Final Message

 Dearest Followers,

  It is with a heavy heart that I come to share with you that Darin has passed away.

He left this world on Wednesday, July 27th to join his heavenly father. His family would like to thank you all for the love and support that you have given Darin over the years. Writing what the Lord laid on his heart was a passion of his and he was humbled by those he could share his heart with. 

With Love, 

His Family 

Darin Lee Bishop

November 23, 1967 ~ July 27, 2022

Darin Lee Bishop passed from this

world into eternal glory on Wednesday, July

27 th , 2022 at the age of 54.

Funeral services will be held on

10:00 a.m. Monday, August 1, 2022 at the

Taylor Funeral Service Chapel Delta, CO

with Justin Atchley and Jeff Peed officiating.

Burial will follow at the Mesa View

Cemetery, Delta, CO.

Darin was born November 23rd,

1967 to make Cecily and William Bishop’s

family complete.

Darin’s heart belonged to God, he

had a fervent desire to share what God laid

on his heart with people. Darin’s family was

his first love.

He loved classical music, reading,

writing, his pets, his garden and canning.

He was very active with soccer, football and

tennis as a young man. He loved living in

Colorado. Darin worked in the medical field

for over 40 years. His most recent

adventure at the hospital was in the

Oncology department. He loved his co-

workers and patients passionately. Darin

was always an encourager to everyone he

met. He encouraged people to love their

family while they were with them. When

anyone that ever tried to pay Darin a

compliment his response was, “I am Just a

Boy.” Darin was always willing to talk to

people about their spiritual beliefs with an

open heart.

Darin is survived by his mother

Cecily Bishop, his loving wife Bonnie,

daughters Tatem Russell, (grandchildren

Peyton and Raleigh); Ariana Bishop, Rachel

(Justin) McCormick, (grandchildren, Leisen

and Kandyce); Rebekkah (Michael)

Simmons, (grandchild Noah); brothers Bud

(Judy) Bishop, and Mike (Deb) Goodwin;

sisters Debbie (Ronnie) Francis and Teresa

Heaton; and multiple nieces and nephews.

Darin was preceded in death by his

father William Bishop.

Viewing will be held from 5:00-7:00

pm on Sunday, July 30th, 2022 at the Mesa

View Chapel, 682 1725 Road in Delta,

Colorado.

In Lieu of flowers you may make a

donation to the Oncology Department at

Delta Health. (Make donations out to Delta

Health Foundation Oncology Fund.)

Arrangements are under the care

and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and

Crematory.

View the internet obituary and sign

the online guest registry at

taylorfuneralservice.com

Hidden Sins

Hidden Sins

6/7/22

None of us like to be humiliated with things that we have done, we would rather keep our dirty laundry hidden this is a common issue for most.  However, it seems like something occurs that brings up these certain issues that we have done, the squirming begins, and the coverup process starts with a fury.  Sometimes this process goes away without any revelation to others but some have to go through terrible times and face horrendous consequences for these actions.  But there shall come a day that all hidden sins will be uncovered, no one will be able to hide or to hide them any longer, we have heard this taught to us for a long time.  Consequently, that dreadful day for many is not what this article will be about, but more current and specific exposures that God will uncover so that His Glory will shine bright as it was supposed to do when this nation was established.  Yes, we shall still have to participate in the Great judgment Day, but our nation shall see a glimpse of what hiding sin means and exactly what God thinks about and how He exposes things.

Being humans, we have a tendency to do things that seem like a good idea at the time but end up making us look like complete fools.  There have been a bunch of times in my life where I have ended up asking myself the most famous question "why did I do that?"  It is a phrase that I wish I would not have to ask myself ever again but I know that it shall occur and will not be around just once or twice.  I know in my case, I had hoped that what I did stayed hidden and quiet never to be resurrected but this thought too failed miserably.  When I was young it used to drive me nuts when my parents would somehow find out some of the dumb things I did, not days, weeks, or months later, but within a few short hours or minutes sometimes.  I am glad these things came to the surface back then, it taught me a few things for my later years.  It did not mean that all my antics ceased, but it slowed the number of those instances way down.

Over the past decade or so, our water levels in the West have been on a steady decline.  We have had some good snowfall years but for the most part, the precipitation amounts have drastically been cut.  As, as stated above, humans like to deny the fact that issues are present and ignore the warnings and continue doing silly things that cost in the future.  All the while, increasing the risk of some pretty bad situations occurring down the road.  One of the largest reservoirs in this nation is located next to Las Vegas and has served as an enormous sporting and entertainment area ever since it was deemed useable.  We all know that Vegas has produced some of the more feared and wreckless gangs and mobs that are known to the modern world.  No one would have believed that the water levels of this reservoir would reach low enough to expose such dastardly deeds of some people, but that is exactly what has begun to occur and it is raising many eyebrows and initiating numerous questions.

One of the discoveries was an old oil drum (barrel) that had a body inside of it.  It took a while for the police to unbury the drum for it had a large amount of sand around it but they managed to clear the drum and take it into custody.  When they opened it, they discovered a human skeleton that they estimate had been in there since the late 1970s or early 1980s.  Some details emerged and then the subsequent news updates would only state that an investigation is ongoing; no new information has been released since.  A couple of days later police sources said that another sighting of human remains was discovered but no official word has been given about that situation at all.  Some old boats and a large yacht has been found as well and the police state that more things probably will be found in the coming summer season as the water levels continue their decline.

Whatever the case and cause might be, we tend to believe that after we have completed acts we will be able to cover them up with a story that everyone will believe, then they will stop asking questions and it all just goes away.  I can only guess what the people were thinking when they went out on the reservoir and dumped this man overboard, but I can only imagine that they had believed it was done and over and he would never be found.  Oh, it took a few decades and conditions that those folks could not control but the truth came out and now justice can be pursued.  I am reminded of a pretty serious set in the Old Testament concerning a devious plan of one who committed an ugly sin and tried to cover it up but got caught.  This story involves a famous Bible character and our passage is as follows:

2 Samuel 11:12-15

"And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.  And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his home.  And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he might be smitten, and die."

What started out as an act of lust, produced a baby.  Many would not see much of a problem with this type of activity for it occurred all the time but this was the king of Israel, David the one who God personally chose to lead the nation.  The entire act of David was completed with him having the husband, who was doing what he was told to do in battle in the first place, killed so that the fornicated act could be covered up.  No sinful act stays quiet nor does it stay small, it will grow until some type of gross atrocity occurs, that is the nature of sin and how it becomes engrained in our lives.  It is never a good cause to justify a sin for when we do, and do not remove it or even do it in the first place, it shall affect not only you but many people around.  Even if that sin will not create or entertain a death of a person, it shall grow until your life is stagnating, quiet, and ineffective for the Kingdom of God.  Sin is sin and it does not matter if you think it is a small sin or a big one.

The complications that this story creates are vast and it shows just how progressive and continual sin can become if allowed to be dealt with incorrectly.  Yes, all of us do some pretty stupid things that warrant our lives to be in turmoil sometime down the line, but if things are allowed to continue they shall be a major problem later.  See, God is independent of human existence, He knows exactly what we do at all times, whether or not it stays within our hearts or it gets acted out but whatever the scene unfolds, He has to stay Holy and pure at all times and if we continue to allow sin to procreate within our hearts He must expose it one way or another.  David finds this out directly, for his plan is completely destroyed when Uriah does not cooperate with what David believes should occur.

When we lie, we have the belief that we can cover up this lie with other lies.  David is a prime example of this for when his idea does not work he begets another lie by including collusion to have another coverup but this time one that involves the husband a "natural one" if you wish to place it in those terms.  When this does not work, another lie must be born in order to ensure that the first lie and the second lie are withheld from the public.  But this time a killing must occur and we have grown from lust to murder.  See, a lie does not stay simple or small, it has its own life and it shall grow for while it is not of God it is of the father of this world, and when a father is involved life is present.

David at any time could have stopped this process and asked God for forgiveness and advice on what to do next, but he did not.  This situation would come to hurt David and Bathsheba in the very near future which included grief, sorrow, and death.  Yes, another death, one that hit home with David and grieved him greatly.  This example should warn us that even though we have a close relationship with God we are all still vulnerable to the temptations of the world and we need to be ready to defend ourselves properly at all times.  It is easy for us to dismiss this story as something that we have not done personally, such as in commit adultery or murdering someone, but it is not the real issue here, it is the fact that when we do things wrong we try to cover it up and pretend no one knows.  A crime of the heart which God still sees when no one else does, at that moment.

I was reading a message from one of my Prophetess friends the other day and she dealt with this exact same concept, not about murder or lust but a small thing that no one would miss if not returned.  This person has an outstanding relationship, a unique one with God one that is unquestionably knitted.  She was at the grocery store a while back and finished her shopping checked out and went to her car.  She unloaded her items into the car and noticed that a small item was present in one of her bags that she had not paid for.  She immediately thought that she had scored a freebie and would not do anything about it since it was only about £2 and nobody would notice it and certainly the grocery store would not miss it.  But as soon as this idea shot through her head, God spoke to her and said that no one physically would know but He would know.

These words from God struck her heart and she was immediately convicted of not only the act of trying to keep the freebie but having the thought about doing it too.  She immediately went back in and paid for the item that seemed so insignificant just a few minutes earlier.  She could have ignored God and kept it without paying for it, but what other lie would be initiated if she had not listened to God at that moment?  How many times have we ignored what God was telling us to do or not to do, thus birthing deeper and more significant lies in our paths?  All of us have done this in some form or another and we should all be repentant of such behavior.  No, we may not even be able to correct these lies since they occurred years or even decades before but we can right our wrongs in the eyes of God.

Church, we are guilty of this type of lying each and every day.  For when we teach that the ways of the world are not really that bad and that we can accept the world as our friend and still live a Christian life, we are lying.  If you are honest, with this simple concept in place and the law of sowing and reaping intact, how many more lies which are more harmful have we allowed to grow in not only our lives but in others who we have taught as such.  I can guarantee that there are numerous or even countless lives affected by these lies of ours.  Church, we stink!  And it is time we come clean to God for these lies that we have taught over the years.  We need to be grounded in His Word and not the word of the world and in order for this to occur, we need to repent.

I cannot say whether we can personally find the individuals that we have hurt or harmed over the years but if there is a way to do such a move we need to do it.  It does not matter how insignificant you think your lie was it must be dealt with God first and then the individual or individuals if possible.  This is not an option for if we do not correct the wrong there shall be no way that we can be restored by God, restoration cannot come when deliberate sin is present and alive.  See, what many of us do not know is that when sin is present within our lives our relationship with God is diminished and that relationship value cannot grow but only shrink.  When our relationship with God shrinks it shall eventually become nonexistent and therefore a breeding ground for lie after lie on every level imaginable.  

Whether or not you want to believe this or not but that level described in the last sentence of the previous paragraph is exactly where we are today, Church.  It has come time for God to withdraw His blessings over our lives and nation because of such arrogant and defiling lifestyles and beliefs.  We have become so selfish that we cannot see beyond our physical noses much less our spiritual ones.  God still loves us and He is still in the restoration business, I just hope we figure this potential out before our world around us completely crumbles and we have to write songs, poems, choruses, letters, and books by the River Euphrates.  Hidden sins are not hidden at all, do not fool yourselves God sees them and has been calling for us to correct these divisive measures.  Let us do this and make ourselves right before God, it is in our best eternal interest that we do; it all starts with you and me.

DLB

No Pardon

No Pardon

5/30/22

There have been some heinous crimes committed during my lifetime, with so many more before I discovered America, all of them not deserving any type of pardon from prison officials.  Even though these people have been convicted of these acts, God is still willing to forgive them of their sins and receive them into His presence their lives are over.  This process of God's forgiveness is sometimes hard to believe but when we look at our own lives and see the sinful acts that we commit, we become thankful real quick.  However, there are a few instances where God demonstrates no forgiveness and enters into a no pardon zone.  This condition does not develop overnight but is willingly accrued over time and it totally involves the heart and what humans do to innocent children.  God loves little children and it is one of His top priorities to protect them, but we like to destroy them in so many ways today.  We can change this horrific pattern and we really should since our time of no pardon is about to occur.

One of the most grotesque procedures that humans have developed is the idea and concept of ripping a baby from the womb of its mother.  This topic is one that shall always stir up controversy and will cause tempers to flare even amongst the closest of friends and family members.  There are many things in my past that still haunt me to this day, things that have been done for selfish reasons only trying to satisfy my egotistical standing within my own world.  While my guilt stands before me and that I did not indulge myself in such a dead ritual for any life, I cannot forget that for so many years previous I denied God the authority in my life as He should have had.  This burden of mine I did my best to bear alone, saying to myself that I am well capable of holding on to its presence, totally going against what God has shown us we should do.

The weight of sin comes naturally for every human, for we are born into sin and it is in our lineage to be such, but there are some things that if we allow continuing to be carried, their weight shall completely destroy us without compromise or salvation.  The entire Bible states that there is no sin great enough that God will not forgive, nor is there a problem too small in our lives that He does not care about.  So how come there are conditions that will not be forgiven and such situations allowed to be utterly destroyed both eternally and physically?  All of these conditions that fit into this category lie within the heart and are not taken away by God because we fail to lay them at His feet.  When we do not complete this action, there will be scenes of destruction that come upon us in the fiercest manner, and what makes things worse is that we shall never understand why.

God also provides us with the Way to release such devastation and curses from our lives, even when we have committed the most heinous crime that mankind can do; yes, even the ones that this article shall talk about, you know the one that will bring total destruction.  How can this be?  Is God a double standard being that He would play favorites?  Is He a God that will look past certain deeds because of who the person is or that they grew up in church?  No, God looks squarely upon the heart and sees how the heart functions and how it beats toward His Ways.  Most folks do not know that when people carry around their sins they are living in disobedience and will continue to support that sin until they either die or give it to God.  Sin might be on the physical aspect insight but its root is 100% spiritual for it is the spirit that you have that determines your eternal destination.

Just as I did for many years, people would rather defend their past than try to properly correct it.  This is such an irrational belief and process but once we defend it we think we must stay the course so we do not look foolish.  Well, folks, being a Christian and serving God whole-heartedly shall make you foolish but when we do we shall be able to escape the results of our passage of Scripture and the passage is as follows:

2 Kings 24:1-4

"In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.  And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servants the prophets.  Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did.  And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon."

There are a few items here that correspond with the words that are spoken about the passage for this article, but in no way did God ever intend to have no pardon on His people, God has always wanted holy communion with us and this relationship is possible as long as we give up the world and follow His Ways for even when we do not give up the slightest amount of the world from our lives there shall always be a chance of us holding on enough to place us in this category of no pardon.  It is clear that God is showing us the topic of adults killing innocent children, this was a common practice among many nations of that time period and if we admit it, the same practice occurs today but with a more sinister detailed procedural death process.

I have heard many arguments over the years that since abortion is not mentioned directly and specifically in the Bible that God has no problem with it and that it is in His will for us to do such things.  This is an apple versus orange comparison issue for we all know that the abortion process was not possible back in the days of the Bible or at least the abortion process as we know it today.  Systematic medical tools and medicines were not even thought about back then nor could they be produced due to the lack of resources and technology.  So, when people use this tactic it cannot be a legitimate argument for its foundation is not secure rendering it indefensible and useless.  But most of us allow it to be said and used against us without fully understanding the Truth about the killing of children, innocent children and for this, we must return to Genesis 4 where God shows us exactly where this concept of killing babies and the innocent arises.

Genesis 4 does not open quietly, for it depicts another killing from the beginning and once again Adam and Eve are part of the story.  No, they did not kill anyone but one of their boys killed his brother which makes this story directly related to Adam and Eve.  The mindset of killing had grown exponentially enough that it was no big deal to Cain for he refused to accept any responsibility for what he had done to his brother.  His heart had become so cold that he wanted nothing to do with the truth even when God asked him specifically about his brother.  It is not known exactly how long Abel was dead before God spoke to Cain but it could not have been too long afterward, God usually does not allow too much time to pass before He arrives, He does like patterns and order.

Our true passage for this article comes from 2 Kings and serves the same purpose as Genesis 4 did, the heart of people has grown cold toward sin and more specifically their sin that they saw nothing wrong with the way they lived their lives.  There have been numerous debates about whether or not God would use the elements and/or people to bring upon a judgment against another people or land.  I do not understand why people argue whether or not God would do something against people, especially those folks who have been raised in the church or have familiarized themselves with the Bible's contents.  Whether God would do something catastrophic against people is not the question, the relationship between the people and God is the question and if such a relationship is not in His order then all things are possible with God.  The heart of the people and nation is the relevant question and status, only.

God speaks about the processions and procedures concerning Moloch in many passages throughout the Bible, but in this passage we find specifics of the deeds done.  We know God cannot blame anyone who is innocent, if He did then this passage could not be a part of His Word nor could it be a part of His definition.  Remember, God is a complete God on all levels and in all Ways and He cannot change this status for any reason.  The heart of Judah had become cold to the truth about life and what its sanctity meant to God.  Their acceptance of a continued line of evil kings proved this passion for sin and it also made a statement to God that they had no intentions of changing this pattern, and specifically, not to a return to God.

The king of Judah referred to in this passage is documented as having done just as his father had done in the sin department including the filling of Jerusalem with innocent blood.  It is this added step and acceptance procedure that God could not have any pardon for; we see God pardon many things in the past histories of Judah and Israel but not this one.  This statement by God ties the people's actions and accepted policies to themselves, not anyone or anything else.  God does not even blame Moloch or the procedures "he" commanded from the people, at least God was smart enough to have the decency to know that Moloch was an invention and not real at all, only the sin that it portrayed was real.  God did not mess around with the blame game in Genesis 4 when Cain killed his brother, God did not mess around either when it came time for the truth to be told in the 2 Kings passage.  It is obvious that the people had become just as cold and hard as King Jehoiakim was; therefore setting up a situation and condition that God could not allow to continue.

When God created humans He did not expect us to sit around and not do things without the capability and the know-how how to improve our lives.  Look at all of the accomplishments humanity has done just over the past two hundred years or so, not to mention six thousand or so years before this current age.  Humans have done many things that some say are good while others say are bad and in many cases, it is in all how you look at things.  God placed within our lives to survive and to do this in many unusual ways and this is a good thing, but for some people ridding themselves of unwanted issues permanently with no count toward the "riddance" does not fit into the concordance of God.

Just as in the days of the Old Testament, today's societies have accepted a grotesque procedure and at the same time manufactured laws to defend such ugliness and murder.  Sacrificing children to Moloch in the days of the Bible was done as a choice, a procedural event with false promises of life, food, prosperity, and ironically fertility.  If one reads the Bible and believes in its content, there can be no misunderstanding when it comes to the belief that God loves life and shall defend it for eternity.  Yes, God gave us the free will of choice and He understands that sometimes we make choices that do not line up with His Word but when it comes to life itself, God has placed in all of us a survival mode that grows from day 1 of conception in us and it is our responsibility to reciprocate this defense of life at all cost.  Do not become fooled into believing that God loves us too much not to pardon us for heinous crimes against His definition, for He had no choice with His own people so surely He will have no issues with allowing such devastation upon us.  God allowed total brutality to be heaped upon Judah for their contempt for innocent blood, and folks, we are performing the identical mind games today with abortion.

Sadly, Judah and Israel did not learn their lesson from the Old Testament for even though it took millennia for them to be recognized as a nation once again, there are countless Jewish people that continue to live under the belief that killing babies is proper and should be protected today.  There are many Jewish leaders around the world who are in high-up positions that make laws to kill babies on demand and without hesitation.  As God did not look past this indignation against life in the passage of 2 Kings 24 He shall not look past it again when He brings this nation down.  God shall not have any pardonable passions on this day and when this day arrives we should not be surprised by its arrival by any means.  Mankind deems the physical as sincerity, but it only represents the superficial and sinful aspects of humans, the heart determines the spiritual aspect of our lives and it serves as the house where life exists, this is where God looks and where He must clean when it is the appropriate time.

I thank God every day that I was born in 1967, a few years before the abhorrent laws were set into motion concerning the new Moloch procedures.  I know people who have had abortions in their past and in some of these folks have no regrets about their actions to this day.  On the other hand, I know people who have had abortions in their past and continue to grieve about what they allowed to happen.  However, the ones who regret this act of their all have the comfort of knowing that they shall see their child one day and will have the opportunity to spend eternity with them.  I pray for both groups, for they all need prayer and I shall never stop in these sessions.

I grieve for what is about to occur to our nation, for God shall have no pardons on this land that dreadful day.  It shall not be a kind day whatsoever for it will be the beginning of something our eyes and lives have never experienced before.  I am not talking about just this land, I am talking about the entire world, and there have been some pretty nasty things to occur around the world too.  I only can gather a few examples of what God might do when He has had enough.  I look at these and ponder about the total shock of how Judah and Israel must have felt when their lives ended.  Every aspect of their identity was taken away and not one item of importance was left in their sight.  There is no doubt that God blessed them throughout all of their rebellious years, just as He has blessed us.

Church, you are not exempt in this process of God either.  I suggest you take a good study course on Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Nahum, Jonah, etc., and get an idea of what is to come for God did not spare the Temple nor did He spare the people who supposedly were its leaders.  In fact, it was the leaders that took a good brunt of what God allowed to occur which should in itself show us the importance of what type of example we should be and what we should not be.  God help us in the time to come, for we all shall fall and fall hard.  We have ignored God for too long and His Glory shall reign over this land and over our hearts in one way or another.  Repent, and God guarantees mercy.  Repent not, and no pardons shall be granted.  Oh, and remember that every person in Hell was not pardoned by God.

DLB

Playing Adam and Eve

Playing Adam and Eve

5/5/22

This is another interesting title name but one that many of us have played for quite some time and yet have no clue that this game is unfolding within our lives.  Most of us tend to take relationships seriously but are leary to commit to them because of all the disadvantages to such levels we ultimately shy away from the relationship part and accept the pleasure aspects only.  These types of beliefs are play-acting, involving you and others in a game that has eternal overtones and a garage full of spiritual ties and baggage that we have no idea about how to tend to.  God never intended for us to take relationships on a whim, for He knows that since sin is a part of our lives this relationship goal between humans would also affect the relationship between Him and humans.  We do not have to play such games, we can have a pure, holy, peaceful, and long-lasting relationship with one another if we put God first and allow Him to work His heart and spirit into our lives.

Did anyone out there play the "playing house" game when they were young?  I know it was a popular game back when I was a kid and it could last for weeks or months at a time and provide many different options for all to enjoy.  It really did not matter how many other kids joined in for they were given a name and then given a role to play, just like meeting new family members in real life.  This game was done in innocence and kept in play each responsibility of parents or adults as children saw them.  Nothing special was done, just a game played amongst friends on how things were at home.  I must admit that as I ponder some of these game times, the actors did some things that I was not aware of at my house, some displayed a few anger issues towards others, nothing real of course but all went along with these displays and considered them nothing more than that.

The question that is raised here is this: how much of our adult life's circumstances did we learn about while playing this simple child's game?  Some might say that nothing really came out of these settings while others say that many people's lives were shaped due to the fact that they were or were not included in such games.  In either case, whether or not we believe that our development came from such settings those days did place into our hearts a remembrance that unfortunately continues to play out in our lives today.  Look at what society is trying to do with our children these days.  Kids are being bombarded with worldly messes that will harm them one day in the future, you think our suicide rate is high now, just wait a decade or two.  What other damages will be done can only be imagined by the world, but according to the Bible we have a good picture painted by a famous couple who played Adam and Eve and their names were, Adam and Eve.

All of us like to dream or imagine a different life with different people or times but when does this type of thinking become a worrisome adventure that leads to detailed problems?  And who falls into this category of falsehoods deep enough to contemplate ending all that one knows because of the built-up circumstances and dug-in problems?  Do you get the fact that when any of us vary from the originally designed plan of God on any level, and at any time, we become subject to total destruction?  I am not saying that we should not play and goof off when we are kids or that we should not allow our children to play with dolls or other kinds of toys, God IS saying that it is our responsibility to listen to our children play and hear what they are saying so that we can protect them when need be.

Genesis 3:6-9

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.  And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lod God amongst the trees of the garden.  And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"

As each article is written about the first three chapters of Genesis, I cannot help but think that for many years my beliefs that I knew these verses have fallen apart for God continues to show me more and more wisdom in these passages that my mind has not ever thought about before.  Therefore, I must conclude that my simple beliefs were not all accurate and that I was just living a lie concerning my capability of reasoning these passages.  In essence, I was playing Adam and Eve for believing I knew it all and that everything was okay, and that I was strong enough to defend my thinking alone.  On many levels, I have been proven incorrect in this pattern and until I went back to the Bible I was headed in a downward spiral without any hindrance.  With each new Word from God, I learn more about what it means to live in reality, His reality, and not the world's and it scares me to think that so many people are playing Adam and Eve and not realizing it.

What does God mean by "playing Adam and Eve" anyway?  When one reads Genesis 2 they can see that the relationship between Adam and Eve all centered around God and that everything in their lives was on an outstanding level.  Adam and Eve stood before God naked and were not ashamed of their appearance, they had no reason to either.  Their relationship with each other originated from God and had no flaws within the relationship either.  This was the perfect structure of existence and God made it clear to them that as long as they lived in such unity with Him all would be fine and obedience would abound.

We do not know exactly how much time passed between the end of Genesis 2 and the beginning of Genesis 3, but some sort of huge change has occurred between the two relationship statuses' in this period of time.  Most importantly, the relationship between God and Adam along with his wife had changed, it is evident in the status of the relationship between Adam and his wife.  Before Genesis 3 came along everyone involved in this setting was on a talkative basis with each other with no issues pending.  It is here that we find evidence that Adam and his wife had changed and that things were not the same in their world, this change was significant enough to warrant them looking around for shelter and wanting to clothe themselves because they were naked.  They had been warned of the consequences if they ate from that tree and immediately they knew God was correct and that they had been lied to then fall for the lie.

When Adam and his wife ate from that tree, it solidified what had been brewing for some time, a condition that had some type of serious influence on them enough to even come to the place where they would entertain a disobedient option.  The new fashion statement also confirmed that their lives would never be the same and that their place inside the Garden of Eden was up and that they would have to move along elsewhere.  Not only did their clothing issues change but their relationship with God changed and He was not in this picture at that very moment either.  A new set of life rules became present and the place of true living was replaced with a permanent playhouse.  But this playhouse as we find out could not be constructed in the Garden of Eden, it had to be done, by mankind, outside of their known dwellings.

This single action of Adam and his wife ushered in an entirely new house one that even though may look great on the outside, its contents were always under scrutiny and threats of being taken, a product full of sin and disobedience.  When you continue to read the story about Adam and Eve, one cannot help but feel sorrow for them for it was going to be a hard life without God's surroundings in their eyesight.  Their presence in the world was not to be the desire of God's plan for them but because they played games in the House of God, God had no choice but to pass judgment over them.  This new home of Adam and Eve is what can be referred to as playing Adam and Eve for all of us have taken heed to modify our house to make it look like the world, to make due to what we build or create.

One cannot help but think about how to improve such a disastrous setting, how to make things foolproof when it comes to attacks from our enemy.  I can guarantee that Adam and Eve would have done things differently if they had another opportunity way back when, but while we automatically inherit sin when we are conceived things are a tad different, yet at the same time, we have the same opportunity to stop playing Adam and Eve and do our best to live a godly and holy life under the blood of Christ.  There is a great opportunity to save many marriages if we understand that when we do not place God first in our relationship with our spouse the chances of a forever love life is basically null and at some point will be void.  Truth be known, when this setting arises all we are doing is hiding from the truth for we have approached these vital decisions without knowing God correctly.

We do not have to play this tiresome game of trying to be perfect, for when we try to live according to the world our relationship with our spouse shall fall.  This simple game has been sitting in front of our faces ever since we first read the passage in Genesis 3 but we have failed to recognize the truth about how to correct things or be able to prevent them from occurring in the first place.  I wish more church denominations would get their eyes off the world when it comes to marriage and relationships for what they accept and promote today is eternally damning and goes totally against God's Word.  We shall continue to see lives wrecked while this worldly pattern of disobedience is first in line with people.  Just think about how many problems and issues we could avoid if we just kept God first in our lives before, during, and after the marriage ceremony.  To all those who are trying their best to find the one person for their lives to spend with, read and study Genesis chapters 2-3 and take careful notes about what to do and what not to do.  God established a perfect equal union between Him and mankind before Satan came in and tricked our perfection.  However, we can still strive for that perfection each day when this intimate relationship is correctly followed, and that correct pattern is with God and His Ways first in our lives.

Church, we need to study these chapters in Genesis again and really place their content into our hearts again.  This world is only going to become worse and throw nasty things our way.  Satan would love nothing else to see even more relationships go by the wayside during these times and when things become dire, for he knows that if you are not in close standing and communion with God there will be no way that your physical shall stand either.  It is our responsibility to teach this truth about God and relationship order, and so far, many of us have demonstrated or taught them on a lousy scale.  Also, when or if physical relationships go south people who know God shall be able to survive and will be able to do their best to correct the situation before it comes to an end.  God's Word is the key, not only to end the game of playing Adam and Eve but for any other condition, setting, condition, relationship, or conduct that humans encounter.  Jesus wants us to stop playing Adam and Eve and start living under the Covenant that God the Father began in Genesis 2.  Living in the Bible is the only way possible for this status to be changed and when it is changed God guarantees that your cup shall overflow with joy both vertically and horizontally.

DLB

Present Help

Present Help

4/22/22

All of us have fallen into the trap of wanting to help others but for some reason do not stay around long enough to complete such a wish.   We make such a promise almost every day with good intentions yet duty calls us away for the remainder of our shift or time around the ones that we say this to; in any case, we fall short of being able to fulfill our words of a helping manner and our presence to honor such a request.  However, when mankind makes a statement such as this and fails others we cannot ignore the fact there is One who shall never leave us nor forsake us when our needs require someone to help.  God has always been faithful in being around when times are bad yet many times we do not see Him or call upon Him but blame Him grotesquely.  For someone who gets blamed for many things, He sure does stick closer than any other human being I know; therefore, we should honor Him by taking His help at all times.

Do you find things a tad interesting that all of a sudden medicine has been able to rapidly make such a vaccine program basically overnight?  Don't bother to see that some of these processes were created over decades with numerous trials being conducted before a single dose is given to patients for prevention of the intended vaccine renders.  It is hard for some in the medical field to honestly trust such quickened vaccines as safe and effective for general usage.  Do not get me wrong, modern medicine has developed many techniques to find out and then protect humans from such disastrous germs and viruses, but to force people to obtain such unproven vaccines or lose their jobs is more on the lines of control instead of medical advancement.  This act is a desperate attempt to convince mankind's ideas and creations are always the correct choice and that no other option should be considered, another dangerous sanctioned condition from the world and its ruler.

It has become quite easy for us to take this help with a grain of salt and then reject it when things do not turn out as planned.  This type of response can occur in any situation we face it does not have to be in medical terms.  Humans are like that, and then when the setting is done we want our own pound of flesh to consume.  How many times have we found ourselves in this position all alone even when our friends said that they would be there for us no matter what, or if we needed anything just ask?  I find it difficult and somewhat embarrassing when I have these words run through my head and then say them to another because I know if I say them I do not know if I will be available or not to fulfill them.

Unfortunately, human behavior and actions are the ones that determine how much trust we have in God when hard times arrive.  We must incorporate a helping heart toward others when things become bad for if we do not keep our word how will the ones who need Jesus ever know His true presence of help?  We cannot hide the fact that Jesus walked this earth which makes Him part of human society and when people find this part out about Him they categorize Him as a human and will not trust HIm as they need, this is just a human fact of existence.  Therefore, they ignore our Scripture passage or do not believe in any part of it and will subsequently follow the world instead.

Psalm 46:1

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

This type of belief or solution may come at a troubled time but it does not provide the true help that is really needed for the current issues at hand.  It seems like that many other issues have popped up ever since the virus issue appeared a couple of years ago.  God allows such events to occur in order for us to turn our hearts back to Him and to give warnings to us reiterating that we cannot do things on our own and that He is the only one that can cure our needs and heal our troubles, and when this attitude of the world attaches itself to our hearts it becomes a solid system of denial against God and our seeking continues on the world's course and pace.

With the drawdown of the hype of the flu strain that we have endured for over two years now, it has been easy for our eternal enemy to sit back and watch many lives unnecessarily turn inside out and a good part of humanity falls apart, all the while he laughs at our responses against each other about how to handle such settings.  If you have not known that divisional tactics have been in progress for decades now, this setting should clear up any questions that anyone may have.  Satan loves that he can just implement a small difference in opinion in our societies and we will take this division to the extreme.  Think back to the Garden of Eden when he tricked Adam and the woman into eating the fruit, a disobedient act that continues to plague humanity.  This act of his continues today for we do not even care to recognize his antics, we just eat of what he places before our eyes all in the name of "for the good of humanity".

When you stop and look at all the responses the world has to offer when disasters occur, they are all disasters in themselves.  When people are running for office they never predict bad times ahead.  They will not go into depth about the problems that will be faced in the future, how can they?  However, humans can stand on repetitive platforms and take agendas out of proportion and extenuate their own beliefs if followed.  Leaders will promote a controlled anxiety pattern so when bad times do occur, they will have "answers".  However, what we are witnessing today is mass chaos with issues that we did not expect and our handling of them has cost everyone much money and turmoil.  Amazingly, we still turn to these same leaders to provide answers to our shaking knees, an event that confuses people, and then when the truth arrives become angry on all levels of existence.

God is the opposite of such hidden features, He is and always has been open to tell exactly how things are going to be in the present and in the future.  His Word declares what occurred in the past in order to tell us how to properly prepare for our daily bread and for our future presence.  It is well-known that the world shall fail you when tough times arrive, for it is not prepared due to the fact that it is always focused on itself.  Once again, God is the opposite He is focused on you and wishes to help you at all times.  This short and simple verse contains powerful words that only God can back up.  God is not ashamed of us even though we have sinned so many times we could not have kept an accurate count.  It is in this part of our lives that God wishes to reinforce that He is with us at all times and not hit or miss.

We joke around when the phrase "Hi, I am from the government and I am here to help" for we know that when any type of governmental assistance occurs, there will have to be some kind of payback involved.  This phrase says to us that the person or people who show up to work are not always there and only appear when times dictate their presence.  God is not like this He is always around us and waiting to help.  The word "present" here comes from the Hebrew word "nimsa".  We find that the KJV translates this word as a "very present" help while the Hebrew form and definition mean "an ever-present" help.  All of the anxiety and fear that infiltrate our hearts and minds do not have any place there, for where God is no fear or doubt can exist.  This is an important detail that many of us forget and even though God is standing right next to us we fail to see Him or ask Him for assistance.

Satan counts on the fact that human leaders shall fail us; therefore, causing us to lose all confidence in their capabilities which is a very effective weapon in our confidence in security and protection terms.  This physical fear also translates into an unsuccessful belief in God and His presence and willingness to truly help.  Life shall always bring us heartaches and disappointments and when these types of conditions appear we need all the help we can get.  God continually shows Himself to us, that is His job but it is our lack of knowledge and understanding about His presence that defeats His presence and help.  It is not God's Will for us to continuously suffer bad living conditions or have to live with debilitating issues for decades, His help includes both physical and spiritual help.  God's help is just not about physical ailments either, it could be any number of things that trouble our lives so many times we sit and think about things that we need to go through or conquer but do not ask God for wisdom and guidance.  Why?  He is always there we just need to ask Him.

Church, this is where we have the responsibility to tell people about this verse.  We can no longer afford to keep quiet as the world around us fades away.  There are so many problems that every human being faces each day that take a toll on them.  Suicides are rising at an astronomical pace, families are breaking up on a scale that has never been witnessed before and the basic fundamentals of life are continually being challenged.  This is where the Hebrew definition of "very present" comes into play and should resound within our hearts, ever-present means it never leaves and it never has left ever since it was installed.  It means now and is continually ongoing; also, God's Word is the only source that shall prepare us for such "very present help" for it too shall never leave us.  Over our physical American lives, we have lost the concept that God is everywhere and desires to protect and comfort us not only during troubled times but happy and storied times as well.

Church, we have fallen into the trap of self-gratitude which over time has eroded our need and desire for God.  We can no longer preach and teach the Gospel of Christ to those who need to hear His Word of Salvation, and we need to gain access to His presence once again for things are about to change drastically.  So drastically, that the buildings we call churches may not even be open or left in existence because we refuse to repent of our sins so God must take things into His own hands.  This is a sad day but one that is necessary.  This single verse is one of the most needed passages of Scripture that God has given; yes, all Scripture is necessary but this one needs to be present upfront in our hearts because the real (spiritual) fight is about to begin on our eye level.  Our understanding of this verse is evident that it has been only a superficial one and that needs to change quickly.  FOr when we do not understand what this verse means during pleasant times, we definitely shall not understand it during difficult times.

DLB

Let My People Go

Let My People Go
 
4/4/22

 
 
 
 
There are many passages in the Bible that have been mentioned in only one direction or for only a single purpose, there is nothing wrong with this and it is a correct way to learn the Bible.  But we cannot ignore the fact that as we read the Bible and the stories that are associated with such passages, we must remember that sometimes the words or phrases used have other destinations as well.  It is at this point that God wants to teach us a few more things for He wants us our minds and hearts to be filled with His Word, His Definition so that we may understand how to live an abundant and joyful life.  Things are not going to stay "as good as they are now" and when these changed times become a challenge to us all, we need to ensure that we have as much eternal protection as possible against our enemy.  Let us take a few moments to read about how this popular phrase can be used in our preparation for future spiritual conflicts.
 
Most people in western societies have at least heard of the phrase "let my people go" once or twice in their lifetimes.  This previous statement is not an unfamiliarity for we know that the majority of western states are considered to be Christian or have least heard about the Gospel on a continued basis.  However, it is also common knowledge that when such phrases become used regularly and "wear off" they no longer are taken seriously and are worn on the shoulder alone, even if the automatic intention of hope and freedom that this phrase implies is not considered to be an old used sock.  Still, no matter how one thinks about or believes in this phrase it is one of the most powerful and inspiring passages that God's Definition contains.
 
I have stated for a while now that the Bible is the eternal definition of God and this is a complete and accurate claim for if we did not have a pattern to mold our lives to, that we could understand, then God would not, and could not consider Himself to be God nor could He claim to truly love us.  When we think about this passage in the manner of being a part of God's Definition, we can see just what else this phrase represents and when our hearts are open to this wisdom our spiritual lives come alive for we know that God is with us and that He will make everything perfect.  Do we know that this phrase is also a phrase of warning?  Some may have thought about this previously but probably most have not, it was a shock to me when God revealed this definition to me and it has changed how I view things and situations, especially when prophets and people who know God's Word give such testimonies and accounts of what is about to occur in our land.
 
"Love in its purest form is discipline" is a phrase that Jesse Duplantis used in one of his sermons a while back, it is a true statement and another phrase that many of us do not wish to hear but it must be said.  Is God stating that this ancient phrase is going to be heard again as a cry of warning today?  Yes, this phrase has already been present in some hearts and it rings very clear and loud to those who are listening.  It corresponds with the phrase used for the title of this article and what God wants to get across to us today.  Now, we know that Moses (God's voice) used the phrase "let my people go" many times during his battle with Pharaoh, this is a known fact, so we will use its first time usage in the Bible as the passage of Scripture for this article and it is as follows:
 
 

Exodus 5:1-2

 

"And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.  And Pharoah said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?  I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."

 
One of the more fascinating things about this phrase that Moses said to Pharaoh was that it was the exact Word from God, for previously God said that it would be Him that told Pharaoh to let His people go even though Moses was the one who actually spoke the words.  Sometimes I have a difficult time saying the things that God has said for me to write, for they can be harsh at times but that is what God tells me to say and I since I am just a boy who wishes to do his best to obey, I write them as He says.  I can imagine what Moses must have thought about the first time he heard the voice of God through his lips, it took a bunch of courage and strength to get through this first moment.  However, Moses understood that this was not just a physical moment but a battle of the spirit realm and the preliminary rounds at that, a shot across the bow if you wish to put it in those terms.  Humans like to play around with the words of God and do their best to water down the warning that is attached to them, a fatal mistake that so many pastors, leaders, and congregants of the Church have bought into.
 
There are a few aspects here that support the words that Moses speaks and should have given Pharaoh the idea that no games were being played here, for God spoke a statement, not a suggestion or even a question.  It is this statement form that sets into motion the spiritual battleground in which one participant understood while the other one did not.  First off, Moses and Aaron enter the room where Pharaoh was located and just begin telling him what God had said to them to say.  Moses opens up and proclaims that the God of Israel had said for him to let His people go.  Pharaoh never addresses the Children of Israel as God's people, only as Israel which means he did not recognize God or His existence at all; furthermore, adding to the words at the beginning of Exodus that a new king had come to power that did not know Joseph.  Moses and Aaron got right to the point, they did not hesitate.
 
Moses said that the Lord God of Israel had told him to tell Pharaoh to let His people go so that they may hold a feast to God in the wilderness.  If Pharaoh would have heeded this request, things might have been different between him, Moses, and God but he did no such thing and totally rejected what God had said to him.  Pharaoh even added the fact that he did not know this God of Israel and that since he knew nothing of Him that he had no reason to obey the words from Moses.  This exchange between God and Pharaoh was the first that if we read further in the book of Exodus of many more to come, each time bringing another supernatural fight that Pharaoh did not heed.  Notice something else here, God made His statement of what Pharaoh needed to do but God did not say what He was going to do as serving the consequences of disobedience.  This result was not known until the ordered plague hit and was actively being maneuvered among the intended people and targets.  Do you really think that things would have been different in the hearts of Pharaoh and his people if God had been cast as a predictable god?
 
I can just feel the oozing of pride and arrogance coming from the mouth of Pharaoh, the greatest and most powerful leader during that period of time.  All of the past kings of Egypt were considered gods, sent to the people of Egypt to serve them in a divine way which created a cloud of sovereignty and deity that no one even dared to challenge.  So when Moses and Aaron come marching in demanding that he let his captives and free laborers go, it had to be a funny setting at least in the eyes of Pharaoh.  Pharaoh physically heard those words from Moses but he failed to understand what they meant, the warning that God was giving him before something ugly occurred to him, his land, and his people.  Arrogant and selfish leaders have no true need for a god that will change their attitudes toward how they believe, nor will they accept authority over personal ambitions of themselves when it comes to heeding advice about bad things coming to a great land, especially coming from a "deity" that deep down they know is not even real.  How many of us fit into this type of category too?
 
These words that Moses said were ones of things to come if Pharaoh did not heed and obey what God said.  It did not matter if Pharaoh believed the words or not nor did it matter if he believed in God or not, what Moses said was a direct warning to Pharaoh that God meant business but at the same time was merciful to the leaders and people of Egypt.  God wanted His people to live in freedom once again, to be the light that saved Egypt from starvation many years before, the ones who worshipped God, the everlasting One who saves if obeyed.  Egypt had enslaved the Children of Israel, and the liberators had become the slaves of the same land a common scene unfolding today as well.  Let my people go became a personal and governmental message for anyone who would listen and do their best to understand.  When Pharaoh refused to listen to the words of God, we find that certain settings that were not pleasant began to occur in Egypt, deeper and more difficult plagues began to present themselves and by the time the last "let my people go" had been spoken, then the plagues became personal and death filled the land in just one short night.

The warnings from God continued and did not vary at all, His statement never waivered and the results of such disobedience also continued.  Until the last warning was issued but at the same time a new command came down from God to Moses to say and to give to the people of Israel.  Interestingly enough, Pharaoh intensified the harsh conditions of Israel to the point where it did not matter if people would die completing the tasks of Pharaoh.  But this effect did not have the same attitude reflected in Israel, they continued to suffer but worked even harder, an identical path to what the warnings and consequences handed out.  The last plague was a bitter pill to swallow for it cost many lives that night to those who did not listen and obey God's command.  Just as in every other scenario since that time, and even before, the ones who listened were safe from God's warnings and wrath, but to those who wanted to ignore His warnings, devastation like never known before came.

Why does it take humans so long to figure out what God is trying to say to them?  In this case, the Word of God was a warning and it should not have taken ten plagues to convince Pharaoh about what God was saying.  In truth, it should not have taken the first plague to occur at all.  But, humans have a large tendency to do what they believe is correct and stay with that stance until it is too late or something really extraordinary occurs, this type of behavior is not cool either.  It is known that when God must place judgment on people, He gives warnings first, today is no exception either.  God has given multiple warnings to everyone who will listen, but still, there is a far greater multitude who have ignored these warnings, we have no one to blame for ourselves.

It is obvious that the world is not going to let God's people be free from the bondage of their livelihood.  The problem is, that many of God's people have bought into this slave mentality from the world and now fight for it even in the pulpits of the Church.  God says fine, He will take care of rebellion appropriately causing many to fall from their positions in the Church; see, the Church is not exempt from the warnings that God has given, in fact, we should be the ones constantly checking to make sure we are properly prepared to complete the work that God has given us to do.  We should never assume that the warnings from God are just directed to the Egyptians, for even the Israelites had to be properly prepared and follow the specific instructions to be exempt.  No, it was not an easy night for even though Israel were safely in their houses they did hear the cries and moans of others in the land.

The people of Israel had examples of God's judgment to learn from and they followed the warnings as made mentioned, but as we follow them along their way in the wilderness how many of them began to doubt God and then curse Him for the terrible long journey that they took.  Furthermore, their doubts kept the older ones from seeing the Promised Land a direct result of their lack of commitment to God.  Look at our land today and the journey Jesus set us to do, we have failed miserably and have created an eternal mess that we are falling behind in.  Church, you are still good in God's eyes but we need to change our hearts by turning back to God and starting our ministry up again, Jesus' true ministry, not ours.  We have voluntarily begun to ignore the warnings of what God said to Pharaoh so many generations before us, we should not be promoting slavery or hardening our hearts to God's warnings.

Let's change back into godly people that love God and want to see His Work being completed in other lives.  Let us preach and teach the rejection of the world's slavery and once again be solid witnesses for Jesus.  God warned the people of Egypt for a reason, He specifically warned Pharaoh as well yet pride and arrogance prevailed and it eventually cost them not only their lives but their dynasty as well.  Church, we are on the verge of this same disaster and it shall be a terrible shame to see what Jesus commanded us to be to go down in destruction with the nation He created to be the land of salvation for all those who wished.  As we read in the Bible, God allowed His people to be set free, and He shall do the exact same process today.

            Hint: This is a warning

DLB

When Nakedness Was A Holy Status

When Nakedness Was A Holy Status

3/20/22

Being naked before others is one of those times when people feel the most uncomfortable, not many people long to be in this position.  All of us can look at our bodies and find something wrong with it enough to hide it from everyone else, this is human fear.  But there was a time in our existence that this state of being was not a bad thing and no shame or flaw was present.  God created us naked and it had its own representation with God and the relationship we had with Him.  It was a holy creation and one that had no faults, but we chose to override such status, and ever since that drastic change we have been trying our best to cover ourselves and to make our bodies better.  This is a sad state of being, but one that we shall never obtain again, and we must therefore focus our appearances on the spiritual and not the physical.

For many millennia now, humans have done their best to try and be one with nature, seeking out ways to get close to nature, one way that naturists accomplish this is by accepting the concept of being naked as much as possible.  Sex has been one of the most fallacies that human beings have been involved in, and sex has been proven to be the most-lied-about subject that the human mind can manipulate.  Sex deals with the human body and how we feel it should be treated, then the mind takes control and allows such atrocities to flood the human with sinful desires.  See, when we were created, we were created naked and it was a status that was special and holy through the representation of the relationship between God and mankind.  Even today, we are born naked and this process has not changed at all ever since humanity began recording and detailing birth.

For the most part, humans hide their nakedness because of flaws that others might see when exposed, this is also a normal process that humans display but it is one that also has roots in the Bible for when it all boils down we are ashamed of what our bodies look like and we turn to hide them.  I am not an advocate of naturalists at all, for they have their own ideas about being naked which for the greater part wish to be one with nature.  It would not be natural for us to try and cleanse ourselves with clothing on our bodies for the true cleaning part would be hidden from what really needs cleaning thus rendering this process void.  How many times do we have this concept when we try and clean our relationships on our own or by our own ways of believing relationships should grow?  Remember we came from the ground and the ground is cursed and we even return to its content when we die, so this belief is a lie as well.  I am not saying that the people who choose this way are by any means bad people but they do need to understand that their relationship goals are off and need to be redirected.

Our Scripture for this article deals with being naked but not living in the sexual manner as we may seem to think.  A while back, we dealt with the equal relationship status between God, Adam, and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  It was a time of perfect harmony, peace, and truth on an equal plane with God being the covering of course.  This status is what every human seeks to have and so far many of us have chosen to go about searching for this status on our own, or on our own terms a state that shall only prevail in sadness, darkness, and loss.  How many times and different ways have we tried to conceive, grow, nurture, and develop relationships with our own methods, countless if we are honest.  The passage is as follows:

Genesis 2:23-25

"And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

From a quick glance, it would seem like these verses pertain to the man and woman only, for it talks about what God did to create the woman, what the man perceived he should consider her, where they should live, and the current state of their bodies.  All of this information simply line up with humans with not much about God here, but this is a misconception for if we really look at this passage we see that God is present at the beginning of this passage and at the end as well.  His presence sets into motion the relationship that God wants with every one of His perfect creations and on what type of level too.  As we will see, this is a wonderful passage with a giant ray of hope that we can refer to when our spirits are down due to all of the division and hatred that this world and its ruler bring us each day.

Being naked is a status originated by God and at the same time this status tells us exactly what God expects in a relationship with us, and since this status was originated between God and humans it also means that it serves as the same standard between humans as well.  When Adam and the woman were in the Garden of Eden, their relationship was totally open and honest with God they hid nothing from God and God hid nothing from them either.  A holy standard of equality that is almost unmatched today, no matter if we refer to our relationship with God or with humans.  Our only problem is that we tend to try and hide our secrets from God just like we try hiding them from humans; however, we forget that God is the eternal and pure standard of relationships and already knows what our secrets are, a major issue that defeats our logic right from the beginning.

Satan has done a wonderful job in fooling us into believing that relationships can survive on a superficial basis and do not need to go any further than this condition.  When relationships were established it was God who ordained them with Him being the presence that all relationships are measured.  The passage for this article gives us the picture that all relationships should be based upon, God first and us being totally naked with all parties so that the truth cannot be hidden.  We must understand that the relationship standard that God created in the Garden of Eden was the pinnacle of all relationships, none could be higher.  When Genesis 3 rolls around and mankind accepts sin (disobedience) into our lives that sustained pinnacle was breached and the eternal status began to fall.  There is nothing purer than standing in front of a relational person with nothing to hide or to keep from them, this was the way God created Adam and Eve to be in the Garden of Eden.

Over time, the relationships between God and humanity have suffered and waivered greatly, so much so that it was not too many chapters later in Genesis that God had to repent for even creating humans because of the greatness of their sin.  This type of response by God is a purposeful one established by Satan through his work in our lives of division.  This division process began when Genesis 3 came about and that perfect relationship status was broken, and it was the job of Satan back then and it is still the job of him today to destroy any type of unity between God and humanity.  In no manner was standing in front of God naked promoting any immoral sexual content, it was purely a stance of honesty and holiness on an equal level, a level that we say we all want with God and with others.  It was the job of Satan to make nakedness and sex the front runner of relationships, not God.

When this type of belief is put into forwarding motion and the first step in a relationship it totally destroys the truth about being naked before God.  It is for this reason alone that so many relationships are ending in failure even after so many years of togetherness.  The rates of relationship failure are due to the fact that "me" rules the relationship and is the first and originating physical attraction to a potential relationship.  This is exactly what type of status Satan wants a relationship to operate within for it totally goes against the order of the heart and spirit first which God ordained for us to live within.  We have followed in so many misguided directions when it comes to relationships that it is no wonder that the motto of the day is to stay away from relationships and just get what you can on a one-night stand adventure.  When ruled by this lie, one can misrepresent the truth about themselves and every other category when asked, for there will not be any more nakedness to be shared with the exception of the physical.

We cannot ignore the fact that the experience that Adam and Eve had with the serpent was devastating and it completely changed their lives forever.  Lucifer understands this process quite well for it was the same tactic that he tried to use on God and it cost him his position in Heaven, eternal death, and an eternal name change.  Satan knows that if he can bombard us with bad relationship experiences with continued failure rates, it will be easier for him to drag us away from having an eternal and equal relationship with God and with another human.  Satan does not care anything about you and your relationships with humans, it is a side benefit when these occur because he knows that the more bad experiences you have with humans the less likely you will have any relationship with God.

This nakedness aspect of our lives is the highest emotional tie we have with humans and most importantly with God.  Nakedness, not sex we must keep that order in the correct position for when we don't, the actions of today appear and do further and deeper damage that can lead to certain physical death and eternal death as well.  It is not hard to figure out that sex defines our societies and that there is nothing more exciting and satisfying than this step, but it should not be placed first for when it is it takes away the holy nakedness of our lives with God.  Remember Adam was naked in front of God first before anyone else and so was Eve.  As long as this type of nakedness is not taken to heart in our lives, the more and more sexual indiscretions shall come to destroy our relationships, these percentages will only exponentially increase for that is what occurs when sin and disobedience rule humanity.

In order to have sex, one must disrobe and have at least the reproductive organs exposed or available, but when the relationship order is out of line there cannot be any holy order present before God which means that personal gratification (self) is placed first and therefore allows doors to be open for future discourse or breakage.  God created us naked so that we would understand first the importance of equality and purity before all parties involved in our lives, nothing hidden.  This order has not changed any and nor shall it change any time in the future either.  It does not matter if both parties agree to this type of non-ordained relationship, problems shall arise and they will fester until they become evident and this is the most basic explanation of inequality on the most intimate level known to mankind.  

Satan is the author of variables and disobedience and when Adam and Eve succumbed to sin, we found out that the ordination of eternal order was changed and that our lives did not respond well with this new living condition.  Yet, ever since this order and status change occurred we have done our best to cover up our secrets and lies.  Sadly, it is bad enough that we do this to fellow humans but eternally most of us do not think that we try to hide from God and we utterly end up failing on both instances.  We cannot forget that the only job Satan has is to come and steal, kill, and destroy your life.  He does not care which way this task is completed, all he cares about is that you are destroyed and that when you stand before God you have no eternal and Holy defense to warrant.

From the time God placed Adam in a deep sleep and created woman from his rib, we were meant to be on equal terms and levels, spiritually first and then physically.  It was a perfect combination, God first with man and woman standing in front of him with nothing to hide.  All levels of relationship were holy and pure with no blemishes to speak of, and if there was it did not matter because we were created in perfect relationship status with God.  In this capacity, everyone was supposed to see each other openly in a holy vision, it was not to have sex.  Why do we think so many relationships do south?  It is because we do not begin and then stick with God's standard in relationship status.  We would rather see the other person naked for our own personal gain instead of on a holy level established by God first.

What we do not realize is that when we place the physical nakedness first, we are doing exactly what Adam and Eve did immediately after they sinned, covering themselves.  Our holiness to each other goes out the window and so many other "options" will be thrown at us so that we fall further away from God.  It is an automatic process when we take things out of order, from the way God established things we not only hide from ourselves but we hide from God too.  It is the hiding from God that is the most significant because when we deliberately hide from God there is no way possible for us not to be hidden from each other either, nor will there be any hope of changing such living conditions in our lives either.

Well, Church, what do you have to say about this one?  The only thing we can say is that we did not learn this truth while reading the Word of God and because we have not learned this we have destroyed so many lives due to a failed policy of acceptance and love toward those who have been hurt.  Oh, we have taken the physical aspect of sex and have turned it into a whipping post and have damaged so many people that are already hurting and inflicted more pain upon their lives.  We have done nothing to teach them that there is a way of redemption and restoration by once again realigning their hearts back to God so that they can have the opportunity to know true love, not only in the physical form but in the holiness and spiritual form with God.  No, we are too busy proclaiming the world's perversions as acceptable and humanly pardoning folks, promoting sin, and publicly defiling God with no remorse whatsoever.

It is an atrocity to think that we are promoting sin to the world instead of promoting God and His Ordained Ways to those who are lost.  Furthermore, it is utter defamation of God that we do not understand or have taken the time to understand exactly what God's Word says concerning this matter.  It is hard to say this but we are even promoting sexual predators to become involved in the church thus exploiting people to sex trafficking practices as well.  It is time we get back into the Bible and ask for forgiveness for we have been partaking in a sin ritual of the ugliest proportions.  Repent, Church for our shaking is soon to come and unless you want to be shaken from your eternal existence, you better repent now!  We will once again stand before God naked and what will your body say to the Most High God, the One who Created you?

DLB