Here's how powerful belief is: What you believe is inside you... comes out. The truth is the truth (always has been and always will be) but YOUR truth is what defines your reality. YOUR truth is what manifests in your life. If you believe you're free... you'll walk in newness of life. If you believe you're a slave, in bondage to sin and death... you'll spend your three t's (time, talent, and treasure) trying to earn something that can't be earned. If you believe you're loved... you'll love. If you believe you're not worthy of love you'll always look for love in all the wrong places. Here's the thing about love: It has a source, and it only comes from that source. And the source of love, of course, is the God who IS love. The God who loves you! And that's the truth of the matter. That's the ultimate truth of the universe. That's where the Holy Spirit--our love receptor, the Spirit of Truth--leads and guides us. He testifies of our true identity by testifying of Jesus. And when we know the truth--and believe the truth--that's when the truth sets us free and makes us free. That's when THE truth can become OUR truth. And that's when it manifests in our lives. When we know what we've been filled with, we can fill ourselves to overlowing with it. When we know we have the mind of Christ... that's when we can BE transformed (into what we've already BEEN transformed into) by the renewing of our minds. When we LET the mind of Christ, that's already in us, BE in us. When we stop focusing on exterior stuff and start focusing on what's in our hearts. I really think for the most part humanity has this longing to follow. We want something or someone to tell us what to do. Where to go. And the world is happy to do that. But the world isn't looking out for us. The world is looking out for itself. Whereas, "...I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11). God has ONLY our best interests at heart. He wanted the best for us, so He gave the best to us. That's what John 3:16 says. He so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. On the cross Jesus gave His life FOR us, and He gave His life TO us. So that we could have it. So that we could partake of the Divine Nature. So that we could experience HIS abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life as HE lives it in us, and through us, and as us. So that whosoever BELIEVES should not perish but have everlasting life. You don't have to "get" anything. You've already been given everything. All you have to do is receive it and release it. Know it and believe it. Belief, of faith, is what makes this whole thing go. Faith in God. Faith in love. Because faith works BY love. It's all ABOUT love. Talking about manifestation is talking about love. That's what's inside. That's what comes out, or manifests, when you let it in. It's in there, but you have to let it in. Apprehend what you've been apprehended of. Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of the gift that you've been given. The gift of eternal life. Knowing the Father and the One He sent. Living in the context of being God's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Living a life of love by loving others. Not trying to get anything, but giving what you've got. Giving it away--sharing it--is how you experience it. How you manifest it!

Unless something is already true... you can't MAKE it true. That's like trying to get a square peg to fit in a round hole. It just won't work. That's like trying to earn a gift. A gift is freely given, and must be received. It can't be earned. So when we're talking about Spiritual things--the Kingdom--we can't build it ourselves. We CAN, however, let it manifest in our lives. And notice I said LET it manifest, not MAKE it manifest. Remember, the truth is the truth no matter what. But until you know it and believe it... it might not be true FOR YOU. And it's not the truth that sets you free and makes you free as much as it's the truth you KNOW that sets you free and makes you free. Again--the truth is the truth. You have BEEN set free. But just because Jesus came and unlocked the prison door doesn't mean you're not still behind bars. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. And if you open the door and let Him in... that's when He sits down and has a meal with you. Which is what love is. It's a love feast. Which is why you are what you eat. Guys... what you feed is what grows. Let me say it like this: The more you see Jesus in your life the more you will see Jesus in your life. The more you set your affections on things above and not on things of the earth, the more you will begin to see everything under your feet. The more you see Jesus as the One who overcame--and the more you see yourself in Him--the more you'll stop trying to overcome. We are not conquerors. We are not CALLED to be conquerors. We are MORE than conquerors through Him that loves us. We are called to be kings and priests and rule and reign on this earth. And just like Solomon, our Father put us in that position by conquering. By defeating all the enemies, so that by the time we're ready to rule there are no enemies left to defeat. The only "battle" left is the good fight of faith. Laying hold of eternal life. Which is the gift of God. Not something to get. Not something that can be earned. But Jesus' very own everlasting, eternal, abundant, Resurrection Life. On the cross He gave His life for us, and He gave His life to us. It's inside of us. Right now. The mystery--Christ in you the hope of glory. And when we receive it and release it (receive it BY releasing it), that's when the mystery is revealed. That's when what is true, and has always been true, manifests in our lives. When we know what we've got and give it away. It's the outworking of the indwelling Spirit. It's the love inside filling us to overflowing and coming out naturally. It's that Spiritual realm, which is deep down inside, being unveiled as the surface stuff melts away. It's the truth--whispered in a still, small voice--drowning out the shouting lies of the world. The world will tell you you're not good enough. But the truth of the matter is your heavenly Father loves you. Always has and always will. And when that love begins to manifest... that's when things get real. That's when things get fun. And exciting. Because love is what makes abundant life abundant. Love is what makes life worth living. Love is what makes it possible to live. Because to live is to love, and to love is to live. They aren't just connected... they're the same thing. Light, life, love... God... it's inside you. And when it comes out--when it manifests--that's what it's all about!

There's something below the surface. Deep down inside. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. The Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Love. But so many times we're afraid to scratch the surface. We accept what's right in front of us even as we lament that it's no good. A little while ago I was Ranting about the idea that the grass is greener. And while it always SEEMS greener, it also seems like--as much as we might want to--we're afraid to jump the fence. We get stuck where we are. Stuck in a rut. Which, as we all know, is just a grave with the ends kicked out. We just take what the world gives us and we try to make the best of it. I say, don't take what the world gives you! I say tap into the Kingdom! Let what's inside come out. That's what manifestation is. It's an unveiling of what's hidden. Look at Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." God concealed the very best thing inside of us. When He gave us His only begotten Son. When He gave us His Spirit. When He gave us... Himself. And for a long time that truth was covered up. Kept secret. Now look at Colossians 1:27 in the NLT, "...And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory." Christ in you, the hope of glory. That's the secret. And when we know it and believe it... that's when the secret is out! Song of Solomon describes a secret garden. And it isn't until the wind blows--which is a picture of the Holy Spirit--that all of the good things in the garden come out. That's what manifestation is all about. Not about MAKING the truth true... but about LETTING what's already true BE true. By letting what's inside come out. Not forcing it out, but (again) knowing and believing it's in there. Not trying to get something, but knowing and believing that you have something. Which is what the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of Truth--is all about. He leads and guides us into all truth. remember, it's the honor of kings to search out a matter. We are kings and priests reigning on this earth. We search out the matter by letting Jesus reveal it to us. He's the secret, right? So instead of trying to "figure Him out" and get head knowledge ABOUT Him, what we ought to do is let Him reveal Himself to us, and in us, and through us, and as us. That way we have a knowledge that passes knowledge. That way we don't just know ABOUT Him... we KNOW Him. Heart knowledge. When the truth gets INTO your heart, that's when it becomes true for you. Because the truth is God's love. Jesus said He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So when the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into all truth, it leads and guides us into Him. Into our true identity in Christ. His true identity in us. I'm telling you... love is too big to contain. So instead of trying to get it, or instead of trying to force it out... all we need to do is let God love us to the point where what's inside overflows. Naturally. Until it manifests. We don't have to build the Kingdom. It is ever expanding. All we need to do is share it. And in that way we experience it. We "get" it by giving it away. By letting it manifest!

I don't necessarily like to start a Rant with a defintion, but I also think it's important to know what we're talking about. So stick with me. Dictionary.com defines "Manifestation" as, "Outward or perceptible indication; materialization." Which kind of goes right along with the Spiritual-ism, "It's an out working of the in working Spirit." What's inside coming outward so we (ourselves and those around us) can see it. The materialization of something. The truth (that always has been, and always will be true) becoming true... for you. Apprehending what we've been apprehended of. Which is what the good fight of faith is all about; laying hold on eternal life. Eternal life is the gift of God. And we can't earn it, but we've already been given it. So we lay hold of the gift we've been given by receiving it (and releasing it). By knowing and believing that we've been given the gift. And when you know and believe you've been given the gift, you stop trying to earn it. Which is good, because you can't earn a gift. So if you're trying to earn something you can't earn--something you already have--all you're really doing is robbing yourself from enjoying the gift you've been given. That's what I believe Jesus was talking about when He spoke of anyone trying to enter the sheepfold any other way but the Door as a thief and a robber. We rob ourselves! And each other. Because when we receive the gift (BY releasing it) we share it with each other. We bear the fruit that the vine produced. We carry what we've got to those that need it. And what we've got... is love. And those that need it... is everybody. We have love deep down inside. In our hearts. What we need is a manfestation of that love. An outward or perceptible indication of love. See, the Word (Jesus, love) didn't just become flesh. He became flesh... and dwelt among us. And then, through the cross, He took up abode IN us. He dwells WITHIN us. That's the difference between "love" as an idea, and "charity," which is love in action. We have all these lofty ideas but if nothing ever comes of it then who cares? Another way to say that is, "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20). Not works of the flesh. But works OF faith. And guess what else: "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love" (Galatians 5:6). Works of faith are works of love. Because faith works by love. Jesus said, "Have faith in God." And God is love. So He was saying, "Have faith in love." Walking by faith is walking by love. Giving what you've got is the only way it will materialize, or manifest. Knowing the truth sets you free and makes you free. Free FROM the bondage of sin and death... and free TO live. To live is to love, and to love is to live. When you know the truth--that your heavenly Father loves you--that's when you can love Him back, by loving other. That's when love stops being just what you want, or what you try to do... and it becomes who you are. It's our new nature. Not the beast nature. But the love nature! And when we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with... that's when it gets all over everybody we come into contact with. That's when the inside comes out. The hidden man of the heart stop hiding. Love manifests in us, and through us, and as us!

I want to work on this idea for a while, because I think it's important. Ready? The truth is true. Period. Now I know that sounds like a, "Duh!" moment. But it always seems like we're trying to MAKE the truth true. Like we have this idea of how things are "supposed" to be, and when they aren't that way we lose our minds. "Why do bad things happen to good people?" if I can say it that way. When the real question is, "Why are you judging things according to appearance? Why are you still dealing with good and evil?" The tree of knowledge of good and evil doesn't even exist in New Jerusalem. It is the fig tree that Jesus cursed because it wouldn't (couldn't) bear any fruit. And yet we get so worked up about it. We want things to be "good" not "bad" (or evil). What we don't seem to understand is that good and evil were both on the SAME tree! There's another whole tree we're supposed to be eating from. The Tree of Life. And not only do we eat of it... we ARE it. He is the vine, and we are the branches, right? We don't produce the fruit--He did that when He finished the work on the cross--we simply bear it. We simply give it to those who need it (and, by the way, those who need it... is everybody). So in THAT way it "seems" like we are MAKING the truth true. When in reality--and this is my point for this Rant series, this is what I really want to hit home--we aren't making anything happen at all. We are simply uncovering the truth. We are simply letting what's already true manifest in our lives. Because, again, the truth is true. All of the time. Forever. Whether you know it or not. Whether you believe it or not. "...let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4). Right? The truth doesn't change. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So we don't need to MAKE anything change. We don't need to MAKE anything happen. And that's a really good thing, because we CAN'T. All we can do is KNOW the truth, and LET the truth set us free and make us free. Now catch this: We already ARE free. That's the truth. But if you don't know you're free you'll keep acting like a slave. It's the picture of us being in a prison cell, right? And Jesus comes by like a thief in the night and unlocks the door. Now we're free. But so many times we stay right where we were. Or, like the people of Israel, we reject our freedom. We think things were better where we where. We're AFRAID of our freedom. I think to some degree people LIKE to be told what to do. It's easier. Safer. That's why there are so many more followers than leaders. But we know who our leader is. Jesus leads from the inside. He doesn't expect us to follow in His foot steps. Nobody can live Jesus' life except Jesus. Instead, He lives IN us. He makes His foot steps with OUR feet. He speaks with OUR mouths. He loves us, and He loves in us, and through us, and as us. He LIVES in us, and through us, and as us. That's the truth. He's in there. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. The trick is getting what's inside to come out. The trick is manifestation. But here's the key: What you feed is what grows. What you magnify is what manifests!

The gospel is the good news. Not the scary news. Good news is attractive. Not telling people they NEED to be reconciled to God, but telling them that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. We ARE reconciled. And it had nothing to do with anything we did, or could do. Jesus did it all, so we could get it all. And now we have it all. We have been blessed with all Spiritual blessings in the heavenly Christ. Done deal. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is finished. Everything that needed to happen... has happened. And, again, it wasn't us that did it. We were IN Christ when HE did it, so it's just like we did it... but He did it because we COULDN'T do it. That's why Galatians 3:24 says, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The Law wasn't given so that we might follow it. The Law was given to show us that we CAN'T follow it. The Law demands perfection without being able to produce perfection. It points out what's wrong with you, but can't do anything about it. The Law was our schoolmaster--again, teaching us that we can't do it--to bring us to Christ. And when He was lifted up from the earth on the cross He drew us all into Himself. And HE did it. He finished the work. He fulfilled the Law. He nailed it to the cross because it was contrary to us and against us. He didn't come to show us what's wrong with us. He came to show us what's RIGHT with us. Not our spots, and wrinkles, and any such thing. But HIS loveliness. Because as He is, so are we in this world. HIS loveliness is OUR loveliness. His perfection is our perfection. His righteousness is our rightouesness. Which is what it means to be justified by faith. When you know and believe the truth... what's already true (and has always been true) becomes true FOR YOU. You begin to receive the gift you've been given. Receive it and release it. Experience it and share it. Receive it BY releasing it. Experience it BY sharing it. And guess what... if you're stuck in the middle of a hampster wheel, running and running and running but never getting anyway... the thing you want always just out of reach... and then someone comes and tells you you've had it the whole time... you can stop working and start resting... that's good news. That's really attractive. That's something I think people would flock to. It's the GOODNESS of God that leads men to repentance. He shows us something attractive, and we run TO Him instead of running FROM Him. He shows us and kindness and love shows up. Guys... it's a gift. Eternal life--knowing the Father and the One whom He sent, living in the context of Sonship, equipped and empowered by the love of the Father--is not something you can earn. You don't do in order to be. You do BECAUSE you be. You don't earn a gift. You CAN'T. You don't get any points for keeping the Law. You can't keep it. If you've broken one part of it, you've broken the whole thing. The Law was given to bring us to Christ. Everything leads us to Him. And He leads us to the Father. That's the GOOD NEWS. That's something better than what we think we've got. That's a more excellent way. And that's... attractive. 

The grass is greener on the other side, right? That's what they say? Well, in the religious world we MAKE the grass look greener on the other side. We have produced such an unattractive "gospel" that we have people running FROM God instead of running TO God. I still remember how I felt when someone I cared about told me, "It's too late, I know I'm going to hell." It felt like I got punched in the stomach. And the worst part was the size of the divide. I didn't even know how to reach across and tell her the GOOD NEWS. I didn't even know where to start. And the worst part of this "hell is where bad people go where they die" doctrine is... somehow the emphasis got put on US to prove our innocence. I mean, even the system of law has you innocent until proven guilty. But with God we assume ourselves guilty unless we can somehow earn our innocence. Completely backwards, even from a "natural" point of view. And somehow this God that has (seemingly) judged us guilty and sentenced us to eternity in a fiery hell... somehow this God is love? I don't get it. That's why I pretty well start and end my doctrine WITH "God is love." What else do we need to know? The everlasting life-long journey is a journey into the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is God's heart beating with love in our chests. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. Love is the beginning and the end. And everything in between. Which SHOULD make this whole thing really simple. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:3, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." This is a warning. And warnings generally come after the offense occurs. We're really good at locking the barn after the horse has gotten out, right? My point is... it's really easy to be beguiled. We started this Rant series with the idea that Eve was so easily deceived because the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was attractive. It was pleasing to the eye. The grass was greener. "Eat this fruit and be like God? That makes sense. Because obviously I'm not like God right now (even though I was created in His image, I don't know what He looks like so I don't know what I look like). But even though I'm not good enough as is, I can DO in order to BE. I can EARN this love and acceptance that I crave and desire." Makes sense, right? Except that's not what God ever wanted for us. He didn't want us to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow. That's why Jesus sweated great drops of blood and redeemed us from that curse. That's why God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden. It wasn't punishment. It was mercy. "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one o us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also fo the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken" (Genesis 3:22-23). He didn't want us to live in that "fallen" state forever. He wanted us to experience it, so that we would be able to choose Him. See both sides of the fence, if I can say it that way. And understand that the world may have LOOKED attractive, but the Kingdom is the place to be. We'll pick this up tomorrow talking about the slave who doesn't want to leave his master. The love slave!

When you see something better than you've got... and someone is OFFERING it to you... I think we all pretty much have the same reaction: "What's the catch?" Because when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Except when it comes to love. One of the things that makes love... love... is that it is NOT too good to be true. It is SO good it MUST be true. In fact, it IS the truth! But when you've been believing the lie for a long, long time--the lie that seemed attractive, but turned out to be a life of bondage and servitude--it's hard to believe in something better. Even though you WANT something better with every fiber of your being. Even though you'd spend everything you have and everything you are to GET something better. It seems like every time you reach for the carrot, the stick moves. It seems like every time you try to earn something, there's one thing you lack. That's the trap that the world has set. Because, guess what: People make mistakes. We always have and we always will. So if you're trying to live your life on a performance-based external law type of covenant... it'll always be one step forward, two steps back. The Law demands perfection without being able to produce it. The Law points out what's wrong with you without being able to do anything about it. But the New Covenant is Jesus. The Perfect One living inside you. HIS righteousness IS your righteousness. His perfection is your perfection. As He is, so are we in this world. And since He is altogether lovely... that means we are altogether lovely. And since we are all different parts of the same body... we are lovely all together. That thing that seemed too good to be true... that's who we really are. Deep down inside. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. And when you know and believe the love of Christ, the hidden man of the heart isn't hidden anymore. He is on full display. Not as a distant, angry taskmaster who is waiting for you to mess up so He can punish you. That's not attractive. That's terrifying. But as a loving heavenly Father who would literally rather die than be without you. The New Covenant is, "Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more." This isn't Santa. God is not making a list and checking it twice. He's not judging us based on our performance. He judged us based on JESUS'S performance. When God looks at you He sees Jesus. And when He looks at Jesus He sees you. Because that's who we really are. Jesus's obedience was counted as ours. And all we have to do is believe it. Like Abraham. Faith = obedience. It's not what you DO, it's what you BELIEVE. Because what you do FLOWS from what you believe. Behavior modification doesn't work. It can't, because it's external. Nothing from outside in can ever last. But once you get what you believe settled... once you stand on the Rock... you cannot be shaken. And then, instead of doing in order to be, you begin to do BECAUSE you be. That thing that looked too good to be true is now overflowing out of you--naturally--as you fill yourself with all the fulness of God. He filled you up, and now what's INSIDE comes out. And what's inside... is love. And when love comes out of you... there's nothing more attractive than that.

Eve was deceived because the lie was attractive. The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was pleasing to the eye. The idea of "do in order to be" made perfect sense to the carnal mind. The serpent knew something that the church world seems to have forgotten: You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. For a long time now it seems like all religious people can think of to do is try to "scare people straight." Unfortunately... that doesn't work. At all. You know the old saying: Strict parents produce sneaky kids. Because people are gonna do what they're gonna do. Fear of punishment is REALLY fear of getting caught. That's why Adam and Eve HID from the presence of God after their "eyes" were opened and they went from being naked to being naked and ashamed. When God confronted them, Adam even went so far as to blame Eve. Who immediately blamed the serpent. They weren't sad that they had disobeyed God. They were afraid of God's punishment. Here's where the script gets flipped tho; God is not in the punishment business! He's in the reconciliation business! Look at 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." To me that seems pretty simple, and pretty amazing. He did all the work--when Jesus was lifted up on the cross He drew all men unto Himself--and all we do is pass it on. That's what a witness does: He shares his experience. That's what the New Commandment is: Love one another as God loves you. Simply receive it and release it. But even this we've twisted into something unrecognizable. We've made the ministry of reconciliation--really, really good news--something terrifying. "Get right or get left!" "If you reconcile with God He won't punish you! Turn or burn!" Guys. The reconciliation happened. It's a done deal. It is finished. The ministry of reconcilation isn't about trying to get people to reconcile. It's about spreading the good news that we HAVE been reconcilied! It's about telling people what HAS happened. Telling people what IS true. Right now. Today. And when people know and believe the truth, that's when it becomes true... for them. That's when the reconciliation that is already true begins to manifest in their lives. That's when people see something BETTER than what they have. Something atttractive. And when someone offers you something better than what you've got... you'd be a fool not to take it. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2:4). The scariness of God doesn't lead people to repentance. The scariness of God leads people to hid from Him. To run FROM Him instead of running TO Him. And that's the opposite of what we want. We don't want to scare people away. We want to wrap them up in a loving embrace and love the hell out of them. We don't want people to think God is a ball and chain they have to drag around. We want people to know the truth. When God shows up kindess and love shows up. Because that's who God is! And that's about as attractive as it gets!

I don't know exactly when, or why, or how, but religious folk have made the "gospel" really unattractive. "Do what I say or I'll send you to an eternity of pain and torture in a fiery hell!" That... is terrifying. Which is kind of the opposite of what the Gospel REALLY is. You know... good news... The Truth that your heavenly Father loves you so much that He would literally rather die than be without you. He has no interest in sending you away. In fact, He was on the cross reconciling you to Himself. He was lifted up from the earth and He DREW all men unto Himself. He took up abode in you. He moved into the neighborhood, and He's never moving out. But here's the real problem: "The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too" (Genesis 3:6 NLT). The lie was easy to swallow. It looked attractive. The KJV says it was pleasing to the eye. To the carnal mind, the serpent's lie made perfect sense. "You're not good enough. But if you eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you can BE good enough." That's what sin is. That's what unbelief is. The idea that you have to DO in order to BE. We don't do in order to be. We do BECAUSE we be. We don't earn anything through our behavior. Look at Titus 3:3-6, "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Once blind... but now we see. Once deceived... but now we know the truth. Once we thought working to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow was attractive. But it doesn't take long to find out that slavery is the worst. Almost immediately after eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil--the tree of death--Adam and Eve HID from the presence of God. They were naked before they ate, and naked after they ate, but having their "eyes opened" changed how they saw themselves. They were naked... and ashamed. They hid from God and they tried to hide their nakedness. They thought He would be mad and punish them--and while it might seem like He did that very thing, He really didn't... casting them out of the garden of Eden was actually a mercy, and was done for their own good... AND He covered them with Lamb skins because they wanted to be covered, but couldn't cover themselves. They thought they were going to get the fiery punishment. BUT the kindness and love appeared. Because that's who God IS. Whenever and whereever He appears, kindness and love appears. God doesn't give us bad. He gives us... Himself. Every single time. Because, as we're going to explore in this Rant series, it is the GOODNESS of God that leads men to repentance! And THAT'S good news. THAT's attractive!