NEW BEGINNINGS - a message of encouragement from God to His kids (the Jews and Jesus) about the new phase of life in which they were about to embark
* God to the Israelites:
* The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land.
* What message would God have for them?
* God downloaded five books into Moses, one of them went back to the beginning - Genesis.
* The Jews needed this book to create a solid foundation for their new life.
* Many scholars believe that the Israelites fled Egypt around 1450-1440 BC.
* They also believe Moses wrote Genesis around 1400 BC.
* KEY - Whatever God forms He fills.
* But there’s an order to how He does it:
* Illumination - Separation - Habitation.
* He did this with all of creation - the earth first and then mankind.
* Gen 1:1-2 - He created the heavens and the earth.
* But the earth was FORMLESS - God needed to FORM it.
* The earth was VOID - He needed to FILL it.
* The Six Days of Creation are all about Him forming and filling.
* 1) ILLUMINATION: Gen 1:3
* 2) SEPARATION: Gen 1:4-9
* * light from darkness
* * waters below from waters above
* * land from water
* Illumination and separation prepared the way for habitation.
* 3) HABITATION:
* vs 10-31 - Vegetation, Animals, Humans.
Day 1 - Heavens and the earth (nothing but water) - He lit it up and split it up!
Day 2 - Sky - He separated the waters above and below
Day 3 - Land - He separated the water from the dirt - vegetation was a part of this
Day 4 - Stars - Gen 1:14-18 - Before habitation he had to create government so people could keep things separate.
Day 5 - Fish
Day 6 - Animals & Man
* EXAMPLE - ADAM: God did with Adam what He did with the earth.
* vs 2:19-20 - ILLUMINATION - no helper was “found” - he was looking.
* vs 2:21 - SEPARATION - feminine was removed from masculine.
* vs 2:22-25 - HABITATION - and they lived happily ever after.
* FLOOD - when God brought the flood He set the earth back to its original form (full of water) - He removed Separation. (Genesis 7:21)
* APPLICATION: Illumination - Separation - Habitation
* 1) Walk in the light. Spend time with God in prayer and the Word.
* 2) Stay separate from the world. “Be holy for I am holy.”
* 3) When we walk in the light and remain separate we live in God and He lives in us.
Why Genesis?
Who wrote the book and why it was written
January 6, 2019 • Benham Brothers
Matthew 16:17-19 (2/4/16)
February 4, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• The disciples were expecting Christ to establish a new kingdom. • But He let them in on His plan - it was to build a church. • They knew what "ekklesia" meant: • 1) an assembly of Greek citizens that governed a city or district. • 2) the congregation of Israel when gathered for religious activity. • He didn't stop there - He let them in on the entire role of the church: • WHO - anyone who made the same claim as Peter. • WHERE - the "gates" represented power and authority - City Hall. • Gates of Hell represented the places where Satan exercised power and authority. • WHAT - keys represent access to authority. • The church would get access to God's authority. • The church could bind what was free (evil), and free what was bound (good). • CHURCH - "a religious governing body made up of Christians who exercise God's ruling authority on the earth." • This means there will always be a fight.
Mark 16:15-18 (3/15/18)
March 15, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* Christ’s last words on earth were a commission for believers to be Kingdom Advancers in this world. * vs 16 - it starts with belief. To believe is to “commit.” * vs 17-18 - Just as Moses had signs that accompanied him as well as the apostles in Acts, so will we as believers. * Signs represent to the outside what is true on the inside (like a skin disease). * Signs make the invisible visible. * Here are the signs that will accompany believers to show the POWER that’s inside them: * 1) We WILL cast out demons - this is a matter of AUTHORITY (the “right to use power”). * The power of God in us will overcome the power of Satan in others. * 2) We WILL speak in new tongues - this is a matter of CLARITY. * A believer will talk differently - it will be in a way others can understand. * We can also speak in prayer tongues if we’re open to the Spirit’s leading. * 3) We WILL pick up serpents with our hands - this is a matter of BRAVERY. * We won’t walk in fear - what others fear won’t affect us (there’s no mention of snake bite). * 4) IF we drink poison, it won’t affect us - this is a matter of IMMUNITY. * The things that are meant to harm us won’t because of the power inside us. * ** Persecution - when others want to harm us it won’t. * ** Purity - the stuff of the world won’t affect us on the inside (like a hose that’s on inside a mud hole). * 5) We WILL lay our hands on the sick and they will recover - this is about COMMUNITY. * Believers will be conduits through which God brings healing to others. * We not only have the power to do it but also the desire.
What Is Eternal Life
June 16, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• We all know John 3:16. • Jesus then defines what “eternal life” means - to “know” God. • Matthew 7:23 - “Depart from Me, I never ’knew’ you.” • To know someone is to have intimate knowledge, like me with my wife. • I met her and have committed myself fully to her and she to me - we have a relationship. • The foundation of me knowing her is commitment. • The word “believe” in John 3:16 means to “commit.” • The rich young ruler wanted to live forever - that was his definition of eternal life. • Luke 14:33 - those who aren’t willing to commit can’t know God. • So here’s the question - do you KNOW God? • If you do you have eternal life now.