66 Books of the Old and New Testament of the Bible

The bible is 66 books, written by 40 authors, almost 800,000 English words, 2000 years ago, almost translated into every language. When you study the integrity and design of the Bible, you find a singular message. The design and origin of the message is from outside space-time. The [wikipop]Old Testament[/wikipop] include 39 books of the Bible, the first 5 books commonly known as the “[wikipop]Torah[/wikipop]” or “The Law”. Next are the “history books” or the “[wikipop]prophets[/wikipop]“, including Joshua, Judges, Samuels, and Kings. Then the “Writings” include books of Songs, Proverbs, Lamentations, and Chronicles. The New Testaments include 27 books of the bible that begins with the 4 Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The first 3 gospel of Mathew, Mark, and Luke are called the [wikipop]synoptic gospels[/wikipop] because they are very similar in content. The [wikipop]Gospel of John[/wikipop] stands apart from these three both on content and style. The [wikipop]Gnostic Gospels[/wikipop] refers to Gnostic (means knowledge) Collections of writings about the teachings of Jesus were written around the 2nd century AD. These gospels are not accepted or not included in the [wikipop]canon[/wikipop] by the Church as part of the Standard Biblical Canon, but part of what is called the New Testament Apocrypha. Some of them were vigorously suppressed and survive only as fragments. The New Testament [wikipop]Apocrypha[/wikipop] (hidden writings) are a number of writings of the early [wikipop]Christian Church[/wikipop] that claim to give accounts of Jesus’ teachings and his life, nature of God, and/or the teachings of his [wikipop]apostles[/wikipop] and their lives. The books were considered by the church as useful, but not divinely inspired. These writings often have links with those books which are regarded as “Canonical”. Not every [wikipop]Christian Church[/wikipop] agree as to which writings are regarded as “[wikipop]Canonical[/wikipop]” and which are “[wikipop]Apocryphal[/wikipop]“. Following the 4 gospels are the books of “Acts”, “Letters”, and finally “[wikipop]Revelation[/wikipop]“. The Apostle Paul writes nearly half of the [wikipop]New Testament[/wikipop]. People say the bible are from spectators who saw the account and other say that God is the true author who inspired the authors to write the bible.

Septuagint (Greek) or Canon (Hebrew) Scriptures

The [wikipop]Catholic Bible[/wikipop] contains more books than the [wikipop]Protestant Bible[/wikipop] because of events that happen long before Christ. During [wikipop]Babylonian exile[/wikipop] the [wikipop]Hebrew[/wikipop] scattered in the North and some went to the South with their bible manuscript. They lost their native Hebrew language within a few generations, so in order to keep their faith the [wikipop]Jewish scriptures[/wikipop] had to be translated into [wikipop]Greek[/wikipop]. A 100 years before Christ was born, we had the Hebrew scriptures and Greek scriptures of the old testament. Greek wrote additional books that were never translated back to Hebrew. The Greek version of the scriptures was called the [wikipop]Septuagint[/wikipop], which contains more books than the Hebrew version. 80% of quotes the Jesus and apostle made are from Septuagint scriptures of the Greek. The Greek version is more clear and [wikipop]prophetic[/wikipop] than Hebrew version, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. It points much more clearer to Christ than the Hebrew. The Hebrew people saw thousands of people converting to Christianity so they [wikipop]canonize[/wikipop] their Old Testament and said anything written in Greek was not scripture. They picked this rule because the Greek scripture was so clear and people will convert by simply reading them.

In the late 300s and early 400s the Pope and councils of the Church had to find scriptures according to the Septuagint. By the 1500s, [wikipop]Martin Luther[/wikipop] found that the old testament from the Septuagint did not support his “[wikipop]faith alone[/wikipop]” theology, so he used the Hebrew canon scriptures. This is why the protestant bible has fewer books than the Catholic bible. Luther did not entirely remove the books, but put them in the appendix between the Old and New Testament. In 1827, for the first time the [wikipop]protestant[/wikipop] bible was written missing the Septuagint books by the [wikipop]English Bible Society[/wikipop]. Prior to this, the protestant Kings of England would have beheaded any body who published the bible missing any books.

Is the Bible a Reliable Copy of the Original Writings

The [wikipop]ancient manuscripts[/wikipop] written in [wikipop]Hebrew[/wikipop], [wikipop]Aramaic[/wikipop], and [wikipop]Greek[/wikipop] have been copied over the centuries. Before the discovery of the [wikipop]Dead Sea Scrolls[/wikipop], our earliest Hebrew copy of the Old Testament was the [wikipop]Masoretic[/wikipop] text, dating around 800 A.D. The [wikipop]Dead Sea Scrolls[/wikipop] date to the time of Jesus and were copied by the [wikipop]Qumran[/wikipop] community, a [wikipop]Jewish sect[/wikipop] living around the [wikipop]Dead Sea[/wikipop]. When comparing the text that had a 800-1000 year gap, we find 95% of the Old Testament text are identical with only minor variations and a few discrepancies. We have tens of thousands of the New Testament in part or whole, dating from the 2nd century A.D. to the late fifteenth century when the printing press was invented.

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These manuscripts have been found in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Italy; the oldest dated in 125 A.D. called the John Ryland’s manuscript founded in Egypt. Many early [wikipop]Christian papyri[/wikipop] were discovered in 1935 dated to 150 A.D. included the four gospel. The bible has more manuscript evidence for ancient writings than any book copied. There are about 24,000 copies of the New testament, 10 copies of [wikipop]Caesar[/wikipop], 7 copies of [wikipop]Plato[/wikipop], and 643 copies of [wikipop]Homer[/wikipop]. With all the thousands of manuscript evidence you would think there would be massive discrepancies, but the opposite is true. The New Testament manuscripts agree in 99.5% of the text with discrepancies that include spelling and word order. A few words have been changed or added. Most bible include the options as footnotes when there are discrepancies. How could there be such accuracy about 2,000 years ago. There could only be two options: The scribes that did the copying had meticulous methods for checking their copies for errors or the [wikipop]Holy Spirit[/wikipop] made sure we have an accurate copy of God’s word so we can’t be deceived. A sign of God’s power and existence in history that had a great impact on people who copied the text. It is possible to put together the entire New Testament from thousands of early [wikipop]Christian writings[/wikipop] who cited verses from the New Testament in their letters to their family and friends. For example, the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians dated 95 A.D. cites verses from the [wikipop]Gospels[/wikipop], Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Titus, Hebrews, and 1 Peter. The [wikipop]Letters of Ignatius[/wikipop] dated 115 A.D. were written to several churches in Asia Minor and cited verses from Matthew, John, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. These letters indicate that the entire New Testament was write-in the first century A.D. In these writings there was no mention of the destruction of [wikipop]Jerusalem[/wikipop] in 70 A.D. but Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Jesus’ prophecy that the temple and city would be destroyed within that generation. If they had been written after 70 A.D., it is likely that the letters written after 70 A.D. would have mentioned the fulfillment of Jesus’ Prophecy. This amazing number of identical copies shows how God kept his word with great authority throughout history. As Nelson Glueck, former president of the [wikipop]Jewish Theological Seminary[/wikipop] in the [wikipop]Hebrew Union College[/wikipop] of Cincinnati stated, “In my opinion, every book of the New Testament was written between the forties and eighties of the first century A.D.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls of Qumran

The [wikipop]Dead Sea Scrolls[/wikipop] founded by an Arab shepherd boy in search for a lost got in the [wikipop]Caves of Qumran[/wikipop] in 1947. This became a scroll rush like the gold rush. Between 1947-1956, roughly 900 documents were found in eleven caves, including texts from the [wikipop]Hebrew Bible[/wikipop]. These manuscripts are 1000 years older than any Hebrew manuscript found. Written on parchment and papyrus, most of the text are written in Hebrew but there are Greek and [wikipop]Aramaic writings[/wikipop]. 127 of documents represent canonized text like our modern Bible today. Some passages are new and unrecognized to scholar. The scrolls included all the books in the bible except Ester. The [wikipop]Essenes[/wikipop] (healer) are Jewish sects that occupied Qumran. They broke away from [wikipop]Judaism[/wikipop] about a century and a half before the [wikipop]Roman War [/wikipop]against the Jewish. They are probably responsible for hiding the scroll for safe keeping away from Roman destruction. Could it be they were not in agreement with the [wikipop]Jerusalem priest[/wikipop] on fundamental issues? The scrolls said very little about who wrote and hide them. Clay pots with rolls of leather scrolls inside went to [wikipop]Bethlehem[/wikipop] at a shop of a dealer. He took them to the Bishop in Jerusalem and bought 4 of the 7. Sold them in a want ad in the US. and sold them to an Israeli and brought them back to Israel. The scroll (copied) go back to about 200 B.C. but written 100s of years before that.

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Interestingly, Tao Te Ching first chapter coincide with the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Genesis is the foundation of our [wikipop]Faith[/wikipop], the elementary level of our learning. Though, it is difficult for many to believe God created the Heavens and Earth in 6 days and rested on the seventh, it is our Faith we know anything is possible with God. He is the immortal and infinite God (Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is eternal, thus He had no beginning and His existence is everlasting. God is sovereign, thus He is supreme above all. There is no one like Him in works or being. All of His creation put together cannot avert His purposes (Psalm 93:1; 95:3). God is unchanging; his constant and eternal nature is beyond understanding. If God could be understood, defined by naming, or expressed in words, it is not the constant, unchanging, eternal true God. Names did not exist prior to creation. The nameless God is therefore the origin or source of all things, the Heavens and Earth. God can not be understood through the rational mind since our spoken words and written texts are limited. Our tendency to categorize, define, and analyze gives us the limited understating of how God acts upon the world. If we are free from desire and become aware of our wordless communion with nature (God), we may catch a glimpse of God’s divine wisdom.

The Bible, God’s Word, tells us what God is like and what He is not like. Any attempt to explain God’s nature without the authority of the Bible is no better than an opinion, which by itself is often incorrect (Job 42:7). To say we must try to understand God is a huge understatement. Failure to do so can cause us to set up or worship false gods contrary to His will (Exodus 20:3-5). The revelation of God can Only be defined by his own Words in the Bible.

Why did God chose to be nameless? If God was given a name like the false god, many worshipers will begin to believe by chanting his name repeatedly will bring favor. Names are given to the false Gods, manifested in our minds to fulfill our desires. Once anything manifests itself as the physical universe, it can be named. The true and eternal God is nameless.  If God did have a name, how can we express the Nature of God with our own knowledge? Exodus 3:13-15, ¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” ¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “ ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. Rather than identifying himself with a person’s name, God reveals himself as YHWH which means, The One Who Is The Self-Existent One. A God that never changes. His promises never fail. When we are faithless, He is faithful. The professional titles and famous names achieved by one’s own accomplishments in this world are not important to God. Many times titles are used to manipulate people, convey a false sense of power, builds ego, and provides a shield to cover up for our insecurities. We live as One in the body of Christ regardless of our title. Matthew 22:30, ³⁰At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, ¹⁶Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

How did names begin? God gave us the freedom to observe the Mystery of God or the external physical manifestations. Free from desires, we observe the inner wonders and marvels of God. This establishes the connection of our spirit with  God, the vast intelligence of the universal consciousness. The spirit is the invisible and intelligence behind our creativity, emotions, inspirations, intentions, life choices, and intuitive insights. The spirit that guides and endures any experience we go through. However, if we are not guided by the spirit and filled with self-serving desires, we observe the external physical manifestations rather than the inner wonders and marvels of God’s Mystery.  Thus, once the universe came into being, the stage was set for physical manifestation of all things, including human beings. We gain sufficient awareness to observe all things and name them. Everything is derived from it through natural processes, thus the mother of all things. When God brought all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field to see what Adam would name them, it showed that God wanted to please Adam’s desires. God knew the cost of his own son Jesus would be the payment for Adam sins. Adam and Eve’s external manifestation opened their eyes to observe all things, including the good and evil of the world. Instead of living in the mystery of God, Adam and Eve choose to observe the external physical manifestations as their world. Adam named his wife Eve and becomes the “mother of all the living”.

How do we  intercede with the inner wonders (void, oneness, the flow, essence, inner truth) and the external manifestations (cosmos, nature, life, outer appearance) of this ultimate reality? They represent the spiritual realm and material world, respectively. Both worlds emerge from God because He encompasses all, not only spiritually but also the physical universe. The Spirit of God living in us observes the wonders of God (Mystery of God) and the body (flesh) observes the external manifestations. The unity of these two reality gives us an interesting paradox. The inner wonders and external manifestations are distinctively different in nature, with different names, but yet are two sides of the same coin leading to one another. Similarly, the Spirit and soul have different names but is one intangible part of the body. Spirit and soul are the same in the manner they are used but different in reference. The Spirit is man’s vertical view of the world observing the Mystery of God and the soul is man’s horizontal view of the world observing its external manifestations. Both refer to the immaterial part of man but Spirit refers to man’s walk with God and Soul refers to man’s walk with the world, both material and immaterial. Unfortunately, our soul desires the material manifestations, beholding the mere forms of this world identified by our own perceptions. Thus, rather than observing our inner essence of God’s Mystery and Wonders, we desire the external manifestations of the physical world. Matthew 26:41, ⁴¹“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Romans 6:19, ¹⁹I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. Mark 10:18, ¹⁸“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good-except God alone.

Why do we die? After death, will we return to the Wonders and Mystery of God?  When evil entered through Adam and Eve, sin and suffering of mankind spread through the generations. We are not “born in sin and inequity” but born with the “stain” of original, a sin contracted and not committed. God’s plan was to end suffering and wash away our sins by sacrificing his son Jesus as the payment for our sins. Jesus gave up his Spirit on the cross to be closer to us.  The Glory and Spirit of God no longer hovers over the waters, no longer fills the tabernacle, but is now living intimately in you. Believers who are indwelt by his Spirit can observe the Wonders and Mystery of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19, ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; After Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, God placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. We temporary dwell outside the gates of  God’s Kingdom, however the Second Coming of Jesus will deliver us to God in a Kingdom prepared for us since the beginning of time, the Gateway to Wonders. Matthew 25:34 ³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. The first Adam led to death but the second Adam, Jesus, gives eternal life. Romans 5:12-21 (Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ) ¹²Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— ¹³for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. ¹⁴Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. ¹⁵But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁸Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. ¹⁹For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. ²⁰The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is a matter of our Faith we come to Know and Love God. Faith is not a question of scientific theory or historical facts, but a gift we can openly receive from God. Science is the byproduct of our consciousness woven out of our spirit.  It is when we narrow the relationship with God, we become spiritually dead. God love us first as a Father and gave us salvation as a gift through his Son, Jesus. Are you ready to receive him?

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Dualities exist in humans because we came to perceive the world as our own and wish to take control of our destiny. When we are free from desires, we observe the inner wonders and marvels of God. However, if we are filled with desire, we observe the external manifestations of this physical world, rather than its inner essence.  In the story of Adam and Eve, the external manifestation opened their eyes to the world, desiring God’s wisdom, knowing good and evil. The universe is now full of dualities, where one descriptive concept creates its own opposite. God keeps us in balance because he recognizes the relative nature of mankind to live a meaningful life. If there is nothing else to compare against, the task cannot be rated in terms of easy or difficult. Thus, we can only say a task is “Easy” if we are comparing it against another similar task that is “Hard”. Similarly, we can say an object is “Long” if we are comparing it against another similar object that is short. It is the same with people. Absolute good and evil can exist as concepts but will never be found among human beings. Each half of duality cannot exist without the other half. Everything is relative and values have meaning only by comparison.

Everyone is a mixture of varying proportions and no one is one thing. This is true for any metal and non-metal elements found in nature. No element is absolutely pure or free of impurities, though it can come close to 100%, but never quite get there. Our own bodies is a building block of atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. In any element sample there will be trace amounts of other elements simply because the separation of all atomic particles cannot be successfully achieved. The elements themselves can be found in different forms where various radioactive isotopes exist for many elements. Thus elements are combination of different isotopes. In the case Carbon 16 and Carbon 14, which is considered pure? GE made a diamond that is harder than the natural diamonds by eliminating all isotopes except Carbon 16. Does that make Carbon 16 more pure? Therefore, if there are impurities, then what is pure? Does duality exist in God? Lets examine why we may think God is pure.

The bible tells us that God is light. Revelation 21:23, ²³The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. What is light? Scientists identify light having a dual nature as particles and waves. However, light is not made up of particles or waves but is an invisible entity. A wave is not something “is”, but a wave is something “does”. Scientist also identify light consisting of particles but this is what mathematician invoke to model the theory of light. Therefore, we have no idea what light looks like and scientists have given up years ago. This raises the question if the study of light a scientific issue or a philosophical issue. In addition, if God is omnipresent, then light must be connected to every atom. If light is connected to every atom, then light is connected to every human. Einstein theory E = MC2 denotes that if we can travel the speed of light, then time will stop. This is an insight why God can be anywhere without time delay because time is not relative to God. Thus, we can also say all of God’s plans are already finished. Revelation 22:13, ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Scientist know the more we examine an atom, the more complicated it gets as we continue to find smaller subatomic particles within an atom. If we breakdown our bodies, we are a nonphysical energy frequency flowing throughout the earth, all connected to one another. If light had any physical particles or impurities, the properties of light will be felt when you block light with your hand. Light is perhaps the only property to be completely pure. Therefore, the Light of God is absolute and nothing creates its own opposite. Why is our faith important? Judges 13:17-18, ¹⁷Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” ¹⁸He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding. Because our knowledge is limited, Jesus asked us to have faith and follow the spirit of God that is at work within you. Luke 17:6, ⁶He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. John 5:19, ¹⁹Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 1 Corinthians 6:19, ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Now that we identify God’s presence as light, what about his thinking? 1 John 4:8, ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:18, ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. If we know God is perfect in love, there must be no imperfection of his love, relativity, or opposite. God is the pure light and the pure love. Therefore, if the light of God is omnipresent, is not made up of particles and waves, is not relative to time, and is pure, then we can conclude “Light” has no duality. In fact, light is invisible so how do we create its own opposite and how can light be relative to anything. High and low, long and short, front and back, music and tone, difficult and easy are are what God “does” but is not what God “is”. The bible is the only authority to describe who God “is”. Many theologians would say the collective meaning of the whole bible is “Love”, thus God is Love.

Our own desires to observe the external manifestations of this physical world created a duality world of evil and good, high and low, long and short, front and back, music and tone, difficult and easy, light and dark, life and death. The bible calls us to have faith so we can begin discovering a world of mystery, inner essence, living in the light and goodness of God forever. Our faith is not a question of scientific theory and we should not reduce the bible down to a book of historical facts. The bible is the pure love God has for us and the finished work he has already done. Revelation 22:3-5, ³No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

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Discover major events from the beginning of time. Important events of Jesus. When did God create Adam? When did the world flood? When did King David reign? When did Jerusalem fall? How long was the Roman Period? When did evolutionist start becoming part of our culture? When was the first bible written and who wrote it?

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Creationist vs. Evolutionist: It is important to understand the beginning of Creation in the book of Genesis, which is the foundation of our faith. In Genesis, Creationist believe God created the heavens and earth in six 24-hour days and rested on the seventh day. Gap creationist believe the “Gap Theory” but it is not mentioned in the bible. It is an evolutionary speculation that there was a gap of time between two distinct creations in the first and second verses of Genesis, explaining scientific observations, including the age of the Earth. “1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [Gap Theory] 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2) The Gap Theory is the view that God created a complete earth with all animals, including dinosaurs and other creatures we found from the fossil record. Then something happen to destroy the earth completely. Some speculate it was the fall of Satan to earth so that the earth became without form and void. God started all over again, recreating the earth in its paradise form as further described. If something important occurred between verse 1 and verse 2 in Genesis, God would not left us to speculate in ignorance. God would not leave out billions of years and only include a fraction of the total time in the six 24-hour days. Secondly, Genesis 1:31 says God declared His creation to be “Very Good,” which evil could not have enter via Satan’s fall in the gap. Also, if the fossil record is recorded by millions of years in the gap, that means death, disease, and suffering were common many ages before the fall of Adam. However, the Bible tells us that Adam’s sin introduced death, disease, and suffering. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-” (Romans 5:12) Some Bible may also use “a” instead of “the” for the days of creations to support the Gap Theory. If you say, “The second day” it can only be “The” second day if we are using the literal 24-hour days. Therefore, this is the second day of creation and no other day. However, if you say “A second day” the use of “A” can be any day of the year. It doesn’t have to follow the first day, but can be any day of the year.

Some believe the cosmic explosion that marked the beginning of the universe according to the “Big Bang” Theory. This is an attempt to explain the origin of the universe apart from God. Others believe God himself cased the Big Bang. God, in his infinite wisdom and power could have chosen to use the Big Bang method to create the universe, but he did not. In Genesis 1, God created the earth before the sun and stars, however the Big Bang Theory requires it to be the other way around. Also, in Genesis 1, God created the earth, sun, stars, plant and animal life, and mankind in six 24 hour days. The Big Bang Theory requires billion of years. In Genesis 1, God created all matter by his spoken word but the Big Bang Theory begins with matter already in existence never explaining the origin of the matter. In Genesis 1, God breathed life into the body of Adam and he became a perfect living being. The Big Bang Theory requires billions of years of chance. The Big Bang are unproven speculations of the universe from condense heat and matter no bigger than the period on this page. If this was true, who arranged all galaxies, stars, and planets to fit accordingly for our survival? This is impossible to imagine everything happened by chance. If we lose any mass from the universe or should the distance of plants change from the sun, earth will no longer exist. Do you really believe life can exist from an explosion of condense heat and matter? There is no “intelligence” behind this belief.

Evolution is solely on experiment and observation rather than theory. Matter can not make itself out of nothing – the Big Bang. Many research and study has been done and the evolutionary missing link has not been found but are only claims that has been proven false. No new species come from another species, confirming there is no link. We do not come from rocks nor monkeys. There is no explanation to how the first microscopic life form happened to “evolve” from a non-living atom. Scientist use fossil to date rocks and rocks to date fossils. This is circular reasoning and has no foundation when life started billions of years ago. The appendix and tail bone are functional parts in our body are are not vestigial organs. If a bacteria mutates, it is the result of missing links or lost of information in the DNA coding. Evolution is the increase of DNA information to better adapt with the environment, not the lost of DNA. Mutations of genes do not make us stronger and better adapted. Natural selection can not be beneficial under these condition to survive billions of years later. Creation and Evolution are both scary outcomes. If you believe in a Creator, one day you will be judged according to your sins. If you believe in Evolution, than who is watching over us? The earth is moving in space at approximately 66,000 mph, adaptation of the fittest will result in death due to war, and life on earth will end after death. There will be nothing to look forward too.

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Glorifying idols and achievers portrays an image of a superior person, putting them aside for special treatment. Fame, wealth, and power stimulates our mind to compete aggressively among one another to become like somebody else or better than everyone. Whenever we see anything as desirable, a wave ripples throughout society to replace our emptiness with materialistic things, sometimes at the expense of others. God created each person with his/her own fingerprint and special gift, but many self cautious people do not look inside themselves for answers. Instead, they want quick fixes to fame and power. “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

Diamond, gold, platinum, and silver is only desirable if people have a sense of fame and power connected to these metals. Gold has been much more valuable than platinum, but this changed when stores like Tiffany’s and wealthy advertisers gave platinum a new sense of wealth and power. In a sense, it is not a point of “rare goods” but an image of wealth and power we want people to notice. However, this creates more thieves and violent crimes in our cities, stimulating materialistic desires over human value. There is no such thing as a “Get Rich Quick“, “$25,000 in 30 days”, or “Overnight success in 5 minutes”. If these were true, it would not last long. Instead materialistic desires lead us to a trap for the love of money which is a bottomless pit. 1 Timothy 6:6-10, ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Trouble begins when fame and power (godliness) is a means of finical gain which corrupts the mind and heart, robbing us of the truth. We can buy many things, but never have a lasting satisfaction. We can be surrounded with precious jewelry but still feel a profound sense of emptiness. The solution to our fulfillment is not found on the HSN, internet shopping sites, or in the Macy’s catalog. In fact, the treasure that brings true joy is where your heart is. Matthew 6:19-21, ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The treasure of heaven is not a “thing”, it is not something you can purchase, showcase, or parade in front of people. It may not look alluring or desirable because you can not see or touch it. People who do find it may assume it have no value and cast it aside too quickly. They may find it only to let it slip away without taking a second look. Those who know the treasures of heaven, no explanation is necessary; but to those who do not, no explanation will be enough.

God ask us to seek within our hearts for the treasures that will last forever in the Kingdom he prepared for us. Being content is great gain in the eyes of God. This is the true essence of fame and power so people can not manipulate or influence you with their scheme or plot. God comforts us with his love to empty our hearts of desires and weaken our ambitions for fame, power, and materials. If you can not do it, just be still and let God.

Empty and formless, God created the heavens and earth like an empty well streaming with life and never ceases to flow. Hence, if you fill an empty container with water, it will never overflow no matter how much you do it because its capacity has no limits. It will just continue to produce streams of water that never cease to flow. The “emptiness” is not the same as “nothingness”, for the infinite depths of God is the seed of Creation. Thus, there appears to be nothing, and yet God contains everything. God blunts the sharpness, unravels the knots, soften the glare, and mixes the dust to create the heavens and earth. In other words, God separated the light from the darkness, separated the water, formed the sky and dry ground, produced the vegetation, created creatures of the sea and land, and in his own image, he created man and women.

Everywhere you look God is always present, the invisible God who is hidden in our hearts. His Spirit was always near and now living in us. 1 Corinthians 6:19, ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; In the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the waters of the earth, so he can be close to us. God lived beside us when he asked Moses to make a tabernacle with the cherubim to be placed in the sanctuary where God dwelled with the Israelites. Now, God’s spirit lives within us when he sent his only Son in the flesh to be a sacrifice for our sin. Dying on the cross, the curtains of the tabernacle separated and the spirit of God was released to the world. Jesus, the Lord our God lives intimately within us to give us his unfailing Love and carry us through our troubles. The spirit is the element in humanity which gives us the ability to have an intimate relationship with God. Whenever the word “spirit” is used, it refers to the immaterial part of humanity that “connects” with God, who Himself is spirit. John 4:24, ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Colossians 1:17, ¹⁷God is before all things, the creator of the heavens and earth, the beginning and end. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Revelation 22:13, ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

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Listen to the song I co-produced and co-wrote for my book.  Click here to listen The Tao – The Way or use player at the bottom of page. I used several different chapters from my translation of the Tao Te Ching to create this song with my friend who helped me put it all together.  I hope this song will reach the young generation, so they will be interested in knowing God.  Music influence: Beyoncé (Halo), OneRepublic (Apologize), and Leona Lewis (Bleeding Love) with a Christian flare.  You are free to download and copy it to a CD. Share it at your wedding, church, and family gatherings. Please do not sell the song for profit.

Song Lyric

Verse:
You think you know, but you don’t know.
You try to figure out but can’t seem to find it.
Every door that you open seems to close.
Cause you are not looking in the right place… oh yah.

In a world full of dark things.
We try to find the love that brings.
Brings you up and down on your knees.
There is love,
That cannot be taken over,
That can give you all you need.

Chorus
Your love, is never ending
Your love, has no name
Your love, is greater than all
Your love, like water in the rain
Your love, consecrate life
Your love, change to all
Your love, is not just what you have
Your love, no matter who you are
Your love, God the Father
Your love, living in the Son
Your love, here for all to know
Your love, Holy One
Your love, is what I am
Your love, is what I need
Your love, so empty me out
To pour into me

Verse:
Before we knew God,
The right appeared wrong,
The light appeared dark,
And the truth is like a lie and all but gone.
But when we receive,
Our sins are washed away,
By the Blood of Son,
And the night turns to day.
So tell me son, what are you living for?
Don’t you know, you can lose your soul?
So let go, let God, let him save you now, save you now.

The Bill of Rights, the First Ten Amendments

Too much bureaucracy, too many rules and regulations quickly leads to weakness and failure. It is better to maintain tranquility and non-action so we can subject to God’s law that is  impartial. God love righteous and unrighteous. Matthew 5:43-45, ⁴³You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Ephesians 2:3, ¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. So, how can one be more righteous than another, if we are already dead in our transgressions and sins? It is not your righteousness but the grace of God you are saved. Titus 2:11-14, ¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Rather, we should forgive and not judge and condemn others. Luke 6:37, ³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. A dead person cannot make choices and a spiritually dead person most certainly cannot make a choice for God until he has been made a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are at war with God and our sinful mind is hostile to God (Romans 8:7-8). The sinful mind does not submit to God’s law, so God created government to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Romans 12:8). God ask us to submit to governing authorities even when they are are difficult. For there is no authority except that which God has established. Authority figures are God’s servants and rebelling against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, he was under the government of Rome during the reign an evil ruler Nero. Paul still recognized Roman’s Law over him.

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Is the Law of the Land impartial? What if the Law of the Land benefits only the rich and powerful? Is there a time we should disobey the Laws of the Land? ” Acts 5:27-29, ²⁷Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” ²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! This is clear that the Law of the Land must not contradict the Law of God. We are to disobey the Law of the Land and obey God’s law; however we must still accept government’s authority over us. This is demonstrated by Peter and John who did not protest being flogged, but instead rejoiced in the suffering for obeying God. Jesus also humbled himself to the authority of Rome when he was tortured under the ruling power of Pontius Pilate. Before Jesus was crucified, he knew Pontius Pilate only had authority over him because God, the Father gave it to him. John 19:10-11, ¹⁰“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” ¹¹Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” Jesus did not say much or do much because he knew his Father was at work in him.

Our mission as Christians is to share the Gospel of salvation with the world. When people are saved, the Holy Spirit will begin the work in them of changing their lives into conformity with God’s Word (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). Once Christ died on the cross he indwells us in the form of the Holy Spirit giving us a new nature (2 Timothy 1:14). We are no longer slaves to sin, but to righteousness and can make good choices. Governments “enforce” their laws onto their citizens, but this will eventually fail. Changing people on the inside is God’s work through the Holy Spirit. God is interested in saving people’s souls rather than “forcing” people to obey His Laws.

God must be understood through faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). We must remain faithful and know with God all things are possible. Too many words without knowledge of God’s law leads to failure. It cannot compare to keeping quiet. The Law of the Land should parallel with God’s Law in everyway possible. James 1:26-27, ²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. And if we don’t like the Law of the Land, it is better to keep still and let God. Psalm 37:7, ⁷Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes .

Thank you for visiting SpiritualCycle.com. I hope this site bring great joy into your life.