Is there any question who it was that deceived Eve? Just look around at what seems to drive the systems of this world! Have you turned on the TV lately or read a newspaper? Hey it's not at all about horns, a pitchfork and a bright red suit.  It's about control.  God is about free will, that's why things are going on like they are. So do we just grin and bear it? Heavens no, we've been redeemed! We make a choice. I personally like God's logic better. God is our sufficiency, not the government, not pilates, nor the stock market or banks, not bunnies and colored eggs or chocolate fudge brownies.

Redemption is the act of freeing or a releasing deliverance. Jesus Christ by his own free will endured the cross so that all that was lost in Adam might be gained in the son of God.

Romans 4:21-26: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without cost)by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

 We have been set free from our missteps and we have assurance of eternal life. Not bad.  I'd rather have that than Governmental Health Care.

Chips don't fall where they may, there's gravity. You can't see gravity, but it's there. We can see the effects of gravity all around us. Gravity works whether it's from the top of a mountain or a molehill. It is the invisible glue that holds the universe together physically. God is like gravity (actually he made gravity). We can't see God, but we can see him everywhere (did I just actually write that?). We can see His action. We have to look in God's direction to see His huge love. It's there! God is love and it's all around no matter what going on in humankind. It is in His Word and in people who love him. All we have to do is ask, seek and knock and watch it happen.

Matthew 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

In the New Testament which explains the new covenant between God and man because of what was made available through Jesus Christ, we see God's heart and desire fully unveiled.

Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified Bible)20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--

♪♫♪♫"What the world needs now is love sweet love, that's the only thing that there's just too little of.." ??  By God, I think we've got it! (And by the way, he works 24/7 just like gravity.)

What is communion?

When I was young child I used to feel a pit in my stomach every time someone talked about communion because that meant the ominous trip to the confessional box. I had no problem feeling guilty about sin but my understanding of the simplicity of what communion really meant missed the mark. The emphasis in communion is not about sin so much as it is about the savior from sin. It does not revolve around me and my shortcomings, its about Jesus Christ and what he accomplished for us. God always wants us to be reminded of the way out.

John 3:16 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.

So when Jesus Christ said do communion in remembrance of him, he reminds us God's desire to free us from the drag of sin when we take the cup of wine. In addition we are to remember His healing wholeness because of the substitution of Jesus Christ's physical body as the broken bread.

I Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ.

Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

God wants us to be free spiritually and live life abundantly physically and mentally. So communion is not a ceremony or a ritual, it is God's reminder of all that's been made available in our fellowship with Him through his son Jesus Christ.

*Check out "Digging Deeper' to see the uses of the Greek word for communion - koinonia

It's Simple!

Proverbs 22:3 is a verse, I've been thinking about this week. In the American Standard Version it says:

"A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and suffer for it."

The word 'simple' is interesting to look up. I looked the word up in the New Brown-Driver Briggs Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon and it defined 'simple' as 'open-minded', open to instruction of wisdom or folly, believing every word. In Psalm 116:6 'simple' is used in a good sense.

¹I love the Lord, because He has heard [and now hears] my voice and my supplications. ²Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live. ³The cords and sorrows of death were around me, and the terrors of Sheol (the place of the dead) had laid hold of me; I suffered anguish and grief (trouble and sorrow). ⁴Then called I upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I beseech You, save my life and deliver me! ⁵Gracious is the Lord, and [rigidly] righteous; yes, our God is merciful.
⁶The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He helped and saved me. (Amplified Version)

'Openmindedness' in our culture has been considered a good quality and that is especially lauded today, but it is often misused. Our 'openmindedness' should be to God not to the whims and philosophies of the world. We just don't allow just anything to run through our brains. We measure everything by the truth of the Word and it keeps us out of the soup.

Micaiah

400 to 1! How about those odds?! One prophet in the Old Testament named Micaiah prophesied to King Ahab and King Jehoshophat about not going up to fight a battle in Ramoth-Gilead! He said it wasn't what God wanted. King Ahab's 400 prophets prophesied to go. Micaiah had been warned ahead of time about their prophesies and he was even told by their messenger that he should go along with what they said!

II Chronicles 18:12-13And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of their's, and speak thou good.13And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.

But Micaiah despite the heavy odds stayed true to the truth. The truth prevailed and Ahab lost his life when he didn't listen to the truth.

So what good are 400 prophets if they don't speak for God? I imagine those 400 prophets (of Baal) had a few perks, and a soft cushy life as they cozied up to their ruler to stay in the groove (or is it rut!)? Ahab didn't even want Micaiah around! Micaiah could have been Ahab's lifesaver, but he didn't listen and made it very plain that he didn't like him.

Rough life for Micaiah?: prison, open resentment toward him, a slap in the face, 400 smug wimps crawling with lying spirits looking at him like he had two heads? Actually I'm sure Micaiah was a very blessed man because he heard from God. He had a lot better things to do than hang out with the prophets of Baal. Anyone who chooses to believe God can absolutely count on getting blessed despite the darkness all around!

Jehoshaphat was deceived in that he thought this was a 'good work' thing to do. His life was spared when he cried out to God and he went back to Jerusalem and learned some good lessons about making bad alliances. You can see the lesson learned in II Chronicles 19 when he set up judges in Jerusalem and told them:

6And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.7Wherefore now let the fear (respect and awe) of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity (Nope. None!)with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 

Good advice and it applies today! We have the spirit of God in Christ in us. We don't have to be deceived about what is good and what is bad. We certainly don't have to worry about our standing in God's eyes. We just have to believe it.