In the previous postings we have seen that immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, the Divine CreatorJehovah determined that there would be offered a solution for mankind by a symbolic mannin or woman who was to bring forth a seed, or son.
Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553): Adam and Eve. Beech wood, 1533. Bode-Museum, Berlin (Erworben 1830, Königliche Schlösser, Gemäldegalerie Kat. 567) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There was no “throwing down ofseed,” before Adam and Eve sinned. Following the rebellion but before the conception of offspring by Adam and Eve, Jehovah foreordained the appearance of the “seed.”
The act of adversary had to come to an end. The 1st man had made the wrong choice and let himself be carried away with bad thoughts. Both were mislead by thoughts which went on in their mind. It was an act of adversary which is called the devil or satan in the Bible.
When Adam and Eve went in against God’s Wishes, they themselves became adversaries of Allah/God (satan). When Eve chose to eat from the forbidden fruit she committed an act of insubmission, going against the Will of God. By doing that she did wrong and sinned against a holy God; going against His righteous laws. Following her bad thoughts she committed sins against God His love, against His name and cause. Therefore God took action and delivered a judgement over them. When He did that, as a loving Father would rebuke His children He also spoke a prophecy that gave hope to their offspring, saying to the serpent:
“I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
From the beginning, the identity of the promised “seed” was a sacred secret or a mysteryof God. About those mysteries God declared they would become clear for the lovers of God in due time, not at the time of man but at the time of God.
This prophetic statement revealed that there would be a seed, which would not have to be literal children, or offspring, though later he declared also by His Word seed would come from the tribe of King David. This meant that this promised seed, God His speaking, would only become a reality “after” King David, as an offspring of this great man of God. That also means that the promised seed was not yet in the heaven with God, though the thought of it was already there with Him … in God’s mind.
The origin of the seed and the being of the seed originated by God. Like everything came into existence from nothing, by the Speaking of God, it also was the Word of God that gave existence to the seed. By God’s Power, the Spirit of God, a woman got pregnant with the send one from God. And this only happened many many years, even centuries, after the first sin of man, long after Adam was created and Cain and Abraham were born.
All who came after Adam and Eve in a way were from the devil (satan) because they all came forth from a man and a woman who were under the spell of treason to God. As such all born on this earth came under the same spell or from the same “father”.
John 8:44 NHEBJE You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.
1 John 3:10-12 NHEBJE In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother. (11) For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; (12) unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
Many would not like to hear it, but everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, whilst the others do. And the one who proved never to go against the Will of God is the one who most of all can claim to be son of God. More than that, this special envoyé was placed in a particular way in the womb of a devout Essene young lady. She bore the pains of insult and of birth as well having to see how her son was being slaughtered. When her son was of age and went public, it was God Himself Who declared that man standing in the river Jordan to be His only begotten beloved son.
Luke 3:21-23 NHEBJE Now it happened, when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened, (22) and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.” (23) Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Eli,
From the 1° Adam and Eve, the first parents, came forth all people. From the 2° Adam were to come forth those who would choose to follow Jesus and to love God. Like the 1° Adam was part of a creation now the 2° Adam was the beginning of a new creation. Both those creations came into existence by the Speaking of God. God‘s Voice sounding and bringing into being. From the beginning this Voice or God’s Word was with God. And from the beginning of mankind God’s Word, His promise for a solution, was with God also. God His Word was to come in fulfilment much later, bringing a very important person (a god) to man, by whom no new creation could come into being and everything would have stayed the same as after the fall of man. But now, that promised seed brought a new world for mankind.
John 1:1-3 NHEBJE In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.
That important man (a god), the seed of the woman but also seed of King David, was a deliverer who would destroy the one really represented by the serpent, namely, the great serpent and enemy of God, “Satan” the “Devil”.
Revelation 12:9 NHEBJE The great serpent was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
From the early times many people would be deceived. From the revelation of St. John we can figure out that the devil and satan would have a “seed.” It would require time for the two seeds to be brought forth and for enmity to develop between them. This happened not before the fall of man, but long after. Both seeds came into existence even after Adam and Eve their act ofdisobedience. When the brought forth children, soon came a time that we could see that the seed of evil was again planted and a brother killed his own brother.
Jehovah also foresaw the result of the enmity between his woman and “Satan” and between their opposing seeds. Although Jehovah would allow the seedof God’s woman to suffer a bruising in the heel, in God’s due time, the seed would bruise the serpent, or satan the devil, in the head. In the meantime, Jehovah’s purpose unfailingly advanced through the chosen genealogical line down to Jeshua the Kristos or Jesus Christ.
“It was not until Jesus was begotten by the spirit, thus becoming a spiritual son of God, that he became the ‘seed of the woman’ and the seed that was to bless all nations.
This occurred at the time of his baptism by John in the Jordan River, 29 C.E. Jesus was then about 30 years of age. The holy spirit, coming upon Jesus, manifested itself to John in the form of a dove, and God himself acknowledged Jesus as his Son at that time.
Matthew 3:13-17 NHEBJE Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. (14) But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” (15) But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. (16) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. (17) And behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
John 3:3 NHEBJE Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
With that rabbi who came to declare his heavenly Father, a new generation could start. A new seed be fertile. By the 1° Adam death had entered the world, now by the 2° Adam life could once again enter the world. Consequently, God’s promise,
“I shall surely multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore,”
has a spiritual fulfilment and means that others, who “belong to Christ,” are added as part of Abraham’s seed and shall also be able to enter the Kingdom of God to enjoy a non-ending life.
Genesis 22:17 NHEBJE that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
Mark 9:41 NHEBJE For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to the Messiah, truly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.
1 Corinthians 15:22-24 NHEBJE (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming. (24) Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Authority was given by the heavenly Father to Jesus, who was to be called King of the Jews. He was not like and brought animosity at the time of the Romans in Jerusalem. The ill feeling against him and his followers continued after his death. We can see that in this way the great serpent satan the devil produced “seed” that has manifested the bitterest enmity toward those who have served God with faith like Abraham, as the Bible record abundantly testifies. Continueously adversaries of God or satans tried to block or hinder the development of the woman’s seed. Jesus also had already warned his listeners about what man can produce or which seed man can saw.
Matthew 13:24-30 NHEBJE (24) He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, (25) but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. (26) But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the tares appeared also. (27) So the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did these tares come from?’ (28) “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’ (29) “But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the tares, you root up the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”
We all shall have to bring forth seed, people who sincerely love God and want to step in the footsteps of master Jeshua. The real followers of rabbi Jeshua shall try to be stronger than the temptations those adversaries of God bring. They shall try to proof they are worthy the sacrifice that man brought and by whom blessings have come all over them who have faith in him and who love his heavenly Father the Only One True God.
At the times of the apostles it was not easy. The enmity reached its height, however, in the persecution of the spiritual seed, particularly in that displayed toward Jesus Christ.
Acts 3:3-15 NHEBJE Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. (4) Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” (5) He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them. (6) But Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” (7) He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. (8) Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. (9) All the people saw him walking and praising God. (10) They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (11) And as he held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. (12) When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? (13) The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. (14) But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a man who was a murderer to be granted to you, (15) and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
Paul refers to the prophetic drama to illustrate, saying:
“Just as then the one born in the manner of flesh [Ishmael] began persecuting the one born in the manner of spirit [Isaac], so also now.” (Galatians 4:29)
And a later report, in reality a prophecy, describes the Kingdom’s establishment in heaven and the devil’s being hurled out of heaven down to the earth, with only a short time to continue his enmity. It concludes:
“And the dragon grew wrathful at the woman, and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her seed, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus.” (Revelation 12:7-13, 17)
For sure the world shall have to face a terrible war, bigger and more fearful than the Great War. It shall be a war between people who claim to be fighting in the name of Allah/God, but they will be deceivers. Children and parents shall have many discussions with each other. Their internal, war between families shall be just part of the bigger picture where nation shall fight against nation and many shall ridicule religion and spit on the God of gods. Then we may see a war against the remnant of the woman’s seed which shall end when ‘Satan is crushed under their feet.’
Romans 16:20 NHEBJE And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Galatians 5:4-6 NHEBJE You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. (5) For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. (6) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
Galatians 5:18-25 NHEBJE (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, (21) envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, (23) gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. (25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 3:29 NHEBJE If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise.
Galatians 3:7 NHEBJE Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.
Romans 9:7-8 NHEBJE Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “In Isaac will your seed be called.” (8) That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.
The term devil is not only used to define physical sin in the flesh, but all those who are motivated thereby. It is applied to individuals who stand in opposition to the way of righteousness (e.g. John 6:70), or to governments that are antagonistic to the principles of Christ (e.g. Revelation 2:10). As people used to say a person is of the devil, when he had badness in him so also it is said he or she is a serpent or snake, when he has evil words or likes to take on a bad attitude. The serpent is used in similar fashion to present opposition. It is applied to the sin-promptings of the flesh that must be done with or put away. Such acting be it of the flesh or coming from the mind within should be impaled or crucified (Numbers 21:6; Galatians 5:24) because otherwise they would be as a sting from God bringing death.
Numbers 21:6 NHEBJE Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.
Galatians 5:24-26 NHEBJE (24) Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. (25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (26) Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
Adam and Eve showed to God they did not live by the Spirit any more. They provoked one another and the venom of Eve was like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, which doesn’t listen to the good advice God offers to man.
Psalms 58:4 NHEBJE Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf viper that stops its ear,
Eve her bad choice, her actual transgression got her as an opposer of God now to take care of herself, with all the pains that could bring to her, bearing children but also facing the agonies and death in her life. Instead of becoming fully like God she became according to the likeness of the snake, with creepy thoughts and political sin-powers of the world of flesh, as a serpent pouring water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. Now she had brought forth transgression and war.
Revelation 12:13-17 NHEBJE (13) When the serpent saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. (14) Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (15) The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. (16) The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the serpent spewed out of his mouth. (17) The serpent grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
With that coming seed the time of the evil was going to be limited. Out of the woman, the virgin Mary came the one who was to tell the world about the faithfulness of That One Who always tells the truth. The One who send him is not a teller of lies, like the serpent wanted Eve to believe. It were her thoughts which are represented by the serpent, which is the father of lies, the adversary, the devil.
Revelation 13:7 NHEBJE It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.
Until now that evil staid in this world, seemingly standing strong, but are not mistaken.
Exodus 9:15-16 NHEBJE For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; (16) but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;
The diabolos or devil, in time will be captured (Revelation 12:14; 20:2). In Eureka vol. 1, pp. 248-249, Bro. Thomas has this to say on the word diabolos or devil:
“By this time, I apprehend, the intelligent reader will be able to answer scripturally the question,
‘What is that which has the power of death?’
And he will, doubtless, agree, that it is
‘the exceedingly great sinner SIN,’
in the sense of ‘the Law of Sin and Death’ within all the posterity of Adam, without exception. This, then, is Paul’s diabolos, which he says
‘has the power of death’;
which ‘power’ he also saith is ‘sin, the sting of death’.”
But why did Paul style ‘sin‘, ‘diabolos’?
The answer to this question will be found in the definition of the word. Diabolos is derived from diaballo, which is compounded of dia, a preposition, which in composition signifies across, over,… and intransitively, like the Latin trajicere, to pass over, to cross, to pass. It is the Greek for “slanderer” or “accuser”, the spirit or power of evil in English often translated as “devil“. It was in later times that false teachings created a sort of fallen angels or demons (not using that word for its original meaning or disease).
In postbiblical Judaism and in Christianity, Satan also became known as the “prince of devils” and assumed various names: Beelzebub (“Lord of Flies”) in Matthew 12:24–27, often cited as Beelzebul (“Lord of Dung”), and Lucifer (the fallen angel of Light).
We saw the first people in the Garden of Eden “crossing the line”. This being the signification of the parent verb, the noun diabolos is the name of that which crosses, or causes to cross over, ox falls over. Diabolos is therefore a very fit and proper word by which to designate the law of sin and death, or Sin’s flesh.
The Eternal Spirit drew a line before Adam, and said,
Thou shalt not cross, or pass over that line upon pain of evil and death.
That line was the Eden law; on the east of that line was the answer of a good conscience, friendship with God, and life without end; but on the west, fear, shame, misery, and death.
To obey, was to maintain the position in which he was originally placed: to disobey, to cross over the line forbidden. But
‘he was drawn away, and enticed by his own lusts’.
The narrative of Moses proves this. The man was enticed of his own lust to cross over the line, or to disobey the law; so that his own lust is the Diabolos. Thus, etymology and doctrine agreeing, the Christadelphian definition must be correct. According to this, the original diabolos was the serpent, whose seductive, tempting voice, lured Eve and then Adam to disobey. In Eden, therefore, there was an external tempter in the person of the serpent. But as the propensities were inflamed through the original transgression, the tempter, the serpent, has been found within.
“And the woman” – The woman is representative of the Ecclesia. She was so in her formation, as well as in her sin. (See the use of this symbol 2Co 11:3; Eph 5:31-32; Isa 54:6).
“And between thy seed” – Those governed by the mind of the flesh. (See Psa 58:4; Psa 140:3; Mat 23:33; 2Co 11:3-4; Rom 8:5-9; Joh 8:44).
“And her seed” – Those governed by the mind of the Spirit, and who are found “in Christ”, God’s son “made of a woman” (Gal 4:4). The emphasis upon the “seed of the woman” rather than that of the man, points to the importance of the divine begettal and virgin birth of the Lord. Php 2:6. {Eureka vol. 1, pp. 248-249, Bro. Thomas}
With the act of Adam and Eve we get a response of them being “Cursed” – The curse rested upon all creation because man, the chief of Creation, was involved. By
“one man’s offence death reigned by one” (Romans 5:12; Romans 5:17);
by
“one act of transgression judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5:18 mg.).
By the wrong choice Adam and Eve made, they crossed the line and as such sinned. By their act there was the death-dealing sin, the verdict on that one sin namely was the death sentence. The wrongdoing of one, death was ruling through the one, and from one generation to an other sins multiplied. Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death. For that reason God provided a solution for braking the effect of the act of wrongdoing by which punishment came on all men. If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift God offered already at the moment of wrongdoing in the Garden of Eden? This grand setting-everything-right, is the promise which got many hoping all their life. Though they did not see it come trough in their lifetime, they were assured that it was going to become a reality. That promise in the Garden of Eden was to brake with the curse of death, the curse brought by the adversary of God. For centuries there still would come many adversaries of God, but with God’s solution their acts would be nullified. God’s gift was to bring grace which came of many offenses unto justification. For if by one offense, death reigned because of one man; much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of gifts and of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus the Christ, the world is being told.
Offering of plants or offerings of animals would not any more be necessary, because there would come a man strong enough to proof he could withstand any temptation and would keep to God’s Wishes. That seed of the woman was come on earth out of man, by God’s Grace. In the same manner that by the iniquity of one guilt came upon all men unto condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, he always doing God’s Will and not his, giving his body to God as a ransomoffer, grace came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:16-18)
We do not have to think that we are “condemned” or treated as guilty because of the offence of Adam, but the punishment to which he was condemned (that of mortality) rests
upon all his posterity. Nobody can avoid death. It is our misfortune, not our blame, that we inherit the physical consequences of Adam’s sin; for, let it be clearly understood, it is the physical consequences of the curse that we inherit, and not the moral guilt; and, furthermore, also the send one from God, Jeshua, Jesus Christ, inherited these in common with us all.
Man was originally in a “very good” physical state (Genesis 1:31); but afterwards was adjudged by the same Judge as evil. Once it even came to the ground being cursed and animal, plants and humans being destroyed by a huge flood. But God did not want such killing any more (Genesis 8:21)
Originally the earth was proclaimed “very good,” but afterwards it sprouted thorns and thistles in abundance (Genesis 3:18). Its proneness so to do is similar to the proneness of the flesh to sin, producing moral thorns and thistles (see Hebrews 6:8). Originally, the animals were vegetarian, and came tamely before Adam to be named (Genesis 2:19); but subsequently they became carnivorous and fierce; though ultimately they will be restored to their original state (Isaiah 65:25). Man’s physical state under the curse, his proneness to sin, is expressed in Scriptures such as Gen 3:19; Rom 7:5; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:17-18; Rom 7:20; Php 3:21, etc.
“It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” –
The Hebrew hu is best rendered “he”; and “bruise”, shuwph, signifies “to crush”, as rendered in Rotherham’s translation. To “crush” the head is to administer a fatal blow, whereas to crush a heel will only incapacitate for a time. Accordingly, the declaration promises to completely destroy the effects of transgression brought into being through the serpent’s teaching, though, in doing so, the seed of the woman would be temporary wounded thereby. This was accomplished through the offering of Christ. Though he died, it was only a temporary affliction, for he rose triumphant over death, and provided the means whereby his followers triumph over sin and death: the heritage of the serpent.
Paul’s comment is to the point:
“Through death (a crushed heel) he might destroy (a crushed head) him that had the power of death (sin in the flesh) even the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
Christ, by doing God’s Will showed that man is able to keep to the commandments of God. He destroyed “the devil” (sin in the flesh) in that in death such is rendered inactive. His sacrificial death ensured his resurrection to life eternal, Jeshua being taken up from the dead after having spend three days in hell. For what Jesus did man should show respect and be grateful he wanted to give himself as ransom. God made him now higher than angels and any other man.
Philippians 2:8-11 NHEBJE (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John 10:17-18 NHEBJE Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. (18) No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
Acts 2:22-24 NHEBJE “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, (23) him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; (24) whom God raised up, having freed him from the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
Being clothed upon with Divine nature, he was no longer subject to mortality, and sin in the flesh ceased to be an element of his being. Furthermore, through the mercy of the Father, the efficacy of his offering extends to those who are “in him” through baptism. They are granted forgiveness of sins, and are motivated to overcome. The Edenic Covenant of promise, therefore, guarantees life to the seed of the woman through conquest of the serpent power. It promises victory through Christ in the battle against sin and death.
There are many more planets than ours, but we are told by the Words of God how He created our universe and not only gave His Words to His chosen men like Abraham. His words He wants all people to hear them and listen to them, following them up, taking them at heart like the greatest treasure.
In the Garden of Eden things got wrong by man going against God. They had heard and understood what He had said, but thought He was kidding them or withholding something precious for them. When their adversary against the Most HighMaker got them in trouble, God provided a solution for them and promised a saviour who would conquer the curse of death.
Though to become safe under the promise of salvationGod demands respect for His Word and wants us to embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. (Romans 4:23-24)
Dead Sea scrolls unaltered Word of God
Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written also for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever He will do next. (Romans 15:4 Message) He asked special chosen people to write down what God found necessary to be known all over the earth. Every yot, every little word is there for a special reason and God would not like it when people would fiddle around with it and change the Words of the scrolls He let to survive in the world. Though many people fought against those words and against the believers in those words, the Word of God stayed untouched, unchanged, and shall be here for ever.
All the world should come to know that every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another — showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Even those who do not believe in God could learn a lot form His Words notated in the Book of books, which has become a best-seller in the world of publications. It also has become the most criticised and discussed word for ever.
Mankind is formed by that Word of God. First of all man himself was created by the Word of God, God speaking and letting man become part of His creation in God His own image. As such also each individual has enough in him or her to come to know Who is behind its being. Each person has in him or in her some force which gives some signs or doubts by which the person shall question its Maker.
Through the Word we are created or put together and by the Word we can let us whole character being shaped up for the tasks God has for us. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Those in doubt should see the ones who have faith and hear the ones who couldn’t be more sure of what they saw and heard — God’s glory, God’s voice. Enough people are convinced and willing to let others know that the prophetic Word was confirmed to them. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. The men of totally different character did not hide their faults and weaknesses and where willing to share their fears and thoughts with those who wanted to read those Words of God. When writing in the Name of God, they just could not hide anything for their readers, like nobody can hide something for God. That what they wrote down for later generations to find was not something concocted in the human heart, but was brought to their mind by the Force of God, the Holy Spirit. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)
Throughout the ages God guided His people. He protected those who wanted to listen to Him and who followed His orders. People could come to see that what was written down was not just some human fantasy, but all those prophesies brought by the men of God became a reality (except the few which still have to happen). Some prophesies are still given for the future, but like the others, should be a signal for the believers to make sure that they shall be ready when they happen. For the time being the send one from God, who is taken back into heaven, must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. (Acts of the apostles 3:21)
Lovers of God, gathering to praise the Most High – Breaking of Bread Singing at a Christadelphian Hall
As in the old times, today people also should gather with like-minded people. Those who believe in the Words of God, should unite to read and to study the Word of God. These Words were spoken in the old times but are also the words that Jehovah God speaks today. As they were centuries ago for those who came together in houses or in synagogues, they should inspire people coming together either in their own houses, special meeting places, synagogues or churches. Like there were whole congregations at different places, we should share the Word of God in communities also all over the world. In those houses, ecclesiae, all should come to hear that blessed Word of God. They should wonder about how God spoke in a tremendous Voice from the fire and cloud and dark mist. (Deuteronomy 5:22)
More than once in history God revealed many things of precious matter. God asked them to be “Incised sharply”. Like all Israel was addressed, now the whole world is addressed and asked to “Listen obediently”. At first the promise was given to the descendants of Abraham, the people of Israel. but oh so often they went wrong or astray and time came that God provided openings for gentiles to come close again to their Maker. This very day many have become the people of God, the God of Israel.
Therefore we should give our ears and heart to our God. It is high time for mankind to listen to the Voice of God, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah. Already millennia He asks man to keep His commandments and regulations. Lots of people still do not want to know. But at the patience of God shall come an end, or better said, at due time god shall find it time to continue with His precious Plan.
God’s Spirit has spoken through many chosen people and God is willing to have His Spirit speak to all who wants to give Him their ear. Though He demands that we shall take Him serious and that His words shall take shape in our heart and on our tongue.
The God of Israel is the God of Abraham Who wants the world to know that He is a Fair and Just God, Who is searching the heart and looks for those who governs fairly and well and who rules in the Fear-of-God. (2 Samuel 23:2-4)
God His message to the world is like fire and God’s Decree is like a sledgehammer busting a rock. (Jeremiah 23:29) We should recognise Its Power and find in it also the power to change not only our selves but also to help change others. Though we should know that we can’t force these things. They only come about through God His Spirit, His Supreme Power, which can make or brake.
In the past we could see that many went against the God of gods and how they steeled themselves against God’s revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of Jehovah God-of-the-Angel-Armies. And The God of gods became angry, really angry. (Zechariah 7:12)
How long does the world want to test God? How long shall God let the adversaries of God make the world not such a pleasant place to be? We may be sure there shall come an end to the ruling of human beings. There shall come a time when God shall have the send one from Him to govern. This sent one now sits at God His right hand until Jehovah will put our enemies under the feet of the one from the lineage of king David. (Mark 12:36)
Long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas, who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That the Tanakh or Scripture had to be fulfilled, and now has been. (Acts 1:16) the last reason has taken place to bring the fulfilment of previous prophesies about the provision of the Most High. That betrayed son of God, a man of flesh and blood, who knew his place and wanted only to do his heavenly Father‘s Will and not his own will, offered himself for mankind. By his ransom all debts are paid and are we too liberated. By Christ Jesus his ransom offering all men and women can come to Jesus his heavenly Father and say like Jesus Abba to Him Who created heaven and earth.
God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what the people at that time were doing. But He also knows what we are doing and what is going on in our hearts. (1 Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 21:2; Jeremiah 17:10)
God has given every person enough time to show others their real identity and to have it formed through God-sent prophets. It is up to each individual either to want or to reject a good relationship with their Maker.
To help us to go through life, God has given His Words. They can guide us and help us in good and bad circumstances. Those words can hold up in bad times and all should know that God His promises shall rejuvenate many. For the mitzvah, God’s commands provides sound advice being a beacon, good teaching a light, moral discipline being a life path. (Proverbs 6:23) And Jehovah God is unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love Him and keep His mitzvot or commandments. (Exodus 20:6)
All the world should come to recognise that the Most HighElohim has given His teachings and commandments to instruct mankind. We should believe and do what God tells us to believe and to do, and should not be cling to human traditions and false teachings. Even when we first latched onto some false teachings it is never to late to change idea and to go for the pure Word of God. Never is it to late to walk in the paths God shows you.
Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, God His course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you’ll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go.
We all have the free choice, but we should know that God demands loyalty. Our lives must be totally obedient to the One and Only One God, our personal God, following the life path He has cleared, alert and attentive to everything He has made plain this day. (Exodus 24:12; 1 Kings 2:3; 1 Kings 8:61)
Don’t you think His concern extends to us?
In the Word of God, put together in the library of 66 books, called the Bible, we can find all warning markers —Danger! We should take the Bible also as our history book, written down so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the people spoken about in it. Our positions in the story are parallel — they at the beginning, we at the end — and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. This we should take at heart seriously. And we should be careful not to fall in the traps of man. Living in this period were we are coming closer to the Acharit-hayamim or the ends of system of things we must make the right choice and than God shall be willing to avoid too strong temptations and shall provide the way out in order for us to be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:11-13)
This website is just at its beginning state, but we do hope we shall be able to get people coming along and to share the Message of the Good News in the knowledge that we need the corrections by God through His Word and through His Spirit. As brothers and sisters in Christ and as children of God we want to come closer to the Most High with the knowledge that it’s the child God loves that Jehovah the God of gods corrects. A father’s delight is behind all this. (Proverbs 3:12)
It is our sincere hope we and our visitors may get a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it. (Titus 1:9)
Our faith and love is rooted in Christ, exactly as Paul and the other apostles set it out for us. (2 Timothy 1:13)
Those who say they love Jesus should carefully keep his word and remember what Jesus said about him and his heavenly Father. The message Jesus brought was not his message because he is not God himself. If Jesus is God, it would have been his message. Jeshua (Jesus Christ) who also said he could not do anything without his Father said he brought the message of the Father who sent him. The Father is the goal and purpose of Jesus his life and should also be our goal and purpose.
Today we have the words of Christ who told his disciples ahead of time that he would ask his Father to give them insight so that when it happened, the confirmation was to deepen their but also our belief in Jesus. The world might know how thoroughly Jesus loves the Father and how he is carrying out not his own will but his Father’s instructions right down to the last detail. Jesus didn’t make those things up. What he taught came from the One who sent him. It was the Father who sent Jesus Who gave him orders, told him what to say and how to say it. (John 7:16; John 12:49; John 14:23-31)
The apostles later wrote down all the things we should know about Jeshua (Jesus Christ) the Messiah, so that the world should come to know him and the One who had sent His only begotten son to the world to save it.
The words Jesus spoke to his disciples and the listeners and curious ones around him were not mere words. We should be fully aware what it means that those words were not made up on his own. The Father who resided Jesus crafted each word into a divine act. This we should believe. In Jesus we should find our rabbi or master teacher. We also should trusts him and follow up his words, becoming a follower of Christ or being a Christian.
Hanged on a stake as a criminal but also as the King of the Jews
In Christ we can find salvation and shall find the way to the Father. Therefore to get to know the words and works of Christ we also should read what the apostles wrote about him. Those writings from the New Testament are the complementary writings to the ones from the Old Testament. Only with taking up both big units shall people come to the full insight and total understanding.
We should be aware that the godless world can’t take the Spirit of truth in because it doesn’t have eyes to see Him, doesn’t know what to look for.
God is strong, and he wants us strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the adversary throws your way. With the Word of God in our heart we ourselves can grow but shall find ourselves the best tool to bring others to the truth. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. (Ephesians 6:10-17e)
God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. (Hebrews 4:12) All who find God should put away their old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! (1 Peter 1:23)
When you got the Message of God the apostles preached and you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself is at work in you believers you too should go out and proclaim the Word of God, getting others to learn the truth as well. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Take up the Word of God, read it, study it and take with you every day of your life as the most precious treasure, and God will bless you.
The Psalms scroll, one of the Dead Sea scrolls. Hebrew transcription included. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the previous articles discussing the “Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden” articles series by Alexander Rivera on his blog The Aeon Eye we looked at the seed having come to the earth.
From the seed can come a shrub or a tree and fruit. In Part 3 of his interesting series Alexander Rivera goes deeper into the exploration of the archetypal symbols of the Tree and Fruit.
He writes:
Genesis 3 relays how the Serpent offers knowledge in the form of a fruit grown from the Tree of Knowledge (the “Good ” and “Evil” part may have have been added later as a gloss.) Like the Serpent, the Tree of Knowledge is sometimes considered to be a phallic symbol. This Fruit along with the Tree also were used to signify the result or effect of some cause, having both a positive and a negative effect and origin.
And later on continues:
Eve gives the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of which she had eat to her Husband (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Tree of Knowledge and digesting the forbidden fruit in Genesis according to Jewish tradition represented the primeval mixture or intermingling of good and evil, light and darkness in an almost Manichean fashion. Eating the fruit forbidden set off a chain reaction where humanity developed a “yeitzer hara” or “evil inclination.” Unlike the earlier Hebrews, who blamed themselves for their woes, the Jewish Rabbis believed God had implanted in the ‘heart’, the Hebrew place of the unconscious of each individual, at his birth or conception. The yezer was not hereditary. It was intrinsically good and the source of creative energy, but had a strong potential for evil through appetite or greed. Only strict observance of the Law could keep the strong, irrational passions it engendered under control. To the commentators in the five centuries before Christ, Adam’s death was due to his own “sinful actions”, and not to the Augustine-authored “original sin nature” or “ancestral sin” inherent in the DNA in the race of man because of the disobedience of the primal parents. The Zohar claims that Adam and Eve lost their immortality by ingesting the fruit which is ironically enough compared to the occult: {Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden (Part 3)
At first the creation was like God wanted it. We can hear that in his Voice, him every time when he had created something, saying it was good.
Gen 1:4 MKJV And God saw the light that it was good. And God divided between the light and the darkness.
Gen 1:12 MKJV And the earth brought forth tender sprouts, the herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree producing fruit after its kind, whose seed was in itself. And God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:18 MKJV and to rule over the day and over the night; and to divide between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:21 MKJV And God created great sea-animals, and every living soul that creeps with which the waters swarmed after their kind; and every winged fowl after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:25 MKJV And God made the beasts of the earth after its kind, and cattle after their kind, and all creepers upon the earth after their kind. And God saw that it was good.
So, what happened with the following phase in the creation?
Gen 1:26-31 MKJV And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth. (27) And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female. (28) And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth. (29) And God said, Behold! I have given you every herb seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; to you it shall be for food. (30) And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeper on the earth which has in it a living soul every green plant is for food; and it was so. (31) And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Once more we hear God saying:
Gen 1:31 NET God saw all that he had made — and it was very good!63 There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.
Would it be said in the Scriptures that God Elohim saw every thing all that he had made worked , and, behold, it was very mighty good if it was not ‘picco bello’? Also in the way the phase is closed or coming to an end we may find the satisfaction of the Most High facing once again an evening and the morning were became the sixth day.
As such we find that to every beast live being of the earth, and to every fowl flyer of the air heavens, and to every thing that creepeth creeper upon the earth, wherein there is life a living soul, we notice that the soul is the being alive itself, not something extra in the living being, but the living element itself having life in it others it would not be a living creature.
We are told that it was that Elohim, the Most HighMaker who has given every green herb for meat food and it was so thus it became. Though one certain fruit was not to be eaten. By it man brought death over himself.
Hear what saith scripture when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree by which death entered into their souls or lower nature, ‘And when they heard the voice of the Lord of the Alhim walking in the garden’ (Gen. iii-8), or, as it ought to be rendered, had walked (mithhalech). Note further that whilst Adam had not fallen, he was a recipient of divine wisdom (hochma) and heavenly light and derived his continuous existence from the Tree of Life to which he had free access, but as soon as he allowed himself to be seduced and deluded with the desire of occult knowledge, he lost everything, heavenly light and life through the disjunction of his higher and lower self, and, the loss of that harmony that should always exist between them, in short, he then first knew what evil was and what it entailed, and, therefore, it is written, ‘Thou art not a God that approveth wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee’ (Is. v-5); or, in other words, he who implicitly and blindly follows the dictates of his lower nature or self shall not come near the Tree of Life.
The imagery of the tree is also included in Simon Magus’s cosmology, as reported by Hippolytus of Rome, is a powerful model that describing some rare concepts that Simononians in the early third century work described in the Philosophumena, asthe “Great Declaration” or “Great Announcement”. Simon very much describes a tree of fire that consumes itself. This is a third century Simonian document, positing that the root of all existence is infinite, and abides in man, who serves as its dwelling-house. The Logos or the Word is projected down by the luciferian Lightening Flash through the Aeons and into the manifest world and man. From the original root, the hidden principle, spring three pairs of manifestations of: Mind and Thought, Voice and Name, Reasoning and Reflection. {Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden (Part 3)
When the seed falls in the earth, starts to grow it can become a bush or grow out to a tree, being a wooden stake presenting fruits with new seeds. In the classical Greek Scriptures we also find the word stau·ros′ which meant merely an upright stake, or pale, or a pile such as is used for a foundation, a single piece of wood. In the New Testament we do find that Jeshua (Jesus Christ) is nailed at such a stake, a pale, without a crossbeam of any kind at any angle. By the apostles Peter and Paul we also find th word xy′lon to refer to the torture instrument upon which Jesus was nailed, and this shows that it was an upright stake without a crossbeam, for that is what xy′lon in this special sense means. (Acts of the apostles 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1Peter 2:24)
Act 5:30 MKJV The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed and hanged on a tree.
Act 10:39 MKJV And we are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed Him and hanged Him on a tree;
Act 13:29 MKJV And when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, taking Him down from the tree, they laid Him in a tomb.
Normally every one that was hanged on a tree was considered to be a cursed one. In several cultures living beings where also like fruit was hanging on the wood, made to hang on the wood and burned as an offering. In this way Christ came also to redeem us – Εξηγορασεν· buying us us with a price made by his body loosing life in his flesh and blood. He became an atonement for our sins buying us free, like in the many cultures people thought to ‘bribe’ their gods getting some favours by offering a lamb or food or innocent children. Here an innocent lamb or innocent ‘child’ was offered by giving the God an innocent man. For whatever was offered as an atonement for sin was considered as bearing the punishment due to sin, and the person who suffered for transgression was considered as bearing the curse in his body; therefore, in the same day in which a criminal was executed it was ordered that his body should be buried, that the land might not be polluted, because he that was hanged, which was the case with every heinous culprit, was considered accursed of God, (Deuteronomy 21:22, 23).
This man from Nazareth coming under the curse of the Law — more or less artificially, and in the manner of his death only — whilst living a perfectly righteous life. This way Jeshua removed that curse and made it meaningless. He took away the chains of that curse and as such became a liberator, a Kristos or Christ, a Messiah. He died innocent and gave his body as a ransom for all souls (all living beings) but they will have to recognise him as their liberator, their saviour who would then become “in Christ” also liberated from the curse of death.
Jesus has become that seed on a tree which justifies.
Gal 3:13 MKJV Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone having been hanged on a tree”);
Though “Trust, Faith”shall be necessary to have a knowledge which shall bring comfort and should make a fundamental condition through which a man becomes well-pleasing to God, and partaker of the gracious gift of life, presenting also works according to that faith. In his letter to Galatians the apostle Paul states that one is declared righteous or well-pleasing to God, in consequence of faith whereby truth is included.
Wanting to have the seed bearing fruit it has to find good soil. In barren land it shall not be able to shoot. Only there where people are really willing to obey God rather than men shall be found such fertile ground which shall bring forth the fruits from the seed which the God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom was put to death by hanging him on a wooden stake. It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a Guide, Ruler and a Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Act 5:29-31 MKJV And Peter and the apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. (30) The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed and hanged on a tree. (31) This One God has exalted to be a Ruler and Savior to His right hand in order to give repentance and remission of sins to Israel.
In the many creation myths we can find gods who are favoured by one or the other but in the Judaic Scriptures the Divine Maker only favours the human beings in allowing them to give names to plants and animals and to use them as food. But in between the human beings the Elohim does not places one before the other. That God of the Universe does not show partiality, but it is true He wants recognition for Himself as the sole Creator and for being the Only One God. He is the One Who gives life and he is the one who cursed the 1° Adam and his seed but also provided a new pure seed which could grow fluently and be rich in giving good seeds, even providing a very pure seed which could become a new tree of life by being hang on the tree of death. We also have to notice that God has sent His Message to the Israelites and told them, through Jesus Christ, the Good News of peace — and that Jesus is Lord of all! Today there are many who know the story which spread through all Judea, how good news,which sprang from Galilee, after the baptism preached by John brought the story of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him His Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the adversaryof God, because God was with him. The apostles were witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem and how he was put to death by hanging him on a tree, a piece of wood that could not give any fruit any more, but by God now was made higher to become a symbol of life giving fruit which all who would take it would give eternal life by receiving remission of sins.
Act 10:34-43 MKJV Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I see that God is no respecter of persons; (35) but in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him. (36) You know the Word which God sent to the sons of Israel, preaching the gospel of peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all!); (37) that word which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed; (38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with Him. (39) And we are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed Him and hanged Him on a tree; (40) but God raised Him up the third day and showed Him openly, (41) not to all the people, but to witnesses hand-picked before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. (42) And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. (43) All the Prophets give witness to Him, that through His name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins.
Hanged on a stake as a criminal but also as the King of the Jews
In the writings of Livy, a Roman historian of the first century B.C.E., crux means a mere stake. “Cross” is only a later meaning of crux. A single stake for impalement of a criminal was called in Latin cruxsim′plex. One such instrument of torture is illustrated by Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) in his book Decrucelibritres, Antwerp, 1629, p. 19.
The instrument on which Jeshua died was in the original writings called “σταυρός [stau·ros′] which means every upright standing pale or tree trunk. At Jesus’ time of the Romans beside scourging, according to the gospel accounts, only the simplest form of Roman crucifixion comes into consideration for the infliction of punishment upon Jesus, the hanging of the unclad body on a stake, which, by the way, Jesus had to carry or drag to the execution place to intensify the disgraceful punishment.
. . . Anything other than a simple hanging is ruled out by the wholesale manner in which this execution was often carried out: 2000 at once by Varus (Jos. Ant. XVII 10. 10), by Quadratus (Jewish Wars II 12. 6), by the Procurator Felix (Jewish Wars II 15. 2), by Titus (Jewish Wars VII. 1).” {Paul Wilhelm Schmidt, DieGeschichteJesu (The History of Jesus), Vol. 2, Tübingen and Leipzig, 1904, pp. 386-394}
Just as the popular Greek hero Prometheus was represented as tied to rocks people found it right to have cursed ones being tied up on a rock by the sea or on a tree on land. The Greek word that the dramatist Aeschylus used to describe this word stauros, simply means to tie or to fasten, the Greek author Lucian (Prometheus, I) used a·na·stau·ro′o as a synonym for that word. In the Christian Greek Scriptures a·na·stau·ro′o occurs but once, in Hebrews 6:6. The root verb stau·ro′o occurs more than 40 times, that is also a reason why we render it often as “impale,” or ‘fasten on a stake (pole) and you shall find us saying “Jesus was impaled” instead of the wrongly understood “Jesus was crucified”, making people think of the pagan cross-concept, the sign of Tammuz, the god of evil and personification of death.
Alexander Rivera writes:
The Stauros (Cross), which means to “stand” or “straighten up” (e.g. the “Standing One” per Simon Magus?) in its true self is a living idea, a reality or root-principle of separation and limit, dividing entity from non-entity, being from non-being, perfection from imperfection, fullness and emptiness, Light from Darkness. The Stauros or Horos was also seen as synonymous with the Logos and was also seen as the sign of victory as per the doctrine of Christus Victor atonement i.e, that Christ defeated the powers by duping them into crucifying him. {Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden (Part 4)}
The apostle John in the opening of his gospel-book refers to the Genesis story where God every time spoke and had His Word (Logos) bringing something into being. The Logos or Word is that what is said, not exactly a person like many Christians want to see it. Out from the darkness and chaos light was created and out of the darkness of the sordid world came again the Word of God bringing light with bringing that what the Elohim had promised in the Garden of Eden (long before Abraham was born) into flesh, giving the world His onlybegotten son, Jeshua, Jesus Christ.
From eternity there was the Elohim God. Him being there from eternity had His Thinking or His Pneuma, His Mind or Spirit with Him in Him. But with Him was also the coming forth form the Thinking which gave sound or a beginning of ordered vowels presenting sound and giving Words. As such The Word was in the beginning, and that very Word was with God. That speaking coming from God belonged to God and as such also could be considered being God, because God is spirit and not a person like we see ourselves as human beings.
That Word, The speaking of God, the Promises he made, were in the beginning with God and they are still with God. It was in the beginning of times God had already to make a promise about the seed. As everything came into being by The God of gods, there were seeds in the Garden of Eden, but having now Adam and Eve out of the Garden there had to come a new seed and a new tree of life. By that tree or stauros life had to enter again in the world of man. By the Hand of God the 1° Adam was made but also the world could find the 2° Adam being made. By God’s Word spoken to the young girl Miriam (Mary/Maria) God’s Word brought His Word onto earth. The Elohim took care speaker for Him was to be presented under man. This voice in the world would be high placed, being a god between people. Like everything came to be by God His Hand; and without Him not even one thing came to be of what was created, so also this seed of the 1° Adam was going to multiply with seeds full of life. Like the life was in the Elohim God Most High, Jehovah provided a solution for the fall in the Garden of Eden, and gave the world a new tree of life in which the world found again the light of man.
Joh 1:1-4 MKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In many man-made stories we can find lights of man, emancipators, bringers of strength, bringers of fortune, guides and leaders.
Guarding this Horos was the Limit-Setter, the Across-Taker, the Emancipator, the Guide or Leader that guides the initiated soul from its astral journey from the underworld, to the zodiacal cosmos, to the eighth heaven or “ogdoad” where Sophia is said to dwell, near the gates and finally to the Heavenly Cross, functioning like a portal or gateway into the realm of the Father or the Pleroma. The Logos himself is designated as a “door” or a “gate” into eternal life symbolized as pasture, for the saved sheep (or souls) (John 10:9).
This region was also called the “suburbs”, a frontier or the barrier, demarcating the boundary between the worlds. The term “suburbs” is also used in a Peratic text that the Church Father Hippolytus quotes at length called The Suburbs up to the Aither in the Philosophumena or the Refutation of All Heresies, which I will briefly touch on later on. In Plato’s Timaeus, he refers to the soul-stuff of the universe in terms of two circular strips joined together like the Greek letter chi (X). Similarly, tau, the last letter of the Phoenician and Old Hebrew alphabets, is shaped like a cross, and was popularly held to be a protective emblem of supernatural power. Crosses were also said to be used by Roman General Marcius Turbo’s forces in the first century to carry their food and clothing. {Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden (Part 4)}
Hanged on the sign of the god Tammuz as persons of evil. – Kreuzigung Christi: 1509, Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553)
The sign of the god of evil, Tammuz, being two beams crossing each other was used in many cultures and was also taken over later in Christendom by those who wanted to have a sign for their god as well to bow down for. Though those Christians should have know that the Elohim Creator does not want His people to bow down in front of graven images.
Exo 20:1-7 MKJV And God spoke all these words, saying, (2) I am Jehovah your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) You shall have no other gods before Me. (4) You shall not make to yourselves any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (5) You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them. For I Jehovah your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those that hate me, (6) and showing mercy to thousands of those that love Me and keep My commandments. (7) You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain. For Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
The most commonly known format of the Rosary, flanked by the Bible and a free-standing Crucifix.Islamic prayer beads for dhikr (remembrance of God)
Today we still can find lots of Christians making themselves an idol, like sculptures of a Jesus hanging on a cross, a Christ with a red open gleaming heart, a virgin Mary, all sorts of saints, all statues where they pray for. They seem to forget The God asked His people not to bow for in worship for a picture of Himself nor for the likeness of any thing, which is in the heaven above, or in the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. Though by the warp and weft, it is for many the order of the day to burn candles or to pray in front of pictures or statues. By many Trinitarian Christians this seems to be the run-of-the-mill to them and they often do not feel happy when they could not do such an action or are afraid that something could happen to them.
Also by several Muslims we do find such a fear and like we can find Christopher or rosebuds or rosary (paternoster) in cars hanging on the front mirror or on the dashboard we find prayer beads hanging on the front mirror by Muslims as well. When they would not have such symbols in their car or in the house, like ‘sacred or blessed palm’, they think the seed of evil might come over them.
Mural “God’s Mather” in Belyova church
Real Christians should take God Words at heart and remember:
Deu 5:8 MKJV You shall not make a graven image for you, any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters beneath the earth.
Deu 27:15 MKJV Cursed is the man that makes any graven or molten image, an abomination to Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
Psa 97:1-12 MKJV Jehovah reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of islands be glad. (2) Clouds and darkness are all around Him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne. (3) A fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies round about. (4) His lightnings lit up the world; the earth saw and trembled. (5) The hills melted like wax at the presence of Jehovah, at the presence of Jehovah of the whole earth. (6) The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory. (7) All those who serve graven images are ashamed, those who boast themselves in idols; all gods bow down before Him. (8) Zion heard and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of Your judgments, O Jehovah. (9) For You, Jehovah, are high above all the earth; You are lifted on high far above all gods. (10) You who love Jehovah, hate evil; He keeps the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. (11) Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. (12) Rejoice in Jehovah, righteous ones; and give thanks at the memory of His holiness.
Isa 40:18-20 MKJV To whom then will you compare God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? (19) The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains. (20) He too poor for that offering chooses a tree that will not rot; he looks for a skillful workman to prepare a graven image that will not totter.
In having a figure of a man on a piece of wood or a sculpture of a god-man people find themselves presented as God and have their god from mankind in their own world. As such they created themselves a go son, a god father and a god mother and twist the Words of Scriptures to suit their man madedogma of a Trinity or triune god, a three headed god, like such a god can be found in lots of ancient pagan religions.
“The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of ‘person’ and ‘nature’ which are G[ree]k philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the Bible. The trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and others such as ‘essence’ and ‘substance’ were erroneously applied to God by some theologians.” {Dictionary of the Bible, John L. McKenzie, S.J., p. 899}
Seed was the essence of life and out of seed came more than one element or fruit and more than one god. The evangelist John referring to the seed promised in the Garden of Eden, speaking about the first-born of all creation should have people to open their eyes and to question them why, if the Trinity doctrine is true, the Father and the Holy Spirit, god’s Pneuma, not also said to be the firstborn of all creation? When we look closely at what is written in the Holy Scriptures we can see that the Bible applies this expression only to the son.
In the Old Testament we can find more than once the seed of Adam being blessed and bringing forth children of God. We also get to see that there is the firstborn of Abram (Abraham) being requested as an offering but that what came out of the seed, the bush, getting into fire, giving light and promising Abraham much more seed and letting the world to be known that out of his seed would come more light and salvation. Many years after Abraham a child is born which is spoken of as the “firstborn,” who is also presented as the newborn of the new world, the 2° Adam. It indicates that Jesus is the eldest in Jehovah’s family of sons. With this new seed, promised in the Garden of Eden and having come into blossoming a two thousand years ago
“by means of him allotherthings were created “
we get a figure that can create again some would say, but it indicates that God uses Jesus Christ to continue His creation and as such
. . . Allotherthings have been created through him and for him.”
Thus he is shown to be a created being, part of the creation produced by God who has delivered us from the power of darkness? It was the Father of this son Who is the Deliverer or Saviour, because he accepted the offering of His son who is the saviour for mankind. That seed of King David is the one who was promised and who brought us the way to the kingdom of God. It is by that seed on the tree by whom we have obtained salvation and forgiveness of sins. He is not only a first-born but also the pure image of the invisible God, and the first-born of every creature. In case that seed would not have grown and have been purified we would not have had any chance. Without him our names would not been written in the Book of life, which is in heaven. Whether imperial thrones, or lordships, or angelic orders, or dominions, all things were in his hand and as such could be considered as having been created by him, because when God would not have provided that seed in the Garden of Eden and would have destroyed Adam and Eve at once, no human being would have lived on this earth. Therefore Jeshua, the promised seed, is before all things, and by him all things are sustained. Though many people do not want to respect what he really has done, dying for the sins of many (remember that God cannot die), Jesus who was first lower than angels (remember that God was, is and always shall be the Most High) Jesus became the seed of the woman that could become the head of the body, the church, for he is the beginning, the firstfruits of the resurrection from the dead. It is like seed has to fall on the ground after it had dried up or died from the plant, this seed of a man also died and became the shoot of Jesse that in all things he might be the first; for it pleased God to complete all things in him; and by his hand to reconcile everything to himself; and through his blood shed on the stake made peace both for those who dwell on earth and for those who dwell in heaven.
Col 1:13-20 MKJV For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins. (15) who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation. (16) For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. (18) And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things. (19) For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell. (20) And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven.
The seed from the dead wood was a single man, not one who existed out of three seeds or three gods. God Himself has revealed that seed as His only begotten belovedson.
Mat 3:16-17 MKJV And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up immediately out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him. (17) And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The “You are My Son, the Beloved” gives an indication that this son of man is also son of god and not like some interpret it to be ‘god the son’. His “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” is about that seed spoken off in the Garden of Eden. It is noteworthy that, instead of saying “days of eternity,” RS renders the Hebrew as “ancient days”; JB, “days of old”; NW, “days of time indefinite.” That seed was not eternal it had the beginning in those older days way back at the beginning.
Mic 5:2-5 MKJV And you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you being least among the thousands of Judah, out of you He shall come forth to Me, to become Ruler in Israel, He whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity. (3) Therefore He will give them over until the time the one giving birth has given birth; then the rest of His brothers shall return to the sons of Israel. (4) And He shall stand and feed in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah His God. And they shall sit, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth. (5) And this One shall be peace. When Assyria shall come into our land; and when he shall walk in our palaces, then we shall raise against him seven shepherds and eight anointed ones from men.
The seed like a mustard seed has grown and from the smallest seed shall have to come forth a great tree of seeds of the Father, the Most High Creator, all children of God.
If Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were coequal, comprising one Godhead then we would find a God who at several occasions did not tell the truth, because God is an all-knowing God, but Jesus on several occasions says he does not know a certain thing; He even does not know when he would come back. God also says He is an eternal Spirit which would make Jesus faking his death and telling lies when he says that a spirit has no flesh and bones and when he shows his wounds to his disciples to proof he is no spirit.
Luk 24:34-40 MKJV And they said, the Lord has indeed risen, and has appeared to Simon. (35) And in the way they related the things happening, and how He had been known by them in breaking of the loaf. (36) And as they spoke this, Jesus Himself stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you! (37) But they were terrified and filled with fear, for they thought they saw a spirit. (38) And He said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? (39) Behold My hands and My feet, that I am He! Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. (40) And when He had spoken this, He showed them His hands and feet.
In case Jesus is God then Jesus being in God like we should be in Jesus and in God would make us God as well, when you take it that being in some one is being that one and that the unity of Christ means that Jesus is god than the unity of us with Christ means that we are Christ and as such are also God.
Jesus asks to believe in him and to know that the works which he does, his Father in heaven shall do even greater works than these which Jesus could not do without his Father. And Jesus was on earth but told the others, not he was doing al this but the One to Whom he was going to. He was going to the place of his Father, Who he was going to join. He also told his followers that he was going to his Father who may be glorified through him, Jehovah God His Son. It is this son of God who will ask of his Father; and it is Him Who was to give the apostles another Comforter, to be with them for ever.
Jesus tells his apostles that he will be gone and that the world shall not able to see him any more. On the day the comforter or the Force of God would come over them their eyes would go open and they would come to understanding of all those things they saw happening. At the time they happened they did not understand but after the Pneuma, God’s Power came over them they came to understand everything and came to know that Jesus is with his Father. But at the same time Jesus would be there for them with them and they would be with him. Everybody should get the faith in Jesus, the son of God and love him so that he also will be loved by Jesus his Father.
Joh 14:12-21 MKJV Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father. (13) And whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (15) If you love Me, keep My commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, (17) the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. (18) I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. (19) Yet a little while and the world does not see Me any more. But you see Me. Because I live, you shall live also. (20) At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (21) He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.
Jesus never claimed to be God and addresses the Father as “the only true God”; so, Jesus as “a god” in the first chapter of John merely reflects his Father’s divine qualities and looks at Jesus as a high or important person person, like Apollo, Zeus, Pharaoh, Moses, angels and others are called ‘god’ in the Bible, but where never is intended them to be The God.
In several stories written before the New Testament several gods are presented to bring new light and to bring change in life because crossing axes would bring in new breath (life). But to get the life the occult signs, the making of a cross repeatedly had to be done regularly, because otherwise the gods of evil would get more force and conquer again over light and bring darkness again.
Little Known Facts About the Christmas Tree (articles.we-wood.us)
For thousands of years, people have brought live greens into their homes during the dark weeks surrounding the winter solstice. Ancient Egyptians picked palm fronds to honor the sun god Ra, while Romans decorated with holly for the solstice celebration of Saturnalia.The pagan tradition of decorating with branches and trees was adapted by early Christians in Germany, where Germans decorated trees with apples to remember Adam and Eve. In the 1600s, Protestant reformer Martin Luther was walking home through a fir forest one night while composing a sermon and was inspired by the stars shining on the snow to add candles to his family’s Christmas tree.
Retreat Notes on Authority (supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com)
Eve’s sin was curiosity (which I wrote about here) and when the snake began to talk, as animals did not talk (Eden is Not Narnia) she should have left the scene immediately and asked Adam for discernment and help.
Heave is for Real – The Most Believable Depictions (mybloglogb.typepad.com)
Some spiritual topics simply can’t be done seriously in movies very often. I wrote recently about how Adam and Eve have never been depicted very seriously in film (other than a couple of times), and it seems heaven is the same way. Like Adam and Eve, we can’t get our head around what the reality of these spiritual topics may be, and we’re probably not supposed to in the grand scheme of life. In the movies, translating the ineffable means bringing plenty of irony, and the depiction of heaven has had plenty.
Adam and Eve are Ancient “Archetypes” (jacksonwu.org)
the book demonstrates the importance biblical training with respect to interpretation method. I’m not simply referring to theological instruction. In fact, Walton’s argument suggests that theological presuppositions are precisely what keep us from understanding God’s authoritative meaning in Gen 1–3.
The Truth: Who Are You (a Must Read) (eyeopenerunity.wordpress.com)
So if good was already known and evil was presented as good than what does that tell us??
The articles presented on this site shall be looking at what people say and at what is really written in the Bible. We do advice everybody coming along here to check for themselves what is really written in the Scriptures.
Quadruple combination opened to the Book of Isaiah – note the cross references between Biblical and Latter-day Saint scripture in the footnotes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There are many Bible translations of which some may be translated in a confusing way, paraphrasing more what was in the original writing and often letting out the names, replacing them with words like ‘lord‘ not keeping it clear any more about which lord is spoken in the verse. This way a lot of people got confused about Jesus and God and did not come to see clearly who said what.
We advise you therefore not necessarily to stick to one Bible translation and to compare sayings in your Bible on one place with sayings at another place in the same translation.
For us the Book of books, a library of 66 works written by men God has chosen to write down His Words, we consider the most valuable guide to give us insight in the Works of God and in the Wants of God. We prefer to stick to what is written in those 66 books and do not have any need to stick to human doctrines. God is a God of clarity and order, not of confusion. He shall give in His Word what we do need to know, and that what He finds not relevant and did not let notate it down shall also be of no relevance for having something to take as a belief matter. This means that we allow people to have different opinions about matters which are not clearly indicated in the Bible. Each individual has received brains and can use them in different ways. How a person want to say things is the freedom of each. We as followers of Christ want to speak in accordance of Jesus’ will, asking us to be like brothers and sisters united in his body. that union does not have to mean we all are and say exactly the same. That is a big misunderstanding of what unity means.
We would like to ask you, like we do ourselves, not to keep to the human teachings and human doctrines, but to take as main guide the Bible itself, the words like they are printed black on white.
Put away your old you and everything you might have learned in your previous life, and dare to look at the Bible as a fresh newborn baby. Getting from the start, learning more and more, little bit by little bit, giving your self time to absorb and to learn what is really written in the Bible and not taking the footnotes as divine words but concentrating on the Bible text itself.
We want to take Jesus as our master teacher and belief what he himself believed. We may come form all different backgrounds, be from all different cultures, but as main background we want to consider us as descendants from the same first Adam, wanting to become the same descendants from the second Adam (Jesus). Together we want to go for the same believes Jesus had and appeal to the Lord Messiah for guidance in identifying the true God.
Happily we have a clear record of Jesus’ belief about who God is. Not only that — his creed is doubly confirmed by the fact that the Jew Jesus is in perfect agreement with a Jewish scribe, as together they discuss the greatest of all questions we humans must face. Who is God? So prepare now to hear what Jesus commands us in terms of our definition of God.
“One of the scribes [professional Bible teachers]… seeing that Jesus had answered them well, asked him, ‘Which commandment is first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is this: “Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you are to love the Lord your God with all your heart…
”’ And the scribe said to him, ‘Well said, teacher; in truth you have said that He is one and there is no other besides Him” (Mark 12:28-32).
That Nazarene teacher which told many parables and did many miracles not only astonished many people in his time, he still can surprise us. Standing in wonder for him, we want to share with others the acts of this wonderful, special man, who was called ‘son of man‘ and ‘son of God‘.
Our and your background to come to the faith should be the willingness to study the Word of God and the will to look for what is really written there and to understand what God wants to bring in His Message, His Word which has stand the wear and tear and sustained all adversary by human beings. whatever man did to destroy the book of books, they did not succeed and it still stands strong and can be found in many hands all over the world.
Jesus asked his followers to study that Word thoroughly and to go out in the world to preach the message, the Good News, of the coming Kingdom of God. that message is our backbone, and should also be or become yours.
With our eyes directed in the Book of books, the infallible Word of God, we want to build our lives according to the guidelines of that precious book. The knowledge we receive from it we want to share, not as being it our own, but as being Words given freely to us, to share with others in love and peace, for becoming children of the One and Only OneTrue God.
The Story of the Bible: The Fascinating History of Its Writing, Translation & Effect on Civilization (Larry Stone, Thomas Nelson Pub., 201, 94 pages) (rabidreader.typepad.com)
The story of the Bible’s writing, preservation, and translation is a fascinating one filled with intrigue, discovery, and adventure. In the end, though, William Tyndale’s dream–and that of Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin; and of Martin Luther, who translated the Bible into German; and of Cameron Townsend, who founded Wycliffe Bible Translators–of the Bible’s being available to everyone was a dream that changed the world. It was a dream that had a transforming effect on England and the English language. And it has had an effect on societies around the globe
Love Unites (billtonnismusic.wordpress.com)
Jesus had a mission…to bring the Good News of God’s unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion to all people. He wanted all people to live in the freedom of this awareness. At the time, it was unthinkable for a Jew that God could accept the gentiles…foreigners…who were considered “unclean.” But Jesus had a revelation for the world: God’s salvation is for all people. God loves all people unconditionally. Even in spreading this message…Jesus did not want to call attention to Himself…only to God’s love.
Rule and Reign (activeinspiration.wordpress.com)
we hear Christians are persecuted at all time highs. Maybe its because perfect love from God our Father that we share with the world is seen as weakness to the world of nonbelievers.
It Is Yours, Lord – Everything (fbcpolson.wordpress.com)
Have you transferred everything to Christ? It’s not your fame, it’s your faith. It’s not your ability, it’s your availability. It’s not your scholarship, it’s your sacrifice.
Keep Pressing! #InstarationDevo (armansheffey.com)
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Meet All Your Needs (chasing4jesus.wordpress.com) with most of us the way God will meet our needs is not always what we expect. God will take care of us even when it feels like everything is falling around us. It takes TRUE faith to trust God even in the midst of the storm.
Print On Demand (haughherald.org)
The Bible Translation task has so many components to it! From finding people to do the work, training people in translation principles, teaching people to read in their own language, and checking there are so many areas where there can be a “wall” which keeps people from receiving God’s words in their own language.
Leaders of This World: Your Judgement Will Come (psalmsunday.blogspot.com)
Some leaders may speak of a god or of the Living God, but are those only words with no true actions to back them? Have we seen leaders of the scope of King David in recent history or even in all the millennia since David reigned? Empires have fallen throughout history as have their leaders.A nation might wield its power for a period, but judgement will bring down every nation that does not bow to God and accept Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. A Son has come, but what nation has truly taken refuge in Him.
Am With You (spyghana.com)
God blesses His people in several ways. These ways could be either through angels or human beings. This quotation was one of the promises of God given to prophet Isaiah to relay to his people – the Israelites.
Undoubtedly, life on earth cannot be compared to the one in paradise. However, it could be blissful in your world when you allow God to scuttle through you. As life has its own bearings, so is the Christian life full of an everlasting gladness with limited troubles.
Messiah For All 