Genesis 1 “The Creation”! (Part 2)

Genesis is the seed plot or the beginning of all things.  Genesis is the genetics of God.  We are looking at the replication of God’s DNA from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation.  In Genesis we are looking at God reproducing Himself.  When you look at the make-up of your body, you have the DNA, and there are different levels of the RNA.

THE WEALTHY PLACE!!

TEXT:  PSALM 66:8-12:  (The book of Praises)!

Regardless of what you may be going through, you can find an answer in the Psalms: whether it’s in relation to: distress; prayer; praise; history; prophecy; promise; hope; instruction; comfort; guidance; deliverance:  you can find “RELIEF” in the Psalms.

                                                                                                                                 

As we look around today at the troubling situations going on in the world: politically; socially; economically; and ecclesiastically, it looks very weary and dark.  Despite these circumstances, God’s people are yet “in a wealthy place”!

●        Psalm 91:1  He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty!

●        1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous (amazing; astounding; glorious; awesome) light.

YOUR NEHEMIAH SEASON

Nehemiah portrays Christ as our Restorer!!!  It is the 16^th Book of the Bible; 13 chapters; 406 verses, and c. 10,483 words.

Text: Nehemiah 1:1-6:15 (KJV)

Prophetic Scripture: Nehemiah 5:19 (KJV)                                                                                                                                                           

Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people….

When Nehemiah led the effort to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, he put his life on the line to take a stand. Not only did he rebuild the wall, he also helped restore the people from the effects of financial hardship and unfair taxes imposed by cruel governors. Every imaginable enemy rose up against him, yet he persevered to finish his righteous task.

Many Christians right now are much like Nehemiah. They are fighting every imaginable enemy in an effort to stand up for what is right. They are putting their lives on the line, not only to spread the Gospel but also to separate themselves from the wickedness of this day. That task is becoming more difficult to do, especially when many so called Christians, friends, and family members are selling out to false and worldly ideals.

How many know that we have to make greater sacrifices than ever before to stand up for Jesus and His Word.

The Healing of The Nation - The Body of Christ

This morning I would like to share with you about God bringing together the body of Christ and how he showed this to me through the 2 broken bones I incurred through the accident I had last fall.  Now you might be thinking:  What does the coming together of the body of Christ have to do with Rachel’s 2 broken bones?  What God showed me is how he is bringing together the body of Christ as demonstrated by the healing or bringing together of my bones. Thus I have given as the title of this message:  The Healing of The Nation - The Body of Christ.

Having A Determination!

Text:  1 Corinthians 2:1-5: And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Determination is having the strength that carries you through the path of success in the midst of obstacles.

Synonyms for determination are:  resolution; will; firmness.

Obstacles are a thing that blocks one’s way, prevents or hinders progress.

Some synonyms for obstacles are:  barriers; snag; hurdles; stumbling blocks; obstructions; blocks; impediments; difficulties; problems; disadvantages; complications.

The enemy uses them all to kill our “determination” to do the work God has called us to do.

Paul was a Jewish man.  We all know how Paul of Tarshish persecuted the Christians for a time, but he, himself was converted to Christ by means of a vision or encounter with the “light”.  He also became one of the greatest of the apostles and wrote many of the books of our New Testament.  His name was Saul before he became a Christian (Acts 9:1-22).

Even though he faced much persecution, he had a “determination” to continue to do the work of the ministry.

●       Acts 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

God had already showed Paul to Ananias in a vision and said to him:

●       Acts 9:16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

But Paul had a “determination” to let nothing stop him.

What about you and me.  Will we let things stop us?

ONE LIFE TO LIVE!!

Text: John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life (Zoe), and that they might have it more abundantly.

I know that “As the World Turns”, many are “Young and Restless”, and if they’re not leaving the “General Hospital, they’re standing on “The Edge of Night”, but truly there’s only “ONE LIFE TO LIVE”, and it is lived in and through Jesus the Christ!!

WALK IN THE LIGHT

TEXT:   PSALMS 27 (Portrays Christ - Our All and All)

Psalm 27:1  THE LORD IS MY LIGHT

If you are walking in a dark place, dealing with dark issues, facing darkened circumstances, just shout, “THE LORD IS MY LIGHT"!!! 

This is not just any kind of Light. When this light penetrates your Spirit, it will drive diseases and afflictions out of your body. It gets down into your finances.  It will renew your spirit and cause you to walk in the anointing God has for you.

NOW IF YOU BELIEVE THIS, SHOUT “THE LORD IS MY LIGHT”!

Increasing Your Measure of Anointing

The book of John is the 43^rd book of the Bible. It depicts Christ as Our Personal Savior,

The Son of God.

John has 21 chapters, 878 verses, and 19,099 words.

Prophetic Scripture

John 3:34 (KJV)

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

When God sent Jesus into the world as the begotten Son of God, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him without measure.  Jesus walked in unlimited power, but the Bible says He grew into a man of full spiritual maturity (Luke 2:52).  God could and did anoint Him without limits because Jesus learned the ways of God and was able to handle the power of God on such a level.

For us, God wants to increase the anointing on our life too, as we become His ambassadors in the earth.  He wants to increase our measure of power as we learn God’s ways and can handle the anointing properly.  When the measure of anointing on your life increases, you will have new boldness, confidence, and ability to manifest God to people in a way that is beyond human capability.

Genesis

We are beginning the study of Genesis.  We are looking at who, what, when, where, and how of
Genesis.   Right now we are going to talk about the WHO of Genesis 1:1.

❖ Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The Bible itself portrays Christ as Savior of the World.  The God of the Bible is the Creator or its Author.  It is God’s written revelation of His Will to men (male & female).  The central theme of the Bible is salvation through Jesus Christ.

The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblos which actually is “a library of books” focused on the subject “GOD”!!!  

We have the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The word “testament” in the Latin is testis or testicles, which is derived from ancient custom of “placing one’s hand on another party’s testicles to make a solemn pledge”, conveying not only the trust of the two parties, but also the pledge is binding on the future generations that will come from the seed of each man.  

There are two instances when this happened.

1) When Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for Isaac, his servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh (Genesis 24:2-9).

2) Then again two generations later, it happened with Jacob and Joseph (Genesis 47:29).

The blessings of God are “gene-rational”.  Genesis is the “’plant-bed” of the creation. (A tobacco farmer would know what that is. This was where the seed was sown and grown – then the tobacco plants were taken out to the fields and planted to bring forth the harvest).

So Genesis is the “birthing unit” out of which came forth “the beginning of the creation”. 

For right now, we’ll talk about “the God” in Genesis.  

GO GET YOUR INHERITANCE!!

TEXT: NUMBERS 27:1-4  [Portrays Christ as “our Lifted Up One"!

Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph:  and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.  

And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah:  but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son?  Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

God has already told us that “We are anointed”!  Then He said for us to “Increase the anointing”!  He also said that “Everything is alright”!  Now He’s saying to us, “Go get your inheritance”!

The Book of Numbers covers a period of thirty-eight years of Israel wandering in the wilderness and their preparation for the conquest and settlement in the Promised Land.  One aspect of this preparation involves two censuses.  The first one meant to gauge the nation’s military strength, and the second had a dual purpose:  to gauge the nation’s military and to use as a tool for land distribution.

Here they are at the entrance of the Promised Land when the second census was taken and only men were counted.  At this time the inheritance customs allowed only men to own property.  It was the male who was the central figure in preserving family continuity in name and in property.  Women had no property rights.  They were considered property themselves.   They had no voice.  They were “seen and not heard”.

 If a father died leaving no sons, daughters did not inherit what he left.  Property went to the surviving male relative.  Male dominance in society was so great both secular and religiously.  A great difference between the status of men and women was visible in areas of life.  That same “Pharisaical spirit” is very much alive today in churches as well as in the homes.  

Sadly, today in the church we still find those who persist in promoting disparity in both perception and practice between men and women.  They will take a few biblical texts out of context and a few human traditions elevated to status of divine truths and use it to keep women in their place in the church.

Our text serves as a model for understanding God’s perception of rights and justice toward women.

Among the many rights and challenges women faced was a lack of inheritance.  Inheritance is from the Hebrew word nahalah, meaning specific allotment or entitlement (land that has continuity with the past and ties with a sacred heritage; property received upon the death of one’s parents).  It’s derived from nahal, meaning possession.

Fully Persuaded For A Miracle!!!

Text: 45^th Book of the Bible.  Romans has 16 chapters, 433 verses, and 9,447 words; “portrays Christ as Our Righteousness and Our Righteous King”. 

Romans 4:21 (KJV)  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

HALLELUJAH!!!!

How many know what God has promised……He is well able to perform!!!!

Psalms 115:3 (KJV)                                                                  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Luke 1:37 (KJV)                                                                     For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Hebrews 11:19(KJV)                                                                  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

So the word for the people today is “Fully Persuaded for a Miracle”

Fully means entirely or wholly

Persuaded means to carry out fully (in evidence); completely assured; convinced; to bring in full measure, to fulfill, which signifies “to be fully persuaded” as I read in Romans 4:21, as of Abraham’s faith.

Abraham had within him the ability to believe in the miraculous without analyzing it. When God introduced Himself to Abraham in Genesis 12, He told Abraham to move without even telling him exactly where to go, and Abraham packed his things without question.

When God told him he would have a child, he believed what God said even when he and his wife were past childbearing. (Hebrews 11:8 - 12).

Then when Abraham and Sarah finally gave birth to Isaac, their son, God told him to sacrifice Isaac upon an altar.  Again, Abraham didn’t question; he immediately took steps to obey until God interrupted him.

He did so because God already promised that Isaac would be the seed to produce many sons (see Genesis 21:12; Hebrews 11:13). Abraham so believed God’s words that he expected God to even raise Isaac from the dead if necessary (see Hebrews 11:19)!

Abraham had no proof other than a verbal promise. He remained fully persuaded for a miracle even though it took 25 years from the time God first mentioned it until Isaac was born  (see Genesis 12:2-4; 21:5).

So today, people of God, as you look for the miraculous things of God to occur, begin by believing God based on His verbal promises from Scripture. Keep rehearsing those promises in your heart. As you practice this just the way Abraham did, surely you will become fully persuaded for a miracle!

“ARE YOU ANCHORED IN THE STORM”?

TEXT: Acts 27:13-15, 20  And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.  But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.  Verse 20:  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

The Author:  Luke (a personal secretary – helper) accompanying Paul on his missionary journey.

A storm is a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere by winds of unusual force or direction.  Can we agree that “storms” are a fact of life?  I’m sure many of you have experienced many different types of storms.  You may have lived through rain storms, snow storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and so forth.  Some more severe than others, but each had its own unique features.

There’s a storm that comes from the forces of nature or when other people exert their power in your life and wreak havoc in the atmosphere around you.  The name of these storms are called the “storms of life”.  The thing about this storm is the severity which will create dangerous and life threatening conditions.  At that time, it’s hard to understand the ways of God when the battle is raging, and you are surrounded by the enemy.

When you’re going through a painful trial and heartache, it can bring one down to an all-time low.  It can seem almost unbearable and crushing, especially when you don’t understand why God would allow this struggle in your life.  Ask yourself, how can this torment you’re experiencing be part of God’s perfect plan for you?  It just doesn’t make sense.

I want you to know that each struggle brings an opportunity for God to manifest His power in you.

THE LIGHT

The Gospel of St. John is the forty-third book of the Bible, and John depicts Jesus as the “Son of God”.  Love is the dominant theme of all his teachings and writings.

John recorded seven statements of Jesus declaring His Deity – that He was One with His Father:

●       St. John 6:35  I am the Bread of Life

●       St. John 8:12  I am the Light of the world

●       St. John 10:9  I am the Door

●       St. John 10:11  I am the Good Shepherd

●       St. John 11:25  I am the Resurrection

●       St. John 14:6  I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

●       St. John 15:1  I am the True Vine

“I AM” is God’s name in “man”.  It is “Jehovah”, the “indwelling Christ”, the true Spiritual man whom God made in His image and after His likeness. (Genesis 1:26-27).

In Exodus 3, God is ready to send Moses into Egypt to deliver the Israelites, and Moses wanted to know how he would address “the God of their fathers”, who was sending him, when they asked:

●       Exodus 3:13-14  What is His name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:  and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

As we go, “I AM” is sending us! 

●       1 John 4:17  As he is, so are we, in this world!

From these seven sayings of the “I AM GOD”, we’re going to look at the second one from which I’ll take my topic:  “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”!  “WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”.  (KJV)

●       St. John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:  he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW

Text: 40^th Book of the Bible:  Matthew 6:25-26, 34  (KJV)

St. Matthew has 28 chapters, 1,071 verses, and c. 23,684 words; portrays Christ as Our King and a sign of Royalty.

❖         Matthew 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

❖         Matthew 6:26  Behold (look, observe, discern) the fowls of the air:  for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

❖        Matthew 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.                                                                                                                                                                             

Did not the word say:                                                                                                                                         

❖        Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another (meaning to invite by imploration, hortation or consolation).                                                          

Imploration - beg earnestly or urgently for.                                                                                               Hortation - serving or tending to exhort                                                                                                    Consolation - to comfort or cheer up.                                                                                                                                                                

And did not the word say also:                                                                                                                                  

❖        Ephesians 4:10-13  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,

 pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the

 body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

 unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

  

Paul is talking about when we all reach the point of maturity or degree of anointing, and we are touching the golden scepter that was in the hand of the king as Esther did in Esther 5:2.

So as an evangelist (which is the middle finger of the hand of the five-fold ministry; the farthest outreach; called to gather the people in) called by God, gifted, and anointed by God, I am commissioned to proclaim the gospel/good news, glad tidings of the kingdom.

God has sent me to encourage the people of God with the message: “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.”

Do You Have the Right Forestry Plan?

There used to be a large overgrown and overcrowded Tree Farm inside the fence next to our house, but in October, these trees were removed along with the brush and vines growing among them. There was also plenty of wildlife in that wooded area because of so much underbrush and thick vines. Needless to say, we are so pleased to have the overgrown mess removed. It is clean and fresh looking; clear of debris, undergrowth, and it allows us to see the lake just as I did when I was growing up here.


As we look out our kitchen window, we are looking toward the east, and it is such a blessing to be able to see the sunrises every morning with their many colors. We can see the neighborhood - houses, yards, vehicles driving along the roads, birds, people walking - all much more clearly than before. The past view felt like we were hemmed in until about lunchtime when the sun was able to creep over the trees. Now the entire area has opened up, and we are able to receive God’s blessings much earlier in the morning.


Please understand that when I say we are well pleased with the removal of the trees, it doesn’t mean that I don’t like trees. But it’s just the opposite. Thank God for the shade and the beauty of trees, but these trees were not clean; they blocked the light; and they could not provide much beauty because of the undergrowth and overgrowth from the vines and bushes which ran the height of the trees. Some of the vines were 6-8” in diameter!


Recently I was reading an article from Our State Magazine entitled Where Lumber Ruled, Nature Reigns. As I read about the forests of western North Carolina, I couldn’t help but think about the recent removal of the trees next to our house. The article was talking about creating strong forests and how the removal of trees is critical in that respect since it allows the light to penetrate the trees which in turn will allow them to grow stronger. The foresters call this “managing the light”. Let me read some excerpts:


Forestry is about managing forests. “To manage a forest, you are managing the light” says Forestry student Robert Townsend. To get more light, you have to remove trees. Sometimes a few. Sometimes a lot. “If nature runs its course, trees fall and die. We can speed up that process. If something’s screwed up in the forest, we can turn it back to where it should be.” People tend to think forestry is all about saving trees , which, in many ways, it is. But he adds, “sometimes you have to cut trees in order to save others”.

The article went on to say that “in the forest, appearances can be deceiving, and, as a result, sometimes the best intentions can lead to bad forestry. For example, going into a stand of trees and pulling out all of the trunks at least 16 inches in diameter makes economic sense, since trees like oaks and poplars fetch more money when they reach that size. Other smaller trees are left, and it would seem like being selective would be a better move than mowing down every single tree. But often, the trees that remain aren’t the best trees. They’re gnarled, diseased, or a less desirable Species, and you can actually hurt the health of a forest by leaving them behind.


On the other hand, a lot of people find it painful to see trees come down or to watch a quiet, shaded spot in the woods turn into an open, stump-filled clearing. But with the right forestry plan, the forest will return stronger than before.



God showed me how managing a forest is similar to growing the body of Christ. So the title of my message this morning is Do You Have the Right Forestry Plan? Let’s take a look at what this says about the body of Christ and growing a strong body of Christ.