Toward Flourishing

I was stunned by a drawing that compared the Garden of Eden to the Tabernacle.

Thanks to Tim Mackie, who copied it from a book by Michel Morales. Click here.

The Garden of Eden

The Tree of Life is in the Center of the Garden.
You have to pass the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The River of God flows from the Garden and provides life to the regions of Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon.
Adam and Eve are expelled, and cherubims guard the entrance.

The Tabernacle

The priests get to go back in past the cherubim to get to the Holy of Holies.
They represent the people.
Inside the temple is garden imagery.
The children of Israel were to be a blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1-3).

The Kingdom of God

Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God when the veil to the Holy of Holies was ripped open (Matt. 27:51).
The idea is that all believers have access to God’s presence and then go and be good news/life/fragrant to a hurting world (1 Pet. 2:9).
The curtain was ripped open. The cherubim will let us back to God’s presence…
…But the Tree of Testing still exists.

The Tree of Testing Can Still Keep You Out

Jesus was clear that the Tree of Testing still exists.

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt. 6:14-15).

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts…. And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matt. 18:21-35).

How to Forgive From the Heart

Note: If you feel vulnerable or overpowered, please get professional help. This counsel is for healthy people who got stuck or want to help their friends.

1. How did Jesus react to people? Sometimes He served. Sometimes he lets others help Him. Sometimes, He went away by Himself; other times, He got angry and set things in order. While the emotional behavior varied (adapting, distance, and anger), Jesus always loved people because God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

2. On our journey to heaven, many people (everyone?) will come into situations where they feel forgotten, betrayed, scorned, shunned, or cheated at a level they never dreamed possible. The Tree of Temptation in the Garden just got real. We can choose to judge others or leave judgment to God. This does not mean being quiet and submitting to what feels wrong. We seek to obey God in each situation while loving and staying close to our people.

3. About ten years ago, I hit a wall. A businessman friend at Marie’s Restaurant in Abbotsford asked me, “You’re not going to let this be an anchor for you, are you?” The way the question was asked caused me to reply, “No, of course not.” But it did, in fact, become an anchor until I learned to forgive from the heart. It took a few years. The forgiveness and the desire to let God be the judge started as a decision, but it all took a few years to drop from my head to my heart. The first time is the hardest; once you have muscle memory, it gets easier. Except God’s tests get more challenging, depending on the level of leadership calling.

MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” (Heb. 12:5b-6).

4. I would way sooner eat freely from the Tree of Life and become a Tree of Life for my people than die slowly in the arid wasteland outside the Garden (Psalm 1).

5. I have flourished at a new level for years, starting in 2017, throughout the pandemic, and in an ever-increasing capacity. I can feel my capacity for thriving increasing.

Your Thoughts?

What is your experience with being anchored outside the Garden to free access to the Tree of Life and Flourishing?