Thank you for this one. I sent it to two of my relatives. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carleeta Manser" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Cc: "O.Addison Gethers" <[email protected]>; "O.Addison Gethers" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 6:55 AM Subject: {dbilg} From Eden To Eden
> 6. From Eden to Eden > > 1. GOD MAKES THE WORLD. SIN BEGINS > > God made the world about 6,000 years ago. God made Adam and Eve, the first > man and woman. God gave them a beautiful garden to live in called Eden. > Satan brought sin to Adam and Eve. They were put out of the Garden of Eden > when they sinned against God. Their sin brought sorrow and trouble, pain > and > sickness. > > “Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to > CAIN. > . . . Later she gave birth to his brother ABEL” (Genesis 4:1, 2). > > “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, ‘Look! The LAMB > OF GOD! He takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29). > > Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Abel was true to God, but Cain > followed Satan. Abel believed that God would send a Savior into the world. > He made an offering to God to show he believed this. His offering was a > lamb. The offering of a lamb showed his faith that Jesus would come. Jesus > is called the Lamb of God in the Bible. > > Cain’s sacrifice was not right. God said to bring a lamb, but instead Cain > brought fruit and vegetables. This was not obeying God. Cain saw that God > was pleased with Abel’s offering. Cain became angry because God did not > accept his sacrifice. He killed Abel. Cain was the first person to murder > a > man. > > “Adam lived 800 years after Seth was born. He also had other SONS AND > DAUGHTERS” (Genesis 5:4). > > Adam and Eve had more children. These children grew and had other children > themselves. Soon there were many people on the earth. > > 2. THE EARLY PATRIARCHS > > Long ago in the Old Testament times, the father, or head of a family, was > called a patriarch. The names of many of them are listed in the Bible. In > Genesis chapter 5, you will read that these men lived to be very old. Many > of them lived more than 900 years. Methuselah lived 969 years - longer > than > any other man. Some of the “patriarchs” obeyed God carefully. They taught > their children the story of creation, and how they should obey God. This > was > how God told His message to the people. > > 3. THE FLOOD > > As the years went by, many people forgot God. They would not listen to the > messages of the prophets and the patriarchs. About 1,400 years after > creation, God sent this message to Noah, one of His prophets: > > “Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit will not struggle with man forever. . . . > He > will have only 120 years to live until I judge him.’ . . . God saw how > sinful the earth had become. All the people on earth were leading very > sinful lives. . . . ‘I am going to bring a flood on the earth. It will > destroy all life under the sky. It will destroy every living creature that > breathes. Everything on earth will die’” (Genesis 6:3, 12, 17). > > God told Noah that He would send a great flood of water. This flood would > cover the whole world and destroy everything. All the people and animals > would be killed. God told Noah to build a big boat. We call it the Ark. > The > people who went into the Ark would be saved. All others who did not go > into > the Ark would die in the Flood. Noah warned the people about the Flood for > 120 years while he built the Ark. The people did not believe him. When it > was finished, only eight people went into the Ark. They were Noah and his > wife, their three sons and their wives. The animals obeyed God and came > into > the Ark. At least two, one male and one female, of each kind of animal > were > saved in the Ark. After the Flood, these animals went free. > > Thousands of people did not listen to Noah. The Flood came, and they all > drowned. The Flood killed all the animals that lived on the land. Strong > earthquakes made big mountains rise up. The Flood lasted about a year. > After > the water went down, Noah and his family, and the animals, came out of the > Ark to start life again. > > Soon there were many people on the earth again. God told them to scatter > over the earth. They disobeyed God. They stayed together and built a city > called Babel with a tall tower whose top would reach to heaven. They > planned > to fight against God. God made them speak different languages because they > disobeyed Him. They could not understand each other. This is where the > different languages began. Those who spoke and understood the same > language > lived together. Then they went out to the different parts of the earth. > > 4. GOD CALLS ABRAHAM > > After many years, nearly all the people forgot God. Several people did > remain true to God. One of the true men was Abraham (or Abram). He lived > in > the city of Ur in the land of Babylon. > > “Abram [Abraham] believed the LORD. The LORD accepted Abram because he > believed. So his faith made him right with the LORD” (Genesis 15:6). > > “The LORD had said to Abram [Abraham], ‘Leave your country and your > people. > Leave your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you’” (Genesis > 12:1). > > Most of Abraham’s people worshiped idols. God told Abraham to leave his > people and go to a new land - called Palestine. This was about 430 years > after the Flood. God promised to bless Abraham and his children. Abraham > and > Sarah, his wife, had no children and were very old. But God promised to > make > them a great nation. God gave them a son in their old age. His name was > Isaac. Isaac obeyed God. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob loved > the > Lord, and God blessed him. Later Jacob was called “Israel.” His twelve > sons > had large families. They became the people we call “the children of > Israel,” > or the Jews. > > At one time, there was a famine or drought in Palestine. The crops did not > grow well and there was very little food. Jacob and his family went to > live > in Egypt where there was plenty of food. Jacob’s family grew to be a > strong > nation. The people of Egypt became afraid of them and made them slaves. > > 5. SLAVES BECOME KINGDOM OF ISRAEL > > God remembered His promise to Abraham. After 400 years, God called Moses. > God told Moses he was to lead the Israelites (or Jews) back to Palestine. > Moses and his brother Aaron asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. > Pharaoh > said, “No.” God sent Egypt ten terrible troubles or plagues. Then Pharaoh > let the children of Israel (the Israelites) go. > > As they escaped from Egypt, God made a dry path through the Red Sea for > them. Moses led the people to Mount Sinai. There the Lord gave them the > Ten > Commandments. God wrote them with His finger on two flat pieces (tables) > of > stone. Men knew the Ten Commandments before this time. Now they had them > written in STONE by God Himself. No one would be able to change them or > forget them. > > God gave Moses other health laws and laws for the government of Israel. > God > also gave Moses special laws that told the people of God to offer > sacrifices > of lambs and other clean animals for their sins until Jesus comes to > earth. > This would help the people remember that Jesus was coming as the Lamb of > God. He was to save them from their sins. Moses wrote all this in a book > called the Torah. (Read it in your Bible. The laws and sacrifices in the > Torah and the story of Moses are found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and > Deuteronomy.) > > Moses led the people to the border of Palestine, of Canaan, their new > land. > But the Israelites were afraid of the people of the land, and forgot God’s > promise to help them. They disobeyed God and would not go into the land He > had promised them. God sent them back into the desert. They stayed there > for > forty years. Then they were ready to obey God, and went into Canaan. In > Canaan, they fought against the wicked people of the land and won. They > built their homes in the land. God sent good men, called judges, who ruled > over them. After many years, the people wanted a king. Saul was the first > man chosen to be king. He sinned and was killed in war. Then God chose > David > to be the next king. He made Israel strong. King David wrote many of the > Psalms. > > 6. PEOPLE DISOBEY & ARE MADE CAPTIVES > > In Jerusalem, Solomon, the son of David built a beautiful temple to God. > The > people came to worship God at this temple. God wanted His people to become > stronger and stronger. Solomon was a wise and strong king. > > Later, the nation or kingdom of Israel was divided into two parts. One of > the kingdoms was called Judah [ruled by David’s line], and the other > kingdom > was called Israel. These kingdoms lasted hundreds of years. > > Wicked kings and good kings ruled the kingdoms. The wicked kings gave the > people idols to worship. They forgot God. God tried to call them back. He > sent prophets like Elijah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. > > These prophets told the people to come back to God. But Israel and Judah > would not obey. Both kingdoms were destroyed, and the people were made > captives. This was about 600 years before Christ was born. Later some of > the > people came back and built Jerusalem again. A new temple was made. This > temple was the one Jesus visited. But Israel never became strong again > like > before. > > Daniel the prophet was one of the people who were taken to Babylon as > captives. He remained true to God. He gave us many prophecies about the > future, which we will study later. Ezra, Nehemiah, and other prophets > helped > Israel to come back to Palestine. > > 7. THE PROMISED SAVIOR > > After several hundred years, a baby was born in Bethlehem. This was Jesus. > > “There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and > they were looking after their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to > them. > And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. But the > angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. > It is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been > born > to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you > the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a > manger.’ Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They > were praising God. They said, ‘May glory be given to God in the highest > heaven! And may peace be given to those He is pleased with on earth!’ > (Luke > 2:8-14). > > This is the best story in the entire Bible. At last the Savior had come. > He > was called Jesus because the angel said, “You must give him the name > Jesus. > That is because he will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). > The > name Jesus means “Savior.” Jesus began His work among men after His > baptism. > He was then about thirty years old. > > Jesus taught, preached, and healed the sick for three and one half years. > The leaders of the Jews would not believe that God had sent Jesus. They > would not believe what He taught them. They would not believe that He was > the Son of God. Jesus chose twelve disciples or followers to be the > leaders > in the Christian church. He taught them how to work and pray. Jesus said > to > Peter: > > “Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my > CHURCH. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it” > (Matthew > 16:18). > > Peter’s faith in Christ was strong. He believed Christ was the Son of God. > On faith and belief like this, God built His church. Peter was not the > rock. > Christ is the Rock. The church is built on Christ. > > One of the disciples of Jesus became His enemy. His name was Judas > Iscariot. > One Thursday night Judas told the Jewish leaders where to find Jesus. > Jesus > was taken prisoner. Lies were told about Him in court during the night > when > many people were asleep. He was beaten with sticks and a whip. He was put > to > death on a cross, on Friday afternoon. On the Sabbath He rested in the > grave. On Sunday morning, an angel came from heaven and called Jesus from > the dead. He stayed with His disciples for forty more days. One day He > went > with them out of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. He said: > > “’But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you > will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea > and > Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the > other.’ After Jesus said this, he was taken up to heaven. They watched > until > a cloud hid him from their sight. While he was going up, they kept on > looking at the sky. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothing stood > beside > them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking at the > sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But he will come back > in the same way you saw him go’” (Acts 1:8-11). > > Jesus went up into heaven. He has promised to come back from heaven. In > heaven, He talks to God the Father for us. Almost 2,000 years have passed > since Jesus left this earth. > > 8. GOD SENDS HIS MESSAGE TO ALL NATIONS > > About three and a half years after Jesus died, the Jews killed Stephen, > one > of Jesus’ followers, by throwing stones at him. Since that time the > message > of God’s love for men has gone to all people in the world. The Jews are > not > His special people now; God calls all men, women and children to Him. Jews > can be saved just the same way as we are. > > Paul was one of the leaders of the Jews. He helped at the killing of > Stephen. God changed his life and he became a Christian – a follower of > Jesus. He became a great missionary to all those who were not Jews. Now > read > what Paul and his friend Barnabas said to the leaders of the Jews: > > “’We had to speak God’s word to you first,’ they [Paul & Barnabas] said. > ‘But you don’t [do not] accept it. You don’t think you are good enough for > eternal life. So now WE ARE TURNING TO THOSE WHO AREN’T [are not ] JEWS’” > (Acts 13:46). > > People who are not Jews are called Gentiles. Jews and Gentiles can be > saved > if they believe in Jesus and accept Him as their Savior. Jesus' blood > covers > the sins of all people who believe in Him as their Savior. > > 9. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH BEGINS TO GROW > > “Those who accepted his message were baptized. About 3,000 people joined > the > believers that day. . . . Every day the Lord added to their group those > who > were being saved” (Acts 2:41,47). > > From Jerusalem and Judea, the gospel went quickly to other parts of the > world. The Roman government killed many Christians. Most of the twelve > disciples were killed because of their faith in Jesus. There was trouble > and > sorrow, but the church grew quickly. > > 10. THE DARK AGES > > About 300 years after the start of the Christian church, so many people > had > joined it that even the Roman emperor decided to be a friend instead of an > enemy. Everybody thought it was a good idea to go to church. Many people > who > were not true Christians joined the church. They brought in many false > heathen or pagan teachings. The church members became proud, and did many > things that Christians should not do. Later, from the year 538 AD, the > rulers of the big popular church began to control the rulers of other > nations. Some of the church leaders were false teachers. They brought in > teachings that are wrong and are not in the Bible. > > For about 1,200 years the people lived in spiritual darkness, not knowing > the truth of the Bible. This long time is called “The Dark Ages.” The > people > were not allowed to read the Bible. The leaders were afraid that the > people > would learn the truth from the Bible and leave the government church. Many > people belonged to the church even though it had wrong teachings. But > during > all these long years there were still some people who obeyed God. They had > a > lot of trouble. They were hunted like animals. Millions were killed > because > they believed what the Bible teaches. Those who were killed because of > their > faith are called “martyrs.” > > 11. THE REFORMATION > > About 400 to 500 years ago, some men of God began to study the Bible > carefully. They found that the big church was not teaching the same things > that Jesus taught. Men like Martin Luther, John Knox, and Jerome Huss, > taught that the followers of Jesus should do what the Bible teaches. Many > people believed them and studied the Bible. People began to obey the Bible > again. This is called the “Reformation.” We can study our Bible today > because of these men. We can learn the truth without being afraid. > > 12. EDEN BACK AGAIN > > God has a special message to be preached today. It began more than a > hundred > years ago. It tells the world about the second coming of Jesus. Some of > our > lessons will tell you about this. In our next lesson, we shall study about > heaven, when God makes Eden again. > > > > > > > LET US PRAY THIS PRAYER: > > “Dear Lord, I give myself to YOU to follow in Your ways. Keep me from > going > wrong. Lead me to heaven, I pray. Amen.” > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
