GENESIS

Wow!  Starting the Bible all over again for the sixth time this year!  I'm enjoyed it so much each time.  Genesis, the book of beginnings, is a fabulous book that is filled with so many wonderful details and truths.  Do you realize that one third of history takes place in the first ten chapters?  Let me give you some basic highlights of the first ten chapters: 1) IT IS ABOUT THE CREATOR, NOT CREATION- I've always thought the first few chapters of Genesis was about creation, and it is; but, more than that, it is about the Creator!  "In the beginning God..."   Yes, "God created", "the spirit of God moved", "God said", "God saw", "God divided", " God called", "God said", "God made", ...... and this only gets us through the first seven verses!!!  The whole chapter one of Genesis is God, God, God, God,.... it is all about God, the Creator!  Let us not forget.... it is still all about God, not us. 2) ISH & ISHA- Ish is man; Isha is woman (out of man).  Adam means:  the man;  Eve means:  living (the mother of all living).  God gave the name man and woman, and called man Adam, but let Adam name the woman, Eve.  Adam named all living creature remember, but he gave the choice title to the woman of "living".  He saw such life in the woman, and knew instinctively that she would be a motherly being.  3) WALKED WITH GOD- Gen. 5:22,24, tells us that Enoch "walked with God."  Gen. 6:9 also tells us "Noah walked with God".  We too have that opportunity each and every day.  Lord, I want to walk with you today and sense Your presence!  What a joy to walk with God; what an opportunity.... let us take advantage of it today!! 4) EVIL FROM HIS YOUTH- Yes, four thousand years ago, this is how God assessed the situation of man.  Gen. 8:21 says:  "for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth."  Not a pretty picture.... true, but not pretty!  Godly living is a choice... a hard choice!  One that must be fought everyday, and many times throughout the day!  Some battles are won, others lost, but the war is the goal of winning.  We want to be godly men and women for Christ's sake, and so we strive for victory.  But, the weapons of our battler are not carnal.  They are spiritual.  We must dive into God's Word each day, we do not have a choice if victory is our goal.  We must give ourselves to prayer to be pleasing to the Savior, there is no other way.  We have a bend in our fallen nature to evil, but we must feed the new nature everyday to make it strong enough to overpower our baser nature.  Don't be discouraged, we have God's Spirit within us to help!  Look to Him! 5) LET THERE BE NO STRIVE.... FOR WE BE BRETHREN- This is what Abram said to Lot and to his herdsmen.  Oh, that Christians today could learn that great truth.  We need not strive with each other.... for we be brethren! Well, time to get ready for Church!  Yeah!  I love Church.  Hope you have a blessed day as well.   Pastor Mike Mutchler