The Fall: Part 6

The sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve past on to us, not only the sin nature, but also the consequence of sin- death. I want to close this study by examining one last sin that is specifically mentioned in the Bible- the unpardonable sin.

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. - Matthew 12:31-32

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: -Mark 3:29

We say that these verses talk about an unpardonable sin. What sin cannot be forgiven by God? Roman Catholics believe that suicide is an unpardonable sin, because there is no way possible to reconcile that sin after death. But, I don't see anywhere in the Bible where this is substantiated.

Jacob lied and cheated. David committed adultery and murder.  Peter denied Christ. Paul persecuted and killed Christians, compelling them to blaspheme (Acts 26:11). And, I don't find that any of them lost their souls.

To blaspheme is to speak irreverently of God or spiritual matters, to curse God. The Bible doesn't speak of blasphemy too much, in fact, the word only appears 10 times throughout the whole Bible; blasphemy occurs 14 times; and blasphemed is in there 16 times.

Most of these references are people who have blasphemed God (cursed God) or have occasioned others to blaspheme. The Pharisees said that Christ blasphemed when he made himself equal with God in Matthew 26:65. And in the chapter that the unpardonable sin is mentioned the Pharisees said that Christ was casting out devils by the power of the prince of devils, Beelzebub.

Many people today use God's name in vain all the time! They tell Christians that they are full of devils often! But, that isn't the unforgivable sin. The unforgivable sin is against the Holy Ghost, not against Jesus and not against Christians.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. -Romans 1:8

Those who ask God to forgive them and save them are given forgiveness. Even more, the condemnation (the fact that their sins should send them to hell) is taken away.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -I John 1:9

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. -Isaiah 1:18

...and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin -I John 1:7b

He has promised to forgive us and cleanse us from all sin. So, what sin could we possibly commit that goes against the Holy Ghost and that God cannot forgive us for?

The only sin that God couldn't possibly forgive is the sin of not asking Christ to save them. Jesus died a death that would pay the penalty of sin, and satisfy the requirements of the law. No one else can do that!

People somehow think that if they are good enough, or if they do enough good works, or if they..... but they can't.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; -Isaiah 64:6

You cannot perform good works to gain entrance to heaven because all of your good works are filthy. Everything that we do is tainted by sin. The only way to get to heaven to have someone who has never been tainted by sin pay the way for you! And the only person that ever met that requirement was Jesus Christ.

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. -Romans 10:13 

No matter what sins you may have committed you can be saved. You are not beyond hope. God will forgive anybody, because Jesus died for everybody! 

And he (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. -I John 2:2 

 God is willing to forgive you if you'll come by way of the blood of Jesus.

There is only one sin which CANNOT be forgiven - rejecting Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Christ's blood covers all sin, so the only sin that wouldn't be covered is the one where you don't accept his free gift of salvation.

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -John 14:6

There is no other way into heaven. It doesn't matter what all the religions of the world teach. What matters is what God has to say because he's the one that judges you.

Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. -Mark 7:9

Many people fall into a trap from the devil that convinces them that they can work their way to heaven by doing something that has been taught by someone for years. But, that's a tradition! Tradition can't save you. Religion can't save you. Only Jesus blood can wash away sin and the consequences that come with it.

What if you sin after you are saved?

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. -Ephesians 4:30

When we sin, it grieves the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost), but it isn't blaspheming him. We are promised in I John 1:9 that we can confess our sins and receive forgiveness. So, sinning after we are saved is not the unpardonable sin.

Why does it say that you blaspheme the Holy Ghost? Because, it's the spirit that convicts men of sin! It's the part of the trinity of God that you have to face and acknowledge to get to the truth of salvation.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. -I Corinthians 2:10

To deny the conviction of the Holy Ghost is to reject the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. And when you stand before God, He will not shrug and say, "Well, my son died a horrible death to pay for your sins, but you did a good enough job on your own!"

If you want to be saved, then it is not too late. If God was willing to forgive a mass-murder like Saul (the Apostle Paul), then He will forgive you too. If God was willing to forgive an adulterer and murderer like king David, then He will forgive you too. If God was willing to forgive a liar and cheater like Jacob, then He'll forgive you as well. He even forgave Peter for denying him in front of others!

You can only commit the unpardonable sin when you reject Christ as your Savior. 

I would like to add that there is a time in the future which Christians refer to as the tribulation. I, personally, believe that it is during this time that people are in danger of the unpardonable sin.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? -Hebrews 10:29

Hebrews is written to Jews in the last days (Hebrews 1:1-2). During this time a person is saved by not only asking Christ to save them, but also by keeping the commandments and not taking the mark of the beast. If you read the verse this person was saved, but they did despite to the Spirit. Despite means in spite of, contempt, disdain. The person during the tribulation cannot be saved if they take the mark of the beast.

If you read the entire chapter of Hebrews 10, you will see that Paul is telling these people that their Messiah died for them and became the High Priest that they needed. He then tells them to hold fast their profession without waivering.  He mentions the person that sins willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth (salvation). He tells them they need patience (because they have to endure to the end of the triblation). And then he says in the last verse- But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. -Hebrews 10:39

Remember above when we read how you were sealed by the Holy Spirit? A person who takes the mark of the beast in the tribulation would have had the Holy Spirit in them and their actions would force him to leave. That would be an unpardonable sin!

To those who are not in the tribulation period, you have the easiest decision to make- will you accept what Christ did for you? Your actions don't help you achieve salvation, nor do they keep you for acquiring it.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. -Acts 16:31

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. -Romans 10:13

It's not too late. God will forgive you and save your soul. Only He can pay the punishment for your sins. Will you accept Him today? 

To those who may read this during the tribulation. You can be saved. You just have to accept Christ's gift of salvation and keep the 10 commandments. My suggestion is that you stay in the word, ask Christ to forgive your sin often, and be ready to lose your life before you're willing to compromise.

The Fall series Coloring pages

The Fall: Part 5

God had to punish Adam and Eve for their sin. Not only did they eat the fruit that God said not to, but they tried to blame someone else for their sin. When we sin it's our own fault. We didn't have to listen to the person who tempted us to sin. We could have walked away. We chose to commit the sin.

The best thing to do when we sin is confess it and get it right, or say "I'm sorry". We should not only say I'm sorry to the person we wronged, but also to God. When we confess our sin, we are taking the steps necessary to get rid of the guilt or shame.

I John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13- He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they tried to hide their shame by making clothes. They tried to cover what they did wrong.

Genesis 3:7- And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

The problem is that when we sin we can't cover it up. Someone is always going to know. God is always going to know!

Not only did God have to punish Adam and Eve, he had to give them clothes. Now, it would be a shame for them to walk around without clothes on.

Genesis 3:21- Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Adam and Eve realized that they were going to die because of what they did, but they had never seen death before. God had to kill an animal to make them clothes. This was the first time they had seen death. Perhaps this was the first time they realized what exactly was going to happen to them.

Then God tells us another part of their punishment.

Genesis 3:22-24- And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The Garden of Eden had 2 special trees in it. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and, also, the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life could give eternal life to whoever ate from it. God knew that if Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Life, something not good would happen.

You see, in God's mercy he allowed death to be the consequence of sin. If Adam and Eve never died, they would keep committing sin and eventually they would become very wicked- perhaps even as wicked as Satan had become!

Jeremiah 17:9- The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Mark 7:21-23- For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

So the Lord kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and he placed a guard there to keep them from coming back in. Not only could they not come back in, but their children couldn't come back in, either. Their sin passed on to their children and their grandchildren.

Romans 5:12- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Adam and Eve sure did face a lot of consequences for disobeying God! They lost their home, their relationship with God, and their lives. And they passed sin on to every human!

Satan tried to tell us that we won't suffer the consequences of sin. He lies to us just like he lied Eve. Sometimes he tells us that the consequences won't be as bad as God says. If you're wise, you won't listen to Satan's lies, you'll listen to God. What does God say?

Galatians 6:7- Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Every sin has consequences, and no one ever escapes the consequences of sins they've committed.

The Fall series Coloring pages

The Fall: Part 4

All sin is disobeying God. And all sin has consequences. If you don't do your homework, you're going to get in trouble with your teacher! You may even fail that class.
But, when Adam and Eve sinned, something else happened. The consequences weren't just a one time thing. And the consequences didn't only effect them.
Genesis 3:8- And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Never before had they been afraid of God. They probably looked forward to the visits that God made before they sinned. But now, it was different. There was this awful feeling inside! So they hid from God.
Genesis 3:9- And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Do you think that God didn't know where Adam really was? I'm sure God knew. Perhaps he was wanting Adam to confess what he had done, and to realize that there was a problem.
Genesis 3:10- And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
This was only half the truth. Adam didn't hide because he was naked. He made an apron of fig leaves. There was more going on in Adam's heart, and God wanted Adam to realize it.
Genesis 3:11- And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Oh no! God knew! Adam was trapped. He could come forward and tell God the truth or he could try to get out of it. Hmmmm- What do you think he did?
Genesis 3:12- And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Adam blamed Eve! He took the fruit because he loved her. He sinned because he didn't want to lose her. But now he was blaming her! Sin does that. It wants to justify the reason why. It tried to make us feel like we didn't really do wrong- it was someone else's fault.
Genesis 3:13- And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Oh boy! Eve is now blaming someone else!
God had to put a stop to this. They weren't understanding that they needed to confess their sin. Instead of admitting that they did wrong and asking for forgiveness, they were trying to get God to focus on someone else. So, God started with the consequences.
Genesis 3:14-15- And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Before this curse, snakes were different. But now, God made them to slither. The snake flicks it's tongue to help him navigate and he gets dust in his mouth when he does it- just like God said in Genesis.
But, God also cursed Satan. He told Satan that there would come a time when he would bruise the Son of Man. But, there was also a time coming when the Son of would bruise Satan.
Then God turned to Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:16- Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
God told Eve that now it would hurt to have children. They would get skinned knees and broken bones. They would disobey and rebel. They could even get sick now.
But that wasn't all. She now had to obey a husband that was no longer perfect. The man who blamed her for his sin. That wasn't going to be easy!
Genesis 3:17-19- And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Taking care of the Garden of Eden was easy. But it wasn't going to be easy anymore! Now, man had to work hard to get the food to grow. He had to sweat! But there was more. God cursed the ground, too.
Romans 8:22- For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
The earth doesn't like sin. It makes the earth sick! Not only did the earth have to grow thorns, but man was doomed to die and be buried in the earth.
But that wasn't the worst thing that Adam and Eve had to see.

The Fall series Coloring pages

The Fall: Part 3

We have learned that Eve was tempted by the serpent and she ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God told her not to eat.

But where was Adam? The Bible doesn't tell us if Eve was alone when the serpent tempted her. It doesn't tell us if Adam was right beside her ignoring the serpent.

We do know that at some point he shows up and he sees what Eve has done. And Eve offers Adam the fruit.

Genesis 3:6- And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Adam ate the fruit that Eve offered him. But something was different about this sin.

I TImothy 2:13-14- For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

You see, Eve was deceived. That means she didn't really know what exactly she was doing. Satan had really made her believe his lies.

But, the Bible says that Adam was not deceived. Adam knew full well that he was disobeying God! Adam knew that God said they would die if they ate the fruit. Adam knew that if he ate the fruit there would be consequences for his actions. But, what Adam didn't know is what would happen to Eve if he didn't.

You see, Adam loved Eve so much that he didn't want to live without her. God had made Eve so he wouldn't be alone. He knew Eve filled a need in his life. Perhaps Adam was afraid that he would have to live his days alone. We're not sure what Adam was thinking, but we do know that he was willing to die for Eve, rather than live without her. So he ate the fruit knowing that he would die.

James 1:14-15- But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

The spiritual death of man happened. He was no longer perfect. And because he knew he was disobeying God, the guilt of sin came upon mankind. Adam and Eve now knew shame. They weren't ashamed before!

Genesis 3:7-8- And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Sin makes us feel bad inside. Sometimes it makes us grumpy. Sometimes it keeps us from sleeping at night. Sometimes it even makes us feel sick to our tummies. Not only can sin destroy us physically in our bodies, but it can destroy us emotionally inside. It messes with our feelings.

When we know that we've sinned, we just can't feel good until we make it right. But did you know that some things can't be made right. Some hurts can't be undone. And some consequences can't be taken away.

Adam and Eve had to face the consequences of disobeying God.

The Fall series Coloring pages

The Fall: Part 2

God made a wonderful world for Adam and Eve to live in.

Genesis 2:8-9- And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Now, remember, God made everything good. All the animals were good. Even the devil was created good. The earth had no sin in it- yet. The devil had to find something to use to bring sin into the Earth. And he decided to use the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't bad. It was a good tree that contained the ability to give spiritual knowledge. The knowledge that the tree contained wasn't bad, either. God made it all good! So how could Satan use the tree to cause Adam and Eve to sin?

Well, as with all people, Adam and Eve couldn't learn if there weren't tests. Your teacher gives you tests in school to see if you learned what she taught you. God was trying to teach Adam and Eve to obey him even if they didn't understand why. So God gave them a test to pass.

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

This test wasn't on a piece of paper. This was a test of life. We all have those- your mom says to clean your room. Guess what! That's a test of life. You clean your room- you pass. You don't- you fail. The more tests of life you pass, the smarter you become. These tests of life help you to become a grown up. They help you to learn the difference between good and bad. They help you to look past your wants and to see the needs of others.

But, remember, there was someone else on earth that wanted to make Adam and Eve sin. And he had come up with a plan.

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

The devil used a serpent to make Eve question what God said. That's where everyone starts to sin- when they question what God says. The Bible has God's words to us, but if we start to question those words, we are stepping towards sin. All Satan has to do is make us question part of God's words, not all of them. If we question when to obey our parents, we are starting to sin. If we question how often to obey our parents, Satan is tempting us to sin.

Genesis 3:2-3- And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Ooops! Eve made her first mistake. She added to God's word! God never said they couldn't touch the fruit. He only told them they couldn't eat the fruit. But once she made this mistake, the devil knew he had her! Satan not only makes you question God's words, but he makes you change them! He either makes you add to them or take away from them. And that's dangerous! God says what he does the way he does for our benefit. It's to help us be our best! But Satan knows how to make us sin!

Genesis 3:4-5- And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Uh oh! What was the sin that caused the devil to fall? Pride! He wanted to be like God. Now, he's using the same sin to tempt Eve- ye shall be as gods.

Humans always want to be better than they are. We work so hard to make ourselves better. Eve wanted to make herself better. So she started thinking about the fruit and questioning whether it was okay to eat or not.

Genesis 3:6a- And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,

Was the fruit evil? No! Was the knowledge it contained evil? No! Remember, God made everything good. Then how did Eve sin by eating good fruit? The sin was in disobeying what God said. God said to obey your parents. If you don't you are sinning. God said don't lie or steal. If you do you are sinning. God said to love your neighbor as yourself. What happens when you don't? Yep! You're sinning.

All sin is disobeying what God said. God gave us rules to follow, and when we don't follow those rules we are sinning. Eve failed the first test of life that anyone was ever given.

But where was Adam? Did he know what was going on? Was he there the whole time? 

The Fall series Coloring pages

The Fall: Part 1

Genesis 1:31a- And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

Genesis 2:1- Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

When God made the world He made everything good. There were no thorns, no stings, no poisons, nothing harmful. It was all good! Did you know that the devil was good once? He was! He was a special type of angel called a Cherub. And he was called by a different name. Do you know what it was? Lucifer. That means light bearer. The devil was a good, and beautiful angel that God created.

Ezekiel 28:14- Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

The devil was created perfect. But, what happened? Pride, the first sin.

Ezekiel 28:13- Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

God made Lucifer to be beautiful! He was covered with all sorts of gems. And, he had an amazing ability to sing! God made something inside of him like an organ to make beautiful music. He was suppose to praise God. But that didn't happen. He got to admiring himself and thinking how beautiful he was. He thought that because he was so lovely he must be better than God. And that's when he began to sin.

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

The devil's pride made him want to be God. He thought he could do a better job. But God wasn't going to allow him to take over. God had to punish him and so, he cast him out of heaven. But he wasn't alone.

Did you know that sin always effects other people? It doesn't just ruin you, it ruins those around you. You see, the devil wasn't the only one who sinned. There were other angels that followed him and sinned, too.

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

God has to punish sin. So, he created a place for sin to go. When he created this place, it was for the ones who sinned- the devil and his angels. Do you know what that place is called?

Matthew 25:41- Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

When God created the Lake of Fire, it was for the devil. God didn't want people to go there. He only wanted sin to go there. And that is what it was created for- sin. All sin is to go to the Lake of Fire. But, God didn't send the devil there first. He cast the devil somewhere else first.

Ezekiel 28:16-17- By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

The devil came to earth. He decided to reign like a king on the earth. But something happened that he didn't like. God created humans and gave them rule over the earth.

Psalm 8:3-8- When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Boy, was the devil mad! He wanted to rule the earth. So you know what he did? He decided to ruin the perfect world that God created. He decided to bring sin to mankind.

He was going to make Adam and Eve sin. Once they sinned, he could take rule of the earth again.

The Fall series Coloring pages

Healthy Minute- Oil Cleansing Method

I'm always on the lookout for ways to help my family's health while being kind to our pocketbook! Whether it be making homemade bone broth and taking cod liver oil or pinching pennies while buying used clothing, I'm always on the lookout for a collision of these two ideals.
When I first heard about oil cleansing as a face wash I was hopeful that it was all it was cracked up to be. I've tried many different types of facial cleansing systems- Neutrogena, Clearasil, Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford, Kate Somerville's Complexion Perfection, and even ProActive, along with a ton of different homemade recipes- all in the pursuit of a face wash that could help with the adult acne, age spots, and wrinkles that seem to be collectively spreading across my 30-something face. Oil Cleansing seemed to be a good solution to try that would be healthy and cost effective.
For 30 days I tried oil cleansing with a castor oil/apricot oil blend. I would massage this into my face every night and then hold a warm washcloth over my face to steam it into my pours. Afterwards, I'd use that washcloth and gently scrub my face. To help close my pores and get rid of blackheads I would follow with an homemade apple cider vinegar toner. I liked how it worked together and it was cheap. But, my face felt really tight afterwards and I was wondering if I was getting enough moisturization.
I read many articles on using different items for a facial cleanser, and another one on the benefits of using lard for oil cleansing and came up with my own recipe to try for the next 30 days:
15 crushed aspirin (for acne fighting and exfoliation)
2 TBS honey (for antibacterial purposes)
1/8 tsp turmeric (for help with age spots)
2 TBS garbanzo bean flour (I can't remember the reason I chose this one)
2 TBS Coconut Cream concentrate (for moisturization)
1 cup lard
7 drops Bandito oil (for antibacterial purposes)
I mixed all of these ingredients together in a magic bullet and ended up with an almost mayonnaise looking mixture. I used the same procedure described above and I was amazed! My skin felt so soft!
Tallow (lard) is uniquely compatible with the biology of our cells. About 50% of the structure of our cell membrane comes from saturated fats, with remaining amounts consisting of monounsaturated and to a lesser degree polyunsaturated fats…. Tallow also contains skin nourishing ingredients that plant-based oils do not. Though I am still a huge fan of coconut oil, the skin on my face is visibly more toned with tallow. I think that may be because of the abundance of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,K and E) that naturally occur in pastured tallow, along with the potent anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and anti-microbial palmitoleic acid.(source)
This recipe has done wonders for my face and my 30-something skin problems.
For more information on oil cleansing, please watch the video below:

The Lady The Lord Is Looking For book review

The Bible asks a question in Proverbs 31:10- Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. If God put this question in the Bible it must mean that it is hard to find this type of woman. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon says he couldn't find one among a thousand!
If you are honest with yourself you will see that the female disposition is very manipulative and conniving. Women can be much more heartless and selfish than men. To become a virtuous woman we must go against our natural fleshly sin nature.
Cathy Corle wrote an amazing book on this subject entitled The Lady The Lord Is Looking For. As the author goes through Proverbs 31, she has you take a good look at what things this chapter states make up a virtuous woman. What does it take for a woman to be viewed as more valuable than rubies?
If you find yourself questioning whether you are a virtuous woman, or if you wonder what it takes to be considered a virtuous woman, you will find some guidance in your study of Proverbs 31 and the virtuous woman written about therein.

Funny Happenings- Birthday Blues

One of my dearest friends, Jennifer Brimer, had her 35th birthday. Her son, Kaleb, was very excited about it!
"Hey mom!" he said, "Since it's your birthday and you're 50 and all, you can cook us and extra special dinner!"
Jenn laughed at the suggestion that anything over 20 was translated to 50 in his 5 year old mind.
Kaleb went on to suggest that she go ahead and bake herself a nice birthday cake for the family to enjoy. His little heart was crushed when she responded, "I don't make cakes for myself!"
Congrats on your 50th (35th) birthday, Jenn! We love you!

How The Mighty Are Fallen (video sermon)

David gives a beautiful eulogy for Saul and Jonathan after they are killed in battle. Jonathan was his dearest friend, and, even though Saul sought his life, David still cared for this wayward king. Upon hearing the news of their death, David starts to speak the last words of remembrance for these fallen soldiers, "How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!"

Some times the mighty ones in Christ have to step down because of some besetting sin in their life. We've lost the aspect of integrity in our leaders. Our leaders no longer have a respectable character when viewed by their flock. It is the downward spiral that causes the mighty to fall. And we can see this in the lives of Saul and Jonathan.

David's first response to hearing the death of his enemy (Saul) was not that of gladness, it was sorrow. And, we too, should not be happy when the wayward saints fall or die. They may have had mistakes, but they accomplished something for God in their life- and that is worthy of recognition.

David says that their weapons accomplished something good on the day of their death. This is how a mighty man should die- doing everything it takes to fight he battles of the Lord, regardless of past mistakes or present circumstances!

You can leave a mark by doing three things: First, overcome personal failures. They can be fixed. If you're still alive, it's not too late! Next, let go of personal grudges. You can't die at the top of your game if you hold on to personal grudges from the past. All men know that we are his disciples by our love for the brethren (I John 3:14-16). And, lastly, repair personal relationships. It seems we always hurt the ones who love us most! We need too swallow our pride and apologize if we were in the wrong, or we need to forgive if we were wronged. Things said in anger can destroy the strongest relationships, and ruin the mightiest of Christians.

What will be said by the ones who speak of you at your funeral? Will your enemies speak well of you? What will your friends say? How will you be remembered by those you influenced?

Believer's Heritage- J W Chapman

When children are born into a Christian home and raised being taught about Jesus it is hard for them to point to an exact date when they asked Christ to save them. Such was the home that John Wilbur Chapman was born into on June 17, 1859. Raised going to a Quaker church on Sunday mornings and a Methodist church on Sunday evenings, he seemed to have always believed in Christ. Even after his mother, Lorinda Chapman, died when he was 13, he never waivered in his belief that Christ was the only one who could save him.
In 1876, he joined the Presbyterian church and left for Oberlin College. He then went to Lake Forest University where he attended a Moody crusade while enrolled there. He went forward to get some answers and was edified by D L Moody, himself. He graduated in 1879. He completed his ministerial studies at Lane Seminary in 1882 in Cincinnati, Ohio. And was married just 6 days later.
He, and his wife, Irene Steddon, accepted the pastorship of two churches. One in Liberty, Indiana and the other at College Corner, Ohio. They would alternate Sundays between the two congregations for about a year.
In 1883, he became the pastor of a Dutch Reformed church in Schuylerville, New York. Then, on to Albany, New York to lead at the First Reformed Church. It was while pastoring this congregation that his daughter, Bertha Irene, was born, and his wife died. This was such a confusing time for John. He was discouraged by the loss of his beloved.
In 1886, his life was changed as he listened to Bro. Meyer speak, "If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?" John realized that he was willing to give up precious things for his Savior.
He remarried in 1888 to Agnes Strain, and together they had four children. His new family moved to Philadelphia in 1890 to minister in the Bethany Presbyterian Church. The church had an auditorium that could seat 4,820 people. Some of his congregation decided to get together and start a prayer meeting every Sunday morning. This prayer meeting ended up have around 1,000 people who assembled to pray for John Chapman's preaching. As this church became nationally known, John started getting requests for him to come preach at evangelistic services. Near the end of 1892 he resigned as pastor because he had too many requests to fulfill both positions- pastor and evangelist.
He assisted in many crusades during his time as evangelist, and was also a speaker at one of D L Moody's services at the World's Fair in Chicago. He traveled all over the United States so much in just two short years that Moody called him the greatest evangelist in the country. He even served as vice-president of the Chicago Bible Institute.
But he could never get away from Bro. Meyer's question, "If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?" His new wife, Agnes, died in 1907 leaving him a widow for the second time in his life.
John began to work even more fervently in the ministry. He joined up with Charles M Alexander, and together they focused on revival services throughout Philadelphia. Over 400 churches of all different denominations joined with them in this revival.
Next, they went to Boston with around 30 other evangelists and musicians. Here, 166 churches joined together for a city wide three week revival. In these weeks around 990 services were held by John and his fellow evangelists; an estimated 7,000 conversions were recorded.
 After their national ministry,  they went on a Paul-Silas type international missionary journey. They spent 8 months going to parts of Canada and Australia which Charles Alexander and his earlier partner, R A Torrey, had preached to in 1901 and 1902. Together, John and Charles visited cities throughout the Philippines, China, Korea, and Japan.
 Again, Bro. Meyer's words would become a reality in his life, "If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are willing to be made willing?" A few years later he saw his ministry slow down to a crawl. By 1912, he wasn't having much luck with his large revival meetings.
Instead of letting this discourage him, John focused on taking small evangelistic meetings where ever they were offered. Just because he wasn't preaching to enormous crowds didn't mean that God was through with him. He was willing to preach to any amount of sinners who needed to hear the message of the Savior. He preached in Canada and then left for a meeting in England.
At one of these small meetings in England, John met an American missionary known as "Praying Hyde" who began to pray for John's meetings. John said that after Hyde got done praying he now knew what real prayer was. These prayers made a monumental difference in the revival meetings from then on.
John was back at it in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and even islands such as Fiji. He saw thousands saved, and even more who desired to give their life's to the work of Christ. His efforts even prompted Bible Institutes to be established where more men and women could be trained for the ministry.
John Chapman was willing to be made willing to give up everything for Christ. He accomplished all this through good times and sorrowful times, through sickness and surgical operations. A myriad of sermons, songs, and souls won to Christ were the fruits of his labor. He laid down his cross on Christmas 1918 in New York City and went home to see his Savior and take up his crown.

One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He.
Living, He loved me; dying, he saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away,
Rising He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, Oh, glorious day!
-J W Chapman

Bratwurst Broccoli Bake recipe

5 links bratwurst
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 finely chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TBS Dale's seasoning
1 TBS cajun seasoning
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken bone stock
6 oz cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream
grated parmesean cheese
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350*
Cut the bratwurst into bite sized pieces, and cook in a large pot with the defrosted broccoli, garlic, and Dale's seasoning until the bratwurst are cooked through.
In a separate pot, cook the rice in the chicken stock on medium-low heat with the lid on until all the stock is absorbed by the rice. Turn off the burner and let the pot stand with the lid on for 5 minutes.
Blend the cream cheese and heavy cream together. Add this to the broccoli and bratwurst. Thicken with grated parmesean cheese so that it's not watery.
Mix the broccoli and bratwurst with the rice and pour into a greased baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350* for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

The Judgment (song)

Life's Resume (poem)

Each moment of my life I will face one day
As each and every action goes on display.
They're all written down without partiality,
An account of my life awaits in eternity.
What does my resume say?
Commitments and choices that I have made,
Dreams and desires on time's pages laid-
Charitable acts, and selfish ambitions,
Every deed, every thought, and every decision.
What will my resume say?
Material objects, and worldly possessions,
Money, position, and personal satisfactions,
Relationships, friendships, and every enemy-
My history book records each activity.
What does my resume say?
Trials and troubles around every bend.
Burdens which consume me to no end.
Faith and hope sometimes drain away;
It seems new battles erupt every day.
What does my resume say?
When I stand before God to give an account,
When my book is opened, my secrets let out,
Will I stand embarrassed and bow my head?
No riches of grace, just worldly pursuits read?
What will my resume say?
Did I waste my life full of selfish pride
While my spiritual man slowly starved inside?
What was done for Christ is all that will matter;
None of my accomplishments- former or latter!
What will my resume say?

-JCT

From Blessing To Cursing

There are steps that people can take that will remove God's blessing from their life, and bring God's cursing into their life. The greatest example that I can find of this in the Bible is Balaam.
We first hear of Balaam in Numbers 22. The Israelites had just defeated Sihon, the Amorite. This prompted Balak, the King of the Moabites, to try to swing an impending battle into his favor. And, he calls on Balaam because in Numbers 22:6- Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
Balaam was a man that the Lord used to bless and curse. I guess, you could say he was a prophet, though the Bible doesn't really call him that. Balak thought he could call on Balaam to curse whomever he deemed fit and that would help him to defeat this enemy army.
God, however, told Balaam not to go with Balak's men. And, this is where we see the beginning of Balaam's disobedience and downward spiral from blessing to cursing.
The second time Balak send more honorable princes to Balaam, he went with them.
Numbers 22:22a- And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him.
If you're familiar with this story, this is where his donkey actually saves his life!
Numbers 22:32- And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
Why did God say that Balaam's way was perverse? We get a small hint of this in the New Testament.
2 Peter 2:15- Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Balaam's way was perverse because he wasn't trying to obey the Lord. He wanted to go to King Balak because there was a reward (Jude 11). There was a worldly thing that God didn't want Balaam to have, and Balaam wanted it bad enough to ignore the Lord.
Balak asked Balaam three times to curse the people, but God would only allow blessings to come out of Balaam's mouth. This made Balak so mad!
Numbers 24:10, 11- And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
Isn't it funny how the world blames God for keeping us from certain things? Balak said that it was because of God that Balaam wouldn't get his reward. This chapter ends with Balaam returning to his own town.
But the next chapter opens with the children of Israel sinning with the people of Balak's kingdom. What happened? Balaam happened. He just had to have the worldly reward that Balak was offering.
Revelation 2:14- But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Balaam told Balak, "I can't curse these people. But, you can get their God to remove His blessing from them." He told Balak that he should invite the Israelites to their services and get them to start worshiping Baal. Once they started that, he could then get his people to seduce them into disobeying God's laws. God, Himself, would curse them.
Numbers 31:16- Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
Balaam's love of worldly pleasures caused him to go against God to the destruction of his own life. When Joshua took his army against Balaam's hometown, God didn't spare Balaam.
Joshua 13:22- Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
Do you think there is something in the world that you just can't do without even though the Lord said "no"? Is there a position, a possession, or a person that you would tell God "I don't care what you want; I want this!"? Be careful, you may be accepting something that will remove God's blessing from your life and open you to His cursing.