What if Adam lied?

I have read a number of commentaries and many sermons discussing the fall of Man. In each, it is clarified that God had only given one law that Adam had to follow. Read Gen 2:16-17. The law begins with all that Adam was allowed to do, followed by the one restriction and ending with the outcome to reaffirm the need for the restriction. '

As everyone will tell you, all he had to do was not at from that tree. The question I am asking is what if Adam had lied prior to eating from the tree? Would that have been sin? Would that have resulted in the fall?

In looking at this, the Lord has revealed that my question is wrong or that my understanding of sin and sin nature was faulty. I propose that Adam was incapable of lying prior to the fall because the manifestation of sin, that is lying, requires a sin nature. We commit sin because we are sinful. In the garden Adam did not have a sin nature. He was innocent.

To clarify this, lets look at a possible lie Adam could have told and dig deep into it.

Adam could have told Eve, "I rode a Rhino today" when he had not done anything of the sort. This is a lie where he is trying to get Eve to think he was brave or even to get her to increase her desire for him. We lie like this all the time in small and big ways in our lives. We exaggerate our history to increase our prestige, or we gloat over small victories expanding them to make a better story.

We do this because we want to be respected, to be considered superior. Adam in the garden, did not have this flaw of the sinful nature. He truly loved Eve and his desire for her would have been to lift her up and not himself. He would not have considered lying, because the sinful desires that would have prompted that lie did not exist in his nature.

Their are many types of lies we tell, but the intent and desire that underlies those lies come from a nature that seeks our own glory, our own self preservation, our own rebellion from God. Adam, when he ate that apple, decided to take his life into his own hands instead of trusting in God. God created us in His image. We were intended to be other-focused, other-centric, good creatures of Love. When Adam put himself before God he became unnatural. Thereafter, all humanity became unnatural, corrupted, prone to committing acts of sin from their sinful nature. Each a betrayal of the Love and Goodness of God that deepens the stain of sin and further cements us as separated from God.

We are not good people that slip up and tell lies. We are rebels to God and we lie because it is what we are. Each lie darkening our rebellious nature a deeper shade of evil. We cannot do good because it is no longer in our species. When Adam fell, there was only sin. God must judge that sin. Yet He had a purpose in creating us and no creature in Heaven or Earth will thwart His will. His Love surpasses even our rebellion and at great personal sacrifice, He sent His beloved son, with no regard for His own concern, to take on the penalty for our sin. He experienced the full wrath of God on that cross, a willing sacrifice on our behalf. Now God's judgement has been satisfied and His Love also has been satisfied, in that if we trust in His son, he will give us a new life, the life of His son, eternal. For in Christ we die, yet we live, but not us, Christ lives in us and through us.

If you find yourself lying, look at the source. Are you glorifying yourself, protecting yourself, executing your plan for your life? Stop, confess your sin, repent, and seek the glory of God, trust God to protect you, follow His Will and then surely the goodness of God will follow you.

Thoughts on Love

How can you tell if you love someone?

The truest test of love is what do you want from the one loved? Are they there to meet some need or want that you have? True love wants nothing from the one loved. You seek to find ways to make their lives better, to fulfill their hopes and dreams, to make them happy. When you love someone, you are not concerned with what they can do for you, but what you can do for them. 

Do you love God? He loves you. 

The truest sign of the Christian life is the expression of love. Is it all about what God can do for you or what you can do for God? Do you love the lost? Are they as important to you as they are to God? Is the love of Christ in you? 

These can be tough questions. Our love can never reach the expression of love that Christ showed to us. Yet when we were made new, that transformed new life grafted us into Christ. That love so great now flows in us and through us and this gives us life. 

So love and be loved. You cannot do this on your own. Christianity is not a thing to do or some precepts to keep or doctrines to believe. It is a relationship with the living God. Love God. Seek Him and His glory. Let Him into your secret chambers where you plot and plan your life and let Him rewrite those plans. Seek Christ, Ask for His glory and receive His love. 

So, young man, do you love that young woman? Do you want her for what she does for you? Or do you want to serve her and be a blessing to her. 

So young lady, is he going to be Mr. Right for you or will you be Ms Right for him? Is he your chance for a happy life or your chance to make someone happy?

Wives submit to your husbands...

Husbands love your wives...

Children, Obey your parents in the Lord.

Small miracles

We are amazed by the big miracles. Impressive is as impressive does.

God doesn't work in big ways or small ways only. He works in all ways. His grace to us is to show us His handiwork in ways we can see. He directs our attention to what we need to see. When you are looking at a problem, do you see the Lord at work or the problem? Seek and you will find. 

So here is the small miracle today. God is at work right now. In every direction that you turn, He is working to the fulfillment of His will. From the keys on this keyboard to the judge's chambers of the Supreme Court, our God is in charge and His purposes will prevail. Trust in Him and follow His will.

God meets us where we are. If we aren't where we need to be, then walk with Him and He will get you there. Along the way, watch Him work and glorify Him through thanksgiving and praise. Keep it simple, keep it small. 

God be with you

I have been struggling since yesterday afternoon. I have been tempted to rely on my own wisdom and not trust in the Lord. As always the Lord is faithful. The lessons He has been impressing upon me, just got a more realistic example. I am in need to trust in Him all the more as my perception of the best scenario came shattering down. 

I heard today from someone at our church that they would be leaving. This is someone that I had come to trust. The Lord had worked through both him and his wife mightily to restore me to the church. Their patience, encouragement, and faithfulness are an expression of Christ's love. The Lord has called them to depart from our church organization. The Lord does not do these things lightly. In turn, this must be intended as a blessing both for them and us, as this is God's will. 

In there absence a void will be created in our church, a significant one at that. It is here that I pray the Lord is working. This void is a call to others in the church to step forward, to grow, and mature. The Lord has blessed Crosspoint with this family, and now God is calling on others to provide that blessing while sending our brothers and sisters to others where He has need of their faithfulness. 

He has been glorified and will continue to be glorified. I want to thank this family, and if you are reading this, then you know who you are. I pray and will continue to pray that the Lord will brightened your path and God's glory will be seen wherever He leads you. 

Never forget the cross

I wrote and deleted a rather long blog post tonight. 

It was about people who call themselves the leaders of the christian movement nationwide, but they are not. The world thinks they are, but the love of God is not in them. In my thoughts on this, I had to stop and dislodge a fairly large beam from my eye. 

I was upset to see them try to solve the problems of this world by worldly means labeled in christian terms.In expressing my thoughts on this and laying out my idea on how to solve this issue, I realized I was doing the same. 

"But for the grace of God, there go I." How easy it must be to trap men. These men were once devout men that went into these fields with great purpose. The devil is a viscous opponent and how he worked to deceive and played on their pride. I was wrong to criticize them as I did. We must pray for such men all the more that they have been given such a platform to sway the hearts of so many. 

God has allowed these men to represent the Church. What a wonderful opportunity for Him to display His power and change them. The christian church in America is falling apart. People are leaving in droves. The false gospel has taken its toll and when it no longer satisfies, the people seek a new experience. Nothing has changed in all the years from Christ to now. People need to see the love of God lived out faithfully in front of them. We are the vessels of His light to the world. We are an example of the gospel expressed. 

The rise of the Atheism movement has allowed for a clear line to be made visible. God has turned this country over to its desires, as this country has requested. In His grace he has allowed this nation to fall away. Now once again, the Light shines all the brighter in this new darkness. 

The tragic event in Charleston was disturbing. However, the response of true Christians shook the world. Christ was seen in that moment and so many were brought back to Him. When real Love is expressed through the work of the Holy Spirit in a believers life, it is power to convict of sin, to draw men to Christ and to redeem the lost. 

We don't need more laws. We don't need better plans. We don't need the schemes of politicians and the promise of a new movement. 

We need Christ. 

Christ alone saves.

Want to stop abortions? Live the gospel. We know that laws won't stop it. There were abortions before Roe v Wade. Want to stop Gay marriage? Spread the good news. Gays were here before the courts made their ruling. Want to stop predatory lending? Love the lost and downtrodden. Want to ease the problems of Prison populations? Pray that God would reach out to them. 

We must go to the lost and live among them. Paul didn't just tell people about the cross, he lived the cross. 

"For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." - I Cor 2:2 

Blue Belle Blessings

What a blessing a broken car can be.

My car has been in and out of the repair shop for the last month. It has actually spent more time at the shop than in my driveway. I am thankful that the Lord has provided me alternative transportation while I wait for the repairs to be completed. However, I have been so blessed by how I have gotten to witness the change he has wrought in me. Not once during this entire time have I gotten angry. This is not my nature. 
"When a problem comes around, you must bend it to your will or destroy it."  - Todd from days past.

I have always been a man of extremes. Feast or famine. All in or all out. Full speed or sound asleep. Burn the candle at both ends or enjoy the darkness...


God has been using this car to demonstrate the extremes. Even the problems it was having are a matter of extremes. When it started it sounded like a thousand sparrows on gerbil wheels trying to take flight. Once it got up to speed and warmed up the engine would go back to normal sounds. However, as I move it up to highway speed and new sound like steel balls on a grindstone would start coming up from the driver's side wheel. It was rather unnerving of an experience to drive that car. 

However, the Lord was my Shepard and there were no outward appearance of issues, no rattle, and no shimmy. So, being far from home and with a promised companion to assure safe delivery, I turned over the trip into His hands and relied upon Him to get us both safely home. 


The Lord was faithful and that ride home was a true blessing. We both got to share how God was working in our lives and experience His faithfulness together. 


I can report now the root cause of the car troubles. First, the bird sounds was cause by the new serpentine belt that was from the wrong manufacturer. It was fine to be in the car, but cheap and prone to making those bird sounds. It would have worn out much sooner than the quality belt that was ordered. They are replacing that. The grinding noise was caused by the flap that directs the air around the tire. When they replaced the axle, someone didn't fasten that back properly and when it got to highway speeds the flap would rub against the tire. So these great big problems that sounded like a car was going to fall apart were nothing more than empty noises, signifying nothing. My friend and I were never at any risk during the trip. 

This is how Christ meets us. God is the only true mechanic, and when we see things that happen in our life, we are prone to respond like its the end of the world. Yet if we trust in our Mechanic, then we know he would never put us on the road with a faulty life. Sometimes he gives us those warning sounds to let us know that we need to keep the engine running and go at his pace. Not so slow that we never get where He is leading us and not to fast that we overrun His plan for our lives. He leads us as the good Shepard, prodding us when we need to move and hooking us to pull us back to His flock. 

Thank you Lord for the blessing of faulty cars. 

Today's Lesson

People at work know about my daughter, my mother, my other family members. Do they know I also have a relationship with another member of my family, namely Jesus? He is an integral part of my life. He is with me in every moment. He is not just hanging out, but He should be living through me. So many times, I still take the controls and try to guide my ship to His destination only to run it ashore in frustration. 

He is patient and when I learn to trust in his guiding hands to navigate my life, I see endless blessings. Last week, the Lord work wonders. Even through the trials with my car that remains "unfixable" His grace was there. I can still feel the struggle as I rove Him with Stephen from work. We both experiencing our need to rest in Lord and not upon our own wisdom. In trusting Him we received peace and what a great time to minister to each other that road trip became. 

The trial of the grinding wheel, gave both of us an opportunity to place our trust in the Lord and see His faithfulness through to getting us home. Yet I think sometimes it is easier to give the big things over to the Lord and not the many small things. It is often a small thing that makes us feel we have the power to deal with it. The faith we have in the Lord when our lives are on the line is one thing. Expressing that faith when the only thing on the line is a misplaced word or misdirected emotion is where I want the Lord to lead me. 

Faith like a mustard seed can move mountains and toss mulberry bushes into the sea. Faith in the little things is gift to those that wait upon the Lord. Lord, give me the grace to walk more closely with you and to shine Your light into the crevices and the corners. Teach me to trust in you with the moments in my life, not just the momentous events. Live through me, that others might see you and not this fleshy shell that fails you. Apart from you I can do nothing.