Genesis 1:1, Amplified Bible—IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.
God did not have a ball of dirt, rocks, or any external substance from which He created the earth. Everything we see on this earth came from the inside of God! God the eternal, independent, and self-existent Being: the Being whose purposes and actions spring from himself, he who is absolute in dominion; the most pure, the most simple, and most spiritual of all essences; infinitely benevolent, beneficent, true, and holy: the cause of all being, the upholder of all things; eternally self-sufficient, needing nothing that he has made. In a word, a Being who, from his infinite wisdom, cannot err or be deceived; and who, from his infinite goodness, can do nothing but what is eternally just and right!
He spoke the earth into existence! Man was then created/formed from the earth. The seeds for the trees, grass, and all things, which have life, came from the inside of God.
While in the following Scripture Jesus is talking to the Jews about their evil works, look at the second part—out of the heart! So God spoke the Universe and Earth into existence—I believe it was from His Heart!
Matthew 12:34, You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? “For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Did you ever think what change took place IN Adam, other than the Holy Spirit leaving him, when he disobeyed God? Let me take you on a trail, a blood trail, if you disagree, that is ok! I think most of us know that Adam’s flesh and bone body was formed from the dirt—Genesis 2:7, And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
When God breathed the breath of life into Adam, he came alive, a speaking spirit. At this time Adams heart began to operate, pumping blood throughout his body. I recently learned that the blood in Adam’s body can also be traced to elements from earth’s soil, iron, potassium, calcium, chloride, otherwise his blood was made from the same substance as his body, or from the earth. (Thank you Brother AmeriKan).
The blood in the human body, or for that matter the animal body, is the life force of that body. This teaches the value of blood: it is the “life” of animal and man! Our blood is what carries the life that is within us. If we have a disease, the doctor will test our blood to understand which disease has attacked our body. People with diabetes check their sugar levels by checking their blood. Doctors checking for AIDS will test the blood. I also believe that man’s spirit is in his blood stream! As Brother Kenneth Hagin used to say “whenever you see the word heart in the N.T., a person could say that the Bible is speaking of man’s spirit.”
Lev 17:11 For the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life [which it represents].
The shed blood of Jesus at Calvary represented His life. He gave up His life, His human existence on earth, so we could spend eternity with Him. But why was His blood acceptable to God, while no other “human” blood would do the job? Adam’s blood came from the Father, via the formation of the earth, while Jesus’ blood came straight from the Father, Matthew 1:18. The blood of the child comes from the father. But God couldn’t use the blood of Adam (or man's blood) for the redemption of mankind, or for that matter animal blood. Man had to be redeemed, reconciled, with human blood, pure, unpolluted innocent blood!
When Adam sinned, disobeyed God, a change happened in his body. Yes, the Glory of God, the Holy Spirit, left Adam and Eve, but that was external. Adam’s blood, the life force of his body became “tainted or polluted”! Lets look at some Scriptures.
Numbers 35:33, Amplified Bible—So you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.
The very land was considered as guilty till the blood of the murderer was shed in it. No wonder God is so strict in his laws against murderers. God is the author of life, and none have any right to dispose of it (by way of murder). Also, during this time on earth our eternal life is decided by us, will we spend eternity with God, this is the time to choose. As he who takes a man's life away before his time may be the murderer of his soul/spirit as well as of his body, the severest laws should be enacted against this, both to punish and prevent the crime.
Genesis 4:8-11, Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. V9, Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" V10, And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
Blood has a “voice” and that voice seeks revenge or justice for life taken! Here we have the first recorded murder of a human being, the shedding of human blood. The “blood” is such an interesting subject.
From John Gill’s commentary on Genesis 4:8-11: in the original, “the voice of your brothers bloods” (plural); which the Jews generally understood of the posterity that would have descended from Abel, had he not been murdered: the Targum of Onkelos is, ``the voice of the blood of the seeds or generations that should come from your brother; or from “The Jerusalem Targum”- ``the voice of the bloods of the multitude of the righteous that shall spring from Abel your brother,''
Genesis 4:11, Amplified Bible—And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's [shed] blood from your hand.
Ever since the disobedience of Adam, God has required “Blood”, blood of an innocent being so that He can “associate” with His man.
Genesis 3:21, For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins and clothed them.
There should never be any doubt as to Who had the first “sacrifice” killed, and for that matter, the last Sacrifice slain!
I think we are aware where the “skins” (I am sure these skins were still moist with the blood of the slain animal) came from out of which their clothing was made. They were taken off animals whose blood had been poured out as a sin-offering to God; for as we find Cain and Abel offering sacrifices to God, we may be assured that God had given them, or their parents, instructions on how to sacrifice; nor is it likely that the notion of a sacrifice could have ever occurred to the mind of man without an express revelation from God.
In conclusion, for this is getting too long. The following is from a commentary:
The blood of Abel spoke, and it spoke of judgment. The blood of Jesus also speaks, but of better things, of grace and of sin having been judged (Hebrews 12:24). a. The idea of blood crying out to God from the ground is repeated in the Bible; unpunished murderers defile the land (Numbers 35:29-34-The blood is said to cry from the ground, the earth, which is said, Genesis 4:11, to open her mouth to receive his brother's blood from his hand. The earth did as it were blush to see her own face stained with such blood; and therefore opened her mouth to hide that which she could not hinder. The blood of his brother, which was shed by his own hand, was received and sucked into the earth, where it was spilt, through the pores of it, and drank up and covered, so as not to be seen; in which it was as it were more humane to Abel, and as it were more ashamed of the crime, and shuddered more, and expressed more horror at it, than Cain. d. God also commands of Noah that if animals are to be eaten, there be a proper respect for the blood, which represents the life principle in the animal (Leviticus 17:11, 14; Deuteronomy 12:23).
The importance of the idea of blood in the Bible is shown by the frequency of the use of the word. It is used 424 times in 357 separate verses (in the New King James Version).
Blood was the sign of mercy for Israel at the first Passover (Exodus 12:13). Blood sealed God's covenant with Israel (Exodus 24:8). Blood sanctified the altar (Exodus 29:12). Blood set aside the priests (Exodus 29:20). Blood made atonement for God's people (Exodus 30:10). Blood sealed the new covenant (Matthew 26:28). Blood justifies us (Romans 5:9). Through blood we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7). Through blood we have peace with God (Colossians 1:20). Blood cleanses us (Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7). By blood we enter God's holy place (Hebrews 10:19). By blood we are sanctified (Hebrews 13:12). Blood enables us to overcome Satan (Revelation 12:11).
This is not all I want to say about “the blood’, but as I have said, this is getting to be a book!
Blessings,
Jack
By : Larry Ollison, Ph.D.
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Let's count to ten. Okay, are you ready? Here we go. One - three - nine - eight - two - four - six - five - seven - ten! There, we did it! But it was confusing wasn't it? Do you know why? Of course you do. Anything that is not in its proper order causes confusion.
For example, if you had a flat tire and you put the lug nuts on before you put on the spare tire, you wouldn't get anywhere and your problem still wouldn't be solved. You can kick the car. You can kick the tire. You can curse the manufacturer, and you blame every one else who has ever driven your car; but the truth is, it's your own fault and you can't blame anyone else. You didn't do things in their proper order.
When we are dealing with the Word of God and what God has for us in our lives, it is much the same. We must keep things in order.
For example John 8:31-32 is a scripture verse we quote all the time. Jesus said, "If you continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
When people hear this verse, they get excited because Jesus gave them good news. He said that He would set them free. Every one wants to be set free. No one wants to be in bondage. But unfortunately many people expect to get set free without doing all the things to get there.
In the same way we count from one to ten, we must take things in order. Otherwise there is confusion.
Jesus said, "If you continue in My Word, then you are my disciples indeed. And then we would know the truth and then we would be set free."
Did you catch that? First, we are to continue in His Word. Second, we become His disciples. Third, we know the truth, and fourth, we are made or set free. Now, you can't do number four - in other words, be set free - without doing number three, knowing the truth. You can't know the truth unless you continue in the Word.
But if we take everything in its proper order, then we will be obedient. And when we are obedient, God moves on our behalf. And, we receive the end result.
Another verse is Matthew 6:33. Here Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." In the verses before, Jesus talked about all the things that we need here on earth, clothing, lodging, and food. Then He said:
1) seek the Kingdom of God
2) seek His righteousness
3) all these things we need will be added to us.
But many Christians are expecting God to meet their needs when they haven't done the first and second things that must precede the third thing.
Everything we do must to be done in order. First Corinthians 14:33 says, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace."
God does not author confusion. Many promises of God go unfulfilled because we don't do what He said in His Word to do. We must not deceive ourselves. When God's Word is conditional - when God says "if you do this, I'll do that" - then we must do "this" in order to see "that" fulfilled. And if we don't do our part, we cannot blame God.
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By : Deborah L. Butler
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"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peach was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5).
You may be in a position where you need healing to manifest in your body, but Satan keeps throwing your past at you. So you feel guilty and accept the symptoms. Well, you don't have to accept them - healing belongs to you.
Most times, we accept Satan's lies because we haven't made a true commitment to God, so we feel guilty.
First of all, God knew we were going to mess up in the first place. He knew we were going to act crazy or fall into sin - He's God. But Jesus still took all those bruises for us and He was still willing to be wounded for us so that He could provide healing for us.
So it doesn't matter what you've done. Don't let Satan continue to torment you with it. Get off the guilt trip, repent, and receive your healing. Turn your back on the past and walk toward Jesus.
You're stronger than you think. He's telling you that you can't help it or that you can't do it God's way. That's not true. Your will is the strongest thing you have. Satan does not control your will. You control your will. But, God will not supersede your will because he gave you a choice, so whatever is happening in your life, you're allowing it.
We allow it in simple ways. Maybe by not saying what God said about the situation. Instead we're busy saying what the world says. The thought first starts in your head. Then once you say it, you call it into existence. Then the problem gets stronger.
Have you ever gone to the doctor and he gave you a prescription, and when you took the medicine, the symptoms got worse. Well, it's not the medicine that's making the symptoms get worse, it's the fact that after you heard the doctor's report, you started repeating it to everybody you knew.
You're giving the symptoms life by repeating it. Instead, keep speaking the Word. Be determined to receive the diagnosis of Jesus over the doctor's report. That doesn't mean you don't take your medicine because the medicine helps your body function until you have a complete manifestation of your healing.
We have to use what God gave us. He gave us His Word, and we should be in constant agreement with Him about what His word says about walking in divine health.
Scripture References: Exodus 4:12; Mark 11:23-25; John 12:49-50
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What “kind” of a body will we have, in heaven, if we die before the rapture?
2 Corinthians 5:1-3—For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
I think we understand that Paul is speaking of our earthly body, this earthly house, where our spirit and soul reside, which the real person will be liberated from at death. This earthly body is very fragile in contrast to our future body, a building from God!
Verse 2—For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
While in this body, we are encompassed with many infirmities, and exposed to many trials, so that life seems to be a state of discipline and affliction. In using the word “groan” above Paul is saying it is like a “sigh of frustration”, because we have so many bodily limitations, but we have the hope of a better dwelling!
Verse 3—if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked
When we do depart this life to be with the Lord "we shall not be found naked", that is, entirely disembodied, but a blessed habitation awaits us in heaven, an “interim” body to serve us until the time of our resurrection. (Paul said we will be clothed). I don’t believe it is too strong a statement that significant Christian growth is impossible without a certain amount of suffering. To grow spiritually, we must change our way of thinking to God's way, our priorities to God's priorities, and our perspective to God's perspective.
Let me stop and say a few words here. My wife went home to be with the Lord in December 2006. Cancer was the cause of her death. I firmly believe that it was not God’s desire for her to depart at that time. She suffered much before she passed, sometimes the pain seems to be so great that death is a relief, a release from suffering. I felt a certain amount of guilt at her passing—couldn’t I have did more, prayed harder, fasted more, etc. I often thought about how she and others would appear in heaven, what type body would they have (they would not receive their glorified body until the resurrection), would they know one another—those who had passed on before?
I received a lot of study material from loving people in my church about “life after death.” Do I believe all of it—Not really. The Scriptures are not real clear about what type body the spirit man has in heaven before the resurrection (rapture), they speak more about our resurrection bodies.
Belief in the resurrection is an absolutely vital component of our Christian faith, because the entire point of that faith is our confidence in deliverance from death through resurrection following the pattern of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Resurrection is the only way we triumph over death, therefore resurrection based upon faith in Him who overcame death is the ultimate goal of our Christian hope. For our hope rests upon the promise that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that those who were willing to follow His Son might have the opportunity to be victorious over death through resurrection, a renewal of life, even life everlasting (Jn.3:16—lCor.15:54-57).
In Revelation chapter seven verse nine the apostle John tells us that he saw "a great multitude, one which no one could count, from every race, tribe, people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the lamb, dressed in white robes and carrying palm branches in their hands" (Rev.7:9-17). Verse 14—"these are they who come out of the great tribulation". These departed believers, are recognizable in every way as human beings, and even sing a song to the glory of God. Are these people in their “interim bodies” or "resurrection bodies"? The parable of Abraham's bosom (Lk.16:19-31) also suggests we will have an “interim body” until the resurrection of our earthly body. In this last example, Jesus gives us rich detail of the interim state and abode as it was before our Lord's ascension. Lazarus, the rich man, and Abraham are all recognizable. Obviously, what we can know about our interim status in eternity is limited to such detail as we are able to glean from scripture, but, as the above example illustrates, I think it would be a mistake to imagine that our person—our essential human form will be radically altered.
While the death of our present physical body does not affect our spirit—our spirit will be housed in another body (an interim one, followed by an eternal one) immediately following the death of the shell we now occupy. The issue for mankind therefore is not death, but rather where he will spend eternity, knowing and that the new birth brings eternal life with Jesus.
As has been mentioned, not much is said in scripture of the interim state, a condition which the last generation of believers will not experience, passing directly from this life to eternal life. Still, we do know that along with spiritual existence, the "body" occupied during this period will in fact be discernible as such, and that individuals occupying it will be recognizable, not only by appearance, but also in personality (Lk.16:19-31; lSam.28:13-19; Rev.6:9; 7:9-17; 11:1-13).
Blessings to all,
Jack
Got this from my daughter, thought it was timely.
I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words. This woman should run for president.
Written by a housewife from New Jersey or New York and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady. (Dee, you weren't involved were you)?
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?
Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.
I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia
I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.
I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.
I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide .
I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.
When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care..
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care !!
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!
If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:
'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan
I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.
'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
One last thought for the day:
In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.'
The last thing, by the way, that we should do is to elect as President of the United States, someone who claims to love America yet, WILL NOT salute the flag, WILL NOT pledge allegiance to our flag, and sat in a church listening to a 'pastor' that HATES America! Are you Freakin' kidding me?
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,
AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!
As a former serviceman, and praise God a Christian I agree!!!!!
Jack
I Peter 1:18-19, Amplified Bible—You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.
Redeemed means bought back—The redeemer pays a price to reclaim something previously owned. Mankind was once God’s by creation, but became lost through sin. The blood of Christ is the price of our purchase, or redemption. God offers Christ’s blood to us as our substitutionary sacrifice and accepts it as such when we offer it back to Him. Christ gave His life’s blood to buy us out of sin and death. His blood is a worthy price and provides an imperishable bond between God and man.
So the value of a human being can be understood from the price required to redeem him. (The life force of God’s Son).
John 3:16, Amplified Bible—For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
God the Son, Jesus, became flesh and died for the sins of humanity.
1 Corinthians 6:20, Amplified Bible—You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body
That He willingly shed His blood and died for us not only reveals the value of the human personality, but also the importance of salvation. Fallen men and women can only produce the works of the flesh, while redeemed man is reckoned to be righteous before God. We need to “wake-up to the fact that God has done all He can so that we may live a “prosperous life” spirit, soul, body, financially while here on planet earth!
To reach the highest human potential, to have abundant life, we must accept the Word of God by faith and never doubt His Word in the face of tribulations!
T.V.-You could hardly see it for all the snow. Spread the rabbit ears as far as they go. Pull a chair up to the TV set, "Good Night, David. Good Night, Chet."
My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting
board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food
poisoning.
My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter AND I sometimes used to eat it raw. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown
paper bag, not in ice-pack coolers, but I can't remember getting e.coli.
Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a
pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.
The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a
pager was the school PA system.
We all took gym, not PE .. and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but
they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now.
Flunking gym was not an option even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.
Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and
staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention.
We must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system
we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything.
I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station,
Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.
Oh yeah ... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
We played 'king of the hill' on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites,
and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of Mercurochrome
(kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got
our butt spanked.
Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for
leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.
We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got our butt spanked there and then we got butt spanked again when we got home.
I recall the kid from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the
front stoop, just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.
To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that?
We needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes? We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac! How did we ever survive?
LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA, AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T;
SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING.
Flag Day pays tribute to Old Glory
by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- On June 14 the United States observes National Flag Day, an annual tribute to the American flag, the ideals it stands for and the sacrifices made to preserve them.
President Woodrow Wilson recognized during his first Flag Day address in 1915 that the freedoms the U.S. flag stands for were not and never would be free.
"The lines of red are lines of blood, nobly and unselfishly shed by men who loved the liberty of their fellowship more than they loved their own lives and fortunes," he said. "God forbid that we should have to use the blood of America to freshen the color of the flag."
But American blood has spilled time and time again to preserve American liberties, most recently in the war against violent extremism. In this year's Flag Day Proclamation, President Bush calls on the nation to remember the troops who carry Old Glory before them "as they defend the liberties for which it stands."
"On Flag Day and during National Flag Week, we remember those in uniform whose courage and sacrifice inspire us here at home," President Bush said. "We also remember the rich history of one of our oldest national symbols and reflect on our duty to carry our heritage of freedom into the future."
Four current or retired servicemembers recently shared their personal perspectives about how the flag has inspired them through their proudest as well as darkest days as a symbol of patriotism, strength and resilience.
9/11 Terror Attacks
Few Americans will forget the image of three firefighters raising an American flag over the World Trade Center ruins in New York just hours after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
But for Army Capt. Joe Minning and his fellow New York National Guard soldiers, many of them New York City firemen and police officers, the Ground Zero flag took on a very personal significance as they desperately sifted through the rubble looking for survivors.
"Seeing the flag raised above all of the rubble and ruins of the World Trade Center instilled a new sense of pride in me for our country," he said. "No matter what happens to the United States -- on foreign ground, on U.S. soil -- we, the American people, will always continue to move forward, rebuild and face any challenges that lie ahead"
Three years later, Captain Minning and the "Fighting 69th" Brigade Combat Team would take that inspiration with them to Iraq, where they lost 19 soldiers securing Route Irish and its surrounding Baghdad neighborhoods during their year-long deployment.
Among those killed was Army Staff Sgt. Christian Engledrum, a New York firefighter who, like Captain Minning, worked amid the dust and smoke immediately following the World Trade Center attack. Sergeant Engledrum, the first New York City employee to die serving in Iraq, became a symbol of the unit that went from Ground Zero to Iraq's Sunni Triangle, and after his death, to the mountains of Afghanistan.
The flag and what it represents continue to motivate unit members during their current deployment to Afghanistan as embedded trainers for the Afghan national army, he said.
Captain Minning said he recognizes when he sees Old Glory flying at his tiny forward operating base there that he and his fellow soldiers are following in the footsteps of the earliest U.S. patriots and defending the same values they fought for.
"The flag is a symbol of everything the United States stands for -- from our founding fathers up until now, all that we have accomplished, and the hurtles our country has overcome," he said.
As a soldier, Captain Minning said, he and his fellow soldiers recognize that it is up to them to continue carrying the torch forward.
"It is the American soldier who keeps the country moving forward and will never let it be taken down by any adversity. It is what we fight for and, if we fall in battle, what our coffins are draped with," he said. "And it’s what we are committed to protecting and defending, no matter what the price."
The Iraq War
When thousands of people gathered in late April at the Cincinnati Red's Great American Ballpark, all eyes were on a platform at the pitchers' mound covered by the flag-draped casket of Army Sgt. Matt Maupin.
The mourners gathered to remember the 20-year-old Army Reservist who went missing more than four years earlier when his convoy came under attack in April 2004. Insurgents released a video tape shortly after the incident showing him in captivity, and his whereabouts remained unknown until the Army found and positively identified his remains in March.
Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, the top enlisted Army Reserve soldier, was among countless people who had hoped and prayed for Sergeant Maupin's safe return. As he joined the crowd in Ohio to honor and bid farewell to Sergeant Maupin, Sergeant Major Caffie looked out at thousands of hand-held flags waving in the stands, all surrounding Sergeant Maupin's casket.
"It underscores the meaning and symbolism of the flag when you see it draped over the coffin of this young man who had the world going for him," Sergeant Major Caffie said.
Sergeant Maupin is among thousands of U.S. troops whose lives have been cut short at the hands of terrorists. Back in October 1983, 241 Marines were killed when a terrorist truck bomb struck their barracks in Beirut. In June 1996, 13 Airmen died during the terror attack on Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. In October 2000, 17 crewmembers from USS Cole were killed when a terrorist bomb ripped through their ship at Aden, Yemen.
Then came the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the war on terror they ushered in.
Through it all, the flag has served as an unwavering source of inspiration that has unified America, Sergeant Major Caffie said.
"It has endured a lot -- being dragged through streets and burned and disrespected and spit on and stepped on," he said.
"And yet it has survived and served as a nucleus that brings this country together across gender, ethnic and religious backgrounds," he said. "It is the American flag that has united us and will continue to inspire patriotism in this country."
I didn't post all of this as it is quite long. Jack
John 17:21, Amplified Bible—That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
When we are born-again we become one spirit with God. We are never alone and God is not far away. In our spirit we enjoy the presence of the Lord.
Through our spirit we draw strength from Him, it is His authority and power that we draw upon. God’s strength lives in our spirit. We should walk and talk with Him, fellowship with Him as we pray in the spirit, live in the spirit.
The things of the spirit must become more real to us than things of the natural. We must not see ourselves beat down in the natural, we must see ourselves as God sees us. We are in Christ, and He has overcome the natural world.
Our spirit is joined to Him, so that the same Life that's in Him, now flows in us, the same ability, the same authority, the same blessing, and the same love that flows in Him now flows in our spirit. We carry the Glory of God inside our spirit.
The Greater One dwells within us, and has connected us to the very realm of God - the very throne of God. His authority is in our spirit, and when we speak words of life, then words of authority go forth to accomplish that life for us in the natural.
Words of faith coming forth from our hearts, out of our mouths, will cause things to change, and cities will change, and families will change. Mountains, obstacles shall be removed, the Word of the Lord shall have free course, and we will literally prepare the way and make the highway for the glory of God. We must lift up our voices in faith, and all of our voices together corporately, shall cause great changes.
And God shall cause the high places to be made low, and the low places to be made high, and He'll make a straight highway, and the glory of God will be revealed.
We must know our place in Christ, know take our place in the spirit, and then walk and live and declare living by faith, walking by faith, so that the things of heaven, and the things of God, become more real than the things of this world. We will lay hold upon the things of heaven, and the life of God and that river shall flow in our cities, in our families, in our churches, and healing will come to many and bring deliverance from evil many, and bring great joy.
The life of God shall flow like a river and it shall change and turn the lives of many. For our spirit joined to the Lord, brings a powerful union and a power, a powerful union that shall cause heavens authority to work in the earth.
So take your place in the spirit and walk in the spirit, living in the spirit, praying in the spirit, speaking words from the spirit and then praying in the Holy Ghost, and as you do, things shall change, For the unseen shall break through into the seen, And the kingdom of God shall be manifested in the earth.
For this is not a small thing, and neither are you just a small thing in the earth, but you are a mighty force, and the body of Christ, so walking with that confidence, and that knowledge, and lifting your voice shall cause changes. Don't allow the enemy to reduce you to a small thing, but recognize the things that I have purchased with My own Blood, says the Lord, and take your place in the spirit; take your place in Christ, take your place of authority and rise up and walk with confidence, and then walk with great love and compassion and know My faithfulness, says the Lord, for the good work I have begun in you I will bring to full completion.
Before He created the Universe, God existed: Before Satan, angels, before the creation of mankind, there was God. The triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) has always existed independent of man, angels, the universe, or even time itself. (We must always remember, time is for man).
John 1:1-3, Amplified Bible—IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
It is very important to keep this one truth in mind—As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to remember that for all his evil power, Satan is still only a creature, created by God and operating within the universe of time and space which God has created, and is therefore subject to God’s Word spoken from the mouth of believers! By way of contrast, our Lord is in no way whatsoever limited by or dependent upon this environment of time and space that is so essential to our existence:
Acts 17:24-25, Amplified Bible—The God Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines. Neither is He served by human hands, as though He lacked anything, for it is He Himself Who gives life and breath and all things to all [people].
Satan is allowed to exist, and his rebellion is allowed to run its course—Why? For the supreme love that God the Father has for us as demonstrated in the sacrifice of His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, His love can also be seen in His determination to let us, choose whether or not we wish to follow Him of our own free will. Although God loves all His creatures with a perfect love, He does not force any of them to love Him back. When history finally comes to an end, the only creatures, men and angels, who will be with Him for eternity are those who have chosen to be.
In its simplest expression, our daily lives are nothing but a chance for each of us to demonstrate conclusively whether we are with God or against Him, whether we want to accept and respond to His love (and spend eternity with Him), or instead to reject His love (and spend eternity apart from Him). For us in the world today, that choice is made very simply in the decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ through faith, or instead to reject the indescribable gift of His Son who died on our behalf. But that’s just the start of our earthly walk with God.
It seems as though Satan comes up with new ways (evils) to harass us with. We must understand that when we do not confess and do the Word of the Bible daily, we then open the door to the devil. The end of this age is so near, think it not strange for the trials we are encountering in life! Satan is doing his best to “confuse” us in this time. We need to search the Scriptures for God’s answer to our particular situation, meditate on that Scripture (read it before going to bed at night), seek His Wisdom with all our heart, don’t doubt, we will have our answers. This is not always an easy process, easy said, but not always easily accomplished. (See Dee’s Blog—Establishing Your Heart Through Meditating God’s Word on June 6th, by Jerry Savelle).
Had we not come through the fiery testing supplied by the devil and his corrupt world system, we would never be able to appreciate God's marvelous provision for us and His deliverance of us from all our trials (2Tim.4:18). Only as we experience His grace in the midst of the devil's world, can we come to the fullest understanding and appreciation of His love for us, while at the same time we are being lead to a full and genuine love for Him. Thanks be to God for His ineffable and un searchable wisdom!
I have always been intrigued with idea of a “World” before the “World” of Adam. Because of the finds by archaeologists of bones that speak of a distant past, bones of creatures that no longer exist on our earth today, we can be assured that there was a time before Adam (man). I believe in the “gap theory”, a large amount of elapsed time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
Kenneth E. Hagin presented his theory on this in his book “The Triumphant Church” which I had the opportunity to teach from a few years ago. I think most of us are aware of the evil spirits we have here on earth to deal with. While we can’t be “proof” positive of their (demons) origin we do have somewhat of a clue from scripture.
We see human kinds first act of disobedience to God, egged on by an evil spirit, in Genesis chapter three. Who is this creature who is so cunning, who understands God’s creation better than we do?
Satan’s Original Status:
Ezekiel 28:1-15, Amplified Bible— Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You are the full measure and pattern of exactness [giving the finishing touch to all that constitutes completeness], full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the carnelian, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, beryl, onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald; and your settings and your sockets and engravings were wrought in gold. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing 
, and I set you so. You were upon the holy mountain of God; you walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire [like the paved work of gleaming sapphire stone upon which the God of Israel walked on Mount Sinai]. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity and guilt were found in you.
And Isaiah 14:12, Amplified Bible—How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations [O blasphemous, satanic king of Babylon!]
Some do not believe that God was talking to Satan, known by the name Lucifer, but who else could this be? Could this have been in the original Eden, some think angelic Eden here on earth, a time when Lucifer ruled the earth before Adam?
Lets take a look at this Eden, to a time before Satan had rebelled from God and had fallen from his privileged status. What we know about Satan in his pristine state comes mainly from the testimony of Isaiah (chapter fourteen) and Ezekiel (chapter twenty-eight). When we consider in some detail the information contained in these two chapters, we can arrive at a rather vivid picture of Satan's situation before he rejected God. I believe one could say that the devil was the preeminent creature in the universe before his fall, and each of the various characteristics that describe him call attention to specific aspects of this preeminence. Satan is described: As the "morning star" and "son of the dawn"; one who sealed up perfection; full of wisdom; exemplifying beauty; in Eden; adorned with precious stones; equipped with timbrels and pipes; anointed; a cherub; one who "covers"; on the holy mountain of God; walking amidst the "stones of fire".
1. Morning Star—(Is.14:12): This title speaks of Satan's role in reflecting the glory of God (cf. Job 38:7, where all the elect angels are described as "stars of the morning"). The Hebrew literally, "shining one", was translated in the Greek Old Testament as "light bearer" and by the Latin Vulgate as "Lucifer". "Morning star" (or "day star") is an apt rendering of this title, for it speaks of a heavenly body so brilliant that it can be seen even in daylight. As the prime creature of the primordial Eden, a place without darkness (for darkness did not exist before Satan's fall), Satan was the foremost representative of God's splendor, mirroring, for all angelic kind to see, the brilliant glory of their Creator. Through his own choice he has now become the ruler of the domain of darkness (Eph.6:12; Col.1:13).
2. Sealing Perfection—(Ezek.28:12): "Sealing perfection [or proportion]" is a literal rendering from the Hebrew and can be expanded to the meaning "the one who puts his seal on harmonious-proportion" or, better, the "touchstone of symmetry" (that is, norms and standards of all kinds as seen from the divine point of view). That is to say, Satan, in his un-fallen state, could be looked to as one who upheld, embodied and represented perfect divine standards. But now he is the prime example of all that is wicked, wrong, and against God.
3. Perfect in Beauty—(Ezek.28:12): This phase more precisely means "summing up" or "comprising the totality of beauty" (the Hebrew meaning “an all embracing wholeness”). As originally created, Satan was the very model of perfection, the most magnificent creation (creature) in the universe, demonstrating to all who viewed him “the beauty of God”, the most exquisite creature of creation. But through his rebellion he became the author of and agent behind all the ugliness and abominations that infest this present world.
4. In Eden—(Ezek.28:13): Was this "Eden" in the pristine original earth before its renewal in Genesis 1:3 and following? Was he the premier creature in a utopian setting?
5. Precious Stones—(Ezek.28:13): The precious stones mentioned in this verse are indeed additional manifestations of Satan's beauty, but it is likely that they also mark him out as the one who represented the angels before God. As the "anointed cherub who covers", Satan would have been continually in the presence of the Lord as the prime representative of angelic kind.
6. Tabrets and Pipes—(Ezek.28:13): The KJV's rendering of these two Hebrew words is, though archaic in terms of its vocabulary, essentially accurate (not so many more modern versions, including the NIV, which try to take these words as meaning settings and mountings for the jewels mentioned above). We may, if we wish, substitute "tambourines" and "flutes", but the essential meaning is the same: from the day of his creation, Satan was endowed with a golden musical apparatus, instruments of percussion and wind, that made him uniquely qualified to sing the praises of God.
7. Anointed—(Ezek.28:14): The word translated here as "anointed" indicate "to be consecrated through the process of anointing". In ancient Israel, it was the custom to anoint with oil both priests, and kings at the inception of their offices. Such anointing marks God's choice of the individual in question, and is symbolic of His power and support. Although Satan was not anointed with literal oil, could he have been given a special measure of the Holy Spirit to aid him in his capacity of supreme angelic being? This anointing marked him out as God's number one creature (creation).
8. Cherub—(Ezek.28:14): There is a considerable difference between the image conjured up by the word "cherub" in our culture and the creatures designated by the same biblical word. Biblically speaking, cherubs are among the highest ranking and most privileged of the angels, for they are blessed with extraordinary access to the presence of the Lord. What we know of Satan's unique, pre-fall status as a cherub is to be garnered from the description of the cherubs who replaced him (described elsewhere in scripture). Cherubs take the lead in worshiping God (Is.6; Rev.4:8b; 5:8 & 14; 7:11-12; 19:4), act as intermediaries for God in His regal manifestations (Rev.6:1-7; 15:7), and, perhaps most significantly, control access into His presence and fellowship (a duty most strikingly evident from their guarding of the "way to the tree of life" after Man's expulsion from the garden: Gen.3:24). Not surprisingly, therefore, the cherubs are usually seen in close connection with the throne of God, that is, as we have seen above, His mobile "chariot-throne" (represented by the "mercy-seat" above the ark of the covenant; cf. Ex.25:17-20). God sits "enthroned" between the cherubs (Ps.80:1), and it is there "between the cherubim" that He met with Moses (Ex.25:22). The seraphim of Isaiah chapter six, and the "living creatures" of Revelation (especially Rev.4:6ff.) are representations of these same creatures. In all of these instances, the creatures depicted are multi-winged angels, closely associated with God's throne, engaged in worshiping Him as they shield (and sometimes propel) His chariot throne. Though some would make the living creatures and seraphs separate orders of angelic beings, it is more likely (given their identical functions and similar descriptions) that these additional names are merely alternate designations for this highest angelic rank.
9. He Who Covers—(Ezek.28:14): The primary reference for this passage is Exodus 25:20, where the cherubs who stand above the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant (the representation of God's throne) are said to spread their wings and "cover" the seat. This same verb is also used of the veil "covering" the holy of holies (Ex.40:3; 21). The main idea here is one of "shielding" or "protecting" as can be seen from the use of the word in the Psalms (Ps.5:11; 91:4; 140:7). Satan's original position can thus be described as that of the ultimate "imperial guard", charged with warding off all that is profane from the exquisite holiness of God (the function now, as we have seen, of numerous cherubs).
10. On the Holy Mountain of God—(Ezek.28:14): Is this is a reference to the perfect, “original earth” . Satan's place in the pristine perfection of God's original creation was compromised by his rebellion and he has thus exchanged this blessed habitation for the ultimate condemnation of the lake of fire (Rev.21:10).
In conclusion I think we have seen that Satan was the top-ranking angelic creature, blessed with extraordinary offices and privileges, which were never to be paralleled again (except in the person of Christ). His preeminent status begs the question of why would he jeopardize (let alone renounce) such an exalted status. The sad truth is that all these benefits and blessings were not enough for Satan. He wanted more, wanted the only thing with which he had not been entrusted: Ruler ship of the universe. It was not enough for him to be guardian of the throne of God; he wanted to occupy it as well.
God has a plan for believers, an individual purpose that is uniquely ours. He knew us in eternity past, long before we existed in these earthly bodies. He loved us enough then to send His only Son to die on the cross for us. He did this for us before we turned to Him. How much more will He give us everything we need now since we believe:
Romans 5:6-11, For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
God knows all about our problems, both the obvious difficulties we face, and the secret pain and suffering we bear in our heart. He is sufficient for all these needs. In eternity, there will be no problems. Only here in time, in the midst of the devil's world, does He have the opportunity to demonstrate His faithfulness to us in these things. Only in time (here on earth) will we have the chance to respond to His love and, in faith, meet the challenge of the daily adversities we face, with the firm belief that He does care for us and will provide an answer to all our needs. In eternity we will see everything clearly, just as He sees it but as long as we are still in this world, our vision is limited:
1 Corinthians 13:12, For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
Here on earth we stride forward by faith:
2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith, not by sight.
And Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We must not depend upon what our earthly eyes tell us, but upon what we know to be truth from the only reliable source of truth, the Word of God.
Though it sometimes seems that as believers we are worthless in the sight of the world, we are of the utmost importance to the only Person who really matters: the Creator of the world. A God who has planned the course of galaxies and the placement of every grain of sand on every beach can surely handle our problems as well. He states in His Word how He cares for us—His desire to faithfully be our Shepherd through out all of our life. We need to draw encouragement from the remembrance of these things, and persevere in His Word by continuing to grow spiritually. Faithfulness on our part brings eternal blessings—rewards which will never fade:
2 Corinthians 4:17, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Galatians 6:7, NKJV—Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
This principle is so true that Paul is telling us not to question its validity! He says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.” The word “deceived” comes from a Greek word which means to lead astray; to wander; to stagger; to be led off course; or to be affected by outside influences and led in a wrong direction. The Greek word is refering to “any seed” that is sown. The emphasis on any seed alerts us to the fact that this law is not applicable only to finances, but to anything in life. It applies to love, to work, to time, to patience, to kindness, to forgiveness, to bitterness, to selfishness — and, of course, to money. All of these are potential “seeds” that we sow. Also the Greek definition of the word “whatever,” means whatever thing (words are “things”) we sow constitutes a law of God that applies to every part of our lives, with no exceptions. It is simply a fact: Whatever we sow, regardless of what it is, we will reap it.
I don’t want to sound like a record stuck on one grove, but this is talking about a person who sows, and sows, who is habitually sowing and sowing, a constant steady, perpetual sowing of seed. And if the seed is God’s Word then that is what we are steadily and faithfully sowing into our heart.
Lets look at Mark 4:14-20.
Mark 4:14, The sower sows the Word.
What words are we sowing into our hearts? We can liken this to sowing seeds of grain—Whatsoever kind of grain a man sows in his field (heart), of that shall he reap; for only one species of grain can proceed from that which is sown. Corn seed will produce corn, wheat seed will produce wheat, and on and on. No one but us can sow seeds into our life, we are the ones “who sow the seed”. Think about it!!!
In verse 15 the devil comes at once and steals away the Word. In verse 16 & 17, our heart is not prepared to receive the Word. Verse 18 & 19, our hearts are “cluttered” with many things, and the desires of other things keep the Word from working in our life. It seems we are so caught up in the cares of the world or in the world’s system that we cannot receive God’s Word into our heart? This is the main way the devil enforces defeat in our lives—By “stealing” God’s Word from us.
The devil wants us to focus on the economy today. This is not something new on his part, look at what happened when the Stock Market crashed earlier in the 20 th century. People literally jumped out of buildings to their death, many lives were ruined as a result of this disaster. Today the high price of fuel has resulted in higher prices for most consumer goods. I think one should seek ways to become more “thrifty, but we must always remember that it is God who supply’s all our need, not the world’s system!
Satan wants to draw our attention away from God’s promises of abundant life. He wants the daily grind of life to choke the Word from taking root in our heart. As believers we know that God’s Word is His Will for us! And we know that if we pray (speak) according to His Will:
1 John 5:14-15, Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask (Words) anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
We have the liberty of access and speech to anything promised in His Word, as that is His Will for us. But we have to speak (sow) the Word’s of the Bible into our life, not words of doubt and unbelief—words from the world’s system.
We must remember that the tribulations, problems we encounter in our daily lives is not God testing us, it is the devil wanting us to focus on the problems, not the solutions.
Gal 6:7-9, Easy to Read Version—Don't be fooled: You cannot cheat God. A person harvests only the things he plants. If a person plants (lives) to satisfy his sinful self, then his sinful self will bring him eternal death. But if a person plants to please the Spirit, he will get eternal life from the Spirit. We must not become tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest {of eternal life} at the right time. We must not give up!
Genesis 1:26, Amplified Bible— God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.
We have been made in the image and likeness of God on the inside, not in physical body appearance, because we know nothing of God having a body or a physical appearance, but the image is in the area of the invisible soul and spirit.
I like the way Kenneth Hagin explains the make-up of man: “With my spirit I contact God or the spiritual realm, with my soul I contact the intellectual realm, with my body I contact the natural or physical realm.”
In the area of man’s soul we have a trinity of sort. Our soul is made up of our mind, will, and emotions—our thinker, our chooser, and our feelings. It is the soul that brings life to the human body, it is the inner life of man, the center of human personality, the seat of our emotions. Our emotions make us cry, laugh, happy, or be sad. Through Scriptures we see that God the Father – God the Son – God the Holy Spirit, have a mind, will and emotions.
Now when God created Adam, and He gave Adam that inner personality. Placed within Adam a spiritual longing to inner act with his Creator, God. From the beginning Adam had fellowship with his Creator. The body is just simply as the Bible calls it, a tabernacle. It’s a temporary dwelling place. Another word for tabernacle is the simple word, tent. A tent is certainly not very permanent, but rather it’s something that you use temporarily, and that’s what our body is. Our body is just a tent in which God has placed a person, a personality brought into being by our mind, will and the emotions.
God also put along side of it, a spirit that is capable of communication and fellowship with his Creator. The body is something that functions in the five senses. You take away the five senses and what do you have? You have a vegetable. If the human body can’t smell, see, hear, taste, or touch then it ceases to function. A tent then is all the body is with it’s five senses. It’s a tent, a temporary dwelling place for the real you and the real me.
Since we are a creation of God, straight from the heart of God, then we (soul and spirit) are eternal. We will never die, we are as eternal as God is eternal. Since God created man with a will, the will is for the purpose of making a choice, its up to us to make a choice between being obedient to God or disobedient.
Adam was created perfect, and he had a body that would never have to die, a soul that was in perfect fellowship and communion with God as was his spirit. He was a perfect creation. God’s creation of mankind was the very crowning act of creation. We are created in the image of God, given a will, so that we can choose to either be obedient or disobedient.
God has myriads of angels, but the angels were never beings that He could fellowship with, or extend His love to. He created mankind in His own likeness, by giving him a soul, and by man choosing to be obedient to his Creator, the Creator will have someone that He can fellowship with, someone He can extend love to, for all eternity.
Hope is the blueprint, or inner image of the mountain being removed. We need a clear, strong picture on the inside built on the promises of God because hope is the plan that your faith will bring to pass.
Hebrews 11:1—NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
If it isn’t clear, faith cannot produce it. If it isn’t strong then it won’t hold as an anchor. The image begins in the mind. After meditating in the Word, it will form in your spirit. As you confess the Word that your hope is built on, it takes root in your heart with more and more strength. From that substance, faith will flow and bring good things to pass:
Matthew 12:34, 35—You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. V 35—The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.
Wicked words and sinful actions may be considered as spilling forth from a heart that is full of the spirit of wickedness, but then Godly Words and deeds may be considered as flowing forth from a heart that is overflowing with God’s love.
The good heart is a good treasury, and the treasure that is in it is the love of God, and of all mankind. The bad heart is a bad treasury, a heart that follows the dictates of the carnal mind. This is a person who does not have any hope based on the promises of God.
Matthew 15:8-9— These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. V 9, Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.
Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. Of course this is true, but we also see from Matthew 15:8 that it is possible to say something that’s not in your heart. Of course, ultimately, your heart will be shown through your words. Words and observations enter through the realm of the soul. When words come into the mind, a decision must be made and the decision is this. You must decide whether to keep or reject the words that have just entered. If you accept them, they will eventually enter the heart and either strengthen the fear or strengthen the faith. Every thought you have either complements or contends with faith.
When Jesus was talking to His disciples about leaving in John 16:6 He said, “Because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.” Our heart can be sad or it can be happy. A determination of whether we have a sad or happy heart is if we accept words of victory or words of defeat, words of light or words of darkness that enter into the realm of the soul.
If we listen to a lie and allow it to enter our heart, we will eventually speak the lie ourselves and act on it.
We may say things we don’t believe, but if we continue to repeat the lies of the devil, these lies will embed themselves in our hearts. Then we will speak them and they will become reality. As words enter your thought realm, keep the good and reject the bad. Examine every thought and determine its source. Anything that is not of God should be rejected.
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