We are what we eat!

I'm sure you all have heard that saying! Being a chef, I have to say I agree with that in regards to food, but did you know that this saying also applies on a spiritual level?

We do home church here at our house on Thursday nights and the Lord put it on my heart to teach/study on roots. We are on week 3 of 8 or 9, depending on how long the Lord wants it to go. I wanted to share a tidbit of last Thursday's message and I pray it inspires you!

In the Garden of Eden, there were 2 trees. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Having these 2 trees in the garden represented them having a choice to trust and obey God or not. We all know what happened...

You see, these 2 trees have affect on our lives even today, and in a sense, we still eat from them today.

The tree of life represents a life with God. This tree offers the nature of God Himself (love, wisdom and revelation). This tree represents eternal life with God.

The tree of knowledge of good and evil represents a life without God. This tree offers the nature of man (that we think we know best and that we can control everything in our lives). This tree represents eternal separation from God.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they sold themselves to the serpent's (Satan's/Devil's) authority, the Spirit of God left them and sin became their nature. Then they reproduced after their own kind (a law set in motion from the beginning of creation). Now all generations, at birth, are born with only the knowledge of good and evil and a sinful nature, which included us!

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was exactly that and nothing more. From youth, it's already inside of us to know good and evil. A child already knows lying and stealing are wrong. But does that knowledge stop us from doing such things? No! Just because we know what's good and evil doesn't mean we act upon it in the proper way. We can still KNOW what's right and wrong but still ACT wrong and make wrong decisions. Make sense?

The remedy? Start eating from the Tree of Life again! The thing is, the tree of life is in heaven (Revelation 22:1-3) and the only way to eat of it again is to receive Christ as our Savior and receive the Holy Spirit! You see, the tree of life also contains the knowledge of good and evil, but it has something more! The tree of life also has God's love, His wisdom and the power to do the good/right thing with that knowledge through the Holy Spirit, which is revelation!

Your next step:

If you haven't received Christ as your Savior, please allow me to lead you in this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and I turn to you. I invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and obey You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.

Congratulations!!! This is the best decision you made and will have ever made! Now, I encourage you to get baptized in the name of Jesus! You can find a church grounded in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, or even another Christian can baptize you! If you are local Sparks/Reno, I can baptize you as well. You can email me at cjrileyblog@yahoo.com. Now it's time to eat! How do you eat from the tree of life? You pray to God, you study the Bible and you rely on God's strength to do good/the right things. All this is to your good and to glorify God.

Now, go celebrate your new life in Christ and the adventures that are ahead! Pizza time!!! God bless! Jesus loves you and so do I!