The Effects of a Society Wanting Change in the Wrong Direction

Greetings everyone,

I pray that you and your family are doing well and that this week's message provides you an opportunity to spend quality time with Christ and consider the effects these words may have on you, a member of your family, or someone you know.  

Late Saturday night, I watched the movie "Malcom X".  As I watched the movie I began to consider the issues that our society faced during the late 50s through the 60s.  The same cycles of sin existed then and continue today.  I am not focusing on the issues of race and color. My aim is to address the topics Malcolm spoke on regarding the lack of proper parenting, the lack of responsibility, the weakness in people who indulge in drugs, sexual immorality, etc. Although, he emphasized how Islam played a major role and was the only way for a society or community to rid itself of such actions, I want to share with you that there is a way out.  I just would like to share with you that Christ, who still lives does provide a way for change.  I continue acknowledge that in no way am I innocent of my past mistakes and experiences. I merely except that as I have accepted Christ as my personal Savior, that I had no choice but to change my behavior and my life.

On 4-12-12, USA Today, posted an article stating that "A growing number of firstborns in the USA have unmarried parents, reflecting dramatic increases since 2002 in births to cohabiting women, according to government figures out today. The percentage of first births to women living with a male partner jumped from 12% in 2002 to 22% in 2006-10 — an 83% increase. The percentage of cohabiting new fathers rose from 18% to 25%. The analysis, by the National Center for Health Statistics, is based on data collected from 2006 to 2010... The percentage of first births to cohabiting women tripled from 9% in 1985 to 27% for births from 2003 to 2010."

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/story/2012-04-10/CDC-marriage-cohabitation-children/54186600/1

On 3-12-15, The Wall Street Journal posted an article titled, "Sociologists fret that more children risk losing out on the economic benefits of living in married households" Please see below:

== BIRTHS IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS ==

1. Earnings of less-educated American men have fallen in recent decades, while education levels have risen among women, making marriage less attractive economically for women, research shows.

2. And while the vast majority of Americans say they eventually want to marry, according to a recent Gallup survey, many are finding the financial security they perceive as a prerequisite elusive.

3. Dawnyea Felton and Robert Cook, who will have their first child this year, are among the growing demographic choosing to cohabit but not planning to marry until they are financially and emotionally secure.

4. The couple lives in Baltimore with Ms. Felton’s mother and older sister. Ms. Felton, 19, plans to attend community college in the fall and become a nurse, after giving birth this summer. Robert, who is 20 years old, recently got a job at a nursing home where he earns $10 an hour.

5. While the couple’s pregnancy wasn’t planned, their families have been supportive, Ms. Felton said. “Right now, our main focus is getting established, getting our foot in the door,” she said.

6. In addition to young couples like Ms. Felton and Mr. Cook, a growing number of more educated middle- or lower-income Americans are choosing to become parents outside of marriage.

7. “The increases in nonmarital childbearing have been most pronounced for those having some college experience,” said Wendy Manning, a sociologist at Bowling Green State University, but the trend has “increased substantially between 1980 and 2013 regardless of maternal education.”

8. Over a quarter of births to women under 40 with some college were to cohabiting mothers in 2009-13, up from just 15% in 1997 to 2001, Ms. Manning’s analysis of CDC data shows.

9. It’s mostly white and Hispanic couples who are driving the trend, not black couples, experts say. Since the 1990s, the majority of unmarried births to white and Hispanic mothers have occurred in cohabiting unions, Ms. Manning finds, while the majority of nonmarital births to black mothers were to single mothers.

10. Affluent, highly educated Americans still largely marry before starting families, and single mothers remain more common among the poor.

http://pastebin.com/YtPExDbU -
http://www.wsj.com/articles/cohabiting-parents-at-record-high-1426010894

Scripture teaches us that not only did such similar activity occur in biblical times, but it  was to continue and get worse until Christ's return.  I have found a  series of scriptures from the New and Old Testament that point to our human behavior. Please note that there are no time limits on these words. God's word never changes and we must acknowledge that we should not desire for His Word to change with the times.   

Deuteronomy 24:16 ESV /“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.

Matthew 19:6 ESV / So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV / But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Romans 12:1-2 ESV / I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV / Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

1 Corinthians 7:1-8 ESV / Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ...

Genesis 2:24 ESV / Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Revelation 21:8 ESV / But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Hebrews 12:8 ESV / If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

1 Corinthians 7:15 ESV / But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV / For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV / Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come

What do these words mean to you?  Does God's word have any effect on your life and the daily choices you make?  Whose fault is it, if you choose not to be obedient, yours, the government, or was it because of racism?

Taking Responsibility and What The Bible Teaches

Greetings,

I pray this message finds you and your family well and that God has blessed you.  This message is somewhat mixed.  Mixed because I as usual will provide you with the Scriptures as God provided them to me to write about,  but also thoughts I have wrestled with dealing with society, family issues, and most of all,  myself.

I have struggled with maintaining the fervor in preparing these messages, and with who will be the recipient of them.  Also, I struggled with should I find other avenues and become more aggressive in using social media, technology and other methods to share this information. Granted, initially I stated that I desired to enhance the level of biblical doctrine and knowledge through exegetical studies for minorities, due to the historical patterns of preachers and churches capitalizing on the emotions of everyday people in need. But, I am keenly aware that God is larger than that and obedience must be first.  

Another struggle has been ensuring that I stick with the foundation of God's word and my desire to speak on the constant changing issues I believe are a problem. (Basically,  the problem is learning how to remove me from the picture.)  With so much happening in the world today, I find it difficult to concentrate and know where to begin. Let's consider social issues such as the recent increase on media focus on police shootings.  While I agree and recognize that the loss of life is tragic, I also recognized the perception of racial undertones these incidents have shown.  What is odd to me is that while we emphasize the excessive force or possible violations of civil rights, where is the emphasis and emotional distress on personal responsibility?  No media interviews, television show, or social media outcry has emphasized on the question, how did this individual come in contact with the police or government official.  No one has asked, is it true, the lives and choices we make result in unforseen consequences.

Secondly, let's consider the international issues that are effecting the world. Issues include financial corruption in South America, ebola in Africa, ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Christian persecution both overseas and at home.  How do we deal with this?  Moreover, how do we get our friends, neighbors and loved ones,  to see past ourselves and this everyday need for material idols and the here and now.

I find that sometimes just when I run out of words or can't seem to find the best way to bring God's word to you through the point I'm trying to make,  I pray.  Sometimes within moments I get a clear picture of His desires.  While searching for scriptures to tell the story,  I found on "Got Questions.Org", the following answer to the question of personal responsibility. I copied excerpts from the message and I asked that you review the information and consider making comments of your own.

According to "Got Questions.Org"; "We learn that responsibility has its rewards—and irresponsibility has other, less-than-desirable effects. In many ways, the difference between a child and a man is his willingness to take personal responsibility for his actions. As Paul says, “When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11)."

"The Bible teaches the concept of personal responsibility: “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them” (Ezekiel 18:20). Personal responsibility is closely related to the law of sowing and reaping(Galatians 6:7–8). “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done” (Isaiah 3:10–11)."

"The commands of the Old Testament were attached to blessings for obedience and penalties for disobedience; in other words, the Law emphasized the responsibility of individuals to respond in morally appropriate ways to God’s revealed truth. God clearly defined right and wrong, and His people were expected to do what was right. This has been the case ever since the Garden of Eden, when Adam was given a specific command and expected to obey it. Later, Adam’s son Cain was warned by God that he would be held personally responsible for his actions (Genesis 4:7)."

"The Bible expects us to take personal responsibility in all areas of life. Able-bodied people should work for their food. “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Men are to take responsibility for providing for their households (1 Timothy 5:8)."

"At times, people try to avoid personal responsibility, usually through blame-shifting. Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin (Genesis 3:12). Cain tried to dodge responsibility (Genesis 4:9). Pilate attempted to absolve his guilt in the matter of the crucifixion of Christ: “‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” (Matthew 27:24). Ultimately, attempts to pass the buck are futile. “You may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23)."

"Each one of us has the personal responsibility to “repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15) and then to glorify the Lord with good works (Ephesians 2:10). “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Those who choose to reject the truth of God “are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). We cannot evade our personal responsibility to exercise faith in Christ."

Prayerfully, we all consider the consequences of being apart from God.  I humbly ask that if you have not accepted Christ as your personal Savior,  that you reconsider. No one knows what tomorrow may bring, but with Christ you have assurance that you will live forever.  

May God richly bless you.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/personal-responsibility.html#ixzz3XuUKVwbQ

Part 2 - The Effect

Greetings,

Last week I ended the message with the following, "As you prepare for next week's message, think about what's behind these actions that are going on, do you see the underlying tones of pride, selfishness, and godlike complexes? Everyone hates the level of responsibility Christ puts on one through free will.  They seem to believe that the Bible prohibits them from enjoying life, or that they are not allowed to have free will.  On the other hand, you have members of other religions who take radicalism and advantage the minds and hearts of people to a level that has had an negative effect on society."

Well this past week as I tried to spend time in prayer and my studies, I allowed so many distractions to intervene with writing this.  The distractions were the topics I listed above.  The television news, talk radio, and web-based media was overwhelming. I could not get away from the constant political wrangling, social media, Hollywood madness and human evil.  Granted I am not trying to consider myself as a saint or sinless.  I merely except that the more I learn about God and his plan for us, it becomes difficult to stay the same and act the same.  Additionally,  I often see things differently.  In light of my past, I have taken time to see the change in society and time.  I also recognized that spending the past 20 plus years working for the federal government has allowed me to see and hear things from a different perspective. This is where the effect comes in to play.

THE EFFECT(S):

As the human race, we are taught in Scripture that because of the sin of man in the Garden of Eden, we were born in sin.  God created us in his image (Gen. 1:26-29), and provided us with the gift of free will.  Following our sin, God provided us the gift of his Son and the gift of salvation and eternal life (Rom. 10:9-11).  

Please read the following scriptures and then consider the comments afterwards.  Please feel free to take the time to make comments. The below are excerpts from a site called ecclesiastical.org, (http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/why_jesus.html), titled "15 Reasons Why Jesus Came".

1.      Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

2.     Jesus Christ came into the world to call sinners to repentance. Mark 2:17, "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

3.      Jesus Christ came into the world to seek and save the lost. Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

4.     Jesus came into the world to demonstrate the true purpose of life and give Himself a ransom. Matthew 20:28, "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

5.     Jesus Christ came into the world to be a King and bear witness to the truth. John 18:37, "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."

6.     Jesus Christ came into the world to do the Will of His Father. John 6:38, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."

7.      Jesus Christ came into the world to be a Light in the world. John 12:46, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."

8.      Jesus Christ came into the world that men might have the Abundant Life. John 10:10, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

9.      Jesus Christ came into the world to Judge the world. John 9:39, "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind."

10.    Jesus Christ came into the world to Proclaim or preach the Good News about the Kingdom of God. Mark 1:38, "And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth."

11. Jesus Christ came into the world to die on the cross.  John 12:27, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."

12. Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfil the law.  Matthew 5:17, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

13. Jesus Christ came into the world to be a Divider of men.  Matthew 10:34, 35, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

(Christ makes it necessary to choose between relatives and the truth. This choice often causes division.) 

14. Jesus Christ came into the world as a demonstration of God's Love.  1 John 4:10, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

15. Jesus Christ came into the world because the Father sent Him.

John 20:21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

a. The Father SENT Jesus to be the Propitiation (atonement) for our sins.

1 John 4:10, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

b. The Father SENT Jesus and gave Jesus as the Saviour of the world.

John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

c. The Father SENT Jesus to bless us by turning us from our iniquities.

Acts 3:26, "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."

d. The Father SENT His Son to redeem us from the curse of the law.

Galatians 4:4-5, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

e. God SENT His Son to make possible a new power in the hearts of men, a power to enable him to fulfil the righteousness of the law.

Romans 8:3,4, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 

In this case, I believe that it was not necessary to bombard you with a historical facts for each book, but allow the plainess of the scriptures speak to you. It is believed by many, including myself, that we are going through a strange period of time.  It seems that the more generations that develop after WWII, the more depraved the generations become.  Each piece of each generation seems to search for ways to separate themselves from God the Trinity.   As technology advances, we become more like the Israelites before Christ  came; i.e. We are not satisfied with what we have, increased idolatry, increased sexual immorality (coveting another's spouse), we are not willing to believe unless we have something tangible to see, feel, or hear a voice, and finally, the fear of a relationship causes us to believe that our free will is taken away.

I truly believe that God is on His way to do something profound and many of us will have to deal with the consequences of not being prepared.  I am going to continue to pray that each of you take time to consider what the scriptures say.  As the old song goes "I am just a nobody, trying to tell everybody,  about somebody".  My point is and will always be,  this is never about me, I merely want to share God's word with you or someone who would listen and take a moment to consider Christ as your personal Savior.

God bless you and keep you

Cause and Effect (2- parts)

Greetings and belated Happy Easter!

I  love each and everyone of you and pray God's everlasting grace and mercy for you all.  I hope that amidst all of the turmoil, evil, and immorality in the world, you recognize and enjoy the joy and peace God offers us all.  

Over the past several weeks we have been hit with a series of news events that have hit many of us really hard.  We have seen a deliberate plane crash in the French Alps, killing 150 people; protests in middle America about same-sex marriage; ISIS cutting of the heads of 21 Coptic Christians; and most recently the killing of over 100 Christian or non-Muslim students in Nigeria. Even more odd, was an interesting article in the New York Times on April 3, titled "The Pieces Effect".  The article discussed a minister and his now husband, who is also studying to be a minister. They were married in a church in New York. Obviously, the ultimate concern for us all should be what is happening with the Iranian nuclear negotiations.

My issues are not secluded to sexual orientation. My issues are with the a Christ-less society, secularism, humanism, and lack of historical knowledge of our world today. This is not about me, but I wanted to talk about cause and effect; Merriam Webster's dictionary defines this as an "Adjective 1. noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others." This message will be in two parts, the first will be the cause.  Next week will be the effect(s).  

THE CAUSE:

Let's consider the first sin before humans existed. According to Troy Lacey a writer in AnswerinGenesis.Org, he wrote that "Often when Christians think of the first sin, they think of Adam and Eve and the Fall in the Garden of Eden. While this is indeed the first human sin, it is not the first recorded sin in Scripture. As Christians, we know that the serpent tempted Eve, but we often forget that the Devil’s fall from grace was what set the stage for humankind’s fall, both as antecedent and type.

We catch a glimpse of Satan’s fall in the following passage, prophetically directed at the king of Tyre, but in this portion, apparently meant to include someone apart from humanity (specifically referred to as a cherub) who had been in the Garden of Eden, the prophecy turns into a description of an angel, namely Lucifer:

Ezekiel 28:14-15. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so:thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Matthew Henry Commentary: Ezekiel 28 Vs. 1- 19. Ethbaal, or Ithobal, was the prince or king of Tyre; and being lifted up with excessive pride, he claimed Divine honors. Pride is peculiarly the sin of our fallen nature. Nor can any wisdom, except that which the Lord gives, lead to happiness in this world or in that which is to come. The haughty prince of Tyre thought he was able to protect his people by his own power, and considered himself as equal to the inhabitants of heaven. If it were possible to dwell in the garden of Eden, or even to enter heaven, no solid happiness could be enjoyed without a humble, holy, and spiritual mind. Especially all spiritual pride is of the devil. Those who indulge 

What was the first sin? We learn about it and Satan’s fall from Isaiah 14:12–15: How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 

Matthew Henry Commentary: Isaiah 14:12-15; The king of Babylon having the absolute command of so much wealth, by the help of it ruled the nations. This refers especially to the people of the Jews; and it filled up the measure of the king of Babylon's sins. Tyrants sacrifice their true interest to their lusts and passions. It is gracious ambition to covet to be like the Most Holy, for he has said, Be ye holy, for I am holy; but it is sinful ambition to aim to be like the Most High, for he has said, He who exalts himself shall be abased. The devil thus drew our first parents to sin. Utter ruin should be brought upon him. Those that will not cease to sin, God will make to cease. He should be slain, and go down to the grave; this is the common fate of tyrants. True glory, that is, true grace, will go up with the soul to heaven, but vain pomp will go down with the body to the grave; there is an end of it.

It is obvious from the text that Satan’s sin was pride. He was so beautiful, so wise, and so powerful as an angel that he began to covet God’s position and authority. He chafed at having to serve God and grew angry and rebellious. He did not want to serve, he wanted to be served; he, as a creature, wanted to be worshipped. How starkly contrasted to our savior Jesus Christ, who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Lets now consider the second sin with humans, which is covered in Gen 3:1-7 & 12-13: 1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.  12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. (KJV)

Matthew Henry Commentary: Gen 3:1-7 & 12-13:Genesis 3:1

Vs. 1- 5. Satan assaulted our first parents, to draw them to sin, and the temptation proved fatal to them. The tempter was the devil, in the shape and likeness of a serpent. Satan's plan was to draw our first parents to sin, and so to separate between them and their God. Thus the devil was from the beginning a murderer, and the great mischief maker. The person tempted was the woman:it was Satan's policy to enter into talk with her when she was alone. There are many temptations to which being alone gives great advantage; but the communion of saints tends very much to their strength and safety. Satan took advantage by finding her near the forbidden tree. They that would not eat the forbidden fruit, must not come near the forbidden tree. Satan tempted Eve, that by her he might tempt Adam. It is his policy to send temptations by hands we do not suspect, and by those that have most influence upon us. Satan questioned whether it were a sin or not, to eat of this tree. He did not disclose his design at first, but he put a question which seemed innocent. Those who would be safe, need to be shy of talking with the tempter. He quoted the command wrong. He spoke in a taunting way. The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the beginning; and scoffers are his children. It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin; it is our wisdom to keep up a firm belief of God's command, and a high respect for it. Has God said, Ye shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunk, etc.? Yes, am sure he has, and it is well said; and by his grace I will abide by it. It was Eve's weakness to enter into this talk with the serpent:she might have perceived by his question, that he had no good design, and should therefore have started back. Satan teaches men first to doubt, and then to deny. He promises advantage from their eating this fruit. He aims to make them discontented with their present state, as if it were not so good as it might be, and should be. No condition will of itself bring content, unless the mind be brought to it. He tempts them to seek preferment, as if they were fit to be gods. Satan ruined himself by desiring to be like the Most High, therefore he sought to infect our first parents with the same desire, that he might ruin them too. And still the devil draws people into his interest, by suggesting to them hard thoughts of God, and false hopes of advantage by sin. Let us, therefore, always think well of God as the best good, and think ill of sin as the worst evil:thus let us resist the devil, and he will flee from us.

Vs. 6- 8. Observe the steps of the transgression:not steps upward, but downward toward the pit.

1. She saw. A great deal of sin comes in at the eye. Let us not look on that which we are in danger of lusting after, Matthew 5:28.

2. She took. It was her own act and deed. Satan may tempt, but he cannot force; may persuade us to cast ourselves down, but he cannot cast us down, Matthew 4:6.

3. She did eat. When she looked perhaps she did not intend to take; or when she took, not to eat: but it ended in that. It is wisdom to stop the first motions of sin, and to leave it off before it be meddled with.

4. She gave it also to her husband with her. Those that have done ill, are willing to draw in others to do the same.

5. He did eat. In neglecting the tree of life, of which he was allowed to eat, and eating of the tree of knowledge, which was forbidden, Adam plainly showed a contempt of what God had bestowed on him, and a desire for what God did not see fit to give him.

Lacey went into great detail explaining how there was a greater message for us to understand than just the mere sin of Adam and Eve eating the apple in the Garden of Eden. The deeper issue involved the desire to be godlike, the words of Satan aided in thier enticement. What we should take notice in is the transition of man having the ability to walk and talk closely with God, to a relationship with barriers. Man was immediately placed outside of the garden or the immediate favor of God.

As you prepare for next week's message, think about what's behind these actions that are going on, do you see the underlying tones of pride, selfishness, and godlike complexes? Everyone hates the level of responsibility Christ puts on one through free will.  They seem to believe that the Bible prohibits them from enjoying life, or that they are not allowed to have free will.  On the other hand, you have members of other religions who take radicalism and advantage the minds and hearts of people to a level that has had an negative effect on society.   

NOTE:

(“Coptic” means Egyptian,” and Christians living in Egypt identify themselves as Coptic Christians. As a denomination they originated in the city of Alexandria, one of the most faithful, respected, and fruitful cities during the Apostolic Period. Proudly, the Coptic Christians acknowledge and herald John Mark, (author of the Gospel of Mark), as their founder and first bishop sometime between A.D. 42 - A.D. 62. The Coptic Church was actually involved in the very first major split in the Church, well before there was such a thing as "Roman" Catholicism, and it was also well before the East/West split.")

https://answersingenesis.org/sin/the-first-sin

Dealing with Fear and Moving Forward

Greetings everyone,

Ladies and gentlemen, once again I failed in posting this in a timely manner.  I allowed outside issues to cloud my duties of preparing and sharing the Word.  On Sunday, I wanted to begin this with how last week went well.  I am sure that I could have found something to complain about, but I realized, it could and can always been worse.  Thankfully each day I am afforded the opportunity to pray and give thanks for what I have.  During the last week my wife and I had several discussions on fear, regret, and placement.  We spoke about how each of those topics played a role in either prohibiting our success or propelling our future.   One of the big issues related to where we thought we would be by this stage in our lives. Obviously, we talked about our dreams of materialism and fantasy. However,  reality set in and we grew in knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ and our successes and failures. We even discussed the barriers and people who we or what we believed hampered our success.  We then transitioned and discussed heavily about fear and how it influences your life and how it may have affected your current place in life.

Before I get too deep, I figured I would start with the scriptures and then finish with my comments.  In the interim, consider that although there is a Merriam Webster's dictionary definition for fear, we will focus on the the biblical doctrine surrounding fear.

According to Merriam Webster's dictionary online:

Fear -

transitive verb

1 archaic :frighten

2 archaic :to feel fear in (oneself)

3 :to have a reverential awe of <fear God>

4 :to be afraid of :expect with alarm <fear the worst>

intransitive verb :to be afraid or apprehensive <feared for their lives>

Noun

1 a :an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger

 b (1) :an instance of this emotion (2) :a state marked by this emotion

2 :anxious concern :solicitude

3 :profound reverence and awe especially toward God

4 :reason for alarm :danger

Please notice that both the verb and noun cover the emotions and awe of God.  

1 John 4:18 (KJV) states, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."  According to GotQuestions.Org, "the Bible mentions two specific types of fear.The first type is beneficial and is to be encouraged. The second type is a detriment and is to be overcome. The first type of fear is fear of the Lord. This type of fear does not necessarily mean to be afraid of something. Rather, it is a reverential awe of God; a reverence for His power and glory. However, it is also a proper respect for His wrath and anger. In other words, the fear of the Lord is a total acknowledgement of all that God is, which comes through knowing Him and His attributes.

Fear of the Lord brings with it many blessings and benefits. It is the beginning of wisdom and leads to good understanding (Psalm 111:10). Only fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). Furthermore, fear of the Lord leads to life, rest, peace, and contentment (Proverbs 19:23). It is the fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27) and provides a security and a place of safety for us (Proverbs 14:26).

Thus, one can see how fearing God should be encouraged. However, the second type of fear mentioned in the Bible is not beneficial at all. This is the “spirit of fear” mentioned in2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). A spirit of fearfulness and timidity does not come from God."

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-fear.html#ixzz3W1pJNyRH

Here are several verses addressing the two types of fear.  

Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 8:13 - The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Matthew 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 - Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.

Job 28:28 - And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.

Psalms 33:8 - Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

GotQuestions.Org, has a great article on what the Bible stated on faith versus fear. "http://www.gotquestions.org/faith-vs-fear.html"  

Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV) states, "5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Matthew Henry Commentary: Hebrews 13:1- 6. The design of Christ in giving himself for us, is, that he may purchase to himself a peculiar (MHC)people, zealous of good works; and true religion is the strongest bond of friendship. Here are earnest exhortations to several Christian duties, especially contentment. The sin opposed to this grace and duty is covetousness, an over- eager desire for the wealth of this world, with envy of those who have more than ourselves. Having treasures in heaven, we may be content with mean things here. Those who cannot be so, would not be content though God raised their condition. Adam was in paradise, yet not contented; some angels in heaven were not contented; but the apostle Paul, though abased and empty, had learned in every state, in any state, to be content. Christians have reason to be contented with their present lot. This promise contains the sum and substance of all the promises; "I will never, no, never leave thee, no, never forsake thee." In the original there are no less than five negatives put together, to confirm the promise:the true believer shall have the gracious presence of God with him, in life, at death, and for ever. Men can do nothing against God, and God can make all that men do against his people, to turn to their good.

If you notice the emphasis on the writings in the Old Testament , the scriptures were rooted in the writers telling the Jewish people to place the fear in God take the higher role in developing their relationship with God.  Likewise,  the New Testament,  specifically the book of Hebrews, also addressed to the Jewish  people that God has not changed.  Fear/reverance in Christ are still the priority.  No man can take away what God has given you or I.  This goes back to our earlier discussion above. Where do you place your fear? Is your faith strengthened by your fear in God, or has His will for your life begun to unfold? The way one emphasizes thier fear has a role in their future.   

In society we are each faced with generational and social changes which often affect our daily life choices and responses. This is not to neglect whatever cultural obstacles one may encounter along the way also. I believe that the difficulty today is surrounded by something many aren't willing to accept, sin.  The events of the 21st Century, has given the opportunity for Satan to increase his membership, he has expanded his list of unbelievers and opened the door to fear and doubt.  Obviously, when we consider types of fear, we should be realistic.  I recognize that when you are in a violent or life altering event,  immediately fear, flight, or fight sets in. These are instincts which often have differing effects.  Prayerfully, you are given the ability to calm yourself and receive the appropriate response to react to the situation. However,  depending on your training or experience from past issues, these stressorsstressor may not affect you as it would someone else.  What I found over time, was that with increased faith in Christ, the situation won't be as bad, and your ability to respond, will be better.

I have said this before,  I truly believe that God created  or allowed other events in my life to occur because I needed to learn from disobedience or to build a closer relationship.  In either case, I repented and became an intricate part of God's plan. Today, I can say that I kind of regret the things I did in the past, but I think without those experiences,  I would not be where I am today.

God bless you and keep you. I pray that the words in this and all my messages find a way to your heart, and cause you want to seek Christ as your personal Savior. If you desire to chat with me about how to receive Christ,   please don't hesitate to respond to this or other posts.