Hi Phil,
There is a lot to think about here.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Blessings,
Virgie and Hoshi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 9:00 PM
Subject: Fruit Flavored


> This isn't exactly finished so it won't be on my website for a few days.
> I
> thought this might be of some encouragement to someone.
>
> Peaches and Sourer Cream
>
> By Phil Scovell
>
>
>
>
>     A close friend of mine recently told me about his peach tree.
> He has only lived in this house for a couple of years.  His wife
> left him several months ago after divorcing him.  No, she claims
> to be a Christian.  He bought the house, although he couldn't
> afford it, to try and save his marriage.  That's like having
> children to save, or otherwise improve your marriage; it doesn't
> work.
>
>     His peach tree, for the first time, had a single peach
> hanging from one of its branches.  For some reason, someone
> planted the tree in the front yard.  He has never seen peaches on
> it before this season.  No, he does nothing about pruning or
> anything else so you can't expect more than one peach each year I
> suppose.
>
>     Every day he came home, he checked the peach and watched it's
> progress of growth and ripening.  His moth watered as his
> sensitive nose picked up the scent of the low hanging fruit.  He
> couldn't wait until it was perfectly ripe so he could enjoy its
> flavor.  He continually watched it daily with great anticipation
> and desire in his heart.
>
>     finally the peach was ready to be picked, at least according
> to how it looked, and as he climbed from his work truck and
> walked to the tree that day, he saw that the peach had fallen from
> the branch and lay on the ground, half squashed and rotting.  I
> had just purchased a box of 18 pounds of tree ripened peaches from
> western Colorado where the peaches are so sweet and juicy, you
> could stick a straw into one and suck the peach dry.  I gave him
> one to replace the one he had lost.  I tried suggesting he take my
> peach home and tape it to the low branch and watch it for a couple
> of days to make up for his loss but he preferred to eat the peach
> without taking a chance.
>
>     Have you ever felt that way spiritually?  You've lived your
> life dedicated to God in hopes of harvesting a blessing, just one
> little meaningful blessing, due to your faithfulness to God and
> then the worst happens, at least it sure feels that way.  To top
> it all of, somebody tosses in some sour cream on top of your
> singular peach of a blessing.  Your child dies, your best friend
> forsakes you, you get cancer, your favorite pet has to be put to
> sleep, you lose your job, your son or daughter runs away, your
> baby dies at birth, your mate of 25 years divorces you, Your wife
> has an affair, your 16 year old daughter becomes pregnant, a
> sister refuses to speak to you any longer, you are permanently
> disabled due to a car crash, prayers fail to be answered, both
> your parents die, money runs short, bills pile up, your church
> turns against you, a letter of audit from the IRS arrives in the
> mail, you lose a credit card, your car gets stolen, or, the worst
> of all, you suddenly realize you are growing old.  Yes, I left out
> dozens of other possibilities.  Now there is no hope of the single
> peach ever being enjoyed and all you wanted is just one good peach
> of a blessing in your life time.
>
>     This is a common trick of the Enemy.  He wants us to thing we
> only get one good thing from God, normally it is our salvation,
> and from then on, God's arm of blessing falls short.  This is
> real, of course, because God really doesn't love you all that much
> in the first place.  Oh, sure, God loved you enough to barely save
> you but He isn't interested in the rest of your life and that's
> why He doesn't provide for you in other ways.  In fact, your lack
> of received and experienced blessings is likely due to the fact
> you really didn't become born again in the first place.  You are
> that lone peach that fell from the branch.  You are separated from
> God now and lay rotting and your life is turning to mush.  Can you
> see the progression of deceitfulness the Enemy employs?
>
>     In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the whole armor
> of God.  One of the most interesting aspects of this passage is
> related to the command to "Stand."  What a weird way to do battle.
> Stay fixed and rooted to one place?  Nothing like being a target.
> Don't charge, don't take ground, don't move forward, and don't
> engage in battle?  I have never heard of such a battle plan but
> there it is, big as life, stand where you are.
>
>     Furthermore, we are told to wear all the battle garb but the
> armor isn't apparently for doing battle.  If we are commanded to
> stand still, it is obvious to me that the armor is warn for
> defensive purposes and not offensive.  This is especially true
> when it comes to taking the shield of faith.
>
>     The Apostle Paul says, "Above all, taking the shield of
> faith."  Really?  Why would that be?  Faith, your faith, is not an
> offensive, or attack, weapon.  In fact, the shield is no weapon at
> all.  The Sword of the Spirit most certainly is but not the
> shield.  Paul says, if you don't have anything else, you do have
> the shield of faith and with that shield, you can defend yourself
> from "all," not just some, but all the fiery darts that come from
> Satan.  Think of it this way.  In battle, you most certainly don't
> stand still, fixed and rooted, in one place.  If you do, you are a
> dead duck.  Furthermore, you don't throw your shield at the
> enemy.  If you do, you end up with no protection.  Likewise, you
> don't bang the Enemy over the head with your shield of faith.
> Yet, according to Scripture, all we are required to do is stand;
> with the shield of faith and it does all the work of protecting
> us.
>
>     I know I am repeating myself but again, we must view the
> shield as defensive and not offensive.  The shield isn't made for
> attack but for defense.  Yes, I realize this goes against the
> grain of all the faith teaching we have heard.  The reason for
> this aspect of defensive faith is related to the knowledge that
> Jesus has already won the battle.  "then why am I getting so beat
> up?" you may ask.  Could one of the answers be that you are
> always moving?  Could one of the answers possibly be that you
> haven't learned the battle is one so staying fixed in one place is
> all you need to do?  Could it be that you have your faith screwed
> on backwards and you've been throwing your shield of faith rather
> than just standing behind it?
>
>     A shift in circumstances is a great battle tactic the Enemy
> uses to try and get us to spiritually flinch.  Doubts, fear, old
> resurrected guilt, shame, grief, personal condemnation, anger,
> pride, bruised emotions, self judgment, intimidation,
> manipulation, domination, sin, sorrow, sadness, relational
> conflict, deceitfulness, control, unforgiveness, depression, and
> rejection are all but a few of devices the Enemy uses to change
> how we feel and think.  If he can do that, change our feelings or
> shift our thinking off center, he can deceive us royally.
> Imbalance is the name of his game.
>
>     The question is, "Where do we stand?"  If the battle is the
> Lord's as the Scriptures proclaim, where ever we are is where we
> stand.  If you will stand right where you are at any given moment
> of life, you will find that is the same place Jesus is standing,
> too.  As you stand in that place, look and see what Jesus is
> holding in His hand.  I bet it will be a peach.  Do you suppose
> that was the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate?  Just thinking out
> loud.
>
>
> Where there is pain, there is belief.  Truth has no pain.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com