Disadvantage of the knowledge of good and evil

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. ( Genesis 2:17 )

Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. ( Deuteronomy 1:39 )

God said to Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why would one want to eat of it? So that they could be like God and decide and choose for themselves what is good and evil for their lives. Moving into such a position made the Israelites lose the promise land. They chose it was good for them not to go into the promised land and face the giants. This was absurd because the sons of Esau, Moab and Ammon had destroyed the giants and taken possession of the land that the Lord alloted them already. It was a blantant insult to say that even with God's help they cannot destroy the giants. But their little children though they were weak were at an advantage because they had no knowledge of good and evil. God considers going after the knowledge of good and evil rebellion. It always takes us away from God's will. Adam and Eve lost the garden of Eden when they got that knowledge. Israelites lost the promised land because they had that knowledge. The scripture says.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ( John 1:4,9 )

Our guiding light should be the life of Jesus inside us.


Prayer: Dear Lord keep me from the pursuit of the knowledge of good and evil. Let your life in me be my light.

Let Blessings and not Judgement overtake you

⁵ “ Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
⁶ Yet surely My words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers? ( Zechariah 1:5,6 NKJV)

The Lord asks these questions to a disobedient people about their disobedient fore fathers. The people saw that God's word overtook their fore fathers and the judgments of God came to pass in their lives though it tarried for a while. People grow comfortable in their sins and complacency when they see God's Judgment tarry. Unholy life styles becomes acceptable during that period because it looks like God does not care! Are you in such a trap? You can be sure that God's Judgment will overtake you if so. But the Scripture says:

¹And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
²And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
( Deuteronomy 28:1,2 )

Why not live a life of obedience to God's word? The other way is hard! Full of stumbling blocks. God designed it that way.

Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. ( Proverbs 13:15 )

Prayer: Dear Lord, Please teach me the way of obedience and make me walk there in.

Increased with Blessing

...Abraham was alone when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation. (Isaiah 51:2 )

Have you ever felt alone? Abraham was alone when God called him. Abraham faced the lack of children for a long period of time. He became as good as dead and his wife was barren and lost all hope of having children. During this time Abraham made many mistakes in life too. He was not perfect! But when the right time came Abraham received Isaac from the Lord and not from his own strength. Isaac, the son of promise, had Jacob who had children who became the twelve tribes of Israel and later a nation named Israel. The blessing of God made Abraham into a great nation. It is only the blessing of God than can bring increase in to your life that will last. So wait in faith.

Prayer: Dear Lord Please let me have your blessing which only can bring in increase.

Sustained with Raisins

Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. ( Song of Songs 2:5 )

How are raisins formed? Jesus Said,

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ( John 15:4 )

So after a branch abides in the vine, and produced fruit, and then if it loses connection with the vine it becomes dry. The fruit becomes raisins. No more it has the power to give life to those who eat it, but the scripture says the raisins can sustain people. There may be times when you have lost connection from the true vine Jesus and your top most priority then should be to get re-attached to the vine. But even the raisins you have can sustain people around you so don't refrain from giving a helping hand to those who are troubled around you in those times.

Prayer: Dear Lord, sustain me even if it is with raisins during my troubled times and help me sustain others even during the time I am reduced to possess only raisins.

Neither does He condemn you

⁹And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

¹⁰When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

¹¹She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. ( John 8:1-11 )

Everybody in the crowd left without condemning the woman because they were convicted by their own conscience. In the same chapter Jesus asks

Which of you convinceth me of sin? ( John 8:46 )

Jesus had the right to condemn her but He did not! Are you following that example from our Lord? Or do you condemn people assuming a false sense of righteousness while doing it? Jesus says

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven ( Luke 6:37 )

If you condemn others you can be sure that you will live a life of condemnation no matter how much ever you confess your sins to the Lord. But Jesus said

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ( John 3:17 )

If you don't condemn others you can be sure that Jesus too does not condemn you but He will set you free from your sins.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please forgive me for the times I have condemned others and help me to follow your example.

Water Baptism

They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. ( Revelation 14:4, NLT )

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ( John 1: 29, NLT )

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. ( Luke 3:21 )

Jesus the 'Lamb of God' went into the muddy waters of Jordan and was baptized by John the baptist, who was not worthy to untie the straps of the sandals of Jesus ( John 1:16 ), in the Jordan river. One of the qualifications of the 'Bride of Christ' is that they follow the Lamb where ever He goes. Have you followed him and got baptized in water? It does not matter whether you speak in tongues or prophesy or heal the sick. It does not matter even if you got sprinkled by a priest or pastor a little while after your birth. Baptism follows belief in Christ for the scripture says.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. ( Mark 16:16 )

What the Lord is saying is that if you believe you should get baptized but if you do not believe you need not get baptized. Those who do not believe shall be damned!

If you are a Pastor are you obeying the command of the Lord?

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost! ( Mathew 28:19 )

Prayer : Dear Lord, please give me the grace to follow You where ever You go.

Sign of water turned in to wine

¹⁰And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

¹¹This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. ( John 2: 1-11 )

This is a sign Jesus did to manifest his glory. If the former rain of the Holy Spirit ( like water ) satisfied the people and gave them energy to move forward in the face of trouble the latter rain is going to be more colorful, more tasty and is going to intoxicate the Lord's people with His Spirit. Do you believe it? If yes then seek God to be intoxicated by Him!

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? ( Haggai 2:3 )

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. ( Haggai 2:9 )

Prayer: Dear Lord, Let me be intoxicated by You. Please manifest Your Glory in me and through me.

Sign of the Gathered Loaves

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled. ( John 6:26, ASV )

¹¹ Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down; likewise also of the fishes as much as they would. ¹² And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost. ¹³ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which remained over unto them that had eaten. ( John 6: 11-13, ASV )

This shows the life of a believer. The broken loaves signifies the Lord's people. By giving thanks to the Father he acknowledged that the people were given to him by His Father.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. ( John 6:44 )

Once we go to Jesus he will take us and break us and distribute us so that his people can be fed and be satisfied.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken ( Mathew 21:44 ).

The broken people will be later gathered by Jesus.

¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ( 1 Thessalonians 4 : 16-17 )

Jesus later went ahead and did another sign by raising up Lazarus from the dead ( John 11:1-44 ) to show the people that he can gather even his people who are dead and gone at his coming!

Many people follow Jesus so that they can be temporarily filled. So that they can have a temporary joy and peace. They come to him in prayer so that they can be free from the guilt not praying. Some pray so they receive the glory of men ( Mathew 6:5 ).A sign is nothing but a pointer to something else. How often we miss the signs that point to eternal truth? Do you believe that God will not for ever leave you broken but will come to gather you with all his saints? Why do you follow Jesus?

Prayer: Dear Lord, please open my eyes to see the eternal truths that your signs point to.

Priorities

This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built. Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. ( Haggai 1:2-7 )

Here the Lord is questioning the priorities of His people. He is asking them if their priority is the house/kingdom of God or their personal comforts. Jesus said.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ( Mathew 6:31-33 )

In the Lord's Prayer ( Mathew 6:7-15 ) "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" comes before "Give us this day our daily bread." yet how often do we hasten after the material blessings leaving the house of God in ruins ( void ). Do you spent time with your friends or in front of the TV or in bed that you have little time to pray? Do you spent more time in front of the mirror beautifying your body and less time before the mirror of your soul, the word of God? If yes then you are fooling yourself for the scripture says.

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. ( 3 John 1:2 )

Pastors should consider first about the well being of the souls they are entrusted to.
Believers should have their priorities set right by every word that comes from God and from the pulpit. We are the House of God and our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 )

Yet how often do we seek to fill the voids in us with material things and wrong relationships rather than to be filled with God? What are your priorities?

Prayer: Lord, I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant ( Psalm 119:176 )