The Good Book | Bible

Are You In Church Praising & Worshiping GOD Out Of Fear Or Love?

It may seem like an odd question. I mean, who goes to church unwillingly or out of fear of punishment from GOD? That's crazy. Right?

You and I both know that is the case with some folks. I remember as a kid, I would actually pretend I was dead so I wouldn't have to get up Sunday mornings and go to church (sad, I know). Eventually, I would roll out of bed, though, and head off to church with the family. Back then, I wasn't going to GOD'S house for myself...I was basically going because my parents said I had to. So I'm not too sure if I was in church clapping and signing because I really wanted to or because I believed I had to.

Things changed, however. I grew up and stumbled along the way, but eventually began a real walk with Christ Jesus. So do I love going to church now? -- Not always. But when I go, I try to make sure it's because I want to go. I really don't think GOD Almighty is going to condemn me for skipping when I am sick, tired or just not in the mood to go to Sunday service. I must admit, however, that sometimes I do feel a slight pang of guilt when I have no real reason to not go. After all, look at all GOD Almighty has done for me. Would it kill me to show my gratitude by going to fellowship at HIS tabernacle? But I always try to remember, it's meaningless to GOD if you do something while grumbling... or with the wrong motivation behind it.

And when I'm in church, I usually enjoy myself. I sing along in praise and I try to understand how the pastor's sermon can apply to my life and spiritual journey. I know that by my going to church doesn't 'do' anything for GOD really. Fellowship is more about the individuals getting together for edification. I know when I leave Sunday service, I leave with a full heart and a renewed spirit. Being around like-minded people who share the same love you do for GOD can do that to you...especially when you feel like an outcast in the world around you.

So back to the question of fear or love... I know for a fact that some folks think (mostly young people I know or used to know) going to church every Sunday is all you need to do to get into heaven. I know some folks who believe that simply going to church makes them somehow 'better' than the heathen that do not. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are some adults who tell their kids they won't get to heaven if they don't go to Sunday school. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

First off, Lucifer himself can walk into church... with a Bible under his arm and even go sit in the first pew. A church is just a building, my friends. It's the folks in the building that gives the place meaning. Don't let those Hollywood movies fool you... no statues and holy water can keep him out of a place he wants to be -- unless GOD Almighty forbids him.

Consider Job 1 (NKJV):
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Now, if GOD Almighty still gives Satan an audience when it pleases HIM and would even give him permission to raise his hand against one of HIS own servants... why do you think a simple church would be off bounds to the devil? If he can approach the presence of GOD, he can surely walk into a church filled with mere humans. And let's not forget how satan tempted Jesus the Christ after his baptism.

So simply attending church on a regular basis does nothing for your personal salvation. Satan can do that, too.

And it's not like you really need to go to a traditional church and go through some traditional 'routine' to really worship before the LORD. As Jesus the Christ said in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

You see church is not about a physical location... it's a shared state of mind amongst a body of people.

As for going to church because you think GOD might strike you dead if you don't...if you really believe that then you don't know much about GOD. There's a difference between walking around on pins and needles because of someone and having reverence for someone.

Growing up, most of us respected our parents and conducted ourselves with them in mind. We knew our parents weren't going to murder us because we disobeyed them or broke one of their rules, but we did know that they would be disappointed. And why wouldn't they literally kill us? -- Because they loved us and simply wanted the best for us.

What's the first and greatest commandment given to Moses? Deuteronomy 10:
12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

And, yes, the 'fear' above is about respect and reverence...not about being afraid.

As it is written in Hebrews 12:28 "...let us have grace, by which we may serve GOD acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our GOD is a consuming fire."

And what did Jesus the Christ have to say about this? Matthew 22:
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.

If you find yourself in church clapping your hands and singing those praise songs because you think that you have to and that someone is watching you, you're partly right -- GOD is watching you...and probably wondering what the heck you're doing.

Don't think that our Creator the LORD GOD Almighty wants to drag anyone kicking and screaming into heaven. You cannot be saved against your will. You have to willfully and joyfully accept the invitation extended to you. This GOD does not want spineless, frightened children following him blindly. HE wants courageous, spirit-filled warriors who love blindly among HIS flock.

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This blog post came to my attention recently and I figured I might as well share it and my comment here.

An excerpt:
I have to say- I can’t believe anyone would just CHOOSE that. I can’t believe that Stella simply woke up one day and said, “you know, I think I’ll be a lesbian now.” I’m not saying that somewhere in her brain there wasn’t a switch that got turned at some point. She had some bad experiences, she didn’t want to go through what her mom went through. I just don’t think that it was a choice. I don’t think any sane person would look at a life of acceptance and a life of awkward conversations and say, “my life is too easy. Let’s mix this up.”

Stella, at least, had to have really believed that was who she was meant to be.

She still believes in God, the last I heard. She just has a lot of questions. It’s just too bad that there aren’t very many churches where they’d let her in long enough to ask them.

Now, the author of the blog post excerpted above is not my focus, for she makes a very good point. Most so-called Christians would rather outright condemn you and kick you out of church before actually sitting down and listening to someone's questions and concerns. We are supposed to treat people with love and compassion. Keywords, supposed to...

My issue is with this most ignorant commentator named John (could be a fake name) who had this to say:

john replied:

let me be clear. scripture has never said homosexuality was a sin. its only man who says scripture says it. and i challenge anyone to show me where the words in the verses of the bible say so.

i have never understood why all the concern about whether choice or innate. surely the only thing that is important in any intimate relationship is that there is a mutual commitment to be affirming and trustworthy and loving to each other.

This is really why I encourage everyone to pick up the Holy Bible and set some time aside and start really, really reading it. You don't have to read it straight from Genesis to Revelations, but you should read it. If John had but done that, he wouldn't have made such an erroneous statement...which is also misleading, because it's possible John heard that bit of misinformation from someone else who either lied or didn't bother to read GOD's Holy Word. So someone like John will take his mis-statement as fact and roll with it.

Read your Holy Bible, people.

Anyway, the error in John's statement: "scripture has never said homosexuality was a sin. its only man who says scripture says it."

Here is my reaction:

It says explicitly in more than one place — both Old Testament and New Testamnet — that it is sin for man to lay with man and for woman to lay with woman. Because the term ‘homosexual’ doesn’t appear in the Holy Text it doesn’t mean that that is not what’s being addressed.

And no, GOD doesn't hate 'fags' as some wicked people love to hatefully insist.

Take a look at the verses and consider them carefully. You need only to accept them or reject them.

The Holy Bible even addresses bestiality…and no, I’m not trying to link the two. The Holy Bible comments on everything dealing with sexual morality and sexual immorality, is my point.

OLD TESTAMENT:

Leviticus 18:20-24 (New King James Version) -
22)You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.
23)Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.
24)‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.

And this same statute is mentioned again in Leviticus 20:13-17 (New King James Version).

NEW TESTAMENT:

Romans 1(New King James Version)-
24)Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25)who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26)For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27)Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28)And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
29)being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
30)backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31)undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
32)who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

And I must say, you cannot pick and choose which part of GOD’s commands and statutes you’re going to follow. You’re either all in or you’re out. Yes, Jesus the Christ was all about love, but he was very serious about abiding by GOD Almighty’s laws (as you see when you read his interactions with the Pharisees and Sadducees).

If it was easy, everyone would be saved…so be quite careful of those calling themselves Christians.

Nothing is impossible for GOD. If you want to change, HE can change you. Are people born gay? - Unlikely. And I say all of this as one who has dealt personally with homosexuality. Are homosexuals some sort of ‘mistake’? Of course not. But they are sinners…as everyone is a sinner. And GOD cannot stand sin (it says that too, in the Holy Bible). Homosexuality is sexually immoral (sinful)…as is fornication, adultery, incest, bestiality, rape, etc.

And again, you either accept it or reject… it’s a bit too late to re-write the Holy Bible...though some people are trying very, very hard. There are answers to issues in the Holy Bible not explicitly answered, but this is definitely not one of those cases.


And here is a reaction from a man named Brian J Walsh (I think). I include it because he says it a lot gentler than I do:

You know, many people make bad choices for a lot of good reasons and good choices for a lot of bad reasons. I think your post really hit on that tension. Even if homosexuality is a bad choice (i.e. sinful) there can still be many good reasons behind it, like loving and caring for another human being. Separating those difficult tensions is a nearly impossible task and may only be worthy for an omniscient judge… like God. Point is, churches can’t play that role, they can’t be the omniscient judge (because they aren’t God) but they can and should point people towards God.

The other thing people often forget is that the path to God is NEVER fun, gentle, or easy. Everyone knows intuitively that becoming a better is hard, and if God wanted to make us into a MUCH better person, it follows that the process bight be incrementally much harder. No pain no gain, right? So maybe life isn’t all about the nicest, happiest, most pleasing choice, but about the best choice even when it is the hardest.

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The owner of a wordpress blog that I stumbled upon poses that question, 'Does GOD Love Everybody?', and supposes to answer it by focusing on the early history of the Israeli people. He begins by examining the stories of the Hebrews once they had been freed from slavery and attempted to claim the land GOD had promised them. He questions the murders committed by the Hebrews against those around them. I don't dare try to defend or explain that, it is GOD's business after all. And I have yet to know a world without wars and conflict. I have yet to know a world without people who vehemently despise and hate GOD, who could care less if HE exists or not. Do such people deserve to die? I would never utter such words as I myself could face similar judgement. But if GOD rejects you, then that is it. Who are we to question HIM. But if HE has chosen you and you then reject him...good luck (though I'm not saying all will be lost).

But back to the question - does GOD love everybody?

Where in the Holy Bible does it say GOD loves everybody? Where does it say GOD loves unconditionally? Because it says 'FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD?' are we to suppose that means everyone and everything walking upon it? You ever consider that it means, GOD loves HIS creation, so HE threw them a rope? Remember, the rest of it says, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM (JESUS) SHOULD HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. GOD's love is deep and unending, sure. But it is not unconditional.

GOD loves HIS creation, but many of us could care less about HIM. It says quite plainly in the HOLY BIBLE, GOD will reject those who reject HIM. Are we to suppose that Lucifer (aka Satan) is loved by GOD? Don't be foolish.

Before I give you my response to the blogger's post, here is a verse for you to ponder. It's in the Holy Bible found in Malachi 1 (NKJV):
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. “ Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved;
3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.” (If you want to know why GOD hated Esau, read Genesis).

Anyway, here is my response to that particular blogger's question. And I am not posting a link to his Web site because I do not promote ignorance of GOD and HIS Holy Word. You can find those lies pretty easily by yourself.

My friend. You are totally free to believe what you believe, just make sure you’re not embracing lies.

GOD does love the world… that is HIS creation. But that doesn’t mean it is unconditional. Show me in the Holy Bible where it says GOD loves unconditionally.

Have you not read that HE will reject those who reject HIM? As it says in Matthew 7 (NKJV):
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

And how about Matthew 10 (NKJV):
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

And take note of what else Jesus the Christ said about our Father's love for us in John 16:26-28 (NKJV):
26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;
27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

Please take special note of that, as it is the conditional promise in John 3:16 that everyone seems to forget about. GOD loves us and will save us IF we believe that HIS unique son Jesus is the Christ HE sent into the world to give us eternal life. You have to believe to receive, my friends. You can't hang around GOD forever if you secretly hate HIM and if you hate HIM, you reject HIM and if you reject HIM, you reject HIS son Jesus the Christ.

Numbers 14 (NKJV):
26 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.
28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:
29 The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.

Many of us know full well about HIM, but for our own particular reasons, we reject HIM. Does that mean HE now hates us? I don’t think so, my friends. And I am sure we are still welcomed at HIS table. But we have known HIM and have turned our backs to HIM. So perhaps HE has now turned HIS back to us (or covers HIS ears when we attempt to speak to HIM, or closes HIS eyes to us)… that doesn’t mean HE has forgotten about us, as we have surely not completely wiped HIM from our own minds.

GOD loved David, but punished him for his sins. GOD loved Moses and even took his body so that Satan could not gain possession of it (read Jude 1, specifically verse 9). But GOD would not allow Moses to see the promised land…the same Moses HE chose to lead the Hebrews from captivity and had wandering around the desert for decades… GOD forbade him from stepping onto the land (HE let him see it from afar, however), because Moses himself had disappointed GOD. Read it in Deut. 32:48.

GOD IS LOVE. GOD loves you. GOD love me. GOD loves the sinner, but hates the sin. GOD doesn't just love Christians alone. How could that be if none of us are born Christians? We were all born sinners. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Just remember, the gift doesn't sit on the table forever...you must grasp it while you can.

Ephesians 2 (NKJV):
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...

But GOD will not be mocked or made common. HE will rebuke those and punish and discipline those whom HE loves. No Christian expects that all will be well in their life… that them or their loved ones will not see death, oppression or illness. That is the world. If a so-called Christian believes that life will be made perfect for them and that all the pieces will fall into place once they turn their life over to Jesus the Christ, then they are still very much in darkness. Jesus did not die upon the cross and conquer death so that we could be healthy and wealthy all our days upon the earth… it was so we can have salvation…a perfect life after death.

Get it out of your head that GOD is some kind of puppet or statue in a church confined by walls or your wishes or will or actions. GOD is bound by no man or anything at all. HE will not bend for you. You must bend for HIM. If you are unwilling to do that, then I suppose you are lost. There is no compromise. HIS Way or the very broad high way that leads only to one place...eternal damnation.

And do yourself a favor the next time someone dares tell you that GOD loves unconditionally - ask them about Jacob and Esau.

I leave you with some words from 2 Peter 3:
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),
2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

-Theist @ http://goodbible.blogspot.com


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I was reviewing the Book of Genesis recently and some new questions popped up as I was reading certain passages.

Specifically, I questioned the true value of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, the Tree of Knowledge of Eternal Life, what sin is, and how the devil (it is the devil, right?) used the snake aka serpent to tempt Eve (formally known as Woman).

Since we partook of the Tree of Knowledge does that mean that we are like divine beings? And if we had partook of the Tree of Life would we be able to live forever? And why did GOD, the Most High, even create these two very special Trees if they were not for man? GOD and HIS angels (and whomever else there were) didn't need these two Trees, did they? So who were they for?

Keep reading...

I guess this is the part where we should look at the text...

KEY: (words like this are my own); the asterisks*** mean you should take special note; this [!huh!] means I don't get it; this [wow] means I'm amazed.

You're going to have to read along either online or with your own Holy Bible (I'm using NIV).

Gen. 2:
15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden*** to work it and take care of it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man***, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die***."

Gen. 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 surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil***."
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.

GOD soon shows up in the Garden of Eden looking for the man (Adam), and calls out for him when he doesn't see him. Adam then tells him he's hiding because he's naked. GOD wants to know who he knows he's naked. ...The circle of blame is rather interesting.

Gen.3:
12The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. GOD punishes the serpent and puts division (hostility/enmity) between serpent-kind and humankind. GOD then punishes the woman. GOD then punishes the man. GOD kicks Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. We don't know where the serpent goes...

INTERPRETATION
GOD didn't say 'I'm going to kill you if you eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.' My guess is that GOD knew once man could discern from good and bad, that he would be conscious that his actions were either good and bad, then he would be held accountable for those actions. If here were to consciously choose to do something bad, he would be sinning...and the punishment for sin is death.

Look at passage from the Holy Bible where GOD explains who will and who will not see the 'promise land' based on their behavior and reverence for HIM... Deut. 1:
9 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.

Your children who do not yet know good from bad... that's an interesting phrase, isn't it? We all know that babies aren't born into the world knowing their left from their right, nor good from bad. They learn along the way. And we all know that once this knowledge is acquire, that despite discerning a good action from a bad action, some children (who eventually become adults) consciously, willfully choose to do bad. And we don't punish babies when they pee on us while we're doing a diaper change... they don't know any better. The 4-year-old you're helping on the potty who does that, however...

So it was with Adam and Eve - GOD made them innocent, not knowing their left from their right, so to speak. So HE would not hold them accountable for their actions, unless they willfully disobeyed HIM...Like if HE were to tell them that something they have done should not be done and they do it anyway.

Eating from the Tree of Knowledge destroyed that innocence - they now knew full well that either choosing left or right would either result in a good or bad thing.

They could choose to do good or bad and we humans often delight in doing bad. As in Gen. 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

We read in Gen. 2:15-17 that GOD made the man first and put him in the Garden of Eden, and told him not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

We also learn after this that GOD made the man a companion, a woman. We don't read when GOD told the woman the same thing about the Tree of Knowledge. It is implied, however, that either GOD and/or Adam told her this. But for some reason she thought the serpent had the authority to know what's what. Now, at no point is it written in Genesis that the serpent told Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. The serpent only gave her contradictory information, he lied and told her GOD was lying about her dying if she eats its fruit. He said GOD lied about the fruit because HE knows those who eat of it can become like HIM.

For the love of me I don't know why Eve didn't ask the serpent how he knew all this or if he had eaten any of the Tree of Knowledge's fruit himself. Eve must have been kinda dumb (gullible, to be nice), like Adam (who didn't recognize that this fruit looked different from the others)...innocent, right?

So, the devil (yes, the serpent was his chosen vessel) essentially tells her 'You can be like GOD'. Ironic, that's what got Lucifer expelled from heaven -- his vain desire to replace GOD ALMIGHTY HIMSELF. Eve, fully aware that her Father, the CREATOR, already told her not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge, chooses to follow her desire to be like GOD and eats of the Tree. Why else would she eat of the Tree if the only information she knew about it was that eating the fruit would make her like GOD? Satan didn't tell her it was nutritious and delicious or would make her beautiful or anything. The singular incentive was to be like GOD. Eve wanted to be like GOD... that's a big no-no. Perhaps that's why it seems she was held more accountable than Adam.

GOD cannot stand sin, so HE evicted Adam and Eve from Eden. Eve and Adam destroyed their chance of living in paradise with GOD. Imagine that, from paradise to hard manual labor. Adam lived 930 years (as did Eve, too... I guess).

And since HE had seen the desire of Eve's heart, GOD gave the Tree of Life special protection... else they might be convinced that they too should live forever...one Lucifer is enough. But what of Lucifer's power, you say. Lucifer has no power - only what GOD gives him. He cannot raise from the dead, make the cripple walk, turn water into wine -- Lucifer has no power. But, we'll save that for another blog post.

QUESTIONS:
My question is, if Adam was made first and had been hanging out in Eden for much longer than Eve, shouldn't he have known what the Tree of Knowledge's fruit look like? Shouldn't Adam, therefore, have been held more accountable? I suppose this goes back to why Eve chose to eat of the Tree of Knowledge when she only knew one thing about it - that it would make her like GOD (according to the devil).

But the eating from the Tree of Knowledge did give Adam and Eve a divine quality. Does that mean GOD lied? Nope. HE said if they ate from the Tree of Knowledge that they would die. HE just didn't go into details as to what HE meant. GOD and those with HIM (the hosts of heaven) are incorruptible. HE made man from the earth...a corruptible being. So what is GOD? - The ETERNAL SPIRIT.

Why does knowing that he's naked make Adam ashamed? How did he know that he should be covered? Are we to assume that the LORD appeared to him clothed? Adam must have seen GOD since it was just the two of them (besides the host of heaven and the other creations on earth) It says in the Holy Bible in Gen. 3:8, Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. A being can't walk unless he or she has legs, right? I suppose the LORD was walking around clothed when HE chose to appear this way (as he does in other parts of the Holy Bible).

As for the nudity question, I guess Adam and Eve were made to desire each other. You can't really be fruitful and multiply unless you want to start that process. So that goes to say that the fruit of their desire was pleasurable. We humans don't usually choose to do things we don't enjoy.

Why should I obey GOD or care what HE wants from me? GOD created us for HIS pleasure, not for our own - we didn't exist. Life was a gift and HE gave us dominion over the earth (another undeserved gift we totally destroyed). You respect, love and appreciate your parents, don't you? You're glad they didn't decide to abort you or even decided to procreate, else you wouldn't be around. So you hold them in reverence. Why can't you do the same for GOD, who made life possible?

BOTTOM LINE:
You should obey GOD. If HE tells you to not do something, you should probably not do it. Most assuredly, if HE has attached a consequence to this thing you're not supposed to do, HE will carry out HIS word and punish you. Usually when HE tells you to abstain from something, it's usually for your own good and to save you trouble and sorrow.

Don't give into temptation when you know that you definitely should not. Yes we are weak and make mistakes (definition of human), but don't be willfully disobedient.

And don't trust the devil. He's a liar and his only aim is to keep you from having a real relationship with your GOD ALMIGHTY.

-Theist @ http://goodbible.blogspot.com

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This is a little off form (already! I know), but I came across this blog called Let's Ask The Bible. It's a really well-meaning blog and I think it can do some good in the goal of exposing the truth about the Holy Bible to those who are looking for it.

Anyway, without judging the dude who owns the blog, I needed to challenge him in his response/explanation for why GOD is supposedly not a Trinity. Oh, and please visit his blog and 'challenge' him... he will appreciate it because he will learn some wonderful things, too (I know that's how it works with me!).

First off, let's define Trinity (as any dictionary will tell you):

# three: the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
# the union of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost in one Godhead
# trio: three people considered as a unit

How interesting... 'the sum of one and one and one'; 'three people considered as a unit'...

OK, so you know where I'm going with this, but why not do yourself a favor AND NOT JUST TAKE MY WORD on it, and look at the verses from the Holy Bible that support this concept - and yes, it is a concept!

But you will actually have to pick up a Holy Bible or use an e-version in some cases to follow along (don't be lazy; TRUTH doesn't fall into your lap!)

In verses like Gen 1:26 and Gen 3:22, who do you suppose GOD is talking to? You can easily look up the verses yourself, but GOD basically uses the phrases 'like one of us' and 'let us make'... This is of course right around creation. HE says, "Let us make man in our image..." Who could he possibly be talking to? Shall we assume that HE's talking to HIS angels? I don't believe I've ever seen in the Holy Bible that angels have power like GOD (they get their power from GOD, I know that). I'd like to know your thoughts on this.

Gen 1:26: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Gen 3:22: Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”...

Also, we know that in verses all over the Holy Bible, especially the New Testament, that Jesus refers to himself as the SON OF GOD and others refer to him as such. There is only ONE SON OF GOD. And Jesus often said that he and the Father are ONE, that when you look at Jesus, you look at the Father. And remember, we call him Immanuel (which means 'GOD with us').

Isaiah 10:14: ...14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Finally, we all know that GOD is Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit, as HE says HIMSELF in the Holy Bible. And there are many references to this: Holy Spirit, Spirit of GOD, Spirit of the Holy GOD, etc.

John 4:24: ...God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

So these are three distinctive persons -- holy persons and wholly unique. There is no one like them anywhere. But what do they have in common?

THEY ARE ALL GOD.

GOD, the Father, GOD the Son (Christ Jesus) and GOD the Holy Spirit. So therefore, GOD is ONE, yet three very distinctive personalities.

So was Jesus praying to himself when he said 'Father'?

Or was GOD talking about HIMSELF when he said 'This is my beloved Son...'?

And was Jesus saying he would send himself when he told the disciples that he would send 'the Comforter, the Holy Spirit'?

Yes and no.

There is one godhead. But it is comprised of three people. You could say GOD 'spread' HIMSELF among two other people.

No one ever said the trinity concept meant that there were three GODs... it only means that GOD has placed Jesus the Christ beside HIM and 'operates' in the Holy Spirit.

And yes, it is a concept... no need to believe it for your salvation to remain intact (though it would be difficult, I think). However, you cannot deny that Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit are both uniquely of GOD. GOD was first; HE then sent Jesus; and Jesus then sent the Great Comforter, the Holy Spirit (but the Spirit of GOD has always been...and to make it even more confusing, Jesus said he has always been, since before the beginning).

And don't you find it strange that GOD and both Jesus the Christ call themselves the Alpha and the Omega (in Isaiah 48:12, GOD says, “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last"...)

GOD is indeed ONE.

And look at Isaiah 48:16 (the section about Israel's salvation, the Light of the Gentiles, etc... this whole book is interesting... many chapters appear to have a communication of sorts between Jesus and GOD... check it out).

“Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me.”

I believe the 'Me' is Christ Jesus, if you look at the whole book of Isaiah in context. And take note that it says 'the Lord GOD and HIS Holy Spirit'... sounds like two different people to me...

If you disagree, pleas explain why. If you agree, please explain why. If I've 'got it all wrong'... please explain why.

I'm basically encouraging feedback :)

- Theist @ http://goodbible.blogspot.com/

I have seen a post on another Web site about this same subject. The author has it titled: Ritual Human Sacrifice (Why does GOD want me to burn animals and humans?). That is probably one of the most ignorant and irresponsible statements concerning the Holy Bible that I've ever seen. Absolutely no where in the Holy Bible does the LORD GOD Jehovah instruct HIS people to sacrifice humans -- that is a blatant lie and slander! As a matter of fact, GOD curses the people because they toss their own children in the fire! HE hates things like that.

A very ridiculous example these atheists and agents of Satan use to make you - the passing visitor (who they know will most likely NOT pick up a Holy Bible and read) - believe that GOD 'delights in human sacrifice' is the passage of Genesis 22: 1-18. In the Holy Bible, this is known as the time when Abraham - called by GOD to found a nation for HIM (to inherit HIS creation) - has to confirm his faith... prove that he does indeed believe and trust in GOD.

How must Abraham prove himself ? - He must take his son to an altar and sacrifice him to and before the LORD.

You're like, wait a minute - what? Now, that's the only part of the entire passage from Genesis that the atheists will share with you... they give you no context, no history, no nothing. They just want you think that GOD is evil or wicked just on that verse alone. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER BLATANT, WICKED LIE of the devil and his atheists.

Don't worry, my friends, there's no way in heaven GOD would require any one of us to kill a blessing...and you will learn that Abraham's son, Isaac, was indeed given to him and his wife as a miracle blessing.

Let's look at it all in context as it is plainly given in the Holy Bible.

We first meet Abram (as he was called before he became 'father' to a nation...Abraham) in Gen. 11: 26, along with his two brothers (the verses before are all about his predecessors... it's like a genealogy list...read it).

We then go into Abram's story and are introduced to some important people in his life, such as his nephew Lot (of Sodom and Gomorrah 'fame') and his wife, Sarai (she too had a name change, which is Sarah).

In Gen. 12, we discover that GOD actually speaks to Abram and tells him to do something, and what HE, the LORD, will do for him in exchange:

1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram, in agreement with the LORD, packs up his stuff and his family and heads out...to wherever this place is GOD 'will show' him. Look at Abram's faith already - he doesn't even need to know specific details...he can take GOD at HIS Word. So, Lot (his nephew, whose father had died) and Sarai, of course, go off with Abram.

Now, in Gen. 15, things get a little interesting. GOD talks to Abram in a little more detail about how HE will bless him. Abram's like, that's great, but I don't even have any kids to inherit my stuff. My wife can't have children, we're both as old as dirt and my servants will probably inherit my stuff. How does GOD respond?

4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Isn't that amazing! GOD tells Abram, 'Don't even worry about an offspring! Your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren will be so numerous, it'll be like trying to count how many stars are in the night sky.

And how does Abram respond? - He says, 'OK. I believe YOU.' And he meant it. GOD was so impressed with his faith, HE said, 'Abram is indeed a good man, one I can trust and count on'...basically. Read it and re-read it for yourself to come to an understanding. Don't take my word for it.

In Gen. 16, we see how worked up and sadden Sarai is about not being able to have children. She gets so twisted about it, she tells her husband, Abram, to sleep with her maidservant (female servant). Abram does what she asks and this maidservent, Hagar, gets pregnant. Now Sarai's jealous! Boy oh boy... that's what we get for meddling, right? So, Sarai is all upset and starts treating Hagar like garbage (my interpretation for 'dealt harshly with her'). It appears that Sarai let her emotions get the best of her, again. Hagar takes off, which is probably what Sarai was hoping for. But GOD takes pity on Hagar, after all, she's with Abram's child. HE tells Hagar to go back home, everything will be OK and she'll have even more children for Abram. And HE tells her the one she's carrying already, Ishmael, will be father of a great people because of his own father. Read it.

You know how old Abram was when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael? - 86 years old. Remember, (or learn) GOD had already marked man to live only about 120 years (read it).

GOD pays another personal visit to Abram when he's 99, the Holy Bible says (read it). GOD re-iterates HIS promise, gives Abram a little more information, and explains his end of the covenant (or deal, if you will). The major thing was for every male to be circumcised (babies when they are 8 days old). So Abram circumcised Ishmael, himself (ouch! he was 99!) and all the men in his company (ouch! ouch! ouch!). There must have been a lot of crying and screaming in Abram's camp for days! But why circumcision? As I have recently learned (a good interpretation), it was an obvious, physical reminder (a symbol) for the people about their covenant with GOD. HE knew they'd need a constant reminder about their pact (Jesus changed all of that later, though). That very same day, the covenant was sealed, if you will, and GOD gave them new names: Abraham and Sarah.

And at some point later, GOD and two of HIS angels actually, physically stop by Abraham's home on their way to see what's going on in Sodom (and Gomorrah). GOD and HIS angels dine with Abraham (why not?) and GOD tells Abraham again that Sarah will soon have that child HE promised. Now, Abraham and Sarah were old...like practically dead :), so when Sarah overheard this old promise renewed, she laughed! She was like to herself, 'Yeah right! I'm way over the hill...ain't no way!' GOD heard her laugh and asked Abraham what she found so funny...nothing is too hard for the LORD to do. HE says again that she will have the child at the appointed time. Sarah was terrified when she realized that she was overheard and denied (to GOD HIMSELF) that she laughed. HE didn't get mad, I guess. GOD said to her, "No, but you did laugh!"


So do they have that kid? - Yes! Finally! In Gen. 21:
5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”
7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”


And the part we have all been waiting for (but you needed the back story, my friends):

KEY: (words like this are my own); the asterisks*** mean you should take special note; this [!huh!] means I don't get it; this [wow] means I'm amazed.

Genesis 22 - Abraham’s Faith Confirmed

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”***
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.***
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad (Isaac) and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”***
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”*** So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. [wow]
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.***
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.*** So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—
17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” ***
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.


INTERPRETATION:

Wow. What a passage... it's almost like watching the most suspenseful part of a movie.

So, let's take a look at this 'evil' GOD who delights in human sacrifice (rolling me eyes).

1. The first thing we read in this chapter is 'GOD tested Abraham'. This is only a test! Why? Because GOD wanted to see if Abraham would really be willing to go the whole mile. After all, GOD was asking him to do a very important thing -- be the holder of HIS covenant...to keep a part of creation sacred and set-aside for HIM. Would Abraham be willing to give up the most precious blessing in his life, his first and only son with his barren, senior citizen wife, Sarah?

2. Yes, yes, yes! Abraham was more than willing. What a faithful, reliable man. That's the kind of guy I'd want in my corner. He's loyal. Now, I find it interesting in verse 7 that innocent little Isaac is like, 'Dad, we've got the wood and all that, but aren't we forgetting the lamb for the actual sacrifice?' Poor kid :). But Abraham says firmly, without hesitation, 'GOD will provide for HIMSELF.' GOD doesn't need help; HE IS GOD.

3. I must note in verse 9 that even once they got up to the sacrificial altar, little Isaac didn't fight and kick and scream when it became quite clear that he was the sacrificial lamb. He just went along with his father... now that's faith. He obviously trusted his father. Now, some of you may wonder how I can even glean such a thing from these verses. Well, the Holy Bible only includes what is necessary for us to know (on the surface, anyway...more things are often revealed when you sit down with a 'calculator'). First off, it doesn't say Isaac fought to get away. It doesn't say Isaac hated or was afraid of his father afterwards. There were no hard feelings between the two because they had just shared a very awesome experience. Was Isaac afraid? - Most likely. Who wouldn't be? But the little boy wasn't afraid of his father. Again, that's my interpretation. What's yours?

4. GOD finally shows up in the nick of time and tells Abraham to chill with the knife, it was only a test...and he passed (again) with flying colors. Think about it. GOD calls him from his home and tells him to pack up and leave, HE's going to show him a new land that'll be just for him (he was a nomad like this for decades!). HE then tells him to cut the foreskin from his penis (at 99 years old!). And now, he tells him to kill his own son in sacrifice. Abraham never hesitated or flinched with any of these things GOD asked him to do. And yes, GOD asked him, because there was no way GOD was going to get a knife or send some people to circumcise Abraham and his folks...not that it's impossible. But it pleases GOD when we choose to obey HIM. HE wouldn't have chosen Abraham and Sarah if HE didn't already know that Abraham was 'the one'.

5. So, a ram suddenly appears in some bushes nearby and Abraham is relieved... 'GOD will provide,' he says. He unties his son and puts the real lamb in his place. GOD renews his promises to the man Abraham with a passion (swearing by HIMSELF, the ultimate AUTHORITY). Thank GOD Abraham was so obedient and pleasing to the LORD -- 'all the nations of the earth' are blessed by him. Hallelujah!


QUESTIONS:

So how would a lying atheist or Satan himself spin this meaningful test of Abraham's dedication and faith? They may say, for example, that just because it was a test and on one died, that it was still an incredibly mean and evil thing to do. They may even say that Abraham lied to Isaac to get him to go with him. But nowhere in the verses we just read (and those are all of them...I didn't pick and choose to try and 'convince' you of anything) does Abraham lie to Isaac. He says 'GOD will provide' because he was quite sure of it...he even named the altar on the mountain 'GOD WILL PROVIDE'. As for if it was an incredibly mean and evil thing to do, you know where I stand. Where you stand is...well, where you stand.

Where's the love in this passage? GOD was so moved by Abraham's willingness, that HE beefed up HIS promises and said, you know what, the entire world will benefit from what you have just done in this single moment, Abraham.

That is love.

As a matter of fact, it is written in the Holy Bible in James 2 (read it):
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the Friend of God.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

What is up with the animal sacrifice? As I've written previously, the wages of sin is death. But GOD is not going to ask you to kill yourself to show you're truly repentant. Instead, he has you spill the blood of an animal, which takes the place of you. It sounds crazy, I know, but it makes sense if GOD finds sins so deplorable that HE would permanently have you removed from HIS sight if you sinned so against HIM. Animal sacrifice is quite common in the pre-Messianic era (started with Moses...when the people accepted GOD's covenant but was still sinning up a storm). That all stopped, though, when Jesus the Christ died on the cross - he was the ultimate sin offering. So we no longer need to offer these sacrifices when we sin - we can sincerely repent in our acknowledgment of the sin - Jesus already did the sacrificing.

Now, did Abraham sin by doing simply what GOD had requested of him? I don't know. Is that why GOD gave him the ram to kill? I don't know. It doesn't spell it out in the Holy Bible (to me, anyway). If you have a theory/interpretation, please share it.

THE BOTTOM LINE If you are loyal to, obedient of and trust in GOD, HE will take care of you. HE will count you among HIS friends. A real relationship with GOD is not supposed to be easy. HE will constantly test your faith in HIM. HE won't let you sit around and get complacent, as many Christians do. If you really believe in Christ Jesus, you should show it and share it with whomever you are moved to. And you must remember, as it is written, GOD will never give HIS people more than they can handle (look it up).

But here is some extra reading regarding the issue of animal sacrifices... and here's a verse to let you know, when the purposefully misleading atheists or Satanists try to convince you that GOD just loves the blood of animals and senseless sacrifices (you should read the whole thing if you want to know why GOD is so pissed off):

Isaiah 1 (NKJV)

11 “ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”

Again, my brothers and sisters (we are all human, I hope), I'm not trying to convince you or convert you...I simply wish to show you the truth as it is written plainly (most times) in GOD's Holy Word the Holy Bible. GOD IS LOVE. GOD GETS ANGRY, SLOWLY. GOD GETS JEALOUS. GOD IS VENGEFUL. GOD IS JUST. GOD IS RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY. GOD IS PATIENT. GOD WISHES THAT NOT ONE WOULD BE LOST. GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED. GOD DOESN'T GIVE YOU A PASS JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU.

GOD will kick your butt if HE feels you have wronged HIM (HE's not some inanimate statue in a church). If you can't handle the discipline and correction, that's just too bad. HE WILL NOT TURN A BLIND EYE TO YOUR WICKED WAYS AND HABITS just because HE loves you. You will be held accountable. GOD IS NOT EVIL just because HE requires you to be faithful and true. Remember, this is HIS world, HIS planet, HIS creation. We own nothing...not even the air we breathe. HE can do what HE will with it all and you and I. Period.

- Theist @ http://goodbible.blogspot.com/