LIFE ON HIS PLANTATION

Jesus had just related the ‘parable of the unforgiving debtor’ wherein the first man’s trespasses were forgiven by his lord, but that same man did not forgive the debts owed by the second man. (You can review that yourself in Matthew chapter 18.)

Firstly, consider the word ‘trespass’ (paraptoma) in scripture. It is merely a ‘lapse’ in something — something that should have happened, but did not, or should have, but did not. In modern times, trespassing is entering onto the property that belongs to someone else; it is a lapse in who has the right to be on the property.

‘Lapsing’ is an inattentiveness to the rule of law, either by forgetfulness or judging wrongly. It may be that it is okay to do so just this one time or even more frequently if the trespasser sees no harm is done. As such, ‘sin’ is trespassing against the Law of God by either forgetting the rule of Law or thinking the lapse will be easily pardoned, perhaps not even noticed by the property Owner.

Consider the heaven and earth (Gen 1:1) as the ‘Estate’ of God and that it is His land and since it is that they are His rules that should be followed.

Adam and Eve ‘trespassed’ on the only place on the Estate of God where they were not allowed. The Tree of Knowledge was the ‘room’ of God. In ancient law, ‘room’ was the space somewhere on the property that was for the owner only.

Like in old movies, God’s rule was that Adam and Eve not go into the “room’ occupied by some sinister occupant. As it turned out, it was a creature — the so-called ‘Serpent’ that would mess with the mind of inquiring people. He had powers that the LORD alone could control.

Enter Adam and Eve into the room of God. There, they were confronted by another being that was not so terrible after all. They could not see inside, either his mind or spirit, for it looked quite tame, even intelligent, and fair outwardly. It is supposed that the two saw, not a ‘Beast,’ but the bright angel, Lucifer.

God, it may have seemed, was wrong, and they, perhaps, believed that God was only selfishly keeping the ‘good stuff’ for Himself, and they wanted some of it.

There was good stuff in that forbidden room, but unknown to them, the good stuff was tainted. The LORD GOD had planned a test; would they obey Him or trust the demon within that dark room? They chose to trespass where they should not go. Their trespass was on God’s property and against God’s rules.

The rule was not against Adam and Eve but for their safety. So long as they remained away from the Beast by staying in their own room — anyplace besides that one room — their lives were not in jeopardy.

As Adam and Eve trespassed more, God had to be more precise with His rules, so soon there were ten written on stone and 613 either written on bibli (paper or other medium) or others said by God.

Just like the one rule, keep out of that one room, God added ten more forbidden ‘rooms’ because Adam’s kind had learned from the first room ways to break into many rooms, without learning their lessons.

With only ten rooms, God gave them many more directives, not as punishments, but for safety, in the same manner anyone would tell their children to not touch a hot stove.

Trespassing, as it turns out, was not to keep anybody away from what belonged to God per se, but to keep them from harmful actions, just like modern-day trespassing is to keep you from being harmed if entering the estate of someone else.

Nowadays, property owners, knowing that some will trespass, purchase liability insurance in case somebody gets hurt on their property. God provided an insurance policy as well, but not to protect Himself, but foolish people who do as they please on His Estate and in its economy.

The Garden of Eden was both an Estate and an Economy. The property belonged to God because He created it and was the ‘Husbandman’ thereon. He grew the Estate for His satisfaction, and not for the satisfaction of Adam and Eve. They were merely ‘squatters’ on God’s Estate that camped there because of His grace. While, they were on God’s Estate, they were expected to tend to it, “The Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Gen 2:15). Adam became the ‘tenant’ who would work the land and the woman his helper (Gen 2:18). They were created as the dominant kind to tend the lesser kinds (Gen 1:26). Their work was easy because all things were “very good” (Gen 1:31).

That was the ‘Economy’ created by the LORD GOD for His Estate. Everything was free so long as the two occupants kept things straight and did not party, so to speak… but then they threw a party for themselves. God was displeased because His ‘Room’ was nearby — the Tree of Life — and God was not invited to the party even though He had all rights to the room where the party was thrown.

Somehow Lucifer trespassed on God’s Estate, or perhaps, God allowed ‘it’ to be there to see just who would come to the party. (Perhaps he would be the scary ghost.)

First to show up was the woman. She had no name before, but soon made a name for herself — Eve (Gen 3:20). Rather than God as the Father of all the living (on His Estate) the woman had become a ‘god’ (Gen 4:1) and created her own manner of ‘man’ (is; pronounced eesh) who was another manner of existence (Cain) — a homo sapien, or a so-called ‘wise man’ — that was as foolish as his mother.

Since that time, Eve’s specific kind have been ‘symbiotic’ as her name means — two different types of existences, cooperating for their own survival. In this case, the spirit of the Serpent got into the woman (she was beguiled), and she became a different kind herself!

As such, just as Eve trespassed on God’s Estate where she should not go by lapsing the rules of God as insignificant and unwarranted, all her progeny have that same propensity to relapse from innocence to trespasser.

To be honest, even Christians also relapse in their trespassing, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10) and we are to pray, “When you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25).

Trespassing is genetic and even Christians still relapse often. By grace, God put onto Adam and Eve ‘coats of skin’ (Gen 3:21) and for us the ‘whole armor of God’ (Ephes 6:11) to keep us away from the harmful trespassing. (The chief squatter, Lucifer, guards what he thinks is his by fiery darts.)

Noah was handed down, as the Book of Jasher relates, the ‘Garment of Adam’ (Gen 6:8), but when he took it off, it was stolen by Ham; then Noah trespassed the first thing in the new world; ignoring the LORD GOD — the Husbandman (John 15:1), Noah not only trespassed but still relapsed against God… He became the ‘Husbandman’ himself (Gen 9:2)… he became the God.

Because we all are of the progeny of Noah, we all have become the ‘husbandmen.’ Our nature is to wantonly trespass against God even knowing that it is for our own safety that we not. We are a generation of fools who do whatever enters our minds as if there are no Laws.

God even redeemed us from the penalties, out of grace, but ungrateful us still trespass with impunity; we lapse and relapse even after God regens us!

In the end of the parable, as it turns out, “his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. So, likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses” (Mat 18:34:35).

Their trespasses that are to be forgiven are against you. Forgiveness is not a legality; that you must do so, but from your hearts, or innermost being. Trespasses should be forgiven others because of your goodwill toward them, not because of expectations from God or others.

Yes, God does expect you to never trespass, but he also expects you to forgive the trespasses of others because if you expect graciousness for yourselves, then you should automatically, without force, be gracious to others who have the same nature that you have.

Say, for instance, that you see no need to forgive, just as the first man of the parable. Then, you are lax, having relapsed. On the other hand, in the parable, God was not lax in His pardon but very motivated to forgive.

If you have no grace to forgive, then God will do likewise to you as you have done to others. If you still condemn, then you will be condemned. The rule of God is, “condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). The first man in the parable was forgiven but he still condemned another. He deserved torments for that.

Condemnation was not so much to negatively reinforce good spiritual behaviors, but to positively reinforce them.

Torment negatively reinforces right actions, whereas forgiveness positively reinforces right actions. It is better to reward for righteousness than to punish for unrighteousness. Doing it God’s way is to encourage forgiveness to avoid punishment. So, the object is to pay for trespasses using the least punitive way possible. If you forgive without coercion, forgiveness for you proceeds. If you forgive out of coercion, then forgiveness for yourself is forfeited.

Doing it the right way is the desire of God for He would much rather reward than to punish. Everything that exists is on God’s Estate. Some things were are allowed to be used, and others not.

Fruits are the goods of God. However, Satan used what belonged to God for deception. It supported His habit of lying. The fact that he allowed Eve to assume that it was his property and his fruit to give, made the Serpent the trespasser, but if more than one trespasses, it becomes ordinary.

Satan — the Serpent — made trespassing the normative in that part of the Garden, so God sent them out of the Garden where they could make crops for themselves, so that they could see why trespassing was such a serious crime:

Cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return unto the ground… (Gen 3:17:19)

God had made it easy for Adam to tend His ‘Plantation.’ The two Adamah had trespassed where they should not go. Poison fruit was on that one tree and God only desired them to eat good fruit from any of the others (Gen 2:16). The rule was not for control but for safety! They were lax in their respect for God’s authority and should have asked why so?

Basically, that tree and its fruit belonged to God, and they had no right to be there. God put up a “NO TRESPASSING” sign by spoken Word. Why would God do that? “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16), meaning the people in it. He would not have them eat poisonous fruit from that forbidden tree, but He would give them fruit from the Tree of Life, or as we know it; the Tree whose seed would grow into the ‘last Adam’ — Jesus, the Son of God. So, to finish off John 3:16, “…that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

So, you remember the other neglected Tree in the middle of the Garden? Just as Adam was made a living soul was planted in the Garden of God (Gen 2:7-8) “eastward” — before time began, He had planted the Spirit of Himself  in the Garden before time began.

Just as the first Adam was a plant in the Garden, so was Jesus — the ‘Last Adam.’

Adam and his woman could have eaten the Body and Blood of Jesus before He became flesh. They preferred, however, the body and blood of Lucifer, who God also planted in the Garden before time, not for consumption, but in case they trespassed while thinking they had the right to be there.

I love morel mushrooms but own no property on which they will grow wild or not. Others have property, and in the past, I have trespassed to poach produce that belongs to others. I have done the same for fish. I did the same thing that Adam did.

The woman was more provocative; she even ate poison fruit because she was so enthralled with what she did not have elsewhere.

The trespass was not only for the taste of delicious produce but the thrill of taking what was not hers. She surely desired that fruit just because it was forbidden.

I also love antiques. Oftentimes I pass old houses that are boarded shut. Most often, there is a sign, “NO TRESPASSING.” Without that sign, I think, there is nothing of value worth looking at in that old house. However, the sign says so much; there may be something valuable, perhaps some nice old fountain pens!

As it turns out, the sign is usually there for liability purposes, so that inquiring people will not be harmed in the old house while trespassing. That was surely why God insisted that Adam and Eve were never to trespass to the space under that tree! They did, and so they died, just as God said they would. God did not say how soon they would die, just that they would.

As it turned out, the poison was slow acting; it took almost 1000 years for them to die! God was true to His Word! If they had only understood that the warning was for their benefit and not a hindrance, they would still be alive, and as they were immortal, so would all the rest of their progeny.

Something else should have been learned; they would really have to toil outside Paradise to eat and even to plant their own seed by birthing. They should have learned respect for God who would have lost tremendous Virtue to make all those things.

The same goes for our own trespasses to this day. Jesus lost all the Virtue that He had to save all of mankind. He was fast asleep, even dead, from the loss of Virtue. He worked by the blood-sweat of His face to save mankind, “Being in an agony He (Jesus) prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Just as Adam suffered the consequences of his and Eve’s sin, Jesus suffered the same consequences for all our sins. As the ‘Last Adam,’ Jesus suffered the same curse, In the sweat of His own face shall they have to eat the Bread of Life.

Perhaps by now you have a better understanding that sin is against God because it is His Estate, and since it is His, then He has the right to determine what is done thereon! We cannot do what is right in our own eyes, as if there is no King or Lord, but what the LORD of the Manor wills that we do.

Foremost is that we subjects should honor the King and praise the Lord of the Plantation, whether it be real estate here or in another realm.

ON PAYING TRIBUTE (TAXATION)

What do citizens desire most from their government? Free things… for many, things for free without having to pay for them. Taxation should always be for essential things.

Voting has always been essential. To be taxed with no recourse is bondage, and many countries, including the colonies of America, fought wars because of taxation without any voice in the management of the government — taxation without representation.

‘Tribute’ is a special kind of taxation. The Law of God requited that a tax be paid to support the Jewish government and the religious institutions. Unless the money collected is squandered, it was both patriotic to the King and to the LORD GOD for the privilege of paying taxes.

Joe Biden once said that it was patriotic to pay taxes. In a sense, he was right… if the government is by the people and for the people rather than for the bureaucrats and politicians.

The American Colonies did not fight for independence because they were taxed but fought because they paid the same tax as the mother country without any voice in parliament.

The American Civil war was fought for the same reason; the South, especially South Carolina, objected to themselves collecting tariffs on behalf of the northern states.

Taxation has always existed, but unfair taxation; resisted. Those who resisted taxation without representation in the Herodian Kingdom were known as ‘zealots.’ Jesus was crucified between two ‘malefactors’ (kakourgos) — ‘evil doers.’ That term encompasses any type of bad behavior but it was the Roman government that was punishing them. Their crime was not so much again their ‘parliament” (the Sanhedrin) but against Caesar. They likely failed to pay tribute to Caesar either monetarily or authoritatively.

Caesar, at that time, Tiberias, was on the island of Capri where he partied for years as the Romans essentially ruled themselves. He was living a life of luxury at the expense of the contributing nations, to wit: 

When Cesar had heard these pleadings, he dissolved the assembly: but a few days afterwards he appointed Archelaus, not indeed to be King of the whole countrey; but Ethnarch of the one half of that which had been subject to Herod: and promised to give him the royal dignity hereafter, if he governed his part virtuously. But as for the other half, he divided it into two parts; and gave it to two other of Herod’s sons: to Philip, and to Antipas: that Antipas who disputed with Archelaus for the whole Kingdom. Now to him it was that Perea and Galilee paid their tribute: which amounted annually to two hundred talents: (13) while Batanea, with Trachonitis, as well as Auranitis, with a certain part of what was called the house of Zenodorus, (14) paid the tribute of one hundred talents to Philip. But Idumea, and Judea, and the countrey of Samaria paid tribute to Archelaus; but had now a fourth part of that tribute taken off by the order of Cesar; who decreed them that mitigation; because they did not join in this revolt with the rest of the multitude. There were also certain of the cities which paid tribute to Archelaus; Strato’s tower, and Sebaste; with Joppa, and Jerusalem. For as to Gaza, and Gadara, and Hippos, they were Grecian cities: which Cesar separated from his government, and added them to the province of Syria. Now the tribute money that came to Archelaus every year from his own dominions, amounted to six hundred talents. (Josephus n.d.)

 Herod Archelaus paid tribute to Rome although he was not King of all Herod’s kingdom but only to one-half the country, including Judea. Archelaus was king after Herod until Augustus Caesar eliminated that portion of ‘Syria’ and made it Judea. During the ministry of Jesus, there was no king of Judea but Pontius Pilate was the ‘prelate” or “lord’ over the Jews. The Census of Quirinius (Cyrenius; Luke 2:2) was at the time he was made hegemoneuo, acting ruler over Judea. In the absence of Caesar, both Cyrenius and Pilate became ruler and lord over Judea, as the ’right hand’ of Tiberius in authority.

Although the Jews had been free of tribute, alone among the many nations of the Roman Empire, in AD 6 Cyrenius instituted tribute and the zealots went wild! Although Augustus mandated that Judea pay tribute, Cyrenius, as his right hand, enforced the payment of tribute.

It was a per capita tax — a head tax. Jews were required to pay tribute to Caesar just because they existed. It was paid so that the Caesarians could live in extravagance, as Tiberius Caesar did from AD 26 until the end of his reign when he died in AD 37. Note that there was no active Caesar in Rome during the adult ministry of Jesus. Tribute was paid on behalf of Caesar’s lavish lifestyle. How would non-citizen you react? Many of you would have been zealots. You would hate taxation for Caesar’s relaxation! (That also pertains to taxes for the benefit of Biden.)

There was another problem; thieves stole the Temple taxes. They too were malefactors. Stealing from themselves was considered wrong, but stealing from God was not a problem for them. (The same goes today. Many despise governmental taxation and at the same time steal what belongs to God, be it tithes to God.)

Tribute was paid to the Romans just for the Jews right to exist. They had no influence over Roman laws but supported the lavish Roman government. That lasciviousness eventually destroyed the Roman Empire.

Out of nowhere, tax collectors came to Simon Peter and asked if his ‘Master’ (Jesus) paid tribute or not (Mat 17:24). That was as if inquiring whether righteous Jesus paid for the hedonism in Capri — the Island of Epicureanism.

Jesus asked Peter, “Of whom do the kings of the Earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?” (Mat 17:25). Tribute was always paid for by strangers (defeated kingdoms) to pay for the lavish lifestyles of the citizens of the empire. As such, tribute paying is involuntary servitude. As such, God’s chosen people were de facto slaves to Roman citizens.

Peter rightfully answered, “To strangers’ (Mat 17:26). Those ‘strangers’ were the Jews, the ‘peculiar people’ of the Promise.

Jesus concluded from Peter’s response, “Then the children are free” (Mat 17:27). As the children of the Romans would be free from tribute, so would Jews be free from Mosaic Law. Hence, Mosaic tithes should not be necessary to children of the Promise. That should have ended the concept of tithing and instituted freely giving of one’s gain. A free people can neither be mandated nor forbidden from paying tribute to God. Governments can mandate it but Jesus asked for tribute to be paid, not because of the Roman laws, but “lest we should offend them” — the Roman leaders. How would it look if Christians stole what belonged to Caesar, and what’s more, what would the penalty be for offending Roman Law? Crucifixion is obviously the worst of the worst and that is the evil that the other two on the Cross had done.

As a bonus, note that as the ‘son of David’ who was born ‘King of the Jews,’ Jesus, in the absence of any Herodians was as much King as Cyrenius was Caesar.

In fact, Julius Caesar was indeed king of kings, and proclaimed himself to be pontifex maximus — lord of lords. Both were intended to be inherited, but Tiberius was adopted. He was as much fake Caesar as fake Alexander, the supposed son of Herod, was the real king of Judea.

Albeit Jesus was the ‘son of David,’ (gens of David in Latin), Tiberius was not the gens of Caesar but was called that.

Tiberius had no right to Roman money by ancestry and Jesus was essentially saying not to require tribute to support Himself, although He was the legitimate King of the Jews and Lord of lords.

Jesus does not mandate anything! His ‘commands’ have never been enforced! Commandments in scripture are essentially metrics for pleasing the King and LORD of all. Commandments are more prescriptions for eternal health.

With that said, we should be cheerful givers, if it is to God, but pay are dues for what the government provides; not to support the lavish lifestyles, but not to offend those who do so.

 

SPORTS FANS

Many live for their sports whether it be football, basketball, hockey, and volleyball. Some even get thrilled during the sport of curling. Many select their home team and each season, even during the holidays, they root for them; ironically, even during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s day.

There is nothing wrong with supporting your team. Supporters are as if they are part of the team, and the most dedicated of them all are those who pay thousands of dollars to sit in rainstorms or blizzards to witness the games. Indeed, their presence and enthusiasm are encouragement to the players. Playing in an empty stadium would be disheartening to any team. Even the visiting team needs some supporters because of the home-team advantage.

Sports fans are necessary for the success of the team. Indeed, athletic supporters are part of the team.

In some seasons, the home-team may be on a losing streak and apathy ensues. No longer are they not enthused but have submitted to inevitable losses. Ironically, the more apathetic the supporters become, the more losses their team seem to have. Apathy on the part of sports fans is as if their home teams are the opponents. Some may even see losses as well-deserved punishment. Usually, the manager or coach takes the ‘fall’ for the entire team.

Sports fans, when things go wrong, tend to become severe sports critics. Their discouraging words, as they sit tight on their hands, is their way of punishing lackluster players and the managers.

Sports fans are part of the team and are necessary for success. Teams without fans are never in the limelight.

So, just what is a ‘fan’?

The word ‘fan’ in that context comes from the English word ‘fanatic,’ meaning an insane person. The Latin origin was fanaticus "mad, enthusiastic, inspired by a god," also "furious, mad” (Douglas Harper 2001-2023). Therefore, ‘fan’ is as much a fervent religion as any religion might be.

You all have seen it yourselves; sports fans are religious about supporting their teams. Even atheists, therefore, have a religion of sorts. Many sports fans even follow their teams to distant places to support them. Their religion is Sports Enthusiasm. They cheer for their most revered object which is as much a team of lesser gods managed by a higher ‘god.’ Some Hoosiers still idolize coach Bobby Knight — the ‘god’ that just recently died.

Sports have always been a religion. That religion became organized in 776 B.C.  Ancient Olympic games “were held at the Panhellenic religious sanctuary of Olympia, in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin” (Wikipedia 2023).

Before the coming of Christ, the way of dating time was the year of the Olympiad. So, for sports fanatics, their time here on Earth, rather than measured from the time of Christ, is the time from the first Olympiad. For a period, that time stopped in the second century, AD, but continued secretly.

The ancient Olympiad was a celebration of Zeus every four years. That religion has been restored with the modern Olympic games, ostensibly to some unknown god.

That ‘god’ is the unholy spirit of Zeus. Hence, sports fans are unwittingly glorifying the Greek god Zeus, all the time thinking that they are just ‘fans’ as in ‘fannian’ — “to stir up air” (Douglas Harper 2001-2023).

Ironically, Satan is “Prince of the Power of the Air,” if that has any significance… and I believe it does. Sports events, for some, are more important than church and winning games is more important than winning souls. It is okay to support your teams, but not at the expense of neglecting the One True God. It is okay to support your team if not robbing God of His due.

Just what does God (Jesus Christ) deserve? Glorification!

The psalmist wrote that “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord; and shall glorify Your Name” (Psalm 86:9). His ‘Name’ became more than the Hebrew, ‘A Sem;’ He was called Jesus (Mat 1:25).

‘Glorify’ comes from the Hebrew, ‘kabad’ — to put much weight upon. In the case of Jesus, that is to value Him highly and esteem Him much. In other words, to become a ‘fan’ of Jesus — a Jesus fanatic, or becoming fervent for Jesus. You could even imply that Christians are to go overboard with Jesus.

That brings us to Peter. While still safe in the boat, Peter saw Jesus who was walking on turbulent waters. Peter went a little insane for Jesus, perhaps with much zealousness. He went overboard for the sake of Jesus.

Jesus said “come’ and, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (Mat 14:29). Peter was not ‘making-sport’ of Jesus, mocking Him, but did go overboard for Him.

Peter was a fisherman and knew the water could drown him, especially with so much turbulence during the storm, but He was such a fan of Jesus that he did a crazy thing — he went overboard for Jesus. Peter was the fan of Jesus and was fanatical about Him to the extent that He would walk with Jesus all the way to his own death. As it turned out, Peter was such a fanatic for Jesus that he went to his own cross as well, then Nero had him crucified in the same manner as Jesus.

Peter did not only go overboard for Jesus but aboveboard. He, without resistance, died for his ‘team’ — the Church — and its ‘Coach’ — Jesus.

In AD 60, Nero commenced the Olympic games in Rome, just in time to burn the ‘Olympic Torch” (as it turned out, Rome) and to persecute the Church to honor Zeus. Then Peter was crucified at about the time of the Second Roman Olympiad games.

Playing sports for Zeus (Latin ‘Jupiter’) was more exhilarating to Nero than being part of Christ’s ‘Team.’ Although a fan for Jupiter and pagan Rome, Nero was a fanatic against Jesus and the Church — the new ‘team’ that was forming to compete against Zeus.

What was the spark that ignited this commentary? Certainly not the Olympic Torch but the Divine Spark of God.

I was speaking to a person just recently who indicated that it was okay to believe in God but not to go overboard; not to be overly enthused.

Glorifying God is essentially going overboard for Him. Just think about that; when Big Ship Earth is stormed, as it will be someday, we will indeed step off the ‘ship’ and look for safe harbor. There will be no dock to step onto, but only to trust Jesus for salvation.

We will someday be called by Jesus to “Come,’ as He told Peter. Will you go overboard to walk with Him wherever it is that He goes? Will you be enough of a fan to go overboard with Him?

‘Overboard’ is to go aboveboard with Jesus — to cross the firmament to another realm to go to a place that few will ever go because they were afraid of being fanatic enough to walk on lofty places to go to heaven!

Sports fans are fanatics of an invisible god as well. It is just that their god has no power to overcome the world as our God — Jesus — has done.

What does God expect of us? To follow Him wherever He walks, just like a rabid sports fan.

You may go to an adjacent city, or sports fanatics may go to many cities, even to distant places. Some may neglect friends and family to engage in watching sports. It may not even matter whose team or what sport they are, but you can count on them to be there glorifying their team, most often not even for a reason!

If it is okay to be a sports fan, it is okay to be a fanatic for Team Jesus — to go overboard or aboveboard for Him. That, readers, is the Way to Paradise in heaven!

 

SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

 

Jews was speaking to the “multitude” which seems to have been mostly Jews for He said, “For all these things the Gentiles seek” (Mat 6:32). The things were nourishment, housing, glory, and stature. The multitude, even the Jews, sought the same things. They had become much like the Gentiles, or “ethnos,” in the Greek — those with the same genus (Strong 2006), but differentiated from the Hebrews.

By the time of Christ, the ethnic Jews were the only remnant of David remaining. All the others had perished by intermarriage and migrations. As such, Judea was an ethnarchy which had no king during the ministry of Jesus. Prelates of Caesar were the Gentile kings who had the stature to rule.

Kings and priests of Judea had always been Jews, excepting the Herodians who were Idumean Arabs, but confessing Jews. Herodians were outwardly Arabs but inwardly, or spiritually Jewish, and even that is questionable! They were “Jews” because they had to be to be kings of Judea.

Abraham’s kind had degenerated by intermixing with those of other genera. First off, the Ishmaelites were of another genus followed by the Edomites; those two genera intermarried and became Arabs. Finally, the Abraham Covenant came true for Ishmael. Both Jacob and Ishmael had been promised the same land by God. Did God make a mistake? That is soon to follow.

The Hebrews had become like the Egyptians in the days of Moses. God sifted them out to improve their genera. By the time they arrived in the Promise Land, the Hebrew ethnicity had been improved. God is into people improvement!

Soon, sin caused the Hebrew genera to degenerate more with the division of Israel from Judah. With that, ten tribes of the twelve were lost to history and now genetics have identified even black Egyptians with the genera of “cohens” — Jewish priests.

Soon the a portion of the lost people of Israel (by then Samaria) were replaced with Cutheans from Kutha which was near the city of Babylon.

Why “good Samaritan”? Because Jews considered Samaritans dirty as there genera were a mix of two, and possibly more. They were a “multitude” of races.  They were part Jew and part Gentile, to wit: “There followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan” (Mat 4:25).

Most of us were taught that “multitude” just meant many. Of course, many followed him, but they were a multitude of genera — a multitude of ethnic groups whose genes came from many places.

They were the “common people,” an admixture of many ethnic groups. Not only were Jews following Jesus but Gentiles as well. Even many of the Hebrews were by the time of Jesus were Gentiles because of miscegenation and migration. They were neither Jews outwardly nor inwardly because the Samaritan form of worship was on a different holy mountain (Gerizim) and a different temple that had previously been torn down. They were pagans in nature but Jews when they had to be to exist alongside them. Theirs, prior to the time of Jesus, had not been a religion at all but a farce! In pre-Woke terms; they were a bastard race of people who were ritually unclean… but they followed Jesus as well to be cleansed of sin.

Jesus pointedly made the Gentiles different. He essentially asked them to become “Jews,” at least inwardly. Later, Paul clarified that; speaking to the Romans (Kittim), Paul wrote, “He is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Rom 2:29).

Kittim seems to apply to mostly Japhetites: Hittites, Greeks, Romans, and essentially all the western people; especially the Romans.

Christians were Jews inwardly. They had the promise of Abraham in their genes. Outwardly, they were of different ethnicities, but Christ endowed them with Abrahamic genes.

Today’s key verse follows: 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mat 6:33)

 Now I ask, what was Abraham seeking? Not the land of Canaan but the Promise Land. According to the Book of Jasher, Abraham was a king who resided as a guest in Canaan’s land. Canaan was not truly the Promised Land; that Estate was in another realm. Abraham was seeking the Kingdom of God!

What was the domain of Canaan? Because it was people of the gens of Canaan, it was not righteous but pagan. It was cursed. Among others, their main god was Molech.

Abraham resided in Canaan to seek the righteousness of God and finally, that happened when Jesus was born and became King of kings and Lord of lords on that land. Still on that landed estate, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

All that time, Jews had been seeking land as the Promised Estate of God, but that land was promised to the gens of Ishmael as well. That was no accident on God’s part! Those same people (Muslims) still reside there. It may be their land as they claim it to be because the “land” promised to Abraham was in the Kingdom of God wherein Abraham remained king there in death until the time of Jesus. The people there were resting in “Abraham’s Bosom:” 

And in hell (the rich man) lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23)

 With the story of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus affirmed the story in Matthew 6 

Abraham said, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25)

 Abraham called the rich man, “son” and reminded him that while he lived, he received good things. (Mat 6:20). On the other hand, Lazarus received evil things, both speaking of worldly things. That was not what life was all about. In heaven, Lazarus was comforted in Abraham’s Bosom. Abraham was king there awaiting the reign of Jesus. Lazarus would have received royal things from Abraham.

But now things had taken a turn. The rich man who had wealth and comfort on Earth, now had poverty and discomfort in “Satan’s Bosom.”

“Bosom” therein refers to the chest of a person. What is in the chest? The heart and in scripture, the heart is the innermost person — his nature. Lazarus was comforted by “Father Abraham” as the rich man finally realized (Luke 16:24) when be begged Abraham for mercy. Calling Abraham “father” was suggesting that the rich man had the gens of Abraham. He only thought so, but surely Lazarus, since he was in Father Abraham’s Bosom, was of the gens of Abraham and was a recipient of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Abraham’s Bosom would be the Promised Land in Heaven, called “Paradise.” That is where the souls of those who died had gone prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Abraham was a sort of “place-keeper” for God until Jesus would come to reign.

What is the desire of a Christian? For true prosperity — to seek first the Kingdom of God and righteousness.

As far as “Satan’s Bosom,” that is my terminology. It is Gehenna, or Hell. The Word in the beginning prophesied about the Serpent, “Upon thy belly thou shalt go” (Gen 3:14). Hell was the destiny of the Serpent, or Satan. Hell is where Satan reigns; hence “Satan’s Belly” or “Bosom” to mimic Abraham’s Estate in heaven.

(PICTURE credit; Wikipedia; "Abraham's Bosom"

I BET YOU CANNOT DO IT

 Matthew chapter four is about the temptations of Christ by the Devil. Jesus was the “last Adam” — “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Cor 15:45); “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body… the natural body is sown, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:44).

Hence, Adam was sown by the breath of God, and Jesus was raised from Adam an alive (quickening) Spirit to make us truly alive again. All that to say two things: (1) Jesus was the second man made in the image of God, and (2) His body was not only natural as Adam’s kind but spiritual as well, as God’s Kind, and without a flaw!

Whereas the first Adam was tempted and failed, the last Adam was tempted but overcame temptation. The two first Adams — the man and the woman — were both Adam’s kind who were made glorious but failed due to temptation. The last Adam, Jesus, was tempted but did not fail God. Jesus remained glorious whereas both Adam and Eve became inglorious.

About sin, James wrote: 

⁸ If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” ye do well: ⁹ But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (Jas 2:8-10)

 The point to that scripture is that love by itself is not efficacious for salvation. Adam and Eve loved God in the sense that they had no ill will for their Maker, but they also showed respect for the “Serpent.” Mankind’s issue all along is not that they did not love God but loved to transgress as well. With that said, although Jesus loved His Father, if He had loved the things that He was tempted with, He would have failed.

Jesus was tempted: 

1.       He was hungry and Satan offered Him bread.He did not take it.

2.       Upon the pinnacle, Satan asked Jesus to prove Himself to be God by daring God. It was a test of whether Jesus would trust His Father in Heaven.

3.       He was taken up to a high mountain and shown the world, specifically the Garden of God within the Kingdom of David. Satan said it could be all His if he only worshiped him. It already was His, albeit His real Kingdom was not of this world. 

Now look at the sins of the first Adam: 

1.       He was offered food (the fruit of the forbidden tree) and he took it.

2.       He was tested in whom he believed. He failed to believe God and trusted the Serpent by disobeying God and not doubting the Serpent.

3.       Hidden in Adam’s sin was whose Garden it was. Adam was already king and high priest in the Garden, having dominion over all things. However, it was the Garden of God (Gen 2:8) and Adam and Eve were only to rule and tend it. The Serpent planted the idea that the two could be “as gods,” hinting that the Garden could be their kingdom! 

Adam and Eve (the first two “Adam’s”) broke one law — they ate of the forbidden tree but by breaking that one Law, they broke as many as Jesus was tempted. Adam and Eve as well have broken all the Laws of God by breaking one Law because even one Law broken makes the difference who is the Last Adam and who is not.

Adam was created glorious since the two were made in the image of God. Think of glorious as one with a perfect image (with the genetics of God); their genes would be without any depravity at all. Adam and Eve were created genetically pure just like Jesus who was of the same “Image” as the first Adams.

Sin was not discarding the Image of God but taking on a secondary image (nahas in the Hebrew). Whereas Jesus is the Son of God and the son of man (Adam), the original Adams were the sons (genetically speaking) of God and the sons of the Wicked One since their nature (DNA) changed. They kept their desire for God and even wanted to be like Him, but they took on a second nature as well as children of the Wicked One. Their father and lover had become the Devil as they fornicated against God with another invisible being.

Jesus proved that He was God by overcoming the world that was offered Him. Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus had overcome the Devil and the world that he offered Him. You could not have done that! Most of us cannot go two weeks without food, but Jesus overcame the Devil with His hands tied and even nailed down. He overcame death for us, and if we eat of the Tree of Life from that wooden yoke, then we are made free of the world.

We are sons of Adam and are as such failures, not gods. Jesus is the last Adam — our last hope. Whereas Adam failed and so do all of us of his kind, Jesus overcame temptation, the Devil, and Hell on our behalf!

Those temptations that Jesus overcame; they were tribulations. Those temptations that we have; they are tribulations. They are nothing compared to the “Great Tribulation” wherein we must choose who our master will be.

So, you think that you are saved? Then you think that the rapture will precede the Great Tribulation. That is our hope but that is the “assurance” that Calvinists need for their doctrine.

What if we must endure the Great Tribulation? How well will you do? Will you overcome the world and the Devil inside the Antichrist? Our hope is that you need not because Jesus has already done that!

If you were to do it on your own; commence now: Go forty days and decline food, cling to God like you will die, and lastly deny the world and what it has to offer. Turn your backs on entertainment, luxury, the social programs of the government, your home, your automobiles, and even your fun-loving friends. Can you do that? I bet not because you have not! Neither have I; and that is the reason that Jesus has done so for us! The world is in our nature and only Jesus can change who we are.

(Picture credit; Wikimedia Commons)

 

 

 

 

THE STORY BEHIND IDOLS

 The story of the gods of Terah, the father of Abram, is not specific in the Bible but revealed eloquently in the Book of Jasher: 

³⁰ And Abram viewed them (twelve great idols and many lesser ones), and behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat. ³¹ And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God…

 ³³ And when Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all his father’s gods. ³⁴ And when he had done breaking the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the great god which was there before them, and he went out; and Terah his father came home…

³⁶ And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram his son had made was still before them.

Terah asked Abram, “⁴² Is there in these gods spirit, soul or power to do all thou hast told me? Are they not wood and stone, and have I not myself made them, and canst thou speak such lies, saying that the large god that was with them smote them? It is thou that didst place the hatchet in his hands, and then sayest he smote them all?”

Abram asked his father, ⁴³ “And how canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is no power to do any thing? Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver thee? can they hear thy prayers when thou callest upon them? can they deliver thee from the hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou shouldst serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear?” (Jasher 11)

 

Terah had made the idols. They were not gods at all because Terah was their creator. They could not do anything!

Abram created the illusion that the major god had destroyed the others, but Terah was wise enough to see the fallacy in that; he knew that he had alone had made the gods and they could not do anything. As such, Terah realized that he was worshiping the works of his own hands, and they were nothing now but rubbish.

It was not even Abram that broke the gods! The Almighty God was responsible for that because Abram was given the inclination and courage to reveal the façade. It was Jehovah God who broke the idols because, “Abram was clothed with the spirit of God.”

Note that God had clothed Adam and Eve with His “Coat of Skin,” indubitably His Holy Spirit within the new flesh of the two (Gen 3:21)

Noah had also found grace (Gen 6:8). Surely, God had put the Garment of Adam onto Noah, as Jasher acknowledges  because He was the “Second Adam.”

Therein, Abram found grace, and he would be the “Third Adam” and God would correct mankind for the third time.

Abram received the Spirit of God because he was courageous enough to tear down the greatest idol of them all — the Tower of Babel which was three days walking distance in circumference (Jasher 9:38).

Abram survived the high temperatures of the kiln, a fiery furnace, and came out unscathed. It was surely therein that Abram was clothed with the Spirit of God that was impervious to the flames of the brick kiln.

The King James version seems as if Nachor and Terah lived before the flood, but Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) clears that up: 

² And Joshua saith unto all the people, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Beyond the River have your fathers dwelt of old -- Terah father of Abraham and father of Nachor -- and they serve other gods; ³ and I take your father Abraham from beyond the River, and cause him to go through all the land of Canaan, and multiply his seed, and give to him Isaac. (Josh 24:2-3; YLT)

 It was not before the flood that Terah was a sinner, but beyond the “River” — the Euphrates River in Ur where he made idols. Then God took Abraham beyond the River to Canaan land. Therein, God began a new civilization, not in the land per se, but with Abraham king of another realm way beyond the River in God’s mystical Paradise.

There are at least two meanings of the word, “Hebrew.” It either comes from Eber, son of Salah, or it means “beyond the river.” The latter seems more contiguous.

With that said, perhaps not only is Abraham a “Hebrew” in a genetic sense but also a mystical one. Since Abram was regenerated as Abraham and he was King of the Promised Land, the ultimate Promise was for Paradise in another realm, and not Paradise on Earth, at least not until the apocalypse.

That Abraham is King of Paradise in heaven should make sense in that “Abraham’s Bosom” (Luke 16) is in the heavenly Paradise! Perhaps, therefore, according to Enoch, beyond the River is actually in the Third Heaven wherein there is Paradise. In essence, therefore, the gulf between Hades and Paradise in the Third Heaven is the Hebrew, or the righteous, “land.”

Was Joshua mystically referring to Canaan land or was it Heaven of which he was speaking? I believe he was referring to another realm and that the world they were in is the place of skin and idol worship!

Abraham’s Bosom is otherworldly. Therein nothing is cosmic in the sense that there are material things, but things of another substance.

Just as the soul is the invisible substance of mankind and flesh the visible, there is another realm of invisible substances which is known for Revelation; and it has dimensions.

In effect, when Abram destroyed his father’s idols, he was vicariously destroying the world of Terah and Nimrod, and forthwith God sent Abraham to another world, so to speak. He resided in Canaan, but his kingdom was in Heaven — Abraham’s Bosom. In a sense, Abraham was the “Third Adam” but at his death, he was Adam, not in the Garden Paradise on Earth but the ”Plantation” in Heaven, as the Essenes called their perfect habitat.

Note that the Essene Community was at the Dead Sea and they lived an aesthetic life as if they were already in heaven; even without marriage and such as the angels in heaven. It seems that the Essenes created a heaven on Earth in much the same manner as Abraham had long before, and they meticulously obeyed the Law.

(Several times, I used the word “essence” by coincidence, but indeed the Essenes did only the essential things without any elaborate things at all. “Essene” means “the modest ones” and essentialities are what the modest ones required.)

There were no idols in Qumran because it was a dead place to live. Israel is believed to be the Garden Paradise for many reasons too numerous to mention, but the Dead Sea was pretty much austere with no beautiful things there to worship.

Lot, the nephew of Abraham, chose to live in the Garden of God in Sodom and near Gomorrah. Lot, the son of Haran who burned in Ur, chose beauty over solace that Abraham chose. As such, because Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, the Dead Sea swallowed them up.

The Essenes chose Sodom and Gomorrah as well, but only after God did His thing with them by burning them.

The Essenes chose the Way for the “Teacher of Righteousness;” possibly Jesus? And they did so in the renewed world adjacent to the Dead Sea. They were still on the River of the Garden — the Jordan River — like Paradise, but there “Paradise” was void of any beauty to tempt them, in contrast to the beautiful Tree of Knowledge (Gen 3) in the Garden.

The Essenes were preparing the Way for the Teacher of Righteousness. They were also preparing their vision of Paradise. What was John the Baptist doing? 

¹ In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, ² And saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³ For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” (Mat 3:1-3)

 The Way of the Essenes was without any consorting with idols or even the unjust. Their lives were focused on the coming of the Messiah — Him of which Isaiah spoke.

He came from the “wilderness” of Judea. A place of desolation specifically. He surely came from Qumran. There they had prepared a place for the Lord as if Paradise would be on Earth , yet misunderstanding that Paradise was in Abraham’s Bosom in another realm.

Ironically, John knew that, and his job was to prepare the real way for the Teacher of Righteousness!

John may have been an Essene, but God prepared John for the Way. The angel of the Lord told Zacharias of that preparation: 

“For he (John) shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.” (Luke 20:15)

 While the Essenes were preparing the Way for heaven on Earth, John was preparing the Way for Jesus’s realm in Heaven. If he was an Essene, his way would be much better!

The Essenes seem to have drunk only new wine… just grape juice, according to theologians. John would forego even that pleasure. He was even more austere than the rigid Essenes.

When Jesus came, the foremost topic was that sin was in the flesh. The solution would be for the Holy Ghost of Jesus, by grace, to shield their fleshes in this world in preparation for the next world. The Essenes were preparing themselves by denial and works for Paradise that the Father in Heaven was already doing with the coming of Jesus. Not by coincidence, Abraham was their “Shield” until the “Comforter” would come.

Jesus voided the notion of idols. The Essenes avoided things that the flesh craves, but Jesus came in the flesh as the Ultimate “Idol” to worship because the Hebrews always required idols of some sort; as idols were in their genes.

An invisible God was enough for Abram, but his germline still required idols — not ones that were motionless like Terah’s and without personality, but the very animated (virtuous, dynamis) Person of God Himself!

Abraham knew the Law of his kingdom. It would not be the ascetic law of Moses nor of the Essenes but the Law of Love which fulfilled all the Law.

Now you should know why not idols and why God came in the Flesh.

(picture credit; Alamy; "Ashteroth")

Satan's Seat: The Liar Reveals

 There is one parent conspiracy, father of many. It cannot be denied because it was planned eons ago, even before the foundation of the world. The prophet, Isaiah, was a conspiracy theorist but he only mentioned one conspiracy:

You (Lucifer) has said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isa 14:13-14) 

Today, I will focus more on heaven, the mountain, and the North, more so than any conspiracy.

The state of things when Lucifer said that was after he was cast out of heaven even during the foundation of the world (verse 12). It is revealed that he was cut down to the ground (‘eres) — literally, “the firm” translated most places as the Earth.

The status of Lucifer, when he boasted, is that he had once been a resident of heaven, but thereafter his residence is Earth. With that said, Lucifer still resides on or in Earth, albeit it is a heavenly (spiritual) creature.

Its plan was to ascend into heaven from which it had fallen as the Earth was created. It appears that God made the Earth as a prison for Lucifer until its final days. (Four times now, I have used “it” rather than “him” because Lucifer is amorphous, and not human, as personal pronounces apply only to those with organic gender.)

Because Lucifer has the power of trans-fluidity, as sacred literature indicates, it can change its apparent kind and gender.

Do not think of Lucifer as an earthly being of any sort but a fluid, or spirit, that can take on any form.

Thus comes the revealing; Paul revealed the substance of Lucifer, identified as the Adversary, or Satan as: “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephes 2:2).

Lucifer, aka Satan, is not a person, unlike the man-God, Jesus. The best description of it is that Lucifer is a fraud, or as Jesus called it, “a liar from the beginning” (John 8:44).

The “Big Lie” is that Lucifer, who Jesus called the “Devil” is an objective being; it is not, but only an impersonator, and throughout the Bible and elsewhere, Lucifer impersonates beautiful women, handsome men, and even God!

Adam and Eve had many conflicts with Lucifer, and in those conflicts, Lucifer impersonated glorious things, even more glorious than Adam and Eve. Usually, it impersonated glorious men and women.

Being fluidic, Lucifer, as Satan, entered Judas. Judas remained Judas outwardly, but inwardly he was Lucifer, or Satan (Luke 22:3, etc.). For all practical purposes, Judas was already dead, or as scripture calls it, reprobate (damned).

Think of heaven, not as a place with coordinates, but as a spiritual realm. Just as the physical realm has no bounds within space, neither would heaven have bounds. Think of heaven as a parallel existence with the material universe, itself having no bounds.

With that background, Lucifer was cast out of the realm of heaven to the realm of matter, or earth, specifically to the place called “Earth.” Earth outside the Garden would be the “prison” in which Lucifer was cast, and mankind’s prison to which Adam and Eve were sent.

Earth is the only known place with air, hence Lucifer is the Prince of the Power of the Earth, and Earth is now the realm in which it resides.

Albeit, in earth’s atmosphere — the First Heaven, Lucifer would retain the invisible nature of a spirit because its identity is not an earthly being but a spiritual being, thus “it” — it being an angel.

Isaiah identified Lucifer as a certain species of angel within the taxonomy of its domain.

Isaiah identifies the “image” (nahas) that Adam and Eve encountered, as a “serpent” (sarap) (Isa 14:29). Therefore, Lucifer took on the form of some image, but it was inwardly a seraph species of angel.

I have written many times that Christians must not get hung up on the idea that Lucifer appeared to Adam and Eve as a snake. Snakes are deaf and dumb, so unless snakes have devolved, it would not be a serpent to which Eve was deceived. However, whatever species it was, inwardly the image of the beast was Lucifer.

In the Book of Enoch, the heavens are described. Angels had escorted Enoch through ten heavens. In that pseudepigraphic book, God was found in the Tenth Heaven.

Paradise, the home prepared for the righteous, is in the Third Heaven. Paul confirmed that in 1 Corinthians 12:2. Some other person, Paul said, had gone thereto, but he did not know whether in the body or in the spirit.

The Tenth Heaven makes God Lord of All Things. The Luciferin Conspiracy mentioned previously is to reign on high, or all the way throughout the heavens from the First Heaven — the atmosphere here on Earth — to the Tenth Heaven.

Within the Third Heaven, according to Enoch, are two very different economies — one for reward and one for punishment, or Paradise and Hell. Enoch was not concerned with distances, and writes as if Paradise overlaps the Garden of Eden on Earth; not that Hell and Paradise are on Earth but that the “great gulf” of Luke 16 is not distance but a barrier between different realms that cannot be crossed by human beings.

Neither can Lucifer cross that great divided as it is confined to the world in which humans reside, according to Isaiah.

In the Book of Adam and Eve (Part 2), Lucifer and its dark angels appear to righteous Jared as handsome men with Lucifer the most handsome of them all. “Satan then appeared to him with thirty men of his hosts, in the form of handsome men; Satan himself being the elder and tallest among them, with a fine beard” (2 A&E 17:4).

Satan appeared tallest of the tallest. It seems that angels from somewhere else appeared as giants. Scripture says that “There were giants in the earth in those days” (Gen 6:2). Well, here came the giants to Jared. And it specifically says “in the earth” — within the ground, not on the Earth.

They appeared to Jared on Holy Mount Hermon. The men-impersonators took Jared down the mountain to where Cain’s germline resided and there, the impersonator-giants, then Satan said to Jared, “The elder (Satan) saw him as he wrenched himself from him, and said to him (Jared), ‘Be not sad; I am the great elder, as thou shalt see me do, do thyself in like manner.” He was tempting Jared to have sexual intercourse with the women of Cain’s germline. “Then he spread his hands and took one of the women, and five of his companions did the same before Jared, that he should do as they did” (2 A&E 17:41-42).

In Holy Scripture, that event is identified, to wit: “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them…” (Gen 6:4). Men-impersonators had sexual intercourse with true daughters of men.

Lucifer’s goal, according to Isaiah, was to “sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”

The “congregation” is specifically, the assembly of the righteous. Lucifer was likely referring to Holy Mount Herman whereon the germline of righteous Seth had settled.

It would be Seth’s and Jared’s “God.”

So where might the “North” be? It would seem to be north of Mount Hermon; the highest peak in now Israel occupied territory. Perhaps “North” would be higher than Mount Hermon, perhaps even the Tenth Heaven which is the outer limits of the universe, or physical and even spiritual existence.

The writer of Adam and Eve provided another idea. Lucifer, the eldest of the “men” said, “Marvel not, O my son; we live in the land north of the Garden, which God created before the world. He would not let us live there, but placed us inside the garden, below which ye are now dwelling: (2 A&E 17:130.

Remembering from scripture that Satan is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44), then Satan was lying to Jared.

It (Lucifer as the elder) now has human pronouns describing him.

He calls Jared, “son,” meaning of his gens, or family. That was indeed who he claimed to be — the arisen father whose name was Adam. Because they were all “family” — all thirty of them — Jared’s fear was allayed and he went with them where he normally would not go, although he had suspected that they were of the germline of Cain.

They were not; they were of Lucifer and its germline. They were a different kind of being in this realm, who previously could not couple (marry) in heaven but could on Earth.

They coupled and had children, according to Genesis. The daughters of Cain were attracted to those “men” of renown and their own children became renown (Gen 6:4), or “appellations” — called by a new name — surely a different species of giantism. They were hybridized even more so that Cain whose mark may have been giantism.

(Blind Lamech — his own germline — killed Cain, according to A&E, because being blind, he would not recognize that Cain was a giant.)

So far, Adam and Eve has validated, or at least explained, Genesis chapter six.

In that the Liar said, “North” then it is likely not north of the Garden but another realm that the “men” describe as more beautiful than either the Holy Mountain or the paradise below, that was once the Garden of Eden which Cain’s germline had despoiled.

The Liar also said that they dwelled north within the Garden of the Lord. They were claiming that they were taking Jared to Adam’s place of birth in the Garden of Eden, since the Liar claimed to be Adam. It would be safe there, but that was not where they were headed.

The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) is 31.768.42 N. The Mount of Olives, which I believe, according to sacred writings was in the Garden of Eden; its longitude is 31.776112 N. The Liar said “north;” Jared should have expected south. Gehenna is south of the middle of the Garden.

The elder — Lucifer — was not heading north to Paradise (the Garden) but South to the entryway to Hell!

When Lucifer revealed his plan, it was true to the concept of good and evil. Indeed, he pretended to the throne of God but “Satan’s Seat” (Rev 2:13) is in Hell, whereas the throne of God is in Paradise.

Surely, Lucifer’s final destination (for Jared) was in heaven — another realm — but not North. It would be down (South) through the gate (Gehenna) to the netherworld.

But where was Satan’s Seat on Earth? Beside Jesus at the supper table!

How about Pergamon? That will be for another time.

THE CATERPILLAR CRAWL

As the song goes, God is “He Who Began a Good Work in You.” Indeed, persuasion is the beginning of a good work in you!

Paul’s modus operandi was to persuade unbelievers to become Christians. With Herod Agrippa, Paul “almost persuaded him” to become a Christian (Acts 26:28). Therefore, becoming a Christian is by persuasion. To persuade is, “to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action” (Merriam-Webster Dict. 1828-2022).

In the case of Jesus, it is a change in belief. That is the beginning of becoming a Christian. Converts believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that is a great start, and for God to be God, there must be a believe that He did what a God would do… create. And if a God can create, or generate all things from nothing, then He can take a humble “no thing” and make him or her some thing.

 The no thing is against God and the new thing is a new creature — a new creation — whose nature is different than the “old creature” made depraved with original sin.

Therefore, a Christian is a person converted from an old nature to a new nature. The nature of the old creature was like the “Beast” in the beginning, and the new creature is restored to the glory in which Adam and Eve were generated in the first place.

Belief is the beginning of the process of conversion. In the end, at the rapture when Jesus comes again, the conversion process is finished, to wit: 

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor 15:52)

 A good comparison is that belief is at first a beginning akin to the egg stage even before the larvae. The egg that was planted has begun to grow with belief, but there has yet to be a metamorphosis. Many who are persuaded are not fully persuaded. Paul wrote, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Rom 14:5).

Persuasion is of the mind. Believing that Jesus is God is a good beginning. However, even demons believe that (Jas 2:19), so belief is only the beginning of a process in time. For some, the metamorphosis from egg to larvae is of short duration and for others, it is lengthy.

Even with full persuasion the process is just from one stage to the other; the mind alone has been transformed.

With conversion, again as Paul wrote, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mat 26:41). The spirit is the desire to please God. It is working out your salvation in your mind; again, as Paul wrote, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). Fear and trembling because you just might get stuck in the beginning stage. Why else to fear and tremble? Because the flesh is still weak to sin but strong against change.

So many Christians get stuck in the “larvae” stage. They have partially converted but are not yet a glorious “butterfly.” To be transfigured (morphed) from larvae to butterfly requires that the larvae, not the inner organism, but the flesh of the creature, be changed. For the butterfly to emerge the flesh must be shed and comforted for some time in the “pupa” of sorts.

The problem with those who have converted to become a Christian is that the transformation is not complete; they want to be a “butterfly” without shedding their “skin” so to speak.

Of course, butterflies shed their flesh or die. So will we! Many Christians just cannot shed their flesh because the organism inside is so strong because original sin is genetic. The creature has grown to love the flesh that he or she has been accustomed to since birth. They think that they welcome rebirth, but the flesh is so powerful that they hold fast to whatever stronghold they can grab onto.

Paul was thorough in his persuasion. He even names the strongholds that retain Christians in the larvae stage that Paul called “babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:21).

Circumcision was cutting off the flesh of the foreskin, but that was often not done. But even with that, God was not talking about the genitalia but the “foreskin of the heart.” Moses knew that long ago when he wrote, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked”  (Deut 10:16).

The Israelites were always confused! Circumcision of the foreskin was merely symbolic of cutting off the lusts of the flesh, many of which Paul listed to make it clear what the flesh contains in its nature: 

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like… (Gal 5:19-21)

 How can someone discover what stage of Christianity that they are in? It is simple; test your mind and behaviors to the metrics above.

Today, the most prevalent is idolatry as it was in the beginning. It is the reason for the other defects. The flesh of any natural-born person is their idol, and the other metrics are ways in which the flesh-idol is appeased. For men, adultery and fornication are generally their strongholds. For women, perhaps something else; even variance (strife.)

Of course, the pudenda are the reasons for lusts and strife. No wonder Adam and Eve covered their genitalia out of shame for what they had done! No wonder the foreskin was to be circumcised! However, the most effective circumcision is to cut off the desires of the heart.

The “heart” in scripture is the “inner man” or “inner woman.” It is what goes on in the mind. The flesh is merely antennae for pleasure but the mind processes things of the mind to be either pleasurable or stressful. To cut off the flesh is not circumcision of the flesh per se but cutting off thoughts of the mind that results in pleasure or anxiety.

Paul said something else of interest about himself: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Death circumcises the flesh and releases the “butterfly” from the larvae. In spirit, the dead Christian is as a butterfly, but at the General Resurrection, God makes him or her a real glorious “glorify” in spirit and flesh, and the transformation process is completed! (The “pupa” stage of the Christian would be asleep in Christ until the “butterfly” emerges.) 

Paul was just full of persuasive arguments! Look at these ideas: 

⁴ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. ⁵ For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (Gal 5:4-5)

 The notion that you must keep the Law to stay afloat is of no avail. By keeping the Law, then Christ has become of no effect to you. Love keeps the potential “butterfly” aloft in the mind until the butterfly emerges when the flesh is discarded, and the transformation complete.

What happens if the Law is kept only for the Law’s sake? The potential “butterfly” falls from the grace that keeps him or her aloft.

Love is not emotional but is goodwill, or good thoughts. God’s love, or Good Thoughts for you, are the to keep you afloat even when you fail. That is grace!

Your love for Him is to have goodwill for Him, or whoever drags you down, even as you are falling and failing.

Paul said that that if you depend on the Law to keep you, then “Ye are fallen from grace.” Your mind is not staying afloat and not even realizing that you are falling. Calvinism puts the notion in you that as a Christian, you are beyond falling! For them, you are already a “butterfly” so do not worry about the flesh that can drag you down!

Grace is God keeping your larvae crawling on the right path until the butterfly stage is eminent at death. Falling from grace is deviating from the Way. The Law is not the Way; Jesus is!

For those who stay the Way because of goodwill toward God are kept from falling. However, those who cling to the way by obedience to Moses and His Law, may fall without being caught.

“Fallen from grace” is ekpipto charis in the Greek; literally to fall powerless from the Goodwill of God.  You cannot emerge a Christian on your own, and God sees that it is of “no effect” for you (ekpipto) (ibid).

Implied therein is that God keeps you from falling and not yourselves. You must depend on Him and His Goodwill. The Law is just that — the boundaries for safe arrival, but with the eye on the strictly on the limitations, falling off the Way is made easier, just like driving a car with the eyes on the hood distracts from the real destination — home safely.

Not falling off begins with belief, but it must be trusting belief; you know that Jesus is God and only He can save you.

Thus, your eyes are always on God and His Goodwill for your safe arrival. The Law still keeps the course straight but the Light at the end is Jesus. So, your eyes remain on Him to avoid the fall, and the subsequent abortion of the potential “butterfly” that you once saw as possible, but now has no significance because of the pleasure of the moment.

Many Christians remain stuck in the larvae caterpillar stage in that they still seek to keep their flesh while they see God as the true way.

The flesh must be shed, like it or not. For the larvae, shedding the flesh is natural, but for mankind, keeping the flesh is the desire of the natural man or woman!

Serpents shed their skin annually, but God’s kind need only do so one time once and for all. Knowing that we cannot do that, Jesus shed His flesh once for all, and since He did that, we can as well, with His pull.

God sheds your flesh for you. He turns you from a “caterpillar” to a “butterfly,” but you must be there on the Way for Him to do that. Paul became even more persuasive: 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:1-2)

 You need only present your body (flesh) and merciful God has already done the sacrifice; so that you can see that all things are possible, even the shedding of the flesh!

He does not make you do it nor shed it Himself, but that is for you to do as a service to Him — Goodwill toward God, and that is love!

The caterpillar is conformed to the world. It is the second stage of the butterfly. It cannot fly but must remain below, and as such is conformed to its surroundings.

Caterpillars can fall. I have made them fall!

Butterflies can escape the confines of the world. They do not conform to the world but the sky is their natural comfort zone. Like the butterfly, if we depend on God above, the world should have little effect on our lives!

Of course, we cannot transform our flesh. We are stuck with it and must endure it to the end, so the reasonable service, according to Paul, is “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Our minds must be on things good and acceptable, perfect Will of God. The desire of our minds should be to please God, not to see Him as a Dictator that we must obey.

With that background on rebirth and struggling the course in the world, then we must be careful of two things: not to have the butterfly aborted, nor to have it stagnate in the early stage as it may fall.

It appears that so many Christians have stagnated. False doctrine says they will never fall, but Paul disagreed with that idea. We cannot do as we please and have goodwill toward God at the same time. Satisfying the desires of the flesh, makes our flesh our “god” just as the Serpent warned (Gen 3:5).

The Church is full of “Christians” now who fornicate with impunity and even commit adultery, not to mention all the other metrics of which Paul wrote.

America used to be the “Prozac Nation” but now the globe is a drug-induced world wherein any mind-altering concoction is acceptable.

When the mind is altered, nobody can be persuaded. Drugs are to remove inhibitions and stress, and indeed conviction is stressful, so stressful that clear-mined people need closure and turn to God to fill what is missing with the Comforter, rather than Southern Comfort® or Dilaudid.®

Fornication is made easy by dulling the flesh against conviction by alcohol, marijuana, or harder drugs.

In the book, Brave New World, Aldous Huxley called inebriants “soma” surely because “soma” is the body, or flesh, of the human organism. Drugs calm the flesh so that people are satisfied as they are and who they are. Rather than follow God, they “follow their hearts” and fall off the Way.

Persuasion should be easy but somatic substances interfere. So long as people are consoled by “Mary Jane” and her kin, people defy change without even knowing that they have been had by the purveyors of mind-clogging substances.

To be fully persuaded is in pursuit of the knowledge of truth; that Jesus is the Way and only Way to salvation, and that salvation is a journey that cannot be taken alone.

You must depend on Somebody, and He is Jesus. Apathy to others is a sign of having fallen off the Way. Non-caring attitudes belong to the fallen because butterflies radiate life!

God’s will is that you change from a alien “worm” to a beautiful, glorious “butterfly.” Lucifer is the pestilent that poisons the new creature, even as it transforms from one nature to another. Only Jesus can stamp out that awful pest!