Revelations about the creation

[Lou Newton]

Here is a link to an article about creation that I have made many posts on:

http://creationrevolution.com/pluto-...ent-2144066896

You have to scroll down to find the replies to the article.

The Lord has given me further revelations while I was writing these posts.

I hope you find these posts profitable. Please excuse my poor attempt to write what He has revealed to me. Please have mercy for me because I am poor, weak, blind, lame and deaf.

Truly The Lord reveals Himself as The One who gives the blind sight by causing me to see. Surely Jesus reveals He gives the weak strength, the deaf hearing, and causes the lame to walk. I am proof of that.

A few years ago I could not walk because of a very bad auto accident. Now I am almost 72 and I walked and ran 6 miles this morning. Jesus is a God of mercy and grace.

Lou Newton

[Lou Newton]

Here is a link to an article about creation that I have made many posts on:

http://creationrevolution.com/pluto-...ent-2144066896

You have to scroll down to find the replies to the article.

The Lord has given me further revelations while I was writing these posts.

I hope you find these posts profitable. Please excuse my poor attempt to write what He has revealed to me. Please have mercy for me because I am poor, weak, blind, lame and deaf.

Truly The Lord reveals Himself as The One who gives the blind sight by causing me to see. Surely Jesus reveals He gives the weak strength, the deaf hearing, and causes the lame to walk. I am proof of that.

A few years ago I could not walk because of a very bad auto accident. Now I am almost 72 and I walked and ran 6 miles this morning. Jesus is a God of mercy and grace.

Lou Newton

Notice that in the first post from the person that has the audacity to call themselves, Recognizing_Truth, they claim that the light in genesis 1 is not light from the sun, but the light from God Himself.

What are your thoughts about this ?

Would God have to create His own light that is Him. For God is light.

Has not God always existed and He has no beginning and no end.

[Baruch]

Hi, Lou,

I appreciate all you said in the comments of that article. I can see truth in your statements. I could not see much truth in the statements of other posters. It's pretty clear that arguing from a position is a snare to many, I see it everywhere. I'm sure I do it and am unaware of my error. We can only seek truth, and rely on God to feed us what we can digest in due season.

For a while I had entertained the young earth view. But the Nye-Ham debate that took place a couple years ago showed me the folly of that view.

My next step was to view Genesis1-2 as allegory. In my opinion, there is great value in that if approached right. But I also recognize the slippery slope: if the creation narrative isn't a literal word, what else isn't? Simply, I have to (and do) trust God to reveal His truth to me according to His purpose.

I really appreciate how you've been able to help me see that there is scientific truth hidden in Genesis. It is evidence of God's manifold wisdom, for His word to contains different manifestations of truth, equally solid.

I found it very energizing to discover that here is a curious case of natural truth being a hidden treasure. We're told to dig for wisdom like it is a treasure. I envision this as digging for spiritual gems in the hills of heaven. When we find them we rejoice, as I did when I started to see those gems in Genesis starting with the mind-bending question: where is Christ in Genesis 1? But then you demonstrated that just because we found some gems we shouldn't stop digging. The gems in Genesis are many and various, and there are indeed natural truths there that agree with scientific discoveries.

Consequently, for me the Holy Bible "gets bigger" the more I study it.

For a contrast, there was a fiction novel I read long ago that I really liked, and I reread it many times. At first I discovered some things I missed in previous readings, and they were a delight. But each time I read it that cosmos, the story, the characters seemed to get smaller. After a while I stopped reading it. I expect this would be true of every book except God's living word.

[Lou Newton]

Hi, Lou,

I appreciate all you said in the comments of that article. I can see truth in your statements. I could not see much truth in the statements of other posters. It's pretty clear that arguing from a position is a snare to many, I see it everywhere. I'm sure I do it and am unaware of my error. We can only seek truth, and rely on God to feed us what we can digest in due season.

For a while I had entertained the young earth view. But the Nye-Ham debate that took place a couple years ago showed me the folly of that view.

My next step was to view Genesis1-2 as allegory. In my opinion, there is great value in that if approached right. But I also recognize the slippery slope: if the creation narrative isn't a literal word, what else isn't? Simply, I have to (and do) trust God to reveal His truth to me according to His purpose.

I really appreciate how you've been able to help me see that there is scientific truth hidden in Genesis. It is evidence of God's manifold wisdom, for His word to contains different manifestations of truth, equally solid.

I found it very energizing to discover that here is a curious case of natural truth being a hidden treasure. We're told to dig for wisdom like it is a treasure. I envision this as digging for spiritual gems in the hills of heaven. When we find them we rejoice, as I did when I started to see those gems in Genesis starting with the mind-bending question: where is Christ in Genesis 1? But then you demonstrated that just because we found some gems we shouldn't stop digging. The gems in Genesis are many and various, and there are indeed natural truths there that agree with scientific discoveries.

Consequently, for me the Holy Bible "gets bigger" the more I study it.

For a contrast, there was a fiction novel I read long ago that I really liked, and I reread it many times. At first I discovered some things I missed in previous readings, and they were a delight. But each time I read it that cosmos, the story, the characters seemed to get smaller. After a while I stopped reading it. I expect this would be true of every book except God's living word.

Thanks for the reply Barry. You have made some very good comments to think about in it.

The Nye-Ham debate was a debate between two people that claim to be experts but know little and both were very arrogant. But as far`as the universe being old, Nye had the facts on his side. I did not watch it, but my son Isaac told me that The Bible was not represented very well. Nye mocked it and Ham misrepresented it.

He said what made Ham look really bad was his answer when Nye asked him what facts would change his mind that the universe was old. Ham said, nothing could change his mind. That is simply a closed mind to even the truth. It was a really poor answer.

The pharisees also had a closed mind. Nothing would change their mind. Not even when God Almighty came to earth and was born of a woman and raised the dead right before their eyes, would they even seek to see if they were wrong.

When I was first born again by The Holy Spirit, I assumed the popular doctrine of God created the universe in 6 earth days was correct. But as I read Genesis 1 for myself, Satan attacked me through that doctrine. I questioned if The Bible was true because I did not see how it could be through the lens of that doctrine. There were many problems with it when reading Genesis 1.

I read this passage:

1 John 1
Test the Spirits

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

When I read Gen 1 through the lens of the YE doctrine I was being tempted that God did not create the universe. But certainly that same spirit also did NOT testify that God came in the flesh and died for us.

So I simply asked God to reveal the truth to me. He caused miracles to take place for me to be able to see. It was difficult to accept that so many people could be wrong. I had many break fellowship or treat me like a infidel because I simply believed what God had revealed to me. I had no choice but to believe Him. He simply proved to me what was true.

What has also gave me faith that what God revealed to me was true was the attitude of so many who held the YE doctrine so tightly. Ken Ham demonstrated this attitude during the debate and in his correspondence with me.

I would never say or even imply that anyone who holds the YE doctrine is not saved or not as close to The Lord Jesus.

[Lou Newton]

Hi, Lou,

I appreciate all you said in the comments of that article. I can see truth in your statements. I could not see much truth in the statements of other posters. It's pretty clear that arguing from a position is a snare to many, I see it everywhere. I'm sure I do it and am unaware of my error. We can only seek truth, and rely on God to feed us what we can digest in due season.

For a while I had entertained the young earth view. But the Nye-Ham debate that took place a couple years ago showed me the folly of that view.

My next step was to view Genesis1-2 as allegory. In my opinion, there is great value in that if approached right. But I also recognize the slippery slope: if the creation narrative isn't a literal word, what else isn't? Simply, I have to (and do) trust God to reveal His truth to me according to His purpose.

I really appreciate how you've been able to help me see that there is scientific truth hidden in Genesis. It is evidence of God's manifold wisdom, for His word to contains different manifestations of truth, equally solid.

I found it very energizing to discover that here is a curious case of natural truth being a hidden treasure. We're told to dig for wisdom like it is a treasure. I envision this as digging for spiritual gems in the hills of heaven. When we find them we rejoice, as I did when I started to see those gems in Genesis starting with the mind-bending question: where is Christ in Genesis 1? But then you demonstrated that just because we found some gems we shouldn't stop digging. The gems in Genesis are many and various, and there are indeed natural truths there that agree with scientific discoveries.

Consequently, for me the Holy Bible "gets bigger" the more I study it.

For a contrast, there was a fiction novel I read long ago that I really liked, and I reread it many times. At first I discovered some things I missed in previous readings, and they were a delight. But each time I read it that cosmos, the story, the characters seemed to get smaller. After a while I stopped reading it. I expect this would be true of every book except God's living word.

Hi Barry,

Now to address the subject of any passage (spirit that is speaking to you while you read that passage) that does NOT TESTIFY that God came in the flesh to die for us, in not from God.

Some may ask, how does Gen 1 testify that God came in the flesh to die for us. Or that life for us, only comes through the death of something innocent.

Well stars did not sin. But in fact they all obeyed God in every detail. We could not have our Sun with the heavy elements that are necessary for life, unless many stars died and the seeds of those stars were used to make new stars like our sun. Our life came through the death of something innocent. This is a shadow of the fact that Jesus, who was totally innocent had to die for us to have eternal life.

To claim that the earth produced plants without the light from the Sun, is to declare that there can be life without the light from Christ. That is from the antichrist. Jesus had to become flesh and die for us for us to have life. There is no life without light from Jesus.

To claim that the whole earth was covered with plants with no death taking place, is to claim that there can be eternal life without the death of Jesus.

Jesus said:

John 12
24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Jesus can not lie. Unless a seeds falls to the ground and DIES it remains a single seed. The earth would not be covered, for life can not take place without death taking place first.

Every time I see a seed fall to the ground, I am reminded how Jesus died so we could have life.

Grace to you
Lou Newton

[Baruch]

Amen, Lou.

Also I'm reminded that God made the plants with fruit containing seed, and animals which have seed, to produce each after his kind.

Later in Genesis we see this revisited as two spiritual seeds--Christ and Satan--and each produce after His/his kind. This distinction of kind defines the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Satan.

And later in Leviticus we see that mixing is proscribed: species, fibers, crops, the people of God with the people of the nations.

And much later the great mixing of the harlot church with the beast.

Genesis 1 tells us that the seed of Satan produces after his kind, and the seed of Christ produces after His kind. It is easily inferred that the kinds are not to mix.

You can tell a kind by the fruit: you cannot get olives from a fig tree or figs from an olive tree. The two cannot mix; if the olive tree's fruit becomes corrupted it is no longer pure olive but has joined with what has corrupted it.

[Lou Newton]

Amen, Lou.

Also I'm reminded that God made the plants with fruit containing seed, and animals which have seed, to produce each after his kind.

Later in Genesis we see this revisited as two spiritual seeds--Christ and Satan--and each produce after His/his kind. This distinction of kind defines the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Satan.

And later in Leviticus we see that mixing is proscribed: species, fibers, crops, the people of God with the people of the nations.

And much later the great mixing of the harlot church with the beast.

Genesis 1 tells us that the seed of Satan produces after his kind, and the seed of Christ produces after His kind. It is easily inferred that the kinds are not to mix.

You can tell a kind by the fruit: you cannot get olives from a fig tree or figs from an olive tree. The two cannot mix; if the olive tree's fruit becomes corrupted it is no longer pure olive but has joined with what has corrupted it.

Amen and amen. You are getting it.

Every plant produces SEED and that seed produces plants AFTER IT'S KIND.

So the plants we have TODAY are the SAME KIND that God had the earth produce in Genesis 1.

But what kind of plants do we have today ?

Do they produce seed and then that seed then does not die, but produces plants that cover the whole earth in 24 hours.

NO - we have plants that produce seeds that fall to the ground and DIE. Then those seeds sprout and grow into 10, 30 or 100 more plants in months, not hours. It takes years to cover a large portion of land with them.

Jesus did not create the world to lie to us. But Jesus created the world to declare the TRUTH.

The heavens and the earth declare His glory. His glory is His Truth. Plants do not lie, but they tell the truth. All we need to do it to read what they say.

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voicegoes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.


So that is the same KIND of plants God had the earth produce back then. Because that was the time of creation and those plants brought forth plants after their KIND.

I have watched a farmer plant seeds. They did NOT sprout and grow in 24 hours.

BUT I watched and it took weeks before you could see a little row of green so slight you were not sure it was real at first. But I went out and got down on my hands and knees and seen these tiny plants so small you could hardly see them. After another week or so, they were easier to see. But it was months before they brought forth mature seed.

Then the corn plants that brought forth the seed all DIED.

I have seen that there is no life without death.

Just as we can not have eternal life without Jesus dying for us. And we have to die to have life in Him.

There is no life without death.

Jesus has been 40 years getting me to surrender and die to myself and then live in Him. It did not take place in 24 hours.

People want instant mashed potatoes. But instant potatoes are not good. It takes a long time to buy a field, remove the rocks from a field, remove the trees, plow the field, plant potatoes, and then wait for them to grow. Then harvest them and peel them and boil them, and mash them. Those are the good mashed potatoes. It takes time, work, and something innocent has to die for us to have life. I can not have mashed potatoes without many potato plants and potatoes dying.

The Lord created the universe to declare that He would die for us to have life. BUT Jesus did NOT decide to die AFTER Adam sinned. But Jesus decided to die for us BEFORE He created the universe.

Ephesians 1Living Bible (TLB)

1 Dear Christian friends at Ephesus, ever loyal to the Lord: This is Paul writing to you, chosen by God to be Jesus Christ’s messenger. 2 May his blessings and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ.
4Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love.5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!

Lou Newton

[Lou Newton]

Amen and amen. You are getting it.

Every plant produces SEED and that seed produces plants AFTER IT'S KIND.

So the plants we have TODAY are the SAME KIND that God had the earth produce in Genesis 1.

But what kind of plants do we have today ?

Do they produce seed and then that seed then does not die, but produces plants that cover the whole earth in 24 hours.

NO - we have plants that produce seeds that fall to the ground and DIE. Then those seeds sprout and grow into 10, 30 or 100 more plants in months, not hours. It takes years to cover a large portion of land with them.

Jesus did not create the world to lie to us. But Jesus created the world to declare the TRUTH.

The heavens and the earth declare His glory. His glory is His Truth. Plants do not lie, but they tell the truth. All we need to do it to read what they say.

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voicegoes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.


So that is the same KIND of plants God had the earth produce back then. Because that was the time of creation and those plants brought forth plants after their KIND.

I have watched a farmer plant seeds. They did NOT sprout and grow in 24 hours.

BUT I watched and it took weeks before you could see a little row of green so slight you were not sure it was real at first. But I went out and got down on my hands and knees and seen these tiny plants so small you could hardly see them. After another week or so, they were easier to see. But it was months before they brought forth mature seed.

Then the corn plants that brought forth the seed all DIED.

I have seen that there is no life without death.

Just as we can not have eternal life without Jesus dying for us. And we have to die to have life in Him.

There is no life without death.

Jesus has been 40 years getting me to surrender and die to myself and then live in Him. It did not take place in 24 hours.

People want instant mashed potatoes. But instant potatoes are not good. It takes a long time to buy a field, remove the rocks from a field, remove the trees, plow the field, plant potatoes, and then wait for them to grow. Then harvest them and peel them and boil them, and mash them. Those are the good mashed potatoes. It takes time, work, and something innocent has to die for us to have life. I can not have mashed potatoes without many potato plants and potatoes dying.

The Lord created the universe to declare that He would die for us to have life. BUT Jesus did NOT decide to die AFTER Adam sinned. But Jesus decided to die for us BEFORE He created the universe.

Ephesians 1Living Bible (TLB)

1 Dear Christian friends at Ephesus, ever loyal to the Lord: This is Paul writing to you, chosen by God to be Jesus Christ’s messenger. 2 May his blessings and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ.
4Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love.5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!

Lou Newton

In an effort to make this more clear to everyone I write this post. We are all aware that God had the earth produce many species of plants. BUT they were all of the same KIND in some ways, and God clearly tells us the IMPORTANT TRAIT that they ALL have:

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

While the earth has brought forth many species of plants, they all have been of this same kind.

The plants that God had the earth produce were seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. So God had the earth produce plants that, first of all, brought forth fruit.

God did not want plants that did not produce FRUIT of some kind. This was a sign, in the natural, that God wants men to produce FRUIT. Those that do not produce fruit will be thrown into the fire. The men that produce good fruit will be saved.

Now what kind of fruit does God require of plants and men. He requires fruit that produce SEED that falls to the ground and die, and then bring forth life 30, 60 or 100 fold. Jesus spoke about this law when He walked the earth:

John 12

24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.


So God had the earth produce seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. So we see two things here:

1st of all the plants were the KIND that brought forth fruit with seed in them.

2nd - we see that the seed brought forth plants of the same kind.

So the same KIND would be plants that the seeds fall to the ground and die and then sprout and grow into mature plants slowly, not in a flash as some would argue.

WHY - because this is the only act of creation regarding plants and so we know that they brought forth plants of the same kind. So we can look at the kind of plants we have today, and see what kind of plants God created back then. Because plants bring forth more plants AFTER THEIR KIND. Plants are ALL different than animals and men. All plants have many things in common.

You do not get figs from an orange tree, or grapes from thistles. Also plants that grow in a flash do not bring forth plants that grow in months and years. Because God said that the plants brought forth more plants AFTER THEIR KIND.

These verses in Genesis 1 also reveal to us the law that God also instituted for men:

Plants must bring forth fruit with seed in it that reproduce and bring forth plants of the same kind.

Men must do the same or they will not be saved.

Matthew 3
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 "I baptize you with water for repentance.But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

So being a member of a tribe of Israel will not save anyone, just as being a member of a Christian church and following their rules will not save anyone.

Matthew 7
A Tree and Its Fruit

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

These words that Jesus spoke are ETERNAL TRUTH. They have always been true and always will be true.

Just as evil men do not bring forth good spiritual fruit; plants do not bring forth fruit of a different kind.

Many men desire everything to take place in an instant. They show their desire by inventing instant coffee, and instant everything. But instant coffee is not good. The slow brewed coffee is the only one that tastes good.

God is patient and He is NOT in a hurry like men. Men are afraid to die and so want everything NOW. But this brings forth EVIL, not good. God does not exist in time, but outside of time. He does not need to point His finger and have plants cover the earth in an instant. God is more concerned about TRUTH and He created the universe to declare His Truth.

God had the earth bring forth plants that brought forth fruit that had seed. That seed fell to the ground and died and then life came from that death and brought forth 30, 60, or 100 fold of the same kind.

Evil brings forth evil, Good brings forth good.

The plant that has good grapes for fruit brings forth good grapes. The plants that had sour grapes, brings forth sour grapes.

John15
The Vine and the Branches

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.


The plants had to struggle over time with the sun, the wind, water, the soil etc to bring forth life. It is NOT instant. The STRUGGLE is what make plants strong and also makes men strong.

Men built a dome as an experiment to see if they could grow plants on a space vessel far from earth. They wanted to see if they could balance everything in a small vessel to have plants produce oxygen and food for men, and the men produce carbon dioxide and manure for plants.

They learned a very important lesson about life. The trees in the dome had no wind to struggle against. These plants had all of the ingredients necessary for life, they thought, but the plants had no wind to struggle against. The trees that grew in the dome were so weak they could not stand up. The trees simply fell over they were so weak. Plants have to struggle to become strong. Just as men have to struggle to become strong. That takes time for the struggle to take place.

In my life of nearly 72 years ( 40 walking with The Lord Jesus) I have observed The Lord has not pointed His finger and zapped many of my problems away in an instant. He led me through a struggle with most of them. It was in this struggle that I learned to know The Lord. Or as Paul says:

Philippians 3
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

When I suffered, His Holy Spirit was then able to quicken my spirit and say to me, that it what it was like for Him. I learned who Jesus was, and is, and will be.

I have a friend who is a farmer. When he was young he did not have respect for the outside rows of corn in his field. For the outside rows had large stalks, but not much grain. One year as he started to harvest his corn, he started by cutting down the outside rows first. It was almost in spite, because those darn outside rows did not produce much corn. He no more than got the outside rows cut down and he had to stop because of a storm that came up.

When he went back out to continue after the storm, he was shocked to see his whole corn field had been flattened by the storm. The whole field was lost and he had to plow it under.

He was surprised by this event because that same field had survived storms like that before. Why did this storm destroy his field ?

In remembering the large outside stalks of corn that he had cut down, The Lord spoke to him: The Lord told him that the outside rows struggled against the storms, so they grew large strong stalks and little grain to protect the rest of the field from storms. Once he had cut down the very stalks that God had set to protect the rest of the corn, the rest of the field could not stand.

We can learn several things from this:

1 - the plants that struggle against the storm become strong. This reveals that men that struggle against the storm grow strong. Also men that do not struggle against the storm can not stand on their own.

2 - God in His mercy and grace sets watchmen on the wall. These watchmen struggle against the forces of evil and so do not produce as much fruit that can be seen with the eye. They learn in their struggles that they can not stand of their own strength, but they are weak, blind and deaf and Jesus alone is the only one who can save them.

So they become to trust in Jesus alone and know that they are weak, but Jesus is strong.

They stand against the wind and rain and protect the flock so the flock can produce it's fruit.

When you come to know one of these, you will see little ears of grain, but very strong stalks.

They may be very poor in material goods and even need help providing food for themselves. Like when God had the ravens feed Elijah; because there were so few servants of God that would feed him in Israel. The ravens then got the blessings from God that could have been had by men.

A man who lives behind the wall, but despises that very wall is not being wise. For all can walk upon the wall whenever they seek The Lord Jesus to save them AND they do not trust in one other thing to save them.

Lou Newton

[Baruch]

I gave this a little time to sink in. What a rich post.

God glories not in the things esteemed by finite men. He exhorts us to patience, so we can expect He is most patient. He exhorts us to many things, and in those things we can expect He is Most High. I have a friend who struggles with knowing that he is forgiven. Condemnation follows him and weighs him down because of his sense of sin. I referenced this:

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

I then did the math to demonstrate how forgiving and great Jesus is. If my brother slept 8 hour, then he would be awake 16 hours times 60 minutes, or 960 minutes. If he sinned against me seventy times seven, that is 490 times. 490 goes into 960 1.96 times. So my hypothetical sinning brother sins against me on average once every two minutes.

After a handful of times I might be exasperated. I might question the sincerity of my hypothetical brother to change his ways. I might think my life would be more peaceful without him. (I confess to being human and tempted by these notions in times past.) Jesus says I must forgive him.

Here is the important question. Does our Lord call us to do more than He does? Absolutely not. He is Most High. No flesh shall glory in His presence. If I forgive my brother as fast as I can say the words, I could exceed 490 times easily. I would be greater than my other forgiving brothers, and greater than He who only forgives 490 times. What a silly notion. Jesus forgives us way more than any man can or would.

When the Lord says "all sins" are remitted, He means all. There is no artificial limit. Don't get me wrong. Paul says we're not to abuse our liberty. I merely mean that Jesus set such a high bar for us because He calls us to be like Him, abounding in grace.

And this is to His glory. We will be blessed to remember that God is greater in all things to which God calls us. If something looks too hard for us, nothing is too hard for Him.

So it is reasonable to me to expect that because God calls us to patience, He is the epitome of patience. It is an aspect of His glory. His creation would declare this aspect of His glory.

[Baruch]

Men built a dome as an experiment to see if they could grow plants on a space vessel far from earth. They wanted to see if they could balance everything in a small vessel to have plants produce oxygen and food for men, and the men produce carbon dioxide and manure for plants.

They learned a very important lesson about life. The trees in the dome had no wind to struggle against. These plants had all of the ingredients necessary for life, they thought, but the plants had no wind to struggle against. The trees that grew in the dome were so weak they could not stand up. The trees simply fell over they were so weak. Plants have to struggle to become strong. Just as men have to struggle to become strong. That takes time for the struggle to take place.

In my life of nearly 72 years ( 40 walking with The Lord Jesus) I have observed The Lord has not pointed His finger and zapped many of my problems away in an instant. He led me through a struggle with most of them. It was in this struggle that I learned to know The Lord. Or as Paul says:

Philippians 3
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

When I suffered, His Holy Spirit was then able to quicken my spirit and say to me, that it what it was like for Him. I learned who Jesus was, and is, and will be.

I have a friend who is a farmer. When he was young he did not have respect for the outside rows of corn in his field. For the outside rows had large stalks, but not much grain. One year as he started to harvest his corn, he started by cutting down the outside rows first. It was almost in spite, because those darn outside rows did not produce much corn. He no more than got the outside rows cut down and he had to stop because of a storm that came up.

When he went back out to continue after the storm, he was shocked to see his whole corn field had been flattened by the storm. The whole field was lost and he had to plow it under.

He was surprised by this event because that same field had survived storms like that before. Why did this storm destroy his field ?

In remembering the large outside stalks of corn that he had cut down, The Lord spoke to him: The Lord told him that the outside rows struggled against the storms, so they grew large strong stalks and little grain to protect the rest of the field from storms. Once he had cut down the very stalks that God had set to protect the rest of the corn, the rest of the field could not stand.

We can learn several things from this:

1 - the plants that struggle against the storm become strong. This reveals that men that struggle against the storm grow strong. Also men that do not struggle against the storm can not stand on their own.

2 - God in His mercy and grace sets watchmen on the wall. These watchmen struggle against the forces of evil and so do not produce as much fruit that can be seen with the eye. They learn in their struggles that they can not stand of their own strength, but they are weak, blind and deaf and Jesus alone is the only one who can save them.

So they become to trust in Jesus alone and know that they are weak, but Jesus is strong.

They stand against the wind and rain and protect the flock so the flock can produce it's fruit.

When you come to know one of these, you will see little ears of grain, but very strong stalks.

They may be very poor in material goods and even need help providing food for themselves. Like when God had the ravens feed Elijah; because there were so few servants of God that would feed him in Israel. The ravens then got the blessings from God that could have been had by men.

A man who lives behind the wall, but despises that very wall is not being wise. For all can walk upon the wall whenever they seek The Lord Jesus to save them AND they do not trust in one other thing to save them.

Lou Newton

There's much wisdom here. I didn't know about the experiment in space with plants. But I know that the human skeleton needs stress (gravity or inertia) or it becomes brittle in constant free fall. This is the same principle, that struggle is essential to strengthening a living being.

In Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, he admonishes them by comparing them to the apostles.

1Co 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

It seems to me that Paul was detailing the principle of struggle, described by the Lord as suffering. Paul knew firsthand that the apostles were strengthened by their suffering, and as watchmen they provided a strong perimeter for the young in Christ. But any perimeter can be breached, and often breaches may be undetected. Once the enemy is inside, the strength of those within the perimeter takes on the utmost importance.

Those within can gain strength by walking the hard perimeter. How does one do this? Paul says by following him who follows Christ Jesus. Not by following a man. But by following the example of Christ Jesus that we can see and understand and verify. (Note the theme comes back into view here. A spiritual kind produces seed which, in dying to self, brings forth more of its kind. I love how truth weaves such an elegant fabric.)

[Lou Newton]

I gave this a little time to sink in. What a rich post.

God glories not in the things esteemed by finite men. He exhorts us to patience, so we can expect He is most patient. He exhorts us to many things, and in those things we can expect He is Most High. I have a friend who struggles with knowing that he is forgiven. Condemnation follows him and weighs him down because of his sense of sin. I referenced this:

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

I then did the math to demonstrate how forgiving and great Jesus is. If my brother slept 8 hour, then he would be awake 16 hours times 60 minutes, or 960 minutes. If he sinned against me seventy times seven, that is 490 times. 490 goes into 960 1.96 times. So my hypothetical sinning brother sins against me on average once every two minutes.

After a handful of times I might be exasperated. I might question the sincerity of my hypothetical brother to change his ways. I might think my life would be more peaceful without him. (I confess to being human and tempted by these notions in times past.) Jesus says I must forgive him.

Here is the important question. Does our Lord call us to do more than He does? Absolutely not. He is Most High. No flesh shall glory in His presence. If I forgive my brother as fast as I can say the words, I could exceed 490 times easily. I would be greater than my other forgiving brothers, and greater than He who only forgives 490 times. What a silly notion. Jesus forgives us way more than any man can or would.

When the Lord says "all sins" are remitted, He means all. There is no artificial limit. Don't get me wrong. Paul says we're not to abuse our liberty. I merely mean that Jesus set such a high bar for us because He calls us to be like Him, abounding in grace.

And this is to His glory. We will be blessed to remember that God is greater in all things to which God calls us. If something looks too hard for us, nothing is too hard for Him.

So it is reasonable to me to expect that because God calls us to patience, He is the epitome of patience. It is an aspect of His glory. His creation would declare this aspect of His glory.

Thank you so much Barry. I get discouraged when no one replies. Also everything is to be established by two or more witnesses. Thank you again. What you have written is so true.

Lou

[Lou Newton]

There's much wisdom here. I didn't know about the experiment in space with plants. But I know that the human skeleton needs stress (gravity or inertia) or it becomes brittle in constant free fall. This is the same principle, that struggle is essential to strengthening a living being.

In Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, he admonishes them by comparing them to the apostles.

1Co 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

It seems to me that Paul was detailing the principle of struggle, described by the Lord as suffering. Paul knew firsthand that the apostles were strengthened by their suffering, and as watchmen they provided a strong perimeter for the young in Christ. But any perimeter can be breached, and often breaches may be undetected. Once the enemy is inside, the strength of those within the perimeter takes on the utmost importance.

Those within can gain strength by walking the hard perimeter. How does one do this? Paul says by following him who follows Christ Jesus. Not by following a man. But by following the example of Christ Jesus that we can see and understand and verify. (Note the theme comes back into view here. A spiritual kind produces seed which, in dying to self, brings forth more of its kind. I love how truth weaves such an elegant fabric.)

Hi Barry. Thank you so much for your replies. Wonderful comment and addition. It really adds to my post. Thanks.

1st of all I need to explain that the dome was NOT built in space, but it was built on earth. It was to learn what would happen if man and some plants were isolated in some space capsule. So the plants and men were put in the dome and all outside influence was shut off. So the plants had to produce oxygen for the men or they would have to stop the experiment.

Yes, a true prophet never tells anyone to follow him. But he does, like Paul, tell everyone to follow Christ as he does. Any mere man who tells people to follow him, and God will hold him accountable for their actions, is a FALSE PROPHET. These kind of "prophets" are common.

Anyone who follows a false prophet will be held accountable for doing so.

A prophets job is to point to Christ, and say there Jesus is, follow Him.

Your comments are well worth waiting for.

Lou