The Cross and the Beatitudes (1937) is a short volume by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Priest, philosopher, theologian, and educator, the Archbishop worked tirelessly to spread the word of Jesus Christ and to help those looking for clarity and inner peace in their lives and souls.

Well-traveled and highly educated, Archbishop Sheen had a gift for making the complexities of the Scriptures clear without ever talking down to his audience. He used this gift in many capacities throughout his life: as a priest and bishop; as an educator at the Catholic University of America; and on radio and television where he had several wildly successful programs on theology and religion. His show Life is Worth Living ran from 1952 to 1957 and won him an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality.

Archbishop Sheen also wrote dozens of books during his life, at a pace of one or two per year. The Cross and the Beatitudes is one of his earlier works, first published in 1937. This special book draws a parallel between the first seven Beatitudes and Christ's final Seven Words.

The Beatitudes are the blessings and instructions given forth by Jesus Christ at the Sermon on the Mount, which all begin Blessed are. There are in fact eight Beatitudes, but Archbishop Sheen views the final as confirmation and a declaration of all those that precede, in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The final Seven Words are the few sentences and phrases that Jesus Christ spoke while on the Cross. Assigning a chapter to each pairing of early Beatitude and final Word, Archbishop Sheen shows how Christ spoke the Word early in His Ministry, lived according to the Beatitudes throughout His life, and stayed faithful to their precepts on the Cross. As the Archbishop writes, Our Lord began His Public Life on the Mount of the Beatitudes and closed it on the Mount of Calvary. And as this book shows us, his messages remained consistent throughout.

The explanations of the Beatitudes contained in this work help the reader to apply these lessons to their own lives. While the words themselves are well-known to many-even those who haven't studied the Bible-their meaning takes some study to understand.

The seven Beatitudes read as follows:

1.Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.

2.Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

3.Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

4.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

5.Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill.

6.Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God.

7.Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

And the Seven Words:

1.Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

2.This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.

3.(Son) behold thy mother; Woman, behold thy son.

4.My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

5.I thirst.

6.It is consummated.

7.Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Archbishop Sheen highlights examples of each Beatitude, both as practiced in the life of Christ and from other stories in the Bible. By doing so, he shines a light on what each blessing means and how it can be applied to daily life.

As a woman flees an abusive boyfriend, her gas tank on empty, money materializes in her empty purse. Millions of fireflies suddenly appear and offer guiding light to desperate refugees trying to find a path through a mountain storm. Two women strongly sense that a missionary priest, far away, needs prayer at the exact moment when he faces catastrophe.

These are just a few of the more than thirty true stories recounted in Angels and Wonders, a book that points readers to the spiritual realm for answers to otherwise inexplicable occurrences. For anyone inclined toward spirituality, each amazing story provides further proof of God's heavenly care in difficult times; for those who aren't sure if heaven really does intervene on earth, this book provides plenty of reasons for them to doubt their disbelief.

The Cross and the Beatitudes (1937) is a short volume by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Priest, philosopher, theologian, and educator, the Archbishop worked tirelessly to spread the word of Jesus Christ and to help those looking for clarity and inner peace in their lives and souls.

Well-traveled and highly educated, Archbishop Sheen had a gift for making the complexities of the Scriptures clear without ever talking down to his audience. He used this gift in many capacities throughout his life: as a priest and bishop; as an educator at the Catholic University of America; and on radio and television where he had several wildly successful programs on theology and religion. His show Life is Worth Living ran from 1952 to 1957 and won him an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality.

Archbishop Sheen also wrote dozens of books during his life, at a pace of one or two per year. The Cross and the Beatitudes is one of his earlier works, first published in 1937. This special book draws a parallel between the first seven Beatitudes and Christ's final Seven Words.

The Beatitudes are the blessings and instructions given forth by Jesus Christ at the Sermon on the Mount, which all begin Blessed are. There are in fact eight Beatitudes, but Archbishop Sheen views the final as confirmation and a declaration of all those that precede, in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The final Seven Words are the few sentences and phrases that Jesus Christ spoke while on the Cross. Assigning a chapter to each pairing of early Beatitude and final Word, Archbishop Sheen shows how Christ spoke the Word early in His Ministry, lived according to the Beatitudes throughout His life, and stayed faithful to their precepts on the Cross. As the Archbishop writes, Our Lord began His Public Life on the Mount of the Beatitudes and closed it on the Mount of Calvary. And as this book shows us, his messages remained consistent throughout.

The explanations of the Beatitudes contained in this work help the reader to apply these lessons to their own lives. While the words themselves are well-known to many-even those who haven't studied the Bible-their meaning takes some study to understand.

The seven Beatitudes read as follows:

1.Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.

2.Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

3.Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

4.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

5.Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill.

6.Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God.

7.Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

And the Seven Words:

1.Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

2.This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.

3.(Son) behold thy mother; Woman, behold thy son.

4.My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

5.I thirst.

6.It is consummated.

7.Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Archbishop Sheen highlights examples of each Beatitude, both as practiced in the life of Christ and from other stories in the Bible. By doing so, he shines a light on what each blessing means and how it can be applied to daily life.

APRENDE DE UNO DE LOS MEJORES MAESTROS DE PREDICACIÓN EN LA HISTORIA

A lo largo de su vida y más de 54 años de ministerio, Charles Simeon contribuyó a la formación de mas de mil pastores, predicadores y misioneros, y es considerado uno de los maestros de homilética mas influyentes de todos los tiempos.

Este tercer volumen de la Biblioteca de Formación Homilética (40 vols) contiene los sermones, y bosquejos para una predicación expositiva sobre Levítico, y tiene el propósito de ser una ayuda homilética al momento de preparar sermones, enseñar las Escrituras, y guiar un devocional familiar o personal. Hay seis características distintivas de esta colección de libros:

1. Exposición exegética. Aunque no se hace un análisis exhaustivo verso por verso, se dan los elementos necesarios para una interpretación y aplicación clara del texto inspirado.
2. Cristocéntrica. Una exposición del texto sin llegar a Cristo, no cumple con el propósito para el cual las Escrituras fueron dadas al hombre: Apuntar a la persona, mensaje y obra del Salvador Cristo Jesús.
3. Confesionalidad reformada. Simeon, al igual que la vasta mayoría de protestantes a lo largo de los siglos, creía que una correcta interpretación de las Escrituras tenía lugar dentro del contexto, y los límites, establecidos por los credos y confesiones de fe.
4. Relevancia homilética. Las obras de Simeon buscan explicar y aplicar el texto de una manera que confronte al pecador, exalte al Salvador, y promueva la santidad.
5. Lectura devocional. Las obras de Simeon tienen un gran valor devocional, y para la adoración familiar. Esta serie de libros son pensados para ser usados en el estudio personal devocional de las Escrituras, y ser una guía para la adoración familiar.
6. Aplicación evangelística. Hay un celo y amor por los pedidos, como consecuencia de una búsqueda de la Gloria de Dios, que se transmite claramente en sus obras. Esta serie de comentarios calentará su corazón, y le animará a llevar el evangelio a otros. También pueden ser usados como una guía para la predicación del evangelio, y ser leídos por no creyentes.

Sobre el autor:
Charles Simeon (1759-1836) fue pastor de la Trinity Church de Cambridge (Inglaterra) durante 54 años. Se le conoce sobre todo por sus Horae Homileticae, que son 21 volúmenes de esqueletos de sermones desde el Génesis hasta el Apocalipsis.
En su biografía sobre Charles Simeon, John Piper dijo de estos volúmenes: Se pueden encontrar sus puntos de vista sobre casi todos los textos clave de la Biblia. También dijo: Lo que Simeón experimentó en la Palabra fue extraordinario. Es tan completamente diferente de los consejos que recibimos hoy en día que merece la pena analizarlo detenidamente (Meditaciones sobre la vida de Charles Simeon, de John Piper). Uno de los principios fundamentales de Simeón era que la Biblia hablara por sí misma en lugar de colocar presuposiciones (sistemas teológicos) sobre la palabra de Dios. Durante su vida, Simeon capacitó a más de mil predicadores, y es considerado uno de los maestros de predicación mas influyentes en la historia.

IN 1952 THE GOVERNOR OF TENNESSEE MADE A PROCLOMATION THAT THE LAND BETWEEN THE TENNESSEE AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE WOULD BE KNOWN AS THE KINGDOM OF SKULLBONIA. THE NAME WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE COLORFUL HISTORY OF THE AREA WHICH HAD BEEN WIDELY KNOWN FOR VICES SUCH AS BARE-KNUCKLE BOXING (TO THE SKULL ONLY), GANG WARFARE, PROSTITUTION, THE KKK, ILLEGAL GAMBLING, ETC.

PROMINENT SINS OF A COMMUNITY OR A PARTICULAR REGION CAN BIND SPIRITUAL VICTORY IN A PERSON'S LIFE AND CREATE LONG-LASTING GENERATIONAL CURSES. THIS IS WHY CHRISTIANS MUST COME FORTH ON THE OFFENSIVE, ATTACK HELL'S FORTRESSES WITH SPIRITUAL WARFARE, AND BREAK THROUGH THE STRONGHOLDS THAT SUCH SIN, ABOMINATION AND IDOLATRY HAVE BUILT.

THIS WORK IS A COLLECTION OF MESSAGES ON FAITH, PRAYER, SOUND DOCTRINE, SPIRITUAL INTERCESSION, SINS OF THE LAND, GENERATIONAL CURSES, AND OTHER TOPICS THAT ARE VITAL TO THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE THAT WE ARE FIGHTING.

This program is appropriate for Christmas Eve or any Sunday morning in Advent. Involving children of all ages and one adult, it can be used in any size church with a few participants or many. Two versions -- a longer version intended for a full-length service and a shortened version to be used in place of a sermon -- are also included.

Symbols of Christmas (a tree, ornaments, candy canes, a crech and more) are combined with biblical readings and brief dialogue to create a greater understanding of Christian traditions. While the narrative dialogue is being read, a silent, active nativity scene is shown to illustrate the first Christmas present ever. (Copying privileges included.)

Sherry Sanders holds degrees in arts and education from Victoria College and the University of Houston. She has taught kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, and reading. She lives in Yorktown, Texas, with her husband, two daughters and son.

The Real Story of the Exodus

Colin Humphreys, a world-renowned Cambridge University scientist, reveals for the first time the concrete, scientific truth behind the Exodus miracles.

• The Burning Bush: Caused by a volcanic vent that opened up under the bush.


• Crossing the Red Sea: The water was pushed back by a very strong wind blowing all night. This is a known physical phenomenon called wind setdown. The details given in the Bible mean we can pinpoint where the Red Sea crossing occurred.


• Drowning Pharaoh's Army: When the very strong wind suddenly stopped blowing, the water rushed back in the form of a rapidly returning bore wave, sweeping Pharaoh's army into the sea.


• Mount Sinai: The real Mount Sinai is in present-day Saudi Arabia, not the Sinai Desert as is generally assumed.