Because. ( Ephesians 1 v 3 - 10 )

 We are now moving from the Easter celebrations, but we are not leaving the wonderful truths of  Easter behind us . In a sense ,everyday can be an Easter experience, we can rejoice everyday in our wonderful Saviour .

                                Because the world needed a Saviour He came.

                                Because we needed forgiveness of sin He came.

                                Because He rose from the dead we shall live for ever.

Let us live and rejoice each day in the wonderful, marvellous ,mind blowing, life changing, love of God in His Son Jesus.

                               'For this is how God loved the world, He gave his one 

                                and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him

                                will not perish but have eternal life'.

                                                            John 3 v16 

Faith makes a difference. ( Romans 4 v 18 - 21 )

 I do not know who wrote the following ,but I will share it with you. 'Faith is dead to doubts, dumb to discouragements, blind to impossibilities, faith lifts its hands up through the threatening clouds, lays hold of Him who has all power in heaven and on earth. Faith makes the up look good, the outlook bright, the in look  favourable, and the future glorious'.

                                                           Hebrews 11 v 6

                                     And without faith it is impossible to please God,

                                     because anyone who comes to him  must believe

                                     that he exists and that he rewards those who

                                     earnestly seek him.

Have confidence . ( Psalm 62 v 8 )

 As I  grow older I look back ,and I can say with confidence, my times are in His hands, indeed when I was in  my mothers womb I was in His hands. .As I grew up I was  in His hands, and all through my life I have been in his hands , till this moment in time. But  it does not stop there as I wait the next step of my journey I will be in hands ,it is with confidence I say that, yes when time ceases for me and when I enter eternity, I will still be in His hands. As a Christian one has to face many dangers, both natural and spiritual, but nothing can harm us or hurt us unless God permits, because we are told our times are in His hands ( Psalm 31 v 15 ) I remember Jesus said, we cannot be plucked out of  His fathers hands, nor out of His hands ( John 10 v 28 - 29 ). Nothing can change these truths, no matter how much they try, no matter how much they lie, this truth shall stand the child of God is in His hands. Someone has said  the first words we may utter as we enter heaven is,' I see'. Yes  then shall we know ,then shall all be revealed, and we shall worship the God whose ways are perfect, even though they have been at times painful .

                                       My times are in Thy hands, Whatever they may be,

                                       Pleasing or painful, dark or bright.as best may seem to Thee.

                                                             Words  W.F. Floyd.

It started with a lie ( 4 ) ( John 3 v16 )

 Continuing in our look at mankind's beginning in  the garden of Eden, Eve focusing her attention on the forbidden  fruit , found that it was,' desirable'. I read recently of a man who had an accident in his car, the reason it happened was, his front car window was covered in frost, he had made a small window in it, but not  enough. he was charged with dangerous driving.  Desire is like that,  Eve became blind to everything except the tree and its fruit. Samson's  desire for a woman (Judges 16.)caused him to loose his eyes and his  freedom, uncontrolled desire can destroy you. The desire for whatever has cost some everything, even their very souls ,and that's a very high price to pay. It tells us as regards our Saviour , that there was no beauty in Him, that they should desire Him  ( Isaiah 53 v 2 ) Eve ate some of the fruit, she got her desire, but was it worth it?, but not content with  what she did, she give some to her husband, it is sad when we sin, but it is even worse, when  we encourage others to follow us in our folly .From that moment on everything changed ,they lost their innocence, they lost paradise, everything  changed for then for us all, the awful damaged had been done. Only  when the second Adam came , would there be an opportunity ,to return to  a relationship with God ,on this good Friday let us rejoice that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that's the truth.

It started with a lie (3 ) ( Genesis 19 v 26 )

 So Eve is buying into what the devil tells her ,no one is forcing her, she had the ability to make a choice, here is what we read ,' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. Genesis 3 v 6.  She looked, she may have looked at it many times, but now it was different, the devil had told her so, There is a little children's chorus which reads, 'Be careful little eyes what you see, ' out of curiosity many people look at pornography, and they get hooked, they thought it would be fun, but now they are hooked, now they are enslaved, Yes when it comes to looking be careful,  yes be careful. Then we are told it was pleasing to the eye, let us remember, all that glitters is not gold, remember if you are married, that person you keep looking at ,and you find them attractive, that colleague, that neighbour, they are the forbidden fruit.

                                                 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,

                                                 Each victory will help you some other to win;

                                                 Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,

                                                 Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through.

It started with a lie ( 2 ) ( Proverbs 14 v 12 )

 Lets continue  looking at that garden were Adam and Eve, and the conversation between  the Devil and Eve. The devil came for a purpose to tempt Eve, into disobedience, the first thing he said, 'Did God really say. '' You must not eat from any tree in the garden''?. The devil will always do his best to have us doubt God's word, he will cause us to rationalize, it is easy to rationalize over  many things ,like creation, like Gods moral standards, certain  doctrines. That's  what he did with Eve, and she took the bait, consider her reply, as to what God  said , ''You must not eat fruit from the tree...... and you must not touch it, or you will die,'' CP 2 v 16, He said nothing about touching it. We must not add to what God says, there are many that have done this ,the words in Revelation  22 v 18 -19 ,can be applied to all scripture, were a judgement is upon any who adds or takes away from God's word. Next the Devil challenges what God said, .''You won't die'', the terribleness that followed ,is ample evidence ,how wrong he was. Next he tells her, ''God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing  both good and evil'', Yes they would have a knowledge of good and evil, but as Milton said, ' bought dear by knowing ill', as we will see next time.

It started with a lie. ( 2 John v 7 )

 There was time when  everything in the garden was rosy ,in  fact it was perfect, it is hard to imagine such a place, such a time ,we are so used to imperfection, that is the norm. Imagine no sickness, no suffering of any kind, and there was no weeds, and it gets better, for in that garden dwelt two people and they never had a fall out, harmony reigned. For this couple this was the beginning of a perfect relationship, what could go wrong?, yes you may well ask, what indeed. You have heard the saying ,'all  good things must come to a end', in this case it did not have to be, alas for that couple it was going to be. Now I have not mentioned someone else, God, the one who brought everything into being. The crown  of his creation was the man and the women, they were called Adam and Eve, he left them to look after the garden, told them what they should do, and what thy shouldn't do. What they shouldn't do, it was simple, they were not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree, if they did, it would be disastrous. He left them to it, after a while the devil in the shape of a serpent appeared, and spoke lies to Eve, and she fell for it ,'hook line and sinker'. Being deceived she then turned her attention, to the forbidden fruit. We will continue this next time ,I will just finish with this thought, the devil is still telling people lies, beware.