HELL IN EDEN

                                                HELL IN EDEN

    Hi there, good friend. I've been asked to release my report on the after effects from the little situation that occurred in the Garden of Eden. You know, the fiasco where Satan conned Eve into stealing fruit from the forbidden tree. I can't disclose my name, because I'm an undercover operator of the Angel Ethic Council.

    I was patrolling the area of the Garden of Eden that fateful day when
Satan showed up disguised as a serpent. He knew Eve was naive, and
saw his chance to--what else?--raise hell. Eve was near the Tree of Life,
and Satan struck up a conversation with her. She didn't realize a serpent was talking to her because he strongly suggested the fruit of that tree was out of the world. He wasn't lying, either. However, Eve was absolutely enthralled to think of something new and exciting, and
sort of reacted like a shopper at a big sale. With his encouragement,
she picked the fruit and took a big bite. It was even better than the
serpent described. She was really excited.


Just then, Adam showed up. The serpent beat a hasty retreat. His job
was done.

    Adam saw that Eve was very excited, and he asked her what was going on. She said she had just tasted the best flavor ever. Adam asked  her what she was eating. She replied, fruit from the tree. Adam yelled, we aren't supposed to eat that fruit. Why did you do that? Eve said the
serpent told her it was good. He also said it was God's private stock,
and He wanted it all for Himself. Try it, Eve said. It's the greatest. Adam
saw that Eve wasn't dead, so he took a bite. It appeared they had gotten
away with disobedience.

    Eve's look of excitement changed abruptly to one of confusion. Are you
feeling okay? she asked Adam. He said yes. Why do you ask? She said I
never noticed you look different than me. Adam nodded in agreement,
and said, you're right. You do look different. We better get something to 
cover our differences before God notices.

    Too late. God was strolling in the garden. Adam and Eve tried to hide
behind some bushes. Of course God knows and sees all, so there was no
way they could fool Him. He asked why they were trying to hide. They said  they wanted to cover themselves. God was very disappointed when He told them He knew they disobeyed and ate fruit from the tree. Now I have  to punish you and you surely will die. He said Eve would suffer pangs of childbirth and always be battling the serpent, who would forever crawl on his belly. Adam would be of corruptible seed, and would now be the leader of the woman. The woman was foolish and did not question the
word of a stranger or discuss things with Adam. Adam accepted Eve's
explanation and suggestion without giving the matter due consideration.
Adam would get the chance to redeem his folly through testing of his
leadership of the woman and family. They would be forever banned
from the garden.

    Adam was sad to leave the garden, but looked forward with anticipation to being an outright leader instead of a partner with a helpmate. Eve accepted her sentence, now realizing her mistake. She now had a master.

   Now we fast forward several years and find that the couple has discovered the fine points of their body differences. It was so much fun and felt so good, until Eve gave birth to a couple of boys. The boys were not much alike, and the couple had difficulty raising them. Cain was headstrong, while Abel was very obedient. One day Cain, in a fit of rage, killed Abel. God showed up and accosted Adam and Eve. God told them He was very disappointed with them again. You have not trained your boys properly, and now one has committed murder. Adam, you have shirked responsibility, and no longer are worthy to be the leader, God declared. Henceforth, leadership shall be shared according to the abilities of each of you. 

    God gave humans the ability to make choices, and many of them simply
accepted this freedom by deciding issues and situations in the easiest
way and to their specific advantage. Instead of studying or doing appropriate research, they went along with empty-headed loud mouths. They took the easy path, and paid no heed to Christ's warning in Matt. 7:13-14. "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

    There are many types of people in Christianity, in other faiths, and with
no faith or religion. Christians must be followers of Christ and heed His
teaching, or they are frauds. This is serious, friends, because God will
lower the boom on frauds. Those that purpose to teach His Word are
held to a higher standard. God is not mocked. Satan will take care of you
if God rejects you.

    Returning to Adam and Eve, we see that virtually all faiths have accepted God's placement of man as the head of a woman and family. This works out really well for men. They don't have to prove any capability for leadership. In fact, all they have to do is to be born.  Yet, without woman, they can't be born. To a person with the ability to actually think, it doesn't seem remotely reasonable that your birth sex should make you a master. This was/is man's way of establishing inherited kingdoms. We see how that has worked out. It's astonishing for a pastor to learn from men in congregations and other pastors that women don't belong in leadership positions. Both the Old and New Testaments tell about women in leadership positions. It seems men are terrified they may have to become followers and stop discriminating against the mothers of society. 

     Go to Genesis, and note how Adam quickly shifted blame for eating fruit of the tree of life to Eve. Gen 3:12, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the  tree, and I ate." Worse yet, Adam was actually including God as partly to blame for giving Adam a woman. Now I think of our politicians and pastors, and wonder why they give men a free ride in leadership. It's not women who send our men and women off to war.  Women aren't even supposed to have physical and mental control of their own bodies. Why aren't men held accountable for abortions? The fetus is half theirs, so why aren't they accountable? In fact, if they are supposed to be the head (master) of the family, how is it they simply walk away from the family they created, frequently without spending a penny to support this abandoned family? Am I supposed to believe a JUST and
compassionate God wanted women to always take the blame, as Adam
was quick to do with Eve? Why wasn't man enough to "man up" and simply confess to God, "I did eat fruit of the tree?" God already knew what
happened. Nobody fools God.

    Scripture tells us the world will go down, and the people I see identified
as the culprits are almost exclusively men, including Satan. Adam started
the blame game, and our "good ole boys" and now some next generation
offspring think they can finish what their forefathers failed to do. Women
did get the vote, and slaves were emancipated. But now these fearful
leaders are trying to return us to those discriminating days of yesteryear.
And, fear they should, because God is just and compassionate, and He
will take steps to prevent the final suffering and horror leaders will impose to try and achieve their goal. What is their goal? The same as Satan's, total control and the riches of the world as Satan tempted Jesus.

    Friends, don't be misled by false promises and proclamations based only on theory and hot air. Read Matt. 4:4, "It is written, Man shall not live by  bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". Note that bread has two meanings here. One is actual food, and the other is slang for money. Now please go to Matt. 4:8-10. "Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me'. Then Jesus said to him, 'Away with you Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."'

    The study of God's Word is being very shortchanged in America, and it
seems Christians have very little understanding of scripture. I see church
after church seemingly unaware of Christ's directions. The people are
enjoying "church" and ignoring not only the lessons of history, but the
actual words of Christ. Fun and games nor ignorance will fulfill your
commitment to Christ. Don't be one of those who will hear Christ in
Matt. 7:21-23 (23) "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you;
depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."'

Rev. Walbear