Marriage Workshop

Genesis 2:18-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” ¹⁹ So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man^[a] to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. ²⁰ He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs^[b] and closed up the opening. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

²³ “At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone,
    and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
    because she was taken from ‘man.’”

²⁴ This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

²⁵ Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

 

In Earth’s creation events; marriage was the first human institution God created. Up until Eve was created; Adam was the only human alive and this caused God to reflect for the first time that something wasn’t good about an otherwise perfect created order. (Gen 2:18) Man ultimately needed a companion. Even a pure relationship with his loving Creator, a majestic home in Eden, lots of nutritious food to eat, fulfilling work to do and animals to rule over; did not meet Adam’s desire for an intimate companion. Adam needed someone to share his life with and someone who would share in the joy of ruling over God’s creation with him. The innate need for intimacy in Adam’s heart caused our loving God to grant to humankind the institution of marriage. The first marriage (Before original sin) demonstrated a perfectly innocent union between Adam (The first Husband) and Eve. (The first Wife) Their union was one of cherished loving tenderness (Gen 2:23) and intimate oneness. (Gen 2:25)

 

The reasons for marriage are:

1)     Children (Be fruitful and multiple – Genesis 1 :28)

2)     Companionship (It is not good for man to be alone – Genesis 2: 18)

3)     Prevent immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2 ^But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.)

4)     Provide loving affection (Ephesians 5 :25 For husbands, this means love your wives)

Principles from Genesis 2:

1)     God is near to the broken hearted and is willing and able to interject. In verse 18; God noticed Adam was struggling with loneliness and did something about the situation. Although we should not expect a creative miracle; scripture is clear that God cares for our needs. 1 Peter 5:7 says:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Whether or not we are married; we should tell God about our loneliness and expect relief from our loving Heavenly Father.

 

2)     Adam cherished His wife (Gen 2:23) and He expressed his fulfillment about his mate. How often do we grow indifferent to the familiar and forget to express delight in our spouse, our children, or other intimate relationships? Take a moment to express gratitude and delight for the people God has placed in your life.

 

3)     Their marriage was one of transparent openness. Verse 25 says they were both naked and unashamed. Their relationship was one perfect acceptance, support, honest and open communication, and intimate companionship. Often, we fail to express ourselves openly to our mates for fear of rejection or reprove. We hide what’s going on inside and we miss the blessing of the companionship and understanding God meant for us to enjoy within our human relationships. Let’s do more to cultivate openness and acceptance towards our intimate relationships.

 

 

Continued…

The New Testament calls marriage honourable. (Hebrews 13 :4) The NT goes as far to compare the marriage union between a man and a woman with the covenant relationship between Christ and his church. (Ephesians 5 :32) In other words; marriage ought to be a permanent union just as Christ is permanently bound to his church.

The key to a good marriage is for both the man and his wife to be Spirit Led. (Ephesians 5: 18 ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,) The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence makes us capable to apply God’s commands for a successful marriage)

 

Ephesians 5: 21 -31 gives us more instruction on marriage

²¹ And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ²⁴ As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

A note about submission: submission is not inferiority but accepting God’s ordained will. Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the will of his Father but was in no way inferior. (John 10 :30) To equate submission with inferiority would destroy the doctrine of the trinity and make Jesus Christ’s declaration of equality with the Father null and void. In the same way; refusing biblical submission within marriage (Ephesians 5 :21-24) is rebellious and overturns God’s purposes within the marriage relationship. (1 Peter 3: 1 – 6)

²⁵ For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her ²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.^[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. ²⁹ No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. ³⁰ And we are members of his body.

A note about love: ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 6)

Jesus demonstrated this type of servant leadership by submitting himself to meet the needs of fallen people by dying for their sins. Husbands are therefore to submit to the needs of their wife and family by:

1)     Meeting spiritual needs

2)     Meeting physical needs

Husbands also need to be sensitive to their wives’ emotional needs. (1 Peter 3: 7) This is done by showing her honour, being sensitive to her, and providing her emotional safety within your relationship.

 

³¹ As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”^[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. ³³ So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 

God wants husbands and wives to commit to each other like Christ is committed to his church. Is there any wonder that God hates divorce? Christ would never forsake his church and husbands and wives ought not to forsake each other.

 

Closing prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving us the institution of marriage to provide us the most meaningful of all human relationships. Help us by your Holy Spirit to make our marriages everything they are meant to be; for your glory, In Jesus name. Amen.

The battle for the beginning

Genesis 1: 1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

 

Upon reading the first verse in our Bible; Each human being is tested whether or not they will believe The One True God or dismiss Him as a liar or non-existent.  The creation account is a theological issue primarily and not a scientific issue. Scientific research is noble on our part but is unable to teach origins because scientists were not present in the beginning to observe creation nor are scientists today able to replicate the creation of the universe and everything in it no matter how scientifically advanced, we may claim to be. (Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.) Genesis; which is the word of God; is the only relevant, accurate, trustworthy, authoritative account of the beginning of time because the Bible claims that God was present in the beginning; (Genesis 1:1) and is therefore able to recount the concrete facts about the creation account. The church fathers understood this timeless truth as follows. (Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.)

 

God is the creator of heaven and earth:

The universe is not the result of nobody plus nothing equalling everything. The idea of the universe randomly creating itself is utterly absurd. The second law of thermodynamics states that any isolated system will degenerate into a more disordered state. The Bible presents a clear and logical explanation that all created matter in the universe was created by an omnipotent, creator God in a literal six-day span. (Genesis 2 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. ² On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested^[a] from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.⁴ This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.) (Psalm 146: 6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.) In Genesis; we read that God created every kind of vegetation on day 3, all aquatic creatures and birds on day 5, and all land creatures and human beings on day 6, each created kind complete with its corresponding genetic information that was to be passed down through reproduction. (Genesis 1:22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”) (Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”) God Almighty created all things through His spoken word. (Genesis 1:3 ^Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.) The reason many people deny that an all-powerful God created the universe and everything in it is that they are haplessly or willfully ignorant of the facts concerning creation.  (Isaiah 40 ^Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God—the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? ²² God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.²³ He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing.²⁴ They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. ²⁵ “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.²⁶ Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. ²⁷ O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? ²⁸ Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

 

Why the literal interpretation of a six-day creation account is important to God’s redemptive plan for mankind:

The Bible makes the claim that everything God created was good. (Genesis 1: 31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!) Original creation was free from the consequence of sin and therefore free of death. Adam and Eve would have lived forever if original sin hadn’t taken place.  (Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”) The only 2 sections in the entire Bible that are free from the consequences of sin are the first 2 chapters of Genesis in Eden before sin enters the world causing death and after God creates a new heaven and a new earth and restores Eden in the last 2 chapters of Revelation. The reality of death as a constant problem was only introduced after original sin. (Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people, because all sinned—) (Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”) The problem with so called fossil records pre-dating the first original humans; Adam and Eve, implies that death was accruing on the earth prior to original sin which is a direct contradiction about what the Bible teaches about how death began upon the earth. In addition; ascribing death upon the earth prior to the fall slanders God’s character because God said His creation was very good and death is not good objectively even from a human perspective.  Furthermore; if terrestrial creatures lived and died upon the earth for millions of years prior to Adam and Eve eating the from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil causing original sin; than there is no distinct consequence for original sin and the process of death upon the earth is a natural phenonom apart from the consequence of Adam’s sin. Furthermore; if death is the constant natural state upon the earth and not the result of sin, then humanity has no need of a redeemer because death is natural and not the result of transgression against their creator. To attribute death as natural is to acquit humanity of being guilty of sin before God and excusing them of guilt; thus, freeing them from needing to be redeemed in the first place. Of course; mankind’s need of redemption by the savior Christ Jesus is the central theme of the gospel message of the New Testament. (1 Corinthians15:22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.)        

 

The Moral implication of creation:

Creation has a tremendous moral implication on mankind. The word of God states that “God created.” Firstly; God created the heavens and the earth, and shortly after; God created all other created things including mankind; (Genesis 1 : 27  So God created human beings^[d] in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them) mankind is therefore accountable to their creator for the use of that given life. God is the giver of life. Genesis 2:7 ^Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. A rational person must therefore reckon that the God who created them and gave them life must therefore have a purpose for doing so. The Bible tells us that the purpose for which God created us is to bearers of the “image of God” (Genesis 1 :27) How we spend our life maters; whether for good or evil. The Bible says that God will one day judge each person. God will reward faithful living that seeks to reflect His image by living obediently to his commands. (2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.) God will also judge sinful living that refuses to reflect the image of God by disobeying His commands.  (1 Peter 4:5 ^But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.) Therefore; the doctrine of creation presents an accountability dynamic to being human that would be non-existent apart from a creator God who created us to reflect His image. Think of it this way; If human beings are on earth as a result of evolution taking place over millions of years based on survival of the fittest; human beings are par with other creatures in that they have no accountability to live to any higher moral standard other than to out-compete others of their kind to ensure their survivability. Evil actions such as murder or genocide could be justified as a means of survival for example with no transcendent consequence from a superior being. On the other hand; If we were created with a transcendent purpose beyond merely surviving; than there must be a standard by which to govern right and wrong. This is exactly the case according to Biblical Christianity. The word of explains God created mankind with a conscience as an inner compass to inherently know right from wrong. (Romans 1:19-20 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.) Furthermore; God revealed his standard of holiness through his covenant people; the nation of Israel.  (Exodus 20 Then God gave the people all these instructions^[a]:² “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.³ “You must not have any other god but me.⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those^[b] who love me and obey my commands.⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.¹³ “You must not murder.¹⁴ “You must not commit adultery.¹⁵ “You must not steal.¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.¹⁷ “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

 

God rested after His work of creation and we must therefore learn to rest in our saviour Christ Jesus:

 God concluded His work of creation in 6 literal days and then ceased to create on the seventh day.  (Genesis 2: 1-3 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. ² On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested^[a] from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.) Likewise, the way for people to be saved from their sin concluded when Christ Jesus died upon the cross. (John 19:30 ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.) Jesus is the fulfillment of the 7^th day rest whenever we trust in his finished work for the forgiveness of our sins and cease labouring to be made right with God. (Hebrews 4:3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.

 

Let us pray…

Dear Heavenly Father; thank you that you are all powerful, all wise, and all knowing to create the physical universe and everything in it. We are thankful for planet earth that we now call home and for the wonder that you inspire in our hearts when we consider the vastness of the universe and the diversity within creation. Thank you that you showed us an example of how we must cease to try to work for the forgiveness of our sins and trust in the finished work of your son; Christ Jesus, who died upon the cross to pay the penalty of our sins; that we may enjoy peace with you, for now and all eternity.

Amen

 

 

 

 

Rescuing captives of word of faith

 Psalm 82

¹ God presides over heaven’s court;
    he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
² “How long will you hand down unjust decisions
    by favoring the wicked? Interlude

³ “Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
    uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
⁴ Rescue the poor and helpless;
    deliver them from the grasp of evil people.
⁵ But these oppressors know nothing;
    they are so ignorant!
They wander about in darkness,
    while the whole world is shaken to the core.
⁶ I say, ‘You are gods;
    you are all children of the Most High.
⁷ But you will die like mere mortals
    and fall like every other ruler.’”

⁸ Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,
    for all the nations belong to you.

 

Leaders are God ordained and are established to rule over us and we are meant to submit to their authority. (Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.) The New Testament church is governed by Elders; also called Pastors, Bishops, Shepherds or Overseers. (Hebrews 13:17 ¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work.^[a] Let them do this^[b] with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.)

 

In psalm 82; God is seen ruling over appointed human leaders and indicting evil rulers for their oppression of people they are supposed to be representing. (Verse 3-4 tells these leaders that they are supposed to: “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. Instead; the rulers mentioned in the psalm oppressed their people and did not know justice or upholding rights. (Verse 5: But these oppressors know nothing;
they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness while the whole world is shaken to the core.)

 

These leaders are called “gods” amongst the people because they exercise ruling authority over others in a similar manner that the One True God rules over heavenly beings and all creation. (Psalm 82:1 God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings, (Psalm 115:3  Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he pleases.)

The finality of the matter is that the days of leaders is counted and they too must die as other humans and be judged for their deeds. (Psalm 82:7 But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.) Christ Jesus; during his earthly ministry was apposed by evil religious leaders who assumed the role of gods too but their days were counted because their rule was oppressive. (John 10: 33-36 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God. ”Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures^[a] that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’^[b] 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So, if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ ³⁶ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world.) God was about to judge the unworthy rulers of Jerusalem for their oppressive and ungodly rule. (Matthew 3:10 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. (Luke 23:28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.)

 

Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

The invisible church today tolerates far too much oppression by the oppressive gods (human leaders or rulers) within visible Christendom in the word of faith movement. The word of faith movement teaches adherents that they can manipulate reality by the faith within their spoken words rather than their faith in God. Essentially; God is dethroned as sovereign and people’s spoken words become the sovereign authority that governs the universe. It goes something like this: If you are sick; declare healing and “poof”; your faith has made you well. If you are in financial misery; declare wealth and prosperity and “poof”; your faith has made you rich. If your dreams go unfulfilled; declare God’s destiny upon your life and “poof”; your faith has made you successful in life. Of course; word of faith teaching does have an appearance of godliness because word of faith adherents is to declare all these marvellous blessings: In Jesus’ name. Jesus’ name is seen a token genie in a bottle that one rubs to get their desires met. (2 Timothy 3:5-7 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!) Contrarily; Asking something in Jesus; name means that we ask God the Father for things according to His will; not ours!

 

In the word of faith movement; God’s will is not sovereign and can be overturned or activated by the faith of those who believe they can harness God’s power to achieve their desired goal. This is an idolatrous, erroneous view that exalts man’s will above God’s sovereign will. In the First Testament; such an example of this is found in 1 Samuel 4 and ends in catastrophic consequences.

4 1 And Samuel’s words went out to all the people of Israel.At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. 2 The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men. 3 After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it[a] will save us from our enemies. 4 So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. 5 When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake!6 “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, 7 they panicked. “The gods have[b] come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! 8 Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. 9 Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”10 So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents. 11 The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.

The theological problem with the word of faith movement is that it adopts a distorted interpretation of psalm 82:6 (I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High) in which humans can call   things into existence from nothing using their faith force in a similar manor in which the One True God created the visible universe from nothing by speaking it into existence. (Genesis 1:3-5 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”) The problem with this understanding of scripture is that the One True God is the only being in all existence who ever created anything out of nothing. (Revelation 4:11¹¹ “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”) (Nehemia 9:6 Nehemiah 9:6 “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.)

 

The damaging impact of adhering to this false understanding is that poor, needy, downtrodden saints are confused and disillusioned when their positive confessions of faith don’t manifest and they are still left with health problems, financial difficulties, and lack of fulfillment within their lives. Word of faith creates impossible expectations in which failure in any area of life is demonized and we are deemed unworthy and faithless if we do not possess enough faith to manipulate all of life’s circumstances to produce an ideal life full of ease, comfort, and pleasure.

 

A proper and balanced view of faith is that we can trust the Son of God for eternal life. (1 John 5:13 ^I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.) However; life on earth during this age cannot be ideal because of sin, a fallen world, and demonic activity. Throughout history; all of God’s children have struggled with disappointment and distress within their earthly lives. How do we expect to go to heaven on a road paved with ease, comfort, and pleasure without trouble or disappointment?

 

Let us pray: Dear Father in heaven; thank you for being the sovereign over our lives and allowing or disallowing certain difficulties and burdens within our lives. We trust you with our eternal souls and believe that the grace given within your Son Jesus Christ is enough to overcome all of life’s difficulties and trials; until we reach our heavenly home; In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

 

The One True God

Acts 17:23

²³ for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

 

No Equals

In beginning to speak about the attributes of God; one would do well to remember that there is only One True God (Isaiah 45:5-6  I am the Lord, and there is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
⁶ That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other; This One True God as revealed in holy scripture has no equals or comparable creatures. Isaiah 40:25 (To whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.)

No Beginning or end

The One True God has no beginning and no end. Psalm 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You ^[a]had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Colossians 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Perfect in Power

The One True God is omnipotent (all powerful) and works everything according to the council of His own will. Daniel 4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?” Psalm 62:11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God. Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

All knowing

The One True God knows everything there is to know. Psalm 139:4  For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸ Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.

Created the universe

The One True God created the universe. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the ^[a]worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Jeremiah 32:17 ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too ^[a]hard for You.

Sustains the universe

The One True God sustains the universe. Colossians 1:17

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Matthew 6:30 ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Is a Plurality

The One True God is a plurality. Luke 3:22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” John 10:30  I and My Father are one.” 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Is holy

The One True God is holy.

Revelation 4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

² Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. ^3 [a]And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white ^[b]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ And from the throne proceeded lightnings, ^[c]thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the^[d] seven Spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne there ^[e]was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“Holy,^[f] holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

¹¹ “You are worthy, ^[g]O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they ^[h]exist and were created.”

 

Revealed Himself through His Son in these last days

The One True God revealed Himself though His Son Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:2  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ^[a]worlds;

Isaiah Q & A study notes (chapter 1-3)

 The book of Isaiah foretells numerous messianic prophecies as well as numerous international prophecies of that day including the decline of the Assyrian empire to the east, the coming Babylonian captivity from the north, and the eventual deliverance of Israel through the nation of Persia. Isaiah ministered for 52 years in the southern kingdom of Judah (divided kingdom) under the reign of 4 kings. (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah) What can we learn about Judah from this period of history judging from the reign of these 4 kings?

Uzziah: (2 Chronicles 26: 1-21

 

 

Jotham: (2kings:15:19, 34, 35, 37, 2 Chronicles 27:1-2)

 

 

Ahaz: 2 Chronicles 28:1-8, 22-25

 

 

Hezekiah: 2 Cronicles: 29:2, 3, 10,11,18,19, 2 Chronicles 30:1, 21, 2 Chronicles 32:1-2, 20-21

 

 

Judah was relatively strong economically, militarily and even spiritually under the reign of King Hezekiah but were experiencing spiritual decline none the less (2 Chronicles 27:2); especially during the reign of king Ahaz. Judah suffered a military defeat at the hands of a coalition army of Israel and Syria from the north because of King Ahaz’s wicked ways (2 Chronicles 28: 4-5) What does the Bible have to say about nations that have abundance of wealth but are spiritually poor?

A: Proverbs 16:18, Amos 6:1-8, Deuteronomy 8:17-18

 

In chapter 1; God confronts Israel for abandoning Him and expresses displeasure with her wicked ways. (Verse 10) What will be God’s purpose in Israel’s future judgement?

A: Verse 24-25

Since the future judgement of Israel is for its eventual restoration; to what shall Israel be restored?

A: Isaiah 2:1-4, Revelation 20:1-10, Micah 4:1-5

 

 

Sin is terrible and God cannot sweep sin under the rug!

Isaiah 2:5-11

 

What is the “the day of the Lord”?

A: God’s extreme wrath directed at sin

Isaiah 2:12-22, 1 Peter 3:10, Joel 1:15

 

 

God’s judgment can come in a variety of ways. In Isaiah 3:4; what form does judgment take on Israel?

A: Isaiah 3:12, Ecclesiastes 10:16

 

 

What does the LORD think of the oppression described in Isaiah 3:13-15?

A: James 5:4

 

 

Why is outward beauty in woman seemingly condemned in Isaiah 3:16-23?

A: 1 Timothy 9, 10, 1 Peter 3:3-4, Proverbs 1:10