Who Lives That Way? (Personal)

"You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it...  (Genesis 3:4-6 NLT)

Sometimes our temptation to leave God is not global, national, or general.  Sometimes the reason is just personal.  The reasons are personal.  The struggles are personal.  The thoughts are personal.  So, we turn away from God and think that "no one understands."  But it's simply not true.  God understands.  Not only does He understand, He is ready to provide you all the help you need to fight off those personal "reasons" to leave.  He wants you to stay with Him.  He wants to help.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king's service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. (Daniel 1:3-4 NIV)

Daniel and his friends were not just a part of a global situation.  Their role in this was personal.  They had been defeated.  They had been captured.  They were being selected, groomed, and taught to go against everything they believed.  They were being trained to walk away from God.  But they wouldn't do it.  Perhaps they remembered their forefather, Joshua, as they were facing overwhelming personal pressure.

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15 NIV)

Whatever the reason, they did not succumb to personal pressure.  Pressure from the King of Babylon wouldn't do it.  Pressure from his workers wouldn't do it.  Pressure from peers or "that woman" or friends wouldn't do it.  Daniel made his choice.  He was going to walk together with God no matter what.  How about you?  Have you made your choice?

Worship. Then Pray.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  (Genesis 1:1 NIV)

Somehow, I think my prayers would be different if I took the time to "look" at God first.  I don't need to stop praying.  I need to learn how to Worship, then pray.

This morning, I was blessed with a sunrise that illuminated blue skies, white puffy clouds, and a blanket of snow across the yard.  Will I allow that picture to bring me into the presence of our Creator God?

"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  (Isaiah 40:25-26 NIV)

When I come home from ministry groups every evening, my children often have to remind me to stop and look up.  I've grown so accustomed to seeing the starry host spread out across the blanket of darkness that I would walk right past them, were I not reminded to stop.

It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.  (Isaiah 45:12 NIV)

Worship begins when I start to catch a glimpse of an Almighty, All-Powerful, Ever-living God.  His Creation cries out in worship, even when I do not.  When I allow Him to stop me from my "important" things of the day, I find myself entering the presence of our God.

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."  (Revelation 4:11 NIV)

Then...and only then...can I begin to pray.

Come, Listen to your father

Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, "Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come. "Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.  (Genesis 49:1-2 NLT)

Today I had the pleasure of holding my new nephew, Ty.  The little guy is ready to take on the world.  He clearly communicates what he wants, when he is happy, and when he is not satisfied with my performance as uncle.  I've fed him, held him, changed his diaper, and already had a good uncle, nephew talk with him.  We are starting to understand one another.

His mom and I also had a talk today.  We talked about the changes that a new baby brings into their family.  We talked about how their 5th grade adopted son is loving his new little brother.  We talked about how different our children are - all of them.

As we talked, I started thinking about what it is like to raise children.  If there's something that our current method of education does to confuse us parents, it's telling us that somehow there is such a thing as "normal" or "average" when it comes to our children.  Each one is different.  Each one is knit together specifically.  Each one is a gift from God.

We can't lump them all together and look for "normal" or "average" to determine if they are doing alright or not.  Instead, we should be going to school on them.  We should be learning who they are, how they are made, how God wants them to flourish.  Then we, as their parents, help them develop and grow so that they will flourish - living out the design He has encoded into their DNA.

Jacob understood this.  He was getting ready to pass away and he called his sons together.  He told them about their futures and gave them insight into themselves from their pasts.  He had gone to school on his sons and he shared what he has seen with hopes that they will see it, too.  He prayed for them.  Then he entrusted them into God's care.

I always want to be the best student of my wife and my children.  I want to understand them better than anyone else in the world.  I want to see the beauty in God's design for them, then help them see it as well.  I always want them to know I am their biggest fan and their best friend besides God Himself.  And I pray for them.  I want to have something worth sharing with them when I say, "Come, listen to your father."

Despised...A Win, Win?

And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's entire family, "I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'My brothers and my father's entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan. These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.'" Then he said, "When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, you must tell him, 'We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.' When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds." (Genesis 46:31-34 NLT)

Goshen was the best land of Egypt (Genesis 47:11).  This was probably because it had so much fertile ground to support the livestock.  Joseph knew the politics.  Egyptians despised shepherds.  Goshen was outside the "city" enough that it would keep those nasty, dirty shepherds away.  They got to stay in the best land of Egypt because they simply were honest about who they were...shepherds.

Often times I think that we try to make being a shepherd far too complicated.  We worry about what people will think about us if we are honest about being a Christian.  We about what they will say if we simply offer to pray for or with them.  We don't want to tell them that we're shepherds.  How will they react?

Joseph's family was honest about it.  Sure, the Egyptians despised shepherds.  But they ended up in the best land of Egypt being shown honor and respect by the Pharaoh himself.  Not bad.  God worked it all out.

Maybe we could do the same.  Be honest about Christ's place in your life.  Invite that person to church.  Offer to pray for him or her.  Let God work it all out.  It just may turn out to be a win-win situation.

It's Time

When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy us a little more food." (Genesis 43:2 NLT)

Why do we always put off things we consider difficult until the very last moment.  We struggle inside.  "Is it really worth all that effort?  What if something goes wrong?  Is God really putting me through this?  Why won't God remove this struggle?!?"  We know what we need to do.  It's right in front of our face.  The step is there.  We won't budge.

The good news is that we aren't alone in those struggles.  Jacob struggled in this same way.  One of his son's was being held captive.  Another son was demanded.  He had already lost one son.  The one being demanded was the only other child by that mom.  Is one life worth more than another?  Why should I choose between which one is free and which one is a slave?  God, why are you doing this to me!

God wasn't doing anything bad to Jacob.  The enemy was having a field day with Jacob over potential outcomes, telling him, "If you do this, this will happen.  If you do this, this will happen."  The truth is, none of those scenarios was true.  The deceiver was doing what he does best...lying.  And Jacob struggled.  He struggled for a long time.

If we hadn't wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now."  (Genesis 43:10 NLT)

Finally, he faced the music.  Finally, he did what he had to do.  The food had run out.  They needed to buy some more.  The only one with food was the one he needed to face.  He sent his boys...all of them.  He did what he needed to do.  It was time.  Then God blessed their family.  Then God brought them together.  Then God provided for them in ways they couldn't begin to imagine.

Sometimes I think we don't realize that God really does work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)  Sometimes I think we don't really trust Him enough to find peace in all circumstances.  Sometimes we really need to be backed into a corner with no other move available before we will take that next step.  We don't realize that the results of that step may very well be completely different from any scenario we had imagined.  We don't realize that God has a plan to bless us and work together for our good.  We don't realize that the real "worse case scenario" is happening as we agonize over fake outcomes and avoid the step God has put right in front of us.

Has God put a step in front of you?

Take it.  It's time.

Getting Perspective

The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.  (Genesis 41:8 NLT)

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it." "It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease."  (Genesis 41:15-16 NLT)

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.  (Genesis 41:41-42 NLT)

When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you standing around looking at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we'll die."  (Genesis 42:1-2 NLT)

Speaking among themselves, they said, "Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn't listen. That's why we're in this trouble." (Genesis 42:21 NLT)

"Look!" he exclaimed to his brothers. "My money has been returned; it's here in my sack!" Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, "What has God done to us?" (Genesis 42:28 NLT)

Jacob exclaimed, "You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!" (Genesis 42:36 NLT)

Pharaoh is disturbed by dreams.  Joseph is called to interpret.

Joseph shares God's interpretation of the dream.  He's put in charge...for the third time.

Joesph's father thinks they are all going to die from the famine.

Joesph's brothers think they are being punished for selling Joseph into slavery.

Joesph's dad thinks he is being robbed of more of his children.

 Everything is going wrong.

God is using Pharaoh's dreams to save everyone from the famine.

God is providing the interpretation of the dreams to Joseph.

God is putting Joseph in charge so he will meet his brothers again.

God is working to protect, preserve, and unite Joseph's family.

Everything is going just fine.

Rather than be "disturbed" like Pharaoh, why don't we ask God like Joseph.

Rather than fearing punishment like his brother, why don't we reconcile like Joseph.

Rather than "freak out" like Jacob, why don't we just trust Him like Joseph.

Joseph wasn't perfect.  Neither are we.

He talked to God, listened to God, and remained faithful to God in all circumstances.  Will we?

Get Rid of Your Idols

Then God said to Jacob, "Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau." So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone." So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob's family. (Genesis 35:1-5 NLT)

I find it interesting that we now have television programs that openly promote donning someone as our "Idol." It's an indicator of where we are as a society.  Don't get me wrong.  We've had idols in our lives for as long as humanity has existed.  An idol is anything that demands our time, attention, resources in "worship."  Over the years, idols have shown up in the form of statues, pictures, belongings, buildings, animals, nature, and people.  There have been times in history that we've been more subtle and not called them idols.  There have been other times, like now, that we are arrogantly open about our worship of the created rather than the Creator.

When Jacob was getting ready to go to a place where he knew he had encountered God, he told everyone in his house hold to get rid of their idols and purify themselves.  Entering into the presence of God is not something to mess with.  There's no room for any other gods.  There's no room for idols.  When they began their travels, God blessed their faithfulness by protecting them from harm.  In essence, He was honoring them because they honored Him.  No one attacked Jacob's family.

Perhaps is really is easier to walk with God than we think.  When I think about the things that vie for "idol" status in my life, I realize just how many of them there are.  When I get rid of them, it's amazing to see the time, attention, and resources that become available.  Suddenly, I have all the time I need to do those things God wants me to do.  I just don't have enough to serve God and all those idols.  The solution?  Get rid of my idols.  Then I have more than enough of everything to worship God and enjoy a walk in the garden with Him.

Promises and Re-al-i-ty

Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O LORD, You told me, 'Return to your own land and to your relatives.' And You promised me, 'I will treat you kindly.' I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness You have shown to me, Your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps! O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. But You promised me, 'I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.'" (Genesis 32:9-12 NLT)

"I know what you're saying, Pete, and I guess that's what the Bible says.  But I've got to be more realistic.  That 'spiritual' stuff is fine.  But that's not the way the real world works."

I've heard that statement (or something similar) many, many times over the years.  Sometimes it will come after I preach/teach about God's promises.  Other times it comes during a counseling session when someone seeks my advice and I share one or more of God's promises that apply to their situation.  The look in their eye is always the same.  Shock, doubt, and struggle all communicate themselves clearly through their eyes and facial expressions.  Then they look for a "nice way" to explain to me how the world "really works."  It's a sight to see.

Jacob struggled with this as well.  He knew that he had purchased his brother's birthright for only a meal.  He knew that he stole his brother's blessing from their father through trickery that his mom told him to do.  Now, he was about to face his brother, Esau, after being away for 20 years.  Esau was bringing an army of 400 men.  This didn't look good.  That was the "real world."

God promised, though, that Jacob would be greatly blessed.  God promised that his descendants would become as numerous as the sands along the seashore.  God promised to be kind to Jacob.  Which one is reality?  What should he do?

Jacob does exactly what he should do with this kind of struggle.  He takes it to God in prayer.  

"God, I'm doing what you told me to do.  I'm following your instruction manual.  I'm counting on your promises.  Did I miss something?  Am I following something wrong?  Is there more to the picture that I should know?  My reality doesn't seem to match your instructions and promises.  Please, help me to know what to do...and I will do it."

The next time there seems to be a disconnect between God's promises and "reality," take it to Him in prayer.  See what happens.  You may be surprised.

Empty Nest

Then Laban replied to Jacob, "These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks—in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? (Genesis 31:43 NLT)

My oldest child is getting ready to graduate from college this year.  She will be receiving a two-year degree, with hopes of continuing on to further education.  My other two children are currently in high school.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that Traci and I are not far away from the "empty nest" stage of life.  Wow.  Time really does fly by.

I've watched many families go through this stage of life and, of course, experienced it through the eyes of a child.  While it wasn't my experience, many families struggle through this stage where children transition from childhood to adulthood.  Parents will talk about how their child became a "know it all" while the child will say, "they just don't understand me."  The reality is that neither one might be true.

Often times, we parents know the transition our children are going through.  We lived it ourselves.  The struggle is that we don't want our children to go through it.  We want them to stay little, cute, and dependent on us.  At the very moment we should be celebrating our children making the rite of passage into their own homes, marriages, and families; we try to hold on instead.

That's what Laban did.  He spent 20 years trying to hold on to his daughters through trickery and deception.  The problem was, he never allowed his little girls to transition into grown women in his mind.  They were still his daughters, his grandchildren, and his money...none of which was true once they married Jacob.  They were in a new household now.  They were part of a new family now.  They were all grown up.

Let your children grow up.  It's a good thing that they want to learn how to stand on their own two feet.

Let your parents provide wisdom.  It's a good thing that they are willing to share what they've learned over their years of experience. 

Let's enjoy the season of life God has given us...for every season He provides.

What Really Matters...

Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I'll use them to prepare your father's favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies." "But look," Jacob replied to Rebekah, "my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. What if my father touches me? He'll see that I'm trying to trick him, and then he'll curse me instead of blessing me." But his mother replied, "Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!" (Genesis 27:8-13 NLT)

I have to admit that I grew up with good parents.  They loved me, cared for me, and even cared about empowering me to walk together with God.  Sundays, we went to church services.  During the week I went to parochial school.  We prayed for our meals and prayed at bed time.  God entered our conversations about daily life and that pointed me to a desire to walk with Him.

That being said, everything wasn't perfect.  There were times when my dad didn't agree with what the Priest or religion teacher said.  There were times when mom didn't agree with what dad said.  We were a normal family, with people working through their faith as they went through life.  That brought about more than one conflict over the years.  Those times would usually leave us all confused and frustrated.

We were in good company.  Jacob is about to become the person through whom God will bless all nations.  The promise was given to Abraham, then Isaac.  Now it's going to become Jacob's turn.  The thing is, everybody in the family didn't agree on this.  Esau really should have received the blessing, being the first born.  He gave away his birthright over some food and now he was going to be tricked out of his blessing.  

Dad (Isaac) wanted to bless his oldest boy.  He was dad's favorite.  Mom wanted dad to bless Jacob instead.  Jacob was her favorite.  So, she hatched a plan to trick her husband who's eyesight was failing.  Dress the younger son up to feel and smell like the older son, then have him ask for the blessing.  It worked.

Here's the thing.  Look at what happens to Jacob.  He's in a tough situation.  Lying to his dad is wrong.  Disobeying his mom is wrong.  What should he do?  Well, he's old enough to stand up for what's right, but he doesn't.  Instead, he just worries about getting caught.  He fakes things long enough to get the blessing, then gets found out right afterword.  This trick would cost him his relationship with his brother for a long, long, time.  Esau goes out and marries a woman his father hates just to get back at him. Who knows what it did to his parents' marriage, but it couldn't have been good.

Now I know that God finally renamed Jacob to be called Israel.  I know that God blessed all nations through his lineage.  I know that God worked good through all the chaos that was this family dynamic.  That doesn't make their actions right.  They still screwed up.  God had to clean up their mess.

The next time you're stuck in a difficult situation and family dynamic.  Ask yourself this question: "Where is God in all this?"  That's the only question that really matters.  Yes, God is able to work good out of a broken mess, but that doesn't mean our goal should be to create a broken mess.  He works good when we turn away from such things and finally love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Until then, we just stay stuck in a rut.

Isaac could have spent more time verifying which son he was talking to.  Rebekah could have talked things through with Isaac rather than trying to trick him.  Jacob could have told his mom that it is just wrong to deceive his dad like this.  Esau could have chosen not to sell his birthright for a meal and could have forgiven his father and brother.  But they didn't.  None of them did.

When you're in a mess like this, remember your part.  Don't blame everyone else for your actions.  Don't choose your actions based on what they want or do.  Look for God's direction.  You may not change the outcome of the situation, but you will change the outcome of your situation.  You will be walking together with God.  That's something he rewards.  That's where He starts working for good.  That's how people will be able to see Him at work.  That's what really matters.

How will you be remembered?

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:7-8 NIV)

This is one of those questions that keeps me focused in life.  When I'm gone, how will I be remembered?

Abraham left this life at a ripe-old age.  How do people remember him?  Do they remember his quiet times alone when he spoke with the LORD and, when he believed Him, it was credited to him as righteousness?  Do they remember the times he lied and told people Sara was only his sister and not his wife?  Do they remember his heroic act of valor as he led men into battle to save an entire town of people, including his nephew?  Do they remember how he tried to control God's plan by siring a son with his wife's maid?  Do they remember that he was willing to sacrifice his miracle-child, Isaac, in order to keep God first in life?  Do they remember the land and descendants that God promised to him?  What do they remember about Abraham?

People have remembered his life for over four thousand years now because of his walk with God.  I want to be remembered for the same.  I don't hold the same critical piece of God's plan that Abraham had, but my piece is every bit as important.  So is yours.  God knits His Body together in such a way that each of us holds an important, even necessary, part of it to fulfill.  When we hurt, the whole Body hurts.  When we do our part, functioning in a healthy way, we help the whole Body to be healthy.

I don't know that anyone other than those closest to me will ever remember my life.  Those who do, however, I want to remember my walk together with God.

How about you?  How will you be remembered?

Enjoy Taking Orders

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. (Genesis 9:1 NIV)

I've never been one to easily take orders from anyone.  I probably just about drove my parents crazy when I would incessantly ask the question, "Why?"  It's not that I was trying to be belligerent or that I didn't want to "honor my parents."  I was just very inquisitive.  I wanted to know why things worked that way.  I wanted to know the reasons for the things they were asking me to do.  I wanted to make up my own mind.

The thing is, when it comes to God I'm quite sure that I ask that question far more than I should.  When God asks me to do something, I should just start doing it instead of asking a bunch of questions.  It's not like He's going to ask me to do something wrong - he never tempts anyone.  It's not like He's going to make a mistake - He knows everything.  It's not like He's going to do something mean - God is Love.  Why don't I just trust Him and do it?

Take a look at the "orders" God gave Noah and his family.  "Be fruitful and increase in numbers and fill the earth."  You know what that means, right?  Really?  God gave that as a command?  Get together with your spouse and start populating the planet.  Not only that, He told them the same thing twice to emphasize the importance of this instruction.

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." (Genesis 9:7 NIV)

I'm thinking I'd want to get started right away on orders like that.  But we don't, do we?

"Does it have to be with the same wife, God?  I mean, a lifetime with one woman really is a long time."

"Does it have to be with just one wife?  You know, we could get the job done a lot quicker if several of them were pregnant at the same time."

"Do I really even need a wife?  Does it have to be a woman?  I really don't get along with any of the women you gave me."

The list of questions goes on and on and on and on.  We ask questions.  We even get argumentative.  We want to make up our own minds.

They did the same thing.  Their questions didn't have to do with the marriage and being "fruitful" part.  They had a bone of contention with the traveling to fill the earth part.

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth."  (Genesis 11:4 NIV)

So...God responded.

Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel--because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.  (Genesis 11:7-9 NIV)

When will I ever learn that God has our own best interest in mind.  When will I ever learn to simply do what He says instead of questioning, stalling, and pushing back?  I really need to learn to enjoy taking orders from Him.  It really is a better walk.

Cause truth be known...

...I would have enjoyed the traveling part, too. ;)

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9 NASB)

Growing up, I remember watching a "classic" television commercial for Life cereal.  The storyline went something like this:  Two brothers are fighting over a new cereal that's "supposed to be good for you."  They don't want to eat it.  After a little banter, one of them decides to impose this new "nutritional" breakfast food on their little brother, Mikey.  The other one quips, "He won't eat it.  He hates everything!"  They watch as their little brother looks at the bowl, gives it a double-take, then digs in.  In surprise, one of the brothers exclaim, "He likes it!  Hey Mikey!"

Not the way you remember the commercial?  Check out this video on Youtube as a reminder.  Pretty cool, huh?

I bring this up because this commercial is not only a "classic," but also an example of one of the most misquoted commercials in history.  Most of the time when I hear someone quote it, they say, "Give it to Mikey.  He eats anything."  In reality, the point of the commercial was the exact opposite.  He hated everything, which "proved" that their cereal's taste was really good - good enough that even Mikey would eat it.

Have you ever used the phrase, "Am I my brother's keeper?"  Usually this quip comes after someone walks in and says, "Where's Joe?"  Perhaps you'll hear a more updated rendition, like: "It's not my day to watch him."  I must admit, I've stopped trying to correct people when they misquote a cereal commercial.  When it's Scripture, though, I find myself asking them, "Do you really want to make that reference?"

You see, it was Cain who first asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?"  He was doing it to cover up his sin.  He had recently murdered his brother.  Like his mom and dad, Adam and Eve, Cain didn't own up to his evil (jealousy, then murder).  Instead, he tried to hide it.  It wasn't cute that he basically said, "It's not my day to watch him."  It was a cover up.  It was one more sin to pile on top of the others.

Now, I'm not accusing any of us of being murders, but I am suggesting we be careful in the way we handle the word of God.  He communicates to us for a reason.  The deceiver spends all of his time feeding us lies for a reason.  There's great power in lies.  There's even greater power in every word that comes from God.

Take the time to know it before you quote it.  It's worth it.

Enter The Garden

Before sharing my insights for the day, I want to fill you in on my process a little bit with hopes that it may be a blessing to you as well.

I've just begun a new reading schedule on Youversion (a free, online, electronic bible).  I completed my previous "good box, bad box" self-created reading plan yesterday and I'm ready to move on to my next level of study.  For this round, I will be reading a "New Inductive Study Bible" that was given to me as a gift.  It's essentially an NASB with additional tools that will challenge me to read a bit more deeply and write notes on my reading.  Since it is an entire Bible, I've decided to read the Bible in a year, using the Youversion Chronological reading plan - taking me through the Scriptures as they actually happened.

Should you want to follow my progress on Youversion, click Here.

You can subscribe to email delivery of my blog Here.

The Chronological Reading Plan on Youversion can be found Here.

The Inductive Study Bible I will be using can be found from an online book store Here.

Today, I began the reading plan, which took me through Genesis chapters 1-3.  I hope these thoughts are a blessing...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. (Genesis 2:8 NASB)

God intended a "Garden Walk" for us from the very beginning.  This walk included provision for our needs, purpose in our work, a relationship with Him and companionship with one another.  It even included all the tools we needed to protect ourselves from anyone trying to rip us out of the garden.  When we were in the garden, we truly enjoyed "a Sabbath rest."

Adam and Eve enjoyed this garden walk - this rest - for some unknown period of time.  We only see a glimpse of what it must have been like.  The glimpse, however, is enough to show us that it must have been beautiful - everything that we could ever ask for or imagine.

When they ate the forbidden fruit, of course, everything fell apart.  They tried to cover up their nakedness, experienced fear, hid from God, and began to blame one another for their sin.  Their punishment fit the crimes (not only for eating the fruit, but also the cover-up and blame that came afterward).  Then, they were kicked out of the garden, never to return again during their lifetime.

I speak of entering The Garden Walk because God speaks of it.  He describes a "new heaven" and a "new earth" that replaces a broken and "groaning" world and takes us back to His original design for our lives.  Only this time, we will be allowed to partake of the "tree of life" and enjoy this walk for all of eternity.

Thousands of years would pass before Adam and Eve's descendants would know God's plan for restoring all things back to his design.  Jesus would be central to this plan; providing a way for us to walk together with God again, even in a broken and "groaning" world.  After his ministry, death, resurrection (which we just celebrated) and ascension, he empowered us with forgiveness, reconciliation, and the gift of His Spirit.  With these tools, God encourages us to "...make every effort to enter that rest..." (Hebrews 4:11 NIV)  In other words, we can enter a Garden Walk again; even while we wait for the True Garden to be restored again.

As we journey through the pages of Scripture, we will look at different people experiencing a Garden Walk with him.  We will also, as with Adam and Eve, look at how they lost their Garden Walk experience in this life.  As we do, my hope is that you will find His Garden more and more accessible to you...and you will enter His Rest.  Then you will find yourself living out Paul's words to the Thessalonians.

Rejoice always; 

pray without ceasing; 

in everything give thanks; 

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB)

Let's enjoy the walk. ;)