#when did God make Eve in Genesis 1? At the same time as Adam is what it looks like.

[andersunmenschlich]

Why Biblical literalists don't read the Bible's accounts of things side by side.

Let's look at Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 as an example, shall we?

Here we go.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

So far so good.

When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the Darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Sea. And God saw that it was good.

And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Where's Adam? God made him before plants. No bush of the field was yet in the land, remember, whether it was a plant that yielded seed or not. Where is Adam?

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night."

Didn't he already separate the day (the light) from the night (the darkness)?

"And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so.

Was the light God created way up there in verse 3, the light he called Day... was that not giving light upon the earth? The three days up to now were dark days, with only light to light them?

And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.

So many of the stars are so much larger than our own tiny star! But there are only two great lights in God's book? And one of them is the moon? That's not a light, it's a mirror! Simplification is one thing, but this (from an all-knowing god) is lying.

And God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Ah, yes. The moon and all the stars are in the sky. In the expanse firm enough to separate the waters below from the waters above. How ignorant did this god want us, his creations, the readers of his book, to be?

And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let flying things fly above the earth across the expanse of the skies." So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the sea, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

Plants yielding seed have been around, sprouted forth from the earth, for two whole days now. Where is Adam?

Remember, the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life when no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up. He should be here already. Where is Adam?

And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the skies and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

It's too late now. The bushes and herbs of the field, yielding seed, have already been brought forth by the earth. God told the earth to sprout these plants, and it was so.

Adam can't be made now.

It was too late the moment the first seed-bearing plant sprouted forth from the earth in accordance with God's will.

[themindcastlesystem]

Beyond the Veil of Hypocrisy... lies chapter 2 (theory)

(Sunny, they/she) okay so this might be my first proper post on this site but we all gotta start somewhere lol

BACKGROUND

In the book of Genesis, Eve was tempted by the serpent (Satan) into committing the first sin. Adam followed suit, and God punished both of them by expelling them from the Garden of Eden and revoking their immortality.

In Project: Eden's Garden, Eva was tempted by her distrust of others (encouraged by Damon, who wears a tie with a snake on it), and she committed the first murder. She was executed - leaving Eden's Garden Academy, so to speak.

So... what happens next?

THE KILLER

Well, Eve convinced Adam to join her in committing sin, right? She took the forbidden fruit from the serpent, ate it, and gave it to Adam. So Adam committed the second sin. But Adam - Damon - is our protagonist here. That can't be quite right.

But I don't think he's going to stay the protagonist much longer. He experienced a much more condensed version of the type of development arc experienced by a protagonist like Shuichi Saihara [v3] - and he rejected it at the end of the chapter. While it is possible that he might continue to resist his primal urges to distrust others, I don't think it's likely - he already had to be pushed out of his comfort zone so much just to consider that Diana might not be the killer in chapter 1, and now his only confidant - Eva - is dead, and on top of that, Diana is still trying to emulate Wolfgang, who both he and Eva firmly believe was leading the class to destruction. "I couldn't hold back my true feelings anymore"; "it pissed me off".

Unless a miracle happens in the midst of this murder game and Damon manages to find other people to trust (not excluding Diana, though it's not likely), I don't think he's going to keep going down the path he started on in chapter 1. The first murder happening means that the chapter 1 festivities (game tournament, co-op laundry, bunk buddies) won't happen in the same manner, and if they do, it'll be through bated breath. If he already had to be pushed so hard just to play some games with the group before anyone died, it'll be ten times harder afterwards. (Naturally, this isn't to say that I think Damon is incapable of trust or kindness - giving or receiving - and in fact, I heavily empathize with him in some ways. But old habits absolutely die hard.)

In essence: Damon is my prime suspect for the chapter 2 blackened, and I don't think he will be the protagonist any further.

THE DETECTIVE

What then? Well, we just heard a very protag-y speech from someone at the end of the chapter, didn't we? It's what pissed Damon off: Diana's "like a chameleon, I will adapt!"

Diana has already had a great spotlight within chapter 1, and she has shown the makings of a leader. She's bright, kind, and energetic; people tend to like her; she adapts to the various situations that come her way. She is trusting of others, arguably too much so, but yet she comes across as mostly level-headed. Her youth hinders her, as she struggles to read the room and is reprimanded for this, but she tries to show the same compassion than Wolfgang - much more organically than he did, in multiple situations. She is emotionally intelligent, able to perceive when others are unwell and offer them genuine care.

Yet, she isn't a natural in her role. When she was forced to bear witness to her friend's death, and everyone and the evidence are against her... much like any normal person, but unlike a protagonist, she breaks. She is traumatized, barely able to speak and holding back tears. She struggles to tell the others what happened to her, even as they seem ready to unanimously send her to her death. It is the kind deed of the actual protagonist that snaps her out of her catatonia enough to tell her side of the story and help lead everyone to the truth.

But I believe Diana has still yet to shine.

BIBLICAL CANON...

Diana is specifically very reminiscent of a Danganronpa protagonist, too. She has one of the most classic DR-esque designs of the cast with her school uniform, her faith in others resembles that of Makoto Naegi [THH], and her personality is reminiscent of Kaede Akamatsu [v3]. While the team behind Project: Eden's Garden has been clear that players should not expect DR tropes to take place in the game, and it can be argued that an early-game protagonist switch would essentially be a parallel to v3, I argue that it's more of a subversion of expectations.

In v3, we start off playing as a lively girl with a kind spirit and a good head on her shoulders, who becomes a natural leader for the cast. She resorts to murder to try and stop the mastermind, completely unexpectedly to everyone around her (including the player, if they don't pick up on the hints that she's up to something). Her death is treated as honorable by the rest of the cast, and she is replaced by more of a typical DR protagonist: a sullen boy with heavy emotions on his heart and a tendency to distance himself from others. His attachment to her helps him carry on her legacy by learning to believe in himself, working with others, and surviving the killing game.

...VS. INTERPRETATION

In my prediction of P:EG chapters 1-2, we start off playing as a sullen boy with distrust on his heart and a tendency to distance himself from others. He is pushed out of his comfort zone quite a lot by the rest of the cast, and he ends up exploring, doing chores, and playing games together with the rest of them... but someone is killed anyway. Then, when another student he doesn't care for comes under fire for the murder, he challenges his base instinct to assume her guilt, instead figuring out an argument that there's more to the story and it can't be her. (Whether it's a logical or emotional argument doesn't matter as much as it seems, as he initially doesn't realize the logical issue and just feels something is wrong; that said, I do like the pathos route much more for this reason.) He is beginning to learn to trust people... until it turns out that his only friend was the killer, and she not only took advantage of him and emotionally manipulated him, but ends up trying to frame him and get him killed. All the while, the person who she initially framed was a lively girl with a kind spirit and a good head on her shoulders, trying to be a leader for her classmates in spite of everything, but being completely shut down by everyone else.

I think that unlike Shuichi, Damon's development is temporary and about to fully regress, and Diana may be a very good friend, but she isn't a universally loved natural leader like Kaede. So, similarly, I think their character arcs will be reversed entirely: Damon will stop trying to trust people and resort to murder, and Diana will have to prove herself as a leader and source of encouragement over an extended period of time. At the same time, where Shuichi retained his affection for Kaede after her death, even knowing she had killed someone, Diana will have to let go of her feelings of affection for Damon to see that he has given up on her (and the others) and become a killer. And yet, she will have to fight on - she has no choice but to live. She won't give up on her friends like Damon and Eva did, and she won't excommunicate them like Wolfgang did. And, even after realizing that her friend not only never trusted her but is a murderer, she will reconcile that with her positive memories of him - accepting that Damon was a complex human being that was put in a despicable situation... and, much like Eva before him, even though he committed one of the worst sins imaginable, he didn't deserve to die at the hands of this killing game's "God".

MARGINALIA

Imagine how much of an uphill battle Diana would be up against Damon if she had to prove he was the killer. He's hand-cranked to be good at debating people, even if he doesn't have the upper hand logically. While Damon has been rigidly logical so far, as is typical of a murder mystery detective, debaters also have tactics like "spreading" - talking so fast the opponent can't process their argument or get a word in - up their sleeves. This tactic is especially useful when the facts aren't on your side and you need to regain control of the room without resorting to obvious ad-hominem and losing favor. (Like Eva did when cornered in chapter 1: "he does want bloodshed!")

Also, this has nothing to do with the theory proper, but I want to give an honorable mention to Grace Madison for making for a good chapter 2 suspect as well. She became friends with Wolfgang, slept with him, and then he fucking died the next morning and she had to guard his dorm room so no one would disturb his belongings. God forbid Tozu cleans out his dorm in chapter 2 to boot. Girl is GRIEVING, and I think people will suspect her out of pure emotion even if she ends up nowhere near the next crime scene.

Anyway, who knows if I'm ever gonna post again on this site. But to anyone reading, I hope you enjoyed this theory, and give me your brain thoughts! Hyperfixation go brrrr

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Good morning, USA and the World Daily Devotionals for November 6, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 27:20 (KJV): 20 Hell and destruction are never full; so, the eyes of man are never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20 (AMP): 20 Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the place of destruction) are never satisfied; so (the lust of) the eyes of man is never satisfied.

Thought for the Day

Worldly lusts, idolatry and power oppose God's will. Look around you and see what’s going on. Those who yield to them are never satisfied, just as hell is always hungry for more inhabitants. Lust can never be satisfied. Our Heavenly Father gave us elections as a motorization of our wickedness. He allows us to see the evil and distaste in others for a reason. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 John 2:16-17).

Satan tempts us in three areas of lust, idolatry and power; by using the same lie he told Adam and Eve. We can benefit from studying how this hostile fallen angel struck at God through the man and woman He had created and loved: "...And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat" (Genesis 3:4-6).

Notice Satan's method of tempting Adam and Eve. First, he challenged God's Word and cast doubt upon His judgment and goodness. Next, he placed three temptations before her through the lust of the flesh (Eve saw that "the tree was good for food"), the lust of the eyes (it was "pleasant to the eyes"), and the pride of life (it was "a tree to be desired to make one wise"). Our desires for the things of the world tempt us today as stated in James 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." The "world" consists of the systems of fallen human society without God: education, science, arts, religious systems, politics, etc. This "world" is controlled by Satan. Many of us do not realize that when we touch the things that make up fallen society, we touch the power of Satan. Therefore, we become independent in the way that we use them, if we do not put them under the power and direction of God. God does not want to deny us these things, but if we do not allow Him to rule over us as we partake of them, they become like forbidden fruit to us.

I do not believe that God intended to forever deny man access to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but He had a plan that would have opened his eyes to good and evil in time; when human beings had matured enough to be able to live with that knowledge. By eating prematurely from that tree, it brought death instead of wisdom, just as God warned. Physical death did not come immediately, but spiritual death did, as man could no longer face God. Fear and shame are the fruit of sin. If we fellowship with God on a daily basis, we find that there is simply no guilt that troubles us. However, when we sin and do not repent, we run from the presence of God just as Adam and Eve did.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for all the wonderful things You created in this world for us to enjoy. Lord, I know when You restrict anything from us, it is for our good, and because You love us. Help us to understand but not yield to the temptations to go beyond the boundaries that You have set for mankind in Your Word. Deliver us from all lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride within its greed of this life that may set our eyes on eternal things and hold loosely the things of this world and use them for Your glory. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida USA From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ,gatekeeperwatchman.org , TM ‎Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups. #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO. www.facebook.com/gatekeeperwatchnan www.facebook.com/ Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956

[holystormfire]

Notes for Genesis Ch. 3

3:1-6 Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then, he’s been busy getting people to sin. He even tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). But Jesus did not sin!

How could Eve have resisted temptation? By following the same guidelines we can follow. First, we must realize that being tempted is not a sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. Then, to resist temptation, we must (1) pray for strength to resist, (2) run (sometimes literally), (3) say no when confronted with what we know is wrong, and (4) hold on firmly to God’s Word. James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don’t give in when tempted. Every time we resist temptation, we become more like Jesus.

3:1-6 The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s word and then his goodness. He implied that God was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and, instead, focus on what God had forbidden. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on what God forbids rather than on the countless blessings and promises he has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself because of what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank God. Then your doubts won’t lead you into sin.

3:1 Disguised as a shrewd serpent, Satan came to tempt Eve. At one time, Satan had been a glorious angel. But in pride, he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from God, he will not be the final victor. In 3:14-15, God promises that Satan will be crushed by one of the woman’s offspring, the Messiah.

3:5 Adam and Eve got what they wanted: an intimate knowledge of both good and evil. But they got it by disobeying God, and the results were disastrous. Sometimes we have the illusion that freedom is doing anything we want. But God says that true freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do. The restrictions he gives us are for our good, helping us avoid evil. We have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize it would be foolish to do so. Don’t listen to Satan’s temptations. You don’t have to do evil to gain more experience and learn more about life.

3:5 Satan used a sincere motive to tempt Eve, telling her that she would be like God if she ate the fruit. It wasn’t wrong of Eve to want to be like God. To become more like God is humanity’s highest goal. It is what we are supposed to do. But Satan misled Eve concerning the right way to accomplish this goal. He told her that she could become more like God by defying God’s authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for herself what was best for her life. In effect, he told her to become her own god.

But to become like God is not the same as trying to become God. Rather, it is to reflect his characteristics and to recognize his authority over your life. Like Eve, we often have a worthy goal but try to achieve it in the wrong way. Before you start, check your steps. Do they honor God as well as pursue the goal?

Self-exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above him. This is exactly what Satan wants us to do.

3:6-7 One of the realities of sin is that its effects spread. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing. When we do something wrong, often we try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like toxic waste spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Recognize and confess your sin to God before you are tempted to pollute those around you.

3:6 Satan tried to make Eve think that sin is good, pleasant, and desirable. A knowledge of both good and evil seemed harmless to her. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for them. Our sins do not always appear ugly to us, and the most pleasant sins are the hardest to avoid. So prepare yourself for the attractive temptations that may come your way. We cannot always prevent temptation, but there is always a way of escape from it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Use God’s Word and God’s people to help you stand against it.

3:6 Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? You will overcome temptation more often if you follow Paul’s advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (2 Timothy 2:22).

3:7-8 After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment about their nakedness. Their guilty feelings made them try to hide from God. A guilty conscience is a warning signal God has placed inside you that goes off when you’ve done wrong. The worst step you can take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease. Be glad those guilty feelings are there. They make you aware of your sin so you can ask God’s forgiveness and then correct your wrongdoing.

3:8-9 These verses show God’s desire to have fellowship with us. They also show why we are afraid to have fellowship with him. Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard him approaching. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin, they were afraid to show themselves. Sin had broken their close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours. But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with him. God longs to be with us. He actively offers us his unconditional love. Our natural response is fear because we feel we can’t live up to his standards. But understanding that he loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove that dread.

3:8 The thought of two humans covered with fig leaves trying to hide from the all-seeing, all-knowing God seems ridiculous. How could they be so silly as to think they could actually hide? Yet we do the same thing, acting as though God doesn’t know what we’re doing. Have the courage to share all you do and think with him. And don’t try to hide—it can’t be done. Honesty will strengthen your relationship with God.

3:11-13 Adam and Eve failed to heed God’s warning recorded in 2:16-17. They did not understand the reasons for his command, so they chose to act in another way that looked better to them. All of God’s commands are for our own good, but we may not always understand the reasons behind them. People who trust God will obey him because he asks them to, whether or not they understand his reasons.

3:11-13 When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or our circumstances. But God knows the truth, and he holds each of us responsible for what we do (see 3:14-19). Admit your wrong attitudes and actions and apologize to God. Don’t try to get away with sin by shifting the blame.

3:14-24 Adam and Eve chose their course of action—disobedience—and then God chose his. As a holy God, he could respond only in a way consistent with his perfect moral nature. He could not allow sin to go unchecked; he had to punish it. If the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin seem extreme, remember that their sin set in motion the world’s tendency toward disobeying God. That is why we sin today: Every human being ever born, with the exception of Jesus, has inherited the sinful nature of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12-21). Adam and Eve’s punishment reflects how seriously God views sin of any kind.

3:14-19 Adam and Eve learned by painful experience that because God is holy and hates sin, he must punish sinners. The rest of the book of Genesis recounts painful stories of lives ruined as a result of the Fall. Disobedience is sin, and it breaks our fellowship with God. But fortunately, God is willing to forgive us and to restore our relationship with him when we admit our sin.

3:15 Satan is our enemy. He will do anything he can to get us to follow his evil, deadly path. The phrase “you will strike his heel” refers to Satan’s repeated attempts to defeat Christ during his life on earth. “He will strike your head” foreshadows Satan’s defeat at Christ’s resurrection. A blow to the heel is not deadly, but a blow to the head is. Even in the Garden God was revealing his plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the world through his Son, Jesus Christ.

3:17-19 Adam and Eve’s disobedience and fall from God’s gracious presence affected all creation, including the environment. Years ago people thought nothing of polluting streams with chemical wastes and garbage. This seemed so insignificant, so small. Now we know that just two or three parts per million of certain chemicals can damage human health. Sin in our lives is similar to pollution in streams. Even small amounts are deadly, and the consequences reach far beyond us.

3:22-24 Life in the Garden of Eden was like living in heaven. Everything was perfect, and if Adam and Eve had obeyed God, they could have lived there forever. But after they disobeyed him, God told Adam and Eve to leave. If they had continued to live in the Garden and had eaten from the tree of life, they would have lived forever. But eternal life in a state of sin would mean forever trying to hide from God. Like Adam and Eve, all of us have sinned and are separated from fellowship with God. But because of Jesus’ sacrificial death for us, we do not have to stay separated from God. In fact, God is preparing a new earth as an eternal paradise for his people (see Revelation 21–22). To ensure our place there one day, let us accept his invitation to come to him (Revelation 22:17).

3:24 This is how Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God: (1) They became convinced their way was better than God’s and acted on that belief; (2) they became self-conscious and hid; and (3) they tried to excuse and defend themselves. To build a relationship with God we must reverse those steps: (1) We must drop our excuses and self-defenses; (2) we must seek God, not hide from him; and (3) we must become convinced that God’s way is better than our way and act accordingly.

[trustfallwithgod]

Day 36, 37 & 38: Gratitude and Trust

Blessed are you Lord, King of the Universe

From Philippians to Matthew, the Bible preaches a consistent attitude of gratitude and trust. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we see God's instruction to always be thankful: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” In the storms of life, God is our only hope. His faithfulness and His goodness are present even during the darkest storm.

As advances in neuroscience have shown: you cannot be anxious and grateful at the same time, it is a remainder that this simple act of recognizing your blessings is the thing that reminds you of God’s provision and providence in your life. It makes concrete that which was previously un-perceived.

When life is easy, gratefulness is easy. But in the storms, in the hospital pacing, or simply watching your finances circle to nothingness, our gratefulness hinges on our willingness to accept God’s will over our own. In essence, can we accept that He is in control? Which ultimately begs the question: can we trust Him?

Colossians 2:7, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

Anxiety is from Satan: false narratives from the enemy

Let’s return to Genesis, God literally gives Adam dominion and stewardship over all creation:

Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Adam gets to name everything in creation. Eventually, when Eve is added to the mix, we learn that they can partake of everything except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Satan inverts that narrative, he plants the seeds of anxiety in their head - “Did God really say, 'You must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden'?” With this act of sophistry, the enemy makes us forget that we already have control of pretty much everything except one thing but yet he successfully plants the doubt and makes us wonder if God is withholding things from us and this is where it starts to unravel. Satan has tugged upon the smallest of threads: doubt leads to fear, fear leads to temptation, temptation to sin. Anxiety over what God really intends for us cause the first couple to eat of the tree that they were expressly told not to eat from.

“In this world you will have trouble… but… I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

In every chapter since the exile from Eden, God has proven His faithfulness. Adam and Eve did not die immediately, animal skins were provided for (what is left unsaid is that when animals in Eden didn’t have to die for us, now they did to give us life and protection from the elements), in every circumstance, God has chosen us over every other thing He has created - all other aspects of creation now suffer the consequences of our mistake. Think about it: Abraham did not have to sacrifice Isaac, but God did not spare His son. We are let off the hook Every. Single. Time.

In the face of that, how can we choose to believe the enemy’s false narratives rather than giving our trust and gratitude to our Heavenly Father?

I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? . . . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. (Matthew 6:25–26, 34)

Trust in the Lord is the greatest act of worship. Conversely, worry is an act of worshipping the devil

One of the greatest tools to help counter the temptation to worry is recalling the faithfulness of God. In every situation, worry wants you to think, "This is the one where everything is going to go off the rails". But the faithfulness of God tells you otherwise. Jesus asked, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Think about that for a moment. None of us can add even a second to our day. He continued, “Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25–26).

Why is trust the greatest act of worship? Think back to how much of a compliment it is when you realise that someone has fully depended on you. In pop culture and media, it is no coincidence that they build pivotal high tension dramatic scenes merely to deliver a line of simple dialogue: “I’ve got you! I’ve got you!”

Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you have all the power you need to win. Romans 8:11 says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit, who lives in you.” When you manage this, God is given all the glory. He’s got you.

[usagi-zakura]

Fandom sometimes needs to sit their ass down and chill... part 2

Decided to put this one in a separate post because its directed at a different fandom.

Hazbin Hotel.

No its not about expecting demons to be decent people this time...and its mainly criticism directed at the subreddit where some fans have decided to find a bunch of plot holes where there are none because they didn't actually watch the show...

Or something I've been seeing more of recently... people expecting this to be a direct adaptation of the Bible.

A question that keeps popping up is "How is Adam the first human soul in Heaven when he had a son who died before him??"

Referring of course to Abel, of Cain and Abel fame. God's favorite boi because he scarified meat instead of vegetables...so his brother got jealous and murdered him. Presumably Adam was still alive a this point as he went on to have another child.

Hazbin Hotel makes no mention of this... so there's no reason to belive it even happened. Hazbin Hotel borrows some characters from Abrahamic myths, but it has never advertised itself as a 1 to 1 adaptation of the Bible.

It would feel kinda awkward if Sera referred to Adam as "the second human soul in heaven after his kid who got brutally murdered by his own brother but we're not gonna talk about him ever because he's not important to the plot", that'd just be confusing to any fan who isn't familiar with that particular story. Making the bible required reading for an adult cartoon is a little weird.

Its easier to just ignore that story entirely if its not gonna be important to the plot.

Lilith isn't in the bible either.

Shocker I know... She was invented way later, maybe as a reason to explain why in Genesis 1 God creates man and woman at the same time but afterwards he creates Eve separately... Any mention of the name "Lilith" in the old testament doesn't seem to refer to a human, but is mentioned more like the name of a species... some scholars belive it was a bird, or possibly even some kind of demon that may or may not have been important to early Hebrews...or they borrowed the word from some other religion. Happened a lot back on the day.

I look at it more like Disney's Hercules. It borrows the names and general concept of the Greek Pantheon (but changes Hercules' name to the Roman one for some reason...) but does the story in a widly different way...I've never seen someone call out the lack of Hercules/Heracles's brother Iphicles as a huge plot hole in that film... yes he had a brother... or the fact that it features Zeus not as a massive perv with no respect for marriage, whether its his own or his great-granddaughter... Yea that's right... Harecles' mother was also Zeus' great-granddaughter... and that's not even the worst case of incest committed by the King of the Greek Gods...

Same with Hazbin. It borrows some of the characters, that doesn't mean they'll borrow the whole mythology... even if it sometimes would be interesting if they did.... they had 8 episodes... probably wouldn't have time to touch on Adam's messed up sons. Its too busy focusing on how bad both his marriages went.

My point is if you keep expecting creators do do something specific that they never promised they would...don't get mad at them when they don't do that thing... Its not their fault your expectations were wildly different from their plans.

Edit in case someone decides to go "um actually"... this post was made before Abel's Hazbin design was revealed.

However this still doesn't mean he must have died before Adam in this canon or that there's something else that resulted in Adam being the first human soul in Heaven.

[marysittingathisfeet]

Why Target Eve

Genesis 3-

1: Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 

3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 

5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Why did Satan choose to speak to Eve and not Adam?

I don't think Satan chose Eve because she was not as intelligent as Adam. Nor was she chosen because she was the weaker sex. I have also read commentaries that stated that Adam was supposed to be the leader and Eve was supposed to be the helper. Satan purposefully distorted their relationship and made Eve the leader instead. Perhaps, this was the result, but I do not think this was the motive.

Remember Eve was made AFTER God declared that Adam needed a help mate. Then God brought every animal to Adam to "see what he would name them." After Adam had named all the animals, God determined 'But still there was no helper just right for him."

Was this a surprise to God. No, of course not. But I think he delayed making Eve so that Adam would appreciate more the gift of Eve. I don't know how long it took Adam to see and name all the creatures, but I probably took years; if not decades. Adam was alone all that time. Of course Adam had his evening walks in the garden with God, but what about the rest of the day? Maybe he chatted with a few visiting angels. Who knows. Finally God puts Adam into a deep sleep and takes out one of his ribs.

So why didn't God just make Eve from the earth like he did Adam? God was declaring that man and woman are two halves of one whole.

Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy". 

Marriage should exemplify God's sacrificial loving relationship with his church. Husbands should love their wives with the same love and concern that Jesus demonstrated when he gave up his life on the cross. Woman are not commanded to love their their husbands- only to respect them.

So why then did Satan target Eve? Adam had had years to walk and talk with God before Eve was created. This Adam's relationship with God was deeper because he had had more time to develop it.

Satan had probably visited the garden many times as the serpent speaking to the couple, thus Eve was not surprised when the serpent spoke to her. Like he does today he watched the couple to determine their soft spots. This time, he was not only able to spot a weakness, but he could finally use it to his advantage.

Genesis 3:1- The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat fruit from ANY of the trees in the garden?" (Emphasis is mine.)

So Satan basically twists the one rule that God had given Adam and Eve laying the foundation for questioning God's word

{Eve responds by not actually repeating accurately the law given by God. This is why it is important to know the word of God. Also why we need to search the scriptures ourselves and not trust a preacher to always be right. After all they are human too. }

Genesis 3:2- "Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, the woman replied. "It's only the fruit from the middle of the garden we are not allowed to eat. God said, "You must not eat it or even touch it: if you do, you will die. "

Oh how Satan must have secretly smiled. Because Eve did not know the word of God, he could use her lack of knowledge against her.

"You wont die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil."- A lie mixed with truth.

So Eve looks up at the serpent. She is now confused. The serpent was coiled around the limbs of the tree, but he was not dead. He was touching the tree and was not dead. Maybe he had even eaten of the fruit, and was still alive. What was Eve's conclusion then? That the serpent was right. God was lying. He was keeping something good from her and Adam. If the fruit could not harm a serpent, it probably won't hurt her? Besides the serpent said she would be like God. Her eyes would be opened. Maybe Eve was tired of counting sheep and wanted a little more excitement in her life. We cannot know for sure what Eve thought, the Bible does not say. This is purely conjecture.

Plus Eve did not really know what death was. Death was something bad for sure, but in the garden neither Eve nor Adam had ever experienced it. So maybe it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

Eve reaches for the forbidden fruit and Satan's heart beats with wild anticipation. What was Adam doing? Nothing.

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

We see from this verse that Adam had been there the whole time. As the oldest and most experienced of the two, he should have intervened. He could have said,

"No Eve, God said we can't eat it only. " He could have also said- "Don't pick the fruit Eve. God said no." or "Let's go to the other side of the garden, the cats need baths." But he said nothing. This is why Eve says she was tricked, but Adam knowingly sinned. That is why he pointed the finger at Eve. Adam ate the fruit with his eyes wide open. He wanted to be like God too. Adam's curiosity plagued him. What would happen if he ate the fruit. Thus he let Eve be the scapegoat. This is why the bible tells us that Adam sinned. Romans 5;12 tells us - When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Eve is not given the blame here. Satan knew Adam's soft spot too.

And yes, their roles had been reversed which is why God says to Eve after he tells her her labor pains will be increased, ...."And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16B.

And thus the battle of the sexes has begun.

[numbersbythebook]

The Number 4, Genesis 4, Judah & Jesus

Written by Will Schumacher

Per my prior post, Judah is the door by which we come to the yod-hey-vav-hey. Jesus from the tribe of Judah is that door. The number 4 in the Bible is used by God to show division of His physical creation.

I believe God oversaw the separating of the Bible into chapters and verses and its division by numbers have meaning. This idea never would have occurred to me except Clay began posting on this after his visions. It is something tangible that anyone can look at and make a decision on. If God did this, is it not a testament to His Greatness and the Bible’s authority?

The 4th verse of the Bible records the first division in the Bible when God divided light from darkness:

Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness

The 4th book of the Bible is called by the Jewish people “Bamidbar”, meaning “in the wilderness”. They were sustained by God for 40 years in the wilderness by manna and then entered the Promised Land. The wilderness was a time for testing. We are also in the “wilderness” being tested by God and sustained by Jesus the manna/bread of life as He divides those who are His from those who are not His and then we also will enter the eternal Promised Land.

The 4th chapter of the Bible shows a division in the Bible when Cain is marked and sent away. However there is more to this story. This is what I would like to show in this post.

Cain is a type of Judah/the jewish people and Abel is a type of Christ. It is the story of Christ as the lion of the tribe of Judah at His first coming and His second coming.

Recall Judah is the 4th son of Israel. His name is spelled the same as the sacred name of God except the 4th letter, dalet, is inserted in the 4th position.

The main story of the Bible is about Judah/the jewish leaders turning on their brother Jesus and having Him killed just as Cain killed his brother Abel.

Even the name of the disciple that betrayed Jesus is Judah - Judas Iscariot.

So to the story of Genesis 4.

Eve, the lifegiver, says she has “gotten” a man:

Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

Strong’s H7069 =”gotten”. It also means “purchased” just as God purchased Israel out of Egypt at the Passover:

Exodus 15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

Just as Jesus is the Door of the sheep and the Good Shepherd, Abel was a keeper of sheep:

Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

God accepted Jesus’ offering as the Perfect Spotless Lamb just as He accepted Abel’s offering. Cain’s offering was not accepted just as the jewish leader’s offering of trying to keep the Law by themselves and making a bunch of other manmade laws was not accepted:

Genesis 4:4-5 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

After Cain kills Abel God tells him he will be a fugitive and vagabond. Rome destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD and the Jewish people had no place to call their own. They became fugitives and vegabonds:

Genesis 4:12 Then thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

The Lord gave Cain a “mark”. This is Strong’s H226 also meaning “sign”. Judah/the jewish people have the sign of the Sabbath and have kept it to this day:

Genesis 4:15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

Cain has a son Enoch and names the city he built Enoch. Enoch means “dedicated”. In the Bible the city that is dedicated is Jerusalem.

Genesis 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Coincidentally this city Cain built is the first city in the Bible. Cain was called a “man” by Eve in Genesis 4:1. So this was a “man’s city”. Judas who betrayed Jesus has the last name “Iscariot” which derives form 2 hebrew words meaning “man” and “city”.

The sons of Enoch.

Genesis 4:18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

Notice the meaning of their names.

Irad =”city of witness”

Mehujael =”destroyed of God”

Methusael (this one seems harder to decipher) =possibly “asked/requested,desired of God”

Jerusalem, the dedicated/Enoch city, was to be a witness (Irad) to the nations of God’s greatness. It was then destroyed by God (Mehujael) twice because Judah had failed to be that witness. Quite possibly the name Methusael reflects Judah’s desire/request to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple and its glory as God’s people which we have partially miraculously seen in these last 80 years.

We then come to Lamech. No one knows for sure what Lamech means. Some speculate “power”. We do know that it is spelled with the same three Hebrew letters as the Hebrew word for “king” and “reign”.

Lamech is spelled lamed-mem-kaf.

King is spelled mem-lamed-kaf.

In both Genesis 4 and Genesis 5 Lamech prophesies. In Genesis 5 he prophesies and his offspring is Noah a type of Christ who builds the ark/means of salvation for His bride.

Lamech’s prophecy of Genesis 4:

Genesis 4:23-24 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Notice Lamech says he “slain” a man to his “wounding” and “hurt”.

Recall the Genesis 3 prophecy of Christ. Christ will be bruised on the heel (wounded/hurt) but the serpent will bruised on the head (slain):

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Notice Isaiah 53:5. Christ was wounded and bruised. He was given stripes. Strong’s H2250 =”stripes” in Isaiah 53:5 but it is also “hurt” in Genesis 4:23:

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

So Lamech seems to be a picture of Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah, bruised and wounded for us, who kills our enemy at the cross.

Lamech has 2 wives, Adah and Zillah. God has 2 wives. The Church is the Bride of Christ. But God is still in covenant with Judah:

Genesis 4:19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

Adah =”adorn”. It is from Strong’s H5710. The bride is adorned with jewels.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ is adorned with jewels:

Revelation 21:18-21 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Adah has 2 sons:

Genesis 4:20-21 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

Jabal and Jubal have the same root as “jubile”. This is a type of heaven/the Promised Land:

Leviticus 25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Jabal “dwells in tents”. This is the same word as “tabernacle” He dwells in the tabernacle of God.

Jubal handles the harp and organ. What are the saints playing in the tabernacle of God, harps:

Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Adah seems to clearly be a type of the 6000 yr old church. My guess would be that the 2 sons either represent saved jews and saved gentiles or they represent the Old Testament saints already resurrected at the time of Christ per Matthew 27:52 and the New Testament jew and gentile church.

Zillah means “dark” or “shadow”.

If we are in God’s shadow, we are in His protection.

She bore Tubalcain. Tubal means ”world” and Cain means “purchased”. So Tubalcain has “purchased the world”.

Tubalcain is associated with brass (judgement) and iron (strength).

Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Jesus will rule the physical nations (world) with a rod of iron during His millennial reign:

Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Tubalcain’s sister is Naamah meaning “pleasant”. Since I am assuming we are symbolically speaking of ruling with the iron and brass, God’s law (His rules) is called pleasant/Namaah. It is in the feminine:

Proverbs 3:1,17 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

This all seems to make sense. Glory be to God.

[sbbreflections]

GENESIS

PART 2 - Because when I started this series, I thought I would only be choosing a segment rather than speaking on the book at large - which is how I handled every book since. So here is the second post on Genesis, for the sake of integrity.

1b. Genesis

The first reflection of Genesis centered around the story of Cain and Abel, but this broad book of the beginnings of time covers much, much more than a message about giving God our best and avoiding hatred to the point of murder...

For instance, we also about the creation of the world. God spoke and all things came to be.

We also learn about Obedience. When Adam and Eve obeyed the Lord, they were joyful and childlike - lacking any pain, shame or worry. But when they chose to follow the voice of the enemy - to see the world and gain knowledge that The Lord deliberately told them to keep away from - they became susceptible to evil in the flesh, essentially dooming mankind to sin. It appears to have been an irrevocable decision - that we would have to experience the world and all of it's torture because of this decision made so long ago. Even wiping out the entire human race would not keep us from reverting to bad behaviors - because we had become exposed to too much already.

For a long time, the human part of me had not been able to let go of the simple question: "why would The Lord make this tree of knowledge of good and evil accessible to them?" to which Holy Spirit seemed to respond "because He granted them freedom under ONE RULE, yet He also gave them freewill." They had a choice, and they chose to disobey their creator.

Sidenote(s): Now, I will reiterate that I am an infant and I know little to nothing in terms of what/why/how/when/where the Lord makes His decisions. I have gotten in the habit of acceptance rather than upset because these are obviously things we were never meant to experience, let alone understand. But since we're here... We should at least be grateful for the Word, and in this day, for Jesus Christ, and attempt to make better choices than our ancestors. No matter the generation, we lose access to God's glory when we choose to follow the world's way and/or the enemy's voice over what The Lord has told us so plainly. For instance: later, when The Lord introduces The Covenant to his chosen people (the Israelites) through Moses, He said they would be covered by his grace as long as they did not break it. He was (is) a very forgiving God, for as they broke the covenant time and again, he would always come back to save them when they came to him in earnest. And while the circumstances are much different now, the same effect applies. If I understand at least this part correctly, eternal life/paradise is accessible to EVERYONE under one condition: faith in Christ.

So boom. Adam and Eve sin. Their eldest child murders his younger brother, who'd found favor with the lord. And a third son is born - his name is Seth.

Years and generations later, The Lord is upset and completely over the dealings of fresh, fleshy humans. They are despicable. And so the Lord plans the great flood and instructs Noah to build the Ark. The hallmark lesson from Noah's story is not only that he and his family were obedient to God's message - despite how crazy he must have seemed at the time - and therefore blessed with the opportunity to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:1-4) but also that of the way we should honor our parents. Noah curses his son's lineage because when Ham could have chosen to quietly take care of his father, he chose to dishonor him by exploiting his nakedness. This was the curse of the Canaanites (Genesis 9:18-27), the clans of people who would be in opposition to God's Chosen people down the line.

The Tower of Babel is addressed here (Genesis 11:1-9) as well as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. During this destruction, we learn that Lot's wife is another one who doesn't listen and she turns into a pillar of salt. Then, his daughters get Lot drunk and become pregnant with his children - Moab and Ben-ammi - the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites (Genesis 19:1-38). (FYI, Lot is a nephew of Abraham's.)

The final major message I will share is (some of) the story of Abraham. He was first called "Abram" and his wife Sarah was first called "Sarai".

"The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to many others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." - Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)

Abraham was counted as righteous because of his faith. He'd asked God what good were all the Lord's blessings when he didn't even have a son, to which the Lord responded that Abraham would have as many descendants as there were stars in the sky (Genesis 15:2-6).

Now, Sarah had done some weird things in the interim, but The Lord most certainly kept his promise and Sarah became pregnant in her old age, bearing Abraham's second son about 14 years after Ishmael (born to Sarah's Egyptian servant Hagar). She was 91 and Abraham was 100. Her son was named Issac (which means "one who laughs or rejoices). Abraham's faith would be tested in a way most would not pass - but he was faithful, so he did everything the Lord had commanded, and was blessed even more for it. Jacob later married Rebekah and fathered Jacob, who was later called Israel.

The Lord also presented the responsibility of circumcision upon Abraham and all of his male descendants (and his servants) as a new term of His covenant - a mark of everlasting covenant (Genesis 17:9-14). He obeyed; clearly, circumcision is still a very regular practice today.

And that's all folks... Wow. Genesis is quite a book. If you've never read it I highly recommend that you do because I still only covered a fraction of the details.

Next is Exodus.

[dhowellafisheromen]

SCIENCE 🧪🔭 SATURDAYS

#science

Is Genesis History?: Day 1 • Devotional

Lesson 1: The Origin of Literally Everything (Is Genesis History?) from Compass Cinema.

The Origin of Literally Everything

I remember being in 10th-grade biology class studying evolution.  The textbook taught the earth was billions of years old, life evolved from bacteria, and humans were related to monkeys.

I instinctively understood this was a different history than the one in Genesis.  It was presented as the findings of science, however, so it must be true.  I reasoned if the earth was old and we evolved, then Genesis must somehow be mistaken.  This included Adam and Eve, a global flood, and the tower of Babel.

Thankfully, I was challenged by a Sunday School teacher with a simple proposition: “you’d better research both sides first.”  When I did, I realized Genesis was a reliable book of history.

Fast forward to a few years ago.  My daughter began asking me the same questions I had asked.  Since I’m a filmmaker, I decided to make a documentary about Genesis. 

As I dug in, I realized it would need to be about everything.  That’s why Genesis is so important.  It presents a history of where we came from, why we’re here, and what our issues are.  

Yet when you hold Genesis up against the history taught in most schools, books, and media, it’s radically different.  Some people may even find it laughable, but that’s what the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill thought about Jesus’ resurrection, too. 

History is what the author of Hebrews encourages his readers to consider.  He knows they’ve been facing difficult times and struggling in their faith.  As encouragement, he reminds them how God worked in other people’s lives long ago.

The first thing he says is that the universe was created by the word of God.  He’s talking about Genesis 1, and he’s reminding them God made everything we see from absolutely nothing.  That’s real power.

He then talks about Abel making a sacrifice, Enoch pleasing God, Noah building an ark, and Abraham traveling to Canaan.  He wants them to remember that God was interacting with real people in real places in a real way back then.  And He’s doing the same thing today.

We just need to remember history.  Whether it’s Noah, Abraham, or ourselves, He’s interacting with us in real ways that we can see, know, and trust.  Faith isn’t a leap in the dark, it’s an assurance and trust based on real actions by a powerful God that happen in actual history: your history and my history.

Reflection:

How have you seen God work in your personal history?

http://bible.com/r/v5

[mstexalicious1961]

DOTK

devotion by Kesha Trippett

Shame

"Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame." Psalm 34:5

Shame. One of Satan’s most effective methods of attack on God’s people. It goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:25, we find, "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." God never intended us to walk in shame. He did not create us to hide from who we are. He did not create us to feel wrong about disclosing our true self–or becoming vulnerable (naked)–in front of one another. It was never God’s intention that we would have to hide our real self from anyone, especially Him. This lie of shame was introduced by the father of lies himself, the devil. In Genesis 3:1, Satan strategically plants the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind by asking “Did God really say…” and then he twists the truth in her mind as he continues, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Straight from the start, he comes at us with seeds of doubt and a twisting of the truth. As soon as Eve was deceived by the lie of this crafty serpent and took a bite of that forbidden fruit, shame fell on her. Genesis 3:7 states that after choosing to sin, Adam and Eve immediately had their eyes opened and saw their nakedness. The result of realizing their vulnerability was an immediate desire to cover themselves up and hide from God. This, my sisters, is shame.

The desire to cover up things that are within us, or to hide them from others or God–this is a desire created by a root of shame. It can come from so many places of brokenness, all the way from things that happened to us as a child to choices we have made along the journey of life. Shame tells us that we cannot reveal our true self to anyone for fear of rejection, humiliation, or abandonment. Shame tells us that God couldn’t or wouldn’t love us the same if we make a mistake or fall short of His glory. Shame convinces us that there are just certain things you can’t share with others. Shame tells us that we have to keep those dark thoughts secret, withhold telling the whole truth about our sin, or harbor the pain of that abuse within the spaces of our heart. Shame keeps us isolated. Shame says that we will never be free, not really. Ladies, can I just remind you that SHAME IS A LIE OF THE ENEMY. There is nothing true about shame. There is nothing from the Lord in the secrecy that shame wants us to keep hidden. There is nothing good in shame or in anything that comes from it. It is time to lay shame down. Take a good look at Psalm 34:5. This is what the Lord tells us: "Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame." NEVER. Receive it. Believe it. Choose freedom today. Put shame in its rightful place–the garbage.

Lord! I just lift these beautiful women to you today! You are God! In you there is freedom! Lord, I pray that you would bring the darkness to the light and release the shame that covers any of your daughters’ faces. You are radiant, Lord! And those who look to you become radiant by simply reflecting what they see when they see you. God, you are so good and there is nothing that can change that! I love you Lord! In the precious name of Jesus! Amen

By Dawn Stewart, DOTK Community Writer

[destinyimage]

Breaking Demonic Barriers to Your Healing: Why the Devil Wants to Hinder You

The devil is bent upon our destruction and has only one mission—that is to steal, to kill, and to destroy us (see John 10:10).

But just because this is his mission, do we have to comply with his destructive behavior against us?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is he against me?” The answer is simple—he fears you, he fears the fulfillment of your destiny, and he fears your seed, the future generation. So he is out to destroy you and end their lives before they can fulfill or even begin to fulfill their destiny in Christ.

Prophetically, I speak and share with you what I see: I walk into a spiritual nursery where hope conceives faith, and faith produces miracles, but somehow faith has been lost, and the miracles are aborted, miscarried, or are birthed but die shortly thereafter.

Are You Expecting That Miracle?

Are you expecting that miracle? This is an important question to ask yourself. So many people are waiting on God for a mighty miracle. But I’m telling you, God is waiting for you. He is waiting for you to line up to the Word of God and for you to do it His way. This is pure obedience. When we obey God and do things His way, the blessings of God come upon us. And they don’t just come upon us, they chase us down. I don’t know about you, but I want God’s blessings to run after me.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV).

This is an exciting way to live, and it comes from trusting and obeying God. Let’s expound on this for a moment.

Faith is trust. You can have such bold faith when you trust God. And faith is the only way to please Him. He wills that we come boldly before His throne of grace. We can whine and complain and even blame God for the problems in our life. Adam and Eve did this in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:12-19). Adam blamed Eve, then Eve blamed the devil. But did their situation change for the better after they blamed the devil for their disobedience? No, it did not.

How about the Israelites when they wandered in the wilderness? They murmured and complained about everything. Did that move God to get them out of that situation? No, it did not. They wandered in that wilderness for forty years. (You can read about this true story in the Book of Exodus.) They just didn’t quite get the fact that God isn’t moved by our negative emotional outbursts or our accusing words against Him. So what does move Him and get His face to turn our way if these temper tantrums do not work? Faith does. He gravitates to people of faith.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).

So allow me to ask you again, “Are you expecting that miracle?” I believe for many of you that miracle is on the verge of manifesting. But you must get out of the waiting room and into that birthing room. You need to step out of the realm of just hoping for that miracle to manifest to where you are expecting it to manifest.

You can wait and wait for the manifestation of that miracle to happen, but it won’t—not until you move out of the realm of hope and into the realm of faith where you expect that miracle to take place.

/*<![CDATA[*/ (function () { var scriptURL = 'https://sdks.shopifycdn.com/buy-button/latest/buy-button-storefront.min.js'; if (window.ShopifyBuy) { if (window.ShopifyBuy.UI) { ShopifyBuyInit(); } else { loadScript(); } } else { loadScript(); } function loadScript() { var script = document.createElement('script'); script.async = true; script.src = scriptURL; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(script); script.onload = ShopifyBuyInit; } function ShopifyBuyInit() { var client = ShopifyBuy.buildClient({ domain: 'nori-media-group.myshopify.com', storefrontAccessToken: 'd4019987e189be3ec0cf97ea37531adb', }); ShopifyBuy.UI.onReady(client).then(function (ui) { ui.createComponent('product', { id: '7369771253944', node: document.getElementById('product-component-1703258521863'), moneyFormat: '%24%7B%7Bamount%7D%7D', options: { "product": { "styles": { "product": { "@media (min-width: 601px)": { "max-width": "calc(25% - 20px)", "margin-left": "20px", "margin-bottom": "50px" } }, "title": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "color": "#000000" }, "button": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "background-color": "#ffb400", ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "border-radius": "25px", "padding-left": "26px", "padding-right": "26px" }, "price": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "color": "#444444" }, "compareAt": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "color": "#444444" }, "unitPrice": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "color": "#444444" }, "description": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif" } }, "contents": { "button": false, "buttonWithQuantity": true }, "text": { "button": "Add to cart" }, "googleFonts": [ "Roboto", "Droid Sans" ] }, "productSet": { "styles": { "products": { "@media (min-width: 601px)": { "margin-left": "-20px" } } } }, "modalProduct": { "contents": { "img": false, "imgWithCarousel": true, "button": false, "buttonWithQuantity": true }, "styles": { "product": { "@media (min-width: 601px)": { "max-width": "100%", "margin-left": "0px", "margin-bottom": "0px" } }, "button": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "background-color": "#ffb400", ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "border-radius": "25px", "padding-left": "26px", "padding-right": "26px" }, "title": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", "font-size": "26px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "price": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "18px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "compareAt": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "unitPrice": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "description": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "14px", "color": "#4c4c4c" } }, "googleFonts": [ "Roboto", "Droid Sans" ] }, "option": { "styles": { "label": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif" }, "select": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif" } }, "googleFonts": [ "Roboto" ] }, "cart": { "styles": { "button": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "background-color": "#ffb400", ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "border-radius": "25px" }, "title": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "header": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "lineItems": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "subtotalText": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "subtotal": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "notice": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "currency": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "close": { "color": "#4c4c4c", ":hover": { "color": "#4c4c4c" } }, "empty": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "noteDescription": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountText": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountIcon": { "fill": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountAmount": { "color": "#4c4c4c" } }, "text": { "title": "Checkout powered by Faith & Flame" }, "googleFonts": [ "Droid Sans" ] }, "toggle": { "styles": { "toggle": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", "background-color": "#ffb400", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" } } }, "googleFonts": [ "Droid Sans" ] }, "lineItem": { "styles": { "variantTitle": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "title": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "price": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "fullPrice": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discount": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountIcon": { "fill": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantity": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantityIncrement": { "color": "#4c4c4c", "border-color": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantityDecrement": { "color": "#4c4c4c", "border-color": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantityInput": { "color": "#4c4c4c", "border-color": "#4c4c4c" } } } }, }); }); } })(); /*]]>*/

I am a mother of eight, and I gave birth to three; the others were adopted. Each pregnancy and birth was different, but here is one thing that was the same each time. Shortly before giving birth, something would happen to me, as it does with all mothers—a nesting instinct would rise within me. I had to make sure everything I could do, I did. Every nook and cranny in our home had to be scrubbed with everything neatly in its place. Basically, nothing was left undone, and I remained in preparation mode until I accomplished it all. Then, shortly after that time of making ready for that miracle, that child to come—they did.

It’s the same way in the supernatural realm of faith. You first are hopeful, then you move into the next phase of expectancy, you prepare for delivery day, and finally the miracle manifests.

Let’s Pray

Father God,

Right now, in the name of Jesus, I renounce this sickness and this disease attacking these people. I pray in faith, believing without wavering with doubt and unbelief that You have already released the power of Your blood to heal each one reading this prayer of faith. By Your stripes, those healing whips You bore upon Your back to purchase healing for all, were not in vain, but their healings manifest fully, leaving nothing undone. All this I pray for the glory of the Lord, amen.

Lies That Women Are Taught to Believe

To help you step into the arena of faith for your miracle, I want to look at lies that women are taught to believe that have the power to stop that healing from manifesting before it has a chance to even begin.

God cannot forgive an unwed mother; therefore, she cannot receive the benefits of God, including healing.

Now, where does the Bible say this? Nowhere! But what does God’s Word say about forgiveness? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NKJV).

To bring clarity, I am not condoning motherhood out of wedlock, but simply presenting the truth that an unwed mother can be forgiven and can receive the benefits of God listed in Psalm 103:2-5 (NKJV). To teach otherwise is blasphemous against the blood of Christ to redeem us.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

A woman who had an abortion can never be forgiven. This sin will be held against her forever.

This is another lie from the religious sector that has caused so much damage. Women who have had abortions are emotionally scarred. They carry a heavy load of guilt and condemnation for what they have done. But even this sin can be forgiven. The Bible is clear concerning the New Covenant found in the New Testament: after the suffering of Jesus at Calvary and the resurrection from the dead, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12 NIV). And we are taught in James 5:16 (NIV), “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” So yes, God even forgives a woman who repents from the sin of abortion, and He wills to heal her too.

Because she is a woman, she is not allowed to activate her faith to believe unless her husband gives her permission to do so.

I know this is controversial, but I have seen such a deep misunderstanding of the Word concerning women and submission (which is an attitude and not obedience), and it has caused great harm in the lives of women. It is beyond time for this spiritual abuse to stop.

I have had women tell me that they would get into trouble with their husband if they chose to fight for their life and believe God for the healing of their body. This is not the action of a man who loves his wife but one who has a problem with control.

Again, I clarify my personal beliefs. I am not saying to have a rebellious attitude against your husband, but a woman has the God-given right, just as a man has, to trust the Lord for His healing touch to flow through her body, just as the woman with the issue of blood did in Luke 8:42-48 (NKJV).

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

As we read this woman’s healing testimony, we can see that Jesus did not ask this woman if she was married or, if she was, if her husband gave her permission to come to Him for healing. The issue of submission to a male authority never was even mentioned. So this religious belief must be exposed for what it is—a lie.

A divorced woman is to be shunned, forever guilty, and deserves to be sick. She’s unclean and not worthy to receive God’s blessings, such as healing.

I remember one such woman who was in an AIDS hospice. Her family and members of the church she belonged to would not come to visit her or show her any type of support because she was very sick with HIV. They never took into consideration that it was her husband who was unfaithful, infected her with this disease, and then left her for a younger woman. She was treated unfairly and made to feel like an outcast among family and friends. But was she an outcast to God? She was told that she was, and she believed what they said to her. But what does God’s Word have to say to this woman, or to any woman who finds themselves in a similar situation?

For your husband is your Maker, the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of the whole earth (Isaiah 54:5 AMP).

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV).

“For I will restore health to you and I will heal your wounds,” says the Lord (Jeremiah 30:17 AMP).

Ask Holy Spirit to show you if there is a lie that is preventing you from trusting the Lord for your divine healing from Jesus. If He reveals a lie to you, write it down, and look up one to three verses from the Bible to undo the power of that lie that was planted within your mind and emotions.

Throughout the Gospels, we read how Jesus broke all religious barriers to heal the people. So why would we then put up barriers that prevent people to come and be healed?

Remember, God’s Word is truth, and health and healing are good gifts from God for your benefit. Don’t allow anyone to steal them from you by telling you lies.

/*<![CDATA[*/ (function () { var scriptURL = 'https://sdks.shopifycdn.com/buy-button/latest/buy-button-storefront.min.js'; if (window.ShopifyBuy) { if (window.ShopifyBuy.UI) { ShopifyBuyInit(); } else { loadScript(); } } else { loadScript(); } function loadScript() { var script = document.createElement('script'); script.async = true; script.src = scriptURL; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(script); script.onload = ShopifyBuyInit; } function ShopifyBuyInit() { var client = ShopifyBuy.buildClient({ domain: 'nori-media-group.myshopify.com', storefrontAccessToken: 'd4019987e189be3ec0cf97ea37531adb', }); ShopifyBuy.UI.onReady(client).then(function (ui) { ui.createComponent('product', { id: '7369771253944', node: document.getElementById('product-component-1703258463729'), moneyFormat: '%24%7B%7Bamount%7D%7D', options: { "product": { "styles": { "product": { "@media (min-width: 601px)": { "max-width": "100%", "margin-left": "0", "margin-bottom": "50px" }, "text-align": "left" }, "title": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-size": "26px", "color": "#000000" }, "button": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "background-color": "#ffb400", ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "border-radius": "25px", "padding-left": "26px", "padding-right": "26px" }, "price": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-size": "18px", "color": "#444444" }, "compareAt": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", "color": "#444444" }, "unitPrice": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", "color": "#444444" }, "description": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif" } }, "layout": "horizontal", "contents": { "img": false, "imgWithCarousel": true, "button": false, "buttonWithQuantity": true, "description": true }, "width": "100%", "text": { "button": "Add to cart" }, "googleFonts": [ "Roboto", "Droid Sans" ] }, "productSet": { "styles": { "products": { "@media (min-width: 601px)": { "margin-left": "-20px" } } } }, "modalProduct": { "contents": { "img": false, "imgWithCarousel": true, "button": false, "buttonWithQuantity": true }, "styles": { "product": { "@media (min-width: 601px)": { "max-width": "100%", "margin-left": "0px", "margin-bottom": "0px" } }, "button": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "background-color": "#ffb400", ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "border-radius": "25px", "padding-left": "26px", "padding-right": "26px" }, "title": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", "font-size": "26px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "price": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "18px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "compareAt": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "unitPrice": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "description": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif", "font-weight": "normal", "font-size": "14px", "color": "#4c4c4c" } }, "googleFonts": [ "Roboto", "Droid Sans" ] }, "option": { "styles": { "label": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif" }, "select": { "font-family": "Roboto, sans-serif" } }, "googleFonts": [ "Roboto" ] }, "cart": { "styles": { "button": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "background-color": "#ffb400", ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, "border-radius": "25px" }, "title": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "header": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "lineItems": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "subtotalText": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "subtotal": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "notice": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "currency": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "close": { "color": "#4c4c4c", ":hover": { "color": "#4c4c4c" } }, "empty": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "noteDescription": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountText": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountIcon": { "fill": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountAmount": { "color": "#4c4c4c" } }, "text": { "title": "Checkout powered by Faith & Flame" }, "googleFonts": [ "Droid Sans" ] }, "toggle": { "styles": { "toggle": { "font-family": "Droid Sans, sans-serif", "font-weight": "bold", "background-color": "#ffb400", ":hover": { "background-color": "#e6a200" }, ":focus": { "background-color": "#e6a200" } } }, "googleFonts": [ "Droid Sans" ] }, "lineItem": { "styles": { "variantTitle": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "title": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "price": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "fullPrice": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discount": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "discountIcon": { "fill": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantity": { "color": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantityIncrement": { "color": "#4c4c4c", "border-color": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantityDecrement": { "color": "#4c4c4c", "border-color": "#4c4c4c" }, "quantityInput": { "color": "#4c4c4c", "border-color": "#4c4c4c" } } } }, }); }); } })(); /*]]>*/

[jdgo51]

I Am God and You Are Not

Today's inspiration comes from:

Jesus Always Notetaking Edition

by Sarah Young

"'I am God, and you are not. This may sound harsh, but it’s actually a blessed dose of reality. In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve with the very same desire that had caused him to fall from heaven: to be like God, usurping My divine position. Eve succumbed to this temptation, as did Adam. Since that time, the sin-nature in people prompts them to act as if they are God — trying to control everything, judging Me when circumstances don’t go as they’d like.

Remembering you are not God helps you live in freedom. You don’t take responsibility for matters that are beyond your control — which includes most matters. If you let go of everything that is not your responsibility, you are freed from carrying unnecessary burdens. And you can be more effective in areas where you do have some control. Moreover, you can pray about all your concerns, trusting in My sovereignty. Bring Me your prayers with thanksgiving; present your requests to Me. Living this way will shield you from anxiety and bless you with Peace that transcends all understanding.

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven.” — Luke 10:18 NKJV

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. —Genesis 3:5 NKJV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6–7

Remembering you are not God helps you live in freedom.

Beware of overthinking things — obsessing about unimportant matters. When your mind is idle, you tend to go into planning mode: attempting to figure things out and make various decisions before you really need to do so. This is an unproductive way of trying to grasp control, and it’s a waste of your precious time. Often, you end up changing your mind or forgetting what you decided. There is a time for planning, but it’s definitely not all the time — or even most of it.

Seek to live in the present moment, where My Presence awaits you continually. Refresh yourself in My nearness, letting My Love soak into your inner-most being. Relax with Me, putting aside problems so you can be attentive to Me and receive more of My Love. Your soul thirsts for Me, but often you don’t realize what you’re really longing for: awareness of My Presence. Let Me lead you beside quiet waters and restore your soul. Just as lovers don’t need to say much to communicate deeply, so it is in your relationship with Me — the Lover of your soul.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. — Ephesians 3:17–19

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. — Psalm 63:1 NKJV

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. — Psalm 23:2–3"'

Excerpted with permission from Jesus Always Notetaking Edition by Sarah Young, copyright Sarah Young.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for November 6, 2023

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 27:20 (KJV): 20 Hell and destruction are never full; so, the eyes of man are never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20 (AMP): 20 Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the place of destruction) are never satisfied; so (the lust of) the eyes of man is never satisfied.

Thought for the Day

Worldly lusts oppose God's will. Those who yield to them are never satisfied, just as hell is always hungry for more inhabitants. Lust can never be satisfied. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 John 2:16-17).

Satan tempts us in three areas of lust; by using the same lie he told Adam and Eve. We can benefit from studying how this hostile fallen angel struck at God through the man and woman He had created and loved: "...And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat" (Genesis 3:4-6).

Notice Satan's method of tempting Adam and Eve. First, he challenged God's Word and cast doubt upon His judgment and goodness. Next, he placed three temptations before her through the lust of the flesh (Eve saw that "the tree was good for food"), the lust of the eyes (it was "pleasant to the eyes"), and the pride of life (it was "a tree to be desired to make one wise"). Our desires for the things of the world tempt us today as stated in James 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his lust, and enticed." The "world" consists of the systems of fallen human society without God: education, science, arts, religious systems, politics, etc. This "world" is controlled by Satan. Many of us do not realize that when we touch the things that makeup fallen society, we touch the power of Satan. Therefore, we become independent in the way that we use them if we do not put them under the power and direction of God. God does not want to deny us these things, but if we do not allow Him to rule over us as we partake of them, they become like forbidden fruit to us.

I do not believe that God intended to forever deny man access to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but He had a plan that would have opened his eyes to good and evil in time; when human beings had matured enough to be able to live with that knowledge. Eating prematurely from that tree, brought death instead of wisdom, just as God warned. Physical death did not come immediately, but spiritual death did, as man could no longer face God. Fear and shame are the fruit of sin. If we fellowship with God daily, we find that there is simply no guilt that troubles us. However, when we sin and do not repent, we run from the presence of God just as Adam and Eve did.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for all the wonderful things You created in this world for us to enjoy. Lord, we know when You restrict anything from us, it is for our good, and because You love us. Help us not to yield to the temptation to go beyond the boundaries that You have set for mankind in Your Word. Deliver us from all lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of this life. May we set our eyes on eternal things and hold loosely the things of this world and use them for Your glory. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. From: Steven P. Miller @ParkermillerQ,  gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups, Monday, November 6, 2023, Jacksonville, Florida., USA.  X ... @ParkermillerQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA, Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956, #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller, #Eldermiller1981

[lesfeldickbiblestudy]

How was Lord Jesus Christ born without sin? [convertplayer id="qkHQDrbNu" width="700" height="525"] Genesis 3:15 `And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.'" In a previous lesson we pointed out that this verse is foretelling that long-running enmity between the powers of Satan and the powers of God, especially the Son of God Who would be coming on the scene as the Redeemer. Turn now to Galatians 3:16. As we've said before, we must always qualify everything with Scripture, studying and comparing Scripture with Scripture to get the whole, correct picture. The "Seed of the Woman" is unique in Genesis 3:15, but we have to follow this thread all the way through Scripture, because the prophecy given in Genesis was looking forward to the coming of THE REDEEMER. Galatians 3:16, then helps us to qualify just Who this "Seed of the Woman" is. Galatians 3:16 "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, `And to seeds,' as of many; but as of one, `And to thy seed,' which is Christ." So we can always scripturally refer to the Lord Jesus as the "Seed of the Woman." Remember, as we've gone through our study from Genesis 1:26, when Adam and Eve were created through the time when they ate of the forbidden fruit, we have tried to emphasize the fact that first we must understand that Adam, as he was first created, actually contained the woman we now know as Eve. When Eve was later created (Genesis 2:21-22), the Bible makes it clear that she came out of Adam, because Adam had to be the "Federal Head" of the human race, and everybody, including Eve, would now come from that line of Adam. That's why Scripture tells us so plainly that the human race didn't come under sin by virtue of Eve, even though she had eaten first, but sin came upon the whole human race by way of Adam. We have to understand that Eve was in Adam because even though God did not put the curse on Eve for having eaten herself of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, yet she inherited that sin nature through Adam just like every other human being who's ever lived. All this should begin to tell us something! For some reason or other, God had to keep the fault (or whatever you want to call it), that fell upon mankind through the curse from Eve. He had to somehow insulate her from it so that she would simply inherit her sin nature through Adam. She became a fallen creature, not from her own eating of the forbidden fruit which she did in ignorance, but rather because she was "in Adam." And even though she became a fallen creature and was under the anathema of sin just as much as Adam or anyone else, yet God did something with the long range view in mind, in order to provide "The Redeemer," because this Redeemer had to come through the woman and at the same time be free of the sin nature! If you really stop and consider, most Christian people believe and ascribe to the virgin birth of Christ, and isn't it amazing that the Christ could be born of a woman who, out of the line of Adam, was a sinner like everyone else (Mary was not sinless!); that God could bring to pass the birth of the Christ Child from a normal female human being, yet her Offspring could be sinless and not pick up anything of the human element of the sin nature? Why? This may get a little deep now, and unfortunately the average Christian never even considers this. However, we are teaching the very basics here and, consequently, some of the things just aren't too easy to understand. God expects us to study and grow and go into the deep things, as Paul calls them - "the meat of the Word." Because Eve was somehow so insulated from propagating the sin nature, all of the females of the species have somehow still maintained that insulation from the curse that came by way of Adam. To explain, the "seed of the woman" is called in medical terms "the ovum." When the female gets ready for reproduction, there is building within her all these potential "ovum" or "seeds.

" But those "ovum" will never become anything more than individual cells unless or until they are impregnated from an outside source - the father. Physiologists say that in order for the young mother to become pregnant, one of the ovum becomes separated from the others and becomes impregnated; the first change is that the cells within the fertilized ovum begin to divide and multiply rapidly until they reach a count of 32 or sometimes 64; then suddenly, in the development of that little embryo that process of cell division and multiplication stops and the body cells begin to develop - the extremities: fingers, toes, feet, hands, etc. - to form the human body. Sometime further down the line, the original reproductive cells find their way into the fetus as a whole. Remember back in studying Eve's creation, we pointed out that she was taken not just from Adam's rib, but from the "side chamber" of Adam, and it was probably the reproductive portion of Adam that is referred to as the "germ plasm" from which Eve was formed? She had to be insulated from any part of the curse of the sin nature so that these reproductive cells, beginning with and coming all the way down to Mary, and probably on down to us today, do not carry the curse from one generation to the next except through the father. It's only the father that precipitates what we call the circulatory system or the blood system. This doesn't come easily to our understanding and you really must give this considerably thought. If the female of the species has been insulated from the effects of the curse in the area of reproduction, she cannot pass down from her generation to the next the curse of sin. That has to come through the father! Physiologically speaking again, there is none of the mother's blood that ever becomes part and parcel of that little baby. The blood comes from the father. Always remember that! Now, the line of the curse comes through the blood - through the father. So every human being, as we have been stressing through these early lessons in Genesis, is a born sinner by virtue of the fact that he has inherited it through his father, not through his mother, although she is just as much a sinner as the father is. Why has all this happened? Why did God see fit to insulate the "seed of the woman" from the curse? He was looking down through the eons of time to the coming of "The Redeemer," because Christ had to be born of a woman, but yet He had to be sinless. Now, since the "ovum" or reproductive cells of the woman do not carry the curse, and God was the one who impregnated Mary so that she could become the mother of the Lord Jesus without benefit of a human father, Jesus could be born without that sin nature and that's why we call His, the "virgin birth." The Lord Jesus could thus be born of a woman without the effects of the curse that came from the human father. He could be sinless, divine; His blood system did not originate with the human element, it originated with God. And yet since He was born of the woman, He was human; He had the same appetites that we have; He ate; He slept like we do, and yet was without sin!  

[claudz-vision]

Story 1

HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE

Genesis 1:1-2:7

This great world in which we live did not always exist. The broad expanse of sky, which smiles upon us when days are fair, and frowns and weeps when days are foul, did not always form an arch above our earth -home. Long, long ago there was no world at all. There was no sun to shine, there were no stars to twinkle, nor moon-beams to play through the night shadows. But even then there was God: for he ever has been and alwavs shall be the same unchanging Divine Being.

Then, away back in that long ago, at the very beginning of time, God made the world. Not as we see it today, for at first water covered everything, and all was darkness everywhere. What a strange, unfriendly world this must have been, for no living creature could dwell in it!

But God planned to make it beautiful, so he caused the light to shine.

This light he called Day and the darkness he called Night. And then the evening and morning of the first day of time passed by.

On the second day God made the beautiful blue sky, and placed above the water covered earth clouds to carry the sky moisture. He called the sky Heaven. On the third day he caused the waters to flow together in wide, deep places, and he called them Seas. Dry land then rose up, and this he called Earth. But as yet there were no grasses, flowers, nor trees-the whole earth was barren and desolate. So God caused a carpet of grass to grow upon the bare ground and beautiful flowers to spring up from the earth. The trees and herbs also he made to grow at his will. When God beheld all these things he saw that they were good.

On the fourth day appeared the great lights which we see in the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. These he made to divide the day from the night.

After these things were made, God began to create living creatures.

He made fishes of all kinds and sizes to swim about in the seas and birds of every description to fly about above the water and land, just as we see them doing today. Thus the world continued to become more delightful, and the fifth day of the first week of time passed by.

On the sixth day God made all the animals, great and small, and every creeping thing. Then there was life abounding in the woods and on the plains, as well as in the air and in the sea. What a beautiful world! Still what a strange world, for there were no people in it! Not a home anywhere--not a man, woman, nor little child to be seen. What a very strange world indeed !

But God had not yet finished his work of creation, for he wished to have people live in the wonderful world he had made. They could enjoy its beauties and take care of it as no other living creature could do. And more, they could know who had made all these great things, and knowing God they could love and worship him. So it was that God made the first man. Out of the dust of the ground he made the man's body, then he breathed into that body with the breath of life and man became a living soul.

This first man God called Adam, and to Adam he gave the power to rule over all the other living creatures. These animals and birds he brought to Adam, and Adam gave each of them a name. But not one of them did Adam find suitable for a helper, and because he needed a helper very much God made for him a woman. This woman became Adam's wife, and he loved her very much. He called her name Eve.

When the sixth day ended God had made the world and had placed everything in it just as he wished, therefore on the seventh day he rested from his work.