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Today is Wednesday, November 6^th, 2013

Today is the 310^th day of the year. There are 55 days left in this year and only 49 days left until Christmas!

Today is Doris Gregory’s and Alicia Wolfe’s Birthday!

This evening at 10:30 will mark the 31^st Anniversary of my salvation!

By God’s grace and for His glory, I was regenerated by the Holy Spirit on Saturday, 11/6/1982 at 1221 Reservoir Road, Apartment #319, in Little Rock, Arkansas. The next morning, I was baptized by Associate Pastor Mark Wright at the Heritage Baptist Temple in Little Rock.

 The Scripture God used to bring me to faith was 1^st John 5:12-13 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

I do not believe that one must remember the time and place they were saved to be truly saved; but, I do remember and I am thankful for that!

As nearly all of you know, I had been baptized in 1972 at the request of a friend; and, I had come under conviction and “rededicated” my life while serving in the Air Force on Guam then went off to college and got involved in Christian work. But, I am absolutely certain that I was never truly saved until that evening in Little Rock.

So, this begs the questions, “How can a person think they are saved and not be saved?” and “How can a person know for sure that they are saved?”

Let me take them one at a time…

“How can a person think they are saved and not be saved?”

Sadly, this is the easiest thing on earth. Millions of people who think they are going to heaven are not. Most of them are not saved because they have been told inaccurately how to be saved. Many of the so-called “Christian Denominations” have not preached the truth of salvation in so long that almost no one in those churches knows the truth of how to be saved. So, they continue doing the religious things they are taught to do, and they are being told that because they do them they are going to heaven.

Even in gospel-preaching churches like I attended, it is easy to think you are saved when you are not. Almost no one (even in good churches) ever asks anyone about their salvation. And once you are “in” almost no one would ever challenge a person’s salvation based on whether or not they bear biblical evidence of being saved.

I, like most lost people in good, gospel-preaching churches, was 2/3 saved!

Here is what I mean by that… There are three things that accompany genuine salvation:

(1) A person knows the biblical truth about HOW to be saved.

(2) A person has DONE what the bible teaches a person must do to be saved.

(3) A person is in the process of being TRANSFORMED by the living presence of the Holy Spirit within them!

Most lost church members in good, gospel-preaching churches have #1 and #2. But, they do not demonstrate the reality of their salvation by the genuine evidence that follows #3.

Salvation is “From the Scripture Alone; by Grace Alone; through Faith Alone; in Christ Alone; and it is to the glory of God Alone.”

And, salvation always, always, always brings the result of a transforming life!

2^nd Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Beloved Ones, if anyone knows the biblical truth about salvation;

if they know that they are a sinner who must repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ;

and, if they have actually done those two things;

if God is in the process of changing them from one who loves sin and hates righteousness into one who hates sin and loves righteousness;

then, and only then, they can be sure they have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They can be sure that they are saved, and that they will go to heaven when they die.

Here it is again just to be sure…

(1) They know the truth about how to be saved!

Mark 1:14-15 “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

(2) They know that they have done what one has to do to be saved!

James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

(3) What the Bible says happens in the life of a saved person is happening in their life!

1^st Thessalonians 1:4-6 “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit…”

When all three of these three things are present, assurance of salvation will follow!

Beloved One, do you know that you are saved? Are you sure?

If you are not sure, would you turn away from your sins and turn to Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive your sins, change your life, and take you to heaven when you die?

Will you do that right now? I pray you will.

If you do, please let me know. Since I have been where you are, I would love to help you as you begin your new life in Jesus!

Today is Tuesday, November 5^th, 2013. It is the 309^th day of the year. There are 56 days left in this year and only 50 days left until Christmas!

It is the 102^nd birthday of my childhood hero, Leonard Slye, aka, “Roy Rogers” (1911, Cincinnati, Ohio)

Seven Words about the Word: Revelation; Inspiration; Preservation; Translation; Interpretation; Illumination; Application

#1: Revelation

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law.”

*Revelation is that act of God the Holy Spirit whereby He makes known to humans those things about God that He has decreed that we may know.

Mankind has certainly been able over the years to imagine and conceive of “god.” All kinds of peoples have come up with all kinds of ideas and images of what they believe a “god” or “gods” might be like. However; no one has ever imagined, dreamed, or conceived the One True Living God of the Christian Bible! This eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere-present Being could not be known at all apart from His self-revelation.

As I mentioned in an introductory devotional a few days ago, God has chosen to reveal Himself to humans through two different kinds of revelation: Natural (or general) Revelation, and Supernatural (or specific) Revelation.

Each of these kinds of revelation takes two forms:

(1) Natural Revelation comes to us in Creation and the Conscience.

(2) Supernatural Revelation comes to us in the Content of Scripture and the Person of Christ.

These four means of Revelation are how we can know God. But, our verse for today also tells us “why” God has revealed Himself to us… “that we may do all the words of this law.” God wills to be glorified and He is glorified in the obedience of His people.

James tells us in James 1:22 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Beloved, one who hears but does not do the things given to us in the Living Word of the Living God is deceiving themselves about having a living relationship with God.

Jesus goes so far as to say in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?”

Let us not be deceived. Let us read and heed the Word of God!

“My Old Bible” by William Cowper (pronounced Cooper)

“Though the cover is worn, and the pages are torn, and though places bear traces of tears; yet, more precious than gold is this Book worn and old, that can shatter and scatter my fears!

This old Book is My Guide, ‘tis a friend by my side, it will lighten and brighten my way; and each promise I find soothes and gladdens my mind, as I read it and heed it each day!

To this Book I will cling, of its worth I will sing, tho’ great crosses and losses be mine; for I cannot despair, though surrounded by care, while possessing this blessing divine!”

*William Cowper, 11/26/1731 – 4/25/1800, was the Associate Pastor to John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) in Olney, Scotland. He was also the author of hundreds of other hymns including “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”

Amen!

Today is Saturday, November 2^nd, 2013

Today is the 306^th day of the year. There are only 59 days left this year and only 53 days left until Christmas – (I have been working on my math!)

On this Day in Church History:

1942: Death of Nazarene Evangelist Reuben “Uncle Bud” Robinson. “During his long ministry, it is estimated that Uncle Bud traveled over 2,000,000 miles, preached over 33,000 sermons, witnessed more than 100,000 conversions, personally gave more than $85,000.00 in helping young people with their Christian education, secured over 53,000 subscriptions to his church paper, The Herald of Holiness, and wrote 14 books and sold more than 500,000 copies.” (believersweb.org)

After being run over by a car and nearly killed in Atlanta, he began preaching one of his most famous messages entitled… “Let ‘Er Rip!” in which he dared the Devil to try to stop him from preaching!

1982: Evangelist Lester Roloff, and 3 young women who were part of his church choir, were killed in an airplane crash. Brother Roloff was one of the most famous Independent Baptist evangelists who also ran several homes for troubled teens and alcoholic men. His death was one of the things God used to bring me to the great crisis of my life four days later and to the revelation that I was not saved.

Brother Roloff’s most famous sermon is entitled “Dr. Law and Dr. Grace.” It can be found here on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ6IiLBRO-A

Your Daily Dose of Doctrine:

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

What an amazing thought it is that God should desire to communicate with humans! After we rebelled against Him, which cost HIM the life of His Son, He still put in place a way to communicate with men and women. He did this through the means of human language.

I know that many people make the great mistake of thinking that when God speaks it is in some mystical (dare I say, magical?) language that only a “God-called expert” can understand. Nothing could be further from the truth!

God desires to communicate with HIS creatures, so HE decreed the process of inspiring over 40 different men over a period of 1,500 years to write the very words that HE would have written if HE had physically written them HIMSELF!

Certainly some Scripture appears exotic and difficult to understand, The Book of Revelation comes to mind; but, even that is not so hard as it seems at first. God is not playing some cosmic game of “hide and seek” or “gotcha”. HE wants us to know HIM and HE has given us HIS Word to make that possible!

Even in The Book of Revelation, (1:3) we are told that those who read this Book are blessed. God wants us to read the Bible!

May I suggest a simple way to get started? Take an Old Testament Book, (Malachi is a great place to start) and, a New Testament Book, (John is a great place to start) and begin reading some verses from them each day.

Do Malachi in the morning and John in the evening. Fold a clean sheet of copy paper in half and stick one in each Book to mark your place. As you find things you want to follow-up on more closely, or have questions about something you read, write them on the copy paper.

Then email or call me and let me know what they are. I will suggest a reliable tool by which you can find the answer! That is it! You will love it.

Let me suggest that you read each book through about three times before you move on to another Book. That way you will be more and more clear about what God is saying in the Book. I can’t wait to hear how you are doing!

Happy Reading!

Today is the 305^th Day of 2013. There are 51 days left in this year and only 45 days until Christmas!

On this day in 451 AD, the Council of Chalcedon was adjourned. The Council was convened to deal with the heresy being taught that Jesus Christ was not fully human. To this day, this is one of the most important creeds adopted by the Christian Church!

On this day in 1961, Evangelist Mordecai Ham died. He had been in ministry since 1900 and had pastored for many years at the First Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas. Likely, he is best known as the man who was preaching the revival during which Billy Graham was saved!

Your Dose of Doctrine: How can we know that the Bible is perfectly true?

The One True and Living God determined to reveal Himself to the humans whom He had created. He decreed that this would be done in two specific ways:

1) General Revelation

– There are two types of General Revelation

A. Creation

(Psalm 19:1-6) ¹ “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. ² Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. ³ There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. ⁴ Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, ⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. ⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

                 (Romans 1:18-20) ¹⁸ “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

B. The Conscience

(Romans 2:14-16) ¹⁴ “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶  on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

2) Specific Revelation

– There are also two types of Specific Revelation

A. The Content of Scripture

(Deuteronomy 29:29) ²⁹ “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

                 (John 5:39) ³⁹ “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…”

B. Christ

(Hebrews 1:1-2) ¹ “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

In order to communicate with humans, God decreed that He would reveal Himself to us primarily through the use of human language! Yes, there is much we can and do learn about God through Creation, and our Conscience; but, the specific information we must have to know the truth about ourselves and about God can only be found in the Word of God and in the Person of Jesus Christ!

Let us thank God for the Bible!

Thank Him that He gave and preserved it; and, that He allowed it to be translated into our language. We have it in English and we can read it and thereby come to both understand HIM and know HIM!

Over the next several days, I will have a lot more to share with you about the Bible, but for now, why not make a fresh commitment to read from it on a regular basis?

It is an old, old saying; but, it is nonetheless true… “Either the Bible will keep us away from sin, or, sin will keep us away from the Bible!”

Get your Bible out and dig in! You will love it!

Today is Thursday, October 31^st, 2013

Today is the 304^th day of 2013. There are 61 days left in this year and only 55 days until Christmas!

Today is Reformation Day! On this day in 1517, an Augustinian Monk named Martyn Luther who had become weary of the multitude of abuses by the Roman Catholic Church nailed a list of 95 “Thesis” or doctrinal statements on the door of the Church at Wittenberg (pronounced “Vit-burg”) College where he was a priest and a professor.

It appears that he did not intend to involve the laypeople in this argument since he wrote them out in Latin, the language of the priests and theologians, and not in German which was the language of the laypeople.

God used them – and him – to give birth to THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION which also brought on the “Peasant’s War” and many other difficulties. But, the theological cat was out of the bag!

While neither Luther, or his Lutheran progeny, came nearly far enough out of the Roman Church; he did set in motion a series of events that produced a genuine reformation of biblical teaching that swept across Europe and from there to the New World; and, eventually around the world!

Out of the Protestant Reformation came the English Separatists, and out of the English Separatists came the first truly “Baptist” Churches. The rebirth of biblical doctrine crystalized in the Reformation is summed up in the “Five Solas” i.e., “Salvation is from Scripture Alone; by Grace Alone; through Faith Alone; in Christ alone; and, to the Glory of God Alone!”

And, out of the return to a proper doctrine of Scripture came recognition of the eight biblical principles upon which our Baptist faith stands:

BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:20, 21)  

AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH (Colossians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 8:1–5, 19, 23)

PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 5:9, 10)

TWO ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH (Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–32)

INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY (Romans 14:5, 12; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Titus 1:9)

SAVED AND BAPTIZED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP (Acts 2:41–47; 1 Corinthians 12:12;     2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 4:3)

TWO OFFICES IN THE LOCAL CHURCH (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Acts 20:17–38;            Philippians 1:1)

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE (Matthew 22:15–22; 28:19-20; Acts 5:17–29; Romans 13:1-7)

We understand how much we owe to our Baptist forefathers and foremothers who struggled, suffered, and died because of these doctrines that we hold dear. But, let us also recognize how much we owe to our Lutheran and Presbyterian forefathers, (from whom we ultimately had to separate over doctrine) from the magisterial reformers, and to Martyn Luther, himself.

Of course, all of this is ultimately from God, Who graced His Church with reformation and renewal. Let us pray today that HE will again send such doctrinal reformation and spiritual renewal to HIS Church!

Amen!

Genesis 1:9-13

(9) “And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. (10) God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.                                                                                                       

(11) And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. (12) The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (13) And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.” 

The divide over “Creation vs. Evolution” really matters! If the secular humanistic view of materialistic Darwinism is correct, then we are indeed nothing more than a happy circumstance of protoplasm plus time plus chance plus environmental impact.

If true, that means that we came from nothing, we are nothing, and we are going to eternally be nothing. Happy! Happy! Happy!

BUT, if it is not true; and it is not; then we must seek to find the answers to these three eternal questions:

(1) Where did we come from?

(2) Why are we here?

(3) Where are we going?

Biblical Christianity answers all of these questions and 10,000 more!

We are here because we were created in the image of God; we are here to glorify and enjoy God; and, we are going to meet God in eternity – and, we will live out a conscious eternity either with God, or, separated from HIM.

People accuse Christians of believing in Biblical Creationism by “blind faith.” HOGWASH! We believe in Biblical Creationism because of several perfectly logical, reasonable, and provable reasons:

(1) Jesus of Nazareth, Who is God in human flesh, and Who therefore knows all things, believed in it!

(2) The Christian Bible, which is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches it!

(3) Simple reason and the application of logic demand it!

(4) The scientific principle which requires an examination of the physiological evidence in light of reason, logic, and known universal laws cannot disprove or “falsify” it!

(5) The logical principle of “ex Nihilo Nihil Fit” (out of nothing nothing comes) removes any possibility of materialistic Darwinism being true!

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day morning I will bring the fourth message in my series on Genesis 1 – 11. This time we will examine the events of the Third Day of Creation as recorded in Genesis 1:9-13.

I will briefly review what the Lord God did on Days One and Two, and go over again why God created Creation in the first place.

On Day Three, God did two very interesting things…

First, He gathered the waters on the surface of the earth into one place which caused the dry land to appear.

Second, He created vegetation.

Of course, the details of these two events answer many questions that “so-called” science cannot. We will see biblical and geographical evidence for the truth of these verses.

There are two vitally important issues raised here that I intend to address.

First, how does the description of events given in these verses fit with the present reality of the geological structure of the earth?

Second, how does the timing of these events (ergo, Day Three and Day Four) disallow any possibility of these events being accomplished over a span of “ages” rather than six literal days?

I am excited beyond words with the opportunity to teach through these Chapters. I hope you will read these verses carefully and prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal His truth to your mind as you prepare to hear the preaching on Sunday!

As our dear friend Tom Rains always says, “I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!”

In his commentary on these verses, Dr. W.A. Criswell called them, “The sweetest verses in the Bible.” I think he is right!

Ephesians 4:29-32

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

There are a few things that are certain in this world:

One is that when God is really blessing His people Satan is always looking for a foothold to cause problems.

Another is that many times really good people get caught up in doing things that they ought not do which can cause hurt among people and hinder the work of God among them.

At our beloved Church, both of these things are true!

God is richly blessing our Church! In many areas, we see HIS manifest blessings. It seems that especially in our Children’s Ministries God’s Hand of blessing is clearly seen as HE moves among us to bless us and to bring many to Christ and to HIS Church.

How we ought to thank God continually for HIS blessings on the Children’s Ministries of our Church.

Also, we have just witnessed HIS blessing on our “Super Woman” Conference! HE richly blessed those who lead, those who served, and those who attended this great Conference.

Lots and lots of blessings are being seen. Of course, since we allow human beings to be part of our Church, from time to time we make typical human mistakes! Misunderstanding and miscommunication are among the most common of these mistakes, and some are indeed happening.

Some of us have said things we probably should not have said… some have done things we probably should not have done… some have taken things wrongly that have been said and done… and on and on it goes.

The issue is not to say “who said what?” or, “who did what?” The issue is, “How do we get back to the Holy Spirit-filled life that we have lived and need to live every day?”

As I labor to be a good Pastor to you, one of the things I can do is to find and present biblical answers to that very question: “How do we get back to the Holy Spirit-filled life that we have lived, and that we need to live every day?”

How do we do that? We do that by following the teachings of Scripture!

As the Lord allows, I will set aside our study of Genesis 1 – 11 for this coming week and address the subject of being reconciled to one another in the context of being Christian people in the Lord’s Church.

First, we need to understand the full implications of these verses in Ephesians being the divinely inspired words of the Apostle Paul. Since Paul is an Apostle of Jesus Christ, his words bear Apostolic authority!

Second, we need to think about what it means to us personally that we are called to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”  We are called to bear the name and reputation of Jesus Christ before the world. It is vitally important that we work hard to minimize our offenses against one another and that we maximize our Christ-like living.

Thirdly, according to these verses, God requires five specific things of us if we are going to be reconciled with those whom we have offended and those who have offended us. These include, “humility; gentleness; patience; bearing with one another”  and, an eagerness to, “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Fourthly, these things go against our human nature! (As do so many things we are commanded to do as Christ-followers.) It seems that most of what God calls us to do keep us swimming upstream against the current of our natural inclinations.

Fifthly, we must acknowledge that this kind of reconciliation and unity can only be achieved if and when we obey God’s Word!

In order to obey these verses, we must understand the POWER of our words. Words have the power to hurt or to heal; to discourage or to encourage; to bless or to curse. These verses clearly show us the difference between the results of criticism and blessing by the use of words!

We must also understand that as bad as it is to offend one of our brothers or sisters in Christ, it is much more serious when we consider that we also offend the Holy Spirit of God! One of the terrible things that happen to Christians is that when someone says or does something they should not, we add to the problem by the way in which we respond to what they do.

Every parent on earth knows the heartache of seeing disagreements between their kids. How much more must it grieve the Holy Spirit to see such disagreements between God’s Children?

The key to reconciliation is forgiveness! And, not merely human-like forgiveness; but, Christ-like forgiveness…

We must forgive others the very same way that Christ has forgiven us:

(1) He forgave us in spite of the fact that we caused Him great pain!

(2) He forgave us in spite of the fact that HE did not deserve the pain we caused Him!

(3) He forgave us in spite of the fact that He knows (and will always know) what we did to hurt Him!

(4) He forgave us in spite of the fact that He knows that we will hurt Him again!

(5) He forgave us by allowing His suffering to be the payment for our sins against Him!

So the key to “Unity” is “Reconciliation” and the key to reconciliation is “Forgiveness!”

The way we do this is to live like, love like, and to forgive like Jesus Christ!

A final, but, very important note would be that in any possible scenario, the individual Christian is given the responsibility from God to go to the other person involved and begin the process of reconciliation.

According to Matthew 5:23-24, if I have offended someone, I must go to them first and seek their forgiveness!

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

And, according to Matthew 18:15, if someone has offended me, I still must go to them first and seek to be reconciled to them!

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

I hope you will read over these verses and these notes and pray through them as you prepare your heart for the preaching on Sunday! Pray specifically that God will heal all of our hurts and fill all of us with His Holy Spirit for the work that HE has called us to do!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

Genesis 1:6-8

⁶ “And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” ⁷ And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸ And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.”

As the Lord allows, I will continue our study of Genesis Chapters 1 – 11 this coming Lord’s Day morning with a sermon from these three verses. While these verses seem to give us only minute detail about God’s creating work, they are indeed very important to understanding creation because they reveal truth in two areas that are often overlooked.

First, they clearly explain how humans and animals lived for nearly 1,000 years before the Flood!

Second, they answer the question about dinosaurs! People often ask how dinosaurs grew to be so large and why they disappeared. These verses lay the foundation for understanding the answers to both questions.

These three verses show us both how and why God created the earth of literally be a, “Greenhouse.” They also demonstrate – as does all of Creation – God’s love and His original plan for the blessing of this planet and for HIS people.

I also hope to show you the four key lessons we see in these verses by finding the answers to four simple questions:

1. What was God’s original plan for earth and will that plan ever come to fruition?

2. What went wrong?

3. What lies ahead in the future for the earth and its inhabitants?

4. What is God doing on this fallen and broken earth in the meantime?

I hope you will take time this week to read over, pray over, and think through these verses in light of these four questions as you prepare yourself to hear the Word of God again this Sunday.

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and family and friends by your side!

Genesis 1:1

¹ “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

 Of course He did! He had to! There is NO OTHER reasonable, logical, or scientifically rational possibility of how the things that now exist came to exist. None! Science, almost from its beginning, has been based upon, (and, in fact has demanded) a logical, rational, application of empirical evidence to the known laws of the universe.

Let me say that again… Science, almost from its beginning, has been based upon, (and, in fact has demanded) a logical, rational, application of empirical evidence to the known laws of the universe.

So now, (at least since the mindless acceptance of Darwinian evolutionary theory) logic, rationality, and the application of empirical evidence has been thrown out the window in order to escape the patently obvious scientific FACT that “Out of nothing, nothing comes!” The Latin for that, (I knew you would want to know) is “Ex Nihilo, Nihil Fit.” This was, in fact, first argued by the Greek philosopher Parmenides around 550BC.

Hear me! It does not take a Greek Philosopher to know that “out of nothing nothing comes.” The very word “nothing” is simply a contraction of the words, “no thing.” That is exactly what nothing is… “no thing.”

Technically, it is a grammatical error – as well as a scientific error – to say the words, “nothing is” since “is” is the third person singular present tense of the verb to be; which, nothing is not, because it is “no thing!”

Any elementary school kid educated in the Atwood-Hammond School District; the Arthur-Lovington School District; the Arcola School District; the Tuscola School district; the Arthur Christian School; or, Homeschooled by one of our godly families, knows enough science to know that “out of nothing nothing comes.”

Nothing multiplied by any possible amount of time still equals nothing! Here’s an experiment for you: put nothing in a jar, seal the lid, and let it set for a billion years or so and then look to see what is in the jar!

WAIT! WE CANNOT DO THAT! IF THERE WAS “NOTHING”… WE COULD NOT HAVE THE JAR; WE COULD NOT HAVE THE LID; WE COULD NOT HAVE THE YEARS OF TIME; AND, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANYONE TO LOOK IN THE JAR!

As Dr. R.C. Sproul loves to point out, “If there had ever been a time when “nothing” existed, then nothing would exist today because out of “nothing” nothing comes!”

Here I am again… stuck in a grammatical trap. It is both grammatically and scientifically incorrect to say that “nothing would exist” because nothing is “no thing” has no being; therefore, “no thing” cannot exist. It is scientifically impossible for nothing to exist. If “nothing” did exist then you could not mix it with “anything” because if “nothing” is what existed then “anything” could not exist to be mixed with “nothing” in order to evolve into “something!”

I am getting a headache. I imagine I am giving you one as well.

Beloved Ones, this is what not only passes for “science” today – it is the sacred altar upon which almost all secular academia stands!

This is even true in “so-called” Christian Universities. In July of 2000, Baylor University in Waco, Texas, dismissed Dr. William Dembski for suggesting that “Intelligent Design” (which is not – by the way – a full-fledged endorsement of Creationism) be allowed to be mentioned in their science classes.

So, how do we explain how everything that exists came to exist?

Good question! The answer can be stated in two scientifically rational and unchangeable laws:

#1: In John 17:17, Jesus said of the Bible, “Your Word is Truth.”

#2: There are NO EXCEPTIONS to #1!

Therefore, since Jesus said the Bible is truth; and, since there are no exceptions to that; and, since Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” ergo: everything that exists came to exist because: in the beginning of Creation, the One True Living God of the Christian Bible created everything that exists!

Just to be clear, let me say that again…

Everything that exists came to exist because: in the beginning of Creation, the One True Living God of the Christian Bible created everything that exists!!

Let’s examine our text:

“In the beginning”

These three English words, “In the beginning” are a translation of a single Hebrew word, “Berasheth.” This speaks of the beginning of Creation. God had no beginning as HE has always existed. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, have existed for all eternity – and will exist for all eternity yet to be.

In his Gospel, The Apostle John tells us that Jesus Christ was; HIMSELF, the Creator of the Universe!

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

The Apostle Paul confirms this in his Epistle to the Colossians!

Colossians 1: 15-17 “He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

“God”

The Hebrew word here is “Elohim.” As you likely already know, this is a compound word with the primary root being “El” which is a Hebrew Name for God; and it has the addition a modifier (“im”) which designates it as a plural noun. It is no accident that when God revealed Himself to Moses as the Creator of Creation HE used the plural noun since HE is indeed a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

As we move along in these verses, we will see that all Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are actively involved in Creation!

“created”

Here we are confronted with a clear Hebrew word: “bara”. It means exactly what its English counterpart means, “to bring into existence.” This word is used 5 times in Genesis 1-5, and a total of 13 times in the Old Testament. Every time it is used, it speaks of God as being the “cause” or “source” of something that exists.

One of the most easily provable and universally accepted so-called “Laws of the Universe” (which – in reality – are nothing more than the outworking of God’s providential decrees) is the Law of Cause and Effect.

This simple law states that “For every cause there must be a corresponding effect; and, for every effect there must be a corresponding cause.”

“Cause and Effect” – we see it every day!

God is the Cause of Creation! HE is; HIMSELF, the Creator! Someone once sincerely asked me, “OK, so what caused God?” Answer? Nothing “caused” God. God is not an “effect” God is a “cause.” In fact, HE is the “First Cause” of everything else!

“Bara” does not mean the same thing as the Hebrew word “asah” which means “to make” something. The difference is that “bara” refers to creating something while “asah” refers to making something new out of something that already exists.

A good illustration would be:

God “created” clay that did not exist before HE created it.

A Potter can “make” pottery out of clay which does exist before he can make anything with it.

So we have it: “Berasheth Elohim bara” “In the beginning God created…”

“the heavens and the earth.”

The usual Hebrew word for “heavens” (and the one used here in Genesis 1:1) is “shamayim.” As we can tell from the “im” ending, it is plural and basically means “heights” or “that which is above.”

The Bible reveals the existence of “Three Heavens” the first being the atmosphere of the earth; (Genesis 1:6-8) the second being the rest of the universe beyond the atmosphere of the earth; (Genesis 1:14-16) and, the third being the Eternal Place where God dwells. (2^nd Corinthians 12:1-5)

On the first day of Creation, God created the atmosphere of the earth and the rest of the Universe.

Consider the glory of God that is seen in HIS Creation:

Psalm 19:1-6 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above1 proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

Consider that the very nature of God is seen in HIS Creation:

Romans 1:18-20 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

The Hebrew word for “earth” is “adamah” which refers to the soil and ground of the earth. It is the basic material from which the soils of the planet are formed.

In the beginning of Creation, the One True and Living God of the Christian Bible, by an act of His Own will, decreed into existence everything that exists other than HIMSELF!

On the First Day of Creation HE created time, space, material, and light. And, HE created everything that exists in six literal days.

Amen.

Mark 10:6-8 “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.”

First things first!

There are literally dozens of reasons why I and millions of other bible-believers are convinced that God created everything that exists exactly as described in The First Chapter of Genesis; but, the single most important reason that I believe this is that Jesus Christ believed it!

As I get ready to dive into The First Eleven Chapters of Genesis over the next several months, we are going to be dealing with lots of issues that have become very controversial in our Nation; indeed, in the World. I do not think that it will surprise you to learn that my worldview is simply a biblical one.

Rule #1: The Word of God is true!

Rule #2: There are no exceptions to Rule #1!

As our time allows, I am going to point out for you how clearly the Bible reveals that Jesus Christ believed that Genesis, and in fact, all of the Old Testament is absolutely true. I don’t know how far along we will get in this first sermon, but I have seven specific things prepared about which to speak to you on Sunday.

First, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, believed that Genesis was inspired of God; and therefore, completely true!

Second, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, believed that Adam and Eve were real people whom God had created!

Third, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, believed that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were real people!

Fourth, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, believed that Sodom and Gomorrah were real places inhabited by real people whom God had destroyed!

Fifth, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, claimed that Moses, (the human author of Genesis) wrote about HIM!

Sixth, The New Testament has 60 quotes or allusions from Genesis 1-11, and 103 from The Book of Genesis!

Seventh, Since the Lord Jesus Christ believed that Genesis is inspired of God; and, He believed that Adam and Eve were real people that God created; and, He believed that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were real people; and, He believed that Sodom and Gomorrah were real places that God destroyed; and, He believed that Moses actually wrote about Him; THEN, FOR US – OR ANYONE ELSE – TO CLAIM THAT JESUS CHRIST IS EITHER MISTAKEN OR LYING ABOUT THESE FIVE THINGS; AND, TO BELIEVE THIS GODLESS, IGNORANT, ANTI-SCIENTIFIC DOCTRINE OF MATERIALISTIC HUMANISM AND DARWINISTIC EVOLUTION IS NOTHING LESS THAN BLASPHEMY!

These things may take one, or two weeks to work through; but, I believe this basic Christian concept is so vitally important that I hope to take the necessary time to work through them.

REMEMBER: As the LORD allows, this Sunday at 6pm, I will begin a “Survey of The Book of Hebrews.” It certainly will not be done at the same depth of study as I will do in Genesis 1 – 11; but, I will get deep enough that I believe you will learn lots and remain very interested in this amazing New Testament Book!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand; a smile on your face; and, your family and friends by your side!

Lanny