~=Ron=~

Chapter 1,  The Principle of Creation

The Principle of Creation

The link below is to a lecture by one of my favorite
teachers,  and someone I've had the pleasure of
working with in the past at our summer camps.
He has also shared this content also to thousands
of Christian Ministers over the years.  

The First Christmas,  By Kevin McCarthy

When I lived in New York City back in the early 90s, I occasionally taught at our
church summer camp in upstate New York, ( we fondly called it Camp Sunrise) .  
In our more advanced seminars, towards the end the course, we would arrange
an early morning outing to a local hilltop to meet and pray with our guests at
sunrise.  That meant getting everyone up early out of their sleeping bags
@ 3:30am and making the trip to the top of the hill via a trail and with flashlights. 
Andy took the lead, and I would be the last in line to attend to any stragglers.
 
When we got to the top of the hill someone offered a representative prayer and 
then we broke up and found our own private places to pray, by a rock, beside a 
tree, each soul moved across the hillside to their own spot as the sun began to
rise. It was very beautiful. And we all began to pray.  

I've had meaningful prayers before, and I sometimes had, and always hoped for
what in the Seminary, Reverend Sudo called, "A Skin Touch Encounter" with God.   
But on this occasion, while I was thinking and hoping along those lines, it somehow
felt during my prayer, that I was just spouting empty words into the air.  And at one
point I began to feel frustrated.  As I mentioned, I've had meaningful encounters in
prayer before, in my mission work, in the trenches,  I often had to find an empty 
field or under a bridge to find privacy and solitude for serious prayer and repentance 
to find the heart of God, and solace.  I often needed and relied on those experiences 
to continue some difficult mission work, through difficult times. But for some reason
this time it just wasn't happening.   I felt like a turtle on it's back, going nowhere.. 

Then, unmistakably, a powerful question just came into my heart and mind,
through my gut.  I still feel to this day that it was the voice of God. 

"Why are you here?"   

"For them",  I answered, as I looked out and saw all our new friends and guests
scattered across the hillside.  It was for them that we were even here, in camp
and on a beautiful hillside, and away from the dirty Manhattan streets.  It was then
that I knew what I had to do.  I repented for my selfishness, and began to ask God 
to intercede and visit *THEM* instead of me, "Please God, visit them,"  those who
may be uttering their first words of prayer ever in their lives. 

"Please God, visit them". 



Calling out each person to God by name,  "Please God, visit Carol, make this
time special for her."  For each one by name.   

It was then, through this process, that the bottom of my heart gave way, and
I felt God move in.  I felt the embrace and love of God.  I was no longer that
turtle stuck on it's back, I looked out over the hillside, the sunrise, and my
friends,, and felt a visitation of Heaven's love, for them, for me, and for all in
this vast beautiful creation.   



~=Ron=~

The Nature Of God
Masculine & Feminine

Romans 1:20  For since the creation of the world
God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and
divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men
are without excuse.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;  male and female
he created them

Genesis 1:28
Be Fruitful & Multiply

           

Israel,  Prophesy and the Law Covenant

                     ~~~~~~~

  Many view prophesy as simply - God foretelling the future. 
However, the course of human history as we have known it
thus far constitutes a long and painful detour of our own
making.  We can't ignore the realities inherent in man's
portion of responsibility,  and how that effects any future
envisioned by God or Man.

  Salvation and Restoration only became necessary as a
result of the Fall of Man, which was not intended nor
predestined by God. 

  From God's point of view, Man's actions in faith or unfaith
will play a crucial part in the course of human history.  

  So when we see God begin to work with and through Abraham,
Moses and the Israelites, the dynamics of our relationship to
God and His principles don't change.

Exodus 19:3-6

 3. And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him
out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house
of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

4. Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare
you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my
covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all
people: for all the earth is mine:

6. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy
nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the
children of Israel.

   Through this and other scripture it's clear that God intended
to bless Israel, and that they would be a special nation existing
within God's  grace and attention relative to the rest of the world. 

Isaiah 61:5-6 & 9   

5. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons
of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call
you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

  9. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their
offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge
them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

  11. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden
causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord
God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before
all the nations.

 These words are so aglow with hope and expectation that many
have come to believe them as prophecy, and that certainly God's
intended blessing must be realized is Israel.

  However a "Covenant" is a binding agreement that is to be upheld
by both sides.  God says that He will bless Israel,  "if you will indeed
obey my voice".

The "if" in "if you" is by far the weightiest two letter word in the
whole of the Bible, because it points to the reality of Israel's position
who, like Adam, is standing on the precipice of life and death. They
have an unavoidable portion of responsibility in the providential
picture and a key element in the equation which is the Law Covenant.
 

2 Chronicles 7:14

  14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land.

  The most fearful side of the Covenant was the "Curse in the Law",
and it was a warning to what might happen if Israel were to turn away
from God and into disobedience.

2 Chronicles 7:19

19. But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments,
which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and
worship them;

20. Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have
given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I
cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword
among all nations.

This state of the Law Covenant and conditional blessing is repeated
throughout the Old Testament.  

  Deut 30:19

  19. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life,
that both thou and thy seed may live.

 Other examples,   Jer 11:1-14, Jer 18:8, Jer 22:1-5, Ezek 33:11, Deut 28:1:19, 
Lev 26:14-38.  

   This was so much the case, that God emphasized the point by having his
prophets distinguish between blessings and curses by proclaiming their
message from two different mountains, one for blessings, Mt. Gerizim and
one for curses, Mt Ebal.  Deut 27:12-13
 

The Prophets

  It's also important to note and highlight the significant role of the Prophets
as God's messengers and central figures in this process. They were sent to
proclaim the promise, and issue the warning, to sound the alarm when Israel
was in danger of falling away.  So then by heeding the words of God through
the Prophets, the chosen people might avert disaster because the life and
status of the Covenant ( broken or unbroken ) was often decided by how the
people received the Prophet and his message as their portion of responsibility.

Jeremiah 26

1. In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of
Judah came this word from the Lord, saying,

2. Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak
unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house,
all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a
word:

3. If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I
may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of
the evil of their doings.

4. And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken
to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

5. To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto
you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

6. Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse
to all the nations of the earth.

  It's also important to understand that the role of the Prophet was also
that of a forerunner,  a herald to announce the coming of, and to prepare
the way for the Messiah.  John the Baptist simply being the last before the
appearance of Jesus.  Ultimately the Covenant was established as a vital
tradition of faith to prepare the people to receive the coming Messiah, and
that upon his arrival they would then understand and fulfill God's hope for
universal salvation. 

Isaiah 49:6

  6. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to
raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will
also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation
unto the end of the earth.

The Fall Of Man 

  "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places
seeking rest and does not find it." Matt 12:43

  I think it's very difficult for most people to appreciate the devastation
brought about by the Fall of Man.

  Even with our awareness of history and the world as it is today, 
until we can experience life as it should have been, as beings living in
a direct relationship with God's love,  we will always live in a muted
state of awareness, and never be truly shocked or grieved over the
reality of the Fall, the loss of man's true divine nature.
 
  The account of the Fall of Man in Genesis, for many, has faded into 
the category of myth, and doesn't attract the attention of serious thought
and inquiry.  And as it's written, it leaves many questions unanswered
that might cross the rational mind. 

For instance;
  
  Was there, literally, a poisonous fruit that God left in the garden as 
a test for Adam & Eve? 

  Why would a loving God punish them with death for failing such a
test?      

  Was there an actual talking snake who tempted Eve and therefore
caused the fall of man?  And who or what is Satan? 
 

How has sin been able to effect the succeeding generations of man
since the Fall? 

  Was the Fall of Man a part of God's predestination? 

  Why does God allow evil and suffering to exist? 
     
  I'm sure that many more of such questions can be asked in relation
to the Fall of Man.  In the following pages we'll try to provide new
insights and clear, meaningful answers. 
 

Literal or Symbolic? 

  The Fall of Man is perhaps one of the best illustrations of the use of
symbolic language that can be found in the Bible.  The Tree of the
Knowledge of Good & Evil, the Tree of Life, the Serpent and the Fruit,
are objects in the Genesis story that have meaning beyond what is
expressed literally. When we can decipher their inner meaning, we
will begin to see the makings of a quite different story.

  The Trees of the Garden 

  The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil was only mentioned
once in the Bible,  however the Tree of Life, which stood next to it
in the midst of the Garden is mentioned numerous times, and in a
context that can only have symbolic meaning.

  Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire
fulfilled is a tree of life.

  Rev. 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may
have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into
the city.

     After the fall, Adam & Eve were driven from the Garden, and the
Tree of Life was guarded to prevent them from reaching it. (Gen 3:24) 
Since then, attaining the Tree of Life has been the hope and desire
of fallen man.  So it clearly cannot be referring to a literal tree. There
are other verses in the Bible that liken a tree to a man of righteousness.

  Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel
of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of
mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he
meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by the streams of
water, which yields its fruit in season.

  Psalms 52:8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of
God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
 
  Isaiah 61:5 They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting
of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

   And Jesus said;  "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. 
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."
John 15:1 

  "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."
John 15:5
 

In the ultimate sense, a man of righteousness is a sinless man, a
sinless Adam, like Jesus.  The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden was
symbolic of sinless perfected Adam.
 
  The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, which stood next to the
Tree of Life, we can then conclude was symbolic of Eve.  Therefore,
the two trees in the midst of the Garden were none other than Adam
& Eve who stood at the center of God's ideal of creation. 

  The Fruit 
     
   Jesus said, "Hear and understand: "Not what goes into the mouth
defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
Matt 15:10-11

     Fruit is meant for food to sustain life, and in a literal sense what
we eat is passed on through the body and doesn't directly effect our
succeeding generations.  And as mentioned earlier it is inconsistent
for a loving God to place a dangerous and tempting fruit in the
presence of His children, not to mention a fruit that can cause death.

  Since literal fruit can't grow on a symbolic tree we can likewise
conclude that the fruit that was eaten by Adam & Eve was not a literal
fruit, but has a symbolic meaning. The meaning of the fruit can become
more clear as we understand the identity and crime of the serpent.

  The Serpent 
     
  It states in Gen 3 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast
of the field which the Lord God had made.  Indeed the serpent was able
to converse with Eve, had know- ledge of God's commandment and
deceived her.  These are not the traits and capabilities of a literal snake. 
There are other verses that identify  the fallen angel Lucifer as the serpent
who tempted Eve and was then cast out of heaven.
  
   Rev 12:9 The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world,
he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him.
 
  Isaiah 14:12  How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened
the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into the
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the Stars of God; I will also sit
on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most
High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths
of the pit.

  So the serpent who tempted Eve was actually the Angel, Lucifer,
who through his sin and disobedience became Satan.

 The Crime of the Angel and the Fall of Man 
     
  So then what was the meaning of the fruit, and the crime of the
angel Lucifer?
     
  Jude 6-7 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain,
but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah,
and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given
themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh,
are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

  It was sexual immorality and fornication that doomed the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah, and likewise it was the sin of fornication that
corrupted the Angels and Adam & Eve. They could not maintain their
purity and proper place in the garden, and were cast out. 

The fruit is the part of the tree through which it multiplies itself. Within
the fruit are the seeds of it's next generation. So the fruit of the garden
was symbolic of the sexual act.

     Song of Songs 4:12-16  You are a garden locked up, my sister,
my bride;  you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants
are an orchard or pomegranates with choice fruits.  Awake, north
wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden,  that it's fragrance
my spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its
choice fruits.

     The commandment not to eat the fruit was not a test, but it was a
warning given by God to Adam & Eve not to engage in the sexual act
before it was their time to do so.  Just as a fruit needs to ripen before
it is eaten, it was also God's plan for Adam & Eve to mature and perfect
themselves through the growing period before they could consummate
their love as husband & wife. The fact that they sewed fig leaves as
aprons to cover their lower parts shows that it was more than their
nakedness that they were ashamed of,, but it was because their sin
and shame involved their sexual parts. 
 

The Results of the Fall

  St. Paul wrote:

  Romans 7:21-24  "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good,
evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war
against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin
at work within my members. What a wretched man I am!"

  Since the Fall of Man, like St. Paul, all of humanity, regardless of social
stature, has had to confront and struggle with their sinful and fallen
nature. St. Paul's honest lament of "sin living in me" (vs 17) is not only
a profound truth of the Bible, but a sad and sobering fact of life.

  The Fall not only derailed Adam & Eve in their growth process to
perfection, but also saddled their succeeding generations with nearly
irreversible original sin and fallen nature.

  Romans 5:19 "  through the disobedience of one man the many were
made sinners,"

  Because the Fall was sexual in nature, it's more understandable that
original sin could be passed down from one generation to the next,
through the blood lineage.  

  Hence,  Jesus said,  "you are of your Father the devil"  Jn 8:44 

  Adam & Eve being kicked out of the Garden of Eden signifies that
human history began outside the realm of God's purity, divinity, love
and Blessing. Even the first murder took place in the next generation
as Cain killed Abel.  And as history repeatedly shows us, when we
lose our morals, we lose our moorings and are set adrift.  Rome was
not destroyed from without,, but from within.

The Results for God

  Gen 6:5-6 And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the
earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

  For many, God is somehow transcendent of, and aloof to man's
sinfulness and in the end will bring about His grand judgment in the
Last Days. Condemning sinners to burn in Hell for eternity.

  Few have considered the thought of comforting a God who suffers. 

  God created to bring about an object of His heart. The end of the
creation process was determined from the beginning. That being a
perfect couple in union with God's heart, the original True Parents
of mankind.  Adam & Eve could not fulfill that expectation and
brought about a sorrowful history instead. 

  Rather than being a source of joy, love and happiness for God,
they and their offspring instead became the objects of His grief
and sorrow.

The Nature of God

~~~~~~~~~~

From Emile,,

"The book of nature lies open to every eye. It is from this sublime
and wonderful volume that I learn to serve and adore it's Divine
Author.  No person is excusable for neglecting to read this book,
at it is written in a universal language, intelligible to all mankind."

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

  The existence and nature of God has been questioned and debated
endlessly. Yet the Bible gives us validation for using logic, reason
and the observation of the creation itself in our approach to an answer.

   Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible
qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are
without excuse."

So if we observe the universal and unchanging qualities within the
creation, we should begin to understand the fingerprints, the underlying
nature of God.  Just as the qualities and nature of an artist can be seen
in the artwork itself. 

  First, when we look at ourselves as a creation of God, we see that we 
exist as either a male or female. No matter where we live, or in which era
in history, we have always existed and reproduced in a pair system.
Man and Woman. 

   Likewise, animals exist in a pair system, male and female. Plants
propagate by way of a stamen and pistil.  Even subatomic particles, the
basic building blocks of all matter, possess either a positive charge, a
negative charge, or a neutral charge formed by the neutralization of the
positive and negative elements. 

   And finally, in Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and female he created them.



Man and woman exist as a visible expression of God's invisible nature.
Therefore, we can say that within God there exists original masculinity,
and original femininity, in perfect and divine harmony. Mankind is
therefore born from God, and we are His children. God is our original
true parent. 

   Then throughout the Bible we see examples of God's heart expressed 
in the firmness, discipline and justice of a Father, or the unconditional,
forgiving and embracing love of a Mother, because every attribute of
parental love originates within God. 

   Another pair system that has existed throughout time and creation
are the elements of internal character and external form, or mind and
body. The mind being invisible and subjective while the body or form
is visible and objective. This pair system is likewise seen in all levels
of creation, within man, animals, plants, and down to the inherent
directive nature within particles of energy. 

   So within God there is the power and energy of his being, which
allows Him to create and sustain the universe. And there is His inner
being, heart & mind. The eternal thought, love and awareness that
exist at the core and heart of God, likewise permeates the universe.
Therefore God is omnipotent, and omnipresent. 

   Whatever God creates contains an element of himself, a symbol
or expression of his mind & heart.  For example, the idea of flight
exists and originates within the mind of God, and finds it's expression
in the birds of the air.  God's absoluteness and unchangeability is
seen in the majesty of a mountain range. The whole process of
creation is one of manifesting his whole thought, heart and will
into visible form. Therefore the mind of God can be seen in the
design, beauty and purpose inherent in all of creation. 

   Man and woman, however, are not mere symbols or a minor
consumer in the food chain of life. To bring about an object of
His heart, the finale of creation was the emergence of another
eternal divine being, or couple. Man and Woman were to be
His temples, freely breathing the air of God's own heart & spirit.
Therefore, God's investment in the creation of His first children,
Adam & Eve, was total and complete. Therefore it says that man 
is made in God's image, male and female, and then He rested.

The Purpose of Life ~ The Three Great Blessings

The First Blessing ~ Be Fruitful 

  In my creative writing course in High School, we were asked to come
up with a title for our annual journal. In it would be all the best, funniest,
and most creative excerpts of our class time for that year.  I think I did
have one or two things submitted within it's back pages, but I've forgotten
them after all this time. However, I am proud to say that my idea for it's
title carried the day.   

   
  Paper Mirrors.
 
  Paper Mirrors won because I think everyone recognized the clear but
subtle truth it conveyed.  That the investment within it's pages was a
simple reflection of ourselves, hopefully at our best.  In other words,
we see a reflection of ourselves in our creative efforts.  And if our works
exhibit the original spark of our ideas then we're of course pleased. We
feel joy and happiness.

   The same is true for God.

   His fundamental motive for creating was to experience love, joy and
happiness.  The nature and impulse of love itself is to seek another.
God, being eternal,  sought an eternal partner.  Man & Woman didn't
merely begin as an idea within God.  More precisely, God was reproducing
himself in the couple of Adam & Eve.  More than any other creation God
sought to become one with this first couple, living within and through them,
his very own children.

  1 Corinthians 3:16 - 17   Don't you know that you yourselves are God's
temple and that God's spirit lives in you?   for God's temple is sacred,
and you are that temple.

   So God Blessed them saying,,

   "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish
of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that
moves on the ground." Gen 1:28

   So then God is seeking love and joy through man, you and I. 
Then our purpose, our life is fulfilled in returning joy and love to
God.  Our life is inextricably linked to God.  How then is our
purpose fulfilled?  How do we return joy to God?

   This we call the Three Great Blessings, which were conveyed in
Gen 1:28. Be fruitful, multiply and have dominion. But here I would
like to share their more precise inner meaning.

    Be Fruitful

                         

To be Fruitful, means to grow and mature.  Just as a tree must
mature before it bears fruit.  Adam & Eve were to grow and mature
into perfection before advancing to the next blessing.

 

Jesus said  "You must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect"
(Matt. 5:48). 

Jesus himself had to grow to reach perfection.
 
   Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; The
virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him
Immanuel.  He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to
reject the wrong and choose the right.  But before the boy knows
enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the
two kings you dread will be laid waste.
 
  This period of growth within man is the most critical stage in the
creation process, because this is the stage wherein lies the danger
of man's fall and disobedience.  And for reasons we'll discuss later,
God does not interfere with man's free will and responsibility, but
seeks to influence man indirectly in the growing process by giving
his words and commandments. Be ye perfect, Being one with God,
we would think and feel precisely as He does.
 
  In that state of divine love there would be no possibility of a fall or
corruption of man. Every thought or act would be motivated by love
from God for our fellow man.

The Purpose of Life ~ The Three Great Blessings

The Second Blessing ~ Multiply
 
  Gen 1:28 Be fruitful and multiply, 
   
   Jesus said,
  
   "Haven't you read, that at the beginning the Creator made them
male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his
father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become
one flesh'?  So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what
God has joined together, let man not separate." Matt 19:4-6
 

 There is no greater change of life that one can experience than
in the birth of your own children, and to share this with the man or
woman you love.  This experience has moved my wife and I so far
beyond single life that I scarcely remember what it was like.  And I
must admit that the transformation was even more remarkable and
beautiful to observe in her.  So much of her mind, efforts and time
are taken up in caring for the home, myself and our son.  Yes, there
are people in the world,, but then there are Parents.
 

   In Paul's letter to the church in Corinth he states;

    "It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much
immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman
her own husband." 1 Cor 7:1-2

  "Now to the unmarried and widows I say: It is good for them to
stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves,
they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with
passion."  1Cor 7:8-9

    Paul of course is speaking to the state of fallen man, and his
disposition to sin.  In our discussion of The Three Blessings
we're speaking of the world as God designed and intended. 
Man & Woman would approach marriage with God's blessing
and as a Holy Sacrament and in the state of spiritual maturity
and perfection. Man & Woman would then embrace the Heart
of God as True Parents and give birth to their own sinless
children.  Children would be raised literally in the lap of God,
experiencing His love through perfected parents. Brothers &
Sisters would grow in an atmosphere of unselfishness and love
as the primary motive and ethic in life. Then that love and
goodness would be multiplied through the family to the society,
nation and world. This was God's hope and plan before the
fall.

The Purpose of Life ~ The Three Great Blessings

The Third Blessing
Have Dominion

  The Bible offers a sad indictment on our record as stewards of
God's handiwork.

  Romans 8:19 "The creation waits in eager expectations for the
Sons of God to be revealed.   For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by it's own choice, but by the will of the one who
subjected it, in hope, that the creation itself will be liberated to
it's bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of
the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been
groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

   What God intended was that through the fulfillment of the First
Blessing, individual perfection, and that of the Second Blessing,
family perfection, that man would then stand qualified as Holy
Temples and Lords of Creation. And as such we would exist in
harmony and love within it.

  "Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over
every living creature that moves on the ground."  Gen 1:28
 
    Therefore, life in the spirit world was not the only place God
meant for us to find heaven. The whole process and experience
of life in this world, and in the next, was intended for us to
experience God's love to it's fullest.

     Jesus understood this and in his prayer expressed God's
intention.

     "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom
come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  Matt 6:9-10

Time and Creation

   Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said;

   "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without
knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and
you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's
foundation? Tell me if you understand." Job 38:1-4

   While it is still true that none of us were around to witness the
birth of creation, it is also true that man has made great strides
in his knowledge of the universe since the days of Job, and many
of the questions posed to him can now be explained.

  And in the minds of many, that knowledge has come to challenge
the literal account of creation in Genesis. So much so that it is no
longer taken seriously as a viable theory in public schools. As a
result, the thought of God being the author of life has faced a serious
challenge.

   Instead, the "Theory of Evolution" and "Origin of the Species" by
Charles Darwin, is being touted as the rational explanation to how
man and creation came to be. While I intend to provide space on this
site for a Creationist counter proposal, at this point I'll be relating
our views in general terms and how they relate with the Bible itself.
It is our view that science and religion need not be at odds with each
other and that differences between the two can be reconciled. 

Time

   2 Peter 3:8 With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day. 

   This verse was written in the context of God keeping his promises,
yet it also shows that, time to us, and, time to God, aren't necessarily
the same.  One "day" in Genesis doesn't have to mean the rotation
of the earth on it's axis in a 24 hour period. It can also mean an epoch
of time. An age, much as the "ages" described in modern science.
Paleozoic, Mesozoic,, etc.. 

   Understood in this light, what was recorded in the Bible thousands
of years ago coincides with modern science. Therefore the account of
Moses was indeed a revelation from God, given to men at the level of
their understanding. 

   As a 'for instance', the Bible describes the process of the third day
(age) of creation where the water is separated from dry land, and there
becomes the "seas" and the "land". We can imagine now that such a
process would involve much time and seismic activity, even volcanic
eruptions that would fill the atmosphere with smoke and toxic gasses.

What came next is vegetation, plants and trees,, which we now know
produce oxygen from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and they
become instrumental in filtering, cleaning and creating an atmosphere
through which the sun, moon and stars become visible on the fourth
day (age). ( actually created on the first) Then the seas begin teaming
with life and the birds take to the skies on the fifth day (age) of creation.

   The account of creation in Genesis remains a beautifully stated and
accurate account of the overall process by which God brought the world
and life into being. While it doesn't provide the technical and minute
details, I don't believe it was ever meant to. 

   Where we agree with the observations of science is that the creation
involved immense amounts of time. In between cause and effect there is
time. Time for processes, cycles and seasons. Time for growth.

   "A time for every purpose under heaven." Eccl 3:1

   The evidence in archaeology is such that I've heard some suggest that
perhaps God created the world in 6 days *with* a history. Like a woman
giving birth to a 5 year old child. But I just don't see the point in such an
idea except to deflect unsupportive evidence.

   Creationists don't need to try and hold such slippery ground if they can
only accept that some words in the Bible have an inner meaning beyond
the obvious one. It's God's prerogative not to have to explain details to a
finite mind when it's certain that a more suitable time for such revelations
will come.

   "I still have many things to say to you, but you can not bear them now."
John 16:12
                                   
   The truth of the creation process  is much more spellbinding and
wondrous when the whole picture emerges. We have to include divine
guidance to the  theory of evolution.

  God created the world by plan, not blind chance. God created each
organism specially. He created the first amoeba, the first fish, the first
deer, the first ape, the first man. Every organism has an original parent.

   In future contributions to this site we'll provide more in depth
exploration of creation science. But before we go to such lengths we
need to understand the position of man in all of this, and how time
and growth play an important part in God's overall plan for us.

Growth & Human Responsibility

  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is
excellent or praise- worthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. 
And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9

     Over the years that I've studied the Bible, this topic, in my opinion,
lies at the heart of many important issues, and in fact there are virtually
none that are untouched by it in one way or another.  Issues of
Predestination, Prophecy, The Fall Man, Salvation, the life of Jesus
and the Second Coming of Christ, all can be better understood starting
here, with Growth & Human Responsibility.  So I approach this topic
profoundly challenged by it's myriad threads of implication.  

     It's clear from Genesis that God regards all other creatures,  the
birds, fish, animals and all the various other forms of life as minor
creations compared to man and woman.  Since it is they who must
rule and exercise dominion over them all, as well as the whole of the
earth. Man and woman appear on the scene as God's finale, and
masterpiece.

     Gen 1:26  "Let's make man after our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

     It is truly a blessing and a responsibility.

   All the plants, insects, fish, birds and all other life however, have
in their favor an important  consolation and blessing of their own.

     They grow automatically to reach their own perfection and maturity. 
Their growth doesn't require of them anything they can't find inherently
within themselves and their environment.  They grow autonomously
through the power of God's energy and the nutrients available from
their surroundings.  They are ruled by and depend upon their own
instincts for survival.  

     Man also will grow physically through childhood, adolescence
and then reach maturity as long as he receives necessary life elements
from the environment.

     Then what is *perfection* for man?   According to the Bible man
has two bodies, the physical and the spiritual.  

     I Corinthians 15:44 "If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual
body"

      As our physical body needs to grow, so does our spiritual body
need to grow, and it does so through time and in accordance with life
experience and certain 'life elements'.  There is a strict cause and 
effect relationship between our earthly life, how it's lived, and the result
it reaps for our spirit in the next life.

     As Jesus said,  "I give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven,
whatever is bound on earth, is bound in Heaven, and whatever is
loosed on earth, is loosed in Heaven." Matt 16:19

   The 'life elements' that our spirit needs for its earthly growth is first
of all, God's love and truth. God's love and truth to the spirit body are
like air and sunlight to the physical body.  And as we receive, inherit
and embody these life elements from God, our spirit grows closer to
Him. 

Though these elements are given by God, they are elements which
we must actively and faithfully embrace and apply to our daily life.

  Our actions and deeds motivated by truth and love, therefore,  play
a role in shaping our habits, character and heart. It's not through instinct
that man responds to God, but through conscious thought and acts
of our own free will.  Therefore God has always asked us to treat His
words with honor,, and place them deep in our hearts and in the center
of our lives.

  Deut 6:6 These words which I command you today shall be in your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk
of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when
you lie down, and when you rise up.

     Keeping faith in God's word therefore is man's portion of responsibility,
which only man can fulfill. Not even God will violate this principle. There
are several reasons for this which we'll discuss later,, but one of these
relates to man's position and responsibility as ruler over creation.

     Since God is the creator of life and the universe, it is only right that
God should be the only ruler, and exercise dominion over His creation. 
For man to be qualified to rule over creation then he must have qualifications
to do so, and be superior to it.  By giving man free will and his own portion
of responsibility, God is then placing man in the position of co-creator with
God.  And by fulfilling his responsibility in faith, and by growing into oneness
with God, man can then be truly qualified to stand as the Lord of Creation.
In that way fulfilling a responsibility given to no other being or creature in
the creation.

     Therefore, preserving man's ultimate position as Lord of Creation,
for God, it means not acting or entering into an area that is man's
responsibility alone to fulfill.  We can then understand that this is one
of the reasons why God does not act to prevent evil, nor did he stop
the fall of man, because it was man's responsibility to have faith in
God's words and reject all temptations to the contrary. 

     God's portion of responsibility extended through the creation of the
universe, the world and man.  To place a number on it we can say that
God shouldered 95% of the responsibility in the creation process.  The
final act of God in fulfilling His portion of responsibility was in giving
Adam & Eve the commandment. Giving his word or warning.  Man's 5%
responsibility, though smaller, is no less important to the overall
fulfillment of God's will, which is the union of God and man into one
heart and in one love.

     This of course leaves the question of,  'how is God then going to
deal with evil in man and the world?  This will become very clear as
we approach our discussion of the life and mission of Jesus.  But for
now I wish to emphasize the point that man's faithful response to God,
and his fulfilling his own portion of responsibility is absolute and crucial
to God.  It is an immovable pillar and an unchanging principle of creation.

     However great are God’s intentions to bless and save fallen man
through the Messiah, this fundamental truth is still unaltered.

It states in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life”, and in verse 18, “Whoever believes in Him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned,,” 
 

Growth and God’s Direct Dominion 

  After Jesus was presented at the Temple for  circumcision, and upon
his return to Nazareth it says in,,  
 
   Luke 2:40 And the child continued to grow and become strong, increasing
in wisdom; and the Grace of God was upon Him.

                                    

 Also at the age of twelve after his discussions with the Elders in the
Temple it states in,

  Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature,  and in 
favor with God and men.

                                           

 From the time of his birth, until the baptism of John, there are few
details about the first 30 years of Jesus life. Except that at the end
of those 30 years God would declare, 

  "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

  From this we can see that Jesus also had to pass through a growth
period.
    
  The Old Testament also refers to his growing period.

  Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a
virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name
Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough
to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough 
to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread
will be forsaken."

                                   

The period of growth where man is still immature in heart and not
yet living in oneness with God is a period we call the Indirect Dominion
of God. It’s period where God seeks to influence the growth and
direction of man indirectly, or through his word. It is also the  period
of man’s portion of responsibility, where he must respond to God’s
word in faith.

  Had there been no Fall of Man in the beginning, the Indirect Dominion
would have only been a temporary stage in man’s growth towards God.
It was God’s intent that adult  life, married life, our life as parents and
grandparents would have been lived in a state of oneness with God,
or a state that we call God’s Direct Dominion, and in such a state of
divine and perfect love, no fall would then be possible. If Adam & Eve
had achieved such a standard in the beginning then God's ideal of
creation would have been secured for all time.  Adam & Eve would then
directly raise and guide their succeeding generations in God's Direct
Dominion. 

  Living in Heaven is simply to be living in God’s Direct Dominion of
Love, where the Heart of God and the Heart of Man is one and inseparable.   
That’s why Jesus advised us not to go looking here and there for God’s
Kingdom, as if it were some outward place or location, he said,,  
"The Kingdom of God is within you."

                            

 
  

Jesus said,

  "I came to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled".   Luke 12:49

  Understanding the Bible would be simpler if we could interpret every statement and
every word literally. No conflicts in thought or doctrine would exist to divide the church
as a whole. Our focus could be spent in simply living, loving and growing in the
Word of God.

   From the words of Jesus in Luke 12:49 it's obvious that not everything he stated can
be taken literally, since there is no record of Jesus starting fires as his main mission
and focus.  His words obviously had a deeper meaning.  

 This is just one of the many verses that challenge us to look for deeper and more
profound meaning in the Bible. It is well known that Jesus spoke in symbol and parable
and would even say, near the end of his life,  "I still have many things to say to you, but
you can not bear them now."  John 16:12

   Exploring the hidden treasures and essential meaning of the Bible has been the quest
of scholars and everyday students of scripture throughout history. Emmanuel Swedenborg, 
an 18th Century scientist and Bible scholar, referred to this as "understanding the arcana
(inner meaning) of the Word." 

It's our hope that those who can study these pages with sincerity and an honest appreciation 
for the truth can likewise be moved and challenged to touch the heart of God.  The contents
here are being expressed in a Unificationist's perspective.  

   This site is certainly a work in progress, and a labor of  love. But like anything that grows, 
it's part of the wonder of  life to watch its processes and surprises unfold. We hope you
become a frequent visitor and friend. And through it all, may God Bless you and those you
love.

Welcome!

   This site is under construction and it will be taking the place of the old
website at:  www.originsbiblegroup.com   Thank you for visiting and please
visit often as this site will be developing and will be put into use for the
long term. 

Ron