Transquotation: Genesis 26:4-5

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:4-5)

Transquote:

You will be allowed to come into Heaven and you and yours shall be blessed, because Jesus obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Explanation of the transquote:

I know I’ve said this before, and I hate repeating myself, but I believe this is something worth repeating: we can’t work our way into Heaven. — And while I’m at it:

The Pope isn’t another Christ, Buddha was wrong; we don’t reincarnate, the Bible hasn’t been translated so many times that it’s lost its original meaning as the Muslims think, Jesus did die on the cross, and no, baptism isn’t required for salvation but is instead something that springs out of a love for God; it’s a public display of our love for God. — How does any of this explain the transquote? Like this:

The Pope isn’t another Christ: only Jesus obeyed God’s commands, laws, etc perfectly. Yes, Abraham did obey them, but not at all perfectly. — Confirmation that the pope can’t be another Christ, as He claims to be:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 2:5)

Buddha was wrong: we don’t reincarnate. And we will face judgment. Praise God! – Because Christ obeyed completely, we are now forgiven completely at that judgment.

27 And just as oit is appointed for man to die once, and pafter that comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

the Bible hasn’t been translated so many times that it’s lost its original meaning as the Muslims think:

See this website for more details: http://www.executableoutlines.com/bible/bible_01.htm — The Bible can be trusted, and the Bible says that through Christ’s obedience for us we are forgiven, not by any act of our own.

Jesus did die on the cross (despite the misconception that He simply fainted):

His heart was pierced and He was laid in a tomb, covered in twenty pounds of sticky stuff… Wouldn’t you be dead? — Jesus did indeed die for us, He was obedient to God unto death, so that we wouldn’t have to die.

Baptism isn’t required for salvation but is instead something that springs out of a love for God; it’s a public display of our love for God:

¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)

The only baptism that is ever required for salvation is the baptism into Jesus’ blood every believer goes through. That is the only way we are saved. And the only way that it can be the only way that we are saved, is through the fact that Christ was obedient in every way to God.

So, over all, the transquote is this: through Christ’s obedience, we are saved. Plain and simple.

New Testament confirmation:

¹⁰Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:10-11)

Context confirmation:

So Isaac settled in Gerar. (Genesis 26:6)

So Isaac did as His father, and obeyed God. And now as brother’s of Christ and children of God, we are to do the same. Of course we can’t, and it’s not expected of us to, obey the law perfectly. But, out of our salvation; out of the Old Nature dying, should come fruit of the Holy Spirit. — This supports the transquote by strengthening the relation between Abraham and God, and it does that by strengthening the connection between us, the sons and daughters of God, and Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

P.S. Sorry for the run-on sentences, I tend to do that when I’m having fun.

 

Transnaming: Genesis 25:1-4

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. (Genesis 25:1-4)

Transquotation:

In the beginning there was much singing and rejoicing, for we were forgiven in God’s sight. But then came one who sets a snare, and because of him, lowly man, not in the image of God, was created. And through lowly man was born many peoples with sharpened  acid-tongues. And after the one who sets a snare, came judgment; a horrible place of judgment before God through whom was created those dedicated to knowledge of God, but with no belief in Him. But then, through one who Sets Free, rejoicing came again, and through Him God once more smelled fragrant incense and we bowed down and worshiped God once more.

Explanation of the transquote:

This is no doubt one of the more confusing ones, but, as you may have guessed already, that’s what the names mean, I just fitted them in a little differently to create the story of the Gospel. Here’s the meaning of all the names, which I believe will be enough of an explanation for anyone:

Keturah: fragrant incense — Had six children with Abraham:

1. Zimran: My song

2. Jokshan: One Who Sets A Snare – He fathered two boys:

A. Sheba: Man

B. Dedan: Low — Dedan fathered three boys:

       (a). Asshurim: Level Plains

       (b). Letushim: Sharpened

       (c). Leummim: Peoples

3. Medan: Judgement

4. Midian: Place Of Judgment — Midian had five kids:

A. Ephah: Volant and Darkling

B. Epher: Dustling

C. Hanoch: Dedicated

D. Abida: Father of Knowledge

E. Eldaah: Knowledge Of God

5. Ishbak: Set Free

6. Shuah: Prostration

New Testament confirmation:

 ⁵ Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

   “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, 
   but a body you prepared for me; 
⁶ with burnt offerings and sin offerings 
   you were not pleased. 
⁷ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— 
   I have come to do your will, my God.’”^[a]

 ⁸ First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:5-10)

Christ is the one who Sets Free while we are the ones Set Free by His sacrifice. He,  is the sacrifice who lifted up that “fragrant incense.” He is the one who causes us to worship God.

Context confirmation:

Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. (Genesis 25:5-6)

Really, this neither supports or denies the transquote. However, it’s still valid because the verses themselves are enough context. Meaning that, because we’re using the actual names of the people rather than quoting and transforming the passage into what we think the meaning of it is, it’s still valid. Really, this is less of a  transquote and more of a transnaming (I just came up with that word on the spot). A transnaming, I’ve just decided, is something where the explanation of the meaning of names provides the whole story. Thus, transnaming only requires New Testament confirmation, because the context confirmation has already been filled in; it’s a type of transquote, but not an actual transquote in of itself.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

 

Transquotation: Genesis 24:11-15

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.
12 Then he prayed, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14 May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’–let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. (Genesis 24:11-15, NIV)

Transquotation:

And Christ came down from Heaven to choose and sanctify a bride for Himself. And so we came, though we had nothing to offer. And He showed kindness on us.
Explanation of the transquote:
This is more than anything a transquote by way of contrast; at least, in the details. But in the big picture it still holds true: Jesus came away from His father to Earth, like the servant came away from His master, Abraham, to the land where he found Rebekah. Jesus choose a bride for Himself (the Church), something which the servant didn’t do, true, but they both still picked a bride. – When we look at any shadow, we have to accept that we won’t be able to force the details into their “proper” place. If all the details lined up, it wouldn’t be a shadow but the real thing.
So now that we’ve squinted, looked at it sideways and looked at it through a spectroscope (that’s an exaggeration, if you couldn’t tell), let’s look at it by way of contrast:
We weren’t Spiritually beautiful as Rebekah physically was (we see this in verse 16). A more suitable description would’ve been: dirt-ugly. And that’s putting it mildly.
Jesus never prayed that we would somehow do something to show Him “we were the one.” It’s more like we were doing everything within our power to tell Him, “Not me! Move it along buddy!” … Or at least, whatever the Spiritual equal to that is.
Jesus never bribed us or our parents, as it seems the servant did – see verses 22 and 53 – instead, he snatched us out of the fire we were happily cooking ourselves in.

But now that we’ve explained the transquote, let’s verify it:

New Testament confirmation:

25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.
26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan–the one you testified about–well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27 To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’
29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. (John 3:25-29, NIV)
Basically what John is saying here is that he prepared the way for the bridegroom, Jesus, to come to His bride, the church.

Context confirmation:

61 Then Rebekah and her maids got ready and mounted their camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.
63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.
64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel
65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. (Genesis 24:61-65, NIV)
Here we see the servant actually plays two different parts: the part of Jesus, and then the part of the Holy Spirit bringing to Jesus His bride. – “So she took her veil and covered herself.” This was of course custom, but is also representative for us: where once we had a veil covering our eyes, Jesus has now removed it and given us our Spiritual eyes.

This supports the transquote by strengthening the connection between us and Rebekah.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Transquotation: Genesis 23:10-13

Hello again!

The verses before the verses which I’m going to share with you tell us, simply put, that Sarah (Abraham’s wife) has died. Abraham is now insisting that he pay the full price for a tomb to bury her in, but the Hittites wanted to give it to him for free. — This is what God gave me today in His word today:
Verses:

Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites,and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” (Genesis 23:10-13)

Transquotation:

Now God knows all of our ways, and He knew our desire to work for our salvation, “No, hear me: I give you my son, and I give you my gift of forgiveness through Him. Accept it.” And we said to Him, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of your son. Accept it from me, that I may be able to take some pride in myself.”

Explanation of the transquote:

Alright, there are several things not right with this picture… For one, we can’t barter or argue with God; His word (commonly called The Bible) goes. Period. Not only that, but we couldn’t buy salvation even if we wanted to. And while we’re at it, there’s a big difference between buying a plot of land to bury a dead person on, and salvation. But nonetheless, I believe the general idea is there: man, as displayed by pretty much every other religion except Christianity, has a natural desire to work for His salvation. Or in Abraham’s case: man has a natural desire to feel like He really “owns” something by paying for it. If you get something for free, sure, you’ll accept it, but it’s value in your eyes is far less than if it was sold to you.

However much we work for salvation, we can’t make the mark. We simply can’t jump over the thousand foot high hoop into Heaven… So to speak. Our good deeds, as according to Isaiah 64:6, are filthy rags and the more we try to wash ourselves clean with them, the dirtier we actually get (the more we try to wash ourselves clean, the more prideful we get at our, ahem, “success.” — We start believing we don’t need God to be saved, which we do.).

We simply can’t seem to accept that salvation is a free gift, and so, whether we recognize it as such or not, we do little things here and there to try to earn it. Yes, as Christians, the fruit of the Holy Spirit should be evident in our lives (in fact, James says that if the fruit of the Holy Spirit isn’t evident in our lives, our faith is dead), I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is this: what exactly was our motive behind helping that old woman cross the street? Was it because we genuinely wanted to help, or was it to make ourselves feel good? — We should examine our motives for everything we do. And if we discover in doing so that our motives we indeed wrong, we need to pray for forgiveness and a change of heart.

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

New Testament confirmation:

¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not ^(A)like the transgression of Adam,^(B)who was a type of ^(C)the one who was to come.

 ¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for ^(D)many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For ^(E)the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought ^(F)justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness ^(G)reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

 ¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass^[a] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness^[b] leads to justification and life for ^(H)all men. (Romans 5:14-18)

Context confirmation:

And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.” (Genesis 23:8-9)

This supports the transquote letting us see more clearly man’s (our) desire to pay for what he receives.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Transquotation: Genesis 22:1-6

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:1-6)

Transquotation:

God knew the plight of man, and so He sent His one and only son, whom He loved, down to earth. So He went down to Earth. And after thirty-three years on the Earth, wood was laid on His shoulders and He went up to the place which God had chosen to be a sacrifice for all Earth.

Explanation of the transquote:

Of course, pretty much anyone whose ever been in Sunday school has heard this story, but that doesn’t make it any less profound — Sometimes I’m amazed at just how clearly God paints the picture of His son in the Old Testament:

God sends His son to Earth; on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

The cross is put on Jesus; And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son.

Jesus was a sacrifice before God; and offer him there as a burnt offering

Jesus didn’t let His disciples ‘help’ Him when the Roman soldiers came for Him. He kept them out of it, or, in a manner, left them behind; Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey;

New Testament confirmation:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

Context confirmation:

And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:7-8)

This supports the transquote by showing us this is indeed a shadow of Jesus’ actual death and Resurrection, meaning that all the details don’t fit perfectly into place. — Abraham was correct in saying, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering,” God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place in this passage: there was no lamb. The lamb was to come later; Jesus is that lamb.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Transquotation: Genesis 21:14-17; 21:19

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. (Genesis 21:14-17)

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. (Genesis 21:19)

Transquotation:

As we wandered in the wilderness of our sin, we began to get Spiritually dehydrated, and though there was a well of life right in front of us, we were blind to Him. Soon we were near death, but at last we lifted up her voices and wept. And God heard the voice of His son speaking on our behaves, and God revealed to us the well of His son.

Explanation of the transquote:

The reality of our situation was at one time very grim. It could even be said that it was, in fact, downright ugly. A heap of Spiritual skin and bones, trying to dig for ourselves a well but only finding more sand… Not a pretty sight. But you know whats even stranger? That God’s own son would be willing to actually die to secure our disgusting excuse for a Spirit for Himself.

‘God heard the cry of the boy.’ Now granted, Jesus wasn’t a boy when He died for us, He was thirty-three (33). But none the less, there’s certainly a resemblance between this ‘boy who God heard’ and between God’s son who He heard. Not to mention that in both cases someone was saved; though in one case it was just the boy who cried out and his mother, and in the other case it was the whole world…

New Testament confirmation:

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:13-18)

The Samaritan women here was looking for satisfaction in different relationships; She was digging in the sand of her sin trying to get refreshment. What she didn’t realize was that she was talking with the “water” who could refresh her. Same thing could be said of Hagar, and for that matter, of us before we knew Jesus.

Context confirmation:

And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. (Genesis 21:20)

So in other words; God was with Him, and He became a great hunter… Sort of like how God was with Jesus and grew up and became a great hunter of Satan. — This supports the transquotation by strengthening the connection we see between Ishmael and Jesus.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Yesterday’s Sermon

Hello again!

I’m very sorry, somehow I completely forgot about posting on the sermon yesterday! However, you can still check it out at my brother’s and sister’s blogs:

http://standingontheword.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/sundays-sermon-11/

http://charitygcsblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/25/sermon-the-birth-of-christ/

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

P.S. Merry day-after-Jesus-was-not-born! — There’s a reason the Bible doesn’t record when Jesus was born; God didn’t want us celebrating it! Of course, if you just feel like giving me a present on a certain day, please feel free to do so!

 

Transquotation: Genesis 20:2-3; 20:14-17

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” (Genesis 20:2-3)

Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. (Genesis 20:14-17)

Transquotation:

We sinned against God, and God became angry at us. Saying, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the things you have done.”

Then we prayed for forgiveness, and Christ interceded before God on our behalf. Then God healed us of our sin.

Explanation of the transquote:

I’ll be the first to admit this is a bad comparison: Jesus was never the cause of the sin as Abraham was. Not to mention that we never gave anything to Christ to make Him forgive us; it’s not possible to bribe God, He already owns everything. And while we’re at it, I’d just like to mention we didn’t ‘sin in innocence’ as Abimelech. None the less, you can still see a similarity:

We sinned against God; as everyone has. And of course, after someone sins, the consequence for what they’ve done ‘kicks in’. In other words, they now must die, as death is the penalty for sin. But when God became angry at us, we realized our need for a savior and asked for forgiveness. And so Christ (Abraham) interceded/intercedes for us.

Now, this (transquoting in general) can easily seem to be ‘talking into the Bible’ and making it say whatever I want. This not the case! Paul Himself did this exact thing to illustrate a point of His:

This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (Ephesians 4:8)

When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious–that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. (Psalm 68:18)

All of the Bible points to Christ in some way or another. And so long as the transquote lines up with a passage in the New Testament which teaches the same thing and is valid in context, it can be considered a valid transquote. — While I’m on the subject, let me just say that transquoting I don’t consider anything which I transquote to be an addition to the Bible. Rather, it’s just something I use to help me find the Gospel in every passage which I read. Now then:

New Testament confirmation:

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. (Hebrews 9:24)

Context confirmation:

Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. (Genesis 20:7-8)

Abimelech and his servants were became aware that they needed someone to stand before them and God here. It’s the same situation for us, we first must know that we actually need someone to save us before we’ll run to Christ. Therefore, this supports the transquote by strengthening the connection between Abimelech and us.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Transquotation: Genesis 19:15-17

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” (Genesis 19:15-17)

Transquotation:

As the end dawned, the messenger urged us, saying, “Up! Take your family who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the rest.” But we lingered. Still wishing to hold onto our sin. So Christ (the messenger) seized us by the hand, the LORD being merciful to us, and brought us out and set us outside, separate from the ways of the world’. And as they brought us out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere. Escape and go far from here, lest you be swept back in.”

Explanation of the transquote

Often times the Christ ‘lingers’. They attempt to rationalize whatever sin it is they are committing; attempt to try to convince themselves that it isn’t really ‘sin’ per se. “Yes, sin’s really too harsh a word, no, this is a little pet. I can get rid of it anytime I wish. Simply toss it away. But I won’t do that just yet, though I can easily do so, because just now it looks so pitiable and innocent, and I just can bare the thought of tossing it out now. Perhaps a little later…”

——————————————————————-

Excerpt from: The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

“You didn’t say anything about killing him at first. I hardly meant to bother you with something so drastic as that.”

“It’s the only way,” said the Angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard. “Shall I kill it?”

“Well, that’s a further question. I’m quite open to consider it, but it’s a new point, isn’t it? I mean, for the moment I was only thinking about silencing it…” said the Ghost.

“May I kill it?” asked the Angel.

“Well, there’s time to discuss that later” said the Ghost.

“There is no time. May I kill it?”

Please, I never meant to be such a nuisance. Please – really – don’t bother. Look! It’s gone to sleep of its own accord. I’m sure it will be all right now. Thanks ever so much.”

——————————————————————-

The above, i.e. the angel asking the ghost for permission to ‘kill the creature’, and the ghost trying to excuse ‘the creature’ continues for some while, but I think you get the general idea. We can’t try to argue for sin, it must go, or we’ll end up getting blown up in a pile of sulphur and fire. Not perhaps the physical version that Sodom and Gomorrah experienced, but a Spiritual version. One which blows our Spiritual self up, which is just as bad as a physical explosion. — We need Christ to “kill it” for us. We need Him to yank us out of the way of the oncoming train. We need Him to pull us out and get us running towards safety; away from ‘the ways of the world’. Such as the ‘way’ seen here, namely, homosexuality.

New Testament confirmation:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (Colossians 1:13)

Context confirmation:

And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there–is it not a little one?–and my life will be saved!” (Genesis 19:18-20)

Likewise, ‘a sinner’ (what we once were) continues to argue to the last. — This supports the transquote by strengthening the relation between Lot and “the sinner.”

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Transquotation: Genesis 18:2-5; 18:7

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

Verses:

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on–since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” (Genesis 18:2-5)

And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. (Genesis 18:7)

Transquote:

We lifted up our eyes and looked, and behold, three men, God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit were standing in front of us. And we were found guilty in their sight, worthy of destruction. When we saw them we said, “O Lord, though I have not found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. For a sacrifice, holy and blameless, has been offered before you.”

And we showed God His own son’s scars, and He had mercy on us.

Explanation of the transquote:

One righteous God + One world full of unrighteous, wicked people = One more extinct species. Getting that answer is as easy as adding one and one together to get two. Pretty much every civilization has done this math, whether they believed in the one true God. Almost everyone understands that there has to be some sort of almighty creator out there, which if displeased, will wipe them out. At least, it’s what several Indians, somewhat the Egyptians, and also somewhat the Roman’s believed; you displease the gods and the gods kill you. This is the story of judgment.  Except for the Christian. When we lift our eyes and see God; we’ll be in Heaven. When we see Him, we know we’re forgiven.

How? His son. He came to Earth, died for us (thus saving us), rose again, and even now intercedes on our behaves. This is the story of the Gospel (please don’t confuse the two, that would be bad). Abraham offered a calf to God in order to “refresh Him.” Jesus was offered to refresh God as well. Each time God sees His son, His memory is refreshed; like with rainbow and God’s promise not to flood the Earth again which comes with it. We’ve been washed clean in Jesus’ blood, and so long as that is true – so long as we continue to be washed clean, or in other words, for all eternity – we’re saved. Like the rainbow, every time God look at His son, He remembers that His son has paid the price of our redemption.

New Testament confirmation:

 ⁵ Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

   “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, 
   but a body you prepared for me; 
⁶ with burnt offerings and sin offerings 
   you were not pleased. 
⁷ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— 
   I have come to do your will, my God.’”^[a]

 ⁸ First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:5-10)

Context confirmation:

Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (Genesis 18:8)

They ate it; it refreshed Him. The food did what it was supposed to do. So did Christ’s death.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland