Choices

The Goodness of God

As you open up the sacred pages of the Bible, one of the first things you discover is God. As a matter of fact, the very first words of the entire Bible are “In the beginning God...”

Many people don't know God. At least not on a heart level. They don't truly understand His character, His heart! They think He is cruel, exacting, and unjust, or at least, uncaring. They have this strange idea of a “Do or Die” kind of tyrant. -- Choices? They think they don't really exist!

If you read carefully the story of creation and God's pleasure in the beauty of his artwork, you might begin to get a different glimpse of His heart, of His true nature. You see, on the sixth day of creation, God formed man, male and female. After His own image He created them, and they were very good, perfect in every way, healthy in mind and body, radiant in spirit, and full of love for God and life. They were his crowning act. The were the ultimate stroke of his brush. They were an exact portrait of Himself. Best of all, they truly reflected his heart. He could connect with them on a heart to heart level. He loved them “With an everlasting love” the Bible says!

However, built into love is freedom. God risked losing His created replica by the very act of giving them the freedom of choice. They could love Him as perfecty as he loved them or turn their backs on Him. In His own heart he could not even think to force them to love Him in return. It would go against His very nature. It would go against true love! He chose, instead, to take a risk. Can you imagine? As He “brushed the last stroke on the canvas of creation” He included a risk with huge potential for heartbreak, but God would rather do that then to create a beautiful robot. What God wanted in the Human heart was for them to choose for themselves to love Him ----- or not. Only then could it be real!

You see, God demonstrated right then and there, that his heart was completely others centred!! He was completely selfless! He was entirely focused on the needs of humankind. And so, He placed in their hearts freedom at all cost to Himself, risking rejection and pain. He built into the creation picture freedom to follow Him or reject him.

And so it was that God placed one tree, just one, in the middle of the garden and said, “Of all the fruit of any tree you may freely eat, except this one, lest you die!!”

“See”, I can almost hear some people shouting already,” That is not freedom or love! It's “Do as I say or die! Why would a God of love put a tree there to tempt them?”

Think carefully through this. God had just created a perfect world. There was fruit enough of every variety for a crowd. Hunger had never occurred. There was perfect companionship and joy. Lonesomeness had never been felt. There was warmth. No one was ever cold. There was space for many. Nobody was crowded. An over abundance of everything GOOD was provided. There was no anger or competition to be found. It was the perfect world!! They had it all, but he wanted them to have it, and partake of it by choice, and not because they had no alternative!

And so He made it simple.

God placed a forbidden tree in the garden of many, many abundantly available trees to make their freedom of choice viable. They could trust in the goodness of God, or reject it. They were free to choose. In the perfect garden where there were no wrong choices He placed choice in the form of a tree. In an environment where only the goodness of a perfect God was known, mankind was given the opportunity to reject it. It was called the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”.

This was not a hard test. God didn't place many forbidden trees all over the garden. It was not a puppy with sad eyes running at their heals everywhere they went, begging to be petted against God's will. It was not even a complicated, hard to avoid, “Ugh!, the fruit keeps falling in my eyes” kind of scenario. It was a quiet, stationary tree, that God asked Adam and Eve not to eat from for the purpose of giving them freedom to accept Him or reject Him.

And so, God was thoughtful by making the tree as unobtrusive as possible, yet generous enough to provide man with the power of free will.

Part 2

An Enemy Has Done This

Oh, I wish I could say that the story ended there, that the simplicity and joy of living in the bright rays of the goodness of God were never forfeited.

However, and unfortunately, there was, and still is, an enemy of God, determined to destroy all things good.

Satan did not have the freedom to roam all over the Garden. God restrained him, but he could ostentatiously perch himself amongst the leaves of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. After all, the idea of evil was his domain, truly it was and is still. The Bible says, He is the father of lies. This Enemy accused God of being unfair, unjust, and controlling. He had declared it loudly to all the beings of Heaven and to the universe. And while God disagreed, He, in his wisdom would let this controversy play out and speak for itself.

And so it was that Eve found herself alone, near to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan disguised himself as a beautiful serpent, colourful and wise, he spoke. This caught Eve's attention. She had never seen an animal speak. She listened and moved to better see. She remembered the warnings of God. I imagine she was cautious, but the serpent was wise and appealed to her intelligence, asking her to question God. “Did He really say you should not eat of EVERY tree in the garden?” He used his words subtly!!

Eve was drawn in. She felt a need to defend God and correct the implication of God's unfairness. She said, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden!! Just not this one, lest we die!”

The serpent then held out the fruit and played his favourite trick. He lied, “You will not die!” Basically Satan was saying, “You can live apart from the life giver. You don't need him. He's holding back from you a higher state of being”. Listen to what he said next, “God knows that in the day you eat off this tree your eyes will be opened, and you will be like a god. You will know both good and evil. It will make you wise!”

Was God really holding out on her? Did God really not want her to have a higher state of understanding. In a way yes!! You see, God already knew the pain that sinned caused. He wanted his created beings never to have to experience it. He never wanted them to know hunger, fear, cold, or death. Evil was better left unexplored! It was better left untouched! There was freedom in knowing only good! There was much to explore and learn about the goodness of God. But, Eve was tricked! Was God “restricting” her? She was confused.

The Bible says, “She saw that the fruit was good for food, and to be desired to make one wise!” It made sense!! Hmmmm ...and she doubted the goodness of God!! She took the risk and ate!

With a euphoria from a new sense of “freedom” and discovery, she quickly brought some to Adam also. She was the tempter now! She was the stumbling block. She was tricked and didn't even yet recognize her fallen position. She held out the fruit to the horror stricken Adam. He wasn't tricked! He recognized her position. He had never felt pain,--- but he felt it now. She, had chosen to doubt God, His precious wife, friend, and companion! Trembling but deliberately he chose to join her in her folly! He ate!! Now for the first time in his existence, he felt angry!! Angry at his wife, angry at the serpent, angry at God!!

This was the “knowledge of evil” part!!

Separation Anxiety

Anger

Blame

Naked

Cold

Fear

All the “restricted wisdom” was now being experienced and known at a heart level.

Those restrictions were, in reality, protections, but Adam and Eve doubted the goodness of God and chose to follow the wiles of the enemy.

Choices Today

After sin, Satan claimed the victory over God's replica, mankind. He was no longer limited to a tree. He claimed the world as his domain, and he set about to destroy anything that could be a reminder of God and His character of love. He set himself decidedly to the task of defacing the image of God in man. He introduced murder, coveting, stealing, adultery, lying, disrespect to parents, dishonour of God, worship of false gods, and ultimately forgetting the one who created them in love.

Today we look back on generation upon generation of painful past, not only from the choices that our first father made, but also our more recent forefathers, and our own Fathers. We can look with regret on our own short years and shed some tears of shame for our own bad choices. Our lives are wracked with pain from enslavement to a world of sin!

Is there no hope?

Thankfully, God didn't throw up his hands in disgust. Love is too big for that! His heart was broken, but He immediately put into action a plan to take that “You will surely die” upon himself because He is love in action. He told our first parents that he had a plan to redeem them. He promised to rescue them and the Earth that had been wrested from His grasp through trickery and deceit.

And thank God, He is faithful that promised. At the appointed time, God came down as a man. He lived the life, with all its heartache with us. He suffered the pain of other people's sinful choices. He was rejected, abandoned, tortured, abused, and put to a cruel death.

And He rose again, and lives to prepare for us a brand new place. All we have to do is choose. Choose to believe in the Goodness of God and be drawn back to Him.

He knows that not all will respond. Not all will look for the goodness of God, but He strives with the heart of every man, and all who would choose to look and see, again, the life of freedom and turn from the enslavement of this world will again live in peace, joy and perfect love.

God stands ready, waiting to be the one who holds you up!! He will give you the power and strength to choose the goodness of God!

“Choose ye this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!!”

Desire and Rulership Part 2

Rulership and Desire Gone Rampant

As the years passed from the scene of Adam and Eve pointing each other to the Lamb, most of humanity began to forget the story of God's grace. Their focus turned inward and they embraced the curses of sin as a method to lift themselves higher both in their own eyes and in the eyes of those around them. Thus a competition of power began.

 
Men took pride in their "ruler" status and took to themselves more and more wives, possessions, and slaves. 
Women, in an effort to compete with one another for the favor and affirmation of men, became equally depraved. They took to seduction and gloried in immodesty, in outward decorations, and all manner of immoral and sexual behavior . 
Both men and women turned to creating their own god's. The kind that, in man's depraved imaginations, needed to be appeased by cruelty and proven will power, and uncommon rulership over both man and beast. 

They incorporated the most wicked behaviors into their worship, the stronger overpowering the weaker in sacrifices, rape, and murder, and the powerful competing with the equally as powerful for supremacy over all, creating a constant battle zone of sin with sin. 
Thus the wickedness of mankind became unbearable as a result of their glorying in the consequence of sin rather then allowing it to work as a means of creating a spirit of repentance and love towards one another. 
It was then that God repented that He had ever made mankind. 
It was then that God looked over the Earth and found only one man left who demonstrated Godly headship to his family. Only one man left who pointed to the lamb as the source of love and affirmation. Only one man who refused the spirit of power, domination and control. 

Noah and his family were obedient to the call of God and built an ark according to God's own directions, all the while pleading with the rest of mankind to give up their self aggrandizement, their false sense of rulership over others, and their desperate attempts at building themselves up in an effort to quell the deep emptiness in their hearts for affirmation and recognition. He pointed them to the lamb, but they would not!

 
Sadly today, this horrible scenario has increasingly become the culture of our world once again. What of the men slaughtering each other in an effort to rule, the women and children sacrificed to the god of tyranny, the thousands that are sold into sexual slavery for the pleasure of mad men! What of the the sexually driven society, the immorality openly laughed about and fought over? What about the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer and laughing? What about the millions of animals living and dying in the most inhumane conditions for the sake of making men fat? We have been warned! "As in the Days of Noah, so shall it be, just before the Jesus comes", the Bible says. 

Unfortunately it has become such "A way of life" for most people that they simply don't know that there is any other options. Sin and living with the consequences of it have become so common place that most don't even care that there is death at the end of the row they are hoeing, not enough to give up their insatiable desires and cherished power struggles anyhow.

 
If only people could see that they could be complete in Christ. What will it take to help people know that God is for real? How will they know that he took their demented state of existence on himself and the consequences of their bad choices, and he took the penalty of their sin when he died? How will they understand that he is coming soon to provide for each of them a better place, a better life, a hope and a future? And that they have not only the opportunity now, but the privilege to take his gift of life? 
What will it take for God to make you and me into another Noah to warn the people that according to the Bible prophecy, time is almost up? What will it take?

Desire and Rulership

These are some of my thoughts this morning on the consequences of Sin, as it relates to women and their desire and men and their rulership. I've got more thoughts on it, but another time, this is long as it is.
.
Your desire will be for your husband
I am not a feminist, I believe in lifting all people up, unlike the feminist movement where they feel a need to trample men in order to lift themselves higher.  I have a strong sense of justice for both men and women alike! After all, I am a wife of a much loved husband, and a mother to four boys.
I love to see people rise, regardless of their gender, situations, intelligence, physical
or mental deficiencies, I love to see people begin to shine as a result of positive reinforcement.  Unfortunately, we live in a degradated world, compact with sin and madness!

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, God pronounced the consequences that sin would have on mankind, not because he was making a new rule, but because he could see beyond the now, and knew the results of sin.  He said to Eve "Your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you!"

I struggled to understand what it meant, "Your desire will be for your husband". What exactly were women desiring from their husband's that was a result or consequence of sin. What is it that I have observed women to desire more then anything else from their husbands or men in general?

In my research, some said, "Sexual satisfaction". Ummm, no, I don't thinks so! I would say, to an extent, but that is more of a manly drive. 

Some said, "Women would have a desire to rule over her husband thus creating a conflict". Hmmm, no again! I don't think so! Some might, I suppose, but I haven't met too many wives who want to
rule over their husbands. 

Some others wrote just as clearly as the Bible itself states it, "She would desire her husband". In other words, she would always be seeking his affirmation! This made sense to me. 

This makes sense in the light of feminism! These women are seeking affirmation, plain and simple.
Because they didn't get it in a meek and humble way, they then determine to take it by force. It also makes sense among the girls who feel a need to sexualize themselves through their clothing or lack there of, the strange hair styles, and the goddy make up, or their inappropriate behavior, to get the attention of the
male folk. They want affirmation and having not gotten it in a Godly fashion, they have turned to making sexuality their lure. It makes sense for all woman to desire affirmation, because sin has separated us from God.

Can you imagine Eve, when she and Adam stood before God, already feeling guilty and alienated as a result of her sin? Do you not think that she was kicking herself for the sin she had committed, wishing she could undo what she had just done?

 Don't you think that it now became her greatest desire to seek RE-affirmation of Adam's love, especially after she heard him blame her? 

She must have been crushed! NEVER before had she EVER heard negative words about her come from the one who had always adored her every thought and action. How small she must have felt! How could she again gain his adoration after letting him down and being the cause of his fall? Now her desire was for her husband!  It was part of the natural consequence of her sin.

"Well", some might ask, "What is wrong with desiring your husbands affirmation and affection?" My answer: Nothing, unless it takes the place of your value found in Christ, and most of the world doesn't understand that! Our value is from Christ and Christ alone, and sinful man can never fill that empty hole that sin created. This is why Christ came to restore us back to the beauty of the pre-fall experience. Eve had never had to DESIRE her husband before. She had always HAD HIM, his deepest affections, and admiration. She had been complete in both God and Adam. Now, things had changed!

The consequences of Eve's actions were deeper then just a desire for constant affirmation. In connection with that, the Bible states that "He (her husband) shall rule over you!" In the light of this strong pull for affirmation and acceptance, can you imagine, the power that man now had over women?

Oh, some say, "He had rule over her before the fall, nothing new there". Well, in reading the writings of Paul, we gather that there was some sort of hierarchy by virtue of Adam being created first and then Eve from the rib of Adam. It is not hard to imagine that! After all, even within the the Godhead, God the Father claims Jesus as his equal but Jesus willingly subjects himself to his Father's will, in loving adoration. The Father lovingly points us to his son through the Holy Spirit, the Son points us to the Father, and around in circles it goes, each glorifying the other in a whirlwind of equality and love. No domineering, no power trips, and no need to "Rule" over the other!

So did Adam's Headship over his wife before the fall, equate with the curse or consequential "Rule over her" after the fall?
I don't believe so.

Lets have a look at the "Rule over her" aspect first.
Number 1. Remember this is the curse of sin! This is not a mandate but a description of what happens apart from Christ.
Number 2. The meaning I gather from the Hebrew translation is to Dominate, or have power over her.

This brings to my mind much of what I've seen while traveling around the world. I have been to India where it is certainly a male dominated society. I remember trying to sleep night after night in the heat with my windows wide open, hoping for at least a gust of air, but in so doing, unable to escape hearing women, somewhere out there, on the streets, screaming and begging for mercy as their husband's beat on them. When I would mention it out of concern and indignation in the morning, I observed only indifference and shrugs. "She must have been a bad wife!"

I recall opening a book on Hinduism one day, trying to comprehend the culture around me. I randomly picked a page and began to read. It was explaining the order of reincarnation, and that to be reincarnate as a cow or an elephant or a man was a pretty high honor, You must have done something good. On the other hand, to be reincarnated as a woman, you were worse off then if you had been a demon. I closed the book! No wonder they feel no guilt at throwing the baby girls in the Ganges. No wonder women are raped without consequence. No wander it is so easy to throw acid in their faces when they are tired of them. No wander!

In their sinful, Godless state, she clings to her desire for affirmation from her equally damaged husband, who feels a need to dominate and exercise his power over her. What a sad state of affairs! The problem is, it is not limited to India. It is the world over, to greater and lesser degrees, and even amongst acclaimed Christians. It has been for over 6 thousand years.

How can it be? God has lovingly put forth an example by coming to this Earth and demonstrating the image of Christ he wants to restore in us, the restored relationship between husband and wife. He wants men to see how He heads the church and to exemplify that in their relationships with their wives.

You see, there is a difference between the pre-fall headship, and the post-fall rulership! Christ as head and example to man, sacrificed himself for our gain. He gave his own life to re-affirm us, to love and to protect. He lived, died, and rose again to establish and confirm his promise to build up and restore. He came to make his people Holy! Amen!

Can you imagine?
After Adam realized his own fallen state, and how hurtful he had been in his words, both to his wife and to his creator God, he repented. 

I can only imagine the tears that flowed from his eyes as he realized and desperately sought to restore his wife's lost security in his love. I can only imagine his devastation, knowing he had just given her reason to doubt his devotion.  

Christ lead them to the alter, and their they saw death for the first time. There was the greatest consequence of sin. There they saw the example of Christ for his bride and there Adam comprehended what it meant to forgive and restore. There he saw the greatest example of what it was to be a husband this side of sin. There he learned to give his all for his wife!
I can not imagine otherwise then that, from then on he directed her to the saving lamb of God. His wife, his beautiful bride, could again find complete affirmation in him because of what Christ had done for them both by faith!!

That is the difference between the head and the consequential ruler!

Reviving a dead blog.spot / Lunch is on!

Hi Everyone,
It has been so long since I've written that it feels as though I have to actually resuscitate this blog.
Bringing the dead back to life is not very easy. 

Anyway, I am not promising continual breathing.  Only a gasp of air now and then.  lol

I was just feeling blessed enough to sit down to actually write something down this morning.
Life here in the Northern Zone can be rather hum-drum, daily grind kind of stuff.
My life right now consists of homeschooling, fighting along side other homeschooling parents with the government, who are not cooperating and are controlling, and continuing our missionary work here.

I have always loved to be a missionary.  It has always been important to me.  Slowly, I'm finding out the fruits of living a Godly life, by itself is being a missionary.

In the last while, God has taken one of my least favorite things to do, cooking, and changed my heart and made it into a ministry of love.  For example.  There is a lady in our community who loves the Lord and is a SDA but has lived all her life in the shadow of her controlling husband.  She only went to church when she could sneak away.  She would only show up to Bible studies when she could convince him that she was going to visit a friend.  Now, he is dying of cancer, and having lived under such tight circumstances for years on end, she is beside herself with having to face life alone and making decisions for herself.  She is so overwhelmed by it and the fact that she doesn't know how to live without him, that she spends a lot of time in tears.  Of course there is a lot of grief involved in this whole situation as well and she can't think beyond it.
I have been blessed lately with the opportunity to cook healthy food for her and her husband at least once a week and he has been overwhelmed with the kindness being shown.  We have also been praying earnestly for him to find Jesus before he dies. 

Along with that,  Every Thursday night we have Bible studies in our living room.  All are welcome and our little group is growing.  We started studying the Sanctuary and people are enjoying it.  But the thing that happens before every Bible study is we all sit down for supper together.  I always make a special meal and people contribute a little here and there.  We sit down and hold hands and pray together and then enjoy.  The people love the fellowship. 

Last night some of the folks came an hour early just so they could visit more.  It always amazes me that people love to come to our house.  My house is never quite in order, sometimes down right messy.  It is a humble, unattractive little house that is not well decorated or arranged, and we live far from town.  Still people love to come!  It makes me happy!

However, yesterday Art and I were talking.  How can we continue feeding all these people week after week, making big meals.  Our own pocket books have been very meager as of late.  We discussed that maybe, we need to talk to everyone and just tell them we can't keep doing supper together. 

Well, I think the Lord had other plans because last night, I made a nice supper while the guys chatted in the living room and the ladies took seats in the kitchen where I worked and chatted with me there about anything and everything.  Then we all gathered round the table and the compliments and the "Mmmm's" and the "How did you make this?" began.  I just had to smile.  I was still convinced that we just couldn't afford to keep doing this.  Then we had the Bible study and before people left, one friend called me aside and pulled out $100 dollar bill.  He said,  "We enjoy coming here for meals so much!  I am sure it must cost you quite a bit.  I want to contribute!"  Wow,  we had not said a word to anyone yet.  Then as people left I discovered more money on the table. 

I took this as a sign of God's providence in providing our needs to carry on the friendship evangelism.  I think Art realized the same thing because, he immediately had a purpose for the money.  It would go toward buying hymnals for our Sabbath home church.  What a blessing!  God says, never be weary in well doing. 

Now, I must stop writing because tomorrow is Sabbath and that means another meal with our friends.  It means for fellowship, praying together, eating together, studying the Bible together and pretty much loving every minute of Sabbath. 

People crave friendship and friendliness!  Our mission is to provide it!  As a result our Bible study group is growing and the time together is very bonding. 

That's the happenings as of Late!  ---  Come on over for Lunch!  :)

Every opportunity is a seed sewn.  God makes those seeds grow when he sees the conditions are just right!  Praise the Lord!  Can't wait to visit my friends in Calgary for some serious Bible study!!!

We are still here

Ok, Ok, I'll write a blog.  I find it hard to write blogs! 
But anyway, Yup, yup, we're still alive!

The high-light of this week is that Pepere has been here with us all week.  We haven't been terribly exciting I'm sure.  Work still has to keep going.  I still had sewing to do every morning and they boys helped.
We did go swimming at the Canada games center twice and wanted to go to the hotsprings last night but it was outrageously expensive.  It seems to go up every year. 
Yesterday, I had a bunch of sewing to deliver so Dad, Isaac, and I made a trip to town and we stopped at the 50's diner for ice-cream.  It was a nice cold treat that happens probably once a year.  Dad recognized all the 1950's celebrities painted all over the walls.  The serving girls all wear their 50's style circle skirts.  And the ice-cream is good!
Pepere preached a sermon for our little homechurch prayer meeting.  It was very good!  He'll preach again tonight and then again tomorrow. 
The unfortunate part is that the bigger church is soooo afraid of us.  There must be some serious vibes or talking going on there or something because the distance and aloofness is palpable.  It's too bad and makes me sad!  What can I do?
Today, we will cook, clean, mow, mow, mow and more mow the lawns.  So much to do before we go down to Angie's place and only 5 days to do it all in.

I am counting the blessings of God this summer.  He has provided the money for travel and more.  With my new sewing contract, provided by God, I believe,  We were able to pay for two weeks of Young Dis*ciple Camp $700 for each of the two older boys and pay for our trip down and save enough money for getting 7 years of American taxes done.  That is truly a blessing! 

My garden is dong good, although it seems a little stunted to me but I may just be very impatient.  My little tiny greenhouse has beautiful plants, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, spaghetti squash, peppers, and butter nut squash.  They are beautiful and I believe I might have a pretty good harvest from there this year.

Caleb has been working at the horse farm next door as a part time job.  The pay is nothing to brag about but he is gaining experience and the people there love him.  He is pretty proud of the fact that he can say like a man,  "I'm going to work now!  See you after work!"  He has managed to save several hundred dollars now for himself for the trip South.  I hope it doesn't burn a hole in his pocket!

Would love to see Jason and his gang this summer if there is any possible way at all.  I'm sure all your happenings are on the East end of the country but if there is a way,  we'd love to see you!

Alrighty,  I'm off to mow some lawn and dodge mosquitoes!  Wish me joy!  lol
Have a great day everyone!

Caught Off Guard

The Sabbaths have been clicking by, one by one!  Each one is a special blessing at the end of every week.  I tell you, we soooo look forward to the Sabbath days.  They have changed so much for us in the last several months.
Sabbaths for us, used to be to get up in the morning and prepare for church.  Go to church, participate in Sabbath school, listen to a sermon, listen to some songs sung from up front and sing along if we knew them, and then go home if there was to potluck.  If there was a potluck, we stayed for that and then went home to rest by taking a nap or a walk and watching some nature documentary or something like that. 
Now, Sabbaths are for real!  I mean, I think we spend them, now, how they were meant to be spent, and we gain such a rich blessing every week. 
You see, we are prepared on Friday with lots of good and nutritious food, the best and the tastiest!  Our lessons have been studied faithfully, using Youn*g Disciple lessons, throughout the week.  We get up Sabbath morning and are excited to meet our friends.  We meet at someone's house and sit comfortably in a homey atmosphere.  We Sing songs together, Study the Sabbath school lesson for about 11/2 hours and then spend about 20 -30 minutes in earnest prayer.  About that time, it is time for lunch and the feast is spread and enjoyed by all.  After lunch, we visit or go for a walk, only to return again and open our Bibles in afternoon study of the word again, this time, on the reasons why we believe what we do as an SDA.  Everything is Bible based and full to the brim with Bible verses.  It is interesting when we come to some disagreement amongst us, because then the pages of the Bible beginning turning, with every head bowed in concentration, looking for instruction from the word.  It is a blessing to see people diving deep in the word.

This last week took an interesting turn, however!  You remember that we've been challenged in our belief on the Trinity by a lady come up for about 6 months.  She doesn't believe in the Trinity Godhead nor does she believe that Jesus was/is/will be from eternity to eternity.  This, of course, caused quite a bit of discussion a few weeks ago.  When my husband and I left for home afterwards,  DVD's were brought out with very convincing sermons on the subject using Bible texts and quotes from some of the prominent founders of our church during a time when they had not yet fully explored the idea of a trinity Godhead (Later, the Biblical foundation of a Heavenly Trio/Godhead was established).

Well, we decided that the best thing to do after some angry feelings were brought up by some, that we should leave well enough alone until people studied it out for themselves or their feelings were spent.  In any case, that subject was dropped from Bible study for now, in the hopes of maintaining peace, friendship, and in the hopes for time to pray about it all.

Well, not this Sabbath!  lol
The "No Trinity" lady was not able to attend our Bible study this time.  We started on the afternoon study of the Great Controversy.  We studied about the fall of Lucifer in Heaven and the fall of man in the Garden, when one of my friends subtly said, "This verse in Genesis says, ""Let us make man..."" Does that "us" mean more then one? 
My eyes got big and I looked at her.  I knew where she was going with this.  I saw the mischief in her eyes and she winked at me.  Her daughter swung her head around and looked straight at her in surprise.  Again, a little smile and a wink.  Ok,  my husband tried to gently brush past her question with a quick and obvious answer, but the drop off was swift and we were in, again, up to our eyeballs. 
My other friend, who has just recently decided that she is convinced there is no trinity and that Jesus was born/begotten/or created from the Father quickly turned to Proverbs 8 and said, "This chapter answers that question!" 
Well, I had just finished thoroughly studying that chapter and while I didn't think it would answer the question posed at all, I felt put on the spot to explain what I had learned about Prov 8.  I was afraid of making enemies.  I was afraid of an argument instead of discussion.   My heart rate suddenly went up and I felt completely out of breath.  I became hot and nervous. 
Still, I began to explain, that what is found in Proverbs 8 does not in anyway indicate that Jesus was born from God the Father.  Instead, the one talking in this chapter are Wisdom and Understand personified.  They are character traits of God!  He had these traits from everlasting past,  He brought them forth to be used at his bidding,  He delighted in Wisdom and Understanding and they were with him always.   The interesting thing is that all of  the book of Proverbs talks a lot about wisdom and understanding in the same sort of way that it does about Character, law, and the commandments of God.  You see,  The character of God in written form is his law/commandments and it existed in the form of Wisdom and Understanding from Everlasting!  It was brought forth from the Heart of God and raised up to pre-eminence with God as his delight forever.

I finished my dissertation completely out of breath and totally embarrassed because of how nervous I was.  I could still see the mischief in my friends eyes though.  She asked, "Does that answer my question?" 
"No,  not at all!"  I said
"Then what is the answer?" 
My husband believed her to be innocently asking because she didn't know.  I knew better. 
Art said,  "Well, The Trinity is actually inferred in the old testament but not outright pointed out like it is in the New."
I asked everyone to turn to Isaiah 48:12,16.  Maybe I'm wrong but it seemed pretty clear to me here, even in the Old Testament that three separate entities were being referred to. 

All was quiet.  It was obvious the pot had been sufficiently stirred to get everyone thinking and studying for themselves once again.  That's good, I guess, at my expense!  lol

On the way home, 7:30 that evening, my husband said,  "I think she had some genuine questions she wanted to know." 
I rolled my eyes and laughed, "No, she just couldn't help herself, you should have seen that twinkle in her eye!"
Later my friend called and giggled at me.  "You got so nervous,  you were completely out of breath!" 
lol, "yes, thanks to you!"

Art, told me later, that I did a great job of explaining anyway!  Well, next time I'll know to be prepared for anything.  How do I do that?

Trust Him!

As I mentioned a few days ago,  Things got a little rough for me and our little church family.  But, I want to tell you today, that because of the prayers of my friends and family, myself, my children and my husband.  God worked an incredible miracle --- mostly in me!

You see last year I had stood up for something I believed and there was a fireworks show of anger and false accusations from some of my friends.  I didn't expect that from them and I reacted in hurt, anger, and despair.  For a year, I suffered on account of that whole thing but I learned from my own downfall, and that of the others around me.  It was oh so hard though!  My selfish heart did not handle it well at all!

When I was again faced with a similar situation the other day,  I decided in my heart to bring it all before the throne of Grace.  With tears of hurt still fresh on my face, I laid it all in Jesus lap without having said one angry word. 

I prayed with deep, heartfelt sympathy for my friend and began to realize that, that did not originate from me!  My heart soared!  I began praising the Lord for his mercy to me.  I was seeing his work of Grace in my own heart first.

As I wept, a song popped into my head, "I will serve thee because I love thee...Heart aches, broken people, ruined lives are why you died on Calvary...".  I began to sing.

Through out that day, every time an unanswered question about why this was happening entered my mind, a song would also pop into my head, "The love of God is Greater far..."  Some of the songs, I hadn't even heard in years.  I couldn't believe it.  I don't deal with hurt this way, normally.  I usually crumble.  I knew this peace wasn't from me but it flooded my heart and I sang songs of Praise all day long.  I had never felt so at peace in a rough situation, ever.  I knew that God had everything in His capable care and keeping and that I need not fret or fear over one iota of the whole situation.

The next day I continued to pray and sing and to feel a calm in the midst of the storm.  And then, I received a phone call.  It was my friend.  She wanted to make everything right.  I was so grateful to God for his goodness to us.  Friendship is restored, the empty seat in our little home church is full again and I am so happy.

The Love of God is so rich and pure,  measureless and strong!  He worked a miracle and the biggest half was in me, to just let Him have it all!  Thank you God!!

I am learning to trust in God like never before.  Jesus has become my example and he will give me the strength to follow.  You see,  in Gethsemane, His "soul was overwhelmed by deep darkness.  To trust meant experiencing anguish to the point of blood, and darkness to the very depths of hell -- Nevertheless!  Nevertheless... Not my will but yours be done!"     He chose to trust!

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in a desperate situation too.  They face a trial so blazing hot that it literally killed others instantly!  They spoke, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is  able to save us from it!  But if he does not..."  They chose to stand for him regardless!  I love that part,  "But even if he does not..." We will serve God anyway!