CONFIDENCE WALK AND POSTURE IN CHRIST - PART 1

WEEK FIVE: 

CHAPTER FIVE:  THE ‘FIRST LADY’ BEFORE ALL

FIRST of Three Parts On…

“CONFIDENCE WALK and POSTURE IN CHRIST!”

Series ONE… “THE BEAUTY & FALL of Ms. EVIE”

OUR FOCUS TEXT…Genesis 3:20 (NIV) Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all living.

We are not skipping over Verses 1-19 in Chapter 3; we will come back to them. This week and the next two weeks we are turning our focus on something I haven’t read in any reference books, commentaries, or any other materials written about Eve. We are going to travel down a road into our own personal lives, so stay with me! 

KEEP IN MIND, what we’ll be exploring in these three weeks is in reference before SIN came into the world!

EVE… Hebrew meaning… ‘life’  

FACTS: For someone who was created to begin generations upon generations of humanity, Eve is only mentioned twice in the OT (Gen 3:20; 4:1) and twice in the NT (2 Cor 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:13)

    This Week’s POINTS to MAKE…

POINT ONE…. Where Do You Go When There’s No Where To Go??

  Although Eve is the mother of all, we know very little about the ‘First Lady,’ but we have to say Eve had it all. She possessed every pleasure, every beauty imaginable, and freedom. She had the freedom… with the exception on one thing. And what was that? We will be reflecting in depth on that famous 'act in time' in about four more weeks, and things are going to get verrrrrty (a CJ word - a combination of  – very and pretty) interesting to say the least!!!

  Meanwhile… Let’s visit Eve in the days just following her creation. Do you realize that Eve was the ‘first’ of everything?!  She was the first Woman to experience…

• A relationship with God
• Love
• Marriage
• Being a Wife
• Walking on the earth and seeing all the beauty God had just created
• Living in a perfect world without sin or curse (can’t imagine that, can you?)
• Receiving the first commandment
• Sin-Failing God’s commandment
• Designing a line of clothing – (‘Eve from Eden’ Clothing line-LOL)
• Being a Mother
• Experiencing loss, heartbreak and grief
• But she also the first woman to experience the first lesson in faith!

   Eve was the “First Lady” of all the ‘beginning of everything!’ She was definitely a woman whose life was one new experience after another. 

   Have you ever thought of this? Eve was never a...Child, Daughter or a Granddaughter, so who did she turn to and how did she learn all that she needed to learn??   As the ‘first lady’ to ever live, and since she had no mother or grandmother, aunts or even girlfriends to call on for advice, what did she do? There were no books she could read or websites to go to in order to learn how to be a good wife, give birth or to be a good mother. She didn’t have a Paula Dean or a Rachael Ray to learn from on how to cook (think about it, she didn’t even have cookbooks for recipes or Pinterest! OMGosh!!)

   She had no resources to learn how to be a housekeeper, how to clean a wound or even how to keep herself clean. There were no books or CD’s or seminars to attend on how to know her ‘inner beauty’ or know how to handle her feelings. She had no Dr. Phil to tell her when to listen to her heart. But yet she survived and managed it all as the ‘First Lady of Beauty’ because she totally relied on God to teach her all she needed to know! She turned to God for everything and He was there! Yes, she had Adam, but let’s not forget the fact that he too was having to rely totally on God for learning everything new alongside his wife.

Take a few minutes and let’s reflect on this scenario. If all the companionship you had on this earth was a man-your husband and God, and you lived in a beautiful garden (without children yet) and never having anything to worry about…

• What would you do? Go crazing or enjoy your life?
• How do you think you’d feel? Blessed or lonesome?
• Where and how would you spend your time? Love exploring the Gardens or sitting around sulking?
• Do you think you’d become aware of who you were created to be? Or could care less?
• Could you possibly identify with Eve? Or cannot even fathom what she was experiencing?
• Eve depended on God for all she needed to know, all she needed to survive, and all she needed to live for? How would that feel if we did that very thing???  Something to think about about???

POINT TWO…. Vision of BEAUTY FROM WITHIN

   Let’s take a moment and think about this question…

“What do you think Eve must have looked like? What were her best features? What color was her hair; was it curly or straight? Were her teeth straight? Did she have a perfect nose? What color were her eyes? Just how beautiful do you think Eve really was???”

   I like to envision Eve as a very beautiful and elegant woman, after all, she skipped childhood, so therefore no scars on her knees from falling down while running too fast. No chickenpox scares on her cheek and chin. No acne blemishes left over from teenage years. Since she never had parents, she most likely didn’t have a double chin or flabby upper arms inherited from her mother’s side of the family or funny looking toes from her dad’s side of the tree. LOL

   Her teeth were perfect I imagine, and no spilt ends on her long gorgeous hair that I’m sure must have shinned like gold in the sunlight. Everything was in perfect proportion over her body. I can see her walking with perfect posture that gave her a poise of gracefulness. Let’s keep in mind…she was personally fashioned by God’s own hands, so consequently, she had to be beautiful!

   Poet John Milton deemed Eve as the “fairest of creation.” Eve reflected God’s divine perfection in her womanhood. One to look upon and behold all her beauty like no one has since portrayed.

   Can you imagine what Adam must have thought the first time he laid eyes on her? Remember, God woke him up from a deep sleep (Gen. 2:21) to present Eve to him. I think God probably washed away the film of sleepiness from Adam’s eyes so that he could see clearly what the God of all creation had created from Adam’s own rib!

LOL>>>From the Funny Side of My Comic Brain:                                                    In Genesis 2:23 Adam says… “…she shall be called ‘woman’…”   Why the name ‘woman’, you ask?  Well, when Adam saw Eve and gazed upon her beauty he said… “WO-MAN!! You did good, God! What a heavenly creation!!!!”  LOL

OK, RETURNING TO SERIOUS: 

   Eve was flawless and beautiful in every way. Can you see her as a woman of beauty, grace, charm, innocence and strength – all uncorrupted by sin?

What positive qualities up to this point, do you see in Eve that reflects you?

   Ladies, natural beauty actually comes from deep within us! All of us come in many different shapes and sizes, coloring of skin, hair and eyes, and a verity of different personalities. Does that matter to God? No, because He’s the Creator of us all and He loves and welcomes us all into His Kingdom upon accepting Him as our personal Savior.

Take a mirror and look at your face and body. What do you see? Are there parts about you that you love or maybe dislike and wish you were different in some ways??

   Even though you may not like or enjoy everything you see in that mirror, you cannot deny the fact that it’s you. To accept the things you cannot change is to respect yourself and the Creator, for He loves and accepts us all no matter what we or others think we look like.

A CJisum:  A mind and heart that honors the mirrored sight honors them self and the mighty Creator!
Whatever I think my defects or imperfections are, I accept them totally. For I was created in the image of God’s likeness, so therefore, I am beautiful! Instead of focusing on my imperfections, I will stay focused on the One who will and does give me significance, conformation, love and affection in this life on earth. He also shows me that my self-concept, self-respect, self-love, self-esteem, self-motivation, all that makes up my entire self-worth are that of a much higher level when I focus on Him. Why? Because my total self-worth comes from within and not from the image I see reflecting from a mirror or what others may say about me. Within is where my strength and inner glory is grounded. From within is the power of the Holy Spirit and through Him I can do anything no matter what I look like!!!”  AMEN? AMEN!!!

   Now, Ladies (and Men), allow yourself to experience fully the meaning of what you’ve just read! Read it again and again until you begin to believe it in your heart, mind and soul.

   We seem to forget that our bodies are miracles of beauty just the way they are, no matter what our shape, size or what we see as imperfections. We are a beautiful and wonderful piece of God’s artwork!

****Ps. 139:14 (KJV) David says… “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

   Ladies, OH Ladies!! How much would our lives be different if we would just engrave that verse upon our hearts and believe the words and live it as the truth??? OMGoodness!!! And I say ‘our lives’ because I’m including myself!!  

   However, God has given us the responsibility to take care of our temples in which we live in. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20… “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you are bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.”

   God wants us to appreciate and honor all His creations, and this includes our bodies. If we don’t take care of our bodies, who will???

   And also, He doesn’t want us to focus on what He has given someone else that we may so desire to look like, but instead, His desire for us is to focus on the good that He created within us and not worry about the things we cannot change! After all, we were fashioned by God’s own hands in our mother’s womb, and He does not create junk! (Ps. 139:13)

 INCLUDING YOU!!!

 

   AND THE MESSAGE IS???

The Message Is…

• We have not and never will experience all the ‘firsts’ that Eve experienced, but we have so much to learn from each and every one of her experiences!
• Turn to God for everything for He is there!  Eve sure did!
• If all we had was a husband and God, how would we handle life? Would our self-image be different?
• Our bodies are miracles of beauty! However…
• We are responsible for taking care of the beautiful temple of which we live within.
• Our natural beauty actually comes from deep within us!
• To accept the things you cannot change is to respect yourself and the Creator, for He loves and accepts us all no matter what we or others think we look like.
• We were fashioned by God’s own hands!

1^st MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… My desire is to turn to God for everything!

2^nd MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… A mind and heart that honors the mirrored sight honors themself and the mighty Creator! 

3^rd MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… Whatever my defects or imperfections are, I accept them totally. For I was created in the image of God’s likeness, so therefore, I am beautiful!

4^th MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… My total self-worth comes from within and not from the image I see reflecting from a mirror or what others may say about me. Within is where my strength and inner glory is grounded. From within is the power of the Holy Spirit and through Him I can do anything no matter what I look like!!!” 

MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK… “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Ps. 139:14 (KJV)  I will engrave this verse upon my heart and believe the words and live the verse as the truth!
 

   My prayer for you this week is… you will discover and believe without doubt that you are a creation from God’s Master Piece of Fine Art Collection!!

c j

 

SOMEONE MISSING A RIB??

WEEK FOUR 

CHAPTER FOUR:  “SOMEONE MISSING A RIB??”

      (This Chapter is a little longer than usual but it is well worth the read for both men and women!  It has an added special message to you Single Ladies)

Genesis 2… The Beginning of the Life for Woman:

OUR FOCUS TEXT…Genesis 2:18-24 (NIV)                                                  

This Week’s POINTS to MAKE…

POINT ONE….  To  BE  FRUITFUL

Verse 18) The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."                                                                                          

   One of the many reasons God created a mate for Adam was to multiply human life to occupy the earth. Without female companionship as a wife to Adam, he could not fulfill his role in reproducing the human race. In Genesis 1:28, Adam and Eve were given God’s mandate… “God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number….”  (Notice God blessed them first! Later in our study today this will be brought into another conversation)  But God knew Man could not do all that needed to come to pass by himself, he needed a helpmate!

   Another reason for the creation of Woman was that Man did not have to walk alone. They were created to be helpmates to one another. To walk side-by-side through life as one another’s equal companion.

   One last reason God created Woman was to introduce to us these nouns and verbs… love, grace and forgiveness, as they are all part of our daily walk with God. We will explore each of these as we get deeper into God’s Word with each of these Women of the Bible!!

POINT TWO…. AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY
 

Verse 19) Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.                

20a) So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

   Can you envision Adam at this time, walking through the land, eyeing each and every living creature, and giving them their name?                                  

   What an awesome responsibility!

‘He brought them to the man to see what he would name them.’

   Think about it… would you be able to come up with all the names that are now assigned to every animal???  Would you have named the deer a different name? What about the spider or the baboon, the eagle, or the shark?  Those names somehow fit each creature, don’t they?

 

   This was Man’s first act of dominion over all other creatures. KJV Bible uses the word ‘dominion’ in Gen. 1:26 & 28.
 

How would you like to have had all that responsibility at the beginning of your life?

   Thank goodness we don’t have the responsibility of naming all the creatures, but does God not give us this very day great responsibilities?  Yes! One is… To care for one another. Another is… To take care of our land from which so much of our resources come from to exist in life. Meaning…the land is the source for our food; the source for our oxygen and water, our living; etc, etc.
 

 

 

POINT THREE…. The  Missing  Rib  Mystery

What was missing in God’s perfect creation?

How did God make a helper that Adam would accept as equal and not as just another animal?

Verses 20b-21) But for Adam no suitable helper was found.  So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh.

   Every time my husband gets aggravated with me (which I’m proud to say that’s not too often) he says, “I want my rib back!” I say, “Sorry, what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine. Remember our wedding vows??”  We then have a big laugh!

 

Have you believed, as I believed growing up, that a woman had one rib more than a man??

   Now all my young life I was lead to believe that the man had one less rib than the woman. Where did this originate from? I guess the ‘old church’ (kinda like ‘old school’) once taught that since God removed a rib from Adam it made sense that the man was left with a rib missing.

   The fact is… men and women have the same amount of ribs! Well, how about that, we are equal in yet another way!! LOL!

   Upon doing in-depth research on this particular topic, I read so many different interpretations why God took a ‘rib’ that I got to the point I had to just stop reading and ask God to reveal to me… why a ‘rib’? 

   This is what God revealed to me…

• The rib is from the side of a body, therefore, Adam and Eve were meant to walk side-by-side in all their endeavors, just like husbands and wives are meant to do.

Please read on…

• If Eve had been created from a bone from Adam's head; it might have meant that man was to rule over Woman… but God did not take bone from Adam’s head. Did He? NO!
• If bone was removed from Adam’s foot; that could have been interpreted as man was to walk all over Woman… but God did not take bone from Adam’s foot. Did He? NO!
• If God had taken a bone from Adam’s arm or hand; it could have been construed that man was to hold Woman back from love, accomplishments, etc. Or another side of that coin… controlling her with his fist… but God did not take bone from Adam’s arm or hand. Did He? NO!

   I could go on and on, but do you see the point I’m making? So, what is that point??

Woman was taken from Adam’s rib to illustrate that…                                       

• She was to serve side-by-side with him as his equal help-mate companion
• A helper matched to him because she was ‘part’ of him. (‘Helper’ does not imply inferiority over either one!!!)                                                                   

God took the ‘rib’ from under Man’s arm that he might…

• Protect her
• The rib is near the heart that he might cherish her with all his being, to be dear to him

   One thing I did take from one of the commentaries was… the reason God used the rib was that it was the only bone he could safely remove from Adam’s body without crippling him!  Isn’t that interesting??

Verse 24… and they will become one flesh.  One flesh…It was almost like Adam was saying… “This is the one, Lord!! I am well pleased.” There was no question about Adam’s delight in his wife. God and Adam must have used the words God had been saying for six days after each creation … ‘He saw that it (Woman) was good’!!!  She was to be the other half of Man.

 

 

POINT FOUR…. LORD,  SAVE  ME  for  Your  Appointed  One

Verse 22) Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 

 

ATTENTION  SINGLE  LADIES (And MEN)…

 

Let’s take a moment to look at the latter part of verse 22… ‘and he brought her to the man’

   I wished I had allowed God to bring relationships and marriage to me instead of me going out and looking for myself!! From experiences of my past, those that I chose, on the whole, were NOT a suitable side-by-side equal companion, not a companion matched to me! Yes, I thought I knew what I wanted, but no, they were not matched to me as God’s chosen one. Lessons Learned – Wisdom Gained!!!!
 

   Now I know those of you who know me personally, and know the marriage I now have, that statement in the above paragraph does not apply to my God-Gift, David!!!  For once in my life I waited and allowed God to bring him to me!!! My wait lasted for seven years, but has been well worth the wait!!!

   Actually, to hear David tell it, I ran and he had to chase me down!! LOL! I love to hear his version, it makes me feel good to know that he too believes our marriage had and still has God’s hands all over it!!!!!!!!!

   My messages here for you single ladies, PLEASE, PLEASE, allow God to bring you together with your God-Gift, the ‘appointed one that God has chosen,’ and don’t go into all the wrong places looking for Mr. Right!!! (the same goes for you men looking for Mrs. Right)  

   You will not find God’s appointed mate for you in the dark places God would never enter into in the first place! And I don’t mean only ‘the dim light places’ but also ‘dark with corruption’ places. You will NEVER find God’s appointed mate sitting in a bar. God would NEVER place your appointed mate on a bar stool with a drink in his hands!! Nor will God place your appointed one at wild drinking parties or in ‘beds’ of impurity, because God would NEVER enter those places. Hear me SINGLES...Your ‘God appointed mate’ would never be placed in places as these!!   

   Remember the verse I mentioned earlier that we would return back to?  Gen. 1:28... "God blessed them and said...." The blessing was given first and THEN their life together begins! 
 

   I’ve been asked many times, “Does a marriage ever work out that I now have discovered was not someone God had appointed for me, and can the blessings of the Lord eventually come upon that marriage?” I say in most cases, no. Why? The parties involved never seek God and ask for His forgiveness and His blessings.

   But, yes, that marriage can come to be blessed by God, but the road to that blessing can sometimes prove to be a mighty rough and jagged road that most never make it through the journey to the blessing. But there is always ‘hope.’ But why take the chance when if you’d wait and rely on God to bring His ‘appointed one’ the journey will be worth the wait with multitude of blessings!!!

   If you are single, I hope that one day you will be able to hear the talk I’ve written called… “The 7 ‘Secret’ Ingredients To A Successful Relationship” for it is an eye opener! It speaks of ‘RED FLAGS’ and what to look for in one’s character, and so much more. It’s the things that most of us never think about that are the ‘secret ingredients’ that if we knew them before getting emotionally involved with someone it would sure save a lot of heartbreaks and turmoil!

   I don’t apologize for the strong truths in the above statements; I only write what God has me to write… the actuality of the teaching of His Word!  Take the word of one who learned the hard way, and I mean the HARD WAY in one case.

   But when you allow God’s hand to guide the two of you(you and your appointed mate) to the appointed time and the appointed place, life is a much sweeter, peaceful and a rewarding Gift!!  It is now my mission upon which God has appointed me to tell you Singles who are seeking a mate… wait on God to send His appointed one!!! And meantime…Be FAITHFUL to God, and PRAY for God’s guidance in all matters.

   Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:2-3… “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Meditate on the above verses. What would be your understanding of those two verses?

   God was very sensitive to Adam’s needs and wanted to provide genuine fulfillment for Man. He crafted a woman from the rib of Adam’s body so that they would be of the same substance… bone and flesh. Verse 23… "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."                                                   

POINT FIVE… Oneness  of  Marriage  Between  Man  and  Women.

24) For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.                                                                      

   Reading the words of this verse, could it imply that Adam knew about ‘fathers and mothers’ at this point?  He never had a dad, and he had not yet become a father. Well, I have to be honest with you, I can’t answer that. That will be among the thousands of questions on my list I will be asking God once I get to heaven. A curious mind wants to know!! LOL.

   This verse is often used in marriage ceremonies, bringing forth the primary allegiance, a pledge, a commitment, to be the marriage between Man and Wife rather than to one’s parents. 

AND THE MESSAGE IS??

The Message Is…

• Adam’s anointed insight and intelligence were supernaturally enlarged to be able to name each and every species that was brought before him
• God made Man and Women to be help-mates to one another
• We today have responsibilities to one another and to the land of which we live
• The ‘rib’ was taken from Adam to signify we as women are not to be ruled over, not to be walked all over, not to be pushed away from love, accomplishments or worse, to be controlled by a fist (physical abuse)   
• And the message is… Eve was created to help Adam fulfill God’s purpose for mankind. Adam could not have done it alone. Eve was to fulfill a unique and special role, not only was she to be Adam’s companion, she was to help him care for the Garden of Eden, and we will explore that in weeks to come.

1^st MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… God had given Adam a great responsibility of…

1. naming each and every creature, and
2. to rule over all the creatures and the land - to care for them all

2^nd MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… Woman was taken from Adam’s rib to illustrate that she was to serve side-by-side with him as his equal companion, and a helper ‘matched to him’!

3^rd MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… Woman was designed to complete Man because God saw it was not good for Man to be alone

4^th MEMORY STATEMENT FOR THE WEEK… Man could not do all that needed to be done all by himself.

 

READING ASSIGNMENT for THIS WEEK:  Ephesians 5:22-33; Hosea 2:16

What do you read in these verses? Write out your thoughts.

COMING UP…    God cast the mold for all women when He created Eve. She embodies the original blueprint for all of us women. Eve was both powerful and dangerous! God’s definition for women and our significant place in His purpose came out in the planning phase of creation when His blueprint for woman was spread out on the table in heaven’s holy conference room. (taken in part from “Lost Women of the Bible’ by Carolyn Custis James)

   We will explore more of what the above statement means beginning next week when we enter into Ms Evie’s astounding life!!

May God’s purpose for your ‘rib’ be manifested to you this week!

c j

From the Funny Side of My Comic Brain…

God’s Beautiful Creation

Originally written by CJ Fortson September 1998  

“Lord, I’m so lonesome. I need a companion.” said Man.

“I have walked among all the animals You have blessed the earth with

and named each one,

but none have been suitable for becoming a help-mate,

and most of all, not one has proven to fill the

need for human companionship I so desire.”

God stopped what He was doing, stepped back and looked at His

handsome creation He called ‘Man’ and then said,

“Man, I do believe you’re right. Let me go to work on that right away!”

So God caused a deep sleep to come over Adam,

and He went to work immediately on His next very important creation.

 

God took a rib from Adam’s side, but as He held the rib so carefully in His hand,

visualizing a lovely and beautiful creation of a human Woman,

He spoke over the rib these words…

“Let the beauty of my creation in the rose be in her face,

the song of my birds be in her voice,

and the color of my rainbow reflect in her eyes.”

 

He couldn’t stop there, so He continued.

“Let the gentleness of the ocean breeze

and the laughter of the ocean waves add to her spirit.” 
 

He looked around His creation-land and saw animals grazing

and a slight grin came across His face, and He said.        

“I think she needs the gentleness of the baby lamb,

the playfulness of the kitten,

the will of the ox for her strength,

and for fun, let’s take a small touch of the crafty fox

to make her exciting!
 

Then God stepped back and took a long look at His work

 and decided it wasn’t quite finished yet.  

So, He went back to work.
 

He remembered how it felt when He made the mist earlier to wet the land

so this time He said, “Let’s add to her the freshness of the rain shower,

and the warmth of springtime.

Last but not least, let’s add the softness of the clouds above to her smile

and rays of sunshine into her hair.”
 

Then He said, “Now, I am finished!!

I shall call this beautiful creation ‘Woman ‘ of which I am well pleased!

Now Man will now be complete.”
 

He gently shook Adam from his deep sleep and said to him,

“Man, I give you this Woman, as your equal companion,

to love and protect her as you live in peace and harmony

throughout all the days of your life!”
 

With jaw dropped, Man gazed upon this beautiful new creation in awe...

and the world has never been the same since!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

NEED I SAY MORE????
cj