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CC by Aberdeen Captioning
1-800-688-6621  www.abercap.com
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male: I would like to invite
you to take advantage of our
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free offer this morning.
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This offer is called "The Savior
& The Serpent," and so if you
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would like to receive this, you
could call 866-788-3966 and you
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could ask for offer number 798.
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If you're in
continental North America,
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so in the United
States or in Canada,
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you can text SH1462 to
the number 40544 or if you're
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somewhere else, you can
go to study.aftv.org/SH146,
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and you could get a
digital download of this study.
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I would like to invite our
choristers to come out before we
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begin, and they
have a beautiful song,
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a beautiful song of
praise to lead out for us.
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ The Lord's our
Rock, in him we hide, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm; ¤
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¤ Secure whatever ill betide, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ Mighty Rock in a weary land, ¤
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¤ Cooling shade on
the burning sand, ¤
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¤ Faithful guide
for the pilgrim band, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ The raging storms
may round us beat, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ We'll never
leave our safe retreat, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ Mighty Rock in a weary land, ¤
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¤ Cooling shade on
the burning sand. ¤
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¤ Faithful guide
for the pilgrim band, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ O Rock
divine, O Refuge dear, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ Be Thou our
helper ever near, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤
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¤ Mighty Rock in a weary land, ¤
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¤ Cooling shade on
the burning sand. ¤
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¤ Faithful guide
for the pilgrim band, ¤
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¤ A shelter in
the time of storm. ¤¤
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Shawn Brummund: It is good to
be able to worship together with
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my church family as we
come together for study.
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And one of my favorite
books, one of the--well,
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the foundational
book of the entire Bible.
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Without Genesis, we're lost in
a lot of ways in regards to the
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rest of the
information that God gives us,
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to us, in the Bible.
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And so, we're going to go back
to the very beginning in review
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of last week a little bit.
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As we looked at our first
lesson study in Genesis 1 and 2,
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we discovered that it was
God who created the heavens
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and the earth.
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And not only that, but
then when it was all finished,
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was it good?
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Yes, it was incredibly good.
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And I can only imagine,
after that incredible task
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was finished as Jesus
and his Son were not alone,
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but they would be
accompanied by millions,
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perhaps more angels that were
there watching God speak into
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existence this new planet
of life and the awesome feeling
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of amazement, admiration,
that those angels had as they
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watched, once again, the Creator
of the universe take this dark,
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void, water-filled planet
and make it a teeming with all
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kinds of different
amazing life forms and species.
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And they could
hardly believe their eyes,
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I'm sure every time
that they saw God declare
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things into existence.
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And it was beyond
their understanding,
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but they saw it
with their own eyes.
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And so, they looked dumbfounded
but also in awe at the beauty
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that was before them.
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The Bible record tells us that
when it was all said and done,
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God said that it
was, it was very good.
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And they're on
this beautiful, new,
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teeming planet, teeming
with life was the head of all
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species, which was Adam, noble
Adam sitting--standing there in
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the beautiful Garden of Eden
with his beautiful wife Eve at
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his side, both of them
created in the very image of God
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Himself, the great privilege and
full dominion that God had given
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to them over the entire planet,
over all other life forms and
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species on the planet.
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They had everything
that life could ask for,
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everything and more.
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Eternal life was given
them, they could live forever
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was part of that gift.
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And in the midst of this Garden
where there must have been at
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least dozens, probably hundreds,
maybe even thousands of
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beautiful fruit trees, mature
fruit trees that were loaded,
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heavy laden with these--with
a great variety of delicious,
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nutritious, life-giving fruit.
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They would be
pleasant to the eyes,
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amazingly
attractive to look upon.
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And in the
midst of these dozens,
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hundreds, perhaps
thousands of trees,
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there was two unique trees
that the Bible tells us in those
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first two chapters of Genesis.
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These two trees were unique.
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The first one, tree number
one, was the tree of life.
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This was the contact point that
God had created that they might
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have, that humankind might have
access to be able to eat from
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that tree and to find themselves
revitalizing their bodies,
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their minds, to keep their
bodies and minds in full and
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perfect condition
for all of eternity.
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The true fountain of life was
available to them at all times.
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And so, of all the trees, even
amongst the two that were unique
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amongst all the other trees that
filled that first part of the
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planet in which they were
to multiply and be fruitful
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and fill the entire earth, in
which they were to expand from,
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there was only one
tree that was off bounds.
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God said, "There's only
one tree that I ask you.
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I don't only ask you, but I
command you to stay away from."
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Did God have good reason?
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Yes, He did.
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It was the knowledge of the
good--the tree of the knowledge
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of good and evil.
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Now, when God
created Adam and Eve,
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He declared that
it was very good.
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He didn't say that it was very
good with a little bit of evil
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on the side.
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No, it was just
very good, was it not?
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When God--when Adam and
Eve got up in the morning,
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all they thought
was pure thoughts.
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Their motives were
always completely 100% selfless.
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Selfishness was a completely
foreign concept for them.
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And so, of all the trees,
God said there's only one tree
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that is off limits.
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Was that well within reason?
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Yes, it was.
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Now, I think it's important
for us to stop and clarify and
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really let that sink in because
I've heard more than one person,
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as the devil has
convinced more than one person,
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that somehow
this was unreasonable,
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that God was not being fair
when he planted that one tree
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in the Garden of Eden.
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Because of the fact that
Adam and Eve had made the wrong
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choice, it must not be fair.
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And yet, God had
given them more than enough.
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You know, one of the things
about God that He reveals,
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both in the Old
Testament, in the present,
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and especially in the
future when you look at the new
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heavens, the new
earth, the New Jerusalem,
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and so on, God is not interested
in just giving us our needs.
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Have you noticed that?
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God is interested in supplying
so many of our desires,
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as well as our needs.
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And this was no exception.
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God had given them way
more than they actually needed.
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God had given them every desire
that they could ever imagine
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that could come from the pure
and holy heart in which He had
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created them with.
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And so, for God to tell
them that this one tree was
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off limits was
completely within reason.
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Now, as the
Bible expands through,
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both in the first
chapters of Genesis,
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as well as the
rest of the Bible,
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we discover that it was in this
tree that God had warned them
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about, that God had
commanded them not to eat of it,
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not to have
anything to do with it,
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not to touch it, why?
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Because this was
the only contact point,
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this was the only access that
the serpent--because the Bible
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says that the
tree was not alone.
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There was not
only fruit in the tree,
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but there was also,
there was also a serpent.
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There was an intelligent being.
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Now, one of the things that
I've discovered about Genesis,
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as the years have gone
by and as I've studied,
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is that Genesis is
a very brief record.
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We have to remember that
Genesis covers about 2500 years
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of history, and it's
only 50 small chapters.
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And so, is God
required to be brief?
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Sure He is.
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God was required--if you cover
2500 years of history in 50
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very small chapters,
you have to be very brief.
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And that's what we find.
00:10:16.85\00:10:18.15
But God knows that in
the brevity of the record of
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Genesis, that there's enough
clear--if you spend enough time
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there and you park in
Genesis and you pray over it,
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you meditate over
what is before you,
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you ruminate over
what God has given to us,
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you can take that information
and the Holy Spirit's help,
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He can help you connect
dots there that aren't obvious
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at first.
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He can help you discover
that there's some very obvious
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implications if you
spend enough time there.
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And one of those implications is
that when the Bible record tells
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us in Genesis 2 that, "you
shall not eat of the tree of the
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knowledge of good and evil,
for the day that you eat of it,
00:10:54.22\00:10:57.19
you shall surely die," that that
was just a very brief summary of
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the conversation that God
had with Adam and Eve that day,
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that indeed, God
sat Adam and Eve down,
00:11:06.49\00:11:09.06
and they--and He had the talk.
00:11:09.10\00:11:13.00
And he began to give a bit of
a history lesson to Adam and Eve
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and say, "Listen, this is
the first day of life for you,
00:11:15.74\00:11:18.74
but there is an
intelligent being,
00:11:18.77\00:11:20.81
one in which I've loved
for who knows how many eons,
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the one that was at My right
hand next to Jesus Himself,
00:11:23.51\00:11:26.48
the highest of the two highest
ranking angels of all of heaven
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one day decided that
he knew better than Me.
00:11:31.19\00:11:35.12
And he began his own
program, and he began to sin
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and rebel against Me.
00:11:37.99\00:11:40.10
And he began to convince a third
of the angels to rebel with him,
00:11:40.13\00:11:43.23
and war broke out in heaven.
00:11:43.26\00:11:46.30
And there's this preexistence
of evil that has preexisted you,
00:11:46.33\00:11:51.24
Adam and Eve," as
He gave that talk,
00:11:51.27\00:11:53.68
sharing the fact
that--and indeed,
00:11:53.71\00:11:56.08
when we come to the Genesis
record of chapter 3 in our
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lesson study this week, it
makes it very obvious that sin
00:11:58.45\00:12:01.88
preexisted planet earth.
00:12:01.92\00:12:03.22
Sin had to have
preexisted Adam and Eve,
00:12:03.25\00:12:06.82
and that's why
the tree was there.
00:12:06.86\00:12:08.66
It was representing the
fact that there was already
00:12:08.69\00:12:10.69
a great controversy going on.
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.56
There was already a
war between good and evil,
00:12:12.59\00:12:14.83
between darkness and light.
00:12:14.83\00:12:18.07
And so, God had
the talk and said,
00:12:18.10\00:12:21.17
"Then day that you eat of
it, you shall surely die."
00:12:21.20\00:12:24.61
Adam and Eve were instructed
to stay solid in their loyalty
00:12:24.64\00:12:28.21
to God and had every reason to.
00:12:28.24\00:12:31.78
God had given them
this beautiful planet,
00:12:31.81\00:12:33.88
eternal life, the tree of life,
communion with angels and with
00:12:33.92\00:12:37.85
hundreds of different species of
birds and fish and animals and
00:12:37.89\00:12:41.89
so on upon the planet, more food
and variety than they could ever
00:12:41.92\00:12:47.96
imagine or dream of and desire.
00:12:47.96\00:12:49.83
Every holy and fulfilling desire
that a human being could ever
00:12:49.86\00:12:54.94
desire was set before them.
00:12:54.97\00:12:58.34
And so, God gave them
every reason to be loyal to him.
00:12:58.37\00:13:05.51
Obedience was easy because
as long as the tree was avoided,
00:13:05.55\00:13:09.15
it was a natural thing.
00:13:09.18\00:13:10.49
Why?
00:13:10.52\00:13:11.82
Because again, Adam and
Eve didn't have that struggle.
00:13:11.85\00:13:13.32
Adam and Eve didn't have that
carnal nature that you and I
00:13:13.36\00:13:15.29
battle with.
00:13:15.32\00:13:17.36
Adam and Eve, again, when they
made their way through the day,
00:13:17.39\00:13:19.43
it was easy to be holy.
00:13:19.46\00:13:22.00
It was easy to make selfless
decisions all the time because
00:13:22.03\00:13:25.13
their heart was 100% selfless.
00:13:25.17\00:13:28.80
As long as they
avoided that tree,
00:13:28.84\00:13:33.54
that natural nature for
good would always exist within
00:13:33.58\00:13:36.81
their planet and
within their lives.
00:13:36.85\00:13:38.98
And so, the million-dollar
question that all of the
00:13:39.01\00:13:41.52
universe, all of heaven and
the angels and the intelligent
00:13:41.55\00:13:44.65
beings of God's creation,
the million-dollar question that
00:13:44.69\00:13:48.12
they asked was whether Adam
and Eve would avoid dealing with
00:13:48.16\00:13:50.63
such a dangerous tree.
00:13:50.66\00:13:53.19
Were they willing to
take God at his Word?
00:13:53.23\00:13:56.73
Would they always choose
God in complete love and trust,
00:13:56.77\00:14:01.57
even as the loyal angels that
were watching had already chosen
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.64
and continued to choose?
00:14:04.67\00:14:09.61
Well, most of
you know the answer.
00:14:09.64\00:14:12.71
In different
details, we're going to look
00:14:12.75\00:14:14.58
at Genesis chapter 3.
00:14:14.62\00:14:16.92
And as we open our
Bibles to Genesis 3,
00:14:16.95\00:14:18.55
which is the only chapter that
we look at in regards to Genesis
00:14:18.59\00:14:21.06
for this week's study, we look
at how Satan chooses a beautiful
00:14:21.09\00:14:26.46
creature of the
earth that God had created.
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.10
And even as God tells us,
He created everything good.
00:14:29.13\00:14:32.47
Was the serpent
originally a good creature?
00:14:32.50\00:14:35.10
Sure, it was. It was very good.
00:14:35.14\00:14:36.94
It was incredibly good, just
like the rest of the creatures
00:14:36.97\00:14:39.07
of the earth.
00:14:39.11\00:14:40.71
But Satan was channeling.
00:14:40.74\00:14:42.81
He had chosen to channel through
one of the most beautiful
00:14:42.84\00:14:44.81
creatures on the earth.
00:14:44.85\00:14:46.28
Now, this serpent had to be much
different than the one we know
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.95
of today.
00:14:48.98\00:14:50.99
We know that it
wasn't creepy and crawly.
00:14:51.02\00:14:52.45
We know it didn't
have venomous fangs.
00:14:52.49\00:14:55.36
We know that it didn't--wasn't
covered in cold scales.
00:14:55.39\00:14:58.39
How do we know that?
00:14:58.43\00:15:00.30
I'll give you two good reasons.
00:15:00.33\00:15:02.00
Number one, because the Bible
tells us in Genesis 3 that this
00:15:02.03\00:15:05.60
serpent succeeded in
attracting and seducing a woman.
00:15:05.63\00:15:10.27
Now, I've been married
for 31 years to a woman,
00:15:10.31\00:15:15.31
and I happen to know that
that woman is very adverse
00:15:15.34\00:15:19.65
to serpents, okay?
00:15:19.68\00:15:22.55
When she sees a snake, she
doesn't get intrigued and say,
00:15:22.58\00:15:25.42
"Oh, I'm so
attracted to that serpent.
00:15:25.45\00:15:28.39
I want to go and pet
it and spend some time
00:15:28.42\00:15:30.29
with that serpent.
00:15:30.33\00:15:31.63
Oh, it talks.
00:15:31.66\00:15:32.96
I want to talk to
that serpent." No.
00:15:32.99\00:15:35.83
Okay, the fact of the matter
is that we know that women,
00:15:35.86\00:15:38.00
in general, there
is the odd exception,
00:15:38.03\00:15:40.24
but we know that women
in general are not all that
00:15:40.27\00:15:42.70
attracted to
snakes, to serpents,
00:15:42.74\00:15:44.04
in the way that we
know them today, are they?
00:15:44.07\00:15:46.47
So, we know that it couldn't
have been in the form that
00:15:46.51\00:15:49.41
we know of today.
00:15:49.44\00:15:51.68
Number two, the second reason
we know it's not in its original
00:15:51.71\00:15:54.15
form, that it must have
been very attractive and very
00:15:54.18\00:15:56.45
beautiful originally is that it
crawled on its belly only after
00:15:56.48\00:15:59.75
Adam and Eve had sinned.
00:15:59.79\00:16:02.36
That was part of the curse.
00:16:02.39\00:16:04.36
That was the aftermath.
00:16:04.39\00:16:06.39
And so, as we come to the
original conversation of the
00:16:06.43\00:16:08.90
serpent with Eve, we know
that Eve is talking to a very
00:16:08.93\00:16:12.50
beautiful and
attractive creature.
00:16:12.53\00:16:15.64
It's interesting.
00:16:15.67\00:16:16.97
And this is the third reason
that I just thought of recently,
00:16:17.01\00:16:20.41
and that is that there's
evidence that the original
00:16:20.44\00:16:23.41
serpent had wings.
00:16:23.45\00:16:27.08
Now, I know it's so hard because
every Christian artist always
00:16:27.12\00:16:30.35
paints and draws a
snake as we know it,
00:16:30.39\00:16:34.02
you know, curled around a branch
somewhere in the tree talking.
00:16:34.06\00:16:37.96
And so, it's hard,
even as I think of wings,
00:16:37.99\00:16:39.93
I have to kind of force my mind
to get this picture of a snake,
00:16:39.96\00:16:43.37
as we know it, with wings
on it because that's not really
00:16:43.40\00:16:45.90
what it was.
00:16:45.93\00:16:47.17
Again, it had to be beautiful in
all of its forms because that's
00:16:47.20\00:16:49.84
what attracted and enticed and
seduced Eve in the first place.
00:16:49.87\00:16:57.38
When we come to
Genesis chapter 12,
00:16:57.41\00:16:59.81
and verse 3, it tells us
that the dragon was cast down
00:16:59.85\00:17:05.62
to this earth.
00:17:05.65\00:17:08.36
And then it
calls it this serpent,
00:17:08.39\00:17:11.69
the serpent of old,
who is the devil and Satan.
00:17:11.73\00:17:16.70
And so, a dragon is used to
represent the serpent of old.
00:17:16.73\00:17:21.67
Now, have you ever
seen a wingless dragon?
00:17:21.70\00:17:24.11
No.
00:17:24.14\00:17:27.14
Even when you go outside of
the Bible descriptions of what
00:17:27.18\00:17:29.18
sometimes is described in Job
and other places as a dragon of
00:17:29.21\00:17:31.65
some sort, even when you go to
all the different legends that
00:17:31.68\00:17:35.08
carry through the centuries in
different cultures in different
00:17:35.12\00:17:38.92
countries around
the world in history,
00:17:38.95\00:17:41.22
you always see a
dragon with wings.
00:17:41.26\00:17:44.66
And a dragon is what
God has chosen to represent
00:17:44.69\00:17:46.39
the serpent in symbolic
prophecies, such as Revelation.
00:17:46.43\00:17:51.77
And so, the evidence is there.
00:17:51.80\00:17:53.80
There is some evidence that
there is--there was originally
00:17:53.84\00:17:56.67
wings upon the
original beautiful serpent.
00:17:56.71\00:18:00.28
And so, it was just a
beautiful, gorgeous creature
00:18:00.31\00:18:05.45
in a beautiful,
attractive fruit tree.
00:18:05.48\00:18:08.92
And so, we have to remember that
the knowledge of good and evil,
00:18:08.95\00:18:12.25
that tree did not look
different than any other tree.
00:18:12.29\00:18:14.89
It looked just as beautiful,
just as appealing to the eyes,
00:18:14.92\00:18:17.89
just as attractive.
00:18:17.93\00:18:21.16
The only thing that was to keep
Adam and Eve away from that tree
00:18:21.20\00:18:24.90
was not its
appearance, but the Word of God.
00:18:24.93\00:18:34.38
So, let's go to it.
00:18:34.41\00:18:35.71
Let's go to Genesis
chapter 3, and verse 1.
00:18:35.74\00:18:37.71
It says, "Now the serpent was
more cunning than any beast of
00:18:37.75\00:18:40.45
the field which
the Lord God had made."
00:18:40.48\00:18:42.75
So, not only was it
beautiful and attractive,
00:18:42.78\00:18:46.49
but it was also
very intelligent.
00:18:46.52\00:18:49.36
"And he said to the woman--"
00:18:49.39\00:18:51.53
And, of course, there's a
greater intelligence behind this
00:18:51.56\00:18:55.23
species that is
channeling through this creature
00:18:55.26\00:18:57.57
called a serpent.
00:18:57.60\00:18:58.90
But it is a created creature.
00:18:58.93\00:19:01.30
It calls it a
beast. It's an animal.
00:19:01.34\00:19:02.97
"Cunning than any beast of
the field which the Lord God
00:19:03.00\00:19:04.44
had made.
00:19:04.47\00:19:05.77
And he said to the
woman, 'Has God indeed said,
00:19:05.81\00:19:07.74
You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?'"
00:19:07.78\00:19:10.51
Is that how God worded it?
00:19:10.55\00:19:14.58
Let's keep our thumb there.
00:19:14.62\00:19:16.72
Let's go back to
Genesis 2 and actually look at
00:19:16.75\00:19:18.49
the original statement.
00:19:18.52\00:19:20.19
Is he quoting God word for word?
00:19:20.22\00:19:22.19
No, he rarely does.
00:19:22.22\00:19:23.83
You know, the serpent and
the devil behind that serpent,
00:19:23.86\00:19:25.83
that serpent of old
called the devil and Satan,
00:19:25.86\00:19:27.96
he always is spinning things.
00:19:28.00\00:19:29.93
He takes the things--he
takes the words of God
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.27
and he spins them.
00:19:31.30\00:19:33.77
He spins them to
be able to deceive us,
00:19:33.80\00:19:37.81
to make it say something that
God wasn't originally intending
00:19:37.84\00:19:39.87
to say.
00:19:39.91\00:19:42.08
And this is no exception.
00:19:42.11\00:19:43.71
In fact, this is
the first example of it.
00:19:43.75\00:19:46.08
So, we go back to
Genesis chapter 2.
00:19:46.11\00:19:50.65
And we read verse 16, and
we quote from God Himself.
00:19:50.69\00:19:54.99
"And the Lord God
commanded the man."
00:19:55.02\00:19:56.73
What did they do? God commanded.
00:19:56.76\00:20:00.10
This is the first commandment,
the holy commandment.
00:20:00.13\00:20:02.23
Now, notice there's
not ten, there's only one.
00:20:02.26\00:20:04.97
The other ten didn't have to
come into until they had broken
00:20:05.00\00:20:07.20
the first commandment.
00:20:07.24\00:20:08.54
Because again, when
Adam and Eve got up,
00:20:08.57\00:20:10.14
they didn't say,
"I better be honest.
00:20:10.17\00:20:11.47
I better make
the honest choice."
00:20:11.51\00:20:13.48
No, they just
were honest naturally.
00:20:13.51\00:20:15.38
It was instinctual for them.
00:20:15.41\00:20:17.35
And then when there was
different women or men to be
00:20:17.38\00:20:20.48
able to look upon as the
world began to be multiplied,
00:20:20.52\00:20:23.82
they wouldn't say,
"Oh, boy, you know,
00:20:23.85\00:20:26.32
that looks like, you know, a
very attractive man or a very
00:20:26.35\00:20:29.32
attractive woman
outside of my marriage.
00:20:29.36\00:20:31.69
And I start to go
down the road of adultery."
00:20:31.73\00:20:33.73
They would never think that.
00:20:33.76\00:20:35.73
Their minds were
pure all the time.
00:20:35.76\00:20:38.33
They never had to fight
against impure thoughts.
00:20:38.37\00:20:41.87
And so, the only
command that they had,
00:20:41.90\00:20:44.91
the first holy commandment was,
"Do not eat of the tree of the
00:20:44.94\00:20:48.78
knowledge of good and evil."
00:20:48.81\00:20:50.11
So, let's read it again.
00:20:50.15\00:20:51.45
"The Lord God
commanded the man, saying,
00:20:51.48\00:20:53.55
'Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat.'"
00:20:53.58\00:20:57.89
Does that sound positive? Yes.
00:20:57.92\00:21:00.99
All right, so
that's the way God said.
00:21:01.02\00:21:02.32
He says, "Now,
look, of all these trees,
00:21:02.36\00:21:05.76
you may freely."
00:21:05.79\00:21:09.23
Now, let's go back and
see how the devil spins that.
00:21:09.26\00:21:12.90
We're exposing the
way the devil operates.
00:21:12.93\00:21:18.21
So, we go back and he says, "Has
God indeed said you shall not
00:21:18.24\00:21:20.88
eat of every
tree of the Garden?"
00:21:20.91\00:21:24.45
Notice how he takes something
that's very positive and he
00:21:24.48\00:21:27.12
turns it into a negative.
00:21:27.15\00:21:29.52
Something that God said,
"Freely eat of all the trees."
00:21:29.55\00:21:32.52
And then the devil says, "Isn't
it true that God says you can't
00:21:32.55\00:21:34.76
eat of every
tree of the Garden?"
00:21:34.79\00:21:38.66
He puts it in a negative.
00:21:38.69\00:21:40.20
He puts it in a
restrictive form.
00:21:40.23\00:21:43.60
He's saying, ah.
00:21:43.63\00:21:44.93
You start to plant a seed in
the mind of Eve and telling Eve,
00:21:44.97\00:21:46.80
"Listen, you know, God has some
good things that He's given to
00:21:46.84\00:21:50.47
you, but as I'm going to
continue with my conversation,
00:21:50.51\00:21:52.74
it turns out that
He's restricting you.
00:21:52.77\00:21:56.14
He's a restrictive God."
00:21:56.18\00:21:57.48
Have you ever
heard of that before?
00:21:57.51\00:21:59.41
Through the years, I've heard
different people and public
00:21:59.45\00:22:01.82
speakers I've seen
with auditoriums packed with
00:22:01.85\00:22:05.62
thousands of
people and she'll say,
00:22:05.65\00:22:08.09
talk about how restrictive
the Ten Commandments are.
00:22:08.12\00:22:11.49
You know, "Do not
do this, don't do that.
00:22:11.53\00:22:13.63
Don't do this,
don't do the other thing."
00:22:13.66\00:22:16.06
That's the same spin that
the devil is working on Eve with
00:22:16.10\00:22:20.77
his--is it true
that God said that,
00:22:20.80\00:22:22.47
"You shall not eat of
every tree of the Garden"?
00:22:22.50\00:22:24.91
Well, the woman
had it pretty straight.
00:22:24.94\00:22:27.51
And again, verse 2 and 3 reveals
that God had a very clear talk,
00:22:27.54\00:22:31.08
a very extensive
talk with Adam and Eve.
00:22:31.11\00:22:33.92
"And the woman
said to the serpent,
00:22:33.95\00:22:36.65
'We may eat the fruit
of the trees of the garden;
00:22:36.69\00:22:40.22
but of the fruit of the tree
which is in the midst of the
00:22:40.26\00:22:42.32
garden, God has
said, You shall not eat it.
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.66
nor shall you
touch it, lest you die.'"
00:22:44.69\00:22:47.86
So, there's the warning.
00:22:47.86\00:22:49.26
Verse 4, the
serpent said to the woman,
00:22:49.30\00:22:52.10
"You shall not surely die."
00:22:52.13\00:22:56.50
And so again, we find here that
the devil is doing something
00:22:56.54\00:22:59.24
that he quite often does.
00:22:59.27\00:23:01.48
He'll say, you know, take
something that God has clearly
00:23:01.51\00:23:03.61
said, and he'll
say the opposite.
00:23:03.65\00:23:06.31
In this case, God has
said, "Do not eat of it,
00:23:06.35\00:23:08.18
for the day that
have you eat of it,
00:23:08.22\00:23:09.92
I'm telling you,
you will surely die."
00:23:09.95\00:23:11.72
Death is the
ultimate and inevitable result
00:23:11.75\00:23:13.99
from eating that tree.
00:23:14.02\00:23:15.32
The serpent
comes along and says,
00:23:15.36\00:23:16.86
"That's not true.
00:23:16.89\00:23:19.23
You will not surely die."
00:23:19.26\00:23:21.66
So, not only is this the first
lie on record from the serpent,
00:23:21.70\00:23:24.27
from the devil, but it also
reveals how the devil works.
00:23:24.30\00:23:28.10
He calls God a liar.
00:23:28.14\00:23:30.34
He spins it around.
00:23:30.37\00:23:32.61
He says, "No, no,
no, I'm not a liar,
00:23:32.64\00:23:35.21
God's a liar."
00:23:35.24\00:23:37.08
Because the moment he said
that you shall not surely die,
00:23:37.11\00:23:40.38
he called God a
liar, did he not?
00:23:40.42\00:23:42.48
Sure he did.
00:23:42.52\00:23:43.95
Okay, so now Eve is in
a predicament because now
00:23:43.99\00:23:46.22
she's got two sides.
00:23:46.25\00:23:47.92
She's got God saying
that, "in the day that you eat,
00:23:47.96\00:23:50.06
you shall surely die."
00:23:50.09\00:23:51.49
And now she has another
intelligent being telling her
00:23:51.53\00:23:53.40
that in the day
that she eats of it,
00:23:53.43\00:23:55.90
she will not surely die.
00:23:55.93\00:23:58.80
In order for her to
believe--was Eve deceived?
00:23:58.83\00:24:01.77
Yeah, she was deceived.
00:24:01.80\00:24:04.44
Verse 13, she actually
says it from her own mouth.
00:24:04.47\00:24:06.78
When God held her
accountable, she says,
00:24:06.81\00:24:08.88
"The serpent deceived me."
00:24:08.91\00:24:11.21
And then when we come to, I
think it's 1 Corinthians as well
00:24:11.25\00:24:14.45
as 1 Timothy, Paul,
in both of those places,
00:24:14.48\00:24:18.15
talks about how
Eve was deceived.
00:24:18.19\00:24:21.19
And so, the Bible
makes it very clear,
00:24:21.22\00:24:23.79
it's confirmed in those two
places that when Eve said she
00:24:23.83\00:24:27.03
was deceived, that's true.
00:24:27.03\00:24:30.13
She was deceived.
00:24:30.17\00:24:31.63
Deceived means
that you were tricked,
00:24:31.67\00:24:33.03
that you were lied to and
you accept it and believed it.
00:24:33.07\00:24:34.67
But we have to remember, we
don't want to be too easy on Eve
00:24:34.70\00:24:36.84
because, again, sometimes we can
come to the wrong conclusions
00:24:36.87\00:24:38.21
say, "Well, God's
not being very fair here.
00:24:38.24\00:24:39.54
He's not being just.
He's taken this woman.
00:24:39.57\00:24:42.11
He's allowing her to
be lied to, and now she is
00:24:42.14\00:24:44.88
sincerely deceived."
00:24:44.91\00:24:47.22
We can be guilty even
while we're being deceived.
00:24:47.25\00:24:49.38
Did you know that?
00:24:49.42\00:24:51.12
That's what this
is revealing, okay?
00:24:51.15\00:24:53.15
Did God still
hold Eve accountable?
00:24:53.19\00:24:55.22
Yes, okay? Was she
sincerely deceived?
00:24:55.26\00:24:59.63
Yes, you have to remember that
she had sufficient information
00:24:59.66\00:25:03.16
already before the lie
was presented before her.
00:25:03.20\00:25:06.00
"In the day that you
eat of it, you shall surely,
00:25:06.03\00:25:08.64
you shall surely die."
00:25:08.67\00:25:11.31
So, here she is.
00:25:11.34\00:25:14.08
In order for her to believe
and be deceived by the serpent,
00:25:14.11\00:25:17.35
she had to disbelieve God.
00:25:17.38\00:25:20.25
She had to
disbelieve her Maker, and that's
00:25:20.28\00:25:25.85
where she got in trouble.
00:25:25.89\00:25:28.29
And sometimes that's where we
get in trouble because sometimes
00:25:28.32\00:25:30.93
people, relatives,
our employer, our friends,
00:25:30.96\00:25:36.03
and so on, they'll convince
us that God doesn't know best,
00:25:36.06\00:25:39.27
that God's Word
can't be trusted,
00:25:39.30\00:25:41.80
that God's Word is not right
on this count or that count,
00:25:41.84\00:25:44.14
and that you actually
are missing out on something.
00:25:44.17\00:25:47.88
And so, you have
to--you're in a predicament now,
00:25:47.91\00:25:51.25
just like Eve.
00:25:51.28\00:25:52.95
"Am I going to
choose to believe my friend,
00:25:52.98\00:25:55.88
my relative, my
employer, whatever it is,
00:25:55.92\00:25:58.75
my children, or am I
going to believe God?
00:25:58.79\00:26:03.39
Is the Word of God going
to be number one in my life?
00:26:03.43\00:26:07.23
Do I trust Him implicitly on
this point in regards to what He
00:26:07.23\00:26:10.40
tells us in His Word?"
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.57
And so, that challenge that
Eve faced is still facing us
00:26:12.60\00:26:15.44
from day to day.
00:26:15.47\00:26:16.77
This is real
stuff. This is relevant.
00:26:16.81\00:26:18.44
This is not just history,
but this is revealing different
00:26:18.47\00:26:20.68
challenges that you
and I face even today.
00:26:20.71\00:26:23.28
Verse 5 says, "For God knows
that in the day you eat of it
00:26:23.31\00:26:25.35
your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God,
00:26:25.38\00:26:31.45
knowing good and evil."
00:26:31.49\00:26:35.02
Were Adam and
Eve created like God?
00:26:35.06\00:26:37.96
Well, the answer is
kind of yes or no, isn't it?
00:26:37.99\00:26:40.46
All right, yes, in a large way
because when God in the Trinity,
00:26:40.50\00:26:45.50
God the Father, God the Son, and
the Holy Spirit were discussing
00:26:45.53\00:26:49.70
in discussion,
Genesis chapter 1,
00:26:49.74\00:26:51.17
I think it's
verse 26, it says that,
00:26:51.21\00:26:52.54
"Let us make man in Our image."
00:26:52.57\00:26:57.05
So, God created us, you
and I, in God's very image.
00:26:57.08\00:27:03.55
What a great privilege.
00:27:03.59\00:27:05.39
Does that mean that we
were created equal with God?
00:27:05.42\00:27:08.02
No, we were created
similar in the image of God.
00:27:08.06\00:27:12.66
In other words, if
you look in a mirror,
00:27:12.69\00:27:14.86
we were very similar.
00:27:14.93\00:27:16.46
Our form was the same, our
creative abilities were similar
00:27:16.50\00:27:19.47
to God in a way that no other
creature on earth is similar to,
00:27:19.50\00:27:22.30
our intelligence is light-years
ahead of every other creature
00:27:22.34\00:27:27.04
on the planet.
00:27:27.08\00:27:28.54
And so, in many ways,
we reflected the Almighty,
00:27:28.58\00:27:30.81
but we weren't equal
with the Almighty, were we?
00:27:30.85\00:27:34.08
Adam and Eve, but here we find
that the serpent comes along and
00:27:34.12\00:27:37.09
says to Eve, "You know, listen.
00:27:37.12\00:27:39.09
God is holding you back.
00:27:39.12\00:27:40.69
Yes, He's created a lot
of things in the same way.
00:27:40.72\00:27:42.22
You guys look the
same. You talk the same.
00:27:42.26\00:27:44.06
You can have
conversations, intelligence,
00:27:44.09\00:27:46.13
very similar, but He's
still holding some things
00:27:46.16\00:27:50.80
back from you.
00:27:50.83\00:27:53.60
You see, the reason that you
can't believe God when He tells
00:27:53.64\00:27:56.50
you through His Word that in
the day that you eat you shall
00:27:56.54\00:27:59.77
surely die is
because He's--it's a coverup.
00:27:59.81\00:28:02.91
It's a conspiracy.
00:28:02.94\00:28:05.21
And God is trying to hold
back from you something that He
00:28:05.25\00:28:07.75
doesn't want you to have.
00:28:07.78\00:28:09.45
And so, it's a coverup."
00:28:09.48\00:28:11.25
And so again, Eve has
to decide, "Do I believe,
00:28:11.29\00:28:13.72
not only the words of God, but
all the evidence of everything
00:28:13.76\00:28:16.86
around me that cries
out that God loves me,
00:28:16.89\00:28:19.49
He cares for me, and He
has my best interest for me?
00:28:19.53\00:28:26.57
Was God really
covering something up?
00:28:26.60\00:28:28.40
Is this really a conspiracy that
I need to be made aware of?"
00:28:28.44\00:28:32.31
Well, you and I know that
the answer is no and the rest of
00:28:32.34\00:28:34.81
the Bible tells us so.
00:28:34.84\00:28:37.65
But in verse 6,
it says very sadly,
00:28:37.68\00:28:39.58
"So when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food,
00:28:39.61\00:28:42.52
it was pleasant to the eyes--"
00:28:42.55\00:28:44.35
Again, this tree
was just as beautiful as
00:28:44.39\00:28:46.86
the other fruit trees.
00:28:46.89\00:28:48.46
"And a tree
desirable to make one wise--"
00:28:48.49\00:28:50.36
Now it had an extra attraction.
00:28:50.39\00:28:52.46
It looked just as beautiful.
00:28:52.49\00:28:54.20
It supplied the same nutrition
and amazingly tasty food that
00:28:54.23\00:28:56.30
hung from its branches
as the rest of the trees,
00:28:56.33\00:28:59.13
but now there was an additional
attraction that she had
00:28:59.17\00:29:03.91
fallen into, why?
00:29:03.94\00:29:05.27
Because she chose to
disbelieve and distrust God,
00:29:05.31\00:29:07.98
and therefore believe the
lie that Satan was bringing
00:29:08.01\00:29:11.65
before her.
00:29:11.68\00:29:15.78
And now it is also attractive
because it was desirable to
00:29:15.82\00:29:18.45
make one, to make one wise.
00:29:18.49\00:29:21.69
And so, she took
off its fruit and ate,
00:29:21.72\00:29:24.36
and she also gave it to her
husband with her, and he ate.
00:29:24.39\00:29:28.03
Sadly, this is the
saddest, most tragic,
00:29:28.06\00:29:29.96
biggest verse in all the Bible.
00:29:30.00\00:29:33.20
I hate this verse.
00:29:33.23\00:29:36.30
Every time it comes to
this verse in this chapter,
00:29:36.34\00:29:37.64
for the most part, I hate it.
00:29:37.67\00:29:40.51
Why?
00:29:40.54\00:29:42.04
Because it reveals how
our world fell apart from
00:29:42.08\00:29:44.95
that point forward.
00:29:44.98\00:29:47.15
It reveals why our hair start
to go gray as we get into the
00:29:47.18\00:29:53.66
latter half of our life.
00:29:53.69\00:29:55.82
It reveals why our skin
starts to lose its elasticity.
00:29:55.86\00:29:59.46
It reveals why my joints
start to hurt after I turn 50.
00:29:59.49\00:30:03.26
It reveals why I can't run as
far as I used to when I was 20.
00:30:03.30\00:30:08.27
It reveals all of
these different things.
00:30:08.30\00:30:10.44
It reveals why I battle in
my mind with impure thoughts,
00:30:10.47\00:30:13.78
and it reveals why I have to
continually make choices against
00:30:13.81\00:30:17.58
evil and fight against the
resistance that you and I deal
00:30:17.61\00:30:20.68
with from day to day.
00:30:20.72\00:30:23.42
It reveals why I have to put
a lock on my door and make sure
00:30:23.45\00:30:26.32
that it's locked
before I go to bed.
00:30:26.35\00:30:28.02
It reveals why I have to push
my FOB after I parked my car and
00:30:28.06\00:30:31.19
make sure that it's fully armed.
00:30:31.23\00:30:33.53
It reveals why I have to be
careful and cautious and watch
00:30:33.56\00:30:36.56
out for my daughters or my wife
when they're going down a dark
00:30:36.60\00:30:40.00
alley at night.
00:30:40.04\00:30:42.77
It reveals all of these
things and where they came from.
00:30:42.80\00:30:45.57
It all came from chapter 3.
00:30:45.61\00:30:48.58
It all came from verse 6.
00:30:48.61\00:30:51.11
Adam and Eve both
tragically made that decision
00:30:51.15\00:30:55.75
to eat from the tree.
00:30:55.78\00:30:58.89
And it wasn't the
eating of the fruit,
00:30:58.92\00:31:00.69
there was no magic in the fruit.
00:31:00.72\00:31:04.23
Sometimes we believe this
is almost like some kind of
00:31:04.26\00:31:06.39
Snow White Disney
movie and story or something.
00:31:06.43\00:31:07.86
There was no potion
within the tree itself.
00:31:07.86\00:31:10.53
The fruit did not have any kind
of different molecular structure
00:31:10.57\00:31:13.87
to it than the rest of the
fruit on the rest of the trees.
00:31:13.90\00:31:17.24
It wasn't the external
that made the difference,
00:31:17.27\00:31:19.91
but as Jesus continually tried
to get across to the religious
00:31:19.94\00:31:22.84
community around him in Israel,
it's not what's on the outside,
00:31:22.88\00:31:26.28
it's what's on the
inside that counts.
00:31:26.31\00:31:28.68
That's where the battle is,
that's where the brokenness is.
00:31:28.72\00:31:32.42
That's where we're broken and
that's where Adam and Eve broke
00:31:32.45\00:31:36.16
their heart and
mind and purity that day.
00:31:36.19\00:31:40.83
You see, when they reached
out and grabbed the fruit of the
00:31:40.86\00:31:43.97
tree and they decided,
by their own free will,
00:31:44.00\00:31:46.10
to believe the serpent
and therefore disbelieve God,
00:31:46.13\00:31:49.07
something very tragic
happened inside the heart.
00:31:49.10\00:31:52.81
Now, of course, we know
it's not our biological heart,
00:31:52.84\00:31:55.71
but scientifically, we know
that that's in the frontal lobe.
00:31:55.74\00:31:58.45
It's that part of our
mind that we make ethical
00:31:58.48\00:32:00.52
and decision choices.
00:32:00.55\00:32:02.12
That's where our
conscience is located.
00:32:02.15\00:32:03.99
Something broke that day the
moment that they reached out and
00:32:04.02\00:32:06.72
ate from that tree.
00:32:06.76\00:32:09.09
And so, from that point forward,
our DNA changed and now we not
00:32:09.12\00:32:18.27
only had a knowledge of
good, but now we also have
00:32:18.30\00:32:20.04
a knowledge of evil.
00:32:20.07\00:32:23.27
And that's why you and I
struggle with selfishness.
00:32:23.30\00:32:25.51
That's why one of the deepest
statements that my favorite
00:32:25.54\00:32:28.21
author Ellen White once said
that she says that the moment
00:32:28.24\00:32:31.11
that we become a Christian, the
moment that we give our hearts
00:32:31.15\00:32:33.52
over to God, the greatest battle
that you and I will ever fight
00:32:33.55\00:32:37.45
is with ourselves.
00:32:37.49\00:32:42.89
Why?
00:32:42.92\00:32:44.23
Because she is--she had a
full personal and theological
00:32:44.26\00:32:46.86
knowledge of the fact
that you and I are broken.
00:32:46.90\00:32:49.80
We are born broken.
00:32:49.83\00:32:52.43
We are born with a bent to evil.
00:32:52.47\00:32:54.57
We have a propensity towards
evil that you and I have to
00:32:54.60\00:32:57.17
fight on a daily basis.
00:32:57.21\00:32:58.84
That's why Paul said, when
he came to the end of his life,
00:32:58.87\00:33:00.98
he said, "I have
fought the good fight.
00:33:01.01\00:33:03.91
I have finished the race.
00:33:03.95\00:33:07.42
Therefore there is a crown of
righteousness laid up for me on
00:33:07.45\00:33:09.58
that day when the Lord
appears, and not only for me,
00:33:09.62\00:33:12.25
but all who have
loved, he's appearing."
00:33:12.29\00:33:16.49
Paul knew that every day
when he got up in the morning,
00:33:16.52\00:33:18.93
he had to get on his knees and
surrender before his Lord and
00:33:18.96\00:33:22.33
say, "Lord, overcome
my selfishness today.
00:33:22.36\00:33:25.33
Help me to fight against that
natural propensity to be selfish
00:33:25.37\00:33:28.24
and self-centered and arrogant
and proud and sinful and carnal
00:33:28.27\00:33:32.37
and lustful," and all
these other struggles that
00:33:32.41\00:33:34.44
you and I face.
00:33:34.48\00:33:37.45
And we're coming back to the
very origins of the brokenness
00:33:37.48\00:33:40.02
of our heart.
00:33:40.05\00:33:43.75
In verse 7 it says, "The eyes
of both of them were opened."
00:33:43.79\00:33:46.62
Now, we don't want to miss this.
00:33:46.65\00:33:48.89
Let's go back to verse 5
because the serpent had promised
00:33:48.92\00:33:50.59
something to Eve and
then through Eve to Adam.
00:33:50.63\00:33:54.30
Verse 5 it says, "For God knows
that in the day you eat of it
00:33:54.36\00:33:56.73
your eyes will
be-- will be opened.
00:33:56.77\00:34:00.40
And he says, "And you're
going to have a higher plane
00:34:00.44\00:34:02.90
of existence.
00:34:02.94\00:34:04.37
You're going to be like God."
00:34:04.41\00:34:06.81
And, of course, we have people
on talk shows like "Oprah"
00:34:06.84\00:34:09.38
and others, you
know, that we're watching.
00:34:09.41\00:34:12.41
We have new-age gurus and talk
show hosts and guests and so on,
00:34:12.45\00:34:17.49
they're all
telling us the same thing,
00:34:17.52\00:34:20.62
that you have God within you.
00:34:20.66\00:34:23.32
You can be like God.
00:34:23.36\00:34:25.13
You only have to
discover the God within you.
00:34:25.16\00:34:28.56
There's so many
different parallels that
00:34:28.60\00:34:30.93
still exist today.
00:34:30.97\00:34:32.30
The devil is just as rampant and
just as active today with these
00:34:32.33\00:34:34.47
same principles and lies
that he is way back then.
00:34:34.50\00:34:38.51
Then the eyes, in verse
7, when we come to verse 7,
00:34:38.54\00:34:40.61
it says, "Then the
eyes of both of them were--
00:34:40.64\00:34:43.31
were opened.
00:34:43.35\00:34:44.65
All right, so their
eyes indeed were opened.
00:34:44.68\00:34:46.41
That part of the
serpent's promise is true.
00:34:46.45\00:34:48.42
He says, "In the
day that you eat of it,
00:34:48.45\00:34:50.19
your eyes will be opened."
00:34:50.22\00:34:52.39
But the rest of the
promise was a lie, was it not?
00:34:52.42\00:34:54.96
That's where the deception was
found because indeed their eyes
00:34:54.99\00:34:56.86
were open, but it
wasn't to a higher plane.
00:34:56.89\00:35:00.33
It was wasn't to a greater
sense of existence and joy and
00:35:00.36\00:35:03.30
satisfaction and purity and
holiness and security and trust.
00:35:03.33\00:35:08.50
No, it says the eyes of
both of them were opened,
00:35:08.54\00:35:11.74
they knew that they were naked.
00:35:11.77\00:35:15.08
And so, they sewed fig
leaves together and made
00:35:15.11\00:35:17.78
themselves coverings.
00:35:17.81\00:35:19.45
Now, so often we think when
they looked and their eyes were
00:35:19.48\00:35:21.32
opened, they realized, "That's
what a naked body looks like."
00:35:21.35\00:35:26.25
No, earlier on in Genesis
chapter 2 it says after the
00:35:26.29\00:35:29.72
wedding and during
their honeymoon in verse 25,
00:35:29.76\00:35:32.46
they were both naked.
00:35:32.49\00:35:34.83
And the man and his
wife were not ashamed.
00:35:34.83\00:35:37.17
So, they very well knew what
a naked body looked like, okay?
00:35:37.20\00:35:41.87
So, verse 25 in Genesis chapter
2 clarifies that for us and
00:35:41.90\00:35:45.01
helps us to make that
needful distinction again.
00:35:45.04\00:35:48.34
Again, do you see how
we can connect the dots?
00:35:48.38\00:35:51.38
But you have to
spend enough time here.
00:35:51.41\00:35:56.45
So, what did he mean when he
said that their eyes were opened
00:35:56.48\00:35:58.62
and they discovered
that they were naked?
00:35:58.65\00:36:01.86
They're talking about
the heart here, aren't they?
00:36:01.89\00:36:04.96
They're talking about this
overwhelming sense of guilt.
00:36:04.99\00:36:07.46
They've never--you have to
remember up until this point,
00:36:07.50\00:36:09.90
they had never ever,
ever experienced guilt before.
00:36:09.93\00:36:14.00
In fact, they had never
experienced a negative emotion
00:36:14.04\00:36:16.40
up until that point.
00:36:16.44\00:36:18.27
Not one thought, not one
feeling was ever negative up
00:36:18.31\00:36:21.81
until this point.
00:36:21.84\00:36:24.08
And now all of a
sudden, their eyes are opened,
00:36:24.11\00:36:26.68
and they feel this overwhelming
negative feeling and emotion and
00:36:26.72\00:36:30.39
thoughts that they'd
never ever, ever had experienced
00:36:30.42\00:36:33.22
before that.
00:36:33.25\00:36:35.52
Can you imagine how
horrible that would be?
00:36:35.56\00:36:37.56
I don't know about you, but I
feel different negative emotions
00:36:37.59\00:36:40.70
on a regular basis.
00:36:40.73\00:36:42.10
We're accustomed to that.
00:36:42.13\00:36:43.43
But you have to remember,
they weren't accustomed to that.
00:36:43.47\00:36:45.30
And so, the contrast
must have been incredible.
00:36:45.33\00:36:48.07
And so, they
looked at themselves,
00:36:48.10\00:36:49.64
and they feel horrible.
00:36:49.67\00:36:50.97
And so, they
started to--you know,
00:36:51.01\00:36:52.51
and again, we have all
these classic paintings,
00:36:52.54\00:36:54.48
you know, just the private parts
are covered with the fig leaves.
00:36:54.51\00:36:58.11
Okay, that's a
Middle Ages theology.
00:36:58.15\00:37:01.75
Okay, no, again in verse 25 in
verse 2--chapter 2 tells us that
00:37:01.78\00:37:06.22
they weren't ashamed to be naked
in front of them because they
00:37:06.25\00:37:08.42
were husband and wife.
00:37:08.46\00:37:10.56
They were companions.
00:37:10.59\00:37:12.46
They had that security
within their loving relationship
00:37:12.49\00:37:16.56
as lovers.
00:37:16.60\00:37:18.00
So, that's not what
it's talking about here.
00:37:18.03\00:37:21.10
What it's talking about is
the nakedness of the heart, this
00:37:21.14\00:37:25.54
overwhelming negative emotion
that they were experiencing.
00:37:25.57\00:37:28.98
And so, they began to cover
their whole bodies as much as
00:37:29.01\00:37:31.65
they could with
these fig leaves,
00:37:31.68\00:37:34.42
trying to make up for this fall
that they knew this overwhelming
00:37:34.45\00:37:38.12
sense of guilt.
00:37:38.15\00:37:41.02
And so, their eyes
were opened, and they knew
00:37:41.06\00:37:43.96
that they were naked.
00:37:43.99\00:37:45.63
And so, they tried
to cover themselves.
00:37:45.66\00:37:47.10
In Galatians, Paul says that
this covering was a desperate,
00:37:47.13\00:37:49.90
futile attempt to be
able to make up for their lack
00:37:49.93\00:37:54.37
of righteousness for this fall
from righteousness and holiness
00:37:54.40\00:37:59.07
that they were experiencing.
00:37:59.11\00:38:02.08
God says that this is a symbol
of righteousness by works,
00:38:02.11\00:38:05.01
rather than
righteousness by faith.
00:38:05.05\00:38:08.95
And so, they were trying
to make up for their falling,
00:38:08.98\00:38:12.52
for their shortcoming for this
overwhelming new emotion and
00:38:12.55\00:38:16.09
feeling that they
were totally new to.
00:38:16.12\00:38:18.56
In verse 8 it says, "And they
heard the sound of the Lord God
00:38:18.59\00:38:21.56
walking in the garden
in the cool of the day,
00:38:21.60\00:38:23.50
and Adam and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of
00:38:23.53\00:38:25.87
the Lord God among
the trees of the garden."
00:38:25.90\00:38:27.87
Why were they hiding?
00:38:27.90\00:38:29.44
In the past when God came, they
would freely come out and meet
00:38:29.47\00:38:31.34
him, and that was
the highlight of the day.
00:38:31.37\00:38:33.41
They got to walk in the Garden
of the cool the day with the
00:38:33.44\00:38:35.98
Lord Himself face to face.
00:38:36.01\00:38:38.51
And so, what used to be the
highlight of the day now was the
00:38:38.55\00:38:41.55
low light of the day because now
we find that they're hiding in
00:38:41.58\00:38:46.62
the trees, in the bushes.
00:38:46.65\00:38:48.82
Why are they hiding?
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.63
Because they're overwhelmed with
guilt and all these horrible,
00:38:50.66\00:38:52.93
negative feelings of
guilt and betrayal and failure,
00:38:52.96\00:38:58.70
and all these other
horrible negative emotions.
00:38:58.73\00:39:03.87
Verse 9 says, "Then the Lord God
called to Adam and said to him,
00:39:03.91\00:39:08.28
'Where are you?'"
00:39:08.31\00:39:10.25
Did God know where Adam was?
00:39:10.28\00:39:12.48
Sure He did.
00:39:12.51\00:39:13.92
This is what we call
a rhetorical question.
00:39:13.95\00:39:15.25
In other words, He's
not saying it for His sake.
00:39:15.28\00:39:17.29
He's asking it for
Adam and Eve's sake.
00:39:17.32\00:39:19.49
He wants Adam and Eve
to know that He's there,
00:39:19.52\00:39:22.76
that He hasn't abandoned them
despite this horrible place that
00:39:22.79\00:39:25.79
they're in in their hearts,
and that He does still love them
00:39:25.83\00:39:29.90
and care for them.
00:39:29.93\00:39:31.57
"Where are you?"
00:39:31.60\00:39:33.03
And by the way, ever since then,
God has called out to all of us.
00:39:33.07\00:39:35.67
He called out to
me as this worldly,
00:39:35.70\00:39:38.54
irreligious,
self-centered, arrogant,
00:39:38.57\00:39:42.68
selfish, self-absorbed
young man of 20 years of age.
00:39:42.71\00:39:47.28
And He called out to
me when I was 20 and said,
00:39:47.32\00:39:49.55
"Shawn, where are you?"
00:39:49.58\00:39:52.02
By God's grace, I thank God
I responded and now I'm here
00:39:52.05\00:39:54.36
today, teaching you about the
grace and the goodness and the
00:39:54.39\00:39:57.09
renewal that
comes from Jesus Christ.
00:39:57.13\00:40:01.06
And so, "God calls
out, 'Where are you?'
00:40:01.10\00:40:02.76
And so he said, 'I heard
your voice in the garden,
00:40:02.80\00:40:04.93
I was afraid
because I was naked.
00:40:04.97\00:40:06.43
And I hid myself.'"
00:40:06.47\00:40:08.60
Now again, he's not
afraid because he's naked
00:40:08.64\00:40:10.67
and the fact that, you know,
00:40:10.71\00:40:12.04
yes, he was shrouded
with a light of glory.
00:40:12.07\00:40:14.31
Yes, it is true as this
lesson study points out,
00:40:14.34\00:40:17.21
there's a couple of points in
the Psalms where there is some
00:40:17.25\00:40:19.68
dots that you can connect that
they did have a shroud of light.
00:40:19.71\00:40:22.95
But again, the nakedness that
they're speaking of here is much
00:40:22.98\00:40:25.69
deeper than the shroud of light.
00:40:25.72\00:40:27.69
It's what's in the heart.
00:40:27.72\00:40:30.49
"I was naked. I was guilty.
00:40:30.53\00:40:31.83
I've been
overwhelmed with this new,
00:40:31.86\00:40:33.86
foreign, horrible feeling of
guilt and betrayal and failure
00:40:33.90\00:40:37.50
that I've never
experienced before."
00:40:37.53\00:40:43.87
In verse 11, "And He said, 'Who
told you that you were naked?
00:40:43.91\00:40:48.28
Have you eaten from the tree of
which I commanded you that you
00:40:48.31\00:40:51.78
should not eat?'"
00:40:51.81\00:40:53.92
God always holds us
accountable, doesn't He?
00:40:53.95\00:40:56.48
You know, the first thing,
the first step to reconciliation
00:40:56.52\00:40:58.85
with God and with our own
conscience is to own our sin.
00:40:58.89\00:41:02.46
And so, God says, "Listen, you
need to be able to own your sin.
00:41:02.49\00:41:06.90
I'm asking this question, not
because I don't know the answer
00:41:06.93\00:41:08.86
again, but because
it's for your sake.
00:41:08.90\00:41:11.60
I'm giving you opportunity.
00:41:11.63\00:41:12.97
I'm inviting you
to own your sin."
00:41:13.00\00:41:16.77
If we don't own our sin,
God can never forgive us.
00:41:16.81\00:41:19.64
If we don't own our sin,
we can never mend our hearts.
00:41:19.67\00:41:22.48
And so he says, "Have you eaten
from the tree which I commanded
00:41:22.51\00:41:26.15
that you should not eat?"
00:41:26.18\00:41:28.12
In other words,
"Did you just obey Me?
00:41:28.15\00:41:29.68
Did you break My commandment?
00:41:29.72\00:41:31.29
Did you sin against Me?"
00:41:31.32\00:41:33.76
In verse 12 it
says, "Then the man said,
00:41:33.79\00:41:35.66
'The woman whom
You gave to be with me,
00:41:35.69\00:41:37.26
she gave me of
the tree, and I ate.'"
00:41:37.29\00:41:39.13
And so, there goes the
blame game right off the top.
00:41:39.16\00:41:41.83
He's saying, "It's
kind of your fault,
00:41:41.86\00:41:43.67
God, because you
gave me that woman,
00:41:43.70\00:41:45.23
and she made me
eat of the tree."
00:41:45.27\00:41:48.27
Verse 13, "And the
Lord God said to the woman,
00:41:48.30\00:41:49.70
'What is this you have done?'"
00:41:49.74\00:41:52.64
So, now he turns to the woman
and as he directs his attention
00:41:52.67\00:41:54.94
to her, the woman said,
"Well, the serpent deceived me,
00:41:54.98\00:41:57.28
and I ate."
00:41:57.31\00:41:58.98
"It's kind of the serpent's
fault because he lied to me."
00:41:59.01\00:42:01.98
Verse 14, "So the Lord said
to the serpent," now he has this
00:42:02.02\00:42:07.49
conversation with
the third party involved.
00:42:07.52\00:42:10.86
And he talks to the
serpent and he says,
00:42:10.89\00:42:13.13
"Because you have done this, You
are cursed more than all cattle,
00:42:13.16\00:42:15.90
And more than
every beast of the field;
00:42:15.93\00:42:17.37
On your belly you shall go, and
you shall eat dust all the days
00:42:17.40\00:42:19.23
of your life."
00:42:19.27\00:42:23.34
And so, when he turns
to the ultimate culprit,
00:42:23.37\00:42:26.91
to the origin of sin and
he speaks to the one that did
00:42:26.94\00:42:30.58
indeed deceive and lead
Adam and Eve down this pathway,
00:42:30.61\00:42:34.42
even though Adam and Eve also
have their part and are also
00:42:34.45\00:42:36.69
held accountable, he holds
the serpent accountable first,
00:42:36.72\00:42:41.49
even as it says that the serpent
and the devil will be the final
00:42:41.52\00:42:44.49
scapegoat, which all
sin originally we fall
00:42:44.53\00:42:46.90
on the head of.
00:42:46.93\00:42:48.96
And so, it's no
different right to the end of
00:42:49.00\00:42:51.07
the book of Revelation.
00:42:51.10\00:42:53.64
It's interesting here that
we find that the serpent then is
00:42:53.67\00:42:56.84
morphed into a totally
different kind of creature.
00:42:56.87\00:42:59.51
He goes to one of
the most beautiful,
00:42:59.54\00:43:01.48
if not the most beautiful
animal that God had created.
00:43:01.51\00:43:05.01
He plucks his wings off, and he
turns them into this pathetic,
00:43:05.05\00:43:09.88
slithering, legless,
wingless, scale-covered,
00:43:09.92\00:43:18.13
ugly creature that most people
do everything they possibly can
00:43:18.16\00:43:21.10
to be able to stay away from.
00:43:21.13\00:43:24.57
And He says that, "Now
you're more cursed than
00:43:24.60\00:43:26.97
all the cattle."
00:43:27.00\00:43:28.24
Notice how it says that "You are
more cursed than all the cattle
00:43:28.27\00:43:30.87
or every beast of the field."
00:43:30.91\00:43:32.67
That means that all cattle
and all creatures were cursed
00:43:32.71\00:43:34.78
from point.
00:43:34.81\00:43:36.11
That's why in Romans chapter
8, it tells us that indeed
00:43:36.14\00:43:38.31
all creation groans.
00:43:38.35\00:43:41.35
All creation groans for the time
in which Jesus comes to recreate
00:43:41.38\00:43:45.15
us back again.
00:43:45.19\00:43:47.42
Why?
00:43:47.46\00:43:48.76
Because the entire ecosystem,
the entire animal kingdom
00:43:48.79\00:43:51.79
was cursed that day.
00:43:51.83\00:43:54.10
And the implication, again,
do you see the implications?
00:43:54.13\00:43:56.40
It doesn't come
right out and say it,
00:43:56.43\00:43:58.07
but the
implication is there, isn't it?
00:43:58.10\00:44:00.17
When He says to the serpent that
"you're cursed more than all the
00:44:00.20\00:44:03.30
other cattle and
the beasts of the field,
00:44:03.34\00:44:05.41
that means they're all cursed.
00:44:05.44\00:44:07.24
But the serpent
was cursed the most.
00:44:07.28\00:44:09.01
Did you pick that up?
00:44:09.04\00:44:10.98
All right, verse 15,
we have the good news.
00:44:11.01\00:44:12.58
God doesn't stay there.
00:44:12.61\00:44:14.15
Well, the first part of
15 is still the bad news.
00:44:14.18\00:44:16.08
He continues on and he reveals,
not only to the serpent but,
00:44:16.12\00:44:18.12
of course, within
earshot is Adam and Eve.
00:44:18.15\00:44:21.02
And so, the mother and father of
all mankind is listening and God
00:44:21.06\00:44:23.43
says to the serpent, "I
will put enmity between you,
00:44:23.46\00:44:25.83
serpent, between
you, Satan, and the woman,
00:44:25.86\00:44:30.20
And between your
seed and her seed."
00:44:30.23\00:44:32.93
And so, the first
part of this statement,
00:44:32.97\00:44:35.07
this powerful, huge verse
that we're looking at here,
00:44:35.10\00:44:38.64
we find here that God is
revealing that from this point
00:44:38.67\00:44:41.74
forward,
there'll be two camps now.
00:44:41.78\00:44:44.21
Before that there
was only one camp,
00:44:44.25\00:44:46.01
purity, holy, holiness, loyalty
to God through Adam and Eve and
00:44:46.05\00:44:48.98
any children that they
would have had in the future.
00:44:49.02\00:44:52.05
But now God is
saying from now on,
00:44:52.09\00:44:54.09
there's going to be two camps.
00:44:54.12\00:44:55.92
There will be the descendants
of Adam and Eve that will choose
00:44:55.96\00:44:59.53
the serpent, whether either by
conscious choice or by default.
00:44:59.56\00:45:03.57
Jesus says, "If
you're not with Me,
00:45:03.60\00:45:05.47
you're against Me."
00:45:05.50\00:45:08.37
When He made that
statement, He's reiterating and
00:45:08.40\00:45:10.87
reconfirming what He told Adam
and Eve in the Garden that day
00:45:10.91\00:45:13.98
and that is that there's
only two camps we can be in.
00:45:14.01\00:45:16.14
If you don't choose
Jesus, you, by default,
00:45:16.18\00:45:18.05
are choosing Satan.
00:45:18.08\00:45:19.68
If you don't choose the
kingdom of light and Jesus,
00:45:19.71\00:45:21.72
you are, by default, choosing
the kingdom of darkness,
00:45:21.75\00:45:24.69
whether you want to or not.
00:45:24.72\00:45:26.19
That's where you are.
00:45:26.22\00:45:28.19
And, so God is saying,
there's only two camps,
00:45:28.22\00:45:30.19
but sadly, there's
going to be two camps.
00:45:30.23\00:45:31.93
The descendants of the
woman, the woman from this point
00:45:31.96\00:45:33.96
forward, God always uses
to represent God's faithful,
00:45:34.00\00:45:37.57
His church, believers,
those of the kingdom of light.
00:45:37.60\00:45:42.97
And then He says, sadly, there
will also be those who will be
00:45:43.00\00:45:45.01
descendants and the seed--seed
here is an old term that they
00:45:45.04\00:45:48.24
use for descendants.
00:45:48.28\00:45:50.45
And so, the descendants of all
mankind in the second camp will
00:45:50.48\00:45:53.72
choose Satan, either
by choice or by default.
00:45:53.75\00:45:56.12
And so, the great controversy
that was taking place already in
00:45:56.15\00:45:59.62
heaven between the angels
of heaven is now taking place
00:45:59.65\00:46:03.86
between mankind,
two camps in heaven,
00:46:03.89\00:46:05.73
two camps on earth.
00:46:05.76\00:46:08.03
And then, "He
shall bruise your head,
00:46:08.06\00:46:10.10
and you shall bruise His heel."
00:46:10.13\00:46:11.43
This is the first gospel.
00:46:11.47\00:46:12.97
Now, before God actually
addresses Adam and He addresses
00:46:13.00\00:46:15.10
Eve, because we know
the rest of the story.
00:46:15.14\00:46:16.97
Many of us are
familiar with the bad news.
00:46:17.01\00:46:18.94
God says, "Listen, these are all
the bad consequences that are
00:46:18.97\00:46:21.81
going to take place for you
and all women that will follow.
00:46:21.84\00:46:24.21
And Adam, this is the bad
results and consequences of your
00:46:24.25\00:46:28.42
choice that will come
upon all men and their children
00:46:28.45\00:46:32.72
throughout all of history."
00:46:32.75\00:46:34.96
And then He tells us that indeed
in the midst of this seed in the
00:46:34.99\00:46:39.06
descendants of the
woman, there will be one seed,
00:46:39.09\00:46:41.33
a singular seed, a male seed.
00:46:41.36\00:46:46.97
"And He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel."
00:46:47.00\00:46:51.91
Now, the bruising of
the heel--and by the way,
00:46:51.94\00:46:55.24
bruise here is not
the best translation.
00:46:55.28\00:46:57.51
It should be crush,
you know, a mortal blow,
00:46:57.55\00:46:59.65
a major blow to the head.
00:46:59.68\00:47:02.38
Now, of course, a major
blow to the heel hurts a lot,
00:47:02.42\00:47:04.55
doesn't it?
00:47:04.59\00:47:06.72
But it doesn't do you in.
00:47:06.76\00:47:08.72
That represents
Jesus on the cross.
00:47:08.76\00:47:10.66
Yes, He gave up His life, but He
said to Pontius Pilate before He
00:47:10.69\00:47:13.03
died, He said, "I give My
life, and I have the power to
00:47:13.06\00:47:15.33
take it up again."
00:47:15.36\00:47:16.80
And He did. So, it
was a temporary wound.
00:47:16.83\00:47:18.87
But if you get a really strong
blow to the head and it crushes
00:47:18.90\00:47:22.00
your head, you're gone.
00:47:22.04\00:47:24.47
And that's what Jesus did
on the cross that day as well.
00:47:24.51\00:47:27.28
I wish we had
more time, friends.
00:47:27.31\00:47:28.74
We're out of time.
00:47:28.78\00:47:30.08
But friends, this is
the good news gospel.
00:47:30.11\00:47:31.61
Jesus gives the gospel to Adam
and Eve before He gives them
00:47:31.65\00:47:35.22
the bad news.
00:47:35.25\00:47:36.55
You notice that? He
didn't even ask them.
00:47:36.58\00:47:38.12
He said, "You want the good news
first or the bad news first?
00:47:38.15\00:47:40.12
I got both."
00:47:40.16\00:47:41.59
No, He goes, "Now
you know the answer."
00:47:41.62\00:47:43.19
If you want a Bible
answer and somebody says,
00:47:43.22\00:47:44.66
"You want the bad news
first or the good news?
00:47:44.69\00:47:46.03
I got both."
00:47:46.06\00:47:47.36
You can say, "Always give me the
good news first because that's
00:47:47.40\00:47:49.70
what God gave Adam and Eve."
00:47:49.73\00:47:51.17
He said He gave them the good
news that He's going to die on
00:47:51.20\00:47:53.74
the cross, that He's going to
help rescue them from other sin
00:47:53.77\00:47:56.30
and give all mankind hope
to be reconciled with God.
00:47:56.34\00:48:01.18
And then He gives the bad news.
00:48:01.21\00:48:02.84
You know, "You shall
have pain in childbirth,
00:48:02.88\00:48:04.65
and there's going to
be marital struggles.
00:48:04.68\00:48:06.38
And there's going to
be--by the sweat of your brow,
00:48:06.41\00:48:10.19
you're going to eat your bread.
00:48:10.22\00:48:12.15
And there's going to be thorns
and thistles and all these other
00:48:12.19\00:48:14.76
horrible things that
will come up as well."
00:48:14.79\00:48:17.39
Well, friends, it's
been good studying with you.
00:48:17.43\00:48:19.79
It's a bit of a cruel thing
to be able to go through that
00:48:19.83\00:48:22.06
chapter in one Sabbath school's
lesson because it's just
00:48:22.10\00:48:24.73
impossible to look at
all the nuances there.
00:48:24.77\00:48:26.80
But I'm glad we could
look at some of the highlights.
00:48:26.84\00:48:29.20
I want to invite you to take
advantage of our free gift offer
00:48:29.24\00:48:32.64
if you never saw the
beginning of our program,
00:48:32.67\00:48:34.98
and that is on the same subject
that we're looking at here,
00:48:35.01\00:48:37.78
the great battle
between good and evil.
00:48:37.81\00:48:40.28
"The Savior & The Serpent"
written by our lead pastor,
00:48:40.32\00:48:43.42
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:48:43.45\00:48:45.79
Go ahead and dial
into 1-866-788-3966.
00:48:45.82\00:48:50.63
Ask for free offer number 798,
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00:48:50.66\00:48:54.56
out to you if you live
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00:48:54.60\00:48:57.10
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00:48:57.13\00:48:58.77
And for those of you who
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00:48:58.80\00:49:02.27
that is also available.
00:49:02.30\00:49:03.67
You can download
that on your phone,
00:49:03.71\00:49:05.17
and you just have to
text the code SH146 to 40544.
00:49:05.21\00:49:10.68
And we'll be happy to be
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00:49:10.71\00:49:13.82
Now, that's, again,
only if you're in the USA.
00:49:13.85\00:49:16.62
If you're outside of the USA
and you'd like to have a copy of
00:49:16.65\00:49:19.49
that, then we also
have a website address.
00:49:19.52\00:49:24.33
And so, that is
study.aftv.org/SH146.
00:49:24.36\00:49:34.34
And so, again, if you're
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00:49:35.30\00:49:36.60
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00:49:36.64\00:49:37.94
If you're in other
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00:49:37.97\00:49:39.27
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00:49:39.31\00:49:40.68
and you'll find a free
digital download copy for that.
00:49:40.71\00:49:43.01
God bless you, and we look
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00:49:43.04\00:49:46.08
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¤¤¤
00:50:20.68\00:50:30.49
Brad: So, I grew up in
a nondenominational house
00:50:30.53\00:50:32.69
or the Pentecostal side.
00:50:32.73\00:50:35.50
I really didn't
read the Bible that much.
00:50:35.53\00:50:37.60
I knew of Jesus, but I really
didn't have that relationship.
00:50:37.63\00:50:40.84
I attended the church, but it
was more like check, I did it.
00:50:40.87\00:50:44.14
So, it's just like, all
right, I've got fire insurance.
00:50:44.17\00:50:46.31
I'm not going to go to hell
because I'm going to church and
00:50:46.34\00:50:48.24
I know enough to
be a good person.
00:50:48.28\00:50:50.25
Post education,
working in Denver, Colorado,
00:50:50.28\00:50:53.35
and the company
that I worked for said,
00:50:53.38\00:50:56.45
"All right, we're
closing the Denver office.
00:50:56.48\00:50:58.25
Brad, would you
like a transfer letter,
00:50:58.29\00:51:00.26
or would you like
a severance package?"
00:51:00.29\00:51:02.22
I went ahead and
took the transfer.
00:51:02.26\00:51:04.03
My family and I
moved to Woodlands, Texas.
00:51:04.06\00:51:06.86
Here for about
three and a half years,
00:51:06.90\00:51:09.23
and the company that
I was with was acquired,
00:51:09.26\00:51:12.00
so I found myself unemployed.
00:51:12.03\00:51:15.60
I started to stress out.
00:51:15.64\00:51:17.61
A lot of anxiety and
depression started to soak in.
00:51:17.64\00:51:20.54
We were just trying
to figure out what to do.
00:51:20.58\00:51:23.18
My anxiety was so
bad, I started to pace.
00:51:23.21\00:51:25.65
I was starting to
get like these shocks.
00:51:25.68\00:51:27.55
Up till that time, I
was a social drinker,
00:51:27.58\00:51:29.38
so I drank and I
chewed tobacco quite often.
00:51:29.42\00:51:31.52
And with the worry, anxiety
that was starting to come in,
00:51:31.55\00:51:36.09
I started to do
that more frequently.
00:51:36.12\00:51:38.16
So, it came to the point of
my wife had to have a lot of
00:51:38.19\00:51:41.43
conversations with the kids
of, "Dad's working through this.
00:51:41.46\00:51:43.57
We just got to pray for him."
00:51:43.60\00:51:45.70
And I didn't
want to let them down,
00:51:45.73\00:51:47.44
but you get so self-absorbed
just trying to figure out,
00:51:47.47\00:51:49.64
"I want the best for him,
but I don't know what to do.
00:51:49.67\00:51:51.71
I don't know the
next step to take."
00:51:51.74\00:51:53.88
The anxiety got so bad, it was
like the feeling you get when
00:51:53.91\00:51:56.41
you get pulled over by a cop.
00:51:56.44\00:51:58.48
It's that gut-wrenching
feel day in and day out.
00:51:58.51\00:52:00.98
At that time was when we started
to seek out other resources.
00:52:01.02\00:52:05.79
I was admitted
into a mental facility.
00:52:05.82\00:52:09.06
So, when I went there, they
drug me up on a couple different
00:52:09.09\00:52:12.46
medications, which
really didn't help out much.
00:52:12.49\00:52:15.23
My cognitive skills went down.
00:52:15.26\00:52:17.70
I really couldn't
remember what was going on.
00:52:17.73\00:52:20.27
After being there for
eight days, I was let go.
00:52:20.30\00:52:22.87
My wife's mom pointed us to Dr.
Neil Nedley with his depression
00:52:22.90\00:52:27.28
and anxiety recovery program.
00:52:27.31\00:52:29.21
So, they sent us some DVDs and
got me on a plant-based diet and
00:52:29.24\00:52:33.42
a strenuous workout program.
00:52:33.45\00:52:36.35
Then in October, I flew to
Weimar and was in his ten-day
00:52:36.38\00:52:40.16
depression and recovery program,
which that there helped out.
00:52:40.19\00:52:43.96
The anxiety was still there,
but it was starting to subside
00:52:43.99\00:52:47.00
because I was starting to
reframe my thoughts and starting
00:52:47.03\00:52:48.66
to incorporate some of
the things I learned through
00:52:48.70\00:52:51.03
Dr. Nedley's program.
00:52:51.07\00:52:53.10
He gave me these study guides
from Amazing Facts and said,
00:52:53.13\00:52:58.04
"Just read these
when you get back home."
00:52:58.07\00:53:00.34
And that's where we get
introduced to Amazing Facts.
00:53:00.38\00:53:03.41
So, we started to go through
the guides and learn about the
00:53:03.45\00:53:06.01
Sabbath and the other topics.
00:53:06.05\00:53:08.58
We were able to
study together as a family,
00:53:08.62\00:53:11.19
so some of the biblical truths
went from my head to my heart,
00:53:11.22\00:53:14.19
and then that's
when the change started.
00:53:14.22\00:53:16.49
It just wasn't me studying it.
00:53:16.52\00:53:18.36
It was
collectively, us as a family,
00:53:18.39\00:53:20.33
because I just
don't want to be changed,
00:53:20.36\00:53:22.23
I want the whole
family to be changed.
00:53:22.26\00:53:24.37
On top of the study guides,
I also downloaded the app
00:53:24.40\00:53:26.60
of Amazing Facts.
00:53:26.63\00:53:28.47
So, we started to
watch a lot of videos.
00:53:28.50\00:53:31.04
And us, as a
family, we all got baptized,
00:53:31.07\00:53:33.58
and my wife and my
son got rebaptized.
00:53:33.61\00:53:36.44
But if it wasn't for the
resources from Amazing Facts,
00:53:36.48\00:53:40.32
I would not be the father,
I would not be the husband,
00:53:40.35\00:53:42.98
that I am now.
00:53:43.02\00:53:44.32
My name is Brad.
00:53:44.35\00:53:45.65
I want to thank you
for changing my life.
00:53:45.69\00:53:48.59
¤¤¤
00:53:48.62\00:54:00.64
announcer: Amazing
Facts, Changed Lives.
00:54:00.67\00:54:06.27
female: Well, my conversion
story is when I was in the
00:54:08.64\00:54:12.38
Philippines, I just
graduated as a nurse.
00:54:12.41\00:54:16.35
And afterwards, I did
not have any religion.
00:54:16.38\00:54:20.12
And one time I found
myself inside a small church,
00:54:20.16\00:54:24.73
Catholic Church in
Manila, and before a big cross.
00:54:24.76\00:54:30.57
And I was kneeling before, and
I could hear Jesus telling me
00:54:30.60\00:54:37.77
to enter the convent,
save myself and also my family.
00:54:37.81\00:54:41.81
And I said, "Lord, I would
like to follow you all the way."
00:54:41.84\00:54:44.51
At that point, I
seemed to be happy externally,
00:54:44.55\00:54:48.45
but because inside the
convent we don't read the Bible,
00:54:48.48\00:54:52.75
we don't study
about the Word of God.
00:54:52.79\00:54:54.86
We prayed the rosary.
00:54:54.89\00:54:56.89
We also, at the same time,
studied the lives of the saints
00:54:56.93\00:54:59.73
and also our founders and
the encyclicals of the Pope
00:54:59.76\00:55:05.00
and the Virgin Mary.
00:55:05.03\00:55:08.17
And so, I do not know the
truth, and I had this torture
00:55:08.20\00:55:10.81
of conscience,
the guilty feelings
00:55:10.84\00:55:13.68
that cannot be resolved.
00:55:13.71\00:55:16.18
So, I would confess to the
priest in the confessional box
00:55:16.21\00:55:18.95
saying, "Father, forgive me.
00:55:18.98\00:55:21.32
Since my last
confession was last week,
00:55:21.35\00:55:24.42
since then I have
committed the following sin,
00:55:24.45\00:55:27.32
including the root cause, why
am I falling and falling in that
00:55:27.36\00:55:31.16
same sin over and over again?"
00:55:31.19\00:55:34.83
And still for 21
long years, I struggle,
00:55:34.86\00:55:38.53
and I struggle, and I struggle.
00:55:38.57\00:55:41.57
I realized that I
was totally empty.
00:55:41.60\00:55:45.27
I was totally helpless and
hopeless and so depressed and so
00:55:45.31\00:55:50.35
desperate that I would
like already to end my life.
00:55:50.38\00:55:54.62
I was working for five years
as dean of the University of
00:55:54.65\00:55:58.29
St. Augustine College
of Nursing in Iloilo City,
00:55:58.32\00:56:03.09
one of the islands
in the Philippines.
00:56:03.12\00:56:05.93
After five years, I received
a commission from my parents to
00:56:05.96\00:56:10.57
help my sister who is
being a battered woman.
00:56:10.60\00:56:15.30
This is one of the reasons why
I came over to United States.
00:56:15.34\00:56:20.21
It is because my
sister needs my help.
00:56:20.24\00:56:24.38
As I was working in
the hospital in New York,
00:56:24.41\00:56:27.35
my boss, Seraphim, he was
so gracious enough to give me
00:56:27.38\00:56:30.69
an invitation to
the Millennium Prophecy.
00:56:30.72\00:56:33.82
As I was listening to Pastor
Doug Batchelor's presentation,
00:56:33.86\00:56:37.66
my heart really was
beating so fast and my mind,
00:56:37.69\00:56:43.37
I'm able to grasp the truth that
this is the truth that I have
00:56:43.40\00:56:49.30
been longing to
hear all my life,
00:56:49.34\00:56:51.77
that I've been
seeking for so long.
00:56:51.81\00:56:54.68
My personal
relationship with Jesus,
00:56:54.71\00:56:57.78
I can see Jesus as
my personal Savior.
00:56:57.81\00:57:01.68
He is not only the
Savior of the whole world,
00:57:01.72\00:57:04.75
but He is my personal Savior.
00:57:04.79\00:57:07.92
He was the One who delivered me
mightily from the depths of sin,
00:57:07.96\00:57:14.10
from the miry clay.
00:57:14.13\00:57:15.73
Pastor Doug Batchelor
has been used by the Lord
00:57:15.76\00:57:19.03
in my conversion.
00:57:19.07\00:57:21.07
The Amazing
Facts, I owe to them.
00:57:21.10\00:57:23.77
The Lord really
blessed this ministry,
00:57:23.81\00:57:27.68
and I'm so proud
that I was able to attend
00:57:27.71\00:57:31.38
this Millennium Prophecy.
00:57:31.41\00:57:33.35
My life has never been the same.
00:57:33.38\00:57:35.95
It has given me that peace, that
joy that never--I have never
00:57:35.98\00:57:42.46
tasted in my life.
00:57:42.49\00:57:44.53
And now I'm set free
to be able to work for Him
00:57:44.56\00:57:48.36
and to follow Him.
00:57:48.40\00:57:50.83
¤¤¤
00:57:50.87\00:57:56.87
¤¤¤
00:58:01.54\00:58:11.55