Considering that the word “sin” is mentioned 403 times in the Scriptures, is there any wonder that The Bible is God’s instruction manual to life for Her sinful children?
Do you consider yourself to be sinful, or do you consider yourself to be a good person who sometimes does inappropriate things? To understand what sin is, we must look at the very definition of the word.
Sin
–noun
1. transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.
2. any act regarded as such a transgression, esp. a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.
3. any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense: It’s a sin to waste time.
Transgression
–noun
1. an act of transgressing; violation of a law, command, etc. sin
The truth is that we are all sinful; no matter how “good” we believe we may be. We were all born into sin, which differs from Adam and Eve who were created perfect and who remained perfect until they sinned. In being perfect, they had only one way to go which was down, but having been born into secondary sin we must take it upon ourselves to move upwards and away from sin to achieve perfection in Father’s eyes.
Because we are all sinful, having been born into sin and stumbling daily, the Scriptures are there to help us in guiding us through our lives in a way that is righteous in Father’s eyes. It is our responsibility, each of us, to pull away from sin. At times this can feel like a game of tug of war; with our spirit on one end and our fleshly selves on the other, because while the spirit is willing the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 "Stay awake and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
I always thought that I was a “good person” too. I thought that I was a loyal, honest, kind, thoughtful, caring and loving. But as I began to learn The Way, I was able to really take a deeper look at myself and check off all the qualities that were most certainly human, but that could most definitely be improved upon. In short, I was humbled and was able to more easily see that while I am human I am also sinful and there is always room for improvement and that it was up to me to begin the process of changing myself from the inside and in essence, to “put on the new man” and leave the old behind. This is the process of pulling away from sin.
Ephesians 4:23-25 “you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new man, the one created according to God's [likeness] in righteousness and purity of the truth.
25 Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.”
The first step to doing this is coming to an understanding of The Way and what is expected of each of us. This is done through study, prayer and meditation and a deep searching of our hearts. It can also be done in contemplating what Christ might do if he were faced with any given situation you may find yourself in. Think about past experiences and situations and how you handled them and ask yourself truthfully if you could have done anything differently that might have been more in line with what Father and Christ might have wanted. Be honest with yourself and if needed, step outside of yourself to get a better look at who you really are. In learning The Way and searching our hearts and approaching each and every situation with this mindset we become even more aware of our faults both small and large, and what we need to work on in order to pull away from sin and become less and less of this sinful world.
“Though None Go With Me, Still I Will Follow…”
The words are actually from an old hymn and they are such beautiful words that sum up what my life has become since accepting the call to serve our heavenly Father and Her son Christ Jesus.
A friend of mine and I were talking recently, and I had mentioned to her how Father has filled my life with so much more than I’d ever expected and fulfilled me in ways that before coming to know Her, would not have been possible.
I was a different person not long ago, who was searching because I felt less than whole. I couldn’t pinpoint why though, and I placed the blame on many things, people, even circumstances, but the truth of it was that what I was missing was Father in my life and Her Spirit deeply embedded within my heart.
Since that time, my heart has been made whole and even overflows. Coming to know and understand Father is no different than building any relationship, and as our relationship has grown and matured over time, I have continued to change and look upon not only the world in a different way, but life itself.
At the time when I accepted Father’s calling, I didn’t know where it would lead me but I have always held on tightly to the following words through whatever tests have come my way, “Show me your way, LORD, my heart is set on fulfilling Your work, wherever it may lead.”
What I didn’t realize back then, was that I made a commitment to Father when I accepted Her calling; one of obedience, faith, loyalty and love; and that She also made a commitment to me. Yes, to me.
Psalm 91
The Protection of the Most High
The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net,
from the destructive plague.
One thing I’ve learned is that Father is faithful to those who are faithful to Her. It is not a one-sided relationship at all. And the more time that passes, and the closer our relationship grows, the more I also come to more fully understand and experience the nature of our Creator.
Yes, there have been things, and even relationships with some people, that I have given up in exchange for continuing my service to Father and to Christ. But Father has given me, so much more that it doesn’t even seem fair to mention these things at all. Because you see, these things that I’ve given up are only temporary. But the things She has given me, are for forever.
So when people ask me, how having Father in my life has changed my me, I really don’t even know where to begin, because it’s like asking a flower how the rain made it grow. The flower wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly how the process happened, just that it did, and that the flower flourished and became more beautiful over time, reaching for the sun and soaking up all the nourishment that was so lovingly provided.
And that is why…
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back…
The definition of Lull
1. To cause to sleep or rest; soothe or calm.
2. To deceive into trustfulness: "that honeyed charm that he used so effectively to lull his victims" (S.J. Perelman).
Satan has lulled the masses into believing that a belief in Christ is all that is required to obtain salvation. This is not truth. It is partial truth, because in believing that a belief in Christ alone is all that is required, is misleading and causes many, if not most, to believe that Father will not pour out Her cup of wrath when the time comes.
This happened before, long ago in the Spirit Realm at the beginning of human creation. For it was Dawn Lucifer himself who believed and led many others to believe, that Father would not punish those who were disobedient to Her will. In Noahaian times, when angels of the Celestial and other angelic orders manifested on earth and mated with male and female humans to create hybrid children referred to as the Nephilim, because they had never witnessed Father’s male and warrior side, they had only known Her female nurturing side up until that time, so they too believed that She would not punish them for leaving their proper dwelling within the heavens.
Jude 1:5-7 5 Now I want to remind you, though you know all these things: the Lord, having first of all saved a people out of Egypt, later destroyed those who did not believe; 6 and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, angels who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. 7 In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practiced perversions, just as they did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God didn't spare the angels who sinned, but threw them down into Tartarus and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment;
Do you see how what is written in the Word is an example from the past for those in the present time? There is nothing new under the sun; and what happened before will happen again because we now are a people who have not witnessed Father’s wrath and who have been led to believe that it will never come. But it is not truth.
I’ve witnessed many people who don’t understand Father’s wrath, or why it must be administered, or, they simply choose to believe that Father is a God of love and not wrath. But if you think about it… we are made in Her image. Are we people of only love and not wrath? Do we not become angry at times? As parents, do we not discipline our children for their own good? As a society, do those who do wrong things and commit vile crimes go unjudged and without punishment?
The following is nourishment given to us ministers that will help to explain further:
“The true gospel that Christ Jesus laid out a pattern for the faithful to follow in his footsteps includes not only the offer of salvation, but he also warned of the judgment. Many religious people speak only of Father's love and offer of salvation through the undeserved kindness. They say that you need only seek Christ and love your neighbor. Giving a partial gospel but proving false in revealing the entire message that Father expects from His stewards. This is how Satan uses the Word to mislead, because he permits a partial truth but discards the penalty that comes with not seeking the entire truth. This lulls people into believing that Father will not carry out the full measure of Her Word by standing by Her own decrees.
Just as Adam and Eve lost the hope of eternal life, Satan would have you believe that that hope is for all sinners including the first perfect human pair that willfully sinned. If Father forgave those once perfect creations, then Father would be obliged to forgive Dawn Lucifer Satan the Devil and all of the other spirits that have sinned, including the angelic class that followed Satan's lead and lost their perfection. If this were the case the Word Michael would have been incorrect in his statements made at Proverbs 8: "All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge."
Clear and right to those who discover knowledge. Yet, there are those that accept only the good mentioned in the Word - salvation with love, but discount the penalty that Christ Jesus coupled with the message he gave mankind from Father. They try to circumvent Father's revelation of what is lost by a perfect creations disobedience. They quickly accept that Satan and his demons are destined for the Lake of Fire, but invalidate Adam and Eve's disapproval by Father for continued life. They also do not accept that an imperfect human can over-step Adamic sin and be forfeited any further opportunity of coming under the Ransom Sacrifice. But through study of the Word and meditation to Father this is "Clear and right to those who discover knowledge."
This in part is because Father's Word is a continual guide and imparts knowledge with examples of past times so that each creation whom is "perceptive" comes to an understanding of the penalty for disobedience once they've reached perfection.
If Adam and Eve had been forgiven by Christ Jesus' sacrifice, where is the balance of the scales of justice?
How could a perfect creation atone for another perfect creation’s sins?
If Michael had offered to give his eternal life in exchange for Adam, who would have given their life for Eve?
Both were perfect. And if Father's law had permitted for such a sacrifice to take place, how could Adam have a clear conscience in knowing someone else gave his prospect of eternal life that had not sinned?
Although Father's law does not judicially permit such an atonement for lost perfection, this is cited to explain one of the reasons it cannot be acceptable, because another of Father's laws requires Her intelligent creations to have a clear conscience in all things. Not only would Adam have had the guilty conscience of Michael exchanging his prospect for eternal life, but Eve would have also needed a sacrifice in exchange for her sin. If no one volunteered, then Adam who ate the fruit because he chose Eve over Father would have lost her anyway. Then his guilt would have been compounded, because he lived and she did not, though they both had committed the same identical sin.
But in Father's wisdom, one single spirit Son that would willingly give his perfect life in exchange for the offspring that were born into sin would cover all of those that accepted not only the sacrifice, but also the truth that it's embedded within. In addition, Father's law permitted for the one laying down their life to be brought back into existence with a reward for having done so. So, if Michael had died for everyone including Adam and Eve, and he was given back his life also, where is the penalty for sin, and why should a reward be paid? Nothing would have been lost, except for a new dilemma that would arise. How could Father justify reunification of Adam and Eve but not Her other children that sinned - Satan and his demons and the converts that resist Her law? This is why Father set Her laws to not:
Deuteronomy 1:17 "Do not show partiality when rendering judgment; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it."
Dawn Lucifer's case is a difficult case, because it involves whether free will be given free agency. If Father were to be intimidated and relent from Her position, then Satan would be viewed as having a valid right to rule for eternity. But Father is not intimidated. And because Father is impartial (treating all rivals or disputants equally) She cannot and will not violate Her own law that was given to all that willfully sinned. If Father did, She too would be a sinner of Her own law. The law governing lost perfection carries an eternal death sentence. It is cited in the Word so that after the Millennium, those that have moved beyond imperfection will not have a leg to stand on if they are disobedient. And even so, Father warns that there will be those that revert back to sin. At that point in time, Adam and Eve's fall from perfection will be clear in why Father had to follow through on Her judgment of eternal death to them. There will be a world filled with perfect people, and again perfect intelligent creations will choose disobedience over Father's law. In the earlier scenario where Michael gave his life in exchange for Adam's, who will step forward and give their perfect lives for a multitude of disobedient children after the Millennium? If you reason things out you will come to understand why Father's laws are as they are in order to have obedience to Her.”
Please remember how fortunate we are. Though we are sinners who sin and/or stumble on a daily basis, Father worked out an opportunity for salvation. This salvation comes not only with a belief of Christ Jesus as Lord and savior, but also with what is referred to as a good “heart condition”. A good heart is a humble heart. Do not be lulled into believing what Dawn Lucifer wishes you to believe… but instead, seek what Father wishes you to know.
In accordance to my stewardship, I deliver this nourishment to the extended flock of our ministry in the hopes that Father’s Holy Spirit will bless you with further understanding of Her ways. Amen.
Because we are currently experiencing the Tribulation, it is no surprise that suicides along with the crime rate is on the rise, and I could list many more stories and statistics but I would be digressing from the purpose of this article.
In a recent news article it was said that military suicides are at an extremely alarming rate; having risen for the fourth year in a row. The Army had 24 suspected suicides in January, which are 19 more than January 2008. And overall, more people die via suicide than on our roads.
Per the Suicide Prevention Hotline, it is becoming increasingly common for people to record their deaths on the internet for friends and loved ones to find; the most recent being a man in California, who is blogging and videotaping the last 30 days of his time here on earth before he commits suicide.
It was actually this man's story that prompted me to write this article, because regardless of if it's true or not, I must tell you that I was completely horrified as to the responses on a popular message board forum to the news of the man in California blogging his last 30 days on earth. The number of people, who were callous towards this man and what he planned to do, far outweighed the number of people who had compassion and concern for this man.
Perhaps it’s because the word suicide is found in the news articles of our newspapers and internet news sites on a daily basis…usually attached to the word terrorist. Or maybe it’s because as a whole, our society has become hardened and jaded; or maybe just plain evil.
Last week a friend wrote me to tell me that another mutual friend had decided to kill himself. He took a gun, placed it to his head and pulled the trigger. However, there was a problem and the sleeve of his shirt got caught on the gun itself somehow and the gun did not go off. This same friend said that in the past he himself had contemplated making himself a salad of Oleander leaves.
I told my friend, that I was glad that our mutual friend did not succeed in killing himself, because where he ended up would have been far, far worse than what he was currently experiencing here on earth.
Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
The Definition of Murder
v. tr.
1. To kill (another human) unlawfully.
2. To kill brutally or inhumanly.
3. To put an end to; destroy: murdered their chances.
4. To spoil by ineptness; mutilate: a speech that murdered the English language.
5. Slang To defeat decisively; trounce.
Not a single one of us has any right to take the life of another person, or ourselves and suicide is murder of oneself. (i.e. definition: To put an end to; destroy) But how do you convince someone who has no hope, not to commit suicide?
You do not say to yourself, “Well it’s his life and he has the right to take it if he wants.” Because our lives are NOT our own, but belong to our heavenly Father Yahweh who is our Creator.
You tell them the truth.
For those who believe in life after death and heaven and hell, most believe that when someone commits suicide that they still end up in heaven. That is not necessarily true. While Father is the final judge on what happens to any soul that passes over because She knows all things and reads the depths of our hearts, there could be some circumstances in which the person is forgiven, but this is not a guarantee.
In all truthfulness and in simplest terms, to commit suicide it to murder oneself and murder is a vile crime and those who commit vile crimes end up in the Abyss; which is confinement in complete darkness and total separation from God. If you have a hard time imagining this, think about being in solitary confinement in prison and then add to the scenario that the room you’re confined to is so pitch black that you cannot see your hand in front of your face; and on top of that, you have absolutely no interaction with another human being; for eternity.
When you look at any given situation and compare it in all truthfulness and honesty whatever it may be that you’re experiencing on earth, to an eternity spent in the Abyss, there is nothing on earth that would compare or could possibly be as bad as what the punishment would be for the crime of murder. And if you’re not certain that God truly does exist…do you really want to take that chance?
If you don’t believe, it’s a roll of the dice. Temporary sadness and hardship here on earth, or an eternity spent in darkness. Because remember, here on earth, everything really is temporary. We all go through a series of ups and downs, good times and bad times. Sometimes the bad seem to outweigh the good – but they are most certainly not for eternity.
So if you’re contemplating suicide – the murder of yourself – I’ll tell you plainly and truthfully, just don’t do it. Fear God. Know that She is righteous and that while She reserves the right to pass judgment on all of us, She will also wipe every tear away when the time comes. Until then, endure and keep moving forward with your eyes set on Her and She will redeem you and love you in ways you never imagined possible.
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