"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
Thursday, October 13, 2016
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.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Creative
"Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.' God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.' There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." -Genesis 1.20-23
Creation continues, God continues to speak and the words of His mouth continue to be obeyed. The earth is full of plants, the sky is full of stars, and day five, God fills the sea and the air with fish and birds. Each one is unique, and the creation of the first animals shows God infinite creativity.
I did a quick google search, and there are nearly 10,000 known species of birds in the world, that doesn't include all of the extinct varieties, or the ones deep in the rain forest that no one has discovered. God said "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures", this goes beyond fish. Whales, shellfish, turtles, krill, sea horses, even the microbes. There are over 17,000 species living in the depths of the oceans where no light reaches, and in a single liter of sea water there are 38,000 different microbes. Estimates greatly vary, but some experts say that the most explored region of the oceans, the coast to 65 feet deep, could contain up to ten million different species.* And all of these originated from a few words from the mouth of God.
During the summer, put out a bird feeder and look at the variety of birds that show up in your own backyard (no the brown fluffy thing with the bushy tail doesn't count). Do a google image search of fish, if that doesn't blow your mind, try searching tropical fish, or sea life. And remember, that the pictures available only show the ones we're aware of.
God is infinitely creative. The life contained in the sky and the oceans of our own planet show that. If you need further convincing, go back one day of creation, and do a google image search of the universe, or two days back and search flowers. Everything on this planet originated from the mouth of God. The gentle sound of water falling over rocks and the booming clap of thunder. The brilliant flash of lighting and the breathtaking colors of a sunset. The scent of a rose and the taste of strawberries. The way gills of a fish work and how birds are able to fly. All of these amazing things came from the words spoken by God who is infinitely creative.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://ocean.si.edu/census-marine-life
Creation continues, God continues to speak and the words of His mouth continue to be obeyed. The earth is full of plants, the sky is full of stars, and day five, God fills the sea and the air with fish and birds. Each one is unique, and the creation of the first animals shows God infinite creativity.
I did a quick google search, and there are nearly 10,000 known species of birds in the world, that doesn't include all of the extinct varieties, or the ones deep in the rain forest that no one has discovered. God said "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures", this goes beyond fish. Whales, shellfish, turtles, krill, sea horses, even the microbes. There are over 17,000 species living in the depths of the oceans where no light reaches, and in a single liter of sea water there are 38,000 different microbes. Estimates greatly vary, but some experts say that the most explored region of the oceans, the coast to 65 feet deep, could contain up to ten million different species.* And all of these originated from a few words from the mouth of God.
During the summer, put out a bird feeder and look at the variety of birds that show up in your own backyard (no the brown fluffy thing with the bushy tail doesn't count). Do a google image search of fish, if that doesn't blow your mind, try searching tropical fish, or sea life. And remember, that the pictures available only show the ones we're aware of.
God is infinitely creative. The life contained in the sky and the oceans of our own planet show that. If you need further convincing, go back one day of creation, and do a google image search of the universe, or two days back and search flowers. Everything on this planet originated from the mouth of God. The gentle sound of water falling over rocks and the booming clap of thunder. The brilliant flash of lighting and the breathtaking colors of a sunset. The scent of a rose and the taste of strawberries. The way gills of a fish work and how birds are able to fly. All of these amazing things came from the words spoken by God who is infinitely creative.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://ocean.si.edu/census-marine-life
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Purpose
"Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day." -Genesis 1.14-19
As creation progresses, God continues to bring order and to show his authority. He has made light, and now He contains it in a source. He makes the sun, the moon, and the stars, and in doing so, He creates the seasons and years with the earths revolution around the sun, days with the earths rotation on it's axis. He makes these lights to illuminate the earth, the sun fully by day, and the moon and starts partially by night, so that darkness will never dominate.
With the fourth day of creation, we see that God makes everything with a purpose. The earth rotates so that days occur. If the earth did not rotate, one side would be a scorching desert, while the other would be a dark frozen wasteland. The moon is created, and we now know that it reflects light from the sun, to give light at night. The stars are there, and by them people can navigate where they are in the world. There is a point to everything in creation, and ultimately that point is to glorify God.
Louie Giglio gave two talks years ago, Indescribable* and How Great is our God**, and in them he talks about the stars, and how they exist to give God glory. In the beginning, God said "Let there be light" and there was light. It came from the mouth of God, and Revelation 21 and 22 tells us that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no sun or moon because the glory of God illuminates the inhabitants of the city. The sun, moon, and stars, serve as a reminder of God. They are not God, and they should not be worshiped, prayed to, or sought for the future, but as God's creation, they reveal and remind us of who God is. The sun gives light, warmth and comfort. At the same time it is powerful and dangerous, too long under it's rays, and your skin will burn. The moon gives light to the darkness by gently reflecting the light of the sun. The stars remain constant and can lead a lost sailor or traveler home. God is warm and comforting, but He is also powerful and dangerous. God is gentle, reaching into the darkness, and God is constant and unchanging.
The Sun, the moon, and the stars, declare the glory of God. That is their purpose.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvNs8IrfKWk
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFFc20_Ub4
As creation progresses, God continues to bring order and to show his authority. He has made light, and now He contains it in a source. He makes the sun, the moon, and the stars, and in doing so, He creates the seasons and years with the earths revolution around the sun, days with the earths rotation on it's axis. He makes these lights to illuminate the earth, the sun fully by day, and the moon and starts partially by night, so that darkness will never dominate.
With the fourth day of creation, we see that God makes everything with a purpose. The earth rotates so that days occur. If the earth did not rotate, one side would be a scorching desert, while the other would be a dark frozen wasteland. The moon is created, and we now know that it reflects light from the sun, to give light at night. The stars are there, and by them people can navigate where they are in the world. There is a point to everything in creation, and ultimately that point is to glorify God.
Louie Giglio gave two talks years ago, Indescribable* and How Great is our God**, and in them he talks about the stars, and how they exist to give God glory. In the beginning, God said "Let there be light" and there was light. It came from the mouth of God, and Revelation 21 and 22 tells us that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no sun or moon because the glory of God illuminates the inhabitants of the city. The sun, moon, and stars, serve as a reminder of God. They are not God, and they should not be worshiped, prayed to, or sought for the future, but as God's creation, they reveal and remind us of who God is. The sun gives light, warmth and comfort. At the same time it is powerful and dangerous, too long under it's rays, and your skin will burn. The moon gives light to the darkness by gently reflecting the light of the sun. The stars remain constant and can lead a lost sailor or traveler home. God is warm and comforting, but He is also powerful and dangerous. God is gentle, reaching into the darkness, and God is constant and unchanging.
The Sun, the moon, and the stars, declare the glory of God. That is their purpose.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvNs8IrfKWk
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFFc20_Ub4
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Life
"Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them'; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day." -Genesis 1.9-13
As the creation progresses, God continues to bring order and show His authority, and the use of His authority continues to bring about greater and more complex things. The second day of creation God separates the waters, making the sky, and at the beginning of day three He commands the waters to be gathered into a place and for dry land to appear. At His command the waters become seas, and for the first time the continents appear on the earth. But that isn't where God stops.
Once there is dry land, God begins to fill it. He commands vegetation, plants and fruit trees to come forth and it happens. Think of the creativity this shows. God simply said vegetation, plants, and fruit trees. He doesn't specify anything, but from the words of His mouth come apples and oranges, raspberries and blue berries, plums and peaches. At a single word, oaks, pines, and maples appear, along with cacti and palm trees. Roses and lilies, tomatoes and green beans, all of them come from the mouth of God.
Over the past few years I've really gotten into gardening, and as I have, I've noticed something about this passage that I hadn't before. God does not simply create the plants, but plants the produce seeds. He creates a way for life to continue and spread. I once heard the question, "How many apples are in an apple seed?" Within a single seed is the potential for a tree, and that one tree has the potential to produce countless apples over decades, maybe centuries. Within each apple are more seeds, each one containing a tree that will produce countless apples. That was God's design, ongoing life.
When God creates life, He does it in a way that allows that life to create more life. Death and barrenness are not part of His design. God is a god of life.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
As the creation progresses, God continues to bring order and show His authority, and the use of His authority continues to bring about greater and more complex things. The second day of creation God separates the waters, making the sky, and at the beginning of day three He commands the waters to be gathered into a place and for dry land to appear. At His command the waters become seas, and for the first time the continents appear on the earth. But that isn't where God stops.
Once there is dry land, God begins to fill it. He commands vegetation, plants and fruit trees to come forth and it happens. Think of the creativity this shows. God simply said vegetation, plants, and fruit trees. He doesn't specify anything, but from the words of His mouth come apples and oranges, raspberries and blue berries, plums and peaches. At a single word, oaks, pines, and maples appear, along with cacti and palm trees. Roses and lilies, tomatoes and green beans, all of them come from the mouth of God.
Over the past few years I've really gotten into gardening, and as I have, I've noticed something about this passage that I hadn't before. God does not simply create the plants, but plants the produce seeds. He creates a way for life to continue and spread. I once heard the question, "How many apples are in an apple seed?" Within a single seed is the potential for a tree, and that one tree has the potential to produce countless apples over decades, maybe centuries. Within each apple are more seeds, each one containing a tree that will produce countless apples. That was God's design, ongoing life.
When God creates life, He does it in a way that allows that life to create more life. Death and barrenness are not part of His design. God is a god of life.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Authority
"Then God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day." -Genesis 1.6-8
Then God said... and it was so. God speaks, and what He says happens. Without question or hesitation, God's commands are obeyed, even by the water and sky. That is authority. God commands the universe with His voice, and what He says is accomplished by inanimate objects. His words bring everything out of nothing. By His authority chaos is brought to order, light fills the darkness.
The reality of who God is should put us flat on our faces, in reverent humility of His absolute authority, and yet we arrogantly defy Him. Psalm 19.1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." I'm looking through the window at the sky, it's clear and a bright shade of blue at the moment. God spoke and it was made, I can't even command the window to open. Who am I before God? Who are you?
Let us never forget that the absolute and ultimate authority belongs to God. When He speaks, what He says happens exactly as He says it. His will is perfectly accomplished.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Then God said... and it was so. God speaks, and what He says happens. Without question or hesitation, God's commands are obeyed, even by the water and sky. That is authority. God commands the universe with His voice, and what He says is accomplished by inanimate objects. His words bring everything out of nothing. By His authority chaos is brought to order, light fills the darkness.
The reality of who God is should put us flat on our faces, in reverent humility of His absolute authority, and yet we arrogantly defy Him. Psalm 19.1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." I'm looking through the window at the sky, it's clear and a bright shade of blue at the moment. God spoke and it was made, I can't even command the window to open. Who am I before God? Who are you?
Let us never forget that the absolute and ultimate authority belongs to God. When He speaks, what He says happens exactly as He says it. His will is perfectly accomplished.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
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