I had a dream last night. I dreamed I was in a battle, and I was handed three sticks, that looked something like painted chop sticks, they were in color
natural wood, white striped around them and red stripes and they were very sharp.
I was to carry these close to my own heart within the bosom of my battle wear.
I thought, what are these for, so, I asked, the question in my dream and the answer that came to mind was this. One was, to use in battle to stick in the heart of the enemy, the second was to stick in the eye of the enemy and the last one, was to stick into my whole being if alas the enemy was winning to save myself from being killed. What suicide, I asked? Something like the Japanese warriors do, committing Hari kari.
With that I woke up. I must say I dreamed a lot last night and usually do. I don't always remember my dreams but these things looked like Chinese chop sticks with sharp points, and though I had taken martial arts for years as a young men, I never used sticks that looked like them. So, needless to say, I thought I would look to see, what all this might mean, not as far as future telling or anything like that, but as far as what is going on with problem solving in my subconscious at night.
I find I dream about things last thought about, and one good reason to not watch television or movies to much, to much poor input to the brain. I also dream things that spiritually encourage me, or even correct me at times. I also just dream, mostly great adventures, or drama, sometimes I have had my former wife in those dreams that I lost back in 2001. Needless to say sometimes they"dreams can bug us, So I have set out to see if I can come up with meaning to my dream, not that it is life or death, or for future telling or anything like that, but just curiosity why I dreamed this.
So, when I awoke, these things were still on my mind, what could they mean?
I got up feeling compelled to do a search for Three Sticks on Google, to see if there had been anyone else dream these symbols, could they be found inScripture, or what? I know that sticks can represent men or nations-particularly rulers in Scripture often, and wood and trees can refer to men.
I came across a website, that a guy wrote, called Three Sticks, now the writer I could tell was probably of the Health Wealth and Prosperity theology, based on quotes etc.and titles of articles and the focus of the page was on using your christian faith to become successful as an entrepreneur. All that is fine but these are misapplications of the purpose of the sacred writings.
The one thing I learned in my time by the grace of God who delivered me from all things, when I was a preacher of this error, HW&P, was that they had some truth in scriptures that many had not recognized or read of, but as typical because their eyes are closed and hearing closed spiritually, they see and think only with the carnal mind, they never see these principles are not for gaining physical things in this life but for gaining spiritual things in our spiritual life that we have as children of God.
They are not meant for us to have physical health, but spiritual health, and not meant for physical wealth but spiritual wealth, and alas not for physical prosperity but for spiritual prosperity.
They are like the first children, children of the flesh, Old Israel. Blessing and cursing to them is all about this life in the realm of the physical and not about eternal life- knowing the Father and His Son whom He has sent.
However they do present some scriptures that hold spiritual truths in them, that many evangelical and "orthodox" denominations have as men of carnal minds have rejected or set aside altogether for their reasons of pride and institutionalism to build themselves up and keep the laity down even worse then they at times.
In Health Wealth & Prosperity circles they offer some hope and some sense of false self-esteem for the laity but maintain their power over them by claiming a "special anointing" over others, by using OT scriptures out of context and definitely not New Covenant where all things are held in common, and God shows no partiality.
Just like all the other "churches" do. They are still of the Old so they understand only in the Old. First the Carnal but then there is hope for them yet for we all start there, then by God's grace we come to the Spiritual. So those that condemn them need best look to their own errors as well.
Both sides as usual, twisted the scriptures into evil purposes by carnal reasoning into carnal matters or carnal things.
Just like Israel, they sought out other gods, of self, pride, and the blessings and accolades of this world and these things became idols of their hearts, and they are deceived and remain so, until God opens their eyes and hearts to His truth which comes from the Spirit. I praise Him that God showed me these errors within 2 short years of being introduced to them. Circumstances brought me to a place to seek God's truth again, by the Word and the Spirit. The Two Witnesses.
The "churches" miss the whole entire points of Christ life, death and resurrection, Pentecost and soon coming consummation of all things in Christ. They miss the reign of His people now in Christ. There are even dear brothers within the circles of us, who believe in Christian Universal Reconciliation, that miss a lot of the present of His presence, and are yet too looking for physical presences on earth, with a future kingdom on earth. I am not quite sure of that. Reason being Jesus emphasized that His Kingdom is not OF this world, nor does it seem to be a physical Kingdom but what Paul defines the Kingdom of God is: joy, peace and righteousness of the Holy Spirit. This is truly something spiritual that can only be within the inner man that comes outwardly to the world by the revealing of the life of Christ within us to the world, in Godliness, Peace, Love and all the fruits of that Kingdom. These are outward behaviors that are result of the new creation, Christ in you, the hope of glory. So even in there ideas of Revelation or some other Scriptures I may not be in complete agreement with them. Not unless God shows me something different. I stand on the written word revealed by the Spirit only. There are ten thousand conjectures on the book of Revelation, I prefer to see this book as written to each one of us, that are the ekklesia, as the revelation of Jesus Christ, for that is the spirit of prophecy. If it is such, then it too should come within the story of Christ victory over sin and death by the work of the Cross. I know the passages to be true on the consummation of all things in Christ. I am still not convinced one needs to tie these all down to one human historical event, but many events, in the life of each believer, and His walk with the Victor, and many historical events over all of time. Not a single event.
If you were to take many of the scriptures of what they take to be for their carnal physical principles to gain in this life, The HW&P teachings, then dump the carnal reasoning out of them, and some of the theological twist of their leaders given to them to enrich themselves, and allow God to open your eyes with other scriptures, to see the spiritual of some of these principals as called by them, then you might see principles not whereby we work them by trying to practice them but whereby God works them in our lives to give us "spiritual life" which are the riches of Christ.
They like Israel live in the shadow and their theological structures comes eventually to their own destruction. They are built on sand, of MEN, the flesh, rather then the rock of Jesus Christ - The spiritual.
The shepherds of that movement and all "church' movements or movements of men to organize that for which and where Christ is not the head, and the people aren't the Temple of the Holy Spirit, where they instead believe the Ekklesia is the church of their buildings and programs these will all fall down. They will fall down as well under the Power and hand of God, as did the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD.
These Israel's of the flesh where all are not taught nor do they practice or allow His people the Ekklesia to be the royal priest unto God for which Christ has made them, where the people are corrupted and end up serving the priest (pastor) and a building and fleshly efforts at works. They have been proved to come down, they have in the past, will in the present and yet will finally come to all fall down at the consummation of all things in Christ.
Even today the church is encountering new church movements, the Emerging Church, House Church, Outlaw Church, and the word church runs on and on.... all yet feeble attempts for God's created fellowship of the heart among true believers. If you are a son of God, then God will bring you together with other believers, He will put people in your path to fellowship with, to share with, and want to share with you. You will encounter both children of Israel of the flesh and children of Israel of the Spirit. All the same they are brethren in Christ, one is just yet to discover the spiritual. That is the work of God, we all start there, you did, I did, and we all have been given a measure of faith. The question that each man must face is our faith in our faith or is our faith in the living Savior Jesus Christ and His Father, Who the bible says of them, God is love.
Who the Bible shows He is ALL POWERFUL AND ALL LOVING, and nothing takes place without His Will or Counsel. Their human will must fall down yet to the will of God and it will, whether here now or later.
ALL MEN will then fall down before the feet of Jesus Christ and alas declare Him to be LORD and not themselves, their systems, their theologies, their priest and pastors, their carnally lived good lives of this world's riches and sin.
Sin and Death will be alas completely swallowed up for all of mankind to see with their own eyes, the accomplished work of Christ. It is done! It is finished, but few see it.
All will be for the glory of and to the Father once He is revealed to ALL!
Man will have no glory in it, only thanks and praise unto Him who has saved us.
All these leaders of "Christendom" don't think so while they are yet busy eating the sheep, but eventually they too will be exposed for what they are but wolves awaiting to eat the sheep as Paul warned they were, they were already present then in His time, He was at constant battle to save the sheep from their ravenous mouths. They were lions going about to and fro looking for whom they might destroy, they came not to give life but to kill, steal and destroy, alas there is your Opposer and Adversary of Spiritual Life of men in Christ with God, the Accuser of the Brethren, the OPPOSERS to you who may know the Father and the Son, you His children. Their is your SATAN and his dominion of demons, their servants, their institutions, their power, their works,
2 Corinthians 11:14
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Their power over you.
It is not them as flesh and blood men but the spiritual nature by which they live and speak, that of opposers to us who know the things of God by the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
These men live off the sheep's grain apportioned to them from God that was not meant to be thrown to the wolves of the earthly priest of Carnal Israel and their carnal institutions, programs and plans of grandiose evil visions for their grandeur, whether it be, their theological treatise, their systematic theologies, their vain philosophies, their worship of angels, (their insistence that one must believe in their definitions of the Devil and Hell)to be saved.
One can come to see the spiritual aspects and truths of many of the passages of Scripture they love to quote and define with their carnal minds.
However you will not understand these passages without the Spirit of God, to reveal them to you. In other words unless the Holy Spirit teaches you, you will see them with a carnal point of view with the carnal mind, from carnal reasoning.
To show you, as Christ used the very words from the same book (sacred writings)
to counter their attacks on you , you can strike back with the Spiritual Words of the written Word.
They know them not, and they expect you not to either, but God will give you the words to speak, if you will but find the strength in Him, and ask Him for wisdom to do so. Don't make the mistake, and I have at times, of getting caught up in arguments of human wisdom to save them, you can't make a devil see truth, only God can "redeem devils and men."
Only God holds the power to remove our blindness and our deaf ears. He must do it, and He will, but alas there will be those for whom are yet blind and deaf, because of God's own purposes according to His own counsel and will.
You however child are to seek God's interpretation and not that of men, they are mere men, as well, and apply God's Word to the spiritual and your growth as a son of God, and realize these principles aren't to make you physically healthy all the time, popular with the world, rich, famous, powerful, owning much property, living life to the appeasement of your flesh and apply them ONLY to your spiritual growth, and life in walking with God, the Scripture can have, ALL SCRIPTURE
(not the selective theologies and men and solely their beliefs about them) can have tremendous potential for you to come out of the bondage to sin, to walk in the freedom for which Christ has purchased you in the Spirit, and you will discover the walk in Christ, overcoming sin, the world the flesh and the devil- a reality spiritually. I say potential because this what it says about Scripture, as opposed to those who worship the letter and not the Living Word.
2 Timothy 3:15
and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus.
The words will not save you, they will give you the wisdom to SALVATION through faith which - what is that in faith in - your faith? No! but Christ Jesus.
HE IS FOUND in the sacred writings ( Scripture), they testify of Him, His story is there from Genesis to Revelation, the sacred writings will give you His wisdom, that leads to salvation, and God gives you the faith that comes from the Wisdom of God, which can only be found in Christ Jesus.
The Israel of the Flesh, worships the sacred writings, and thus they never gain the Wisdom of God that leads to salvation through TRUE FAITH - which is in Christ Jesus. They stop there at the words, and do not ask for His Wisdom from the Words. They ask not to be lead to salvation but insist they have it simply because they believe. Once again falling upon their own understanding that all is Grace even faith!
Trust in Him, absolutely not the words alone, if the words themselves saved a man, then all of Christendom, would be in unity and saved, but they are not as of yet.
They are yet divided and yet carnal as Paul tells them in I Corinthians. He - men each has gone to his own way, and his own worship of certain sacred words from the sacred writings.
They search the scriptures thinking there might be life in them, but they are which speak of Him (Jesus Christ).
Yes, Scripture reading is important and imperative but it will not save you alone, nor is there salvation in the words, you must receive God's wisdom from them in order for it to bring you to salvation
No, the very word of God tells us in Timothy their purpose, but no man seeks the Wisdom from God which is from above and is truth, they seek their own wisdom or that of others to trust in.
Thus that wisdom never brings them to salvation because it is as James writes here:
James 3:15
This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
They open their commentaries, their lexicons with commentary added, and ask of those who say this is "orthodoxy" walk ye therefore in it.
They go to those who say they hold the "oracles of God" and ask those who have declared themselves to be wise what they mean.
Rather then seeking The One True Wise One! God Himself who inspired the Words. Thus for this reason Christ left to send the Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth, comfort us with that truth, and speak of Jesus.
Yes, if you truly want to be brought to salvation then you must start at the sacred words, but you must also ask and seek only God's wisdom, not the wisdom of men. They fail to find the Way, the Truth and the Life, because they fail to seek God's wisdom. They rely on their own, and in most cases, never seek God in solitude, but seek wisdom among the "great revelators" of God's Word, the Preachers, the Pastors, the Sunday School Teachers, and even but foremost the Seminary Professors. I have met a few of them, and I know their lives, and they have not the Spirit of God. I wish not anyone seek it from myself either, because I am fallible but the Holy Spirit is not.
If they would but bow on their knees and ask God without doubting for His Wisdom from above. Then they would receive it as James states here:
James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
The Creator of heaven and earth and all that is within them is who they need to turn to.
He will give them Wisdom from above that leads to salvation.
Note: STEP ONE - Sacred Writings- STEP TWO Give you the wisdom- STEP THREE To Salvation- through faith - which is in Christ Jesus.
Not faith gives you salvation, but the salvation given - gives you His faith, it will make you see in Him all that is of grace and truth and you will trust in Him with all your life!
The better way to put this, is Sacred Writings (scripture)- Gives (not theirs or your wisdom) but - HIS Wisdom, which will lead you TO - note not "give you salvation," but LEAD YOU to salvation which is in Christ Jesus through faith.
Yes, if we are led to salvation we will have faith, but faith is not what leads us to salvation, God's wisdom does, but none seek it, they seek not the Spirit to teach them, they seek out other men, and they rarely open the sacred writings to read them for themselves. They seek others to tell them what they mean before they ever will crack the book open for themselves and read it, prayerfully.
They will rarely test things they have been told, to see if they are true.
Many folks of Christendom prefers, a daily devotion, or a fast read of one passage, as if they have done their duty before God, or obtained their horoscope for the day.Most prefer no read at all but for the Pastor's sermon. How can they therefore expect to be led to Salvation. They haven't incorporated STEP ONE- reading the Sacred Scriptures, STEP TWO- obtained God's Wisdom.. STEP THREE IS FAR FROM THEM.
Those that first begin to study it- when they read it, and don't understand it, they don't seek God to open their eyes to see, and their ears to hear, they look to men to tell them what it means, rather then God who wrote it. Most of these, are off in Bible School or Seminary, where the word will be polluted by the learned holy men of past, who only hold the "oracles of God". They will read of Augustine, Luther, Calvin and more. Long before they will spend time on their knees before God who wrote it, asking, "what Lord would you have to say to me?"
They ask not that God alone will give them His wisdom to understand the sacred writings, which leads to salvation. They pick up a King James which is not our English of today and or just pass it off, by saying, I can't understand it. I'll just let the preacher tell me what it says. MAJOR ERROR from the start!
James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
But they don't and here is why!
But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
Herein is men's problem:
1 Corinthians 2:7-13
but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";
Where men fail, is they often stop at the sacred writings then try to seek their own wisdom from them. This word here wisdom is well defined throughout Scripture if you will look at all the New Testament and Old Testament is not a wisdom which one can say "the wisdom I came up with" but it is the wisdom of what God teaches us if we are seeking Him with all our hearts, mind, strength and soul.
It comes from the indwelling life of Christ within us, if we are already his. If we aren't yet saved, then it still comes from the Father of Lights above, for all good things given to men, come from Him above. Jesus taught that God gives rain to the just and the unjust. But it still comes from His hand not our own.
For the one who has Christ, He should not ever fear those with their carnal wisdom of the Bible.
Luke 21:15
for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
Thus men from the beginning of the birth of God's Ekklesia ( called out one's), many men from outside of the Ekklesia being men of corrupt minds and hearts led others to disobey this passage that give us Wisdom from above; and tells us from whence it should come, and they begin to seek teachers outside of the Spirit of God given to them by grace in Jesus Christ.
John warned the early Christians those born of His Spirit.
1 John 2:27
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
Men started to give heed and honor unto men instead of God, and then thereby giving heed to men as their head instead of Christ they ended up giving heed to doctrines of demons, doctrines of men, traditions of men, not of God as taught by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and every man since that has only sought God's wisdom and recieved it from above have been persecuted by the carnal man, and the carnal institutions of men, because the children of the Flesh always persecute the children of the Spirit. Church history is full of this, of those who believed they held all the wisdom, had shut the door to the Holy Spirit, and stood in the temple of God (their bodies) and declared themselves to be God, thus the spirit of Anti-Christ was already among them as John writes.
1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
Thus men's wisdom has ten of thousands of refutations and is resisted, and there are denominations and cults, and leaders and etc, who still rely on the wisdom of men, and do not seek nor ask for the wisdom of God which comes from above and then only will WISDOM come from the sacred writings.
We can read from the beginning that the Serpent (acting as adversary to men), this beast of the field , used God's words to entice Eve and the again we read of another encounter with an Adversary (satan) of men, useing God's words to try to entice Jesus for carnal things, bywords found in the the sacred writings, when they were meant for spiritual good. This adversary tries to draw Jesus mind to the flesh, the carnal, to get him to act in the flesh, the carnal. This adversary FAILS - because in this case, He encountered one who was born of the Spirit and not the flesh.
Thus the spiritual man can discern that which is spiritual but the carnal man, cannot.
Eve was of the flesh she was made from and out of the flesh of Adam , she was carnal, she couldn't percieve God's statement about not to eat of the Tree, this commandment of God.
She was thinking only in terms of the carnal, she was carnally minded, a living being made from dust, she was thinking how it would appease her flesh, how it looked good, and was pleasing to her sight, that it was good for food which God had even said about the tree: These were not lies, but truth, it is the last thing, that comes that is a partial lie, for it is withheld from her that God is much more then the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:9
Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Where the enticement came in, and presented itself that was a lie, the lie was not that the tree wasn't pleasing to the sight, nor that it wasn't good for food, for God had looked on all of His creation and called it good, which at the time included the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and even the SERPENT, but in this case. Some and if not most teach this was an entity called Satan a fallen angel that came and appeared as a serpent, others say this serpent was possesed of Satan, but no where in Genesis are we told either one of these, again men comes in and puts his own wisdom into this account and presumes to know, then tells the people "it is so." They are wrong, Scripture is right!
God spoke the commandment to Adam in the beginning... not Eve for she had surely only heard from the lips of Adam and not God, for Eve had not yet even come forth from Adam yet when the commandment was spoken to him.
In the beginning Adam was put into the Garden of Eden and not even created in it.Hollywood and preachers like to believe differently.Adam was about to be put into this new environment before Eve.
Genesis 2:15-17
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
Eve was not there to hear from God. She must have heard from Adam this commandment.
Eve was fed the lie, that she by knowing the difference between good and evil would bel like God.
Which meant she didn't know either one, which can mean only that since she was one flesh with Adam neither did he.
He could only know what God told Him but Adam knew not yet whether what God told him was good or evil.
He had only the knowledge of God's existence, the knowledge of his existence, the Garden the world to which He had been put in, that of Eve, and the other beast created in this world, he didn't know really much of anything, but God created Him in His image with all intent for Adam to come to know what God knows beyond just good and evil.
The knowledge of good and evil would be lesson number one. If it stops there, men know nothing, and the rest of it can only as in the beginning come by the will of God. Men didn't step out of the will of God, just the commandment of God.
His commandments as He will show, do not give life, only He does, and thus it only comes, from the Tree of Life, which men would come to know which is Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:16
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Men live on that basis, thinking that in knowing the difference between good and evil that they are like God and that they can perceive of spiritual things, by their own efforts, sweat and work over the sacred writings without hearing or listening to God they think that even they were created for themselves, but the verse above shows that not to be true. They were created through Him and FOR HIM!
Eve was told that it would make her like God, she had no knowledge yet of spiritual things to even desire to listen to God and what He said, and thus the mess mankind was put into in their eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were but for a reason and plan of God's own:
Ephesians 1:11
......... according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
that we might come to know the Creator and whom we were created for, we were created FOR the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, and in coming to know that. He would create us to become the sons of God as well, which we couldn't until we obtained spiritual reasoning and not just the carnal reasoning as earthly men.
In the fall as men call it, the purposes of God were yet at work, though sin, had to come, with it, so that men would know deliverance from it's power and it's consequences death.
To know life one must come to know death. To know good and evil one must first come to know the differences. God's school to His children, began in the Garden of Eden and proceeded from there. From there the story begins of the Creators schooling to bring us to know Christ. From the first commandment in the Garden through the 613 commandments given unto Israel...
Galatians 3:24-25
24Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Christ on earth among men (the very essence of the Father in human flesh) being the final lesson for us, in the life he lived, the words he spoke and the death he died, the very Wisdom of God revealed to all men, one that we are to be brought to, all of it, from beginning to end was for one purpose that men might see from who all things were created, both in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, thrones or dominion, rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and not for men but for HIM- Jesus Christ the first begotten Son.
Men have held onto the idea that men or the First Adam was the first begotten son, and this is not true, the Last Adam is, and is from Him that we will now truly know the Father by His Spirit which He has freely bestowed on us by His grace that we too may also be sons of God.
It is in Christ death, that we are freed to see that God is Love, it is in Christ resurrection we are freed to live the life as His children, it is in Christ ascension that we see, the power of being a child, it is in Pentecost we see the power given unto us, to live as He did, to die as He did, and to be resurrected as He did, and to be brought to the Father to reign with Christ as He reigns with the Father.
It is in Christ we find freedom from the bondage of the earthy man, the first Adam, it is in Christ we find in our freedom to live as the Last Adam the first begotten of God. It is in and by Christ that we now are graced to be called the children of God and even His brethren.
The first man was earthy made from the dust of the earth, the Last Adam was born of the Spirit made of the Spirit, and we now have a new father of the human race, and he is not the earthy father, but the spiritual father Jesus Christ from whom our lives have been derived.He has given unto us, a new life, as New Creations in Him, through Him, and by Him.
From dust we came, placed into the Garden of Eden, God breathed life into us, and made us a living being as He is: Though living beings, He is Spirit, we were flesh, made of dust.
Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
but men in his beginning had no spiritual knowledge no concept of even right or wrong.
But Adam did have a commandment from God and he had some conception of fellowship with God, but He was joined as one with Eve now, they had become one flesh. Adam has no spiritual faculty yet, no spiritual reason as of yet. Though God breathed life into him, this is the same breath given to all creatures on earth that make them "living souls." or living beings. This was not the Holy Spirit, as some would have you believe. This was the power of the Creator, that God uses to create all things, animals included who breathe a breath.
Genesis 2:21-25
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man."
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Thus God utilized the serpent and gave it speech, for IT ( a mere beast who was more cunning then the others) .
.Genesis 3:1
.....Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.....
God uses this beast to entice that which was purely Carnal made of flesh - Eve who was of Adam.
Adam who also was earthly made from dust, but it was Adam to whom the commandment had been given by God.
Where was Adam, why didn't He speak up?
Why was Eve being the one talked to, though the Scripture tells us He was with her when she ate, why did
he choose to eat it as well?
Was he right there with her, when she ate, or when she was also tempted?
Scripture only tells us, he was there 'with her" when she ate.
2 Corinthians 11:3
3But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
(Please note here, Paul does not call this serpent- Satan- either) Paul repeats exactly what Genesis ONLY says, not what men have added to the story. He does not go beyond what is written. Where other men dare go..all the time.
These questions I placed here are left without answer in the account of the story, having been filled in for us by the vain imaginations of men and Hollywood but are not told us in Scripture.See we may ask questions not told to us in the story, be such wise men we are, but we are not to FILL IN THE ANSWERS. like some test in school you take. God does not wish to tell us the answers here, we are to go alone WHAT IS WRITTEN.
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Perhaps men and ladies born of His Spirit and washed in His blood, we need to heed this passage of Scripture to understand the will today of God in our dealing with one another as husbands and wives.
Though one in flesh with your wife, God did create you first, and her from your side, not underneath you but of your side, but all the same she was not created from your head. It is the mind to which God speaks first to you and then into your heart. These statement listed below are from Paul speaking, the other were practices that Paul didn't condone, but he does show, yes, there are differences but in those there is equality between men and women in Christ.
I Corinthians 11
3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
9for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.
11However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.
If you as the MAN don't listen to God, how can SHE ever hear from Him.
Take your role as head, not by being a power over her, but by coming alongside of her,and keeping God as your head, but women let your husband be the one that is in spiritual leadership of your household if you are both born of Him from above.Christ is the head of you both. If that be the case, there are other cases where one of the partners may be someone yet, who knows not Christ.
Women before you run off to follow some "spiritual guru", or 'spiritual teaching,' or some religious fad or teacher - ask your husband, and pray with Him, both of you get before God, and hear from Him and let your husband take the lead, not as a boss but as fellow sojourner and joint heir in Christ as your husband not because He is greater then you in relationship to the Holy Spirit given you both, but because God put an order of love in our relationships not an order of hierarchy where one rules over the other.
He is one that is one in the flesh with you.She is one that is one in the flesh with you.
If He believes strongly against something "spiritual' you think you want and need to do, then if and only if, He also is born again, go along with him and submit to him, it will save you a lot of headache and pain in the long run. In things that are of the Spirit, Christ should always be your head, but of other things, you are one flesh and to avoid difficulties and for you to show the love of Christ don't submit out of commandment submit out of love for Him to show God's love in you toward him.
Let Eve be your example of failure (warning) in listening to her husband.
Don't submit out of commandment for if you truly are both born again of His Spirit there will be a love to submit to one another.
The same with the man, you will not submit to any commandment you will submit out of love for God and for your wife.
Galatians 3:21-22
Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be!
For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Scripture is but the written words spoken by God but written by men. From the beginning the first Law could not impart life, when God said NOT to do something.
Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God spoke to Adam, and we can gather from the conversation in here, Adam passed his information from God to Eve.
Genesis 3:2,3
2The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
If it is from God, and you are both born from above by His Spirit, then there will come a unity in decisions especially on spiritual matters.
Men don't just follow along because you are one flesh with her, if you are born of His Spirit always listen to what God is speaking to you first and foremost even over the desires of the one you may love your earthly partner, your wife. If you just go along with her, to make her happy, then you are condoning her actions without the leadership of the Holy Spirit or your love together of God, and you are not listening to God. Hear from Him before you do anything, the both of you, and be sure husband that whatever decision you make is from God, and not because of your prejudices, or dislikes, but what God says, don't touch, don't eat. What I have said here is for when the both of you are on the same page with the Lord, what I say below is for when you are not.
My wife is a young Christian, mostly raised in the church, with little to very little interest in personal serious study in the Word of God. She goes to church, still likes church, but in this though I desire she would not, she is not yet come to the trust in God I am at.
I will not berate her, or tell her she can't go, or tell her anything any longer about "going to church."
Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to her, the truth. It would not benefit our marriage for me to go, for it would not benefit me spiritually or be conducive to my personal growth ( I spent all my life in the church, even as a church worker,( youth pastor, pastor, sunday school teacher, missionary, and evangelist) and I don't want to come home and harp about the lies stated by the preacher or stand up to the preacher in the church and call him down, on his own opinions, and his putting people under the law.
I have gone, and is there is a constant putting people under condemnation by a mixing of grace and law, which is liking mixing driving a car with being drunk. It is headed all for a wreck for the people sitting under those false teachings in men's church. 'been there done that."
She doesn't say anything about me not going, though I know she would prefer a "church goer" but I have tried to explain to her why, but she doesn't understand and will only get mad if I do, so we have an agreement she can go, I don't go, and neither one of us mention to the other.
I am leaving her in the hands of God out of love for Him, and knowing if she does know Him, and is truly born again, then God will teach her not me!
I can't be the Holy Spirit for her.
Ladies don't try to be the Holy Spirit for your husbands either.
If he doesn't want to go, don't nag him and make derogatory comments to him about it either..You either stay at home with him, or go and keep your mouth shut to him.
Respect him first. Love him first.
If you are a Christian, then no where are you commanded to tell your husband to go to church, and no where does Scripture teach we are to go to church.
Church will not save anyone and for those who have been taught of the Spirit, they know the difference, between the Ekklesia and men's church.
Perhaps you don't, and I pray you will, but "go if you must" but if you want to go then for goodness sake act like what you say you are toward your husband he and you are one flesh!
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
If both of you really understand these passages then out of love for one another, she won't want to lead you, and she will desire to be lead by you if you are both in Christ.You won't want to force anything upon her, but will patiently wait on the Lord and pray for her as you will yourself, to be sure all is being done in love.
If their is disagreement yet, then someone and only that person knows who, needs to yet get before the Lord on their knees and hear from God until their is unity.
Not one action should be taken until you hear from God on the matter and are one in spirit as much as you are one in the flesh. Of course as in my case as stated above it is not always possible. So you must ask God for the wisdom from Him on how to handle it. I first tried going out of love for her but that did not benefit us, because she could tell, I wasn't happy there, and would find myself, pointing out Scriptures to her while he was preaching that contradicted everything he said. She would prefer now to go alone, and I prefer to stay home and pray and study the Word, or meet with a close Christian friend of mine that we are of like mind and heart. "Where ever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them."
As all law there are ways for men to find a way around them, though it always catches up with us, Why, to show that all are shutup under sin!
I am not speaking here just of the laws of the land, or laws of the state or the laws of men, I am speaking of those things, that God has shown us to be true in the carnal that are even necessary to our health, and happiness, that we cannot keep the law, that we need someone to set us free from the bondage, that rushes us headlong into all sin.
We need liberty , we need someone to come inside and change that part of us that will make us slaves of righteousness instead a slave of ourselves (sin and death)
Men are in no need of threatenings about things after they die. They are in death, and they need someone to give them life here and now, which only Jesus Christ can by the new birth of the Spirit from above, who Christ Himself is, and will come inside of any man, woman or child and begin to take those chains that have held them in darkness and break them one by one, in His time, by His own counsel and will, but they need that initial imprisonment to darkness the cells door to be opened, which someone has to do for them, to deliver them from sin and death (hades, the grave of the heart) and set them free. That person is Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, Messiah, Jehovah who save us, The Lion of Judah, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Almighty One, and He has.
2 Corinthians 5:19
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:15
But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
They may walk out of their prison cell, and still yet be dragging their chains with them, but God will one by one, take them off as well, until it will alas dawn on them they are truly FREE!
For me it took from age six years old, when I first heard the message that Christ died for my sins, no threat of hell but knowing I was a sinner, I wanted to be saved. The cell doors were taken down then, but I wondered in the prison yard with my chains yet on me, for years, largely due to my religious background and being brought up in religion, as a church kid, and church adult, and even then God would cut loose a chain now and then, but I didn't step out of the prison yard, until in 2001, through events in my life, God begin to tear off and break numerous chains that still were trying to hang on, but God did the removal one by one with His cutting torch, His fire, of love, until one day in 2010 I awakened from my slumber, to find myself outside the gates of that old prison, completely unchained, and no more memory of the bondage, or desire for it, but only the joy of freedom in Him.
What joy it is, my heart sings of the glorious freedom found in my Savour and Lord Jesus Christ, He never let me go, He set me free from the cell, then begin to remove all that ever held me in bondage, year after year, victory after each defeat, until I no longer wanted to hang around the prison yard, but wanted to get out the gates, but I couldn't find the strength to do so, but He did, and wham I found myself in the parking lot, in the back seat of His limousine, and He is doing the driving now, and I am along for the ride. I am gloriously set free! I am enjoying the ride through beautiful open spaces in heavenly places.
Romans 5:11
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Even Atheist have developed a law unto themselves, and if questioned and pushed will admit they can't keep their own standards of good and their own moral ideals so who are they to tell the God of righteousness and love what He should have done, and how can they say according to them, they can't believe in Him because he hasn't.
You must destroy their god first and show them as well they are as much in bondage to the sin they accuse those who beleive in God are. This ruins their argument if their is a God he would not allow evil to continue and those who call themselves Christians wouldn't do the evil they do.
They must be shown the source of evil comes not from some entity of evil, but that source of all evil comes from within themselves, Mankind!
Then show your agreement that those that are truly matured and in full stature of Christ do have changed hearts and minds would not do the evil they have seen so many do, not yet loosened from the chains of sin or the habits of the flesh, and especially those who are no brethern at all as of yet.
Explain to them as a true believer you despise war, hatred, poverty, powers of men over men, etc, and that the only answer is God who really changes hearts, let them see the love God has changed you into.
The false prophets and teachers, aren't interested in their deliverance from the bondage of sin that all men were in bondage to.
They are only interested in a notch for their belt, to get someone over to believe their doctrines or their religion. To get them there to "ask Jesus into their heart so they can be saved from eternal torment."
They have the wrong Gospel, they preach another Gospel, Jesus came to deliver us from the
bondage we were in, and in so doing delivered us from sin and death, which is HELL!
I truly love the Atheist, and the unbelievers, do you?
Or do you say, to them after your doctrine where this God was suppose to love them so much He would send His Son to die on a cross for them to set all men free unconditionally and then you put a condition on it.. when they don't pray your sacramental prayer, or your four spiritual laws guide to prayer for the sinner, or go rushing down your aisle at your temples to the altar of false sacrifice, and you then tell them that's fine, you don't believe it, then you are going to hell!
Some love, you don't yet know love, and I am as sad for you as the Atheist, for you yet need deliverance from sin and death or you are still wondering around the prison yard, like I did for years.
You are still trying to serve the Warden and his guards, instead of the God that set you free.
You have confused the Warden and his guards, or the Governor of the state you were in, with the President of the Universe who wrote your pardon in the blood of Jesus Christ!
You yet are to come to know the love of God, you are yet carnal, and have not recieved the Wisdom which is from above, you are relying on earthly wisdom of men, who have no regard to seek God's wisdom but rely on their own.
There are some things, that a woman shouldn't do, and that is not to make decisions that will effect you both spiritually in the long run without your husband taking the lead in it.Those that prefer to do what they want to do, God will correct them at some point.
Men don't just follow along because you are one flesh with her, if you are born of His Spirit always listen to what God is speaking to you first and foremost even over the desires of the one you may love your earthly partner, your wife. If you just go along with her, to make her happy, then you are condoning her actions without the leadership of the Holy Spirit or your love together of God, and you are not listening to God. Hear from Him before you do anything, the both of you, if possible, and be sure husband that whatever decision you make is from God, and not because of your prejudices, or dislikes,but what God says to you, don't touch, don't eat.
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Thus the last Adam He was born with Spiritual reasoning, born by the very essence of Who God is- Spirit and Love.
He and only in Him can we find Spiritual reasoning, but we too must be born of His Spirit and not our own reasoning before we may understand spiritual matters. This includes the reality of Who we are, Why we are Here, Who is God, what does He want of men, and why did he even create us?
These answers are what all philosophy, religion, science and literature, alas that history proves men search for.
In Christ alone is the answer. All the rest may be helpful in assisting a man with the questions and what should be asked, but none hold the answer, only Jesus Christ revealed to us as the Son of God, who reveals God does.
The carnal man is but seeking still to live under the revealing of the First Adam, under the shadows of the Carnal Man but it is the Last Adam Jesus Christ- the Spiritual Man that reveals God's plan for men and ALL the answers to the questions.
I can't tell you why I digressed from original intent of this article to share my dream with you other then that Christ was the dream of my life that came true. So I have shared some other things on my heart today with you, my readers. I intend to share this dream I had and what I believe the interpretation is for ME, and the Three Sticks with you on my next blog, I lost track and ended up going the direction I did.
To not allow this blog to be any longer, I will put the dream out tomorrow for you. So come back by.
I pray this article may bless you. All comments are welcome.
Joseph Black D.D.
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