It’s My Wonderful Life

At Journey Church, we began our Life Essentials back.  We study this on Sunday morning and then we elaborate more on these in our small groups on Sunday night.   Today’s lesson was on Believing in Satan and sin.

Jeff did an excellent job on explaining sin and Satan.  The sermon this morning came from Genesis 3:1-7.  He only discussed the conversation between the serpent (Satan) and Adam and Eve.   This very conversation is what brought sin into the world. Below is the conversation between the serpent and Adam and Eve.

NOW THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?  And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden,  Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.  But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die,  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.  And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.  Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apronlike girdles. –Genesis 3:1-7–

This single conversation allowed sin to enter the world.   Millions of years later, we are still a sin filled world.   During this conversation, Satan questions God’s character and makes Eve question God’s motive.  Satan casted doubt into Eve’s mind and she began to believe that things can be questioned and challenged.

Temptation of Satan clouded Eve’s judgment just like today temptation clouds ours.  Eve could not keep Satan’s conversation out of her head.  She constantly loooked at the tree and the fruit it produce.  She finally acted on her thoughts.   This sounds like what we do today.  We just keep looking at something and dwell on it day after day.  Guess what?  We later act on our thoughts, we go out an sin.   So often this happens.   If we could just forget about it and move on, we would be less eager to sin.

Many different observations can be found about Satan in Genesis 3:1-7.

1. Satan is a personal being. He is not a force.
2. Satan acts in opposition to God’s authority and intentions.
3. Satan is crafty.  He doesn’t just drift around.  Satan strategizes by using truth and twisting it so that it sounds good.
4. Satan seeks to tear down and destroy God’s creation. From this very conversation in Genesis, humans today are affected by Satan.   He will destroy everything that is like God.  We are made in the image of God.
5. Satan communicates and seeks to manipulate. He is the master manipulator.
6. Satan has a team. His followers were cast down with him to the Earth from Heaven.

During Jeff’s sermon, he also spoke of six very interesting points about sin.

1. We are born broken. We come to and age where we make willful decisions against our parents (well before we are one).
2. Sin is very damaging. It affects your internal decisions and damages all relationships in its path.
3. Sin shrivels our spirits. It corrupts our consciousness.
4. Sin provokes temptation. Being tempted does not mean that you are conquered.   You can move beyond your temptations and not act on it.
5. Sin is sustain by our thoughts. If we change our thoughts, the patterns of sin will leave.
6. Sin destroys what we prize more and leaves our character looking like road kill.

We were left with several questions to ponder throughout the week.

Why is it important to know Satan is real?

I think that it is very important to know this.   One of the observations from the passage shows us that Satan is a personal being.  He is not just a force or just a thought in our head.   He was kicked out of heaven with several of his angels.   So Satan and his followers are living right amongst us.   They could be standing beside us in the checkout line waiting to buy their groceries.  This is why we must know that he is real.  When we realize that he is real, we can begin to strategize ourselves and win the battle against him.   Believing Satan is real is the first step to winning to world over to Christ.

Why must I know that sin destroys?

How else could I understand the problems in the world?  With my personal life, I can see how my sinful life destroyed awesome friendships and how it has broken up my family.   By living for Christ now, I can see how my life and relationships are stronger than ever.  Yes, I still have problems but it stems make to those temptations that I acted on.   By knowing sin destroys can change your life forever.  Once you realize this, you can see that Christ is the only way to have a life that is not destroyed.

What does this message say about Jesus who became our sin?

I don’t know about you but it brings tears to my eyes.   Jesus stepped in front of me and took a bullet that was intended to kill me.   It shows me how much he truly loves me and God’s people.  To me, Jesus is my hero.   He paid the ultimate price for me.   Jesus is the way, the ONLY WAY.

Just in case you ever get an airplane stuck to you, WalMart has aircraft removal.

Is it wrong that you have no clue who you will vote for?  I don’t know why I stress out about this, but I do.  November is right around the corner.   I have no clue.

I am a Democrat, through and through.   Save your opinions on that I am not a Christian.   I hate hearing that when asked what party do you support.   I AM A CHRISTIAN.   Until, I get a tickle in my heart swaying me to another party then I am Democrat.   I am for helping the poor and middle class. I straddle the fence on the whole abortion issue.  I am not going to get into my opinion here.  I just don’t think it is relevant.  I believe in equal rights.

I agree with everything that Obama mentions.  I am for the rising taxes on wealthier people, bringing troops home in 16 months, revamping the healthcare system so that it is more affordable for lower income people.   I think Obama is a great strong leader.   The only thing that bothers me is his church and their beliefs and the fact that he did not put his hand over his heart for the Pledge.

With McCain, I just don’t know.  I think he is too old for one.   I would like to see a fresher face in the White House.   I am not quite sure about his Vice Presidential candidate.   She has a 5 month old kid who needs a lot of attention, yet she wants to become vice president.    This doesn’t make sense to me.   I am pro-woman, but Palin makes me think.   I don’t believe in giving wealthier Americans tax breaks.  To me, they are making all the money and get lots of breaks.   Sorry, but not all the poor people in this world are out to rip off the system.  Heck, I was one of those once that received Medicaid and food stamp services.  Some poor people actually work their tail off to be where they are.   I honestly think it is time to bring the troops home.  I am still confused why we stuck our noses into Iraq.  Afanganistan yes, but not Iraq.   Bin Laden was the one that attacked us not Hussein.    Why haven’t we captured Bin Laden?  This is his second time to attack our country.

Who do you vote for?  I agree with the issues given by Obama, yet I don’t agree with his church and his beliefs.  I don’t agree with anything McCain.  I know that I am just stressing over this for nothing.  I have prayed about this, but have received no answers.  I know that I just need to be patient.

I did mention several months back that I was going to vote for Jeff if Hillary did not win the Democratic Convention.   So who do I vote for:  McCain, Obama, or Noble?

Today has been the worst day ever, but I have endured.  Since at about noon, Drew Central Elementary was without electricity, except for the generator lights.  With the generator we were able to conduct class as normal, just a little dim.  The only problem was that we had no air conditioner.   So here we are working in dim lighting and sweating.  I don’t sweat but today I was sweating.

The students did very well, no screaming and acting crazy because the electricity was flickering.  Well,  that was until at about 3.  The generators quit for about a minute.    Now, the screaming started.  My room was pitch black.  I have no window in my classroom, so no lights what so ever.   Trent (my AmeriCorp) and I turned on our cell phones to gather the children toward the door.   Let me tell you, cell phone lights are not very bright.    I was fixing to go and sit the kids in the hall so we could have some outside light.   By the time, we gather all the children at the door was heading to the hallway, the lights came on.  GO FIGURE!

I hope tomorrow will be a better day.   At least a day with bright lights and air conditioning.