bearing gifts for their old teacher. They could not forget her motherly hand. They remain thankful for her wisdom. A little piece of heaven.

Have you seen them? Have you caught a single piece of happiness lately? You may not be looking. Or you may not feel you can give some little piece today. Look. Believe. Smile. A smile brings out a lot of sunbeams, and attracts streaks of happiness along the way. Catch a piece today, your very own piece of heaven.