Virginity Series Part 3

1. Yes, you made an error in judgement somewhere along the line

2. Pursue the case legally rather than engage in self harm. There would be jeers, snide remarks. Expect these. Do not expect to much from the formal process of seeking justice.

3. People do stupid things sometimes. This is one of them.

4. If your embarrassing personal information is out there, openly discuss what happened. Don't keep it a secret.  If you're comfortable posting the pictures, or having a somewhat  revealing photo shoot , do so.

5. Repent and ask God's forgiveness. For yourself and your enemies.

6. It's bad, but remember in some cultures certain things might be considered normal. Eg nudity

7. Continue working towards your goals. Remember however, such news or happenings might follow you as you do so. The road may be difficult but not impossible with God. Believe in him.

8. A support group might be necessary. Assess if it helps to not.

- Lack of privacy and social media

-Lack of respect from other people and for your body

-std risks higher. Examples of stds

-Probability of getting side tracked and not achieving your goals

-As a Christian, no testimony of God's  salvation

-Bad feeling of breaking God's word

-etc

-Photos, etc. Gossip.

The problem of embarrassing info 

-tricked by the other person into compromising situations

-Yes, it's extremely embarrassing

-You feel bad because 

-Everyone else is not like this. It's only you.

-If drugs, drinks involved, multiplying problems

-The law can only do so much, prosecuting doesn't take away the hurt

-You have no idea where to go from here or what to do

- Belief your only option is discontinuing or changing place of  education, work etc.

-Shame

-Test for std/pregnancy

-Humiliation

-Anger (you were tricked and helpless)

-Ruin

-Mental problems/self harm

-Unsympathetic people who don't care about your plight or who openly show they're happy about it

-You don't know why this happened

This write up was previously intended as a discussion topic at church.

OUTLINE:

What is Virginity?

Is it an embarrassing word? Yes.

The Bible's focus on casual sex, premarital sex, ethics, adultery.

 Can or should a Christian engage in these?

What are the advantages?

Disadvantages?

1. Advantages of casual sex:

a. It feels good (lust of the flesh)

b. You might be popular (or not)

c. You feel attractive

d. You feel liked (might not be true)

2. Disadvantages of casual sex:

a. Higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases (stds)

b. You might be unpopular and called names

c. The boy/girl/your partner might dislike you

d. You might feel unattractive

e. Other unexpected consequences

f. Makes it harder to remain celibate

3. Advantages of sex when you're old enough and married:

a. It's God ordained. Genesis 2/3

b. Helps prayer, not hinders it

c. Leaves room to do other things without condemnation

d. Following Jesus' example

4. Disadvantages of married sex:

a. Not easy to have the discipline

b. Within God's word

c. Discussed in the Bible (contexts)

d. Encourages discipline

Dec 12 2020

John 2:25:

“For (Jesus) knew what was in man”

At the wedding in Cana, Jesus performed his first recorded miracle and began his official ministry by changing water into wine. This feat has not been replicated before or after. Why is it so particular?

-Is it because it seems Jesus was encouraging drinking and also drank?

-Is it due to the acclaim he got from the important people who attended the wedding?

-His mother’s first mention as the person behind the miracle? (She made it possible by asking)

-His setting boundaries between personal and public interactions with him?

Any or all of these reasons could be valid.  But there’s a larger picture.

Verse 6:

And there were set there six waterpots . . ., containing two or three firkins apiece.

I’m not sure how big a firkin is, it seems pretty huge. I did an internet search and firkin was defined as about 11 gallons or 41 litres. Each waterpot at this wedding would therefore hold a minimum of 20 to 33 gallons. 

Verse 3:

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

Who are “they” in this context? Was it Jesus and his disciples asking for wine, or the guests? Was Mary requesting wine for Jesus or the other people at the wedding?

Verse 1,2:

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage

Jesus’ mother was first noted as being at the wedding, then Jesus and his disciples were recorded as guests also. One would imply perhaps Mary was more involved with the occasion or celebrants than Jesus was. She also kept track of, or observed, the drinks/food and knew there was no wine. Was she aware of the finances of the couple before or during the wedding? Either way, she knew Jesus could and would do something about it once asked. 

Mary looked at the appearances, knowing Jesus would provide wine even if no one knew how (that’s the “whatever” in verse 5). Jesus looked at the waterpots.

Those waterpots

Why the waterpots specifically? Could Jesus have simply had people bring in more wine which had changed from water elsewhere? Could he have had someone donate plenty of wine to the ceremony? Before the last supper, his disciples were given instructions to speak with a man carrying a water container. This shows the water/wine could have been brought in from outside had he wanted . 

The coin and the fish is another example of his supernatural provisions. This time, he didn’t change another natural substance into a coin, it was simply waiting to be discovered inside the fish.

It’s often asked, why do babies act drunk after ingesting a lot of food (milk or baby formula)? I’ve observed this myself and know the satisfied, satiated look they have when full. It IS similar to behavior observed after drinking. I’m wondering if the babies display the same in the womb only no one is there to observe it. Vis a vis the amniotic fluid, assuming they ingest enough.

If you have an idea where I’m going with the write up, yes, the waterpots can be compared to the mother’s womb. What is in man is the nature he was born with, regardless if he does or doesn’t understand himself (or herself). Jesus knew what was in man means he understood man’s nature at his creation. We often think of “creation” as the moment of conception, while this may be true, it also refers to the environment in which the infant is shaped before birth.

Turning the water into wine is definitely about the new birth, but we might not understand the methods used. A new nature, character beyond our birth circumstances and genetic (generational) disposition is the basic water which got enriched into wine. What is in us is transformed into something much more. And this gives us the strength we need to follow him. 

A Narrative of Two Residences

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine

Originally  “A Tale of Two Residences”, the heading  was changed to something less reminiscent of the well known novel.

A narrative of two residences is based on two particular homes where I grew up in the eighties. The significant difference between both my homes was their placement at opposite ends of the socio- economic continuum. Putting it plainly, one seemed richer and more luxurious than the other.

I had two residences because I had lived with both parents in their separate homes. My background was such that I had always only known of my parents not living together, dad was in Africa (Nigeria) and mum was in the west. My dad used to be around, in distant, infant memory perhaps, but it wasn’t a memory I found relatable until I actually “returned” to Nigeria then after a few years of “mum and dad”, the situation reversed and I now lived with dad and only saw mum occasionally when she moved mountains to reach us. 

In Nigeria of those days, this was an unusual situation, most homes had both parents and I was the odd one out. I didn’t realize exactly how odd this was until I went to live with my mum in much humbler settings. Her limited means were stretched to more limits and luxuries were not affordable. Our lean abode was nothing like my dad’s rather more plush surroundings in the suburbs. I didn’t mind the difference because I was just happy our enforced separation had made way for unity and a seemingly peaceful resolution of conflicts. I considered it a win-win situation, so what if my contradiction in surroundings was confusing and awkward? One side richer and the other side not so rich? What were my friends supposed to think? What were people supposed to say? I didn’t know and didn’t worry about it, especially as there was no middle ground I knew of in this situation.

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God

A familiar verse which describes my tale. The distance between my two surroundings was almost similar to the distance described as separating one from God through sin. In summary, a distance can make a difference, and to close this gap requires a greater effort than we might realize.

Today, when I think of what I can afford property wise, obviously it might not be as fancy as what I would like to be able to afford. But  my main focus now is having the ability for it, not only wanting a grander structure, but appreciating what I am actually able to get. And of course, designing the interior is an added bonus for me.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him

Sometimes it appears  everyone is literally about  me. It feels out of sorts sometimes, when I wonder what’s so important and why can’t they be about giving me money. <<throws hands in the air but I do care>>.

I know I’ve been lost. At this time, it’s a given. Gone far from people’s expectation, from personal expectations, into what I need instead of what I want. I don’t always understand why I’m lost or why it’s so hard to just be what's expected. My only logic here is God knows.

So while I try to figure out where I stand and what I am (it's embarrassing to still  wonder about that <<throws hands in air again>>). I try to do other things in between. Hey, get enthusiastic about cleaning! I tell myself. 

After starting this piece with two different bible verses, I settled on the heading as the most appropriate. I find as I grow older, my repertoire of “words I can avail myself of” gets somehow more restrictive. This is either I  have more awareness of what I say, or other people place more importance on my utterances. It’s a rather uncomfortable feeling.

Why did I choose this verse? I don’t know. I just like the sound of it. It reminds me of the mysteries we’re unaware of, the people we don’t know but who are important to us. Or for us. With people of my persuasion, the words “to” and “for” in the preceding context, can not be exchanged. Since the reasons for use might not vary like with other, normal people.

Nothing new to me.

**edited and proofread now**

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Any resemblance to  person/s or event/s outside my specific experiences and context, is coincidence. I can't emphasize this enough.

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Still on  hiatus for a month,  trying to not do things like scratching my toenail then biting my fingernails immediately after. Yuck, ew yuck.

Mark 6

And . . . he departed into a mountain to pray.

47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

There was much to wonder about in this scripture. I'll point out two things:

1.  Verse 47: He (Jesus) was alone in the land.

2.  Verse 51:  He joined them on the ship and the wind ceased.

Jesus was alone, by himself while the others were together elsewhere doing group things.

However, the disciples were not finding it easy, they were working hard  but had harsh and difficult weather.  Conditions were bad and their efforts were not yielding good results.

It was calm where Jesus was (alone on land), not so with his disciples. 

Jesus went out to meet the disciples as they were struggling at sea, and the climate adjusted with him. The wind   ceased and the atmosphere he had on land, followed him to the boat. 

So even when he was alone, personalized weather conditions followed him wherever he went. He controlled the weather, it did not control him.

And he was alone praying, but conditions elsewhere were in turmoil. Needing his assistance  and peace which he freely gave.

There are three main actors in this story.
 

Adam
 

Eve
 

The serpent
 

We have Adam at the top of the hierarchy, Eve as his helper, and the serpent present in the garden for some reason unknown to us. Possibly as an animal (albeit a talking one).  We do not know if the serpent was considered a wild animal or a domesticated beast, I guess it's wild, but could still communicate with humans as if it was tame.
 

For plants:
 

There is a certain mystery.
 

In Genesis 2,  God created plants, herbs, trees. Man was to till and take care of the garden, which was planted with trees.
 

 "5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
 

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
 

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
 

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed."

One of Adam's responsibilities was to till the ground, however, this did not apply to the garden (perhaps), as God had already created it and planted the trees before placing him there.
 

"9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food
 

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
 

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat"
 

So, before the fall, God specifically told Adam to eat from the trees. While after the fall, Adam was told herbs would be his food.
 

"And unto Adam he said, Because u hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
 

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field"

For some reason, eating the "herbs of the field" was part of the consequences of the fall. Compare to God's previous instructions for Adam to eat from every tree in the garden. Now he must eat the lesser plants, which while a step above eating grass is still not as nourishing as  food from the trees in the garden.
 

There is no mention of herbs in the garden of Eden, even if they were present. Herbs were however  mentioned in the rest of the earth, outside the garden. Herbs (regular plants used in horticulture) were therefore part of the grand plan for later after humans had populated the earth and Adam was done with his work in the garden. While inside the garden however, he was to eat from the trees God had specifically planted there. (Reference: Daniel 1: 5, 12, 15).
 

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so".

We often consider the creation  account in Genesis as as a duality, light/darkness, earth/sky, night/day, etc. It ID mostly in multiples of two- Gen 1 :16 (creation of sun and moon), evening and morning, night and day, male and female.

God began creation as a duality. These were the building blocks for earth. The first two days emphasize this. On day three, God created organic matter, starting with plant life. Let’s go back a little and look at the sequential order.

Day 1: Light/darkness

Day 2: Creation of the firmament, or division of the waters by a third

Day 3: Earth appears as dry land, the beginning of organic matter (plants)

On the third day, life begins.

Day 4: Creation of the sun and moon to regulate life (and also day and night). Plants/trees are photosynthetic meaning they process light as food. How these lights were different from the lights previously mentioned, are another topic. However, they were created, whereas the original lights were not.

Day 5: Creation of living creatures that move.

Day 6: Creation of Man. The third day after day 3 of God’s work.

A check of this chapter shows the trilogies which form the base after the twofers. Pardon my occasional use of weird sounding words. I’ll edit at some point.

Man was created on day 6, three days after day 3. Refer to Rev 13:18 where 6 is referred to as the number of man. For emphasis, threescore is also mentioned in that verse (threescore). Showing a created process. Jesus rose the third day, in a new form that transcended his earthly one.

Day 7: God rested after all his work. So after day 6 comes a pause. In creation, there are multiples of three, then a break. After which the living things begin to thrive and engage in their environment. The nature of the engagement, whether good or bad, is the sum total of activities depending on the choices made. As demonstrated in the garden of Eden.

People ask:  “Why did God place a tree in the garden that would tempt Adam and Eve?”  

The realistic context is the ecosystem there. If their actions were inevitable due to the fact they had the ability to choose, and therefore chose to fall, it stands to reason God knew of their organic weakness beforehand. Eve was from Adam and she ate the fruit. Adam realized his own weakness and joined her to do the same even though his excuses afterward still showed up this fact.

In conclusion, a quick recap of the dual and triple building blocks in Genesis 1 (outlined in this writeup):

As mentioned:

Dual: Light/darkness, night/day, sun/moon, God/spirit of God, earth/sky, water/dry land, male/female

Triple: Formless/void/darkness, waters above/firmament/waters below, vegetation/herbs/trees, great sea creatures/fish/fowl, beast/cattle/creeping thing.

Single: Man, later divided into male and female, with God as the third person (or first). However, the serpent interjected itself to form their triple base, but was removed from this position and acquired the status of enmity after the fall. The post was no longer open until Jesus reinstated it to put humanity in order.

Coming up: a brief mention of earth's position in Genesis

*All references and names used are strictly from the Bible perspective only and used in exposition for preaching. No resemblance to present actual persons is intended*

Jesus had twelve disciples. This writeup is focusing on one

Nathanael

Nathanael is mentioned in the book of John, when Jesus first called him.

His initial response when encountering the saviour was, can anything good come out of that place? Meaning could anything worthwhile be produced by that town in terms of human capital. Possibly the place had a bad reputation.

But Jesus response was noteworthy. “Behold a man in whom is no guile!” John 1:47

Remember God sees the heart, not only the outward appearance. No guile refers to Nathanael’s character, personality, spiritual traits which would be used for the kingdom. He was dependable and could be relied on to speak the truth bluntly and without prejudice. This was the raw material Jesus would work with as he built and mentored the disciples into ambassadors for his work.

What if Nathanael had guile? It wouldn’t necessarily be a negative if he allowed God to utilize this trait into a positive. But that could only happen if he was not ready to take charge of modifying this personality into a godly one. The disciples all passed through various stages of spiritual growth, the extent to which they were wiling or is it able to yield themselves to Christ might have differed greatly, thank God most of them scaled through. 

The personal decision to follow Jesus was not one to be taken lightly because it involved a character change, the ability to recognize one’s own weakness and lack of understanding and God’s sovereignty. That was why the disciples could not walk on water but Jesus did. Let’s say the water represents the world, which they want to navigate on their own terms . It’s difficult and risky. A way that does not lead to salvation. Jesus calmed the storm and also pulled them up by giving them his own strength, to help them. That is what we as Christians need in our walk with God. We can’t do it by our power because our inbuilt natures (guile or no guile plus many other things) might not lead us where we want to go.

“Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before . . . when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.”

Our Lord was very particular about what he saw under and on fig trees. One particular fig tree produced on fruit, and was specifically mentioned because of that. This fig tree, in Cana, provided shade to a disciple even though the person did not know it at the time. Thus this building block of the mission was in place for Jesus to show his mighty works at the wedding there, which also marked the start of his ministry. He turned water into wine using actual fruit, after he had harvested the symbolic fruit earlier on.

The Nathanael narrative begins and ends the book of John. 

In John 21, Nathaniel is with the other disciples and they are fishing. No fruit and fruit trees this time, but actual fishing which Jesus blessed and showed them how to reap a bountiful harvest. He also fed them, thus establishing the fact God does provide for the needs of his followers who are saved by his grace. Just as rain is for everyone, so also are God’s bounties the same way.

REFERENCES ARE FROM THE BIBLE, ANY RESEMBLANCE  OR CORRELATION TO  AN ACTUAL PERSON OR THEIR NAME/S, IS COINCIDENTAL.

John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

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

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

"The Word" in the first verse has often been the subject of debate, I assume. Or perhaps not.  The consensus is pretty much it refers to Jesus.

It is also believed to be a reference to the creation account in Genesis 1 (again with the Genesis for me). 

Both conclusions are right.

Genesis 1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

I'll be quoting Jesus direct words, sometimes without mentioning the exact bible  verse.

"For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth".

I'd have liked to pause here and see if anyone has an idea where this is going. But nevermind.

Another verse:

 "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren"

It seems like Jesus was referring to a non-believer in that passage, when in actual fact he was talking to one of his most trusted disciples. 

Why would he imply his disciple was not converted? And how did the disciple eventually get converted? One would think these words applied better to Paul, for instance, not Cephas. Can one assume Paul's ministry was to reach the gentiles while an important part of Cephas' ministry was to strengthen the brethren? That would also explain why Paul's writings seem more prominent in the New Testament compared to Cephas.

Moving on.

The issue of Jesus betrayal

 "And he said, I tell thee . . . the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" 

"But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.

 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And (he) said, Man, I am not.

And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him . . .

 And (he) said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew".

Here is another Word, and possibly the reference for John 1:1.

The people involved in creating the conditions for this new throwback to Genesis 1 are a maid and two men.  With Jesus and the disciple providing the soil and  machinery respectively to build it. 

This was a different kind of word, originating in suffering and not in rejoicing we saw in Genesis 1. Jesus predictions were fulfilled, and why did he make these predictions? Because it was necessary in order to build his kingdom. Repentance is an integral part of salvation, it was something  the disciples needed in order to be converted and strengthened in their work. It was also necessary for the move of the Holy Spirit. The words the disciple spoke, denying Jesus, were the opposite of the words spoken at creation, but would establish a new kingdom in the world.

His words did not bring light, but rather there was darkness, showing the fallen nature of man. In this condition of chaos, creation was reinvented, only not in the way we know it. The spirit moved and God was finally able to rebuild.

 John 18:

"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world" .

We cannot understand the mystery behind the workings of God, we can only speculate and pray for wisdom. But what generally sums it up are the events  at Calvary.