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| Earl Gillespie |
In The Beginning
The Creative Works of God.
Without a clear knowledge of the creative works of God, many expressions of faith have been tested and found wanting. Recalling the religious fervor of the early sixties when it was announced that a moon landing was in man future, It was a lack of knowledge that allowed many members of the religious community to entertain prophecies that failure of the project was imminent. The lack of knowledge as pertaining to the spiritual and the natural world has left many in a total state of confusion. This confusion has caused Christianity to morph into its worst enemy. The lack of knowledge of God's Word has caused a believability problem and our younger generations are walking away from the teachings of the Bible. The enlighten generation no longer believes simply because they have been taught to believe, they are asking questions. Bible studies that revolve around retelling the stories of the life and times of the ancient patriots without searching for answers and debating the relevancy is no longer acceptable to much of the generations of today.
Geneses 1:5-26 gives us a step by step progress report of God's restoration process. There is no need to try to expand or attempt read out of context ideologies in this report. Some will try to show that a day was as a thousand years, even after the morning and evening was used to mark the days. Now try to imagine that during the restoration process, Lucifer shows up and try to unseat God. It would be more scriptural and practical if we could accept that the Devil was the cause of the destruction that was brought upon the earth in a previous dispensation. Now, to believe this requires a firm belief in the Ages and Dispensations of the Bible. According to Peter the earth was standing in and out of the waters. If we utilized God's given ability, our 'common sense', many of the answers that seem to escape us will become apparent. Once we open up our mind and Heart to understanding God's Word from the beginning to the ending of the book, much of our hidden doubts, those doubts that we dare not vocalize will dissipate. Just because in the early sixties influential bible teachers and preachers taught the world was square did not make the world square. To weave a story of how Cain married his sister is not in the best interest of a deeper understanding of God Word, it only proves that you are a good storyteller and for some reason you are afraid of the truth. Also, to refuse to answer the question is damaging to the faith of many.
When discussing the creative works of God often the most common scripture out of context used to reconcile the time differences between science and the Bible is 2Peter 3:8. Verse 8. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years. This (2Peter 3:8-9) is the second consideration by which the apostle meets the objection of scoffers against the doctrine of the second coming of the Saviour. Nowhere in his dissertation was he trying to prove or address the creative aspect of God. The objection was, that much time, and perhaps the time, which had been supposed to be set for Christ second coming, had passed away, and still all things remained as they were. Man looks at the growing graveyards today and in their conception of time is filled with wonderment. It has been a long time, I wonder when Christ is coming back?' The reply of the apostle is, that no argument could be drawn from this, for that which may seem to be a long time to us is a brief period with God. In the infinity of his own duration there is abundant time to accomplish his designs, and it can make no difference to him whether they are accomplished in one day or extended to a thousand years. Man has but a short time to live, and if he does not accomplish his purposes in a very brief period, he never will. But it is not so with God. He always lives; and we cannot therefore infer, because the execution of his purposes seems to be delayed, that they are abandoned. With Him who always lives, it will be as easy to accomplish them at a far distant period as now. If it is his pleasure to accomplish them in a single day, he can do it; if he chooses that the execution shall be deferred for a thousand years, or that a thousand years shall be consumed in executing them, he has the power to carry them onward through what seems to us to be so vast a duration. The wicked, therefore, cannot infer that they will escape because their punishment is delayed; nor should the righteous fear that the Divine promises will fail because ages pass away before they are accomplished. A similar thought occurs in Ps 90:4: "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night."
To learn and live by the Word of God, we must apply the rule of who is talking, who is he talking to, and what is being discussed. We must be careful not to misslocate, misstate or misapply the Word of God, When we do this we are guilty of changing or perverting the Word of God. Now let us continue.
When discussing the creative works of God often the most common scripture out of context used to reconcile the time differences between science and the Bible is 2Peter 3:8. Verse 8. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years. This (2Peter 3:8-9) is the second consideration by which the apostle meets the objection of scoffers against the doctrine of the second coming of the Saviour. Nowhere in his dissertation was he trying to prove or address the creative aspect of God. The objection was, that much time, and perhaps the time, which had been supposed to be set for Christ second coming, had passed away, and still all things remained as they were. Man looks at the growing graveyards today and in their conception of time is filled with wonderment. It has been a long time, I wonder when Christ is coming back?' The reply of the apostle is, that no argument could be drawn from this, for that which may seem to be a long time to us is a brief period with God. In the infinity of his own duration there is abundant time to accomplish his designs, and it can make no difference to him whether they are accomplished in one day or extended to a thousand years. Man has but a short time to live, and if he does not accomplish his purposes in a very brief period, he never will. But it is not so with God. He always lives; and we cannot therefore infer, because the execution of his purposes seems to be delayed, that they are abandoned. With Him who always lives, it will be as easy to accomplish them at a far distant period as now. If it is his pleasure to accomplish them in a single day, he can do it; if he chooses that the execution shall be deferred for a thousand years, or that a thousand years shall be consumed in executing them, he has the power to carry them onward through what seems to us to be so vast a duration. The wicked, therefore, cannot infer that they will escape because their punishment is delayed; nor should the righteous fear that the Divine promises will fail because ages pass away before they are accomplished. A similar thought occurs in Ps 90:4: "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night."
To learn and live by the Word of God, we must apply the rule of who is talking, who is he talking to, and what is being discussed. We must be careful not to misslocate, misstate or misapply the Word of God, When we do this we are guilty of changing or perverting the Word of God. Now let us continue.
Genesis 1:26-27 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. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. So God made man, why did God make man? Then he gave him dominion over the things that he had created. Prior to man, who had dominion over God creation? These are not profane questions, Job asked questions and God answered them. We should not be afraid to ask God questions, then as a little child sit back and wait on God to answer. There are those among us that do not want us to know the truth. There are those that can't handle the truth. The Devil is constantly lying. He can't handle the truth. He does not want us to know the truth. Without the truth our lives are filled with confusion. If we seek to embrace the truth, we would not be so easily led astray by lies or shaped truth.
To understand the scripture, to grasp a deeper understanding of God's word, many times we need to lay aside the things that we have been taught and come as a little child seeking knowledge from God. An analogy used in my book, "My Search for The Real God' describes how clean water was placed in a pitcher that once contained Kool-Aid. Those who drank the water couldn't help but notice that the water tasted like Kool-Aid. When questioned about the funny tasting water, the filler of the pitcher replied, "that's the way it came out of the faucet". The statement is true to a point, but the pitcher was not washed before filling it with water. 'Always wash the pitcher before filling it with water.' Our mind is like the pitcher, when studying the Word of God, it should be free from contamination. Bible study should be more that rehashing tired old sediments or sermonizing indoctrinated phrases.
To understand the scripture, to grasp a deeper understanding of God's word, many times we need to lay aside the things that we have been taught and come as a little child seeking knowledge from God. An analogy used in my book, "My Search for The Real God' describes how clean water was placed in a pitcher that once contained Kool-Aid. Those who drank the water couldn't help but notice that the water tasted like Kool-Aid. When questioned about the funny tasting water, the filler of the pitcher replied, "that's the way it came out of the faucet". The statement is true to a point, but the pitcher was not washed before filling it with water. 'Always wash the pitcher before filling it with water.' Our mind is like the pitcher, when studying the Word of God, it should be free from contamination. Bible study should be more that rehashing tired old sediments or sermonizing indoctrinated phrases.
Now it is my intent to flood your mind with questions. Are you afraid of questions? Are you so set in your ways that you cannot handle questions? Why is it at this point of the creative restoration God decided to make man. Was it so that He would have somebody to beg Him for stuff? Now re-read the above verse and take a long look at the things that he gave man dominion over. The most interesting aspect of this verse is, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." What is the image of a spiritual God? Does this mean we look like God? It is easy to assume that these verses refer to Adam an Eve, but if we assume that then we open the door to several more questions that most often is left unresolved. (1.) Did God create different races of people? (2.) Did the Bible say Adam was the first man created? The final question of Geneses is, "where did Cain get his wife?" Now most bible study groups will conclude with Adam was the first man created and all human life sprung from Adam and Eve. Now imagine yourself going back in time prior to the Wright brother's flight, listening to a group of old men discuss the reason why a man would never fly. When asked for further enlightenment the pious prelate responded, "God can do anything he want to", and the indoctrinated few said "Aman".
Genesis 1:28 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. God gave man a blessing, what happen to that blessing. Why are we so obsessed with blessing. The operative words here are replenishing and subdue, how do you replenish the earth if there had been nothing there. Subdue, how do you subdue? The military subdue countries. There are many clues provided her to stimulate you desire for learning. Take the word replenish, can you replenish or refill an empty glass? From the use of these words we should be able to extrapolate that there was a force present on earth at the time man was created and that force need to be subdued.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Let us take a closer look at the at the terminology used to describe the implantation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Here we have God is forming a man and only a man, not male and female, but a special man and placing him alone in the garden of Eden. . In Genesis 1:26-27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.The creative works of God were preformed by God speaking, such as 'let there be light'. Read Genesis 2:7 again, there is no reference to them, nor is there any reference to male and female in in that verse. A period of time elapsed and God reasoned that it was not good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Now we have the formation of the woman.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Since this verse did not specify the mother of human life, we must conclude that there is a deeper meaning to this verse than saying Eve is the mother of all life. Adam is referred to as "a living soul", yet she was not his mother, nor was she the mother of the living creatures. Any assumptions made as to the meaning of this verse must take into consideration that there were different races of people, and God wanted his special people to be separated from. When Cain killed his brother, he fled into a distant land, established a city and promulated a race of people (Cainites) that God was determined to stamp out.
If we accept the differences in the events that took place in Geneses 1:26-27 and Genesis 2;21 we are well on the way to a deeper understanding of God's Word. If we choose to combine the events, then we have created a convoluted conception of the scripture that cannot be explained except through speculation and fairy tales.
If we accept the differences in the events that took place in Geneses 1:26-27 and Genesis 2;21 we are well on the way to a deeper understanding of God's Word. If we choose to combine the events, then we have created a convoluted conception of the scripture that cannot be explained except through speculation and fairy tales.
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Who Was Adam and Eve?
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