Women

This seems like an odd topic to talk about, but I have been thinking a lot about them lately. They sure have been badly treated for eons. Men often treat them as no more than possessions, a piece of property, something to satisfy their sexual drive, something to make money with, slaves, have their babies and take care of them, and so on.

I don't believe Father God meant it to be this way. In the creation story of the Bible, God first creates man. The following is from Copilot: 

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In this narrative, God forms man (Adam) from the dust of the ground and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life. Adam is placed in the Garden of Eden to tend it and is given the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then comes an important moment: God declares, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18, ESV).

To achieve this, God first brings all the animals to Adam to see what he would name them—perhaps revealing that none of them were suitable as a counterpart. Then, God causes Adam to fall into a deep sleep, takes one of his ribs, and from it fashions the woman (later called Eve). Adam recognizes her immediately and says, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

The story is often interpreted to highlight companionship, complementarity, and a shared origin that forms the foundation for human relationships. It also contrasts with Genesis 1, where male and female are created together in the image of God—suggesting a poetic layering rather than a contradiction.

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I want to bring out some things that I think are very important to this story, found in Genesis 1

Genesis 1:26-28

New International Version

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;

    male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

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I have talked about this in other posts but let me reiterate them. In the creation narrative, the creator is in a plural form. I believe that Yeshua (Jesus), God's son, was with Father God during creation, thus "let us make mankind in our image". Something that has always struck me as odd. There is Father God (male), and his son Yeshua (male). We never see mention of a female in God's realm. But a female is created in their image?

To help with understanding that Yeshua was with Father God at creation, here is something he said:

John 17:1-5

New International Version

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

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I remembered something that Yeshua said once when he was here on earth. 

Mark 12:25

New International Version

25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

Here is something that the Apostle Paul said:

Galatians 3:28

New International Version

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

He’s emphasizing spiritual equality and unity in Christ, not necessarily commenting on gender in the afterlife.

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I read the book, 'Celestine Prophecy' a while ago and I remembered something in the book. I couldn't remember the specifics so asked Copilot about it. I thought it fit in with this subject nicely. 

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In The Celestine Prophecy, the central idea is that people can “steal” energy from one another if they aren’t spiritually grounded. Relationships work best when both individuals have aligned, flowing energy sourced from the divine, not drawn from each other. If that alignment breaks down—if someone relies on the other for spiritual validation or control—it leads to imbalance and dysfunction.

By contrast, the Bible speaks about relational harmony through a very different lens. In passages like Ephesians 5:21–33, unity in marriage is built on mutual love, sacrifice, and submission to one another out of reverence for Christ. The husband is called to love his wife “as Christ loved the church”, and the wife is invited to respond with respect and partnership. Rather than two individuals guarding their energy, Scripture emphasizes two becoming “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24)—a self-giving, covenantal unity rooted in divine love, not self-protection.

In short:

Celestine: Alignment is about tuning into universal energy individually and avoiding “control dramas.”

Scripture: Unity is forged through self-giving love, mutual submission, and shared purpose under God’s design.

Slave - Servant - Bond Servant - Sin - Satan

My recent studies have been about slave versus servant and if our sin is something we are in control of; can I choose to sin or not to sin? Is our sinning because we are slaves to Satan or does Satan just take advantage of us because we are slaves to sin?

The Bible is clear in that we are all by nature slaves of sin, we have lost our self-control. We are slaves to sin, does this mean we are slaves to Satan? When I look at who Satan is; the ruler of the world (John 12:31), the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). We all begin life being part of the world so could I not say that if Christ is not my master, then Satan is my master.

First let me talk about the difference between slave and servant. You probable believe, like I do, that it is better to be a servant than to be a slave but, in a way they seem to be kind of the same. Even as I was studying the New Testament passages in my Ultimate Bible Study Suite that had slave or servant in them, the original Greek word was most often the same word, "doulos". However, that same Greek word is sometimes translated to the English word "slave" and sometimes "servant" depending on which Bible translation you read. I saw some translations that pretty mush always translate that word as slave. I personally prefer the translations that translate to both.

From the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Main Entry: ¹slave
Pronunciation: slv
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English sclave "slave," from early French esclave (same meaning), derived from Latin Sclavus "Slav"
1 : a person who is owned by another person and can be sold at the owner's will
2 : a person who has lost self-control and is controlled by something or someone else <a slave to bad habits>
3 : a person who performs difficult or boring work : DRUDGE

Main Entry: ser·vant
Pronunciation: sr-vnt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English servant "servant," from early French servant (same meaning), from a form of servir "to serve," from Latin servire "to be a slave, serve," from servus "slave, servant" --related to SERF --see Word History at SLAVE
: one that serves others; especially : a person hired to perform household or personal services

Definition of bond servant

1. :  one bound to service without wages; also :  slave

Definition of sin

1. 1a :  an offense against religious or moral law b :  an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible <it's a sin to waste food>c :  an often serious shortcoming :  fault
2. 2a :  transgression of the law of God b :  a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

I have had a hard time understanding this but as so often happens, I woke up very early with the picture of my understanding clearer this morning.

These two English words, slave and servant, are really the same. It is just a way to show different degrees of harshness or kindness between a person and their master. A master lays out what a slave's responsibilities are and the punishments for disobedience. When we call someone a slave, the degree of harshness on that slave by their master is at it's worst. The ownership of that slave is verbally expressed to that slave and to others. Punishments are carried out to the letter and at times even when they are undeserved. The master does whatever he wants to that slave and the slave is forced to obey. This is Satan's way.

I look at someone who is a servant in a better place or condition than a slave, but the more I think about it, it all boils down to the relationship between a slave and his or her master.

God is the creator of everything and everyone including the heavenly creatures. He is the master of all and by rights, we are His servants, His slaves. God has given us His laws and the punishment for disobedience which is death. What master has ever paid the punishment himself for his servant. God has done this through His son, Jesus. We all are disobedient, worthy of death and Jesus has died in our place. On the third day He arose from the dead and now He sits at the right hand of the Father.

Jesus is not just sitting there. Father God has made Jesus master and He is the best master anyone could ever dream of having. He works with us, the work He gives us to do; that is if you will accept Him as master.

Matthew 11:28-30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
²⁸ “Come to Me, all ^[a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is ^[b]easy and My burden is light.”    

John 8:34 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

John 15:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
¹⁵ No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Matthew 25:23 Common English Bible (CEB)
²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’ (This translation translated the same Greek word, "doulos", to the English word "servant". Other translations have translated it to "slave".)  

Romans 8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Deliverance from Bondage

8 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life ^[a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do, ^[b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of ^[c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is ^[d]alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^[e]through His Spirit who dwells in you.
¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[f]must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery ^[g]leading to fear again, but you have received ^[h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, ^[i]in hope ²¹ that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ²³ And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Our Victory in Christ

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the ^[j]saints according to the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that ^[k]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was ^[l]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of ^[m]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Reality Of Things.

Here is something that not many of us think about. In wars and conflicts, who is it that stands to gain the most from them? It is those at the top, the ones who are in power, those who give the commands. Today, it is also the many companies who build all that is used in wars who stand to gain much wealth. Who is it that does the dirty work; the fighting, the killing, and the dying? They are the ones at the bottom. It has always been this way. We fight each other to keep ourselves in bondage and those at the top powerful and wealthy.

Long ago, the nations had their slaves. Slaves had many tasks and when nations warred with each other, they would always send in slaves first. The slaves would do some damage fighting, using the meager weapons they were given. When the slaves were used up then the better fighters were sent in. Unless things go very bad for a nation, you will rarely see someone at the top help fight against the opposite side.

You can look at any war. Take our American Civil war. This war was over the right to own slaves, essentially. Those who owned many slaves did not fight in that war. It was those who owned no slaves at all or maybe just owned one or two who fought and died. What was strange to me was that those who did fight on the South for the right to own slaves became so caught up in it and angry over not having the right to own slaves, yet they would probably never be in a position to own any.

My wife and I went to see the movie "The Free State of Jones" a while back. This movie is based on the history of Jones County, Mississippi during the Civil War. In the movie, there were a number of black slaves who had run away and found themselves a secret hiding place deep in the swamps. At first, only black slaves knew about it with the help of an abolitionist, Aunt Sally . As more and more whites fighting in the Confederate army understood what was really going on and how their own families were being treated at home while they were away, they deserted. One by one a number of them ended up with the black slaves in this secret hiding place. The food that came into the camp was not much. At first, only a couple of the Whites were willing to share that food with the Blacks even though it was through the work of black slaves that food came in at all. As more Whites showed up, tensions rose. You could see the hatred from the Whites against the Blacks start to come out and how the Whites felt they were better than the black slaves. It was great however to see that hatred and the feeling of superiority fade away. They finally understood that they needed each other and that in reality, they were both slaves.

Last night, we watched the movie “Jimmy's Hall” (IMDB: Jimmy's Hall) (Wikipedia: Jimmy's Hall). This movie is based on real life events of Jimmy Gralton, an Irishman born in Effernagh, Ireland on April 17, 1886 to a poor farmer. (Irish Post: “The true story behind Ken Loach's movie Jimmy's Hall”)

This Irishman decides to build a hall, with the help of other locals, on his father's property. His dream was to have a safe place for the common people, like himself, to gather together, to talk, to listen, to learn, to dance, to have meals together; a place to have some enjoyment in their life's struggles. They had their own teachers to teach all kinds of things from the usual reading, writing, and arithmetic to art, poetry, dance, plays, and sports, such as boxing. They did it all themselves without the help of the government or others. This was during the time of the depression when there was little or no education for the commoners.

However, certain prominent members of the Catholic church saw them as threatening and wanted to put an end to the hall and Jimmy. Shots were fired at a group of men, women, and children who were in the hall one evening and the hall was eventually burned to the ground, and they tried to deport Jimmy (I'm not sure if they succeeded).

I am reading a book right now “GEORGE MULLER The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans” by Janet & Geoff Benge.

George Muller (1805-1898) felt a calling from God to take care of orphans. George starts his early life as a common thief in Prussia. He haphazardly meets up with Beta, someone he sees as a “religious do-good-er”. George goes to a Bible meeting with Beta which changes his life. These types of Bible meetings were against the law at this time in Prussia and people were known to get arrested at them. The law stated that only a registered Lutheran pastor present could give a sermon. “This was supposed to ensure that only university-trained pastors got to preach, which kept the Bible from being distorted and uneducated peasants from getting strange ideas.” At least, this was what George heard so many times was the reason for keeping the Bible away from the peasants, the commoners.

George was well educated, paid for by his father. When George decided to change schools and become a missionary, the purse-strings of his father were severed. George even told his father that he did not want his money and his father disowned him. His dependence shifted from his earthly father to his heavenly Father.

Without telling you the whole story about George, let me just tell you about the one thing that impressed me most about George Muller. In all his work with orphans and setting up orphanages, he relied on God to provide all their needs. When George announced to the public about the first orphanage in Bristol that he was about to start, he said, “God has told me to start an orphanage. There would be no collections, no asking for money, and no payment required from the children who were taken in.” “Instead, George would rely on God to supply all the needs of the orphans.”

You may think, well it was people who supplied their needs, not God. God works in the hearts of others to give where there is a need. That giving becomes a blessing for the giver as well as for the receiver; there is great joy for both.

You may be wandering why I am bringing all this up. It's because this has been on my mind a lot lately. There are an awful lot of poor people in the world today. I don't see how there can ever be enough good paying jobs for everyone. The only things we ever seem to do about the poor is forget about them, give them things that only help temporarily, or make slaves of them and put more burdens on them.

Why not do something different for a change and learn from these three true stories and probably many other stories, if we will just look for them. Unless something changes from those in control then why not help each other as they tried to do in Jimmy's Hall? Have you ever thought about what it would be like if there was no such thing as money? Those who got together in Jimmy's Hall didn't think about money. They came together to learn from each-other, to talk, to listen, to share meals, to find some joy and meaning in this life.

What we can learn from George Muller is there is nothing too difficult when God is involved. Trust that He will supply all our needs. If whatever you are doing is of God's will then you will learn that He will come through to help; you will learn that you can rely on Him.

Here are some of my most troubling thoughts:

When Hitler and the Nazis came to power in Germany their answer was to create forced labor camps where all the able bodied undesirables went. These were not only the Jews. It included the poor, the homeless (gypsies), the homosexuals, the Blacks, and many others who were deemed not of the purest Aryan race. Many in those forced labor camps died of starvation and many more were eventually moved to the death camps.

We have a new president elect, Donald J. Trump. So far, I am seeing Trump take the same path that Hitler took. Hitler and the Nazis first got rid of those who apposed them. In Hitler's time, there were two other political parties of significant strength, the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party. Their voice in the decision making process was eliminated because a fire that burned down the parliament building was blamed on one and the condition of Germany was blamed on the other.

Look at how our Democratic Party is viewed right now, and the unrest within the Republican Party, our only two political parties. Hitler got the military commanders on his side. Look how many Trump is getting on his team even in positions were it has always been filled by a civilian. There is something about Trump and Putin that bothers me. If Trump and Putin were ever able to bring our two countries together, United States and Russia, we would become the most powerful force in the world. This is all just my feelings and speculation on my part.

If president Donald Trump ever reads this, I ask you, don't do what Hitler did. You have a clean slate right now and you can, with God's help, do something no other has been able to do before. Allow the poor to get out of slavery and protect that process.

I am not saying these things to try and get people mad at those at the top who are in control. Where there is money and power involved I believe that Satan clouds people's minds so all they can see is the power and wealth they will receive. They don't see all the death, the misery, the evil that happens as a result of their control. It not only happens to the greatest among us but it happens all the way down to the least among us. Whenever there is hardships among people, there is someone who will take an unfair advantage of the situation.

If only those who receive orders leading to something that they know is evil could choose to be like Jesus and disobey and forgive. I say forgive because that person may very well die for disobeying and those who kill are either obeying orders or as Jesus said as He was being crucified, “they know not what they do.” The thing is that blood won't be on that persons' hands and the dirty work moves up the chain.

Look at how Satan tempted our Lord Jesus when He began that which He was sent to do. Matthew 4:1-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He [a]then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command His angels concerning You’;

and

‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “[b]On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and [c]worship me.” 10 Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and [d]serve Him only.’” 11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Satan has always wanted to be like God Most High and he will offer anything to anyone who will bow down and worship him.

If you knew that Jesus Christ is returning soon, would you be different? Well, in my studies several years ago I came across scriptures in Revelations (22:16-21) that seemed to me that Jesus Himself talked to me. At the time I felt there was more to it than just telling the churches that Jesus is coming soon. I think this blog is that something more.

Revelation 22:16-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things [a]for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and [b]from the holy city, which are written in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with [c]all. Amen.

If it is true that Jesus Christ is returning soon then God's judgment will also be soon. Everyone both great and small and alive and dead will be judged by their deeds. The Bible describes this judgment as being like someone being stripped naked exposing their shame. God knows the truth about everyone, He even knows our thoughts and the condition of our hearts.