End of the year thoughts

Year ending thoughts...

14 and ½ years and still have my “learner's permit” in the marriage license. I think that is what they should hand you when you first get married a learner's permit, because a license implies, “you got this” and about 2 days into it, (if your eyes are open) you realize, “I soooooo don't 'got this'.”

The latest lesson has been a deep and good one.

We were asked on a Sunday morning by the Associate Pastor, “Who have you been overlooking?” Sunday morning, seemed like a good message, and so I began looking around. Nothing. Then about 2 days later my notes fell out of my Bible and I asked God again. (God smiled, because He likes to answer us when we come back and ask the questions again.) “Your wife”... “You treat her like she is the one person in the world (and maybe the kids too, be careful) who you need to correct and “keep her head from getting too big.” Months ago, God said to follow the advice of Ann Voskamp, “praise her and hug her 4 times a day” …. Well you may as well tell a caterpillar to fly!!, but now with this new revelation and some repentance and the grace to fall and get back up, this has been the plan. Even in the “trying and the failing” of it, a “new and glorious morn'” has dawned in our marriage.

All praise to Him, and my apologies to anyone to whom I have ever given marriage advice, ESPECIALLY to those to whom I gave advice when I was not even married. What a proud, ridiculous, idiot!

So here's to a new beginning, here's to a learner's permit that never expires!

All full of the Holy Spirit, just had a 'visitation' riding high then I came down the mountain and crashed, just like the disciples, my job, my marriage, are designed by God to give me opportunity to realize the depth of my need. To put me in a place of realizing my total destitution and my continual, I say, continual, need of accessing the resurrection life. Nothing else will “work”. I invent formula's and concoct plans and do do do a lot of stuff and it is all for nothing, because only the resurrection life of Jesus flowing out of my death to self, my realization of the reality of the total destitution of all that I have to offer, only there, only there at the foot of the cross does anything “good” originate.

Genesis 33 Jacob and Esau. Jacob, limping, broken, going out first to absorb what could have very possibly been the wrath of Esau. Jacob, bowing to him repeatedly, telling Esau that he was no longer a conniving cheater, in acknowledging to the angel, his name, his name was changed. Jacob was given the gift of seeing Esau's face as if it were the face of God.

A truly broken "church" disarms the resistance of Israel.    A gathering of people released to a love of God that is unconditional, not looking at "who's in and who's out" based on some virtue, or correct doctrine or any other thing that would be trusted, except the living God who raises the dead.  The pride of the power that is going to be broken includes many "good things"
all of which fall short of the ONE thing, the best thing, the only thing, the resurrection life of Jesus Christ flowing in and through a believer and a body of believers.

John 13 Jesus Knowing He is a Son, was free to be a slave.

Oh for a "living sacrifice" that does not talk back to or argue with sovereignty.  Have Thine own way Lord, Have Thine own way!   There is a war, but there is a rest in the war.  Works that are no longer mingled or mixed.  Seal it Lord, Give it Lord!

Holy Ghost the movie, that was a gift my wife gave me for Christmas. I have watched it twice already, it is not perfect and I am not looking for perfect. It was a beautiful thing to watch and uplifting and challenging. It touched me and goaded me on, so it is a good thing.

Small gathering-- Our family journeyed to a Christmas Eve service at the largest church in our area and it made me aware that a work has been started in me to no longer be content with “the stage” and the “audience” type of service. The Bible seems to make it clear that we are to come together in a small enough venue that 'each one' could bring a psalm, a hymn, a spiritual song. 'Each one' would come in to the service “prayed up” and ready to be used by God to minister to others and to the Lord. Our giftings would flow and grow and as we get too many people to allow this to happen another small group would be released from there. That is my vision not sure how it will all play out, I have no desire to run ahead of the grace of God. 

Matthew 15:13 and One tree

Got this this morning listening to Art Katz and i'll post it

 here. 

"God is absolute and He is full of mercy, no flesh can live 

that out, no flesh can make that real, but only the 

resurrection life of God. No effort of our own can "behold

the 

kindness and the severity of God", only Him, only His life,

 Father forgive us and break us take us through death to

 resurrection for your glory.


and

Matthew 15:13 "Jesus said, , “Every plant that my heavenly

 Father has not planted will be rooted up. " Praise God for

 the truth that we are grafted into the one tree, Israel, and

 their promises and their blessings, and in the end the

 preterist and replacement tree will be rooted up, BY HIM!!

the Christian life = total destitution

The people of God come to a fullness when they recognize and live in the place of total destitution. John 15:5 " I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

A question  How does the idea of "total destitution" connect in with "that bears much fruit"? Are they not the opposing sides?

My reply Excellent question to spur further discussion. The specific kind of "total destitution" that I am talking about is that of knowing that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing. The fulness of God can only flow out of one who is empty, who recognizes, that they are "undone" "a man of unclean lips among a people of unclean lips" "Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame " The recognition that all of our "life" is flowing out of the vine, and we are just the branch, destitute of life, if not for your connection, our 100% dependence on the vine. In the last two Bible Studies that Tom Quinlan hosts, "Paul's Gospel in the Old Testament" Session 11 and 12, the truth that the fullness of the gentiles is actually the revealing of a people who are at the end of their strength, corporately having no strength of their own, corporately wholly dependent, absolutely surrendered to God. (I have watched and read about so many charismatically gifted people who would bear fruit for a season and then grab a tiny sliver of the glory, and then crash and burn, a total cleansing of self-righteousness, a total rejection of any "claim" upon grace is what we need and what the Lord is searching for.)

and an “add on”  And from the place of "total destitution" the will of God reigns and the love of God flows and the compassion of God heals, unhindered by the "flesh", bearing much fruit all for the glory of His Name

rude, mean Christians

The question was posed, "Why do Christians treat each other rudely and without grace?"
My thoughts....

 Isaiah 57:15 " For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. " Romans 11:32 " For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. " Deut. 32:36 " The Lord will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. " Daniel 12:7 " I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. " True Christians are "set-up" by God to fall. We will fail people, we are rude and mean to those we love, and just in general we "suck." God is not surprised by that, it is what happens next that matters. Do we go to Him broken and admitting our faults and sins? Do we cry out for the expensive mercy purchased at the cross? Do we persevere in believing that God loves us even though we are poor and weak. There is a deep underlying theme in the scriptures, suffering proceeds glory. It is a type of suffering, reserved for those whose conscience has been touched by God, to know that you have let down The One who loves you so much. We are those who cry out for mercy to the one true God who delights to show mercy. His beautiful, terrible plan is to bring a people (individually and corporately) to the absolute end of their strength, to the shattering of their power, so that He might be glorified as the God who raises the dead!

Communion

Communion, He allowed His body to be broken He allowed His blood to be poured out and in so doing He gave us a pattern for how to usher the Kingdom of God into our lives and those we touch. 

By making it a "simple time of sharing" connected to a Jewish festival meal, He connects us to the root.  He makes it available to all.  He makes it a part of  'everyday.'

Grace and Humility

3 Thoughts that I believe God can weave together without my adding any comments. 

1)
If we are willing to agree with the will of God that we are "not

 a people" then, broken and bruised by the truth of His 

sovereignty we can finally receive His love and be "His 

people." 


2)

Romans 9:16 So then [God’s gift] is not a question of 

human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy. [It

 depends not on one’s own willingness nor on his 

strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God’s 

having mercy on him.] Amplified

3)
"The only people who have a right to point out dirt on

 another's feet are those who have a towel about their

 waist, a basin of water in their hands, and are willing to

wash them. If I'm not willing to come alongside someone

 in humility and love I have no right to point out the dirt I see

in him." 

pure in heart

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8

Familiar verse, maybe...too familiar.

Look at the Amplified version. 
 "Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!"

Had to put those words in bold print, because, I feel strongly that the true and deep calling, the deep meaning of this verse is, the pure in heart are blessed because they see God in everything!  No matter the situation or circumstance, they see the cup from the Father's hand, and they are open to the redeeming power of God to bring about His good work, every where, every time.

Why forgive?

"We don't forgive because people deserve it - we forgive so that we can see again, hear again, pray again."
Jason Upton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPgWueKz0Q

There is a freedom to live completely abandoned to the Father, "seeing a betrayer as a cup from the Father's hand."  

human all to human

"Let me not in any way insert my humanity."
Art Katz before beginning a sermon entitled, The Necessity of the Cross.
http://ia601201.us.archive.org/14/items/SERMONINDEX_SID5097/SID5097.mp3

Nothing gonna hold me back

When we see everything as a cup from the loving hand of our Father.  We can see things differently and we can forgive.  Whatever is holding back the Spirit is broken by forgiveness and laying down our lives.

Jason Upton's songs are teaching me truth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPgWueKz0Q

Battle of Five Armies

"You have but one question to ask, 'How will this day end?'" Gandalf

from the new movie "Battle of Five Armies"

and these thoughts on LIVING the Yeshua life

We can walk through this life with the vision of God that transforms "enemies" into a cup from the loving hand of our Father. We can walk in the Spirit in such a way that the value of an eternal soul, is so very clear, that we can endure and persevere with whatever comes and return love and mercy. We can live in such a way, with such a freedom because of knowing the goodness and the sovereignty of God that we have no enemies and we can not be hurt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV8RkGxWBDU

and a great Bible study link here

http://youtu.be/-KqcezbrLE4

God caused it

A friend posed this question

 I think he also said that God does such things (as the holocaust) because that's what it takes to get our attention. I've also heard (from other speakers) that God doesn't cause those things but He will use them for His glory. Which camp do you agree with?

This was my response.

Food for thought, Deut. 32 is mostly the "Song of Moses"

a song that Moses was to teach the children of Israel, (a brother put it to music and you 

can locate it here....     http://www.zcpress.org/music/the-song-of-moses/     )

With the point in mind that God wants His people to know and memorize this song, let's look at verse 23 

At this address it is displayed in every English translation, and the meaning is clear.  NIV

“I will heap calamities on them
    and spend my arrows against them."

That is God talking, not man's opinions.  

We are slow learners and God know that so He says the same thing from

another angle in verse 39

"‘See now that I, I am He,
And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand."

You will note that verses like these do not leave a lot of "wiggle room" for the

"God does not cause those things..."  crowd.  And please, please, please, note

that I am not ripping scripture out of context and I am not taking 45 minutes to

explain why, when He says, "I have wounded" that that is not really what He means.

The first Bible I ever owned, i would write down scriptures that spoke of God's discipline

of His children and it wasn't long before the inside front cover of my Bible was filled with

references.  It is a "theme" in the word of God.  

Isaiah 45:7  "The One forming light and creating darkness,

Causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am the Lord who does all these."  (God describing Himself, not out of context at all)

Hannah's song of Thanksgiving 1 Samuel 2:6  “The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and raises up."

God thundering against the wicked in Psalm 50:22  "“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver."

Psalm 51, the ultimate prayer of repentance, verse 8  "Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice."

Lastly Amos 3:6  If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

So now I will sit quietly and wait for anyone to find the scriptures that say God does not

cause "those things" but uses them for His glory.  I have read the whole book more than

14 times but I may have missed them.

A word to the principalities and powers of the air, the rulers in heavenly places

I have one couple and 2 individual friends in the furnace right now, and this is my word to them....

Right here at this facebook page is a sign and a wonder! The Lord God of Israel has thoughts than He shares with those who go through the fire. Those who choose to trust Him in the midst of the flames. Those who say, with their very lives, to the principalities and powers of this world, Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”     

Obedience has its rewards and the greatest one is this, 

Psalm 25:14

The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.

Isaiah 45:3

“I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

Mercy and more mercy.

God met me Tues. night at a prayer time.
God met me in a little book, called "Blessings in Disguise" by Joshua M. Hood.
God met me in a blog, http://aaroncuyler.net/2014/10/29/jesus-always-secure-without-a-platform-ministry/#comment-324
God met me in another blog  http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/10/3-creative-ways-to-love-kids-through-hard-spots/

It is only through mercy that God meets me, anywhere.
He continues to do His work in me, and it is a work that makes me softer and more filled with mercy.
Oh yes, "Zeal for my Father's house" does still sometimes consume me, but even that is a work of mercy.

Moshe for the sake of Christ

Just loving how we are reading one book with one story.  Hebrews 11:24-26

 24 By trusting, Moshe, after he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose being mistreated along with God’s people rather than enjoying the passing pleasures of sin. 26 He had come to regard abuse suffered on behalf of the Messiah as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes fixed on the reward.   CJB

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of  Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.    NASB

Moshe and my 3-4 year old class

Numbers 14:13-19 reveals that the incredible strength of God is shown in showing mercy to us, "vessels of wrath."   "And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,"  Numbers 14:17  The power that Moshe was asking the Lord to reveal was the power to pardon and show mercy and bring His promises to pass in spite of the obstinate disobedient people.  
Mercy requires great power, to not give people what they deserve is a high calling.

\Got a revelation on Sunday before going to teach my 3-4 year old class.  The lesson was on "Do Not Worry", and I thought to myself, these kids don't even have a concept of "worry."  The lesson plan actually recommended that the adult teacher give examples of things to worry about!  I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, but that did not seem like a good idea to me.  Earlier in the week I had read a blog by Annie Lifsey about allowing our children to teach us about a true relationship with God.  Jesus said to look to them and become like them.  At a very young age, worry is a foreign concept and trust comes from their heart.  My revelation was, stop trying to teach and allow them to teach you.  I will be paying closer attention to them in the future.

Another episode in the life of Moses that is recorded by him in Chapter 20 is hard to read.  Moses gets frustrated and angry with the incessant whining of the community and goes beyond the instruction of God.  He doesn't speak to the rock, he yells at the people and then takes "partial credit" for bringing forth water from the rock and even strikes the rock twice.  For this momentary lapse that probably did not take one full minute of his life, he is banned from leading the people into the promised land.  The commentaries that I read allowed me to see that Moshe was indeed being held to a higher standard, because after all he had seen God face to face.  Also the rock was a picture of Jesus and was only to be "struck" once, years before, after that "crucifixion" there was never again to be a punishment.  After that we speak to the rock, we come to the rock by faith, our words put us in touch with the power of God. Ultimately God will be glorified and that is the main thing.  God will be glorified by our obedience or by the just punishment we receive for disobedience.  

Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2

I will tell of Your name to my brethren;  In the midst of the assembly H6951 I will praise You.  Psalm 22:22

Strongs H6951, qahal, pronounced kä·häl'

blue letter bible reference   http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6951&t=NASB

saying, 
“I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, 

IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION G1577 I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.” Hebrews 2:12

This "New Testament" verse is the greek translation of Psalm 22:22, the word congregation is the Greek work ekklēsia.

Strongs G1577 pronounced ek-klā-sē'-ä

blue letter bible reference http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1577&t=NASB

This verse from James shows another word that is translated in the English, from the same Greek word.

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church G1577 and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;  James 5:14

Synagogue is the building that Jews were meeting in, in New Testament times.  

Somewhere along the line, we began using the word "church" for the building where we meet.

So our building had a different name than "their" building so we are different from them.  That is wrong.

But ekklesia is not the name of a building and it is synonymous  with the word kahal.

So to the best of my ability that is my point.  

The ekklesia of God and the kahal of God are the same thing.  His story is one story,  His vessel in the earth to convey that story is one vessel.

Kahal of God

One friend asked me to explain this term, kahal of God.
This is my response, I am on a journey to fully and deeply understand this, join me if you like.

Ephesians 2 is the basis of understanding that when Paul watched God bring a gentile into

the "faith" that gentile believer was being brought into the commonwealth of Israel.

Kahal, as best as I understand it, is a Hebrew word meaning "gathering of people around 

a common theme" could be a group of union workers, an army, a sewing club.  "Kahal of God" would

be a gathering of believers, whose uniting factor is God.

In the New Testament language, "ecclesia" was used as the Greek equivalent word.  Then in later 

translations "synagogue, or church" (two very different words) were used to translate this one word, 

 depending on the context, re-creating

a "dividing wall" that Christ had specifically come to break down.

"Church was not birthed at Pentecost", but the stream of the Spirit of God moving in the hearts of believers

through Christ who was slain since before the foundation of the world, was widened and deepened into the amazing

big river that we are currently in.  Just because the stream, widened and became deeper, there was no need

for a new name.  

Unfortunately, the new name, came with a price, and the dividing wall comes with a price and that price is 

arrogance and pride, that says, "we are more special than you"  "we aren't rebellious like you"  "we are the new

thing and you are the rejected old thing".   That kind of thinking leads to an "evil freedom" to crush others, the 

crusades and other dark black things that the "church" has carried out through the ages are proof of this.

Anything that puts me out of touch with the truth that "I am a vessel of wrath, that was given mercy."  is going 

to be ultimately destructive to our Spirit.  Anything that elevates me and allows me to look down on "sinners" and to

"make war" on the individual person, that I am supposed to be serving and loving is a very dangerous lie.  So someone

who begins to see the continuing work of a very patient God with a very obstinate chosen people, is softer, more

open to others and their baggage and faults and crap, than someone who is convinced that God has rejected someone else

in favor of "little old special me."

All the language of the New Testament letters (specifically Galatians and Hebrews) that speak of a rejecting of the 

old in favor of the new is directly related to the Mosaic Covenant of sacrifice and offering.  Christ fulfilled that and

so it is "past" BUT, none of that language relates to the Abrahamic covenant of coming to God through faith, which is

older and which is not fading away or passing.  None of that relates to the Davidic covenant of God promising an eternal

reign on the throne of David, through Jesus.  

This is very new to me, but the more that I dive into it, the more true, I am finding it to be.  

The Pharisee in the mirror

Off we went to a convocation in Ohio, that seeks to touch and know the heart of God regarding the times of the end.  My wife and 3 of my kids went with me, all the other years it was just Elijah and I.  Every year at this conference, I confess either to a group, a couple or one person that I am not the husband that I know God is calling me to be.  This year about a week before going, God dropped it in my heart that I was a Pharisee in the way that I treated my wife.  I could have mercy and grace for so many people, but for my wife it was always, "this is wrong", "you could do better here", "this could be improved", "this was wrong", yeh I know, really helpful inspiring words.  I began to process God's word to me and repented in my heart, but next to a waterfall on the last day of the conference God parted the waters that divided my heart from my wife and in brokenness we fell into each others arms confessing, forgiving, loving.  God knew what was coming.  We returned home to a storm, but, by the grace of God, we have put up our umbrellas and gone singing in the rain.  A dear friend is rejoicing deeply in her heart, because she has seen the divide in our marriage and has been praying faithfully for unity harmony and love.

The main revelation I came away from the time in Ohio with, on a larger scale, was that the Kahal of God is a beautiful truth.  Words matter and when we act like God started a totally new thing at Pentecost, it re-erects a dividing wall that Christ came to destroy.  (Ephesians 2) The small but very real and very true stream of God that has been flowing through the faith of Abraham and on down to us was widened and deepened at Pentecost, but it was not "birthed".  Words matter and "church" is a word that has been used to harden hearts, justify wars, establish false systems, and worst of all allow pride to grow in the heart of man.  I intend to be intentional about using Kahal of God when God gives me the grace to truly share, why words matter.

That revelation lead me to understand that because it was much more full of grace than the word 'church' the word 'kahal' would be a place of mercy.

That led me to the thought that the only sin that leads to death is the rejection of what the Holy Spirit reveals about Jesus.

That led me (in part) to a dangerous book.

A book called "Oriented to Faith" by Tim Otto.  It makes the case that people who identify themselves as homosexuals should find a safe and welcoming place in our gatherings, gossips do, people worshiping daily at the idol of mammon do, envying people do, malicious people do, pride filled, arrogant people do...
Told you it was a dangerous book.

May God tear down, pluck up, destroy and overthrow everything that He needs to do for His glory and may He build and plant what will bring glory to His name.  And let it begin with us, ChuckLaura

Beautiful truth from Reggie, revealing the heart of God.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4NOZu86Be8

Grace to it

Wonderful confirmation last night as we went to a little service in Bruceton, WV, and the speaker confirmed what I was shown about Eve, just a few hours before. (yesterday's blog)

God also spoke a word to my heart, to proclaim "Grace to it" over whatever difficulty I was facing.  I have done that this morning and it has transformed the situation, without changing one thing, ...oh except for my cold, stony heart!!

Update on Oct. 20th, in yesterdays service I got the same feeling of saying "Grace to it."  from these words spoken by the speaker, "Let the glory handle it."   Both speak of freedom from carrying any burden or trying to make something work out.

Nehemiah 4:2  "What are these feeble Jews doing?"  Sometimes the enemy is not very subtle, he just comes right out and calls you a worthless piece of scum, doing a worthless work.  Go ahead and agree with him about the scum, but proclaim to him that the work is the Lord's and He will complete it!!!

Neh. 6:8  "Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind."
Nehemiah's accusers had twisted, his words, his intentions, and his motives.  Be aware when you are judging the motives of another person's heart.  This is not your territory, repent, step back, ask forgiveness, and let God do His work and keep your impure, not perfect hands out of it... until... you are given the heart of God for the person or situation, then and only then can you "pray" in unison with Him.  Up until that point you are on very dangerous ground that does not recognize and bow before the truth of 1 Cor. 4:7.

Isaiah 61:3   To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Working on a book, and questioning in my heart if it is "right" to include the person's name in the title of the book.  Really pondering this.  Given this little insight about the end of this verse, The people who are the "work of the Lord" are "called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that HE might be glorified."   The people are given a name, but their name refers back to Him and gives Him glory.  To be called "trees of righteousness" seems to be something that could "puff you up" but not when the purpose of calling you that is to draw attention to the ONE who has shown you such great mercy!

"religion" the tree of the knowledge of good and evil vs the tree of life

Oh how comforting it is to find the fault in others, to sit around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and admire how beautiful it is!  " So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise"Gen. 3:6  Hey, now, wait a minute (humming it to the tune of some old song) she saw that it was "good" for food...interesting...there was already a "bent" in her heart (and guilt by association, my heart) that was willing to say that this forbidden, death-filled, tree was good for something, anything, "Really Eve, what gives you that idea?"   
No big surprise that it was pleasant to the eyes, there is a reason that we are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight.  We should be suspicious of every thing that is "pleasant to the eyes."
But how could a tree that would lead to death, in the day that you eat of it, be seen as being "good for food?"
MERCY, I wish I could put that in an even bigger "font".  Oh that we would understand, being shut up in disobedience is the greatest most blessed thing God could have done for us, and I think, (I am a zero on the theological scale, but I think) this proves Eve had a "bent" to sin before she ever took a bite.  
So thank you God that... Romans 11:32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

IT IS BY THE MERCY SHOWN TO US THAT WE SHOW MERCY TO OTHERS.  GET IN TOUCH WITH, BE BROKEN WITH THE MERCY THAT GOD HAS SHOWN TO YOU AND YOU WILL QUIT HANGING OUT AROUND THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL AND YOU WILL BEGIN EATING FROM THE TREE OF LIFE!!