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Tuesday, March 8, 2005

"The Tree Of Life"

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14).

Yesterday we had a real touch of Spring in our area. Brooksyne was busy painting her dried bird house gourds she grew last summer. I enjoy looking for the signs of new life on budding trees. I have always enjoyed relating to foresters and had several in the church I pastored in Pennsylvania many years ago. They work with trees, which have the distinction of being referenced in the Bible in the first chapter and the last chapter and all in between. I suppose very few of you have that distinction regarding the work you do!

When Adam was banned from the garden the specific reason for this banishment was because: "He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever" (Genesis 3:22). At the end of the Bible we again see several references to this tree of life. Apparently it will be a major feature in our eternal home (Revelation 2:7; 22:14). As such it surely must be the longest living tree!

The life-giving ministry of Jesus Christ fulfills for the believer the blessings of the tree of life. Fundamentally man has two great quests. One is for eternal life and Jesus meets this need. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Man's second great quest is for abundant life (full and meaningful). Jesus meets this need as well. He said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

Today the benefits of the tree of life are freely available to all of us in Jesus Christ. Many ignore His call and reject Him, but the Word of God declares: "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12,13). I challenge you to receive and share the gift of life through Jesus Christ today!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen C. Weber

Note from Brooksyne: I rejoice in the spiritual power that comes from reading and relating God's Word to our Christian walk. My devotional reading this morning from Romans 7 compliments Stephen's message about the "tree of life". Paul speaks about the law of sin and death vs. the law of the Spirit of life. My spirit is uplifted when I realize the incomprehensible gift God gives to us when He delivers us from sin and death and mercifully gives in exchange His abundant life (both now and through eternity.)

Regarding the gourds: I'm looking forward to Stephen's drilling the holes in the birdhouse gourds so I can hang them in the pine and oak trees in the yard. Hopefully, we'll have some nestlings to entertain us this spring as we did last year. The geese have been singing overhead the last few days as they are now flying back to us northerners and I spotted my first robin yesterday - yeah!

Brooksyne's birdhouse gourds

Technical note: (Ignore this if your edition looks OK.)

I received word yesterday that some readers are still having trouble reading this. I am mustering all the tech ability I have as a 50 year old preacher (not a web designer) to get this fixed! Soon the list will be delivered using a newer version of the listserv and hopefully this will help.

Several observations:

Several email readers do not show the graphics and presumably photos. Other seem to make the type larger than I intend or smaller!
I have read that those using Lotus notes to read their email may have trouble reading it.
The new listserve will have the option to receive the mailing in text or html, so those that have problems can choose the text only version (that's the unformatted way I sent it up to last month). I'll let you know when I figure this feature out.
You should be able to read it fine on the web. Each morning prior to sending out the email message I update the current message to the website.

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God’s Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life’s goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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