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Is it not highly significant that as man moved away from relying and depending upon God, that God is deeply concerned that we have a description of how all this happened? This is nothing other that a demonstration and revelation of the love of God – and it is He Who takes the initiative. He always does.

That is why He sent His Son to be our Saviour. We are in Genesis Chapter 4 and we come to verse 19. Man moved further away from God's order as Lamech married two women - he took two wives.

In verse 23, he sings the praises of killing, and boasts of his own…  ( Click for more )

It is a question easily answered but do people really want an answer to the questions they raise?

In Genesis Chapter 4 at verse 17, we read that Cain lay with his wife - and a son is born, called Enoch. Many like to ask the trick question - Where did Cain get his wife?

One friend replied to a questioner - "Why are you so interested in other men's wives?"

A very simple answer and totally satisfactory explanation lies in Chapter 5 verse 5 - Adam had other sons and daughters. Remember at this time, in one sense, the race was as near to pure as it could be.…  ( Click for more )

Almighty God mercifully and graciously comes again to Cain, with another question. We are in Genesis Chapter 4 and at verse 9. Note Cain's response to, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know - and I am not interested - and he's not my responsibility." He is impudent and cheeky to GOD. "I have nothing to do with my brother."

This is the first murder - no human saw it - but God saw it - and shed blood speaks to GOD - and GOD sees and hears when we think we are totally on our own.

God was concerned and God places Cain under…  ( Click for more )

These two brothers came with their offering - Abel bringing a lamb - and Cain bringing some of the fruit which he had grown. The Lord respected what Abel brought and received what Abel brought. We are reading in Genesis Chapter 4.

When Cain came with his offering of grain, God was not so ready to accept and receive what he brought - and he knew how God reacted - and look at him. Cain becomes angry and he is about to give vent to his feelings. Now we know from Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 4, that Abel had a faith which Cain did not have. And yet, once again, we see how God…  ( Click for more )

Having been reading of how our loving compassionate concerned and powerful God - the Father of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ - created this universe, we move onto Chapter 4 of Genesis.

He created our world and everything in it.

He creates man and places him in that perfect environment.

Adam was filled with the life of God - and Adam was given a perfect companion - and God gave man authority over the whole of Creation. We saw how man was given the gift of work - meaningful purposeful work - to give him a sense of fulfilment. We read of how everything went…  ( Click for more )

Do you see the language of sin - hiding - running away - pain - sorrow - suffering - sweat - fear – death? Yes, circumstances move fast when man falls and sins, and they move faster than he expected.

Everything has changed – fellowship – innocence – even the environment and ecology.

We are in Genesis Chapter 3 and it is not one of the most favourite Chapters in the Bible, yet it explains much and clarifies what we see around us today. Adam names his wife Eve. He knows she is going to bring forth children into the world - and note he…  ( Click for more )

It was pleasing and desirable and so I took it and ate. These words in Genesis Chapter 3 verse 6 explain a lot. I saw the chocolate bar, and because it looked good, I wanted it, and I stretched out my hand and took it and ate it – and because I got off with it once I thought I could get off with it time and time again, and one day someone tapped me on the shoulder! The illustration can apply to anything!

We move on to verse 8 where we read that the Lord God comes and walks in the Garden. How do we react when God draws close? He loves to walk with the people…  ( Click for more )

Remember these three words - Intimidate - Dominate - Manipulate - these are not of GOD.

If someone appears attempting to intimidate you or dominate you or manipulate you, know that is what is happening is not coming from the heart of a caring, compassionate and loving God.

We are in Genesis Chapter 3, where Satan in that conversation with Eve goes for the kill, having questioned what God has said and having twisted what God has said.

You can hear what we have to wrestle with in our hearts and minds and lives. "I am going to be independent of God - I am going…  ( Click for more )

Why did he go for the woman? Well - she is on her own, and we have seen that it is not good for anyone to be on their own, and he tries to get the woman to lead the man, and that is something we have to face today. It is NOT progress!

Genesis Chapter 3 is more highly relevant and applicable than many would wish to admit.

God has a special concern for defenceless widows and women who are on their own. Satan initiates a discussion - a debate - about GOD! Have you heard that being around even in the Church of Jesus Christ - let's have a discussion group - where…  ( Click for more )

Having spent time in Genesis Chapters 1,2, we move on to Chapter 3.

At the end of Chapter 2, we saw that what God had created and made was good and very good - exceedingly good. Man is placed in a perfect environment. There is no sin - no disease - no death - no pain - no corruption - no pollution - there is no struggle for survival. Everything is good and pure and wholesome.

Now we could not say that of our world today. There is something terribly wrong. It is out of order. Something has been lost - destroyed. People do say that things are out of control…  ( Click for more )

We continue to read in Genesis Chapter 2 and in verses 18 we are given a Divine principle - it is not good for man to be alone. You cannot grow into a mature Christian on your own. We need to have fellowship and communion and intermingling - the one with the other.

God is about to do something about possible or potential loneliness. You need me to sandpaper you and I need you to sandpaper me. A Christian on his own can get into all kinds of trouble - and can begin to believe all kinds of funny things. And man is NOT made to commune with the animals or the plants.…  ( Click for more )

We come to Genesis Chapter 2 verses 16,17. This is where we can begin to see things just about to go wrong. We are quite pleased to receive gifts and blessings - and to be placed in beautiful surroundings - but how do we react when HE comes along and issues a command?

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden - except that one - not that one." If man had avoided eating from that tree he would never have died. Let me say this again - when our Creator God created man - He never intended that man should experience - sin - disease - pain or death.

When…  ( Click for more )

At the end of verse 6 in Genesis Chapter 2, everything is ready - the vegetation - the streams - but so far there has been no man. (There is NO pre-Adamite man.)

God forms man from the dust, and breathes the life of God into his nostrils. Today we are very familiar with mouth to mouth resuscitation, so why should we have questions about this?

The Hebrew is - "vayi pach" - breathed - strong inbreathed breath! Speak the Hebrew and you can identify with what is happening. God places man in a parkland - that is a better translation than garden - a parkland…  ( Click for more )

We move on to Genesis Chapter 2. We have read of how this universe, and our world, and man, were CREATED. Man was and is so different from the rest of CREATION. God blessed man - and put him in charge to RULE - to be responsible - for every aspect.

We are responsible for the ecology - pollution - the environment - the animals and plants and trees. There is NOTHING pre-historic. Even man's food is different. We do not graze like the animals. Man is to eat fruit - leaves and grass is for the animals. But if we fall far - it is possible for a man to descend…  ( Click for more )

Why does Genesis matter? Creation is foundational for all moral and ethical matters.

We are reading these opening Chapters in the book of Genesis. Animals and man were CREATED to be vegetarian. That changed after the Flood. Death came after Adam sinned.

You cannot have a struggle for millions of years and death, AND believe The Bible.

One day there will be no more death – and no more suffering. And yet - death and bloodshed are the means by which man is redeemed and rescued. All fossils were formed after man sinned - mostly during the…  ( Click for more )

We come now to the Creation of man. Here is God's Masterpiece - three times HE refers to "creating" man. He refers to US creating man - we are the particular Creation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Verse 26 - Man is created to be in charge of every other part of God's Creation. Three times created is mentioned - do you think God is seeking to say something important - three times Paul's testimony was given! We are NOT a biological mistake - we are not part of the evolutionary process - which is still on-going! Am I a cosmic biological orphan - or…  ( Click for more )

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good. From the beginning we learn that everything God created and made was good.

We are reading the opening words of the Bible with that question in mind – if the first verse of the Bible is a lie then how reliable is the rest of the Bible?

Day 1 includes that period when there was darkness - and that period when there was light. Light before the sun? The Bible provides four other examples involving non solar light - Exodus 14verses 19 to 20 when the Israelites…  ( Click for more )

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis Chapter 1 verse 2. What a second verse - formless - empty - darkness - but the Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - is hovering or fluttering - ready to obey the Word of the Father and the Son. When we become Christians - when we are born again - we receive the same Holy Spirit. When Jesus baptises us in the Holy Spirit, we are immersed or soaked or saturated in, or by, this same fluttering Holy Dove. Remember what…  ( Click for more )

If the first verse of the Bible is a lie - then how reliable is the rest of the Bible? That is basically what it at stake here!

Jesus Christ had no problem whatsoever with Genesis Chapters 1,2 and Jesus quotes from both Chapters.

We are in the early verses of Genesis Chapter 1.

What has CREATION to do with the Economy - the nuclear threat – climate change or global warming - marriage and divorce - immorality, pornography, and abortion - etc? A LOT! When we do not believe the Bible we begin to believe anything - and soon we allow anything! Genesis is…  ( Click for more )

In Genesis Chapter 1, we read that unique, beautiful, and powerful sentence - a sentence which can be found nowhere else in the world. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Only in God's holy word do we read such a truth.

What a sentence - we must never forget it - and never take it for granted.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." In the ancestry of Jesus Christ in Luke Chapter 3, Jesus is traced right back to Adam. Imagine if the ancestry of Jesus Christ, our Saviour Lord and King, had been traced…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, never became weary in the area of service and ministry and HE says, “Follow Me.” He was and is faithful, and that is one of the qualities HE is seeking to cultivate within the lives of his disciples.

It is called ENDURANCE - being faithful to the end. That is the man who will be rescued and saved, and it calls for commitment and dedication. Again, that depends upon the decision which we make – not upon fluctuating emotions and feelings.

Look at verse 17 of Galatians Chapter 6, and you will see what can happen when we…  ( Click for more )

Galatians 6 verses 9,10 - We have seen over these past weeks how this letter goes right to the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - right to the very centre and core of our faith - and deals with topics which are so very relevant to us today.

Paul discerns a very real problem, and he concentrates on Jesus Christ and what happened on the Cross. He takes these dear people back into the Word, because he realises that the Word and only the Word can resolve this issue which had arisen in these Fellowships.

Jesus took our sins that we might be forgiven - our sicknesses…  ( Click for more )

We come to these verses in Galatians Chapter 6 regarding the importance of the Word of God and the sowing of the seed of the Word of God, but turn to that passage in Acts 17. Paul and Silas have travelled to Berea.

They have just been through a period of tremendous trouble as a result of their preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching The Word of God, but that did not put them off.

In Berea, they preached in the synagogue, and the people "received the message with great eagerness" - verse 11. BUT LOOK WHAT THEY DID. They examined the Scriptures…  ( Click for more )

In Galatians Chapter 6 verse 6, we read, “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” This is a verse which most preachers and teachers do not like to mention, but we have to consider the whole Word. We have to embrace every part of it.

Each of us needs teaching.

Each of us needs someone to teach us the Word of God.

We return to complete our reading and study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians following our consideration of what actually happened at that time of the birth of Jesus.

Remember…  ( Click for more )