Bringing Order to Life

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Mark Shields

God put Adam and Eve in charge of the Garden; to take care of it and the animals that lived there. Approach each day’s manual and mental task with this in mind; that we are to be good stewards of God’s world.

God is with us each day to help and we should never feel lonely. Each day should be exciting with new ideas. As I write about my journey through the Bible, there is a sense of bringing some order into life. God is still in the creation business; transforming His people.

This day with God, celebrate the changes He makes in people. Here’s a video to help: Shake – MercyMe.


I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. – Psalm 89:1

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Adam and Eve

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Mark Shields

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In Genesis 2, we get the account of Adam and Eve. They were to work in the garden and take care of it. God didn’t give them a nice house to take care of or a car to work on. There were no golf courses, no movies to go see, or restaurants to dine at. There were no tools to destroy things with or shopping malls with the “every item on sale marketing strategy” to wreck every families budget. No, there were two tasks God assigned to them. The first was the manual task mentioned above; working the garden. The other was more of a mental task; naming the birds and animals He was forming out of the ground.

The work kept them busy, out of trouble, and probably provided some satisfaction. Just imagine being able to work this perfect garden and being able to name all these new creatures God was making. They were so focused on their job that they didn’t even recognize they were both naked. They were going about their day with enthusiasm and a total focus; no concern about what they looked like or the need to impress someone.

They were being good stewards of the world until something happened. They lost their focus and from that point forward, there has been disorder. This day with God, we pray for the ability to stay focused with enthusiasm towards our work. Father God, we ask today that our work provides satisfaction and that we are able to be a part of being good stewards of the world You have created.

 

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The Generous Gift of His Son

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Mark Shields

Everything began with God when He made the heaven and earth in six days. He created water and light; a place that could sustain life for animals and birds. He created people in His own image for His own good pleasure (Revelation 4:11), for his own glory (Isaiah 43:7), and for fellowship (John 4:24) to manage His creation.

Unfortunately, there was estrangement from God and this has caused tough times but He was kind in giving us His Son to fix this estrangement. Jesus changed everything and we can help others by explaining to them that they have a friend in Jesus. Here is a video that shares the story: When Love Sees You – Mac Powell. 



So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6-7

 

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Biblical Creationism

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Mark Shields

We were wonderfully made and so was the formless void that God created called the universe. Reading in Genesis 1, God’s imagination and His Words are related because what He said became reality. God said, “Let there be light” and there was light as He set the sun to light the Earth. He made the sky, the oceans, the land, the plants, and the seasons. He made the fish of the sea, birds and animals. His people are to be the master of all.

Sunset in Hawaii

Look at your own smart phone. Maybe you have an idea of what’s going on inside that complicated thing to help you make those phone calls, text messages, and ability to find information on the Internet. To believe only in evolution is like believing that all those parts were put in a shoebox and shaken for a few weeks – hey, say a few million years – and your smart phone resulted from that.

To believe in biblical creationism, you simply believe that God’s people are made in His image; He has crowned them with great honor and with imaginations to create. He made people for his own good pleasure (Revelation 4:11), for his own glory (Isaiah 43:7), and for fellowship (John 4:24).

Over the years, His people have invented cars, planes, and trains among other things. At the same time, His people are to show concern for nature in responsible treatment of wildlife and natural resources. All these facts make a difference because God’s people have a responsibility to each other and must keep each other accountable. We are to respect each other because God made all in His image.

Unfortunately, there was estrangement from God and this has caused tough times. But hope was given for a brighter future when Jesus died on the cross for sin. This changed our relationship between God, with others, and with all creation which transforms our thinking to a positive frame of mind.

Remember, it all started with God. He was kind to us with a wonderful world until there became estrangement because of the actions of Adam and Eve. Again God was kind in giving us His Son to fix this estrangement. Jesus changed everything and we can help others by explaining to them that they have a friend in Jesus. When we help others, the kindness will be given back. Share with others the love of Jesus and the love of Jesus will be given back in the form of eternal blessings.

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Questions for Reflection for Study of Genesis 1-4

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Mark Shields

I would like take this time to thank all of you my readers. This blog started from a life transformation group several years ago with just a few followers and now has grown to over 1,000 followers. I’ve found it to be a great tool in my journey through the Bible and you, my readers are keeping me accountable to daily Bible reading and study. We live in a busy world with busy schedules and being able to share some thoughts about this journey with others across this world through the Internet is truly a blessing.

I hope you each had a happy Holiday season. As the journey continues this year through God’s Word, I will turn to the book of Genesis. We can be thankful for what God has created; the mysterious and interesting world around us. To begin this study, here’s a video to spark our interest: Unlocking the Mysteries of Genesis.
 
There are amazing mysteries of the world around us. The beauty of nature, the pattern and order of the rising and setting of the sun, the ebb and flow of the tide. Many things are too complex for us not to have ONE MASTER designer. God lays out the steps He took to create the world and how we can best live in it. All this is found in the Book that many never take the time to read.

The mission of this blog is to bring out ways to apply His Word in our life at work, at home, and within our neighborhoods. The questions for reflection for the study of Genesis 1-4 below will help bring out some thoughts and ideas over the next two weeks.

Genesis 1
Given a formless void, how would you have created the universe differently (not that create does not mean refashion)? How are people in God’s image? How do we differ in kind, not merely in degree from other creatures?

Genesis 2
Why do you think God gave Adam and Eve work to do? How are you approaching today’s manual and mental tasks? If lonely, what difference does knowing God make?

Genesis3
Characterize the serpent and how does Eve fall? What is the progression? What are the responses to God about what they did? What do you blame your sins and problems on? How is the attitude toward work changed?

Genesis 4
How do you know God (The Jewish idea of knowing is not mere intellectual apprehension of a fact but experiential, intimate, active, existential knowledge)? In what ways does Cain disclaim responsibility for his actions? Who is responsible for your actions?

The above reading plan will be used as I share over the next few posts. It’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Him as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with Him amazing! At this link: God’s Plan for Us, is a post about accepting God’s plan or reaffirming our “YES” for Christ. 

Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God. 

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts
Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God. Downer Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1978
First United Methodist Waco Podcast
Christ Notes
Family Times
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