Category Archives: Creation

All Powerful / King of All, Creation, Creative, Marriage

In the Beginning: A Foundation for Faith (Genesis 1)

Leave a comment

God’s design is not random or accidental—it is intentional, purposeful, and deeply good.

Key Verse:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1 (NASB)

Background Context:
Genesis 1 opens the Bible with a grand declaration of truth: God is Creator. He speaks and it is so—light, sky, land, seas, stars, creatures, and humankind. In six days, whether literal or literary, God reveals His nature through His creation: powerful, orderly, wise, and good. These opening verses are not only foundational to our understanding of the world but also to our identity as those made in His image.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Genesis 1

The Creation

      1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

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

      9Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

      14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

      20Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” 21God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

      24Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. 25God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

      26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. 31God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Reflection on Genesis 1:
Genesis 1 is written with such simplicity that a child can grasp it, and yet with such depth that scholars have wrestled with its richness for centuries. Whether you believe this is a poetic framework or a literal historical account, the truths it declares remain constant:

  • God created everything.

  • He did it with purpose and intention.

  • He made humanity in His image—male and female, to work together, not in rivalry but in unity.

  • He called His creation “good,” and only after mankind was made did He call it “very good.”

  • He gave mankind a divine assignment: to fill the earth, subdue it, and rule over the other living things.

We do not serve a God of confusion or randomness. Creation was not the result of chaos or cosmic accident. It was a masterpiece, painted stroke by stroke by the hand of God.

In a world that often devalues God’s design—denying creation, rejecting gender distinctions, or elevating nature above humanity—we are called back to this foundational truth: we are image-bearers of the Creator, designed with identity and purpose.

Application:
How you view Genesis 1 shapes how you live. If God created everything with purpose, then your life is not meaningless. You are not an accident. Your body, your identity, your relationships—all have been designed with intention. Let that truth humble you before your Creator and embolden you to live out your calling.

Take time to reflect on what it means to be made in His image. Honor God’s design—in yourself, in others, in creation, and in the gift of male and female partnership. Live with gratitude and reverence, knowing your life is part of His intentional plan.

Closing Prayer:
Creator God, thank You for the beauty and purpose of Your creation. Help me to embrace the truth that I am made in Your image and called to reflect Your glory in how I live. Teach me to honor the design You declared good—from the rhythms of creation to the roles You’ve established. May I walk humbly in Your wisdom, confident in Your purpose, and in awe of who You are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Creation, Depression / Discouragement, Discipline / Guidance From God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Wise, Worry/Anxiety

God’s Answer to Job (Job 38)

Have you ever found yourself questioning things in life you don’t understand, seeking answers to the unanswerable?

In Job 38, we witness a profound moment as God breaks His silence to respond to Job’s inquiries, offering insights that transcend human understanding and humbly remind us of the folly of human wisdom compared to the infinite understanding of our Creator.

Reconnect: Before delving into Job 38, it’s crucial to remember the context of the dialogue between Job and his friends. After enduring suffering and grappling with profound questions of justice and righteousness, Job has voiced his frustrations and yearned for answers. Now, as God Himself speaks, we are invited to witness the divine response to Job’s inquiries.

(Summarized and continued after scripture)

Job 38

God Speaks Now to Job

      1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

      2“Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?

      3“Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

      4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,

      5Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?

      6“On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,

      7When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

      8“Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;

      9When I made a cloud its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,

      10And I placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,

      11And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?

God’s Mighty Power

12“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,

      13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?

      14“It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand forth like a garment.

      15“From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the uplifted arm is broken.

      16“Have you entered into the springs of the sea
Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

      17“Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

      18“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

      19“Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,

      20That you may take it to its territory
And that you may discern the paths to its home?

      21“You know, for you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!

      22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

      23Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of war and battle?

      24“Where is the way that the light is divided,
Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

      25“Who has cleft a channel for the flood,
Or a way for the thunderbolt,

      26To bring rain on a land without people,
On a desert without a man in it,

      27To satisfy the waste and desolate land
And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?

      28“Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

      29“From whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

      30“Water becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

      31“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?

      32“Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her satellites?

      33“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?

      34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?

      35“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?

      36“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being
Or given understanding to the mind?

      37“Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
Or tip the water jars of the heavens,

      38When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?

      39“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

      40When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?

      41“Who prepares for the raven its nourishment
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?

Summary Key Points:

1. The Majesty of Creation: God’s response to Job begins with a series of questions that highlight the majesty and intricacy of creation. From the foundations of the earth to the vastness of the cosmos, God’s sovereign power and wisdom are on full display, challenging Job to contemplate the wonders of His handiwork.

2. Humility Before the Creator: As God continues His discourse, He calls attention to the limitations of human understanding and the folly of trying to comprehend His ways. Job is reminded of his finite perspective compared to God’s infinite wisdom, prompting a humbling acknowledgment of the Creator’s sovereignty.

3. Trusting in Divine Providence: Through His response, God invites Job to trust in His providence and sovereignty, even in the face of life’s uncertainties and hardships. While human understanding may be limited, God’s purposes are ultimately just and righteous, calling for a posture of trust and surrender.

Call to Action:

  • Embracing Humility: Let us embrace humility in our quest for understanding, recognizing the limitations of human wisdom and the vastness of God’s knowledge. May we approach life’s mysteries with reverence and awe, trusting in the wisdom of the Creator.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, as we ponder the mysteries of Your creation and the depths of Your wisdom, grant us humility and reverence. Help us to trust in Your providence, even when we cannot comprehend Your ways. May Your presence guide us through life’s uncertainties, and may we find peace in surrendering to Your will. Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Creation, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect, Restoring the Soul

Psalm 19 declares the glory of God through His creation as well as  praises God for His perfect law and for His judgments, which are righteous. Finally, David concludes by praising God with thanksgiving that He is our rock and Redeemer.

Psalm 19

1The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
            And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

      2Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.

      3There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.

      4Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

      5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

      6Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

      7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

      8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;            The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the   eyes.

      9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

      10They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

      11Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

      12Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

      13Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

      14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

David praises God for His creation in the first six verses. Truly as we reflect on what God has created we, too, should be almost overwhelmed by the glory of it. How sad that many are deceived to thinking it is all the result of random events. How blind are those who believe the deception of Satan!

Verses 7-11 are focused on praising God’s “perfect” commandments, precepts, and judgment! Read them again, carefully. David is referring to the law God gave His people through Moses. The same law that most Christians are taught is harsh and not meaningful. How can it be? It is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The judgments of the Lord (based on the law) are true and righteous all together. More desirable than gold, sweeter than honey… by them your servant is warned. In keeping them there is great reward!

Contrary to what many Christians are taught, the law is not bondage! Jesus did not come to “set us free from the law”, but rather to receive our judgment for our failure to execute the law perfectly… to redeem us. He sets us free from sin and the judgment we are due, if we accept Jesus as lord.

David closes by recognizing that the law helps him discern his errors and find his hidden faults. It helps him to recognize and avoid sin! Recognizing that he still fails, he looks to God and praises Him for acquitting him of great transgression.  David praises God for being both rock and Redeemer. The rock refers to God’s unchanging nature. What God said was good and right and true will always be good and right and true.  Through God’s grace we are redeemed through the word of God… through Jesus Christ.

For more about what the law means today, refer to our teaching Understanding The Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Blessed, Creation, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Peace / Rest

Sabbath Observed Even During Busy Times

If there is any doubt that Yahweh is serious about Sabbath, let us take note how even the most foundational and important moments in all of time are paused for rest on the Sabbath. Most of us are very familiar with the creation story, in which Yahweh rested on the 7th day… Sabbath.

Genesis 2:1-3

      1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Think about that for awhile. Even when creating everything, the Creator of the universe, and all that is in it, took time out to rest… not because He was tired, but to set an example to His people for all time that Sabbath and Sabbath rest is important. He did not rest on the first day of the week. He rested on the seventh day of the week. He has instructed us to do likewise.

Now let us jump forward in time several thousand years. A dramatic and defining moment for creation… the death and resurrection of Yeshua. All of history documented in the Old Testament points forward to it. All of history afterwards looks back on it for salvation and forgiveness. It is central in our ability to relate to our holy Father and come into His presence, in this life and after.

Yeshua died more quickly than most who perished from crucifixion. Yahweh timed it so that the scriptures would be fulfilled and the Romans would not break His legs to hasten His death. So too, the timing is such that Yeshua’s death precedes a Sabbath and His followers were able to provide a burial before the sun set to mark the beginning of Sabbath.

Then, everything in the chain of events takes a break for the duration of the Sabbath. Not until after Sabbath is over, does Yeshua rise from the now empty tomb and reveal Himself to His followers.

Mark 15:42-47

Jesus Is Buried

      42When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Let’s give credit to Joseph. He demonstrated courage to honor Yeshua by providing a burial rather than leaving Him to hang on the cross longer.

We should also take time to pray and think about the importance of Sabbath to our Father. In two of the most incredible moments in all history, time is taken to rest and honor the Sabbath. What could we possibly be doing in our weekly activities that would be more important than these events? If we choose to follow Yeshua, why would we choose not to obey the Father in regards to obeying the Sabbath?

On a personal note, since we started observing Sabbath as a day of rest, my family has found it very rewarding. It is so much beyond just obeying the Father, which is by itself very important. But in pursuing obedience I have found that I now have more time set aside for family and rest. It helps me to be a better husband and father throughout the week. What can I say? Yahweh has some great ideas! He knows how we are built and knows what is best for us to find peace and joy in this life. After all, He provides Sabbath for man, not man for Sabbath.

Mark 2:27

 27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Join me in putting aside the Sabbath as a day of rest. It feels odd at first and you will likely find many excuses to stray. But if you stick with it long enough to form a new habit, it actually just fits perfectly even in busy times. Sometimes that is when we need it the most.

A small bonus assignment, for those who really want to follow after Christ in our Creator’s ways…  they rested on the 7th day of the week, not the first. If we wish to be consistent with the Creator’s calendar, we should observe Sabbath from Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown. This is different from the commonly accepted Sunday timing in our society today. We should ask ourselves, can we find any clear scripture in the Bible that says to change from 7th day to 1st day of the week? (hint: The answer is “no”.) Does scripture give indication that the disciples continued to observe Sabbath on the 7th day after the death of Christ? (hint: The answer is “yes”.)

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a curious and open mind, hungry to seek the truth of Your word even as study of Your word reveals truth to me that is different than what most around me believe. Help me to have courage to change where I should to follow Your ways instead of the ways accepted by men, including many churches. I follow You and Your word is the light unto my feet. I do not follow the ways of men.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Creation, Miracles

HFJ News: Focused Ministries – Creation

We are continuing our weekly Friday extra post of “HFJ News” which is intended to introduce our Christian community to different parts of the website or related resources that many find useful.  Links are provided for your convenience or you can just visit the site directly at HearingFromJesus.org and look around on your own.

One of the most obvious miracles of all time where God reveals Himself to everyone across all time is creation itself. Sadly, many who wish to reject God do so by suppressing the truth in unrighteousness trying to convince the world that such a marvelous and delicate creation could have happened and could be sustained through random events. It is absurd to argue evolution can replace God as creator because even if evolution were plausible, which it is not, it needs to start with something… and something living… and an environment in which that something lives. Who among us believes everything comes from nothing without a creator?

Psalm 19:1 1The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Romans 1:18-20 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

—-

Focused Ministries – Creation

  • Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. They provide answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.
  • Creation Today seeks to impact individuals to know and defend our faith in Creator God and to wholeheartedly experience and share Him through the foundations of Scripture.
  • Institute for Creation Research focuses on scientific research within the context of biblical creation with purposes to educate and communicate the truth of God’s word.
  • Truth in Genesis provides many articles and videos supporting a Biblical Worldview.  Their mission is to uphold the authority of the Word of God, strengthen the faith of believers, and win the lost to Christ.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Creation

HFJ News: Focused Ministries – Creation

We are continuing our weekly Friday extra post of “HFJ News” which is intended to introduce our Christian community to different parts of the website that many find useful.  Links are provided for your convenience or you can just visit the site directly at HearingFromJesus.org and look around on your own.

This week we are highlighting a few Christian ministries that are focused on a detailed study of Creation. The detail and scientific study may likely surprise you if you have been taught in school that the world is millions of years old.  As far as the age of the Earth… I can’t say for sure, but I leave it up to each of you to study and evaluate.There is much more of interest to study on this topic than I ever thought based on what I was taught in school.

—-

Focused Ministries – Creation

  • Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. They provide answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.
  • Creation Today seeks to impact individuals to know and defend our faith in Creator God and to wholeheartedly experience and share Him through the foundations of Scripture.
  • Institute for Creation Research focuses on scientific research within the context of biblical creation with purposes to educate and communicate the truth of God’s word.
  • Truth in Genesis provides many articles and videos supporting a Biblical Worldview.  Their mission is to uphold the authority of the Word of God, strengthen the faith of believers, and win the lost to Christ.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting the Wheat From The Weeds

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In  Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man[d] is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,[e] and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

When God created the world, He allowed free will – the ability for us as people to choose to follow Him or reject Him and do things our own way. He made us like His children, not a set of robots who are pre-programmed to accept Him.

God allowed Satan to have much influence in this world, but Satan ultimately can only do what God allows. He has been defeated and will again be defeated by God. However, Satan preys on our sin nature and selfish view of the world. His actions to deceive us and lead us away from God are like the enemy who planted weeds in amongst the wheat. It makes life difficult for the wheat (the righteous).

God has a plan though. He is not confused or surprised by Satan.  He will separate the wheat from the weeds when harvest comes. Those who follow God will get what they chose… an eternity with God in heaven. Those who serve their own sin nature and reject God will get what they chose… eternity in hell, separated from God.

Of course we, as followers of Christ, want to bring as many people as we can with us to follow God in this world and enter heaven after they die. We are to seek God wholeheartedly and proclaim Him loudly and publicly.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting The Wheat From The Weeds

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In  Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man[d] is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,[e] and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

When God created the world, He allowed free will – the ability for us as people to choose to follow Him or reject Him and do things our own way. He made us like His children, not a set of robots who are pre-programmed to accept Him.

God allowed Satan to have much influence in this world, but Satan ultimately can only do what God allows. He has been defeated and will again be defeated by God. However, Satan preys on our sin nature and selfish view of the world. His actions to deceive us and lead us away from God are like the enemy who planted weeds in amongst the wheat. It makes life difficult for the wheat (the righteous).

God has a plan though. He is not confused or surprised by Satan.  He will separate the wheat from the weeds when harvest comes. Those who follow God will get what they chose… an eternity with God in heaven. Those who serve their own sin nature and reject God will get what they chose… eternity in hell, separated from God.

Of course we, as followers of Christ, want to bring as many people as we can with us to follow God in this world and enter heaven after they die. We are to seek God wholeheartedly and proclaim Him loudly and publicly.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Creation, Faith / Trusting God

Evolution Requires More Faith Than Creation

1 Comment

I am often surprised how many people dogmatically insist that evolution, called even by its strongest supporters only a “theory”, is the only or even the most credible explanation for the infinite complexity we witness in the world around us.

Imagine with me for a moment that we are on a hike through the woods… where nobody lives… we have not seen anyone in days. We come across a clearing, clean and organized. In the middle of the clearing is a cabin, made out of wood of nearby trees. It has a door, windows, and when we open it there is furniture. All of it made from the same wood of the nearby trees. Even the most confident evolutionist would conclude that there must be someone around who cleared the land and built the cabin and furniture… even though they could not prove it. Although, they had not seen anyone in days of traveling the area, they know that even something as simple as a cabin and furniture can not create itself from the nearby trees. There must be a creative force… in the case of the cabin… a person or people who designed and built it. To say that it happened randomly over the past several hundred years would be laughable.

Why then do these same people, when they see all the infinite complexity of our universe, assume the most likely conclusion is that it happened randomly instead of by the work of a creator… in this case, God. The difference is that when it comes to creation, these people already assume there is no God so must somehow explain His creation without Him.

Entropy is the scientific principle for things to go from order to disorder… not from disorder to infinitely complex order. You mow your lawn to keep it neat, it does not work to leave it alone and watch it “evolve” to stay in neat order over time. I put phone cords into the cabinet separately and they come out tangled, never the other way around. If I build a house and leave it alone, it degrades and needs repair. To accept as science a theory (e.g. evolution) that suspends the scientific principle of entropy is akin to explaining how airplanes fly by assuming that gravity does not exist…. because you refuse to accept aerodynamics.

If evolution were even possible, which it is not, it is not the most likely hypothesis. A creative force is needed to bring order from chaos or disorder. In this case, God.  Objectively, the evidence points to a divine creator… to God. To insist that God does not exist and then rationalize a different creation mechanism that is impossible or much less likely… that is not science… that is faith is the absence of God despite the evidence for God. I do not have enough faith to deny the existence of God.

[Psalms 19:1-4] The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.  Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

[Romans 1:20] For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family. Help us to share the good news of the gospel!

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2