Christ Our Eden.

In reading the book - Love Not the World by Watchman Nee, I found an interesting sentence (one among many).

'Today, through Christ, God plants in the heart of His redeemed people an Eden to which, in triumphant fact, Satan will at last have no moral access whatever.'

Yesterday, on the Sabbath, I started a study called, Cracking the Genesis Code, found on Youtube videos. The study begins with the fact of at the very beginning of our existence we were placed in a garden- the Garden of Eden. There in that garden after we were newly created we were told by our Creator that the earth was ours. We were given dominion over the earth.

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

In the Garden Adam and Eve lived sinless and then at some point Satan came to tempt them and succeeded. The conditions God had placed upon Adam and Eve remaining rulers of the earth as His children were this--

Gen 2:15  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 

Gen 2:16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 

Gen 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

Here were the conditions- DO NOT EAT OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.  So really it was a single condition. Do not eat from a single tree.

We all know what happened, Adam and Eve ate from the tree they were told not to eat from and as a result they brought death upon themselves and all their offspring. They abdicated their rulership over earth when they chose to listen to evil. They gave Satan that power. And this is what happened to the Garden of Eden…

Gen 3:23  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

A flaming sword turning every way possible protected the tree of life, and Cherubims were guarding the garden. Of all the earth this place was off limits to Satan and all mankind. Spiritually protected that place would not be available to any but God.

God drove man out of the garden, but He had a plan for mankind to be redeemed. God, the declared Son, would die for mankind.  And every single able minded person would have to make the same choice as Adam and Eve- good or evil.

When we make the choice for God we are choosing Him over Satan and all that belongs to Satan. We are choosing God over so much of the world, because this world is Satan's dominion. Reading that sentence--

'Today, through Christ, God plants in the heart of His redeemed people an Eden to which, in triumphant fact, Satan will at last have no moral access whatever.'

-- it had me thinking about how when we choose God we are inviting Christ to live in us.

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Christ in us is the Eden of our heart, the pure Garden where no sin was allowed to remain. We need a place in us where Satan has no moral access, don't we? Christ in us is that place. We have to choose to recognize Christ in us, Christ living in us, working in us for His will. This is our hope, that Christ is in us, that Christ knows us in this way. He truly is our hope of glory, our only hope.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Our love is for Christ, our love is for God the Father, our love is for the Holy Spirit. Our love is heavenward, not earthbound. The idea that we have Christ in us as our hope must be a reality, more than an idea. Christ our hope. Our love must be of Christ's world, and that world is not this one.

Joh_17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

This is a reality, not a mere idea. We must recognize that we truly are not to love the world, or the things in the world, we should love nothing that is not of Christ. Christ came to teach us about salvation, our heaven hope, our kingdom of God hope. Christ died so we could live with this hope as reality.

May we have Christ in us our moral anchor where Satan has no ground whatsoever!

All through the love of God, all through the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, all by the Holy Spirit given to us, guiding us, loving us now and always!

Sabbath- Deprived or Blessed?

Did the Israelites fleeing Egypt feel deprived or blessed? I'm sure they had a lot of mixed emotions. The elation of their new freedom from harsh taskmasters. Free from the evil rulers that had them murdering their own male children. I'd say they celebrated having those shackles removed from their lives, wouldn't you?

Exo 1:13  And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 

Exo 1:14  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 

Exo 1:15  And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 

Exo 1:16  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 

The midwives feared God more than Pharaoh though and didn't kill the newborns so Pharaoh did this--

Exo 1:22  And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. 

The cruelty that was shown to the Israelites was very real and their lives were far from easy. Did they feel blessed to be freed from the slavery they'd endured for so long? Yes. They rejoiced.

Take the time and read the song Moses and the Israelites sang--

Exo 15:1  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 

Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 

Exo 15:3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. 

Exo 15:4  Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 

Exo 15:5  The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 

Exo 15:6  Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 

Exo 15:7  And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 

Exo 15:8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 

Exo 15:9  The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 

Exo 15:10  Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 

Exo 15:11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 

Exo 15:12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 

Exo 15:13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 

Exo 15:14  The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. 

Exo 15:15  Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. 

Exo 15:16  Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. 

Exo 15:17  Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. 

Exo 15:18  The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. 

Exo 15:19  For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 

Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 

Exo 15:21  And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 

I'd say they were celebrating their freedom, yes? They felt blessed.

Do you remember your first taste of salvation? That sweet overwhelming knowledge of your Savior, saving you? Do you remember the weight of your sinful life, the guilt of being unworthy, and how the good news of the gospel was brought to you and you realized that Jesus' sacrifice was for you? You learned that Jesus died and when He died He did it so you could live with Him in eternity. Jesus' love for you was revealed in all its amazing glory and the weight of sin was lifted from your shoulders. The blessed relief you felt, can you recall it even now? I'm talking about the first time you felt salvation's amazing love, do you remember? You felt blessed.

The children of Israel felt blessed at first and then over time they didn't quite feel so blessed. They started complaining and even went so far as to wish they were back in bondage.

Exo 16:2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 

Exo 16:3  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 

Exo 17:3  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 

Num 11:4  And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 

Num 11:5  We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 

Num 11:6  But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. 

Why did they want to return to bondage? Because the lusts of the flesh overwhelmed them. Selfish, self-serving lusts longed to be filled and overcame their desire for freedom and the ability to serve God.

The war of our flesh is real, very, very real. We need to deprive ourselves of the lusts, we do. As we began our new life in Christ it was all consuming and wondrous but as time went on for a lot of us the newness faded. When the newness faded and we realized that Christ would have us deny ourselves and take up our crosses things began to change a bit. The daily walk with Christ wasn't going to be one of self-indulgence. The focus of our lives would no longer be ourselves and fulfilling our own desires. The war was on, and such a mighty war it would be. The war would last until death's sleep, or the return of our Savior and the lifelong battle would be filled with many skirmishes. Some we'd lose and some we would win through Christ.

We have to take a moment and ask ourselves a question that popped in my head today-

Does keeping the Sabbath day holy make you feel deprived or blessed?

This is a thought provoking question as it is meant to be.

If you recognize that by keeping the Sabbath holy you are refraining from all unnecessary labor, that you are not seeking your own pleasures but rather seeking the spiritual refreshing that comes from God, then you are keeping the Sabbath properly.  Yet many have taken the Sabbath day and have made it a self-centered day of indulging themselves in all manner of selfish pursuits with seldom more than a few hours of worship and Bible study. People will argue that the Sabbath was made for man so man should be able to do as they please. I can't dispute that the Sabbath was made for man, Jesus Himself said so. Jesus said those words as He KEPT the Sabbath properly, freeing it from some of the traditions man had placed upon it making it so that man seemed to have been made for the Sabbath.  The Sabbath kept by Jesus meant His going to the synagogues and temple to read from the scriptures and have a discourse with others on their meanings- Bible Study. The Sabbath kept by Jesus meant His gathering with others to fellowship - eat, drink, and share the plan of salvation, to share the wisdom and knowledge given to Him by God the Father. The Sabbath kept by Jesus meant seeing the needs of humanity and helping fulfil those needs- healing others. The Sabbath kept by Jesus meant walking leisurely about as He conversed with others, allowing for the offhanded snack to be consumed so hunger didn't prevent attention from His words.

Jesus was accused of breaking some Sabbath rules- he healed, he told a person to pick up their bed (the place where the lame man had lain before being healed), he allowed his disciples to pick a few bits of food in a field just enough to keep their hunger at bay, not a harvest by any means.   The oppressive strictures that the Israel leaders had put upon the Sabbath were not from God, and Jesus was revealing just how the Sabbath should be kept. His Apostles and disciples long after His death and resurrection, and return to heaven, all kept the Sabbath. The Sabbath was changed by man, not God.

Jesus kept all the royal law perfectly. Do you object to Jesus' saying that adultery was more than the act of sex and included the lust of the mind wanting and imagining that sex without the physical act taking place? So far the Israelites only believed that the act of sex with someone other than your marriage partner was adultery- not so.  Do you object to Jesus' saying that murder was more than the physical act as well? That simply getting unjustly angry and desiring the death of another without killing them was also murder. Yes? You object to this revelation of the commandment? It doesn't suit your taste to have a deeper truth revealed?

Whether it is the Sabbath commandment or any of the other of the ten royal laws, Jesus kept them all perfectly and continuously, never abolishing a single one. Jesus even said this--

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

Jesus came to fulfill and when He returns and all evil is done away with and sin is no longer possible, all will be fulfilled completely and utterly.

Sin is the transgression of the royal law.

And as long as sin exists the law exists.

Once sin is eradicated and Satan is put to his ultimate end, no more royal law will be needed because all will keep that law naturally without any desire to transgress it at all whatsoever.

Now, back to the question--

Does keeping the Sabbath day holy make you feel deprived or blessed?

Do you feel deprived because you can't do the same things you can do on the other six days of the week? The thing is, you can do them, nothing can stop you but yourself. However, you should keep the entire Sabbath day holy, because God made the seventh day of the week holy, He blessed the entire day not just a portion of the day. How to keep it holy? Jesus was our example. Bible study, fellowship, worship, praise, helping others. We are to take our minds OFF ourselves on this day! This is where our problems truly begin. We focus on ourselves! We focus on HOW we are feeling- bored, antsy, frustrated, when we aren't supposed to focus on how we are feeling! Our focus needs to be on our SAVIOR.  We are so incredibly BLESSED to have this day of holiness every single week!

Will we be as the Israelites freed from Egypt? All of whom died wandering in the wilderness unfit to enter the promised land, all but Joshua and Caleb. For forty years the men and women died off in the wilderness until only their children and Joshua and Caleb were left to enter the promised land. They felt deprived, their selfishness was their focus, not God. They wanted to be enslaved as long as their self-serving desires were met.  Do you want to be enslaved as long as your self-serving desires are met? Satan will gladly enslave all those who want to serve themselves and not serve God.

Are you deprived on the Sabbath day, or are you extremely blessed by God?

You are given time to devote to Him.

What do you think you'll do in heaven? Fulfil your selfish lusts? No, not ever. We will serve our God! We will be loved and love in turn in the way we are meant to be.

1Co_2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We can't even imagine the wonders in store for us who love God!

2Co_4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The things that are NOT seen these should be our Sabbath focus, the eternal things, spiritual things. Even as we interact with others- in worship, in service to them, we are given the powerful presence of living in holy time during all of our interactions on the Sabbath day.

1Jn_2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Where is our love- in the world and with things of the world?

Our love needs to be with our Heavenly Father, with our Savior, our treasures in heaven. Our love shouldn't be here with ourselves.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

We live in this world, but we shouldn't be of this world.

Let the Sabbath be a blessing! God, please, let the Sabbath be a blessing to us now and always!

All through the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!

May We Be Kept From All That Would Separate Us From God.

Kept from evil. 

Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 

Let's read Jesus' entire prayer to the Father right before He left the upper room where He'd kept the Passover, and went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Now, remember as you read these words, they were the last prayer Jesus prayed in the presence of His Apostles as an entire group, before being taken away.  Jesus knew what was to come, His Apostles however were still of the belief that Jesus would reign, not be crucified. He was the promised Messiah! They didn't want to comprehend being without Him as He was with them right then and there.

Joh 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 

Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 

Joh 17:5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 

Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 

Joh 17:7  Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 

Joh 17:8  For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 

Joh 17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 

Joh 17:10  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 

Joh 17:11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 

Joh 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 

Joh 17:13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 

Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 

Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 

Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 

Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 

Joh 17:23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 

Joh 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 

Joh 17:25  O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 

Joh 17:26  And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. 

Jesus asks the Father to--

Glorify thy Son.

Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that thy may be one, as we are.

Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.

Jesus declares--

That the love wherewith thou loved me may be in them, and I in them.

We are to be kept by God the Father as those He has given to His declared, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. We are to be kept from the evil.

Where does the evil exist?

In the world that we are not to be taken out of.

Read this--

Joh_13:27  And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

And this…

Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 

The prince of this world was going to have his way, as we well know. Satan was allowed to work his evil through those that belong to him. Up until this point, Jesus, ministered to His apostles, His disciples, the people in general without Satan being allowed the upper hand. Satan was allowed to enter in Judas right after Jesus exposed him for what he was, where his heart was and it wasn't with Jesus. Satan entered into Judas and worked rousing all those belonging to him in order to subdue Jesus, to try and stop His ministry once and for all.

The prince of the world has many more disciples than Christ has, remember this--

Mat_7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

The many and the few.

The evil we are to be kept from fills the world. The evil has disguised itself in so many ways. The disguise evil uses is so perfected that many are going to be completely and utterly deceived. Many are going to truly believe they belong to Christ, when in fact they do not.

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Many are going to say those words.

We need to be kept from the evil of the world.

The truth will sanctify us.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 

Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Evil will destroy the truth in any way it can. Evil will blind the eyes of any who desire that deception so they may continue down evil's broad path, all the while believing they are on the narrow way. Our hearts are wicked and we need to pray--

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 

Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

And when God searches us and knows our heart, and tries us knowing our thoughts, and He leads us away from the wickedness into His way everlasting, we have to live His truth revealed to us. If we shun His truth, we are shunning the way everlasting, we are condemning ourselves.  We are allowed access to His truth, may we seek only truth. May we be wholly and truly God's, kept from evil- all that would separate us from Him.

Please, Lord, help us! Save us! We believe, help our unbelief! Keep us in Your truth, keep us from evil! Lead us in the way everlasting!

We thank You, Father, we thank You!

All glory, honor and praise unto You now and forever.

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!!!!!!!

Not Of The World.

'That is what it means to be saved. You declare that you belong to another system of things.'   Love Not the World - Watchman Nee

How many people claim to be saved and yet their lives are no different at all from those who don't claim to be saved? We are to be in the world, but not of the world. The new system of things is just that, new, different from the old.

Joh_17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Not of the world. Yet we live in the world.

Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 

We aren't to be taken out of this world that we are not of, but we are to be kept from the evil of this world.

(Webster's)

Evil

E'VIL, a. e'vl. [Heb. to be unjust or injurious, to defraud.]

1. Having bad qualities of a natural kind; mischievous; having qualities which tend to injury, or to produce mischief.

Some evil beast hath devoured him. Gen 37.

2. Having bad qualities of a moral kind; wicked; corrupt; perverse; wrong; as evil thoughts; evil deeds; evil speaking; an evil generation.

3. Unfortunate; unhappy; producing sorrow, distress, injury or calamity; as evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days.

E'VIL, n. Evil is natural or moral. Natural evil is any thing which produces pain, distress, loss or calamity, or which in any way disturbs the peace, impairs the happiness, or destroys the perfection of natural beings.

Moral evil is any deviation of a moral agent from the rules of conduct prescribed to him by God, or by legitimate human authority; or it is any violation of the plain principles of justice and rectitude.

There are also evils called civil, which affect injuriously the peace or prosperity of a city or state; and political evils, which injure a nation, in its public capacity.

All wickedness, all crimes, all violations of law and right are moral evils. Diseases are natural evils, but they often proceed from moral evils.

2. Misfortune; mischief; injury.

There shall no evil befall thee. Psa 91.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself. Prov 22.

3. Depravity; corruption of heart, or disposition to commit wickedness; malignity.

The heart of the sons of men is full of evil. Eccl 9.

4. Malady; as the king's evil or scrophula.

E'VIL, adv. [generally contracted to ill.]

1. Not well; not with justice or propriety; unsuitable.

Evil it beseems thee.

2. Not virtuously; not innocently.

3. Not happily; unfortunately.

It went evil with his house.

4. Injuriously; not kindly.

The Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us.

In composition, evil, denoting something bad or wrong, is often contracted to ill.

To be kept from evil.

Jesus prays to the Father to keep us from evil. If we can't be taken out of the evil world we can be kept from the evil that is in the world, and this is what we have to consider more in depth.

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Delivered from evil.

Please, Father, deliver us, keep us from all evil!

Our Hope Is Always Christ.

1Pe 3:21  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

In baptism we figuratively die. In baptism we are figuratively resurrected with Christ.

Christ Jesus was brought back from death. Christ did not leave His body in spirit form upon death. Why not? Seriously, why not? No one disputes this. Yet they believe they leave their bodies upon death taking on a spirit form that goes into the light most times. More and more people are saying they've gone to heaven during their near death experiences. They lived to tell about it and want others to know heaven is real and they'll go there after they die. They were sent back to tell others. And yet, upon death, Jesus did not go to heaven, why didn't he? Why are we told this…

1Co_15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The dead shall be raised.

If the dead are already raised, what is being raised? If you live on already in an incorruptible form what is being raised? At that last trump when Christ returns the dead shall be raised, what dead? Who hasn’t been raised already among the dead? 

Christ was not raised upon death, Christ remained in the tomb. And then when Christ was resurrected, He was resurrected in His body, He wasn't taken out of His body - not ever.

Why are we supposed to believe that we warrant instant eternal life? Why should David, Abraham, Noah and many other still be in their graves yet us modern man are allowed to go right to heaven?

The dead shall be raised.

The dead shall be resurrected.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead didn't He? Martha said she believed in the resurrection -

Joh 11:23  Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 

Joh 11:24  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 

Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 

Joh 11:27  She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 

Jesus is the resurrection.  Did Jesus raise Lazarus to eternal life in heaven? Martha's comprehension was for the eternal raising from the dead to life in the last day. Martha wasn't thinking about a resurrection for Lazarus to continue his life right there on earth, living to only have to die once more. Jesus is the resurrection, and the life. Jesus gave Lazarus life again right then. And yet Jesus also said this- whosoever lives and believes in Him will never die. Yet, people continued to die. So….

The never dying is this death…

Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Second death.

Rev_20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Second death.

Rev_20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Second death.

Rev_21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Second death.

Did you know there was such a thing as a second death?

Jesus could bring Lazarus back from the dead into the current life, waking him from death's sleep. Jesus did NOT pull Lazarus back from heaven, He woke him up. Eventually Lazarus went back into death's sleep.

Truly those who believe in Jesus Christ and are His, known by Him, will never die the eternal death, never will they take part in the second death. Most will die the first death, few will never even die the first death. A lot will die the second death, the eternal death from which there is no return because there is nothing to return that is how final that death is. Only one survived the complete and utter separation of the second death and was raised from that death and that was our Savior. He wasn't put into a sleep from which He'd wake from at the last day, He was cut off from His Father completely and it was by His Father He was given life and raised in body from that death.

Because He lives, because He tasted that death we are promised life. He can say some will never taste death because they will never taste the second death, not ever.

Jesus' resurrection is life for us, we have this hope that even should we face death's temporary sleep we will never die the second death. Jesus will wake those who die the first death from temporary sleep when He returns.

All who die in Christ will be resurrected in the last day.  The promise that those who died before Christ took on flesh will be realized in the last day as well. Abraham will be raised from the dead at the same time as any of us who have died before Christ returns.  What a glorious resurrection day!  All who belong to Christ will have Christ as their hope, Christ as their everything. Those who looked for the hope of Christ to come and then come again, and those who look for the hope of Christ to come again. Our hope is CHRIST. 

The Rock -

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

The Rock was Christ- Moses day, Christ was there!

Our hope is Christ! We are resurrected with Christ! He died the ultimate death for us.

We Live In Hope.

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Why did Jesus, why did a God take on flesh and live in a world of sin and sinners? Most people would answer that Jesus did that so He could save us. Jesus sacrificed Himself when He of all humans did not deserve to die. Jesus tasted the agonies of death, the full separation from His declared Father and knew the darkness of non-existence. Jesus did that so all who would accept His sacrifice would never need know the full separation from God, the declared Father. The people who would answer in this way would be correct. Jesus made a sacrifice of Himself because of the love that He is, and the love that He has for His creatures. Jesus did not want there to be hopelessness in the earthly life of His creatures. Jesus wanted to bring the good news to His creatures. That good news was and is, that they have hope. Hope for what? Hope for the kingdom of heaven, hope for eternity in love with God the Father and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  The hope, the exact same hope Jesus personally came to earth to give to His creatures is the same hope spoken of after mankind's fall into sin. The sin creature would suffer a fatal blow.

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 

This was hope given to the first pair of sinners.  They weren't to be left without hope and throughout history we've been given hope.

The prize we reach for, that which Jesus calls us to hope for is real. Heaven is not a gift given to each person upon their birth, or even their conception. We are not guaranteed a place in heaven. There are the wicked who will never see heaven, who have no home in heaven at all. Just writing that was a tiny bit contrary to me, I want everyone to have the hope of heaven. In truth, everyone does have that HOPE, but not all are going to avail themselves of the hope and this is a fact. Heaven is attainable through Christ Jesus our Savior, this is the hope we have.  Jesus would have us deliver this hope through our lives to others. We have a hope we long for, and Jesus has given us this hope. We strive for a prize even as we comprehend it is a journey fraught with dangers. We are not without sin, we are with hope. We despise sin with all our being even as it calls to us with its seductive tones unique to us all trying to capture us and turn us from our hope. We will die daily to our sin, and rise daily in the hope of Christ and His perfection.

We must don our spiritual armor as we war against principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, unseen foes who wield their wickedness in the most unexpected sinister deceptive ways. Around every corner, each turn, every step we take we are walking on the enemy's ground but we do have ARMOR. We do have a WEAPON. We do have a SHIELD. These are our protection from being drawn away from the hope, from the path, from the race, from our goal which is to live for our God, to live for our Savior, to live with the Holy Spirit.

Battles will occur and we can't make the mistake of thinking the battle means we are without hope.  The battle happens because we have hope. Is it any wonder Paul could proclaim that he counted it all joy when he was in battle against the spiritual forces arrayed against him? The joy came from knowing he was fighting for the prize and that meant hope of attaining the prize. Where there is defeat in this race there is despair, there is no hope, there is a giving up, a surrender to evil. Where there is hope we fight on, and on, and on clinging to the cross of our Savior, knowing He fought this battle and He won!

As we are apprehended of Christ Jesus we apprehend hope in Him. We live in hope. All by HIS grace and love!

Help Me to Know You Lord.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

The knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, this is what is life. Life in the beginning, life now, and life everlasting.

1Jn_5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

1Jn_2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jn_2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Help me to know You, Lord, help me to know you.