Wed.’s Devo - Repent, For the Kingdom is Near

Read: Genesis 3:1-4:26; Matthew 2:13-3:6; Palms 2:1-12; Proverbs 1:7-9
We learned that every seed manifested the fruit of that seed. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil manifested that fruit. To know good and evil was to know all the details about them. We are drawn to want to know all the gory details which is the fruit of that tree. Ephesians 5:12 says that it is a shame even to speak of the things evil people do in secret. The devil tempts us to want to eat of this tree all the time. The tree of life gives only life. Think of how our day would go if we only ate of that tree all day; our discernment would be very accurate. Everyone who had a part in deceiving Eve or eating of the fruit was cursed. 1 Timothy 2:14 says that Adam was not deceived, but the woman, Eve was. Adam willfully ate of the apple causing the whole earth to be cursed. It was through Adam, sin entered the world and through the second Adam, Jesus, sin was defeated.
Through the curse given to Eve, we learn that Satan has offspring just like God does and we also learn who wins.
God killed animals and covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness with the skins teaching them how to atone for sin. Cain decided he could please God his way. He offered a sacrifice of his works that was not his first fruit or alive or of blood. Abel offered a sacrifice of his first fruit, it was alive and had blood. His offering was accepted by the Lord. Cain couldn’t take the rejection and rejected God instead of repenting of his wrong. He killed his brother out of jealousy and hatred and became the seed of evil. Abel was a type of Christ who offered the perfect sacrifice that pleased God and whose blood had power to speak even from the grave.
Adam later had a son to replace Abel named Seth which means “dedicated”.
In Matthew, an angel led Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt to save his life, then to bring him back when it was safe and then where to live. I wonder if Joseph realized he was fulfilling prophecy. Jesus grew up in Nazareth while his cousin, John was beginning his ministry to prepare the world for Jesus. John’s message could be summed up in one statement, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” That is the same statement the spirit is saying for his second coming.
Lord, may we repent and realize how near your kingdom is to us.