Sin is crouching at the door.....

I just needed to apologize for not posting hardly at all this week. I have been in Hong Kong getting some medical stuff checked out and the internet in the place I'm staying hasn't been very good. I have tried to post several times and each time it would disconnect on me! So, Here is one of the many I've written. I pray that you are continuing to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

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As the week started I had hoped to continue on with 1 John 4 but I think I need share a thought with you all.

As I've been reading 1 John 1-4 and trying to grasp all that there is to grasp in it. I realized this past sunday that I had missed something. My husband was teaching sunday on 1 John 3 - he focused primarily on 2 things but today I want to share one of them with you.

John is speaking about how we ought to love one another. 1 John 3 : 11 says : " For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; " verse 12 says, " Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous."

Now, I read this and maybe some of you stopped and thought twice about this verse but it wasn't until Dwayne read it that it caused me to say wait a minute, something doesn't make sense. Russ a friend of our family has said in church many times. "When something contridicts or seems not to make sense that is probably the time to stop and take a deeper look." This is one of those times when I read this and thought to myself, Now how does that help me to love my brother?"

Let me share what Father is teaching me.

Go back and read Gen. 4: 1-8

let me just summerize it : Cain and Abel are born and given jobs for their life. Cain tiller of the ground, Abel keeper of flocks. The time had come for them to offer offerings to God on behalf of themselves/the family.

the bible says; that Cain gave of the fruit of the ground and God had no regard for his offering. Then Abel gave the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. It says that God had regard for Abels offering.

Then Cain allows God to see that his countance fell and God asks him, " why are you angry and why has your countenance fallen?" Then He says something very important. " If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well , sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

I can imagine Cain's anger and I can imagine it burned deep with in him. I have read this story and heard teachers say what it meant but I don't think I ever really got it, until this week.

Cain was not in a right relationship with God because he wasn't in a right relationship with his brother. Abel was however in a right relationship with God and it showed in his offering however and his unconditional love for his brother; his brother had an issue that needed to be dealt with not by Abel but by Cain and with God's help.

Cain wasn't in a place where he was willing to deal with it and God being God, knew the heart of Cain and could see the truth. when God spoke to Cain it was for Cains good. To help him realize that he had what was necessary to overcome the sin that was crouching at his door.

Read this again:
" Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countanence be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

ladies, we all have areas that we struggle with in our lives. But some of those areas have a huge affect on our ability to love one another. I can think of many areas that could affect our relationships with others. Pride, jealousy, envy, just to name a few. Is sin crouching at the door? Did you know it's desire is for you? Stop and take some time to reflect on what things do you struggle with when it comes to people ,especially your fellow believers and did you know that very same sin is coming causing your relationship with God to be hindered? It's time to get real with yourself first because God already knows what is in your heart!

I can tell you that I deal with ; insecurities about if people will like me, pride, and wanting the praise of men. Not all of these hit me with everyone but there have been times I've met someone and I get that tinge of envy that causes me to think things I shouldn't. That is when we need to realize and take heed the words God spoke to Cain, " sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

It is time that we get real with ourselves and begin to be honest about what we deal with in or lives and how that has a great impact on our relationships with others and ultimately with God.

To love one another is to love with God's love. Love righteousness not evil.

Take some time today to just think about this passage and ask the Holy Spirit/ Your heavenly Father to reveal any areas that you aren't aware of where the enemy is crouching at the door. Master it today!

Lord, I come before you and thank you so much for Your word and how it speaks to us. Thank you for the words you spoke to Cain so long ago. I pray lord we would all learn from Cains mistakes and heed the same words you spoke to Cain. I pray Lord that we would not allow sin to have its way in our lives but that we would master it and overcome it with your word.
Lord I pray that we would strive to love eachother as you love us. Lord continue to mold us into your image, I pray!

I love you Lord!
I pray these things in your name, the name of Jesus,
amen................