Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Are We Confusing the Benefits of Marriage with the Purpose of or Reason for Marriage?
(article is currently under construction)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Supernatural Oneness of Marriage & Counterfeit Relationships (Part 7 - Study of Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships)
Adam Spoke Factually & Prophetically
Genesis 2:23-24
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of the Man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Adam spoke of the reality of Eve (where she came from & her name “Woman”). Then Adam spoke prophetically (by God’s enabling power) of what this meant for humanity…”Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” He spoke of things and circumstances that did not even yet exist…an earthly father and mother.
(Some Bible versions denote this statement as not in quotes. It is felt by some that the statement was made by the writer of Genesis...Moses...instead of Adam. Whether the statement is made by Moses or Adam, the source remains the same-- divine knowlege from God.)
(Some Bible versions denote this statement as not in quotes. It is felt by some that the statement was made by the writer of Genesis...Moses...instead of Adam. Whether the statement is made by Moses or Adam, the source remains the same-- divine knowlege from God.)
The fullness of this prophecy or statement is difficult for me to grasp. God’s spoken word through Adam set into motion the events of our lives for all time. Though the prophecy may have been made concerning mankind and how he would intimately relate to woman before sin entered into the world, the effect of the prophecy on our lives even with the burden of sin attached is very real. However, because of the distorting and destructive effects of sin, the numerous distorted versions of this intimate relationship are astounding.
The number of counterfeit versions of this intimate relationship include the girlfriend-boyfriend relationship; cohabitation relationships; common-law relationship; friends-with-benefits; one-night stand; adulterous relationships; same-sex relationships; pedophilic relationship; incestuous relationships; swinging relationship; arranged marriages; polygamy, and more.
God allowed Adam to understand what His Perfect Plan was for Man & Woman—to be one as the Godhead is One (Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…).
This oneness for Man & Woman does not fully exist outside of an intimate relationship by each individual with God. In God’s order, He was first alone with each individual before He ordained that their human-to-human relationship would create a state of oneness. God did not send them out to hunt or search for each other. (Genesis 2, Genesis 24)
However, because of the power of God’s word spoken by Adam, there is still a state of oneness created when a man and woman join together even in unholy union. The intimate physical and emotional union of a man and a woman was designed by God to occur within the state of holy matrimony. (1 Corinthians 6:16 What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh.) This unholy union has been the snare of millions of souls. This unholy union has destroyed billions of lives.
The true toll of casualties in the battle for the human soul through sabotage of relationships is a mixture of the total number of self-centered marriages, divorces, suicides, pre- or extramarital sexual encounters, unwed pregnancies, abortions, cohabitations, kids abandoned by parents, intimate violence events, uninvolved fathers & husbands, uninvolved mothers & wives, abandoned families, even addictions.
God’s remedy for mankind is found in Him. The hope for relationships is here in our midst. It is found in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Then and only then can we experience the close proximity to that which is not only the center of life, but that which is Life itself. (John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…)
The term “close proximity” is not descriptive or close enough. The relationship between redeemed man & redeemed woman designed for man has to be crucified with Christ, have the blood of Christ flowing through it, be housed within the Body of Christ, be indwelled by the Holy Spirit, be grafted into the Vine, and be filled with the Holy Ghost…What a tall order! Only God is able to orchestrate this reality. Will we let Him?
God is Amazing!!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Major Updates to November 9th - Purpose of the Husband:Wife Relationship
Please take a look at the November 9th Post regarding the Purpose of the Husband:Wife Relationship.
In an effort to clearly present perspectives from Scripture on the answer to the first question, some additional information has been added.
The husband:wife relationship has been, and is under spiritual attack. If we do not agree with God about His purpose for this relationship (and others), the chaos will continue to escalate in and outside the Body of Christ.
In an effort to clearly present perspectives from Scripture on the answer to the first question, some additional information has been added.
The husband:wife relationship has been, and is under spiritual attack. If we do not agree with God about His purpose for this relationship (and others), the chaos will continue to escalate in and outside the Body of Christ.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Man & Woman Equal? Yes and No! Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships Part 6
Men & Women, Are We Equal? Yes and No!
Genesis 2:21-22 ...and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman...
The piece of Adam that Eve contained made her a completer of the man. God did not replace the piece that he took from the man, but left man without this piece.
As Adam states later, Eve was truly flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. She was formed by God using a piece of him. The woman contained what the man now lacked.
As I read through one of the commentaries on this chapter by Adam Clarke, he made the point that the woman had "equal, power, faculty and rights" as the man. I immediately disagreed with his point while not considering the full context of his point, nor the time period in which he lived (1830's).
In an effort to clearly not side with the argument made by some that men & women are equal, I did not look at the spiritual perspective. In a spiritual sense, men and women are both equal souls--important to God. The woman complimented the man accordiing to God's specifications. She was not in the same category as the animals, she was similar to man, yet different from him.
This point of equality probably had a different meaning in the 1830's, a time where women may have been seen and treated as inferior.
Today, in our post-feminist era, women are applauded from many different angles. They are told they are equal to man, but not so much from a soul's worth perspective, moreso from a competitive "I'm better than you perspective." This has led to much discord and confusion on the part of men and women.
God is definitely able to create identical, but He did not do that in the creation of man & woman.
One the one hand: We look different anatomically and emotionally. We are not identical.
On the other hand: Men and women are a special creation of God. Our souls are equally important to God. So yes, from that perspective, we are equal spiritually.
All this may sound like an unrelated discussion, however, what we understand about God's perspective on men and women affects how we relate to each other. If this is a competitive race, we treat each other differently. If we consider that both male and female are precious souls in God's eyes, it changes they way we think and act toward each other.
Adam Clarke's commentary on Genesis Chapter 2:
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=ge&chapter=2&verse=15#Ge2_15
Genesis 2:21-22 ...and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman...
The piece of Adam that Eve contained made her a completer of the man. God did not replace the piece that he took from the man, but left man without this piece.
As Adam states later, Eve was truly flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. She was formed by God using a piece of him. The woman contained what the man now lacked.
As I read through one of the commentaries on this chapter by Adam Clarke, he made the point that the woman had "equal, power, faculty and rights" as the man. I immediately disagreed with his point while not considering the full context of his point, nor the time period in which he lived (1830's).
In an effort to clearly not side with the argument made by some that men & women are equal, I did not look at the spiritual perspective. In a spiritual sense, men and women are both equal souls--important to God. The woman complimented the man accordiing to God's specifications. She was not in the same category as the animals, she was similar to man, yet different from him.
This point of equality probably had a different meaning in the 1830's, a time where women may have been seen and treated as inferior.
Today, in our post-feminist era, women are applauded from many different angles. They are told they are equal to man, but not so much from a soul's worth perspective, moreso from a competitive "I'm better than you perspective." This has led to much discord and confusion on the part of men and women.
God is definitely able to create identical, but He did not do that in the creation of man & woman.
One the one hand: We look different anatomically and emotionally. We are not identical.
On the other hand: Men and women are a special creation of God. Our souls are equally important to God. So yes, from that perspective, we are equal spiritually.
All this may sound like an unrelated discussion, however, what we understand about God's perspective on men and women affects how we relate to each other. If this is a competitive race, we treat each other differently. If we consider that both male and female are precious souls in God's eyes, it changes they way we think and act toward each other.
Adam Clarke's commentary on Genesis Chapter 2:
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=ge&chapter=2&verse=15#Ge2_15
Monday, November 28, 2011
God brought her to the man...Questions for the Reader (Part 9) - Genesis Chapter 2
God brought her to the man...
Our culture, past and present, teaches that we need to be about the business of looking for our mate. We are taught that we need to date. Numerous teens have asked the question when discussing this topic of dating: How else will we know who our soulmate is?
The practice of dating has become an engrained way of life for many people in our society both young and old. The morphing of what the term means over the years is an interesting topic of study. (From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twenthieth-Century America by Beth Bailey)
The pattern that God set in Scripture is very different from what our society teaches, advocates, and demands from us.
Through the lives of Adam & Eve, and Isaac & Rebekah God demonstrates clearly His way of bringing together husband and wife. (Genesis 2:18-25; Genesis 24:1-67)
1. How did God create the husband/wife relationship in these four people?
2. Do you agree with God's order and methods?
3. Do you think God's order and methods are applicable today?
4. Have the methods for creating relationships advocated by society been fruitful or fruitless; painful or painless; a blessing or a curse?
5. Do you trust God to provide what & who He desires for you in His time and His way?
6. Are you anxious about where you are in the area of relationships? If yes, does this anxiety stem from not surrendering to God's methods or because society says you are not where you should be?
Our culture, past and present, teaches that we need to be about the business of looking for our mate. We are taught that we need to date. Numerous teens have asked the question when discussing this topic of dating: How else will we know who our soulmate is?
The practice of dating has become an engrained way of life for many people in our society both young and old. The morphing of what the term means over the years is an interesting topic of study. (From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twenthieth-Century America by Beth Bailey)
The pattern that God set in Scripture is very different from what our society teaches, advocates, and demands from us.
Through the lives of Adam & Eve, and Isaac & Rebekah God demonstrates clearly His way of bringing together husband and wife. (Genesis 2:18-25; Genesis 24:1-67)
1. How did God create the husband/wife relationship in these four people?
2. Do you agree with God's order and methods?
3. Do you think God's order and methods are applicable today?
4. Have the methods for creating relationships advocated by society been fruitful or fruitless; painful or painless; a blessing or a curse?
5. Do you trust God to provide what & who He desires for you in His time and His way?
6. Are you anxious about where you are in the area of relationships? If yes, does this anxiety stem from not surrendering to God's methods or because society says you are not where you should be?
Eve...Alone with God First: Questions for the Reader (Part 8) - Genesis Chapter 2
Eve...Alone with God First
Genesis 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Today's culture, inside and outside the church, teaches us differently than what God ordains in His word. Speaking personally, I know that I bought into the lessons taught by my culture even back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. It took a lot of "brain-rinsing" for God to enable me to see His views and order for relationships.
While I cannot do life over, I can choose to learn God's ways and then surrender to His best for this life starting today.
1. Have you been alone with God first before seeking to be alone with someone else?
2. Have you allowed God to mold you into who He desires you to be, for His purposes?
3. Have you allowed God to bring you to the one for whom He designed you in His time and way?
Genesis 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Today's culture, inside and outside the church, teaches us differently than what God ordains in His word. Speaking personally, I know that I bought into the lessons taught by my culture even back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. It took a lot of "brain-rinsing" for God to enable me to see His views and order for relationships.
While I cannot do life over, I can choose to learn God's ways and then surrender to His best for this life starting today.
1. Have you been alone with God first before seeking to be alone with someone else?
2. Have you allowed God to mold you into who He desires you to be, for His purposes?
3. Have you allowed God to bring you to the one for whom He designed you in His time and way?
Eve...Alone with God Before Being Brought to Adam by God: Part 5 of 10 - Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships: A Commentary
Eve...Alone with God Before Being Brought to Adam by God
Genesis 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
In between the making of the woman, and the bringing of her to Adam, Eve spent time alone with God.
In that short fragment of a sentence, and brought her unto the man, several truths are quietly revealed. God's Word is amazing in that one word, or a small group of words can reveal so much!
1. God & Eve were some place different from Adam. It could have been close, or it could have been far.
2. Eve could have been awake or asleep, but she was with God (not alone by herself, and not with Adam).
3. Even the briefest millisecond with God can be packed with infinite blessings! (Acts 9:3-7)
4. Even the lightest touch from God causes the most amazing transformation and healing! (Matthew 9:20-22; Matthew 14:36)
What, if anything, transpired?
What was the quality of the experience of Eve with God?
Genesis 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
In between the making of the woman, and the bringing of her to Adam, Eve spent time alone with God.
In that short fragment of a sentence, and brought her unto the man, several truths are quietly revealed. God's Word is amazing in that one word, or a small group of words can reveal so much!
1. God & Eve were some place different from Adam. It could have been close, or it could have been far.
2. Eve could have been awake or asleep, but she was with God (not alone by herself, and not with Adam).
3. Even the briefest millisecond with God can be packed with infinite blessings! (Acts 9:3-7)
4. Even the lightest touch from God causes the most amazing transformation and healing! (Matthew 9:20-22; Matthew 14:36)
What, if anything, transpired?
What was the quality of the experience of Eve with God?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
God's Purpose or our purpose for the husband:wife relationship: Questions for the Reader (Part 7) - Genesis Chapter 2
God's Purpose or our purpose for the husband:wife relationship
1. What is God's purpose for the husband:wife relationship?
2. What is our purpose for the husband:wife relationship?
3. Whose purpose for this relationship dictates your thoughts and actions in this relatioship?
Insights from Scripture:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth...And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it...(Genesis 1:1, 26-28)
Excerpts below from the book Adulterous Heart (by Barbara Lynette Peters)
Imagine for a few moments, if you will, the truth. This truth is contained clearly throughout Scripture and warrants your thorough analysis as well as mine. Imagine that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth . . . he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited” (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 45:18).
So in this initial setting, Earth, God meticulously and carefully created a most suitable place for Himself to dwell among man. He began by adding light to that which was previously dark. He organized the two opposing states of light and dark and created what He called Day and Night. As the details of Genesis chapter one and two slowly unfold, the order and purpose that is created out of emptiness and chaos are phenomenal and incomprehensible. God not only created macro-order, He created micro-order to levels that we have yet to fathom. The Garden of Eden was free of decay, death and sin. It was full of life.
So in this initial setting, Earth, God meticulously and carefully created a most suitable place for Himself to dwell among man. He began by adding light to that which was previously dark. He organized the two opposing states of light and dark and created what He called Day and Night. As the details of Genesis chapter one and two slowly unfold, the order and purpose that is created out of emptiness and chaos are phenomenal and incomprehensible. God not only created macro-order, He created micro-order to levels that we have yet to fathom. The Garden of Eden was free of decay, death and sin. It was full of life.
God ordained every detail for His purposes. One such purpose He revealed not in words, but in His actions. God created a most suitable environment where He communed with man, spoke to man, allowed His presence to be sensed by man, provided for man, taught man, and walked near man. God blessed man. The intimacy of God’s relationship with man at this point, in this God designed and structured setting, may be far beyond our human ability to perceive.
_______________________________________________end of excerpt_____
The Garden of Eden was the initial setting created by God where He would commune and relate intimately to man. After man's ousting from this setting, God began orchestrating the next setting for Himself to intimately commune with man, dwell among man. This setting was amongst the people He created, the Israelites, in the Tent of Meetings, and later the Temple.
Even before the destruction of this second setting specifically ordained for the intimate communion of the Holy God with men, God began orchestrating the next place in which the Holy God would dwell among man, a human temple. His name is Jesus Christ.
God's orchestration of life on Earth did not stop there, He made it possible for the Holy God to dwell within man by the death & resurrection of His Son, Jesus the Christ. When Christ died on the cross, overcame death and ascended into Heaven, His sacrifice made it possible for people who believed in God's provision to have the Holy Spirit dwell within them. God enabled His Spirit to be deposited into human temples. In order for these human temples to be a suitable place for the Holy God, they needed to be redeemed, purified, transformed, changed, willingly die to their flesh, and live by the Power of God alone! God begins a work of preparing our human temple for His dominion in it after we believe upon His Son Christ, and as we willingly die to self daily. God desires to meticulously and carefully create a most suitable place for Himself to dwell within man.
Will we surrender to His creative work, or are we more concerned about what we desire to create of our lives?
The purpose of marriage has to do with our human temple being used by God to be spiritually fruitful and multiply the likeness of the Godhead in our own lives, and that of those God places in our lives (our children, neighbors, friends, etc.) The purpose of marriage has less to do with us being entertained, meeting a societal goal, having a mate for the sake of having a mate, us not being alone, having an instant sexual partner, or changing someone into what we want them to be. While God said it was not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18), He also said that He would never leave us or forsake us (Deutoronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5; 1Chronicles 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). He never promised that humans would never leave or forsake each other. His Word demonstrates repeatedly that we are faithless, but He is the only forever faithful Husband.
Do we trust God enough to be the One and only for us? Or are we still too overcome by our fears, our own desires & expectations, and those of the world around us so that we don't let go of everything else and hold on to Him alone? Are we able to surrender our desire for a person to fill the void, and trust God to provide whatever He chooses, when He chooses, while we instead go about doing the Kingdom work for which He designed us?
I sense by the many conversations with Christ followers and others that we are instead gripped by fear, paralyzed by our expectations, mesmerized by the teachings of our world, and overcome by our desires. We are more loyal to what we want for ourselves, than what God desires for the life He created in us.
_______________________________________________end of excerpt_____
The Garden of Eden was the initial setting created by God where He would commune and relate intimately to man. After man's ousting from this setting, God began orchestrating the next setting for Himself to intimately commune with man, dwell among man. This setting was amongst the people He created, the Israelites, in the Tent of Meetings, and later the Temple.
Even before the destruction of this second setting specifically ordained for the intimate communion of the Holy God with men, God began orchestrating the next place in which the Holy God would dwell among man, a human temple. His name is Jesus Christ.
God's orchestration of life on Earth did not stop there, He made it possible for the Holy God to dwell within man by the death & resurrection of His Son, Jesus the Christ. When Christ died on the cross, overcame death and ascended into Heaven, His sacrifice made it possible for people who believed in God's provision to have the Holy Spirit dwell within them. God enabled His Spirit to be deposited into human temples. In order for these human temples to be a suitable place for the Holy God, they needed to be redeemed, purified, transformed, changed, willingly die to their flesh, and live by the Power of God alone! God begins a work of preparing our human temple for His dominion in it after we believe upon His Son Christ, and as we willingly die to self daily. God desires to meticulously and carefully create a most suitable place for Himself to dwell within man.
Will we surrender to His creative work, or are we more concerned about what we desire to create of our lives?
The purpose of marriage has to do with our human temple being used by God to be spiritually fruitful and multiply the likeness of the Godhead in our own lives, and that of those God places in our lives (our children, neighbors, friends, etc.) The purpose of marriage has less to do with us being entertained, meeting a societal goal, having a mate for the sake of having a mate, us not being alone, having an instant sexual partner, or changing someone into what we want them to be. While God said it was not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18), He also said that He would never leave us or forsake us (Deutoronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5; 1Chronicles 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). He never promised that humans would never leave or forsake each other. His Word demonstrates repeatedly that we are faithless, but He is the only forever faithful Husband.
Do we trust God enough to be the One and only for us? Or are we still too overcome by our fears, our own desires & expectations, and those of the world around us so that we don't let go of everything else and hold on to Him alone? Are we able to surrender our desire for a person to fill the void, and trust God to provide whatever He chooses, when He chooses, while we instead go about doing the Kingdom work for which He designed us?
I sense by the many conversations with Christ followers and others that we are instead gripped by fear, paralyzed by our expectations, mesmerized by the teachings of our world, and overcome by our desires. We are more loyal to what we want for ourselves, than what God desires for the life He created in us.
Created in God's image?
In Chapter 1 of his book, One for All, H. Daniel Hilliard gives amazing perspective on the spiritual implications of being created in God's image. My natural mind has most often reverted to thinking of this concept from a physical perspective, but my natural thoughts are so very limited and lacking.
The word image has both spiritual and physical meanings. In spiritual (non‐physical) terms, an image is a shade (shadow) or phantom (mental representation); and, in physical terms, an image is an idol or figure (figurine or statute). Both categories of definitions have the same implication: a thing that represents someone or something else greater than itself. Adam was an image of God because Jehovah God personally left a deposit or imprint of Himself—Eternal Breath and Mindset—in him; but, Adam was not exactly the same as, or identical to God.
The word image has both spiritual and physical meanings. In spiritual (non‐physical) terms, an image is a shade (shadow) or phantom (mental representation); and, in physical terms, an image is an idol or figure (figurine or statute). Both categories of definitions have the same implication: a thing that represents someone or something else greater than itself. Adam was an image of God because Jehovah God personally left a deposit or imprint of Himself—Eternal Breath and Mindset—in him; but, Adam was not exactly the same as, or identical to God.
Adam’s Purpose
At the time of his creation, Adam was an immortal living soul—mind and body—that was inspired by an eternal God-consciousness or spirit. In truth, he was an interface. An interface connects two or more things that could not otherwise be connected or joined directly together. Adam bridged or connected the supernatural (unseen) world of God to the physical world.
With his visible self or body, Adam could sense (see, hear, touch, taste and smell) things in the physical world and then process those senses with his mind or thoughts. And, with his spirit, he could perceive and sense things in the unseen world of God and then process those perceptions and senses, too, with his mind or thoughts.
And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28a
Although Adam was the first one of his kind of life-form, when God looked at him He saw the fullness of humanity or the entire human race. As such, Adam had, at least, three primary responsibilities:
1. To stand before God and receive the blessing—verbal adoration or warm salutations—and the Earthly authority for all (the rest) of his kind of life-form.
2. To set the tone or pattern of agreement with God for all (the rest) of his kind of life-form
3. To reproduce others of his kind, in the image and likeness of God, and then equally share with them the blessing and authority he received from God.
Excerpts from: One for All: the message of salvation in God's own words by H. Daniel Hilliard.
Do we agree with God's intended Purposes?: Part 4 of 10 - Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships: A Commentary
Do we agree with God's intended Purposes?
Genesis 2:22-23
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
God made a woman, then brought her unto Adam, just as He had previously brought the animals before Adam.
Adam was gifted by God with the ability to identify the name & purpose of the animals. He also did this with Eve.
Knowing her origin and purpose, He agreed with God's intent--that she was for him. Adam demonstrated that he desired what God designed, the way He designed it, according to God's timing.
Genesis 2:22-23
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
God made a woman, then brought her unto Adam, just as He had previously brought the animals before Adam.
Adam was gifted by God with the ability to identify the name & purpose of the animals. He also did this with Eve.
Knowing her origin and purpose, He agreed with God's intent--that she was for him. Adam demonstrated that he desired what God designed, the way He designed it, according to God's timing.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Waiting or Manipulating: Questions for the Reader (Part 6) - Genesis Chapter 2
Waiting or Manipulating?
Men
1. What item(s) has God allowed to be missing in you that He will provide for by His means?
2. Have you allowed God to "put you to sleep" while He orchestrates events and people according to His will & His timing?
3. Or, are you instead manipulating events & people according to the the traditions of your culture, family or religion?
Women
1. Have you allowed God to fashion you according to His plan to be a blessing to the mate of His design?
2. Have you spent quality time alone with God focused soley on Him?
3. Has God "brought" you to the one He has designed for you in His time & way?
3. Or, are you instead manipulating events & people according to your desires, traditions of your culture, family or religion?
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him... (Psalm 37:7)
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:25)
Men
1. What item(s) has God allowed to be missing in you that He will provide for by His means?
2. Have you allowed God to "put you to sleep" while He orchestrates events and people according to His will & His timing?
3. Or, are you instead manipulating events & people according to the the traditions of your culture, family or religion?
Women
1. Have you allowed God to fashion you according to His plan to be a blessing to the mate of His design?
2. Have you spent quality time alone with God focused soley on Him?
3. Has God "brought" you to the one He has designed for you in His time & way?
3. Or, are you instead manipulating events & people according to your desires, traditions of your culture, family or religion?
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him... (Psalm 37:7)
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:25)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
What Adam Lacked...Part 3 of 10 Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships: A Commentary
What Adam Lacked...
Genesis 2:21-22
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
God chose to provide for the man by taking something from the man. God, the great physician, performed surgery with supernatural anesthesia.
God took a piece of Adam, and did not replace this piece/rib. The missing piece was used to fashion a woman. The woman now had what the man lacked.
God fashioned the woman to be the suitable being for the man. Then God brought the woman to the man.
Genesis 2:21-22
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
God chose to provide for the man by taking something from the man. God, the great physician, performed surgery with supernatural anesthesia.
God took a piece of Adam, and did not replace this piece/rib. The missing piece was used to fashion a woman. The woman now had what the man lacked.
God fashioned the woman to be the suitable being for the man. Then God brought the woman to the man.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Our relationship with God...is it there? Genesis Chapter 2 - Questions for the Reader (Part 5)
Our relationship with God...is it there?
Genesis 2:7-20
God was Adam's first relationship. Adam was able to clearly hear God's direction. He was able to perceive God's presence. God had established with Adam a foundational relationship that came before all the others in his life.
1. Why did Adam wait on God's plan to unfold?
2. Was it because of the depth of their relationship?
3. Did Adam trust God with this area of his life (an intimate relationship with a woman)?
4. Do we trust God with this area of our lives?
5. Are we out handling this area on our own?
Genesis 2:7-20
God was Adam's first relationship. Adam was able to clearly hear God's direction. He was able to perceive God's presence. God had established with Adam a foundational relationship that came before all the others in his life.
1. Why did Adam wait on God's plan to unfold?
2. Was it because of the depth of their relationship?
3. Did Adam trust God with this area of his life (an intimate relationship with a woman)?
4. Do we trust God with this area of our lives?
5. Are we out handling this area on our own?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
God's Order or our order? Genesis Chapter 2 - Questions for the Reader (Part 4)
God's Order or our order
Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. (KJV)
In verse 18, God spoke into existence man's need to not be alone. Yet, the next thing God did seemed to have nothing to do with addressing this need. God gave Adam a task. Adam performed the task given to him despite the need that he now carried in his heart and soul.
Questions:
1. Are we so obsessed with the need to "not be alone," such that we have no idea what God has given & equipped us to do?
2. Have we placed our own spin on life and decided to fulfill our desire for companionship with a human first, then resolve to follow God's plan for our life...later? (After I get married, after I have kids, after...)
3. Have we allowed God to develop His relationship with us before we have pursued the secondary relationships or things in our life?
Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. (KJV)
In verse 18, God spoke into existence man's need to not be alone. Yet, the next thing God did seemed to have nothing to do with addressing this need. God gave Adam a task. Adam performed the task given to him despite the need that he now carried in his heart and soul.
Questions:
1. Are we so obsessed with the need to "not be alone," such that we have no idea what God has given & equipped us to do?
2. Have we placed our own spin on life and decided to fulfill our desire for companionship with a human first, then resolve to follow God's plan for our life...later? (After I get married, after I have kids, after...)
3. Have we allowed God to develop His relationship with us before we have pursued the secondary relationships or things in our life?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Suitability: Genesis Chapter 2 - Questions for the Reader (Part 3)
Suitability
Genesis 2:20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. (New American Standard version)
Questions:
1. Has God brought "unsuitable" things/people before us for a different supernatural reason? (A new friend for us to pray for; encourage in godliness; give witness of God's greatness)?
2. Have we instead intimately pursued someone that God has not designed for us just because they were placed in front of us? God brought both the animals & Eve before Adam. Yet only one was designed for him.
3. Have we taken what was unsuitable for us and demanded that it be deemed suitable for our own purposes/needs/wants/desires?
4. Is the burning mantra or whine of my life..."But God, I want..." or is the surrendered question, "God, what do You want for this life you have given me?"
5. Do my desires match the desires that God has for me? Are my desires in alignment with how I have been designed by God? Adam did not desire the animals. Later, Scripture shows that he fell in step with God's plan for he and Eve. God specifically designed Eve for Adam's ordained need of companionship in God's time.
Genesis 2:20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. (New American Standard version)
Questions:
1. Has God brought "unsuitable" things/people before us for a different supernatural reason? (A new friend for us to pray for; encourage in godliness; give witness of God's greatness)?
2. Have we instead intimately pursued someone that God has not designed for us just because they were placed in front of us? God brought both the animals & Eve before Adam. Yet only one was designed for him.
3. Have we taken what was unsuitable for us and demanded that it be deemed suitable for our own purposes/needs/wants/desires?
4. Is the burning mantra or whine of my life..."But God, I want..." or is the surrendered question, "God, what do You want for this life you have given me?"
5. Do my desires match the desires that God has for me? Are my desires in alignment with how I have been designed by God? Adam did not desire the animals. Later, Scripture shows that he fell in step with God's plan for he and Eve. God specifically designed Eve for Adam's ordained need of companionship in God's time.
Monday, October 24, 2011
It is not good that the man should be alone: Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships: A Commentary - Part 2 of 10
Genesis 2:18-20
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:18-20. According to Scripture, after God spoke of the reality of man's psyche, "It is not good that the man should be alone" the next passage does not seem to fit our order of doing things.
God first brought the animals before Adam and enabled him (supernaturally) to name them and to see that they were not suitable as companions for him. Before their suitability was spoken of, Adam began and finished the work that God had set before him. He focused on being obedient to God regarding the task he had been given instead of fulfilling for himself the need that was also placed in him to not be alone.
God is The Great Multitasker. He accomplishes more than we can imagine with what seems like one task or "project." If we view His work or "projects" from our little perspective, we will miss much of what He is really doing.
This life is not about us and our needs, it is about God and His Kingdom.
When you think you understand or don't understand what is happening around you, ask God to open your eyes to see what He desires you to see. Then wait for Him to reveal to you what He wants to reveal to you and it will most often "blow your mind!" So many times God's perspective just takes my breath away!
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:18-20. According to Scripture, after God spoke of the reality of man's psyche, "It is not good that the man should be alone" the next passage does not seem to fit our order of doing things.
God first brought the animals before Adam and enabled him (supernaturally) to name them and to see that they were not suitable as companions for him. Before their suitability was spoken of, Adam began and finished the work that God had set before him. He focused on being obedient to God regarding the task he had been given instead of fulfilling for himself the need that was also placed in him to not be alone.
God is The Great Multitasker. He accomplishes more than we can imagine with what seems like one task or "project." If we view His work or "projects" from our little perspective, we will miss much of what He is really doing.
This life is not about us and our needs, it is about God and His Kingdom.
When you think you understand or don't understand what is happening around you, ask God to open your eyes to see what He desires you to see. Then wait for Him to reveal to you what He wants to reveal to you and it will most often "blow your mind!" So many times God's perspective just takes my breath away!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Fearing or understanding God's plan regarding "not being alone" Genesis Chapter 2 - Questions for the Reader (Part 2)
Does the desire to "not be alone" dictate to your heart and mind . . .
a) Creating fear about being alone?
b) Causing you to pursue any means necessary to not be alone?
c) Making you believe popular culture's methods for not being alone?
d) Compelling you to follow the traditions of family and friends?
e) Calling you to give in to the pressures of others to not be alone?
OR
Does God, the Giver of the righteous desire, direct your path on how He desires you to relate to Him and others (your neighbor )?
a) Enabling you to seek Him above self and all others.
b) Teaching you how to commune daily with Him (praying to Him, reading about Him, listening for Him, looking for Him, obeying Him, studying Him, desiring to please Him)?
c) Ministering peace and truth about who He is and who you are?
d) Knitting your heart, mind and soul to His through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ?
e) Revealing awesome truths about the purpose of relationship with Him and others (you neighbors)?
a) Creating fear about being alone?
b) Causing you to pursue any means necessary to not be alone?
c) Making you believe popular culture's methods for not being alone?
d) Compelling you to follow the traditions of family and friends?
e) Calling you to give in to the pressures of others to not be alone?
OR
Does God, the Giver of the righteous desire, direct your path on how He desires you to relate to Him and others (your neighbor )?
a) Enabling you to seek Him above self and all others.
b) Teaching you how to commune daily with Him (praying to Him, reading about Him, listening for Him, looking for Him, obeying Him, studying Him, desiring to please Him)?
c) Ministering peace and truth about who He is and who you are?
d) Knitting your heart, mind and soul to His through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ?
e) Revealing awesome truths about the purpose of relationship with Him and others (you neighbors)?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
My most important relationships? Genesis Chapter 2 - Questions for the Reader (Part 1)
In everyday life, with whom is your primary relationship?
>>With whom do you communicate the most? (Talk to, listen to...)
>>Who do you think about most often?
>>Who gives you the emotional support you feel you need?
>>Who nurtures your soul?
>>Who is the person you agape (unconditionally love) the most?
>>With whom do you spend most of your time each week?
>>On whom do you spend most of your money?
>>Who gives you direction or advice on dealing with people, finances...life?
>>Whose advice do you use in dealing with people, finances...life?
>>With whom do you communicate the most? (Talk to, listen to...)
>>Who do you think about most often?
>>Who gives you the emotional support you feel you need?
>>Who nurtures your soul?
>>Who is the person you agape (unconditionally love) the most?
>>With whom do you spend most of your time each week?
>>On whom do you spend most of your money?
>>Who gives you direction or advice on dealing with people, finances...life?
>>Whose advice do you use in dealing with people, finances...life?
Monday, October 17, 2011
God's Truth vs. the world's distortion of relationships: Genesis Chapter 2 and Its Implications for Relationships: A Commentary - Part 1 of 10
1. Genesis 2:7-17. God created man. God provided abundantly for man. God related to man & man to God. God instructed man on what his work would be, and what he would eat. Genesis 2:20a. God enabled man to know things (classify/name the animals).
2. Genesis 2:18. God spoke a key component of the reality of man’s psyche into existence. “It is not good that the man should be alone.” God spoke the reality/challenge into man’s life & He created the solution to the reality/challenge.
Unfortunately, this truth spoken by God has been used by man & the devil to ensnare and destroy man. We are not intimately familiar with God’s spoken reality and His solution to it. God is redeemed man’s first relationship.
God is redeemed man’s foundational relationship. God is man’s pivotal relationship. It is not good that the man should be alone is a reality that comes after this foundation has been laid. This foundation is laid by God with our surrender of our will and wants.
We have distorted the order of the relationships. The desires of believers in Christ mimic those of unredeemed man in that we do not pursue the fullness of the foundational relationship, nor the instruction of God in building our secondary relationships.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)