God’s Plan for Redemption Revealed in First 5 Verses of the Bible! June 15, 2010

God led me to do an exegetical study of Genesis 1:1-5 a few months ago. What I found BLEW MY MIND!

God showed us His character and spelled out the eternal plan of redemption in the first five verses of the Bible!!! And He was even a little graphic about it! (LOL!)

GENESIS 1:1-5

VERSE 1)

In the beginning God created the heavens (AN ELEVATED, DIVINE WORLD BEYOND OUR REACH) and the earth (FIRM GROUND.)

VERSE 2)

Now the earth (FIRM GROUND) was formless (WORTHLESS CONFUSION) and empty (UNDISTINGUISHABLE RUIN), darkness (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS) was over the surface of the deep (BOTTOMLESS, DESTRUCTIVE COMMOTION), and the Spirit of God was hovering (INCUBATING, COVERING WITH HIS WINGS) over the waters (SEMEN).

•  Verse 2 Translation:  Now the (FIRM GROUND) was (WORTHLESS CONFUSION) and (UNDISTINGUISHABLE RUIN), (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS) was over the surface of the (BOTTOMLESS, DESTRUCTIVE COMMOTION), and the Spirit of God was (INCUBATING, COVERING WITH WINGS) over the (SEMEN). – WOOT! WOOT!

VERSE 3)

And God said, “Light! (ILLUMINATE! BE HAPPY!),” and there was light (ILLUMINATION, HAPPINESS).

VERSE 4) 

God saw that the light (ILLUMINATION, HAPPINESS) was good, and he separated (DISTINGUISHED, SEVERED) the light (ILLUMINATION, HAPPINESS) from the darkness (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS).

VERSE 5)

God called the light (ILLUMINATION, HAPPINESS) “day (THE PROCESS OF TIME, CONTINUAL OUTLIVING),” and the darkness (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS) he called “night (A TWIST AWAY FROM THE LIGHT).”  And there was evening (TO COVER WITH A TEXTURE; OCCUPY), and there was morning (TO BREAK FORTH, TO PLOW)–the first day (PROCESS OF TIME, CONTINUAL OUTLIVING).

God indicated that He can bring life to things that are dead simply by hovering (INCUBATING) presence over the water (SEMEN) that was in the deep (BOTTOMLESS DESTRUCTIVE COMMOTION)! WOOT! WOOT!

Have you had a situation that you could classify as (WORTHLESS CONFUSION), (UNDISTINGUISHABLE RUIN), (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS) or (BOTTOMLESS, DESTRUCTIVE COMMOTION?)  In the midst of that DEEP situation there is SEED (SEMEN) for LIFE! GET IN HIS PRESENCE AND LET HIM HOVER (INCUBATE) OVER YOU! God is using those seasons in the deep(BOTTOMLESS, DESTRUCTIVE COMMOTION) and darkness (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS) to birth destiny!

In the midst of the formlessness (WORTHLESS CONFUSION), God said “Light!” (ILLUMINATE! BE HAPPY!)  We must remember His faithfulness and promises and recall that FROM THE BEGINNING He separated (DISTINGUISHED, SEVERED) the light (ILLUMINATION, HAPPINESS) from the darkness (SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS)  AND he intentionally called them night (A TWIST AWAY FROM THE LIGHT) and day (THE PROCESS OF TIME, CONTINUAL OUTLIVING).

THE BIG PICTURE:

From the beginning God was showing us His plan for mankind. God knew before the foundation of the world that man would TWIST AWAY FROM THE LIGHT (night), live in SORROW, DEATH, MISERY, DESTRUCTION, WICKEDNESS  (darkness) and that by sending His Son He would DISTINGUISH/SEVER (separate) us from it by bringing ILLUMINATION, HAPPINESS (light) and it would CONTINUALLY OUTLIVE the darkness through the PROCESS OF TIME (day).

So whether you look at a circumstance in your life right now, or at God’s ultimate plan for mankind…. Recognize this: There was evening (TO COVER WITH A TEXTURE; OCCUPY), and there was morning (TO BREAK FORTH, TO PLOW): a day (A PROCESS OF TIME, CONTINUAL OUTLIVING). This is the HOPE we have …. Our God is SOVEREIGN and we are guaranteed the VICTORY!

You better shout right about now….WOOT! WOOT!

What Are The Odds? Interesting Facts about Resurrection Day (Easter)… April 4, 2010

Its Resurrection Day morning (Easter Sunday) as I’m typing this and I thought I would share a few interesting facts about this day in history.  While it is significant because its the day Jesus rose from the grave, this day is also the historical day of many other events too.  My brief investigation has yielded some interesting facts, however a more scholarly study is definitely in order. But here are a few tidbits for you today…

It’s amazing to realize that the Israelites practiced various feasts and festivals for thousands of years before Jesus was ever born, and they had no idea the prophetic significance of what they were doing. Here are a couple of interesting facts you may enjoy. The symbolism to Christ and the evidence of God’s sovereignty are AMAZING!

The 1st Feast, Passover, originated back in Exodus 12 when the Lord was delivering the Israelites from Egypt. The night before he delivered them He instructed them to sacrifice a lamb and put the blood on their doorposts so the Angel of Death would “passover” their home and not kill the first born males in their household. Of course this is symbolic of the blood of Jesus that would cause death to “passover” us so we could have eternal life. The details are incredible:
-  They had to keep the lamb in their home for 4 days before killing it. The purpose was to form a bond with the animal so it was truly a sacrifice.
-  The lamb had to be without defect.
-  They were to eat the meat along with bitter herbs and bread without yeast. (The bitter herbs were symbolic of the bitterness of slavery and the yeast was symbolic of sin)
-  They were to eat the meal in haste “with their cloak tucked into their belt and their sandals on their feet”. (This was an act of faith, expressing their belief that the Lord was truly about to deliver them from slavery and they needed to be ready to leave at any moment.)

The 2^nd Feast is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Lord told them that for seven days following the Passover, they should not eat bread with yeast (or leaven). They should only eat unleavened bread.  The Lord then led them out of Egypt via the Red Sea, even though it was not the shortest route, for in His sovereignty He knew the shortest route would have put them in danger. When they came to the Red Sea, they thought they were doomed. They immediately got angry with Moses and complained they wished they would have never left Egypt. This complaining and murmuring delayed their journey by 40 years!

The 3rd Feast is the Feast of Firstfruits. There was an “Early Firstfruits” and a ‘Latter Firstfruits.” The days in between were known as “counting the Omer” and they would count the 50 days until the Latter Firstfruits which was the 4^th Feast known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.  During Early Firstfruits the firstfruits waved before the Lord were in the natural state—an omer of barley (and wheat, grapes, olives, etc.). During Latter Firstfruits (the Day of Pentecost) the firstfruits waved before the Lord were in the prepared state—two loaves of bread (and wine, oil, etc.).

Some interesting facts about the day that Early Firstfruits is celebrated are that it was also the very same day (Nissan 17) that:
-  Noah’s ark came to rest safely on Mt. Ararat (Gen 8:4)
-  The Israelites entered Egypt INTO a life of slavery (Ex. 12:40-41)
-  The Red Sea was parted and they crossed over on dry land (finally delivered OUT of slavery from the Egyptians) (Ex. 3:18 5:3)
-  Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land (Josh 5)
-  God promised to give them the city of Jericho and they began their 7 days of marching (this was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread). (Josh 5: 13-6:20)
-  Hezekiah cleansed the temple (800 years after entering the Promised Land) (2 Chron. 29:1-28)
-  Queen Esther saved the Jews from elimination. (Esther 3:12, 5:1)
-  The Resurrection of Jesus!

The odds of just two of these things happening on the exact same day of the Hebrew calendar are 1 in 129,000. The odds of ALL of them happening on the same exact day are 1 in 783,864,876,960,000,000 (783 quadrillion, 864 trillion, 876, billion, 960 million!)

Coincidence?

I think not.

Throughout history and throughout the biblical accounts, God has been pointing to Jesus and setting up His plan that could never be manufactured by man.  So as you reflect on this day that He rose from the grave I ask you… how can you deny His existence or His love for you? Receive Him today as your Lord and Savior and let Easter be more than candy, eggs and bunnies, but truly a day of celebration for you from this day forward!

(For information on how to receive the incredible gift Jesus provided for you, click on this link: http://www.maryloveslife.org/A-Gift-for-You.html

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!

(All of these facts were taken from http://heartofwisdom.com/Acrobat/BHPreview2.0.pdf )

CHRISTmas Misconceptions Addressed: Dec 25th, Xmas, Happy Holidays December 25, 2009

Every year I find there are a few “touchy” subjects among Christians and non-Christians alike. Many argue about celebrating Christmas on December 25th, claiming it to be a pagan holiday celebration. Others get upset when the term Xmas is used in place of Christmas, claiming it cancels out Christ. And finally, in todays culture more and more people are being forced to use Happy Holidays in place of Merry Christmas so as to not offend anyone.

Here’s what I found when I researched these concerns:

DECEMBER 25^th

There is a DVD called “Bethlehem Star” (http://www.bethlehemstar.com/) and it reveals scientific & historical research about the alignment of the stars, the moon, the sun, the planets, the constellations, etc back in the year Jesus was born. They provide Scriptural proof for each star, planet, constellation studied and it is all in the Word.  Because of the alignment of these various things which can be traced from historical records they found that when the “star” appeared and the Magi (wise men) followed… based on the distance they had to travel, etc… the day they arrived and brought gifts to Jesus in the manger was our equivalent of Dec 25!  This day had no significant meaning to anyone back in that day, therefore celebrating on Dec 25 was not intentional because of this. The Roman Catholics are the ones who began the practice of celebration on Dec 25 almost 300 years after Jesus birth. But regardless of why they decided to celebrate on this day, evidence now exists to show God’s sovereignty in the midst of it all!  Man thinks he picked the day, but God divinely purposed it all along!

In addition to December 25th likely being the day the Magi visited Jesus in the manger, it also may be the date of His conception!  Here is a link to some research on this: http://www.revneal.org/Writings/jesusbirth.htm

XMAS

I also recently learned that the words “Christianity” and “Christmas” have been abbreviated for more than 1,000 years and the tradition does not symbolize disrespect or anonymity. The “X” in Xmas is from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the word Χριστός, Greek for “Christ.” References in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as early as AD 1021 show Christ referred to as “XP” or “Xt”. The letter χ used in ancient abbreviations is still widely seen in Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas)

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

According to Merriam-Webster.com:

Etymology of Holiday = Middle English, from Old English hāligdæg, from hālig holy + dæg day

Date: before 12th century

1 : holy day
2 : a day on which one is exempt from work;

3 chiefly British : vacation

4 : a period of exemption or relief <corporations enjoying a tax holiday>

From this definition of holiday, we can see that its root meaning and primary meaning are HOLY DAY.  So if you find your environment insisting you not say Merry Christmas…. just say Happy HOLY DAY instead! Because that is indeed what it is!

————————————————–

So while I prefer “Merry Christmas,” on this day December 25, 2009, I am free to say Merry Xmas, Happy HOLY DAY and still know that it’s ALL ABOUT HIM!

(Oh, and Happy Birthday Jesus!)

The Bible Speaks for Itself… October 10, 2009

So this semester in school I again find myself in awe of how all five of my classes seem to “jive” even though I didn’t necessarily realize they would. Some of you may be aware of how ON THE LAST DAY TO CHANGE CLASSES WITHOUT A FEE, God divinely led me to switch my schedule. This resulted in one of my classes being “Contextualization of the Gospel”  (which is all about planting multi-cultural churches…LOL…as I happened to be doing right now anyway!) and the other resulted in my work with planting http://www.Hope-Church.tv being used as my INTERNSHIP! (God is so amazingly cool I can hardly stand it sometimes!)

But as for my other three classes, I pretty much took them 1) because they are required and 2) they fit in my current schedule. But these three classes are turning out to be so interconnected it is amazing! One of them is Apologetics, which is learning to give proof for what you believe and being able to defend the truth (God, the Bible, etc.) The second class is Systematic Theology where we are currently studying the personhood of God and all the ways He reveals Himself to us. Well, needless to say… understanding all the ways He reveals Himself is essential to giving proof He exists and defending what you believe! So in both classes I find we often are discussing many of the same things! Finally, the third class is Principles of Science. Now to be honest, I really felt that this was the most odd ball class of the group. It would seemingly be chosen as “Which one of these doesn’t belong?” But oddly enough, or rather “Godly enough,” in this class we spend much time discussing how science can be used to PROVE God exists and that the Bible is true! We discuss nature, space, galaxies, power, energy and how God reveals Himself clearly to mankind through these things. WOW! So all three of these classes are basically rehearsing the same material but from different perspectives! Is God cool or what?

So I wanted to share something so cool from my Systematic Theology textbook (by Stanley M. Horton). It is about evidence of the authenticity of Scripture. Check this out:

“The Bible provides convincing internal testimony to its unique authority as a message from God. It is the positive internal evidence of a Divine origin which gives power and authority to the claims of the Bible. The Bible displays an amazing unity and consistency in its content considering the great diversity in its writing:

• It was written over a period of approximately fifteen centuries
• It was written by more than 40 authors from varied walks of life (politician, fisherman, farmer, doctor, king, soldier, rabbi, shepherd, and others.)
• They wrote in different places (the wilderness, the palace, prison, etc.)
• They wrote during varied circumstances (war, exile, while travelling, etc.)
• Some wrote history
• Some wrote law
• Some wrote poetry
• Literary genres range from allegory to biography to personal correspondence
• All had their own backgrounds and experiences
• All had their own strengths and weaknesses
• They wrote on different continents
• They wrote in three languages
• They wrote about hundreds of topics

Yet their writings combine to form a consistent whole that beautifully unfolds the story of God and His relationship to humanity.”

WOW, huh?

To top it off, the text goes on to remind us of the Bible’s “survivability” over time:

• “The Bible has not just survived, but thrived
• It has faced numerous periods in history of ecclesiastical restraint
• It has faced many governmental attempts to eliminate it
• It has faced numerous organized efforts to suppress or exterminate it
• The Bible received more veneration and adoration than any other book
• The Bible has also been the object of more persecution and opposition than any other book

Only if the Bible is indeed God’s redemptive message to humanity is its indestructibility not so amazing: God has kept His omnipotent hand on His Word.”

So next time someone you know is trying to tell you that the Bible isn’t true or real, you can remember these facts and be better equipped to defend what you believe. Because truth be told: the Bible needs no defense. It speaks for itself. (or should I say “God speaks for Himself!) WOOHOO!

Mary