RESTORING GOD'S GARDEN

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? Isaiah 40:21

This is a topic many in mainstream Christianity will either overlook or get offended with. This is something to me personally so inspiring, so hope filling than any topic ever found in scripture, aside from the fact that Jesus died on the cross to set man free from sin.

The topic of this extensive writing is about the 2nd coming of the Lord which is our greatest hope.

Now before I indulge us into this, let me first state that the only thing that determines your salvation in Christ is the very fact that you believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your sins as you receive what He accomplished at Calvary and follow Him. I am not writing about this topic to question anyone's salvation. Like Jesus told His disciples after the disciples told Jesus about those who are preaching but are not "technically" following with them, Jesus responded saying "For He that is not against us is for us." (Mark 9:40)

Also may I add that due to this topic, this could be a major emotional issue for many concerning their doctrinal perspectives or eschatology. Sad to say, some fellowship did split because of this issue conflicting with the mainstream Christian views we find today. However, it is my intent to "aliven" your hope in Christ's coming, give clearer understanding to WHY God has grafted you into His ultimate plan and purpose in the earth and as Aquila and Priscilla in Acts 18:16, to help show you God's way more perfectly in light of His second coming. I say this not out of ignorance, self righteousness, but as one who has the same love for Christ and His Word.

And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Acts 18:16

What your about to read is, in my opinion, is exactly (if not closer too) what Christ refereed too, the disciples believed and the Apostle Paul proclaimed so zealously every single time they stood to their feet. I personally have counted well over 500 scripture verses from Genesis through Revelation concerning the second coming of the Lord and also well over 500 scriptures from Genesis to Revelation concerning the truth of the resurrection of the dead. Till this day, I am still counting more scriptures pertaining to this issue which all include direct reference, prophecies and shadow and types. I will not go through all those scriptures in this post, not even close to all.

Like I said, this is extensive and it took me nearly 8 hours to type out.

Also don't believe what I write just because I wrote it, but let the Word of God be your verdict.

Here we go...

The same day came to him the Sadducees,which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection(which the Sads. did not initially believe, but it is apparent that Jesus spoke of it of they would not have brought it up.) whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. -Matthew 22:23-32

It is apparent that when it came to life after death, Jesus spoke of the Resurrection of the dead! This was no new doctrine, because it was proclaimed ALL throughout the old Testament. Aside from shadow and types, the Psalms are filled with this truth, Isaiah's prophecies are more consistent with Jesus' second coming and than his first.

The Resurrection of the dead speaks of the time when the dead (literally) shall ALL TOGETHER at the second coming of Christ. We get a glimpse of this even at Calvary right after Jesus gave up His last breath before dying on the cross.

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, Matt. 27:50-52

I believe in light of the following events of what was recorded in history at the Cross of Christ, gives us a sneak peek into what will happen at His second coming!

Mainstream Christian Eschatology Today

Today many preach and believe in the Rapture. Now I wont get to extensive in it, but point blank, the only 'R' word mentioned in the Bible within this context is the word RESURRECTION and NOT Rapture. Many scholars of the Word would give the meaning of Rapture which means the taking away or the transportation of the believer from earth into heaven.

This is highlighted to those who believe in Rapture by only portion in the Bible and that is found in Matthew 24 35-44 which states "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that dayand hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

This scripture also helped create the movie series called "Left Behind". It highlights the common belief today that someday when it comes to the coming of the Lord, people will be taken up to heaven along with those who have died prior and were also taken up to heaven. I am here to make known that the belief of Rapture is FALSE doctrine, it is not true in light of scripture.

The notion of Rapture emphasizes more on the taking away of the saints from earth, rather than the Biblical focal point of Christ coming to earth to make all things new! Not I could, but I wont get into the pre-millennial, post nor present. To me in light of all scripture it makes no difference, because when Jesus comes, He comes. Also no matter what I believe or you, when He comes we will ALL will see and not spend time debating the Word. We will see the full REVELATION of the Word of God, which is Christ Jesus!

However for scholars and teachers of the Word, it is a big deal and by that I do respect greatly.

Many in mainstream rapture belief will dissect the book of Revelation and hold that as a book all to its own. However if you believe in the resurrection, you will see this truth is made self evident from Genesis all the way through Revelation, verse by verse, precept upon precept line upon line, here a little there a little or should I say in some cases...A LOT!

Now as we look back to what we read in Matthew 24, Jesus says the coming of the son of man (Himself, His second coming to earth) will be like the days of Noah. So let us briefly review the days of Noah. This you can read in Genesis 5-9.

In Noah's day, the earth was still corrupt. The Bible states that it repented of the Lord (not meaning sorry, but a changing of mind) that He created man. Sin was loose from the day Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree and sin was spreading and still is, like wild fire!

God told Noah to build an Ark because there was coming a time when God would flood the earth and wipe out those sinful people. Now it never rained on the earth before, so when Noah told others about this flood, they laughed at him, mocked him and said he was a fool. However, Noah obeys God, build the big boat and gets ready to experience a day that has never happened upon the earth before. After 120 years building the Ark the floods came. Whoever was found in the Ark was safe from the flood, but whoever was NOT in the Ark when the flood occurred, were TAKEN in the judgement! Those who were not in the Ark, their lives were TAKEN from them...BY GOD!

So who really was left behind on the earth? Was it the wicked or Noah and his family that was safe in the Ark? It was Noah and his family!

Now before the flood, the Bible mentions how there was those getting married and given into marriage. This is nothing new to us. We may see the increase of homosexual marriages today in America, but this was nothing unheard of in Noah's day. Back then he was dealing with Babylon, a very wicked and sinful kingdom. Later you see the same thing with Sodom and Gomorrah. Back then there were homosexuals, slaves, people doing such unheard of things, sin was running rampid. The reasoning why Jesus mentions this in Matthew 24 about those given into marriage is to emphasize the fact that there was no special thing transpiring out of the ordinary. This further shows or emphasizes that because nothing out of the ordinary was transpiring during Noah's day, the flood came as a total surprise Nothing but the witness through Noah's mouth mounted up to this dreadful and terrible day coming!

Back in the days of World War 2, many thought when Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and even down to Obama, when they began to manifest wicked ways and condoning sinful nature on the earth through their authority, that they were the anit-christ and Jesus was coming right then and there. Guess what...Jesus didn't come and they are not the anti-christ. (The issue of the anti-christ is another topic that I wont discuss in this post, however in today's mainstream Christian way of thinking, it is a False interpretation.)

When the Lord comes, NO man will know the hour or time, this is clear in scripture. Anyone that tries to guess the specific time, is not worth listening to, because the scripture is clear.

Lets see what Paul states. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [speaking of being dead], that ye sorrow not, even as others [unsaved] which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. -1 Thess. 4:13-18

This is another scripture used by Rapture believers, but falsely interpret it. This scripture like many others is a parallel with the example Jesus spoke about concerning Noah's day in Matthew 24.

Paul brings out that there will come a time when those who are dead (asleep) would rise. This is the resurrection!

Let me address why Paul uses the term "asleep" when referring to those dead in their grave.

1. Jesus states this when He is asked tom come to Jarius' house and heal his little 12 yr. old daughter who lies dead and people are there mourning. Matthew 9:23-24 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead,but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

2. All through the Old Testament (before the 1st coming of Christ and Calvary transpired) when those who walked righteous before the Lord died, the scripture says they were put to sleep or rest and was buried. This perhaps is why R.I.P. (Rest In Peace) is written on many tombstones we see. 2Chron. 9:31And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

Dan. 12:2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3. The Bible indicates that NO ONE goes immediately to heaven after they die. John 3:13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he [ Jesus Christ] that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Acts 2:29-30Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. For David is not ascended into the heavens:...

So what does this have to do with Restoring God's Garden?

EVERYTHING!!!

1 Cor. 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

I believe that whatever things God made in the natural bears witness with the spiritual. Paul said in the above scripture, FIRST the natural and THEN the spiritual. There are TWO aspects we will look at. Just how that there are TWO Covenants, the Old and then the New. There are also TWO births God made available to all man kind, first the NATURAL (first) birth, then the SPIRITUAL (second) birth (John 3:3-7). Also there are TWO Adams (the 1st being natural Adam in the Beginning and the 2nd is a spiritual Adam which is Jesus Christ). Also there are TWO comings of Jesus, the FIRST (John 3:16) and the SECOND! See the pattern? God here is working in TWOS. There is needed only TWO people to reproduce and so forth. It is God's pattern and way of bringing forth LIFE! This is why the act of homosexuality is such an abomination to God, because as we read earlier, God is a God of the living and NOT the dead! Homosexuality is not the pattern of God, it does not reflect nor can it reproduce life and whatever God established in the earth, ACCORDING to His pattern should be a witness of the replication of life, this reflecting who HE is and what He is all about!

IN THE NATURAL

God creating the Garden

Genesis 1:1In the beginning God... We must agree that God is in the beginning and also in the end. Rev. 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Bible records that He spoke to the earth, the Spirit (which is God, John 4:24) then moved across the waters and creation began to take place. Practically speaking trees and fish and etc. did NOT float down from the heavens, but it came FORTH out of the earth! Man was formed OUT of the dust or dirt of the earth. God then blown His breath into mankind and creation, allowing His breath to be the spark plug to starting up the engine of LIFE! We have the breath of life within us! It was something given to us by God and not conjured up within our own self. Why? Because death can not make life! Life is absent of death and death is absent of life! There is no gray areas, not alternatives, no exception to the rule. Death is death and life is life! This is why when Jesus took on the sins of the world at the cross, God turned His face from Him. Why? Because God is life and the wages of sin is DEATH(Rom. 6:23 ). This is why Jesus asked the Father, "Why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:45-50 ). But praise God the story doesn't end there! Jesus rose again!

There was a seed in the earth that God placed there, so that when He spoke, fruitfulness and flourishing came forth OUT OF THE EARTH!

Consider the times Jesus spoke in parables, such as found in Matthew 3 concerning the issues of sowing seed. Also there is much references made in scripture about harvest, fruitfulness planting, reaping and so on. This is because God has set up a pattern, not only for how we can live fruitful lives in this life, but these are glimpses of the greater harvest God will come to receive AT HIS SECOND COMING!

Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,...

This portion of scripture should be familiar to us, because this is what Jesus read one day in the temple.Luke 4:15-21 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The reason why the people's eyes were fastened or focused upon Jesus after reading that except from Isiah is because that portion was to not be read in the synagogue unless that person reading it was the promised Messiah. By Jesus making the statement that the scripture that He read and they preserved for the Messiah was now fulfilled, that was Jesus saying in a sense, "I'm the guy you been waiting for" (Matt. 12:42 ). However Jesus stopped reading that portion of scripture from Isaiah for a reason, and that is because in His first coming He was purposed to deliver and set free captives, not only through the healings he displayed naturally (Matt. 11:2-5), but all this leading to the ultimate deliverance and healing that could be found only in the cross!

IN THE SPIRITUAL & LITERAL

God restoring His Garden

The rest of that particular portion of Isiah in which Jesus did not read, has to due with His second coming. Let's take a look in Isaiah 61:2-3 ...and the day [singular]of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

This scripture could have been and perhaps have been overlooked many of times in light of the the resurrection of the dead involved in the second coming of Christ. Isiah says in this portion that THEY speaking of those delivered would be known as trees of righteousness, the PLANTING of the Lord!

When Jesus or you and I who are redeemed ministry the Gospel, we are planting the seed of Gods word!

Now the Gospel of Christ is NOT "Jesus loves you". Though it is a true fact, it is NOT the Gospel The Gospel is the DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION of Christ! If we are followers of Christ, we will follow Him in all that He set for us to follow. In other words, the life of Jesus set the pattern by which you and I will go through. He manifested acts of the Holy Spirit, now we can too through Him. He was mocked and hated, we will be too if we follow Jesus' ways. The same goes concerning His death, burial and resurrection. We are NOT the exception of the rule. We too will die, be buried and later be resurrected! 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.

1 Cor. 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

When we die, we are then buried, just like a seed is buried in the ground! Except a seed is buried in the ground, the plant or a FORM of LIFE will not come forth!1 Cor. 15:36 You fool, that which you sow is not made alive, except it die:

The time will come when "the Head Harvest man" will return, speaking of Jesus Christ! He will once again, AS HE DID IN THE BEGINNING speak into the earth!

When He speaks the dead in Christ shall rise first out of their graves, as a plant or TREE of RIGHTEOUSNESS! Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous... This in no way means you will look like a tree literally, but it is symbolic that we will represent the righteousness (right ways of God).

God will again speak to the earth, not just speak, not a whisper, but He will SHOUT. His mouth IS the trump of God. The trump or trumpet is symbolic for the prophetic voice! The prophetic voice that calls things to be as though they were, will call forth the saints of God, the sheep, the flock, His children, His bride, His CHURCH. These are all some of the terminology for the collective people in Christ.

How will we know the "voice" of God? John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The unsaved wont know the voice of God, because they never walked with Him. This is why a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus is so vital. We must know the VOICE of our Shepherd.

When God will call upon His bride, we shall arise and the trees of righteousness shall come forth! The fruitfulness of the spirit shall arise and we shall meet the Lord in the air! The same way Noah's Ark elevated in the air because of the water flooding the earth, we too shall ascend in the air to meet up with our true Ark, Jesus Christ!

Just like how Jesus ascended in the air after His resurrection, we too shall follow that pattern and rise in the air! His Church, His bride, the saints of God shall be exalted to Him!

Now God promised to never flood the earth, but He never said He would not CONSUME IT!

When we will meet Jesus in the air/ the heavens (plural, not singular), below us God will issue out His judgement upon the earth, ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Not with water, but with FIRE!

THE EARTH CONSUMED

Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

When we take into consideration the wrath God displayed upon the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah in Genesis 19 we see that fire came from the Lord and completely destroyed those cities. Fire didn't come from Satan, but came from God! Look though at what Jesus says in Matt. 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

I believe that the judgment upon the earth will be great and very dramatic and extremely destructive!

When we go back to Noah's day, we discover water came not only from the heavens (rain), but the grounds opened up! Also we see in Moses' day, when the FIRST generation or FIRST BORN followed the way of Korah, Dathan and Abiram they all died. The Bible says in Numbers 16:31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. So here we see the earth opens and later you read the fire of God came form the heavens and sealed the ground shut! (Numbers 16)

It was the SECOND GENERATION (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb who were of a different spirit) inherited the PROMISE LAND. It was the SECOND BIRTH! This is why we MUST be born again in order to SEE the Kingdom of God, to enter into His Rest!

Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. This speaks of God hating the first born and loving the second born. In light of the New Covenant, those who are born again! Though Jacob deceived his father, the promise was given to him. The promise of eternal life are given to those who have been born again, born by the spirit!

If you are born once, you'll die twice. If you are born twice, you'll die once!

I believe the culmination such manifestations will be duplicated and heightened at a much greater degree at that notable and terrible day of the final judgment when God will destroy the wicked from of the earth! This is their destruction, their perishing!

As we are caught up in the heavens with Christ. We will see below us the earth being destroyed. Fires will come from the heavens and the earth will again open her mouth and fire shall come forth! For example, I believe as springs are a witness of what was used in the flooding of the earth, volcanoes just need to hear one word from it's Creator God Almighty, to simultaneously at once, just explode and be used to destroy everything that is on this world. Rom. 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groansand travails in pain together until now.

Why would the earth need to be destroyed? So that the curse of sin, which is death, can be finally destroyed along with Satan and his angels! This is known as the SECOND DEATH!

Rev. 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the seconddeath.

Rev. 20:10,12-15 And thedevil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast (symbolic for governments of this world)and the false prophet (prophetic for false religions) are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw the dead [not those who were asleep, because these people will die and never get back up. These are the wicked], small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Imagine the earth completely covered in water, it would look like a giant lake. Well imagine the earth covered with fire, it would look like a lake of fire!

There will be no burning for eternity, but the judgement God placed upon the wicked was and is eternal, meaning that the judgment will never change upon them. It is FOREVER holding its promise in which it was spoken. God wont change His mind. However He has given all mankind an opportunity to come into the Ark, Jesus Christ before He shuts the door on that day! There will come a time when God will shut the womb of the Church, His Bride, when she can no longer "spiritually" give birth and conceive people into the family of God, in light of the cross!

Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

This verse does NOT implicate demons eating your flesh when you go into hell fire. This verse that mentions weeping and gnashing of teeth implies the facial expression for those who will finally see and witness the reality of Jesus Christ who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE and the fact that they themselves are not with Him!

When Paul gives his testimony of his conversion into Christ, the listener were convicted by what he said and were angry at him. Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. This doesn't mean they turned into cannibals and began eating Paul's skin, but they were angry and their body language involved them gritting or "gnashing" their teeth in anger and complete upset.

You can only image what it will be for those who will arise form the grave AFTER those who were a sleep in Christ, because remember, it is the dead in Christ that shall rise FIRST! For the wicked/unjust, they will see the Lord their in the heavens, along with His angels and His Bride, THE CHURCH, which consist of neither Jew or Greek, male or female, but all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28)!

Once the wicked see the Lord now married and join in union with His bride, their judgment will come...that being fire from the heavens and out of the earth! Is. 34:4And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. Rev. 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

The earth will be destroyed completely, BUT there will be a new earth! Rev. 21:1 And I saw a newheaven and a newearth: for the firstheaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. I believe when it says their is no more see, it perhaps doesn't mean no ocean, but the fact that oceans divide lands, there will be no more division Perhaps since there is a lake or "sea" of fire if you will, there will be no more of that.

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT FIRE!

Though this earth will be destroyed by fire, fire also REFINES! Is.61:3 ...to give unto them beauty for ashes... Is. 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Gen. 50:20 ...ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass , as it is this day, to save much people alive.

I believe the refining word the Holy Ghost does in our life spiritually, is a reflection of the fact that God uses fire to refine and make anew! What was meant for evil, God turned it around for good!

Why We are to be Redeemed in Christ!

In the beginning Eve was the first to partake the fruit and then she handed it to her husband Adam. We know the result of their disobedience. Because of their sin, we needed a Savior and because through man the earth got contaminated with sin. We were all born into sin, thus the need of being born again unto righteousness. All but Jesus was born into sin. Jesus knew no sin within His own self (2 Cor. 5:21). He was born perfect. However Jesus' purpose was to bring restoration to mankind and mankind to bring restoration to the earth! We are used as channels of the saving grace of Christ! This is why we must advance God's Kingdom and righteousness in the earth!

His Kingdom is a people, no so much the architectural structure of a building, but the divine structure of a life created and formed by God! The same way that what makes America, America is not her buildings, but it is her citizens. Wipe out every citizen in America and America will cease to exist.

However, Eve was Adam's wife that scripture says was created out of His side! God reached into Adam's side after putting him to sleep momentarily and brought forth Eve. When Adam saw her he said, "This is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh". Eve was like Adam. They were MALE and feMALE! Both the same species, same nature, body, soul and spirit. This could be found in no other creature, but only human beings.

Since woman at the fruit, her purpose changed and so did man's responsibility. Now if we fast forward to Jesus, we see God beginning to restore the woman through the Church, the Bride of Christ This is spiritual, not natural.

When Jesus was finally persecuted and beaten as part of His punishment and to be crucified, there was one more final blow Jesus' body had to take. God through the spear of a Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side! Again we see God, the Father at word, performing surgery so that the Bride of Christ might come forth! Glory!!! The Bible states that blood and water came form Jesus' side when punctured! As we discussed earlier, you must be BORN AGAIN, they who are born of water and spirit! It is by Jesus' shed blood be are saved and LIFE is in the blood!

The life of the Church began at the cross! Once you receive salvation at Calvary's cross, you're saved! Jesus took your place, that you might have life!

RESTORING GOD's GARDEN

1 Cor. 3:9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

Husbandry is what you doin a field or garden. It means the cultivation and production of edible crops or of animals for food; agriculture; farming.

Eve was a co-laborer with Adam and so we are also co-laborers with Christ! Why was Eve a co-laborer with Adam? So they can work and ADVANCE the Garden of Eden through their seed. They were called to take dominion over the earth!

Now that the scene has been set at the cross, you and I are called to cultivate and ADVANCE God's Garden, by taking dominion over principalities and powers of darkness and speaking the Kingdom God all over the world!Eph. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel [The death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ] to every creature.

We are called to put our hand to the garden plow and go to work and do not look back at the life He delivered you out from! Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

If you look back at the life before your second birth, the life of sin and worldliness, you will then loose sight of the the purpose and part you play in God's ultimate plan of restoring His garden and the habitation of what it was like living in a world where neither sin nor death abound!

Luke 23:28-43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

In this verse when Jesus is speaking to the thief on the cross who asked to be remembered the comma in this translation is misplaced. You must remember in the original manuscripts of scripture, there was no punctuation or commas, etc. Jesus was not telling the thief that at that very day he would be in "heaven", but rather Jesus said he was making it known to the thief that day in which the thief asked Jesus, that he would be remembered and will be with him in paradise.

Paradise is a Persian word that means a park or garden!

Matt. 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Like the thief on the cross, he asked to be remembered or in heart asking to be RE-MEMBERED. This speaks of a putting together again. This speaks of restoration. Not only at the cross are we RESTORED back into fellowship with God, but at the cross we are RESTORED so that you and I may RESTORE God's Garden again, but planting the garden of God's Word and Life in the hearts of all who we come about! Christianity is NOT about heaven or hell, but it is about LIE and DEATH.

I pray and do hope that through this you see the massive picture and plan of God's redemptive purpose through Christ and our lives in Him! If anything this should strengthen your hope more in Christ and all that He has provided and purposed to you!

You and I are created to be RESTORING GOD's GARDEN!

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

1 Thess. 4:17 ...and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

God Bless

Additional Questions and Answers

What about those who died and claimed to go to heaven or hell? They may have had a vision (that's biblical , but they themselves NEVER died and entered into those places literally. I believe this is more emotionally based, because it is not found in the Bible. The Apostles has had vision to where they were caught up, but they were just visions. I believe the visions are true, but we must not make them doctrine in and of themselves. We must stick to the written. word of God.

Also no one is in heaven looking down at you. If heaven is sinless, then why would they want to view your life that is in or around sinfulness? Would that really be "heaven"?

Also heaven is a realm and not a geographic place in the sky. When the Bible refers to the heavens, it speaks of the throne of God. Since God is a spirit, He has no beginning nor end. He is all over at once! There is no beginning to the heavens nor an end, therefore it is the realm of God.

What about Enoch or Elijah? Were they not taken to heaven?

Well as the Bible says we all see through a glass darkly and I am not one who knows ALL the answers.

Though the Bible says God took Enoch so he would not see death and Elijah was taken in a whirlwind, there is still no solid ground that they were taken to heaven.

After reading Hebrews11, known to us as the "Faith Chapter", we are given a list of patriarchs before Christ's time on the earth. Enoch is included in the line up.

Heb. 11:39-40 And these ALL (which included Enoch), having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The word Perfect in this I believe means glorification! Though Abraham, Moses, David, etc. all obtain a good report in the Lord and witness on the earth, they are not YET glorified.

However when that day will come when we see Jesus, we shall ALL TOGETHER see Him!

Concerning Elijah, after the event took place on the mountain top and Elisha received the mantel, the servants asked Elisha if they should go back to look for Elijah IF Elijah did indeed go and dwell in heaven, then Elisha would have responded so to the servants and told them that he was not going to be found. However, Elisha just told them no to go. 2 Kings 2:15-16 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master (speaking of Elijah): lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

Also in2 Chronicles 21, King Jehoram receives a letter of prophecy from Elijah in which some scholars beleive may have been given 10 years or so after the whole event took place on the mountain top with Elisha receiving the mantel of Elijah.2 Chron 21:12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

The reasoning I believe why there was a transition of mantel from Elijah to Elisha was traced back to when Elijah was hiding in the cave scared for his life from Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19). God spoke to him to do some things and Elijah just sat and hid his face in his mantel and under went a time of depression. God then tells Elijah that there are others who never bowed to Baal and so God chooses to take Elijah off the scene and bring in Elisha. God will replace you if you don't obey Him.

Also John the Baptist was one who had the spirit of Elijah as one crying in the wilderness to make ready for the coming of the Lord!