Strange Wives

This age is the age of diversity. With diversity comes inclusion. As Christians we should love all people, yet hold onto our own heritage. Never should we allow "strange peoples" to dilute our faith!

As Christians we are called to convert others to Christianity. That's "The Great Commission" and as Christians, we are all of the royal priesthood. As such each individual Christian is commanded to propagate the gospel among the heathen. Here in America there were two reasons for settlement: 1) business ventures (capitalism) and 2) the propagation of the gospel. When our forebears came they had business dealings with the aboriginals. Likewise, they preached the gospel to those already here because they were not then children of God.

It's not a good thing in the eyes of progressives, to proselytize those of other religions. It's not acceptable, according to them, to persuade the pagans to be Christians. However, it is acceptable for Christians to be drawn to other religions! This notion only reinforces my own belief that Christianity is the one and only true religion!

I have a fear. My worst nightmare is Islam. Hence, I admit it: I have Islamaphobia! If you don't, then you had better get it. I have commented before that Islam seems to be the religion of the Apocalypse and Sharia Law the government at that time, ruling a world-wide caliphate. I fear that! However, that shall not come upon us suddenly. It is a gradual process. Right now we are in the incubation stage. The end-of-time government is in formation right now and even has a shadow government. It's the progressive political and religious movement of the times. They are those of the present danger!

Inclusion and diversity are the tools of those who undermine our culture and our faith. The thought that the United States, even all the Americas, were established by those of faith, is anathema to the present cultural elite.  As such anything taught by Jesus is an obstacle to the cause. This notion is one of the primary components of Marxism which sees "religion" (read that Christianity) as a roadblock to socialism; and to be truthful Christianity is a major roadblock because socialism and Christlikeness are polar opposites! The former is preoccupied with the dictated "good" of the masses and the former the salvation of the people. The first is for the gain in this world and the last for eternal gain. Both seek Utopia, but the only true paradise can exist in the kingdom of God, not the realm of Marxism!

Marxism is part of the plan! No, it's not necessarily a conspiracy of the left, but the corrupt human nature of mankind. I strongly believe that Islam shall use socialism to establish their caliphate and when that is done, communism must come about to coerce those who will not follow the herd!

Diversity shall lead to the destruction of what we know! Mass immigration is my phobia! It's not the Mexicans who I fear, but those who come in mass of pagan faiths, particularly Muslims. Many of those from the orient have joined the "melting pot". Indeed there are many Christians of oriental descent. Asia is a hotbed of evangelism. "The Great Commission" is flourishing there!

Unfortunately, middle eastern nations are not into inclusion and diversity. Their laws prohibit and punish those who convert to another religion. When they immigrate to the western world, they are the least likely religion to convert. Some even kill family members for what they believe is apostasy!

I just read the Book of Ezra. I shall not attempt to comment on the entire book, but will on intermingling and diversity.

Ezra 10:10 "And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives."

The Jewish leaders, even priests, had married "strange wives" because the Jews intermingled with pagans who dwelt in the land to which they returned after their dispersion!

God made a promise to Abraham. "Your seed shall multiply and from your seed shall come the savior." Intermingling wasn't part of the plan and it interfered with the promise which God made with Abraham! As such taking "strange wives" was a grievous transgression!

This wasn't necessarily a racial issue even though the covenant was made with a race or people! It was a religious issue because historically kings of Israel who had married foreign wives worshiped pagan gods in addition to JHVH. Rather than Jews converting pagans, pagans contaminated the Jews with their unclean religions. Islam is an unclean religion, not in ceremony, but in the practice of heretical theology! Muslims are descendants of those who married into "strange peoples" because the "strange wives" were desirable.

God made the Jews put away their "strange wives". Diversity was not encouraged because it diluted the one true religion! The same still goes for today! God is unchanging. What was wrong then is wrong now!

The western world, the so-called Christians, are faced with the same sin that the Jews faced. We are becoming too diverse! Because of watering-down of Christianity, is why Donald Trump may be on the right track. Immigration isn't a bad thing because it gives Christians a chance to propagate Christianity.  Runaway immigration is a problem because there are not enough true Christians for "The Great Commission" to convert that many. Hence, unfettered immigration grows a world-wide caliphate. I know who comes out on top! It's Islam because for a time until Jesus comes, and until then Muslims will rule the world. If you don't understand that, let me make it clear...those alive today shall lose everything we know! It will only be regained at Christ's One-Thousand-Year reign.

Immigration does need to be controlled. Donald Trump, maybe for the wrong reasons, is right on this one! Of course those Christians from the middle east would be welcome for they are persecuted. Likewise, a limited number of non-Christians from the middle east are as well, but in numbers small enough for them to assimilate into our culture and faith! Yes, I'm saying that the United States is included in the promise made to Abraham. We are to be a Christian nation as well!

Diversity isn't a good thing for the sake of mere inclusion. It is a good thing to propagate the faith. However, society has deemed proselytization as intolerant. The enemy which endangers America is not only "them", but most of "us", so it seems! Like Jews neither should Christians have "strange wives" . When one of faith marries one who is not, turmoil is the outcome and paganism may be induced. That is counterproductive to "The Great Commission".

Hate and Love Can't Coexist

I went to church for several years with a person with whom I struggled to love. Why? This person had a problem with me! Regardless of how hard I tried, it just didn't work. I took seriously what scripture says about reconciliation and tried and tried to make things right. I took the attitude that I must have done something wrong and tried to make it right. The person never indicated that I had ever did wrong, but exhibited these characteristics:

• Aloofness.
• Avoidance.
• Apathy with what I said.
• Ridicule behind my back.
• Overt criticism to my face.
• Crankiness.
• Mean-spiritedness.
• Unforgiving for whatever it was I did.

You get the idea! The M.O. of this friend was the M.O. of an enemy! This person claimed to be born-again and was active in the church. However, it was obvious that the "old person" still ruled and "the flesh" was still the idol of the person. With that said, how I was treated, and probably many others, was not Christian love! What was it then? Is there some other emotion between love and hate that scripture allows?

Please find it for me if it's there! It's hard sometimes to love even a friend, I admit, but ;look what we are commanded to do:

Matthew 5:43 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you..."

Where is the "neutral" feeling we are alleged to be allowed to have? It's not there. We are commanded to love our friends and our enemies! You say "But that person did me wrong; he doesn't deserve my love!" Surely you are right. None of us DESERVE love because we all are inherently evil, albeit some are forgiven. I have been persecuted by that person. See the list of behaviors above. Those are not characteristics of a loving person. However, I am commanded to love that person hard as it may be. The Lord helps make my heart right because I desire to obey his commands!

Surely the person who is at odds with me has a comparable list; things I did which were wrong in their eyes. Regardless of how much wrong I have done to the other person, that person has a responsibility as a Christian to love me. How do I love them and how are they to love me? It's called reconciliation!

Reconciliation is the final result of coming back to the original state of friendship. If one wasn't a friend at the start, then there is another process. It's called "becoming a friend"!

There was another person at work who exhibited these hateful acts toward me. Her mother soon died a sudden death at a young age. I felt badly for her and sent her a sympathy card. It turned out that I was the only person at work who did so. She not only became my friend, but was a strong ally! God did that because he humbled me. He can do that for anyone who despises animosity and covets harmony! Before the Holy Ghost will comfort us as a group of people is if we have accord in our lives. The Holy Ghost stays away from discord.

That brings me to the original person of which I speak. That person would not reconcile. Even in church I was faced with animosity. The Holy Ghost wasn't there to comfort me and my joy went. I came to church, but actually had more joy when communing with God at home. Because the discord continued with that one person, I changed churches. I still have a hole in my spirit because of this one person, but at least I can commune with God again because I took the discord out of my life. The person who failed to reconcile can't possibly be a happy person. Indeed the person is still grumpy others tell me. "Grumpy" is not a state of a true Christian. That's the old person. The new person is supposed to be loving and amicable!

Reconciliation is not easy. To reconcile one has to relinquish the pride to God.

James 4:6 "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

One must ask, "What pride keeps another from reconciliation?" It may be that the person lied or exaggerated. It may be that this person is less holy than what appears. It may be a strategy to avoid estrangement from friends or families. It may because the person is a hypocrite. There may be many reasons, but they all boil to one thing: the person values the appearance of the self over truth and love! In other words, the heart is not right with God!

How can pride be defeated? By sacrificing the self to God.

Romans 12:1 "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."

 The one who hates is to take that hate and give it to God! It is with contrition that the person submits that pride to God and say "I have a hateful heart God; take it from me!" Try that! You'll be a new person if that unloving person is you!

Not Inspired But Motivated

Usually I sit down to my keyboard with scripture on my mind. I didn't put it there, but since it's holy scripture of which I'm thinking, I credit God for inspiring me!

Inspiration is when things come to mind. It can be people, places, ideas or things. In my case biblical inspiration is when a "person" (God) transmits an idea. My first divine inspiration had a negative connotation: "Because you do wrong you're going to hell," but because God is gracious he added "But there is a way to avoid that!"

I got my concept of hell and salvation from scripture. At that young age Dad read the Bible each evening and credited God for everything.

Those who wrote Holy Scripture did so because they were inspired to write. God planted truth in their minds and they wrote God's truths. They are not the ideas of men, but are the very words of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"

God breathed a spiritual breath and those who wrote transferred God-breathed words to papyrus.  The "ideas" which he transmitted were good for teaching, reproof, correction and training in things he desired for us to do.

If you believe that Holy Scripture is the literal ideas from God for directions to his creation, then you are a fundamentalist. If you don't believe scripture are ideas from God, you have no hope for eternal life for you have created in your mind "a liar god"!

This morning it wasn't apparent that I was inspired to write, but I was motivated to learn from his word. With that motivation my thought was that I would present God's ideas in a truthful manner. Then I sat down at the keyboard and allowed God to breath on me. Because I was motivated I became inspired! With that motivation, my inspiration was to comment on "inspiration".  You see we can be inspired by merely being still!

Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;"

This morning I was motivated. I had nothing to say about anything. Then as I sat here, I was motivated. My motivation was to "Be still before the Lord'" and with that done, he rewarded my patience. I was inspired and you can be as well if you "be still" and wait for him to breath on you. He will, you know?

I don't like to say "God spoke to me," because he doesn't audibly do so. He did in times past; Jesus was the Voice all along who spoke audibly the Word which became scripture. Now if we are a Christian, it is "the ghost of Jesus" who silently speaks to us. (See the link:  Afraid of Ghosts to learn about the silent presence of Jesus).

The Word still speaks to Christians! He puts notions in our heads. Those ideas are divine inspiration! When I sit be still before the Lord, it's Jesus, the Word, whose Voice my mind "hears".

We can't be apathetic Christians. We must motivate ourselves to "hear" the Voice of Jesus. He may not come to the person who cares less, but is always there for the person who cares most!

Words Mean Things

Bill Clinton, in his deception, said as a rationalization "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is!"  Words do mean things! When scripture uses a word one must look, sometimes deeply, for all that it implies. "Is" is to be used with he/she/it, being the third person singular present tense of "be".  On the other hand "am" is the first person present tense of "be". God's name is "I AM" meaning that his existence is just "BEING!" God just exists, hence "is" has a very deep meaning. The meaning of "is" is that it is existence. It's what is right now. Since "now" changes with time, "is" is infinite. It goes from beginning to end. It's eternal.

Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you."

Do you see now? Words mean things! Clinton tried to narrow down the definition of "is" as a loophole to escape guilt. "Is" is profound! When Bill was truncating the value of "is", he missed the thought that if God is "I AM", the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as individual personalities of God, the Father is, the Son is and the Holy Spirit is because they have always been!

With that said God is referred to as "El" in the Hebrew tongue. At least that's the derivation of the English word "El" which means "God".  It is written as follows in ancient Hebrew:

The Hebrew biliteral root A-L

The Hebrew word (el) is spelled aleph-lamed. The (aleph), the picture of an ox, represents strength and the (lamed) is a picture of a shepherd staff representing "authority." These letters form the Hebrew word meaning the "the strong authority" and is the Hebrew word for God.  (Ancient Hebrew Research Center, "Parent Roots of Hebrew Words")

Hebrew words are written right to left. These symbols are pictographs which early man used to identify God. Time has taken little toll on these early writings. "God" is still transliterated as "EL" in the English language! You see "words mean things!"

An ox (plural oxen) is the draft castrated male cow. It usually is shown with horns and is a sturdy creature. As a beast for burden it has had great value over time. It's value was such that prior to machinery it was as a medium of exchange, and as such it was used as currency... for over 4000 years!

The Hebrew aleph is a pictograph of the ox. It means "strong" as written above. Indeed God is almighty! Early man wanted something to represent "almighty". So what did they do? From gold they made an image of an ox:

Psalm 106:19 (ESV) They made a calf in Horeb  and worshiped a metal image. 20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt..." 

You can see from above that the golden calf around which the Hebrew people danced was an ox. They made an image of God. All the while they are doing this, God knew their hearts. They forgot all about him! In stone he wrote: " Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." (Exodus 20:4).  God was denoted by the ox. Why was it so wrong to honor him by making a golden ox? It was because they were worshiping the object of their own hands, not the Almighty God.

Furthermore, it is not God to whom they were bowing; they were frolicking around an idol. God was removed from the equation: ox = God, but it became ox = me for what they were doing was what was right in their own eyes!

Who made the golden ox? Aaron said that they merely took the gold of the people, cast it in the fire and out came a calf! (Exodus 32:24). The golden ox was a lie. Here's what really happened:

Exodus 32:4 "And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

Aaron made them the calf because they asked  of him, "make us gods, which shall go before us," (Exodus 32:1). They knew what they asked for and they all knew what they were getting!

It was no accident that they built an ox of gold. It did represent God. However, they rationalized. This image became their god. They pleasured around it and neglected the One True God. The worship was all about their own selves, not about God. God doesn't need an image. He wants the love of the people.

Back in Egypt there were many gods. Cattle were one form, which represented many gods. The Hebrews had only one God. They wanted to be as the Egyptians who had many. They surely thought of the golden calf because "ox" indicated might. Although they already had an Almighty God, they couldn't see him so they created him. The created created the Creator! How ironic.

Egypt represents sin. They looked back with fond memories of the safe, secure and sometimes, even enjoyable times in Egypt. They looked back at the pleasures of sin and the golden calf brought back the "good ole days" just as Lot's wife longed for what "was" years before!

The lamed represented the shepherd's staff and was symbolic of authority. Together the lamed and the aleph are spell out "EL" or "God" in our language.

What was it that Moses showed the Pharoah God's authority?

Exodus 7:10 "And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent."

Moses' rod was a scepter. They are the same. And guess what else? A shepherd's staff. We see here the significance of the scepter/rod/staff:

Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.  

 The staff is anointed by God to be his authority! It will be so until Shiloh, or a world of peace, comes. Shiloh is when the Messiah Jesus comes. The Father has the authority, represented by the staff, until the Dove takes it's place. It's the difference between obedience and love! It's when man makes peace with God and discipline is no longer the tool.

You can see how ancient Hebrews used pictograms to represent God. The words they chose were lamed and aleph, or "EL". Words mean things! When one sees an ox that person should think "strong" and we do! When a person sees a staff they should think "authority" and we still do! When a person sees the word "EL" we should think of God's strength and authority. We should think "God"!

                                  

Interview from Hell: Hillary

I'm Bill O'Really and caution... this is Factor This! We never allow anyone to spin on this program and as such it is "the Un-spin Zone".

My listeners have encouraged me to do more of my series on Interview from Hell. Today we will travel the chasm down to Hell again where in the past we've interviewed Jimi Hendrix and recently Mohammad. Today we have gained special permission from the Prince of Demons to interview Hillary Clinton. "Well", you say, "She's not there yet!" You may be right, but it looks as if she's been there already!

There. I've landed on the fireproof platform and am ready to give the devil his due. "Mr. Satan. May I call you that?"

Satan: I' not into polite titles. Just call me Belzebub. Naw... that's too formal. Devil will do.

O'Really: Then "Devil" it will be! You look quite handsome as usual, you old Devil.

Devil: People's perceptions are that I'm evil looking. I was a beautiful angel. Perhaps more beautiful than Jesus was before he was transfigured because Isaiah called him "uncomely". That's not very flattering.

O'Really: We didn' come here to this hell to talk about you. I want the scoop on Hillary. Today you can't lie because this is "the Unspin Zone".

Devil: You mean my servant Hillary Rodham Clinton, I presume?

O'Really: Yes, That is she.

Devil: She doesn't live here, but I've met her many times. She's formidable.

O'Really: Why do you say that?

Devil: We made a deal. I traded her wealth and power for her soul! It shall be mine someday.

O'Really: Isn't that the usual deal?

Devil: No. She has been here. She's knows what's coming. Bill, didn't your mother ever say "If you don't change your ways, you're going to hell?"

O'Really: Indeed she did. Most mothers said that.

Devil: Well, Hillary can't change her ways. I promised her she'd be in the White House. Silly woman! She thought I meant as president. I meant as First Lady. The deal has been done. She misunderstood me! Ha! Ha! Ha!

O"Really: Is she here now? Can I speak with her here?

Devil: Her body is in the world, but her hope is here.

O"Really: Why do you say that?

Devil: Because those of her mind are already here: Abortionists. liars, murderers, unrepentant homosexuals,  deal-makers, narcissists, and all of that kind. She comes through mediums and asks for advice. She comes and goes as she pleases. Perhaps she'll be here shortly. The kingdom of Satan is the antithesis of the kingdom of God. The one commonality is that with both, living people have visas to be citizens of one or the other, before their time. It's a promissory note so to speak.

O'Really: You mean that Hillary is an immigrant to your kingdom and has all the same rights and privileges, as say, Mohammad?

Devil: That is correct!

O'Really: Oh, really! I suppose that makes sense since she is so pro-Muslim! Is there anyway that she can avoid Hell, Devil?

Devil: I usually don't provide this information, but she can always back out of the deal we made. There is a loophole which I am unable to close! There is a password which stamps my covenant "null and void".

(Devil leaned over to whisper it to O'Really as if he didn't want to spread the good news):

It's "hope"

(said Devil through clinched teeth.)

It's "hope" in Jesus.

O'Really: But Hillary already professes that she is a Christian!

Devil: That's easy enough to say, but believing means much more.

(As a sickening aroma spewed forth, Devil admitted)

it involves faith and trust.  She doesn't demonstrate that yet.

O'Really: I'll pray that she does!

Devil: Bill, that wasn't part of the deal for this interview. You are supposed to be impartial!

O'Really: If you weren't a deceiver yourself, I would not have deceived you.  I'll work on Hillary now since I know the way to eternal life more fully.

As the Devil fumed and ranted, Bill became fearful:

O'Really: Reel me in FAXNEWS! I must get out of here. It's getting hot in more ways than one!

As Bill emerges from his capsule sweating profusely, he beamed.

O'Really: FOXNEWS fans, there is hope. Even for Hillary. God had revealed this to me before, but the devil just reinforced it. Prayer is the solution.  Pray for Hillary. With God all things are possible and even the sly Devil let that slip. Jesus saves and the one who sins most can love him more!

Bill thought to himself "I've got some problems which I must pray on as well!"

O'Really: Up next is Mygain Philly. She will comment on my "Interview from Hell".

Bored with God

I'm able to track my readership. Sometimes it's excellent and sometimes it's dismal.  Either my writing is poor when that happens or the subject matter is of little interest. Admittedly, I'm not the best writer, so that reason may be quite valid. On the other hand perhaps many are not conducive to the message.  When I started my blog years ago, this statement was put in the header:

"My thoughts about God and His Magnificence!"

In other words what I write is not about me! It's my thoughts on how magnificent God is! I believe that when readership goes down, it's not me that is being rejected, but people find it boring to read about God. Of course they may not want to know the other goal: TRUTH. My stated objective is to write truth. I could write "feel good" stuff, ala Joel Osteen, or biased messages, ala the Church of Christ, but it's God's word which is holy and truthful which I want to expound upon. Perhaps would-be readers don't want to know "The Mystery of God" because to those who are not discerning, his word is a mystery!

Colossians 2:2 "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

What is the mystery? That "all treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden and scripture is where it can be found, yet people don't even read holy scripture, let alone commentary to reveal God's mysteries!

In all honesty, how can a writer expect people to read what is written about Holy Scripture when people won't even read what the Creator himself wrote?

Throughout church history a jealous Roman Catholic Church used the dead Latin language for scripture so only the truth (sic) which they chose to share was knowledge. People clamored for written scripture to read and it was written. After the Gutenberg moveable type printing press was invented written word was available in the language of the readership. Christianity as well as secular truth began to be revealed. The Gutenberg Bible was written and people finally realized that they had been scammed and God's mystery concealed.  The church had hidden the truth for the sake of false doctrine! Now truth came out of the closet so to speak and people longed for more truth.

On the other hand, today truth is boring. People would rather get their doctrine from their own creative and self-serving minds, thinking that myths will get them to heaven. When people rebel against God's decrees all they have to do is to ignore God's will and their Religion of Reason is validated. It's what the Self invents so as to appease it with pleasure! The religion of the self is not boring. It's fun and exciting "doing what you want to do"!  On the other hand "doing what God wills that you do" is boring. Why read about things which make your god uncomfortable or feel guilty? People don't want to go there!

For instance many Christians defend, and I'll take an easy one, piercings and tattoos which are now in vogue again. True if you already have them before you are saved, those tattoos are spiritually erased. God no longer "sees" them because of his grace! But for Christians to do such things after they know better is eating of the forbidden tree:

Leviticus 19:28 "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

Even after reading this, Christians will still get tattoos. They ignore God's will. What he asked Christians to do is silly and God is boring (to them). Their own religion of the self thinks "This is not wrong. It's not sinful!" They put their own reason over God's will. I suppose that they believe God's word was just a page filler to make scripture boring!

Let's look at why God says these words. What I say is commentary because of the mystery of God. Only those who read and study scripture are guided by it. In other words, those who bore easily will never find the truth!

"You" are one of "the other gods besides God". God is jealous of "You" because he knows how much you love You. God wants to be praised and adored. Rather than praising and adoring God by following his commands, you praise and adore You. One of those things You do is decorate the forbidden tree. You hang ornaments all over your tree. Some of those ornaments are piercings and markings. You don't hang praise and adoration on The Tree of Life, (Jesus), but you do hang it on the other tree, You. God is a jealous God and is offended when people praise themselves over him!

God says that Leviticus 19:28 is one of his statutes: "Ye shall keep my statutes." (Leviticus 19:19), yet people ignore God. Satan tells them these things are silly and by grace Christians are free to disobey God at their own whim. That's not what God wills. Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to replace it!  This is still God's statute, but the serpent says to you "You surely won't die!" You may not die, but you WILL disappoint God because obedience is how love is reflected by Christians to God!

Today I have surely accomplished two things: 1) I've made those with piercings and tattoos angry with me, and 2) I've bored quite a few people with the words of God and my own commentary.

You see, if we actually read God's statutes we have two choices: 1) accept and change or 2) reject and go on. Most people choose to reject God's word and having to change for the better is boring. Rather than change or feel guilty for not changing, it's easier to not read the Bible nor commentary about scripture. The serpent is the source of this bored attitude because he does not want you to know God's will because sinful people would change if they read it!

Don't be bored by God's word. Rejoice in his truth! Read a little of it. Read much of it. Read it all!

Here's The Problem

I am firm in my belief that "eating of the fruit" of the forbidden tree wasn't the sin which caused death. Eating is a mere mechanical function and it's not what goes in the mouth which causes the problem:

Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

So it is not what goes in the mouth that matters (forbidden fruit), but what comes out of the mouth. The mouth is a mere opening, but within it's cavity resides many things. The tongue is the colleague of the mouth because the tongue can't annunciate without assistance from the mouth. Look at the ventriloquist. Regardless how hard he tries, the mouth still moves to some degree and with the mouth closed little sound can come forth. Therefore the mouth is the gateway for the tongue.

The tongue is not the villain. It can be used to praise God (Luke 1:64) or it can be used as a weapon to sow deceit (Romans 3:13). So don't blame the tongue! It's merely the enunciator. 

What about the voice box? No help there. It merely vibrates with the aspirations from the lungs. And the lungs are innocent too! They are mere airbags comparable to the force which plays the bagpipe!

What is it that comes out of the mouth which defiles so? It's the thoughts of the organism. From the righteous mind comes right thoughts spoken in truth. From vile minds come deceit spoken to deceive and to dishonor.

Therefore the sin of Adam and Eve was not putting the fruit of "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" into their mouths, it was what was spilling forth from their mouths as the juices of the fruit flowed. There mouth was full of good fruit, and God had much fruit. Those bites mattered little to God!

Mingled with the juice was a lie. "Surely we will not die!" the mind told the mouth to say. But God said they would die! Adam and Eve dishonored God. Eating of the fruit, which turned out to be pleasurable, wasn't the problem. It was that they did what was right in their own eyes regardless of what God had commanded! Their problem was not the sin, but the disobedience. They dishonored God because honor was not in their hearts. Pride resided there. They would be as gods!

The solution to man's problem is Jesus. He died that all men have the hope of salvation if they so choose. The problem is not that men still sin, but that they will not submit to the will of God. They love their own flesh so much that to submit to God is the roadblock to eternal life!

What I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to quit sinning to be born again, but if you are born again, you'll want to please God by VOLUNTARILY quiting the sinning! If you see a Christian sin, that sin is a measure of how much they honor God.

Never think that you must first clean up your act to be born again. That can't be done! Come to him as you are and he will do the cleaning. It makes your job so much easier!