Why Did God Create a Flawed World Where Eve Could Eat the Forbidden Fruit?

This question was sent into Probe Ministries, Thursday, August 11, 2011, and I thought the discussion and thoughts were great on both sides. The ending answer from Sue was very well thought out though more scripture usage would have been applauded. I am posting to remember this Q and A, and as well sharing for those emotional conversations like this we all have faced.


Questioner:
I found Rick Rood's article on The Problem of Evil helpful in some way, but I was hoping to find some additional information. No where in my search have I seen anyone address the issue of why God allowed Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. Surely God knew Eve would be tempted by Satan (the serpent). Why did he allow this? Surely he must have known this would be the downfall of his creation, Earth? And subsequently the root of all pain, hate, and evil to come in the world, both behind and ahead of us. If God had intended for us to live in a Paradise here on Earth, he never would have permitted this event to occur, indeed the event that destroyed what civilization could have been. Instead, God MADE it necessary to save us from ourselves through Jesus. WHY WAS THIS NECESSARY? WHY THE DRAMA? IS GOD SO LONELY AND SELFISH HE CONCOCTED THIS FANTASTIC REALITY SO THAT MANKIND WOULD LOVE AND REVERE HIM? TO THINK THAT WE COULD ALL BE HAPPY AND LOVING AND TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE HERE ON EARTH, RATHER THAN THE CESSPOOL WE HAVE TODAY, MAKES ME SCREAM OUT IN ANGER AT THE GOD WHO SAYS HE LOVES US.

THE EVIDENCE THAT GOD IS NOT ALL POWERFUL AND ALL LOVING IS ON TV. DOES GOD LIKE THE ATTENTION? IS ANY ADVERTISING GOOD ADVERTISING FOR HIM?

It seems to me God wanted this to happen--he made it happen. He WANTS us to suffer, in order to be driven TO Him. That must be the only way he figured we would love and come to Him? I've heard that God does not need us. But surely he does, or he would not have introduced pain and suffering to the world to drive us to him. Without it, why would we need him, goes the argument.

We have the perfect Villain--Satan--to blame everything bad on. But Satan did not create Adam and Eve. Satan did not make the Tree. And where was God when the Serpent came sliding in in? Did God not know Eve would eat it? TO ME, THIS IS THE MOST CRUCIAL QUESTION IN ALL OF HUMANITY. Assuming God is all knowing, he knew what would happen, the chaos for all time it would bring, and chose to do nothing. Or rather, let it happen. Had God stepped up at the crucial moment, we would all be loving and happy and together here on Earth, JUST AS IT WAS INTENDED. GOD MADE THE WORLD WHAT IT IS TODAY. GOD CREATED MAN'S HEARTS, GOD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THAT HAPPENS. UNLESS YOU BELIEVE SATAN IS ON PAR AT EQUAL STRENGTH WITH GOD, THEN GOD HAS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE. IT'S TIME RESPONSIBILTY WAS PLACED WITH THE RIGHTFUL OWNER.


Sue:
Hi ______,

I will be happy to talk to you about this, but first I have a question: do you have any children?

Sue Bohlin


Questioner:
Thank you for your response, I really do appreciate it. No, I don't have any children. I smell an analogy using children coming....Something like "As a parent, we do things in the best interest of our children, and it is only until later in life that those same children understand the actions that were taken...". One analogy I have heard puts God in the example as the parent and us as the children. I would never have children until I was able to resolve these questions in my own mind and heart. Otherwise I am sure I would pass on the same frustration about God to my family.

After even more thought, I guess the Root of my problem/question is creation, and specifically why God created a flawed world intentionally. I use the word "flawed" in the sense that he

• Knowingly created an access point for evil for all the world (apple tree)
• Had foreknowledge Eve would eat from it
• Knew that eating from it would result in Sin throughout mankind
• That the sin would cause great suffering to all of God's People
• That it would be necessary for God to "save" the world through his Son


Is God so selfish he would intentionally and knowingly cause all this so we would "choose" him through the salvation in Jesus and 2) He must have known it would turn out like this (the hell that is our world today).

I must sound like a maniac, but I'm 29, well educated, catholic raised and partially practicing, with a good heart. I want to love God, but when I am honest with myself I realize I don't. In fact I hate the person I have concluded God to be. I love Jesus, and of course do believe he died for my sins. My problem is with the Father, and why this grand scheme to make everyone love him was necessary. He could have designed us that way. I finally stopped prayer almost entirely 3 years ago, because I would get so mad and angry at God during prayer--because I would find myself 1) praying for the same stuff with no result 2) many of the things I was praying about were caused by God (natural disasters, human suffering, etc.) When I say human suffering is caused by God, of course I understand free will and that people cause suffering. I hold God accountable for allowing evil and pain and suffering to exist.

Hope this provides you with a little more insight into my problem. If you are able to assist or offer a new perspective that would be great. Thank You.


Sue:
Dear ______,

I believe the answer to your question is the fact that God has a very big plan for creation that we cannot see from our vantage point in space and time. He knew before He created anything, what would be the best way to get to His final desire, which is to provide a Bride for His Son. Just as any man wants a woman to marry him freely and out of love and commitment and support, the Lord Jesus wanted a Bride who chose Him freely. The only way to have a Bride who chose Him freely was to create people who could also choose freely to reject Him.

Could God have made people who couldn't have chosen NOT to love Him? No. Love means choice, and the other alternative would have been to create automatons who were programmed to behave in a certain way. If I read your e-mail correctly, you believe God could have made a world in which we were "happy and loving and together as a people here on earth," but He didn't and you're mad at Him for that. People without choice cannot be happy and loving. (Have you ever used a word-processing program that automatically changes what it thinks are misspellings and punctuation errors? No matter what you type, the program rearranges your letters, removing your choice. I don't know about you, but "happy and loving" doesn't describe me when I growl, "That's not what I meant! Let me type things MY way!")

I would suggest that an ant colony is busy and productive, ant-wise, but they are not happy and loving. They ARE together, but in the scope of eternity, what does it matter? Their behavior is programmed, but there is no depth to any of it.

God created a world in which the people WERE happy and loving and together, and they chose to trash it. I guess you don't have any trouble accepting that reality; if I'm not mistaken, what you want is all the benefits of Eden without the choice to trash it. I can certainly understand that! :) But you also haven't seen the end of the story, either, when everything is made right again, and that's exactly what we will have. I respectfully suggest that that's the part you're missing. The big picture where God restores creation to its original perfect state. I also respectfully suggest that the evidence of the world today that God is not all-powerful and all-loving, is actually evidence that God is very patient. He's not finished yet. He's allowing a certain amount of pain and suffering--which He will redeem, every bit of it--because there is a larger purpose behind it. Our inability to see it doesn't mean it's not there.

I asked if you if you had children because this is one of the things we can learn about God as parent when we have children. I passionately love my children, but I allowed them to experience pain of immunizations and school tests and other things they hated because I had a larger purpose for them besides preventing discomfort and pain in their lives. For instance, now that my son is in college, he's glad I made him do his homework in 5th grade although he sure didn't at the time. I never lost sight of the big goal, of maturity, because I am his mother who loves him and wants the best for him. God never loses sight of His big goal either.

You have a lot of company in being angry with God for allowing pain and suffering to exist. In fact, many wise people have said that pain and suffering is the single biggest evidence that God is not good. Or that He doesn't exist. (But then, if there were no God, and we evolved by chance, then where did we get this idea that life is unfair and broken? Life just IS, according to that worldview. But we are haunted by the sense that things should be much better than they are. And sure enough, God has revealed that we live in a fallen and broken world that is so much less than what He originally created for us. We're the ones who blew it.)

But you're not there; you know God exists, and you apparently resent Him for being a bad God for allowing life as we know it.

I'm afraid all I have to offer you is what God has revealed to us: that there IS a bigger plan, than He will make all the pain and suffering worth it some day. If you insist that there was a way for God to create people who could freely choose to either love Him or ignore/hate Him AND there be no chance for pain and suffering in the exercise of that choice, then I guess you will continue to be irreconcilably angry. You may as well fume over God not making a "square circle" or "light-filled darkness." God is a powerful God, but He is not able to create nonsense.

You know that Jesus came to earth and was tortured and died to pay the penalty for our sin. And bless you, you love Him for it. Jesus coming into the midst of our suffering and pain is the clearest indication of the Father's heart there is. He didn't do or say a single thing that was not the Father's will, and to see Jesus is to see the Father. So to hate the Father and love the Son is inconsistent. They are one God with one heart. It cost the Father everything to let the Son pay for our sins, and it cost the Son His life. That's how valuable we are to Them.

The bottom line here, ______, is that what you want God to have done is something He couldn't do. He couldn't make a world for Him to lavish with His love that didn't include the ability to reject that love. Otherwise creation would have been pointless, and God never does anything pointlessly.

May I suggest, humbly, that you try a prayer again, even though it's been three years, and ask God to show you what you're not getting? Ask Him to open your eyes to see the truth about Him and His ways? And ask Him to help you deal with your anger? He's not intimidated by it; He fully understands your frustration. And He'd love to relieve you of the burden of that anger and replace it with His peace.

I hope this helps, even a little.

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

Freedom vs 'dying animal'

As I was reading my Bible, I was led to a verse, Psalm 73:26, which I had found very encouraging a few months ago. Loving Psalms, I began reading the whole chapter and I was a little amazed. You see, when I wrote this section in the Marijuana blog:

“It hurts to see the body of Christ getting sick and hiding them selves in the same manner as dying animals do. As the body of Christ we are to be there for one another and be able to confide and seek accountability with one another. The body of Christ is to help one another in needs and weaknesses. We are not to hide our faults, but be open with them so that finally nothing is hidden for Satan to keep a foothold on in our lives (1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 4:27).”

I did not really like the part talking about Christians hiding their sins like dying animals. It was a hard reality to put in ink and the visual bothered me. When I went back make it ‘cleaner,’ it felt wrong, and so I left it alone. What I found altering was in reading all of Psalm 73, verses 21-24 and of course again verse 26 stuck out to me:

²¹ Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
²² I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
²³ Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory…

²⁶ My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

David was a man after God’s own heart, and after his sin with Bathsheba was shown to him, he wrote Psalm 51. Here David repented, begged God not to leave him, and asked God to change his heart once again into His. His feelings of inadequacy did not stop there and Satan was constantly attacking David’s view of himself and how God must think of him, even though the prophet Nathan had told David God has forgiven his sins. David still had these feelings of frustration and sadness with his ignorance and foolishness. David felt like a beast before God, and that he had become something too detestable for God to even look upon.

This is what many of us feel like once we see our sins and how wretched we truly are. We hate them and despise them and feel like a beast with no future, hence where “dying animal” picture came from in my blog post, but that is not who we are. God has promised to continuously be with us, to hold us up with his victorious right hand, to continue to guide us, and still sees us as a glorious adornment for Him to receive. I might fail, but my God will never fail or leave me. God does not desire sacrifice but a pure and contrite spirit is pleasing and acceptable to Him (Psalm 51:17; Psalm 40:6). Once we repent and turn from our sin, God can then be “the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

So quit believing the lies Satan is trying to trap you with, but step into freedom and life in God. He died so you would not have to live in bondage anymore as a chained animal, but as a child of the living God. God said to Cain in Genesis 4:7, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Cain gave in and committed the first murder in the Bible; by us giving into our sin, we are leading to our own death of who we are as God’s. Rule over sin by being weak in God and giving Him the glory in all things.

God and Marijuana: Taking a look

I decided to write this blog due to the increased number of youth members, relatives, and friends who continue to justify the inhalation of marijuana. I originally was just researching for my own knowledge, but upon coming across a web page that blatantly misrepresented God and pushed their own agenda as ‘truth,’ I decided to conduct more research over the subject. This blog site was http://www.equalrights4all.org/religious/bible.htm for your own knowledge.

My initial reaction to this justification being made was sadness that then moved to frustration. Many other events have occurred as of late in areas of hypocrisy demonstrated and then hidden by Christians (1 Corinthians 10:12). It hurts to see the body of Christ getting sick and hiding them selves in the same manner as dying animals do. As the body of Christ we are to be there for one another and be able to confide and seek accountability with one another. The body of Christ is to help one another in needs and weaknesses. We are not to hide our faults, but be open with them so that finally nothing is hidden for Satan to keep a foothold on in our lives (1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 4:27). When we separate ourselves from the body we can begin to become easily confused by the world’s priorities and the world’s gray areas. God has no gray areas. There is black and there is white. We are not to hide away when we fall, but fall into the church and Christ even harder to carry us (James 4:7). We are all in the process of becoming “Christ-like,” and still have many faults. But that is the beauty of it! God WANTS to help us live the righteous life he has called us too (Titus 3:5-7). He gave His son as the perfect example how to live and as the ultimate and only sacrifice that will cover our sins (wrongs, ignorance, failings, greed, lust, selfishness, etc) (1 Peter 1:13, 17-21; 1 Timothy 2:3-6).

So getting back to the main discussion: I am not going to write all of this in one blog because that would be ridiculously long. I am going to give a basis for now and in future blogs go to each verse the individual used in his blog that I believe misinterpreted scripture and took it out of context from its original meaning. This particular blog will cover my thoughts and research mainly over marijuana, and what I believe the Word of God is saying concerning this matter. I ask that you read and have an open mind to what I have to say please, and would love to hear where you disagree.

To begin, one of the main reasons I believe the Bible speaks out concerning cannabis goes back to looking at what a Christian is. A Christian is someone who believes in God, repents of their sins, follows God and what His desires are for our life, which is living a righteous life in Christ, and commitment to being what Christ desires (Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 12:1; Matthew 6:24; Psalm 107:13-14; Ephesians 4:22-24). That means, according to Luke 9, denying our-self of our own desires and losing our life to Christ, and in reality gaining true life at last. Romans 6:1, 2 says, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

If you believe in Jesus and call yourself a Christian then do that. I am just taking a guess here, but I am pretty sure God’s ultimate purpose in your life is to not get high and to fight for your freedom to get a high. As Rick Warren so beautifully put it in his book 40 Days of Purpose, “It’s not about you,” it is about God. The whole Bible, creation to Revelations is about…God. Everything is about God. God’s ultimate purpose for your life will be following Jesus. He is your goal. God is your great reward according to Genesis 15:1. Do not be afraid of that. Also in 2 Corinthians 5:16-18, it says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! We need to let go of this dead world. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7. If God has given us a sound mind, why would you think He wants you to do His work while you are on a high? The “highest density of the cannabinoid receptors…” are located in “parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.” (http://drugabuse.gov/PDF/InfoFacts/Marijuana.pdf). Can you really serve your purpose on this earth while inhibiting your ability to receive pleasure, to remember things, to concentrate, to walk and on and on? All this occurs with just one hit. This cannot be moderated. It can only be moderated in how often you do it. Alcohol you can moderate and it will not truly inhibit any of these unless you abuse it. The Bible talks about the abuse of alcohol in many areas and Paul warns, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18. They drank it back then, but in moderation and for pinnacle moments. I recommend you to check out Daniel Whitfield’s write up to see good research and logic on this subject, since my blog is mainly delving into marijuana. His link is: http://wooga.drbacchus.com/bible/alcohol.html.

So to the point, the JOY of the Lord is to be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10)…NOT cannabis. In 1 Peter 4:1-6, Peter goes into what it means to be a Christian, what others see when you live in sin, and who we are now in Christ.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.”

Peter in essence is saying, “Stop it! You have lived this way long enough! You are better thanthat now! Quit doing what you know is of the world.” Yes, there are passages in the Old Testament that say “eat drink and be merry” and other references to men of God getting drunk in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, but ask yourself, under what covenant are you under now? Have you sacrifices a lamb or a bull recently? I sure have not, but Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of Himself on the cross has begun the new covenant with His children. Peter is telling us, we are invited to a higher calling now and have the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness, to guide, and to comfort us. Hard times happen and in 1 Peter 5:6-9 we can see God’s truth.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

God does not want you going through life half way there. He wants you to experience life. He did not create this earth for you to sleep walk through it, but to enjoy it and His people in it. Go to Him for comfort. He knows what you are going through. He knows you are human and will not be perfect in your own strength. Numbing yourself will not move you any further down the road He has for you. Instead be weak in God, let Him truly lead you in His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Let go of the things you think are important and take on what God says is important. I am thinking He knows better than we do. He did create everything. The more you know Him the more peace you will live in Him (2 Peter 1:2).

We are to be examples to those around us of Christian living. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:2. One pot head looks like the next pot head. When non Christian pot heads see “Christian” pot heads, they do not see Christ, which is who we are to exemplify. They see a hypocrite and make fun of them for pushing Christ on them while they themselves are habitually living a sin by selling and using an illegal substance (this is not me making up a scenario, but a real example). Christ asks us to repent when our wrongs are shown to us (Proverbs 28:13). “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:13-14. God has called us to live a life given completely over to Him. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17.

Now hear me out. I know we feel the government should not be as involved in our lives as they are. I wholeheartedly agree. As well as some believe this entails the government’s involvement with their personal use of marijuana. Again I agree they are appearing a bit law happy at best. It is sad people are thrown in jail for such a lame offense and something they have to be forced to be protected from due to many misusing this drug (1 Timothy 1:9). Yes, it is a drug, call it what it is. Meaning this will go under the alcohol section that was mentioned earlier. Additionally, this is also the law of the land and God has told us to obey it as long as the law does not tell you to do something against the Bible (Romans 13:1-7). Since the Bible did not command us to get high, the law is not going against the Bible. Yes, God told us to partake in His creation because it is all good (Genesis 1), but that does not mean you are going to eat a mushroom that will kill you or lick a frog with poison on its back. These are all a part of God’s creation, good for their intended purposes. I trust God asks us to use common sense with the sound mind He has given us: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-13. Correct, I can smoke pot, but is it beneficial? No. Pot ends up mastering you in the end. God is to be our only God and master. This is even one of the 10 Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3). You are going to pot to comfort and satisfy you instead of your Creator, placing it as higher importance than God. Another note concerning government, in Luke 20:25, Jesus says, “give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.” Jesus still paid the temple tax; remember the story of the coin in the fish in Matthew 17? Just to end this thought, “Fear God…honor the law,” 1 Peter 2:17.

Diving into health now, marijuana is also harmful to the body in several ways. It has four times the carcinogens in the tar than cigarettes do. It as well, takes away the protective lining in the lungs leaving it open for bronchitis and pneumonia, infection, and abnormality development. Smoking marijuana will suppress your immune system; side note, definitely not a good thing for people with AIDS. It has been known to trigger underlying mental disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia; as well as paranoia, depression, suicide, and even cause several mental disorders. It has been actually know to “accelerate the progression of HIV to full blown AIDS and increase the occurrence of infections and Kaposi sarcoma.” It affects your mental health, brain function, and memory and it can stay up to “6 weeks” in your body “after” its last use. These are just a few of the negatives that can arise. Another observation noted in research trends is that long time users have a higher tendency for their social life to be affected in they avoid crowds, lose the drive to succeed, call in sick to work more, lose their jobs, and build walls between themselves and their friends and family. (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-546829/Home-Office-U-turn-cannabis-link-mental-illness-deepens.html).

To sum up the previous paragraph, consider these Bible passages:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:18

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16

You are the temple of God. God is in you! You do not own yourself. By not taking care of your body and inhaling this substance you are defiling the temple of God. That is truth you have now been faced with. What are you going to do to keep your temple pure?

I hear from many people, “If it is so bad then why do they use it for AIDS and Cancer patients?” Yes, the medicinal purposes it is to be used for are awesome in it being seen the same as a prescription drug. But, question, do you have Cancer…AIDS…Glaucoma? No? Okay. Also think of the other treatments these patients are undergoing such as Chemotherapy, Radiation treatment, poisons placed in the body, etc. Marijuana is used as a numbing factor for all of the aftereffects of those. Between life and death, Marijuana is the least of their concerns.

On the blog that started this whole response, His complaint were being people not allowed marijuana to help cope with their illnesses. Honestly, you hear very rarely a person not permitted marijuana when it was necessary. This individual’s complaint in His blog was a false advertisement in that aspect, along with many other statements he made. Now I do have an acquaintance who was bed ridden in the hospital with leukemia, and was not allowed marijuana to help with his nausea; but that is because it is a danger hazard. This makes sense in that he is in a hospital around other patients, flammable materials, possible explosions, and so on. Another example is my aunt has a prescription to use it for depression. Depression! There are several other prescription choices available to her, but they say “go ahead.” I do not agree with my aunt using it, but also she is not a Christian and so as the Bible says she cannot be held to up Jesus’ standard, so no judgment (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). It is when we see fellow Christians who want to pursue the life of Christ that we are to confront them with this sin so they do not go astray and block God from being as active in that Christian’s life.

It is hard to see so much passion and work placed in something that is not going beyond this world, value wise. This is not an eternal fight. This is a worldly fight that many Christians are fighting to solely please their own desires, not God’s. Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.” Luke 17:2. I do not want to be the reason to cause others to stumble, and I do not think you want to be that person either. Ask yourself: Why do I want marijuana to be okay, for God’s glory or for my own flesh?

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-11

Another site I really liked that I felt encouraged and truly opened my eyes to a few things was by Rich Deem at http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/marijuana.html. He as well has a page covering the medical "benefits" of smoking cannabis at http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/medical_marijuana_review.html.


Verse References:
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
Psalm 107:13-14 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces.
Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money
Romans 6:1, 2 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship
Romans 13:1-7 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[a] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
1 Timothy 1:9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers…
1 Timothy 2:3-6 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time
Titus 3:5-7 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 1:13, 17-21 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming…Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

A Guy Like Job (A view on Job and Christians Today)

It seems almost a joke I am speaking on the book of Job because it is known by my family and Rob I really do not have much positive consideration for this book. The first time I read it all the way through from beginning to end was torture until I got to chapter 38, which talks about who God is. Honestly I just got tired of hearing Job whining and his friends being really lame from chapter 3 to 37. God has a funny sense of humor when it comes to these things.

Job 1:1-3,6 - 2:10
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East…
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan {the Adversary} 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.

Job Loses His Property and Children
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job 2
Satan Attacks Job’s Health
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 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? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

As my friend and I were reading and I was further explaining the situation, a few verses stuck out to me in chapters 1 and 2 where Job was described as blameless and a man of integrity. I said to my bible study partner (who you will see I am very relaxed with), “Wow, okay so Job is the guy who is blameless, Satan asked for him, and God allowed Satan to tempt Job and put Him through rough times. Remember this guy had lost his livestock and his crops from fire that appeared to have come from God, lost his sons and daughters, he’s been raided and lost the rest of his possessions and servants, and now he has boils all over his body. Crazy, I mean this guy did nothing to deserve this. To be honest it seems a bit unfair if you put our human understanding to it. God sees this guy as blameless first off and then He lets Satan do those things to Job? I mean who can you even think of today who are seen as blameless by God?”
My brain began to roll to the “superstar Christians” I knew and then something hit me…”You are.” And then almost with a shout I said, “Dude, WE ARE!” We are seen as blameless! We are because Jesus came and died for our sins, you and I have both accepted Him into out life, given Him our hearts and minds, and are pursuing a life that looks like Jesus, so that His life as the ultimate sacrifice has covered our sins! God sees us as blameless!”
Yes, my friend looked at me a bit strange by the crazy eyes I am sure I had at this point, but it is too late because we are rolling! So to you now…if you have turned your life over to Christ…YOU ARE BLAMELESS. Satan the accuser has nothing on you! He will try and He will come to God pointing out all our wrongs and God’s response will be, “I see my Son, there is no sin in them.” Revelation 12:10, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down...””

Here is a question I am sure you are thinking at the moment: If Job was seen as blameless and I am seen as blameless why does God allow all those terrible things to happen? This story demonstrates that when bad things happen to us here on earth, it has nothing to do with God getting back at you or punishing you. Job was seen as blameless by God, same as you. Let’s go back to Job 2:10, ““You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Will you only take the good? As a Christian, bad things will still happen to you because you are still living in the fallen world called ‘Earth.’ Heaven is where there are no tears or sorrow. The cool thing though is that God uses those rough times for you to finally see who God is and to develop a relationship with Him, making those bad times for your good as it says in Genesis 50:20 if you let Him.

Another thing that sticks out to me here as well is that Job really did do nothing to deserve anything that happened to him, and if you think about your own life, we deserve every bad thing that happens to you and me and more. We actually do not even deserve to live because of what a sinful selfish life we are all living. Yet God sees us the same way he sees his servant Job who really was a man of integrity. We have been made righteous by Christ Jesus alone.

Now who of you think God is a betting man? Do you think God knew how Job was going to react? Do you think He knew Satan would ask for Job? Luke 22:31-32, “31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.””

So the group conclusion is that God knew, correct? If God knew Satan would ask, He knew how Job would react, meaning he knew Job’s timeline or life path in a way…does that mean God knows your TIMELINE as well? Yes! God knows exactly who you are in present and who you are becoming and where you have been. He knows your strengths, He knows what truth you know of Him, and He knows what you can handle and better yet what you can handle with Him fighting right by your side. Your timeline to Him is in 5D or in other words beyond our understanding. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”” God knows what you are made of. He will not throw anything at you that you cannot bear without Him by your side. He knew Job would stand strong in God when everything was going miserably around him. (Romans 8:26, 28, 34, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans…And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose… Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”)

A question to ask yourself: Are you willing to do what Job did? In the story his wife told him to let go of his integrity and to “Curse God and die!” How many times are we cursing God by throwing our sins in His presence without a thought? How many of you have compromised your integrity for trash on this earth? Yes, we are blameless in God’s sight, but as it says in Romans 6:1-2, “1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Ask yourself what decisions can you begin to make to not just be seen blameless by God, but to live a blameless life, a life of integrity to the world to show them what being Christ-like really means?

Here is a point I feel God showed me through my friend Adam’s story with his baby: I had asked Adam how his new baby was and his response was “Much better now.” I laughed because honestly this was a strange response and I gave him a look saying ‘explain.’ Adam went on to tell me he is away at work all day so he does not get the interaction his wife gets with their baby and even when he would come home the baby just drooled, ate, and slept and really did not interact with him. He loved his baby so much and he wanted so badly to connect with him, but really was not getting anything returned yet. Well now the baby is maturing, starting to smile with Adam, interacting with him by flailing his arms and making noises back and Adam loves this because He is starting to feel like a dad. As I left for my walk my mind kept rolling on what Adam had said. I began to think how the baby will continue to grow and Adam’s interaction will increase as well and soon Adam will be showing his son new games, explaining the world to him, teaching him life lessons, and continually protecting him from dangers in the world. It then clicked to me that what Adam is feeling with his baby God feels the same way with us as Christians. He desires to interact, to teach us, to play with us and laugh with us. God desires to feel like our Father! But like so many Christians we never grow past the milk phase and never really experience a relationship with God. It does not mean that God loves us any less; just the same way that Adam does not love his baby any less. It means that God is not experiencing the joy of interacting with His child and we are not experiencing the joy of having our Father teaching, leading, and protecting us in our life. It is when we begin to grow spiritually and eat the meat God is giving us through our daily experiences, reading His word, and through prayer that a relationship with God begins to develop.

Excerpt from a write up I found:
“We should not forget that every year has its many challenges and unexpected trials. These, too, are a part of the goodness of God if we face them with faith and trust in Him. Job found this out and has taught us that the highway to God’s blessings is the road of patience.
America today is a most blessed nation and the evidence of God’s unfailing love is everywhere to be seen. There are great challenges in the land, but I hope that instead these will awaken in us trust, prayer and patience, for “out of Zion (the Christian Church) will radiate the perfection of beauty”. So said the ancient Psalmist of Israel and thus, morning by morning throughout the year, we will experience God’s mercies and love.”

Job 42:12-16, “Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning… Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days.” God wants to bless your time here and knock off anything that is not of Him so you can end your life here on earth knowing you have walked the walk God has called you to in Him.

Trust God and wait on Him so you can be an adornment to Him and be blessed by Him. I do not know about you, but I want God to say this to me when I get to heaven as the master says to his servant in Matthew 25, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

Take aways:

1. You are righteous in God’s eyes once you have…
a. Putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior
b. Accepted Him into your heart and so into your life
c. Life meaning a change of direction by following a life in Christ
d. In doing this you are laying your life and sins at His feet and accepting Christ’s righteousness as your own

2. What is happening in your life is not because God is angry with you and getting back at you
a. God LOVES you!!
b. God desires to be your father, so let Him.
c. Hebrews 10:16-17, “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

3. God is your Father who wants to show you Himself and His creation.
a. Your Father wants to teach you many things.
b. Your Father wants to help you conquer and come out victorious the mountains in your life


Questions:

1. Do you consider yourself righteous by God’s eyes? Why or why not.
a. Galatians 2:16, “…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
b. Romans 3:22-24-5:1-2, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus… Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

2. What areas of your life have you been giving to the trash of this world and not to God?
a. Galatians 2:20-21, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
b. Romans 6:1-2, “1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”

3. Are you willing to trust God since He sees your past, present, and future, He knows what He is doing with your life when you give it to Him?
a. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you (for peace and not of evil), plans to give you hope and a future.”
b. Psalm 56:8, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

4. Ask yourself what decisions you can begin to make to not just be seen blameless by God, but to live a blameless life, a life of integrity to the world to show them what being Christ-like really means…to be an adornment for Him.
a. Acts 11:20-24, 26, 29 “However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. 22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord…Both of them [Barnabus and Saul] stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians… the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the disciples in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.)”
b. They did not name themselves, but instead those watching how they lived in Antioch named them Christians. Do you think those around you would “name” you a Christian by your actions?

5. How do you begin to move from milk to meat in your life so you can keep growing as a mature Christian in a relationship with God where He really can be your Father?
a. Joshua 1: 6-7, “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Proverbs 13:7

Proverbs 13:7

“There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;
Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.”

My friend sent me this verse and upon reading it I laughed and sent a ‘haha’ back to my friend. He responded with why the ‘haha.’ My response was this. “The verse. We are so lost in who we are. Never claiming who God created us to be. We are so incredibly wealthy in Him (power, love, joy, hope, saved) yet claim empty. The world screams fulfilled yet empty. Messed up. So I laughed.”

How many of us are still selling out to the lie from Satan that we have no real power in us? That you are weak, insignificant and replaceable. Instead of just listening to Satan, listen to what God has to say about that…

Power:
James 5:16 – “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.”
Ephesians 1:18-23 – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

Love:
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Zephania 3:17 – “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Joy:
Nehemiah 8:10b – “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Psalm 5: 11 – “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.”

Hope:
Lamentations 3:22-24 – “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “ Therefore I hope in Him!””

Saved:
Titus 3:5 – “…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”
Isaiah 12:3 – “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.”

Irreplaceable:
Psalm 139
Luke 12:22-32 - "Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life...Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."

These are just a few verses in the arsenal God has given you in His story to you. Read it. Pray to Him. Develop a relationship with Him. Trust Him. Give Satan the boot.

Encounters: Who are the Jews

I found this page most interesting in talking about the Jewish ethnic divisions. I had no idea it was so diverse until I read this write up concerning it. I hope that the people I met can read this and see the diversity as well. It ranges from European Jews; Caucasus and the Crimea Jews; North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Jews; Sub-Saharan Africa Jews; South and East Asia Jews; and about the Jews in the Americas being mainly European, Hispanic-Crypto, Amazonian Jews. As well there was mentioned the Jews who had converted to Judaism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_ethnic_divisions

There are so many people in the Bible who are considered Jews and a huge part of God’s plan in bringing all His people back to Him who were not originally Jews. Ruth, Rahab, and Job were all “proselytes” who converted to Judaism and were grafted into God’s family. They converted to the covenant which God had established at the time and by faith were taken in as family. God does not look at genes, but at the heart and only God knows the heart. God desires a pure and contrite heart, not empty sacrifices according to Psalm 51:17. Now we are under the new covenant and along with it God’s establishments under it as well.

According to the True Hebrews there are only these that represent the Twelve tribes of Israel. http://biblicalhebrewsofthebible.ning.com/

The Twelve Tribes of Israel

REUBEN
Seminole Indians

SIMEON
Dominicans

LEVI
Hatians

JUDAH
Black Americans

ZEBULON
Guatamala to Panama (Mayans)

ISSACHAR
Mexicans (Aztec)

MANASSES
Cubans

GAD
North American Indians

ASHER
Columbia to Uraguay (Incas)

NAPHTALI
Argentina to Chile

EPHRAIM
PUETO RICANS

BENJAMIN
West Indians

Encounters: The True Hebrews

After a lot of researching I believe I have finally found more specifically the group who I encountered on the street. They have not really given themselves a name except for the name “True Hebrews,” which sticks out in discussions everywhere on their site, so I shall discuss them in this manner. They most likely do have roots in Black Liberation Theology, but are definitely an occult or branch off of it in that part of part of Black Liberation Theology is making the church or the gospel relevant to the black population since they feel Christianity was originally forced upon them by slavery.

This belief system that has seemed to pop up gives the impression to have foundation in this. This is perceived by me by them placing God in a box claiming Him as only the God of the 12 tribes of Israel. There main foundation and focus is discovering who the true tribes are and who those people groups are today. For each of the twelve tribes they have designated a people group and the tribe of Judah supposedly represents the African Americans. This in a sense gives them power and superiority over everyone else who is not from these tribes. They even give God and Jesus specific names, claiming if you pray to God with another name (such a Yahweh or Jehovah according to this post: http://biblicalhebrewsofthebible.ning.com/profiles/blogs/is-lucifer-the-god-of-judaism) you have been deceived and are praying to Satan. God is to be called Yahuwah, meaning the ‘Most High,’ and His Son is to be called Yahushuwah Ha Mashiyach.

The group I encountered on the streets believed there was no room in heaven for Gentiles, but the web page I found that is answering most of my questions concerning this group has stated that God is not only the God of the Hebrews, but also the God of the Gentiles. This I found refreshing in they see the purpose in Jesus coming to save everyone, but after further research I have come to find this web site says they believe for a Gentile to be saved the “Gentiles (whites) must be brought into Israel by an Israelite such as Cornelius was and taught the Israeli ways by an Israelite. They must also accept who the true Israelite are.” (http://biblicalhebrewsofthebible.ning.com/forum/topics/gentiles-must-be-brought-in). This rule they claim as fact never mentioned as a requirement said in the New Testament scriptures, but one that has been manifested by someone. The New Testament more in fact points away from the Israelite ways and from the Chosen being only the Israelites, to the Chosen now including the Gentiles and the Greeks and the rest of the world. (Philippians 3:9; Romans 1:16-17, Romans 3:9-18)

"As He says also in Hosea,
"I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,'
AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"
AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.'" Romans 9:25-26

The True Hebrews are going back to works as the Pharisees did in cleaning the outside of the cup, but leaving the inside dirty with bitterness, pride, slavery to hate, man’s wisdom, judgment, contempt, greed for power and many more (Luke 11:39). The True Hebrews see their way as this, which was stated on the same page as the previous quote, “This is not a luke-warm people...it is all the way believing and going by the Laws of the Most High. This is not an easy way...There is no Holidays of man celebrated...no eating of unclean food...no sunday worship...This is a total life change...This is knowing the whole world is deceived and by accepting the True Hebrews we join in their cause, and that is all a part of Yahs master plan...Yah has given us this site to learn from and from this we learn and share what we know, to help bring Yahs plan together. By believing we are joined to the family (grafted so to speak)...They have been given the Truth and we have been blessed to be drawn to it.” They see themselves as the enlightened true Hebrews and people who call themselves Christians today as godless. They believe that God actually started as a man and then became God because everything has to have a beginning and that includes God. Then where did that man come from? So many flawed thoughts, to read more on whom they see God as go to: http://biblicalhebrewsofthebible.ning.com/profiles/blogs/what-ifalmost-everything-you.

We are not saved by works but by faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11 goes all through who were considered righteous and as it says in Romans 4:3, Abraham was considered righteous for faith. That is why he was CHOSEN…for his faith. Not his genes, not his DNA, but his faith. Why do men get so stuck in what we think is right when God has already told us? Why must we weigh people down with rules and laws and walls that kill men, when Jesus wants to carry the burden with us (Matthew 23:4, Luke 11:21, 29-30)? According to Galatians 4:5, "God sent Him {Jesus} to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He (God) could adopt us..." We are no longer under the old covenant and slaves to its laws, but the new covenant that frees us from our sins. If you want to be under the old covenant by making your own laws and regulations, then you are under the original punishment for sin which is death. That is all you have earned with all your work because no one can come to the father except through Jesus according to John 5:24 and John 14:6.

I found this sermon online and wanted to share this man’s take. He stated it so well and simply. You can read his full sermon on this website: http://bible.org/article/call-discipleship-invitation-rest-matthew-1128-30

“One of the most beloved passages in the New Testament is Matthew 11:28-30. In it the Lord summarizes the invitation to discipleship that characterized His earthly ministry, but to understand the invitation of this passage, we need to understand the background
Those who were under the Mosaic Law were said to be yoked to Moses. Those who were under the authority of the Pharisees were said to be yoked to the Pharisees. As an illustration, see Acts 15:7-11.
Then, in Matthew 23:4, the Lord warned the people of the oppressive and legalistic ways of the Pharisees. He said, “And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men’s shoulders.” He was speaking about the way they had hidden the true meaning of the Old Testament Law with all the religious rules and regulations that these religious externalists had instituted as the way to God, to true spirituality, and as a way to receive God’s blessing in life. They had codified the Mosaic law into 365 prohibitions and 250 commandments
Lord is talking about more than the simple acquisition of information. He has in mind a change of life, a transformed life-style through intimate relationship with Him. Let’s compare a number of passages—Deut. 17:19; Ezra 7:10; Ps. 119:11; Jam. 1:22; Luke 6:47-49; 8:21; 11:28. We are talking about having the attitude of a learner, someone who takes in and seeks to apply the information that comes from God.”

This is what the True Hebrews are moving towards again. On their home webpage they state, “I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ALL COMING INTO TRUTH AS YAHUWAH OPENS EYES.... ALL I ASK IS ONCE YOU LEARN TRUTH....DON'T REGRESS.....IT IS THAT IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESS OF GROWING. OUR FATHER, The Most High "Yahuwah" Elohym and His Son "Yahuwshuwa Ha Mashiyach" names have been purposely HIDDEN by those who continously PLOT to Deceive and cause Salvation to be LOST.” In truth they are the ones regressing from the beautiful message of Grace (Ephesians 2:8) that God has given to us. Instead they are bringing distractions into their faith that have no true foundation in what it means to truly follow Christ. They are causing disunity between themselves and the rest of the body of Christ His church. They believe that we “the Gentiles” actually know all of this and are purposefully hiding it from them so they do not know who they are as the True Hebrews. They are throwing their time into running after conspiracies in the church and genes that they are missing what their ultimate calling is in Matthew 28:19-20 which says, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Personally I see this group as actually being manipulated by Satan. He is distracting them by having them waste their time in things that do not matter instead of fulfilling what their purpose here on earth is. They will not even end their prayers with “Amen” anymore because of they fear the god “Ramen” will think they are praying to him. I mean how small do they think God is that He does not know their heart and when they are praying to Him? They are hurting the kingdom of God more than helping. They think everyone is lying to them about the Truth (John 5:24) and are against them. The True Hebrews are actually a sick part of the body of Christ and when one part of the body suffers we all suffer. Our job as Christians is to show our brothers their wrong and lead them back to God’s Truth, so if you encounter this, be ready, pray for God’s intervention, and pray for their eyes to be opened. I will be adding more writings on this over time as I do more research, just wanted this to be up for you to start your own.