WHO PULLS THE TRIGGER

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" Gen. 2:17.

Thou shalt SURELY die.

Did Adam die "in that day"? He surely did. That was the beginning. Death, of course, is not only physical but spiritual also. And it does not mean cessation of consciousness. But in all its representations, it is "a separation". Adam first realized a spiritual death. He and God had to separate, not just geographically, but relationally. Adam was not just "evicted" from the garden. He was prevented from being present with God. He was prevented from eating of the Tree of Life. No more walks together in the garden. Man, today, can not fathom the dread of this situation. I would guess that not even Adam realized what happened to him – at first.

WHY DO WE DIE?

WHY DO WE DIE?

Well… in order to know - to reconcile in our minds why we die, we must go back and understand the account of creation in Genesis. Not just that of Adam (man), but of all creation.

CREATION

• It is very important to understand chapter one;

• The scope of satan's rebellion is very important to comprehend;

• The aligning of those angels with him is important to realize;

• Their (lucifer and angels) expulsion is important to note;

…all of that (rebellion, aligning with and expulsion) is literally one form of death. It happened in Heaven… in the spiritual realm, and it happened before Adam was formed. Adam was created into an arena where death already existed.

THE ILLUSION OF CHRISTIAN AMERICA

"Rather than acting as resident aliens of a heavenly kingdom, too often we sound (and act) like resident apologists for a Christian America. … Unless we reject the false reliance on the illusion of Christian America, evangelicalism will continue to distort the gospel and thwart a genuine biblical identity."  ~John Seel, The Evangelical Pulpit

There are Christians in America, but there is no Christian America. Ours is a nation of many religions… there is one group that worships the true God in the only Way… and then there are all the others. I know the argument that Christian forefathers founded this country on Biblical principles and under the direction of the Holy Spirit because God wanted a Christian nation. I vigorously disagree with that, as a generalization, but let's say for the sake of argument it is true. 

FALSE TEACHERS, FALSE PROPHETS, FALSE BRETHREN

Do You Know the Difference?

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8

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Commandments and Concessions

Do You Know the Difference?

We are looking at 1st Corinthians on the subject of what are strictly the commandments of the Lord, as they are called, and what Paul states to be concession or permission, as it is in the King James Version.

Have you ever noticed and considered the mention of these  two very different matters in this letter, which is often called the Charter of the Church by many? I personally believe that very little attention is given to either one of these very interesting subjects and they often go unnoticed and disregarded as well in the Church today.

THE STRUGGLE IS SPIRITUAL

The more I read my Bible and listen to the “news” the more I “see” the Bible “IN” the news. The Bible… the Word of God, written by men chosen and inspired by God, is full of prophecy – some fulfilled… some not yet fulfilled. The Bible is a self-revealing book. And what it is revealing is what is “happening” in the news. The “news” is ALL political, and the world is being consumed by the politics of a collective degeneration and collapse of the mind, body, soul, and spirit.

Belief in False Beliefs

There is a sin of unbelief. Paul, speaking to the Jews in Heb. 3:12 said,
Take heed, brethren (Jews), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
It is indeed an evil heart which refuses the Truth and Promises of God.

Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest (in which we cease from our own works, vs. 10), lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" Heb. 4:11-12.