Understanding the Beginning: Who is the Beginning?

Isa 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Even God would have us know and understand the beginning. He rebuked Israel sharply for being so ignorant. Our opening verse as well as many other portions depict that. He constantly referred to 'the beginning' in many admonitions to Israel. Many of the blessings He conferred on people where also referenced to 'the beginning.'  Jesus made several references too. 'It was not so in the beginning' is a very familiar phrase. Hence, in order to make sense of every occurrence of the word 'beginning' in scriptures we ought to get a snapshot of exactly 'what' or 'who' the beginning is.

The scope of this piece will be streamlined to the most basic, most popular (according to scriptures) and most important definition of the beginning. I will lift my theme from one of the verses...

Who is the Beginning?
Often times we view God as one of us and measure Him with the same scales as ourselves only that we inflate the results. We say 'bigger than what people say' etc. What if what we say is nothing close? What if He is nothing like we imagine? He is not a man that we should expect a day He began to exist. This is the confusion of the one who counters God's existence with 'before God.' He is the beginning!

The Beginning, God
The very first verse says it all. There are three (as far as I have seen) perspectives to Genesis chapter one. First and most popular is 'In the beginning, God....' The word 'in' is absent in the Hebrew manuscript. Therefore, some theologians actually say that, 'The Beginning' was supposed to be the title of the passage. They say Gen 1:1 actually reads 'God created the heavens and the earth. But the most interesting and the one I advocate is this: 'The Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. I am more inclined towards the third because several other portions of the scriptures corroborate this view.

The Beginning and the End
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

This is a title exclusive to the Godhead. It actually presents God as The Beginning and not just the beginning but the end; the first and last; Alpha and Omega. These are all popular phrases in our worship. It shouldn't be a hard thing to comprehend.

The One Who is the Beginning
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Again, the scriptures affirm that the beginning isn't merely an event or some moment in time when the clock began to tick. The Beginning is a name. That name belongs to God and is shared by Christ. A name, unlike what western culture propagates these days, isn't just an arbitrary means of identification. Western culture assigns name and hope that after several uses will be identified with a person or an object. A name is a description of nature and purpose; the explicit and most concise summary of essence. God as The Beginning isn't arbitrary. It is an explicit and concise depiction.

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Source and Origin
The name 'The Beginning' isn't used for God because it best fits Him. The only reason can think of the name is because He is the Beginning. Another close appellation for our God is Father. To be Father means to be the source and the first from whom others emerge.

Sin of Ignorance
Acts 17:28-30 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

I read from a great man that ignorance of whom God is is the violation of the very first commandment. He said that the first commandment didn't begin with 'thou shall not have any other God besides me.' What we usually think is the prologue is the beginning of the first commandment- I am the Lord your God.... Again, God warns us against the sin of ignorance of who He is.

This last portion from Acts seventeen is both elating and scary. It is elating because we have a sense of worth to know that God is our source and origin. However, it continues on a stern warning that God is not as we see Him. He is not the creation or invention of man. The admonition to repent here is basically from 'sin of ignorance' - ignorance of who God is. Our world is a little too advanced to worship images made from gold, silver, stone. Abstract ideas and philosophies rule our own world. God is bidding us to repent from any false or even inaccurate image of Him in our heart.

Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Perfect Love Overcomes Fear

1 John 4:16-19
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

I wish I can say the same that I know and believe the love God has for me. Paul gave me a glimpse when He said it has length, breadth, depth and height. Scientists can query that depth and height means the same. But depth here means quality. 24 carat gold bar is 'deeper' than an 18 carat gold bar even though both may have the same length, breadth and height. This love is God himself and infinite, I have eternity to search it out.

Again, love is the basis on which we can stand boldly even in the day of judgement. Again the issue of identity is highlighted. The gravity of love cannot be accurately measured outside the family setting. God saw His reflection in man at creation and He was very pleased. He calls it very good. He saw Himself in Jesus and said 'This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.' God falls in love with himself in us. He is gracious and perfect. When He sees himself, he is pleased. He is the treasure that attracts Him to us. He is the inheritance He looks forward to in us. Sonship is one word that describes homogeneity of identity. We can only be bold in judgement if we are just as He is.

Adoption
Adopted children have the same access as begotten sons. Unfortunately, our culture would not allow us appreciate this reality so much. I personally believe we still have prejudice for adoption. This and many more factors will limit how much impression the word makes on us. But for a second, let's appreciate adoption for what it really is. Adoption gets all the rights and benefits of birth. We can say it is equal. The scriptures uses many words to illustrate truth. It uses birth as well as adoption. Both end up as sons.

The Basis for Adoption is Love
There are many ways to show kindness. One is to give from what you have. Another way is to give access to what you have. I picture an adoption scene in my mind and there are many ways to be kind to the helpless child. One can always send relief materials monthly accompanied by a frequent visit just to show how concerned one is. At least, he had survived that long before you came by. Many people do that and the children are eternally grateful for such kindness. Yet another person decides to take the child in, put a robe on him, put a signet on his finger and make him a heir in the occasion of death. The former is empathy, the latter is love.

We are not saved in pity or out of empathy. We are saved out of love. God commanded His love long before we realised we needed Him Rom 5:8. He gives to all but He gives access to sons. When the father brings us home, He gives us access. The Joy in heaven is that of a new birth. This adoption into the family is the heat that melts out our fears. Love is God's reason.

Fearless in Judgement
Judgement means quite a number of things to a number of people. For some it is a day of recompense, for others it is the day of reward. Judgement is also division of lot and inheritance. Fear here is the feeling that we would be left out or undervalued in reward. However, we have no reason to fear since the are exactly like Him on this earth. He loves us and made us sons for that reason. Perfect love, casts out fear and that's why all our fears melt way.

Perfect love, I see as the love that inspires adoption. The love that make itself vulnerable. It is a love that gives access to all that is owned so that ownership is now equally shared. It is a love these bequests all that is owned. Perfect love bequests authority as well. Perfect love shares the lovers very essence. This is the love that begat us. As there is no fear in God, fear ought to be alien to us.

Fear Not
Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

We belong to God. Our love for Him is as a result of His love for us. Our fears are dispelled because we are His; we are family; we abide in Him; we belong to Him.

Spirit of Adoption

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Some of us have come to know the Lord as our saviour. However, we still have fears in our heart. We say like the awakened prodigal son 'I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.' This is fear. We need the baptism of the spirit of Adoption so that we can cry 'Abba, Father.' The new birth is the beginning of a new life. Fear in Christians will manifest as inability to approach God as father. This will deprive us of fullness.

Spirit of Adoption
The primary solution to fear isn't courage, it is an issue of identity. God doesn't tell us to overcome fear by motivating us to act against all odds. He does by telling us who we are. Or better still, He affirms His relationship with us. As we would see from several passages, only love conquers fear. Our first passage shows us that we overcome fear being engrafted into the family of God. He pulls His garment over us and tells the world we belong to Him. The Spirit of Adoption actually is a seal of our sonship. He brands our spirit with His identity. He places His name upon us and grants us legal access to all the benefits of a son. Unlike the signatures that validate an earthly covenant, endowment of Spirit validates an eternal and spiritual agreement. This is the basis upon which we overcome fear-adoption.

If we remember clearly, the first fear we need to overcome is approaching God. No amount of courage can break the repulsion of God's Spirit to the fallen man. Only the status of sonship can. The Son of God, became the son of man so that the sons of men can become the sons of God. The Spirit of Adoption only validates the relationship that Jesus establishes. He is the corn of wheat that died and was buried that many more sons will emerge. Sonship, or Adoption is the basis upon which fear is overcomed.

Come Boldly
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

This is the first sign of victory over fear-the ability to approach God boldly to obtain mercy and grace in times of need. 'Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear...' all because we're lacking in courage to meet the Lord who is most merciful. This scripture refers to them who believe, who have an high priest who knows and understand their frailties. The same scripture teach us that this class of believers are those who have been given power to be called children of God (John 1:12).

The author of the book of Hebrews was teaching the Jews with the priesthood which they seemed to understand so well. He was very careful not to mention father and son. Fatherhood seemed to be farfetched as far as they were concerned. That's one of the anchors on which they based the accusations against Jesus before He was crucified. He had to prove with several quotations from Psalms. David was a legendary figure to them. Gradually, until the twelfth chapter (Heb 12:7-8) before he was able to finally and boldly mention that we are sons and God is our father. Fear is overcomed by a father-son relationship.

Do not Be Afraid... Come
Matt 14:27-29 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

The word of God that bids us 'fear not,' is that same voice that beacons come. Actually, the reason God will ask us not to fear is so that we can come boldly. The scriptures abound with several such examples. We have been taught that 'fear not' primarily means summon courage. But nothing within us has the capacity to withstand fear. It is the words 'it is I' that bestowed courage on Peter. Fear not is usually accompanied with a reminder of our identify and is aim is 'come closer.'

Stair Up your Gifts
Another manifestation of fear is to hide the goodness and grace of God upon us. Paul encouraged Timothy to stair up God's gift. Fear hides God's gift and deprives us and others of the blessing they ought to receive by our ministry. The unprofitable servant hid his talent of gold because of fear. 'And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.' Matt 25:25

2 Tim 1:6-7 For this reason, I want you to remember the gift that God gave you. He gave you that gift inside yourself when I put my hands on you. You must use that gift. You must make it grow stronger, like when a wind blows on a very small fire. The wind makes that small fire grow into a big fire. Do this, because God has given us his Spirit. And his Spirit does not cause us to be afraid of things. Instead, he causes us to be powerful. He causes us to love God and other people. And he causes us to rule ourselves properly.

We must overcome fear to unlock our full potentials; our true identity and our limitless possibilities. This happens by the Spirit of Adoption.

Prologue to Spirit of Adoption

Fear is one of the single greatest forces that can paralyse a man. It is manifested in different forms: guilt, shame, cowardice, terror, depression and many more. Fear cripples our ability to pray because we consider ourselves unworthy. Fear can cripple one's ministry by painting a picture of serial failure. Fear would never let us test our limits and discover possibilities. Some fear seem harmless but nonetheless, venomous. Such a fear is one that would make us content with what we have and not pursue more.

The past 2 posts have been about fear. 'Fear of God' discloses how fear for God has been mistaken by several as fear of God. Many walk miles behind when God says walk before me. We saw how Israel shifted responsibility to Moses and unknowing delegated their ministry duties to the tribe of Levi and lost an opportunity to approach God personally. When God says fear not, it is primarily that we may first overcome every limitation that make us avoid His holy presence. It is the fear of God that makes fearless.

Secondly, we talked about 'Getting All Drenched.' Even as many have recieved grace and approach God for fellowship, they still fear that God will be angered by our numerous requests. By this many have resorted to managing rather than reigning. This is also fear. Jesus said we haven't asked enough to deplete heaven's treasuries by a billionth of its content. We don't have primarily because we don't ask. We might be excited by what we have, but we deprive ourselves of full joy when we refuse to ask. Many, pitch a tent around forgiveness of sins and refuse to pursue God to perfection of the soul. This is nonetheless fear.

Never be satisfied by only wetting your feet and walking with the Lord. Partake in divine assignment in establishing His kingdom and will by intercession. Press on to seeing that many more sons emerge. And press on still till your overwhelmed and have completely conformed body, soul and spirit to the image of Christ. Don't let fear keep you at the river bank where only your feet is wet. Step into the river of life at God's call.

However, fear isn't just something we overcome by summoning courage. Fear is overcome by love. How is this? What this space for the next post 'Spirit of Adoption.'

Let's Get All Drenched

At the beach, quite a number of people are comfortable with playing by the edge of the sea. They are excited as long as the waters just cover their feet. But deep in many hearts, even as they enjoy the waves crash at their feet, they fear to go a step further. Everyone crowds at the river bank. But as the waters get deeper, you meet fewer people. So is it in our walk with God.

There are 4 different depths as described in Ezekiel 47: The ankle-deep water, the knee-deep waters, the waist-deep water and the all encompassing waters. In essence there are four (4) classes of apprehending the knowledge of God. They are
1) Participation
2) Prayers
3) Propagation
4) Personification

It also describes that, everywhere the river flowed, it brought life. Even, when it flowed into the sea, it purified the sea.

Participation
When the waters of the knowledge of the glory of God covers our feet, we begin to get involved. We attend church and meet with like minded individuals. We get busy. Our feet come alive we receive the ability to walk with God. Without doubt this is a great start. But God never intended attendance to be the end. There is so much more.

Prayers
Having being involved with people, we need to need God himself. We meet with God in prayer. When the waters of the knowledge of the glory of God reach our knees, that's when we begin to pray. Our prayer life comes alive because the living waters touched our knees. The knees represent our ability to pray. Prayer ceases to be a struggle and an integral part of one's life if such depth is reached.

Christ is the basis of our relationship with the father. His intercession helps us to get in. However, our prayers make us get more acquainted with God and build a more intimate personal relationship with him. This is the knee deep waters. Here we realise the divine privilege we are given in the place of prayer. Prayer is a privilege to participate in the establishment of God's kingdom on earth; a honour to do His will.

Prayer is a superior form participation. It is a spiritual participation. We know that the things which we see emanates from the unseen. The spiritual is the origin of the physical. The depths of quality personal devotion and corporate intercession affords us the opportunity to have much more than physical impact. By virtue of prayer we can have a more eternal and weightier impact on the people, places and purposes for whom we pray.

Propagation
When a man truly meets God, he desires that every other person gets a similar experience. He is moved with compassion such that He wants to reproduce such experiences in as many people as he can. That's when the waters hit his waist. His ability to propagate the truth and raise men in God's image come alive. At the waist, we have the reproductive organs. This symbolically means when God's revelation reaches that depth, we can convey the truth of the gospel. We must bear fruits, we must bring forth. And it is the living waters that activate this in us.

Personification
Finally, there is an all encompassing waters. When it is feet-deep, our prayers may be infiltrated by our selfish desires once a while. When it's waist-deep other aspects of our lives may suffer neglect even though we have made an impact in God's name. But when we are all drenched, no part is left out. Every single part of us come alive. What a great destiny. God's intention is not that we get acquainted with truth alone. His sole intention for prayer is that his kingdom be eventually established. He would want us to press further than just being puppets. He wants us to be the embodiment of truth.

Fear Not
I have made the graduation from one depth to the next sound interesting because I presented only the benefits. If we look at any other thing, fear will deprive us of getting to the next level; fear deprives us of depth. Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. We can overcome fear and move to greater depth if we look at how much God would have transformed us when its all over. We overcome by fixing our gaze on Jesus. Fear shifts our focus so that we are either satisfied with the status quo or frightened by the future.

Everywhere that river flowed there is life! Let's not just wet our feet, knees or wait. Let's not just participate. Let's materialise our prayers. Let's not just echoe the truth but be an embodiment of it. Let's get all drenched.

Fear of God

Origin of Fear
Fear is a result of the fall of man. The man God made was fearless, intelligent and perfect. Scriptures say all God made was good. As a matter of fact, the man God made was in God's image and likeness. So you can expect that he was perfect. The first mention of fear was after disobedience. Fear came as a result of sin and the fall. Fear isn't just false evidences appearing real. That's a motivational definition. Fear is the feeling of inadequacy especially in approaching God.

Since the fall fear began to manifest in the human nature. It spread from approaching God to being who He wants us to be. Since then, man dreaded the presence of God. Man considered perfection an impossibility. Man viewed godliness as an exclusive reserve of the family of priests. Man feared the will of God. However, in the beginning, it was not so. God said man will die the day he eats the forbidden fruit. Man died, just as God said. Fear is death in the spirit.

Fear of God
The phrase 'fear of God' is used too loosely. But before I address that, I want to address fear. Fear is not always expressed as dread. There are silent fears that we never express. Sometimes, fear is just lack of interest-the loss of interest to pursue or continue.

- To fear, revere, be afraid
- To stand in awe of, be awed
- To fear, reverence, honour, respect
- To be fearful, be dreadful, be feared
- To cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe
- To inspire reverence or godly fear or awe
- To make afraid, terrify

The genuine 'fear of God' is never dreadful or terrifying. It is pure and perfect. The false fear of God is described in Hebrews 12:18-23. Whatever makes people draw back from God isn't the fear of God. That is not God's desire either. Fear is anything that makes us avoid truth, light, correction, change and God himself.

With this, I draw a line between being afraid of God and the 'fear of God.' They are worlds apart and the latter is not better than fear of dark or the devil or the unknown because it does not draw us closer to God. Shouldn't the fear of God be the most significant? Absolutely. Only the fear of God should remain in our heart.

Consuming Fire and a Refiner's Fire
God is a consuming fire. Should this not cause us to fear God? This passage is taken from Her 12:29. It does not refer to God being consuming fire to all. Malachi says 'refiner's fire.' That passage talks about the things which can be shaken. To the righteous, God is a refiner's fire. To the wicked and unrepentant, He is a consuming fire. Fear in us will prevent us from being purified by the same fire. Faith will cause us to approach so that sin is utterly consumed by his flames.

Ridding our Hearts of Fear
It is possible that only the fear of God is in us. Not only that, that is the sign of maturity. Jesus said 'when the enemy came, He found nothing in me.' Our destiny is that we are rid of every other fear.

Balance between loving God and fearing Him. This is answered already. For emphasis. Time won't permit me to prove this now. I will do so later. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The love of God is the perfection of wisdom. Fear causes us to obey because we respect Him. Love causes us to obey because we have known Him. Fear here, as explained earlier, is not terror, horror or dread. It is respect, awe, adoration and honour. No need for balance. The fear of God is the love of God budding; the love of God is the fear of God matured.

Can We Be Completely Free from Fear?
Yes fear can be totally eradicated. Let me as, can sin can be totally eradicated? For this purpose the Son of man was made manifest to destroy the works of darkness (1 John 3:8). Fear is a work of darkness, the result of the fall and a scar sin left behind. The same way our heart is purified by worship, prayer, study, obedience and fellowship is the same way fear is eradicated. Fear is sin. Sin isn't lying and fornacation. Sin is imperfection which includes fear. One of our hopes, along with victory over sin, is victory over fear.

Does God Condone our Fears?
God does not condone our fears any more than He condones our sin. He is working in us to attain perfection eventually. He's changing, washing, cleaning, aligning... He doesn't judge us by it but He expects us to grow out of it soon. When the fruit of the spirit begins to emerge, fear is swallowed up by faith, hope and love.

Fear Not
In conclusion, almost 90% of the use of 'fear not' in scriptures is a call to approach God rather than face life boldly. When we overcome our fear of God, we can live life to the fullest. It is in His presence that we loose our fear.

Shalom.

The New Age, Sexuality and the Gospel

One of the major issues that plague our world is sexuality. The male is not confident about his sex and want to change it. The female is more sexualy attracted to other female and she thinks it is right to explore and exploit those feelings. Homosexuality, transgender, divorce, single parenting, surrogacy, incest have become everyday words. Pornography has become a standard for the best selling movies. Sex appeal has become a model for advertisement. Though, civilisation is not the origin of this. These things date back to Sodom and Gomorrah. However, civilisation has made a giant but backward leap in institutionalising them all. We now have constitutions that protects, and advocates gay marriages while prosecuting ministers who refuse to join them. Transgenders are icons and the normal human is called 'transphobic.' What exactly is wrong?

I will attempt to answer by letting us study through the first chapter of Romans together. I'm sure we will appreciate some background.

Rome was a luxurious city. Reports say it had more slaves than citizens at a time. Its citizens had nothing more to do than eat, sleep and idle around. There were social security measures. The truth is: Idleness breeds abnormal desires. The man God made, He made to tend the garden - to work. Sexual perversion in Rome rose to a height even the western world today envies. This was the normal environment in Rome coupled with the political corruption in the leadership. Right in the midst of all these, Paul wrote to a tiny group of people - Christians.

Rom 1:16 - 17  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

In such an environment like Rome where the norm is far from the truth, hearalds of the gospel face all sorts of things from persecution to ridicule. Fear or shame might be a natural response to persecution and ridicule. But since the gospel is not just some words that we claim to believe, we can act differently in a strange world. The gospel is a deposit in our heart that redefines everything-who we are, how God sees us and our destiny. The gospel is the power of God. It can create and recreate. Those who believe are recreated. It is in this Gospel that righteousness manifests. This is the lifeline of the just.

Rom 1:18-20  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

God doesn't just save those who believe and leave the earth in a cycle of decay, He removes every trace of ungodliness and iniquity. He roots it out and destroy its seeds so it never grows again. He destroys every tradition that holds down the gospel. That is why the Roman Empire fell. That is why Babylon fell. That is why communism fell in Asia. These are just signs of the true cleansing. However, God will not do so unjustly. He has hardcoded His message into nature, history and science. Whoever observes carefully will see. If not, there are messengers. No one will claim ignorance.

Rom 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

This is the beginning of the actual issue and cause. We needed that background to understand. Sometimes, these perversions are not just in the 'city.' They are also in the Church. If not, how come we hear churches ordaining gay ministers or sanctioning gay marriages or honouring divorce requests? These are people who claim to know God. Verse 21 says it is true they know God, but they did not glorify Him as God. It also says they became vain in their imaginations. What does it mean to glorify God as God? What does it mean to be vain in one's imagination?

Glory or glorify is interpreted in many ways. One definition that beats my imagination is "opinion, judgement, view." God has an opinion. He has a view of life. He has a perspective. To glorify Him would be to honour and submit to His opinion and views. Glorifying God as God means letting God take His due position as our source, motivation and focus. Our life has been already planned out by God but we have a choice to fulfill it our fulfil our own plans. He should be the origin of our ideas, the basis for our decisions and the person we aim to please. When we miss this something fundamentally goes wrong - our imagination becomes vain.

Vain means "fruitless, empty, purposeless, foolish, without truth, without momentum, without success, without result." Those are heavy words. Remember that until God spoke, the earth was void and formless. It is exactly the same. When men turn deaf ears to God's opinion and perspectives, everything, no matter how glorious (Solomon testifies in Ecclesiasis) becomes void. God is the definition of purpose. In Him we live, move and have our being. Outside Him is death, darkness and futility. But that is not all.

We are yet to define imaginations. Imagimations are not merely pictures in our mind. They are there trafic lights of our destinies. Our life moves in the direction of our imagination. Bible dictionary uses many words to describe imagination. I took particular interest in five of them "thoughts, doctrines, purpose, teaching, speech." Without explaining what each means, we know that, when we ignore God, we think purposeless thoughts; preachers preach doctrines void of TRUTH. Before we know it, individuals act based on these, then families, then cities then nations.

Rom 1:24-25 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Because people willingly chose to ignore God, allowed them to be led by their vain imaginations. Because God is out of the picture men cannot but abuse their bodies. The body is the temple of God. Ignorance of this causes abuse and living short of purpose, Godless men consider the body as just ordinary and treat is as such. Only a relationship with God will reveal the purpose of something, even our bodies. They do not know the purpose of the body because they are cut off, so they abuse it and defile it. They begin to dishonour it. All sins are without the body, but sexual sins are sins within against the body. They are fulfillment of the desires of the body. Worship is the fulfilment of the desires of the worshipped one. These indicate that men with a perverse perspective of sexuality worship what is created than who created all.

Rom 1:26-27  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

This, apart from Sodom and Gomorrah and the Law of Moses is the most explicit mention of homosexualism in the Bible. A society that removes God gradually leaves room for unimaginable evils. And sexual perversion is not left out. Sexual perversion, especially when the law recorgnizes it and the people defend it and celebrates it is the height of unrighteousness. Sin has filled such a city to the brim and spilling over as sexual perversion. Remember Babylon in Revelation? Adultery was her signature.  Homosexuality is the mother of transgender issues. Adultery is the mother of divorce. I also strongly believe divorce and remarriage with mature kids is the portal for incest. Irrespective of what form sexual perversion takes, they all have their roots in ignoring God. Although the tree might have grown so tall and its branches are so far from its root that men can't easily trace it, the truth remain - the devil is the father of all evil.

Rom 1:28-32  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

An attempt to explain this will only be an emphasis on all we have been saying. An addition is that, even onlookers who enjoy watching and are not really partakers will face the same judgement. We cannot hide, it is either we let the gospel change us and save us or we face consequences.

I would love to end on the a note of hope. The gospel is the power of God. He can keep us in such a cruel world as He kept the Christians in Rome. Even more, He can pull down these strongholds by our hands if we keep at the gospel. Rome fell because of the gospel. Babylon fell because of God's purpose. The Iron Curtain of Communism fell so the Gospel can travel. The Gospel is the power to keep us, save us and save our world.