In Genesis, chapter two, the Lord God made a man by a special act. And the Lord God made for man a mate, via a special act. The Lord God installed in man the ability to choose. Then, the Lord God made for man a garden, a park, or a paradise called Eden. Adam and Eve did not have the park to themselves. The Lord God also was present in Eden and He watched over the couple. And what the Lord God saw broke His Heart! His special creatures were flirting with Satan’s emissary, the serpent. The Lord God had made it very clear that to eat and to obey anyone, that questioned and to disregarded the Lord God’s Commandment, chooses death over life. Death meant the separation from the Lord God. And it also separated the soul and spirit from the physical body. Genesis, chapter three, gives the reader an idea what it was like to live in the "Presence of the Lord God." There absolute was harmony and peace between man and the animals before Satan’s agent duped Eve into transgressing and bringing disaster on everything and everyone in paradise. Adam and Eve turned the "First Christmas" into ruins. At least, that is the way most of us are led to believe. I wish to take issue with that concept. And I shall deal with the question, "What would life be without the human experience?" Would we like to live robotic lives like Adam and Eve did in Eden? The author of Genesis did not share my view:

The partnership between the Holy Spirit and the followers of Christ was being threatened and hurt by a fanatic young Pharisee call Saul. He was from Tarsus, but educated by Gamaliel in Jerusalem. He was highly favored by the high priest and the Jewish council, that authorized him to apprehend the followers of Christ and bring them in for sentencing. Saul described himself:

The mission of the Holy Spirit was to continue the "Redemptive Work of Christ," the Son of God. The only way the Holy Spirit can display "His Presence" is through the human body and through the human will, just as He did in Jesus the Christ, who was "Emmanuel” and “God with Us” (Matthew 1:23). The increasing numbers of the believers in Jesus Christ, caused by the healing of the lame man and the death of Ananias and Sapphira, demanded more servants and ministers called deacons. The healing and the death also made the Jewish authorities cautiously proceed against Peter, John, and the other apostles. The Jewish leaders detained and warned Peter and John, but they did not kill them. After, and for the last time, Peter and John stood before the leaders and boldly accused them of crucifying the Son of God. Peter and John owed their lives to Gamaliel, who calmed the infuriated council members:

God and man interacted in a direct relationship. However, sin did not dare to face God! And therefore, the Israelites begged Moses to be the go-between them and God. Moses set up the Levites as the mediators, and the Church followed this tradition with the clery as the “go between” God and man. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit took over the role of the mediator. The Holy Spirit directly became available to every person.

God and man interacted in a direct relationship. However, sin did not dare to face God! And therefore, the Israelites begged Moses to be the go-between them and God. Moses set up the Levites as the mediators, and the Church followed this tradition with the clery as the “go between” God and man. On Pentecost, … Continue reading PARTNERS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: PART #27 →

It must have been heartbreaking to Elijah that the people did not want to be forced into a system, which had grown out of control with Solomon, and that it was easier to go with the flow of Baalism. Even good things cannot avert the "cause and effect." Whatever one sows---that he shall reap. The seeds of Yahweh were no longer spread.

The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of the “Presence of God” with man, whom God (Elohim) created to represent God’s image and likeness in the world. (During our celebration of Christmas and Easter, we shall delay our study of the "Covenant" with God). God returned to the world on Christmas Day to renew His relationship with man. Our Christmas is actually the Lord God’s second visit on earth, in order to restore “His Image” in man. Christmas was planned before creation! Christmas was renewed in Bethlehem! And Christmas shall be completed at the "Return of Christ." Christ was not just born in Bethlehem; for, Christ was before time began. And Christ was the author of creation! John Zebedee, Paul the Apostle, and the writer to the Hebrews provide us with the insight. Let us follow the NIV in this study.

Corinth became the place where Christianity began to grow as two separate branches anchored to the same tree stump. They could coexist, but not as one. Paul, himself, had to bring about the painful split between his kinsmen and the adopted Gentile brethren. Paul had abandoned the attitude he displayed in Athens where he did proved himself a fool. In Corinth he began:

The stoning of Stephen was a profound awakening for the disciples, who had settled in at Jerusalem to preach only to the Jews and not to the Gentiles. Two other men who were chosen with Stephen that would bring the Gospel to the Gentiles were Philip and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. There also was one more person, without whose advice and help the Jerusalem group may not have survived and the Gentiles would never have had Paul bring them the Gospel. Luke, who knew him personally, introduced him, “Thus Joseph who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which means, Son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36). This man was a cousin of Saul, who became Paul. Joseph introduced Paul to the apostles and to Nicolaus of Antioch, to teach the people in Antioch. And the two, Paul and Barnabas, became the first commissioned missionaries. Now Philip had an extraordinary mission to perform.

Baptism had become a problem for the people, who became ill and could not be immersed. A prominent person named Novatian became very ill and could not be immersed. His case was referred to Bishop Cyprian in Carthage, Africa. So, Bishop Cyprian argued that sprinkling was as efficient as washing and immersing; and therefore, the amount of water did not diminish the “Baptism’s Power” to regenerate and to save. The eadersor Bishops accepted Cyprian’s opinion and upheld it when Novatian recovered and refused to be immersed.