God our Creator has always been. He has no beginning, he has no end. Everything’s a part of his great plan. He created all life and holds it in his hands. God created the Universe and in the beginning he created Earth. He made it a perfect paradise. Then made man he in his likeness. He picked some dust up in his hands and with that dust created man. God breathed into him an eternal soul. He called him Adam and loved him so. God brought the birds and animals to him and he gave names to all of them. When God saw Adam was lonely he put him into a deep sleep. It wasn't God's plan for man to be alone, so made him a mate from his rib bone. Adam called her woman and named her Eve. Now God's perfect plan was complete God said "be fruitful, and the earth multiply" and they were naked but didn't realize. God gave them dominion over the Earth and wanted their love in return. In the evening God would descend and he would walk and talk with them. God placed them in a beautiful garden, gave them their choice of fruit trees to eat from. God wanted their love to be freely given so the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was with them. God warned, "eat this fruit and you will die", but the serpent told Eve it was a lie. He said "you will not die, for God knows when you eat, like him you'll be wise. Then you'll know the difference between evil and good". So when Eve saw it was good for food, she ate and gave Adam the forbidden fruit. Then their eyes were opened, and when they realized they were naked they tried their nakedness to hide. They sewed fig leaves to hide their shame from the eyes of their Creator before he came. In the cool of the evening God descended and called to them, but they were hidden. Then Adam answered, "I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid away". God asked Adam, "who told you that you were naked?" "Did you eat of the fruit I forbade you to eat?" He said "The woman you put herewith me gave me some fruit, and I did eat". God asked Eve, "What have you done?" Eve said, "the serpent deceived me Holy One". Then God had compassion for their condition, and knew something innocent would have to die for them. Its blood was shed to cover their sin. God covered their shame with its skin. This was a picture of the time to come, when God would send his only son. Jesus died and shed his innocent blood to redeem us back to our Father above. (Barbara Phyllis Stout Grindstaff 2003) (I shall look on his face in righteousness and be satisfied when I awake with his likeness. Amen!!)

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