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As a human, we can often feel helpless and feel extreme sorrow in times of loss. In those times, many of us ask why me and if me, is there a God? Why does bad things happen to good people? The answer to this is that bad things happen to ALL people, even a person that's blameless and upright that fears God and shuns evil as was the case with Job. After tremendous loss and affliction he continued to trust in God although he could have felt like he had nothing left. He said that he accepted the good from God and would therefore accept the bad! What we should remember is that the good only comes from God and is our only way of acquiring the happiness we desire; God will restore and soothe those who overcome always. Jesus Christ also endured hardship and similarly, we have an account of the tempting of Jesus in Mat 4:1-11: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Starting with the 1st temptation, the devil tried to take away Jesus' trust in his Father. Reading this account, we have the gift of hindsight and surely angels were coming. Further, if stones were allowed to be turned to be bread, there would have been no need to send the Israelites manna. Jesus utilized the moment and made it known that we need spiritual food. Additionally, the devil shouldn't command Jesus to do anything! Jesus' response to the 2nd temptation seems as if it's a direct response but it generally makes clear that this type of temptation is an act against God. Man can be tested to see if they'll turn away from God in certain circumstances and the devil isn't beyond trickery! We're commanded not to murder and that includes ourself so we must be careful. After putting God to the test for a 2nd time while tempting Jesus, he t old the devil what was written. The devil tried to quote scripture to trick Jesus but was ingeniously outwitted! Jesus' response to the 3rd temptation is genius as well! Clearly not talking to a fool, the devil makes a grand offer which could have been a response to any of the three temptations. In the first two, the devil tries to tell Jesus rather than ask saying "tell these stones to become bread" and "throw yourself down." Jesus doesn't serve the devil and there's no kingdom on this earth worth giving up heaven! Jesus makes it clear that his request is another act against God and a condemnation against himself! Through the devil's tempting of Jesus, we were taught important lessons about the devil such as the devil will attack when you're at your lowest; he'll use lies and trickery; and could even promise you the world (although he'd never deliver); And it's all in an effort to convince you to condemn yourself. In Jesus' life, he was able to see all the splendor of the world but wasn't deceived into thinking that's the way to save God's children. Everyday we see that looks can be deceiving and while it may be very tempting to covet/envy, it can all be gone tomorrow; it many times wasn't really there at all as what we think is there doesn't always exist like the happy couple in pictures we come to find out were always miserable! I believe that we can all think of a person that one day was on top and then suddenly not only are they not on top anymore but were never happy! The Word of God helps us to overcome all obstacles and teaches everyone how to be happy. There isn't any way to find happiness except Jesus as the things on this earth are all fleeting; In sorrow, that is the lesson to be learned. We start to ask ourself what is important? And not everyone finds the answer and that could be why some people never make it out of despair. Some people feel as if they had it all so they don't know where to start again. To everyone I would say let Jesus be your starting point. Once you make Jesus' priorities your priorities, your purpose begins to reveal itself. Jesus gave us a guide for how to live and it shouldn't shock anyone that it's how to live happily! Wishing you continued blessings and please feel free to share or ask any questions.

John 13:34 New International Version (NIV) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Matthew 19:19 (NIV) "honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Matthew 22:37-40 The Greatest Commandment (NIV) Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Mark 12:29-31 The Greatest Commandment (NIV) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Galatians 5:14 (NIV) For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Romans 13:8-10 Love Fulfills the Law (NIV) Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 1 John 3:23 (NIV) And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 2 John 1:5-6 (NIV) And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. Although it wasn't considered a commandment yet, this is a law found in Leviticus 19:18 (NIV): “ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. It's really amazing how the Bible comes together as this further confirms that we had no life in us before the coming of Jesus Christ. And as soon as we had life, the first Commandment of loving God is extended to loving God that resides within us and therefore loving each other. The commandment to "love your neighbor"may be unclear if Jesus Christ didn't give us the parable of the Good Samaritan. The neighbor as described there is the person with the love of God within them that acted with mercy, not just someone within a certain area. This parable can be found in Luke 10:29-37 and within it we also learn that a christian is expected to have mercy. We should ask ourselves, how would we want to be treated in this situation? What can I actually do given my time restraints? With those questions, we can become like the good samaritan. In clarifying the 11th commandment, this is a good opportunity to clarify some of the other commandments. The commandment not to murder or kill (depending on the translation) is one that many have a hard time with. Although typically translated as kill, the hebrew word ratzah can mean either but considering that even in the Torah there is an exception for wartime, this is best translated as murder. There's some people that consider hunting evil and try to use this commandment as evidence but they've misinterpreted the meaning and many times create a religion out of their diet. The commandment not commit adultery is another one that is confusing for some for different reasons. There are those that see the commitment starting at engagement and others that think it's alright if you receive permission. There are other justifications but let's address these two. At engagement, there's the asking and accepting being married so the fidelity should start at that time. If you want permission, that would have to come from God and you'd still want to discuss it first. Remember in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 that God advises to stay unmarried unless burning with passion so consider carefully before entering this commitment. The commandment to honor your Father and Mother is like a mystery. You might think this one is simple enough and means obey your parents, don't disrespect your parents, as well as make your parents proud by achieving something. I don't think I should answer this one for you but I'll give you something to consider: Jesus says in Matthew 23:9 "And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven." It's also noted that this is the first commandment with a promise as found in Deuteronomy 5:16: " Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you. I hope that you do live long and that things go well with you so although you may have a father on earth and the things he wants are important, those things are gifts once you're not a child anymore. They are based on him being a good dad and not a commandment. These commandments seemed so simple to us as children and you might not see the need to review them again but take a closer look, and you're likely to come up with some questions. If you can share some here, even better as this is a collaborative! I hope I've been a good neighbor and wishing you continued blessings

You may have asked yourself as a kid, where did all the people of the world come from as it couldn't be from only 2 could it? The modern answer to that question is 8 as christians know Noah and his family are the only people that survived the flood but was the answer 8 at the beginning? From the Bible we know of one person that lived in the Garden, the king of Tyre. We know that cherubim were placed at the gate but probably hadn't thought about them living inside and that they could also be corrupted! In Ezekiel 28:12-14 God tells Ezekiel that the king of Tyre was anointed as a guardian cherub and was in the Garden! This was until he allowed his beauty to corrupt him as it says in verse 17 and he was thrown to the earth. And with that, there's another person on the earth! It additionally says that he was made a spectacle before kings. Therefore, we can believe that others fell before him even if it were 3 kings. The prophecy against Tyre begins in Ezekiel 26 and you might gather more insight by reading the 3 chapters. After reading that there was a person in Eden, I revisted Gen 4:17 where Cain made love to wife, but we never learned where it was that she come from? Is it supposed to be as obvious as where does any person come from that's on earth? That's a deeper christian understanding but the short answer is yes. In catholicism, it's referred to as original sin but that's an entire discussion. Currently the question is does the Bible say anything more about the people of Eden and that answer is also yes. In 2 Kings 19:12 as well as Isaiah 37:12, it says the people of Eden were in Tel Assar. Considering that we're aware that 8 can turn into 8 billion, maybe we can agree on 8 as a good starting number of those in the garden. Please let me know if you agree! Praying that you continue to be blessed and connect so we can grow together!

In Genesis, we first get to know man as a steward as expressed in Gen 2:15, The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Then a few verses later in Gen 2:18, The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Adam's work was naming the animals but we can be fairly certain that Adam didn't need any "help" doing that. Therefore, let's consider that before steward, we are priests and there's a service to God that comes first that requires a helper. Gen 3:20 says Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living. At first glance, it seems to reinforce her role as only being child bearing but the revelation comes when we think about the difference between living and being alive. In Luke 9:60, Christ says "Let the dead bury their own dead" further differentiating the difference between being alive and living. Additionally, in John 6:53, Jesus says" Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."{reading through to John 5:58 is worth it} To ensure that his disciples were among the living, Jesus Christ "eagerly desired to eat this Passover" as described in Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Therefore the Passover is a matter of life or death! Or living or dead to be more precise! The Passover is first introduced to most of us in connection to the plagues of Egypt in the time of Moses. In this case, it was a matter of staying alive by placing the blood of a lamb over the door post. The commandment to continue to celebrate the Passover came later but celebrating the Passover is seen as early as in the time of Abraham. In Gen 14:18 it says, Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High. Melchizedek did this as part of blessing Abram and emphasizes that this is the way God shows acceptance. It's clear that this is a custom that all must keep and it's fair to believe that Adam and Eve was no exception. We see in Luke 2:41 that it was the same for Jesus' family. If there's anything Eve needed to help with, it seems to be the preparation of the Passover. To tend to sheep and a vineyard, has to be a lot for any person especially one with the amount of responsibility Adam had and a "helper" would probably be required. Through the story of Cain and Abel, we know that the practice of making offerings to God had been established and that Adam and Eve were taught the ways of God in the Garden of Eden. As we know, Abraham, the father of faith and his wife Sarah is a copy of Adam and Eve where Sarah was barren until blessed by God. We learn in Gen 20:2 that Sarah is Abraham's sister making her bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh and affirming the copy. Therefore it's likely that until God blessed them in Gen 1:28, Eve also could not bear children further emphasizing that childbearing was not her primary role especially since God initially created Adam alone. There's an instruction in 1Co 7:8 to do as God and stay unmarried further confirming its not a command to multiply but a blessing and a secondary role after praising God and taking care of his planet. As we see in Ezekiel 37, God didn't need a woman to create the people of Israel as he didn't need a woman in order to create Adam. John the baptist in Luke 3:8 says that God can make people from stones. Additionally, because God was planning to create a people in the Garden and Adam's role was clearly time consuming already, there would be a need for a teacher and organizer as well as simply someone to record all the names of everything. Maybe this was the first Book of Life. Overall, we could learn about Eve through analysis of Sarah and more about ourselves as so many struggle with purpose. Can you think of any more roles of Eve? By the way, I didn't mention the Passover bread because we don't need any of the women belong in the kitchen rhetoric since we all know men are better chefs, so that can't be the reason for Eve's creation. Do you agree? And if you want to learn about the people of Eden, another post is to come soon so stay connected!

This may seem like an apology and in a way it is. I've invested much of my time into acquiring knowledge to share about the Bible but not enough in learning the art of storytelling. After 3 posts, I needed to explain my way of communicating since I can tell it's a little strange! Coming from a facts and figures based career, I have a tendency to just present the facts to support a hypothesis to finalize decisions. Then there’s the part of me that just wants to get this information out so that we can have a starting point for our conversations. I don’t however want anyone to believe that they have to make a decision about christianity as I believe that you’re probably already a christian if you’re reading this. You may be someone that wants to follow all God’s commands and want information on how to do so. As for me, it’s taken me what would have been an entire life a century ago to put this all together! In my teenage years there were too many demands, I’d say the same for my twenties but I also wanted to be young then and then my thirties reminded me that there’s something that matters above the everyday demands that I need to address. There’s a point where I lived too many coincidences to continue to accept them as such and it was clear that these were lessons and I was going to have to learn them. That’s a tough moment as you recognize the cycles and recognize that you’ve failed a few times at what I can only describe as the same circumstances. So I learned the hard way since I took some bad advice and I know if I help even a few of you, it’ll cause a little less suffering to take place. The earlier you receive this, the better it is for you! This world is forcing children to grow up faster than ever and I’m sorry that instead of adults growing intellectually they’re using what they know to exploit children and prevent their spiritual maturity. If you’re unaware of what God said then you can never ask why God said these things. Definitely there are books that are longer than the Bible and still it seems like a lot to take in! I myself was concerned about overwhelming anyone new to christianity so I thought it was best to save the details till some undetermined time as getting in the basics should come first. At the same time, answering questions about our purpose can help to improve your understanding of yourself and God; It’s empowering and humbling! After 40 years in the desert with many trials, I can say that I could have averted many of them had I taken advice from the Bible rather than people! I also can say that the unanswered questions and inaccurate teachings didn’t help to encourage seeking answers from the Bible. I instead studied metaphysics and read philosophical content that overall says that happiness is found in not connecting with God but with your higher self although your higher self doesn’t have all the answers. If you read you’ll see that there’s things no one can know so you can’t be fooled and that’s one step towards adulthood! Knowing your value is another! These posts are my effort to get you there and although I’m not a storyteller yet, I’m a good researcher and I’m willing to share my personal experiences. I also would like to include your writings so please send an email to b.pachjones@gmail.com if you’d like to post something. In the meantime, I’ll keep posting and I hope you keep this apology in mind as I improve! Wishing you continued blessings

Many Christians see the cross as the symbol of christianity but they may never heard of the sator square. There are articles saying that this symbol is what early Christians used although they haven´t translated it. If we think about the already known customs that are important, the meaning can become clear. Jesus Christ eagerly prepared a Passover seder (or sator) with his disciples (Luke 22:15) and the importance of the passover can be found in the book of Genesis 14:18; the earliest example. Do you believe the Passover is the primary focus of christianity? Have you ever heard of a seder? Other religions call it a ceremony or mass; or some other sort of celebration. The next word in the square is "arepo" and may certainly mean bread. Bread symbolizes the body of God/Christ so it does make sense in this context although the square doesn´t includes the word wine. Are you aware of arepa as bread? Tenet is a word many of us are familiar with as it means principle(s). As we know, Christ asked his disciples to keep the Passover in remembrance of him in Luke 22:19 and therefore I think it's fair to say it's a tenet of christianity. Further, the Passover is described in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy! Instructions include celebrating on the first month, Aviv on the 14th day utilizing the Jewish calendar. On the square, the next clue is the reverse spelling of arepo, the second word and spells "opera". An opera can be translated as celebration and also fits the context. This may be an emphasis to celebrate the Passover; and celebrations are usually annual and that may be related to the word "rotas" that comes next. Since the command for the Passover is for it to be an annual celebration on the fourtheenth day of the first month (Leviticus 23:5) as a sabbath, calling it an "opera" again seems fitting. The third commandment of God is to about the sabbath and the Passover is a sabbath that is also the Last Supper and an important part of christianity making and not just judaism. I have to note the symbolism of all the words coming together at the tenet that forms a cross. The word "rotas" encircling the tenet cross is interesting as it paints a picture that's familiar. Whether forward, backward, up or down, it's the same. I like that as a symbol because God is always the same! And adding to that the reminder of Jesus Christ's gift of sharing his body and blood through the "sator" does give me an additional appreciation of this and the celtic cross symbol. What do you think about the sator square? I suppose if arepo meant wine the square would be easier to accept as a symbol of christianity but maybe it's more about becoming a part of the body of Christ. Following that train of thought, the point of having arepo might be the baptism as that's the initiation into the body. There might be something I missed but any of you can add information. If I emphasized the wine a lot, it's because of Matthew 26:28 that says, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I believe christianity is about forgiveness and none of us should be so arrogant to believe we have nothing to be forgiven for! In Luke 1:77, the knowledge of salvation is through the forgiveness of sins therefore the passover has to be important. A perfect symbol of christianity might be asking too much since we're all still waiting for that! Is the sator square close enough? I pray you continue to be blessed and that you gained insight! There´s more to come so please connect!