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Mustard Seed January/February 2013
Hello everyone,
The book of Genesis talks about “the beginning.” This is speaking of the creation of the heavens, earth, and the creation of plants, animals of man and of everything that is created. You will notice that God said that the creation was “good.” Then the serpent deceived Eve and sin entered, and the good start was polluted. Then things got worse, Adam followed the lead of Eve, which lead to curses and thorns coming upon the “good creation.” The deception to Eve was that she could be raised in status, which would give her greater knowledge and recognition. Then one of their sons, Cain, wanted to do it his way, which lead to the murder of his brother Abel. The serpent deceived Eve and Cain into looking to be recognized, “their way.” Those ideas of seeking attention came at another time to some people in the New Testament Church.
We can go to the book of Acts and see the “beginning” of the New Testament Church. The day is Pentecost, the day was good, the teaching good, these were repentant people being baptized and being given the gift of the holy spirit. Church members spent days and weeks going from house to house eating and rejoicing together. The truth was being taught from Christ through his apostles. A very short time later, some people wanted recognition. As we read in Acts 5, we see Ananias and Sapphira, seeking recognition with money. Reading farther in Acts 5 you can see who placed that desire in their hearts. In the very next chapter, Acts 6, discrimination (language) was brought in. After God had shown on the day of Pentecost that languages did not matter, but repentance did. You would think that whether a person spoke Greek or Hebrew would not be important! But as we can see there were some people distributing food to widows, decided to leave the Greek widow out of the daily food distribution. These people were carrying out their duties their way. These were problems from within the Church, just as Eve and Cain caused problems and sins from within their families. When you read the beginning of the Church, there was “good,” then sin entered or was brought in and problems and pain, to the point of death (Ananias and Sapphira). This had happened with Eve and Cain.
There is an important scripture in the book of II Cor. 13, verse 5: “examine yourself whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates? When we approach this scripture with inward questions on what am I doing ---and why, our choices will be altered and the vast majority of problems within the church will disappear. Then the Creator God will give the good to the congregations again.
In Christ’s service,
John Shavers