Bittersweet Refinements is another book that I have been given to publish. If it gets to sounding an awfully lot like a broken player stuck on repeating the same old wrong song over and over again that is because it is to a fairly great extent. For most of it contains rewritten parts of the Bitter/Sweets that were published here before. Hopefully, it will get to sounding a lot better to you very soon, and for the benefit of those who do not have access to multiple versions of our Heavenly Father's Holy Bible, numbered Scripture references in the text (for example, [1]) provide links to such through Bible Gateway this time around. The same also applies to verses included in the text.
No, it is not that there is a whole lot of confusion in the Christian community about where everything has come from. For aside from there being a few debates on just how He actually did certain things, there is little disagreement over our Heavenly Father truly being the Creator of all that exists apart from Himself[1].
It is a different story in regards to what happened in the days soon after He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, however. For almost all of the doctrines of almost all of the major Christian denominations are based (in one way or another) upon the premise that our Heavenly Father’s great plan went terribly awry in paradise—especially in regards to sin entering into this world[2].
No, there are not many sermons to be found on the subject. That is, at least not expressed in as many words.
Nonetheless, what is implied should be all too painfully clear to those who have been given ears to hear[3]. For it has been widely taught that it is the result of sin entering into this world that much of what has happened down through the ages was never meant to be[4].
Shamefully, this even tarnishes the glory of the sacrifice that our Heavenly Father made for us. For if sin was never meant to enter into this world, the paying of the price in full that was required for our sins was just the partial righting of what had gone wrong in the Garden of Eden instead of something that He had planned on doing since long before He created us[5]! For there would have not been any price to pay if sin had of never entered into this world[6].
Yes, it is good that our Creator would want to clean up His own mess. That is, if there was one to clean up, of course[7].
On the other hand, there is another little matter to consider. For if it was possible for things to go so very wrong before—who is to say that it could not happen again? Subsequently, if it is possible for things to go wrong again—just how secure can eternity really be for any of us[8]? So, I would think that we would desperately want to believe everything truly has been in accordance to the plan that our Heavenly Father set into motion long before He created us[9].
Of course, we could just depend on ourselves to make the difference—right? For it is written: This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." [Jeremiah 17:5-10 NIV]
{1}Colossians 1:16; {2}Genesis 3:1-19; {3}John 6:63-65; {4}2 Timothy 4:2-4; {5}Revelation 13:8; {6}Romans 6:23; {7}Job 34:10-15; {8}Numbers 11:23; {9}Romans 11:32-36.
Chapter II
Introductions Are In Order
“Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.” [Isaiah 46:8-13 NIV]
Several years ago, our Heavenly Father spoke to me in an audible voice[1]. He said, “Introduce Me[2]."
Oh yes, introductions are most certainly in order[3]. For our Heavenly Father truly is the Lord God Almighty[4], who is all-powerful (Omnipotent)[5], all-knowing (Omniscient)[6], always-present (Omnipresent)[7] and perfect in all of His most awesome ways (Holy and Righteous)[8].
Are not the contradictions with the way He has been so often portrayed obvious? For with our Heavenly Father truly being all-powerful, no one could ever do anything without Him allowing and enabling them to[9]. Therefore, how could Adam and Eve have eaten of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden without Him letting them?
As if that was not enough, with Him truly being all-knowing, He would know all about everything that anyone would ever want to do long before they did[10]. Therefore, He would have known all about Satan wanting to tempt to Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit long before the insidious thought ever crossed his mind.
Then there is the reality of Him actually being everywhere—all of the time[11]. Therefore, He was actually there when it all happened.
Lastly, there is the part about Him truly being perfect in all of His most awesome ways[12], which brings us to the greatest contradiction of them all. For He could not possibly be perfect in all of His most awesome ways if things really did go so terribly wrong in the beginning.
Yes, it has been widely taught that it is because of their freewill that prevented our Heavenly Father from interfering with the choice that Adam and Eve made, but was it not Him who gave them their freewill in the first place? So, was this another mistake that He made?
{1}Job 33:14-18; {2}2 Corinthians 5:20; {3}Colossians 2:2-4; {4}Exodus 6:2-3; {5}Psalms 33:6-11; {6}Psalms 94:11; {7}Psalms 139:7-12; {8}Psalms 18:30-31; {9}Job 12:13-25; {10}Isaiah 46:10; {11}Matthew 28:18-20; {12}Deuteronomy 32:4.
You most certainly are a Scot, and I mean that in a good way (this time), my dear Adullamite.
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