The Two Sisters

She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. [Genesis 3:6 NLT]

Desire has a sister, an evil sister. Desire herself is not evil in that she can motivate people to want things that are good for them or others. It was desire that motivated me to come to Christ. The evil sister’s name is Selfishness and she rides behind Desire. Selfishness could care less about others. She follows Desire and motivates us to take what we want and in the case of Eve, at all costs. Desire motivated Eve to consider the tree and what God said about it; Selfishness motivated her to forget the words of God. Eve chose poorly, listened to Selfishness, and you know what followed. Both sisters are still at work today in the lives of every breathing human. Desire motivates some people to want to change the world around them. Selfishness motivates them to go about it their way and not follow Gods plan. Selfishness lives in the hearts of those oppose Gods plan for redemption. They have allowed her to corrupt Desire thereby wanting things their way; the offspring of Selfishness and corrupted Desire are unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. [These cause people to be] whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful. Selfishness motivated the terrorist in Norway. Selfishness motivates the pregnant woman to abort. Selfishness motivates legislators to pass laws to please certain groups. You know what I am talking about. Selfishness, the evil sister whose motto is; “It’s what I want.”

Selfishness hates Christ as she knows He does not listen to her. He died for everyone’s sin; not just for one. Selfishness had rather He just died for Eve and perhaps Adam. She knows that when Desire draws people to Jesus He will change them. Selfishness knows they quit listening to her and listen to Him. How about you? Have you heard their voice? Have you heard Desire telling you to consider Christ? Have you heard Selfishness telling you to ignore Him? Consider seriously which one you listen to. The choice is yours; choose wisely.

Ref: {Romans 1:29-31 NKJV}

Free or Not?

So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free. [John 8:36 NCV]

Last Sunday, Casey Anthony became a free woman. She had been detained in jail until a jury agreed that she was not guilty of the murder charge against her and voted to acquit her. The judge agreed with the jury’s decision and released her based on time served for the other charges. Some feel she was guilty and others feel she was not but when it came time to convict or acquit, she was acquitted by the justice system. The system we have in place to make decisions like that.

There is another side to her story, a side that was not presented in court or in the news media. A part of her life that investigators never questioned her about that I know of. They never asked her if she believed in Jesus or not as far as I know. Someone off the camera or off the record may have witnessed to her or prayed with her, who knows. If she has never asked Christ to save her, forgiving her of her sins, she is still not free. She may not be behind prison bars or in the confines of a jail cell, but she is still in bondage. She may not even realize it as millions of people never do. They feel they are not in bondage to anyone as the Pharisees told Jesus. Spiritual bondage is deceptive. One can be held in sin never realizing the hold it has on them. I never realized it. I was in bondage under sin for over thirty years and the entire time never knowing it. I thought I could change anytime I wanted to, perhaps in my final hours. It was not until I came to know Jesus just how deceived I had been. I finally came to my senses as the prodigal did in the pig pen and came to the Father for forgiveness, and the Blood of Christ freed me! I hope Casey understands that freedom is not being out of jail, but being justified by the Blood of Christ. Having all charges dropped against us by His work on the Cross! How about you? You may be in jail or on the street but if you have never allowed Christ to set you free from sin; you are still in bondage. Allow the Son to set you free; and be truly free!

Endure

Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. [Hebrews 12:3 NLT]

A glutton, a winebibber, a lunatic, a demon possessed heretic. Just some of the things many of the people said Jesus was. He fed thousands with a little boy’s lunch, He made better wine than they had at a wedding party for the guests to drink; He confounded the Rabbis’ when He was just a boy. He cast out demons from those possessed by them. So how could they say all those things about Him? The human nature of people has not changed since that day in Eden. You remember; the day the devil lied on God. Ever since then the devil has been working to convince sinful people that Jesus is of no importance. As the human race has been given more knowledge by God and greater tools of research that we might discover even more truths about Him; the devil is still working to convince us it is all a lie. Jesus told His first followers, “If they hate you it is because they hated Me first.” Did you know that because you are a follower of Christ you are automatically an offence to a non believer? You may try your best to show them love and respect but they still consider you an enemy. It is not anything you have done personally but Who it is that lives in you. Jesus rubbed people the wrong way. They either came to accept His message of Gods forgiveness for their hostility toward God, or they had nothing to do with Him at all. People who do not like to be told the truth about themselves find justification in their animosity toward God by transferring their feelings toward Him upon His followers. You have not done anything to them but yet they are hostile toward you. Saying things about you such as; “he’s a goodie good,” or perhaps, “She’s a hypocrite, I know who she really is.” Many say the same thing to us as they said to Jesus; “Who do you think you are?” When Jesus commanded us to “bless those that curse us” it was for our benefit; not theirs. If the enemy can convince us to quit turning the other cheek and hate them just as they hate us, he has once again accomplished his goal of smearing Gods reputation among earthlings. Jesus never showed hostility toward anyone but He never quit showing the love of God to them either. We live in a world that is still hostile toward Christ so don’t expect it to treat His followers any different. Endure it; as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Not Independence From God

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (The Declaration of Independence)

Fifty six men from fifteen states signed this document of declaration under the belief that it was the will of God for them to be free. They had appealed to the Supreme Judge of the world that they might be religiously correct (rectitude) in making their decision. They prayed about it. Apparently they felt it was okay with God to proceed. They ended the document testifying that they were depending on God (divine Providence) to help them in their endeavor. Obviously, He did. I may be “preaching to the choir” here today but you and I both know it was never the intent of our Founding Fathers to separate God from Government. "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: 'It connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." [President John Adams, July 4, 1821].

So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. [Galatians 3:9 The Message].

Enjoy your Independence from Britain today. Celebrate your liberty handed down to you by the men and women before you; many giving their lives to purchase it and maintain it. Give thanks to God, the Supreme Judge, today for your Country. Pray for those in harms way today who still defend Her! Know that God made it all possible.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. [Psalm 103:2 New Living Translation].