Covenants are basically promises or contracts. The Old Testament referred to them as covenants. Scholars list 8 major covenants through out the bible which help us understand God's purposes for us. (See February 25 blog for an intro into God's promises)
The Edenic Covenant was the first promise made to man, namely Adam. Adam represented the whole human race, thus this covenant is for you and me. The first promise was this, "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:17
Later after Adam's disobedience God promised many other negative consequences that not only affected Adam and Eve but all their offspring including you and I. They were such things as "enemies "(a continual struggle between good and evil, v15. Ultimately seen in Jesus versus the Devil), to the women "multiplied sorrow and conception; pain in child bearing, and a desire for a husband who then rules over her", and to the man "cursed ground, toiling through it with thorns and thistles, sweating just to eat, and ultimately ending back up in the ground from which he came, i.e. death".
I agree this first covenant isn't much to look at, in fact it's down right disappointing. But before you go blaming Adam and Eve for screwing up your life, remember that before the foundation of the world God had already planned to come to earth as Jesus and die for you and me. (Eph 1:4) I believe He had foreknowledge that every human on the face of the earth was going to make the same choice, given the same situation as Adam and Eve, namely I'm going "to be like God, knowing good and evil". (Gen 3:5) This is ultimately why we are all born in sin, Adam's sin, and his nature is now in us (Gen 5:3 "Adam...begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth."). This nature of Adam's causes us to sin, therefore we are as deserving of death as Adam and Eve was. (Romans 5:12) You could say it's spiritually and physically genetic. The good news is God's covenants/promises get better.
Grace, MB
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Becareful what you say!
Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinketh within himself, so is he:"
I was reminded today of a very important truth. I've heard it so many times and yet I continue to forget how important this truth is. Be careful what you say! I understand as most of you do how important it is to chose your words carefully, especially those you speak to others.
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear."
But what about yourself? I was reminded today how important it really is. I had two clients who I've been seeing for some time now, both with a myriad of symptoms, complaining to me for what seemed like hours, maybe 20 minutes. What they said was similar to what they told me last time, but today it hit me. They had nothing positive to say. Every time they said "I am" or "my" it was followed with something negative. The more I thought about it the more I realized that most of the people with chronic conditions have the same thing in common. They speak negative about themselves. They heard it so long that now they believe what they've been saying and their bodies have morphed into that person. They own their illness and no one is going to take that away from them. It's their identity. They are powerless to change their circumstance because it's not their fault, it's somebody else's fault. You don't have to read some self-help book to learn this principle, it's nothing new, just read the Good Book, it's amazing what you can learn about everyday problems.
Mat 12:36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Grace, MB
I was reminded today of a very important truth. I've heard it so many times and yet I continue to forget how important this truth is. Be careful what you say! I understand as most of you do how important it is to chose your words carefully, especially those you speak to others.
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear."
But what about yourself? I was reminded today how important it really is. I had two clients who I've been seeing for some time now, both with a myriad of symptoms, complaining to me for what seemed like hours, maybe 20 minutes. What they said was similar to what they told me last time, but today it hit me. They had nothing positive to say. Every time they said "I am" or "my" it was followed with something negative. The more I thought about it the more I realized that most of the people with chronic conditions have the same thing in common. They speak negative about themselves. They heard it so long that now they believe what they've been saying and their bodies have morphed into that person. They own their illness and no one is going to take that away from them. It's their identity. They are powerless to change their circumstance because it's not their fault, it's somebody else's fault. You don't have to read some self-help book to learn this principle, it's nothing new, just read the Good Book, it's amazing what you can learn about everyday problems.
Mat 12:36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Grace, MB
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