God created the beautiful Garden of Eden: a perfect place for perfect people. In addition to its beauty, God made trees to produce any food man would need to eat. But in the midst of the garden was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and of its fruit they were not to eat. All God asked man to do was care for the garden and not eat fruit of that one tree. God even came in cool of the day and walked with Adam, and knowing man’s aloneness, God took a rib from Adam’s side and made him a companion whom Adam named Eve. The man and …
How God Dealt with Sin
How did God deal with the sin of Adam and Eve? First, He confronted them! After eating of the forbidden fruit, they realized that they were naked, and felt ashamed; so they took leaves and made coverings to hide parts of their bodies. Later when God came to the garden, they tried to hide themselves from God. Although God knew what they had done, He gave them an option to explain. Then we have the first sin of trying to pass the buck: Adam accused Eve, and she accused the serpent. As the result of their disobedience, a curse was put on each. Because of their …
Man Continues to Sin
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you and I did not find it necessary to cope with sin? Although that is wishful thinking, one day it will be true: for in the New Jerusalem nothing unclean ever will enter, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. But after man was driven out of the Garden of Eden, mankind continued to sin, but Noah, a righteous man, lived on earth with his wife, three sons, and their wives. All other people were so wicked that God told Noah to build an ark and in the ark …
God Give Man Laws
Within man there is a desire to worship God, but many worshiped false gods. When God called Abraham, He told Abraham to leave family and home and go to a land He would show him. I read that probably there were 222 years from time of the flood to birth of Terah, Abram’s father. I think Terah was the seventh generation since Noah and perhaps 130 years old when Abraham was born making his birth about 352 years after the flood. All people died in the flood except Noah, his wife, Japheth and his ten sons, Ham and his four sons, and Seth …
Modern Day Idol Worship
Currently, should we ask people we know if they worship idols? Most would say they don’t. However, after reading Jesus’ answer to a lawyer who asked Jesus, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus gave him this answer, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22: 36-37 Times have changed, but not man’s ego. Most won’t admit it, but many centuries later, man still is consumed with his personal life and desires. You and I buy …
God Wants Us Better not Bitter
Title of our devotions this week has been Why do bad things happen to good people? I believe one reason is because He wants us to become better people. So at one hundred plus three months I’m endeavoring to become a little more like my Savior each day He allows me to live on this earth. As time is near to call me home, some would say relax and take life easy. Being in the fiery furnace is uncomfortable sometimes, but my life might be compared to a gold nugget which requires some refining. And though I was not fortunate to find a diamond in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, I know there are some rough edges on raw …
She Looked Back
The book of Genesis reports that a sin epidemic had infected everyone in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God had every intention of destroying those cities. God’s man, Abraham, knowing that his own nephew Lot lived in Sodom, asked God to spare the city. Abraham asked God if He would spare it if He found 50 good men. Quickly surmising that God might not find 50 good men in Sodom, he asked for 45. Then he quickly dropped the number to 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. Without further discussion, God sent two angels …
The Grand Canyon of Sin
What a day! You just took delivery of a new sports car. It will do 0-to-60 mph in just over two seconds and has a top speed of 267 mph. It’s called the world’s fasted production car. It’s beautiful. And expensive. Wanting to show it off, you invite some of your favorite people to take a ride. We’ll have to pretend this car will hold a bunch of people because you’re going to take your best friends, your family, a much-loved teacher, boss, and your pastor. Everyone piles in, and off you go. You start out nice and slow, getting …
Why do Christians Suffer?
The answer is S-I-N! Before creating man, God prepared a perfect place for him to live, and in that Garden made every beautiful tree to produce food. Also in the midst of the garden, He planted the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Also a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there divided into four streams. So God prepared a perfect place for the first two people; but perhaps Satan still was raging with hatred toward God for having him cast of heaven and will try to spoil His perfect people. God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of …
God’s Remedy for Man’s Sin
From the time God slew animals and used their pelts to clothe the nakedness of Adam and Eve, a blood sacrifice has been required to atone for sin. But God knew that blood from animals sacrificed on the altars of man provided only temporary cleansing of sin, and the kind of cleansing man needed would cost Him His only Son. But I believe that God had this sacrifice in mind when He gave this message to His prophet Isaiah to share with his sinful people. God said, “Come now, let us reason together: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall …
Why Does God Allow Troubles?
As long as everything appears to be progressing as we like, it is easy to thank God and enjoy our blessings, and how many of us while enjoying God’s blessings ever bother to ask God, Why me? But when those same people begin to suffer trials and heartaches, they may be the first to ask in their minds, if not audibly for fear of appearing irreverent, why me, God. The fact that you and I are God’s children, does not mean we’ll be exempt from trials and temptations. I never imagined the extent of Satan’s temptations until after accepting Jesus as the Savior …
Jesus Brought Me From Darkness
Jesus brought me from darkness Colossians 1: 13, 14 and 22 – “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin. But now, he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight; without blemish and free from accusation.” During a recent visit to Blanchard Springs Caverns, we took time to tour one of the caverns. Halfway through the tour we were seated in what our guide called …
