News from June 2011
I'm not into Bible Trivia
Posted on June 29, 2011 by Pastor Tom
I’m not into Bible trivia for a couple of reasons. One, it can breed a superiority complex for those who know more than the next person. Two, the Bible is not trivial. The Read the Bible for Life initiative this September is not about getting strong in Bible Trivia.
So Why are we looking at this “Read the Bible for Life” thing in the Fall? Read the Bible for Life is all about further connecting us with God. As your pastor, I want you to go deeper with God. I want you to discover more of God. I want you to hear from God more than you already do. One of the greatest resources God has provided for us is His Written Word.
So in September, we will begin this journey by exploring together “How to Read the Bible for Life.” The author of the material writes this:
“In his work Eat this Book, Eugene Peterson rightly notes concerning the Bible, ‘We open this book and find that page after page, it takes us off guard, surprises us, and draws us into its reality, pulls us into participation with God on his terms.’ This should be our experience of reading the Bible as we move from dry duty, beyond a checklist Christianity, slogging through the ‘reading of the day,’ to delight. If we are not being moved in heart and moved to new places in life – new levels of obedience to God – we are not really reading the Bible the way God wants us to.”
Did you catch the description of what can happen when we read the Bible to encounter God: “It takes us off guard, surprises us and draws us into its reality, pulling us into participation with God on His terms.” We’re going to Read the Bible to go deeper with God. I’m looking forward to beginning the journey with you this September.
Reflecting on a week of prayer
Posted on June 23, 2011 by Pastor Tom
“That was great. Why don’t we do that more often?” I heard that among other comments as we came together last night after a week in prayer. Nearly 40 believers gave an hour and a half on a beautiful summer evening to pray together, share and write. I will be looking over and reflecting on what was shared as we continue to seek God’s wisdom for us as a church family. Already, I see the fruit of people discovering afresh or anew that they can find time to pray just by shutting down some time wasters.
But more than that, I sensed an engagement and anticipation to what the Lord might show us next. If you’re an SVBCer who participated in prayer week but couldn’t come last night, please forward me your answers to these questions:
What did God impress upon you this week?
What Scriptures spoke most to you?
For those of you outside of our church who prayed for us through this week, thank you! I pray you can lead or initiate something similar in your fellowship.
In the meantime, here’s a couple of quotes from the week:
“I need to seek the Lord’s wisdom more and more through prayer and Bible reading. I often find myself trying to work out things before praying.”
“I yearn for signs of unity and love between believers.”
A week of prayer for SVBC - Coming Together
Posted on June 22, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Join us tonight in the Fireside Room at 7:30 PM
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 – 7:30 PM – Fireside Room
• Coming together to pray and share.
o Opening Prayer – Thanking the Lord for prayer; fellowship with Him and each other.
o Sharing Together – Did God impress anything upon you during this time?
o Continuing Prayer – Seeking the Lord for His wisdom and next steps.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 7
Posted on June 21, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 – Seeking the Lord’s Wisdom
• As we seek God’s next steps for us, many ideas have been put forward. We need His wisdom for His priorities and direction for us.
• So reflect on the wisdom of God described in 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:16.
• Then ask for the Lord’s wisdom for us as a body.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 6
Posted on June 20, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Monday, June 20, 2011 – Lifting up our Unity
• One mark of the true church is its unity under Christ. God has the ability and power to bring people from incredibly diverse backgrounds together and make them one because of Christ.
• Jesus declared that our unity is testimony to the world about His coming.
• Read John 17:20–23; Ephesians 4:1–6.
• Pray for the unity of SVBC.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 5
Posted on June 19, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Sunday, June 19, 2011 – Lifting up our worship
• If there is one thing our enemy does not want us to do, it’s worship the Triune God. Yet when we engage in true worship of the Lord together, there are few things more beautiful.
• Daniel 7:13–14 gives us a picture of God in front of His messengers while the Son of Man takes a seat beside Him. This is who we worship. In John 4:21–24, Jesus describes worship. True worship is giving God glory with our minds and hearts.
• Spend some time in these passages. Then lift up our worship to the Lord.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 4
Posted on June 18, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Saturday, June 18, 2011 – Lifting up the people
• God draws people into His family from all different walks of life. We may have little in common with others in the church. Yet, we all have Christ in common. He has a role for each one of us to play.
• So spend some time in Romans 12:1–13
• Then lift up Christ’s Body, the people of SVBC.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 3
Posted on June 17, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Friday, June 17, 2011 – Lifting up the Leaders
• Christian leadership is a high calling and high responsibility. One way the enemy wages war against the Lord is by attacking church leaders and their families.
• Spend some reflecting on 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Hebrews 13:17
• Then lift up our Pastors, Elders, Servant Team and Staff.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 2
Posted on June 16, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Thursday, June 16, 2011 – Reflecting on the church
• What is the church all about? Why does it exist?
• Spend some time in Matthew 28:16–20; Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37.
• Then ask the Lord to continue to make us into the church He desires.
• Ask Him to expose any spiritual stagnation and buoy up any who might be discouraged.
A week of prayer for SVBC - Day 1
Posted on June 15, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 – Confessing our prayerlessness
• We are in a spiritual battle. The enemy does not want SVBC to be a church the Lord can use to advance His kingdom. He does not want us to pray.
• Read Ephesians 6:10–20 to be reminded of this reality.
• Then come clean before God – Confess any prayerlessness in your own life – Ask for strength to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
What we can learn from the first paradise lost.
Posted on June 9, 2011 by Pastor Tom
So what might we take away from Genesis 2?
We join everyone in longing for paradise lost. But Christians get to look forward to paradise version 2.0 The garden of Eden reminds us of what we have lost (Joel 2:3) but also of what will yet be renewed in the world to come (Isa. 51:3, Rev. 22:3)
We need to see again a Sovereign God who has authority over us and sets boundaries for our benefits. God did not put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden to be mean but to test the hearts of man and woman. He continues to do that today to reveal to us our need for Him. If only we can grow in seeing His boundaries as a loving limitation not some cruel restriction.
We need to see a loving compassionate God who sees our real needs and provides for them. God saw the man’s aloneness and provided the perfect helper for him. God saw our need for salvation and provided His own Son. God continues to see our deepest needs and offers His provision. We need to keep coming to Him to receive it.
We can rejoice in the beauty of marriage and all the best parts of it and the way it was meant to be. We sorrow in how tragically it has been distorted.
Husbands celebrate the wives He has brought to you. Share your delight about them with them and with others.
Children, celebrate the mothers God brought you or the people He provided to fill that role in your life. Mom’s see your high place in creation. You are the one’s specially created by the Lord God to nurture and care. You have been given one of the highest commissions on earth. There is no other for your husband.
All – we can find our way back to paradise. But only by submitting to the One who created it. He will restore paradise One Day. Though we could not get there on our own, He provided the way. He sent His Son into the fractured world that resulted from Adam and Eve’s fall. The Son lived a sinless life. He then suffered and died on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead with His resurrection body. He is the firstfruits of the resurrected. Those who place their life trust in Jesus are on their way back. That means to stop thinking that you can get to paradise on your own. We have to stop thinking that our own autonomy and freedom are the most important thing. To admit that we need God to change and transform us. To submit to God’s ongoing work of change in us by praying, inviting, reflecting on His Word and responding to what God reveals. Continually opening ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit within us.
Yes the first paradise was lost. But the second one will be better and it’s possible to get there through Jesus.
Why all this nakedness?
Posted on June 8, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Why did God have to include Genesis 2:25 in the Bible? “Though naked, both feel no shame towards each other or in the presence of God.” (2:25) Why is that verse included? Why does God have to embarrass us like this? Another Bible commentator gives us an amazing explaination
Given the beliefs of ancient Israel, the next comment is almost as surprising: they “were naked, but they were not ashamed.” The couple’s unself-consciousness about their lack of clothing stands in stark contrast to their later ludicrous efforts to hide themselves in the trees and to clothe themselves with fig leaves. It is also quite out of keeping with the usual attitude to nakedness attested in the Old Testament. In general, nakedness is shameful and therefore to be avoided, particularly by those approaching God in worship or other sacred duties. Yet here in the garden which is full of symbols of the divine presence, where God himself regularly comes to meet with them, they were nude but unashamed. Since the relationships between man and wife and between them and their creator are unclouded by sin, there is no need for them to cover up. The fullness of their fellowship is here most vividly expressed. Such was life in paradise. We wish we could dwell here longer. Don’t you wish that the Bible could have ended in Genesis 2? We’d still be in paradise and we’d finally reach our goal of reading through the Bible in a year. But we can’t stay in Genesis 2. The Bible’s storyline continues with the greatest tragedy in history in Genesis 3.
Next time – so what can we learn from the original paradise lost?
The first woman - the perfect complement!
Posted on June 7, 2011 by Pastor Tom
But things are not quite perfect for the man. Verse 18 – Then the Lord God said, “it is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.” Here’s where we see the Lord’s loving concern. He promises to make a helper fit for (corresponding to) him. (2:18)
Fellowship, friendship and intimacy are basic needs for every human being. God will provide someone for Adam. We might think the term “helper” implies inferiority. But there is no sense of that in the text. The sense is more someone perfectly fitted to or perfectly complementing. The man is alone and he lacks. He needs help. (Ladies, I know you want to shout a huge, Yes he does). But where will this complementary partner come from? Maybe it will come from other living things. So Moses goes on a bit of review. In verse 19, he reveals that the Lord God had formed beasts of the field and birds of the air. They too were formed out of the ground like the man. They had some sort of breath of life in them. Would they be man’s companion? The Lord God reveals that no suitable helper is found in the animal kingdom even though they too came from the ground. (2:19–20) Instead, man gets to exercise authority over the animals by naming them as God’s representative. But no helper is found.
He makes woman from one of the man’s ribs. (2:21–22) Some have observed that this is the perfect body part to use. It’s not from man’s head so the woman is above him or from his foot so he walks all over her. It’s a rib from his side. In Sumerian, one of the languages of Mesopotamia, the word for “rib” also means “life.” Something of that concept is also intended here: The woman comes into being out of the very life of man. Life begets life. Man and woman are connected. They are related to each other as though they were blood relatives. She is the perfect provision. We know that by man’s response.
How do man and woman respond to God’s provision?
Man delights in God’s provision of woman. (2:23) Adam expresses unbounded delight. It’s not “oh, she’s pretty good God.” This is bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. She is awesome and perfect.” Moses then puts in place God’s ordination of marriage as foundational for society. A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. Just as the first man and woman were of one flesh, the subsequent married couples become one flesh.
Next time – Why all this nakedness?
The first man gets to go into the garden.
Posted on June 6, 2011 by Pastor Tom
In Genesis 2:15 God places the first man in the garden. The Lord God commissions man to work and keep the garden. (2:15) The man doesn’t plant the garden. He is to work it and take care of it. It is like God has placed man as the garden’s guardian. So work was part of the pre-Fall world. Work is not bad. It, like everything else, has been tarnished by the fall. We will see this more in Genesis 3. But work in the resurrection life and originally in this garden was fulfilling not frustrating. It was productive and satisfying.
Then the Lord God sets the boundaries upon which man can remain in the garden. (2:16–17). Do you want to stay in this paradise man? You are welcome to eat from any tree in the garden except one. Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When you eat of it, you will surely die.” There is only one rule to abide in this paradise. You can think, act, create, care, enjoy and explore. But don’t eat of that tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Now one commentator had a quite profound observation about this. We hear a lot of proposed solutions for all that ails mankind. One proposed solution is creating the right environment. If man is placed in the right environment, he or she will do right. But here was a man placed in a perfect environment. Here was a man not yet tainted by sin. Here was a man who gazed at the most beautiful environment ever seen. Yet man still did not choose right. The commentator writes: Beneath the surface narrative however, the story poses the crucial problem of human existence: unaided human beings cannot create paradise. Flawed and limited, they cannot oversee and ensure justice and wholeness; they cannot even tame the monster within themselves. Paradise comes at a cost. To live there, one must submit to the rule of an “other,” the owner of the garden. This is an essential feature of paradise: Do we choose to live in the garden and submit to the master? Or do we choose our own reign and face expulsion? Those willing to submit find wholeness and intimacy; those who choose otherwise echo the defiant sentiment of the fallen archangel, who in John Milton’s words proclaims, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” Humanity at its best, when tested, rebels even in the perfect environment.
Next time – the first woman
What's with all the trees?
Posted on June 5, 2011 by Pastor Tom
The narrative continues to describe the garden itself. The Lord God fills the garden with an abundance of trees. Verse 9 – And out of the ground, the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So first of all, notice there are many trees that are beautiful and good for food. When the trouble happens in the next chapter, it’s not like Adam and Eve had only two trees to choose from. There were all kinds of trees. Two are mentioned by name. The tree of life is beyond the original life breathed into man. Continuing to eat from the tree of life renewed life and prevented aging or death. The first man and woman had access to this tree.
Then there is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now if we could ask God anything about the Garden in Eden, I think many would want to ask about this tree. What might we ask? God, why did you even put this tree in the garden? This is paradise. So why even put something that has knowledge of evil? We might also ask “what does knowledge of good and evil really mean?” Some suggest it is the ability to know the difference between good and evil. That would indicate that the first man and woman did not have that ability. But if that were the case, then why would they be held accountable for their sin in Genesis 3? If they had no ability to discern whether or not something was good, would God be just in sentencing them? Others suggest it is ethical knowledge. Another possible explanation is that this refers to God’s knowledge of good and evil. That knowledge in God’s mind is under control and perfectly managed. God knows things about evil that only He should know. If man and woman were to get ahold of that knowledge they would not be capable of handling appropriately.
When we were in Alaska last summer, we went to one of those lumberjack shows. They did log rolling, sawing competitions and pole climbing. But they also did chain saw carving. It was amazing to see these guys with their chain saws carve some pretty neat stuff. They were experts with the chain saw. But give that chain saw fully gassed up with motor running to an inexperienced child and that would be a very different story. It would be dangerous, damaging and maybe even tragic. That seems to describe well what man has done with the knowledge of good and evil. But we’re not in Genesis 3 yet.
Let’s spend some more time in paradise. God has created man and given him life. He provided a place – a garden in the East, in Eden. He causes all kinds of beautiful trees to grow there. He provides water for the garden from this great river in Eden.
Next time – The first man gets to go to paradise
A garden in the East named Eden
Posted on June 4, 2011 by Pastor Tom
The story moves on to describe the marvelous place God prepares. The Lord God provides a beautiful place in which man can live. Here we discover what is now referred to as the first paradise. Moses gives us a couple of initial details about this place. It is a garden which we will soon discover is an enclosed and protected area with trees and vegetables designed to produce food. It is a place where man is close to the place from which he came – the earth.
This garden is in the East. In the ancient world, the east represented life. It is the place from which the sun rises. So the North South flowing Nile river has the temples of life on the east side. The monuments of death including the pyramids, tombs and valley of the kings are on the west side. In Europe, many cathedrals were constructed on an east/west axis with the altar facing east. This garden in the east was in Eden. This place has water and moisture, a perfect place for a lush garden. In fact in verse 10 we see a river flowing from Eden. This river becomes four streams that water the entire land.
This picture of a river flowing from God occurs throughout Scripture. In keeping with the life-giving Spirit of God, the river is a life-giving supply of water. So in Ezekiel 47, a river flows from the new temple to give life. In the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, John sees a river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God down the middle of the great street of the city. The original Eden had a similar great life giving river.
We also discover that the prophets understood Eden to be in or connected to some sort of mountain. In Ezekiel 28, the prophet speaks to the King of Tyre who is a type of Satan. The prophet condemns the king for his pride especially since he was once in Eden. So Ezekiel 28 gives us some more insight into Eden. In Ezekiel 28:13 the prophet speaking for the Lord says to King of Tyre, “you were in Eden, the garden of God, every precious stone adorned you. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God.”
Next time – What’s with all the trees?
How does God provide paradise?
Posted on June 2, 2011 by Pastor Tom
How does the Lord God provide paradise for the man and the woman?
He forms man out of dust and breathes life into him. (2:7) Humans give birth to other human beings. But where did the first humans come from? Contrary to a worldview that claims humans descended from other life forms, Moses describes God as the creator and life giver. Verse 7 tells us God formed man from dust of the ground. There’s a play on words we don’t see in English. Man is “adam” in Hebrew. Dust of the ground is “adama.” God used the “adama” to form “adam.” God formed “adam” from “adama.” Our origins are earthly.
Yet, the Lord God did not just form a model to look at. He breathed life into the man’s nostrils. Ultimately, God is the source of life. God’s breath and God’s Spirit give life. Even though we have had life transferred to us from our parents, it ultimately goes back to God. One commentator writes “if God were to withdraw his life-giving power from us all mankind would perish together and the man would return to dust.” As Psalm 104:29 states “when you take away their breath, they die and return to dust.” In Him we live and move and have our being. In this account, the first man is now created and living. But where will he live?
Next time – a marvelous place!
What's in a name?
Posted on June 1, 2011 by Pastor Tom
The passage begins with another title or section header. “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” Notice, it’s not the account of man. It starts with the heavens and the earth. Verses 5 and 6 describe the state of the earth prior to the creation of this paradise. There is no shrub of the field, no plants of the field, no rain and no one to work the land. These verses anticipate a transformation.
But before we see how God provided paradise for the man and the woman, notice what Moses calls God. He does not use the same name translated “God” in Genesis 1. This is the Lord God who made the earth and the heavens. God is the Hebrew Elohim. It is the majestic name Moses gives to proclaim the mightiness and majesty of God. But Lord is Yahweh. This is the personal, intimate name of God in the Old Testament. Moses combines the two suggesting that what is about to be told will reveal both God’s character as sovereign creator and His loving concern for mankind.