The Tree of Life

Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3:1-24

Man was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was to enjoy the fruit of the tree of life and live a spiritual life in communion with GOD.

The temptation to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was from the devil. His motive that caused him to fall from his position with GOD, was imparted also to man - "You will be like GOD, knowing good and evil." Man was enticed to step on the pedestal of pride which caused his fall. This broke his relationship with GOD. He lost his peace and immediately experienced shame, guilt and fear. Rather than walking with GOD, he hid from GOD his Creator!

We have inherited the sin nature and continue to crave for the fruit fromthe tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. The fruit from the tree of life is love.

We need to overcome this situation to have access to the tree of life.

We tend to steer our lives according to the selfish way of our soul, but as believers, we must yield our will to the Holy Spirit.

 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
James 1:12-1

Selfishness desires fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Once eaten, the fruit makes us self- conscious and self-centred. This leads to feelings of shame, guilt and fear.

The solution is, another tree!

 "If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23

 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

Galatians 3:13

The LORD JESUS carried His cross to Calvary and He was crucified on it. He was nailed to the tree and hung on it.

 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6:5-6

 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11

The LORD, being pure and holy, had to go through the most unpleasant experience of seeing, hearing and knowing all the obscenities, vulgarities and evil that come out of wicked and perverted minds. That was the cup that was so difficult for the LORD JESUS to drink. At the garden of Gethsamane, He made the decision to drink it for the sake of you and me.

The cross of CHRIST gives us the picture of the curse that came out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He took the curse of sin upon HImself by carrying the cruel cross and being nailed to that cross.

The cross of CHRIST also is a picture of the tree of life! The blood that flowed down the cross, washes our sin away, releasing forgiveness and freedon from guilt, shame and fear. The perfectly pure Son of GOD, changed the cursed tree into a tree of blessing. JESUS hung on the tree of the cross and through His intercession, changed the cross as it were, into the tree of Life! The cruel cross became the wondrous cross! By His immense love He took our punishment for sin upon Himself, and now releases blessing and life to those who come to the cross in repentance. 

Therefore it is only the cross of JESUS that bridges the gap between the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. He is the  Resurrection and spiritual Life to all of mankind who are dead because of the fruit from the cursed tree.

How do we overcome?  We overcome, by repenting and returning to our first love - the LORD JESUS.

 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicola'itans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'
Revelation 2:4-7

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Bow and Arrow

Bow And Arrow

"The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice.

  He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.

  Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, 

At the rebuke of the Lord, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. 

2 Samuel 22:14-16 

Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows.

 Selah You divided the earth with rivers. The mountains saw You and trembled;

 The overflowing of the water passed by. 

The deep uttered its voice, And lifted its hands on high. 

The sun and moon stood still in their habitation;

 At the light of Your arrows they went, At the shining of Your glittering spear. 

Habakkuk 3:9-11 

The voice and words of GOD go forth with power 

like arrows from a bow.

They create, sustain and control all of nature.

He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow. 

He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins. 

Lamentations 3:12-13 

The LORD JESUS took the wrath of GOD 

on our behalf

so we could receive GOD'S mercy.

 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, 

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! 

For Your arrows pierce me deeply,

 And Your hand presses me down. 

Psalm 38:1-2 

GOD'S word brings deep conviction of sin

like the piercings of an arrow.

For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, 

That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 

Psalm 11:2 

 "And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. 

They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. 

For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," says the Lord. 

Jeremiah 9:3 

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor 

Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow. 

Proverbs 25:18 

The devil uses the wicked to speak words like arrows 

that are lies, evil and harmful to the righteous.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, 

Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 

Psalm 91:5 

Dwelling in the secret place of the Almighty GOD,

we are protected from the arrows of the enemy.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

 They shall not be ashamed, 

But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. 

Psalm 127:3-5 

A fruitful Christian life is protection

against the arrows of the enemy.

Godly descendants are like arrows

shot against the accusations of the enemy.

 "Beware of false prophets,

 who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

You will know them by their fruits. 

Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:15-16 

• The fruit of one's personal life is the manifestation of

the fruit of the spirit.

• The fruit of one's family life is the evidence 

of godliness in the home.

• The fruit of one's ministry 

is the increase of the word of GOD in the lives of people

and increase in the number of such disciples.

Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. 

Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said,

 "O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!" 

  And Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and some arrows." 

So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 

  Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So he put his hand on it,

and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. 

  And he said, "Open the east window"; and he opened it.

Then Elisha said, "Shoot"; and he shot. 

And he said, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria;

 for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them." 

  Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. 

And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped. 

  And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; 

then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! 

But now you will strike Syria only three times." ...

...And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, 

the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. 

Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel. 

2 Kings 13:14-19, 25 

The shooting of the arrows and striking them at the word of GOD'S servant

was symbolic of striking the enemy.

The word of GOD is the arrow that brings down 

the stronghold of the devil.

When our Church core prayer group was praying for my husband and myself

 before our mission trip abroad, I had the impression of a bow and arrow in the hand of an archer. 

GOD is the Archer. Robin and I were the arrow going out into the nations.

The intercessors are the bow.

The arrow cannot go with force and power without the bow.

 It is the bow that gives the arrow the impetus to go forth with power.

The bow and the arrow are in the hand of the Archer - 

to shoot as and when He desires in the direction He needs the arrow to go.

Let us therefore learn the word,

meditate on the word and 

live the word of GOD.

Let us also teach the word of GOD

to our natural and spiritual descendants.

Let us pray the word of GOD.

Let us declare and proclaim the word of GOD.

Let us spread the truth of GOD'S word far and wide

using all means of social media.

The truth will counteract the arrows of lies of the devil

that is being shot into the minds of people.

Let us press on,

persist and

persevere

until the end

by submitting to the 

WORD OF GOD!!

GOD BLESS YOU!

WRONG WAY! GO BACK!!

WRONG WAY!

GO BACK!!

This is a sign on certain roads in Australia that indicate that there is danger ahead. If you ignore this warning and proceed, you could meet with an accident that could end in disaster. 

You are driving in the wrong direction!

You are defying the law of the authorities.

You will have to face the grave consequences 

unless you turn around and change your direction.

The rule has been set and the warning displayed clearly

to protect you from danger.

In case of an accident, the one who disobeyed the rule would be found responsible and not the one who set the rule.

What punishment would one be worthy of, who, having authority to set rules, replaces the above, with the road sign 

PROCEED!

ROAD AHEAD CLEAR!!

Will such a person not be caught responsible for the accidents, injuries and deaths caused by such a sign?

His argument that "People who are driving in any direction should have equal rights to proceed" would be considered such foolishness!

Those who are aware of the danger ahead will get confused.

Those ignorant of the danger ahead, will proceed and fall victim.

Those who sincerely care for people will make every effort to warn others of the danger in proceeding on this path.

They will also contend with those who are responsible for misleading people.

Many seek the ruler's favor, 

But justice for man comes from the Lord. 

An unjust man is an abomination

 to the righteous, 

And he who is upright in the way

is an abomination to the wicked. 

Proverbs 29:26-27 

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, 

But such as keep the law contend with them. 

Evil men do not understand justice, 

But those who seek the Lord understand all. 

Proverbs 28:4-5 

Whoever causes the upright to go astray

 in an evil way, 

He himself will fall into his own pit; 

But the blameless will inherit good. 

Proverbs 28:10 

Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved,

 But he who is perverse in his ways 

will suddenly fall. 

Proverbs 28:18 

A prudent man foresees evil 

and hides himself; 

The simple pass on and are punished. 

Proverbs 27:12 

"But whoever causes one of these little ones

 who believe in Me to sin,

 it would be better for him

 if a millstone were hung around his neck, 

and he were drowned

 in the depth of the sea. 

Woe to the world because of offenses! 

For offenses must come,

 but woe to that man 

by whom the offense comes! 

Matthew 18:6-7 

 The earth mourns and fades away, 

The world languishes and fades away; 

The haughty people of the earth languish.

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, 

Because they have transgressed the laws, 

Changed the ordinance, 

Broken the everlasting covenant. 

Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, 

And those who dwell in it are desolate. 

Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, 

And few men are left. 

Isaiah 24:4-6 

Offenses

When you are offended, you are going ‘Off the End’ and are in danger of falling off the end of the path.

When you offend another, you are causing him to go ‘Off the End’ of the path, causing him to fall.

Causing offense to another is an offense.

Then He said to the disciples,

"It is impossible that no offenses should come,

but woe to him through whom they do come!

It would be better for him

if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea,

than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Luke 17:1-2

It would be better for such a person to be completely off the path forever!!

It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine

nor do anything by which your brother stumbles

or is offended or is made weak.

Romans 14:21

Give no offense,

either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,

1 Corinthians 10:32

It is a narrow path that we are asked to walk, not causing offense to anyone.

If you get offended by one who desires to purposefully offend you, you have given into your enemy’s desire and he has won over you.

When someone offends you, the natural reaction is to offend him or hit back at him in some way. Imagine a person coming alongside you on a narrow path and trying to push you off the edge. Your immediate reaction would be to push him off the edge so that you do not fall. But when such an offence is caused against you, humble yourself and willingly get on the lower pathway which is the highway of holiness. Thus you overcome offenses.

The way up goes down!

Do not be overcome by evil,

but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

That is what JESUS did. Although He did not need to pay the temple tax,

He got Peter to pay it, so that He did not cause an offense. Not fighting for our rights, but giving up our rights in order to not offend another is GOD’S rule!

Nevertheless, lest we offend them,

go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.

And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money;

take that and give it to them for Me and you."

Matthew 17:27

The LORD JESUS, was destined to take up all the offences of the world upon Himself.

He paid the price for all our offenses and symbolically paid the temple tax which He did not owe!

who was delivered up because of our offenses,

and was raised because of our justification.

Romans 4:25

that you may approve the things that are excellent,

that you may be sincere and without offense

till the day of Christ,

Philippians 1:10

Matthew 5:21-48

Don’t offend others.

Don’t get offended by others.

Let us learn to live our lives without offense.

May the LORD give us grace to overcome all offenses!

You cannot help offending those who are against the Truth.

JESUS was an offense to the religious leaders of His day.

Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?"

And they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them,

"A prophet is not without honor except in his own country,

among his own relatives,

and in his own house."

Mark 6:3-4

Jesus answered and said to them,

"Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

The blind see and the lame walk;

the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear;

the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

Matthew 11:4-6

The message of CHRIST constantly made the religious leaders become offended.

The message of the cross causes offense to some.

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision,

why do I still suffer persecution?

Then the offense of the cross has ceased.

Galatians 5:11

But He turned and said to Peter,

"Get behind Me, Satan!

You are an offense to Me,

for you are not mindful of the things of God,

but the things of men."

Matthew 16:23

JESUS’ talk about going to the cross was an offense to Peter. When he tried to rebuke JESUS, Peter became an offense to the LORD by being an agent of Satan.

The blood of JESUS offends many.

When Jesus knew in Himself

that His disciples complained about this,

He said to them,

"Does this offend you?

John 6:61

JESUS is the Truth.

Does He offend you?

Do His teachings offend you?

Does the message of the cross offend you?

Does the preaching about the blood of JESUS offend you?

JESUS is the Way!

JESUS is the Life!!

He paid for all your offenses on the cross.

Now He offers you forgiveness and salvation.

He calls you to take up your cross and follow Him.

He is the way to Father GOD!

He is the way to Heaven!!

ESTHER - 6

ESTHER - 6

Divine Intervention

Esther 5:14

Then his wife Zeresh

and all his friends said to him,

"Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high,

and in the morning suggest to the king

that Mordecai be hanged on it;

then go merrily with the king to the banquet."

And the thing pleased Haman;

so he had the gallows made.

In response to intercession,

GOD intervenes at the right time

to interrupt the plans of the evil one.

Esther 6:1-3

That night the king could not sleep.

So one was commanded

to bring the book of the records of the chronicles;

and they were read before the king.

And it was found written

that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh,

two of the king's eunuchs, the doorkeepers

who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

Then the king said,

"What honor or dignity has been bestowed

on Mordecai for this?"

And the king's servants who attended him said,

"Nothing has been done for him."

Esther 6:4

So the king said,

"Who is in the court?"

Now Haman had just entered

the outer court of the king's palace

to suggest that the king hang Mordecai

on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Like the board games Drafts, Chess and Bridge,

GOD versus the sinister moves of the devil

In response to intercession.

GOD’S moves are perfectly timed and accurate!

Esther 6:10

Then the king said to Haman,

"Hurry, take the robe and the horse,

as you have suggested,

and do so for Mordecai the Jew

who sits within the king's gate!

Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken."

If you have not been rewarded for some good work,

wait patiently.

GOD will fully reward you

at the right time.