"Success is not a thing to be pursued, but a thing to be attracted by who you become." -Jim Rohn

"Do not go where the path may lead. Rather, go where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Matthew 13:55 KJV Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

In the above verse, Jesus was referred to as the "carpenter's son". Meaning Joseph is the carpenter. But in the verse below, Jesus is referred to as the carpenter:

Mark 6:3 KJV Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

Who do we believe? Matthew or Mark?

@OP Your topic says "Who is Jesus?". I asked Meta AI and this is what I got:

Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and one of the most influential people in human history. He is believed by Christians to be:

1. The Son of God and the second person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
2. The Messiah (or Christ) prophesied in the Old Testament.
3. The savior of humanity, who came to Earth to save people from sin and its consequences.
4. The embodiment of God's love and grace.
5. A teacher, who preached about God's kingdom and taught valuable lessons through parables and sermons.
6. A healer, who performed miracles and wonders.
7. A sacrifice, who died on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity.
8. The risen Lord, who was resurrected on the third day and appeared to his disciples.

Jesus' life, teachings, death, and resurrection are described in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He is revered by billions of people around the world as a spiritual leader, a moral guide, and a symbol of hope and redemption.

annyplenty:
Before we continue,

In Genesis 22:2, above, why did you think God refer to Isaac as Abraham's only son, even though Ishmael had been born before Isaac?

I don't know. Please tell me.

@dinomcjohn Nice write-up. What church do you attend?

Gen 6:9 KJV These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Job 1:1 KJV There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Mat 5:48 KJV Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

From the above verses, we can see that a state of perfection can be reached. Jesus wouldn't say be perfect if it was not attainable.

My mind was initially considering someone like Elijah or Enoch. But I quickly realised that it's Jesus Christ. He literally divides all of history to two: Before Christ (BC) & After Death (AD).

Daejumong:
Why were younger brothers usually favoured over the older ones by God? Do you think this is still happening now? Some pastors talk about the ‘ curse of the first born’ ! What’s your experience like?

God’s preference for younger siblings over older ones is a recurring theme in the Scriptures. Here are some instances:
Jacob
Jacob Over Esau:
God chose Jacob (the younger twin) over Esau (the firstborn) to inherit the blessings of Abraham. This divine revelation emphasized God’s sovereignty, prevailing over customary rules of age.

Abel
Abel Over Cain:
God accepted Abel’s offering over Cain’s, highlighting divine favor and the countercultural choice of the younger son.

Joseph, Moses, and David:
God chose Joseph (the 11th of 12 brothers) as a leader in Egypt, Moses (younger than Aaron) to lead the Israelites, and David (the youngest of 8 brothers) as king.

Gideon and Solomon:
God selected Gideon (the youngest in his family) to deliver Israel and Solomon (over older brothers) to be King.

Ephraim
Ephraim was favoured over Manasseh. When Jacob was blessing his grandkids he purposely crossed his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim signifying that the younger son of Joseph would be greater than the older!

Why do you think there appears to be a divine preference for the younger siblings? What are your experiences? Are your younger ones more successful?

Pastors and Bible scholars, over to you!

Hmmm. Your post is really eye-opening. God does seem to favour the younger ones. Even in the New Testament, the prodigal son was kinda favoured over the elder son. I don't think it's a curse though on firstborns. It might just have something to do with the nature and character of God that exalts the humble and puts down the proud. (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14) This phenomenon exists even in Greek mythology. Zeus is the youngest but He is the ruler of the gods.

Nice video. I think we need more preaching on how ordinary everyday people make a difference in their own little way. Enough of always striving to be the greatest like Jesus' disciples did. Jesus said the greatest among you will be like a child. (Matthew 18:1-4)

AntiChristian:
What's the Purpose of our creation from the Bible?
Since God is the Creator and He created us, it is fitting that God should tell us our purpose of life or why we were created. Therefore, I’m asking for where in the Bible does God-YHWH-the Son-the Spirit or Paul, mention why God created us?

We were created for God's pleasure. Revelation 4:11 says:

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

In the journey of life, focus on going the right direction and not on speed. Abraham had speed with Hagar but no direction. With Sarah however, Abraham had direction but no speed. Choose the right direction over speed. As many as are led (or directed) by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

AntiChristian:


The book better pass Bible?

Na Bible verse me i need not a Book written by one Oyinbo American!

The book is written by a Pastor. There are plenty of bible verses quoted inside.

I recommend you read the book "Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. All your questions about the purpose of life and the purpose of creation will be answered. I have the soft copy if you are interested. Just let me know your e-mail address or WhatsApp number and I'll send it to you free of charge. Cheers.

ur question seems bored in d ear, anƴway to cut the long story short, narrow way seems hard cos its full of restrictions like dnt commit adultery, dnt steal, dnt lie, forgive those who hurt u, love ur enemies, judge not, dnt wear this dnt wear that which seems hard for many to follow. only few can do them. mat10 explains how disciples of christ will be hated persecuted and killed bt only those who are faithful to death and endure to d end will be saved, many churches hv left pursuit of heaven for money and prosperity, dats d reason why few enter d narrow gate,

Very correct.

Daejumong:
Giving to the poor is more important than paying tithes/sowing seeds/first fruit !
Jesus told the young rich child of God to sell All and give to the poor!
Jesus could have asked him to pay his huge tithe,first fruit or sow a big seed to His ministry!
He rather asked him to sell all and give to the poor!
Matt 19:21
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Let us learn from Jesus our Lord and ensure we prioritise helping the poor in our church and communities! God values it more!

Thanks for this post Daejumong . It is an eye opener and a wake-up call.

By the way Daejumong, what church do you fellowship in?

Daejumong:
Elijah called down fire to kill 102 Israeli soldiers who came to arrest him but Jesus rebuked his disciples who tried to do such! Is the God of Elijah different from the God of Jesus Christ?

2 Kings 1:10-12
King James Version
10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Will God back the prayers of Elijah to roast 102 men with wives and kids to death ! Men from Israel your country who were just doing their jobs as soldiers ! Men who were ordered by your King to arrest you in order to hear the message you claimed God had given you for the king!
Was your life more special than the 102 soldiers of Israel you wasted because you were sore afraid of seeing the King? Did God love u so much he was ready to make 102 women widows and many kids fatherless in Israel because of your fear?
How do we know Elijah was afraid? He could just have gone to see the king and pass his message without killing 102 well trained Israeli soldiers!
In verse 15-17 , he now does the right thing after needlessly killing the soldiers!

15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
16 He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
17 So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.

Let’s contrast this with Jesus and see how he handled a similar situation

Luke 9:54–56. NKJV

54 And when His disciples, James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.
56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village

The God of Elijah roasted 102 Israeli soldiers alive but Jesus rebuked his disciples who tried to do such ! If God does not change, why the difference in ideology? Could it be they are different?

The God ,Jesus presented to me and other Christians will NEVER support genocide, mass killing or murder! Jesus prayed for his killers’ forgiveness up to the point of his death on the cross! That is the God I serve and will always serve!

Another nice write-up Daejumong. I don't think Jesus would be happy with those christians and churches that pray for their enemy to die. The Spirit we have is a Spirit of LOVE. The Jesus way of the New Testament is superior to the Elijah way of the Old Testament.

Daejumong:
Rich Pastors and Christians will find it difficult making heaven !!!

Matthew 19:23-24
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Why did Jesus say this? Let’s look at the preceding verses?

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

This rich young man was a child of God faithfully keeping his commandments just like many Christians and Pastors today and he was so confident of his stance in God and asked Jesus what he could do to get eternal life!
When Jesus told him to sell ALL his properties and GIVE TO THE POOR and then follow him, he walked away Sad!

As a pastor or Christian flying private jets, driving expensive cars and living a life of luxury, Jesus is saying, Sell All and give to the poor and follow him! Jesus said to attain perfection and build treasure in heaven u must do this!
This appears difficult and unfair to rich Christians? The disciples thought so as well. Let’s see their reaction in the verses that followed:

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Jesus explained that it may look difficult naturally but with God’s help it is possible!

We can invariably conclude from the teachings of Christ here that if you are a pastor living a life of luxury, flying jets and helicopters and some of your members are poor , heaven will be difficult to make for you! These are words directly from the mouth of Jesus who will decide whether we make heaven! His words are superior to any prophet, king , preacher or apostle in the Bible or in contemporary times!

Nice write-up Daejumong. I also wonder sometimes why this portion of scripture (Matthew 19:23-24) is often overlooked. In Luke 16:19-31, a rare view of the afterlife is given. The rich one went to hell, and the poor one went to heaven SOLELY because he was poor. Jesus said in Luke 12:15, "...a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." There seems to be a shift in the New Testament to the simple things in life and not the accumulation of wealth and possessions.

The happiest day of my life was when I was around 11 years old. I had just come back from school and I went upstairs to change my clothes from my school uniform. And lying there on my bed was a brand new SEGA Mega Drive 2. I was so excited. I ran back downstairs to hug my mummy for buying it for me. It came with the game Sonic The Hedgehog 2. My younger brother and I started playing it immediately. It initially had no colour and sound but over time we overcame all those challenges. Months later, I eventually went on to complete the game after so many hours of endless game playing. I have never forgotten how happy I was when I got the computer console.

The Bible says in I Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Many are discontent with what they have. Some want more money, a bigger house, a bigger car, a newer phone, etc. But we must all learn to be content with what we have. There is nothing bad in wanting something better but if it is at a premature time then it could mean greediness. You must be content per time. This means you say to yourself, "at this present time, I am content with what I have", "at this present time, I don't need this...". Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Apostle Paul communicated contentment when he said:

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (Philippians 4:11,12)

We must be like Apostle Paul by being content in whatsoever state we find ourselves - whether with little or with plenty. Proverbs says:

Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. (Proverbs 15:16)

And Hebrews says:

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)

We must be content with what we have. You may not have the latest iPhone but the one you have is good enough. You may not drive the latest car but the one you have is good enough. You may not live in a mansion, but the two bedroom apartment you have is good enough. You may not have millions in your bank account, but the hundreds of thousands you have is good enough.

Apostle Peter knew what he had was enough. He didn't have silver and gold, but he had faith in the name of Jesus. (Acts 3:6). You may not have plenty of money, but you have your faith in God. That is enough for you to get by until the time you have more money. And when that time comes, it will come naturally. You don't have to force it.

Job 1:6 KJV Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
#JEHOVAH

1. Jesus Christ the Messiah [with a message]
#ArchAngelGabriel?
#Luke1:26-32
#Leonardo?

2. The Antichrist
#ArchAngelLucifer?
#2Thessalonians2:4
#Donatello?

3. The Conquering "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS"
#ArchAngelMichael?
#Revelation19:11-16
#Michaelangello?

4. "Alpha and Omega"
#ArchAngelRapha*L
#Revelation1:8
#Revelation21:6
#Revelation22:1-2
#Raphael?

* HEAVEN
✓ Uranus (Great-grandfather)
✓ Zeus (Father)

* TIME
✓ Chronos (Grandfather)
✓ [Artemis &] Apollo (['Gem-in-i' &] Me)

* EARTH
✓ Gaea (Great-grandmother)
✓ Demeter (Mother?)

#Heir
#1:01(61seconds)
#*Leto(Psychology101)
#*Chronos(History101)
#*Uranus(Marketing101?)
#AlternateGenerationSuccession?

* STEP 1: Know thyself (Genesis 1:14-19)
✓ Sun of God - Apollo
✓ Son of God - Jesus
✓ Son of Man - OSA['s]R(I)EM(I)E{N}

* STEP 2: Identify a compatible 'sister' (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:23-24)
✓ Destin[y]ation
✓ 'Artemis' (Moon)
✓ 'Aphrodite' (Venus)

* STEP 3: Burst through the atmosphere (@MostFear) of 'Mother Earth' (Genesis 2:25)
✓ Rocket fuel
✓ Cooling system when hot
✓ Persistent consistence

#BasicInstructionsBeforeLeavingEarth(B.I.B.L.E.)
#HowToBreakthroughTheAtmosphere(@MostFear)
#Questar_92299

* ROAD: A novel path linking two previously disconnected places (e.g. Ikorodu road)

* WAY: The broadening over time of a popularly used road (e.g. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway)

* STREET: The branching off from a road (e.g. Imobi Street, off Ejigbo road)

#ThePathOfTheOne?

* "Number 2"
* "Do"
* "But my butt"

#Poo?
#HeavenIsYourThrone?

• Mosquito
✓ Blood/life sucking spirit?
✓ Nocturnal predation?
✓ Anti-current agency?

• Rat
✓ Wide 'spectrumed' diet?
✓ Diet snippets conveyance?
✓ Fast node-to-node safety strategy?

• Ants
✓ Constant activity?
✓ Presence of 'sweet' food?
✓ Individual-group operation?

• Wall Gecko
✓ Occasional 'cameo' diet-based appearances?
✓ Off-the-ground living?
✓ Regenerative 'rear-end-attack' ability?

• Cockroach
✓ 'Party' pooper?
✓ International 'squatter'?
✓ Darkness operation?

• Spider
✓ Passive activity?
✓ Patient predation?
✓ Hidden perception?

#My(A)partmentIn'MountOlympus'

The following two (2) churches may have layed overdue focus and emphasis on 'trigonometric ratios':

1. Redeemed Christian Church of God
• Sin (i.e. sin)
• Tan (i.e. [Sa]tan)

2. Living Faith Church
• Cos (i.e. curse)
• Tan (i.e. [Sa]tan)

They (and others like them) may be unwittingly marketing the 'serpent' of Genesis chapter 3.

For those of us who are old enough to remember SUPERTED, and young enough to log-in into a NAIRALAND account with a PA55W0RD; believe it or not but each time SuperTed said those words ("Let me say my secret magic words Spotty." to Spotty, he was already saying his 'secret' magic words, and then just pretends to whisper his 'real' secret magic words after he has already in reality just finished saying it.

#OpenSecret

LEX LUTHOR: Miss Teschmacher, when I was six years old my father said to me…
MISS TESCHMACHER: “Get out.”
LEX LUTHOR: Ha ha. Before that. He said, “Son, stocks may rise and fall, utilities and transportation systems may collapse. People are no damn good, but they will always need land and they’ll pay through the nose to get it! Remember,” my father said…
OTIS: “… land.”
LEX LUTHOR: Right.
•
•
•
* NeverLAND 1 (Peter Pan): A paradise-like place where kids can fly & don't grow old; and the enemies are grown-ups with Captain Hook as the leader.
* WonderLAND (Alice): An enigmatic place where creatures and non-living things can speak; and virtually anything is possible.
* NeverLAND 2 (Michael Jackson): A place that belonged to the late King of Pop where children can play and have fun on amazing amusement-park-like rides.
•
•
•
[MATTHEW 6:19-21 KJV] 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.