No More Room at the Inn

Chelle and the triplets Ashley, Mason and Aussie,  came to visit for a few days over their Christmas vacation. It was great to have them here with Chelle's brother, John and his family. They had not gotten together for nearly 6 years. And best of all they got to see their brother Mark, and their sisters  Kim and April. It was a crowded house, but we had lots of fun.

Since some of you may be reading on a phone,  I will copy the message on the page here:

It was a special week, when Ashley and her brothers got to visit with their younger cousins; two of them, they had never met. With all of us in our house, there were wall to wall people. All right, Ashley and I are exaggerating a bit, but most were sleeping on sofas, chairs and blow up mattresses. To say the least, there was no more room at the inn!
      Christmas week, 2017

In my email today,  I got my Daily Encouragement- Bring the Parchments message from Jim Chilton. It is so good, I'm copying it here for you:

        “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord [Yahweh] God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord [Yahweh] God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord [Yahweh] God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’  He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’  And he said, ‘Who told you that you were naked?  Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’  The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’  Then the Lord [Yahweh] God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?’  The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’” (Genesis 3:8-13, NIV).

        “I was afraid.”  This is the first time in Scripture that fear is mentioned.  Sin ushers in shame and fear. 

        “Have you eaten from the tree?”  God knew the answers, but just like a parent talking to guilty child who ate the cookie, He asks. 

“The woman you put here with me…”  Man loves to blame, justify, and excuse his transgression.  In the political world, we call this spin.  The woman made me do it.  It’s your fault, God; you put her here!”  Translation:  I am a victim!  I need therapy and government assistance.  People do this all the time.  Adam doesn’t fall on his face and repent.  No, it’s easier to blame someone else – someone we’re supposed to love and protect. 

        “What’s is this you have done?”  God is speaking to Eve, now.  Turns out that she's also a victim because she was snookered.  She was the first to say, “The devil made me do it!”  Ladies, the devil doesn’t make you do anything!

        We are the problem.  You and me.  Pride.  Stop blaming!