Month: September 2012

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 3, Day 3: Genesis 2:8-17

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  The Lord planted the garden of Eden where he placed the man He has formed.  God made all kinds of plants for this garden that were pleasing to the eye and good to eat.  In the middle were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge.  A river watered the garden, two of which we know still exist today:  the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and take care of it.  He commanded the man to not eat of the tree of knowledge or man would die.

Questions:

6)  It has been known by many names:  Mesopotamia (which is Greek for land between the two rivers), Assyria, Sumer, Babylonia, Persia.  Both run through modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.  The region was known as the “Fertile Crescent” because so many civilizations thrived there.  It was also called the “Cradle of Civilization” since the civilization that developed there was the first on earth (namely, Adam and Eve).

7)  A garden with all kinds of trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.  In the middle were the tree of life and knowledge.  A river watering the garden flowed from Eden that was separated into four headwaters.  Animals and birds lived there.

8 )  He told them they could eat from any tree in the Garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If they did, they would die.

9a)  Personal Question.  My answer:  As an American, everything is pleasant to be honest.  I have all the basic needs and then some.  I have a house, cars, a dog, my family, extra money to buy things I want, money for the kids’ activities, etc.  I drink coffee in the morning.  I have flowers on my kitchen table.  I have a kitchen table.

Currently, there is nothing really “hard” in terms of living conditions in my life.  Now, it hasn’t always been that way (those of you who’ve been here long enough remember the time I lived in a camper when my husband lost his job(s).)  I enjoy where I live and my life.  I am blessed.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Resisting my human nature.  I fight against selfishness, loving others, caring for others, potty mouth, being ungrateful for my blessings, letting bitterness and anger consume me and influence my actions, submitting to authority, and being kind and compassionate to others.  I got a ways to go to be more like Jesus.

Conclusions:  Simple questions with a powerful reminder of how pleasant our life is and yet we sin anyways like Adam and Eve did.  Adam and Eve led the dream life:  talking and walking with God every day and having all their basic needs met without even thinking about it; yet they still thought they were missing something so they sinned.  They thought there was something better out there and they wanted to “know” about it.  Like most of us do.

Contentment with life is one of the hardest things to achieve.  Partly because we as humans are driven to do better and be better.  Which gets us into trouble.  But also brings about some of the greatest inventions.

Great reminder to be content with where we are at in our journey as we continually strive to know Him.

Map that shows possible location of Garden of Eden with the 4 rivers:  http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/old-testament-map.html

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 3, Day 2: Genesis 1:26-2:25 with Psalm 8 & Hebrews 2:6-9

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passages:  Genesis 1:26-2:25:  Finishing up the sixth day, God made man in our image (our being God the father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) and let man rule over the fish, birds, livestock, and all of earth and its creatures.  He created both male and female.  God blessed man and told him to be fruitful and multiply.

God gave man every seed-bearing plant and every fruit for food.  He gave all the other living creatures green plants for food.  God saw all He made and it was good.

By the seventh day, God had finished his work so he rested and blessed the day as holy.

After God made the heavens and the earth but before plants had sprung and only streams had watered the earth, God made man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils and man became living.  He put the man in the garden of Eden.  He made all kinds of trees for food and in the middle were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  A river watered this garden.

God put man in charge of the garden to work it and take care of it.  He warned the man not to eat from the tree of knowledge or he would die.  He brought the animals to Adam to name.  When God did so, He noticed no helper was found for man; so He created woman from Adam’s rib while he was sleeping so man would not be alone.

This is why man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and become one flesh.  They were naked and felt no shame.

Psalm 8:  David sings God praises, saying how majestic He is. God set His glory above the heavens.  The praises of children silence God’s enemies. David asks the question many of us ask:  when we consider all you have made (the heavens, moon, and stars), why do you care for insignificant man so and crown him with glory and honor by making him ruler over everything?

How majestic is your name!

Hebrews 2:6-9:  Psalm 8 is quoted, “what is man that you are mindful of him…a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.”  Everything is subject to man, even things we do not see.  Jesus, who himself was made a little lower than angels, is crowned with glory and honor (the same as man’s) because he suffered death for everyone.

Questions:

3a)  Adam:  The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (2:7)

Eve:  The Lord God caused the man (Adam) to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man (2:21-22)

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  We wouldn’t exist without Him.  And He made us companions for one another so we wouldn’t be alone.  I couldn’t make it in this Fallen world without help from God and humans.

4a)  God took Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  (2:15)

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Yes.  We are the top of the food chain, the pyramid, the most intelligent beings, and we are formed in God’s image.  It is our responsibility to take care of our planet Earth and everything in it and to work it as God intended.

c)  In putting everything under him (man), God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet we do not see everything that is subject to him.  But we do see Jesus who has come to defeat death.

Main truth from these passages:  God originally gave man dominion over this earth (and the one to come) NOT angels even though man is a little lower than angels.  Man was created to rule earth.

This brings up the question:  how can Jesus rule and reign if he is not human?  Thus, Jesus became human so he (and we while Jesus is gone) can rule and reign over this world.

Thus, God gave man dominion over the earth; however, when man sinned and brought death (Romans 5:12), he gave up that power (but not the right) to rule.  The sin and death took away that power.  Thus, Jesus was sent to conquer death and restore God’s promise that humans will have dominion over the earth (Romans 5:21).  Because through Jesus man reclaims the dominion that God had originally intended for Adam (Revelation 5:10; Matthew 25:21).

Credit given to Enduring Word for explaining this to me!

5a)  To work and take care of Eden.  Basically, to care for God’s creations.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  To care for my family and husband; raise my kids in God’s ways.  For the world, I hope it’s through my novel.  But that’s just a hope.  At times, a very discouraging hope.  Something in my heart I can’t shake.  But one I believe is from God.

Conclusions:  Question 4c needed more background information.  I wouldn’t have been able to answer it without reading commentaries.  Piecing together the fact that one reason Jesus came as a man is to fulfill God’s promise of man having dominion over the earth is one I’ve never considered or heard of before.

In church, it’s all about how Jesus came to save us from our sins; to take them upon himself.  But this implication goes far beyond that.  Jesus came for us to rule.  Because God deigned us to (for some unknown reason).  Again, as in Psalm 8, I feel like David:  “what is man that you are mindful of him?”.

We are so little and insignificant.  But only in our eyes.  To God, we must be 10 feet tall!

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 2, Day 5: Genesis 1:26-31

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  Finishing up the sixth day, God made man in our image (our being God the father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) and let man rule over the fish, birds, livestock, and all of earth and its creatures.  He created both male and female.  God blessed man and told him to be fruitful and multiply.

God gave man every seed-bearing plant and every fruit for food.  He gave all the other living creatures green plants for food.  God saw all He made and it was good.

Questions:

10)  1)  God made man in His own image

2) God created both male and female

3)  God let man rule over the fish, birds, livestock, and all the earth and its creatures

4)  God blessed man

5)  God told man to multiply

11a)  God gave man food:  every seed-bearing plant and every fruit.  Not until the Fall did God give man animals to eat (Genesis 9:3).

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter, all of which I have thanks to God.  Everything else I have would be “beyond”, again all of which God has provided.

How?  By making me human, with a brain, the ability to work and grow into His purpose for my life.

12)  Personal Question.  My answer:  The gist of this passage for me was God making us in His image.  This is huge since nothing else on earth is.  So wrapping my mind around how God is similar to me (but definitely not the same).

Psalm tells us God created me and I am wonderful.  Always good to hear.  Especially when you don’t feel such.

Acts tells us that I belong here and now so I could find Him.

Great passages if you are questioning your place in this world.

Conclusions:  It’s always a good reminder that God provides everything we need.  This is His promise.  Not everything we want (as some claim and then get frustrated when they don’t receive).  It’s a good day to thank Him for the basics, which we often forget to do.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 2, Day 4: Genesis 1:20-25

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  God created living creatures in the water and birds to fly in the skies.  He saw that it was good and blessed them to multiply and fill the earth–the fifth day.

Sixth day:  God created living creatures (both domestic and wild) to fill the land.  He saw that it was good.

Questions:

8a)  Orderly process.  He fills the seas with living creatures and the sky with birds  (He separated these first so He fills these first).  The He populates the land with creatures, which follows since He separated dry land after He separated out the sky.

b)  Here BSF mentions evolution but does nothing to explain the the term.  BSF assumes everyone knows what evolution is which I can tell you right now my kids have no clue what evolution is.  They kind of do from all the dinosaur books we read but could not explain the theory.

Evolution is a complicated theory and even scientists have different definitions.  There is also the evolution of the universe and biological evolution (the evolution of life forms).

So this question I think would be best answered keeping it as general and as simple as possible.  Since we are talking about life forms on the fifth and sixth day of creation, we will stick with biological here.

Biological evolution is the process that results in changes in a population spread over many generations.

To me, I define evolution as the idea that all life evolved from a single-celled microorganism over billions of years.  Obviously, Genesis states God created every kind of plant and animal–nothing evolved over time.

God created; not time.

9a)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Ephesians tells us to be filled with the Spirit.  I don’t think me life is right now.  It’s pretty chaotic around here.  So much going on: caring for and teaching my kids, running my household, kids activities, meeting husband’s needs, working out, carving out a niche of time to be with God (bible study) and do His will (my novel).  This is my typical day.

I need to pray more.  Give more.  Reflect God more.  Love more.

b)  Personal question.  My answer:  He has reinforced old ideas and desires, not necessarily new.  Refocused I guess.  I gotta get my query letter done and get it out to agents.  I gotta quit cussing.  I gotta be more grateful and thankful for all that I have.  I gotta be a life-giver, not a life-drainer.

c)  Personal question.  My answer:  Watching my tongue more.  Being more encouraging.  Praying more and thanking more.  Caring for others more than myself.

Conclusions:  To be honest, I didn’t really like this lesson.  8b seems obvious if you are a believer what the answer should be.  But it just seems out of place and presumptuous–to throw in the theory of evolution without discussing it first.  It’s like assuming everyone knows what “pop” is.

Question 9 is a good reminder of what I should be doing.  But I don’t have any new ideas. God’s word is timeless.  How you should live has not changed and never will change.  Nothing should be “new” unless you just learned it.  I know how I should be filling my life and I’m not.  I guess that’s why I don’t like it.  I don’t want to change.  But I know it’s time.  And re-prioritizing is never easy.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 2, Day 3: Genesis 1:3-19

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  God made light and separated it from the darkness.  He called the light “day” and the dark “night”. God made an expanse between the waters to separate them, creating “sky”.  He gathered the waters to create dry ground, which He named “land.”  The water was called “seas”.  Then God made vegetation on the land.  And God saw all this was good.

God made lights to separate the day and night and so they would serve as signs to mark the seasons, days, and years and to give light on earth.  These lights were the sun and the moon and the stars and God saw that it was good.

Questions:

5)  God himself is light so the light on the first day is God.  You could also say it’s God bringing his light or knowledge of himself to the world and into our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).  Light is Truth.

The lights on the fourth day are the sun (the greater light to govern the day) and the moon (the lesser light to govern the night) and the stars (which could include the constellations)–literal objects to provide light.  Both were made to separate the light from the darkness.

6a)  The main purpose of all is to separate out night and day, light from dark.  The sun’s main purpose is to govern the day and serve as signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.  The moon’s purpose is the same:  to give light at night just not as much.  The stars give light as well.  All govern the night and the day.

b)  Psalm 8:3-4:  The glory of God (got this from verse 1).  The love of a God who can create such marvels, yet He still cares for such lowly beings as man.

Psalm 19:1-6:  The glory of God; the work of His hands.  They pour forth knowledge of God, proclaiming His divinity so that all will know Him (much like Romans 1:18-20).

Jeremiah 8:7:  Literally, as signals for the birds of the world to migrate.  Broadly, as signs for all animals in their life cycle such as when to migrate, hibernate, breed, etc.

Matthew 2:2:  As a sign of Jesus Christ’s coming

Acts 2:19-20; Revelation 8:12:  As signs of the end times when the sun will be turned to dark and the moon to blood and other wonders in the heavens above.

7a)  Miraculously.  He designed everything perfectly.  Orderly.  He starts with light, separated it from the darkness.  Separated the seas to make the sky.  Made dry ground.  Produced vegetation on this dry ground.  Made the moon and the stars for light at night.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  To my new home, to my life without my first dog, to getting back in the routine of school after our move.

Conclusions:  This lesson was a bit tricky.  I had to go back and re-read the first day where God created light and analyze it (initially, I got it wrong). It’s hard for us humans because light to us means the sun.  Sun gives life.  Without it we can’t survive.  Plants won’t grow.  We need sunlight to be healthy.  It’s essential to life on earth for earth cannot exist without the sun.

What we miss and what we commonly don’t connect is that God made the sun to give life. He is the ultimate giver.  He gave us life and created a light source to sustain us while we are here on earth.

Yes, we cannot exist without the sun.  But the sun cannot exist without God.  Therefore we cannot exist without God.

It’s that math common math problem:  If a needs b and b needs c, then a must need c.  Or another way:

If a equals b and b equals c, then a must equal c.

Wish more non-believers would see it this way…

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 2, Day 2: Genesis 1:3-5

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Passage:  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”  And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.

Questions:

3)  Genesis 1:3-5:  By creating it and separating it from the darkness for us, giving us morning and evening so we could see since our eyes do not see without light

Psalm 18:28:  He keeps my lamp burning and turns my darkness into light–both literally and figuratively by keeping the devil at bay through His strength

Psalm 36:9:  God is the fountain of life and in His light we see light, meaning in His light (under his loving influence) we see and understand His love in all that surrounds us.

Psalm 119:105,130:  God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (so we can see where we are going.  Hopefully it’s His way and His path).

His word gives light and understanding to the simple.  We understand better when we read God’s word.

John 1:4-8:  God gave life, which is the light of men.  This light shines in the darkness and the darkness (devil) does not understand it.  John (the Baptist) was sent from God as a witness to the light so that all men might believe.

Here, they are speaking of Jesus as the light of the world.  Through Jesus God gives us light.

John 3:19-21:  Light is here but men still chose darkness.  These people hate the light because the light exposes those evil deeds.  Whoever lives by the truth (God’s word and laws) comes into the light and shows all the evil doers that what you have done is through God.

Light exposes evil.  Light overshadows the evil when we do good.

John 8:12:  Jesus says he is the light of the world and whoever follows him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

2 Corinthians 4:4-6:  God has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of Jesus.  God made His light (Jesus) shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

We know God through Jesus, the light.

1 Peter 2:9:  God’s chosen people were called out of darkness into His light (knowledge of Him).  Light serving as a beacon.

1 John 1:7-10:  Please start reading at verse 5:  Verse 5 declares outright God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we walk in the light (in Jesus and with Jesus and God) we have fellowship with one another, with Jesus, and we are purified of our sins.

4a)  Having Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the faith, the belief of Jesus in your heart gives you light; whereas, non-believers do not have this light.  We shine this light wherever we go.  It should be evident in our actions that we have Jesus.  If we do evil and walk in darkness, we are not living by the truth (and probably don’t have Jesus).  1 John 1:5-7.

Matthew 6:22-23:  The eye (where we see light) is our lamp.  If we are good, we will be full of light.  If your eyes are bad (if you are evil or you shine evil or you do evil), you will be full of darkness.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17:  Light cannot exist with darkness (remember in God there is no darkness).  Thus, do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  Today this would read “don’t hang out with unbelievers”.  For their beliefs will influence yours.  Choose your friends wisely.

Unbelievers are in the dark.  Believers are in the light.  They cannot co-mingle.

[If you did the study of Acts last year, this discussion will be familiar.  It’s not to say not to talk or shun unbelievers or share the light with them.  It is to say don’t spend all your free time with unbelievers who could unduly influence you.]

Ephesians 5:8, 11-12:  Reflects 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 exactly.  Live as children of light.  Ephesians 5 speaks to avoiding darkness and do what pleases the Lord.  Do not be partners with those who are disobedient for God’s wrath will be upon them.

Be imitators of God; be careful how you live; speak words of psalms and praise to each other and not obscene language.  Speak of gratitude and thanksgiving from your tongue.  Always give thanks to the Lord.

Philippians 2:15:  We (believers) shine like the stars in the universe when we embrace the word of life (Jesus and God) and obey His commands.  God will work in you to do His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

Revelation 21:23-27:  In the final days, there will be no darkness for darkness does not exist with God.  The moon and the sun will no longer be needed for the glory of God will light the entire city/world as Jesus is the lamp.  The nations will follow God’s laws (His light).  Only those saved will exist there for no evil will enter.

Isaiah 60:19:  “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  My potty mouth, my bitterness, my anger.  I need to hold my tongue more.  Not release my wrath to others and give it to God.

Conclusions:  Wow!  Exactly what I needed this morning.  A study on how I am good even though I never think so.  A review of some of my favorite passages from last year’s study of Acts.  I am reminded of how I am supposed to reflect God’s light everywhere I go and how I am supposed to be an imitator of God, giving Him praise and thanksgiving as much as possible every day all day long.  How I must speak words of love to all around me.

Gives me something to work on.  I admit I had become complacent this summer in terms of my growth.  I have had so much going on (trying to buy a house, dog dying, moving, school getting started again, finishing my novel) that I have neglected God’s word.  BSF reminds me every fall how I need to stay in it.  Even if only for 5 minutes a day.

Explanation of light:  All light is white light.  The sun is actually shining white light, but the white light is actually all the colors of the rainbow put together except for black.  We only see color because each light beam is a different wavelength and when these individual beams bounce off of things, we see what is left.  The rest of the lights are absorbed by the object.  You see the color that has bounced.

The sky is blue because of our atmosphere.  Our atmosphere absorbs a huge amount of light and what you see is the blue light waves that have bounced off of it.

Our eyes are designed to see with light.  Without our eyes to see the color and our brains to interpret it, we wouldn’t see anything.  Even at night, there is some light somewhere in the house or from the moon so we can see.  Otherwise, it would be pitch black.  Objects are black because they absorb all the colors of light.

God designed us this way.  Some animals can see in the dark.  Their eyes are designed and shaped differently than ours.  But there is still light.  These animals just need much less than we do.

Hence, you could say by itself light is invisible.  Everything is invisible until light strikes it and bends around it.  Then we see color.

Black is not a color for no light bounces off of black.  It absorbs all of the light.  The color of the devil and what we are most afraid of is nothing.  Fascinating, isn’t it?

Explanation summarized from my kids’ Astronomy textbook entitled Exploring Creation with Astronomy by Jeannie Fulbright P.20-23.

Side Note on the passage John 1:4-8:  I am deeply surprised that BSF did not make us read the John 1:1-8.  Here is the crux of the matter, where we are told Jesus was there from the beginning, that Jesus is the Word, Jesus was with God, Jesus is God, and Jesus was there from the beginning.

Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Notice God “created”.  He didn’t “speak”.  I had always pictured God as speaking the heavens and the earth but now I see Him as merely doing it.

This brings into the discussion of did God know man was to Fall and Jesus was planned from the beginning?  Or did Jesus just always exist (yes, He did) but God was hoping He wouldn’t have to send him?  It’s the question of Free Will and how much does man control his own destiny and does God know it all.  See previous post HERE

I believe God knows what we are going to do before we do it, that He does know all.  So He knew we’d Fall.  He’d sacrifice His only Son.  Yet He did it ANYWAYS!!!  That’s the depth of His love for us.

So the question becomes:  Would you?

Advice to all:  When given all these different passages to look up, take the time to read before and after it.  Especially this time there was a ton more listed before that was relevant to the subject of light.  You have to understand the context of these passages in order to divine its meaning.  Otherwise a verse here and there can seem completely irrelevant.

I know it’s time-consuming.  But anything worth doing takes time.  You just have to prioritize.  The study of God’s word is not the place to cut corners.  Watching less TV, reading one less chapter in your engrossing book, or giving up sleep (this is how I do this) are some places to cut.

Here’s a great verse by verse explanation on John 1:  http://www.fridaystudy.org/html/john/john1.htm

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 1, Day 5: Genesis 1:2

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Passage:  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.

Questions:

11)  Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2b).  By His breath (Holy Spirit) the skies became fair (Job 26:13).  When you send your Spirit, they (humans) are created, and you renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104:30).

12)  Genesis 6:3:  God’s Spirit will not contend (or remain) with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.

Webster’s says contend means “to struggle; to strive or vie in contest; maintain”.  It could also mean the Spirit will not struggle against man’s sinful nature for more than 120 years.

Ezekiel 36:26-27:  God will put the Spirit in us to move us to follow His decrees and keep His laws.

John 3:8:  The Spirit goes where it wants to and you cannot predict where it will go or where it will come from.

John 7:38-39:  Whoever believes in Christ will have the Spirit flowing within them.

John 14:16-17:  The Spirit was sent by God to be with us and in us; to speak the truth to us and be our Counselor.

John 16:7-8:  Jesus had to die so that the Spirit (or Counselor) could be with man.  It will be the Spirit to convict the world of guilt and bring righteousness.

Romans 8:9:  The Spirit lives in you if you belong to God.  You are controlled by the Spirit, not by your sinful nature.  If you don’t have the Spirit, you don’t belong to God.

2 Corinthians 3:3:  The Spirit is written on our hearts that shows/proves we are God’s.

2 Corinthians 3:6:  We are competent to spread the Good News because we have the Spirit.  The Spirit gives life.  Nothing else such as letters.

2 Corinthians 3:18:  We are being transformed into God’s likeness with ever-increasing glory because we have the Spirit within.  The Spirit allows us to reflect God’s glory wherever we go.

Ephesians 1:13-14:  Once we accepted Christ into our hearts, we were marked by the Holy Spirit as God’s.  We are thus guaranteed our inheritance (everlasting life).

Titus 3:5-6:  God saved us through the Holy Spirit, which Christ brought us through his death.

13)  Personal Question.  My answer:  It’s a great reminder that no matter what sins we commit, we are saved and forgiven because of the Holy Spirit, which guides all that we do.  I take comfort in knowing I’m not in control but God is and that I am gradually being transformed because of the Spirit into God’s glory.

It gives me hope because it seems I fall short every day of God’s commands.

14a)  Once Christ is accepted, the Holy Spirit comes and fills that person, marks them, and then guides them for the rest of their earthly days.  The Spirit goes where it chooses to go.  But we can help the Spirit choose others by reflecting God’s glory.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Yes.

Conclusions:  Many people just think of God when they think of Creation.  They picture Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel where he depicts God extending His hand to Adam and imparting life.  But many (including me) forget the intricate role of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in all of this.  Great job by BSF bringing that aspect to light and emphasizing their continued importance in our life today.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 1, Day 4: Genesis 1:1

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Passage:  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Questions:

9a)  The heavens and the earth

b)  After creating the heavens and the earth, God fills both with more creations.  Genesis Chapter 1 is all about what God created.

10)  John 1:1-3:  Christ was with God in the beginning

Colossians 1:15-19:  Christ was born before creation in order to be supreme above all things

Colossians 2:3:  Christ holds all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

Colossians 2:9:  For Christ is God in bodily form

Hebrews 1:3:  Christ is God’s glory

All of these support the idea Christ was there from the beginning (Creation).

Conclusions:  Easy day.  Not much here to conclude we didn’t already know:  God created the heavens and the earth and Jesus was with Him.  Makes sense since God is Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 1, Day 3: Psalms 8 & 90 with Genesis 1

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passages:  Psalm 8:  David sings God praises, saying how majestic He is. God set His glory above the heavens.  The praises of children silence God’s enemies. David asks the question many of us ask:  when we consider all you have made (the heavens, moon, and stars), why do you care for insignificant man so and crown him with glory and honor by making him ruler over everything?

How majestic is your name!

Psalm 90:  Moses says before you brought forth the earth there was only everlasting God.  For a thousand years in your sight is like a day.  He says our days fly by quickly under God’s wrath so teach us (man) to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Moses asks God to relent his anger and have compassion on man so man may sing for joy and be glad.  Show man your deeds and rest your favor on man.  Give man work.

Genesis 1:  HERE

Questions:

6)  Psalm 90 speaks to how God’s time is not our time (verse 10).  In 2 Peter 3:8 the author says the Lord’s day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.  I am leaning towards saying it IS a 24-hour time frame.  It would be presumptuous to say that God could not create the world in 6 days and in 24-hour time frames since God can do anything so I would think He’d only need 24 hours in a day.

God created the sun and the days and the length of the days specifically for man to mark time (Genesis 1:14) and I would like to think His Sabbath is the same as today.  If you take what 2 Peter says then that would be a case for Evolution.  That the world was created gradually.  That it took 6000 years and that God needed 1000 years to rest.

Nope, don’t buy it.

I agree that God’s time is not our time.  But I think in the case of Creation, God didn’t need thousands of years.

7)  For His glory (Psalm 8) and because it was very good (Genesis 1:31).  He created us because He wanted to.  For His purposes.  And God can do whatever He wants.

I personally think he created the earth with the intention it be a home for man.  He created man for companionship.  The first days of the Garden show us this:  that God walked in the Garden, expecting to see man (Genesis 3:8).  Can you imagine?  Walking next to God in Paradise?  This is heaven now but back in Genesis.

God is the Father.  We are His children.  Most of us would say we cannot live without our children.  I think God feels the same way.  That’s why He sent Jesus after the Fall–to be with us.  Not separate from us.

David seems to be thinking the same thing in Psalm 8.  Why would God go to so much trouble of creating the universe if not for us?

We don’t know all of God’s reasonings but I do think the creation of the world has something to do with man.  You can call this presumptuous as well.  But having God in my life makes my life.

8 )  This question is confusing.  Verse 26 & 27:  God created man in His own image.  God created living from the living.  The dead cannot reproduce.  Thus, God is living.

God made everything (including everything that is alive like plants and animals) so this proves God is living as well.

We also know the Holy Spirit was there as exhibited by Genesis 1:2 so the Spirit is living as well.

I’m hung up on “living person”.  For is God a person?  Or is He God?  I don’t think of God as a person.  I know He is living. I know He was a living person in the form of Jesus Christ on this earth for a time.  But is God Himself a person?

I know we are made in His image so we must resemble Him somehow.  But does that make Him a person?

Calling God a person (to me) equates Him with humans and I just can’t do that.  He is above us.  Always has been and always will be.

My conclusion:  He is most definitely living (as many passages in the Bible attest to).  But is He a person?  No.  Not like me or you at least.

Conclusions:  Great lesson!  It definitely got me thinking.  You?  Thinking about things I don’t normally think about in my daily hum-drums of life.

All of these are personal questions and make you think about why we are here on this earth.  For His purpose.  That the world is His and we are mere transients.  We are here for Him.  He is the Alpha and the Omega.  It begins and ends with Him.

As I type this, I am sitting here petting my one remaining dog.  It’s been one week since I lost my female.  I’m remembering how one minute she was here, present on this earth, and the next she was gone.  Lifeless.  A mere shell of what she used to be.  How I miss her!

But I can’t wait to see her in her prime in heaven.  It gives me comfort to know she’s in a better place.

Still, I could never be a vet or a doctor.  Watching someone or something take their last breath in this world takes a special character to do repeatedly.  And that’s not me!

It’s a reminder of how time is precious.  How we need to do God’s work now.  How God has a purpose for us and we must discover it now.  No more excuses or ho-humming around.

Do it NOW!

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 1, Day 2: Genesis 1

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Introductory Note:  Hey all!  It’s great to be back.  Just some information up front. The answers will be found under BSF Genesis on the side bar.  It might take a couple of weeks for it to show up since the side bar is determined by popularity so be patient! Until then, you can use the search in the side bar or scroll down to find the answers.

Summary of passage:  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void but the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

1st Day:  God made light and He saw it was good.  He separated light from dark.  He called light “day” and dark “night.”

2nd Day:  God separated the waters to create sky.

3rd Day:  He let the dry ground appear, which He named “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas”.  Then the land produced vegetation–all of which God saw was good.

4th Day:  God made the sun, moon, and stars to be used as signs to mark the seasons, days, and years; to give light on the earth; to govern the day and the night; and to separate light from darkness.  God saw that it was good.

5th Day:  God created the great creatures of the sea as well as every winged bird.  He blessed them to multiply and fill the earth.  He saw it was good.

6th Day:  God created living creatures on the land and all the wild animals and He saw it was good.  He made man in His own image to rule over all the earth and its creatures.  God blessed them and told them to be fruitful and rule.  He gave man every green plant for food and everything that has the breath of life in it.  God saw that it was very good.

Questions:

3a)  God is the subject of most sentences followed by an action verb (said, saw, created, called, made, set, blessed).  It’s all about God.  His name is used 30 times in Chapter 1.  He’s the center.  Nothing happens in this chapter without Him.  It’s true now.  He’s the center and nothing happens in this world without Him.

b)  The word let is very common in English.  I sense no pompousness here or a great booming voice–just God casually (yet purposefully) creating all.  Let means “to cause to or make” according to Webster’s Dictionary.  God is causing or making all.

Another meaning of let in Webster’s Dictionary is the imperative (command) form here, meaning to introduce a request or proposal.  It’s a command yet it’s gentle.

“It was so” means everything God spoke was.  He is omnipotent and Chapter 1 of Genesis shows this clearly.

4)  He saw that all He had made was very good (verse 31)

5a)  Jeremiah 10:12:  God made everything by His power, wisdom, and understanding

Acts 17:24-25:  God made the world and is therefore Lord and He does not need anything because He’s the ultimate (and the first) giver.

Romans 1:18-20:  Since God is the Creator His eternal and divine qualities are in everything.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  This is a stupid question.  Why doesn’t BSF just come out and say the word “evolution” instead of tip-toeing around it?  Obviously, if you are a believer, then you believe in the Creation and not in Evolution.  It’s the first words of the Bible.  This alone speaks to its significance.

Conclusions:  I felt silly summarizing Genesis 1, the most popular and probably well-known chapter in the entire Bible. But I had never listed out each individual day before so I learned the sequence of Creation.

I think we must be careful not to get too comfortable with this study.  Most of us know the stories in Genesis like the back of our hand.  But do we know the significance of the stories?

I know I don’t.  This is why I am doing this study.

Some fun facts I already learned:  The Bible would not make much sense without the book of Genesis.  Almost every fundamental doctrine begins here:  sin, redemption, the power of God, the purpose of Jesus Christ, and justification.

Moses is believed to have written the book of Genesis (Luke 24:27, 44).

Genesis is quoted in the New Testament over 150 times.

I pray everyone has a deep and meaningful study in the book of Genesis and that perhaps you glean something here.