Created – For Salvation

Genesis speaks of the beginning. Matthew speaks of a new beginning. The God who created us is the God who has provided for our salvation. If we are to enjoy God's salvation, we must learn to follow the wisdom of Psalm 1:1-2 - "Blessed is the one ... whose delight is in the law of …

Real power

"Nimrod, was a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Genesis 10:9). We live our life "before the Lord" (in the presence of the Lord, in the eyes of the Lord). This is something we should never forget. We do not live for ourselves, for our own glory. We live for God, to give glory to him. …

God’s Blessing

“The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake” (Genesis 39:5). God’s blessing overflows. We go back to Genesis 39:2 – “the Lord was with Joseph.” God was blessing Joseph – and His blessing overflowed to others.

Are we content to live our life at the surface level? or Are we looking for something more than that?

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2). Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me (Psalm 42:7). The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God …

Overview of the Old Testament: Genesis

Genesis 1–4 ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord.God speaks, and it is done (1:3,6-7,11). God is pleased with what He has done (1:4,10,12). In chapter 1, we have read about the beginning of creation. …

Created by God, created to be like God (Travelling Through God’s Word: Genesis)

Genesis We have been created by God. We have been created to be like him. "God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." We are to let His light shine. His light is the light of His love. It is the light of life. Let there be light, love and life. May light, …

A Spiritual Journey (1): Genesis 1

This is the first post in a series of ten posts. Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start” (from The Sound of Music). We begin with God, not with ourselves. He was there before us. We came later.

A Spiritual Journey (2): Genesis 3

This is the second post in a series of ten posts. Everything began so well, but things didn’t stay good for very long. This is the story of sin. It’s the story of separation from God, but there’s also the promise of salvation. Satan will not triumph over the Lord. The Lord will triumph over …

A Spiritual Journey (3): Genesis 22

This is the third post in a series of ten posts. “God himself will provide the lamb” (verse 8). These are words that point us forward to Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The School of Discipleship (4): Looking away from ourselves to Jesus and being changed by him

We speak about growing in faith, becoming a stronger believer. We speak about growing in grace, becoming a more gracious person. Is this what we learn about in the school of discipleship? Should we not place the emphasis on the faithfulness of God and the grace of God? What are we to say about our …

Responding to God’s Word (1): In Christ alone, my hope is found.

God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering (Genesis 41:52). Here, Joseph speaks to us about suffering, and he speaks to us about fruitfulness. For Joseph, there was suffering before there was fruitfulness. What do we learn from these words of Joseph? There is no pathway that leads to fruitfulness, if we are …

Learning from Genesis 1 (2): Read about Jesus. Learn about God, your Creator.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27). Here, in the Bible's first chapter, we have the big picture - the creation of the heavens and the …

Learning from Genesis 1 (3): A big decision

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Where does this come from? Does it come from human imagination? or Does it come from divine revelation? Each of us must make up our mind. Will we believe what the Bible's first verse says to us? or Will we dismiss what the …

Learning from Genesis 1 (4): A very good place to start

"In the beginning, God... " (Genesis 1:1). "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start ... " (from the film, The Sound of Music). When we go back to "a long time ago", do we go back far enough? The first four words of the Bible takes us back beyond "a …

Learning from Genesis 1 (5): Back to the beginning

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This is our only starting-point. We begin with the eternal God. Before there was creation, there is God. There is nothing beyond God. He is the Beginning. Genesis 1:2 - “darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of …

Learning from Genesis 1 (6): The beginning

We go back to the first verse of the Bible: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). When did this world begin? Who can say that they know the answer to this question? What is important in this first verse of the Bible? Is it when did the world begin? …

Learning from Genesis 1 (7): This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Here, we are taken back to the beginning. Immediately, we feel that we are way out of our depth. Everything is surrounded by mystery. This is too much of us. We try to understand, but we can't take it all in. We confess our faith. We …

Learning from Genesis 1 (8): A voice from the ancient past

Genesis 1 From its very first verse, the Bible speaks to us as a voice from the ancient past and a message for our present and our future. The Bible speaks to every generation because it is a Word that comes to us from the eternal God, the everlasting God, the God who is both …

Learning from Genesis 1 (9): In the beginning, God

Genesis 1-2 "In the beginning, God"  - The first four words of the Bible take us back to the point where we can go no further, back to the eternity of God. What do we find when we are taken back - into the heart of the eternal God? We find love. We discover that …

Learning from Genesis 1 (11): God speaks, and it is done.

God speaks, and it is done (Genesis 1:3,6-7,11). He is pleased with what He has done (Genesis 1:4,10,12). This is the pattern of both God’s original creation and our life as a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God speaks to us and we say, ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10).

Learning from Genesis 1 (12): The day and the night, the light and the darkness.

"God called the light day, and the darkness he called night" (Genesis 1:5). Here, we read about the day and the night. We, also, read about the light and the darkness. There is physical light. That's daytime. There is, also, physical darkness. That's night time. What are we to say about daytime and night time? …

Learning from Genesis 1 (13): Out of the darkness – and into the light

Genesis 1:5 – “Day and Night” It’s like the difference between Day and Night. What a great change there is in us when the Lord brings us out of our darkness and into His light. Genesis 1:6 - “a firmament” Firm – We have a firm foundation upon which to build our faith. There is …

Learning from Genesis 1 (14): Bearing fruit for Jesus Christ, the risen Lord

Genesis 1:11 – “the fruit tree yielding fruit” We bear fruit as we build our lives on the Word of the Lord (Psalm 1). There is the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives (Galatians 5:22-23). There is the fruit of God at work in the lives upon whom we are able to exert a …

Learning from Genesis 1 (15): Blessed By The Lord

Genesis 1:22 - “God blessed them” What a great thing it is to be blessed by the Lord. Without His blessing, we have nothing. We must never forget these challenging words of Jesus; “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). What a great challenge they are to our human pride. When we think we …

Learning from Genesis 1 (16): God’s Great Faithfulness

Genesis 1:23 - “the evening and the morning” The repeated pattern of nature – evening, morning, evening, morning… – speaks to us of God’s great faithfulness. Without the sustaining power of God of perfect faithfulness and constant love, our world would return to chaos – “without form and void” (1:2). Whatever changes may take place …

Learning from Genesis 1 (17): Jesus is Lord! – He Gives His Victory To Us.

Genesis 1:24 - The “beast” Whenever we read, in God’s Word, about “the beast”, we are reminded that we face constant and determined opposition from Satan, the enemy of our souls. Whenever we feel that Satan is getting the upper hand, let us remind him that Jesus is Lord. Genesis 1:25 - “every thing that …

Learning from Genesis 1 (18): In God’s Image

Genesis 1:26 - “in God’s image” This doesn’t sound like a true description of the way we really are! We are sinners. We have lost our way. It’s a reminder of what God created us to be. It’s His high calling for us. He calls us to be like Him. He calls us to bring …

Learning from Genesis 1 (19): The Beginning Of Conflict And The Promise Of Victory

This post begins in Genesis 1, takes us on to Genesis 3, and far beyond that - to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! “Created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27) - “God saw everything that He had created … it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). At the end of Genesis 1, things couldn’t …

Learning from Genesis 1 (20): Created And Called

"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27). Created in the image of God - this is our high calling. As we journey through life, we're being called to become more like our God - filled with His love and His holiness. …

Learning from Genesis 1 (21): The blessing of God

"God blessed them" (Genesis 1:28). What a good thing it is to be blessed by the Lord! The blessing of God is better than anything else. Without his blessing, we have nothing - nothing that really matters. With his blessing, we have everything that really matters.

Learning from Genesis 1 (22): The Strong Meat Of God’s Word

Genesis 1:29 - “meat” We need the strong meat of God’s Word if we are to grow strong in the Lord. Let us feed on the Word of God. Let us pray that our hunger will increase. The more we hunger for the Lord, the more fully He will satisfy us.

Learning from Genesis 1 (23): God’s Gift – Eternal Salvation

Genesis 1:30 - “I have given” The gift of God – Life is God’s gift. He is our Creator. Salvation is God’s gift. Jesus is our Saviour. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift. He has come to live in us. He will take us to live with God – to give glory to God forevermore. …

Just around the corner

"So Jacob and his household started on again. And the angels of God came to meet him. When he saw them he exclaimed, “God lives here!” So he named the place “God’s territory!”" (Genesis 32:1-2). Grace finds us. God comes to us. He decides where and when and how he will meet us. When we're thinking …

Blessing, Deliverance And Resurrection

Genesis 1:20 - “Let the waters bring forth abundantly.” What abundance of blessing there is when the living water of the Holy Spirit are flowing freely among the Lord’s people (John 7:37-39; Ezekiel 47:5,9). Genesis 1:21 - “great whales” Remember “the great fish” that swallowed Jonah (Jonah 1:17). This was God’s way of showing us …

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (11): In Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, we see love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the eleventh stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: In Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, we see love, eternal love, the love of God. Genesis 22:1-18 Some time later God tested Abraham; he called to him, “Abraham!” And Abraham answered, “Yes, here I am!” 2 “Take your son,” God said, …

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (9): When you see a rainbow, remember there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the ninth stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: When you see a rainbow, remember there is love, eternal love, the love of God. Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18 The Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the …

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (7): In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Genesis 1:1-2:4a In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, “Let there be light”—and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from …

In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Easter Vigil: Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26; Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13; Psalm 46; Genesis 22:1-18; Psalm 16; Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18; Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12:2-6; Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6; Psalm 19; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Psalms 42 and 43; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 143; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Psalm 98; Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 114; Matthew 28:1-10 In …

God’s Word still speaks to us (10): The Lord is the everlasting God.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; …

Genesis 9

Here, we read about the faithfulness of God and the frailty of man. We begin with the faithfulness of God. "And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, …

Genesis 10

This chapter contains many names. As I was looking over this long list of names, my eyes fixed on the last sentence of the chapter: "The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood" (verse 32). "The nations": This made me think of a great verse in the book of Revelation. It's Revelation …

Genesis 11

This chapter contains the story of the tower of Babel, and another long list of names. What are we to say about the tower of Babel. It's a story that's been repeated over and over again. It's a story that's summed up in the words, "Tower and temple fall to dust." These words are taken …

God the Creator

John Macleod - preaching for Sandyford-Henderson Memorial Church, Glasgow, Scotland https://youtu.be/j_9VUcEaP6o

What are we learning from COVID-19? – God is in control.

Patrick Smith - preaching for Sandyford-Henderson Memorial Church Glasgow Scotland https://youtu.be/XqAxGs4E93U

“I will bless you” (Genesis 12:2).

These words come to us from a long time ago. They are still words that come to us from the Lord. In love, God looks upon us. In love, he says to us, "I will bless you." We look at the things that are happening to us, and we wonder if this is true. These …

When we don’t understand what’s going on in our lives

Genesis 41:1-57 We read about the interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. The interpretation didn't come from Joseph. It was given to Joseph by God. This is emphasized in verses15-16 - "Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a …

God comes to us with grace and power.

Third Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12 or Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 God comes to us with grace and power. Let us rejoice in His faithfulness. This is a divine Story, carried forward by God’s grace and power. God’s very great promises (Genesis 12:1-3) find their ultimate fulfilment in …

Led in “the way everlasting”

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-13, 23-24 or Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Saved by grace, we are led “in the way everlasting.” Was this just another night (Genesis 28:11)? No! This was a night to remember, a night Jacob would never forget. God came to him with His …

Human sin and divine grace

Genesis 17:1-27 The contrast between Sarai (Genesis 16) and Sarah (Genesis 17) is striking. It is the contrast between human sin and divine grace: "Don't call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead, her name is Sarah (princess). I will bless her ... " (Genesis 17:15-16). What she was is a thing of the …

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God – our Saviour

Genesis 21:1-23:20; Matthew 8:23-9:13; Psalm 7:10-17 As we read of the testing of Abraham in regard to God's call for Isaac to be sacrificed, we have a hint of God's provision of Jesus Christ as the Saviour who was sacrificed for the sins of the world. By faith, Abraham says, "God himself will provide the …

A stairway to heaven …

Genesis 27:1-28:32; Matthew 10:32-11:5; Psalm 9:1-6 As we see the progress of the divine promise through the line of Jacob, we also see that Esau married into Ishmael’s side of the family (Genesis 28:8-9). The tremendous experience, given by God to Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22) was one of the great turning-points in Jacob’s life (see also Genesis …

God is calling us to become more like Jesus.

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:26). This is more than a statement that comes to us from a very long time ago. It's God calling out to us, here and now. He's calling us "to be conformed …

When the roll is called up yonder

"And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”" (Genesis 50:24). What great words of encouragement! Joseph was very near to the end of his life on …

Come To Christ And Find Salvation In Him Alone.

Genesis 7What was going on outside of the ark is contrasted with the haven of salvation inside the ark. We read that, once all were in the ark, "the Lord closed the door behind them" (v. 16). What was it that made the ark a place of salvation? - The Lord. What is it that …

God meant it for good.

"God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). Have there been times in your life when you didn't really understand what was going on in your life, and, then, some time later, you've been able to look back and say, "God meant it for good"? Sometimes, we can feel that we're in a dark place. Nothing …

God Will Complete His Good Work In Us.

Genesis 27:1-40 The deception of Isaac by Jacob (prompted by Rebekah) is a sad episode, yet God - in grace - really bestows His blessing on Jacob. Beneath Jacob’s deceit, there was a real desire to be blessed by God. To Esau (the late arrival), Isaac says, ‘I have blessed him - yes, and he …

The spiritual dimension in a human story

Genesis 24:1-67 Finding a wife for Isaac - this seems such a human story. It's more than that! There's a real spiritual dimension - Guidance from the Lord (7) and prayer to the Lord (12). "Before he had finished speaking - there was Rebekkah" (15): God guided and God answered prayer. Worshipping and praising the …

Dreams and parables

Genesis 36:1-37:36; Matthew 13:18-35; Psalm 10:12-18 When Joseph spoke of his dream, “his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind” (Genesis 37:11). Jacob was becoming aware that Joseph was the man whom God had chosen to carry the purpose of God forward into the next generation. Joseph’s dreams had been …

A Great Hymn Of Praise

Genesis 1:14-25 The Bible's opening chapter is a great hymn of praise, emphasizing that all things have been created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11). Nothing can be permitted to distract our attention from the Lord. He alone is worthy of worship. The creation of the 'lights' makes no reference to the sun and …

Learning from the past – and pressing on towards God’s future

We look back. We remember - and we learn. What we learn from the past, we bring with us into the present, into our journey into the future. We cannot turn the clock back. We do not belong to the past. We're travelling towards the future. We go back to the book of Genesis - …