Category Archives: Bible study

Genesis 1-2 The Mystery Myth

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Wow! When I said I was going to slow down this year in my Bible reading, I had no idea what that would mean. I spent the first three days of this new year just in Genesis 1. And I am loving it!

The other day I met a man who is adamant in his belief that the earth is billions of years old. He said he has to believe that, because that’s the only way it makes sense to him. I chuckled when he said that, until I realized he was serious. Then I knew that I understand creation much more than this man who prides himself in his intellect and higher-level thinking skills. He had no idea how foolish he sounded.

Can God create light before He created the sun? Can there be an evening and a morning without the earth revolving around the sun? Can vegetation grow without the sun? Not if it were up to me.

Or the man I recently met. The sun wasn’t created until the fourth day. It doesn’t make sense.

And I believe that’s why God created things the way He did. He is not us. He is far above the most intelligent of us. He is not dependent on creation. He doesn’t need the sun to provide light. Creation is, however, dependent on Him.

The man I talked to marveled at the fact that the earth is in exactly the right position in the universe in order to sustain life. But, didn’t God create the universe AROUND this planet? The stars and galaxies were “created also” for our benefit. We didn’t just happen to land at just the right spot after some Big Bang. God carefully and lovingly surrounded us with the vast expanse of space and threw in some twinkling stars for our pleasure, for signs and navigation, and to show us just how amazing He is! The more we know, the more we can recognize that He is beyond our understanding.

If we insist on understanding the complexities of creation, in fitting it into a tiny box that makes sense to us, we are limiting God. When the truth of the matter is, He is limitless. Dear one, there is no mystery to the creation of this universe. God has shared with us every detail we need to know. Read Genesis 1-2. That is how creation occurred.

Period.

Your not understanding it, or not being unable to make sense of it, just reinforces the fact that you are not God.

Creator God, I bow before You, unable to comprehend the “how” of creation. But I thank You that You have so lovingly inspired the writer of Genesis to record everything I need to know.  Thank You for this beautiful creation, for eyes to see, ears to hear, for touch and smell, so that I can enjoy what You have made. Thank You for the stars, for the warmth of the sun, for plants and animals, for oxygen and gravity.  And thank You for the dear ones You have given me in my life who share this creation with me. You are truly amazing. And I worship You.

December 31 – Worship

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Revelation 19-22

I can hardly wait. John’s description of the last and best eternal worship service has my soul eagerly looking forward to being a part of it all. God, sitting on His throne right there in front of me. Me, a sinner in this lifetime, clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and bowing before my Holy God, holy myself because of His Son.

Angels and saints and hymns and psalms and joy and light and perfect love. Forever. No more tears. No more disease or heartache. Just me and Jesus (and a few million other souls washed by the blood of the Lamb) hanging out with the Father.

Holy! Holy! Holy! Worthy is the Lamb!

As I look forward to 2017, I want my life to be an act of worship. I don’t have to wait until I get to heaven. This same Jesus is worthy of my worship today. God is on His throne in all His majesty. And even though I can’t see them at the moment, they are as real as they’ll be when I get there.

I want my eternal worship of God to be a seamless transition from this life to the next, because I’ve learned to worship Him the way He deserves. He is Holy. He is Powerful, Almighty, Sovereign, Perfect, and full of love. I, who cannot look on His face in and of myself, can go boldly to Him because I have accepted His gift of grace through Jesus’ work on the cross. I can stand before Him, without any good thing in me, yet dressed in Jesus’ righteousness, holy because of Jesus, acceptable because of Jesus.

Holy God, I worship You. I adore You. I bow before You unworthy, yet made worthy, sinful, yet made sinless because of Jesus. I want to worship You today and every day in a way that pleases You, because You deserve it. Thank You for preparing a place for me to be with You forever. I worship You. I adore You.

_____________

Thank you for visiting my blog this past year. I hope that I was able to encourage you to read God’s Word every day, to cherish it, and learn from it. I hope your walk with the Lord is closer today than it was a year ago.

I have been reading through the Bible every year for several years now. But this year I found myself frustrated a bit with having to read so fast through these precious verses in order to finish Revelation by today. So I’m going to do things a bit differently next year.

I’ll begin tomorrow with Genesis 1:1. But I’m going to let God dictate how much I read of His Word every day. I want to devour each verse, to pray over it, meditate on it, learn from every sentence. My goal will not be to get through the whole book in a year, but to make this precious book more a part of me than it is today.

I don’t plan to share a post every day. I’ll let God nudge me in that area, too. But I will let you know what I’m learning and how I’m doing as I read the Bible slowly, intentionally, and carefully this year.

I hope you’ll open its pages every day, too. Let’s determine together to be children of God’s Word, and continue to let it guide and strengthen us to maturity.

God bless you in 2017, my friend.

Because He love us,

Connie

December 29 – Trust

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Revelation 6-11

Today as I read these chapters in Revelation the Lord seemed to be asking me a question. Do I trust Him? The events of John’s vision are frightening. War, sickness, storms, earthquakes, devastation.

Satan.

Do I trust God with the events of my life? All of them?

A W Tozer said, “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity we plan only things we can do by ourselves.”

Life is hard. And sometimes God wants to do great things in and through us during our darkest moments. Sometimes He wants to reveal Himself through our storms, our diseases, and our wars. But He can’t if we hold on to control, not believing He really can do the impossible.

As John is telling the horrible things that occur in his vision, one thing stood out to me.

God.

At the end of it all, God will still be standing in all His holiness, power and majesty. And not just at the end of time. At the end of my battles in this life, God is still on the throne.

I think of my nephew, encouraging his four-year-old son to jump into the pool and into his waiting arms. I see the little one, frightened and cold, shivering poolside. But then I see determination in those young eyes as he fixes his gaze on his daddy’s face, and jumps.

Do I trust God? Absolutely.

Now to take that leap.

Dear God, I do trust You. But I have to confess there are times when a little doubt creeps in, or I tell myself I should be able to handle things on my own. Forgive me. Help me to pray like Jesus prayed, Not my will but Thine, and mean it. I want to face whatever life hands me firmly holding Your hand, completely trusting You, and obeying You. And, God, accomplish the impossible in me today if You want to. I’ve got my eyes on You. And I’m diving in.

December 19 – Enemies

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Titus

One thing that I’ve come to realize during this year in God’s Word is that non-believers are enemies of God. That is a hard pill to swallow because I have loved ones who fit that description. I know some really nice, good people who fit that description as well, for the fact that they refuse to accept God’s grace. I don’t want anyone I love to be considered His enemy when God looks at them.

But here’s how God treats His enemies while they still draw a breath: He died for them. He holds their forgiveness in His hands. He woos them, or strikes them, or blesses them, all the while giving them every opportunity to accept Him. It isn’t until they leave this life that He gives up on them.

Here’s what spoke to me today: Sometimes I think we Christians are too hard on God’s enemies. Some Christians feel pious hatred toward homosexuals, or child molesters, atheists, women who’ve had abortions, Muslims. We have a measure of godly indignation and condemn them to hell because that’s what they deserve.

But Paul tells Timothy to “malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” (3:2) But surely he didn’t mean those awful sinners, did he?

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  (3:3-7)

Have you ever heard, “There but for the grace of God go I”? That’s what Paul wants us to adopt as our attitude toward those who don’t know God. It’s only God’s grace that renders you forgiven, clean, a friend of God. And it’s only God’s grace that will do the same for the vilest offend who truly believes, or for that nice little old lady down the street who has not yet surrendered her life to the Lord.

Christian, let’s determine to reveal God’s love to His enemies. But let’s not forget that their sin is making them an enemy of God.He is not willing that any should die without Him. We shouldn’t be, either.

 

December 17 – Emptied

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Philippians

Christmas is eight days away. If you are like me, you’ve enjoyed the lights, the concerts and programs telling us of the Baby in a manger. We sing about Angels, shepherds, and wise men, and the young mother who gave birth in a stable. Throw in Santa and a long list, and a little snow, and it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippian church, tells us what Christmas is really all about. (2:5-8) Jesus, existing as God, equal to God, emptied Himself and became a human being. The Creator God became a servant, obedient to the end – the cross. That adorable baby surrounded by dirty animals and lowly shepherds, chose this birth. And He chose His death, for love of you.

Because you sin, Jesus “emptied Himself” to become a man so He could pay the penalty for your sins. Jesus gave it all.

We won’t know the whole reality of the word “emptied” until we see Him. But here is the reason He left heaven:

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (2:9-11)

I pray you’ll name that Name while standing in His Presence, clothed in His righteousness through His own precious blood. For the glory of God.

 

December 10 – Coming To An End

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Romans 11-13

Many Christians look to Jerusalem for signs of the times. It’s reported that God is moving in the hearts of Jews there so that many are coming to accept Jesus as their Messiah. There is great rejoicing in the Church, as there should be.

Some see that as a sign that the last Gentile is close to believing, and that “all Israel will be saved” (11:26) before Christ returns. And “all Israel” must mean the physical Jewish nation.

That confuses me, because Paul also just got done talking about the branches on the olive tree. When a branch is grafted in, it becomes a part of the tree. Even natural branches, when grafted, become part of the tree again. It’s one tree.

In 10:12 Paul tells us there is no difference between Jews and Greeks, that salvation is the same for both. In 2:11 he says God shows no partiality between Jews and Gentile.

I’m sitting here trying to get a handle on it, when I feel God say, What does it matter? If I choose to favor a people, I will. It has nothing to do with you, Connie. YOU follow me. YOU share the Gospel with people in your life. YOU do your part, and I’ll do mine… perfectly.

So I will not get into a debate over the part the physical nation of Israel plays in the big scheme of things. It doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that I am doing what God is asking of me. If it’s true that at some point a last Gentile will come to know Jesus before He returns, I’d love to be the person who introduces him or her to the Savior.

December 6 – Unimpressive, Contemptible, and Blessed

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2 Corinthians 10-13

Paul seems a little defensive. He must have been receiving some pretty harsh criticism from some of the Corinthian Christians. They said his letters were “weighty and strong,” but felt he was “unimpressive” in person. They went as far as saying his speech was “contemptible.”

Ouch.

Paul admitted that he was not a great public speaker. But he made no apologies for the message he proclaimed. That’s what I think God would have us see today.

We might not all look like Beth Moore, or preach like Billy Graham, or sing like Big Daddy Weave. But God loves to do great things through the least of us. And He does every time we submit ourselves to Him and take those steps of faith.

When we fumble over our testimony over coffee with an unsaved friend, God is glorified. When we quietly shovel snow for our neighbor, or take soup to a sick friend, or sit with someone who is mourning, God is glorified. When people recognize that what we do or say can’t possibly be by our own power, God is glorified.

Paul told his critics, “you might not like how I talk or how I look but that will not stop me from telling you the Truth.” You see, it was the message that was important, not the messenger.

We might not even like the way we look ourselves. We may have no confidence in our abilities. But let God have His way and see what amazing things He can do through us anyway. He will be glorified. And we will be blessed… and a blessing!

December 3 – A Twinkling Eye

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I Corinthians 15-16

Can you read these last chapters of I Corinthians and not get excited about “the twinkling of an eye,” the trumpet sound that will announce Jesus’ return, when “we will all be changed”? This broken down body of mine will be replaced with an unbreakable one. This mortal will put on immortality.

And I will finally see Jesus face to face. I want to shout, Hallelujah, just thinking about it!

For Christians, that day is something to get excited about, like children looking forward to Christmas morning. We will be swooped up into heaven, either from the grave, or while going about our day. And we’ll find ourselves in the most glorious place, at the throne of God!

But if you haven’t accepted the Savior as your own, you have reason to fear that day. The sound of that trumpet will cause terror to those who don’t know Jesus. Seeing Jesus descending from heaven, gathering up your neighbors, friends, and loved ones, will leave you utterly alone. You’ll look into Jesus’ eyes and see rejection, and know you have no one to blame but yourself.

Jesus is coming again. That’s a fact. I pray that you will be counted among those who welcome Him, because you’ve placed your sins at His feet and allowed Him to cover every one of them with His blood.

I pray that the twinkling eye will be yours when that trumpet sounds!

November 29 – What Matters Is Jesus

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I Corinthians 1-4

The Corinthian church had hit a rough  patch. In fact, it sounds like they were on the verge of a split. So Paul wrote a letter that gets to the heart of the matter. Jealousy. Pride.

“Stop it,” he told them. “Who cares who dunked you in the water? It doesn’t matter. What matters is Jesus.

“Who cares who is seeing people come to Christ first? It doesn’t matter. Some people plant seed, others reap. What matters is Jesus.

“Who cares who is honored, or has the best pew in church? It doesn’t matter. We are all servants of God. No one brings anything to the table they have achieved on their own.”

For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (4:7)

What matters is Jesus. Paul seems to be telling us to get over ourselves. Keep you eyes on Jesus. YOU be obedient.  YOU be wise with the wisdom God gives. YOU be foolish in the eyes of the world.

Who cares what people think? What matters is Jesus.

 

November 26 – Say It Anyway

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Acts 17-18:18

Religion is a hot topic. People are generally passionate about what they believe. Their beliefs defend their behavior. And their beliefs are often considered personal.

The people of Thessalonica are some of many examples in the Bible of what happens when talk about religion steps on toes. They listened to Paul for several weeks, and some believed in Jesus as a result. But, as often happens, other Jews got mad. It was ok for Paul to talk about Jesus, as long as they didn’t have to admit what they had believed was not true.

So, the Thessalonians decided to form a mob, and attack Paul. When they couldn’t find Paul, they beat up Jason instead. That’s what  mobs do. And this mob fueled by jealousy wanted to hurt someone.

Then, when the Thessalonian Jews heard Paul was preaching in Berea, they followed him there to cause trouble. This was not a mob easily distracted.

Do you ever feel like people are out to get you because of your faith in Jesus? Someone seems always belittling you, or talking against you behind your back, or making fun of you in front of your peers, because “you think you’re better than everyone else”?  Take heart. You are not alone. It’s been that way for thousands of years.

We can learn from Paul who, although he left Thessalonica, he didn’t stop talking about Jesus. He went through some tough situations, but he kept sharing Christ.

Here is the thing. If you know Jesus, you know the Truth. And there is only one Truth. If you know what Jesus has said, you know all religions can’t be true. There is One way, truth, and life, and no one goes to the Father except through His Son Jesus.

If you are tempted to keep your mouth shut because of the backlash of sharing Christ, don’t do it. Keep talking. It’s eternally important that people accept Jesus. They may be passionate about their beliefs, but unless they believe that Jesus is the Messiah who died to pay for their sins, they are lost. That’s not an opinion. It’s the Truth.

Let’s not be bullied into silence. It’s not enough to know the Truth. We’ve got to be taking about it, sharing it, leading others to their Savior. When people tell us to tolerate other religions, to accept other beliefs, don’t do it. When we are told to stop saying Jesus is the only way, say it anyway.