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" It shall happen, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land that you go to possess, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal." (Deut.11:29)

Many Christians shun the Old Testament and prefer to stick only with the New Testament because of it's more merciful tone. The saving of souls is based on the deed of Christ and our belief on it rather than the obedience of the law.

However we need to remember that the Bible of the first Christians consisted only of the writings of the Old Testament. Then gradually new Scriptures were written explaining the allegorical meaning of old happenings and writings. Jesus came to fulfil the law not to nullify it. "Did not our hearts burn within us while He was speaking to us on the road and while He OPENED (explained) the Scriptures to us:" It lift's our faith and fixes the idea into our memory when we discover the same thing in the New and Old Testament.

"The payment of the sin is death" and reward of the sinful and selfish nature is to be rejected by God. In Christ on the cross God took humanity into Himself, suffered the consequences and change in form from the Holy One into the one the likeness of the serpent (John 3:14). Christ (and we inside Him as our old self was crucified with Him) did fulfil the law, died into the sin and out of the sin. After His death Christ took back His previous holy LIFE and we got it as well being united with Him on the cross. Of course our lack of faith toward this particular promise of God can diminish or even nullify it on the individual base. On God's side matter is fixed. His blood was poured out for us to drink. In desert journey Israelites did need daily collect and eat the manna ( = symbol of Word of God) which gives and sustains life, but on Sabbath day they could eat the previous collection of food as it smelted NOT away. We need to repeat ideas of God until these stack into our mind and tree of life starts to appear. It is mindset, flesh of Christ starts to take form in us. It reminds us of the promise of Hebrews 4:9. "There remains therefore a rest (of Sabbath) for the people of God" when the Word of God is continually alive at the front of your eyes. The main point is our belief to your unity with Christ and consequently owing His love and life in Him."I don’t live any-more but Christ lives in me" "According to your faith let it be to you." (Mat. 9:29 NKJ) Faith is the result of working to understand God's word; Collecting the spiritual manna. He who don't work should not eat His promises either.

Christ's LIFE includes His godliness, holiness, love and purity of mind, His nature. There is the point. We own His LIFE by faith, but if the image of Christ is twisted (image of the beast) we own and drink different LIFE than what was poured for us by God. "And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, for bringing strange fire before Jehovah. And they had no sons (= fruits of Spirit) (Numb.3:4 Lit.) Father gave men to Christ, so "He may give to them everlasting LIFE . And this is everlasting life, that they may KNOW you..." John 17:2,3 Lit

"When He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him AS HE IS". (John 3:2 NKJ)

"God does not accept the face of man." (Gal.2:6 Lit.) That means that "God accepteth no man's person" (or personality) (Gal.2:6 KJ) Driving force of natural man is his need to be something (selfpromotion) and that hapens at the expence of his brother. You can't lift yoursef up without at the same pushing your brothers down. You can spiritually steal and murder. That is exactly opposite to the God's comandment: "Love your brother like yourself".

Jesus specially warned His disciples about the leaven of Pharisees: "All their works they do to be seen by men" and "they love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues." John the Baptist said them to be"Brood of vipers"meaning litle devils. Devil's egotism is depicted in Is. 14:13: "I will ascend to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God and I will sit on the mount of assembly..."

When the sons of God (= good fruits of Job as child is the symbol of new life in Christ) come to present themselves before the Lord, the Adversary came among them. The name of this devil was Spiritual pride. Job did "boast in appearance and not in heart." (2Cor. 5:12) Job was climbing the wrong mountain and only after his humiliation come the chance. Job did repent his pride and did "abhor himself" (selfish nature). (Job 42:6 NkJ) Note that only Elihu the joungest and least respected frend of Job did pick up the reason of Job's sufferings.That reminds us from the warning of Paul that not everybody should be the teacher of the blind. You can't give LIFE to others if you yourself haven't got it. "What I do have I give you." (Acts 3:6)

If you don't understand the difference between holy and the holiest place it is better to be low and learn more. Even jump from the profession of evangelist or prophet to teaching ministry do not please God if you are not gifted with it.

Elijah once said to Ahab that "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word" (1King 17:1 NKJ). For us New Testament believers it means that only genuine God's word by His ambassadors produces LIFE to the dry desert. "Let my teachings drop as the drain".(Deut. 32:2 NKJ)

It is not only for the LIFE of Christ that we should desire the pure water of the word but "Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge.."(Is. 5:13 NKJ) The fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of wisdom (understanding) but the beginning of knowledge as well. (Prov.1:7) Unfortunately that is the most unpopular teaching subject by my experience.

I guess that sometimes God needs to take His minister early into the heaven to prevent further damage and even prevent the one to slide on the wrong side of the road and lose his salvation.

Red line of Paul's thinking was that those seemed to be something (the pillars of church) can also be "carried away with their hypocricy" Believer can be too orthodox and stuborn to receive any correction from God's ambassodors (Gal 2:13). So we all must be carefull.

Modern translations like "God shows no partiality" are true but I think the literal translation is the one that put us to think the deeper meaning. Even New King James change the text. Isn't it bit different meaning to say that " God shows personal favoritism to no man" than state that He doesn't receive mental state of a natural man.

"Your(Christ's) name (personality and love) is ointment (oil) poured forth" (Song 1:3) When Bridegroom come back to rapture His bride those foolish virgins had no oil in their lamps and were left knocking behind the door. Our birthday present in Christ is one talenth worth of His love and essense. If we bury it into the ground even the fire (Spirit) will eventually depart. However it is not from the Lord as "smoking flax He will not quench" (Is. 42:3, Mat.12:20). Rather it is about our negligence to fill the lamp. If you don't drink Christ's blood you haven't His life either. God made quite a big sacrifice to get it poured for us and I believe our indifference is hurting His feelings.

On the other hand for those who climb towards the top of Mount Gerizim have the promise: "But we all, with unveiled face (not with the face of natural man) beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (Who is working towads the same goal in us.) (2Cor.3:18) Moon represent the church which should reflect (as the mirror) the glory of the sun (symbol of God) to the earth but sometimes it is dark and sometimes we see only half of the reflection.

When I was about one or two years old youngster in Christ I did ask my pentecostal pastor that how one can know that he is among the wise virgins as all of them wise and foolish "took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom." Mat. 25:1 NKJ This twenty to thirty years field experienced missionary answered that don't care about these Bible verses as these apply only to the Jews. He did mean that we all Christians in proper church are saved and included in rapture if it is on your time. (Clever self-deception to erase unpleasant verses from the Bible.)

At that time I did work in one engineering office in Finland and my draughtsman did belong to Jehovah Witness. She stated that her organisation is the "Noah’s Ark" of the end time holding of the truth through which one can be saved. My fellow engineer in the office did belong to special sect (of Lestadion with about 100000 members) inside Lutheran church. By his opinion only those inside their organisation were saved. I did ask him if one in South Africa likes to be saved , how he can do it? His answer was that God will lead him into their church in north Finland. His answer was not a joke; he was dead serious. I never had experienced so much hatred from anyone towards me than from him in this occasion.

At least I did learn that if one allows a wrong denominational spirit, spirit of stupidity to occupy himself; he is trapped and spiritually blinded to believe senseless absurdity.

No wonder that secular folks hold us nuts because they categorise us into the same fold and don't like to see that there is difference between believer and believer. The good point is that general secularism saves us from the witch hunt of the dark Middle Ages.

At the end time King of North (heresy/ twisted Christianity?, New world religion?, Muslims?.... ) will beat the King of South (Egypt/ Secular Humanism) and persecution of "religiously diverging dissidents" starts again.(Dan.11:40) King of Seleucid Greeks in Syria Antiochus Ephiphanes (symbol of Antichrist) did seek to replace the worship of Jehovah into the worship of Zeus (god with different image). "He will invade various lands on the way, including Israel (Spiritual Israel = Christians), the Pleasant Land,and overthrow the governments of many nations." (Living Bible/ Dan.11:41)

If you are too sectarian, your foundation is not the proper one. You easily end up to measure your brother with the wrong standard. At the time of Moses the ones not obeying the law end up to the Mount Ebal. Now those who don't obey the new law of the New Testament meaning haven't drink the LOVE giving blood of Christ end up to the wrong mountain. "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come" ( into us with your love). 1Cor. 16:22 NKJ Actually Lord is continually knocking at the door of our hearts by our dry existence without His life in the desert or with constant hardship in your daily life. Plain calling happens through His ambassadors ( members of His body) but "I don't need anything" or "I know better" attitude prohibits His ascendancy according to His life. (Rev.3:14...22) To pursue our own success and money instead of being happy of our brothers standing put us on the Mountain of Ebal regardless of how many times we repeat of the positive verses of the Bible.

That is exactly what the Pharisees were after. The result is constant troubles when God likes to correct you and open your eyes.

To take two percent of the contents of the Bible and enlarge it to be ninety percent of the message and sermons ("money talk") don't please God as wrong balance is an abomination to Him. (Pro.11:1) In the Church full of "Pharisees" members only pretend to love each other (self deception).The reality there is competition of positions and opinionated correctness or better predominant opinion. All started when Lucifer did disagree with God. Jesus is Word and TRUTH but you need the help of Holy Spirit to understand it properly.

At the time I did live in Sydney I once told the pastor of Finnish Pentecostal Church that I prefer to attend English speaking church to improve my English language. He told me that he once counted twenty-eight different Pentecostal movements here in Sydney alone and proceed to advice me which three ones out of twenty-eight are the proper ones. Some are really bit extreme according to their doctrine. I once met one pentecostal fellow who did insist that believer must "speak with tongues" to be saved. "Tongues are sign that you have Holy Spirit and without Him you are not saved." Later he even did confess to me that one member in their congregation made suicide because he wasn’t able to receive the Holy Spirit.

I didn't meet this fellow any more because he was warned by his pastor about the bad influence of me not holding the proper doctrine. " Like priest like people."

Hosea 9:10 "I saw your fathers (of Israel) ...as the first fruits on the fig tree..." So the fig tree is the symbol of the Natural Israel and I believe it represents the Spiritual Israel ( Christianity) as well. Leaves in the fig tree represent hypocrisy since Adam and Eve " sewed fig leaves together and made themselves (girding) coverings" after the Fall.(Gen 3:7) Membership of the Church is not enough to the Lord but you must put on the Love (= Christ) as well by receiving genuine Word of God (= Christ) and letting it soak into you.

Jesus is looking after the tree (= mindset of believer) with fruits (brotherly love) and not the one with the leaves only. "He who loves God must love his brothers also."Tricky part is if we should love false brothers or half- Pharisees as well. We are not allowed to separate wheat and tares (too early) because of the gravity of the mistake. "No lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them." (Mat 13:29)

When citizens of Jerusalem ("believers" of Christ's time) yelled : "Crucify Him ,Crucify Him" they did mean: Let's hang Jesus on the tree that He be cursed by the Father and end up into hell. To them Jesus was the raider of the ashen horse and His name was Death. (Rev.6:8) "And the people stood looking on." (Luke23:35) Then Jesus said, "Father , forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke23:34)

That Jesus had need to pray tells us that hate and love were fighting inside God's mind towards these "believers". Jesus is exactly representation of Father and member of trinity God. So among emotional feelings there is no clear borderline. The end result is however clear: Heaven and love or hell and hate.

What comes about our membership in the New Creation: According to your mind and emotions we are just babies in Christ. Jesus is the only adult in your group and we (men and women) should grow up into the full manhood of Christ. "His understanding is infinite" (Ps. 147:5 NKJ)

Note that David was the man according to Gods mind."The Lord has sought for Himself a man (David) after His own heart." (1 Sam 13:14 NKJ) "Your enemies take Your name in vain... I (David) hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies." (Ps. 139:20,22 NKJ) "You hate all workers of iniquity." (Ps. 5:5NKJ)

Creator is good by necessity as the opposite is to steal, murder and destroy and is self-destructive by it's very nature. "I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth...to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea."(Rev 7:1,2) "Winds of the war" are the natural consequence of our mental state resulting from the Fall. Not only this but man without Holy Spirit will destroy himself mentally in the long run. At the certain point in the future God's patience will run out when this world is like Sodom and Gomorrah of the Old Testament and is lesser evil to let it destroy itself by nuclear war than allow the situation to deteriorate. Heavens and earth are preserved for fire but God is "long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:7,9)

When God cursed this world, it was to give man reason to repent and see his folly. One of the devils name is the Lord of the Flies. Insect world reflect the world of Satan where almost everyone is looking to destroy each other to get nourished and improved by its position.

I think that same principle apply here on earth to our sexual behaviour. Sex was meant to to be used only in connection with love and marriage with it's safety-net. Devil of course has twisted our mind and sex with its fantasies is mainly to take not to give. Paul stated that "Flee sexual immorality." To yield into our natural lust of flesh leads us only first to the wrong mountain and when more demons can posses us into sexual distortions.

God revels His nature and personality in His written world. We can't love Him if we detest His word. If we love God we love His word as well and like to understand Him better. When we take off something out of His world we create different image out of Him than what HE really IS

My "Lutheran" sister once told met that she doesn't believe in hell because her God is good and do not appoint anyone into it. Consistent with this idea She believes that everyone can go into heaven by his own faith: She herself because she believes Jesus and for example Muslims can enter into it because they believe Allah.

My standing point is that I can't change or take off anything out of God's word otherwise my foundation is on the quicksand. Jesus is Word and if I don't believe It I don’t believe Jesus either. If I state that everyone who believes in me will be saved, I don't mean that everyone who believes my existence will be saved but that he who believes what I am saying will be saved.

God does not sacrifice our free will because love is based on it and gives us higher purpose for our existence. As long as we can believe whatever we like according to our desire we have free will.

Even when devil persuaded part of the angels with different ideology God did not stop it and change the voluntary order of his realm into dictatorship.

8/03/2020 Erno Miettinen

Unless stated otherwise the verses in this bible are referenced from a public domain bible.