Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: New creation Page 1 of 2

Command to and Covenant with…

By

On March 18, 2021

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 35:11-12God blesses Jacob, renames him as Israel and upon revealing Himself as God Almighty, God gives the command to Jacob to be fruitful and multiply and promises him that nations and kings shall come from his loins (Genesis 35:11). God then promises to give to Jacob and to his seed after him, the land and seed that he had given to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 35:12). After God had spoken with him, God ascended from where he was (Genesis 35:13).

The command that God gives to Jacob is the same that he had given to man, since the creation of Adam (the man) (Genesis 1:27-28), and with Noah, after the flood (Genesis 9:1). The covenant that God reaffirms with Jacob is the same that God had made with his fathers – Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and Isaac (Genesis 26:3-4). It is after the blessing and reaffirmation of His covenant, God ascends from where he was.

Points to ponder:
At creation and after the flood, the command to be fruitful and to multiply meant that man is to propagate and fill the earth, representing God (in whose image man was created – Genesis 1:27) to all of creation, so that creation would recognize God as God Almighty and ascribe to Him, the worship and glory that is due unto Him. God’s reaffirmation of the same covenant with Jacob and to subsequent generations, as he did with the generations before him, not only demonstrates God’s faithfulness generation after generation but also his steadfast unchanging character, for in God there is no variableness (James 1:17).

Those of us who have believed in Jesus are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). God’s command to us is to be fruitful and to multiply; fruitful by producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our lives and multiply meaning that we ought to be sharing the gospel of Jesus’ love, grace, and mercy to all of creation so that those who are not in God’s kingdom will see him as Almighty God and believe in Jesus and be added into God’s kingdom. Repeated addition is multiplication. 

God does not change and is faithful generation after generation. Are you and I faithful in being fruitful and in multiplying God’s kingdom?

Genesis 35:11-13 (KJV)
11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

In thy Seed – all the nations of the earth be blessed

By

On June 18, 2015

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

In the covenant that the Lord God makes with Abraham for his obedience, God promises to not only bless him but also lets him know that he will be a blessing and through him will come The Seed by whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed.

Though Isaac was the immediate child of Abraham, Apostle Paul identifies that the Seed refers to none other than Jesus Christ himself (Galatians 3:16). The Bible also teaches us that Jesus Christ in the hope of all nations (Matthew 12:21) and Jesus Christ IN us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). We also learn from the Holy Scripture that those who have trusted IN Christ Jesus as their Savior, Master, King, and LORD are a new creation – no longer cursed and under the penalty, but blessed with life eternal (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Points to ponder:
Is Jesus Christ, ‘The Seed’ sowed in your life or in other words is Christ Jesus, the hope of glory, by and through whom, all of the nations of the earth is blessed, in you, germinating to make your life fruitful for God’s purpose. And equally important it is for you to answer – Are you in Christ Jesus? Have you trusted in Him – The Seed of Abraham.

Genesis 22:18 (KJV)
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

To rest or not to rest?

By

On April 4, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

To rest or not to rest? – that is the question.

Genesis 2:2-3 records that on the seventh day, God rested. While we have heard several sermons about God resting on the seventh day, from which an extrapolation of the need and importance to rest, is exposited, it is important to note that the verses read that God “ended” his work and he rested. He “blessed” the seventh day and “sanctified” it (declared it holy), because it was the day when he rested.

The first thing to note is that we must complete the work that we have been tasked with i.e., just as God ended the work of making new things before he rested, we must end our work as well. The good news is that God who began the good work in us will bring it to  completion (Philippians 1:6) as we are ambassadors of his, making things new by presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ, for whoever is in Christ is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). Also when we rest, we must bless the Lord for having given us rest. Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath (Mark 2:27) i.e., in other words, rest, that is important, is necessary so that man can take his mind and body off the things of this world, a chasing after the wind, and focus on God and the things above, blessing God and keeping the sabbath (rest) holy, just as God did. Well, the fourth commandment in the ten commandments is to “Remember the sabbath (rest) day, to keep it holy. ” (Exodus 20:8)

Points to ponder:
To rest or not to rest? –  that is the question. We must rest only when we end our work (and God will help being our work for him to completion) and when we rest we must bless God and keep our rest holy.

Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Mark 2:27 (KJV)
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Exodus 20:8 (KJV)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Done, Undone, Redone

By

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.

Professional Speaking :: Jesus The Inventor

By

On August 13, 2012

In Christian, Professional Speaking

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word ‘Inventor’ as someone who produces something (useful) for the first time. In other words, an inventor is someone who makes something new that is useful. Can we consider Jesus Christ to be an inventor then? Absolutely.

Jesus is The Inventor of all times. The LIGHT of the world, not only created (made new) the world out of darkness (Genesis 1; Colossians 1:16-18) but he also makes his light to shine the darkness of sin out of our lives when we believe in him (2 Corinthians 4:6). When one believes and abides in Christ Jesus, he/she is a new creature (an invention); the old has passed are passed away; behold all things are made (invented to be) new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Not only is the person made new, but the person is made useful (or profitable) unto God, just as we see in the transformation of the runaway slave Philemon, who in times past was useless to Onesimus his master, but is made useful to both Onesimus and to Paul in the work of God (Philemon 1:11).

Points to ponder:
Are you an invention of Jesus? In other words, have you been made new and useful by and for Jesus Christ, The Inventor (of all things). If not, believe in him today, because now is the day to be invented (made new) (2 Corinthians 6:2). Tarry no further. And for those have been made new for having believed in Jesus, are you/I useful (profitable) unto God as his invention?

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.

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.

Philemon 1:11 (KJV)
11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

Professional Speaking :: Jesus The Architect

By

On July 25, 2012

In Christian, Professional Speaking

The book “The Jesus Discovery” revisits the New Testament in the Greek and portrays that the earthly father of Jesus, Joseph, was a successful middle class architect and not necessarily a carpenter as is often understood. What is of importance is not what the profession of Joseph was, but what the profession of Jesus is? Is Jesus an architect? Absolutely. By him were all things created, that are in heaven and in earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by him and for him and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is The Architect.

Points to ponder:
Is Jesus your Architect? The Bible affirms that if any one is in Christ Jesus (i.e. if any one believes in Jesus), they are made a new creation; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Are you a new creation, architected by The Architect, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:12-23 (KJV)
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

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.

The word of God :: Generator

By

On June 11, 2012

In Christian

The Bible is a fascinating book, inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16; NLT). It is the written word of God.

From the Bible, we learn that the word of God is a GENERATOR – a creator of things anew. In the account of creation, we see that the earth was without form and void and the deep waters was covered with darkness and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2) and by the word of God, the world and its inhabitants came to be. God said, Let there be light and there was (Genesis 1:3-4).  God said and it was.

In like manner, before we are a new Creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), our life is without form and void (empty), sitting in darkness (Luke 1:79) and the Spirit of God hovers over our life, but when God speaks to us about his Son Jesus Christ, through his spoken (rhema) and written (logos) word – the word of God generates a new life in us, if we listen to him and receive Jesus and believe in his name. This newly generated life is one in which we no longer walk in darkness, but in the Light (1 John 1:5-7).

Points to ponder:
Have you heard or read the word of God, which GENERATES new life in you?

Luke 1:79 (KJV)
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

1 John 1:5-7 (KJV)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

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.

Blessed “Be” attitudes :: Be Pure (in heart)

By

On June 8, 2011

In Be attitudes, Christian

Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

To be blessed, one must have an attitude of being pure (in heart).

The Creator God is not interested in an outward showing of piety or penance as many doctrines of men and world religions prescribe, but God is interested in inward purity i.e., purity of the heart. When the scribes and Pharisees in an accusatory manner questioned Jesus that his disciples did not wash their hands before breaking bread, Jesus astutely yet sternly cautioned them of their double standard and hypocrisy, and expressed a fundamental truth, that it is not what one consumes that defiles a man, but what comes from within (from the heart) (Matthew 15:11). Later when his disciples approached him and asked him if he was offended by the Pharisees and sought clarification of his response, he asked them “Are you also yet without understanding?” before explaining that out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; things which defile a man (Matthew 15:19-20).

So if by nature our heart is prone to defile, then how is it that one can be pure in heart? To be pure means to be untainted, unstained, unblameable, unreproveable, without spot or wrinkle. In other words, to be pure is to be set apart and it is to be holy. This is an impossible edict for man to accomplish by his/her own efforts. No matter how impressive and thorough a self-help program prescribes, no one can be holy by his or her own accord, for in sin are we conceived (Psalm 51:5). There is one only Way to be holy. Jesus said He is THE WAY (John 14:6). The Bible teaches us that Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, can present us unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God (Colossians 1:22), because he who knew no sin, became sin for us, and died in our stead, so we can be imputed the righteousness (purity/holiness) of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). In other words, only Jesus can make us holy i.e., only Jesus can make our hearts pure and clean; without spot or wrinkle. King David’s recognized that out of his heart came thoughts of – evil and murder toward Bathsheba’s husband Uriah, – adultery and fornication (extramarital sex) with Bathsheba, – stealing Uriah’s wife, – false witness and lying (covering the murderous plot of Uriah’s death) and – blasphemies (for what David had done displeased the Lord) (2 Samuel 11). Upon this recognition, king David repented and sought that God would create in him a clean (pure) heart; one that is holy and blameless, in God’s sight. When we repent of our sins, believing in Jesus Christ, he makes us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), replacing our old heart that defiles with one that is pure and clean (Ezekiel 36:26). Those who are pure in heart are those who have recognized that Jesus is the Only Way to Holiness and have repented asking Him to create in them a clean/pure heart. These are blessed for they shall see God.

What does it mean that one shall see God? God is Spirit (John 4:24),  God is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17), God dwells in an unapproachable light, which no man can see, nor has seen (1 Timothy 6:16).  Then how can God be seen? There is a multi-faceted answer to this which we find in the Bible. First, Jesus is the image of the invisible God, in whom the fullness of God dwells (Colossians 1:15,19). Second, Jesus said, He is THE LIGHT of the world (John 8:12). Third, when we walk in the light, desiring to be pure (in heart), repenting of our sins, believing in Jesus and asking Him to create in us a clean heart, we have fellowship with God as He is light and is in the light now approachable through Jesus, for Jesus said, all who see me (have fellowship with me) have seen God (the Father) (John 14:8-11). Fourth, all who have believed in Jesus, have been delivered from the power of darkness and been translated to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, God’s dear Son (Colossians 1:13), and they shall see God face to face, when He establishes His kingdom on new earth (Revelation 22:4). We see God now through Jesus Christ, we will later see God in Christ, face to face.

Point(s) to ponder:
1. God is pleading, “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, I will wash you whiter than snow.” (Isaiah 1:18). The vilest offender (of whom I am chief) is not out of the reasoning and reach of God. Reason with Him. Reach out to God.
2. Have you/I heard God’s plea and have we repented of our sins, asking Him to create in us a clean/pure heart? For without holiness, no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:29) and Only Jesus Christ can make you/I holy, unblameable and unreproveable.
3. God opened the heart (understanding) of Lydia so she could believe in Jesus and be baptized into His kingdom of light (Acts 16:14). Ask God to open your heart (of understanding) so that it can be made pure!

Matthew 5:8 (KJV)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Colossians 1:12-23 (KJV)
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son [Jesus Christ]:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Christian Acronym :: N.I.B

By

On March 28, 2011

In Christian, Christian Acronyms

The acronym N.I.B is used to indicate things that are New In Box. Jesus said that unless a person is born again, he or she cannot see the the kingdom of God. In other words, in order to be part of God’s kingdom, one must be born again i.e., one must believe in Jesus Christ, as God’s Son, and the Savior of all mankind. When one believes in Jesus Christ, that person is a new creation; he or she is New In Birth (N.I.B).

Are you born again? Are you a New Creation? Are you New In Birth (N.I.B)?

John 3:3 (KJV)
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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.

Biblical Oxymoron – Beginning End

By

On December 31, 2009

In Biblical Oxymorons, Christian

The year of the Lord 2009 has come to an end and the rising of the sun tomorrow will dawn a new year. While many (including myself) focus on the beginning of a new year,  we often forget the closure that needs to happen in the year that is ending. In order for the new year to commence, the current year needs to end first.

What are some of the things that we need to end with the ending year?
As I pondered over this question, I could think of two things that I should put an end to this year, so that the new me (creation) enters into the new year. These include Self and Sin. My prayer is that I start to think less of myself and more of Christ Jesus and others first and that I hide His edifying word in my heart that I may not sin against God or man, at least willfully. In order for the new creation [in Christ] to come, the old one [with self and sin] has to go (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Biblical oxymoron in this verse is that without an end, there is no beginning. There needs to be closure before commencement. The old has to go for the new to come as we cannot serve two masters.

What are the things in your life that need to end with the ending year? Think about it, make that list, act on it. Pray that the Lord God who begins the good work of conforming you to His image, putting an end to the old, will complete it according to His infallible Word (Philippians 1:6). In fact, do this before you start making your new year resolutions of the things you plan to begin, because it is better to end than to begin, as the Scripture so beautifully puts it in Ecclesiastes 7:8 which reads Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof..

Ecclesiastes 7:8 (KJV)
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone [ended], the new has come [begun]!

Page 1 of 2

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén