Good day dear friends.
For all of our non-Harlingen friends, today is Day Two of a Twenty-Day Prayer Commitment we've made to join our police chief, and other Christian communities to be in prayer against gang violence. Yes, Harlingen has a gang problem and our chief, thank God, is a man of faith and prayer, and realizes our prayers will help us win the war against violence. We also recognize the gang problem exists because of a breakdown in the home and we're praying for all families and each member, to step up to the plate to do their part in making their family strong. We're calling God to help fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, etc. to be more commited to loving each other and making each other feel a part of the family. Please join us pray against gang violence!
Here is our study guide for today: God created us with free will and that’s when all the trouble started! Read again Genesis 3: 1-7 and see where it all began. How would you have “played” it differently?
Here is that text from Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.' " 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, F11 knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Free will is a gift and it leads most of us to be curious. What will I miss out if I don't try this or don't do this, is what we usually say. As I mentioned in my sermon my hardest thing about losing weight is turning down different foods that I think, "If I don't take this now, I may never have this chance again!" The reality is that most of us eat about 80-90,000 meals in our life time, so the odds are great that if we turn down this piece of pie or cake, it will be offered to us again, usually really soon. The same is true about those temptations that cause us to fall from grace. We think we're not hurting anyone and no one will see us and then we go ahead and do just what we're not supposed to, and sadly realize that we've hurt many.
As Christians we're called to live our free will in making decisions that guide us closer to God and to each other, rather than the other way around. God loves us and gives us free will in the hopes we would make the right decisions about life, especially the eternity decision, that we would choose to spend eternity with Him rather than separated from Him.
PRAYER: God of free will and love, guide me in my understanding to make the choices and decisions that bless you. I ask this in Jesus' precious Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
