We live in a consumer-driven society. The market-place has so many options and such competition, that we consumers often don’t know which way to turn. Perfectionists like me have a terrible time shopping because we never have enough information to know we’re getting the best deal. And the accumulation of “stuff” becomes a life goal, as if it will somehow save us.
There’s an old illustration about a technique Africans use to capture monkeys. They put a banana in a small-mouthed jar chained to a tree. The monkey will reach in to get the banana, and get his hand stuck in the jar. Because he refuses to let go of the banana, he is captured. He could have easily set himself free if he had just been willing to let go of his prized possession.
When people release their grip on the things of this world, they are so liberated.
Tags: freedom, money, stewardship
We have all heard many times that after Noah built the Ark, he took all the types of animals into the Ark two by two. This is an assumption we make because it requires a male and female to multiply. However, the Lord specifically stated to Noah, “Of every clean beast you shall take to you by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of the earth” (Genesis 7:2-3).
Why by sevens? That’s not even an even number of mates. What’s up with that? Later, in verse 9, we are told, “There went in two and two unto Noah into the Ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah“.
What of the other five clean animals? I think there are two answers to that: first, Noah and his family must eat during the 40 days of the flood, and afterward. Also, the first thing after they unloaded from the Ark, we read, “And Noah built an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20).
Presenting an offering of something of value to the Lord is crucial in every religion. Its only us “born again” Christians that don’t think sacrifice is significant.
Adam was the first human being on the earth. He was not born, but created. So, he had no umbilical cord nor belly button. He was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). God gave Adam the ability to procreate, to carry on the creation principle generation after generation.
Years later, after the tragedy of Cain and Abel, we read this account: “And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth” (Genesis 5:3). Note the change? Adam was created in God’s image, but his son was after his (Adam’s) image. Because of the fall of man, Adam could not pass on the image of God to anyone else.
Only when one becomes born of the Spirit can we truly carry the image of God. And God has no grandchildren. Each generation must have his/her own new birth experience.
After the fall of Adam and Eve, God responded by saying, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…” God, thus, booted Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and placed armed angels at the entrance to keep them away from the Tree of Life from which they would gain eternal life (Genesis 3:22-24).
Was this literal or symbolic? You decide. One thing is for sure, no one has gotten back into the Garden of Eden since, and death happens to each of us who are descended from Adam and Eve. That’s how the story begins.
But do you know how the story ends? In Revelation 22, John the Revelator describes what he saw in his vision of heaven: “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations (v. 2).
Here’s another important connector in the Bible: The Tree of Life is in the beginning and reappears in the ending. The Bible is one Book, with several continuing threads or truths flowing and interweaving throughout. And its especially interesting that where God made the redeeming connection with man, was up on a tree: The Old Rugged Cross!
Tags: cross, life, tree
Another wedding I performed also had a bit of a glitch with the Marriage License. After the wedding, as I was having the bride and groom sign the license, I noticed that it had the wrong date on it. I pointed this out to the happily married couple, and the bride panicked.
“Its no good,” she cried, “We’ll have to do it over again.”. I assured her that the marriage was legal, we simply had to correct the date of the wedding when we submitted the Marriage License back to the courthouse, which was my responsibility.
Mary Magdalene had the same worried look on her face the first Easter morning. She had the spices for Jesus’ burial, but she asked the question, “Who shall roll the stone away?” She saw a problem in her head that was not really a problem. The angel of the Lord had already moved the stone.
As she served, God prepared the way. I believe we can expect the Lord to do the same with us. Let’s get busy serving God.
Tags: worry
Several years ago I arrived for a Friday night wedding rehearsal as planned and we had a successful rehearsal. I always ask the bride and groom to bring me the Marriage License the night of the rehearsal so I have time to fill out the necessary paperwork (and to assure they haven’t forgotten that important aspect of a wedding).
Just as everyone was leaving, I glanced at the Marriage License and noticed it had the wrong names on it. I pointed this out to the couple and told them they had the wrong license and I could not officiate their wedding without a valid Marriage License.
The courthouse is closed on Saturdays, so they had to phone the County Clerk and have someone meet them at the courthouse to exchange Marriage Licenses. They had been given the wrong license.
Weddings are stressful enough without having that additional problem to work out. I’ll bet there’ve been some stressful moments in your own life, as well. How do deal with those stressful moments when everything seems to pile up? What’s your secret?
Tags: stress
I visited my cardiologist last Monday for a routine checkup. He was very pleased with my progress and was very encouraging. My blood pressures have become stabilized and I’ve been feeling much better.
I’ve completely altered the heart blockage issue by changing my diet and working out. As I’ve done so I have stopped the build-up in my arteries (and likely elsewhere) and grown a by-pass around the blockage. And my thinking has improved greatly. I had been poisoning myself to death with processed food, fat, sugar, salt, and preservatives.
Why go back to the doctor, then? These physicians are experts in how the human body works. They have tools to help determine where the problems are and great advice for resolving them. They have medicine to help adjust chemical imbalances that occur as we age. But, doctors can’t heal. And, our faith in doctors and medicine (rather than God’s advice) can be detrimental to our health, if we continue to poison our systems with junk food and laziness and put our faith in the doctors rather than God.
Don’t be afraid of doctors; be afraid of your own stubbornness.