I know you could ask why an other Christian blog when there are already so many. there are also many ‘antichrist-blogs‘ and even more atheist bloggers at work. In that wood of blogs it is not bad to have one blog more from a blogger who wants to use Blogger or Word Press to go deeper in a matter not many are interested in but is of utmost importance. This world needs much more bloggers warning for the coming difficult times and willing to bring a subject different than the mainstream subjects of the popular blogs, and willing to work or blog for Christ.
This world has become a dark place, literally and figuratively and man can use some beacons of light on this globe. In that darkness lots of people do think they are safest when they hold on to other people. Many do not see that Some One is holding out a stretched arm to pick them up out of the swamp and to guide them to dryer and better places.
There is so much to distract man that most people are lured away from God and do not feel interested in spending time at religious matters.
I did not want to get off on the wrong foot, because what I have to defend is too precious. Confronted with so much hate from certain Christians I not only wanted to show the love a Christian does have to have and have to show for others, but found it the utmost important that more people came to understand that Jesus Christ is the Way to God and not God himself.
To come to understand where mankind is at this moment and why there is so much sorrow we do have to look at the early beginnings of mankind. For this reason we have to look at the total beginning of the world. “The very very beginning 1 Creating Gods” should shed a light on the beginning of universe and the first human beings. In two different series we looked at the beginning of the world and the beginning of all problems in this world. From those articles people should come to see what happened at the beginning of mankind and how man himself got trouble over him.
In those articles we also showed how the Divine Creator took care that there would be a solution for what man brought over himself. It is that solution which is the main focus of this blog. It is namely a Saviour, a Kristos or Christ, which God promised and 2020 years that Messiah was born and offered himself up for the whole mankind. He gave his all soul for all other souls (= living beings). It was by not doing his own will, but by doing the will of his heavenly Father, the Only OneTrue God, that Jesus opened the Way to God.
When you know there has entered a tempter in the life of man and how man wants to go for certain choices it is clear how man could come in such problems. (see about the “First mention of a solution against death 3 tempter satan and man’s problems“) In fact we can see that there are still to many people who do not want to know about God and about solutions for a better life He has provided. Though I am convinced that when more people would come to know God and come to know the solution God has provided for, namely God His only begottenbeloved son, less problems would be in the world, because many more people would take on the right attitude which God wants them to take on.
Life may be going with ups and downs. Knowing that not many people do want to hear that Jesus is not God, I do know I am not presenting a preferred or much liked subject. As such I also do not count on so much likes and so many followers. But I do hope I can reach some hearts and can come to let people think harder about the subject of the trinity and the nature of God and of the nature of Jesus.
In 2015 this blog got 1 716 views from 1 226 visitors, presenting me with 20 likes and 30 comments, for 83 posts published.
In 2016 1 393 visitors came along to offer me 1 849 views with only 8 likes and 12 comments on the only 14 published (or new) articles.
In the previous episodes we saw how the Elohim God created human being in God His image. Those created in the image of the Adonai have the same ruach or spirit as the other living beings of the universe, man possessing the same life capabilities as animals. But man has vanity, mortality and has to bear the consequences of his going in against his DivineSovereign Maker. Though been modelled after a divine type, or pattern, man differs from other creatures, being in form and capacity made like to the angels, though in nature inferior to them.
Man living in a world full of living beings, though still able to be alone in the multitude, though there is always wanting somebody to hear or answer your call.
In Jesus, then, raised from the dead incorruptible, and clothed with brightness as when he was transfigured upon the Holy Mount, {a Matthew 17:2.} we behold the image and likeness of the invisible God. When we contemplate him by faith, as we shall hereafter by sight, we see ‘A Mirror‘ from which the glory of Jehovah is reflected in intellectual, moral, and physical grandeur. He that would know God, must behold Him in Christ. If he be acquainted with Him as He is portrayed in the prophets and apostles, he will understand the character of God, whom no man hath seen, nor can see; Who chargeth His angels with folly, and before Whom the heavens are not clean. Jesus was the true light shining in the darkness of Judea, whose inhabitants “comprehended it not”. Through him, God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shone into the hearts of as many as received him; to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; that so they might receive power to become the sons of God, believing on his name. {b 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:6; John 1:5, 12.}
How consoling and cheering is it, then, amid all the evils of the present state*, that God hath found a ransom, who is willing and able to deliver us from the power of the grave; and not only so, but that “at the manifestation of the sons of God” {c Romans 8:17–25.}, when he shall appear in power and great glory, “we shall be like him; because we shall see him as he is”. {d 1 John 3:2.} Then will the saints be “changed into the same image from glory”, now only a matter of hope, “into glory”, as seen and actually possessed, “even as the Lord” himself was changed, when he became “the spirit giving life”, or “a quickening spirit”.
– Thomas, D. J.; Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed., pp. 40–41). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.
*
Notes and quotes:
a: Matthew 17:2 (ESV): 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
b1: 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
b2: 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV): 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
b3: John 1:5 (ESV): 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
c: Romans 8:17–25 (ESV): 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Future Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
d: 1 John 3:2 (ESV): 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Being created in the image of God each human being has certain elements or qualities of God in him or her. Every created human being has something in him or her which has the quality or feeling of the Divine Maker. As such every human should be able to feel that there is a Divine Creator. He is the Father of universe Who let His Voice hear and let His products of His Hands show the wonders and glory of His Majesty.
Wherever people dwell they can look around them and see the wonders of nature. Nature can speak for itself. In the magnificent glory of the universe every human being should be able to recognise the Hand of God.
Those who are willing to seek the Lord God shall be able to find Him whenever they shall seek Him with all their heart, and with all their soul in their affliction.
Deu 4:29 NHEBJE But from there you shall seek Jehovah your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 30:1-3 NHEBJE It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Jehovah your God has driven you, (2) and shall return to Jehovah your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; (3) that then Jehovah your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where Jehovah your God has scattered you.
2Ch 31:21 NHEBJE In every work that he began in the service of God’s house, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Psa 119:2 NHEBJE Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart.
Jer 29:13 NHEBJE You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
Page of Polish “Biblia Nieświeska” (Nesvizh Bible) translated by Szymon Budny (1572). Including God’s Name “Jehovah” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the beginning of times nor in the old times there where people who called themselves theologians or had the idea that they alone could truly understand the Words of God and give people insight. Those who claim to be the only ones who can fully understand the Bible and give the only right explanation are passing God’s Words and forgetting that it is God Himself Who calls and gives insight.
To come to know God we can look around us and see what nature has to offer us. We should open our eyes and see the micro-cosmos with its many wonders. Becoming aware of the nissim or miracles in nature we shall be able to recognise the invisible Hand of God.
Jehovah also has raised up for us prophets, men of God, His servants who wrote down God’s Words and tried to help people find the Most High Lord of the universe. Jehovah of Hosts, the Elohim of Israel, wants us to find Him and has taken care that His words were correctly written down and delivered from one generation unto the next.
The Elohim has gone forth to take to Himself a nation from the midst of a nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by battle, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that He, the Most High of all beings, shall be known as the One Who Is The Being Itself, the I Am Who Is’ or “I am that which I am” [ayah ashar ayah. This is not His Name, but it is an explanation that leads up to the revelation of His Name in v. 15, namely: יהוה {Jehovah}] Who did so many things for those who lived on the earth, so that they could come to see Who is behind it all.
Elohim His a strong hand and outstretched arm we should allow to come over us. We should allow it that by great fearsome deeds, according to all that יהוה {Jehovah} our Elohim has done in the past we shall get to know Him better by having our eyes and ears open for Him more than for human words and tricks. When opening ourselves for Him He shall let Him be known and shall recall to our heart that יהוה {Jehovah} Himself is Elohim in the heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is none else beside Him.
God has at all times given His Words and has provided means so that people could findHim and could come close to Him. The only thing what He requires is that people listen to Him and guard His laws and His commands which He has given to man and which are recorded in the Book of books.
Deu 4:34-40 NHEBJE Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Jehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? (35) It was shown to you so that you might know that Jehovah is God. There is no one else besides him. (36) Out of heaven he made you to hear his voice, that he might instruct you: and on earth he made you to see his great fire; and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. (37) Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt; (38) to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at this day. (39) Know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that Jehovah he is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else. (40) You shall keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Jehovah your God gives you, forever.
Exo 3:14 NHEBJE God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
Jehovah gave His remembrance to all generations and His Word’s notated in the Holy Scriptures should be sufficient for us to come to knowledge. when we are willing to hear God speaking to us in His infallible Word, the Bible, we should not worry about learned scholars, theologians or not being sufficient educated to find and understand God. God does not hold back necessary information for any body. He wants to give everybody, learned or not educated the chance to find Him and to worship Him.
God stretches out His Hand and, like all that Jehovah our God did for His people in Egypt before the eyes of the world, He is still present to bring trials and signs and wonders and even war, with an outstretched arm and with great and awesome deeds. Many may find it strange God allows fighting and wars going on, but may not forget that man himself wanted to be master of the world and arrange everything themselves. It is up to man to take care of their own life and their own environment, though those who want God near them, God shall not leave them abandoned but shall come to their guidance and help.
With the Holy Scriptures we have been given a very handy tool and a manual for life. We all are shown the wonders of God in order for us to acknowledge that Jehovah is the God; there is no other God besides him.
Exo 15:11 NHEBJE Who is like you, Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
We should trust God and follow His words. No other man or god besides Jehovah shall be able to give all explanation and would be mightier or better than the Word of God itself.
It is by reading the many books of those prophets that we can come to know God, His Works and His son, who also used those books to explain what he came to do and to show who the Messiah was.
Luk 24:26-27 NHEBJE Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” (27) Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luk 24:31-32 NHEBJE Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight. (32) They said one to another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luk 24:44-45 NHEBJE He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.” (45) Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.
Like in the old times many persons their eyes may still be closed. Many people their minds are also still closed. Our minds may like the apostles their mind still being covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. We should know that it are not the theologians who are going to remove that veil because it is removed only when a person is joined to Christ. Even today, whenever they read the Law of Moses, the veil still covers many so called ‘Christians‘ their minds. But it can be removed, as the Scripture talks about Moses his veil being removed when he turned to the Lord Most High. Also at the time that Christ Jesus was afraid for what was going to come he wondered why God had abandoned him and cried unto God. We too like Christ can call unto his heavenly Father and in the same way as Christ found guidance from God in the Holy Scriptures, we too can find guidance in it. God’s Spirit accompanied Christ Jesus who was keeping to the Word of his heavenly Father, the Only One God. Like him we, when letting the Spirit come into our heart can find liberation of human doctrines and find freedom.
Those who call themselves followers of Christ Jesus should listen to his words and to the words of the heavenly Father Who sent Jesus to this world. Those willing to become a Christian should get to know the Holy Scriptures like Jesus knew the Scriptures very well. With uncovered faces, not afraid to take the words of the Bible like they are written down, we should reflect the glory of God יהוה the Spirit, and where the Spirit of יהוה {Jehovah} is, there is freedom, finding transformation into His likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
2Co 3:14-18 NHEBJE But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. (15) But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. (16) But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (17) Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Isa 29:18-19 NHEBJE In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness. (19) The humble also will increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
When the universe was created the DivineMaker of all things had a Plan and man fitted in His creation in a certain way. Because the 1° Adam going wrong He at once provided the creation of a 2° Adam. that man would create the opening to the New World
John Ray Wisdom of God (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
and would reveal the OneTrue God, so that man could find their way to come to God.
From the start God also provided means to get to know Him, to hear His Voice and to see His Works. By everything around man he should be able to come to recognise the Hand behind it all. Even when we are limited as human beings, created in the image of God the Creator has given us enough elements to come to knowledge and wisdom and as such to come to know God.
The way how people treat the creation tells a lot about their own attitude and their ignorance for the creation. When we look at the world we can clearly see how man get away with their ignorance, their lack of faith in God, and in their stubborn attitude to consider their own thinking much more valuable than the Words given by the Divine Creator.
Man prefers to neglect the Source of insight and is not much interested to go for looking for more insight in the creation. Not many are really interested to get to know the real truth or willing to search for it.
From the man who formed the Christadelphian community:
No one has any right to set up his own ignorance as the limit of what God hath revealed. A thing may be unknown to such a man, but it doth not therefore follow that it is either absolutely unintelligible or a secret. He may not know of it, or, if explained to him, he may not have intellect enough to comprehend it, or his prejudices, or sectarian bias may darken his understanding—this by no means makes the thing unintelligible or mysterious to other people. All that such persons have a right to say is, “We do not know anything about it”. They may confess their own ignorance, and resolve to look into the matter, or not; but they are presumptuously overstepping the bounds of propriety to venture to do more. Those who have no secondary interests to subserve apart from the truth only desire to know that they may believe and do. But where to know more would jeopardize the “vested interests” of a sect, and extort the confessions of its leaders and members that they were in error and knew not the truth, investigation is discouraged, and the things proscribed as too speculative and mysterious for comprehension, or, if understood, of no practical utility. In this way mankind infold themselves as in the mantle of their self-esteem. They repress all progress, and glorify their own ignorance by detracting from things which they fear to look into, or apprehend are far above their reach.
Beside glorying in men, this unfortunate peculiarity of the human mind has developed the organization of a system of things impiously hostile to the institutions and wisdom of Jehovah. It is a system of many subordinate parts. It is animated by one spirit which, under various modifications, pervades and actuates the whole. It is an evil spirit, and may be detected wherever the dogma of unintelligible mystery is at work. The name of this system is “Mystery”. Its baneful effects began to be visible in the apostolic age. It was then styled, “the Mystery of iniquity”, which, as was predicted, has, like a cancer, eaten out the truth, and submitted in place thereof a civil and ecclesiastical constitution, styled “Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth”, such as we behold on every side.
“Wisdom”, say the scriptures, “is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” If thou wouldst, O reader, get this wisdom, happy art thou if thou findest it. “For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is A Tree Of Life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her.”
Before the Son of God sent forth his apostles to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom in his name, “He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures”. If thou wouldst gain the knowledge of the wisdom of God which is so inestimable, and which is contained in the word they preached, thou must also be the subject of the same illumination. This is indispensable; for there is no obtaining of this commodity except through the scriptures of truth. These “are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. For all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”.
What more dost thou want than perfection, and a crown of life and glory in the age to come? Search the scriptures with the teachableness of a little child, and thy labour will not be in vain. Cast away to the owls and to the bats the traditions of men, and the prejudices indoctrinated into thy mind by their means; make a whole burnt offering of their creeds, confessions, catechisms, and articles of religion; and, after the example of the Ephesian disciples, hand over your books of curious theological arts, and burn them before all. These mountains of rubbish have served the purpose of a dark and barbarous age; the word, the word of the living God alone, can meet the necessities of the times.
Thomas, D. J. (1990). Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed., pp. 4–6). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.
Man created in the image of God had received everything from God. He was given dominion over everything around him, but still was not yet pleased enough and wanted more. Man wanted to control everything himself and wanted to know good and evil. He doubted the power and the right for God having alone all knowledge, control and power over everything.
Piero della Francesca – The Prophet Jeremiah – WGA17586 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It took not such a long time before man riposted and went against God. By time this made him drifting further and further from the Most HighElohim. Several occasions of such drifting away are notated by the scribes God appointed to write down His Words. As such we can find men like the prophetJeremiah who laments over the condition of his people and the great nation that he loved. Through tears he even comes to write in pain with a heart pounding within him, not allowing him to sit still. (Jeremiah 4:19-21)
Jeremiah recognized the negative spiritual and social changes of his day and the destructive consequences those changes were bringing down upon the land. And so he asks of God how long he must see those battles going on. With the years probably the answer of God shall not be changed and perhaps He could say the same as then:
22 “My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!” (Jeremiah 4:22 – TLB)
From the beginning man could have had a paradise to live in with no worries and no problems. But by wanting it to do their way instead of God’s Way people got more than enough problems on their way. Throughout time we have seen many deniers of God. Lots of people do not want to believe He exist or that He is still at work being available for all those who want to meet Him.
We have a world today where lots of people still deny God. but we can also find others who have build up their faith, having the assured expectation of what is hoped for, (+). Many would like to see for everything a scientific explanation or evident demonstration of realities that are not seen. We have receive the Book of books telling about all things in the past, explaining what has happened to the men of ancient times who have witness borne to them.
Many have been strangers and temporary residents in a land but they kept courage and kept believing. They were convinced that there is a Divine Creator leading and giving His Word.By faith they also were convinced that they could perceive that the systems of things were put in order by God’s Word, so that what is seen has come into existence from things that are not visible. (Hebrews 11:1-13)
Faith Happens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the book of books is told and shown that it was by faith that man offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than that of others. And several men and women by faith got answers from God which released them. They received the witness that they were righteous, for God approved what they did, and although they died, those people still speaks through their faith.
Those people received the witness that they had pleased God well. And that is something we should take at heart. Without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that He is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking Him. (+)
The request of God form early times is till going. We still have to seek Jehovah,(+) all of us who are meek ones of the earth. (Zephaniah 2:3) When we are willing to seek God He shall provide the means to find Him.
Today lots of people deny god but are also resisting to feel their inner side, resisting to follow their instinct. Not willing to feel the part of nature in them, many refuse to observe those laws of nature, the righteous decrees. Not many are willing to seek righteousness, seek meekness. Like the people of Jeremiah’s times who had effectively become deniers of the OneTrue God, today lots of people deny Him or still do not want to accept His Oneness. In the old times those people had sown wind and now they were reaping the whirlwind. But here’s the troubling part, this rejection of God and His ways is happening in our time too – right now – all over the world. to see it we only have to look around us and to look at the screen which brings us a lot of pictures and words in the house we never would allow our children to say to us. Look with discernment at modern politics, entertainment and popular culture. Even those who profess to “believe in God” often act like Godless people.
Not willing to believe in the existence of God lots of people refuse Him to come into their heart and as such exclude a lot of knowledge. The Bible represents God’s Word, given to mankind for edifying measures. That Book of books teaches us to treasure knowledge. (Proverbs 10:14) It is not because man went wrong in the Garden of Eden that he has to keep going wrong. It also does not mean he cannot become wiser. Jehovah wants us to come to understanding and to get more knowledge. He is willing to give us more insight in His works. He is wiling to give us a hand, but He does not want us just to give Him a hand because then we would receive the good things. No, He wants us to have our faith in Him to be built on evidence and sound reasoning, not on human philosophy or religious traditions. (Hebrews 11:1)
To build strong faith in God, we must first be convinced that Jehovah exists. (Hebrews 11:6) This understanding or sense of God’s existence, God wants us to get from reasoning and from examining the facts. God wants us to use our brains, getting to consciousness and growing awareness by using our “power of reason.” (Romans 12:1)
Rom 12:1-3 NHEBJE Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. (3) For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.
God provides enough material in the Book of books, His infallible Word. Throughout history god kept working and those works can be recognised by man. They only have to open their eyes and their heart.
Though by the fall we may have received inequities, having faults everywhere, it does not mean we should be worthless and not able to conquer those inequities. Even when at one time we may have acted in ignorance and with a lack of faith, like Saul and others had done, it does not mean we could not get faith in what was promised there in that Garden of Eden and can not come to see who was provided by the Creator to bring a solution to that fall of man.
There in the Garden of Eden was laid the seed for the good news (+) God’s power for salvation to everyone having faith, (+) Even when it was first promised with assurance for the Jew (+) and also to the Greek (+) all people from all nations and cultures can become part of the blessing if they are willing to receive the Grace given to them. For in it God’s righteousness is being revealed by faith and for faith, (+) just as it is written:
“But the righteous one will live by reason of faith.” (+)
After the fall everything kept going wrong and still goes wrong, making that God is not so pleased with what is going on. God’s wrath (+) is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who are suppressing the truth (+) in an unrighteous way, because what may be known about God is clearly evident among them, for God made it clear to them.(+)
Psa 19:1 NHEBJE <For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.> The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.
Act 14:15-17 NHEBJE “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them; (16) who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. (17) Yet he did not leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
People should know that the Creator GodHis invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made,(+) even His eternal power (+) and Godship, (+) so that they are inexcusable.
Isa 40:18-26 NHEBJE To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him? (19) A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it. (20) He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up an engraved image for him that will not be moved. (21) Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard, yet? Haven’t you been told from the beginning? Haven’t you understood from the foundations of the earth? (22) It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in; (23) who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the earth like meaningless. (24) They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble. (25) “To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?” says the Holy One. (26) Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, Not one is lacking.
Rev 4:11 NHEBJE “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!”
For although lots of people could have got enough opportunities to know God, they kept refusing to listen to their inner voice or to put away their pride and to say they were wrong but see now better. Lots of people could know better but they keep preferring to adhere man madedoctrines and the human traditions and did not glorify The Elohim as God nor did they thank Him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their senseless hearts became darkened. (Romans 1:21+)Although claiming they were wise, man became foolish and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and birds and four-footed creatures and reptiles. (Romans 1: 23 +)
Rom 1:18-25 NHEBJE For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, (19) because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. (20) For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divine nature; that they may be without excuse. (21) Because, knowing God, they did not glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. (24) Therefore God also abandoned them in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves, (25) who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Faith In Action ‘Dare To Do’ (mylordmyfriend.com)
We also know if we have Faith and come to Our Heavenly Father, He is a re-warder of them that indigently seek Him. Faith is an Action. Diligence is an action, and if we use both we will be rewarded. {Never to be used just to be rewarded} Hebrews 11 verse 6Rewarded not with material processions, but in substantial things of God.
More Peace, more Joy, more Love to give, more hope, more compassion and more of the God like qualities. Wouldn’t we all like to walk in more of these
An offering for sin (dailymedit.com)
Paul wrote that our body should be living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). That means holiness colours our work of service.Talking about how well the church in Macedonia were involved in giving, Paul said: “they first gave themselves to God and then to us (2Corinthians 8:5).”
Acquiring Great Faith (tos4god.com)
Throughout his lifetime, Abraham obeyed God. At the Lord’s command, he left his country (Gen. 12:1-4), was circumcised (17:10, 26), conceived Isaac when he and his wife were old (21:1-3), and sent his son Ishmael away (vv. 9-14). By the time he was asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, he already knew that God would always be faithful to His promises. Abraham’s previous experiences had taught him to trust the Lord.
+ Why You Should Trust the Lord
A Life Bearing Fruit (therealdaniel.com)
God has set eternity in the hearts of humans, and when He created the Garden of Eden He longed to be with Adam and Eve, and He longed for them to be with each other in the way He designed for that to be. The first sin was a sin of comparison because a human being wanted to be like another Being, and so the endless cycle of convincing other human beings to desire something they didn’t have began.
The faithful God (fromguestwriters.wordpress.com)
Scriptures tells us that man nor death can do God anything. That truth is overlooked by many man. They seem to forget that God is a loving God Who keeps His promises and Who says things how they are, not wanting disorder, but order like He created order out of chaos. that was part of His creation and is still part of His Plan.
Solution for Willing hearts filled with gifts (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)
Getting closer to the 14th of Nisan, the most important day of the year in which we celebrate our salvation, we think about freedom or liberty. Many people may be caught in chains but not aware of it.
Some Former Jews – especially those who become Christians – still hang on to it because it makes them feel special. Apparently, Jesus is not enough for them. They want to be set apart. Unfortunately, that is totally NOT biblical.
“There is neither Judahite nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3: 28
They don’t want to assimilate with other Christians. Instead, they choose to separate themselves by pretending to be Judahites (i.e., by pretending to be more important than the rest of the Body of Christ). They are thus abiding in sin.
“…those liars who say they are Judahites but are not…” Rev 3:9
They even call themselves Jewish-Christians. They conveniently ignore the fact that being Jewish is being part of a religious group and not part of the once chosen Hebrew race which no longer exists as a people. Judaism is a religion. A religion that rejects Christ. And how they figure they can be both Jewish and Christian is beyond comprehension. It’s like a Satanist who becomes a Christian and decides he’s now a Satanist-Christian. Jews For Jesus should be Former Jews For Jesus just like it would be Former Satanists For Jesus. Can you imagine Satanists for Jesus? Ridiculous, right?
Unfortunately, that’s what the disease does. It removes all trace of logic, common sense and compassion.
The Chosen People Syndrome (biblicisminstitute.wordpress.com)
Fortunately, there are many Jewish groups along with many individual Jews who are not infected with the syndrome. They are trying their best to educate their co-religionists.
The ESV Action Bible Study Bible For Tweens and Teens (juststopscreaming.com)
At the beginning of each book, you find out who the author of that book is, find out how you see God in action through that book, learn who the people in action are, learn faith in action (keywords) and a ‘Did you know’ fact about that book!
Palestine is not the Jews’ Promised Land (new book) (therebel.is)
neither Egypt was the land of the Israelite Exodus nor Palestine is their Promised Land (so much for the Arab/Israeli conflict and millions of Palestinian victims and refugees)
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The truth that will be revealed in the book is that the land which witnessed the Israelite stories of Abraham, Joseph and Moses is actually named “Mizraim/Misrim” and not Egypt of the River Nile we all know (never let any fool/ conniver convince you that Mizraim/Misrim is the name (Hebrew/Arabic) for Egypt, for that is simply not the historical truth (twisted/distorted by an ancient Jewish deception)Egypt’s native name during the alleged timeline of the Israelite stories was Gopt/Copt and not Mizraim/Misrim (as expounded in the book)
The truth could still be gleaned from the Hebrew Version of the Old Bible. In the following chapter from Genesis that describes selling Joseph as a slave in Egypt (the very beginning of the Israelites’ alleged story in Egypt) you will notice that the English translation explicitly mentions Egypt as the place of selling Joseph.
In the different cultures habiting this planet we can find many symbolicnarratives of how everything came into being. Lots of stories were created to give people an idea how the world might have began and how people first came to inhabit it.
Creation on the exterior shutters of Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights (1480–90)
Concerning the myths telling about the beginning of the universe we have to notice that in most of them there is no mention of a ‘oer god’ or ‘primal god’. The primitive gods in the myths all seem to come from something, be it an egg or other element of nature. The rudimentary elements all seem to be ignited by some force or by a reaction to an action.
In most of the creation stories we can find the same element over and over again: first having disorder or chaos and than coming bit by bit more order and structure in things. Most of them seem to agree on the ‘dim’ past or the ‘darkness‘ and ‘chaos‘ there must have been. Only in moderner versions we notice the trend to come to a a static universe with a finite space but all seem to look at it as an unbounded (analogous to the surface of a sphere, which has a finite area but no edges). This spheric idea might perhaps brought the dust-ball, fireball or egg in some stories. people also have been intrigued with darkness and light, intrinsic luminosity or the brightness of an object or surroundings caught the eye and attention. For this reason also in many stories we can find several figures to be spoken of as being a light in this world. Also in Christianity we find such a referral to Jesus for example, him being the light in this world and him being a new creation. (About that light and New Creation later more.)
We always should remember that it are ‘Creation myths‘, stories trying to explain things we human beings can not understand yet? It does not mean that there would not come a time that we shall see more clearly in to the matter. Science develops and more and more people come to see further in history and start finding more out about creation, telling us how things began. We always should keep in mind that those stories about creation are told in metaphorical terms to explain our sense of who we are in the context of the world, and in so doing they reveal our real priorities, as well as our real prejudices. Our images of creation say a great deal about who we are.
Modern science has propounded many theories as to how the primieval gaseous substance evolved into the present harmony of the universe. These theories may be called scientific cosmogonies; and the account of the origin of the world given in Genesis, i and ii, is styled Mosaic cosmogony. {Cosmogony}
Scientists investigate cosmology with the tools of empiricism and rationality, but creation myths define human reality in very different terms. They were also written in pre-scientific times where the oral story to get most of the people a good idea was more important than the accuracy. Moses in the same way did not want to give a detailed explanation how everything exactly came into being. In a certain way is that not so much of importance for humankind or for how we cope with life. The Book of books is there to give mankind a guide, a manual for life, not a scientific study book.
While creation myths are not literal explications they do serve to define an orientation of humanity in the world in terms of a birth story. They are the basis of a worldview that reaffirms and guides how people relate to the natural world, to any assumed spiritual world, and to each other. The creation myth acts as a cornerstone for distinguishing primary reality from relative reality, the origin and nature of being from non-being. {Sproul, Barbara C. (1979). Primal Myths. HarperOne HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN978-0-06-067501-1, p. 6}
The Old Testament story brings us the founding-stone and in the New Testament the evangelist John tries to build further on it and continues in the lines of the First Creation, looking at a New Creation, in both instances having a voice out of darkness bringing light. Moses and John focus on that Voice, uttering words, and by bringing out the Word having the things or persons coming into existence. As such we hear that God spoke and it came into being. There was darkness and God spoke in the darkness and there was light. The Word of God sounded and heavens and earth came into being. In the same way God Spoke and the first living creatures came squirming through waters and earth. Wriggling elements started filling the world, in the air (heavens), on the ground and in the waters.
Science can only give a fairly dry description of the physical processes underlying creation. Science never has any intention to go looking behind the core element of what they can see. They are not primarily interested in looking for a godhead behind everything. They probably shall also not be able to come to the finest details of creation and to reveal God’s role.
Aker, an ancient Egyptian personification of the horizon. Two lions symbolize ‘yesterday’ and ‘tomorrow’ with the sun-disk rising between the symbolic horizon between them. The hieroglyph for ‘sky’ spans across the top. Based on New Kingdom tomb paintings and the book of the dead. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus also tried people to understand that God His Ways are not catchable for our limited human brain. He also wanted us to reassure us we should not worry too much about certain matters. It is good to investigate things. But by doing our research we may never forget the most important matter in life. Jesus also wanted to sooth his followers reassuring them we can trust The One Who is behind everything, and that He has provided for everything to be able to live and to be part of this creation and shall be fitting in the Plan of God.
Mat 6:24-34 NHEBJE “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. (25) Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (26) See the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than they? (27) “And which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? (28) And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin, (29) yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. (30) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? (31) “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ (32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Too many Christians are loosing site of the essence of the Word of God, by going to deep into details, wanting to explain those things which are not essential for faith. We do not need to know exactly what came first and how and how it really looked like and what it had to eat or how it ate. It is sufficient to know Who was behind everything and how He let it evolve to come to the situations where it is today and how it shall still evolve in the coming years or centuries. We may not forget that after the prophesied Word War III or Armageddon there shall still be another thousand years, where we shall probably have to face a further evolution.
In the old times it was enough to tell in an easy way how things are. As such we get in Psalm 139 a description by the Psalmist’s own creation in his mother’s womb. A great deal is known about how babies form, and it is clearly through natural processes — but at the same time, Psalm 139:13 describes that God wove the embryo himself. But the Bible doesn’t tell us how God creates things, and Psalm 139:6 suggests that we couldn’t understand even if he told us.
Psa 139:13-16 NHEBJE For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. (14) I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. (15) My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. (16) Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.
God was and is everywhere. No human being, no animal nor plant can hide from Him. God is an all-knowing God without any limitations. We shall have to face our own limitations which are different for each of us.
Psa 139:2-12 NHEBJE You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. (3) You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. (4) For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, Jehovah, you know it altogether. (5) You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. (6) This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it. (7) Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? (8) If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! (9) If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea; (10) Even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me. (11) If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; the light around me will be night;” (12) even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
Isa 45:11-13 NHEBJE Thus says Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands! (12) I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and I have commanded all their army. (13) I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says Jehovah of hosts.
God His word is there for us to receive enough information to continue. While many people would like to know more, that limited information in the Book of books is what God chose to tell us.
Having God’s Word we should be able to find the most essential things for life and should we able to find reasons enough to trust this Divine Creator. With those Words we should have enough building-stones to create our fortress of trust in God. those Words should take us and nit us a life of faith, worthy of the Divine Creator.
Heb 11:1-3 NHEBJE Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. (2) For by this, the elders obtained testimony. (3) By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.
Mythicism Making Christianity More Meaningful (vridar.org)
He sounds a lot like Thomas Brodie who as a continuing practicing Roman Catholic finds the truth of the Christ Myth adds a new dimension of meaning to his faith. So will those people who imagine that “mythicism” is a plot by angry atheists to destroy Christianity please come to their senses! Some of us really are more interested in exploring the evidence for the sake of understanding. (See also an earlier post of mine: Is the Christ Myth a Threat to the Christian Faith?)
Living by the myths (renewamerica.com)
When one thinks of myths, the mind typically races to those classical tales of the ancient Greek and Roman gods. In the Roman Pantheon were stories of the way the universe, the world, the gods and mankind came into existence. The story of Deucalion and Pyrrha is the Greek myth that supplants the biblical story of Noah and the Flood. Many scholars believe the reference in Genesis chapter 6 to the fame of “mighty men, men of renown,” and their many exploits may be the roots of much classical mythology.Often myths of old were an alteration of what God had actually revealed concerning himself. Distortion, perversion, and counterfeit are the ways of the deceiver, Satan.
However, myths are not exclusive to antiquity. Every culture has them and they are the means by which people seek to explain the world in which they live.
Accepting Scientific Explanations (venitism.blogspot.com)
If Adam did not literally exist, then he did not literally commit the first sin, thus there’s no need for Christ to die on the cross and the whole Bible collapses.This argument, which is indeed short-sighted, may well be the reason why hardline Christians cling so hard to Creationism in the first place and why the science-denial involved in it has become one of their two big emphases at present.
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The funny thing is that Christianity as a whole neither rises nor falls on a literal reading of Genesis–only fundamentalism/evangelicalism does. Their leaders have chosen to pin their entire religion on something this comically erroneous. The fight is not between atheists and Christians, or even between science and religion, but rather between those who understand and accept scientific explanations for our universe and those who deny and/or misunderstand those explanations. And there are Christians in both of those camps. Christianity itself isn’t the enemy; zealotry is. Indeed, we must not fall into the trap of thinking that Creationism is any sort of monolithic belief; even when surveys ask Christians what they think about the subject of evolution and the universe’s origins, a lot depends on precisely how the questions get asked. When asked questions in a way that doesn’t threaten Christians’ compartmentalizations of religion and science, they tend to fall along more sensible lines.
House of Cards and the ‘Old Testament’ God (stream.org)
Frank Underwood, after asking for a moment to himself to contemplate the priest’s message, looks defiantly up at the statue of Jesus and says that he rejects Christ’s offer because he sees it as weak and silly. Frank prefers the power-first-and-last “Old Testament God,” but only because he has molded Yahweh into his own perverted image. Like so many of us on a daily basis, Frank has created one straw-man version of God to like and one to hate, based entirely on his own craving for power and control.
A Unification of Creation and Evolution (robertjrgraham.com)
When people say that “god created the heavans and the earth in six days and on the seventh he rested”, who can say how long one of god’s days is. Why are we so egotistical as to believe that his day is the same as our’s. We don’t know god (Most of us who believe in god do so because we want to not because we have proof.) but if there is a god why can’t his, her or it’s day be a thousand or a million or even several billion of our years.Chapter 2, verse 7 of the book of Genises states “then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” It does not state how long this took or what form the being we call man originally took. God’s image can be many things. We have no way of knowing. Additionally, although the bible is supposed to be the word of god, it was written by humans and therefore subject to human interpretation.
When we create something we start out with one thing and then add to it and alter it untill we finish and with some creations, such as a garden, we never finish adding to and altering it. Who says that god could not have started with one cell and through evolution added to it and altered it untill it became a human being. Who can say for sure that he, she or it is still not adding to and altering mankind. Who can say that god did not make us in such a way that we would continue to evolve without his, her or it’s intervention. Who can say that the process is finished.
Who Were The Real ‘Gods Of Eden’? (earthweareone.com)
The Sumerian scribes and their Akkadian successors inscribed clay tablets with a wealth of information about the gods. One such text, commonly known by the name of its hero, Atra-Hasis, describes the background to the creation of man, when the gods themselves were involved in the painstaking extraction of minerals from Earth:
“When the gods, as men, bore the work and suffered the toil – the toil of the gods was great, the work was heavy, the distress was much.”
Conditions were so severe that, after 40 periods of hardship, the gods rebelled against their leader Enlil. A council of the gods was then called, at which the god Ea (alias Enki) provided the solution:
“While the Birth Goddess is present, let her create a Primitive Worker, let him bear the yoke, let him carry the toil of the gods!”
The ensuing passages of the Atra-Hasis describe what appears to a modern-day reader as a cloning process, in which the goddess Nin-ti (‘Lady Life’) made fourteen pieces of ‘clay’ and impregnated fourteen ‘birth goddesses’.
anthropomorphic God or theomorphic humans (larrysmusings.com)
In the Vedic philosophy/religion of India, the atman, or spiritual monad (soul), is qualitatively like God’s spirit. It is eternal and imperishable. The atman can exist in the spiritual universe or in the material universe (as in this world). Quantitatively, the atman is infinitesimal when compared to God’s infinite Spirit, His infinite mystic power.So, too, we humans have bodies in the form of God’s. Per the Vedic teachings, we are, in our human bodies with one head, two arms, and two legs, in the form that God has. In Hindu religious art (both in paintings and in sculpture), Lord Krishna is sometimes depicted with 2 arms, and at other times is depicted with four arms – but always with one head, and two legs. Perhaps, this form is the most advantageous for consciousness to have experiences.
So we see that it is not just in Christianity that we are told that humans were created in the image and likeness of God. And, “in the image and likeness” encompasses both our spiritual component and our physical body.
The Old Testament: For and Against – A debate between Christopher Jon Bjerknes and Lasha Darkmoon (Part 1) (darkmoon.me)
Christopher John Bjerknes launches an all-out attack on the Old Testament and tell you why he thinks this is an evil and dangerous book. Bjerknes can be described as an unabashed and indeed virulent anti-Semite. He takes the line that the Jews themselves are an evil race, without any redeeming features, and that the Old Testament is one of the earliest manifestations of that intrinsic evil.
A Universe Not Made For Us – Carl Sagan on Religion [9:14] (ethicsvideolibrary.wordpress.com)
Carl Sagan begins with a discussion of the variety of creation stories and how most heavens and hells are simple extrapolations of our own politics. Instead, science is slowly discovering more about the world we live in. And it turns out, the universe is more different than anything we could have imagined and, ultimately, does not care about us or in fact could care.
Messiah For All 