Come Down And Save Yourself

Six thousand years ago God, with merely a spoken word, created man in His

own image from the dust of the earth. In creating man, he placed Him in a

position of authority over His other creation; the birds of the air, the

beasts of the field, the sea creatures, etc...

But in the midst of this creation, God planted a tree. The tree was known

as the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. Upon all the other

instructions that God gave, He gave warning that the fruit of this tree

was off limits to the consumption of man. That by eating of this tree, man

would most assuredly die.

As you well know satan, speaking forth through the serpent, tempted Eve

and she in turn encouraged Adam to eat of the Tree of the knowledge of

good and evil. Upon eating of that tree, death entered into humanity, and

a curse fell upon the creation that God had intended for dominion and

authority.

For the next 4000 years man struggled to regain dominion over the creation

that God had placed him in:

? Men such as Nimrod devised plans that would construct a tower that would

allow man to ascend to the throne of God.

? Others created gods after their own image in an effort to circumvent the

authority of God and establish themselves as deity.

? Even in the last hundred years, men such as Stalin, Hitler and Hussein

have had the idea that they should control this planet through military

force and strategi superiority.

Yet all the efforts to regain control or authority have proven futile to

mankind.

? Our efforts through pagan spirituality have lead not to dominion, but to

factions.

? Our efforts through science has lead to a godless philosophy and a man

centered world view.

? Our efforts through the military has lead to death destruction and

global unrest.

Through all the ages and through all our efforts, we have failed to

realize that because of man's disobedience towards a tree; that it will

take man's obedience towards another tree...

And I am not talking about a blue spruce or a chinese elm. I am not

talking about a redwood or a mimosa either. I am talking a bout a tree

that was 4000 years in the gemination and development process. A tree

that didn't rise from the mineral rich soil of the fertile crescent; but

instead, out of the sin soaked soil of a lifeless man.

It was tree that didn't bear fruit but instead bore sorrows.

It was a tree that didn't offer shade but instead deliverance

It was a tree that didn't stretch forth it's branches but instead it

stretched forth the arms of our redeemer: Jesus the Christ.

Because of a tree we died. Because of a tree we now have access back into

life. Not back into a garden, but now into the throne room of the Lord God

Almighty.

We anxiously still go to the orchard of deception and pluck the fruit of

sin and feast upon it's poison, yet there is a tree of Life, wherein the

sick and afflicted are healed and the bound and oppressed are set free

that sits alone in the corner of our disobedience because we refuse to eat

it's fruit.

The deceiver is still peddling his treachery today. In the garden satan

told eve,

(PP) "Go ahead and eat of it, you will not die, but instead you will be

like gods."

It was a temptation of SELF

self empowerment

self gratification

self sustaining

selfishness

Do this the serpent said and self will be benefitted!!

But see saints, the treachery concerning the tree didn't end with man

expulsion from the garden. No, you see, 4000 years later that deceiver of

the brethren slithered up to another tree and began spewing the same lies.

In Matthew 27:40 he says to Jesus while that tree called the Cross of

Calvary,

"If thou be the Son of God, save thyself, come down from that tree."

Just like in the garden, satan offered immediate gratification and self

exaltation.

But see saints:

to come down from the tree that He created

to abandon His plan for mankind from the foundations of the earth

to act in self-preservation

Would have been in direct conflict to His nature. Do you hear me today?

To "come down from the cross", would have been contrary to who He was.

Gal 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but

Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by

the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (KJV)

Because YOU have been crucified your life has partaken of the tree. Not