Bitcoin Basics: A Cryptocurrency Beginner’s Guide

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

While this is a bit different than what I normally write about, I believe it is important we steward our finances wisely, so from time to time like to share things about money. Like it or hate it, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as a whole seem to be here to stay. I have put my hand it the crypto-currency pie, and expect many others will do so in the future as well. It is rapidly growing in both publicity and popularity, but many people still have a lot of questions. In this article I will address what I call “Bitcoin Basics.”

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency, which is basically a form of electronic money. While it might seem silly to some, in that the currency has, in some ways, been formed out of thin air (there is a little more behind it, but I digress), all forms of money are basically the same. None of them have inherent value outside of the value afforded it by the organizations that support them.

Buying Bitcoin

There are a number of places you can trade US dollars for Bitcoin, and a variety of places you can exchange bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies back and forth from one to another.
To buy Bitcoin from US dollars as well as Etherium, Litecoin, and BitcoinCash), I use Coinbase. If you use this link, you and I will each get $10 worth of Bitcoin free: Coinbase Link

A fairly new exchange, Cobinhood, has just opened up which seems to have some rewards along with it, and this one also is a no-fee exchange. I’m not sure how they make money, but I personally think it’s worth a try: https://cobinhood.com

Changelly.com is one that a lot of people use, but I have found it not only hard to use, but they don’t give you much information up front. There are limits to how much you can purchase at first, and that information is hidden deep within the bowels of their site, not up-front in a FAQ/Directions page. I avoid Changelly for that reason, but decide for yourself.

Bitcoin Faucets

Originally this was how people got Bitcoin when it first came out, but now it’s a way that you can get a small amount of bitcoin (measured in “Satoshi”, the smallest unit of a bitcoin, named after its inventor). Most bitcoin faucets won’t make you much more than a few dollars over time, but some are better than others. The nice thing about most faucets is that they cost you nothing. How? The person who runs the site usually makes money from ad revenue and/or other ways they get you involved on the site. Some people use it as a gambling thing (which is a bad idea).

The following are faucets I use (affiliate links). The first one is an app that I put on my phone, but can also be accessed from a desktop/laptop. It will give you a very small amount of Bitcoin (a few Satoshi) every hour you click on the captcha, and if you have over a certain balance in the account, it will begin accruing interest, compounded daily. Currently it pays 4.08% a year, slightly better than most savings accounts. The difference is that if the price of Bitcoin goes up, the value of the “money” you are making will give you more bang for your buck.
The link is here: Free Bitcoin

The next two that are “slots” actually have a comparatively decent payout overall, one in Bitcoin, the other in Etherium. Etherium is worth a lot less than Bitcoin, but it’s not a bad idea to diversify a little bit, especially since it’s free. I personally am using the Bitcoin I win from the slot and depositing it into the Savings Account at freebitco.in (the first one listed). Thus, my free money will make me even more free money over time. This isn’t a get-rich-quick thing, but a gradually-earn- bitcoin-over-time thing. The links are as follows:

Bitcoin

Etherium

There is another way to make money with Bitcoin (or cryptocurrencies as a whole) called “mining” or “farming” which I will explain in a bit.

Wallets

In order to have any kind of Cryptocurrency, you need a way to store it. There are a variety of methods, and each individual will have to decide which works best for him or her. One of the easiest ones to use that is stored on your computer is the Exodus wallet, and it supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies: https://www.exodus.io/ It is limited to one computer, so you have to have some backup in place in case your computer has a problem.

Each wallet has its limitations and benefits, such as what devices it can be accessed on, how safe it is from hacking and/or theft, what cryptocurrencies it supports, and how easy it is to use.

The safest overall are called Hard Wallets, or sometimes Cold Wallets and they are similar to a flash drive that disconnects from your computer. They are virtually unhackable. There are other options, such as online wallets and paper storage, but they also have various ups and downs–at the end of the day, use a comparison chart (google it) to help decide which works best for you. For those using Coinbase for buying and selling, it comes with its own online wallet you can use, but again, as with anything online, it is only as secure as the company that keeps it, so it’s up to you whether that is a good idea or not. Bitcoin is hard to recover once it is stolen, so while it can be tracked/traced, it’s still not easy to “get back” if hacked. That’s why you have to decide what works well for you.

Some of the best-rated Hard Wallets out there are Trezor and Ledger, available on Amazon.

Trezor

Ledger

BitMining

Bitcoin mining, known as Bitmining, is the process of obtaining Bitcoin by working for it. The very abbreviated version of how this works is that the miner provides computational power to the Bitcoin “machine”, and the person who does the mining gets compensated with Bitcoin. Mining is an automated process, so it’s mostly a “set it and forget it” type of action. A slightly more in-depth version of this narrative is that the computer searches for blocks of bitcoin, then solves a complex algorithm, and in so doing earns a “Block Reward”, which began at 50 bitcoin per block solved when it first originated. Miners typically group together in what is known as a mining pool, so each miner only wins a portion of a Bitcoin when the mining for that block is finished, but the overall number and speed of blocks mined is significantly increased. Bitcoin “blocks” are derived from all of the Bitcoin transactions that occur, and miners have to locate and essentially “solve” block equations to successfully mine the block.

There is a built-in process by which Bitcoins are generated, and there is a fixed number of Bitcoins. At every 210,000 blocks mined, the Block Reward gets cut in half, down from 50 to 25, down to 12.5, and so on. A good link for to countdown the time to the block-halving is here: http://www.bitcoinblockhalf.com/ It also has other related information and statistics as well.

For all of this to make sense, you have to understand blockchain technology. In short, it is a decentralized process of computers solving algorithms, but I can’t explain blockchain technology very well myself, so read this article here to learn more: Blockchain Technology

The benefit of mining is that it produces bitcoin over time, in what could be considered a type of *residual income*. With the price of a single Bitcoin fluctuating in the $13,000 to $16,000 range right now, but which was at about $7,000 two months ago, and close to $20,000 a month ago with a yet-to-be-determined price cap, mining has the potential to be profitable. However, mining is not without risk. A single miner is far cheaper than a single bitcoin, running around $4-6,000 right now from most places online, it could break, your pool could perform poorly, or as happened to me recently, the pool I was in got hacked, and I am waiting for the company I was working with to get the bitcoin back. Additionally, I recently bought a second miner, or so I thought, from a company called BitmainMasters. Turns out they are a total fraud and I literally tossed about $1800 down the drain, so prayers for them to be stopped and the money returned to everyone who has been swindled are appreciated. I’m not one who generally gets taken by online scams, so I was surprised when it happened to me, so be aware that it *can* happen.

While it used to be profitable to mine with a spare computer, or even your regular PC when you are sleeping or at work, given the number of people involved, you basically need a special kind of machine designed to mine cryptocurrencies to be successful these days. If you want to mine Bitcoin, the Antminer S9, sold by Bitmain (the makers of the Antminer, and a real company), is currently the most profitable miner out there in that it cost the least electric for the most computing power. Computing power is calculated in hashes per second, and the Antminer S9 is able to do an average of 13.5 to 14.0 Terahashes per second (Th/s). This will cost you roughly $130-$150 in electric each month and net you around 0.07 to 0.1 Bitcoin a month at the current difficulty rate.

The difficulty rate changes depending on the price of Bitcoin and the number of miners involved, so it isn’t a static, fixed value, adding yet another risk point into the equation. If the difficulty of mining increases over time (which it has consistently so far), causing you to make less BTC per day, and the price goes up, increasing the value of the BTC one has already mined, whether you will lose or make money, given the ongoing electric cost is up to the barometric pressure, wind speed, whether or not Jupiter is currently retrograde in Sagittarius, and a whole lot of complicated math. Thus, here’s a handy calculator to help you figure it out: https://www.cryptoground.com/bitcoin-mining-calculator.

Other Cryptocurrencies

There are other Cryptocurrencies out there, with some of the main ones right now being Bitcoin Cash, Etherium, Litecoin, Monero, and others. There is a whole other subject I won’t get into called a Hard Fork which was a split-off of Bitcoin Cash from Bitcoin, and there may be others down the road, so it’s worth reading a little about. As for which other currencies to buy, it all depends. Some newer cryptos may perform well comparatively, in that the ability for your investment to double or even quintuple over time is greater with currencies that only cost a few dollars today, much like Bitcoin did back in the early 2010s. As for what is the right choice for you, you will have to figure that out. A reminder, there are links up at the top of this article to help you purchase your own Bitcoin, win some for free over time, and store it in a wallet of your choosing.

In closing, I hope this has helped you understand some of the Bitcoin Basics, and gain a basic understanding of how cryptocurriencies as a whole work. They can be used for buying and selling goods, services, or for trading like stocks, as many people are doing right now. Cryptocurrencies are here to stay, although to what extent is yet to be seen. As a final and somewhat more spiritual note, many prophets have prophesied in recent years that there is a great transfer of wealth that God is orchestrating. Given the potential impact this new wave of currencies is already having on many business and people’s personal finances, I can’t help but wonder if these currencies aren’t a vehicle for that transfer. Thanks for reading, and I pray you find favor as you enter the world of electronic currencies!

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Code”]<script type=”text/javascript” src=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=B40ZB&webforms_id=6653905″></script>[/et_pb_code][et_pb_comments admin_label=”Comments” show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″] [/et_pb_comments][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Word of the Week – May 22, 2017 – Wild!

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”16″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

I stumbled upon a band this weekend: WorshipMob. Blew me away. I listened for an hour. I do not know much about them except that a couple out of Denver, Colorado wanted to gather worshipers together to create jams where the entire focus is to Worship God, but even more, to let God love on them. The recorded sessions are with varying musicians, dancers, artists, believers. The particular one I heard was labeled Venture Worship 3—LionHearted, Build My Life, Spontaneous. You can find it on YouTube along with others.

Here are the lyrics that grabbed me….

“How astonishing
How bewildering
The Ruler of the Universe wants me
and He loves me
He’s wild about me
Oh,
He’s wild about me.”

Is there anyone you can say in your life that feels that way about you? I can say it about my hubby. Maybe there are some people who are fond of me…but Wild about me?

Really….how many of us actually think, let alone believe, that GOD…the Ruler of the Universe, cares about us? Of even considers us?

But Wild About?

That HE loves and wants US…

So that is the Word for today and for this week: Stop right now. Let yourself feel this. God is Wild about YOU! You do not need to perform. You do not need to accomplish your To Do list. You do not have to do anything. God, the Ruler of the Universe, is Wild about you.

Let yourself feel it. Sit with it. Dance with it (at least try tapping your toes to it!).

“Don’t give up
Just keep going
Heaven is dancing over you and cheering you forward…
Keep the faith.”

If this reality permeated our existence, our lives could change. Even in the hardship, our realities could harness hope. We would find strength and maybe even joy for putting one foot in front of the other in the journey. We would have a purpose that is not there when we live in doubt of just how much God really wants us. He wants US, something different but born out of love. He WANTS us.

Remind yourself today: The Ruler of the Universe is WILD about you! XOXO

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Code”]https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=B40ZB&webforms_id=6653905[/et_pb_code][et_pb_comments admin_label=”Comments” show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″] [/et_pb_comments][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Dream Big, Joseph!

Today’s article is written by Tyler Johnson, Founder and Director of the Dead Raising Team (DRT) and One Glance Ministries. I cannot speak more highly of his life and ministry. Enjoy!

“I’ve been reading on Joseph. His life is astounding and many of us probably relate to his experience, especially pertaining to his family. The passage says that when his brothers saw him coming to them from afar, they said “Here comes this dreamer!” Clearly, Joseph had vision for something greater than what his brothers ever imagined. He caught a glimpse of his identity before God and it rocked him. He shared it out of excitement, which wasn’t a good idea. Joseph wasn’t expecting it, but him sharing backfired.

Many people in the Body of Christ get vision of who God intends them to be, briefly seeing the greatness God has planned for their lives. They step out and tell their family, friends, and mentors out of sheer excitement. These are the people that have walked beside them for years, have prayed for them to succeed, have been relationally faithful. In many ways, these are the people that a person would expect to celebrate with them. But just like Joseph, many times family and friends do not have the reaction that we expect. Instead of confirming the call of God upon our lives, they react. Despite the many years of knowing us and who we are, they suddenly get unsure about us. This is extremely disconcerting and confusing when it first happens. If this is you, hang in there and read on. You aren’t alone.

There are many reasons why this happens. Sometimes we have stepped outside of what they are comfortable with pertaining to relationship with God. Sometimes they simply threatened by the change God is implying upon our life because they just see the person as a younger brother, as in Joseph’s case. Condescension can be a guise for the desire to control, insecure, and even jealousy. See, prior to God gloriously messing up our lives, we all played a role in our families and friend’s lives that they had grown accustomed to for years. When that role and identity is challenged by God, people can react. That is okay! It is all a part of the show . . . even though it may not be very fun. Some of the most awkward conversations I have ever had where ones where I was telling family or friends about something wonderful that I had learned about God or something God did through me. The *last* thing you expect is for those conversations to go badly because you are so innocently excited about what God just did. Then suddenly, *BAM* the relational door slams shut and you are standing there on the doorstep of their life wondering what on earth you did. In fact, I have lost far more friendships over God doing something wonderful and me telling a friend because I was stoked than the (many) legitimate screw-ups that I have been responsible for.

Even Jesus went through this ridiculousness. JESUS. The people around Jesus said things like, “You are just the son of a carpenter from Nazareth! We know who you are!” They weren’t interested in Jesus excelling past their standards and vision. They tried to hold him to a certain mold and the moment they saw Him breaking it, they flipped out. When people can’t celebrate other people’s victories and destinies, all that is left for them to do is hold everyone else back from what they haven’t yet experienced personally. Christ’s own blood family thought he was nuts at more than one point, but very clearly at Mark 3:21; “He is out of his mind.”

Just as was true with Christ, our own family may straight up tell us that we aren’t hearing from God and to stop rocking the boat. Obeying God has a way of turning those against us that we were sure were for us no matter what. Sometimes it may not be that our family straight-up calls us crazy. Sometimes, because they know that their honest thoughts may hurt you, they may just keep their mouth closed and take on a tone and demeanor of apathy and indifference. They use the word, “Interesting” when you share, calmly smiling, quietly waiting for you to finish. This is the best they know to do, and that is okay too! This lack of support can be just as hurtful, but it needs to be remembered that the motive behind it is love. They don’t want to hurt you and are trying their best not to quell your excitement. People aren’t evil. . . they are just sorting through their own stuff and sometimes unintentionally let it leak onto you. What will convince your family and friends of what you are saying will not be your words but your lifestyle. Just start to live it and they will come around with time.

When we continue to love those that don’t understand what God is doing in our life is when we start to embody the very thing God is calling us into. Be the bigger person and take the higher road. Offense can be imparted; Don’t take it on. The point is that if *God Himself* caught flack for expressing the truth of who He was, then surely you will too. If you haven’t caught flack for who you are in the eyes of God, you probably have either heard from God of who you are and haven’t told anyone yet, or it has yet to be revealed to you. You know when you are stepping into your destiny when you start to catch flack simply for obeying what God is telling you to do. Jesus promised persecution. Hardship shouldn’t cause us to back off but lean even more into God.

At this point some people actually back off and give up on what God was telling them. I have seen it so many times. In fact, I have seen it so many times that I sometimes get concerned when a person gets great vision for their lives prior to having intimacy with God and being grounded in strong character. This is because if a person doesn’t know how to run into the love of God when the fire and brimstone starts being heaved at them by people, they won’t make it long. Their experience becomes a pillar of crumbling salt they look back upon rather than becoming the thing God told them they could become. Not long after Joseph gets sold off to the enemy by his own family, completely abandoned and forsaken by everyone he knows, he is taken to Egypt. There, away from his family and friends in a foreign place, God exalts him to the place He intends for Joseph. God’s favor was not something that was dictated by his family and friends agreeing with him.

God’s favor is unstoppable; it hunts down God’s sons and daughters and moves mountains to make what God said come to fruition. He will do the same for you. If family and friends don’t celebrate God’s intended plans for a person, He will quickly move the person to a place where others do. God will not allow the gift inside someone to die simply because family and friends can’t understand how someone could ascend to such heights. God is too loving to let this happen because the gift inside is meant for anyone that is hungry for it, and God won’t let that go to waste for the sake of the hungry. If you want to keep those around you close, celebrate their victories and vision.

Egypt gets a bad rap, but at least they recognized Joseph’s value . . . something Joseph’s own family failed to do. Surround yourself with people that think the way God does about you. When family or friends buck your heart or vision, just love them. If they are right, loving them is the correct response. If they are wrong, loving them is the correct response. The only one that can sabotage God’s plans is you. You are powerful. God’s plans are bigger for you than you or anyone else could grasp. Dream big, you dreamer.”

-Tyler-

In addition to his most notable accomplishments — a husband and father of three children, Tyler Johnson is the Director of the Dead Raising Teams and One Glance Ministries. He has written multiple books, including How to Raise the Dead and the masterful 2-book fiction series The Coming that carries with it a deep revelation of heaven. His blog, found at Oneglance.org is a collection of his many thoughts, revelations, and experiences in full time ministry and teaching on the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. He teaches Resurrection Schools around the world, and is available for ministry engagements. He also has a growing Youtube channel found here: One Glance Ministries

Jesus in the Clouds

When I was a boy and would ride in the car, I would sometimes stare at the clouds in the sky at watch Jesus following us, watching over me. I used to not think much about it, and while I always enjoyed seeing Him on the clouds, I didn’t really connect it with the fact that He was actually there in the clouds. What I mean is that I think part of me recognized I was imagining it, but another part of me still enjoyed seeing him there.

*As a side note, while I am in no way saying this was the “2nd Coming,” I find it quite apropos that I saw Jesus in the clouds (see Mark 13:26, Revelation 1:7)

Likewise, when I was young I also used to see vampires outside the windows of our house–even up on the second and third stories, and especially at night. I always thought I was imagining them, even though I never watched vampire-related shows or movies–even while I was in high school! I never gave it much thought, although I was always creeped out when it would happen.

It took me until I was 22 before I discovered that when I saw Jesus and the vampires, they were both actually there. You see, growing up in the Episcopal church I didn’t know that I was having visions because I didn’t know that’s what visions were–and the Bible always made them sound so much more spooky, like there should be this “mystical feeling” associated with them. I suppose most fantasy books didn’t help because they always suggested the same thing–that supernatural experiences would be accompanied with some sort of significant fanfare. The truth is that’s simply not how it is.

Most visions and prophetic experiences are so mundane that they can go unnoticed if one is not paying attention, or does not realize what is happening. Little did I know, but the imagination is the backdrop God uses to give us visions, and if you don’t know that it will see to you (and others) like you have an overactive imagination. When I discovered that I was having visions of Jesus, I was in a church-based ministry school in Pennsylvania. One of the other students and I were talking about some of our life experiences and she began to talk about how she would always imagine Jesus flying in the clouds overhead. I was like “Me too!” We both discovered at that time we had been seeing Him for real, and were encouraged. Another time I was talking to the accountant on staff and I was telling her about the vampires I used to imagine–when I suddenly realized and said aloud, “Oh my god, they were real!”

It’s a bit of a shocker when you realized that imaginary creatures you used to see as a teen were actually REALLY there outside your window–and in some ways it makes it all the creepier. What were they doing there? What did they do that I don’t know about? The Lord was very kind to me because He used that revelation to help me go through some pretty intense inner healing and deliverance a few weeks later relating to that very subject, but to this day when I think about them it still creeps me out, so I suppose I have a little room yet to go. Not to mention that now I am better at seeing in the spirit than I used to, it can get pretty ugly when looking outside at night, so I often keep the curtains to our bedroom closed when we sleep.

The one major lesson I learned from this is that “real” and “reality” are sometimes a bit more unclear than we think. Visions are real–the experiences we have within them are reality. They aren’t made up or fabricated by our minds, but are the same as if we physically experienced them–and truth be told, our subconscious mind treats both the same way! If you have difficulty with the idea that visions are real, or aren’t sure if what you think you see is your mind making it up, I will be honest in saying that it is unlikely you are making them up. To this day I still see fairies, vampires, animals, angels, gnomes, elves, and all other manner of strange things in the spirit, and most people would think that I am making it up–unless they understand how visions work. And if you see that sort of stuff too, even as a Christian, you aren’t alone. I have spent a lot of time honing my ability to see in the spirit, and I have learned to tell when I am making something up versus when I am having a vision.

If you want to learn more about spiritual sight, I encourage you to find a friend who can perceive in the spirit along with you, and practice what you see. Get a copy of Praying Medic’s book Seeing in the Spirit Made Simple or Michael Van Vlymen’s book How to See in the Spirit. Blake Healy has a book The Veil that is particularly good and is really encouraging. Gary Oates’ book Open My Eyes, Lord has practical, down-to-earth advice on seeing angels and engaging the spiritual realms. And who knows? Maybe one of these days you will write your own to help people like you and me who didn’t know what they didn’t know, so they too will know that they see. Be blessed.

Santa Tells His Favorite Christmas Story

Merry Christmas Friends of Eden!

We interrupt our usual musings on Faith, Miracles, Immortality, my random musings, and whatever else to bring you a Christmas treat by a good friend of mine. Enjoy, share, and be blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello Friends of Eden

We encourage you to take a few moments today, and every day, to engage a heart of gratitude. The more we are thankful for daily blessings, the more we place ourselves under the flow of heaven to receive all the good things God has for us!

We pray your day is filled with family, friends, and fun, and that you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

All Creation Groans

I love miracles. If you ask anyone who knows me well, they would agree that I am a miracle-fanatic, and I love talking about them. In spite of this, it can be so easy to discuss the miraculous so much that I miss the big picture entirely. After all, miracles truly are exciting! However, I will paint a picture of where I believe God’s end-goal is in regards to his plans for mankind. To understand the plan going forward we have to understand that the plan at the beginning never actually changed, although the method to arrive there may have changed along the way. In Genesis 1:28a it says “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’” Nowhere in the rest of the Bible does God suggest that He plans to do anything different. While some might say that in Revelation, the last book of the Bible, that God plans to replace Heaven and Earth, I have a slightly different perspective on what God’s plan might be when it says that a new heaven and earth come down, but to get there we have to understand the original plan.

In the beginning of creation there was a problem. Lucifer and other angels rebelled against God. They waged war in the heavens (read that as Universe) and caused great destruction, of which I might imagine that Mars and the asteroid belt are just a few of the products of that great destruction. Anyway, God created city in the east of the landmass on earth at that time, in a land called Eden, which means pleasure. In it, he placed a garden, and while this is not the commonly taught version, the Bible states quite clearly that the garden was in the east in Eden. In other words, it is quite likely that Adam and Eve had a home in the city of Eden, population of two. If you look at Revelation 21 it actually makes much more sense that God begins and ends the story in a city, whereas we have long believed that God began in a garden and ended in a city.

Adam took daily walks with God in the garden, but that was where God shared his plan for the restoration of all things with Adam and they planned together how to restore creation. After all, Paul laid it out somewhat plainly in Romans 8:14-32. It’s a bit long but hang with me:

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

In short, through Jesus we have literally become God’s children–not theoretical children but literally God-spawn. We are no longer humans but a brand new creation! The process isn’t complete yet–we are waiting for the redemption of our bodies so that we can live in the newness of life that God promised us. That, however, wasn’t the original plan, as Adam’s body didn’t need redemption when it was created. The plan was to restore creation!

All of creation, the entire cosmos of the universe, has been subjected to this slavery to decay and corruption. It is our job as the sons of God to seek and save that which was lost — all things! In other words, God isn’t going to destroy the earth as has previously been thought. No, Jesus came to restore all things, first with us humans to reconcile us to God, then, as Romans 8 says, that God will graciously give us all things! He has given us dominion and authority, but we are the ones who have to subdue it then remove the decay that is intertwined within the fabric of this universe. Ephesians 1:8b-10 says “With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” There will be a day when we permanently alter the energetic matrix of this existence and correct all that which was corrupted by Satan and other spirits long before we came to the earth, and in doing so we will bring unity to all things!

Revelation 21:1-4 says “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’’”

This passage doesn’t say that the earth has been destroyed, as some have thought, but something else. In v1 where it says “the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” the greek word translated as “passed away” is parerchomai. This word means that an era of time has passed or that something has gone by or carried past and is no longer present. In other words, an old order or era is over. Then in that verse and the next, a new order is being established, one where God and man no longer have any separation. Interestingly enough though, in v4 where it says “the old order of things has passed away” the word for “passed away” is aperchomai, which means for old and evil things to leave or vanish like a vapor.

In other words, much like the old testament order of living and doing things was set aside after Jesus completed the requirements of that law, God has declared that even the old order of things on earth and in heaven will be set aside for a new order and new way of doing things in our future experience–one where there is no longer death, mourning, crying, or pain. It does not say, however, that the earth is going to be obliterated and we will all die and go to heaven. No, when our bodies are redeemed we will continue to live on and inhabit the cosmos, continuing to preach the good news to ALL creation, even to far away planets in distant galaxies. While I know this sounds crazy to some, God’s view is far higher than ours, and His ways far more expansive than ours. We have set our sights far too long on this tiny little planet called Earth as somehow being the be-all and end-all of God’s plan when He has forever in His word been saying “Come up here,” beckoning us to take a higher view and understand his grand plan for the entire cosmos. I encourage and welcome everyone who reads this to not just take my word for it, but to search this out on your own and discover and uncover the great mysteries that God is revealing to us in these last days!

Tax Time!

Hey Everyone,

It’s been a bit quieter than normal here at TheKingsofEden.com. This is my first year filing LLC taxes, as well as having hit a bit of a dry spell writing, so I apologize for not keeping up with my weekly posting schedule. In the near future, to continue the press toward publishing my first book, The Gamer’s Guide To The Kingdom of God, I will temporarily reduce my publishing frequency back to every week and a half or so, but don’t worry, as I will pick it up again.

I hope this tax season finds each and every one of you blessed in new and special ways, and that you are reminded that in every area of life that God is our provider and sustenance, not any programs, governments, religions, or other organizations formed by mankind. Love and blessings from the Kings of Eden!

Merry Christmas To All

It is our very first Christmas here at TheKingsOfEden.com and we want to thank each and every one of you for your participation this year — whether commenting on a blog, reading it, subscribing, or sharing a post. It is our hope that we have enriched your life this year and it is our prayer for you that this Christmas day is filled with light, life, and love in the Lord Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!!

Five Keys for Effective Social Media Prayer Chains

Social Media has changed a great many things, from the way breaking news is reported, to CIA disinformation campaigns, to fundraising through crowdsourcing, to party invitations. But possibly one of the biggest aspect of our lives that social media is changing as well is prayer.

Almost anyone who is on social media has seen at least one prayer post from a contact; many of us have posted our own. Using this new method of outreach has its benefits. The church phone-chains of old were time-intensive and required a large number of people to follow through on their measure of responsibility. If they didn’t make their assigned calls, the chain was broken and ineffective. After all, a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. Using Social Media in the current era, churches can create their own prayer-alert groups on Facebook, and subscribing to @mychurchnamehereprayerchain on Twitter will yield similar results. Just a few clicks and hundreds of people can be notified of prayer needs with little time or effort.

Having been involved in multiples of online prayer-efforts, Facebook Events, Skype groups, and conference calls, as well as currently learning effective and ineffective means of online marketing, I have made some discoveries about what could make online prayer efforts more effective or less so.

1. Have a specific target or focus. Divided focus or no focus at all reduces the effectiveness of any group. I have personally been added to dozens of Christian groups named things like “Worship God,” “Praise His Holy Name,” and “Servants of the King,” all of which are for general edification and encouragement as well as for prayer needs and favorite Bible verses. What actually happens is a bunch of people post random Bible verses and a few people type out really long preachy messages. As a result, prayer needs tend to get lost in the shuffle. I used to give these groups a fighting chance, but now I just leave as soon as I’m added. And if I lose interest, hundreds of others are going to lose interest as well, making a group with thousands of people listed have about fifteen active members. Fifteen active members with prayers hidden among random Bible verse posting does not a prayer campaign make.

2. Create minimal rules and guidelines. I am a member of one group that has literally five or six pages worth of text outlining the rules for the group, all of which carry threats to boot members if they transgress. The sheer quantity of rules make themselves impossible to enforce, which is fortunate as I and most other members would probably be out of the group due to accidental rulebreaking. Most people have common sense. A few people lack it. The few people who don’t have it aren’t going to read nine pages of rules if they even noticed there WERE rules. Keep it simple.

3. Update regularly. Most of the effective efforts I have seen in regards to prayer for healing or even raising the dead have taken place as a result of ongoing updates. One campaign recently had an update about twice a day, which is enough to keep people interested but not enough to be overbearing. As the founder of the “Raise The Dead Initiative” on Facebook, I have seen many people post requests for prayer for their deceased loved ones. The majority of prayer posts involve the request with zero follow-up. The honest truth is that with no follow-up, no one knows if the person is still even trying to resurrect their loved one or if they have given up, because they never say ANYTHING AT ALL after the original request. The fact is that we are all human and like to feel involved. The more opportunities we are given to celebrate success, the better.

4. Make yourself relevant. The old adage runs true: “People don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care.” Likewise, people don’t care how much you post unless you interact like you care about them. If you are looking to have an effective prayer campaign, you need to regularly put effort into other people. Post on their prayer requests. Comment on their hopes, dreams, fears, and random silly posts. Be a presence online. It really does make a difference.

5. Recruit the right people early on. Who you know really does matter. When recruiting people, those who are outgoing, have larger social networks, and/or have developed an active network are people you want to notify first. Make use of any tag functions that the social network has available and use them to your benefit. The sooner other active individuals get on board, the more momentum you will generate in a shorter period of time.

Regardless of whether the prayer effort is short-term, such as for raising the dead (which usually only lasts a few days), or for a long-term cancer-prayer effort, following the above guidelines will help streamline your efforts and maximize your returns. Ultimately, as your social media efforts are more effective, the prayer campaigns themselves likely will be as well. After all, effectiveness is the key, as in the end, prayer chains are about one thing: answered prayer.