Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Category: Through the Bible Page 42 of 46

The devil’s scheme (his fall, man’s fall, the world’s fall)

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On June 19, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 3:5 states “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” 1 John 2:16 states “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Notice how, “to eat” is to gratify “the lust (desire) of the flesh”; the “opening of the eyes” has to do with “the lust (desire) of the eyes” and “to be as gods” is intertwined with “the pride of life” – the same kind of pride that the devil (Lucifer) is guilty of, when he tried to usurp the position of God, for he tried to be as God, which led to his fall from heaven (Isaiah 14:12). The devil’s scheme of deceiving Eve by presenting to her, the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (pleasing to the eyes) and the pride of life (be as gods), hasn’t changed in the world system today, for out of this world, of which the devil is its god (2 Corinthians 4:4), is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

Points to ponder:
Let us not be conformed to the patterns of this world (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), putting on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5), who being God, humbled himself to be not as God, and became obedient to God the Father. Let us not be beguiled by the evil scheme of the devil, that resulted in his fall from heaven (Luke 10:18), the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and the falling away of this world from God’s grace (Hebrews 6:6; Galatians 5:4) today. Let us watch and pray, lest we fall!

Genesis 3:5 (KJV)
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

1 John 2:16 (KJV)
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Making God a liar

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On June 18, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

God commanded man to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and even told him the consequences of his actions, should he disobey God. When the devil beguiled Eve into disobeying God, he directly contradicted what God said.
God said, “You shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)
The Devil lied, “You shall not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4)

When diametrically opposing, contradictory, statements are presented for one to choose, only one of it could be the absolute truth and the other an absolute lie. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they were in essence stating that the devil was telling the truth, and that God was a liar. In other words, they chose to not believe that God was telling them the truth, and the sin of world (even today) is unbelief in God (John 16:9).

Points to ponder:
Let us not be beguiled into believing the father of lies (the devil) and in essence make God a liar. Let us not be guilty of the sin of the world and not believe in him, for though we are in the world, we are not of it, just as Christ was not of it (John 17:14,16).

Genesis 2:17 (KJV)
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:4 (KJV)
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

John 17:12-16 (KJV)
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

The sins of Eve (and most of the world today)

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On June 17, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

What were the sins of Eve?

God commanded the man, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17). When the Devil was deceiving Eve, he asked her, “Did God say, you should not eat of every tree of the garden?”. Eve responded to the Devil, “We may eat of the fruit of every tree of the garden, but the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God said, you shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you will die.”

Note the differences between what God said and how Eve responded. Eve omitted the words “freely” and “surely” from God’s command, added the words “nor shall you touch it” and changed the words of God from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” to “the tree which is in the middle of the garden.” Now why is this important? First and foremost, Eve sinned by directly contradicting what is recorded in the Scripture that one must not add nor take away (omit) any words from what God has said (Revelation 22:18-19). Secondly, she even changed what God had commanded. The fruit of the tree that was forbidden was the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but by Eve changing that to the tree that is in the middle of the garden, she added to the forbidden tree, the tree of life as well, for the tree of life  was also in the middle of the garden (Genesis 2:9).

Points to ponder:
What is good and what is evil? The famous clothing brand, “Life is good” has in a message to tell. Life is good and eternal life in Jesus Christ is certainly indescribably good. While physical death is natural, eternal separation from God, which is eternal death, is spiritual and of evil. Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life, is in the middle of God’s paradise (garden) and he is not forbidden to anyone, including the vilest of sinners (of whom I consider myself to be the chief), but the Devil and the world keep trying to keep Jesus out of our reach (2 Corinthians 4:4; James 4:4). Like Eve, let us not add or remove anything from what God has lavished upon us through his word (the Scripture – 2 Timothy 3:16) and The WORD (Jesus Christ – John 1:1). Jesus plus something or someone else is from the evil one for there is no other name given to man under heaven or earth by which man can be saved (Acts 4:12); Everything minus Jesus is from the evil one as well. Let our yes be yes and our no be no, for whatsoever comes more than these is of evil (Matthew 5:37). Furthermore, let us not foolishly be beguiled into adding Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life, to that which is forbidden, lest we shall surely die. Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life is freely given to all and those who believe in him will have surely be with him (Luke 23:43) but those who reject him, refusing to believe in him, will surely die (John 8:24).

Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV)
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die

Genesis 3:2-3 (KJV)
2 And the woman said unto 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 hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 2:9 (KJV)
9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV)
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

The first lie (or should I say Twisted Truth)

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On June 10, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The second half of Genesis chapter 3 verse 1 records, purportedly the first recorded lie in the scripture. This was spoken by the Devil to Eve, the woman – “And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Careful scrutiny of the words reveal a strategy employed by the Devil in deceiving Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3) and the world (Revelation 12:9).

Notice how the Devil starts of by saying, “Yea” implying that he fakes a position of affirming with what God has commanded his people. Then the next words of the Devil are “hath God said” which is his way of discrediting God by instilling doubt in the minds of men. Then the Devil questions the woman by using the following words “Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?“, which interestingly has every word spoken by God in his command to man, except one. That word is “every”. God had commanded that man must not eat of the tree that is in the middle of the garden – the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but the Devil twisted the words of God, being the father of lies (John 8:44), to include all trees, as the one that God had specifically identified.

Points to ponder:
Even today, the Devil schemes to deceive us, by first faking a false affirmation with God’s command. Then he attempts to instill doubt in our hearts, so that we would not trust God and take him at his word. Finally, he twists the word of God so that we would not see the deception and the lies in his schemes. Let us be careful and pay attention, watching out so that we are not beguiled by the Devil, as was Eve, for he twists the truth.

Jesus said I AM the Truth but the devil twists that truth and wants us to believe that we need every other means to be saved. This is the “Jesus + Something else” gospel that is prevalent in the world. No amount of works can save us, only believing in Jesus can. Jesus is the only means to Salvation, for there is no other name by which man can be saved – Salvation is found in no other (Acts 4:12).

Genesis 3:1 (KJV)
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Subtil serpent; Subtle as serpents

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On June 4, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The first part of Genesis chapter 3 verse 1 states that the serpent was more subtil (clever/crafty/wise) than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Who is this serpent? In order to understand, who the ‘serpent’ here refers to, we ought to go from the first book of the Bible to the last book of the Bible. Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 presents the Devil (Satan) as the old (ancient) serpent which deceives the whole world. Jesus calls the Devil, a murderer and a liar, from the beginning (genesis) (John 8:44). So the [old] serpent here refers to the Devil.

So now, with the understanding of who the ‘serpent’ refers to, we can move on to recognize that the Devil is a created being (that the Lord God had made). He is just another creature, subject to the power and authority of God the Creator, which he attempted to usurp.

The verse reads, the serpent (Devil) was subtil than any other beast of field – so how wise was the Devil? To measure the wisdom of the Devil, we ought to search the Scripture to find one who is declared wise and use that person as an yardstick. The Bible records in the book of Daniel, that in all matters of wisdom and understanding, Daniel and his friends were found to be ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in the king’s realm (Daniel 1:17-21) and the Devil (referred to as the King of Tyre in the book of Ezekiel) is said to be even more wiser than Daniel (Ezekiel 28:3). So it is no surprise that the Devil is subtil and shrewd, deceiver of the world.

Finally, it is important to recognize that ‘serpents’ themselves are not evil for God created them as a beast and declared that it was good. Furthermore, the serpent is not figuratively the Devil nor is the Devil solely manifested in the form of a serpent. While this is not impossible for the Devil can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), other parts of the Scripture reveal that the Devil (Satan) of his fallen angels (devils) can possess animals and humans and so it is plausible that one of the creatures (a serpent in the garden) was an agent of (possessed by) the Devil, for just as Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3; John 13:27) and the legion of devils entered the pigs (Luke 8:33), animals and humans could be possessed. Though the details of the manifestation of the Devil as a serpent is inconsequential, what is of importance is for us to be on guard, lest we are deceived, by the subtil serpent and not let him enter (possess) us.

Points to ponder:
Let us not be deceived by the subtil serpent but let us be wise – wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16). How can we be wise? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). To fear God (be wise) and keep his commandments is the conclusion of the matter – the whole duty of all mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Are you wise? Are I wise?

Genesis 3:1-2 (KJV)
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Revelation 12:9 (KJV)
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 20:2 (KJV)
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Naked and unashamed or ashamed

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On June 3, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word ‘shame’ as ‘a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety’ and defines the word ‘guilt’ as ‘the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty.’

Before man sinned, he was not guilty and hence unashamed even when naked, for Genesis 2:25 states “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” After man sinned, sin entered the world and made each and every one guilty of death (Romans 5:12). The Bible states in the book to the Hebrews that there is no creature that is not manifest in God’s sight, but all things are naked before the eyes of God to whom we must all give account (Hebrews 4:13). There are no hidden (secret) sins as God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Points to ponder:
With each of us, being naked before God, the question that remains is, do you find yourself ashamed or unashamed? The only way we can be unashamed, despite our nakedness before God, is if we are clothed by robes of righteousness. In order to be clothed by robes of righteousness, we ought to believe in the RIGHTEOUS God, Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 23:6), for in believing are we imputed righteousness (Galatians 3:6). So, are you ashamed (guilty of death) before the omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God or are you unashamed (clothed with the righteousness of Jesus)? Believe and be unashamed.

Genesis 2:25 (KJV)
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Hebrews 4:13 (KJV)
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Leave and Cleave – Not just earthly but heavenly as well

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On May 29, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 2:24 is often exposited as the “Leave and Cleave” model of marriage – one as the one God intended it to be. Sermon after sermon on the two who are married becoming one flesh is taught and the need to leave old familial ties to cleave to the new one is taught. Interestingly though if you notice, most world systems have gotten this backward as in many cultures, it is is the woman who leaves her father and mother and cleaves to the man (husband). Though the command is given to the man, I don’t believe that this text is necessarily discriminatory based on gender as both male and female were created in God’s image and so I believe that both parties in the marriage ought to renounce old familial ties in exchange for the new one.

Close scrutiny of the scripture also reveals that the “leave and cleave” modus operandi does not merely have just an earthly application but also a heavenly one. Jesus Christ, the Man (in heaven) left his heavenly relationship with his Father in order to cleave to his bride, the Church (believers). Jesus called those who were refusing to believe in him, those who chose to ignore his word (the truth), not doing what he was asking them to, as the children of the devil (John 8:44) and each one of us, at times, refuse to express our love of Jesus, by not doing what he instructs us to. However, we as the Church are made from Christ, the Man – therefore we ought to leave our old familial ties with the evil one and this world and cleave to Christ, our bridegroom for we are one body (flesh) in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Points to ponder:
Let us leave our ties to this world and the evil one or his ways and let us cleave to Jesus Christ.

Genesis 2:24 (KJV)
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Flesh and Spirit – The First and Final Poem

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On May 28, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The first recorded poem of note in the Bible can be attributed to Adam, which he expressed when he saw Eve. He said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” and called her Woman, for she was taken out of Man (Genesis 2:23). Bones are found in vertebrates and they give the framework (structure) to a body. The idiom, “in the flesh” means “to be alive.”

1 Corinthians 15:44 records that there is a natural (flesh and blood) body and a spiritual body, and the latter is the only one that can inherit the kingdom of God. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior belong to the Church of God, which is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Points to ponder:
As the Church of Jesus Christ, do we have a backbone to stand up against the evil of the evil one and secondly are we alive in Christ, abiding in him? The final poem of note is when Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, can look at his believers and express “You are now bone of my bones (the structure and framework of my Church) and flesh of my flesh (alive in me).”

Genesis 2:23 (KJV)
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

1 Corinthians 12:27 (KJV)
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Presented Bride

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On May 22, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 2:22 states that the Lord God took the woman that he had made from the man and brought her unto the man. In other words, just as in a wedding, the Father of the bride would present his daughter to the bridegroom, the Lord God, brought the first woman  he had made and presented her unto the man. This account can be deemed as first marriage that is recorded in the Bible.

In like manner, when we meet God face to face, there will be a gathering at the wedding supper of the Lamb of God, and the church, which is the woman that is built from the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (the Father) will be presented to Jesus Christ, the bridegroom, The Man in heaven (Revelation 19).

Points to ponder:
In the first marriage, the woman was brought unto the man (the first Adam).
In the final marriage, the church will be presented unto The Man in heaven (the last Adam).
Can you and I be presented as a bride to Christ? In other words, will God the Father, be able to bring us to his Son, Jesus Christ?
Will you and I be presentable to Jesus Christ as a member of his church? Think about it.

Genesis 2:22 (KJV)
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Woman for the man; Church for The Christ

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On May 21, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 2:21-22 gives the account of the creation of the woman. The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep and while he slept, he took one of his ribs and using the rib, God made a woman and brought her unto the man. Cursorily, one has the tendency to write this account off as the mere creation of the woman, but closer scrutiny and study reveals a hidden treasure in this account.

When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”, Simon Peter, responded, “Thou art The Christ” to which Jesus commended Peter and said, “Blessed are you, Simon, for flesh and blood has not revealed to you, your rightful recognition of me, but my Father (God) who is in heaven has done so” and then Jesus went on to say, “Thou art Peter. Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:13-18)

Thou many often think of this as a commission, given to Peter the Apostle, for the birth or origin of the Church (as is often the case with the papacy and the establishment of the office of the Pope – with Peter considered the first Pope), close attention would reveal that, Jesus did not say, “Peter, upon YOU I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against YOU”, but instead said, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Christ is referred to as the rock in many places in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:2). He is the ROCK of our Salvation (Psalm 89:26; Psalm 95:1), which makes me believe, that it was upon the confession of Peter that “Jesus is The Christ (the foundational Rock)” that brings about the birth of the church. Out of the confession that Jesus is The Christ, is born the church of God, the Woman or bride of Christ.

Points to ponder:
Jesus, the last Adam, was put to death and as he slept (in death), he was pierced on his side (by his ribs) and the blood that sanctifies mankind flowed from him. Those who believe in him are sanctified by his blood and they become part of his church. Jesus is the anointed one, the Christ, ‘The Man’ in heaven. He is not only the progenitor of the Church but its power as well and the gates of hell cannot prevail against his church. Just as the woman was made for the man, the church of God is made for The Christ, Jesus Christ. Do you belong to Jesus?

Genesis 2:21-22 (KJV)
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Matthew 16:13-18 (KJV)
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

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