Podcast appearances and mentions of eden gen

Long before the creation of government and religion, God oversaw the very first wedding ceremony. The modern practice of a father giving away his daughter at a wedding reflects God's action in Eden (Gen 2:22-24). A husband and a wife, the family, is the building block of any society. Today, Paul & Mike discuss biblical marriage and our difficulty in "becoming one flesh" with the other half.

One of the intriguing puzzles of the Biblical narrative is the amount of detail that is afforded some elements of the story, and the shocking lack of detail given to others that feel like they deserve more. Part of that, I believe, is intentional. There is no better way to draw your readers in than to push their minds to fill in the gaps. Much like an impressionist painting, the story of the Bible has many moments that virtually demand our participation.One such section is what we'll be reading this Sunday as we continue our study of the first four chapters of Genesis. We'll be reading ch 4:1-16, which describes the start of life outside of the Garden.The structure of chapter 4 is pretty important. It fairly mirrors certain aspects of chapter 3. Re-read chapter 3 after reading chapter 4 – what similarities jump out at you? What does God ask the humans in ch 3, what does he ask Cain? How do the humans respond in ch 3 and how does Cain respond in ch 4? Are you picking up the similarities.The consequence for Cain's sin mirrors the consequence of his parents: exile. Something to ponder: the humans are already outside of the Garden, where do you think is Cain being exiled to? What might be the point of this consequence and what could it be describing about humans and their Creator?Who do you think the “they” could be that Cain is afraid of? We aren't told what the sign is (there's that lack of detail) that God gives to Cain – but what is the purpose of it? What does this reveal about God's character in the face of abject human failure?I hope you can join us this Sunday as we continue examining at the roots of the Biblical narrative in Genesis.Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

We are looking at the faith of Rahab the harlot. She had a courageous faith (vv. 1-7), a confident faith (vv. 8-11), a concerned and contagious faith (vv. 12-14), and today we will find that Rahab had a covenant faith (vv. 15-24).   A covenant is simply an agreement, a contract between two or more parties, with certain conditions laid down for all parties to obey. You find a number of divine covenants recorded in Scripture: God's covenant with our first parents in Eden (Gen. 2:16); God's covenants with Noah (Gen. 9), Abraham (12:1-3; 15:1-20), and Israel (Ex. 19-20); the covenant concerning the land of Palestine, as explained in Deuteronomy; the messianic covenant with David (2 Sam. 7); and the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:28; Heb. 12:24).   Before the two spies left Rahab's house, they reaffirmed their covenant with her. Since the men didn't know God's plan for taking the city, they couldn't give Rahab any detailed instructions. Perhaps they assumed that the city would be besieged, the gates smashed down, and the people massacred. The men were certain that the city would fall and that ultimately the land would be taken.   Often in biblical covenants, God appointed some physical or material "token" to remind the people of what had been promised. His covenant with Abraham was "sealed" by the rite of circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14; Rom. 4:11). When God established His covenant with Israel at Sinai, both the covenant book and the covenant people were sprinkled with blood (Ex. 24:3-8; Heb. 9:16-22). God gave the rainbow as the token of the covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:12-17), and the Lord Jesus Christ used the broken bread and the cup of wine as tokens of the New Covenant (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).   In the case of Rahab, the spies instructed her to hang a scarlet rope out of the window of her house, which was built into the wall (Josh. 2:18). This scarlet rope would identify the "house of safety" to the army of Israel when they came to take the city. The color of the rope is significant for it reminds us of blood. Just as the blood on the door posts in Egypt marked a house that the angel of death was to pass over (Ex. 12:1-13), so the scarlet rope marked a house on the Jericho wall whose occupants the Jewish soldiers were to protect. Rahab let the men down from the window with that rope and kept it in the window from that hour. This was the "sure sign" of the covenant that she had asked for (Josh. 2:12-23).   It's important to note that Rahab and her family were saved by faith in the God of Israel and not by faith in the rope hanging out the window. The fact that she hung the rope from the window was proof that she had faith, just as the blood of the slain lamb put on the door posts in Egypt proved that the Jews believed God's Word. Faith in the living God means salvation, and faith in His covenant gives assurance; but faith in the token of the covenant is religious superstition and can give neither salvation nor assurance. The Jews depended on circumcision to save them, but they ignored the true spiritual meaning of that important rite (Rom. 2:25-29; Deut. 10:12-16; 30:6).   Many people today depend for their salvation on their baptism or their participation in the Lord's Table (the Eucharist, Communion); but this kind of faith is vain. Rahab had faith in the Lord and in the covenant promises He had made through His servants; and she proved her faith by hanging the scarlet rope from the window. When the Jews captured Jericho, they found Rahab and her family in her house; and they rescued them from judgment (Josh. 6:21-25). Her faith saved her! “Then she said, "According to your words, so be it."   Today, is your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross?   God bless!

Do you remember the old Mad Magazines, how the inside back page was an Al Jaffe cartoon that had an image on it which, if you folded it in, created another image which was a commentary on the first. I used to love those things. In many ways, the book of Genesis, if we metaphorically folded it to touch the book of Revelation, operates similarly. We begin and end in a Garden…and everything in between functions to elaborate on that hope. The imagery of the first few chapters of Genesis unlock the meaning of the imagery used in the rest of the Biblical narrative. We'll be returning to our study in Genesis this Sunday, looking at Gen 2:8-17.In Gen 2 we are introduced to the Garden of Eden, Adam (the human) in connection with it, and the two trees in the center of it.Most of us have picture book ideas in our heads about the Garden of Eden – an image of an entire world in a tropical paradise setting and nothing unpleasant anywhere around. But the Genesis narrative doesn't really validate that picture.For instance, as you read v8; is all the land Eden? Is all of Eden a garden? Was the human “formed” in the garden? All of this implies that there is something outside that paradisical space. Isn't that intriguing? Eden was an anomaly in the midst of non-paradise. A project begun to which we will return.On Sunday we'll look at the significance of the river that comes from Eden, and where it flows to.What do you make of the trees and the warning God issues to the human? What is the first part of God's command? Do you find it interesting that God leads with an invitation to enjoy what he's made? Does that influence your understanding of the warning God concludes with?If the human was made from dust (stuff of mortality), what does the Tree of Life represent to him? The forbidden tree is not the Tree of Good and Evil- it is something else – what word comes before good and evil? How would you interpret what that means?We have a really interesting study in front of us – I hope you can join us this Sunday as we dig into this together!Click here for a pdf copy of the slideshow.

     The Bible reveals that God imputes His righteousness to the believer at the moment of salvation. The word imputation itself is an accounting term used both in the Old Testament and the New Testament (Gen 15:6; Psa 32:2; Rom 4:3-8; Gal 3:6). Biblically, there are three major imputations that relate to our standing before God.      First is the imputation of Adam's original sin to every member of the human race. Paul wrote, “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12), for “through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men” (Rom 5:18a), for “by a man came death” (1 Co 15:21a), and “in Adam all die” (1 Cor 15:22a). This means every biological descendant of Adam is charged/credited with the sin he committed in the Garden of Eden which plunged the human race into spiritual and physical death. Jesus is the only exception, for though He is truly human (Matt 1:1; Luke 3:23-38), He was born without original sin, without a sin nature, and committed no personal sin during His time on earth (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Adam is the head of the human race and his fall became our fall. This is the basis for death and for being estranged from God. Robert B. Thieme states: "[Adam's Original Sin refers to] the initial act of willful, cognitive disobedience to God committed by the first man, Adam, when he violated God's mandate to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:17; 3:6). The initial human sin resulted in Adam's immediate spiritual death, the formation of the sin nature, and loss of his relationship with God (Gen 3:7; Rom 6:23). Since Adam is the physical and representative head of the human race, his corrupt sin nature is genetically passed on through procreation to all his descendants (Rom 5:12). At each person's physical birth, God imputes Adam's original sin to the sin nature, resulting in the condemnation of spiritual death (Rom 5:19; 1 Cor 15:21-22). The only exception is the humanity of Jesus Christ, who was conceived by means of the Holy Spirit, born without the sin nature, and thus did not receive the imputation of Adam's original sin."[1]      Second is the imputation of all sin to Jesus on the cross (Isa 53:4-6, 10; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 2:9; 1 Pet 2:21-24; 1 John 2:2). God the Father judged Jesus in our place (Mark 10:45; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Pet 3:18), cancelling our sin debt by the death of Christ (Col 2:13-14; 2 Cor 5:18-19). This was a voluntary imputation on the part of Christ who freely went to the cross and took our sins upon Himself (John 1:29; 10:11, 15, 17-18). Thieme explains: "On the cross, the justice of God the Father imputed all the sins of mankind to His beloved Son, Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:24). This was a judicial imputation because sin has no affinity with the impeccable humanity of Christ, no home in Him. To complete the judicial action, the Father's justice immediately judged every one of those sins in Christ. Our personal sins are never imputed to us for judgment. Rather, the perfect humanity of Christ was “pierced through for our transgressions,” taking upon Himself the penalty that rightfully belonged to all men (Isa 53:5). This substitutionary work satisfied God's righteousness and justice and made possible our so-great salvation (2 Cor 5:21; 1 John 2:2)."[2]      Third is the imputation of God's righteousness to those who believe in Jesus for salvation (Rom 4:3-5; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:8-9). The righteousness of God imputed to the believer at the moment of faith in Christ results in the believer being justified before God (Rom 3:22, 24, 28; 4:1-5). Moses wrote of Abraham, saying, “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned [חָשַׁב chashab] it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). David writes, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute [חָשַׁב chashab] iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psa 32:1-2). Moses and David both use the Hebrew chashab (חָשַׁב) which, according to HALOT, means “to impute, reckon to.”[3] Moses uses the verb in a positive sense of that which God imputes to Abraham, namely righteousness, and David uses the verb negatively, of that which God does not credit to a person, namely iniquity. Allen P. Ross comments on the meaning of chashab (חָשַׁב) in Psalm 32:2 and Genesis 15:6: "Not only does forgiveness mean that God takes away the sins, but it also means that God does not “impute” iniquity to the penitent: “Blessed is the one to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity.” The verb (חָשַׁב) means “impute, reckon, credit”; it is the language of records, or accounting—in fact, in modern usage the word is related to “computer.” Here the psalm is using an implied comparison, as if there were record books in heaven that would record the sins. If the forgiven sins are not imputed, it means that there is no record of them—they are gone and forgotten. Because God does not mark iniquities (Psa 130:4), there is great joy. The same verb is used in Genesis 15:6 as well, which says that Abram “believed in the LORD, and he reckoned it (וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ) to him as righteousness.” The apostle Paul brings that verse and Psalm 32:2 together in Romans 4 to explain the meaning of justification by faith: when people believe in the Lord, God reckons or credits them with righteousness (Paul will say, the righteousness of Jesus Christ), and does not reckon their sin to them."[4]      The apostle Paul cites Abraham's faith in God as the basis upon which he was declared righteous before Him, saying, “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited [logizomai] to him as righteousness'” (Rom 4:3).[5] Paul uses the Greek verb logizomai (λογίζομαι) which, according to BDAG, means “to determine by mathematical process, reckon, calculate, frequently in a transferred sense.”[6] Abraham believed God's Word, and God reckoned, or transferred His righteousness to him. After pointing to Abraham as the example of justification by faith, Paul then extrapolates that we are justified in the same way, saying, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited [logizomai] as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited [logizomai] as righteousness” (Rom 4:4-5; cf. Gal 3:6). Paul then references David, saying, “David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits [logizomai] righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. ‘Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account [logizomai]'” (Rom 4:6-8).      Paul twice used the Greek verb ellogeō (ἐλλογέω) to communicate the idea of an exchange between persons (Rom 5:13; Phm 1:18). According to BDAG, the verb ellogeō (ἐλλογέω) means “to charge with a financial obligation, charge to the account of someone.”[7] Paul told his friend, Philemon, concerning his runaway slave Onesimus, “if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge [ellogeō] that to my account” (Phlm 1:18). Paul had not wronged Philemon, nor did he owe him anything; however, Paul was willing to pay for any wrong or debt Onesimus may have incurred. J. Dwight Pentecost notes: "Paul is giving us an illustration of that which God has done for us in Christ Jesus. As the Apostle assumed the debt of Onesimus and invited Philemon—who had been wronged—to charge that debt to him, so the Lord Jesus Christ took the debt that we owed to the injured One—to God—and He charged Himself with our debt and set His righteousness down to our account."[8]      In a similar way, Jesus paid for our sin so that we don't have to, and in exchange, we receive God's righteousness. This idea of an exchange between persons means that one person is credited with something not antecedently his/her own. Our sin is our sin, and Christ's righteousness is His righteousness. When Jesus took our sin upon himself at the cross, He voluntarily accepted something that belonged to another, namely us. Jesus took our sin upon Himself. On the other hand, when we receive God's righteousness as a gift, we are accepting something that belonged to another, namely God. By faith, we accept that which belongs to God, namely, His righteousness. God's righteousness becomes our righteousness. Paul references the exchange that occurred at the cross when Jesus died for our sin, saying, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21), and he personally spoke of the righteousness “which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9).[9] Once we receive God's righteousness, we are instantaneously justified in God's sight.      Some might raise the question: how can a holy God justify unworthy sinners? How can He give something to someone who deserves the opposite? How is this just? The answer is found in Jesus and what He accomplished for us at the cross. At the cross, God judged our sin as His righteousness requires, and saves the sinner as His love desires. At the cross Jesus voluntarily died a penal substitutionary death. He willingly died in our place and bore the punishment that was rightfully ours. Our guilt became His guilt. Our shame became His shame. The result of the cross is that God is forever satisfied with the death of Christ. There's no additional sacrifice or payment needed. Jesus paid it all. When we believe in Jesus, we are forgiven all our sins (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; 2:13; Heb 10:10-14), and then God imputes His righteousness to us. The apostle Paul calls it “the gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). God's righteousness is not earned; rather, it is freely gifted to us who believe in Jesus as our Savior.      It is sometimes difficult to accept this biblical teaching, because our behavior does not always reflect our righteous standing before God. However, God's Word defines reality, and we are justified in His sight because His righteousness has been gifted to our account. The righteousness of God is credited to us who have trusted in Jesus as our Savior. Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Adam's Original Sin”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 1-2. [2] Ibid., 137. [3] Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, M. E. J. Richardson, et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 360. [4] Allen P. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, Vol. 1, (Grand Rapids, Mich., Kregel Publications, 2011), 710-711. [5] The translators of the Septuagint use logizomai (λογίζομαι) as a reliable synonym for chashab (חָשַׁב) both in Genesis 15:6 and Psalm 32:2. Paul then uses logizomai (λογίζομαι) when making his argument that justification is by faith alone in God (Rom 4:3-5; Gal 3:6). [6] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 597. [7] Ibid., 319. [8] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things Which Become Sound Doctrine, 40. [9] Though the word “impute” is not used in some passages, the idea is implied. Isaiah writes of the Suffering Servant Who “will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities” (Isa 53:11), and of God as the One Who “has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness” (Isa 61:10). And Paul writes of “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe” (Rom 3:22), and of being “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24; cf. 5:17; 9:30; 10:3-4; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 2:16; 3:11, 24).

Aiming for Biblical Families (AFBF). This is week 5's teaching of an 8-week series taught by my dad. We will only release 7 of the 8 episodes.  Show notes below. The show Questions are below that.   Developing Biblical Behavior Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Every Christian must guard their heart from deception and rebellion. But recently my wife pointed out an important concept. As a parent, it is your job to guard the heart of your children until they learn how to guard it for themselves. For children, actions precede belief. For adults, belief informs their actions. When children are young you need to help them to do right actions, which will inform their worldview. As they get older, they need to understand why those actions are good. A child who obeys Mom is seen as refreshing. A grown man who only does what he is told and doesn't know why or even care to know why, is a slave. Here are a few concepts (some biblical, some merely practical) that you can work on with your children.   The interrupt rule. This is a useful tool for children. It helps the child to wait for the adult conversation to pause so that they can ask a question or bring up a point of interest in the conversation. If your child needs your attention they can come up to you, put their hand on your hand and wait for you to respond. This is helpful because the child knows that they will have your attention as soon as you can give it to them. Yes Mom, yes Dad. When you call a child have them answer with “Yes Mom?” not “what?” This answer builds respect for your leadership as a parent. It centers your family on parental authority, not child centered authority. You will have to work at helping your children get into the habit of responding this way. You can even do this when you don't have any particular instructions. For example, sometimes I would call one of the children, like Hadassah. I would call and she would come running and respond, “Yes Daddy.” And I would just say, “Love you.” There was no instruction, but I would always get, “Love you to Daddy.” There's nothing better. Respecting elders. This concept should be trained because it helps the child to focus on others rather than self. It alerts kids to the value of those who have had more life experience than they have. They will also be more able to receive wisdom from God, their ultimate elder (Lev.19:32).   Respecting siblings. Respecting siblings develops family unity and lifelong friendships. It helps train selfishness out of each child, and brings peace to the home (Pr.12:10). We trained our children that each sibling would be a life-long friend. And that they should defend and cherish that bond. Respecting property. Vandalism is a sign of cultural decay. Destroying your own property is stupid. Destroying another person's property is criminal. We are to respect and honor other people and their property (Ex.20:15). Respect for nature (God's property). Littering, destroying nature, killing animals for fun are all a perversion of the original call that was placed upon us in the garden of Eden (Gen.1:28). We are to take God's character and principles into the world and subdue it for Him. If you disrespect nature, you are disrespecting God's property. Mr. and Mrs. Like the concept of respecting elders, this delineates who is a grown-up and who is not. Grown-ups are not your children's peers, they have experienced many more years life. A grown-up pays bills, runs a household, goes to work and deals with problems there, deals with problems at home. So they are not on the same level as a child. They are not a peer and they should be treated with respect (Lev.19:32). Overcoming shyness. Personalities differ from one another. Some children are more bold, more outgoing. Those children who are more shy will struggle to speak with adults, or look at them when an adult is talking to them. It's okay to be in the process of working to overcome shyness; however, shyness cannot be used as an excuse for rebellion. Some children refuse to answer an adult or look at them when being spoken to because it is gives them a sense of power. Don't rationalize away shyness, you may actually be masking sin. Eye contact and the handshake. In our culture eye contact is not disrespectful. It shows that the child is engaged and listening to your instructions. When you meet a grown-up, the child should not be afraid to look at them while they talk and respond back. As children get older, and someone shakes their hand, they need to look at them, and give them a firm (not limp) handshake. Life isn't fair. Life has setbacks. You have to learn how to grow through difficult times. Help your children through tough times by training them that life is not fair. Those who demand that life should always be fair will be disappointed all the time. They should become overcomers, not victims. 10 minute warning. Don't exasperate your children. This is a useful tool for parents to give children time to get ready to comply with their instructions. Dinner time can be an example. Tell your children, “Dinner is in 10 minutes.” Then come back in five minuets and say, “Dinner is in five minutes.” This gives them time to finish what they were doing and get ready to comply with your instruction. The value of labor. While running a household some chores are to be done for free because it's for the welfare of the whole family. But other chores can be financially rewarded. You will have to decide which labor should be rewarded with money or an allowance. Being paid for labor will train children to value money. If they are habitually given money for free, without laboring for it, they will expect everyone to give to them freely when they don't deserve it. This is especially harmful as they reach adulthood. No one respects a leech. The ultimate goal for all of these behaviors is for the child to eventually have self-initiative, without having to be prompted by the parent. This will take several years. But when you see self-initiative give them verbal accolades!   Questions For children, actions __________ belief. For adults, belief ___________ action. Are any of these concepts new to you? Which ones do you think will be hard to implement?

Joshua's duties are expressed as conditions whose fulfilment would bring high privilege and honor. The transaction was tantamount to a covenant of grant proposal, offering special reward in recognition of faithful services to be rendered. Joshua's recommissioning took this form because the high priestly order epitomized the Torah-covenant with Israel and therefore, like it, was informed by the works principle as previously observed. The Mosaic Covenant was indeed a covenant of works at the level of Israel's typological kingdom. In that respect it recapitulated the original covenant of works with Adam. Hence the proposal made to Joshua was also after the pattern of that covenant of creation with its proposal of a grant of heightened blessings to be merited by Adam's obedient discharge of the stipulated services, particularly the priestly guardianship of God's sanctuary. To be created in the divine image includes, ultimately, three glory components of celestial/supernal (galactic progeny) king-priesthood present in the Glory-Spirit-Archetype. WALK IN HIS WAYS Kingship of truth KEEP HIS CHARGE Priesthood of purity X2M.125 One is the ethical glory of purity and truth. That is the component Paul focuses on when he adopts this metaphor of putting on Gods likeness like clothing (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10) Interestingly, in the apostle's adaptation of the theme, the putting on of the clothing of holiness follows, as in Zechariah 3, a putting off of unfit clothing (Eph 4:22; Col 3:9). Like Adam's probation mission in Eden (Gen 2:15), Joshua's commissioning set him on guard against the hostile incursion of the evil one into God's holy house. He must stand against Satan's challenge at Har Magedon. CROWN ACCESS UNTO COUNCIL AND LAND GRANT A second component of the image of God is dominion comparable to that exercised by God and the Elohim-like angels of the divine council (cf. Ps 82:1,6). Agreeably, Joshua's re-investiture was an appointment to the office of the high priest, which afforded admission into the holy of holies, with a place in God's court. This is mentioned in the commission given to Joshua: he was to govern God's courts and to be given access among the angel-attendants of the heavenly King (Zech 3:7). TRANSFIGURATION UNTO GLORIFICATION The third component of the Glory likeness is the visible glory of transfiguration, an outward luminosity befitting and bespeaking the lucid purity and integrity within, a physical radiance that manifests the majesty of regal station. This visual glory, not included with the other two elements in the original creation endowment of man, is an eschatological honor. It is the Spirit-wrought glorification the redeemed will experience when they behold Jesus, arrayed with the Glory-Spirit, coming in the clouds of heaven. It was portrayed by the dazzling beauty of Aaron's holy garments. In the vision of Zechariah 3, Joshua, be being re-invested with the radiant high priestly regalia, is transfigured into the brilliant Glory-likeness of the messianic Angel of the Glory-presence before whom he stands. Kline Meredith G. 2001. Glory in Our Midst : A Biblical-Theological Reading of Zechariah's Night Visions. Eugene Ore: Wipf and Stock, pp. 114 & 118. Going Boldly Where The Last Man has Gone Before! Decrease time over target:  PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut

The biggest obstacle to faith for a lot of people is this: “If God is all powerful, then why does He cause (or allow) bad things to happen?” There's something fundamental that we must establish before we ever address this question directly: God is good, all the time (James 1:16-17).   We know this, at least in part, by what Jesus did. Jesus said that he who has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:8-9), and Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38, Matt 15:30, Matt 4:23-24, Matt 8:16, Matt 9:35, Matt 10:1, Matt 12:15, Matt 15:30, Luke 4:40, Luke 10:9).  He never refused healing to anyone who came to Him. He never harmed anyone "for their own good," or put a disease on anyone "to teach them something" or "to discipline them." Not once. In fact, He actively worked against all sickness and disease, to destroy the devil's work (1 John 3:8). He is the same today as He was when He was on earth (Hebrews 13:8). God the Father doesn't change either (Malachi 3:6). We know of God's character from His names in the Old Testament. He is Jehovah Nissi (The Lord my Banner - Ex 17:15). He is Jehovah-Raah (The Lord my Shepherd, or My Friend - Gen 48:15, Psalm 23:1, 80:1, Ez 34:11-15). He is Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals, Ex 15:26). He is Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There - He has not abandoned you: Eze 48:35). He is Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness, Jer 23:6, 33:16). He is Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord who Sanctifies You: Ex 31:13, Lev 20:8). He is Jehovah Jireh (The Lord will Provide, Gen 22:14). He is Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace, Judges 6:24). He is Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts, 1 Sam 1:3, Ps 24:9-10, 84:3, Isa 6:5). Many other scriptures establish His goodness. He is ONLY good. (1 John 1:5, Psalm 84:11-12; Psalm 146:6-10; Psalm 107:9, Psalm 31:19, 1 Tim 4:4-5, Eph 1:3, Romans 8:28, Ps 103:2-5, Ps 145:16-19). God doesn't do bad things to His children. Yet He's powerful enough that for those who trust in Him, He can take even terrible circumstances that were not part of His plan, and bring good out of them.“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” (Romans 8:28). Those who know their scriptures well may point out Old Testament passages that sound like God, in fact, did do evil things. One example is in 2 Sam 24:1, when it says the Lord moved David (in pride) to count the number of his subjects... and then condemned David's sin in having done so (2 Sam 24:10) and punished him severely for it. Yet the exact same story appears in 1 Chron 21:1, where it says Satan moved David to number Israel. This is a very rare glimpse into what was happening in the spiritual realm in the Old Testament, where there is almost no doctrine of Satan. The primary exception to this is at the beginning of the book of Job; otherwise Satan is only mentioned by name here, and in Zechariah 3:1-2. (He is mentioned in Genesis 3 as "the serpent," of course, and also as Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28 as well.) The Old Testament had almost no doctrine of Satan because the people had no authority over him under the Mosaic covenant. What good would it do to learn that you have a bloodthirsty enemy, but there is nothing you can do to protect yourself from him? Because of this, in the Old Testament, anything supernatural, good or bad, was attributed to God, whether God was the instigator or not. The New Testament (and the revelation in Job 1:6-12) shows that this is not the case; there is a spiritual war going on, and we have an adversary who hates us. (For more on how God's dealings with man changed with different covenants, see my Blood Covenant biblical retellings duology: Blood Covenant Origins and Blood Covenant Fulfilled.) So if God doesn't cause bad things to happen, why do they happen? Evil comes about as a result of one of or a combination of three things -- 1) Satan, the enemy of God and therefore of us, who would like nothing better than to see us destroyed:“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).1 Peter 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 2) A fallen world that will be redeemed one day, but isn't yet: “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:20-21). and 3) people who are sinners, and either aren't yet saved or aren't yet perfected:“There is no one righteous [apart from God], not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Rom 3:10-11). But if God is truly sovereign, or all-powerful, even if He doesn't cause bad things to happen, doesn't He at least allow them, for His own purposes--which largely boils down to the same thing? I thought this way for a very long time--that He was like a great General of an army, who sometimes had to make sacrifices for a greater good. Sometimes (sorry), that sacrifice turned out to be you. On one particular night, sitting in front of my fire alone and in the midst of a major life crisis, the Lord disabused me of this mistaken belief about Him. At the time it was an emotional, intuitive understanding, and the fruit of it--renewed joy, hope, faith, and trust in Him--was one layer of evidence that it was true. It was only later that I studied why this definition of God's sovereignty is also biblically inaccurate. God is sovereign in the sense that He is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing, but He is not all-controlling. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; they did anyway. Was that God's will? Certainly not! He did everything He could to keep them from doing it, short of making them automatons, when He told them, don't do it. Likewise, any sovereign can set laws that his citizens may not necessarily obey. The US is a sovereign nation and in 1974 the administration set the "National Maximum Speed Law" of 55mph. But many drivers exceeded that speed limit regularly.  The New English Translation has the word “sovereign” appear more than any other biblical translation (368 times). Not one of the original Hebrew or Greek words connotes the idea that He controls everything that happens. Most of the time it's just the way they render God's names.The word sovereign is often translated from Shaddai (meaning Almighty) when it's part of God's name (48 times in the OT). Other times it's translated from ‘elohiym: supreme God, as a superlative, or ‘elyown, meaning High or Most High. Sometimes it's thrown in as part of the transition of ‘Adonay: an emphatic form of the Lord. Sometimes it's translated from tsaba', also translated the Lord of Hosts, meaning one who commands an army. In some cases the word sovereign is used to describe God's characteristics, but in context, it doesn't mean what we typically mean by the word (that His will always happens). The NET version of 1 Chronicles 29:11 says, "O LORD, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all." Only this translation uses the word sovereign; the others , translate it Head. This word connotes the idea of a supreme ruler, but not of one who always gets His way.  Psalm 84:11 is one of my favorites. It says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield (magen: shield, buckler, protector).” The same verse is translated in NET: "For the LORD God is our sovereign protector." Clearly this doesn't say anything about His will always being done, either. Sovereign power is also translated as holiness from qadash: "to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate." This word is used in Ezekiel 28:25: "'This is what the sovereign LORD says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power (or holiness) over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob." Micah 5:4 says, "He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the LORD's strength, by the sovereign authority of the LORD his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth.” Sovereign authority is ga'own (exaltation, majesty, pride) shem (name, reputation, fame, glory): thus, better translated “in the majesty of the name” of the Lord.  Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For recognition of the LORD's sovereign majesty will fill the earth just as the waters fill up the sea." Sovereign majesty here is yada (to know, to perceive, to make known) kabowd (glory, honour, glorious, abundance), also translated “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” Of course God's will does not always come to pass. The classic example of this is 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance,” and 1 Timothy 2:4: “Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Matthew 18:14 also says, “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, not just those who are saved. 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”, and 1 Tim 4:10 says, "That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” But not everybody will be saved, clearly. God gave us free will; He doesn't force us to choose Him, nor does He make any of our other decisions for us, either. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." God wills it; He paid for it; but He won't get everyone as He would like. There are other verses that imply the concept of sovereignty (in the sense that when God decides to do something, He does it, and no one can stop Him).  But this refers to God's right and His power, and says nothing about potential restrictions He places on His right and power one way or the other. Here are a few of those verses: Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Isaiah 46:10: “I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” Romans 8:28: “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” (i.e. He can use bad and work it for good.) So what restrictions did God place on His own power, and why are they there? God gave dominion of earth to men in the Garden of Eden (Gen 1:26-29)--like the lease on a property, the earth lease. When Adam obeyed Satan instead of God, he gave the earth to Satan, and Satan became the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, but the earth lease has yet to run out. Even the demons whom Jesus cast out knew that there was a set time when they would be evicted--but it was not yet (Matt 8:29). Once God had given His word, He had to abide by it. Everything in the universe is upheld by the integrity of His word (Hebrews 1:3). And yet, He still wanted to save us--but we'd locked Him outside of His own world by our choices. He had to find a way to "legally" get back on the inside. He'd given dominion of the earth to men (Psalm 115:16), so He had to become a man, to buy it back--our kinsman redeemer (see the book of Ruth for a true story that is also a parable of this). Jesus did buy it back, but even though He now has the rights to it, He won't take possession of it until He returns. He has delayed only so that all who would will be saved (2 Peter 3:9). Revelation 5 depicts the moment when the earth lease is finally up. Jesus begins to take possession of it, and to "evict" the evil from the world. Even then, He won't do it all at once, but in progressive steps, because part of the purpose of the Tribulation is to redeem His chosen people, Israel. Indeed, their turning to Him and asking Him to return is a prerequisite for His second coming (Matt 23:39). Until then, though, God has made "legal" provision for those who follow Him through successive covenants with men on earth who could agree to give Him permission. Prior to Abraham, God had no "legal" right to protect His favorites, which is why the book of Job played out the way it did. But once the Mosaic law came, it laid out blessings for those who followed God, and cursings for those who disobeyed Him (Deut 28)--because sin still had to be punished. The story of the Old Testament shows repeated episodes of disobedience, because the Jews could not follow the Law. God always knew this, of course--Paul's treatise in Romans demonstrates that the point of the Law was to show that all people are incapable of following it. Even so, there were those even in the Old Testament who figured out that what God really wanted was a changed heart (Psalm 51:10, Micah 6:8), not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). Those few, like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and David, got to enjoy a real relationship with God, even before Christ. Aside from spiritual blessings from obedience in the Old Covenant, God wanted good things for His people so much that He built in multiple paths to receive it. He designed the body such that it heals itself. In the law, He also instructed His people on how to work with the natural laws so that their bodies would be healthy. He told them to rest one day per week (the Sabbath). The Old Covenant is full of dietary rules, to eat certain things and not to eat others (corresponding to modern recommendations for health), to quarantine those who contracted contagious diseases, to decontaminate objects that had been in contact with mold, and many other things that would have made no medical sense to the Jews at the time. More than that, the most common command in scripture is to "fear not." We now know that stress (anxiety, fear, panic, etc) contributes to, by some estimation, up to 90% of chronic illness. From a practical standpoint for provision, scripture is filled with recommendations to be honest, generous, diligent and not lazy, to diversify our efforts, etc --to work with natural laws of sowing and reaping, so that we might prosper. I n the Old Testament, there are accounts of miraculous interventions for healing, provision, victory, etc--but God always worked through a man who cooperated with Him via the covenant in place at the time. In the New Testament, Jesus was the perfect embodiment of the will of the Father. He healed everyone who came to Him--but the method was often different. In some cases, He healed with a touch (Luke 5:13). In other cases, people touched Him (Mark 5:31), or even the hem of His garment (Matt 14:36). In other cases He merely spoke the word (Matt 8:8, John 11:43). In others He put mud on blind eyes (John 9:6). There was no formula; He met people where they were at, individually. Then in the New Covenant, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13-14), leaving us with only the blessings for those who are in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). This means that today, there are many promises for blessing, healing, provision, and victory that we can stand on and receive by faith, whether a sudden miraculous intervention or a slow blessing working with natural laws (which is more common, Mark 4:14, 26-29). God sends His word to heal us (Ps 107:20). We can receive the blessings that are now already ours in Christ (Eph 1:3) by abiding in Him (John 15:7), trusting in Him (Prov 3:5-6, Psalm 91), learning what His word says (Hosea 4:6) and renewing our minds with it (Romans 12:2), casting down all imaginations to the contrary (2 Cor 10:5), and resisting the devil when he tries to lie to us about what is truly ours (James 4:7), by speaking God's word in faith (Mark 11:23), and by forgiving others and ourselves (James 5:16). Since God's word is as a seed, it takes time for the harvest to come (Mark 4:14, 26-29) and we will reap if we do not grow weary and lose heart (Gal 6:9). What if we fail to do our part and for whatever reason, don't or can't seem to receive this way, though? The earth is still under Satan's control until the earth lease runs out, and it's also still dominated by sinful people. The world itself is still corrupted by sin (Romans 8:19-22). God made provision for us to overcome these things, but there is still much to overcome. Job (who had no covenant to protect him at all) complained to God, "Have you eyes of flesh? or do you see as a man sees?" (Job 10:4). Even in the Old Testament, God pitied us and knew that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14), but then Jesus came and walked in our shoes. He can sympathize with our weaknesses exactly (Hebrews 4:15). When Peter walked on water and then took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink, Jesus still reached out and caught him (Matt 14:28-32). When the disciples feared drowning and woke Jesus, Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves (Mark 4:35-41). If we begin to fear and take our eyes off of Him, He's there for us too, to give us mercy and grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). He also gave us the body of Christ to stand with us and bolster our faith with the prayer of agreement (Matt 18:19, James 5:14-15). We also still have all of the alternative methods to receive God's blessings, as well: all truth is His truth. He gave us principles like sowing and reaping (Gal 6:7) which includes blessing the work of our hands (Deut 28:4-8). He gave us the science of natural laws, including medicine and logic. He promises to give us wisdom for whatever we need when we ask for it (James 1:5-8)--we just have to take Him at His word. Whatever tragedy may have befallen you in your life, God was not the author of it. He wants good things for you, and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11). He is for you, and not against you (Romans 8:31). If He gave you the very best He had, Jesus, to redeem you and make you His, why would He not also freely give you everything else that is good (Romans 8:32)? He weeps with you in your tragedy (John 11:35). He never wanted this for you. But He can take even that tragedy and bring good out of it, if You will trust Him to do so (Romans 8:28). God has been much maligned, even in the church. It's convenient and even sometimes comforting, in a twisted way, to say that God must have done, or allowed, some tragedy for some greater purpose of His that we cannot see. But the truth is, the earth is still a battleground, and God is the Hero, not the villain. He is only good. All the time.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Part 2 of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Series...When presented with opportunities and invitations, how do we know what to say yes to and what to say no to? We can't say yes to everything, and when we say no, it gives more meanings to our yes.Without a Theology of Limits, we will have a tough time making wise decisions. God gave Adam and Eve a limit in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:4-6). Jesus worked within limits in His ministry (Luke 4:42-43 as an example). John the Baptist embraced his limits (John 3:36-30 as an example). And the Twelve acknowledged their limits while staying rooted in their calling (Acts 6:1-4).What are the limits we need to receive?What are limits that we need to breakthrough?Decision-Making is an important part in our Spiritual & Emotional maturity. 

Psalm 36 begins with David looking at the corruption of the human heart and it is not a very pretty picture. He notices that the evil that is let loose from the heart begins with no fear of God and His righteous judgments. In other words, the wicked person has no fear of the consequences of his evil deeds or he thinks he can get by with it. David didn't keep contemplating the sinners and on the dark, dismal, and discouraging world of evil and debauchery and he did a wise thing. He started focusing on the glories of the Lord. Instead of looking at the heart of the wicked that is filled with corruption he turned his eyes upward to look on the characteristics of the heart of God. Knowing the character and attributes of God is essential and a key to a balanced Christian life. These five verses (vv. 5-9) are a full course on systematic theology. Notice these phrases in just three of these verses (vv. 5-7): “Your mercy, Your faithfulness, Your righteousness, Your judgments, Your preservation, Your lovingkindness”! Mercy (vv. 5, 7, 10) is translated "lovingkindness" in the New American Standard Bible and "love" in the New International Version. Some translations use "covenant love" or "steadfast love." Mercy and faithfulness are often joined (Psalms 57:3; 61:7; 85:10; 86:15), as are righteousness and justice (Psalms 33:5; 89:14; 97:2). God's mercy and faithfulness are as limitless as the skies, His righteousness as firm as the mountains, and His judgments (justice) as inexhaustible and mysterious as the ocean depths (see Rom. 11:33-36). Yet He takes care of people and animals on the earth! “You preserve man and beast.” What a gracious and generous God! His mercy is priceless, for it took the death of His Son to accomplish salvation for a lost world (1 Peter 1:18-19). When you know and think on this, it is no wonder that “the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings (v. 7). One translation says it this way, “They take refuge under the shadow of Your wings”. The "refuge" is a reference to the Holy of Holies in the sanctuary of the Lord, especially as we notice that David mentions God's house in verse 8. If so, then the "wings" are those of the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark (Ex. 37:9). (Psalms 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; Ruth 2:12; Heb. 10:19-25.) God's "shadow" offers us better protection than the world's armies! We see this again in Psalm 90:1-4, the image is that of the mother hen protecting her young with her outspread wings. (See Matt. 23:37 and Luke 13:34.) And just like the priests who received portions of some sacrifices for their own use and would feast in the sanctuary (Lev. 6:14-23; 7:11-38; Deut. 18:1-5; 1 Sam. 2:12-17), David sees all of God's people enjoying a feast in God's house where there is an abundance of food and water (Psalms 63:1-5; 65:4). The image of the Lord's satisfying river is found often in Scripture: Psalm 46:4; Isaiah 8:5-8; Jeremiah 2:13-19; Ezekiel 47; John 4:1-15 and 7:37-39; Revelation 22:1. The word "pleasures" in verse 8 comes from the same Hebrew root as "Eden" in Genesis 2 and 3, and it means "delight." Man sinned and was cast out of Eden, but through faith in Christ, we have access into God's presence and can delight in His blessings. The river in verse 8 reminds us of the rivers in Eden (Gen. 2:8-14). Life and light go together (v. 9; Psalm 49:19; 56:13; John 1:4; 8:12), and the Lord is the source of both. Yes, my friend, the wicked can only feed on flattery from themselves and the world (v. 2), but the righteous feed on the Lord Jesus, “His mercy, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His judgments, His preservation, His lovingkindness”, and all His rich blessings, and are always “abundantly satisfied”! What river or well are you drinking from today? What or Who are you feeding on today? God bless!

October 12, 2022 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/stjohnrandomlake/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stjohnrandomlake/support

     God gives law to humans living in every age. He gave commands to the first humans living in the sinless environment of the Garden of Eden (Gen 1:26-30; 2:15-17). He gave commands to Noah (Gen 6-9). He gave commands to Abraham (Gen 12:1; 17:10-14). He gave commands to the Israelites—known as the Mosaic Law—after delivering them from their bondage in Egypt (Ex 20 - Deut 34). He has given commands to Christians (Romans 1 to Revelation 3). These biblical distinctions are important, for though all Scripture is written for the benefit of the Christian, only some portions of it speak specifically to him and command his walk with the Lord. Just as the Christian would not try to obey the commands God gave to Adam in Genesis 1-2, or the commands God gave to Noah in Genesis 6-9, so he should not try to obey the commands God gave to Israel in Exodus through Deuteronomy. Romans chapter 1 through Revelation chapter 3 marks the specific body of Scripture that directs the Christian life both regarding specific commands and divine principles. Charles Ryrie states: "Adam lived under laws, the sum of which may be called the code of Adam or the code of Eden. Noah was expected to obey the laws of God, so there was a Noahic code. We know that God revealed many commands and laws to Abraham (Gen 26:5). They may be called the Abrahamic code. The Mosaic code contained all the laws of the Law. And today we live under the law of Christ (Gal 6:2) or the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom 8:2). This code contains the hundreds of specific commandments recorded in the New Testament."[1]      Israel and the Church are both the people of God, but they operate under distinct law codes. The Mosaic Law was given specifically to the nation of Israel and referred to “the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai” (Lev 26:46). The Mosaic Law revealed the holy character of God (Lev 11:45; cf. Rom 7:12), was given specifically to Israel circa 1445 BC (Lev 27:34), was regarded as a unit of laws (613 total), was to be taken as a whole (Gal 3:10; 5:3; Jam 2:10) and existed for nearly 1500 years before being rendered inoperative (Heb 7:18; 8:13; cf. Rom 7:1-4). Jesus was born under the Mosaic Law (Gal 4:4), and directed others to abide by it (Matt 8:1-4; 23:1-3). However, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus provided teaching to His disciples that pertained to the dispensation of the Church (John chapters 13-17); then He went to the cross and died for our sins, just as He'd prophesied (Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Mark 10:45).      The Mosaic Law was never a means of justification before God, as that has always been by faith alone in God and His promises (Rom 3:24-28; 4:1-5; Gal 2:16, 21; 3:21; Eph 2:8-9). Over time, the Mosaic Law became perverted into a system of works whereby men sought to earn their salvation before God. Merrill F. Unger states: "By nature the Law is not grace (Rom 10:5; Gal 3:10; Heb 10:28). It is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual (Rom 7:12, 14). In its ministry it declares and proves all men guilty (Rom 3:19). Yet it justifies no one (Rom 3:20). It cannot impart righteousness or life (Gal 3:21). It causes offenses to abound (Rom 5:20; 7:7-13; 1 Cor 15:56). It served as an instructor until Christ appeared (Gal 3:24). In relationship to the believer, the Law emphatically does not save anyone (Gal 2:21). A believer does not live under the Law (Rom 6:14; 8:4), but he stands and grows in grace (Rom 5:2; 2 Pet 3:18). The nation, Israel, alone was the recipient of the Law (Ex 20:2)."[2]      The New Testament reveals the Mosaic Law was regarded as a “yoke” which Israel had not “been able to bear” because their sinful flesh was weak (Acts 15:1-11). There is no fault with the Mosaic Law, for it “is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom 7:12). The Mosaic Law is holy because it comes from God who is holy. Because the Mosaic Law is holy, it exposes the faults of people and shows them to be sinful (Rom 3:20), and among many, it actually stimulates their sinful nature (Rom 5:20; 7:7-8).      Paul made clear that the Mosaic Law was not the rule of life for the Christian. He even referred to it as a “ministry of death” (2 Cor 3:7) and a “ministry of condemnation” (2 Cor 3:9). Paul stated that it was intended to be temporary (Gal 3:19), that it was never the basis for justification (Gal 2:16, 21; 3:21, Rom 24-28; 4:1-5; Eph 2:8-9), but was intended to lead people to Christ that they may be justified by faith (Gal 3:24). Now that Christ has come and fulfilled every aspect of the Law and died on the cross, the Mosaic Law, in its entirety, has been rendered inoperative as a rule of life (Matt 5:17-18; Rom 10:1-4; Heb 8:13). According to Fruchtenbaum, “As a rule of life, the Law of Moses was temporary … [and] came to an end with the death of the Messiah.”[3] The Christian living in the dispensation of the church age is now under the Law of Christ (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2).      God is the Author of both the Mosaic Law as well as the Law of Christ; therefore, it is not surprising that He chose to incorporate some of the laws He gave to Israel into the law-code which He has given to the Church. When trying to understand which laws have carried over and which have not, the general rule is: what God has not restated, has been altogether abrogated. Charles Ryrie states, “The Mosaic Law was done away in its entirety as a code. It has been replaced by the law of Christ. The law of Christ contains some new commands (1 Tim 4:4), some old ones (Rom 13:9), and some revised ones (Rom 13:4, with reference to capital punishment).”[4] The Church is no more under the Mosaic Law than a Canadian is under US law, as laws only have authority to its citizenry. Thomas Constable states: "The law of Christ is the code of commandments under which Christians live. Some of the commandments Christ and His apostles gave us are the same as those that Moses gave the Israelites. However, this does not mean that we are under the Mosaic Code. Residents of the United States live under a code of laws that is similar to, but different from, the code of laws that govern residents of England. Some of our laws are the same as theirs, and others are different. Because some laws are the same we should not conclude that the codes are the same. Christians no longer live under the Mosaic Law; we live under a new code, the law of Christ (cf. 5:1)."[5]      Though rendered inoperative as a rule of life, the Mosaic Law can be used to teach such things as God's holiness, people's sinfulness, the need for atonement, and the ultimate need for people to trust in Christ for salvation (Rom 3:10-25; 5:20; 10:1-4). All Scripture is for us, though not all Scripture is to us (1 Cor 10:11). And being under the grace-system does not mean believers are without law and can therefore sin as they please (Rom 6:14-16; Tit 2:11-12). The New Testament speaks of “the perfect law of liberty” (Jam 1:25), “the royal law” (Jam 2:8), the “Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2), and “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2). Henry Thiessen states: "The believer has been made free from the law, but liberty does not mean license. To offset this danger of antinomianism, the Scriptures teach that we have not only been delivered from the law, but also “joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Rom 7:4). We are thus not “without the law of God but under the law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:21; cf. Gal 6:2). Freedom from law should not result in license, but love (Gal 5:13; cf. 1 Pet 2:16). The believer is, consequently, to keep his eyes on Christ as his example and teacher, and by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his law (Rom 8:4; Gal 5:18)."[6] Arnold Fruchtenbaum adds: "The Law of Moses has been disannulled and we are now under a new law. This new law is called the Law of Christ in Galatians 6:2 and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Romans 8:2. This is a brand new law, totally separate from the Law of Moses. The Law of Christ contains all the individual commandments from Christ and the Apostles applicable to a New Testament believer. A simple comparison of the details will show that it is not and cannot be the same as the Law of Moses. Four observations are worth noting. First, many commandments are the same as those of the Law of Moses. For example, nine of the Ten Commandments are also in the Law of Christ. But, second, many are different from the Law of Moses. For example, there is no Sabbath law now (Rom 14:5; Col 2:16) and no dietary code (Mark 7:19; Rom 14:20). Third, some commandments in the Law of Moses are intensified by the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses said: love thy neighbor as thyself (Lev 19:18). This made man the standard. The Law of Christ said: love one another, even as I have loved you (John 15:12). This makes the Messiah the standard and He loved us enough to die for us. Fourth, the Law of the Messiah provides a new motivation. The Law of Moses was based on the conditional Mosaic Covenant and so the motivation was: do, in order to be blessed. The Law of Christ is based on the unconditional New Covenant and so the motivation is: you have been and are blessed, therefore, do. The reason there is so much confusion over the relationship of the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ is that many commandments are similar to those found in the Mosaic Law, and many have concluded that certain sections of the law have, therefore, been retained."[7]      The Church is not Israel and is not under the Mosaic Law as the rule for life. Just as OT saints had a clear body of Scripture which guided their walk with the Lord (Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy 34), so NT saints have a body of Scripture that guides us (Romans 1 through Revelation 3). According to Fruchtenbaum, “The rule of life for the saint today is found in the epistles of the New Testament. As with the Law of Moses, instructions and commandments of the New Testament are not the means of salvation but they are a ‘heavenly rule of life' for those who are heavenly citizens through the power of God.”[8] Christians living under the Law of Christ have both positive and negative commands that direct their lives. Where the Scripture does not provide specific commands, it gives divine principles that guide the Christian's walk (i.e., to walk in love, to glorify God in all things, etc.).      In Scripture, we learn that Israel is a nation (Ex 19:6), but the church is not a nation (Rom 10:19). God's program for Israel focused on the land promised to Abraham (Gen 12:1; 15:18; 17:8), whereas the church is called to go out to many lands (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Israel was mentioned throughout the Old Testament and recognized by other nations (Num 14:15; Josh 5:1), but the church was a mystery not known in the Old Testament (Eph 3:1-6; Col 1:26-27; cf. Rom 16:25-26).[9] Israel was under “the Law” of Moses (John 1:17), whereas the Church is under the “Law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2). Israel had a priesthood that was specific to the tribe of Levi (Num 3:6-7), whereas all Christians are priests to God (Rev 1:6). Israel worshipped first at the Tabernacle and later the Temple (Ex 40:18-38; 2 Ch 8:14-16), but for Christians, their body is the temple of the Lord and they gather locally where they want (1 Cor 6:19-20; cf. 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15). Israel offered animal sacrifices to God (Lev 4:1-35), but Christians offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet 2:5; cf. Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15). Israel was required to tithe from the produce of their land (Deut 14:22-23; 28-29; Num 18:21), but there is no tithe required from Christians, only a joyful attitude when giving, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).   [1] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 351. [2] Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN., AMG Publishers, 2002), 125. [3] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 373. [4] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 351-52. [5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Gal. 6:2. [6] Henry Clarence Thiessen and Vernon D. Doerksen, Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 171. [7] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 650-51. [8] Ibid., 379. [9] A mystery (musterion) is something “which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Eph. 3:5). Paul then states what that mystery is, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6).

Introduction: The Gospel in the Garden: Three Foundations of Faith (Genesis 3:20-24): Believe God's Promise . (Gen 3:20) Receive God's Provision . (Gen 3:21) Trust God's Path . (Gen 3:22-24) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Genesis 3:20-24What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is a curse? What does it mean that disobedience to God results in a curse from God? What does this have to do with Jesus? See Galatians 3:10-13What is faith? How did Adam demonstrate faith (Gen 3:20)?Explain the significance of God clothing Adam and Eve with skins (Gen 3:21).Why did God drive Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:22)? How was this actually a blessing for them?BreakoutPray for one another.

Introduction: Cursed By God: The Consequences of Sin (Genesis 3:14-19): To the serpent: Defeat . (Gen 3:14-15) To the woman: pain at Home . (Gen 3:16) Genesis 4:7 - And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. To the man: pain at Work . (Gen 3:17-19) What does this have to do with Good Friday? Galatians 3:10-13 - For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Genesis 3:14-19What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is a curse? What does it mean that disobedience to God results in a curse from God? What does this have to do with Jesus? See Galatians 3:10-13What is faith? How did Adam demonstrate faith (Gen 3:20)?Explain the significance of God clothing Adam and Eve with skins (Gen 3:21).Why did God drive Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:22)? How was this actually a blessing for them?BreakoutPray for one another.

The most important promise that has ever been made was is the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15). God said that even though Adam and Eve had sinned against Him, He would make things right through the woman. Children are the fulfillment of that promise that culminated in the birth of Jesus. In this lesson, Pastor Philip Jackson continues his series on biblical family roles by exploring the contribution that children make to the gospel and how they express the beautiful love of the Father. Passages Cited: New American Standard Bible (2020) Genesis 3:15, 20; 4:1 1 Samuel 1:4-5 Psalm 127:3; 139:13-16 Deuteronomy 6:1-2 Kings 3:5-9 Proverbs 3:11-12 Hebrews 12:3-11 Ephesians 6:1-4 James 1:19-26 Exodus 20:12 Leviticus 19:3 Luke 2:41-52 Philippians 2:3-11 Get Connected! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evergreen.tulsa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evergreen.tulsa/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvergreenChurchTulsa/featured Website: www.evergreenbc.org Additional lessons: https://tinyurl.com/REACHTulsa

Okan DEDEOĞLU ile Taze Gündem Kanalımızda ‘'Geleceği Hayal Eden Genç Girişimciler'' konusunu konuştuk. Uzman konuklarımız; ‘' Girişimci Parkı Kurucu Ortak & İş Geliştirme Yöneticisi Özgür DEVECİ, Girişimci Parkı Kurucu Ortak & Pazarlama Yöneticisi Enes YİĞİT, Helimore Kurucu Başak DEMİR, Kozmodrop Kurucu Ortak Orhan ARI, Sustainarch Kurucu Safayat HOSSAİN, Hleep Kurucu Ortak Hasan NARİN, Dodact Kurucu Ortak Salih Duhan SAYAR, Dodact Kurucu Ortak Dodact Kurucu Ortak İbrahim ÇIRAK.''

In this episode we look into the scriptures of Genesis 2:4-9 and what the Bible teaches of the "garden of Eden" and what were the trees that Adam and Eve were instructed about?  Does the Bible say?  Be sure to listen in on this one and grab a pen and paper to take notes! Lots of verses referenced for sure! Genesis 1:27 - "soul" with Revelation 6:9-11, Genesis 35:18 and Luke 16:23-24 Eden - Gen. 13:10, Amos 1:5, Isaiah 51:3, II Kings 19:12, Ezekiel 44-48, Genesis 15 (Abraham and a 'land grant'). Trees in the garden - Genesis 3:22, 3:7; Judges 9:7-15.  Vine Tree-Gen. 9, Lev. 17, Acts 25, Ezekiel 15, Numbers 6:1-6, Lamen. 4:21 and Habk. 2:15.... "cedars of Lebanon" - Ezk. 31:3-18 and Job 15:30-33 www.truepathradio.com and www.HBCpicayune.com www.groundedinchrist.com Pastor Jeremy Wilson, Heritage Baptist Church

Discussion Questions: 1. In verse 4 the Lord Jesus tells the Ephesian church, “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” What happens when that first-love fades? 2. What do you think the Lord meant by, “Remember the height from which you have fallen?” 3. In verse 6 the Ephesian believers were commended for hating the practices of the Nicolaitans. What are the implications of leaving your first love for Christ, but hating a false religious cult? What are some examples of this today? 4. In verse 4 is the Lord addressing the corporate church or the individual? What about verses 5 and 6? 5. Who is the Lord addressing in verse 7? Why the change? 6. From verse 7 we see that individual believers within the church can be true to the Lord, regardless of what others do. What connection is there between the ‘Tree of Life' in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9; 3:22), and the Paradise of God (Rev. 22:2, 14, 19)? 7. Who are the “overcomers” (1John 5:4-5)? How can we be sure we are “overcomers?” What promise does the Lord Jesus give the “overcomer?”

*LIVING SEEDS DEVOTIONALS* (Life Transforming Words) Day:177|Saturday|June 26th| 21 ************************************** *THE WEAPON OF OUR WARFARE* _For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds_ 2Cor 10:5(KJV) In Christiantedom battles are Inevitable to believers, in heaven spiritual battles have been legalised. we live in an environment where wickedness is prevalent (1John 5:19). *There are physical battles as well as there are spiritual battle. The ability to design the dimensions of our battles will determine how we fight, the scripture speaking and said fight a good fight of faith* (Eph 6:12-16). Whatever, battles you are facing is of the lord and not yours. Let Jesus fight your battles. There are differences between wining your battle and wining your war. We are not carrying on a physical war, but the battle for us is no less real. *We need to understand that we are not fighting for material success, earthly power, or social prestige* . We are not even trying to make our enemies look bad. The real issue is the victory or defeat of God's purpose for our lives. We must realize that we have merciless, implacable, and powerful spiritual enemies, so that such things as human cleverness, ingenuity, organizing ability, eloquent arguments, charm, or forcefulness of personality are simply not the answer. Those things may impress men, but they in no way impress demons. Those things are the weapons of carnality, of flesh. The good news is that the Captain of our salvation has already defeated their Goliath. Their leader is defeated, beaten, and the Victor lives in us, lending us His strength and insight. These satanic thoughts or attitudes are designed to affect or alter first our minds and then our behaviors. Satan did this to Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-6). *These wrong reasonings are the key to understanding what Satan is trying to accomplish* . God created humans with the ability to reason, but what line of reason should a Christian follow. *SHALL WE PRAY* : Father in the name of Jesus, fight my battle for me and give victory. *THE BIBLE THROUGH* Psalm 1-9 *MEDITATION* Psalm 35:1-20 *SURE PROPHECY* . I decree sudden and unprecedented progress in your ways this season in Jesus name. _Gifted Hands!!!_ ©Thomas Adegbile, Senior Pastor, Revealed Life Christian centre. 08035868741

Quelles sont les répercussions du coronavirus sur cette Genève locale qui vit au rythme de la Genève Internationale ? Reportage au contact des commerçants du Quartier des Nations, de Genève Tourisme, et au Centre International des Congrès de Genève mais aussi avec le directeur de l'Hôtel Eden Genève. Nous sommes avec: Adrien Genier (Genève Tourisme), Joël / boulanger, le responsable d'une épicerie, Thierry Regenass (Directeur du CICG) et Gilles Rangon (Président de la Société des hôteliers de Genève et Directeur de l'Hôtel Eden Genève)  

Genesis 2:4-7 NIV   This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. (5) Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, (6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. (7) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Zephaniah 3:17 NLT For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (agape) (5) he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will (things that pleases/makes happy/satisfies) and will (personal will).  1.The joy of forming Adam, the first man. (God as a Master Potter) Genesis 2:4-7 NIV This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. (5) Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, (6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. (7) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 2. The joy of preparing for Adam a ‘paradise' experience (in Garden of Eden) Gen 1:28-30 NIV God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (29) Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. (30) And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 2:8-14, 19-20 NIV Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. (9) The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (10) A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. (11) The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (12) (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) (13) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. (14) The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates… (19) Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. (20) So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 3.The joy of having a heart-to-heart relationship with Adam (God as a Good Shepherd) Genesis 1:27 NIV So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them. Genesis 2:15-17 NIV 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (16) And the...

False teaching was present on the Earth in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:4-5), during the time Moses and the prophets, and certainly throughout the Christian Era, still persisting today. Houston and Andy Erwin discuss a few of the modern false teachings, and how to combat them with God's word. Visit our website: https://scatteredabroad.org and remember to subscribe to our email list. "Like" and "Share" our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sapodcastnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_scattered_abroad_network/ Subscribe to our Youtube channel: The Scattered Abroad Network Contact us through email at: the scatteredabroadnetwork@gmail.com. If you would like to consider supporting us in anyway, please reach out to us through this email. Don't forget about our sponsorship/giveaway for the month. Head on over to our joint podcast (Scattered Abroad) and find out what you need to do in order to win.

False teaching was present on the Earth in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:4-5), during the time Moses and the prophets, and certainly throughout the Christian Era, still persisting today. Houston and Andy Erwin discuss a few of the modern false teachings, and how to combat them with God's word. Visit our website: https://scatteredabroad.org and remember to subscribe to our email list. "Like" and "Share" our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sapodcastnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_scattered_abroad_network/ Subscribe to our Youtube channel: The Scattered Abroad Network Contact us through email at: the scatteredabroadnetwork@gmail.com. If you would like to consider supporting us in anyway, please reach out to us through this email. Don't forget about our sponsorship/giveaway for the month. Head on over to our joint podcast (Scattered Abroad) and find out what you need to do in order to win.

Genesis 2:4-7 NIV   This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. (5) Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, (6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. (7) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Zephaniah 3:17 NLT For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (agape) (5) he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will (things that pleases/makes happy/satisfies) and will (personal will).  1.The joy of forming Adam, the first man. (God as a Master Potter) Genesis 2:4-7 NIV This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. (5) Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, (6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. (7) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 2. The joy of preparing for Adam a ‘paradise' experience (in Garden of Eden) Gen 1:28-30 NIV God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (29) Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. (30) And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 2:8-14, 19-20 NIV Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. (9) The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (10) A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. (11) The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (12) (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) (13) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. (14) The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates… (19) Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. (20) So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 3.The joy of having a heart-to-heart relationship with Adam (God as a Good Shepherd) Genesis 1:27 NIV So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them. Genesis 2:15-17 NIV 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (16)... Support this podcast

Physical illness, disease, and death are a result of man's original rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden [Gen. 3]. These woeful conditions are not God's fault, and it is not God's job to end human suffering at this time. Yet, due to God's grace, mercy, and love He offers restoration. Literally, the greatest restoration! Let's discover how.This is the message only portion of our Sunday service. For the full service please visit www.vimeo.com/calvarynexus

     God gives law to humans living in every age. He gave commands to Adam and Eve living in the sinless environment of the Garden of Eden (Gen 1:26-30; 2:15-17). He gave commands to Noah (Gen 6-9). He gave commands to Abraham (Gen 12:1; 17:10-14). He gave commands to the Israelites—known as the Mosaic Law—after delivering them from their bondage in Egypt (Ex 20 - Deut 34). He has given commands to Christians (Romans 1 to Revelation 3). These biblical distinctions are important, for though all Scripture is written for the benefit of Christians, only some portions of it speak specifically to us and command our walk with the Lord. Just as Christians would not try to obey the commands God gave to Adam in Genesis 1-2, or the commands God gave to Noah in Genesis 6-9, so they should not try to obey the commands God gave to Israel in Exodus through Deuteronomy. Romans chapter 1 through Revelation chapter 3 roughly mark the body of Scripture that directs the Christian. Charles Ryrie states: "Adam lived under laws, the sum of which may be called the code of Adam or the code of Eden. Noah was expected to obey the laws of God, so there was a Noahic code. We know that God revealed many commands and laws to Abraham (Gen 26:5). They may be called the Abrahamic code. The Mosaic code contained all the laws of the Law. And today we live under the law of Christ (Gal 6:2) or the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom 8:2). This code contains the hundreds of specific commandments recorded in the New Testament."[1]      The Mosaic Law refers to “the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai” (Lev 26:46). The Mosaic Law revealed the holy character of God (Lev 11:45; cf. Rom 7:12), was given specifically to Israel circa 1445 BC (Lev 26:46), was regarded as a unit of laws (613 total), and had to be taken as a whole (Gal 3:10; 5:3; Jam 2:10), and existed for nearly 1500 years before being rendered inoperative (Heb 7:18; 8:13; cf. Rom 7:1-4).       The Mosaic Law is typically viewed in three parts: 1) The moral law consisting of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:2-17; Deut 5:6-21), 2) The civil law which addressed slavery, marriage, property rights, economics, etc., (Ex 21:1–24:18), and 3) The ceremonial law which addressed the tabernacle, priests, worship and the sacrificial system as a whole (Ex 25:1–40:38). Paul Enns states, “It should be noted that these categories are intermingled in the text of Exodus–Deuteronomy; within a given context, all three aspects of the law may be described. Nor is it always a simple matter to distinguish between the three aspects of the law. In any case, the law was Israel’s constitution with the Lord, the King.”[2]      The Mosaic Law was never a means of justification before God, as that has always been by faith alone in God and His promises (Gal 2:16). Over time, the Mosaic Law became perverted into a system of works whereby men sought to earn their salvation before God (Luke 18:9-14). Regarding the fact that the Mosaic Law never justifies anyone, Merrill F. Unger comments: "By nature the Law is not grace (Rom 10:5; Gal 3:10; Heb 10:28). It is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual (Rom 7:12, 14). In its ministry it declares and proves all men guilty (Rom 3:19). Yet it justifies no one (Rom 3:20). It cannot impart righteousness or life (Gal 3:21). It causes offenses to abound (Rom 5:20; 7:7-13; 1 Cor 15:56). It served as an instructor until Christ appeared (Gal 3:24). In relationship to the believer, the Law emphatically does not save anyone (Gal 2:21). A believer does not live under the Law (Rom 6:14; 8:4), but he stands and grows in grace (Rom 5:2; 2 Pet 3:18). The nation, Israel, alone was the recipient of the Law (Ex 20:2)."[3]      The New Testament reveals the Mosaic Law was regarded as a “yoke” which Israel had not “been able to bear” because their sinful flesh was weak (Acts 15:1-11; cf. Rom 8:2-3). There is no fault with the Mosaic Law, for it “is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom 7:12). The Mosaic Law is holy because it comes from God who is holy. Because the Mosaic Law is holy, it exposes the faults of people and shows them to be sinful (Rom 3:20). More so, because people are inherently sinful and bent toward sin, when they come into contact with God’s holy Law, it actually stimulates their sinful nature and influences them to sin even more (Rom 5:20; 7:7-8).       Paul made clear that the Mosaic Law was not the rule of life for the Christian. He even referred to it as a ministry of “death” and “condemnation” (2 Cor 3:5-11). Paul stated that it was intended to be temporary (Gal 3:19), that it was never the basis for justification (Gal 2:16, 21; 3:21; cf. Rom 4:1-5), but was intended to lead people to Christ that they may be justified by faith (Gal 3:24). Now that Christ has come and fulfilled every aspect of the Law and died on the cross, the Mosaic Law, in its entirety, has been rendered inoperative as a rule of life (Matt 5:17-18; Rom 8:2-4; 10:4; 2 Cor 3:7, 11; Heb 8:13). “As a rule of life, the Law of Moses was temporary … [and] came to an end with the death of the Messiah.”[4]      God is the Author of both the Mosaic Law as well as the Law of Christ; therefore, it is not surprising that He chose to incorporate some of the laws He gave to Israel into the law-code which He has given to the Church. When trying to understand which laws have carried over and which have not, the general rule to follow is: what God has not restated, has been altogether abrogated.  Charles Ryrie states, “The Mosaic Law was done away in its entirety as a code. It has been replaced by the law of Christ. The law of Christ contains some new commands (1 Tim 4:4), some old ones (Rom 13:9), and some revised ones (Rom 13:4, with reference to capital punishment).”[5] The Church is no more under the Mosaic Law than a Canadian is under US law, as laws only have authority to its citizenry. Thomas Constable states: "The law of Christ is the code of commandments under which Christians live. Some of the commandments Christ and His apostles gave us are the same as those that Moses gave the Israelites. However, this does not mean that we are under the Mosaic Code. Residents of the United States live under a code of laws that is similar to, but different from, the code of laws that govern residents of England. Some of our laws are the same as theirs, and others are different. Because some laws are the same we should not conclude that the codes are the same. Christians no longer live under the Mosaic Law; we live under a new code, the law of Christ (cf. 5:1)."[6]      Though rendered inoperative as a rule of life, the Mosaic Law can be used to teach such things as God’s holiness, people’s sinfulness, the need for atonement, and the ultimate need for people to trust in Christ for salvation (Rom 3:10-25; 5:20; 10:1-4). All Scripture is for us, though not all Scripture is to us (1 Cor 10:11). And, being under the grace-system does not mean believers are without law and can therefore sin as they please (Rom 6:14-16; Tit 2:11-12). The New Testament speaks of “the perfect law of liberty” (Jam 1:25), “the royal law” (Jam 2:8), the “Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2), and “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2). Henry Thiessen states: "The believer has been made free from the law, but liberty does not mean license. To offset this danger of antinomianism, the Scriptures teach that we have not only been delivered from the law, but also “joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Rom 7:4). We are thus not “without the law of God but under the law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:21; cf. Gal 6:2). Freedom from law should not result in license, but love (Gal 5:13; cf. 1 Pet 2:16). The believer is, consequently, to keep his eyes on Christ as his example and teacher, and by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his law (Rom 8:4; Gal 5:18)."[7] Arnold Fruchtenbaum adds: "The Law of Moses has been disannulled and we are now under a new law. This new law is called the Law of Christ in Galatians 6:2 and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Romans 8:2. This is a brand new law, totally separate from the Law of Moses. The Law of Christ contains all the individual commandments from Christ and the Apostles applicable to a New Testament believer. A simple comparison of the details will show that it is not and cannot be the same as the Law of Moses. Four observations are worth noting. First, many commandments are the same as those of the Law of Moses. For example, nine of the Ten Commandments are also in the Law of Christ. But, second, many are different from the Law of Moses. For example, there is no Sabbath law now (Rom 14:5; Col 2:16) and no dietary code (Mark 7:19; Rom 14:20). Third, some commandments in the Law of Moses are intensified by the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses said: love thy neighbor as thyself (Lev 19:18). This made man the standard. The Law of Christ said: love one another, even as I have loved you (John 15:12). This makes the Messiah the standard and He loved us enough to die for us. Fourth, the Law of the Messiah provides a new motivation. The Law of Moses was based on the conditional Mosaic Covenant and so the motivation was: do, in order to be blessed. The Law of Christ is based on the unconditional New Covenant and so the motivation is: you have been and are blessed, therefore, do. The reason there is so much confusion over the relationship of the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ is that many commandments are similar to those found in the Mosaic Law, and many have concluded that certain sections of the law have, therefore, been retained."[8]      The Church is not Israel, and is not under the Mosaic Law as the rule for life. Just as OT saints had a clear body of Scripture which guided their walk with the Lord (Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy 34), so NT saints have a body of Scripture that guides us (Romans 1 through Revelation 3). “The rule of life for the saint today is found in the epistles of the New Testament. As with the Law of Moses, instructions and commandments of the New Testament are not the means of salvation but they are a ‘heavenly rule of life’ for those who are heavenly citizens through the power of God.”[9] Some of the distinctions between Israel and the Church are as follows:      Christians living under the Law of Christ have both positive and negative commands that direct their lives. Where the Scripture does not provide specific commands, it gives divine principles that guide the Christian’s walk (i.e., to walk in love, to glorify God in all things, etc.).   [1] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 351. [2] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, Ill.; Moody Press, 2008), 59. [3] Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN., AMG Publishers, 2002), 125. [4] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 373. [5] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, 351-52. [6] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Gal. 6:2. [7] Henry Clarence Thiessen and Vernon D. Doerksen, Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 171. [8] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, 650-51. [9] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, 379.

Into the BookReach the End of the JourneyRead or WatchHave you ever waited to see a movie or TV show, only to have the ending suddenly revealed by a coworker or friend? Where was the "spoiler alert" before you learned that Rosebud was a sled, the astronauts never left earth, or the villain is actually the hero's father? As we come to the final week of our Into the Book reading plan, we'll wrap up the last five chapters of the Bible in Revelation. And — SPOILER ALERT — you won't want to miss John's vision of the ending of history itself.The Good Guys WinOn Monday (Rev. 18), we hear the angels announce "Babylon, the great" city's destruction (Rev. 18:2). Since it was full of immorality and luxurious living, onlookers marvel as it burns to the ground in a single day (Rev. 18:2-8). Then a voice cries out to the faithful, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Rev. 18:4-5).If God can destroy evil nations, what else can he accomplish in your life today?Happily Ever AfterAfter the fall of the evil city, on Tuesday (Rev. 19), the multitudes in heaven shout their praise and worship to God (Rev. 19:1-5). With great anticipation, they announce a wedding feast for the Lamb and His Bride (Rev. 19:6-8). Just then, a rider arrives on a white horse, with eyes like fire, wearing a blood-dipped robe, and commanding the armies of heaven (Rev. 19:9-16). Who could this be? It's the "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 19:16)!How does God's victory over evil earthly establishments help you trust him and praise him more?To Be ContinuedOn Wednesday (Rev. 20), we watch an angel lock up the ancient dragon — the devil — into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. But "Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive” the earth (Rev. 20:7-8). And once his deceptions are over, he's thrown into the lake of fire to suffer eternal torment (Rev. 20:10). But the story continues with a fantastic judgment scene, as all the dead stood before the throne when the great books were opened (Rev. 20:11-12). "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15).Is your name found in the book of life (Rev. 20:12-13)?On Thursday (Rev. 21), a new heaven and earth appear, as the holy city — the new Jerusalem — descends from heaven as the Bride for her Husband (Rev. 21:1-2). Now, God dwells with man, taking away all our sorrows, pain, and fears (Rev. 21:3-7). In vivid detail, John describes the Bride's beauty as he watches the heavenly city descend from above (Rev. 21:10-21). It's simply breathtaking to imagine! There's no sun or moon to shine over the city because God's glory gives it light, illuminating all who live there (Rev. 21:23-26). Praise God that some things will continue forever!What will not be in that great city, and why is that comforting for John's audience to hear?Finally, as we close out our yearlong New Testament readings, on Friday (Rev. 22) we find a life-giving river flowing from the Lord's throne through the great city (Rev. 22:1-2). And along the river, there's the tree of life, like the one we saw in the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9), bringing life and healing to all who ate it (Rev. 22:2). We're reminded that the prophecy of this book "must soon take place" and how Jesus is coming soon in judgment as a bright and morning star (Rev. 22:6-16). And as John closes, he warns us not to add to or take away anything written in this prophecy (Rev. 22:18-19).Can you say, along with John, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20)?Support the Show

In this episode of First Word, we continue the story of humanity in Genesis by following Cain after he is punished by God, as well as his descendants and those of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. In this transition period between the generations, the example of people like Lamech further evidences the fallenness of humanity. However, the picture of Seth’s birth is a sign of the future promise and the hope of a future overcoming of death for those in Christ. Both genealogies fear death, but where one tries to make self strong and powerful, the other recognizes need and "calls on the name of the Lord." This is an example of how we are all called to respond to our sin in repentance.Genesis 4:17-5:32 English Standard Version (ESV)17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.23 Lamech said to his wives:“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;    you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:I have killed a man for wounding me,    a young man for striking me.24 If Cain's revenge is sevenfold,    then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters.27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. I hope you’ll subscribe and leave a review or a comment.

A first century Jewish wedding feast could often last up to a week and it was an honor to be invited. With the wedding guests with him, the groom had picked up his bride at her father’s house in Cana. In a procession, everyone followed him back to his father’s house where he had made a bridal chamber. While everyone waited, the bride and groom entered the room and intercourse sealed their marriage. They then exited to cheers and the celebration began. God’s design of marital sex should be celebrated! Being that Mary was concerned with the festivities—and that Jesus and his brothers were invited—the person getting married was likely his relative or Nathaniel’s (Matt. 13:55, 56; John 21:2). As the oldest son, even Jesus had family obligations! By Jesus taking time to attend and participate in the festivities showed His approval and blessing of marriage (yes, Jesus drank wine and probably danced!), like the first wedding in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:21-25). God designed life to have moments of celebration and rejoicing (Ex. 23:14; Deut. 24:5)!

https://www.zionhebraiccongregation.com/blog/idolsinenemyterritory Intro: Psalm 90:8-12 -Podcast mentioned: Your Undivided Attention: episode 2 "we have god-like technology, we are gods, we might as well get good at it." -Quote from O. E. Willson -Phycological engineering -Casino slot machines- Devices You: An object to extract something from The Garden of Eden Gen 3:1-6 -How do I keep you away from the tree of life? -Words to convince us -The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr -2 Cor 11:3 -Eze 6:9, 20:7-8 Eyes whoring - Idols, Abomination of the eyes. Technology is Ideology - Not Neutral -Psalm 141:9 -Gins, Snares, Nets -Exo 23:33 Gods of Cannan, snares, made by hands to ensnare -Psalm 106:34-39 Mingled, Learned their works, Idols -Psalm 140:5 -Deut 7:21-26 What our mentality should be. Images of their gods -We have unknowingly brought these into our lives and homes. Devices -Jer 12:12,18 To entrap. Devise devices -Gen 6:5 Thoughts of their hearts -Exo 35:30-34 Things made from the heart of man -Est 8:3 Hamman's gallows Idols -Gods of the people are idols -1 Chr 16:26 -Psalm 96:5 -1 John 5:21 -1 Cor 10:14 Lust/ Concupiscence -1 Col 3:5 Evil desire or lust and covetousness which is idolatry -Mark 4:19 Choke the word -John 8:44 Their father the Devil- his lusts -Rom 1:24 -2 Tim 4:3 Teachers after their lusts -1 Peter 4:2-3 End -Eze 18:27-32 Music by Evan Shaw www.evanshawmusic.com

Today is Tuesday, January 21, 2020 and here is your Daily Devo. God's desire is to dwell with humanity, not because He needs to but because He wants to. He created us for His glory and so that we could enjoy Him forever. Even given humankind's sinful and ultimately futile resistance to this purpose, God will not depart from His purpose. As the restored Jewish people's priorities wrongly consisted of their own creaturely comforts, all too often ours do as well. May we heed God's instruction through Haggai to the people—and by extension to us—to prioritize the worship of Him above all matters in life, knowing that the pursuit of God's glory is for our own good, indeed our highest good. We can trust Him to provide the means to worship Him properly even as our circumstances might prove difficult at times. God's promise of being with them found in verse 13 is one of tremendous comfort for any believer. God's presence is a commanding anticipation in Scripture. God promised it to His people over and over again in the Old Testament (Jer. 32:38, Ezek. 37:27). It's also the promise that God gave in the Book of Revelation about His climactic condescension to dwell with humanity (Rev. 21:3). God's presence is the ultimate promise to His people. Because separation from God was the curse that resulted from Adam and Eve's great sin in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23-24), we often get so caught up in the various blessings that God provides for us that we miss the greatest blessing of all, namely, God Himself. Think about this: What was the promise God gave the Israelites in Haggai 1? In what ways do we tend to take for granted or forget the great gift that God Himself is to His children? Thank you for listening to the Daily Devo. Please send me a comment, like, or share the Daily Devo. It helps others to get the Daily Devo. Also, please connect with us on Facebook at Central Baptist Church - Maysville, KY. This way you can stay up to date on everything going on at Central Baptist. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/daily-devo/support

Mark 5:1-20 As in the calming of the storm, Jesus exhibits power over chaos and destruction. I. The Region of Gerasenes. There was a large city miles from the sea. This scene was apparently near a small, long lost village. A. Darkness – There was a spiritual uncleanness here. Demon-possessed man, who dwelt among the dead, there were herds of pigs. C.S. Lewis said, “Humanity falls into two equal and opposite errors concerning the Devil. Either they take him altogether too seriously or they do not take him seriously enough.” Satan and demons are real. • They are opposed to God’s rule (Lk 11:14-23) • They seek to manipulate humans with deceit to do their will (2 Tim 2:26) • They can gain influence over a person, essentially “possession” (Lk 8:26-39) • There is a hierarchy of demonic power (Eph 6:12) • There is a ruling being known as the devil or Satan (Rev 12:9) o Who was manifest as a serpent in Eden (Gen 3:1-5; Rev 12:9) o Who was present in the divine council in Job (Job 1:6-12) o Who tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Lk 4:1-13) o Who is a thief who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (Jn 10:10) Our best protection against demons is less preoccupation with them and more preoccupation with God. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” B. Opposition to Jesus • Mark implies demonic powers try to prevent Jesus from coming to the region. • Mark hints the storm had a demonic force. Jesus rebuked & verbally muzzled it • Jesus & disciples are greeted by a strong and violent demon-possessed man. This is a place where no one would want to go. But Jesus goes there. Jesus has come and will liberate this man from darkness. He penetrates the darkness, undeterred by the ferocious storm and demoniac. II. The Demon-Possessed Man Demons torment the man. • He was alone, living among the dead (2-3) – lived among the tombs • He was violent and strong (3-4) Bindings, chains, shackles – like an animal • He was always crying out (5a) – inarticulate cries or screams • He was self-destructive (5b) – cutting/gashing with rocks [Perverse pagan ritual? Tries to drive out demons? Demons try to kill him?] • He was controlled by a host of demons (9) – legion was 5,600 soldiers Jesus liberates the man. • He was transformed, clothed and in his right mind (15) • He wanted to be with Jesus (18) • He proclaimed the Lord, Jesus’ mercy to the region (20) Vv. 19-20. Consider how much the Lord has done for you & had mercy on you (19) Jesus is the Lord who has healed the demoniac (20). III. Jesus the Liberator–He rescues us from the dominion of darkness (Col 1:13) • Jesus has authority over demons (6,13) The man falls at Jesus’ feet. Demons begs for Jesus not to torment them • Jesus is the Son of the Most High God (7) Son – Jesus’ unique relationship to God; image of invisible God (Col 1:15) Most High God – transcendent and exalted above false gods & his enemies • Jesus defeated Satan in his wilderness temptation (1:12-13) • Jesus is the one who binds the strong man and plunders his house (3:27) IV. The People’s Response • They were afraid (15) and begged Jesus to leave (17) “And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” – Jn 3:19 • There are real spiritual beings opposed to God and have evil intent. • Jesus is the Liberator who frees those enslaved in a fallen world. 1) Draw near to God by accepting Jesus and 2) Pray for God to free people under Satan’s influence.

God's rule and human choice in God's kingdom.

Understanding God's Kingdom purposes.

In part one (0:00-19:00), the guys introduce Jesus and the Gospels into the conversation. Tim remarks that there is a whole field of scholarship dedicated to studying how Christ is portrayed as a new Adam or a new Son of Man. Tim focuses on Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. Mark 1:12-13: “Immediately the Spirit cast out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tested by the Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.” Tim notes that the phrase “cast out” (Grk. εκβαλλω) is first used in the Old Testament account of Adam and Eve’s explusion from the garden of Eden (Gen 3:24). He also says that both of these stories are meant to be analagous to each other. Jesus is in the wilderness (garden) with the wild animals (Adam and Eve) in the presence of the angels (cherubim and cosmic mountain). Tim cites a quote by biblical scholar Brandon Crowe: “Whereas Adam failed the temptation in the garden and was cast out, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, a setting associated with Israel’s testing and failure. Unlike Adam, Jesus does not fail the test, and in both stories of Adam and Jesus “expulsion” the same Greek word ekballo is employed. In the wilderness, Jesus is with the wild animals, but remains unharmed [T.M. like Daniel], which is supposed to strike the reader as unusual. Jesus’ peaceful coexistence with the wild animals signifies his authority over them, and recalls Adam’s original dominion over the animals in the garden. Like Adam, Jesus has been granted the worldwide dominion, becoming the instrument of God’s dominion over the world.” -- Brandon Crowe, The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels, 24 Tim points out that the temptation of Jesus in Mark, specifically the details of the angels serving him and him being with the wild beasts, is meant to show that Jesus is the new Adam, the perfect Adam who can coexist peacefully with animals in the wild. Further, Tim points out that Jesus is portrayed as having authority over the other spiritual beings (angels) to show that Jesus is the ideal Son of Man figure. In part two (19:00-18:30), Tim and Jon take a side tour and discuss how in Hebrew there are places where the Hebrew word adam can refer to either a specific character, Adam, or to humanity as a whole. The guys also discuss the nuances between the terms Son of Man and Son of God. Tim notes that Psalm 2 is a key passage for understanding how both of these terms link together. To be called the image of God as humanity means to be the creatures where heaven and earth are bound together. Psalm 2: “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ The One enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.’ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.’” In part three (18:30-end), Jon asks why heaven and earth are supposed to be ideally imaged in humanity. Tim replies that humanity is meant to be related to the elohim. We are not elohim, but we are to share in a similar status of having a divine ability to rule. Tim and Jon then dive into the temptation of Jesus portrayed in Matthew 4:8-11: “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.” Tim notes that there is only one other time in the New Testament where Jesus utters the phrase, “Get behind me Satan” or “Go, Satan” (in the NIV). It’s in Matthew 16:23: “Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." Tim notes that Jesus obviously sees that a satanic mindset is one where the mindset is human-focused and set on how a beast would rule the world, one of power and strength not of sacrifice. Tim points out that after these temptations, you are supposed to see Jesus as a new Adam. He peacefully coexists with animals. He’s a new Daniel; he doesn’t bow down to the rulers. He’s a new David because he rules righteously. Jesus is the full package. Thank you to all of our supporters! Have a question? Send it to info@jointhebibleproject.com Show Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Tim Mackie Show Music: Defender Instrumental, Tents Yesterday on Repeat, Vexento Morning, LIQWYD Show Resources: Exodus 4:22 Matthew 4:8-11 Psalm 2 Brandon Crowe, The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels Joel Marcus, “The Son of Man as the Son of Adam” Our video on the Son of Man: https://bit.ly/2URk3BH

Passage: Matt 28:16–20 Speaker: Steve Hands Series: Ruling From Eden Ruling with Jesus’ Authority The world needs leadership. Not the leadership of people using others and things for selfish gain, but selfless, sacrificial service that causes people and places to blossom. Such leadership was entrusted to Adam in Eden (Gen 1:28) and expanded in Psalm 8.

Passage: Matt 28:16–20 Speaker: Mitch Kim Series: Ruling From Eden Ruling with Jesus’ Authority The world needs leadership. Not the leadership of people using others and things for selfish gain, but selfless, sacrificial service that causes people and places to blossom. Such leadership was entrusted to Adam in Eden (Gen 1:28) and expanded in Psalm 8.

Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:5-15 Speaker: Steve Hands Series: Cultivating Our Eden Although we have been exiled from Eden (Gen 3:22–24; Ezek 28:11–15), our work of cultivating our Eden (Gen 2:15) continues even in exile (Jer 29:1–14). As we have explored this theme for the past few weeks, the question remains, “What about Jesus? How is

Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:5-15 Speaker: Mitch Kim Series: Cultivating Our Eden Although we have been exiled from Eden (Gen 3:22–24; Ezek 28:11–15), our work of cultivating our Eden (Gen 2:15) continues even in exile (Jer 29:1–14). As we have explored this theme for the past few weeks, the question remains, “What about Jesus? How is

Joshua 1:5-16 Big Idea: The God-Who-Saves promises and provides Abundant Life. Week 1- From Death to Life Week 2- From Life to Abundant Life I. Abundant Life A. Land (vv. 2, 4, 6, 11, 13-15) 1. Background a) Eden (Gen. 2-3) b) Abraham (Gen. 12, 15) 2. Foreground a) “Go into all the world…” (Matt. 28) b) New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21) B. Shalom 1. Inherit/Possess (Joshua 1:6, 11, 15) 2. Rest (Joshua 1:13, 15) C. Flourishing 1. Success (Joshua 1:7-8) a) Wise, Skillful b) Proverbs 1:3 2. Prosperity (Joshua 1:8) a) Advance, Make Progress b) Psalms 1:3 II. Promises and Provides A. God’s Presence = “I am with you” (Joshua 1:5, 9) B. God’s Power = “I will give” (Joshua 1:2, 3, 6, 11, 13-15) III. Abundant Life A. Be Strong and Courageous in Faith (Joshua 1:6-7, 9) B. Meditate on and Obey God’s Word (Joshua 1:7-8) C. Unite and Be on Mission with God’s People/Church (Joshua 1:10-18) Response 1. God desires to save you from death and give life…have you repented of sin and turned to Jesus for true, eternal life? 2. Do you believe God is Good and desires Good for His People? 3. How is God at work in your life so that you are experiencing shalom and flourishing? 4. If these words don’t describe your life, are you living by faith, obeying God’s Word, and uniting on mission with the Church?