Identity of the Harlot Babylon

     Babylon was the empire which defeated Judah, took Jerusalem, and captured the Jews, even blinding King Zedekiah and wiping out most of the Jewish people. Jewry almost became extinct! The way I see it, is that Babylon took for itself a lover. Jerusalem had become much like the "harlot Babylon" by fornicating against God with Babylon. Babylon is represented as the harlot in eschatology:

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (Rev 17:40-6).

     Theologians believe that the harlot refers to the heretical Church. It surely does but it also represents sinful Jerusalem. Isaiah the prophet provided the characteristics of the Church and Israel as he wrote chapter 47 of what is attributed to him. The character is as follows:

•  47:1 of Isaiah chapter 47 identifies, not Babylon, but the "daughter" of Babylon. I believe that refers to Jerusalem and by the way Judism and Christianity as they became and will become. Both are called "the daughter of the Chaldeans." They were the people who became Babylonians which were the Chaldean Dynasty.  The prophecy seems to be three-fold: (1) Babylon, (2) Israel as the daughter, and (3) Christianity as a sort of grandchild.
• 47:3 "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man." Babylon was identified with harlotry. It was destroyed and spawned a daughter. Jerusalem is likely the new harlot because she is described in the next verse.
• 47:4 "As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel." Jesus did not redeem Babylon. "She" died. On the other hand, the Lord did redeem Jerusalem which still stands, and always will as "New Jerusalem" (Rev 21:21-22). Old Jerusalem, the daughter of harlot Babylon will be redeemed, cleansed and made fit for habitation. She once was a Jezebel, but will be regenerated as a Rahab-type. God will clean up the unholy harlot city of Jerusalem and make it holy again. Why does Jerusalem remain a harlot? It is the epicenter of Islam, a whore religion. Babylon made Jerusalem a harlot, and Islam made her a kept woman. Old Babylon is still the epicenter of Islam which is still having her way with Jerusalem. Throughout history from Babylonian times, to Greek, to Roman, to Muslim to present times, Jerusalem has been a harlot with the exception of the Persian period and the Maccabean Revolution.
• 47:6 Israel polluted her inheritance. That land was that promised to Abraham in the covenant which God made with him. There was a stipulation - that the Hebrews remain faithful. They did not; Jerusalem was polluted.
•  47:7 "I shall be a lady for ever." God will take the harlot Babylon - Jerusalem - change her apparel and her ways, and make her New Jerusalem - the "lady" not for fornication but for God. New Jerusalem will indeed be a lady forever after her rehabilitation in the end.
•  47:9 "These two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood." Those things, according to the Revelation of John will come about before Old Jerusalem is recreated to the New. As Jerusalem goes, so does the Church. False Christianity will be destroyed - the liberal Church. Babylon has much ado with the end of time Church. I believe that Islam maintains Jerusalem as the harlot, and as the navel of Islam, daughter Babylon - Jerusalem - is the navel of false Christianity as well as the world.
• 47:11 "Mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly." Islam is the mischief. In less than a century, it became a world power and widespread religion. Islam is desolation to Christianity, and nearly wiped it out in until the fourteenth century.
•  47:15 "None shall save thee." Jerusalem will not be saved by (47:13), "astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators." All the negotiations in the world will not save Jerusalem. Who wins the spiritual war? Islam and its world-wide caliphate wins when the world depends on peace. Islam will rule the world and Christendom. Only when Jesus steps in and defeats Isa will the world be saved!

     Christianity will tolerate Islam so long that they will succumb. It is dependent on the twelve tribes of Israel to defeat Islam by refusing to take the mark of the beast, who I believe is Isa - the Arab "Jesus." It seems that Isaiah saw that a long time ago. I believe that.

Comfortable Christians

     Have Christians become too comfortable? I think we have. Most are satisfied that they have a few church friends to befriend them, and think little about the lonely people in the church. Not only that, but they have become comfortable with the world dying and going to Hell.
    Church pews are padded and church temperatures controlled to a degree. People worry about how hot they are but little about how hot Hell is. People worry about cold churches but not cold hearts. I don't intend to use the, I walked five miles to school, exaggeration, but we did sit on pews without cushions and in buildings without air-conditioning. We even lived in homes in which we froze in winter and burnt up in the summer. We, however, were not content with people going to Hell!
     Christians take too little time being Christians. If they are crossed, there is Hell to pay for the other. The attitude is not forgiveness but revenge: I'll show him (or her); I will treat them like strangers. They isolate the offensive person just as God will isolate them in the end. Christians may not hate other Christians but they don't take the time to love them either. They are just too comfortable in their circle.
     Money for outreach is well spent. I cringe at money spent for our own well-being. I have went to churches which built new large buildings as the real invisible Church went crashing down. I am uncomfortable with dissension, so much so, that I care little how hard my seat is.
     An atheist once commented, If Christians are so caring how can they even sleep nights knowing people are going to Hell? I find myself too comfortable with that myself. I worry because we care so much into ourselves but so little into the eternal comfort of the world.
     I have invited people to church quite often. Usually, they say, we go to so and so church. Later I will ask a regular there, "Do you know this family?" Inevitably they do not, or the family has attended there once or twice. Christians, if they truly are, are too comfortable lying even about their relationship with God. God will judge them: "Away from me, I never knew you."
     We spend too much money on things, and outreach is impersonal. The way to grow the church is individuals loving individuals. People may be part of the church, but apart from it. They may commune with God there, but commune only with their families as others worship alone in a crowd. There is not even a crowd in the church. There are a few gathered for whatever reason. God must feel isolated in His own church!
     Sometimes I think the church is all about eating. The mental sermon each week is topical: "Great Places to Pig Out." Scripture chastises people who take communion to fill their bellies:

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. (1 Cor 11:20-22).

     The communion table is not for our hunger, it is for God's delight. The Church is not for our comfort, but for the delight of God. God delights in accordance among the people. He delights in love and concern. He delights when people have changed lives. On the other hand, God must cringe at how comfortable people are knowing others won't be for eternity1
   

Fit to Unfit to Fit Again

Regeneration is man’s re-genesis. The human species was designed to live forever, but the sin virus became the fittest, making mankind unfit to survive. By grace, for those who trust the Lord God, He will again make repentant sinners fit again. Repentance relieves the stress of guilt and Christians often live longer. In the eternal scheme of things, mankind will again survive as the fittest.

Fitness is not achieved by their own doing, but God doing His genesis thing again; not that He did it wrong in the beginning, but that man was doomed to destruction because of free will. Free will kills the species. The will of sinful man emancipates him from the protection of God and endangers his survival. Those who are entirely emancipated are doomed; they are no longer fit to survive!

Animals die because they can do as they will. Mankind dies when they do the same. Authority is required to circumvent the entropy of the species – the propensity for extinction. Mankind can take their advantage to reverse the dying process. Righteous living extends the age of the species and the longevity of the soul - that which only belongs to the species of men!

Returning to fitness is “regeneration.”  As Jesus said, it is “born again,” [i] and is a re-genesis. Regeneration is not returning to how one once was, perhaps at their birth, but the way the Designer created them. Longevity is determined by how well people fit into the model. In Christianity, the model is Jesus the Christ. [ii] Adam, in his original condition was like Christ, being made in the very image of God.

If the model is willingly copied, there is a special reward for that – eternal life. [iii] Modeling Jesus makes one more fit to survive. Mankind was predestined to conform to the image of God’s person – Jesus. [iv] In other words, mankind was designed to be perfect. Adam and Eve discarded that opportunity. Jesus was of perfect design; but was strong willed. All others were given free will. Jesus had that as well, but his will was stronger because it was the will of God.

A weak will corrupted mankind. When offered choices of pleasure or obedience to authority, the species with free will most often prefers pleasure.

Truthfully, God likes that the human species have pleasure but not to the neglect of Him. God has made it clear, that as Creator, He demands reverence. [v] He could have created mankind to be entirely submissive, but then that would have been a lifeless species. The ability to exercise the human will makes man a peculiar species. [vi]

Beasts may experience love; that is not known for sure. Perhaps their kind of love is mere devotion to the person who nourishes them. Perhaps that is the definition of love! If so, maybe beasts are better at love than the human species. Man may be the only kind that fails to love the very One who nourishes them. God gave mankind that choice. He could have created automatons – those who would merely salivate when offered a reward.

The human will is important. God really doesn’t care if people do things their way; He wants them to be willing to do things His way. That is the demonstration of love for Him. That willingness to please the Creator is re-creation – called regeneration. Everyone is born to please themselves, contrary to the Designer’s intent, but must come to understand, that pleasing themselves rather than God displeases their Maker.

Why do people not believe in a Creator? Because if a Creator truly exists, they must revere and love Him even more than themselves. Rather than doing God’s will, they would rather do their own.

Of course, the excuse people use for disbelief is that God doesn’t exist. With that thought, they are free to do as they will, or as they please. Everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. [vii] That would be chaotic and is the way of Satan. Why do most not believe in Satan? They think they are doing as they please when they are doing what pleases the Devil.

The world has painted a fictitious portrait of Satan. He is not a mythological horned devil with a pitchfork. He is a beautiful but cunning angel [viii] who wants God’s throne and kingdom. [ix] Satan wants to be as God – as Creator - but he didn’t create anything. Therefore, the world wants that people not take God as Creator seriously. Belief in the Creation is serious business because that is how God is known to exist. [x] There cannot be regeneration without an initial generation. Genesis is the generation of the universe. “Generate” means “to produce something” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2019).

What produced the Big Bang? I must be one of two things: (1) Nothing or (2) God. What generated the space for matter? (1) Nothing, or (2) God. What produced life? (1) Nothing or (2) God. The production of nothing, matter, and life must have the same cause. Was nothing the cause of space, matter, and life, or was there a cause. Theologians of all persuasions refer to the Cause as “God” and even polytheists have a chief god.

Regeneration is not correcting God’s mistake, but mankind’s. Generation is the production of life, and regeneration is extending the life and lives of the species. The granting of undeserved longevity is called grace. That makes the Creator God a personal God!

Why would anyone despise their father and mother? Most often it is because they have authority over the son or daughter. Initially, children want love and protection; they prefer authority. Then when they experience the pleasure of the world, they want more, but good parenting means the parents want to keep their offspring safe. Good parents protect their species and should because even the other species usually do that!

Since self-gratifying pleasure is usually detrimental or even dangerous, parents want to protect their children. Good parenting increases the chances of the species surviving. Like Adam before them, children don’t understand the importance of surviving. Each wrong-doing evaluates pleasure more desirable than abstention. Wrongdoers unwittingly prefer pleasure to life itself; they prefer death to abstention. Of course, they reject the idea that sin leads to death, but it does! [xi] Likewise, the willingness to forgo the pleasures of life extends life eternally, if done for right reasons – to please the Father.

Why would the Creator care what His creatures do? Because He loves them so, and wants that none should perish, just as any good father would want. [xii] That’s why honoring parents is so important; it demonstrates reverence for the Creator by revering the procreators.

Mankind was designed fit. That is without sin. Sin is an unpopular word because it is a theological term. Think of “sin” as displeasing the Creator by preferring independence to protection. Humans would rather endanger themselves than heed God. As a parent how would that make you feel? Any parent with rebellious children can answer that! Well, God has personality as well; he agonizes over His creatures’ foolish behavior: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Jesus – God Himself in the flesh – was not fretting about his own death but was agonizing over concern for our longevity. He wanted his species to survive to the extent that he generated flesh for Himself, then killed it instead of his creatures.

Why did God die? That His species live! Not only to increase the lifespan but to make them “fit” to live forever. Rebirth, regeneration, or regeneration is intent. Rather than the destruction of life at death, if in Christ, death is life: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:22). What is gained by dying? Eternal life. The prerequisite for that is trusting God that the species can be glorified and that He will do that as promised.

“Glorification” seems to be of utmost importance. Recalling that the human species was made in the image of God, and in our image, people should ask, in whose image are they? The human species was made in the image of Jesus.

How can that be; Jesus had yet to be Created? Well, God is not stupid! He knew how He wanted the Earth to appear and had a model for man as well. God knew the appearance of His own flesh before He put it on, and He desired that his living souls have the same fleshly appearance.

Which came first; the chicken or the egg? That applies to Adam and his brother Jesus. God planned their appearance simultaneously; Adam was made in the appearance of God and God personified Himself in the same fashion. [xiii] Jesus is not another person, but is the only “person” of God and has a human personality in addition to spiritual character; he is the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Eternal life depends on whether Jesus is recognized as God or not, and that mankind are not really gods, as they perceive themselves to be. [xiv] Therefore, the survival of the human species depends on whether Jesus is recognized as Creator or not, because if He can’t Create, he can’t rec-create. [1]

Glorification is returning to the original image in which Adam was made. Before sin, Adam was immortal, but disobedience spoiled his flesh. God promised Adam reprieve in “five-and-one-half- days.” 

² Yea, the Word that will again save thee when the five days and a half are fulfilled." ³ But when Adam heard these words from God, and of the great five days and a half, he did not understand the meaning of them.

⁴ For Adam was thinking that there would be but five days and a half for him, to the end of the world.

⁵ And Adam wept, and prayed God to explain it to him.

⁶ Then God in His mercy for Adam who was made after His own image and similitude, explained to him, that these were 5,000 and 500 years; and how One would then come and save him and his seed. (1 Adam & Eve 3:2-6) [2]

The author believes that refers to the “rapture” when the dead in Christ shall rise first followed by those living at that time according to the Way of Christ. [xv]  The dead shall receive gloried, incorruptible bodies – without sickness or sin - [xvi] just as originally designed.

Disorder causes unfitness and order restores fitness. Disorder is mankind attempting to survive the world, and order is God saving the fallen world. Mankind is one of the few creatures who are set on self-destruction. Sinful behaviors cause that both physically and spiritually.

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[1] By convention, capital letters are used for pronouns for God and not for Jesus, although technically, as Jesus Is God, pronouns in reference to Jesus should be capitalized.

[2] The Books of Adam and Eve are pseudepigrapha, meaning that their author and dates are unknown. They are non-canonical sacred writings and should not be considered on the same par as Holy Scripture. On the other hand, whoever the writer and in their time, knew the purpose of Jesus quite well.

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[i] Gen 3:7

[ii] 1 Cor 11:1

[iii] Rom 6:23

[iv] Rom 8:29

[v] Exod 20:3-4

[vi] Titus 2:14

[vii] Jud 17:6

[viii] Ezek 28:17

[ix] Isa 14:13-4

[x] Rom 1:20

[xi] Rom 6:23

[xii] John 3:16

[xiii] Heb 2:17

[xiv] Gen 3:5, John 3:14

[xv] 1 Thes 4:16-17

[xvi] 1 Cor 15:52

Using Time Optimally

      Truth is reality. False realities are fantasies. The truth is that living a fantasy is much easier than facing reality. The most frightening thing in life is facing death. "Thanatophobia" is the fear of death. Everyone has that phobia, but most control it by neglecting the truth, that "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die" (Ecc 3:1-2). 
     The proof of death is in life. People see people die everyday; therefore, they know that death is real. What more proof is needed than that? Most people, although they know the reality of physical death ignore it, not hoping it will go away, but that death will be delayed. This morning I delayed my death for twenty years. I have done that all my life. However, I do not have the power to delay my death but only shorten my life. People shorten their life, ironically, to forget their death. 
     I believe that people want to escape the inevitability of death by ignoring the reality of it. Many won't even read what is written here because they have thanatophobia. I have it as well. It's okay to fear things that we have no power to control. We can't control death but we can influence life by right choices. The commandment with a written promise is, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exod 20:12).
     There are no qualifiers - ifs - in that. Parents, even cruel ones, are to be honored. Why would that be? God is our Father, and many consider his form of justice cruel. They accuse God of sending people to Hell. Although there are many cruel parents, there are also many who perceive their parents as cruel. Although they recanted later, all my children, at one time in their youth, declared their hatred for me. Why? They didn't appreciate my authority over them, and sought emancipation. That's the way many consider God.
     Bad parents are sinful ones. When anyone accuses their parents of cruelty, that may be correct. However, there is none without sin and all are deserving of death. Cruel parents, just as sinful you, are to be forgiven seventy-times seven. (Mat 18:22). The truth is, that is hard to do! That's why there is an extra reward for it: "That thy days may be long upon the land." Persevering bad-parenting extends the life of a patient person. Why honor cruel parents? Years are added to life for doing so!
     There was recently a movie out called Timeless. Everyone had twenty-five years to live at birth and there was a time meter on their forearm. That was their life expectancy. However, they could increase their time by trade or theft. They could steal time from the lifespan of another. They could waste time by spending it on trivial things. Everything had a cost, and as they bought and sold, they saw time changing; either increasing or decreasing but biased toward time expenditure.
     Think of this passage:

" Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (Jas 4:13-14).

     The truth is that life is but a vapor. The Timeless residents were proportioned twenty-five years.  Human beings have a maximum of one-hundred twenty years it seems (Gen 6:3). That, of course, pertains to the time allowed to build the ark, but scripture often has other symbolic meanings. Although a few have lived beyond that limitation, hardly anyone ever has!
     Our time clocks are set at one-hundred and twenty. Perhaps, if a person sinned little, they could approach that. I believe, that perfection is that long, but iniquity reduces longevity. The Fifth Commandment seems to validate that. Obviously, if you do not murder, it is likely that you won't be murdered. If you don't steal, it's also likely you won't be murdered, and so on. Sin, for most people, results in guilt; guilt can gradually kill people, or some can take their own life out of guilt. Stress is an effective killer and guilt results in anxiety and stress.
     I see one-hundred and twenty years as a practical life-span. People would tire of living if they survived that long, especially because they outlive everyone they love. The stress of that would decrease the lifespan.
     We can't extend the time allotment by doing good things, but it can be compressed. Each sin that people do, decreases their longevity here on earth. That is not to say  that people who die young are the greatest sinners, but that there is a correlation between sin and death as people age. We should learn from out sins, and decrease the iniquity in our lives.
     The Ten Commandments are for awareness of sin, and are not punitive. They all shorten mortality and can lead to the loss of immortality. We are not condemned for sinning, but suffer the consequences of sin. Sin leads to death by increasing the rate of dying. Dying is gain if anyone is in Christ. (Phil 1:21). Obedience demonstrates to God that you are in Christ. Thus, obedience leads to physical longevity and eternal life.
     The obedient person has less stress because there is less internal conflict, resulting from the dualism of wanting to pleasure oneself while pleasing God. Scripture refers to that as serving two masters., and one must win out. (Mat 6:24). Most often, in pleasuring themselves, they become their own masters.
     We all want to live forever, unless some enjoy insanity. That is a simple thing to do; be born again. (John 3:7). To live forever, Jesus said that we "must be." Admittedly, most enjoy this life and knowing they are destined to die, want to delay death. Righteous living prolongs life, not beyond the limitation, but approaching it.
     Considering Timeless, think of sin as spending our time. Each sin is pleasurable and requires payment for the enjoyment. Spend your time wisely. I am not referring to be selective of sins which provide the most pleasure, but accept the contentment in life which costs nothing. How much time does it cost to love your children? It takes just a little time, but the reward is great. A great amount of time is added to yours and your children's lives.
     Terri asks me sometimes to do things I don't want to do. Often, I consider, perhaps this will make her happy. I spend a little time to make her time more fulfilled. We put our spiritual forearms together and share the time we have remaining just as they did in the movie. Love is wanting to share time, and spend what life is left together. Too many people do their own thing alone. That shortens the time on their forearms.
     There is a quality to life. Time should not be wasted, because of its value, on trivial things. I don't like to watch many TV shows, because I am wasting time. Right now, I am sharing my time with others as I use my valuable time to share my thoughts. This is not only for me, but for you. If it remains unread, then my time meant for you is wasted. That's not effective use of the short time that I have remaining. I am reaching out, offering my forearm to share my time, and many will reject the time-sharing.
     What I share is that you can increase your time here, and maybe add to the one-hundred twenty years - eternity. That's a great deal but most refuse! Living the fantasy is that you can live forever by ignoring death. Time is spent even outside awareness. Some even induce fantasy by smoking dope or injecting harder drugs to live the fantasy of living forever, even as they decrease their time remaining. That is foolish use of valuable time.
     Time can also be sacrificed. Not only can it be given to others but to God. Sharing time in those two ways is the most effective use of time. Truly, loving others and God provides eternal time!
     

Where He Is We Can Be

     Yesterday I paid tribute to Mike Rowland. Mike DID nothing for eternal rest. He was not even there when Jesus was scorned, mocked, intimidated, insulted, and finally was killed for just BEING. Mike was not harassed and killed; Jesus was.  "Being" was written in caps because the mob killed God. The death of Jesus redeemed mankind, not just a few, but everyone because God wants that none should perish (John 3:16). Mike wasn't there protecting Jesus or declaring him innocent. He had nothing to do with saving mankind or himself.
     That is an important point. If the reader will remember, after sinning, Adam and Eve sought to cover their own sin and skin with fig leaves. Not all their skin but merely their loins. They could not do that as fig leaves were flimsy excuses for clothing, and covered very little (Gen 3:7). Then the Word - who was called Jesus - stepped in and provided the sacrifice. An innocent animal, surely a lamb, died and redeemed the two sinners. Death was the cure for death for the first time, and the Lamb repeated the sacrifice of Himself once and for all on Calvary. Mike wasn't there and did not pay his own penalty for sin,  although he deserved death!
     That is not meant to single-out Mike. None of us were there on Calvary to cover our own sins. By grace, Jesus covered Adam's sin, and by grace he covered ours. Adam arranged the fig leaves to cover his shame, but the "Adam" on Calvary just lifted up Jesus. He trusted Jesus for salvation, and was with him that day in Paradise (Luke 23:43).
     Mike did not work-off his sins. On the other hand, he accepted Jesus's sacrifice instead. Not only that, but Mike even assisted in killing God as Jesus was dying to save him. Mike had no power to save himself, but he had enough power to kill God. Who killed God? Did Mike do that alone? Not so; we all killed God.
     Eve drew first blood. She inflicted harm on God when she was deceived. She knew not what she did just as the Jews at Calvary (Luke 23:34). The Serpent in the Tree of Knowledge was symbolic of Moses's brass serpent on his pole (Num 21:19). Eve saw the serpent alive. Mike saw the lifeless brazen serpent on his own tree (the cross). He knew that Jesus own crucifixion crucified the Old Serpent - the Devil. Mike looked on the Devil as good as dead because Jesus's own death defeated the Serpent.
     Adam's sin was greater. Unlike Eve and even Pontius Pilate, the instigators of Jesus's death knew what they were doing, or should have known because they were teachers and students of the Law. The Jews committed a greater sin (John 19:11). However, don't blame the Jews for all have sinned and deserve death (Rom 3:23). As such, everyone just as well hammered the nails and thrust the spear that killed God; although none of us were even there!
     God's death commenced in the beginning when his "Brutus" - Adam - thrust a knife in God's back. Like Brutes who killed Caesar, it was for power. Adam thrust the knife that killed his own brother. Surely, the Word said, Et tu Adamus right after Eve forsook Him. Since that time, everyone has been Adamus and Brutus. We all assisted in the assassination of our Emperor and King! Mike did too, but he accepted the sufficient sacrifice. Like Adam, he was ashamed and put on the cloak of Jesus's own Flesh as recompense for his own brutality or Brutus-like attitude.
     When Mike or anyone accepted blame for Jesus's death, and trusted Jesus's atonement, Brutus (Adamus) was crucified vicariously on his tree. That was the malefactor with Jesus in Paradise that day. On the other hand, one was so brutish that even though he was about to die, he was too stubborn to confess, I too am Adamus. Two Adam's died on their crosses with Jesus: repentant Adam and his altar-ego - unrepentant Adam. Mike was the real Adam who lifted up God as sufficient for salvation.
     Mike must be admired. He became serious about the purpose for Jesus'a was birth and death. The former was for the latter. Mike is enjoying his pardon at this moment. He was certain of that before he passed.
     Are you certain? Are you even persuaded that you need not die. Part of regeneration (born again) is realizing that you have no power to save yourself. The other half of rebirth is that Jesus does! We must all cease listening to the deception that Jesus wasn't God and God was not Creator. Indeed, God had the power to create and the power to re-create us. Now take up your own cross (Mat 16:24) and follow Jesus, and Mike, to eternal life.

Tribute to Mike Rowland

     My first news this morning was the passing of my friend Mike Rowland. Death is heart-wrenching for those who are left behind. I am sad this morning that I will not see Mike's smile nor hear his kind voice, at least until I pass as well. I think of Carolyn, his wife, and her smile which seemed to always be there even with Mike's health troubles.
     After Mike narrowly escaped death before, I saw a new Mike; a happier Mike who enjoyed life so much more than before the scare. Mike became more dedicated to God and the church. He became more outgoing to friends. Mike was a blessing to all of us, and the memory of him will never fade. I want to see Mike again, not as he seems to be, but as he is. I know Mike; he surely is with Jesus in Paradise this day.
     Perhaps Mike doesn't have his new body yet; a glorious one, but his soul has been glorified. I can mentally see him through the sea of glass beneath the throne of God. The angels rejoice with Mike as his friends are sad below. There are no tears for Mike there because there is a reward for simple trust. Mike, I know, trusted the Lord. I could see the Comforter in his eyes. I looked deeply into his soul, and recognized the Spirit of God looking back at me. That was the love he emanated from his soul. Mike could not see me well through his dim vision, but I could see his Spirit crystal clearly.
     Mike made me happy just because he was Mike. He was so genuine; that's what God desires. Mike did not pretend and now non-pretentious Mike has his reward. No preacher need pray Mike to Heaven because I'm certain he is there. It is glorious in his room in God's mansion, but I'm sure right now he stands before the throne. All the tribulation has already became lost memories, as only the good is remembered. Marriage is for better and for worse, but the glorified only remember the better. Likewise, he only remembers the better here, and life is no longer a worry.
     I'm sure Mike was no angel because none of us are. On this day, he is with the angels. They no longer minister to him because he has his reward. Perhaps the angel who knew Mike so well will minister to another one like Mike, if there is another.
     Passing into death in Christ is Mike's gain. It is us who are left behind who are the losers. Death is just a sting before a temporary sleep. When the soul awakened, Mike was aroused to see no more pain or anxiety, but merely joy and contentment. His trophy is with him - his hand is in Christ's. Farewell, my friend, until we meet again. Mike is finally saved after claiming it all these years!

Survival of the Fittest: The Fittest

     Follows is an excerpt from my book in progress, tentatively called, On the Origin of the Species. I am providing a sample for the purpose of advertising. Of course, my fittest species is not the most proliferent, but the one to whom God assigned that role. Read on:

Survival of the fittest is a description of the reproductive process, or success at reproduction. Basically, the fittest are those who reproduce most proliferently, or leave copies of themselves over the generations (Spencer 1864). As the reader can see, that parallels the natural reproductive selection which is similar but different in each of the species. For instance, elephants have the same process as mammals, but the gestation period is much longer. They produce in the same manner but with different frequencies. They were on the verge of not surviving until people establish regulations to protect them.

On the other end of the spectrum are mice. They too have the same process, but gestation is of shorter duration. Which are the fittest; mice, men, or elephants?

If merely making copies of themselves makes the fittest, perhaps insects are the fittest. Anyone who has been to the tropics understand that the proliferation and irritation of insects. In evolutional theory, perhaps mosquitoes are the fittest. Unarmed, people are less fit that mosquitos. Otherwise, humans have intelligence; they avoid and fight mosquitos with inventions.

The ability to copy their own species quickly and numerously seems to be a poor definition of “fittest,” although without men around to disturb the natural process, perhaps insects are the fittest! Intelligence and invention, then, disturbs natural selection. Is not human kind a species? Why should mankind exclude themselves from the environmental and biological processes?

Environmentalists consider human life as disturbers of the environment. What considerate people have done to help the environment is minimized.  Humans are known by their carbon footprint, not by their superiority.

The human species seems to be excluded from even being the fittest! Modern technology allows the unborn to be terminated before they become a problem to the environment, just as the eggs of insects are sprayed or oiled to suffocate. Human life is considered less fit and should not even survive! Environmentalists attribute extinction to the human species.

The world has made the human species the enemy of creation. In a spiritual sense, perhaps they are, but physically, humans seem to be the fittest of the fit.

Evolutionists have different “fittest” species. Numbering and proclivity make smaller organs most fit. During the dark ages, it is estimated that from “75 to 200 million people in Eurasia and peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351” died from the plague. (ABC/Reuters 2008). The cause of the plaque was some disease carried by fleas and transmitted distances by rats. The black death was powerful, but who were the fittest: bacteria, fleas, rats, or humans. The latter three species died, but not before the bacteria demonstrated their power. Whatever species that was, seemed to be the fittest using Spencer’s definition.

Unknown is whether the bacteria of the plague died out or not (or other microbes.) On the other hand, fleas, rats, and humans survive to this day!

Who engineered the elimination of the plague? Not the fleas nor rats, but only the humans. They used their intelligence to discover what was causing the spread of the disease, and by doing so, demonstrated their superiority.

Time and again, the human species have shown their ability to outwit, outsmart, and outlast the other species. (Thanks goes to the television reality show, Survivor, for a better definition of “fittest.”) Fitness is a trait of the human species. At times, they were also the most unfit, as they devolved into mere beasts. More on that shortly.

Fitness seems to be based on physical attributes. After all, can a mouse subdue and elephant? Can a kitty intimidate a rhinoceros? Maybe a cat can, but who knows? The point is that fitness is more than structure or agility. After all, Jaws in James Bond movies, although quite fit, was often outmaneuvered by the quick and cunning Mr. Bond.

In the beginning were different species. Scripture refers to the species as “kinds.”  On the third day of creation, God  brought forth or generated, “grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind.” [i] On the fifth day, “God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind.” [ii]

On the sixth day, “God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind,” [iii]and “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” [iv] On the alternate days, God continued with the creation of things which are not alive but accommodate life, as well as the timepiece for life – the sun.

God dictated that all animal life was to reproduce. They were all made “fit” according to Spencerian understanding. The purpose of all life is to make copies of itself – to be fit. God saw that everything that He crated was “very good.” [v] To be honest, the other animal species did not introduce evil; mankind did!

God made mankind in His image. [vi] God is the epitome of “good” as well as might. He also is the Great Mind that made the Creation. Because mankind was designed the fittest, God gave man dominion over the other species. [vii]  The human species were designed to be the fittest, and civilization existing to this day demonstrates that God endowed mankind with that.

Many have seen the series of movies about The Planet of the Apes. Hypothetically, apes became the fittest because mankind abused them. With fitness comes responsibility. God gave three commandments to His fittest creatures: (1) Multiply and subdue the earth, [viii] (2) dress and keep the garden, [ix]and (3) submit to His authority. [x]

It may be that Adam and Eve pleasured rather than multiplied as commanded. [xi] Furthermore, Adam and Eve dressed themselves after they pleasured, [xii] and they dishonored God by assuming the roles belonging only to God. [xiii] Shortly after they were created the fittest, they showed themselves unfit!

“Dressing and keeping the garden” is caring for the Creation and the creatures therein. Jesus was the Tree of Life – the Centerpiece of the Garden. [xiv] Foremost, mankind was to love Jesus. Jesus is the Tree of Life. [xv] Jesus is God manifested to the senses of mankind. [xvi] His representation is the visible tree. God is symbolized by the root – the unseen part of the tree – the part of the tree which generates “good fruit.” [xvii]

The root of the tree uses hidden water from below the ground to nourish the tree and bring forth fruit. There was no rain in the Garden of Eden, and the waters of life sprang forth from the earth. The fruits of the Tree of Life were twelve, and they were from the Spirit of God – from the living waters. [xviii]

According to Adam’s vocation – to dress and keep the Garden – loving God and all the species made him fittest. Indeed, lovingness is a characteristic of fitness.

Some will say, but there were no other humans (trees) in the Garden. They were there, but were unseen, because they had yet to be manifested. Adam and Eve had not yet made copies of themselves, but souls were in the spiritual realm of the Garden ready for mankind to copy themselves.[xix]  Human life is sacred because only the fittest of the species had living souls. [xx] What makes mankind the fittest is the ability to care for their own species, other species, and God Himself.

In fact, until love is extinguished, the species - humankind and animal kind - will exist. When hatred overcomes the world, none of the species will exist on Earth. Existence, then, depends on mankind and love. Mankind is the dominant species and were designed the fittest; that is until evil revealed itself!

The reader may not appreciate the ideas that mankind is the fittest, but that species is on whom the world depends. Unfortunately, at times the fittest is morally the least fit! For instance, how many other species entertain themselves by observing others having coitus? The fittest creatures are oftentimes the most decadent. Next, the reader will learn of the destruction of the unfittest.

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[i] Gen 1:12

[ii] Gen 1:21

[iii] Gen 1:25

[iv] Gen 1:27

[v] Gen 1:31

[vi] Gen 1:27

[vii] Gen 1:26

[viii] Gen 1:28

[ix] Gen 2:15

[x] Gen 2:17

[xi] Gen 3:6

[xii] Gen 3:7

[xiii] Gen 3:5

[xiv] Gen 3:3

[xv] Rev 22;2

[xvi] John 1-2, 14

[xvii] Mat 3:10

[xviii] Rev 22:2

[xix] Ephes 1:4

[xx] Gen 2:7