Church Minute

Brothers Esau and Jacob

Isaac and his wife Rebekah wanted to begin a family. Isaac pleaded and prayed with faith to the LORD for his wife Rebekah because she was barren like Sarah, and the LORD answered Isaac’s plea, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant with two twin boys. Rebekah’s twin boys struggled within her womb, and Rebekah sought the LORD in prayer for answers and guidance. The Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth, announced to Rebekah that she had two rival nations and two separate people living within her womb, and the older son would serve the younger son. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, gave birth to her twin sons, Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel). Jacob had smooth skin, but Esau came out red, like a hairy fur garment and eventually, Esau became the father of Edom (Seir), which means red. Then Esau’s brother was born, and his hand grasped at Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob, which means supplanter, cheater, or deceiver. Esau and Jacob grew, and Esau became a skillful hunter, outdoorsman, and man of the fields while Jacob was a mild man, dwelling with his mother Rebekah at home (within the tent). Isaac and Rebekah mistakenly practiced favoritism with their children, which would result in poisonous fruit. Isaac favored Esau because he ate Esau’s food from the fields of the earth, which the LORD had blessed, but Rebekah favored Jacob, who stayed inside the tent (home). One day, Esau was weary and tired from the fields and demanded the red stew Jacob had prepared. Jacob demanded Esau surrender his birthright in exchange for the red stew. Driven by the natural flesh (appetite) during a moment of weakness, Esau impulsively traded his divine birthright (inheritance) as Isaac’s firstborn son for Jacob’s red stew (a meal). Sadly, Esau despised as godless his birthright (bekorah), which was God’s covenant promise and blessings (berakah) of Abraham. The Holy Bible states that Esau never sought the LORD nor repented with sorrow for his godless behavior of rejecting God’s blessings and covenant birthright as Isaac’s firstborn son. Later, the Sovereign LORD God appeared to Isaac with His promise to be present with Isaac by His Holy Spirit and bless Isaac with Abraham's covenant blessing of prosperity, strength, and many multiple descendants, including Isaac’s Seed (Christ Jesus) and the land of Canaan (Israel-Palestine). The Holy Bible notes Abraham’s faithful obedience to the Sovereign LORD God’s voice and His commandments, statutes, and laws, and He commanded Abraham to teach his descendants the same faithful obedience to God. Abraham and Isaac faithfully called upon the Name of the Eternal God (El-Olam) and worshiped Him. As Isaac aged, Isaac’s eyes became weak and dim, and he requested a savory meal from his eldest son Esau and his game animal so he could bless Esau before his death. Rebekah listened when Isaac spoke to Esau about Esau receiving his birthright (bekorah) and Isaac’s blessings (berakah) before Isaac’s death. So, with her favoritism for Jacob, Rebekah commanded Jacob to obtain two goats from their flock so she could prepare a tasty meal for his father, and so Jacob could receive Isaac’s blessings instead of Esau. Rebekah and Jacob schemed and deceived Isaac by disguising Jacob with Esau’s clothes and hairy animal skins like Esau, and Rebekah had Jacob bring the meal she prepared to Isaac so Jacob could receive Isaac’s covenant blessings of Abraham.
Jacob brought the food to his father Isaac, who tricked and lied to his father, who was old and had weak eyesight, so that he would receive Esau’s birthright and covenant blessing as the firstborn son. Isaac blessed Jacob with the dew of the heavens, the fatness of the earth, plenty of grain and wine, and the honor of people, along with blessings to those who bless him and curses for those who curse him. After Jacob received the covenant blessing, Esau came to his father Isaac with a tasty meal from the game of the field, but Isaac announced to Esau that Jacob had come to him with trickery deceit and took Esau’s blessings as the firstborn son. Jacob would later reap his scheming trickery and lies by being exiled from his family for twenty years and being deceived by his future father-in-law Laban regarding his two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Esau wept bitterly to his father Isaac to receive the covenant blessing, and then Esau realized that Jacob had supplanted and deceived him twice to take away the birthright of Abraham and Isaac’s covenant blessings. Isaac informed Esau that he had made Jacob his master and blessed Jacob with servants, grain, and wine to sustain him, but he blessed Esau with a lesser blessing of scarcity, restlessness, and servitude. Esau became bitter and hated his brother Jacob with a desire to kill Jacob. Rebekah sent Jacob away from Esau to her brother Laban in Haran (Mesopotamia) until Esau’s anger eased. Also, Isaac and Rebekah sent Jacob to Mesopotamia so he would not marry the wicked women of Canaan, like his brother Esau, and Jacob obeyed his father and mother. Before leaving, Isaac once again gave Jacob the blessings God Almighty (El-Shaddai) had given to Abraham and him regarding spiritual and physical prosperity, multiplication of descendants, and the inheritance of Canaan (Promised Land of God) so Jacob (Israel) would be a channel of God’s blessings to the nations leading to the sinless Christ Jesus our Savior. The Holy Bible teaches that the Sovereign LORD God by grace chose and elected flawed Jacob (Israel) with love over Esau even before Esau and Jacob’s births. In His sovereignty, the LORD God uses all kinds of actions (good and bad) for the good of His people. Despite Esau’s action, the Sovereign LORD God commanded Jacob to love Esau (Edom) and, by God’s grace, multiplied Esau and his offspring into a great nation with land under God’s protection just like Cain, Canaan (Ham), Ishmael, Reuben, and Manasseh. Esau would later forgive and reconcile with Jacob, which answered Jacob’s prayer. Here is more Good News: everyone receives God’s righteousness, adoption into His family, and the spiritual blessings of Abraham as Abraham’s descendants by repentance with faithful obedience to Christ Jesus as Lord. The Genesis stories teach that the Sovereign LORD God makes good and divine promises for His faithful people. Still, these stories also teach everyone that we must patiently wait with obedience and prayer to God for His empowering Holy Spirit and His timing, and not by our selfish methods and sinful schemes. Let EVERYONE come with faithful obedience and love to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus, for His Holy Spirit’s power and blessings and ALWAYS worship the Eternal God. Jesus is the LORD!

Isaac and His Divine Bride

Isaac grew into a wonderful man. Later, Isaac’s mother, Sarah, died at the ripe old age of 127 years and was buried in Canaan. As Isaac grew older, Abraham wanted Isaac to marry a righteous and virtuous woman from Abraham’s homeland of Mesopotamia and not from the wicked women of Canaan, who would make Isaac’s life miserable. Abraham did not want his son Isaac to leave Canaan because Canaan (Israel-Palestine) was the Promised Land from God for his descendants. Abraham sent his faithful servant to his homeland with abundant gifts to provide for Isaac’s new bride. Also, Abraham assured his servant that the living Sovereign LORD God would send His holy angel to lead and guide his servant to find Isaac’s divine bride. After reaching Abraham’s homeland, Abraham’s servant prayed from his heart with faith to the Sovereign LORD God, asking for His success, grace, and guidance to lead him to the right woman to become Isaac’s wife. The servant responded to the LORD that he would know the right woman He appointed for Isaac if the woman showed kindness and goodness by offering water to him and his camels to drink from the well. Before the servant finished praying, the LORD answered the servant’s prayers by bringing a beautiful young woman who was a virgin to the well named Rebekah. Rebekah generously offered Abraham’s servant and his animals water to drink, and she offered lodging for the servant and his animals. The Holy Bible notes that Rebekah had all the qualities of a good wife: caring, generous, beautiful, diligent, good-hearted, selfless, and hospitable. Abraham’s servant blessed Rebekah with abundant gifts, and they went to Rebekah’s father. Abraham’s servant bowed his head in humble worship and thanksgiving to the LORD for His providence, divine care, and guidance in choosing Rebekah as Isaac’s bride. Rebekah was a descendant of Abraham’s brother, Nabor, and his wife, Milcah. Rebekah’s brother Laban graciously welcomed Abraham’s servant, his companions, and animals into their home and provided food for their comfort. The servant asked the father and his family permission to take Rebekah to Isaac to become Isaac’s new bride, and they all agreed. Rebekah was so happy and willingly agreed to marry Isaac without delay. Rebekah’s family blessed her to become the mother of thousands of descendants with God’s blessings. When Isaac saw Rebekah, he fell in love with Rebekah, and they were married. After their marriage, Isaac and Rebekah gave birth to twin boys named Esau and Jacob (father of Israel). The Sovereign LORD God blessed Abraham greatly with honor and an everlasting covenant, along with many servants, animals, silver, and gold. Abraham left all his possessions and riches with God’s blessings to Isaac, the chosen son of God’s covenant promise. The Sovereign LORD God called Abraham and his descendants to walk blamelessly and faithfully obey Him. God’s hand guided Abraham and his covenant descendants with blessings, including Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and King David, leading to Christ Jesus our Savior. Abraham died at a good old age of 175, an older man full of years, and he was buried by his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, with his wife Sarah in the Promised Land of Canaan (Israel-Palestine). The Holy Bible describes Abraham as the “father of many nations.” and the descendant (Seed) of Christ Jesus our Anointed Lord and Savior.  Jesus is Lord!

Cross of Jesus and God's Love

One of the most incredible messages of the Holy Bible is God’s love for you and the world! The living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth so loved that world that He sent His beloved Son, Christ Jesus, as the final sacrificial Passover Lamb of God to save you and the world from Satan’s sins and the destructive effects of Satan’s evildoing. The Apostle Peter in the New Testament states when Christ Jesus died on Calvary’s Cross, Christ Jesus personally suffered and carried our sins and pains in His sinless body to heal and deliver us from Satan’s sins and empower everyone through faith in Christ Jesus to receive salvation to live for what is right and good (righteousness). Here is some fantastic news! The loving Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth was in His Son Christ Jesus on Calvary’s Cross dying, sacrificing, atoning, reconciling, and forgiving the world of sin and offering everyone everlasting life, righteousness, healing, mercy, and forgiveness through faith and belief in Christ Jesus. God LOVES YOU so much to give His life for you! After Christ Jesus’s death, the Sovereign LORD God raised and resurrected His Son from complete death. The Old Testament prophets predicted the coming of the sinless and perfect Jesus the Lamb as the Righteous Servant of God to bring heaven’s light, healing, forgiveness, redemption, and salvation through the Lamb’s sacrificial death at Calvary. King Jesus as the Lamb of God deserves all our love, worship, and praise as our Lord and Savior of the world. Here is more amazing news! Everyone can receive God’s eternal love, forgiveness, and peace from heaven through repentance with faith in Him and His Son, Christ Jesus, as Lord and Savior. Through His Son Christ Jesus as Lord, we have full access to God’s abundant grace and mercy. Now, the Resurrected Christ Jesus is seated at His Holy Father’s right hand in heaven, making intercession and prayers to help everyone who comes to His Holy Father through Him with repentance, faith, and obedience. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, the loving Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth wants everyone to love one another with mercy, forgiveness, patience, truth, and kindness. Let EVERYONE come to Jesus and receive salvation. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Christ Jesus!Believe and receive salvation knowing that Jesus is LORD! Romans 10:9-13. 

Good Sacrifice

The story of Abraham’s sacrifice in Genesis reveals the faithfulness and obedience of Abraham to the LORD God. During Abraham’s life, Abraham had moral failures with half-truths, trying to force God’s promises and even laughing at God’s promises, but Abraham always trusted and obeyed the LORD God by faith. Because of Abraham’s faith and obedience, the LORD God found Abraham’s heart faithful, and He declared Abraham righteous before Him and called Abraham a friend. Abraham was willing to sacrifice and surrender everything to the LORD God because he knew everything belonged to Him. An example of Abraham’s surrendered life comes with the birth of his beloved son Isaac. After Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah, the LORD called Abraham to test Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to Him with trials and temptation. The LORD instructed Abraham to take his beloved and only son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer Isaac as a sacrificial offering. Isaac was God’s covenant-promised son to Abraham and Sarah. Ishmael was Abraham’s son and was blessed by God, too, but he had already left Abraham’s home with his mother, Hagar. Abraham, in active faith and obedience to the LORD, rose early the next morning, saddled his donkey, took his beloved and only son Isaac, and went to the mountain instructed by God, arriving on the third day. In his obedience, Abraham believed the LORD would provide the lamb for the offering, and he also believed the LORD could raise the dead. So, Abraham placed the wood for the offering on Isaac’s shoulders. Abraham came to the place designated by the LORD, built an altar, and prepared his son Isaac as a sacrifice when the Angel of the LORD God called from heaven and stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac. The LORD found Abraham’s heart surrendered to Him with fear and honor. Abraham lifted his eyes and found a ram graciously provided by the LORD as another sacrifice instead of Isaac, and Abraham sacrificed the ram as an offering and not his son, Isaac. Many biblical scholars see that sacrifice provided for Isaac as Christ Jesus our Lord, who is the Righteous Servant and Lamb of God given as a ransom and atoning sacrifice for our freedom from sin and shame. The LORD is our Provider (Yahweh-Yireh), and He always provides. Then, the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven, and the LORD promised Abraham an eternal blessing to all nations through his Seed (Christ Jesus) and multiplication of his descendants as the stars of the heavens and the sand of the seashore because of Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to Him. The blessings of Abraham have now come through Christ Jesus, who is the Savior and Lord of the earth, to bring heaven’s blessings, peace, salvation, and forgiveness to all people who love and obey Him with faith and belief. Also, the LORD knew Isaac would never be sacrificed because He forbids child sacrifice in His Law. Importantly, Abraham revealed the active faith accepted by God with a heartbroken self-will and surrendered all to God. Everyone who repents and follows God with Abraham’s example of faith and obedience is also declared righteous (justified), blessed, adopted, and saved before the LORD. Jesus is the LORD and let EVERYONE worship Jesus as King!

God Sees and Hears

One of the most beautiful themes of the Holy Bible is knowing that our good and loving LORD God of heaven and earth sees, knows, and hears everything - our pains, suffering, failures, mistreatment, good deeds, and the evil deeds of ourselves and others. In Genesis, the living LORD God came to earth to visit Abraham with His two holy angels. Abraham trusted with faith and obedience in the Eternal God, and Abraham was declared righteous (morally right) as a chosen friend and prophet of the Most High God. However, Abraham and his wife Sarah were not perfect, but they always remained faithful to the living LORD God. One hot day, Abraham was resting near his tent when visited by the LORD and His two angels. Abraham greeted the LORD and His angels with kindness and joy and invited them into his home. Abraham and his wife Sarah prepared a delicious meal for the LORD and His angels. While eating, the LORD shared some excitement with Abraham and Sarah that Sarah would give birth to a son. Sarah was barren and childless. At the divine announcement, Sarah laughed just as Abraham had previously laughed, but Abraham and Sarah believed in God’s promise of a child despite being very old and past childbearing. The Almighty LORD announced to Abraham that Sarah would be the mother of nations, and she would give birth to a son named Isaac in her old age. The LORD assured Sarah that anything is possible with Him because He is all-powerful (omnipotent). Sarah considered the living LORD God faithful in all His ways and faithful to keep His promises. Next year, by God’s grace, Sarah became pregnant with a baby boy as promised. Abraham named their new son Isaac, and Isaac was circumcised on the 8th day, as God commanded. Isaac’s name means laughter, and he is the spiritual child of promise, chosen by God, and the descendant of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. The living LORD God promised Abraham that He would establish His everlasting covenant with Isaac, but the LORD would also bless Abraham’s son Ishmael. Importantly, the LORD informed His holy angels that Abraham would become a great and mighty nation with many descendants, and all nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham. In addition, the LORD God wanted Abraham to instruct his children, his household, and all future generations to keep His holy ways, always do what is good and right by faith, and turn from Satan’s wickedness and violence. After His great announcement to Abraham and Sarah, the LORD, who is the Judge of all the earth, had seen and heard from heaven of the sin, outcry, wickedness, and evildoing of Sodom and Gomorrah, and so He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah to prevent Abraham and his descendants from following their evil pathway. The living LORD God is forever good, merciful, and gracious, and He always saves and protects with blessings those who look to Him in faith and obedience and repent by turning from Satan’s immorality and evildoing. Let everyone repent of sin and wholeheartedly love and worship the living LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus as Lord in spirit and truth and faithfully obey and serve Him daily! Our loving God sees and hears everything!

Faith and Obedience

Living and walking daily with faith and obedience to the living LORD God are themes throughout the Holy Bible. Our wholehearted faithfulness with obedience to the living LORD God leads to doing God’s will and pleasing Him. Examples of people walking with faithfulness and obedience to the living LORD God include Enoch, Noah, Moses, Joshua, David, Job, and notable Christ Jesus our Lord. Abraham of the Old Testament is another perfect example of prompt faith expressed in obedience to the living LORD God, and Abraham’s example of faith with trust and obedience is a golden thread that runs throughout the Old and New Testaments. The living LORD God of heaven and earth found Abraham’s heart faithful and obedient to Him. Abraham expressed his continual love and faithfulness to the LORD God in worship and giving by looking to and calling upon the LORD’s Name in holy reverence and worship, bringing His Presence into his life and heart. Our wholehearted faith with trust expressed in obedience and worship to the living LORD God leads to His divine blessings (happiness), mercy, and favor (grace). Genesis chapters 1 through 11 describe the good beginnings of creation, then the original sin of Adam and Eve, the flooding of Noah’s generation because of evil and violence, and the scattering of humankind throughout the earth at the tower of Babel due to pride and self-reliance without God. After the tower of Babel, the coming of Abraham (Abram) from Noah’s son Shem family line gave the world hope of redemption as Christ Jesus our Lord would come from Abraham’s family line to bring heaven’s salvation and blessings to the entire world. The living LORD God of Glory called Abraham to move from Ur in Babylon-Chaldeans (ancient Mesopotamia) and move to a new land in Canaan, the Promised Land of Israel-Palestine. The people of Canaan were descendants of Noah’s other son, Ham, who Noah cursed because of Ham’s disrespect during the time of his father’s drunkenness. Abraham obeyed the living LORD God’s voice and call with faith, and he moved with his wife Sarah (Sarai), who was barren without children, and their helpers to the new land of Canaan, which he would receive as an inheritance. Sarah’s name means princess, and she was a beautiful woman who loved and respected her husband, Abraham.The living LORD God blessed Sarah to become the mother of many nations. Also, Abraham’s nephew Lot and Lot’s helpers went to the new land with Abraham and Sarah. Soon, Abraham and Lot’s helpers began to argue with strife over the pasturelands for their animals. So, Abraham, wanting to live in peace with his nephew Lot, allowed Lot to pick which land to own and live on, and Lot chose the green grass but evil, lawless, and wicked lands of Sodom and Gomorrah for his new home. After Lot’s departure, the living LORD God of heaven and earth blessed Abraham and promised Abraham all the land of Canaan (Israel-Palestine) forever. Even more, the living LORD God blessed Abraham to become the father of many nations with many descendants (offspring) as the stars of the heavens, the dust of the earth, and the sands of the seashore because of his faith and obedience to Him. Then, the living LORD God led Abraham to the land of Hebron. Abraham was a Hebrew (Jew) along with his sons Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and they are considered the patriarchs of the Holy Bible and they were also blessed with many descendants, including our Christ Jesus our Savior. Furthermore, Abraham was the father of Ishmael with the bond servant Hagar, and the living LORD God also promised Abraham many great nations and blessings through his son Ishmael and Ishmael’s descendants. Abraham was a wealthy man with livestock, gold, silver, and many faithful servants. Although Abraham was rich, the living LORD God was Abraham’s shield and great reward. Abraham believed and trusted in the living LORD God by faith, which led to Abraham’s righteousness before God. Ultimately, everyone who belongs to Christ Jesus by faith and obedience is also Abraham’s offspring and descendants because Abraham is the father of all who believes in the living LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus, as Lord. The living LORD God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham, and Christ Jesus and the other New Testament writers referred to Abraham as an example of faithfulness and obedience to the living LORD God. Abraham and Sarah sometimes struggled with impatience and lack of trust regarding God’s timing of His promises, but they always returned to the living LORD God with faithfulness and obedience to Him. In the New Testament, Christ Jesus referred to Abraham’s side as the place of blessedness where the righteous go after death.

World of Wickedness

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve’s disobedience and rebellion against the living LORD God and obedience to the evil serpent empowered by Satan plunged a world once filled with life, goodness, and joy into a world of sin, violence, and death. Even the grounds of the earth became cursed with thorns and thistles because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and rebellion against the voice and command of the living LORD God. The living LORD God banished Adam and Eve from Eden, the divine sanctuary of God. After leaving Eden, Adam and Eve made love and gave birth to Cain and then Cain’s younger brother, Abel. Cain was a tiller of the cursed ground, and Abel was a shepherd. Eventually, Cain brought an offering of fruit from the cursed ground without faith to the LORD God that He rejected, while righteous Abel brought a better offering with faith to Him from the firstborn of his flock and their fat (firstborn and fat belong to the LORD). The living LORD God warned Cain to follow the ways of goodness and reject Satan's ways of sin and evildoing. However, Cain followed the ways of sinful and lawless Satan by becoming angry and jealous of Abel’s offering, murdered his younger brother Abel, and then lied with deceit to the living LORD God about murdering Abel. So, the living LORD God punished Cain because of his evil heart pursuing evil deeds with a curse because of following Satan’s evil ways, and Cain became a wanderer on earth. Later, Cain’s son Lamech married two women and introduced the sin of polygamy in the world. Lamech was also vengeful and filled with pride after murdering two other men. Next, Adam and Eve gave birth to another son, Seth, and the people began to call upon the Name of the LORD (Yahweh). Genesis 5 provides a genealogy from Adam and Seth and goes into the days of Noah. Before Noah, Genesis noted that only Enoch lived and walked by faith with the living LORD God, which pleased Him so Enoch did not experience death, and God also blessed Enoch’s son Methuselah with the longest life. Later, righteous Noah was born with the hope that Noah would be the one to comfort the world from the ground’s curse. Sadly, Satan’s wickedness, corruption, badness, and violence ran rampant throughout the earth because of the evil within humans’ hearts, and the living LORD God’s Spirit was saddened and disappointed in humankind, so He shortened humankind’s lifespan to 120 years by His grace. However, righteous Noah found grace (favor) in God’s eyes because he loved God and walked with goodness, obedience, and faith in the living LORD God. Notably, Christ Jesus our Savior and Moses found favor in God’s sight because they obeyed the living LORD God and His commands.The living LORD God announced a covenant with Noah, and He informed Noah He would destroy the world with a great flood and begin the earth anew with Noah, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his sons’ wives - eight humans and two of every animal with the breath of life (male and female) so they could be fruitful, multiple, and repopulate the earth after the great flood. Also, the living LORD God instructed Noah to build an ark to save him, his family, and the living creatures, and Noah obeyed all the living LORD God commanded by building the ark. After Noah completed the ark, the living LORD God brought forth rain on the earth from the heavens, and all the fountains of the great deep were broken up for forty days and forty nights to flood the whole earth with waters to unleash His judgment on sinful humanity and destroy from the face of the earth all living things that He had created. The great flood prevailed on the earth for one hundred and fifty days, and then the living LORD God brought the winds of the Holy Spirit to remove the waters so the earth could be renewed and reborn. After the great flood, Noah built an altar for the living LORD God in the worship of Him, and the living LORD God promised Noah a covenant to never curse the ground and destroy the earth with floodwaters. The living LORD God blessed Noah and his family and commanded them to govern His earth. Also, the living LORD God gave Noah and his family permission to meat for food and the green herb as long as they NEVER eat flesh with its lifeblood and never kill another human, who is made in God’s image. Then, the living LORD God appeared in the heavens as a rainbow cloud, a sign of His covenant promises never again to destroy the earth with floodwaters. However, the world continued in Satan’s pride and sin because the human heart remained unchanged and evil. Noah became unwise by becoming drunk with wine, and his son Ham treated his father Noah with disrespect and dishonor, so Noah cursed his son, Ham. Afterward, Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, with their wives, began replenishing and filling the earth with humans after the great floodwater. The whole world had one language and one speech. Then, the people of Shinar became prideful and wanted to build a tower to become famous and reach the heavens to rebel against God. The living LORD God of heaven came down to earth,  confused the humans’ language, and scattered humans throughout the whole earth. Although the human heart remained unchanged, the living LORD God would call Abram (Abraham) so the world would become blessed and obey Him by faith. Nothing goes well without having humble and wholehearted faith in the living LORD God found in His Son, Christ Jesus our Savior, because only with Him and obedience to His commandments with love and goodness towards others do we find true wisdom, joy, righteousness, and pleasure with peace. Jesus is Lord!

Beginning of Sin

In the beginning, the living LORD God created the world with abundance and goodness without sin or shame. The living LORD God graciously blessed Adam and Eve, except He commanded Adam and Eve never to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as eating the forbidden fruit would lead to death. Genesis 3 describes the beginning of sin on earth. In Genesis 3, a sneaky and tricky snake (serpent) empowered by Satan (Devil) came into Eden, the divine sanctuary of God. The lying snake saw Eve, and he deceived Eve and Adam into disobeying God's commandment by eating from the forbidden tree. Eve saw that the fruit from the forbidden tree was good food, a delight (pleasing) to the eyes, and desirable for wisdom, so she took and ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to Adam to eat. Then, Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, and they felt shame. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command and followed Satan by eating the forbidden fruit. The living LORD God was walking through Eden, but Adam and Eve hid themselves amongst the trees in shame and fear of the living LORD God. Disobedience to God and following Satan always brings shame and fear! The living LORD God asked Adam and Eve if they had eaten the forbidden tree. Adam said yes but blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. The living LORD God cursed the snake to always crawl on his belly and eat the ground dust. Also, the LORD God punished Adam and Eve and cursed the grounds with thorns and thistles due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience in obeying Satan. Adam named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living as a life-giver. However, the living LORD God removed Adam and Eve from the tree of life and Eden. The living LORD God placed angels (cherubim) and a flaming sword to guard Eden’s entrance and the tree of life. Adam and Eve’s disobedience to the living LORD God caused the original sin and the great fall of humankind, leading to shame and death. Since the beginning, Satan and his dark workers are lawless and deceiving liars, thieves, and murderers who roam the earth seeking to accuse, tempt, kill, steal, and destroy all the goodness and abundance of God. Obeying Satan leads to depression, destruction, and death. Here is the good news: Satan and his evil workers will be destroyed and NEVER enter the new heavens and earth. Here is more good news: God brought the hope of Christ Jesus as the Seed of Eve to defeat and crush the serpent’s head. Christ Jesus is our Savior and Second Adam from heaven who brings new life, salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, and reconciliation with the LORD God. The Holy Bible promises the crown of life and access to the tree of life to those who love and obey the living LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus, even during testing, trials, and temptations. Let EVERYONE become wise and blameless by resisting, fleeing, and running from Satan and his evil temptations that try to lead you astray into sin and shame and away from God’s goodness and joy. Jesus is Lord!

Beginning of Goodness

The living LORD God is the Creator-King from everlasting to everlasting that has existed before creation with wisdom and power. The beginning of all creation with the heavens and earth began in goodness and wisdom with the living LORD God (Holy Trinity) of God the Father, God the Son (Christ Jesus), and God the Spirit. In the beginning, the heavens and earth were empty and filled with darkness without form until the Spirit of the living God hovered over the waters of the earth and then the living LORD God Almighty spoke with power the Word of God and brought forth light and life on the earth. The Holy Bible declares that the living LORD God (Elohim, Yahweh) with wisdom and power spoke the Word of God, created, and named day and night, the heavenly skies, oceans and seas, dry grounds and lands with mountains, hills, fruit and vegetation, and then the sun, moon, and stars in the universe. Then, the living God Almighty spoke and created the fish and sea creatures in the oceans, the birds and other flying creatures in the sky from the dust of the ground, and then He made the animals from the dust of the ground so they all could be fruitful and multiply (increase) in numbers. The living LORD God’s most important creation was humans, both male and female, whom He created in His image and likeness to conform to the image of Christ Jesus to multiply and rule with dominion. Adam was the first man created and formed from the dust of the earth and given the breath of life, and then the living LORD God created a woman from Adam to be his helper and companion so together they could care for God’s creation and Kingdom on earth. The living LORD God planted a beautiful garden for Adam and Eve to live called Eden, and Eden was paradise and a divine sanctuary filled with abundance and goodness without any sin or shame. The Spirit of the living God flowed with rivers through the Garden of Eden to bring life and creation. Together, Adam and Eve took care of Eden. Many trees and plants grew in Eden. The living God graciously gave Adam and Eve all fruits and vegetables in Eden, except He commanded Adam and Eve never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After creating the heavens and earth, the living LORD God rested on the seventh day (Shabbat) from all His good works. One day, all creation will end after cleansing by fire with the appearance of Christ Jesus in the sky to begin anew in goodness with the living LORD God. The Holy Trinity of God (Triune God) brings light and life that defeats and conquers ALL darkness and evil. Only the living LORD God deserves all our first love, worship, and praise as King of kings and Lord of lords of the heavens and earth as the heavens declare His glory, majesty, and sovereignty. 

Center of the Bible

Jesus is the central story of the Holy Bible. The center of the Holy Bible is Jesus and His loving death on Calvary’s Cross as the Passover Lamb of God to bring salvation, redemption, unity, and healing from Satan’s darkness, despair, and depression. The Old Testament prophets predicted Jesus’s coming as the Messiah (Christ, Anointed One, Son of David) so we can receive heaven’s new spiritual life, forgiveness, peace, and salvation through repentance (turning from Satan) with faith and obedience to Jesus. Our repentance with faith and obedience to Jesus provides divine healing, inner peace, salvation, and new life within our lives and hearts. All God’s grace, promises, and blessings find their fulfillment in Jesus, and they are YES and AMEN. The living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth has given His Son Jesus all power, authority, and dominion, and He anointed Jesus as Lord and Head of the Church, which is His body. Jesus is the Creator and the glorious image of His Holy Father. Moreover, Jesus is God and the incarnate Word of God that became human flesh and now reigns as King and Ruler of the world. King Jesus is the Anointed One from Father Abraham and King David’s family line, as promised by the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Jesus is not only the King and Savior of the Jews, but He is the Savior and King of the world. Jesus is the all-powerful King of kings and Lord of lords and He reigns as One with this Holy Father. The New Testament writers declare that Jesus is the Son of the living God empowered by the Holy Spirit, and everyone must listen and obey Him, which brings life. Jesus is truth and grace without deception, falsehood, or trickery, and we must obey His commandments and teachings. The teaching of Jesus focused on love, mercy, and goodness towards others. Moreover, Jesus taught everyone to love and trust our Holy Father, the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth, for all our needs as He is our provider and protector. Jesus the Messiah is the power and wisdom of God, and He graciously gives everyone His righteousness, holiness, and wisdom who repents and believes in Him. Through our repentance with faith and obedience, believers of Jesus are reborn and adopted into the family of God, and we become joint heirs with the Resurrected Jesus as His brothers and sisters. Jesus is Lord!