4th Quarter Surge Powers Fit To A Tee to 24-20 Opening Victory

A 10-0 run by the Fit To A Tee 3rd Grade Boys Basketball team turned a 20-14 deficit into a 24-20 victory as Fit To A Tee opened up the 2009 YMCA Youth Basketball League season, defeating Diesel Speed Truck Shop.

Fit To A Tee used a balanced scoring attack as 6 players scored with Ben Mendella leading the way with 8 points. Donovan Ferguson, Lance Warfel and Jacob Spitz chipped in with 4 points each.

Donovan Ferguson looked very smooth as his offensive rebound and reverse put back sparked the run as Diesel Speed led 20-14 before Donovan's basket. Defensive stop after defensive stop frustrated Diesel, and the Fit To A Tee boys started finding the hoop after poor shooting early on found them in a 6 point deficit to start the 4th quarter. Donovan had a huge block under the basket that landed in the hands of teammate Jacob Spitz, who drove the length of the court to find Lance Warfel open under the hoop for an assist as Warfel's shot went in, hitting nothinng but the bottom of the net. On the very next possession for Diesel, Donovan had his third block of the game and Ben Mendella grabbed the loose ball this time, driving in for an uncontested lay-up.

Donovan led his team with 6 rebounds, pulling down 4 offensive boards, which resulted in 6 points for Fit To A Tee as they were able to maintain possession of the ball.

Faith Versus Belief

There is a difference between faith and belief. A belief can be apathetic or complacent, faith cannot, and Abram was a great man of faith. Hebrews 11:8 [RSV] says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.” Faith is alive and active. If faith does not draw a response, it is not true faith. We call many things faith that, in fact, are not faith at all. This problem is not new; James confronted the same problem in the early church. James began by saying (to paraphrase), you believe in one God, good for you. Even the demons believe this and they tremble. But a demon’s belief does nothing to save him. In James 2 [RSV], he goes on to say: 20. Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? 22. You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, 23. and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God. 24. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

True faith is active faith. When you believe, you act and thus prove your faith is real through your obedience. God said, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” Abram did not begin his new life when God commanded. He did not get the blessings when he heard God’s promises. God calls for faith. Faith is seeing God’s promises and believing them as though they are absolutes. Faith is hearing God’s commands and valuing them as a treasure. As David stated in Psalm 119:72-73 ]RSV] we read, 72. The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. 73. Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Thy commandments.

Once we value God’s word, we will receive the promise of His direction. Once we are following His direction, we will obtain every promise. Faith is strengthened by seeing. God said many times in Scripture, "You have seen the mighty things I have done, now choose to obey or not to obey." We continue to see His works. We see the lives of those following Him; we see God working in our lives as we put Him to the test by obeying. We see His works all around us. Faith is strengthened by seeing and by evidence, but faith does not come by evidence. Faith comes by believing and obediently responding. Once we believe and we step into the dependence on His care, we have the promise of Psalm 37:23-25 [RSV]: 23. The steps of a man are from the Lord, and He establishes him in Whose way He delights; 24. though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord is the stay of his hand. 25. I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread.

Smoking Ziggurats

From Genesis 10 we first encounter Nimrod, the first world emperor. Moses writes about how he went about subduing other kingdoms in his quest to consolidate his empire under his rule in Genesis 10:8-12 [RSV], 8. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord." 10. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. 11. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12. Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

In chapter 11 of Genesis, we see how Nimrod set about to build his empire in rivalry to God: 3. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth." (Genesis 11:3-4 [RSV])

In order to accomplish his goal of gaining a world empire, Nimrod needed to accomplish two things. First of all, he needed a center of unity, a city headquarters or capital were required. Secondly, he needed to supply a motive for the encouragement and inspiration of his followers. This latter was supplied in the phrase "let us make us a name." It was an inordinate desire for fame. Nimrod’s aim was to keep mankind all together under his own leadership "lest we be scattered."

It is tough to build an empire while simultaneously defeating one’s enemies. While Nimrod was engaging in putting down all of his opponents, he began the building of the great ziggurat temple, the Tower of Babel, which would reach to Heaven. Finally, he was left with just one enemy group left to defeat. Try as he might, Nimrod was unable to locate where his nemesis and his enemies’ followers were meeting. So Nimrod decided to send out his top general in order to search out and destroy this group. So one night while the general and his company were out on patrol, they noticed something strange and peculiar taking place inside the unfinished temple. No one was supposed to be inside the temple at that hour of the night, and yet there was smoke seen coming out of the ziggurat. So the general and his men slowly entered the temple to see what they could find. They discovered that they had stumbled upon the hidden lair of Nimrod’s last enemies! The general and his men captured Nimrod’s last rival and all of his followers who had been hiding out in secret in the ziggurat all that time. So when a reporter for the local Babylonian paper called The Babble On interviewed the heroic general, the headline ran in the next day’s edition read as follows: WARNING: The Searching General Has Determined that Smoking Ziggurats Can Be Hazardous to One’s Stealth.

Ghosts and the Bible

There is a supposedly true story of a preacher who was holding a gospel meeting several years ago in a little town in Arkansas. One day, while carrying his Bible as he walking to the church building for the gospel meeting, the preacher heard the sound of someone running up behind him. Soon, the preacher was overtaken by a young man who accosted him, saying, “So, are you a Christian?” The preacher looked the young man directly in the eye and responded by saying, “Yes, I am a Christian!”

The young man, caught off guard by the preacher’s forthright admission, stuttered and stammered a bit, eventually saying, “Well, the Holy Ghost told me to ask you that question!” Without missing a beat, the preacher looked the young man right in the eye and told him, “No, He didn’t, because I was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. He already knows me! You, sir, are running from some other ghost!”

This is an amusing tale, and it makes for a good lead-in for this topic, which is Ghosts in the Bible. I have known many Christians who struggle with their privately held personal belief in the paranormal versus what they have been taught is “church doctrine.” But what does the Bible actually say about ghostly phantoms and apparitions? What are they? Is it heretical to believe such things exist?

Many, if not most in the church, claim that the popular concept of a ghost and spectral hauntings are unbiblical. Some people claim that what are believed to be ghosts are in actuality demonic spirit activity mimicking the behavior of expired human beings in order to lead people astray from “pure” Christian faith, while others say that even demonic activity is no longer possible. As with all matters pertaining to Christianity, the best thing to do is to study it for yourself, because obviously there is not agreement within the brotherhood on this topic.

Others believe that ghosts are merely the physical residue left behind of a past life that does not have anything to do with the actual person’s soul or spirit. In other words, they believe there is a natural, heretofore unknown physical anomaly explanation in which the natural world captured an event from the past and replays them over and again, such as what happens when we take photographs or videos today. This would explain the stories of hauntings in which the alleged ghosts reenact the same event over and over, seemingly oblivious to those around them.

But what it really all comes down to is what is the view the person takes regarding the afterlife. Where do we go when we die? Does the soul just sleep, as many believe and teach, unconscious of anything, including the passing of time, until called by the Lord on the Last Day? Or do we immediately receive a reward, as others believe and teach? Once again, even within the brotherhood there is wide disagreement between good people. There are many references in the Bible that point to the destination of the person after death. Let us take a few moments to first look at these.

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8 [RSV], 1. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.

6. So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7. for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Many people who argue against ghosts as unbiblical point to verses 6-8. When we are dead, they say Paul states we are with God in Heaven. So according to this view, there can be no such thing as a real haunting because the soul and spirit are in Heaven when we die, if we are in Christ. However, it is possible this view may be taking the Scripture out of context. The Apostle Paul’s purpose in writing this must be taken into account. He was writing this epistle from a Roman prison. He was about to give his life for the cause of Christ. Christianity was an illegal religion at this time and those who aligned themselves with believers faced persecution, torture and even death. Paul was easing the troubled hearts and minds of the Corinthian congregation. Our lives on this world here are but passing, but the afterlife is eternal. That is what is most important. Our mortal body will die, but we will be given a new one that is immortal by Christ, if we are a part of His body in this life. The Apostle Paul was speaking of his desire to be in that new immortal body so he can physically be with the Lord. And what seems to be the teaching of the New Testament is that it is on the Day of Judgment that we will be given a glorified, resurrected body like the Lord’s, not when we die. So it would seem is the teaching of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:20-21 [RSV] as well: 20. But our commonwealth is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21. Who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power which enables Him even to subject all things to Himself. So writes the beloved Apostle John in agreement with Paul: “Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 [RSV]).

It is on Judgment Day that Jesus will descend from Heaven at the end of days and resurrect all His followers just as He was resurrected after He died. The mortal body will be replaced with a supernatural, immortal body. Two additional Biblical passages that give details about this are found in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, as well as in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. I will not supply all of these passages now, but will suffice to include three of these verses that are, in my opinion, the most telling and revealing: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 [RSV] and 1 Thessalonians 4:13 [RSV]: 51. Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

13. But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

The term “sleep” here used by Paul is a euphemism for death in Christian Scripture. The writer of the passages we just read was the Apostle Paul. So rather than supporting the idea that when we die we are unconscious and asleep, as some teach, it seems that Paul is teaching that it is the body that sleeps, and not the spirit or soul or one’s consciousness. It would seem that Paul is only reiterating what his Lord taught while He walked the Earth. Listen closely to this familiar passage from the Gospel of John: 11. Thus He spoke, and then He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep." 12. The disciples said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 13. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He meant taking rest in sleep. 14. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead; 15. and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." (John 11:1-15 [RSV])

So how do we know that it is the body that sleeps, and not the spirit, soul or consciousness? Because that is the context of what Jesus was teaching His disciples. He was teaching of a bodily resurrection, and how that would be accomplished through Him. Further down in this chapter John writes, 21. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22. And even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You." 23. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24. Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26. and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

39. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40. Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41. So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. 42. I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me." 43. When He had said this, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44. The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (John 11:21-26; 39-44 [RSV])

So it would seem that in light of the context, it is the body that sleeps, the body that is changed. Lazarus’ body would have begun decaying and putrefying, just as Martha had said. But Jesus was demonstrating that He is the power of the resurrection. He was giving the people a preview of what was to come on the Day of Judgment, the Last Day. The body sleeps at death until it is changed into a new supernatural one at the end of days.

So what happens to our invisible part, the spirit or soul after death? Can the spirit still roam the Earth after death? It is true that the Bible does talk about ghosts, and the spirits of the dead returning to the Earth.

Almost everyone has heard the story of Jesus walking on water, and teaching Peter to have faith and to trust in Him. However, just before the text tells us about Peter’s attempt to walk to Jesus on the water, the text also tells us something else quite unusual: 25. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." (Matthew 14:25-27 [RSV])

The disciples were afraid because they thought Jesus was a ghost. Now if it is true that ghostly apparitions are all demonic presences as some Christians proclaim, then why were the disciples afraid? Just a few chapters earlier Jesus had demonstrated how to exorcise evil spirits and then He had even commissioned the disciples to go all over the land and do so themselves (Matthew 8:28-34; Matthew 10:1-4). It would seem that they should have had some personal experience in exorcism of demons by themselves. “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!” (Luke 10:17 [RSV]) So why were they afraid? They were afraid because they believed in ghosts. They believed disembodied spirits of the dead could still roam and haunt the Earth. Additionally, it is also very telling that Jesus did not rebuke them for thinking He was a ghost. Instead, He chose to calm them down and let them know it was Him. If the concept of a ghost is so foreign to the Scriptures, if it is so unbiblical, as some claim, then why did Jesus not take that opportunity to teach them the truth? I cannot think of a single case that exists whereby Jesus let a teaching opportunity slip by without correction.

In fact, I believe a positive statement of the existence of ghosts is made by Jesus Himself in Luke 24:36-39 [RSV]: 36. As they were saying this, Jesus Himself stood among them. 37. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. 38. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? 39. See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have."

Not only do we have a second event in which the apostles believed they were seeing a spirit, once again Jesus remained silent. He did not take the opportunity to correct them by teaching them the supposed truth that there are no such things as ghosts. But instead of correcting them by saying, "there are no such things as ghosts," Jesus says, "a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." When we look at His actual words as well as notice the words that are conspicuously missing from this statement, it seems to me to offer up the proof that ghosts or spirits could be encountered by the living.

In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel chapter 28:7-25 we see Saul, King of Israel, visit a medium when God does not answer him when war approaches. The Prophet Samuel had died and King Saul asked the medium to bring up Samuel from the dead. The ghost of Samuel talked to the king and told him his fate was sealed, just as he told him while he was alive. Verses 11-15 [RSV] talk about the appearance of the ghost of Samuel:

11. Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me." 12. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." 13. The king said to her, "Have no fear; what do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the Earth."

14. He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up; and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.

15. Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress; for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do."

The Bible clearly states that this is the ghost of the prophet Samuel. Nowhere in the text does it state that he is otherwise. The spirit is the disembodied essence of the man, and he is recognizable. He is “brought up” from the Earth by the Witch of Endor, brought from the grave to their presence. Therefore, according to the Old Testament and the gospels, the concept of a ghost or disembodied spirit of a deceased person is not only real, it is Scriptural.

Some people believe that the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus proves that ghosts cannot exist. We cannot even agree if this is a parable or a true story, so how can we make doctrine about ghosts from it when we cannot even agree what it is? Secondly, what is the context of the passage? Is the reason the true story/parable is told to us in order for us to make a doctrine regarding the existence of ghosts and the paranormal? I say, absolutely not! The purpose of the real story/parable is to teach us that judgment occurs at the point of death, and we should never put our trust in the riches of this life, but place them where they rightfully belong, in God and Him alone.

To conclude that the dead cannot come to the Earth from this passage is erroneous. The passage does not teach this at all. It says a gulf existed between the dead where the Rich Man was, and the dead where Lazarus was that could not be bridged. This proves again that death is when judgment occurs, also agreeing with the teaching of Hebrews 9:27. There are no second chances once we die. One place of the dead was for punishment, and the other place was designed for reward. Once it was established that this gulf cannot be crossed, it is then that the Rich Man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his living brothers. Abraham does not say that is impossible at all. We make that assumption. He just says that in this case, it would be fruitless. Fruitless, but not impossible. "They have Moses and the prophets," says Abraham. If they will not listen to them, then neither will they listen to Someone Who is dead and comes back to life. And in this case, I believe Jesus has Abraham referring to Himself. He was the One Who was going to "rise from the dead," and still these hard-hearted Pharisees would not believe. Why? Because as Jesus said, Moses and the prophets spoke of Him (John 5:46).

Please go back and read this passage and see that what I have written is true. Abraham says nothing at all about it being impossible for the dead to go and visit the living.

Let us examine another passage routinely used to "prove" that ghosts cannot come back and interact with the living, Ecclesiastes 9:5 [RSV], which says, "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost."

Wow! If we are going to form doctrine from this verse and teach that it is impossible for ghosts to walk the Earth then we MUST also conclude that no one will be living when Jesus returns, and all other passages that teach otherwise are in error. This verse does not add a clause that says, "Except for those living when Jesus returns." It simply says that "the living know that they will die." If we are going to take it literally that the only explanation for the clause "but the dead know nothing" is that the spirits of the dead cannot have intelligent interaction with those who are living, then we must hold the same hard and fast standard in our interpretation of "the living know that they will die." There cannot be any living person on the Earth when Jesus returns.

Secondly, we also MUST teach that no one can remember anything about a loved one who has passed away, and if they think they are remembering their deceased grandmother they are really being deceived through the counterfeit actions of a demon. Why? Because the exact words from this verse say "the memory of them is lost." Some claim that what we perceive are the spirits of the dead are really all counterfeit, demonic manifestations in order to deceive us because this verse teaches that the dead cannot appear as a spirit or a ghost to the living. If that is what we conclude from this verse about the existence of ghosts, then we also must conclude the same thing about our memories of the dead: They are demonic manifestations. Do we really want to go down these roads, too? I daresay the answer is no. So if these conclusions are wrong, then so, too, are the conclusions wrong about the context of what is being discussed here.

By the way, we also must conclude that the same fate awaits everyone, regardless of whether or not they are good or evil, or in Christ or not in Christ, because verse 2 of this same chapter says so [RSV]: "since one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good man, so is the sinner; and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath." Are you going to tell me (rightly) that I am taking this out of context if I interpret it to mean that everyone goes to the same place? Then I am going to tell you (rightly) that interpreting verse 5 to say it forbids the existence of ghosts is also taking it out of context. Solomon is making no declaration one way or another about the existence or lack of the existence of ghosts. He is teaching as he does in this entire book that everything we do in this life is fruitless, it is "vanity of vanities," if we forget our purpose, our whole duty of man, in being here in the first place, and summed in chapter 12:13 [RSV], which is: "Fear God, and keep His commandments." That is it! That is the meaning of this verse! Our lives are worthless if we do otherwise. It has nothing whatsoever to do with creating a doctrine about ghosts!

Lastly, we cannot ignore the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. They had to have appeared as spirits or ghosts, because this was before Jesus had been resurrected. He is the first to receive a glorified, resurrected body (1 Corinthians 15:20). It is not until Jesus returns that we will be resurrected (if dead) or translated (if living) into a glorified body like His (1 John 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). Once again, we have an historical record of the appearance of ghosts or spirits of men who have died and interacted with the living in an intelligent manner. Dare we say this was a demonic counterfeit?

We should never allow anyone to fool us. I could be wrong, but it would seem from what we have read that belief in the existence of ghosts, the disembodied spirits of the dead, is Scriptural, and not heresy. It would seem to me that later Bible readers and teachers have read into the text their own preconceived notions which led to faulty conclusions, instead of reading from the texts and basing their ideas from the Scripture itself.

The Day of Atonement

The problem of sin in the Old Testament, pre-Christian era was dealt with by the use of substitutes. The Old Testament substitutes were animals such as sheep, goats and bulls. These animals, which were pure and unblemished, were sacrificed, and their blood offered on the altar by priests. And the entire Jewish sacrificial system was a type of the one to come when Jesus Christ went to the cross on our behalf. In the 16th chapter of the Book of Leviticus the holiday of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, was established. It was a day set aside for the people to afflict their soul to atone for the sins of the past year. It was a day for repentance and making amends. Of all the Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur is probably considered by most Jews to be the most important since many Jews who do not observe any other holiday will keep this holiday by refraining from work, fasting and attending synagogue services.

The Israelites were taught that the sacrifice of an animal atoned for their sins. They believed in the power of sacrifices and offerings. They believed that the blood of animals helped to counter their sins and restore them to God. The most important offerings for sin were made on the annual Day of Atonement. The high priest, on this day, and only on this day, entered the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle or Temple with a blood sacrifice. The blood sacrifice the high priest brought before God was to make atonement for the sins of Israel. Salvation and atonement were rooted in the Old Covenant. But numerous Old Testament references show that the sacrifices in and of themselves were unable to atone for sin (Psalm 51:16-17: Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8). Only the pure sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son and the shedding of His holy blood could accomplish what the blood of bulls and goats was unable to do (Hebrews 10:4). And when Jesus entered the Most Holy Place when He offered Himself on the cross of Calvary, the veil of the curtain was ripped in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). No longer do we have to have a sinful man as a priest act as our mediator between God and us, we have God Himself as our Mediator, Jesus Christ, who walked this Earth as a Man, and yet He lived His life completely free of sin. He understands us, “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 [RSV]).

It was customary for the Jews to wear white on the Day of Atonement, for white symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). In Jesus Christ we are clothed in His white, pure garments, and we become clothed in His holy garb when we submit to have our sins washed away in baptism. In Jesus Christ we are reconciled to God, and no longer His enemy (Romans 5:10). As the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 3:27 [New Revised Standard with Apocrypha], “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Are you ready for your Day of Atonement with Jesus as your sacrificial Lamb? All things are ready.

Making a Strong Church

The value of physical strength is recognized in a large variety of areas. The most successful sports teams are comprised the best and strongest athletes who excel at their positions. A military is well trained and its members maintain the highest of conditioning before they take the battlefield if they are going to be successful. Businesses who wish to get and stay ahead need to hire the best employees if they are going to remain solvent. Strength that comes from the body and the mind cannot be denied for any organization to succeed, and this goes for churches, too. In the case of churches, however, there are even greater blessings to be received in spiritual might. Tragically, in the world in which we live today sin has lost much of its stigma and temptations are everywhere. Since it is impossible to shelter oneself from all temptation, a person must learn how to say “No!” to temptation. The best way to do this is to have a strong character, a built-in defense system based upon self-control coupled with a keen awareness that one belongs to Christ. Self-control is a mark of a strong, mature child of God: 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23. gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 [RSV]) Yes, there are blessings in being spiritually strong, and this is true o both the individual and the congregational levels.

There are churches that have left their first love, and churches that are lukewarm and dead (Revelation 2 and 3), but we are interested in what makes a strong church. The best role model we have is the church in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2:41-47, and from this we have some excellent information given to us on how to build a strong church.

The church at Jerusalem was strong because it was devoted to teaching the apostles’ doctrine. The people respected the men the Lord had appointed to carry His message, and they followed their lead. By believing their word and teaching others, the word of God was able to convict lost sinners of their need for Jesus Christ, and the church grew at a tremendous rate.

The church at Jerusalem was strong because they maintained close fellowship with each other. There was joint participation in all areas of their life. They prayed together, they ate together, they shared their possessions with those in need, and they worshipped together. They continued daily with one accord, praising God and having favor with all people. Fellowship kept them strong.

The church at Jerusalem was strong because it continued in the breaking of bread. We learn from Acts 2:42 and Acts 20:7 that the church came together and that they partook of the Lord’s Supper. This memorial feast would keep their hearts and minds centered on Christ. The only way the church can be strong and remain strong is by keeping its eyes fixed upon Jesus – the Lord designed the communion for this purpose (1 Corinthians 11:20-26).

The Tree of Life, the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit

Last week I was asked the following questions:

“Did Adam and Eve know of this Tree or one that they might discover if left in the Garden? Maybe they were told at another time not to eat of the Tree of Life. If they had eaten of the Tree of Life and lived forever, would that have interrupted the plan of salvation and would their children have also lived forever? I couldn't find anything that elaborated on the Tree of Life beyond what is said in Genesis.”

I will answer the second question first. I would have to say, based upon what the Scriptures tell us in Genesis 3:22-24 [RSV], the answer would be “Yes”: 22. Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever" – 23. therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24. He drove out the man; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

What appears to be an easy answer becomes much more complicated when one answers the first question and digs a little deeper into the study of the Tree of Life. It would seem the answer to the second question is Yes, they would have lived forever without physically dying, but they would have remained forever spiritually dead. Just as it is the Spirit Who gives our spirits life in Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:4), so, too, is it the Spirit Who gave life to the dead body of Jesus Christ when He was resurrected from the dead (Romans 8:11). Each one of us is also promised a new, resurrected body when Jesus comes to claim His own (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 John 3:2). Had Adam and Eve had access to the Tree of Life after the Fall, then they would never have been given the opportunity to obtain life eternal in a glorified, resurrected body and be with the Lord. In a very real sense, they would have lived forever as a zombie.

To answer the first question, I believe Adam and Even knew of this Tree before their sin, and that they did, indeed, eat of it. I say this because the Tree of Life was in the Garden (Genesis 2:9) and God told them they could eat of all the trees in the Garden of Eden except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17).

It is interesting that the next time the Tree of Life appears in God's word after Genesis is in Proverbs 3:13-18 [RSV], and this is a reference to Wisdom being the Tree of Life, and Wisdom is given a feminine characteristic.

13. Happy is the man who finds Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding, 14. for the gain from it is better than gain from silver and its profit better than gold. 15. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 16. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18. She is a Tree of Life to those who lay hold of Her; those who hold Her fast are called happy.

Now what makes this even more interesting is what follows on the heels of this in the next few verses:

19. The Lord by Wisdom founded the Earth; by understanding He established the heavens; 20. by His knowledge the deeps broke forth, and the clouds drop down the dew. 21. My son, keep sound Wisdom and discretion; let them not escape from your sight, 22. and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. (Proverbs 3:19-22 [RSV])

I have seen that Spirit in the Greek is masculine, but Spirit in the Hebrew is feminine. What is being stated here in Proverbs is also what was being stated in Genesis 1, with Wisdom and Spirit being synonymous. It was with God's Spirit that the world was created.

"And the Earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2 [RSV])

We also have the tree of life mentioned in Proverbs 11:30 [RSV], once again associated with Wisdom (Spirit?): "The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life; and he that is wise winneth souls."

Here are a couple more passages in Proverbs [RSV] where the Tree of Life is encountered:

Proverbs 13:12: "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but when the desire cometh, it is a Tree of Life."

Proverbs 15:4 : "A gentle tongue is a Tree of Life; but perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit."

For further evidence that Wisdom is synonymous with the Holy Spirit, listen to what Jesus says in Luke 11:49-52 [RSV]: 49. “Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' 50. that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, 51. from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation. 52. Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” It was the Holy Spirit Who sent the prophets of God to warn the people and proclaim His word, and the lawyers were blasted for withholding the knowledge, the Wisdom of God, from the people, and “teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9 [RSV]).

The next time we see the Tree of Life we find it in Revelation 2:7 [RSV]: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. ‘To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.’"

Revelation 22:2 [RSV]: "And on this side of the river and on that was the Tree of Life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the nations."

Revelation 22:14 [RSV]: "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the Tree of Life, and may enter in by the gates into the city."

Revelation 22:19 [RSV]: "and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Tree of Life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book."

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that we must be born of water and the Spirit. We must be reborn if we are to obtain eternal life: 5. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:5-6 [RSV])

In the very next chapter in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that only those who worship in Spirit and in Truth can worship the Father: 21. "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. 24. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth." (John 3:21-24 [RSV]) We receive the Holy Spirit of Christ when we come to Him in obedient, saving faith and are immersed into His body (Acts 2:38), and clothed in His holy garments (Galatians 3:27). The Holy Spirit is our down payment, or God’s guarantee, of our eternal salvation as long as “we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 [RSV]). The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:13-14 [RSV], 13. In Him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14. Which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. When was the promise of the Holy Spirit given, and Who gave it? It was Jesus Christ, Who promised in John 14:15-17; 26 [RSV], 15. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, 17. even the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you. 26. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Jesus Christ is Truth: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 3:16 [RSV]). Therefore, when Jesus said we must worship in Spirit and Truth He was saying we must worship the Father through Him and in Him.

We must partake of Christ and His Spirit if we are to obtain eternal life. Jesus told the disciples in John 6:53-58 [RSV], 53. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; 54. he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me. 58. This is the Bread Which came down from Heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this Bread will live forever.” Whenever we gather around to partake of the emblems of His body and blood in communion with our Lord and each other, His body and blood given in sacrifice for our sins, we are symbolically doing what we will do in Heaven throughout eternity. “For our sake He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 [RSV]). Jesus said in Matthew 26:26-28 [RSV], 26. “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27. And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; 28. for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:7-10 [RSV], 7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8. which He lavished upon us. 9. For He has made known to us in all Wisdom and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ 10. as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in Heaven and things on Earth. It is the Holy Spirit Who reveals the mystery of the Lord’s will to us through the word of God, whereby our faith derives (Romans 10:17). Once again, Wisdom is synonymous with the Holy Spirit. We have redemption in His blood for life is in the blood: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life” (Leviticus 17:11 [RSV]). And only in the shedding of the blood is there forgiveness of sins, and only through the sacrifice of Christ is atonement, or reconciliation, made for our sins: 22. without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 10. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. 21. And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22. He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before Him, 23. provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under Heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Hebrews 9:22; Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21-23 [RSV])

Therefore, from these passages we have seen, I believe that the Tree of Life is the Spirit of Christ, It is the Wisdom of God. Only those who have the Spirit of Christ are His, and only they will be privileged to continue to partake of His Spirit, the Tree of Life, throughout eternity. 12. So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – 13. for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. 14. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16. it is the Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17. and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

To Heed or Not to Heed?

Let us ponder the words of the Apostle John who wrote in 1 John 3:11-12 [RSV], 11. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12. and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain murder Abel? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous.

Just like a good prosecutor delivering his closing argument in a murder trial, John gives us the motive for Cain’s heinous deed: He murdered his brother because he envied his brother’s righteous works.

Our God is a loving God, and because He is, He sought through His counseling of Cain, to ward off Cain’s eventual crime. If there was anyone in history who was given a chance, it was Cain.

3. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4. and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5. but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6. The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7. If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:3-7 [RSV])

Think about it for a moment. Which one of us would not love to have God tap us on the shoulder just as temptation is creeping into our hearts and say, “You might not want to go down that road, son! That is really not a very good idea! You might wish to reconsider!” But that is what God did with Cain. He spoke to Cain and told him that he was in grave danger of sin taking over his life. God loved Cain, He tried to help Cain, but Cain refused to listen. He let pride take over his heart, and envy over his brother grew into hatred which culminated in first-degree murder.

Cain blamed Abel for Cain’s unrighteousness, and so he laid his plans. He did not act in a moment of passion, and there were no extenuating circumstances. After all the loving warning God gave Cain, Cain’s hardened heart chose to go the route of sin.

But what about us? What more loving warning do we need of the dangers facing us than what God has given us in His word? Is sin crouching at our door? If so, what choice will we make? Will we be like Cain and harden our heart and reject God, or will we hearken to the loving words of the Savior Who pleads, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 [RSV]).

May the Lord bless you!

The Feast of Trumpets

“Say to the people of Israel, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation’” (Leviticus 23:24 [RSV]). Every autumn the Jewish community observes a holiday called Rosh Hashanah (meaning "head of the year," because it begins the Jewish civil new year). This is a Biblical festival, known in Scripture as Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets, because the Israelites were to blow trumpets on that day. The horn used was called a shofar, or ram's horn, and it was blown to call the faithful to 10 days of repentance culminating in yet another Biblical festival called Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. Most Christians find little meaning in these days, but could they hold an important message for you and your future?

In ancient Israel the shofar was blown for various reasons, including a call to war. The Apostle Paul teaches us that we Christians are engaging in spiritual warfare daily, and he calls us to war when he writes in Ephesians 6:11-17 [RSV], 11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15. and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; 16. besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The word of God also teaches us that there is coming yet another great and terrible day of the Lord. At that time we will all hear the shofar blowing a final call to war as Jesus Christ returns in triumph to conquer and vanquish victoriously His enemies: 51. Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. 54. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55. "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" 56. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:51-57 [RSV])

Are you prepared for the final blowing of the shofar on that last day?

Thoughts on Adam

The Apostle Paul says, 13. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14. and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:13-14 [RSV])

If Eve was deceived, then what about Adam? We know he was not deceived, because Paul specifically tells us Adam was not deceived. He knew what he was doing. So why did he do it? Why did Adam eat of the fruit of the tree? Was he unhappy, wanting more, and plotting to be God? Was he also thinking of taking over? Just what was his motivation? What did he think he was getting out of this?

God first spoke to Adam in Genesis 1:28, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. . . .” Some have speculated that Adam must have felt that God had lied to him. However, that argument is defeated by the passage in 1 Timothy 2:13-14 above. Adam was NOT deceived; therefore, he knew that God had told him the truth. Additionally, some speculate that Adam did not understand God because Adam had never seen death. However, it is clear that God created both Adam and Eve with the ability to understand God when He spoke to them. Genesis 2:16 clearly states that God commanded the MAN (Adam) not to eat the fruit, and warned him that eating the fruit would cause death. Obviously, Adam understood every word (including “death”) that God spoke to him right from the very beginning, and this is also validated and substantiated by the fact that Adam, again, was NOT deceived.

The Bible is silent as to who told Eve but, from her conversation with the serpent in Genesis 3:1-5, it is clear that Eve was quite aware of God's command. God has made husbands responsible to be the spiritual leaders of their families and to protect them, even if the husband must die in so doing. This is brought out by Paul in Ephesians 5:22-24 [RSV]: 22. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior. 24. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Christ was willing to die for His bride, and so should every husband today who is a child of God.

Accordingly, it was Adam's responsibility to both warn and defend his wife from eating of the forbidden fruit. He may have done the former, but he very definitely did not do the latter.

We may not know for certain, but I believe we can draw some logical conclusions as to why Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and I believe these conclusions begin with the following: “It is not good that the man should be alone.” (Genesis 2:18 [RSV]) Adam had been alone, and he knew what true aloneness and loneliness were more than anyone else who has ever lived, for only he has lived at a time when there was not another single human being on the face of the Earth. Adam and Eve had no children at this point, and Adam knew that death now awaited his wife, Eve.

Adam was totally in love with and committed to Eve. She was his life, his joy, his inspiration, his everything. He loved Eve. When Adam first looked into the eyes of Eve everything in his world changed. Anyone who has ever experienced that innocent first love or love at first sight would understand.

Let us look at this as it happened. The instant Eve ate the fruit she came under the proclamation of the law. Death means separation. Eve died, meaning that she was separated from God and Adam. Adam knew immediately that something was wrong. When he saw what had happened, he was faced with what he saw as only two painful choices: Either to follow God, and return to being alone without Eve, or to follow his beloved wife, Eve, into death. Adam chose to die with his wife, rather than face a lonely existence without her.

Adam could have yelled at Eve, accusing her, cursing her, complaining and carping about how she was going to be sorry. He could run to God, and say, “Father, the woman you gave me ate the fruit and is dead! Can you make another one?” He did none of these things because he loved Eve and he knew that what she did could not be undone. Adam had to do something; he had to make a choice. He loved his Father, and he was like his Father so he made a decision. That decision was to die with Eve. He chose to become separated from the Father, to be with his wife, and to trust that God the Father would restore their right standing with Him.

Adam had to trust that God would somehow bring them back. Genesis 2:24 [RSV] says, “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Adam had already proclaimed what a man must do. He felt his place was beside his wife. Adam gave up everything for his wife, Eve. This was an act of love and sacrifice. It may have been a misplaced act of love and sacrifice, as we will see, but an act of love and sacrifice, nonetheless. It does not seem unreasonable to conclude that in many ways, Adam behaved very nobly. In fact, it does not seem unreasonable to conclude that Adam demonstrated great faith in God that He would provide a means of escape.

I see much in Adam’s actions that later would be seen in Abraham who believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead, even though God had never said He would resurrect Isaac. But because Abraham trusted in the promises God had given to him, he was able through faith to believe God would raise Isaac from the dead. When Paul tells us Adam was not deceived, Paul is telling us that Adam believed God. This also would mean that Adam believed that God loved them, and that he felt God would not leave them forever separated from Him. Yes, there would be consequences for Adam’s choice, but God would provide a way for Adam and Eve to return to their Lord and Father one day. And in this our great Lord did not disappoint. His love was and is too infinitely great to deny His wayward children a way to return to Him, if they choose to do His will. And in the midst of all their sorrow, the love of God shines through when He says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15 [RSV]). There is the hope of which Adam, I believe, had the faith that God would provide.

Adam and Eve were one flesh. This set the precedent for Jesus. If you look at the entire story of Adam and Eve, you see the story of Jesus and the church. God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and from his side He made Eve. God opened up Adam’s side and took out a rib, creating his lovely bride, Eve. Adam died for his bride, trusting in his faith that God would restore them both. Jesus was separated from the Father in order to come to the Earth. He became sin for the sake of His Father’s commitment to restore the relationship with Adam and his sons. When the Roman solder pierced Jesus’ side, it caused His blood to flow out, the blood which cleansed His bride, washing it and making it pure and whole, the bride which is the church. Jesus chose to die for His bride and He went into the belly of the Earth (a type of deep sleep) for three days, trusting that God would raise Him up and restore Him and His bride to the Fathers side. We read in Romans 5:14 [RSV] that Adam was “a type of the One Who was to come.”

Adam loved Eve, and she was tempted by the serpent, who was actually Satan, the one who leads the evil spirits in their rebellion against God and His purposes, and she ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then Adam, who was with her, chose to eat of the fruit also and they sinned. When they sinned, spiritual and physical death came into the world and fellowship with God was broken. Like a rose being plucked off the vine, they were immediately disconnected from their source of life. You can almost see the shame and guilt and fear of their new nature taking over. Genesis 3:7-10 [RSV] says, 7. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. 8. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10. And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

We have entered the realm of speculation already, but using Scripture to back up our beliefs. So with the continued support of Scripture to give credence to our beliefs, let us continue some more speculation grounded in God’s word. As we have said, it would seem that Adam felt he had only two choices, but I believe there was another choice available to Adam, one that he did not consider. I believe Adam would have saved Eve and kept sin from entering into the world if he had refused to eat of the forbidden fruit. Why? Because the word of God teaches us that it was not Eve’s transgression that allowed sin to enter the world, we are told it was Adam’s actions that allowed sin to enter into the world.

12. Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned – 13. sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (Romans 5:12-14 [RSV])

21. For as by a man came death, by a Man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 [RSV])

The same man who wrote the above verses is also the same man who wrote the verses penned to his young friend and protégé, Timothy, in 1 Timothy 2:13-14. God’s word does not contradict itself, and neither did Paul contradict himself or Moses. Moses in the Book of Genesis shows it was Eve who bit into the fruit first, and Paul agrees with Moses in his epistle to Timothy. And yet, we are never told that it was through Eve that sin entered the world. It was through Adam.

We have already pointed out some passages that show it is the responsibility of the husband and father to be the spiritual head of the household. The first primary role in the family of the man is to show loving leadership over his wife and children. Oversight of all matters in the home, both physical and spiritual, are to be his purview, his responsibility. He should take the lead in spiritual leadership in family home Bible studies and prayers. The wife is the manager of the home, but the husband is the manager of the wife. “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”(1 Timothy 5:8 [RSV]).

Here are some more passages which delineate the roles of husbands and wives:

1. Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2. when they see your reverent and chaste behavior. 3. Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing, 4. but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. (1 Peter 3:1-4 [RSV])

“Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing honor on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7 [RSV])

18. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

20. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (Colossians 3:18-21 [RSV])

So just as men are to be the spiritual leaders of their homes today, so was Adam to be the spiritual leader of his home. And in the case of Eve eating the fruit, Adam missed the mark in doing his part in teaching her a better way, which is to follow the Lord.

Yes, men are to love their wives, they are to provide for their wives and they are to be willing to die for their wives, but not at the expense of God. That is why Jesus taught that we should let nothing come between ourselves and God: “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6:33 [RSV]). He later emphasized this point by saying, 34. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on Earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36. and a man's foes will be those of his own household. 37. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; 38. and he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:34-38 [RSV])

Even though Adam failed in saving his wife and the world, all was not lost. As God was revealing the consequences of their actions, He also gave a glorious promise. God promised Adam and Eve that He would send a Redeemer (Messiah) Who would destroy Satan and restore them to a right relationship with Him (Genesis 3:15). In the meantime, they could only approach God with a blood sacrifice. This animal acted as a substitute for the penalty of sin until "the Lamb of God" Who is Jesus Christ would come and pay the full debt.

There are two Adams and there are two ways. Every human being who has ever lived, or ever will live, is either part of the first Adam, or part of the second Adam, Jesus Christ. We are naturally born as a son of Adam, and it is only through our rebirth that we can become one with the new Adam, and a sibling of Jesus Christ.

The Hope of Eve

She had everything: spiritual peace, eternal security within an intimate relationship with God, the perfect husband, good health – perfect health – a beautiful home, all of her needs provided for. She had everything. What did she lack? Was there something else out there, anything else? Of course, by now I am sure you realize I am talking about Eve, the mother of all living.

Yes, she had everything, but with the lying hiss of the serpent, our mother, Eve, was deceived. She thought she had found the only thing she lacked. God knew something she did not know. Perhaps it was the best thing to know. At least, that was what the serpent had told her. He had insisted that God had not been entirely honest with her, and now she had her doubts.

“What would be wrong with eating that fruit?” she asked herself. To her eyes, it looked wonderful and tasty. And according to the serpent, with just one bite of it she would achieve complete fulfillment, complete wisdom! Oh, how she wanted to be so very wise! So she thought to herself, “Why not just do it? What harm could there possibly be?” So she brought the fruit to her mouth and took a bite of it. It did taste good! So she grabbed some more of the fruit of that tree and took it to her husband, Adam. And as she did so, she succumbed to temptation, just as the Apostle John would write centuries later: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16 [RSV]).

Adam looked at her, and then he looked at that fruit she held out so temptingly in her hand. He listened as she told him how the serpent had said they could eat of the fruit of the tree, how they should eat of it, for it would make them as wise as God! Although Adam was not beguiled by the words of the serpent, he was not deceived, but went willingly into sin, he loved his wife, and he took and ate of the forbidden fruit. It is admirable that Adam loved his wife, it is always admirable when a man loves his wife, and is willing to sacrifice himself for her . . . but he should never do so at the expense of God. God should always come first. Adam should have placed his Father, the Lord, above His wife, and trusted in Him. Adam should have been the spiritual leader of his household, just as he requires all husbands and fathers to be the spiritual leaders of their homes.

Although Adam failed at that moment, all was not lost. God, indeed, loved the people He created so much that He immediately set about to implement His plan of redemption for fallen mankind. He created man in His image, and in the image of man He would send His Son to sacrifice Himself for all of our sins.

May the Lord bless you!

Pride Goes Before Destruction

The Wise Writer tells us in Proverbs 16:18 [RSV], “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” So what does this proverb mean? It means that there is a real need for us to strive to remain humble before our God, not allowing pride to gain the mastery over us. Always remember the inspired words from the pen of the Lord’s brother: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 [RSV]).

The Scriptures also counsel us: “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3 [RSV]). Yes, pride is destructive and deceptive. We are wise to hate “Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech” (Proverbs 8:13 [RSV]) since these are all things the Lord hates. Humility will draw us closer to God. "Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you" (James 4:10 [RSV]). How sad it was that Eve did not cling to the Lord in her time of trial! How true in the case of Eve did the old adage prove to be: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

With Eve one can see a textbook case of how sin manifests itself. The Apostle John tells us, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16) From our earlier reading we see this all transpiring before our very eyes. When Eve “saw that the tree was good for food,” the “lust of the flesh” stirred within her. Eve gazed further at the fruit and “it was a delight to the eyes.” This is “lust of the eyes” coming to fruition. Finally, when Eve saw “that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” her “pride of life” was awakened.

All sin follows this same path, and when it comes right down to it where the tire meets the pavement, all sin is idolatry, for we are letting our evil desire for something take the place of that which rightfully belongs only to the Lord. The Apostle Paul seems to make this case when he wrote in Colossians 3:5 [RSV], “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

You and I and all mankind everywhere must die because of the consequences of Adam’s one sin committed in the Garden of Eden when he chose to eat of the forbidden fruit. But each one of us has the opportunity, due to God’s amazing grace, to return to the Father when we come to Him through obedient, saving faith. Jesus calls us now, saying, 28. “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 [RSV])

May the Lord bless you!

Webs of Deceit

One afternoon after taking my son, Damien, to the dentist, as I was walking from my car into the house I found myself stepping right through a single strand from a spider that had been strung across my path. The more I struggled to rid myself of that single strand, the more it clung to me. The more it clung to me, the more I was reminded of the scene in the Return of the King from the Lord of the Rings trilogy when the little Hobbit, Frodo, found himself caught in the web of the giant and evil spider, Shelob, trapped in her darkened tunnels. (I also must confess to quietly enjoying my little predicament I found myself in, which seemed to be quite apropos, really, considering that I chose just that morning to don my hand designed Jack O’ Lantern tee-shirt to mark the occasion of the upcoming festive fall season!) But I also could not help but be reminded of the words of the great Sir Walter Scott who wrote centuries ago, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” Just as Frodo found himself getting further and further trapped within the webs that bound him in Shelob’s lair, so, too, do we find ourselves when we begin to spin our own webs of deceit.

Some say we bring nothing into the world, and we will surely take nothing from this world. Although I understand the meaning behind these words, I am not sure they are fundamentally sound or accurate. When a child is born into this world it is a great blessing. As the word of God describes it, 4. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. 5. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! (Psalm 127:4-5a [RSV]) Therefore, I would say it is not accurate to claim that a child brings nothing into the world, for a child brings joy.

It also seems to me that it is not accurate to say that we take nothing with us when we die. I believe we take our reputation with us, as well as leave it behind. We can lose everything materially we have in this life, but if a man has an honest reputation of sound character, then he is rich, indeed. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance for us, especially those who are God’s children, to guard closely our own reputations. Let our “Yes” mean yes, and our “No” mean no, for anything more than this comes from evil (Matthew 5:37). Let us all build a solid character built upon a foundation of truthfulness and righteousness. Our truthful reputation comes from ourselves, but our righteousness comes from the Lord (Romans 5:17).

Honesty is an attribute God has always demanded. In the Law of Moses it was the ninth of what we know as the 10 Commandments: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” writes the Lawgiver in Exodus 20:16 [RSV], and it has carried over into the New Covenant of Christ as well. Remember the warning given to us by the Apostle John in Revelation 21:8 [RSV]: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” Do not let yourself fall into the trap of getting caught up in webs of deception!