A Tobacco Tale

 This is a story about adapting.  It is a true story with many unfamiliar witnesses.

In a previous blog story called "Whispers Before the Thunder" I closed with the promise to tell another story.  Recalling those twenty days from my twenties awaiting trial in the San Antonio, Texas jail for my minor infraction...I had to adapt quick because I was surrounded by all sorts of folks, but the common thread...I was the minority.  One of few Caucasians in a sea of mixed & agitated races.  

In a captive environment you are obviously limited in your resources.  The most valuable resources in jail at that time were cigarettes, chocolate & coffee.  The 3 C's of jail prosperity if you are of the entrepreneurial spirit.  There were tools for these luxuries as well.  A lighter was like gold, but when one was not available a bit of steel wool and the hot stick for heating water worked fine.  I had no money in my jail house account, I didn't obviously know anybody, and I didn't have any of the resources or tools mentioned.

But I had something else very few of the forty or so guys in this community cell block had.  My own self-reliance based on the teachings & experiences I had & most importantly the strength in God to protect me and the faith in Jesus to guide & console me.  

As I said tobacco was one of the three kings of jail house commodity.  The first couple days of my twenty night's stay I resorted to bumming a couple smokes.  Loose tobacco self-rolled was the cheapest way to go & that was the bulk of what guys smoked.  We had occasions to get out of the community cell for various things and I always took every opportunity to get out.  On my first venture down the halls of the facility I noticed a lot of large ashtrays in common areas.  They were the big aluminum ones about eight inches round and deep, shaped like half an egg with that trap cover you pushed a tab to open & they were fastened to the walls at stairways, elevators & waiting areas.  I was with a group of several guys probably going to the library or something & I had passed like three of these...and I did not have any tobacco.  Memories of my tobaccoless street days kicked in.

Keep in mind this was around forty years ago.  The section of the San Antonio jail I was in was not as strict as it is today.  We were not shackled or anything, just being escorted by a couple guards thru the hallways.  I got to the back of the line and the rear guard was having a smoke as he strolled along.  As we passed one of the large wall mounted ashtrays the guard went to stub out his smoke.  He was of the more laid-back type & I said, “Sir, can I hit that & put it out for you?” …he handed the lit short to me, I took a drag & stubbed it out…& he lit another cigarette.  He took a drag…& handed me the whole cigarette…I took one drag & stubbed it out for later.  Thanking him, he said, “don’t tell no one.”  

So now I had to figure out what to say if asked where I got this cigarette.  As we started our way back, I knew there were 5 or 6 ashtrays along the corridors…I was prepared.  Again, walking in the back with the friendly guard, we approached the first ashtray.  I had a small plastic garbage bag I lifted from a stray can…as the ashtray came into reach…I reached in and grabbed a handful of butts & put them in the bag.

These were ashtrays the guards & visitors used, no self-rolls in this choice group of shorts (nick name for cigarette butts).  The guard didn’t say nothing, so I hit every ashtray on the way back to the cells.  Once in my cell I broke up all butts, trashed the filters, ash & burnt ends to where all that was left was a pristine pile of cleaned tobacco…from previously discarded butts.

Now that I had tobacco...rolling papers, coffee & chocolate was easy to acquire…I just had to keep my tobacco stash safe…& as the corridor trips increased, so did my pile of tobacco.  There was only one guard I had to worry about…the rest let me continue my ashtray cleaning duties.  Sometimes I would find a barely smoked cigar or designer cigarette like Clove.  I’d keep these separate, as they had extra value to barter with.  Another inmate tried the same thing…& the guards shut him down.

I asked the night guard about that & he said, “well in all the years this place has been here…no inmate has ever done that…so we just figured to let it stand.”  That shocked me as the San Antonio jail has been there longer than my years at the time.  One of the first things I learned on the streets was how to support my smoking enjoyment.  There are discarded tobacco treasures everywhere, just got to have the need to look & adapt your wants based on your environment, resources & abilities.

To this day I can resort to those lessons & memories if I have to, not just for tobacco, but for any of life’s necessities.  In the throw away society that surrounds us, hold on to your Faith in God & it will enhance your ability to adapt to this ever-changing world... that surrounds all of us. 🐝

PARADISE

 

I want to take you to Paradise.  Are you willing to go?

There is nothing like it, because there is no other.

It is everything you haven’t dreamed, because it’s beyond dreams.

Dreams are a misty memory of a favorable future; Paradise is in the present.

It is all around and inside of you, it has always been there for us to find.

Paradise…what do you think of?  If it’s noisy, you haven’t found it.

However, music is definitely involved, but not like anything you’ve ever heard.

Do not be fooled, others have seen this Paradise & struggle to tell.

So here it is…Paradise in your backyard…what do you do if you uncover it?

Well first you must recognize it, which is hard to do if you have never seen it.

That is where Faith comes in, your Faith, your Faith in this promised Paradise.

There are two types of paradise you can believe & aspire to. 

One is God given & real, the other man-made & fake. My Faith tells me so.

As the storm bands swirl, rains fall, wind gusts & thunder crashes…I’m reminded.

Reminded of how in the blink of an eye, humankind’s paradise can be washed away.

Where God’s creation lasts Eternal.  This is what it looks like:

I found myself walking alone on a fine dirt road, but flowers were all around.

The smell was of freshly fallen rain; it was daylight…everywhere.

The light was external & eternal…the only darkness was internal, when I closed my eyes.

There was no way to get lost, because you had nowhere to go, you were already there.

The life you’ve led, the memories you’ve gained, have all brought you to this moment in time.

Many try to create this paradise, to make us believe it can exist in their reality.

But their reality lacks Faith, so their fragile paradise can be reduced to ash & rubble with little effort.

True Paradise exists…but you must first realize that you are more than a physical shell.

You are a living spirit with a soul that seeks Paradise, because that is its origin.

It can be found here, it can be brought here, it can be established here…but we must want it here.  As I listen to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” I can not help but feel for those throughout my life that are no longer here.  But I know they are in their Paradise, as we toil in ours.  Paradise…it exists out there, but we can have it here.  My path down a lonely dirt road has led me to a most comfortable place…where many in this world would call paradise…but to me…it’s just another walk in a timeless trail of trees, with the birds & bees. 🦅🐝

Gospel of John…Chapter 3….AMEN✨✝️🕊️

A Molded Mystery

I find myself writing at hours of the day when most people are dreaming.  It is a most peaceful time in the twenty-four hours of each day…a time when the streets are quiet and most of the world is asleep.

I am grateful for these moments.  I have cherished them since my early days of trying to find some peace within myself, in a world hell bent on destroying every little bit of peace & quiet, that it can.

Life is too short, especially once you pass 60, to stay distracted & cluttered in thought.  There is no way to enjoy this world God has created for us, when you are constantly pressured to perform as a physical person.  We all have a role to play in life.  The secret is to find yours, knowing it may exceed your expectations.  You see, once you find your passion, it is hard to contain it.  That’s how Love works.

Since before I can remember I sought peace in this world.  At five years old I would sit on the forest line, watching & listening to the birds, bunnies, butterflies & bees and all of Earth’s bounties.  I was alone but unafraid…I was comfortable & at peace.  As time went on, I ventured further & further into the woods.   No one knew I was there or where I was.  To this day I feel most fortunate for that piece of Heaven on Earth.  It left unforgettable memories that formed the base, the foundation of my life.

Now it seems peace is harder to find, both in your personal life & throughout the world.  That is the unforgettable memory we all seem to have & I ask myself why.  In a society so dependent on modern conveniences it is easy to shape a narrative.  It is easy to manipulate the masses for their apparent good, when in reality the manipulators only have their selfish gains in mind.  These conveniences that deliver information to us have been most valuable, especially with the internet bank of knowledge at our fingertips.  But, like anything manmade…it can be manipulated even in subtle ways.

But today it is not so subtle.  It is in your face with a “I don’t give a damn attitude.”  This is wrong & needs to stop.  If you watch, read or listen to a bit of local, national or world news you will see the evil that exists in our world.  Some folks think they can ignore it, that it doesn’t affect them, that it’s someone else’s problem.  This kind of complacency will diminish your life & maybe even kill you.

But what this deluge of dysfunctional, disastrous, dastardly deeds does to our mental outlook on this world is very damaging.  We have become numb & immune to the effects of evil & due to that evil has gotten worse.  Evil is not just theft, rape & murder.  Evil also exists in the selfish desires for money, power & ultimately control.  Thru this over emphasized negative outlook on our world, those that seek control find it easier to make you feel dependent on their leadership & support for your very existence.       

Look around you…there is so much more to this world than city life.  The traffic, crime, noise, distractions, hustlers, homeless, affluent & the addicts that exist in the streets of the cities…do not exist on the dirt roads, streams & forests of country life.  Many do not experience both these dynamics in their lives, but many of us have…& we all know where we would rather be.  Away from the hustle & bustle of what you see every hour of every day on the news & into the arms of the bounties of nature.

For over sixty years this society has been molded into majesties for a few and mayhem for the rest of us.  It’s time society calls their bluff, puts the cards on the table & watch as they fold like the fake fornicators they are.   Don’t ever forget our elected leaders serve us…not dictate to us.  Don’t let them mold you into thinking they hold the keys to life’s mysteries.  Most of them can’t even run their own lives, much less yours.  For every problem there is a solution, because in a perfect world, that problem didn’t exist to begin with.  Seek your peace, whether in city or country… & life will become what you envision, not what someone else wants you to live.  Cherish Nature…She’s often all we got to remember our first memories.  🐝🦋🦅

August 27th, 2023 4:37 AM EST  ✨✝️🕊️

If you have any doubts about what God & His Son, Our Lord & Savior offer this world in these days of mystery… just read Revelations 22…slowly & carefully…because there are no Words after those. 🦉

A Jig Sawed Puzzle

Life is a jig sawed puzzle that we hope we have all the pieces to.  Everyone wants a sign.  Some indication we’re on the right track, following the right path, searching the right pile…for that next missing piece.

In humankind’s rush to utopia, we forgot what got us here.  This rush leads to inaccurate decisions.  Decisions made to capture the next best thing…to continue our path to utopia.

Utopia cannot be man-made, manipulated or mimicked no matter how hard you may be convinced.  Here is just one more modern-day result of man-made utopia…

Valuable resources, dollars & common-sense actions were diverted, wasted & left undone in the name of climate change in Hawaii.  We see a tragic sign of man’s failure due to dysfunctional allocations & duties.  For years grasses have been growing & spreading as resources are diverted for climate causes…whatever those are.  The power company was not doing proper maintenance on proven technology because their resources are diverted to unproven science.  Coupled with leaving vulnerable electrical lines active in the high winds…you had snakes of fire strung from pole to pole above a dry grass timber bed.  Then they didn’t activate the warning sirens, because they were only for tsunamis!!!

But worst of all is this sign…which can only be described as criminal & demonic…the guy in charge of the water delayed diverting it for over FIVE hours!!!  Apparently, this official set up some kind of “equity” based allocation of the water…valves needed to be turned to bypass this dumbassity…& they were not turned for FIVE hours.  Whoever made this decision…should be charged with murder.

It certainly won't help the situation in Hawaii, but as I heard someone say….”no one’s above the law” …well there is a common-sense law & old school law…& if it is true that gross incompetence & “woke equity idealism” was involved in the delay in emergency water…this man should be incinerated…for that is what his failed logic has caused in the precious lives of hundreds of people.

Dried grass was not cleared, lines not maintained, sirens not sounding & no water at the hydrants.  A recipe for an inferno that resides in many areas of our country.  As common-sense measures to mitigate these disasters are ignored or unfunded…the threats grow & it is not due to climate change.  

Why worry about the weather…you can’t control it any damn way.  You are foolish for trying & wasting time and money with your fear mongering over something that you cannot control.  It is just another ploy to suck your tax dollars into their pockets.  The dollars wasted on newfangled science instead of improving what we already have…is mind numbing to me. 

In case these enviros haven’t figured it out…what goes around comes around & what goes up…usually comes down.  So, unless all the other countries in the world stop dumping their waste into the land, sea & sky…what we do here has little bearing.  We have far surpassed our need for climate clampdowns in this country…it’s time the rest of the world steps up…& pays up their share.

This country is a beacon of hope for the world.  That beacon’s shine is dimming in our skies, clouding our eyes & minds.  In the darkness it is hard to find all the pieces to this jig sawed puzzle we are meant to solve.  If we remove all the noise & distractions, what are we left with?  Clear skies, clean water, healthy land, that’s the start.  But we also have the words & actions of those before us to guide us and give us confidence that all the pieces to the puzzle were always there…we were just looking in the wrong places.  Find your corner stone & make sound decisions based on the needs of the many instead of the wants of a few.  Pray for Heaven on Earth... instead of humankind’s unobtainable utopia.  🐝

Vanity

The only thing worse than self-pity and worthlessness, is over confidence and vanity.

Vanity was the downfall of satan & his demons.

In today's world it is better to be humble and blessed, than boastful and cursed.

But just because we are humble does not mean we cannot also be confident.

What more confidence do you need, than to know the Lord & His Angels have your back & more importantly are in front of you, clearing your path.

I have often heard & even witnessed a couple times, how the seemingly quiet & reserved often have the last word or act…because they waited & watched & listened to their environment & situation while others argued & fought & killed each other over pettiness.  They were strategizing, thinking, praying for the strength, confidence & knowledge to solve the conflict...their patience had purpose.

Those that waste words bragging about themselves, don’t hear the plans to bring them down.  They are too wrapped up in their glory lust to see the tidal wave of misfortune & defeat heading their way.  And even if warned, they ignore it with their overconfidence & …vanity.  

That is what a lot of the godlessness we see today is the result of.  Vain people with greed in their veins. They do not realize the greatest treasure...they already possess.  If they would just put worldly thoughts & actions on the shelf for five minutes & listen to their inner self…their quiet thoughts, their soul & spirit, which is more concerned with purity than possession, they would see this treasure.

But, as a society we must realize there are those who are so arrogant, boastful & callous as they suffer from the curse of power lust & greed, their physical world has decayed their soul to an empty husk of hate & evil...driven by instincts rather than intellect...by individual survival rather than social stability.  

Their godless spirit acts out in ways that most have never seen.  I have seen it, 100’s of times.  Most folks have no clue how cruel mankind can really be if left to the animalistic thoughts that drives their actions.  Some will never shed these thoughts; they are cursed in their own hell…& it will only get worse for them. 

I am convinced that no matter how hard we try as a society, as a world, we will never totally beat all the evils in this world.  But there is One who can defeat all of it, again & forever more.

Live your life to seek, find, create & share Love…& most of this hateful evil lawless godlessness will fade.  What remains our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ & His Holy Angels will take care of.

Remember, evil has to expose itself to be dealt with.  You see it being exposed in our cities, our government, our councils, courts, across our borders & in war torn countries every day on the news, print, radio, social medias & now creeping into our own front & backyards.

Now, what are you going to do about it?  Myself, I rest in the Faith that God has a plan, make it yours too as vanity is cast out & victory rides in humble confidence.

BAS ...:} ... 🐝

Post Edits 8/15/2023 5:58AM EST 

Hebrews Chapter 2....Matthew Chapter 24....AMEN 

Sit & Stare

 There are times I just sit & stare

Wondering, does anyone really care

We live our lives only to share

The most meaningless of affairs

What do you stare at, when you stare

A video screen of sorts, to blind the eye

Not a natural view, but someone’s lie

It can control you & make you cry

Or teach you bout the bye & bye

Sometimes I just sit & stare

Wondering if I’ll ever ascend Heavens Stairs

The box on the wall distracts from reality

For years it has masked its true identity

Use it wisely & it can pay handsomely 

Use it foolishly & it will cost dearly

Just some observations from afar

As if cast…from a shooting star.

🐝 8/3/2023 2AM EST

Religion & Spirituality

There is a mass celebration of the Eucharist in Tampa, mid-September.  It is being organized by the Catholic Diocese…a mass reception of the Lord’s Feast at the Marriot…or is it?

I just wonder, are the 1000’s in attendance going to give mass confessionals before partaking, as the Catholic religion dictates?  “Can’t have the Lord’s Supper, without telling me your secrets first.”

I’m sorry…where exactly does it say that in the Bible?  Who died and left the Catholics in charge?

Apparently Jesus, at least they think so.  Lemme run this by you….

If the Catholic religion somehow wants to take credit for being “thee” religion…as they claim was ordained by Jesus after His death…then they need to take credit for the rest of the blood on their hands.

Do your research…Did you know the German Catholic Hierarchy was responsible for killing 7,000,000 Jews and another 10,000,000 ethnic minorities (that’s Seventeen Million souls total) in World War Two?  What, you never heard that one…well here’s the Truth…Hitler would have NEVER come to full power without the backing & blessings of the German Catholic church…do your research…the fact the church backed him, got the people to go along with him.  One of the greatest deceptions ever in our history.  Yeah, Hitler was the bad guy…but the German Catholic church was the bag man.

Here's another one.  If Catholics want to claim the Blood of Jesus ordained them somehow…well than the millions of Native Americans & American Islanders that were killed by Columbus’s quest is on their hands too.  Do your research, Columbus was a God fearing and spirit filled man.  In his own words he felt a calling to fulfill prophesy. This prophesy was discovering the New World, God’s chosen land…& who could argue they didn’t find a major piece of Heaven on Earth when they finally got here.  Columbus may have been an honorable man, no one has shown me written or verbal proof he gave any orders to kill anyone…it was those that came after with lust and conquest in their hearts & minds.  Those that came after were financed by the Catholic churches to plunder the new lands & return with treasures for their own coffers.  This was good intentions gone bad by Catholicism.

Interesting, in one case the church made a devil out of a man…in the other a man is accused of being a devil, when it was the church all along.

So, if anyone needs to confess here it’s the church, not the faithful.  No man on this planet is worthy to hear your sins, because they are sinners too.  Simple enough, good... I thought so.

All that being said, the Catholic Church has done wonderful things and brought many blessings to people all over the world, to deny that is just foolish.  There are great people of Faith all thru Catholicism’s history & that legacy continues today…thank God. 

The problem is not the people, it’s the pursuit of pleasures by the elite.  This demonic deception trickles down thru the ranks of any organization and leaves you with a population in pain.  This is the reason for separating church from state…not to eliminate God from your life…that’s what this country was founded on for Christ’s sake…why are you separating & removing it by twisting words & laws to your fashion? 

Separation of church & state was articulated & adopted to keep one religion from dominating our society…which is exactly what was happening in England when desperate people seen the writing on the wall & boarded ships for a New Land and a New Way of living. 

Unfortunately, it destroyed the Way of Life for millions as history shows…but you know what…just like the faithful in Germany that ignored the masses and helped their Jewish & ethnic brothers & sisters throughout the war…there is hope in that faith.  And most importantly even though millions of Native Americans died & our landscape was changed forever…history has a way of repeating & correcting.

When the first white men came ashore with Columbus, albeit not the first white skins to do so, they were the first with major monetary backing.  Once the potential fruits of their efforts were discovered, the flood gates were open for all sorts of characters to come to these shores.  They set out to conquer and claim anything & everything in their sight, a once great prophecy of discovery gone wrong by the lure of lust, greed & power.

But nowhere do you see the main ingredient of the Native Americans in that last sentence.  No matter the white man’s lust after greed, pleasure & earthly power…the Native’s spirit was & is untouched.  The true force of life was within their souls & all around them in their world, no man of any color could take that.  The Indians still have these tales to tell:

“The first landing was 3 boats, the next was 17.  We welcomed these travelers & showed many how to survive in this unknown world to them.  Without our help many of them would have died…& what did we get in return…our own deaths.”

Now, you know a bit more of truth… to add to your history books.

So, it lives on to this day…Faith has a way of doing that…Just like those saved during the holocaust.

Know this…There is a difference between a church and a Church.

As I view man’s religion, the spiritual side of living & the promises of Heaven on Earth I sense a huge struggle for many folks.  They struggle with, how do I worship religiously & still have reverence with nature’s spirit?  I would answer with this…Religion at its root is fellowship, a kinship with others to bring the Spirit of God into our lives & celebrate together, in fellowship with each other & the Lord.  Religion helps us learn & grow if it is based on Faithful testimony & teachings.  The natural world around you reflects these testimonies & teachings.  The natural world around you…Mother Earth…is due her due as well.  To say it is strange to stare at a tree and not a cross is foolish, they are both made of wood & Created by God.  There is only One God and many Native Americans I’ve spoken too & research I’ve seen testifies to this…they were closer to God back then than Catholics & most of the pale skins of the day ever came close to.  Do your research, the Indians knew God as well…the Great White Spirit & many, many other tales & phrases to match show this as fact.  Do not be so foolish to think your way of worshipping, via religion, is the only way to worship.  Remember:

Religion is only a group ceremony…God wants a conversation with you, individually…it may or may not end up in a celebration…that is totally up to you.  If you can’t decide, or have fears of outside threats, look to the skies & ask for some help…God’s all-knowing Spirit & Mother Nature’s wisdom will help you on your journey to that promised Celebration the Faithful call…Heaven on Earth. 

 

Bryan A. Stross

August 7, 2023, 9:24 AM EST

The Trilogy of Creation

 

Over time you obviously begin to wonder.  You have thoughts, you have ideas, you have beliefs, you have all this information at your disposal...& yet you have doubts. We are no different, you & I.

Over the last week I have had major, minor, defined & scattered thoughts.  How about you?

So many thoughts, so much information, so much news & yet where lies Truth.  I submit search the lies.

And when you are done with your search… the Truth you’ll find…it was there all along.

You see if you start with the truth, if the truth is in your heart…lies of others are easily exposed.

But, how do you know when your own mind is telling the truth, how do you know you’re not the one living a lie?

Well, for me I pray & ask for guidance & understanding…I trust my faith to console mixed emotions.

This has not always been the case, as like anyone else you must separate survival & stability.

What might be best for you…might not be best for others…what do you do?

If you concentrate on selfish survival, societal stability will crumble.  You see it everyday today.

So how do you maintain your own intellectual stability with thoughts of instinctual survival?

This gets to the core of our origins & to the realities of where we are today…regardless of the perceptions we have of our past.  Does it matter how matter got here? Why worry about it.

Well, this is why I have thoughts on it.  I do not worry about it; I wonder about it & ponder in prayer...

From July 30^th, 2023

I am going to share a message of Faith.  It is a message I have never shared & a message that to me has finally come full circle, after years of running in life's circles.

Before I share this, I must make some clarifications as I have no real qualifications to share this message other than those delivered to me by...Faith...which is all the qualifications I need. 

I am not adding anything to the resources used in articulating this message...I am only interpreting & sharing my thoughts & opinions on perhaps the greatest mystery facing all of us today.

This message involves the Creation of this planet & mankind.  Again, please do not think I feel that somehow, I have all the answers or am the only one with similar thoughts & opinions.  I have had discussions on this topic with all walks of folks...but my most recent thoughts just came full circle.

There have been volumes of books on this topic, but only one matters.  I spend a lot of time on this blog posting on the spiritual side of life & the end times & what may be here after.  But it is all wasted words on some folks, because of the confusion & doubts about our origins.  

It is a just concern.  How can you expect someone to believe the history, the teachings, the prophecies, the promises in the Bible...if you don't have confidence in its roots, its beginnings, which are the root beginnings of everything thereafter.  I understand this doubt & confusion, because I've had it too. 

As stated, volumes have been written, documentaries have been filmed & sermons written most all with a fee...but this message is free, as it was given to me. With embellishment I could write a hundred pages on this, but I won't.  I'll make it as short as possible, but my hand is guided by the Grace of God...& He always has the last word.  This is a message of Faith, that I am happy to share with you today.  It is not intended to convince you of anything, we all have our own free will.  However, it is intended to add to your consideration & in my years of living, I have never heard this interpretation, ever, so here goes:

For the most part there are three types of folks out there: 

1) Believers that God created the Heavens & Earth & mankind.  How exactly He did it doesn't matter...our Faith resides it to be so.

2) Doubters who believe in some kind of God, but this whole Creation thing is confusing because of all the other possibilities of creation & opinions out there. Therefore, they have real or even subconscious doubts about the rest of the Bible...they are on the fence.

3) Those that no matter what type of interpretation or proof they see...they'll never believe...it's just not in their polluted soul to even consider a God.  They worship nothing or even worse, evil itself.

It is the doubters out there that this message is most intended for.  To get you off that fence and into the Graces of a Loving God.  For the believers, I have faith it will strengthen yours.  And if by chance it persuades even one non-believer to at least consider & learn more about a walk in Faith...all the better.

The Trilogy of Creation:

Some of the greatest events in world history are covered by two chapters or less in the Bible.

You would think there would be a bit more to say about the creation of everything around us…guess that’s God’s way of telling us not to worry about how you got here…concentrate on your todays instead.  That is how it should be, your Faith guides you to the truth.

My Faith tells me that there have been three phases to date in our overall creation. Even though it’s only covered in less than two chapters, the first two phases of the trilogy lay before us in Genesis Chapters 1 & 2.

Phase one is in Chapter One…. the Creation of our universe, solar system, Earth, plants, animals & the early stages of mankind.  That’s where it gets confusing. 

Chapter One says God created Earth, including “people" (a very important word & translation) in six days.  On the seventh day He rested.

An elementary education of God’s Word tells us God’s infinite time & our finite time are nowhere the same.  A day in God’s timetable could be a billion years…His time is immeasurable, it has no start or end, infinite.  So, from day one to day six of Creation, could have taken place over a massive amount of time, as we measure it.

Then in Chapter Two this creation, millions of years of evolving later, with all its bounties comes to life including the establishment of the Garden of Eden & Adam & Eve.  This time the man is created & receives a living soul…not just a “person” a newly blessed & created man & woman. (Genesis2:4).  

Some say our ability to reason separates us from the animals.  That our intellect resides with our survival instincts.  That is science’s answer.  The creation of a man & woman who were not just “people” but a Creation with a living soul…a spirit, is what separates us from the animal kingdom, they have their own rainbow bridge & yes, all spiritual & faithful bridges lead to Heaven.  With the introduction of a soul, our minds were greatly expanded, to include reason.  Armed with this new mental & spiritual power…we unfortunately fell victim to free will & choice & the generations that have led us to today started to unfold.

8/3/2023

To take it a step further…There are religious scholars who already feel there was a “dual creation.”  There is a clear distinction & a conclusion between Genesis 2:4 and 2:5. Whereas some look at 2:5 thru 2:25 as additional information or clarification to what’s in 1:1 thru 2:4.  Read these two chapters carefully & you will see the perceived beginning & end of Creation, where in chapter 1:26-1:29 people are created & the start of a new Garden and a new more intellectual man & woman is starting in Genesis 2:5.  I’ve just covered in one paragraph my uneducated theologists opinion…forgive me if I was too short for you…do your own research…as I have.  (Hollman Bible Dictionary, Tyndall House © 2004, pg-635-637)

Faithful Truth & scientific reality can give you a combined answer here…if the two sides will only shut up and listen a bit to each other.  Does it really matter if mankind went through one or two creations?  Can we all not agree that at some point a switch was turned on & the light bulb of knowledge went on in our heads?  This is the great mystery…did we always have this ability to reason & think, did it evolve over time, does the expansion of our living spirit enhance our intellect?  Well, the answer is yes to all those questions & statements.  That’s what makes it confusing to so many folks.  They are so wrapped up in their “version” of things, even everyday things, they never consider other avenues of conclusion.  The perception of truth is not always our reality.  We must read between the lines… but stay within the lines.

Ponder this…the Book of Revelations uses so much symbolism it is very difficult to decipher.   John was tasked with writing what he heard & saw…so was Moses when he received the Creation dialog & vision from God.  Why would we not think symbolism would be used in Genesis’s opening Chapters?  So, again we are where we are, and we’re nourished by a shining star.  We have survival skills, intellectual skills & spiritual skills…how we use them is what matters most.  This set the stage for the next Creation, the next step in mankind’s progression.

Our world & mankind was not complete.  Again, generations of time passed, & then came phase three.  This is really the most important stage in the Trilogy of Creation.  We as mankind in all our individual differences had progressed to a point where survival & stability was in peril.  We battled each other over property, lands, religion, greed & conquest.  We had this mindset that all around us had to conform to our norms, for stability.  But survival instincts led to eliminating anything & everyone not fitting to our perceived conformity.  In our love for social stability, our intellectual nature, we were continuing to fall to the lusts of survivability, our carnal nature.

The Old Testament of the Bible is so full of these stories, they are generational & endless.  As I heard a religious scholar recently say, “the law had to be established in the Old Testament, so we not only had an established disciplined direction, but consequences for being undisciplined.”

The first two phases of mankind established in the Old Testament…we were lost as a people.  Our survival instincts dominated most of the people.  We obviously had great minds & discoveries all thru the Earth’s history, but without a push we would never learn to swim.  Just as prehistoric man had developed over time to become more human like, just as developed man had reached a struggle in separating instinct from intellect, Christ came onto this world’s scene & life as mankind would never be the same.  This was the third & greatest phase of our development.

The New Testament is God’s Glory revealed to His Faithful.  We have actual Words in the Gospels from Jesus Himself…my Faith is simple…the Words in red matter most.  The Trilogy being complete, we now knew how we were supposed to live, what was possible & most importantly…most importantly…the curse of sin & death was shattered for our spiritual behalf.

We never, never ever, would be where we are today without the lessons & wisdom contained in the New Testament.  The Old Testament history, law, great conquests, answered prayers, miracles of proof & genealogy all lead & were foretold in & by the Life Lessons and Grandest of Sacrifices Jesus portrayed, projected, prophesized & ultimately paid for you and me.  Where we once had mere knowledge…we now had words of wisdom to guide us on the way to our dreams.

And what have we done with that wisdom in the last 2022 years?  Well, you could say we have wasted it, & in large part we have.  Because we still seem to want to kill each other over our disagreements.  Well again… I’ll say & close with this:

If we start from a basis of Truth & Faith, as taught not just in the Christian Faith but in many others, we can come to concise & compassionate conclusions.  This is what Jesus taught us, to love one another first…as fellow humans…and if that love is scorned, you’ll soon know.  This is also the wisdom of the ancients, the wisdom of the naturalist & the wisdom of the spiritualist.  Which encompasses the Trilogy of Creation…but we have one more event before the final act.

“Go In Peace & Love Will Follow” That is what I heard the Seven Thunders say…recently.

Bryan A. Stross 8/3/2023   11:01 AM EST

Note: As I finished this Stevie Nicks “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You” came on my Bluetooth system…Thank You…I needed that…& will take it as a sign, to share with the world. ✨✝️🕊🪶