CAIN'S CHOICE
The first murder (premeditated at that) in the Bible, was by Adam and Eve's firstborn son Cain. In this accounting, we learn much about surrender vs. self-will and rebellion. Cain's life is an exhortation and warning to all people. It is wise to learn from the mistakes of others, lest we make the same ones ourselves, bearing the consequences. Tantamount, is that we believe in, and choose to heartily embrace and follow God's Word. How we each are affecting God with what He sees and hears from us in our daily living, is what really matters. We see this truth with Cain and Abel. Divine Wisdom. And, except for the Grace of God, there go I.
Had Cain's spiritual heart been properly in 'relationship with God', his attitude, choices and actions would have been different. Too, he wouldn't have 'felt' the way he did in anger against God and his brother when God was displeased with his choice, and refused his 'offering'. His stubborn and selfish ways clouded his vision and contaminated his spirit and heart away from possessing a true heart for God. We cannot guard our spirit and heart too closely. Remember, God and the devil are always 'weighing out what is in our spirit', so we must be sure to do this day-by-day, walking in The Spirit, not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. 'Flesh profits nothing.' 'Flesh is an enemy of God.' We are told to 'crucify our flesh'. To the extent we do this, we are in The Holy Spirit walk and anointed by God for His service to humanity. God will not, does not, anoint 'flesh'. He will judge and curse it. 'Let this Mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.'
Proverbs 4: 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
In Genesis 4, we will see Cain's 'fruit'. He chose to do part his own way and part God's way. Jesus said in The New Testament, (paraphrased) 'all the way or nothing'. He said He would rather have us hot or cold. He said that if we are lukewarm, He will vomit us out of His mouth. We can count on God to do what He says. He wants to be the 1st Love of our heart. All else, should fit around Him, being guided by His Word. He doesn't deserve anything less from us. He has done so much for all nations all over our world, starting with what He has created for us to partake of, benefit from and enjoy by way of our 5-senses. What a Wonderful Lord and Creator He is.
Romans 1: 20 For the invisible things of Him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His Eternal Power and Godhead; ...
Cain, in his spiritual state, had the audacity to expect God to be pleased by accepting his selfishly motivated actions. When God rejected his lighthearted deed, he stood corrected. Being in the wrong, he got defensive, hostile and impudent against God when He didn't accept his offering. God said, 'I change not.' Father God shall judge us justly too, with no favorites. His Word shows us this, all the way through. We ourselves, as Cain, are the ones who decide what our Eternal abode will be. No one else is going to experience it for us. And, we won't experience anyone else's. We are each accountable to God for ourselves. Adam was. Eve was. The serpent was. Cain was. Abel was. The same principles of living apply today as back then. Times have indeed changed, but God's expectations of man have not and will not change. Just do it God's way folks. Seek out The Bible with an open will to God. It is a constant discovery and the best Counsel any of us can obtain. God will never lead us against it. Only, in accord with His Word, does He lead us.
It is a wonderful thing for our life, to live trusting in and following The Lord of this Universe. As I said in ministry yesterday, 'God Himself has surely started this whole kit 'n shabootle, and He is The One who shall surely end it all too! He... brought us in, and He shall surely bring us out too! He is our Creator, Saviour, and Judge. As we keep this in mind, there are things we shall make sure we do, and things that we will make sure we refuse to do.
Once we believe in God and His Holy Word, our love for Him causes us to consider His desires and feelings. We find ourselves noticing and feeling things by His heart. Darkness within our self is illuminated, convicted and repented of and we cast it from us. Our want...is His want. Love motivates us. Many things in this 'life with Christ' we would not do if it were not for a devotional love in our heart for Him. From this 'abiding relationship' we govern our own decisions and actions. The condition of our 'spiritual heart' will determine what we give ourselves over into and what we refuse.
From a child up, one should have learned from their parents to assume total responsibility for their own conduct and morality. And, being restrained at times, corrected so as to instill accountability, morality and good character. Choices are governed by these. Choices that we ourself will make. Raised by the same parents, Cain, was lacking this and we see the results. Abel possessed these. Once we step up to the plate with God by assuming total responsibility for who and what we are and shall be, The Holy Spirit helps us bring ourself into harmony with God, inside and out. The 'fruit' of our life becomes Christlike, for it has become our joy to please His heart.
This is the most 'vital relationship' we can cultivate and the 'only relationship' that will matter when our last breath is leaving our body. We must take careful and loving care of it.
Now, let's look at the story of Cain and Abel.
Hebrews 11: 3, 4 Through Faith we understand that the worlds were framed by The Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was Righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
1 John 3: 11, 12
For this is the message that ye heard from The Beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew (killed) his brother. And wherefore (why) slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Genesis 4: 1 ~ 7
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from The Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto The Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings (the tithe, first 10 percent, best) of his flock and of the fat thereof. And The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, (angry) and his countenance fell. And The Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth (angry)? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door...
vs. 8 ~ 16
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew (killed) him. And The Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? And He said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto The Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. (a self-dealing murderer, having compassion only for himself and his own neck; thus, having no compunction of heart for what he'd done to another person's precious life)
Behold, (look) Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. (again, concerned only about his own life and the possible pain and hardships he would endure)
And The Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from The Presence of The Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the East of Eden.
This shares with us such a sad set of circumstances that were set into motion because of self-will. Yet, it happened. And yes, we are...our brother's keeper. We are...accountable to God for how we treat Him and how we treat one another. So much so that all 10 Commandments address this, being summarized in The Two Great Commandments that Jesus gave to us;
Matthew 22: 37 ~ 40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and Great Commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these Two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
One may wonder....did Cain ever experience remorse or torment of mind for what he did toward God, his parents and his brother? Did he ever come into that special liberating place of true repentance with God for his destructive choices?
We see no Biblical accounting of such. God knows. Nevertheless, the ripple effect of one person's sin gave his parents grief and loss that would have been most difficult to process. They find out that their eldest son killed their younger son. Now isn't that just ducky! Who would think that would ever have a chance of happening when a mother is holding her baby close to her heart in her arms, nurturing it outside the womb as it grows up, as she did when she carried that child within her for 9 months?
Emotional attachment for each child had to surface and be dealt with by each parent. One son was right with God and dead right at that! Their other son's character and actions portrayed he was not right with God, although still on this earth. Notice!...I did not say he was alive! No, he was a dead man walking. As anyone is who yields their self over to sinful whims of their flesh, he was merely existing...not living! The devil loves for people to be unkind, insensitive and rebellious against God. This is his playground to take them over inside and out, ruining any chance of happiness they can have or bring to God and others.
The choices....are ours. They can only be made by each of us. Not, in the darkness of comparing ourselves among ourselves which is stupid and we are warned against in Corinthians. Rather, by comparing ourself to The Word of God. Thus, a coming into agreement with mental consent motivates our heart of love to a life that brings Christ and His goodness to others. Purpose...for living. Christ Himself did this very thing for God, His Father and for humanity. 'Who The Spirit of The Lord sets free is free indeed.' And :
Galatians 5: 1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
When I look at Cain, I see misery in every sense of the word. And like any who are separated from God because of serving the god of me, my and I, he had perverted judgment, deluded and overpowered by self. He didn't see and realize the whole picture. He had tunnel vision that deceived him. Too, being selfish, he was limited how he could even experience 'love for God', or love for his mom and dad, brother or anyone else.
His fruit told what type of tree he was. Typical of self-indulging, he manipulated things all around for what he deemed would be his own gain and satisfaction. He chose part God's way and part his own and found that unacceptable with God. Bondage.
The bottom line here of what we can take and learn from Cain, is the condition of his heart. Where his heart was and how much. Where it was not and why. For, 'out of the heart are the issues of life'. It wasn't what .... he did as much as why...he bore such fruit. His innermost self wasn't brought into alignment with God's expectations, which in itself, governed his choices.
Zechariah 8: 16, 17 These are the things that ye shall do; speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 29: 12, 13 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.
Philippians 4: 6, 7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 4: 23 ~ 27
Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a froward mouth,
and perverse lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on,
and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet,
and let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
remove thy foot from evil.
Conducive for the Message the Music Playing is Entitled, I Did It My Way :(
Thank You So Much For Sharing Such A Touching Set
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