Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Aprons of fig leaves – FAIL

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On June 21, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

After Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, disobey God, they became aware (their eyes were opened) of their folly and they realized that they were exposed and unclothed. So they make a vain attempt to sew fig leaves together and made themselves the first aprons (clothes) to cover their shame. Then they hear 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. (Genesis 3:6-8)

When this account is viewed cursorily, one tends to miss out certain key aspects of the consequences of sin and some characteristics of God. First, sin brings with it nakedness and shame when exposed. Can you even fathom telling  your closest friend or family member, all of the sins that you have committed or are still committing? It creates a shameful situation, doesn’t it? When we disobey God, we are naked before him for there can be no secret (hidden) sins (Psalm 90:8). Second, in their effort to cover their shame that resulted from their willful disobedience, Adam and his wife attempted to cover their sinful state, with their own human efforts – sewing themselves the first aprons from fig leaves. But when they hear the Lord God walking in the garden, they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God, implying that their efforts to cover their sin was insufficient (an epic FAILure) to cover their sinful state of shame. Third, we see that in the cool of the day, God came to visit man as a Father seeking his lost son, and his voice was heard.

Points to ponder:
First, when we sin we are naked before God – in a state of sinful shame that needs to be covered. Since all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), we are all exposed before God. Second, no human effort can cover sin. In fact, the very attempt of man to achieve salvation on his or her own efforts is cursed. Remember, how Jesus cursed the fig tree which had no fruit but just leaves (Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13-14) – leaves that could be sewn to make aprons to cover sin (Genesis 3:7).  The remission of sin takes the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22; Matthew 26:28) and it takes a sacrifice to cover the shame of sin. God had to shed blood to cover man with a hide that could hide God’s wrath from man (Genesis 3:21).It takes the blood of Jesus alone to cover our sinful state. Third, no amount of sin can keep God away from us. His beckoning call as an eager father seeking his lost son, is ever present and his voice heard, asking us to repent, irrespective of our sinfulness. If we believe in Jesus Christ, whom God the Father gave out of his love for us, to be THE SACRIFICE to cover our sin and shame, we have no reason to hid ourselves from the presence of the Lord God. If we don’t believe, then we have absolutely no covering whatsoever, in heaven or earth or in it, to protect us from God’s holy judgment and wrath. Let us believe and not have the need to sew aprons, to hide ourselves from the presence of a loving God, I beseech you.

Genesis 3:6-8 (KJV)
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 the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
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 amongst the trees of the garden.

 

“Ye shall be as gods” – The God complex (in heaven and earth)

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On June 20, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The first recorded citation of “The God complex” can be attributed to Ernest Jones’ 1913 publication of Volume II of the Essays in Applied Psychoanalysis. In this Mr. Jones describes the God complex as belief that one is God. However, this God complex did not necessarily have its genesis in the early part of the 1900s, but it can be dated back to the time in the garden of Eden, when man was first created, and furthermore even to the very creation of God’s angels, before the creation of man. The God complex has its roots in prideful heart of Lucifer, one of God’s created angel, who set his heart as the heart of God (Ezekiel 28:6) and said in his heart, “I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). In other words, Lucifer purposed in his heart and said “I shall be as God.” for which he was kicked out of heaven, from the presence of the Lord Most High and falling from  God’s presence in heaven (Isaiah 14:12), he was brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit (Isaiah 14:15). He was there in the garden of Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) where God placed the man he had created in his own image (Genesis 1:27), whom God crowned with with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5).

Having been exiled from the presence of the Lord Most High, Lucifer, the wise and perfect creation of God (Ezekiel 28:12) becomes the adversary (Satan) of God. From his very own experience, he knew that the one who tries to elevate himself or herself to be God, will be banished from God’s presence. With this knowledge, Lucifer (the deceiving ancient serpent) beguiles Eve, by appealing to her God complex. She like Adam was made perfect in the image of God, but was not God, and when she caved to the temptation of the God complex, both Adam and Eve had to face the same consequences, as that of Lucifer – banishment from God’s presence.

Points to ponder:
No one can be God except God himself. We are commanded to be perfect (Holy) as God is; that is, we need to become like God, but not God. In other words, we need to be made perfect, which comes solely by believing in Jesus, God’s Only begotten Son, for when we believe in Jesus, Jesus’ (God’s) righteousness is credited (imputed) on us.

Though the lie of the God complex [“Ye shall be as gods”], began in heaven, it is still prevalent today. Today, it comes from the very pit of hell from the evil one and so we must not succumb to it as have many world religions and sects – hinduism (The Bhagavad Gita alludes to the notion that the atman (soul) of a person and the Brahman (the essence of God) are one and the same), mormonism (who leaders Snow said in 1840 – “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.”), etc.. The only way we can be restored into the image (or likeness) of God is by believing in Jesus, and not elevating our hearts with an abominable pride, as the adversary did.

On a side note, if you notice the words of the devil as he was tricking Eve, you will find that he said, “Ye shall be as gods” – gods, here implying Elohim (which is in the plural). “The Lord our God is One LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29). Given the devil was referring to God as Elohim, when he said “gods”, he was inadvertently testifying to the Trinity of God, with the difference being that God is One God in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) and not three gods as one. 

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.

Isaiah 14:12-15 (KJV)
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

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.

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