Which Tree are We Eating From?: Is It a Good Tree?

 

By David Ryser

Man is driven to do good.  He also has an overwhelming sense that he ought not to do evil.  Both, however, come from the same tree.  (Gene Edwards)

 Doing good and not doing good is the very essence of religion and has nothing to do with life. (Gene Edwards)

 I’ve recently been attending a weekly men’s fellowship group at a local church near my home. I’m enjoying getting to know the guys, and our group has grown closer over the weeks we’ve been together. I do not attend this church. I do not subscribe to many of its foundational doctrines. But I’m having a great time studying the scriptures and fellowshipping with my precious brothers in Christ.

 Our latest study has been in the first two chapters of Genesis. Of course, it wasn’t long before one in the group asked the question about whether the biblical account of the creation story and the events in the Garden of Eden should be interpreted literally or figuratively. I was sorry to see the discussion take this turn because it always ends the same way…no matter the conclusions drawn from the discussion.

 Allow me to give an example.

 A number of years ago, I was visiting with a friend of mine. We were reminiscing about some of the religious adventures…and misadventures…we had experienced along the path of our faith journey. He related a story about attending a Bible college and how, in one of the classes, the discussion turned to what fruit was borne by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As they considered this topic, the class decided the fruit was not likely an apple; rather, it was more likely a pomegranate. He laughed looking back at how he and his classmates, upon exiting the classroom, felt so spiritual and biblically illuminated due to this newfound knowledge.

 And none of them was brought any closer to Jesus by this “knowledge”.

 You see, both groups suffered from the same problem. So many times, we Christians get lost in the weeds by asking…and answering…questions about biblical interpretation that do not matter while completely missing the lessons God is trying to teach us.

 Was the fruit a pomegranate? Who cares?  Is the Genesis account of creation and the events in the Garden of Eden literal or figurative? Would it change the lessons taught in these opening chapters of Genesis if we knew the answers to these questions?

 So as our weekly men’s group continued to consider the opening chapters of Genesis, my mind wandered to my friend’s pomegranate tree story. I began to ponder about the lesson we would be well-advised to learn from the account of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

 And there’s a lot to be learned.

 In Genesis 2:8, 9, the Bible records that God planted a garden in Eden in which He placed the man He had created along with trees suitable for the man’s food. The tree of life was placed in the midst of the garden along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Concerning the trees in the Garden of Eden, God commanded that the man could eat of any of them (including the tree of life…another story for another time) except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If the man ate from the fruit of this latter tree, he would surely die (Gen 2:16, 17).

 Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

 Well, we know what happened. The man and his wife ate from the fruit of the forbidden tree, and their eyes were opened (Gen 3:7a).

 Opened to what?

 At this point, religion ignores this obvious question…and its biblical answer…and instead dwells on the sin and its consequences, focusing on the evil side of the knowledge gained by consuming the fruit of the forbidden tree. But that’s only half of the story.

 What about the other half? The “good” side.

 Yes, the knowledge of evil came into the world when mankind partook of the forbidden fruit, but so did the knowledge of good. And the knowledge of good may have done as much damage, if not more so, as the knowledge of evil throughout history.

 Want some examples?

 How about all the murder and mayhem caused by two groups contending for “good” in religious and other wars? What about the hatred and contention surrounding the fight for “justice” in whatever form? People on both sides of an issue claim to be contending for what is good/right/humane/compassionate/loving. We can’t even agree on what “good” is. My concept of “good” usually is anything that is pleasant, convenient, and beneficial for me. What if my “good” conflicts with your “good”?

 And it can get ugly.

 Hatred doesn’t look good on anyone, and Christians are right in the middle of it. It’s my experience that Christians who hate look pretty much like anyone else who hates. And this hatred brings no one closer to Jesus or advances the Kingdom of God in any way.

 And it does not matter that we are hating for a “good” cause.

 In the Garden of Eden, the man and his wife knew neither good nor evil. They knew only God, one another, and their environment. And it appears that this state of affairs was exactly as God intended it. Adam and Eve were none the better off by having their eyes opened to the knowledge of good, and neither are we.

 Our concepts of good and evil both come from the same tree.

 Does this mean that there is nothing truly good? Certainly, and thankfully, not. Jesus answered this question for us during His earthly ministry. He was traveling along one day when a young man met Him, desiring to ask a question.  The man prefaced his question by referring to Jesus as “Good Teacher” (Mark 10:17). Jesus prefaced His response to the question by asking why the young man had referred to Him as good and then stated, “Nothing is good except God” (Mark 10:18, literal translation).

 Only God is truly good.  Everything else pertaining to what is known about good or evil proceeds from the root and the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So, it would behoove the seeker after what is good to pursue God and to know Him alone as the source and substance of what is good.

 Just as in the Garden of Eden.

 Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

When They Don’t Want It Where You Take It: Take It Where They Want It

 

By David Ryser

One man’s wilderness is another man’s theme park. (Author Unknown)

 “They don’t want what you have.” The voice of God spoke softly inside of me. There was no hint of disapproval or condemnation…it was simply a statement of fact. And I knew what to do because of an incident that had occurred several years before.

 And it began with one of the most remarkable cases of divine healing I have ever witnessed.

 A young woman was seriously ill…to the point where the Christian lady caring for her became concerned the illness might be life-threatening. This situation was made known to one of my school of ministry students who felt strongly that a group of us should go and minister God’s healing power to the young woman. So, I gathered up my wife and a small number of students, and we made the two-hour trip to visit her.

 Upon our arrival at the house, we were informed by the sick woman’s caretaker that the woman’s illness had taken a turn for the worse. If not for the fact that our small group was on the way, the sick woman would have been taken to the Emergency Room at the local hospital that afternoon. We were invited inside the house and shown to the room where the young woman was confined to her sickbed.

 So, what now? What should we do?  How should we do it? And when? The answers to these questions are of vital importance when ministering the power of God.

 And the answers to these questions typically do not come all at once.  They come one at a time, and we must wait for each one.

 The Bible abounds with examples of this principle. Through study of the scriptures and through experience, I had learned to flow through this progression to arrive at the desired outcome. It’s not complicated: it’s simple…and easy…to do.

 But it requires patience.

 So here we were in this young woman’s room spending time getting to know her. She was happy to see us, and was friendly towards us, but she wasn’t very talkative due to the pain and infirmity of her illness. We already knew what God wanted us to do…He wanted us to minister His healing power to this woman.

 But how?

 Would He select one of the group to minister the healing, or would the whole group be more directly involved? Would we anoint her with oil? Lay on hands? Pray in Jesus’ name?

 How?

 We discerned God wanted to use group ministry in this case. I especially enjoy group ministry because no one person can claim credit for performing the healing/miracle. It’s safe.

 So, when?

 The situation in the house was somewhat chaotic with teenage children coming and going. This chaos was disruptive and distracting both in the natural sense and in the spirit. So, our small group.…including the woman’s caretaker…waited. And waited. And waited. Someone whispered to me, “So when are we going to pray?” I whispered back, “Not yet….”

 Now!

 Steve Gray calls it the “now moment” when the power of God is released in a torrent. We all felt it. The members of the group seized the moment and poured out their hearts in fervent petition and declaration for healing. This lasted for a few minutes, then subsided. We stayed with the young woman for a while to comfort and encourage her. Then we went into the main room of the house for a time of fellowship with our hostess (the young woman’s caretaker).

 Within a few minutes, the formerly sick woman joined us.

 What a difference! No longer lethargic, this woman was animated and talkative. She enthusiastically related how she had been instantly healed during prayer and described in intimate detail her previous symptoms and how she determined they were gone in the moments before she joined us. We rejoiced with her and continued to hang out and enjoy one another’s company.

 The work of God was finished…or was it?

 In the course of our conversation, our hostess shared her frustration with her inability to find a church where she could fit in and participate. This wonderful lover of Jesus was powerfully gifted by God and had sought in vain for a fellowship where she could bless others with what God had given her.

 The words rose up inside of me, and I spoke them without thinking: “They have not wanted what you have where you’ve taken it. Now take it where they want it.”

 Jesus did this very thing. At Gadara. At the synagogue and the temple. Everywhere. When His ministry was rejected, Jesus would not argue or contend with people. He would leave and go somewhere else.

 Why?

 Because once people reject you and your gifting, you can do no good…you can only do harm. You cannot take a person somewhere they don’t want to go; if you attempt to do so, you will end up harming the one(s) you desire to bless.

 Why not simply take your giftings where people want them?

 So, when I heard, years later, God say, “They don’t want what you have” I knew what I should do. At the end of the church service, I quietly and respectfully left the building.

 And I never returned.

  Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

The Kingdom of God: Why not Experience it Now?

 

By David Ryser

And I wonder why would I wait till I die to come alive? I’m ready now; I’m not waiting for the afterlife.  (From the song Afterlife by the group Switchfoot)

 “The Kingdom of God is at hand!” This was the declaration of John the Baptist and Jesus.  Both proclaimed a kingdom that was arriving on the earth. Jesus then proceeded to teach about, and demonstrate, the Kingdom of God.

 Neither John nor Jesus spoke of a kingdom that we would experience only after death.

 To be sure, the Kingdom of God extends beyond this earthly life. We look forward to experiencing God with unveiled eyes and understanding. All doubts will be erased, all questions answered, all diseases & infirmities eradicated, and all sorrows comforted.

 Forever.

 But what about now? If the Kingdom of God is experienced only after we die, we would be well-advised to come to a saving faith in Jesus and then seek death as soon as possible. And what about the other blessings and works of the Kingdom of God? What about healings, miracles, raising the dead, deliverance from demonic oppression, and too many more to name? None of these exists in heaven. If we don’t experience them here…on the earth, in this life…we will never experience them.

 Jesus’ words and works did not cease when He ascended into heaven.  His preaching, teaching, and supernatural works were continued through His apostles and ordinary believers. Every fellowship of believers experienced the presence of God and manifestations of the supernatural, even if it was only prophetic utterances in word and song. Today it is rare to find a fellowship that even believes in any of these things…and those that do rarely, if ever, experience any of them.

 Somewhere along the way we traded spontaneous Spirit-led worship and supernatural manifestations for religious ritualism…and then we created a theology to justify it.

 And the denomination (or non-denomination) of the church is irrelevant. Each has its ritual. And the ritual of any particular church is so rigid, you can set your watch by the part of the ritual you are enduring at any given moment.

 Give me a No-doz! Now you know why so many churches serve coffee in the lobby before their services. It’s not so much to encourage fellowship among the members as it is to keep them awake during the ritual.

 As for the ritual itself….

 Religious Christian services fall into two broad categories. There are those that emphasize the afterlife either through ritualistic observances designed to win the favor of God or through a sales pitch to secure a profession of faith.  And there are those that emphasize this earthly life by teaching a person can achieve his lusts for fame, fortune, and success by means of invoking the name of Jesus and/or the exercising of his faith and his merit (obedience, service, etc., usually to the “ministries” of his church).

 Although these two types of churches appear to be polar opposites, they are, in fact, identical twins.

 In both cases, Jesus is not the object of worship…He is a means to an end. Whether that goal is to escape hell (or shorten one’s time in purgatory) and attain the blessings of heaven, or if the goal is to attain the material blessings of this life, in neither case is Jesus Himself the object of the worshiper’s affection and desire. And in neither case does the worshiper experience God or leave the church service equipped to advance the Kingdom of God on the earth and manifest that Kingdom in word and deed.

 It would be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic…and heartbreaking.

 So, what does it mean to experience the Kingdom of God?

 There are two ways we can experience the Kingdom of God in this life. I call them the inward and outward experience of God’s Kingdom.

 The inward experience of God’s Kingdom is when we bask in the presence of God, hearing His loving whispers and listening to His “heartbeat”. It is receiving revelation, receiving His lifegiving power in our physical bodies and in our lives, and receiving a much-needed miracle or supernatural provision. It is falling deeper in love with Jesus every day and walking in the intimate relationship with God that Jesus invited us into.

 The outward experience of God’s Kingdom occurs when we minister the King, and His blessings, to others. It is when we introduce someone to Him. It is when we convey His love and power to others whether by a prophetic word, a physical or emotional healing, working a miracle, or imparting gifts both spiritual and material.

 So I don’t kn0w about you, but I have determined to join with Jesus and John the Baptist in their declaration concerning the Kingdom of God with its attendant blessings and invitation to become a part of it.

 “The Kingdom of God is at hand!”

 Now. On the earth. In this life.

 Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Christianity Without Hell: Is It Possible?

 

By David Ryser

The fear of hell is the beginning of religion.  (Wayne Jacobsen)

 So, I was driving along, minding my own business, and I drove past a church marquee. I read the sign…even though I knew better. The sign read: JESUS: YOUR GET OUT OF HELL FREE CARD. I couldn’t decide whether to laugh, scream, or cry. Laugh, because I grew up watching Warner Brothers cartoons and the Three Stooges, and I find innocent stupidity highly amusing. Scream, because this sort of foolishness dishonors God by misrepresenting Him to people who desperately need Him. Cry, because my heart aches for the people who attend that church.

 Many years ago, I wrote concerning the fact that Jesus never used the threat of hell to scare people into heaven.  Some of the reaction to my little article was heated…and predictable. If I have learned anything since becoming a lover of Jesus, I have come to realize there are two things a religious person possesses that one should never mess with: his Rapture and his hell; or, more accurately, his interpretation of the Rapture or hell.

 And I must confess that I do occasionally enjoy stirring up religious people on these subjects because, to be honest, I don’t think very often about either one of them.

 I don’t object to the doctrines of the Rapture or hell so much as I do their application, although I find most teachings concerning the former to be absurd and those concerning the latter to be counterproductive.

 Ever since the invention of the man-made organized Christian religion…also known as post-Jesus Christianity…this religion has used the fear of hell to manipulate people to take refuge in the rituals and/or teachings of the so-called “Church” in order to escape the torments of hell and gain the blessings of heaven. This carrot-and-stick approach to spreading the gospel of Jesus has done much to fill church buildings but has done relatively little to populate the kingdom of God. And it ignores the plain fact that Jesus did not use the fear of hell to issue an invitation to inhabit heaven; in fact, no such invitation to heaven exists in the preaching and teaching of Jesus.  He did, however, invite each of us into a loving and intimate relationship with the Father.

 And the presence and person of God is what makes heaven the wonderful place it is.  Without God, heaven is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

 To be fair, I must admit that both Jesus and John the Baptist did threaten some people with hell. They threatened self-righteous religious people, and only self-righteous religious people, with hell.  This should be of concern to self-righteous religious “Christian” people.

 It typically isn’t, but it should be.

 The fear of hell has no place in the life of a Christian.  Paul never threatened Christians with hell to keep them in line. Not even the bad Christians. Not even the bad Christian who was having sexual relations with his stepmother. And yet, I’ve heard church leaders threaten their members…whose only sin was missing one of their church's mind-numbing, soul-sapping religious services...with eternal perdition. And then claimed their preaching was biblical.

 Stupid is as stupid does.

 So now might be a good time to take a short religious test. The results of this little test are important because only religious people were threatened with hell in the Bible. And hell is serious business. Hell is a place of separation from the presence of God created for the devil and his angels, and believed by many to be inhabited forever by both them and those who choose to join them.

 The religious test consists of just one question: If there were no hell, would you be a Christian?

 Imagine with me…and John Lennon…for a moment that there is no hell. Would you love, honor, and obey Jesus if there is no hell? Do you need the threat of hell to be a Christian?

 If you need the threat of hell to love God, you are religious. For your own sake, please do not lose your fear of hell.

 For those of you who do not need the fear of hell to love Jesus, congratulations…you are not religious, and neither were the apostles and early believers. Paul taught us that we are constrained by the love of God (2Corinthians 5:14), and not by the fear of hell. John was freed from all fear by the love of God (1John 4:18 in context); “all fear” would include the fear of hell.

 In my experience, if one utilizes the tactic of scaring people into church with the threat of hell, then one must continue scaring them with the threat of hell to keep them in church.  And it works. But it comes with a price. Because true intimacy in a relationship cannot coexist with fear. So, these wonderful people who have been scared into church wallow in fear and experience a dysfunctional relationship with a God whom they perceive to be an abusive father.

 How sad. And more than a little pathetic.

 But you may ask, “What about the fear of God?” It’s in the Bible, and many sincere believers refer to themselves as God-fearing. This is a valid question, and it’s a subject too expansive for this little article. But suffice it to say that whatever the fear of God (or the fear of the Lord, if this is your preferred terminology) is, it certainly does not refer to cowering in terror in the presence of a violent, abusive, and tyrannical deity.

 And then those who present this kind of God to us, in the next breath they tell us about the love of their Father God. It makes me wonder what kind of family these people grew up in.

 Early in my Christian walk I realized one day that I could not imagine being a Christian without a devil; or, more specifically, a fight/war against the devil. My Christianity was all about defeating the devil and advancing God’s kingdom. I was troubled by this realization, but I didn’t know what to do about it because I was too young in my faith.

 But I never forgot this incident. And as I progressed in my faith walk and fell more deeply in love with Jesus, I found I no longer needed the devil or the devil’s hell to follow Jesus. I have come to view my battle with the kingdom of darkness as much a rescue operation as an invasion…another story for another time.

 Hell? Who needs it? I’m in love with Jesus.

 Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Living the Dream: Partnering with God to Create a New Reality

 

By David Ryser

There are no birds in last year’s nest (Longfellow)

 It began as something of a joke. I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life. Financial challenges and reversals, coupled with an alarming decline in health, had brought me to a place of despair.  To add insult to injury, my dream of so-called “ministry” was on life support and would be dead within a few months.

 It can be hard to see that God is bringing you to a place of new life when you’re surrounded by so much that reeks of death.

 In the not-so-distant past, I would have complained to God…and perhaps complained about God to God…as one difficulty piled upon another until I felt I would be overwhelmed and crushed under the weight of them.  But I had determined early on in this season that I would never again put God on trial no matter the circumstances in my life.

 Decisions of this sort are almost always immediately challenged either by life’s hardships or the workings of the enemy…or both.

 During these times it would have been easy to succumb to the disappointment, frustration, and fear…and give vent to the discouragement and hopelessness that was building within me even as I resolved to hold fast to God, trusting in His love and faithfulness as best I could.

 And then people would ask me, “How are you?”

 “How are you?” is a rhetorical question that is asked by way of a polite greeting. A protracted answer to this question is neither expected nor desired.  Who among us has not rolled our eyes, sighed, and sought the most expeditious route of escape when a person answered our polite question with a lengthy tale of misery and woe? So, I needed a short answer to this question that would amuse me because I can deal with anything…even the foibles of the religious system…if I can laugh at it.

 So, when people would ask me, “How are you?” I began to answer, “I’m living the dream.”

 What fun! This answer would garner a plethora of differing responses on the part of the questioner.  Most people would smile and continue on with their day brightened just a bit by my unexpected expression of good cheer. A few would frown a little frown and say, “My life is more like a nightmare.” To them I would say, “Well, nightmares are dreams too.”

 Some very interesting conversations would begin this way.

 And over time what had begun as an ironic expression during a dark time became the genuine attitude of my heart.  You see, I had said “I’m living the dream” so often that I began to believe it.  I believed it as financial challenges piled up. I believed it as I walked through a time of declining physical health. And I believed it when my dream of “ministry” finally died.

 Belief is a powerful thing.

 And then, suddenly, God led me into a new adventure…and a new life…that was beyond anything I could have asked for or imagined (Eph 3:20). Within a month after the death of my old dream, I had moved 3500 miles (5800 km) to remote western Alaska, accepting a job at a regional hospital.  I moved forward with God, in part because I had learned to trust Him in a way I never had before during that dark and difficult time and partly because I had nothing/nowhere to go back to.

 “There are no birds in last year’s nest.”

 Over the course of the next 18 months, my financial situation was repaired, and my health was restored. I went along happily doing my job, loving Jesus, and passing His life and love on to whomever needed and wanted it. While walking through the hospital, the other employees would often ask me, “How are you?”

 My answer was always the same, “I’m living the dream.”

 My catchphrase became well-known over time. One day a co-worker said to me, “Please stop saying that. Everyone in the hospital is saying it” (which is doubtful since there must have been one or two…). It turns out that positivity is infectious.

 So is negativity.

 I spent 8+ years in Alaska.  I met some awesome people and had extraordinary experiences that I would never have had the opportunity to experience anywhere else (Walking on water, for example.  It’s easy to do when the ocean is frozen.). I made lasting friendships with people I treasure in my life to this day.

 And I learned that I don’t need a microphone to have a ministry.  Ministry is not about being “the sage on the stage” admired by one and all.  Ministry is about touching individual people’s lives with the love and power of Jesus and being touched by the Jesus in them.  Ministry can happen anywhere.

 So, now I’m living the retired life in a beautiful place.  I live modestly, happily, and contentedly.  I am in love with my God, my wife, and my life. So, when anyone asks me, “How are you?” my answer is always the same.

 “I’m living the dream.”

 Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com