Firm Foundation. lesson 5: GOD REJECTED CAIN BUT ACCEPTED ABEL. Taught on 23/10/2011 in the church. during Bible study.

Prov. 14:12 says: "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death". It seemed right for Eve and Adam to disobey God, later it seemed right for Cain to offer offerings to God his way, to hate his brother and later to kill him. The Bible clearly records the outcome of their choices. Gen.4:1-5, we are told of the birth of Cain and Abel and of how they gave offerings to God. The Bible does not say why God did not accept Cain's offering. May be God required that blood be shed. This is very possible because God started to reveal the plan of redemption to mankind immediately after the fall. Ex.12:3; 24:6-8. Lev. 17:11-14. Matt.26:28. Heb.9:22. Heb.10:1-4. Or perhaps Cain's attitude was improper , or he did not meet God's Standard. While we may not be sure, God's words in V7: "You will be accepted if you do what is right..." shows that Cain knew what was expected of him. In Gen.4:7,8, we see that Cain never heeded God's warning. He
went ahead to hate and later kill his brother. This action reveals that he was not rejected for nothing, how many other times could he have refused to obey God? God is interested in obedience and pureness of heart more than an offering. The dialogue in verses 9 and 10 was aimed at helping Cain confess and repent. He refused and thus attracted God's curse upon himself. God would use the line of Abel to bring the deliverer, satan tried to block that. Praise be to God! His plan cannot be stopped. As satan was cerebrating his victory, in verse 25, Seth was born!

Firm Foundation. lesson 4: God's Promise and Judgement . Taught on 16/10/2011 in the church during Bible study.

In the book of Proverbs 9:10, the Word says: " Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement. (NLT). God had created Adam and Eve in His own image. They were for His glory. They belonged to Him. He loved them. He had given them anything they could ever need. Out of love, He had warned them of the consequences of disobedience. In Gen.3:9 God is calling Adam wanting to know where they were. Because they didn't come to talk with God and were no longer interested to seek Him, He called out to seek them. God was giving them an opportunity to agree with Him that they were wrong in believing satan. Even now He calls out of love, through what we see, through the word, etc. The conversation in Gen. 3:10-11 was aimed at helping Adam and Eve repent. In Gen.3:12,13 we see that instead of repenting, they started the blame game. In v.14, God curses the serpent. In v.15, God promises a deliverer. In v.16-19,
curses/punishes Adam and Eve. They were chased out of the garden of eden. God Killed an animal and covered their nakedness. This was to symbolize the blood of the Saviour that would wash our sins and cover our guilt.

Firm Foundation lesson 3: Adam and Eve Disobeyed God. Taught on 9/10/2011 in the church during Bible study.

Psal. 119:160. Through the Word, we know that God placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. He placed two important trees in that garden: The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam that he must not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He warned that disobedience would bring death. This meant immediate separation from God who is the source of life, that friendship with God would be broken, that physical death would start and an eternal separation (to those who will refuse God's reconcilliation plan) in the day that God will judge Satan and his demons. In Gen.3:1, we see disobedience that led to the fall of Adam and Eve and the entire human-race that would follow. Satan disguised himself as snake thus lying about his identity. He lied to Eve about the facts. No wonder in Jhn.8:44 Jesus calls him the father of lies. Even in our days satan uses whatever deception people will accept. He may
call fornication and adulterly, love and care. Prostitution, he may call an effective business venture. Lying may be called use of tactics etc. Anything that is rebellion against God is sin no matter how sweet the name tag it is given. So is anything that makes evil seem good or funny and anything that denies God or the truth of the Bible. Through the disobedience of Adam and Eve we see that sin is disobedience to God and that sin brings fear, shame and causes people to turn away from God. In conclusion, God always tells the truth. He always does exactly what He says. But satan is a liar and a murderer. He is the deceiver of our souls.

Firm Foundation lesson 2: God created the heavens and the earth. Preached on 2/10/2011 in the church during Bible Study.

Heb. 11:3; Gen. 1:1. The Word of God shows that God is the creator of heavens and earth, plants, animals and human beings etc. God created out of nothing. How possible is that? It's possible because nothing is too hard for Him. Jer. 32:17. In Gen. 1:1,2, it appears like God started to work with a formless and empty earth. Some theologians argue that there is a long period of time between verse 1 and 2. They argue that heaven and earth was perfect and beautifully made, but when Satan and his followers were thrown to earth, they desroyed it's form, and in verse 2 God is about to re-create. Others argue that v.2 is a step in the process. Why do some argue in favour favour of a world that evolved without a creator? Rebellion, desire for a great name and fame, money and a desire to control and guide the mind of many. God created us for a divine. Manufacturers produces manuals to explain purpose and use of a commodity. God's Word is His manual about us.