From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Two Gardens Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 17:45:25 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0006_01C5E7B0.E1EAF7E0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C5E7B0.E1EAF7E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable THE TWO GARDENS By Pastor Dick The book of Genesis speaks of two gardens which, in a way, could = illustrate the two types that are in every believer: the Spirit and the = flesh. The first one is God's garden; that is where we are called to = work. The Bible says, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into = the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Gen.2:15). To "dress" and to "keep" in Hebrew, means to "work" and to "protect." = What possible work could there have been for Adam to do in the garden? = The trees were already grown and bearing fruit; a river flowed in to do = all the watering; there were no bugs to spray or weeds to pull. And what = was he to protect it from? There were no other people there to steal = from it. To understand more of the work in the Garden of Eden in Genesis or the = one in the believer's heart, we must remember that a spiritual place = requires spiritual work. The people asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that = we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This = is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" = (Jn.6:28-29). There is physical work that can and should be done in = devotion to the Lord, but it cannot take the place of the work of = believing on Him. Eve failed miserably in her "work." She believed the = words of the devil more than the Word of God (Gen.3:1-6). She did not do = the work she should have done in God's garden. How do we protect our spiritual garden? "Keep (guard) thy heart with all = diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Pr.4:23). I have seen = Christians let bitterness and anger creep into their hearts without them = putting up one ounce of resistance! The other garden mentioned in the book of Genesis is completely opposite = from the one in Eden. It was the place Adam found himself working after = he decided to go his own way, to control his own life rather than = letting God guide him. We also have one of these in our lives. It = doesn't have a name, but we could call it Adam's garden. Everything in = this garden is planted in humanistic soil, which only produces natural = fruit of the flesh; and it has an atmosphere of sweat, guilt, sorrow and = frustration. The ground in Adam's garden was under God's curse. He = worked in the sweat of his face (self image), only to have it produce = thorns and thistles (Gen.3:17-19). It is a picture of someone trying to = work for their own righteousness instead of doing the work of receiving = it by faith as a gift of God.=20 One cannot work in the flesh (Adam's garden) and produce spiritual = fruit. Christians who attempt to do this bring about much confusion in = the harvest field. Many are, inadvertently, working in the wrong garden; = and the good and bad fruit is all becoming mixed together, creating a = loss of spiritual appetite, to say the least. Some of Adam's carnal fruit is easy to identify, like jealousy, = fighting, lying, gossiping, and the other obvious products of the flesh. = But there is another type of fruit which is just as bad, but is harder = to recognize because it has a good appearance. It is like a basket of = plastic fruit sitting on a kitchen table. It may brighten up the kitchen = and attract the attention of those who see it, but this kind can only be = used for decoration; it cannot give nourishment or satisfy hunger. = Whenever we try to put on a display of our spirituality, we are only = exhibiting plastic fruit that was cultivated in a worldly garden of = flesh. But when we are not working in Adam's garden but are resting in = the finished work of Christ, then the fruit of the Spirit will show = forth from our lives. Others will know that it is Christ in us, the hope = of glory (Col.1:27). The Lord loves to see us growing in the fruit of = His Spirit. His fruit does not grow in us; we grow in it, because God's = love, joy, peace, patience, etc., is full grown, perfectly complete. Can we invite the Lord into our garden without Him having to bring His = pruning tool? Can we say to Jesus, "Come, my beloved, let us go forth = into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the = vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape = appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. = The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant = fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved" (S.of = S.7:11-13)? It appears that the Last Mighty Harvest of the Lord has begun and many = workers are being called to work with the Holy Spirit in the Garden of = God. This may be a time for us to slow down, to pause and check to be = sure we are working in the right garden. If we find ourselves fuming, fussing and struggling by the sweat of our = brow, working to earn our salvation or our righteousness, or working to = be a better Christian, that is a sign we are just pushing the old man = (that was crucified with Christ on the cross) into working in a = humanistic garden that can only produce artificial fruit. If we are at rest, abiding in Jesus, believing in His finished work on = the cross, and walking in the Spirit by living in our new creation, we = will find ourselves working the right way in the Garden of God. Then we = will be hearing for ourselves the voice of God, as we grow in the = glorious fruit of the Spirit and enjoy the incredible, unending, = immeasurable love of our wonderful Heavenly Father.=20 ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C5E7B0.E1EAF7E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

THE = TWO=20 GARDENS

By Pastor = Dick

The book of = Genesis speaks=20 of two gardens which, in a way, could illustrate the two types that are = in every=20 believer: the Spirit and the flesh. The first one is God=92s garden; = that is where=20 we are called to work. The Bible says, "And the Lord God took the = man, and=20 put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it"=20 (Gen.2:15).

To = "dress" and to=20 "keep" in Hebrew, means to "work" and to "protect." = What=20 possible work could there have been for Adam to do in the garden? = The=20 trees were already grown and bearing fruit; a river flowed in to do all = the=20 watering; there were no bugs to spray or weeds to pull. And what was he = to=20 protect it from? There were no other people there to steal from=20 it.

To understand = more of the=20 work in the Garden of Eden in Genesis or the one in the believer=92s = heart, we=20 must remember that a spiritual place requires spiritual work. The people = asked=20 Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus = answered=20 and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom = he hath=20 sent" (Jn.6:28-29). There is physical work that can and should be = done in=20 devotion to the Lord, but it cannot take the place of the work of = believing on=20 Him. Eve failed miserably in her "work." She believed the words of the = devil=20 more than the Word of God (Gen.3:1-6). She did not do the work = she should=20 have done in God=92s garden.

How do we = protect=20 our spiritual garden? "Keep (guard) thy heart with all = diligence; for=20 out of it are the issues of life" (Pr.4:23). I have seen Christians = let=20 bitterness and anger creep into their hearts without them putting up one = ounce=20 of resistance!

The other = garden mentioned=20 in the book of Genesis is completely opposite from the one in Eden. It = was the=20 place Adam found himself working after he decided to go his own way, to = control=20 his own life rather than letting God guide him. We also have one of = these in our=20 lives. It doesn=92t have a name, but we could call it Adam=92s garden. = Everything in=20 this garden is planted in humanistic soil, which only produces natural = fruit of=20 the flesh; and it has an atmosphere of sweat, guilt, sorrow and = frustration. The=20 ground in Adam=92s garden was under God=92s curse. He worked in the = sweat of his=20 face (self image), only to have it produce thorns and thistles = (Gen.3:17-19). It=20 is a picture of someone trying to work for their own righteousness = instead of=20 doing the work of receiving it by faith as a gift of God. =

One cannot = work in the=20 flesh (Adam=92s garden) and produce spiritual fruit. Christians who = attempt to do=20 this bring about much confusion in the harvest field. Many are, = inadvertently,=20 working in the wrong garden; and the good and bad fruit is all becoming = mixed=20 together, creating a loss of spiritual appetite, to say the = least.

Some of = Adam=92s carnal fruit=20 is easy to identify, like jealousy, fighting, lying, gossiping, and the = other=20 obvious products of the flesh. But there is another type of fruit which = is just=20 as bad, but is harder to recognize because it has a good appearance. It = is like=20 a basket of plastic fruit sitting on a kitchen table. It may brighten up = the=20 kitchen and attract the attention of those who see it, but this kind can = only be=20 used for decoration; it cannot give nourishment or satisfy hunger. = Whenever we=20 try to put on a display of our spirituality, we are only exhibiting = plastic=20 fruit that was cultivated in a worldly garden of flesh. But when we are = not=20 working in Adam=92s garden but are resting in the finished work of = Christ, then=20 the fruit of the Spirit will show forth from our lives. Others will know = that it=20 is Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col.1:27). The Lord loves to see us = growing=20 in the fruit of His Spirit. His fruit does not grow in us; we grow in = it,=20 because God=92s love, joy, peace, patience, etc., is full grown, = perfectly=20 complete.

Can we invite = the Lord into=20 our garden without Him having to bring His pruning tool? Can we say to = Jesus,=20 "Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in = the=20 villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine = flourish,=20 whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there = will I=20 give thee my loves. The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all = manner=20 of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my=20 beloved" (S.of S.7:11-13)?

It appears = that=20 the Last Mighty Harvest of the Lord has begun and many workers = are=20 being called to work with the Holy Spirit in the Garden of God. This may be a time for us to slow = down, to=20 pause and check to be sure we are working in the right=20 garden.

If we = find=20 ourselves fuming, fussing and struggling by the sweat of our brow, = working=20 to earn our salvation or our righteousness, or working to be a = better=20 Christian, that is a sign we are just pushing the old man = (that=20 was crucified with Christ on the cross) into working in a humanistic = garden that=20 can only produce artificial fruit.

If we are at=20 rest, abiding in Jesus, believing in His finished = work on=20 the cross, and walking in the Spirit by living in our new = creation, we=20 will find ourselves working the right way in the Garden of God. Then we = will be=20 hearing for ourselves the voice of God, as we grow in the glorious = fruit of=20 the Spirit and enjoy the incredible, unending, immeasurable love of our=20 wonderful Heavenly Father. 

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