Good and Evil

...In the middle of the Garden, there were two special trees mentioned. The tree of LIFE and the tree of knowledge (knowing) of Good and Evil (the ONLY forbidden tree). It's interesting, that it was not just the tree of Evil, but it was mingled with Good. The fruit was good looking and good tasting, still it was full of sin and rebellion against God. I explained it to my 8yr old son in this way. It was like eating some delicious chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven; Pleasing to the eyes, the nose and to the taste buds. Oh yeah, but I forgot to say that the good ingredients are laced with doggy poop, which can never be removed from the system. That poop would effect everything you touched and everyone you gave birth to. Now forever you would stink and so would they.

So Adam and Eve ate. The fruit of Good and EVIL and it's effect got into their BLOOD stream and was passed down thru out the entire human race. It also changed everything they touched. Leaving us all in need of a BLOOD transfusion, a "Do Over", a 'Clean out'! This sin was the introduction to death as we know it.
In that moment, Our Fall from all that was GOOD, put us in need of a Savior to rescue us from all that was Evil. Gen.2,3

Because of the cross, death and resurrection of Jesus, there is a cure! We can be born AGAIN, free from the domination of sin that leads to death. Because of Him, we now have access to LIFE that lasts forever! This Life taste good, Looks good and Smells good, to those who are looking for the same.

. ... Oh the Blood of Jesus, it washes white as snow!

Temptation?... RUN!

I find it funny (well not in the comical sense), how the Bible commands us to Pray about everything. Resist the Devil and He will flee. Stand up when you would rather retreat. But when it comes to the cravings of the flesh, temptations...It tells us to Flee! Meaning run in the other direction as fast as you can!
That's exactly what I had to do just a minute ago. You see, like most women, I love Chocolate! :-) But Chocolate does not always love me back. For the past few days, I have been fighting the "seasonal change allergy attack". Dairy products are the enemy when I am trying to rid the body of the "junk in my throat and sinuses" that milk products produce. So, what was I handed as a gift right before I was about to wind down for the night? 3 warm and soft Chocolate chip (with pecans) cookies...my favorites! Oh My Goodness! I have to sing tomorrow...but I soooo want those cookies. It was like they were calling me. As soon as I received them in my hands I took a bite. WOW! My "will power" was losing the match. I stated that I was not going to eat anymore until after I had sung the next day...yeah right! 


 Knowing how much I wanted those cookies and How much I shouldn't have them, I decided to 'flee temptation' by turning them over to my sister girl. I asked her to babysit them for me until after the singing. Because she was embracing the "call of the cookies"herself, I reminded her that I did not want them adopted! They needed to be returned to sender after the songs were over :-).


Y'all, I find that's how it is with other cravings of the flesh. We can't play around with them...or him...or her...or it. We have got to take the 'way of escape' that God promises us in every temptation. In that way, we are able to bear it. We can't flirt with it, negotiate with it, sweet talk it or even sing pretty songs to it. We must be obedient to the Word and run from it...really fast! And if the time is right and the Lord wills, what was once a temptation, may soon become a blessing.

Beginning or The End

I am often amazed at how many times you work so hard to finish something. You lose sleep, miss meals, skip entertaining events, all to reach your goal. And right when you feel like you are just about to touch that rainbow with it's pot of gold... it all disappears, and a big neon sign obstructs your view. Now all you can see are flashing lights, spelling out two beautiful words: "The Beginning".  Nevermind that it's gonna take a nap to appreciate them.  "The Beginning"...  What? "You must be kidding?" is your initial response. But this is not "The Beginning", as in the start of the same thing you just finished, but 'the beginning' of something really new. It's a road you have never ventured down before. It's an invitation. I mean at this point, it can't be ignored, but it can be denied. 


I find this to be the case in every area of life. Kids finish one school year, only to start a new one... or eventually a new life. We work on projects and as soon as they are done, either we are offered a season of rest or that 'project' has now opened the doors to more opportunity.... and thus more busyness. The same is true when someone is sick and passes away, or someone who was once close to you is now far away. Either way, something new is about to begin.


Not only is this true in our everyday lives, but this is how 'The Kingdom' works as well. When we come to Christ with our pain, our shame and our sin, it is the end of those things reigning in our lives.  A New Day has dawned! Jesus' Lordship, occupation and dominion of that territory begins. 


It's the Cross and the Empty Tomb! 


It's the end of "void and darkness", but it's the beginning of "Let there be light".  


It's the end of a long, hard, pregnancy, but the beginning of a new life.  


And yes, it is even that which ends in death, only to be followed by the beginning of Eternal Life. 


Like a great baton exchange in a relay race, it's a wonderful crossing of the finish line.  It's called transition... where the End always precedes the Beginning.


If any man be in Christ, He is a New Creation! Old things are passed away and behold (Look with wonder!) all things are become New!


2 Cor. 5:17

A Walk in the Light

I took a walk this morning somewhere in the 5 o clock hour. It was still dark. I decided to take a venture around our little farm and pray. When I looked up into the sky, I could still see faint sprinkles of stars and the moon shining brightly on one side of me; on the other side the sky was showing off hues of burnt orange and the likes announcing that ‘the sun was coming’. So underneath it all, between the two, I walked. It was as if I were in a shadow land. I could make out what was before me, but i could not see it clearly. The depth of the path beneath me was unknown until it was already under my feet. I felt compelled and invited to walk to the top of one of the hills, but soon found myself in high grass and mushy earth. I started praying aloud that the Lord wouldn’t let me step on a snake, or come across frightened dear that would want to scratch my eyes out. Because of what I couldn’t see, my eyes and imagination were playing tricks on me. Still, I sensed an inner voice encouraging me to trust, to continue on. So after my occasional pause, due to questionable sounds, I did continued my walk of faith. From time to time, i’d stumble (although not literally) across a path that had already been beaten down to short grass. “Awe!” my wet shoes and ankles would say, and then again because of my lack of vision, I’d be right back in the high, wet and mushy.Several times I looked back, and began to notice the beauty of the sunrise. “Wow! Look at what God is doing again.” I so wanted to stop. The thoughts of “you’ve come far enough,” “you’re almost to the top, why risk going any further?“ , ”who knows what’s up ahead?“, and the temptation of being transfixed on the beauty of the created, instead of the Magnificence of the Creator, all called to me. Then from deep inside, strong and gentle, again I heard the invitation to ‘come’ by trusting. And so once more, I turned my back on the beauty I had seen, the success of my accomplishments thus far and made my way to the top of the hill. When I had finally made it, I wanted to go further...and enter the woods. I wanted the journey to continue. But had a sense that it would have to be for another day.

I pulled out my iphone and checked the clock. It reminded me that it was now time to return to the ‘walk of faith’ in my home. By this time the light had dawned and I could now see clearly. The right paths to take were so obvious, so clear, It was no longer a mystery. With sure steps and a more steady gait, again I walked the same piece of land in a totally different way...why? Because of the Light.

• Matthew 4:16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
• John 8:12[ The Validity of Jesus' Testimony ] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."