IN THE BEGINNING GOD (10) GOD’S CURSE UPON THE MAN

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached from the Book of Genesis chapter 3. She said that Genesis chapter 3 is absolutely essential in understanding the Bible and the history of man. Here we see how sin entered humanity. For the first time, we are presented with the Gospel of Christ. If you study the history of man, there is no better explanation of why things happen the way they do, except you believe the doctrine of the fall of man and the doctrine of the original sin.

THE FALL OF MAN also called the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3. God created Adam and Eve perfect. They were innocent concerning sin. But God allowed their free will to manifest. Obedience meant life. Disobedience to God’s command meant death.  God gave Adam a covenant of works. He broke the covenant. God then sent His Son Jesus Christ with a covenant of Grace. We believe Jesus Christ, that He died for us. Grace means unmerited favor. If Adam, as perfect as he was could not keep the covenant of works, God knew that we cannot keep it. That is why Grace is introduced thru Christ. That is why salvation in Christ cannot fail. We are saved by Grace, thru faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the Cross. Salvation in Christ is eternal!

THE ORIGINAL SIN: The fall of man affected all humanity and even the creation. Adam broke God’s law. He sinned! He was our representative on earth. This sin has affected all humanity. All Adam’s descendants are born sinners. The nature of the first sin: man refused to submit himself to the will of God, to have God decide the course of his life. He wanted to be independent from God. Devil’s pride entered man. Pride means to remove God from the center of man’s heart and replace Him with self. This first sin affected the whole man, body, mind, emotions and will. It corrupted man. Thru sin, sickness and death entered humanity. Sin reveals itself in the mind mostly as unbelief; in the emotions as fear and in his will as pride! “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23).

GOD’S CURSE UPON THE MAN

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:17-19)

The first thing we mention is that God’s curse upon the serpent (physical and spiritual) is eternal. There is no redemption for the devil. The curse on both the woman and the man is temporary. In Christ, these curses are broken. Amen!

We see that the curse is not directly on Adam. This is because God has already blessed him. The curse is on the ground and on the work of his hands. The ground does not feel pain. But Adam feels the pain because his work is harder now. In the Garden, his work was a pleasure. But now, work is ‘a toil’. The pain is in the man’s relationship with the ground, with his work. His life will not be easy. When man fell, death entered not only into mankind but in the whole creation. Animals, plants, and microbes, all die now. Even the earth itself, and all the planets are dying. Death is the consequence of sin. The curses on the serpent, on the woman and on the man affected the universe. The curse on the woman affected her home. The curse on the man affected the work of his hands. For a man, his business is his world. The earth now brings forth food but with great effort!

The first time to concept of ‘evil’ appears is in chapter 2. God commanded Adam: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen 2:15-17). The word ‘evil’ means something bad, wicked, and ugly; something that hurts and produces pain and sorrow. This command was a warning that in the beautiful Garden, there is some evil. It was Adam’s duty to ask God the meaning of ‘evil’, especially as it relates to death. This is a lesson for all of us: Study the Word of God in detail, with prayer, for the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Study not only the promises that you like. Study the whole Bible, including the painful scriptures, like the curses and warnings! That is wisdom for life!  

The cause of the curse: Because Adam ‘listened’ to the voice of his wife and disobeyed God’s command! This curse is his punishment! Adam was not deceived or confused by satan or by his wife (1 Tim 2:14). Adam listened and chose to obey the voice of Eve instead of the voice of God. They both knew what God has said. Adam chooses to please his wife. He allowed her to take leadership in the family. He gave up his responsibility as the leader and the pastor of the home. That was his sin! The act of eating the fruit is a simple act. They both ate fruits in the garden. Adam’s sin was that he allowed Eve to take the place of God in his life! Adam lived 930 years (Gen 5:5). The curse on the work of Adam’s hands lasted all his life! It was a long and hard life!

Now, man has to ‘toil’ for his daily bread. ‘Toil’ means misery, frustration. The word ‘frustration’ means being angry, impatient, or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want; you cannot control or change your circumstances. Frustration is often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled dreams or unresolved problems.  This toil does not only apply to the work of farmers. All men suffer in their businesses. Man is a slave to his work. Man hates his work, but he must still do it. The more children he has, the harder he must work to provide for them. His work does not bring him satisfaction. Even in the night man worries about his work. Many men dream of a time when they stop working. It is only in Christ that the curse upon man and his work is broken. Outside Christ, work is vanity upon vanity! To rejoice in the work of your hands, in your marriage and children is a miracle. It is a gift from God!

This is a lesson for all of us! No human should draw you into sin! Be careful with ‘little sins.’ They all kill! Sin killed Jesus! Pleasing man is rebellion. You cannot be a servant of Christ if you please man! Apostle Paul said: “Am I now trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Gal 1:10; AMP).

Our Lord Jesus Christ places hard conditions on discipleship. No family love should compete with the love of God! “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:26). To hate it means to love less. A disciple is a student. The Holy Spirit cannot teach you how to love and obey Jesus except He is your priority in life!   

WORK IS VANITY (Ecclesiastics)

King Solomon was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. He discovered that work is not a pleasure. It is hard to make money. Work is a ‘toil’. This is what he said: “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity” (Ecc 2:17-23)

During so much pain and sorrow, the grace of God shines forth. God has promised to bless man with health and wealth. This is the work of Grace alone! If God has blessed you with health and wealth, be grateful to God! “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God” (Ecc 5:18, 19; NLT).

Man works and works just to eat and take care of his family. He is tired at the end of the day. It is hard to make savings. There is a constant anxiety about providing food on the table. This hard work and anxiety are reminders of the power of sin and the need for a Savior! The earth produces thorns and thistles. Without labor the ground does not produce good fruits. In the Garden were plants and trees but not thorns and thistles. Adam did not need to plant to eat. The vegetation was planted by God. He only needed to take care of them. This is the consequence of the curse: man will eat but he will sweat to put food on the table. In other words, you sweat as you seat at the table! This is man’s life until death. Man cannot retire from this labor. Every day is the same. It is tiresome and boring work. Most people are not sure of their next meal. They do not have time for fashion or vacations. But they must work so that they can eat!

POVERTY IN THE WORLD

This information is found it on the internet! This is the Profit Potential for planting wheat in the US: To rent land for farming: $40/acre. Tillage (preparation of land), Seed and planting, pesticide, fertilizer, harvest and hauling, total $225. Price to sell it is about $255. Therefore, the Net profit is about $30/ per acre.  The Average spending on food: the average American household spent about 10% of its total budget on food. This is the lowest percentage in the world. It is about $550. Other countries expenditure for food: South Africa 20%; Saudi Arabia 25%; India and Russia 30%; Pakistan 40%; Cameroon 45%; Nigeria 56%. High spending on food and malnutrition seem to go hand in hand. Many people starve all over the world. Most people spend all their money on food alone. Out of the eight billion people on the planet, a striking one billion are living in extreme poverty. They live on less than $1.25 a day. They do not have safe drinking water, sanitation, education, shelter.  Small farmers, animal herders, and fishermen produce about 70 percent of the global food supply, yet they are especially vulnerable to food insecurity. Poverty and hunger are most acute among rural populations. Undernourishment causes 45% of all children’s deaths. Each year, 3.1 million children die from hunger-related causes, which include diarrhea and malnutrition. Every 10 seconds a child dies from hunger. As a result of hunger, children experience poor health, low energy levels, and reductions in mental functioning due to hunger. Sub-Saharan Africa is still the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment, estimated at 22% of the population. This is expected to increase to 30% by 2030. The Caribbean also has a high rate — 16.6% of its population. Compare this to North America and Europe, where less than 2.5% of people are malnourished.  Covid 19 pandemic has worsened poverty. These figures are painful to read. Thank God that you are alive and well! It is the Grace of God!

SPIRITUAL CAUSES OF POVERTY

*Disobedience to God’s Word! (Read Deuteronomy 28)

*Sexual lust! “For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life” (PV 6:26)

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman… 11 For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. 12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest” (Job 31:9-12; NIV)

*Laziness and Idleness (being a busybody)!

30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; 31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man” (PV 24:30-34)

WE ARE COMMANDED TO AVOID LAZY AND IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE (2 Thess 3;6-12; 1 Tim 5:8)

IN CHRIST THE CURSE IS BROKEN! WORK BECOMES MINISTRY

The earth is rich with treasures, but it takes hard work to bring them out. When sin came, sickness, confusion, fear, and death came. The first sin came thru three persons: The serpent, Adam, and Eve. God cursed the three. The curse on the serpent (on the devil is eternal). The curse on the man and a woman is temporary. These curses are removed only thru Christ and in Christ. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) (Gal 3:13)

*God blessed the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job etc) with spiritual and material blessings! For example: “Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So, the Philistines envied him. Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we” (Gen 26:12-16)

*There is a prophetic blessing upon Joseph. The blessing is upon the ground. It is a blessing of increase and fruitfulness. This is an example of a blessed earth, a type of The Promised Land! “And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath,  With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, (Deut 33:13-16)

*In Proverbs 31 we see a family free from the curse on men and women

We find the picture of a godly woman and her redeemed family. She is spiritually mature, a champion and an inspiration to her family. Her husband ‘praises her’. In Hebrew, the word ‘praise’ means ‘to shine a light’. This man knows his wife better than others. He is not intimidated by her strength and success. He encourages her to shine by adding his own ‘shine’ to hers.  ‘Many daughters have done well’. In Hebrew the word ‘done well’ means to bring home wealth and strength. She is seen as the captain of a victorious army who defeats the enemy bringing home the spoils of war. She is excelling as a helpmeet to her husband. Thru faith in the Redeemer, this woman has destroyed the curse of God upon her. She knows that there is a curse upon her husband’s work. She helps him break the curse on his work. She is not lazy. She does not complain about her husband. She is grateful for her husband and encourages him in his business. She helps with the expenses thru her own successful business. She is spiritual and hardworking! She desires that her whole household should be saved! This is a wonderful testimony!

*Aquila andPriscilla were a first century Christian missionary married couple. They were tent makers. They lived, worked, and traveled with the Apostle Paul, who highly commended them. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house” (Rom 16:3-5) Christianity is radical in the view of women, marriages and work. Priscilla is not seen as Aquila’s property but his co-laborer in ministry and work.  Tradition reports that Aquila and Priscilla were martyred together.   

*Finally, let me add that God instituted the Tithe to break the curse upon man’s labor (Mal 3:8-12)

How do you know that God’s curse upon the work of your hands is broken? You need to be born again and Spirit filled! Pray for freedom from the curse! This blessed freedom is manifested as a blessing in your office, in your business. There shall be a different atmosphere in your business, in your shop. You will not be ashamed to tell people that you are a believer. You do not need to commit sin to make profit. You do not need to bribe or cheat to make profit. The country may suffer from economic downfall, but God will provide for you amid poverty. God will make an exception for you! This is a supernatural blessing. Your relationships with your colleagues and workers will improve. People will come close to you to learn how did you prosper, what is your secret? People will want to work for you free of charge just ‘to tap’ from your anointing. This type of financial blessing is not because you work harder than others or are more educated. It is the Grace of God working in you, as the curse in Christ is broken. Many people get divorced these days. Money is the main source of conflict in marriages. Most people who are too poor or are too wealthy end up in divorce. But the blessings of God on you will bring not only health, wealth but also, peace and joy in your homes! This is the Grace of God! Never underestimate the Grace of God! Grace is King! To the glory of God! Worship the Lord!     

DIVINE SKILL – AN ESSENTIAL QUALITY OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

One of the main attributes of a (spiritual and natural) leader is to be skillful at his work. Skill is defined as the ability to use your technical knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance. Skill requires training and experience. Other synonyms for being skillful are to be competent, practical, wise, smart, professional, or accomplished. The opposite of being skillful it means to be incompetent, incapable, ignorant, foolish, or inefficient. Proud men are never skillful. Humble people receive the gift and the grace to become skillful. Some people have life skills (the wisdom to live well, become prosperous, and avoid mistakes). Others have social skills (the ability to live successfully among people and to bring the best in them). To be skillful it means that you are an expert at something, a master, a teacher, and a mentor. Skill is a gift from God. To be skillful it means that you are good at doing something because you are practicing your gift. The leader needs to use and develop this gift. He needs to master his gift. He needs to mentor and teach others how to use their gifts. Pity the man who becomes a leader and has no skill to lead. He will end with frustration, depression and rejection!Bezalel and King David are two examples of skillful men, spiritually and practically.

*Bezalel was skillful in the artwork required to make the furniture and tools for the temple. God gave him the gift. Thru prayer, hard work and diligence he became one of the holy men who God used to beautify His house! “Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works” (Ex 35:30-35)

*David was a true leader. He was a worshipper and a warrior. He was skillful at what he was doing. Men trusted him and gladly followed him! ”David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart; And guided them with his skillful hands” (Ps 78:72)

*God rewards skillful labor, as it is done for His glory! You need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit to receive the skill to work or to lead!

“Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure (unknown) men… If you do your job well, you will work for a ruler and never be a slave… Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank… Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people” (PV 22:29; AMP; CEV; NIV; NLT)

*As a teacher of God’s Word, work hard at improving your knowledge and your skill to communicate it. Seek God’s approval, and divine skill! “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15; AMP).

God bless you all!

IN THE BEGINNING GOD (9) GOD’S CURSE UPON THE WOMAN

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached from the Book of Genesis chapter 3. She said that Genesis chapter 3 is absolutely essential in understanding the Bible and the history of man. Here we see how sin entered humanity. For the first time, we are presented with the Gospel of Christ. If you study the history of man, there is no better explanation of why things happen the way they do, except you believe the doctrine of the fall of man and the doctrine of the original sin.

THE FALL OF MAN also called the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3. God created Adam and Eve perfect. They were innocent concerning sin. But God allowed their free will to manifest. Obedience meant life. Disobedience to God’s command meant death.  God gave Adam a covenant of works. He broke the covenant. God then sent His Son Jesus Christ with a covenant of Grace. We believe Jesus Christ, that He died for us. Grace means unmerited favor. If Adam, as perfect as he was could not keep the covenant of works, God knew that we cannot keep it. That is why Grace is introduced thru Christ. That is why salvation in Christ cannot fail. We are saved by Grace, thru faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the Cross. Salvation in Christ is eternal!

THE ORIGINAL SIN: The fall of man affected all humanity and even the creation. Adam broke God’s law. He sinned! He was our representative on earth. This sin has affected all humanity. All Adam’s descendants are born sinners. The nature of the first sin: man refused to submit himself to the will of God, to have God decide the course of his life. He wanted to be independent from God. Devil’s pride entered man. Pride means to remove God from the center of man’s heart and replace Him with self. This first sin affected the whole man, body, mind, emotions and will. It corrupted man. Thru sin, sickness and death entered humanity. Sin reveals itself in the mind mostly as unbelief; in the emotions as fear and in his will as pride! “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23).

THE DIVINE CURSE UPON THE WOMAN

After the curse placed on the serpent and Satan, God addresses Eve next, saying: “To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Gen 3:16). This curse is not as severe as the one placed on the devil. Initially, God has blessed Adam and Eve (Gen 1:28). Therefore, He does not curse them directly. But God punishes them for their sin. The curse on Adam and Eve affects their lives in this world, their descendants and their labor. This curse is milder than the one placed on the serpent. God’s curse on the devil is eternal but the curse on mankind is temporal. It is a curse that can be broken thru Christ! “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28)

In the history of mankind, most women have been exploited, abused and neglected. The Jews treated the women as secondhand citizens. A woman was seen as inferior to men. A woman belongs to her father, and after marriage, to her husband. The men rule over the women.  Jewish men, at the beginning of the daily morning prayers, say: “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me to be a slave, a pagan or a woman.” Over the centuries, women were denied their rights. For example, a woman could not get an education, could not buy property, could not vote, and could not do business with a man (even if he was her father, brother, husband or son). Married women could not exercise control over their children without the approval of their husbands. A woman’s work was seen to be at home, to take care of her husbands and children. Most universities and professions did not allow women to participate. All over the world, the women endured discrimination. The first time a woman raised her voice in public against this discrimination was in the 14^th century. A French woman called Christine de Pisan wrote books challenging the system and asked that women should be allowed to get an education. Men tried to quench her voice saying that women are born foolish and superficial. The men became afraid that if women get an education, they will fight back. This is how the phenomenon called ‘feminism’ was born. This is not a Biblical movement. It is born as a natural reaction against oppression.

These are few examples of women who fought for their rights and opened the way for others:

*Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) became the first woman in the United States to be granted an MD degree and to become a medical doctor. She was rejected from all the medical schools. The only school who accepted her was the medical school of New York where the men students voted that she should come. She was the only female student in the class to the end of her course. She never married and had no children.    

* Edith Clarke (1883 – 1959) was the first woman to be professionally employed as an electrical engineer in the United States, and the first female professor of electrical engineering in the country.

*Arabella Babb Mansfield (1846 – 1911), was the first female lawyer in the United States.

*Valentina Tereshkova (1937- ) is the first and youngest woman to have flown in space with a solo mission in 1963. She orbited the Earth 48 times, spent almost three days in space, and remains the only woman to have been on a solo space mission.

* Amelia Mary Earhart (1897 – 1937) was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records and wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences.

* Chinyere Kalu, MFR (née Onyenucheya) is the first Nigerian female commercial pilot and the first woman to fly an aircraft in Nigeria. She served as the rector and chief instructor of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria (2011 – 2014)

*Dr. Elizabeth Abimbola Awoliyi (née Akerele, 1910 – 1971) graduated from Dublin, Ireland, medical school in 1951 with first class honors. She became a specialist in gynecology and obstetrics.  She was the first woman to practice as a physician in Nigeria.

* Joana Maduka (1941- ) is the first female Nigerian engineer. She became the first female fellow of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria in 1974.

*Mrs Stella Marke Thomas was the first lawyer in West Africa and Nigeria. She was called to the bar in 1933. She was the first female magistrate to sit on the bench in Nigeria. Stella was born in Lagos in 1906. Her father, Peter J. Thomas was a wealthy businessman of Sierra Leonean descent, he was the first African to be president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce (1923-1930). He supported his daughter’s desire to further her education. He said: “if you educate a man you are educating an individual, if you educate a woman it means you are educating a family”

Because Eve disobeyed God’s command and sinned, God placed this particular curse upon her. It affects all her natural daughters. One thing is sure: The lives of women all over the world is generally hard. Men rule over women and misuse women as servants. Most women work outside the home and also work in the kitchen, in the homes, taking care of the children, and satisfying their husbands sexually. Most men are harsh and ungrateful towards women. They do not try to understand their wives, to help them or pity them when they work hard. Most men take their wives for granted. This is the general pattern all over the world, in the homes of unbelievers. It is only in Christ, in the homes of believers, because the curse is lifted, the hearts and attitude of the people change.

Because of Adam’ sin, all humanity is affected by sickness and problems. Both men and women suffer in many ways. But for the women, life is particularly hard. Because of the curse, there are two areas that women are suffering in particular: Their relationship with their husbands and their children. Life at home for women is harder. Women dream of romance and love, in their marriages and their families. But they are soon disappointed by the reality. They discover that both husbands and children are sinners. They are selfish and demand much of their energy and time. It is not that the women find no joy at all in their homes. But physically and emotionally, it is harder for the women. Because they have higher expectations of happiness in their relationships, they get frustrated easier. They are more disappointed than the men when the marriage fails, or the children suffer. This is all part of the curse of God upon the women.

One of the highest joys for a woman is to be pregnant and have a child! Every woman desire to be a mother. But pregnancy is a difficult time for every woman. There are many problems associated with pregnancy. Men do not understand the physical and emotional stress that each pregnancy demands. Pregnancy changes the body of a woman. The mind thinks differently. This is an added stress. Doctors know that each time a woman gets pregnant, there is a high chance that she can die, during the pregnancy, labor or postpartum. The rate of death is higher in the third world countries where the medical care is not always available.

(According to WHO, in 2015, Nigeria’s estimated maternal mortality ratio was over 800 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births. In fact, a Nigerian woman has a 1 in 22 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum/post-abortion, whereas in the most developed countries, the lifetime risk is 1 in 4900).

Women shed tears more than men. A woman carries her baby (or babies) in her womb for nine months. Then she delivers the baby who is born a sinner: selfish, stubborn and lazy. Even if she is a believer, her children are born unbelievers! Much work is expected from the mother to nurture and train a child in the way of the Lord! Her heart never rests because of her children. She wants to protect the child from sickness, accidents and problems. She wants them to be successful in life. She has her own dreams for their future. In the past, the women could not space their children. They had many children, and many died. A woman wept many times for her lost children. That includes miscarriages too. The mothers need to look for food for her small children. This desire to nurture and protect and provide for their small children is stronger in women than in men. Some men are angry if their wives have only baby girls. That is an added stress to the mothers. Women have been raped and conceived children. That is extreme mental anguish men do not understand. Some children are born with congenital malformations who are not expected to live long. Again, women weep. Then there is postpartum depression. The woman fears for her baby, protected in her womb for nine months, is now exposed to the outside hostile environment! Fear, anxiety and depression can come. Women’ bond with their children is stronger than the men’s! They are lonely in this their bond.  Remember that Simeon told Mary: ‘a sword will pierce your heart’ (Lk 2:35)

The original design was that women should be happy and safe to be wives and mothers. Paradise was in their homes too. After the curse, the woman feels the danger, the fear and the pain especially in her home, the place she loves the most. The hardest is for a woman who is saved, married to a sinner and giving birth to little sinners! She needs the grace of God more than others. That is why we are commanded not to marry unbelievers! Unequal yoking in marriage is a source of great pains, especially for the women married to unbelievers.  Let us remember the original deign before Adam’s fall. “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So, the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Gen 1:26-31). God created mankind in His own image. Men and women were to be like Jesus. They will have babies who will grow like Baby Jesus, ‘in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man’ (Lk 2:52). Try to imagine God’s original design for families! Marriages were designed by God to be happy. Families were created to be joyful. There was no sin, sickness, sorrow or death. God provided food and care for them. They had fellowship with God individually and as families. For men, women and children, life was a paradise. See how sin destroyed all that beauty and happiness in the homes!

WHAT CAN BE DONE? BREAK THE CURSE! HOW? IN CHRIST ALONE!

In Christ, the curse upon the women is broken. There is no other religion, philosophy or science that can free women from God’s curse in Genesis 3. This freedom is found in Christ alone! Our Lord became a curse so that the women can be free from the guilt and power of sin. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:13, 14). Salvation is free because Christ paid it all. But deliverance from the curse is not automatic. You need to apply the Word of God to your life and marriage. There is work to do. God has done His part. By faith and patience, the women need to do theirs. For any woman to have a testimony of freedom from the curse placed in Genesis 3, that is a great achievement giving glory to God! 

In Proverbs 31 we find the picture of a godly woman and her redeemed family. “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates” (PV 31:28-31).

Here you see a godly woman, wife, and mother. She is spiritually mature. She is a champion and an inspiration to her husband and children. Her husband ‘praises her’. In Hebrew, the word ‘praise’ means to shine a light. This man knows his wife better than others. He is not intimidated by her strength and success. He encourages her to shine by adding his own ‘shine’ to hers.  ‘Many daughters have done well’. In Hebrew the word ‘done well’ means to bring home wealth and strength. She is seen as the captain of a victorious army who defeats the enemy and brings home the spoils of war. She is excelling as a helpmeet to her husband. Thru faith in the Redeemer, this woman has destroyed the curse of God upon her. This godly woman knows that there is a curse upon the work men do. She helps her husband thru her business not just to make money but to help him break the curse upon him as a man. She desires that her whole household should be saved!

One woman of God in a home is a light in the darkness. God uses her to spread the knowledge of God in the home. Apostle Paul’ advice to the married woman is to be faithful and dedicated to God. In this way, God may extend His mercy and grace to the rest members of her household. “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.” (1 Cor 7:14). This is a great responsibility given to the one who is saved in a family of unbelievers. One child of God can do much good, to the glory of God! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Ac 16:31).

God uses older spiritual women to be teachers and mentors to the younger women, in redeeming their marriages and homes. “The older women, likewise, (should) be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Tit 2:3-5). This is God’s Word and command: Older believing women should teach and train the younger women how to be good wives and mothers. They will teach them how to love their husbands and their children. This is the truth: It is hard to love. It is a sacrifice offered to God! As sinners, we only love ourselves. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of women, to become godly wives and mothers. The older women, who have suffered and learned to depend on the grace of God alone, are the best teachers to train the younger women. They do this work better than any man can do. Blessed are you, young woman, if there are older godly women who speak into your life! Your marriage and family will benefit much from this spiritual covering!   

Trusting in outward gifts (good manners and physical beauty) are deceptive and often dangerous because they are transitory. A beautiful woman with nice manners but with an ungodly heart is seducing and dangerous. True beauty that lasts and is appreciated by God and man is always spiritual. It is hidden. It is not seen by carnal eyes. This is a spiritual principle: “God looks at the heart”. “The LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7). When a man marries a woman just for her nice manners and physical beauty, he has been deceived by the same devil who deceived Eve long ago. This is a warning for all single men who desire to marry.  A woman who desires the praises of God coming thru her husband’s lips, that is a wise woman. Our Lord said that the Pharisees “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (Jn 12:43). Religious ungodly people love to be seen, flattered, admired, recommended, and rewarded by men. This is their reward. They do not care much about pleasing God. When you see a godly husband appreciating and honoring his wife in public, when you see children praising their mother among their friends, that home has been redeemed by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Glory!

Many women became ‘career women’ because they saw only pain and disappointment in the homes. The demons teach many women that the best way in life is not to marry. Many women are single mothers by choice. This is a snare. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry…” (1 Tim 4:1-3). What shall women do? They should desire marriage and children. They need to trust God and reverse the curse in our homes! No outside career can replace the joy of having a testimony in the homes! The pain of the women in their homes is a reminder of the sin of Eve, the ugliness of sin that spoiled the paradise. Eve wanted to be wise without God. She wanted to become independent of God, to be happy by herself. The godly woman must find joy in her relationship with God and other people. That is a great testimony for every woman of God!  

Apostle Paul says: “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. (1 Tim 2:8-15).  In Greek, the word ‘saved’ also means to heal, preserve, protect, rescue, and to deliver. The word ‘childbearing’ means raising a family, fruitfulness. Natural motherhood cannot save a woman’s soul. Every man or woman on earth is saved by grace thru faith in Christ Crucified. This sentence may mean that a woman is saved from the curse placed on her in Genesis 3 by showing proof of her salvation and holiness in wining many souls. These are her children, male and female, natural and spiritual. Because Eve’s sin, women were under the curse of silence. They could not speak in public because they had nothing to say. They had to learn submission to their husbands and to God. Thru Christ, the daughter of Eve has been delivered from the demons of deception, foolishness, and rebellion.

God created Eve as a wife and helper to Adam. In the marriage, the wife is a helpmeet to her own husbands (not to all men, but to her own husband). Because of Eve’s sin, and the curse on her, she now will find pain in her relationship with her husband and her children.

Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control!!! This is an open door or revelation to the women. This salvation is not from sin to become born again. But a believing woman can reverse the curse and it is manifested at the very point of the curse. She will become a godly mother and mentor, to her children, physical and spiritual. That woman, who has a testimony of overcoming the curse, she can speak! She is delivered from the punishment of silence. She has something to say! She is a godly woman and will raise a godly generation! Oh, the freedom and fulfillment found in Christ alone! In the quietness of her home, she has studied the Word of God, both the warnings and the promises. She has a testimony of applying the Word of God daily! She teaches her children, natural and spiritual, to do the same. She has defeated the devil who has deceived her! She has become a mother in Zion! Spiritual maturity and godly leadership in a woman are rare gifts. Be like Deborah!  “Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel… villagers couldn’t work in their fields. Then Deborah took command, protecting Israel as a mother protects her children” (Judg 5:7; NKJ; CEV). To the glory of God! 

HOW DID JESUS RELATED TO WOMEN?

During the time our Lord lived on earth, women were treated as second class citizens. Our Lord treated women with love and respect. He reminded the people that God created men and women in His image.

Jesus came to earth not just as a Man. He came as a Person. He saw the women not in relationship with men but as creatures of God.

*First, Jesus regularly addressed women directly while in public. This was unusual for men to do. This shows respect and love!

The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar (John 4:7-26). He also spoke freely and publicly with the woman taken in adultery (John 8:10–11), with the widow of Nain (Luke 7:12–13), with the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:48; cf. Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34), and a woman who called to him from a crowd (Luke 11:27–28). Similarly, Jesus addressed a woman bent over for eighteen years (Luke 13:12) and a group of women on the route to the cross (Luke 23:27-31).    

*A second aspect of Jesus’s regard for the value of women is seen in how He spoke to the women he addressed. He spoke in a thoughtful, caring manner. He called them ‘daughter’ or ‘daughter of Abraham’ (Lk 13:16). By doing that, He made them spiritually equal to men!

*Third, Jesus did cover up the sin in the lives of the women He met. He held women personally responsible for their own sin as seen in his dealings with the woman at the well (John 4:16–18), the woman taken in adultery (John 8:10–11), and the sinful woman who anointed his feet (Luke 7:44–50). Their sin was not ignored but confronted. He did not treat them as foolish childish people. He expected them to think about His warnings, to repent, receive forgiveness and change!

It is true that the first twelve apostles were all men. But let us remember that the disciples of Jesus were both men and women. He helped the women see themselves as God created them. He gave them the same salvation. In the Kingdom of God there are no secondhand citizens. In Christ we are all one! Christ appreciated the women in a way that was revolutionary. He appreciated their worship, testimonies, ministry, and financial contribution. In Christ, the curse placed on Eve and her daughters is broken! Jesus is the hope of glory for all!!! What a Savior! Worship the Lord!!!

‘Prayer is the recipe for mental and emotional health. Pray about everything! Pray about ‘the ordinary’ things of life! ‘Talk to Me about ALL your concerns’- says God!

Anxiety kills your prayer life! Anxiety should be replaced, step by step, with an active, diligent, spiritual effort to pray! God wants you to talk to Him! Think healthy! Think about Jesus! Find Him inside all lovely, precious and beautiful things… Force your mind to think well, to dwell on the Word, by the power of the Spirit… Reject sinful thoughts immediately! Eventually, you will end up with peace and joy, thanksgiving, worship and a wonderful life style of prayer.
Anxiety and prayer are opposites. Chose prayer and anxiety will go away leaving behind a mind and a heart fully protected by the peace of God ‘that passes all understanding’. This peace of Jesus is high above all common sense, much more than words can say. You shall encounter the God of that peace, the Prince of Peace Himself!

Question: what happens when you pray? Look at our Lord! When our Lord Jesus prayed, the heavens opened! The Spirit came down with His infusing power from above. The Father spoke into His life, like only a Father could speak: words of love, of family identity and confidence, of assured future and destiny. Prayer was the invisible foundation of the successful ministry of God’s Son on earth (Lk 3:21-23).

The intimate relationship with God, prayer and thanksgiving, these are foundation stones in your Christian life. The secret of success is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He gives you contentment, peace, joy, divine wisdom, divine health, anointing for ministry and favor with men. Prayer is the source of power to remain active, to prosper and be fruitful in all situations, especially in the difficult ones. Prayer changes you and your surroundings. Prayer makes you to be like Jesus! What a privilege!

‘Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you’ (Philip 4:9, AM)

(In the picture a little girl from our church in Nigeria, praying to God)

IN THE BEGINNING GOD (PART 8 ) – THE GOSPEL IS GENESIS 3

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached from the Book of Genesis chapter 3. She said that Genesis chapter 3 is absolutely essential in understanding the Bible and the history of man. Here we see how sin entered humanity. For the first time, we are presented with the Gospel of Christ. If you study the history of man, there is no better explanation of why things happen the way they do, except you believe the doctrine of the fall of man and the doctrine of the original sin.

THE FALL OF MAN also called the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3. God created Adam and Eve perfect. They were innocent concerning sin. But God allowed their free will to manifest. Obedience meant life. Disobedience to God’s command meant death. God gave Adam a covenant of works. He broke the covenant. God then sent His Son Jesus Christ with a covenant of Grace. We believe Jesus Christ, that He died for us. Grace means unmerited favor. If Adam, as perfect as he was could not keep the covenant of works, God knew that we cannot keep it. That is why Grace is introduced thru Christ. That is why salvation in Christ cannot fail. We are saved by Grace, thru faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the Cross. Salvation in Christ is eternal!

THE ORIGINAL SIN: The fall of man affected all humanity and even the creation. Adam broke God’s law. He sinned! He was our representative on earth. This sin has affected all humanity. All Adam’s descendants are born sinners. The nature of the first sin: man refused to submit himself to the will of God, to have God decide the course of his life. He wanted to be independent from God. Devil’s pride entered man. Pride means to remove God from the center of man’s heart and replace Him with self. This first sin affected the whole man, body, mind, emotions and will. It corrupted man. Thru sin, sickness and death entered humanity. Sin reveals itself in the mind mostly as unbelief; in the emotions as fear and restlessness; and in his will as pride! “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23). In Greek, the word ‘sin’ means ‘to miss the mark’, to fail to be fulfilled, to be disappointed in life. All unbelievers, no matter how wealthy or famous, are never satisfied with their success or possessions. The words ‘fall short’ mean failure to obtain something precious, failing the exam of life, becoming inferior, demoted, being too late to catch the train of life. God is a God of glory. Glory is what makes God, God. Glory is a combination of beauty and power. It is life shining like the light. God made man to be ‘in His own image’. Man was created to be covered with God’s glory. Sin separated man from His God and the glory was removed. Man discovered himself to be naked. Glory covers! Sin exposes! “The LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering” (Is 4:5). Jehovah ‘will create’. In Hebrew, this is the same word as in Genesis 1:1. ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…’. In Christ, God’s glory is restored. It will manifest as a cloud and smoke by day, to protect from the heat, from the temptations of life. God’s glory over His people, over His church will also be as ‘the shinning of a flaming fire by night’. This describes a weapon of light and fire; like a flash, a sharply polished blade, a sword moving over the church. This picture reminds us of the cherubs stationed at the gate of the Garden of Eden, blocking men to re-enter, to eat from the tree of life (Gen 3:24). Mount Zion is the assembly of God’s worshippers (Heb 12:22-24). They are inside the garden of life now, and God’s glory protects them from the outsiders. They will never be found naked or rejected. In Christ, they are ‘accepted in the Beloved’ (Eph 1:6). God sacrificed the pure Lamb and used the bloody skins to make covering for man (Gen3:21). Blood was shed for glory to come back and to cover God’s His people. The unbelieves are always naked and ashamed before God. But there is total protection for the children of God! Glory to God!

WHAT IS MAN? I read on the internet that Yale University biophysicist Harold J. Morowitz says that the human body is worth $6 million. And that price covers only the raw materials – hormones, proteins, enzymes, etc. The intricate work of fashioning the material into human cells might cost six thousand trillion dollars. And assembling these cells into a functioning human being would drain all the world’s treasures. Oh, Lord, “when I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:3-6). In Hebrew, the word ‘mindful’ means to remember, to think about. To ‘visit’ it means to inspect, to oversee, to care. Man is sinful, an enemy to God. Man is weak and useless to God. Even so, God who created man, loves man, and God saves man from himself! Christ took flesh upon Himself to die for man. Man is a reflected glory of God! This is a great mystery! Glory to God!

THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN FOR ADAM AND EVE

The serpent questions Eve about God’s law. He plants seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind, about God’s power and goodness. It gives the impression that God does not have the power to kill them, even if they disobey His law. The devil also makes Eve dissatisfied with God’s provision. He gives the impression that God does not love them enough by restricting them to eat from the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. The idea is that God wants them to be foolish, like slaves. Also, the devil injects pride in Eve’s mind. Suddenly, Eve looks foolish. But this is a reminder of the power of sin, the sinfulness of sin. Deceived, Eve gives the fruit to Adam who eats it also. We are told that Adam was not deceived like his wife. He disobeyed God’s law. His sin is more of rebellion. That was his fall. When Adam saw that Eve eat the fruit and did not die immediately, he was encouraged to eat too. Because Adam was the leader of the home, he now must take responsibility for both of their sins. The doctrine is called the Fall of man or of Adam, and not of Eve. “Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Tim 2:13, 14). In the Garden, Adam and Eve had fellowship with God. This fellowship was to be the source of their faith and all knowledge. Not the fruit of that tree. Just imagine the sound of Jehovah Elohim walking in the early evening, when the weather is pleasant, when the wind blows softly, after the heat of the day. God comes as the owner of the Garden to fellowship with His people. In the past, they Adam and Eve waited happily for these daily visits. But after the fall, Adam and Eve hide behind the trees. They were ashamed and afraid. They did not know that God sees thru any covering. No man can hide before God. They feared the judgment of God! “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:13). Once they eat the forbidden fruit, their eyes ‘are opened’. They became ‘like God’. But not exactly! They now know there is good and evil, God and Satan. But this knowledge was not to their advantage. This illegal knowledge, gained thru sin, became their bondage. The devil became their master. God alone knows good and evil, but He is free from evil. The knowledge of evil in Adam corrupted him. He lost his innocence. It is only in Christ, that we regain what Adam has lost. We regain the innocence, purity and power of the Spirit. But we gain more than that. As children of God, we now know good and evil, but we are free from the power of evil. We are now like God, holy and righteous! We love God and we hate evil! What a transformation! Glory to God! Immediately they sinned, Adam and Eve felt a sense of loss, fear, nakedness, and shame. At the beginning, the glory of God covered them. Now, that glory is lost. They now feel afraid, exposed. When God comes to fellowship with them, they are afraid, and they hide behind the trees. They forgot that God created the trees too! Trees stand for excuses not to have fellowship with God. There is now fear of punishment and death. They try to repair the damage they have done. They use fig leaves to cover themselves. These fig leaves are a symbol of man’s success in this world to hide his sinful nature. There are ‘leaves’ of religion, education, philosophy and art. But nothing and nobody can hide sin and shame except the Blood of Jesus! Jesus died naked so that we can be covered by His Blood and the glory that it represents! Lastly, God’s Grace manifests! The Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected is introduced! Grace is always greater than sin! God is still speaking to man! In Judgment there is mercy! The Bible is the most practical book. It tells the story of God and of humanity. Genesis 1-3, this is the history of humanity. It is not an allegory. It is not fiction! Man has disobeyed God and God is searching for man, to save him. As sinners, we all know the sense of failure. We all search for happiness outside God, but we cannot find it! The Gospel brings us out from behind the trees. God’s voice is still calling you by name: “Where are you?” Why are men so unhappy, so helpless? Because the devil is their master, and he controls this world! That is the only explanation! The tragedy of man is that he only sees the visible. Only in Christ we can be set free, from the bondage, the pollution and power of sin! That is why Jesus died! There are two types of history running parallel: The visible and the invisible. The natural man sees only the visible history. The spiritual man sees both. That is his advantage and wisdom. The child of God sees God as the Creator, and the Sustainer of the universe. But he also sees God as His heavenly Father, Savior and Redeemer! The believer sees God and the world thru the eyes of faith. The Gospel tells us the truth: we all fell with Adam. We are born sinners. We cannot help ourselves. We are destined to die and go to hell. That is why God sent His only begotten Son to die in our place. The world hates the truth. The natural man hates to be told that he is a sinner. He loves the offer of free salvation, but he hates to humble himself as a man who offended God. Here you see that God’s plan of salvation was made by God even before Adam was created. In a way, God created Adam and Eve as a ‘bait’ to expose and condemn the devil’s wickedness. In Genesis 3 you see evil and grace side by side. “The law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). The word ‘abound’ means to increase, to spread, to become greater. In the battle against sin, Grace always wins! God (Jehovah Elohim) calls Adam: “Where are you?” Even in disobedience, even with a broken heart, God is still searching for Adam. Man cannot escape from God! Even from the God who created him, but he broke his heart! This is the Gospel! “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). Adam was hiding behind the trees. These are people and things we use to hide behind them. Because of inferiority complex and guilt, we hide behind famous people, hobbies or interesting things of the world. That is why people are addicted to TV shows and entertainment. They idolize others who are more intelligent, more beautiful or wealthier than they. These are the trees. We are always interested in others. Because we are sinners, we are busybodies and restless. God made clothes for them. Not from leaves, but from animal skins, possibly from lambs. Behind these simple words of ‘fashion design’ blood is shed. For the first time, Adam and Eve see God killing an animal. They have never seen death. Now they see it. They committed sin but another one died in their place. This is the Gospel of Christ Crucified! Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden. Just imagine the feeling… out of the beautiful, happy and safe, garden, made by God for them!!! They are now in the world, lonely, afraid, guilty, confused. In the Garden, they exercised dominion over all the creation, in the name of God. Now, they are now under the dominion of satan. They are rejected by God! There is a hope that one day, God will help them. But until then, they are alone.

THE CURSE IN THE GARDEN AND THE GOSPEL ANNOUNCED “So, the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen 3:14, 15)The serpent is cursed more than all the animals because he cooperated with the devil. In the previous two verses, God talks to Adam and Eve, asking them why they had disobeyed His command and had eaten from the forbidden tree. But now, God turns to the serpent and without asking any question, He curses it! He doesn’t ask the serpent what he did. He doesn’t look for a confession or to engage in debate with the serpent. Apparently, Satan either possessed a snake created by God, or he took the form of a snake. Everything in this life, good or bad, has consequences. It is the natural and spiritual law of sowing and reaping. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal 6:7-8). But the curses of God in Genesis 3 are not like that. This is God’s judgment upon a serpent that He created! As the Almighty God, The Judge of the Universe, God has the right to do what He wants to do with His creation. God, Jehovah Elohim, the Judge of all the universe, is speaking! Fear God! Sin offended God! Sin violated God’s Word and God’s glory! It ruined man and his descendants! Thru sin, man surrendered the dominion God gave him, to Satan. God manifests His authority by cursing the snake. God can never be the victim of Satan. Even in this tragedy, God is still God, and He speaks! The curses demonstrate God’s sovereignty! God was sovereign before and after the fall of man! Nothing can change that! Praise the Lord! In Genesis 3 verse 14 you have the curse of the natural serpent. In verse 15 you have the curse of the supernatural Satan. God actually curses the animal. The animal has no sense of sin. The animal was simply used by Lucifer, by Satan. But God curses the animal anyway. God has a purpose in cursing the serpent! God cursed the serpent more than all the animals, domestic (represented by the cattle) and wild (represented by the beasts of the field). God is specific why He cursed the serpent. God said: “Because you have done this”. Because the serpent co-operated with Satan, God curses all the natural snakes. The devil wanted to rise above God (Is 14: 12-15). The snake will crawl on his belly, never to rise again! The crawling of snakes is a reminder of God’s judgment over Satan! Snakes are an abomination to God and to man! “Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten. Whatever crawls on its belly… these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination” (Lev 11:41, 42). Serpents are the most hated animals on earth. God said: “Dust shall you eat!” Snakes do not eat dust. They eat insects and little animals. But the words ‘eating dust’ represent total defeat. About Christ it is said: “Let the nomads of the desert bow before Him and His enemies lick the dust.” (Ps 72:9). It’s a symbol of being totally defeated and brought low, down to the lowest! In Christ, our enemies will lick the dust of our feet. “Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations and set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” (Is 49:22, 23). In Christ, our victory against the forces of darkness, is sure! In the future, when God will make a new earth and new heavens, the animals will live in peace with one another. They will all be vegetarians. They will not eat one another again. But even in that new world, the snakes will still crawl on the ground and eat dust. There is no redemption for the devil! “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the Lord” (Is 65:25). The curse of God upon the natural and spiritual serpent is forever! God placed ‘enmity’ between the woman and her Seed, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, and the spiritual serpent and his seed. The word ‘enmity’ means a hostility that can never be settled. It is true that now, the devil is called the god of this world. But even then, it is not easy for Satan to rule over man. The Grace of God still rescues men from the bondage of sin. Once man repents of his sin, he runs to Jesus! The devil ‘bruised’ Christ on His heel. This is a picture of the Crucifixion. But with that ‘bruised’ heal, our Lord bruised, better said crushed, the head of the devil. Thru His death on the Cross, our Lord destroyed him who had the power of death. This is the Gospel we preach! This is our only hope and victory! Worship the Lord!!!

Daniel’s enemies rejoice that they have ‘killed’ him (Daniel 6). But their joy will not last! Please look at Brother Daniel!!! With his hands tied behind his back, surrounded by hungry lions, he looks, not at the lions, but up, unto God, unto Jesus!!!

Lesson: Obey God, serve Him faithfully! Please God and not man! Leave the consequences with God! Continue to look up unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith! Stop looking down at yourself or at the circumstances around you. God will surely save and vindicate you! The Lord who commanded the waves and the wind: “Peace, be still!”, is still speaking! May God, the Lifter of your Head, perform His miracle for you today! To God be all the glory!

(Picture taken from the internet)

IN THE BEGINNING GOD (7) THE DOCTRINE OF THE FALL OF MAN AND OF ORIGINAL SIN

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached from the Book of Genesis chapter 3. She said that Genesis chapter 3 is absolutely essential in understanding the Bible and the history of man. Here we see how sin entered humanity. For the first time, we are presented with the Gospel of Christ. If you study the history of man, there is no better explanation of why things happen the way they do, except you believe the doctrine of the fall of man and the doctrine of the original sin.

The fall of man, also called the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3. God created Adam and Eve perfect. They were innocent concerning sin. But God allowed their free will to manifest. Obedience meant life. Disobedience to God’s command meant death.  God gave Adam a covenant of works. He broke the covenant. God then sent His Son Jesus Christ with a covenant of Grace. We believe Jesus Christ, that He died for us. Grace means unmerited favor. If Adam, as perfect as he was could not keep the covenant of works, God knew that we cannot keep it. That is why Grace is introduced thru Christ. That is why salvation in Christ cannot fail. We are saved by Grace, thru faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the Cross. Salvation in Christ is eternal!

THE ORIGINAL SIN: The fall of man affected all humanity and even the creation. Adam broke God’s law. He sinned! He was our representative on earth. This sin has affected all humanity. All Adam’s descendants are born sinners. The nature of the first sin: man refused to submit himself to the will of God, to have God decide the course of his life. He wanted to be independent from God. Devil’s pride entered man. Pride means to remove God from the center of man’s heart and replace Him with self. This first sin affected the whole man, body, mind, emotions and will. It corrupted man. Thru sin, sickness and death entered humanity. Sin reveals itself in the mind as unbelief; in the emotions as fear and restlessness; and in his will as pride! “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23). The temptation to sin came from the devil, a fallen angel. The devil possessed and used the serpent, an animal God has created. The devil tempted Eve first, possibly because she was the weaker one between the two. She was not the one who received the command directly. Adam was to teach her God’s command. She was not the leader of the home therefore she did not have the same sense of responsibility as Adam. The devil knew that if he can deceive Eve into sin, being the closest to Adam, and she may convince her husband to share in her sin. The devil’s evil plan worked. The man, God’s creation, God’s masterpiece was damaged beyond repair. The whole creation suffered from the fall of man. Because we are born sinners, we are unable to love God, know God or believe the Gospel. This explains why sin is universal. There is no other explanation why all men are born corrupt. Adam’s sin is transmitted to his natural descendants. “Like father like son”! The doctrine of original sin vindicates God when men blame Him for all the calamites in the world. The original sin creates a hunger for a Savior. The Holy Spirit uses it to direct our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ! St Augustine (354-430 AD) was the first theologian who defined the original sin. Almost all the denominations (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal…) believe in this doctrine. Judaism, Islam and all other religions, reject this doctrine. They insist that man is born perfect and the environment changes man to make him sinful. This is an error. The truth is that man is born in a state of sin, as an enemy to God! A baby may look innocent but soon, he will manifest his hatred against God!   

THE CURE FOR SIN! There is no cure for sin except the death of the Son of God, who became Man! Only Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, especially in His work on the Cross saves a man. There is no other Savior! There is no other salvation! This redemption planed and provided by God, even before the foundation of the world is called salvation. It is announced thru the Gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected. Adam was created under the covenant of works. He needed to obey God’s command to stay alive. But Adam failed to obey! He, a perfect man, in a perfect environment, failed to keep God’s command. Thru Christ, man is offered the covenant of Grace. Grace means unmerited favor. Jesus Christ is the called the second Man or the last Adam (1Cor 15:45-48). Unlike Adam, He obeyed God’s commands unto death. He obeyed God’s Law for us. He was not born into sin. He did not commit any sin. Jesus became sin for us, that is why He died. He was buried. On the third day, our Lord resurrected from the death. We are one with Christ, in a mystical union. We died with Him, we were buried with Him, we rose from the death with Him. Now, in Christ, we seat with Him in the heavenly places! This is the Gospel, the power of salvation to all who believe! Glory! 

THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTER OF SIN: Sin is a specific type of evil. Sin is a moral evil for which man is directly responsible and which brings him under the sentence of condemnation and death. Sin has an absolute character. Holiness is absolute and sin is absolute. There is no mixing between the two. The Bible does not know of a spiritually neutral ground. Sin is death and righteousness is life! Sin is not only related to offences against other people. Basically, sin is an offence against God and His law. Sin is breaking God’s law and God’s heart. Sin includes guilt and pollution. Man is born a sinner, guilty and morally corrupted. The headquarter of sin is the heart, which is the central organ of the soul. From there, sin influences the whole man. Sin manifests as sinful acts and habits. But sin is more than these. Sin is the total corruption resident in man. Sin is always evil. What are the results of the first sin? Man lost the image of God. He lost the true knowledge of God, the righteousness and holiness given to him by God. Man became totally depraved. Sin’s pollution affected every part of man, body, soul and spirit. Man, now, is not capable to know and please God. He becomes afraid of God and His punishment, which includes death. Man feels ashamed of being deceived by the devil. It affected Adam and his marriage with Eve. His conscience accuses him. Man is driven away from the Garden of Eden. Man feels rejected by God. Man has been trying to re-gain the paradise lost. But he is trying to do that by his power and wisdom. He can never go back to the tree of life. The only way to go back is thru the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Christ went to the Cross!

THE FALL OF SATAN (The devil fell before Adam)

We continue to study the fall of man in the Garden. The devil possessed the serpent and used it to tempt Eve. To understand the power of sin we should look at who the devil is even before the fall of Adam in the Garden. This is what our Lord says about the devil: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jn 8:44). The devil was a murderer ‘from the beginning’. The devil was created by God long before Adam was created. He was once created perfect. He oversaw the praise the worship in heaven. Our Lord calls him ‘a murderer from the beginning’. It means that all his good deeds before what is called ‘the beginning’ were cancelled by God. The devil has no good testimony. He was a murderer and a liar, from the beginning. When he rebelled in heaven, he could not kill anyone. God created the earth and man on it. To prove that the devil is a murderer, God allowed him to ‘kill’ Adam and Eve, the crown of God’s creation. The universe could not have known how wicked the devil is before Adam was led to death by the devil’s temptation. Thru Adam, all mankind died. This murderer and liar, the devil, was the same who deceived Eve saying: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen 3:1). Eve did not know that ‘an armed robber’, the enemy of the God who created her, was talking to her. He pretended to be an innocent friend, passing by in the garden. You can see how the devil deceived Eve. She did not see the truth about his wickedness behind the pleasant question.

The devil was created perfect. Later, he became proud and wanted to take God’s place. One third of the angels created by God followed him in his rebellion. God threw them out of heaven to the earth. We are not given many details but just a glimpse of the tragedy that happened in heaven, long before Adam was created. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit” (Is 14:12-15). As you can see, the devil was once perfect, with wisdom and beauty. He was called ‘Lucifer’, the Son of the Morning. But once he became proud, he sinned. God sent him away from heaven. Our Lord said that before He became a Man on earth, He saw the fall of Satan. The word Devil means Slanderer and the word Satan means Accuser. The devil was a fallen angel even before God created Adam. In a way, God created Adam and Eve as a ‘bait’ for the Devil. Our Lord knew that the devil sinned and was thrown down from heaven. “Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Lk 10:18-20).

The devil is also called Dragon, The serpent of Old, Satan and the Accuser of the Brethren. Our Lord came to earth, He died in our place that we may be free from the judgment of sin and death. In Christ we have received much more that Adam lost thru his fall. In Christ, we have authority to fight and conquer the devil. Our weapons are faith in the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross and the Word of our Testimony. To share a testimony is more than telling people that ‘God help me to buy a new car’. Thank God for your car. But, you need to share how the Word of God has worked in you, how it has transformed you. For a testimony to truly become a weapon, the Word of God must change your heart and give you an eternal value. A true testimony is telling people what God has done for you to take you to heaven. That testimony is a weapon. The devil fears it! We must speak more about the victory we have in Jesus! Halleluiah!  

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day and night, has been cast down. they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev 12:7-12). Lesson: God has a plan and a purpose for His creation. He is the Creator and the Redeemer of man! God created the universe! After man fell, God redeemed man, thru the Cross! God will punish sin and the devil! Halleluiah!

The Bible is the most practical book. It tells the story of God and of humanity. Genesis 1-3, this is the history of humanity. It is not an allegory. It is not fiction! Man has disobeyed God and God is searching for man, to save him. As sinners, we all know the sense of failure. We all search for happiness outside God, but we cannot find it! The Gospel brings us out from behind the trees. God’s voice is still calling you by name: “Where are you?” Why are men so unhappy, so helpless? Because the devil is their master, and he controls this world! That is the only explanation! The tragedy of man is that he only sees the visible. Only in Christ we can be set free, from the bondage, the pollution and power of sin! That is why Jesus died! There are two types of history running parallel: The visible and the invisible. The natural man sees only the visible history. The spiritual man sees both. That is his advantage and wisdom. The child of God sees God as the creator and the sustainer of the universe. He sees God thru the eyes of faith. The Gospel tells us the truth: we all fell with Adam. We are born sinners. We cannot help ourselves. We are destined to die and go to hell. God sent His only begotten Son to die in our place. The world hates the truth. The natural man hates to be told that he is a sinner. He loves the offer of free salvation, but he hates to humble himself as a man who offended God.

“Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). God made clothes for them. Not from leaves, but from animal skins, possibly from lambs. Behind these simple words of ‘fashion design’ blood is shed. For the first time, Adam and Eve see God killing an animal. They have never seen death. Now they see it. They committed sin but another one died in their place. This is the Gospel of Christ Crucified!

Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden. Just imagine the feeling… out of the beautiful, happy and safe, garden, made by God for them!!! They are now in the world, lonely, afraid, guilty, confused. In the Garden, they exercised dominion over all the creation, in the name of God. Now, they are now under the dominion of satan. They are rejected by God! There is a hope that one day, God will help them. But until then, they are alone.    

The devil spoke to Eve and addressed God as only Elohim, the Creator. He ignored the name Jehovah, which is the Covenant Relationship God. God spoke to Adam and Eve as Jehovah Elohim, the Husband Creator. But the devil was seducing Eve, implying that he is a better candidate to be her ‘husband’. She did not know that this new ‘romantic’ person called the devil, was a fallen angel. She did not know that she was speaking to an armed robber, a kidnapper. She was deceived to agree with the devil and to ‘marry’ him. In Christ, God is our Creator, Maker and Husband forever. Nothing can ever separate or divorce us. The Love of God in Christ is forever! Blood was shed for us to boast of His Love! Glory!

This is God’s promise to all who are in Christ: “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer” (Is 54:4-8). Oh, may the mercy of God locate you! May the Grace of God surround you! Worship the Lord!  

This is a word of encouragement for the believer who is at the threshold of deliverance. You have prayed and trusted God. You are now waiting for your healing, your breakthrough or your deliverance. But suddenly things got worse. Please read Exodus 5. Prophetically this is a drama and you are an actor there. Choose your ‘role’! Pharaoh stands for the devil. Moses and Aaron stand for mature servants of God, leaders, pastors. The people of God represent the believers in Christ. The Egyptians are your unbelieving friends and relatives. They do not understand your desire to be free. If they do not get converted to Jehovah they will be left behind once the door of freedom is opened for you. This is the background story: The people of Israel have been in Egypt for more than 400 years. Initially things were good for them but later, they became slaves to the Egyptians and suffered greatly. God sees their pain and sends Moses in His name to be their savior. Moses confronts Pharaoh, the king of Egypt with the words: “Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness!” (Ex 5:1). Pharaoh rejects Jehovah’s word. He attacks God’s people. He increases the burden upon the slaves. From now on they have to work double for the same ‘salary’. The leaders of God’s people are under great pressure to perform the impossible. To please Pharaoh they oppress their own people. But they failed to perform. They are beaten and abused by the Egyptians task masters. Lesson: persecution coming from your friends and enemies shall increase just before your healing, your deliverance. Behind them is the devil who is trying to stop your progress!

Under pressure to work in such a negative environment of hopeless frustration and deep depression, the people of God make two mistakes. The first one is this: they go and cry to Pharaoh to make their labor lighter. Pharaoh refuses to listen to their pleas and even insults them saying that they are ‘idle and lazy’. Pharaoh calls their desire to worship Jehovah as ‘lies and vain words’. Lesson: the devil has no mercy. Never expect any good thing from the devil. He will try to kill you with work so that you forget to worship your God. You should cry to God and not to the devil. This is the second mistake: Rejected by Pharaoh, the people of God insulted Moses and Aaron. They blamed their leaders for their troubles. Lesson: if you are blind to God’s plan to heal you, to deliver you, to bless you, when trouble comes you will attack the man of God who brought you the good news of salvation and hope. Never insult your pastors! Bless and pray for them! Moses stands as a true man of God. In the past, when his people rejected him as their leader, Moses ran away from ministry. But this time he stands trusting God. He does the right thing: “Moses returned to the Lord” (Ex 5:22).

Moses prays to God who answers with an immediate action. This is not a time for only words! God promises to punish Egypt and they will know that He is God! “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord” (Ex 6:1, 2)

Child of God, these are some lessons for this season: God calls you to serve Him but your obedience must be tasted. You have to stand faithful even when you are lonely and rejected like Moses! Trust God who called you. Do not trust in man! Never complain! Do not slander your pastors! Pray for wisdom, for understanding of God’s plan in your life! God sees the end from the beginning. Pray that you see the end of the trial too! The joy you see at the end will empower you to endure! The devil hates God’s worship and God’s work. You must pay the price to be a worshipper or a worker for God! Trust God for the breakthrough! For miracles! For vengeance! You should know that before the day breaks the night is the darkest. Be encouraged! Forget the past! The devil is a liar and a loser! God has the last say! Press on into the light! Exercise your faith! Hold on to your hope! God is working something on your behalf! God is not a man that He should lie! This trial will not kill you! You shall come out of this fire stronger than ever! Your testimony has been approved by God! Both friends and enemies will see it! None can stop it! Let the weak say: I am strong! Let the sick say: I am healed! Let the poor say: I am rich! Let the oppressed say: I am free! Free to worship God! To the glory of God! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! In Jesus’ name, amen!

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal 6:9)