Biblical Numerics

Numbers have a great significance in the Bible. Many preachers and many teachers of the Bible fail to notice God's use of numbers or just do not bother to teach this truth. Because the significance of numbers in the Bible has been ignored by the church, Satan has claimed authority in the use of numbers with his own twisted, distorted, counterfeit use of number and ensnaring many people into believing in a false Numerology. Because numerology is more associated with the occult and psychics, the church has thrown the baby out with the bath water and completely turned away from the significance of God's use of numbers. I will talk about numbers and how they relate to the Bible. With anything we use or come into contact with in our lives; God should always remain our number one and complete source of our faith and trust.

ONE: It is the perfect symbol of unity. The number one is what we call the ordinal number of primacy. God is in the prime position also. He rules, he reigns, and he has all power. God is made up of no other number. Every other number is made up of one (it is in every other number), the number one needs nothing else to make it complete just like God does not need anything else to make him complete.

TWO: The first number we come to that can be divided, it represents division or difference or the second witness; second opinion or another point of view. On the second day of creation, the waters were divided from the waters by the firmament (division) It speaks of differences, i.e. heaven and hell, good and evil, life and death, saints and sinners.

THREE: In the Bible 3 is always the number of divine manifestation = The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The 3 basic attributes of God- He is omniscient (all knowing) omnipresent (everywhere present), omnipotent (all powerful). Time is divided into 3 parts = past, present, and future. All of creation reflects Triune nature of God. He created 3 kingdoms of matter = animal, vegetable, mineral. Three forms in which matter exists = solid, liquid, and gas. Three things that last forever = faith, hope, and love.

FOUR: is always the world number. It is the number that speaks to the international scene. In our physical world there are 4 directions = north, south, east, and west. There are 4 seasons = spring, summer, fall, and winter. In Genesis 2:10 there are 4 heads of the river coming out of the Garden of Eden and symbolically heading towards the ends of the earth.

FIVE: Is always the number of grace. In Exodus 13:18 it tells us the children of Israel came out of Egypt "harnessed." Actually, in Hebrew (the language the Old Testament was written in) says that they came out "ranked in fives." They came out in fives because it was the grace of God that delivered them from Egypt. David chose 5 smooth stones to defeat Goliath. God has a five fold ministry = apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers (Ephesians 4:7-11). The Tabernacle was a picture of the grace of God. The Holy Anointing Oil used to anoint the Tabernacle had 5 components = myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calmus, cassia, and olive oil (Exodus 30:23-24).

SIX: Is the number of man. Man was created on the sixth day. Six is short of seven which we will see represents perfection. So man is forever incomplete until he meets Christ and becomes complete in him. In Revelation the number 666 is speaking of the satanic trinity = the devil, the anti-Christ, and the false prophet. In Genesis 18 Abraham asks the Lord 6 times to spare the city of Sodom. NOTE when man(6) asks or seeks help from man(6) instead of God in effect leaning on the arm of flesh: 6x6=36. If you add all the numbers 1 through 36, that is the totality of man's help, and you get 666.

SEVEN: Is always the number of perfection or completion. The creative week was completed in 7 days. There are 7 last sayings as Jesus completing his work on the cross. Jesus performed 7 miracles during his ministry. In revelation, which is the story of the completion of God's plan, there are 7 messages to the churches- 7 seals- 7 trumpets- 7 vials, 7- judgments.

EIGHT: is always the number of new beginnings. Noah's ark carried 8 people through the flood to a new beginning. Males in Israel were circumcised on the 8th day- symbolic of a new covenant, a new relationship with God. When Jesus revealed himself in a new way on the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke says it was 8 days after he had told his disciples he was the Messiah and had spoken of his death.

TEN: It is the number of human responsibility. There were 10 plagues in Egypt. There were 10 virgins who represent our responsibility, our purpose to the kingdom of God. Man has 10 fingers representing our work for God and 10 toes in order to walk with God.

TWELVE: Is the number of divine government. There were 12 patriarchs, 12 tribes, 12 judges of Israel. There were 12 Apsotles. There were 12 legions of angels (at least) that Jesus could have called upon - speaking of God's authority and rulership. The New Jerusalem - the seat of God's kingdom will have 12 foundations, 12 gates, 12 pearls, and is 12,000 furlongs in length, breadth, and height.
***Leslie Hale**

When you are reading the Bible or studying on your own, look for these numbers and see do they have any significance to what you are reading. I found that the knowledge of these numbers help me to see that God is not random as most people believe. Every thing he does and says has purpose if not at that particular instant than for a particular time to come.

In my family the number 3 plays an important part in our lives. When I see the number three represented at least 2 times I pause and pay attention. If the number three comes up three times, I know God wants my attention. I have 3 daughters all born the 3rd month of the year all with a representation of 3 in the day of the month. I fast for three days to see manifestation of God in my life or to receive clarity or conformation of a direction. I met a man and he said the number 3 at least 3 times and I am waiting on God to show me what I need to know or do with this particular person. Me and my daughters are getting the number three tattoo soon because it represents our family unit so well and always make us reflect on the will of God and the role Jesus and the Holy Spirit has played in our lives.

 Numerology is a tool useful in your walk with God also for growth and maturity in the word. Do not become a worshiper of numerology, but know all things are created and used by God for purpose.

A Gift For The Spirit

Well, If you have been reading my blog for any legnth of time you are well aware that many of my posts were excerpts from an upcoming book. But what you don't know is...........

POW! POW! HERE IT IS!!!!!!!




I could not be any more pleased with the way the book has turned out. DON'T JUMP THE GUN YET. This is only a proof getting it's final proofreading.

The book will not be available for sale until October 2010 for $16.95 on Amazon.com and Banrnes & Noble.com. But if you do not care for purchasing items online, then by all means go to your local Books A Million and request they order it for you. There is no extra charge for you requesting the store to carry a book you are interested in purchasing that they do not have in stock.

I labled this post as a gift for the spirit because that is exactly the reasoning behind me writing this book. It is not just a book, but a family legacy for the women in your family. This will be that one gift you can buy for that woman in your life that you love and wish all the goodness in the world that God has for her. Be it your mother, sister, neice, daughter, or best friend, this book will be a gift for the spirit.

I know many of you have enjoyed my posts regarding Eve, but they were only a taste of what you will read in the actual book. If your appetite has been whetted by any of the posts on Paul, women in Christian history, or how women have been treated in the early church and now - then this is a must have book for you.

I am like a proud momma, showing off baby pictures to anyone she can corner. But this has truly been a labor of love and I hope many readers; male and female will benefit from my work.

I HAVE A DREAM August 28, 2010

Everone is talking about August 28, 2010 when Glen Beck and Sarah Palin will hold a Tea Party event in the exact spot Marin Luther King gave his "I Have A Dream Speech." King had a vision of peace between minorities and majorities, the rich and the poor.

The television cable stations will cover this event with their own spin. But one thing does not need spinning; Martin Luther King's speech. It will resonate for centuries to come, because it was a cry of God. King could not stand by and watch his brother suffer in any way shape or form because of their gender, race, disability, or economic situation. I AM FREE TO VOTE BECAUSE OF HIS SACRAFICE FOR JUSTICE.

Some people are upset about the event planned for that day. Why. No one can rewrite history, it has been penned and attested to. Christians faced a similar dillema years ago. There was a group of pagan worshipers who had turned to Christianity but held on to a pagan celebration that had just been a part of their tradition. Seeing how difficult it was to break this tradition, the Christians decided to overlay the pagan holiday with a Christian celebration to deminish the significance of the celebration. The pagans got to keep their pagan celebration and Christians could point to the new holiday as a Christian holiday. Eventually, as generations continued, they forgot the pagan entity celebrated and celebrated the heralded Christian celebration. The date the Christian church turned from pagan to Christian: December 25th the birth date of Jesus. Is Glen Beck trying to overlay Dr. King's speech with the Tea Party Movement? If so, it will never work. I pray the day will be peaceful and a manifestation of King's dream where people of all races are joined shoulder to shoulder for a common purpose. I hope to see a sea of white, black, yellow, brown and red celebrating the liberties of American. Is this the plan?

Below is a refresher to help us to remember Martin Luther King.

In the book "Judgment Days" the author writes about the 1960’s, a time of social and political turbulence. CHANGE was being demanded from those faced with the indignities of being denied the right to vote, to eat in restaurants, to use public restrooms, to hold a job, and to choose a dwelling place and not be judged on the color of their skin, origin of ancestry, or gender.

The cry for CHANGE demanded a leader able to organize and represent the people. A Baptist preacher trained in philosophy and theology would be the one to answer the people’s cry. Martin Luther King Jr. would come to symbolize a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love. His wise choice of true pacifism was met with resistance, but when scenes were shown on national television of black protestors kneeling, praying, and singing while whites yelled, spat, and threw objects or beat them, the civil rights movement gained sympathy and support from fair-minded citizens across the country.

King knew the movement of the masses was about more than one man-one person. It was a protest of the people who were tired of their rights being trampled. He knew injustice anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere.

An August 28th march, organized by King, of 200,000 Americans in Washington, D.C. was the backdrop for King’s famous I have A Dream speech. This is the same march that would inspire the legendary composer and singer Sam Cook to write A Change Is Coming. This song would be played for over a week following the election of America’s first African American President elect, Barack Obama.

King pressed forward when opposition leaders said “You are moving too fast” or when relatively moderate local white clergy called his protests “unwise” and “untimely.” His reply: “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say ‘Wait.’” This is the same sentiment argued when then Senator Barack Obama decided to run for president. King addressed a question posed to the movement, “When will you be satisfied?” in his I Have A Dream speech he answered: “…not until America is a nation where all citizens could come together in a society of equal opportunity in which differences of race, religion, national origin and region were no longer barriers to brotherhood and peace.”

King lived to see the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act passed. He believed both Acts would establish a solid basis of legal equality for Black Americans, but more needed to be done. His civil rights goals evolved into class and economic issues. He was trying to put together a populist coalition in which poor blacks, whites, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans could seek to transform the economy. This populist coalition would address the problems of unemployment, inadequate education, job training, housing, and health care; problems reminiscent of today and challenges facing President Obama. Martin Luther King did not live to see such an America.

It is clear the Civil Rights Movement led by King, demanded by the masses, directly influenced and inspired future protests against the Vietnam War, equal rights for women and older workers, rights for the handicapped, and the struggle overseas for human rights. Before his death King prophetically claimed he had been to the mountain top- he had seen the promised land.

His service and sacrifice of life must continue to inspire the masses to work toward the dream of ‘Justice for all’ whether they are able to live to see it come to pass or not. The people’s cry for CHANGE, echoes on, always waiting for a symbolic leader to answer. The attack is on ignorance, discrimination, poverty, and disease; not on a particular people.

BLACK FEET
by Dorothy Guyton

Move fast little black feet Master needs a drink
He awaits the arrival of the cold well water
Keep your black feet moving no time to rest or think
Aunt Suckie is chopping cotton; so is your six year old daughter

Move fast black feet to quickly birth your slave baby
One day in bed a luxury; back to work back to history
Recuperation denied; a gift from God to only gentility.
With coarse matted hair and dark brown skin you be no lady.

Move fast black feet the hounds are on your scent
Keep pushing on to the promised land where you can be
A free black person no longer for sale or rent
A place where big noses and lips are treated with humanity.

Move fast black feet stand in line to protest
Your right to be counted to vote for president
Still learning to read and spell to speak eloquent
Rising each day free to give and do your best.

Move fast black feet its time to go to college
To sit where science, history, and math are being taught
To enter into that new Garden of Eden; price paid for knowledge
Through blood shed and tears it was earned and bravely fought.

Move fast black feet the bullets are whizzing by
Innocent life struck down on streets by thugs
In darkness they hide to conceal their identity their mugs
Black feet survived so much to live forget and now die

Move fast black feet to remind our people of the past
To tell them freedom is flighty and doesn’t always last
To remember black feet toiled once upon a time
For stripes upon the back and for sale for not a crime

Move fast black feet to the picket lines once again
Raise voices and hands that loudly ask can you see me
We all have fought to live and to forever live life free
For every ethnicity of people who ever claimed to be human

Move fast black feet for while all of you slept
Jim Crow’s Law came back into today it stealthily crept
Nappy hair, monkey brains is the story now being told
Back to the bidder’s block, Look! A negro is being sold.

Amazon Women Warriors and their contribution to Christianity

Excerpt from soon to be released "When Will Eve Be Forgiven?"


During the time of Paul's ministry there was a strong dominant female influence in the nation. Women were not seen as weak, but as embodying what gave life and salvation. This influenced how Paul would evangelize the people of Ephesus.

Why would Paul write to Timothy who was in Ephesus at the time: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But woman will be saved through childbearing---if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with prosperity.” I want to examine this passage paying close attention to what was occurring in Ephesus at the time Paul wrote to Timothy: goddess worship.

It seems Paul wanted the masses to understand how a man and especially a woman could find salvation. In the Young’s Liberal Translation, New Century Version, New International Version, 21st Century King James Version, English Standard Version, and the Amplified Bible, the word “saved” is used in verse 15 of each Bible for this passage. The Darby Translation of the Bible uses the word “preserved” in the place of the word “saved.” The Message Bible elaborates more on the word “saved” in verse 15 with this sentence, “But this salvation only comes to those who continue …” What was happening during this time of Paul’s missionary journey making it important for him to emphasize the role of women in the church and daily living?

Ephesus had a long history of goddesss worship when Christianity arrived in about A.D. 51. For 1000 years, goddess worship dominated the region with many cults loyal to female ‘gods’. Ephesus began as a tree shrine by traveling Amazons, the beginning of goddess worship.

Amazons, a tribe of female warriors, are credited with founding Ephesus. These warrior women first lived in Caucasus and Asia Minor and were the founders of the city Themiscyra. They were governed by a Queen. Men were permitted in their presence only once a year to perpetuate their race. All new born sons were killed. It is reported that their right breast were burned off so they could better handle their bows and arrows.

Trees in general, as well as the world of trees, belonged to Artemis with the latter being the source of unborn souls. It was believed the fruit of the Tree of Life could give, depending on how it was obtained and when it was eaten, eternal life, great wisdom, or help during labor. Artemis was worshipped as a tree goddess.
Eternal life in early civilization, did not mean immortality, but rebirth; the continuing survival of the soul. Diana means Artemis in Greek and she was the illegitimate daughter of Leto and Zeus, a twin sister of Apollo. The Greek goddess Diana is depicted as a huntress with a bow and arrow usually in her hand. Even though there is some blending of the two goddesses, Artemis of Ephesus had a different depiction and attributes that the people of Ephesus worshipped her for.

The Amazons adored Artemis as a protector and leader. Artemis’ tree priestesses at Ephesus served under her title of Opis, meaning silent or awful. Virginity was strongly emphasized in the temple of Aremis. The only people allowed to enter the temple were men and women that were virgins. Married or sexually active women were excluded and could face death if they were not virgins. Artemis, especially when associated with Ephesus, is also defined as the destroyer, death bringer, and the guide between worlds and lives.

Her temple was more than just a religious shrine. It was the source of immense civic pride, an assurance of protection, a secure bank, a treasure trove of priceless artwork, and the center of the city’s thriving economy. The temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the World alongside the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassusos, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. At the temple, the goddess was commonly known as Cybele, Mother of all Creatures, Lady of the Beasts, Artemis of the First Throne, Queen of the Cosmos, Lord, Saviour, heavenly Goddess, and Greatest and Holiest. Her pine cone tipped wand represented her motherhood. Just as she brought all life into the world, she took it back into herself in death. A firm belief developed that Artemis and Cybele were the same goddess. The people just had different understandings of her.

Artemis was worshipped throughout the area. She had centers in Italy that were considered holy groves. A festival at her main Roman temple in Aventin, was held on August 13. On the Island of Kythera, Artemis of Ephesus was worshipped. Her connection to sex and reproduction was directly acknowledged. Celtic hunters paid a fine for each animal taken into a communal fund and used to purchase a sacrifice to Artemis each year.

There is no record of Christianity in Ephesus before the arrival of Paul and his companions in about AD 51. Late in his life, Paul had made several curious references to myths and women in his letter to Timothy in Ephesus as in: 1Timothy 1:3, 4:7 and 2:13-14. Jewish stories of Adam and Eve had apparently merged with the mother-goddess myths so that Eve had become a mother-goddess. For that cult, all life issued from the mother-goddess, so they would naturally claim that Eve preceded Adam. Furthermore, wisdom came from the mother-goddess, so the revisionist version of creation would need to have Adam deceived by the serpent. This can be the reasoning behind Paul’s inclusion of how the woman was deceived by the serpent and the position of man as being before the woman and a position of strength and authority. Paul wanted to clear up any false teachings regarding the Christian creation account.

The disturbance over Diana (Artemis) is one of the most prominent stories in the book of Acts (Acts 19:23-41). There were 33 temples in the Greco-Roman world where Diana was worshipped. For over 1000 years, Diana with her temple provided a focal point for rich religious, economic, and cultural life of her worshippers. The temple was the center of drama and worship. Craftmen and silversmiths at Ephesus made their living crafting idols and statuettes to be sold to pilgrims and tourists coming to worship Diana. Demitrius, a leading silversmith preached, “the sanctuary of the great goddess Diana will cease to command respect; and then it will not be very long before she who is worshipped by all of Asia and the civilized world is brought down from her divine pre-eminence.”

She represented not only fertility, but resurrection in the shape of new birth, the eternal return of life to earth and, can be found in a number of early carvings such as the “Tree of Life.” Paul would have had to combat this idea of divinity in giving birth by the women in Ephesus and to make sure that childbirth was seen as a part of the Christian’s worship to God.

Not only was Artemis the guardian deity of Ephesus, she also figured as savior goddess in inscriptions. Inscriptions with “Artemis Savior” appears twice in Attica, once in Peloponnesos, three times in central Greece, once in Northern Greece, seven times at the Aegean Islands, including Crete, three times in Asia Minor, and three times in the broad area of Egypt, Nubia, and Cyrenaica.

Her cult idol (depiction) can be described as a person holding a staff with an elongated body with legs bond together in a mummy like fashion. The upper half of the front torso covered with protuberances resembling human breasts. There is some debate as to whether the protuberances are actually breasts, eggs, or the testicles of the bulls sacrificed to the goddess. The testicles affixed to the goddess, according to modern scholars, as a way of renewing her strength so that she might better assist her worshippers. This may be one of the reasons she is referred to as “many breasted Artemis.”

On her neck she wears a necklace of acorns. The oak tree was sacred to her and on her breastplate appears the signs of the zodiac. Because she was closely associated with death and the underworld, she became associated also with magic and astrology, thus the zodiac on her breastplate. A high crown tops her head with the turrets of the city of Ephesus. The lunar crescent became a symbol of virginity and adorns the brow of the Greek Artemis and Roman Diana because the ancient month was determined by the interval between one new moon and the next. This same interval also marks a certain recurring event in a woman, menses.

Her skirt is decorated with rows of animals, an indication of fertility. On the sides are bees adorned with crowns and wings symbolizing the actual insects and priestesses. The use of bees is due to the fact that Artemis her self was known as the “Queen Bee” and her castrated priests were called “drones.” The first idol of Artemis was carved out of wood and set in an oak tree at Ephesus by the Amazons. There are three marble copies of the cult statue that once stood in the temple on display in the Ephesus Museum. One of the statues is called Beautiful Artemis and it is from the first century AD. A second statue is called Great Artemis and it is from the second century AD.

By understanding the history of Ephesus, one can understand the need to combat the worship of Artemis as the one who can save and protect women. Paul would have had the daunting task of introducing Jesus as the savior of all people, man and woman. Artemis was the goddess women turned to for protection and assistance with fertility issues and childbirth. There would also be the women who would want to remain perpetual virgins so they could have access to her temple without the fear or penalty of death. Replacing a female goddess, a stable source of revenue, would also be a challenge for Paul and his endeavor to spread the gospel. So Paul’s battle was with a dominant female goddess and not with women at large.

Brainwashing Rant

Today, after listening to AFR (American Family Radio), I heard for the hundredth time a standard Christian view which irritates me to no end. The statement:
COLLEGE BRAINWASHING OUR KIDS

The reason this statement came up was due to a poll that was taken showing that people with college education tend to view President Obama more favorably and people with a highschool or lower education tended to not favor President Obama. The radio hosts stated this was not because those with a higher education were smarter than the other group, but that they had gone to college (any and all colleges) where the professors have secular/liberal beliefs. These professors then in turn have 4-6 years to indoctrinate the kids to think liberally like them. In essence, most people with higher education are brainwashed by secular society.

I FOUND THIS CHAIN OF THOUGHT TO BE RIDICULOUS AND INANE.

If I am not mistaken, most parents have 18 years to rear their child before they send them off to begin their life. How can 18 years of guidance be tossed to the wind so easily? How does a child, who clearly understands their family's values decide to throw them all away because a stranger has presented opposing (according to Christians)mores and concepts?

And really, are Christian parents actually suggesting that their kids are suceptable to every new person they encounter? If their children are so easily swayed then why do they let them go out into the world? They may be persuaded to do or be anything. It is almost as if Christian parents believe Christian children have a brain of mush and whatever they come into contact with they will believe it without questioning it or thinking about whether it is true or not. CAN YOUR CHILDREN THINK FOR THEMSELVES OR NOT? CAN THEY CHOOSE RIGHT FROM WRONG WITHOUT YOU TELLING THEM? It seems by the complaining that colleges brainwash Christian children, they can't. OR CAN THEY????

Story time.

My oldest daughter who is 26 and a professional has met and made friends with dozens of people of different ethnicities. One of her male friends, who declares he is a Christian, came to her one day and said: "Yesterday when we were in a group, I was going to make a remark about _________ (who was of Hindu descent), but I realized if I said something racist about her it would have more than likely offended you or at least made you think I would talk about you in the same way; so I did not say it" With that he walked away.

My daughter said something interesting. Her friend came from a rather elitest background. A family of well educated parents, grand parents and siblings. He went to the private academies and private colleges. His fish bowl was made up of like people. It was while persuing his career goals he had been exposed to other ethnicities on a consistent basis and thus befriending my daughter. This is the profound revelation my daughter came away with: as you branch out into life around people unlike you, you find that they are just like you and once you make friends with one person that is different than yourself, it begins to change your actions which in turn influences how you treat all people-across the board- that are different from your self. Your fishbowl gradually turns into a pond, lake, and finally an ocean.

So maybe, when Christian parents control the enviroment in which their kids are reared, limiting exposures to the bare minimum for recognition sake; they are presenting the ONLY thing the child can believe or adhere to. Once the Christian child has freedom of choice and exposure, then they recognize what they once was told was not exceptable did not attack, kill, mame, or hate them (remember most Christians say they are persecuted in the world and when this does not actually happen the child may start to believe their parents were not being completly truthful with them which causes bitterness on the kids part).

A person's religion has to be their own. I can not make or insist that my children be a Christian. They can go through the motions to satisfy me, but what good does that do me. It may make me look feel better, look better to my friends and the church but it has not accomplished anything for God. I never cracked the whip on my kids. I told them about God, talked about Christianity daily; but I always let them know they had free will to choose to be a Christian or not and the consequences of both. We discussed the Creation debate and that they were the one to decide which one they believed. I did not create an alternate reality for them because I wanted them to always be prepared and able to live in the world, like all of us have to do eventually.

I raised my kids with the full knowledge that God created them to have free will. As long as they were alive they could choose evil or good and that their life choices were between them and God.I could not be the overseer or salvation of their souls.

College is not for brainwashing. There is no torture room where they are stripping your child of all they once knew replacing it with satan's message. If it were so, no one would send their kids to college. STOP BLAMING COLLEGE. Face the real issue. You have always heard you cannot change people; only the way you react to them. Women have been forever warned don't get married and think you can change him. Change doesn't come easy as evidenced by the turmoil our country is going through. People change because they want to change.

It is like people believing the only way we could ever have a black president is because we are living in the end times or because he is the antiChrist, or at least his hand maiden. This is said over and over. Those who want to believe it believe it. Those who do not believe it has to be the end of the world for a black president to be elected don't. I have heard the one about college and the president enough to be brainwashed, but I am not.

This is the end of my rant. I know rants usually tick someone off in one way or another. But I wrote these things because I was ticked off. Misery loves company.

In the end if you believe colleges are brainwahing Christian children then prepare them for it. Don't send them out to be sheeps for the wolves. Talk with them about this concern. Talk to them about the entire college experience before they go and while they are in college. Believe it or not, there is more than you who can teach your child something for their betterment.

P.S. I have been to college and never stopped believing in God and the Creation account in Genesis or any other part of the Bible. Science is not an enemy of Christianity, nor Philosophy. Not being grounded in God with a personal relationship with Him is the enemy.

Sex with eyes wide open

From my soon to be released book "When Will Eve BE Forgiven?"

In studying the fall of man I have asked myself many questions. One question in particular was WHAT DID GOD MEAN THEIR EYES WOULD BE OPENED IF THEY ATE FROM THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL?

In most cases we just focus on the fact that Adam and Eve were disobedient. They did what they were commanded not to do. Then immediately we turn to their punishment. But hold on. They ate of the tree; so what enlightenment did they now possess?

Let's start with the punishment. He started at the most guilty and continued to the least guilty: serpent-Eve-Adam. Let us start with Eve.

God goes on to explain at this point and time, the woman’s desires will be for her husband and he will rule over her. In Genesis 1:26, God had given man rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground. Eve had not yet been created and it was not unit after they ate of the fruit of the tree (Genesis 3) that Adam’s and Eve’s relationship changed. The woman and man lost equality in the garden.

When Adam was put in charge in Genesis 1:26 the words "rule" and "dominion" were used. In the account of the fall, the woman’s desire changed and Adam would have rule over her. The word “desire” is used three times in the Bible. It is a Hebrew word t’shuwqah (tesh-oo-kaw) meaning in the original sense of stretching out after; a longing: desire. This is the appropriate time to point out that there had been no sex in the Garden of Eden up until this time. We hear about sex in Genesis 4. Genesis 4:1 begins with: “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.” In verse 15, we see that Cain lies with his wife and the Bible continues on with generation after generation.

My children enjoy me comparing the animal kingdom in this respect to the human species. Indulge me for a moment without labeling me as a heretic. In the animal kingdom it is the male who must put on a show to get the female’s attention in the mating ritual. The beautiful male peacock has vibrant colors to attract and lure the female peacock. He struts around proudly displaying his beauty and arrogance. In the animal kingdom, the male must put forth the effort of courtship demonstrating his acceptability with his intended mate.

Now look at the human race. It is the female who does the dance in regards to the mating ritual with the male in the human species. She uses her body, clothing, makeup, and now cosmetic surgery to lure and entice her intended mate. This switch in the rules of attraction is a great example, possibly, of how Eve’s desires are now for the husband.

In the Baker Theological Dictionary the word “desire” covers a wide range of human wants, emotions, and cravings:
“It can describe natural desires, which include hunger for food, sexual longings, and desire for God. It can also describe unnatural desires or cravings, which include such things as greed and lust. Most of the time they are ascribed to man, and these desires come under the scrutiny of God… One final word of importance is the root shwq and its derivative tesuqa. It is translated as “desire” or “longing.” This term is found only three times in the Old Testament: Genesis 3:16, 4:7, and Song of Solomon 7:10. In Genesis 3:16 the term is negative in nature, occurring in a context of sin and judgment.”

So, there is no sexual activity going on at first in the creation account until chapter 4. We know that the enlightenment that the tree would give could not be that they would be able to understand things better because God gave Adam a command and he was able to understand it in Gen. 2:16-17. Adam could already think and speak as evidenced by him naming all of the animals in Gen. 2:20. And the Bible tells us specifically that Adam and Eve lived together naked and without shame in Gen. 2:25.

So what good and evil would Adam and Eve become aware of from eating from the tree?

Chapter 3 answers this question. Gen. 3:7 states after they both ate of the tree they noticed they were naked. Later they would hide from God out of fear, because they were naked Gen. 3:10. Finally God asked them who told you you were naked and then God himself made them coats of skin and clothed them Gen. 3:20. It was after this their individual punishment was given and we hear about sex in the following chapter.

My conclusion is simple. The knowledge that was obtained from eating of the forbidden tree was the knowledge of sex. While discussing this new found revelation of mine with my daughters; I wondered out loud why would God not want us to have knowledge of sex? In Genesis 1:28 God told them to be fruitful and multiply. The command not to eat from the tree came after he told them to be fruitful and multiply.

Genesis 2:8 singles out the Garden of Eden and this is where the two trees were located: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Are we to assume there is a distinction between procreation and having sex when one desire's?

Back to the animal kingdom. Animals do not have sex by on demand and by choice. A female comes into heat at the appropriate time, then she is fertile and then she can conceive. Humans on the other hand can choose when to have sex and the woman does not have to be fertile. So, is this the eye opening thing that was learned from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Later God would expel and seal off the Garden of Eden to keep the humans from eating from the tree of life "And the Lord God said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now lest he put forth his hand, and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever (Gen. 3:22)"

Adam and Eve had the power to create life at their will, unlike all of the other plant and animal life. They could decide when to create life or not to create life, a power that only God had. Of course the miracle of conception and birth still demonstrates the power and majesty of God, but the humans could now decide to create life when they wanted to as well.

Of course this may not be the true outcome of eating from the forbidden tree. But I do know it has something to do with sex. For centuries the church has counted sex as something dark and sinful and I know from reading Scripture that God did not say the sexual act was bad. Out of the context of marriage it was a sin. And we see that God intended for humans to procreate which needed sex to occur. So the knowledge of sex in itself was not the evil of the world.

We may never know what Adam and Eve came to know. But the serpent already existed so there was already evil on earth; thus they did not unleash evil with their disobedience.

A Win for women ministers

Found this article and decided to share it.

28 June 2010
A Win for Women's Ordination
By Keith Lockhart
in GC2010 General Conference Session

The main topic up for debate this morning was the ordination of deaconesses. The issue of the ordination of female pastors having been kept off the conference agenda, this discussion was designed to provide a less controversial way of advancing women in the church.

The delegates took full advantage, approving changes to the Church Manual that went farther than the platform expected. At issue was a proposed new section of the manual that gave divisions the option of ordaining deaconesses if they wished.
But that proposal was rejected and instead delegates voted for amended wording that simply said that when local church officers are elected a “service should take place for ordination for deacons and deaconesses.”

Speaking to SPECTRUM, today's chairman of the General Conference Session floor Vice President Lowell Cooper said that the delegates voted effectively to regularize the ordination of deaconesses worldwide, which was more radical than anticipated. “They went further than was recommended in the original motion and I did find that surprising,” he said.

As might be expected, the debate on the floor ranged far and wide, with many suggesting that the measure was a slippery slope toward the ordination of women ministers. But on this occasion the fearful argument for the extreme failed to gain traction. The delegates were intent on going as far as they could today.
The applause on the floor when the amended motion was won was the loudest thus far at the General Conference Session. It gave a sense that the leadership could win the vote for women’s ordination if they really wanted.

Comment:
Why does anyone need ordaining? Are you against this pastor in China (see today's Spectrum news of G.C.) who pastors the largest SDA church in the world and she and her fellow female pastors have been ordained. Ordination means a different status, extra pay and allowances: IOW, equal pay=equal work. Are you against women receiving equal pay and recognition for equal work?

If you check the minutes and news of over 100 years of the General Conference in session you will see that in 188l women's ordination was voted. What has happened in the ensuing 100+ years? This was before any "feminist movement."

If God created man and woman equal, and Paul declares the same, what man do you wish to submit to in your spiritual discernment? We are equal and responsible before God. We can ride no man's coattails into the kingdom.

DREADLOCK interviews still needed for book

Hello fellow dread wearers.

I am still working hard on my book "Don't Dread Dreads: The People Speak." Help me to get the word out for those who may be willing to participate by answering a few simple questions sharing their decision and journey to wear dreads.

By sharing your story, and hopefully a picture if you like, you will be part of something that will last forever in print. You will also be helping people to understand the hairstyle and its wearers better. Sharing is caring.

You can e-mail me (rizerfall@yahoo.com PLEASE put HAIR in subject line) with your questions and concerns and also if you need more information on exactly what type of book my book will be. If you know people of different ethnicities with dreadlocks, please tell them about this project.

I am thanking you all in advance for your support, help, and encouragement.

Christian women on the battlefield

As most of my followers know by now, I am a veteran of the Army. I ran across a facebook page for women who have served in the Army. Most of the friends of the group were women who served in the military in the middle sixties and seventies. They were sharing stories of how women were once not accepted into the Armed Forces, what they actually did while in uniform, and how things have changed since they first donned their uniforms.

I served during the nineties and it was more acceptable to see women with weapons. I served in a field that was predominantly male. I worked on the tanks setting the crossfire on the lenses of the weapons attached to the canon to fire accurately hitting its target. My job is what is considered a frontline occupation. I was the one who kept the canons hitting targets and not causing collateral damage.

There were many men and women who did not like me in a heavy artillary job position. Women thought of me as manly and men thought of me as a incompetent woman. For about five months I received stares and off the cuff comements.

On my first trip to the field, where we simulated tactical battle maneuvers, the men operating the tanks refused to fire because I had worked on their tanks and they were afraid of not only missing the designated targets set up hundreds of miles away, but that my work would be so off until they may accidently hit a nearby village in the German communities.

Needless to say, this stance caused big trouble. A three star general came to the field to inquire why the tanks were refusing to do the training exercise. The men explained their anxiety. The general summoned me, my co-worker (who was the only other female in which worked with me [2 women and hundreds of men in a company!], our sargeant, and my officer to ask us was the work correct. With all eyes on me and my co-worker; we said yes. The general gave the command for the tanks to fire.

To say there was a lot of tension in the air is an understatement. I was visibly shaking waiting for the call back over the field radio that the hit struck its target. If there had been a misfire- there could have been a court marshall at the minimum.

"ORDINANCE HAS MADE CONTACT---------------A DIRECT HIT!!!!!" There were cheers and moisture in the eyes. From that moment on, me and my co-worker were treated with respect and the work orders began to roll in.

Even though I had passed my training with flying colors and knew my co-worker was even more competent than me, I still was shaken by doubt.

I imagine this is the way many women who preach feel. They are probably competent and have a support group aiding them that has wisdom of many years. But, in the shadow of the night they may feel:"Am I doing what God wants me to do or are all those who tell me women can't preach correct?"

I hope to have some encouragement for you.

Romans 8:5 states"...but those who live in accordance of the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." The Holy Spirit desires us to be a living example of holiness and to take up the command to spread the gospel. That is why Jesus said after he left the Holy Spirit would come to be a comforter and to help remind us of his words. God spoke to the woman at the well; making her the first missionary woman. He instructed her to go and tell her town about him. Not only to other women and children but to everyone who would hear.

You may say that there is so much opposition against you though. Paul was a man who should have faced every person he came in contact with not believing he was a Christian and a supporter of Christianity. Paul had a few words for those who may have doubted his assignment: "...if I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10)" Those were strong words from a man who wrote most of the New Testament.

I am sure there were those convinced Paul was up to something sinister. But, we can understand why God would choose Paul (a persecutor of Christians) to be his servant. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 states " Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. therefore as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." When male preachers, deacons, and elders declare that they are the only ones to teach or to give the message of God, they are not boasting in God, because God can send anyone for the purpose of shaming the strong and foolish.

Paul again explained to the new Christians about who he was in God and also who they were or should be in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7: "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow, So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow."

Paul states we are all called to be seed planters, servants of God. Titles and positions are not needed, because it is God who is doing the real work of saving people. And if God takes the time to aid in the salvation process, I believe he will be a part of the maturing process. Servants are servants.

So what is the discouraged woman to do? "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth no to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). You should move forward in your kindom work and "...Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5)." Paul explains that there are mature Christians and immature Christians who may not see eye to eye on sin. But what each does, if they are trying to please God and obey him, can be do so unto the the Lord as long as it does not create a stumbling block for each other (read the rest of ch. 14). The origin of the action is in the heart; which only God knows.

And finally, servant Christian women, remember when times are hard and you are plagued by doubts from outside sources "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Fromans 5:20).

Education has its price

This is the last night before I face having an empty nest. My husband and I knew this day would come, but it seems to have come too soon.

The last couple of months we have been reminicing about when our kids were small. Once, while visiting a Baptist church with my three year old child, the minister hit the point of his sermon in which the climax was to begin. Organs started as he began to wipe the sweat from his brow and his voice became volumous. With a shout he began launching into the "Amen-hallelujah" part of his sermon, when my daughter sat straight up in her father's lap and shouted: "THAT'S THE MAN WHO KILLED JESUS!!!"

To say the least, we had to get her out of there because she was yelling for everyone to hear that she found the man who killed Jesus. We reassured her in the parking lot that the preacher had not killed Jesus to her satisfaction. Why she believed that we do not know accept for the fact that that was her first time at a Baptist church and she was not use to the dramatic flare of a Baptist preacher.

The other day while attending a funeral, the young well groomed preacher took the pulpit and asked the congregation to bow their heads as he prayed. I bowed my head and as I have done for the past five years, began to pray my own silent prayer:

"Dear Lord allow my ears and heart to receive a word from you today. May I not critque the minister's words but be open to learning something new. Let not me be of those who count themselves too righteous, but allow me to submit with a humble heart to the words of your servant and my fellow laborer. Amen."

With an open heart and mind I began to listen attentively to the young preacher. Without fail I began to run his sermon through my mind: how I would have begun, how I would have approached the theme, which Scriptures I would have used, what background information he should have left out, and of course to know, unlike him, when enough was enough.

I exited the church feeling a little crummy. Why did I continue to do that? Why can't I just sit in the pew and enjoy whatever the minister is delivering? It is as if I cannot control myself no matter how I try.

I discussed it with my family and answered my own questions finally.

When a doctor watches a medical program on t.v. he knows when the writers gets things wrong. This is the reason so many doctors refuse to watch medical shows, because they go on and on about this or that not being right.

When a musician listens to another musician, they recognize every missed note by a performer where the not so musically inclined has the freedom to just listen to the music being played and enjoy.

I have gone to college many years to study God and the Bible and invested countless hours in study, so there should be no surprise that my mind kicks into overdrive when I listen to a sermon. My education in the field of religion has made it impossible for me not to notice a mistake. I am thankful to God it has nothing to do with my character.

I honor any minister that enters the pulpit. He is standing there saying I am responsible for the care of souls. What I tell you and what I do not tell you will be counted for or against me by God. That is a major undertaking and I have to acknowledge it and I owe the minister my attention.

I do not believe there are too many ministers who completely stand in the pulpit with the intention of misleading others. Each minister and denomination believes that their beliefs are correct and others have it wrong. With all this said, I have heard the most ridiculous ramblings in the pulpit.

Education has its price. Once you know better you are expected to do better. Religion has been opposed to the education of its ministers due to the fact that they are afraid that the guidance of the Holy Spirit will become irrelevant. But we see in the book of John Jesus promising the Holy Spirit: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26). This Counselor, Jesus said would be with us forever as the Spirit of truth (v.15).

To be put in remembrance of what Jesus said, you first have to KNOW what Jesus said and this can only be accomplished through deligent study of his word. This of course can be accomplished in or out of school. But if you are serious about knowing God and his will, school will not be abhorrent to a minister.

So back to my three year old and her exclaimation of "THAT'S THE MAN THAT KILLED JESUS." There are many ministers unknowingly killing the word of Jesus. Some sermons are based on style and flare, others on control and ego trips. But, for these few who refuse to study and grow in their knowledge of Jesus, they may or may not be committing murder but they are guilty of malpractice.

For such a serious job of caring for souls, we require no proof of compentency. Doctors and lawyers have to pass tests to prove they are knowledgeable and competent. Ministers do not. No man can approve another man's calling as a servant of God. But the servant should take it upon himself to make every effort and use every available tool to ensure that he/she is teaching sound doctrine.

Black and White: Kids on Race

"Mommy, I want my hair to be like my friends hair."

"You do? How is your friend's hair honey?"

It's long and blows in the wind."

"Is your friend a little white girl or a little black girl?"

"She's white and she is so pretty. Her hair is soft and long and blows in the wind. I want hair like hers."

At the beginning of this conversation I knew in what direction it was going to go. I wasn't prepared, but I was prepared. I had been there myself long ago.

It is what happens to little preschool black girls all across America. Many people will not admit it and a lot of little girls know through covert signals they better not even ask their parents the question "WHY AM I BLACK AND MY FRIEND IS WHITE WITH LONG HAIR?"

Tonight I watched Anderson Cooper as he so valiantly tried to tackle the race issue head on. He asked several young black and white children a group of questions using cartoon like figures of little girls ranging in color from white to dark brown.

The kids were asked which kid was bad, ugly, dumb and who do adults think are bad, ugly etc. Overwhelmingly the darkest brown child cartoon drawing was considered ugly, bad, and dumb by both groups of children. To say my heart sank is an understatement. One of my daughters was watching the show with me and we remembered her phase of wanting to have "good hair" when she was in preschool.

I remember having the straight hair talk on three separate occasions because I had three daughters. I looked into disappointed eyes and began to explain why people had different types of hair. I reenacted what I believed it would be like for my African ancestors to have lived in the hot African climate, baking in the high noon sun and how wise God was to give us hair and skin for our particular need in our particular part of the world. I told them how amazing it is that we are encoded with that great gene that causes our hair to curl no matter where we choose to live. I drew pictures on the chalk board of the different shapes hair follicles have and which one was for black people. I explained to be my children they had this genetic gift passed down to them and they would pass it on to their children.

I pointed out different races and made a game of finding the differences that made them belong to a particular group. Then we pointed out all of the similar characteristics we all shared. Each child remembers this point in their life, because it was fun. I did not try to tell them their hair was better or worse, because it wasn't. And not one of my girls was swayed, at that time, into not wanting flowing hair, but they knew the "why" and it opened up a window for a dialogue that would continue throughout their childhood. They understood some things make us different but more makes us the same. I told them it was fine to like the flowing hair and it was fine to like their kinky hair done up with rubberbands and bows. But when it came down to it, whatever hair they had; it was attached to the head of a person I knew was perfect in every way. I told them as they grow older they will want other things changed about themselves. It was a normal part of life for many children. Black, white, red, or yellow you are you and I think that is pretty darn good.

We always talked about why and who may like or not like their features and the features of other ethnic groups. I let them know that their difinition of what "pretty" is; is all that matters. I could not tell them what "pretty" is because it is different for each individual-subjective. But I made sure they were exposed to beautiful black, red, white and yellow people. Seeing and knowing that there is not one true standard of beauty helped them to find their own beauty.

My 5 year old niece said "I want hair like my friend Bobby." Why? "She is white and her hair is long and blows in the wind." I saw a tear form in my middle daughter's eye who thought her little cousin was the most perfect, beautiful smooth dark brown skinned black girl on earth.

I nodded a knowing head signaling to my daughter: "I got this," and it began again.

At first I thought it was very sad; my black child wanting white people's hair, but I had the opportunity to talk and teach my daughters to give them a firm grounding on what beautiful can look like inside and out.

I look at them now, and we laugh. They can't imagine feeling that way once upon a time in their life.

I question how does a child raised in a black household suddenly want to be white? Is it the media's fault? Or is it society's fault? I don't know the answer. All I know is that it happens.

So it happens, but it doesn't have to remain. I challenge all of you out there to help all of our young ladies, at an early age, to appreciate beauty in every ethnic group. Make it a point to show your daughters how lovely people are across the races.

Heat Wave

It has been so hot in Mississippi until I started posting "It is so hot" jokes. My husband has said they are corny. Corny is good. My kids would call my jokes lame.

I guess I will let you all decide.

It is so hot, my glass of water begs for ice.
It is so hot my fan said "I quit."
It is so hot my shoes said "I'm not going out there!"
It is so hot, hell is sending people to Mississippi now.
It is so hot the shade was trying to come inside to the air conditioning.
It is so hot my sweat refused to come out in the heat.
It is so hot my deodorant went on strike.
It is so hot break dancers are melting on the sidewalks.
It is so hot breast feeding moms are producing condensed milk.
It is so hot the thermometer reads: medium rare to well done.
It is so hot the devil wouldn't vacation here.


Those are all I have. If you can think of another one please feel free to share.

COVENANTS: food for thought

I have always tossed around how I felt about people saying marriage is between man and God. As we know all people who get married are not Christians, so how could mariage be between God and man?

Marriage is an agreement and sanctioned by God because he commanded it many people will state. I just could not believe all marriages are ordained by God.

Looking at the word covenant it is defined as a formal binding agreement - a contract. God made a covenant with Noah after the flood instructing him to build an altar, to take some of the clean animals and birds to be sacrificed as a burnt offering and with this sacrifice God promised that never again would he curse the ground. Covenant part 1:
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." Covenant part 2:
"Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth... this is a sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth (Gen. 9:1-16).

In this covenant agreement a sacrifice was offered, blood ran from the sacrificial offering.

Abraham and God made a covenant that required a shedding of blood as in the Covenant of Circumcision. Circumcision was required of all of the Jews: "As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram: your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations." God requested that every male amoung him be circumcised as a sign of the covenant between them. (Gen. 17:1-14).

This spilling of blood led also to a name change. There is a pattern of spilling of blood in a true covenant agreement. Fast forward to the last ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. "The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus and then those of the other, but when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spere, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water." (John 20:33-35). We know Jesus had already spilled blood as he was whipped before he was on the cross, but in this covenant agreement; allowing man to come directly to God in prayer and worship, blood had to be spilled and Jesus truly became the saviour of man.

So there are several instances of blood being used as the binding part of a covenant agreement.

Now to marriage. Blood is spilled in the marriage agreement. The woman was supposed to remain a virgin until her wedding night. The marriage was only valid if there was proof of the spilling of blood."If a man takes a wife and after lying with her dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name saying, "I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity," then the girl's father and mother shall bring proof that she as a virgin to the town elders at the gate...her parents shall display the cloth before the elders."(Deut. 22:13-29) The cloth is the cloth placed underneath the couple on their wedding night which was the custom. The cloth should contain the stains of blood from the breaking of the hymen which each virgin should have on their wedding night. If the woman was not a virgin she was to be stoned.

Virginity was so important as the covenant tie between the man and woman until there were even more rules. "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives." Notice the woman's name change in marriage.

In all of these instances of marriage, we do not hear God making a statement of his part of a covenant agreement as with all of the other covenant agreements he made with others. It is the two marrying parties who make agreements to one another to leave their families and to become one until death. The agreement is done over a sacrifice of blood. If a woman is not a virgin there cannot be a covenant agreement.

So to my own satisfaction, through my own biblical study, I have come to the conclusion, under threat of being a heretic, that marriage is a covenant agreement between a man and a woman and not between the couple and God.

Now, for the shocker.

Many women who have married were not able to enter into a covenant marriage because there was not a blood sacrifice to make the agreement binding. In fact, I go as far to say that the legal husband, according to the teaching of the Bible, is the first person that a woman had sex with. SHOCKING!!!!!!

THE VIRGIN A MAN FIRST HAD SEX WITH IS ACTUALLY HIS WIFE BY COVENANT AGREEMENT.

Isn't this a scary conclusion? No, I do not go around teaching and telling people this. It is just my own meditation and Bible study. But, as a mother of daughters, I shared this with my girls to show them the beauty and importance God put on marriage. All of his covenants, which he filled and continue to fulfill were sealed through blood. This first time sexual experience, at one time in human history, was valuable. Today, it is of no significance or even thought about. Who values the first person we have sex with anymore? VIRGINITY HAS COME TO BE AS LESS BINDING AS A HANDSHAKE, YOUR WORD, AND A LEGAL CONTRACT.

I wish I had had an opportunity to value my virginity. I was told not to be promiscuous and only bad girls had sex, but I was not told how valuable and honorable my virginity was. I never was told that my virginity was my word, my bond, that I choose "you" by the prescence of the spilling of my blood as the one I want to be with until death. If I had, I do not believe it would have been some sex starved boy who was thankful for sex, not necessarily for me for the rest of his life.

Couples stand before a minister and a church filled with family and well wishers promising love forever. We give a ring as a symbol of our never ending love in the place of blood. How serious would we take marriage if the couple said I give my blood word to you and you accept my blood sacrifice and will spend your life meeting that blood sacrifice I offer you. THAT'S SERIOUS.

I don't know if this would affect the divorce rate any or the problem with teen sex, but I believe it would boost the girl's self esteem and help the hormonal boy to learn this is nothing to play with.

Maybe this is all wishful thinking, covenants and all. But I do not think it would hurt if the church changed its approach in its view of sex from "its bad" to it is a glorious gift, empowering women to love their blood sacrifice to a deserving man.