Encouragement

Invitation To Life

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Genesis 7:1-24 continues…

When we search through all of Scripture there are many invitations which God extends. Most of them use the word “Come” including verse one here in our text. The LORD says to Isaiah, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters…” Isaiah 55:1. Jesus says to Peter, Andrew, and James and John, “Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men” Mark 1;17 (KJV).

There is an ivitation in the Beginning book of God, and there is a final one in the final book of God, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’. And let him that heareth say, ‘Come’. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” Revelation 22:17 (KJV).

“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” Genesis 7:1 (KJV).

Methuselah, God’s last chance before judgment is come, is now dead. He could have died the day this invitation is given to Noah. For 969 years God has been merciful. The darkness of evil has increased upon the earth. For the last 120 years it has progressed at “breakneck” speed. For 100 of those years Noah has been preaching, warning people of God’s coming judgment and preparing the ark for himself and his family.

The ark which Noah built by God’s command is where God’s presence dwelt. The invitation itself gives us clear evidence that God is in the ark. “Come” is the word God uses. It is a call to move in the direction of the One who is speaking; even to move to the exact location of the speaker; who in this case is GOD. Where is God when He speaks the word, “Come”? He is in the ark. The invitation is “Come…into the ark”. He did not say, “Go into the ark”, but “Come” implying very strongly that He Himself was already inside.

We are told that, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Noah had done nothing to deserve this grace. God did not look down on Noah and say, “This man has a good heart”, or “This man has great potential for My glory”; God simply saw him the same way He did all the others and chose to show him grace. He showed him grace, and called him “Righteous”. Before He called Noah “Righteous” the LORD would have Himself paid his sin debt. That is God’s privilege. That is God’s mercy. That is God’s grace. He will have compassion on whom He will have compassion.

Design: By GOD

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Genesis 6:1-22 conclusion.

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Genesis 6:14-22 (KJV).

Having chosen Noah by His grace, God gives him command to build an ark. This ‘ark’ is a tool of safety, deliverance, and salvation. It is also a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. The ark is a place of refuge from God’s judgment, because He has already received and paid the price for judgment for us.

The ark is to have rooms within which are probably designated for certain animals and items which will be on the ark. This could refer in type to John 14:1-3 indicating Jesus preparing “A place” for all who will believe and receive Him. There is room being prepared for all.

There is a wonderful picture of atonement deliberately given us by God in the word “Pitch”. “Pitch it within and without with pitch”. Pitch is used, which is a tar like substance to seal the wood to protect the ark from seepage and leaking. It is amazing that this word , in Hebrew, is the same word “Atonement” in Leviticus 17:11. The atonement is only beneficial for those who would enter and remain in the ark. Once inside, at God’s invitation there was/is no way out. The inhabitants were protected from the cataclysmic destruction which came upon man. Sealed within by the Atoning work of God, and His Spirit.

The dimensions of the ark are quite impressive. To believe a work of this magnitude took place should do away with any thoughts of the preflood ignorance of architectural designing; of course, God gave Noah the designs, but Noah built it.

If we measured this ark using the smallest measurment for the cubit which is around 18 inches, and usually measured from the elbow of a man to the tip of his fingers; the ark would be equal in length to one an one half football fields [450 feet], and its greatest measurement 600 feet long; Its breadth would be 75 feet or 100 feet wide; and its height would be 45 feet to 60 feet.

There are some unique features God patterns in the ark. There is a window apparently one cubit square and evidently placed in the ceiling/roof area. A window toward heaven for times of distress and fear that the man and his family might look to God for help and strength. There is a door placed in the side, that the provisions for the well being of the man, and that the man himself might go in and be safe from judgment. There were three stories inside the ark. Probably one story, and most likely the top floor, was for the man and his family; one story would be for the storage of food provisions; and the other for the animals. We could learn from this that the things of the world are less important than a relationship and fellowship with God. It is for man whom God provided a window to Heaven.

In verses 17 and 18 it is again declared what God is about to bring upon the earth. God makes covenant with Noah. Before the ark is ever completed Noah is assured of deliveance from the great flood. Before our salvation is completed by the reappearing of Jesus Christ we are assured of deliverance.

God always gives every evidence of providing for the needs of His people. Even the things which are for beauty. Animals of every kind provide not only a balance in the created order of things, but also a beauty, pleasure and even the sense of man’s dominion upon the earth. God could have just saved the man, but He knew the benefit of the animals to us. After all, He created it to be so.

Food was to be brought into the ark. This was for the provision of man and beast. There was no provision made for any on board to eat flesh. All would eat grains, fruits, vegetables, and provender. Only God could change the nature of all these animals, back to their prefall state, from which many had become flesh eaters since, but now they will eat “Straw”. There is only a supernatural explanation for this.

Only God in His grae could provide a man to continue the human race. Look at the man. He was brought out of the world of wickedness. he too was a sinner. He also was condemned, but God in His mercy and grace chooses one man to continue humanity. What did Noah have to offer God? Nothing! What did God do for Noah? Everything. Grace, mercy, faith, and because of faith is it said in verse 22, “According to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Would to God that could be said of me. Not for salvation, but because of salvation.

Give With Caution

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Matthew 6:1-34 continuing…

Chapter six of the Sermon On The Mount deals with our true worship toward God. It involves our character. All practices of worship are to be focused upon the Heavenly Father and God of all creation.

Anything, short of God, which we seek for fulfillment, peace, joy, and/or justification, is idolatry and covetousness.

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:1-4 (KJV).

This may come across as sounding somewhat out of the norm, but we ought to GIVE WITH CAUTION. On one occasion as Jesus teaching in the temple and his disciples with him we are told,

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Mark 12:42-44 (KJV).

Now, the reason Jesus tells us to “Take heed” to our giving and charitable deeds is because the Pharisees, and the wealthy made special note of your “Much giving”, thus being awarded the praise of man. God finds no pleasure in our boastful acts.

It is far better to give and no one know the amount of giving or even that you give, and glorify God, because He will know and He will be the one to bless you; than it is to give with pride, openly that all may see how much you give, and receive all the accolades of men, and miss the blessing of God. For the religious hypocrite giving is a means of gaining favor with God and their fellow man. In fact God frowns on the motive of self-exaltation (Acts 5:1-11). The praise and rewards of man hinders the blessing of God.

Give without calling attention to your act –

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:26-27

When we give with the sole purpose of giving back to God, recognizing His blessings to us, without calling attention to ourselves we grow spiritually; God is glorified, and others are helped by the generosity which came from our hearts. I would much rather have a blessing from the Lord, as to have a temporal recognition from God. Usually those who lavish recognition because of their giving, or works are doing what they are doing with the wrong heart and motive

Becoming Like the Father

/ T. A. Blankenship / Leave a comment

Matthew 5:21-48 conclusion…

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 (KJV).

Perfection. That is quite the challenge. It is a challenge which I cannot meet. It is a challenge which only God in His grace can give. Let me give you the MIRRIAM/WEBSTER Dictionary definition of the word “Perfect” – “Being without fault or defect 2 :exact, precise 3 :complete…” and there is more. Like I said, “I fall far short of that. Now, if the word means “Complete” in this context, then, that might be a possibility considering that God is the One who completes us.

Here is Strong’s on the word “Perfect” –

“G5046

τέλειος

teleios

tel’-i-os

From G5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness: – of full age, man, perfect.” From E-sword.

Considering that the Greek means “Complete” what would this mean? Strongs has in the above “…Mental and moral character”. If we are to be perfect/complete in God that surely must have to do with the character of the individual which causes her/him to fall on their face before their Lord and Savior when sin has been committed, and seek forgiveness immediately following the realization of the sin. It has absolutely nothing to do with “Sinless perfection”. In truth; the closer we get to the One who is holy, the more clearly we see ourselves as being unholy. The man or woman who believes they have reached a state of sinlessness or “Sinless perfection” is farther away from God than they have ever been.

The Word tells us, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”. When we sin we should seek God’s forgiveness as quickly as possible. “Keep your accounts short”, and that would be especially so with our Lord. That would be the life of “Perfection” or being complete. Of course, it should be the goal of the child to become like the Father; and He is perfect in every way.

We are only complete when we are in the Father through Jesus Christ His Son and walking in the Spirit, walking by faith, walking with God. I just wanted to stress the point. Walk with the Lord.

A Response of Courage

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Matthew 5:21-48 continued…

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” Matthew 5:38-47 (KJV).

Could you get from these verses this thought? “Absence of giving equals no love”. The correct and always right attitude for the follower of Jesus Christ is the attitude which Jesus had. We are quick to strike back. We are slow to love when we are struck. In our society this would seem like the attitude of naivety, or cowardice. It is actually the response of courage.

The Old Testament Law does tell us, “An eye for an eye…” (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21), and Jesus is not denying these laws but showing a better way of respecting one another. “I am no one’s doormat”. Have you ever heard anyone say that. Would you be a “Doormat” if it meant that person coming to faith in Jesus? Does that put another spin on it? Another view? It should. I am not trying to say I can do that, but that ought to be the heart of the Christian. Be willing to lose an eye without retaliation. Go the second mile without payment. Give to any who asks of us. Love those who may despise us.

What reward is there in loving someone who loves me? It is much more rewarding for ourselves and the other person who may despise us when we show them an unconditional love – the love that Jesus has shown us.

This SERMON ON THE MOUNT is really tough. Again, anyone who tells me that they are living by the SERMON ON THE MOUNT better have a very impressive testimony for Christ, and living by these words of Jesus very faithfully, or I will be sure to call him/her a liar; or they are at the least very deceived. Let’s endeavor by our faith in Jesus and the power of His Spirit within live by His words. We have already failed. Let’s trust Him and His grace.

Lamech, “Strength”

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Genesis 5:1-32 continued…

“And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:” Genesis 5:28-30 (KJV).

Notice, Adam at Lamech’s birth would now be 874 years of age; Seth is 744; Enos is 639; Cainan 549; Mahalaleel 479; Jared is 414; Enoch 259 – he would have been walking with the LORD at this time for 194 years; Notice that these men are all still living at the time of Lamech’s birth.

Lamech is the second of such names in chapters 4 and 5. The first mentioned is the seventh in the lineage of Cain. He is a murderer; a destroyer (4:17-24), and he defies God’s direction concerning marriage by taking two wives.

Lamech of Seth’s lineage is the son of Methuselah and the father of Noah. What a wonderful place/position to be born: between God’s judgment and His rest.

Lamech means “Destroyer/Strength”. Certainly in Lamech of Seth he is strength. It would be the strength of God. It is clear from the scriptural text concerning Lamech of Cain that he was a destroyer.

There is strength for all who will follow the direction of God and walk in His peace.

Jared, “Descent”

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Genesis 5:1-32 continuing…

“And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.” Genesis 5:18-20 (KJV).

I may be a little redundant giving you the ages of these men, but I find it fascinating that at this period of time they would live so long. Here the ages of these men are at the time of the birth of Jared – another easy name. Adam has now reached the age of 460 years, Seth 330 years, Enos 225 years, and Cainan 135 years of age. Quite the tribute to the endurance of mankind??? Not hardly. More a tribute to the mercy and grace of God Almighty; Creator of all living.

Knowing the age of Adam’s death we can see that he is approaching the halfway point of his life. The days increase and death sneaks up. We do not know when. Whether we live 930 years or a mere 80 years only God knows the day and hour of our physical demise.

In Jared there is hope of deliverance. A word from God. A hope. Something, that God Something; inspired Mahalaleel to name his son ‘Jared’. A descending of God to the level of man, “yet without sin” (“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb 4:15 (KJV) was a hope for every godly person even before the deluge.

Jared means “A descent” or “Came down”. That is exactly what God did on the day Jesus was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary. God came down to be like us, “Yet without sin”.

Seth the “Appointed”

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Genesis 5:6-8 continues…

“And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.” Genesis 5:6-8 (KJV).

The third son of Adam and Eve according to the record of God’s Word. This would definitely be the lineage of the LORD God’s plan of redemption. In this genealogy we have one of the clearest proclamations of hope and salvation for mankind.

Seth. He was surely a son of promise following the murder of Abel by Cain, and Cain’s desertion to the absence of the presence of God. Seth’s name means “Appointed”. With the death of Abel and the godless Cain the hopes of Adam and Eve may have been darkened, however, God gives them an “Appointment” through their son Seth. He will be an appointment with hope, salvation, redemption, and the presence of God.

Seth is a substitute. A godly seed in the place of Abel. It should be noted that Seth has sons and daughters and they are also populating the earth. All through the Old Testament we see the hope given by the “Substitute”. We have previously saw the animals which died in Adam’s and Eve’s stead, and provided them a covering. Here we have Seth as a “Substitute” filling in for Abel. A wonderful living substitute.

Their’s Is the Kingdom

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Matthew 5:1-12 conclusion…

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12 (KJV).

These two have the tendency and practicality of standing together, so I will include them together. What is your position in relation to persecution? If you are a normal, red blooded American, then you probably don’t like it, won’t tolerate it, and would despise wherever it came from. Nobody likes persecution, and most people would seek means of staying away from it. There are however, reasons to stand your ground, and face the trials of persecution. The best reason of all is for the person of Jesus Christ. When you are living by faith in Christ you will suffer persecution; “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV).

Anyone who has heard of “The Voice of the Martyrs” knows that there are many cases of persecution going on in the world today. There are many instances of Christians suffering because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Many of them have turned from Islam to face angry parents, employers, city leaders, and supposed defenders of peace and placed on trial, rejected by their families, fired from their jobs, and treated ruthlessly by the police. Let me be clear that it is not only Islam which persecutes those who turn to Christ. It is also Hindus, and various other religions of men. Stand firm in the faith; stand firm.

The “Blessed(s)” in these two statements are not just toward anyone who stands firm in what they believe. The object of their belief is of utmost importance. If one is to receive these “Blessed”, then it will be because of their stand for “Righteousness” and that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness – simply put; means being right with God. No one – man, woman, boy or girl; and no matter what the color of their skin – is right with God except through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If you are being persecuted because of your faith in Jesus, then, be assured that there will be a day of reward in Heaven. You are in good company. They also persecuted the prophets. Jeremiah was thrown into a pit; he was beaten and mocked by his own people. It is said by tradition that it was Isaiah the prophet who is mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews as being “Sawn asunder”, and some say it was while he was stuffed into a hollowed out tree. When it comes to Jesus Christ; in Him alone you have reason to “Rejoice and be exceeding glad”, but also in knowing that you are in a great company of others who suffered for righteousness sake through Jesus.

After looking at these “Beatitudes” can you see that this is not a thing attainable by human desire? There is deffinitely fulfillment in the lives of those who live the life of the “Beatitudes”, but it is only possible by grace through faith in Jesus.

They Shall See God

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The Be-Attitudes continuing…

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8 (KJV).

Purity is such a sweet word. When we think of purity we might think of fresh fallen snow; without any yellow spots, of course. We might even think of a new born baby boy or girl. When it comes to Christianity we should think especially of Jesus Christ, for He is the essence of purity. The word “Pure” according to the MIRRIAM/WEBSTER DICTIONARY ‘Unmixed with any other matter: free from taint’ also, ‘Free from moral fault: innocent’. There was/is nothing about Jesus that is tainted. He is fully God and fully man, and free of any mix, and free of any taint; His life is free of any moral fault; He is innocent. He was innocent as He was condemned by men to die. As an innocent man He died for guilty men, that we might be made pure through His own blood.

The only way any other person can be pure of heart, ie., ‘holy’ is by the very holiness of Christ Himself. No one can see God without a pure heart [holiness], “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 KJV). None can appear before God without a pure [holy] heart – “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully” Psalm 24:3-4 (KJV).

There is a pure heart only by looking to Jesus. As you look to Jesus you see God.

…A Man from the LORD

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Genesis 4:1-26 continuing…

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground” Genesis 4:1-2.

As we begin looking at the life of the man and the woman outside paradise, and outside the best of God, we find Adam and Eve filled with promise and hope. Remember they had had a perfect environment, only to reject God, and to be cast from it for the entire remainder of their natural lives.

We have in these first two verses the first evidence of their copulating and bringing children into their world. We do know that they produced more children. For one thing we will see later is that Cain marries a wife. She had to come from somewhere. That is going to turn some people away to think that a man married his sister, but that was at that time the only way to propagate the race of man. At that time their would have been no problem with marrying so close of kin as there is now. The Word of God later forbids a man marrying his sister, but until that law was given, it was allowed.

We do not need to be alarmed by this chapter and learning of the brother sister marriages and such. After all it was the LORD God who commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth. That is what they were doing. There are some who believe that sexual intercourse was the “Original sin” which caused the fall of the man and woman. That is not so, because God had already given them commandment to multiply, and fill the earth. Sex is a God honored act of marriage between a husband and his wife, a wife and her husband. In the book of Hebrews we read, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4 NKJV).

The phrase, “Adam knew Eve his wife” is refering to the intimate, pleasurable act of marriage. It is a means of pleasure between a man and his woman in marriage, and for the purpose of procreation.

In these two verses God fulfills a promise. In chapter three and verse 16 we read, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…”. Though it seems a bit shadowed by the curse there is within it the promise of “children”. The promise of children was not only a promise of continuation of the human race, but also the promise of a Savior. What good, or what count would this life be without the hope of a Savior who would come and be our substitute for sin? Expecting pain in the childbearing, she still looked longingly for that time those children would be born.

The birthing of that first son, Cain, gives her encouragement, meaning, and purpose for living. While Adam tills the ground “From whence he was taken” by God’s hand, “So Eve the woman with divine help produced the man, Cain. She sees in creating Cain the realization of her divinely assigned role.” KENNETH A. MATTHEWS, N.A.C. Commentary Vol. 1a, page 265. The woman is God’s instrument of continuation. She is the one who endures nine months of pain, excess weight, and the agony of the birth. Yet, she is joyful all through this time, full of expectation and hope. God’s promise fulfilled in the woman’s bearing children (1 Timothy 2:15).

Eve brought forth another son. The first, Cain, and Eve could have expected him to be the deliverer, but she soon learns otherwise. The second son is Abel.

Cain is a tiller of the ground walking in his father’s footsteps. Abel is a shepherd. Remember, God has cursed the ground (3:17). To labor in the field is the efforts and works of the man. The sheep on the other hand, another form of farming or ranching, grow as they are blessed by God. This is in no way to denegrate farmers or agriculture. This way of living is one of the most honorable and rewarding of all forms of vocations or occupations. There is no other, whether it is the raising of cattle, or the sowing of seed, that requires more work, faith, patience, and endurance. Anyone who has ever planted a garden seed could tell you the truth of the curse of the ground. Weeds spring up and choke off, and/or hinder the growth of the seeds planted, unless there is a tending to that garden, and weeds are pulled, cut back and/or destroyed.

Naked and Afraid

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Genesis 3:1-24 continuing…

“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” Genesis 3:9-13

The question God asks as He calls out to Adam is not because He needs information. He already knows where Adam is. He wants Adam to know where Adam is. Now there may be some reading that statement who will not realize what that means. Adam knew he was hiding from God among the trees of the garden. What had probably not ‘hit home’ with Adam yet, was where he was in his relationship with the LORD God. If God was asking him where he was, things were not good between them.

It is now confession time. “I heard Thy voice…, and I was afraid…, I was naked; and I hid myself”. This best part about Adam’s confession is that he heard God’s voice. It goes downhill from there. Sin is what makes us afraid of God. It was sin that made Adam and Eve naked and ashamed; hiding themselves. Whether we realize it or not we are all physically covered with figleaves, made from manmade materials, and materials grown from the ground; such as polyester, and cotton.

God questions Adam and Eve concerning the knowledge of their nakedness. Again, this is not for His information. God already knows these things. There is nothing new He can learn. Adam begins to accuse God for the giving him the woman Eve, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me…” Adam is not just blaming Eve; he is outrightly blaming God for giving him the woman. Blaming others for our mistakes is more than a human thing, it is a sin thing. They had never done this before. Eve, then, blames the serpent. Someone has said, “The poor serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on”. :>)

When we are in sin we will always try to blame others for our mistakes and errors. No one wants to take responsibility for their own. When Jesus comes into one’s life there is a driving desire to be right with God, and to be right with others. When we have Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we are living right with Him we will take responsibility for our actions and sins. We will take them to the Lord in repentance, and we will receive the forgiveness only the Father can give.

They Shall Be Filled

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The Be-Attitudes continuing…

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” Matthew 5:6 (KJV).

Remember the definition of “Attitude” is ‘the position of something in relation to something else’. In this case the subject is righteousness. Righteousness most easily defined is; ‘being right with God’. That would involve many things including worship, our deportment, both with God and with others.

The kingdom child is hungry for God and His ways. Righteousness is the way of God, and it is the way of the child of God to hunger for it. His/Her desire is for Jesus Christ and nothing else.

The individual who is righteous, because of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, will have a specific hunger and thirst. That hunger will be to devour the truth of God through His Word, and His Word affecting the direction our lives take for serving the Lord. It seems that it would be accurate to say that when Jesus was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness He had righteousness on His mind. He was physically hungry and thirsty, but when He was tested to turn stones to bread; he was more attuned to being right with His Father rather than disobedience.

The “Blessed” ones who hunger and thirst for/after righteousness, are those who labor in diligent, earnest hearing of the Word of God and prayer. They feed daily at the table of the BREAD OF LIFE. They drink deeply of the One who is the Water of Life.

O, that we as the people of God grew in that hunger; never completely filled; but satisfied with Jesus, wanting more of Him, and His righteousness. The thirst never completely quenched; with longing to drink from the well of the Water from Heaven. Drink from the ‘river of water’ that flows from out of the throne of God Himself (Revelation 22:1).

This hunger and thirst comes only into the hearts of those who have joyously received the free gift of God’s grace. Ones who have seen Jesus as the divine Son of God. The Ones who have seen Jesus dying for the sins of mankind upon the cruel cross so many years ago. The ones who have witnessed the resurrection power of Jesus per a changed life. You have been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You will never be filled without that hunger and thirst, and finding satisfaction through Him alone.

The Voice Walking

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Genesis 3:1-24 continuing…

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden” Genesis 3:8.

Adam and Eve had just eaten what God had commanded them not to eat. They now have had their first experience with sin, and it will not be their last. They have met their sin master. Previous to this they have had sweet communion with the LORD God. Walks in the garden. Peace in the garden. Comfort in the garden. Now, there is fear, especially when they hear, ‘…The voice of the LORD God walking in the garden…’. Rather than going to Him as they most likely did previously, they now hide.

Who is this “Voice… walking in the garden”? It must be none other than the preincarnate Son of God; ie. Jesus the Christ. They know they have sinned. They also know the LORD God will not be pleased. They also know that they have shattered His glory in their lives. They even know the fig leaf coverings they have made are insufficient to approach holy God. So, they hide.

The initial response of a child who has disobeyed a parent and knows Mom and Dad will be angry with them is to hide. How tragic that is. Most parents would be understanding, forgiving, and the discipline would probably be less severe if the child would come running to the parent or parents saying I have disobeyed, please forgive me.

Oh, how tragic the events in the garden were on that eventful day. To hide from the ‘…Presence of the LORD God…’ is one of the saddest statements in the Bible. Can we not see that sin drives us from God and godliness. Sin causes us shame, guilt, despair, and ruin. Oh, that the sinning man, woman, boy or girl would not flee and hide from God, but, rather flee toward Him, because the Father has made a way through the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than fleeing from God and hiding from Him; Make a bee line and FLEE TO THE CROSS.

They Shall Be Comforted

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The Beatitudes continuing…

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (KJV).

Remembering that the MIRRIAM/WEBSTER DICTIONARY definition for ‘attitude’ is ‘the position of something in relation to something else’ we can see this Beatitude as the attitude of sorrow for something that is not correct. Seeing ourselves in ‘the position of sin and against God’ should bring us to tears and sorrow. Seeing others in sin should cause us to mourn for them.

Because we sin, and when we realize our sinfulness, that should bring us to our knees. People of our day love laughter. They will pay really good money to go hear a comedian make them laugh. They will sit for hours watching situation comedies on television for the laughing. People will set around telling funny, though sometimes vulgar stories just for a laugh. Am I against laughter? Not at all. Are we supposed to spend all the time of our lives in mourning? I do not believe so. There is a time for everything, for everything a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). As a matter of fact the Bible even mentions laughter. Isaac; the son of Abraham and Sarah was named laughter – that is the meaning of the name Isaac. The writer of Proverbs said, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” Proverbs 17:22 (KJV).

For the most part; considering the condition of the hearts of people, and even professing Christians, we should be mourning the situation of our hearts and lives before God. Our lives and the lives of friends and loved ones. Laughter helps us feel better now, but still people are perishing, our lives grow colder, and more distant from God, and we laugh. While we mourn we pray for the perishing; we pray for our growth in grace; we pray for our friends and family. There is comfort for those who mourn.

There will be comfort when we see that lost loved one come to faith. There will be comfort when we can see our lives growing in grace. There will be comfort as we see family and friends blessed. There is an ultimate comfort for those who mourn. It will be when we are forever in the Kingdom of our King. O, such laughter and joy there will be. We can have it now as we see the lost redeemed; as we see brothers and sisters growing in Christ.

Looking At The Beatitudes

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Matthew 5:1-12 continuing…

We will be looking at each of the Beatitudes individually through the next few posts.

LOOKING AT THE BE-ATTITUDES

Matthew 5:1-12

When we begin looking at the Sermon on the Mount we see how Jesus expects His dedicated followers to live. There are far too many professing Christians that are saying and believing, “We are not required to obey the law any longer”, thus we have a bunch of reprobate professors of Christianity. There could not be anything further from the truth.

Where the law only told us the way, but did not provide aid in the way; Jesus came fulfilling the law and because of His Spirit living within also enables us to live the law in our lives. The law which once was only written in cold hard stones, and could not reach stone cold hearts, is now written in hearts of flesh.

Anyone professing today that they live by the Sermon On The Mount had better read it before they make such a bold announcement. It is far more binding, and has much more it requires than does the Ten Commandments. We will look at some of those things when we get to those areas.

In this lesson of the ‘BE-ATTITUDES’, using a little play on words; we find the attitudes the individuals who are in the Kingdom of Christ Jesus the King, are to have.

There are nine “Blessed(s)” given. The meaning of the word “Blessed” is ‘happy’. That is a “Beatitude”. Each “Blessed” is a reference to more than happiness – it has most certainly to do with spiritual joy. Happiness (as often defined or thought of) is determined by circumstances; events which take place in one’s life which can either add great excitement and temporary happiness, or great distress and sorrow. If it is an event which brings temporary happiness and excitement, it is only fleeting. Spiritual joy is an attitude attainable only by faith in Jesus – having a close personal relationship with Him. The happiness of which these Bible Blessings speak of is an enduring happiness, an inner joy, which is everlasting, and cannot be taken away.

Matthews Gospel tells us that it was the disciples whom Jesus taught. After having multitudes following Him He probably felt a need to get away. If not only for His disciples sake. This is the first major teaching of Jesus in this Gospel. It covers chapters five through seven. It could be called PRINCIPLES FOR KINGDOM LIVING. This was the King’s way of setting up His kingdom, and preparing the hearts of His people for what was to come. It was a different kingdom, than what the religious rulers had heard and taught. For some reason they missed the part of the “Suffering Servant” (Isaiah 52-53), dying by the hand of God, and taking away our transgressions. We see by these that there is happiness, fulfillment, and joy in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior.

In the Gardens

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“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 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 knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8-9 and verses10 – 15.

For the sake of commentary we must mention that there are four gardens mentioned in Scriptures which have a great importance for us. The first garden is Eden which we will see shortly in Genesis; the second is Gethsemane found in John 18:1, and was the garden where Jesus prayed on His last evening; then, there was a garden at Calvary according to John 19:41-42 – that is the place where Jesus was laid after His crucifixion; and finally, there is the garden of the Heavenly Paradise found in the Revelation of Jesus Christ 22:1-2 – it is not there called a garden, but the Tree of Life is there and it is bearing fruit; it is surely a new Garden of Eden.

Of the first and the last gardens the only way into these is by God’s placing them/us therein. God created Adam and placed him in Eden. He makes us a New Creation, and places us, by His grace, into His heavenly paradise. The cross of Christ has made all things new in those who trust and believe Him.

There were two trees in the midst of the garden; the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The first was for eternal life, the second brought death.

This garden [Eden], as is also the Heavenly Paradise, is watered by a river which flows through and out of these gardens. The river which flows out of Eden is said to disperse into four rivers. Not much can be known of all these rivers, except one still has its original name [Euphrates], and Hiddekel is thought to be the Tigris River.

This river which flowed through the garden was a source of life. The river of water flowing through, from the throne of God, the Heavenly Paradise, is a source of eternal joy, and life.

We learn here, that God is the Giver of life and eternal life. “He that believeth on Me as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”, Jesus said, in John 7:38. Also see John 4:14. Jesus is the source of life, and those who drink from Him are the branches of water which go out to the rest of the world.

JUST AS THE LORD God PREPARED A PLACE FOR ADAM AND EVE HE HAS A PREPARED PLACE FOR ALL WHO TRUST HIM.

The Light’s Preaching, Teaching and Power

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“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan” Matthew 4:23-25 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINES AS EVIDENCE OF HIS PREACHING, TEACHING, AND POWER. These are the credentials of the Divine King – the Son of God. In His teaching He taught as one having a superior authority (7:29). He taught by speaking words and living by them. In His preaching; He announced the kingdom of heaven. In His healing; this was certainly divine verification of the truth of who He was and is. It continued through His earthly life as verification and until the end of the apostolic era.

The greatest healing Jesus came to do was in the giving of Light to the darkness of human hearts. Someone has said, “The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart”. The heart of all mankind is darkness until the light of Jesus shines in and the darkness flees, and then there is healing from sins condemnation, sicknesses and disease. The only real reason for sickness and disease and problems in the world is sin. Jesus came to pay the debt of sin. That debt is paid, and one day the King of all Kings will reign, and there will be no more sin, no more sickness, no more disease, and no more problems. Jesus is the LIGHT.

These multitudes followed Him because of the mighty deeds which He did. They would later deny Him. Some of them would even be the ones in the crowd crying, “Crucify Him; crucify Him”. Are you following Him because of what He can do, or just because of who He is? It does make a difference.

The Light of the Heart

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Matthew 4:12-25 continuing…

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” Matthew 4:18-22 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINES IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM. Jesus, walking on the shores of Galilee sees Peter and Andrew – brothers fishing. These are “Net” fishermen. They have no idea what fish are going to come up in their net, yet they toss the net into the water each time. Sometimes they have a catch large or small, and sometimes they come up empty. The net is no respecter of persons; maybe I should say fish; and neither is the Lord of all things. The fish does not go into the net without divine guidance. It is not by mere happen stance.

Peter and Andrew are fishing, and Jesus came along, and though they evidently had never met Him before – at least as far as we know – and He says, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”, and they drop their nets, and followed Him. It was an immediate action. In the King James it says, “Straightway”, and that can mean, “directly”, “soon”, “at once”, or “immediately”. At any rate they realized something special about Jesus and they followed Him. John’s Gospel gives a bit different account, and it is complementary; there is no harm done to either story (John 1:35-42).

With Peter and Andrew following along Jesus continues along the shores of Galilee seeking the men who would follow Him. The Sea of Galilee from which they make their living. The Sea which could represent the doomed, despairing, drowning, dying, realm of men in the world. Jesus comes to two more brothers James Zebedee, and John his brother. These had been fishing with their father Zebedee, but now were mending the nets. Maybe after a few times of catching the fish they would have tears, making holes in the net, thus, becoming less effective with each casting of the net. In all forms of labor; whether fishing, farming, policing, merchandising , etc. there will always be need for repairs. It can be a time of reflection, vision building, and growth; as well as improvement of the net. In this episode of Jesus’s life He now has four disciples – Peter, Andrew, James and John. He extended the invitation, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

That invitation, to this very day is still given to all who will hear His message. Jesus says, “Come, follow Me”.

On the Seventh and The Eighth Day

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Genesis 2:1-25 continuing…

For some reason there are some who read chapter two of Genesis and see contradiction. I suppose that it because they want to find contradiction within God’s Word. However, there is none. When you come to Scripture with a hatred for God and anything He might say it will be a very biased look. There have been many cases of avowed athiest who have ventured into the journey of reading God’s Word to prove it is full of errors, contradictions, and that it is only the words of men to only find the truth of Jesus Christ and trusted Him as their Lord and Savior. One of those is Lee Strobell, and another is Josh McDowell. Both of these men are now devoted Christian men and great apologist for the Word of God.

What I find in this chapter of Genesis is a further explanation of the Creator’s creation. It is a greater clarification of the creation of man, and his place and ministry on the earth.

We also find here the first mention of the Seventh day, or Sabbath day as a day of rest; it is the day God rested from creating. According to the Deist God created all that is and then left it with us and does not intervene into the affairs of men. It seems to me that the rest of Scripture quickly puts this thought to silence. We will see, very quickly, in the text that God walked with Adam in the garden. That does not sound to me like He distanced Himself from His creation.

In veres 1 – 3 we find the FIRST SABBATH. This is actually a continuation of the creation events of chapter one. God had created everything that was necessary to sustain life on earth. In particular to sustain, benefit, beautify, and fulfill the lives of the creation which is made “In our [God’s] image,after our [God’s] likeness”.

After making all things for man’s physical well being He teaches us a wonderful lesson. A lesson of rest and also for us a lesson of worship. Was God exhausted from all the work He had done? Not hardly. Did He take a leave of absence and leave the world and His whole creation on its own? Again, not at all.

His rest shows a completion to all that He began; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:6. It gives us promise and hope that as His New Creation in Christ He will complete what He began.

If we are genuinely resting in Him we will have times of personal, individual fellowship with Him. We will also seek every opportunity to learn more of Him His power and glory, His Son, His Spirit, His Word, and His work in our own and other’s lives. We do this through God’s institution of the local church.

We cease from our own laboring to please God and our own way, and rest in His arms of grace. We realize all our efforts, works and “…righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), and only His will suffice.

The Sabbath – a day of rest – is for our enjoying the benefits of a week long job and work well done, and especially for the worship of God Almighty, who made it all. That Sabbath rest is fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and He arose on the first day of the week, having finished the works of the Law. On the Eighth day, which is the First day of a brand new week we worship the One who rose again. The law was completed in Him.

And On the Sixth Day…

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Genesis 1:14-31 concluded

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Gen. 1:24-25.

On the beginning of the sixth day God created the final part of His creation before He created His crowning achievement.. He made all the provisions, necessities for human life, and comfort before He created the one made after Himself. When we see ourselves as we were originally made we will have a higher view of God, and eventually of ourselves, and others.

When the false teachers of evolution tell us that we are nothing more than a glorified animal, if even given that much credit, we find that there is no purpose for life, living, and that there is really no need for law. It would really come down to the teaching of THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. If we would take an honest look at our world and societies of the day we would find that people are becoming more and more unkind to one another. The evolutionits try and tell us that man is progressively getting better and better. If we are honest about it, though, we must conclude that there is little concern for human life. There is more concern for our life comforts, pleasures, conveniences, personal health and success, than there is for the unborn child. “The female of our species” can determine that this “thing” growing inside of her is nothing more than a mass which needs to be removed, comparing it to cancer. That is the result of being nothing more than another of the animal “species”, rather than having been created in the image and likeness of our Creator – God.

Often times, we as Christians, do not value the life of other created beings in the way that we should. I must say there have been times I was guilty of that. We should have a respect for all of life; even the life of the whale, dolphin, deer, elk, moose, cattle, horses, and all livestock, etc. However, that must be held within the perimeter of God’s Word. We have been told that, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” Gen. 9:3-4 – of course we must realize this permission was given after the flood of Noah’s time. We are also told in the Proverbs, “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious” Proverbs 12:27. I may aggravate a lot of hunters when I say this, but I will write it anyway. If you are a “Trophy hunter” and you waste the meat, and hunt for only the purpose of having a trophy, then you are nothing but a killer; a taker of precious life. There is nothing wrong with hunting and bringing in the meat for food, but when it is only for a trophy you fit into the role of “The slothful man”.

God has given to the creature created in His image and likeness the ability to think, to rationally think things through, to be logical, to dream, to achieve, to create – from materials which exist, and to build. The ultimate thing which God has given us is freewill with which to worship and adore Him.

When God made these cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the earth after his kind…we are told that, “God saw that it was good” Can you imagine this animal kingdom at peace with one another? The lamb and the lion feeding together; the ox and the tiger laying under the shade in the heat of the day sun; the child playing over the serpents den. This is the way it was in the beginning. There was peace in the “Animal kingdom”. The lamb and the lion; the ox and the tiger were eating the produce of the ground; “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” (vv. 29-30).

Of man God says, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (v. 28). Nowhere does this mean mistreatment of animals, and nowhere does this mean they have as much or more value than human life. Of man God also tells us, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (2:7).

In verses 29 – 31 we find what has been called the Edenic Covenant. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. Sometimes a covenant may have conditions on both parties, or it can have conditions for only one of the parties. In the case of the Edenic Covenant God placed conditions on Adam and Eve in order for them to stay in Eden. These conditions are, 1) To multiply and fill the earth; 2) To subdue the earth for human use and the glory of the Lord; 3) To rule/have dominion over the animal creation, for their keeping and well being; 4) To eat herbs and fruits brought forth by the trees and vegetation in the garden; 5) To till and care for – Keep (Guard) – the garden; 6) To abstain from eating the fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”; and 7) With the understanding of the penalty of death for eating the fruit of the forbidden tree.

Though we were made in the image and likeness of God; this image and likeness was later marred by sin when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. The bond between Adam and God was shattered by sin; by disobedience; and this image was restored by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It was not until the creation of the crown of His creation that God said, “It is very good”, and He said it of all that He created. Just think, if He could say that about the creation of the natural, what He will say when the New Creation is completed. The New Creation being every individual who has come to God through Jesus Christ’s shed blood, burial and resurrection. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” 2 Cor. 5:17. The evening and the morning were the sixth day.

On Day Five

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Genesis 1:14-31 continuing…

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day” Genesis 1:20-23 (KJV).

 

We come now to the creation of the Fins [life within the waters], and creating of the Feathers [life of the fowl] (vv. 20-23). “Let the waters bring forth abundantly…”. Jesus said to the woman at the well, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” John 4:10. Jesus also said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” John 7:37-38. It was the fifth day that life was given in the waters of the earth. Remember who is doing the creating. The voice of God; the Living Word, and the Living Water.

In looking at these verses it almost would appear that the recent declarations by some evolutionists concerning fish and birds coming from the same form of life could have some merit. The only ‘merit’ I give them is that these were both created on the same day, and it does almost seem that you could make an argument for them coming from the water. I will not give them that, though. It does tell us that each was made “After his kind”. The fish was made for and after the fish. The bird [fowl] was made for and after the bird. It did not take hundreds, thousands, or millions of years to make these or any other part of creation. We are told this creating was all done in a period of six days. It is measured by the “rising and setting” of the sun, or one rotation of the earth. God tells the fish and creatures of the waters to fill the waters, and He tells the fowl to fill the earth. This was the fifth day.

Remember God’s order! 1. The heaven and the earth was created; 2. Light is created, ordered for the earth; 3. God puts a protecting sphere or canopy over the earth made of water; 4. Plants begin to grow, ‘After his kind’; 5. The light giving bodies are created becoming the permanent sources of light; 6. Aquatic and fowl life are created to reproduce “After his king’; 7. The land creatures are created – the cattle, horses, etc. – this also includes the creature created in ‘God’s image’. When there is such order how can anyone with a reasoning, thinking, mind of logic see anything but a Creator?

Light Where Jesus Dwells

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Matthew 4:12-25 continues…

Jesus had received the message of John Baptist’s imprisonment, and He leaves Nazareth for Galilee. He makes His home base Capernaum, and He does this because He has a great heart for fulfilling the Scriptures. The Scriptures He is fulfilling by coming to Capernaum is Isaiah 9:1-2.

There is a point here that I will try not to forget when I get to another chapter of Matthew concerning His dwelling at Capernaum, which was pointed out to me in a magazine article I read, and is connected with John 6:16-21, and the relation with chapter 14 verses 22 – 33 of Matthew.

Capernaum is now Jesus’s home where His ministry headquarters are. The word “Dwelt” in verse 13 is “To house permanently”. This is an indication of Jesus’s intent. It does seem to have a special and significant prophetic meaning.

“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Matthew 4:12-17 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS CERTAINLY SHINES WHERE HE DWELLS. Jesus was the dawning of the great light that was to shine, fulfilling the Scriptures of Isaiah 9:1-2: “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined”.

John the Baptist was a messenger of the Light (John 1:6-9). When the King came it was in God’s plan and time for the prophet to be silenced. With John Baptist in prison that messenger was virtually silenced. John was actually the last of the Old Testament prophets. The prophets basic message was repentance, because that was what was needed, and until John the Baptist, there had been silence from prophecy for about 400 years.

When John is silenced by imprisonment and eventually his death, Jesus continues the message of repentance. The seventeenth verse gives us His beginning message, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Though since that first message of Jesus; He has died, was buried, has risen from death and the grave, and has ascended to His Father’s right hand; the message of repentance is especially needed in the world today. It is a time of immorality run amuck. That being due to the people of God forsaking God and going after the gain of the material world. Jesus is still the Light. The Light that shines in darkness, and shining in darkness reveals the sins of our hearts, and calls us to repentance.

The Fourth Day

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Genesis 1:14-31 continuing…

By way of introducing this segment of the creation study; let me remind you of the second and third days. The second day has no mention of “God saw that it was good”. It was a day of separation when the waters were divided with a firmament between the water over the land and the water in the air over the firmament. The third day was similar to a resurrection, because the waters receded and land was revealed. There was a revelation of land. Just as on the third day Jesus came forth from the grace around four thousand years later. On this third day it is mentioned ‘God saw that it was good’ twice; making it extra important.

 

Covering Genesis 1:14-19 –

On the fourth day we see the lights which God made for the sustenance and warmth of the earth. As I wrote earlier this is a mystery to me. Light created on the first day, and here we are told that God made the sun, moon and stars. The sun, of course to “rule” the day, and the moon to “rule” by night, and these were given for signs and seasons, days and years. I do believe what God says here, but it is a mystery that will probably not be satisfactorily answered until we see Jesus. Then, it probably will not matter.

“…The conflict which some have imagined between the creation of light on day one (v. 3) and the creation of sun, moon and stars on the fourth day (vv. 14-19) is imaginary. The light created in v. 3 has a source other than the specific sources provided on the fourth day. For example, the moon is termed a ‘light giver’ in v. 16, but the light from the moon is totally derived from another source. The moon does not create its own light: yet is is termed a ‘light giver’ just as the sun. Obviously, more than one method of providing light is available to God. Therefore, God provided light and its cycle for day and night on the first day, while on the fourth day He provided the luminaries that would become the permanent sources of light for the earth.” Note of verse Gen. 1:14 from THE CRISWELL STUDY BIBLE 1979, pg. 4.

When Jesus arose from the dead on the third day that was not all that there was for Jesus to do. He still must be seated at His Father’s right hand. The scene changes from earth to Heaven. In looking at Arthur Pink again, he writes, “In the fourth day’s work our eyes are removed from the earth and all its affairs and are turned to the heavens!” pg. 26. It would do us good to read Colossians 3:1-2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”.

As we lift our eyes heavenward we will see two great lights – the sun by day, and the moon by night. The sun in its ever burning brightness typifies the Son of God. The moon, as only a reflector of light, is dependent upon the sun for its light. The moon, then, would typify the believer. As the moon has no power/radiance of its own, so it is with the child of God. We are only reflectors of that light as we have His presence within. There are times when the earth comes between the sun and the moon, and this is what is called an lunar eclipse. This is what happens to the Christian who allows the things of the world to take a higher priority in their lives than the Lord Jesus. There are also times when the moon comes between the sun and the earth. This is called a solar eclipse. When the Christian begins to think they are pretty special, there is pride, and Jesus is not being seen, and His light is being blocked by our haughtiness, or by doing things which call greater attention to ourselves; and God is robbed of His glory. The lights above are awesome reminders of who God is, and our place within His creation.

The function of these great lights are “To give light upon the earth” (v. 15), and “To rule over the day and over the night” (v. 18). Thus, it is for Christ and all those who trust Him. This was the fourth day.

On the Third Day

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

Genesis 1:3-13 concluded…

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day” Genesis 1:9-13

The third day we find an unveiling, even a resurrection. The waters covered the earth, and on this day land emerges from under the waters.

A. W. Pink writes, “These verses bring before us God’s work on the third day, and in harmony with the meaning of this numeral we find that which clearly speaks of resurrection” From GLEANINGS IN GENESIS pg. 19. Certainly, just as in the ordinance of baptism the coming up out of the water symbolizes resurrection, we can see the symbol here. The land emerges from the waters, brings forth life – grass, herbs, trees – and all “After their kind” brought forth fruit.

Those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are trusting Him. A continued trust is the main fruit – evidence – of true faith. It is the resurrected life which is no longer submerged under the waters of the world and death, but has been brought to new life in the resurrection of Christ. Each herb, tree, and blade of grass “…Yielding seed after his kind”.

It is interesting to notice that on the Third Day it is said, “God saw that it was good” twice. Surely, this could take us to Romans 1:4 “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord (v. 3) …And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. Where the Holy Spirit omitted “God saw that it was good” on the second day, He doubly asserts the goodness of the third day. O, the blessing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

After three days, Jesus arose and came out of the grave.