Ever since i was born, I wasnt given a chance by this world to be anything great. Yet my heart tortured by failure craved to be the thing they said i couldent, to become great. But God in his great wisdom, has made me the weakest of all men, that he might show his great strength through me. For i once fought to bring myself glory, now i fight to make the name of Jesus be glorified. I was confused about what true greatness was, greatness is only found in the image of Christ. I can never say i am trully great, but i can say God is great, for God in his greatness has made me who i am, the weakest man on earth, and so the most susceptible man to his great power. For I will go the land which puts greatness to death, I will go not in my name, not in my power, but in the glory of the LORD!
We Christians have become obsessed with making sure what we do is Gods will, as it should be, for Christ cried out to the Father, “Nevertheless not my will be done, but let your will be done.” I have found it extremely hard to try and deciver what is the will of God. Of course Gods will does not conflict with Gods word, so if anything you do conflicts with what scripture teaches, it is not the will of God, for Gods will is shown in Gods word. So the word of God is how we know the will of God, but i know the bible yet when it comes to making decisions how am i suppose to know whats Gods will and whats my will? Ive come to notice that when we try and plan our lives out and say, this is Gods will for my life, i can feel it, actually at those times are when we are acting most in our own will. When we try to pray and find out whats Gods will on a subject that is when we end up doing our own will. For when we pray, we know in mind what we would rather desire, and usually God does not speak back with words that can be heard so we end up turning our desires into “Gods will”. Those of us who have the Spirit of Christ in us, have Christ in us, we try to go and find Gods leadership when the whole time its in us. We try to go seek out what is Gods will, when Gods will is placed in our hearts with his Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our counselor, yet we do not heed his counsel, because we have a lack of understanding our own ability to act in the will of God because of the Holy Spirit at work in us. When we look at scriptures we do not see the disciples pondering days or years on what Gods will is for a subject, why? Because they understood the concept of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. There are 6 billion people on earth, we have not the time to spend our lives trying to decide which batch of people we want to give our lives to. Even our ministry is not ours to decide to whom do we serve. Our desire is to spread the name of Christ to the whole world, to bring God glory and to praise him all over the globe. I think we now adays spend to much time planning, and not enough time action, partly i think because our concept of ministry is distorted. The whole ministry has become about finding out what God wants you to do in life, and whatever you do it is good and it is Gods will. If i chose to think like this I would live here all my life, try to start a small church help people, have my wife and kids and live out in the country some where in a happy life. But the Spirit of God at work in me has shown me that great men of God are not the happiest men on earth, they are not the greatest, they are the weakest, but by them God is glorified. And that is what its all about, giving God glory. You can live a Christian life anywhere and God could get glorified because of your way of living toward him. But he would lose, and you would lose much much more. Our lives should be like this; No matter where I am, I will give God glory, and no matter to whom i minister, God will be glorified. God is glorified with the people who live happy suburban lives and do small servacis in the church because thats what talent and messure of faith they have received. We should do Gods will, and Gods will is for us to live according to his word and his standard even if he means risking comfort or saftey.
It has been taught first by the Roman Catholic church for the past thousand years and all over Christian denominations that suicide is the sin to which is a fast track to hell. That once you commit suicide then you are going strait to hell. I heard one man explain it this way, when you commit suicide you have no chance to repent of that sin so you go strait to hell. Well i would agree with that for an unsaved person, but not for a saved born again Christian. Even the title bears the truth, saved and unsaved people, those who are saved are saved indeed no matter what sin they commit, and those who are unsaved are unsaved until they are covered with the blood of Jesus Christ. I believe the idea that suicide is a one way path to hell is in fact a distortion of the truth. Anyone who says that even a Christian who commits suicide is going to hell is somebody who has a very immature knowledge of the gospel and a very law driven salvation instead of salvation through grace alone. Remember, the way to heaven is not doing good by the law and repenting for the times we sin, if that were true then Christ died for nothing! But Christ died so that we could live under grace, that when we accept his blood on the cross as the sacrifice that it is a once for all purifying us of all our sins, past, present and future. When we accept Christ we have become as pure as Christ in the eyes of God, no matter what sin you commit your sin is forgiven by the blood of Christ. As much as some immature Christians still try to preach the blood of Christ mixed with the law of God in one grace law filled mixture. How can you say the blood of Christ washes away my sins and in the same breath say if you commit suicide your going to hell? If the act of suicide which is sin is covered by the blood of Christ then God can no more see that suicide then any other act of sin. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed once for all for our sins, he was the sacrifice which made us whole. In the old testament, a lamb had to be slain once a year for the sins of Israel, but Christ does not have to be crucified once a year, he died once for all, for sins past present and to come.
Look at Samson, a man filled with the power of the holy spirit who killed himself as his last act on earth. Samson asked God to restore to him the power that he once knew so that he could knock over the pillers and kill himself and all his enemies who were with him. Do you think that God would let one of his great men of the bible commit suicide if it were an automatic path to hell? To be saved we must accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross which is accepted through faith and repentence. Repentence is not the means of salvation, it is a way of accepting the salvation which is bought through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which we know is for sins past present and future. So even if you do not repent for a sin, does not mean you are going strait to hell. For when we put our faith in Christ and repented of our sins and accepted the atonement of Jesus blood then no act of sin could separate us from Christ in God. When we knowingly sin it is good to repent and stay humble in faith before our God, but if the theory that unrepentent sin is more powerful then the blood of Jesus is true then even the smallest unrepented white lie of your life would leave you in hell. I know that even since I have accepted Jesus as Savior im sure there has been a time or two when i have forgotten to repent of some small sin, or maybe i didnt even think about it cause it was so small. Does that mean im going to hell? No! Because when i accepted Christs gift of salvation that shadow of salvation does not just clean me of my past sins, it cleans me of my present and future sins and if i commited suicide it to would be covered by the atonement of Christ.
They say, Joe how come you love Israel? How could anyone not! How could you love Jesus but not his people? thats like saying you are a follower of Jesus but not of God! For how could you love God when you hate the very servant to whom you have been saved. Was not Christ a jew? Jesus said salvation is from the Jews, yet you say the Jews killed Jesus? Do you not know that it was not only the sins of the jews that put christ on the cross but your sins and mine, all of our sins have crucified christ. And for love of all Christ died to all for all. For God did what man could not, God brought us salvation by himself for man could not save himself. Christ did what the law could not, for by Grace Christ died to save all, and by the stumbling of the jews all men have been saved, what shall there inclusion mean but life from the dead! When i read my bible, how could i not long to walk where Jesus walked? How could i not long to live in the land which God gave to Abraham the father of our faith, how could i not long to kiss the ground of the only place on this earth which could be called, Holy Land. How could my heart not long to live in the land to which God loves, how could i not long to live in the land to which Christ came and Christ is returning to! How could i not long to pray on mount Zion, the mountain to which Christ will rule and to which the eternal kingdom will be brought down from heaven. And how could i be blind to the ignorance of my fellow brothers. How could i ignore the fact that the great servant of God Israel, is but a remnant, how could i Ignore the fact that God hardened there hearts so that i might be saved! How could i not desire with all that is in me to first of all repay to the jews what they have given to me. How could ignore the fact that Gods servant Israel is lost and going to hell, how can i ignore the fact that the holy people of God are being attacked from all sides. Do you not know that if the Jews did not reject Christ you would not have been saved? Do you not know that without the Jews you would have no faith, for all of your Christian prophets are actually Jewish prophets, and your Christian Christ is actually the Jewish Messiah! Your God, he is to be called the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the patriachs of the Jews. The question is this, how could we Christians, think ourselves so different from the jews? The Jews in the old testament were worshiping the exact same God we worship as Christians. The only difference between us and them is the difference between the old and new covenants, we have been given a new covenant of grace, while they are still trying to live under the covenant of law. But do you not know that there hearts were hardened so that you might receive this covenant? God did not save you so that you could go to heaven and his servant Israel could go to hell, God hardened the hearts of the Jews so that we might be saved that we might once again bring the faith to the Jews that all might partake of the new covenant. I view it as the greatest purpose of our generation to reach Israel with the Gospel of Christ, we have gone to every nation on earth and except the most important one. Christ will not return until we Christians do what we were sent here to do, make disciples of all nations! God has a plan for Israel, do you think that God forsook his people Israel never again to graft them back in? No, but they shall be his witnesses to the world in the time of the Antichrist when he rules over this earth for a time, they shall be the remnant of believers, for those who nailed Jesus to the Cross shall mourn over him as one mourns for an only son! The servant God first used, shall be the servant God uses last, that servant is Israel. I believe it the greatest duty for believers in this generation to reach the hearts of the Jews, for God has said that when they return to there land he will turn there hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. That happened sixty years ago, yet we have failed to see them come to Christ, why? Because us gentile Christians have been ignorant to the importance of Israel, we have come to think we have replaced Israel in the eyes of God. But God made a covenant with Abraham and God made a covenant with his descendants, that Jesus Christ will rule over that land with the remnant of Israel. The reason i care so much about Israel is because God cares so much about Israel, God is jealous for his people, and i am jealous for his people, and you should be jealous for his people, jealous of the fact that our God is the God of Israel, yet Israel themselves are living in blindness. This is the last mission field, Israel is the last frontier of the spreading of the gospel, those who received first shall receive also last, and as God has said, through them the world will be blessed forever.
Romans 11:25-32 “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part untill the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for Gods gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have not received mercy as a result of their disobediance, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy AS A RESULT OF GODS MERCY TO YOU! For God has bound all men over to disobediance so that he may have mercy on them all.
I was raised in a society that said God Bless America, a society which teaches us to pledge allegence to a flag, but wont let us pray in our schools, a society which puts country over God, which puts tolerance over truth, and which puts Idols above the one true and living God, the creator of heaven and earth. They teach us to put our patriotism at such a high position in our lives that anything unpatriotic is heresy, but that is not true. America was built on Christians, seeking a new land to freely worship Jesus as LORD with all purity of mind and body. Then the puritans were indoctrinated with a culture of tolerance, the people of this country tried to count equal all religions, they tried to make it seem as if these idols were gods, when there is only one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth. America survived for the sake of the elect that are living in this country, and also for the sake of Israel, the chosen servant of God, who by americas help prophecy was fulfilled. It is said that the greatest calamity a country could undergo is the loss of worship. America has lost the worship of the one true God and his only Son Jesus Christ. We have tryed to make God no different then all the false gods, and we began to teach our children that there is no God. We accept worship, but it is not the policy of this country to practice worship. They did not want to be called a christian country, they did not want there children taught about a Creator, but america is teaching its generations to worship an Idol, the idol of money. We have become enslaved by lust and greed, money is americas god, sex is americas god, for these things and many more judgment will be brought upon this country. America has taught against the commands of God, they have taught that homosexuality is not a sin, thus by directly defying Gods law. How long America do you plan on defying the LORD your God? How long america do you plan to hand your generations over to the devil. Mothers kill there children, they dont even allow them to be born! The people commit fornication, in fact it is not only tolerated, but it is encouraged. The people are caught in all kinds of drunkeness and murder, in perversian and ungodly speech. The people are currupted in mind in heart and in flesh, there is no part of them that is clean. America has taught that there is no moral law, that there is no God and no judgment, the country is a country run by sex and money and all other kinds of idolatry. If it were not for the sake of the elect this country would have already been destroyed. To them that pervert the word of God, to them that hate God and all things good, the LORD is bringing judgment, not in due time, but in this time, and for the reason of treason against the Kingdom of God and the injustice against the LORD Almighty you have been found guilty, punishable by death, which is to be carried out by Gods anger in judgment of the once virgin turned harlot.
2 PETER 2:13-
“They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasure while they feast with you. WITH EYES FULL OF ADULTERY, THEY NEVER STOP SINNING; THEY SEDUCE THE UNSTABLE; THEY ARE EXPERTS IN GREED–an accursed brood! THEY HAVE LEFT THE STRAIGHT WAY AND WANDERED OFF TO FOLLOW THE WAY OF BALAAM, son of beor, who loved the wages of wickedness… …These men are springs without water and mists driven by storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity- for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. if they have escaped the curruption of the world by knowing our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end then they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, then to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true; “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
This scripture is talking about the immoral people which brought the wrath of God against the world when God destroyed the world by the great flood in the times of Noah. This is a short description of the people of Noahs day and also a description which could be said about the people of Sodom and Gomaroah who by which God destroyed by fire in the time of Lot, the nephew of the Patriarch Abraham. Jesus said that in the times before his return it would be much like the times of Noah, that this description given here could be applied to the generation before the return of Christ and Gods final judgment. When i read this scripture, it really described to me this generation in America today, i know this as i have been a witness and both a participant in her wickedness. I have scene first hand her convincing evils, her decietful wickedness of lust and greed and the like, of which i was once apart. But by the grace of God provided through His Son Jesus Christ i have been freed from the chains of the slavery of this sin and these worldly desires. And the blood of Jesus has cleansed me from all sin and slavery. With this eye that has lived in and scene the wickedness from a first hand perspective i can attest to as a witness against this country of her great wickedness. I have prayed and prayed for this dear country to repent and turn from her evil ways and turn back to the Living God, the Living Stone from which it was born. I can say now with full vigor from the Holy Spirit that the time has been coming and is now at the door, when America will turn its back on Israel, and God will turn his back on America. For God said to Israel, whoever blesses you i will bless you and whoever curses you i will curse. America will turn against her brother, the saints will be called up to join the LORD and all that is left in this land will be like filthy rags, full of darkness awaiting the wrath of God like a man on death row. America has defyed Gods Word, and Gods Law, she has turned her back on the God who made her great, the God who gathered her peoples from all over the globe. Brought together for a time in which the followers of Christ might worship freely, and for a time in which Israel might be in need. In Gods eyes, America was built as a place for Christians to worship Jesus, and then was sustained as a place to which Israel might rely on while facing annialation. Do not forget that the scriptures say that God is the one who establishes governments, God established this government as a tool for which his eternal plan might unfold. When a tool is never again needed, what good is it to have? If America was established by God, so he could use her, what good is america if she is no longer needed, what God has established for a purpose when the purpose is fulfilled the establishment is no longer needed, what was established shall then be abolished. When the Christians are brought up to heaven with Christ, and America turns her back on Israel, the need for america is no more and america will be only useful as a graveyard of doomed souls; not a country, but a desolation fully repayed for her abominations. The crop of Believers of Christ is now ready to be harvested, the good crop will be kept, but the useless crop will be thrown into the fire to be burned. America, is now ready to be harvested by God, for the harvest is ripe!
I do not hate America, i hate its idolatry, i am angry with a righteous anger over the loss of reverance for the LORD God almighty. I am but a citizen of one country, the Kingdom of Heaven, and i pledge allegence to one object, the Cross of Christ. Under God they stood, under Idols they fall. America has turned its back on the Living God, may we all pray that God brings revival instead of wrath in these last days.
Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, David, Paul, Peter, John, James, John the Baptist etc.. What do all these names have in common? They were all pillars of our faith, they were some of the greatest men of God to ever walk the earth. We hold them in the highest of regard, we make statues and paint pictures and hold them in the highest reverence, and why? Because they were in a world that didnt even deserve them and they counted themselves as nothing giving up there bodies even unto death. And there was no greater example of this then Jesus, because Jesus was the perfection of all things good, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace. But yet he humbled himself even unto a despisable death and humiliation.
Philippians 2:5-11 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equal with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!”
Yet even though we somewhat today see these great men for what they were, the world rejected and despised them in there time and even they thought of themselves as the least of all men, the refuse of the world. But God chose them because of there hearts, and God glorified them because they humbled themselves and brought Glory to God.
Isaiah 53:3 “He was DESPISED AND REJECTED BY MEN, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (this verse is about Christ but it really sheds light on most of the men of God, that they were despised and rejected.)
1 Corinthians 4:9- “For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ… We are weak… …we are dishonored. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. up to this moment WE HAVE BECOME THE SCUM OF THE EARTH, THE REFUSE OF THE WORLD.”
Hebrews 11:36-38 “Some faced jeers chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”
Now this is how the greatest men of God lived, they lived humbly and lowly and not in high status or in good living, they were disliked and hated, they were murdered and persecuted, yet they humbled themselves all before God not thinking of themselves higher then they ought have. This is the type of men we should look for to lead us in our society and church organizations. Our society has transformed the way the church conducts its business, this should not be so. We look for Pastors and leaders the same way that businesess look for there employees and managers. We look at there education, there outward appearance, there record of wrongs, we look at there age, and there experience and we judge them by the same measurements that the world judges itself. This should not be. We should look for leaders the same way God does, we should judge them by there hearts, and by there humility, the word says that God opposes the proud but glorifies the humble.
1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART.”
My point is this, the greatest men of God were great because they humbled themselves, they humbled themselves not as a single act of humility, meekness was not an act performed before the LORD, it was a characteristic exhibited every day of there lives and in every act of there worship toward God. The humility which led every aspect of there lives to obediance and even sacrifice which all brought Glory to God. And when we desire to pick a leader to lead us, we should look at him like God made Samuel look at David when Samuel was looking for King to lead Israel, not at his outward appearance or accomplishments, but at his heart, and at his humility with which the greatest few have obtained.
I was sleeping the other night and i heard the name David softely, though not with my audiable hearing, or in my dreamlike hearing, it was a whisper that i heard in the Spirit. I prayed for clearity in a subject and the LORD whispers one word, and yet thats all it took.
Im not studying the Story of David and Goliath, im studying the reasoning of Warfare and when is it approved by God. I Think the story of David and Goliath is a great example of clarity on the Morality of Combat.
So everyone knows the Story, Saul was the Anointed King of Israel, and Israel is the Anointed people of God, they stood on one side of a valley ready to fight the philistines, and the philistines stood on the other side of the valley eager to destroy the Israelites. And a mighty warrior from the philistines named Goliath who was a huge man and a lifelong warrior went out every day for fourty days cursing the God of Israel and challenging any one man of the Israelites to come out there and meat him one on one to decide the Battle. But the Israelites were afraid, and noone would go out there to fight Goliath because he was so huge and terrifying. But when this young kid named David comes to bring his brothers who are in the army food he heres goliath defying the Israelites and God, and David full of Zeal for God is sent before Saul and convinces Saul to let him fight the Philistine Goliath. So david with only a staff and a slingshot goes out there and kills goliath and cuts off is head and brings it before Saul the King of Israel. Now this is the man of whom it is said, “A man after Gods own heart”? This is the conflict to me that i think this story answers, how could a godly man justify essentially murder? For this we have to look at Davids reasonings for wanting to fight the philistine.
1. Goliath defied the purpose and will of God by defying the army and people of God.
1 Samel 17:26 “…Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he sould defy the armies of the living God?” David was not fighting out of hate, but out of Zeal for God, and for the purpose of God which was being lived out through the people of Israel. God was using Israel for his purpose in his altimate goal of Salvation for the world, David was not fighting a man who wanted a piece of land, David was fighting for the purpose of God and for the glory of God for the will of God. The way of our God is peace, but the way to peace is through Gods will, and it is Gods will for his chosen people to live, God is a God of life, yet it was his will that Jesus would die for us, from death came life to the world, from Davids warfare came the protection of a people that from them would come the Savior of the World Jesus Christ.
1 Samuel 17:45-47 “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I COME AGAINST YOU IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and Ill strike you down and cut off your head. Today i will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know THAT THERE IS A GOD IN ISRAEL.
47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; FOR THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS and he will give all of you into our hands.
So David went out to fight David in the Name of the God of Israel so that people would know that there is a God in Israel. This was not to give glory to david or to the Jews of Israel, but to the God of Israel, who is the one true God. Through Davids victory God is still being glorified today, who hasnt heard about David and Goliath? why is it one of the most popular stories of all time? because God worked a miracle, by which God is glorified.
So David fought with Zeal for God, not hate for man, David fought for the will of God, not for his own will, David fought to bring God glory, not men, and through his obediance and bloodline came the Savior of the world, the Son of God, the Messiah! David had a heart after Gods own heart, for this God blessed his descendents one of which was Mary who gave birth to the Christ! If Davids actions of warfare were unjustified and wrong, God would have not so richly blessed him. This with the multitutudes of other occations in the scriptures of the Holy Spirit leading men into battle along with the knowledge that God does not change, we must conclude that it is possible and reasonable for us to say that God could and will lead men into battle, for his will and his glory and his divine purpose. And this is in fact the answer to my question i raised up to God in prayer, in which he lead me to the answer through one word, “David”…
John 1:1-5,9-
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands will, but born of God.
The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.—–
Jesus Christ is the Word, he was the living Word of God that came to dwell in the flesh of a man. He was man, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God, and he was God, he created all things, and he is the light of all men. He came to dwell in flesh so that he could testify to the truth of God and be a sacrifice of the sins of the world.
What is sin where did it come from and why do we need forgiveness of sin?
Genesis1 God created everything upon the earth including mankind.
Genesis 2 Adam and Eve lived in the perfect garden of Eden, where God and mankind had a perfect relationship and Gods presence dwelt amoung them but warns Adam and Eve to eat of every tree but not the one tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of good and evil.
Genesis 3:1-
Now the serpent (Satan) was more crafty then any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the women, “Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’
The women said to the serpent,”We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you wil die.’ You will surely die, ” the serpent(satan) said to the women. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
When the women saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heared the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, Where are you?
He answered, I heard you in the garden, i was afraid because I was naked; so i hid. And HE said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?
The man said, “The women you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.
Then the LORD God said to the women, What is this you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
So the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
And i will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.
To the women HE said, I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.
To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife and ate fromt eh tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. it will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the seat of your brow you will eat your food untill you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.
23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.—
Ok So God created man and placed him in the garden where God lived among them. God tolled Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but Satan tricked and tempted Eve into eating of the fruit who also gave the fruit to Adam. By doing this Adam and Eve had sinned against God by disobeying him. Also bringing a curse apon all of mankind, the curse of sin and death. Because of Mankinds disobediance, Sin was brought into the world, making a perfect world, a very tuff and hard place to live in. And so because of Adam and Eves Sin our connection between us and God was ruined, we were banished out of the Garden.
Now some people might say, why didnt God just forgive them right then and there, or why didnt God place the tree outside the garden, or why didnt God stop them from ruining this perfect relationship with Him and perfect world. I believe God placed the tree in the garden not to tempt men into eating of the fruit, for God does not tempt men nor is tempted, but i believe God put it there to test mankinds love for him. God gave man free will, because if man did not have free will the relationship with God would not have been perfect, because perfect love is not forced on you, its a choice, God wanted us to choose Him forever. But we didnt, we sinned, and brought upon us the last 6 thousand years of history which was filled with wars famines death disease sickness poverty pain hurt struggle etc.. The world is not a bad place because God made it like this, it is because we disobayed Gods perfect love.
The reason why we had to be kicked out of the garden and cursed with sin and death, is because Gods holiness, Gods perfection, Gods almigthy Justice and judgment called for it. God could not be in the presence of Sin, and we cannot eat of the tree of life which gives eternal life if we are sinful. The result, we are stuck here in this world which is a sinful hard painful place to live in, with a disconnection from God, or so we think, and we have this curse of Sin upon mankind, which is blocking us from God and blocking us from eternal life with God. And when you think about the garden of Eden and the first sin, do not think of it as though you are innocent, it was Adam and Eve who sinned, look at it like this, everyday i choose to eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, every day i am disobediant to God and Sin against him, noone is righteous and noone has lived a sinless life, except one. I am in this sinful body, doomed to die, and when i die, i will inherit eternal death and fire. How does this curse be broken, how can we bring ourselves to restored connection with our Creator God and have eternal life? There is only one way to heaven, it is by the one who said, “I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME!”
Because of Gods perfect Justice and judgment, the price of Sin is death, and if we die in our sins, we have no hope of eternal life, no hope of ever eating of the tree of life, and thus we go down into the pit of eternal death and fire where satan dwells forever. But God who loved us while we were yet sinners sent Christ to die for us. Now what does that mean, what does one man dieing bring me eternal life and forgiveness of Sins? The bible says, by one man in adam sin came into the world, and by one man in Jesus sin was forgiven, in adam was death, in Jesus is life.
John 1 Jesus is the word of God, and by him all things were created, and he is the light of men. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt amoung men. When it says became flesh, it meant that God took the form of man in one Jesus Christ, he was man, and he was God.
Jesus lived a perfect life, even though the curse of sin was on his body, he never sinned once, he was perfect and blameless and pure and holy. Jesus came into the world so that the world might be saved through him. He came to give testimony to the truth, and that by him Salvation might be brought to the world.
In the old testiment, God commanded Moses to sacrifice Lambs as a offering to God for the forgiveness of Sins. But this was only for the Jews. But God loved the whole world, so God sent his Son to become the Lamb that would take away the sins of the world.
When Jesus was baptized, he took upon the sins of the world, as a lamb would take upon the sins of one man in the Old Testament Law. Jesus then for 3 years gave testimony to the truth, performing thouthsands of miracles and healings and gave testimony to his twelve disciples that he was the Christ, the Chosen One of God, the Messiah. These names come from the old testament prophecy that was written by Jews of a King who was coming into the world, he was there savior and LORD. But the Jewish leadership, the Pharisees hated Jesus, they did not believe that he was the Christ, they feared that he would end their religion which was based off of the old testament which was being fulfilled by Christ, but God hardened there hearts and they with the help of the Romans captured Jesus, whiped him, put a crown of thorns on his head, and crucified him nailing him to the cross. And yet Jesus said, “I am the good shephard. The good shephard lays down his life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I LAY DOWN MY LIFE-only to take it up again. NO ONE TAKES IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MY OWN ACCORD.” John 10:11,17-18. Jesus was not a victim on the cross, he was a volunteer, volunterally laying down his life so our sins would be atoned for and we would have eternal life in His Kingdom.
This was a prophecy given to Isaiah about Christ suffering and sacrifice, written 500 years before Christ was born.
Isaiah 53:4- “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was PIERCED for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us turned to his own way; and the LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORDs will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand,
After the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore i will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
FOR HE BORE THE SIN OF MANY, AND MADE INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS.”
Galatians 6:1-6 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”
We are suppose to confess our sins to each other are brothers in Christ, if one of us is caught in sin, we should restore them gently. Were suppose to help each other and be as one body. Not to be pridefull, or to think higher of ourselves then we are. Be humble. Were suppose to test our own actions, whether or not they are godly and right, or sinful, so that we could be happy with ourselves that we are upholding the gospel of Christ. And when someone receives instruction, they should be open with the instructor about everything. We should have this type of relationships with the members of the church.
Jesus taught, that we should do Gods will on earth AS IT IS DONE IN HEAVEN. Matthew 6:9-10 “This, then, is how you should pray; “Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN…” In heaven, the church and body of Christ is one body with one leader and one teacher, one master, one Father, the Christ, our LORD Jesus! on earth we should be united as one, as it is in heaven. In John 17 Jesus Prayed that we should be one on earth, as he and the Father are one. John 17:11 “…Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-the name you gave me- so that they may be one as we are one.” We are called to be one body in Christ! In the early church, we see that they acted as one. Acts 2:44-46 “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Everything they did, they did together for the glory of God!
Matthew 23:1-12 “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to is disciples: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on mens shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them Rabbi.(teacher).
BUT YOU ARE NOT TO BE CALLED RABBI (TEACHER), FOR YOU HAVE ONLY ONE MASTER AND YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS. AND DO NOT CALL ANYONE ON EARTH ‘FATHER, FOR YOU HAVE ONE FATHER, AND HE IS IN HEAVEN. NOR ARE YOU TO BE CALLED TEACHER, FOR YOU HAVE ONE TEACHER, THE CHRIST. The greatest among you wil be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
This scripture is talking to the fact that the pharisees liked themselves to be exalted, as church leaders and teachers, the pharisees had disciples, Jesus is saying YOU, MY DISCIPLES, YOU ARE NOT TO BE LIKE THE PHARISEES, you are not to have disciples, you are not to be in charge over someone, you are not to be called teachers or fathers or be elevated beyond the rest of your brothers, for you are one, and Jesus Christ our LORD is the only Father, the only teacher, the only discipler.
Back to the first point now, Jesus said we are to be as brothers, as one, not to elevate each other beyond one another, not to be exalted in any way, only the LORD is to be exalted. His will in heaven, is that we are all one, and that we are together as one worshiping the Father as one body. In heaven, men are rewarded, but we are not elevated beyond one another as some would think, for God is not a respecter of persons. So if Gods will is that, the way it is in heaven it should be on earth, then why do we try to elevate men above other men when Jesus said not to do this! Do as it is done in heaven, in heaven men do not follow men, but God alone, so on earth we should not follow men, but God alone. We should be as brothers worshiping the Father as one body, as it is in heaven. How can men have disciples or be disciplers, when men are not suppose to be exalted above their brothers in Christ? When it is Gods will in heaven that we are one with only the LORD as father and teacher, yet we try to be father and teacher to other men. Ive heard the term spiritual father so much, men try to be spiritual fathers to other men, without knowing the scripture which says you have one Father, and he is in heaven. It is confortable to be a follower of a man, to trust in what you can see, to be discipled so to speak by a man, and oneday be a discipler yourself, this is gratifying and exalts the person who is the discipler, yet if we are in any sort of postion to be exalted, we are trying to rob God of his glory.
Nowhere in the new testament does it talk about the disciples having disciples, no where in scripture can you find a verse that it says the disciples of the 12 apostles, because Jesus taught them they were not to be disciplers, but fellow disciplees of Christ, we are called to go out and make disciples of all nations, these disciples were not disciples of the original 12, they were fellow believers in Christ, disciples of Christ.
There is a very thine line, moses hit the rock once water came out, God was got the glory, moses hit the rock a second time, he got the glory. Because of this he was not aloud in the promised land, because he tried to obtain glory for himself. The problem is that we get confused with the idea of fruit, we try to build people up as our disciples and train them in the Gospel so that they can go out and make more disciples, the fruit we bear is not our fruit, we are branches of one vine, that Vine is Christ. If we call men our disciples, it is like a branch calling the fruit of the branch its fruit, is it not the fruit the fruit of the vine, in this case our fruit we bear is not our fruit just because it grows off our branch, our branch is only alive because it grows off the vine, the vine can live without the branch, the branch cannot live without the vine, Jesus can live without us we cannot live without Jesus. We only bear fruit through Jesus, in Connection with Jesus. The fruit we bear, are believers and disciples of Christ. We go out into the world to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are suppose to branch out and with Christs spirit in us working through us we bear the fruit of the vine.
We are all brothers fulfilling the great commission to make disciples of Christ, we are one body, one church for we all live through one life, the life of Christ. There is one father, one teacher, one discipler, and one disciplee, the church which is one body! We are called to bring people into the body of Christ, into becoming one body, one church of disciples of Christ!
