The Feast of Pentecost commemorates 50 Days from the day the first fruits of the Barley Harvest was waved before the Lord GOD. It was on this Day that GOD visited His People after their Exodus from Egypt and through Moses, brought the Law down from Mount Sinai. This earthshaking Day of Visitation, trembling, and betrothal is the birthday of the nation of Israel.
Moses brought down the Law for the nation. Because of sin 3,000 were death under the Law that Day.
The Old Covenant is the national Covenant between GOD and His covenant people, and so the nation was established. They agreed to follow Him in DEVOTION and OBEDIENCE.
There is a Jewish tradition that King David was born and died at Pentecost. In the first sermon of the apostle Peter, recorded in Acts 2: 14-39, he linked the life, death, and Ascension of Jesus to King David's death, burial, and hope of immortality.
The biblical narrative of Pentecost is recorded in the 2nd chapter of the Book of Acts. Present were about 120 followers of Christ (Acts 1), including the 12 Apostles (the 11 faithful disciples and Matthias who was Judas' replacement), his mother Mary, various other women disciples and his brothers.
Traditional interpretation holds that the Descent of the Holy Spirit took place in the Upper Room, or Cenacle, while celebrating the day of Pentecost (Shavuot). The Upper Room was first mentioned in Luke 22: 12-13 "And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the passover." This Upper Room was to be the location of the Last Supper and the institution of Holy Communion. The nest mention of the Upper Room is in Acts 1, the continuation of the Luke narrative by the same writer.
Here the disciples and women wait and they gave themselves up to constant prayer: "And when they were come in, they went up into the Upper Room, where abode both Peter and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continue with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."
Then, in Acts 2: 1-2, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they went all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting."
"They" refers to the aforementioned disciples, including the women. The "place" referring to the same Upper Room where these persons had "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication."
In spite of past failures the nation of Israel will indeed be restored. The House of Judah will be saved and the throne of David in Judah will be established upon the earth under the Messiah. The lost sheep of the House of Israel will be found and brought back home to Israel again because of their sincere and righteous heart. The nation will be fully restored. Those being saved are bringing many companions with them. The nation will be reunited as spoken by the Apostle Paul.
The New Covenant is established soul by soul and silently in the gentle bonds of Love.
Wednesday, 28 December 2016
THE CHURCH IN CORINTH.
The letters of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians were written to the Church that resided in Corinth. The site of the city was on the Isthmus that connects the Peloponnesus to the rest of Greece. While an unavoidable passage for the land-born, North-South trade, the city's location also made East-West trade common because ships traveled from the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean Sea would cut through the Isthmus to save hundred of miles of dangerous sea travel. The method of crossing the Isthmus involved putting the ships on rollers and transporting them across the 4-mile stretch of earth that connect the 2 land masses (a canal was not constructed until the late 19th century). Corinth was both a political and commercial capital-city, and very well-trafficked with travelers; and so the population at the time of the apostle Paul was about 600,000 people and quite diverse. Some of the outcomes of this diversity were the prosperity of both: religious syncretism and immorality. Corinth had a reputation for its depravity, and the temple prostitutes of Aphrodite did not help in saving the city's bad name. There was even a Greek word reflecting the life in the city "Korinthia ' Zomai" (Corinthianize), which meant "to practice fornication."
The account of Paul's 1st visit to Corinth is recorded in Acts 18. He had found himself in Corinth after passing through Athens. When Paul came to the city he found a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who were there because Claudius had expelled all Jews from Rome. They, like Paul, were tentmakers by trade, and so Paul stayed and worked with them. He visited the local synagogue every Sabbath. Silas and Timothy met up with Paul after their extended stay in Macedonia. They brought support from the Macedonians so that Paul could be preaching the "Word." Paul's ministry to the majority of the Jews ended up being unsuccessful (they opposed and reviled him), therefore he decided to go to the Gentiles (Non Jews). After this, many Corinthians believed including Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue. Then one night the LORD instructed Paul to continue with HIS MESSAGE and not be silent for he has many people in this city. So Paul's stay was extended.
After some time some rebel Jews attacked Paul bringing him before the tribunal, accusing him of persuading people to WORSHIP GOD in a manner that was contrary to the Law. Yet the proconsul, Gallio, found it to be a petty accusation and exonerated Paul on the basis of it being a matter of Jewish doctrine and not public affairs. Some time after that, Paul departed Corinth after a year and a half of ministry there. He went to Jerusalem, and later ended up staying in Ephesus for 3 years.
At sometime-before or while he was in Ephesus, Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians that preceded 1 Corinthians, but it is lost. The next written letter, 1 Corinthians is a response to a letter that Paul got from the Corinthian Church, which they wrote as a response this previous letter.
Paul writes in 1 Cor. 5:9, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people." From Chloe's household, Paul received more reports of division (1Cor 1:11), not to mention other reports of sexual immorality (5:11) and further reports of division (11:18). With all these in mind Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to the reports covering the topics about division, sexual immorality, lawsuits, marriage, Christian liberty, order of worship, and the resurrection.
Paul then deployed Timothy to the Church of Corinth in order to scout the situation and be a representative of Paul's teaching (4:17; 16:10-11). Timothy's visit gave Paul an urgency to change his plans and so made a 2nd visit to Corinth. This visit is commonly called the "painful visit" as Paul himself refers to it (2Cor.2:1). Form Ephesus he sailed across the Aegean Sea to Corinth for a short and hasty trip. The outcome was not as Paul had wanted. He was provoked to writhe a 3rd letter, giving the letter to Titus to deliver it to Corinth. Paul's reasoning for it is found in 2Cor.2:3-4. He also wrote in order to test them because he wanted to find out whether or not they would be obedient in all things (2Cor2:9). So the "severe letter accomplished that which Paul had desired (2Cor7:8-9).
Being encouraged, Paul wrote a 4th letter to the Corinthian Church. Known as 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his apostolic authority, encourage the church to be unified with him, gives instructions about giving, and tells of his future plans. He mentions that Titus and others are going to make a visit (2Cor8 :16-18). Paul also makes sure to note that he, himself, is going to make his 3rd visit to Corinth (12:14; 13: 1-10).
After staying in Macedonia Paul visited Greece for 3 months, making his 3rd visit to Corinth (Acts 20: 1, 2). Then Paul went back up to Macedonia and off to further ministry elsewhere (Acts 20).
In total, Paul wrote 4 letters to the Corinthians and visited them 3 times.
The account of Paul's 1st visit to Corinth is recorded in Acts 18. He had found himself in Corinth after passing through Athens. When Paul came to the city he found a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who were there because Claudius had expelled all Jews from Rome. They, like Paul, were tentmakers by trade, and so Paul stayed and worked with them. He visited the local synagogue every Sabbath. Silas and Timothy met up with Paul after their extended stay in Macedonia. They brought support from the Macedonians so that Paul could be preaching the "Word." Paul's ministry to the majority of the Jews ended up being unsuccessful (they opposed and reviled him), therefore he decided to go to the Gentiles (Non Jews). After this, many Corinthians believed including Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue. Then one night the LORD instructed Paul to continue with HIS MESSAGE and not be silent for he has many people in this city. So Paul's stay was extended.
After some time some rebel Jews attacked Paul bringing him before the tribunal, accusing him of persuading people to WORSHIP GOD in a manner that was contrary to the Law. Yet the proconsul, Gallio, found it to be a petty accusation and exonerated Paul on the basis of it being a matter of Jewish doctrine and not public affairs. Some time after that, Paul departed Corinth after a year and a half of ministry there. He went to Jerusalem, and later ended up staying in Ephesus for 3 years.
At sometime-before or while he was in Ephesus, Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians that preceded 1 Corinthians, but it is lost. The next written letter, 1 Corinthians is a response to a letter that Paul got from the Corinthian Church, which they wrote as a response this previous letter.
Paul writes in 1 Cor. 5:9, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people." From Chloe's household, Paul received more reports of division (1Cor 1:11), not to mention other reports of sexual immorality (5:11) and further reports of division (11:18). With all these in mind Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to the reports covering the topics about division, sexual immorality, lawsuits, marriage, Christian liberty, order of worship, and the resurrection.
Paul then deployed Timothy to the Church of Corinth in order to scout the situation and be a representative of Paul's teaching (4:17; 16:10-11). Timothy's visit gave Paul an urgency to change his plans and so made a 2nd visit to Corinth. This visit is commonly called the "painful visit" as Paul himself refers to it (2Cor.2:1). Form Ephesus he sailed across the Aegean Sea to Corinth for a short and hasty trip. The outcome was not as Paul had wanted. He was provoked to writhe a 3rd letter, giving the letter to Titus to deliver it to Corinth. Paul's reasoning for it is found in 2Cor.2:3-4. He also wrote in order to test them because he wanted to find out whether or not they would be obedient in all things (2Cor2:9). So the "severe letter accomplished that which Paul had desired (2Cor7:8-9).
Being encouraged, Paul wrote a 4th letter to the Corinthian Church. Known as 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his apostolic authority, encourage the church to be unified with him, gives instructions about giving, and tells of his future plans. He mentions that Titus and others are going to make a visit (2Cor8 :16-18). Paul also makes sure to note that he, himself, is going to make his 3rd visit to Corinth (12:14; 13: 1-10).
After staying in Macedonia Paul visited Greece for 3 months, making his 3rd visit to Corinth (Acts 20: 1, 2). Then Paul went back up to Macedonia and off to further ministry elsewhere (Acts 20).
In total, Paul wrote 4 letters to the Corinthians and visited them 3 times.
CORINTH BACKGROUND.
Corinth is well-known from the 2 Letters of the apostle Paul in the New Testament, 1st and 2nd Corinthians. Corinth is also mentioned in Acts as part of Paul's missionary travels.
Ancient Corinth was a city-state (polis) on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese to mainland Greece, roughly between Athens and Sparta. It was one of the largest and most important cities in Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished the city-state in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.
The site of Corinth was occupied from at least as early as 6,500 BC, always the settlement acted as a centre of trade, but a dramatic drop in ceramic remains occurred during 2,500-2,300BC and only sparse ceramic remains in the site appeared in the period immediately before the Mycenaean. The site remained not heavily occupied again until around 900 BC, when the Dorians settled there.
According to Hellenic myth, the city was founded by Corinthos, a descendant of the god Helios (Sun), while other myths suggest that it was founded by the goddess Ephyra, a daughter of the Titan Oceanus. There is evidence that the city was destroyed around 2,000 BC. It seems that Corinth was also the site of a Mycenaean palace-city.
Following a myth, Sisyphus, king of Ephyra, and son of King Aeolus of Thessaly and Enarete, was the founder of a race of ancient kings at Corinth. He was the father of Glaucus, Ornytion, Almus, and Thersander by the nymph Merope, the brother of Salmoneous (who hate each other), and the grandpa of Bellerophon (slayer of monsters) through Glaucus. The king Sisyphus promoted navigation and commerce but was avaricious and deceitful. He killed travelers and guests. The evil action was considered a violation of the code of hospitality (Xenia). He took pleasure in these killings because they allowed him to maintain his iron-fisted rule.
Zeus then ordered Thanatos, Death, to chain Sisyphus down below in Tartarus. Sisyphus was curious as to why Hermes, whose job was to guide souls to the Underworld, had not appeared on this occasion.
He asked Thanatos to demonstrate how chains worked. As Thanatos was granting him his wish, Sisyphus seized the opportunity and trapped Thanatos in the chains instead. Once Thanatos was bound by the strong chains, no one died on earth. This caused an uproar especially for Ares, who was annoyed that his battles had lost their fun because his opponents would not die, and so he intervened.
Ares freed Thanatus and turned Sisyphus over to him. His soul was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity.
Corinth, under the tightly-knit Doric clan and the ruling kinship group was a backwater in the 8th and 7th BC, a period of expanding Corinthian power until it became a unified state. In 733BC, Corinth established colonies at Corcyra in the Ionian Sea, 2nd largest of the Ionian Islands, and Syracuse in Sicily. By 730BC Corinth emerged as a highly advanced Greek city with at least 5,000 people.
Aritotle tells the story of Philolaus of Corinth, a Dorian who was a lawgiver at Thebes. He became the lover of Diocles, an athlete that became the winner of the Olympic games. They lived together for the rest of their lives and were buried in builded tombs near one another. Philolaus' tomb points toward the Corinthian country while Diocles' faces away. In 657BC, Cypselus representing the tyrants, who usually seized the power at the head of some popular support. After the traditional king was assassinated, he was a Dorian, but not from the royal lineage. He was the son of Eetion and a disfigured woman named Labda, who was a member of the Dorian family.
Aristotle reports that Cypselus had made a vow that if he became master of the city, he would offer Zeus the entire property of the Corinthians. Accordingly, he commanded them to make a return of their possessions.
In classical times, Corinth rivaled Athens and Thebes in wealth, based on the Isthmian traffic and trade. Until the mid-6th century, Corinth was a major exporter of black-figure pottery to city-states around the Greek world. Corinth had a temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, employing some thousands temple prostitutes. The city was renowned for these prostitutes who served the wealthy merchants and the powerful officials who frequented the city. Referring to its exorbitant luxuries, Horace is quoted as saying: "Not everyone is able to go to Corinth."
The city had 2 main ports: to the West on the Corinthian Gulf, Lechaion which connected the city to its Western colonies and Magna Graecia, while to the East on the Saronic Gulf, Kenchreai which served the ships coming from Athens, Ionia, Cyprus and the Levant. Both ports had docks for the city's large navy
By 332BC, Alexander the Great was in control of Greece. Under his successors, Greece was a contested ground, and Corinth was occasionally taken as a battleground. In 308BC, the city was captured from the Antigonids by Ptolemy I, who claimed to come as a liberator of Greece. In 253/2 Alexander of Corinth resolved to challenge the Macedonian supremacy and seek independence as a tyrant. He was poisoned in 247BC and after his death a Macedonian king retook the city. After the Roman intervention in 197BC the city was permanently brought into the Achaean League. The Achaeans took control of the entire Peloponnesus and made Corinth its capital. In 146BC, Rome declared war and captured Corinth, killing all the men and sold the women and children into slavery before burning the city. Under Romans, Corinth was rebuilt as a major city and had a large and mixed population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews.
The city was largely destroyed in the earthquakes of 365CE and 375CE followed by Alaric's invasion in 396CE. Alaric (Visigoth) is best known for his sack of Rome. The city was rebuilt on a monumental scale, but covered a much smaller area than previously.
During the reign of Justinian I (527-565), a large stone wall was erected from the Saronic to the Corinthian gulfs, protecting the city and the Peloponnese peninsula from the barbarian invasions from the North. Corinth declined from the 6th century on. In November 856CE, another earthquake devastated the city killing an estimated 45,000 people. In 1147, the city was sacked by Sicilian Normans under Roger of Sicily carrying off many captives, most notably silk weavers. The city never fully recovered from the Norman sack.
During the Greek War of Independence, 1821-1830 the city was destroyed by the Ottoman forces. The city was officially liberated in 1832 after the treaty of London. In 1858, the village surrounding the ruins of Ancient Corinth was destroyed by another earthquake, leading to the establishment of New Corinth 3km (1.9 mi) NE of the ancient city.
Ancient Corinth was a city-state (polis) on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese to mainland Greece, roughly between Athens and Sparta. It was one of the largest and most important cities in Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished the city-state in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.
The site of Corinth was occupied from at least as early as 6,500 BC, always the settlement acted as a centre of trade, but a dramatic drop in ceramic remains occurred during 2,500-2,300BC and only sparse ceramic remains in the site appeared in the period immediately before the Mycenaean. The site remained not heavily occupied again until around 900 BC, when the Dorians settled there.
According to Hellenic myth, the city was founded by Corinthos, a descendant of the god Helios (Sun), while other myths suggest that it was founded by the goddess Ephyra, a daughter of the Titan Oceanus. There is evidence that the city was destroyed around 2,000 BC. It seems that Corinth was also the site of a Mycenaean palace-city.
Following a myth, Sisyphus, king of Ephyra, and son of King Aeolus of Thessaly and Enarete, was the founder of a race of ancient kings at Corinth. He was the father of Glaucus, Ornytion, Almus, and Thersander by the nymph Merope, the brother of Salmoneous (who hate each other), and the grandpa of Bellerophon (slayer of monsters) through Glaucus. The king Sisyphus promoted navigation and commerce but was avaricious and deceitful. He killed travelers and guests. The evil action was considered a violation of the code of hospitality (Xenia). He took pleasure in these killings because they allowed him to maintain his iron-fisted rule.
Zeus then ordered Thanatos, Death, to chain Sisyphus down below in Tartarus. Sisyphus was curious as to why Hermes, whose job was to guide souls to the Underworld, had not appeared on this occasion.
He asked Thanatos to demonstrate how chains worked. As Thanatos was granting him his wish, Sisyphus seized the opportunity and trapped Thanatos in the chains instead. Once Thanatos was bound by the strong chains, no one died on earth. This caused an uproar especially for Ares, who was annoyed that his battles had lost their fun because his opponents would not die, and so he intervened.
Ares freed Thanatus and turned Sisyphus over to him. His soul was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity.
Corinth, under the tightly-knit Doric clan and the ruling kinship group was a backwater in the 8th and 7th BC, a period of expanding Corinthian power until it became a unified state. In 733BC, Corinth established colonies at Corcyra in the Ionian Sea, 2nd largest of the Ionian Islands, and Syracuse in Sicily. By 730BC Corinth emerged as a highly advanced Greek city with at least 5,000 people.
Aritotle tells the story of Philolaus of Corinth, a Dorian who was a lawgiver at Thebes. He became the lover of Diocles, an athlete that became the winner of the Olympic games. They lived together for the rest of their lives and were buried in builded tombs near one another. Philolaus' tomb points toward the Corinthian country while Diocles' faces away. In 657BC, Cypselus representing the tyrants, who usually seized the power at the head of some popular support. After the traditional king was assassinated, he was a Dorian, but not from the royal lineage. He was the son of Eetion and a disfigured woman named Labda, who was a member of the Dorian family.
Aristotle reports that Cypselus had made a vow that if he became master of the city, he would offer Zeus the entire property of the Corinthians. Accordingly, he commanded them to make a return of their possessions.
In classical times, Corinth rivaled Athens and Thebes in wealth, based on the Isthmian traffic and trade. Until the mid-6th century, Corinth was a major exporter of black-figure pottery to city-states around the Greek world. Corinth had a temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, employing some thousands temple prostitutes. The city was renowned for these prostitutes who served the wealthy merchants and the powerful officials who frequented the city. Referring to its exorbitant luxuries, Horace is quoted as saying: "Not everyone is able to go to Corinth."
The city had 2 main ports: to the West on the Corinthian Gulf, Lechaion which connected the city to its Western colonies and Magna Graecia, while to the East on the Saronic Gulf, Kenchreai which served the ships coming from Athens, Ionia, Cyprus and the Levant. Both ports had docks for the city's large navy
By 332BC, Alexander the Great was in control of Greece. Under his successors, Greece was a contested ground, and Corinth was occasionally taken as a battleground. In 308BC, the city was captured from the Antigonids by Ptolemy I, who claimed to come as a liberator of Greece. In 253/2 Alexander of Corinth resolved to challenge the Macedonian supremacy and seek independence as a tyrant. He was poisoned in 247BC and after his death a Macedonian king retook the city. After the Roman intervention in 197BC the city was permanently brought into the Achaean League. The Achaeans took control of the entire Peloponnesus and made Corinth its capital. In 146BC, Rome declared war and captured Corinth, killing all the men and sold the women and children into slavery before burning the city. Under Romans, Corinth was rebuilt as a major city and had a large and mixed population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews.
The city was largely destroyed in the earthquakes of 365CE and 375CE followed by Alaric's invasion in 396CE. Alaric (Visigoth) is best known for his sack of Rome. The city was rebuilt on a monumental scale, but covered a much smaller area than previously.
During the reign of Justinian I (527-565), a large stone wall was erected from the Saronic to the Corinthian gulfs, protecting the city and the Peloponnese peninsula from the barbarian invasions from the North. Corinth declined from the 6th century on. In November 856CE, another earthquake devastated the city killing an estimated 45,000 people. In 1147, the city was sacked by Sicilian Normans under Roger of Sicily carrying off many captives, most notably silk weavers. The city never fully recovered from the Norman sack.
During the Greek War of Independence, 1821-1830 the city was destroyed by the Ottoman forces. The city was officially liberated in 1832 after the treaty of London. In 1858, the village surrounding the ruins of Ancient Corinth was destroyed by another earthquake, leading to the establishment of New Corinth 3km (1.9 mi) NE of the ancient city.
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
WHAT IS DESIRE?
The word "desire" covers a wide range of human wants, emotions and cravings. It can describe natural desires, which include hunger food for food, sexual longings, and desire for GOD. It can also covers unnatural cravings, which include greed and lust.
Desire is ultimately the longing to return to the Source of Creation. The dissatisfaction with what is and a longing and desire to close that separation is what fuels the act of Creation.
Desire is the raw material of Creation. The longing, the desire to close the gap within the longing, is the creative tension that will supply the energy for the new creation. It is for this reason that we cannot outright dismiss our desires. Desire at any and all levels of our being is important. Nor can we see our desires as something that needs to be given up. Rather we need to understand the desire and the source of it.
The flow of energy that sustains us arises from the intention that back up our life and caused us to come into physical existence. This flow of energy or substance lies at the source of our being and sustain us much the way the heart lied deep within our being and sustains the physical body through the flow of blood.
Metaphorically the heart is used to represent 4 interconnected things. First, it is the resting place for the creative spirit. Second, it is the source of the flow of our creative life energy. Third, it is the location for the intention and the flow of the energy aligns us with that intention. Fourth, represents the dream we wish to manifest. It aligns with the flow of energy and carries us to what we desire to create and the experiences we desire to have that fulfill the intention of our being and the reason why we are here.
The dream within our heart and the intention for our life are different forms of the same things. They are like flip sides of a coin. They just look different but they only take different focus. In one case the focus is on the intention we have for coming into life. The other is what we wish to create with the life we have. One look to the past, the other look to the future. Yet each is the same flow of energy.
The creative spirit and the flow of the creative life energy is what nurtures and sustain us. We can feel what serves or do not serve our being. But to do so, we must open to feeling and face the reasons why we shut down our ability to feel.
The heart has been traditionally seen as the seat of the emotion, especially of love and affection, and having the capacity for kindness and sympathy. In reality, the emotions and what we love are actually determined by what we think and believe about our own feelings. Similarly, it is the mind which determines the choice we make for, or against, tenderness, kindness, and sympathy.
Unless we explore the origins of our negative experiences at the deepest inner level we will not understand why we are creating them. There are desires that we have as a result of the societal programming reflected in our mind. We do things in life not because we freely choose to do them, rather we are simply following a program given to us at a very early stage of our development.
The Scripture explains in a very clear way the very nature of our desires. What we need to learn from it is how to maintain the positive nature of it.
Desire is ultimately the longing to return to the Source of Creation. The dissatisfaction with what is and a longing and desire to close that separation is what fuels the act of Creation.
Desire is the raw material of Creation. The longing, the desire to close the gap within the longing, is the creative tension that will supply the energy for the new creation. It is for this reason that we cannot outright dismiss our desires. Desire at any and all levels of our being is important. Nor can we see our desires as something that needs to be given up. Rather we need to understand the desire and the source of it.
The flow of energy that sustains us arises from the intention that back up our life and caused us to come into physical existence. This flow of energy or substance lies at the source of our being and sustain us much the way the heart lied deep within our being and sustains the physical body through the flow of blood.
Metaphorically the heart is used to represent 4 interconnected things. First, it is the resting place for the creative spirit. Second, it is the source of the flow of our creative life energy. Third, it is the location for the intention and the flow of the energy aligns us with that intention. Fourth, represents the dream we wish to manifest. It aligns with the flow of energy and carries us to what we desire to create and the experiences we desire to have that fulfill the intention of our being and the reason why we are here.
The dream within our heart and the intention for our life are different forms of the same things. They are like flip sides of a coin. They just look different but they only take different focus. In one case the focus is on the intention we have for coming into life. The other is what we wish to create with the life we have. One look to the past, the other look to the future. Yet each is the same flow of energy.
The creative spirit and the flow of the creative life energy is what nurtures and sustain us. We can feel what serves or do not serve our being. But to do so, we must open to feeling and face the reasons why we shut down our ability to feel.
The heart has been traditionally seen as the seat of the emotion, especially of love and affection, and having the capacity for kindness and sympathy. In reality, the emotions and what we love are actually determined by what we think and believe about our own feelings. Similarly, it is the mind which determines the choice we make for, or against, tenderness, kindness, and sympathy.
Unless we explore the origins of our negative experiences at the deepest inner level we will not understand why we are creating them. There are desires that we have as a result of the societal programming reflected in our mind. We do things in life not because we freely choose to do them, rather we are simply following a program given to us at a very early stage of our development.
The Scripture explains in a very clear way the very nature of our desires. What we need to learn from it is how to maintain the positive nature of it.
WHAT IS FEMININITY?
Femininity is constructed on a male model, making woman a special case of man, a product of his desire. A woman made from the body of a man linking both of them with the same nature, the desire of belonging one another and become one. This signified her as sharing equally in the image of GOD and from that SOURCE comes all human dignity which differentiates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. In this sense, her identity was directly derived from GOD.
As "Woman", this femininity is the one created out of Man and formed for the purpose of being "a helper suitable for Him. In this sense, her identity was directly derived from Man, but not itself convey subordination. The personification of "Help" is used even of GOD elsewhere in the Scripture.
God's intention in her creation was that she complement Man in the role and purpose that GOD had for them.
GENESIS 1:26-31 Then GOD said, "And now we will made Human Beings; they will BE LIKE US and RESEMBLE US." They will HAVE POWER OVER the FISH, the BIRDS, and all ANIMALS, domestic and wild, large and small. So GOD CREATED HUMANS BEINGS, making them TO BE LIKE HIMSELF. He created them MALE and FEMALE, blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL LIVE ALL OVER THE EARTH and BRING IT UNDER their CONTROL. I AM PUTTING YOU IN CHARGE of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have PROVIDED all kinds of GRAIN and all kinds of FRUIT for YOU to EAT, but for all the WILD ANIMALS and for all BIRDS I have PROVIDED GRASS and LEAFY PLANTS for FOOD."
The dual derivative character of "Woman's identity" -image of GOD and taking out of Man- provides the basis of self-understanding for all women. Rather than be a servant to Man, she was to share in a mutuality with him. She was in the image of GOD and a co-recipient of the mandate to fill the Earth and subdue it.
The absence of the woman separated from the body of man when he was placed in the Garden that GOD planted in Eden, in the East, to cultivate and guard it, brought forth a declaration from GOD of "not good." When she was presented to man, he sang forth the first hymn found in Scripture , extolling her and naming her "Woman." He saw in her an identical-yet-opposite mirror : he realized that she was a full bearer of the Divine Image and that he lacked what only she could provide. In this respect, man's identity was derived from his woman.
There was a strongly implied hierarchy in the relationship between man and woman, and Satan chose to tempt the woman in order to subvert this structure. In succumbing to Satan's deception, the woman took upon herself the determinative role in good and evil. Human autonomy began here in the complementary realms of Truth and Morals. In an effort to vindicate herself, she gained man's participation in the rebellion. The portrayal of the woman here as susceptible to temptation establishes one dimension of her character in Scripture , but this dimension must be seen in the context of her full characterization.
Man was placed as the first human to walk in the dimension of the Earth. His name Adam, in Hebrew, is a derivative of the word for earth "Adama." Adam may be seen as primarily at fault in the act of disobedience. Not only he was placed as a general representative Head over Creation, but it was his specific task to "keep and guard" the Garden. Adam was to guard the holy Garden of God from the presence of evil and/or unclean intrusions. The presence of the satanic serpent in the Garden was a direct indication of Adam's failure in this regard.
Eve shared fully in the shame of this rebellion, sensing with Adam the fracture of what was once their sufficient covering -the Glory/ Spirit/ Image of GOD. Eve's burden from the Fall also included the distortion of her natural desires becoming disproportionate or distorted. Also the same could be said for the man's ruling over her. The marital hierarchy was somehow warped.
The preservation of Eve as the source of life in not limited, however, merely to the flesh. The curse upon the Serpent included the promise that a seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head while the seed of the serpent would bruise his heel.
The New Testament makes two explicit references to Eve. In 2 Cor. 11:3 Paul cited the Serpent's deception of Eve as a warning of what a false teacher might do to the Christian Church. The point of the analogy is the craftiness of the Serpent compared with the false wisdom of someone who preach a different Gospel than the one Paul declares to them. If the temptation of the Church is to follow a false Gospel then it is analogous to a marital infidelity, so Eve's temptation might be seen that way. This connects to a broad and frequent Old Testament analogy which depicts idolatry as an act of marital infidelity toward GOD.
So a husband's responsibility toward his wife is to set her apart as the exclusive object of his love.
As "Woman", this femininity is the one created out of Man and formed for the purpose of being "a helper suitable for Him. In this sense, her identity was directly derived from Man, but not itself convey subordination. The personification of "Help" is used even of GOD elsewhere in the Scripture.
God's intention in her creation was that she complement Man in the role and purpose that GOD had for them.
GENESIS 1:26-31 Then GOD said, "And now we will made Human Beings; they will BE LIKE US and RESEMBLE US." They will HAVE POWER OVER the FISH, the BIRDS, and all ANIMALS, domestic and wild, large and small. So GOD CREATED HUMANS BEINGS, making them TO BE LIKE HIMSELF. He created them MALE and FEMALE, blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL LIVE ALL OVER THE EARTH and BRING IT UNDER their CONTROL. I AM PUTTING YOU IN CHARGE of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have PROVIDED all kinds of GRAIN and all kinds of FRUIT for YOU to EAT, but for all the WILD ANIMALS and for all BIRDS I have PROVIDED GRASS and LEAFY PLANTS for FOOD."
The dual derivative character of "Woman's identity" -image of GOD and taking out of Man- provides the basis of self-understanding for all women. Rather than be a servant to Man, she was to share in a mutuality with him. She was in the image of GOD and a co-recipient of the mandate to fill the Earth and subdue it.
The absence of the woman separated from the body of man when he was placed in the Garden that GOD planted in Eden, in the East, to cultivate and guard it, brought forth a declaration from GOD of "not good." When she was presented to man, he sang forth the first hymn found in Scripture , extolling her and naming her "Woman." He saw in her an identical-yet-opposite mirror : he realized that she was a full bearer of the Divine Image and that he lacked what only she could provide. In this respect, man's identity was derived from his woman.
There was a strongly implied hierarchy in the relationship between man and woman, and Satan chose to tempt the woman in order to subvert this structure. In succumbing to Satan's deception, the woman took upon herself the determinative role in good and evil. Human autonomy began here in the complementary realms of Truth and Morals. In an effort to vindicate herself, she gained man's participation in the rebellion. The portrayal of the woman here as susceptible to temptation establishes one dimension of her character in Scripture , but this dimension must be seen in the context of her full characterization.
Man was placed as the first human to walk in the dimension of the Earth. His name Adam, in Hebrew, is a derivative of the word for earth "Adama." Adam may be seen as primarily at fault in the act of disobedience. Not only he was placed as a general representative Head over Creation, but it was his specific task to "keep and guard" the Garden. Adam was to guard the holy Garden of God from the presence of evil and/or unclean intrusions. The presence of the satanic serpent in the Garden was a direct indication of Adam's failure in this regard.
Eve shared fully in the shame of this rebellion, sensing with Adam the fracture of what was once their sufficient covering -the Glory/ Spirit/ Image of GOD. Eve's burden from the Fall also included the distortion of her natural desires becoming disproportionate or distorted. Also the same could be said for the man's ruling over her. The marital hierarchy was somehow warped.
The preservation of Eve as the source of life in not limited, however, merely to the flesh. The curse upon the Serpent included the promise that a seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head while the seed of the serpent would bruise his heel.
The New Testament makes two explicit references to Eve. In 2 Cor. 11:3 Paul cited the Serpent's deception of Eve as a warning of what a false teacher might do to the Christian Church. The point of the analogy is the craftiness of the Serpent compared with the false wisdom of someone who preach a different Gospel than the one Paul declares to them. If the temptation of the Church is to follow a false Gospel then it is analogous to a marital infidelity, so Eve's temptation might be seen that way. This connects to a broad and frequent Old Testament analogy which depicts idolatry as an act of marital infidelity toward GOD.
So a husband's responsibility toward his wife is to set her apart as the exclusive object of his love.
THE EXAMPLE OF ENOCH.
"Once there was a man named Enoch who pleased GOD, and GOD loved him. While Enoch was still living among sinners, GOD took him away, so that EVIL and FALSEHOOD could NOT CORRUPT HIS MIND and SOUL. " (Wisdom 4)
We all know that people can be so fascinated by evil that they cannot recognize what is good even when they are looking at it. Innocent people can be so corrupted with desire that they can think of nothing but what they want.
"This man Enoch achieved in a few years' time a perfection that other people could never attain in a complete lifetime." (Wisdom 4)
Enoch was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and great-grandfather of Noah. At 65 years old, he begot Methuselah. In the 7th generation from Adam, he was considered the author of the Book of Enoch and also called Enoch the scribe of judgment. The Scripture says that Enoch lived 365 years before he was taken by GOD. (Genesis 5).
The Christian New Testament has 3 references to Enoch from the lineage of Seth :
LUKE 3 mentionS Enoch in reference to the Ancestors of Jesus.
HEBREW 11 mention Enoch because of his faith saying, "It was Faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up by GOD, and nobody could find him, because GOD had taken him up."
The Scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased GOD. No one can please GOD without Faith, for whoever comes to GOD must have Faith that GOD exists and rewards those who seek HIM.
JUDE mentions Enoch in relation to Judgment of the Wicked by saying, "It was Enoch, the 7th direct descendant from Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them (for some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among GOD's people, persons who distort the message about the Grace of our GOD in order to excuse their immoral ways): 'The LORD will come with many thousands of His Holy Angels to BRING JUDGMENT ON ALL, to CONDEMN THEM ALL for the godless deeds they have performed and for ALL the TERRIBLE WORDS that GODLESS SINNERS have SPOKE AGAINST HIM! ' These people are always grumbling and blaming others; they FOLLOW their OWN EVIL DESIRES; they BRAG ABOUT THEMSELVES and FLATTER OTHERS IN ORDER TO GET THEIR OWN WAY."
"The LORD was pleased with the life of Enoch and quickly took him out of this wicked World. People were aware of his departure but did not understand. They never seemed to learn the lesson that GOD is kind and merciful to His Own People; HE protects those whom HE HAS CHOSEN." (Wisdom 4).
We all know that people can be so fascinated by evil that they cannot recognize what is good even when they are looking at it. Innocent people can be so corrupted with desire that they can think of nothing but what they want.
"This man Enoch achieved in a few years' time a perfection that other people could never attain in a complete lifetime." (Wisdom 4)
Enoch was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and great-grandfather of Noah. At 65 years old, he begot Methuselah. In the 7th generation from Adam, he was considered the author of the Book of Enoch and also called Enoch the scribe of judgment. The Scripture says that Enoch lived 365 years before he was taken by GOD. (Genesis 5).
The Christian New Testament has 3 references to Enoch from the lineage of Seth :
LUKE 3 mentionS Enoch in reference to the Ancestors of Jesus.
HEBREW 11 mention Enoch because of his faith saying, "It was Faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up by GOD, and nobody could find him, because GOD had taken him up."
The Scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased GOD. No one can please GOD without Faith, for whoever comes to GOD must have Faith that GOD exists and rewards those who seek HIM.
JUDE mentions Enoch in relation to Judgment of the Wicked by saying, "It was Enoch, the 7th direct descendant from Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them (for some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among GOD's people, persons who distort the message about the Grace of our GOD in order to excuse their immoral ways): 'The LORD will come with many thousands of His Holy Angels to BRING JUDGMENT ON ALL, to CONDEMN THEM ALL for the godless deeds they have performed and for ALL the TERRIBLE WORDS that GODLESS SINNERS have SPOKE AGAINST HIM! ' These people are always grumbling and blaming others; they FOLLOW their OWN EVIL DESIRES; they BRAG ABOUT THEMSELVES and FLATTER OTHERS IN ORDER TO GET THEIR OWN WAY."
"The LORD was pleased with the life of Enoch and quickly took him out of this wicked World. People were aware of his departure but did not understand. They never seemed to learn the lesson that GOD is kind and merciful to His Own People; HE protects those whom HE HAS CHOSEN." (Wisdom 4).
HOPE OF THE WICKED.
On that Day someone Righteous, full of confidence, will stand before those who oppressed him and made light of his labors. They will be amazed to see him safe and will tremble will terrible fear. Then they will regret what they did, and groaning in anguish they will say to each other :
"This is the one we made fun of. We thought he was a joke. What fools we were! We thought he was crazy to live the way he did, and when he died , we did not honor him. And now here he is, one of God's own children, with a place of his own among GOD's people."
"We were the ones who wandered off the right road. We NEVER LIVED IN the LIGHT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; we never caught the first glimmer of its light. All our lives we wandered across unmarked deserts, instead of following the road which the LORD wanted us to travel. And this LAWLESSNESS LED US TO RUIN. We were so PROUD OF OURSELVES -we bragged about how rich we were- and now what good has it done us? All those things are gone now; they have disappeared like a shadow, like something you hear and then forget."
"A ship sails across the waves of the ocean, but when it is gone, it leaves no trace. You can not tell it was ever there. A bird flies through the air, but leaves no sign that it has been there. It speeds along, riding through the thin air by the force of its wings, leaving behind no trace of its passing. An arrow splits the air when it is shot at a target, but at once the air closes up behind it, and no one can tell where it passed. It is the same with us -we were born, and then we ceased to be. We left no sign of virtue behind us; we were DESTROYED BY OUR WICKEDNESS."
"WHAT HOPE do WICKED PEOPLE HAVE?"
Only the hope of straw blown about in the wind, the hope of ocean foam that disappears in the storm, the hope of smoke in the breeze. Their hope lasts no longer than our memory of a guest who stays one day and leaves the next."
"But the RIGHTEOUS LIVE ON FOREVER. The LORD will REWARD THEM; the MOST HIGH will PROTECT THEM. He will GIVE THEM ROYAL SPLENDOR and MAGNIFICENT CROWN. He will SHIELD THEM with HIS POWERFUL ARM. He will GO OUT into BATTLE determined TO DEFEAT HIS ENEMIES, and USE the CREATION ITSELF AS A WEAPON."
RIGHTEOUSNESS will be HIS ARMOR, genuine JUSTICE will be HIS HELMET, HOLINESS will be HIS INVINCIBLE SHIELD."
"HE will SHARPEN HIS stern ANGER into A SWORD, and the FORCES OF NATURE WILL JOIN HIM IN BATTLE AGAINST THOSE WHO are FOOLISH ENOUGH to OPPOSE HIM."
"Bolts of lightning will strike right on target, as if the LORD had made a bow out of the clouds and was shooting arrows. Hailstones will beat down on HIS ENEMIES with terrible force. The oceans and rivers will come rushing over them in a devastating flood. Great windstorms will blow them away like straw." (Wisdom 5)
"LAWLESSNESS WILL BE THE RUIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD."
"EVIL ACTIONS WILL CAUSE GOVERNMENTS TO FALL."
"This is the one we made fun of. We thought he was a joke. What fools we were! We thought he was crazy to live the way he did, and when he died , we did not honor him. And now here he is, one of God's own children, with a place of his own among GOD's people."
"We were the ones who wandered off the right road. We NEVER LIVED IN the LIGHT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; we never caught the first glimmer of its light. All our lives we wandered across unmarked deserts, instead of following the road which the LORD wanted us to travel. And this LAWLESSNESS LED US TO RUIN. We were so PROUD OF OURSELVES -we bragged about how rich we were- and now what good has it done us? All those things are gone now; they have disappeared like a shadow, like something you hear and then forget."
"A ship sails across the waves of the ocean, but when it is gone, it leaves no trace. You can not tell it was ever there. A bird flies through the air, but leaves no sign that it has been there. It speeds along, riding through the thin air by the force of its wings, leaving behind no trace of its passing. An arrow splits the air when it is shot at a target, but at once the air closes up behind it, and no one can tell where it passed. It is the same with us -we were born, and then we ceased to be. We left no sign of virtue behind us; we were DESTROYED BY OUR WICKEDNESS."
"WHAT HOPE do WICKED PEOPLE HAVE?"
Only the hope of straw blown about in the wind, the hope of ocean foam that disappears in the storm, the hope of smoke in the breeze. Their hope lasts no longer than our memory of a guest who stays one day and leaves the next."
"But the RIGHTEOUS LIVE ON FOREVER. The LORD will REWARD THEM; the MOST HIGH will PROTECT THEM. He will GIVE THEM ROYAL SPLENDOR and MAGNIFICENT CROWN. He will SHIELD THEM with HIS POWERFUL ARM. He will GO OUT into BATTLE determined TO DEFEAT HIS ENEMIES, and USE the CREATION ITSELF AS A WEAPON."
RIGHTEOUSNESS will be HIS ARMOR, genuine JUSTICE will be HIS HELMET, HOLINESS will be HIS INVINCIBLE SHIELD."
"HE will SHARPEN HIS stern ANGER into A SWORD, and the FORCES OF NATURE WILL JOIN HIM IN BATTLE AGAINST THOSE WHO are FOOLISH ENOUGH to OPPOSE HIM."
"Bolts of lightning will strike right on target, as if the LORD had made a bow out of the clouds and was shooting arrows. Hailstones will beat down on HIS ENEMIES with terrible force. The oceans and rivers will come rushing over them in a devastating flood. Great windstorms will blow them away like straw." (Wisdom 5)
"LAWLESSNESS WILL BE THE RUIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD."
"EVIL ACTIONS WILL CAUSE GOVERNMENTS TO FALL."
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