Allow me to begin by making this statement about my background:


I am a 65 year old man who once was something of a hippy. At one point in my life I developed a strong desire to find the meaning of the word Love. At that juncture there happened into my hand a “religious” magazine. Interestingly, my initial reaction to the “religious” nature of the magazine called up in me a feeling of repulsion. I didn’t really want to hear about hellfire and brimstone or pearly gates and golden streets in the sky junk. But I was bored and I impulsively opened that magazine expecting I don’t know what. What met my eyes was the title of an article saying: “Please don’t give me that ‘Old Time Religion.’”


Well, as you can imagine, I was tickled that it reflected my immediate thought. There was then no choice. I had to read.


The article proceeded to define the word Love for me in clear, concise terms. And as it turned out, that marked the beginning of a 7 year intensive and very serious study of the Bible, which, before that point, I really couldn’t understand. I found that by coming to understand that clear definition of Love I now possessed the Key to understanding the Bible.


That was back in ‘68. Understand, ALL that I have learned since, is what I have found in the Bible on my own. I have never joined any church organization and I will not promote one above the others.


The following is my own understanding of what the Scriptures reveal.


Genesis 1:1-2 says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth WAS (also translated “became”) formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”


Isaiah 45:18 “For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: ‘I am the LORD, and there is no other.’”

This apparent contradiction can resolved when it is understood that the creation story doesn’t give us an all inclusive scientific review. Things happened between verse one, speaking of the original “Big Bang,” and verse two of Genesis which takes up the story after the earth became empty.


For one thing, Lucifer (light bringer, morning star) the Archangel was the first of the angels to be created. (Watchers, messengers, angels, fallen spirits, are all of a kind: not human.) And it was Lucifer who first “sinned” and thereby ushered sin (defined as breaking the law of God which is the Law of Love) into the universe. (Lucifer is one of three Archangels named in Scripture. The others are Gabriel and Michael.) As one of the Archangels he stood before the Throne Of the Creator beholding it. (Note: the ark of the Covenant is a picture or representation of God’s throne with two Archangels facing it with their wing tips touching.)


The throne is represented and the angels are pictured there but there is no figure pictured as sitting on that throne. Think of that for a moment. Why is it that no one has seen God at any time or heard his voice (only the voice of His Angel)? Isaiah 14:12-14 says,
“How you have fallen from heaven,
       O morning star, son of the dawn!
       You have been cast down to the earth,
       you who once laid low the nations!
  You said in your heart,
       "I will ascend to heaven;
       I will raise my throne
       above the stars of God;
       I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
       on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
       I will make myself like the Most High."


That last line says it all about his “sin.” He saw an empty throne and thought to sit on it and rule the Universe. War took place in heaven. A third of the angels followed Lucifer (now called enemy or Satan.) and the enemy was cast back to the earth where Lucifer had his “headquarters.”


Now, understand, Sin must be eliminated from the Universe. You just can’t fill the Universe with immortal beings who’ll be sinning for eternity. Chaos would be the result.

So God has a plan.


He cleaned up the earth and prepared it for human habitation (the reason for the lack of any real evidence of “transitional” evolutionary specimens is because terra forming only requires mastery of Genetics.)


Then a Garden nursery was prepared (eastward in Eden)


Then He created man in His own image, placed him in the garden, and gave him the earth as his charge, giving him dominion.


Not many note this but this was an “in your face” move on God’s part. Right where Satan had his headquarters (earth) God placed the man through which (not whom) the remedy to sin would be realized (through man and through the Son of Man) and His entire Plan for the Universe would be revealed.


Now people have varying interpretations about the fall of Man. But I have found that the cause of man’s fall resides in him having believed a lie.


Carefully examine the Scriptures regarding this. Note that “the serpent” was indeed crafty, sneaky, and deceptive. In one breath he mixes the Great Lie with the Truth. Think about that. The two parts of his statement to Eve were: 1) you will not die and 2) you will be as gods (knowing good and evil).


The Great Lie.


The entire world has been deceived to this very day. What do they teach in our churches? That you are an immortal soul and that upon shedding the body in a physical death, the inner you, the “real” you will go to heaven or hell to live eternally [no place in the Bible does it say that going to heaven is the reward of  the saved. {It does say that the saved will enter the kingdom of heaven but that’s about being born into the family of God.} and hell is merely the grave.] All of man’s religions teach some form of inherent immortality, reincarnation or some such. And it all flies in the face of Paul’s statement that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


And like the Jews in Jesus’ day people still want to stone you if they think you are saying that you and Jesus are one and the same. The mind is simply closed to how this could be. People just can’t seem to get their head around the idea that they are like God in knowing good and evil. They don’t really believe it (because then they would have to admit their guilt in having done evil in their lifetime.) and they have a habit of pushing  the truth away.


The 82nd Psalms: “I said, 'You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.' But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler."


There is much more to be said about this but let me move on.


Later, God gave man the Ten Commandments. Until the law came, sin was not accounted. But now, sin is made clear by the Law, and we can begin to see our guilt. When held up to the light of the Law, all of my faults and flaws are made clear and I stand condemned and found worthy of the death penalty.


Upon hearing of our guilt, we do not want to die and neither do we want to admit our guilt. All sorts of arguments jump up and go on and on and on. But God has better things in store for us who will look closely into the Law.


Recognizing his own guilt, Paul asks the question, “Who will save me from this body doomed to death?” and then gives thanks to Jesus Christ.


The first hint that there would one day come a savior was given when God said to the serpent (the enemy) “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Then there followed prophecy after prophecy giving detail on detail about the advent of the One who would save us all. Clue after clue was given and then fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.


He came, he miraculously lived his life sinlessly, and then he deliberately laid down his life for us, 1) to prove what Love is and, 2), to pay that penalty of death in our stead.


By this one ultimate act of Love, Sin and death are conquered.


There’s the window of opportunity, my friends. This is that narrow gate.


Here is how it works:


Stand up now because you are being called to account. Your sin is made clear to you and you know that those who do such things deserve death. You deserve to die. Admit it to yourself and to God and then listen to Him. Take it to heart. Let your core be broken. Become Contrite, because that is precious in God’s sight.


Through your tears, want, with all your being, that God let it be you that died on that cross and desire above all else that God allow Jesus to live His life again, here, in your body.


It is promised that if you will turn away from the ways of sin and lawlessness, and earnestly desire to do righteousness … if you will repent, then your sins will be forgiven, and you are ready to become a new character, attitude, personality, and spirit. And The Most Holy Spirit (attitude, personality, character) is Love. God is Love. Love is the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus’ character, attitude, personality and spirit is Love. Let Love reign in your being. Believe it to be true and your actions will reflect who and what you have become. Not everyone can accept what I’m saying, but when Jesus was asked by his disciple to show them the Father and he said, “Have I been so long with you and you don’t know me?” He said this because of the Holy Spirit Love which is His being and the being of the Father. Later he said, “I and Father are one.” and the Jews wanted to stone Him.


Now here is the difference with idol worshipers. Every false god is “out there” in the vastness of space.


Ours is a very present God.


I know this by the Holy Spirit dwelling within my own being. That is God having residence within me. This is Jesus entered and dining with me and making me into the very image of God.


A Most Chivalric Character, Attitude, Personality, and Spirit.