Biting the Apple...Again?

by Wayne Cordeiro on April 04, 2023

Good morning. It’s April 4, 2023, and it’s Easter week! Today’s verse will sound familiar, and you may even mistake it for a repeat of yesterday’s. It’s not. The book of Judges ends its 658 verses with a reiterated sentiment and a phrase that marks what happens when a society loses its godly foundations, and people bite the apple. What? Read on …

Today's Reading:
Judges 19,20,21; 2 Corinthians 4

Scripture

“In those days, Israel had no King and everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25)

Observation

Let me begin with the Genesis account, which recounts the devilish counterfeit that was offered to Eve: “You don’t need God to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong or what’s truth and what isn’t. Why, you can decide that for yourself!” (see Gen 3:5) In other words, you can do as you see fit! So, to gain a dominion independent of God, she bit the apple (or whatever the fruit was) and, in doing so, bought into a lie. Unfortunately, that tendency still afflicts us today, and beware … it is contagious!

Application

William Ernest Henley captured this sentiment in his famous poem: Invictus. Here’s the last stanza:

It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

Really?

Thousands of college students are often required to memorize this short poem. However, it’s a repeat of Genesis 3:5 disguised in a poem for the gullible who trade truth for eloquence and heaven’s eternity for worldly acceptance.

So, the lesson for me is that I must stand stalwart on the Word of God and choose long obedience in the same direction – whatever the popular stance is. I cannot capitulate and bite into the popular trend that, in reality, is the same ruse of Genesis 3.

I will let God’s Word be the plumb line, the standard for truth, and the captain of my soul.

Not a poem
Not a fickle society
Not an incongruent government
Not my own perspective

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your Word, which remains forever. Your Word is the immutable standard and the anchor of my soul. You are the Author of my future, so as for me and my house … we will serve the Lord!

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About the Author

Wayne Cordeiro

Dr. Wayne Cordeiro is the founding pastor of the New Hope International Ministry beginning in 1984 in Hilo, Hawaii. In 1995, he relocated to Honolulu and pioneered New Hope Oahu. Within 10 years, NHO was listed among the ten most innovative churches in America. Outreach Magazine listed them as one of the “top five churches to learn from.” New Hope has seen over 110,000 first time decisions since its inception and has planted 153 churches on the West Coast and in Okinawa, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar and Australia.

Wayne is an author of over 14 books and speaks globally on ministry and leadership. He also designed the Life Journal and the SOAP method for daily devotions used by thousands of churches. He is also the general editor of the LifeConnect Study Bible. In 2017, he passed the leadership baton in Hawaii and relocated to Eugene, Oregon to be president of New Hope Christian College (formerly Eugene Bible College, his alma mater). New Hope Christian College highlights the development of both the message and the messenger. (For more information, go to Newhope.edu).

In 2020, he pioneered New Hope West which partners with New Hope Christian College. It has become a “lab church” for ministry and leadership development. Wayne’s life themes are emphasizing the Word of God, a daily devotion to Jesus, evangelism, church planting, leadership development, communication and redeeming the arts and technology for Christ.

Wayne and his wife, Anna have been married for over 49 years. They have three married children (Amy Hisaoka, Aaron Cordeiro, and Abigail Rivest) and nine grandchildren. His hobbies include music, reading, golf, pickleball, and riding his horse.