July 31, 2010 by kurt bennett
-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.
Genesis 2:7
Today scientists know that, in fact, all of the elements that make up the human body are found in the dust of the earth — just as the Bible describes. Did you know that if someone were to collect and separate all of those elements found in your body, and sell them, you would be worth only a few dollars?
But, thank God, and thanks to God, we’re more than dust. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils His breath of life. Formed of dust but without God’s breath of life we’re dead. But with God’s breath of life in us we live, move, and have our being. In the original Hebrew the word ruach is used here for the word breathed in this scripture, and it’s the same word that’s used to mean Spirit.
Perhaps you’re already a Christian, you believe in Jesus Christ, that He died for your sins, and rose again. You’ve accepted Him as your Lord. (If you’re not, please go to the Join Christ’s Family tab) But even as we’re but dust without God’s breath of life imparted unto us, we’re also missing out on a more abundant life if we don’t have God’s Holy Spirit upon us. In John 10:10 Jesus said that, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (KJV) Jesus also said in John 7:38 that “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” And in the next verse the Bible says that By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Do you want to enjoy your most abundant life in Christ? Do you want to live a life that’s overflowing with streams of God’s living water? Then ask God for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. You may experience greater wisdom, greater knowledge, greater faith, and greater discernment, (1 Corinthians 12:8-11) as well as greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23) Who doesn’t want that? The Holy Spirit can bring these things into your life in greater measure!
The other thing that happens when you have the Holy Spirit upon your life is that you begin to bear fruit for God’s kingdom. I have observed this in a close friend of mine who I’ll call Jim. Jim’s been a Christian for more than 25 years, and while he’s been pleasant enough, and while I’ve observed no gross sin in his life, there didn’t seem to be much that would indicate any bearing of fruit in Jim’s life. In fact, you could say that Jim’s life was somewhat characterized by selfish pursuits and self indulgence. However, about five years ago Jim confided in me that he began to pray in earnest for the Holy Spirit to come upon his life. Since that time I’ve observed that Jim’s countenance has changed, he’s taught small Bible studies for men, he’s lead small home church groups, he’s visited and prayed for sick people in the hospital, and he’s reached out to others to influence them for Christ. Jim’s life was transformed!
Yours can be too.
Ask for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said,
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:11-13
References:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
J. Vernon McGee
David Guzik
Chuck Smith, Living Water, The Word for Today, 2007
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July 24, 2010 by kurt bennett
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- 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.
Genesis 2:4-7
I love these four verses. It’s as though God is moving us from the overview of creation in Genesis chapter 1, to the account of man in the rest of the Bible, by rotating His telephoto lens from wide angle to zoom. In chapter 1 of Genesis God’s word is at wide angle, in Genesis chapter 2, verse 8 the Bible zooms in to record that part of God’s creation that is mankind. Genesis 2:4-7 is the time of transition between the two.
“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” (Genesis 2:4) I want to write about what some have said about the Genesis account, that it is a mythical story containing spiritual truths. This thinking supposes that we should accept the truths found in the Genesis account but reject the story as a historical account.
That approach is fraught with problems.
If you make the assumption that the Genesis account, including the record of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, is a myth, then you have to make a judgment concerning the giving of manna from heaven, the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the account of Jonah and the whale, and ultimately, the account of Christ in the gospels. You find yourself attempting to decide for yourself, where myth ends, and where truth and history begin. Instead of the Bible judging you, you become the judge of the Bible — a very dangerous place to be.
Most important is that Jesus himself spoke of the miracles, events, and people in the Old Testament as historical truth.
Jesus validated the account of the destruction of Sodom including the death of Lot’s wife. (Luke 17:29,32) Jesus confirmed that manna fell from heaven (John 6:31-51) Jesus spoke of Daniel of the Old Testament as a real and genuine prophet. (Matthew 24:15) Jesus validated the account of Jonah and the whale. (Matthew 12:39) And Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6 speaks of the Genesis account of the creation of Adam and Eve.
Jesus said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35) He called the Scripture, “the commandment of God.” And Jesus referred to the Old Testament as the the words of God and God’s final authority: “Have you not read that which was spoken to you by God?” Jesus said. (Matthew 22:31)
Some desire to accept Christ but to reject parts of the Bible including portions of the Old Testament, but that doesn’t make sense. Because Jesus accepted the Old Testament as “spoken to you by God” (Matthew 22:31) then if you believe on Jesus you must accept the Old Testament. What you and I are left with is a choice: will you, I, we choose to believe the secular criticisms of the Bible, or the authority of God’s word?
Will you believe the critics or Christ?
References:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Ray Stedman
Josh McDowell, How Did Jesus View the Old Testament?
Posted in Bible, Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Humility, Leadership, News, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life, my life | Tagged Christian, Leadership, Traveler and the Chaplain, kurt bennett, bennett's blog, kurtbennettbooks, Jesus, Christianity, Jesus Christ, Christian living, God, truth, Bible, Genesis, creation, Bible commentary, Genesis Bible commentary, Genesis 2, Genesis 2:4-7, How does Jesus view the Old Testament, Old Testament, Genesis myth, Bible myth, Genesis 2 Bible commentary | Leave a Comment »
July 18, 2010 by kurt bennett
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:1-3
Here we see that God has finished His creative work and rests on the seventh day. He doesn’t need to rest. He’s God. He’s omnipotent. Rather He rests as someone who has just finished a great work and desires to step back and enjoy it.
Notice also that God has blessed the seventh day and made it holy. The Sabbath day is a gift to you and to me. And yet it’s been my observation that the practice of observing the Sabbath among Christians is becoming increasingly rare. This is contrary to God’s word. The Sabbath is a holy day, it’s a day in which we’re to commune with God, it’s a day in which we’re to visit His house, and it’s a day in which we’re to rest.
Do you ever feel as though you can’t string together five minutes without being interrupted by a phone call, a text, a tweet, or an email? The variety of forms of communication today is staggering. Telephones calls, cell phone calls, television, the web, texting, tweeting, emailing — all of these make it more difficult than ever to rest. In large part, because of these technologies, people are now exposed to as many as 5,000 advertisements a day — according to a recent article by CBS news. That’s 5,000 attempts to convince you that you need to spend your money, 5,000 instances of potential influence toward working more to earn more to buy more. It’s more difficult than ever to slow down and rest.
God blessed the Sabbath day, rest is a blessing, and God intends for us to rest. Do you realize that the stress in your life is, to a great degree, a function of an absence of rest? Think about it: imagine the recreational activity that you enjoy performing more than any other activity in life, now imagine with me that you’re about to engage in that activity, now imagine that you’re completely bone tired, yet you’re still obligated to perform that activity. It’s not enjoyable anymore! Even that which is most enjoyable to us when we’re rested, is not when we’re worn out. And, by the way, the greater the energy required to perform an activity, the greater the rest required to ready yourself to perform it.
When we find ourselves outside of God’s design for us to rest one out of seven days, we cause ourselves unneccessary hardship.
Oh, and for those of us who have the opposite problem, notice that God designated six days in which we are to work!
Finally, as important as the Sabbath is, we must recognize that the Sabbath is only a shadow of Jesus. The Sabbath day, the day of rest that God took after finishing His creative work, the day that He blessed and made holy, is a shadow of Jesus. Of course a shadow is only formed from something of substance and Jesus is that substance from which the shadow of the Sabbath is formed. We’re no longer under the law. We no longer have to labor to earn righteousness before God, but rather, we can rest in Jesus because He, Jesus, is our righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30) On the Sabbath day we’re to rest, but on every day, we as believers, are to rest in Him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus from Matthew 11:28-30
References:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Dr. Jim Loehr, Human Performance Institute
Caitlin A. Johnson, CBS
Chuck Smith
Matthew Henry
Posted in Bible, Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Humility, Leadership, News, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life, my life | Tagged Christian, Leadership, Traveler and the Chaplain, kurt bennett, bennett's blog, Jesus, Christianity, Jesus Christ, Christian living, sabbath, rest, Christian Leadership, Genesis 2:1-3, Genesis 2, seventh day of creation, work, six days to work, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 11, Stress, solution to stress | Leave a Comment »
July 10, 2010 by kurt bennett
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 1:28-31
BP is making a new attempt at controlling the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico today. To date they’ve collected 734,000 barrels of the oil that’s escaped into the Gulf. The only problem is that to date 2.9 million to 5 million barrels have been released. To put it in perspective, the Exxon Valdez debacle resulted in 262,000 barrels of oil released. Five million barrels is 210 million gallons of oil.
We have been given the earth by God to live in, to rule over. It’s up to us how we rule — a few things to keep in mind:
God gave explicit instructions to the Israelites as to how they were to care for the land. (Leviticus 25) God speaks to conservation of land in Isaiah 5:8-10. God touches on how to treat domestic animals as well as wildlife in Deuteronomy 25:4, 22:6. God talks of his nourishment and provision for the wilderness in Job 38:25-28, and for wildlife in Psalm 104:27-30.
Yes we’re to use the earth to provide for mankind, but we’re to do it wisely. God gave us the earth to rule over even as God gave the talents to the three servants in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Jesus begins the parable with, “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” (Matthew 25:14) When Christ returns, what condition will he find the earth in? His property that he has entrusted to us? That God cares deeply for even the smallest details of His creation is made obvious in Matthew 6:26.
As a Christian, you and I must love God, love people, and be wise stewards of the property He’s entrusted to us.
God’s an environmentalist.
References:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Bloomberg Businessweek
Damian Kyle
Posted in Bible, Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Leadership, News, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life, my life | Tagged bennett's blog, Bible commentary, BP oil spill, Christian, Christian Environmentalism, Christian Environmentalist, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Christianity, environment, Genesis, genesis 1, Genesis 1:28-31, Genesis Commentary, God's an Environmentalist, Gulf oil spill, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kurt bennett, Leadership, Matthew 25:14-28, parable of the talents, the sixth day, Traveler and the Chaplain | Leave a Comment »
July 3, 2010 by kurt bennett
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
God said, “Let us…” and “…in our image…” and “…in our likeness…” Us and our mean more than One. Us and our, in this case, mean the Trinity. Us and our mean the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is a triune being. “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” God said. God is a triune being, and we are made in His likeness. God is Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and we are spirit, soul, and body. The spirit referring to our eternal being, the soul referring to our mind and emotional being, and the body referring to our physical being.
We are in His likeness because God loves, and we also love. (John 3:16) God reasons, and we also reason. (Isaiah 1:18) God has free will and we also have free will. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
We are made in His likeness.
Notice also that no proclamation of likeness unto God was spoken regarding all the creatures who were created before us.
We are distinct from the animals.
Finally notice that He saved His best for last. Man was created in His likeness on the sixth day, on the last day, the last day before God rested. I recently read about a man, Bob Buford, who has already picked out the epitaph for his headstone. Bob wrote that his epitaph will say “100x.” This in reference to Jesus’ parable about the seed that was sown in good soil, giving the greatest yield, multiplying 100 times. (Matthew 13:1-23)
What about your last? Do you know what you want your epitaph to say? What do you want to be remembered for after you’ve passed?
What are you doing about it now?
Consider the account of when the religious leadership of his day came to trap Jesus. They asked him whether or not it was right to pay taxes.
“Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Matthew 22:15-21
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Jesus said. Even as the coin made with Caesar’s image is to be given to Caesar, you and I, who are made in God’s image, are to be given to God.
Give your life to Him. Bear fruit for Christ.
“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:8-9
References:
BibleGateway.com
Blueletterbible.com
Chuck Smith
Jon Courson
Bob Buford, Half Time, Zondervan, 1994
Posted in Bible, Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Leadership, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life, my life | Tagged bear fruit, bennett's blog, Bible commentary, Bob Buford, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Christianity, Chuck Smith, commentary, creation, creation of man, Genesis, genesis 1, Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis Bible commentary, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jon Courson, kurt bennett, Leadership, man created in God's image, Matthew 13, Matthew 13:8-9, my life, Sixth Day, Sixth Day of Creation, Traveler and the Chaplain | Leave a Comment »
June 26, 2010 by kurt bennett
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:24, 25
When Darwin saw the Marsupials of Australia for the first time he said, “An unbeliever… might exclaim, ‘Surely two distinct Creators must have been at work.’” God declared that the creatures of the earth be created “each according to its kind.” That is, each creature was created with specific information in its DNA. You’ll hear many evolutionists discuss an animal’s adaptation to its environment — quite often this is presented as evidence of the theory of evolution. Well, they’re right — in a sense. An animal can evolve. However the evolution only takes place within the confines of the available information in an animal’s DNA. Scientists have documented fruit flies from one continent, moved to another, moved to a very different environment, that have grown larger in size, and have even developed spots on their wings. But what you have in the end, is still a fruit fly. Scientists have never seen, nor will they ever see, an animal evolve beyond the information available within its DNA. The larger size and the spots in the fruit fly are an adaptation from the available information in the fruit fly’s DNA. You’ll never see a fruit fly evolve into a dragon fly. There’s no info in the fruit fly DNA to get there — because God declared that the creatures of the earth be created “each according to its kind.”
This being the case, the idea of a single celled amoeba evolving beyond its available information in its DNA, into, say, LeBron James, is just ludicrous.
References:
BibleGateway.com
Akinforthetruth.net
ScienceDaily.com
Posted in Bible, Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Leadership, News, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life | Tagged Akin, Akin for the Truth, akinforthetruth.net, bennett's blog, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Christianity, creation, Evolution, Genesis, genesis 1, Genesis 1:24-25, Jack, Jack Akin, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kurt bennett, Leadership, Sixth Day, Sixth Day of Creation, Traveler and the Chaplain | 1 Comment »
June 23, 2010 by kurt bennett
Posted in Bible, Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Leadership, News, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life | Tagged Andrea, Andrea Bocelli, Andrea Bocelli's mother, anti-abortion, bennett's blog, Bocelli, Christian, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Christianity, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kurt bennett, Leadership, Pro-life, Psalm 139, Psalm 139:16, Traveler and the Chaplain | Leave a Comment »
June 20, 2010 by kurt bennett
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
Genesis 1:20-23
Scientists are conceding that they have grossly underestimated the quantity and diversity of marine life in the ocean. Research scientists from 80 different countries are undertaking a huge census of ocean life around the world. Called the Census of Marine Life, the census effort began in 2000, and ten years later, scientists continue to be amazed at the numbers and varieties of new species they’ve found. In the first three years of the study 160 new species of fish were found each year. That’s about 3 new species discovered every week. As the census has progressed, new species of marine life are being discovered at an even greater rate. “One study found 700 new species of crustaceans in an area the size of a small bathroom.” (timesonline.co.uk)
In 1965, 1,168,800 tons of herring were pulled out of the North Sea. That’s somewhere around 2.3 billion herring, from just one part of the world. Think about that, 2.3 billion herring, if we’re talking about all of the fruit, all of the marine life in the ocean, this is just one species, it doesn’t include all of the other types of fish caught in the North Sea. And that’s just the North Sea, it doesn’t count all of the rest of the world. And it doesn’t even include all of the marine life that’s not caught — caught fish represent just a tiny, tiny fraction of all of the marine life in all the oceans of all the world.
When God said “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas…” we had no idea how serious He really was.
God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures…” Of course the water didn’t produce the fruit, the multiplied billions upon billions of creatures of the oceans, God did. Apart from God no fruit is born. Not during creation, nor in my life or in yours either. While Jesus walked the earth, He was the primary Person God used to perform His work here on earth. When Jesus left, he promised to send us the Holy Spirit to help us perform God’s work here on earth. (John 14:26) From that point forward God’s Holy Spirit has been, and is the primary Person God uses to perform His work here on earth. Without Him we can’t bear fruit for God’s kingdom.
Ask for the Holy Spirit. God loves you and wants you to have Him in your life. It’s Jesus’ will that the Person of the Holy Spirit come to you to help you in every dimension of life including bearing fruit for Him.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:11-13
References:
Biblegateway.com
Blueletterbible.org
coml.org
timesonline.co.uk
Boreal Environment Research
Matthew Henry Commentary
Chuck Smith, Living Water, The Word for Today, 2007, p 8, 287-296
Posted in Bible Study, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Commentary, Leadership, News, Traveler and the Chaplain, Your Life, life | Tagged bennett's blog, Christian, Christian Leadership, Christian Leadership books, Christian living, Christianity, creation, fifth day, fifth day of creation, fish and fowl, genesis 1, Genesis 1:20, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 14:26, kurt bennett, Leadership, Luke 11, Luke 11:11, Traveler and the Chaplain | 1 Comment »
June 12, 2010 by kurt bennett
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
Genesis 1:14 – 19
On the fourth day God created the sun and the moon. The sun speaks of the great light of the world, Jesus Christ, for He said, “I am the light of the world…” (John 8:12) And the moon speaks of the lesser light, you and I, for Jesus also said, of His people, “You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:14) The only reason the moon shines is because it reflects the light of the sun and in like manner the only reason we shine, as a light of the world, is because we reflect Jesus Christ.
A great and important lesson is found in these two lights. When the world comes between the sun and the moon we on earth experience an eclipse and the light of the sun is blocked from people’s view. That is exactly what happens to me when I get caught up in the things of this world. When I become consumed by my performance at work, by a desire to prosper financially, by a pension for entertainment, or other things of the world. When I allow the world to come between me and my Lord, my own light is eclipsed, and I fail to reflect the great light of Jesus Christ. The same is true for any Christian. The same is true for you.
Remember that you and I are the church and as the church goes, so goes the world.
Let nothing come between you and Jesus.
For more go to Ray Stedman’s teaching on Genesis 1:14 – 19 or Jon Courson’s teaching on Genesis 1.
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June 5, 2010 by kurt bennett
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:9-10
Water covered the whole earth until God decreed otherwise when He said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:9) God spoke it and it was so.
He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. (Psalm 78:13)
Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD. ”Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. (Jeremiah 5:22)
“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,” (Job 38:8)
We have dry ground to dwell on because of God’s grace. Because He is good. (John Calvin)
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
Genesis 1:11-13
God created light on the first day.
He divided the water from the water on the second, that is, He created the atmosphere.
And on the third day He created life. On the third day fruit is produced. And even as the seed from the fruit enters the womb of the earth and then brings life that bears more fruit, and creates many seeds, Christ died and was buried in the womb of the earth, and on the third day He rose, and He continues to bear fruit as a result.
Jesus said,
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
John 12:24
Jesus died, was buried, then rose on the third day to bear the fruit of salvation.
…And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:12
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Genesis 2:7 — God formed man from the dust
July 31, 2010 by kurt bennett
Today scientists know that, in fact, all of the elements that make up the human body are found in the dust of the earth — just as the Bible describes. Did you know that if someone were to collect and separate all of those elements found in your body, and sell them, you would be worth only a few dollars?
But, thank God, and thanks to God, we’re more than dust. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils His breath of life. Formed of dust but without God’s breath of life we’re dead. But with God’s breath of life in us we live, move, and have our being. In the original Hebrew the word ruach is used here for the word breathed in this scripture, and it’s the same word that’s used to mean Spirit.
Perhaps you’re already a Christian, you believe in Jesus Christ, that He died for your sins, and rose again. You’ve accepted Him as your Lord. (If you’re not, please go to the Join Christ’s Family tab) But even as we’re but dust without God’s breath of life imparted unto us, we’re also missing out on a more abundant life if we don’t have God’s Holy Spirit upon us. In John 10:10 Jesus said that, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (KJV) Jesus also said in John 7:38 that “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” And in the next verse the Bible says that By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Do you want to enjoy your most abundant life in Christ? Do you want to live a life that’s overflowing with streams of God’s living water? Then ask God for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. You may experience greater wisdom, greater knowledge, greater faith, and greater discernment, (1 Corinthians 12:8-11) as well as greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23) Who doesn’t want that? The Holy Spirit can bring these things into your life in greater measure!
The other thing that happens when you have the Holy Spirit upon your life is that you begin to bear fruit for God’s kingdom. I have observed this in a close friend of mine who I’ll call Jim. Jim’s been a Christian for more than 25 years, and while he’s been pleasant enough, and while I’ve observed no gross sin in his life, there didn’t seem to be much that would indicate any bearing of fruit in Jim’s life. In fact, you could say that Jim’s life was somewhat characterized by selfish pursuits and self indulgence. However, about five years ago Jim confided in me that he began to pray in earnest for the Holy Spirit to come upon his life. Since that time I’ve observed that Jim’s countenance has changed, he’s taught small Bible studies for men, he’s lead small home church groups, he’s visited and prayed for sick people in the hospital, and he’s reached out to others to influence them for Christ. Jim’s life was transformed!
Yours can be too.
Ask for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said,
References:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
J. Vernon McGee
David Guzik
Chuck Smith, Living Water, The Word for Today, 2007
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