But Wait

Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “It is not true that you will surely die; because God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” source

I got a new Bible today.  A new Study Bible and I’m in love again. 

I opened it and I read the verses given above.  Allow me to share my notes with you.

Not True.
How would she know what that meant?

Your eyes will be opened, he said. 
Here’s what I hear him saying to Eve (Havah).
Your eyes are closed. 
When you believe GOD your eyes are closed. You cannot see. You do not know. 

He is still saying it today. Moreover, so are his followers. Have you not heard them?

The evil one went on speaking. As I see it he said:
But, if you eat what HE told you not to eat THEN you will be like HIM. HE does not want you to be like HIM.
(WHAT A LIE!) 

HE wants to keep all that knowledge to HIMSELF. HE is holding out on you.  (See Ps. 84:11)

How many times have we heard those lies?

Be like GOD, knowing good and evil.
Until the evil one, she knew no evil!!
Can you imagine? SHE KNEW NO EVIL!
And there he stood: EVIL.
There he stood taunting her to know him instead of GOD.
Telling her that GOD knew both good and evil and she didn’t. BUT wait.
Wait she could know evil – all she had to do was disobey GOD. 

And that is all we have to do to become well acquainted with evil, just disobey GOD. 
It comes no naturally, doesn’t it? 

Satan made evil look more appealing to Eve than obedience than goodness, than purity, than health, than GOD HIMSELF.

Satan has not changed. 
And until we believe JESUS, we remain unchanged as well.

BUT wait: 

4 But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah — it is by grace that you have been delivered. That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. 10 For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.  source  Ephesians 2

Pursuit of Paul

I am here on this beautiful Sunday afternoon to give you an opportunity for as long as YouTube will host the platform. Six videos with scenery you do not want to miss and information concerning Paul’s Missionary Journeys. 
Please enjoy.

That’s Him

You know how when you have lived with your spouse for some years and you have invested yourselves in each other; you are familiar?
So much so when he is in the outfield and you came late to the stands, you know it is him out there. You can’t see the lines of his face; you can’t make out his chin but you know that’s him.  Even from a distance, a long-distance facing his back, you just know.  That’s him.

Why —  you could even pick him out from a line up seeing only his hands or feet. That’s how well you know him.  
And why is that? Why do you know him so well?
That’s easy. Years of togetherness have taught you.

GOD wants us to know Him even better than this. 
He wants us to recognize His hands, His path, His face, and His heart. 

It’s important, don’t you think, that we can say of HIM, I recognize that Hand. I know this Path. This Direction is surely His. Even when we are looking through a glass darkly we must know that’s HIM

How do we do this? 
Years of Togetherness. 

Conversation. Investment. LOVE. 

ALL relationships require it. 
And NO relationship is more needed or more complete than the one we have with Father GOD.

So how close do you have to be before you can say, That’s HIM! 

18 “Come now,” says Adonai,
“let’s talk this over together.
Even if your sins are like scarlet,
they will be white as snow;
even if they are red as crimson,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you will be eaten by the sword”;
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.  source