No Right to Know.

 Why do we imagine we have a right to know evil? Satan said to Eve…

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 

Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 

 God said…

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. 

Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit because of a lie. She didn't think she'd die. She imagined having her eyes opened to know good and evil would make her like a god. Satan lied and told her she would be 'as gods'. He didn't lie completely though, he loves to mingle truth with lies. Gods do know good and evil, but Gods are from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning or end.  Gods can create from nothing. Gods are the purest of love. Mankind are created beings, not Creators. Mankind are powerless, not gods. Tempted with being given God knowledge, Eve succumbed. She'd been told by her Creator Himself that she shouldn't eat of this tree, told it was a tree of knowledge of good and evil, told she would die if she chose to gain that knowledge by eating the fruit. She deemed it worth it, worth death. Did she know what death was? Yes. God gave her and Adam that knowledge of death's meaning. What good would such a warning be if there were no knowledge of the punishment? To tell a child they will not be allowed to play with a drum if they are disobedient would mean nothing if they had absolutely no knowledge of what a drum was.  But given the knowledge of the drum and its allure to be played with, the child would have incentive to be obedient.  God let them know what death would be should they eat of the fruit. Yet, Satan called God a liar and said that mankind would not die. Instead of dying they would just be given knowledge, and God had said it was a tree of knowledge. 

Death. There are many forms of death, aren't there? Seriously. You've heard the term a death to innocence, you've also heard- "You're dead to me." - spoken to a living being. The death that Adam and Eve were given knowledge of was the death of their non-existence, a death of their entire being. Satan knew that death was non-existence, as well as an end to their forms.  

When Eve bit into the fruit her death of non-existence was not instantaneous. The death of her being however had begun instantly, the process was underway. All the eternal life giving particles that she'd been imbued with were instantly tainted with the promised punishment of death. Everything changed for her and she knew it immediately. The knowledge of evil mingled with the knowledge of good, and that evil was horrific beyond anything she might have considered, but under God's protection she had no need to know of any evil, not the slightest bit. That she knew it existed and would take away her eternal life should have sufficed, it did not.

We have this belief that as created beings we have rights to things, oh wait, we forget we are created beings and that is why we believe we have the right to things. The knowledge of good and evil tainted all aspects of us, even our perception of rights as being people. We've put ourselves on pedestals- ever seeking a little god status that Satan promised we get by having knowledge. Knowledge does not make God, but knowledge especially evil knowledge can lead one to believe they are as gods. God does know evil and good, and it's a heavy weight of knowledge never intended for created beings.

We must all die with Christ- we must all be crucified with Christ, and rise with Him.  We suffer under the curse of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, a tree we had no right to partake of, a tree's fruit that is the root cause of all the suffering we ever experience in any way.

Please, Lord, we would be YOURS. Live in us, let Your mind be in us, because the mind of our own is corrupt, so very corrupt.

All by Your grace and mercy, Your love.

Find the Miracle Worker

 

Church Authority

 

Freed.

 Freed.

Alone with her own thoughts, no, no! That wasn't right! She wasn't alone there was something else there, something she couldn't explain, a whisper of peace. How long, oh, how long she'd suffered with the thoughts of others! She hadn't always had this plague of thoughts in her mind, no, no, she'd been the same as all others, hadn't she? It was hard to remember, but at the same time easy, the thoughts were easy, calm, alone.

"I…I…" she stammered softly, she was speaking. Her voice, it was her voice! The voice she'd lost when the others took over. When was the last time she'd heard her own voice? Ten, fifteen years ago? She hadn't been a woman more than a full year when the first voice had intruded. Called disturbed by some as her outgoing demeanor altered overnight into one of withdrawn sullenness, that didn't last long. A half a year later and two more voices they'd labeled her possessed, and they were right. Disturbed by one, and completely wrecked by three evil entities, Emelai was shunned and rightly so. 

 "Drink," the man responded, still with his back to her. Strong, calloused hands set the filled water jug on the edge of the well. "Drink deep, Emelai."

(Excerpt- Present Truth Articles - The Unconquerable Life By E.J. Waggoner)  

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not." John 1: 4, 5 (RV). The marginal rendering, "overcame," gives us the exact meaning of the text, and conveys a message of great comfort to the believer. Let us see what it is.

Christ is the light of the world. See John 8:12. 

Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

But His light is His life, as the text quoted states. He says, "I am the

light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The whole world was in the darkness of sin. This darkness was due to lack of knowledge of God; as the apostle Paul says

that the Gentiles are "darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the hardening of their heart." Eph. 4:18.

Satan, the ruler of the darkness of this world, had done his utmost to deceive men as to the true character of God. He had made the world believe that God was like men--cruel, vindictive, and passionate. Even the Jews, the people whom God had chosen to be the bearers of His light to the world, had departed from God, and while professedly separate from the heathen, were enveloped in heathen darkness. Then Christ came, and "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up." Matt. 4:16. His name was Emanuel, God with us. "God was in Christ." God refuted the falsehoods

of Satan, not by loud arguments, but simply by living His life among men, so that all might see it. He demonstrated the power of the life of God, and the possibility of its being manifested in men.

The life which Christ lived was untainted by sin. Satan exerted all his powerful arts, yet he could not affect that spotless life. Its light always shone with unwavering brilliancy. Because Satan could not produce the least

shadow of sin in the life, he could not bring it within his power, that of the grave. No one could take Christ's life from Him; He voluntarily laid it down. And for the same reason, when He had laid it down, Satan could not

prevent Him from taking it up again. Said He: "I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father." John 10:17, 18. To the same intent are the words of the apostle Peter concerning Christ:-

-

"Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that He should be holden of it." Acts 2:24. Thus was demonstrated the right of the Lord Jesus Christ to be made a high priest "after the power of an endless life." Heb. 7:16.

This endless, spotless life Christ gives to all who believe on Him. "As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know

Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." John 17:2, 3. Christ dwells in the hearts of all those who believe on Him. 

"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20. See also Eph. 3:16, 17.

Christ, the light of the world, dwelling in the hearts of His followers, constitutes them the light of the world. Their light comes not from themselves, but comes from Christ, who dwells in them. Their life is not from themselves, but it is the life of Christ manifest in their mortal flesh. See 2 Cor. 4:11. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh

This is what it is to live "a Christian life." This living light comes from God in a never-failing stream. The psalmist exclaims: "For with Thee is the fountain of  life; in Thy light shall we see light." Ps. 36:9. "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." Rev. 22:1. "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17.

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 4:53, 54. This life of Christ we eat and drink by feasting upon His Word, for He added, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." Verse 63. Christ dwells in His inspired Word, and through it we get His life. This life is given freely to all who will receive it, as we read above; and again we read that Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." John 7:37.

This life is the Christian's light, and it is that which makes him a light to others. It is his life; and the blessed comfort to him is that no matter how great the darkness through which he has to pass, no darkness has power to put out that light. That light of life is his as long as he exercises faith, and the darkness cannot affect it. Let all, therefore, who profess the name of the Lord, have the confidence that can say, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." Micah 7:8.

Spirit Words.

 

Jesus Had No Power...

 

Living faith is a working faith. 

A living belief is a working belief. 

Truly our creature status is not talked about as much as it should be. God is our Heavenly Father, we are sons and daughters of God. Jesus is our Savior and He also said this…

Mat 12:49  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 

Mat 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 

And we are told this…

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren

Jesus did the will of the Father.

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one

Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 

Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Joh 5:20  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 

JESUS said… THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF.

So why do we believe we can do things of our own selves? 

We are to believe that God will work in us through the Holy Spirit by the grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God will work in us. He is our CREATOR and as our CREATOR we know we are creatures, as creatures with full awareness we know who our Creator is and what our Creator wants of us. We need to truly submit to God allowing Him to live in us. Jesus could do nothing of Himself, and we can do nothing of our selves. 

You protest by listing all the things Jesus did, and right you are, Jesus did many things, but NOT of Himself! He wanted us to know that His POWER came from God, not HIMSELF! So why don't we learn this, and understand we will NEVER get power of our own, NEVER, it's a lie Satan wants to fill our hearts with, leading us to despair as we never attain what we think we should be attaining because we are striving for the impossible. Jesus NEVER had power of His own! He did ALL things through His Father!

*******

Excerpt - Present Truth Articles - Good Works - by E.J. Waggoner

The Bible holds out no promise of a reward for laziness. In God's plan no provision is made for idleness. Heaven is pictured before us as a place of activity, and heavenly beings as untiring workers. The Saviour said, "My

Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17); and again, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me." John 9:4. Of the angels we read that they are all "ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them that

shall inherit salvation." Heb. 1:14, R.V.

This being the case, it cannot be thought that those who are to inherit salvation should be idle. The apostle Paul labored with his hands, as an example to the believers, and left on record the Divine commandment, "If any will not work, neither let him eat." 2 Thess. 3:10, R.V. But the frequent exhortation to work is with special reference to spiritual things, rather than physical. Jesus said, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." John 6:27. So the apostle Paul says that the reward will be given to those who patiently continue in well doing (Rom. 2:7); and the Saviour says: "Behold I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12.

Again we read that Christ "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works." Titus 2:14, R.V. And again, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle James, puts a premium upon good works, in these words: "But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, this man shall be

blessed in his doing." James 1:25. 

Many other texts might be quoted to show that the Christian life is to be one of activity, and that good works are not only necessary, but are the one indispensable requisite.

Works, and works alone, in the judgment, will determine a man's condition for eternity. God "will render to every man according to his "works:" Rom. 2:6. The question which the judgment will settle will not be, "What has this

man believed?" nor "How has he felt?" but, "What are his works?" There is no place for the cavil of those who think that they are enunciating a principle of which the Bible is ignorant, when they say, "God will not damn a good man for his opinions nor for his belief." People are neither condemned nor saved because of their opinions, but because of their deeds.

"What!" exclaims one, "are you going to deny the doctrine of justification by faith?" Not by any means. I would go so far as to claim that the doctrine of justification by faith is the one great theme of the Scriptures, and that all

others things are but parts of it. But the thing to be emphasized by the above remarks and quotations, is that faith works. See Gal. 5:6. No truer statement was ever made than this, that "faith is not a sedative, but a stimulant."

Faith is intensely active, and the source of all spiritual activity. While it is true that only a man's works will be considered in the judgment, it is equally true that the character of his works will be determined by his faith. Where

there is no faith, there can be no enduring works.

The works which are acceptable to God are "good works." But perfect goodness resides in God alone. See Mark 10:18. 

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 

The righteousness which we must have is God's righteousness. Matt. 6:3. Of His own ways God says: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isa. 55:9. Who, then, can hope to present to God the good works that will be equal to His? None but those who, like Paul's brethren, are ignorant of God's righteousness, would be presumptuous enough to think such a thing possible. Only God can do the works of God. Therefore when the Jews said to Christ, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" He replied, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." John 6:28, 29.

The words of Paul to the Philippians, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" are often quoted by those who forget the words immediately following, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Phil. 2:12, 13

God Himself does the good works which when exhibited in the lives of men,

render them pleasing to Him. So the Saviour said: "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:21.

How, then, do they appear in men? This is the "mystery of godliness." It is the mystery of "God manifest in the flesh." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "And the Word

was made flesh, and dwelt among us." John 1:1, 14. This was done to demonstrate the possibility of God's dwelling in human flesh. The mystery of the works of God being manifested in the lives of men, is simply the

mystery of the incarnation.

In Christ dwelleth "all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily." Col. 2:9. Therefore when Christ in His completeness dwells in the heart by faith, that person will be "filled with all the fullness of God." Eph. 3:17-19.

What words could be more full of comfort, and more suggestive of the infinite possibilities of the Christian life than these in Ps. 31:19: "Oh how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!" Think of it! God Himself has wrought the good works with which we are to appear before His throne. And how are we to get them?--Simply by trusting Him; by appropriating those good works by faith. God Himself comes to dwell with those who believe His word, and He lives out His own life in them. This thought is enough to fill every soul with love and joy and confidence.

The Christian life means an actual life. But life means activity. To live a godly life, therefore, means the living of a life in which the acts of God Himself are manifested. The apostle Paul said: "But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all;" and then he added, "yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 1 Cor. 15:10. And again: "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20.

The secret of the whole matter is to acknowledge that in us dwells no good thing; and that God alone is good; that we are nothing, but that He is everything; that we are weakness, but that power belongs to God, and that

God has the power to manifest Himself in the flesh today as well as eighteen hundred years ago, if we will but let Him; and to submit ourselves to the righteousness of God. Exaltation comes only through self-abasement.

Christian activity comes only through passive submission to God, as the clay is passive in the hands of the potter. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake."