Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Category: Through the Bible Page 45 of 46

All the world’s a herbivore, until …

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On March 22, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

When God created man, after he had blessed him and commanded him to be fruitful and multiply, God gave every seed bearing herb and seed bearing tree as provisions of sustenance to man. It is important to recognize that seed bearing herbs and trees have the ability to reproduce and so they would not go extinct upon consumption.  To every living thing that was in the earth or the air, God gave every green herb as food. In other words, there were no carnivores. Everyone and everything were herbivorous according to God’s plan. Everyone and everything (including man and animal) was at peace before the fall of man, which led to sin and increased wickedness that provoked God to send the flood. It is only after the flood, does God give man every living thing that moves, as food, to man (Genesis 9:3-4).  Why would God add meat as food for man? Since the flood killed all living things including plants, except Noah and his family, one plausible explanation is that after the flood, the amount of trees and herbs was scarce and God wanted to make sure that his most prized possessions (i.e., man) had the means to continue and sustain life.

Points to ponder:
God is a provider. His plan is to provide with peace and to provide peace. Man’s sinful life brings a flood of issues including death. Only in Jesus Christ is found the peace that passeth all understanding and when we are in Christ, the floods of sin and death can’t drown us. God is THE provider for our life to continue. He has been since creation … Are you in Jesus Christ?

Genesis 1:29-31 (KJV)
29 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.
30 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.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 9:3-4 (KJV)
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all thin
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Blessings and Fruitfulness

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On March 21, 2013

In Genesis, Through the Bible

After God created man in his own image, the first thing that God does is, he blesses them and after God blessed them, the first command God gave them was to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28).

Points to ponder:
How are you and I doing in the first command of God? Are we fruitful?  If we are, what kind of fruit are we bearing – good or evil fruit? Jesus said, “A tree that does not bear good fruit is fit only to be cut and burned.” (Matthew 7:19-20). The (good) fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance and against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22). Is this fruit evident in our lives? With the blessings of God comes his command to be fruitful. How are we faring in this command?

Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
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.

After God’s kind

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On March 20, 2013

In Genesis, Ittai, Reuben and Ittai, Through the Bible

Ittai A. PaulOur second born much loved Son, Ittai A. Paul, turned one today (March 20, 2013) and as we ponder on God’s goodness and faithfulness to us, my beloved wife Sangeetha and I, are ever so grateful to God for having loaned us two precious boys to cherish while we pilgrim on earth.

The Bible records that on the fifth and sixth day, God created the animals that live in the water, the birds that fly in the air, living creatures that live on the earth, every creeping thing, every cattle, and every beast of the earth, each after their own kind (Genesis 1:21, Genesis 1:25). Then on the sixth day, the Triune God in one decided to make man in his image, after the likeness of God the Father, his Holy Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God. (Genesis 1:26). So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

In other words, while every other creature that has life was created after their own kind, only us (man) is not made after our own kind, but created after God’s kind. When man took his first breath,  he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7) to live according to the Spirit of God (and not according to the flesh) for God is Spirit (John 4:24). The world glorifies celebrities with physical beauty and charming bodies, and seldom are most celebrities who do not know Jesus Christ celebrated for their soul (living soul).

Points to ponder:
Are you living by the flesh or by God’s Spirit? What are you and I celebrated for?

Our precious second son Ittai, our firstborn Reuben, You and I are all fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God (Psalm 139:4). We are made after God’s own kind and are wonderful – and that gives us every reason to praise God.

Genesis 1:20-27 (KJV)
20 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.
21 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.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 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.
25 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.
26 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.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Psalm 139:14 (KJV)
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Abundant (Living) Water

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On March 19, 2013

In Genesis, Through the Bible

The Bible records in the first chapter of the first book that on the fifth day God created the animals that live in the water and the birds that fly in the air (Genesis 1:20). God’s creation statement was “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life” and when this came to be, God saw that and it was good.

In today’s generation, many are thirsty, seeking answers and solutions to quench their thirst. The only one who can satisfy the seekers is Jesus Christ, who said, “I have come to give life abundantly.” He is the source of living water and anyone who drinks from him shall never thirst again (John 7:37-39).

Points to ponder:
Are you thirsty or are you satisfied? If you are thirsty, then simply believe and come to Jesus, for he is the source of living water that brings life – eternal and abundant.

Genesis 1:20-21 (KJV)
20 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.
21 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.

Don’t become a blackhole

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On March 18, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The book of Genesis affirms that God made the stars along with the two great lights that he created and set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. (Genesis 1:16-17). Stars in the sky emit light. The Sun (one of God’s creation) in our Solar System is a star that emits light. In order for a star to be able to emit light, it must first have light within itself, that it can emit. A celestial phenomenon that is related to stars is referred to as the blackhole. This is also referred to as the death of a star. In this phenomenon, the gravitational forces within the star prevents anything from escaping, including light.

The Bible also teaches us that those who serve the Lord God in turning many to righteousness found in Jesus Christ alone, will be like stars for ever and ever and the wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament (Daniel 12:3). So who are the wise? Proverbs 11:30 states that one who winneth souls is wise. So followers of Jesus Christ who believe in him, that are faithful in his great commission of proclaiming the message of reconciliation with God, are like stars that God has recreated (as a new creature) in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are expected to give the LIGHT of the World i.e., Jesus Christ, to the world. In order for us to be a star emitting Jesus, we must first have him within. We must have first believed and received him. Secondly, we must not let the gravitational forces of self and sin make us so self-centered that we prevent anything from escaping us, including Jesus, for in doing so, we become a blackhole.

Points to ponder:
Do you have the Light of the World (Jesus Christ) in your life? In order to have him shine in your life, all you need to do is just believe that he is the Light of God that was sent to shine on darkness.
If you have believed in him, then are you a star shining forth the Light of Christ from your life so that people living in darkness (without Christ and a relationship with God) can see The Light that dispels all darknesses?
Or, are you a blackhole, consumed by self and sin, self-centered, ineffective and dead, even though you are alive (Revelation 3:1)?

Genesis 1:16-18 (KJV)
16 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.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 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.

Daniel 12:3 (KJV)
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV)
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Revelation 3:1 (KJV)
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Two great lights, Some light gods – One Great Light

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On March 13, 2013

In Christian, Genesis

The book of Genesis records that God made two great lights, to rule the day and the night and he made the stars also (Genesis 1:16, 18) to give light upon the earth and God saw that it was good. But man takes these celestial objects of God’s creations and deifies them as gods and goddesses. These man made gods and goddess, such as the sun god Ra of Egypt or Surya of the Hindus in India or Aku the moon god of the Babylonians, fall short of giving true light upon the earth. It is only Jesus Christ, The Son of God,who fulfills God’s plan of giving Light to the world (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:6) and to be the ruler over all times (day and night). He is the One Great Light.

Points to ponder:
Jesus is the One Great Light.  Are you still groping in the dark or has he shined on you? The people that walked in darkness (sinfulness) have seen a great light, when Jesus was born not just in the world he created, but in them, when they believed. He is the One Great Light to rule over all the earth. Is he your ruler?

Genesis 1:16-18 (KJV)
16 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.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 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.

2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV)
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:2 (KJV)
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Lights up(on) the earth

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On March 12, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The book of Genesis accounts for the creation of lights in the firmament of the heaven
God created these lights:
– to divide the day from the night and
– to let them be for signs, and for seasons, and
– to shine for days, and years (Genesis 1:14);
– to give light upon the earth (Genesis 1:15).

Jesus said, you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are God’s lights on earth.
When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are recreated, as lights of God:
– to divide Holiness from the darkness of sin (i.e., be sanctified), and
– to be God’s warning sign to those who are not in Jesus Christ, of God’s impending end times and seasons, and
– to shine forth perpetually (for days and for years), and
– to give the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is hidden in us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7), upon the earth.

Points to ponder:
Are you lights of God for God, sanctified and Holy? If you are, are you warning others of God’s signs and end times (seasons)? We are chosen to give light upon the earth. Hide not your light under the bushel, but let your light so shine before men, that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:15-16).

Genesis 1:14-15 (KJV)
14 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:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (KJV)
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Done, Undone, Redone

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On March 11, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

In the account of Creation, we see that God separated the waters from the waters (Genesis 1:6-7) resulting in waters above and waters below.
Upon man’s exceeding wickedness, God’s wrath was poured out in the form of a flood, in which the fountains of the great deep (waters from below) were opened up and the windows of  heaven were opened (waters from above) (Genesis 7:11), in a sense UNDOING the separation of the waters, that God had DONE in the creation account.
And not forgetting his righteous servant, Noah, God sent a wind to pass over the earth, so that the flood waters could assuage and the fountains of the deep and windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven restrained, so that the water could recede. In other words, God had to REDO the separation and the earth was replenished by only those who were righteous.

So, in the matter of separation (of the waters), God had to DO, UNDO and REDO.

Points to ponder:
In like manner in our spiritual matters of being separate and sanctified (set apart) for the Lord, when God created man, he created him to be a living soul (Genesis 2:7). Man was distinct from the animals and everything else God created for man was created in the image (Holy image) of God (Genesis 1:27). But with man’s fall and exceeding wickedness, God had to pour forth his wrath on himself, as a flood (for the sins of the whole world was laid on Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son);  And when the Holy Spirit of God passes over us, receding the self and sin in us, making us believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to be our Savior, we are redone in God’s image – recreated as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Are you REDONE in the image of God, conforming no longer to the patterns of this world, but to the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ?

Genesis 1:6-7 (KJV)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 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.

Genesis 7:11 (KJV)
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Genesis 8:1-2 (KJV)
1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;
2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Waters from the Waters

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On March 8, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Ever tried separating water from water – impossible isn’t it? However, the Bible records a few accounts of waters being separated from the waters.

You are probably familiar with the parting of the red sea when walls of water stood separated from one another as the Israelites led by God through his servant Moses crossed it to safety, away from the hands of their oppressors, the Egyptians (Exodus 14:21). This is recorded in Exodus 14:21.

Another account of water being separated from water is the account of the parting of the Jordan river, as the Israelites led by God’s servant Joshua, crossed it, to battle against Jericho and inherit the land that God had promised to them. The Jordan river was parted once again when Elijha and Elisha crossed it Jordan river on dry ground once to get to the other side and Elisha crosses it back on dry ground after Elijah is taken in chariots of fire (2 Kings 2:8-14).

Joshua, being the trusted aide and successor of Moses saw the miracle of the red sea being separated and this influenced his faith that God would come through as he did for Moses (Joshua 3:15-17; Joshua 4:23). But what about Moses, where did his faith come from?

With Moses not being there during the time of creation and identified as the most probable author of the first five books of the Bible (Pentatuch) including Genesis, how did he know of the creation account. One theory is that Moses would have heard the account of his forefathers, passed down generations, but Moses’s was raised as a child in the house of the Pharaoh which makes it questionable for him to have heard of his Jewish forefathers. The more scriptural reason by which Moses could have come to know of the creation account and the things he records in the books he wrote is directly from God. The Bible says that God confides with those who fear him (Psalm 25:14) and the Bible states that God spoke with Moses face to face as a man would speak with his friend (Exodus 33:11).

Genesis 1:6 records that God in his creation account separated the waters from the waters and made the firmament (sky) between the waters. Moses spoke with the God who made the impossible possible and so when he had the Egyptians gaining on him and God’s people from the back and the red sea in the front, he must have known that the God is the same, yesterday, today and forever and nothing is impossible with him – including separating water from water. As he stretched forth his hands over his problem (sea), the miracle of  waters being separated from water happens and the Israelites pass through to safety.

Points to ponder:
When you think that the problems of your life surround you like a flood, you can trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, that he can separate your problems and make you pass through your problems. Are you his friend and do you fear him, for he confides with those who fear him and speaks with his friends, face to face. Nothing is impossible with God.

Exodus 14:21 (KJV)
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Joshua 3:15-17 (KJV)
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

Joshua 4:23-24 (KJV)
23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

Genesis 1:6 (KJV)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 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.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Genesis 0:0 – In the Beginning

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On March 5, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The first three verses in the Bible speak about the Trinity of God and Genesis 1:1 starts out as, “In the beginning God …” Now should there be a verse preceding that, what would that be? A youth in our Church once asked me, “Where did God come from?” This is actually a question that many scholars have sought to answer. And amidst my God given wisdom and finite human understanding, all I can do is to turn to the Bible to find the answer. Psalm 90:2 states that before the mountains were brought forth, or the earth and the world was formed i.e., before creation (as expressed in Genesis 1), from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” In other words, the God of the Bible IS (not was, not will be), He simply IS. He is The I AM.

Points to ponder:
To ask “Where did God come from?” is like asking “Who is the Bachelor’s wife?” Just as someone who is a Bachelor, implies that he does not have a wife, so also to be God, implies that he does not have a beginning (nor an end). Man-made idols who are worshipped as gods have a beginning at the hands of man, unlike the God of the Bible who simply IS.

Jesus, God’s in human form was born amidst men. It was his birth but not his beginning, when he was born into the world he created, for he always IS. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1-2). Jesus is the Word of God, becoming flesh to dwell amongst men.
In the beginning, God …
In the beginning, was the Word …
In the beginning, God was the Word and the Word was God.
From everlasting to everlasting, Jesus is God.

Jesus wants to be born in your life. Believe in him to be born again. The God of the Bible IS. Are you HIS? If not, believe in Jesus and receive him to be accepted into, and to belong to God’s family.

Psalm 90:2 (KJV)
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

John 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

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