A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good
heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil
heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every
idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you
or condemn you.” Matthew 12:35-37
http://www.gramzkidz.com
Brothers and Sisters
who choose not to be offended by what God allows,
Give me your ears, my
feet are dancing. I want to share what God revealed to me this week in hopes
that it may help someone else. We all know what it is at times to struggle with
unbelief. If I am in a time of faith, I do not understand how I could fall into
unbelief ever again. If it is a time of unbelief, a faith walk is nebulous and
feels out of reach as I drift back to the world’s system of thinking and I
question if I will ever know it again?
How easily we are
sucked into the world’s system of thinking especially if we do not balance our
life with reading and digesting (applying) God’s word daily.
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for
food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took
some and ate it." niv
Think of Eve… she
decided the fruit from a certain tree, the forbidden one, looked to be the
answer to meet her immediate need. Notice she didn’t seek out God and spend
time with Him nor did she request anything of Him. And where was Adam? Eve was
consumed with the fruit before her eyes, it filled her vision clouding her
mind, and was coupled with Satan’s trap to capture and enslave. Not only beautiful fruit full of
promise, here was Satan in colorful array, disguised and full of deadly poison
and beguiling promises, this was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and
she imagined the beautiful looking fruit was as sweet and tasty as it appeared
and she desired to be wise! Isn’t that what the serpent had promised? This was
a new experience and exciting… quickly decided, she reached for the fruit and
without hesitation she tasted the forbidden and turned to beguile Adam to join
her, disobeying God’s command. They chose to eat the only thing God had
forbidden and thereby chose death.
For the first time
there was a burning stench in the garden and an overwhelming feeling of
unexplainable confusion, heaviness, and loss and all of which dissipated into
the growing darkness. It magnified the strange emptiness and yes, hopelessness
they now felt. Adam and Eve knew for the first time they were not only naked,
but they knew what it was to have sinned against the Holy God. The excitement they
had felt was gone. They knew what it was to feel shame and guilty. They were
vulnerable. For the first time they experienced an unwelcome and overpowering
sense of fear. And they hid!
We probably do not have to think too
hard to bring up a time when we gave in to temptation that ended up changing
our lives. We play out a similar scene whenever we are tempted we fall into the
world’s system of thinking to solve problems, seek advice or find comfort in
shopping, eating or we exercise or often indulge in sin.
Thus is the story of
sin. It is powerful. It holds out promises yet is without truth or rewards and
ends in death.
So we rationalize convincing ourselves
something is innocent or harmless. Like the Corpse Flower from Sumatra, our sin
will grow into full bloom and the putrid fragrance of a dying thing fills our
nostrils with regret. We play out the same scene every time we give in to
temptation instead of dying to sin.
We will never know resurrection power in and through us without dying
daily and taking up our cross! Where there is no death there can be no
resurrection!
A young man I know
made a very bad choice at 18. It will haunt him, maybe the rest of his life. It
has hurt his family. Their are people who are holding on to this to hurt him,
they cannot be reached over the Internet. It has split our family and we have
experienced great pain and grief. A miracle is the only answer.
Just as the miracle of the Corpse
Flower, God’s amazing creation, it miraculously blooms every 7 to 10 years and
is beautiful to look at, this flower gives off the terrible, gagging fragrance
of death and rotting things. So too, our words and actions can lead to death;
in the end all that attracts us in the world will be disappointing. Instead we
are to be the fragrance of Christ. The flowers odor attracts flies and insects
but begins to disintegrate after just two days. It is nothing but a big
disappointment to the flies and other carrion insects, just as the fruit Eve
ate left life rotting and smelling of death. Unlike other plants that offer
nectar, there's no real reward here. Satan offered Eve rewards, but it
was lies. The insects want a meal because it smells like something dead and end
up without a thing.
My grace
IS sufficient for you… … . II Cor 12:9 True? Yes, true.
This is what God has
shown me… If we should lose everything we love, friends, health, wealth, even
family… and life is profoundly disappointing, is Jesus enough? ‘Yes’ is our
automatic answer, the right one, but in the middle of the muddle, and we are in
great pain, are we not tempted to live by our feelings? We do not feel
like Jesus is enough. But the truth is, Jesus is always enough. It is never a
question of Him being sufficient, but a question of my faith, trusting Him to
be enough for me. Am I walking in faith and trusting Him even when feelings are
masterfully pulling at me?
“Look
out for tokens of good, you who are fighting the good fight. The fight is good
no doubtful weapons are we ever called upon to use, thank God. Tokens are
things we may ask and receive, as we fight on and do not allow ourselves to be
dismayed or discouraged by the power of the great adversary.” Ac
Keep your eyes on
Christ. (Hebrews 12:2) Wear the whole armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Do not miss the daily
bread of His blessings, in the press of life! They are Hope and help and
comfort! Bless you dear Brothers and Sisters, Fight the good fight of faith!
May God’s grace be all over you. Do not be deceived by ‘looks’ or ‘feelings’!
Walk by faith. Go to Him with your expectations…. Stay in His Word!
Much love dear ones,
az
http://www.gramzkidz.com
What are the 6 most deadly snakes in the world?
Who designed them and if there is a design, there must be a Designer!
Click on Gramz Kidz above and go to 'By Design.
Evangecube
http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck
( Corpse Flower may grow 10-20 feet
tall)
