"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Genesis 1:1

The book of Genesis means "origins" and this opening statement sums it all up. It all started when God decided to make it all!

"In the beginning”…the heavens and earth are not eternal. They had a beginning. There was a “time” when they did not exist and a clock started ticking the moment they were made. This moment in time is referenced again in John 1:1-2 and Hebrews 1:10. Everything that is created has a beginning. The heavens and earth are temporal and chronological.

“God created”…the heavens and the earth are an act of creation. They reflect the design of such an act. It was all made with a purpose in mind. The existence of the heavens and the earth is not accidental or independently spontaneous or chance. It does not exist as the result of random string of evolutionary transformations, adaptations, and/or mutations. In addition to this, Scripture testifies that God is the One who did the creating. The heavens and the earth are the work of His mind, heart, and hands. This determines the right of ownership and it also impacts the nature of what exists and why it exists. The role of God as Creator is one of the major doctrines of Scripture. It is the most fundamental truth. It is the first truth that makes sense out of everything we are and everything we see and experience. Ecclesiastes 12:1; Isaiah 27:11; 40:28; 43:1, 15; Romans 1:25; and 1 Peter 4:19 all use the term “Creator” in reference to God. Other notable passages attesting to God creating the heavens and the earth are Acts 17:24-28; John 1:1-3; Job 38:4ff; Psalm 8; Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 40:21-16; 45:8-13.

“the heavens and the earth”…this phrase describes the entire universe; the cosmos as we know it. Notice the special place earth is given. It alone is singled out from all the rest of the solar systems and galaxies of the universe; all that vastness is summed up as “the heavens.” The earth is special and unique. It has a distinct purpose in God’s creation. I had never really thought much about this before. Imagine that I was telling you about my trip to the zoo and how I saw all the animals and the giraffes. How would you take that? You would understand that among all the animals I saw that day the giraffes had a special interest. It might have been because they were a new exhibit. It might be because they had just given birth to a baby. It might just reflect that they are my favorite animal among all the others, but that I considered them special would surely stand out. What accounts for God singling out the earth? Genesis 1 will give us the answer and don't be surprised if it has something to do with us!

Depression

I spent the weekend in a mini-funk. On Friday night I received bad news, my teenage daughter got caught speeding and all I could envision was the cost of the fine and the insurance premiums rocketing skyward. Insurances are the #1 rip-off in the world! They sell themselves to you as life's safety net and then when you need them (after years worth of hefty premiums) they jack up your premium for the rest of your life. Anyway, my initial anger took a wrong turn and spiraled downward into a depressing mindset. And there I was all night, all day Saturday, and right into Sunday morning. I was just empty, drained, tired; depressed. Everyone who knows me noticed it on Saturday and Sunday. I had to even preach in that kind of mood, but slowly as Sunday went on I began to recover. Why? Some of it was self-recognition of what was happening and wanting to recover. A good portion of it had to do with being at church, with God's people, and in worship. The third affect once again came from my daughter (yes, the same one who got the speeding ticket). As we were leaving church she received a phone call that a college classmate (she's a freshman) was killed that morning in an ATV accident. This young man had become a good friend of hers. It was truly tragic and it made my pity party look pretty insignificant. A young life snuffed out just like that! I can only imagine the grief of his parents and the small university campus he was a part of. It reminded me of the phone call I received late one night more than 20 years ago telling me my 24 year old good college friend had died in a drowning accident. It was unbelievable news, but unreversably true. I praise the Lord for keeping His promise to shepherd me through the valley of the shadow of death. I passed nearby this weekend, but now its in the rear view mirror.

Trying something new

I don't know much about the world of blogging. I'm not sure anyone will ever read these words. This is my first foray into such technology. Generally, technology and I don't mesh easily. My children love it. I'm a little intimidated by it. I'm not a product of the video game text messaging generation. I'd like to think that in the months ahead I will publish thoughtful pieces that others will find inspiring and enlightening. Right now I am a raw novice. I don't even know how to add an image to this blog. Let me start by saying that I am a preacher. It has been a great life for me. God has blessed me to work with three congregations of wonderful Christians who have encouraged me to grow personally and professionally. My experiences with these churches of Christ have been positive in every way. I have been blessed. I am in a small quandry today. I am in between what to preach now that Easter has gone by. Have you ever felt in between something or some place? I am trying to capitalize on this feeling by investigating the forty days Jesus spent on earth in between His resurrection and His ascension. I've entitled the lesson(s) "Between Joseph's Tomb and Heaven's Gate." So far, though, nothing has jumped out and grabbed me and I'm running out of time (it is Saturday mid-afternoon). My wife wants me to preach her favorite passage from Jeremiah 29:11. It is an ispirational passage. "For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." I think I will come back to this in a couple of weeks and preach a series of lessons based on some of the Great Inspirational Scriptures. Well, this exercise has diverted my attention long enough. I must get back to the "tweener" texts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and 1 Corinthians before Sunday arrives. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.