The Defeat of Unbelief

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 16

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that multitudes can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.  In the event you sign up to receive the weekly emails (see info at bottom) and then sometime in the future stop getting the emails, please remember you can go to the BLOGSITE and read each posting each week.  Then let me know (my email address below), and I will work to correct the problem.

Unbelief…the sad testimony of any human being who doesn’t believe God.  And as Michael points out, much of so many Christian’s “unbelieving” (defeat) is the result of bad definitions (and understanding) of key words in life as a Christian.

THE DEFEAT OF UNBELIEF

excerpt from pages 40-42 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 35-37 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

...As we turn to the Scriptures we find that there are three things Christ has accomplished for us.  First, through faith in Him we can be born again.  Second, through His blood we can be forgiven, and third, through His life we can be saved.  There is a difference between the three; a person can possess full inclusion in the first two without participating in the third!  In fact. I believe that heaven will be filled with people who were forgiven and born again but never entered salvation in their daily lives.  They are those who did not find Jesus as daily Savior from vexing sins that control, the guilt that follows, and the unavoidable, inescapable bondage.

To understand what the term saved means, we must turn to the Old Testament.  In most cases it refers to being delivered from present conflict, circumstances, and enemies.  The people look for the God of their salvation.  When they cry out, they need help right then, not at a subsequent time such as when they reach heaven.  Being born again will get us into heaven (John 3), but we need salvation from the things that currently oppress us.

…The same, however, is true of the believer who embraces the message of the cross; that is, he will experience the saving power of the cross today…Being saved occurs in the present!

…When we understand what salvation means, the words of the angel in Matthew 1:21 have all the more meaning to us: “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”  Salvation is to be a daily experience that must be supernatural.  We must believe what the Savior exhorts in John 15:5, “…apart from Me you can do nothing.”  But if we are full of unbelief, then those words will in our minds sound like a blessing but in our emotions sound like a curse.  Also, we will search for a savior other than Christ to free us from the bondage we are in.  In this condition, we cannot help but look in all the wrong places!

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Michael loved to say over and over: “We rise and fall on our definitions.”  And it is so incredible that the church, and individual Christians, are falling because of faulty definitions of so many crucial biblical words.  “Saved” is one of them.  In many circles the word, “saved,” has taken on one meaning: “saved from my sins, going to heaven one day.”  And very little, if any, appropriation of the Cross or the power of God’s salvation is experienced in daily living, certainly not “a daily experience that must be supernatural.”  And the almost exclusive use of this faulty definition has pretty much negated, or removed, the scriptural teaching of being “born again.”

Oh, that we could see a renewed emphasis of using “born again” when speaking of being delivered from our sin nature we were born with, and using “saved” when speaking of being saved from our sins of today…sins that control, the guilt that follows, and the unavoidable, inescapable bondage.  And in doing so, we would also be witnessing to those who don’t even know Christ about their need to begin a relationship with God ONLY through the new birth. Well, amen.

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

Unbelieving Believers

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 15

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that multitudes can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.  In the event you sign up to receive the weekly emails (see info at bottom) and then sometime in the future stop getting the emails, please remember you can go to the BLOGSITE and read each posting each week.  Then let me know (my email address below), and I will work to correct the problem.

I remember the first time I heard Michael mention this term, “unbelieving believers.”  Incredible.  Powerful.  Accurate.

As a pastor for many years, I have experienced Michael’s description of preaching to a congregation filled with unbelieving believers…  It is amazing how powerful our emotions are.  And how crushing they can be when they are working against us.

I hope this travel through chapter 4 of this great book will do something mighty in someone’s life…

UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS

excerpt from pages 38-40 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 33-35 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

Is there any defeat, failure, instance of depression, anxiety, frustration, or sin that does not have as its root unbelief?  I have asked this question to audiences all over the world, and have yet to find one.

…an unbelieving believer is someone who is a Christian, is born again, and will arrive in heaven; the problem is that this person has never believed in the Lord Jesus with his whole being…with his mind he received and believes all that is told him about the grace, care, concern, and love of the Lord Jesus – he is a believer.  And yet at the same time, he feels that he is in charge of every aspect of his Christian life…in his emotions he is unbelieving.

The Church today is full of such unbelieving believers…

It has been said that unbelief is the mother of every sin!...

…before we look at the source of unbelief, we must understand the effects of being unbelievers…

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Just thinking about the term, “unbelieving believers,” sends all sorts of thoughts and emotions through my mind and being.  What a sad testimony of life as a Christian.  How can it be?

Chapter 4 is almost 30 pages long…and Michael does a superb work in showing us all sorts of things about idols and idolatry, our concept of God, and ends with “It is a great step of faith to go against all the lying emotions you have concerning who God is and to just open that door to His life one time, for one time is all that it will take for you to discover the abundant life for which you have searched so long.”

Egads!  “lying emotions.”  No wonder “unbelieving believers” are so frustrated!  And as one other minister once told me, “in the emotions of our life is where the enemy gets his hooks in us.”  This walk through Chapter 4 will take some time…come and enjoy the journey!

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

If you desire to get a weekly email of this blog, look to the top right hand side of the web page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

NOTICE:  another blog on Michael Wells’ book, My Weakness For His Strength, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  You can access by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

The Unseen Areas of Our Life

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 14

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that multitudes can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.  In the event you sign up to receive the weekly emails (see info at bottom) and then sometime in the future stop getting the emails, please remember you can go to the BLOGSITE and read each posting each week.  Then let me know (my email address below), and I will work to correct the problem.

“Mountaintop experience”…aaahhh, the buzz-word for Christians living in the flesh seeking for that “plus 6” life, as Michael calls it.  Notice what Michael describes as the “supernatural” life, and then the end result of those seeking the “mountaintop” all the time…

THE UNSEEN AREAS OF OUR LIFE

excerpt from pages 35-37 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 28-31 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

The supernatural life is manifested in the small, often unseen areas of our lives in such things as peace, mercy, and lack of condemnation when wronged.  The first few miracles that Moses performed were duplicated by Pharoah’s magicians.  In the same way, Satan can duplicate the large, spectacular signs and visions by which many judge spirituality.  We must remember that we have a relationship with our God.  But many have made this relationship out to be one continual mountaintop experience after another, and the drive to continue to duplicate these experiences has exposed them to all kinds of deceptions, not to mention a general dissatisfaction with their own lives.

…most of us have never learned to rest in a relationship with the Lord when it is calm and quiet…This is all the more compounded in the groups that only give glowing, spectacular reports about what the Lord is doing and what great things they are hearing.  These people have come to believe that our relationship with the Lord is to be a continuous climactic arena, and they cannot rest and enjoy the simple aspects of their relationship with the Creator.

This becomes particularly confusing when it comes to knowing the will of God, which many strain for years trying to discern.  The problem is that they are waiting for

confirmation in their emotions, some vision, a dream, or a loud, distinct voice.  Here is a great secret: When we are in the perfect will of God, we hear and feel nothing.

…In chapter 2 we learned that the evil we did brought misery, discomfort, and defeat; but in this chapter we learned that all the maneuvers instigated in the attempt to do good have brought an equal amount of misery, discomfort, and defeat.  Most important, neither route requires faith.  If you can see these things, you are ready for the next chapter.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

 The mountaintop experience is a dangerous deception…it sounds, looks, and feels so appealing and spiritual, but Michael points out the most dangerous aspect: no faith required.  And God has simply told His kids: live by faith…not experiences.  So, the thing to do is to look for and desire the “unseen.”  And truthfully, when all else fails, don’t we really want peace, mercy, joy, love, faith, longsuffering, self-control, no condemnation, and lack of being offended…all fruit of the Holy Spirit…by the grace of God (His working in our life).  Not one experience, not one circumstance can bring those.  Well, amen.

And then think about the end result of chasing the deception: misery, discomfort, and defeat.  When will we learn to seek Him, and not an experience?

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

If you desire to get a weekly email of this blog, look to the top right hand side of the web page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

NOTICE:  another blog on Michael Wells’ book, My Weakness For His Strength, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  You can access by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

Living At Zero

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 13

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that multitudes can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.  In the event you sign up to receive the weekly emails (see info at bottom) and then sometime in the future stop getting the emails, please remember you can go to the BLOG SITE and read each posting each week.  Then let me know (my email address below), and I will work to correct the problem.

After showing Michael’s writing that there is no difference between “good” and “evil” in the previous discourse, today we look at the startling statement by Michael of “God’s ideal in terms of the scales we have just been discussing is ZERO.” (capital letters are my emphasis)

Wow!  How amazing!  Thank you, Michael.  Man has allowed the enemy to dictate a scale and the pattern of God’s acceptance…and rejection (?)…of our actions.  See what Michael says this leads to…

LIVING AT ZERO

excerpt from pages 34 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 27-28 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

Since so few are acquainted with God’s pattern of acceptance and what that means for how they are to live their lives, it is easy for the enemy to toss us back and forth on the scale from plus to minus.  God’s ideal in terms of the scales we have just been discussing is a zero.  Yes, we are successful Christians when we are living at zero!

But again there is difficulty, for I fear we have allowed others to define zero for us.  We naturally assume that if we get up in the morning and our emotions are at a minus-six, then we must begin to plead with God until they arrive at a plus-six.  We have allowed the enemy or others to tell us that our emotions should be at a plus-six, so we ask Him to appear to us in our living rooms; we confess, repent, wallow in guilt, and perform a multitude of other gyrations all in hopes of getting feelings to a plus-six.  In so doing, we pass right through zero, where God wants them, and if we do drive them to a plus-six, it will not be long before they are at a minus-six once again.  The world would describe this as bipolar manic depression – a big name for eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The same thing happens with the mind.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Michael has given us the picture of the vast majority of people struggling day-by-day to live a “mountain-top experience” in life.  Life on a roller-coaster is the norm for most.  “Zero”…a peaceful, non-stressful, Spirit-filled life…is not even an option.  And it all has to do with focusing on the “good vs evil” complex instead of eating from the Tree of Life.  The idea that Christ is our life, Christ wants to be our life, or that Christ can even be anything other than Savior is a foreign concept to the vast majority of Christians.  Therefore, the individuals and the churches are shining examples of a worldly-influenced operation in motion.

Just as Michael has shown that many are “allowing others to define zero for us,” the church has “allowed others” (including the world) to define almost all of the finer characteristics of Christianity.   We must not let that happen.  God has given us His “way of life.”  It is the Life of Christ…the Tree of Life.  Well, amen.

Next time you find yourself on the roller-coaster of life…stop immediately and turn your focus to the peaceful, grace-giving Lord Jesus Christ.

Join in next week as we see Michael differentiating between the “mountain-top experience” and the supernatural life.  

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

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If you desire to get a weekly email of this blog, look to the top right hand side of the web page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

NOTICE:  another blog on Michael Wells’ book, My Weakness For His Strength, called Living Life With a Capital “C”.  You can access by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                                 936-559-5696

No Lasting Difference Between Good or Evil

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 12

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that multitudes can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.  In the event you sign up to receive the weekly emails (see info at bottom) and then sometime in the future stop getting the emails, please remember you can go to the BLOGSITE and read each posting each week.  Then let me know (my email address below), and I will work to correct the problem.

It is a very subtle deceit that has crept into the practice of Christianity and is particularly more noticeable in the strict doctrinally legalistic churches.  Notice how Michael adeptly points out the subtlety of how we are so easily deceived…

NO LASTING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD OR EVIL

excerpt from pages 32-33 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 25-27 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

Witches study the evil side of the tree to gain more knowledge of evil; some so-called theologians study the good side of the tree to gain more knowledge of good, but there is no lasting difference between the two.  Again, the question must be asked, are today’s teachings yielding more additions to God’s standard or promoting performance that would apply equally as well to the Hindu?  Are they from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or are they from that other tree, the Tree of Life?...If we are living out of His life, we need not worry; the action, no matter how insignificant in our eyes, will always be good.

…Again, eating of the tree (of the knowledge of good and evil) blinds us…

The enemy loves to see us eat from this tree…The problem is that to the level of good one arrives, to that same level of evil he will tend to fall…This principle is at work among all legalistic teachers; the greater they place above God’s standard, the farther they fall.

…There are no shortcuts to spirituality, but neither are there any physical hindrances to it.  Spirituality comes from the Spirit of Christ, not from a certain set of circumstances.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

How beautifully does Michael take us to the throne of God and give us two of God’s pearls: (1) “If we are living out of His life, we need not worry; the action, no matter how insignificant in our eyes, will always be good.”  And, (2) “Spirituality comes from the Spirit of Christ, not from a certain set of circumstances.”

And how about this…witches and some so-called theologians eating from the same tree!  Albeit they are eating from different sides, but with the results being no lasting difference, how many Christians are being led astray from the life of Christ by these teachers and preachers? 

Herein is where the deception lies: the “good” of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil IS NOT the “good” of the Tree of Life.  So, just a casual use in Christianity of “good” tends to open simple-minded (as in Proverbs) Christians to the deceit brought in by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Tree of Life is all about Christ and His life.  Everything about the fruit of this tree comes from Christ.  And the Bible says it is all good, the good of the Spirit.

In contrast, however, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents a mixed way of thinking and acting—a combination of some good (not the same “good” as in the Tree of Life) and some evil—the cumulative effect of which leads to death. 

If our desire for self-gratification is greater than our desire to obey God then we will choose to eat from the wrong tree.

The free choice God gives to each of us is really to decide which tree we will eat from, not whether we will choose “good” or “evil.”  But Christians have been misled by the so-called theologians (teachers, counselors, and preachers) who always lead us to those parabolic verses in Scripture that simply are talking about their two choices: “good” vs “bad.”  But God, in His divine wisdom always inserts the real TRUTH…the Tree of Life.  And one of His best “inserts” is in Galatians 5:16-23, where God does not contrast “good” vs “bad” (unless one is looking at it with “simple” eyes), but He contrasts the flesh with the Spirit.  Aha, now we see what God really wants us to see, especially what is there for the eating of the Tree of Life.  Well, amen.

Thanks, Michael, for drawing our attention to the subtlety of how we are so easily deceived and then taking us to the root of the problem.

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

If you desire to get a weekly email of this blog, look to the top right hand side of the web page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

For ANOTHER weekly emailing, covering Michael Wells’ writings in his wonderful Christian discipleship book, My Weakness For His Strength, log onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com and follow the same procedures as mentioned in the paragraph above.

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

Neither Good Nor Evil Pleases God

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 11

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

It is difficult to find the best words to describe the impact upon man as he wanders through life deceived by having eaten from the “Ever Growing Tree.”

But as Michael continues his discourse he gives us some specifics that show that devastation.  Once a person really “sees” and understands the deception that he has been living under (and its impact), the need to get out of the wilderness can begin to be seen.  Look at the deception Michael shows us…

NEITHER GOOD NOR EVIL PLEASES GOD

excerpt from pages 29-32 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 23-25 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

Good and evil come from the same tree and are treated alike by God – rejected.  “…Darkness and light are alike to Thee” (Psalm 139:12).  Doing evil is a sign of disbelief that God exists or will judge, but doing good is a sign of unbelief in God’s standard of acceptance.  We prove we do not believe God at all when we add to this standard.  We are touching upon one of the greatest deceptions in Christianity.  God does want us to do good works, but what makes a work fitting is not the content but the origin; if the source of the work is faith as Christ expresses Himself through us, then it is acceptable.  First Thessalonians 1:3 mentions work produced by faith, which is acceptable.  But all other work is unacceptable, based on unbelief and self-righteousness.

…There is a deep blindness that comes from eating from the good side of this most forbidden tree…

…As we can see, the deception from eating from the good side of this tree is in many ways worse than doing evil…

…Do you see the difference in eating from this tree?  It obliges us to add an endless list for our acceptance by God, and in turn to put this big bundle on others’ shoulders to carry, one which we ourselves cannot.

Eating from the tree will cause us to advocate a very simple teaching that goes like this: You did evil, now do good.  We find the elements of this tree in Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and every other world religion.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Isn’t it crazy how something can be “good,” and yet be so devastating?  Wow!  It is so easy to see how man can get sidetracked into the wilderness…and all the while think he is doing a pretty good job at his religion.  However, it is imperative that we get the message out about the deception of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Notice how our belief system affects our doing either good or evil.  Interesting, isn’t it?  The deception is so subtle when it comes to doing good from the wrong source.

Actually, this points out the constant need in Christianity today…whether in the church, a small group, or just on an individual basis…we must keep the emphasis on the truthful Source (Christ).  Without the constant emphasis on Him, we can get sidetracked very easily.

Finally, we can see why so many teachers and preachers are always harping on that “simple teaching that goes like this: You did evil, now do good.”  May we see a great movement of God in the lives of His people around the world that brings us back to the New Testament teaching of “Jesus is our life,” not us.  Focus on Him, not on “good or evil.”

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

If you want to receive future weekly writings, look to the top right hand side of the page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

The Source of Wrong Solutions

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 10

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

After having looked at several “wrong” solutions for man’s problems, Michael takes us to the source…it is always best to look for the source, and Michael’s ministry was of great expertise in taking us there always.  See if you notice where man has veered off in the wrong direction so much in life…

THE SOURCE OF WRONG SOLUTIONS

excerpt from pages 29 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 22-23 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

What is the source of all these supposed solutions for our problems?  The answer is found in the Garden.  “And out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9).  It is that last tree from which Adam and Eve ate.  Let us look for a moment at the effects of that tree on all of humanity.

First, we must understand God’s criterion for accepting us, based on a pass/fail system.  We pass and are accepted by Him if we are found to be in Christ; if, on the other hand, we are found outside of Christ, then we fail.  This is all rather plain and simple until we decide to eat anew from the tree of good and evil; when this happens, God’s simple truth is once again distorted and difficult.

…Good and evil come from the same tree and are treated alike by God – rejected.  “…Darkness and light are alike to Thee” (Psalm 139:12).

The “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is the culprit for every lost person ending up choosing to go to hell…the words of lost people are: “Surely God wouldn’t send anyone to hell…surely I am good enough to get into heaven…,” or something similar.  Instead of choosing “the tree of life” (Christ) and God giving that chooser the gift of eternal life…plus placing Christ’s life in the believer to live His life through him or her…lost people choose “good vs bad” as their mantra.  God tells us every living being is given a choice to choose between “the tree of life” or “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

For each Christian, life here on earth is acceptable to God only when we choose His tree of life.  Life as a Christian is not about good and evil; it is about Christ’s life in us being able to flow through us.

Next week Michael’s book takes us to a point of looking at some very important criteria to examine, and some important illustrations that might just “shake someone’s tree.”  Know that old saying???

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com   Look to the top right hand side of the page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696