A study of Genesis Chapter 3 shows that things haven't changed in 6000+ years. Satan works in the exact same way he did back in the Garden of Eden, and people still fall for it.
Because my Bible study is following a chronological order based on "A Chronological Bible Reading Schedule" by Skip Andrews, I will begin with a genealogical preface:
(1 Chronicles 1:1) Adam, Sheth, Enosh, (2) Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, (3) Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, (4) Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(Genesis 3:1) Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
Scheme #1 of Satan is to question God's Word. "Did He really say that?" No book in the history of mankind has been questioned more than the Bible!
(2) And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it; neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" (4) And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die."
Satan's big lie: "You won't die." Is that not the real reason people don't come to Christ for salvation, because they don't really believe they will die an eternal death without Him? If people truly believed the Bible, everyone would be saved!
(5) "For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Is this line not straight out of New Age doctrine? Your eyes will be opened; you can be as God; you will have knowledge!
(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Although it began with Satan's temptation and lie, the ego and human pleasure plays a huge part. As it is now, Eve wanted pleasant things, and she wanted to feel wise, and she wanted someone to go along with her. That always makes us feel better about doing something wrong, knowing that everyone else does it!
(7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (9) And the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" (10) And he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." (11) And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" (12) And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
This part always amuses me. We always want to blame someone else; it's not MY fault. But in this case, Adam even insinuates that it's GOD's fault: "It's that woman YOU gave me!" That excuse is used even now, like the argument that God made homosexuals the way they are. "Homosexual" is an adjective describing an ACT; it is not a person!
(13) And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Eve passes the blame, too, as people still want to today. When we can't pass it back any further, then it's because of how we were raised or that Satan made us do it. But we each have a responsibility for our own actions. Sure, it may be more difficult because of how we were raised. Sure, homosexual tendencies may be stronger in some, but just as a kleptomaniac has a stronger desire to steal, we all have temptations to overcome and do not have to act on them.
(14) And the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. (15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
And certainly the snake is no longer a friendly familiar being to people, but slithering on the ground, striking at the heels of man, and one of the most hated creatures being frequently struck on the head to kill it. This scripture is also a prophetic reference to Christ: The woman's seed, a descendant, would ultimately trample Satan, although Satan would bruise His human form to the point of death.
(16) To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you."
John Wesley explained the woman's "sentence", as he called it, succinctly: "she is condemned to a state of sorrow and a state of subjection". The pain she experiences is not only in childbirth, but in sorrow and worry, she raises her children. Now rather than an equal helper to Adam, she is now put in subjection to him. "Your desire shall be to your husband". I have wondered if that meant your natural desire is to serve him, or whether you desire what your husband has, but he rules over you. Either way, it is subjection, and I suppose both could be true. The woman traditionally serves her husband, but the modern culture has made the woman very dissatisfied with that role, as she seeks to be "equal" to men.
(17) And unto Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it', cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. (18) Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. (19) In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
Man is sentenced to a life of toil and trouble. As I read this again, I am reminded of how we used to say as kids (and maybe as adults, too), "It's not fair!". Our parents told us life isn't fair. I've even heard, "Life's not fair, and then you die". Is that not the exact lot of mankind after Adam's sin: You WILL have toil and trouble all your life and then you'll return to the ground.
(20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (21) Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (22) And the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever; (23) Therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. (24) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
I believe rather than interpreting that Adam had become as God, which is what a New Age religion would have us believe that we can be God, this is better interpreted that only in the knowledge of both good and evil, has man become like God. First he knew only good, all the good things God gave to him freely in the garden. Then when he was tempted and sinned by disobeying God, he came to know evil. Then, because he sinned, he lost eternal life, and was forever separated from the tree of life, and sent to his life of toil.
These are the decisions with consequences we make in daily life. Will we accept God's way and obey Him and enjoy His blessings, or will we believe the lie of Satan that we can be as God and in the end die forever separated from God?
Showing posts with label New Age religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Age religion. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
In the Last Days Perilous Times Shall Come
This week was full of news that shows we are in very perilous and very shaky unstable times, times when good is called evil and evil good:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. - 2 Timothy 3:1
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! - Isaiah 5:20
The news surrounding the Libya ordeal is astounding and not as is being reported by the mainstream media. There has been no bigger murderer of the Jewish people since Hitler than Gadhafi, yet our president dragged his feet when it came to speaking out against him. He had no trouble calling for Murbarak to step down, who had been an ally of the US. It seemed perhaps he had been shamed into doing something when France and England began to act. Then came the U.N. no-fly zone resolution. It was after that when Obama put Gadhafi on notice! I'm sure Gadhafi was shaking in his boots! Obama was so quick to turn over the reins to someone else that you had to wonder if it was just a wink to Gadhafi, especially given some of the investigations that have shown ties between Gadhafi and Obama, or at least those close to him. Now come reports that Obama's handling of the Libyan conflict may be part of a bigger plot to finally bring about a one-world government through a military doctrine called "Responsibility to Protect", which promotes global governance while allowing the international community to penetrate a nation's borders under certain conditions. Libya is a testing ground for the doctrine. The following World Net Daily articles more fully explain the implications of the doctrine and name some of the far-left radicals behind it.
Soros Fingerprints on Libya Bombing
Another Stunner Behind Obama's Libya Doctrine
Libya Bombing an Attempt to Create 'New World Order'?
Imagine the possibilities! Especially when you consider the hostility toward the U.S. Add to the mix a president who is actively trying to destroy our country. When our economy and sovereignty are ultimately destroyed, we are just one of many equal countries, one among countries that hate us and that for which we stand. Obama is busy trying to destroy all that we originally stood for, as well. He is very deliberately trying to erase our Christian heritage and to erase God from our founding documents. See the following article with its many links to other articles for examples:
Is Obama Purging God from America 'By Design'?
Huge government control and bureaucracy removes freedoms and will be used to force us into a one-world system. Necessarily, the right to bear arms will have to be revoked so that the American people cannot revolt. You can see that in the works, but this week came news that may bring it about more quickly. Michelle Malkin has done tremendous investigative reporting on a huge Obama scandal that is being hushed by the mainstream media, Project Gunrunner. Tens of thousands have died in the Mexican drug wars, many killed with semi-automatic firearms our U.S. government provided! Now Americans are dying by the same firearms. When I read about all the anti-gun types involved in this scandal, I shudder to think our government may be sacrificing lives, some who are border patrol agents armed with beanbag guns, to further their attempts to get control of our guns.
Project Gunrunner: Obama’s Stimulus-Funded Border Nightmare
Speaking of sacrificing lives, we've long been sacrificing innocent babies for convenience. So some human lives are apparently dispensable, but daily I was hearing the news this week about the high school boys who sacrificed two baby chicks. PETA was outraged and they were talking about it in Australia, even! I'm not saying what they did was right, but does it rise to the importance of human lives sacrificed for convenience or political gain?
This week also came the news that Israel has released a map detailing almost 1,000 Hezbollah rocket and missile sites across southern Lebanon, many of which are situated near hospitals, homes and schools. It's a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, but where is the UN and where is the outrage?
Map Shows Almost 1,000 Hezbollah Rocket and Missile Sites Across Southern Lebanon
A study was just released that shows there are 8 times as many attacks on Jews in the United States as there are attacks on Muslims, but we are holding Islamophobia hearings in the Senate!
Study Shows 'Islamophobia' in U.S. a Myth
'Islamophobia' Hearings Shaped by Radical Palestinian
Then on top of all the news last week, I received an email from Olive Tree Ministries telling me about a new book by a former member of a New Age church who "tells all" and who believes the antichrist "is already in the world awaiting mankind's call." The article that was emailed to me can be found here:
Waiting in the Wings
I love Olive Tree Ministries, but I do have to say, they are obviously believers in a pre-tribulation rapture, and I do not find substantial Biblical evidence for that. I have tried to get people to honestly debate that one with me, as I would really love to see what they see, but for now, I have to say that I see quite the opposite:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." - Matthew 24:29-30
As a direct answer to the question about the end of the world and the sign of Jesus's return, Jesus tells his disciples about the many tribulations to come and then specifically says that AFTER the tribulation, He will return. How does it get any clearer than that? How are these passages from Jesus Christ Himself reconciled by believers in a pre-trib rapture? I have not heard. Anyway, this is one of those doctrinal issues about which I can agree to disagree. I believe it can be a dangerous one for those who will be expecting Christ and may fall for a false one, but then again, those who know the Word of God well should not be deceived. After all, none of us see scripture 100% correctly at this stage of the game:
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12
As my husband always reminds me regarding this issue, we all must be ready right now, because our lives can be snuffed out today in any number of ways. If you are ready for your Lord today, you will be ready for Him when He returns, if you do not falter, and endure till the end:
"But he who endures to the end shall be saved." - Matthew 24:13
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. - 2 Timothy 3:1
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! - Isaiah 5:20
The news surrounding the Libya ordeal is astounding and not as is being reported by the mainstream media. There has been no bigger murderer of the Jewish people since Hitler than Gadhafi, yet our president dragged his feet when it came to speaking out against him. He had no trouble calling for Murbarak to step down, who had been an ally of the US. It seemed perhaps he had been shamed into doing something when France and England began to act. Then came the U.N. no-fly zone resolution. It was after that when Obama put Gadhafi on notice! I'm sure Gadhafi was shaking in his boots! Obama was so quick to turn over the reins to someone else that you had to wonder if it was just a wink to Gadhafi, especially given some of the investigations that have shown ties between Gadhafi and Obama, or at least those close to him. Now come reports that Obama's handling of the Libyan conflict may be part of a bigger plot to finally bring about a one-world government through a military doctrine called "Responsibility to Protect", which promotes global governance while allowing the international community to penetrate a nation's borders under certain conditions. Libya is a testing ground for the doctrine. The following World Net Daily articles more fully explain the implications of the doctrine and name some of the far-left radicals behind it.
Soros Fingerprints on Libya Bombing
Another Stunner Behind Obama's Libya Doctrine
Libya Bombing an Attempt to Create 'New World Order'?
Imagine the possibilities! Especially when you consider the hostility toward the U.S. Add to the mix a president who is actively trying to destroy our country. When our economy and sovereignty are ultimately destroyed, we are just one of many equal countries, one among countries that hate us and that for which we stand. Obama is busy trying to destroy all that we originally stood for, as well. He is very deliberately trying to erase our Christian heritage and to erase God from our founding documents. See the following article with its many links to other articles for examples:
Is Obama Purging God from America 'By Design'?
Huge government control and bureaucracy removes freedoms and will be used to force us into a one-world system. Necessarily, the right to bear arms will have to be revoked so that the American people cannot revolt. You can see that in the works, but this week came news that may bring it about more quickly. Michelle Malkin has done tremendous investigative reporting on a huge Obama scandal that is being hushed by the mainstream media, Project Gunrunner. Tens of thousands have died in the Mexican drug wars, many killed with semi-automatic firearms our U.S. government provided! Now Americans are dying by the same firearms. When I read about all the anti-gun types involved in this scandal, I shudder to think our government may be sacrificing lives, some who are border patrol agents armed with beanbag guns, to further their attempts to get control of our guns.
Project Gunrunner: Obama’s Stimulus-Funded Border Nightmare
Speaking of sacrificing lives, we've long been sacrificing innocent babies for convenience. So some human lives are apparently dispensable, but daily I was hearing the news this week about the high school boys who sacrificed two baby chicks. PETA was outraged and they were talking about it in Australia, even! I'm not saying what they did was right, but does it rise to the importance of human lives sacrificed for convenience or political gain?
This week also came the news that Israel has released a map detailing almost 1,000 Hezbollah rocket and missile sites across southern Lebanon, many of which are situated near hospitals, homes and schools. It's a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, but where is the UN and where is the outrage?
Map Shows Almost 1,000 Hezbollah Rocket and Missile Sites Across Southern Lebanon
A study was just released that shows there are 8 times as many attacks on Jews in the United States as there are attacks on Muslims, but we are holding Islamophobia hearings in the Senate!
Study Shows 'Islamophobia' in U.S. a Myth
'Islamophobia' Hearings Shaped by Radical Palestinian
Then on top of all the news last week, I received an email from Olive Tree Ministries telling me about a new book by a former member of a New Age church who "tells all" and who believes the antichrist "is already in the world awaiting mankind's call." The article that was emailed to me can be found here:
Waiting in the Wings
I love Olive Tree Ministries, but I do have to say, they are obviously believers in a pre-tribulation rapture, and I do not find substantial Biblical evidence for that. I have tried to get people to honestly debate that one with me, as I would really love to see what they see, but for now, I have to say that I see quite the opposite:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." - Matthew 24:29-30
As a direct answer to the question about the end of the world and the sign of Jesus's return, Jesus tells his disciples about the many tribulations to come and then specifically says that AFTER the tribulation, He will return. How does it get any clearer than that? How are these passages from Jesus Christ Himself reconciled by believers in a pre-trib rapture? I have not heard. Anyway, this is one of those doctrinal issues about which I can agree to disagree. I believe it can be a dangerous one for those who will be expecting Christ and may fall for a false one, but then again, those who know the Word of God well should not be deceived. After all, none of us see scripture 100% correctly at this stage of the game:
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12
As my husband always reminds me regarding this issue, we all must be ready right now, because our lives can be snuffed out today in any number of ways. If you are ready for your Lord today, you will be ready for Him when He returns, if you do not falter, and endure till the end:
"But he who endures to the end shall be saved." - Matthew 24:13
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