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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We come to Genesis Chapter 2 verses 16,17. This is where we can begin to see things just about to go wrong. We are quite pleased to receive gifts and blessings - and to be placed in beautiful surroundings - but how do we react when HE comes along and issues a command?
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden - except that one - not that one."
If man had avoided eating from that tree he would never have died. Let me say this again - when our Creator God created man - He never intended that man should experience - sin - disease - pain or death.
When we read verse 9 we read that there were two special trees - one could lengthen your life indefinitely - and one has the capacity to shorten it very quickly. God places man in the situation where eternal life could be his.
Today - GOD points us to another tree - which was raised up on Calvary. God says the same thing - you can live or die. We were not created to die. That is why we dress it up - like a flower show at times - because we were not made for death - and that is why we need Jesus to remove the sting of death! Are you seeing what evolution destroys and demolishes?
God is saying - to live you must keep your innocence. I want you to obey ME - I want you to live an obedient life - I want you to trust ME to tell you what is good! We can only keep our purity by trusting someone else to tell us what is good and what is evil.
If you lose your innocence you can NEVER regain it. You cannot try chastity and unchastity - and then choose which you will have.
God is saying - I give you one restraint - allow ME to decide what is right and wrong for you. But if you lose your innocence you cannot live for ever. But innocent people can live for ever - that is why Jesus Christ came into our world.
Jesus lived a perfectly innocent life - and HE is able to wash away all sin - all guilt - all evil.
When man begins to sample thing he should not taste - he moves out of the Will of God. God gives us this freedom to choose. Man is not a manipulated automaton.
When God says - You shall NOT - HE means it for our good. HE is NOT a spoilsport. That does not limit us - and narrow things down - that is perfect freedom.
I want you to remain in the Parkland of Delight in perfect and absolute innocence of evil. Only to man did GOD say this - not to the animals. "Man is responsible."
That is why if you are closer to a pet than a person there is something wrong!
Verse 18 - This is a Divine principle - it is not good for man to be alone. You cannot grow into a mature Christian on your own. We need to have fellowship and communion and intermingling - the one with the other.
God is about to do something about possible or potential loneliness.
“Merciful Father – Where I have sinned, forgive me – where I have let You down, help me never to do that again – where I have made bad choices and wrong choices guide me and direct me – fill me with you love – let Your grace meet my various needs. Amen”
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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