He is VICTOR

So God is winning.

Seems like I'm getting a lot of encouragement with school. Its not a done deal that I'm gonna do great... I already messed up my chances of excelling. We'll have to see though... I wonder what will happen. But I'm not going to let my mind dwell on that.

Another thing that shows me that God is winning... are all these amazing opportunities that keep presenting themselves. Last night I talked to my neighbor L.T. (first real talk) and it led into our beliefs. It was intense... we talked for maybe 2 hours. All I kept doing in my head was praying for words, for him to have an open heart, and that I'd be patient. It felt very much like we were talking in circles... but I can see that there may be some conviction in there. It wasn't easy and I saw no immediate results... but praise God that He even gave me that opportunity to speak the REASON I live! It was a testimony even to myself!

Also... my heart feels more whole recently. Not wandering off in its own thoughts... the deceits that it would place in me. No. Right now I feel clear minded and I'm not sure why. God's blessing of course... and I pray and hope that it continues this way.

Just thought I'd give my update :)

The STORM

The storm is coming...

So yeah. I feel like I'm getting hit by a full blown attack... all in one week.

Lets see:
-Car got broken into... had to fight the anger that wanted to consume me. It was definitely a battle to keep my mouth pure and to keep from sinning in my anger.
-Saw my ex. Sounds funny huh? Its not that I'm angry at him or anything... but I was in shock. It brought up bad past memories and a peeled a lot of scabs that I thought I had gotten over.
-Anxiety with school and work. For some reason my anxiety with school and work has been worse and worse these past few weeks... and the moment I make ONE bad decision... my grave gets deeper and deeper.

I'm pleased to say God is going to win in this battle... and He will be with me in the storm. I just direly need prayer. More for the anxiety over school and work. I need direction and I've been praying like crazy. I DON'T want to misrepresent by not working at it as if working for the Lord... but there's no passion for school like I have when I'm studying the Lord. Is that a lame excuse? If so I'm sorry. Its just the truth and its how I feel.

I feel the past depression I use to have, creeping up on me. I want to escape through sleeping. I told someone today how church and Killeen is like a drug to me. Its my escape from the reality that I have responsibilities on other days.

Again. I need prayer. Advice maybe? I dont know.

rawr.

The First Adam and the Last Adam

So I've always heard of Jesus Christ being called the "Last Adam" yet I never really took the time to try and understand what that means. Well last night while I was having a conversation over the prophecies with Lee I stumbled upon a site that had some AWESOME input and info on the differences and similarities between Jesus and Adam. I'll go ahead and put it down:

by Russell Grigg

The Bible presents Adam as the first man, and gives the Lord Jesus Christ the curious title of ‘the last Adam’ (1 Corinthians 15:45). What does this term mean, and why is it given? What are the similarities between Adam and Jesus that warrant Jesus having this title? What are the differences?

Adam and Jesus compared

1. A miraculous beginning

The Bible tells us that the first man, Adam, was created by God, in His image and likeness, directly from the dust of the ground. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:7). Thus, Adam was not the product of some form of theistic evolution.¹ God did not make him in the image or likeness of an ape, nor from a ‘lower hominid’ by any lengthy or even abrupt mutational processes.² Rather God created Adam as an immediate act, by His word (i.e. by commanding or willing this to happen), at some time on the sixth day of Creation week.³

While Adam was made in the image of God, Christ is ‘the image of the invisible God’ (Colossians 1:15).

The Bible tells us that the last Adam, Jesus Christ, was the One through whom God created all things (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:2). Thus Jesus was pre-existent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit before Adam lived (John 8:58; Micah 5:2).⁴ Nevertheless, in His humanity, He too had a miraculous beginning when He was incarnated as a human being—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20–23; Luke 1:26–35).

2. Perfect, innocent, holy

Adam was created a perfect man, in full possession of all human faculties, and with a God-consciousness which enabled him to have spiritual communion with God. Initially innocent, sinless, and holy, he was in a right relationship to God, to woman, to himself, and to the natural world around him.

The last Adam, Jesus, was also perfectly man, one with God (John 10:30; 17:21-22), innocent, sinless, and holy (Hebrews 7:26). Many people mistakenly refer to Jesus Christ as the ‘second Adam’, a term not found in the Bible. However, Scripture refers to Christ as the ‘second man’ (1 Corinthians 15:47). There have been many men since Adam, but Jesus Christ was only the second man to ever be completely without sin.

Unlike the first Adam, the Lord Jesus was, in addition, divine, having the attributes, offices, prerogatives, and names of deity. Being fully God, He is worthy of worship (e.g. Revelation 5:11–14).

3. Humanity’s head

Adam was the head of the human race. Jesus Christ is the head of redeemed humanity (see, for example, Ephesians 5:23). Since Christ died once for all time (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28; 10:10–14), there will never be the need for any further ‘Adam.’ Hence He is the last Adam.

4. Both givers of life

The first Adam gave life to all his descendants. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, communicates ‘life’ and ‘light’ to all men, and gives eternal life to those who receive Him and believe on His name, giving them ‘power to become the sons of God’ (John 1:1–14).

5. Two rulers

Adam, representing mankind, was given dominion over the created world (Genesis 1:26). After being raised from the dead, Jesus Christ was elevated to God’s right hand, and given dominion over all things, which were ‘put under his feet.’ (1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:20–22). The first Adam was lord over a limited domain, the last Adam is Lord of all (Acts 10:36).

6. A deep sleep produces a beautiful bride

Genesis 2:21-23 tells us that God put Adam into a deep sleep, during which time God made Adam’s bride, Eve, from Adam’s side—a wound in Adam’s side produced a bride! Note that once again theistic evolution is excluded. The text says that God made them male and female at the beginning (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 19:4). If Adam and Eve had been sub-human before God breathed life into them, they would already have been male and female, without the need for God to have made them so at this stage.

After the last Adam, Jesus, died upon the cross—suffering the sleep of death for everyone—His side was pierced by a spear thrust (John 19:34). In His death he paid the penalty for mankind’s sins (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). Those who repent and put their faith in Him are united with Christ in a relationship which the Bible likens to that of a bride towards her husband (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:6–8). Thus a wound in the last Adam’s side also produced a bride—the true Church!—‘a glorious bride, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing … holy and without blemish’ (Ephesians 5:27).

7. A momentous testing

At the beginning of Adam’s life he underwent a period of testing as to whether or not he would obey God.⁵ ‘And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die’ (Genesis 2:16–17).

At the beginning of the last Adam’s ministry, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (or tested—Greek: peirazò) by the devil (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1).⁶

8. A great failure and a great victory

The first Adam failed the test, and in doing so involved all humanity in his defeat, dragging the human race down with him.⁷ As a result, in Adam we all stand condemned, spiritually bankrupt, enslaved to sin, and expelled from Paradise (Romans 5:12 ff.).

The last Adam, Jesus, was victorious over sin, the flesh, and the devil. As a result, in Christ, believers stand justified and redeemed, spiritually wealthy, liberated from sin, and included in the Paradise of God (Romans 5:18 ff.; 1 Corinthians 15:21 ff.; Revelation 2:7).

9. Disobedience vs obedience

The first Adam disobeyed God. The last Adam was ‘obedient unto death, even the death of the cross’ (Philippians 2:8).

10. Judgment and death

The first Adam experienced the judgment of God—he ultimately died and his body turned to dust. Because of his sin, death came upon all men, ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

The last Adam, Jesus Christ, also died—on the cross—to atone for sin (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 2:9). But He did not stay dead, nor did His body ‘see corruption’ (Acts 2:27; 13:35–37). On the third day He rose again, thereby overcoming the devil and the power of death for all those who believe in Him (Hebrews 2:14), and bringing resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:22-23).

11. Curse and restoration

Creation was originally ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:31), so the ‘last enemy’, death (1 Corinthians 15:26) was absent. Even the animals were originally all given plants to eat (Genesis 1:30). The actions of the first Adam brought a reign of death and bloodshed upon a once-perfect world, which ever since has been groaning in pain (Romans 8:22).⁸ Precisely because of the blood shed in death by the last Adam, this curse of death and bloodshed will be removed, and creation restored to a sinless, deathless state (Revelation 21:1; 21:4; 22:3).

Conclusion

We are all connected with the first Adam (the natural and legal head of the human race) as depraved and guilty sinners, and so are included in the sentence of death which God pronounced on him. However, all who are connected with the last Adam, Jesus, through repentance and faith in His redeeming work, are forgiven, have ‘received the free gift of righteousness’, and so ‘have passed from death to life’ (Colossians 1:14; Romans 5:17; 1 John 3:14).

Isn't that awesome?? Here's a link to the site I found it if you want to look at the references:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i1/adam.asp

Well hope that entertained yall as much as it entertained me... there's just sooo much to know about the bible!!

Desire...

"...my indwelling sin stands in the way of my full satisfaction in God... it perverts by making me think I am pursuing joy in God when, in fact, I am in love with his gifts."

That's a quote from a book I'm starting to read "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper. Its interesting... because it's so true. How often do we FOOL ourselves into thinking we're completely in love with God, yet when certain situations arise we cast blame on Him or don't even turn to Him at all. A love so conditional... why call it love at all?

I don't mean that we shouldn't love Him. Oh man... we should love Him with our every breathe, our every expression, our EVERYTHING! I just mean... we shouldn't be so conditional in our love. He tells us how to love Him in 1 John 2:5 "But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him."

Obedience.

That's a tough word to swallow. Something everyone has always struggled with... whether it was in school, with parents, with authority... with God. Why is it so hard? Because it calls for one to humble their pride and listen to another... to put selfish want out of the way. Self. The one we served since birth learning to serve another.

Today I want to put my self aside. I've been away for too long only to realize the real agony is because I left the one I love for another love... ambition and worldly things. They tore me apart and left me numb... killing me quickly yet torturing so slowly. I want to leave that behind... and give it to God. I want to give it to Beauty Personified...