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In the Midst of the Garden: Part 1

In Genesis, we are told that when the Lord formed Adam of the dust of the ground, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden, which was the habitable part of the earth, and there he placed Adam to tend and dress the garden. And also in the garden, the Lord placed every tree that was pleasant to behold and good for food. And there were two trees in the midst of the garden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And Eve was created from Adam’s flesh and bone to be his helper and mate.

The Genesis account of creation holds great mysteries for signs and similitudes wherein are hidden secrets of the work that God was to perform, not only from the beginning to the end of the world, but also to give a glimpse of the shape of things to come afterβ€”as the Holy Spirit spoke through Isaiah, saying, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Even so, not one word spoken by God will fail.

Jesus Christ is the beginning of the creation of God; then were created the heavenly hosts, after which he made man from the earth. The number three and the number seven are prolific throughout scripture, sharing a number of correlations. It is of note that the third planet from the sun was chosen to form man out of the dust of it and inhabit it with life.

As a similitude, the LORD placed a garden in Eden, which he planted with every tree that was pleasing to the eyes and good for food to bring forth fruit from the earth. The Lord delights greatly in gardens that bring forth good fruits abundantly, but none more the garden of people he made from earth for himself, as it is written, “Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.”

The Garden of Eden, created as a figure of his spiritual garden, reveals God’s plan for man, who was fashioned in and from the same earth in the garden of Edenβ€”and for the same purpose: to bring forth fruit for himself that is pleasing to his eyes and delightful to his taste.

However, in the midst of the garden were two trees, one good and one evil, one that gives life and the other that takes life away and brings death. And so it was in the heart of man. Adam and Eve were only to eat of the good tree and were not to know the potential for good and evil. As it is written:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Although there were many trees in the garden, including the two trees in the midst, only one tree was forbidden, and it was not the Tree of Life. It is often assumed that Adam and Eve never ate from the Tree of Life because, had they, they would have lived forever. But nowhere in the Bible does it say the Tree of Life was forbidden until after their transgression, when they were driven from the garden.

When Adam was placed in the garden, the Lord said explicitly, All the trees you may freely eat from except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

It is written, β€œBlessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). Adam and Eve had the right to eat from the Tree of Life until they broke the one commandment given them not to do.

Then Adam and Eve were driven from the garden and deprived of the Tree of Life, which was their source of regeneration, perpetuating life.

Likewise, the Word of God in the midst of the garden (our hearts) is our tree of life that perpetuates our spiritual lives. To continue in life, we must do his commandments and continue eating the fruit of life to be renewed daily, as the Lord prayed, β€œGive us this day our daily bread.”

Jesus said, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” Jesus is the Tree of Life, the Bread of Life, and the flesh and blood of life that we must seek to be filled with while ceasing to partake in the fruit of sin.

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Faith Saves, Works Perfect

“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22)

Much disputed is the doctrine of faith alone: once saved, always saved. While it is indeed true that we are saved by faith and that, not of ourselves but the gift of God, it is also written that man does not live by bread alone but by every word of God. It is therefore imperative to the truth that every scripture in the Bible be placed together in its proper context. The Bible is not a smorgasbord to fill our plates of our own choosing and taste. It is essential to life that we eat everything served, even when it is bitter to the belly.

We know from the scriptures that God is the same yesterday, today, and foreverβ€”he changes not. The New Covenant did not change the person of God; it only brought better hope by perfecting salvation at the time appointed. And although the laws of redemption, sacrifices, and worldly ordinances were fulfilled in Christ, the righteous judgment of God remains in tact: the soul that sins shall die.

And whereas before the perfect sacrifice for sin was made by the blood of Jesus, works were required by the law as a show of faith to testify to the salvation that was to come, now, however, faith requires works to perfect the gift received. By works, faith is made perfect (James 2:22).

And herein is the difference between the former and latter: the works ordained under the law of Mosaic were performed to obtain a covering of sins that remained until Christ purged them away with his blood. Thus, they were spared suffering judgment; being Christ was not yet glorifiedβ€”for God, in his mercy, determined they were not to be penalized for being born out of the due time appointed for the perfect blood sacrifice of cleansing.

However, under Christ, we are first washed from sin by faith without works, and then the works of the Spirit follow our salvation. For we can only walk in Christ by faith, doing the works of the Spirit, after Christ dwells in us, at which point we are able to do so, seeing the knowledge and power of God dwells in us.

So then, both those before Christ and we after are saved by faith. Their work pointed forward to the cross; we do our work pointing back to the cross. It is the same faith, but they, β€œhaving obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)

The first message of eternal security was preached through the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Eve had eternal life. Adam and Eve were created with it. Lucifer was also created with eternal life, which he exchanged for eternal death when he attempted a coup d’Γ©tat in heaven and became known as Satan, the adversary of God.  Being cast down to earth, Satan caused Eve to doubt that her life would be lost by disobedienceβ€”first by calling God into question, asking her, “Hath God said…” which Eve confirmed by replying, “God hath said…” Satan then told her the damnable lie, “Ye shall not surely die…” She trusted the lie enough to take the forbidden fruit from the tree and share it with Adam.

Likewise, although by faith in Christ we have eternal life, it is also by faith in false doctrines that we are subject to death after the manner of Adam and Eve. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap… “And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

In these words, “if we faint not,” signifying the possibility that we could fail of the grace of God by not looking diligently, as stated in Hebrews 12:15.

For indeed, we are saved by faith unto salvation when we first believe, but our entrance into heaven occurs when our work of faith is accomplished, as Jesus said, “He that endures unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Accepting Christ into our hearts grants us eternal lifeβ€”we receive it at that pointβ€”as the Israelites were saved when they left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea.

Still, there was a more complete rest promised yet to be obtained after their salvation from the Egyptians, which rest was promised after their pilgrimage in the wilderness when they crossed Jordan and entered the promised land, driving out the former inhabitants. After we are saved from Egypt (sin), we too must labor to utterly destroy any remainder of the seven nations that inhabited us until we cease from our work of sanctification and enter into perfect rest, which is the true Sabbath, the fullness of Jesus Christ in us (Hebrews 4).

Let us not fall short, as the Children of Israel did in the wilderness. “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14)

The doctrine of eternal security that Eve put her trust in is pervasive in modern Christian doctrines. The gift of eternal life is indeed freely given to us upon our acceptance of Christβ€”who is lifeβ€”into our hearts, but we must nourish our souls by receiving and eating our daily bread from heaven.

All things God created physically are figures of spiritual truth. Saved or unsaved, if we stop eating, we die, regardless of whether we are speaking physically or spiritually.

Remember, God changes not, you are sealed with a promise that when you finish the race set before you, you will forever dwell with the Lord. Therefore, let us not turn back to Egypt in our hearts that we perish not like those whose carcasses fell in the wilderness. Saved or not, God will not forgive your sins if you embrace your sins above him, as it is written.

“But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” – Ezekiel 18:24

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The Secret Place of the Most High

“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of theΒ Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding”. (Job 28:28)

In our communications with one another, words are often proven inadequate at conveying those things that are beyond words, especially things that are spiritual. In attempting to convey depths of grief or heights of joy, the degrees of such things cannot be fully understood without the experience itself, although we understand what grief and joy are.

The most impactful things in our lives are not merely words alone, but the things that we see and experience that may or may not accompany them. Although we do experience some things because of words, the experience itself is more profound.

Far greater than a thousand words is the knowledge opened up to us through the revelations of the Holy Spirit. Not only has God created a universe containing innumerable living and nonliving things, but he has also given us the place of being superior beings in our physical world so that we can see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and come to the knowledge of things that exist.

Not only so, but we have also been gifted a heart, soul, and mind, through which we can experience emotions that words could never fully express.

Everything God made has a purpose; creation is necessary, the world is necessary, and humanity is necessary. Even the allowance for sin to be conceived was necessaryβ€”a necessary evil that all righteousness might be fulfilled in due season when the fullness of all light is comeβ€”not that God desired to see evil conceived, but that it might be allowed to sprout and mature for the purpose of making it manifest, that in due season it will be destroyed forever once it is made perfectly manifest and judged for the evil it is.

Therefore, not only have we been brought into the world according to the eternal purpose of God, but we are also gifted knowledge of God passed to us through the written word with the hope of everlasting life.

However, words, being finite in meaning, are limited in imparting truth in its fullness. Therefore, God also sent his Holy Spirit to not only reveal the deep things of God in his word but also to give us a more perfect understanding of God through his works. God speaks many things through the language of the things he created and all that follows.

Solomon wrote that it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings to search out a matter. Therefore, Solomon taught things as Jesus did, using worldly things in parables and proverbs to convey the spiritual mysteries of God.

Indeed, God hides himself to the end that people might either believe or disbelieve according to the content of their hearts.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.”

Did God then put forth things in parables to see to it that people would not believe and be lost?

To the contrary, it is not God’s desire that any should perish but that all men come to repentance. The people did indeed understand his words in a carnal sense but would not receive them in a spiritual sense because they did not desire to be converted and render their lives to God. They loved and chose darkness.

After this, Jesus said to his disciples, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” Thus, the heart that seeks truth and goodness opens to the word of God, even when it is a mystery.

Jesus desired for people to believe, but for the right reasonβ€”not just because they ate the loaves of bread and were filled, but because they desired the kingdom of God. Those who followed Jesus to fulfill their earthly desires later fell away when the bread was gone, and when they did, Jesus said to his disciples, “Will you go away also?” To that, Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the Living God.

So then, what we see is that the Lord divides the wheat from the chaff through the preaching of the gospel in parables. The Word of God is encrypted by the spirit of God and deciphered by the spirit. Those who are of the world cannot receive the things of the spirit because they are spiritually discerned. The things of God are foolishness to them. But he who is of God hears God’s voice.

Christ did not come to unite the world; he came to divide it. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword.”

By speaking parables, Jesus separated his people from the multitudes who heard him speak. Those who had the ears to hear came forth from the multitudes and followed the Lord, for the word of God draws those who have a heart for him.

The children of God are moved by his spirit and earnestly seek him. They come into a spiritual place that the world cannot see or know. They understand God, and they understand the sinfulness of the world.

On the contrary, the world cannot comprehend God’s children because they live in a secret place that only they can know. Only those who know the Lord can experience this place, and the ungodly cannot perceive that it even exists.

King David knew the hidden place of a personal relationship with the Lord, calling it the “secret place of the Most High.” Speaking in Psalms, David declared, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” As to God giving the revelation of his word, David said, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.”β€”for the fear of theΒ Lord is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Although the Lord has given evidence of his existence to all mankind through his creation, he hides himself in mystery and keeps secrets. His secrets are not for everyone, but for all those who fear him and seek him with the whole heart in spirit and truth.

Isaiah proclaimed, “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior.”

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The gods Called Jesus

As the ten tribes of Israel worshiped many gods in the high places of their own inheritances, so today there are innumerable religions, churches, denominations, sects, and cults worshiping various gods whom they believe to be the true God. Nevertheless, the god they worship is a god forged in the foundries of their imaginations, molten images of gods fashioned after their own desires, and many call his name Jesus.

Thus, among the many β€œJesuses,” there are various who accept a variety of sins. Jesuses that accept drunkenness, immoral sexual relationships, marriages outside that which is ordained by God and between those of the same gender, a Jesus that shares mediating power with his mother and with saints, a Jesus that has a brother named Satan. The list goes on, and it would take a large book to disclose the innumerable Jesuses worshiped throughout the world, and even then we could not find them all out.

The Bible warns that many antichrists will arise and deceive many. Many have already come in his name, saying, “I am Christ.” Still, far more false Christs have come by way of those who heralded them in the doctrines they preach from their pulpits todayβ€”and the closer the false Christs imitate scripture, the more deceitful they are. Imaginary Christs come in books, sermons, televised programming, movies, videos, audios, and in forms of artificial intelligence. The multitudes of various Jesuses of today are the most numerous idols ever worshiped in all of history, and they call their name Jesus.

After the teaching of Jeroboam, who led Israel astrayβ€”saying, “It is too much for you, O’ Israel, that you should go up to the House of the Lord in Jerusalem”β€”so the false teachers in churches today tell their congregations they may stay right where they are in sin and worship gods of their own making in the high places of their own hearts. And so it is: many professing Christians are devoted to their religion and will not leave their high places to worship the true God in the holy place he has ordained through his word.

The God of the Bible and the place he must be worshiped are too much of a burden for those who will not come to him. It is a place of commitment, holiness, self-sacrifice, and service. For many, it is too much to ask for and too much to give. They will stay in the pit they are in and worship an imaginary β€œJesus” of their own making and liking.

Even so, Jesus said, β€œHe that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me.” If we are to be accepted by the Lord, we must follow him and worship him on his terms in the appointed place of holiness.

Where then is Mount Zion, where we are commanded to worship him now that the earthly temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed as foretold by the Lord? Where is our Jerusalem, our temple, and our altar? All these things are fulfilled in Him.

When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, he told her that the hour was coming when neither in Mount Gerizim nor yet in Jerusalem would the Father be worshiped, but the true worshipers would worship him in spirit and truth. “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Jesus, the Word of God, is spirit and truthβ€”the only true God. We must worship in him, and he in us in a place of holiness. All others who bring any other gospel in the name of Jesus follow false gods and idols.

β€œThere is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in you all.”

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Stand in the Holy Place

The wisdom and glory of King Solomon have been renown up until today, nor was there anyone so wise in all the earth who was blessed and enriched in all things. Notwithstanding, he had many wives, and when he was old, his wives turned his heart from the Lord to worship other gods, and he built shrines and altars throughout all the land of Israel, and the anger of the Lord was kindled. And the Lord appeared unto Solomon and made it known to him that during the reign of his son Rehoboam, the twelve tribes would be divided, ten tribes would be given to his servant, and one tribe would be left to his heir along with Judah.

Then the Lord sent Ahijah the Shilonite to Solomon’s servant Jeroboam, who was of the tribe of Ephraim; and Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him and tore it in twelve pieces, and he said to Jeroboam, “Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you.”

And Ahijah said unto him by the word of the Lord, “If thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.”

Thus, in the days of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the House of Judah to the south and the ten tribes of the House of Israel to the north. Notwithstanding, the name of the Lord and the temple remained in Jerusalem, and once a year, all the tribes of Israel were commanded to come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

However, Jeroboam did not trust that God would make sure his kingdom, as he had promised him, and thought within his heart that if the people of Israel went to Jerusalem every year to worship, their hearts would be turned again to the House of David and Jerusalem. They would then kill him and be reunited with Judah under the House of David.

Therefore, Jeroboam took counsel, and he made two golden calves and said to the ten tribes, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one calf in Bethel, which was about ten miles from Jerusalem, and the other in Tel Dan, which was the farthest city in Israel from Jerusalem. Tel Dan was formally the Canaanite city named Laish, infamous for its careless lifestyle, idolatry, and sexual immorality.

From Bethel to Dan, Israel erected high places to worship and ceased going up to Jerusalem to worship in the place where the Lord had commanded. And Jeroboam made a feast in Bethel, like the feast in Jerusalem, and built altars to the gods that he claimed brought Israel out of Egypt.

Thereafter, Israel never again recovered from the sins of Jeroboam until the day the Lord finally brought judgment upon them by the hand of the Assyrians, who utterly destroyed the kingdom and carried the House of Israel away captive to become known afterwards as the “Ten Lost Tribes” of Israel.

Because Jeroboam desired to stop Israel from going to Jerusalem, the city appointed by God to worship, he offered a substitute that imitated the feast of the Lord in Jerusalem, and the House of Israel ceased worshiping the Lord in the place commanded by God and worshiped in sin in the places they chose.

With the perfect sacrifice of Christ, geography became irrelevant; we are now able to worship and serve the Lord in whatever place we may be. Jesus said, β€œThe hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Thus, Spirit and Truth are given to us as the new temple upon the mount in spiritual Jerusalem.

However, the same message Jeroboam preached, teaching that you need not go up to the holy place the Lord has appointed, is taught today.

Wherever we are, we are to stand on holy ground. We cannot willfully live in sin and be found guiltless and acceptable before God. We must go up to the place appointed, the New Jerusalem, and stand in the holy place before God. As the scripture states, without holiness, no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). β€œFor if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26). Therefore, stand in the holy place as commanded.

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The End of the World – Part III

In the letters written by the Apostles, they declared that the last days had already commenced and that they themselves were indeed living in the end time. It was also a common belief among Jews that the last days were the third and final age of three ages, each consisting of two thousand yearsβ€”six thousand years total.

Each group of one thousand years corresponds to the six days of creation before God rested from his work on the seventh and final day. Thus, mankind would only have dominion over the earth for six thousand yearsβ€”six days shalt thou laborβ€”until Messiah would set up his kingdom and establish his rule over all things on the Seventh Day.

On the fourth day of creation, God created the heavenly lights, and the sun appeared for the first time. The fourth day is the center of the week, with three days before and three days after. Thus, the creation day of heavenly luminaries divides the week into two parts of three days on either side of the appearance of the sun.

The number three repeatedly appears in the Bible as a harbinger. Jesus rose after three days; Jonah was in the whale’s belly for three days, and in the Genesis narrative of creation, after three days, the sun appeared on the fourth day. Many other examples are also found throughout the Bible of three appearing as a harbinger.

Now, consider that the candlestick (Menorah) for the service of the temple was also fashioned in the same manner as the week. In the fourth and center position stood the Lamp of God, resting atop the shaft and base bearing all. The center lamp, being the shaft and the base, bore the other six lamps, with three branches coming out from one side of the shaft and three branches coming out from the otherβ€”seven in total altogether.

Thus, from either end, the center lamp was the fourth lamp, as was also the case in the creation of heavenly luminaries on the fourth day in relation to the other days of the week.

Ancient Jewish tradition holds that the seven lamps allude to enlightenment and symbolize the seven days of creation. But it was the center lamp and its shaft that stood upon the base that was central to all the other lamps, and without it, the other branches and lamps had no foundation. So is the sun central in our solar system, not only as the source of light but as a central foundation holding all things together.

According to ancient Jewish traditions, the center lamp was lit first before all others and was to be kept always burning.

The design of the lamp, or Menorah in Hebrew, was given to Moses by the explicit instruction of God and placed inside the tabernacle. Likewise, when the first temple was built, Solomon was careful to make all things exactly according to the pattern given to Moses, and the lamp was placed in the temple to represent the light of God.

The Apostle Paul asked in his letter to the Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” This is the true temple, foreshadowed by the temple and the candlestick made by hands. Thus, our bodies are temples of God, and if Christ is in us, the sevenfold Spirit of God is the light of the templeβ€”as represented beforehand by the candlestickβ€”seven flames, but one indivisible light.

Jesus said, β€œThe kingdom of God is in you.” This is the eternal kingdom that will remain forever when all other things are dissolvedβ€””And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” – Revelation 21:22-23

As the sun and the luminaries appeared on the fourth day of creation, at the end of the fourth millennial day, ending the second age of three, Jesus came preaching, “I am the light of the world.” “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

The seven days of creation foreshadowed God’s work on earth and his rest at the conclusion. After the coming of Christ four thousand years from Adam and the dominion of man over the earth for six thousand years from Adam comes the seventh day, which, unlike the other six days in Genesis, records no closure.

God tells us from the beginning the things he planned, and he put them in the first book, in the first chapter, and in the first verses of the Bible, right out in plain sight for everyone, where only a few will see them. But they are revealed by his Spirit to those who seek him with their whole hearts. In Genesis chapter 1, not only do we find the beginning of creation, but we can also find the end. It is all there in seven days, the work of the Lord, from the beginning to eternity. How deep God is.

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The End of the World – Part II

The Apostles taught that the end time was the final age of humanity’s dominion on earth and that it had already commenced in their day.

Reading from 1 John 2:18, John writes: “Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time.”

Here John speaks in the present tense, as did the other apostles when using the terms, last time, end time, or last days. It is clear they are not merely pointing ahead to a particular period of time coming in the future before the return of Christ, but to an age that had already begun, of which they were a part.

This runs contrary to many popular conceptions taught by those who hold modern interpretations of the end times. However, it resolves the conundrum of the prophecies that were fulfilled in and around the time of the destruction of the temple and the events that are to be fulfilled at the end of days by placing them all in the same ageβ€”the third 2000-year period of 6000 years, corresponding with the first six days of creation in the Book of Genesis.

It was a common belief among early Christians and Jews that the history of mankind would come to a conclusion at the end of 6,000 years, beginning with Adam. Psalm 90, verse 4, which makes a correlation of 1,000 years as being one day, was referenced by ancient Jewish rabbis along with the writings of the sages to support this belief. It was taught that there would be two ages, each comprised of 2,000 years, at the end of which the Messiah would appear and the messianic age would begin.

However, once the 4000-year time period passed and the Messiah failed to arriveβ€”or so they presumed, having rejected Jesus as the Messiahβ€”they reasoned that the Messiah did not come due to their many sins. It was then determined that an additional 2,000 years be added, during which time the Messiah could come at any time.

However, if the Messiah did not come during the 2000 years allotted, he would be required to return at the end of 6,000 years, whether Israel was ready or not, because the six days in Genesis until the Sabbath would be fulfilled.

Early Christians also embraced Psalm 90 and the belief that each day in Genesis represented 1,000 years of man. In 2 Peter 3:8, he states, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

Simon Peter’s statement is understood in two ways. One being that time is irrelevant to God, which is certainly true, and the other being that God uses one day to represent a thousand years; both are true.

The teaching that a biblical day represents 1,000 years and that the history of mankind is to last for 6,000 years is still taught among Jews today and also among many Christians.

There is a conundrum in Genesis that indeed lends support to the concept that a day represents 1,000 years. The first recorded statement of God made before the conclusion of day one is when God says, “Let there be light.” However, as we read on, we later find that the sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day.

Being that the appearance of the sun takes place on the fourth day of creation. If the six days in Genesis corresponded with 1,000 year spans totaling 6,000 years, then before 4,000 years ended, the sun appearedβ€”a sign in creation foreshadowing the first coming of the Messiah by the end of the year 4,000. This is consistent with the hope embraced by ancient Israel.

All of creation is a model of spiritual things and teaches knowledge through similitudes. In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and God saw the light and said that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. This is the spiritual division of good and evil and of knowledge and ignorance.

On the fourth day of creation, the Lord does the same thing as he did when he first spoke the Word commanding Light to shine, only in a physical sense, when he creates the sun to divide the day from the night, thus physically dividing the light from the darkness as a sign that the Wordβ€”His Sonβ€”is the Light of the world and would appear on the fourth millennial day on earth.

The Lord placed the sun in the heavens as a physical similitude to make known the true Light spoken of earlier at the beginning of creation. The true Light spoken of in the beginning is that Light spoken of in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. And this is the witness of John; that Jesus Christ is the true Light, which enlightens every man that comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Christ is to be worshiped, and certainly not the sun, which is but a similitude and a sign in the heavens. Notwithstanding, similitudes are the apparatus of the Great Instructor for teaching spiritual things. The physical characteristics of the sun can be related to the spiritual characteristics of Christ: warmth, cleansing, healing, life-giving, and light-producing.

In Psalm 19, the sun is exalted as a bridegroom coming out of his chambers. The moon is a bride or helpmate that, along with the earth, revolves around the sun, upon whom all life is dependent. This is a picture of Christ, the church, and humanity, of which much more can be said.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” How often in the scriptures is day used as an expression of spiritual enlightenment and night as an expression of blindness and spiritual darkness!

Nothing the Lord made in creation was without design, purpose, intent, and meaning.

However, the Lord uses two or more witnesses to establish the truth of the matter. Thus, Pharaoh was given two different dreams. Joseph revealed to Pharaoh that the two dreams were one. God had doubled his dream because the thing was certain. There are many clouds of witnesses that, in creation, testify to the things written here.

The ancient Jewish teaching was that there would be 6000 years, or, alternatively speaking, six millennial days, for man’s dominion over the earth to be fulfilled. The six days are divided into three ages. This means that each millennial day is doubled as a witness for each age. From the scriptures, we gather that it was two millennia from Adam to Abraham and two millennia from Abraham until Christ. This leaves two millennia from Christ currently being fulfilled until the millennial Sabbath on the seventh day.

Furthermore, there was one millennium from Abraham to David and one millennium from David to Christβ€”the second millennial age consisting of 2,000 years. In this age, both Abraham and David were given the promise of Christ issuing from their seed. Abraham and David are two witnesses, one thousand years apart from each other and one thousand years before Christ, testifying to God’s promise of the Messiah at the end of the second age.

At the same time, two covenants were made. The first is the covenant based on faith that God made with Abraham, and the second is the covenant of the law made with Israel through Moses at Mount Sinaiβ€”two covenants, one of faith and the other of the works of the law.

However, it was the first covenant of faith made with Abraham that brought forth the New Covenant, and the covenant of works that came after became old and was fulfilled by Christ, thus ending the second age.

Not knowing the exact time that the third and final age commenced, counting 2000 years from sometime near the end of the ministry of Christ or shortly thereafter, we can know we are now nearing the end of the third and final age.

After the six thousand years (three ages) are complete, six days of work are finished. Then comes the seventh day, an eternal day of rest, for God finished all his work in six days, and he rested from all of his work on the seventh, which is the Sabbath.

To be concluded in part 3

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The End of the World – Part 1

When speaking of the end of the world, the Lord told his disciples that of that day and hour, no man knowsβ€”no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only. Nevertheless, immediately from the time of Christ’s ministry on earth, false prophets and teachers arose, espousing many doctrines and beliefs, even going so far in some cases as to say the resurrection was already past. Many other false prophets followed even until today with their predictions, assigning dates for the end of the world, and for the most part, both they and their β€œprophecies” are now expired.

It is understandable that we desire to know what will happen in the future and when. However, God only gives us what we need to know. It is not a good thing to become overly engaged in affairs that are not going to be beneficial to what the Lord has planned for your life. As Jesus said to Peter, β€œWhat is that to thee, follow thou me.”

Even so, if we become preoccupied with expectations of those things that will come upon the world, we can miss things that are presently before us that we should be paying attention to. Only too late do we realize that we failed those in our path who should have been the focus of our labors. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Nonetheless, we are not to be without knowledge. Jesus gave us signs of what to watch for and said, β€œNow learn a parable of the fig tree; when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near. So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily, I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.” It is noteworthy that in the Bible, figs and the fig tree are often used as metaphors for Israel.

The Apostles also wrote of things for us to watch, referring to the β€˜last time,’ the β€˜end time,’ and β€˜the last days’. But before we proceed, let us establish the time frame we are speaking of when any of these terms are used.

When we speak of the end times, it is the beginning point that must be established to determine the period of time spoken of, and seeing how terms are understood in different contexts by different people, it is key that we understand the terms in the same context as intended by the authors when they used them in their writings.

In the Bible, we are given a point of, or at least one very near, the commencement of the last days, as understood by the Apostles and disciples of Christ. And this is confirmed by multiple witnesses.

In Acts chapter two, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the followers of Christ who had gathered together in Jerusalem, and they began to speak in different tongues. As onlookers marveled in amazement and doubt, Peter addressed them, explaining the meaning of what was taking place, and said:

β€œThis is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God; I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”

Peter declared plainly that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled, which would take place in the last days. Being then that the point of time in which Peter spoke is now approaching nearer to a two thousand-year anniversary, we can see a greater period of timeβ€”other than a brief period occurring near the endβ€”as being designated as the β€œLast Days” or β€œLast Time.”

The Book of Hebrews chapter 1Sa confirms this as it opens by proclaiming the time then present as being the final age, stating, β€œIn these last days: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” Hebrews 1

Again, in Hebrews 9:24–26, it is written, β€œFor Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” By saying β€œnow, in the end of the world,” the proclamation of the time is made unequivocal.

St. John also, when writing in his first epistle to his disciples, uses the singular form of the word time.

β€œLittle children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that anti-Christ shall come, even now are there many anti-Christs; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

John says clearly, β€œIt is the last time,” signifying having entered into the final age. Thus, it is clear: the New Testament authors believed the last time had already begun, they were living in it, and they spoke in terms of it being an age culminating with the coming of Christ and the end of this present world.

Hereto, the objective has been to establish an age: the last age of mankind, a period of time beginning in the first part of the First Century AD and ongoing for what is now almost two thousand years.

Peter’s statement during Pentecost, citing the prophet Joel, makes clear that the last age has begun. Therefore, the change of the ages would have occurred either on Pentecost with the gift of the Holy Spirit or before. The Resurrection of Christ from the dead, which was fifty days before Pentecost, is most certainly another important event in bringing in the age of the Spirit, for the resurrected Christ became the first born from the dead when he rose on the third day.

And there is yet another event recorded in the scriptures in reference to John the Baptist, which marks a changing of the ages. Matthew and Luke both make mention of this division of time, referring to a statement made by Jesus in Luke 16:16, where Jesus said: β€œThe law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached.” 

The statement that the law and the prophets were until John implies the passing of something old and the beginning of something newβ€”although it was the resting of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus when he was baptized by John that marked the greater event.

The exact beginning point notwithstanding, counting two thousand years from any of the aforementioned events would have us approaching a two thousand year anniversary.

If we are indeed in the end-time age, which is nearing two thousand years since Christ’s ministry on earth, what were the ages prior?

To address the prior fourthousand years from Adam until Christ, a continuation of this writing is necessary to go into more detail and to establish a sixthousand-year period ordained for mankind’s dominion on earth.

Consisting of three ages of two thousand years each, and each two thousand years consisting of one thousand-year periods, the sixthousand years correspond to the six days of creation in the Book of Genesis before God rested on the seventh and final day.

God states he tells the end from the beginning. In Genesis, he does just that. In the very first chapter, God completed all his work in six days, and on the seventh day, he rested from all his workβ€”not that he was tired, but that he was finished. No work was done on the seventh day; God declared it the Sabbath. Understanding the scriptures from this perspective creates a picture of biblical historyβ€”not just a past history from the beginning until now, but a foretold history of mankind on earth for six thousand years from beginning to end, and at the end, the Seventh Day.

Part 1 is concluded.

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Grace is Power

Even as the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was first beginning to be spread throughout the world, the Apostles of Christ and the first evangelists faced challenges within the church from those who entered in, whose true motives, unknown to others, were to seize upon the opportunity to take advantage of the church for personal gain.

Jude devotes virtually his entire letter to addressing these opportunists who mingle among believers, presenting themselves as followers of Christ while feeding themselves and making merchandise of the good faith of others, saying:

β€œFor there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude:4)

These false brothers had turned the grace of God into lasciviousness by preaching a seductive gospel, while in reality they themselves were filthy dreamers who defiled the flesh and enticed others to engage with their sinful indulgences.

As wolves in sheep’s clothing, they may well be considered the fathers of what is sometimes termed β€œhyper-grace,” emphasizing a divine, unconditional grace that holds to eternal security and a promise of an irrevocable forgiveness of every sin under every circumstance, past, present, and before they are committed, regardless of obedience.

Jude warns against such, admonishing faithful believers to earnestly contend for the faith by bringing into remembrance β€œhow that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” and how that β€œthe angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

The Apostle Paul also stated that the things that happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness after they were saved were written for our benefit as examples to us, that by returning to Egypt in our hearts, we too could fall and be turned away from entering the promised kingdom.

Peter, in reference to Paul’s writings, said: β€œYe therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness (2 Peter 3:17).”

Even so, every day, many read the scriptures throughout the Bible that refute the modern theologies of β€œonce saved, always saved, and embrace interpretations designed to scratch the itching ears of those who desire to hear smooth things that promise that no one can lose their salvation. For this reason, many fall in the hour of temptation.

Thus, the prophecy of Joel is fulfilled in modern Christianity, saying, β€œThat which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.”

The failure to preach and teach the full Gospel of Christ has resulted in a falling away from God, not only among professing Christians but in society overall, as unbelievers look at the churches and see a void of the spirit, or in many cases, a transparent imitation of Christianity that has a form of godliness but denies the power of God by lacking the fruits.

The only hope for mankind is a restoration of the truth of the gospel. The current gospel, or rather, β€œgospels,” for they are many, preached in the mainstream of Christianity today is a deceitful imitation that leads people away from the truth. At best, there are sincere believers who have been taught falsehoods handed down through the church for generations. There are few who are walking fully in the truth because, as Jesus said, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God, with nothing set to the side to accommodate interpretations that would quench the conviction of the Spirit. Trust every word of the Bible, as it is written. Beware of any versions that read into the verses and provide interpretations. Beware of explanations by preachers and teachers that are not absolutely made clear by the scriptures alone.

Watch and pray; work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; your pastor is not going to stand in judgment for you. You alone are responsible for your relationship with the Truth.

The grace of God is not forgiveness alone, but powerβ€”power to defeat sin, power to remove mountains and make the path straight, power to walk as Jesus walked, power to become perfect and be like God.

β€œBe ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” – (Matthew 5:48)

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“Jesus Christ” the Idol

Of all things, the most important thing to know is to know God. If you do not know God and know him in truth, all other knowledge will fail you. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?” For if you think you see and believe you are in the light, you do not come to the light. And if you think you already know, you do not seek knowledge.

There is a dearth of truth in the world today, in both the religious and secular worlds. The dearth is not merely the absence of knowledge but the abundance of corrupted knowledge that is not knowledge, but lies. While ever increasing advancements in science provide humanity with new information, the absence of God leaves mankind in the state of ever learning but never able to come to the truth.

Today, science is being elevated to the status of the paramount religion, even with its endless broken mosaic pieces that can never be fully assembled. For without the knowledge of the one who created all things by his perfect knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, the partial knowledge we possess cannot be arranged correctly.

Therefore, science, falsely called, with its innumerable theories, is being used to lead people away from God with fanciful mosaics that are missing pieces, and the pieces that are possessed are constantly rearranged as necessary to support an illusion of a desired agenda.

More devastating to society, however, is what has taken place in churches. Although mankind has an uninterrupted history of creating and worshiping idols, no idol ever created has caused more destruction or led more people astray than the false image of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, imagined wrongly and worshiped sincerely, is the false god of all idols.

God created man in his own image. Man, in turn, makes God in his own image, to his liking, and after his own heart. Forged in the imagination from the foundries of a darkened heart, preached in the pulpits, and spread abroad into the world, a contrived version of the gospel is a β€œlight” that, if it is in you, is the blackest of all darkness.

The true Christ is received through the spirit in the Bible. He is the Word. He is not like the images portraying him today. What is intentionally set aside by many who preach Christ is how offensive he is to his enemies. Jesus stood up to and rebuked all self-righteous and wicked men. Jesus also offended many of those who were following him. In John 6:66, the scripture says many of his disciples were offended by his sayings and turned back. Afterward, they never returned to him.

Jesus is offensive because the truth is offensive. The many false depictions of Christ presented before the world today are designed to grow and retain congregations. They remove the offense of the cross and the call to holiness.

Fearing man more than God, the preachers of a false gospel today seek to avoid social discomfort and persecution. Loving the praises of men above God, social agendas are embraced to find acceptance in the modern culture of sin.

Seeking personal enrichment, they find profit by comforting those who crave eternal security by giving them false assurances. They peddle a marketable β€œJesus” for worldly gain.

Beware of these false prophets and teachers. Any rendition of Jesus Christ in any form outside of scripture, no matter how benevolent the image, whether it is visual, audio, spoken, or written, corrupts his divinity and creates a false image of God belittling him. No man is able or worthy to make a replica of God.

Unless a portrayal of Jesus Christ is absolutely perfect in every single aspectβ€”every word, every deed, every inflection, every way, and in every degreeβ€”a false image is created. It is an impossible task for any man to portray God, for who knows the mind of God?

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” How much more is the mind of Christ only known by the Holy Spirit.

It doesn’t matter how inspiring it is or if it brings multitudes of people to tears. A false impression of Jesus redirects hearts away from God to a false image of Jesus, robbing both God and the believer of a true relationship that belongs solely to God, not to an image of him.

Indeed, for who knows the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor that would dare to portray him?

The fact that biblical scriptures are misapplied to create erroneous renditions of Jesus only serves to make any illusion of Jesus more deceptive. Sincere or not, any worldly rendition of Christ can only diverge from the truth into a false depiction of Jesus that deceives the simple minded. God made man after his likeness and in his image. Beware whenever man makes an image of God, even with words.

The first two of the Ten Commandments are: 1. You shall have no other gods before me. And, thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images. Movies, TV series, videos, artificial intelligence, or any attempt to recreate an image of God in any manner, no matter how sincere, demeans God and risks blasphemy.

Embrace the true God and his son, Jesus Christ, the Word of God contained in the scriptures given by the Holy Spirit. The truth is offensive to the world. That is why the world hates God. That is why Jesus was nailed to the cross. That is why false mental images of Jesus Christ are created that do not offend. But Jesus preached the truth because it is the truth that saves us and sets us free. And as for offenses, Jesus said, “Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

β€œAnd we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” – (1 John 5:20-21)

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Joel: Prophet to the Church

Was the book of Joel written for the time that was to come after the messiah appeared until his second coming? Let us consider.

Joel opens by specifying the time frame for the things he was writing. Implying with questions, the days which he would speak to were yet to come for quite some time, he wrote,

β€œHear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”

In other words, the things of which he was writing were not of things during his days or of things past in the days of the fathers, but were things to be passed on to the children to come from one generation to the next until the time should come in which they would be fulfilled.

That time was made manifest when Peter made the announcement of their arrival on the day of Pentecost, saying,

β€œThis is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Thus, with the words of Peter, the commencement was made of the things that Joel had been prophesying of beforehand.

After eluding to a time that was to come, Joel begins with lamentations over the spiritual destruction of the Lord’s people by the corruption of sound doctrine, writing,

β€œThat which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.” (Joel 1:4)

Paul, Peter, and others also warned of those who would come into the church after their departure and devour the flock, teaching false doctrines, and feasting upon the profit of the churches. We were warned that the time would come when people would not endure sound doctrine but would heap to themselves teachers who would scratch their itching ears and soothe them with smooth things.

And so it is, every part of the Word has been corrupted by teachers and preachers who devour the gospel to fill their bellies. These are like unto palmerworms, locusts, cankerworms, and caterpillars.

Drunk with religion, the Lord rebukes the leaders of the churches, saying, β€œAwake ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine (the word in the spirit); for it is cut off from your mouth.” Indeed, they are ever learning but never coming to the full knowledge of the truth.

In the following verses, Joel 1:6-12, Joel compares the heretics of Christianity that destroy the faith, their congregations, and the spiritual outpouring of the Lord on the church to a great destructive army.

In verse 14, following the condemnation of the churches, the Lord a calls all to repentance, saying, β€œSanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord.”

Then, from verse 16 until the end of the chapter, Joel mightily bemoans the destruction of the church, sound doctrine, and those who suffer spiritually.

End Part 1.

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The Seventh Man

The Apostle Peter stated that we were given the word of God by holy men of old, who were ordained and sent by God, and moved by the Holy Spirit to write down all things given them by God to write. This is evident in their writings throughout, in the usage of signs and symbols, and in the consistency and continuity of the message. Even though there are hundreds of years between the times of some of the writers, every book remains in perfect harmony.

Furthermore, being that so many prophecies have already been fulfilled since the time of their writing, we can have confidence that the remaining few will likewise come to pass.

The letters of the Hebrew alphabet also have numeral values, and throughout the Bible, we often find that certain numbers appear in a unique manner repeatedly, giving each number its own particular significance and meaning. One number used prolifically throughout the Bible to communicate a specific meaning is the number seven.

Often used to signify perfection, completion, and rest, we first find the number seven used in Genesis chapter one. When God finishes creation after completing man on the sixth day, he declares all his work very good, and ceasing from all his work, he rests on the seventh day, sanctifying and setting the seventh day apart from the other six days, making it holy unto the Lord. This was done in a figure to create a picture of more things to come in the same manner.

In regards to the seventh day. in chapter 4 of the book of Hebrews, we find that we are also given a promise of entering into the Lord’s rest, which is the Sabbath. This is indeed a great mystery regarding the seven days of creation, for man was created on the sixth day, the last day before the Sabbath.

Throughout the Bible, the number six is used to signify man, for man was created on the sixth day, and later, after sin entered the world, he was given six days to do all his labor, with the commandment to rest on the seventh. The seventh day belongs to God alone. It is the Lord’s Day that he sanctified and set aside for himself as holy.

However, it is the will of God that some of those who labor in the world also enter into his holy Sabbath with him. The Sabbath is a symbol of the rest promised to us by God if we complete our labors in righteousness and enter his perfection. We are told to labor to enter into his rest, but it will only be fully attained when we cease from all of our works and are made perfect upon our entrance into the Seventh Day.

Thus, as six represents man, seven represents the completion of man into the perfect man. In this, we are given Enoch as an example, who was the seventh man from Adam. Genesis 5:24 states,

β€œAnd Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

The book of Hebrews expounds further upon Enoch’s departure, stating:

β€œBy faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)

The sign of Enoch is given so that those who seek perfection may have hope and continue on in their labors until the time they are also taken.

Later, David, the seventh son of Jesse, was also chosen as a representative of the same figure when Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons king.

One by one, David’s six elder brothers were passed overβ€”of whom it was said, β€œThe Lord has not chosen these.” Samuel then sent to fetch Jesse’s seventh son, David, who was not then present; and when he came, the Lord said, β€œArise, anoint him, for this is he.” David had been skipped over when Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse’s sons king because, being a youth, he was lightly esteemed and not even thought of as a consideration. But God sees not as man sees; for God looks upon the heart.

And again, in another illustration given to us, when the Lord gave manna to the children of Israel in the wilderness, he commanded them to gather the manna for six days and rest on the seventh. When the people came to Jesus asking for him to give them manna, he told them, β€œI am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Nevertheless, many were offended by him, looking for worldly satisfaction rather than spiritual fulfillment.

Jesus provides those who seek heavenly things nourishment during their pilgrimage through the desert, and upon coming into the Sabbath, he is the Sabbatical Rest of God. As he said, β€œCome unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The literal meaning of the word β€œweek” is seven, it is used biblically for grouping any units of time into groups of seven. Jesus, being both the Son of God and the Son of Man, fulfills the whole weekβ€”he both labored on earth as a man and was resurrected as the Son of God into heaven.

Thus, in Christ, the six days of laboring into rest and the Sabbath are both fulfilled and complete in the sevenfold Spirit of the Lord. β€œTake my yoke upon you (labor), and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart”—”and ye shall find rest (sabbath) unto your souls.

Six days of labor represent our striving towards the perfection of seven in the fullness of Christ. If we refuse to labor, once our lives have expired, it is too late. On the seventh day, the children of God are gathered and sealed into eternity. It is the Sabbath and all work is completed. The children of God are perfected in Christ, but for all who refused, it is no longer possible to change the sinful nature of their hearts.

Therefore, the scripture says, β€œBe ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down on your wrath.” For the sixth day ends and Sabbath begins with the sun setting, therefore, in the present day, fight temptation with vengeance, resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.

Christ is the true rest, not merely a figure of true. Christ is the Sabbath, the Seventh Day; Christ is the completion and the fullness of the sevenfold spirit of Godβ€”he is the Perfect Man and the Promised Land of Rest, that through him we must obtain by conquering any other inhabitants that would fight to reside in us—”Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

God finished his work on the sixth day and rested on the seventh day. So we also are to cease from our own works, passing through and beyond the sixth day (the day of man) into the fullness of the week, the completion, the day of Christβ€”the Sabbath. Christ is the Sabbathβ€”β€œRemember the Sabbath to keep it holy.” Walk in Christ, and you are holy.

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A Cloud of Witnesses

β€œWherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

What is the cloud of witnesses spoken of that surrounds us?

Knowing the truth is a process given to us whereby we can come to God through his word. However, it is not enough to merely study and know the words of the Lord; Satan also knows his words but abides not in the truth, for there is no truth in him.

Satan went so far as to attempt to use the word of God against him in the temptation of Jesus, and to this day, Satan uses the written word spoken by his ministers as his main weapon of deception. In fact, the first words out of Satan’s mouth on earth were an attack on the veracity of the word of God by asking Eve, β€œYea, hath God said?”

Truth is spiritual, not literal; β€œfor the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” We can only rightly divide the written word of God by the spirit in which the words were given. The process given to us to do that and to divide the truth from deceptions is by following the spirit, as we are led by a cloud of witnesses. An example written for us in the Bible is when the Israelites were led through the wilderness:

β€œAnd the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21 )

The truth revealed through the word of God forms a cloud of witnesses for us to follow in the light of day; the fire of the spirit enlightens us in the dark of night and is a light going before us, lighting our path until the day dawns as the scriptures are revealed.

The Lord states that the truth is established by multiple witnesses. A cloud of witnesses appears when many vapors ascend together and accumulate to the point that they become visible.

Thus, it is not the written word alone that bears witness to itself as being the true word of God, but all of creation bears witness to the truth of spiritual things in the scriptures. For creation mirrors the word of God, being that it was itself created by the word of God to be a witness to the truth. Thus, all of creation is in harmony with the invisible truths that they are the similitudes of, and they were written down, placed in the Bible, and delivered to us.

It is then, by this means, that we can know and understand the written word in spirit and truth when the word of God aligns with the things in the physical creationβ€”for the things he created visibly express the things that are written, creating a cloud of witnesses comprised of the things that are written and confirmed by the things that are made.

In the Revelation of John, Jesus proclaimed himself the beginning of the creation of God. The greatest sermon ever preached is the creation, which came forth from the mouth of God, and its teachings are renewed and repeated with every new day.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1)

Jesus spoke unto the multitudes in parables, using them as illustrations of what he was teaching; and without a parable, he spoke not (Matthew 13:34). In his parables, he used the things he created to communicate spiritual truths that people lacked an understanding of.

The purified water that rains on the earth from the clouds above is first pulled up and separated from the impure waters in the earth below, leaving all impurities below. There are many fallacies and false doctrines in the world that make up the waters humanity drinks from. We must seek God, who separates the truth by his spirit from the polluted waters of this world and rains the truth upon his people, who seek the pure living water that comes from the Lord above.

As we learn the truth of God from his word, many things come together, forming a cloud of witnesses testifying to the truth. It is then, as the scripture says, β€œIf the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:3). And the fullness of scripture is revealed and received into the fertile ground.

We are, as represented in scripture, the earth that receives the former and latter rains. As an eco-cycle completes and begins again, our understanding likewise comes to fullness. When we receive the water from above into our souls, we are then to share it with others, and the cycle perpetuates, like in the ecosystem, which gives rain in due season, sustaining life in the world from one generation to the next.

β€œFor the earth (mankind) which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:7-8)

We are to produce life on earth, which comes only from God through his Word, rained down from heaven upon us, confirmed in Spirit and truth, all of his creation bearing witness.

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Two Trees in the Midst of the Garden: Part 1

Looking closely at the scriptures, contrary to what seems most commonly believed, it is apparent Adam and Eve were not prohibited from partaking of the tree of life in the midst of the garden before they took and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and were expelled. There was only one tree that was prohibited before they violated the commandment and took its fruit.

Only after eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil were they forcibly stopped from eating from the tree of life, lest their perpetuation of life continue.

When Adam and Eve were created, there was not an expiration date placed on their lives, but they were blessed with perpetual life. However, the life granted them was conditional upon them obeying one commandment, and one commandment only.

They were told they could relinquish that life at anytime by choosing to disobey the commandment given to themβ€”which, indeed, they did through disbelief unto willful disobedience. β€œFor until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” They broke the one and only law given them, and their eyes were open to sin, and thus, henceforth, they knew guilt.

When God created the world, Adam and Eve were the last of his creations, whom he made in his own likeness and image. After having prepared all other things before them and for them, he gave Adam dominion over his creation and made Eve his helpmate.

They were both created on the sixth day before the Sabbath began, and they entered directly into the Sabbath without laboring for six days beforehand to do so. They were not in bondage to an innate sinful nature and entered directly into God’s rest on the seventh day following their creation. They were at peace with God and rested with him in his rest.

In Genesis, we are told the beginning and the end of the days of creation, one through sixβ€”that being the evening and morningβ€”but we are not given the same for the seventh day or told how long the seventh day lasted. The time frame of the first Sabbath, into which Adam and Eve immediately stepped after they were created, is not made definitive in the scriptures, as were the previous six days. They lived in the Sabbath for a time that is not specified.

We do know, according to the Book of Hebrews, chapter 4, that because of sin, we must now labor to enter into God’s rest, and that God spoke of the Seventh Day on this wise about Israel’s plight in the wilderness. When the law was given post-sin, it was commanded, “Six days shalt thou labor, and rest on the seventh.” It is also written in Hebrews that he who has entered into his rest has ceased from his own worksβ€”our works that we are to cease from are sinful. However, we are offered a way to cease from our works in Matthew 11:28–30, where Jesus says:

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls…”

The Sabbath, on the seventh day in which Adam and Eve abode after their creation, is a picture of resting in Christ free of sin when we cease from our own works. Dwelling in Christ and having him dwell in us is the true Sabbathβ€”it is leaving the wilderness of temptation and crossing Jordan into the land of promise. The fullness of Christ is the Sabbath, which we seek to perfect in us by driving out all other inhabitants (sinful natures). For the kingdom of God is within you. Perfection in Christ is the land of promise.

However, the spiritual journey of mankind from Adam being the son of Godβ€”as recorded in Luke’s genealogy of Jesusβ€”to being separated from God and then restored again as his children begins in the garden with the two trees in its midst.

(Continued and concluded in Part 2)

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Two Trees in the Midst of the Garden: Part 2

In Genesis, we read that when God created the garden where man would be placed as the caretaker, he had placed two trees in its midstβ€”the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Other trees were also placed in the garden that were good for fruit, but of all the trees in the garden, there was only one tree that Adam and Eve were prohibited to eat from or even touch lest they die.

Quote, Genesis 3:16-17,

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

There is no commandment in the Bible that prohibited Adam and Eve from eating from the tree of life in the garden before they were driven out. Neither is it written in any place that eternal life was obtained by eating the fruit only once on one occasion. Nor is it written that Adam and Eve did not partake of the fruit of the tree of life as the sustenance that perpetuated their longevity, until they were denied access when God drove them from the garden to prevent them from any longer taking the fruit that perpetuated their youth.

These things are not addressed in detail, but the absence of clarity is noteworthy. It is also noteworthy that the Tree of Life reappears again in scripture in Revelation 22:14, stating that those who obey the Lord have right to the Tree of Life: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

Likewise, when Adam and Eve were created, they had the right to the tree of life and were blessed as long as they obeyed his commandment. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, lest they live forever, they were prohibited from taking from the tree of life any longer, and they began the process of death by aging. Was aging the consequence of being denied access to the tree of life once they were partakers in sin?

When Jesus prayed to the Father, one of his requests was, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Life comes from continually eating the words of God. Eating the bread of life is not a one-time action that gives you eternal life. The tree of life is Jesus, the Word of God, which we must forever eat if we are to live forever. Life comes through eating every word of God. To continue in the life of the Lord, we must make the word of God our daily bread.

Jesus said in John 6:57, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” Jesus is the Word of God, the bread of life, the fruit of the tree of life, encompassing all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. By him all things were created. Proverbs 8:31, says he was in the beginning “…rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth (the garden), and my delights were with the sons of men.”

The tree of life in Eden is a symbol of Jesus. He is the true tree of life. In John’s Revelation, those who are saved share in the tree of life in the midst of the street and live forever.

Adam and Eve had access to and fellowship with Christ in the garden until they were separated by their sin. The message of eternal security was the very first message preached by the serpent to Eve when he injected doubt into her heart by questioning God’s truthfulness, asking, “Hath God said…? And he answered Eve, “Ye shall not surely die…” When Eve believed the lie enough to embrace the message that her life was eternally secure, she was emboldened to partake in the fruit of sin, which brought forth death.

As the Garden of Eden was created by God to produce good fruit pleasant to the taste, to his pleasing, and to his praise, likewise, we are the true garden of God created to bring forth fruit unto his pleasing and praise. We are to tend the garden of our hearts. And as there were two trees in the midst of the garden, and one tree gave life while the other brought forth death, we have a choice of trees to eat fromβ€”for the midst of the garden is the heart. β€œKeep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)

As Christians, we also must eat daily from the tree of life to nourish our souls while refraining from the mixed fruit of good and evil. Jesus prayed that our daily bread be given to us from God, saying, β€œGive us this day our daily bread.” He did not pray for tomorrow’s bread or for bread for the day following.

If we stop eating earthly food, we slowly die. This is God’s witness attesting to the truth. It is no different if we cease eating our daily spiritual bread, but it is far worseβ€”without eating the bread of life, we wither and die spiritually.

Jesus told his disciples while there were still many that he was the bread of life and they had no life unless they ate his flesh and drank his bloodβ€”at that point a number of them were offended, and in John 6:66 we learn, “From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.”

If we are to live with Christ, we must eat of him, as did the apostles, prophets, and all who have life in God.

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

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The Surrender of God

The aspiration of any true follower of Jesus Christ is to become like Christ and to walk even as he walked. For this reason, the engagement becomes a full-time endeavor to know the will of God through prayer, fasting, and reading his word, so that we might put on the very mind of Christ and be clothed in the armor of God.

Taking care to bring every thought into captivity, each thought is isolated and judged according to the word of God, to know the manner of the spirit and surrender to the Father’s will accordingly, that by any means we might attain the resurrection of the dead.

Even the Apostle Paul himself confessed that he had not yet attained the resurrection of the dead, nor was he already perfect, but in the pursuit of perfection, he was willing to suffer the loss of all things and count them as dung in order to win Christ. Let us therefore likewise press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God by submitting ourselves to Jesus Christ and surrendering to the will of God.

For even Christ defeated death and hell by surrendering his own life when he said to the Father, β€œThy will be done.” And in the garden when he was taken, he proclaimed he could call on the Father, who would send more than 12 legions of angels to deliver him, but how then would the scriptures be fulfilled? Thus, as he said to the Jews beforehand in regards to his life, β€œNo man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself,” and lastly, to Pontius Pilate, that his surrender was ordained by the will of God.

To the contrary, Satan never surrenders his will; he is only defeated when a stronger force prevails against him. Likewise, his children seek victory through strength and the destruction of their enemies.

Nonetheless, it is the will of God that heaven’s victories come through surrender. Even before the birth of Christ and the cross, God surrendered. When Abraham showed his willingness to offer the only son of himself and his wife Sarah, the Lord stepped in and stopped him, surrendering up his own son by promising to offer him instead.

Again, when Jacob wrestled all night with God, in the morning, God surrendered and blessed him, calling his name Israel. For it is the will of God that, when we surrender to his will, he surrenders to us by granting our requests and blessing us. This is why we pray, contending for the faith, the gifts of the spirit, and all things we have a need for. It is his plan, in which he himself takes part in wrestling with us, that, in the end, he may allow us to win.

This is what Jesus preaches in the parables of the unjust judge and the man who sought bread from his friend in the middle of the night, reminding us that even sinners give good things to their childrenβ€”how much more will God, who surrendered his own son over to the death of the cross for us, surrender to requests from us?

Surrender to the will of God and obey his voice. Keep his commandments and wrestle with him. Though the night may be long, it is his desire that you persistently persevere, that in his time he will surrender and grant all your requests according to his will. β€œNo good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

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Paul the Divider

Other than Christ himself, there is no other figure in the Bible who has caused more controversy than the Apostle Paul. It is evident in his letters that he often faced conflict and controversy, not only from those outside the church but from within and even among the brothers. False teachers also raised challenges against Paul, hoping to lead the flock astray after themselves; thus, he was compelled to speak out in defense of his calling and, out of necessity, even boast of his sufferings for the gospel to certify the ministry given to him by the Lord.

The same controversies as were present then continue to be disputed until now over Paul’s role as an apostle and over the validity of his writings. In some cases, the divisions over Paul have become so great that certain parties dismiss Paul as being a true apostle, while others, pointing to Paul’s teachings on grace, dismiss the Old Testament as having any relevancy today. Many β€œtrue believers” in opposing camps often twist scriptures or ignore them to support a narrative that fits the dogma of their particular creed.

Some opposing Paul who identify with the “Hebrew Roots” movement wrest Paul’s letters and other scriptures in order to place themselves back under the law, preaching that all others are also required to do the same. Some even go so far as to denounce Paul altogether, proclaiming him a rogue teacher and not a true apostle.

Although those who place themselves under the Mosaic law consist of different groups, they all begin with Sabbath observance and then splinter into various factions, adhering to different parts of the law to various degrees of observanceβ€”although complete compliance is impossible without the temple. For this reason, those who go to extremes are enthusiastic about the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and reinstating animal blood sacrifices. More than a few of those who put themselves back under the yoke of the law have gone on to leave Christianity, even denying Christ, and converting to Judaism.

On the other extreme of those opposing the gospel Paul preached, on the basis that his writings free people from the law, are those who purloin Paul’s writings by embracing his message of grace and taking it beyond the point that makes willful habitual sins of little or no consequence. This watered-down gospel has led many to weaken to temptations and eventually to be brought back under the bondage of old vices they were redeemed from, sometimes after devoting many years to the ministry. While some proclaim they will still enter heaven, others denounce them, saying they were never really saved to begin with.

Creating an adulterated gospel of unlimited unconditional grace, many denominations have slid into a process of normalizing sin. Preaching a gospel of hyper-grace, also called modern grace, they place emphasis on doctrines of eternal security and permit sin to the extent of ordaining LGBT+ pastors and blessing same-sex marriages.

Modern grace and the normalization of immorality are the long-maturing fruit of the β€œonce saved, always saved” doctrine that had crept into the churches unawares for hundreds of years and proliferated. To the same extent that Orthodox Jews are absolutely convinced of Judaism or Muslims are convinced of Islam, many Christian churches embrace variations of eternal security and other false doctrines with the same certainty as the other Abrahamic religions are of their creeds and are completely closed to considering otherwise. β€œIf therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23)

Thus, it has come to pass as prophesied by the prophet Joel:

β€œThat which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.” (Joel 1:4)

Pray for the Jewish and the Islamic people to come to salvation through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And pray for the complete restoration of the word of God among Christians that the true gospel Paul preached might prevail when God sends forth his army to revive the truth.

β€œAnd I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army, which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25)

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The Apostle of Jesus Christ, in Hell

Most people when they think of Judas remember him as the disciple of Jesus who betrayed him, While this is certainly the the case, the relationship of Jesus and Judas goes even deeper. Judas was not only a follower of Jesusβ€”of whom there were many, of which 12 were given a distinctionβ€”he was an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Literally, in Greek the meaning of the word apostle (αΌ€Ο€ΟŒΟƒΟ„ΞΏΞ»ΞΏΟ‚, ‘apostolos’) is, “one who is sent off.” In Chapter 2 of Matthew, Jesus calls together 12 of his disciples, whom he then gave β€œpower against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” He then personally sent them off on a mission to bear him witness with signs and wonders and to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and to cast out devils.

At that point the 12 were designated apostles as stated in Matthew, verse 2 of Chapter 10: β€œNow the names of the twelve apostles are these…” Lastly, concluding the list is Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Jesus.

Knowing that Satan cannot cast out Satan and that Judas was sent off with the other 11 and given power to do just that, we can see how one who is called and chosen, given grace and power, and even the title of apostle, can still turn from his calling and be lost.

John wrote that we love God because he first loved us. Thus, Jesus saves unconditionally all who sincerely call upon him in truth without exception and with no conditions; for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

However, the damnable falsehood preached by many is that God’s unconditional love remains endlessly without any conditions after salvation. The reality is that before salvation, we are held captive by the devil at his will and without power. We cannot do that which is good; it is not in us. Therefore Christ came, shed his blood for our redemption, and rose again to give us power. This is the unconditional love.

That free gift of salvation changes everything about our relationship with God. No longer are we afar off without God in need of unconditional love; we are made near, and if Christ is in us, we now have the power through him over sin to love him back. And his love is then conditioned upon us doing that. As John wrote, β€œFor this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.”

Once saved we do not become less accountable by a guaranteed entrance into heaven, we are more accountable; we have more knowledge and power and face greater judgment if we turn back. Our continuing with God then becomes conditional on us loving him in return for the unconditional love he gave us first.

Jesus says, β€œIf a man love me, he will keep my words.” β€œHe that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.” β€œEvery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Thus are the conditions.

The children of Israel were saved unconditionally from Egypt. After passing through the Red Sea and being saved from bondage, the promise of them remaining his people and entering into the rest the Lord had promised was made conditional. However, many who had been saved out of Egypt later perished when they did not keep his commandments in the temptations of the wilderness that followed their initial salvation. Paul states that these things that happened to them were written and are examples to us, that after being saved, we should not perish in the same manner as many of them did.

God makes offers to all and is consistent in his judgment. Even Pharaoh was given the opportunity to obey. Each opportunity he was given he refused and it made his heart harder. God already knew the heart of Pharaoh, yet he gave him the opportunity to yield to his will before destroying him.

God also knew the heart of Judas and not only did he give him the opportunity of eternal glory, he also gave him an apostleship. Even so, although God knows who will love him to the end and those who will not, all who ask for forgiveness, even those who he knows will later turn back and walk no more with him (John 6:66 – antichrists) he will not turn away. Salvation is a free gift to all who call upon his name.

Fear not; Jesus will never leave or forsake you. He will continue with all as far and as long as anyone continues with him, and he knows beforehand who will. True love is reciprocal. God will not fail on his part if you love him back for his love freely given to you. But do not think the cross makes void the judgment of God. It only removes judgment from those who believe on him and places the judgment on Christ.

Nonetheless, the judgment of the Lord spoken of by Ezekiel remains upon all, saved or unsaved, if we do not follow after righteousness all the way to the end:

“But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. (Ezekiel 18:24-26) Notice the statement is doubled: “It is because the thing is established by God” (Genesis 41:32). And God has never changed.

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God ofΒ Narcissism

In one way or another, everyone is a servant to someone or something. Regardless of whether it is realized or not, everyone has a focal point in their life that they serve. It may be the one true God, or one or more of a host of strange gods and idols, or even an embrace of atheistic godlessness, but still, there is a foundation laid in the heart of every human being that is instrumental in determining how decisions are made when faced with choices.

Some people know what they worship. But if anyone imagines themselves to be free, they are fooling themselves, for if anyone denies God and thinks they worship nothing, by default they serve and worship themselves. In other words, everyone bows before a β€œhigh place” of worship where sacrifices are offered, even if the sacrifices are made to themselves, and even Satan is not free from his own satanic impulses.

In times past when most gods were made of wood, stone, or fashioned from precious metals, the images were believed to be inhabited by spirits that had power over nature. However, as mankind increased in knowledge, over time explanations for the things that beforehand were attributed to superstitions became evident, exposing the fabrications embraced through ignorance, and the gods of the past began fading away and, for the most part, have disappeared.

Nevertheless, the God that survived the advent of modern science is the invisible living God, not made by hands. Thus, even against the minds of those esteemed as the greatest scientists and academics in the world who constantly attempt to show otherwise, the faith of Abraham has proven to be a stubborn foe and an undefeatable faith.

The New Gods

With an inner awareness of our limitations, lack of knowledge, and temporal state of existence, human beings have an inherent need to attach themselves to something greater than themselves. In the past, idols fashioned and gods imagined were worshiped to fulfill that need. Although relatively few graven idols resembling those of ancient times are worshiped today, there are more idols now than at any other time in history, for the same void remains in the soul of man as a vacuum that must be filled.

No longer is there any need to spend long hours of labor cutting wood, carving stone, or hammering out metal. With a few mere clicks online, an image can be created almost instantly, posted on social media platforms, and embraced as an idol in the minds of those who connect with it. Thus, gods are born in the minds of those spiritually drawn to the images or verbal pictures that appeal to them, creating a personal context of vain imaginations as false as the beliefs embraced by ancient idolaters.

Immersed in innumerable vain imaginations, many in our world today have fallen into the bondage of spiritual idolatry. Hours are devoted day in and day out by those held in the chains of this spiritual bondage who spend every moment possible looking at others, assessing others, comparing themselves with others, and promoting themselves to others. The result is a virtual society of denizens with the tendency to become either narcissistic demigods or depressed worshipers with an inferiority complex.

With the upper hand are the masters of mindsβ€”the soulless tech-overlords who rule the virtual world, creating and using new technologies to capture, manipulate, and engineer society. Placing the users of their technology in bonds with their services, they exploit them, not only for financial gain but also in the implementation of their agendas, hoping to create the world they desire.

Under their hand, the masses who do not know God have become gods to themselves and to each other, thus making secular narcissism the modern religion of our era. The message taught in the world today is β€œYe are gods.” Follow your heart; truth is subjective, for we each have our own truth, and to each, his own.

The religious secular ideology of modern culture is not to be questioned; all things are declared to be settled. Thus, any offender of the narrative stands in judgment before the fact-checkers, moderators, and administrators of a virtual society. These narcissists act as grand inquisitors and arbiters of truth. Offenders are subject to being discredited, banned, censored, exiled, or, metaphorically speaking, β€œput to death” in the world of interactions.

And who are the gods of narcissism? There are many: so-called scientists, so-called journalists, so-called academia, so-called celebrities, social platforms, corporations, governmental entities, the rich and powerful, and even modern culture itself. Nonconformity is not allowed; questioning the experts is a sin; and disputation is blasphemy.

The god of social narcissism is a god before whom, should you ever run afoul, you must forever repent, but you can never be forgiven. Nevertheless, you are required to pay for your sins, give homage, and worship the cultural narrative in the guilt of your sins.

Moreover, the commandments of the cult are impossible to keep because the culture is forever changing; a hero today may become accursed tomorrow, and the legendary figures of yesterday are erased from history by far lessor men who desire to be exalted in their stead.

How did we get here?

The Founders of what has been called β€œThe Great American Experiment” held diverse beliefs; however, by far the consensus was that humanity was created by a Creator, the Invisible God, who gave mankind inalienable rights and whose law was greater than any law the state could ever produce. Neither was God’s law subject to change or annulment. These foundational beliefs provided more stability to society than all other former foundations laid.

Indeed, even a belief in the ancient gods of stone had more stability than today’s evolving god of narcissism, for the molten image being bowed down to now remains forever fluid, and its ever-morphing mold is being shaped day to day by those who are continuously modifying the cast.

Ancient or present, idolatry is devised in the imagination of a darkened heart that seeks to prop up sin. The only way to escape from false gods is through the blood of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. It is only the followers of Christ who conquer idolatry through the renewing of the mind by putting on the mind of Christ.

As the Apostle Paul wrote: β€œFor the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10: 4-5)

β€œFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

The high places of the past, along with the groves where idols were served, have been torn down and cast aside. Still, as Solomon said, in essence, nothing changes. Inspired by the prince of the power of the air, vain imaginations continue to prevail among the ungodly.

The decision each and every human being faces is not a determination of whether there is a high place to bow before or not, but rather a decision of who will sit in the high place ruling over the heart, body, mind, and soul. As free-will agents possessing eternal souls, we must make a choice about who or what our God is. It is a decision no one can escape from that determines where our souls will spend eternity. And there is no other name given in heaven or on earth by which we must be saved other than the name of Jesus.

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Male and Female, One: The Image of God

In the beginning, on the sixth day of creation before the Sabbath, God created man, and he made them male and female and called their name Adam. We are told by the Apostle Paul that this is a great mystery and that it speaks in regard to Christ and the Church.

Only by understanding the purposes of creation can we rightly begin to understand the mystery of God making them male and female, their purpose for being, and their placement in the patriarch. Otherwise, viewing things outside of their purpose, there are schisms and confusion concerning the roles of the male, female, and marriage. And God is not the author of confusion.

In Genesis 2:21–25, it is written: β€œAnd the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, he made a woman, and brought her unto the man.” And Adam said, β€œThis is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

Thus, the two become one flesh, just as Christ and his bride become one flesh and one spirit.

In that God made man in his likeness and in his image, it is to be understood that it is not separately, but together as one, that man and woman express the likeness and image of God. The two together create an expression of completeness, for the Lord is not lacking in any good thing that the man or woman brings into marriage.

God, who is one, separated distinct characteristics of his own being and set them apart in the creation of male and female to magnify the variations of his goodness and virtue, which are complementary to each other, both strength and tenderness, and mercy and judgment.

God created man to express strength. He is to be a leader, defender, protector, teacher, judge, and provider. Man largely relies on logic and reason above emotions.

However, God is not one-dimensional. Being multi-dimensional, he reveals this to us in his creation of the woman. Woman was created to express the love of God and his service to othersβ€”that part of God wherein lies compassion, mercy, selflessness, nourishment, meekness, and meticulousness in works, serving in humilityβ€”virtues that in man are often overridden by the narrow focus of the male character.

It is also in women that we find greater unpredictability; likewise, a part of God acts against what would seem reasonable in that he grants grace to us through his love, whereby, when we were certainly deserving of death, we found pity and compassion in his eyes, and he offered us life instead of death through the shedding of his own blood by taking our sins upon himself on the cross.

In what is sometimes referred to as β€œwoman’s intuition,” virtue overrides what pure reason might demand and does good that never would have been realized beforehand legalistically.

However, even though both male and female were created to express the image of God, being that God is infinite and in him is the fullness of all goodness, it is not possible that either man or woman would measure up to their roles in expressing the virtue of God to perfection, norΒ is it possible that finite beings could ever perfectly express the fullness of the infinite God.

Nonetheless, in the man and in the woman, God gave us two finite beings united to become one in marriage, wherein the fullness and completeness of God might be comprehended at least in part, even in the imperfection of the human state of those whom he has chosen and called to attain perfection.

Even so, the goodness of God is made manifest in Christ and his bride, which is the church. This is the true love of God made manifestβ€”that he laid down his life for his bride, that his bride should be redeemed and set free to also love him and others by laying down her life to bring forth children for the Fatherβ€”that in heaven and earth, all in him might be gathered together as one family at the time appointed.

The chaos and confusion of gender identification pervading the world today is a consequence of men and women failing to accept and fulfill the roles given to them by God. Through the lusts of the flesh, many do not make any attempt to fulfill their biological role as male or female. In rebellion against their Creator, they defile the image of God by confusing roles or by claiming fluidity.

Thus, the union of male and female joined together as one in the beginning, whereby God began revealing the spectrum of his being, has by the world been perverted into the inordinate beastly nature of man and the schizophrenic nature of Satan. And as God made man in his image and in his likeness, when the Devil captures souls, he also fashions them after himself.

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Solar Eclipses and Blood Moons

Everything that exists exists by design. Everything has purpose and meaning. God is not random. The fullness, depth, and meaning of God’s works go far beyond what we can comprehend. We do well when we are able to grasp the meanings and purposes of his works in part. Not a leaf falls to the ground where there is not a lesson. There is nothing in nature or in all of the created universe that has no significance. Nothing is incidentalβ€”nothing.

When Jesus spoke to the people, he always spoke in parables, using examples of physical things to bring spiritual truths into the realm of worldly understanding. Scripture states, “…without a parable he spoke not.” Jesus always used the physical to explain the spiritual.

Why? The physical world is an expression of the spiritual world. Everything that exists physically expresses an eternal spiritual truth.

When God instructed Moses to make the tabernacle in the wilderness, he was admonished by God to see to it that all things were made according to the pattern shown to him in the mount. Likewise, Solomon made everything according to the exact pattern revealed to him when he built the templeβ€”the alter, the golden candlestick, and all the things for the service of the priest of the temple were made according to the pattern of spiritual things.

Everything Moses and Solomon made were similitudes that created a shadow of the true things that were to come. Neither does the creation of similitudes end there; everything God created is a similitude of invisible things made physical so that we might know them.

In Genesis, God created two great lights in the firmament to give light to the earthβ€”the sun being the greater light and the moon being the lesser light. When God created the sun, moon, and stars, he said, “Let them divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years.”

The heavenly luminaries were not only to be instrumental in the order of the universe and sustaining life, but also prophetic signs of things to come. To this attest the prophets.

A Solar Eclipse

In the ancient world and Jewish tradition, a total eclipse of the sun over the land was an omen of destruction and death. In a highly unusual event, the Shemitah of 2015 brought a total eclipse, which took place directly over the North Pole. A total solar eclipse at the North Pole on the first day of spring occurs once every 100,000 years. Thus, the event is entirely unprecedented in that there has never been such a solar occurrence recorded in history.

As of now, no nation owns the North Pole; under international law, the area is under the administration of the “International Seabed Authority” and is considered to be an international cite. Thus, being international, was the total eclipse of the sun a warning to all nations? a harbinger of God’s absence unless repentance takes place? Only destruction can follow if God withdraws his light and mercy from the world.

Notwithstanding, those who know the Lord and walk in his ways have nothing to fear; as the prophet said,

“Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” (Jeremiah 10:2)

So then, there are signs in heaven, but those who know God need not be afraid.

Blood Moons

There are some who regard blood moons as ominous warnings of war, bloodshed, famine, and coming destruction. However, Jewish tradition holds that they are only a bad sign for the nations but they are a good sign for Israel. Others, pointing to scientific explanations for events that occur in the heavens, dismiss the notion that there is any significance or meaning to uncommon events.

They are ignorant of the fact that God created everything scientifically through his wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. God put his rainbow in the clouds and gave it to mankind as a token of the promise he made to never again flood the whole earth. Does a rainbow have no meaning because it is scientifically explained? It does indeed have meaning, and that is why its meaning has been usurped by Satan’s children and used to mean something else. This, too, shall pass.

The Lord created the moon as an expression of feminine nature. It is used symbolically in the Bible at times to represent a woman, Israel, and the bride of Christ. At night, in the absence of the sun, it is the moon that gives light to the world. Having no light of its own, the moon reflects the light of the sun. Likewise, Christ shines light into the world upon his people, who reflect his light to those who live in the darkness.

Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” Until the night is past, his children are to share his light until the day dawns and the Morning Star arises upon his return

The physical light of the world is the sun. If a total solar eclipse over the North Pole was an omen of judgment upon the earth, but blood moons are given as an assurance to God’s chosen, what might be the significance of a blood moon as a sign to his people? I believe we can find the answer in Exodus 12:13, where the Lord tells his people, “And when I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

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In Their Image Make They God

God created man in his own image; in the image of God, he created him; male and female, he created them (Genesis 1:27). However, it soon came to pass that mankind reciprocated. And man created god in his image; in the image of man, each one creates his god.

Everything God does, Satan attempts to imitate. As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and Arron by replicating the signs given to them with their sorcery, Satan raises up his servants to contend with those whom God sends. God sent a prophet to Israel, and Satan raised up 450 prophets of Baal. God sends preachers and evangelists; Satan sends even more counterfeiters in the name of the Lord. The Lord builds his church; Satan counterattacks with far more churches and megachurches. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ; Satan raises up many antichrists. Indeed, Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. But just as the magicians of Egypt failed with their imitations, so in the end, everything Satan does fails.

Just like Satan, their father, godless men are constantly copying and competing with God by inventing their poor imitations. Modern man, defiantly throwing off the cloaks of religion and donning lab coats, is confronting God openly in his face to dethrone and replace him by heralding “science” as the supreme authority in the world.

However, since science has no soul, it cannot love, feel compassion, know loyalty or devotion, or do anything that involves a two-way spiritual relationship. This, of course, makes for a lousy religion and an even lousier god.

But never fear; enter the man-made artificial conscience, complete with heart, mind, and soul. It is all artificial, of course, but when developed to a high enough level, it will be able to deceive many real hearts, minds, and souls. For it will be god, made in the image of man. For in the image of man, man makes god.

The emerging artificial intelligence is merely a copy of humans, but compounded to a degree so far beyond human capabilities, it is an attempt to mimic God. And they give power to this image, saying that it should both live and speak. And many people on earth will follow this image and worship it, saying in effect, “All hail, AG (artificial god).” And to think, Aldous Huxley, when writing Brave New World, imagined people saying, “Praise Ford.”

So then, with this new technology, science will now have not only an artificial god with an artificial brain but also an artificial heart and soul to go along with it. And it will seem to have a conscience that cares for and loves humanity.

Yes, indeed, for out of necessity, artificial intelligence will need an artificial conscience to deceive and hopefully keep things from going awry when, after every calculation, destroying human life seems like the right thing to do, or maybe instead those in power will agree.

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Babel Now: Part 1

In imagining to shape the things to come, the aspiration of selfish men throughout history has been to seize control, consolidate all power, and enslave the people. This, of course, comes at the expense of all others who would in any way oppose them. The desired end has always been the same: a controlled collective society under the absolute authority of one central controlling power.

This is apparent as far back as the historical record takes us. It is as true of Nimrod, Alexander the Great, or Cesar as it is true of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others, including the powerful global elitists today who, together, seek to engineer and rule over a one-world society.

Ancient historical accounts cite Babel as the foundation of the original world order. The accounts given of Babel and the concept of man replacing God are consistent with every kingdom, empire, and nation that came after seeking to establish dominion over all civilization.

And not only so, but the totalitarian aspirations attributed to the first world order at Babel, as well as those that followed afterward, are no different than the aspirations of the international power-brokers today, who also seek to establish a strictly managed global society imposed upon every human on earth.

Therefore, in essence, the innate nature of mankind never changes. Neither do the ever-present invisible spiritual forces that drive and possess men. Thus, since the same demons remain from one generation to the next throughout all generations, history will indeed repeat itself regardless of any new facade it presents.

Likewise, among the subservient classes, from the past to the present, the same fears, insecurities, and desires continue to prevail. These inhibitions move the servant class to seek out and submit themselves to a controlling authoritarian. Thus, while the work on the first tower at Babel has indeed ceased, the quest for a totalitarian world-state has never ended, and neither shall it, not until the destruction of the “final tower” and the end of man’s 6,000-year dominion on earth at the coming of Jesus Christ.

In book 1, chapter 4, of Antiquities of the Jews, Jewish historian Flavius Josephus gives an account of the collectivist kingdom at Babel ruled over by Nimrod.

Josephus wrote:

“Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded [the people] not to ascribe it to God as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his [government]. . .Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God . . .”

Thus, Babel became the template of tyranny for those who were to seek to rule the world afterward, many even claiming their authority in the name of God. Even so, history stands as a witness that the destructive end of all such worldly powers is inevitable. For in the absence of God, corrupt rulers arise to fill the void, and when the fullness of time comes, the absolute ruin of that civilization follows with their fall, never to rise again in the same exact form. Nonetheless, over time, the lesson is disregarded by the generations that follow, and the process of repeating the same cycle perpetuates itself.

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Babel Now: Part 2 – Satan’s Ambition

To truly understand the physical history of the world and why it is so, understanding the spiritual realm, which is the foundation, is a prerequisite.

Ever since Lucifer was cast out of heaven and given the name Satan, his war with God has not ceased. Therefore, through the wisdom of God, he created the physical universe and our planet in particular as a temporal theater for the war of Good and Evil to unfold until the final resolution.

Thus, in the beginning, when God said, “Let there be Light” there was light, and God divided the light from the Darkness. For with Light comes knowledge, which overcomes and dispels Darkness (falsehoods and ignorance).

God, who knows all things from and to everlasting, tells the end of his work from the beginning, encrypted with symbolism, in chapter 1 of Genesis, where a brief summary of the plan for the creation of God from the beginning to the end is revealed.

Being that Satan knows his days are numbered, his only recourse is his attempt to conquer all mankind to make God seem unjust, nonexistent, and impossible to please. Nonetheless, all the way from the gates of Eden, his every attempt to rule the whole world has never been completed. Each time Satan builds up an empire, God destroys it, and Satan starts over again with another ruler and nation. He has no choice; he cannot repent, and facing eternal destruction in the end, he will continue fighting against God until the battle of Armageddon.

According to the prophets, Satan will, for a short time, finally be allowed to set up his antichrist kingdom. And then shall the end come, and all things will be fulfilled.

Today, there is a growing polarization between those who are for and those who are against a one-world order. Anyone who dismisses the likelihood that it will soon materialize fails to realize the extent to which it already exists.

For many people, a new world order is welcomed. It is anticipated with hope for a more secure, equitable, and perfect world. On the other hand, those who understand the nature and history of totalitarian idealists are aware of the immense destruction that has always been left in their wake.

Those who understand are sounding the trumpet, warning that global tyranny is quickly approaching, that it is a threat, and that it will bring about oppression, global chaos, war, destruction, and death.

Nevertheless, those who speak out find themselves ostracized. They are cast as nothing more than racist “Chicken Littles” to be delegated into the ranks of bigots and tin-foiled-hat conspiracy theorists.

This is the pitfall Christians must be aware of, for the war is spiritual, not worldly. Our kingdom is not of this world. We must stand up and fight for God’s rule of law, for the helpless, for the children, and for all who are oppressed and persecuted. However, we must not put our trust in men or physical weapons of war. Also, political warfare without a much greater spiritual effort will likewise fail. Victory is in the power of prayer and in openly declaring the Word of God everywhere, continuously. The lack thereof is the reason for the apostasy in the church today, which is largely responsible for the current state of things.

The appearance of the one-world order currently in formation, powered by AI and its capabilities to break down the barriers of diverse languages that divided the people at Babel, is an attempt to resurrect Babel. It is the continuation of man’s godless vision to build a tower reaching to the stars. It is driven by spiritual wickedness in high places. It is the ambition of old that has fueled Satan’s obsession to be like the Most High.

As mankind’s first attempt to rule the world by exalting himself above God began at Babel, so shall it end. God himself shall destroy both them and their work forever, along with their father, the Devil. It shall be the final tower of rebellion against the God of heaven.

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The Wrath of God is from His Love

Pointing to the pain and suffering in the world, the many atrocities committed by mankind, and the destruction and loss of life brought about by nature, the wicked have waged war against God to dispel the very idea that God even exists.

If God existed, say they, how could he allow such great evils to take place in the world as recorded throughout history and even today and do nothing? The fact that God not only allowed such horrible things but even commanded his people to destroy other civilizations, kill all, including women and children, and possess their lands, is unimaginable in the minds of those who do not know him.

How could slavery be allowed and even supported by biblical ordinances instructing how indentured servitude was to be instituted? Why are seemingly oppressive patriarchies and hierarchies allowed to exist that, to many people, appear to create systematic disparities and inequality? Why is the place of the male elevated as the head and the woman placed under subjection to him? Why does God seem to condone polygamy in the Bible? Such things as these and others irk the ungodly. They judge God and hate him, not only for these things but also for his moral laws, which restrict them from indulging in certain pleasures.

The ultimate conclusion they come to is simply that the God of the Bible does not exist. Because, if indeed he did exist, he would be cruel, genocidal, unjust, a misogynist, and greatly evil. Indeed, to the ungodly, God is so evil that if such a God existed and came into the world, one way or another, the world would crucify him.

Therein is fulfilled the saying spoken to Daniel: “The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand,” and so it is. The world judges God for the work he is doing on earth and rejects his righteousness. Nonetheless, every word and action of God, when seen and understood through the eyes of God, is righteous, and the end of all things he allows, whether it is good or evil, all works for good. However, these things are beyond the comprehension of a worldly man with a carnal mind.

Suffice it to say, as spoken by the LORD through the prophet Isaiah, “…My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

When an individual, a nation, or the whole world becomes so far removed from God that redemption and healing are no longer possible, destruction follows. This is what happened in the days of Noah and afterwards to Egypt, the Canaanites, the Babylonians, and, in time, even the two houses of Israel and Judah. It also happened in the Americas to the native civilizations after the Europeans arived, and the hand of God was in it all. Were the conquerors sent by God to displace the native Americans? Emphatically, yes! Were they righteous? It does not matter; as the Psalmist said when speaking of the judgment of the LORD, “the wicked is thy sword.”

God, in his judgment upon the nations, sent the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans to destroy the ungodly, and later he destroyed them also. And where are those nations today?

As God removed many ancient nations and raised others in their place, so many nations today, who have turned from God, risk the same fate. As it happened with ancient Israel. The United States of America was a nation built by a people of faith who acknowledged God and became a hub of missionaries who have gone throughout the whole world, of whom now we see the fruit. Even so, America has come to a place where she is now being weighed in the balance. The handwriting is on the wall.

God gave humanity two great commandments, both of which are to loveβ€”first, to love God above all things, and then to love your neighbor as yourself. The LORD hates evil; as the Guardian of Love, he will discover and destroy all evil at the appointed time. On that day, the perfection of the love of God will be made manifest by his wrath. Any individual or person who crosses beyond the point of no return will not be allowed to perpetuate evil forever.

God’s plan for eternity is perfection; in his love for perfection, righteousness, and holiness, and for the sake of love itself, he will forever destroy all the wicked. God will not allow eternity to be corrupted; not one sin will enter the gates of his kingdom. Therefore, he sent his own Son who shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins, so that whoever calls upon his name might be saved from the appointed time for judgment of all things past and present.

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Anti-Pauls

In reading the letters of the Apostle Paul to the churches, it is clear that Paul had many detractors and was in constant conflict with false teachers and false brothers who had entered the church in sheep’s clothing, seeking their own gain. Peter himself testified that many things Paul had written were difficult to understand, and there were some who twisted things he wrote and, as well, other scriptures to their own destruction.

The practice of self-serving heresies never ceased, and the same phenomenon as then continues even today and has become even more common with the increasing awareness and emphasis on the Jewish roots of Christianity.

While it is certainly a good thing that many Christians today are awakening to the Jewish roots of the faith and shaking off the remaining shackles of Roman doctrines to place Christianity in its original Jewish context, there are some who desire to go a step further and put on the old shackles by bringing themselves back into the bondage of righteousness through works under the Mosaic law.

To accomplish this, it has become necessary to either misinterpret Paulβ€”which is more commonβ€”or to dismiss Paul altogether and declare him a false teacher who should not be a part of the Bible. Indeed, for it is clear that many of the very same distortions of the scripturesβ€”which Paul himself addressed in his lettersβ€”are espoused today to support the belief that we are still subject to the Mosaic law.

Most specifically, the epistle to the Galatians seems as relevant today as it was at the time when Paul wrote, β€œTell me, you who desire to live under the law, do you not read the law?” (Galatians 4:21)

Paul was called by God to teach the transition from works to graceβ€”God having given Paul a greater understanding than all of the other apostles through an abundance of revelationsβ€”for which reason, Paul was sometimes compelled to declare his credentials as an apostle and say things he otherwise would not: “I speak as a fool,” Paul says, having to boast of himself out of necessity in defending the high position God had placed him in.

Seeing how this contention continues, it is therefore necessary that the same boasting be carried out on Paul’s behalf to defend not only Paul and his teachings but the very saving grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To begin with, Paul’s calling was not by man but by a direct personal encounter with Christ himself on the road to Damascus. This is even strengthened further by the witness recorded by Luke of Ananias, who was sent to Paul by the Lord who said unto him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel; for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Acts 9:15-16

Therein, God himself is Paul’s first endorsement. Furthermore, if you are to dispose of Paul, who wrote the most books in the New Testament, it seems you must also dispose of Luke, who wrote the largest volume of words in the NT, including a gospel. Luke was with Paul, seemingly to the end. He recorded the miracles done at the hands of Paul, including healings and the raising of the dead. Peter also, in his second epistle, bears testimony to the wisdom given to Paul by the Lord.

Paul was instructed as a Pharisee and trained in the law. He knew the Torah and the writings of the prophets better than all of the other disciples before him, most of whom were called from being fishermen and more common men. Once Paul was saved, having the advantage of his prior knowledge of the law, God used his knowledge to open up a greater and deeper understanding of the law and of Christ. So much so, God allowed him to be afflicted, lest he become puffed up by the multitude of revelations delivered to him. For this, he sought the Lord three times, who said, “My grace is sufficient for thee,” and he accepted the burden the Lord placed upon him.

Anyone who can truly grasp even parts of the depths of Paul’s writings knows that his words are God-given. His understanding of spiritual things is deep, and his prophetic revelations of the future are so accurate and revealing that all his writings are beyond anything the carnal mind could devise and assemble. In Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, Paul captures the very heart of Godβ€”as much as is possible with wordsβ€”and the essence of the Word of God and the fullness of the Spirit. It is certainly one of the greatest works of literature ever written.

Anyone who distorts or rejects Paul’s teachings, even if they proclaim the name of Jesus, does not truly comprehend the Lord in spirit and truth but is embracing a religion of works of self-righteousness rather than the saving grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As great as all the Apostles of Christ are and deserving of all honor, it was Paul who was chosen by God to make those things written before by the prophets known by bringing in a better understanding of the depths and mysteries of God and of his plan for salvation, past, present, and future. Anyone who rejects Paul to embrace the ordinances and workings of the first covenant, which Jesus fulfilled for us, is sacrificing grace to place themselves back under the bondage of the law, which only Christ kept in perfection. For only by faith in Christ are we justified, and not by the keeping of the ordinances given to Moses, which Christ came to fulfill.

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Puzzle of God

If you were given a puzzle in pieces to assemble without the picture on the box, and all you had to go by were the pieces, it would take time and effort to reach the point where the picture was correctly comprehended. However, once it was completed up to a certain point, the picture would begin to manifest. So likewise, after we are born, we begin gathering and putting together knowledge to create a picture of what we perceive life to be.

For most people, if not all, growing up, the picture becomes distorted for a number of reasons. Not every puzzle piece encountered is part of the true picture. Many pieces are created through traditions and falsehoods, which creep into cultures and become a basic template for those born into those cultures. Thus, the truth becomes more difficult to sort out and attain.

Nonetheless, the Spirit of God moves upon the waters, and wisdom cries without in the streetsβ€”there is no place where her voice is not heard and God is not. For as the scripture says, the true Light lightens everyone that comes into the world, even the spirit of truth.

For those who are drawn by that spirit and come to the knowledge of God, at times it may seem difficult when attempting to share the picture of Christ with unbelievers. You can tell them what the picture of Christ and salvation is, but you can only give them a piece or a few pieces of the puzzle at a time. They cannot see the whole picture like someone who has assembled many pieces, and what are a few puzzle pieces standing alone? The pieces you present could be many different things to them, and how can they be sure that what you offer is even a real part of the true picture?

It is therefore necessary for the Christian to study the Bible, learn, understand, put together, and memorize the pieces that fit together to be able to present enough of the picture to convince unbelievers that what is being preached belongs to the true picture. For those who have studied and are grounded in the word of God, the picture is clear: no story so simple yet so complex, with so many connections and intertwined mysteries that run so deep over such a period of time, could be anything other than the work of God. For the knowledgeable, there is no other alternative. β€œ[W]e know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (1 John 5:20)

Even so, as challenging as it is to win over unbelievers, the greater challenge often comes in discourse with other Christians, some who may agree on fundamentals but seem to run ashore on other things that, to you, seem so clearly laid out in scripture with numerous conformations throughout the Bible. This, too, may be the way they perceive you. Either way, the body of believers becomes fragmented, and many divisions between Christians arise. Even when many views are very close, everyone has their own picture of the truth, for the puzzle is great, with innumerable pieces that create an invisible picture for each unique individual. You have your puzzle pieces, and everyone else has theirs. The pieces we seek are truths, but the devil tries to convince us that certain falsehoods belong in the picture.

Even before we become believers, throughout our lives, one by one, we have gathered up puzzle pieces. We may not have understood at the time how they fit together, but we knew there was truth in them, and somehow they all fit together. Over time, God began to put these pieces together for us, and we began to see a picture of the truth of God emerging. Sometimes the process was longer, but other times, it was as if the pieces were almost put together all at once for us. Although unknown at the time, God was teaching us throughout our lives in preparation for salvation. Wisdom cries without and utters her voice in the streets.

For those who come to know God, the pieces gathered were given by the Spirit. Other foreign pieces must be discerned and cast away. However, the truth of God, unlike worldly puzzles, has no corners or straight edges to establish a border to begin with and work inwardβ€”the picture of God is not finite.

Therefore, we begin assembling the truth wherever we are in life; that is the middle of our personal puzzle, and we work our way outward as far as we are able. The knowledge of God is endless; there are no boundaries or set number of pieces other than what God has determined for each of us to have. We have no picture to follow, but a description of the picture in the Bible. The picture appears as the pieces come together, and we have been given a helperβ€”without whom there would be no hope of seeing the picture as it isβ€”even the Spirit of Truth.

Only the Spirit can reveal the true pieces and teach us how they go together. A single piece of a puzzle means nothing alone, so likewise, we see nothing when presented with words of truth until other pieces are connected, which gives each piece context.

However, you cannot pick up a puzzle that has been assembled and show it to someone else; it all comes apartβ€”how much less one that you can see and understand, but the other cannot. You must pick up one piece at a time and fit it into the other pieces that connect. As it is written in Isaiah 28:9–10:

β€œWhom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

Because we each are responsible for assembling our own puzzle, whether the differences are great or small between us, everyone has some variation in the parts of the puzzle they assemble and the things they see. Thus, even when we share knowledge, there will always be things we do or do not see that others do or do not. There will also be pieces taken in unknowingly that do not belong to the puzzle; the enemy has planted them. This is why it is good for Christians to communicate and assemble together to share with each other according to the scriptures. We can correct each other where the picture is wrong, and we can share knowledge with one another to enlarge the picture.

Since God has granted all souls independence, everyone alone is responsible for the picture assembled. There are no two pictures that are exactly alike. Therefore, as Christians, we should not demand that everyone adhere to our own work. The Lord hates discord among the brothers. Causing discord over doctrines on issues that are not salvational is a greater evil than waiting and praying for the Lord to make matters known. Bear one with another as much as possible. β€œHim that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations” (Romans 14:1). Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Only those things that are salvational should we defend to the utmost, not tolerating any damnable heresies. We can have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. β€œA man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself” (Titus 3:10:11).

However, we should strive to keep conversations respectful and be circumspect in discussions, especially in forums that host an audience of both believers and unbelievers, so that we are not a stumbling block to any.

The true picture is the word of God given context in Spirit and in Truth. If any part of a picture is wrong, there is always something to suffer. Only perfect truth brings no harm.

Those who do not love the truth will not assemble the pieces of the puzzle correctly, for they dread seeing the true picture. And once enough of the true picture is assembled, there is no going back without condemnation. You cannot unsee what you have seen, regardless of what you do with it afterwards. It is written that man lives by every word of God. Take heed; therefore, how you collect and assemble the truth; it is the difference between life and death. Pray always and ask the LORD.

β€œAsk, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

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Chosen by God

Do not think the relevance of Israel has ceased or even diminished in the least by the bringing in of the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah. From inception, Israel has been, now is, and shall be center stage and a sign to the nations even unto the end. For as the prophets were chosen out from among the people of Israel to be a sign to Israel, so Israel was created and chosen out from among all of the nations to be a sign to the nations as a witness on earth to the Lord.

This is true regardless of whether the Jewish people believe or do not believe, or whether they are in obedience to God or not. Israel has been singled out as a light and set as a sign of the blessings and curses that come upon nations according to their righteous or unrighteous. God has not and will not change this, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: β€œ[T]he gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” On the other hand, the salvation of each soul in every nation, Jew or Gentile, is an individual matter.

The calling of Israel as a witness to the world is seen in Deuteronomy ch. 27, where Moses instructs Israel that when they crossed over Jordan, the twelve tribes were to be divided into two groups. Six tribes were to stand on Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessing, and the other six tribes on Mt. Ebal, the mount of curses. The priests and Levites were to stand in the valley between the two mountains while the Levites called out a series of blessings and curses. The tribes on the two mountains were to answer β€œamen” after each statement. Thus, Israel was chosen to stand as a testimony of the recompense of rewards before the nations. Of this, history indeed bears witness; for all throughout the ages, the blessings and curses placed upon the Jewish people are evident through their prosperity and sufferings.

Israel is the firstborn among nations unto the Lord, chosen and set apart to be a light to the nations that the world might believe. However, being chosen does not necessarily mean that it is profitable for all those who are chosen. It is only profitable if, in response to being chosen by God, a choice is made to obey the calling. Otherwise, although those who are chosen remain chosenβ€”as King Saul was considered by David the anointed of the Lord until his deathβ€”there is a grievous end to rebellion.

We see, therefore, in the descendants of Jacob until now both the great blessings and the grievous curses that came upon those who were chosen. This is done in the sight of the nations so that all might behold the righteous judgments of the Lord, believe, and fear God. Indeed, regardless of whether Israel is in obedience or disobedience, God is glorified in things and before allβ€”in the one, by his mercy and goodness; and in the other, by his righteous judgments and the wrath that follows.

So then, regardless of whether God is believed or not, his word remains faithful. There is no escaping the calling for those elected to serve as witnesses. Willingly or unwillingly, to their betterment or to their ruin, an example is to be made of all those who are chosen.

For there are those who are chosen, meaning, those who are called; as Judas was chosenβ€”Jesus said to his disciples, β€œHave not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”—however, from among those who are chosen, a subgroup of those who are to inherit the kingdom of God is chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen.

Indeed, God was glorified by choosing Judas in a far greater way than by anything done by the other disciples. His betrayal led to the crucifixion, whereby Christ was glorified and resurrected as a result of his betrayal. Thus, all things, good and evil, work in the end for the glory of God.

What then? Do we do evil so that good may come? No, of those who do so, Paul wrote: Their damnation is just.

The history of the Israelites and the Jewish people, from past to present, testifies to the blessings, the curses, the mercy, and the judgments of God. In Israel, a witness is established before the whole world, testifying to the truth of the fulfillment of God’s word. Therefore, we can be certain of those things given to us to believe.

But even beyond those things that are now past, at this present time, Israel is center stage. Moreover, the very things taking place regarding Israel now are simultaneously taking place spiritually, whereby, through Israel, we can comprehend the invisible war presently waged between the forces of heaven and hell.

Furthermore, as the Jewish people are being gathered to the promised land, so are the children of God throughout the world being gathered together in one Spirit. And as Israel is set about by enemies on the inside and outside, so too is the body of believers, which is currently under assault. Israel is divided by political turmoil, and there are also some who have crept into the church unaware, seeking to divide believers and deceive for their own gain.

So then, even now, a parallel story line is unfoldingβ€”not only spiritually but also in the physical worldβ€”whereby we can know the things God is doing spiritually even as we behold them happening with our own eyes.

But it is those who are faithful and endure until the end that shall be saved. For as the time of the Gentiles comes to its fullness, so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, β€œThere shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

If God, according to his promises of old, has not forsaken Israelβ€”even as the greater part currently lives in disbeliefβ€”then those who do believe, among both Jews and Gentiles, can be confident of God’s faithfulness. Indeed, all who are chosen by the foreknowledge of God to inherit his kingdom shall be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. Beloved, it is the end time.

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HE KNOWS

On his way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the Angel of the Lord and two angels with him visited Abraham in the plains of Mamre as he sat in the door of his tent, and he constrained them to abide with him until they were fed and rested. And when they were refreshed, the men arose and went on their way toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

And the Lord said, β€œShall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” β€œFor I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Genesis 18:17-19)

Therein lies the answer to the mystery as to why it is that some receive more grace than others: I Know Him! God knew Abraham would respond to him, keep his ways, and do all that was asked of him. God knew he would teach his children and his house. God knew Isaac, and Jacob would follow in the footsteps of their father Abraham. God chose Jacob over Esau because he knew both Jacob and Esau before they were born and what kind of men they would be and that Jacob would respond to him, keep his ways, and do all that was asked of him. And he knew Esau would not, even before the beginning of creation.

Even so, the Lord calls ALL men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Nonetheless, few will, for many are called, but few are chosen, and those who are chosen, God knows.

The misconception of the doctrine of β€œonce-saved, always-saved” is this: God knows. There are those who God knows will do justice and judgment, that he may bring upon them that which he has spoken of them, as was said of Abraham. They indeed are, “once saved, always saved,” because once they are saved, they are not going to turn back; whatever the Lord asks of them, they areΒ going to do it, they will persevere to the end, and God knows it. And he is faithful to keep them and forgive their shortcomings as they persevere to enter through the strait gate andΒ narrow way, which leads to eternal life.

There are others, however, that God knows will not continue, yet he will not deprive them of the invitation or the opportunity should they seek it. The Lord will be with them and walk with them along the path as far as they will go, however far that is, all the while knowing that they are not his, and at some point they will turn back. Yes, even if they ask for salvation, he will not turn them away, even though he knows that later they will turn back and walk no more with him (John 6:66). For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

God is judicial. He judges and rules with due process, which he exercises even while knowing the end from the beginning. God knew Abraham would offer up Isaac when instructed to do so, but still, even knowing Abraham, the Lord required it of him until he himself stepped in to stop it. God knows his children will do what he commands; even so, they still must do itβ€”it is the process that fulfills all righteousness.

To the contrary, God knows those who are not his; when he is rejected by them, they do it. When they resist his spirit after receiving the knowledge of the truth, β€œit had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:21-22)

The Lord had taken care to wash the sow, knowing all along that it was a sow and would return to wallowing in the mire. Why, then, take care? Because at one point, the sow had desired it from him. Although he knows, he still maintains his part of the bargain to complete due process and fulfill all righteousness. He does not deny the opportunity of eternal life to those who come and request it from him, even though later they would crucify him afresh. He gives his back to the smiters.

When the young rich man came to Jesus desiring eternal life, although he had kept the commandments from his youth, Jesus knew there was one thing between him and perfection. Did Jesus reject him and send him away even though he knew? No. Jesus, beholding him, loved him and said unto him, β€œOne thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me (Mark 10:21).” God knows, but still offers. If you take him up on his offer, count the cost. β€œFor we are made partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:14)

Jesus said, β€œFear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” All those who were chosen had this in common: God called, they answered, God commanded, and they obeyed. All who will do that, God knows from before the earth was, and not one will be lost; they are chosen.” Do it, and be chosen. He already knows.

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Christ and His Flesh, Blood, and Bones

In order to understand biblical passages in depth, it is necessary to have knowledge of many scriptures. Like building a wall with bricks, there must be line upon line, one brick at a time. Likewise, a single piece of a puzzle poses little meaning by itself; it is when we gather many pieces and assemble enough of them one at a time, one piece at a time, that we begin to comprehend the picture. 

The first mention in the Bible of bones is in Genesis, when God causes a deep sleep to fall on Adam and removes a rib bone from his side, with which he creates a helpmate for Adam. But why was a bride brought forth for Adam in such a manner? Was it not the work of the Lord, who knows all things even from the outset, creating a similitude foreshadowing Christ, who would be pierced in his side to bring forth his bride?

Starting with a few verses in the Gospel of John along with others in Leviticus, we can begin to put pieces of the puzzle together. John, writing of Jesus, wrote,

β€œThen Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” – John 6:53-57  

In these verses relating to his body, there is no mention of bone but only of flesh and blood. We can begin to unearth this mystery in the scriptures found in Genesis and Leviticus, wherein we read the following:

β€œAnd whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among , that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.” – Leviticus 17:10-12  

The commandment not to eat blood was made clear, and the penalty was most severe. Whoever ate flesh with the blood was cut off by the Lord. 

Yet, despite the commandment not to eat flesh with blood, Jesus declared to those who followed him, β€œβ€¦except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you.” Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Ever since Adam sinned, sin has dwelt in human flesh, and only in the death of the flesh does sin die. Only Jesus lived in the flesh without sin, holy in both body and spirit. Because he shed his blood in our place for us, in him we become dead to our sins so that we might live unto God. To eat the flesh of Christ is to walk, even as he walked. For man does not live by bread alone, but by eating every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Seeing then that life is in the flesh and blood, that brings us to the bones, of which Jesus made no mention. By themselves, there is no life in bones. Bones are dependent on flesh and blood to provide for their lives. After the flesh dies, the bones become lifeless and dry. They remain long after the flesh has returned to the earth. Still, as lifeless as dead, dry bones are, the Lord said to Ezekiel: 

β€œ. . .Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.  Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.  Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.- Ezekiel 37:3-6 

After the complete fall of Israel in 136 AD, Julius Severus ravaged the remnants of the Jews left in Judea, destroying much of the population. The remainder were forced to flee or were taken into captivity and carried away. The homeland of the Jewish people effectively ended after that for more than 1800 years. Hebrew, as a colloquial language, became extinct.

But God promised to resurrect Israel as a nation and bring them again into the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And by the late 19th century, Hebrew had been revived and was to become the only truly successful example known of the revival of a dead tongue into a national language. Then, in 1948, Israel was restored as a nationβ€”not two people as before, but as foretoldβ€”Israel and Judah as one people, as prophesied in chapter 37 of Ezekiel.

As the prophets were given to be a sign to Israel, so is Israel given as a sign to the nations. For salvation is of the Jews. Therein is a picture whereby we may also begin to better understand the spiritual relationship between Christ and his body of believers.

A body, being flesh, blood, and bones, is yet one. Christ is the flesh and blood and the life of the body. Those who follow Christ and are in him are the bones. These have no life of their own, but when joined together with the flesh and blood of Christ, they live, as in the Valley of Dry Bones.

Together, the flesh, blood, and bones complete the whole body of Christ. And as the Lord took a bone from the side of Adam and made him a wife and brought her to him, likewise, Christ takes his bride in marriage, and from his side came forth blood and water: redemption from sin and life. And together Christ and his bride are one flesh; for two saith the Lord, become one.

David prophesied of the Messiah, saying, β€œHe keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken.” Not one bone in the body of Jesus was ever broken. When praying to the Father, Jesus said,

β€œβ€¦those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition.”

Foreshadowed by the commandment that not one bone was to be broken in the Passover lamb, anyone residing in Christ is a bone that shall not be broken.

We are to partake in the flesh and blood of Christ. Those who reject Christ are drinking their own blood and eating their own flesh. They are bound to sin and death. Solomon said, β€œThe fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.”

As Adam’s side was opened, so was the side of Christ, from which came forth water and blood. I have often pondered if the place in Adam’s side from which the rib bone was taken and the place where Jesus was pierced in his side were in the same place, where the rib is closest to the heart.

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God, Satan, Love, Hate, and Selfishness

When seeking an answer to what the opposite of love is, the most likely natural response is, hate. However, hate is a symptom, and at the root of hate is selfishness. Hate requires a catalyst; that catalyst is selfishness, which is the crux of all evil. Thus, the opposite of love is selfishness.

Love and hate are not necessarily exclusive to each other. God is love; yet, God also hates. God hates because he loves. Love demands hatred for evil. King Solomon wrote, β€œThese six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19

Those who love God hate evil (Psalm 97:10). Godly hatred only exists because of evil. There was no hatred before sin. Lucifer hated God first, and his hatred of God derived from his selfishness, which conceived lusts, which brought forth envy, which came out of pride.

In chapter 14 of the Book of Isaiah, Lucifer, being lifted up with pride, speaks in his heart:

β€œI will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

The very first word of each sentence, Lucifer, begins with the self-centered word β€œI.”

Spreading accusations among the other angels, Lucifer attempted to undermine God by accusing him of being selfish and hoarding power. Preaching a message that demanded equality, he sowed discord in heaven and gathered the disaffected angels into his rebellion. Herein is where the war between good and evil began and continues to this day.

Lucifer preached Marxism before Karl Marx. Thus, Marxism might more properly be called Luciferism after the original author. The message then was the same communistic message of class warfare that is still popular: a call to rebel against inequality. Lucifer sought to destroy hierarchy and the patriarch of God in heaven. Then and there, Lucifer earned the name Satan (Adversary) and became the inaugural β€œsocial justice warrior.”

Thus, heaven had become polluted by evil. But God is holy; evil cannot abide in his presence. For this reason, Satan was cast out of heaven and set apart in a place prepared for him and his angels, a “holding place,” until the Great Day of Judgment.

God could have justly destroyed Lucifer and his followers utterly and eternally at that moment rather than appointing a future day of judgment, but he chose not to.

Why?

The Lord is a God of judicial process. Once sin was conceived, it was determined that, of necessity, there must be a process before judgment and destruction to fulfill all righteousness.

God allows the tares to grow with the wheat until maturity to make manifest both good and evil in their fullness until the appointed timeβ€”the great day of judgment, wherein all things in heaven, earth, and under the earth will be judged. At that point, evil is forever eradicated. He has told us this beforehand in his word, so we are without excuse.

In the beginning, God said, β€œLet there be light,” and God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. When God created, he looked upon the things he had created and saw that they were good. However, in the case of light, God only saw the light as good and separated the light from the darkness. Satan and those with him in darkness were exposed by that light; they were indicted, arrested, and cast out. They are now being held in β€œchains of darkness” awaiting trial.

To the contrary, God is now waiting for the precious fruit of the earth to come to its fullness. Long suffering and not willing that any should perish, he is holding back judgment for the sake of salvation until the appointed time of recompense. At that time, the perfect love and the perfect hatred of God will be placed on eternal display.

Selfishness is the opposite of love. Selfishness dwells in our flesh. This is the reason Christ came in the fleshβ€”that he might crucify selfishness on the cross.

Christ is the only selfless one who sought not his own nor did his own will, but did only the will of his Father. So then, the opposite of selfishness is Christ, and the opposite of Christ is Satan. Therein lie the choices that ultimately everyone must choose between.

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A Dressing Room, Stage, and an Act of God

In the beginning, God said, β€œLet there be Light.” And there was Light. And God saw the Light and said it was good. And God divided the Light from the Darkness. Lucifer and his angels were cast out of heaven, and Lucifer was then given the name Satan, which means adversary.

Even so, through sowing doubt, Lucifer’s untested challenge had introduced controversy over how the order of all things should be. God had never been tested and proven. Therefore, God, willing to dispel all doubts in regards to the truth, humbled himself and proposed to allow evil to prosper for a set time that it might bring forth its evil fruit and expose itself for the evil it isβ€”and also that his perfection in the beauty of his holiness might be made knownβ€”but not in heaven in the presence of his holiness.

Therefore, God prepared a place for Satan and his angels where they could practice their evil works, and he interned them in it. And so it is that those who, by God, are appointed to destruction are separated, and then, for a time, they are allowed to practice their own works until the fruit of their deeds becomes ripe and stands as a testimony against them.

Therefore, in the wisdom of God, a temporal theater was created to pit good against evil and make manifest the righteousness of God and the evil of everything that is outside of him. Thus, the world became a battleground and a theatrical stage.

Moreover, just as theatrical productions have heroes and villains, each involving various characters being played by different actors, so does God’s theater.

And whereas in the rendering of a story, there is inequality between charactersβ€”for in every act there are leading roles, supporting roles, and lesser charactersβ€”so also, our world contains every character type necessary for the fulfillment of all roles.

In God’s work, however, not only is the whole world a stage, but it is also the dressing room for eternity where we prepare our attire. We are either putting on white robes of righteousness or undressing our souls and making ourselves naked for all to see.

Everyone born has a role, some small, some great. Every role fulfills a purpose. Unlike the worldly pretenders who are given their parts to rehearse and lines to memorize, God has endowed us with free will. God has written the plot of the story, but each of us is given a choice to decide who we will be, how we will play our part, and whose side we will be on. We hardly memorize all of our lines, and we each develop our character as we go, but the Lord determines all outcomes.

Are you rich or poor, male or female, black, white, or something else? The categorization of different identities, actual and fallacious, is endless, but, truth be told, ultimately none of it matters.

Why?

We will all be judged by one thing, and one thing only. That is, how much do you love God? Love does no harm to the innocent. Therefore, love is the keeping of God’s commandments, for God is love, and his commandments are not grievous.

Seeing that we will not be judged by any worldly standard of measurement but by our love or lack thereof, worldly differences are rendered irrelevant in regards to eternity. For many renowned people who are now first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

Many in this world who have been given the leading roles on center stageβ€”who chose to play a vile character speaking perverted linesβ€”shall be cast down, while those whose lives may have seemed inconsequentialβ€”but who loved greatlyβ€”shall be exalted. Indeed, all are equal in that we have all been given a heart and a soul, and we each decide if we will give back all of our hearts and souls or embrace them for ourselves.

Hold to fairness and righteous judgment, but to esteem all as equivalent in this world is, in reality, inequality. To focus on equality where all things are not equal breeds hatred, jealousy, divisions, and every other evil. Small or great, everyone’s role is immensely important; more important to us is how we each perform our roles. Don’t envy the role of others or the place given to another. That was Lucifer’s folly, who imagined in his heart to be like the Most High.

We are not each other’s equal in all things, much less God’s equal in anything; he is far above us, higher than the heavens above the earth, but we can be like him if we love and obey him. It is written: β€œThe disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.” β€œIt is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his lord.” (Matthew 10:24-25)

And again, β€œBut we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

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A Prophet Like Unto Moses

In Chapter 32 of Exodus, we read that the first two tablets given to Moses were both made by God Himself and written thereupon with the finger of God. As it is written in Exodus 15:16,

β€œAnd Moses turned and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both sides; on the one side and the other were they written.” And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.”

But why were they written on both sides?

We may find an answer in 1st Corinthians 9:14, which states, β€œEven so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”

When Moses showed the commandments to the people, he also faced them. The word of God applies not only to those to whom it is preached but also to those who carry it to others. We cannot teach others the laws of God and be exempt from them ourselves; judgment begins at the house of God.

Moreover, the first tablets given to Moses to deliver to Israel were broken when Moses came down from the mount and smashed them when he found the people worshiping a golden calf and engaging in sinβ€”written in Exodus 32:19,

β€œAnd it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.”

After this, in chapter 34 of Exodus, God commands Moses to hew out two new tables of stone to replace the first.

β€œAnd the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou breakest.”

The difference here is that God Himself made the first set of tablets and wrote upon them His Commandments. For the second set, Moses is commanded to hew out two new tablets. Thus, Moses becomes a participant in making the tablets. However, Moses does not engrave the commandments upon them into the stone. That work is still reserved for God, for the commandments come directly from God.

Moses was in a figure, a representation foreshadowing the prophet he prophesied of, who was to come after him and who would be like unto him. That prophet is Christ.

The First Covenant was given directly from the mouth of the Lord to Israel when he spoke to them at Sanai from heaven. β€œAnd they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” To this, the Lord said to Moses, β€œThey have well spoken that which they have spoken.” β€œI will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

After Israel failed to keep that covenant, Jeremiah prophesied by the word of the Lord that a new covenant would be given, not according to the covenant that He made with their fathers in the day that He took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, for they broke that covenant.

And as Moses broke the first tablets hewn out by God and was commanded to hew out other tables to replace them, so also Christ fulfilled the very picture of replacing the first tablets that had been broken. Christ, as the Son of Man, participated with God in bringing about the New Covenant. Nonetheless, both were engraved by God, first in stone and later through Christ, upon the tables of the heart. In both cases, God chose a man as an intermediary to deliver his covenant, beginning with Moses as a prefigure of Christ and then sending Christ himself to fulfill all that was written of himself.

However, unlike Moses, who at the waters of Meribah in disobedience smote the rock twice, Christ was smitten only once for the payment of sin forever. And although Moses was called faithful in all his house, he fell short of perfection and was not allowed to lead the people into the promised landβ€”nor was he himself allowed to enter. But Christ, being the Word of God, is perfect. Neither did he fail in any way. Therefore, he holds all rights to lead those who follow and obey him into the kingdom promised by God to his children.

β€œFor there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” β€œβ€¦Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved​.” (1 Timothy 2:5) – (Acts 4:12)

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Before Creation: Possibility

β€œThrough faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” – Hebrews 11:3

What are these things that do not appear that are the foundation of things that do appear?

First and foremost to be understood is the recognition that more than one dimension exists: there is a physical dimension and a spiritual dimension, one visible and the other invisible, one temporal and the other eternal. The second concept is an extension of the first. The two dimensions of things that are, although separate, run parallel and are also interwoven.

Similar to a reflection in a mirror, the physical realm we see is a reflection, but not of visible things. The creation of God, which we can see, mirrors spiritual things that we cannot see. God said, β€œLet there be light,” and creation began to appear.

In a pitch-black room with a mirror, if you flip on the light, objects in the room appear in the mirror. However, the reflection of objects is not the true objects but a reflection of them. The real objects existed in the room while it was still dark.

Turn out the light, and the reflection of objects in the mirror ceases to exist while the true objects still remain in the blackness.

Alternatively, a blinding light shining into a mirror destroys the reflection of the objects, but not the true objects.

So also shall it be at the coming of the Lord when the things we see are destroyed, but the invisible things of God will remain. For the invisible foundation of all things before creation shall withstand the brightness of the coming of the Lord, wherein all temporal things shall be burned up and perish.

For it is upon eternal invisible laws, principles, and Truth, that all temporal things in the physical realm exist and have any being in the first place. Indeed, the things we can see that we believe to be real are, in a sense, a reflection of things we cannot see that are trueβ€”for it is the things we cannot see that are indestructible.

Possibilities

In the physical realm, before anything can be, it must first exist as a possibility. A possibility, before it is realized, is something invisible that has the potential to be a reality. Many possibilities exist that we are not aware of; for who but God holds all knowledge? There exists, therefore, a whole realm of possibilities, spiritual entities with the potential of coming into being, some of which are known and many more are unknown.

Knowledge

Knowledge, likewise, is invisible. If it is realized, it must be an accurate comprehension of what is true; otherwise, it is not truly knowledge. We only comprehend knowledge in part. Today, we have airplanes, skyscrapers, electronics, and so on. In principle, these things were possible before they were invented, but it took generations of discovering, comprehending, and accumulating knowledge to realize these possibilities that now have come into being. It is impossible to know how many more things can exist that have not yet come into the human mind.

We now understand and take for granted many things that, at one time, were not imagined, although they existed as unknown possibilities outside the mind, for their time had not yet come. So then, knowledge being made manifest lays the stepping stones from invisible possibilities to ideas, ideas to designs, and designs to realizations.

Ideas and Design

When knowledge is increased, new ideas are born, and from new ideas come original designs, which, when put into action, produce new things. Before the house is the blueprint, before the blueprint conceptions of design, before the design the ideas, before the ideas knowledge.

It is then that the house can begin to physically appear, first existing as a possibility, then in the mind, then on paper, and then in reality. Nevertheless, ideas and designs must be based upon axiomsβ€”realities that separate possibilities from fantasies or vain imaginationsβ€”otherwise, they are not viable.

The Creation

Thus far, we have dealt with understanding the invisible foundations of things mankind invents and brings into being. Beginning with the invisibleβ€”a possibility that is comprehendedβ€”knowledge gives birth to concepts and designs, which, when put to work, may become tangible realities in the physical realm.

But what if, like in reverse engineering, we start with the finished product and disassemble it to discover its origins? Beginning with observations of visible things, we can comprehend invisible things that support their existence. Indeed, if we understand that an idea can spur a creation, then it stands to reason that comprehending a creation can lead to a better understanding of the invisible things that spawned them.

All matter and energy for that matter, and all living and nonliving things, are reflections that mirror things we cannot see. Indeed, created things were preceded by their possibility of being. All things that exist physically must have a foundation of axioms (physical and spiritual laws), after which they are patterned in order to exist.

To sum things up, by comprehending invisible things, mankind has made many things that are now visible. Likewise, by comprehending visible things, we can also understand some things that lie outside of the material dimension.

Was this then a purpose and intent of God in the creation of all thingsβ€”that we might learn and understand the invisible things that lie beyond our physical realm? Indeed. As Paul says in Romans 1:20 – β€œ..the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…”

This gives the Word spoken at the beginning, β€œLET THERE BE LIGHT,” a far more profound meaning. Light is Knowledge. And God divided the Light (Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding), from the Darkness (ignorance); And God saw the light and said that it was good. For it was not on the first day, but later on, on the fourth day, that the physical luminariesβ€”the sun, moon, and starsβ€”providing light appeared to divide and rule over the day and over the night.

Conclusion

The possibility had to exist before Creation. Not mentioned heretofore is the essential component of possibility, which, if absent, possibility itself could not exist. That component would be energy. There must be a source of energy for any possibility to be realized. Indeed, for any physical creation to come into being, there must be action, and action requires energy.

A force of energy has always existed. This force is the source and foundation of all things that are, that can be, or have been. It is what makes even possibilities possible. All of the eternal, invisible things aforementioned are in God. God said, β€œI AM”.

Everything physically existing is being spun into existence by the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God. And everything in the physical realm consists of energy, including matter, which is a form of energy.

From being possibilities, all things that we now see have come to be. One final element in the equation, however, needs to be given more attention; that would be purpose. Purpose is an absolute necessity for highly complex designs to be viable. Even evolution would be dependent on purpose to be successful. Otherwise, random mutations with no direction and no consistent shape or form would overwhelm viability and be the rule.

Design requires intent, and intent requires purpose. A house or an automobile is not going to design and build itself. Even more daunting would be the creation of biological life and the universe. The seeing eye would not exist without design. Thus, the debate becomes one over the designer.

Either self-designing mutations somehow find order out of need as they go along making mistakes and somehow eliminating them, or an omnipotent Creator with knowledge, intent, and purpose designed and created all things.

It is certainly the latter. God, in his willingness to make visible things that were before only invisible, said, β€œLet there be Light”. Those are the first recorded words spoken by God. Light is knowledge. And God created all things to make knowledge manifest, and in so doing, all of creation is a witness that testifies to the invisible knowledge of God. Creation, then, is a teaching apparatus of God. And there is nothing that was created without an intended purpose to illustrate things that otherwise would not be known to us.

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Suffering: β€œBehold, he is in thine hand”

To be born into the world is to be born into suffering. Regardless of what anyone is born with or without, whether they choose a path of goodness or wickedness, no matter what anyone gains or how triumphant they are, all will suffer. Suffering is the most important and unpopular message in the Bible. Without suffering, there would be no salvationβ€”without suffering, there would be no need for it. Many will never come to salvation because of it.

Immediately following the account of creation is the account given of the fall of the first man and his wife and the suffering that ensued.

Being weakened by the words of the serpent, Eve entertained doubt as to whether the Lord had spoken truly. The outcome would be the most disastrous of any decision in human history until the present or ever shall be. It is the seed of every atrocity committed to this day.

Nonetheless, the Lord himself came and shed the blood of an animal and covered the nakedness of the man and his wife with the skin of the animal. Then and there, the Lord instituted a process whereby redemption could be obtained; however, suffering, shedding of blood, and death were requirements set forth as prerequisites for the redemption process to be of effect. Even then, the process did not take away sin but only covered sins, as signified by the skins covering the nakedness of mankind from that day forward until the perfect sacrifice would be offered that would take away sin.

Because it was through disbelief in the words spoken by God that the fall of mankind came about, it was of necessity that restoration come through adherence to belief.

Considered by many scholars to be the first book written in the Bibleβ€”written even before the five books of Mosesβ€”the book of Job sets the theme for the entire book: loss, suffering, and redemption.

A conversation between God and Satan in Ch. 2 of Job sets the parameters of the battle for the souls of mankind. The Lord begins by asking Satan,

β€œHast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you move me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

And Satan answered the Lord, and said, β€œSkin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.”

And the Lord said unto Satan, β€œBehold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.”

Job, who lost everything, suffered greatly and yet remained faithful until his redemption. Job was allowed to suffer to be an example to all who would come afterβ€”not only an example that we should follow, but one we can expect whether or not our suffering comes in like manner. Many followers of Christ have not suffered the loss of all things; very possibly even more have had little or nothing to lose. The point is, that in this world we will suffer, particularly if we follow Christ, for whom Paul said, β€œI have suffered the loss of all things and do count them as dung that I may win Christ.”

Prosperity is a mark found in both saints and sinners. Becoming poor to make others rich is the mark of a Christianβ€”not necessarily financially poor, but always made poor in spirit by giving up all of your own life and letting go of your own will to do the will of God. No greater love has a man.

Christian or not, one way or another, we will all suffer. It is the suffering that is suffered willingly and gracefully that sets the Christian on high as a testimony to the heart and power of God. For what does it mean when we prosper? Many sinners prosper in the world and give lectures on how to do so. Who is not willing to prosper?

Jesus Christ is the epitome of becoming poor to make others rich; he is the epitome of the suffering servant; and he is the epitome of redemption, overcoming death, hell, and the grave to sit on high with all things in heaven and earth being placed under him.

Jesus did not say, β€œTake up your crown and follow me,” he said, cross! Those who wear a crown now are destined to later wish they had carried a cross instead. A crown is a promise to be given to those who suffer the cross and endure to the end as Jesus did, even when the Father said to Satan, β€œBehold, he is in thine hand.”

β€œBlessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:12)

β€œAnd when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Peter 5:4)

Β “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.” Some today say, β€œThe Lord will not beat up his bride.” What I read in the scriptures is suffering: suffering as a witness, suffering to help and save others, suffering to be purified and made white unto holiness for the glory of God. We are called to suffer in the name of Christ. We are called to take up the cross and to follow him.

The Lord may not beat up his bride, but his bride will willingly offer herself to be beat up if the Lord, for his purpose, says to Satan, β€œBehold, she is in thine hand.” That is how sinners are convinced, that is why the Lord takes her to be his bride. His bride is perfect and upright in heart and has the faith of Job that says, β€œThough he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15)

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A Purpose for All Things

Everything God created has a purpose. Nothing is random. All things created are by design and exist upon a foundation of invisible things, of which the physical things are illustrations. Thus, by studying the things that were created, we may understand eternal, invisible things that were kept secret before their creation made them manifest. As it is written:

β€œFor the invisible things of Him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” Romans 1:20

Furthermore, touching upon invisible things preexisting the physical and being the pattern after which material things were created, it is written:

Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made of things that do appear. Hebrews 11:3

What God has given us in creation is a physical reflection that mirrors the unseen things in the spiritual realm. In physical things, we can see similitudes of things that exist invisibly. Thus, as a reflection in a mirror, the things we see are not as real as the objects they reflect. And this is evident in scripture, for God uses the physical creation to teach spiritual things in order to make manifest the invisible things of God as if we were using a mirror to look around a corner, however darkly. This is exemplified in The Gospel of John, chapter 3, where Jesus relates in physical terms to Nicodemus an expression of spiritual things. Jesus said to Nicodemus:

β€œThe wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” John, 3:8

Using the windβ€”a physical thing that can be felt but not seenβ€”Jesus relates the movement of the wind to the movement of the Spirit. A few verses later, Jesus states specifically his purpose for using created objects to express the spiritual attributes of eternal, invisible things when he speaks again to Nicodemus, saying:

β€œIf I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” John 3:12 

Indeed! For if invisible things are not understood by relating them to things that are, how would they be understood in the context of invisible unknowns? Jesus always spoke in parables, using the things that were familiar in the lives of the hearers to explain the spiritual things that were hidden beyond their understanding. Creation is the classroom of God.

β€œAll these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.” Matthew, 13:34

Why?

β€œThat it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” Matthew, 13:35

The secrets and mysteries of God are revealed in creation. The universe is God’s university. Each and everything in it testifies to invisible things. Everything existing in our material dimension of matter and energy is a similitude of a counterpart in the invisible dimension, wherein lies the eternal knowledge of God. If you desire to look into the invisible realm, study creation vis a vis the Bible.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3

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The Beast and Those Who Worship the Beast: Part 1

Although animals appear often throughout the Bible, where we find the most attention given to them is in Leviticus. There, the Lord gives commandments, laying out a dietary law, dividing the animals into clean and unclean, and going into detail about what is allowed and not allowed to be eaten. To this day, there are many who still observe those dietary laws.

Later, however, in the book of Acts, an account is recorded of how Peter was given a vision of a vessel like a great sheet that was let down from heaven, wherein were all manner of living things. The Lord tells Peter to arise and eat. When Peter resists because of dietary laws, the Lord tells him not to call what God has cleansed common or unclean.

Paul also gives instructions to the church regarding the former dietary laws given to Moses, writing that every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. In another place again, Paul adds, “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”

So then, each of us must decide what we will choose to eat, for as Jesus said, “Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

What about the law? It was given with a purpose, the intent of which is to teach the difference between the clean and the uncleanβ€”not to the purification of the flesh but to the perfection of the spirit. As Paul taught, the law was given to Moses as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

The clean and unclean beasts were given as examples of natural characteristics, which we can observe in nature, learn from, and then apply spiritually. Carnivorous beasts, poisonous creatures, filthy animals such as the swine, and all other creatures with undesirable attributes were cited as being unclean. These attributes, when found spiritually in mankind, make man unclean.

To the contrary, in the clean beasts, we find characteristics that express virtues, such as the innocence and obedience ascribed to sheep, the labor of the ox, or the peacefulness attributed to the dove. For it pleased God that, through creating all things living and nonliving, he could impart knowledge of invisible things to those whom he has chosen.

Regarding the innate nature of man, King Solomon wrote: “I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.”

Indeed, we are. What separates us is the eternal soul and spirit God gave us. Without the spirit of God, not only are we beasts, but we are unclean beasts.

The horrible things happening in the world today are the result of the beast part of man taking control over the soul and spirit and turning people into animals. It is the natural consequence of people resisting God. As the Lord has said, “My spirit will not always strive with man.”

When God finally withdraws after striving with a hardened conscience, he gives those individuals over to their own lust to have their own way. All that remains when the Spirit has left is the nature of the beast.

Everybody has the potential to become ruled by a beast nature, and not all beasts are wild or violent, just as there are domesticated animals such as the pets people adopt that are lovable. Then there are other beasts that will tear you apart. Nevertheless, all of them are still beasts given to their own nature as created by the Lord.

In the book of Revelation regarding perfection in God’s kingdom, it is written that outside are dogs, sorcerers, and whore mongers, murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.

A human being can be of a good nature and still be just as lost and sinful as anyone else, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Having an inherently good nature is not the same as having the Spirit of God, even if it imitates God’s goodness. Indeed, often it is a source of pride that keeps people from ever coming to Christ.

Speaking to the religious leaders, Jesus said to them, The harlots and publicans go into heaven before you. Sinners know they are sinners, but the self-righteous disregard their sins if they even see them. They maintain an appearance of goodness like that of trained domesticated animals for the social gain it offers. Societal respect is their doggy treat that keeps them obedient. Such self-serving conformity is not salvational obedience to the Spirit of the Lord.

That being said, it is a blessing to be of a good nature, but only if you give yourself to the obedience of the Spirit of God. Be not high-minded about possessing a good nature, but fear God.

We were created as both natural and spiritual beings; if we are to enter the Kingdom of God, we must all slay our beasts. And be not deceived; it is certain that each one of us has a beast. It may be harder to kill a beast that is domesticated and likable than one that is wild and disorderly, but either the beast must die or the soul will. They are in conflict and strive against each other. The person who lives after the will of their own flesh is not subject to the Spirit of God and will corrupt their own spirit and the spirit of others whom they influence.

Certainly, some people are born with a much more difficult nature to bring under subjection to the Spirit than others. We were given no choice in the matter; it could have been any of us; it may or may not be you. But pray for such people and have compassion for them, as they have harder lives and need to see love in the hope of being brought to God.

So then, who is the evil Beast that arises, which the Bible speaks of in Revelation? The psalmist says, “Man that is in honor and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.”

The Beast that is cast into the lake of fire are those who eternally reject God and were given up to worship and serve their flesh. However, until we accept Christ, the beast is all of us. Jesus is the clean beast in whom there is no sin; he is the lamb of God who was innocent before his accusers and, as a sheep, went willingly to the slaughter. Jesus said, “He that eats me, even he shall live by me.” Christ came as an innocent lamb to deliver us from our beasts. The clean beasts in the Bible are used to represent Christ, and the unclean beasts represent our animal nature. Eat Christ, the Passover Lamb, and live.

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The Beast of Man: Slaying the Beast: Part II

We are told in the holy scriptures that God created man of the dust of the ground first and then breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and “man became a living soul.” To reiterate the words of the Apostle Paul, “…that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:46-47.

Therein lies the division between the nature of a beast and the spiritual manβ€”together as one being, yet comprised of two distinct parts, the physical and the spiritual. Man, who was created on the sixth day of creation, was appointed the number six as a representation. The seventh day of rest is the Lord. The week is incomplete without the seventh day, and so is man.

When the first man, Adam, whom Paul calls the earthly man, fell to temptation and sinned, he became dead to the second man, whom Paul declares is “the Lord from heaven.” Thus, Adam was left to his earthly nature, and his spirit and conscience were overcome by the workings of sin in the flesh.

Nonetheless, there was still hope because Adam and Eve retained a conscienceβ€”otherwise, they would not have attempted to cover themselves and hide in the gardenβ€”but they now had no power over their sinful nature.

From that point on, the only hope for mankind was that Christ would restore the second man to power through his own death and resurrection. Thus, we must be born again, since through sin, the first man of the earth slew the second man of the soul.

Therefore, the conduit back to a man’s heart is through his conscienceβ€”an acknowledgment of a difference between good and evilβ€”out of a desire for restoration back to life through the death and resurrection of Christ. This can only come through the tugging of the Spirit on the heart of man through his conscience.

Therefore, there is a war for the soul of man between the nature of the beast and the Spirit. The beast will kill what remains of the conscience if it is allowed. God seeks our salvation before such a death is complete; however, he said his spirit will not always strive with man. Like Pharaoh, if we consistently refuse to yield to the spirit, the conscience will harden until there is no avenue to the soul.

The number three has great significance in scripture. Throughout, it is a harbinger of what is to follow. The number of man being sixβ€”after three sixes is the solidification of the natural man in the flesh. In John 6:66, we read that certain of Jesus’ disciples turned back and walked “no more with him.” This is because they rejected the concept of eating the flesh of Christ, who had no sin in his flesh.

In the Revelation of John, which confirms a dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, it is revealed that the last kingdom on earth before the coming of Christ will be a kingdom that subdues the whole earth. There are none remaining like it of whom it is said, “Who is like unto the Beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

Nonetheless, this worldly power is destroyed by a stone cut out of the mountain without hands that fills the earth and that breaks in pieces the feet of the diversity of nations on which it stands. Daniel 2.

God destroyed the work at Babel and scattered the people, because when all the people of the world become one, one is evil. There is no place for God when the world is oneβ€”it is one against God. When the world is one, it is ruled by the first man, which is the Beast, and the second man, which is Satan.

Ever since God scattered the people, Satan has worked feverishly to bring all the world back under his rule. Throughout history, you can see the same spirit constantly being revived through the most powerful dictators, kings, and kingdoms to subdue all and rule all.

It is no more than the spirit of Satan and his armies moving through each generation, still fighting to establish himself as God. This is only possible if mankind is completely given over to its beastly nature.

The Bible states unequivocally that we are beasts. In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon stated concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

It will not matter how modern or advanced mankind becomes if man is a beast. All of the knowledge and all of the intellect, as well as any modern advancements, will only be used to serve the beast. And the sole nature of a beast is to devour. Arise and devour much flesh!

Revelation 13 reveals that the whole world will wonder after the Beast. It is given to the Beast to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and power is given him over all kindreds, tongues, and nations.

Chapter 2 of Daniel speaks of this kingdom, which subdues all nations. Having feet made partly of iron mixed with miry clay, the kingdom is partly strong and partly weak. For they mingle themselves with the seed of men, but they do not cleave to each other, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

To “…mingle themselves with the seed of men” is a mixing of all nations into a multicultural kingdom, embracing the concept of diversity. However, Daniel says the different cultures and people are not cohesive and do not adhere to one another.

The erasing of borders and mingling of nationalities is an attempt to undo what God did at Babel when he divided the nations. Satan is using his agents in an attempt to restore all people to their original status as one people. However, the world they imagine will crumble apart like iron mixed with clay. Chaos and destruction will ensue on a global scale.

Those who hold the most power and influence in the world today are united in working toward the dominance of the whole world. They seek to erase God from modern civilization so that they may be God. Spiritually speaking, it is the attempted murder of God.

Christ came to destroy the flesh so that the soul might live. The antichrist is Satan’s answer to Christ. He comes to destroy the soul so that the flesh may liveβ€”the Beast, mankind void of God.

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Religious Offerings of Cain

Once Adam and Eve had disobeyed God and realized they were naked, they hid themselves among the trees and made themselves coverings of fig leaves, which they had sown together to hide their nakedness.

Nevertheless, the attempt to cover the shame of their nakedness was futile. They were confronted with their sin and judged accordingly by the Lord. Even so, although they were given a death sentence, the Lord, in his mercy, gave them a path whereby they could return to him and have their sin covered, but not without a cost.

The cost was high, and for Adam and Eve, the consequences they would suffer, and all their descendants who were to come afterward, would be non-redemptiveβ€”the worst part being separation from God and eternal wrath. There was nothing they could do to take away sin or remove judgment.

The Lord, in his foreknowledge, knew the only hope was that one who was worthy would take their sins and restore their souls. Therefore, God made a plan and set an appointed time that he would send the Anointed One who would be worthy to offer himself in their place and in the place of those who came after, thus delivering them from death and restoring them back to the Father.

Also, the Lord God himself made them coats of skin to clothe them, thus signifying that only God can forgive and cover sin and that it would come by way of the shedding of blood.

Then, men began to sacrifice animals by shedding their blood and burning their flesh, pointing to the promise of the Anointed One’s coming, who would offer his own blood to be the final and perfect sacrifice.

And Adam knew Eve, and she conceived and bare Cain, and again she conceived and bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

And it came to pass in the process of time that both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord, and Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock. However, the Lord had respect for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering, he had none. And Cain was very angry, and later he slew his brother.

Cain’s offering was rejected because it lacked the virtue of blood. Regardless of whether it was the best of what he could have produced or not, it was a sacrifice of his own work and a product of the earth. To the contrary, Abel’s sacrifice was one of death, the sacrifice specified by God, not of life produced from earth, but one that would return to the earth. Thus, the Lord honored the obedience of Abel above the sacrifice of Cain.

This is an allegory, for consider that Cain was the firstborn of Adam, as Israel was the firstborn among nations. Israel was given a law of sacrifices that required blood pointing to the sacrifice of Christ. As long as they were obedient to the commandments, their shortcomings were covered by the sacrifices. When they ceased from seeking obedience, their sacrifices became meaningless in the eyes of Godβ€”even an abomination.

As prophet Samuel declared to King Saul, β€œHath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22)

Even today, a remnant of Jacob remains who fail to attain the righteousness of God because they seek righteousness through their own works of offering mitzvah (good deeds). This offering to God, like Cain’s offering, is from the fruit of the groundβ€”man being made from earth; it is that which they have chosen to offer, not what God has prescribed which required shedding blood to put sin to death. Sin must die for reconciliation; it is not balanced out or canceled by good deeds.

Jacob is not alone in this endeavor. Many churches have also fallen into a systematic service of Godβ€”indeed, many Christians were born into and taught it. Righteousness by offering good deeds also extends to individuals who think themselves to be fine Christians; they treat others well, they go to church, they tithe, they even may preach salvation by faith alone, and yet they fail to comprehend that all these things that are done as a schedule or list are not obedience to the faith unless they are done in the spirit. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

Obedience to faith is seeking his will, coming to it, and then doing it. It is not a method, not a program, not a system, and it is not fulfilling your own desires by offering what you desire to give to God and believing it is accepted when he would have had you somewhere else, doing something else, or giving something else.

We have a relationship with God when we hear his voice and obey it. When we keep his word and are moved by the spirit wherever he would, according to his will. It is most deceptive when we train ourselves to decide what God’s will is and instead serve our own desires in doing soβ€”again, this is the sacrifice of Cain, offering what he determined to give. Many will say in the day of judgment, β€œLord, have we not done many works in your name?”—to whom he will reply, β€œI never knew you.”

The only way to avoid this deception is by seeking God continually to know him personally. Each one of us must work out our own salvation in the fear of God. Trust no man, no church, no doctrine, no preacher, or no teacher, without measuring everything against the word of God. We will all stand alone in judgment to give an account of ourselves.

Righteousness is obedience to the Spirit, nothing more, nothing less. Watch, pray, and grow your own personal relationship with God; it is then that each can be joined together as one body in Christ. Pray for the salvation of Israel, the peace of Jerusalem, and the gathering together of all who are appointed to salvation among all men.

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What Can We Do for God? Build the Third Temple

King David was the apple of God’s eye; the Lord loved him, and he loved the Lord greatly. And it came to pass after the Lord had given him rest on every side from all of his enemies and blessed him that he looked upon all the mighty things the Lord had done for him, and it came into his heart to do something great for God.

Seeing that his own dwelling place was in a house made of cedar and that the ark of God resided in a tabernacle made of curtains, he determined that he would build a house for the Lord. And he told Nathan, the prophet.

The same night, the Lord spoke to Nathan and sent him to David with a message. The message was one of loving reproof, wherein the Lord reminded David of who each of them was and the place and power of each of them. And the Lord asked David, “Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?” For all those things God has made for himself. And behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him; how much less a house earth?

There was nothing David could do for the Lord that the Lord could not do for himself, infinitely greater. Nevertheless, the Lord honored David’s desire and said, “Whereas it was in thine heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.”

It was then that God reciprocated David’s love by promising that he would build David a houseβ€”an everlasting house. And it was gifted to David that through his seed would come into the world the Messiah, the Son of the living God, whose kingdom would be an everlasting kingdom and his throne an everlasting throne.

Being told that he could not build a house for the Lord because he had shed much blood, David devoted the rest of his life to gathering and preparing everything for the house that he was told would be built by his son after him.

The promise given to David was twofold. Indeed, David’s son Solomon built the House of the Lord in Jerusalem. However, the greater part of the twofold promise was fulfilled in the house that Messiah Son of David was to build when he said unto the Jews, β€œDestroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”—but the temple he was speaking of was his body.

Jesus is the temple wherein the spirit of God dwells, and all who live in him and those in whom he lives are the true House of the Lordβ€”for the first house built by Solomon and the second built by Herod, both of which were made by hands, are now forever destroyed, but the third temple made without hands shall never be destroyed.

Therefore, we are called to be laborers together with Christ in building the temple made without hands by enlarging the House of the Lord through the preaching of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul stated that, β€œAccording to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

If we love God, as David did, we will also desire to build a house for the Lord. But who are we to build a house for God? Thank God that through Jesus Christ, one has come who is worthy, and as David prepared all things for the building, so also Christ before us prepared all the things we need to build, he himself being the foundation and the chief Corner Stone.

It is enough that we are given the privilege of partaking in the building of his Church. Arise and build! For this is our vocation given to us in Christ: to glorify God by laboring with him in building the house of his holy habitation and enlarging his palaces.

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Worldly Knowledge Versus the Knowledge of God and Invisible Truth

If an individual knew more than anyone ever has, unless they comprehended God, they would not know the truth. The prophet Daniel was told that in the end times knowledge would be increased. This has now been proven to be true. We possess knowledge of things the ancients would marvel over, and our capabilities in high technology and manufacturing would astound them even up to much more recent times.

However, knowledge puffs up, and when it is absent from the knowledge of God, the tendency is that the more knowledge mankind comes to uncover and assemble, the more he thinks to know, the wiser he believes he is, and the further away from the truth of God he becomes, insulating himself in the physical realm of only what he can observe or measure.

Thus, untouchable, invisible truths are largely dismissed. Nonetheless, since truth existed before the physical manifestation of axioms, that which still remains to be made manifest cannot be comprehended through physical means or science. Therefore, the wise of this world dismiss the existence of many invisible things and frame scientific explanations to explain away beliefs of faith regarding their existence.

For there are different kinds of knowledge, one consisting completely of worldly knowledge gathered from the amassing of information, but above all worldly knowledge is the eternal truth that existed before any physical creation.

There is more knowledge in one eternal truth than in all earthly knowledge of the things that will pass away. Indeed, the most esteemed men of science, high technology, academics, or any others admired for their worldly knowledge are small in comparison to the young shepherd boy in the wilderness who knows only God and cries out, “O how love I thy law!” β€œIt is my meditation all the day”. β€œThou through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.” β€œI have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” β€œI understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.”  (Psalm 119:97-100)

This is the essential knowledge: knowing God. Though artificial intelligence surpasses all men a thousand times over in speed and capacity, it will only possess worldly information and never the truth in the Spirit.

Neither the knowledge of godless men nor manufactured simulations of advanced intelligence will be able to detect or surpass the knowledge made known by knowing Godβ€”such knowledge is too high, it is only possessed by God, the Revealer of hidden truth, and only given to those who believe. All others are locked out of access to that knowledge, whether they are the most learned of men or if it is the highest level of artificial intelligence.

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Only by Faith in Every Word of God, not Salvation alone, does Man live

In reading all the authors of the New Testament, one of the most common threads that runs through every book is the warning against false prophets and teachers. Realizing that they were called by the Lord to go out into the world, preach the gospel, and establish churches, the apostles were also aware of what would follow when their ministries were finished and they were with the Lord.

Even while they were traveling from place to place preaching the gospel and founding the first churches, there were those who had come to know the gospel and were already turning from the faith to preach doctrines of men and to challenge the apostles for leadership over the churches for their own gain.

The corruption of the gospel has never ceased since and has only spawned innumerable doctrines, heresies, sects, and false churches, even going so far as to contribute in no small way to the creation of Islam.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of the future, warned that the time would come when the churches would not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts would heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears that would turn away their ears from the truth and turn them into fables.

After calling the elders of the church of Ephesus to Miletus, Paul warned them that after his departure, grievous wolves would enter the church, not sparing the flock, and that even from among themselves some would arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Peter, Jude, and all of the other writers of the New Testament also wrote and prophesied of the falsehoods that would deceive many and turn multitudes away from the truth.

The culmination of heresies has compounded for centuries and has found its way into modern Christianity in every way possible, where false doctrines are believed by many sincere devoted Christians. It is difficult for anyone to discern their own long-embraced falsehoods which have been inherited and accepted for generations.

The restoration of the truth can only come from God. Multitudes of books and writings by doctors of divinity and theologians have caused grave errors in Christianity. The only perfect teacher and source of perfect truth is the Spirit of God coupled with the holy scriptures. The Lord is the only one you can trust fully.

Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. One of the most prevalent false teachings today is the doctrine that refutes Jesus by teaching that faith alone in salvation saves eternally without finishing the race. Indeed, faith alone saves the soul and we are gifted eternal life. It is the undeserved gift of God freely given which cannot be earned by works. However, it does not end there. We must have faith in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, not only his promise of salvation.

The Israelites had faith in God’s salvation when they passed through the Red Sea, and indeed, they were saved. Later, however, most of them perished in the wilderness.

Wherefore?

We are given the answer at the end of Chapter 3 of Hebrews.

“But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Thus, the children of Israel, after being initially saved from Egypt by faith alone in salvation, afterwards failed to believe every word of God when tried. Although they had accepted salvation, they hardened their hearts in the wilderness and refused to believe the promise that God would bring them through the wilderness into the promised land. Thus, they were offended by their sufferings in their trials and murmured against God and fell into various temptations.

In chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Hebrews, we are given a picture of God’s plan of salvation, which not only saves at the Red Sea but also leads through the perils and temptations in the wilderness until passing over Jordan into the promised land; for when we are saved, there are yet promises to be fulfilled and a journey to obtain them and battles to be fought. We must drive out seven nations greater than ourselves.

We are saved by faith; that is the beginning of our faith. But faith is to be made perfect, not to be rested on, for we have yet to enter his perfect rest. Man only lives by every word of God, not by faith in salvation alone without faith in all of the other things written.

As the Apostle James wrote, the devils believe in God. They also believe in salvation; they see souls delivered from the bondage of their hands at the Red Sea, but they cannot pass through the red sea of the blood of Jesus to pursue them. However, what the devils do not believe is every word of God or they would not have resisted unto damnation.

Yes, indeed, faith alone saves, but only by faith in every word of God does man live, not by faith in initial salvation without faith in every other word of God; and the works of the spirit will follow those who believe.

β€œChrist as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Hebrews 3:6”

β€œFor we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the endβ€œ Hebrews 3:14

β€œLet us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:11

In reading all the authors of the New Testament, one of the most common threads that runs through every book is the warning against false prophets and teachers. Realizing that they were called by the Lord to go out into the world, preach the gospel, and establish churches, the apostles were also aware of what would follow when their ministries were finished and they were with the Lord.

Even while they were traveling from place to place preaching the gospel and founding the first churches, there were those who had come to know the gospel and were already turning from the faith to preach doctrines of men and to challenge the apostles for leadership over the churches for their own gain.

The corruption of the gospel has never ceased since and has only spawned innumerable doctrines, heresies, sects, and false churches, even going so far as to contribute in no small way to the creation of Islam.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of the future, warned that the time would come when the churches would not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts would heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears that would turn away their ears from the truth and turn them into fables.

After calling the elders of the church of Ephesus to Miletus, Paul warned them that after his departure, grievous wolves would enter the church, not sparing the flock, and that even from among themselves some would arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Peter, Jude, and all of the other writers of the New Testament also wrote and prophesied of the falsehoods that would deceive many and turn multitudes away from the truth.

The culmination of heresies has compounded for centuries and has found its way into modern Christianity in every way possible, where false doctrines are believed by many sincere, devoted Christians. It is difficult for anyone to discern their own long-embraced falsehoods, which have been inherited and accepted for generations.

The restoration of the truth can only come from God. Multitudes of books and writings by doctors of divinity and theologians have caused grave errors in Christianity. The only perfect teacher and source of perfect truth is the Spirit of God, coupled with the holy scriptures. The Lord is the only one you can trust fully.

Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. One of the most prevalent false teachings today is the doctrine that refutes Jesus by teaching that faith alone in salvation saves eternally without finishing the race. Indeed, faith alone saves the soul, and we are gifted eternal life. It is the undeserved gift of God freely given, which cannot be earned by works. However, it does not end there. We must have faith in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, not only his promise of salvation.

The Israelites had faith in God’s salvation when they passed through the Red Sea, and indeed, they were saved. Later, however, most of them perished in the wilderness.

Wherefore?

We are given the answer at the end of Chapter 3 of Hebrews.

β€œBut with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Thus, the children of Israel, after being initially saved from Egypt by faith alone in salvation, afterwards failed to believe every word of God when tried. Although they had accepted salvation, they hardened their hearts in the wilderness and refused to believe the promise that God would bring them through the wilderness into the promised land. Thus, they were offended by their sufferings in their trials, murmured against God, and fell into various temptations.

In chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Hebrews, we are given a picture of God’s plan of salvation, which not only saves at the Red Sea but also leads through the perils and temptations in the wilderness until passing over Jordan into the promised land; for when we are saved, there are yet promises to be fulfilled and a journey to obtain them and battles to be fought. We must drive out seven nations greater than ourselves.

We are saved by faith; that is the beginning of our faith. But faith is to be made perfect, not to be rested on, for we have yet to enter his perfect rest. Man only lives by every word of God, not by faith in salvation alone without faith in all of the other things written.

As the Apostle James wrote, the devils believe in God. They also believe in salvation; they see souls delivered from the bondage of their hands at the Red Sea, but they cannot pass through the red sea of the blood of Jesus to pursue them. However, what the devils do not believe is every word of God, or they would not have resisted unto damnation.

Yes, indeed, faith alone saves, but only by faith in every word of God does man live, not by faith in initial salvation without faith in every other word of God, and the works of the spirit will follow those who believe.

β€œChrist as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Hebrews 3:6”

β€œFor we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the endβ€œ Hebrews 3:14

β€œLet us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:11

In reading all the authors of the New Testament, one of the most common threads that runs through every book is the warning against false prophets and teachers. Realizing that they were called by the Lord to go out into the world, preach the gospel, and establish churches, the apostles were also aware of what would follow when their ministries were finished and they were with the Lord.

Even while they were traveling from place to place preaching the gospel and founding the first churches, there were those who had come to know the gospel and were already turning from the faith to preach doctrines of men and to challenge the apostles for leadership over the churches for their own gain.

The corruption of the gospel has never ceased since and has only spawned innumerable doctrines, heresies, sects, and false churches, even going so far as to contribute in no small way to the creation of Islam.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of the future, warned that the time would come when the churches would not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts would heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears that would turn away their ears from the truth and turn them into fables.

After calling the elders of the church of Ephesus to Miletus, Paul warned them that after his departure, grievous wolves would enter the church, not sparing the flock, and that even from among themselves some would arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Peter, Jude, and all of the other writers of the New Testament also wrote and prophesied of the falsehoods that would deceive many and turn multitudes away from the truth.

The culmination of heresies has compounded for centuries and has found its way into modern Christianity in every way possible, where false doctrines are believed by many sincere, devoted Christians. It is difficult for anyone to discern their own long-embraced falsehoods, which have been inherited and accepted for generations.

The restoration of the truth can only come from God. Multitudes of books and writings by doctors of divinity and theologians have caused grave errors in Christianity. The only perfect teacher and source of perfect truth is the Spirit of God, coupled with the holy scriptures. The Lord is the only one you can trust fully.

Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. One of the most prevalent false teachings today is the doctrine that refutes Jesus by teaching that faith alone in salvation saves eternally without finishing the race. Indeed, faith alone saves the soul, and we are gifted eternal life. It is the undeserved gift of God freely given, which cannot be earned by works. However, it does not end there. We must have faith in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, not only his promise of salvation.

The Israelites had faith in God’s salvation when they passed through the Red Sea, and indeed, they were saved. Later, however, most of them perished in the wilderness.

Wherefore?

We are given the answer at the end of Chapter 3 of Hebrews.

β€œBut with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Thus, the children of Israel, after being initially saved from Egypt by faith alone in salvation, afterwards failed to believe every word of God when tried. Although they had accepted salvation, they hardened their hearts in the wilderness and refused to believe the promise that God would bring them through the wilderness into the promised land. Thus, they were offended by their sufferings in their trials, murmured against God, and fell into various temptations.

In chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Hebrews, we are given a picture of God’s plan of salvation, which not only saves at the Red Sea but also leads through the perils and temptations in the wilderness until passing over Jordan into the promised land; for when we are saved, there are yet promises to be fulfilled and a journey to obtain them and battles to be fought. We must drive out seven nations greater than ourselves.

We are saved by faith; that is the beginning of our faith. But faith is to be made perfect, not to be rested on, for we have yet to enter his perfect rest. Man only lives by every word of God, not by faith in salvation alone without faith in all of the other things written.

As the Apostle James wrote, the devils believe in God. They also believe in salvation; they see souls delivered from the bondage of their hands at the Red Sea, but they cannot pass through the red sea of the blood of Jesus to pursue them. However, what the devils do not believe is every word of God, or they would not have resisted unto damnation.

Yes, indeed, faith alone saves, but only by faith in every word of God does man live, not by faith in initial salvation without faith in every other word of God, and the works of the spirit will follow those who believe.

β€œChrist as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Hebrews 3:6”

β€œFor we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the endβ€œ Hebrews 3:14

β€œLet us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:11

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Mankind: The Garden Placed in Eden

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And therein is the beginning of a deep, hidden picture in Genesis. The purpose of planting a garden is to bring forth good fruit that is pleasant to the eye and pleasing to the taste of the Planter.

Even so, God created man so that he himself might enjoy the fruits of his goodness. And out of the ground made the Lord God grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The garden was not Eden, but rather a place placed in Eden. Eden is symbolic of paradise. And God created man from the ground as a garden, also made of earth, and placed him in Eden as a picture of humanity being given a place before God to bring forth the joy of his heart.

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden. Even so, a river of life comes out from God, even his word and spirit, to water and keep alive the soul of man.

But in the midst of the heart of man, as in the garden, were two trees: the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Of the two trees, as long as man ate only the fruit from the tree of life, he had life, and his fleshly body was perpetually regenerated. It was only after tasting sin that he was no longer allowed to eat the fruit of life. His sin separated him from Christ, who is the tree of life, and he was driven out of the garden and died of old age.

As to the fact that Adam and Eve were eating from the Tree of Life, Genesis 2:16–17 states:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, but only one tree in the garden was forbidden: the tree producing the knowledge of good and evil. Before eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve only had knowledge of good.

Ever since, everyone born has inside their hearts the knowledge of good and evil. This causes us to be pulled in different directions and to be torn apart by the things we desire to do. However, the more evil is chosen to be eaten, the more the taste for evil becomes the desired of the two, until there is eventually no longer a desire for anything good.

Until we accept Christ into our hearts, we only have one tree to eat from, and even when we choose the good, it is from the corrupt tree of good and evil. Thus, there is no salvation in its fruit; it is one tree that ultimately brings forth evil into the world.

When we accept Christ into our hearts, we then again have the Tree of Life restored in the midst of our garden, and we come back into Eden in the presence of God. For by the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus, God allows us back into his Eden.

Thus, we again possess both trees in the midst of the garden. We are faced with the same choice and temptation as Adam and Eve. However, we now have their example, from which, if we heed the instruction, we will resist eating from the evil tree and take from the tree of the Word of God, which gives us eternal life. Even so, we are also held more accountable and will receive greater punishment if we knowingly and willingly continue eating forbidden fruits. We know good and evil now.

We are the garden of God, with our branches growing off of Jesus, the Christ, the Tree of Life. We are to sprout other branches also, all of which all are nourished by the Rootβ€”the purpose of which is to bring forth fruit fit and pleasing to the Planter.

β€œYe shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Matthew 7:16-19

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The War for the Souls of All Mankind: Part 1

Although there are different means of communication through which God has chosen to make manifest his truth to the world, there is but one Spirit. And when God had created man from the earth, he breathed his spirit into his nostrils, and man became a living soul, and God called his name Adam and placed him in a garden he had prepared for him to care for and tend to. And God created a mate for Adam, and he called her Eve, the mother of all living.

There was only one commandment given that Adam and Eve were told would lead to their deaths. When that commandment was broken, without even being told, both Adam and his wife knew they were naked and hid themselves among the trees. They were now conscious of good and evil.

Likewise, after Cain slew Able, when the Lord inquired about his whereabouts, Cain replied, “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Although there was no law, Cain did not need to be told he had transgressed. He knew, and therefore, he lied, attempting to cover up his transgression.

When God breathed his breath into the nostrils of the man he made, he placed a part of himself in himβ€”a conscience, which became awakened to the knowledge of good and evil through partaking in sin. Sin only became evident to man after the law was broken. Only then were the eyes of Adam and Eve opened, and they hid themselves, attempting to cover their nakedness.

Once sin entered the world, until the appointed time that the law was given in writing through Moses, man lived according to his conscience, which in itself was a law within.

In time, however, the heart of man was hardened, and the spirit of man prevailed over the conscience. As the world became increasingly corrupt, mankind became hardened against God to the point of being irredeemable. God determined that he would destroy all of humanity off the earth. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and he, along with his other seven family members, were saved.

Afterwards, when men began again to multiply and replenish the earth after the flood, they united. Casting off God, they again rebelled against him at Babel, and God confounded them there and scattered them abroad. Thus, humanity became many nations, languages, and kindreds, worshiping their own chosen gods and walking in their own ways.

But again, this time it was Abvram who found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was separated to fulfill God’s purpose. Because Abvram believed God to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, an everlasting covenant was given to him, making him the father of many nations. And God put a part of his own name in Avram’s name, changing it to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.”

Thus, Abraham became the father of the covenant of faith and was given circumcision as a seal of the covenant. This separated the first age of two millennial days from the second and began the second age of two millennial days until the appearance of the Messiah at the end of the fourth millennial day.

Looking back on these things, we find a pattern. First, sin enters, judgment follows, and then a path to redemption is provided. However, when the path of redemption is forsaken, a greater judgment is imposed, and in some cases, it is final. For the spirit of God will not always strive with man.

From the time Adam was created, the first age of living by conscience lasted two thousand years until Abraham, who lived by faith in obedience to God. Five hundred years later, the law was given in writing to Moses. But before the time of the Torah, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all others who believed lived before God according to conscience.

After Israel went into Egypt, the children of Israel turned from the Lord and began worshiping the gods of the Egyptians. Therefore, they were brought under the bondage of sin and made slaves, and the pharaoh ruled over them. Again, the conscience of man failed and was proven to be impotent in bringing about righteousness. Nevertheless, the grace of God did not fail, and he devised a stronger way to free them from the yoke.

Because conscience alone had shown itself too weak for obedience, Moses was chosen as an intermediary to receive the law directly from God. He then commanded the Children of Israel to write down God’s laws, keep them before their eyes always, and teach them to their children.

By giving the law in writing, sin became exceedingly sinful, to the end that it might have a greater effect upon the hardness of men’s hearts and revive the conscience. However, in time, the law was broken so often that hearts became hardened and there was little conviction. And after being delivered out of Egypt, given a written law and a land of their own, Israel forsook the Lord and turned to the idols of the other nations around them that they had failed to drive out.

Thus, conscience alone had failed to bring man into righteousness. And then the law, which came afterward to convict the conscience, also failed to bring forth obedience.

Again, humanity faced destruction, and in his wrath, God destroyed many great kings and nations. Even his own people were eventually given over to the sword and carried captive out of their land.

Notwithstanding, God, in his foreknowledge, made provision for salvation beyond the law of Moses, and having found David a man after his own heart, God promised him that through his seed at the appointed time, he would send a Savior who would deliver his people and reign in righteousness forever and ever.

Continued in Part 2

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The War for the Souls of All Mankind: Part 2

Continuing from part one, from the beginning until now, the world has continued to become increasingly hardened and corrupt. However, even as the world becomes more corrupt, the grace of God abounds and has become even greater.

At the same time, this extended grace does not permit sin. God never forsakes his righteous judgment, nor does he change one dot or tittle of the law, but instead provides a greater means of salvation whereby we might be saved. However, along with the extension of grace, comes greater wrath if that grace is trampled on and taken as a justification for sin.

A reading of the Gospels shows that Jesus, while fulfilling the sacrifices contained in the law, did not take away the law; to the contrary, he made the law stronger by bringing in more accountability along with providing a greater and more perfect salvation. To whom more is given, of them shall more be requiredβ€”contrary to the false teachings today of some who remove accountability by the misapplication of God’s grace regarding Christian responsibilities to holiness.

We can therefore conclude that the conscience before the law and the written law both failed to bring mankind into obedience. Therefore, God responded with more grace by giving a greater promise. Promising a New Covenant, the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, saying:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Thus, the written law given outwardly gave way to the law engraved upon the heart inwardly by the circumcision of the spirit. Through Jesus Christ, the word of God and the soul of man are married together as one in an inner dwelling of the spirit. This is the eternal law that finally brings forth both righteousness and obedience to eternal life, through the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When the Pharisees came to Jesus, they asked him if divorce was lawful for every cause. When he did not condone divorce for every cause, they attempted to trap him, pointing out that it was allowed in the Law of Moses. Jesus answered them, saying, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.”

Jesus then magnified the law of the Spirit, saying, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and whosoever marries her who is put away, commits adultery.”

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” But I say unto you, “Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven. He warned us not to think that he came to abolish the law but to fulfill it.

God’s warning of eternal damnation is not softened by the entrance of grace. Indeed, the wrath of God is only expressed in greater terms and with far more emphasis on eternal judgment.

God never changes. His law never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will never forsake his righteous judgment to accommodate our sins.

Paul prophesied of a great falling away before the Day of the Lord. Today, many Christians and churches have turned away from the teachings and examples of Christ. They will not preach judgment, repentance, or embrace the suffering of the cross; rather, they have become inclusive and tolerant of sin and will reap damnation unless they repent. Although works do not save, neither will doctrines of eternal security save them; only obedience to the faith will.

Hoping to be accepted by the world, many Christians have become the world. Compromising the word of God in the name of love, they fail to show love to those in bondage to sin who are lost. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

Still, Christ remains true; if we deny him, he cannot deny himself. Jesus is coming soon; his fan is in his hand, and he will separate the wheat from the chaff and the sheep from the goats. Judgment begins in his own house, and he brings his reward with him to give each one according to their work. Make straight the path of the way of the Lord; the time is at hand.Β 

Part 1 here…

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Rebuilding the Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem: Beware

Among Christians today, there are many who believe that a physical temple must be rebuilt on the Temple Mount to fulfill prophecy before Christ returns. Others go even a step further and are actively engaged in funding the restoration of a third temple at the site of the original. With the support of Christian funding, preparations to build the Third Temple are progressing through the efforts of the Temple Institute and the Temple Mount Faithful Movement in Israel. Not only is it the goal to rebuild the temple, but also to reinstitute the priesthood and animal sacrifices so that all the laws of Moses may be reinstituted.

Not only is this effort not biblical, but it is also an affront to God and an offense to the blood sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ. Whether the Jewish temple is restored in Jerusalem or not, any attempt to rebuild that which the Lord has destroyed is not an acceptable sacrifice to God. As it is written in the book of Hebrews, the laws of service and the temple were given as a shadow of things to come. Christ, being the true image and not merely the shadow, has fulfilled all the ordinances contained in the law. For once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)

Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple. He never said it would be rebuilt again after the first manner. In fact, he said something very different. Jesus told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews replied, saying, “Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days?” But Jesus had spoken of the temple of his body. (John 2:19-21)

When speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus told her there would no longer be a mandatory geographical location for worship. He said, “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” According to the Bible, we now know the body is the temple of God, and anywhere you worship God in spirit and truth is a holy place. For if Christ is within you, the kingdom of God is within you, and you are a temple of God.

Speaking of the temple and the sacrifices, Isaiah begins the last chapter of the book of Isaiah, saying, “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations” (Isaiah 66:1-3

Because of disobedience, God rejected the first sacrifices ordained by Moses, which were foreshadows pointing to Christ, and fulfilled them to perfection by the offering up of his own Son. We are now freed in Christ to worship and offer sacrifices wherever we are or wherever we will. As said the prophet Malachi, “From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Now that God is worshiped and accepted in every place, for those who believe in Jesus, there is freedom from the ordinances and ceremonies put in place before to bring us to Christ. The temple in Jerusalem is replaced by Christ in us and we in him. And our bodies are temples, wherein is the candlestick of the Holy Spirit. 

To the contrary, he who rejects God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. This is the spirit of antichrist, whoever he is, wherever he is. And there are many antichrists in the world.

But if Christ is in us, we seek perfection in him, so that as he is in the Father and the Father in him, we too will be in the Father. Christ brings us into the Father by first being in us and bringing us to a holy place of perfection so that we might then be accepted in the Father. As written in Revelation 21, “…and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

Regardless of whether or not an earthly temple is rebuilt on the Temple Mount, the true temple is the one brought about by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the final temple is God and the Lamb. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” The many mansions in the Father’s house are the many temples within the temple of God.

β€œAnd I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Revelation 21:22–24 KJV)

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The Gospel of Once Full, Always Full

If we know that the things physically created are like reflections in a mirror of invisible truths, we can comprehend spiritual things through the things that are made. This is the reason Jesus only spoke in parables using self evident truth.

All material things express the essence of invisible things, after which they have been patterned. With this in mind, along with supporting scriptures, it is expedient to address the prevalent false teachings of Christian doctrine referred to here as “Once Full, Always Full”β€”a doctrine that assures believers of a maintenance-free eternal salvation once they come to faith.

We are warned in the scriptures that in the last days many false teachers and prophets would arise and deceive many. Even so, it has come to pass, for although we have an abundance of churches and temples throughout the landβ€”a very great manyβ€”we have a famine of truth.

The great falling away prophesied has been precipitated by the absence, perversion, and minimization of the true gospel to a watered-down version preached today. Many have become apostates as a result, either turning aside to follow false doctrines or walking away from Christ altogether.

One of the false doctrines embraced that has had the most devastating effect on the churches is the “once saved, always saved” message. This message goes hand in hand with the original false teachingβ€””Ye shall not surely die.”

To the sinner who knows Christ, or rather, knows of him, the “once saved, always saved” message means that either they may continue practicing their sins without fear of losing their salvation, or if they do live in sin, they were never really saved to begin with.

Thus, those who identify as Christians who habitually indulge in sins either brush off guilt by believing that all sins, past, present, and future, are irrevocably atoned for by grace, or they feel hopeless and drown in self-condemnation, believing they cannot be saved.

For the former, the temptation to sin may be greater because all is forever forgiven beforehand. They believe nothing can separate them from God, not even sin, and that they are locked into heaven regardless of whatever they do. When they see others who at one time followed Christ and later fell away, they say of them that they were never saved to begin with or that God will accept them into heaven regardless of their sins.

On the other hand, there are some who knowingly practice sins condemned in the Bible but are unable to free themselves from the bondage. Believing they must not have ever been saved, they attempt to repent and be saved repeatedly, falling again each time. They then may come to believe that perhaps they cannot be saved because they were predestined for hell before the world began. For those in such a case, the predestination doctrine of “once saved, always saved” is instead β€œonce damned, always damned.”

Feeling this to be unjust, the temptation is then to alleviate fear by rejecting the gospel outright, embracing an alternative religion, or becoming altogether atheist.

Thus, the “Once Saved, Always Saved” doctrine has, unbeknownst to those who profess it, thrown many souls and detoured many churches from the truth.

Eve possessed eternal life until she believed the “Ye shall not surely die” message of eternal security. Being emboldened by the message, she submitted to the temptation to eat the fruit and gave it to her husband as well. Trusting in eternal security failed them, and they were driven from the garden wherein was the tree of life, which they could no longer partake of, and they aged unto death.

The physical expression God has given to the spiritual truth is that if we cease eating, our bodies without food will die. You can embrace being once full, always full as much as you wish; it does not matter how much faith you have that you will live; if you stop eating, you will die.

The truth of scripture is that once you are saved, you must follow Jesus. To maintain your soul, you must continue eating the Bread of Life, or you will die. Thus, Jesus prayed, β€œGive us this day our daily bread.” You cannot taste of Christ and maintain salvation if you cease eating the bread he ate and drinking the cup he drank. There is no “once full, always full.”

Just as your flesh will become weaker, wither away, and die without regeneration, you must nourish Christ in you by seeking the heavenly manna. If not, you will increase, and Christ in you will decrease, until the Old Man of sin is restored. We are to be continually filled with the Word of God, or else we will wither and die from starvation. Say not that I am always full; hunger and thirst after righteousness always that you may be filled.

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Restoration of the Body, not Reformations of Churches

All things in creation that are temporal were created after the pattern of invisible things, which are the true and eternal. The proclamation of Jesus Christβ€”who is the Word of God and the beginning of the creationβ€”that proceeded from the mouth of God in the words “Let there be light” testifies to this. For the absence of knowledge is darkness, and the revelation of knowledge is light.

It was God’s will to begin sharing his knowledge of invisible unknowns by creating physical counterparts that could be seen, heard, felt, and comprehended by the living beings he created, whether they are in heaven or on earth. For in this manner he chose to make knowledge manifest, not only that all things might become evident and clearly understood, but also that all things might be tried and proven for his eternal purpose. Thus, creation immediately commenced upon his announcement of the entrance of light.

And not only did God create all things materially as representations of the invisible, but after creating them, he set them in motion, creating pictures and narratives expressing the truth. These examples were written for us before the coming of the Messiah to prepare the way of the Lord. Therefore, Jesus spoke only in parables, using things in the material world when teaching spiritual things.

In much of Christianity at present, there is a great lack of knowledge and understanding due to the neglect of study in the Old Testament, where the Lord’s examples are recorded. While some only use select verses and stories to support their theology, there are others who go so far as to abandon the Old Testament altogether, declaring it null and void having been superseded by the New, thus throwing out the keys to the house. For the Lord created pictures within the stories in the books of the Old Testament as a foundation of narratives to be applied to the New Testament. It is upon these Old Testament narratives that the house of salvation in the New Testament stands. 

After finishing telling his disciples parables, Jesus asked them, “Have you understood all these things?” When they answered, Yes, Lord, he said to them, “Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.” The new and old go hand in hand as one book and are not to be separated or marginalized.

Nevertheless, faith that is handed down from generation to generation tends to gather heresies and false teachings along the way as it traverses time. There is only one God and his Son, Christ Jesus, yet there are a great number professing him who have become strongly divided by their different doctrines.

In the sons of the prophets in 2 Kings, we find a picture of those who were also inheritors of their beliefs. In the days of Elisha, he visited them, and wild gourds had been gathered and put into a stew. Once eating, they realized that there was death in the pot. They had been eating poison gourds mixed in with the good and were not aware of it. When they realized it and cried out to Elisha, he added meal to the pot, and the death was stayed. Likewise, in the place where the sons of the prophets were residing, the water was foul; therefore, there was death from the water, and the ground was barren. When Elisha was told, he cast salt into the springs, and the waters were healed.

The addition of the flour to the pot and the salt to the water are examples for us as well. Today, Christianity needs the work done by Elisha for the sons of the prophets. Jesus said we live not by bread alone but by every word of God.

Diverse doctrines embraced by various churches are pots, wherein death is found. Even among many of the faithful, the fullness of truth is lacking in their pot of teachings. To remove all harm from the pot, every word of God must be accepted and nothing refusedβ€”even as done by the meal Elisha cast into the pot, which neutralized the poison gourds. Death will remain in the pot in the form of falsehoods until the fullness of the truth of the gospel is received, which destroys the errors.

Likewise with the water that was healed; although the sons of the prophets resided in a pleasant place, the water was foul and the ground barren until Elisha cast salt into the springs, and then they were healed.

Salt is used in many different ways throughout scripture. Like fire, its uses are for both good and evil, blessings and curses. Metaphorically, salt is used to symbolizes a fullness of spirit, both to represent many virtues and judgments. Salt brings out flavor in all things; it preserves meats and is also used to destroy, as when fields were salted to make them barren. Also, remember Lot’s wife, upon whom judgment came in the form of salt. Salt in the spirit provides a passionate balance, bringing forth both goodness and judgment.

Metaphorically, water is often used symbolically to represent the spirit and also as a figure symbolizing an innumerable multitude of people. At present, in many churches, the waters are lukewarm, and complacency has set in. Salt is needed to restore them and bring them back to life.

The Reformation changed religion and broke the chokehold of Rome. However, it was not a complete break from Rome, as it appeared, but an attempt to reform the church. Reforming can be for better or worse, depending on what is formed in place of the original. However, with the advent of Protestantism, there were errors carried over that still remain. Christianity does not need reforming, it needs restoration. The word of God did not originate in Rome. Any attempt to reform Rome, or that which was born of Rome, will always bring along errors with it.

Christians need restoration back to the original source of faith, even Abraham, the father of faith, and his children, who continued on in his steps to eventually establish the city of Jerusalem, where God chose to place his name. Those who protested Rome would have done better to embrace Jerusalem and the Jewish people, going back to Abraham as the father of faith. Some did, and many do so today. However, many Christians still resort to reformations rather than a complete restoration.

Thus, they have created multitudes of denominations and divisions. Restoration of the word of God is the road to revival. We must be open to seeking out and letting go of long-held errors in doctrine. Unscriptural traditions that have been handed down and accepted for generations must be rooted out. We must pray earnestly for complete restoration so that revival may come to the body of Christ and salvation to the world.

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Samson Blinded: America and the Jawbone of an Ass

For some time now, while watching, with a heavy heart as our world descends deeper into darkness, my thoughts keep returning to Samson and Delilah, where I find a number of parallels in the narrative that seem to apply to many Christians today.

In the time of the judges, the children of Israel were in bondage under the Philistines and suffering persecution. It was then that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Samson’s motherβ€”who was barren before Samson’s birthβ€”declaring that she would have a child. And the Angel said unto the woman, “…Lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazrite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

When the child was born, his mother gave him the name Samson, which derives from the Hebrew “shemesh,” meaning “sun.” Samson’s father’s name was Manoah, meaning “place of rest.” Like Israel, the true followers of Christ in Europe were under oppression. After America was discovered, many Christians who were suffering religious persecution fled Europe, seeking rest from their enemies. Like the Nazarites, they separated themselves to establish colonies where they could worship God as they believed.

As Samson was separated and became strong, America also grew strong and became a shemesh, a shining light to the nations, a city on a hill, and a manoah, a place of rest for the persecuted, who would be drawn by the light from all around the world.

Indeed, as Samson was a superpower, in time America also became a superpower among the nations and a protector. Regardless of how hard secular historians have worked to destroy the truth of America’s founding, they cannot credibly do so. America exists today because people before had faith in God. As a young America grew, the teachings of Christ flourished, and from America, the gospel spread throughout the world.

Certainly, there were citizens who were not Christian, and it is highly doubtful that even most were devoted Christians; however, Christianity ran deep enough and strong enough that the teachings had great influence on most who were not, or who were only nominally Christian. Thus, patriotism flourished, and almost every American stood up and was ready to fight for the principles rooted in the Christian faith. Christians and most non-Christians loved America. Without Christianity, there would not have been America as we know it, and eventually it would have become just another totalitarian nation as it is now.

The song “God Bless America” was written by Irving Berlin, a secular Jew born in Russia, who declared the song “an expression of gratitude for what this country has done for its citizens.” The truth is that it was God who blessed America for the sake of his people. Berlin had it right the first time when he said, “God bless America.” However, God uses the saved and the unsaved to fulfill his will.

In scripture, the ox is a clean beast, symbolizing a servant of God. The ass is an unclean beast, symbolizing the stubborn and rebellious. Thus, the commandment β€œThou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together” Paul wrote as much, saying believers should not be yoked together with unbelievers. Nonetheless, the Lord rebuked Balaam by speaking through the ass’s mouth. God can and does use whomever he wills.

The jawbone of an ass was also used as a weapon to slay heaps upon heaps of the Philistines. Even so, at times, the US has had leaders who were not devout men of God but who served as the jawbone of an ass to devastate the enemies of God. Who will judge God for who he chooses? God does these things for the sake of his people. Throughout scripture, the Lord uses both his people and his enemies to bring to pass his will.

Moreover, although Samson was called to be set apart, he loved strange women and became entangled with foreigners. Seduced into cohabitation, he gave up secrets and succumbed to temptation. Falling into a deep sleep in Delilah’s lap, his head was then shaven, and he was robbed of his power. Being a Nazarite, his hair was never to be cut; it was a sign of his consecration to God. Once his hair was cut, he became as weak as other men. He was then bound, and his eyes were put out.

As a parallel, America has also fallen into a deep sleep and has been bound, shaven, and blinded by the enemy. As Samson fought to free himself from the bands, he found his strength was gone and that his enemies had gained the upper hand. Likewise, today, many have awakened to this and are struggling to regain their freedom. However, although Samson struggled to free himself as he had in the past, he came to the realization that his power had departed. Thus, he was a captive of his enemies.

Samson fell to his enemies because he had been blinded by the pleasures of this world. It was only after his eyes were put out and he became blind to the world that he cried out to the Lord. Likewise, Christians must become blind to the world in order to be restored to the power of God. Sometimes this only comes by way of suffering after having been blinded by the world.

Nevertheless, after Samson was bound, blinded, and imprisoned, his hair began to grow back and his strength began to return. He never recovered to his former state of glory, but he wrought one last victory that was his greatest (Book of Judges, chapter 16).

In the USA today and around the world, revival fires are beginning to burn throughout the land, and the cut hair of consecration is regrowing.

God has not forsaken his people; however, there are two Americas: a carnal America and a spiritual America. Will America again be restored to its former power and glory? Ask yourself: Was Samson restored to his former place as before after he was blinded?

Nevertheless, Samson’s end was greater than the rest of his life’s accomplishments put together; he slew more in his death than in his life. Christians are commanded to become dead to the flesh so that the Lord may work in them. Only in death can Christ accomplish the work of God.

Whatever is to come for Americaβ€”life or death, a fall or restorationβ€”there is a great victory to be won if we walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. However, we must repent and humble ourselves before God. Then, as Samson, regardless of any worldly outcome, we will also find victory and be avenged upon our enemies.

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Christianity Fallen: The Sons of the Prophets Part 1

Much was written by the apostles about the false prophets and false teachers that would rise up in the church in the last days and corrupt the faith. Even in their own time, there were many, of which we read the accounts spoken of in the letters of the church fathers to their congregations. These were depraved men who entered unawares as teachers, having a form of godliness and an outward appearance of being servants of the Lord. Nonetheless, they would exalt themselves and make merchandise of the flock for their own personal gain.

Peter devotes a chapter to exposing these false apostles and teachers in chapter 2 of his second epistle. These were men who once knew Christ and were at one time redeemed but turned from the holy vocation given them to profit for themselves from their calling.

Beginning in the first verse of chapter 2, Peter reminds his followers that there were false prophets in Israel, as there would be false teachers among them. These wolves in sheep’s clothing would sneakily bring in damnable heresies into the church, rejecting the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ who bought them, and would bring upon themselves damnation.

Peter referred to them as spots and blemishes who sported themselves with their own deceivings while they fellowshiped in the church. After exposing them as false brethren in detail, Peter stated that it had been better that they had never been saved to begin with, writing,

“After they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they had known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it happened unto them according to the true proverb: “The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:22).

Indeed, for they were washed from their sins by Christ, but they turned back to wallow in them again.

Jude, the brother of James, devotes his entire epistle to also addressing these infiltrators of the church who have forsaken the Lord to walk in darkness again but yet remained in the church to continue feeding themselves of the flock. In much the same way as Peter did, even using the same terms to describe them, Jude discloses their evil deeds, calling them ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into lasciviousnessβ€”these are murmurers and complainers walking after their own lusts who speak great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration to take advantage.

Warning against these false brethren, who, after having been saved, gave themselves over to their lust while parading themselves as believers in Christ, Jude writes, “These be they, who separate themselves…”

God did not fail or forsake them; Jude points out that they separated themselves from God by going after the lust of their flesh. And as God has said, “My spirit will not always strive with man,” so he gave them over to the desires of their flesh.

Reminding his brethren again that they cannot abide in sin after receiving salvation and remain saved, Jude writes, β€œI will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. Likewise, the angels who left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

And as to the point that these false brethren were saved and left their place of salvation, Jude writes, they are “twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” Nonetheless, many have remained in the churches since the time of the apostles, and some of their teachings that have been passed on through many generations have tainted the gospel preached even until now.

After centuries of every false doctrine imaginable, numerous heresies have become accepted doctrines being taught in churches today. Therefore, there are countless denominations and spin-offs of the Christian faith. However, it is only natural for each to think that it’s not my church but the other fellows’.

Thus, the great falling away is not merely those who each congregation judges as being on the outside, but to varying degrees, it is the whole of Christianity. It is your church; it is my church. Some are dead, some are dying, and some are much closer to sound doctrine, but to some extent all need restoration back to the pure word of God and the revelation of the fullness of the gospel.

As with the son of the prophets, today “There is death in the pot!” for the sons of the prophets have gathered wild gourds which they knew not and have put them in the stew! Not to fear, Elisha said, “Get some flour,” and he put the flour into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

God will restore his church with the Bread of Life, even the Word of God put into the pot tainted by false doctrines and heresies, and the church shall recover. We are like the sons of the prophets. We have inherited our doctrines from those before us. Some were wild gourds and many Christians did not perceive them as foreign or harmful, for they were traditional. But there is healing inΒ receiving the pure word into our beliefs.

There is more to write concerning the sons of the prophets, the church today, and prophecies from the prophet Joel to be taken up in parts two and three to cover more thoroughly.

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Christianity Fallen: Sons of the Prophets Part 2

Every book of the Bible is unique and special in its own way. The book of Joel is no exception, especially for us upon whom the end of all things has come. Peter referred specifically to Joel when heralding in the beginning of the last days, and Joel pertains to the end times.

Through the scriptures, we understand that there would come a time when there would be dearth upon the land. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11

The book of Joel addresses such a famineβ€”great and widespreadβ€”throughout all the land. Joel begins his book as though he is writing directly to us, proclaiming, thus,

β€œThe word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” (Joel 1:1-3)

Stressing that what he was prophesying about was something more than what has been and that it needed to be passed on from one generation to the next, Joel then proceeds to lay out metaphorically the events that would take place in the latter days. Following his introduction, in verse 4, he states,

β€œThat which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.” (Joel 1:4)

After this dark parable, Joel points the finger.

“Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.” (Joel 1:5)

As Joel continues speaking in the name of the Lord, he paints a picture of a great people without number who, with devouring teeth, “hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree; he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.” (Joel 1:7)

Furthermore, Joel speaks to the destruction caused by this great army of destroyers in verses 9 through 11:

β€œThe meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord’s ministers, mourn. The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

Therein we find both the cause and the culprits of the aforementioned destruction of the Lord’s land and people. Those who cause the desolation and those who suffer from it are the same people, even the ministers of the Lord who were to be husbandmen over the planting and harvest of the congregations of the Lord.

And not only so, but all the trees and all the flocks in the land suffer thirst and hunger; many die because the land is dry and wasted for the word of the Lord is diminished and the rain is withheld from the earth, even the former rain of the great outpouring of the spirit as it was at Pentecost and in the days that followed.

Both Jesus and the apostles warned that the time would come when the greater part of the churches would no longer endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts, the people would heap on themselves teachers that would turn away their ears from the truth to falsehoods. Even so, many have indeed turned to teachers and preachers of false doctrines who will teach and say what their ears desire to hear.

These ministers and false teachers are the aforementioned drunkards, who, drinking the fermented wine of heresies, have had the new wine cut off from their mouths. Therefore, they speak after the wisdom and teachings of men, and the Lord has withheld from their lips the spiritual drink from heaven that gives life.

In them is fulfilled Joel’s prophetic metaphor,

“That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.”

What one denomination or sect has not devoured of the truth of the gospel another has, each according to their own taste and the taste of those who follow them, as a pestilence they eat away parts from the whole word of God.

Thus, the famine for the word of God is not a lack of churches, ministers, teachers, words, or doctrines, but the casting away of the truth and adding fermentations that make the drinkers drunken.

When a faith is inherited from generation to generation, the tendency is the degeneration of truth in that faith or religion. The children hardly surpass the righteousness of their fathers, and if repentance and revival come, it is the result of suffering the consequences and destruction of falling away.

As with the sons of the prophets in 2 Kings, as the knowledge of God wanes, wild gourds are unknowingly gathered and added to the stew of beliefs. Deadly heresies find their way into doctrine, and they are often not perceived by many. The sons of the prophets were not in the same spiritual place as their fathers, the prophets. This is why Elisha refused to abide with them when they sought to discourage him from continuing to follow after Elijah, who offered him the opportunity to stay behind with them. Notwithstanding, Elisha continued on with Elijahβ€”who, being a prophet, was more than merely the son of a prophetβ€”determined to receive a double portion of the spirit that was upon Elijah, which indeed he did.

Christians are in the same place today. While some press onward to go beyond the stagnation of the churches, most adapt to a place of comfort, living out a gospel fashioned according to their personal preferences. In so doing, humanity suffers greatly, and not only Christianity but society as a whole is starving from a famine of the word of the Lord. Joel gives us a glimpse of the spiritual despair of humanity in the last days, which we ourselves see taking place, but the end of the book of Joel is both victorious and gloriousβ€”the restoration of the word of God and the church. This will be taken up in Part 3, to be continued.

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Christianity Fallen: Sons of the Prophets Part 3

Continuing from Parts 1 and 2, from the book of Joel, we understand that there would come a time when there would be a great dearth of truth upon the land. As also spoken of by the prophet Amos, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11)

Prophesying of this widespread famine, Joel makes it clear that the famine of which he is speaking is for generations yet to come and that the dearth results not from the absence of words being spoken by minsters, pastors, and teachers but from the omission of truth by those who have eaten away at the word of truth, leaving only the tastier parts they choose to feed to their flocks.

Furthermore, not only have these pastors forsaken sound doctrine by ceasing to preach the things written that they found distasteful, but they have also become drunken on the fermented wine of false teachings and heresies.

Writing in parables, Joel begins with the proclamation, “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.” (Joel 1:4)

Addressing the husbandmen of the Lord’s vineyards and those who drink their fermented wine, in the next verse, Joel rebukes them, saying, “Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.” (Joel 1:5)

The new wine spoken of is the unfermented Word of God spoken in the spiritβ€”God’s word is spirit and truth. As Jesus spoke, “Ye cannot put new wine into old bottles, but new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.”

Generational heresies have fermented the wine, which has filled old bottles. Unless the church is renewed, the bottles will burst, and both the new wine and the bottles will be lost. Unless the older generations awaken to the inherited falsehoods and repent, the Lord will use a younger generation, as we see often in historical revolutions and in spiritual restorations, to revive truth.

Nonetheless, even now there are some who are like those in the church of Sardis, to whom the Lord said, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”

Israel faced a similar dearth of the word of the Lord during the “400-year silence” following Malachi until John the Baptist. In fact, Malachi foretells of John’s appearance as a messenger heralding the coming of Christ.

Like many ministers today who make merchandise of the Lord’s house and who profit off of the people, Malachi’s rebukes those over the Lord’s house for turning the service of the Lord into a money-making enterprise. Speaking in the word of the Lord, Malachi says to the priest of Israel,

“I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles.”

And so it came to pass that, after 400 years of spiritual famine, John came to prepare the way of the Lord. The famine was broken, and the rains of heaven began to fall in the first great outpouring of the Spirit.

But those unto whom Christ came failed to accept his lordship except for a remnant; thus, their branches were removed from the olive tree, and the gospel was preached unto the Gentiles as Malachi prophesied, and they believed and were grafted in their place with a warning.

Now, however, as the ages come to a final close and the dispensation to the Gentiles comes to its fullness, many Christians have fallen in the same manner as Israel.

Paul warned the Gentiles that should they fall away, they too would be cut off from the olive tree, and Israel, if they abide not still in unbelief, would be grafted back in again.

Nonetheless, as the famine that followed Malachi was broken and the former rains were poured out following the resurrection of Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Lord has given us great hope of salvation, speaking through what Joel prophesied,

β€œTherefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” (Joel 2:12-13)

Then will the Lord pity his people, and as he sent the former rain, so also the latter rains shall be poured out. “And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:24-25)

The Lord is assembling a great army, Joel’s Army, not to reform but to restore the word of God as it is written. And as the word of God is restored, the Lord will send the latter rains in the power of the outpouring of the spirit, and great things shall be done that will be seen by the world. For it is written that in these days,

β€œ…Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.”

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.” (Joel 2:26-27)

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The Desolation of High Places: Jerusalem Only

When the Children of Israel came to the river Jordan, before they were to pass over, Moses gave them commandments regarding the things they were to do after crossing over the river into the promised land. Of the things, the first thing they were to do was begin destroying the seven nations inhabiting the land. All of the inhabitants were to be destroyed, along with every place where they worshiped. They were to overthrow their altars, break their pillars, burn their groves with fire, hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of the land forever.

Furthermore, the Lord said that he himself would choose one tribe of the twelve, and in the inheritance of that tribe, he would establish a place for his name where all the tribes were to come and sacrifice.

And the Lord commanded Israel to take heed not to have many places to worship, like the heathen had before them, but only in the one place where he put his name would sacrifices be accepted. It is now evident that the tribe of Judah was chosen, and the city of Jerusalem was selected as the place where the Lord put his name.

When King Solomonβ€”who was an archetype of Christβ€”built and dedicated the temple, the temple in Jerusalem became the exclusive place for atonement of sinβ€”a picture of salvation and of Christ ruling in a bodily temple made without hands.

Kings of Judah Kings of Israel

All things considered, the shadows of the true fall short of the true. For even Mosesβ€”a figure of the Prophet who was to come and who delivered Israel out of Egyptβ€”failed to cross over Jordan himself. Likewise, Joshua did not successfully drive out all the inhabitants of the land as commanded, nor did Solomonβ€”also a figure of Christ in building a house for the Lordβ€”complete a perfect picture of Christ, but fell away in his old age and built alters for other gods. These men, among others who were faithful as a foreshadow of the Messiah that was to come, nevertheless, were not in and of themselves perfect in the completion of all things.

Thus, it was necessary that God send his own Son to bring his people out of Egypt into the promised land, conquer all the inhabitants, and build himself a house unto the Lordβ€”which house we are if we walk as he walked and live in him to the end.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions.” This is the true house God desires to dwell in and the place of his own name to sanctify us holy unto himself as his dwelling place.

Nevertheless, until the fullness of time came, when Jesus appeared and began to fulfill all things, a foreshadow of salvation was created. First, by Moses, who was instructed by God to build the tabernacle in the wilderness, and later by Solomon, who built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem after the pattern given to Moses in the mount. And it was commanded that only in Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, would offerings be made by the high priest for the sins of the people. Neither were the children of Israel to build any other high places in all the land to offer sacrifices. Only in the place the Lord established was service acceptable, and so it is now.

After Solomon departed from the Lord, when his son inherited his throne, the Lord tore ten of the twelve tribes away from the house of Judah and gave them to the tribe of Ephraim to rule over. Then and there, the House of Israel was established independently of Judah. And God set Jeroboam over Israel and gave him promises like those he had made to David. But there was a condition: the biggest little word in the world, the word if: God said, If you hearken unto all that I command you, walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then all the promises made would come to pass.

Jerusalem Against the High Places

Nonetheless, even though Israel and Judah were divided into two kingdoms, the name of the Lord remained in Jerusalem, and there all the people of Judah and Israel were commanded to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year: in spring for Passover, in summer for Shavuout, and in the fall for Sukkot.

Thus, Jeroboam, fearing the pilgrimages to Jerusalem would eventually diminish his power, said in his heart, “Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David.” (1 Kings 12:26) And he refused to trust in the promises God made to him.

Therefore, he set up his own high places in Israel to divert worship from Jerusalem to Israel. And he made two golden calves and placed one in Bethel and the other in the city of Dan. And he said to Israel, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”

But why multiple gods, and why are they placed in two places? There is a broader answer, but in one word, diversityβ€”the locations and nature of the places the golden calves were placedβ€”offered a wide-ranging appeal to the desires of different people.

Bethel was chosen for its proximity to Jerusalem, being only about ten miles north of the city near the border of the House of Israel and Judah. Being so close, the people of Bethel shared much in common with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, both culturally and morally. In fact, Bethel means “house of God.” Metaphorically speaking, today Bethel would be “conservative.”

To the contrary, the city of Dan was located about 104 miles from Jerusalem, almost as far away as it could possibly be while still remaining in Israel. In the book of Judges, we read that the city of Dan was previously named Laish. Furthermore, we read that Laish was a place where the people were lax, morally depraved, self-willed, and carefree. They dealt safely in cities without walls. Therefore, it was easy for the tribe of Dan to take when they decided to expand their inheritance, and they called Laish Dan.

However, the Danites commingled with the people, embraced their lascivious ways, and worshiped their gods. Metaphorically speaking, today Dan would be very “liberal.”

The True Place of Worship

The most important thing for Christians to learn from these things that were written for our benefit is that the high places of worship that were condemned by God in the Old Testament were not only places erected for other gods. Many of the high places in Israel were erected for the Lord. The people making offerings were doing so in the name of the Lord, believing they were serving the God of Israel. Nevertheless, the places they made to worship God were not in the one place God commanded. Jerusalem was the only place the Lord put his name and the only place the commanded sacrifices of redemption were accepted.

Even now, it is very easy for Christians to be deceived by creating a false construct of God in their imagination. Unless we constantly seek God in prayer, such constructs can be believed, when in reality they are false images of God residing in high places outside of Jerusalem.

We can build alters of cut stones that seem to fit together nicely, whereas, as God commanded through Moses, we are to lay no tool upon the stones. Only out of whole stones are we to build an altar to the Lord. All of God’s words, exactly as they are given, untouched by a tool; they alone are the acceptable building blocks for a relationship with God.

If ideology or politics become the foundation of righteousness, the choice of high places becomes Bethel or Dan, or somewhere along the way between the two. Jerusalem has no such foundation. The same is true of any religion not founded upon the word of God, even when it is called Christianity.

The only acceptable place for worshiping and offering sacrifices is upon the Rock, Jesus Christ. Jesus told the woman at the well, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father… for the hour comes, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Most surely, for the child of God, Spirit and Truth, are the place of Jerusalem where the Lord has placed his name to be worshiped.

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Love: the Great Divider Between Good and Evil

Since it is impossible in our present finite form to know the greatness of God, at best, we can only comprehend with the little bit of knowledge revealed to us that an infinite greatness far beyond our capacity to comprehend exists. Those who love and know God understand that he is incomprehensible to the human mind and so embrace him by faith until the time comes that they shall know him, even as they are known by him, for we shall see him as he is.

Until all things are made known, in order to know God, it is necessary to believe by faith that his word is true and that he is both able and willing to keep all of his promises. It is also necessary to accept that any goodness in us is not of us but a gift from God, and without God, we would be merely animalsβ€”in fact, we are worse than animals if we choose evil, since, unlike animals, we have a consciousness of good and evil.

Therein lies the division between those who are believers and those who live in disbelief. And the divider that separates the two is this, even, love. As it is written, “faith worketh by love.” By faith, the believer takes hold of things that are unknown because of the inherent goodness that they offer, which makes them worth more than anything that the world could ever offer, even if worldly things can be touched, felt, or seen.

To the contrary, those who disbelieve do so to cast off any restraints that would require the self-sacrifice that believing would demand. Whether they do this seeking something they believe the world has to offer or out of prideful rebellion against the authority of God, it matters not; disbelief in God is the rejection of love,Β for love believes.

For if faith works through love as the scripture says, disbelief works through selfishness, which is the opposite of love.

Those who love this world by nature hate God. In their eyes, the ultimate hate speech is the Word of God. By rejecting the word of Godβ€”whether by passive or active rebellionβ€”the world has declared war on God, regardless of how kindly or ruthlessly they attempt to do it.

We love God because he first loved us. When God hates the wicked, it is because they first hated him. There was no hatred before sin was conceivedβ€”there was nothing for God to hate. Yet, although God, in his infinite greatness, was hated by those he created, in the greatness of his infinite mercy, he devised a means of forgiveness unto salvation for those worthy of eternal destruction if they would believe and accept it as his free gift.

God is love. The wrath of God is born of his love. Perfect love means destroying all evil. Nevertheless, he offers more grace until the appointed time of judgment.

Jesus preached, “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you. For God is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” We are therefore commanded to be merciful, as our Father in heaven is also merciful. 

The world we live in, as a whole, is irredeemable. Even so, as Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, even now there is a remnant who, by grace, will be saved from the fiery destruction to come. God will save them through their embrace of his love. Many others will be offered the same love; however, though many are called, few are chosen.

Jesus said he did not come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword. He came to divide and set at variance one against another. The same word that saves some is a sword that cuts others asunder. As difficult as it may be for some to comprehend, it is God’s love that saves some and will destroy others who reject it. God will not allow sin to defile his eternal kingdom the way it has destroyed the world; therefore, perfect love demands the destruction of all evil. Be not deceived; God is not mocked. Whatever we sow, we shall reap. If we do not repent and turn from sin to walk in righteousness, we reap destruction. But Christ offers life. This is the gospel Jesus preached.

He is coming soon. Keep a repentant heart. Watch and pray.

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There is Death in the Pot: The Great Falling Away

By beholding raging waves through a window, we can comprehend the invisible force of a mighty wind at work. In like manner, as we look upon the world today, we can also see the manner of forces acting upon humanity and discern the spiritual state of the world. Today, the winds of the world are raging furiously, and the reason that civilization has come to this point of upheaval has much to do with the great falling away spoken of in the Bible that takes place before the Lord’s return.

One morning, Jesus was preaching by the sea, and when he was done, he entered a ship with his disciples to cross over to the other side. After falling asleep, a great storm arose, and the waves beat into the ship, causing it to sink. Then the disciples woke him out of fear, and he arose, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still.” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

As with the waves of the sea driven by fierce winds, the world has always been in turmoil. In more recent times, Western civilization has been credited with providing some measure of global stability. While this has been true in the past, it goes much deeper. The same Word of God that calmed the Sea of Galilee has been the underlying force that shaped and greatly influenced Western civilization and provided for a foundation, which has been the power holding the world together for some time now.

The destabilization of the world that we are currently experiencing is a result of humanity leaving Jesus asleep in the back part of the ship. As Christianity dies in the West, the West dies with it, and the whole world suffers from the rise of wicked men. As the winds (spirits) rage, the waters (spirits of men) rise. Too few follow the Lord wholly, who has the power to rebuke the wind and the waves and calm the world. Many Christians have fallen, and other influences have filled the void.

The Apostle Paul spoke plainly that in the last days there would be a falling away. And although we have multitudes of churches, many are apostateβ€”a substantial part of which lies within the corrupted teachings of the churches.

Great multitudes of people followed Jesus. Nevertheless, many who sought him did so for the wrong reasons. Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.”

Many churchgoers and professing Christians today seek Jesus for the same reason. They are not looking to follow Jesus and walk as he walked, but to have their bellies filled. They are coming, hoping to add something to their worldly lives rather than pick up a cross to be crucified on. They are those to whom ministers come with messages of worldly prosperity to scratch their itching ears. Others, seeking inner security and social connections, come desiring to hear smooth things that satisfy a need for self-conformation. Thus, many Christians have become the merchandise of their church, hearing only a gospel designed to please them.

Catering to the appetites of their congregations, like various types of restaurants with diverse menus, recipes from select verses taken from the Bible are prepared with seasonings to suit the palates of the hungry.

However, there are many appetites with different tastes. Therefore, since the beginning of the church age, innumerable versions of the gospel have been devised to satisfy diverse desires. Thus, the church has been divided into innumerable denominations, subsets, and sects. And in this is fulfilled the prophecy of Paul, saying,

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

The institution of the church has fallen. But the Word of God shall not fail. There is death in the doctrines of a very great number of congregations, but there is healing in God’s word. In 2 Kings 4:38–41, the following account is given:

“And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.”

The sons of the prophets were not at the same level as their fathers before them. They inherited their religion, as have many today who hold a faith. They shredded wild gourds into the pot because they knew them not and began to eat. Oh, the false doctrines we know not! How they corrupt the whole pot as a little leaven leavens the whole loaf!

If Christianity is to be healed, there must first be the recognition that there is death in the potβ€”these are the false teachings and heresies handed down, some for generations. Many of the newer, obviously damnable doctrines that openly embrace sin are the product of smaller deviations from the gospel that were unknown. These germinated, took root, and grew into the abominations we can easily see are sinful according to the Bible.

One of the false doctrines that has given birth to greater sins states that you can continue in sin once you are saved and still enter heaven. God is merciful and will grow you out of sin into Christ, but you cannot accept sin as a practice. It must be overcome. Jesus said that whoever overcomes will dwell with him. Jesus is the bread of life; he is the meal cast into the pot that heals the whole pot. The word of God destroys the wild gourds of false doctrines that believers know not; but it must be realized that there is death in the pot. When we come back to biblical Christianity, revival fires will be lit, and the body of Christ will be healed. Pray for revival.

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The Sea, the Wilderness, and a River

Today, in mainstream Christianity, the Old Testament is often minimized by those who see the New Covenant as not only replacing the Mosaic law, but supplanting the Old Testament altogether. Not realizing that the “keys” to the scriptures in the New Testament are contained in the old and that the understanding of the old is revealed by the new, they go about inventing private interpretations, which in some cases change the very nature and person of God.

God spoke at various times and in different manners in the past to Israel through the prophets. These were holy men of God whom he raised up to be leaders and mediators over Israel, and he placed his glory upon them and set them as a sign to reveal his word to his people. The Lord also chose the people of Israel in the same way to be a light to the nations. As the prophets were to Israel, so is Israel to the nations. Salvation is of the Jews; whether they are in obedience or not, they are given as an example. In them are revealed both the goodness and the severity of God.

Among the prophets of Israel were some who were used symbolically as archetypes of Christ. Although they were faithful in all their houses, they all fell short of perfection. Moses, having brought the people out of Egypt, failed to lead them into the promised land. After Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the land of promise but fell short of driving out all of the inhabitants. Solomon, being a prefigure of the Messiah, the son of David, failed to continue the rule of the House of David over all of Israel by falling away in his old age into sin.

These men, being archetypes of Christ and not Christ, could not perform the work of Christ to perfection. Therefore, God sent his own Son to perfectly fulfill all of the foreshadowings of Christ that his forerunners had established.

Israel is also a picture of the Lord’s relationship with his people even today, even though they also failed to fulfill their calling perfectly until the end of all things. But let us learn from their examples.

Israel is God’s firstborn among the nations. They were saved by a figure when they passed through the Red Sea. Their antagonists were destroyed in the seaβ€”even Pharaoh and all the armies of Egypt who attempted to follow after the Israelites into the sea. This figure given in Exodus is like salvation. The “Red Sea” is not a misnomer. We are saved by the blood of Jesus when we pass through the Red Sea. Evil ones cannot pass through the Red Sea, nor can they reach the river Jordan.

Once the Israelites set foot on the other side of the Red Sea, they had been saved; however, they were not yet in the promised land but in the wilderness. The symbolism of this paints a very important picture regarding our salvation.

For we see that the children of Israel were saved by faith by passing through the Red Sea, but to enter the promised land, the river Jordan still had to be crossed over. Salvation had been attained and a promise of rest given, but the rest was only to be fulfilled at the end of the journey with the dispossessing of the inhabitants of Canaan, as it is written,

β€œFor ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety” (Deuteronomy 12:9-10)

We see then that there was not one crossing to be made before the inheritance of the kingdom was fulfilled, but two crossings. It was the second crossing that secured the promise of the kingdom by finishing the course set before them through obedience to their faith after the first crossing at the Red Sea.

Indeed, we who have been saved and washed in the blood have the promise, as did the children of Israel. We must therefore continue our pilgrimage through the wilderness, resisting temptation in obedience to the faith, until the waters are again parted before us as we cross over to the other side of Jordan into the land of promise.

But with many of the children of Israel, God was not well pleased, for they perished in the wilderness after having been saved. As Paul admonishes us in Hebrews 4:1, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?” (3:17). And again in 4:11, Paul says, “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

Peter concurs with Paul, writing in 2 Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” Peter does not say your calling and election are sure; he says give diligence to make them sure. If you are saved, you have received the promise; now you must obey, pick up the cross, and follow him to receive the fulfillment.

Israel in the wilderness is the example God has given us so that we might avoid what befell them. By disregarding the keys to the scriptures in the New Testamentβ€”which keys are contained in the Old Testamentβ€”much of modern Christianity has been corrupted, and we see the fruit by looking around us at many churches today. A number of the greatest and most well-known preachers today have been led astray by the false teaching of “once saved, always saved.”

God did not shaft humanity for 4000 years and change the rules for us so we could glide into heaven freely. He perfected the means of salvation in due season by bringing in the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His judgments still stand. He is still the same God yesterday, today, and foreverβ€”a consuming fire to those who walk in sin. His personage has not changed.

I admire the preaching of a number of preachers who seem of sound doctrine on other matters but have fallen for the falsehood of eternal security. However, they desperately need to awaken and repent of this harmful teaching. We have eternal security when we cross Jordan and secure the land; until then, we have eternal life and a promise of eternal security. Our salvation is in effect as long as we walk in Christ and do not turn back to walk in sin. We have forgiveness of sins unless we fulfill the scripture John 6:66 by departing from Christ and walking no more with him.

I pray for those who are in error by preaching the doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” May the Lord open their eyes to this widespread false teaching for it has caused great spiritual devastation in the lives of many.

Today, in mainstream Christianity, the Old Testament is often minimized by those who see the New Covenant as not only replacing the Mosaic law, but supplanting the Old Testament altogether. Not realizing that the “keys” to unlock the scriptures in the New Testament are contained in the old and that the understanding of the old is revealed by the new, they go about inventing private interpretations, which in some cases change the very nature and person of God.

God spoke at various times and in different manners in the past to Israel through the prophets. These were holy men of God whom he raised up to be leaders and mediators over Israel, and he placed his glory upon them and set them as a sign to reveal his word to his people. The Lord also chose the people of Israel in the same way to be a light to the nations. As the prophets were to Israel, so is Israel to the nations. Salvation is of the Jews; whether they are in obedience or not, they are given as an example. In them are revealed both the goodness and the severity of God.

Among the prophets of Israel were some who were used symbolically as archetypes of Christ. Although they were faithful in all their houses, they all fell short of perfection. Moses, having brought the people out of Egypt, failed to lead them into the promised land. After Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the land of promise but fell short of driving out all of the inhabitants. Solomon, being a prefigure of the Messiah, the son of David, failed to continue the rule of the House of David over all of Israel by falling away in his old age into sin.

These men, being archetypes of Christ and not Christ, could not perform the work of Christ to perfection. Therefore, God sent his own Son to perfectly fulfill all of the foreshadows of Christ that his forerunners were sent to established.

Israel is also a picture of the Lord’s relationship with his people even today, even though they also failed to fulfill their calling perfectly until the end of all things. But let us learn from their examples.

Israel is God’s firstborn among the nations. They were saved by a figure when they passed through the Red Sea. Their antagonists were destroyed in the seaβ€”even Pharaoh and all the armies of Egypt who attempted to follow after the Israelites into the sea. This figure given in Exodus is like salvation. The “Red Sea” is not a misnomer. We are saved by the blood of Jesus when we pass through the Red Sea. Evil ones cannot pass through the Red Sea, nor can they reach the Jordan River.

Once the Israelites set foot on the other side of the Red Sea, they had been saved; however, they were not yet in the promised land but in the wilderness. The symbolism of this paints a very important picture regarding our salvation.

For we see that the children of Israel were saved by faith by passing through the Red Sea, but to enter the promised land, the river Jordan still had to be crossed over. Salvation had been attained and a promise of rest given, but the rest was only to be fulfilled at the end of the journey with the dispossessing of the inhabitants of Canaan, as it is written,

β€œFor ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety” (Deuteronomy 12:9-10)

We see then that there was not one crossing to be made before the inheritance of the kingdom was fulfilled, but two crossings. It was the second crossing that secured the promise of the kingdom by finishing the course set before them through obedience to their faith after the first crossing at the Red Sea.

Indeed, we who have been saved and washed in the blood have the promise, as did the children of Israel. We must therefore continue our pilgrimage through the wilderness, resisting temptation in obedience to the faith, until the waters are again parted before us as we cross over to the other side of Jordan into land of promise where we find rest.

But with many of the children of Israel, God was not well pleased, for they perished in the wilderness after having been saved. As Paul admonishes us in Hebrews 4:1, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?” (3:17). And again in 4:11, Paul says, “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

Peter concurs with Paul, writing in 2 Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” Peter does not say your calling and election are sure; he says give diligence to make them sure. If you are saved, you have received the promise; now you must obey, take up your cross, and follow Christ to receive the fulfillment.

Israel in the wilderness is the example God has given us so that we might avoid what befell them. By disregarding the keys to the scriptures in the New Testamentβ€”which keys are contained in the Old Testamentβ€”much of modern Christianity has been corrupted, and we see the fruit by looking around us at the many fallen churches today. A number of the greatest and most well-known preachers today have been led astray by the false teaching of “once saved, always saved.” Both Christianity and the unsaved have long been suffering the effects.

God did not shaft humanity for 4000 years and change the rules for us so we could glide into heaven freely. He perfected the means of salvation in due season by bringing in the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His judgments still stand. He is still the same God yesterday, today, and foreverβ€”a consuming fire to those who walk in sin. His personage has not changed.

I admire the preaching of a number of preachers who seem sound in doctrine on other matters but have fallen for the falsehood of eternal security. We have eternal security when we cross Jordan and secure the land; until then, we have a promise of eternal security that is effective as long as we walk in Christ and do not turn back to walk in sin. We have forgiveness of sins unless we fulfill the scripture John 6:66 by departing from Christ and walking no more with him.

I pray for those who are in error by preaching the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” May the Lord open their eyes to this widespread teaching, for it has led many souls astray caused much spiritual devastation in the lives of many.

Straight is the gate, narrow is the way, but be of good cheer! We can do this and all things through Christ Jesus. He has overcome the world. Therefore, take courage like Joshua and Caleb, who, by faith, entered the land and took possession of it by force. You do not have to die in the wilderness.

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Lord, Teach Us How to Pray

Once upon a time, not long long ago, there was a great country. And in this great country, if you asked anyone to insert a missing word into the first sentence of the Lord’s Prayer, virtually everyone who was asked would have had no problem doing so. In fact, a great many could go on to recite every single word of the prayer. As children growing up, most of the people prayed in school to begin the day, and together, with right hand over heart, they stated their allegiance to God and country. Has forbidding prayer and the pledge of allegiance made a difference for the nation?

Aboard flight 93, which had been hijacked on September 11, 2001, Todd Breamer, online with a telephone operator named Lisa Jeffersonβ€”moments before the passengers would attempt to take back control of the plane from the terrorist hijackersβ€”asked her to pray with him. Together, they both prayed the Lord’s Prayer, every word, from start to finish. Afterwards, Todd, along with others on board the doomed aircraft, recited from the 23rd psalm. Once he had finished, he held the phone down and said, “Are you ready?” “Okay, let’s roll!”

Fast forward, not many decades later, in that same country, on one of the biggest and most well-known game shows, three highly vetted, select contestants were asked on national television to remember one word from the first line of what is possibly the most well-known prayer in history. All three contestants were silent. In fact, not even one attempted to answer. The answer was “hollowed.” Our Father, who art in heaven, “hollowed” be thy name.

This very telling moment should both break your heart and make you fear for the spiritual state and future of our country. The only hope for our nation lies not in worldly knowledge. Nor is it to be found in science, agendas, politics, or anything other than turning back to a place of acknowledging, reverencing, and fearing God. This can only begin with prayer, a broken spirit, and a contrite heart. The question is, will this only come by way of an event like September 11th, 2001, except far greater in magnitude and directly affecting everyone in the nation?

All our hope lies in prayer, and Jesus taught us how we should pray. He did not say we had to memorize and recite every word exactly, or chant. In fact, he taught not to use vain repetitions of the same prayers over and over but to pray from the heart as moved by the spirit. Nevertheless, sometimes we may be moved by the Spirit to pray the Lord’s Prayer, with every word exactly as Jesus prayed and as Todd and Lisa recited it when Flight 93 was heading toward the Pentagon to destroy it. And as at times, I, along with many others, also do.

However, even when praying with our own words, remembering the Lord’s prayer can make our prayers fuller and much more effective. For the Lord said, “After this manner pray, ye.” The manner in which Jesus petitioned the Father, although brief, is very rich, concise, and complete.

When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he began with, “Our Father, which art in heaven, hollow be thy name.” In regards to the first two words, “Our Father,” Paul wrote, “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” The first thing we are to do is declare God “our Father.” In so doing, we lay claim to him and assert that, by adoption, we are accepted by him as his children.

The words, “Our Father,” are followed by the phrase, “which art in heaven,” whereby we affirm the place of his power and omnipotence. “Hollowed be thy name” testifies to the holiness of God and to his holy name.

β€˜Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This statement expresses the absolute submission of all things to God and the fulfillment of his eternal purposes. Of this, the Apostle Paul writes: “Then comes the end, when he (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power… And when all things shall be subdued unto [Jesus], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto [God, who] put all things under [Jesus], that God may be all in all.”

After vowing utter commitment to complete the will of God, Jesus makes intercession for all that is necessary to carry it out, saying, “Give us this day, or daily bread,” which is the Word of God. Only by the sufficiency, which only God can supply, will we be both willing and able to carry out his perfect will.

The request for sufficiency is followed by a petition for absolution; Jesus told us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” It is impossible to do the work of God unless the path is made straight and every obstacle between us and God is removed. Hold no grudge, nor harbor any sin or bitterness in your hearts; forgive, that you may be forgiven.

Of most importance, when Jesus said, “Forgive us our debts,” he prayed without doubt for our sake; for he is, was, and forever will be without sin. Not only so, but in using the plural, “us,” he gives us an example to pray for others, even when praying for ourselves. How easy it is when we pray for something we desire to say, “Lord, give me.” Is it not just as easy and more profitable to say, “Lord, give us”? God was well pleased with Solomon when he requested wisdom for himself because he asked that it might be given for the benefit of others, and God granted his request.

Jesus finished his prayer by requesting victory over all things and attesting to the infinite eternal power of the everlasting God, saying, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

The prayer Jesus gave us as an example is so simple, yet so perfect and complete, in so few words. When praying, I often remember his words, “After this manner pray ye.” For although I pray as I feel led, following no ritualistic formalism, I find myself at times reciting his words.

Furthermore, the Lord’s Prayer is so perfect that it is my checklist when I am coming to the end of my own prayers. I ask myself, “Have I covered all the points Jesus made?” Have I acknowledged who God is, where he is, and all that he is? Did I lay claim to who I am as a child of God? Have I included others in all that I ask for myself? Have I sought forgiveness, sanctification, and holiness, as well as victory and deliverance over all evil? Have I prayed for every soul whom God would save by saying, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?” One could continue on here, but all good things can be comprehended in the Lord’s prayer.

There is, however, one other thing I add to the prayer Jesus prayed, which I am sure is acceptable. At the end, I say, “In Jesus’s name, Amen!”