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ATTENTION:...CAUTION: These lectures on THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE have been developing for 30 years. They have been heard by thousands. I believe I can say without fear of contradiction that this is one of the clearest presentations of what the Bible is all about that has been done to date. I can not remember delivering these lectures one single time in all these years without some kind of an interruption or a handicap to its delivery: such as storms, electrical shortages, broken videos, recorders not working, and bulbs exploding in the projectors. Some kind of a disturbance has thus far hindered the smooth deliverance of this material. When you hear it, you will know why the enemy does not want it to be heard.

THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE

The following notes are excerpts from THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE. Perhaps this will give you some idea of what is to be learned from this study.

Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it. When God said, "Keep it," He hints at the presence of an enemy for the term literally means "To guard or protect from harm." This was Adam's first charge in the garden. To this charge was given a threefold statement. It contained:

The permission was gracious, the prohibition was clearly stated, and the penalty should have deterred the bravest of men. Yet death is the common lot of all humans. Adam and Eve sinned, plunging all of mankind into ruin.

Why should sin appear? Today men say that sin is from our environment, poverty, parental influence, inherited nature or tradition. This was a perfect environment. There was no poverty nor social injustice. There were no hereditary influences from parents to prejudice them. There were no pressures from society or from the ghetto. There was no ignorance of God's laws. There was no tradition. There were no hypocritical Christians to cause them to stumble. Yet, they sinned! It appears that these things must simply be the excuses of modern people to cover their sin! Why, then, did the first man sin? The answer is obvious. There was an enemy of man in the garden who sought man's very life. The Bible narrative shows Satan to be real. He is a hater of God and a despiser of the man God placed on earth to guard Eden. This overview will seek to introduce the reader to the struggle of Satan to usurp the dominion God gave to man. It must be remembered throughout this study that Satan is only a created being. His power is limited. God cast Satan from His presence in Heaven.

Satan's attempt to usurp God is one of the main subjects of Scripture. The earth became his battlefield. As a created being, he is not all-wise nor all-powerful. He makes mistakes, and his plans to destroy mankind have often been spoiled. These lessons will describe that Eternal Struggle here on earth.

Satan appeared to Eve in his own subtle way. He beguiled her. She disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. His method was threefold:

WHAT SATAN DID:

1. Called the Word of God into question, "Hast God said?"
2. Flatly contradicted it, "Ye shall not surely die."
3. Slandered the very motive of God, "God doth know ye shall be as gods."
   These are Satan's tactics: Doubt, denial, disbelief and the degradation of God and His Word.

WHAT EVE DID:

1. Eve doubted God's goodness. God had said, "Freely eat." She said, "May eat." God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. When you doubt it, you will sin.
2. Eve doubted God's love. God had said, "Not eat of it." She said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it." She added to God's Word and was found a liar. In her mind God was a bully.
3. Eve doubted God's judgment. God had said, "Shalt surely die." She said, "lest or peradventure ye die." If you doubt His judgment, and do not fear His wrath, you soon sin.
• She subtracted from God's Word - "freely."
• She added to God's Word - "neither touch it."
• She substituted for God's Word - "lest ye die."
• She misstated the permission.
• She overstated the prohibition.
• She understated the penalty.
This is the cause for all religious denominational confusion.

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LISTENING TO:

1. God's Word being questioned
2. His veracity denied.
3. His motives slandered.

AND YOU FEEL YOURSELF:

1. Disparaging your privileges
2. Exaggerating your prohibitions
3. Depreciating your penalty

AND YOU BEGIN TO THINK IN YOUR OWN MIND:

1. How beautiful it is to your eye.
2. How wonderful it would be for your flesh.
3. How greatly admired you would be.

AND YOU BEGIN TO DOUBT GOD'S:

1. Word
2. Goodness
3. Love
4. Veracity
5. Wisdom
6. Authority
7. Judgment

FLEE!!! IF YOU DON'T, YOU WILL BE LIKE EVE. YOU WILL:

1. Sin - verse 6
2. Bring others into your sin - verse 6
3. Not desire God's presence - verse 8
4. Try to cover your sin - verse 7
5. Lie - verse 10
6. Blame others for your sin - verse 12
7. Be ashamed - verse 8
8. Suffer the consequences of your sin - verse 17
9. Be separated from God - verse 24. Compare this to Isaiah 59:2, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear."

Eve now knew good, but not how to do it. Eve now knew evil, but not how to refrain from it.

THE FALL BROUGHT A CHANGE: In Adam and Eve's relationship:

1. To God - separated them from His presence.
2. To each other - he ruled over her.
3. With nature - thorns and thistles.
4. With animals - carnivorous.
5. With sex - pain in childbirth, and multiply their conceptions
6. To work - drudgery rather than joy.
7. To life - they began to die.

JESUS BORE THE CURSE OF ADAM'S FALL

1. Was man cursed? - He became a curse for us.
2. Was man to have grief? - He is acquainted with grief.
3. Was there to be pain? - He suffered. Isaiah 53:4-5.
4. Was there to be thorns? - He wore a crown of thorns.
5. Was man to sweat? - He sweat drops of blood.
6. Was there a sword? - He was pierced with one.
7. Was man separated from God? - He was felt forsaken by God.
8. Was man to die? - He died for us.

ADAM VERSES CHRIST

1. Adam was driven from Paradise. - Christ invites into Paradise
2. Adam lost dominion for man. - Christ regained dominion for man.
3. Adam was debarred from the Tree of Life. - Christ invites you to the Tree of Life.
4. Adam brought tears and pain. - Christ wipes away all tears and pain.
5. Adam brought death. - Christ triumphs over death.
6. Adam gave Satan dominion over us. - Christ will crush Satan under our feet shortly.

These lessons will give you a panoramic overview of the Eternal Struggle. It will show how God, based on events covering over 4000 years of history, kept eliminating different persons from the Messianic line till Jesus came and fulfilled it.

His lineage:

1. He would be of the seed of woman
   Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
   The overview will show Satan's attempts made to kill off all mankind.
2. He would be of the race of Shem
   Genesis 9:26, "And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."
   The overview will show Satan's attempts to get the three races to remain as one people.
3. He would be of the Nation originating through Abraham.
   Genesis 12:1-3, "1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
   The overview will show the attempts Satan made to kill all the descendants of the chosen nation.
4. He would be of the Tribe of Judah.
   Genesis 49:10, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be]."
   The overview will show the attempts Satan made to wipe out the tribe of Judah.
5. He will be of the Family of Jesse.
   Isaiah 11:1, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."
   The overview will show the attempts Satan made to cause strife in Jesse's family.
6. He would be of the House of David.
   Psalms 132:11, "The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne."
   The overview will show the eighteen attempts Satan made on David's life as well as the succeeding kings of the royal line.
7. He would be born of an individual, a virgin.
   Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
   The overview will show how Satan attempted to prevent Jesus' birth, as well as attempts on Jesus' life.

Can you imagine:

1. A man writing a biography and begin it with a genealogy of a stepfather!!!
2. Giving a table of 41 generations and then show that the 42nd person has no blood connection to the 41st person!!!
3. Mentioning 35 repeatings of the expression "so and so begat so and so" and then changing the emphasis from men begetting sons to a virgin giving birth to a child!!!
4. A Genealogy that mentions four women, all of whom have a shady and immoral history of either incest, adultery and harlotry, only to mention a fifth woman whom he would have us believe is a virgin, who gave birth to a child of the Holy Spirit!!!
5. That a genealogy which was written to prove that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, only to mention four women, two of which were Gentiles!!!
6. Trying to establish Jesus as King of the Jews, but showing that His ancestor was Jeconiah, of whom it was said by the Jewish prophets, "Write this man childless. None of his seed shall prosper sitting on the throne of David!!!"
7. Trying to establish a man as King, only to admit that the father was suspicious of his Son's legitimacy and doubtful of the virtue of the child's mother!!!
8. This we have in the Book of the generations of Christ in Matthew.
   His genealogy in Matthew and Luke shows:
• He was born of woman.
• Of Abraham, whose seed was to bless all nations.
• Of David's own flesh and of his royal line.
• How Jesus escaped the Jeconiah curse by being born of a virgin.
• Of the Holy Spirit....Immanuel Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

BUT WHY WAS HE BORN?

TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.

1. To Joseph
   Matthew 1:21, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
2. To shepherds
   Luke 2:9-11, "9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
3. To Simeon
   Luke 2:2, "25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name [was] Simeon; and the same man [was] just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,"
4. He saves from the guilt, power, and consequences of sin.
   

TO BE KING ON DAVID'S THRONE.

1. Luke 1:32-33, "32 He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
2. John 18:37, "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."
3. He is Christ the Lord. Compare the following two passages:
   Luke 2:11, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
   Acts 2:36, "36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

A LIGHT TO ENLIGHTEN THE GENTILES, AND THE GLORY OF ISRAEL, Luke 2:32

1. Wise men were the first fruits of the Gentiles.
2. They are let in while many Jews were cast out.
3. See how Simeon and Anna waited. "He is the hope of Israel."

ONE SET FOR THE FALL AND RISING AGAIN OF MANY AND A SIGN TO BE SPOKEN AGAINST.

1. This is true from the very beginning.
2. Look at the difference in the people.
• Herod
• He believes the prophecy of Christ's birth, and the city, and the star, but he thinks he can thwart God.
• Compare this passage with "The leaders council against him." Psalms 2:1-12.
• Scribes
• They knew where Jesus was to be born, but they didn't go to see if He was there.
• They had head knowledge, but familiarity of it bred contempt.
• Magi
• They had a more sure Word, prophecy, and were excited about it.
• They followed the light to more light.
• The Word told them what they did not know by means of the stars.
• How about you?
• Do you attempt to stop God's plan?
• Or does familiarity cause you to be indifferent?
• Or do you live up to the light that you have, and excitedly rush on to worship the King?
• They offered gold to Him who was to be King.
• They offered frankincense to the One who would be a Priest.
• They offered myrrh to the One who would be sacrificed.
• He brought a sword from the beginning.
• Genesis is the book of the generations of the earth....Matthew of the Son.
• In Genesis, Spirit brooded over the waters.... In Matthew, over the virgin.
• The nation created in Exodus.... In Matthew the Seed is born.
• The nation fled to Egypt .... The Son fled to Egypt.
• Innocents were slaughtered .... Innocents were slaughtered.
• Moses was called to minister .... Jesus called to minister.
• Moses was 40 days on the mount .... Jesus 40 days in the wilderness.
• Moses gave the Law .... Jesus gave the Sermon on the mount.
• Moses lifted up the serpent .... Jesus lifted up on the cross.
• Moses died and was buried .... But Jesus lives again.
• At giving of the Law 3000 died .... On Pentecost 3000 were saved.

We are victors in Christ. In the last chapters of Revelation we have been given back all that we lost in the first chapters of Genesis. Hallelujah, praise His Name!

Postscript:

The Eternal Struggle is available in printed form as a college course from Summit Theological Seminary. The tuition cost for 3 undergraduate hours is $90.00. The enrollment costs $30.00. Tuition on the graduate level costs $200.00 for 4 hours of graduate credit. The text book costs $30.00 and the 24 tapes cost $96.00. The class text and/or tapes can be purchased together or separately without enrolling in the school. If we can be of help to you, we would be happy to do so. All of our courses can be taken by external study. The 3-Tape overview of these three session from the North American Christian Convention costs $12.00. The set of 3 CDs is $15.00.