Picking up where we left off yesterday in verses 16 and 17. We see a positive and then negative command given by God. You can eat anything, except. And then if you eat it you will surely die. As we dig in tomorrow and the rest of the week we will see how the death would come and it would be swift and immediate. Adam and Eve may not die physically on the spot; that would come later, but they experience spiritual death immediately. But- let me not jump ahead.
Adam is given a command. God then places him in the God to work it. God sees something and for the first time we read, it is not good. "It is not good for man to be alone." Many scholars and commentators discuss how this is the climax of chapter 2. God creates Eve. He looks at Adam and sees that he should not be alone. God designs a perfect helpmate, as Pastor Joel Sedam says in a sermon, "equal in worth, complimentary in function." Does that not sound how this later becomes the model for the church. All bodies equal in worth and complimentary in function? Why we can't all be head, why we can't all be feet...how everything works together for the glory of God when we love one another and serve in and delight in these roles. My Pastor shared Sunday of this moment, where God looks at Adam, says to be alone is not good, we are designed to be in fellowship. First with God, second with one another. Specifically here talking about male and female... Equal in worth, complimentary in function. Fellowship and intimacy with God is a privilege and a joy in the garden. God walks with them. This fellowship will be severed in the next chapter- but even in that; hope remains as God will one day send His Son, the perfect Sacrifice, to restore yet again this sacred relationship between man and God.
I have been deeply and profoundly moved as I study all of these passages. Realizing the intricacies of creation; the scope, beauty and magnitude of it; and the details that have been woven together since eternity past leading up to where I sit today. It is all for Him. When our vision can be soley cast on Christ- we are able to delight in the good things He has done. Today, I pray you can meditate on His truths, revile in His Glory and see how good He created everything to be. Tomorrow, this changes as we go towards the fall.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n6qFFHEKTYql6hvgny7L_Cvtf1DR37EsA
This has been on my heart all morning- enjoy fellowship today with the One who gives you the breath to breath out thanks <3
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Monday, March 2, 2020
And He rested. Genesis 2
It would be impossible to look at every single angle of Gen 1-3 in a manner timely enough to get to the New Testament. As we read and study through this portion, leading up to the fall; I am amazed every day and the details and intricacies of this account. Today and tomorrow we will look at chapter 2, so that Wednesday through Friday ( Lord willing) we can start chapter 3.
God finishes his creation in 6 days; and says it is good. There is so sin. No error. No fault in His ways. He then rests on the 7th day. A sabbath. A day of rest is established before the law, it goes back to the week of creation.God blessed the day and sanctified it (v 3), this is a creation ordinance. God is laying out order to what is good. (This is a rabbit rail I will get lost on, but love the topic! Come over for coffee!) Then we move back into the details of creating man.
Genesis 2 is not a rewrite of Genesis 1. It is not an error. It is a look deeper yet into the account of creation. This is where details come out to help us understand the beautiful union between Adam and Eve and the intended goodness of fellowship with God.
God breaths life into Adam's nostrils. He forms him from dust and breathes into his life. 'Man became a living soul.' (v 7 KJV) God breathed. This is so glorious. My thoughts go to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is breathed out by God... The same authority in which God created man He also created scripture. His breathe has the very power of life. This is incredible. God spoke, and it came into existence. God breathed and He gave life and breath to man; and he breathed again and gave us His word, which is how we can come to know and understand life in Jesus Christ.
It can be a struggle in our western mindset to allow the intimacy of this account to settle in. We want to liken this to something, or it gets cluster clumped with legends, fairy tales and mythology. Don't allow you heart and mind to do this. As we read it over and over again let the truth of God settle into your heart and mind; so that you can be able to pause and see God's glory and purpose in and through creation.
So, God created man and then we read 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of good and evil. Here we are introduced firs to the tree of life. So important to note, because we will encounter the tree of life again, in Revelation 22. And as we get into our Resurrection study we encounter how Jesus Christ , who is the way the truth and the life, that he being life will be pierced to a tree in order that we might have life through Him.
V16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat freely; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in that day that thou eatest therefore thou shalt surely die (KJV). The notes in my study Bible read as follows: God commanded- the first solemn charge that God gives to Adam. Man had choice and only in his perfect prefall condition did he have perfect liberty to do that which is good. The first man received this command alone, a sign of his sole headship representing mankind before God in the covenant of works...the negative covenant command ( not to eat of the tree of good and evil) was a test of obedience but also a test of man's trust in God- that God knew what was right for man better than Adam did.
A test we all still struggle through today. The minute we don't get our way or the Word of God rubs us wrong... we quickly jump to what we will see coming up; the lingering whisper of the serpent... "did God really say...?" We can look around a garden full of provision and blessing and instead of receiving the positive command " you may eat freely," all we hear is the except that one... And why do we do that? Because our default is to think we are like God rather than created by God. We are so obsessed with making God relatable that we have lost sight of who He is and have made a weak God who has whims and fancies that we ourselves; might have and know better. Since the fall this has not changed. It remains a daily struggle until the day that we join Jesus by his side. Yet how many times to I fail to confess my own godlike pride and demands? How many times when the narrative doesn't fit do I discount it as God's will for my life or try to write my own? And how many times do I stand in a garden; looking at an empty tomb; waiting for 'additional blessings,' to come my way? Through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we have been given life, and life abundantly. Sister, when you look around, is Jesus enough for you today?
God finishes his creation in 6 days; and says it is good. There is so sin. No error. No fault in His ways. He then rests on the 7th day. A sabbath. A day of rest is established before the law, it goes back to the week of creation.God blessed the day and sanctified it (v 3), this is a creation ordinance. God is laying out order to what is good. (This is a rabbit rail I will get lost on, but love the topic! Come over for coffee!) Then we move back into the details of creating man.
Genesis 2 is not a rewrite of Genesis 1. It is not an error. It is a look deeper yet into the account of creation. This is where details come out to help us understand the beautiful union between Adam and Eve and the intended goodness of fellowship with God.
God breaths life into Adam's nostrils. He forms him from dust and breathes into his life. 'Man became a living soul.' (v 7 KJV) God breathed. This is so glorious. My thoughts go to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is breathed out by God... The same authority in which God created man He also created scripture. His breathe has the very power of life. This is incredible. God spoke, and it came into existence. God breathed and He gave life and breath to man; and he breathed again and gave us His word, which is how we can come to know and understand life in Jesus Christ.
It can be a struggle in our western mindset to allow the intimacy of this account to settle in. We want to liken this to something, or it gets cluster clumped with legends, fairy tales and mythology. Don't allow you heart and mind to do this. As we read it over and over again let the truth of God settle into your heart and mind; so that you can be able to pause and see God's glory and purpose in and through creation.
So, God created man and then we read 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of good and evil. Here we are introduced firs to the tree of life. So important to note, because we will encounter the tree of life again, in Revelation 22. And as we get into our Resurrection study we encounter how Jesus Christ , who is the way the truth and the life, that he being life will be pierced to a tree in order that we might have life through Him.
V16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat freely; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in that day that thou eatest therefore thou shalt surely die (KJV). The notes in my study Bible read as follows: God commanded- the first solemn charge that God gives to Adam. Man had choice and only in his perfect prefall condition did he have perfect liberty to do that which is good. The first man received this command alone, a sign of his sole headship representing mankind before God in the covenant of works...the negative covenant command ( not to eat of the tree of good and evil) was a test of obedience but also a test of man's trust in God- that God knew what was right for man better than Adam did.
A test we all still struggle through today. The minute we don't get our way or the Word of God rubs us wrong... we quickly jump to what we will see coming up; the lingering whisper of the serpent... "did God really say...?" We can look around a garden full of provision and blessing and instead of receiving the positive command " you may eat freely," all we hear is the except that one... And why do we do that? Because our default is to think we are like God rather than created by God. We are so obsessed with making God relatable that we have lost sight of who He is and have made a weak God who has whims and fancies that we ourselves; might have and know better. Since the fall this has not changed. It remains a daily struggle until the day that we join Jesus by his side. Yet how many times to I fail to confess my own godlike pride and demands? How many times when the narrative doesn't fit do I discount it as God's will for my life or try to write my own? And how many times do I stand in a garden; looking at an empty tomb; waiting for 'additional blessings,' to come my way? Through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we have been given life, and life abundantly. Sister, when you look around, is Jesus enough for you today?
Friday, February 28, 2020
Worship Him Genesis 1
Read: Genesis 1
Psalm 148: 1-10 Praise the name of the LORD! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all the hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beast and all livestock, creeping things and all flying birds!
I love this portion of Psalm! It is the perfect display of jubilee as one looks at all God created and realizes how it was created to be good. The earth declares his majesties! We read in scripture even the rocks will cry out in worship if we do not! (Luke 19:40)
God's created order reveals His glory and goodness. How we read and respond to this sets the course of our worldview and our view of God. A.W. Tozer says, "the most important thing about a man is what he thinks about God." Ask yourself today, what do you think? What do not just your thoughts but the evidences in your life say about God- do you give account to a Creator or as you look around; do you realize there is more of an obligation to the created?
As we have studied the creation account this week we see that God spoke, and it came to be. He creates man in His image. God transitions from "Let there be," to " Let us make man..." Such a profound thought. Making man in his image was personal. The plurality of God is stressed. V26 In our image after our likeness. My mind goes right to John 1 again, In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. I am breathless. I read Genesis, I hear the echo of John- I look outside and I hear the declarations of the Psalmist.
Adapted from John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion we read, " Whether it is in the beauty, power, or complexity of creation, a taste of God's wonder is engraved on all things as an unmistakable testament of His incomprehensible glory." A right understanding of God will cultivate a right worship and posture before God. Calvin goes on later in this passage, " The glory of God is inscribed in creation with bold letters, yet the unbeliever has exchanged the glory of the incorruptible for images of corruptible things( Romans 1:23). This confusion of the creation with the Creator supplants the true God with a shadow deity, depriving God of his right as Creator and denying creation's proper place as an announcement of the glories of its Maker."
How then do we worship God in response? Through Christ! God speaks to us through Jesus Christ! And when we come to a firm understanding that in Jesus and through Jesus and by Jesus we have the ability to love and worship God, we are able to love and serve Him fully. We can declare Him Creator and King!
As we continue in this journey next week we will build up to the fall. We will get to see how one man's disobedience created the need for one Man's obedience.
Attached is a sermon of Genesis 1 that points us right there. https://mthopechurch.org/prologue-of-promise/
And some worship songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58SieFo42F0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw_VAnvAyvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZD0hgtSgE
Psalm 148: 1-10 Praise the name of the LORD! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all the hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beast and all livestock, creeping things and all flying birds!
I love this portion of Psalm! It is the perfect display of jubilee as one looks at all God created and realizes how it was created to be good. The earth declares his majesties! We read in scripture even the rocks will cry out in worship if we do not! (Luke 19:40)
God's created order reveals His glory and goodness. How we read and respond to this sets the course of our worldview and our view of God. A.W. Tozer says, "the most important thing about a man is what he thinks about God." Ask yourself today, what do you think? What do not just your thoughts but the evidences in your life say about God- do you give account to a Creator or as you look around; do you realize there is more of an obligation to the created?
As we have studied the creation account this week we see that God spoke, and it came to be. He creates man in His image. God transitions from "Let there be," to " Let us make man..." Such a profound thought. Making man in his image was personal. The plurality of God is stressed. V26 In our image after our likeness. My mind goes right to John 1 again, In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. I am breathless. I read Genesis, I hear the echo of John- I look outside and I hear the declarations of the Psalmist.
Adapted from John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion we read, " Whether it is in the beauty, power, or complexity of creation, a taste of God's wonder is engraved on all things as an unmistakable testament of His incomprehensible glory." A right understanding of God will cultivate a right worship and posture before God. Calvin goes on later in this passage, " The glory of God is inscribed in creation with bold letters, yet the unbeliever has exchanged the glory of the incorruptible for images of corruptible things( Romans 1:23). This confusion of the creation with the Creator supplants the true God with a shadow deity, depriving God of his right as Creator and denying creation's proper place as an announcement of the glories of its Maker."
How then do we worship God in response? Through Christ! God speaks to us through Jesus Christ! And when we come to a firm understanding that in Jesus and through Jesus and by Jesus we have the ability to love and worship God, we are able to love and serve Him fully. We can declare Him Creator and King!
As we continue in this journey next week we will build up to the fall. We will get to see how one man's disobedience created the need for one Man's obedience.
Attached is a sermon of Genesis 1 that points us right there. https://mthopechurch.org/prologue-of-promise/
And some worship songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58SieFo42F0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw_VAnvAyvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZD0hgtSgE
Thursday, February 27, 2020
They are His. Genesis 1
I cannot help but be amazed every single time I read through Genesis 1. It never gets old. In fact the deeper I delve into my love of science the more I am blown away by the intricacies and the creativity of God. Bruce uses an illustration with our children when talking about God, he will take them outside and teach them how the moon we look at today is the EXACT moon God breathed into existence. Creation is a natural revelation of the glory of God. Romans 1:20 reads: " For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Creation reveals God's glory. We will come back to Romans 1:20-25 again later in this study.
Psalmist shout of the glory of God in creation, 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 33:6-9 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the seas as a heap; he puts the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
Creations reveals God's might, authority, creativity, glory and awesome powers. Paul Washer says in a sermon using this knowledge that as God created the seas and set the boundaries; He spoke and they stop. Yet when God speaks to us we say, "NO." In light of Genesis 1 and the Psalms it can put it into perspective!
Our understanding of Genesis 1-3 has deep running theological implications. Ways on how we view God's attributes, how we view sin, death, suffering, redemption, hope and salvation can either be shaped well or completely skewed by how we read the opening of the Bible. Especially in our current age it is easy to jump into the scientific band wagon and think we know better than these writers. They were ancient, ignorant people...they don't have the science we do today. But even that mentality reflects an mindset. We assume people of ancient were less capable- yet think about this- they were closer to Adam, closer to perfection in mind and body than we are. We are generations and generations in on sin and the effects of death and disease. Romans 1:21- 23 speaks to this yet again, For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Sadly, we are here. We have become so enlightened we are questioning how we came to be and have may everything so fluid that even gender is no longer an absolute. Claiming to be wise they became fools. How we chose to accept the Creation account shapes how we understand the authority of God and His word.
I am a science geek. Truly. I love it. So bear with me as I close today back on the stars and galaxies of yesterday! "Consider the power of God in creation. If a computer were observing 10 million stars per second, it would still take 63 million years to count all the stars! Such is the power of the Almighty. Remarkably the stars are the work of His fingers ( Ps 8:3) but salvation is the work of His right hand (Ps 98:1) In a wonderful way God's work in making believers new creations in Christ Jesus demonstrates a power greater than commanding the world into existence.(Reformation Heritage Bible, pg 8)"
I am brought so low in my posture when I think of this. It is not anything I have done or can do, my salvation is a work of God and God alone. When I can understand and know who God is, I can better understand how to worship him; in spirit and in truth.
This is an image from the Hubble telescope, called pillars of creation. Pause for a moment. All of this dances above our heads, that we will never see or know- some in galaxies only visible to the eye of the Creator. Why? For His glory. God is awesome indeed.
Today, get outside. Or make it a goal this spring to spend more time in creation. Get to know God through His natural revelations. Be dazzled and delighted by what He has done. He who spoke, let their be light,' is the One and only One whom desires all credit, glory, honor and praises.
I pray today you are able to read and meditate on God's Word. Examine your worldview. To where does your heart lie?
Psalmist shout of the glory of God in creation, 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 33:6-9 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the seas as a heap; he puts the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
Creations reveals God's might, authority, creativity, glory and awesome powers. Paul Washer says in a sermon using this knowledge that as God created the seas and set the boundaries; He spoke and they stop. Yet when God speaks to us we say, "NO." In light of Genesis 1 and the Psalms it can put it into perspective!
Our understanding of Genesis 1-3 has deep running theological implications. Ways on how we view God's attributes, how we view sin, death, suffering, redemption, hope and salvation can either be shaped well or completely skewed by how we read the opening of the Bible. Especially in our current age it is easy to jump into the scientific band wagon and think we know better than these writers. They were ancient, ignorant people...they don't have the science we do today. But even that mentality reflects an mindset. We assume people of ancient were less capable- yet think about this- they were closer to Adam, closer to perfection in mind and body than we are. We are generations and generations in on sin and the effects of death and disease. Romans 1:21- 23 speaks to this yet again, For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Sadly, we are here. We have become so enlightened we are questioning how we came to be and have may everything so fluid that even gender is no longer an absolute. Claiming to be wise they became fools. How we chose to accept the Creation account shapes how we understand the authority of God and His word.
I am a science geek. Truly. I love it. So bear with me as I close today back on the stars and galaxies of yesterday! "Consider the power of God in creation. If a computer were observing 10 million stars per second, it would still take 63 million years to count all the stars! Such is the power of the Almighty. Remarkably the stars are the work of His fingers ( Ps 8:3) but salvation is the work of His right hand (Ps 98:1) In a wonderful way God's work in making believers new creations in Christ Jesus demonstrates a power greater than commanding the world into existence.(Reformation Heritage Bible, pg 8)"
I am brought so low in my posture when I think of this. It is not anything I have done or can do, my salvation is a work of God and God alone. When I can understand and know who God is, I can better understand how to worship him; in spirit and in truth.
Today, get outside. Or make it a goal this spring to spend more time in creation. Get to know God through His natural revelations. Be dazzled and delighted by what He has done. He who spoke, let their be light,' is the One and only One whom desires all credit, glory, honor and praises.
I pray today you are able to read and meditate on God's Word. Examine your worldview. To where does your heart lie?
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
In the begining
Read: Genesis 1
This morning we start our journey reading through Genesis 1. As you read through pause to consider, the order, majesty and power of God, His word and the intricacies of creation.
Are you curious as to why I am starting here? I think it is vital in where we are going to start here. At Advent if you were part of the study, you can recall we started with John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... Now this morning as we press into our journey we start here, Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
This will not be a creationist crash course on young earth science ( although I LOVE creation science and would talk all day about it, if given the chance) This is to reminded us of who God is, and His role as Creator, and the truth and authority of God's written and spoken Word. However, to truly believe who God is, we must start with trusting the first 5 words written to us.
In the beginning God...the study notes in my Bible read as follows, "All came from Him and is under His control. The Hebrew word created means 'to create new.' This is uniquely divine activity; God is the only subject of the verb. Creation testifies to divine power, ownership and authority." In our current age, many, feel that this passage can be taken with a grain of salt and has no forbearance on our thoughts on Salvation. However, if we can so easily dismiss the first statement; how can we cling with hope to the rest? How can we say that Adam was a living breathing human and that his fall would result in a journey to the Cross? We must be so guarded in our thinking to not allow humanistic tendencies to creep in and dismiss the absolute breath-taking glory of God as reveal here in Genesis 1- God as Creator.
The rest of scripture flows out of this statement and refers back to the foundation that God created. The Psalms testify to the power of God as displayed through His creation. When Job questions God, God asks, "where you there when I laid the foundation of the earth?" Job 38:4-30.
Psalm 146:5-6 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. We start in Genesis 1 because unless we can clearly see who God is, we will struggle to understand the depths of what He has done for us.
In Genesis 1:3 God says, Let there be light. "Creation is by the spoken word of God. Christ spoke everything into existence (John 1:3; Col. 1:16) Paul drew an analogy between the creation of light and the regeneration of the believer (2 Cor. 4:6) The wonder of being born again of God's Holy Spirit is equal to the power displayed on the first day of creation. That is surely awesome!"(RHB pg 7) My breath catches as I think on this.
Genesis 1:14-19, as we read through this, I am struck by this account and where I was in my personal reading this morning.Focusing on 1:14-16 and we read about celestial bodies, the sun and the moon, it simply adds: He made the stars also. There are an estimated 200 billion stars in our galaxy alone and an estimated 170 billion galaxies (Dr. Danny Faulkner- Galaxies) yet Psalm 147 tells us God knows them all by name. What is important to note with this Psalm is what it is saying, He heals the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and knows the all by name. The Psalmist is using the magnitude and glory of God to assure us, he can heal our broken hearts, look at the vast number of starts, He, our Creator, knows them by name; He created them. And God, our Creator, knows our name too, He knows the number of hairs on our head.(Luke 12:7)
I cannot help but stand amazed, every single time I read Genesis 1 at the goodness, greatness and glory of God.
Tomorrow we dive in deeper yet. We will be in Genesis 1 through Friday of this week.
Here is a song that ran through my heart and mind as I read the account and was left lingering in the awe of creation by an Almighty Creator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fff2xQETe1c
This morning we start our journey reading through Genesis 1. As you read through pause to consider, the order, majesty and power of God, His word and the intricacies of creation.
Are you curious as to why I am starting here? I think it is vital in where we are going to start here. At Advent if you were part of the study, you can recall we started with John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... Now this morning as we press into our journey we start here, Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
This will not be a creationist crash course on young earth science ( although I LOVE creation science and would talk all day about it, if given the chance) This is to reminded us of who God is, and His role as Creator, and the truth and authority of God's written and spoken Word. However, to truly believe who God is, we must start with trusting the first 5 words written to us.
In the beginning God...the study notes in my Bible read as follows, "All came from Him and is under His control. The Hebrew word created means 'to create new.' This is uniquely divine activity; God is the only subject of the verb. Creation testifies to divine power, ownership and authority." In our current age, many, feel that this passage can be taken with a grain of salt and has no forbearance on our thoughts on Salvation. However, if we can so easily dismiss the first statement; how can we cling with hope to the rest? How can we say that Adam was a living breathing human and that his fall would result in a journey to the Cross? We must be so guarded in our thinking to not allow humanistic tendencies to creep in and dismiss the absolute breath-taking glory of God as reveal here in Genesis 1- God as Creator.
The rest of scripture flows out of this statement and refers back to the foundation that God created. The Psalms testify to the power of God as displayed through His creation. When Job questions God, God asks, "where you there when I laid the foundation of the earth?" Job 38:4-30.
Psalm 146:5-6 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. We start in Genesis 1 because unless we can clearly see who God is, we will struggle to understand the depths of what He has done for us.
In Genesis 1:3 God says, Let there be light. "Creation is by the spoken word of God. Christ spoke everything into existence (John 1:3; Col. 1:16) Paul drew an analogy between the creation of light and the regeneration of the believer (2 Cor. 4:6) The wonder of being born again of God's Holy Spirit is equal to the power displayed on the first day of creation. That is surely awesome!"(RHB pg 7) My breath catches as I think on this.
Genesis 1:14-19, as we read through this, I am struck by this account and where I was in my personal reading this morning.Focusing on 1:14-16 and we read about celestial bodies, the sun and the moon, it simply adds: He made the stars also. There are an estimated 200 billion stars in our galaxy alone and an estimated 170 billion galaxies (Dr. Danny Faulkner- Galaxies) yet Psalm 147 tells us God knows them all by name. What is important to note with this Psalm is what it is saying, He heals the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and knows the all by name. The Psalmist is using the magnitude and glory of God to assure us, he can heal our broken hearts, look at the vast number of starts, He, our Creator, knows them by name; He created them. And God, our Creator, knows our name too, He knows the number of hairs on our head.(Luke 12:7)
I cannot help but stand amazed, every single time I read Genesis 1 at the goodness, greatness and glory of God.
Tomorrow we dive in deeper yet. We will be in Genesis 1 through Friday of this week.
Here is a song that ran through my heart and mind as I read the account and was left lingering in the awe of creation by an Almighty Creator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fff2xQETe1c
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Before we get started!
I am both excited and terrified as we begin our journey to the Cross and Resurrection. The more I study the more I am acutely reminded how unqualified I am for this. Yet, with fear and trepidation I will approach the scriptures and share with you, my sisters!
Lent begins tomorrow. It is something that I do like to observe- not because I think it'll make me more right or holy before God, in a works based sense; but as a way to clear clutter and focus my eyes on what lies before me. (Although this should be done year round). If you are considering lent, consider it but remember to do it in secret; to not do it for personal gain; to consider it a private sacrifice and to do it with joy and love. Typically I will consider things I feel hinder me from time with the Lord; and cut that.
Prepare your hearts and minds by being determined to meditate on the Word of God. Pick out 1 or several passages to commit to heart this journey. Write them on notecards and stick them everywhere.
I am going to be pulling a lot of information from 1) Scripture! ;) 2) The Gospel of God by R.C. Sproul, 3) Romans 1-8 New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur, The New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur; sermons from R.C. Sproul, Joel Sedam, John MacArthur, Steve Lawson, Paul Washer, and Sermon Audio featured preachers.
And just a forewarning as we jump into Genesis tomorrow... prepare your hearts to be set ablaze for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the few weeks have immersed in this, I am both dazzled by the Love of God and humbled at the cost of my sin.
I also hope to ask Bruce to make a playlist of worship music for this series- we will try and link it through Youtube later this week.
Blessings and grace,
Jenny
Lent begins tomorrow. It is something that I do like to observe- not because I think it'll make me more right or holy before God, in a works based sense; but as a way to clear clutter and focus my eyes on what lies before me. (Although this should be done year round). If you are considering lent, consider it but remember to do it in secret; to not do it for personal gain; to consider it a private sacrifice and to do it with joy and love. Typically I will consider things I feel hinder me from time with the Lord; and cut that.
Prepare your hearts and minds by being determined to meditate on the Word of God. Pick out 1 or several passages to commit to heart this journey. Write them on notecards and stick them everywhere.
I am going to be pulling a lot of information from 1) Scripture! ;) 2) The Gospel of God by R.C. Sproul, 3) Romans 1-8 New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur, The New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur; sermons from R.C. Sproul, Joel Sedam, John MacArthur, Steve Lawson, Paul Washer, and Sermon Audio featured preachers.
And just a forewarning as we jump into Genesis tomorrow... prepare your hearts to be set ablaze for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the few weeks have immersed in this, I am both dazzled by the Love of God and humbled at the cost of my sin.
I also hope to ask Bruce to make a playlist of worship music for this series- we will try and link it through Youtube later this week.
Blessings and grace,
Jenny
Monday, February 24, 2020
From the first to the last
This morning as I study I find myself, being corrected and redirected a bit as we jump into our Easter study. I liked the thought of garden to garden but am quickly realizing to understand it correctly we must not stop prior to the cross but understand the full weight of the fulfillment of the Cross. I am becoming riveted and my heart exploding as I understand the implications of Adam to Jesus. Christ is the new and better Adam. And it is written all over the New Testament. So as we begin in Genesis and study God as Creator and end at the Cross; I pray we are able to see the greatness of what God has done for us. We will be primarily in Genesis 1-3 and then Romans 5 and all over the Gospels. Because we only have a small window for such an in depth study I will continuously link resources and sermons that correlate.
Just as our Christmas study of John 1 was a seemingly small passage; yet so much richness was poured out- we will now see the implications of the Word becoming flesh as we move into our Easter journey. Please start praying for your time in the Word, that God would use this to teach us wondrous things out of His Word, and that we would charge headlong into the richness of His Glory and Grace this year.
Just as our Christmas study of John 1 was a seemingly small passage; yet so much richness was poured out- we will now see the implications of the Word becoming flesh as we move into our Easter journey. Please start praying for your time in the Word, that God would use this to teach us wondrous things out of His Word, and that we would charge headlong into the richness of His Glory and Grace this year.
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