THREE FRIENDS, THREE TREES, AND A CONFESSION

I was twelve years old and I lived about a quarter of a mile from my best friend. There were three homes, a church, and a patch of woods between us. There was a valley in the woods and some really tall trees. One day at school, my friend told me he had found a big vine in the woods and had been swinging on it. He wanted me to meet him there after school and have some fun swinging. So I did.

He brought his neighbor with him who went to another school and we all took turns swinging on the vine. At first, I was careful because I was a bit nervous. The hill where we were swinging was pretty steep and when we swung out we were very high off the ground. Then I got a little braver and was swinging further out and higher each time.

Then it happened. I swung too far. There were three trees side by side in a V shape. My shoulder hit one of them and spun me around and I slammed into another one with my back. It knocked the breath out of me and my hands just let go of the vine. I fell into the valley and hit the ground with a thud.

I got up as quickly as I could. It was all I could do to move. I could barely breathe and I was in pain. I just wanted to lay down and cry. All that kept me from doing just that was the fact that I was embarrassed. I didn’t want my friend and his friend to think I was weak so I acted as tough as I could. I did muster up the courage to tell them it hurt a little and I needed to go home.

I could have been hurt worse than I thought. I could have had internal bleeding. I hit that tree pretty hard and I fell a long distance. I hurt for several days, but I didn’t dare tell anyone what had happened, especially my grandmother. I was afraid she would never let me leave the house again.

Shame and embarrassment often prevent us from admitting that we’re not invincible. It also makes us try to hide things we’ve done that were wrong. Even though we know God sees everything we do, too often, we refuse to even admit to him that we’ve sinned, just like Adam and Eve, after they sinned in the garden of Eden. They actually tried to hide from God when he came to visit them.

Isaiah tells us that “sin separates us from God,” but John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:9). Have you ever heard “Confession Is Good For The Soul?” Well, it really is. Forgiveness is an awesome gift from God, so the next time you sin, and you feel so ashamed that you want to run and hide from God, don’t. We don’t have to be afraid to come to him. We have his promise that he will forgive us.

We know he loves us, and we know he wants what’s best for us so why is it so hard sometimes to just turn to him and confess our sins and say “I’m sorry?” Sometimes it may be pride, but I think it’s usually just shame and embarrassment. We have to get past that and learn to admit when we sin and ask for forgiveness, immediately. The sooner we do, the sooner we can be forgiven and get back to the safety of his arms. It’s truly the best place to be.

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DO RULES AND WARNINGS REALLY PROTECT US?

It was a beautiful day. Vivian and her two children were getting ready to go joyriding on their four-wheeler. Her niece Sally wanted to ride with them. There were four of them, but only one four-wheeler. How many people are supposed to ride on a four-wheeler at the same time? There are warnings on A.T.V.s that say “ONLY ONE RIDER AT A TIME.” But in spite of that warning, Vivian put all four kids on the four-wheeler with her.

I don’t know how long they rode, or how much fun they had, but somehow the four-wheeler flipped over on top of them. Vivian hit her head and was knocked out. When she regained consciousness, she could hear her son moaning and her daughter crying. Both her children were hurt and had cuts and broken bones, but Sally wasn’t so lucky. Vivian saw her lying there, her body all broken and twisted, and her face a dull blue color. One of the handlebars of the big four-wheeler had fallen on her neck and she died.

What a sad story. I feel so bad for Vivian and her family. Accidents happen, but many of them could be avoided by simply following rules and warnings. If Vivian had only heeded the warning, she and her children would not have suffered all the pain of that accident. They would not have had to spend all the time and money on physical therapy. If she had only obeyed the warning placed there by someone who knew more than she did about ATVs, her niece would not have had to suffer such a horrible death.

We’re given warnings for a reason, and most of the time they come from people who know more than we do. But, too often, these warnings go unheeded. God, who knows the end from the beginning, gives us warning after warning in His Word. He warned Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2 16-17
16. Then the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat from every tree in the garden:
17. But do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because, in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.

God warned them, but they disobeyed and brought the curse of sin upon all the inhabitants of the Earth. God tells us what will happen if we don’t turn from our sinful ways and follow his laws, but many are ignoring his warnings even today. He also tells us that he’s coming back to rescue those who have been born again and to destroy sin once and for all.

John 14:1-3
1. Don’t let your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. 
2. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if not, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself so that where I am, you may be also.

Unfortunately, all those who cling to sin will be destroyed in the lake of fire along with sin, Satan, and his angels.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
7. To you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 
8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who don’t know God, and don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 
9. Who will be punished with eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

A marvelous promise to those who obey God, and a terrible warning to those who refuse to obey. God loves us like a parent loves a child, and much more, no matter what we do or say, no matter how we act, and even if we never follow him. But like a parent, he can not excuse the wrong that we do.

He has a plan. We can be part of it if we want to, or we can choose to ignore his warnings and go our own way and do our own thing, but someday, God will put an end to sin once and for all. Please, don’t allow yourself to be destroyed with sin. Jesus wants to save you, but he won’t force you. He needs your permission.

Hebrews 5:9 says, 
9. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all those who OBEY him;

John 3:36 says, 
36. He that believes in the Son has eternal life, and he that does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God rests on him.

2 Timothy 3:15 says, 
15. And since you were a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 10:17 says,
17. So then faith comes through hearing and hearing through the word of God.

According to these verses, we gain faith in Jesus from reading and hearing the Bible. When we get to know him and believe in him, we can receive eternal life, and we will want to obey him. But, if we refuse to obey, God’s wrath rests on us.

One more warning;

Matthew 24:44
44. So you be ready also because the Son of man will come in an hour you do not expect.

Jesus says we need to be ready for his second coming. How can we be ready? Only by accepting his free gift of salvation. There’s nothing we can do to earn salvation, but we do have to accept it. God WILL NOT take anyone to heaven who does not want to go. Contrary to popular belief, we can’t live any way we want to and stay saved.

Hebrews 13:5 says,
5. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have because he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

That’s a quote from the old testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 31 and verse 6.

Deuteronomy 31:6
6. Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them because it is the LORD your God, that goes with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you.

Like most promises in God’s word, this Promise is conditional.

2 Chronicles 15:2 says, 
2. The LORD is with you, while you are with him, and if you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

The word of God is consistent throughout, from Genesis to Revelation. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the God of the Old Testament is a different God from the New Testament. Times have changed and people have changed, but God never changes. He’s a God of love, but he’s also a God of justice. He loves us all, and he has prepared the plan of salvation so everyone has a chance to be saved, but the Bible is clear that not everyone will be saved. Just believing is not enough. God requires obedience.

James 2:19
19. You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

James 2:20
20. But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

The works that James is talking about are not works to earn salvation but works we do because we are saved. Sin doesn’t stop being sin, just because we’re saved. Whatever was sin for an unsaved person is still sin after that person is saved.

Hebrews 10:26-27
26. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no more sacrifice for sins, 
27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the adversaries.

We must OBEY God to remain saved. Heed his warnings. This is serious. Jesus is our only hope. Cling to him for dear life, and obey his rules. If we truly love him, we’ll WANT to obey. It’s hard sometimes even then, but Jude 1:24 says that he is able to keep us from falling if we just trust him and obey. That’s a beautiful promise, and something we should all hold on to.

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© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

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IN THE BEGINNING

In The Beginning, God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). 

1) WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN BY “IN THE BEGINNING?”

Hebrews 1:10 
10 And, you Lord, in the beginning, have laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.

Isaiah 40:21 
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Have you not been told from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 

Isaiah 64:4  
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God, beside you, what he has prepared for him that waits for him. 

Act 15:18
18 Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 

Ephesians 3:9  
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ: 

2 Peter 3:4  
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 

So “In The Beginning”, in Genesis 1:1, the bible is referring to the beginning of our world; the creation, not just of the earth and its atmosphere, but our entire solar system; Our Galaxy. That leads to some other questions. 

2) WHEN WERE ADAM AND EVE CREATED?

Matthew 19:4
4 And he answered and said to them, Have you not read, that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female, 

Mark 10:6
6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. 

The Bible tells us that God made Adam and Eve at the beginning of our world. He made them on the 6th day (Gen 1:24-31). 

3) WERE THERE OTHER PEOPLE BEFORE GOD CREATED ADAM AND EVE? 

1 Corinthians 15:45  
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; 

The Bible plainly says that Adam was THE FIRST MAN on earth. Look at the genealogy in the books of 1 Chronicles and Luke.

1 Chronicle 1:1 
1 Adam, Seth, Enos, 

Luke 3:38  
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. 

In 1 Chronicles 1, the genealogy of mankind starts with Adam and moves forward toward Jesus. In Luke 3, it starts with Jesus and goes backward to Adam, then says he was the son of God. Clearly, Adam WAS the first man, and he was created by God at the beginning of this world. Look at the next 2 verses.

Genesis 2:20  
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field.

Genesis 3:20  
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve because she was the mother of all living.

These verses show Adam naming the living creatures God had created, including his wife, Eve. Gen. 3:20 also confirms that Eve was the FIRST woman. She was the mother of the human race. 

Genesis 5:1-2 
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God; 
2 He created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day that they were created. 

Some people believe Genesis chapter five refers to the second time man was created after some catastrophe wiped out the world. We have already seen from the Bible that Adam and Eve were the FIRST people on the earth. Chapter 5 is a recap of the beginning. Look back in Genesis chapter four, and you’ll see Adam and Eve have three sons; Cain, Abel, and Seth. In Genesis chapter five we see Adam and Eve have a son named Seth to replace Abel, the son Cain killed. Clearly, these two accounts refer to the same people. How anyone could say these are two different stories involving different people is beyond me.

Genesis 4:25  
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth, and she said, for God, has given me another child instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. 

Genesis 5:4  
4 And all the days of Adam after Seth was born were eight hundred years, and he had sons and daughters:

This process of retelling events is used throughout the Bible. There is a story, and later a recap or synopsis, usually adding more details. Look at the story of Noah and the flood in Genesis chapters 6-8, for example.

4) DID DINOSAURS LIVE MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO?

Romans 5:14
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses,

Romans 5:12
12 Just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death is passed on to everyone because all have sinned:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22
21 Since death came through one man, the resurrection of the dead came through one man also. 
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive. 

There was no death before Adam sinned. Death entered our world because Adam disobeyed God. The Bible says Adam was the FIRST man on earth, and DEATH came from his disobedience. Therefore, Dinosaurs could not have lived and Died before man, millions of years ago because there was no death before Adam sinned.

God created dinosaurs along with all the other land animals on the sixth day before he created Adam. Then he brought all the animals to Adam to see what he would call them (Gen. 1:25). 

5) DID GOD TAKE THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO CREATE EVERYTHING?

2 Peter 3:8  
8 But, beloved, do not be ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day.

This verse has been used by some to say a day in scripture equals a thousand years, or some extended period of time, trying to reconcile the Bible with “scientific” reasoning that the earth is billions of years old. We need to line our “scientific” discoveries up with the teachings of God’s word, not the other way around. God’s word has its own dictionary. The meaning of most things we read in the Bible is found somewhere in the holy scriptures. The next verse explains what 2 Peter 3:8 means.

Psalm 90:4  
4 For a thousand years in your eyes are as only yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 

This verse explains that a thousand years to God is just a small amount of time. 

In Numbers chapter 7, when the tabernacle in the wilderness was finished and it came time to dedicate the altar, God told Moses to have the Princes of Israel bring their offering, one tribe each day. This took 12 days; 12 literal days, not 12 extended periods of time. Why would this passage of scripture be literal 24 hour days, and Genesis chapter 1 not be literal days?  

Exodus 20:8-11 says
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work: 
10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God: in it, you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: 

Why? Read the next verse carefully.

Exodus 20:11
11 Because, in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and He rested the seventh day. So the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

Here, we are commanded to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy because God created the heaven and earth and everything in them in six literal days, NOT 6 extended periods of time, NOT 6000 years. He worked 6 literal days and rested on the 7th day. We are to work 6 literal days then rest on the 7th day. Plus, at the end of each day, the Bible records that the EVENING and the MORNING (Night and Day) was the 1st day, the 2nd day, etc. Therefore these verses prove a literal 6-day creation.

6) WHAT ABOUT “THE HEAVEN” IN GENESIS 1:1?

Genesis 1:1 
1 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

Notice that the heaven is singular, not plural.

Exodus 20:11
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. So the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

Genesis 1:6-8 shows the creation of the heaven.

Genesis 1:6 -8 
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 
7 And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so. 
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning was the second day. 

In the Hebrew language, the word firmament means EXPANSION or EXPANSE. In English, it means a space. We simply call it SPACE.

Notice that the SPACE God made to separate the water did not stop at our atmosphere.

Genesis 1:14-15
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven (SPACE) to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years, 
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and it was so. 

7) WHAT WERE THESE LIGHTS?

Genesis 1:16-18  
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 
17  And God put them in the firmament (space) of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 
18  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness, and God saw that it was good.

Jeremiah 31:35  
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divides the sea when the waves thereof roar. The LORD of hosts is his name: 

Clearly, these lights that God created and put in (the) SPACE are the Sun and Moon. Notice, he had already made the Stars at some earlier time. The firmament stretchered out into space. The firmament IS space, where our galaxy, our solar system, was created by God, IN THE BEGINNING of our world.

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https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2014 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6