THE CAIN FACTOR

 Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

It behooves us to be curious about the first murderer in creation. For in doing so we look at the mindset of one of our first parents. Right from the time of Sunday school in children’s class we are told that Cain offering was not acceptable because it was too meager and the selfish man Cain would not want to part with the best to God. They leave us with the impression that God being huge needed an enormous sacrifice that will satisfy him, Aunty forgets to tell us that the earth is the lord’s and his fulness. [Psalms 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein]. talk about kids! Abel, funny enough this signifies ‘vanity’, did not show any trace of vanity. His sacrifice, which was made as atonement for sin to the most high God, was accepted for there was blood to take his place as a substitute. For God indeed is never hungry and cannot be fed by the whole of humankind. One who comes to God in prayers and confession or request must first believe that God can do that which is his desires and request; this Abel showed in his sacrifice. The God in whom we have to do first look at the condition of the heart of every man and he alone knows this most times we ourselves do not know the extent we can go in terms of sin and perversion. The bible puts it well when it said: Jeremiah 17:9, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Who can master it? Therefore, as children of God, we must use the bible as a yardstick to know where we stand and allow the instruction to guide us in our daily lives. This idea of using ‘our head,’ as they say, can lead us to do things we might regret later. the bible is our mirror. We see that his sacrifice was accepted and no doubt his sins forgiven for that indeed, were the reason. But our twin brother, Cain, shows from our studies his contempt for spiritual things. Cain’s heart was not right before God. See Jude 1:11. Child of God, let your heart be right before God in whatsoever you do for him or his church, which is his body. We have seen it all and still seeing more of it; many doing things to attract the praise of men and the people of God. ‘Vanity’, the mother of Abel, named him perhaps like most women can see into the future if certain behavior is put in consideration, she was seeing the vanity that will fill the earth as it increases. See.Psalms 39:5-6 Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. Cain brought the fruit of the land to God for sacrifice, but Abel did more; he brought the firstling. He brought his sacrifice in faith and

Sincerity, unlike the hypocrisy of his twin brother. When sincerity and faith is absent for whatever we do for God and his church, an omnipotent and omnipresent God whose is purity is purer than pure. can accept it Cain was willing to perform a superficial sacrifice with no intention of dedicating himself to God, not his ways. Just like many in the body of Christ today. Herein lies the complaint of many; that they do not receive what they desire perhaps God has some special one he dots on. But remember what God told Abel, Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Alas! Cain being who he chose to be, never given to correction, must carry out his intention to satisfy his evil ego and murderous instinct planted by Satan. Yet we are warned to resist the devil and he will flee. Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Meditate on that I will not go further; may the holy spirit show you more from the little I have put out here.

Remember, Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

See you in church!