Tree of Life or Tree of Death - I Choose Life

TREE OF LIFE OR DEATH 

Which tree would you rather eat from.  Somehow I think I would rather eat from the Tree of Life.  The answer if obvious when given a visual, but did you know there is a real "Tree of Life?"  Because of sin, man was removed from the Garden of Eden and lost the ability to eat from the tree of life, but when we accept Jesus we will yes, eat from the tree of life once again but we are partakers now through his word. Our soul, body, and spirit are all fed through the Word of God. It is not knowledge that feeds us but Revelation and Life. The bible says knowledge alone puffs up (1 Cor. 8:1,) but the Word of God is life: The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life. (John 6:63.) Here's a few verses on the tree of life. I choose life!

A FEW SCRIPTURES ON THE TREE OF LIFE
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

Genesis 3:22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

Genesis 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

If man had been allowed to continue to eat of the tree of life, we would have never faced death and never been offered forgiveness. The tree of life would have given us life forever but limited to a life without God's presence. Immediately Adam and Eve hid from God when he came calling. In the presence of sin, we hide from God. After forgiveness, we are free to come into his presence once again.

Those who have given their heart to Jesus have been given access to life again. That eternal life that comes only from God. Forgiveness of sins is the guarantee that we will live forever with God and eat from the tree of life once again and this time eternally! However we have his life now. It's not something we wait for because he feeds us daily as we take hold!

Proverbs 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Revelation 2:7“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

Revelation 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

I choose life! 

Revelation Vs by Vs Study: The Church At Smyrna Some History

REVELATION

A Verse by Verse Study

My own personal journey

"A journey of studying what’s revealed to me!"

Jesus, His Outline for the Church, Your Outline for the Church

THE CHURCH AT SMYRNA- SOME HISTORY

REVELATION 2: 8 And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Smyrna write:

These are the words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again:⁹ I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty—but you are rich! and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.¹⁰ Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life.¹¹ He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death.

The persecuted church at Smyrna was the only church that got no rebuke or correction.  The only warning from Jesus was to be faithful to the end.  He also forewarned them (having preeminent knowledge) that they (some of them,) were about to be thrown into prison.  Many of us may never be persecuted to the point of prison or death but what if we were?  What if someone snatched you up and threw you into a prison, threatening to cut off your head if you didn’t renounce Jesus?  Would you renounce him to save yourself or would you lose yourself to KEEP him.  Here’s what Jesus says in Matthew 16: 24-28

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

While we may say or think, “that’s for others,” it’s not!  Those that die because of their faith aren’t just found in foreign countries.  Persecutions come in many ways.  What about something as simple as what former friends think or what fun or material pleasures you have to give up in order to pursue Christ?  What if you were trying to lead someone to Jesus and they mocked you?  Would you let that silence you and throw you into the prison of testing?

The purpose of my study is not to read all of the history of the city called Smyrna.  I’m wanting to find what “THE BIBLE” says about it.  Did you know the church at Smyrna is only mentioned twice in the bible?  Why is that?  It’s because they were steadfast even in persecution.  They didn’t change from their beginning to their end.  They didn’t dry up.  They stayed hotly on fire for Jesus witnessing and spreading the gospel.  They contended for his name to the point some died and some were thrown into prison but all, after enduring, were able to see victory even if it meant waking up in the arms of Jesus!

If you would like further reading on the city of Smyrna, Biblegateway has an article here that further confirms what the bible has to say about Smyrna:  https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Rev/Message-Smyrna

Your sister in Christ,

Joyreaper

Freedom Isn't Free! Freedom is Fought For and Bought With A Price!

Freedom has always historically been something you have to fight for! There's always some dominating ruler in some nation "or group" that wants more power. Until Jesus comes back, man will always be trying to achieve more power in order to keep and advance his own. Then comes the United States, a free country where the people can work at chosen jobs, worship in chosen religions and speak chosenwords without fear of beheading, or imprisonment (well, except the video Benghazi was supposedly about,) but that freedom we have wasn't free. It was fought for..... in a war..... and won! To think we can lay down our arms and never have to send troops anywhere again is to not understand freedom. In order to keep our own freedom we also have to fight for the freedom of our friends. If we don't our enemies grow larger and stronger and takeover more power. Eventually they will take ours should we let it go without doing anything long enough. This was the story of WWII. Hitler would have ruled the world had the United States not stepped in and fought with the allies. Freedom isn't free. It's something you have to fight for! ---

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

.... and one last word about freedom. At the time this was written there were slaves in America; not only America but many slaves throughout the world. There are still many slaves throughout this world in many countries. In this country, the very freedom fought for by men (some with slaves,) was the very freedom those men had to come to realize wasn't just for them but was for all men in this nation. The freedom we fought for was that same freedom that was responsible for the freeing of every slave in this nation. America was the first nation to outlaw slavery!

Even that freedom was fought for and lives were lost. There will always be a fight for freedom until Jesus comes back. Let's not ever buy the lie that evil men will stay in their place if there isn't a strong nation to keep them in check. The men who have died for our freedom will not have fought in vain if we continue to realize this!

 — feeling wonderful.

Revelations- The Start of the Church at Ephesus

Jesus, His Outline for the Church, Your Outline for the Church

THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

REVELATION 2 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

As I was continuing the read through the letters of the seven churches Jesus addressed in Revelation I felt to return and give a little insight to the churches in these places so here are a few notes on the history of the Church at Ephesus:

THE START OF THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

Acts 18: ¹⁹ Then they arrived in Ephesus, and [Paul] left the others there; but he himself entered the synagogue and discoursed and argued with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to remain for a longer time, he would not consent; ²¹ But when he was leaving them he said, I will return to you if God is willing, and he set sail from Ephesus.

When Paul first came to Ephesus to establish a church he first argued and discoursed with the Jews. At the time, Paul was still trying to reach the Jews.  At this point, these Jews historically had the choice to either become some of those who would follow Christ as their Messiah or run Paul out of town as some people of other places did.  It was not so at Ephesus. In the above passage, after arguing and discoursing, it says they asked him to remain even longer.  He would not but promised to come back, God willing.  This is the role of an apostle.  He establishes Christ work and others build upon it.  He moves around starting and lighting fires and others carry the responsibility of carrying on which is why Jesus must have spoken directly to them through John’s prophetic letter warning them to return to their first love.


When they moved on to Syria in their apostolic journey, they met a man named Apollos who had come to Ephesus.  He was spreading the news of Christ but was lacking full knowledge of the gospel.  Recognizing this person with great zeal and fire was useful to continue spreading the good news they taught him the gospel with greater detail and understanding.  Apollos continued to travel and spread the good news.  The fire in you is effective in setting others on fire. It’s an important part of the spread of salvation to the world. When your fire dies, it no longer spreads.  That’s why Jesus told Ephesus not to lose their first love… among other reasons.

Paul returned to Ephesus and found more believers.  It was one of the places where the evidence of tongues accompanying Holy Spirit baptism was recorded in the bible.  It was in Ephesus that Paul asked believers if they had received the Holy Spirit. They had been baptized in John’s name. Paul corrected them on baptism telling them to be baptized in Jesus name and then the Holy Spirit fell.  As the Spirit fell, with no instruction from man, the same tongues that fell at Pentecost fell on these believers.  Here two experiences are clearly demonstrated: 1) Receiving Christ 2) Receiving the falling of the Holy Spirit with tongues. That is the Holy Spirit baptism in your life and isn’t the same as water baptism or the Seal of the Holy Spirit on your life at salvation. It’s a 2^nd Christian experience. (Acts 19:9)

Paul ended up staying in Ephesus two years because the gospel was spreading like wild fire. It was a very effective missionary journey.  It was there that the power of God was moving so strongly through Paul people would bring handkerchiefs and cloths just to touch him and others would be healed by the touch on the cloths, handkerchiefs and aprons.  Sickness and demons fled by the power flowing through Paul.

Ephesus was also the place where the Jewish exorcists, the seven sons of Sceva were traveling and attempting to cast evil spirits out of people.  They commanded spirits to leave in the name of Jesus who Paul preaches. The spirits didn’t fear and jumped violently on the seven sons of Sceva, tearing their clothes off and wounding them! (Acts 19:16)

One of the spirits even mocked them saying they knew Jesus and they knew Paul but they had no idea who they were!

Acts 19: “¹⁵ But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know ^[b]about, but who are you?

Are you so full of the power of God the demons know your name?  Paul was and these spirits weren’t phased by the 7 sons of Sceva but when the people heard this, (that the demons knew Paul & Jesus, not just Jesus,)  the knowledge and magnification of Christ spread about the city!  It was at Ephesus that the practice of burning things of the occult became a common Christian practice:

Acts 19:¹⁷ This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified.¹⁸ Many also of those who were now believers came making ^[d]full confession and thoroughly exposing their [former deceptive and evil] practices.¹⁹ And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, ^[e]book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. When they counted the value of them, they found it amounted to 50,000 pieces of silver (^[f]about $9,300).²⁰ Thus the Word of the Lord [concerning the ^[g]attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily.

It was here, at Ephesus, the gods of man made with hands were confronted with the living God! Many were converted and many became angry. If you aren’t causing a commotion, you probably aren’t spreading the fire of God!

Acts 19:26 Now you notice and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost all over [the province of] Asia this Paul has persuaded and induced people to believe his teaching and has alienated a considerable company of them, saying that gods that are made with human hands are not really gods at all.

Often times, we see those moments in time where we are lit up with the fire of God but as time passes, our fire turns into good works and our passion turns into programs.  The bible says Paul was teaching in one place and hearts started growing hard to he moved to another place. Let’s not bring religion and boredom to the world but the fire, passion, love and power of Christ through the Holy Spirit! Buildings will crumble but the fire of God in the heart of man can continue to burn brightly if we seek him with all of our heart.



It’s time for the body of Christ to turn their programs, duty and good works back into passion for Christ.  If Christ is not our passion, we are simply left with religion which is a list of works we adhere to in order to conform and make ourselves comfortable in our own goodness.  May we be rooted in the fire of God as seen in the Revelation of Jesus Christ that John saw!

Joyreaper


Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+18&version=AMP

JESUS HIS OUTLINE, YOUR OUTLINE- THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

REVELATION

A Verse by Verse Study

My own personal journey

"A journey of studying what’s revealed to me!"

Jesus, His Outline for the Church, Your Outline for the Church

THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

REVELATION 2 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Did you know that if you are a saved, born again Christian who calls Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are not alone!  You are part of the church.  Jesus addressed seven churches in the book of Revelation.  We KNOW there were more than seven churches.  We also KNOW that there is a church today called the Body of Christ.  For further study look up the phrase body of Christ or Christ’s body.  We are called to be in fellowship with one another.  We aren’t called to stand alone but to be a part of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12: 20-27 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, ²⁴ but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵ that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Now you weren’t alive when the letters were written to the churches but as I have said before, those letters were distributed among the body of Christ and by the councils of wise scholars were included by divine plan in the Canon of Scripture.  This Word is for you!  Everything in the book of Revelation is for you individually and for the body of Christ at large and in whole.

You can find in each passage, as Jesus addresses each church there is an outline.  We can look at this outline and locate ourselves.  The Word says in Hebrews 4:12-13 that the Word of God can locate us in our spiritual condition. The Word of God can locate our hearts.  Read the outline to each church and locate yourself!  Then ask the Holy Spirit to change you where you need to change, to root out anything that doesn’t belong.  Repent if necessary, be encouraged when appropriate and carry on in his strength.  We must be strong in the Lord and the power of his might if we are to be effective in his body!

Hebrews 4: 12  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Each church will be addressed with the following outline:

·         THINGS COMMENDABLE

·         THINGS CORRECTABLE

·         ADVICE, INSTRUCTION, WARNINGS

·         ENCOURAGEMENT

As Jesus addresses Ephesus, where there truly was a church, a group of people, a part of the Body of Christ who referred to themselves as Christians.

1.      HE COMMENDS

a.      Good works, labor and patience

b.      Can’t bear evil

c.       Labored for his name’s sake without becoming weary

d.      Able to spot false apostles by testing them.

2.      HE CORRECTS (OR REBUKES)

a.      YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE

3.      HE WARNS

a.      Remember from where you are fallen.

b.      Repent and do the first works or else…

c.      Without repentance he will remove their lampstand.

d.      Listen and pay attention to what the Spirit of God says.

5.      ENCOURAGEMENT

a.      Overcomers will get to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

This was a church, a Christian Church, but they were chilling and drying up.  They had lost their first love, yet they still did good deeds.  Remember in the beginning when the Holy Spirit was first poured out, everyone was excited about Jesus. They loved him and wanted to fellowship and fell his presence.  They came together for prayer and fasting and things shook.  Miracles happened as the Good News was spread.  Was it that way with me? Was it that way with you?  Is it still that way?  If we are not on fire for God with a passion for him as our first love, we might find ourselves located in the letter to the church at Ephesus.

Notice that he even acknowledged they were able to spot false apostles.  There are many that take pride in trying to knock down every preacher they can.  Being able to spot false prophets and apostles without being on fire for and deeply in love with Jesus may locate you in the book of Ephesus.  Some find themselves critical of many without even asking themselves “Am I what I once was or should be in my relationship with Christ?”  “Have I grown cold about the things of God?”  However, Jesus commended their ability to spot false apostles.  Discernment is important and there will always be false prophets.  The Devil will always be sending in his anti-christ spirit to try to disrupt and divide the body of Christ.  If we were all full of the Spirit and able to discern there would be no problem.  We’d spot false prophets but be so full of love for Christ, we wouldn’t spend more time tearing down false prophets than we did in fellowship, prayer and fasting.

His warning was to repent.  His warning was to fall in love with Jesus all over again.  At the time of the letter they still had a lampstand in the presence of God.  It had not been removed, however Jesus warned them that the chilling wouldn’t stop without repentance.  The fire would go out.  They would fall completely out of love and become just a religious group of people with no life and only good works.  They would think they were a Christian Church but their lampstand would be removed, making them not stand in the presence of the living God!

Don’t let the fact that we don’t see him walking on earth personally cause us to grow cold.  Be on fire. Be filled with his presence.  Spend time with him daily.  Tell others about him.  This is how the fire is spread and this is how the fire keeps burning. Be in love with Jesus who is loveable. Don’t be a cold, spiritually dying Christian. 

Be encouraged to stay lit.  Be encouraged to fall in love again.  Be encouraged to  keep the fire burning and be assured of the promise to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

There will be many that think they are going to the paradise of God but will find they let their lamps go out.  Just look at the ten virgins parable:

Matthew 25:1-13

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Did I recently hear that the Pope said Jesus wasn’t coming back? I’m not sure if I heard that or not but there have been reports of many saying Jesus isn’t coming back.  Maybe that was the problem with the church at Ephesus. Maybe they were growing cold because Jesus didn’t come back in their timing? Maybe he became just a figurehead.  I don’t know.

I do know in the parable, Jesus return is likened to a wedding when the bride goes out to meet her groom, hearing of his return but she isn’t ready. Five have no light.  Five miss the wedding.  This is only a parable. It’s a picture of a wedding and one of the parties doesn’t attend.   For that person it’s as if the wedding never took place.

Shall we instead choose to stay lit and attend the wedding, sit down to a feast and eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God?

Lisa Kimbrell Hutchinson

aka Joyreaper