CRISIS IN THE NEW GENESIS

MF Blume November  23, 2003 pm John 1:1 (1)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:4-5 (4)  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5)  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:9-12 (9)  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (10)  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John spoke of light coming amidst a world of darkness. So similar to the light in Genesis 1. Darkness abode everywhere, and God spoke light and the darkness could not stop it, and had to be pushed aside and separated. And for 6000 years there has been night and day. Light and darkness. When John said the darkness did not comprehend the light, that actually means in Greek that it could not withstand the light. It could not stop it. And John says this same sort of GENESIS occurred all over again with the coming of Jesus Christ! He is the light. Notice how God worked. Gen 1:1-5 (1)  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4)  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5)  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. He did not eradicate the darkness. He simply shone it forth, not allowing the darkness to swallow it up, and gave it. God does not force Himself upon us. Now, one day, darkness will be gone. Rev 21:23-25 (23)  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (24)  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (25)  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. THERE SHALL BE NO NIGHT. But while its here, God warns us that it is going to be gone one day. And while we have light, we are encouraged to walk in the light.      But God allowed this darkness to stand beside light and the forbidden tree in the garden to coexist with the tree of life, to allow man to make his choice. And it is still that way, which gives to the potential for a crisis! John 12:35 (35)  Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. John 12:36 (36)  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. And when Jesus came, people fell into one of two groupings. John 3:17-21 (17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18)  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19)  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20)  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21)  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John the Baptist said the same thing about belief and life and wrath, etc. John 3:36 (36)  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. The whole battle from time immemorial, has been giving way for God's will or going one's own pathway. And it still is that way. But God forces no one. He gave the warning. He told what will end everything. And He gave the chance. He let darkness hang around, and admonished us to come to light. He allowed a tree of false evil fruit to stand aside the tree of life in the Garden. The good tree would give life into man's soul and spirit. The false tree would cause man to die. I want to talk about one aspect of this entire spirit of the world to steal our hearts away from God and His will, and entrap us in the downward plunge of the world into destruction. All that is not of God will be destroyed one day. Darkness will be replaced by total day. Gen 2:9 (9)  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Gen 3:6 (6)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. This one single tree that was disallowed, but not forced from man against his will, held one aspect among two innocent aspects, that was a killer. It was the desire to make oneself wise. To exalt oneself. This is the killer. It will distort pleasant sight to lust of the eyes. It will distort goodness for food into lust of the flesh. It focuses your attention on yourself and takes it away from God. You begin to seek to lift yourself up and exalt yourself, while neglecting God. You will seek to obtain a whole lot of knowledge of what is good and what is evil, and through your will power and making up your own mind, you reach up to heaven and exalt yourself. So much of religion today is this very thing. Let's ensure its not in our souls. Where was this tree? Gen 3:2-3 (2)  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3)  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. In the “midst of the Garden”.  A brother recently shared with me the thought of Nebuchadnezzar's dream parallelling the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The King of Babylon had a dream and desired to know what it meant. Here is that dream. So similar to the picture of the Garden. Dan 4:10-16 (10)  Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. (11)  The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: (12)  The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. (13)  I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; (14)  He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: (15)  Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: (16)  Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. Daniel interpreted the dream. The tree was the king, himself. Does this tree not sound like the false tree in the Garden? The leaves were fair and there was much fruit. Eve saw the false tree as pleasant to the sight and good for food. It was in the midst of the earth as the false tree was in the midst of the Garden. But ALL FLESH ATE OF THE TREE in the king's dream. The bible speaks of two ways in which we can SOW. Gal 6:7-9 (7)  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (8)  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (9)  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Paul spoke of money and giving to the work of God rather than the world's pleasures. But a principle is clearly seen. We can SOW TO THE FLESH (self) or SOW TO THE SPIRIT. The tree of life and the false tree both were FRUIT  TREES. That is, they HAD SEEDS in the fruit. And Adam was made from dust and therefore was SOIL for the SEED to be planted in. We can SOW TO OUR LIVES' SOILS fleshly seed or spiritual seed. Nebuchadnezzar sowed seed to HIS FLESH. People came to him and received fleshliness. I want people to come to me and not see me. I want them to get something spiritual from me, that gives them Jesus! Nebuchadnezzar was showing SELF to the whole world. Within everyone of us is the desire to LIFT UP SELF for all to see and admire. Everyone appreciates admiration and honour should be given to whom honour is due. I am not saying personal pride in its proper place is wrong. But what is number 1 in our lives? Him or us? The tree reached up to heaven, just like Lucifer. Isa 14:12-14 (12)  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13)  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14)  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. He wanted himself to be praised and worshiped. We ought to be so far away from this spirit of the praise of self that at every chance we worship and praise God with everything in us! What holds people back from public praise of Jesus is SELF! Think about it. We are self-conscious! That is that old flesh not willing to give in. We are too concerning about ourselves! That is the killer! It’s a sprout from the false tree that is rising up. It reminds me of the warning of a root of bitterness cropping up and defiling many! Such roots are from the wrong seed and tree! Isa 14:15 (15)  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. God brings down all this. He let the devil go for a time. He is letting the darkness in this world go for a time. But He will bring it down. Dan 4:24-25 (24)  This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: (25)  That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And look at his attitude, so much like Lucifer's: Dan 4:30-33 (30)  The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? (31)  While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. (32)  And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. (33)  The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. It is in several places that the great destruction of the world and its pride that is coming, has been foreshadowed by examples to stir us to give ourselves to God's praise and not our own praise, that we may remain. Gen 11:4-8 (4)  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (5)  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (6)  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (7)  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (8)  So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Nebuchadnezzar saw the light in the end and repented. When he repented, he came back to his senses and was blessed. Dan 4:34-37 (34)  And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: (35)  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (36)  At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. (37)  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. John said the false tree is coming down. Mat 3:7-10 (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (9)  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (10)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Think of the serpent in the Garden, the false tree and true tree, and the false fruit and true fruit. John addresses all these points! The false tree is coming down! Darkness is going out! Self praise will be eradicated! Only GOD'S PRAISE IS FOREVER! Why is the false tree death? Gen 2:16-17 (16)  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17)  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Because the praise of self is wickedness against God and all that He wills in goodness, that is hindered by self praise instead of a giving spirit. And he will not allow such evil to continue, for it spreads and brings death and murder and violence! If we want power, let’s receive the Holy Ghost and witness of Jesus Christ, not self. Want a kingdom? •    Be born of the water and Spirit and enter His kingdom and rule with Him. •    Become like Jesus, and not like the beasts!