A Basic Outline of Genesis 1

GENESIS 1:1-27 

The Book of Beginnings – written by Moses

Real science is the study of physical things as they really are. Genesis conforms to every aspect of real science. First there was nothing. Then there was the universe. Then came light, the unifying theory of physics. Next came the earth. After that, the land separated the waters. Space lit up next. Then came living creatures, in the sea, in the air and on land. Finally came mankind.

This sequence conforms to theoretical science. The only two things science has wrong is the length of time it all took and the so-called evolution of earth’s creatures. That’s because science operates within the confines of time. God doesn’t.

Chapter 1 

A.    Creation

1. In the beginning

a.      The Hebrew word is reshith

b.      It assumes that there is an existence outside of time

c.      The science of time

1)     Time is relative

a)      Time slows as C² is reached

b)     Sometimes time flies, sometimes it crawls

c)      Time is about perception

2)     God is not bound by time

a)      What seems a long time to us is no time to Him

b)     God’s timing is perfect because time does not exist with Him

2. God

a.      The Hebrew word is elohim (el means God; ohim is a plural ending)

1)     a plural noun (more than one)

2)     from the context of the rest of Scripture, we know it refers to only one God…yet as a plural it cannot refer to one God.

a)      First hint of the triune God called the Trinity

b)     Later we read “Let us make man in our own image…(Gen 1:26)

b.      Scripture makes no attempt to prove God, it assumes God

c.      Other Hebrew names for God:  Yahweh (unpronounceable) ; elah (focus of worship) & tsur (rock)

3. Created

a.      The Hebrew word is bara (to prepare, form or fashion)

1)     Implies formation from nothing

a)      “Big Bang” theory does not explain creation – what existed before the mass that exploded?

b)     We can be creative in the sense of reorganizing things, but we cannot make anything out of nothing

c)      If a scientist “creates” life in the laboratory, that proves the necessity of intelligence (the scientist) to create life

2)     Side Note: The current debate over intelligent design and evolution in our public schools is evidence of how important it has become to our society to keep God out of the equation of education.

4.  The Heavens

a.      The Hebrew word is shamayim (the heaved up things)

b.     There are at least three heavens referred to in Scripture

1)     The air we breathe (in the NT Greek: ouranothen [Acts 14:17 & 26: 13])

2)     The Mid heaven (in the NT Greek: mesouraxema [Rev8:13; 14:6 & 19:17- referring to space, stars and heavenly bodies])

3)     The dwelling place of eternity with God (NT Greek: epouranios [Matt. 18:35; Phil 2:10, etc.)

5.  The Earth

a.      The Hebrew word is erets (land)

1)     This is a reference to the whole planet, but not as it exists now

a)     It had no particular shape (without form and void)

b)     It had no inhabitants

c)     It had no atmosphere

d)     It had no light

2)     The shape of the earth is yet to come

         

        6.  The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

a.      The Hebrew word is ruach (wind; breath)

b.     This is what we now know as the Holy Spirit and should remind us of what we studied in Acts 2 (“as a mighty rushing wind”)

It is exciting to realize that the Bible contains 66 books, written over several thousand years by at least 40 different authors, most of whom had no contact with the other writers or even access to their books, yet is constantly relating each of its parts to each of its other parts.

That’s because it really has only one author: God.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-In Christ Alone-Brian Littrell

A Study in the Book of Revelation Week 6

Revelation Chapter 21:1-8

Remember, John was on Patmos Island when he wrote the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He had been sent there by the Roman government for refusing to stop preaching the gospel. We might ask ourselves whether we would undergo civil punishment for the sake of the gospel. Would you?

This chapter shows us the entrance into eternity. Eternity is unveiled, a mystery now revealed.

Verses 1-2 – There will be a new heaven and a new earth, as well as a New Jerusalem, 21:1.

John says “I saw…” He is the witness to the final scene that ushers in eternity. This present order of creation will pass away. The old creation was for the first Adam the last Adam (Christ) has a new creation. The new Adamic creation was prophesied in Isaiah. We also see it in 1 Peter. There will be no sea, which had been both a barrier and a border.

The New Jerusalem is a place, a city. It is made ready as a bride. A bride is lovely. She commands the attention of everyone at a wedding. This city is prepared for the Bride of Christ, the church. This is the fulfillment of Ephesians 5:25. The New Jerusalem comes down for the bride. Earthly marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church.

The wife is the same flesh as the husband. That’s Genesis…bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. The love of a man for his wife makes him better. The love of a woman for her husband makes her more beautiful.

Verses 3-4 – The great voice from heaven describes the “tent” of man. That references the new body of the saints. We will be his people and He will be our God. There will be no tears, no sorrow and no pain in heaven. Don’t you just yearn for that to be the condition of your life?

Verse 5 – “Behold I make all things new.” Neither you, nor anything else in Heaven will grow older. You will be in the timelessness of eternity.

Verse 6-7 – Jesus is the one who says “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” The “son to me” is from the Greek that indicates a relationship with God.

Verse 8 – The creation of the new earth did not affect the lake of fire. There is no way for the unsaved to cross over from the lake of fire into the New Jerusalem. God’s curse on the unbeliever will never end. The unbeliever will suffer without hope of relief.

That’s something we don’t like to talk about much. We find it hard to face the fact that any of our relatives or friends will not be in Heaven with us. But if they are unbelievers, that’s where they’ll be.


What better reason could there be to lead them to repent and place their faith in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary?

If you are quoting the Bible, you must be preaching the Word, right?

Read some Bible verses, make some kind of "relevant" application that sounds authoritative or seems astute and spiritual and you must be preaching the word. Or are you?

"What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous." That is right out of the Word of God. It seems to fit with David when he asked, "What is man that thou art mindful of him" or Isaiah when he proclaimed, "...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." But the Bible truth is that the first quote has nothing to do with the other quotes.

Here's a great sounding quote for you, straight out of the Bible, "Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning. For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food." Doesn't that seem to relate to, "Let him who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says..." That's straight out of the Bible, too. It also seems to relate to, "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Well, surprise! The first is not related to the latter.

"Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for." Doesn't that sound a lot like, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my borders." Maybe those two fit right in with, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name..." Again, the verses are not related.

Every one of those quotes comes from the Word of God. But of the ones in blue, God said, "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?... and, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right."

You deep Bible scholars will recognize that the quotes in blue come out of the book of Job. They were spoken by Job's friends. God called them lies.

How could they be lies? The come right from God's Word!

Newsflash! Just because something comes from God's Word does not make it true! WHAT? That sounds so...so...heretical!

Now let's get this straight. The Bible is Holy Spirit inspired and totally accurate...100%. The Bible often quotes what people said, even when what they said is untrue. What is true is that they said it, even when God calls it a lie. Therefore, the Bible is completely accurate.

What's my point?

The point is that just reading some Bible words is not the same as preaching the Word. Some Bible words report an event or what someone said. Other Bible words are principles about God. Still others are part of a narrative and cannot be understood apart from the rest of the passage, or even the Bible as a whole.

God's word is not a collection of righteous sayings or rules for Christian living (in spite of what some commentators might have written in the margins of your particular version). God's Word is a revelation of God's character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption. It is not about behaviorism. And it does NOT teach that if you obey God He blesses you and if you disobey Him He curses you. (If that were true, then Christ died for nothing).

When Paul castigated the church at Corinth for being spiritual babies, he was trying to get them to understand that a superficial knowledge of God's Word was totally unacceptable for mature Christians.

So, are you a mature Christian or are you still a babe in Christ? Preachers, do you dig deep into the Word of God to show how it all fits together to reveal God's plan for the salvation of mankind, or do you just quote some verses and try to make "relevant" applications with them? Teachers, do you just skim the surface of the Bible, or do you dig deep and discover its unimaginable riches.

Please note that I did not give the above quotes a "home." That is, I did not tell you where they come from (except that some come from the book of Job). That omission was deliberate. If you are a preacher, teacher or leader and did not immediately know their sources, shame on you! If you are a preacher, teacher or leader and thought you could make a sermon from those quotes, double shame on you! Whether you are a Bible college, seminary or college graduate, you still don't understand the Bible.

May God overcome the harm you have done to your people for the shallowness of your preaching, teaching or leading!

When Will Our Leaders Learn This?

From the get-go, let’s understand that Jesus is revealed in the Book of the Revelation. He is its focus and He is its victor. He will defeat Satan and that is a done deal.

Let’s also understand that some pretty scary things are revealed in the book. Satan is like a red dragon in verses 3 & 4. (Perhaps this is where the red suit, horns and pointed tail image erroneously comes from). But these things should not be scary to the Christian. The Christian can be secure in the victory of Christ over Satan.

Verses 1-2 – The woman here has been thought to be the Virgin Mary or the church. What she actually is, though, is representative of Israel. Israel is often identified as a woman in the Old Testament. The sun and moon reference Joseph’s dream in which depicts them as Joseph’s parents. The stars represent the 12 sons of Jacob. The woman (Israel) with child will give birth to Christ, the promised Messiah. This image of Israel is found several times in the Old Testament. She will be persecuted, as Israel has been, is now and will be persecuted.

Verses 3-4 – The second sign to show up in the vision is Satan (later revealed in 12:9). His red color signifies bloodshed and death. The seven heads refer to mountains. The ten horns represent ten kings (Revelation 17:12 and Daniel 7:7-8.

The Dragon’s tail “swept away a third of the stars of heaven. These are the fallen angels that accompanied Lucifer (Satan) when he rebelled against God and left Heaven.) Satan knows the prophecies about God’s plan of redemption so he waits with “fangs bared” to devour Messiah.

Satan would like to devour us as well. As he prowls to and fro like a roaring lion he tries to wrest Christians away from Christ, something he will never be able to do.

Verse 5 & 6 – Here the child of the woman (Israel) is introduced. This is the child mentioned when John wrote, “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” This is a one sentence summary of Christ’s birth, life and ascension into heaven. Satan failed to destroy Jesus at His birth, failed to destroy Him during His life and failed to destroy Him in His death. Jesus Christ ascended victoriously into Heaven where Satan cannot touch, let alone persecute Him.

Unable to destroy Christ, Satan tries to destroy Israel, from whom Christ came. God’s people, chosen from the beginning to bring forth Messiah, flees to a place of protection for 1,260 days (three-and-a-half years) where she is cared for by God, angels and Gentiles.

Verses 7-12 – The use of “was” suggests a war that will take place, and has always taken place. It may speak of a future event, but that event has been settled from the beginning of time and with the resurrection of Christ. Yet is an event that will take place. But as we seen in verses 8 & 9, the great dragon is “thrown down.” Satan will still be able to accuse Israel and Christians, his accusations will fall on deaf ears as our advocate, Jesus Christ, intervenes on our behalf.

The actual battle will be between the arch-angel, Michael. So it will be between two created angels. Satan claims to be God’s opposite but he is not. He has none of the characteristics of God: omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, love, mercy and grace. He can’t even go one round with God.

In verse 9 we learn that the Dragon, is “the serpent of old,” that is the one in the Garden of Eden. He is also “the devil,” the slanderer/accuser. We also learn that the Dragon is Satan (from the Hebrew word Satanas). He is also the deceiver of the whole world.

In his vision, according to verse 10, John hears a thunderous voice, perhaps the sound of the martyred tribulation saints. Satan is overcome by the martyrs “because of the blood of the Lamb,” their testimony and their willingness to die for Him. When Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily,” he was living out what we must do: die to self and give 100% of ourselves to Christ.

Although we can rejoice in Satan’s ultimate demise, we must realize that he knows that his time is short. He will be bound after only 1,260 days. He is pulling out all of the stops. The world is listening to him and loves him.

Verses 13-17 – Once he is cast out of Heaven, Satan will give his full attention to the persecution of Israel. His hatred for her will climax during the great tribulation. He knows that if he can destroy Israel, he can thwart God’s program. As Christians, we know that God’s program cannot be thwarted, so we know that Satan will never destroy all of Israel. He will protect her with the strength and safety of an eagle. (See also Psalm 55-6-8 and Isaiah 40:31).

Satan becomes a three-time loser: He fails to destroy Christ, he loses the war in heaven and he cannot destroy Israel. 

The Christian life is not a playground, it is a battleground. Christians will face persecution, suffering and tribulations in this life, but in the end, because of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection, they win!

A Short Series of Short Doctrinal Videos 05

The deliberate misuse of and/or ignoring Scripture is called heresy. So much of what we have been taught in Sunday School, Bible College, Seminary and from the pulpit is pure and simple heresy. It is born in the idea that Scripture can mean what you want it to mean instead of what God intended when He wrote it. It is the "one interpretation; many applications" approach that has morphed into making Scripture fit your own philosophy of God.

Romans 8:28 is one of those verses that is misused to soothe and comfort those with trouble. People going through trouble in life need to be encouraged and comforted, but not with Romans 8:28.

Here is a video that explains why.



These videos come from a very good web site called WHUTT. Click on the link to visit it and learn about a lot of good, solid doctrine in short bursts.

A Short Series of Short Doctrinal Videos 04

"And that's the gospel truth." Have you ever heard that expression? It is, of course, Biblically meaningless.

Some seem to believe that the Gospel is sort of ancillary to teaching about God. They seem to think that we have the Old Testament to tell us how to behave and the New Testament to tell us about Jesus and that's about it.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach the same thing: man is a sinner in need of salvation and Jesus is the only source of salvation. This video explains that.



These videos come from a very good web site called WHUTT. Click on the link to visit it and learn about a lot of good, solid doctrine in short bursts.

A Short Series of Short Doctrinal Videos 03

"Lifestyle Christianity" was very popular not too long ago, especially among the more liberal churches. It is still alive and well today. It is the concept that you don't really have to tell the actual gospel to people. They can watch your behavior, see that you're a Christian and want whatever it is that you have that makes you so "different."

Where does the Bible teach that concept. It doesn't. Here is a video that shows what it really says.



These videos come from a very good web site called WHUTT. Click on the link to visit it and learn about a lot of good, solid doctrine in short bursts.

A Short Series of Short Doctrinal Videos 02

God wants you to prosper, right?

According to the name-it-and-claim-it crowd that is so. They often use as "first base" for their doctrine Jeremiah 29:11.

It is not only the name-it-and-claim-it crowd that violates this verse. So do a lot of mainline evangelical preachers and teachers.

So, does God have plans to prosper you as opposed to harming you? Let's check out the actual setting of the verse.



These videos come from a very good web site called WHUTT. Click on the link to visit it and learn about a lot of good, solid doctrine in short bursts.

A Short Series of Short Doctrinal Videos 01

This week begins a series dealing with correct doctrines from God's Word.

Some people spout what they have been taught in Sunday School, Bible College and/or Seminary without really finding out whether the Bible really means what they have been taught.

See, it is not at all important what the Bible's verses mean to me. What IS important is: What did God mean when He inspired them to be written?

We all know that God will never hand you more than you can handle, right? Wrong. The Bible absolutely does not teach that. This video shows what is actually teaches.



These videos come from a very good web site called WHUTT. Click on the link to visit it and learn about a lot of good, solid doctrine in short bursts.

What Bible Prayers Should We Use?

So...why did I post the last article about the prayers in the Bible?

Because selecting the arbitrary prayer of Jabez is meaningless and pointless. We were never instructed to pray it and we are not supposed to pray it.

Why not pray the prayer of  Jeremiah 14:7 "Although our iniquities testify against us, O Lord, act for Thy name's sake! Truly our apostasies have been many, we have sinned against Thee."

Maybe we should pray the prayer of Joshua 7:6-9), "Alas, O Lord God, why didst Thou ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what wilt Thou do for Thy great name?"

Or why not the prayer of Samson in Judges 15:18 "Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"

Could it be that we should pray the prayer of the tax collector in Luke 18:13 "God, be merciful to me, the sinner."

A prayer should be a conversation between a person and God. It should not be somebody else's prayer to begin with. It should be a personal cry to find God's agenda and get with it.

The "formula" for prayer is: PRAISE, SUBMISSION, PETITION, CONFESSION, PROTECTION FROM THE EVIL ONE and PRAISE. That's the pattern given by Jesus to His disciples, and, trust me, Jesus knows how we should pray. We seem to prefer: "Hi, God. Please do this, that and/or the other for me, in Jesus' name. Amen."

In Matthew 6:7 Jesus says, "...when you pray, use not vain repetitions..." The qualifier there is "vain." The verse implies meaningless babbling or nonsense. Nonsense prayers are off limits to the child of God. So are selfish prayers, prayers done for recognition and prayers of self-aggrandizement. 

Proper prayer does not just happen naturally for the Christian. Jesus' disciples had to be taught to pray because they did not know how. Their only previous experience with it had come from the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders. Jesus specifically condemned those kinds of prayer.

We, too, must learn too pray; not the "Now I lay me down to sleep..." prayer, but prayer that magnifies God, submits to Him, requests His will, confesses our unworthiness, seeks protection from Satan and Praises the name of our Lord and Savior.

Don't be offended by the idea of learning to pray. It is Biblical. You will be the better for it.

Prayers of the Bible

What did the people who lived in Bible times pray about? Everything! Prayer runs though every book, and nearly every chapter. Here are some of the main prayers found throughout the Bible. They are categorized into the Old Testament and the New Testament, listed alphabetically by who prayed them. 

Why not pray Abijah's prayer. Why not the prayer of Elijah for California? Why not Manoah's prayer for pregnant women?

There is a significant contrast between the prayers in the Old Testament and those in the New Testament. See whether you can discern the difference.

OLD TESTAMENT

Abijah's army - for victory in battle. (2 Chronicles 13:14) When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets.

Abraham - for a son (Genesis 15:2) And Abram said, "O Lord God, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"

Abraham - for Ishmael (Genesis 17:18) And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!"

Abraham - for Sodom (Genesis 18:23-24) And Abraham came near and said, "Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous with the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake or the fifty righteous who are in it?" 

Abraham - for Abimelech (Genesis 20:17) And Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children.

Abraham's servant - for guidance (Genesis 24:12,14) And he said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham….now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also';--may she be the one whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac…"

Asa - for victory (2 Chronicles 14:11) Then Asa called to the Lord his God, and said, "Lord, there is no one besides Thee to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in Thee, and in Thy name have come against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee."

Cain - for mercy (Genesis 4:13-14) And Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, Thou hast driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Thy face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth and it will come about that whoever finds me will kill me."

Daniel - for dream interpretation (Daniel 2:17-18) Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, in order that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel - for the Jews (Daniel 9:3-5) So I gave my attention to the Lord God and seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances."

David - for blessing (2 Samuel 7:18) Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me this far?"

David - for direction (1 Samuel 23:10- 13) Then David said, "O Lord God of Israel, Thy servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Thy servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Thy servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down." Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will surrender you." Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit."

David - for repentance (Psalm 51:10-13) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from They presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee. 

Elijah - for drought and rain (James 5:17-18) Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (See 1 Kings 17 -19 for the original story.)

Elijah - raising the widow's son from the dead (1 Kings 17:20-22) And he called to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, hast Thou also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?" Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord, and said, "O Lord my God, I pray Thee, let this child's life return to him." And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.

Elijah - for death (1 Kings 19:4) But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

Elisha - for sight and blindness (2 Kings 6:17-18) Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, "Strike this people with blindness, I pray." So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Ezra - confession for the sins of Israel (Ezra 9:6) "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to Thee, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens."

Gideon - for proof of God's call (Judges 6:36) Then Gideon said to God, "If Thou wilt deliver Israel through me, as Thou hast spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that Thou wilt deliver Israel through me, as Thou hast spoken." Read more...

Habakkuk - for justice (Habakkuk 1:2-4) How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and Thou wilt not hear? I cry out to Thee, "Violence!" yet Thou dost not save. Why dost Thou make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises. Therefore, the law is ignored and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Habakkuk - for revival and deliverance (Habakkuk 3:2) Lord, I have heard the report about Thee and I fear. O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

Hannah - for a son (1 Samuel 10:11) And she, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy maidservant and remember me, and not forget Thy maidservant, but wilt give Thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head." Read more...

Hezekiah - for deliverance (2 Kings 19:15-19) And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, who art enthroned above the cherubim, Thou art the God, Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. And now, O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou alone, O Lord, art God."

Hezekiah - for health (2 Kings 20:3) "Remember now, O Lord, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Thy sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Isaac - for children (Genesis 25:21) And Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Israelites - for deliverance (Exodus 2:23) Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

Jabez - for prosperity (1 Chronicles 4:10) Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.

Jacob - wrestled with God for blessing (Genesis 32:24-28) Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of 

Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" and he said, "Jacob." And he said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." 

Jacob - deliverance from Esau (Genesis 32:11) "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, the mothers with the children.

Jehoahaz - for favor from the enemy (2 Kings 13:4) Then Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them.

Jehoshaphat - for deliverance (2 Chronicles 18:31) So it came about when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "It is the king of Israel, " and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him and God diverted them from him."

Jeremiah - intercession on behalf of the people (Jeremiah 42:2) And (they) said to 

Jeremiah the prophet, "Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do."

Jeremiah - for mercy (Jeremiah 14:7) Although our iniquities testify against us, O Lord, act for Thy name's sake! Truly our apostasies have been many, we have sinned against Thee.

Jews through Ezra - for safe journey (Ezra 8:21) Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

Job - confession of surrender to God's sovereignty (Job 42:1-6) "'Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.'" Read more...

Jonah - for deliverance from the fish (Jonah 2:1-9) Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, "I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; Thou didst hear my voice."

Joshua - for help and mercy (Joshua 7:6-9) Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, both he and elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, why didst Thou ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what wilt Thou do for Thy great name?"

Manasseh - for deliverance (2 Chronicles 33:12-13) And when he was in distress, he entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

Manoah - for guidance (Judges 13:8) Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, "O Lord, please let the man of God whom Thou hast sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born."

Moses - for Pharaoh (Exodus 8:8-9) Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord." And Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me. When shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?"

Moses - for water (Exodus 15:24-25) So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a stature and regulation, and there He tested them.

Moses - forgiveness for the sin of Israel (Exodus 32:31-32) Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said; "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin-and it no, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou has written!"

Moses - for Miriam (Numbers 12:11-13) Then Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother's womb!" And Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, "O God, heal her, I pray!"

Moses - to see the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 3:23-25) I also pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, "O Lord God, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Thine? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon."

Moses - for a successor (Numbers 27:15-17) Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, "May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd."

Nehemiah - for the Jews to return to their land (Nehemiah 1:4-11) Now it came about when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, "I beseech Thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open to hear the prayer of Thy servant which I am praying before Thee now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Thy servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against Thee; I and my father's house have sinned." 

People of Judah - for a covenant (2 Chronicles 15:12) And they entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul.

Rebekah - for wisdom (Genesis 25:22-23) But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger."

Samson - for water (Judges 15:18) Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the Lord and said, "Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"

Samson - for strength (Judges 16:28) Then Samson called to the Lord and said, "O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

Samuel - for Israel (1 Samuel 7:5-6) Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to 

Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you." And they gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

Solomon - for wisdom (1 Kings 3:6-9) The Solomon said, "Thou hast shown great lovingkindness to Thy servant David my father, according as he walked before Thee in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward Thee; and Thou hast reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?"

NEW TESTAMENT

Centurion - for his servant (Matthew 8:5-6) "And when He had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, entreating Him, and saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain.'"

Christian disciples - for boldness ( Acts 4:29-30) "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus." 

Christians - for Peter (Acts 12:5) So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

Cornelius - for enlightenment (Acts 10:3-4) About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in to him, and said to him, "Cornelius!" And fixing his gaze upon him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God."

Holy Spirit - for us when we don't know how to pray (Romans 8:26) And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

Jesus - The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9) Pray, then, in this way: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

Jesus - revelation to children (Matthew 11:25) "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes."

Jesus - at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:41-42) And so they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me."

Jesus - for the church (John 17:1-26) "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee, even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. (The passage continues).

Jesus - for deliverance from the cross (Matthew 26:39) And He went a little beyond the, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

Jesus - forgiveness for his killers (Luke 23:34) But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

Jesus - submission to God's plan (Luke 23:46) And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And having said this, He breathed His last.

Leper - for healing (Matthew 8:2) And behold, a leper came to Him, and bowed down to Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

Paul - for healing of Publius' father (Acts 28:8) And it came about that the father of 

Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.

Paul - for the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:14-21) For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Paul - for deliverance from his thorn (2 Corinthians 12:8) Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

Peter - for raising Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:40) But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

Tax-gatherer - mercy (Luke 18:13) "But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'"

Thief at the cross - for salvation (Luke 23:42) And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

Zacharias - for a son (Luke 1:13) But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son and you will give him the name John." 

The Prayer of Jabez?

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we find an innocuous guy praying an innocuous prayer. It goes like this: "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain.' Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let you hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' and God granted his request."

We don't know much about Jabez. We know he was more honorable than his brothers, but we don't know how honorable they were.

We know his mother gave birth to him in pain. Actually, all mothers give birth to their children in pain. This is neither unique nor anything special.

We know that Jabez was not satisfied with what he had. He wanted more.

He wanted land; lots of land.

He also did not want to suffer pain. Everybody suffers pain. Why did Jabez think he should be any different?

That's all we know.

So, does this two verse passage deserve to be some sort of model of prayer that we should emulate?

NO!

Here's why.

First of all it is not set forth by God's word to be a model. If you need a model prayer, then look at the prayer Jesus taught His disciples.

Secondly, it is an Old Covenant prayer that equates God's blessing with physical possessions, something our Lord disdained.

Thirdly, it is totally about himself; that is: it is self centered. New Covenant prayer is all about God and His agenda, not ours.

Lastly, although God "granted" his request, we have no inkling how He granted it or what the land was used for.

According to Jesus (who should surely know something about which He speaks) our prayers should start with worship and praise, be followed by submission to His will, seek only His ways, petition Him for the things we really need and seek protection from Satan's snares of this world. Our prayers should then end as they started, with worship and praise.

Our prayers should be God oriented, not self oriented. They are not tools to get God to do things our way or even to get Him to give us what we want. God should be the subject or our prayers and the object of our prayers.

Maybe some think there is more to this Christianity stuff than JUST following Jesus, but they are wrong...eternally dead wrong. While we should never pray in vain repetitions, we have been taught the proper pattern of prayer by our Lord, Himself.

Pray the prayer of Jabez? You go ahead.

I think I will follow Jesus.

For those who need to know, I will post the prayers of the Bible in tomorrow's post. Stay tuned. 

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Proclaim the Glory of the Lord-Steve Green

A Study in Revelation Week 4

Chapter 5:1-14

We were never told to go and preach the Bible. We just weren't. We were told to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." (Mark 16:15)

The Word of God (the Bible) is designed to point us to the person of the gospel, Jesus Christ. Jesus, Paul and the other New Testament writers used the Old Testament to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter where you are reading, teaching or preaching in the Bible, it is about the life, death and resurrection of Christ.

Christianity is not about rules, history, science, social ills, or some philosophical concept of God. Christianity is about Jesus Christ. He is to be the in-all, of-all, by-all and through-all of everything we are, do, say and think.

Paul wrote, "For I have resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Here in the Book of the Revelation Christ is magnified beyond imagination. He is shown to be worthy of praise, adulation and worship.  

Verse 1 - The Book of the seven seals. The scene here is the same as in chapter 4. The cherubim, the 24 elders, the crystal platform, the diamond and ruby glory of God, the emerald rainbow, the lightning and thunder, the Holy Spirit and all the hosts of heaven praising God are still there.

God, the one on the throne, Holds a scroll (GK: biblion) written on both sides and sealed seven times, indicating that it was a perfect contract; a title deed to the earth and the universe. It is the same scroll Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 2:9. It is a scroll of doom and of redemption. 

Verse 2 - Only a qualified, authorized person could open the scroll. An angel whose voice could be heard by the entire universe and Heaven cried out for someone qualified. 

Verses 3-4 - Nobody qualified and worthy could be found. This caused John to weep bitterly.

Verse 5 - The elder proclaims that his weeping was unnecessary. He instructs John to look and see the Lion of Judah, the root of David...Christ, Himself. He has triumphed and is worthy and able to open the scroll.

Verse 6 - When John looked he saw a Lamb that looked as though it had been slain. This, of course, was the perfect Lamb of God slain for your redemption and mine!

Verse 7 - The Lamb reached out and took the scroll from God's hand. This is the culminating act of history. In fact, this is the end of human history. Eden is about to be restored. Redemption is nigh.

Verse 8 - The instant the Lamb took the scroll, every being present fell down and worshiped Him. Christ is worthy to be the center of our worship. He should be the focus every time we meet to worship. In worship, it is Him or nothing.

Verses 9-10 - All of those gathered sang the third stanza of the song that started in chapter 4 and concludes in chapter 5. Here it is a stanza proclaiming that Christ is worthy to open the scroll and that His blood was shed for the redemption of every tribe, language, people and nation. It is a stanza that tell us we are a kingdom of priests whose job it is to serve God.

Verses 11-12 - Now the chorus is joined by an uncountable number of angels. They circle the throne and sing the 4th stanza. It repeats Christ's worthiness and ascribes to Him power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise!

Verse 13 - The final chorus of the song is sung by every living thing ever created. That must be very loud. The singers proclaim Christ's power again and proclaim that His attributes will last forever and ever. That's not only a long time, it is beyond time. It is eternity.

Here is the song in its entirety:

Verse 1 (sung by a quartet) - Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!

Verse 2 (sung by a large ensemble) - You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being.

Verse 3 (sung by a large choir) - You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,

Because you were slain and with your blood you purchased me for God from every tribe and language and people and nations.You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

And they will reign on the earth.

Verse 4 (sung by uncountable thousands) - Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.

Verse 5 (sung by every creature ever created) - To him who wits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!

Verse 14 - The four living creatures (KJV: beasts) of 4:6 proclaimed AMEN, meaning LET IT BE SO! And the elders (a picture of the raptured church) fell down and worshiped Christ.

Church, let us remember that we gather every Sunday to celebrate a risen Savior and to WORSHIP HIM! Let us stay our minds on HIM. Let us sing of HIM. Let us bow before HIM. Let us exalt HIM.

Let us remember that we are called to serve HIM and by doing so, we serve others.