Everliving

LONG before creating humans, God created many invisible spirit creatures—angels. In Eden, a rebellious angel, who came to be known as Satan the Devil, slyly endeavored to tempt Eve into eating the fruit of the one tree that God had ruled out. Using a serpent, or snake, as a mouthpiece, Satan implied that God was withholding something desirable from the woman and her husband. The angel told Eve that she and her husband would not die if they ate the forbidden fruit. Satan thus accused God of lying to His human children. The Deceiver presented disobedience to God as an appealing course that would lead to enlightenment and freedom. But this was all a lie—in fact, the first lie ever spoken on earth. The real point at issue involved God’s sovereignty, or supreme rulership—whether God has the right to rule and whether he exercises it in a righteous way and in the best interests of his subjects. Eve believed Satan’s lie. She began to desire the fruit, and then she actually ate some of it. Later she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. Thus they became sinners. That seemingly simple act was actually an expression of rebellion. By deliberately choosing to disobey God’s command, Adam and Eve rejected the rule of the Creator who had given them everything, including perfect life.

Tree of life. A tree in the garden of Eden. The Bible does not indicate that it had inherent life-giving qualities in its fruit; instead, it represented God’s guarantee of everlasting life to those he would allow to eat of its fruit.—Ge 2:9; 3:22. Tree of the knowledge of good and bad. A tree in the garden of Eden that God used as a symbol of his right to set the standards for mankind as to what is “good” and what is “bad.”—Ge 2:9, 17.

There happened to be a man who wanted to watch the superbowl, but had to work that night, so he taped it. The following morning who would view the man with malice, if he decided to watch the game from the beginning? He had to power to see the finale, however chose to let things play out. Likewise, the true God, infinite in power has the ability to foreknow events, but makes selective and discretionary use of that ability, giving to all his intelligent creation due regard for the free will with which he has endowed them. Being matchless in power, he can meet any challenge or emergency that might arise as a result of his intelligent creatures exercising there free will. (Isaiah 40:25, 26; Romans 11:33). The Almighty has no need for a set plan that determines every action of every individual ever born in creation (Proverbs 19:21). Nowhere in the divine record does it state that it was God’s plan for man to fall. Rather than having a plan, the divine one is said to have an eternal purpose (Eph. 3:11).

2. We live in what is called the information age. Over 2,500 yr. ago in the city of Babylon, Daniel prophesied that our age would contain another sort of information, or knowledge, he pinned “and knowledge shall be increased.”- (Da. 12:4). Daniel prophesied that in our day the Truth would become abundant. On Page 219 of The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions it states: “the Christian feast of Jesus’ birth, celebrated on 25 of December. Its observance is first attested in Rome in 336.” The date was chosen to oppose the Roman custom of the feast day or birth day of the sun, or Sol Invictus. For over two centuries after Christ’s birth no one knew or cared exactly when he was born. The World Book Encyclopedia says, the early Christians “considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.” So even if Jesus followers knew his exact birth date, The Truth is, they would not have observed it. (Here is the online version (Erin Housing)) Christmas was even outlawed in later ages. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Disc_Sol_BM_GR1899.12-1.2.jpg looks like the Statue of Liberty, coincidence? ***deleted picture by moderator**** Wayyyy too big.

Or do you not know Sin came into existince by the hand of God's enemy. (Isa. 14:12-15)

Have you not read the scriptures? Windy Words without proof ring hollow. Are you suggesting God created sin? Search if you can and I will believe.

I can understand why you may feel that way. Truly I say to you If not for the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, the human family would have been condemned to death (or doomed to die) because the wages sin pays is death, Jesus sacrifice balanced the prefect scales of justice, paid the ransom from that undesirable circumstance. However you say it was a blessing for Adam to sin, since now we will “be exponentially [in a] higher place”, does that seem reasonable? God created Adam and Eve and all their offspring to live forever. What Adam and as a conscience, all of us lost was perfect human life, free from death and suffering. God blessed them, and God said to them, to be fruitful, and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it, that was his purpose for us (Gen. 1:28; Ps. 37:11, 22, 29). He did not create the earth for nothing (Isa. 45:18). The True God is not a man, that he should plan; he cannot be checkmated or be forced to change his will. He purposes, and no one can check his hand (Isa 55:11; 14:24; Pr. 19:21; Da 4:35). But I say to you Sin did not originate with Adam; sin first broke out in heaven.

All who exercise faith, work in harmony with God’s will, and endure to the end, are saved from the effects of sin and death, that is true. Through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The question that has been brought up, is if it was God’s plan for Adam to sin?

If I were to do something that you wanted me to do, would you condemn me for it?... Then, if Adam’s sin was God’s will, why was Adam driven out of Eden as a sinner? (Gen. 3:17-19, 23, 24) In defense of the True God (יהוה), the answer really involves the kind of person God is. Would it be just or loving to condemn a person for doing something that you yourself planned for him to do? (יהוה) is a God of love. (1 John 4:8) All his ways are just. (Ps. 37:28; Deut. 32:4) It was not God’s will for Adam to sin; he warned Adam against it. (Gen. 2:17) God did allow Adam, as he does us, the freedom to choose what he would do. Perfection did not rule out the exercise of free will to disobey. Adam chose to rebel against God, despite the warning that death would result. Here is what God set before Adam and Eve.-read (Gen. 1:28; 2:16, 17) would you encourage your children to undertake a project with a marvelous future, knowing from the start that it was doomed to failure? Would you warn them of harm, while knowing that you had planned everything so that they were sure to come to grief? Is it reasonable, then to attribute such to the True God (יהוה)? –Read (Matt. 7:11) If God foreordained and foreknew Adam’s sin and all that would result from this, it would mean that by creating Adam, God deliberately set in motion all the wickedness committed in human history. He would be the source of all the wars, the crime, the immorality, the oppression, the lying, the hypocrisy, the disease, and even the death of infants. But God’s word clearly says: “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness.” (Ps. 5:4) “Him that loveth violence his soul hateth..” (Ps. 11:5) “God…cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) “He [the One designated by God as Messianic King] shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.”(Ps. 72:14) “God is love” (1 John 4:8) “He loveth righteousness and judgment”-(Ps. 33:5) “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man”! (Jas. 1:13)

1. Jesus taught his followers only one religion, the true religion. It is like a road leading to everlasting life. Jesus said: “Few are the ones finding” that road. (Matthew 7:14) God accepts only worship based on his Word of truth. All true worshippers are united in one faith.—Read John 4:23, 24; 14:6; Ephesians 4:4, 5. Jesus did not mix true worship with the false teachings of his day. So true religion differs from religion that is based on men’s ideas. (Matthew 15:7-9) True worshippers do not preach one thing and practice another.—Read John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. Jesus’ followers are no part of this wicked world. You could recognize the early Christians by the way they took no part in the politics or social conflicts of their day. (John 17:16; 18:36) Also, they did not imitate the world’s harmful practices and attitudes.—Read James 4:4. The early Christian’s taught directly by Jesus himself practice true worship free from the false teachings of their day.

Was Adam’s sin part of “God’s plan”? Was it part of his plan for a child to be born as a neonate, brain dead, or malformed?

SIN: Literally, a missing of the mark, according to the Hebrew and Greek Bible texts. God himself sets the "mark" that his intelligent creatures are to reach. Missing that mark is sin, which is also unrighteousness, or lawlessness. (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 5:17; 3:4) Sin is anything not in harmony with God's personality, standards, ways, and will, all of which are holy. It may involve wrong conduct, failure to do what should be done. Ungodly speech, unclean thoughts, or desires or motives that are selfish. God's holy word differentiates between inherited sin and willful sin, between an act of sin over which a person is repentant and the practice of sin.

I can’t believe I'm still up its past 2: am Let’s begin with a foundation. And we should all come to an agreement as to the truth of the matter. 1. Do we all agree that in the first century christians, after the death of Jesus, the disciples and every one of those congregations practiced true religion free from hypocrisy or false religion? 2. did those early worshipers of (יהוה) Celebrate Christmas? 3. Did they celebrate the birth date of Jesus? 4. That Jesus spoke of a distinct time when (Ac 20:29-30) the true religion would be infiltrated by false teachers.5. And where was Santa Clause at this time?

ha I guess that is a Joke Eowyn, I dont get it but good day to you. Who is ARagon?

Well its almost 10Am in the morning here so I will have to log off. but I will hear from you my friends after work. It sure is cold today, hope all will go well.

You are write Pam, and I should not take it so serially, we are all brothers searching for the truth. I belief in the true God (יהוה) vehemently, and I believe many on this site do to. It makes me sad to see so many young ones believing the lies told about him. (יהוה) is a God merciful and gracious; slow to anger, pardoning error and transgression and sin, abundant in loving-kindness and acts of forgiveness. And I consider it a privilege to serve such a one. But it also says he does not give his glory to idols, in my past religion I did serve Idols and was a slave to them. I had to learn that was wrong. But it is written they are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field they can nether see, neither hear, nor deliver. We are Gods people. And to gather we should search out the truth. Let us research Christmas, Santa clause and see if it truly is a scriptural requirement. Or something we should put away, for god has said the hr. is coming and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the father with spirit and truth. Indeed, the father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. Let us put all false teaching away from us. And come in to the accurate knowledge of god. What Say You!

Jerusalem lies at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level atop the central range of hills that forms the geological backbone of the Holy Land. It is influenced by winds from the West (that bring cool sea breezes in summer and rain in winter) and winds from the East (that moderate winter temperatures but can make summer days hot and dry). The Jerusalem winter starts around December and lasts until February, with rain and cold winds, and an occasional snowfall. Spring is the best time of year to visit, from March to April/May. The landscape around the city is full of wild flowers. Rainfall lessens. Summer (June to September) dry with NO rain. It can be warm, even hot, so take a hat, sunglasses and water with you. The temperature tonight (1-13-13) is 39F. Los Angeles and Jerusalem have the same weather climate. It snows some years in Dec. It snowed 8in. 2 days ago. It was beautiful. http://mediacenter.smugmug.com/photos/i-jF62BBV/0/L/i-jF62BBV-L.jpg the reality is quite different form what you discribe. to someon coming to live here, I would say other wise. we are not a desert but a land flowing with milk and honey. you must search out and verify your claims befor you stumbule other Censer christions. a little reasearch would help. (and this is not spring). But then this is a discusion of Santa Clause. I personaly dont bealive in him and he does not inter into my familys belifes systems. I do not lie to my children and I resent the fact that you have called me a lier this way. I apologys and sencearly hope you forgive me, I had not ment to offent you. or anyone, but share live saving truth with you. If Santa Clause is your chose of observing this perticulare holiday who am i and who is anyone to say other wise. we all do what we have resoved in our hearts. But make no mistake there is one who dictates how he is to be worshiped, and he is searching out those disposed to true worship. and we mear human beings have no say in that.

Although the Bible does not give a specific date for Jesus’ birth, it does provide evidence that he was not born in December. Also, from secular evidence we can learn why December 25 was adopted as the date for celebrating his birth. Jesus was born in the Judean city of Bethlehem. Luke’s Gospel reports: “There were also in that same country shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.” (Luke 2:4-8) This was not unusual. “The flocks had to spend the greater part of the year in the open air,” says the book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus. But would the shepherds be outside with their flocks on a cold December night? The book says: “They passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.” This conclusion is corroborated by another detail in Luke’s Gospel account: “In those days a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; (this first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria) and all people went traveling to be registered, each one to his own city.”—Luke 2:1-3. Augustus probably ordered this registration as a census in order to gather information for use in connection with taxation and military conscription. To comply with the order, Mary, despite being heavy with child, accompanied her husband, Joseph, on the journey of some 90 miles [150 km] from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Now think about it. Does it seem likely that Augustus—a ruler who rarely interfered with local government—would require a people who were already inclined to revolt to make such a long trip in winter? Significantly, most historians and Bible scholars reject December 25 as Jesus’ date of birth. No doubt you will find such information in an encyclopedia to which you have access. Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia states: “There is general agreement that Jesus was not born on December 25.” The available evidence indicates that Herod died likely in the year 1 B.C.E. The Bible historian Luke tells us that John came baptizing in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. (Lu 3:1-3) Augustus died on August 17, 14 C.E. On September 15, Tiberius was named emperor by the Roman Senate. The Romans did not use the accession-year system; consequently, the 15th year would run from the latter part of 28 C.E. to the latter part of 29 C.E. John was six months older than Jesus and began his ministry (evidently in the spring of the year) ahead of Jesus as Jesus’ forerunner, preparing the way. (Lu 1:35, 36) Jesus, whom the Bible indicates was born in the fall of the year, was about 30 years old when he came to John to be baptized. (Lu 3:21-23) Therefore he was baptized, most likely, in the fall, about October of 29 C.E. Counting back 30 years would bring us to the fall of 2 B.C.E. as the time of the human birth of the Son of God. The Encyclopedia Britannica states: “One widespread explanation of the origin of this date is that December 25 was the Christianizing of the dies solis invicti nati (‘day of the birth of the unconquered sun’), a popular holiday in the Roman Empire that celebrated the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, the casting away of winter and the heralding of the rebirth of spring and summer.” The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun.’ . . . The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time.” Even if Jesus’ disciples had known the exact date of his birth, they would not have celebrated it. Why? Because, as The World Book Encyclopedia says, the early Christians “considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.” What it really boils down to is True Worship. I'm sure you are sincere and egger to find out the truth of the matter. We as Gods people should not be mixing false religion with true worship. As stated at Ro 1:25 we do not want to be like those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie. All of us must make our own choses as to what we will do and how we will lead our family's.

It is written that “you people must not steal, and you must not deceive, and you must not deal falsely anyone with his associate”. If true worship is our aim, what place does darkness have with light? Was it not the wicked one who mixed the truth with the lie? Is he not called the father of the lie? Again it is written “you people must be holy because I am holy”. God told Daniel, “make secret the words and seal up the book, until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant.” We today are living in that time. As an example, it is no longer a mystery that Jesus was not born on Dec. 25th, but his birth day is celebrated just the same. The astrologers who visited Jesus, practiced what God had condemned (De 18:10-12), little wonder they were lead first, to the one who wanted Jesus killed. The same with Santa Clause, it is a mere tradition of men. And we as Gods people must beware of Jesus words (Mr 7:13) “you make the word of God invalid by your traditions which you handed down.” In the end each one of us must resolve in our hearts what we will do, and what traditions we will hand down to our children. (De 6:6-7)

We know sin By God's law, so then by law is the accurate knowledge of sin. But where there is no law, neither is there any transgression. So then God's law is our teacher, that we might know, that, sin is a violation of God's law, his perfect standard. Furthermore, law was added to make transgressions manifest. Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, and so sin is lawlessness. All unrighteousness is sin. Just as one act of sin lead to the whole human family liable to death, because it is written "the wages sin pays is death". Then to thru one act of justification the result to all men is a declaring of them righteous for life. For this reason the Son of God came among us, that sin and all other works of the devil may be erased.

Nimrod was no advocate of true worship. He’s tyrannical rule and the building of the tower of babel had one purpose, to unite mankind under one government and under one religion, to create “a celebrated name for themselves”, in defiance to the divine will to spread man in the earth. As a consequence babel became the seat of all demonistic religion. In their wanderings from babel mankind took there demonistic religion with them and false religion spread in all the earth. Upon his violent death the inhabitants of babel deified him and he became chief among the gods, in later ages he became known as “lord” or Bel. The effects of what Nimrod did are still with us today. To rap this discussion up, there was only one means for salvation in prediluvian times, the ark. All those in the city of Enoch along with all ungodly mankind, were judged, sentenced, and directly destroyed by the true God (יהוה). They underwent the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction. They stand before us, an example of things to come.

Babel (Babylon) was the beginning of Nimrod’s Kingdom, Nimrod who was also the builder of Nineveh in the land of Assyria, began his empire building after the deluge

The City of Enoch was swept away with all life that was not on the ark!