THE BEGINNING
Today’s Reading: Genesis 1-2
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
A couple sits watching the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea from under the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct in the area of Caesarea, Israel.
Key Verse: Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
“God created,” “Elohim bara” (Hebrew). This Name for God is always plural, yet in the Hebrew language it always takes a singular verb (Genesis 1:1). Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are at work to make something out of nothing. In the rest of the story the verb is “Asah,” which is what a carpenter does when he works with material already in existence. Chapter 2 is an expansion of what God did in chapter 1. We are made in His Image. We are not just physical beings. We have a capacity for a life beyond, for communication with God, and God with us. Like God, we are intended to live forever! Because we are made in His image, we can come to know Him more as we daily read from the revelation He has chosen to give us, the Bible! We have a free will, the freedom to choose. We can ignore Him and even reject Him, or we can learn of Him, opening our hearts and minds to Him as our God, believing in the great Creator God!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I’ve decided to believe in You. Thank You for enabling me to find this blog. Your Thoughts are expressed in Your Holy Word. Help me to maintain the committment of reading Your Word daily, getting to know what You think of me and of everything. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I marvel at God’s creation. On land we once owned, according to someone who knows, there is a 300 year old cherry tree. Amazing! Recently a large red fox decided to have a sleep on our driveway. Norma-Jean thought it was dead, but it jumped up and ran off, it’s long fluffy tail floating in the breeze. God must love variety. In meditating on creation, my heart and mind are lifted up to contemplate the Creator God, and Jesus Himself. John writes that, “Without Him (Jesus) nothing was made that was made.” The mystery of it all astounds me. There are many things I do not understand. It would be the height of arrogance to claim to know it all. However, I can claim to know a great deal more than I did when I first heard Bible stories as a child. Almost every day, as I study the suggested reading, I’m learning more. I imagine reading Genesis 1 & 2 in eternity and asking Moses, “What have you learned here in Heaven from God about creation that you didn’t know when you wrote Genesis? When God spoke the cosmos into existence, was there a ‘big bang?’ Is that how it happened, Moses?” I expect to have a greatly increased intellectual capacity, even understanding quantum physics.
We’ve just completed reading the first book of the record of Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew’s Gospel, and we’re now beginning a book which Jesus would’ve read as a boy in the Synagogue. Remember, at any time we or someone we know can begin this journey and in two years, with breakfast sized readings, God’s thoughts expressed in Words will be ours, and the Spirit of God will bring to remembrance what we need to know (if we are consistent in our reading) when we need to remember for ourselves and for others.
Please feel free to post your comments. Each one is read, and I thank you for your input. However, I’m sorry that I am rarely able to reply to your specific questions. Attend church this Sunday. Speak with a teacher there if possible, asking any questions you may have. Beware of false teachers. For a New Testament reading for today, I suggest the little book of Jude (only one chapter).
Yours for learning to think some of God’s thoughts,
David
P.S. Yesterday, in four sessions, I watched the entire “Visual Bible” word-for-word production of the Gospel of Matthew which we’ve just completed reading. What a mighty experience!!! I recommend it for a comprehensive overview of that book (link on yesterday’s blog), and I intend to do the same over the Summer with Mark, Luke and John!!!
I marvel at Gods creation as we go to an art studio and watch the painter create such a masterpiece you can hardly wait to see the creation and as God took the blank canvas of nothingness and created yhe entire universe its so amazing and as you see a tiny baby you see the intricate details of the Master Creater making us all in His image Oh Wonderful How marvelous I love you Lord and thank You for creating me God Bless all of you who were created by the Master Our Heavenly Father Amen
Your words are so beautiful, Brenda. That take us right there to the image you are expressing. Our God is the creator and the world His canvas–how divine!!! Praise God!!!
Still tuned in David. Creation is so beautiful right now and marvel how God created us human beings in His image and provided for us spiritually. He is creating a new heaven and earth even more beautiful for us that we may live with Him forever. Blessings everyone!
I enjoy this blog so much, David. It lifts my spirit up and the images are stunning too. I watched the snippet of your message that you posted on the 27th, and was reminded of years ago, as a young minister watching you on 100 Huntley Street.
Thanks for being such a marvelous example to so many of what a man of God looks like.
The young constable on 100 Huntley St. was a delight to listen to. Allan Stevenson had an auto-immune disease that wrecked his liver so God gave this man a new liver. It was so warming and inspiring to see and hear the love, honour. faith and trust of this man for Jesus. I pray every soul would sign their donor card or go to beadonor.ca.
What a beautiful pic of the sunset on the Mediterranean!
Am reading Cold-Case Christianity right now and it seems to come into play for today’s reading. Such an inspiring book.
Adam named his helper woman which seems close to woe unto man:-) (sorry, couldn’t help it).
Thanks for your daily blog Rev. DM. Gets me out of bed early every morning and closer to our heavenly Father. I would imagine many people are doing this study but just don’t make a comment for one reason or another. Don’t be disheartened. You and your blessed family have done such a great service to many, many souls.
Full intentions of watching the movies of Matthew et al when time and circumstances permit.
Shalom.
This is a beautiful song sung by a man I believe is blind but it in no way affects his voice. All in French (I think) but still beautiful to listen to.
http://go.aleteia.org/Q884zQN
I agree with you. There are many who don’t ever write comments but still appreciate this daily Blog. I have relatives who read it daily and do not comment and they pass on the info about this blog I also have passed on the info about the blog and I’m sure we are all doing so…What a blessing it is! I know there are so many people being touched daily by it!
To know God as our Creator adds significance and purpose to all our lives. Our Lord is in our DNA, our very soul. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Because of Our Lord, today may we be the reason someone feels loved.
Amen, David–beautiful message! Our God is in our DNA!
Amen brother!
Everything about today’s message is powerful. The photo is fitting. Thank you for your message, David Mainse, and excellent teaching. It is so important to learn the true facts about the Bible! I am bewildered by the magnitude of it all. I know deep in my soul that when we die and get to heaven, all things will be explained; we will have understanding and knowledge of everything beyond what we could ever have imagined. It will simply blow our minds away! Thank you, David, for the link to Matthew, I started watching it last night but will start over today. I look forward to the four gospels over the summer. I am typing out the words to the powerful sermon you gave following Bruce Marciano, years ago. I was so blown away by it. I am almost done and will share it with others if anyone is interested. My goal is to start memorizing it and repeating it over and over as I swim each stroke each morning in Lake Ontario. This is my seventh summer swimming in the lake with the merfolk. The first few years, I counted the strokes, 1500 backstrokes typically for the 45 minutes; it kept me focused and on track. The past two years since doing the blog, I have been singing hymns, worship songs, in my head the whole way; sometimes when the waves are calm, I sing out loud. We fall down, we lay our crown, at the feet, of Jesus… we sing Holy, Holy, Holy. we sing Holy Holy Holy, is the Lamb…. This year, the sermon, words of scripture, has been going through my head. I have the whole summer to memorize–what a blessing! Genesis 1-2, the Book of Mathew–how blessed we are!! Our God is so great and powerful. Amen! Thank you God!! Bless ye fellow saints!!
Amazing picture and today’s reading of Our Creator fills me with great Awe!,
Just thinking of a beautiful rose, of it’s delicate petals and aroma, or the many wonderful birds and animals one can hardly take it all in. And man himself how intricately we are put together, just to hear how our ulcer can rejuvenate in a few months is truly amazing. How can any physician doubt who God is.
I watched the entire movie of Matthew’s gospel yesterday. What a great site to get more movies worth watching. Thank you Father for your wonderful amazing world.
P.S. Mean how our liver can be rejuvenated!!!
I think you are right Lynda. I for one enjoy
the readings every day but don’t comment
too often. I pray for the requests and thank
God when we read answers to prayer.
Our lives are like a canvas that God is creating,
an original masterpiece…each life is different,
each stroke of the Master’s hand has meaning
and purpose…the ultimate finished product
will be a beautiful masterpiece of GOD’s
handiwork. In the beginning God created…
and He is still creating something beautiful
in each of us. Thanks David and each one
for your thots today and the beautiful picture
Reynold. The pics are all on file.
Blessings to all.
So easy to forget that we are dependant on God for all things. Lord, help us not to forget your loving mercies and blessings every day.
Today’s comments remind me of a story I heard once– I think it came from one the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but I don’t which, or the original author. Heck I might even remember the story detail for detail– but it goes something like this.
In the fall time in one of the large American cities a man was rushing home among the hustle and bustle of the city. Everyone in a hurry, not looking at each other, just looking straight ahead intent on getting to where they were going– when this man, saw this homeless lady staring off into the sky and she kept saying ” God is so good to me, Good is so good to me.” So out of curiosity he too look up and he saw a beautiful early evening sky and a flock of Canadian geese flying south for the winter and when he look down, for a moment the homeless lady and himself locked eyes and she smiled knowing for a moment someone else had taken a moment to look to see this beautiful gift of creation God made but were too busy to notice.
David, I thank you for your faithfulness in publishing this blog. I am encouraging the members of the Church where I am doing interim ministry to subscribe to this blog as I believe it will be a blessing to them. I have been called back to active ministry after retiring following Open Heart Surgery a few years ago. I now have atrial fibrillation, however, my doctor has said my blood pressure is the best it has been in years since going back to preaching on a regular basis. This Sunday, June 29, the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is the 30th Anniversary of my Ordination as a Priest. I served in the Anglican Church and then joined the Anglican Network and now although still a Priest with the Anglican Network, I am serving a Reform Church in our community whose Pastor died in March. He was one of my Legion Padres, as I serve as the Legion Zone Padre as well as the Unit Padre for a military base nearby. God is so good and gracious. I Praise God for the strength and energy to serve him in this ministry in spite of many medical problems. To Jesus be all honour, glory and praise. Amen.
Dear David, I saw all of the movie of Mathew so wonderfuf to was some thing that is so true and so touching … I had to cry as iiiiiiiiI watched it ….R…
Although as a child I was baptized in a mainline church and attended in that denomination for the first part of my life; what kept me attending is the fellowship and that I enjoyed singing in the choir, but not until I came to know the Lord, did I pay attention to what the words were really saying.
Then while going through a divorce I sought counseling from a man of God; when he asked me if I knew what the word Genesis meant, I did not.
However, shortly after that I gave my heart to Jesus at a home bible study where I was introduced to the Gospel of Mark. Then I received the infilling of the Holy Spirit: I began to read the bible beginning with Genesis; what a revelation came to my innermost being!!!
I’m forever amazed at God’s divine order in all He does. His ways are perfect!!
Reynold, thank you once again for your creation!!!
I am in my mid eighties. I do my devotions first thing every morning, thanking God for awakening me to a new day with health and strength to live alone and being capable to care for myself with God’s help. I did part of your last 2 year venture and have started with the current one and appreciate it so much!!!!!!! I really appreciate the audio of the daily reading as I do have trouble focusing on print in the early morning hours…possibly because I have eye medication to insert in my eyes upon awakening. Also the reader’s voice is sooooooo infused with the Holy Spirit….at least this is what I feel. Needless to say, David, you are constantly in my prayers. May God richly bless you as I have been blessed more than I deserve and am so thankful to have a loving God upon whom I can lay all my burdens. I can never praise HIM enough.
Blessings on you and yours.
Blessed
The joy, joy, joy of the richness of this blog and the Lord’s Living Words. Wow!
Thank you David and Norma Jean for your on going faithfulness my prayer group and I continue to pray for YOU. And the wonderful ministry you pioneered so many years ago
That saved my life
So happy to hear of your healing!!
Hugs to both of you
You will always have a home away from home with Ron and I
When you travel west again
Love and prayers
Ron and Sharon carlson