from Eden to Acts

In the beginning, God created everything. There wasn't anything that He didn't (or hasn't) created. I'm sure if you're reading this blog you already know that. You're also probably aware that when man (general term, not sexist, general) was created, we weren't good... no... we were very good... (Genesis 1:31)

What happens next is also elementary. God says "Okay, here is the deal. You get everything in this garden. You get to name the beasts, birds and that kind of stuff. You'll also be able to eat of anything from the garden, but stay away from this tree. Everything else is yours. Have fun."

Now, what comes next is us, being retarded and doing what us humans do best: we give in to sin. Now, when the serpent goes to Eve she gives in then takes the fruit to her husband and Adam does what all guys do: gives in to their wives. "Adam, look, this is the fruit of the tree God told us not to eat, have some." Then she batted her eyes and winked and his eyes raised and he was all in.

Something interesting is shown here: Adam and Eve, alone in the garden to tend to everything God have given them and when it comes down to it, were too selfish on their own to say no.

Noah's time comes around and the human race has screwed up SO bad God has had enough. Flood, dove, rainbow. We've somehow forgotten to put unicorns and dinosaurs on the boat, but other than that, we're good. Before that, though, God had come to Noah and said "if you build it, I will flood it. Actually either way, there's a flood a commin' and without a boat, your family is doomed."

Noah started building this thing and his neighbors thought he was just having a Noah moment (Noah was a drunk). Even though he told them "God told me" they ignored him and when the waters came, yeah, you get the point. Here was a community being led by a God given mission and they ignored it.

After the deaths of Egypt's first born children, frogs raining down, and the Red Sea parting, Moses and the Israelites have become free of the Pharaoh. We learned all this from Charlton Heston, right? Good. So, Heston, err, Moses sets up camp and goes up onto a mountain to talk to God. While God is up there writing software for the first iPad, the Israelites have decided they're tired of waiting for Moses and make their own god to worship. Moses, glowing from God's presence, comes off the mountain, holding the new laws, see's everything that's going on and his one eyebrow starts to twitch and he smashes the tablets. A man, filled with God, is brought to anger because of the disrespect shown to God's own plans. Here are Israelites, Gods people, who He freed from slavery, was promised the promised land, have given them everything and more and in less than 40 days without Moses' leadership, they're already praying to a golden caff that just popped out of the fire on its own (Arron, Moses' brother who was left in charge made up the excuse even though Arron, himself, forged the idol). God has touched these peoples lives, directly and they had so quickly fallen from His word.

Then, Christ's birth. Prophecy foretold his coming, and when he came into this world, it wasn't in a storm of fire, or a mighty war, but as a newborn child born in a manger in the middle of a small dunk nothing town. The King of Kings had come into this world as one of us, in the arms of his parents, greeted by the lowest of the low (shepherds) and then lived the life as a carpenter's son.

This boy would become a man, and around his thirtieth year here he began to do his majority of his teachings. This whole time knowing he was going to die for us.

He became close friends with his apostles and taught them, not just how to live but also how to lead. He knew they would be the first leaders in His new Church and he taught by example and loved them even more so because of it.

I could go on a rant about how we forget that the death wasn't the only part of Jesus' life. Jesus dying wasn't the catalyst of our salvation or why it's special, but the way he died, the things leading up to it. I'm saving that post for the beginning of Lent, look for it, expect it.

I will say, that in His death, Jesus gave his apostles a new lease on life. They knew what had to happen and it started with the Acts Church.

In the book of Acts (chapter 2) we're told of this beautiful Church that was more than church.

What's the difference? church (lowercase) is a building, Church (uppercase) is what God wants from us, a life statement that is community.

We are shown what a Church should be. What Church really is. A tight community, that gives everything they have to one another. Those who have more give to those who have less. Each meal is shared, in a holy setting, where there is no greed or pride or anger or lust. There is a connection that makes everything they do an offering to God because Jesus died for them and their love they show is a direct reflection of the love God shows them.

Each day their numbers grew, just because people saw how their lives could be different. It wasn't about preaching, or music, or anything but their lifestyle and they turned lives around because of it.

So, what does any of Acts have to do with Eden?

If Eve and Adam had an Acts community, would we have been kicked out of Eden? When God came to Noah and said "build an arcy arcy" and he told his neighbors, his Acts community, would they have turned away? The Israelites, left on their own accord after 40 days, and had been like an Acts Church, would they have built a golden caff? Would they even have had gold to melt?

We are shown a lot through these stories. That without a community like the apostles had started in Acts, we will ignore His word, His voice, we will forget what He has done for us and we will sin. Without this real life community of believers we are all naked in a garden, waiting for a snake. We are all foolish neighbors, and we are all idol builders.

God has shown us that we can have paradise without a Garden.