X Gospel

Author: Troy

  • Belief in God

    Belief in God

    What is meant by the phrase believe in God? What is belief at all? We live in a time when we find it hard to “believe” what anyone has to say and this affects the entirety of our lives. What about Abraham, it is said about him in Genesis 15:6that he (Abraham) believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. What does this mean?

    belief: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true

    So let’s put this definition to work with God. Belief in God is a feeling of being sure that God exists, and that God is true. This characterised the life of Abraham. God told him to leave his country to go to a place that He(God) would show him once he arrived. Abraham did that, he picked up his entire family along with all his possessions and left. God told Abraham that he would have so many descendants that they would number like the grains of sand. Being Old, Abraham still believed God. Sure he made errors, really Abraham and Sarah tried to “help” God out, mistakes were made, and Abraham still believed God. Sure there were times of doubt, but he believed God. It’s hard for us to accept that God will do what He says He’ll do, but we can believe Him.

    We have a term “system of belief” which refers to the core beliefs a person holds concerning life and all there is. Each of us has a system of belief, there is no exception to this truth. Some would try to remove themselves from having a system of belief because at it’s core this screams religion. The Atheist too has a system of belief, he/she believes there is no god, no divine influence on life as we know it. Therefore he/she tries to live life as if there is no God, no right or wrong, no definite truths. After all there is no God to which we are accountable. This kind of thinking is in direct contrast to the christian way of thought.

    Each person holds his/her system of tightly, and we jealously guard against all those around us who would challenge this system. We all feel uncomfortable when our system is challenged, but it will be challenged. This is when our “belief” holds our world perspective together. We also have the tendency to be sure that our system is the only correct, logical system and we defend it as such. We tend to gather with people who share our beliefs and we strengthen each others beliefs, whatever they are. Christians call this fellowship or church.

    My Belief in Jesus

    I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s son, sent to die a sacrificial death to pay the debt of sin we all hold John 3:16. Jesus being God himself was able to die as our substitute because he was perfect and suitable to make payment for my great sin debt. God alone, Jesus Christ alone, was sufficiently good to pay the debt, anyone else, anything else is dirty before God (mares by sin) and therefore unacceptable as payment (sacrifice). I believe that simple faith in this sacrificial death is sufficient to make me acceptable to God, and able to approach Him as an adopted son, seen by him as perfect based on the payment that Christ has made on my part through his death. I believe that He desires all mankind to believe Him, believe Christ, because that is Gods way for us to be made pure (sinless) before God. I believe that those who believe Him will in-fact spend the rest of eternity with Him after death takes us from this world.

    Proofs for my beliefs

    So what is it that makes me sure of my beliefs? Lets look at a few of the simple truths that make me absolutely sure of my system of belief.

    I know with out a doubt that I sin Romans 3:23. I know for a fact that when I do sin I feel shame even if no one sees me sin.

    I am always impressed that each time I write the date, or take notice of the date, that I am in fact taking notice to and agreeing with the fact that Jesus Died a bad death just over 2015 years ago, that is what A.D. means, (After Death).

    God’s spirit is ready to comfort me at all times John 14:26. This comfort comes most easily in extremely intense, impossible times. The comfort of God for example in the face of imminent death is not explainable except for Gods power in our lives. There are men women and children all over this world, but especially in the middle east at this time who, in the face of horrific death lay down their lives refusing to deny the existence of Jesus Christ. (This is not my situation) I live in a place where beliefs are challenged in other ways that are less extreme, but also true and I’m afraid more damaging.

    Life for us is too plastic, we don’t face starvation, stoning, beheading. In fact we don’t even see death of our loved ones in the realty that is death! Everything is made pretty, hardships are removed from us in a way that insulates us from them. We complain about the difficulties we face, the lack of things usually, while in other parts of our country and world people face the growling of their children’s bellies, or the treat of death for following Jesus. I wanted once to take a photo of a person I know, and through the translator he said “don’t take a photo of me being so hungry.” He didn’t want the memory of him being hungry to be remembered. In that part of the world they rely on God each day to give them the things they need. I will tell you that when they have food they are grateful because they understand that it comes from the hand of God!

    Where are the Atheists

    I have never met an Atheist in places where life is a battle. I have only met atheists in 1st world countries where everything is easy to come by. The ironic thing is these are the countries that have benefited from a long history of Christian influence, and the prosperity that results from that influence. The communists have tried to rid their countries of faith, to make their countries atheist, but in every instance they have failed. I know one gentleman who spent his whole life up to one event convinced that he was atheist, trying to convince others that there was no God. One day he found himself floating in the Gulf Stream between the USA and the Bahamas after his boat went down under him, leaving him alone, drifting and afraid. It wasn’t long until his cry went out to the God who he had spent his life trying to deny. Great adversity strips away the arrogance that allows us to think we can deny God. Being alone in immanent danger has a sobering effect. That gentleman has walked with God ever since that event, because he found God when all his comforts were taken from him. He knows without a doubt that God is real, and that God cares for us.

    Abraham’s Belief

    Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. He simply had confidence that God would do exactly what He said He’d do. Abraham was so sure that God would do the things He said He’d do that Abraham acted on whatever God told him. Our actions come out of our system of belief, therefore our actions are a manifestation of that system of belief. Do you believe God? Do you believe Him enough to act on those beliefs?

    True faith is not a complicated thing. It is not a hard thing to accomplish or attain to. It is the simple belief that God is God and He will do exactly what He says He will do!

    A really interesting problem, for those who deny God is He is still there, and He is still God. The Bible teaches that one day every knee will bow to Him recognising Him as God. To not believe Him in this life will leave a person in a real pickle, there will be no do-overs.

  • Sodom and Gomorrah

    Well here is a subject that I did not intend to take up at this point. I am disturbed at the goings on in the church that calls itself Christian. I am also disturbed to hear people who should know better making statements that are completely contrary to the word of God, as if dismissing the teachings of the Bible would benefit them or anyone who hears.

    Why is it that God wiped Sodom and Gomorrah off the face of the earth? In fact the scriptures tell us that God destroyed not only these two cities, but everything that was living in the valley where they were built, down to every blade of grass. What is it that the inhabitants of this valley had done to so infuriate God?

    In Chapter 18 of Genesis we find Abram pleading with God to not destroy the cities of the Valley. Abram’s concern was that God would destroy the entire place even with those who were righteous before God. I imagine that Abram was concerned for Lot, his nephew, and Lot’s family. God’s response was interesting, He would spare the city for the sake of even 10 people who were not wicked like the others. The grace of God is indeed incredible! It gives one to wonder if that is why the earth continues in the wickedness of today, because of those who do believe God and walk with Him. What happens as the numbers of those trusting God decline?

    Chapter 19 opens with two angels entering the city of Sodom in the evening. Lot saw them and knowing the wickedness of Sodom he with great effort convinced them to stay in his house for the night, and he said to them that they should leave as soon as it is light the next day.

    They settled down for the night with Lot making a great feast, I imagine to be sure they had no reason to leave his house. Lot had the hope that they would be able to leave safely the next day, for he knew the wickedness of his fellow citizens.

    Before they went to sleep that night Vs. 4 tells us that the men of Sodom, all of them, young and old, surrounded Lot’s house. They demanded of Lot to bring the men who were in his house out so that they could have sex with them(know them). This was indeed the wickedness that caused God to set out to destroy this people. Lot’s response is equally startling, he offered to the mob his two virgin daughters instead of the men. The men outside wanted nothing to do with the women, they were set on Sodomizing the men staying with Lot. Yes this is where we get our legal term from for the act of homosexual intercourse (Sodomy). It is the sin of homosexuality that was bringing the wrath of God on all living things in this valley. This lifestyle is not acceptable by God, and it should not be accepted as an acceptable lifestyle in the Christian Church.

    There are those who say, “That’s the old testament, the new testament doesn’t teach that.” Turn to Romans Chapter 1:18 God’s wrath, but for what, those holding the truth of God in unrighteousness. The following verses go on the tell us that if a person thinks he is wise and decide to not glorify God there foolish hearts are darkened. Vs. 26 cuts to the chase. The result of intentionally disregarding God end in the base of base sin, homosexuality! Therefore the act of men or women having sex with others of their own sex is according to this passage the furthest that a person can get from living a righteous life.  It’s interesting that this act is then a result of sin, it is in itself a punishment. God is still God, and he will eventually destroy all the wicked.

    God is a God of grace who will remember these sins no more if we accept the death of Christ as God’s payment(punishment) for our sins, and live by faith in God Rom5:1. He will guide us to a life of fulfillment, grace, fullness, and joy. He alone can transform sinners to righteous.

  • Abraham

    God introduces us to Abram in the final verses of the 11th chapter to Genesis. No great pomp or circumstance just an introduction, who he is, who his family is, and where they were.

    The first verse of chapter 12 finds God telling Abraham to leave his country and family and go, to a place that was not defined, but God would show him when he gets there. Not exactly circumstances that would excite the majority of us, but Abram does what God had asked him to do. God also told Abram that He(God) was going to make Abram a great nation that would be a blessing to the whole world. Through the lineage of Abram the whole earth would be blessed, but there were again no specifics given to Abram. He and Sarai, his wife were without children, but Abram was not bothered by these details. I would like to say that this is faith, faith in a God that Abram knew would do exactly what He said He would do. Lots of us believe that there is a God, but not so many of us are willing to act on that belief. We want a plan from beginning to end, with quantifiable goals along the way so that we can be sure the plan is working. That is not the way that God wants to interact with us. Faith is only real when we are able to act on a belief regardless of possible outcomes. Abram had no idea of where he is going, or how he will be perceived by others.

    Abram and his household continued on until God appeared to Abram again, letting him know where to stop.

    There is a saying “put your money where your mouth is.” That can be put as, you have faith, act on it! When we know what it is that God want’s of us we must act on that knowledge. to not act is to not really believe.

    Abram was not a perfect man, but he was a man that believed strongly enough on God to do what he knew God wanted of him. We will take a look into his life to see his errors and then his faith. Each error is a moment that faith failed, failure of faith causes our focus to go to something other than God, some problem we have that at that moment obscures our faith. We will see that these errors are overlooked by God, and Abram picks up where he left off, believing God.

  • Babel The Origen of Diversity of Language and Race

    After the flood Noah and his family once again began to grow. God had desired of them to spread out and fill the earth. He did not want them to settle in one place.

    Genesis 11 starts out making a statement that the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. There wasn’t so much as a difference in accent. They all spoke exactly the same. They formulated a plan to build a great city, they also made a name for themselves. Names, identities  keep us together. They were again not doing what God desired of them! So what is the Problem? Why does God think He should control everything?

    The simple truth is that God created man for His pleasure. If His creation is not doing what He created them for then the problem comes from that simple fact. Lets say that you as a parent decided to make a swing for your 4 year old child. You go about making the ropes fast and the seat so that the child doesn’t fall out. After the completion of the swing, you talk to the child so that he or she knows what to do on the swing. The swing is created to do a specific duty, that duty will bring pleasure to both the child and parent alike. Let’s say now that the swing doesn’t function correctly and the child is turned out on their head. What will a good parent do with the swing? The swing will be corrected so that the proper pleasure will be gotten from it. That is exactly the way it is between God and mankind. He created us for a purpose, and He will correct us when we are not fulfilling that purpose. He has given lots of instruction on what He expects of us.

    So God observed mankind in his activities, and decided to step in. Race is the subject of much debate these days. The division of race is being discussed on many levels in our society. I have observed in my travels that there is a division caused by language that far outweighs the division caused by the colour of ones skin. God did two things to all the people living at Babel. One he gave them all different languages. There are said to be more than 8000 languages spoken in todays world. God created them all in one instant. Two He scattered the people over the whole earth, from one extreme to the next. This is the main reason I think that people do not generally like to move. God put them where they are. For example there are people living in the deltas and swamps of the world, just miles away from firm ground, but they stay. The name of most people groups can be translated the people. Yes each group consider themselves “The People” and it comes out as an outsider becomes more familiar with a people group. He realises that he the outsider is considered sub par, not one of the “people.” As an outsider becomes more proficient with the language he is looked on with less suspicion, and more respect and will eventually if he learns the language well become one of the “people.”

    So God in His wisdom and understanding spread mankind out on the face of the earth and made it impossible for all the earth to be one people again. That is until He decides to bring all the people of earth together.

    God desires our affection. He desires our attention. He desires us to follow His way and not our own. We as created beings, created by Him owe him no less than to be His, to give Him pleasure.

  • Noah After the Flood

    The whole earth was wiped clean by the flood. There was no more evil, no more violent acts. The earth was green and awaiting the passengers of the Ark to repopulate it. The waters of the flood were on the earth for ten and a half months before the earth was dry enough for Noah and his family to begin life again on it. According to the text it had rained for one hundred and fifty days with out a stop or break, then it took slightly more time again for the waters to clear and dry from the earth.

    There is no more mention of Angels marrying and having children with the women of earth. It seems that there were at least two limitations that God put on the earth and mankind at this time, one was to shorten man’s lifespan, and the other, not spoken of was to put an end to angels and humans mixing. We also see in the ninth chapter that God requires the life of a person who commits murder. So capital punishment is in fact set in place by God Himself. God sees human beings as precious, and a person who would destroy another human intentionally should according to God be killed. To not do so results in more deaths by the hands of people who have no value for life. We also note that at this time animals will have a fear of man that did not exist up to the new beginning. Animals were also added to man’s diet. Just the opposite to the idea that we came from cave man who was a hunter and gatherer, then learned to farm.

    With all these new limitations God now made a covenant to not destroy the earth in this way again. This covenant is between God and the inhabitants of earth, all living things. He would not destroy every living thing again with water. The token for this one sided deal, contract is the rainbow. It will be seen to remind us of two things. One God did destroy every living thing save one family by a great flood, and two He will not do so again.

    God is a god of grace, He saved Noah and his family along with every species of animal of earth instead of destroying the whole thing by the flood waters. God is all powerful and the earth is under His power to do with as He wishes. God is a judge who judges with integrity and surety, His judgements can’t be overturned or changed, there are no appeals. His requirement of us is that we do not decide to turn away from Him. To turn away from Him, to deny His existence, is an intentional act that will bring His judgement to bear. He desires of us to trust Him, to acknowledge Him. He has the grace to overlook and forgive our shortcomings.

  • Noah

    By the time of Noah life on God’s creation had gotten really bad! So bad in fact that the scriptures declare that God was sorry for creating the earth and all in it.

    It would seem that the entire population had decided to forget God, to go their own way, to not know God. They had decided to follow the way of Cain. The choice to walk away from God is a conscious one. The way of earth had become so violent and sinful that God decided to destroy the whole thing. He would with a flood of water drown the whole earth and everything living in it.

    A few verses of the 6th chapter of Genesis make some strange statements. They talk about giants and it would seem Angels marrying human women and having children with them that vs. 4 calls the men of renown, maybe (Hercules) and the like. It is always said that legend always contains a little truth. These passages also state that God put a limit on the life span of men to 120 years. Lots of interesting events that are really unknown but alluded to.

    There was one man who found grace with God. One man who acknowledged God as God. Noah! All the rest of the race of mankind were so evil that God says that “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were evil, always.”

    God revealed His plan to Noah. He would destroy all living things on the earth because of their evil. This is God’s right, He made everything, He alone can destroy everything. Noah, He would save, but Noah would have to build the vessel that would save him. The dimensions of the ark and the specified materials were explained to Noah. This Ark would save Noah, his family, and a pair of every animal alive, male and female.

    A couple of observations. Noah’s age is reviled in the text as 600 years when the flood began. He was then the oldest man alive by 480 years since God had limited the lifespan of man to 120 years. Another thing is that Noah’s family were not mentioned as righteous before God. Could it be that God saved them even though they were not walking with Him for Noah’s sake? I’m sure Noah’s age stood out to all those around him, I’m also sure that drew attention to him and what he was doing. He was building a ship bigger than a football field and over three stories high. all these things I’m sure drew attention to what Noah did. No one else joined him. I think that was the purpose, God wanted Noah to be a spectacle so others would turn to Him, but none did. He is a Gracious God. He is also a faithful judge. So judgement would befall a world full of people and animals.

  • Progression To Sin

    There is definatly a progression to sin. If fact God laid it all out to Cain in Genisis 4:7.

    This progression is again laid out very clearly in the first chapter of Romans with even more detail. It is because the progression to sin has been so clearly described to us in scripture that it is a key point for us to pay special attention to. There are many trying to make excuses for sin as God calls it, but beware, what God calls sin is sin, what God calls evil is evil. Sin is not an illness.

    In this instance both Cain and Abel had made an offering to God. Both from their trades. One was accepted as good by God and the other was rejected. Just after this event God spoke with Cain in an attempt to teach him.

    Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well,  shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

    Quite simple really. To do well will is to be accepted by God. To not do well leads to a sequence of events. It’s kind of interesting, it looks like a logical argument in a program.

    If you don’t do well sin lies at the door. Sin is close at hand, God giving us a picture of a kind of ambush being set up by sin. It’s the age old battle between good and evil. Some tend to think that this battle is for heaven and earth, but not so, the battle is for individual souls. Those who follow after God, will be victorious, those who fall to the ambush of sin will not be victorious. The interesting part is that God places the decision with each individual person. Do you believe God and do good, or do you not do good and fall for sin that awaits you.

    The decision then is taken and the battle ensues. To not do good sin moves into the position of taking us. Is that the end then, once and done? No way. God is great, good, and full of grace. This  decision doesn’t have to be a once and done decision. We sometimes tend to think that the decision to turn from God is final. The verse goes on to say that sin desires to rule us but thou shalt rule over him. We have the ability to rule sin, to move away from sin and back to God. He is always there to accept us. To redeem us.

    Cain on the other hand seems to have taken the whole conversation to mean that He was out of grace with God. He allowed sin to take him in ambush, and the results of his actions was the murder of his brother. Sin always leads to destruction and hurt. To follow God leads to fulfilment and joy. We have to make a decision numerous times per day between accepting God’s way and doing good, or to not do good. It is a choice each time, and we must choose with care.

    According to the first chapter of Romans, the more we choose to ignore God, to intentionally forget Him, the further into hurt and disaster we go. The more we deny His existence the more deprived we become, the more hurtful and destructive we become. Just take a look around at the world we now live in. The evidence is everywhere. It’s undeniable!

  • Jealousy Rage and Murder

    It didn’t take very long for things in the new earth to hit rock bottom. Strife surfaced pretty quickly between Adam and Eve’s first children.

    We see the two making an offering to God. It is a voluntary offering just as we do in our church services today. The problem arose with God’s acceptance of one and not the other. The first impression I get is that God was very personal with these boys. He was speaking with them one on one. God was please with the offering brought by Abel, but not the offering brought by Cain. He must have expressed as much to the two boys. This lead to Cain feeling rejected, although that was not the case. God did not reject Cain. God was speaking very closely with the boy, but none the less he felt very put out.

    What was the difference in the two offerings? Why did God receive one and not the other? The text is short but pretty telling of the two gifts. The giving of gifts is a touchy point with most of us. It is also a touchy point with God. The importance of God in our lives is very easily seen by the way we give gifts to Him. Our giving to God reviels our true thoughts about Him, His worth to us. So what was the difference in the two offerings? We are told in the passage that Cain brought an offering of the fruits of the ground. It just happened to be some of what Cain had on hand, nothing special really. Abel on the other hand brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. Abel had brought to God the first and best of what he had. He did not bring to God some of the left over of his belongings. This shows God what we think of Him. Do we fear Him? Do we love Him? Do we trust Him to provide for us? God expects our best, not the left overs. Cain had already consumed the best of the first fruits and so God was not pleased with the offering that Cain brought. Many times in my own life I have done exactly as Cain did. I looked at my bills, the things that I may have liked to have, covered those things, then given to God if there was anything left. This does not show any reverence for God. Then I complain when nothing seems to go right, I feel rejected just as Cain did. God expects us to trust Him with all of our life, yes even with the material possessions.

    Cain became jealous of Abel to the point where he called Abel out into a lonely field and Killed him. We have a tendency to blame shift. We like to find a reason for why things are not the way we want them. Cain had decided that Abel was the reason that God had rejected his offering, and the only way to fix it was to murder him.

    I find it very interesting that God approached Cain in the same way He had approached Adam and Eve when they had disobeyed Him in the Garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit. God asked Cain “where is your brother Abel?” God knew full well where he was, but He put the question to Cain. This has not changed in how God deals with us. He want’s us to confess our failures to Him, to ask His forgiveness. We too have not changed, we try to deflect God, to deceive Him. God knows everything, He can not be deceived. The result of our pushing God away is always more pain, more suffering. If we do not do right sin waits at the door, sin will take us.

    God want’s us to trust Him.

    God knows everything, there is nothing that can be kept from Him. He is the judge of the world, He made it all and He has the right to judge it.

  • Results of Sin

    Sin: the opposite of God’s desires. We look for many technical definitions of sin, usually to see if there is any way to justify our actions or thoughts. The true and simple definition of sin is anything that is different to God’s desires. God created all that we see and don’t see. He has the right to define how those things He created behave. He has the right to set limits.

    God’s limits are not difficult to understand. Adam and Eve were asked to not eat of one fruit. They had all the rest of the fruit to eat from, to enjoy. How hard is it to obey God in this simple request? God even took the time to explain what would happen if the fruit was eaten, but that explanation was not enough. Things have not changed with mankind or with God. His desires for us are still very simple, but we embellish them, then we ignore His desires for our own desires.

    To sin, to do the opposite of God’s desires always leads to the same result. Hurt, pain, trouble, heartache, DEATH! I’d like to mention that God at this point put no further rules on the new couple. No law, no guide lines. I wonder why. Could it be that they now knew the difference between good and evil. Now there was evil, and they could tell which was which, evil is evil (to do the opposite of God’s desires), and good is good (to do God’s desires). We still carry this knowledge within us. It is inherent, we call it a conscience.

    The immediate results that Adam and Eve experienced when they disobeyed God were quite striking. Shame of their bodies. The very first thing they did is try to cover their bodies. Mankind has struggled with sexuality ever since. The next thing they experienced was a fear of God. Until now they had conversed with God as if He were no different from them. They now hid from Him, which by the way is not possible. They now experienced confrontation for the first time from God as He questioned what they were  doing and why. They experienced panic as they scrambled to hide both themselves and what they had done. They now felt the need to justify themselves by shifting blame to someone else. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Things have not changed at all! This is a full description of how we perceive God. We feel that we can hide the things we know to be wrong from Him and if we feel He knows, we blame someone else for those problems. God always knows!

    The earth too was affected by this disobedience to God. We see God telling Adam that now he will have to work really hard to grow things, weeds and other problem will present challenges to Adam as he struggles to grow food. We also see God expelling Adam and Eve from the perfect garden that He had put them in. We see death for the first time as God killed animals and clothed Adam and Eve with their skins. We see that Adam and Eve’s lives would end, they would die and return to dust. None of these things were what God wanted. He wanted them to live forever in a perfect place under perfect circumstances. Disobedience of God will always lead to these problems. All of mankind is now stuck in this world of death, and struggles. This is still not what God wants for us. That is why He puts a limit on this life. Sin has a limit.

    God has the right to put limits on everything. He made it all.

    God has the right to tell us how to live our lives. He made us all.

    God has set a limit on sin. He will not allow it to go on forever. That is not His plan.

    God is the judge of all things. Death is the result of disobeying Him.

  • The First Sin

    The first sin and the fall of mankind into a need for salvation from death came very soon after the new couple were placed in the perfect garden that He had made for them. What happened? What was the cause? Who did the sin?

    I wonder how long it took for the disobedience to set in? I really think it was within the very first moments of their touring the Garden of Eden that this folly occurred. The reason I think this is, a perfect man and a perfect woman naked together in a perfect place would quickly lead to conception. But they would not conceive until after they have been removed from the garden. I don’t think they wasted any time in going to see this tree from which they were not supposed to eat from. This perfection was doomed before it even got started! But why?

    I am convinced that the first disobedience toward God hinges from DISCONTENTMENT! They had it all, well almost, but they were not content with almost all. We find ourselves in the very same condition today. Nothing has changed, discontentment drives our lives. It causes us great misery each day, it causes us to sin each day. Just take a look around. We are not satisfied with the home we live in. The brother-in-law has a much bigger, newer place. His furniture is really nice, they never drive a car more than two years old. I’d like to do the same. The debt we carry says it all.

    God had given Adam and Eve everything they could ever need. All the food they could eat, a perfect climate that never changed, companionship, face to face communication with God Himself. Wow! But, they weren’t content. We can see this when Eve was questioned by the serpent. He asked the question that was on her mind. Her answer to him was very interesting. “God has said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Did God say that? No, He said don’t eat of the tree in the middle of the garden. She had already embellished what God had said. Isn’t that what we do as well. As we work things over in our minds that we see and encounter with our friends and family we make situations much bigger than they are. You see things have not changed with mankind. We are still not content with the life and possession that God has so graciously given us.

    Because of our discontentment we still risk it all. We get our minds working in overtime to get the things we desire, even it they are out of our reach. Our discontentment is what still tears our lives away from God. We are so caught up in discontentment that we forget that He is there. You see, God was there when they ate that forbidden fruit. He is everywhere! He is not surprised by anything. He knows it all. Just as discontentment drove Adam, Eve, and all the rest of us into the problems of sin and death, discontentment drives us into problems of sin, and death.

    Discontentment has forever changed the earth and all it’s inhabitants. What are we to do with it?