Shifting Gears

Romans, ch.5

1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2
By whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God.

3
And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

6
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly.

7
For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to
die.

8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9
Much
more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him.

10
For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall
be saved by his life.

11

And not only so, but we
also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
atonement.

12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned:

13
(For until the law sin was in the
world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is
the figure of him that was to come.

15
But not as the
offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be
dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man,
Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16
And not as
it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one;
much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all
men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life.

19
For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous.

20
Moreover the law entered, that
the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more
abound:

21

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even
so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord.

I am a heretic, a sinner, and unGodly desires course through my psyche in a constant barrage against His teaching, I am human, fallible, and only through Christ can I dream of His Grace. I have maintained my grip on His hand through the tribulations, the muck and the briars of life, yet I am still human, a creature of His creation. I have so many questions and only one answer, the Lord, for without Him there is nothingness. Life was easier and happier as an atheist/extreme agnostic though nowhere near as fulfilling as now internal debate fuels a driving fire for Him. He has shown me the underbelly of humanity on a personal level, the very pit of human existance for a reason yet undisclosed to me yet I maintain my grip on His hand stretched out in Grace. I cannot limit, define or describe Him, I just know I believe with the very best of my capability, and I can do much better as I continue to learn.

Noah

Chapter 6

1
And it came to pass, when men began to
multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they
were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with
man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty
years.

4
There were giants in the earth in those days;
and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and
they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of
renown.

5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually.

6
And it repented the LORD that
he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created
from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the
fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth
was filled with violence.

12
And God looked upon the
earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth.

13
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh
is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and,
behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14
Make
thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it
within and without with pitch.

15
And this is the
fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three
hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty
cubits.

16
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in
a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in
the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make
it.

17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of
waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from
under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou
shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives
with thee.

19
And of every living thing of all flesh,
two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee;
they shall be male and female.

20
Of fowls after their
kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after
his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

21
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and
thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for
them.

22
Thus did Noah; according to all that God
commanded him, so did he.

I also have problems reconciling the first 12 verses here to the common Christian oratory in relation to my earlier assertions. I would like clarification if it is out there. This is a study not a teaching site, I whole heartedly invite others to the discussion. I have to wonder where my cocontributers are, if they wish to shift the blogs direction they have the power to, until then I will continue from the beginning as I have no other starting point. Pope John Paul even endorsed the web as a place for theologic discussion as people can lose their shyness to ask questions in relative anominity. I believe He wants us to ask questions and persue a higher level of thought, not to flounder in the narrow fundamentalism of denial.

Questions

Why was Abel, a shepherd, favored over Cain, a farmer? Why did the Lord totally condemn then allow purgatory and protection for Cain? Are we as humans born of Cain or Noah, next chapters? The Bible writes of giants occupying the lands, dinosaurs? Why is written human history so recent on the tables of time?
I don't ask these questions to challenge the Lord as He already knows. I ask them to challenge you and me.

Onward

Chapter 4

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

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

3

And in process
of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an
offering unto the LORD.

4
And Abel, he also brought
of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect
unto Abel and to his offering:

5
But unto Cain and to
his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance
fell.

6
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou
wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7
If thou
doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at
the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came
to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his
brother, and slew him.

9
And the LORD said unto Cain,
Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of
thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to
receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

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

13

And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can
bear.

14
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day
from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a
fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one
that findeth me shall slay me.

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

16
And Cain went out from the presence of the
LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

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

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

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

20
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of
such as have cattle.

21
And his brother's name was
Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

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

23
And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a
man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

25
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son,
and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed
instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

26
And to Seth, to
him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to
call upon the name of the LORD.Genesis 5

The battle on how to be stewards of the earth is not a new one as this chapter shows. A country folk understands this better than city dwellers ever could. I could happily live as the Amish do, could you?

History Moves Forward

Chapter 3 of Genesis begins the discussion of the separation and understanding of good and evil. In response to some comments on my evolutionary creationist stance, I consider these ancient studies as brilliant and incredibly beautiful ways to describe the wonders around them. Yes, science has expanded our understanding of the basics of life the sheer complexity and beauty still drives researchers. I as a believer cannot limit the grandeur of His plans or explain them. I love the research that modern scientific study has produced and fear none of it as His omniscience is palpable.

1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11
And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

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

16
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

20
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

As we learn from these ancient scrolls our base for the understanding of good verses evil I will offer an argument. God is everything, I interprete that literally and expound that then God is also evil as good can not be represented without evil as then it would not exist as a standard without a negative standard. My readings have tought me the fall of Lucifer is the product of John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost" not in the Bible unless you extrapolate from the serpent being destined to crawl on its belly that story is nonexistant. For me to say I believe in a Satan is for me to say I believe in two gods, one good, one evil. I believe in one all encompassing God for me represented by Jesus Christ. I have read Nietzche, Blake,Thomas and many other students of the Reformation and the Enlightenment and I found Christ amid the confusion and He has lead me through the minefields of gay marriage and evolution debate. I believe in the God of Abraham and Moses, one God, omnipotent, omniscient and open to us through Christ or Judeo ethics. I am far from being an expert just one who was lost and is now found. I would more closely interprete death as separation from Him as a released soul sent to Him as one sent back to the earth and the torments of life and its eventual decay, not to a seperate god of the underworld. My body will go to science and all those that may benefit from its use for trnsplants and other research and the rest will be burnt and scattered with a Christian ceremony celebrating my life not mourning its loss. I pray I can earn a rightious send off and that is entirely up to me as His servant.

Victorious Steps of Life

Galatians 2:17-20 "But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 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."

These verses are the capstone of my walk as a believer. It shows that there are two sides warring within, yet Christ must prevail. If he does not prevail in my life and in my actions, then I have not proven Christ to be a liar. I have simply allowed myself to live contrary to my new nature. To go back to my old lifestyle is simply to prove that I have not completely given God that specific area of my life.

Christ and I were crucified. Yet, because I died with him, I too was raised in Him and he in me. For that reason, Christ lives in me and through me. The decisions that I make should reflect Jesus and his lifestyle. And this life that I do live, I live it according to my belief in Christ knowing that he wants all but evil for me.

1) I should not be afraid to minister to people because Christ is living in me, and I no longer live.
2) I should be faithful to pray for people and myself even when I am bored of it because Christ is living in me, and I no longer live.
3) I should be committed to my God given relationships because...
4) I should have no problem with overcoming sin in my life because...
5) I should be skilled at ministering to believers who want change in their own lives because...