(James 1:14-15) "But each one is tempted when he is drawn awayby his owndesires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it's full-grown, brings forth death.
Cain murders his brother becuase God favored his brothers sacrifice over Cain's and he couldn't handle that. That is pride. Adam and Eve at from a tree that was forbidden to them. Can you imagine, they had everything a person could ever want. God gave them food, beauty, land, security, relationship, and most of all community with the one true living God. The were set up. They were not in need of anything! But becuase they were told they could not have the fruit from on stinking tree out of thousands, they thought they were being wronged. They felt they were being denied, that they were being treated unfairly, that God was keeping the best from them. Once enticed they began to think they could be just like God if they ate from this tree. Ooops.
I wonder how many of us if we really think about it, and i have, and it is a bunch, continue to go after the things God is telling us we are not to partake in, or we do not need. He says, "Here is all that you need to be my disciple. Do not worry, I will take care of you." He gives us food, but we want more food. He gives us a roof over our head, but we decide we need a bigger one. He gives us a form of transportaion, but we need a more expensive one or multiple forms of transportation. He gives us a job, but we feel we deserve better and more money.
I find myself amazed that the world is even still functioning. After reading in Genesis 6-7 reagarding the wickedness of man and their judgment through the great flood I ask myself, how can we still be allowed to breathe? I was even saddend by the Holy Spirits words to describe the situation. Several hours later the words I read are still echoing in my soul. Chapter 6 vs. 5-7, 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 eveil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart...I will destroy man...for I am sorry that I ever made them.
Can you imagine? God was so grieved, that He mentions...TWICE...that He was sorry that He even made man! That really rocked my world when I read that for several reasons, but I will talk about those at another time. I couldn't imagine what was going on at that time that could be anywhere close to what is going on in this world today.
Let me stop right here and say that I am not putting myself on a pedestal. Just read the title of this Blog, "A Wretch Like Me." I will be the first to tell you that I have done some things that now looking back on, I deserve no less than what these people got in these chapters of Genesis.
Anyway, just picking up the paper or listening to the news is filled with trash. Government officials, Religious leaders, military leaders all getting caught up in sex scandals, or lying, cheating, stealing, etc...etc.. The list goes on and on. Just today before I started to write, I look at the paper and on the front page there was an article of a Police Officer who was arrested because he was caught having sex with a 20something in the back of his unmarked police car. This guy has been married for 15 years. You have to be kidding me. Our culture is not shocked by a single thing anymore. Nothing disturbs us. Well nothing disturbs us morally I should say. Have a construction company accidenttally knock down a tree with a nest in it and the public wants the owners crucified, but let a President of the United States have relationships with a woman other than his wife and he continues to be a man of leadership and esteemed. All of our movies and tv shows glorify Adultry, Divorce, Pre-marital sex, Teen Moms, and many, many more issues that are litterally cancerous to our culture.
I witness every day people who profess to be Christians share how they love all the shows and music that depict lifestlyes contray to what God's Word says. I see them write cuss words on their social media pages, I see them talk about women and men as if they were pieces of meat up for auction and even the slaughter house. Followers of Jesus Chrsit (Christians), can not be of the world. We can not sit by and read the Bible and attend Sunday service and hear a great message yet go buy some beer with the buddies for the Christmas or New Years Eve Party.
What do we deserve? We deserve nothing less than the people in Genesis 7 got. An eternal everlasting death tormented by fire that we feel for an eternity. That is what we deserve if not worse.
Do you understand that those professing Christians that practice lawlessness mentioned above will be experiencing exactly that torment that I described. Please read these words:
Mattew 7:13-27
The Narrow Way
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
“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? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Please understand that not everyone who professes to be a Christian will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You can not be a Christian and continue to use language that God hates. You can not be a Christian and continue to act in ways that God hates. You can not be a Christian and continue to fool around with your boyfriend when no one is looking.
What do we deserve? We deserve death!
What do we get? GRACE! We get God's Grace! God is in love with you and me so much that He sent His son to pay the price that we deserve to pay. God's Grace is sufficient to cover every sin in our lives! Past, Present, and Future.
We so much deserve death, but God has given us life through His son Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus. Thank you my Lord and Savior for Saving Me. Thank you...Thank You....THANK YOU...for saving...A Wretch Like Me!
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