"Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' And he said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?' He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.'" -Genesis 4.8-12
Cain and Abel go for a walk and while they are out in the field, something happens that causes Cain to attack and kill his brother. It could have been out of jealousy for God's favor on Abel and rejection of Cain, or it could have been something completely unrelated. Regardless, God warned Cain that sin was crouching and desired to have him, and Cain failed to master it. Abel is dead, and his blood cries out to God from the ground where it has been spilled.
God asks Cain where Abel is, He knew, just as He knew where Adam had hidden in the Garden after his sin, but as a gentle and loving father, not an accusatory judge, God asks Cain, giving him the chance to own his sin. Cain denies knowing anything about it, and then God calls him on it. Then, just as in Eden, God deals with sin and enforces justice.
There are no secrets from God. Adam couldn't hide in the garden, and Cain cannot hide murder. God sees everything that is done, no sin can be hidden from Him. No wrong that we do goes unseen by God. He will call us on it, hold us accountable, and enforce justice. Let us not be so arrogant as to think we can hide from God the sin that commit. Let us own it, repent of it, and allow God to enforce justice and mercy as He sees fit.
God knows, and justice will be served. So let us own it and repent quickly. There are no secrets from God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, October 31, 2016
Friday, October 28, 2016
Standard
"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.'" -Genesis 4.3-7
Adam and Eve begin a family, and they have two sons, Cain and Abel. The boys grow, Cain becomes a farmer, Abel becomes a shepherd. In time, they bring an offering to God, Cain brings some of the fruit he has grown, and Abel brings an offering of the first born of his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, and Abel's is accepted by God. I don't know why this happens, and scholars are divided over the reason. In Leviticus grain offerings are shown to be acceptable to God, but for some reason, Cain's is not accepted. The only explanation given in the text is that Cain did not do what was right.
God has standards that must be lived by to be accepted by Him. Because of sin, we cannot live up to His standard of perfection, and so sacrifices were offered to pay the debt of sin, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23a). Jesus came, lived a perfect life, meeting God's standard of perfection, and offered Himself as a final sacrifice to pay for all sin. The standard of acceptance by God is Christ. We do what is right by accepting His forgiveness as Savior, and submitting to Him as Lord. We strive to live as Christ live through the power of the resurrection, and allow God to lead our us and transform us, as He molds us into the image of Christ.
As we strive towards Christlikeness, we find ourselves being made acceptable to God because of Christ. However, if we do not pursue Christ, sin is waiting to to devour us, and apart from Christ it cannot be mastered. The mastery of sin is not found in our strength or effort, but in submission to Christ and striving after the standards of God. James 4.7-8 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
The only way to have mastery over sin is in submission to God. He has set the standard of what is right, and we are only able to pursue righteousness in Him. God is the standard.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Adam and Eve begin a family, and they have two sons, Cain and Abel. The boys grow, Cain becomes a farmer, Abel becomes a shepherd. In time, they bring an offering to God, Cain brings some of the fruit he has grown, and Abel brings an offering of the first born of his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, and Abel's is accepted by God. I don't know why this happens, and scholars are divided over the reason. In Leviticus grain offerings are shown to be acceptable to God, but for some reason, Cain's is not accepted. The only explanation given in the text is that Cain did not do what was right.
God has standards that must be lived by to be accepted by Him. Because of sin, we cannot live up to His standard of perfection, and so sacrifices were offered to pay the debt of sin, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23a). Jesus came, lived a perfect life, meeting God's standard of perfection, and offered Himself as a final sacrifice to pay for all sin. The standard of acceptance by God is Christ. We do what is right by accepting His forgiveness as Savior, and submitting to Him as Lord. We strive to live as Christ live through the power of the resurrection, and allow God to lead our us and transform us, as He molds us into the image of Christ.
As we strive towards Christlikeness, we find ourselves being made acceptable to God because of Christ. However, if we do not pursue Christ, sin is waiting to to devour us, and apart from Christ it cannot be mastered. The mastery of sin is not found in our strength or effort, but in submission to Christ and striving after the standards of God. James 4.7-8 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
The only way to have mastery over sin is in submission to God. He has set the standard of what is right, and we are only able to pursue righteousness in Him. God is the standard.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Hope
"And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." -Genesis 3.22-24
Man is justly banished from Eden, receiving the consequences of his disobedience, he is driven out of the paradise of Eden, and must work the ground outside in the untamed world. Once man is out, God stations cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree of life. Man will now die because of disobedience, but even in banishment and an armed guard, there is hope. God does not destroy the garden, and He does not cut down the tree of life.
Thousands of years later, Jesus would enter Jerusalem from the east. In another garden He would face the same temptation of Adam, and reject it choosing obedience to God. He would be nailed to a cross, becoming the tree of life, and in Him man can live forever. There are no cherubim guarding the cross, no flaming sword stands between man and the empty tomb.
God is a god of hope. He did not destroy the tree of life, just placed a guard before it until the price could be paid to access it again. Physical death is part of life, but in Christ, eternal life in paradise is freely given. We will struggle in this world, it has been damaged by sin, but the God of hope is bringing His creation to restoration. Man has access to the tree of life once again, and while he has the breath of life in his lungs, access will not be denied.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Man is justly banished from Eden, receiving the consequences of his disobedience, he is driven out of the paradise of Eden, and must work the ground outside in the untamed world. Once man is out, God stations cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree of life. Man will now die because of disobedience, but even in banishment and an armed guard, there is hope. God does not destroy the garden, and He does not cut down the tree of life.
Thousands of years later, Jesus would enter Jerusalem from the east. In another garden He would face the same temptation of Adam, and reject it choosing obedience to God. He would be nailed to a cross, becoming the tree of life, and in Him man can live forever. There are no cherubim guarding the cross, no flaming sword stands between man and the empty tomb.
God is a god of hope. He did not destroy the tree of life, just placed a guard before it until the price could be paid to access it again. Physical death is part of life, but in Christ, eternal life in paradise is freely given. We will struggle in this world, it has been damaged by sin, but the God of hope is bringing His creation to restoration. Man has access to the tree of life once again, and while he has the breath of life in his lungs, access will not be denied.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Justifyer
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." -Genesis 3.21
God is just, He deals with sin from every guilty party. But God is also the justifyer, He does the work of paying for sin. Romans 6.23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God must justly deal with sin, otherwise He is not a holy and righteous God. But because God is holy and righteous, He is the one who pays the price for sin. God does the dirty work that humanity is unable to do.
Adam and the woman, now named Eve, attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. When a leaf is pulled from the tree it begins to dry out and wither. The coverings that Adam and Eve made for themselves were a feeble, temporary, and ultimately ineffective solution. They were a band-aid on a deep wound that needed stitches. God steps in, and does for them what they cannot do for themselves.
God makes garments of skin, covering Adam and Eve with clothing that will last. I don't know how many of you have taken part in the hunting, field dressing, and skinning of an animal, but let me tell you, it is not the most pleasant process. Adam and Eve did not have the means to kill or skin an animal. They were unable to cover themselves with proper clothing, and so God did it. He did the dirty work. Adam and Eve could not deal with their sin, and so God made the sacrifice, one animal each, to cover the cost of their sin. Throughout the Bible, we'll see how the grace of God grows in the area of payment for sin, culminating in Jesus.
God is just, and as such, He must hold sinners accountable for their sin. Sin is serious, and the only payment that can cover sin, is death. This price is too high for humanity to pay, and so God the just, acts on behalf of man as justifyer. God does what only He is able to do. God steps in, and pays the price for man's sin.
For the last few days I've been listening to a song titled, Before the Throne of God Above (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUNywhsZPU)
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
God the just, the one who must condemn man for his sin, steps in as justifyer to redeem man from his sin.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God is just, He deals with sin from every guilty party. But God is also the justifyer, He does the work of paying for sin. Romans 6.23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God must justly deal with sin, otherwise He is not a holy and righteous God. But because God is holy and righteous, He is the one who pays the price for sin. God does the dirty work that humanity is unable to do.
Adam and the woman, now named Eve, attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. When a leaf is pulled from the tree it begins to dry out and wither. The coverings that Adam and Eve made for themselves were a feeble, temporary, and ultimately ineffective solution. They were a band-aid on a deep wound that needed stitches. God steps in, and does for them what they cannot do for themselves.
God makes garments of skin, covering Adam and Eve with clothing that will last. I don't know how many of you have taken part in the hunting, field dressing, and skinning of an animal, but let me tell you, it is not the most pleasant process. Adam and Eve did not have the means to kill or skin an animal. They were unable to cover themselves with proper clothing, and so God did it. He did the dirty work. Adam and Eve could not deal with their sin, and so God made the sacrifice, one animal each, to cover the cost of their sin. Throughout the Bible, we'll see how the grace of God grows in the area of payment for sin, culminating in Jesus.
God is just, and as such, He must hold sinners accountable for their sin. Sin is serious, and the only payment that can cover sin, is death. This price is too high for humanity to pay, and so God the just, acts on behalf of man as justifyer. God does what only He is able to do. God steps in, and pays the price for man's sin.
For the last few days I've been listening to a song titled, Before the Throne of God Above (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUNywhsZPU)
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
God the just, the one who must condemn man for his sin, steps in as justifyer to redeem man from his sin.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Prepared
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." -Genesis 3.15
Sin has entered the world through man's willful disobedience to God, but in spite of this, God is not caught off guard or taken by surprise. He does not fumble over His words, or rush around trying to figure out what to do now that everything comes crashing down. God is prepared, and as He is serving justice, He announces His plan for restoration.
As God is sentencing the serpent, He says that there will be enmity between the snake and the woman, and their offspring. He finishes by saying that the serpent will strike at the heel, but that he will have his head crushed. The enemy will inflict a devastating blow, but it will not be a blow of ultimate defeat, however, the head of the snake will be crushed, defeating it fully and completely.
In opening scene of The Passion of the Christ Jesus is praying in Gethsemane, and Satan shows up bringing discouragement. The clouds cover the moon, and Satan releases a snake which slithers towards Jesus who is on his face. Jesus rises, looks at the devil, and then crushes the head of the snake with his foot. When Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly, paying for sin, and rose from the grave, conquering death and Hell, the head of the enemy was crushed.
God is prepared. The instant everything fell apart, God set His plan in motion to restore everything. He told the enemy that day, "You have brought sin into My world, but you will not destroy My creation. You will have your moment, but I will be victorious." Sin entered the world through a man, and sin was defeated by the Son of Man.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Sin has entered the world through man's willful disobedience to God, but in spite of this, God is not caught off guard or taken by surprise. He does not fumble over His words, or rush around trying to figure out what to do now that everything comes crashing down. God is prepared, and as He is serving justice, He announces His plan for restoration.
As God is sentencing the serpent, He says that there will be enmity between the snake and the woman, and their offspring. He finishes by saying that the serpent will strike at the heel, but that he will have his head crushed. The enemy will inflict a devastating blow, but it will not be a blow of ultimate defeat, however, the head of the snake will be crushed, defeating it fully and completely.
In opening scene of The Passion of the Christ Jesus is praying in Gethsemane, and Satan shows up bringing discouragement. The clouds cover the moon, and Satan releases a snake which slithers towards Jesus who is on his face. Jesus rises, looks at the devil, and then crushes the head of the snake with his foot. When Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly, paying for sin, and rose from the grave, conquering death and Hell, the head of the enemy was crushed.
God is prepared. The instant everything fell apart, God set His plan in motion to restore everything. He told the enemy that day, "You have brought sin into My world, but you will not destroy My creation. You will have your moment, but I will be victorious." Sin entered the world through a man, and sin was defeated by the Son of Man.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, October 24, 2016
Just
"And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?' The man said, 'The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' Then the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said,'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'
So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'
To the woman he said, 'I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.'
To Adam he said, 'Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, "You must not eat from it," cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.'” -Genesis 3.11-19
Something has gone wrong, and God directly deals with it. He asks Adam a direct question, and Adam passes the blame to his wife. God asks her a a direct question, and again, she passes the blame. Now that God is at the bottom of the problem, He begins to deal with it and enforces justice. The serpent is cursed for his deception. He is cursed to drawl on his belly and eat dust, with enmity existing forever between man and snake, with the promise of ultimate defeat.
At first glance this seems like it should be the end of it. The serpent was the one who brought all of this about, it's his fault. Now that he has been punished, that should be the end of it, and that was probably the hope of passing the blame, as it is the hope of us today. But the tactic didn't work then, and it will not work when we each stand before God. God is just, and every act of disobedience will be dealt with. Every sin will be punished.
God dealt with the serpent, but now He turns to Adam and his wife. They knew God's command, His one rule, and they chose to break it. The language earlier in the chapter shows deliberate choice and action. The woman saw that it was good for food and for gaining knowledge, so she took and ate, and then gave some to Adam who was with her, and he ate. They had the choice, and they chose to disobey God, and the blame cannot be passed on.
To the woman, she will still give life, but it will be painful. She will have a desire for her husband, and he will rule her. No longer will their relationship exist as helpers, but as leader and follower. To Adam, for his failure to lead, and failure to fight for his wife, and all of creation, the ground is cursed. No longer is there the freedom to simply reach out to a tree and eat freely, now food comes by the sweat of his brow. His muscles will ache, his back will be sore. The final punishment is death. Disobedience is sin, and Romans 6 says that sin brings death.
God is just, and all who violate His commands will be punished. God cannot overlook sin because it is a violation of His character. Sin was not part of His design. Painful childbirth, dominion of people over each other, cursed ground, and difficult toil were not part of His creation. But God is just, and He must, and will deal with sin, all sin. There were no innocent parties in Genesis 3. The man was guilty, the woman was guilty, and the serpent was guilty, and God the just, dealt with all of them. And just as God dealt justly with their sin, He will deal justly with all sin.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'
To the woman he said, 'I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.'
To Adam he said, 'Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, "You must not eat from it," cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.'” -Genesis 3.11-19
Something has gone wrong, and God directly deals with it. He asks Adam a direct question, and Adam passes the blame to his wife. God asks her a a direct question, and again, she passes the blame. Now that God is at the bottom of the problem, He begins to deal with it and enforces justice. The serpent is cursed for his deception. He is cursed to drawl on his belly and eat dust, with enmity existing forever between man and snake, with the promise of ultimate defeat.
At first glance this seems like it should be the end of it. The serpent was the one who brought all of this about, it's his fault. Now that he has been punished, that should be the end of it, and that was probably the hope of passing the blame, as it is the hope of us today. But the tactic didn't work then, and it will not work when we each stand before God. God is just, and every act of disobedience will be dealt with. Every sin will be punished.
God dealt with the serpent, but now He turns to Adam and his wife. They knew God's command, His one rule, and they chose to break it. The language earlier in the chapter shows deliberate choice and action. The woman saw that it was good for food and for gaining knowledge, so she took and ate, and then gave some to Adam who was with her, and he ate. They had the choice, and they chose to disobey God, and the blame cannot be passed on.
To the woman, she will still give life, but it will be painful. She will have a desire for her husband, and he will rule her. No longer will their relationship exist as helpers, but as leader and follower. To Adam, for his failure to lead, and failure to fight for his wife, and all of creation, the ground is cursed. No longer is there the freedom to simply reach out to a tree and eat freely, now food comes by the sweat of his brow. His muscles will ache, his back will be sore. The final punishment is death. Disobedience is sin, and Romans 6 says that sin brings death.
God is just, and all who violate His commands will be punished. God cannot overlook sin because it is a violation of His character. Sin was not part of His design. Painful childbirth, dominion of people over each other, cursed ground, and difficult toil were not part of His creation. But God is just, and He must, and will deal with sin, all sin. There were no innocent parties in Genesis 3. The man was guilty, the woman was guilty, and the serpent was guilty, and God the just, dealt with all of them. And just as God dealt justly with their sin, He will deal justly with all sin.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, October 21, 2016
Direct
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.' And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'" -Genesis 3.8-11
God shows up for his walk in the garden with man, but they aren't anywhere in sight. God goes looking for them and calls out, "Where are you?" When God speaks, man answers, creation must answer at the call of the Creator. God knew where they were, they couldn't hide from Him, but as we've seen God does not force man to do anything, but dignifies him with the ability to choose. God calls, and man answers, explaining why he has hidden from Him. At this moment, God goes right to the point. He doesn't ask why, or how, but "Who told you? Have you eaten?"
When God deals with an issue, He does it directly. He doesn't beat around the bush, mumble, or avoid the issue, He goes right to the heart of the matter. He doesn't accuse man, or belittle him, but firmly asks the question that is at the heart of the matter. People like to play games, avoid awkward situations, and pass the blame to save their own skin (as we'll shortly see), but God doesn't work that way, you can't talk your way out of anything with God (again, as we'll soon see). When there is a problem, God gets to the bottom of it immediately, and deals with it directly.
God is not intimidated by anything or anyone. He is not afraid to ask a question, and when He does, He will be answered. When there is an issue, God doesn't put it off, He deals with it, and when God deals with an issue, He is direct and to the point.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God shows up for his walk in the garden with man, but they aren't anywhere in sight. God goes looking for them and calls out, "Where are you?" When God speaks, man answers, creation must answer at the call of the Creator. God knew where they were, they couldn't hide from Him, but as we've seen God does not force man to do anything, but dignifies him with the ability to choose. God calls, and man answers, explaining why he has hidden from Him. At this moment, God goes right to the point. He doesn't ask why, or how, but "Who told you? Have you eaten?"
When God deals with an issue, He does it directly. He doesn't beat around the bush, mumble, or avoid the issue, He goes right to the heart of the matter. He doesn't accuse man, or belittle him, but firmly asks the question that is at the heart of the matter. People like to play games, avoid awkward situations, and pass the blame to save their own skin (as we'll shortly see), but God doesn't work that way, you can't talk your way out of anything with God (again, as we'll soon see). When there is a problem, God gets to the bottom of it immediately, and deals with it directly.
God is not intimidated by anything or anyone. He is not afraid to ask a question, and when He does, He will be answered. When there is an issue, God doesn't put it off, He deals with it, and when God deals with an issue, He is direct and to the point.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Personal
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'" -Genesis 3.7-10
Adam and Eve have disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. For the first time they feel shame and cover themselves. For the first time they feel fear and hide. These emotions that God never created or intended for humanity to experience now drive human action, causing him to distance himself both from others, and from God. Man realizes his nakedness and covers himself, then he hears God walking in the garden and hides.
I don't believe this is the first time God waked in the garden. I feel like this was a frequent occurrence, God created man to fellowship with and worship Him; to be in relationship with Him. I believe that daily, God would meet with man, and walk among the trees of the garden in the cool of the day. There is a belief system known as Deism, which says God created the universe, He set the world in motion, but then backed off letting it function on its own. This belief system says God exits, but that He is uninvovled with the day to day happenings of earth. But this is not the image that is presented in Genesis, or the rest of the Bible.
God is personal. Look at what has happened up to this point. God spoke and created the world and everything in it, at the end of each day declaring it good. He formed man, intentionally crafting him from the dust of the ground, and then breathed into him the breath of life. God created a helper for man so that he would not be alone, and then He shows up in the cool of the day to walk with man. The Old Testament is full of accounts of God intervening on behalf of His people, and the New Testament begins with four accounts of God becoming man to walk the dusty roads of Israel, and sacrifice Himself on a cross to save humanity. How does that sound like an univovled and distant Creator?
God is personal. He created us for fellowship and intimacy with Him, and our acts of disobedience push Him away. But God is always walking in the cool of the day, calling out to us, inviting us to come and walk with Him.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Adam and Eve have disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. For the first time they feel shame and cover themselves. For the first time they feel fear and hide. These emotions that God never created or intended for humanity to experience now drive human action, causing him to distance himself both from others, and from God. Man realizes his nakedness and covers himself, then he hears God walking in the garden and hides.
I don't believe this is the first time God waked in the garden. I feel like this was a frequent occurrence, God created man to fellowship with and worship Him; to be in relationship with Him. I believe that daily, God would meet with man, and walk among the trees of the garden in the cool of the day. There is a belief system known as Deism, which says God created the universe, He set the world in motion, but then backed off letting it function on its own. This belief system says God exits, but that He is uninvovled with the day to day happenings of earth. But this is not the image that is presented in Genesis, or the rest of the Bible.
God is personal. Look at what has happened up to this point. God spoke and created the world and everything in it, at the end of each day declaring it good. He formed man, intentionally crafting him from the dust of the ground, and then breathed into him the breath of life. God created a helper for man so that he would not be alone, and then He shows up in the cool of the day to walk with man. The Old Testament is full of accounts of God intervening on behalf of His people, and the New Testament begins with four accounts of God becoming man to walk the dusty roads of Israel, and sacrifice Himself on a cross to save humanity. How does that sound like an univovled and distant Creator?
God is personal. He created us for fellowship and intimacy with Him, and our acts of disobedience push Him away. But God is always walking in the cool of the day, calling out to us, inviting us to come and walk with Him.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Best Option
"The woman said to the serpent, 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die."' The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' He said, 'I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'" -Genesis 3.2-10
As Genesis 3 progresses, the enemy continues to twist and corrupt what God has made good. The words, and intentions of God are twisted to make God seem like the less desirable option, and that He is withholding something good from His creation. God's character is called into question, Satan makes Him out to seem a liar. The evil one took what God had forbidden, and made it the focus of desire, and when Adam and Eve chose the opposite of God, everything fell apart.
As they ate, their eyes were opened, and they became aware of their nakedness, and the first thing they did was cover themselves. Now there is shame, now there is something to hide. Vulnerability leads to fear, and fear creates the need to cover up and hide. God did not create fear, or shame. In God's original design there was nothing to hide from or cover up. These feelings and responses are the result of God's creation being twisted and corrupted.
God made a paradise, and in that paradise there was one simple rule, don't eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. The option was to enjoy God, and the bountiful creation He had made them, think about that for a second. Every fruit tree in creation is at their disposal, and they choose to stand right next to the only one that has negative consequences. In reality are we really any different? The forbidden draws us to it, because we believe we're missing out on something, but it's forbidden for a reason.
God gave options so that creation could freely choose Him. With Him is life, peace, openness, and shameless enjoyment of the world. Apart from Him is death, shame, deception and secrecy. With God is His presence and company, apart from Him, we must hide out of fear. The way that God has made is the way of life and purpose, apart from Him is the endless pursuit of meaning that leaves emptiness and unquenchable desire. We are given options, and the best option is God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
As Genesis 3 progresses, the enemy continues to twist and corrupt what God has made good. The words, and intentions of God are twisted to make God seem like the less desirable option, and that He is withholding something good from His creation. God's character is called into question, Satan makes Him out to seem a liar. The evil one took what God had forbidden, and made it the focus of desire, and when Adam and Eve chose the opposite of God, everything fell apart.
As they ate, their eyes were opened, and they became aware of their nakedness, and the first thing they did was cover themselves. Now there is shame, now there is something to hide. Vulnerability leads to fear, and fear creates the need to cover up and hide. God did not create fear, or shame. In God's original design there was nothing to hide from or cover up. These feelings and responses are the result of God's creation being twisted and corrupted.
God made a paradise, and in that paradise there was one simple rule, don't eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. The option was to enjoy God, and the bountiful creation He had made them, think about that for a second. Every fruit tree in creation is at their disposal, and they choose to stand right next to the only one that has negative consequences. In reality are we really any different? The forbidden draws us to it, because we believe we're missing out on something, but it's forbidden for a reason.
God gave options so that creation could freely choose Him. With Him is life, peace, openness, and shameless enjoyment of the world. Apart from Him is death, shame, deception and secrecy. With God is His presence and company, apart from Him, we must hide out of fear. The way that God has made is the way of life and purpose, apart from Him is the endless pursuit of meaning that leaves emptiness and unquenchable desire. We are given options, and the best option is God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Sole Creator
"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'" -Genesis 2.25-3.1
Everything God makes is good. At the end of each day of creation He looks at what He has made and declares it good. When He finishes all of creation, He looks at it and declares it very good. There is no fault, and no shame in God's design. The man and his wife are both naked, uncovered, and vulnerable, and there is no shame in them. They have nothing to hide from each other, or from God, and they are free to enjoy the goodness of both creation and Creator. God only makes that which is good. Then we get to Genesis 3.
The serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. God made the serpent, and Satan uses it for his own purpose. The devil does not have the power to create, that power is God's alone. All the evil one can do is take what God has made and twist and corrupt it. Satan uses a serpent to tempt humanity; he twists nudity into pornography. Food becomes an object of gluttony, and the world becomes an object for man to posses and abuse. Satan only takes and twists God's creation, he cannot create.
God is the sole creator, the power to bring something from nothing rests with Him alone. Everything He makes is good.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Everything God makes is good. At the end of each day of creation He looks at what He has made and declares it good. When He finishes all of creation, He looks at it and declares it very good. There is no fault, and no shame in God's design. The man and his wife are both naked, uncovered, and vulnerable, and there is no shame in them. They have nothing to hide from each other, or from God, and they are free to enjoy the goodness of both creation and Creator. God only makes that which is good. Then we get to Genesis 3.
The serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. God made the serpent, and Satan uses it for his own purpose. The devil does not have the power to create, that power is God's alone. All the evil one can do is take what God has made and twist and corrupt it. Satan uses a serpent to tempt humanity; he twists nudity into pornography. Food becomes an object of gluttony, and the world becomes an object for man to posses and abuse. Satan only takes and twists God's creation, he cannot create.
God is the sole creator, the power to bring something from nothing rests with Him alone. Everything He makes is good.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, October 14, 2016
Relational
"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.' Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man." -Genesis 2.18-22
God makes man from the dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of life. The man is placed in Eden and is provided with food. He is charged with the care of creation. Man has life, his needs are met, and he has a mission to accomplish, and yet it is incomplete. God says that it is not good for the man to be alone. He has the animals, which means he had a dog, but even the companionship of man's best friend is not suitable. God causes the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he sleeps God removes part of Him and forms it into something else.
The Hebrew word is tsela and only here is it translated as "rib". A more accurate translation would be "side", God took a side of man, and formed it into a woman. Men and women are different, they are unique, but both bear the image of God. These differences display different attributes of the nature of God, and together, in relationship, man and woman can present the full image of God. God created men and women to be together, bringing their differing strengths and natures together to be able to care for creation and represent God.
In Genesis 1, God said, "Let Us ... in Our", this language shows community and relationship as an essential part of God, and man made in His image is made for relationships. Man was made for us and our. When God made man he was alone, and God saw that it was not good, so He took part of what He had made, and made something else to make it good. God makes woman, and brings her to the man so that they may enjoy relationship and serve together.
God is relational, and He created man for relationships.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God makes man from the dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of life. The man is placed in Eden and is provided with food. He is charged with the care of creation. Man has life, his needs are met, and he has a mission to accomplish, and yet it is incomplete. God says that it is not good for the man to be alone. He has the animals, which means he had a dog, but even the companionship of man's best friend is not suitable. God causes the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he sleeps God removes part of Him and forms it into something else.
The Hebrew word is tsela and only here is it translated as "rib". A more accurate translation would be "side", God took a side of man, and formed it into a woman. Men and women are different, they are unique, but both bear the image of God. These differences display different attributes of the nature of God, and together, in relationship, man and woman can present the full image of God. God created men and women to be together, bringing their differing strengths and natures together to be able to care for creation and represent God.
In Genesis 1, God said, "Let Us ... in Our", this language shows community and relationship as an essential part of God, and man made in His image is made for relationships. Man was made for us and our. When God made man he was alone, and God saw that it was not good, so He took part of what He had made, and made something else to make it good. God makes woman, and brings her to the man so that they may enjoy relationship and serve together.
God is relational, and He created man for relationships.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Choices
"The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.... Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'" -Genesis 2.8-9, 15-17
God makes man, and then God creates a place for Him. God plants a garden, and out of the ground He causes every fruit bearing tree to grow. I've shared that I garden, or rather try to. One of my ambitions in life is to get a piece of land and plant as much variety as I can. Currently on my little half acre I have apples, plums, gogi berries, raspberries, blue berries, pine berries, strawberries, peaches and pawpaws, not bad, but nothing compared to what I'm longing to be able to do. I hope the plans I have are able to come to fruition, but even if they do, they will pale in comparison to God's garden. Imagine the variety of fruit in God's garden, there were fruits there that don't exist anymore. Imagine the taste of fruit that had never been touched by sin. God made a paradise for man, and He placed man in it with the charge to take care of it.
God gave man an amazing place to live, provided for His every need, and entrusted it to His care. He lays out a path for man to walk, and that plan is perfect. But God is not a tyrannical dictator, He doesn't force man to walk this path, He gives him a choice.
In the garden God puts every fruit bearing plant, and among them are two specific trees, the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good an evil. God gives man the rule of the garden with one simple rule, don't eat from this one tree. Man had the entire garden to live in, he didn't ever have to go near the one forbidden tree, but it had to be there. God made man with the ability to freely choose, so that man could freely choose to love Him. Love that has no other option isn't real love. If there is only one choice, the choice is meaningless. It is only with options that a decision has meaningful significance.
God could have forced man to follow and obey Him. He could have given man no option to choose anything but Him, but that is not the character of God. God forces no one, He gives them a choice, and tells them the result of each decision, and man is free to decide which path to take. God boldly gives man the ability to reject Him, so that choosing Him is genuine, and the blessings of that choice are more fully enjoyable.
God allows man to choose.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God makes man, and then God creates a place for Him. God plants a garden, and out of the ground He causes every fruit bearing tree to grow. I've shared that I garden, or rather try to. One of my ambitions in life is to get a piece of land and plant as much variety as I can. Currently on my little half acre I have apples, plums, gogi berries, raspberries, blue berries, pine berries, strawberries, peaches and pawpaws, not bad, but nothing compared to what I'm longing to be able to do. I hope the plans I have are able to come to fruition, but even if they do, they will pale in comparison to God's garden. Imagine the variety of fruit in God's garden, there were fruits there that don't exist anymore. Imagine the taste of fruit that had never been touched by sin. God made a paradise for man, and He placed man in it with the charge to take care of it.
God gave man an amazing place to live, provided for His every need, and entrusted it to His care. He lays out a path for man to walk, and that plan is perfect. But God is not a tyrannical dictator, He doesn't force man to walk this path, He gives him a choice.
In the garden God puts every fruit bearing plant, and among them are two specific trees, the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good an evil. God gives man the rule of the garden with one simple rule, don't eat from this one tree. Man had the entire garden to live in, he didn't ever have to go near the one forbidden tree, but it had to be there. God made man with the ability to freely choose, so that man could freely choose to love Him. Love that has no other option isn't real love. If there is only one choice, the choice is meaningless. It is only with options that a decision has meaningful significance.
God could have forced man to follow and obey Him. He could have given man no option to choose anything but Him, but that is not the character of God. God forces no one, He gives them a choice, and tells them the result of each decision, and man is free to decide which path to take. God boldly gives man the ability to reject Him, so that choosing Him is genuine, and the blessings of that choice are more fully enjoyable.
God allows man to choose.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Life Giver
"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." -Genesis 2.7
Genesis 2 takes the creation of man to a deeper level. In Genesis 1 we are told that God made man in His image and sets him to care for the rest of creation. Genesis 2 tells how God created man. God did not speak and man came into being, He formed him from the dust of the ground. The Hebrew word is yatsar, and it means to form, fashion or frame. God made man, He gave Him shaped and structure. In other passages, yatsar is translated as "potter", the hands of God worked the dust of the ground into the shape of man, but at this point, man was still a pile of dirt. The life giver had made the body, but had not yet animated it.
God breathed into man the breath of life, and at that instant, man became a living being. His lungs filled with air, his heart began to beat, his brain began to fire messages to his arms and legs. For the first time his muscles flexed and his toes wiggled. When the breath of life entered man, man came alive.
The Jews would not say the name of God, Yahweh, because they believed it was unpronounceable and sacred. There has been teaching that the name of God is the sound of our breathing, that every breath declares the name God, and that we only begin to live when we begin to say the name of God, and when we can no longer say the name of God we die. God is life, His name is life giving. In order for man to live, He must declare the name of God.
Life is only found in God, because only God is the life giver. Only God can take a pile of dust, form it into man, and make it live. Man has made some amazing sculptures out of stone over the centuries, they are the form of man, but not living. Man can form, but not give life. God made man, and then God made man live. God is the life giver.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Genesis 2 takes the creation of man to a deeper level. In Genesis 1 we are told that God made man in His image and sets him to care for the rest of creation. Genesis 2 tells how God created man. God did not speak and man came into being, He formed him from the dust of the ground. The Hebrew word is yatsar, and it means to form, fashion or frame. God made man, He gave Him shaped and structure. In other passages, yatsar is translated as "potter", the hands of God worked the dust of the ground into the shape of man, but at this point, man was still a pile of dirt. The life giver had made the body, but had not yet animated it.
God breathed into man the breath of life, and at that instant, man became a living being. His lungs filled with air, his heart began to beat, his brain began to fire messages to his arms and legs. For the first time his muscles flexed and his toes wiggled. When the breath of life entered man, man came alive.
The Jews would not say the name of God, Yahweh, because they believed it was unpronounceable and sacred. There has been teaching that the name of God is the sound of our breathing, that every breath declares the name God, and that we only begin to live when we begin to say the name of God, and when we can no longer say the name of God we die. God is life, His name is life giving. In order for man to live, He must declare the name of God.
Life is only found in God, because only God is the life giver. Only God can take a pile of dust, form it into man, and make it live. Man has made some amazing sculptures out of stone over the centuries, they are the form of man, but not living. Man can form, but not give life. God made man, and then God made man live. God is the life giver.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, October 7, 2016
Example
"By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." -Genesis 2.2-3
Creation is complete, and God rests. It is not that God is tired, it is not that He needs a break to recharge. God rests in order to set an example for how He created man to function. God created the world and everything in it in six days, the seventh day was unnecessary for creation, and yet God gives it to man, and Genesis 2.3 says that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day. God sets it apart as holy, for the specific purpose of allowing man to rest and recharge from the work that has been done in the previous six days. The seventh day is a gift from God for our benefit.
Man was made to work, because man is made in the image of God, and God works. Man was made to rest, because man is made in the image of God, and God rested. There is an order to creation that man is made to function by, and God sets the example for how the flow of that order. By God's authority that order is established, and the purpose of each part of creation is carried out. Man is given six days in a week to tend to the earth, caring for God's creation, and a seventh day to tend to himself.
Isaiah 40.28-31 states, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
God doesn't rest because He needs it, as Isaiah clearly tells us. God rested to set an example for man. The seventh day was blessed so that man could rest, and refresh himself in God. The seventh day is a blessing so that man can draw strength from God in order to complete the work that he is charged to do. The example God sets is to complete the work at hand, and then rest. That is the cycle that God created, and intended man to function by. God sets the example for man to follow.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Creation is complete, and God rests. It is not that God is tired, it is not that He needs a break to recharge. God rests in order to set an example for how He created man to function. God created the world and everything in it in six days, the seventh day was unnecessary for creation, and yet God gives it to man, and Genesis 2.3 says that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day. God sets it apart as holy, for the specific purpose of allowing man to rest and recharge from the work that has been done in the previous six days. The seventh day is a gift from God for our benefit.
Man was made to work, because man is made in the image of God, and God works. Man was made to rest, because man is made in the image of God, and God rested. There is an order to creation that man is made to function by, and God sets the example for how the flow of that order. By God's authority that order is established, and the purpose of each part of creation is carried out. Man is given six days in a week to tend to the earth, caring for God's creation, and a seventh day to tend to himself.
Isaiah 40.28-31 states, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
God doesn't rest because He needs it, as Isaiah clearly tells us. God rested to set an example for man. The seventh day was blessed so that man could rest, and refresh himself in God. The seventh day is a blessing so that man can draw strength from God in order to complete the work that he is charged to do. The example God sets is to complete the work at hand, and then rest. That is the cycle that God created, and intended man to function by. God sets the example for man to follow.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Complete
"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done," -Genesis 2.1-2a
Everything is done, it is complete. It is finished. This is the only way God works. When God starts something He sees it through to completion. The earth is not half done because God got distracted by something shiny. The universe is not incomplete because God got bored or busy part way through the job. God began this good work, and He was it through to completion. Everything God does, He sees through to completion.
Sin entered and corrupted God's good creation, and God is working now to defeat sin and eradicate it. He began immediately to deal with the issue. As His work progressed, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay for sin, and declared "It is finished." As He prayed in Gethsemane He said, "I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." (John 17.4) The book of Revelation tells of the final victory over sin, when the work of restoration will be completed.
Anything God starts, He finishes. That is why Paul said in Philippians 1.6, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God's work of restoration includes YOU. God will not leave the work in you incomplete. The good work that He is doing in your life, He will see through to the end.
God is a god of completion. Everything He starts, He finishes, and it is very good.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Everything is done, it is complete. It is finished. This is the only way God works. When God starts something He sees it through to completion. The earth is not half done because God got distracted by something shiny. The universe is not incomplete because God got bored or busy part way through the job. God began this good work, and He was it through to completion. Everything God does, He sees through to completion.
Sin entered and corrupted God's good creation, and God is working now to defeat sin and eradicate it. He began immediately to deal with the issue. As His work progressed, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay for sin, and declared "It is finished." As He prayed in Gethsemane He said, "I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." (John 17.4) The book of Revelation tells of the final victory over sin, when the work of restoration will be completed.
Anything God starts, He finishes. That is why Paul said in Philippians 1.6, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God's work of restoration includes YOU. God will not leave the work in you incomplete. The good work that He is doing in your life, He will see through to the end.
God is a god of completion. Everything He starts, He finishes, and it is very good.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Good
"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." -Genesis 1.31
Day six is the culmination of creation. Up until this point, at the end of each day, God looked at the work of the day and saw that it was good, but here, at the end of day six, God looks at the whole of creation. He looks at all that He has made, light, the sea and sky, land and plants, birds and fish, sun, moon and stars, animals and people, and declares that the whole of creation is very good. Yes, man is the finishing touch and he bears the image of God, but man is still part of the creation, and here God declares the whole of creation very good because it is complete.
Jesus said in Matthew 7.17-20, "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." In Genesis 1, we see that God is good. Everything that comes out of His mouth is good. God is only capable of producing that which is good because He is good, and as Jesus said, a good tree can only bear good fruit.
God is only capable of producing that which is good. In English, the dictionary definition for good is "morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious". It is perfection. The word in Hebrew is towb, and it conveys this same meaning. Here the words "it was very" is the Hebrew mehode and means exceedingly. The whole of God's creation is exceedingly perfect. When we say that God is good, we are saying that God is perfect in every way. There is no fault or flaw in Him, and because that is His character, everything that He produces shares the quality of perfection of its Creator.
The concluding words of Genesis 1 tells the reader that God is good.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Day six is the culmination of creation. Up until this point, at the end of each day, God looked at the work of the day and saw that it was good, but here, at the end of day six, God looks at the whole of creation. He looks at all that He has made, light, the sea and sky, land and plants, birds and fish, sun, moon and stars, animals and people, and declares that the whole of creation is very good. Yes, man is the finishing touch and he bears the image of God, but man is still part of the creation, and here God declares the whole of creation very good because it is complete.
Jesus said in Matthew 7.17-20, "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." In Genesis 1, we see that God is good. Everything that comes out of His mouth is good. God is only capable of producing that which is good because He is good, and as Jesus said, a good tree can only bear good fruit.
God is only capable of producing that which is good. In English, the dictionary definition for good is "morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious". It is perfection. The word in Hebrew is towb, and it conveys this same meaning. Here the words "it was very" is the Hebrew mehode and means exceedingly. The whole of God's creation is exceedingly perfect. When we say that God is good, we are saying that God is perfect in every way. There is no fault or flaw in Him, and because that is His character, everything that He produces shares the quality of perfection of its Creator.
The concluding words of Genesis 1 tells the reader that God is good.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Provider
"Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food'; and it was so." -Genesis 1.29-30
The final act of creation, man, has been set to tend the earth, but God does not leave them to fend for themselves. God looks at man, and tells him that He has provided sustenance for his well being. Every plant and fruit tree that bears seeds is at man's use. God created the fruit for man to enjoy and be strengthened from, so that he could fulfill the purpose God created him for.
God is the provider, and not just for man, but for the animals as well. God cares about all of His creation, and so He provides for their needs as well. God values life, and no life is to be taken for food. The only eating that takes place results in new life beginning. Every apple that is eaten results in the seeds being freed for planting. This cycle reveals God's unending provision.
God will provide for the needs of His creation.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
The final act of creation, man, has been set to tend the earth, but God does not leave them to fend for themselves. God looks at man, and tells him that He has provided sustenance for his well being. Every plant and fruit tree that bears seeds is at man's use. God created the fruit for man to enjoy and be strengthened from, so that he could fulfill the purpose God created him for.
God is the provider, and not just for man, but for the animals as well. God cares about all of His creation, and so He provides for their needs as well. God values life, and no life is to be taken for food. The only eating that takes place results in new life beginning. Every apple that is eaten results in the seeds being freed for planting. This cycle reveals God's unending provision.
God will provide for the needs of His creation.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, October 3, 2016
Representative
"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" -Genesis 1.26-28
As the initial work of creation wraps, God places His representative on earth. God makes man in His own image, and places him to steward and care for the rest of His creation. "The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it." Psalm 24.1 declares. This world is God's. Every plant, animal, and person belongs to Him. And God has entrusted the world to the care of humans.
God makes man so that man can represent Him as he cares for creation. Man is made in the image of God, male and female, so that together they can show the rest of creation what God is like. He charges man to this end, instructing Him to explore, enjoy, and care for the world He has made. God makes His world, and then makes man to represent Him. Man exists to show creation who God is. Man exists for God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
As the initial work of creation wraps, God places His representative on earth. God makes man in His own image, and places him to steward and care for the rest of His creation. "The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it." Psalm 24.1 declares. This world is God's. Every plant, animal, and person belongs to Him. And God has entrusted the world to the care of humans.
God makes man so that man can represent Him as he cares for creation. Man is made in the image of God, male and female, so that together they can show the rest of creation what God is like. He charges man to this end, instructing Him to explore, enjoy, and care for the world He has made. God makes His world, and then makes man to represent Him. Man exists to show creation who God is. Man exists for God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Variety
"Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind'; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good." -Genesis 1.24-25
The sun shines on the trees, as birds soar through the sky, and fish swim in the sea. While the creation to this point is amazing, God is not done yet. The sea and air are full, but the land is not, and so God speaks again, and the animals that fill the earth are created. Everything from elephants to ants is formed. Lions and dinosaurs, zebras and cows (that thought makes me smile, there were cows in the Garden of Eden), dogs and elk, squirrels and orangutans (that's one of my favorite words).
The shear number of animals is amazing. Think of all the types of bears there are. Now think about all the big cats. How many species of dogs are there? There are thousands of mammals, and nearly one million insects in the world,* and these numbers don't include the undiscovered or the extinct species. It's estimated that more than five billion species, 99% of all the species that have ever lived, are now extinct.** Think about that, the amazing variety of life on this earth (including plants, birds, and fish, as well as the animals created on day six), is only 1% of God's original creation.
God is infinitely creative, and that creativity results in wondrous variety. God is not boring, He thought up the platypus and the ostrich. He gave elephants trunks and moose antlers. He made horses run and kangaroos jump. With infinite creativity comes wondrous variety, and each species is unique, made according to its own kind. That is how God made the animals, in wondrous variety.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0934288.html
**Stearns, Beverly Peterson; Stearns, S. C.; Stearns, Stephen C. (2000). Watching, from the Edge of Extinction. Yale University Press. p. 1921. ISBN 978-0-300-08469-6.
The sun shines on the trees, as birds soar through the sky, and fish swim in the sea. While the creation to this point is amazing, God is not done yet. The sea and air are full, but the land is not, and so God speaks again, and the animals that fill the earth are created. Everything from elephants to ants is formed. Lions and dinosaurs, zebras and cows (that thought makes me smile, there were cows in the Garden of Eden), dogs and elk, squirrels and orangutans (that's one of my favorite words).
The shear number of animals is amazing. Think of all the types of bears there are. Now think about all the big cats. How many species of dogs are there? There are thousands of mammals, and nearly one million insects in the world,* and these numbers don't include the undiscovered or the extinct species. It's estimated that more than five billion species, 99% of all the species that have ever lived, are now extinct.** Think about that, the amazing variety of life on this earth (including plants, birds, and fish, as well as the animals created on day six), is only 1% of God's original creation.
God is infinitely creative, and that creativity results in wondrous variety. God is not boring, He thought up the platypus and the ostrich. He gave elephants trunks and moose antlers. He made horses run and kangaroos jump. With infinite creativity comes wondrous variety, and each species is unique, made according to its own kind. That is how God made the animals, in wondrous variety.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0934288.html
**Stearns, Beverly Peterson; Stearns, S. C.; Stearns, Stephen C. (2000). Watching, from the Edge of Extinction. Yale University Press. p. 1921. ISBN 978-0-300-08469-6.
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