Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: Belief and rest

Supernatural Growth (of the field)

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On April 16, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 2:5 states “And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.” Notice the words, “of the field” and “grew” in the text. Every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew“. Why is it important to notice these words?

Jesus used these same words “of the field” and “grow“, when he was encouraging his followers to live by faith seeking God’s kingdom first. He said, consider the lilies of the field and the ephemeral grass of the field which don’t toil and yet grow (Matthew 6:28, 30).

Points to ponder:
The world we live in teaches us that growth comes from work. Those who work hard get the increase. While I don’t discount the importance and the need to work, it is important to recognize that blessings come from the LORD God and not our work (or for that matter hard work/toil). It is important for us to work but we need not worry about our work. Interestingly immediately before and after talking about seeking God’s kingdom first (Matthew 6:33), Jesus talks about being not captive to worry (Matthew 6:25,34).
Those who are of the field (of God) need not worry for all the things that are needed for the sustenance and increase of life (eat, drink, and clothes) shall be added unto them. They shall live by faith for those who are justified (made righteous through the blood of Jesus for having believed in Jesus) shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

Since the harvest (of the field) is plentiful and the workers are few, we ought to work for God in his field. Yet we must recognize that though we work for God, in his field, by being his ambassadors, witnesses and spokespersons, it is God, Only God, who gives the increase, of his field/kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:7). Such growth is not of man’s doing but of God and hence not natural but supernatural.

Let us live by faith (in action) so God can give the supernatural growth (increase) of his field (kingdom).

Genesis 2:5 (KJV)
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

Matthew 6:28-33 (KJV)
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Generations of the heavens and of the earth

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On April 9, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 2:4 states “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” While many would read this merely as a restatement of God’s creation as mentioned in Genesis 1:1, close scrutiny of this verse reveals certain hidden truths that are intriguing for sure, but more importantly should not be overlooked.

In the article, “Heaven” or “Heavens” or “Heaven and Heavens”, we first learned about the singularity and the plurality of heaven and the singularity of the earth. Here let us look at another phrase from this same verse. The phrase is “generations of the heavens and of the earth“, implying that these creations of God, are not inanimate as one would expect them to be.

The primary definition of the word “generation” in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is “a body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor.” Generations of the heavens – what could that mean? Before we get to that, let’s first look at the generations of the earth – what is that? The body of living beings (including you and me) constituting a single step in the line of descent from the first Adam make up the generations (children) of the earth for God fashioned man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, making man a living soul (Genesis 2:7). In fact, God then commands man to be fruitful and to multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. (Genesis 1:28).

Now coming back to the question, what does the generations of the heavens mean? The Bible makes it clear that no man has ascended into heaven unless he has come down from heaven (John 3:13) and it continues to clarify that no man can receive anything, unless it is given to him from heaven (John 3:27). Jesus is the last Adam, the Lord from heaven who has come down from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:45) and he ascended into it after finishing his work of redeeming all mankind unto God (John 19:30) by willingly sacrificing himself (John 10:18) and giving his life as a ransom (1 Timothy 2:6) to bring many sons unto glory (Hebrews 2:10). Because of Jesus, the Son of God who was born the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16,19,29), man who was an enemy of God (James 4:4) has now the provision to be called the child of God (of the heavens and of the earth) and can get included in the genealogy of God when man believes and receives Jesus Christ for to them that believe and receive him (John 1:12), is granted the Spirit of Adoption, by which we can call God, Abba Father (Romans 8:15).

Points to ponder:
Everyone who is born in the line of the first Adam is of the generation of the earth. Everyone who is born again in the line of the last Adam (Jesus Christ) is of the generation of the heavens. We are born on earth and when we believe in Jesus; the One man, who is from heaven, who came to earth and ascended to heaven ; the last Adam, we are born again in heaven. We are of the generations of the earth, but are we of the generations of the heavens?

Genesis 2:4 (KJV)
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

John 3:13 (KJV)
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:45-52 (KJV)
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

“Heaven” or “heavens” or “Heaven and heavens”

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On April 8, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 2:4 states “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” While many would read this merely as a restatement of God’s creation as mentioned in Genesis 1:1, close scrutiny of this verse reveals certain hidden truths that are intriguing for sure, but more importantly should not be overlooked.

Note how the earth is noted as singular while heavens is noted in the plural. The place where we dwell is this ‘singular’ earth, and it is God’s footstool (Isaiah 66:1) until it is melted/laid bare as passed away (2 Peter 3:10) and a new earth is made (Revelation 21:1), but for now, it is on this one earth, that God’s kingdom is to come as Jesus expresses in the prayer he taught the disciples when he said, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Genesis 1:1 records that God created the heaven and the earth and here the word heaven is in the singular form. However in Genesis 2:1 and 2:4 the word heaven is used in the plural forms as “heavens” implying that that there is more than one heaven. While this may seem as a discrepancy, since the word of God is infallible, we need to search only the Scripture (not Science or some other texts and scrolls) further to understand the singularity and plurality of heaven. The heaven in singular (which is mentioned in Genesis 1:1 and the prayer Jesus taught the disciples) is where the throne of God is, for the prophet Isaiah in the first verse of chapter 66 records that God says, “THE heaven is my throne and THE earth is my footstool.” Prophet Nehemiah ties this heaven where God’s throne is to the other heavens he created, for in chapter 9 verse 6, he records that God has made the heaven, the heaven of heavens implying that the heaven where God’s throne (implying kingship) is above all of his creations – the heavens (and the earth). God is King and his fullness in Jesus must be understood as Jesus – The KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS (Revelation 19:16).

Now one may be inclined to ask, what are these other heavens that God has created. Going back to the infallible Scripture, we see apostle Paul write in his letter to the church in Corinth, in chapters 12 verses 2 to 4 that he saw in a vision a man caught up to a third heaven and to paradise. From this we can infer that the other heavens are places of God’s creation where those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are or will go to be. Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross next to his own, when he recognized Jesus as Lord and King, that most assuredly “You shall be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Furthermore, apostle Paul writes “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Points to ponder:
We must not get caught up with the number (how many) and location (where) of the heavens for that which is not revealed are the secret things that belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29). Instead we must be transformed and renewed so that we are caught up to the heavens when Jesus returns in his glory to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. One thing we be certain of now is this – God created the heaven (where his throne is) for he is King, the heaven of heavens (3rd heaven, paradise) and the earth. Paradise means a place of rest and where the Lord is there is rest (liberty from the chains that bind us which makes us unrestful) and only in Jesus Christ can one find true rest, for Jesus said, “Come unto me, all of you that are weary and heavy laden and I WILL GIVE YOU REST.” (Matthew 11:28).

God is in the heavens (Psalm 115:3) and on earth we must pray and seek his kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) so that we when are caught up to be with him (in the heavens), we shall be worthy to enter into his rest (Hebrews 4:1). Harden not your hearts and come to come to Jesus! As he promised, he will give you rest, when you believe.

Genesis 2:1,4 (KJV)
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

Nehemiah 9:6 (KJV)
6 Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Psalm 115:2-3 (KJV)
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

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