Do you remember being a small child, or a tweener, and knowingly doing something that didn’t quite live up to your parents’ expectations? Or, maybe you did something that you had been told to never do. Usually, the end result was that something was damaged in our hour of defiance. We thought we knew better, or could get away with our “fun”, and now…Dad and Mom know. We couldn’t look them in the eye; instead, we looked at the intricate pattern of latex on the tops of our Converse All-Stars and listened to the echoing, snapping tick of an ever slowing clock. If playing baseball in the house can have this kind of impression on a child, imagine disappointing an infinitely loving and holy God—with your punishment being physical separation from Him. This is the agony that Adam and Eve went through when they left the protective cover of God through their acts of disobedience.
As we grow physically, so does our knowledge base of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. If presented with the truth that we are engaging in unacceptable behavior, we tend to become angry and defensive of our actions. This is the arrogance that Cain elected to embrace in Genesis 4:3-9. In verse 7, we see that if we allow disobedient behavior to continue, sin will continue its oppressive action upon our countenance. Obedience to God lifts our countenance and helps us to master sin. Read what Paul writes concerning this “Cain Behavior” in Romans 8:12-13. What if Cain had been repentative and presented God an acceptable offering? There could have been an entire lineage of Adam and Eve’s offspring that theologians could quiz young minds with on a weekly basis. We need to be aware of our actions; don’t give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). Additionally, understand that while we are under the protective cover of God, God will periodically “discipline” us as a means of keeping us from going astray from Him (Psalms 119:67, 75; I Corinthians 11:31-32). God loves us and wants to spend eternity with us; He doesn’t discipline us for the pleasure of it, He does it to ensure our future with Him.
After continuing our “Under Cover” series in the morning, we nearly finished our study of the book of Revelations—chapter 21. In this chapter, John sees the new heaven and the new earth that God has created for His children. In an amazing description of detail, John gives an account of what is to be expected in this “new creation”. During the entire revelation that John received from Jesus Christ, he was given an extraordinary gift—he saw the comprehensive ground work, laid out by God, for the ultimate elimination of sin and death in our near future. This segment of the vision has to be one of the most fascinating things John saw. He was allowed to see the floor plans of the new dwelling place of God. And through his Holy Spirit inspired description, we can share in the glory of God and of how He will be with us for the rest of eternity.
If you are unsure of where you will be at this time in history, now is the time to be certain of your eternal afterlife. Remember, God wants to spend the rest of eternity with us, and then some. On the right-hand side of this blog site is a simple prayer (“A Life Changing Prayer”). If you mean this prayer with all sincerity and faith, you will be saved! All of heaven is rejoicing as you make this commitment to Jesus Christ. In other words, everything and everyone in heaven stopped what they were doing to delight in your decision to follow Jesus Christ and be obedient to the voice of God. There was a celebration that took place as your name was added to the Lamb’s Book of Life. As long as you humbly seek God’s will in your life and are obedient to do what He has in store for you, you will see and experience first hand what John saw in the visual gift God gave to him. To help you in this journey, find a church body that follows the teachings of Jesus Christ; a list of church links is further down the right side of the blog site. We would love to have you worship and hear the heart of God every week at Eastpoint Family Church, but if you are unable to visit, be sure to find a church home that honors the Word of God and gives you Godly instruction from that Word.
Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude
