The first two young people who were created by the Creator God of heaven and earth sinned. 
     Adam and Eve followed someone else’s teachings rather than the Lord’s commands.   
         They were trapped in the bondage of shame and sin.                                                 Then they hid from God.

     They had lost their clothing of God's glory.

      God called them back, and Adam and Eve returned to the Lord.  He gave them new laws to follow since they had not proven faithful in the first laws.                                                  


     Just as Adam and Eve, we must understand that there are

curses for listening to and following teachings that are not

God’s commandments.    

   
    

This has never changed. They had listened to the serpent’s 

voice.








    WE HAVE A CHOICE   -  WHICH WAY TO GO?

           Adam and Eve's choice is the same as ours today.


                                                

     Adam and Eve were free to choose in whom to put their faith.
They chose wrong (Gen 3:1-6 NASB throughout).



     
Idolatry is creating your own substitute to replace the One Creator God.
     The pattern of idolatry is all through the bible. People sinned.
The Lord sent deliverers to the people – until He said;
     "My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh" (Gen 6:3,5-7).



     Set your mind on the spirit – not the flesh (1Cor 2:14, Col 3:1-2, 5-14).
     For all who are being led by the Spirit, these are sons of God.
If you are living according to the flesh you will die (Rom 8:13-14).



     “The flesh” denotes the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God (Strong’s #4561).




 If you do not follow the Old Testament examples, you will       

       not know how to worship the Lord                                           

                                    (Ex 20-23, Mk 7:6-8, Jn 4:2, Heb 9:1).




           Since early times, “people of all nations and tongues” who 

follow the Creator God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob          

have been called "Israel" (Gen 17:1-5, Num 15:2, 14-15, Rom 

11:17-24).




         “All things happened to Israel as examples for our

      instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come”

    (1Cor 10:6, 11).


         “Whatever was written in earlier times                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          was written for our instruction…”   (Romans 15:4).



         Many    LINKAGE TEXTS    say to 

use both the New Testament and the Old Testaments.




            
     Jesus says   “Not one bit of the law (Law of Moses, 

Prophets, and Psalms) will pass away from the Law until all is 

accomplished” (Mt 5:18).



         Jesus says   to use the Old Testament;

      “For if you believe Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote

              of Me” (Lev 16: 34, Rom 5:11).



      
Jesus says   if you do not believe Moses' writings,

              how will you believe My words” (Jn 5:46-47)?




      

      
     You must have the law of the Lord in your mouth, and talk of

 how He is the lamb who redeemed you.

    This is the mark of the Lord, which 
 
 
the devil counterfeits (Ex 13:2-3, 5, 9, 11, 15-16).



     
      "The law is our tutor to lead us to Christ" (Gal 3:24). 




      "Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies
 
without mercy on the testimony of two or three 
 
witnesses" (Heb 10:28).

       The New Testament and Old Testament teach the
 
same laws and spiritual lessons in both the Old and 
 
New Covenants.



 Believe the good news of the Gospel of 
 
Jesus Christ

          
        

He is the Lamb of God who fulfilled all the laws of the 
 
Old Covenant and takes away the penalty for sins.

      The Lord reminds us:

     
      “I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you are not 
 
consumed" (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8).

      He forgives our iniquity, transgression, and sin

             (Ex 34:6-7, 1 Cor 15:3-4).






Both the Old and New Testaments of
 
the Bible begin with a garden story.



       In the Old Testament we learn to cultivate our 
 
relationship with our Lord by listening to and doing 
 
His statutes and judgments as Adam and Eve were to
 
do (Genesis 2:15- 3:13, Deut 4:1,6, Rom 11:17-24).



      In the New Testament a spiritual garden story is
 
found in the PARABLE OF THE SOWER
 
 (Matthew 13:1-23, Mk 4:3-25, Lk 8:4-18).

      Here we find a multitude of people following Jesus.  But it is

His disciples who are granted to know the Mysteries of the 

kingdom of heaven (Mt 13:2, 10-11, Lk 8:4, 9-10).



     The Lord’s teachings attract those people seeking to know the

 truth, and the mysteries of the kingdom of God and to receive the

 the blessings and love of God and His mercy. 


     The devil’s teachings attract the lazy, less discerning people


 who practice lying, want to get ahead and seek their own glory 

instead of glorifying God (Dt 31;20, 32:15, Jn 5:44).


      Make sure you know the difference.


Disciples of Jesus discipline their life to the Lord’s teachings.






Beware of SATAN’S SCHEMES 

          Satan misuses scripture (Mt 4:1-11).


      He is the father of lies from the beginning (Jn 8:44-47, 1Jn3:4).

      He is sent by God as a deluding influence to deceive people


God is testing them to see if they have a love of the truth 

(2Thes2:7-12).

      He even uses people who have fallen away and blasphemed 


God in church leadership (Mt Ch 13).

      He distracts people to forget the Word of God (Mt 13:10-17 


Parable of the Sower).

      He is represented by the King of Sodom (Gen 14:21-24).



      See more of Satan’s Schemes such as 2Cor 4:4, 11:13-14, Mt 


13:18-23 and others at
                            
                             
                             markofthelord.blogspot.com






     
 Jesus emphasized to take care how you listen (Luke 8:18).

      The garden Parable of the Sower instructs us to listen carefully 


to the Holy Spirit teach the Lord’s scripture (Jn 14:23-25, 16:7-15, 

1 Jn 2:27).

      Man is required to confess the truth and in his own words to 


profess the truth plainly (1 Jn 4:2-3).

      The Lord gives us the same choice as His earlier children;

      “Choose life and good, or death and evil,”  (Deut 30:15)







The plan from the foundation of the world is to

    Sort Out Followers of the Lord

            from the followers of the Devil   
                                                                                (Eph 1:4-5)


                                                                                   
   

The Bible message is simple –                                    


     the Lord will share eternal life in His heaven with those 

     who love Him and are loyal and faithful to Him,   and to those 

     who believe His covenant Laws (Jer 31:31, Heb 8:10, 10:16).



     We are to show allegiance to Him.  Whoever shall confess Him 

before men, He will also confess him before His Father who is in 

heaven (Mt 10:32-33).





      After sins were found in Lucifer (the great dragon, the 

devil, Satan) war was made with him to cast him out of heaven. 

      Lucifer had been unfaithful in keeping and protecting 

God’s laws as a guardian angel before being thrown down to earth

(Ezek 28:12-18, Rev 12:7-13).



      The devil began rebellion in heaven and now deceives the 

whole world (Is 14:12-15, Job 1-2, Ezek 28:15-17, Rev 12:7-8. 

13:2-7,8).





The Lord could have destroyed Lucifer,      

   but he is allowed

       to roam about the earth                                                                                                  
           as an adversary against man.

                     

      The devil is used as a “deluding influence,” first to see if 

Adam and Eve had a "love of the truth."


      Today, all mankind is still tested to see if they have a love of 


the truth (Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6, 2Thes 2:7-12).



      “To those who overcome the devil’s temptations with help 


from the Spirit of God, the Lord will grant to eat of the tree of life, 

which is in the Paradise of God,” (Rev 2:7).


      Jesus is the tree of the knowledge of 
good  (Jn 1:4, 11:25, 

14:6, 20:31, 1 Jn 1:1-3, Rev 2:1-7).


      Ask the Lord to send the Helper, the Holy Spirit to help you 


study the Bible and have understanding.



Many Bible stories picture our 

    simple choice  of  obedience                                         
                   to our Creator, or to the devil. 

 

     
      The devil’s teachings are always a mixture of his own lies and 

only part of God’s Word (Gen 3;1-6, Mt 4:1-11,

 John 8:23, 44, 47).



      This is why Satan is symbolized by the tree which is a mixture 


of knowledge of good and evil


      The Lord knows all things – good and evil – but He is not 


tempted by evil as we are (James 1:13).



CONCLUSIONS


        The Parable of the Sower pictures the work of the devil both 

in the physical garden of Eden, and in the spiritual garden of our 

heart.

       Satan twists and divides the word of God.

       Satan and his servants want to prevent you from finding God’s 


Word, which is the way to the Tree of Life, Jesus.


       Don’t let Satan steal God’s Word from your heart. 

       
       Don't let Satan choke God's Word with worry or riches.


REPENT - ASK Jesus to write His Word on your heart – then 


allow Him to do that (Ex 20-24, Jer 31:31, Heb 8:10, 10:16).


           
       ASK JESUS FOR HELP 

                 TO UNDERSTAND HIS BIBLE






See Other Bible Studies at

                      HARMONY BIBLE STUDIES  homepage


LINK TO        WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH GOD'S LAW?