"Partners" by Karolyn Parsons for Tuesday, 27 February 2018 - Genesis 2:15 Adonai, God, took the person and put him in the garden of ‘Eden to cultivate and care for it. 16 Adonai, God, gave the person this order: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.”
18 Adonai, God, said, “It isn’t good that the person should be alone. I will make for him a companion suitable for helping him.” 19 So from the ground Adonai, God, formed every wild animal and every bird that flies in the air, and he brought them to the person to see what he would call them. Whatever the person would call each living creature, that was to be its name. (S: iii) 20 So the person gave names to all the livestock, to the birds in the air and to every wild animal. But for Adam there was not found a companion suitable for helping him.
21 Then God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the person; and while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and closed up the place from which he took it with flesh. 22 The rib which Adonai, God, had taken from the person, he made a woman-person; and he brought her to the man-person. 23 The man-person said, “At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She is to be called Woman [Genesis 2:23 Hebrew: ishah], because she was taken out of Man [Genesis 2:23 Hebrew: ish].” 24 This is why a man is to leave his father and mother and stick with his wife, and they are to be one flesh.
25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. (Complete Jewish Bible)
***The mystery and intrigue surrounding the story of the creation of man and woman never ceases to cause wonder. We wonder at the act of creating one being, only to realize that one is alone and without companionship. It is amazing to take one body and carefully make another.
God created male and female in the image of God, each intentionally designed to be of equal worth. Both male and female are intended to help and encourage, unite and accomplish many things together. God created them to be partners, helpers to one another and to be so closely bonded that they are called one flesh.
The unity that comes between a man and woman as husband and wife is a unique relationship. When a couple joins together, they develop intimacy and partnership. They know more about each other than others know. It is a sacred relationship to be held in honor and respect, to be unhindered by those outside that covenant relationship. One is not over another, one is not more powerful than the other, rather both contain attributes and qualities of God intended to match the needs of the other. When a couple keeps their eyes on God, they can accomplish many great things together.
Hymn for Today: "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" by Henry Alford
1. Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.
2. All the world is God's own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and tares together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.
3. For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store
in the garner evermore.
4. Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.
Thought for Today: For the leader. A psalm of David:
Adonai, the king finds joy in your strength;
what great joy he displays in your victory!(Psalm 21:1)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in American Samoa.
***
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in American Samoa.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Mirror Image" by Karolyn Parsons for Monday, 26 February 2018 - Genesis 1:26—2:3
"Mirror Image" by Karolyn Parsons for Monday, 26 February 2018 - Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
Mirrors can be hard to miss. Even when we try not to look, it’s hard not to notice when our image is caught in one. When we stop to inspect that image, we might like what we see, or we might get discouraged and start picking ourselves apart.
Just like a carnival maze of mirrors, our perception of who we are can be affected by the kind of mirror we use. The images are meant to be distorted and unclear, amusing or unsettling. Mirrors that affect our self-image and our emotions play with our sense of self-worth. Entire industries capitalize on this insecurity and convince us that we need their help to be perfect.
When we read that we are created in God’s image, it speaks to an amazing awareness that we were created intentionally and purposefully by God and that, as men and women, we can look into the mirror and see important attributes of God within us. Our hearts, spirit, emotions, and desires in life come as a reflection of Him. In this understanding we find peace, not in what the world says about us, but in the One who we aim to reflect.
Hymn for Today: "My Wonderful Lord" by Haldor Lillenas
"Mirror Image" by Karolyn Parsons for Monday, 26 February 2018 - Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image;
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Here! Throughout the whole earth I am giving you as food every seed-bearing plant and every tree with seed-bearing fruit. 30 And to every wild animal, bird in the air and creature crawling on the earth, in which there is a living soul, I am giving as food every kind of green plant.” And that is how it was. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. 2 On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.
***Mirrors can be hard to miss. Even when we try not to look, it’s hard not to notice when our image is caught in one. When we stop to inspect that image, we might like what we see, or we might get discouraged and start picking ourselves apart.
Just like a carnival maze of mirrors, our perception of who we are can be affected by the kind of mirror we use. The images are meant to be distorted and unclear, amusing or unsettling. Mirrors that affect our self-image and our emotions play with our sense of self-worth. Entire industries capitalize on this insecurity and convince us that we need their help to be perfect.
When we read that we are created in God’s image, it speaks to an amazing awareness that we were created intentionally and purposefully by God and that, as men and women, we can look into the mirror and see important attributes of God within us. Our hearts, spirit, emotions, and desires in life come as a reflection of Him. In this understanding we find peace, not in what the world says about us, but in the One who we aim to reflect.
Hymn for Today: "My Wonderful Lord" by Haldor Lillenas
1. I have found a deep peace that I never had known
And a joy this world could not afford -
Since I yielded control of my body and soul
To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.
Chorus: My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord
By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!
I know Thou art mine, my Savior divine
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
2. I desire that my life shall be ordered by Thee
That my will be in perfect accord -
With Thine own sov'reign will
Thy desires to fulfill
Chorus: My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord
By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!
I know Thou art mine, my Savior divine
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
3. All the talents I have I have laid at Thy Feet
Thy approval shall be my reward.
Be my store great or small
I surrender it all
To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.
Chorus: My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord
By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!
I know Thou art mine, my Savior divine
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
4. Thou art fairer to me than the fairest of earth
Thou omnipotent, life-giving Word
O Thou Ancient of Days,
Thou art worthy all praise,
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
Chorus: My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord
By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!
I know Thou art mine, my Savior divine
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
Thought for Today: God, be gracious to us, and bless us.
May he make his face shine toward us, (Selah)
so that your way may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.(Psalm 67:2)
Please pray: That many people in American Samoa will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Please pray: That many people in American Samoa will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
***
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