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I ATE IT.
January 2nd reading: Genesis 3-5
I remember in my early childhood taking my dad’s pocketknife from the stand by his favorite chair and carving pictures on the bedroom door. It was great fun and my sister liked the pictures too. Dad and Mom were out doing chores on the farm and it was still dark outside. After a while, I knew they would come in soon and slid Dad’s chair in front of the door to try and hide the “sin”. I didn’t understand it but they caught on right away when they came in the house! I initially tried to blame my younger sister for being the instigator, but was found out! I was rightfully afraid of punishment and soon reaped what I had so unwisely sown. (That was before the days when spanking was termed abuse!) Genesis 3 came alive personally to me and I would bet every one of us has learned this lesson the hard way!
As I read this section of scripture, I am introduced to the “serpent” who was “more crafty” than any of the other animals that God had made. This “serpent” talks to the woman Eve. His words contradict or twist what God had told Adam and Eve. They are words designed to appeal to desire for that which is forbidden by God. The words appeal to pride and a desire to know what God knows from a source that God warns them would cause them to die. Crafty is the ability to “craft” a plan that gets around truth. It is a lie with some chocolate covering it. Eve is taken in by this “craft” and takes the forbidden fruit. She gives it to her husband who eats as well. She is deceived and he deliberately eats. They suddenly are aware of their nakedness and hide, covering themselves. Fear has entered with death and, rather than being clothed with God’s Glory, shame now clothes them with a fig leaf!
God is walking in the garden. He is reaching out to those made in His image. He is calling to them and seeking those who are now lost! He knows what they have done but is trying to help them get free. When they emerge shaking in fear, God asks them who told them they were naked and if they had eaten from the forbidden tree. Each answer is an attempt to blame someone else or God himself! No one wants to confess or admit guilt. Sin not only brings guilt and shame, but it causes fear of punishment.
Today, do a quick survey of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are things you are doing that you need to take responsibility for. Confess them to the Lord and ask for forgiveness and cleansing. It’s the only way I know to get rid of sin and its consequence, death! “I ate it.”
The man said, “The woman you put here with me–she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1st John 1:9
“In the Beginning, God”!
Today’s reading: Genesis 1-2
The journey begins! May the Lord bless your new year and walk with you each step of the way!
I am so thankful that you have chosen to trek with me through the Bible this year. We are starting at the beginning and I just love these first chapters of Genesis. To think that Moses recorded this for us about 1500 years before Christ is amazing! According to Scripture, he was moved on by the Holy Spirit and wrote down a message given him by God. (2nd Peter 1:19-21) This record of creation is given to us by the only one who was there to witness it all! Without this record, we could only speculate about where we came from and why we are here in the type of world that we live in. In fact, that kind of speculation is what is going on with many intellectuals today who deny God exists or that He can be known by us. It is being taught in our school systems to our children and they are confused!
God made all that is simply by speaking! What powerful words! As He spoke, out of nothing, creation appeared! Psalm 33:6 states: “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” We serve a God who breathes out stars, constellations, and galaxies that stretch out for countless millions of light years in every direction from the earth! (Recommended Resource–How Great is Our God by Louis Giglio)
Even more amazing is man himself! Man made in the image of God! Man created by God for a relationship! Man walking with God and sharing rulership of creation with God. The Trinity is implied here in the “our image”. God creating man as male and female for a relationship with each other is also noteworthy! His design has brought companionship and pleasure to man, who could not find what he needed with any of the animals! We are special and unique! Thank Him for your uniqueness and His purpose for your life. Invite Him to walk with you today and this year! It will be the most exciting way to begin a new year! In His Love, Pastor John
Then God said, “let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them.”–Genesis 2:26-27
Without a vision–people get lost!
Greetings! How do we find our way in this world? Is it blind chance? Are there natural forces and laws that operate and bring about all that happens? Are we just a chance combination of chemicals that has resulted from years of time and chance? Were our ancestors apes or monkeys? Are we really much more developed than animals? Are our thoughts just the result of chemical reactions in our brains? Is there any real moral truth? If we were to listen to much of what our secular world is saying to us, these questions nag at us. Even as Christians, we sometimes have a very poor understanding of the answers to some basic questions concerning our identity, our purpose here, our ideas, values.
Many professing Christians live as though the moral values taught by the Bible were not true and absolute. They have many of the same attitudes and actions of the unsaved when they live among them day to day. There is a big gap between what the Bible teaches and the way Christians behave. Do they understand the Bible? Do they believe and know what God has said? Are our hearts set on God and His truth? These questions also come to me regularly.
As we trek through the Bible this year, I want to grasp God’s vision for mankind and for me in a new way. I believe that how we believe and think determines how we live. As a Christian, I should know who I am, where I came from, how I lost my vision of God and how to see Him clearly again! Let’s ask God for a fresh vision of the world. Our ‘worldview’ is one of the most important aspects of our life and determines how we live. In His Love, Pastor John
“and He told them this parable: Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” Luke 6:39 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:18
A “GPS” is a “must have” for 2009!
Greetings! The men of my church blessed me with a “Tom-Tom” GPS and I am so amazed at what it can do! I can put in an address that I don’t know how to find, and it will plot a route there and then talk me through the route, telling me when to turn and which way. If I make a mistake, it will get me back on track, or calculate an alternative route that will still get me to my destination! It will also get me back home!
I was thinking about this when I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to me about how He helps me each day! He is “God’s Positioning System”–“GPS!” He takes the Scriptures and helps me in several ways. He helps me focus on the right path to arrive at my ultimate destination–Heaven! He speaks to me each day giving me directions along my path and when I make a wrong turn, He gently helps me find an alternate route! I am never out of range of His powerful positioning guidance. He knows the latest updates on road and traffic conditions and all the obstacles to my progress! He can get me home each trip!
We must remember a few things when using our “GPS.” We must keep it “charged” and “on” every time we go out! We must listen for the directions and follow–they are never wrong with God! We must always set our “home” address as “Heaven”–we’re just traveling through here on earth! If you faithfully follow your “GPS”, you’ll always know where you’re at and be able to find your way home! In His Love, Pastor John
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.'” Isaiah 30:21; “My Sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them from my hand.” John 10:27-28
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus!
As we prepare for a new year, I’m excited about beginning a new journey through the Bible. The Bible is my favorite book of all times! I’ve read through it each year for many years now, reading it in different translations to gain fresh insights and to keep from becoming complacent. It is my intention to share this journey with any who want to join in. You are invited!
I encourage each of you to find a good devotional Bible that will help pace your reading through the year. This year, I’m using the Daily Walk Bible published by Tyndale House publishers and copyrighted in 2007. It is written in the New International Version. It has a devotion for each day of the year, dividing the Bible into 365 portions. These devotions are centered on a daily walk and will encourage you! It also has helps for each section to enhance your ability to understand. There are many Bibles available that divide the Scripture into daily portions. Let the Lord direct you to the one you should use.
In addition to this devotional, I will be sharing my personal gleaning from the Scriptures each day in this blog. I’m asking Jesus Christ to walk with me daily, as He has for nearly 50 years now. I want to know Him more intimately and follow Him more closely than ever! I need His wisdom and counsel daily. I want my heart to burn with passion for the things He is passionate about! I want to hear His voice and do what He asks and commands. I pray that this is your heart as well! Jesus is no respecter of persons! In the coming week, I will unfold the vision I feel the Lord has given me this year for my growth and the encouragement of those who journey with me in community. Would you join me on this exciting and significant BibleTrekToday?
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1st Corinthians 2:9