"The first 1,000 years ..."

Day #2


Scripture Reading:  Genesis 4-7 ...


"And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good" (1:31).  Then sin entered into God’s world  ... then death - spiritual death and physical death.  Mankind began their downward spiral towards destruction.  As we read yesterday from Romans 5:12:  “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ...”   All people were now conceived and born in sin, with a sinful nature turned away from God.  While most people want to believe that there is some good in everybody, the testimony of God’s Word is to the contrary.  The Apostle Paul describes himself and the believers around him in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 3:  “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”

The failure to understand this truth ... that mankind’s problem is his very nature and that the only cure is a supernatural work of God by His Spirit and through His Word, leaves mankind in a hopeless search for a solution to the current struggle between nations, races and religions.  Mankind began to spread out over the earth, carrying their sin and its consequences with them, both in their relationships with others and their relationship with creation itself.

The genealogy in Genesis 5 is important because it gives us a timeline from creation forward.  The idea that man evolved from lower forms of life requires millions, even billions of years of time (as if time could bring this about!!).  But from the creation of Adam to the birth of Noah was just over 1,000 years.  After Cain killed his brother, Abel, and Seth was born to Adam and Eve we read, "Men began to call on the LORD" (4:25).  Whatever information Adam and Eve had passed on to their children and to future generations, it was through the godly line of Seth that God’s promise of a Savior moved men to worship the LORD, their Creator.  From this time on you will see a separation between those who, like Enoch, walked with God, and those who rejected God and set out to use the world He had created for His glory for their own purposes ... as is happening to this day.  

Which brings us to Genesis 6:5:
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth and His heart was filled with pain" (6:5-6).  How different was the view from heaven from what it had been immediately following God's marvelous creation!  All the suffering, pain and anguish that resulted from mankind's rebellion grieved the heart of God ... and God knew that it would only get worse ...

Some who read about the early days of mankind on the earth speculate about who the “sons of God” were and who the “daughters of men” were.  The explanation is really very simple and goes back to what we read in chapter 4, verse 25 ... those who were “sons of God” were those who “called on the name of the LORD” and those who were the “daughters of men” were those who were unbelievers.  This theme of believers entering into marriage and relationships with unbelievers runs throughout the Bible.  It is addressed in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 6, verses 14-18, where God says, “Come out from them and be separate!”

People without God are people who are spiritually dead and who are virtually living life waiting to die.  They are, as Paul would describe them later, "without God and without hope in the world" (Ephesians 2:12).  God's judgment is just, yet His purpose is much grander ... a new beginning.  The flood was about to come, but God had not forgotten His promise - the promise made as God cursed Satan:  "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; HE will crush your head, and you will strike His heel" (Genesis 3:15).

The rest is, as some say, "history” ... actually, approximately 4400-4500 years of history, from the flood until today.  The beginning of the “ancient” dynasties of Egypt and China and others all date back to after the flood.  There is no recorded history prior to that time!  And ALL of history centers around God's promise to send a Savior and to create a new heavens and a new earth.  The earth is not billions, or even millions of years old.  Mankind did not evolve and has not existed for millions of years.  "In the beginning, God created ..." (1:1) ... and God sent the promised Savior, to be the sacrifice for sin, "and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him" (Hebrews 9:28).

"Scoffers" have come, denying the truthfulness of God's Word from creation to the flood.  "They deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men" (II Peter 3:3-7).  "But in keeping with His promise WE are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (II Peter 3:13).

Genesis 1-7 ... the first 1,000 years!!  It is all true; and IF you believe these things, your life has value beyond anything you can imagine, for you are here because this God, the only true God, your Creator, placed you here at this time for His purposes.  To many, even most of mankind, He is still the unknown God that Paul spoke about to the people of Athens centuries later when he wrote, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth ... From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; ... God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:24-27).  Today I urge you to seek Him, believe in Him, center your life in Him and find your hope in Him.  He IS!  And because He is, you ARE!

"Heavenly Father, help us to discover in Your Word the solid ground we need to live in this world with wisdom and purpose, understanding that we are your special creation, existing for Your glory.  Every day is Yours.  May we use it to praise and glorify YOU, our Creator!  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen"

"In the beginning ..."

Day #1

Scripture Reading:  Genesis 1-3 ...

"In the beginning God created ..."  From the first words of Genesis the God who created the world and everything in it begins to reveal Himself to His special creation, mankind, through written words.  Genesis 1 reveals information that no human being could know unless God Himself revealed it.  While some ask how Moses, the writer of Genesis, could possibly know the details of God’s creation “in the beginning,” a brief examination of the genealogies in Genesis 5 and Genesis 10 reveal that Adam was still alive during the life of Noah’s father, Lamech.  Certainly, the oral account of creation, revealed by God to Adam, was passed on through the generations in both oral and written form.  From ancient philosophers to modern scientists mankind has attempted to find an alternate truth to the first five words of the Bible, with no success.  “In the beginning God created!”

It is no surprise that Satan, who enters history in Chapter 3, after having rebelled against God in heaven, would attempt to discredit the truth of God's Word at its most foundational point: Creation.  God reveals that He spoke and things came into being.  The creative power of God is the living Word of God, as the Apostle John begins his Gospel:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:1-3).

God’s sovereignty, His rule over His creation, including mankind, is at the heart of Genesis 1-3.  The Bible tells us that believers were chosen “in Christ before the creation of the world.”  Adam and Eve were created by God with a free will.  They could choose to obey God or to disobey God.  As the first man, Adam was the representative of the entire human race.  Therefore, when Adam chose to sin, to disobey God, to reject His rule over him and his wife, his very nature became sinful and that nature was passed on to all of mankind.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:12:  “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ...”

God created Adam and Eve knowing that they would reject Him, but already having planned to send His Son, the living Word, into the world to be the “second Adam,” who would redeem those who would be saved, who would believe by the power of the Holy Spirit giving them new life.  This is the message of the entire Bible, and it begins here, in Genesis.

Reject the fact of God’s creation and you have no answers for how we got here, the purpose of life or what happens when we die.  Reject the truth of God’s creation and man is a "free agent," able to determine his own fate, his own destiny.  If Genesis 1-3 is not true, then mankind is an accident of evolution and the future is subject to blind chance ... or worse yet, the sinful will of mankind.  Either mankind was created in God's image, rebelled against God and is now facing the consequences of that rebellion OR mankind is the result of a chaotic process that has left this world in its present circumstance, with the pinnacle of evolution now able to destroy the very planet that produced our species through a series of chance events.  

The darkness of the human mind should be readily obvious.  Choosing to reject God and to deny the truth in spite of the testimony of creation itself, mankind gives up the only ray of hope that shines in the darkness:  the promise of a Savior!  Mankind must now attempt to save the world, because they have no other hope.  All of the talk about climate change and what the nations of the world must do to save the planet reveals the desperation of those who have rejected the God of creation.

Why is the world in such a horrible state?  God answers that question in Romans 1:18-21 for all who have His Spirit and who have been given understanding:  “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  Rejecting the truth does not change the truth!!

We read in Psalm 19:1-4:  “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”  Indeed, all people are without excuse for rejecting the one true God, our Creator!

But God offers hope to those whose minds are opened by His Spirit and who believe that God is, indeed, our Creator.  Genesis 2 is a more detailed account of God's creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, the only part of God's creation that was created in His image, with a spirit ... with the ability to commune with God.  Did God know what Satan would do?  Did God know the man would disobey God and fall into sin?  Did God know that His perfect creation would be affected for thousands of years?  Yes ... Yes ... and Yes ...  Then why??

Because God desired to reveal His holiness, His justice, His mercy, His grace and His love to those whom He chose before the world was even created (Ephesians 1:4).  And so the first promise of the Gospel is found in Genesis 3:15:  "And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; HE will crush your head, and you will strike His heel."  Here is hope!  The hope of redemption, reconciliation, restoration ... the hope of LIFE!! God’s fulfillment of this promise is what the rest of the Bible is about!

Hope is given birth in the words, "In the beginning, God created!"  The same God who created all things out of nothing can give new life to those who are spiritually and even physically dead.  He is the God who revealed Himself to Moses and whose Word you are now reading.  Give thanks to God for His Word and believe what it says and you will have life through the promised Savior, Jesus Christ.

"O Lord God, open the eyes of the blind and renew the hope of those who have believed your Word; that You, O Lord our God, may be worshiped and adored as our Creator, our Redeemer and our Savior, through Jesus Christ, Your eternal Son, the Word made flesh.  Amen"

"A New Year in God's Word!"

As the new year is about to begin I want to invite you to join me once again in reading through the Bible.  I believe (and I hope you do) that the Bible is the very Word of God.  I believe that what the Apostle Paul wrote almost two thousand years ago is still true today ...

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16-17).

And I can't help but think of the importance of God's Word as I look at the world around us and see the growth of Islam and other religions, and of atheism and secular thought, including the movement of "Freedom FROM Religion"!!  In the midst of all of this, I encourage you to think about the importance of the study of God's Word, as it is explained in Paul's letter to the believers in Ephesus, Ephesians 6:10-18:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

You would think that Paul thought we were at war ... and we are!!  But unlike those who use physical force and manmade weapons, "though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:3-4).  Even before Jesus was born God told His people through the prophet, Zechariah, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" (Zechariah 4:6).  And the "sword of the Spirit" IS the Word of God!

The writer of Hebrews testifies that "the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

God has given us His Word to equip and empower us for all that He has for us to do in this world.  Everything you need to know about the one true God, our Creator, is found in this book.  Everything you need to know to put your faith in Jesus Christ and to live for Him as His disciple during your life in this world is found in this book.  True hope, peace, joy and love are found in this book as it points to Jesus Christ, the one Mediator, Savior and Lord who is coming again soon to reign on the earth over all His enemies and ours.

Already in the Garden of Eden God promised that He would send One who would be the "Seed of the woman," who would crush the head of the serpent, of Satan.  You cannot and will not understand your life or the world in which we live without this book, and you will not have hope beyond the grave without knowing what this book and this book alone teaches you.  The author and teacher of this book is the very Spirit of God working through those who wrote it, as Peter declares in II Peter 1:20-21:  "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."


As we approach the end of another year, you may have some regrets.  How did you use the time God gave you over the past twelve months?  We read in II Corinthians 5 that we who believe in Jesus Christ today "live by faith, not by sight" (verse 7).  Paul goes on, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it" (verses 8-9).  Are you living a life that is pleasing to the Lord?

God has given us His Word to help us do exactly that.  If you commit yourself to reading God's Word in 2016 you will not regret doing so.  Each day you will be reading words written hundreds, even thousands of years ago, that speak of God and of His plan to save those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ from His coming judgment.  Each day God will call you to trust and obey, and each day you will be assured that because God has not changed, He is able and willing to work in you and through you for His glory as you put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Because God's revelation of Himself and His plan to save some out of the human race for Himself is "progressive," we will look at each passage in the light of the rest of God's Word, referring often to other portions of the Bible to help us understand the chapters we are reading.  Knowing God means understanding Who He is and how He has worked, is working and will work in our world ... HIS world!  There is wisdom here for the ages ... wisdom that you and I desperately need as we are bombarded with "counterfeit wisdom" from those around us.

Far from being "out-of-date," the Bible is the most relevant and up-to-date book available to our modern age.  "These things happened as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come" (I Corinthians 10:11).  So welcome to the study of God's Word ... 2016!!  May God bless His Word to your hearing and your understanding, and may you "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To HIM be glory both now and forever.  Amen!"  (II Peter 3:18).