Tag Archive for: adam

Is God Upset With You?

By Wayne Sutton

“… But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness …” (Nehemiah 9:17)

I invite you to read the above verse very slowly…

Ready to pardon.
Gracious and merciful.
Slow to anger.
Abundant in kindness.

Wow.

I ask you to consider how you perceive your God? As I look at the above verse it reminds some of just how loving our creator is, and how he moves with compassion towards his people.

Are you participating in sinful or rebellious activities? He is ready to pardon.

Have you been rebellious for quite a long time? He is slow to anger.

Do you need healing in your emotions or in your body? God is abundant in kindness! Today, slow down to reread a simple verse that displays the love and kindness of our heavenly father! He is waiting for you!

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3 Stages Of Marriage – Marriage Therapy Made Easy!

By Wayne Sutton

Marriage is a wonderful thing. Well, at least it should be wonderful. In our Phone Counseling and Life Coaching business we all too often see marriage issues leading to separation, divorce, and even at times violence. Our hope and prayer is that we can lead people to an awareness of where they are in the marriage, and begin a process of reconstruction or rebuilding the relationship. But, that is jumping ahead. So, let's look at the three levels of marriage closely.

The Romance Stage

First, this is often called the “Romance” stage – as two people have captured one another's heart and attention. This period can and usually includes the dating and engagement period. The romance stage is all too often a “time of blindness” where we unconsciously ignore the negative and focus solely on the attractiveness of one another. This stage, unless affected by other past relationships or other deep issues, is usually fun-loving and care free. It is also usually easy to discuss “toxic issues” such as sex, money, and family. This romance stage almost always transforms into the second stage of relationships, which I refer to as the “Reality” stage.

The Reality Stage

Reality, this is the tricky area. Reality is time when the honeymoon period is over, and the true self emerges. We all too often see the other person “as we choose to see them” during the romance stage, and then the way they truly are during the reality stage. Worse, many times we perceive the person through our own perceptions, based upon the filters of past relationships and personal history. This is where we must take a self-analysis of our walk and expectations from both ourselves and those we bring into our life.

The Rebuilding Stage

Polarity between the couple can show the major differences, and if not careful can lead to resentment. Resentment is like a cancer of the soul, and this can bring jabbing words of pain or distancing from the couples. This is sadly the reality stage that almost everyone walks in, yet few are willing to leave. This stage can bring the emotional ups and downs for years or even decades. This up and down lifestyle is either tolerated and the person lives in a life of stress, or they end up in divorce.

There is hope however for nearly every marriage. The key to healing a marriage is learning to walk in the stage of “Rebuilding”. Rebuilding may be quick and easy, or it can be a lifelong experience. However, even the process can be rewarding as you go through the journey. Let the journey be an experience, and let love grow through the process.

How do you rebuild? Sometimes it is simple as self-evaluation and applying grace through the rocky times, and at other times it may include using a marriage counselor or therapist. Most situations can be healed through proper time and loving support. Where are you on the three stages of life? Are you ready to rebuild and get back to the romance stage?

Wayne Sutton
www.TheSecondAdam.com

Back to Authority

I hear many believers asking and diligently seeking after their calling. Today I am going to tell you what your calling in life is. “Really? You know what’s my calling? Wow, did God give you a word for me?” Yes, he did, he gave me a word from his word.

I was amazed when I read in the story of the creation of man that God didn't say let’s make man in our image to express our love, peace, joy or wisdom although I believe all these wonderful divine attributes were embedded in Adam before his fall to display it but God said let’s make man in our image after our likeness to take DOMINION! God’s first and last calling for man is to rule and reign with him. You were created by God to rule, reign and take dominion! When the enemy tempted Eve to disobey God it wasn’t really in his mind to make Eve enjoy a delicious meal of a fresh fruit salad, he was after her authority. Why would the devil go after this authority if he has one? The answer is he didn’t. He lost his authority when he fell from heaven as Adam lost it when he fell from the Garden of Eden. Man has authority because he was under the authority of God because he obeyed God but he became under the authority of the devil when he obeyed the devil. You are under the authority of whom you obey! From that moment this authority belonged to the devil and he is still operating in it in our world today. The devil is a liar and will remain but if he spoke the raw truth for once it was in his encounter with Jesus: “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'” (Luke 4:5-8). The Lord knows this and he came to restore to us the authority, how? By kneeling to the devil? Not at all, but by kneeling to the heavenly Father whom all authorities come from.

Jesus the second Adam is flawless, sinless and full of authority. But same old same old, the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness to make him sin to disarm him from his authority and what he came for, but he failed! The first Adam was tempted in the garden in a perfect place; the second Adam was tempted in the wilderness among the beasts.  The devil will tempt you both in pleasure and in pressure for one thing: your authority! Those who are in Christ are translated from the authority and the kingdom of darkness to the authority and the kingdom of light. In Christ you have authority over the devil again in your personal life, in your realms of influence and in the things of God when it comes to minister to others and release the kingdom (Acts 10:38). What gave Adam this divine authority? He was after the likeness of God. The more you are Christ like the more you are established in authority. You can’t cast the devil if you are acting like a devil, Jesus said: “I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with me; there is nothing in me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.] (John 14:30)

I've always thought that since the devil took our authority the Lord definitely came to take it back from him and give it back to us. The authority that Jesus gave us as a church and individuals through his redemptive work on the cross and his resurrection isn’t from the devil but from God. “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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.” (Philippians 2:8-11).

In this illustration you will understand more how authority is greater than power. It takes a policeman just to raise his hand to stop a long queue of crazy beeping cars, motorcycles and camions. This is authority! This same policeman has also power (gun, physical force, backup) that he can use secondly in case his authority was disobeyed. However the devil is totally and always submissive to the name of Jesus released by faith. Jesus replied: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:18-20). Lightning is so fast, so quick and could be missed if you blink; it also speaks of instantaneous breakthroughs. Do you believe that the devil is cast in a glimpse of an eye when you subdue him in the name of Jesus? Let it be according to your faith!

Glory to God
Tony Francis

Why Expelled?!

By Joe Tannous

It was 5:30 am, just got home from new year's eve, got my bible, and I started reading the 3rd chapter of Genesis. It speaks about the fall of man, and the revelation I will share in few moments, blew my mind. I always thought, and taught, that God expelled Adam and Eve because of their rebellion, but to my shock, I found that it's not the reason. If you read well verses 22 & 23 of that chapter, you will get to know it.

Please allow me to explain this marvelous truth, the scripture reads: “God said, “The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never—this cannot happen!” So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they’d been made.” (Gen 3:22-23) (MSG) Remember, that up to this point, man had fallen, sin entered his heart, entered his being, and God said that if he should eat from the tree-of-life, he would live forever with his sin, away from God, and because God didn't want man to be away from Him, He expelled him, He brought him out of the garden, cause he had Jesus in mind, the plan b was already planned and ready to reconcile man to God, but if Adam was not expelled and ate from the tree of life, the redemption could not take place, that's why God brought man out where he can't eat from the tree of life.

Now you can see with me the reason of why God expelled man, not because of rebellion alone, but because of redemption and reconciliation. Then Jesus came redeeming us to God, Hallelujah!

Blessings

You can hear God

Designed to hear

I tell you the truth, you can hear God! You know the intentions and the desires of a creator in the things he creates. God created Adam in his image and you read in Genesis chapter 2 & 3 how Adam used to sense God’s presence, how they walked & talked with each other. This is God’s purpose from the beginning, to be in an everlasting relationship with you. God longs to talk to you, he has much things in his heart to share with you because he has predestined good plans for you before the foundations of the earth that he wants to reveal them to you.

How can I hear?

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), he communicates with you spirit to spirit; he talks to your heart, the innermost part of your being. Now the problem is that the spirit of man died and was separated from God after Adam sinned but Jesus was sent by God to restore and reconciliate this broken relationship between man and God by rebirthing and regenerating the spirit of man into his likeness, what we call the experience to be “born again” (John 3). When you receive his forgiveness of sins it is your spirit man that becomes alive, your physical appearance doesn’t change. You now have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear the Lord (John 10:27).

Developing sensitivity

Now that you are in and joined the kingdom of God it doesn’t end here, it starts! Developing sensitivity to your heavenly Father’s voice is a beautiful journey and he will make sure to mentor you in this area as long as you hunger for it. It’s hard to mistaken in a phone call the voice of someone you lived with for a long time. Build a daily intimate relationship with Jesus, grow with him and your spiritual senses will mature and sharpen to discern good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14, Acts 2:42).

If you want your spirit to rebirth into the likeness of God, pray: “Jesus, thank you for loving me, I believe you died for my sins and I receive right now your forgiveness in my heart. Everything is new now, I am a new creation and I decree and declare that you are my King, Lord and Savior and I give you all my life” Amen!

Glory to God
Tony Francis