Introduction
I want to share some insights I’ve gathered since publishing my new book, “Secrets from the Garden of Eden: God’s Blueprint for Eternal Life.”
I’m in the process of writing a new book. It will be called “The Lamb of God: The Secret Weapon.” I realized I couldn’t write everything in the first book. This book will let me go deeper into the mysteries of God’s kingdom.
One principle of this new book is recognizing a move of God independent of what is happening in the world around you!
Jesus functioned independently of the world system. He walked on water; he fed the multitudes; he heard the voice of God; he raised the dead; he healed incurable diseases; and he paid his taxes with money taken from a fish’s mouth. In other words, he illustrated and exercised dominion as God planned for man in Genesis 1:26.
In this series of messages, we must also recognize another reality: the works of Satan, the Serpent. He is the god of this world. He is the spirit that works in the children of darkness. He is the agitator, the motivator behind all works of evil.
In BEGINNING
God created the heavens and earth. And the earth was without form, and void and darkness covered the deep.
He created everything out of nothing
- There is nothing made that he did not make.
- In other words, Satan took that which was good and was made to bless people, perverting it into evil.
I want to share 7 days of material. I desire to walk you through the revelation between light and darkness. You have a choice of which system reigns in your life.
Day 1
God created light on the first day of creation. God called for light out of darkness. He divided the light from the darkness. He called the light day, and the darkness he called night. God saw that the light was good.
God saw everything that was made and declared that it was very good on day 6 of creation ( Genesis 1:31).
The Garden of Eden
God planted a garden eastward in Eden. God put the man whom he created to steward creation.
God planted two trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God instructed the man whom He created to guard and keep the Garden.
He could freely eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The price for eating it would be death.
In The Matrix (1999), Morpheus offers Neo a choice: take the red pill to see Wonderland as it really is. He could take the blue pill, and nothing would change; he would wake up and believe whatever he wanted.
Neo takes the red pill. He wakes up in a horribly scorched, barren wasteland controlled by machines. He discovers the machines are harvesting humanity for energy.
Day 2
The Third Party
Isaiah 60:1-2
“ARISE, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.”
Three parties came together in the Garden of Eden. God of Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our image…” was party one. Adam and Eve were party two. The serpent and Satan were party three.
Satan needed a physical body to communicate with man. He used the serpent. Parties two and three came together to open the door to death.
The Real World
God created the earth in six creation days. The creation of those days was described in Genesis 1:12, 18, 21, 25 as good but in Genesis 1:31:
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…”
By Genesis 6, the earth had become a nightmare. God was grieved and repented that he had made man, for every thought and imagination of the heart was only evil continually.
The earth had become cursed because of sin, making it barren and the weather unpredictable.
The first murder was committed in Genesis chapter 4, when Cain murdered his brother Abel. Another murdered occurred in Genesis 4:23.
The earth was in deep darkness but there was hope:
Genesis 5:29, “And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.”
A tidal wave of murder came from one act of disobedience. The murder rate and bloodshed started with one person and quickly multiplied to millions and millions of people.
Jesus identifies Satan as the one who instigated the murder of Abel. He is behind all acts of murder, mayhem, destruction, and war.
Satan is the prime source of evil. He is the prince of darkness.
Jesus made a statement concerning his own crucifixion, “The prince of this world cometh, but he hath nothing in me.”
Jesus made another statement to the Pharisees,
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: FOR is a lair, and the father of it.“ John 8:44
Day 3
Understanding Darkness
Genesis 5:26
Genesis 8:20: After the flood, God promised consistent seasons. He also established the death penalty for all who shed man’s blood, be it man, relative, or animal.
What I failed to recognize is that Satan’s intense hatred of God is directed toward man because he is made in the image of God.
The Apostle John wrote,
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” 1 John 5:19
There is one ruling system operating in the universe at this time: light
God said, let there be light. God saw the light, that it was good. GOD separated light from the darkness.
God created Adam and Eve in his image and likeness. God is light. Adam walked and lived in light. He was crowned in glory and honor.
God gave Adam dominion. Adam walked was glorious. Everything he touched prospered. His disobedience caused him to fall into darkness.
The Bible says that Adam begot sons in his own image and likeness. The world is filled with fallen humanity made in his image and likeness.
The whole world is in darkness. The world that God created has been horribly marred and twisted into repeated patterns of evil.
God had to destroy the world to save it. Every thought in the imagination of the heart was only evil. God had to cut man’s lifespan to a tenth of its potential to limit evil.
Day 4
Identify works of darkness
Exodus shows us what this looks like. Turn to Exodus 10:21-23
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Eygpt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
There is spiritual darkness that blinds people’s hearts and minds. It is just as dark as the darkness that blinded the people of Egypt in the days of Moses.
Isaiah saw it (Isaiah 60:2)
“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people…”
Matthew 4:16
“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”
You can be rich and broke at the same time
The Laodicean Church said that they were rich, increased with goods, and had need of nothing, but Jesus said they were wretched, miserable, poor, and blind and naked.
You can be broke and rich at the same time
The Church in Smyrna, Jesus said, “I know your poverty, but you are rich.”
Both churches were blind to their respective realities. In six of the seven churches that Jesus spoke to, darkness had infiltrated their worship.
Darkness working on a micro level
John 8:40, Jesus said,
“Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: FOR HE IS a liar, and the father of it.”
Satan makes it impossible for people to hear the word of God, especially if they love darkness.
Jesus said Satan, “he speaks a lie,” and he speaks from his own agenda. We can see in action in Act 5:3
He has a vast empire situated on a high mountain top by which he views and governs the nations of the earth, Matthew 4:8
Day 5
Satan has a vast network of administrators that includes people and demons; according to Ephesians 6:10, they are called principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.
He works through people, and Jesus calls them children of the wicked one, Matthew 13:38-39.
He has infiltrated all levels of governments, economies, and religions, including Christianity.
King Herod sent his army to Bethlehem to seek Jesus to kill him. Herod’s army murdered all the children two years old and under. The children of Rama.
Jesus went to the temple and saw tables of money changers and pens for animals. He made a whip, turned over their tables, and beat them out of the temple. He said they had made his Father’s house a den of thieves.
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the temple priests called a council meeting to plan how to destroy him because many people believed in him.
Book of Revelation, chapters 17 & 18
Satan works in partnership with national leaders and market leaders; he is making the nations drunk with acts of violence. Through his pure hatred for God, he strikes at everything God loves.
The good news is that God hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
Be careful whom you are following! Darkness governs all levels of society. The goal of the system of man is to become your God.
Day 6
How do you know when Satan is talking to you?
Distractions. He got Eve’s attention. He asked a question. He got her to focus on something she couldn’t have. He created a picture in our minds (You can be like God).
Day 7
Present Day Reality
Awake from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
In 2 Corinthians 4:6, God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In other words, the testimony that Jesus lived is evidence of God’s glory! The Scripture declares we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Grace & peace!
