Genesis 3:1-7
Now the serpent was more crafty than any breast of the field which the Lord God had made. --
Ancient rock impressions have been found by archaeologists that show the snake having legs up and down its sides. And biologists have seen small impressions on the snake's vertebrae that look like legs had been attached there. A very beautiful creature.
And he said to the woman, --
The one speaking here is Satan using the snake to communicate.
"Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" --
Here is where he plants doubt into the woman's thinking processes.
And the woman said to the serpent, --
She didn't think it strange for a snake to be talking to her!?!
"From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;" --
She is right and accurate in what she said here.
But from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'"
Here either the woman adds to what God told Adam (in 2:17), or Adam added that part when he told her, to not touch it. In any case, apparently just touching the fruit without consuming it would not have resulted in death.
And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die!" --
Here Satan tells her a bold-faced lie, completely countering what God clearly commanded.
"For God knows" --
Satan is implying that God is not being honest with them, and is holding something back from them that would be beneficial.
"That in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." --
Satan told her that to eat this fruit would make her "like God," in a way that would let her be her own god, not needing to listen to God any more, or anyone else, either, because she could choose for herself what she thinks would be best.
When the woman saw --
Oh-oh, she's looking right at it now . . .
that the tree was good for food, --
It looked and smelled delicious.
And that it was a delight to the eyes, --
It really was beautiful, like all of God's creation.
And that the tree was desirable to make one wise, --
She considered it a good thing to be enabled to make her own decisions and not "bother" God; to be her own god.
She took from its fruit and ate; --
She's following through on the decision she has already made.
And she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Apparently Adam was right there, and let her do it--or he walked up just then--but he ate, too. We're not told why, but he knew he was disobeying God, and did it deliberately.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, --
Yes, Satan said that would happen, but what did they see? Wisdom?
And they knew that they were naked; --
No, not wisdom, only shame. For the first time.
And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. --
This is the first "religion," doing what we can to fix what's wrong and cover over where we're exposed.
Satan is still telling us that we're smart, we're adults, we don't need anyone to tell us what to do or not do, we can decide for ourselves. We certainly don't need to listen to God, because He just wants to "catch" us doing something He can punish. We don't need Him.
But if we're not listening to God Who loves us, to do the right things He leads us to do, then we're only letting our enemy dictate to us, to deceive us, and destroy us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Rejoicing In Trials
I Peter 1: 3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, --
All blessing, glory and power belongs to God.
Who according to His great mercy --
His mercy is His not giving us the wrath and punishment we deserve for our our sins.
Has caused us to be born again --
This is the being "born anew" that Jesus told Nicodemus about, that is the miracle that God performs in each person He calls to faith in Jesus Christ, causing them to be born spiritually into His own Family.
To a living hope --
Hope in the world is an "I hope so," but hope in God's word is a certainty that has not yet taken place. This hope is alive in us.
Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, --
Jesus was not resuscitated from a temporary death, like someone who "dies" on the operating table and is brought back; He raised Himself from the death all mankind is destined to suffer, with a new kind of life, a Resurrection Life, far superior to our natural, physical life. This proves that God accepted His payment of our debt in full.
To obtain an inheritance --
Now as God's children born into His family, we will receive an inheritance from Him.
Which is imperishable --
Which means it cannot ever perish, or go bad, or decay.
And undefiled --
Which means that it is perfect, with nothing about it that is damaged or not right in any way.
And will not fade away, --
It will never grow old or get lost or wear out.
Reserved in Heaven for you, --
Reserved, held, like a reserved table at a restaurant, for each of us.
Who are protected by the power of God --
We are safely in God's hand, to never again be lost, held by the greatest Power in the Universe.
Through faith --
By means of our trusting God to have done and will do everything He says, in His word, the Bible; believing that He sent His own Son, God the Son coming to Earth as a Man, the eternal Person to pay the eternal debt we each owe, and a genuine member of the race of Man, to suffer the human death we all deserve and are destined to die; and rising from the dead to prove that He didn't deserve to die and that God the Father accepted His payment on our behalf.
For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. --
This Salvation, this Redemption, is what we have a down-payment of now, in this world, Who is the Holy Spirit, given to us as the guarantee that we will receive the whole Redemption in the future, at the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, --
Knowing this, we can be happy and have joy in living;
Even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, --
Even in the midst of troubles, trials and sorrows, if that is what we are facing now.
That the proof of your faith, --
Showing that our faith is genuine, being maintained even through being tested by things not going the way we expect; not blaming God, but still relying on Him in gratitude for all He provides.
Being more precious than gold --
Our faith is worth more than the most precious substance in this world.
Which is perishable, even though tested by fire, --
Gold is refined by fire to make it more valuable, but will one day be destroyed when this Earth is destroyed; and we are tested by the fires of adversity and grief.
May be found to result in praise and glory and honor --
Our faith, our trusting in the Lord, will bring us compliments, credit and rewards.
At the Revelation of Jesus Christ; --
At the end of this Age, when Jesus returns to Earth to Rapture His church and set up His 1000-year Kingdom, He will also sit at His Bema Seat, to hand out the rewards to His Saints, who are us, for all the things we have accomplished in His power.
And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, --
We do not need to see Him with our physical eyes in order to know Him, and to know Him is to love Him; and although we cannot see Him in the flesh in the world today, we still put our faith in Who He is and What He has done and will do for us and in us.
You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, --
Not seeing Him with our eyes, we still can have joy and happiness and fun in a way that is much deeper and satisfying than any the World is able to give, not being tainted by the World, so is pure and wholesome.
Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. --
So the outcome, the result of our having faith, putting our full trust in God, will be this joyfulness that is so rich that we cannot express it in words. And our spiritual parts, our soul and spirit, are ransomed and cleansed and purified now, to be Resurrected in glory with our bodies at that last day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, --
All blessing, glory and power belongs to God.
Who according to His great mercy --
His mercy is His not giving us the wrath and punishment we deserve for our our sins.
Has caused us to be born again --
This is the being "born anew" that Jesus told Nicodemus about, that is the miracle that God performs in each person He calls to faith in Jesus Christ, causing them to be born spiritually into His own Family.
To a living hope --
Hope in the world is an "I hope so," but hope in God's word is a certainty that has not yet taken place. This hope is alive in us.
Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, --
Jesus was not resuscitated from a temporary death, like someone who "dies" on the operating table and is brought back; He raised Himself from the death all mankind is destined to suffer, with a new kind of life, a Resurrection Life, far superior to our natural, physical life. This proves that God accepted His payment of our debt in full.
To obtain an inheritance --
Now as God's children born into His family, we will receive an inheritance from Him.
Which is imperishable --
Which means it cannot ever perish, or go bad, or decay.
And undefiled --
Which means that it is perfect, with nothing about it that is damaged or not right in any way.
And will not fade away, --
It will never grow old or get lost or wear out.
Reserved in Heaven for you, --
Reserved, held, like a reserved table at a restaurant, for each of us.
Who are protected by the power of God --
We are safely in God's hand, to never again be lost, held by the greatest Power in the Universe.
Through faith --
By means of our trusting God to have done and will do everything He says, in His word, the Bible; believing that He sent His own Son, God the Son coming to Earth as a Man, the eternal Person to pay the eternal debt we each owe, and a genuine member of the race of Man, to suffer the human death we all deserve and are destined to die; and rising from the dead to prove that He didn't deserve to die and that God the Father accepted His payment on our behalf.
For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. --
This Salvation, this Redemption, is what we have a down-payment of now, in this world, Who is the Holy Spirit, given to us as the guarantee that we will receive the whole Redemption in the future, at the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, --
Knowing this, we can be happy and have joy in living;
Even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, --
Even in the midst of troubles, trials and sorrows, if that is what we are facing now.
That the proof of your faith, --
Showing that our faith is genuine, being maintained even through being tested by things not going the way we expect; not blaming God, but still relying on Him in gratitude for all He provides.
Being more precious than gold --
Our faith is worth more than the most precious substance in this world.
Which is perishable, even though tested by fire, --
Gold is refined by fire to make it more valuable, but will one day be destroyed when this Earth is destroyed; and we are tested by the fires of adversity and grief.
May be found to result in praise and glory and honor --
Our faith, our trusting in the Lord, will bring us compliments, credit and rewards.
At the Revelation of Jesus Christ; --
At the end of this Age, when Jesus returns to Earth to Rapture His church and set up His 1000-year Kingdom, He will also sit at His Bema Seat, to hand out the rewards to His Saints, who are us, for all the things we have accomplished in His power.
And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, --
We do not need to see Him with our physical eyes in order to know Him, and to know Him is to love Him; and although we cannot see Him in the flesh in the world today, we still put our faith in Who He is and What He has done and will do for us and in us.
You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, --
Not seeing Him with our eyes, we still can have joy and happiness and fun in a way that is much deeper and satisfying than any the World is able to give, not being tainted by the World, so is pure and wholesome.
Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. --
So the outcome, the result of our having faith, putting our full trust in God, will be this joyfulness that is so rich that we cannot express it in words. And our spiritual parts, our soul and spirit, are ransomed and cleansed and purified now, to be Resurrected in glory with our bodies at that last day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
His Hand In My Goings
Psalm 139:1-6
O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. --
My sister and I left her house to make what we thought would be a 3 or 4 hour drive, to be with my daughter for a family event at the University prior to her graduation. We missed a turn-off onto the highway we were going to take, which resulted in a much longer but very scenic 6-hour drive. We arrived at the University at about the same time my daughter and her family did, though, and, surprisingly, met up with them on the sidewalk, from among over 18,000 graduates and their families!
God knew that we didn't need to be there earlier, and treated us to a very beautiful mountain drive as an extra bonus. He really does know all my ways, and is so powerful that He was able to arrange all the details, for my benefit, and He receives all the glory!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. --
My sister and I left her house to make what we thought would be a 3 or 4 hour drive, to be with my daughter for a family event at the University prior to her graduation. We missed a turn-off onto the highway we were going to take, which resulted in a much longer but very scenic 6-hour drive. We arrived at the University at about the same time my daughter and her family did, though, and, surprisingly, met up with them on the sidewalk, from among over 18,000 graduates and their families!
God knew that we didn't need to be there earlier, and treated us to a very beautiful mountain drive as an extra bonus. He really does know all my ways, and is so powerful that He was able to arrange all the details, for my benefit, and He receives all the glory!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, May 16, 2016
Search Me, Know Me, Try Me
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; --
Look into me, O God, into the deep recesses of my heart, even those places I hide from myself.
Try me and know my anxious thoughts; --
Test me to show me where fear still has hold of me, instead of trusting You.
And see if there be any hurtful way in me, --
Show me every thought, word or action in me that is against the good way You have made this world and intend for it to work; or that would be harmful to me or others or Your reputation.
And lead me in the everlasting way. --
Teach me how to live my life each day according to Your good plan for me, that I may be a blessing to others in showing them Your love for them and goodness toward them, to turn their hearts toward You and seek You, that they may find You and enjoy You forever. And You, Lord, will receive all the credit, for that is how You planned it all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Search me, O God, and know my heart; --
Look into me, O God, into the deep recesses of my heart, even those places I hide from myself.
Try me and know my anxious thoughts; --
Test me to show me where fear still has hold of me, instead of trusting You.
And see if there be any hurtful way in me, --
Show me every thought, word or action in me that is against the good way You have made this world and intend for it to work; or that would be harmful to me or others or Your reputation.
And lead me in the everlasting way. --
Teach me how to live my life each day according to Your good plan for me, that I may be a blessing to others in showing them Your love for them and goodness toward them, to turn their hearts toward You and seek You, that they may find You and enjoy You forever. And You, Lord, will receive all the credit, for that is how You planned it all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, May 15, 2016
The Christ-Like Life
II Peter 1:5-11
…Applying all diligence in your faith, --
Being sure your belief results in trusting God.
supply moral excellence, --
This faith will lead to a high personal moral standard.
and in your moral excellence, knowledge; --
This will lead into a deeper understanding in your knowledge of the things of God.
and in your knowledge, self-control, --
This deeper knowledge will strengthen you in having better control of your natural urges.
and in your self-control, perseverance, --
This perseverance will keep us steady in our walk with God.
and in your perseverance, godliness, --
Behavior that recognizes that God is the ultimate Judge of my actions.
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, --
This attitude will lead to treating others with the kindness that would be given to a beloved brother in one's own family.
and in your brotherly kindness, love. --
Treating even strangers and people who are our enemies in this manner will lead us into the agape love of the Father toward us; that deep, true, unconditional love that will pay any cost, make the greatest sacrifice, for the one loved.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. --
If we continue to build these qualities into our lives and attitudes, then God will be able to use us in His work, and we will bear much fruit, in spreading the knowledge of our Lord.
For he who lacks these qualities is blind, or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Someone who fails to display these qualities in their life has either never received the light of the Spirit (blind), or is so shallow that they cannot see the long-term effects of their actions (short-sighted, myopic). Anyone in this state needs to re-examine if they ever did repent, allowing God to purify them of their past sins through the death of Jesus.
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; --
If God called you to Himself and chose you to be a member of His own family, then you will carefully examine your "salvation experience" to make certain that you really did realize that Jesus took your deserved death for you on His cross, paying in full for all your sins, past, present and future.
for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble, --
When we continually work on doing these things, being this way, then we will not be vulnerable to making wrong choices in the heat of the moment.
For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
This just means that we can be sure we are really saved, and will certainly go to Heaven if we die, or be translated directly into His 1000-year reign at the Rapture.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
…Applying all diligence in your faith, --
Being sure your belief results in trusting God.
supply moral excellence, --
This faith will lead to a high personal moral standard.
and in your moral excellence, knowledge; --
This will lead into a deeper understanding in your knowledge of the things of God.
and in your knowledge, self-control, --
This deeper knowledge will strengthen you in having better control of your natural urges.
and in your self-control, perseverance, --
This perseverance will keep us steady in our walk with God.
and in your perseverance, godliness, --
Behavior that recognizes that God is the ultimate Judge of my actions.
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, --
This attitude will lead to treating others with the kindness that would be given to a beloved brother in one's own family.
and in your brotherly kindness, love. --
Treating even strangers and people who are our enemies in this manner will lead us into the agape love of the Father toward us; that deep, true, unconditional love that will pay any cost, make the greatest sacrifice, for the one loved.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. --
If we continue to build these qualities into our lives and attitudes, then God will be able to use us in His work, and we will bear much fruit, in spreading the knowledge of our Lord.
For he who lacks these qualities is blind, or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Someone who fails to display these qualities in their life has either never received the light of the Spirit (blind), or is so shallow that they cannot see the long-term effects of their actions (short-sighted, myopic). Anyone in this state needs to re-examine if they ever did repent, allowing God to purify them of their past sins through the death of Jesus.
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; --
If God called you to Himself and chose you to be a member of His own family, then you will carefully examine your "salvation experience" to make certain that you really did realize that Jesus took your deserved death for you on His cross, paying in full for all your sins, past, present and future.
for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble, --
When we continually work on doing these things, being this way, then we will not be vulnerable to making wrong choices in the heat of the moment.
For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
This just means that we can be sure we are really saved, and will certainly go to Heaven if we die, or be translated directly into His 1000-year reign at the Rapture.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Believe And Obey
John 3:18 & 36
(18) "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God." [Words of Jesus.]
(36) "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him." [Words of John the Baptist]
When God repeats Himself, we know that this is crucial to our understanding. Here, John the Baptist reinforces the Truth that Jesus told Nicodemus that night He told him about being "born anew."
God is sovereign in who He chooses to save, but He's also given us freedom of will. So we choose what to want: we can choose to desire Truth, no matter what the cost, or we can choose to want what would make us feel good. From our perspective, we see that only those who choose to desire God and His Truth and goodness will be the ones God decides to save.
We will all give account for every choice we make. All the little decisions will accumulate and result in a major decision that will affect all of our lives, for good or ill. So I want to make sure that my small issues in life will all be decided for the right, even if it costs me. Little things don't mean a lot, they mean everything.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(18) "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God." [Words of Jesus.]
(36) "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him." [Words of John the Baptist]
When God repeats Himself, we know that this is crucial to our understanding. Here, John the Baptist reinforces the Truth that Jesus told Nicodemus that night He told him about being "born anew."
God is sovereign in who He chooses to save, but He's also given us freedom of will. So we choose what to want: we can choose to desire Truth, no matter what the cost, or we can choose to want what would make us feel good. From our perspective, we see that only those who choose to desire God and His Truth and goodness will be the ones God decides to save.
We will all give account for every choice we make. All the little decisions will accumulate and result in a major decision that will affect all of our lives, for good or ill. So I want to make sure that my small issues in life will all be decided for the right, even if it costs me. Little things don't mean a lot, they mean everything.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, May 13, 2016
Earth's Golden Age
Jeremiah 31:33-34
"But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews quoted this extended passage, so I think God wants us to know this. God will never abandon the Nation Israel. God made them promises that will not be transferred to any other people.
This passage tells us about a future time when Jesus has assumed the Throne of David and will reign as King over the whole Earth. He will not just give them His laws, as He did at Mount Sinai, but will change their hearts by the New Birth, and no one will need to tell anyone else who Jesus is, everyone will already know Him, not just know of Him.
They will all know in their hearts the right way to live their lives, and how to build healthy relationships with one another; they will all know God's love for them, and will love and worship Him and love one another with His love; and they will all know God's forgiveness, and be able to grant that forgiveness to themselves and to one another. It will be Earth's Golden Age.
Today let us live our lives knowing Him, loving Him, and extending His love and forgiveness to one another, in the power of His Holy Spirit that lives in us. That's what Jesus meant when He talked about the Kingdom of God being within us. He is our King and we obey Him as His subjects today, being in the world but not of it. And eagerly waiting for His Glorious Appearing.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews quoted this extended passage, so I think God wants us to know this. God will never abandon the Nation Israel. God made them promises that will not be transferred to any other people.
This passage tells us about a future time when Jesus has assumed the Throne of David and will reign as King over the whole Earth. He will not just give them His laws, as He did at Mount Sinai, but will change their hearts by the New Birth, and no one will need to tell anyone else who Jesus is, everyone will already know Him, not just know of Him.
They will all know in their hearts the right way to live their lives, and how to build healthy relationships with one another; they will all know God's love for them, and will love and worship Him and love one another with His love; and they will all know God's forgiveness, and be able to grant that forgiveness to themselves and to one another. It will be Earth's Golden Age.
Today let us live our lives knowing Him, loving Him, and extending His love and forgiveness to one another, in the power of His Holy Spirit that lives in us. That's what Jesus meant when He talked about the Kingdom of God being within us. He is our King and we obey Him as His subjects today, being in the world but not of it. And eagerly waiting for His Glorious Appearing.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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