A, Pentecost 10 Proper 14 - Matthew 14:22–33 "Comply and/or Die"

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.  And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”  And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22–33 ESV)

Sit up children of God and know that the day of salvation is drawing near despite satan raging against the church in these days. Interpret the times to the glory of God and proclaim life in the midst of pandemic death.

These are testing times.  There is no doubt our world is straining under the pressure of affliction at the moment. However in humanity’s struggle what is overlooked is, “why this has come upon us?”

There has been much busyness by governments around the world to stop the virus; to stop the deathly march of covid-19 and to bolster the economies of countries’ financial hopes.  These are testing times.

But why are we being tested?  Who is testing us?  What in each of us is being tested?

You and I are being tested, the children of God are being tested.  The denominations of Christendom are being tested as the turbid waters of these days churn in waves of pandemic flooding the planet.

Peter and the disciples were being tested too.

Why would Jesus force us to get into a boat and sail to “the other side”?

We are told Jesus set them in the boat and then sent them ahead across the lake while he dismissed the crowd.

You must go, it’s time to leave, the five thousand have been fed, and it’s time to be alone in social isolation.

It’s what one does in isolation that tells what one is really like!  What I do when I am alone, what I think about privately and what I desire in secret reveal what a person “is” in the presence of God.   And this is where the testing reveals the result.

In the last couple of weeks as the threat of a second wave of covid-19 threatens to sweep over us and border restrictions are being strengthened with more police and military personnel I thought to myself the military should have guns and enforce the closures with their weapons.  “Comply or die” I mused in the confusion of fear and self glorification lurking within my human spirit.

Contrary to this Jesus seems to force the disciples to cross the border from stability and food and fellowship with the five thousand into the darkness of isolation and waves of death that well up without notice on the Sea of Galilee.

Galilee was known as Galilee of the nations. Likewise the nations of our planet have suddenly been gathered into its own swirling whirlpool of suffering and testing.  And here Jesus tests by sending his disciples into what appears to be satanic seas and a hellish death.  Rather than “comply or die”, it would have seemed that they must “comply and die”.

In their exhaustion after hours of rowing against the wind and the waves, blisters on their hands, the feed of fish and bread long burnt away in their bellies and aching muscles tired beyond sleep, they believed Jesus had left them in social isolation.

You and I along with the rest of humanity always become zealous in socially isolating ourselves from God.  As individuals, as families, as church, as society and country, a human’s greatest desire is to be free from being the reliant creatures God has made us to be.  Yet now we find ourselves in social isolation; we wanted to be all alone and now we’ve got it! 

What St Paul tells the Corinthians, God calls us to hear!  

God chose things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are. (1 Corinthians 1:28 ESV)

Paul also says to the Romans, (God) gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:17 ESV)

Covid-19 has come from nowhere to everywhere in the blink of an eye.  Covid was nothing to us a year ago and a year later it’s bringing much of our existence to nothing!  On its arrival every god we sought to sustain us is being rendered completely useless and impotent. The human spirit is shaken to its core and it sees itself in the reality of a satanic sea without a saviour.

Then Jesus approaches us in our isolation.  Our reaction is fear.  The “comply or die” judgement we have wished upon others seems to have ensnared us.  We have become slaves to the oars of our own efforts; enslaved to the gods of our social loneliness.  Has our kingdom come?  Are we receiving the wages for what we’ve done?  What will this phantom do who approaches us through the winds and the waves?  We know we have never fully complied.  In our selfish isolation will he make us now die? 

Jesus speaks to us in his Word?  “Sit up child of God!  Take courage children of God. I speak from my Word!  Have I got your attention?  I am your Saviour, do not fear.”  Return! Listen to God’s Word.  Pray for the Holy Spirit; don’t trust your human spirit! 

It’s right here Jesus takes the “comply or die” of the human spirit and turns it on its head.  It’s no longer the snare trapping us in our kingdom of social isolation and fear which waves and churns within.  God is calling from without saying, “Come!”  Step out from your human spirited kingdom into mine.

Jesus’ invitation to Peter was a call to “Comply AND die”.  So Peter steps out of the boat but as soon as he does his human spirit doesn’t want to die and he doubts; he two faces himself!  Trusting not in the face of Jesus rather he once again sees his reflection in his sea of social isolation from Jesus and begins to sink.

The more Peter tries to save himself the more he falls into the deadliness of his situation.  The more I try to comply with my own desires, the more it kills! This not only affects me but all others I have been called to serve.  Not only do I fall into a sea of suffering I pull everyone else in around me too.

But Jesus’ call to “comply and die” is not compliance with the self!  It’s compliance with him and his Word.  Having been tested we realise we’re nothing without him, and the hope we place in ourselves is a dead hope.  But in complying with Jesus we’re called to die and as we do we cry out to our only true hope, “Lord save me!”

Jesus reached out his hand and saved Peter and those within the boat.  They worshipped him as the Son of God.  Jesus was opening their eyes to his kingdom.  Not a kingdom of laws and compliance from death, but rather a kingdom which called them to put to death faith in themselves and trust in the King who saves from death through death.

Our human spirit, governments all around the word, and satan call for compliance OR die.  Fear is not far from us in these times of turbulence on this pandemic planet.  But Jesus has complied and in doing so he also died.  He calls us to comply and die.  Comply with him which frees us to die to self.

Despite our social isolation, when we die to self, when we allow the Holy Spirit to daily drown the human spirit Jesus brings you into compliance with his kingdom.  And this is a good kingdom with a good end.

Just as Jesus said to Peter in the boat, “Take courage, it is I! Come!” Jesus says to you “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”(Revelation 22:7 ESV)

As we in the world are tested for Covid-19, God tests his children with his Word saying, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.  Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”  “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”  Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. (Revelation 22:10–14 ESV)

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Revelation 22:17 ESV)

Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:20–21 ESV) 

A, Lent 4 - John 9:1-7 Ephesians 5:6-17 "Coronavirus Advice 2020"

John 9:1–7 (ESV) As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.  And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.  We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Jesus has this discussion with his disciples after he walked out of the temple in Jerusalem having spoken sternly with the Pharisees.  The Pharisees had brought a woman caught in the act of adultery testing Jesus with the Law of Moses.  However, as they continued to ask him, Jesus stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7 (ESV)

Jesus throws attention onto their sin and after they fade and fail to condemn, Jesus says to the woman “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:11 (ESV)

Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” John 8:21 (ESV)

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:24 (ESV)

Jesus said all these things in the temple treasury, telling them he was from above and not of this world. Some believed to whom he said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–32 (ESV)

To those who didn’t believe he said, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”(John 8:47 ESV)

Jesus calls the Pharisees liars, sons of the devil, unbelievers, and unable to hear the word of God.  Jesus does not hold back on speaking the truth.  To which they claim Jesus has a demon.

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me.  Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.  Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”  The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ (John 8:49–52 ESV)

One can imagine that the exchange would have been rather tense.  The truth of Jesus’ word was making the Jews furious.  But in this last exchange there is a subtle change in their interpretation of Jesus’ word.  Jesus says, “he will never see death” but the Pharisees respond, “he will never taste death”.

See death, taste death.  The death to which Jesus referred as seeing was an eternal death; the death to which the Jews referred to as tasting was an earthly death.  In faith Abraham saw in Jesus the death of the eternal death and was glad and died in faith.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58 ESV)

Jesus uses for himself the name of Yahweh, “I am”.  He says it to the Jews in the Jerusalem Temple and their anger boils over as they seek to stone him.  After the Pharisees brought an adulteress to stone, Jesus leaves the temple with them wanting to stone him.

It’s here outside the temple the disciples ask about the man born blind.  Did he sin or did his parents sin?

Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.  We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:3–5 ESV)

Jesus is the light of the world.  His light is received outside the temple. Is Jesus the light of your world; in the temple of your heart?  Today in Australia, over this entire planet is Jesus the light of denominational Christendom?  He became the light of the blind man’s world through dirt, spit and his word. 

Jesus heard that the Jews had cast out this man healed of his blindness, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”  Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”  He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.  Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”  Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”  Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. (John 9:35–41 ESV)

We see and our guilt remains!  However, you can see death but never taste death.  Believe your guilt; but even greater believe the death of your guilt.  Believe Jesus, hear his word, place your guilt in him, see your death in his death, repent and believe.  See and taste Jesus, see and taste this steadfast love of God!

The words we hear in these days of COVID – 19 are words of uncertainty, unsettlement, uneasiness, unrest and fear.  There is a panic in the world from Corona virus.  Even before the pandemic arrives words of fear have gone viral around the globe.

Like the Jews in the treasury, truth revealed is unsettling making us feel uneasy.  Even for the church which could be a place of rest there is unrest.

What causes us to fear?  What caused the Pharisees to fear?  Could it be the very same things?

The fear of Death! The death of pleasure! A failing fortune! The collapse of the economy! The death of ourselves, our time, and our possessions!  The fear of all things in which we trust shown to be absolutely useless in the face of crisis.  The powerlessness of people!

Or perhaps you fear God’s word not to be true or that it’s actually true when you’ve been ignoring it and happily sinning.  Or, perhaps your fear is one that forces you to fight even harder to place yourselves in a better position above others and even God’s word to survive the viral pandemic of COVID – 19 and its fear.

Like the disciples some of us will ask of those who get the virus and die from it, whether it was because of their sin?  Jesus clearly says, “No! It’s not from the works of one’s sin.”  Yet Jesus has come to display the works of God in humanity suffering under the pandemic of sin, which does kill.

How does God do this?  He focuses the disciples of his day and his disciples of today (March 22 2020) to work the works of our Father who sent Jesus to us.  Jesus’ work continues with us and through us by power of the Holy Spirit, so we can proclaim words of hope while it is day. 

It appears that we are very quickly descending into darkness.  Fear, panic and uncertainty seem to be alive as much in the denominational churches as it is over the rest of the earth.  This week the Canberra correspondent for the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) reporting on Australia’s financial position amid the Corona Virus said, “After the drought and the bushfires, 2020 is looking like the year that God forgot.” [1]

But Jesus has not forgotten us!  He is the light of the world.  God’s work will be displayed in those who carry the virus.  The pandemic will expose believers and unbelievers just as the drought, the bushfires and all other testing events in history have done.

As St Paul proclaims to the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 ESV)

So for all of us we need to wake from our slumber and figure out what is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Being true faithful Christians trusting in the faithfulness of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in the one true church hidden in the eudemonic denominations of Christendom is a call to prayer, a call to join Jesus in his work.  This is a work of repentance and faith.

Jesus warns in Luke’s Gospel answering, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2–5 ESV)

We as the church of God have so much more to offer the world than fear.  The world and denominational churches would have us shut down Jesus healing with spit and dirt.  Faith in Jesus Christ reigns over any pandemic of fear and death. Let Christ’s light shine in you. It shines brighter in the darkness.

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.  For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.  For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (Romans 14:5b, 7–9 ESV)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:6–17 ESV)

And from the Psalmist in Psalm 34, I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!  I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:1–8 ESV)

Amen! 

Heavenly Father in the face of death let us trust in Jesus, so that through Jesus’ death and our death we will see Jesus face to face, who together with the Father and Holy Spirit is worshiped and glorified, one God, now and forever, Amen.

---

[1] Andrew Probyn Political correspondent ABC Television News Canberra 16/03/2020

A, Climate Change

Click here for a few words on Climate Change in the face of the Australian fires.

Click here to read "What Can we do?"

C, Palm Passion Sunday - Philippians 2:5-11 "The Tree of Victory"

On the tree of the cross Jesus gave salvation to all, so that, where death began, there life might be restored, and that the enemy, who by a tree once overcame, might by a tree be overcome.

From time to time you may have heard these words in the divine service, especially in Lent and Holy Week. 

This line of liturgy brings together a number of key themes and Scriptures in the story of salvation.  Tree, cross, salvation, death, life, restoration, enemy, to overcome, to be overcome.  But tying them all together is the picture of the tree.

The tree that overcame was the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  The tree that overcomes is the tree of the cross.  The tree of knowledge of good and evil is a tree of death.  The tree of the cross is also the tree of death. 

But the cross is a tree of life too!  At the cross life is present as well.  The cross is the place of salvation and restoration; it’s the place where good meets evil and overcomes evil.  And so at Easter the cross used in the Good Friday service is often covered in flowers and colour on Easter Sunday.  

But behind the cross, the cross of Good Friday, the cross of Easter, the cross veiled in black, and the cross covered in flowers, is the reality of good and evil.

Today when we leave church and become absorbed once again in our lives, we may not think about the church service, or the cross, or the themes of restoration and salvation.  However, every one of us weighs up in his or her conscience what is good and what is evil.  It’s what we humans naturally do, every day.   

We gather information around us and make decisions on what is right and wrong.  We learn and live, storing knowledge to make judgements.  Is it good, or is it bad?  Are they doing the right thing or the wrong thing?  Am I good or bad?  When I am overcome by good and evil, what can I do to overcome good and evil?

It’s no different for people in the bible too.  They decided what was good and bad, or good and evil too.  And it’s in these biblical accounts where good and evil is considered we might gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relation to the cross.

Let’s look at the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  They were deceived by the snake to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  God had given them every other tree in the garden but their desire was kindled in the tree of knowledge of good and evil; it looked good to eye and desirable for gaining insight.  Notice how the evil part of the tree was forgotten.  Not only was evil forgotten but also everything else that had been given to them, including the tree of life.

They turned their backs on life and chose knowledge.  They chose to be like God judging what was good and what was evil. They lost their holy innocence as creatures created in the image of God. Or put simply, they chose pleasure over peace, and this peace was a life where God served them with the garden and his holy presence.  In their pleasure they chose to ignore the love of God, agape or servanthood, and replaced it with a love turned in on the self.  First given as a temptation they became driven by desire, eros and potency.  And from that time we have found knowledge of good and evil makes us powerful like God. 

But our knowledge of good and evil is not used in loving servanthood as God uses it, but rather for loving ourselves in all manner of pleasures.  And like an itch that feels good scratched until our skin is rubbed raw, broken and infected, our pleasures have unleased suffering and sickness from this original sin in the Garden of Eden.  This is what happens when humanity replaces the great “I AM” of God the Father with the “I am” of our self inflated egos.

Fast forward over a couple thousand years of good and evil interpretation under Old Testament Law!

The Law was designed to cleanse God’s chosen people so once again they could look to God’s goodness and servanthood. But time and time again the Jews practised the Law to justify themselves using God’s Word to gratify their pleasures.

So when the time was right God sends his Son in the greatest act of servanthood agape love.  A gift was given to the world.  The tree of life was replanted in the midst of humanity in the manger.  Some saw it as good but others saw it as bad. 

The Tree of Life is grafted into a human; eternal servanthood was born in flesh by the power of God’s Word.  Born into a world where knowledge meant power and pleasure, they measured Jesus by what pleased and by how the praise of them was affected. So some worshiped God when they encountered him, and some tried to kill him.  Some saw it as opportunity to use him to serve them and their pleasures and some in their knowledge just didn’t care to know him. 

However, this one born of the flesh did not succumb to using his knowledge of good and evil against them.  He put off the desire to be “like God”, even though he was God.  Instead he let himself be creaturely in the way they were originally created to be — like you and I were meant to be. 

He took the Law and followed it, yet his piety was not glorifying himself but God the Father. In doing so he showed the goodness of the Pharisees, the pious ones, to be evil.  And those who were deemed the undesirable ones, the ones afflicted with evil, he poured out love and coved with his holiness. 

The characters around Jesus were defined by his life among them.   There were many but let’s just take two — Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot. These two polarize Jesus Christ from all others at the cross — the Sanhedrin, the soldiers, Pilate, the other disciples, the two criminals on their crosses and the fickle mob.

Peter used his knowledge of good and evil to rebuke Jesus, demanding it ridiculous he would even think of going to a cross, and at Jesus’ trial confessed he would never deny Jesus.  And Judas’ knowledge of good and evil leads him to hand Jesus to the Jews, and then not trust Jesus would forgive him for what he had done.  It appears the two are extremes but both Peter and Judas are the same by putting themselves in the place of God as the knowers of good and evil.

So fast forward yet again, to now, some two thousand years after knowledge of good and evil was nailed to the tree.  We see the only good is the goodness of God in Jesus Christ sacrificed for my evil, your evil, your bad, my bad.   And from it we victoriously now live in the risen life of Jesus’ victory.

Philippians 2:1–11 (ESV) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

One should expect we live lives of servanthood because of the life Jesus won for us.  But still we struggle to stop eating the apples of good and evil, knowingly nailing each other to the tree and plucking ourselves from the tree on which Jesus died for you and me.

You see even if we seek to move others to Jesus through our desire we once again stand under the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Like Peter what we see as good in ourselves in reality is not, because we put our trust in what we can do rather than on what God has done through the servanthood of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Our desire, our ideologies seek to win out over the servanthood of God the Son.

Or like Judas, our knowledge of good and evil leaves us empty handed, giving up the servanthood of Jesus.  And like Judas we walk away from the death of Jesus, cutting ourselves off from the graciousness of God, and begin committing our lives to a slow painful spiritual suicide.

These are humanity’s stories, these are our stories too.  You and I find ourselves back at the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  It’s a tough tree to poison.  But here’s the problem; while we look to our own good to kill it we actually make it grow all the more. 

Just like those of the Old Testament Law, we of the New Testament Gospel, still take what God has done and use it to justify our knowledge of good and evil.  In other words we use God’s Word as our justification for pleasure.  But this pleasure thinly disguises a whole heap of pain. This is humanity’s story and it’s yours and mine too.

So in our days of trials and tribulation, busy yourself in looking to God.  When you find yourself looking within for the answers, pray to our Father for the Holy Spirit to lead you out of yourself and into the Word of God to Jesus!  Test yourself by seeing where the glory goes in your understanding of the Word of God and the works you do as a result.  And pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to the love of God in Jesus Christ.

You will find the old tree of knowledge of good and evil will keep popping up, but when it does know that the tree of life has been replanted in you.  In other words the servanthood of Jesus lives in you; he serves you!  You have been baptised so you are free to look out of yourself to the tree of life and live in in the promise God has given you in the tree of victory.

On the tree of the cross Jesus gave salvation to you, so that, where death began, there your life might be restored, and the enemy, who by a tree once overcame, might by a tree be overcome.

Amen.