Thegreatestgift

Let's go back to the beginning. What happened to mess up paradise?

The Book of Genesis tells us that God created the earth and the universe for a place to make mankind, and He carefully made man and woman in His own image. There's a lot more to this story, Beloved readers. You all know that it took 6 "days" to make everything there is, and on the 7th day, God rested.

Genesis says that God was there from the beginning, He has no beginning or end, and His existence can't be understood by man at this time, we must just accept that He is a one of a kind being that encompasses all that is.

Let me paraphrase the situation for you in modern day language. God, the Almighty, the great I AM, ("I am all that is..., I am all powerful, all knowing, all present"), was lonely. He, at some point before earth history, created a great multitude of various kinds of angels. Some are described as being large, golden or metallic, having wheels or 4 faces, clothed in fire, some with six wings, some who fly, some who constantly stand before God's throne praising Him. None, however, are said to have been created just like God. That glory belongs to man alone.

We are created in His image, both physically and creatively. We are able to do things that angels are not able to do, yet we live behind a veil of understanding. We have a soul, we possess the actual breath of God (given to Adam when mankind was first made), and we can share fellowship with Him as His actual children and even as a type of "bride". Scripture refers to the church as Christ's bride, His beloved, and His sheep.

We can also use the creative power of speech through faith, that God used to create this universe. (I will give you several scriptures to show this later.)

There was one angel who was exceedingly wise, powerful and beautiful. He was called the angel of light, and His name was Lucifer. The Bible says that He became full of pride and jealous of God's position. He believed he could overthrow God and take His place. We're told that approximately one third of the angels in Heaven sided with Lucifer and were thrown out of Heaven.

We now call him Satan, or the adversary. He is our only true enemy, and all of harm, sin, shame, fear and oppression comes from him.

When God created this earth and mankind, Satan's jealousy caused him to seek the destruction of all of God's work. He wanted to hurt God, and one way to do that very effectively, was to harm what God dearly loved. Us.

Picture the Garden of Eden, all of God's plans good and successful. The people He made loved Him and together they walked in the garden in the cool of the day, talking about all God had made for man. We can only imagine the things Adam and God planned; the lovely homes, the many children who would be born. There wasn't a mosquito that would bite, or a thorn that would pierce.