"By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from the dust and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19
Shortly following the creation of the world and God's marvellous Garden of Eden, things turned grim. In Genesis 3, Eve was persuaded by the serpent (a manifestation of Satan) to ignore God's command and to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (ironically, it did not tell her to eat from the Tree of Life). Having been persuaded by the serpent, Eve urged Adam to eat from the tree, claiming that it was alright to eat from it. God soon found out that they had both ate from the tree and was disappointed at their disobedience. God responded by issuing just punishment to the three that were involved. The serpent was cursed with crawling on its belly and in the dust for all time. It would also be cursed with striking man while man would strike back at it on its head. Eve was cursed with having to bear the pain of the pregnancy (as well as spreading the curse of sin to all of her offspring). Adam was cursed with having to toil the land for work and for food. Instead of having everything handed to him, as it was set in the Garden of Eden, he would have to work for the food. The ultimate punishment, nonetheless, was that sin and death were to enter the world (as indicated through the Tree being of knowledge of good and evil, people being made from the dust and having to return to the dust, as God said).
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Word: The Creation 2
"So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation." Genesis 2:1-3
God, the creator of the universe, complete all of the creation of the Earth in a series of six subsequent days. On the first day, light was created. This light separated the darkness and is now what we call day and night. On the second day, the sky and the waters were separated (forming the heavens (sky, including atmosphere) and the water. On the third day, God created the sea and the land. Most notably is that vegetation sprouted on this day. On the fourth day, the Sun, the moon, and the stars were created. They now preside over the day and the night, with the purpose of marking off the seasons, the days, and the years. On the fifth day, fish and birds were formed. They were created for the purpose of filling the sky and the seas. On the sixth day, animals were created with the main purpose of filling the earth. Humans were created on this day to watch and care for the earth (animals and the plants). They were also created for the main purpose of communing with God on earth. On the seventh and final day, God rested and looked over all of his work, calling it very good. As we can see, in an elaborate process of steps, God created the Earth steadfastly. Though no one knows just how this was done, all that is important is that God did it and each thing had and still has a purpose to serve.
God, the creator of the universe, complete all of the creation of the Earth in a series of six subsequent days. On the first day, light was created. This light separated the darkness and is now what we call day and night. On the second day, the sky and the waters were separated (forming the heavens (sky, including atmosphere) and the water. On the third day, God created the sea and the land. Most notably is that vegetation sprouted on this day. On the fourth day, the Sun, the moon, and the stars were created. They now preside over the day and the night, with the purpose of marking off the seasons, the days, and the years. On the fifth day, fish and birds were formed. They were created for the purpose of filling the sky and the seas. On the sixth day, animals were created with the main purpose of filling the earth. Humans were created on this day to watch and care for the earth (animals and the plants). They were also created for the main purpose of communing with God on earth. On the seventh and final day, God rested and looked over all of his work, calling it very good. As we can see, in an elaborate process of steps, God created the Earth steadfastly. Though no one knows just how this was done, all that is important is that God did it and each thing had and still has a purpose to serve.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Word: The Creation
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. The Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep (i.e. covered the deep waters). And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:1-2
Genesis accounts for the early history of the Earth. Setting the stage for things to come (a future time that is here now), God is seen here as the creator of the heavens (herein as anything that is beyond the ground of the Earth), and the Earth itself. This early Earth, as the verse declares, lacked any form. There were no animals, nor birds, nor insects, nor humans. There was only complete and total darkness. It was simply a huge sphere that lacked any sort of distinctive features but earth and water. The only perhaps living thing at this time was the Spirit of God, which simply governed or managed this entire planet at the time.
Genesis accounts for the early history of the Earth. Setting the stage for things to come (a future time that is here now), God is seen here as the creator of the heavens (herein as anything that is beyond the ground of the Earth), and the Earth itself. This early Earth, as the verse declares, lacked any form. There were no animals, nor birds, nor insects, nor humans. There was only complete and total darkness. It was simply a huge sphere that lacked any sort of distinctive features but earth and water. The only perhaps living thing at this time was the Spirit of God, which simply governed or managed this entire planet at the time.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Jesus: The Overview
Jesus was hung on the cross for the sins of all people everywhere. After three hours, he hung his head and died. Upon his death the Earth shook ripping the Temple Curtain in half. He was taken immediately to a borrowed tomb where he lay for three days. During this time he went to the realm of the devil and managed to wage a great war with him for his release. He managed to win, and bright early that third day morning he got up. Mary and the others came to the tomb and saw the stone rolled away. Immediately an angel appeared and told them that Jesus had rose. Jesus met up with them later and stayed with them for 40 more days of teaching. He left and in his place came the third part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, which now resides in the hearts of all of Gods Children everywhere.
What is a Christian?
Have you ever wondered what exactly does it mean to be a Christian? Some people would say that being a Christian is simply trying to live a life in which they try to commit no sin at all. Some would even go to say that being a Christian is simply being someone who is trying to separate themselves completely from the world. Some people even go as far to say it, and they have the audacity to say it with passion, that being a Christian is simply being a hypocrite. Although each of these have some bit of truth, they are not the actual and real definition of being a Christian. In this ever increasing and changing world of ours, the view of a Christian has been contorted from a good Samaritan to one who is an extremist (one who is quite to say that if you do wrong you go to Hades!).
A Christian is simply one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was and is the Son of God who was sent into the world to die for the world's sins (both yours and mine that we did in the past, present, and future). I wont go into details now, but Christians believe that he was sent into the world to perform all of these wonderful miracles, to fulfill the many laws (over 100 laws of the Old Testament), the many prophecies of the ancient prophets, and to finally defeat death by dying on the cross, and then rising up from the dead after a few days, and then ascending to heaven. This, my friends, is the foundamental belief of all Christians united.
A Christian who believes in that truth, now has several things that they can do. A Christian has the chance to completely change their life around by doing some of the most fulfilling things: These include living a life to bring God glory, by trying to strive to be Christlike by having a nice and calm personality, practicing tolerance of others, gently sharing his message, helping others, putting their own interests second, and even helping others who are less fortunate and even more fortunate than themselves. If one does only these things, than they are super Christians, for they are believing in the fundamental truth and then also living the way that Jesus wanted them to live.
In conclusion, being a Christian is simply one who believes in the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All Christians share the belief that Jesus came into the world and died for their sins. His blood was the sacrifice that was paid to God for all of the sins that we made in the past and make in the present and future.
A Christian is simply one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was and is the Son of God who was sent into the world to die for the world's sins (both yours and mine that we did in the past, present, and future). I wont go into details now, but Christians believe that he was sent into the world to perform all of these wonderful miracles, to fulfill the many laws (over 100 laws of the Old Testament), the many prophecies of the ancient prophets, and to finally defeat death by dying on the cross, and then rising up from the dead after a few days, and then ascending to heaven. This, my friends, is the foundamental belief of all Christians united.
A Christian who believes in that truth, now has several things that they can do. A Christian has the chance to completely change their life around by doing some of the most fulfilling things: These include living a life to bring God glory, by trying to strive to be Christlike by having a nice and calm personality, practicing tolerance of others, gently sharing his message, helping others, putting their own interests second, and even helping others who are less fortunate and even more fortunate than themselves. If one does only these things, than they are super Christians, for they are believing in the fundamental truth and then also living the way that Jesus wanted them to live.
In conclusion, being a Christian is simply one who believes in the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All Christians share the belief that Jesus came into the world and died for their sins. His blood was the sacrifice that was paid to God for all of the sins that we made in the past and make in the present and future.
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