I have given you every ...

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”

Before sin came into the world every animal was vegetarian, this includes water creatures, birds, reptiles etc. God always supplies in abundance but we don’t always have the faith to enjoy God’s abundance. This doesn’t mean that we will always get everything that we want for God knows that some things are not good for us, even if we believe that they are. Faith isn’t always about getting what you want, it is about accepting that God is God and then serving Him. Remember Rom 8: 31, 32 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

How big is your God?

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

If man is made in God’s own image and the Lord asked us to be His agents on the earth then there are certain obligations that we have to satisfy. Being restricted in time and space we cannot do the job as well as God can do so we are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. We are also commanded to to have dominion over all the living things that move. This means that we are also expected to remember that God has dominion over us and we are to submit to Him in everything that we do. Human wisdom always goes against God’s wisdom. The people of the earth want to restrict our growth on the earth and they want to stop us from subduing the earth and having dominion over all the animals. Of course, if man evolved from animals then the story is different because we don’t want to be too unkind to our relatives. If God created us then the story is different, we must remember that our God is God and we have to serve Him. Do we really believe that our God cannot supply our needs? If our God is absolutely powerful and completely wise then let’s just trust Him for everything and show our trust by obeying Him. Not to earn His pleasure but because He deserves it.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Let them have dominion

“And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

After God had created everything else He finally made man in His own image. What does it mean to be made in God’s own image? God is Spirit and we are flesh and blood so we are not made in God’s own image in that way. God is eternal and infinite but we are restricted in time and space so we are not made in God’s own image in that way. However we have the capacity to form relationships, specifically with God, so we are made in His image in that way. We are all body, soul and spirit. In the first instance, God made man to act as His agent on the earth and to have dominion over all the things that God had made. However, it is impossible for us to act as God’s agent unless we can communicate with God. The other important issue is that we must do what God wants otherwise we are not acting as His agent but as usurpers. This is a good time to consider Isaiah 1: 3 and ask ourselves are we more intelligent than the ox or the ass?

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

The living creature after his kind

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” First there were birds and the water creatures but on the sixth day the Lord made the land creatures. The progression fits with the first three days; first there was water and then the firmament was separated and lastly the land was set aside. God had His own pattern and He followed according to His own wisdom. The same is true today, God has His own patterns and plans and He follows them in His own way. God really doesn’t need any people to make sure that His will works for good in all things for those the believe God and are called according to His purpose. Once again we are reminded how important it is for us to have the correct perspective towards God. He is supreme in all things and it is proper for Christians to accept His greatness. This is not the proper time to wonder what God means to me for that puts me in the centre and God in my orbit. This is the time to be amazed at the greatness of our God and rejoice in the fact that He loves us even though He doesn’t need us.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Be fruitful and multiply

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

It is interesting to note that God created the fowls of the air before He created the sea creatures. In spite of what some experts expect us to believe it would be very hard for birds to become sea creatures or the other way around. Birds have light bones and these hollow bones are part of their respiratory system while sea creatures have different bones to allow them to live in the sea. There is no advantage for birds to have heavy bones or for sea creatures to have light bones so that they cannot dive under the water. However, God commanded these animals to fill the earth. We have a general expectation to fill the earth and be fruitful but all the Malthusians today are demanding that we do the opposite.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

The sun and the moon

“And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon

the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

Even though the sun and the moon were not made until the fourth day, there was still evening and morning for the first three days. While it is true that “day” may be used to represent a period of time longer than twenty four hours, it is also true that the “fourth day” can only represent a solar day so the the first second and third days can only represent the same period of time. The moon doesn’t have any light of its own but it reflects the glory of the sun during the night. The only thing that stops the moon from shining is the earth’s shadow. This is equally true of our relationship with God; He is glorious and deserves to be given all the glory we can only reflect His glory to those who live in darkness. As long as there is any shadow of the earth between us and our God we will not reflect His full glory on the earth. It is important for us to be filled with wonder at God’s greatness. As soon as we begin to think about what God means to me now we allow the shadow of the earth (self) to block His glory and we allow the darkness to triumph.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Signs and seasons

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” From time to time everyone needs some variety in their lives. Even though God had already made day and night to last in twenty four hour cycles He established signs and seasons. Before this, for three days, there was no need for seasons and there was no need for light in the evening but now God put one light in the day and another light in the night. It is interesting that the seasons are defined both by the sun and the moon. Our easter season, the northern spring time, varies according to the sun and to the moon and the seasons change at that time. This gives us the variety that we need in our lives. Later, God established times when His people could take holidays as well and the seasons ensure that we have regular holidays as well. God has a plan for everything and His plan is always good.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Always prepared

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and

the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the

earth: and it was so. And the evening and the morning were the third day.” Once there was water and dry land existing side by side in an organised way then God made plants. Even before the fall, all the animals ate plants, after the fall some animals became carnivores. When an animal eats a plant the plant survives however when an animal eats another animal the other animal dies. There was no death until the fall. However, we see God’s grace again as He makes sure that there is sufficient food for all the animals before He made them. God is never taken by surprise, He has already dealt with the problem before it crops us. This reminds us of 1 Cor 10: 13. The way of escape is in place before the temptation comes.

This is the third day. God made light and then He divided the light from the darkness so establishing the first day. On the second day He made the heavens, thus making water, the basic need of all life, available. On the third day He made the land and the He put plants on the land. This was the third day.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Earth and Sea

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.” The third day was a day of further organisation. The heavens were established on the second day and then the dry land was established on the third day. After the dry land was established the Lord collected all the remaining water together and made the seas. We can see later that there wasn’t any rain at this stage. The first time there was rain was at the beginning of the flood. Until that time there was just one continent, just as the Bible says. Modern scientists talk about plate tectonics, this is a theory that says that there was just one large land mass that divided into two and then further divided into the continents as we know them today. As the plates move around the various “rings of fire” form volcanic islands and mountain ranges. The Lord knew all about this long before science discovered it and wrote it down for all to see.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

The size of our God.

“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let

it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” The second day was similar to the first day. There was an evening and a morning but the process of establishing the earth so that people could live on it went on. The firmament was called heaven and the water sources were defined so that the essentials for life could be ready for the life that was coming in a few days time. This section allows for the massive creation that God made even though it concentrates on the earth for this story is about the earth and the relationship that the people of the earth can have with their God. The important thing for us to remember is the size of our God and to submit to Him.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Evening and morning

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the

evening and the morning were the first day.” It is almost impossible to make these word mean anything different than what they say, unless you want to enter the Humpty Dumpty world of “words mean whatever I want them to mean.” Many people tell us that it is impossible for the first three days to be twenty four hour days until we get to day four. However, these words say that the evening and morning were the first day. The earth was dark until the Lord made light and then there was the first morning. After this, the Lord separated the light from the darkness so the cycle of morning and evening continued until this day. When Noah came out of the ark the Lord confirmed this cycle into a definite promise. Gen 8: 22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” The first day was a regular day, just like every other day and not some interminable day, lasting for trillions of years.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

More light and darkness

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” If we compare this verse with the gospel of John we can see the importance of the separation between light and darkness. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Light of the world and He had no association with darkness at all. Anyone who tries blame God for sin is sinning themselves. Everyone who is a sinner is a sinner by choice and can blame no one but themselves.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Light and darkness

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the

darkness.” In the second verse we read that the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters. There was darkness and the Spirit of God moved before God spoke to make light. However, after God had made the light then He separated the light from the darkness. Darkness and light are separated so that we have time to rest from our labours and sleep in the darkness. There are time for enjoying life and there are time to replenish life. God always plans ahead to make sure that our needs are satisfied before we even know that we have those needs.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

God is good.

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the

darkness.” This verse expresses another principle that we can follow for the whole of the Bible. If we remember that this chapter is inspired and was written by God’s Himself then it is easier to accept the principles as sound and eternal. God only does things that are good and God is never associated with anything that is bad. These days people try to blame God for sin but, if God only does good things, then God is completely innocent of any sin and we have to look for another cause. Sin comes from a man’s heart and never from God. See Matt 15: 16-20.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Light

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Light is basic for all life. In fact, if there was no light there would be no life. God’s plan was to have life in His creation so He made the most basic element first. This is the way God always works. When we need something He has already done what is required to make sure that all the elements are in place beforehand. This verse also reminds us of John 1: 4, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Light and life always go hand in hand and God wants us to enjoy the best that life can give, that is why He made the pre-requisite for life before He made life.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

And God said,

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” This verse gives the pattern for the whole Bible: God speaks and then things happen. God does things with supreme ease, never having to struggle, except when he faced the cross and died to save us from our sins. This is the God who we should trust, the One Who is closely involved in our lives and who always does what is good. He doesn’t rest from this labour and he always knows what is best for us as well.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Order and security

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” This verse begins the process of creation but it also gives us an idea of the world without God. When God is in charge then there is order and security when God is not in charge then there is the formless void. However, even though there is a formless void we can see that the Spirit of God is moving to begin the process of forming ordered perfection.This is another example of God’s grace. He didn’t finish His work of creation until there was perfection and He will continue to work in our lives until his work is complete. See Phil 1: 6.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

The beginning and the end

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” The last time the word beginning occurs in the Bible is in Rev 22: 13. This means that beginning can be associated with end. In Isa 46: 10 the Lord says “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” When the Lord created everything, at the beginning, He already knew the end and everything in between. God created us, in particular, with a plan and that plan will happen whether we like or not. The best solution for everyone is just to submit to God’s plan and rejoice in His wisdom.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book “The Scarlet Thread”.

The formless void

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” There are many problems that arise from an incorrect understanding of this verse. Many people say that there is a gap here. The Lord created the heaven and the earth and then something happened to bring about the formless void. However, if we see the first verse as a statement and then the following verses as a description of that statement then we have no trouble. Psalm 23 follows the same pattern: the first verse makes and statement and then the rest of the Psalm expounds that statement. The first verse of the Gospel of Mark makes a statement and the rest of the book explains that statement. There is no gap in Gen 1: 2; God makes a statement and then He describes what happened.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book "The Scarlet Thread".

The river of grace

Have you ever wondered why the first verse of the Bible says “God created the heaven and the earth”? Why doesn’t it just say that God created everything? Well this is the beginning of the river of God’s grace as well. God created everything but, in particular, He created the earth. Isn't that amazing? Right from the beginning God had plan for the earth and that was to create man in His own image and place man on the earth. We were made so that we could enjoy all the good things that God can offer, just because God is good. The earth is something that was given to us to possess because God is good.

If you would like to find out more about God's grace at the beginning you might like to visit http://www.lulu.com/content/799024 and buy a copy of my book "The Scarlet Thread".