Read Genesis 1
A young Bible college student listened intently to his lecturer as he expounded the meaning of ‘day’ in Genesis. It was stated with some competence and authority that the word ‘day’ need not mean a literal 24 hour day but could be referring to any length of time. The young student asked, ‘Could it refer to millions of years?’
‘Yes, of course,’ came the reply.
‘Could it refer to a thousand years’ came the follow up question.
‘Yes’.
‘Could it refer to smaller times frames, such as a year or a week?’ said the student.
‘Well, yes I guess so,’ came the considered reply
‘The student plied the lecturer with one more question. ‘Could it refer to one literal, 24 hour day?’
‘Oh no! Definitely not!’ was the immediate reply from the lecturer.
Others who want to remove the historicity have argued that Genesis 1 and 2 are poetic and need not be taken literally. Even though they have done literal research or study of Hebrew poetry, these people speak confidently about such matters. Technically, there have been many studies showing that Genesis 1 and 2 are NOT poetry and have very little poetic structures or forms in them. They are structured as narrative, historic narrative to be precise. Interestingly, those who take Genesis as poetry (and hence not bound to literal interpretation) accept as literal the most poetic bits (Genesis 1:26-28) in Genesis and reject the most non-poetic bits (Genesis 1:1-25) as non-literal.
Others argue that the form of the narrative in Genesis and it’s structure determine its meaning and that such structures make it clear that a literal interpretation cannot be maintained (literal theorists). As you research these arguments and their structure they are almost always based on the assumption that any structure mitigates against literal interpretation. We must ask ourselves if structure automatically mitigates against literal interpretation. There is no intrinsic reason to answer ‘Yes’ at this point!
In today’s academic world scientists speak of evolution as though it were factual. Such historical science has never been tested in the laboratory, nor can it be. The theories have been re-categorised as fact and anyone who questions evolution is automatically assumed to be a backwater idiot that knows nothing. This truth makes it hard for Bible colleges (striving to be accepted as academic) and professional Christians to accept the creation of Genesis 1ff as literal history.
Where do you stand? What do you think of Genesis 1 and following? Does it scare you to accept it as literal history? Do you believe that the history of the world occurred as the Bible described?
Prayer:-
à Student Life. Students at USQ head into exams next week. Please pray especially for the Christians in Student Life there – that they would honour God, even though they are so busy and stressed.
à Please pray for students Chris, Kaylee, & Derek (USQ), Tim & Amy (QUT), and Emily (CQU) who are the organisers of the two week Byron Bay short-term mission at the end of November – that they can balance their exams, plus organisational details for the trip.
If you do not believe the historicity of Genesis 1ff, spend time praying and asking God to show you why you don’t believe it?
Monday, 31 October 2011
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Saturday October 29, 2011
Read: Revelation 7:13-17
If I were to promise you a million dollars next week, would you do it tough this week? Would you willingly, even joyously, go without and suffer a little bit waiting for that million dollars? Most people would say ‘yes’ and see a week as nothing compared to what’s coming up.
When we think about heaven and the eternal glory to be revealed in us, it’s not that much different. One day heaven’s treasures will be opened up for us. Our life now may seem long and arduous, but in comparison to eternity it really is only as short as a week! Focusing on the end of the week keeps us going and allows us to persevere.
As the Apostle John saw this grand vision of heaven he saw some people dressed in white robes. Having asked about their identity and origins, he was told that these were the ones who had come out of the tribulation. Now the word ‘tribulation’ and the study of the end times has caused much debate and anguish among believers.
However, several passages shed light on what kind of tribulations we can expect as followers of Christ. In Rev 1:9 the Apostle shares with us (and in Christ) the tribulation. In Acts 14:22, we are told that we must pass through many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God. In Romans 12:12 we are called to be patient in tribulation. In Mark 13:19, 24 etc we are warned that we are in the days of tribulation, though they may intensify as the Lord’s return nears.
The message of the Scriptures is consistent. We, as followers of Jesus, are to expect tribulation and persecution. We should expect the evil one to throw everything at us as we seek to grow the Kingdom and take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Things will get tough as we stand up for Christ and walk in obedience! But the end of the week is coming. Our heavenly inheritance is waiting for us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the finish line and let us NOT grow weary!
Prayer Points:
> Exams are around the corner, let’s pray for each other during this potentially stressful time.
> Please pray for health, and God's wisdom in how to organise our time most efficiently.
If I were to promise you a million dollars next week, would you do it tough this week? Would you willingly, even joyously, go without and suffer a little bit waiting for that million dollars? Most people would say ‘yes’ and see a week as nothing compared to what’s coming up.
When we think about heaven and the eternal glory to be revealed in us, it’s not that much different. One day heaven’s treasures will be opened up for us. Our life now may seem long and arduous, but in comparison to eternity it really is only as short as a week! Focusing on the end of the week keeps us going and allows us to persevere.
As the Apostle John saw this grand vision of heaven he saw some people dressed in white robes. Having asked about their identity and origins, he was told that these were the ones who had come out of the tribulation. Now the word ‘tribulation’ and the study of the end times has caused much debate and anguish among believers.
However, several passages shed light on what kind of tribulations we can expect as followers of Christ. In Rev 1:9 the Apostle shares with us (and in Christ) the tribulation. In Acts 14:22, we are told that we must pass through many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God. In Romans 12:12 we are called to be patient in tribulation. In Mark 13:19, 24 etc we are warned that we are in the days of tribulation, though they may intensify as the Lord’s return nears.
The message of the Scriptures is consistent. We, as followers of Jesus, are to expect tribulation and persecution. We should expect the evil one to throw everything at us as we seek to grow the Kingdom and take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Things will get tough as we stand up for Christ and walk in obedience! But the end of the week is coming. Our heavenly inheritance is waiting for us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the finish line and let us NOT grow weary!
Prayer Points:
> Exams are around the corner, let’s pray for each other during this potentially stressful time.
> Please pray for health, and God's wisdom in how to organise our time most efficiently.
Friday, 28 October 2011
Friday October 28, 2011
Read: Revelation 7:9-12
Heaven is going to be a wonderful place. Unfortunately it’s presented in today’s media in terms and images that are relatively boring! Of course it is! Satan wants nothing more than to turn people off going to heaven. Hell is presented as a wild party with all your mates and good food and wine and song and… heaven is a harp, a cloud and one lonely, boring old angel!
But as we read in Revelation the fulfilment of the ages and the times we see that people from every nation, tribe and tongue are gathered around the throne and the Lamb. People are singing praises and glory and honour to God. All evil, all wickedness, all lying and deceit, theft, vandalism, corruption and fraud, all sickness, all disease and death itself have been swallowed up in victory. Those who stand before the throne are standing eternal and the new creation (that new heaven and earth) is theirs for the taking.
Think back to Genesis 12, 15 and 22, those passages we spoke about this week. All that was promised to Abraham has come to fruition. The promise has been completely fulfilled as God’s elect gather around the throne and sing praise and glory to Him. People are gathered from every nation, tribe and tongue in that wonderful heavenly assembly. But right here, right now our churches, our earthly assemblies, are a fore taste of that heavenly assembly. Our churches should be mirroring to some degree the diversity of that heavenly gathering. In our churches, ethnicity, tribe or race should be no barrier to worshipping together, for we will all one day stand together around the throne and the Lamb!
What a great motivator for mission! What a great encouragement to get the Word, the Gospel, out to all nations, all tribes and all tongues. What a great encouragement for us to be proactive in preaching the gospel to all nations. Abraham was promised that through his a blessing will go to all nations. Jesus came in fulfilment of that promise. He commanded us to take the gospel to every nation on earth; and here in Revelation we see the fulfilment of that promise.
As an individual, as a cell group and as a congregation we have a joyous privilege of being a part of God’s mega plan to establish His eternal kingdom. We have the extreme joy of being able to be used by God to share the message of that kingdom with people in our local community, people in our cities, people in our nation and people in other nations. Our “Parish boundary” covers the entire globe! You can be active in that mission today by sharing the good news of the faith, by testifying to the grace of God in Christ Jesus and by inviting people into that kingdom. Hallelujah!
Prayer Points:
> Most importantly, pray that even though the next couple of weeks might be busy, that our time with God would not be sacrificed, but continued to be kept a priority.
Heaven is going to be a wonderful place. Unfortunately it’s presented in today’s media in terms and images that are relatively boring! Of course it is! Satan wants nothing more than to turn people off going to heaven. Hell is presented as a wild party with all your mates and good food and wine and song and… heaven is a harp, a cloud and one lonely, boring old angel!
But as we read in Revelation the fulfilment of the ages and the times we see that people from every nation, tribe and tongue are gathered around the throne and the Lamb. People are singing praises and glory and honour to God. All evil, all wickedness, all lying and deceit, theft, vandalism, corruption and fraud, all sickness, all disease and death itself have been swallowed up in victory. Those who stand before the throne are standing eternal and the new creation (that new heaven and earth) is theirs for the taking.
Think back to Genesis 12, 15 and 22, those passages we spoke about this week. All that was promised to Abraham has come to fruition. The promise has been completely fulfilled as God’s elect gather around the throne and sing praise and glory to Him. People are gathered from every nation, tribe and tongue in that wonderful heavenly assembly. But right here, right now our churches, our earthly assemblies, are a fore taste of that heavenly assembly. Our churches should be mirroring to some degree the diversity of that heavenly gathering. In our churches, ethnicity, tribe or race should be no barrier to worshipping together, for we will all one day stand together around the throne and the Lamb!
What a great motivator for mission! What a great encouragement to get the Word, the Gospel, out to all nations, all tribes and all tongues. What a great encouragement for us to be proactive in preaching the gospel to all nations. Abraham was promised that through his a blessing will go to all nations. Jesus came in fulfilment of that promise. He commanded us to take the gospel to every nation on earth; and here in Revelation we see the fulfilment of that promise.
As an individual, as a cell group and as a congregation we have a joyous privilege of being a part of God’s mega plan to establish His eternal kingdom. We have the extreme joy of being able to be used by God to share the message of that kingdom with people in our local community, people in our cities, people in our nation and people in other nations. Our “Parish boundary” covers the entire globe! You can be active in that mission today by sharing the good news of the faith, by testifying to the grace of God in Christ Jesus and by inviting people into that kingdom. Hallelujah!
Prayer Points:
> Most importantly, pray that even though the next couple of weeks might be busy, that our time with God would not be sacrificed, but continued to be kept a priority.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Thursday October 27, 2011
Read: Romans 4
There are many people in this world trying to prove themselves, trying to earn love and respect, trying hard to fit in and win acceptance. You’ve only got to look at teenagers of the world to see what I mean.
And sadly, there are many people out there that trying hard to earn God’s approval and love by doing things that they think will please God. Most of the world’s religions are based on this concept - if you do enough things to please the ‘god’ you will have salvation or whatever they promise! But in reality, you can never be sure that you have done enough to please that particular god. You can never be sure that your good deeds outweigh your negative or bad deeds! Hence you’re stuck in a life of uncertainty!
Abraham became a model to us of one who trusted God. ‘Abraham’ believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’. He didn’t work at earning the love and promises of God but believed God. King David wrote the same thing for us. He wrote for us that the man who has his sins covered by God, and who’s transgressions are paid for by God, is truly blessed.
We can never do enough good deeds to make God love us. We can never win His approval. Trying to earn God’s love is a life of misery and unfulfilment!! But (here’s the good news), when we believe in God, when we trust that Jesus has loved us by dying on the cross and by rising to eternal life, we are freed from that burden. Trusting that God loves me, frees me from trying to earn God’s love and allows me to live in the light of God’s love. My good works are not a seeking to gain ‘brownie points’ with God, but are an outworking of my gratitude for God’s love. I know God loves me (it’s proven at the cross of Christ), so I live my life out of gratitude. Living a life of gratitude for God’s love can never be a burden because we know that God loves us. We know that He is pleased with us and we know that each and every good work we do pleases Him, because He has already lavished us with His love.
Such a love from God is incredibly liberating. When a teenager knows he or she is loved by God, he/she no longer needs to goof off to try to impress the crowd. When a husband knows he is loved by God he no longer needs to put his wife down or joke about her to make himself.
Prayer Points:
> Pray for our teenagers as they come face to face with many anti Christian beliefs.
There are many people in this world trying to prove themselves, trying to earn love and respect, trying hard to fit in and win acceptance. You’ve only got to look at teenagers of the world to see what I mean.
And sadly, there are many people out there that trying hard to earn God’s approval and love by doing things that they think will please God. Most of the world’s religions are based on this concept - if you do enough things to please the ‘god’ you will have salvation or whatever they promise! But in reality, you can never be sure that you have done enough to please that particular god. You can never be sure that your good deeds outweigh your negative or bad deeds! Hence you’re stuck in a life of uncertainty!
Abraham became a model to us of one who trusted God. ‘Abraham’ believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’. He didn’t work at earning the love and promises of God but believed God. King David wrote the same thing for us. He wrote for us that the man who has his sins covered by God, and who’s transgressions are paid for by God, is truly blessed.
We can never do enough good deeds to make God love us. We can never win His approval. Trying to earn God’s love is a life of misery and unfulfilment!! But (here’s the good news), when we believe in God, when we trust that Jesus has loved us by dying on the cross and by rising to eternal life, we are freed from that burden. Trusting that God loves me, frees me from trying to earn God’s love and allows me to live in the light of God’s love. My good works are not a seeking to gain ‘brownie points’ with God, but are an outworking of my gratitude for God’s love. I know God loves me (it’s proven at the cross of Christ), so I live my life out of gratitude. Living a life of gratitude for God’s love can never be a burden because we know that God loves us. We know that He is pleased with us and we know that each and every good work we do pleases Him, because He has already lavished us with His love.
Such a love from God is incredibly liberating. When a teenager knows he or she is loved by God, he/she no longer needs to goof off to try to impress the crowd. When a husband knows he is loved by God he no longer needs to put his wife down or joke about her to make himself.
Prayer Points:
> Pray for our teenagers as they come face to face with many anti Christian beliefs.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Wednesday October 26, 2011
Read: Genesis 22
When Abraham was old and his wife was well beyond the age of child bearing, God did the impossible. Abraham and Sarah had a child in their old age! Beyond that, when Isaac their ‘Son of the Promise’ was older (some estimates are about 30 years of age!!!) God tested Abraham. Read vs 1 carefully. God tells us immediately what is happening so that we are not confused or mislead about God’s character! We know it’s a test but Abraham does not!
Abraham is given a command from God and even though it contradicts everything human logic and human wisdom would do or agree to, he agrees and walks forward in obedience! Make no mistake about it - God expects us to be obedient even if our logic or wisdom tells us otherwise. There is no substitute for God fearing obedience! Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, then He would bring Isaac back to him. So he walked forward in obedience.
As we would expect, having read vs 1, God intervenes before any harm comes to Isaac and Abraham is blessed because of his obedience. The promise of Genesis 12:1-3 is confirmed and God reaffirms that all the families of the earth will surely be blessed because of Abraham’s obedience.
Obviously, that promise finds fulfilment in Jesus. Through Christ Jesus the families of the earth are blessed. Eternal salvation is offered to all who call on the name of the Lord. Everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Prayer Points:
> Praise God for the Youth who regularly come every Friday evening.
> Give thanks to God for the growth and commitment seen in many of their lives.
When Abraham was old and his wife was well beyond the age of child bearing, God did the impossible. Abraham and Sarah had a child in their old age! Beyond that, when Isaac their ‘Son of the Promise’ was older (some estimates are about 30 years of age!!!) God tested Abraham. Read vs 1 carefully. God tells us immediately what is happening so that we are not confused or mislead about God’s character! We know it’s a test but Abraham does not!
Abraham is given a command from God and even though it contradicts everything human logic and human wisdom would do or agree to, he agrees and walks forward in obedience! Make no mistake about it - God expects us to be obedient even if our logic or wisdom tells us otherwise. There is no substitute for God fearing obedience! Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, then He would bring Isaac back to him. So he walked forward in obedience.
As we would expect, having read vs 1, God intervenes before any harm comes to Isaac and Abraham is blessed because of his obedience. The promise of Genesis 12:1-3 is confirmed and God reaffirms that all the families of the earth will surely be blessed because of Abraham’s obedience.
Obviously, that promise finds fulfilment in Jesus. Through Christ Jesus the families of the earth are blessed. Eternal salvation is offered to all who call on the name of the Lord. Everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Prayer Points:
> Praise God for the Youth who regularly come every Friday evening.
> Give thanks to God for the growth and commitment seen in many of their lives.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Tuesday October 25, 2011
Read: Genesis 15
I wonder how many times you have said that you would do something and then haven’t don’t it. There’s always a good reason though, isn’t there? How many times have you said that you wouldn’t do something and have done it, anyway? There are always mitigating circumstances aren’t there?
But it’s not like that with God! When God promises, He remains faithful. But sometimes, like Abraham, we doubt God. Abraham had already been through much turmoil and tumult! The episode with Lot taking the best land, the battle with the kings in the valley may have left him shaken and despondent, much like life’s events leave us despondent and wondering about God’s faithfulness.
God came to Abram in a vision and reaffirmed the promise to him. But Abram replied to the Lord that he had no children. He was distraught that God’s promise may fall null and void. But God promised Abram as many descendants as there are stars in the sky.
God even entered into a covenant with Abram to reassure him. A covenant is a bond, written in blood. In a covenant agreement, the parties would cut up an animal and walk between the animal parts effectively saying that they agree to be treated like the animal should they fail to keep their part of the covenant. When God makes a covenant with Abram, He Himself passes between the animal pieces assuring Abram of His willingness and ability to keep the covenant. God will keep His promise.
As we think about our own situation, God hasn’t made us idle promises either. He has entered into a new covenant with us through the blood of His own Son, Christ Jesus. As the Apostle Paul wrote, all the promises of God are YES in Christ Jesus. They are fulfilled in Him. We can rest secure and assured that whatever God has promised He will fulfil. He will keep His end of the covenant and He will deliver.
Prayer Points:
> Thank God for all of the new Mum’s to Play Pals each fortnight.
> Thank God for the helpers who faithfully come and assist out.
I wonder how many times you have said that you would do something and then haven’t don’t it. There’s always a good reason though, isn’t there? How many times have you said that you wouldn’t do something and have done it, anyway? There are always mitigating circumstances aren’t there?
But it’s not like that with God! When God promises, He remains faithful. But sometimes, like Abraham, we doubt God. Abraham had already been through much turmoil and tumult! The episode with Lot taking the best land, the battle with the kings in the valley may have left him shaken and despondent, much like life’s events leave us despondent and wondering about God’s faithfulness.
God came to Abram in a vision and reaffirmed the promise to him. But Abram replied to the Lord that he had no children. He was distraught that God’s promise may fall null and void. But God promised Abram as many descendants as there are stars in the sky.
God even entered into a covenant with Abram to reassure him. A covenant is a bond, written in blood. In a covenant agreement, the parties would cut up an animal and walk between the animal parts effectively saying that they agree to be treated like the animal should they fail to keep their part of the covenant. When God makes a covenant with Abram, He Himself passes between the animal pieces assuring Abram of His willingness and ability to keep the covenant. God will keep His promise.
As we think about our own situation, God hasn’t made us idle promises either. He has entered into a new covenant with us through the blood of His own Son, Christ Jesus. As the Apostle Paul wrote, all the promises of God are YES in Christ Jesus. They are fulfilled in Him. We can rest secure and assured that whatever God has promised He will fulfil. He will keep His end of the covenant and He will deliver.
Prayer Points:
> Thank God for all of the new Mum’s to Play Pals each fortnight.
> Thank God for the helpers who faithfully come and assist out.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Monday October 24, 2011
Read: Genesis 12:1-3
By the time we get to Genesis 12 in our Bible reading from chapter 1, it’s already clear that unless God steps in and acts decisively then the world will continue to spiral downwards. Just think about human achievement from chapters 1-11. Adam and Eve have disobeyed God and caused all humanity to live apart from and separated from God. Murder and violence have become ripe. The state of man’s heart has become so bad that God was so grieved that He put an end to all life except that of Noah and his family. The people have failed to spread across the earth as commanded and sought to build a tower to the heavens. They sought to make a name for themselves as they settled in the plains of Shinar (Babylonia).
It’s not looking too crash hot for the human race, but God does step in! In what seems like a trifling affair, God makes a promise to a relatively unknown person called Abram. But Abram was a descendant of Shem, Noah’s Son!
The promise to Abram is no ordinary promise! It is the promise that will span the future history of the world and touch all the people’s of the planet. It is eternal in its consequences. So what is that promise? There are 3 elements to that promise:-
¨ Abraham will be made into a great nation
¨ His descendants will live in their own land
¨ They will have a great name.
¨ The blessing will flow to all the people’s (“families” is a good translation of the Hebrew word) of the earth.
Added to this, the promise to Abraham is a promise of blessing. The word ‘curse’ is used five times in Genesis 1-11 and here in 3 verses we have 5 blessings! God is about to offset the curses coming out of the fall! He has begun to work powerfully in human history.
Prayer Points:
> Praise God for the new Mum’s who have been coming to M.O.P.’s.
> Pray for the leaders that they will have God’s wisdom in all necessary decisions to be made to cope with the growth of this wonderful ministry.
By the time we get to Genesis 12 in our Bible reading from chapter 1, it’s already clear that unless God steps in and acts decisively then the world will continue to spiral downwards. Just think about human achievement from chapters 1-11. Adam and Eve have disobeyed God and caused all humanity to live apart from and separated from God. Murder and violence have become ripe. The state of man’s heart has become so bad that God was so grieved that He put an end to all life except that of Noah and his family. The people have failed to spread across the earth as commanded and sought to build a tower to the heavens. They sought to make a name for themselves as they settled in the plains of Shinar (Babylonia).
It’s not looking too crash hot for the human race, but God does step in! In what seems like a trifling affair, God makes a promise to a relatively unknown person called Abram. But Abram was a descendant of Shem, Noah’s Son!
The promise to Abram is no ordinary promise! It is the promise that will span the future history of the world and touch all the people’s of the planet. It is eternal in its consequences. So what is that promise? There are 3 elements to that promise:-
¨ Abraham will be made into a great nation
¨ His descendants will live in their own land
¨ They will have a great name.
¨ The blessing will flow to all the people’s (“families” is a good translation of the Hebrew word) of the earth.
Added to this, the promise to Abraham is a promise of blessing. The word ‘curse’ is used five times in Genesis 1-11 and here in 3 verses we have 5 blessings! God is about to offset the curses coming out of the fall! He has begun to work powerfully in human history.
Prayer Points:
> Praise God for the new Mum’s who have been coming to M.O.P.’s.
> Pray for the leaders that they will have God’s wisdom in all necessary decisions to be made to cope with the growth of this wonderful ministry.
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