REAL (23) The gifts and the work of the ministry in the church and in the marketplace

The gifts and the work of the ministry is not just for church, but for anywhere there is a need. Ministry means service. 

Is church more spiritual than working in the marketplace? Is church more important than family? 

What about the gift of discernment to help us to close a business deal? 

The gift of knowledge to open doors for our orphanage kids? The gift of wisdom to help us to get the resources we need to run a shop, a daycare?

Camila spoke about the prophet not making distinction between ministry and outside of the ministry. Life is ministry. Anything can be a ministry, she said.

Is that the change of mind we need to begin to understand better our roles in the Kingdom of God?

To answer the second part of this question you must know your identity in Christ!  Who He has created u to be!  

Romans 8:18-39 is so important. U are a son of God in whom the Holy Spirit moves through freely when u know who u really are. 

Religion teaches us that we must work at being Christ like. Yes, faith without works is dead, but when u know your identity and purpose u will BE who God created u to be!  

What u do will flow out of who u are!  An apple tree doesn't have to work to produce apples. It is only natural for it to produce apples. 

The same is with the sons of God. If u were created with gifts to be a farmer, you love farming and u rejoice in the harvest produced, and the people that are provided for. 

The same is true of the businessman or carpenter, etc. It is time for the body of Christ to discover their identity and begin to move in their gifts and anointing!  

JSALUM/PTAYLOR

REAL (22) Sustainable Transformation

I want to begin addressing community transformation because that is our long term goal.  

We want to change our personal lives through our relationship with Christ. Everything flows from that relationship. This will strengthen our families when we can provide for them because we have discovered our purpose in life. From there we impact our community and influence our nation. It all begins with YOU AND JESUS!

Sustainable Transformation is directly influenced by our worldview. 

What is worldview?  Worldview is our belief systems, which is that solid rock into which we anchor the blocks that form the foundation of our lives.  If we build a foundation on the Rock Christ Jesus our house, business, etc. will stand strong even in the storms of life. 

Our belief system is like a set of eyeglasses in which we interpret the world around us.  Based upon what we see through these glasses, we create a "belief system" for our lives, which becomes our worldview. We evaluate our life and culture, making choices accordingly. 

In each of our lives, there have been key people or other sources that influenced us. Name some of the "influencers" that helped you build and form your worldview.  These could be Parents, friends, teachers, culture, media, or religion. That is why we have addressed religious doctrine vs. truth and religious myths. All of these have influenced each us in our worldview. These worldview of individuals, collectively form the worldview and cultures of communities. 

If we want to change our nation we must change the worldview!  We can do this but it takes time and it must begin with us!

Each worldview has, as its roots, a specific belief system, out of which values are derived, leading to corresponding behaviors, which produce varied results.  I hope u see the progression. Remember, as a man thinks (worldview), so is he. 

In other words ideas, and the values we place on them, produce behaviors and lifestyles that impact people, changing cultures, nations, and history. 

Worldview develops like a tree. 

Roots = belief systems

Trunk = values

Branches = behaviors 

Fruit = results

How has your worldview affected your beliefs, values, behaviors, and results?

Some examples could be how we treat women or children. It could be how we treat non believers or what we feel is spiritual vs. worldly. 

Our worldview directly influences our lives and the community we live in. 

Our worldview influences the foundation of our life. It determines our values, character and actions when we are challenged in life. 

What are the building blocks for your foundation in life?  The foundation you lay will determine the results you will have in business and in all aspects of your life. Remember we want to build something that will last and change the lives of others. 

Building blocks are character traits like honesty, integrity, perseverance, and they influence what we are building if it will stand the storms of life or tumble over. 

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 11:3.  "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

We can go to church all we want but if we do not apply the truth of God's word in our lives everyday in all that we do, whatever we build will not stand!

Our goal is sustainable transformation, not only to build a thriving business, but how we can use our business to influence those around us and to bring change. It is time to be the "change agents" that God has called us to be. 

REAL (21):Salvation is not just a ticket to heaven

Dr. Paul Taylor 

Salvation is not JUST a ticket to heaven. Heaven has been emphasized by the church and the western gospel. Our focus should be on Christ and the purpose we were created for the earth until Jesus comes fully or we die and are united fully with Him. 

Please read Genesis 3:14-24

““You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” 

To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” 

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 

So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 

After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”  Genesis 3:4-24 NIV

The serpent was directly cursed. Woman would have pain in child birth and the dynamics of her relationship with her husband would change. Man would struggle because of the curse on the earth. Finally they were both cast out of the garden and separated from God. 

Though not directly cursed they surely suffered and we suffer for their disobedience. 

Jesus when he shed His blood, He died on the cross, He broke the curse. He restored our image through Jesus Christ and gave us great hope of eternal life!

REAL (20):Just dreaming or not dreaming at all.

"Normally we dream when we are asleep. 

Between nights of dreams we get up and we work. 

We must wake up to do what we have to do 

to keep us dreaming 

while we are sleeping. 

Some people live in the clouds just dreaming 

meanwhile their financial debt is increasing. 

In another instance, 

there are people that never dream, 

as a result they accomplish nothing 

while they are just standing still 

and life is moving." (JSalum)

REAL (19):The greatest offense to the gospel of the Kingdom

Dr. Paul Taylor

What a blessing to walk with God! To hear His voice and to follow Him! These are very familiar words to so many who call themselves Christians and yet what I have found to be true is that many people who think they are walking with God are only following a form of godliness! They are following a denomination, a doctrine or even a man, but not Christ!

The greatest offense to the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not sin! Sin has been conquered at the Cross of Christ! The greatest offense to the gospel of the Kingdom of God is religion! It crucified Jesus Christ 2000 years ago and it is still deceiving people today!

Here is what I heard from the Lord. "Paul, if you seek Me, you will find Me. Do not seek to know what another man has received, but seek to know Me! You know that when you find Me, you find life. Then you will understand the revelation of the Kingdom of God and you will be able to give life to those who will hear!"

Jesus is still calling out to you, "Follow Me and I will make you..." Jesus wants to make you who you were created to be! Fishers of men, yes, but most important, the Light of the world!

It is time for a new generation of believers to arise! Allow God to strip away the old thinking and begin to think with the renewed mind of Christ. Dream with God and believe for the impossible in your sphere of influence!

REAL (18):The meaning of being a king in the Kingdom of God?

Dr. Paul Taylor

Revelation 1:6 says “and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:6 NKJV

Jesus Christ has made us kings. That is why He is referred to as "The King of kings."  What does a king do?  He rules or governs the people of his domain. 

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE WERE NEVER CREATED TO CONTROL OR DOMINATE OTHER PEOPLE.  

Our leadership is like that of Christ. We are to be servant leaders that lead by example not by might. Jesus gave us authority, not power to lead or govern. Authority is the skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence. Power is the ability to force someone to do your will because of your position or might. 

Many believers confuse these two words. We have authority in this world and power against the devil or evil. DON'T CONFUSE THE TWO OR YOU WILL HURT MANY PEOPLE AS YOU TRY TO LEAD THEM IN LIFE.

We are also called to be a righteous king!

A priest is one who intercedes for others. That is our spiritual responsibility. Again just like Jesus who intercedes for us and the people of the world. 

The problem is that believers try to be priests in places where they have been called to be kings. This is not to say that we can't pray for people on the job because we are always spiritual beings and God is always with us. But there is a time for all things and we must discern when to apply compassion on the job and when to fire the person who was stealing money from us. 

Let me ask this question. In Scripture who did more for Israel (OT) or for he church in the NT, kings or priests?

Was David a priest? Daniel? Abraham?  Moses?  Solomon?  The answer of course is no. The first people in the OT to be filled with the Spirit of God and wisdom were not priests, but artisans that built the tabernacle and the garments of the priests. Ex. 31:1-4; 28:3

In the NT the disciples were fishermen, a tax collector and other various occupations but none were priests. 

Of all the miracles in the Book of Acts of the Holy Spirit, 39 total, none happened in a church or synagogue!

My point is that western civilization and originally Constantine made ministers and priests religious leaders (clergy) and all the others lay people or secular.  U will not find clergy and secular in NT scripture.  Jesus Christ has made us ALL KINGS AND PRIESTS. 

That does not mean there is no place for the 5 fold ministry among those who gather together. Some are called to be Apostles, prophets,evangelists, teachers, and pastors.  They have gifts to do that work, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE THEM MORE ANOINTED THAN THE PERSON CALLED TO BE A CARPENTER OR BUSINESSMAN OR FARMER. 

Who anoints us?  A Bible College?  A pastor or church leader?  Only the Anointed One, Jesus Christ!  He has anointed everyone who He has chosen and dwells in!

The key is you must know who u are (your identity), and your purpose and that u are anointed, then u will go forth with authority, and confidence!  Now u can move mountains because of the anointing that flows through your life. 

"The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without purpose!"

- Myles Monroe

To be kings and priests means to have a ministry that takes all our lives, like the King David. His ministry was to be a King and also to write the most beautiful Psalms. His works improved the people lives. I believe it means that our occupation is a part of all ministry that God gave to us. And to live this is to live the God's purpose to our lives

REAL (17):There are no throwing stones with love. (JSalum)

BY Andry Andriamamonjy Andriarimalala

When I read the Gospel of John 8:1-11 about the woman caught in adultery, I noted these points through the Holy Spirit.

1) RELIGIOUS MEN said "You've sinned; you deserve punishment".

2) They thought that they were holy, the others only sinners.

3) So they dared, they had courage, they dared to destroy someone's image publicly with the famous words "jealousy for the doctrine, for the law of religion founder Moses".

But the LOVING KING instead spoke to the woman:

1) I know you have sinned; you have this nature from your grandfather Adam

2) But, do they have the right to condemn you? You can’t see but their holiness is just apparent, I can see their hearts. Holiness without love is just legalism.

3) You cannot carry the burdens of sins from your past, you cannot bear the sins of your present, let me bear them all on the cross, I forgive you, I set you free!

4) I believe in your future. I believe that you will not be abused by my grace. Sin no more. Let me reign! Where God reigns, sin is powerless! True love for God holds us on the right way!

There are no throwing stones with love. (JSalum)

REAL (16): A YELLOW IPE TREE AND A SERIOUS CHALLENGE IN CHRISTIANITY

A YELLOW IPE TREE AND A SERIOUS CHALLENGE IN CHRISTIANITY

Dr. Josimar Salum

The serious challenge of following Jesus after 1800 years of Christian-ism is that instead of following the person of Jesus many of us follow doctrine, theology, orthodoxies, traditions and dogmas.

We are expected to think within a box of labels and be restrained inside of it: pre, mid, pos tribulation-ism, pre, pos millennial-ism; Arminia-ism, Calvin-ism,  Pentecostal-ism; Protestant-ism and so on. 

In the beginning of our journey here at REAL I told a story about my friend and longtime mentor professor Wilson Regis. I asked him 25 years ago. On that occasion we were walking through the bus station square in the big city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

-Professor, what is more difficult: to speak or to write? I sincerely asked him.

He paused few long minutes with his eyes fixed on me and answered: TO THINK.

In another occasion I was driving my car with him at the passenger seat through the beautiful mountains from Nova Lima city to Rio Acima city. It was September and the rain had fell for a couple days and all leaves of all trees were green and the pastures upon the hills were also extremely green.

And then I looked in the midst of a hill there was a marvelous yellow IPE tree. I almost yelled when I said: 

- Professor Regis, look at that IPE tree. "She" is so beautiful. Alleluia!

He replied:

- Look at that IPE tree, Josimar. You look at her, please. Can you see her? Can you perceive her? Do you notice that "she" stands alone in the midst of the hill? Did you notice that all trees around her are green? Can you see all grass of the hills are green? Only her is yellow!  Everybody is green. Only her is yellow. She is so different. While everyone is green she has the courage to be yellow." (Wilson Regis)

Interesting conversation we are having here. Thank you for all replies. And at the bottom line it turns to what my dear long time friend, Dr. Paul Taylor frequently says: 

- Religious mindsets are difficult to change. Unless God opens our eyes, it is a losing battle. Fear of being wrong keeps many of us from rethinking what we believe.

Thank you 

A BIG CORRECTION:

VICTOR GOMES IS A COURAGEOUS YOUNG MAN who is not afraid to share what he thinks and believe. He reminds me of my old days, 32 years ago, challenging my professors at the Bible college.

  

Victor, let me correct my self! 

WE CAN DISCUSS HERE EVERYTHING. What we should not do is to be offended by each other with the answers we read and the things we share.

When I wrote "NO DISCUSSIONS HERE" I was acting like many times  my parents, my pastors, my teachers and many people acted with me. When I was young they taught me that I could not challenge their thinking, traditions, anything.

There was an occasion a professor expelled me from the room because I challenged some of his teachings of his Old Testament Theology class. That was not nice! 

Another professor told me many times: - Do what I tell you to do, no questions to be asked! 

And I know why he used to tell me like that. He was provoking me to do exactly the contrary.

I remember an old story I like to tell: there was a train engineer of those old rand rail trains that in every stop had a rubber hammer in his hand and used to punch every iron wheel of the machine.

Every station in a sunny or in a raining day he would get out of the machine and punch hard every wheel of the train machine.

One day a young kid approached him and asked:

- What are you doing, sir?

He very irritated answered him:

- I am punching the wheels with this rubber hammer. Don't you see?

The kid asked:

- Why?

He stopped, thought and got lost in his thoughts. Then he answered:

- I don't know! Before I started in this job my superior taught me to do just like that. Until now it never occurred to me that I DO NOT KNOW why I am doing this. OH! MY GOD!

-------

One of these days I will share with you how I came to  know this fine young man called Victor Gomes. He is son of a man of God and man of character and integrity, pastor Moacir Andrade of Ipanema Minas Gerais, Brasil. I wondered  why his name is Victor! 👏👏👏

REAL (15): Why John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if Hewas the one who would come when himself baptized Him?

I have a question from our leaders about Jesus and John the Baptist. We all know aJesus Christ was coming to Jordan to be baptized by John and then we know also that John the Baptist when heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him: are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else? My question is: Why John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one who would come when himself baptized Him?

Gilbert Nduwinana - REAL Burundi

Gilbert, Dr. Taylor here. 

John the Baptist asked the question about Jesus being the One because he was facing death.  He was in prison and was not seeing the works of Jesus Christ. 

The Bible is very good to show us the human side of mankind. John was weary and his faith was weak at that time. Even in this condition Jesus never changed His feelings about John.  "Assuredly, I say to u, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

Matthew 11:11

(I also believe John was doubting about his own identity. If Jesus was not the Messiah, the Christ he had worked in vain. As Paul said he was in prison, his 6 month ministry ended so rapidly. The core of John the Baptist question was if Jesus was the Christ:

“Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!” John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.” John 3:25-31, 34)

This Jesus said right after John's disciples left to return to John. The Bible never hides man's weakness and this should be a great encouragement to all of us. We do not have to be perfect!  He is perfect and anything we accomplish is because He is in us and works through us. This is the grace of God. If we could only accept this and understand that we are the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ then we would no longer think as sinners, but we would allow our minds to be renewed and begin to think like God. We would begin to see solutions and strategies that would reflect God who created us. 

Stop thinking u are a sinner and begin to walk in the righteousness of Christ!  Now u understand why Jesus said, ...but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (John).

Gilbert just a few more thoughts that I hope will encourage u. 

So often we feel we cannot do anything for God and His Kingdom because we have failed in some way. I am not making any excuse for our failures, our sin. Even though we are righteous in Christ we still have to deal with the weakness of our flesh!  This weakness, if confessed before God is not a problem. Jesus conquered sin on the Cross. 

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9

Sin is not a problem with God. It is man's pride (which is a sin) that is a problem. It is when we think we can do life on our own, in our own strength. Then when we fail, and we will fail because we can not live a righteous life without Christ!  Then we have to deal with condemnation that does not come from God, but from our carnal thinking and Satan. 

So the Bible gives example after example of people God used who were far from perfect. 

We all know what a great man ELIJAH was and yet James writes, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months."

James 5:17

The Apostles were all simple men, fishermen, tough men but Jesus saw their hearts and they changed the world. Paul the Apostle was a horrible murderer. Cheif of sinners. On and on we can go. Religion has made these men bigger than life. They were great men, but they were no different than you or me. They were just surrendered to Jesus. We must do the same. 

Blessings my friend. Don't let the traditions of religion hold u back from becoming all u were created to be!

(PTaylor)

Our perfection is in God. 

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Matthew 5:44-48 NKJV

The word "perfect" here in Greek means "having reached its end, complete, by extension "perfect", complete in all its parts, full grown, of full age. Jesus said "you shall be prefect as your Father in heaven is perfect" speaks about the perfection of us all together as Paul explains in Ephesians chapter 4, i.e. we can't individually be perfect in ourselves, because we are only perfect in Him. In other words, in the Kingdom and in the Church we are not meant to be individuals by ourselves. Even God is not perfect without us. 

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:22-23 NKJV

“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:13, 15-16 NKJV

REAL (14):Where people from continents came from?

I have a small question. We know in the beginning God created heavens and earth and all things were made for him.  After this God created Adam and Eve was taken from him. I know also when the Lord God created Adam and Eve there were not other people in the world. My question is: Today we see in the world many nations, many tribes, many countries, and many different people in African continent, American Continent, Europeans Continent, Asian Continent, Oceania Continent  and all came for the first  person. Where do they come from? Gilbert Nduwinana

REAL Burundi

We have to see this difference in our talking to be able to think differently. If we keep building our reasoning upon a traditional theology we got only to repeat what we have learned and we will miss the train of transformation, just to use an expression of the Western world.

God did not create Adam and Eve! God created Adam, male and female. Genesis 5:1-2 Eve was named Eve after they decided to be independent from God. Actually Eve was also called Adam by God. Understand, they were two, but by God they were created one. We look them as two, God looked them as ONE. 

The main thing both of them, one male and one female is that they have lost the image of God. They were not like God anymore. In that moment they who were one became two. 

This is a different thinking. This is not logical for many of us. But that is what happen. The universe was one. They were one with God. When they took and have eaten the fruit of knowledge of good and evil the universe was broken, they were divided, they only ONE who remained in the whole creation was God. I will share just this for now.!The diversity of the world we see today comes from the first man who was one with his woman. That is why Jesus died in the cross to make us all ONE again like He and His Father are ONE.!

Earth was created in just one portion. There were not continents when God created Earth. 

“And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:9-10 NIV

God said: Let the water gathered in one place and let dry ground appear.

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

II Peter 3:5-7 NKJV

The earth standing out of the water. There was water and in the middle there was the Earth.

And amazingly Peter also declares that existence as we know even now will cease to exist. Not just Earth but even the heavens "where God is" will be destroyed by fire.

Now read these verses carefully:

“Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.

To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” Genesis 10:1, 25 NKJV

The name Peleg (Hebrew palag) means literally split, divided 

“To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.”  I Chronicles 1:19 NKJV

When the earth (dry ground) was flooded the earth was a singular portion in the midst of water. The dry ground was a solely portion. 

“Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1, 2-11 

Pelegue was a descendant of Noah (read the rest of Gênesis chapter 11) and in his days mankind which had one language and were one was divided by God, mending they not just ceased to speak just one language but literally the whole dry ground was split and continents were formed. Curiously enough if you see the world map visibly you perceive every part of land came from each other as it looks like a puzzle.

In Genesis 11 the Earth and humans were divided, in Acts 2 men and women started to become one. 

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?””

Acts 2:1, 3-12 NKJV

“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:11, 20-23 NKJV

What this subject has to do with our goal in REAL is that since men were expelled from the garden they begin to produce culture, ways of communication, establish government among themselves,  develop ways of raising their families, types of entertainment, how they educate the following generations, forms of trading and business, they have built cities and civilizations and increase religion instead of building resltionhsip with God. Before Noah you can find a man call Enoch and what we hear about him is this: Enoch walked with God!

After Noah and the flood it was not different, and men and women came together in rebellion to the point of building the Tower of Babel. All forms of culture came to the point again of despising God. Noah walked with God and after Babel Abraham walked with God.

Business and all other forms of cultures must be originated from our relationship with God. 

Dr. Josimar Salum